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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22507	A commentarie vpon the fourth booke of Moses, called Numbers Containing, the foundation of the church and common-wealth of the Israelites, while they walked and wandered in the vvildernesse. Laying before vs the vnchangeable loue of God promised and exhibited to this people ... Heerein also the reader shall finde more then fiue hundred theologicall questions, decided and determined by William Attersoll, minister of the word.	Attersoll, William, d. 1640.; Attersoll, William, d. 1640. Pathway to Canaan.; Attersoll, William, d. 1640. Continuation of the exposition of the booke of Numbers.	1618 (1618)	STC 893; ESTC S106852	2,762,938	1,336

If they were demaunded what they thinke of the word and of God the author of the word they would acknowledge the Scriptures to be most true both the promises that are made and the threatnings that are contained in it they would confesse that God is a most iust God euen visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation yet it skilleth not what they speak with their tongues so long as we may euen openly reade the secrets of their thoughts and the imaginations of their hearts in their outward practises For touching the word of God it is most true and it cannot be denyed we reade oftentimes that God is also mercifull Rom 2.4 Ephe. 2. we reade of the riches of his grace and bountifulnesse of his abounding in compassions and reseruing mercy for thousands What then or what is all this to them shall we continue therefore in sinne that grace may abound ought not rather the riches of his bountifulnes and patience and long suffering leade vs vnto repentance Shal we after our hardnes and hearts that cannot repent heape vp vnto our selues as a treasure wrath against the day of wrath and the iust declaration of the iudgement of God who shall giue to euery man according to his workes It is a good lesson which the Prophet teacheth vs that there is mercy with God not that we should presume of his mercy and runne into all excesse of ryot but to the end he may be feared Psal 130.4 Hence it is that Moses Deut. 29.20 strippeth all such as flatter themselues with hope of pardon and conceit of mercy and opinion of escaping from that foolish imagination He that blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lie vpon ●im the Lord shall blot out his name frō vnder heauen These persons may call for mercy but he will not answere them in mercy they may seeke him early but they shall not finde him because they hated to be reformed and did not chuse the feare of the Lord Prou. 1.28 29. He is very gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse Psal 103.17 18. Howbeit it is to the penitent only not to the obstinate The Prophet saith The mercy of the Lord is from euerlasting to euerlasting and his righteousnesse vnto childrens children to such as keepe his couenant and to those that remember his commandements to doe them Where we see the Scripture maketh a difference and diuision betweene man and man and giueth to euery one his portion so that albeit he be mercifull yet it is to those onely that keepe his commandements For although all be sinners and therby seeke to creepe away closely that way as it were in the darke that they might not bee espyed yet we must know this that some are repentant sinners for whom there is mercy in store some are obstinate sinners the Scripture hath no mercy for them but terrors threatnings and iudgements and punishments because vpon such wicked he will raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup for the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse his countenance doth behold the vpright Psal 11.6 7. Now such as continue in the course of their sins are ready to beleeue that God is merciful but they beleeue not the Scripture that he is mercifull onely vnto such as repent they perswade themselues falsely that they may run on in euill wayes and yet find mercy at the latter end which is directly contrary to the whole doctrine of the Scriptures And yet these men aske shall we not beleeue the Scripture to be true Whereas they beleeue one part of the Scripture but they call into question another part they lay holde on his promises but they stop their eares against his iudgements nay they doe not so much as beleeue the promises aright neither will learn to whom they are deliuered in whom they shall be verified which sauoureth altogether of infidelity and vnbeliefe Besides as they derogate from the verity of the Scriptures so they deny God after a sort and turne him into a lie make him an idoll to stand stil and doe nothing For to imagine in our heart a GOD wholly compact of mercy that seeth sinne but will not punish it that knoweth who sinneth but will let him alone is to deny the true God who as he is merciful so he is also iust This the Prophet Nahum testifieth in the beginning of his Prophesie The Lord is iealous ●●m 1 2 3 and the Lord reuengeth the Lord reuengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his aduersaries and reserueth wrath for his enemies The Lord is slowe to anger great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked c. And heereunto accordeth the description of him Exod. 34 6 7. The Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiuing sinne and that will by no meanes cleere the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation Such then as thinke they may proceede and goe forward in their transgressions without controlement or punishment because God is a mercifull God do vtterly deceiue themselues make a snare to entrap their owne soules The wise man saith that to iustifie the wicked and to condemne the innocent are both of them an abhomination vnto the Lord Prou. 17 15. If then he hate it in all the sonnes of men how shall we imagine that the Lord will do or can do either of thē Let vs therefore so conceiue of God as hee hath taught vs in his holy word let vs not make a counterfeit god nor set vp an Idoll in our heart for he will be serued no therwise then he hath appointed To conclude we must know that whosoeuer denieth 〈◊〉 of the threatnings denounced in the word denyeth a part of the Scripture and as much as lyeth in him maketh God a lyar who will as well execute his judgements as performe his promises forasmuch as hee is faithfull in both And whosoeuer imagineth that God is onely mercifull consequently denieth his iustice hath not the true God for his God but committeth horrible idolatry in cōceiuing wrongfully of his Maiesty Vse 4 Fourthly seeing such damages and iniuries as are offered to our brethren doe reach to God are condemned as sinnes against him it should teach vs to looke to our own waies to practise iustice and equity toward them to take heed of all fraud forgery falsehood oppression whatsoeuer forasmuch as hee will take an account of vs and bring vs vnto a

their head and gouernour Iudg. 11.10 and that they would bee subiect vnto him The Lord be witnesse betweene vs if we do not according to thy words In like maner Iehoiada the Priest making Ioash king whō he had preserued from the massacre executed against the blood royall and hidden sixe yeres in the house of the Lord tooke an oath of the captaines guard that they should obey the king whom he shewed vnto them 2 Kin. 2.11.4 Whereby we may conclude that Christian Princes may bind their subiects by an oath and that subiects may ought to swear to do all homage vnto their Princes so that it argueth a treacherous intent meaning in the Popish sort that refuse to take the oth of alleageance as if they meant to performe no duty to their lawfull Princes For all such as are the Popes subiects cānot be true subiects if he that challengeth a supremacy be their Prince the Prince cannot be supreme Againe an oath may lawfully be taken to confirme a league and establish a couenant between man and man to assure those we deale with that we for our parts mean faithfully purpose to keep it inuiolable And we haue sundry examples heereof in holy Scripture Abraham entred into a league with Abimelech Gen. 21.23.24 26.21.29.31 and confirmed the same by oath For when Abimelech said Swear vnto me heere by God that thou wilt not deale falsely with me nor with my sonne c. he answered I will sweare The like is shewed afterward how Abimelech maketh a couenant with Isaac at Beer-sheba he said Let there be now an oath betwixt vs euen betwixt vs and thee and let vs make a couenant with thee that thou wilt doe vs no hurt as we haue not touched thee c. and they arose vp betimes in the morning and sware one to another The like agreement by oath passed betweene Iacob and Laban Gen. 31.53 So did Dauid and Ionathan make a faithful league betweene them and confirmed it with a solemne oath 1 Sam. 18.3 and 20.8 and 23.18 As then we may sweare to witnesse our alleageance to Princes so also we may for the confirmation of couenants betwixt others and our selues Thirdly it is lawfull to take an oath for the deciding of controuersies that arise betweene party and party which otherwise cannot be ended Some things are committed and conueyed away in such secret maner that they cannot possibly come to light but onely by an oath so that Magistrates are forced to put men to an oath to witnesse the trueth in the Name of God When one is found slaine in the field and it is not knowne who hath slaine him the Lord commandeth that the elders of that citie which are next vnto the slain man shall come into his presence and to say Be mercifull O Lord vnto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood vnto their charge Deut. 21.8 So we shewed before out of the Epistle to the Hebrews that the end of an oath is the confirmation of a truth Woe therfore vnto them that vse it and feare not to take it for the confirmation of an vntruth Lastly we may lawfully swear to iustifie our religion and to bind our selues thereby vnto his worship When men grow cold and carelesse or stand wauering and halting betweene two opinions as if they knew not whether they should worship God or Baal we may strengthen our selues and confirme our hearts in the purity of religion as in the dayes of Asa they entred into a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers 〈◊〉 15. ● 14. and ● 32. with all their heart and with all their soule that whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman and they sware vnto the Lord with a loude voyce and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets These are the chiefe ends of an oath and therefore in euery Christian Common-wealth it ought to haue place without which many euils would lie hidden and vnknowne many men would be hindred in their right and many good duties would be vnperformed It is a good duty to testifie our subiection to our Princes and Magistrates It is a good duty to giue assurance to men of our faithfulnesse in keeping couenants It is a good duty to end controuersies and thereby to become peacemakers It is a good duty to binde our selues not to start backe from our holy religion profession but to continue constant vnto the end all which are the benefits that proceede from an oath Lastly the adioyned properties of an oath ●roper ●f an oth are to be considered For as euery oath is not vnlawful so euery oath is not lawful therefore we are to marke what are lawful what vnlawfull Those are lawfull that disagree not with Gods word those are vnlawfull that are contrary to it The lawfull oathes are vndertakē of such things as are true certenly known possible godly necessary profitable waighty and worthy so great a confirmation If these or any one of them be wanting the oath becommeth wicked if they concurre and meete together so that we be duly prepared therunto it ought to be performed On the other side if the matters vndertaken be false or vncertaine or vnknowne or vnpossible or vnprofitable or vnnecessary or wicked or friuolous and light the oath is vnlawfull and to performe it is to adde sinne to sinne as we noted before For he that sweareth to performe that which is false maketh God that is trueth witnesse of an vntruth he that taketh an oath o● vncertaine things sweareth with an euill conscience and considereth not what he doth neither regardeth the presence the power and punishment of God when he presumeth to make God a witnesse of the things which hee knoweth not whether they be trueth or vntrueth he that taketh an oath of any wicked thing maketh God to fauour and approoue that which he hath forbidden in his Law and is flatly contrary to himselfe whosoeuer taketh an oath of vnpossible things mocketh God and man to their faces forasmuch as hee cannot haue a purpose and resolution to performe that which he speaketh and sweareth He that taketh an oath lightly declareth that he hath no reuerence or feare of God before his eyes And this is a most certaine rule that whosoeuer commonly sweareth commonly forsweareth or at least will make no bones of it if he see any aduantage to come by it because he that maketh no cōscience of the one will not make any of the other Thus we haue handled the doctrine of oathes let vs now make conscience of them take heed we take not the Name of God in vaine He is iealous of his honor and glory let vs not abuse his patience Though he be slow to anger yet he is great in power and albeit he beare long forbeare much Nahum 1.3 yet he will

peace dwelled in our houses possessed our inheritances enioyed our lands and goods thus long but for the faithfull seruants of God who mind the peace of Sion Doubtlesse he would not spare the world one minute and moment of time but for the godly Hee would haue spared the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha 〈◊〉 18.32 if ten righteous persons had bin found in them For the faiths sake of Rahah who hid the spies and sent them out another way 〈◊〉 26. hee spared her kindred and her fathers house For the faith of Lot whose righteous soule was vexed day by day in seeing and hearing the vnclean conuersation of those sinfull men he would haue saued his sonnes in law 〈◊〉 12 that should haue married his daughters For Pauls sake a chosen vessel to beare the Name of God to the Gentiles he gaue freely those that sailed with him and saued their liues 〈◊〉 ●4 Thus wee see that for the godly he beareth with the vngodly but when they are safe and sealed in the forehead then iudgement shall come vpon the wicked Contrariwise a nation a cittie a towne an house and family is cursed for the society and company of the wicked The Israelites could not prosper at the siege of Ai so long as Achan was among them The Sea could not be calme the ship could not be safe the Marriners could not be at rest so long as vnrepentant and vnreformed Ionah was a burden vnto it for he said vnto them Take me and cast me into the Sea so shall the waues worke no more so troublesomely for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Wherefore it is a sweet and comfortable thing to bee in the number of the faithfull wee haue benefite by the prayers of the Church which pierce the eares of God and bring downe his blessings in great aboundance Verse 8. And the Lord said vnto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent We heard before how the people repented of their sinnes and how Moses prayed for pardon Now see how God remooueth his hand Psal 103.9 He will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer hee doth not deale with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our iniquities Indeed he sheweth oftentimes his seuere iudgments but so soone as the sinner is humbled hee receiueth him to mercy the sinne is pardoned and the punishment is remooued Doctrine God is merciful to greeuous sinners when they are penitent The doctrine from hence is this that God is mercifull to all penitent sinners Repentance once going before mercy followeth after albeit we sinne greeuously against him This the Prophet teacheth in the Name of God Esay 1.18 Ezek. 18.21 22 23. and 33.11 Dauid sinned exceedingly in numbring the people for which God sent a pestilence three dayes in Israel that many thousands dyed yet when his heart smote him that he said I haue sinned exceedingly 2 Sa. 24 17.18 1 Chr. 21.15 17. I haue done wickedly but these sheep what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee bee against mee and against my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction the Lord repented him of the euill and said to the Angel that destroyed It is enough let thine hand ceasse Let vs consider the reasons of Gods merciful Reason 1 dealing which are first the comfort and releefe of his people that none should to the end of the world despaire of obtaining of mercy For the mercy of God in Christ is aboue all his workes which he extendeth to thousands it is infinite without measure Hee pardoneth such offenders to make them examples to others of Gods great mercy hee receiueth them to fauour and remitteth their offences not onely to manifest his mercy to the offender himselfe but to teach others to resort and repaire vnto him for pardon and forgiuenesse When the Prophet testifieth that by acknowledging his sinne vnto God and confessing his wickednesse against himself he obtained the remission of his sinne and punishment of sinne he addeth immediately Therefore shall euery one that is godly Psal 32.5 6. make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest bee found This is the reason that the Apostle toucheth 1 Tim. 1. teaching that he was receiued to mercy for this cause That Iesus Christ shold first shew on him all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life So then from these and such like examples of great sinners that haue obtained much mercy we likewise should be assured of the goodnesse of God for our saluation whensoeuer wee can bee brought to beleeue the Gospel repent from dead works Secondly the consideration of the nature Reason 2 of God ministreth a strong and inuincible reason to gaine our affections to yeeld to this truth For his mercy is aboundant and his goodnesse is infinite It surmounteth the reach and vnderstanding of all mortall men It passeth the highnesse of the heauens the depth of the earth the breadth of the Sea the power of the diuel the strength of the Law the measure of the whole world and nothing can be compared with the perfections of the Almighty Iob 11.7 8 9. Paul who before his conuersion to the faith which he sought to destroy was a blasphemer a Persecuter an oppresser maketh this the cause why he was receiued to mercy The grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue 1 Tim. 1.14 which is in Christ Iesus that is giuing vnto me faith that chased away infidelity and loue that ouercame cruelty So the Lord maketh this the chiefe and principall cause why he spared that rebellious and idolatrous people The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne Vse 1 The vses follow of this doctrine First we learne that there is no sinne that doth exceed the mercy of God None can say without iniury against his owne soule without reproach against God and giuing the lie to the glorious Maiestie of God My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen True it is there is an vnpardonable sinne Mat 12.31 that shall neuer bee forgiuen either in this world or in the world to come the blasphemy against the Spirit but that is because they cannot relent or repent that commit it they are so farre gone that they can neuer returne backe againe not because God is not able to forgiue it or that it doth exceed the mercies of God Seeing then vile sinners finde such infinite and vnspeakeable mercie let vs neuer despaire or doubt of his mercy fauor though we be suddenly ouertaken through infirmitie and fall into diuers and greeuous sinnes He hath mercy in store for such as haue beene exceeding sinners against him If they can repent of their sinnes his mercies are as great as himselfe Consider the examples of Peter that denyed

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

the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Reason 1 c. The reasons heereof follow to be considered First God will honour all those that honour him he will despise all those that despise him This is the gracious promise that is gone out of his owne mouth which hee cannot but verifie and performe for he is not as man that he should lye hee is not as the sonne of man that he should deceiue This is it which the Lord spake by the mouth and ministry of Samuel concerning Eli and his house Them that honour me I will honour and them that despise me shall be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 And therefore Reason 2 they shall prosper that loue the Church Psal 122. Secondly God hath appointed it to be the end of our obedience our mercy to others shall procure mercy vpon our selues This the Apostle setteth downe Math. 5 7. Rom. 2 10. To euery one that doth good shall be honour and glory and peace Rom. 2 10. We saw this before in the history of Rahab who through faith receiued the spyes shee her family and kinred were were preserued maried into the family of Iudah of whom Christ came according to the flesh Reason 3 Thirdly mercy a notable fruite of loue receiued kindleth the hearts and enflameth the affections of Gods people both to praise God for them to pray vnto God for them that haue bene helpeful and seruiceable to the Church It is recorded to perpetuall remembrance touching Iehoiada that hee was buried among the Kings and greatly honoured both aliue and dead because hee had done good in Israel toward God and his house 2. Chron. 24 15 16. So when Paul remembreth the kindnesse of Onesiphorus who sought him out refreshed him was not ashamed of his chain he desireth the Lord to grant vnto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord at that day 2. Tim. 1 16 18. Nay he prayeth not onely for Onesiphorus selfe although he onely had helped him but for his whole house family whereby is set downe a most notable meanes and motiue to stirre vs vp to doe good and to distribute to all the members of Iesus Christ inasmuch as God sheweth that hee will haue mercy and take pitty not onely of vs but vppon our housholds and all those that are neere about vs. Vse 1 The vses follow First from hence wee haue the strengthening and confirmation of another holy truth in our Christian Religion to wit that mercifull liberall and kinde men shall be surely blessed No mercifull man shall lose his labour but in the end he shal haue his recompence and reward Our Sauior Christ saith Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy The Prophet teacheth Psal 112. that a good man is mercifull and lendeth and will measure his affaires by iudgment he hath distributed and giuen to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer his horne shall be exalted with glory So the Wise man speaketh in many Parables Prou. 11 25. and 28.27 and 19.17 The liberall man shall haue plenty and he that watereth shall also haue raine he that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke but be that hideth his eyes shall haue many curses hee that hath mercy on the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen Cast thy bread vpon the waters for after many dayes thou shalt finde it giue a portion to seuen and also to eight for thou knowest not what euill shall be vpon the earth Eccl. 11 1 2. On the other side miserablenesse and vnreasonable handfastnesse are the causes of the ruine of many men and their houses and bring curses vpon body goods soule children family and all things that belong vnto them So it was in churlish and cruell Nabal So shall there be iudgment mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy And he that gathereth goods by vnlawfull meanes shal leaue them to such as will pitty the poore Thus we see God requireth mercy of vs to be like him Vse 2 Secondly it is our duty to loue Gods people seeing such as fauour them doe fare the better for them Such as are friends to them shall haue God to be their friend who promiseth to blesse such as blesse them What greater blessing can there be then to haue God to be our friend What greater curse and miserie then to haue him our enemy The vngodly haue receiued temporall blessings for shewing kindnesse to the faithfull the Lord hath sent none of them empty away that euer did good to his people as wee heard in Laban Potiphar and others This serueth to reproue all such as hate and reuile them that curse and detest them that reproach them and speake all manner of euill against them And here let vs weigh and consider into what euill times we are fallen times filled and defiled with all iniquitie 2 Tim. 3 1. 2. Pet. 3 3. In former ages the very infidels and vnbeleeuers confessed that they were blessed for the godlies sake they were so farre from branding and vpbraiding them with odious taunts forged in hell hammered with the tongues of euil men that their mouthes haue acknowledged how GOD hath prospered them for their sakes This last age is as a common sink wherein all the wicked inuentions and diuellish practices doe meet and are gathered together and therefore it bringeth forth masters of mischiefe and expert practitioners in sinne who are furnished with their owne inuentions former examples and tryed experiments of all times places and persons Maruaile not therefore if the children of God be now scorned when godlinesse it selfe is made a common by-word In former ages when as the Prophets and righteous men were persecuted and their liues sought after euery one was ready to helpe and to hide them So did Ionathan detect the hatred and reueale the fury of his father against Dauid with the hazard of his owne life 1. Sam. 20 42. So did Obadiah in the court of Ahab hide an hundred Prophets in caues from the cruelty of Iezabel 〈◊〉 18 13. sustained them in the time of the famine of the which wee shall speake more afterward Thus did the disciples let downe Paul in a basket when his life was sought for by the bloody Inquisition Acts 9 21. Woe vnto them therefore rhat betray them into the hands of their enemies as the Ziphims did Dauid 1 Sam. 23.20 as Iruah did Ieremy Ier. 39.13 as Iudas did Christ Math. 26 48. Woe be vnto them that falsely accuse them and any way adde affliction to their affliction whereas they should countenance and defend them to their power as Ionathan did Dauid as Ebed-melech did Ieremy and woe vnto them that hurt the godly for GOD threatneth to curse such as curse them so that we should feare any way to doe them wrong Vse 3 Thirdly hereby wee are warned to exhort one another to this duty and by all meanes to prouoke one another