10 31 32 that saw a certaine man robbed of his money spoyled of his rayment and wounded of his body yet departed from him and passed by on the other side leauing him halfe dead But when we are so farre from releeuing them in theyr wants and comforting them in theyr distresses and helping them with our counsell that we seduce them our selues or boulster them vp in their sinnes or draw them into wickednesse we shall draw vpon our selues the heauy iudgements of God in the day of his visitation For if they shall not escape that are ledde out of the way and follow the direction of false and lying seducers of greater iudgment and sorer punishment shall they bee worthy that lay snares to catch others and draw them vnto destruction In the Prophesies of Ieremy we see Pashur the sonne of Immer the Priest threatned Ier. 20 6. that because he had preached lies hee and all that belonged vnto him should dye in captiuity And in another place the Lord denounceth his iudgements to come vpon the Prophets which haue sweet toongs Ier. 23.31 seducing the people with pleasing lies Herevnto wee may referre all ignorant Ministers which are vtterly disabled for the performance of their duty in teaching the people they haue the place but want the gifts 1 Tim. 3 2 they haue the calling but want the ability 2 Tim. 2.2 they fill vp the roomes of workmen but are not able to do the worke These commit an heynous sin not onely destroying their owne foules but bringing the people to destruction For through their ignorance and insufficiency they cast away their owne soules the soules of other men The wise man teacheth Prou. 29 18 that where there is no vision there the people decay Wherefore to conclude let all faithfull Ministers of God with care conscience be stirred vp to deliuer that Embassage which they haue receiued from God not as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ And let all the people know that it becommeth them with al patience and reuerence to receiue the word of exhortation which God hath sanctified as the meanes to worke in thē faith and obedience It shall excuse no man in the day of the Lord to say I would haue hearkened to the truth but I was deceyued I would haue walked in the right way but alasse I was seduced These are olde Adams figge-leaues which will not serue to couer our shame and to hide our nakednesse wee must seeke after the truth and learne to discerne of it from errour If we be content to liue in ignorance and voluntarily submit our selues to be led or rather misled by blinde guides that can neyther informe themselues nor vs in the wayes of the Lord if we wilfully shut our eyes because we will not see our ignorance is without excuse and for want of knowledge wee shall certainly bee destroyed Let vs all walke in the right way and make streight steps vnto our feete Heb. 12 13 that God may be glorified our soules saued we entirely preserued in the truth through Iesus Christ to whom bee praise and glory in the Church for euer Amen CHAP. XXVI 1 AND it came to passe after the plague that the Lord spake vnto Moses and vnto Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest saying 2 Take the summe of the Congregation of the Children of Israel from twenty yeares old and vpward throughout their fathers house all that are able to go to warre in Israel 3 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest spake vnto them c. 5 Reuben the eldest sonne of Israel c. 9 This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the Congregation c. 10 And the earth opened her mouth c. HAuing sufficiently seene the weake estate and condition of this people who as much as lay in them rushed forward to their owne destruction and were vnworthy of the mercy of God that they might learne in the matter of their saluation to ascribe al to God Deut. 8 17. Let vs consider the power of his grace 1 Cor. 12 6 seene and made perfect in their weaknesse to the end of this booke wherein we are to marke a description partly of the holy and Ecclesiasticall Lawes giuen to the 31. chapt and partly sundry Ciuill and politicall Lawes belonging to their inheritance in the Land of promise Before both these we haue in this and the chapter following a new numbring of the people by the commandement of God wherein we must marke two things one touching the numbring of them the other touching the order to be deuised in the diuiding of the inheritance Touching the numbring of the people we must remember that this is now the third numbring since the Israelites by the mighty hand of God departed out of Egypt The first was the same yeare they were brought foorth when the summe was taken of them and a generall payment exacted of rich and poore for the prouision and preparation of holy things requisite for the Tabernacle Exod. 30 14 15 16. The second was in the beginning of the second yeare when the holy things were made and an order set downe among the people in their iournies Numb 1 and 2. The third is that which is in this place And notwithstanding the two former this was not without speciall causes The causes of this new nūbring of the people for there had beene a great change and alteration among the people since the second nūbring of them which was 38. yeares before they that were then numbred beeing dead in the plagues and punishments that fell vpon them Againe the diuision of the Land could not but by these breaches among them be very vniust and vnequall vnlesse this summe had beene taken whereas the Land ought to bee indifferently diuided and parted to ende all controuersies to cut off all occasions of enuie and emulation and to preserue loue and vnity among brethren Thirdly in regard of military discipline that they might march in good array and keep order the better among them for they were now in a manner come to hand blowes with their enemies and were ready to encounter with them Fourthly that the hand of God toward this people might be better seene and knowne to wit both his power and goodnesse in that though many thousands of them were wasted consumed in the Wildernesse yet the number of them was not diminished but rather encreased likewise his iustice and truth in that though he chastened the rebellious and refractary against him yet hee kept the promise hee had made to their fathers touching the multiplying of their seed as the starres of heauen Theod. quaest 46 forasmuch as he is able of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Mat. 3 9. And to call those things that are not as though they were Rom. 4 17 18. Lastly to shew that as he knoweth perfectly and exactly the number of all that entred into the earthly Canaan so he knoweth the
It is no good report that I heare ye make the Lords people to transgresse But Dauid was loth to displease his sonne but sought to please him in all things and behold what came of it it turned to his hurt and in the end to his vtter ouerthrow If then we lay these seuerall points together that God will shew our election and the election of our seed to stand firmely and onely vpon the purpose of his wil and cut off all occasion of boasting from vs that we are able to deriue grace vnto them lest therby we should ascribe their regeneration conuersiō to our selues so take the glory frō God to whom onely it is due vnto our selues to whom in no sort it is due that God in his counsell purposeth to destroy some of them and that they often want education a good meanes to bring them to God wee may truely conclude this point with which we deale namely that godly parents which doe beleeue haue many times vngracious and vnrighteous children that doe not beleeue This often falling out to the most faithful Vse 1 that desire to leaue an holy seed behind them let vs consider what we are to learne from it And first this sealeth vp this truth as a principle that neuer faileth namely that the father is not saued by the child nor the child by the father The Prophet saith truely Hab. 2.4 The iust shal liue by his faith not by the faith of the father nor by the faith of the sonne but by his owne faith The faith of the godly father shal not saue the vngodly child neither shal the faith of the godly child saue the vngodly father Thus are Gods wayes cleared to bee equall which are oftentimes challenged and slandered to be vnequall This doth the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 18.4 5.13 14 17 20. and 33.20 handle at large Chap. 18. and 33. Behold all soules are mine as the soule of the father so also the soule of the sonne is mine the soule that sinneth shall die If a man be iust and doe that which is lawfull and right if he beget a sonne that is a robber or an oppresser he shal surely die his blood shall be vpon him But if he beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and considereth and doth not such like hee shall not die for the iniquitie of his father he shall surely liue The soule that sinneth it shall die the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father neither shall the father beare the iniquity of the sonne the righteousnes of the righteous shal be vpon him and the wickednes of the wicked shal be vpō him Where he sheweth that if the father that is righteous beget a sonne vnlike vnto himselfe the righteousnesse of the father shall nothing profit or auaile him he shall receiue such a recompence of reward as is due to his impiety He mentioneth in this place three seuerall persons the grandfather the nephew and in the middle betweene them both Calui praelect in Ezek. cap. 18 he setteth the sonne of the former and the father of the latter Of them all he setteth downe this rule that euery one shall be rewarded as he hath liued and receiue according vnto his workes The blessing of GOD shall rest vpon all those that are iust whatsoeuer their posterity shall bee as Esay Chapter 3.10 Esay 3.10 Say yee to the righteous that it shall be well with him for they shall eate the fruite of their doings and to that purpose we reade in the Psalme Psal 58.11 Men shall say verily there is reward for the righteous verily he is a God that iudgeth in the earth God is a iust Iudge and therefore rewardeth euery man as his owne life is They therefore doe greatly deceiue themselues that runne into all excesse of riot and thinke to haue mercy shewed vnto them because of the godlinesse of their parents whereas rather this shall serue to heape vppe farther iudgement vpon their heads On the other side it serueth to comfort those that forsake the wickednesse of their parents progenitors forasmuch as god will accept of them and embrace them in the armes of his tender loue and neuer charge vpon them those sinnes nor vpbraide them with the same Blessed therefore are all that walke in his wayes but vnto them that turne away from righteousnesse and commit iniquity and doe according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he die Wherefore to conclude it is required of vs not to stand vpon the goodnesse of our ancestors but vpon that which we finde in our selues inasmuch as many of the godly and righteous seruants of God haue had children appointed to wrath and destruction The people of the Iewes gloried and boasted that they had Abraham to their father albeit they did not the workes of Abraham but of their father the diuell Ioh. 8.44 Ioh. 8.44 Hence it is that Iohn the Baptist exhorteth them to bring forth fruites meete for repentance Matth. 3.8 9. and not to thinke to say within themselues We haue Abraham to our father forasmuch as God is able of the stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham It is a vaine thing in earthly things for a man to boast of his predecessors The heathen man could say Ouid. Metam lib. 13. that stocke and ancestors and such things as our selues haue not done we may scarcely cal our owne Much more doeth this holde in heauenly things and in true religion which goe not by kinde or kinne they descend not from father vnto sonne as temporall inheritances doe no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and hee to whomsoeuer the Sonne will reueale him Matth. 11. Matth. 11.27 Let euery man labour to know God and to plant the feare of him in his owne heart that so we may liue by our owne faith as his life is maintained and continued by his owne soule Vse 2 Secondly let no man be discouraged though they see their seed vntoward and vngracious Religion cannot be conueyed to children by parents as house and land neither can they leaue it vnto them as they leaue them a possession to descend by a continued succession from the father to the sonne and to the sonnes sonne in one race and generation Godlinesse commeth not to vs by naturall generation Godlinesse is no inheritance from father to sonne but by spirituall regeneration neither hath the first-borne greater title to it then the second That which the Apostle speaketh of the Ministery that Paul may plant and Apollo water but it is God that giueth the increase may be truely spoken of the bringing vp of children in the nourture and information of the Lord. We may and ought
the Lord Obiect Ephes 6. Ephe. 6.4 If any obiect against these commandements They will be vnruly and disordered albeit they be neuer so well brought vp and though their parents be very carefull they will be very carelesse and therefore they were as good holde their peace as to speake to them and not to be regarded Answer I answere so it is sometimes but alwayes it is not so Many that haue feared GOD with all their housholdes haue receiued much comfort by their children and seruants that haue had good instruction put into them as pure and wholesome liquour into a vessell and haue seene the fruite thereof to the vnspeakeable ioy of their hearts This we might shew at large in the reformed families of Abraham and Cornelius and sundry others As they planted and sowed good seede in the parts of their families as it were in a fruitfull field so they reaped a plentifull haruest Abraham had seruants that were also Gods seruants Gen 24.12 and 14.14 Act. 10.7 and prayed earnestly vnto him Cornelius had a souldier that waited vpon him that feared God yea all his band of Italian souldiers were Christian souldiers Againe we must trust GOD with the effect and successe of the education that we giue them He will worke thereby by his Spirit in all that belong vnto him as seemeth good to his heauenly wisedome If he doe not giue a blessing for causes vnknowne to vs but knowne to him let vs leaue Gods secret yet iust iudgments to himselfe The third particular branch is to pray to God for them to guide them in his wayes and to blesse them in his feare and to blesse our labours bestowed among them This wee see in Iob Iob 1.5 Chapter 1. toward his children When the dayes of their feasting were gone about he sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all for he said It may be that my sonnes haue sinned and cursed God in their hearts He was carefull for those which were committed vnto his charge and feared they might offend God in their meetings albeit hee knew no such euill by them The wise man saith Happy is the man◠that feareth alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Prou. 28. Prou. 28.14 A like example wee haue in Dauid Psalme 72. where he prayeth for Salomon Giue the king thy iudgements O God and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne hee shall iudge thy people with righteousnesse and thy poore with iudgement So then the faithfull are to entreate and craue from God the continuance of his couenant to their children and to begge from his handes an holy and sanctified seede We must not presume because we are faithfull and haue receiued to beleeue that therefore our seede must of necessity be so likewise for then we shall but deceiue our selues Let not vs therefore faile in crauing a blessing from God vpon our children if we desire to make them heires of blessing Fourthly it is required of vs to reioyce in the blessing of God vpon them and to giue him praise and glory when he vouchsafeth to shew mercy vpon them and vpon vs. If hee did leaue them in their sinnes and in that corruption which they receiued from vs Psal 51. as it were by inheritance we could not finde iust cause of complaint against him who is bound neither to vs nor to our children but forasmuch as he sheweth much mercy to our posteritie as he hath done vnto vs we haue matter of praise and thankesgiuing giuen vnto vs whereby also we shall procure their farther good It is noted of the Iailour Actes 16. Act. 16.34 that he reioyced that they of his houshold also beleeued in the Lord. He accounted it not sufficient for himselfe to beleeue nor reioyced onely in his owne saluation but forasmuch as God had vouchsafed greater mercy vnto him to call his family also to the faith this cheered his heart much more If we haue tasted of the like mercy let vs not be forgetfull of the like duty Lastly it belongeth vnto vs for the furtherance of their good to giue those all good encouragement in well doing that are conscionable in their duties to God and to vs we are bound to praise and commend them to comfort them to cheere them vp and to defend them against all malicious enemies that seeke to disgrace them The Apostle Paul willeth parents not to prouoke their children lest they be discouraged Coloss 3.21 It is a meanes to coole and quench zeale to finde discouragements in godly proceedings On the other side we ought to shew all dislike and hatred against euill and an angry countenance toward such as are vnreformed The Prophet touching the right ordering and good gouernment of his house declareth that hee would not know a wicken person and him that hath an high looke he will not suffer Psal 101.4.5 His eyes should be vpon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with him hee that walketh in the perfect way hee shall serue him This is a good meanes to make both houses to prosper and kingdomes to flourish when the godly are aduanced and the euil doers are beaten down but when euil is set aloft and goeth vnchecked and vncontrolled and godlinesse is driuen to the wall it prognosticateth and foretelleth the ruine and vtter desolation of those societies albeit for a time they may continue When they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wildernesse Wee haue hitherto spoken of the destruction of Aarons sonnes before the face of their father now let vs see for what cause it was done The sinne of his sonnes is remembred to be this they offered strange fire that is such as was not appointed and commanded of the Lord they tooke not the fire from the altar to burne incense with all which came downe from heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests vntill the captiuity of Babylon Now whereas the authour of the second booke of Macchabees telleth vs that whē their fathers were led into Persia the Priests that were then deuout tooke the fire of the altar priuily Macch. 1.19 and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water where they kept it sure so that the place was vnknowne to all men hath no testimony of trueth out of the sacred Scriptures as we shal shew more in the 26. Chapter of this Booke of Numbers Moses maketh mention of this example of the sinne and punishment of Aarons sonnes to the end the Leuites should be more wise and wary in the execution of their office because God hereby sheweth that they shal neuer escape his hand that do not rightly discharge the duties committed vnto them For the examples of Gods iudgements vpon the corrupters and contemners of his worship must make vs more carefull and fearefull to offend Now whereas they are punished according to their
the first borne among many brethren Rom. 8.29 is the Priest of his Church because he offered vp himself to his Father as a perfect sacrifice to satisfie his wrath for our sinnes and maketh intercession for vs and the king of his Church because he hath authority in heauen in earth so he maketh vs kings and Priests vnto God his Father Reuel 1.6 and 5.10 Priests that we should make knowne his wil call vpon his Name in spirit and truth and offer vp our selues to him a spirituall sacrifice and kings that we should conquer sinne Satan and the world through faith in Christ for this is our victory euen our faith 1 Ioh. 5.4 that ouercommeth all these enemies We haue also the adoption of sonnes and we are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that we should shew forth the praises of him who hath called vs out of darknesse into his maruellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Thirdly this layeth before vs the dignity Vse 3 of Christ Iesus our Sauiour touching whom we learne that he is in deed and in trueth the first borne of God by whom we are deliuered from the wrath of God and redeemed from hell and destruction forasmuch as he was consecrate vnto God and made a sacrifice of attonement for vs who by sinne were become his enemies as we noted before Now hee is the first borne in these foure respects first How Christ is the first borne according to his diuine nature being begotten of the Father before all creatures after an vnspeakeable manner being of the same substance with him and is therfore called the first borne of euery creature Coloss 1. verse 15. Rom. 8. verse 29. He is the eternall sonne of God being borne of him before any creature was created Whereby wee learne against the blasphemous opinion of the Arrians that he is true GOD not a made or a created God but being God from all eternity Secondly according to his humane nature euen as he tooke vpon him our flesh and was borne of the virgine Mary so hee was also her first borne Matthew 1. verse 25. Luke 2. verse 15. Not that the blessed Virgine had other after him but because she had none before him For he is in Scripture called the first borne that first openeth the matrice whether other be borne after or not Thirdly he is called by this title because he was the first that arose out of the graue made a way for vs vnto euerlasting life because it was vnpossible that hee should be holden of the sorrowes of death And therefore hee is said by the Apostle to be before all things the beginning and the first borne from the dead Col. 1 18. This is a notable comfort vnto vs that forasmuch as our elder Brother Christ Iesus arose from the dead to the euerlasting possession of eternall glory in heauen it followeth that we also shall rise againe and not for euer lye in the graue and then be partakers with him of that blessed inheritance prepared for vs from the beginning of the world Hee is gone before to prepare vs a place and when he commeth againe we shall enter into that blessed estate and condition euery one according to the measure of the grace and guift of Christ Psal 45 7. For as Christ was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes so he was rewarded with the possession of glory aboue his brethren and highly exalted farre aboue all principalities and powers who ascended aboue all heauens that hee might fill all things Eph. 4 10. Neither let any obiect that some did rise againe before him for they arose againe to this present life and dyed againe but he arose againe to die no more death had no more dominion ouer him but to take possession of the kingdome of heauen and therefore it followeth in the next words that in all things he might haue the preheminence Lastly as the first borne was set apart and then sacrificed vnto GOD I meane the first borne among the beasts that were killed so Christ was separated from sinners Heb. 7 26. as the vnspotted Lambe of God holy and acceptable and then made a perfect oblation of himselfe not for himselfe but for the sinnes of his people Heb. 7 27. He must be holy both in his conception and life that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high-Priest and make reconciliation for vs. For he that must be a Mediatour betweene God and vs and restore vs into his fauour must of necessity be himselfe in the fauour of God and neuer haue offended him Neither could he haue accesse to the Throne of God who is most holy to make intercession for vs vnlesse he had beene holy harmelesse vndefiled and made higher then the heauens Hence also we haue vnspeakeable comfort we are assured that the wrath of God is pacified the curse of the Law is cancelled and all our sinnes are purged and done away Who is it now that shall be able to lay any thing to our charge Rom. 8 33. or to the charge of any of the elect It is God that iustifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. There is nothing then that shall be able to separate vs from this loue of Christ neither tribulation nor distresse neither persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor perill nor sword neyther life nor death forasmuch as in all these we are more then Conquerors through him that loued vs. Lastly seeing God separated the first borne Vse 4 or eldest of the family from the rest of his brethren as also he did the Leuites from the other Tribes to serue him it teacheth that all the faithfull ought to be separated from the company of wicked men and to abhor them as a sinke of all filthinesse and annoyance that we may more freely and faithfully serue the Lord as the Prophet saith Psal 119. Psal 119 115. Away from me ye wicked and I will keepe the Commandements of my God Thus we see the Church of God to be described to be an holy people elected out of the rest of the world Numb 23.9 They shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the Nations God reuealeth his will to them he gouerneth them he protecteth them he careth and prouideth for them no lesse then parents for their first borne Hence it is that he willeth Moses to goe to Pharaoh and to say vnto him Israel is my sonne euen my first borne let him goe that he may serue me and if thou refuse to let him goe Behold I will slay thy sonne euen thy first borne Exod. 4. Exod. 4 22 23 The like we reade in the Prophesie of Ieremy chap. 31 9. I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my first borne He hath a greater care of them then of all other nations and people
Let no man despise thy youth but be thou an example to the beleeuers c and 2 Tim. 2 15. Study to shew thy selfe approued vnto God a workman that needeth not to bee ashamed rightly diuiding the word of truth And afterward verse 22. Fly youthfull lustes but follow righteousnesse faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart When Elies sonnes light headed persons medled with the sacrifices the people began to abhorre the offerings of GOD 1 Sam. 2. There are many seuerall branches of this vse Branches of this vse sorted out into many particular points First euery Minister must consider how precious his calling is and what person hee sustaineth that he is as the mouth and messenger of God to the people and the Interpreter of his will he is as it were the Lords hand in separating betweene the precious and prophane the holy and the vnholy he is to keep the people out of the snares of the diuell and therefore not to deliuer them as a prey vnto him through his euill life Secondly they must often enter into this meditation with themselues that they are as actors vpon a stage or as beacons set vpon an hill to giue light to othets They are seene afarre off and a little blemish is soone espied in their coats Euery thing that they speake or doe is obserued and marked so that some follow them and others carpe at them some are greeued and offended others reuile the whole Ministery for the sinne and scandall of a few Thirdly let vs labour to stop the mouthes of the enimies that are ready to open them against their actions and persons and thereby take occasion to blaspheme the Name of God and the glorious Gospel of Christ and thorough their euill life wound the truth it selfe Heereby they shall be meanes to gaine them to the faith that such as receiue not the truth nor the loue of the word may without the word beholding the pure and holy conuersation of the Ministers thereof imbrace the word On the other side the prophane liues and leud examples that many in that calling giue do make the true religion stinke in their nostrils and become loathsome and noisome vnto many and so lay a dangerous stumbling blocke before such as being blinde are made more blinde and being haters of good things are more hardened in heart Woe be to such as giue offence it must be that offences come but woe to them by whom they come Math. 18 7. These are glad to lay hold vpon euery small occasion to speake euill of the word wayes of God as also of the Ministers Ministery and the profession of the Gospel The Apostle admonisheth the Minister 1 Tim. 3 7 that he must haue good report of them that are without lest he fail into reproch and into the snare of the diuel We ought so to behaue our selues that the enemies of God and his word may haue no iust cause to speake against vs or to complain of vs through our desert But if we be without fault and haue the testimony of a good conscience to witnesse with vs it ought not greatly to trouble vs though we be burdened and borne downe with false reproches calumniations nay rather we haue matter of reioycing offered vnto vs if we suffer for righteousnesse sake Math. 5 10 and we must boldly go forward through good report and euill report Cor. 6 8. alwaies bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life also of Christ Iesus might bee made manifest in our body Lastly it is the duty of the people to yeeld them reuerence and to make a good account Vse 3 of them in regard of that weighty and blessed worke that is in their hands This is a notable signe and fruite of our loue toward them For if it be required of the Ministers to bee thus qualified it followeth that they ought to haue the honour and estimation that is fit for them as Leuit. 21 8. Thou shalt sanctifie him therefore for he offereth the bread of thy God he shall be holy vnto thee for I the Lord which sanctifie you am holy And the Apostle 1. Thess 5 12 13. saith We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteeme them very highly in loue for their workes sake c. We shewed before how basely and brutishly euery base brutish companioÌ„ accounteth both of the Minister and of his calling as we saw in Ahab in the Captaines and sundry others and all this falleth out because they rebuke and conuince the world of sinne as Ieremy found by experience and acknowledgeth chap. 15 10. Woe is me my mother that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth I haue neither lent on vsury nor men haue lent to me on vsury yet euery one of them doth curse me This duty hath many branches vnder it as it were diuers sciences that come out of one roote First we must pray for the Minister that the Lord would giue him wisedome knowledge in all things â—ranches of â—s vse 2 Tim. 2 7. Consider what I say and the Lord giue thee vnderstanding in all things There is a carnal and fleshly wisedome which is corrupt and diuellish and there is a wisedome which is true and heauenly We must desire such onely as is grounded on the word of God Secondly the Church must take notice what her power and authority is in chusing of Ministers It hath no absolute authority to ordaine whom it listeth and then to obtrude them vnto the people but it is hemmed about and compassed within certaine lists and limits out of which it ought not to wander any way Thirdly it is the duty of the people so to vse themselues toward their painefull carefull and faithfull Ministers that they may take occasion to reioyce in their calling and charge ouer them that they may see they haue not laboured in vaine as Hebr. 13 ver 17. Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue an account that they may do it with ioy and not with greefe for that is vnprofitable for you Nothing doth effect this more then when we profit by their labours and fructifie by their husbanding of vs and when we gaine knowledge faith repentance and saluation by their Ministery This doth refresh the weary spirits and cheere vp the heauy hearts of the Ministers who are oftentimes made sad and exceedingly humbled by the ignorance and prophanenes of a peruerse people But when they see the word of God cast behinde mens backes and though the seed be plentifully sowne yet nothing commeth vp but weeds and thistles so that the field yeeldeth nothing but a croppe of cares then they hang downe their heads their ioy is gone their crowne
soule that they may be preserued from sin from the infection of sin Now if any aske whether the disease of the leprosie be not contagious and therfore whether it be not expedient that all such as are taken and touched with it should be barred and banished from the society of men I confesse this is true and conuenient ought to be so but this was not the chiefe and principall end that God respected and therfore this is left to the Physitians and Masters of that profession to iudge according to the rules of art and experience God committed the matter to the Priests that they should order all things according to the directions giuen vnto them it had beene much safer to haue committed and commended the matter to such as had iudgement in that faculty Moreouer we must consider The leprosie of three sorts that as this disease was foule and filthy vgly and feareful so there are three sorts of it named in the law to wit the leprosie of the body the leprosie of the garments and the leprosie of the house so that it is most probable according to the opinion of the learned that the Iewes in a proper and peculiar manner vnknowne to vs at this day and vnknowne to the Iewes themselues at this day were troubled and tormented with this disease Euen as we that are cast into the last age of the world haue diseases that follow some sinnes which in former times were not knowne to the Physitians themselues And heereupon no doubt prophane writers tooke occasion to deuise sundry lyes and slanders against the whole nation of the Iewes as if it were hereditary vnto them and that all the posterity of Abraham were full of botches and blisters and itches and therefore were driuen out of Egypt by force Ioseph antiq lib. 9. lest they should corrupt the rest with their infection This forged surmise had ancient Authors to rest vpon Cornel. Tacit. Iustin lib. 38. and is as likely to proceed from the Egyptians themselues a proude and hauty people as from any other who being ashamed of the plagues that were sent among them and inflicted among them and desirous to blot out the memory of the reproch of their nation and of the vengeance of eternall God turned the iudgement of scabs blisters that fel vpon theÌ„ from themselues to the people of Israel as if they had infected them were for that cause compelled to banish them out of Egypt lest they should corrupt the whole countrey with their maladies But if this had bin the true reason of their departure why did they retaine them so long among them and in the end bestow vpon theÌ„ siluer and gold iewels and precious stones thereby spoiling themselues to enrich their enemies or why did they persecute them with such hatred at the red sea that themselues were drowned Furthermore among the curses that God denounceth to bring vpoÌ„ his people for the contempt of his word disobedience to his lawes Deut. 28.27 he threatneth to smite them with the botch of Egypt and with the hemrohds and with the scabbes and with the itch whereof they should not be healed Lastly if the people of God had beene haunted and vexed with any such filthy diseases the Lord would neuer haue established such sharpe and seuere lawes among them the like whereof were not to be found among forreine nations whereby such were separated from the company of men as had any loathsome and noysome vlcers and sicknesses following them yea if any suspition did arise they were seuered and sundered from the rest for a time vntill the trueth were throughly knowne and found out as appeareth at large in the booke of Leuiticus Verse 2. Command the children of Israel that they put out c. Heere we haue a plaine and expresse commandement of God charging Moses to put out lepers vncleane persons from the Congregation The Apostle Paul speaking of fornicators and incestuous persons that were vncleane liuers vncleane in body and in soule vseth the same word Put out such from among you 1 Cor. 5.13 thereby Doctrine 1 shewing what God intended by this Ceremony Obstinate sinners are to be cast out of the Church the substance whereof teacheth this truth namely that obstinate sinners are to be cast out of the Church All open offenders and vnreformed persons by the dreadfull and direfull sentence of excommunication as it were by the two edged sword of God are to be cut off from the fellowship of the Church and from all the priuiledges that belong vnto the faithfull This ordinance of God hath good ground vpon the separation mentioned in this place which was not commanded as a ciuill policy to keep the whole from the sick but as a part of Ecclesiasticall discipline inasmuch as the Priests the sonnes of Aaron had the whole knowledge of the cause as well the shutting of them out as the receiuing of them into the hoste as we shewed by sundry examples before There are that draw the originall of this Church-censure euen from Adam whom the Lord cast out of Eden and set an Angel at the entry of the garden who by shaking the blade of a glistering sword feared him from re-entring and suffered him not to touch or taste of that tree which was a Sacrament of life vnto him The like doe the Hebrew interpreters obserue touching Caine Gen. 3.24 whom the Lord cast out and banished from the face of God Gen. 4.14 as the lepers were cast out of the fellowship of men For what else is the face of God but the place appointed for his worship where he was wont to appeare to the Fathers and where Adam and his family met together to serue him and to sacrifice vnto him And al â—his was before the law when the sons of God were manifestly distinguished from the sonnes of men Gen 6.1 In the time of the Law we haue many ceremonies to this purpose We see that the vncleane were kept from comming to the Tabernacle from entring into the Temple from the partaking of the sacrifices and from eating the Passeouer Num 19. â— 20. and 9. â— So in another place the Lord threatneth that he shal be cut off from his people that being vncleane eateth of his sacrifice and that the sacrifice shal profit him nothing nor be accounted to him to take away his sinne but that it shall remaine vpon his owne head These are no obscure types darke shadowes but liuely pictures and patternes that represent vnto vs the nature of excommunication Let vs come to the new Testament Mat. 16.13 and 18.18 The vse of the keyes to open and shut and the words of binding and loosing come directly to this purpose And as this trueth is taught by precept so it is farther enlarged and warranted by sundry examples Abraham is commanded to cast out the bond woman her son Ge. 21.10 â— out of his family which was
is a seruice that is well pleasing in his sight forasmuch as we shew thereby that we do not depend on the pleasure of men but rely our selues vpon the authority of God And as it is the praise and triall of a good subiect who is content to beleeue and obey the lowest messenger and least officer that commeth vnto him with a message and commandement from his Prince so heereby it appeareth that we are true Citizens of the kingdom of God his adopted children if we heare his word with feare and reuerence albeit it be preached vnto vs by the meanest and poorest of all Gods seruants On the other side as it is a note of contempt toward the Magistrate himselfe to disobey or resist any Serieant or seruant that commeth from him how base soeuer he may seeme to be so wee make our selues guilty of rebellion and high treason against GOD when wee despise such as speake in his Name and contemne them that haue authority committed vnto them from the most high All such as loathe the truth for the Teachers sake when their owne consciences conuince them that it is the word of God which soundeth in their eares let them assure themselues and perswade their owne hearts that the contempt of their persons redoundeth to the Sonne of God yea to the Father himselfe Let them marke this point weigh it diligently who take it hainously when they are reprooued of men equall vnto them or inferiour to them or if they be contemptible to the world by reason of their poore estate The fourth reproofe Lastly it reproueth those that go about to shake the faith of many and to weaken the assurance and certainty of our saluation hauing the promises thereof propounded vnto vs in the doctrine and by the writings of the Apostles Hence it is that sundry scoffers and prophane spirits aske the question who is Paul and who is Peter or what is Iohn that wee should of necessity beleeue them Who gaue them authority or whence haue they power in the Church to set downe and prescribe vnto vs a rule of faith The doctrine that now we deale withall serueth very fitly to stoppe the mouthes of these Atheists and containeth a soueraigne preseruatiue against the poison that they offer vnto vs inasmuch as Christ the eternall Sonne of God maketh them his messengers his witnesses his heraulds to spread abroad his sauing health and auoucheth that he speaketh in them acknowledgeth himselfe to be author of that truth which they deliuer Gal. 1 8. so that if an Angell from heauen should preach any other Gospel then that which they haue preached to the Churches hee must bee holden accursed This therefore we ought to apply vnto our selues and gather as an argument of great comfort that when remission of sins and eternall life are promised to them that are truely penitent and lay hold vpon Christ by a liuely faith according to the doctrine of the Apostles we must assure our selues it is the voice of Christ and he will ratifie it in the highest heauens Neither is this true onely touching the Apostles themselues that had their calling from God and not from men and were conuersant with Christ in the daies of his flesh but likewise of all the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ that haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen committed vnto them When we assure forgiuenesse of sinnes to those that haue contrite and broken hearts it is no doubtfull or vncertaine assurance but grauen with a diamond and written as it were with a pen of steele to continue for euer forasmuch as it is the assurance of Christ and of God himselfe The voice of the Minister is not the voyce of a priuate man but of one that is a publike person it is as the voice of Christ himselfe Art thou humbled and cast downe for thy sinnes and doth thy soule cleaue vnto the dust He sendeth his Minister vnto thee and putteth the word of reconciliation into his mouth so that if thou vnfainedly turne vnto God be as well assured of the mercy of God toward thee as thou heardst Christ himselfe say vnto thee as he did sometimes to the sicke of the palsie Sonne bee of good cheare Math. 3 2. thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Againe when the Ministers of God on the other side doe threaten and thunder out the sentence of condemnation against the vnbeleeuers and such as cannot repent this also is no lesse the voice of the Sonne of God which no power of the world nor authority of man can hinder or call backe forasmuch as whose sinnes they reteine they are reteined Iohn ◠This iudgement howsoeuer it be either denied or derided or doubted off among the vngodly yet will Christ make it good and execute the same vpon them to their confusion This doctrine reacheth to the true Ministers of the word who haue their calling from God his word As for the Bishop of Rome that challengeth sole authority to forgiue sinnes and will haue all his decrees and decretals no lesse acknowledged then the word of God it is more then childish and ridiculous For he hath nothing common with the Apostles and cannot proue his succession wherein he glorieth by any sound reasons and yet arrogateth more vnto himselfe then GOD gaue or the Apostles tooke or the Church acknowledged to be due vnto the Apostles forasmuch as the Lord tied thē by an expresse commandement that they should teach the people to obserue those things which he had commanded them Vse 3 Thirdly this serueth to informe the Ministers that it concerneth them much to adorne their calling and to magnifie their Ministery that it bee not blemished and euill spoken off through their default This ought aboue all other things to be a spur vnto vs in our sides and as a fire kindled within our bowels to inflame our hearts with a zeale of Gods glory with a loue of his people with a care to discharge our office committed vnto vs with an earnest desire to encrease the kingdome of Christ Iesus For seeing God accounteth vs as his owne Embassadors sent out to do his wil and vouchsafeth to ioyne our labour with mans saluation we are bound in duty and conscience to preach the Gospel truely purely painefully sincerely and soundly It is required of vs not onely to teach but to teach the truth and to teach the truth with a right affection For we can neuer challenge the names and titles of being the Messengers of God vnto our selues and to be respected as the person of Christ himselfe except we preach the pure word of God and commend to the Church the pure doctrine of Christ If wee preach corruptly and make merchandise of the word of God and mingle wheat with chaffe and good corne with darnell or that which is worse we are not to bee accepted receiued as Christ but to be reiected and refused as false teachers that speake in their owne
had ouercome his enemies now he might ouercome himselfe and his owne affections Cicero orati pro Marcel which was a greater and nobler victory then the former Thus he sheweth himselfe religious toward God as well as righteous toward men The like we see in the Law set downe by an expresse commandement Exod. 22.10 11. If a man deliuer vnto his neighbour an asse or an oxe or a sheepe or any beast to keepe and it die or be hurt Deut. 21.8 or driuen away no man seeing it then shall an oath of the Lord bee betweene them both that hee hath not put his hand vnto his neighbours goods and the owner of it shall accept thereof and he shall not make it good This precept directeth when and in what cases to take an oath to wit when the matter is doubtfull and cannot otherwise be decided forasmuch as the owner of the goods is charged to rest therein and to acknowledge himselfe well satisfied This we see farther in the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.21 I call God for a record vpon my soule that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth He did not breake out into this swearing of an ordinary custome but the glory of God and the saluation of that Church required it in which cases we are allowed and warranted to vse it and not otherwise Reason 1 The reasons will better confirme this vnto vs then bare testimonies taken out of the Scriptures which neuerthelesse out to be sufficient where no farther proofe is vsed First God will not hold him guiltlesse that abuseth his Name negligently or vnnecessarily He will surely punish them that sweare vainely This penalty or punishment is annexed to the commandement Exod. 20. The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine It is an heynous sinne albeit it bee thought light before men and then the iudgement also shall be heauy that hangeth ouer their heads that transgresse this Law The free forgiuenesse of sinnes is the fountaine of all happines both present and to come Psal 32.1.2 for the man is blessed whose sinnes are forgiuen and whose iniquity is couered blessed is that man to whom God will impute no wickednesse and therfore we must needs be in continuall misery so long as our sinnes are retained This is a fearefull thunderbolt to afright vs from the prophaning of his Name he will honour those that honour him but such as despise him shall come to destruction Secondly the end of practising an oath is Reason 2 to decide strifes and to determine controuersies which disturbe peace and hinder Christian charity It cannot be but offences will come and many occasions of quarrels and contentions about matters of this life arise daily betweene man and man which could not conueniently be taken vp except we had the lawfull vse of an oath to confirme some necessary truth as when it serueth to manifest the glory of God or to cleere the good name of our brother or to obey the commandement of the Magistrate or to maintaine our owne credit This is set downe Heb. 6.16 Men verily sweare by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife I call that a necessary trueth when a doubtfull cause called into question cannot be decided without an oath as we see the practise Rom. 1.9 God is my witnesse whom I serue with my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne that without ceassing I make meÌ„tion of you alwayes in my prayers It was necessary for the furtherance of the saluation of the Romanes that they should be perswaded of the Apostles affection toward them but the testimony of men failed to prooue this trueth and therfore he was driuen to take vp an oath and to appeale vnto God This is also at large deliuered by Salomon in that prayer which hee made at the dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.31 If any man trespasse against his neighbour and an oath be laid vpon him to cause him to sweare and the oath come before thine altar in this house then heare thou in heauen and doe and iudge thy seruants condemning the wicked to bring his way vpon his head and iustifying the righteous to giue him according to his righteousnesse Thus we see the constant and continuall vse of an oth among Gods people in matters of weight and importance in their most serious and substantiall affaires Thirdly the Name of God is most fearefull Reason 3 in praises glorious in holinesse great in might and doing wonders and therefore it ought not commonly to runne in our mouthes without necessary cause This is vrged by the wise man Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to vtter any thing before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy words be few And the Lord saith Deut. 28.58 Iudg. â— If thou wilt not obserue to doe all the words of this Law that are written in this booke that thou mayest feare this glorious and fearefull Name The Lord thy God he will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed c. If then the Name of God be great and glorious it is not commonly to be vsed of vs to be turned in our tongues and to be trodden vpon with our feet Vse 1 Now let vs consider what vses may be made of this vnto vs. It reprooueth sundry abuses corruptions both in opinion and practise in iudgement and in life As first of all the Anabaptists a proud and fantasticall crue of cursed and damnable hereticks that trouble heauen and earth ouerthrow Church and Common-wealth destroy Magistracy and Ministery disanull the word and Sacraments and make religion to be no better then a doctrine of liberty These teach that it is vnlawfull to sweare at all either in priuate vse or in place of iudgement This is to runne into another extremity and to faile as much in the defect as other doe in the excesse For albeit all swearing be not lawfull yet it followeth not that all swearing is vnlawfull But to abolish all manner of swearing and all vse of an oath because some abuse it and vse it vainly â—r in vita â—g is like vnto him who to take away drunkennesse abolished the vines and would not suffer any to grow in his common-wealth or as if a man would suffer no corne to grow because some will surfet with it There is no good thing but hath beene or may be abused The doctrine that is according to godlinesse is many wayes abused When Paul magnified the mercies of God in his sonne Christ so that where sinne abounded â— 5.20 grace abounded much more men of euill spirits arose that abused this to carnall liberty and turned the grace of God into wantonnesse and wrested the Scriptures to their owne perdition sect 1 The obiections of these heretikes are not many but somewhat they alleadge for themselues First they obiect the commandement
let vs goe the right way and cry to God we lift vp our voyce against them wheras we ought to lift vp our voyce vnto him who hath his eares open to heare our praiers and will blow away the storme and tempest by the blast of his mouth Thirdly doth God promise to right our cause and take vpon him our defence Then Vse 3 let vs do good for good and returne vnto him like for like let vs yeeld defence for defence and pleade his cause that hath pleaded ours For it is our duty to vndertake his defence whensoeuer his truth is gainsayed or his name euill-spoken of There is no man but is very carefull and circumspect to maintaine his owne name and credite in the world whensoeuer it is any way questioned ought wee not then much more to regard the vpholding and bearing vp the Name of God which is great and holy through all generations Heereunto doth Ioshua seeme to allude chap. 7 verse 9. complaining vnto God of the ouerthrow that the Israelites had receiued at the siege of At The Cananites and all the inhabitants of the Land shall heare of it and shall compasse vs and destroy our name out of the earth and what wilt thou doe vnto thy mighty Name He had greater care of Gods glory then he had of his owne and it went neerer vnto him to heare Gods Name dishonoured then to haue his owne destroyed out of the earth So it ought to be with vs let it not trouble vs to bee hated and maligned of the vnthankfull world and our honour with all contempt and disgrace laide in the dust but bee euermore ready to say Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Name giue the glory Psal 115.1 If we be to open our mouthes for our brethrē as we shall see more at large afterward when they are laden with scandals and reproches much more then ought wee to do this in Gods cause and for Gods glory Let vs not be ashamed of his truth lest he be ashamed of vs. Let vs confesse his Name before the sonnes of men and we shall be sure to be confessed before the sonnes of God If we acknowledge his truth he will acknowledge vs before the Angels and before his Father This Christ teacheth his Disciples Whosoeuer confesseth me before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heauen Math. 10 32. but whosoeuer shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heauen What a shame and reproch will this be vnto vs that God should defend our cause and we shrinke backe through feare to defend his Christ our Sauiour doth oftentimes take vpon him to defend his Disciples when they were assaulted and set vpon by the Pharisees and therefore no maruaile though he charge this vpon them so earnestly that they should not be ashamed of him and of his words in that adulterous and sinfull generation We must be all ready to say with the Apostle Rom. 1 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth He defendeth his Disciples being reprooued because they did not fast often which was the bodily exercise which the Pharisees so much practised Luke 18. and wherein they so much gloried Math. 9 14. Hee defendeth them beeing accused of the breach of the Sabbath when they were seene to plucke the eares of corne and eate them Math. 12 2 3. He defendeth them being charged to transgresse the tradition of the Elders in that they did not wash before they had eatē bread Mat. 15 2 3. Yea such was his great wonderful loue to those that followed him that when his owne credite was touched as well as theirs he seemeth to neglect his owne and maintaine theirs as we see Luke 7. When Christ was entertained in the house of one of the Pharisees a woman in the City which was a sinner knowing that he sate at meate brought an Alabaster box of oyntment and stood at his feete washing them with her teares Luke 7.39 wiping them with her haires kissing them with her lippes and annointing them with the oyntment but when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it he spake within himselfe saying This man if hee were a Prophet would haue knowne who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner He conceiued hardly of Christ as well as of the woman and iudged wrongfully of him that he was no Prophet as well as of her that she was a sinner yea more corruptly of him then of her forasmuch as shee had beene so whereas he was not onely a Prophet but the Prince of Prophets yea the King of his Church Verse 47. yea the Sonne of God yet hee forbeareth to make any apology for himselfe wholly defendeth her telling him that her sinnes which are many are forgiuen her for shee loued much Hath the Lord Iesus this singular care of vs and shall not we be zealous of his glory Shall we suffer his name to be troden vnder foot and neuer offer to vphold it Shall euill men speake euill of his truth and we say nothing against them The Apostle Peter giueth this commandement Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwaies to giue an answer to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare 1 Pet. chap. 3 verse 15. When the Apostles were charged to preach no more in the Name of Iesus Christ Peter and Iohn answered and saide vnto them Whether it bee right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more then vnto God iudge yee for we cannot but speake the things which we haue seene and heard Acts 4 19. Woe then vnto those that see and heare God notoriously dishonoured and yet will neither heare it nor see it they make a law against themselues and shall taste of the same measure measured vnto them againe they shall be censured of others when they shall haue none to defend their causes This they will iudge to be an iniury to themselues and yet cannot perceiue the iniquity which they commit against God If then they will haue GOD shew this mercy to them in making their innocency knowne let them performe this duty to him in pleading his cause when his truth is euilly spoken off or any way ouerborne Vse 4 Fourthly forasmuch as this is the mercifull dealing of GOD toward vs and our good name when it is impeached that he will make the truth to be knowne let vs acknowledge this blessing and giue him the praise of it This also is another duty that wee are put in minde off to be performed vnto him For as we are bound in regard of our owne good to pray vnto him to make manifest the secrets of our hearts and to bring to the light the truth that is hidden so whensoeuer we haue found
Againe Verse 5. they musâ— suffer no razor to come vpon their heads but must let the locks of their haire to grow vntil the dayes be fulfilled in the which he separateth himselfe vnto the Lord besides they must not defile themselues by any dead body nor lament for any of the dead but if any did come neere them or touch them all was frustrate and made voyde the dayes of their separation and abstinence were to beginne againe and they stood in the state wherein they were before they entred into this holy vow The second degree of their sanctification was at the end of the dayes of their vow then they must be brought to the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and offer their offering vnto the Lord c. Vse 1 This is the vow and these are the Rites belonging vnto it now let vs obserue the vses remaining for vs. For albeit these ceremonies be all abrogated and seeme nothing at all to touch vs and nothing at all to teach vs as things that when they were in their prime and greatest force belonged to the Iewes yet wee shall find great benefit to arise from hence to the whole Church And first concerning the sanctification of these Nazarites professing holinesse aboue others and in this course of a vowed kind of retyrednesse going before others it was a liuely figure of Christ signifying to them and to vs to the whole Church the wonderfull purity of Christ who was fully and perfectly separate from sinners For he was the Lambe without blemish or else hee could not be a sacrifice for sinne Obiect Leuit. 1.3 10 But was Christ such a Nazarite as these were heere spoken off and did he literally obserue these parts and ceremonies expressed in this vow I answere Answer no hee obserued no part of this vow The Nazarites abstained from wine the fruite of the vine the blood of the grape but Christ himselfe in his owne person did not so he dranke of the fruit of the vine and liued after the ordinary manner of other men and therefore after he had deliuered his last Supper Matth. 26.29 he saith I say vnto you I wil not drinke henceforth of the fruite of the vine vntill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome And albeit he were falsely called a wine-bibber Matth. 11.19 as he was also slandered to be a Samaritan and to haue a deuill yet it sheweth thus much that he abstained not altogether from wine yea hee appointed others to drinke of it euen his disciples all other Christians at his holy Supper so often as they drinke of the cup of the Lord. The Nazarites had no razor come vpon their heads during the dayes of their solemne vow but whether Christ nourished his haire we haue nothing either one way or other that we can gather and conclude for certainty yet if we consider the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.14 and marke the common custom of the rest of the Iewes which may be vnderstood out of this place it is not probable or likely that Christ did euer nourish and neuer cut his haire And lastly the Nazarites were not to come neer the dead nor to mourn for them but the Euangelists yeeld vs plentifull testimonies both that he came neere vnto them Obiect But some will say that he is called in Scripture a Nazarene or as some translate it a Nazarite Matth â—â—â— It was fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarene I answer Answer we must distinguish betweene a Nazarite and a Nazarene For Christ is so called because he was a branch springing and flourishing from Nazareth as the place of his conception and education of which the Prophets speake in many of their writings and namely Zachariah Zach. 6 1â— Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes saying Behold the man whose name is Branch and he shall grow out of his place and hee shall build the Temple of the Lord. So then the Euangelist hath not respect or reference to these voluntary and vowed Nazarites of the old Testament neither doth he point out any certaine place out of some one of the Prophets but alludeth to such places where Christ is called that holy Branch which God promised he would raise vp to Dauid Howbeit he is indeed a true Nazarite or rather the truth of the Nazarites separate from all the corruptions that attend vpon the rest of the sons of men free from the common defilements of the world and that holy One which is called the Sonne of God Luke 1.35 To this purpose the holy Apostle speaketh Such an hie Priest became vs who was holy Heb 7.26 harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heauens who needed not daily as those high Priests to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples For this cause he was conceiued by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Heb. 2 17. If any sinne had beene found in him his death could not be meritorious for vs he should haue wanted a Sauiour himselfe for himselfe So then hee became a pure offering and an holy sacrifice that our sinnes might be washed away and Gods wrath appeased toward vs. This is a great comfort for vs to consider the excellency of his sacrifice being without all blame or blemish without all fault or imperfection for he was miraculously conceiued partly to fulfill the prophesies of the Prophets Esay 7.14 and partly because the generation of mankind is wholly corrupted therfore in the birth of Christ it was most requisite that the vnspeakeable worke of the Spirit should come in that so hee might not bee tainted with the common and generall infection of originall sinne but might be endued with most perfect purity and innocency and so be fully able to couer our impurity and impiety Ephe. 5.26.27 and withall as by a certaine pleadge assure vs that in the end al our sins and imperfections shall be done away In him is that fulfilled therefore which is spoken in the Lamentations that he was whiter then the milke and purer then the snow and it agreeth more fitly and truly vnto him then vnto these Nazarites Secondly this teacheth that such as were Vse 2 speciall ornaments of the Church and haue receiued a more eminent office and calling then others should also labor to shine before others in holinesse of life according to the measure of grace which they haue receiued as Rom. 16.7 Salute Andronicus and Iunia my kinsemen and fellow prisoners who are of note among the Apostles These thus aduanced of God are in the eyes of the world as a City set vpon an hill a little blemish is soone seene in their face a smal staine appeareth in their coat and therefore Satan laboureth
thee This mystery of the Trinity Vnity was taught from the beginning of the world howbeit the fuller reuelation of it was reserued to the times of the Gospel when the light of the truth did shine as the sun at noon daies Math. 3 16 17 Hence it is that at the baptisme of Christ Iohn saw the spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him and heard a voice from heauen saying This is my beloued Son in whom I am well pleased and when he sent out his disciples into all the world Math 28 19. he willed them to Baptize in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy Ghost So doth the Apostle speake 1 Iohn 5 7. 1 Iohn 5 7. There are three that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost these three are one So in this place when he mentioneth the Lord three times it may note out the Trinity of persons and when he saith I will blesse theÌ„ it pointeth out the Vnity of the Godhead and so we learn to confesse and beleeue that there is one God three persons Thirdly we are taught from hence that al good things must be asked of God and of no creatures in heauen or in earth forasmuch as it is hee onely from whom all blessings come If then we feele any wants in our selues as who is it that findeth not manie we know to whom to go Iames 1 17. we are sent to the fountaine or head-spring euen to the Father of lights Hee is able to furnish vs and fill vs with that which we haue not hee is able to increase the measure of that which we haue hee will not see any want to them that are not wanting vnto themselues Fourthly seeing we must aske a blessing from God wee are thereby put in minde that by nature wee lye vnder the curse of God threatned by the Law by which commeth the knowledge of sinne Romanes 3 20. And the same Apostle Galat. 3 verse 10. sheweth that euerie one is cursed that continueth not in all things vvhich are written in the Booke of the Law to do them We are stained and defiled with sin from our birth Psalme 51.5 Iob 14. verse 4. Wee see then what is our naturall estate and condition wee are not heires of blessing wee cannot claime challenge any portion to our selues in any of the mercies of God there is nothing our owne but the curse of God the wrath of God the iudgement of God these wee may truly cal our own these are our lot this is our cup to drinke this is due vnto vs in regard of sin which we drinke in daily as water which we continually swallow as bread Let vs not therefore blesse our selues as if wee had some title to the blessings of God but consider that we lie vnder all the curses of the law Deut. 28 so long as we are vnregenerate or impenitent but when once we are in Christ haue receiued truly to beleeue then we are deliuered froÌ„ the curse and haue right to his blessings Fiftly this solemne blessing commanded in this place to the Priests doeth shadow out Christ Iesus which was sent of God that according to the promise made to Abraham all the nations of the earth should be blessed in him For as they blessed the people when they departed out of the congregation so did Christ wheÌ„ he was to depart out of the world as the Euangelist testifieth Luke 24 50 51. hee led them out as far as to Bethany and he lift vp his haÌ„ds and blessed them and it came to passe while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried vp into heauen All blessings indeede doe come from him and by him and thorough him they are conueyed vnto vs. So then the Office of blessing which vnder the law was committed to the Priests doeth truly and properly belong to Christ Iesus the high priest of our profession Caluin harm in Euang. through whoÌ„ we receiue spirituall blessings in heauenly things Eph. 1. He is the onely author of all blessing yet that his grace might be more effectuall to vs it was his wil pleasure that the priests in the beginning should as mediators blesse in his name To this purpose appertaineth that which is read in Psal 118 26. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord we do blesse you out of the house of the Lord. The Apostle teacheth Heb. 7 7. that it is a sign of excelency to blesse others because without all question and contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater therfore when Christ the true Melchizedek and the eternall priest came into the world to offer vp himself it was meete that in him should bee fulfilled whatsoeuer was shadowed out by the Legall figures so that he blessed the Apostles openly with a solemne rite of lifting vp his hands to the end the faithful should fly vnto him so many as desire to be partakers of the grace of God to become rich in all heauenly things Lastly the priests are to blesse the people What then are they able to blesse haue they the blessings of God in their own brest and can they giue them to whom they list no it is God only that can blesse curse True it is this is giuen afterward to Balaam the false Prophet to be able to blesse and curse whom he wil chap. 22 6. As also it is in our daies to the bishop of Rome the true successor of Balaam rather then of Peter with whom he hath nothing like But the priests do blesse by praying for a blessing pronouncing the people of God to be blessed So then we see hereby Math. â—6 â—â— Iohn 20 2â— how the Ministers are said to bind and to loose to forgiue sins to retaine sins not that they haue an absolute power to do these things for it is God onely that properly can forgiue sins it is he that can take away the guilt and punishment of them the Ministers only do it ministerially publishing forgiuenesse and assuring remission of sins to al that are penitent and contrariwise preaching that there is no forgiuenes to the impenitent As then the priests did blesse onely as the Ministers of God so did the Disciples of Christ and so do the Teachers of the Church remit retaine sins onely as the Ministers of Iesus Christ who speake in his name Ver 23. On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel Now let vs come to the particular doctrine And first there is laid before our eies a set and solemne forme of praier enioyned to the priests to be vsed commonly and continually in the assemblies Doctrine A set forme of prayers lawfull to be vsed From hence we learne that a set forme of prayer is lawfull to bee vsed whether publikely in the Church or priuately in the family This point is the more strongly inferred from
doth yet nothing lesse then pray Many a Minister that getteth vp into the Pulpit doth nothing lesse then preach Many people that come with eares to heare do nothing lesse theÌ„ heare and to eate the Supper of the Lord that do nothing lesse then partake of his holy table Wherefore wee must be present in minde at holy things as well as in body or else our presence is no better then an absence Secondly we must yeeld to this principle that it is both safer and better to conceiue a prayer then to reade a prayer because it keepeth our mindes constant and freeth vs from wandring thoughts that carry vs oftentimes from the matter which we should altogether minde For we are ready to goe astray and to set our hearts vpon other things whereas by this meanes they are kept close and stedfast to the requests which we make Againe a man may reade a praier that neuer vnderstandeth it or conceiueth the meaning of it and therefore it is more profitable to poure out our petitions our selues then to haue our petitions drawne by the hand of another No man can haue such a feeling of our owne wants as our own necessities will make vs able to expresse neither can conceiue such ioy and gladnesse for blessings receiued as the experience in our selues of Gods benefits will affoord vnto vs. Thirdly no man must condemne such as do conceiue themselues formes of praiers call them conceited praiers or fantasticall praiers These are enuious persons who enuy in others the graces of God cannot abide that any should go before themselues or beyond themselues These are wise in their own eyes and indeed themselues wholly conceited and fantasticall which they falsely charge vpon others being vtterly ignorant both of Gods workes and their owne wants For had they knowne or regarded the gifts and power of the Spirit which helpeth and assisteth his seruants that their tongue is as the pen of a ready writer and findeth sufficient matter to vtter to their Maker or had they knowne themselues throughly what new wants they haue what new sinnes they commit what new assaults they vndergoe what new blessings they enioy which are as so many occasions or rather prouocations to open their mouthes anew to God to sing a new song vnto him they would not blot this ordinance of God with such an odious cauill So then whereas all such should be greeued that cannot frame their petitions according to their present wants nor poure out their supplications according to their particular assaults neither make confession to God according to their particular offences they are rather grieued that any others can performe these duties better then themselues And whereas they should striue with might and maine to be like vnto them and to follow their example they would haue all other men ignorant like themselues and please themselues in that ignorance On this wise ye shal blesse the children of Israel Note in these words the persons that must performe this duty and they are the Priests note also what they are to doe to blesse the people that is to pray to almighty God for them that his blessings may come downe vpon them From hence we see that it is the duty of the Ministers to pray for the people Doctrine It is the Ministers duty to pray for the people So did Melchisedec for Abraham and he was the Priest of the most high God Gen. 14.18 19. So did Moses often for the people when Gods heauy iudgements were vpon them or hanging ouer their heads Exod. 32 33 Psal 106 23. he stood oftentimes in the gappe when the hand of God had made the breach to turne away his wrath lest he should destroy them So did Aaron as appeareth afterward in this booke when the plague was begun among the people he put on incense made an attonement for them he stood betweene the dead the liuing and the plague was staied Numb 16 Rom. 1 2 â—â— 47 48. Paul in euery Epistle practiseth this duty and the Apostles committed the charge of prouiding for the poore Acts 6 â— and distributing to the poore to the Deacons that they might giue themselues continually to prayer and to the ministery of the word The Prophets also neuer failed in this duty as we reade almost in euery place of their Prophesies Dan. 5 22 they stood vpon their watch-tower hauing the people continually in remembrance in their holy praiers Christ Iesus himselfe the great Shepheard of the sheepe is a perfect patterne of performing this he prayed for Ierusalem oftentimes Luke 19. and for the whole flocke of God committed vnto him whoÌ„ he would not suffer to perish but bring them to euerlasting life Iohn 17 20. Thus then we see wee haue the examples of Melchisedec of Moses of Aaron of the Priests of the Prophets of the Apostles and of Christ Iesus the Lord of life as liuely examples to go before vs and as a cloud of witnesses to conduct vs in this duty to proue vnto vs the truth of this point This must the rather be practised first because it is an infallible token of our loue toward Reason 1 them and of an earnest desire that we haue of their good Psal 118 26. And how can we better expresse euen the bowels of our affection and our longing after their prosperous estate from the heart roote then by our daily praying for them Rom. 1 10. Secondly the faithfull Ministers of God haue beene much greeued when they were forbidden and not permitted to performe this duty We see this euidently in Ieremy Ier. â—4 â—â— when the Lord had said vnto him Pray not for this people for their good he said Ah Lord God the Prophets say vnto thom yee shall not see the sword neither shall ye haue famine but I will giue you assured peace in this place where we see he layeth the fault vpon the false Prophets and goeth about to excuse or at least to lessen the sinne of the people who were blindly led by those blinde guides that thereby he might make a way to moue the Lord to heare him for that poore seduced people Thirdly the flocke of God is committed vnto them it is no small charge that lyeth on their hands the price of Christs precious blood is committed vnto them and therfore by all meanes they are charged to procure their good especially considering that the blood of such as perish through their negligence shall be required at their hands 1 Pet. 5 2. Ezek. 3.18 Fourthly it is a sinne against God as well as against his people to omit or refuse this duty And therefore when all the people saide to Samuel Pray for thy seruants vnto the Lord thy God that we die not he answered As for me God forbid that I should sinne against the lord in ceasing to pray for you 1 Sam. 12 23. If then it be a sinne to omit it it must needs be a duty
all parents to teach their children Eph. 6 4. of Masters to bring vp their seruants in the nurture and admonition of the Lord as Abraham and Cornelius did This is a notable meanes to keep to maintaine and to defend the truth As for those that will not teach the truth to theÌ„ that are in their houses they are the diuels Prophets who is the father of error ignorance Such fathers and such masters are the cheefe meanes of the decay and decreasing of religion piety faith and righteousnesse Secondly we maintaine the truth and make it knowne by open confession and profession thereof Euery man must opeÌ„ his mouth in Gods cause when the gates of hell are opened against it and wee must earnestly stand for it and constantly beare witnesse vnto it whensoeuer it is oppugned and resisted The Apostle chargeth to Sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts be ready alwaies to giue an account and answer to euerie man that asketh vs a reason of the hope that is in vs 1 Peter 3 15. with meekenesse and feare Thus did the holie Martyrs at their death witnesse a good confession and thereby draw many to a loue and embracing of that truth for which they suffered If we be bold to confesse the Lord Iesus and his Gospell He will not be ashamed of vs in his kingdome but confesse vs before his father Mat. 10 32 33. Thirdly we must leade an holy and sanctified life and giue a good example vnto those among whom we liue An vnblameable and vnreprooueable conuersation is a great meanes to cause others to embrace godlinesse when we are carefull to adorne the Gospell of Christ with a good life whereas otherwise we cause the enemies of God to blaspheme the name of God and to speake euill of the truth Therefore the Apostle willeth vs to be blamelesse and harmlesse the sonnes of God Philip. 2 15. without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and peruerse nation among whom we must shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of life Lastly we must maintaine his truth by the armour of prayer desiring God to make an open way and free passage for his owne ordinance and also to send forth painfull plentifull Labourers into his haruest to gather his corne together and to withstand all false doctrines and heresies This doeth Christ command Math. 9.38 This doe the Apostles practise Actes 4 30. God hath in great mercie vouchsafed his word vnto vs it is our dutie to seeke to vphold and maintain it that so it may be continued vnto vs and our posterity for euer Let vs therefore practise these few points and be carefull to practise instruction confession and inuocation Thus we shall shew our loue to the truth a minde ready to receiue it a memory ready to retaine it and an heart ready to practise it 5 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 6 Take the Leuites from among the Children of Israel and cleanse them 7 And thus shalt thou do vnto them c. The second part of the Chapter followeth concerning the Leuites wherein obserue two things First the separation of them from the rest of the people secondly a limitation of time by the speciall commandement of God for the entering into their office Their separation or setting apart for the ministration in the Tabernacle offereth vnto vs the commaÌ„dement of God and the obedience of Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation performed to the commandement of God Their separation is noted by many particular circumstances they must be clensed with water of purifying their garments must be washed their flesh must be shaued Verse 7. they must take one yong Bullocke for a meate offering and another for a sinne offering verse 8. And Aaron must offer them verse 12. the hands of the Elders must be imposed on them v. 9 10. and they must be offered before the Lord ver 11 13. Where we see that such as are appointed to handle the holy things of God must be washed and clensed with holy water It is very meete and conuenient that they should approach thereunto with pure hands euen in respect of outward cleannesse Exod. 25 31. But heereby is another thing meant Namely that the Ministers and generally al others that draw neere to God in performance of any dutie â—â—â—â—rine must bee clensed and washed â—inisters 〈◊〉 other â—â—aw 〈◊〉 to God 〈◊〉 â—e clenâ—â— they must haue cleane hearts cleane affections cleane workes whensoeuer they come into his presence This was figured out to Moses Exod. 3. when hee was about to draw neere to see the burning bush the Lord saide Put off thy shoes for the ground wheron thou standest is holy grouÌ„d Salomon willeth vs to take heed to our foote when we enter into the house of God Eccl. 5 1. When we go about to pray we must lift vp pure and holy hands 1 Tim. 2 8. When wee come to the Sacraments we are willed to examine our selues and so eate of that bread drinke of that cup 1 Cor. 11 28. Whensoeuer we present our selues in the Congregation to heare the word we must lay apart all filthines and superfluity of naughtinesse and receyue with meeknesse the engrafted word which is able to saue our soules Iames 1 21. Wee must cast off all malice and all guile and hypocrisies enuies and euill speakings that so we may grow by the milke of the word 1 Pet. 2.1.2 This we ought to do the rather First because Reason 1 God is present euery where Mat. 18. His eye is vpon all his suppliants that pray vnto him vpon all his guests that come to the table vpon all men that heare his voice Mat. 22.11 He taketh a view and surueigh of such as preasse into his presence Zeph. 1 12. That he may giue to euerie man according to his works If we search not our hearts he wil search them if we iudge not our selues he will iudge vs 1 Cor. 11. His eie is vpon vs to approue of vs if we do well to reiect vs if we do euill as the examples of Caine and Abel shew Secondly without this inward sanctification all our exercises of Religion are reiected and therefore we are willed when we come before the Lord To wash vs and make vs cleane to put away the euill of our doings Esay 1 16. Vse 1 This reproueth all such as offer to perform diuine duties to almighty God without meditation or preparation such as rush violently into Gods presence without due reuerence and regard Math. 22. as he did that came to the feast without his wedding garment There was but one such guest yet the Lord soone espied him and called him out If there be but one such in an assembly he cannot escape the all-seeing eye of God who hath also a reuenging eye that cannot see his honor and glorie defaced Who wold presume or dare to come into the presence of an earthly Prince in an vnseemely
is slow Reason 1 to anger and of great kindnesse more ready to shew mercy then to send iudgement Psal 103 8 9. Secondly he doth not afflict willingly nor greeue the children of men Lam. 3 33. Thirdly he dealeth with vs as a father dealeth with his children spareth them as a father doth his sonne that serueth him Mal. 3 v. 17. Psal 103.13 Esay 49.15 Fourthly he spareth oftentimes the wicked and vngodly and powreth not all his wrath vpon them and so prone is he to shew mercy that an outward humiliation hath obtained a mitigation and prorogation of the punishment For when Ahab hearing the threatning of God denounced to come vpon him as a fearefull thunderbolt and against all his house so that such as dyed in the city should be eaten of dogs and such as dyed in the field should bee eaten of the fowles of the ayre hee rent his clothes and put on sackecloth vpon his flesh he fasted and lay in sackcloth the word of the Lord came vnto the Prophet saying Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me See the accomplishment hereof 2 King 9.25 because he humbleth himselfe before me I will not bring the euill in his dayes but in his sonnes dayes will I bring this euill vpon his house 1 King 21.27 29. This was but a temporary repentance as appeareth in the chapter following verse 8. yet it was not altogether fruitlesse but obtained a blessing answerable to the repentance the repentance was for a time the deferring of punishment was for a time also If God grant thus much to the penitency of an hypocrite we may be well assured that he will be gracious to such as bring forth true repentance and the fruits thereof Fiftly we are the workemanship of God created by him who willingly destroyeth not the worke of his owne hand therefore hee is not pleased with the striking of them Iob. 10.8 c. Esay 38. Lastly he seeth what is in our hearts he knoweth that we are but dust euen as a wind that passeth away Psal 78.39 Therefore he is full of compassion he turneth his anger away and doth not stirre vp all his wrath Vse 1 Learne from hence that God is compassionate he is soone intreated vpon our serious repentance He taketh no pleasure in our destruction hee desireth not to crush vs vnder his feet he is full of mercy and goodnesse This is the nature of God these are his titles And howsoeuer he may seeme to our corrupt affections to be seuere and rigorous as the euill and vnfaithfull seruant speaketh in the Gospel Matth. 25.24 I knew thee to be an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowen and gathering where thou hast not strewed yet euen in his corrections and our afflictions his great mercy and moderation appeareth 1 Cor. 10.13 This is a singular comfort to all that are in distresse whether it be of body or minde to consider how God is affected toward vs. Vse 2 Secondly we see that happy is the state of the Church no euill shall ouertake those that are truely the Lords farther then tendeth to their good Gen. 19.16 their afflictions shall fall out to the best We deserue to bee made like to Sodome and Gomorrha Wee know the affliction of Iob and the ende that GOD made for hee is very pittifull and of tender mercy Iam. 5.11 Now he is euermore the same with him is no change or shadow of turning as he was good to him so also hee is and will be good to vs. Thirdly is God thus fauourable then be assured that the soule which returneth shall Vse liue Ezek. 18.25 and 33.11 As I liue saith the Lord I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne ye turne ye from your euill wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel It is with God as it was with the woman that had found her groat as with the shepheard that had found his strayed sheepe as with the father that embraced his leude and licentious sonne Such as beginne to see their sinne must not thinke it to bee too late to returne When God calleth and cryeth out so often so earnestly so louingly turne ye turne ye froÌ„ your euill wayes shall we answere as infidels or as men in despaire the time is past it is too late when God saith Why will ye die shall we reply against God nay indeed against our owne selues It is too late to liue Let vs bewayle the abuse of Gods mercy patience and long suffering but withall we must know that the Lord delighteth not in the death of a sinner but would that the should liue The people iourneyed not till Miriam was brought in againe See here the greeuousnesse of sinne it was committed by one or two but the contagion of it passeth farther it was the worse for them that were neere vnto it for the people were stayed and could not goe forward Sinne therefore hurteth not onely those that commit it but such also as come neere it and troubleth those that are within the reach or sent of it Againe as God is iust in causing her to be shut out of the hoste so he is merciful in suffring her to be brought in And here is an instruction to the Church of God that they be not too rigorous in execution of the discipline and dispensation of the keyes We must be as ready to receiue the penitent as zealous in casting out the impenitent We haue spoken already of putting out of the Church open offenders and of the mitigation of the censure at the commandement of God now before we end the chapter obserue the quality and condition of the person against whom God proceedeth Miriam was a great Prophetesse the sister of Moses and Aaron and great suit and supplication was made to God for her that she might be healed of her leprosie and receiued againe into the assembly yet she continueth a leper and as an excommunicate person We learne hereby this truth That no man Doctriâ—â— None caâ— free from iudgemeâ—â— hauing â—â—â—ned though neuer so excellent of what place soeuer he bee can be free from Gods iudgements when he hath sinned against him What was it that droue Adam out of the garden and as it were banished him into the rest of the earth Gen. 3.24 was it any thing but disobedience 2 Sam. 6.7 Who hath sinned against the most High and hath not reaped the fruit of his owne wayes Let the Angels speake that first sinned and were first punished who because they kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto iudgement of the great day Iude vers 6. Was it any better with the old world among whom were men of al sorts high and low rich and poore old and yong they sinned together and as it were made a conspiracy with one accord against God in the end they
need not feare for the time to come but that wee shall also receiue more at his hands who giueth liberally one blessing after another Iam. 1.5 Forasmuch as he is God for the time to come as well as for the time past and all his gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. Thirdly this should mooue vs earnestly to Vse 3 labour for the first grace and neuer to giue rest to our selues vntill we feele an addition and encrease of the second and third grace in our hearts and to multiply them one after another that they may dwell in vs plentifully and make vs fruitfull in all holy conuersation If we haue the first grace in our hearts and be carefull to vse the same well it is as seed sown in good ground it will bring forth a wonderfull encrease and a notable haruest in the end Paul would haue Timothy to stirre vp the gift that was in him 1 Tim. 1.6 If wee bee once in Christ he will purge vs more and more that we shall bring forth more fruit Ioh. 15.8 Lastly obserue that this is a priuiledge belonging Vse 4 onely to the faithfull that they shall haue the mercy and fauour of God continued vnto them The blessings that God bestoweth vpon the wicked doe serue to make them without excuse and are as seales of condemnation they are not assurances vnto them that they shall haue moe bestowed vpon them he hath made no such promise vnto them neither can they gather any hope to haue any farther encrease of the same or any addition of new blessings Albeit it be so with the godly that former blessings of God are pledges of more yet it is not so with the vngodly 2 Sam. 7 17. Iudg. 10 12 13. Eccle. 8.12 13. Esay 65.20 He tooke away his mercy from Saul but hee would neuer doe it from Dauid he deliuered the vnthankefull and rebellious Israelites out of the hands of their enemies but he threateneth that he will deliuer them no more The euill seruant hath his talent taken from him and neuer restored vnto him againe and therupon Christ deliuereth the manner of Gods dealing as well toward the faithful as the vnfaithfull Matth. 25.29 Vnto euery one that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath For they doe abuse his mercies and neuer make any good vse of them how then should they bee continued vnto them nay how should they not be depriued of them They become much more sinfull and grow worse and worse by his blessings God requireth the more of them but they performe the lesse duty vnto him It is therefore a vaine hope and a meere presumption for such to thinke to haue his goodnesse continued rather they may conclude that God will take them away suddenly and bestow them no longer vpon them except they turne from their euill wayes 20 And the Lord said I haue pardoned according to thy word 21 But as truely as I liue all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 23 Because all these men which haue seene my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wildernesse and haue tempted me now these ten times and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce 23 Surely they shall not see the Land c. 24 But my seruant Caleb c. We haue in these words the effect of the prayer of Moses and the answer that God giueth vnto him The summe whereof is this that the fathers should die in the wildernesse because though they had seene his glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wildernesse yet they tempted him ten times that is not once nor twice but oftentimes a certaine number put for an vncertaine as Gen. 31.41 Iob. 19.3 Dan. 7.10 and therefore they should be all destroied excepting Caleb the seruant of God If any aske the question why Ioshua is not expressed â—ction and wherefore his name is concealed I answer â—er because the Lord pronounced the former sentence concerning the people that were in their tents but Ioshua that attended vpon Moses was present with Moses and Aaron before the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation therefore the iudgement denounced against the people that abode in their tents no way touched him Caleb was with the people so that it behoued him who had spoken the truth of the land to be excepted Ioshua was not and therefore there was no need to haue him exempted from them who was not among them For being with Moses and Aaron he is accounted in their number Secondly they are commanded to returne backe againe into the wildernesse by the way of the red sea verse 25 when they were now come to the borders of Canaan which they could not heare without great greefe and anguish of minde Before they wept without cause verse 1. Now they haue cause to weepe for this heauy iudgement Thirdly their children shold beare the burdeÌ„ of their fathers sin wander in the wildernes forty yeres howbeit in the end they should enter into the land Fourthly the Spies themselues that had searched the land which were the authors of all this mutiny and had brought vp an euill report of the land were smitten with a fearefull plague dyed suddenly by the hand of God Heere we may obserue in these words that God heareth the prayer of Moses and pardoneth the people according to his prayer so that the Lord heareth the prayers of the faithfull according to his promise Secondly Gods iudgements are tempered with mercy Thirdly such as haue receiued the greatest mercies and become vnthankfull and disobedient Matth. 11.20.21 22 23 24. Luke 12.47 are the greatest sinners and shal receiue the greatest iudgement Fourthly in excepting Caleb and Ioshua from the common destruction it appeareth that God is a iust righteous God who as he doth not account the wicked innocent so he will not account the innocent to be wicked The Popish teachers alledge this example to prooue that God pardoneth sinne Popish doctâ—ine touching the pardon of sin and the retaining of the punishment and yet punisheth the sinner that the same punishment so inflicted is a satisfaction to God for their sinne and that the eternall punishment due to this people was pardoned at yâ— request of Moses If this were true then all this people were beleeuers and had true faith in the Messiah which is a bold assertion without all shew of reason and likelihood of trueth It may probably and charitably be thought that some of them were beleeuers and repented to them these were chastisements The like may be said of Moses and Aaron and of Dauid of which they were shut out of the land of promise and he was punished by the death of his child and in other his children and house not thereby to satisfie God by bearing part of the temporall punishment belonging to their sin but that Moses
dangers daily decaies in good things praier is as foode whereby the graces of God are preserued encreased AaroÌ„ made an attonement for the people stood between the liuing the dead Obserue in these words that Aaron the high Priest in taking his censer offering vp with fire taken from the Altar incense to God is a notable figure and type of the intercession of Christ the true high Priest of our profession Heb. 3 1. that he maketh for all his elect to his Father The doctrine is this â—rine Christ Iesus hath set himselfe as Mediatour betweene God and men 〈◊〉 Iesus 〈◊〉 Media between and man For Origen saith well hom 9. in Numer that we must ascend vnto the high mystery or signification of this Scripture and consider how Christ Iesus the great high Priest Heb. 4 14. taking our nature vpon him stood as in the midst betweene the liuing and the dead and brought it to passe by his death that death shold spread no farther 1 Tim. 2 5. Iohn 12 32. Rom. 5 11. and 8 34. He maketh intercession for vs not that now he boweth the knee to his Father or lifteth vp his eyes or spredeth abroad his hands or vttereth any voice of praier for his Church being now in the heauens for this he hath already sufficiently performed Ioh. 17 1. Now he presenteth to his Father the merites of his death and passion of his obedience and resurrection which hath the force of a liuely praier and reconcileth the Father vnto vs. Thus then we see that Christ Iesus is the true Aaron the high Priest that maketh attonement between God and vs Heb. 7 24 25. Eph. 1 verse 5 6. Reason 1 The reasons Christ Iesus our Redeemer hath fulfilled all the parts of a Mediatour and left none vnperfected he alone hath trodeÌ„ the wine-presse of the wrath of his Father Esay 65 5. Hee appeareth before the Father for vs and in our names as we do before the Father in his name he offereth vp our praiers and worketh our saluation Ioh. 17 9. Heb. 4 14 2 15 17. He hath deliuered all them which for feare of death Reason 2 were all their life time subiect to bondage Secondly the blood of Bulles and Goats outwardly sprinkled the ashes of beasts were not false lying signes representing that which is not but true and effectuall signes of purifying and cleansing â— â— 12 13. these did sanctifie the vncleane as touching the purifying of the flesh because such as were shut out of the Congregation for some legall and externall vncleannesse had thereby entrance againe into the assemblies might lawfully come to the worship of God and be partakers of holy things much more theÌ„ doth the blood of Christ which is the truth substance of all the former and which indeed is the blood of the Son of God Acts 20 28. purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heb. 9 13 14 14 24. Vse 1 The vses remaine First this teacheth that we haue no other Mediator in heaueÌ„ or earth but Iesus Christ who maketh intercession for vs. In the old Testament no praier is made to Henoch though he walked with God or to Abraham though the father of the faithfull or to Moses though God spake to him face to face no praier was offered vp to any Cherubin or Seraphin to any Saint or Angel The Church of Rome therefore is an Apostate Church which hath made so many Mediators and Aduocates for vs in heauen as there are Saints departed and perfected yea which is more absurd they make one Saint Patron for one disease and another for another Comment vpon Philem. so that they haue left nothing for Christ to doe as I haue shewed more at large elsewhere Neither let them obiect that there is one Mediatour of redemption but many Mediatours of intercession But as this is an euill distinction so it is as euilly obserued by themselues And will they beare vs in hand that the simple people simple indeed they are God wot among them vnderstand this difference and can tell how to distinguish betweene these to giue to each his due and no more But what speake I of the simple people of whom I may speake as Ieremy doth Surely these are poore Ier. 5 4. they are foolish for they know not the way of the Lord nor the iudgement of their God I will goe vnto the great ones and speake vnto them The learned theÌ„selues among them doe ioyne with Christ our Sauiour other Mediatours not onely of intercession but also of redemption and saluation Hitherto commeth the praier to the Popes great martyr Thomas Becket of Canterbury Breuiarium ad vsum eccles Sarum in festo S. Tho. Cantuar. who died in the Popes quarrell which he maintained against his souereigne king Henry the second and therefore a false martyr but a true traitor and rebell Tu per Thomae sanguineÌ„ quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit that is By the blood of Thomas which he for thee did spend Make vs O Christ to climbe whither Thomas did ascend A most blasphemous praier wherein they present not the blood of Christ who gaue himselfe a ransome for vs but the blood of Thomas to bring vs to heauen It were endlesse to shew their idolatrous praiers made to the blessed Virgin desiring to haue her to reconcile them to her Sonne Among the rest consider this one O foelix puerpera nostra pians scelera Iure matris impera redemptori that is O holy mother which dost purge away our sinnes command thou him that is our redeemer by thy motherly authority And touching Peter and Paul they say Ex Rom Breuiar Concede vt amborum meritis aeternitatis gloriam consequamur that is Grant that by the merites of them both wee may obtaine eternall glory Neither shall we need to maruaile at these things although they sound harsh in all Christian eares if we consider what they ascribe vnto the Crosse of Christ Sabb. in Hebd quarta Quandrag I meane to the wood tree to which they make their praier to this day saying O crux aue spes unica Hoc passionis tempore Auge pijs iustitiam Reisque dona veniam that is O Crosse all haile thou that art our onely hope at this time of the passion encrease thou righteousnesse to the godly and grant pardon to them that are guilty Other grosse blasphemies they haue reformed in their Portesse but this which giueth as great and grosse honour to the wooden crosse they haue reserued and reteined What is become now of their distinction that Christ is the Mediatour of redemption but the Saints of intercession when as they ascribe to the Virgin Mary to Peter to Paul nay to a vile traitour nay to a wooden crosse power to purge away the sinnes of the faithfull to grant them pardon and forgiuenesse and to bring them
this chapter is this God hath instituted the way and meanes how the vnclean shal be cleansed wherby to assure themselues that no infirmity shall separate them from the fauour of God The parts of this Chapter are two The contents of this Chapter the first is touching the water of clensing or separation so called because such as were separated for any vncleannesse were sprinkled with it the second touching the persons that were to vse it and to be cleansed by it Touching the water we are to know the matter wherof it was made of the ashes of a redde cow without spot without blemish without yoke And the rites vsed about the heifer before it was offered and also following the offering all which may bee learned in the words themselues The persons that were to vse this water of separation are the vncleane which are of two sorts first by touching a dead body of any man Secondly by approching and comming neere to the tent where the dead lyeth c. It is dangerous to be neere any vncleane person which pointeth out the danger of euil and teacheth to haue no communion with it Whosoeuer neglecteth this law and beeing vncleane seeketh not to be clensed shall be cut off from the coÌ„gregation verse 13 20. declaring that we should not suffer sin to rest vpon vs though we fall into euill and cannot keep our selues vpright yet we must not lie in sin neither giue it any entertainement no not for a time But to passe ouer particulars obserue the scope and drift of this chapter which is to proclaim the mercy of God to such as confesse and forsake their sinnes â—ctrine â— penitent â—ons shal be 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 fauour The Doctrine then is this that all penitent persons shall bee receiued into Gods fauour so that no euill shall come nere them Esai 1 17 18. It skilleth not what our sins are or how great they haue bin but how true and sincere our repentance is Ier. 50 20. 1 Iohn 1 9. Ezek. 36 25 26. This truth is farther confirmed by many examples as Manasses 2 Chro. 33 12 13. the sinful woman that had many sinnes forgiuen her Luke 7 48. the penitent Theefe vpon the crosse Luk. 23 41 42 43. To those that put Christ to death the Apostle Peter preached repentance and many of them beleeued and were saued Actes 2.37 Reason 1 The grounds of this are first that no sinner should despaire with Cain 1 Tim. 1 26. or be damned with Iudas Iohn 6 70. or be reiected with Esau Heb. 12 17. Reason 2 Secondly Christ Iesus hath satisfied for vs all Esay 53 5 6. Rom. 8 33. he is our suretie and hath paid all our debt for vs whatsoeuer could in iustice be required of vs. God the father is the creditor we are the debters Christ is the surety sin is the debt hell is the prison into which we deserue to be cast But as the creditor cannot come in with any after reckonings nor put the poore debter into prison when once the debt is satisfied by the surety so the Lord will not lay any thing to our charge nor send vs to hell as to prison forasmuch as his owne Sonne hath laide downe his life as the full price of all our iniquities whereby his wrath is appeased and his iustice satisfied Vse 1 The vses First we learne how it commeth to passe that the sin against the holy Ghost is said to be the vnpardonable sin the sin that shall neuer be forgiuen neither in this life nor in the life to come Matth. 12 32. Marke 3 28 29. 1 Iohn 5 16. not because God cannot forgiue it for his mercy is infinite and greater then all our sinnes but because such as commit it can neuer repent Such as were once lightned with the knowledge of the truth haue receiued the heauenly gift haue bin made partakers of the holyghost haue heard the good word of God with ioy and tasted of the powers of the world to come if they fall away it is vnpossible they should be renewed againe by Repentance seeing they crucifie to themselues the son of God afcesh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6 4 5 6. 10 29. These are not onely malicious and obstinate offenders but desperate sinners that dash themselues in peeces against the rocke they know the truth and saluation to be by no other then Christ yet they reiect and renounce saluation by him These are like desperate murtherers that hang themselues or cut their owne throates True it is that many weake Christians languishing vnder the burthen of sinne are oftentimes afraid they haue committed this sin but whosoeuer feareth he hath committed that sin I dare pronounce no euill against that soule For I take this to be a certaine rule that Whosoeuer feareth he hath sinned against the holy Ghost hath not committed that sinne neither can commit it but is altogether free from it Such as are so forsaken and giuen ouer of God to fall into it are not afraide of it but rather boast of it glory in it and liue and dye with it The feare to offend this way is but the shadow of it and not the substance and this shadow is a notable preseruatiue to keepe them from it and it from them and therefore shall hurt no man no more then the shadow of the sword can cut in peeces which hath no edge But those wretched sinners that sin this sin do it to despite God to his face would if they were able pull him out of heauen they tread vnder their feete the Son of God and count the blood of the Couenant wherewith they were sanctified as an vnholy thing and do despite vnto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10 29. Secondly it reproueth the Church of Rome Vse 2 and quencheth the fire of Purgatorie which they haue kindled They finde it to be gainefull merchandize and a fire that heateth all their kitchins and therefore as Demetrius and the rest of the craftsmen which receiued no smal gaine by making siluer shrines for Diana were zealous for idolatry because thereby they had their wealth so are the Romanists zealous for their Purgatory knowing that if that fal their whole craft is in danger to be set at nought Actes 19 24 27. And if they did not find aduantage by it they would soone giue ouer the defence of it For it is directly against the Scriptures which make onely two places heauen and hel Lu. 16 23. and two sorts of persons such as beleeue such as do not beleeue Mar. 16 16. And as this is a meere fiction deuised in the idle brain of superstitious men so is their doctrine of praying for the dead no whit better We reade Leuit. 4 3.13 22. of sundry sacrifices appointed for all sorts of people For the Prince for the Priest for the Congregation for sinnes of ignorance of knowledge ch 5 6. but we reade no where of any for the dead We reade
them with an heauier burthen and thrust them quite downe that are ready euen to fall This the Prophet condemneth Psal 69 26 27. This is a note of extreme hatred and malice and yet how many are there among vs that liue in the bosome of the Church who make the miseries of others as a game and pastime to refresh themselues reuiling reproching with most bitter taunts and tearmes of infamy such as lie vnder the crosse as those passengers that mocked Christ hanging on the Crosse Let all such remember the wise counsell of the wise man in sundry places of the Prouerbes chap. 11 8. 24 16 17 18. Where he sheweth that howsoeuer the faithfull may fall into many aduersities yet their aduersaries are not to triumph ouer thē and tread them vnder their feet as dung of the earth no nor shew signes of mirth gladnes in their affliction lest the Lord who pondreth the spirits lay the same affliction vpon them So then to reioyce at the misery of another that he may haue sorrow vpon sorrow is the ready way to bring misery and draw Gods plagues vpon our selues and therefore if at any time we see them sinke downe in affliction as vnder a burden it is our parts not onely to pitty them but to comfort and releeue them who are commanded to raise vp the Asse of our enemy that is fallen downe as we see in the law of Moses Thou knowest our trouble how our fathers went downe into Egypt Hitherto we haue handled the strength of the reason now let vs consider the truth of the words which set foorth the miseries and afflictions of the Church of God Doctrine Many are the afflictions laid vpon the Church by the enemies thereof From hence we learne that the afflictions of the church are many the troubles that it endureth at the hands of euill men are very great True it is the people of God are endued with the first fruites of the Spirit and are reserued vnto a kingdome yet if wee will liue with him we must first die with him if we will reigne with him we must first suffer with him if we will haue him wipe away all our teares in heauen wee must first shed them on earth This is expresly taught Psal 34 19. So the Apostle Iames chap. 1 2. 1 Cor. 4 9. 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25 26. This was the estate of the whole Church of the Hebrewes described Heb. 11 35 36 37 38. This we might farther consider in the examples of the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac Iacob Iob Ioseph Dauid Ieremy and sundry others whose liues are a plentifull store-house to testifie this truth that the people of God doe many times endure manifold afflictions from euill men The reasons are euident First the enemies Reason 1 of the Church know not the Father neither Iesus Christ his Sonne They haue nothing to stop and to stay their fury and violence being stirred vp by their owne malice and set on fire of hell This is it we reade Ioh. 16 2 3. They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that hee doth God seruice and these things will they doe because they haue not knowne the Father nor mee For whatsoeuer their pretence be yet their rage against the seruants of God proceedeth from their ignorance of God 1 Cor. 2 8. and instigation of the diuell who beareth all the sway in their harts Therefore Christ saith Reuel 2 10. Behold it shall come to passe that the diuell shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried Howsoeuer thē they beare themselues oftentimes in hand that they do well yet whensoeuer they take crafty counsell against the innocent the suggestion is of the diuell when they giue their tongues to lying and cursed speaking they are thrust forward by the father of lies when their hearts are inflamed with malice the diuell is as the bellowes to blow the coales Finally whensoeuer they worke iniuriously against the Saints of God hee is the master of the mischiefe and of him in the end they shall receiue their wages Againe the delight of Gods people is to Reason 2 follow goodnesse Now so long as the diuell is in the world and his instruments stirred vp by him that walke after the vanities of their own minde and the corruptions of their own hart so long they will alwayes malice and abhorre the seruants of God wherein it seemeth to them strange that wee run not with them into the same excesse of riot therfore speake they euill of vs which shall giue accounts to him that is ready to iudge the quicke and dead 1 Pet. 4 4 5. The Spirit of God teacheth this from the beginning I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seed he shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Where we see there is and there must be alwayes a perpetuall opposition and enmity betweene beleeuers and hypocrites betweene the godly the vngodly The world hateth them that are chosen out of the world Iohn 15 19. Thus it was in Abrahams family which was the Church of God where he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit euen so it is now Gal. 4 29. Heereunto Salomon had respect when he saide A wicked man is abhomination to the iust and he that is vpright in his way is abhomination to the wicked Prou. 29 27. The vses now to bee considered are these First wee must learne heereby that afflictions Vse 1 are not simply euill neither shall they be able to separate vs from God as we see Rom. 8.35 28 38 39. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword as it is written for thy sake are we killed all day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loued vs. Where we see that seeing it is the lot of the righteous to suffer persecution he concludeth it shall neuer be able to separate vs frō the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. For God giueth to all those that are his a sanctified vse of the Crosse who disposeth all things to worke the best to them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose This is the vnspeakable mercy of God Iob 33 1◠16 17. that maketh not onely the Ministery of the word the vse of the sacraments the grace of prayer and such like exercises of our holy religion turne to our good but blesseth the bitter cup of the greatest afflictions that is offered vs to drinke to be vnto vs the medicine of the soule the triall of faith the mortifying of corruption the schoole house of humility the preaching of repentance the renouncing of the world the taming of the flesh and
they are redeemed by the blood of Christ and we are put in trust after a sort with the price therof We haue a great account to make in that day in the great day of the Lord let vs therefore stirre vp our selues to feede the flocke of God that dependeth vpon vs. And surely the cause of the ruine and desolation of many Churches is the negligence and idlenesse of the Pastors thereof Mat. 13 24 25 For while the Husbandmen sleepe the Enemie soweth tares among the wheate From hence it commeth that the people liue in ignorance lye in open sins and are carried away with euery blast of false doctrine whithersoeuer false Teachers will carry and conduct them This the Prophet Esay expresseth Chap. 56 9 10 11 12. All ye beasts of the field come to deuour euen all the beasts of the Forrest their watchmen are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumbe dogs they cannot barke they lye and sleepe and delight in sleeping and these greedy dogs can neuer haue enough and these sheepheards cannot vnderstand for they all looke to their owne way euery one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose Where hee teacheth that the people are ready and ly open to be seduced by Atheists by Papists by Libertines by Familists by Anabaptists by Brownists wher there are blind guides and idol sheepheards euil beasts and slow bellies that feede themselues but feede not the flocke And hee noteth foure monstrous vices and capitall sinnes that poisoned the Church First albeit they were appointed watchmen yet they were blind their iudgment corrupted They were made Seers and yet did not see Lights and yet were in darknesse 1 Sam. 9 9. Teachers and yet were vnlearned Instructers of others and yet wanted knowledg themselues Matth. 6 23. If then the light be darkenesse how great is that darknes Secondly they were sluggish and slothfull dogs they cannot for drowsinesse and lazinesse open their eyes to see or their mouths to bark And when they are called vpon and spoken vnto saying How long wilt thou sleepe O sluggard When wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe They answer Yet a little sleepe a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep Prou. 6 9 10. Thirdly they are greedy of their owne gaine couetous and giuen to filthy lucre being carried away by the deceite of Balaams wages Lastly they are giuen to belly-cheere and all riot Iude v. 12. They follow their pleasures and pampering of their bellies making them the god whom they serue and do not serue the Lord Iesus The Apostle said I seeke not yours but you 2 Cor. 12 14. but these might say otherwise of themselues I seeke not you but yours And are not such Pastors to be found among vs that through couetousnesse Epicurisme regard not the duties of their calling They ioyne liuing to liuing as those that ioyned house to house they liue at pleasure they eate they drinke they feast they say Esay 56 12. Come I will bring wine and we will fill our selues with strōg drinke and to morrow shall be as this day much more abundant Heereby they are made vnfit vnable to do the duties of their Calling so as like crammed dogs they lye bathing and beaking themselues by the fire and though neuer so much harme be done in Gods churcn they cannot be made to awake and bark in any season to warne the people and to fray away the Wolfe But if any goe about to raise and to rouze them vp out of their sleep they disquiet their consciences too much and trouble their patience so that they are ready to gnar yea they begin to snap and snatch at him with their teeth So that the best way is to follow the counsell of our Sauiour which he gaue cōcerning the Pharisies Mat. 15 14. Let them alone they be the blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch Seeing then such as teach not the people ouer whom the holy Ghost hath made thē Ouerseers can neuer soundly desire the after-good of them it behoueth such to labor with all their strength to builde vp the people in knowledge faith and obedience that so God may haue a people to serue him after their departure Lastly it standeth euery one vpon that hath Vse 3 the gouernement of others whether it bee in the Church or in the Common-wealth or in the priuate Family to looke to their charges that by their godly care and holy endeauour God may be worshipped serued after their departure This is to bee considered of Magistrates Ministers and Gouernours of houses The Magistrate ruling in the Commonwealth whether it bee the King as the superiour or whether it be other Gouernours as they that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well must prouide to the vtmost of his power for the godly and peaceable estate of the kingdom or incorporation where hee remaines by maintaining the Ministery by promoting Religion and by executing Iustice This Moses did as we saw before Deut. 31 2 6 7 8 he assembled the people he signified his departure hee encouraged them against their enemies took order for their welfare after his death by appointing Ioshua to succeede him and to bring the people into the land which the Lord had sworne vnto their Fathers Thus Ioshua dealt Ioshua 23 ◠walking in the steps of Moses his master hee giueth the people charge to worship the true God to sticke fast vnto him with full purpose of heart to loue him to fear him to serue him in vprightnesse and in truth and to put away the gods which their fathers serued beyond the Riuer Thus did Dauid set his son vpon his throne before he dyed 1 Kings 2.2 3. and gaue him a great charge to maintain that Religion which he had established The dutie of all Ministers when they are dying and departing this life is to prouide as carefully as they can that the good worke begun by them may be furthered by their successors and that the trueth which they haue planted may not bee supplanted pulled vp by the rootes by such as shal enter into their labors It is not enough for them to labour in their own persons while they liue but to endeuour that others may succeed them in piety as well as in place in diligence as well as in office Thus dealt Christ our Sauior in calling his Apostles thus dealt the Apostle in ordaining elders in euery City 〈◊〉 1 5. and appointing Pastors and Teachers in seuerall places so soone as they had gained them to the faith Lastly it is the dutie of all Fathers and masters of families to prouide for the soules and saluation of all such as are vnder their iurisdiction and gouernment euen of such as are the meanest and lowest in the house to charge them to know the true
our Ministery and teach vs to waite patiently vpon the Lord who Prou. 16 7. wheÌ„ the waies of a man please him will make his enemies to be at peace with him and alter their hearts as pleaseth him This is a very great dignity and high priuiledge that God bestoweth vpon his poore and contemptible seruants reprochfull in the world 1 Cor. 4 9. a gazing stocke to the wicked accounted as the off-scouring of the earth a wonder to men and Angels this is their honour and preheminence they are magnified of God and respected of the wicked in their manifold miseries when God toucheth them in body or afflicteth them in minde or punisheth theÌ„ in goods or layeth his hand vpoÌ„ such as neerely concerne them in the flesh Excellent then is the estate of Gods children aduanced by him and a great honour vnto them that their enemies are brought vnder them are made to sue vnto them God is able to deliuer them from contempt and to giue vs for the truths sake a due regard and reuerence when he will So he magnified the ministery of Moses and Aaron as we heard before when Pharaoh could finde no comfort in his inchanters and sorcerers nor any helpe in his gods or Idols Exod. 9 28. he is forced to seeke comfort help of those despised Ministers messengers that were before hated of him for Moses must pray vnto God for him So he magnified the ministery of his Apostles so that the stubborn and stiffe-necked Iewes that could not abide the Gospel nor the Preachers of the Gospel being wounded in conscience came to Peter and the rest of the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shall we do Acts 2 37. The laylour mentioned in the 16 of the Acts v. 26 27 29 put the Apostles into close prison made their feet fast in the stockes but when the earth quaked the prison doores opened and euery mans bandes were loosed when once hee was waked out of sleepe and his conscience out of security he called for a light leaped in he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas could finde no comfort but from them whom before he had cruelly entreated nor recouer himselfe from the gulfe of desperation into which he was entring but by their blessed ministery who ministred a word in due season to the weary soule to the heauy heart and to the conscience burdened and oppressed with sin So he magnified the ministery of Iohn the Baptist who was reuerenced of the couetous Publicanes of the violent souldiers and of the mercilesse people Lu. 3.10 12 14 so that they demanded of him What shall we doe Thus hath God dealt from time to time compelling the wicked to know and to acknowledge his faithfull Ministers to his great glory and our endlesse comfort It is a vaine needlesse feare in many that feare the fall and decay of the Ministery the vtter ruine and ouerthrow of the Ministers of the word There are many trades of this present life that will neuer decay nor weare out of vse So long as building planting sowing and tilling of the ground are in request there will be vse of the builder of the planter of the husbandman Who feareth the contempt of haruest men in the time of haruest Who feareth the discharge of watchmen while the City is besiedged Who feareth that no reckoning will be made of Shepheards so long as there are sheepe to be attended and wolues to bee feared The Ministers are the Lords builders the people are his building the Ministers are his husbandmen the people his husbandry the Ministers are the Lords haruest men the people his haruest to bee gathered into his barne This the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 3 9 Christ our Sauiour Mat. 9 37. So long therefore as God hath a Church to bee builded a Vineyard to be planted a Field to be tilled a Flocke to be watched an Haruest ripe and ready to be reaped we need not to be afraid of the decay and downefall of the Ministery For so long as men haue soules to be sued the meanes of saluation shall be continued We see this in the history of the Acts how diuersly it pleased the Lord to dispose of this his ordinance Where he had no people to be called he suffered not the Apostles to go thither Acts 18 10 11 but where hee had much people there he commanded theÌ„ to labor more and to tarry longer and suffered them not to depart so soone as they would Wherefore let vs bee bold and constant in the worke of the Lord and not feare to labour in his Vineyard knowing that our worke shall not be in vaine assuring our selues that he will hold vp our heads whom we serue and maintaine his own ordinance vnto the coming of Iesus Christ We haue spoken against the Lord and against thee we haue sinned The people of Israel being brought to true repentance by the former iudgment of the fiery serpents do not content theÌ„selues to confesse their sins in generall saying We haue sinned but they acknowledge the particular offence that had brought vpon them that particular iudgement As then they felt the iudgement in particular so they haue a feeling of their speciall and particular sin Doctrine We must wâ—nesse our repentance by acknowledging our parâ—cular sins thâ— trouble vs. This teacheth that howsoeuer we are to repent craue pardon generally for generall sins vnknown sins yet we most be most pressed perplexed touched and greeued with particular sins This truth appeareth liuely in the practise of NaamaÌ„ who being won to the faith by the experience which he had of the mercy power of God as also the Ruler was by the myracle shewed vpon his sonne Ioh. 4 53 he was touched with a feeling of his former idolatry and confessed his great blindnesse in the corrupt worship of false gods Hence it is that he desireth God to be mercifull vnto him that in going with his master into the house of Rimmon 2 Kingâ— 5 13 and he leaning on his hand he had worshipped that Idoll to the dishonour of God and the wounding of his conscience The words themselues will naturally beare this construction For we must vnderstand them of the time past not of the time to come of his crauing pardon for that which he had done and not for that he would do He was a true conuert and testifieth his conuersion by acknowledging his former impiety and promising to forsake the same and to worship the true God hereafter This is indeed true repentance wheÌ„ we are ready and willing to acknowledge those particular sins and trespasses that lie heauy vpon the conscience and haue called downe particular iudgements vpon vs. We haue a notable patterne of this kinde of repentance in the Prophet Psal 51 1 14 thus do the people of Israel deale in their conuersion 1 Sam. 12 19 and many others 1 Tim. 1 13. 1 Cor. 15
him and asketh him what the men were that came to him not that God was ignorant and needed to be taught or in structed what those persons were but to draw from him a voluntary confession of the matter which being truely opened and declared God forbiddeth him to go to the Moabites because they had a mischieuous purpose and to curse the Israelites because they were a blessed people WheÌ„ he perceiued to his great griefe that God had concluded and determined to continue his mercy and blessings vpon his people which no deuice of man could diminish no works of the diuell could abolish the morning being come he returned an answer to the messengers and sent them backe without their long-hoped desire excusing himselfe that he could not goe with them as himselfe desired and as they had deserued at his hands and hauing his minde wholly fixed on his reward he saith Ioseph 〈◊〉 lib. 4 cap 6. Returne backe to your Lord as for me I desired nothing more then to accompany you but the Lord hath stopped and restrained my purpose and will not suffer me to go with you or to helpe you Wherein obserue how this couetous hyreling false Prophet being willing to vndertake the worke because of the wages and to promise his best helpe that he might finger the hyre behaueth himselfe fraudently and vnfaithfully as hyrelings do mincing the matter and reuealing one part but concealing another part of the reuelation giuen him of God For whereas God had said Thou shalt not goe thou shalt not curse the people because they are a blessed people denying vnto him as well his purpose of going as his promise of cursing he declareth the former but dissembleth the latter he sheweth to the Princes and Gouernors that GOD restrained him from going but hideth this that the same GOD had forbidden him to curse the people together with the reason of it That they are blessed lest the messengers should be offended and his expected hyre denyed deteyned This is the summe and substance of this diuision But before we enter into the handling of the Doctrines offered heerein to our considerations to the end we may cleerely see into the meaning of the whole history it shall not be amisse for vs to answer certaine doubts and difficulties that arise as well from the purpose of Balak as from the person of Balaam Some of reuerent account in the Church Caluin 〈◊〉 in 4 â—ib 〈◊〉 interpret this history otherwise then can stand with the circumstances of the Text and the proportion of faith in other Scriptures For they suppose that Balak sought helpe of the true God reuerenced his Prophet and had the seed of religion remaining in his heart If this were so why doth he not himselfe fly to God by prayer And why doth he not stirre vp his people to prayer Why do they not all as one man ioyne in supplications and intercessions to be helped of God Why did he require Balaam to come with cursings and bannings against Israel if there were any sparke of true piety left in his heart Againe it is imagined that Balaam was a Prophet of God and endued with the spirit of Prophesie to whom GOD vsed oftentimes and ordinarily to appeare so do make him as it were a meane betweene the true Prophets and the false Prophets therby God making himselfe knowne among the Infidels and neuer leauing himselfe without witnesse Such were the Sybils thought to be liuing among the Gentiles and giuing testimony to the truth of God But we know no such meane betweene true and false Prophets â—â—swer For whosoeuer is not a true Prophet is a false Prophet and whosoeuer is a false Prophet cannot be a true Prophet of God He that is of God is a true Prophet he that is of the diuell is a false Prophet Neither doth the deliuery and vtterance of some truth make a true Prophet for then the diuell should be a true Prophet who sometime speaketh the trueth albeit to a sinister end For he confessed the Messiah to be the Sonne of God â—arke 1 24. thereby to darken the Doctrine of Christ and to discredite the power of the Gospel raising a suspition that he hath some familiarity friendship with Christ by drawing men to doubt of the truth of our redemption inasmuch as the diuell is a lyar from the beginning 〈◊〉 8 44. the father of lying And touching the Sybils they carry not any certaine credit and authority being all or the most part forged foysted in 〈◊〉 13 2 to win credite to the word of God which needeth not the lyes of any to vphold the truth and authority thereof For they are brought in speaking more clearely and euidently more plainly and particularly of Christ and his kingdome then any of the Patriarkes or Prophets then Moses or any that liued after him Esay is worthily accounted to bee an Euangelicall Prophet prophesying distinctly and determinately of the passion sufferings of Christ yet it is as nothing in comparison of that the Sybils expresse 〈◊〉 Sâ—billine 〈◊〉 â—â—nterâ—â—ffe Iâ—â—a â—saâ—o Ex◠〈…〉 11. touching the name and nature of Christ touching his originall off-spring touching his death and resurrection touching Antichrist and other enemies of the Church Now shall we thinke that God would reueale more to them then to his owne Prophets and the sonnes of the Prophets to such as liued out of the Church more then to all that were brought vp in the Church and sucked the sincere milke of the Scriptures and had the most sureword of the Prophets 〈◊〉 1â— to the which they did take heede as to a light that shineth in a darke place Besides we cannot hold this Balaam for any true Prophet but for a false Prophet 〈…〉 such as Simon the Sorcerer mentioned in the Acts Notwithstanding all the goodly glozes that he maketh to winne himselfe credite and estimation whereof wee shall speake more afterward Furthermore others thinke that Balaam meant his own false gods when he saith Tarry heere this night Obiect and I will giue you an answer as the Lord shall say vnto me And againe Returne into your Land for the Lord hath refused to giue me leaue to goe with you but that he was preuented of his purpose by the true God appearing vnto him But this coniecture is ouerthrowne by the expresse words in this place For the word is Iehouah Answer a name alwayes in Scripture giuen to the true God onely and neuer applyed to any false gods yea the true God was knowne by his name among the Gentiles and by it was discerned distinguished from the Idols of the Nations which indeed are no Gods Now that we may attaine to the true meaning of this Scripture and resolue of the right interpretation thereof I will set downe certaine rules and conclusions which concerne the matter in question which being fully determined and throughly descided the truth will euidently appeare
he shall not preuaile ouer them for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Indeed God is able to foyle him and destroy him at once and to giue vs a full and finall conquest ouer all the powers of darknesse in a moment if it pleased him but lest we should bee puffed vp in pride and forget our selues lest wee should leaue calling vpon the Name of almighty GOD and the sorrowing and sighing for our owne weaknesse lest we should be besotted with selfe-loue fall asleepe in security the Lord will worke by little and little he will proceed as it were by liâ—â—â— and leuell he will roote out our spirituall enemies by degrees Let vs not therefore looke to be freed wholly from tentations but know that it is profitable for vs to be exercised vnder them And let vs be sober and watch seeing our aduersary the diuell as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure whoÌ„ if we resist stedfast in the faith he will flie from vs 1 Pet. 5 8 9. Iam. 4 7. Let vs put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against all the assaults of the diuell And let vs remember that he is resisted and driuen away not by any superstitious crossing of our selues which is no armor of proofe but by faith by prayer proceeding from faith which are of great force and effect 25 Then Balak said vnto Balaam Neither curse nor blesse them at all 26 But Balaam answered and saide vnto Balak Told I not thee saying All that the Lord speaketh that must I do 27 Againe Balak saide vnto Balaam Come I pray thee I will bring thee vnto another place if so bee it will please that God that thou maiest thence curse them for my sake 28 So Balak brought Balaam vnto the top of Peor that looketh toward the wildernesse 29 Then Balaam saide vnto Balak Make me heere seuen Altars and prepare me heere seuen Bullocks and seuen Rammes 30 And Balak did as Balaam had saide and offered a Bullocke and a Ram on euery Altar Thus much touching the Prophesie it selfe now followeth the last part to wit the issue and effect therof both in Balak and in Balaam For heere we see the King chafing the Sorcerer excusing hee commanding and the King obeying First of al when Balak perceiued that hee was deceiued of his hope and expectation his wrath is kindled and he chargeth the hyreling that if he will not curse the people as he appointed yet he should not blesse them as he had enterprised For the wicked had rather haue the truth of God smothered buried in silence then themselues offended and disappointed The mercenary Prophet excuseth himselfe that he was vniustly accused hauing foreshewed that it was not at his choise to hold his peace or to speak what he would but was constrained by a superior power to open his mouth and to vtter that which was deliuered vnto him After this answer the king taketh him vp into another place to Peor in which Mountaine their Idoll had a Temple hoping that at the last the God of Israel would change his minde and grant his request Behold the peruersenesse of vnbeleeuers who albeit they be crossed in their euill intentions inuentions yet they proceed in their purposes and betweene voide hope and vaine feare hold on their courses in the blindnesse of their hearts Therefore Balaam seeking to keepe his credite and entertaining the King in an expectation of better successe to come reneweth his former practise commanding seuen Altars to be builded and seuen Bullocks and Rams to be prepared to whom the credulous King obeyeth and suffereth himselfe to be deluded by the diuellish sorceries and idolatrous sacrifices of that false Prophet These particular points haue beene before considered and the principall Doctrines arising from hence likewise opened Ierom lib. 2. apolo aduers Ruffin For heereby we see the rage and fury of the enemies to be vnsatiable and vnappeaseable albeit their might be not answerable to their malice nor their power so great as their desire to hurt they are like the sea that neuer resteth but casteth vp mire and grauell No malice or cruelty can be comparable to the malice and cruelty of a naturall man vndertaken for religion or rather against religion and the truth of God The father in this case hath not spared the son Math. 10 35. the brother hath betrayed the brother to death a mans enemies haue beene they of his owne house and they haue beene as wolues one to another Againe we see how euill men albeit they be crossed in their attempts yet will not giue ouer but returne to their former sinnes As the dogge to his owne vomite So deceitfull a bayte is sinne ensnaring the conscience that hardly they returne that are holden in the chaines thereof hauing satan at their elbow to tempt them and their owne corruptions within theÌ„ to helpe them forward Notwithstanding it shal not be amisse for vs to obserue the points laide before our eyes one in the person of Balaam the other in respect of Balak the third in respect of them both Verse 26. Balaam answered and saide vnto Balak Told I not thee saying All that the Lord speaketh that must I do We haue oftentimes noted before that the words which Balaam deliuered he spake as moued and inspired by the Spirit of God his prophesies are not mingled with his owne dreames and deuices as drosse with pure gold as chaffe with cleane wheate or as saw-dust with wholesome meat these came not from the will of man nor proceeded from any priuate motion and interpretation he was guided and directed by the holy Ghost and therefore he saith in this place All that the Lord speaketh that must I do and in the chapter following If Balak would giue me his house full of siluer and gold I cannot passe the commandement of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine owne minde what the Lord shall command that same will I speake Numb 24 13. So then he declareth that in vttering pronouncing these prophesies he was limited and restrained his tongue tyed vp to that which God should put in his mouth Numb 22 38. He was not left at liberty to speake at randon what he would he must speake onely that which the LORD would haue him Doctrine It belongs to the Ministers to deliuer Gods word onely and wholly From hence we learne that it is a duty belonging to all the Ministers whom God hath separated and called to that Office to deliuer the will of God fully perfectly as they haue receiued it of God without adding to it or detracting from it True it is the Ministers of the Gospel haue now no extraordinary reuelations or immediate inspirations God doth not appeare or reueale his word vnto them eyther by dreames in the night or by visions in the day neither do they heare his voyce froÌ„ heauen
but neuer come to the knowledge of the truth He that setteth his sonne to schoole will look he should learn somewhat and not euer stand at one stay We are trained vp in the bosome of the Church which is the Schoole-house of Christ wee must therefore euery day be profiting and going forward God accepteth not of those that looke backward or stand at a stay hee will know them that seek more and more to know him Thirdly it is our duty to beg and craue at Vse 3 Gods hands the knowledge of his will who openeth the eyes of the blinde and giueth vnderstanding to those that seeke it We haue a gracious promise to be heard Mat. 7 7. in the prayers and petitions that we make vnto him Hence it is that the Prophet Dauid a man after Gods owne heart and endued with a singular portion of Gods Spirit craueth the enlightning of Gods Spirit and desireth still to be taught of him Psal 119 verses 18 27 31 73. Thus doth the Apostle pray for the Ephesians chapter 1 verses 17 18 that God would giue them the spirit of wisedome and enlighten their mindes to know what the hope is of his calling and what the riches are of his glorious inheritance in the Saints A notable direction for all of vs how to behaue our selues when we come into the house of God and tread in his Courts namely not to rest vpon our naturall gifts nor to trust in our mother-wits which are too short and shallow to reach vp to the height and to sound the depth of the mysteries of God How many are there in the world of an high reach and of a deepe conceite in the matters of the world that attaine to no measure of knowledge in the matters of God Talke with them of the things of this life they are able to discourse with great insight many of Gods children inferiour to them few equall with them none can go beyond them They can contriue and dispatch businesse of the world with great facility you cannot speake to them of any thing of this nature but by and by they apprehend it and conceiue it But enter communication with them of heauenly things of the knowledge of God of faith in Christ of the saluation of their soules they can conceiue nothing they are as blinde as Beetles they are simple and ignorant as little children that know not the right hand from the left This should offer to our wise carefull cōsiderations a double meditatiō First it serues to humble those that haue these gifts of nature and are wise in their owne conceit and to make them equal with those of the lower sort seeing all their gifts which Nature hath adorned them withall are not able to set them one foot forward toward the kingdome of heauen nay being vnsanctified they are further off from saluation then others of smaller gifts This made the Apostle say Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God and the Lord knoweth that the thoghts of the wise be vaine 1. Cor. 3 18. Where hee teacheth euery one to be ready to deny himselfe and his carnall wisedome whose beginning is from the flesh and whose end is death to the end wee may be truely wise in heauenly things pertaining vnto euerlasting life Secondly this serueth to comfort the children of God that want the worldly wit of naturall men and are not able to diue so deepe into earthly things as they though they be simple in matters of this world yet if GOD haue giuen them a taste of the glory of the world to come let them rest in spirituall knowledge and giue God the praise that hath opened the eyes of their mindes and inlightned their hearts to haue a feeling of it This our Sauiour taketh occasion to practise and to offer praise and honour to God in a sweete remembrance of this dealing of God I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes it is so O Father because thy good pleasure was such Math. 11 25 26. Though wee be simple in the world yet if wee be wise in GOD though weake in the world yet if we be strong in GOD though wee be accounted as fooles and silly ones of the sharp wits of the world yet if wee haue learned Christ Iesus know the exceeding measure of his loue toward vs let this be our comfort and consolation that God hath abundantly recompenced the want of those outward things by giuing vnto vs an happy and holy aduantage in heauenly things And indeed all those are learned that are taught of God and they vnlearned that are not taught of him althogh otherwise they abound in other knowledge Such as haue learned Christ Iesus and him crucified and so are become new creatures in him they are learned though they know neuer a letter in the booke For in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge Col. 2 3. He that hath not learned Christ is vnlearned Althogh otherwise he be neuer so learned for if he be not regenerate and borne anew but committeth sinne with greedines he hath not seene him neither hath knowne him 1. Ioh. 3 6. Wherfore let vs al learne from hence to depend vppon God for his blessings vpon vs especially when we enter the Lords courts and come to heare his word let vs confesse that we are not able of our selues to vnderstand his will and desire him to open our hearts as hee did the heart of Lydia Act. 16 14. for otherwise wee shall depart away as ignorant and blinde as wee came wee shall neuer soundly rest in the truth that is deliuered but alwayes be ready to carpe and cauill at it to wrangle and reason against it saying How can these things be And then it may be said vnto them as Christ speaketh to the proud Pharisies who gloried in their owne insight thought all men blind beside themselues If ye were blinde ye should not haue sinne but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remaineth Iohn 9 40 41. Let vs then be ready to renounce our worldly wisedome and to deny our selues and begge the assistance of Gods Spirit to be our inward teacher and instructer that so we may heare with profit and comfort Vse 4 Lastly learne to be thankfull to God foreshewing this grace and mercy to vs his vnworthy seruants when he reuealeth and maketh knowne vnto vs the hid things of God touching our saluation without which wee haue liued in darknes in the shadow of death and in the estate of damnation Hee hath not vouchsafed this mercy vpon all but hath passed ouer many thousands in the world which know not truth from errour nor light from darknesse hee might haue passed
not much more will hee teach them his wayes that feare him reueale his secrets to the humble-minded Psal 25 9 12.14 Let vs exercise our selues in the diligent reading hearing and conferring of his word let vs earnestly desire to profite and grow forward in the knowledge and vnderstanding of the truth from time to time according to the meanes affoorded vnto vs. We liue in the cleare light of the Gospel and in the golden dayes of Gods grace times that our fore-fathers neuer saw let vs not therefore shut our eyes against the truth that shineth in our hearts or at the least not stop our eares against the sound of the word that pierceth our eares We haue a gracious promise made vnto vs that God will giue a blessing vnto such as seeke him hee will be knowne of those that seeke to know him he will open to those that knocke for him This is the maine cause of all ignorance that we desire not knowledge It is a grieuous sin to be destitute of knowledge but it is more fearefull to haue no desire of knowledge Ignorance is the root of all impiety of infidelity of idolatry of superstition of presumption of disobedience of contempt of the word and worship of God as the Apostle rehearsing the corrupt fruites of darknes the throat an open sepulchre the mouth full of cursing the feet swift to shed blood destruction and calamity in their wayes maketh this the the cause of all The way of peace they haue not knowne Rom 3.17 So the Lord Psal 95 10 doth render this as the reason why his people erred because they had not knowne his wayes This caused the Iewes to crucifie the Lord of life and to deliuer him into the hands of sinners For if they had knowne the wisedome of God they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory 1. Cor. 2 8 according to the words of Peter preaching repentance vnto them Now brethren I know that through ignorance ye did it as did also your gouernours Act. 3.17 And as it is the root of all impiety against God and vnrighteousnesse of men so it is the cause of all iudgements and punishments The Prophet Hosea threatning Gods plagues in a fearefull hand to fall vpon the people maketh this one cause There was no knowledge of God in the land Hos 4 1 2. So at the last day when the Lord Iesus shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead He will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to those that doe not know him 1. Thes 1 8. These things being rightly and wisely considered should teach all of vs to seeke after knowledge as for siluer and search for vnderstanding as for precious stones assuring our selues that God will neuer be wanting to helpe such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse who is neere to al those that call vpon him euen to all that call vpon him in truth Vse 3 Lastly we see his mercy is greater vnto vs then to the fathers before The Lord Iesus hath brought the doctrine of the Gospel from the bosome of his Father Acknowledge then with thankfulnesse the preferment of these latter times and let vs not seeke after dreams and visions which are abolished but hauing the sure word of the Prophets and Apostles rest in the reuealed will of God Moses had a preheminence aboue the Prophets to whom God spake not by dreames or visions but face to face as is declared Numb 12 6 7 8. I will be knowne to the Prophets by vision by dreame my seruant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all mine house vnto him wil I speake mouth to mouth and not in darke words As Moses was preferred before the other Prophets so haue we a singular priuiledge aboue the Patriarkes Prophets that haue gone before vs who wanted the light that we enioy as the Writer of the Hebrewes doth testifie declaring that the glory of our time is greater in which GOD hath vouchsafed to speake vnto vs by his own sonne At sundry times and in diuers manners God spake in olde time to our fathers by the Prophets in these last daies he hath spoken vnto vs by his Son Heb. 1 1 2. So then the condition of Christians vnder the Gospel is better then of the Israelites vnder the Law in respect of the manifestation and reuelation of Gods truth The Israelites had God reuealed by the Prophets but we haue him taught by the Son himselfe who is counted worthy of more glory then Moses Heb. 3 3.4 inasmuch as hee which hath builded the house hath more honour then the house and he that is Lord ouer it hath more honour then he that is a seruant in it Hereupon Christ calleth and accounteth the Disciples blessed Because they saw with their eyes and heard with their eares those things which many Prophets and righteous men desired to see and heare and yet could not Mat. 13 17. Let vs therefore walke worthy of this great grace and mercy let vs embrace and professe the doctrine of Christ with all zeale and as wee haue receiued greater fauour let vs bring foorth greater obedience Let vs magnifie the preaching of the Gospel whereby Christ Iesus is described in our sight as it were crucified among vs which hee hath made the strength of his arme and his great power to saue those that do beleeue to which he hath giuen such effectuall grace that it worketh more mightily then all miracles and pierceth deeper into the heart of man then all visions and reuelations yea Though one should arise from the dead to speake vnto vs Luk. 16 31. Let vs now looke for no miracles nor depend vpon strange wonders the doctrine of Christ is â—ufficiently strengthned confirmed so that no doubt of any part therof is to close vp our owne eyes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of GOD should not shine vpon vs. 2 Cor. 4 3â— If the Gospel be yet hid it is hid to theÌ„ that are lost To conclude let vs all know that God hauing brought vs into these last times requireth of vs greater knowledge faith zeale obedience and greater fruites of repentance Heb. 2 1 â— For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluatioÌ„ which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him Wherefore we ought diligently to giue heed vnto the things which we haue heard lest at any time we runne out Verse 5. How goodly are thy Tents O Iacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel as the valleyes that are stretched out c. Hitherto we haue spoken of the preparation and entrance into this third Prophesie Now we come to the summe and substance of it vttered by way of an admiration or exclamation the diligent consideration of the florishing estate
the sonnes of God for this cause the world knoweth you not because it knoweth not him God is become our Father the Sonne is our Redeemer the Holy-ghost is become our sanctifier the Angels are become our attendants the Scriptures are become our euidences the Sacraments are our seales the creatures are become our seruants our afflictions are our instructions This the Apostle teacheth the Church 1. Cor. 3 21 22 23. They are blessed that haue their sinnes pardoned and not imputed vnto them as the Prophet teacheth but God saith to euery beleeuer Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee They are blessed that heare his word and keepe it but the sheepe of Christ heare his voyce and follow him They are blessed that delight in the Law of the Lord and in his Law meditate day and might but the godly make it their counsellour to be aduised by it This vse that now we stand vpon is directly vrged by the Prophet Psal 84. where hauing made his complaint that hee could not haue accesse to the Church of God to make profession of his faith and to profite in Religion hee breaketh out into this passionate exclamation being touched with an inward feeling of the want of those holy assemblies Psal 84 4 5. O Lord of hoasts how amiable are thy tabernacles thereupon concludeth the point which wee haue stood vpon Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will euer praise thee blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose heart are thy wayes Howsoeuer the vngodly that sauour nothing but of the earth want spirituall eyes to behold the beauty of the Church and account it no part of their happinesse to liue within the compasse and bosome of it yet the children of God haue taken nothing so neere to heart as when they haue bene driuen from the place of his worship The Prophet is grieued that the sparrowes and swallowes had better accesse and freer recourse to the houses of men to build their nests to lay their young and to rest and repose themselues then he had to the Lords Tabernacle and therefore preferreth their condition before his owne We see how the Iewes wept and pittifully lamented by the riuers of Babylon and hung vp their instruments on the willowes saying Psal 137 1 2 3 How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget to play If I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth yea if I preferre not Ierusalem to my chiefe ioy No doubt they might haue prayed to the Lord in Babylon and in banishment as well as in Iudea and at Ierusalem the Lord heareth in all places and willeth that men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands without wrath or doubting 1. Tim. 2.8 but they mourned because they could not visit the Temple of God in Ierusalem there to make publicke confession of their sinnes and of their faith toward God They therefore plainely testify that they haue no feeling either of the weakenesse of their faith or of the greatnesse of their offences that glory in their owne shame and say they beare as good a soule to God as they which resort so often to the Church and delight to heare the preaching of the word and that they can serue God as well at home as in the Church These are led by another spirit then Dauid was who if he were a man after Gods owne heart Psal 42 1 2 3. hauing such an earnest desire after the seruice and worship of God and saying As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God surely these must needs be guided by the spirit of the diuell who so openly scorne all Religion and are at defiance with God robbing God of his honour committing sacriledge in keeping their tongues from the publick praises of God entring themselues off from the mysticall body of Christ condemning and contemning the congregation of the faithfull giuing offence to others by euill example and despiâ—â—ng the ordinance of God who hath appointed commanded the assembly of his people to meet together to acknowledge their sinnes to confesse their faith to pray for things necessary to praise him for his blessings receiued to heare the word expounded and to receiue the Sacraments deliuered so that such as flye from these doe fly from God himselfe they fly from their owne saluation they seeke a worship by themselues and they imagine an heauen by themselues But let them take heed their worship proue not a false worship and their heauen a false heauen and a true hell Secondly we must all labour to bee members Vse 2 of the Church rather then of any other place in the world We see how carefull men are not onely to be in great societies towns but to be of them to haue the freedome of priuiledged places and incorporations Act. 22 28. Yea to obtaine it purchase it with a great summe of money because it hringeth worldly commodity How much more should wee endeauour to be members of the Church whereby we are made free men and haue interest in the blessings of God yea wee become free denizens of the Kingdome of heauen How doe men esteeme their freedome to be of earthly cities If wee be part of the Church wee haue accesse to the truth Now if wee shall know the truth the truth shall make vs free Iohn 8 32 36. If we be belonging to the Church we haue our interest in Christ now if that Sonne shall make vs free then we shall be free indeed This made the Apostle say Phil. 3 20. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour If we become limbes of the Church of God wee haue the spirit that beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God now the Lord giueth his Spirit 2. Cor. 3 17 and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Such as are free of cities and incorporations haue diuerse priuiledges that others want obtaine many benefites that others want obtaine many dignities that others desire and haue their names enrolled among the free-men but how much greater is the preheminence of all those that are brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God being made parts of the Church which is the freest citty vnder the heauens This city of our God hath the priuiledges of the communion of Saints of the forgiuenesse of sinnes of the resurrection of the body to eternall life and all such as belong vnto it haue their names registred and enrolled in the booke of life What shall it profite thee to obtaine an earthly freedome in earthly cities and to be the seruant of sinne the bondslaue of the diuel and to want the freedome of the sonnes and daughters of almighty
executing iudgement vpon the offenders and euill dooers which brought a greeuous plague vpon the people His spirit was stirred within him beeing first stirred by the Spirit of God which mooued him to take a speare and to thrust thorow the adulterer and adulteresse Now wee shall see the recompence of reward that was giuen vnto him for that worke which was acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto his people He hath a couenant of peace made with him the Priesthood confirmed vnto him and his posteritie He onely had appeased the wrath of God made vppe the breach betweene God and his people but the blessing is conueyed euen to his posterity He destroyeth two malefactors whereby he bringeth a blessing vnto his children Hereby we learne Doctrine The faithfâ—â— bring able â—sing on the families That when the wayes of a man please God he will bee gracious to his house posterity God is so pleased with the obedience of his people that he wiil shew mercy to such as belong to them This is pleÌ„tifully proued vnto vs in the word of GOD. When God saw Noah righteous before him in that corrupt age and generation hee made all that belonged vnto him partakers of a great deliuerance saying vnto him Enter thou all thine house into the Arke for thee haue I seene righteous before me in this age Gen. 7 1. This appeareth in the person of Abraham when God had called him out of his Countrey and from his kindred and made a Couenant with him to blesse him Gen. 12 2 3. The Prophet Ieremy teacheth this in the example of the Rechabites Thus saith the Lord of hoasts the God of Israel Because ye haue obeyed the Commandement of Ionadab your Father and â—ept all his precepts and done according vnto all that he hath coÌ„manded you Therfore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Ionadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for euer Ier. 35 18. To this purpose speaketh the Prophet Dauid Psal 37.21 A good man is mercifull and lendeth and his seede enioyeth the blessing If wee come to the new Testament wee haue many testimonies leading vs vnto the consideration of this truth When Zaccheus beleeued in Christ for his saluation and testified his repentance by his restitution Iesus said vnto him This day is saluation come into this house forasmuch as he is become the sonne of Abraham Luke 19 9. When the ruler whose son was sick at Capernaum saw the great power of Christ in restoring him to health againe Hee beleeued and all his houshold Iohn 4 13. This is oftentimes remembred vnto vs in the Acts of the Apostles When God had opened the heart of Lydia that shee attended vnto the things which Paul deliuered She was baptized and all her houshold Acts 16 15.33 VVhen the Iayler beleeued in the Lord Iesus for his saluation and shewed his vnfained conuersion by the fruites of his loue to the Apostles he was baptized with all that belonged vnto him straitway and reioyced that he with al his houshold beleeued in God Reason 1 The reasons to enforce this doctrine are euident if wee consider eyther the person of God or the condition of the faithfull For first God hath in great mercy and goodnesse promised to shew grace and fauour not onely to the faithfull themselues but to the seede of the faithfull that feare him It is the nature of God to be mercifull and gracious to be slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse shewing mercy vnto thousands to them that loue him and keepe his commandements Exod. 20 6 and 34 6 7. VVe see this in the history of the destruction of Sodome the Lord did not onely in great mercy and compassion saue Lot himself but said vnto him Whom hast thou yet heere either sonne in law or thy sonnes or thy daughters or whatsoeuer thou hast in the citty bring it out of this place Gen. 19 12. Hee was ready not to saue him alone but as an ouerplus to deliuer all that belonged vnto him We see the mercy of God to others for his childrens sake hee thinketh it not enough to bee good to them but extendeth his mercies to those that any way concerne them Reason 2 Secondly as the mercy of God is great so the faith of the godly is effectuall for themselues and their children This is the tenour of the couenant that God hath made with al the faithful their faith is auailable both for themselues and for others God will be our God and the God of our seede after vs Gen. 17 7. And this is the priuiledge prerogatiue that the faithfull haue they beleeue this mercifull promise of God themselues and thereby entitle their children vnto it For as a father that purchaseth house or land giueth thereby an interest vnto his son therein so he that layeth hold on the promise which God hath made to all godly parents doth conueygh it vnto his children so that albeit they want faith by reason of their yeares yet they are made partakers of Christ and ingrafted into his body So then we may collect and gather this truth that the loue of God to the faithfull shall so abound that it shall come to their posterity like the precious oyntment powred on the head of Aaron that ranne downe vpon his beard and flowed to the border of his garments or as the dew on Hermon and Sion which watered the vallies that were beneath vpon which it descended Psal 133 2 3. The vses remaine to be handled First wee Vse 1 learne that the children of faithful parents haue right and interest to Baptisme and are to receiue the seale of the couenant This the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 7 14 when hee sayth The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husband elsewere your children vncleane but now they are holy Seeing then that faithfull parents entitle their children to the blessings which they receiue wee see that there ought to bee a difference betweene them and the children of Turkes and Infidels All the offspring of Abraham was accounted holy in the time of the old Testament because God made with him the couenant of life and the Apostle reasoneth that if the root be holy the branches also are holy Rom. 11.16 Hence it is that he calleth them all his children who are borne of Israel But since the partition wall is pulled downe the grace of God is not obscured and lesse assured vnto vs then it was before vnto the Iewes Infants and children doe no lesse belong to the couenant and Church of God then others doe that are of yeares of discretion as it is plaine by the promise made to Abraham I will set my couenant betweene me and thee and betweene thy seed after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant that I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Genes 17 7. Where God doth
the kingdome nor he in accepting of it inasmuch as they did it not out of any obedience to the will of God but they did it to ease themselues from the cruelty and tyranny that Rehoboam was likely to vse toward them and therefore they sinned because they had no commandement from God Let vs come to the vses First this confuteth Vse 1 the doctrine of the Anabaptists or Libertines that deny all authority as not fitting for Christians to beare They teach their owne dreames that neyther Christians should bee Magistrates nor yet subiect to Magistrates an horrible impiety in them and it would not be worth the time to shew how they wrest the Scripture to defend their owne errour which otherwise they nothing regard Secondly it serueth to taxe Popery and Vse 2 that out of their owne grounds for the Rhemists haue a rule vpon Iude verse 6 that they are heretiques that deny authority and they would father it and fasten it vpon vs because we deny subiection to the Pope But we retort it vpon themselues For neuer was there any that did cast off the yoke of authority so much as they haue done They haue put downe the mighty from their seates and trod vpon the neckes of Princes they haue dethroned Kings and armed the sonne against the father Vnder a colour of the holy warre they haue sent them abroad and betrayed them into the hands of the Sarazens and in their absence seized vpon their Dominions There was neuer heretique did so shrinke vp the sinewes and shake off the yoke of authority as they haue done It is a rule that they haue that Ecclesiasticall men ought to be free from all ciuill authority whatsoeuer and that Cleargy men must be exempted from subiection to the secular powers so that they not we are the heretiques that despise authority As for the Bishop of Rome wee owe him no seruice neyther may he claime iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall Church eyther by Scriptures Fathers Councels or imperiall Constitutions for many ages Vse 3 Lastly this serueth as an information to vs that wee auoyde all such proud and peeuish conceits as these to imagine there shold be no authority and bee prouoked to bee thankfull vnto almighty GOD that we do enioy authority seeing by it wee are freed from confusion and desolation from much mutiny and misery that otherwise would befall vs. For notwithstanding by the great goodnesse of God we haue authority such is the fury and fiercenesse of wicked men that they breake out into strange enormities and commit many feareful things by poysonings by stabbings by cousenages by oppressions by forgery and falsehood and such like mischeeuous and monstrous practises what then would they presume to do if there were no authority to bring them and their doings into question and to call them to an account for their audacious courses A man should alwayes haue his life in his hand there could be no peace or safety in our houses and habitations if there were no authority to rule to controlle to terrifie to punish and therefore how thankfull ought we to bee to almighty God for that authority which he hath set ouer vs and for the peaceable gouernment we enioy vnder our gracious Soueraigne Now this must withall be acknowledged of vs that no man can be truely thankfull for authority that is not willingly and cheerefully subiect to authority It is a friuolous and vaine thing to pretend thankfulnesse and yet not vndergoe the yoke of obedience with cheerefulnesse Verse 11. Notwithstanding the Children of Korah died not What became of Korah himselfe we haue seene before His name was famous in the Congregation but he became infamous through his rebellion and it is called the gainesaying of Korah to this day Iude verse 11. Notwithstanding marke heere that the sonnes of Korah perished not when their father perished and was punished who spake euill of them that were in authorty for it appeareth that they were preserued aliue and became afterward famous in the Church of God and honourable mention is made of them in the booke of Psalmes and of the Chronicles 1. Chronicles chapter 6 verse 22. Psalm 42 and Psalme 44 and Psalme 45 and sundry others afterward as 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verse 19. From hence ariseth this Doctrine Doctrine It is no disgrace for godlie children to descend of vngodly parents that it is no disgrace for godly children to descend and come of vngodly parents Howsoeuer sinne be a reproch to the parents themselues yet it taketh not hold of their issue except they walke in those sinnes Ezek. 18 14. If hee beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and considereth doth not the like c. he shall surely liue Iephte is commended for a faithfull man that fought the battels of the Lord subdued the enemies of his people yet he was the sonne of an harlot Iudg. 11 1. Heb. chap. 11 verse 32. This farther appeareth in Saul and Ionathan the one of them the greatest enemy the other the greatest friend of Dauid the one sware his death the other his life the father to kill him the sonne to saue him and therefore it was no dishonor to him to haue such a father The like we might say of Ahaz a most wicked man and Hezekiah a most godly King one of the best sonnes of one of the worst fathers yet who accounteth the worse of good Hezekiah because he had wicked Ahaz to his father Ieroboam king of Israel set vp idolatry and caused Israel to sinne and therefore the Lord threateneth to bring euill vppon his house that the dogges should eate him that dyed in the City and the fowles of the ayre him that dyed in the field 1 Kings chapter 14 verse 10 so that they should all be swept away as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone yet God gaue him one good sonne whom in mercy he tooke to himselfe and saued as a brand out of the fire or as a Sheepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lyon two legges or a peece of an eare Amos chapter 3 verse 12 and therefore it is said All Israel shall mourne for him for hee onely of Ieroboam shall come to the graue because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel The grounds of this truth follow First Reason 1 that election might stand wholly by grace forasmuch as almighty God sheweth mercy where and to whom hee will If religion should descend from father to son in a common and ordinary course of generation or propagation without any interruption it might be thought to bee a worke of nature not of grace and to proceede from parents not from almighty GOD. Therefore bee often breaketh off that course so that wicked parents haue sometimes good and godly children and contrariwise godly parents haue wicked and vile children that the purpose of GOD according to election might stand not of works
giue to these maintaine them both in idlenes wickednes As then we see vnto whoÌ„ we ought not to giue so we must know to whom we ought to giue To whom we â—â—ght to giue These are poore widdowes and fatherlesse children 1 Tim. 5 16 such as are poore strangers such day laborers as worke hard for their liuing all the week and yet cannot either thorough weaknesse of their body or greatnes of their charge get things necessary and sufficient for them and of these we shall alwaies haue with vs to the end of the world Mat. 62 11 Such also as are falne into decay by ineuitable losses 〈◊〉 15 11. Leu. 23 35. Lastly such as are weake and impotent whether through age or other blemish whether in their feete or in their hands or other parts that thereby though they bee willing yet they are not able to take paines for theyr liuing Acts 3.2 6. but amongst all these they are especially to bee respected that are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6 10. If we be careful and mindfull of these God will recompence vs againe and pay vs home seuenfolde into our bosomes whatsoeuer we haue giuen both in temporall spirituall and eternall blessings Lastly it is our duty to acknowledge Gods Vse 3 great mercy toward vs in the blessings of this life that hee hath giuen to vs that which hee hath denied to many others and when he giueth vnto vs a comfortable vse of these blessings wee must confesse we haue them not by our owne labor and industrie but by his speciall goodnes towards vs Psal 127 1 3. and therfore we ought to sanctifie our daily pains with daily prayer and begin and end our labors with remembring him that remembreth vs and so praise his goodnes that enableth vs to get goods and this shall make our labour sweet and pleasant and the yoake that lyeth in our neckes to be light and easie Againe as God giueth them so he giueth a blessing with them a blessing with a blessing that is bread and the nourishment of bread For a man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Deut. 8. Moreouer as he giueth outward blessings so he can take them away when it pleaseth him euen in a moment Iob 1 Luk 12. 22 And the Lord saide vnto Moses Get thee vp into this mount Abarim and see the land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel 13 And when thou hast seene it thou shalt bee gathered vnto thy people c. 14 For ye rebelled against my commandement c. Here followeth the second part of the chapt touching the successour of Moses in the gouernment of this great people wherein obserue the occasion the calling of Ioshua The occasion is double the death of Moses at haÌ„d his request to God to appoint a man to be set in his place Touching his death he is willed to go vp to mount Abarim and to behold the land that God had giuen to the Israelites for God had foreshewed that he should see the land with his eies though he did not tread on it with his feet when he had seene the land he should dy as Aaron his brother before him chap. 20 24 amplified by the cause they had not sanctified the name of the Lord at the Waters of Meribah of which we haue spoken before Touching the prayer and request of Moses he desireth of the Lord that he wold appoint a fit Ruler ouer his people to succeed him in this gouernment that might be able to beare this great burthen For hearing the vnchaÌ„geable determination of God humbling himselfe vnder his correcting hand chastising his transgression he is not afraid of the sentence of death being at hand and seeing it before him neither doth he craue to haue the stroke thereof prolonged and delayed neither is he troubled with excessiue cares for himselfe and his children and posterity as the manner is of worldly minded men that mind nothing but the earth and earthly things when they must go out of the world shall haue their mouth full thereof but all his care was for the future benefite of the people to leaue them in good estate after his departure This should teach vs after his example to be readie to leaue the world whensoeuer God calleth vs not to staÌ„d in feare of death but to be willing to goe to God knowing the we shall go to an inheritance immortall that fadeth not 1 Pet. 1. and we must all likewise be carefull to leaue our houses places in good state when we are gone of which we haue spoken before chap. 20. Moses was the deere seruant of God yet sinning hee is punished The Lord himselfe receyued his soule and buried his body Deut 34 6 13. He was in high fauour with God liuing and dying an excellent Prophet to whom God spake face to face yet hee was not suffered to enter into the land of Promise Doctrine Many want the outward signes that are partakers of the truth of the Sacraments Wherby we see that many want the Sacraments that are partakers of the truth and substance of the Sacraments He entred into the heauenly Canaan that was not permitted to enter into the earthly Some are admitted vnto the outward signe that neuer receiue the thing signified so was Iudas to the Passeouer as well as Peter and the rest of the Apostles yet he was neuer partaker of the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the world Iohn 1 29. On the other side some take not the outward signe that neuerhelesse partake the inward grace The vses heereof are to teach vs that the outward Vse 1 and inward parts of the Sacraments are not necessarily ioyned together so that hee which partaketh the one should also partake the other and therfore the outward sign doth not simply conferre grace Secondly it condemneth the Church of Rome that holdeth that children dying without baptisme are not saued whereas saluation is not alwayes annexed to the signe so that though infants want the outward washing yet to them may belong the kingdom of heauen Mark 10 14. Lastly it serueth as a great comfort to such as desire to come to the Sacraments yet are hindred sometimes by sicknes and somtimes by other ineuitable occasions that procure their absence forasmuch as we see in this example of Moses that we may bee partakers of the truth of the signes and yet bee barred or banished from the signes themselues In such cases as these God accepteth the will for the deede 2 Cor. 8 12. Againe Doctrine Many are temporally punished that are not eternally condemned we learne by the examples of Moses and Aaron that were not suffered to enter into Canaan a figure of the heauenly Canaan this truth That many are temporally punished which are not eternally condemned Many are chastised in this life not onely with diseases and sicknesses but with death