and he called the name of the place Taberah Here we see the punishment of their sinne Obserue from hence â—â—ctrine that among other iudgements of God 〈◊〉 is one of â—â—â—s iudgeâ—â—â—ts fire is to be esteemed as one Thus he destroyed Sodome and Gomorrha Gen. 19.24 and burnt vp both cities and people So a fire went out from the Lord and consumed Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron because they offered strange fire Leuit. 10.2 Eliah the Prophet did call fire from heauen and consumed the captaines with their fifty 1 Kin. 1.10 The like we see afterward chap. 16.35 according to that in the Psalme The flame burnt vp the wicked Psal 106.18 Reason 1 This must be acknowledged to be a greeuous and fearefull iudgement because we say commonly and truely fire and water haue no mercy And we see by neuer failing experience that it is so Secondly it is one of the titles of God expressing his nature that he is called a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24 and 9.3 Vse 1 This teacheth vs that if it please God to lay this iudgement vpon vs at any time whatsoeuer the meanes or instruments be whereby it commeth whether by negligence or wilfulnesse or by the immediat hand of God wee must alwayes lift vp our eyes to heauen and submit our selues with patience to him wee must not rest in second causes but acknowledge his prouidence and consider what is said in this place that the fire of the Lord consumed the campe We must therefore no otherwise account of it Vse 2 Secondly it is our duty in this regard to serue God acceptably with reuerence and godly feare 〈◊〉 2.28 29 We must take heed to our selues lest we forget the couenant of the Lord our God we must make no grauen image or the likenes of any thing which he hath forbidden 〈◊〉 4.23 It is reason we stand in feare of him that is able to destroy vs suddenly and to arme his creatures as his souldiers to consume vs in a moment Thirdly it warneth vs that at the last day Vse 3 the whole world shall be consumed with fire and the elements shall melt with heat and the heauens shall passe away as a scrolle Seeing then all these things shall be dissolued 2 Pet 3.11.12 What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conuersation and godlines looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God! Wee neuer read nor heard of moe burning of townes houses theÌ„ within these few yeres testified by the continuall collections for the releefe of such persons as haue receiued losse that way It is a lamentable sight and mooueth much commiseratioÌ„ to see a few houses consumed to ashes these particular burnings put vs in mind of that generall burning Particular burnings put vs in mind of the generall burning when all things that worldly men so much esteem and for which they labour gape so greedily shal be on fire What should we so much delight our selues in costly apparell bespangled with gold and siluer or why doe we dote and set our affections so farre vpon the treasures of this life which wee know must all be burnt vp like stubble Lastly we are hereby admonâ—shed of a more Vse 4 terrible fire and â—â—ore fearefull spectacle then all the former for they are but as painted fires in comparison of the last fire Esay 30.33 which the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle It was a fearefull fire fell vpon Sodom which burned their cities to ashes 2 Pet. 2.6 but their soules suffering the vengeance of God in eternall fire was more fearefull Iude ver 7. Matth. 25.4.1 Mar. 9.44 2 Thess 1.8 This is called euerlasting fire which neuer shal be quenched Into this shall the reprobate be cast be tormented in those flames These plagues are infinite vnspeakeable incomprehensible without end without ease without intermission without remedy without profit Other iudgmeÌ„ts haue some good vse many times bring profit to the sufferers after they haue been exercised by them but these shall bring none at al there shal be weeping gnashing of teeth Againe when the people first murmured God did not punish them as appeareth in the booke of Exodus they had not yet receiued the law but after the law was giuen knowledg shined as a candle in their hearts to direct theÌ„ God spared them not but entred into iudgement with them so soon as they sinned against him We learne hereby Doctrine that knowledge the light of Gods word receiued into our hearts encreaseth sin and iudgement Knowledge encreaseth sin and iudgment The seruant that knew his masters will and did not prepare himselfe to do according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes so saith Christ of the Iewes Luke 12.47 If I had not come and spoken vnto them they had not had sin but now they haue no cloake for their sinne For ignorance doth in some sort excuse that is make the sin not to be so great Again Reason 1 all colour and excuse is taken from such as haue the meanes of knowledge Ioh. 15.22 Luke 12 48. they cannot say they knew not Ioh. 12.48 the word shal iudge them at the last day which they haue heard This then teacheth that none sin more greeuously then such as liue in the bosome of the Church heare his word and receiue his Sacraments It had been better for them that they had neuer knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it 2 Pet. 2 22. to turne from the holy commandement deliuered vnto them and the last state of that man is worse then the first Matth. 12.45 Againe marke from hence the cause why iudgment beginneth at the house of God 1 Pet 4.17 1 Cor. 11.32 because here is the greatest light here God hath vouchsafed the greatest mercy heere he hath rained vpon his owne city while other places remained dry and withered As then they haue tasted the greatest mercies so they must be touched with the sorest iudgments Deut. 28.15 Lastly it standeth the Church in hand and euery true beleeuer to walk as wisely in the day redeeming the time Ephes 4 15.16 because the daies are euill If the word do not worke our conuersion it shall further our condemnation and wee make our selues two-fold more the children of hel then others that haue not been partakers of such graces He called the name of the place Taberah God doth not content himself to punish their murmuring but setteth vp a memorial or monument of their sinne thaâ— others might be taught and instructed by it to feare by giuing a new name to the place where the sinne was committed calling it Taberah that is a consumption or a burning The like we see afterward in this chap. ver 34. Doctrine Learne from these examples The iudgements of God are both punishments and
vnderstand what the wil of God was they murmure not against it they enquire not the reason of it they stand not vpon their owne priuiledges there is no man thinketh better of himselfe then others nor offereth to breake the order transgresse the Law giuen vnto them But they did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses Verse 34. The former point that concerneth the Commandement of God is double First it is set downe generally in the two first Verses what belongeth to all the Tribes indifferently namely that they must encampe euery one by the Ensigne of his Fathers house then particularly what concerneth the tribes in speciall in the residue of the chapter Verse 1 2. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Euery man of the children of Israel shal Campe c. Heere he beginneth to rehearse the order that was to bee obserued among them For there are two things which are most needfull in euerie thing that is done aright to wit number and order Wherefore after the description of their number he beginneth to direct them in the order which was to be kept among them We learne from Doctrine 1 hence to omit sundry impertinent collections and vnprofitable Allegations God delighteth to haue a comely order obserued in the Church Common-wealth which manie stand vpon seruing rather to please the eare then to profit the heart and to delight the outward man rather then to edifie the inwarde man I say we learne that God commandeth a comely order to bee obserued as well in the Church as the Commonwealth When Balaam the false Prophet mentioned hereafter in this booke sawe the Israelites thus ordered in their Tents as God appointeth in this place he was carried into an admiration of it Numb 24 5 6. How goodly are thy Tents O Iacob and thy habitations O Israel As the valleyes are they stretched foorth as Gardens by the Riuers side as the Aloe trees which the Lord hath planted as the Cedars beside the waters As if he should haue saide The Church of God consisting of this people is the verie picture and resemblance of most goodly order This speaketh the Prophet of the place that God had chosen to set his name in it Psal 122.3 4 5. Ierusalem is builded as a Citie that is compact together in it selfe whereunto the Tribes euen the Tribes of the Lord go vp according to the testimony to Israel to praise the Name of the Lord for there are Thrones set for iudgement euen the Thrones of the house of Dauid This Paul saw and obserued and commended in the Church of the Colossians Chapt. 2. verse 5. Though I he absent in the flesh yet am I vvith you in the Spirit reioycing and beholding your Order and your stedfast Faith in Christ These things to which we might adde and annexe sundry other testimonies are sufficient to shew vnto vs that God will haue all things in the Church and Commonwealth done in order The Reasons are euident For first God Reason 1 is the Author of order and not of confusion He appointeth in this Booke the order to bee obserued in their mansion in their peregrination in their possession of the Land The Apostle giueth vs this instruction touching God 1 Cor. 14 33 God is not the Authour of confusion but of peace as we see in all the Churches of the Saints Hence it is that we see an order in God himselfe euen in the holye and blessed Trinity though all the persons be coequall and coeternall yet there is an established order of the first person of the second person and of the third person not in regard of essence which is indiuisible yet for better order of teaching and instructing of vs to attaine to so much knowledge of his nature as the Scripture hath deliuered and we are able to conceiue Hence it is that the Father is first the Sonne is conceiued and deliuered in the next place and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both is expressed in the last place not thereby insinuating any inequality because none is in nature before or after other none is greater or lesse then other but onely intimating an order in existing or working as hee hath manifested himselfe in his worde vnto vs. As then God hath order in himselfe so he commandeth and commendeth an order to be vsed of vs. Secondly all wise men will order their affaires Reason 2 with wisedome and discretion and will dispose of them with seemlinesse comlinesse An expert Captaine that goeth against his enemies will keepe his Souldiours in good array whether he march or retire If he flye out of the fielde out of order one is readie to ouerthrow another and all are left to the mercy of his aduersarie Hence it is Veget. lib. 14 that they haue an eye to these things to the Sunne the Winde and the Dust that the Sunne be not in their faces that the Winde be not against them that the Dust bee not carried vppon them For the Sunne shining in their faces taketh away sight the Winde blowing contrary abateth their strength and the blow but helpeth the weapons of the enemy the Dust cast vppon them filleth and shutteth their eyes to their great hindrance A prouident house-keeper knoweth the necessitie commoditie and profite thereof in the administration of all his businesse and affayres Xenophon speaking of Socrates that nothing is so good as the right ordering of them The Philosophers in all their teaching shew vs this who haue broght the Arts and Sciences into Method and good order Common experience declareth that wee loue order when it is wanting wee doe wish and desire it when it is present we rest in it and at all times wee prayse and commend it Thirdly the Church is not a confused Reason 3 multitude shuffled and iumbled together where no man knoweth his place or his Office and one encroacheth vpon another but it is the house of the liuing God 1 Tim 3 15 the pillar and ground of truth Now in an house well ordered is to be seene the Maister as the Ruler the family subiect to his gouernment euery one imploying his proper gifts and no man vsurping the place and calling of another If this bee to bee seene in our priuate houses which haue a weaker foundation to beare them a lesse anker to holde them a feebler shore to vnderprop them and vnsurer means to containe and continue them how much more must we conceiue this of the Church of God Hebrewes 11. Esay 5 1. Ephes 5. which is the house that he hath builded the vineyard that his right hand hath planted the spouse of Christ which he hath loued the mountaine of the Lord which he hath prepared and the peculiar people which hee hath chosen Thus we see the doctrine sufficiently cleered and confirmed Let vs before we come to the vses diuert a little as it were out of the way and ordinary path to answer an obiection
reckoning He that thinketh he can make sufficient amends to men that there shall be no farther enquiry into the matter reckoneth without his host and therefore must reckon once againe Hence it is that the Apostle saith 1. Thess 4 6. Let no man goe beyond and defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is an auenger of all such We must know that God hath to do with it and will punish seuerely for the breach of his law There are many sorts of coniunctions whereby mankind is coupled combined one to another as the coniunction of consanguinity of affinity of amity of city of country of humanity some haue more of these bands linked together all haue some of them to vnite them in one and thereby as it were to binde them to the peace to their good behauiour that they should abstaine from all violent and fraudulent conueyances one from another Among all knots that serue to linke vs and locke vs together as friends which are as our owne soule none is greater or faster then that coniunction which we haue with Christ our head and which the members of his body haue one with another whereby it commeth to passe that we are al made in himselfe of twaine one new man Eph. 2 15. and euery man of vs members one of another Rom. 12 5. This spirituall coniunction is more effectuall to procure the mutuall good of the parties conioyned then either that which is naturall or that which is ciuill Neuerthelesse we must do no wrong to any man God hath made vs keepers of the body of the substance of the dignity of the honour and of the good name of our brethren if they be men and bee alied vnto vs no other way but by the commō band of humanity we must do them no iniury although they be our vtter enemies If wee haue farther bands to chaine vs together it is so much the greater sinne if wee breake those cords and will not suffer our selues to be tied with them And marke the reason that the Apostle vrgeth he doth not say If we doe any way defraud them or circumuent them the Iudge shall iudge it or the Magistrate shall punish it but God is the auenger of all such dealings and will not suffer them to escape The like threatning we reade in Moses Exod. 22 22 23 24. If the oppressed cry God will heare their cry so that they shall be deliuered and their oppressors punished If we could suffer this consideration to enter into our hearts that though all should acquit vs or no man durst lay hold vpon vs yet God himselfe will take their cause and quarrell into his hands execute sentence vpon their enemies it would be an effectual argument to moue vs to make conscience of all sinnes euen of such as immediately and directly do concerne men and not onely of such as concerne God and his worship If we were assured that the iniuries which we do vnto others should be answered before the Magistrate and we stand at the bar to plead guilty or not guilty we would be afraid to deale hardly with them or to shew any indignities toward them How much more then ought we to tremble and to quake euery ioynt of vs to consider that the time of vengeance shall come when we must appeare before the throne and tribunall seate of Iesus Christ our Lord to receiue according to the workes that we haue done in this flesh Foure crying sins mentioned in the Scriptures Sundry of the ancient haue obserued foure crying sinnes mentioned in the Scriptures the which albeit they goe away many times vnpunished in the world yet vengeance will not suffer such to liue but God findeth them out in their sinnes as the crying of blood the lust of the Sodomites the noise of the oppressed and the hire of the labourers these are often passed ouer with silence and tollerated among men but they sound shrilly in the eares of God ascend vp to his iudgement seat Albeit there be no man to accuse them that commit these sinnes yet without farther processe or enditement they suffer them not to rest but summon them to his barre and call without ceasing for iudgement against them The first is wilfull murther and shedding of innocent blood for when Abel the righteous was slaine Gen. 4 11. the Scripture saith The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the ground whereby is signified that the godly though secretly and seditiously slaine of the vngodly patiently bearing the iniuries offered them without murmuring and complaining yet after death when their mouthes seeme to bee stopped and their tongues tied ceasse not to accuse their murtherers as guilty before God and to lift vp their voices out of the earth to call downe vengeance against them The Prophet saith Psal 116 15. The death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord and Psal 72 12 14. He shall deliuer the needy when he cryeth the poore also and him that hath no helper he shall redeeme their soule from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight So likewise the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held Reuel 6 10. cry with a loud voice O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth This ought to minister contentment vnto them and to teach them patience forasmuch as God hath a care of them and a tender respect vnto them He numbreth the haires of their head Math. 10. He gathereth their teares in a bottell Psalm 56 8. He heareth their sighes Psal 69 33. He telleth their steps and ordereth their goings Psal 56. He vnderstandeth their complaints Psal 145. He hearkneth to their praiers Psal 34 6. and he keepeth all their bones The second crying sinne is lust and vncleannesse of which the Lord speaketh Gen. 18 20 21. Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great and because their sinne is very greeuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry of it which is come vnto me and if not I will know True it is those Cities were culpable of sundry sinnes as Ezek. 16 49. Pride fulnesse of bread abundance of idlenesse and contempt of the poore howbeit when the Lord saith their sinne is very greeuous he pointeth out this outragious and accursed sinne which the pure God abhorreth as a fruite of impurity See heere the difference betweene the Spirit of God and the spirit of the diuell Such as are filthy liuers and possessed with the spirit of vncleannesse doe account fornication and adultery to be tricks of youth and sports of pleasure whereas God maketh them in his word to be sinnes that lift vp their voices cry vnto him for vengeance When Pharaoh King of Egypt had taken away Sarah Abrahams wife Gen 12. ◠The
a sinne as to iustifie the wicked Wee ought none of vs to doe that which is abhominable in the sight of God the which he greatly abhorreth A Iudge may offend two waies both by oppressing the innocent and by deliuering the guilty person by pronouncing the transgressor righteous and the righteous man a transgressor This is set downe Prou. 17 verse 15. He that iustifieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust euen they both are abhomination vnto the Lord. Such a one spareth the wolfe and hurteth the lambes turneth the edge of the sword vpon the godly and the backe of it toward the wicked and vngodly Reason 4 Fourthly God would haue no man put to death without witnesses For wherefore doth he often establish this in the Law that the witnesses shall come face to face be heard but that no man should perish beeing innocent Wherefore doth hee ordaine that one onely witnesse shall not be taken as sufficient but that hee would haue the cause cleered by moe witnesses This is the decree of God Deut. 17 verse 6. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death die but at the mouth of one witnesse shall he not dye Hee will not by any meanes haue innocent blood shed Reason 5 Fiftly innocent blood cryeth to heauen for vengeance and shall not suffer him that sheddeth it to escape It is one of the crying sinnes as wee shewed before in this chapter which ascend vp and enter into the eares of the Lord of hosts There is indeed no sinne so little but commeth vp in remembrance before him against whom it is committed his eyes see and his eares heare all the workes of men 〈◊〉 4 13. which are all naked and open before his eyes and nothing kept from his knowledge neuerthelesse to note out the horrour and hainousnesse of some sinnes in comparison of others the Scripture teacheth that they cry vnto the Lord. Moses to shew the greatnes of Caines sinne committed against his naturall brother bringeth in God speaking vnto him Behold the voice of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me and to shew the barbarous cruelty and inhumanity of the vexing and exacting Egyptians whereby they ouercharged and ouerburdened the people of God he saith to Moses I haue seene I haue seene the oppression of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their cry because of their Taske-masters Exod. chap. 2 verse 9. Thus also he speaketh to Samuel at another time of their oppression by the Philistims I haue looked vpon my people and their cry is come vnto me 1 Sam. chap. 9 verse 16. Thus God heareth the cry of the afflicted Iob chap. 34 verse 28. They haue caused the voice of the poore to come vnto him and he hath heard the cry of the afflicted This is the reason vrged by the Lord himselfe Exod. chap. 23 verse 7. And Ieremy protesteth and professeth as much to the face of his enemies and persecutors that sought his destruction chapter 26 verse 14 15. As for mee behold I am in your hands doe with mee as yee thinke good and right but know yee for certaine that if yee put mee to death yee shall surely bring innocent blood vpon your selues and vpon this Citty and vpon the inhabitants thereof for of a truth the Lord hath sent me vnto you to speake all these words in your eares Thus we see how God sheweth himselfe an enemy against all wrong iudgements and he will not suffer them to escape vnpunished but will enter into iudgement with such partiall and corrupt Iudges The vses heereof are to bee marked diligently Vse 1 of vs. First this serueth to reprooue all rashnesse headinesse and heedlesnesse of such as make haste to inflict punishment before an exact knowledge of the fact and fault Such are no better then cruell wolues that seeke and sucke the blood of the innocent lambes This was the sinne of wicked Iezabel that caused Naboth to bee stoned to death 1 Kings 21. We reade in the Acts of the Apostles how the chiefe Chaptaine commanded that Paul should be scourged that he might know wherefore they cryed so against him Acts 22 verse 24. Heere is a preposterous course to punish first and to enquire of the fault afterward so that the punishment shall be certaine whiles the offence is vncertaine But this is the lot and euer hath beene of Gods children they are punished heere oftentimes as malefactors and euill dooers and their enemies both rage and rush most furiously vpon them that doe possesse their soules with patience and doe not by violence resist against them They are more hungry then Beares more mercilesse then Tygers more rauenous then Wolues more greedy then Lyons more fierce then dogges against them they shew no mercy and they extend no compassion at all toward them They hate them in their hearts they slander them with their tongues they smite thē with their fists they grin and grinde their teeth at them they nod at them with their heads they circumuent them by fraud they oppresse thē with sorrow they take oftentimes their liues from them Thus did the persecuters deale with Ioseph with Ieremy with Dauid with Daniel with Paul with Silas with Iohn Baptist with Stephen with Iames with Peter and many others But God will in the end make their innocency knowne and the iustice of their cause manifest to all men It is noted by the Euangelist touching Pilate that albeit hee confessed hee found no fault at all in Christ yet hee would scourge him let him go He was the Iudge yet by his owne mouth he may be iudged himselfe that adiudged him worthy to be scourged that was vnworthy to receiue a stripe in whom he could finde nothing blame worthy He called together the high Priests and the Rulers and people and saide vnto them Ye haue brought this man vnto mee as one that peruerted the people and behold I haue examined him before you and haue found no fault in this man of those things whereof ye accuse him no nor yet Herod for I sent you to him and loe nothing worthy of death is done of him I will therfore chastise him and let him loose Luke 23 14 15 16. And as it befell the Master so the lotte fell vnto the seruants that they might drinke of the cup that he dranke off and be baptized with the baptisme wherewith hee was baptized For the Apostles were diligent in preaching Christ and teaching in his Name so that their enemies were not able to withstand the Spirit of God that spake in them and albeit they oftentimes examined them yet their best arguments and cheefest reasons and strongest motiues to put them vnto silence were beatings scourgings threatnings and imprisonments for otherwise they were not able to deale against them Hence it is that when Gamaliel exhorted them to take heed to themselues Acts 4 35. what they intended to doe touching those men to refraine from them
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
their sicknes trust in the Phisition as Asa did 1 Chro. 16 11 12. 1 Sam. 2.5 not in the liuing God who killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp againe hee maketh the wound and bindeth it vp he smiteth and his hands make whole he shall deliuer thee in sixe troubles and in the seuenth the euill shall not touch thee In time of warre and day of battell we trust in our strength armor men munition and defenced places and make them our God Nah. 3.8 â— whereas the Prophet teacheth that this is a cursed confidence and shall not leaue a blessing behind it Lastly we learne from hence not to reuenge Vse 4 our own causes quarels For if we be taught in this practise of Moses to go vnto God in all our wrongs who will iudge his people then we are not to render like for like or to requite euill for euill or to repay wrong for wrong taunt for taunt rebuke for rebuke railing for railing but contrariwise blesse knowing that we are thereunto called that we should bee heires of blessing This vse is concluded Prou. 20.22 Say not thou I will recompence euill but waite vpon the Lord and he shall saue thee This is the direction of the Apostle Ro. 12.17.19 Recompence to no man euill for euill dearely beloued auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine Psal 94.1 â— I will repay saith the Lord. Where we see God claymeth and challenge vengeance to himselfe and taketh it from vs so that such as seeke reuenge sit downe in the seat of God and as much as lyeth in theÌ„ wrest the scepter out of his hands taking vpon them the person of the accuser witnesse iudge and executioner contrary to all true forme of lawfull iudgement And albeit it bee hard and harsh for flesh and blood to put vp iniuries yet if we wil be the children of God we must haue more in vs then flesh and blood For they that are after the flesh Rom. 3.5 â— fauour the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit so then they that are in the flesh cannot please GOD. Wherefore when Zachariah the Priest a faithfull and fruitefull witnesse of God was vniustly and cruelly stoned to death he raged not he reuiled not he reuenged not but said The Lord see and require it When the Lord of life â—â— 24.22 Christ Iesus was accused condemned and crucified the iust for the vniust he prayed for his enemies Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe â— 23 34. leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps When blessed Stephen who was full of the holy Ghost and saw the glory of God and Iesus standing at the right of God was cast out of the city and stoned with stones hee kneeled downe and cryed with a loud voyce Lord lay not this sinne to their charge â— 55.58 When the Archangel mentioned by the Apostle Iude saw that the diuell went about to corrupt the pure worship of God hee would not vse railing and reprochfull speaches â— ver 9. but desireth the Lord to rebuke him and repay him for his malice Seeing therefore this duty hath beene practised by Priest and people by men and Angels by the head and the members of his body let vs follow those things that concerne peace let vs be of a patient and meeke spirit which is much set by of God and let vs commit our causes to him that is the God of vengeance It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Verse 9 10. Then Moses tooke that rod c. Hitherto Moses Aaron haue behaued themselues vprightly in respect of God meekely in respect of themselues and patiently in regard of the people Now we shal see how they offend by transgressing the commandement of God by distrusting his word by raging against the whole assembly God chargeth them to speake to the rocke they spake vnto the people Againe as if it were vnlikely or vnpossible that the rock should yeeld water they smote it twise through impaciency vnbeeleefe Thus they that had beene the instruments of God in so many miracles that had seene him face to face as a man seeth his friend that had stood so often in the gap where the hand of God had made the breach that had diuided the red sea Moses I say and Aaron the Ministers of God the witnesses of his workes the pillars of the truth now begin to faile to faint and to fall down to shew vs and themselues the weakenesse that is in flesh and blood From hence we learne that many are the failings and fals of the children of God â—trine â— are the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Howsoeuer the faithfull be borne againe and endued with the spirit of sanctification howsoeuer they desire to please God and endeuor to serue him with all the powers of soule and body yet they often stumble in their race thorough the burthen that presseth down and the sinne that cleaueth so fast vnto them This truth is confessed and confirmed by many testimonies Salomon in his worthy prayer at the dedication of the Temple acknowledgeth it 1 king 8.46 So Iob. 15.14 15. Likewise Prou. 20.9 And the Prophet Psal 14 2 3. All which testimonies doe plentifully teach this truth that howsoeuer through the grace of God giuen vnto them the faithful fight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience yet all are sinners and no flesh is cleane and cleere from sin which Moses and Aaron here fal into The reasons of this doctrine are First because Reason 1 the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne Gal 3 2â— Rom. 3.19 That euery mouth might bee stopped and all the world be subiect to the iudgment of God Al matter of glorying in our selues is taken from vs we are found guilty before God wee haue no excuse no defence no cloake for our selues to couer our sins there is no difference Wee haue all sinned and are depriued of the glory of God and euerlasting life so that all both Iewes and Gentiles are proued to be vnder sinne Secondly we see that death the wages of Reason 2 sinne hath raigned and doth raigne ouer all without difference yea it taketh hold euen on children that sinned not actually like the transgression of Adam If then old and yong taste of death all the posterity of Adam are corrupted in him when he wittingly and willingly wilfully sinned against God We flow from an vncleane fountaine we grow out of a bitter root we are as branches of the wilde vine Thus the Apostle reasoneth Death raigned froÌ„ Adam to Moses Rom. 5.14 euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam which was the figure of him that was to come So then sinne and death goe together as mother and daughter
is added vnto it is the ioy of the seuerall parts and the multiplying of many members is matter of great reioycing to the whole body and cause of stirring of vs vp to the praise of God who quickeneth theÌ„ that are dead and maketh them to bee found that were lost In the naturall body found deformed or defectiue if sight were giuen to the blinde or hearing to the deafe or speech to the dumb if life or limb were restored where it was wanting 〈◊〉 3 7 8. 〈◊〉 â— 24. what great comfort would this bring what great reioycing would it worke So in the mysticall body of Christ when any part or when many parts are added as ornaments of the body and helping to accomplish the number of the elect let vs break foorth into ioy of heart and reioyce that wee haue part and fellowship in this company Thirdly let vs not measure the Church by Vse 3 our owne outward senses When Idolatry and open wickednesse when superstition cruell persecutions ouer-spread all as an vniuersall darknesse couering the earth let vs not suffer our selues to be deceiued nor iudge rashly of Gods people We thinke the Church oftentimes like to perish and to be rooted out of the earth but the foundation of God alwaies remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his Therefore the Apostle teacheth That the Lord hath not cast away his people Rom. 11 1 2 3 4 5. When Elias saw the Prophets of God killed and the Altars digged downe God said vnto him I haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand men which haue not bowed their knee to Baal Euen so then at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace Wherefore let vs not iudge rashly of priuate persons whether they be in the number of the elect or not much lesse of whole Nations and kingdomes We say commonly he runneth farre that neuer returneth Paul was a persecuter of the Church 1 Tim 1 13 but Christ appearing vnto him made him a Preacher of the Gospel Manasseh was an Idolater a sorcerer and shedder of much innocent blood when hee sate in his Throne and kingdome but hee remembred God afterward in the dayes of his affliction 2 Chron. 33 12. Mary Magdalen who led a wicked life out of whom Christ cast seuen diuels Mark 16 9 had her sinnes forgiuen and loued him much of whom she had receiued so great mercy The theefe that all his life had runne astray Luc. 23.40 and hunted after the goods of other men was vpon the Crosse conuerted to the faith he abhoâ—red his former life confessed his sinnes craued pardon blamed his fellow and longed after the kingdome of God This the Apostle auoucheth concerning the Corinthians when he had taught That neither fornicaters nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor raylers nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God he addeth Such were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but ye are iustified in the Name of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6 9 10. So theÌ„ we must iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who shall lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and make the counselles of the heart manifest 1 Cor. 4 5. and then shall euery man haue praise of GOD. And let vs not be daunted and dismayed at the great number of the wicked of Atheists Libertines Epicures Idolaters Hypocrites Scorners Blasphemers seeing there is an vniuersality of the elect and faithfull though few appeare to our senses as did to the eyes of Eliah who in heart soule ioyne with vs of whose prayers we are partakers Lastly seeing there are many elected vnto Vse 4 life and saluation let vs vse all meanes to draw others to faith in Christ and repentance from dead works Let vs exhort one another while it is called to day lest any be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb 3 13. Let vs prouoke to good workes and so much the more seeing the day of the Lord draweth neere Heb. 10 25. For what knowest thou O man whether thou shalt win thy brother The husbandman planteth and watereth 1 Cor. 3 7 he tilleth soweth and when he hath done he committeth the successe to God looking with patience for early and latter rayne So must all the Ministers of God which are his laborers preach in season and out of season diuide the word of truth aright and take all occasions to win soules to God And this is that vse which the Lord himselfe teacheth and prescribeth Acts 18 9 10. Feare not but speake and hold not thy peace For I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee for I haue much people in this City Where wee see that howsoeuer Paul found much opposition against him at Corinth some resisting and others blaspheming himselfe ready to depart yet the Lord appeareth vnto him and encourageth him to continue his labours with promise of a plentifull haruest a rich recompence of reward that hee should not labour in vaine but be the Minister of life vnto many This is the greatest comfort to the Ministers of God to turne many to righteousnesse This shall be our Crowne and glory in the great day of account when the cheefe Shepheard of the sheepe shall appeare Therefore the Apostle chargeth the man of God to be of a patient spirit gentle towards all men 2 Tim. 2 24 25. suffering the euill instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may acknowledge the truth and come to amendment out of the snare of the diuel of whom they are taken prisoners to do his will To conclude let vs remember the saying of the Apostles Iames chap. 5 19 20. Brethren if any of you haue erred from the truth and some man haue conuerted him let him know that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Where the Apostle teacheth that so manie of vs as haue receyued any gifts at the handes of God it is our duty not onely to vse them to our owne comfort but to labour diligently to profit others that so we may gaine glorie and winne soules to God by furthering the saluation of our brethren It followeth in the Text. Let mee dye the death of the righteous In these wordes is contained the second part of the conclusion of this first prophesie which is Balaams demand and desire that after the end of this temporall and mortall life hee may rest with the Saints and obtaine the blessed estate reserued for them This had bene a good and godly prayer if it had not proceeded from an euill heart and beene stained with a wicked life This desire of his was not constant and followed vnto the end but
were alwayes in sight of his parents the seruant of his master the souldier of his Captain the subiect of his Prince they would not haue an vnseemly gesture a disordred action how much more doth it stand vs vpon to behaue our selues honestly and in order and to looke to all our wayes that we offend not before the maiesty of God in whose presence we stand When the Minister prayeth and preacheth when the people attend and hearken wee must know that God looketh vpon vs. If any thing bee done vnreuerently and wickedly hee seeth it and beholdeth it when it is committed We cannot hide it from his sight and therfore we should do nothing that may greeue him This is that vse which Moses setteth downe in giuing directions to the people when they went to warre Deut. 23 12 14 That they shold haue a place without the hoast whither they should resort for the necessity of nature and couer their excrements for the Lord thy God saith he walketh in the middest of thy campe to deliuer thee and to giue thee thine enemies before thee therefore thine hoast shal be holy that he see no filthy thing in thee and turne away from thee The truth of this Ceremony leadeth vs as it did them to a farther matter Let vs let the figure passe come to the substance which teacheth that wee must be an holy people to God in soule and bodie and take heede of stayning and defiling our selues And what is it that doth defile vs It is not that which entereth into man but that which commeth out of a man as our Sauiour speaketh of the meates we eate Matth. 15 18. All the euill affections that wee haue within vs are so many stainings of vs before God Euill thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesses slanders are so many infections and as filthy dirt and dung in his sight We must all of vs learne to purge our selues from such foule and filthy corruptions if wee will haue God to rule and be resident amongst vs. If a man bee to receyue any honourable guests or strangers into his house he will haue it swept and kept cleane that he offend not those that he would entertaine It is a great honor vnto vs that God will dwell with vs and rest among vs and vouchsafe so to abase himself as to walke among vs ought not we then to bee carefull how we walke before him and to be wary euery one of vs lest we should displease him Ought we not to behaue our selues with all feare and reuerence seeing he beholdeth vs and eyeth whatsoeuer we do throughout our whole life For as he is come neerer vnto vs Iames 4 8 so vnlesse we draw nere vnto him cleansing our hands and purging our hearts he will withdraw himselfe from vs if we make not our soules and bodyes pure Temples for him to lodge and abide in Hee will dwell with vs vpon no other condition if wee doe not marke and obserue this wee make our soules guilty of driuing GOD away that he should no longer remaine among vs to blesse vs. Lastly we are put in mind by his presence Vse 4 to waite and stay our selues vpon his prouidence in all things depending vpon his protection and deliuerance Stephen a faythful witnes of the truth being perswaded of the presence of Christ stood out to death and boldly maintayned the cause of God against al his aduersaries Acts 7 56. Wee are alwayes in such sort vnder his protection that wee shall not neede to feare that his power will fayle to maintaine and preserue vs. When the Lord Iesus sayde vnto his Disciples Matth. 28 20. Goe into all Nations preach vnto them and baptize them he addeth Loe I am with you vnto the end of the world Whereby hee meant to confirme and strengthen them in all the combats they were to suffer and conflicts which they were to endure in the preaching of the Gospel So Christ appearing vnto Paul and promising his presence to be with him gaue him boldnes to vndergo great dangers and not to account his owne life precious and deere vnto him so long as he might doe seruice vnto God he sayd vnto him Acts 18 9.10 Feare not but speak and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this City Thus the Lord speaketh to the Prophet Ieremy Bee not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliuer thee Here we see the presence of God is made as a reason to strengthen him in the duties of his calling We meete with many dangers and incombrances that assault vs and set vpon vs in the running of our race and finde many enemies that seeke to stop our course such is our weaknes that we shall neuer be able to ouermastet them and to go lustily forward in a resolute and constant course vnlesse we set before our eyes this doctrine that Balaam published as a priuiledge belonging vnto the Church that God is with vs and will neuer forsake vs. Let vs therefore consider Rom. 8 13. If hee be with vs we shall not neede to feare who bee against vs. He will smite our enemies vpon the cheeke bone break the teeth of the wicked He wil scatter theyr counsels and deuices and cast down whatsoeuer riseth vp against our peace And the ioyfull shout of a King is among thē This is the third prerogatiue graunted to the Church which God as king of the Church granteth vnto it being as it were the Scepter of his kingdome the lawes by which it is gouerned For as no kingdom can stand without statutes nor the subiects be gouernd without lawes so it is in Gods kingdom He is the King the church is the kingdome the word is the statute law the diuel al his Instruments are Traytors to this kingdome the faythfull and elect are the natural subiects which willingly yeeld obedience to the word Esay 13 1. This word being the arme of God and the kingdome must be preached to draw the elect into his kingdome This Balaam calleth a ioyfull shout and the Prophet is commanded of God Esay 58 1 to cry alowd and not spare to lifte vp his voice like a Trumpet shewing to the people their sinnes and the house of Iacob their transgressions This teacheth vs that it is a great honor and priuiledge of the Church to haue the ioyfull shout of the word to sound among them Doctrine It is the churches priuiledge to haue the pure vse of the word The Scripture or word of God is a priuiledge belonging properly to the Church the vse thereof When God gaue his Law in Sinai it was giuen onely to Israel as appeareth Deut. 4 1. Exod. 20 11 2. where Moses stirreth vp Israel to hearken to the statutes ordinances that should be deliuered vnto thē So the Prophet speaketh Psal 147 19 20. He sheweth his word
thy presence is a burden vnto me aske thy reward and wages of thy worke of that God whom thou hast obeyed or of that people whom thou hast blessed to whom thou seemest rather beholden then vnto mee and who I am sure are more indebted to thee for thy paines then I am This is a most shamefull blasphemy of a wretched man whose breath is in his nostrils against the eternall God that made heauen and earth who suffereth with patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The answer of Balaam followeth to be coÌ„sidered The answer of Balaam who is brought in by Moses excusing himselfe and giuing wicked counsell to Balak to bring the people of God to ruine and destruction The Apology and defence that he maketh for himselfe is this that hee certified the messengers sent vnto him and declared to Balak himselfe that he was not at his owne choise and liberty to speake what the King wished and what himselfe desired but was as it were chained and restrained by the mighty hand of God that he could vtter nothing but what he inspired Thus the false Prophet seeketh to pacifie and appease the angry minde of the King and the hyreling laboureth to recouer his wages that was denyed him as if he should say Lay the fault where it is and not where it is not I haue striuen what I can to do that which thou requirest but the God of the Hebrewes hath hindered thy request and my desire Secondly hee promiseth that being now discharged and ready to returne home hee would giue such counsell which should work out the finall confusion of this people if it were wisely and warily followed For when he seeth he cannot curse them he giueth counsell how to hurt them as if hee should haue saide to Balak I see to my griefe thou perceiuest to thy cost that sorcery will not preuaile and serue the turne yet do not despaire but hold on thy purpose try a new conclusion another way I haue another plot in mine head follow my direction and doubt not but thou shalt bring thy matters to a good passe and destroy that people as they hereafter shall destroy thy people But what this counsell was is concealed and not expressed in this place which was not such as the Prophets of God aduised and perswaded to the people of God but diuellish counsell proceeding from that spirit by which he was guided to open a gap to bring vpon them all mischiefe and misery and to pull downe the wall of Gods protection whereby they were fenced and defended and to let in their enemies vpon theÌ„ God being become an vtter enemy vnto them For by the successe and euent in the chapter following it appeareth what this crafty counsell was Numb 25 3. by the peoples falling in fancy and fellowship with the Moabitish women wherby they were drawne into spirituall and bodily fornication And afterward in the one thirtieth chapter of this booke verse 16 Moses speaking of the Midianitish women saieth These caused the children of Israel through the counsell of Balaam to commit a trespasse against the Lord as concerning Peor and there came a plague vpon the Congregation of the Lord. So the Apostle Iohn speaketh writing to the Church at Pergamus I haue a few things against thee because there thou hast them that maintaine the doctrine of Balaam c. Reu. 2 14. Hereby then we see that when Balaam had sundry wayes assayed and attempted to curse the people of Isâ—ael and yet his purpose fayled him because God crossed his deuices hee told Balak that the last refuge and onely way to preuaile against them was to draw them to sin against their God and so to make a breach betweene him and his people Now according as hee counselled him and gaue him instructions so Balak confederate with the Midianites sent forth the most beautiful women in their kingdomes into the Campe of Israel to entice them to the worship of their Idols to banquet with them at their Idoll-feasts whereby â—hey drew them to Idolatry and fornication sinning against God and kindling his wrath against them But of this we shall speake further in the chapter following Verse 10. Then Balak was very angry with Balaam and smote his hands together and saide I sent for thee to curse mine enemies c. See heere the euent of all the conspiracy against the Israelites they had conceiued mischiefe Psal 7 14 15 bring forth a lye They that trauaile with wickednesse trauaile with the winde and the end is not answerable to the beginning They vanish away in their owne imagination whilst Israel standeth as a defenced City From hence we learne that things practised inconsiderately not with good aduice Doctrine Thing vnlawfully atteÌ„pted haue euill ends and attempted vnlawfully with a wicked purpose haue other euents then men thinke of Whatsoeuer wee goe about with a wicked minde hath an euill end in the iust iudgment of God We cannot expect that any euil action should haue a good end Indeed God doth many times suffer euill men causeth them to multiply The causes why wicked men do multiply because our sinnes deserue so many chastisements and scourges as there are wicked men in the world Againe it is requisite that we should all our life long be kept in a continuall exercise of faith prayer patience and repentance Iudg. 2 22. and that they might be as pricks and thornes in our sides Lastly the Lord by suffering the wicked to prosper and proceed doth greatly aduance his owne glory whiles he reigneth in the midst of his enemies Exod. 9 15 16 and preserueth his Church in despite of Satan and his wicked members which daily seeke the ouerthrow thereof Is it not strange that an hundred Sheepe should liue among a thousand wolues not be deuoured It is no lesse wonderfull and to bee maruelled at that any of Gods people should liue vpon the face of the earth being compassed about with an army of wicked men the very limbes of the diuell that open their mouths to swallow them vp and hate them with an vnfained hatred vnto the death Notwithstanding the Lord thus beareth and forbeareth yet in the end hee will cut off the wicked and all euill shall haue an euill end We see this in Pharaoh calling for his Sorcerers they withstood Moses and resisted the truth they turned water into blood and rods into Serpents yet in the end all their cunning was stained and they confessed it was the Finger of God Exod. 7 11. 8 19. Consider the example of those that would builde them a Citty and a Tower to get them a name lest they should bee scattered vpon the whole earth Genesis ch 11. verse 4 the Lord came downe to see the Citty which the sonnes of men builded and there confounded theyr Language that euery one perceyued not anothers speech The Apostle Peter maketh a long rehearsall in his second
the other side we are to shun the euill company of euil men lest we learne their wayes True it is if we would abstaine altogether from the acquaintance and familiarity of fornicators Idolaters extortioners railers drunkards and such like We must go out of the world 1 Cor. 6 10. But albeit we cannot wholly auoide them yet wee must not thrust our selues into them nor delight in them but bee greeued at them so soone as we can winde our selues out of thē We shall learne no good by their society Therefore Salomon saith Hee that walketh with the wise shall be the wiser but a companion of fooles shall learne foolishnes Prou. 13.20 Now albeit we cannot at all times forsake the familiarity of the vnfaithfull yet wee must euer abandon and abiure their vnfaithfulnes and vngodlines we cannot euer refuse their company but wee must euermore renounce their impiety Let vs take heed we embrace none of their sinnes He that standeth farthest from a raging flame is frees◠and farthest off from burning hee that walketh a great distance from the banke of the Riuer is safest from drowning He that commeth not neere places of infection is surest to escape the danger And as wee are to beware of all their sinnes so especially it behoueth vs to be suspicious and fearefull of those sinnes vnto which wee know our selues most prone enclined For they do most of all delight vs and those are they which will soonest ouerturne vs and bring vpon vs destruction of soule and body Secondly it serueth to reproue condemne Vse 2 all such as are companions with prophane men The shrowding of our selues into such company argueth a conformity in affections howsoeuer wee would haue it thought to be otherwise We see in the course of nature that like will to like and birds of a feather will flie and flocke together And if they be not yet made like vnto them and corrupted by them it is greatly to be feared they will be allured and enticed Iehoshaphat was reproued for his friendship and aliance with Ahab and in the end it was the ruine of his owne house The Prophet came vnto him and said Wouldst thou helpe the wicked loue them that hate the Lord Therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is vpon thee 2 Chron. 19 2. Happy is their estate whose abode is continually amongst Gods people as the Prophet saith Psal 65 3. Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to come to thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and he shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine house euen of thine holy Temple On the other side wee must confesse it to bee a wofull and heauy condition to endure the company of the wicked It is a part of our greefe and sorrow to be in their society being alwayes ioyned with sinne and to the dishonour of God This made the Prophet cry out with great perplexity while hee liued amongst the vngodly and to acknowledge his case to be pittifull and miserable Wo is me that I remaine in Mesech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120 5. There is nothing that more discouereth what lyeth in the hart then the company with whom we ordinarily resort and the places to which we commonly resort The heart of man is deceitfull and the secret corners of it are past finding out but the company which we vse shall try what is in it If the heart be set vpon goodnesse we will not delight in those that are enclined to leudnesse The Prophet Dauid testifieth heereby the vprightnesse of his heart that all his delight was in the Saints Psal 16 3 And Psalm 119 63. I am a companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts And Psal 26. I haue not haunted with vaine persons neither kept company with the dissemblers I haue hated the assembly of the euill and haue not accompanied with the wicked Such therfore as make themselues merry with lewd company and can laugh most heartily at their sinnes declare that they haue corrupt and sinfull hearts and haue not yet giuen them vnto God Thirdly wee must learne in regard of the Vse 3 danger of euill company to cast out euery foule spirit out of our societies Wee haue heard much of some places that haue beene haunted with euill spirits and indeed it is most true for there are few places or Parishes that are not frequented and pestered with many euill spirits There is no house or family almost to be found that doth not hold boulstersome euill spirit In the family of Adam was Caine in the family of Noah was Ham in the family of Abraham was Ishmael in the family of Isaac was Esau in the family of Dauid was Absolon and these were foule spirits The children of God that labour to direct their wayes aright and to haue their families purged from grosse corruptions as Iacob cleansed his house from Idolatry cannot so sanctifie and reforme them 〈◊〉 35 2. but some vncleane spirit or other will winde in himselfe infecting infesting the family with his presence and corrupting the rest by his example and poysoning them by his euill suggestions Achan must be found out vnlesse we would haue the whole hoast of God to be discomfited Iosh 7 11. Ionah must be cast out into the sea vnlesse we would haue the Ship drowned Ion. 1 12. It was an expresse commandement of God giuen vnto Abraham Gen. 21 10. To cast out the bond-woman her sonne because he should not be heire of the inheritance with Isaac It was an expresse charge giuen to the Church by the Apostle 1 Cor. 5 13. To purge away from among themselues that wicked man and to deliuer him vnto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus To these commandements and precepts ioyne the practise of the Prophet Dauid where he promiseth to God how hee will order his family I will do wisely in the perfect way till thou commest to me I will walke in the vprightnesse of my heart in the midst of mine house there shall no deceitfull person dwell within mine house he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the City of the Lord Psal 101 2 7. We see heereby whom we should entertaine in our houses and suffer to dwell vnder our roofe to wit the godly for he saith Mine eyes shall be vpon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue me and therefore we must keep none such as are sturdy and stubborne that are incorrigible and scorne to serue the Lord. Many there are that make a mocke of all religion and despise all meanes that can bee taken for amendment these are a burden to the family and must bee cast out We see in the
two brethren walke amongst the people of God I meane the Magistrate to rule and correct the Minister to teach and reproue sinne wil be suppressed and godlinesse will in some measure bee promoted and aduanced Heere then is a notable direction for all Magistrates fathers masters housholders and gouernors whatsoeuer to set themselues against euill doers seeing therby they shall finde the Lord fauourable vnto them Among all encouragements which Rulers who are as the gods of the earth haue giuen vnto them to beare the burden of the worke and the heate of the day Psal 82 6. none is more comfortable then this that by rooting out of the wicked and punishing the vngodly according to their vngodlinesse they bring a blessing vpon their owne heads a blessing vpon the places where they dwell and a blessing to their families in which they liue as wee see in Phinehas in this place of whom the Lord saith While hee was zealous for my sake among them he turned away mine anger therefore I haue not consumed the children of Israel in my iealousie and I will giue vnto him my couenant of peace and he shall haue it and his seed after him Who is it that doth not desire to finde the fauour of God in this life to leaue a blessing behind him But if God haue made vs Magistrates in the Common-wealth or Gouernors in the priuate family we cannot looke for any blessing at his hands to follow vs and ouertake vs so long as sinne is vnpunished and the sinner is not recompenced in the earth It is not enough for vs to be godly men except we labour also to be godly Magistrates We heard before that the boast of God could not prosper and preuaile so long as Achan was not found out but when he was stoned the blessing of God came vpon theÌ„ The Marriners in the ship could not be safe so long as Ionah was in it Ionas 1 15 but so soone as he was cast into the sea the sea ceased froÌ„ his raging Mark this yee Rulers of the earth and learne from hence yee Gouernors of hoâ—ses a profitable lesson so long as yee are zealous for the aduancement of Gods glory and for the rooting out of iniquity ye shall be blessed in your persons blessed in your children blessed in your families and blessed in your places and habitations Set your selues therfore with courage against sinne and God shall be with you He will prosper the works of your hands nothing shall be able to preuaile against you as the Prophet faith 2 Chron. 15 2. The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him hee will forsake you Let euery one so farre as his calling stretcheth deale faithfully with God and shew their zeale in resisting sinne as it is sinne in whomsoeuer they finde it without respect of persons not fostering it in some because they are their friends nor winking at it in others because they are their children their seruants their kindred or acquaintance nor hating it in a third sort because they are their enemies but punishing it and striking at the roote of it without difference and partiality For many are enemies to some sinnes because they are enemies to the sinner and so hate the euill for no other cause but because they cannot abide the person But we should in punishing sinne ayme at the good and at the reformation of those that commit it we should loue the person and abhorre the euill like the Physitian that liketh his patient but hateth the disease But to examine our selues a little How far are we in these dayes from the sound practise of this point Haue wee a true zeale to punish offenders or are we careful to finde them out that euill may be taken away from vs Alasse who seeth not plainly except such as are wilfully blinde how cold and carelesse we are in setting our selues against sinne and opposing our selues against euill doers Doe not wicked men in al places lift vp their crests on high and walke with outstretched neckes without controllement that no man dare say vnto them Why do ye thus Nay are we not come to this passe that if one in a Parish settle himselfe to do good and offer to put too his helping hand to weede out malefactors will not twenty step foorth to speake for them to crosse such as shall go about to punish theÌ„ If any good cause be to bee promoted how backward are wee to further it How nice how squemish are we and pinch curtesie who shall goe before as if we were ashamed of it But if whoremongers drunkards harlots that are as the off-scouring of the world and the scumme of the earth bee brought before Magistrates to be rewarded according to theyr deseruings they cannot want many of theyr neighbours to countenance them to go with them and to speake for them What persons euer were there so lewd and licentious that haue not found diuers to entreate in their fauour Yea so desperate are our times seasons growne that if the diuell himselfe were incarnate and dwelled visibly among vs it seemeth likely that hee should finde some friends some spokesmen and mediatours for him But know this for a surety and carry it home with you vnto your houses and thinke of it vpon your beds that so long as you thus backe and vphold bad fellowes loose in life lewd in example you shall neuer want store of them We must not thinke euer to breake the heart of sinne except wee ioyne hand in hand one with another and all draw one way to suppresse it If a theefe were to be câ—rried to prison and one drew him one way another haled him another way he were neuer like to haue fetters cast vpon him In like manner so long as we are sundred and diuided one from another sinne encreaseth and getteth an head And we cannot assure our selues to obtaine any blessing of God so long as we nourish such serpents in our bosomes and doe not pull out the stings of them And as this ought to be a great encouragement to all in authority ouer others to consider the blessings of GOD that they bring to themselues and to their seuerall iurisdictions by breaking the necke of vngodlinesse so on the other side it ought to terrifie all negligent and carelesse Gouernors that are not ready resolute betimes to destroy all the wicked of the Land Psalm 101 8 and to cut off all the workers of iniquity froÌ„ the City of the Lord. Such bring a curse vpon themselues a curse vpon their substance a curse vpon their children a curse vpon their seruants a curse vpon their families a curse vpon their houses and habitations This should work a feare in their hearts and bring terrour and astonishment vpon their consciences seeing God will take away the sinner in his wrath but will require the sinne at the
number and greater in waight follow after these When God sendeth the barrennesse of ground the blasting of corne the vnseasonablenesse of weather the ouerflowing of water the infection of sicknes such like scourges of his hand they are euident marks of his wrath and the very prints of his footsteppes whereby we may trace him out comming against vs to destroy vs. They are the messengers of God to cite and summon vs to answer before him for our contempt of his word and of his former threatnings When he taketh away faithfull men that feare his name especially good Princes and godly rulers it is an assured token that his wrath beginneth to be kindled and wil ouertake the remnant of the people When the head is smitten it cannot be but the rest of the body must immediately after smart for it Thus God threatneth in the Prophet Esay 3 2. 57 1. That he will take away the strong man and the man of war the Iudge and the Prophet the prudent and the aged the captaine of fifty and the honorable and the counsellor And in another place The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous are taken away from the euill to come A notable example heereof we haue in Noah and his family so soone as they were entred into the Arke and the doore of it shut vp immediately the rain fell the flood came the fountaines of the deepe were broken vp the windowes of heauen were opened the inhabitants of the earth were drowned Gen. 7 16. 19 16. When Lot and his family were brought out of Sodome and set without the City the Lord being mercifull to them The Lord rained fire and brimstone from heauen vpon the people of Sodome and Gomorrah When the godly King Iosiah was taken away that his eyes should not see all the euill which the Lord would bring vpon the land the wrath of the Lord arose against them they mocked the messengers of God despised his words and misused his Prophets and hee brought vpon them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword and spared neither yong man nor virgin ancient nor aged God gaue all into his hand 2 Kin. 22 20 2 Chron. 36 16. Moreouer the Lord hath other scourges which belong to the soule as when he taketh away godly Ministers with them his holy word So he threatneth by the Prophet Amos to send a Famine of his word chap. 8 11. This is a token that God will forsake that people and condemn them to death when he taketh from them the meanes and maintenance of their life These are the beginnings of greater iudgements and by them we may iudge the wrath of God to be at hād which are as a warning peece vnto that volly of the Lords Ordinance which our great sins haue caused him to mount vp against vs and he threatneth to discharge vpon vs. So then it behooueth vs not to bee dull and drowzie in marking the iudgements of God the signs of his wrath to the end we may be prepared to preuent them and to meete the Lord by vnfained repentance before they fall vpon vs. Vse 3 Thirdly it is our duty to pray vnto him and to intreate him that albeit we continually prouoke him by our sins yet that he would not fall vpon vs in his wrath nor punish vs in his sore displesure but deal with vs as a father with his children This is it which the Prophet craueth at the hands of God Psal 6 1. 38 1 2. To this purpose Ieremy speaking of the captiuity at hand prayeth thus Ier. 10 24 25. O Lord correct me but with iudgement not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing poure out thy wrath vpon the Heathen that know thee not c. If the Lord should deale with vs according to our sinnes and recompence vs according to our deseruings we were not able to stand in his sight If hee should enter into iudgement with vs no flesh should be righteous before him Wee must therefore desire him to chastise vs as a father not as a Iudge to amend vs not to destroy vs as the Prophet speaketh of his owne experience Psal 118 18. The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not deliuered me to death Vse 4 Lastly we must be prouoked vpon the consideration of the wrath of God full of rage iealousie moued with our sinnes to seeke to please him to forsake our iniquities and to be reconciled vnto God This is the vse which the Apostle maketh Heb. 12 28 29. Seeing we receiue a kingdome which cannot be shaken let vs haue grace whereby we may so serue God that wee may please him with reuerence feare c. So we are charged to mortifie our members which are on earth as fornication vncleannesse and such like because for such things the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience Col. 3 5 6. So then the consideration of the fiercenesse of Gods wrath must bring vs neerer vnto him and make vs obedient to his will Let vs walk in all his commandements and make conscience of all our wayes Let vs studie to please God in all things and to be fruitfull in good workes Let vs liue soberly righteously and godly in this life and shew forth the liuely fruits of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into this maruellous light that so his wrath do not ouertake vs nor his iudgements finde vs vnprepared We should alwaies liue as if wee should dye presently or the day of iudgement come immediately For what shall it profit vs to liue in all pleasures and carnall delights for a few yeares and then to suffer eternall torments What shall it auaile vs to win the world then to lose our owne fouls Matth. 16 26. Are not they more then madde men that will hazard their soules procure the heauy wrath of God for a little profit and a short pleasure Let such as wil not be drawn from their sweet sins assure themselues they shall one day pay dearly for it and taste the most bitter woes that can be conceiued when they shal be separated frō God shut out of his fauour and bee barred out of his kingdome Oh! that there were in vs wise hearts to consider these things betimes and to preuent all the iudgements of God that hang ouer our heads Let vs prepare our selues against the houre of death then which nothing is more terrible against the day of iudgement then which nothing is more horrible and against the danger of hell fire then which nothing is more intollerable the paines pangs whereof are without end without ease without remedy Verses 10 11 12 13. Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Phinehas the son of Eleazar hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel c. We haue seene the zeale of Phinehas in
there can be no greater dishonour offered vnto the most High God then when the sonnes of his owne house the seruants of his owne family and the flocke of his owne pasture rebell and resist against him The sinne of the Iewes is greater then of the Gentiles which sinned of knowledge and not of ignorance and therefore should receiue the greater punishment and be beaten with moe stripes as our Sauiour teacheth Luke 12 47. We are not therefore to maruel if they come into iudgment that they may be despised as they haue despised him For seeing no sinnes are greater then the sinnes of his owne chosen they must first taste the scourge of his hand as they haue contemned him and his glory Reason 2 Secondly his owne people haue the first and greatest experience of his mercies They haue the chiefest and choisest priuiledges and prerogatiues of his graces aboue all the wicked True it is all mankinde tasteth abundantly of Gods liberall and bountifull hand to make them without excuse but to the sonnes and daughters of the Almighty All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth the secrets of the Lord are reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Psal 25 10 14. Hee calleth not them his seruants For the seruant knoweth not what his master doth but he calleth them his friends for all things which he hath heard of his Father hath hee made knowne to them Iohn 15 15. This is that reason which the Prophet pointeth vnto when he saith Loe I begin to plague the citty where my Name is called vpon Ier. 25 29 As if he should say I haue set my Name there I haue giuen them my word I haue fed them as from mine owne table therefore they shal not escape This is it which the Apostle meaneth when he saith I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ c. Rom. 1 16. Whereby he declareth that God keepeth this order to offer grace first vnto his own people VVhen Christ sent out his disciples hee commanded them not to go into the way of the Gentiles neyther to enter into the citties of the Samaritanes But to goe rather to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Math. 10.6 And when the Apostle saw the Iewes full of enuy and speake against those things which were preached vnto them he said behold It was necessary that the word of God should first haue bin spoken vnto you but seeing yee put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles Acts 13 46. Seeing then that this is the constant order that God obserueth to bestow his blessings first vpon his seruants it followeth that for the abuse of them they must first feele his punishments The greater loue they haue abused the greater punishment shall bee inflicted vpon them This is it which the Apostle remembreth Tribulation and anguish shal be vpon the soule of euery one that doth euil Rom. 2.9 Let vs now make vse of this doctrine which Vse 1 hath beene made plaine to our consciences First this serueth to ouerthrow the Church of Rome who dreame of a Church set in outward pompe and glory Bellar. de not eccl lib. 4 cap. 18. and make it a note of the Church to haue temporall felicity to haue earthly triumphs to haue victories and good successe in warre against their enemies as also the vnhappy end of the enemies of the Church For our doctrine teacheth vs that the Church is oftner without this flourishing estate in outward happinesse then it doth enioy it The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world The Lord declareth to Abraham that for a surety his seede should bee a stranger in a land that is not theirs foure hundred yeares and shall serue them and they shall intreat them euil Gen. 15.13 So he threatned by his Prophet Ieremy and performed it that they were carried into captiuity seuenty yeares verifying that which is spoken I haue forsaken mine house I haue left mine heritage I haue giuen the dearely beloued of my soule into the hands of her enemies Ierem. 12 7. Hence it is that Christ sayth oftentimes In the world yee shall haue trouble ye shall weepe lament and the world shall reioyce Ioh. 16 7.33 The Apostle teacheth That all which will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 It is a worthy sentence recorded by the Prophet Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints howsoeuer the world doe account of them Psal 116 15. It is made a note of the Turkish Religion to haue externall felicity to abound in earthly prosperity It is the heauenly felicity and euerlasting happines which belongeth to the true Church and is proper to it Therefore one of their owne writers though not so absurd in opinion and corrupt in iudgment as most of that side Espens in 2 Tim. 3. faith The crosse is a note of the Church Christ foretold vs of troubles but false Christs of peace and prosperity So then by the confession of this man they must be accounted false Prophets that make outward glory and renowne to bee the true markes of the true Church And if we should necessarily vrge this as any priuiledge of the Church we should long agoe haue condemned the Prophets the Apostles the Patriarks Martyrs yea the sonne of God himselfe Christ Iesus who wanted the fauour of the world suffered the reproch of the crosse and gaue vp their liues vnto the death that they might receiue a better resurrection If the Church of Rome condemne these wee are content they should condemne vs if they iustifie them they must condemne themselues and renounce this outward felicity as a false note of the Church Vse 2 Secondly we may from this vsuall order of Gods punishments conclude that the vngodly shall neuer escape albeit for a time they be free GOD hath most assuredly determined to inflict great and grieuous punishments vpon the wicked and vngodly that are his enemies howsoeuer he beare for a season with the vessels of wrath This the Prophet is sent to tell the King of Babel and that nation and sundry other people Thus sayth the Lord of hoasts yee shall certainely drinke for loe I begin to plague the citty where my Name is called vpon and should you goe free yee shall not goe quit for I will call for a sword vpon all the inhabitants of the earth Ier. 25 29. This wee see likewise in the Prophet Habakuk first the Lord raysed vp the Caldeans a bitter and furious nation whose horses were swifter then the Leopards and fiercer then the wolues to chastise his owne people and afterward the Caldeans themselues shall be spoyled Chapter 2. This serueth as a terror to all vngodly men to consider that howsoeuer GOD beginneth to chastise those of his owne houshold when hee doth purpose to bring a plague vppon a land and beginneth not at the
of God his holy word is damnable that the open prophanation of the Lords day is damnable that the horrible pride whereof our whole nation is sicke is damnable that drunkennes that aboundeth ouer-spreadeth euery where is damnable if this be madnesse we confesse we are mad and God make vs yet more and more mad to lay open these abominations But indeed and in truth if we will iudge aright it is quite contrary for they are the maddemen and the Minister is sober Paul was charged to be madde but who was madde Paul or Festus The mad man laugheth and the Physician bewaileth him euen so it is betweene the Minister and the people they scoffe at him while hee mourneth for them for the hardnes of their harts knowing them to be beside themselues forasmuch as they will not refraine from those things which they reprooue Alas what doe these men heerein but like foolish patients who pull off the plasters which the Surgeon hath laide vpon their wounds and in the mean time lye rotting and festering in their corruptions If these men continue thus resolute obstinate in their euill wayes the time shall one day come O that it be not at hand O that it be not too late when they shall confesse that the Ministers of the Lord were sober and that themselues were the mad men when they shall feel themselues for their iniquities thrust down to the place of the damned and see the Ministers that reproued them among the Saints of God in great glory Vse 4 Lastly learne from hence the great desire that God hath of the good and saluation of his people who thus carefully sendeth his Ministers to call so earnestly and effectually for the conuersion and repentance of sinners The Lord doth not appoint them for a forme and fashion but to deale with power zeale if by all meanes they may saue some 1 Cor. 9. Esay 55 1 would the Lord make so much ado if he were not desirous that the sinner should repent him of his euill wayes that so he might blot all his wickednes out of his remembrance Ezek. 18. A man would be accounted very desirous to sell his wares and vtter his commodities who not onely hath a broker to vent them for him but maketh open proclamation at the crosse or in the market place that he hath such and such wares to be bought and yet all this while he respecteth his own priuate good and gaine onely But when a man will proclaime and say Ho come and buy without money or without money worth doubtlesse this argueth a mans great loue and desire of the good of his brother The Ministers they stand vpon their watch-tower and cry from the house toppes Ho euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate ye come buy wine and milke without money and without price Esay 55 1. He requireth no more but this to lay downe their vices and to take vp his graces The Physician sometimes giueth strong purgations but the end of them is the curing of the disease and the recouering of the diseased So is it with God when he armeth his Ministers with the two edged sword of his word giueth them courage and boldnesse to open their mouthes against all iniquity It is therefore a token of a desperate heart and a signe of one cast into a reprobate sense when the threatnings of Gods iudgements driue not to repentance Such as hate to be reformed there is more hope of a foole then of them Wherefore discourage yee the hearts of the childron of Israel from going ouer into the land which the Lord hath giuen them This is one reason of the reproofe and why he dealeth so sharply with them they did weaken the hands yea the hearts of their brethren whom they ought to haue strengthened and encouraged This teacheth vs Doctrine â—o man oght â—o discourage â—â—hers in weldoing that it is a grieuous sinne to giue offence to others or to do any thing whereby our brethren may be discouraged from walking in Gods wayes or encouraged to the breach of any of his Commandements Heereunto come sundry examples set downe in the Scriptures While the Israelites wandred in the wildernes and were going toward the land of Canaan they had many meanes offered to pull them backe as we haue seene before some of them would haue made them an Electo or Captaine and so returne backe againe into Egypt Chapt. 14 4 the spies that were sent to search the land discouraged the hearts of their brethren saying The people is greater and taller then we the cities are great and walled vp to heauen and moreouer we haue seene the sonnes of the Anakims there Deuter. 1 28. Numb 13 28. Thus it was with the people of GOD when they were returned from captiuity and began to build the altar and the Temple to the Lord God of Israel for the aduersaries of Iudah and Biniamin sought to weaken their hands and to trouble them in building Ezra 4 4. Neither was it any better afterward when Nehemiah came vp to build the wals of Ierusalem and to reuiue the stones out of the heapes of rubbish for Sanballat Tobiah and the rest of that ranke scoffe at them and say Euen that which they build if a foxe come vp he shall euen breake downe their stone wall Nehem. 4 3. The Lord likewise chargeth his people that if there did arise among them a Prophet or a dreamer of dreames that should go about to seduce them and draw them away to serue other gods they should not beleeue the signes nor hearken to the words of that Prophet but cleaue fast vnto God obeying his voyce and keeping his Commandements Deuter. 13 1.3.4 The grounds hereof First such as offend by giuing offence to Reason 1 others and withdraw them from their holy obedience to God are guilty of a grieuous sin yea are partakers of their sins whom they haue terrified and discouraged from obeying the Lord. For whomsoeuer we haue hindred from good things we are guilty of their sins and their blood shal be required at our hands The sinne of the Israelites committing fornication with the daughters of Moab was thâ— sin of Balaam also because through his counsell they committed that trespasse against the Lord Num 25 1 and 31 16 Secondly such are the seed of that wicked one the children of the diuell they are his instruments and set on worke by him that was a murtherer from the beginning Ioh. 8 44. Hee tempted our first parents in the garden discouraged them from hearkning to the voyce of GOD so are all those tempters that any way hinder the course of their brethren walking in the wayes of God and are stamped in the image of the first tempter and are made like vnto him And therefore when Peter disswaded Christ from the worke of mans redemption for when Christ began to shew to his
to iudge the quick and dead 1 Peter 44 5. It is noted concerning Christ by the Euangelist that before hee entred vpon the worke of his high calling to preach the Gospel and shewed himselfe a Redeemer to Israel hee increased in wisdome and stature and grew in fauour with God and man Luke 2 52 but when once hee left his priuate life in the priuate houfe of Ioseph where hee was brought vp and set vpon the office whereunto he was appointed albeit hee continued in the fauour of God as his onely begotten Sonne in whom he is well pleased Matthew 3 17 yet he grew out of fauour with men who were not contented with him Paul before his conuersion was in great estimation with the Pharisees and obtayned letters of them to put in prison all them that called vpon the Name of Christ but when hee beganne to preach faith in Christ which before hee persecuted and sought to destroy hee lost theyr fauour and friendship as appeareth in that they plotted his death and sought his life to take it away more vehemently and violently then hee had practised against the disciples Let vs not therefore thinke it strange that we meete with many enemies cunning subtill cruell and malicious but seeke to be at peace with God and reconciled vnto him and then if God be with vs who shall be against vs Rom. 8 31. Vse 5 Fiftly the enemies of Israel albeit they were ouerthrowne and defeated yet were not all discomfited and consumed at once but by little and little sometimes one and then afterward another as they did not arise and appeare all together so it is euermore with his Church to the end of the world We shall neuer be without some enemies God will euer try the faith and patience of his children When Dauid sate at home and went not to warre against his enemies he was surprized by a subtill enemy whom he neuer suspected and fell into two grieuous sinnes adultery and murther 2 Sam. 11 1 4 1 Chron. 20 1. The water by standing still gathereth filth mud and corruption The iron by lying still gathereth râ—st The Church free from enemies oftentimes groweth secure and the godly are ready to say in their prosperity they shall neuer be remoued Psal 30 6. Let all the wicked therefore know that their peace and prosperity cannot giue them assurance though they endure long of the fauour and loue of God but hee will bring downe his iudgements vpon them when they haue filled vp the measure of their sins And albeit for a time they escape yet they are appointed to wrath and destruction forasmuch as the Lord is iealous and the Lord auengeth hee will take vengeance on his aduersaries and he reserueth wrath for his enemies Nah. 1 2. Yea thus it shall be with the spirituall enemies of our soules and of our saluation albeit they haue receiued their deathes wound and are crushed in the head that they can neuer fully recouer their streÌ„gth but shall finally be subdued yet they are alwayes hissing and stinging they are trying tempting the members of Christ So long as we are Christs wee must looke for the diuell and his Angels to set themselues against vs. They will take no denyall or repulse but being beaten and vanquished will gather their forces and vnite their power together to build vp the kingdome of darknes When he tempted Christ in the wildernesse and receiued a notable foyle and glorious ouerthrow in all those seuerall combats and had ended his tentations that he had prepared hee departed from him but a little season Luke 4 13. As he dealt with the head in the wildernesse so he dealeth with the members in this world wee must neuer looke to bee wholly ridde of this importunate enemy Whensoeuer he leaueth vs it is not as a confession that hee is vtterly conuicted and confounded for it fareth with him as with one that wrastled Plutarch in vit who how soeuer hee spedde would alwayes perswade the standers by that he gaue him the fall and foile that buckled and clasped with him and so it is when we wrastle with these principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses in high places they will neuer yeeld the victory but rather gather their broken and disbanded companies leuy new forces prouide and procure stronger weapons and make better prouision and preparation against vs. If then he depart from vs and breake vp his siege it is not to free vs from danger and to take a truce with vs but to muster a fresh army and to take vs at an aduantage if hee see vs to grow secure and therefore let vs neuer promise rest vnto our selues from his assaults so long as we continue heere and carry about vs this earthly Tabernacle but alwayes stand vpon our gard and in our watch-tower to be ready for his comming and returning that so resisting him being strong in faith he may flye from vs Iam. 4 7. 1 Pet. 5 8 9. Yea let this serue as a great comfort and consolation to those that haue experience of his manifold assaults and inuasions that they neuer distrust or despaire though their troubles be many though their tentations be great continuall seeing this was the lot and portion of Iesus Christ the Sonne of GOD Who shall treade downe Satan vnder their feete shortly Rom. 16 20. Lastly the people of Israel after the enduring Vse 6 of all their troubles and afflictions after the experience of many sorrowes and miseries that came vpon them had rest giuen vnto them and victory ouer all their enemies round about them so that they were safely brought into the land of promise where they inherited and possessed cities that they builded not Deut. 6 10 11 houses full of all maner goods which they filled not welles which they digged not vineyards and oliues which they planted not and saw all the good things performed which the Lord had promised vnto them This serueth to comfort the children of God though for a time they sustaine many iniuries beare many disgraces receiue many losses feele many pinches instraightments yea many fierce and fiery tryals it is but while they wander in the wildernesse they are not yet come into Canaan the place of rest howbeit the blessednes of the issue and end of all will fully recompence the hardnesse of the way and make amends and satisfaction for all their sorrowes being fully assured that the afflictions of this present world are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs hereafter for then God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes Rom. 8 19. Reuel 7 16 17. Thus God giueth comfort to his seruants after they haue beene humbled in this vale of misery They shall hunger no more they shall thirst no more they shall want no more Then this corruptible shall put on incorruption this mortall shall put on immortality and death shall be swallowed vp in victory 1 Cor. 15 53 54. This made
Word and Sacraments hee will haue his Ministers also vnder the Gospel sufficiently prouided not onely of sustenance and maintenance but also of houses and habitations fit for them that they might waite vpon their office without disturbance or distraction This teacheth vs Doctrine The ministers must be proâ—ided of all things necessary for them that the Ministers of the church must be prouided of food rayment of houses and dwellings and of all things necessary for theÌ„ This is proued at large in this place heere it is commanded in the booke of Ioshua it is performed and executed as wee may reade in Chap. 2.1 2 3 4 c. where we see particularly what Cities euery tribe gaue as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses The like we see in the prophesies of Ezekiel Chapter 45. verses 1 2 3 4 c. that when the Messiah is exhibited and the Gospel preached throughout the world the Land shall bee otherwise diuided so that part of it shal be assigned to the house of the Lord part shall belong vnto the Priests and to the Leuites verse 4 and 5. shewing thereby that the Ministers of the Gospel must bee maintayned By the law of nature euery man was bound to giue something for the furtherance of Gods seruice of such temporall goods as GOD had giuen him Gen. 14. verse 18. and 28. verses 20 22. Leuit. 27. verse 30 Numb 18. ver 28 Deut. 14. verses 28 29. 2 Chron 31. verses 4 5. It is noted touching the zeale of good king Hezekiah when hee had appoynted the courses of the Priests and Leuites euery man according to his seruice hee commaunded the people to giue the portion to the Priests and Leuites and by and by they brought in aboundance the first fruites of Corne and Wine and oyle and Honey and of all the encrease of the fielde and the Tythe of all things brought they in aboundantly Neyther doth this belong onely vnto the Reason 1 times of the Law but likewise of the Gospel For the ministery of the Gospel is much more glorious then of the Law and the calling of the Ministers of Iesus Christ is greater then of those that serued at the Altar for as Iohn was farre greater then any of the Prophets that went before him so hee that is least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then hee as Matth. chap. 11. verse 11. If then the Leuites were so bountifully and liberally dealt withall whose seruice was to take end at the exhibiting of the Messiah then much more ought they whose ministery and seruice must stand and continue for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edifying of the body of Christ till wee all come in the vnity of the fayth vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ Eph. 4 12 13. Secondly that they may attend to the holy things of God be no way disturbed For seeing the Apostle giueth it in charge that they must giue attendaÌ„ce to reading to exhortation to doctrine 1. Tim. 4 13. how can they watch ouer the flock and giue themselues to these duties except they haue prouision made for them accordingly or how can they prepare a Table wel furnisht for the people in the church when they haue nothing to set on their tables in their owne houses Or deale bread vnto the hungry when they are hungry themselues or how can they fil the people with the food of the soule when the people suffer them to bee empty and to want the food of the body Lastly it is required of the Ministers that they should be giuen to hospitality as well as to teach 1 Tim. 3 2. the Apostle ioyneth both these together But how shall they shew worke of charity when they haue not to supply their owne necessity Or how shall they entertaine strangers when they are not able to maintaine their owne families Or how should they doe this good vnto the Church when they themselues want it in theyr owne priuate houses Vse 1 The Vses remaine First this reproueth the corrupt dealing of wretched and miserable people who detaine from the Ministers their liuelyhood whereby they should help themselues and releeue others The Popish sort thinke nothing too good for their priests and shauelings but we haue those that thinke euery thing too good for Gods faithfull Ministers their maintenance is too stately their diet too dainty their apparrel too costly their houses too lofty they could be content they were put to earne their liuing with the spade and shouell They will not willingly affoord them any thing and they thinke it well saued which is purloyned from them They are accounted the best husbands that can most cunningly and craftily go beyond them and such as can thrust a new custome though it were neuer heard of before vpon them to defeate and defraud them of that which is due vnto them doth account himselfe to leaue his land in the best state to prouide exceeding well for his posterity and to rid his demeanes of a very great bondage In former times tythes were counted as a debt to the Minister now it is helde a bondage or slauery to pay them And yet these are they that cry out with open mouth against the cruelty and couetousnes of the Clergy like Iudah that exclaimed against the incontinency of Tamar when himself was guilty of no lesse crime Gen. 38. Secondly it reproueth such Patrons as enrich themselues with the liuings of the Church who present other to the place but retaine to themselues a share out of the same These doe bestow the benefice but they keepe the benefite neuer considering that it is a snare to the man who deuoureth that which is holye and after vowes to enquire Prou. 20 25. Now that is to be accounted holy which is dedicated to holy vses whether it be to the worshippe of God to the maintenance of the Ministers to the furtherance of schooles and good learning or to the releefe of the poore and therefore the abolishing or diminishing of these is condemned as sacriledge against God Deut. 23 23. Their forefathers were liberall in furthering the worship of Images nay of the diuel himself imagining it to be the seruice of the true God they spared not to enrich those that were seducers and ringleaders to eternall damnation thogh they were also vnlearned and vngodly vnfit for that calling yet somwhat they gaue them out of baptizings and the other counterfet sacraments out of burials trentals masses months minds euery thing yeelded some see and stipend whereby they grew rich in the world whereas the children of these grudge to giue any thing to their learned and godly pastors which God hath in mercy bestowed as a speciall gift vpon the Church but giue theÌ„ cause to complaine of their wants of meere things necessary The Prophet Malachi is not afraid to pronounce that such vnconscionable dealing
Iames 2 1. wee should haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons which is forbidden condemned by the Apostle Hence it is that our Sauiour speaketh to his Apostles b Math. 10 20 Luke 10 16. It is not you that speak but the spirit of your Father that speaketh within you And to the 70. Disciples and in them to all his true Ministers to the end of the world He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth mee and he that despiseth me desp seth him that sent me For this cause the Thessalonians practising this point are commended by the Apostle that they esteemed and receiued the doctrine deliuered vnto them c 1 Thes 2 13. Rom. 1 16. Not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God which is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth They are the Embassadors of God sent out of him to call vs to repentance and therefore their word or rather the word of GOD spoken by their mouth is to be heard with reuerence marked with diligence and practised with obedience The writer of this book was Moses Thus much touching the chiefe and principall Author of this booke as of the other Scriptures to wit God nowe followeth the lesse principall or instrumentall namely Moses The Lord could if it had pleased him haue written this booke as he did the morall Law contained in the ten commandements with his owne finger without the ministery of mortall man but it stood with his will and Heauenly pleasure to inspire his worde into the hearts of some holy men set apart for this purpose and to make their pen d Psalm 45 1 as the penne of a swift Writer The writer of this Book as also of the three former and of that which followeth was Moses faithfull in the house of God of whose stocke parents birth preseruation banishment and return into the land of Egypt from whence he brought the children of Israel wee reade at large in the Booke of Exodus Him God hauing set apart from his mothers womb to be the deliuerer of his people doth call as it is a Psal 78 70 7â— 72. saide of Dauid and tooke him from the Sheepfolds euen from behind the Ewes with yong brought he him to feede his people in Iacob his inheritance in Israel so he fed them according to the simplicity of his heart and guided them by the discretion of his hands Him also did God chuse to be one of the Scribes to penne a part of his word the first and most anâ—ient Scripture sufficient to guide that people into all truth necessary to be beleeued of them For as Princes and Noblemen haue their principal Secretaries whose persons and pennes they vse to what purposes they please so hath GOD his selected instruments to write his will and to endite what things he reuealed vnto them by whose Spirit they were wholy guided and directed that they could not erre b 2 Pet 1 21. for the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Such a one was Moses the first chosen vessell of God to pen publish his word that it might bee knowne and conueyed vnto all posterities to him c Num. 12 8. Deut. 34 10. God spake mouth to mouth and by vision and not in dark words like to him there arose not a Prophet in Israel whom hee knew face to face These Prophets of God may rightly bee called second Authors of the Scripture all of them Gods Secretaries but Moses as his principall Secretary This consideration of Gods choosing men to be as his organs and instruments to put his Vse 1 whole will and word in writing doth offer to vs diuers good vses which briefly wee will run ouer First it conuinceth all those that thinke and gather that neither this book nor the other foure were written by Moses as now they are left vnto vs but by Esdras or some other more auncient Scribe that liued before his time Adde heereunto d Iren. lib. 3. cap 25. Tertul. lib. de bab mul. clem Alex. lib. 1. strom Hieron aduers Helu Euseb in Chronic. that manie of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church maintayned that when Ierusalem was assaulted sacked by the Chaldeans all the bookes of Moses and other Scriptures were burned together with the Temple and were afterward written againe and brought to light through the help of the diuine memory of Esdras who remembred al that was written in the former copies But this coniecture so much stood vppon by the Ancients be it spoken with their patience and pardon is no better then a fable may bee conuinced by euident demonstration of vndoubted reasons True it is the fourth of Esdras telleth in sober sadnesse this dreame e Esdr lib. 4. c 4 23. cap. 14 21. but euery one knoweth that booke to bee Apochryphall almost as full of lies as leaues insomuch that the Church of Rome ouer bold to adde to the Canon yet f Bel. de verbo Dei lib 1. cap 20. lib. 2. cap 1. are ashamed of this booke to make it Canonicall And we neuer read that the Babylonians euer attempted this sacriledge and if they had it seemeth vnlikely and vnpossible that euer they coulde bring it to passe the bookes beeing dispersed into many mens hands and extant in sundrie copies in sundry places The Assyrians which were sent as certaine Colonies to inhabite in the waste roomes of the ten Tribes the Kingdom of Israel being ouerthrown by Salmanasar when they were disturbed and destroyed by Lyons that tore them in peeces g 2 Kin 1 7 27 were instructed by one of the Priestes in the Law of Moses and no doubt had it among them Antiochus a most bloody tyrant commaunded the bookes of the Law to be cut in peeces burned so many as hee could finde yet did the faithfull preserue them safe and sound with the danger of their owne liues 1 Mach. 1 59. Besides it is not to be imagined that Ezekiel and Daniel continuing in Babylon the seuenty yeares of the captiuity wanted the word law of God all that time to say nothing of Ieremy the Prophet and Gedaliah the Prince were they all so carelesse or forgetfull that in the ruine of the City and spoyling of the temple they would neglect the Law and not saue one booke out of the fire Was there neuer a godly man left that was mindfull of the booke of God But what place is there lefte for any such surmise and suspition seeing the prophet Daniel had both the prophesies h Dan 9 2 11 of Ieremy the Law of Moses Moreouer it appeareth by the testimony of Ezra himselfe the Scribe of God i Ezra 6 18. that the people beeing returned from their captiuity had the Law of Moses amongst them before
and spake vnto you but yee would not heare nor answere I saide Obey my voyce and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walke ye in all the wayes that I haue commanded you that it may bee well vnto you but they would not obey nor encline their eare but went after the counsels and stubbornnesse of their wicked heart went backward and not forward I haue sent vnto you all my seruants the Prophets rising vp early euery day and sending them yet would they not heare mee but hardened their neckes and did worse then their Fathers Thus hee layeth open their sinne therefore no maruaile if that hee threaten to stretch out his hand against them so that the famine should pinch them the sword shoulde slay them the pestilence should waste them the dogges should teare them the wild beasts destroy them and the fowles of the heauen deuoure them Secondly as it reproueth those that refuse to heare The second reprâ—ofe so it condemneth such as onely heare and go no further these rest in it as if they had done their duty and as if no more were required at their hands But know this and marke it that outward seruice separated from inward obedience is not respected but reiected of God This naked hearing is an halting with God which he cannot suffer If we keepe from him the heart he careth not for the eye or the tongue or the eare This is it which the Prophet saith When ye fasted and mourned in the fift and seauenth Moneths Zach. 7 5 6 7 euen these seuenty yâ—ares did ye fast vnto me Doe I approue it Should ye not heare the words which the Lord hath cried by the ministery of the former Prophets when Ierusalem was inhabited and in prosperity and the Cities thereof round about her when the south and the plaine was inhabited To like purpose is Esaiah bold and saith What haue I to doe with the multitude of your Sacrifices Esay 1 11.12 13.14.15 saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rammes I desire not the blood of Bullocks when ye come to appeare before me who required this of your hands to tread in my Courts Bring no moe Oblations in vaine Incense is an abhomination vnto me I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Sabboths c. they are a burthen vnto me I am weary to beare them and when you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mâ—ne eyes from you and though you make many praiers I will not heare Were not these his owne ordinances Did not hee appoint the solemne times of his worship and command sacrifices and oblations to be offered vnto him Yes he set them in his Church and was the Author of them but they perfourmed them in an euill manner without faith without repentance without loue without conscience and therefore as they did them God loathed them So may it be saide of our common and customary hearing remoued from faith obedience Who required it at our hands The Lord cannot abide it he cannot suffer it it is a burden vnto him that he cannot beare God ioyneth hearing and obeying together and cursed is hee that maketh a diuorce betweene them This doth the Prophet Ieremy denounce against all hypocriticall hearers chapt 11. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Iere. 11 3 4 5 Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Couenant which I commanded vnto your Fathers c. He protested vnto them and their Fathers rising early and saying Obey my voyce yet they would not obey nor incline their eare but euery one walked in the stubbornnesse of his wicked heart thus they made a conspiracy against God and hee brought his curses vpon them Thus our Sauiour teacheth it shall bee with many in the last day that saw his person and heard his doctrine they conuersed and continued with him and were partakers of his miracles and ministry who shall then begin to say We haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes Lu. 13 26 27. but he shall say I tell you I know you not whence ye are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity Woe shall then bee to all such hearers and cursed shall their state and condition be These haue an heauier account to make then such as neuer were hearers and neuer had so great mercy offered vnto them Hence it is that Christ pronounced sundry woes against Bethsaida Corazin and Capernaum who had the worde and other meanes of saluation offered vnto them yet liued without repentance and are pronounced to bee worse then the Sodomites For the greater mercies are abused the deeper iudgements are deserued Let vs sette this Capernaum a Citty in Galile before our eyes and looke vpon it as in a glasse that therein we may behold our selues The Lord Iesus was brought vp there and because hee did so much frequent it and was conuersant there many thought hee had beene borne there so that it is called his owne City Mat. 9 1. Secondly the miracles which he wrought there were many he healed the seruant of the Centurion and a man that had an vncleane spirit Math. 8 5. in so much that the Nazarites as it were enuying and repining thereat that that place should be preferred before them saide vnto him Whatsoeuer we haue hâ—ard done in Capernaum do it heere likewise in thâ—ne owne Country Luc. 4.23 thereby implying that the greatest part of his miracles had not beene done among them but among the Capernaites Thirdly there he began to preach saying Repent Math. 4.13.17 Mark 1.14 Iohn 6 59. Luc. 4.31.32 for the Kingdome of heauen is at hand and there he preached of the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood likewise hee taught on the Sabboth day in their Synagogue with power and authority so that they were astonied at his doctrine In all these respects and priuiledges partly of the presence of his person partly of the working of his miracles partly of the preaching of his Gospel Christ pronounceth that they were lifted vp to heauen Mat. 11 23.24 highly aduanced aboue many other Townes Cities that wanted the seeing and hearing of him but because they became vnthankfull and to all these did not ioyne true obedience hee denounceth against them that they should be brought downe to hell the reason hereof is rendred in the next wordes For if the great workes which haue beene done in thee had beene done among them of Sodome they had remained to this day but I say vnto you that it shall be easier for them of the Land of Sodome in the day of iudgement then for thee An heauy doome and a most fearefull sentence and yet most iust and righteous if it bee weighed in the ballance of iustice The sinnes of Capernaum greater then of Sodome Gen. 19 3. Rom 1 27 28. Ezek. 16. Sodome indeede was guilty of vncleannesse and
to continue for euer namely that they are a necessary good for the common-wealth whereas these damnable heretikes hold them neither necessary nor good but vnnecessary euills that ought not to be planted nor grow among Gods people and where they haue beene planted ought as superfluous branches to be topped and lopped or as noysome weeds to be rooted vp and remooued But the Scriptures of the old and new Testament commend vnto vs captaines in warre and gouernours in peace But those men acknowledge neither the calling of captaines nor the lawfulnesse of warre Rom. 13.1 The Apostles of Christ at what time Magistrates are euill both prophane idolaters and bloody persecutors command euery soule to be subiect to the higher power inasmuch as there is no power but of God The ancient commandement of the morall Law establisheth this as a perpetuall ordinance neuer to be disanulled vntil the vniuersall frame of the heauens be dissolued that we must honour father and mother that is not onely such as are fathers of the family Exod. 20.12 but such as are fathers of the Countrey He that said Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauen image Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery said also Honour the King 1 Pet. 2.17 For as the house cannot stand without gouernors to rule it no more can the Common-wealth And as themselues take vpon them to order their owne houses and exercise authority and dominion ouer such as are vnder their roofe and Regiment so is the Magistrate called to manage the affaires of state and to doe that within the walles of the citie which he doth within the wals of his house The father hath gouernment ouer his son the master ouer his seruants the husband ouer his wife the teacher ouer his schollers and why then not the Magistrate ouer his subiects Neither doth the Gospel subuert the order appointed by God in the dispensation of the Law for Christ Iesus who first preached the Gospel chargeth vs to giue Caesar those things that belong to Caesar and the things that are Gods Matth. 22.21 we must giue to God So his Apostles teach that we must rather obey God then man when their commandements cannot stand together but when God is not disobeyed themselues preached and practised obedience and reprooued and condemned all disobedience Secondly The second reproofe of the Pope and his Cleargy heere the Pope and all the Romish Hierarchy and Cleargy are reprooued who exempt themselues from the authority and iurisdiction of Princes and Magistrates These cal themselues the spiritualty and claime an immunity both in regard of their persons and of their goods wherein they are confederate and ioine hands with their brethren the Anabaptists as wretched enemies to the crownes and scepters of Princes as themselus Only here lyeth the difference the Anabaptists confesse that Magistrats must be obeyed but they deny that there ought to be any in the Church Contrariwise the Pope with all the rabble of his horned Bishops confesse that there ought to be Magistrates but they vtterly deny that themselues ought to be subiect vnto them Now it is in effect all one whether wee take away Magistracy or whether we yeeld not to their authority And if there be any inequality betweene these the Anabaptists seeme to be the better who liue peaceably and obediently vnder them whose power notwithstanding they deny He is an euill child that denieth his father but he is worse that is obstinate stubborne that will not obey him but resist him How many wayes the Popish Religion is enemy to Princes we haue shewed elsewhere In the exposition vpon the Epistle to Philemon I speake not now of the wicked practises of their Assassinates that murther Princes but of their doctrine taught for sound and Catholike by all their schoole-diuines not by some few onely of them For they teach that their persons in causes Ecclesiasticall Ciuill and criminall are exempted from the Courts and Consistories of temporall Magistrates as appeareth in their publike disputations and by the iudicial proceedings of Paulus the fift against he Venetians who were excommunicated and the city interdicted so that their religious men ceased from ministring Ecclesiasticall Sacraments And as they challenge a freedome of their persons so they claime a freedome from paying tributes and like taxes to Princes nd will be bound to them in no respect To the and we may see the truth in these points Obiections â—nswered â—hereby the â—ope and his Cleargy â—laime freeâ—ome from â—emporall Princes be armed against their Arguments let vs see the grounds whervpon they stand and afterward produce sundry reasons out of the word of God to conuince their proud and false assertions First they obiect that the superiour ought not to be in subiection to the inferiour but contrariwise the inferiour must Obiect 1 be subiect to the superiour this is the Law of God and man But the Ecclesiasticall Regiment is distinguished from the Ciuill and politicall state and set farre aboue it by the Law of God Bellar. de cleri lib. 1. cap. 28. as the soule is aboue the body therefore Ecclesiasticall causes ought not to be iudged by temporall Magistrates I answere Answer by distinguishing the seuerall callings for Princes are superiours and inferiours and Ecclesiasticall persons are superiours and inferiours both of them are aboue others in the proper duties of their callings If any reply to be superiour and yet to be inferiour to be aboue and yet to be beneath are contrary I reioyne they are contrary and yet not contrary they are contrary if meant of one and the same thing and spoken in one and the same respect but if they bee diuersly considered in respect of diuers obiects there is no contrariety at all in them To apply this to the point obiected I say that the superiour cannot be subiect in those things wherein he is superiour but he may be and ought to be in those things in which he is inferiour Now the Ecclesiasticall gouernment albeit it be higher then the politike in the essentiall duties belonging vnto it to wit the preaching of the word of God and the administration of the Sacraments yet it is inferiour in those things that belong to Ciuill subiection and obedience Princes must obey so farre as the word of God commandeth in matters of faith and piety neither haue they any authority to inuent and frame a new Religion or to change and alter the Religion set downe in the Scripture or to decide and determine the Controuersies of Religion at their owne pleasure or to preach the word themselues or to dispence the Sacraments of the Church But in respect of Ciuill power ouer all persons they must acknowledge no superiour no equall they are aboue all and vnder none within Obiect 2 their dominions Secondly they obiect It is absurd and vnreasonable that the sheepe should iudge the sheepeheard or
for the greater among which this is one of the greatest The Prophet praying for the prosperous estate of the Kingdom of Salomon saith Giue thy iudgements to the King O God Psal 72 1 2. and thy righteousnesse vnto the Kings sonne Then shall he iudge thy people in righteousnesse and thy poore with equity This duty belongeth to vs and this ought to bee our prayer and petition and as God hath blessed vs with a gracious Prince his hopefull issue contrary to the expectation of many male-contents and hollow-hearted enemies of vs and our Religion so we are often to cal to remembrance the ioyfull and happy time when GOD in his great goodnesse brought him to this Kingdome and to sitte vpon the Throne lineally descended vnto him so that we may say with the Psalmist Psal 118 23 24. This was the Lords doing it is maruellous in our eyes this is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it Heereby did God allay the bitternesse of sorrow worthily conceiued for the decease of our late Soueraigne so that the setting as it were of the Moone was recompenced with the bright shining of the Sunne and the closing of the eyes as it were shutting the windowes of declining age with a greater perfection of age of sexe of gifts and many other prerogatiues Thus doth one and the same day minister matter and occasion both of sorrow and of gladnesse The 24. day of March Anno Domini 1603. of discomfort yet of comfort of weeping yet of reioycing as a medicine composed of contrary ingredients so that we may say sing with the Poet Iamque dies nisi fallor adest quē semper acerbū Semper honorandum sic dij voluistis habebo Virgil. Eneid lib. 3. Hunc ego Getulis agerem si Syrtibus exul Argolicoue mari deprensus vrbe Mycenae Annua vota tamen solennesque ordine pompas Exequerer strueremqque suis altaria donis That is This this day euer-dolefull shall and euer ioyfull be Yea merry-sad and bitter sweet thus God did it decree If I were cast among the Moores and liued a captiue slaue Yet yearely vowes and duties due the Altars high should haue Thus may we and a great deale more iustly say of the day aboue named which is heauy and yet happy threatning a storme and yet shining cleerely Who did not greatly feare and whose hearts were not full of perplexed thoughts to consider what dangers were likely to fall vpon our heads when God should call vnto himselfe Queene Elizabeth and gather her vnto her Fathers But behold Gods great prouidence dealing in mercy toward vs who shut vp the mouth of the Lyons and put vp the sword of the enemy and quenched the violence of the fire so that no noyse no tumult no crying was heard in our streetes no sacking of Cities no tumbling of garments in blood was seene no alarme of battell was discerned of any not a dog lifted vp his tongue Esay 9 5. but all things were submisse and quiet Thus God brought King Iames vnto the kingdome with a traine of all estates degrees callings companies and conditions with Oliue branches of peace in their hands sinesudore sanguine that is without sweating and blood-shedding No man lost his goods no man lost his life no Babilonish cōfusion followed but euery one held his owne with greater certainty and security then before whereat the enemies of our peace and religion fret and rage and gnash their teeth for anger and are like to burst for enuy seeing their expectation is frustated all theyr hopes are defeated Yea Lord disappoint them more and more cast them into the pit which they haue digged and rowle the stone vpon themselues which they haue stirred let them be consumed and confounded in theyr owne deuices and taste of the fruite of theyr owne malice let their eyes looke for a day of comfort and refreshing vntill they fall out of their heads according to that saying Rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis Horat. lib. 1. Epist 2. at ille Labitur labetur in omne volubilis aeuum That is They wait vntill the Riuer waxeth dry But he doth runne and shall eternally So then to vse the words of the Prophet Esay ch 5 24. As the flame of fire deuoureth the stubble as the chaffe is consumed of the flame so their roote shall be as rottennesse and their bud shall rise vp like dust because they haue cast off the Law of the Lord of Hostes and contemned the word of the holy one of Israel On the other side let vs acknowledge it to be our duty to render humble and hearty thankes to GOD for his goodnesse toward vs in deliuering vs from the dangers that did hang ouer vs in frustrating the policies of the vngodly in continuing among vs the Gospell of peace in maintaining concord and vnity among vs all these by placing our dread Soueraigne ouer vs and thereby remouing a thousand calamities that threatned shipwracke and finall desolation Let vs not now grow secure but oftentimes remember the benefits that wee haue receiued It is noted that when Salomon was set vpon the seat of Dauid his father 1 Kin. 1 48. the people came vp after him yea they piped with pipes and reioyced with great ioy so that the earth rang with the sound of them So when Hiram King of Tyrus heard the words of Salomon he reioyced greatly and saide 1 Kin. 5 7. Blessed be the Lord this day which hath giuen vnto Dauid a wise sonne ouer this mighty people Likewise when the Queene of Sheba saw the glory of Salomon and knew it to bee a chiefe signe of Gods fauour to haue godly and wise Rulers sit in the Throne of iustice and iudgement she brake foorth not onely into an admiration of his wisedome and his seruants happinesse but also into an open thanksgiuing Blessed be the Lord thy God which loueth thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel 1 Kin. 10 9. because the Lord loued Israel for euer and made thee King to doe equity and righteousnesse These are good examples for vs to follow and teach vs what we ought to doe when God blesseth vs with an vpright Dauid with a wise Salomon with a zealous Hezekiah with a religious Iosiah with a reforming Iehosaphat it is our duty to returne praise and glory to God and withall to pray heartily for the prosperous and happy continuance of such among vs that they may liue long vpon earth to promote his glory to aduance the Gospell to establish peace plenty and prosperity among their people 10. On the South-side shall bee the standard of the hoast of Reuben according to their armies and the Captaine ouer the sonnes of Reuben shall be Elizur the sonne of Shedeur 11. And his hoast and the number thereof were sixe and forty thousand and fiue hundreth 12. And by him shall the
our hearts to worke in vs the fruites of obedience Let vs enter into our owne selues and examine our consciences aright and reason with our selues after this manner How commeth it to passe that we haue sinned and yet are spared that we haue beene in danger and yet are deliuered and are not destroyed seeing so many of our neighbours die round about vs daily how is it that we are spared Haue not our sinnes deserued to be swept away or can we say we are not guilty If we search our hearts and wayes throughly and deale truely with God and our selues we must confesse that there is nothing in our selues but matter to kindle his wrath and to cut vs off and to punish vs with greater plagues then he hath hitherto inflicted vpon vs. It is his mercy that we liue and haue a longer time of repentance giuen vnto vs hee might haue cut vs off as rotten branches fit for no other vse then to be cast into the fire We must be thankfull vnto him for this goodnesse and not abuse his patience and long suffering lest we kindle his wrath againe and he reserue vs for a greater plague and so we bring a more heauy condemnation vpon our selues Blessed are we if wee can make this holy and sanctified vse of affliction the which albeit for the present time it seeme greeuous and not ioyous Heb. 12 11. yet afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse vnto them which are thereby exercised Thus we see how this doctrine is the cause of much comfort and consolation if wee behaue our selues as we ought to do vnder the Crosse Wee haue not to doe with an hard and cruell father that will not regard vs nor with a weake and impotent father that cannot releeue vs for our God is in heauen he is able to do whatsoeuer he will Little children do oftentimes receiue great hurt beeing farre from their fathers sight and left vnto themselues it is not so with vs wee are alwayes in the presence of GOD our Father he is our eye to see for vs our eare to heare for vs our hand stretched out to helpe vs and deliuer vs. For how should not hee that made the eie see and that made the eare heare Psal 94 9. It is saide when Israel was in Egypt and there oppressed with cruell bondage that GOD looked vpon the children of Israel Exod. 2 25. and God had respect vnto them so that hee did not looke vpon their miseries as an idle beholder of them or as one that tooke pleasure to see their calamities but as one that was mooued with compassion toward them and pittied their poore estate and condition for as he saw their troubles and knew their sorrowes Exod. 3 7. so hee came downe to deliuer them out of the hand of the Egyptians Hec it is that giueth diligent care to all our grones and sighes he knoweth in what case wee stand and what paines we feele hee taketh so great care and keepe of vs that he suffereth not any of our teares to fall to the ground but putteth them into his bottle and layeth them vp in his register Thus doeth GOD remember vs in trouble heareth and helpeth vs at all times hath a continuall care of vs that wee shoulde not be discouraged nor drinke a full cuppe and draughte of affliction to bee left without comfort vnder the waues thereof that might drowne our soules This is the staffe of comfort which Christ giueth vnto his Disciples and all that beleeued in his Name euen to so many as should see the ruine and horrible destructiō that should come vppon the City and the Temple Math. 24 verse 22. Math. 24 22 Then shall be great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time nor yet shall be hereafter and except those daies should be shortened there should no flesh be saued but for the elects sake those daies shall be shortned In these words the faithfull are comforted by consideration of the mercy of God in the mitigation of those iudgements which hee would bring vpon Ierusalem True it is some do vnderstand them of the second comming of Christ with power and great glory according to a rotten Prophesie of one of the Rabbines setting downe the standing and continuing of the world namely Two thousand yeares before the Law A worme-eaten and moth-eaten prophesie of one Elias two thousand vnder the Law and two thousand vnder Christ but for the Elects sake those daies should be shortned The examination of this counterfeit and worm-eaten Prophesie belongeth not to this place nor time the two first parts being vntrue the third both vntrue vncertaine and vnsetled hauing no sure ground or foundation to stand vpon For touching the true meaning of the place it is not to be vnderstood of the day of iudgement but of the destruction of Ierusalem For when Christ speaking by the Spirit of Prophesie foretolde of the taking and ruinating of the Temple so that one stone shold not be left vp on a stone that should not bee cast down the Disciples vpon occasion hereof asked the question when these things should be and what should be the signes of his comming to iudgement To these two questions he answereth distinctly not confusedly and first of all to the first wherein he giueth them sundry signes going before the sackking of the City of Ierusalem as for example Math. 24 15. Luc. 21.20 and 19 43. Math. 24.19 20 when yee shall see the abhomination of desolation that is the Romane army as Luke expounds it sit in the holy place know that the end is neere then being touched with a commiseration of their sorrowes he saith Wo to them that are with childe and giue sucke in these daies pray that your flight bee not in the winter c. Such were no fit persons to flye such is no fit time to flye from their cruell and bloody enemies nor to escape the rage of barbarous and mercilesse souldiers Then shal be such trouble and tribulation as no tongue can expresse no pen can write no language hath words to vtter The sword deuoured without and both sword and famine raged consumed within Ioseph de bello Iudai li. 7. c. 8. so that they were constrained to eate their owne children during the straightnesse of the siege These be the dayes of vengeance to fulfill all things that are written Immediately vpon the mention of these woes and tribulations follow these words Except those dayes should bee shortned Luc 21 22. c as if he should say If God had suffered those sharpe afflictions to continue and the enemies to rage against them as they desired and their sinnes deserued none of that Nation had escaped al the Iewes had bene rooted out as one man No flesh that is not a man among the Iewes had beene left aliue Rom. 9 1 2 3 But for the elects sake that is because
before his conuersion to the faith he had been a persecuter a blasphemer and iniurious consenting to the death of Stephen and breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord one borne out of due time the least of the Apostles the least of all Saints not meete to be called an Apostle but rather a destroyer of the faith of the brethren But when he came to preach the faith which before he destroyed he was nothing inferiour to the chiefe Apostles 2 Cor. 11. â— more then a Minister of Christ in labours more aboundant in stripes aboue measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft louing him very much of whom he had receiued much so that he gaue no place to the residue of the Apostles Euen as in the manner of the natural generation we see that oftentimes such as are of weakest nature and constitution of body are blessed with increase of children and a plentifull posterity more then those that are of stronger complexion so such as haue meane gifts and lesser knowledge and perhaps neuer trained vp in the schooles of the Prophets may saue more soules and bring more to God then such as haue taken many degrees and haue attained to a great depth and profoundnesse of learning as we shall haue occasion farther to shew in this booke What then Chap. 8. Obiection are Vniuersities to be despised are schooles of learning to no purpose No Answere they are nourceries of knowledge humane and diuine They are as those riuers that water the garden of God The Lord blesse them that blesse those places and curse them that are enemies to the peace and prosperity of them and thrust thorough their loynes that wish their hurt neither let them which goe by say The blessing of the Lord be vpon such we blesse you in the Name of the Lord. Neuerthelesse the Lord is not bound to such as are brought vp in those places but maketh the labours of those that want the Artes and Tongues being conscionable in their callings very auaileable to the glory of his Name and to the sauing of many soules Lastly we are put in mind of this duty that Vse 5 we ought not to rest vpon flesh and blood as vpon a reede that will deceiue vs but vpon God the Rocke of our saluation Some put their trust in horses and some in charets Psal 20. and some in Princes Psal 146. We can make no resistance against the weakest things which are as warlike weapons that neuer returne empty but euen they shall be able to push vs downe and to preuaile against vs and to destroy vs vtterly Let vs not therefore lift vp our mindes against God but humble our selues before him Our strength is nothing our multitudes are nothing our Armor and munition is nothing if God fight against vs. Let vs not thinke to escape his hands who is able to arme few against many and the weak against the strong as 1 Sam. 14.6 1 Sam. 14 6. where Ionathan saith to the yong man that bare his armour Come and let vs goe ouer vnto the Garison of these vncircumcised it may be that the Lord will make for vs for there is no restraint of the Lord to saue by many or by few The same in effect Dauid speaketh to the Philistime The Lord saueth not with sword and speare 〈◊〉 â—7 47 for the battell is the Lords and he will giue you into our hands Thus also Asa cryed vnto the Lord his God when a great hoste of a thousand thousand came out against him Lord it is nothing with thee to helpe 〈◊〉 14.11 whether with many or with them that haue no power Helpe vs O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name we goe against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee We must therefore renounce all pride in our selues and that vaine confidence which will deceiue vs. We haue to doe with God If he will destroy vs and deliuer vs as a prey into the iawes of death 〈◊〉 praelect 〈◊〉 though there be no enemie to resist vs nor power of man to ouercome vs yet we may not secure our selues nor suffer our hearts to be compassed about with presumption as with a chaine he is able with the breath of his nostrils to blow vs away that we shall be no more This vse is concluded by the Prophet Ieremy chapter 37.9.10 〈◊〉 â—7 9.10 Thus saith the Lord Deceiue not your selues saying The Chaldeans shall surely depart from vs for they shall not depart For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise vp euery man in his tent and burne this city with fire Whereby we see that destruction of a kingdome or of a city dependeth not vpon a multitude of men or vpon the valiantnesse and violence of souldiers but vpon the pleasure of God who executeth his iudgements by what hands soeuer he will For when a few and poore remnant remaine and those of wounded men halfe dead and wholly vnable to resist euen such as are thrust thorough with the sword gasping for life and ready to giue vp the Ghost yet shall they recouer the battel that was lost and obtaine the victory and conquer the conquerer and strike down as bulrushes the strongest and choicest men that before preuailed and had the vpper-hand A notable example and memorable exploit whereof we haue recorded in the Turkish history 〈◊〉 history â—e life of â—rath the 〈◊〉 concerning a Christian souldier who sore wounded and all bloody seeing Amurath the third king of the Turkes comming after the victory that he had obtained to take a view of the dead bodies which without number lay on heapes in the field like mountaines seeing him I say rose vp as well as hee was able in staggering manner as if it had beene from death out of an heape of slaine men and making toward him for want of strength fell downe diuers times by the way as he came at length drawing nigh vnto him as though he would haue craued his life of the tyrant and in honour of him haue kissed his feete suddenly stabbed him in the bottome of his belly with a short dagger so that the conquerour was conquered and presently dyed Thus it is with poore weake men when God strengtheneth them for the feeble become strong and the strong feeble 32 These are those which were numbred of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers all those that were numbred of the Campes throughout their hostes were fixe hundred thousand and three thousand and fiue hundred and fiftie 33 But the Leuites were not numbred among the children of Israel as the Lord commanded Moses 34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses so they pitched by their standards and so they set forward euery one after
and had praied with fasting they commended them to the Lord on whō they beleeued Acts 14 23. Likewise the Apostle left Titus in Crete that he should set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in euery City as hee had appointed him Titus 1 5. Thus we see what the practise of the holy Apostles was toward the Churches which they had planted so that in all kingdomes and Countries and Congregations conuerted to the true faith the ministery of the word must bee firmely established well seene vnto and regarded both to bring them to God and to settle them in God and to continue them with God that they may abide his for euermore Reason 1 Let vs search into the reasons heereof for the confirming of vs farther in this truth First a certaine and setled ministery is an euident signe and token that God hath a Church and people to be wonne and begotten by the precious and immortall seed of the word which is the seed of regeneration and by their ministry whom he sendeth and sanctifieth to teach them in the truth Where he will haue much labour to be bestowed and more planting watering to be vsed then in other places hee hath much people to be gained and gathered vnto him where he will haue little paines bestowed there he hath a small people and a little company to be saued Where he will haue no teaching he hath no Church to be collected and conuerted vnto the faith When Paul had preached the Gospell planted a church at Corinth and was ready to haue departed The Lord spake vnto him in the night by a visian Acts 18 9 10. Be not afraide but speake and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this City Hee must labour more plentifully and aboundantly among them because God had a greater people in that place On the other side where he would not haue them exercise their ministery it is a signe and token he hath no people there No labourers no corne no haruest men no haruest no shepheards no flocke Hence it is that when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the Region of Galatia they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assaied to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not Acts 16 6 7. Thus we see that a standing ministery is a signe of a Church and where the word is not there is no Church Reason 2 Secondly without the light of the word the people remaine in darknesse and cannot see they grope at noone dayes and know not what they doe as it was in Egypt when the plague of palpable darkenes was sent among them they saw not one another neyther arose any from his place Exod. 10 23. Thus it fareth with those that want the light of the candle or the shining of the Sunne of Gods word among them they lye vnder one of the most heauy plagues that can be but whē the word is sent vnto them they haue a great light to direct them in their waies according to the saying of the Prophet Esay 60 2 3. The darknesse shall couer the earth and grosse darknesse the people but the Lord shall arise vpon thee and his glory shall be seene vpon thee and the Gentiles shall come to thy light Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising Such then as haue not the ministery of the word are as a crew or company of infidels as an heard of brute beasts and cattel that are running on heapes to their destruction or like to those swine of the Gadarens into which the diuels entred at the permission of Christ so that they ranne violently downe a steepe place into the sea and perished in the waters Math. 8 32. Thirdly the necessity of a ministery is so Reason 3 cleere and euident that all the Gentiles had their Priests and Prophets that attended on their prophane and superstitious Altars and it was their first care to establish a religion such as it was among them This were easie to be shewed by the testimonies of antiquity out of all histories and records to haue beene obserued in all places at all times among all people After that Rome was builded and a sufficient people assembled in it immediately they established the worship of their gods indeed a false worship of false gods but therby they testified their great deuotion and theyr seruice and sacrifice done vnto them so that they erected a Colledge pontificall Plutar. in vita Numae ordained Bishops and instituted an High-Priest to haue authority ouer their Ceremonies and Lawes Virgil. Eglo 3. From hence commeth the saying in the Poet A Ioue principium that is Let vs make beginning with GOD. But to omit these wee see how Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne setting vp his two Calues appointed his Priests to attend at them Ahab and Iezabel had their idolatrous Chaplaines many Prophets of the groues 1 Kings 18 19. The colony brought from Babylon and placed in Samaria are saide to make a mixture of religion and to make vnto themselues of the lowest of them Priests of the high places which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places 2. Kings 17. 2 King 17 32. Thus we see that among the very infidels No Priest no religion If it were thus among them who saw darkely and were without the true light of the Scripture much more ought wee to learne it that haue beene taught better things and haue the sure word of the Prophets to guide vs. Fourthly such is our frailety and weakenesse Reason 4 that notwithstanding wee liue vnder a setled ministery and haue giuen our names to the faith and haue yeelded some obedience to the truth yet we are ready to start back againe For as the body is prone to pine away without supply of daily food so are our soules ready to perish being destitute of the heauenly Manna of the word of God The wise man saith Where is no vision the people perish but hee that keepeth the Law happy is hee Prou. 29 18. The preaching of the word is the ordinary meanes of saluation and therefore without it the people perish The people of Zabulon and Naphtali were in the shaddow of death vntill Christ came among them and was reuealed vnto them Math. 4 15 16. The Prophet teacheth that the people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge Hos 4 6. When Moses was absent from the host of the Israelites onely forty daies they fell into idolatry worshipped the Calfe Exod. 32. So where the Minister and ministery of the word is wanting there for the most part no euill is wanting but swarmes of drunkards adulterers swearers theeues lyars and all kinde of impieties doe abound and ouerflow These are alasse too rife where the word is taught diligently and published in season and out
shall be put to death 39. All that were numbred of the Leuites which Moses Aaron numbred at the commandement of the Lord throughout all their families all the males from a moneth old and vpward were twenty and two thousand Wee haue already handled the numbring of two of the families that haue their foundation in the sonnes of Leui to wit the Gershonites and the Kohathites Now followeth the third and last that is the Merarites touching whom we are to consider sundry particular points as we haue done in the two former diuisions For first the families descended of Merari are named which are two the Mahlites and the Mushites verse 33. Secondly the number of persons the summe of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and aboue was sixe thousand two hundred verse 34. Thirdly the Ouerseer or Superintendent of them all was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail Fourthly the place of their abode in the host was on the North-side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Lastly the office and function committed vnto them was the woodworke and the rest of the instruments These things were committed to their charge and custody Hitherto wee haue handled the numbring of this Tribe simply considered in it selfe according to the particular families of it now let vs obserue how it is concluded In this conclusion set downe in the two last verses of this diuision we are to marke two points first the persons that went before the Arke of the Couenant on the East-side secondly the totall sum of the whole Tribe is reckoned vp The persons that were to pitch on the fore-front of the Tabernacle toward the East are these both Moses himselfe as the chiefe Captaine Commander ouer the whole and also Aaron with his sons the Priests ministring vnto God and his Church whereunto is annexed a certaine prouiso that none should dare to thrust himselfe into their office verse 38. Secondly the totall sum of all the former particulars is brought together and the accounts cast vp which are said to amount to two and twenty thousand v. 39. Out of which generall number must be deducted the Priests and the first borne of the Leuites themselues for otherwise the whole Tribe of Leui consisting of the Priests and such as are called by the common name of Leuites amounted to the number of twenty and two thousand and three hundred soules Verse 33. Of Merari was the family c. In this diuision we see more plainely and particularly that which was in part noted before namely the seuerall mansions and situations that these Leuites had about the Tabernacle which being the place of Gods publike seruice they compassed it round about that they might not be farre from any of the people of God but alwaies resident among them The Gershonites pitched behinde the Tabernacle westward verse 23. The Kohathites pitched on the south-side of the Tabernacle verse 29. The Merarites pitched on the north side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Now lest any part should be left vnfurnished and vnprouided Moses and Aaron and his sonnes are commanded to take vp the fore-front of the Tabernacle and to pitch on the East-side GOD might haue put and placed all the Leuites in one corner of the host if it had pleased him but in great mercy both toward the Leuites and people they are seated in the middest of the army and charged to compasse the Tabernacle round about to the end they might serue the better for giuing direction and instruction indifferently to all the rest of the Tribes that were to vse their Ministery Thus we see that neither the Teachers were constrained to go farre to their hearers nor the hearers to take any tedious iourney to their Teachers This teacheth vs that God will haue euery part of his people taught Such is the goodnesse Doctrine 1 of almighty God God wil haue all places and people taught euen the smallest that he will haue none of his seruants vntaught how small soeuer the places be how meane soeuer the persons be None are too high in regard of their great places none are too low in regard of their obscure callings none are too good to be taught whatsoeuer their degrees be We see this most euidently in the Tribe of Leui it selfe To what end and purpose were they diuided in Iacob and scattered in Israel Gen. 49 Gen. 49 7 but that all the Lords people might be instructed from the highest to the lowest and haue their portion in due season alotted vnto them of God This is giuē as a commendation of the Leuites and of Iehoshaphat that sent them 2 Chron 17 9. They taught in Iudah and had the booke of the Law of the Lord with them and went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people This we see in the Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians and setting downe the notable fruites and ends of the Ministery of the word Eph. 4 13. He gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Teachers Till we all meete together in the vnity of faith vnto a perfect man and the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Touching the practise of this duty we haue a notable example in Christ our Sauiour in many places of the Euangelists Luke 8 1. It came to passe afterward that he went throughout euery City and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of the kingdome of God and chap. 13 22. He went through the Cities Villages teaching and iournying toward Ierusalem The like we reade of the twelue Apostles who walked in the steps of their master going through the Townes preaching the Gospel and healing euery where Luke 9 6. So also it was with the seuenty Disciples the Lord sent thē two and two before his face into euery city and place whither he himselfe would come Luk. 10 1. Seeing then the Priests and Leuites Christ his Disciples went about through all the Citties of Iudah published the Gospel in euery city and village preached euery where and went into all places we conclude that it is the ordinance of God that all places great and small all persons high and low all congregations bigge and little should haue the word of God established and setled among them Reason 1 This will be made plaine and cleere vnto vs by diuers reasons First consider with me the titles that are giuen vnto God in the Scriptures He is worthily called the King of his Church and the Lord Master of his house-Is not he the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like sheepe Psal 80 1. Will a Shepheard that hath any care of his Sheepe or any loue vnto them looke vnto some of them and not to all Or will he not rather if any be gone astray Lu. 15 4 5 6. leaue ninety and nine in the wildernesse and seeke that lost one vntill he finde it So is it the will of our Father that is
spend our strength in vaine and for nothing yet our iudgement is with the Lord and our worke with our God Esay 49 4 5. In the meane season let our labour be answerable to the greatnesse of our calling that so we may be worthy of that honour Vse 4 Lastly seeing the function of the Ministery is of great excellency and dignity we must vnderstand that great gifts are required in the Ministers and they must in a good measure be qualified thereunto This vse doth the Apostle make 1 Tim. 3. The office of a Minister is a worthy worke therefore he ought to be of blamelesse conuersation and apt to giue instruction to the people He must shew both integrity of life and light of doctrine which is as the Vrim and Thummim that the Priest did beare on his brest-plate of iudgement Exod. 28 30. It is the best harmony that can be made when life and doctrine agree together otherwise we are as iarring cymbals Hence it is that the Prophet speaking of the Couenant of life and peace made with Leui Malac. 2 6 saith The law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lippes c. and he did turne many away from iniquity The Ministers are called by Christ both the light of the world and the salt of the earth In like manner Paul exhorteth the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20 28. Take heed vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer the which the holy Ghost hath made you Ouerseers 1 Tim 4 16. to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood They must take heed to themselues by liuing well and to the flocke by feeding well with wholesome food They must shew themselues patternes of good workes Titus 2 7 8. If the calling were meane meane gifts would serue to furnish them that are chosen and exalted to that calling but seeing it is great we ought to labour after great gifts and to be adorned with worthy graces They that watch ouer soules ought to haue a quicke and sharpe sight that they may descry the crafty wiles and guiles of Satan They ought to haue a wonderfull care of their duty that are to attend the flocke of God day and night and be able to teach all and to deale with all sorts of men as Math. 13 52. He must be a Scribe taught of God No young scholler a workman that needeth not to be ashamed who see and try his worke diuiding the word of truth aright They must be able to seeke out that which is lost able to strengthen the weake able to heale the sicke able to binde vp the broken No skill is sufficient for these works to be the Lords husbandmen to dresse and husband the Church that it become not an vnfruitfull and barren wildernesse No skill in vs is sufficient to make vs the light of the world Math. 5 the salt of the earth the builders of Christs body the coworkers of God 1 Corinth 3 19 the Embassadours of Christ 2 Corinth 5 20 the Stewards of the house Titus 1 7 the fathers of the Church 1 Corinth 4 15 the fishers of men Math. 4 19 the Ministers of the Spirit 2 Corinth 3 6 the builders of the Temple the Shepheards of the sheepe Eph. 4 11 the planters and waterers of the garden 1 Corinth 3 6 7 the watchmen of the City Ezek. 33 7. Heb. 13 17 the Trumpetters of the host and the stars of the firmament Reuel 1 20. Dan. 12 3. The City of God which is the Church is a more glorious and beautifull worke then is the fabrick or frame of the whole world besides On the other side see the misery of blinde guides and the mischiefe that commeth by dumbe dogs yea the desolation that cometh vpon the people that haue such Pastours or Shepheards they are altogether vnworthy of that calling No man will make him his horsekeeper that hath no knowledge nor skil in horsemanshippe nor any experience that way nor his Cooke that cannot tell how to dresse his meate nay not his swineheard that is no better then an Image or Idoll and cannot tell how to guide or gouerne them And yet behold the simplicity and sottishnesse of the world and wonder at it They regard not to commit the soules of men that are most precious to such as we wil not willingly commit an heard of bruite beasts to be kept Ezek 33 6. The watchman that is blinde and dumbe and the City that setteth vp such an one shall perish together and our Sauiour testifieth that if the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch Mat. 15 14. Woe vnto such leaders woe vnto such as are thus led These make this a base calling as if Ieroboams Priests were fit enough that were taken from the lowest of the people CHAP. IIII. 1. AND the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron saying 2. Take the summe of the sonnes of Kohath from among the sonnes of Leui after their families by the house of their fathers 3. From thirty yeares and vpward euen vntill fifty yeares old all that enter into the host to doe the worke in the Tabernacle of the Congregation 4. This shall be the seruice of the sonnes of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Congregation about the most holy things IN this Chapter we haue an other numbring of the Leuites howbeit it is in another kinde then the former in the former chapter For in the third chapter the Tribe of Leui is numbred according to the persons but in this chapter it is numbred according to their office and Ministery so that there is a great difference betweene this and the other True it is Difference betweene the numbring in this chapter and the former in them both this Tribe is numbred but not this Tribe onely nor all the same persons nor yet to the same end We saw before a generall enumeration of the families of the Leuites as they succeeded in the roome of the first borne who had beene separated sanctified to the worship of God to the Ministery of the word to the seruice of the Church and to the spirituall gouernment of the people so that as well the first borne as they are numbred But in this chapter onely the Leuites are numbred not all nor any of the first borne who were now freed and exempted and fully discharged from that ministration Againe in the former chapter all the Leuites are numbred from a moneth old vpward but in this onely such as were fitted by their yeares to vndertake and execute the office of the Ministery which lawfull age is heere defined and determined to begin at thirty and to end at fifty yeares Lastly that numbring in the former chapter was to another end and purpose then this There they were all numbred frō one moneth that it might be knowne what ouerplus there was of the first borne but heere they are accounted from 30. yeares old to 50. that
the Minister of GOD to attend the issue Shee stood to be iudged he to be the instrument of the iudgement She was to come vnto iudgement he to bring her vnto iudgement Thus we haue runne ouer the principall questions that were to be touched Analys Iunij in Numer in handling whereof I haue followed the iudgment of the learned who haue discussed and resolued these doubts and difficulties before me Now we are to proceed in order to the doctrine arising from hence Verse 15.16 Then shall the man bring his wife vnto the Priest c. We see in these words that the man is to bring his suspected wife to the place and meanes of her tryall If euery one that was suspected might be put away many husband 's not louing but growing weary of their wiues would readily entertaine any the least flying report and thereupon take occasion to be diuorsed from them Wherefore to the end that euery one suspected shold not by and by be condemned the Lord ordaineth that he should bring his wife to the Priest and before him vndergoe such tryall as is appointed for her Doctrine None is to be accounted guilty before tryall We learne from hence that it is Gods ordinance that no innocent person should be oppressed in iudgement and none at the priuate pleasure of any ought to be condemned before their tryall Euery person must hold vp his hand at the barre before he be pronounced guilty This appeareth plainly in the Law of Moses decreeing against idolatrous cities if the children of Belial haue withdrawne the inhabitants of their citie saying Let vs goe and serue other gods which ye haue not knowne Deut. 12.14 15 and 19.18 Then shalt thou enquire and make search and aske diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certaine that such abomination is wrought among you thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword destroying it vtterly and all that is therein c. Where we see that in the matter of idolatry which God aboue many other sinnes abhorreth as that which goeth neerest to his heart and as it were pierceth into the very marrow of his worship and seruice he would not haue euery suspicion to be taken or euery report to be receiued but hee will haue the matter examined and the trueth tryed out and searched to the full before any processe be made out against them Hence it is that Salomon complaineth of the contrary course oftentimes obserued Eccles 7.15 All things haue I seene in the dayes of my vanity there is a iust man that perisheth in his righteousnesse and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in hâ—s wickednesse To this purpose speaketh the Apostle Iames chap. 5.5.6 against the abuse of their power in rich men Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth and beene wanton ye haue nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter ye haue condemned and kâ—lled the iust and he doth not resist you Thus we set it is no new thing to see innocency it selfe trodden vnder foot and innocent persons condemned The Apostle Peter setting downe the duties of Magistrates willeth those to whom hee wrote to submit themselues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as supreme 1 Pet â—3 â— or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent by him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well So that it is the ordinance of God that euill doers should be punished and that such as doe well should be commended and rewarded and therefore no innocent person ought to be discountenanced or put to death This trueth is strengthened vnto vs many Reason 1 wayes First by example which is beyond all comparison and exception for no man may compare with him no man dare except against him I meane the example of God himselfe who goeth before vs in the practise heereof that we should follow him in this duty Before he brought vpon the world confusion of tongues he is said to goe downe among them to see their fact Gen. 11.6 Thus he dealt with Adam before he pronounced him guilty and denounced iudgement vpon him hee called vnto him Adam Where art thou hee examined him and asked him farther Gen. 3.11 Whether he had eaten of the fruit of the tree in the mids of the garden of which he had said Thou shalt not eate thereof lest thou die In like maner he dealt with Caine chap. 4.9.10 before hee pronounced him cursed from the earth which opened her mouth to receiue his brothers blood from his hand and that he should be a vagabond and runnagate first he examineth him Where is Abel thy brother then he endighteth and conuinceth him What hast thou done the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me for vengeance So in the eighteene chapter of the same booke before he destroyed Sodome and Gomorrha with fire and brimstone from heauen he said to Abraham Gen. 18.20 21. Behold the cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is very grieuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry of it which is come vnto me and if not I will know Whereby he would instruct vs that before wee enter into iudgement with any person or pronounce sentence vpon any people he first taketh good consideration of the fact which causeth his punishment So ought it to bee with euery one of vs wee must lay before vs this example if wee would be the children of our heauenly Father Secondly it is the ende of all Magistracy Reason 2 to protect and countenance the Godly but to roote out and destroy the vngodly to be a praise and protection to the one but a terrour and feare to the other as Romanes chapter 13. verse 3. Magistrates are not to bee feared for good workes but for euill wilt thou then bee without feare of the power Doe well so shalt thou haue praise of the same c. After that Iehoshaphat had beene reprooued by the Prophet he called the people againe to the honouring of the Lord he set Iudges in the Land throughout the citties of Iudah and said vnto them Take heed what ye doe for ye execute not the iudgement of man but of the Lord and he will be with you in the iudgement wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee vpon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God neither respect of persons nor receiuing of reward 2 Chron. 19 6 7. He would not haue the stronger to oppresse the weaker and the high to ouerbeare the low and the rich to eate vp the poore like the greater fish that deuoure the lesse but that euery one should receiue according vnto his workes whether good or euill Reason 3 Thirdly it is an abhomination to God for any to oppresse the innocent and as great
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
the whole Tribe as appeareth by the largenes of the offering and by the first Prince that offered Thus we see that they being set vp in high place aboue others do also goe before them and giue them good example in the best things seeke to further them in Gods worship We learne hereby Doctrine that albeit God be to be serued of all Such as are of high st place ought to bee more forward in good things then others and that all persons should shew themselues forward and ready to further the worke of the Lord yet aboue all other the chiefe and heads of the people are to be guides of the way and leaders vnto the rest The Prophet teacheth that vnder the Gospell Kings shall be nursing Fathers and Queenes shall be Nursing mothers to the Church Esay 49 23. Dauid exhorteth Kings to be wise and the Iudges of the earth to be instructed to serue the Lord with feare and to reioyce with trembling Psa 2 10 11. When the people saw the zeale and feruencie of Hezekiah that he spared no cost to further the worship of God it kindled in them a loue to do his seruice and they reioyced exceedingly 2 Chron. 30 24 25. Such therefore as are aduanced aboue the people as the head is aboue the body ought to be more zealous forward in the waies of God then others that are of the lowest sort Thus it ought to be because they must Reason 1 know they lye open to iudgement as well as others if not before others Topheth is prepared of old for the King as well as for the subiect It is made deepe and large as well for the one as for the other Esay 30.33 God accepteth no mans person Nay they are for the most part chiefly pursued and ouer-taken with iudgements as Ezra 7.23 Artaxerxes decreed that all should returne and build the house of the God of heauen For why should there bee wrath against the Realme of the King and his sons And to this purpose it is saide in the Psalme 82 6 7. I haue saide ye are Gods and all of you are children of the most high but ye shall dye like men and fall like one of the Princes Secondly they sinne by their example and giue offence vnto others When they fall they make others fall with them as a mighty Oake casteth downe the low and little shrubs that grow nere it So then they offend not only by their owne transgression as a priuate man but all their actions are exemplary and they bring a great scandall vnto others They are as a city set vpon an hil or as a light vpon a Beacon that is seene farre and neere when they sinne they make others sinne with them For this cause Salomon saith Prou. 29.12 If a Ruler hearken to lyes all his seruants are wicked Thirdly wherefore are they separated in calling and condition and why are they aduanced to honor Is it to magnifie themselues is it to sit at ease or to liue in pleasure or to delight them in their high titles or to please themselues to see others creepe and crouch vnto them No but to be pillars in the house of God and to serue the Church Hence it is that Nehemiah saide Nehem. 6 11. Should such a man as I fly Or who is there that being as I am would goe into the Temple to saue his life As if hee had sayde Should I flye that am a Ruler of the people I will not doe it And Mordecai perswadeth Ester to goe in to the King and to aduenture her life for the deliuerance of the Church by this reason chap. 4.14 Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this Hee putteth her boldly in minde that God had aduanced her to honour and made her inherite the throne of glorie to the end she should honour him againe and referre all the glory she had attained to the setting forth of his glorie Vse 1 This teacheth vs that it is a dangerous state where are no Leaders or Rulers to goe before the people and to hold them in Gods seruice there of necessity godlinesse must decay Iustice fall to the ground and all duties of Religion sinke downe as in an army where are no Commanders in a family where are no Gouernours in a ship where are no Pilots what is there but all disorder and confusion The last part of the booke of Iudges setteth forth the truth heereof at large the Israelites corrupted themselues with Idolatry they defiled the worship of God and God gaue them ouer to a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being filled with all vnrighteousnesse fornication and such like wickednesse and what was the occasion of al Iudg. 17 18. 19. In those dayes there was no King in Israel but euery man did that which was right in his owne eyes And it is obserued by the Author of that Booke that the people feared the Lord all the dayes of Ioshua a godlie Gouernour and all the dayes of the Elders that out-liued Ioshua who had seene all the great workes of the Lord but when they were dead and buried The children of Israel did euill in the sight of the Lord Iudg. 2 7 11. and serued Baalim Wee must therefore needes acknowledge the happinesse and blessednesse of that people that haue godly Gouernours such as Moses and Ioshua and Dauid and Iehoshaphat and Hezekiah and Iosiah and such like to teach them and guide them in the wayes of godlynesse This is a great mercy and fauour of God Vse 2 Secondly we may conclude that wretched and miserable is their condition where Gouernors are cold and carelesse in Gods seruice and enemies to the aduancement of his glory The Prophet sheweth that the Chiefe had no knowledge and the great men had broken the yoke and burst the bonds Woe therefore vnto the Land the Lord would visit for these things and his soule be auenged on such a nation as this Ier. 5 5 9. If it be within the walles of a priuate family that zeale be found in the Gouernours it will appeare oftentimes in the lowest seruant which goeth to the doore as in Rhode Acts 12 14. She dwelled in a godly family where manie were gathered together in prayer intreating the Lord to work Peters deliuerance when she heard his voice standing without and knocking at the doore shee could not open the gate for gladnesse but ran in to acquaint them with that glad tidings If Cornelius bee a deuout man and one that feareth God hee shall haue seruants and soldiers to attend vpon him to be deuout also Acts 10 2 7. If the Courtier or Nobleman whose sonne was cured do beleeue his whole house will beleeue also and follow his example Ioh. 4 53. If the Iaylor desire to know how to be saued and if once himselfe become a beleeuer he shall not beleeue alone his houshold will beare him company
from another 1 Thess 4 16. There is one Archangell others are called thrones dominions powers and principalities Eph. 1 21. Col. 1 16. The day and night haue their courses sommer and winter haue their seasons one man hath gifts aboue another Michael is called a Prince or one of the cheefest of the Angels Dan. 10 13. When Christ our Sauiour intended to feede the multitude that had continued with him to heare his word he commanded his Disciples to make all sit downe in rankes by hundreds and fifties that is the fiue thousand which did eate of the fiue loaues and two fishes sate orderly in companies an hundred in length and fifty in bredth Mark 6 40. so that he would haue all things euen the most common ordiâ—ary done in order Reason 1 For all disorder and confusion came into the world by Satan and his cheefest trauaile and employment is to make a breach into that order which God hath setled and established He shuffleth and mingleth all together and seeketh to disturb and destroy what he can Reason 2 how he can Againe order is a meanes to preserue euery society the want of it threatneth ruine to euery society When the people were to encounter with the Canaanites they asked of the Lord who should goe vp against them first to fight against them Iudg. 1 1. When a Prophet told Ahab that the great multitude of the Syrians should be ouercome in battell 1 Kin. 20 14. and deliuered into his hands he asked Who shall order the battell and the Prophet answered Thou The word properly signifieth to binde or to tie because good order bindeth and tieth as with a chaine the whole host together and one of theÌ„ to another as stickes â— t are bound together in one bundle Whilest they stand firme and continue close together in good aray they are out of danger if once they disband and fall to rout then followeth a miserable carnage and destruction Besides Reason 3 it giueth beauty comelines to euery action This serueth to reproue such as keepe not Vse 1 their places but breake out of order and will not be held within the compas that God hath set them Euery man hath his bounds set him is enclosed in them as in a circle which he may not passe In the giuing of the Law when the Lord promised to come down in the sight of all the people vpon Mount Sinai Exod. 19 11 Moses is commanded to set them bounds that they may take heed to themselues and go not vp into the Mount or touch the border of it ver 12. if any touched the Mount he was to be put to death v. 13. Euery creature hath his proper place and goeth no farther then the chaine of God suffereth The sea though it rageth yet is held in by this chaine God hath said Thus far it shall go and no farther In the gathering of Manna which was the bread that the Lord gaue Israel to eate Exod. 16 1â— Moses doth set down the order which they must obserue they must leaue none of it vntill the morning v. 19. On the seuenth day euery man must abide in his place no man must go out of his place on that day No man hath any promise of blessing when he keepeth not the order that God hath set him We know how it was with Corah Dathan Abiram when they would encroch vpon Moses and Aaron and the calling wherein God had set them it was their owne destruction Secondly acknowledge from hence that Vse 2 the Church is a blessed company it is the very schoole of good order wherein all things are done in number weight and measure When Balaam had seene the goodly order of this host of God as the Vallies that were spread forth as gardens by the riuers side as the trees of Lign-Aloes which the Lord had planted as Cedar trees beside the waters he cried out in an admiratioÌ„ of this comly decent seemly order How goodly are thy Tents O Iacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel This heathen man Numb 24 this sorcerer this idolater as blind as he was in the matters of God saw and could not but open his mouth to confesse the glorious condition and estate of the Church For who is it that ruleth in the Church and who is it by whom it is guided Is it not God who is the God of order No confusion cleaueth or can cleaue to him he is not the God of confusion he is light him is no darknesse at all 1 Iohn 1 5. He hath set an order among all his works He hath appointed in the Church Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints Ephesians chap. 4. Some to teach and others to learne some to speake and others to heare some to minister the Sacraments and some not to minister them 〈◊〉 22 3 4. This made the Prophet Dauid say Ierusalem is builded as a City that is compact together whither the Tribes go vp c. There is nothing but confusion out of the Church The world is full of disorders Vse 3 Thirdly when we see this order interrupted and broken off in the workes of God know that it commeth not of God Acknowledge therein the corruption of man and the worke of Satan What is it that hath brought in trouble and confusion but the sinne of man That therefore cannot be of God FroÌ„ hence it commeth that the creature is subiect vnto vanity Rom. 8 20. not by Gods creation but through mans transgression This haue I found saith Salomon that God hath made man vpright but they haue sought out many inuentions Eccl. 7 29. Neuerthelesse we are assured that as the whole creation groneth and trauaileth in paine together vntill now so it shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of GOD verse 21. And we for our parts considering the desolations that sinne hath brought in must seeke by all meanes to repaire the image of God so much decaied Vse 4 Fourthly whensoeuer we cannot sound the depth of Gods workes nor iudge of them as we ought when we see to our appearance much out of square as souldiers out of their squadrons we must not condemne the workes of God but accuse our owne blindnesse ignorance forasmuch as God hath made all beautifull in his season Eccl. 3 11. When we behold how the wicked prosper for the most part and are of great power spreading themselues like a greene bay tree Ps 37 35 and on the other side the godly all the day long plagued and chastened euery morning Ps 73 14. we are ready to misiudge misdeeme of these workes of God Dauid confesseth that his feete were almost gone his steps had welnigh slipt v. 2. He began to thinke he had cleansed his heart in vaine and washed his hands in innocency v. 13. Howbeit the waies of God are not as our waies this is therfore our
for the recouery of his nephew Lot out of the hands of tyrants so no doubt they gathered together many seruants of their owne and out of their fathers house by whose helpe they slew the men of that place and spoiled the city See also to this purpose 1 Sam. 15.9 21 24 and 2.27 28 c. Num. 25.4 Ioab offended as the kings instrument in numbring of the people yet Dauid had the chiefe hand and therfore he is punished with the diminution of his people the punishment is proportioned according to the sinne he sinned in numbring of them the number of them therefore is exceedingly lessened for there dyed of the people from Dan euen to Beersheba seuenty-thousand men 2 Sam. 24.15 So in the killing of Vriah Dauid contriued the plot Ioab offered the meanes the Ammonites put it in execution 2 Sam. 11.15 16 17. Howbeit Dauid is charged directly and expresly to haue slaine him by the sword of the enemies and is most seuerely punished 2 Sam. 12.9 10 11 12. What then may some say Obiect Are the instruments of other mens euils without sin are they without fault and to be holden excused because they are not the first and principall doers No they are not without blame For whosoeuer practiseth any euill whether he be principall or accessary is guilty in the sight of God and therefore such as are ministers of other mens euills are oftentimes punished whether they be reasonable or vnreasonable creatures Gen. 3.14 Leuit. 20.15 Exod. 21.28 29 32. Iosh 6.17 Esay 30 22. As God is iust so he punisheth the instruments of iniustice And as he pronounceth a woe against those that pronounce wicked decrees so he hath destroyed those that haue executed them as 2 King 1.9 the captaines and their fifty were destroyed with fire from heauen and yet these were but messengers and ministers of the King Notwithstanding though the instruments doe offend and not escape the chiefe punishment is euer reserued for the chiefe offender Reason 1 For first of all such as are chiefe in gouernment ought to stay their inferiours from euil as the head gouerneth the members Eli is charged with the wickednesse of his sonnes in that they made themselues vile but he restrained them not 1 Sam. 3.13 Such gouernours make themselues the taile and not the head wheras they should order those of their house as the soule ruleth the body Secondly God will require the blood of Reason 2 those that perish at the hands of the gouernours for that which Ezekiel speaketh of the watchman chap. 3.17.18 holdeth proportion in euery ruler the Magistrate is the watchman of the common-wealth the Minister is the watchman of the Church the housholder is the watchman of the family all set as it were in their watch-tower and al must giue an account for such as are vnder them Thirdly the sinne of those that haue the Reason 3 chiefest hand in it is greater then of others as then it is greater so it deserueth the greater punishment forasmuch as the sinne and punishment shall be sutable and proportionable one to the other It belongeth to all especially to such as are Vse 1 superiours to consider this they thinke themselues absolute and that they ought of right to command what they list to their inferiours But as they are superiour in place so they shall also be superiour in punishment if they command any thing against God and his word Euery one therefore must looke to his charge committed vnto him as a field to till and bee good examples to those that are vnder them Pro. 27.23 Psal 78.71.72 Superiority is both an honour and a burden as it aduanceth to dignity so it inferreth and requireth a duty The honour is great but the burden charge is farre greater Vse 2 Secondly it is the duty of all housholders to be carefull to order their families aright and to compell them to serue the Lord The authority that Princes haue in the common-wealth 2 Chro. 14.4 the same haue housholders touching the ordering of their housholds Gen. 25.2 they must reforme abuses purge their houses of them that be vntractable and incorrigible Psal 101.2 In the fourth commandement the master of the house is charged to looke to his family to his seruants and children See see I say heereby the misery of our times and people they suffer those that are vnder them to goe whither they will and to do what they list they neuer do so much as call them to an account where they haue beene or what they haue done whether they haue serued GOD or the Diuell So they haue their owne worke done vpon the other daies they giue thē liberty to all other works vpon the Lords day Lastly there commeth a great blessing vpon Vse 3 their heads that are the chiefe and principall in any good worke that draw on and encourage others in the waies of godlinesse for they shall haue a chiefe and principal reward Happy and blessed therefore are they that gouerne their charges as becometh them Gen. 18 18. Abraham shall be a great and mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him and the reason is added because the Lord knew him that he would command his children and his houshold after him that they might keepe the way of the Lord to doe iustice and iudgement This is a notable commendation of him he was chiefe and one that went before the rest in good things therefore he should chiefly be rewarded O that the like might be said of vs This should stirre vs vp not onely to do good but to be cheefe in doing good to go before others to leade them the way that so we may haue the greater and better reward in that great day Miriam was shut vp from the Campe seuen daies Heere we may behold the mitigation of the punishment inflicted vpon Miriam If we weigh and consider her deserts so hainous was her sinne in equalling herselfe vnto Moses and despising his calling that she deserued to be shut out seuenty times seuen daies but God dealeth not with her according to her deseruings but changeth the perpetuall punishment into a temporal chastisement which should continue not seuen yeares or seuen moneths but seuen daies onely When Vzziah vsurped the Priests office and would needs burne incense vpon the Altar of incense he was striken with leprosie and he remained a leper vnto the day of his death 2 Chron. 26 21. The sinne of Miriam was not much lesse yet God dealt mercifully with her at the entreaty of Moses so that she was cut off from the host onely seuen daies that deserued to be striken all the daies of her life Doctrine All Gods chastisements are with mercy Obserue from hence that GOD doth mingle his chastisements with much mercy and doth not deale with vs according to our sinnes Lament 3 32. Luke 1 v. 20. 2 Sam. 24 verse 13. Psalm 125 3. Marke the reasons heereof First hee
are swept away together with one vniuersall Flood Gen. 7. The like wee might say of Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities about them which giuing themselues to fornication and going after strange flesh suffered the vengeance of eternal fire Iude ver 7. The like we may say of kings and Princes nobles iudges Magistrates old and yong bond and free 2 Sam. 12.10 11. 2. King 7.19 20. and 1.9 10. Luke 12.20 and 16.22 23. Psalm 82.6.7 and 49.2.10 1. Sam. 2.29.30 Luke 1.20 Eccle. 11.9 2 King 2.24 Reason 1 God chastiseth his children that they shold not be condemned hereafter 1 Cor. 11.30 32 when they runne astray he putteth as it were a bridle in their mouthes whereby they are curbed and kept in obedience Secondly hee is constrained to take this course least they should trust in themselues whereas they should trust in the liuing God 2 Cor. 1.8.9 We are hardly driuen out of our selues and to renounce all confidence in the flesh We are quickely induced to sacrifice vnto our net and to burne incense vnto our drag Hab. 1.16 Thirdly hee doth it to humble vs and to prooue vs Deut. 8.2 Reuel 2.10 and that hee may doe vs good in the latter end Deut. 8.16 2 Sam. 16.12 so that he aymeth euermore at our good Vse 1 Vses follow See from hence the cause why they keepe Gods word whiles other run on in euil Psal 119.6.7.70.71 It is good for them that they are afflicted for before they went astray and wandred from his commandements Doubtlesse if they had all things that the corrupt flesh desireth and lusteth after they would runne into all excesse of riot with other men for as they are no better then other by nature so their workes would be no better then the workes of others God seeing much drosse in them is driuen to cast them into the fining pot to purifie them that they may bee as pure and precious golde in his sight Vse 2 Secondly we must learne hereby to iustifie God and to condemne our selues For if sinne draw downe his iudgements vpon the most excellent that offend then doubtlesse wee are bound to confesse that in his corrections he is iust and mercifull Lam. 3.22 When he afflicteth a nation or particular soule with famine sword or pestilence as his quiuer is full of arrowes he correcteth indeed but the cause is in our selues for his iugements are wrought out by man himselfe and we must learne to search out the cause in our selues It is sinne onely that deserueth and draweth downe his iudgements We must therefore learne to iustifie God in all his wayes and workes yea if he should ouerthrow our nation and strike downe our brethren and sisters and bring vs vtterly to confusion because we prouoke him daily by our iniquities his compassions neuer faile and for that cause alone wee are not confounded Thirdly we learne that there is no respect Vse 3 of persons with God in punishing for none shall escape his hand He punisheth not the simple and letteth others escape no man can pleade any immunity or impunity by his high place by his honour riches possessions or any other prerogatiue whatsoeuer Rom. 2.6 for he will render to euery man according to his deedes He looketh not vpon the outward appearance but so many as haue sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as haue sinned in the Law shall be iudged by the Law As God in the decree of his election respecteth no mans peâ—â—on nor in bestowing his graces of saluation which are the fruits of election as vocation faith Gal. 3.28 iustification sanctification and such like so in his corrections and chastisements hee doth not strike the poore and spare the rich winke at the noble and honourable and strike downe the vnnoble and baser sort but hee respecteth euery one as he findeth him and punisheth sinne wheresoeuer sinne reigneth that all should feare Fourthly conclude necessarily that the Vse 4 wicked cannot escape If he strike his friends he will not passe ouer his enemies If the gold must passe the furnace the drosse shall be reiected If the good corne must be ground in the mill before it can be bread for the vse of man the chaffe shall be burned vp with fire vnquenchable Prou. 11.31 1 Pet. 4.17 18. Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner and if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly appeare It is well said of one that the tribulations and afflictions of good men doe not bring them behind the wicked but rather shew that the plagues and punishments of the wicked are yet behind for God reserueth wrath for them Nahum 1.2 and will take vengeance of his aduersaries Ierem 25.29 Luke 23.28.31 The death and passion of Christ hath taken away the vengeance curse of the afflictions of the godly as he hath taken away the sting of death and strength of the law though both death and the Law remaine so that whatsoeuer remaineth in the cup for vs to drinke is wholesome and medicinable The vngodly doe now laugh at vs and deride vs when they see vs beaten at our Fathers hand in the house or at our masters hand in his schoole so it was with Dauid they clapped their hands and made a great shout when he was vnder the rodde saying Aha where is now his God Psal 41.5 now he lyeth he shall rise vp no no more verse 8. Psal 69.12 but let vs waite a while before the time be long we shall see them scourged with whippes and cast in prison where they shall neuer get out They shall be put in the stockes as euill doers they shall be arraigned as guilty persons and receiue the sentence of condemnation as traitors against God woe vnto them there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Vse 5 Lastly let vs learne to reforme our rash iudgement touching the suffering of the seruants of God We are ready to iudge them as plagued of God Psal 73.14 howbeit wee are not to iudge men to bee wicked and vngodly to be strangers from God and from his kingdome because we see sometimes the hand of God to be strangely vpon them for as much as they may belong vnto God albeit they suffer in that manner and measure Rather we ought to admire and wonder at Gods iudgements which are so iust that hee will not spare his owne people when they sin against him and it is rather an argument that they are the Lords because iudgement beginneth at his house and he will begin to plague the citie where his Name is called vpon When we see stones cut and hewed and squared should we therefore thinke and thereby conclude that those stones were not regarded or that they were good for nothing Wee should rather iudge that they are fitted to some speciall part of the building So if a man come into an orchard and find many trees cut and pruned he knoweth it
fall into the nets be caught in the snares which they lay for vs. Seeing then this is so necessary we learne Vse 1 that a wise and vnderstanding heart is a great blessing of God Indeed a simple minde and a single heart is good in godlinesse that so wee may be innocent as Doues Mat. 10 16. Neuerthelesse we must be wise also as Serpents So force and strength are great gifts howbeit the greatest ornament that GOD giueth which as salt seasoneth euery action is when he giueth a wise and vnderstanding heart so as he enableth vs to preuent euils and to disappoint our enemies as Christ promiseth Luke 21 14. and therefore Gods children haue asked this aboue other 1 Kin. 3 9. Vse 2 Secondly be wise in our generation that they goe not beyond vs. It is most true that he which maketh himselfe a body of Christal that all men may looke through him and discerne all the parts of his disposition doeth withall make himselfe a tame asse and thereby teacheth others either how to ride him or how to driue him But wise men though they haue single hearts in all that which is iust and honest yet they are like coffers with double bottomes which when others looke into beeing opened they see not all that they hold on the sodaine and at once For we haue enemies though they often make faire weather toward vs yet are full of subtilty and pollicy they are we see in their generation wiser then the children of light Luk. 16 8 They are euer watchfull dealing by meanes whether iust or vniust lawfull or vnlawfull and malice against Gods seruants carrieth them so farre that they make conscience of nothing so they may betray theÌ„ We may say of such as Paul doeth of Elimas the sorcerer Acts 13 10. O full of all subtilty all mischiefe thou childe of the diuell thou enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not ceasse to peruert the right waies of the Lord Especially let vs labour in things of the best nature to prouide things needfull to saluation The vniust steward is commended by his Lord for proceeding preparing wisely for himselfe If then there be any true wisedome in vs let vs prouide things honest heauenly in the sight of God for in vaine is he wise that is not wise toward God and for himselfe Lastly seeke to feare God for that is the Vse 3 beginning of wisedome Psal 111 10. Prou 1 7 and 9 10. and let vs haue his word dwelling in vs plentifully powerfully The word is the wisedome of God and it should be our wisedome because it is able to teach vs wisedome Psal 119 98 99. It is able to make vs wiser then our teachers then our enemies theÌ„ the ancient If this be not in vs to guide vs we shall vse vngodly and vnlawfull shifts wicked deuises and leud inuentions These cannot prosper long with vs for God will catch the crafty in their owne craft 1 Cor. 3 18 19 20. 26. And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the Congregation of the children of Israel vnto the wildernesse of Paran to Kadesh and brought backe word vnto them vnto all the Congregation and shewed them the fruite of the Land 27. And they told him and said We came vnto the Land whither thou sentest vs and surely it floweth with milke and hony and this is the fruite of it 28. Neuerthelesse the people bee strong that dwell in the Land and the Cities are walled and very great and moreouer wee saw the children of Anak there c. The second part of the chapter is the returne and report of the spies Albeit they went to search out the weaknesse of the land yet hauing warrant from Moses nay from God they prosper and his hand was with them in their going and in their returning Touching the report they make and the account they giue of their trauaile and perambulation it is double first to Moses and then to the people To Moses they dare not plainely deliuer the poison of their hearts For howsoeuer this report may seeme at the first The rep◠〈…〉 the 〈…〉 to be the generall speech of all the twelue yet by the words following both in this and the next chapt it will plainely appeare to be the report only of ten of them Caleb and Ioshua being excepted who spake better things and conuinced them For the other ten they vnder glorious and goodly words coloured and couered the wicked purpose and pretence of their prophane hearts thinking to corrupt the people with the leauen of their owne rebellion to turne them away from attempting to conquer the Land and to bring them to despaire of possessing the same Wherefore though they do not openly professedly disswade them yet they speake lies through hypocrisie they doe not deale faithfully and sincerely but hauing two tongues in their heads intended to stirre vp the people to mutiny and murmuring against Moses by laying before them the difficulty nay the impossibility of the enterprise Thus then we see they performe their Embassage subtilly not sincerely fraudulently not faithfully for they praise the Land with a loud voice but their hearts are hollow and they speake the truth to deceiue Their praise is short but the doubts that they cast into the mindes of the people are many The doctrine Wicked men do oftentimes then speak fairest Doctriâ—â— Wicked 〈◊〉 speake f◠〈…〉 when thâ— meane 〈…〉 2 Sam 2â— when they intend the greatest mischiefe and cloke their euill hearts with soft words Ezr. 4 2. Ps 12 2 they speake with a double hart So did Cain Gen. 4 8 so did Ioab 2 Sam. 3 17. For first they haue beene brought vp in the schoole of a very cunning master Satan Reason can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light as when he came to our first parents he wholly pretended their good and made himselfe carefull to aduance them to a better estate Gen. 3 4. 2 Cor 11 3. Secondly thereby they know they shall insinuate themselues more closely and deceiue more easily Open enemies are better preuented Ps 55 12. false brethren hardly discerned this is the way to catch the simple and vnwary in their snares Math. 22 16. Vse 1 Learne from hence a property of mans hart that it is very deceitfull Ier. 17 9 10. It is the nature of wicked men to suppresse the euill which they purpose vntill they can see their fit times according to the saying of the Prophet They will deceiue euery one his neighbour and will not speake the truth they haue taught their tongue to speake lies and weary themselues to commit iniquity Ier. 9 5. Herod pretended loue outwardly to the new borne King of the Iewes that he also would come worship him Mat. 2 8. but indeed he purposed in his heart to kill him albeit the wise men perceiued it not Thus do men dig deepe to hide their counsels and weaue the spiders
vpon you seeing all the Congregation is holy euery one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift ye vp your selues aboue c. IN this chap. we haue two other murmurings set down the latter arising out of the former as one sticke on fire kindleth another The former consisteth of a few carried away with enuy and emulation against Moses and Aaron the originall whereof arose from Korah of the Tribe of Leui The cause of Korahs Conspiracy who first blew the bellowes and tooke it greeuously that the Priestly dignitie was translated to Aaron and challenged Moses of partiality as if hee had preferred his owne Kindred and followed his priuate affection rather then the direction of God This seditious Korah associateth vnto himselfe Dathan Abiram and On of the Tribe of Reuben whom he knew to be ill affected towards Moses because hee being the eldest sonne of Iacob had by right of his birth-right the Principality and gouernement of the whole people belonging vnto him and therefore they thought themselues as worthy to haue the Soueraignty in their hands as Moses was to haue it in his hands All these ioyning together made a schisme or rent amongest the people and assemble two hundred and fifty others all Princes of the assembly which seeme to stand for the good of the whole Congregation as also all Rebelles haue euer had some pretence and colour for they plead that all the Lords people are holy that God is present among them and therefore they should no longer vsurpe the sole gouernment of the whole hoste It is vsuall in all ages of the Church to haue schismes and rents to arise in it and for men to separate themselues from the Church because forsooth it is not well gouerned as it ought to be Now albeit this open insurrection were a flat rebellion against the expresse ordinance of God yet they set many goodly shewes vpon their doings helping a bad cause with a beautifull colour lest they should seeme to be mad without reason alledging that all the Lords people are holy and the Lord is among them â—octrine We learne heereby that whatsoeuer corruptions breake out of men and whatsoeuer euils they doe â—hatsoeuer 〈◊〉 wicked â—en doe they some coâ—er vpon it and howsoeuer they decline from God from his word and from his ordinances yet they will labour to excuse it to defend it to colour it that it should not seeme as it is When euill men haue committed euill they are ready to iustifie their euils that they may seeme good We see this in Saul 1 Sa. 13.11.12 and 15.15 so Ioh. 12.5 6. Iudas pretended the poore and his great care of them albeit he cared not for them but for himselfe and chap. 11.48 So Caiaphas pretendeth the safety of the people to wit if Christ were not put to death the Romanes would come with a mighty army and ouerrunne them but the taking of him away and the putting of him to death was indeede the true cause why the Romanes came and destroyed the Temple the Citie and the people This we see sometimes also in those that are not the worst men The fact of Simeon and Leui against the Schechemites was no better then horrible murther committed against the Law of God and of nature and against the league and couenant that had passed between them which ought to be held inuiolable euen among infidels yet somewhat they pretend to couer it Gen. 34.31 should he deale with our sister as with an harlot So the Israelites touching their Idolatry Exod. 32.1 and Aaron verse 23. and our first parents Gen. 3. and in a maner all wicked men do the like that are vnregenerate without repentance and sanctification The reasons Reason 1 For men are affected to their actions as they are to themselues Though they be corrupt abominable yet they would not bee thought and iudged to be so so it is with their actions that proceed from them though they bee wicked and vniust yet they would haue them accounted iust and therefore they seeke excuses for themselues â—â— 7. as Adam did fig leaues to Reason 2 couer his shame and his sinne Secondly if they should pretend nothing al would be ready to condemne them and to passe sentence vpon them therefore to blinde the eyes of others they cast a mist before them as iuglers vse to doe that they may not be espied This did Herod Mat. 2.8 he pretended to come and worship Christ For he knew well enough if hee had dealt plainely and told them hee sought the life of the babe they would haue detested his detestable cruelty This serueth to reprooue diuers sorts that Vse 1 goe about to varnish their actions with false colours thereby to blind the world and to put out their eyes These shew themselues to bee ranke hypocrites exceeding sinners against the Lord which serue to harden their hearts and to hinder them from a sight of their sinnes and sorrow for them For no man can returne from his sinnes and repent of his euill wayes so long as he goeth about to defend them because all such sinners doe declare a firme resolution to continue and goe forward in sinne and thinke themselues safe and sure because they haue some colours for their actions But the first beginning of repentance is confession a duty oftentimes commended and continually practised by the faithfull The first thing that Ioshua perswaded Achan to performe when he was taken as guilty for taking the accursed thing was that he should giue glory to the God of Israel and make confession vnto him Iosh 7.19 Prou. 28.13 1 Ioh. 1.9 Whereas such as hide their sinnes shall not prosper and they that say they haue not sinned doe make God a lyar and his word is not in them Wherefore we cannot giue a more euident signe of our want of the grace of repentance Psa 32.3 4 5. then by defending denying excusing or lessening of sinne Secondly this sheweth the cause why the Vse 2 dregs of Popish religion are so setled in the hearts of men that they are hardly rooted out euen because such deceitfull colours are set vpon them and their superstitious practises If they be accused for their idolatry worshipping of Images they pretend they worship God in the Image Touching the worship of Saints and praier to them they say they honor them as the friends of God and that they are vnworthy to approch or to come neere to God themselues and therefore in humility they goe to the Saints and Angels but this is nothing but to speake lies through hypocrisie Col. 2.23 Concerning their sacriledge in withholding the cup from the people they haue their colour that the labour of the Priest would be too great if he should deliuer the same to all himselfe or else that the blood of Christ might be spilt vpon the ground but these excuses cannot deceiue God hee seeth their open declining from the word of
2 soules not to watch ouer the body only Eze. 33 1 Tim. 5 16. Thirdly the Ministery of the word is the only Reason 3 ordinary meanes to bring to saluation 1 Cor. 15 1 2. Rom. 10 14. If then the necessity and dignity of saluation it selfe be great then ought the Ministery to bee had in great price by which we are made partakers thereof The vses Great should bee the loue of the Vse 1 Pastour toward his people Great shold their care be ouer the sheep and Lambes of Christ for as they loue Christ himselfe the Lord of the sheepe who shed his most precious blood to redeeme them so ought they to loue his sheepe which are after a sort become their sheepe for as the sheepe haue taken charge of them to maintaine them so they haue takē charge of the sheepe to feede them instruct them Our principall endeuour ought to be to procure their good and we must hunger and thirst after their saluation Exod. 32 31 32. They ought to bee our crowne and glory in this life 1 Thess 2 20. if we looke for a crowne of glory in the life to come 1 Pet. 5 4. And as at all times we ought to seeke to winne men to God so especially wee ought to haue a care of these sheepe when they are sicke when they are visited by the hand of God we should comfort the feeble minded and support the weake We see how Aaron the seruant of God when the pestilence was broken in among thē took his censer and ranne in among them stood betweene the liuing and the dead that hee might make an attonement for them Heere the question may be asked Obiection whether it be the Ministers duty to visite those that are sicke of the pestilence other contagious diseases and so much the rather because the example of Aaron seemeth to inferre and perswade no lesse I answer Answ the practise of Aaron in this place is not to this purpose for he was High-Priest and did this as a figure of Christ For Moses Aaron were not so simple as to thinke that the burning of a little incense could stay the plague but this did represent the sweet sauour of the mediation intercession of Christ who made peace betweene God and man Againe the Minister is a publike person and the seruant of the whole Church and euery man hath interest alike in his office and Ministery 1 Cor. 9 19. 2 Corin. 5 5. Wee preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lord and our selues your seruants for Iesus sake If then he be the seruant of the whole Church then no one hath so great interest in him as to cause him to endanger his life and so the whole be depriued of him So then before he visite such he ought at least to haue the consent and approbation of the rest of the Church and be assigned by them vnto that office Lastly I do not hold the visitation of the sicke to bee a Ministeriall duty but a Christian duty It is not laid vpon them as they are Ministers but as they are christians For if it were a duty proper to them as it is to preach the word and to minister the sacraments then no man ought to visite the sicke but such as are Ministers of the word I grant indeed it cheefely lyeth vpon thē and is required of them when they are best able to performe it but sometime the faithfull brother is able to do it as wel as the Minister himselfe and according as God hath bestowed this gift so he requireth the practise of it Gen. 48 1. 2 Kings 8 29. and 13 14. Iob 2 11. Psal 41 4. Math 25 37 40. Obiect Iohn 11 3. 2 Cor. 1 4. What then May the Minister at such infectious times forsake the flocke and leaue them to the wide world may he shift for himselfe leaue them without instruction Answer I answer in no wise There is then more cause to call the sounder sheepe together and to pray heartily and earnestly to God for their fellow-brethrē remembring the counsell of the Apostle Heb. 13 3. Remember them that are in bondes as bound with them and them which suffer aduersity as being your selues also afflicted in body Vse 2 Secondly see from hence who are indeede the brazen walles that compasse the land and hold out the enemy not onely the policy and wisedome and counsell of Magistrates but likewise faithfull Ministers are a strength and defence vnto it For though they be oftentimes contemned and despised derided and abused though no account be commonly made of thē yet they are the strength of the strength of the Commonwealth and they are the pillars that beare vp the pillars and they are forcible and notable meanes of keeping out the iudgements of God Hence it is that Elisha said of Eliah when hee saw him goe vp by a whirlewinde into heauen My father my father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof 2 Kings 2 12. And thus also spake Ioash of Elisha when he wept ouer his face when hee was fallen sicke of the sicknes wherof he died 2 Ki. 13 14. O my father my father the chariot of Israel c. And they may be iustly so called They beate downe sinne which weakneth the Land Sin bringeth all confusion For what bringeth the change of Princes the alteration of kingdomes the ruine of states the ouerthrow of houses the inuasion of enemies and the confusion and desolation of all things but the prouoking of God vnto wrath by sin Sinne is as the breach in a wall that weakeneth the City and openeth a gate to the enemy Let the walles be neuer so well flanked with ditches trenches barricadoes citadels and castles countermures and fortifications sinne maketh them all vnprofitable Hence it is that the people falling into idolatry are said to be made naked by Aaron Exod. 32 25. Obedience is as a strong banke bulwarke that keepeth the flood of vengeance indignation from the city of God No manner of defence can keepe out the enemy if sin be freely entertained within The wall is repaired and the breach is made vp by repentance Thirdly they are in poore and pitifull case Vse 3 for ignorance for wickednesse for perill and danger to perish where yet this benefit is not vouchsafed They are as a land threatned with infinite and innumerable enemies which are without chariots and horsemen without armour and munition A man of necessity must continue languishing in paine hauing a broken member or a bone out of ioynt except he haue a skilfull Surgeon or bone-setter Wee are of our selues as members out of ioynt rent and diuided asunder in opinion and practise one from another which are coupled and knit together between themselues by the Ministery of the word which serueth for the gathering together of the Saints Eph. 4 ver 11 12. When the blinde are suffered to leade the blinde both fall into the ditch The
day And if the voice of Christ in the daies of his humility were so fearefull and auailable in the hearts of his persecuters what a dreadfull thunderbolt will hee cast downe against all his enemies and vpon all the reprobate being in glory and sitting at the right hand of his Father when he shall vtter this finall and fearefull sentence Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Math. chapter 25 verse 41. Againe wee are all put in minde that his death is meritorious and the full price of our redemption Thirdly we see that he is Lord of life and death for he raised himselfe by his eternall Spirit and as he had power to lay it downe so he had power to take it vp as appeared euidently at his resurrection Let vs serue him that is able to redeeme from death such as beleeue in him and rest vpon him for their saluation He that restored himselfe to life is able to giue vs life and he that brake the sorrowes of death is able to destroy him that hath the power of death Lastly let vs also endure the crosse willingly following his steps and shewing our selues to be like vnto him remembring that the losse of life for his sake is indeed not a losse of life but a finding of it or a changing of it a temporall life with an eternall Fourthly the heiffer heere mentioned was brought out of the hoast as also other sacrifices were Leuit 4 12 21. this signified Christs suffering out of the gates of the City as Heb. 13 11 12. Iohn 19 16 17 20. This circumstance is not without profite for first it sheweth and signifieth the abolishing of the types and figures of the Law the truth standing in place of the ceremonies and the body instead of the shadowes and therefore such as still serue at the Altar cannot bee partakers of our Altar that is of Christ Hebr. 13 10. Wee haue an Altar whereof they haue no right to eate which serue the Tabernacle The false Apostles taught that the ceremonies were to be mingled with the Gospel but these two cannot stand togegether because the seruice performed in the tabernacle was but a shadow of better things to come Col. 2 verse 17. But the body is Christ Wherefore to obserue them was to deny Iesus Christ and to keep them still in force was as much as to ouerthrow his sacrifice once offered vpon the Crosse They are therfore much deceiued that goe about to bring into vse againe Altars of wood or of stone in the churches of Christians For the Apostle speaketh not of Altars as of many but of the Altar as of one There is but one Altar in all the Church not infinite Altars and by that one Altar hee vnderstandeth the offering vpon the Altar which is no other then Christ himselfe So then wee may as well bring in the Leuiticall sacrifices as the Leuiticall Altars into the Church of Christ forasmuch as these depend one vpon another the sacrifice hauing relation to the Altar and the Altar to the sacrifice Math. 23 verses 19 20. whereas now we haue no more need either of the one or of the other For we haue an Altar and an offering which by offering of himselfe once vp a full and sufficient price for our redemption hath perfected all that are sanctified Againe as Christ was led out of the gates by the Iewes as though he were vnworthy of the society of men and afterward was crucified betweene two theeues as if he were the greatest malefactour of all hauing before preferred a wretched murtherer before him so let it not seeme strange vnto vs if the world cannot abide vs and if wee bee often made a gazing stocke to men and Angels and accounted as the off-scouring of the world and the filth of the earth 1 Corinth 4 verse 9. But howsoeuer the world do iudge of vs let vs appeale from their corrupt iudgement to the righteous iudgement of God saying with Iob Behold my Witnesse is in heauen and my Record is on high Iob 16 verse 19. Hee accepteth of vs as of his children and will admit vs as heires of his kingdome with his Sonne Lastly Christ was turned out of the City to teach vs what wee must account of our selues in this life that we haue heere no place to rest and repose our selues our hope is concerning things that are not seene Hebr. 13 verses 13 14. Let vs goe foorth vnto him without the Campe bearing his reproach for wee haue heere no continuing City but we seeke one to come As then we must bee content to beare part of the Crosse of Christ and to bee reproched as he was reproched for if we wil not beare part of his crosse wee shall not weare part of his Crowne so also wee must account our selues as Pilgrims and strangers in this world that we may enioy his kingdome in the world to come We must bee content to leaue father and mother lands and liues for his sake knowing that we shall finde all againe with a good aduantage Such as refuse to goe out of the Campe of this world to Christ and begin to nestle themselues as if they had heere a sure certaine habitation what other thing remaineth for them but vtterly to perish in the Camp of this world together with the wicked Our hope is in heaueÌ„ our ankre is fixed fast aboue not in this world but in the next wee seeke not a kingdome vpon the earth for then wee should deceiue our selues God hath not called vs heere to reigne but to suffer Thus it was with all the fathers Gen. chapter 47 ver 9. Hebrewes chapter 11 verses 13 14. The Heathen people accounted this life as it were an Inne to lodge at for a short season Cicero de sâ—â— not an house to dwell in and continue for euer yet those poore soules knew not whither they went but we know whither we goe and the way we know Iohn 14 4. We looke for a City which hath foundations whose builder maker is God Heb. 11 10. Vse 4 Lastly this purging and purifying water sprinkling the vncleane mentioned in this place is a figure of the blood of Christ fit and sufficient as a well of springing water to purge vs from all our sinnes Leuit. 1 13. Zach. 13 1. In that day there shall bee a fountaine opened vnto the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem and for separation from vncleannesse so the words are in the originall in which the Prophet alludeth to these waters of separation in this place Christ is this fountaine flowing of it selfe open and ready vnto euery one that will drinke of it for the cleansing of sinnes And we heard before out of the Apostle that the blood of Christ which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purgeth our consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Now the blood of Christ purgeth our consciences two
Angel of the Lord had guided them the Arke had gone before them and Manna from heauen had fedde them yet now all is forgotten they beleeue not in God but tempted and prouoked the holy one to anger And yet behold more prouocations then these in these chapters following where we shall see how they complaine and cry out through scarsity of water and through wearinesse of their life when they were stung with the fiery serpents But let vs consider the words of Scripture as they lie in order in this chapter 1 Then the children of Israel came with the whole Congregation into the desert of Zin in the first Moneth and the people abode at Kadesh and Miriam died there and was buried there 2 And there was not water for the Congregation and they assembled against Moses and against Aaron 3 And the people chid with Moses spake saying But would wee had perished when our brethren died before the Lord. 4 And wherefore haue yee caused the Congregation of the Lord to come into this wildernesse that we and our cattell should die there 5 And wherefore haue yee made vs to come vp from Egypt to bring vs into this miserable place No place for seede nor Figges nor Vines nor Pomgranates Neither is there any water to drinke 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the face of the assembly vnto the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and fell vpon their faces and the glory of the LORD appeared vnto them 7 And the LORD spake vnto Moses saying 8 Take this Rodde and gather thou and thy brother Aaron this Congregation together Of this Râ— and the waters gushing out of it 〈◊〉 more befâ—â— in the next chapter that ye may speake vnto this Rocke before their eyes and it shall giue foorth his waters and thou shalt bring them waters out of this Rocke so thou shalt giue this Congregation and their Cattell drinke 9 Then Moses tooke that Rod from the presence of the Lord as he commanded him 10 And Moses and Aaron caused the Congregation to assemble together before that Rocke and he said vnto them Heare now O ye Rebelles shall we bring you waters out of this Rocke 11 Then Moses lift vp his hand and smote that Rocke with his Rod twice and much water gushed out so the Congregation and their Cattell dranke 12 Wherfore the Lord spake to Moses Aaron Because ye haue not beleeued in me to sanctifie me before the eies of the childreÌ„ of Israel therfore ye shal not bring this CongregatioÌ„ into the Land which I haue giuen them 13 These are the waters of strife where the children of Israel stroue against the Lord he sanctified himselfe among them In this Chapter we are to consider three seuerall things First the murmuring of the people secondly the purpose of the Israelites to passe toward Canaan by the borders of Edom. Thirdly the death of Aaron in the Mountaine in whose stead Eleazar his sonne succeedeth and for whom the people a long time lamenteth All these particulars are amplified in the beginning of the Chapter by the circumstances of time to wit the first moneth of the 40 yeare after their departure out of Egypt as appeareth chap. 33 38. and likewise of the place â—t 2 14. of Kadesh a City in the borders of Edom at which time also Miriam the sister of Aaron and of Moses died These circumstances being set downe the History of their murmuring followeth which we haue often before seene and considered declaring that whensoeuer wheresoeuer any aduersity happened by and by they became impatient vnthankfull and forgetfull of present mercies and fauours A like history to this we saw before Exod. 17. which is not the same recorded in this place but differing in time place as may appeare by collation conference of both the places Now let vs marke their behauiour in this want of water in the wildernesse First they wish they had died by the stroke of Gods hand with the seditious rout of rebels that coÌ„spired against God whom notwithstanding they call their brethren Secondly they expostulate with Moses and Aaron that they had brought them out of Egypt into the wildernesse being barren without fruite miserable without haruest and dry without water Whereas they should comfort themselues in the former mercies of God rest in the experience of his power and remember his helpe euer ready in time of neede they rise vp against Moses and Aaron in shew but in deed against God whom they serued setting downe their present condition and comparing their abode in Egypt where they had tasted all miseries felt all oppressions and groned vnder the heauy burthens with their present estate to amplifie the woe and wretchednesse therof such is their blindnesse and vnthankfulnesse â—mb 12 3. But what doth Moses whose meeke and patient spirit they greeued and whose righteous soule they vexed froÌ„ day to day with their vngodly murmurings Hee doth not heere turne himselfe to them nor dealeth with them to reclaime them as he did chapter 16. but went with Aaron to God flying to the Tabernacle as to a Sanctuary throwing downe theÌ„selues on their faces and comforting themselues in his power presence and protection who being alwaies neere to them that call vpon him shewed forth his glory and commanded them to take the Rodde and speake to the Rocke promising them water and assuring them of an happy issue of all their troubles necessities Now as God commandeth so Moses obeyeth and taketh the Rod. Here a question may be asked Question what Rod God meaneth and Moses taketh for we reade of two Rods famous among them and well knowne one the Rod of Moses that he vsed when he kept sheepe in the Land of Midian Exod. 4 2 3 7 8 19 14 1â— and 17 5. Numb 17 8. Hebr. 7 4. whereby hee wrought afterward many myracles in Egypt and at the red Sea in the wildernesse the other the Rod of Aaron which did bud and beare blossomes to confirme the calling of Aaron and to declare that God had separated the Tribe of Leui to serue in the Tabernacle I answer Answer we are to vnderstand in this place rather the flourishing Rod of Aaron first because Moses made mention of this in the last place not long before to wit chap. 17 the other is not spoken off in this booke so that we are rather to referre it to Aarons Rod before specified then to the other not named Secondly this serued more fitly and fully to confirme their calling of rule and gouernement ouer the people which by these conspiratours was called into question As if they shold say Do you doubt of our calling aske by what authority we do these things Behold this rod do ye not know it this florishing rod shall conuince you and serue to beare witnesse against you Thirdly Moses and Aaron were fled into the Tabernacle verse 6 now chap. 17 10. it is
fraternity so that it is right and equall that they which are so neerely ioyned and linked by blood should performe al kindnesse each to other This reason from kindred may be thus framed If we be as brethren alied one to another comming from one root and race then deny vs not this point of courtesie to grant passage But wee are brethren alied one to another c. Therefore vouchsafe to giue vs passage The second reason is in these words Thou Reason 2 knowest all the trouble that hath hapned vnto vs c. As if they should say Wee haue had a lamentable and woefull experience of many miseries we haue been exercised with many sorrowes so as your selues cannot pretend ignorance of them you know them but wee haue felt theÌ„ you haue heard of them but we haue smarted for them In Egypt we haue had our poore infants drowned our chiefe officers chastised our selues euery way oppressed with burthens too heauy for vs to beare and nothing but slaughter and destruction breathed out against vs. Being deliuered out of Egypt when we expected an end of all miseries wee perceiued that we had changed the place but not the perill the soile but not the sorrow we haue bin pursued with enemies bitten with hunger wearied with labours and euery way inuironed with dangers By all these as by the dearest teares of our inward hearts wee craue some mercy and commiseration For it lyeth in you to make an end of al troubles and to giue vs an happy issue of them by opening vs a passage thorough your countrey that we may no longer wander in this desolate wildernesse The reason may be thus concluded If we haue bin long vexed and euilly handled now at length pity vs giue vs passage But we haue bin long vexed and euilly intreated Therfore at length pitty giue vs passage The third reason is verse 16. We cryed vnto Reason 3 the Lord he heard vs sent his Angel and hee deliuered vs. As if they should say Consider the example of God a perfect patterne of all righteousnesse he hath in mercy looked vpon our misery bee you like to him that yee may find mercy in the day of trouble It is not meet to leaue them destitute of helpe and succour whose safety God commendeth and committeth vnto you by his owne example All humane things are vnstable and vncertaine yee know not what hangs ouer your own heads The reason may be thus considered If God haue begun to be mercifull it is not meet that you should be vnmercifull But God hath begun to shew vs mercy Therefore it is not meet you should be vnmercifull The fourth reason is verse 17. and 19. Wee Reason 4 will not goe through the fields nor the vineyards c. As if they should say We desire not to helpe our selues to hurt you wee will keepe the kings high way wee will deale iustly toward all wee will offer wrong and iniury to none no not to the meanest simplest and poorest if any among vs shall take from any man by open oppression or forged cauillation wee will make satisfaction and restitution The reason is thus gathered If wee will doe no wrong or iniury to any among you then suffer vs quietly to passe But we will doe no wrong or iniury to any among you Therefore suffer vs quietly to passe This was the Ambassage of Moses this was the petition offered these were the reasons rendred thereof Now let vs see the answer of Edom denying their petition and passage thorough their countrey For fearing peraduenture the multitude of the Israelites and thinking they would make more hast to enter into their land then to depart out againe being as euill men are euer suspitious and think others as subtill and deceitfull as themselues the Edomites giue them this short but sharpe answer Thou shalt not passe So that when a man hath to deale with vniust and cruell enemies whether he vse few reasons or many all is one The Ambassadours of the Israelites whether they gaue present reply resolution of themselues or first returned to Moses is vncertain made supplication againe and renewed their request promised to abstaine from all termes of hostility offered money for water and euery commodity they should vse yet they currishly and vnkindly shut vp their compassion and issue forth with all their strength to stop their passage verifying that which Salomon saith â— 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast but the mercies of the wicked are cruel wherefore Israel turneth from them another way This is the substance of this diuision and the order obserued by the Spirit of God in the same now let vs proceed to the doctrines offered herein to our considerations first the generall and after come to the particulars Ver. 14. Then Moses sent messengers from Kadesh vnto the king of Edom. Albeit Moses himselfe were shut out of the land of promise yet he beareth the iudgement of God patiently and laboureth that the people may enter And albeit the Israelites were assured to possesse the land of Canaan had the vnchangable word and oath of God to themselues and their fathers for their farther confirmation yet it doth not make them idle and secure but it stirreth them vp to vse all good and lawfull meanes to effect the same â—ine lawfull â— to â— gods â—ace From hence we learne that it is the duty of all Gods children to vse all good meanes to further his prouidence I say howsoeuer God standeth not in need of our helpe to bring his purpose to passe who is able without all meanes against all meanes and aboue all meanes to worke out his owne will yet it is the part of all the godly to further his decree and determination by vsing all meanes that God shall put into their hands This wee see verified in this booke Nunm 13.17 where we see the diligent search of the land made by the messengers that Moses sent viewing their cities their countrey and the people that were the inhabitants therof so that albeit the land was promised of God mercifully yet it must be searched of them diligently The like practise we see in other the seruants of God When Gideon was sent to be the deliuerer of the people and commanded to goe in his might Iudg. 6.14 and 7.7 8. hath assurance giuen him to preuaile ouer the enemies and to saue Israel out of the hand of the Midianites yet he did not run and rush naked into the battell but tooke with him men and munitions vitailes trumpets pitchers and other instruments to set forward the worke of the Lord which he had to doe The necessity of vsing the helpes of second causes that God affordeth and endeuouring to the lawfull meanes appointed is shewed by the Apostle Paul for albeit the Angels of God had told him there should be no losse of any mans life among them saue of the ship onely yet the decree
their enemies We do oftentimes feare enemies and inuasion by enimies but wee feare not that which bringeth in the enemies and openeth them a free passage to spoile and destroy without compassion to wit sinne So long as wee walke with our God and are reconciled vnto him we are vnder Gods protection and hee is a Buckler round about vs 〈◊〉 3 3. we are in league with the stones of the streete and the beasts of the field For if God he on our side who shall be against vs Rom. 8 31. If then the Ministery of the word be as a brazen wall and the Ministers thereof stand in the breach betweene the liuing the dead to turne away the wrath of GOD when his iudgements runne through the Land Nu. 16 47 48 Psal 106 23 there is great cause to bee humbled when God pulleth from the Church and Commonwealth so great posts and pillars that helpe to hold them vp Againe it is a signe of Gods wrath heauie Reason 2 displeasure and a fore-runner of a farther iudgement When God tooke away the good and godly King Iosiah a nursing father of the Church that reformed religion in his young and tender yeres sought vnto the Lord 2 Kings 21 19 hūmbled himselfe before him and wept when hee heard the threatnings denounced against the land he spared not Ierusalem and the inhabitants thereof long after If there be a good Pastor in the church if a good Prince in the land if a good Magistrate in town or city if a good Master in a family and God take him away ther is cause to lift vp our voice by mourning weeping and great lamentation this being a token of Gods displeasure a sign of taking his former mercies from vs so that the seeing and feeling of Gods wrath in bereauing vs of such as might do good along time publikely or priuately ought to be no smal greefe to vs. The prophet teacheth that when God hath any vengeance ready to be poured vpon a people hee taketh away the righteous from the plague as he did Lot out of Sodome saying The righteous perisheth Esay 57 1. and no man considereth it in heart and merciful men are taken away from the euill to come Therefore when God taketh excellent and principall members from the rest of the body it is as a threatning alwaies to those that are left behind and an euident testimonie to them that they are vnworthy of their company and presence as the Apostle declareth That the world was not woorthy of those faithfull men that shined as lights in the midst of a froward crooked generation Heb. 11 38. So then it is a right mourning and wel ordered greefe when we lament the taking away of good men endued with the graces of the Spirit which haue liued in the feare of God and done notable seruice in the Church or Commonwealth Let vs apply this point to our instruction Vse 1 edification First it serueth to condemne the Stoicall senslesnesse and blockishnesse of such as take it to be a part of manhood courage to be affected with nothing to be greeued at nothing It is lawfull to mourne for the dead so did Abraham the Father of the faithfull for Sara Genesis 23 2. nay so did Christ the head of the church in whom was no sinne 1 Peter ◠22. neyther guile found in his mouth mourne for Lazarus 1 Thess 4 13. These lamented the dead but not the state of the deade which they knew to bee most comfortable to all the faithfull as the Apostle teacheth Reu. 14.13 Blessed are they that dy in the Lord for they rest from their labors and their works follow them In regard wherof Reuel 14 13. Paul warneth the Thessalonians concerning them that are asleepe that they sorrow not euen as they which haue no hope 1 Thess 4 13. True it is we cannot so renounce or reforme our affections but that there wil be alwaies somewhat worthy of blame and fault in vs in our mirth and mourning in our loue and hatred in our hope and feare in our anger and such like passions and we finde it the hardest thing in the world to keep the mean between excesse and defect betweene too much too little yet it is absurd to dreame of such a kind of dulnesse and stupidity as ouer-turneth humane nature and cannot be found in flesh and blood yea standeth not with the condition of mankinde as he was created or as he became corrupted For so long as man remaineth in this life he cannot bee voide of affections and perturbations or bee senslesse like stockes or stones albeit wise men are to moderate their passions that Reason remaine mistresse of the soule as it were the gouernor of the house Wherefore wee must know that Christian Religion doth not abolish naturall affections or pull them vp by the roots but onely doeth moderate them and keepe them that they ouer flow not the bankes and doth bring them in subiection vnto the will of God So the Apostle as wee heard before did not forbid the Church to sorrow for the dead but putteth as it were a bridle into their hands only restraineth immoderate sorrow Againe he doth not absolutely condemne and reproue al anger and indignation conceiued in the heart but represseth the excesse abundance thereof Ephes 4 25. as a wise Physitian that seeketh to purge the ouer-flowing of choller And in another place hee doth not condemne weeping in aduersity or reioycing in prosperity but hee requireth that they which weepe 1 Cor. 7 30. bee as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not Furthermore Christ our Sauiour doeth not forbid the louing of Father and Mother of wife and children of brethren and sisters as that which standeth with the law of God and man but onely ordereth it aright bringeth it into his compasse saying Hee that loueth father or mother more then mee Matth. 10 37. is not worthy of mee and he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of me Thus then we are taught to vse temperance and moderation in all the affaires of our life in speaking or holding our peace in ioy or in sorrow that wee giue not scope to our vnbrideled affections but alwaies order and dispose them as there is iust cause Vse 2 Secondly it condemneth such as are bereft of all sense and feeling of such greeuous iudgments of God Alas how can such assure thēselues to bee true members of Christs body For tell me Can a man lose a principall part of his body as his eye his hand his foot and not be greeued Or can a man be depriued of thē and make a sport of it as at a play or pastime Euen so such as in the suffering of the members of the Church do reioyce 1 Cor. 12 25.26
the Canon the clattering of Armor crying in our streetes for then it were to be hoped we would turne vnto God in our misery repent vs of our iniquity and flie vnto God in our aduersity We see by wofull experience that peace prosperity haue lulled many of vs asleepe in a bed of case haue done the Church more harme then cruell war and bloody persecution True it is the blessings of God are not hurtfull of themselues but our corruption turneth that into a curse which God bestoweth as a blessing So that he which should haue beene vpright is laden with fatnesse Deut. 32 15. and spurneth with his heele Therefore God is constrained to punish vs to take his benefits from vs and to bring vs into order and obedience by the want of them Vse 3 Lastly seeing afflictions and chastisements draw vs to God as losse of the battaile did heere the Israelites we learne that whensoeuer they lie vpon vs and presse heauily vpon our bodies our soules our neighbours our familes our friends whether they be common or priuate calamities then it is high time to turne vnto God and to search out the cause of our affliction This must be our practise feeling when his hand is vpon vs when he scattereth the brands of his fire and shooteth the Arrowes of his Quiuer when he draweth out his glittering sword and his hand taketh hold of iudgment wheÌ„ he sendeth famine dearth of bread or the famine of his word which is the sorest and sharpest famine as the Prophet affirmeth Amos 8 verses 10 11 12. Then is cause of humiliation then it is time to cast downe our selues at the foorstoole of God to cry to him to spare his people The Lord thretening by his prophet a great and fearefull iudgement vpon the Land that shall turne their feasts into mourning and make it as the mourning for an onely sonne Doth he meane the sharpenesse of the sword or the arrowes of famine or the inuasion of enemies or the deuouring of wilde beasts or the raging of the pestilence or the carrying away into banishment and captiuity which are the things that worldly minded men feare and regard No But a famine of hearing Gods word that they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North euen to the East shall they runne to and fro to seeke the Lord and shall not find it In that day shal many perish for thirst according to the doctrine of Salomon Pro. 29.18 Where vision ceasseth the people perish Howsoeuer therfore carnall prophane men haue no sense or feeling of any thing but of earthly losses yet the Spirit of God teacheth and euery faithfull soule acknowledgeth that as there is no blessing like to the blessing of the word so there is no worke of his iudgement like to the want of his word And howsoeuer the Pastor may not want the people in respect of the meanes of his maintenance inasmuch as God hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 1 should liue of the Gospel yet the people want the Pastor more as the child wanteth the nurse more then the nurse the child as Lamen 2.11 12. The babes sucklings swound in the streets of the city they haue said to their mother Where is bread and drinke when they gaue vp the ghost in their mothers bosome Now the Ministers are called not onely the Fathers but the Nurses of the Church 1 Thess 2. We were gentle among you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children and the Apostle exhorteth that as new borne babes we desire the sincere milke of the word 1 Pet. 8 â— that wee may grow thereby because we haue tasted that the Lord is bountifull And thus much of the end and vse of afflictions which God sanctifieth to the good of his Church that thereby they may draw neerer vnto him Israel vowed a vow vnto the Lord and said If thou wilt deliuerer this people into mine hand c. The people pray promise and vow vnto God the destruction of men cities if God would deliuer them into their hands We learne hereby that vowes are lawfull Doctrinâ— It is lawfâ— to vow anâ— such are tâ— performeâ— so vowing we are to performe the same This we see practised by Iacob going to his vncle Laban for auoiding the fury of his brother Esau Gen. 28.20.21 Hannah vpon condition of hauing a sonne 1 Sam 1 â— Pâ—al 6â— 1â— 132 2 5. vowed him for a perpetuall Nazarite to the Lord. So doth Dauid oftentimes make vowes to God in the time of his trouble vpon condition to be deliuered out of his trouble Thus in this example of the Israelites in this place wee see that if God would bee on their side when their enemies rise vp against them to swallow them vp quicke and deliuer them as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler Psal 124 â— they promise and vow the performance of an outward and bodily exercise So then out of this place the doctrine of vowes may bee strongly confirmed and the lawfull practise of them sufficiently maintained and warranted to be good and godly Reason 1 For to come to the reasons whereupon the doctrine standeth a lawfull and holy vow is a profitable helpe to further vs in the worship of God True it is a vow is not a part of Gods worship no more then fasting is as fasting is no more a part of Gods worship then feasting or eating and drinking is which in it selfe and by it selfe considered pleaseth God no more then externall and bodily exercises doe â—m 4.8 yet it is an helpe and furtherance of the true seruice of God a prop and stay to further the same The kingdome of God standeth not in outward things as the Apostle teacheth It is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Romanes chapter 14.17 But when wee promise to God with full purpose of hart some outward duty it serueth the better to excite and stirre vs vp to repentance and thankesgiuing toward God And thus the seruants of God haue vsed it Reason 2 Againe it is farre better neuer to vow then hauing vowed not to pay and performe that which is gone out of our lips so as wee may reason as Peter doth with Ananias Acts 5.4 Likewise may it be said to such as breake their lawfull vowes offered vnto God was it not in thy liberty to vow or not to vow how theÌ„ hast thou conceiued this wickednesse in thy heart to lie not to men but vnto God Vowes were prescribed or appointed by the Law of God as testimonies of faith â—ron in Ecâ— cap. 5. and bonds of that reuerence and obedience which we owe vnto him therefore to vow and not to pay performe the solemne promise and couenant that we haue made is impudently to mocke God and consequently to pull great punishment vpon our owne heads This the Wise man
slenderest there his teâ—â—ations wil be thickest where the hedge is lowest euery beast will seeke to enter so it is with vs if one place be left open vnguarded Satan will enter there as well as if we gaue hiâ— I passage many waies One knowne sin nourished in vs is sufficient for him to bring vs therby to damnation He can well abide to haue vs reformed in many faults that we should deny theÌ„ defie theÌ„ hate them and ery out against them yet some one sinne or other whereto we are by nature most enclined he fosteteth and furthereth in vs and by it in a vile manner he wholly possesseth vs and dwelleth in vs. It is a wonderfull pollicy of Sathan when he cannot make vs to walke and wallow in all sin he endeuoureth to poyson vs with some one sin lest he should wholly giue ouer his hold and by it will bring vs to destruction as well as by a thousand A Bird entangled with one foot and holden in the snare of the Fowler is as vnable to escape and flye away as if she were taken and held by both the feete So is it with man if he beholden in one notorious sin and flatter himselfe in it he is in as great danger of death and damnation as if he gaue ouer himselfe to many sins What I pray you should it profit when a City is besiedged and compassed with the enemy to shut vp all the gates and to leaue one standing open May not the enemy enter at that one as well as at many and by assault take the City and people Or what should it auaile a Marriner to stop all the holes of the Shippe where it leaketh and leaue one vnstopped Will it not sinke the Ship as well as many So what shall it profite and helpe vs to set open one corner of our hearts for one sinne to enter albeit we should shut vp and locke the doores of our hearrs against all other sins Will not Satan enter there and fill vs full of all wickednes bring vs to destruction of soule and body Consider the examples of Saul Herod Iudas Ananias and Sapphira all these turned from sin yea from many sins but not from all sinne nor from their speciall sins whereof they shold haue repented and therefore their repentance was but the shew and shadow of repentance and not true repentance indeed If then wee would haue that true godly sorrow which causeth repentance 2 Cor. 7 10. not to be repented of wee must turne from all our sins to God and bring foorth fruites worthy amendment of life and hereby learne to try our owne hearts by this special conuersion We must consider our proper and personall sins Endeuouring to be perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect Mat. 5 48 and not exempting our selues from the obedience of any of the Lords holy Commandements And Moses prayed for the people They desire the prayers of Moses as we heard before who refuseth not but prayeth for theÌ„ to God He was not mindfull of the wrongs sustained and of the iniuries receiued of them for in all the indignities offered vnto him he was patient and meeke aboue all men that were vpon the earth Numb 18 3. therefore he goeth to God and desireth him to remoue the iudgement The Doctrine from this place is this Doctrine It is our duty to pray one for another euen for our enemies It is our duty to pray one for another The Lord requireth of vs not only to commit to God and commend in our prayers the Saints but to be mindfull of our enemies and them that hate vs and to desire their good and conuersion This affection we see in Abraham who prayed earnestly and oftentimes for the Sodomites Gen. 18 23. that God would spare them not destroy the righteous with the wicked but rather to spare the wicked for the righteous sake This was also in Samuel when the people besought him to pray for theÌ„ that they dyed not he saide God forbid that I should sin against the Lord and ceasse praying for you c. 1 Sam. 12 23. How often did Moses Aaron pray for Pharaoh and spread out their hands vnto the Lord That the plagues might ceasse and that he might know that the earth is the Lords Exod. 9 29. This duty Christ our Sauiour setteth downe as a rule to guide vs both by word of mouth and by example of life For he taught his Disciples this Doctrine Mat. 5 44. Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for the that hurt you and persecute you c. Now this point as Christ preacheth so he practiseth and prayeth for his enemies Father forgiue them for they know not what they do Luk. 23.34 Thus did the faithfull witnesse of God Stephen wheÌ„ he was stoned he kneeled downe and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Acts 7 60. The Reasons are plaine and direct First we Reason 1 are fellow-members of the same body and fellow-souldiers that fight vnder the same Captaine Iesus Christ We see them embers of our body are carefull for the good one of another vnlesse they be dead and sencelesse so should we be mooued at the consideration of the troubles and wants of the Church as the Apostle by this similitude teacheth vs 1 Cor. 12 20 21. We are many members yet but one body and the eye cannot say vnto the hand I haue no need of thee nor the head againe to the feet I haue no need of you So it is in the body of Christ wee cannot want each other but stand in need one of another to keepe the whole body in peace and concord In regard heereof it is that wee are partakers also of their prayers so as we pray one for another and seek the good benefit one of another as the Church did the deliuerance of Peter Acts 12 5. Secondly this duty of praying for our brethren Reason 2 is inforced charged vpon vs because it is acceptable to God and an oblation wherwith he is delighted and well pleased For our prayer is directed in his sight as Incense Psal 141 â— and the lifting vp of our hands as an euening sacrifice It auaileth much if it be feruent it pierceth the heauens and obtaineth euery good blessing at the hands of God for our selues for others The Vses foâ—low First we are especially in Vse 1 duty bound to pray for Magistrates and those that be in authority as the subiects for their Princes and the people for their Pastors that the worke of God may prosper vnder their hands This the Apostle teacheth 1 Tim. chapter 2 1 2. So the Iewes were commanded to pray for Babylon that persecuting Citty where they were captiue Ier. chap. 29 ver 7. We see in the naturall body that albeit the members haue care one of another yet the chiefest care is for the
whether we shall returne to them aliue or not forasmuch as wee carry about vs euermore houses of clay And when we come into them we know not whether we shall go out of them againe vpon our feet or be carried out vpon the shoulders of others Lastly the manner and kinde of our death is also as vnknowne as the rest whether we shall dye a naturall or a violent death a suddaine or a lingring death whether our life shall be prolonged to the last point and period of nature our heat and moysture being consumed Cicer. de ◠as the light of a candle consumeth by little and little and at length goeth out of it selfe or whether it shall be taken away by fire by water by sword by famine by pestilence by beasts and such like casualties incident to the sonnes of men all which proclaime and publish in our hearts the vaine condition of all flesh Reason 2 Secondly God hath prepared for vs a City whereof he is the builder and maker This City we seeke being Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem the mother of vs all For we shall neuer sufficiently be brought to acknowledge our fraile and brittle estate vnlesse wee be raised and lifted vp to the meditation of our future condition in the life to come If then the kingdome of glory be a place of rest what is this present estate but a sea of sorrowes If the heauen be our natiue Country what is the earth but an exile and banishment ◠3 20. If it bee true happinesse to enioy the blessed presence of the liuing God then it must needs be a miserable thing and death it selfe to want it If to leaue this earthly tabernacle be a setting of vs free and at liberty what is this body but a prison If immortality be as the putting on of a garment 〈◊〉 5.6 what is our mortality but as it were a nakednesse Lastly if to die in the Lord bee to goe vnto God what is this life but an absence from him This did the Patriarkes professe and to this they sealed by their practise Heb. 11 13 14 15 16. Abraham possessed not one bredth of a foote sauing the purchase bought to bury his dead Iacob was banished out of that Land a great part of his life Isaac and the rest of the fathers had but their walke in it and enioyed it as a pledge of another Country which is aboue Vse 1 The vses follow If we haue heere no abiding City in the daies of our vanity then acknowledge Gods great mercy toward vs being so vaine We see other creatures in their estate more permanent then man is far exceeding and excelling in naturall gifts in seeing tasting mouing hearing touching and such like properties yet no creature tasteth of his sauing mercies as man doth This consideration doth the Prophet leade vs vnto Psal 8 3 4 6 7 9 that hee is mindfull of him and visiteth him and hath put all things vnder his feet There is no merite in vs to be a motiue to moue him to shew so great mercy vnto vs. He findeth vs walking in our sinnes as it were wallowing in our blood all our righteousnesse is as a foule and filthy cloth Esay 64 6. This vse Dauid vrgeth Psal 103 14 15 16 18. Hee knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that wee are but dust the daies of man are as grasse as a flower of the field so flourisheth he but the louing kindnesse of the Lord endureth for euer he is full of cōpassion and mercy slowe to anger of great kindnesse So that he confirmeth himselfe others in Gods mercy by the consideration of our owne vanity Vse 2 Secondly seeing our daies be vaine short why doe we carke and care so much for the things of this life what we shall eate what we shall drinke and what we shall put on Why do we eate the bread of sorrow with too much painfulnesse heape vp worldly things It may be we shal not come to the sight of the fruite of our labours much lesse to the partaking of it A traueller the shorter his iourney is the lesse his prouision is We are all trauellers we are in the way to our country and we are not far from the end of our iourney what folly then and madnesse is it to cast all our thoughts and meditations to earthly things and to care not onely for the morrow Math 6 25 34 but for moneths and yeares This our Sauiour setteth downe Luke 12 19 20 21 for when the rich man saide to his soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime It was answered him O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall these things bee which thou hast prouided So is he that gathereth riches and is not rich in God Hereunto consenteth the Apostle Iames chap 4 13 14 15. Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a City and continue there a yeare buy sell and get gaine and yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrow for what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth away for that yee ought to say Thus rather the words are to be read if the Lord will both we shall liue and we shall do this or that Salomon hauing had plentifull experience of the shortnesse and vanity of mans life penned to this purpose the Booke of Ecclesiastes which is as it were the marrow and pith yea the very quintessence of all his best knowledge and wherein we may see the refined wisedome of reformed Salomon he proclaimeth Vanity of vanities all is vanity there is an euill which I saw vnder the Sunne and it is much among men one to whom God hath giuen riches treasures and honour he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth but God giueth him not power to eate thereof a strange man shall eate it vp though he leaue no sparke behind him neither son nor brother yet doth he not thinke for whom do I trauaile and defraud my soule of pleasure This also is vanity and this is an euill trauaile Eccles 1 2 and 4 8 and 5 12 and 6 1 2. To conclude this vse if we be not strangers in this life wee shall haue no part in the kingdome of heauen If we will haue God to auow and acknowledge vs for his children let vs liue heere as forreigners and warfaring men in our iourney or rather in our race We haue pitched and patched vp a Tent or Tabernacle for a day or a night we must not nestle our selues heere we must not alwayes goe groueling to the ground nor intangle our selues in the affaires of this life to make it our euerlasting habitation but bee flying vpwards as birds sitting vpon a bough True it is God is so fauourable to many
things as trauellers not possesse any thing as Conquerers yet nothing at al albeit neuer so right or reasonable and so equall or honest is granted permitted to Gods people Wherefore Sihon either resoluing with himselfe to deale vniustly and vnkindly or suspecting that vnder a faire colour and outward shew of honest dealing they might haue a further proiect and hide the depth of their cunning deuises as oftentimes is vsed at the dyets and consultations of Princes and beeing enflamed with the malice of his owne heart Guicciard hist lib. 11. 19. he dealeth more vnmercifully with theÌ„ then the Edomites and Moabites had done and denieth that fauour and friendship which they had found among them Indeed the Edomites denyed them passage thorough their Land as we saw before chapter 20 yet they suffered them to trauell by their Coast Borders and solde them foode for their money Deut. 2 29. The Moabites another enemy permitted them indeed to passe by their Borders but refused to giue them meate or water for mony as appeareth Deut. 23 3. But the Amorites worse then both the former not only affoorded them no commodity but being destitute of all sparkes of humanity denyed theÌ„ passage in word and deed In word he answered Thou shalt not passe In deed he vnited his forces he tooke the field and so prouoked Israel to battell who lay still and stirred not against him True it is Israel had Gods purpose reuealed vnto them to subdue them and enter their Land but Moses waiteth with wisedome vntill they were teazed and constrained to defend themselues lest if they had begun and giuen the occasion the enemy should vpbraide them with iniustice and charge them with oppression chalenge them for wrongfull vsurpation Now they deale vprightly euen their enemies being Iudges inasmuch as Nature teacheth euery man to resist force with force Cicer. pro â—loâ—e and defend himselfe with his weapon against open and outragious violence The occasion being offered and the fire kindled by Sihon Israel being compelled fighteth against him ouerthroweth him in the battell and inuadeth his Dominion and maketh them all passe vnder the mercy of the sword without compassion sparing neither men Deut. 2 34. women nor children This victory is amplified by a particular enumeration of the Cities which they subdued and they inhabited euen in the head-Citty Heshbon Afterward their right to these places is proued and confirmed For albeit Heshbon properly belonged to Moab as a part of his Dominion yet all that coast euen to the Riuer Arnon was come by conquest into the possession of Sihon King of the Amorites so that the Israelites tooke not away any thing from the Moabites according to the commandement of the Lord Deut. 2 9. Iosh 13 25 but from the Amorites whose whole Countrey was alotted to his people GOD scattering the people that delight in war and take pleasure to shed blood This is that mercy of God which Nehemiah magnifieth chap. 9 8. Thou madest a Couenant with Abraham c. And Psal 78 55. Hee cast out also the heathen before them c. Thus did God shew himselfe to be the Shepheard of Israel that led his people like sheepe and brought them into the Borders of his Sanctuary which his right hand had purchased Here was the beginning of all comfort heere they began to set down their rest heere they saw the first fruites of their labours assuring them that as God had begun to performe his promise so he would continue to finish his owne worke Furthermore their right in possessing of these places is declared by a publike song of triumph and victory as it were a Trophie fet vp which was made by the Poets of that time to make knowne to posterity the victory of the Israelites and their lawfull claime to those Cities which they had won by the dint of the sword This Poeme was not a song made by the Amorites as many suppose but composed by the Israelites as appeareth by these reasons First we see it to be a most common and vsuall thing with the people of God when they had obtained any victory or receiued any benefit to leaue some token monument of it to posterity to acknowledge by whose hand they haue preuailed This we see in the words going before ver 17 18 where they sang a song of thankesgiuing for the Well which God had granted and they had digged Secondly it is no ordinary and vsuall thing with God to alledge the sayings of heathen Poets and so to sanctifie their prophane writings to be holy Scriptures True it is the Spirit sometimes produceth a short sentence to conuince the heathen by their own Prophets but neuer citeth an whole Poeme as Moses doth in this place Thirdly in the 30 verse it is saide We haue destroyed them vnto Nophah and subdued Sihon that had conquered the Moabites by which meanes Israel came to dwell in the Cities of the Amorites Fourthly here is pronounced and concluded the wofull and wretched estate of Moab â—g 11.33 for their idolatry and trusting in their god Kemosh which had deceiued them and deliuered them into the hands of their enemies which agreeth not to the Amorites as deepe in the sinne of idolatry as the Moabites and worshipping the same Idoll the Moabites did For Kemosh was the god of the Amorites Ammonites and Moabites Therefore as the Prophet saith â—y 2 11. that the Gentiles will not change their gods so it may be truely said they will not reproch and reuile their gods Thus then we see this was one of the songs of the Israelites most likely to bee penned and published by Moses himselfe who as he was brought vp in all the learning of the Egyptians â— 7 22. so he was cunning in this faculty as appeareth in other places of his works This Song or Sonnet remaining as a Testimony and witnesse of their iust conquest to ages succeeding setteth downe both the vsurping of the Amorites the recouery of those places out of the hands of the Amorites by the Israelites First it sheweth how Sihon inuaded the Moabites and exhorted his army to play the men appointing Rendevous place of meeting to be at Heshbon willing them to resort thither to begin the battell stirring theÌ„ vp to repaire the breaches of that City which Sihon made the head and mother-city of his kingdome and then inuading other parts of Moab which were wasted consumed with fire and sword Thus he seemed to haue most reason and right â— Aâ—al â— who had greatest strength They got their superiority by cruell iniustice and wrong vsurpation the distressed Moabites chusing to sell their liues in the field with honor seeing they could not enioy them with safety in their Cities Sihon then beeing thus Conqueror the Poet bringeth him in insulting ouer his enemies vaunting in his owne strength and ascribing the victory to his own power their god Kemosh the
possession To this Moses answereth that albeit it could not be denied and gain-sayed but that the Cities were in former time within the Borders and Territories of Moab yet Sihon had taken them away by right of warre and conquest of the sword so that now they were alienated from the Moabites and appropriated to the Amorites who possessed them and dwelt in them So then the Israelites offered no wrong to the Moabites but recouered the places to their owne vse out of the hand of the Amorites Neither did Moab lay any claime to them for many generations as Iephtah declareth Iudg. 11. And this is the right that Israel had to these Cities Thus we see what dealings passed betweene the Moabites and the Amorites before Israel came to these places both of them were idolaters both wicked men both grosly ignorant of the true worship of God and desperate enemies to the true Church one is ready to cut the throat of another and killeth one another in battell We learne from hence Doctrine God often punisheth one euill man by the hand of another as euil that God punisheth oftentimes one wicked man by the hand of another He raiseth vp and armeth one of them to destroy another to eate vp and consume another This truth appeareth in many other places of holy Scripture Chedor-laomer vsurping dominion ouer other Nations made warre against them Gen. 14 5 6.7 8. and tooke away all the substance as a prey booty out of Sodome and Gomorrha God in his prouidence causeth one euill man to slay another The Sodomites were exceeding sinners against the Lord. He raised vp an enemy not much better then themselues for their destruction The like we see in the example of the Midianites Who sheathed their swords in their owne bowels Iudg. 7 20 22 Indeed Gideon gaue his men at armes that went with him to that seruice Lampes Trumpets and Pitchers and thus he marched against his enemies they sounded their Trumpets they brake their Pitchers they lighted their Lampes then the hoast of the Midianites fled euery mans sword was set against his neighbour their own weapons were their owne bane their owne men were their owne murtherers and so they destroyed one another This the Prophet Habbakkuk Hab. 1 6. sheweth when the Law was dissolued Iustice oppressed cruelty practised and all wickednes was aduanced among them the LORD would worke a wonder among them He wold raise vp the Chaldeans against them a bitter and furious Nation to destroy them a people worse then themselues This is that which Esay the Prophet pointeth vnto when he saith Euery one shall eate the flesh of his owne arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh and they both shall be against Iudah Esay 9 21. Likewise he prophesieth the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and Persians chap. 13 17. The destruction of the Egyptians by the Assyrians chap. 19. Yea he would set the Egiptians against the Egiptians so that euery one should fight against his brother and euery one against his neighbour City against City and Kingdom against Kingdom The reasons of this order and manner of Gods working are not hard to finde For first Reason 1 who shall limit him what meanes to vse and what persons to imploy in his seruice Dare any Subiect prescribe vnto his Prince whom he shall send Or shall a seruant teach appoint his master whom he shall entertaine to performe his busines Or will any Magistrate master take well such pride presumption Shall God then the King of Kings the master ouer all men be stinted and limited whom he shal vse As none can appoint him what he shall do or when he shall punish or whom he shall correct no more can we decree or determine the meanes and manner of his proceedings He appointeth the times and seasons of punishing he singleth out the persons to bee punished For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord Or who was his Counseller Hee will finde out his enemies in their sinnes and he will chuse out the instruments of his owne iudgements He armeth many times men of euill hearts and of vncleane hands to doe his works diligently and to accomplish his waies feruently When the Lord would smite the house of Ahab and auenge the blood of his seruants the Prophets Iehu is annointed King ouer Israel made the Rod of the Lord who performed his word and will to the full hee slew Iehoram 2 King 9 7. 10 31. cast downe Iezabel and slew the Priests of Baal yet notwithstanding all his zeale which he pretended for the Lord his heart was not vpright before him neither regarded hee to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel neither departed hee from the sinnes of Ieroboam which made Israel to sinne As then the worke is the Lords so is the workman and as the iudgement is his so is the instrument which hee chuseth and fitteth to effect the same without the prescription appointment of any other Reason 2 Againe albeit they be wicked and vngodly men infidels and idolaters that hee imploieth to finish his worke to bring his decree determination to passe yet he frameth their harts to serue his prouidence as seemeth good in his heauenly wisedome He hath the hearts of all men in his hand euen of Kings to turne them about to be instruments of his will If then he can change the hearts of enemies no maruaile if he vse them as his seruants So he vseth the seruice of the diuels and euill spirits and maketh them to do his will and against their will further the saluation of his children whō they purposed to bring to despaire and damnation as appeareth in the History of Iobs Iob 1 and 2. tentations Albeit they be not his faithfull seruants to do his wil cheerefully yet they are his slaues to serue him by constraint and compulsion This the Apostle Iohn declareth in the destruction of that great whore which is drunke with the blood of the Saints with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication namely that they gaue their power and authority to the Beast but they shall hate the whore make her desolate eate her flesh and burne her with fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the Beast vntil the words of God be fulfilled Reu. 17 15 16 17. Nothing is done without the will of God He holdeth in his hands the hearts and purposes of Princes and great men vpon earth and directeth them by a secret motion to worke what hee pleaseth whether they know his will or know it not the whole action commeth of him and from him For howsoeuer it might seeme hard and harsh that the Angel saith it was GOD that put it into the harts of Kings to aduance the Papacy which was the work of the diuell to seduce the world yet after
our Sauiour addeth Math. 6 27. Which of you by taking care is able to adde one cubite vnto his stature This the wise man teacheth in the Prouerbs chap 12 27. The deceitfull man roasteth not that he tooke in hunting but the riches of the diligent man are precious Wherfore it standeth vs vpon not to be immoderately pensiue and distrustfully carefull for the profits and commodities of this life nor trust in the labours of our owne hands but pray to God to send vs his blessing to poure down the riches of his grace vpon vs as the showre vpon the herbes and as the great raine vpon the grasse It is not our owne worke that can giue vs wealth or our owne labour can make vs rich Except the Lord builde the house they labour in vaine that build it except the LORD watch the City the keeper watcheth in vaine it is vaine for you to rise early and to lie downe late and eate the bread of sorrow but he wil surely giue rest to hiâ— beloued So theÌ„ we must confesse that nothing in house or City nothing in Church or Common-wealth can be enterprized finished aright except God be the directer and guider of it To the end therefore the blessings of God may euer concur with our lawfull labors let vs sanctifie theÌ„ with prayer craue of God his special fauour to blesse the works of our hands to his glory and our comfort Vse 3 Thirdly seeing wicked men after all their paines and labours doe lay vp in store for the faithfull both the one and rhe other sort must lay this vnto their hearts Let the vngodly lament and howle their folly and not trust in their owne strength It is a great greefe for a naturall and carnall man to depart from his substance and treasure vpon which hee hath set his heart but this doubleth his griefe and increaseth his sorrow to see such as hee holdeth his enemies to enter vpon them quietly to enioy them What can more humble them then to take from them the comfort wherein they rested and the staffe whereon they leaned and the confidence wherein they trusted so bereauing them of the fruit of their hands which was the ioy of their hearts the hope of their liues and the key of all their comfort This vse is directly concluded by the Prophet Ieremy chap. 42 3. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I wil cause a noise of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Amonites and it shall be a desolate heape and her daughters shall be burnt with fire then shall Israel possesse those that possessed him saith the Lord. Howle O Heshbon for Ai is wasted cry ye daughters of Rabbah gird you with sackcloath mourne turn too and fro by the hedges c. Wherefore let vs not put our affiance and confidence in these earthly â—n 6 17. â— 23 5. transitory and vncertaine things which take their wings as an Eagle and flie into the heauen On the other side this shold comfort the faithful in the vprightnesse of their harts and teach all persons to labour to bee truely godly and religious For this is the fruite and aduantage that righteousnesse bringeth with it it causeth a mans owne goods to bee stable and continue in his family and draweth vnto it the riches of others by the free gift of God Thus we see Deut. 28 30 31. that whereas in the law it is denounced as a curse that a man should builde an house and another should dwell in it plant a vineyard and yet shal not eate the fruite haue his Oxe slaine before his eyes and not eate thereof it sheweth the wofull condition of the vngodly that he shal not reape the fruite of his labours nor attaine to the end he expecteth Contrarywise the godly are comforted and haue their bowelles refreshed forasmuch as they learne by this dealing of God that the wicked man is so farre from leauing his goods to his posteritie that they are oftentimes stripped from him put vpon the righteous who by the prouidence of God is made heyre against his wil. Wherefore if wee desire to leaue our posterities in good estate wee can no way better prouide for them secure their persons and settle their estates to continue then if wee leade a godly life and keep a good conscience toward God and men Vse 4 Lastly this Doctrine declaring how God translateth the substance and possession of the vngodly to the godly ministreth matter vnto them to praise the Lord who is the giuer of euery good giuing and of euery perfect gifâ— This the Prophet teacheth Israel to acknowledge Psal 44 3. 105 2 3 44 45. 136 1 21. that they inherited not the Land of Promise by dint of the sword by the strength of their arme by the multitude of their men but confesse the power of Gods right hand the light of his countenance and the comfort of his fauour Heereupon he stirreth vp the people to praise him to call vpon his name and to declare his workes to their posterity Sing vnto him sing praise vnto him and talke of all his wondrous workes reioyce in his holy name and let the heart of them that seeke the Lord reioyce We are vnworthy of these exceeding mercies not onely to finde the comfort of our own labors but to inherit the possessions of others if wee do not endeuour to stirre vp our hearts and al that is within vs to praise his holy name Therefore Moses putteth the people of Israel in remembrance of this duty of thanksgiuing wheÌ„ they should come vnto the land of Canaan to Cities and houses builded by their enemies they should take heede they forgate not that good God that should bring them thither This sacrifice was offered willingly and ioyfully by the Israelites Ester 8 7. when they sawe their desire vpon their enemies and their goods giuen to the members of the Church they reioyced and were glad ioy and gladnesse arose among them Verse 27. Wherefore they that speake in Prouerbes Heere is mention of a peece of Poetry and an ancient song made by some skilful Poet as Moses or some other among the people of God containing Sihons inuading of the Moabites his possessing their Cities with the cause to wit their idolatry and the Israelites recouering and regaining them out of his hand to their proper vse This Poem was made in verse both for the better remeÌ„brance of the singers and for the more effectuall setting downe of these victors to moue attention admiration and other affections Doctrine Poetry is ancient commendable Wee learn from this practise of the people of God that Poetry is ancient in the Church of God and commendable among the godly The setting forth of the workes of God not onely truly soundly and simply in a plaine forme frame of words but strictly poetically artificially is worthy of praise and commendation This appeareth by the manifolde practise of
and Gomorrha Genes 18.19 I know him that he will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that hee hath spoken vnto him This the Prophet vrgeth Psal 78 1 2 3 4 5 6. So the Prophet Ioel or rather the Lord by the Prophet threatning a greeuous plague of dearth and famine that the field should bee wasted the corne destroyed the new wine dried vp the oyle decayed and the husbandmen howle because the haruest of the field should perish saith Ioel 1 2 â— Heare â—e this O Elders and hearken yee all inhabitants of the land whether such a thing hath bene in your dayes or yet in the dayers of your Fathers Tel you your children of it and let your children shew it to their children and their children to another generation Thus we see how God requireth of vs a diligent consideration of his iudgements seeing he smiteth one to admonish another wee must not account these strokes onely as punishments vpon the offenders but as examples offered for the amendment and repentance of others as our Sauiour taught his disciples of those that were murthered by Pilate and of those were slaine by the fall of a tower Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13 1 2 3 4. Verse 28. For a fire is gone out of Heshbon and a flame from the City of Sihon and hath consumed Har of the Moabites c. When warre is once begun and set on foote it is not so easily laid downe neither is the thirst of ambition in a proud man so easily quenched Therefore this song declaâ—eth that when Sihon had assaulted and taken Heshbon hee rested not there but proceeded farther and led his armie against the villages adioyning dealing with them as hee had done with the inhabitants of Heshbon Thus we see the people bordering vpon the Heshbonites are touched with their ruine and companions with them in their adueâ—sity as when a mighty tree falleth it throweth down with it the lesser lower shrubs Now Moses in this borrowed speech setteth forth the misery brought vpon the Moabites which like a violent and vehement fire consumeth wheresoeuer it lighteth Marke therefore in this place the comparison similitude which the Spirit of God vseth to expresse the rage of warre wasting farre and neere as a mighty flame of fire Doctrine The misery mischâ—â—â—e 〈◊〉 waâ—â—exeâ—ding great We learne from hence this Doctrine That great is the miserie and mischiefe of warre whereby blood is shedde Nations are spoyled Countryes are ruinated Cities are dispâ—â—pled Murther is committed and the image of God defaced And albeit the life be spared yet liberty is restrained and oftentimes death is better then bâ—ndage and the sword not so bitter as captiuity euen to become slaues to them who are slaues to Satan This we see expressed in the war of Chedarlaomer Genes 14 5 6 7. who comming to chasten the rebellion of Sodom and other Cities in the plaine he seized vpon the people bordering so that they tasted the bitternes of the sword being neighbours to the Nations offending against him This Moses expresseth Deut. 28 50 51 describing the fiercenesse of the enemies and the plague of warres saying They shall not regard the person of the old nor haue compassion of the young they shall eate the fruite of thy Cattle they shall consume the profit of thy land they shall besiege thee within thy walles they shall driue thee to eate thy children the fruite of thy body during the siege and streightnesse where-with they shall compasse thee in thy Cities Heereunto that Prouerbe guideth vs vsed by the King of Israel against such as boasted before the victory Let not him that girdeth his harnesse boast himselfe King 20 11 as he that putteth it off Hence it is that we reade how thousands and ten thousands are consumed in battell which deuoureth one as well as another to teach vs the casualty and calamity of warre Reason 1 The Reasons are not to be forgotten that we may the better settle this Doctrine in our hearts First it is threatned as an heauy plague and fearefull iudgement to be brought vpon that people that set their faces against God and walke stubbornely in the breach of his commandements It is one of the arrowes of God 〈◊〉 5 16 17. which he hath in his quiuer reserueth to shoote against all the contemners of his Statutes he will send vpon them famine to punish them euill beasts to spoile them the pestilence to consume them blood to passe through them This is that which the Lord threatneth Leuit. 26 25 31. I will send a sword vpon you that shall auenge the quarrell of my Couenant and when you are gathered in your Citties I will send the pestilence among you and yee shall bee deliuered into the hand of the enemy I will make your Citties desolate If then God proclaime open warre against such as beare themselues stoutly and stubbornly against him if he be at vtter defiance with them that despite and despise him if he denounce against those the day of battell as a day of wrath a day of trouble and heauinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darknes a day of clouds and blacknes a day of the Trumpet and alarme against the strong Citties against the high Towers and against mighty warriers that their bloud shall be poured out as dust their flesh made as the dung it must necessarily follow that the time of warre is the time of woe yea of weeping and wailing and great lamentation of young and old rich poore women and children babes and sucklings Reason 2 Secondly great is the benefit of peace and many are the blessings that come with it and ensue after it If then peace be a great benefit then must warre needs bee acknowledged to be a great want and a fearefull iudgement The peace of a State is as the health of a body of strong constitution therefore warre is a dangerous disease in any body politicke wheÌ„ it cannot bee purged and washed without blood We see how Moses among the blessings that shall come vpon Israel and ouertake theÌ„ reckoneth vp peace in their borders Leuit. 26 6. I will send peace in the Land and ye shall sleepe none shall make you afraid and the sword shall not goe through your Land If there be but a iarie in a priuate house or a strong faction in any society it threatneth the ruine thereof Math 12 25. If an house or Citty be diuided against it selfe it cannot stand If a kingdom be diuided against it selfe it is brought to nought But when God giueth peace and rest to his Church many blessings come with it and great contentment on all sides and in all estates especially the free liberty of the Gospel with the preaching and professing of it
which we should account as the life of our liues Seeing therefore on the one side Warre is the iust wages of great sins and on the other side peace bringeth with it many blessings of all sorts spirituall and temporall we conclude that many are the miseries of warre The vses are in the next place to be thought vpon and application â—o be made of this Doctrine Vse 1 First let vs pray earnestly to God and call vpon him faithfully to keep from vs both warres and the rumors of wars and continue peace in our borders with the free publike vse of the Gospel to vs and to our posterities that there may not be the voice of lamentation lifted vp in our streetes weeping mourning and great howling Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Mat. 2 18. Ier. 31 15. We liue in a plentifull and well-peopled Land no Nation vnder heauen is more populous This is a blessing of God as Moses declareth Leuit. 26 9. Likewise Prouerbs 14 28 Yet many times we repine at his mercie we thinke the Land will be too little for vs and that we shall not be able to liue one for another Hee can make roome enough for vs if he once send the bright weapons of warre and the glistering sword of the bloody enemy among vs. He can make fewer of vs and turne our Land into bryars thornes and make it a place of Salt-pits and Nettles Then shall a man nourish a yong Cow and two Sheepe Esay 7 21 22. and 4 1. and for the abundance of Milke that they shall giue he shall eate Butter The number of men shall then be so small thaâ— a few beasts shall bee sufficient to nourish the remnant abundantly Then shall seuen women take hold of one man saying We will eate our owne bread and will weare our owne garments onely let vs bee called by thy name and take away our reproch Let vs therefore in this great encrease of the land and store of people acknowledge his mercy let vs reioyce in the society one of another and pray that wee taste not the bitternesse of war that there be no slaying with the sword no shedding of blood no carrying into captiuity This the Prophet teacheth Ps 144 desiring God to continue his benefites toward his people the fruite of the wombe the filling of store-houses the encrease of sheepe the quietnesse of peace Psal 144 12 13 14 15. That our sonnes being as the plants growing vp in their youth and our daughters being as the corner stones may be the building of the temple that our corners may be full and our Oxen strong to labor that there be no inuasion nor going out nor no crying in our streets O blessed are the people that bee so yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Where we see the Prophet prayeth and directeth vs to pray that there may be no taste of the sharpnesse and misery of warre nor we know the assaulting of our Citties nor going out to warfare that there may be no sorrow of heart no weeping of eyes no wringing of hands no shriking of voices among vs. Were it not a wofull and lamentable thing to see fire without mercy and without quenching consuming houses eating vp all things and sparing nothing How much more to see and heare and feele the affliction of warre when all things are in confusion and combustion For this is one great mischiefe and bitternes of warre that all things are holden to be lawfull and all men make themselues to bee lawlesse There is no regard of right or equity of shame or conscience when many times the souldiers are as hungry as wolues as cruell as Tygers as fierce as Lions as merciles as Bears robbed of their whelpes which spoyle in the euening and leaue not the bones vntill the morning Liberty is oppressed good men feare euill men expect knowing it is best fishing in troubled water if there be any place free from tumult at least there is none void of suspition and free from iealousie few then are to be trusted and none assured all things in confusion violence spoyling blood murthers outcrying and nothing else before our eyes but a lamentable face of all calamities extremities The Prophet Zachary describing the golden dayes of a peaceable life which should be giuen to the Israelites when they were returned from captiuity saith Zac. 8 4 5. There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Ierusalem and euery man with his staffe in his hand for verie age and the streets of the City shal be full of boyes girles playing in the streets therof Then is the mouth of the people filled with laughter and their tongue with ioy Psal 46 9. When the Lord maketh warres to cease vnto the end of the world he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare burneth the Chariots with fire But in the time of war and in the day of battaile all things are turned topsie-turuý all things lye open to sacking and pillage to insolencie of souldiers to desire of reuenge and to most horrible accidents Then we are constrayned to see and lament the slaughter of men the rauishing of women the deflouring of virgins the spoyling of goods the robbing of houses the taking of prisoners the breaking of lawes the defacing of iustice the intermission of sowing the innouation of estates the subuersion of realmes the desolation of countries the violation of religion the destruction of Citties the effusion of blood the suffering of famine and sometimes the extreamity of eating children and alwayes the ouerthrowing of all order and honesty Who is able to recount rehearse the great horror and feare the sorow and mourning the weeping and lamentation the seditions tumults outrages villanies insurrections conspiracies calamities dangers difficulties and the miserable traine of infinit miseries and maladies that war bringeth with it No maruell therefore if Dauid preferred the pestilence before the sword 2 Sam. 24 14. desiring that hee might fall into the hands of the Lord because his mercies are great and not fall into the hands of man whose bowels of pitty are instruments of cruelty Let vs therefore pray earnestly and feruently vnto God that wee may not haue experience of these troubles nor endure the violence of this fire and intreat him to continue a gracious God to vs and to our posterities for euer This we see fruitfully and profitably practised by the people of Israel when the Lord for their idolatry threatned to deliuer them no more out of the handes of their enemies and bad them cry vnto the gods which they had chosen that they might saue them in the time of their tribulation they said vnto the Lord We haue sinned do thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee onely we pray thee to deliuer vs this day from our enemies Iudg. 10 10 11 12. Secondly let vs learne by the horror of the Vse 2
on the left hand we know not what the miserie of slauery and slaughter meaneth we do not behold our Citties besiedged our Countries wasted our Townes entrenched our walles bâ—tterâ—d our houses fired consumed blessed bee the great name of our most gracious God therefore for euermore Let vs then take heede that wee abuse not these mercies and good things of Almighty GOD lest hee take them away from vs in his fierce wrath and indignation O that there were in vs wise hearts to consider these things whilst we dwell safely in these our houses and habitations and before the enemie approacheth neâ—e vnto vs and casteth a trench about vs. But if we prouoke God and make warre with him how can we haue peace with men how can we looke to liue in safetie any longer with our wiues and children This our Sauiour hath set downe and with â—eares taught the Iewes long before their destruction came vpon them For when he came neere and beheld the City he wept for it and passionately saide Luk. 19 41 42 43 44. O if thou haddest euen knowne at the least in this day those things which belong vnto thy peace But now are they hid from thine eies For the daies shall come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round keepe thee in on euerie side and shall make thee euen with the ground and thy children which are in thee and they shall not leaue thee a stone vpon a stone because thou knowest not that season of thy visitation Let vs apply these things vnto our selues and if wee desire to liue peaceably with men let vs first seek to be at peace with God and if we would be reconciled to our brother let vs in the first place be reconciled to our God and then all things shall speake peace vnto vs. Verse 29. Woe be to thee Moab O people of Chemosh thou art vndone hee hath deliuered his sons which escaped and his daughters into captiuity to Sihon king of the Amorites Here the Poet rhetorically turneth his speech to the Moabites describing their foolish confidence in their dumbe Idolles Psal 115 4 5. Which are the worke of mens hands which haue eies and see not eares and heare not they haue a mouth and speake not noses and smell not hands touch not feet and walke not neither make they a sound with their throat they that make them are like vnto theÌ„ and so are all they that trust in them The Nations of the Gentiles had multitudes of gods and euery Nation his seuerall Idoll-goâ— As Chemosh was the idoll of the Moabites Baal of the Caldeans Ashteroth of the Sidonians Moloch of the Ammonites Rimmon of the Syrians Dagon of the Philistims These are false gods and had the godhead or diuine nature falsly ascribed vnto them who were not able to saue such as did worship them as the author of this song here declareth Hee hath deliuered his sons and daughters to captiuity and was not able to deliuer them out of the hands of Sihon king of the Amorites 1 King 18 26. For as the Israelites cried for fire to come from heauen from morning to noone O Baal heare vs so no doubt did the Moabites for deliueraÌ„ce from their enimies cal to their idol Chemosh O Chemosh heare vs but there was no voyce nor any to answer so that they fel into the hands of the Amorites and receiued no profit or benefit by their idoll seruice Heere then wee see how the idolatrous Moabites worshipping a false god and trusting in their great Idol are defeated and destroyed Hence we learne Doctrine Idolaters shal be confounded and destroyed That Idolaters lye open to iudgement The worshipping of Images howsoeuer it bee coloured with false reasons is the true cause of Gods iudgements We see heere how the Moabites were rooted out of theyr Townes and Cities for this sinne Hitherto come the threatnings of the Prophets against the Nations by Esay chap. 46 1 2. and Ier. 46 44 7 8. for their idolatry We see in Iudg. 2 11. when Israel committed idolatry began to cleaue to strange gods and forsook the Lord God of their fathers God sold them into the handes of their enemies so that they could no longer stand before them This was the destruction of Ieroboam the son of Nebat that made Israel to sinne and of Iehu who set vp idolatry after he had destroyed it This was the cause that the wrath of God brake in vpon the Israelites when they had erected the golden Calfe which sin was reuenged with a greeuous and horrible slaughter Heereunto also the Prophet hath relation Psal 106 34 35. They destroyed not the people as the Lord had commanded them but were mingled amongst the heathen and learned their workes and serued their Idols which were their ruine Thus we see how idolatry turneth to the destruction of the idolater The Reasons follow First God is the husband Reason 1 of his Church and can no more abide to haue his honour and worship communicated to any other then the husband any partner or fellow in his loue Prou. 6 35. â—ho cannot beare the sight of any ransome neither will hee consent though thou augment the gifts Idolatry therfore is spirituall whoredome and God is a iealous God of his honor and glory and will not suffer the same to be giuen to any other Esay 42 8. Exod. 20 5. This is notably declared and woorthily expressed by the Prophet Hosea where the idolatry of the Israelites is resembled to the adulterous and whorish woman that doateth vpon her louers that forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the couenant of her God Their mother saith the Lord by his Prophet hath played the Harlot she that conceiued them hath done shamefully c. As then God is the husband of his Câ—urch so our spirituall worship is as a certaine marriage of our soules consecrated vnto the Lord therfore all false and forged worship is spiritual whordome and adultery toward him To this purpose speaketh Hosea ch 2 19 20. I will marrie thee vnto me for euer yea I will marry thee vnto me in righteousnes and in iudgement c. Thus also the Prophet Ieremy speaketh ch 2 2. Thus saith the Lord I remember thee with the kindnesse of thy youth and the loue of thy Marriage when thou wentest after me in the wildernesse in a Land that was not sowne Secondly Idols are the workes of mens Reason 2 hands whether they bee of Siluer or Golde they are the worke of the Founder or whether they bee carued or grauen in stone or timber they are the hand of the workeman or whether they bee wrought in blew silke or purple Ieremy 10 9. All things are made by cunning men Heereupon it followeth that they that depend vpon them and seeke helpe of them doe seeke helpe of flesh and doe make stockes and stones their god and therefore they
cannot prosper but shall bee confounded This the Prophet Hosea testifyeth chap. 8.8 9. Israel is deuoured now shal they be amongst the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure for they are gone but to Ashur they are as a wilde Asse alone by himselfe Ephraim hath hired louers The Vses are in the last place to be obserued Vse 1 First this teacheth that the idol is vaine yea vanity it selfe Howsoeuer the idolater be enamored of it and greatly dote vpon it yet it shall be a broken reed which in sted of staying him that leaneth vpon it breaketh in his hand and the shiuers thereof serue to wound him that leaneth thereon For if it could deliuer any it should saue them thâ—t haue their hope and confidence in it But such are deceiued and deluded to their destruction This the Prophet Ier. 3 23 24. 10 15. witnesseth at large in sundry places Truly the hope of the hils is but vaine nor the multitude of mountaines but in the Lord our God is the health of Israel for confusion hath deuoured our fathers labor c. Hereunto commeth that saying Esay 44 9 10. All they that make an image are vanity and their delectable things shall nothing profit and they are their owne witnesses that they see not nor knowe therefore they shall be confounded who haue made a god or molten an Image that is profitable for nothing They are not therefore lay-mens books neither haue any profitable vse but an abhominable abuse 〈◊〉 2 18 19 being vanity and the worke of errors in the time of their visitation they shall perish The Assyrians were famous or rather infamous for Idols and great boasters of theÌ„ yet the Prophet sheweth they should come to confusion hereupon the vse is inferred what profiteth the Image For the maker thereof hath made it an Image and a teacher of lyes though he that made it trust therein when he maketh dumb Idols woe vnto him that saith to the wood Awake and to the dumb stone Arise vp it shall teach thee behold it is laid ouer with gold and siluer and yet there is no breath in it Thus the vanity of Idols is set out by the destruction of the Idolaters Vse 2 Secondly let them labour to see their own blindnesse It is a great iudgment of God vpon thousands and ten thousands in the world that worship the workes of mens hands and yet thinke themselues wise We see also the preposterous and disordred desire of the children to follow the idolatrous waies of their parents whereupon it commeth to passe that they excuse their sinne by the example of their parents and because they were borne in it they are resolute to die in it neuer examining how their religion standeth with consent of the Scriptures Thus we see that all idolaters are blind and because they say they see therefore their sin remaineth 〈◊〉 9 41. This the Prophet teacheth Esay 42 17 18 19. They shall bee turned backe they shall bee greatly ashamed that trust in grauen Images and say to the molten Images Yee are our gods Heare ye deafe and ye blinde regard that ye may see Who is blinde but my seruant or deafe as the messenger that I sent Who is blinde as the perfect and blinde as the Lords seruant If therefore we would not grope in ignorance as the blindeman that gâ—opeth in the darke let vs flye Idolatry and keepe our selues from Idols Lastly let vs blesse and praise the name of Vse 3 God wheÌ„ he deliuereth his people from idolatry to serue him purely and sincerely Let vs euer be mindfull of his mercy and walke as a thankfull people redeemed out of so great a thraldome This sacrifice of praise we see required in the Prophet for hauing set downe the folly vanity of Idolaters who cut down a Tree warme themselues with part thereof roast their meate with another and with a third part make a god and worship it make it an Idoll and bow vnto it pray vnto it and say Deliuer me for thou art my God he acknowledgeth Gods great mercy in forgiuing these sins of the people Esay 44 21 22 23 Thou art my seruant O Israel forget me not I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinne as a mist c. Behold the beastlinesse and brutishnesse of these god-makers not much vnlike the Romish idolaters who knead their dough of one part they make bread and a god of the other If this be the dotâ—ge of idolaters wee haue great cause offered vnto vs to magnifie the mercy of God toward vs that hath freed vs from such diuellish deuices of the false worship of God He hath restored to vs the true worship of God according to his holy word he hath rooted out the Idols that were set vp to be adored he hath giuen vs the Scriptures in our mother tongue hee hath freâ—d vs from the burthen and bondage of the Popes Decrees and Decretals he hath pulled downe the great idoll of the Masse and hath abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of false Doctrine What shall we now render to the Lord for all these tokens and testimonies of his loue toward vs but take vp the cup of saluation and praise with tongue and heart the name of God acknowledging his only goodnesse in deliuering vs from the bondage of Idolatry and labouring to bring forth the fruites of his Gospel to his glory and our own comfort in Christ Iesus 32 And Moses sent to search out Iaazer and they tooke the Townes belonging thereto and rooted out the Amorites that were there 33 And they turned and went vp the way toward Bashan and Og the King of Bashan came out against them hee and all his people to fight at Edrei 34 Then the Lord said vnto Moses Feare him not for I haue deliuered him into thine hand and all his people and his Land thou shalt doe vnto him as thou didst vnto Sihon the King of the Amorites which dwelt at Heshbon 35 They smote him therefore and his Sonnes and all his people euen vntill there was none left him so they inherited his Land Hitherto we haue spoken of the first Enemy ouercome by the Israelites to wit Sihon King of the Amorites the second enemie which they subdued is Og the King of Bashan an enemy more mighty and terrible then the former For he was one of the race and posteritie of the gyants at whose sight the scoutes and espials sent out to serch the land were afraid and despaired of inhabiting and inheriting of the land and weakned the hearts hands of the people as appeareth in the 13. chapter of this booke Wee came into the Land whither thou hast sent vs and surely it floweth with milke and hony neuerthelesse the people be strong that dwell in the Land and the Cities are walled exceeding great and moreouer we saw the sonnes of Anak there And more plainly and particularly Moses describeth this King
they would not enter into their fieldes they would not meddle with their vineyards they would not drinke of their water freely yet see with what a terror and trembling they were stricken at the approch of the Israelites neere their borders And this was the heauy hand of God vpon them as Moses declareth Deut. 2. This day will I begin to send thy feare and thy dread vpon all people vnder the whol heauen which shall heare thy fame and shall tremble and quake before thee Heereby we learne for our instruction That the enemies of God and his people are many times afraid where no true cause of any feare is Doctrine Euil men fear where no feare is Euill men are often afrayd of the people of God that faine would liue in peace So Saul liued in continual feare of Dauid 1 Sam. 18 15 29 he was vexed disquieted in heart and neuer in rest although hee weâ—e harmlesse though he sought peace and ensued after it yea the more Dauid prospered the more Saul feared him So did Pharaoh and the Egyptians feare the Israelites when they began to multiply and increase in abundance Exod. 1.12 Thus Herod feared Iohn knowing that he was a iust and holy man reuerencing him greatly hearing him gladly doing many things at his preaching Mark 6 20. Thus the high Priest feared the Apostles and the officers of the people Acts 5 26. WheÌ„ Herod and the rest of Ierusalem heard of the birth of a new King they were greatly troubled and perplexed in mind Mat 2.3 Al these things confirme the truth of this doctrine verifie the saying of the wise man The wicked flye when none pursueth but the righteous are bold as a Lion Prou. 28 1. Reason 1 The Reasons are these First because an euill man carrieth in his owne bosome a conscience for sinne which striketh and accuseth him which citeth and summoneth him before the barre of Gods iudgement seate Albeit no man can bee deposed against him albeit none can giue sentence and iudgement against him yet hee carrieth that about him which is instead of all Mala mens Tert. 〈…〉 1. sc 2. malus animus as the Poet sayth An euill minde an euill meaning an euill conscience arraigning him at the Tribunall of the eternall Iudge who shall giue to euery one according to his workes It shall serue as plaintiffe witnesse iudge and executioner against him This is confirmed vnto vs by many examples in the word of God When Cain had slaine his owne brother shed his innocent bloode which cryed for vengeance vnto heauen the reuenging hand of God pursued him Gen. 4 10 12 17. liuing as a runnagate and vagabond vpon the earth and fearing the sight of euery creature to bee armed against him he began to build a City to hide his head to yeelde him comfort to prouide for his safety and to defend him from iniury but there also the iustice of God ouertooke him the vengeance of his hand followd him and he was driuen from that enterprize The like we see in Belteshazzer Dan. 5.56 when there appeared fingers of a mans hand which wrote ouer against the Candlesticke vpon the plaister of the wall of the Kings Palace albeit hee knew not the substance and signification of the miracle whether it fore-shewed good or euill yet he carryed his witnesse with him that could not be bribed or corrupted so that his countenance was changed his thoughts were troubled the ioynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one agaynst the other This terror of conscience the Lord fortold as the punishment of sinne Leu. 26 17 36 37. and Deuteronomy 28. verses 65 66 67. Againe no maruel if the wicked be oftentimes Reason 2 smitten with feare as with the spirit of giddynesse because they want the shielde of Fayth and the helmet of Hope which are as two strong Anchors to hold the shippe that it be not shaken in peeces with the stormes or dashed on rockes or drowned in the water or swallowed in quicke-sands A liuely fayth in the Sonne of God is the mother of all true comfort the peace of the soule the life of good workes the key of heauen for beeing iustified by Fayth Rom. 5 1. We haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Wee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but we haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Ro. 8 15. We haue boldnesse against the day of Iudgment there is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare for feare hath painfulnesse and he that feareth is not perfect in loue 1 Iohn 4 17 18. The stronger our faith is the lesse is our feare as one increaseth the other decreaseth If our faith bee little our feare is great as our Sauiour sheweth in the example of his disciples tossed with a tempest on the sea crying vnto Christ saying Master saue vs we perish Mat. 8 25 26. who saide vnto them Why are yee fearefull O ye of little Faith Now let vs come to the Vses If this be the Vse 1 nature of the wicked that he carrieth about with him a troubled and trembling conscience then a wicked man is a very coward faint-hearted being afraide of euery thing True it is there are many who neyther feare God nor the diuell who seeme to be valiant to aduenture their flesh and to expose themselues to desperate dangers in fighting and quarrelling as the manner of sundry Ruffians and swashbucklers is who feare not to meete any man in the field at any weapon and for euery crosse word are ready to giue the stab yet bring these ventrous and foole hardy fellowes to encounter hand to hand with the enemies of our soules to wrastle against spirituall wickednesses in high places and to striue as for life and death against pride prophanenesse against concupiscence of the flesh and contempt of the word against idle games of euill report against our lustes and sins which fight against our owne soules we shall see no childe so weake and willing to turn his heeles as these Ruffian-like spirits who albeit they walke with long blades by their sides or long poles on their neckes and iet vp and downe as â—ords of the earth ready alwayes to lay the hand vpon the dagger and to pick a quarrell at euery word yet they haue not the hand or the heart to strike one stroke to conquer sin and the tyrany of the diuell in themselues but yeeld themselues like slaues and captiues to do his will and are led away to destruction as an Oxe to the slaughter Notwithstanding this is true valour and manhoode to wound more and more the corruption of the old man He is stronger that conquereth himself then he that winneth a City Prou. 16 32. He is a better man of his hands that ouercommeth his own concupiscence then he that hath the vpper hand
and to come out of the snares of the diuell of whom they are holden captiues In the meane time vntill this wonderfull work of grace be wrought in theÌ„ Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant Rom. 14 4. he standeth or falleth to his owne master yea he shall bee established for God is able to make him stand Verse 31. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawne The Lord that before opened the mouth of the asse now openeth the eyes of Balaam who is here called the Lord and the Angell of the Lord. Not that his eyes were shut or closed before or that he was blind but his senses were holden that he saw not the Angel of God who appeared in a visible and bodily shape otherwise he could not be seene of the Asse And the Lord Iesus did often appeare in the Old Testament in a bodily shape Galat. 3 4. to teach the Church that when the fulnesse of time should come hee would take vpon him the nature of man made of a woman made vnder the Law Thus hee appeared to Abraham accompanied with two of his Angels Genesis 18 For we doe not reade that God the Father euer tooke vpon him the shape of man or God the Holy-Ghost to shew that the second person in Trinity onely should be incarnate neither the Father nor the Holy-Ghost The senses of this Sorcerer were so astonied that before his eyes were opened he discerned not the Angel standing by him with a drawne sword ready to strike him now he perceiueth the presence of the Angell We learne from hence that we can haue no vse of the senses further then God inableth and blesseth True it is Doctrinâ— We haue vse of the â—ses nor oâ— meanes bâ—fore vs â—â—cept God â—pen our eâ— nothing can be more naturall and nothing seemeth more in our owne power then for the ey to see the eare to heare the hart to vnderstand the hand to handle the foot to walke yet all our senses gestures and motions of the body are ordered at the will pleasure of God We cannot open our eyes to see further then he will and when they are open wee shall discerne no more then blinde men that grope in the darke without his direction Hereunto commeth the example of the Sodomites Gen. 19. who pressing vpon Lot with threatning words and vncleane thoughts and running with rage to breake open his doores The Angels smote them all both small and great with blindnes Gen. 19 and 21 1 They could haue strucken them with sudden death but they are reserued to a greater iudgement and this worke of God is the greater in that their eyes are open they are not vtterly depriued of sight and yet they see or discerne nothing at all Thus they stand amazed going vp downe yet not knowing whither they went That which was one seemed double the thing neere at hand seemed farre off that on the right hand seemed to be on the left that before them seemed to be behind them Thus they see the doore seeke to breake it vp but know not where it standeth or which way to finde it The like we see afterward Chap. 21. when Hagar the bond-woman with her Ismael were cast out of Abrahams house and wandered in the wildernes of Beer-sheba God opened her eyes then shee saw a Well of water Hereunto also come the prayers of Elisha both touching his seruants and the Aramites For when the King of Aram sent horses and chariots and a mighty hoast to take the Prophet who had discouered his secret counsels and his seruant beholding the Army cryed out Alas Master how shall we do 2 Kings 18 19. he answered Feare not for they that be with vs are moe then they that be with them and he prayed saying Lord I beseech thee open his eyes that hee may see and the Lord opened the eyes of the seruant and he looked and behold the mountaine was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha Againe when the Aramites came about him and thought themselues sure of him hee prayed vnto the Lord to smite this people with blindnesse Hee did not pray vnto GOD to kill and destroy them that they might fall into the pit which they had digged for his life neither did hee pray to GOD to take away wholly the vse of their sight and put out their eyes They saw their way they saw the Prophet they saw the townes and cities as they tooke their iourney but they discerned not the way they knew not the cities they perceiued not the Prophet who hee was So then howsoeuer wee haue eyes to see and eares to heare want neither wisedome nor counsell yet we can see heare marke and perceiue no more then God will haue vs our sight is confused as at the building of Babel their language was confounded Reason 1 The Reasons are First because nothing can prosper or be blessed vnto vs without his speciall guidance and direction Wee cannot performe and accomplish any thing except the Lords blessing concurre with the same This the Prophet Dauid teacheth Psal 127. Except the Lord build the house 〈◊〉 127.1 they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the city the keeper watcheth in vaine Whereby wee see that all the labour and industry of men in gouerning a family or in vpholding a Common-wealth shall proue vaine and vnprofitable vnlesse God guide them and giue good successe vnto them True it is the prouidence of God ruleth ouerall and nothing is vnpossible to him to bring to passe hee is able to change Nature and to alter the course of naturall things For shall any thing bee hard to him who worketh miracles and wonders at his owne pleasure And we must not neglect the meanes but vse them to his glory and our comfort and yet no meanes can doe vs any good any farther then they receiue strength and vertue from him Reason 2 Secondly if wee consider who made all things and gaue them vnto man we shall not greatly maruaile that God hath the soueraignty and dominion ouer all that we haue For who made the eye of man 〈◊〉 4 9 10. who fashioned the eare who created the heart who gaue to men wisedome and vnderstanding Is it not God who maketh al things in all men If then he made the eye how can wee doubt but hee hath power and authority to open and to shut to lighten and to darken to giue sight or to strike with blindnes If hee planted the eare and fashioned the heart it is certaine hee can bore the eare and open the heart or hee can harden the heart and make the eare heauy For as he knoweth what is in the heart so he hath the ordering and disposing of it at his pleasure Vse 1 This doctrine offereth to our considerations very good vses
them as Saul or deny them as Achan or defend them as Cain Therfore if we would finde pardon at the hands of God wee must confesse vnto him as Dauid did weepe for them as Peter did If we vncouer them he will couer them if we condemne our selues hee will iustifie vs. Therefore the Wiseman saith He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Prou. 28 but hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy Lastly wee see heereby that sinne endeth Vse not as it beginneth Albeit the foole maketh a mocke of sinne yet when the soule is tormented and the conscience oppressed with desperation and can finde no ease then a man ceaseth not to vtter his secret filthinesse to the shaming of himselfe and to the astonishment of the hearers Let vs not looke for Pharaoh or Saul or Iudas to come out of hell to warne vs. These things are written for our learning wee haue Moses and the Prophets let vs hearken to them When as terrours take hold vpon the soule wee cannot couer sinne any longer Prou. 1 Howsoeuer therefore sinne to the carnall man be sweete vnto the taste and Satan baiteth his hooke with profite on the one side and with pleasure on the other yet afterward it shall prooue more bitter then gall and worme-wood it shall wound the conscience as with a deadly dart and pierce the soule through with many sorrowes For albeit it beginne in sport it shall end in horror and despaire This wee see in the example of Cain Gen. 4 â— My punishment is greater then I can beare So Iudas when hee saw Christ condemned felt an hell in his conscience The money was pleasant and the gaine was sweete vnto him but it was as a two edged sword that woundeth incurably and as the teeth of a Lyon that biteth mortally It seemed vnreasonable to Gehazi that Naaman the Syrian should depaâ—t with so great a benefite by so little a consideration 2 King 5 23 27. And therefore followeth after him for a bribe and reward but with the reward he gained the leprosie that did cleaue vnto him and to his seede This is the deepe subtilty of satan before sin be committed he hideth the deformity of it from the eyes of men he maketh as if it were no sinne or a little and veniall sinne or a little punishment due vnto it or that there shall be time enough hereafter to repent of it hee be commeth a preacher of Gods mercy and pardon he telleth the sinner that God is gracious and mercifull Thus he couereth the greatnesse of sinne and hideth the greeuousnesse of the punishment and concealeth the wrath of God that is drawne vpon vs. But when hee hath once preuailed and ensnared the poore soule that hath swallowed the bait he openeth the eies which before he had darkned he rouzeth vp the conscience which before he had seduced he striketh the heart which before he had hardned hee vncouereth the fire of Gods indignation and iealousie which before hee had smothered Then he maketh sinne appeare as vile and vgly as he can then he layeth it open in his colours then he will make a small sinne appeare the greatest then he setteth forth the iustice of God due to the least sinne and all to bring the person that hath sinned to desperation Wherefore let vs flye from sinne as from the byting of a Serpent that we be not stung therewith to eternall death Knowing that the wages of sin is death Rom 6 23. 36 And when Balak heard that Balaam came hee went out to meete him vnto a Citie of Moab which is in the border of Arnon euen in the vtmost coast 37 Then Balak saide vnto Balaam Did not I send for thee to call thee Wherefore camest thou not vnto mee Am not I able indeede to promote thee vnto honour 38 And Balaam made answer vnto Balak Loe I am come vnto thee and can I now say any thing at all The word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speake 39 So Balaam went with Balak they came vnto the City of Huzoth 40 Then Balak offered Bullâ—kes and Sheepe and sent therof to Balaam and to the Princes that were with him 41 And on the morrow Balak tooke Balaam and brought him vppe into the high places of Baal that thence hee might see the vtmost part of the people In these words beeing the shutting vp of this Chapter is contained the last branch of Balaams going to curse the people We heard before of the wrath of God against this Wizard who would not be stopped from his desired iourney and therefore the Lord opened the mouth of the dumbe beast to reproue her master and afterward the Angel of God further to discouer the hollownesse and hypocrisie of his heart Heere we are to consider the meeting and comming together of the King and the false Prophet together with the entertainment he findeth at Balaks hands Herein we are to obserue two things First their talke and communication secondly the actions of them both In the first part contayning the speech that passed betweene them we are to marke that the King to honour him the more so soone as hee is aduertised of his approach neere to the borders of his kingdome he goeth out to meete him For no doubt he sent the Princes and messengers of the Moabites backe to go before to giue some notice and bring ioyfull tidings of his comming to their Lord. Therefore the King hearing the message and conceyuing no doubt in his minde the vtter ouerthrow of the Israelites stayed not vntill he came within his dominion but met him in the bounds and limites thereof and brought him home with him to go about his businesse When they are met note in their talke first the question moued by Balak then the answer of Balaam In the question we see that albeit he had basely deiected himselfe and crept lowly into the fauour of the false Prophet honoring him to his own dishonor going out to bring him in and after a sort casting his crowne and dignity vnder his feete yet on the other side hee gloryeth in his owne power and boasteth of his high dignity as if he had all the riches and honor in his owne hand Balaam doth not denie the fauour of the king placing him with his Princes rewarding him with his presents honouring him with his owne presence and sending for him from far but maketh a short answer vnto him truely albeit vnwillingly that albeit he were come at the kings desire and brought by his deserts yet it was not in his owne power what to do he could go no farther then the Rules and Principles of his Art would suffer him hee had called vp the God of the Hebrewes to forsake them and he must of necessity speake that which God should put into his mouth As if hee should say I cannot speake what I would but shall bee constrained to speak that onely which he willeth mee After the
Epistle chapt 2. verse 4 of the sinnes of the Angelles of the olde world of the Sodomites and setteth down the wages thereof what it was the Angels were cast downe the olde world was drowned the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrha were burned See the miserable ends of Pharaoh of Ahitophel of Saul of Iudas of Herod and such others all the which are written for our instruction to teach vs that all euil works shall haue an end answerable to their euill The Reasons are plaine to assure the truth Reason 1 hereof For first it standeth with Gods iustice to recompence euill with euill True it is he is able by his infinite power to bring good out of euill and to turne the euill actions of men to serue his owne glory to further the good of his children as we see in the history of Ioseph who by the false treachery of his brethren was solde into Egypt to whom he said When ye thought euill against me God disposed it to good that he might bring to passe as it is this day and saue much people aliue Gen. 50 20. So Iob being bereaued of his children 〈◊〉 1 21. and robbed of his Cattell confesseth that the Lord had giuen the Lord had taken away Likewise the Apostles speaking of the crucifying of Christ the Lord of glory declare that Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel 〈◊〉 4 27 28. had done no more then the counsell of God had determined before to be done Neuerthelesse it standeth with the rule of his iustice to crosse the attempts and endeuours of euill men and to set himselfe against them that set themselues against him So long therfore as God is so iust the vngodly must not looke for any good successe of euill enterprizes His blessing is vpon the lawfull labours of his children because he is mercifull his curse waiteth vpon the vnlawfull works of his enemies because he is iust It is his nature to bee iust hee cannot deny himselfe Reason 2 Secondly the Lord will make their wickednesse knowne and plucke off the vizard from their faces howsoeuer they thinke to proceed and promise to themselues an happy end This the Apostle teacheth 2 Tim. 3 8 9 where he sheweth that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith but they shall preuaile no longer for their madnesse shall be euident to all men as theirs also was Seeing therefore God is a iust God and will vncase the hypocrisie of euill men we are right well assured that euil inuentions shal come to nought and haue God to crosse them Vse 1 The vses remaine First we see from hence that sinne endeth not as it beginneth Euill men are sure to be destroyed and that God will call them to an account for those things which they haue done if not in this life yet assuredly in the life to come They dreame of God sitting ydle in heauen and seeing all things and regarding nothing but in the end they shall know that which now they will not know and feele that whereof now they haue no feeling And see heere how Satan bewitcheth the mindes of these men and blindeth their eyes that they cannot see sinne to bee sinne nor cast their eyes to behold the wages of sinne reserued for the committers of it Let all wicked men therefore looke for the heauy curse of God They blesse themselues but the curse of God is vpon them Deut. 32 41 and ready to ouertake them Woe therefore shall be vnto them though all the world should blesse them They can haue no assurance of any good successe nor looke for any blessing vpon the works of their hands Secondly be not offended when wicked Vse 2 men florish and prosper but consider their end and what the end of their hope is and we shal not be deceiued with their outward glory and present pompe of the world wherin they liue It is a great tentation to the faithfull to behold the prosperity of the wicked The Prophet Dauid declareth how his faith had long wrastled and struggled with this assault insomuch that his foote had well nigh slipped Ps 73 2. and his steps were almost gone when he saw how the vngodly florished and on the other side that he was daily punished and chastened euery morning This was it that troubled Iob Wherefore do the wicked liue and waxe olde and grow in wealth Iob 21.7 So the Prophet Ieremy maruaileth at the prosperity of the wicked O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let me talk with thee of thy iudgments Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Ier. 12 1. So the Prophet Habbakkuk complaineth vnto God Hab 1.3 considering the great felicity of the wicked and the miserable oppression of the godly which oftentimes endure all kinde of cruelty and affliction and can see no end thereof But we must enter into the Sanctuary of God then we shal see the end which God in his iust iudgement hath appointed to wicked men when wee thought he had no care of their doings and that they were in the greatest safety and security we shall see he is holy in all his wayes true in all his words This is a great terror vnto wicked men to know that he will lay vpon them a fearefull end and on the other side it is a great comfort vnto the godly to consider that howsoeuer God beare a long time yet in the end his hand shall take hold on iudgment then hee shall execute vengeance on his enemies and reward them that hate him Lastly seeing all euill shall haue an euill Vse 3 end let vs haue no fellowship with euill men or euill actions vnlesse we will partake with them in the punishment It is our duty to forsake their company and to leaue our league with them lest we be taken in the net and be snared in their wayes This is the exhortation giuen to vs from heauen Come out of her my people that ye be not partaker of her sinnes Reuel 18 4 5. and that ye receiue not of her plagues Many haue sustained much danger endured much affliction by accompanying and conuersing with euill men Lot was neuer more greeued nor lesse secured then when he was euen in the very midst of Sodome He made choise to dwell there therby to enrich himselfe but he quickly repented him of his choise Gen. 14 12. He was taken prisoner by forreigne enemies and was in greatest danger by violence at his owne home Gen. 19.9 Yea so long as he liued in that place he seemed to liue in a little hell as the Apostle testifieth 2 Pet 2 7 8 that God deliuered iust Lot being vexed with the vncleanly conuersation of the wicked for he being righteous and dwelling amongst them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from
away empty Luke 1 52 53. Vse 1 The vses follow to be obserued First from hence consider and confesse the difference betweene earthly and heauenly honour between the honour of men and that which is of God Earthly honour when it is at the highest can giue no assurance of continuance nor minister peace of conscience nor satisfie with the benefite of contentment because it endureth but for a season but the honour which we shall enioy after this life with God is like himselfe Hee is vnchangeable and without shadow of turning hee is constant and euer like himselfe so is the honor and glory which he hath reserued for vs It is laide vp as a treasure in heauen where neither the moth nor canker corrupteth and where theeues neither dig through nor steale Math. 6 20. We see what the fauor and friendship of men is wee see what the highest preferment is that men can attaine vnto both they and their aduancement fall as the Sommer fruite and their place knoweth them no more But the honour which wee shall finde in heauen and enioy with the glorious Saints of God in the heauenly habitations lasteth for euer and there shall be no end thereof What foolishmen are we therefore and more then foolish that so much admire the vaine glory of the earth and haue our eyes dazled with the deceitfull beauty of the dignities of this world and doe not consider the stablenesse of that glory reserued for vs which time shall not consume nor the enemy abolish Hence it is that the Apostle Iohn saith Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him and the world passeth away with the lust thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer 1. Iohn 2 15 17. All earthly things last and endure but for a season men are mortal riches are vncertaine fauour is vanity honour is changeable treasures are transitory pleasures are mutable profites are corruptible friends are fading and oftentimes turne to be enemies onely the treasures of heauen the fauour of God the pleasures of eternall glory the riches of the world to come are immortall and neuer decay For all flesh is as grasse all the glory of man as the flower of the field the grasse withereth the flower fadeth but the word of the Lord endureth for euer 1. Pet. 1 24 Thus we see that there is as great difference betweene earthly and heauenly honour as is betweene heauen and earth Secondly we must learne to vse this world Vse 2 as though wee vsed it not and make it as the hand to helpe vs and further vs toward the kingdome of heauen The hand is made to serue vs and not wee to serue it Wee must learne to place the world vnder vs not aboue vs we must make it seruant to vs not Lord ouer vs we must teach it to obey not suffer it to rule ouer vs as the Church is described to be cloathed with the Sunne but hauing the Moone vnder her feete Reuel 12. For seeing humane things are transitory mutable and changeable it standeth vs vpon to haue our conuersation in the heauens and to cast the eyes of our mindes toward the estate of glory and the eternall happinesse prepared for vs. A pilgrim in a strange land hath alwayes his eyes toward his iourneyes end is greatly grieued when he wandereth out of his way Wee are pilgrims in this world and are farre from home so that our hearts should be fully and wholly set on euerlasting life and bee grieued when wee are hindered from the straight way This is the exhortation of the Apostle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 7 29. Many follow it with all greedinesse albeit it be full of vanity But if we esteeme of heauen or regard the saluation of our soules wee ought to be little affected to the things of this life neuer setting our hearts vpon them but desiring to dwell in that house where wee shall abide for euer Many there are that liue long in this life and haue beene many dayes vpon the face of the earth who neuer thinke of the kingdome of heauen nor dreame of another world nor meditate of the life to come vntill they lye at the last gaspe and are going the way of all flesh which is a most wofull and miserable thing to consider Let vs not suffer Sathan thus to circumuent vs and this present world to abuse and bewitch vs the deuill is a deceiuer the world is but a shadow and hath no true and enduring substance in it Abraham the father of the faithfull is commended by the Spirit of God who being called of God willingly obeyed to goe into the place which afterward hee should receiue for an inheritance Heb. 11 8. so that he departed from his kindred fathers house not knowing whither he went and by faith he abode in the land of Canaan as in a strange countrey and as one that dwelt in tents A naturall man would thinke hee had made a simple change and be ready to condemne him for a foole but the Scripture giueth this reason as the cause that mooued him to wit euerlasting life for hee looked for a city hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God In comparison heereof let vs make little account of this transitory life or of any the vaine profits pleasures or honours that may be found in it Lastly let it not grieue vs to see euil men Vse 3 exalted and set aloft they hold their possessions and honour with the greatest vncertainty that can bee in their life time and when they are taken from hence they can carry nothing with them of all that they possesse They are oftentimes depriued suddainly of all things they desire and doe most of all delight in Sometimes they are taken away from their goods sometimes their goods are taken away from them and sometimes albeit neyther they be taken from their goods nor their goods taken from them yet God in his iustice depriueth them of the comfortable vse of them while they doe enioy the possession of them This is the vse that the Prophet Dauid toucheth Psalme 49 5.16 declaring the vanity and vncertainty of mortall things and the suddaine fall of all flesh he addetâ— Wherefore should I feare in the euill dayes when iniquitie shal compasse me about as at mine heeles Be not thou afraid when one is made rich and when the glory of his house is encreased for he shall take nothing away when he dyeth neither shall his pompe descend after him We haue knowne many by our own obseruation gone on a suddaine that looked not for any change Wee haue seene them set on high and suddainly they haue come to nothing Who is ignorant that great trees grow til they be great 〈◊〉 câ—â—t de 〈◊〉 Alex. â— 7. and then be plucked vp from the root in a moment It is a foolish
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
God vpon the people and places where vngodly sinners dwell and causeth him to turne away his face and fauour from them Deuter. 23 9 14. Hos 2 ver 5 9 10. We reade in the Prophesies of Daniel chap. 3 29 that the king made a Decree that euery people nation and language which blasphemed God should be cut in peeces and their houses made a dunghill in the same manner it is with God hee bringeth reproch and maketh infamous not onely the persons that prouoke him by their sinnes but also the places and habitations where they dwell He could haue destroyed the men of Sodome Gomorrha and yet haue spared their Citties and houses and substance but hee destroyed these also to make them more ignominious to all posterity Iude verse 7. This teacheth vs how iust it is with God Vse 1 and how warrantable it is for vs to disgrace and discredite and discountenance the City and Church of Rome that they might bee odious in the eyes and stinke in the nostrils of all good men as a dead carkasse without life and breath For although their faith was once famous through the whole world Rom. 1 8 yet inasmuch as they are fallen from that faith to heresie and from sincerity to hypocrisie wee haue iust cause to hate the same to disgrace it what we can It is iust with GOD that it should be so and lawfull for vs to do so Reu. 18 2. But to cleere themselues of apostacy from the faith Obiect they will tell vs that we cannot tell them from whence their supposed heresies should first proceed who was the author of them and the scatterer of them abroad as wee see in Campians sophisticall and verball challenge he demandeth at what time Rat. 7. quo tempore qua via qua vt c. vnder what Bishop by what steps and proceedings a new religion was spread ouer the church of Rome and the whole world I answer Answ it is not necessary to set downe the minutes and moments of time inasmuch as some alterations are insensible Many errors creepe on secretly and as it were in the darke The euill and enuious man in the Gospel sowed tares among the wheate in the night when no man could see Mat. 13.25 The hayres of our head are not all white at a suddaine and old age doth not creepe vpon vs in a day Take the oldest man that liueth vpon the earth who can tell when he began to be old We know by sundry infallible tokens that he is an olde man but what day or weeke or moneth or yeare when he began to be so who can assigne or determine This is manifest in al things that arise of small beginnings and grow by little and little to a greater quantity vntill they come to perfection If we see a man sicke of the pestilence or a City corrupt in manners with riotousnesse and wickednesse or an house ruinous and ready to fall or a ship in the midst of the sea ready to sinke shall we deny all these to bee because we know not when they first began to bee when that man began to bee infected or the City to bee corrupted or in what yeare the house began to be ruinous or in what day the ship began to leake We know not how and when weeds and thornes and thistles first tooke roote vnder the ground but whē once they are sprung vp and growne aloft wee see them we discerne them wee feele them wee plucke thē vp So the alterations of the church of Rome are as a mystery The mystery of iniquity 2 Thess 2 ver 7 and albeit we could not shew the beginning of them yet that such desolations and ruines of the ancient building are among them that they vtterly lay waste the foundatiō we proue by the word of God in the old and new Testament This is the triall of all errors and heresies And because the doctrines that they embrace and the religion that they professe are not agreeable to these ancient monuments and records which are as the Meteyard or the Standard to try all measures wee therefore say and conclude they are errors and wee wrong them not at all though wee bee not able to produce the first broachers and beginners of them all This is enough for vs we finde by the word of God that they are heresies and therefore iustly chalenge them and complain that Bethel is become Beth-auen and the Church of God become the Synagogue of Satan Hos 4 verse 15. How many heresies haue sprung vp in the Church like darnell in the fielde among the Corne noted by Epiphanius Austine and others of the learned and ancient of whom neither we nor they know the first authors The Scribes and Pharisies taught many things against the Law or else Christ would not haue reproued their false glosses Math. 5 neyther willed his Disciples to beware of the leauen of the Pharisies and of the Sadduces Mat. 16 6 that is of the doctrine of the Parisies and of the Sadduces verse 12 yet the circumstance of time when these corruptions crept in and the persons that deuised them are altogether vnknowne and who is able to tell vs In the primitiue Church there were a kinde of heretiques called Acephali because no man was found to be their head and master Alphons haer l. 4 The like we might say of many other heresies of which if any should aske as Campian doth In what age vnder what Pope vpon what occasion by whose compulsiō by whose power it came to passe I doubt the best answer would be silence Wherefore it is not necessary to produce the precise time and tokens of euery change because the alteration was not made at an instant or all at once as when a land is inuaded by a forreigne enemy that turneth all things vpside downe but it entred slily and slowly into the Church as a worme that gnaweth the roote of the tree by little and little to omit that wee in these last dayes want the histories and records of many things done before vs and the Romane tyranny hath suppressed or corrupted a part of them that are left vs. The Probleme is not vnknowne which the Greekes so curiously debated Plutark touching the Argos wherein Iason sayled for the golden fleece which at his returne and comming home was layde vp and reserued in the Road for a great and worthy monument This ship decaying by little and little for what is it that time doth not consume as a moth and eat as a canker they alwayes peeced and repayred where it began to weare away till in the ende the whole substance of the old vessell or bottome wherein Iason sayled and made his voyage and aduenture was vtterly wasted and nothing remaining of it but onely the later reparations successiuely made in the roome of the other Now the question was A probleme of the Argos wherein Iason sayled whether this were the ship wherein Iason sayled
or not or another diuerse from it or whether any wise Athenian could precisely tell when and by what workman euery peece and parcell was patched and supplied vntill the old was wholly gone or when and at what time it ceased to bee that ship and became a new ship The Romane Religion is almost become like this shippe it hath bin patched and peeced at seuerall times by cunning workmen there is little or nothing remaining of the old ship wherein Peter fished I meane of that Church wherein they say Peter sate as Bishop one error succeeding another and one heresie making way for another vntill little faith truth is found among them Notwithstanding all the secret conueyances made in that Church it is not hard in very many particular points to shew the beginning proceeding and establishing of the same touching pardons and indulgences touching the Popes supremacy vsurped the Images of the Trinity and the beginning of Idoll worshippe touching the merit of workes forbidding of marriage The Masse one of the greatest Idols began not all at once but came to this height by degrees It were endlesse to name all that might be alledged and to shew how and by whom these points were resisted and the truth euermore defended Secondly this serueth to condemne the Vse 2 foolish practise of popish pilgrims who vndertake long and laborious iournies to Ierusalem and the land of Iudea or to this that Idoll and make it a meritorious worke to visite eyther the Sepulcher of our Lord or the Image of our Lady For albeit this Land haue bin heeretofore famous because the Law came from Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Eâ—â—y 2 3 and because Christ himselfe liued and preached and wrought many miracles there and it be oftentimes called The holy Land yet the presence of Christ infused no holines into it more then into any other place And all the Papists in the world shall neuer be able to prooue that it is more meritorious to goe to Ierusalem in a pilgrims weed then to go to Antioch or Ephesus or Constantinople or any other City in the East or West or that it is more acceptable to God or auaileable to the soule to trauaile thither then for the English to go to London or the French to Paris The house where the King resideth all the while he is there is an honourable house and there the Court lyeth but when the king is once remoued out of the house it is afterward neuer a whit the more honourable for the kings beeing there before so is it in this case albeit Christ in his life time and the daies of his flesh did many great works and wonders in it yet being ascended and the Christian religion also remoued there remaineth no more holines in that place then in any other and therefore it is great vanity and idolatry for any people to practise such impiety These are like to the Pilgrims among the Turkes Sarazens The turkish Pilgrims that go yearely with great shew of deuotion to Meccha to visite the Sepulcher of Mahomet and account it a work very meritorious The Cittie 's Gilgal and Beth-el were sometimes famous and renowned Cities yet true religioÌ„ being once remoued the Prophet chargeth the people not to come at them and to haue nothing to doe with them Hos 4 15. Hence it is that Christ saith Iohn 4 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth If then we may worship God with great benefit to our selues and as great glory to him in our owne Country I see no cause why we should resort to Ierusalem or go on pilgrimage to Rome or any other place forasmuch as we may lift vp pure hands euery where and be heard 1 Tim. 2 8. But thus these crafty workmen keepe the peoples heads busie with outward deuotions and shewes of holinesse that they may not espy their fraud and deceit in greater matters Lastly this teacheth all men how they may Vse 3 make themselues to bee of good name and their houses and habitations truely famous to wit by holinesse and true religion by faith repentance which are the ornaments of all Christians Thus shall the noble man make himselfe and his house truely noble If they worshippe God aright they shall haue true worship with God and man for he will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. chap. 2 verse 30 and without true religion the most noble blood is stayned and taynted and neuer restored since the treason and rebellion of Adam against God For that which maketh a man reprochfull or any place reprochfull is sinne and wickednesse which make our names rotte Prou 10 7. See then the difference betweene the iudgement of God and man Men do commonly magnifie Cities by the stately buildings goodly Monuments that are found in them but this is no true or well grounded fame the true praise and commendation of any City is the piety of the Citizens A well ordered Towne or City embracing zealously true religion The True praise commendation of a City and maintaining the worship of God in integrity drawing out the sword of iustice against vice and countenancing the faithfull in their godly courses is indeede a right famous and flourishing City Ierusalem the City of God and the praise of the world Psal 122 3 4 5. and 87 3 and 48 11 12 13 was neuer so famous for her buildings and stately Towers and outward magnificence as it was for the word and worship of God Wee see then heereby who they are that are the honor and ornament of Cities of Townes and of houses to wit such as honour God and are truely zealous and religious and likewise who are the shame and reproch the blot and blemish the dishonour and disgrace of them to wit such as are wicked and prophane Do we see a City or Towne or priuate house full of drunkards of blasphemers of light and lasciuious persons these are they that poure contempt vpon them and bring shame infamy vnto them Euery one therefore should be carefull to looke to their charges committed vnto them the Magistrate to gouerne the people the Minister to looke to the flock Ouer which the holy Ghost hath made him Ouerseer euery father and mother to haue an eye to their children and euery master and gouernor to looke to their seruants as their seuerall charges that their houses may not be houses of wickednes of riotousnes of deceit of cursing and euill speaking but rather the houses of God All men are ready to condemne the Ministers that are absent from their flockes and to call for residency at their hands but let these look also vpon themselues and consider the duties of their own callings Doubtlesse all Gouernors haue a certaine kinde of residency required at their hands All gouernors of houses haue a kinde of residency required at their hands and their presence is meete to be among them
sorted out sufficient in shew that thereby hope assurance may arise to counteruayle the contrary part Eccl. 4 9 10 11 12. Luke 14 31. Iudg. 20 17. and 7 2 7 2. Chron. 14 8 9 10 11. Secondly for order that by warlike policy euery man may be fitted to stand in his place 2 Sam. 10.9 10 11. and 18 1 2 3. 1 Kings 22 14 15 in regard whereof it is fit requisite that men be trayned at home before they go to fight abroad 1 Sam. 17 33. 2 Sam. 10 9. 2 Chron. 14 10 that military discipline be not broken to the destruction of the whole army 1 Sam. 11 11 and 30 16 17 one such souldier is worth an hundred others that are vntaught and vntrayned This serueth to reprooue sundry abuses Vse 1 First of such as send not out a iust hoast or sufficient forces but sparingly now some and then others whereby the people are smitten downe with the sword and made a prey to the enemies 2 Sam. 11 15 17. Secondly against eyther raw or desperate souldiers that couetously or proudly and presumptuously go to battell against the enemy in a tumultuous and confused manner as if they went rather to the spoyle victory then to the battell This is a wilfull tempting of God and a making of themselues guilty of theyr owne death and of many others Thirdly this reproueth the carelesnesse and negligence of such as are Gouernors in gathering mustering men and in prouiding armour and furniture when the cause is instant and requireth haste 2 Sam. 20 4 5. If in any other earthly thing the Prouerbe taketh place in this that delay is dangerous Fourthly it meeteth most iustly with the murmuring of retchlesse people at the labors and charges of often mustering and are vnwilling to bestow one penny for the safety of the state of the kingdome of the Church of our Cities and Townes nay of theyr wiues and children and theyr owne goods Iudg. 5 16 17. and 21 9 10. 1 Sam. 13 8 and 11 7. Lastly this serueth for comfort vnto vs when these meanes are vsed and affoorded when we see them taken in hand carefully and religiously 2 Chron. 14 8. Whē all things are ordered aright and sufficient forces leuied who should not be ready and willing to go foorth For as the want of men and munition and all kinde of prouision taketh away the heart and slaketh the courage of such as are to fight and aduenture theyr liues so on the other side the hauing of all things fitte and necessary giueth comfort 2. Chron. 14 8. Neuerthelesse wee must take heed that we do not relye vpon them and put our trust in them for no man is saued by the multitude of an hoast how great and strong soeuer it be 2 Chron. 13 8 13. Esay 2 22 and 3 1 2 3 and an horse though prepared for the battell is a vaine thing to saue a man forasmuch as an army are men and not God and theyr horses are flesh not spirit Esay chapter 31 verse 3. Againe the army heere spoken of is not onely gathered together but it is sent out Doctrine An army leuied and prepared must be sent out First it is furnished and prepared and then employed The Doctrine An army assembled must go forth in a seasonable time if the cause remaine and continue for which it was gathered Iosh 11 7. 1 Sam. 18 5 27. The Reasons First because it is not the Reason 1 sight but the vse not the hauing but the employing of men of warre that hurteth the enemy 2 Kings 19 32. It is not the hauing of a sword that sufficeth but the drawing of it out against the enemy that profiteth Secondly otherwise it argueth want of wisedome or courage or constancy or all these vpon the distrust of the cause or force Iudg. 9 36 37 38 Thirdly it giueth edge to the enemy to prouide meanes of preuenting by a more speedy resolution if they go not foorth being prepared 2 Sam. 20 6. whereas it is the part of a wise and politike Captaine to take heede hee do nothing to hearten the enemy or discourage his souldiers This serueth to reproue those that in a brauado Vse 1 make much preparation but are nothing at all for execution such are they that go not out at all or go out too late hauing too credulous hearts to beleeue that the enemy will not come or not come as yet 2 Sam 20 6. Secondly it reproueth such as refuse to go or to be sent out Some had rather be hanged before theyr doores then be employed in the Princes seruice Others hide themselues or hyre others or make friends or excuses of insufficiency because they would not performe this businesse and would slippe theyr heads out of the coller Numb 16 12 13 14. Lastly it serueth to warne such as are mustered and haue giuen theyr names to prepare thēselues and to think seriously of the matter that they are to bee employed in a weighty businesse that so they may be ready to fight the Lords battels 2 Chron 20 ver 15. for theyr Prince Country wife and children Neh. 4 14. In the next place marke that Moses spake vnto some of the people Arme your selues vnto the warre At the commandement of Moses the people must arme but before hee command they may not put on armour The Doctrine Doctrine An army must be sent forth by lawfull authoritie A lawfull army must be gathered and sent out by publike authority 2. Chron. 14 9. The grounds heereof for first publike enemies must be resisted by authority power of the publike Magistrate 1 Sam. 11 7. Secondly Reason 1 the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine 1 Sam. 8 20. Thirdly they intrude into the seate of Iustice that take this vpon them without authority nay they sit downe in the place of God Numb 16 11. But it may be obiected Obiect that the examples of Abraham who armed 318 men and pursued the Kings and of Sampson proue the contrary for what warrant had they I answer they had both sufficient warrant and authority Answ Sampson was one of the Iudges chosen of God to saue his people and he was stirred vp and guided by an extraordinary spirit to smite them hip and thigh with a great slaughter Iudg. 14 ver 19. And touching Abraham hee was no priuate man nor subiect to any other Potentate but a free Prince and at his owne command Againe he did no more then as if a man should defend him and his against a theefe and resist violence with violence by the sword The vses remaine Vse 1 It is the duty of the Magistrate when intelligence is giuen of enemies and of theyr approch or preparation not to be secure or to suffer them to take the start but he must take order against them 2 Chron. 20 1 2 3 that he suffer not the Lords enemies to preuayle or to escape 1 Sam. 15 3 9 35. It is a great
hurt losse and damage may by them redound to the commonwealth in such sending of them The way to be rid of them is to execute iudgement against them and to cut them off by the sword of the Magistrate for theyr euill deeds Lastly from hence we should learne much more to be watchfull in the spirituall warrefare Eph. 6 10. 2 Tim. 2 4. We are all souldiers and we are to fight against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesse in high places and therefore it behoueth vs to put on the whole armour of God and to bee strong in the Lord knowing that we shall stand in his might and be able to put to flight these enemies 7 And they warred against the Midianites as the Lord commanded Moses and they slew all the males 8 And they slew the kings of Midian besides the rest of them that were slaine namely Eui and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba He was the father of Cozbi whom Phâ—nehas slew Numb 25 15. fiue kings of Midian Balaam also the sonne of Beor they slew with the sword 9 And the children of Israel tooke all the women of Midian captiues and their little ones and tooke the spoyle of all their cattell and all their flockes and all their goods 10 And they burnt all their Cities wherin they dwelt c. 11 And they tooke all the spoyle c. This is the second part of the Chapter wherein we see the manner obserued in managing this warre and in performing obedience to the Commandement of God and his seruant Moses Wherin we may see the slaughter that they made first set downe generally They slew all the males then particularly Fiue of their Kings and also Balaam Secondly the captiues that they tooke to wit al the women and their little ones Thirdly their booty they tooke the spoyle of their cattell flocks and goods Lastly they set their Cities on fire and consumed theyr goodly Castles to nothing Heere a question may be demanded concerning Balaam Obiect how he came to be among these Midianites forasmuch as we reade before that he went his way Numb 24 25. I answer Answer some vnderstand the words of his purpose resolution to returne home but that he stayed in the way among the Midianites through whose Country he must necessarily go and so was slayne among them And indeed it is certaine he was present in the battell but it is more likely and credible that he went home and afterward hearing of the destruction of so many thousands of the Israelites 1. Drusij comment in loca diffic Num. cap. 125. procured through his diuellish counsell that hee returned vnto Madian hoping to receyue the wages which had beene promised vnto him seeing the matter succeeded according to his theyr desire and thus indeed hee receyued a iust reward and recompence as the wages due vnto him for he was slaine by the sword And hence also it may not vnfitly bee concluded that he was no true Prophet of God but a Prophet of Satan for then doubtlesse the Israelites would neuer haue put him vnto the sword Eucher in Gen. pag. 102. Some there are that too highly magnifie him and esteeme better of him then is cause and thinke that he was the same who in the booke of Iob is called Elihu howbeit this is a blinde conceit Some of the Hebrew Doctors obserue that he could be no Prophet because it is said God opened his eyes and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way c. because this is noted of others as of the seruant of Elisha 2 Kings 6 17 and of the Syrians verse 20 as also of Hagar Gen. chapter 21 verse 19 but it is neuer spoken in the same manner of any of the Prophets Other of them say he was damned with Doeg Gehazi and Achitophel but the things that are secret belong not vnto vs the truth he knoweth that knoweth all things it is not for vs to iudge before the time But to leaue this and to come to the doctrines We saw before the sinne of the Midianites chap. 25 and how God threatned them hitherto they escaped well enough and might say as Agag did that had beene spared with the fatter Oxen and the better sheepe 1 Sam. 15 32. Surely the bitternesse of death is past notwithstanding wee see God maketh good his word and suffereth no part of it to fall to the ground Doctrine Wicked men are suffered long yet in the end are punished We learne heereby that wicked men howsoeuer they may bee suffered long in theyr sinnes and God prosper them in theyr wayes and bring no temporal iudgment vpon them yet at last he meeteth with them and bringeth his plagues and punishments vpon them Psalm 73 verses 12 17 18 and 37 35 36. Iob 21 17 18. Ierem. 12 1 2 3. Hab. 2 3 5. Psal 50 21. The Scripture is full of these examples Reason 1 And it must needs be thus because God is a iealous God visiting iniquities and transgressions Exod. 34. he is angry with the wicked hateth them his soule abhorreth and detesteth them and therfore must needs bring iudgment vpon them Rom. 1 verse 18 and 2 5 8. Deut. 9 8 20. Mal. 1 2 3. Not that GOD hath any passion of anger but because hee is saide to do that which men do when they are angry that is he will take vengeance and punish them for theyr sinnes and offences Secondly because the Lord hath set a stint to the wicked he seemeth for a while to put the bridle in theyr neckes and to let them run at liberty but they haue theyr appointed time which they cannot passe hee hath set downe how farre they shall go and how long they shall liue and the measure of theyr sinne to what height they shall grow so that though they desire to proceede neuer so much they shall not be able they cannot go any farther he wayteth till they haue filled vp the measure of their sinnes Gen. 15 verse 16. Math. 23 ver 32 and then he will not spare to bring his iudgements vpon them Vse 1 The vses First this teacheth vs to acknowledge the iustice of God He oftentimes holdeth his peace and men thinke him to be like vnto themselueâ— howbeit hee will manifest to all the world that hee is a iust and righteous God and holy in all his wayes Hence it is that the Apostle saith He will reward euery one according to his works Rom. 2 6. Psalm 62 12. For as God neuer forgetteth to be mercifull neyther shutteth vp his kindnesse in displeasure Psalm 77 9 so hee cannot forget his iustice except he should forget himselfe No man forgetteth his owne name Iustice is Gods essentiall attribute This is his Name for euer and this is his memoriall to all generations True it is the faithfull themselues do many times conceiue amisse both of the mercy and of the iustice of God but they confesse that this is their
wee haue gotten them Many in the world might be accounted happy men if there were no day of reckoning But we must depart from hence and leaue them and they vs our pompe will not follow vs Psal 49 17. Let vs therefore labour against the immoderate loue of the things of this life neither suffer any such corruption to be nourished in vs. Vse 4 Lastly we must learne to preferre the best things such as the Apostle speaketh of when he sheweth what danger hangeth ouer their heads that loue nothing else but the goods of this world he breaketh out into this exhortation 1. Tim. 6.11 Thou O man of God flye these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith loue patience and meeknesse And that we may see the excellency of heauenly spirituall graces aboue earthly things let vs in the properties of them compare the one with the other that so the loue of the world to come may swallow vp all loue of this present world All the kingdomes of this world and the glory of them are vanity Eccl. 2 11 but Salomon opposeth to this the feare of God and his commandements The riches of this life are oftentimes gotten with doing wrong and with oppression Ier. 5 27. Luke 16 9 11 it is not so with piety and godlines which is the true riches and gaine 1. Tim. 4. Riches are kept with griefe and anguish he cannot rest sleep that is vowed with them as with a frenzy Eccl. 5 12 but godlinesse is the mother of all peace and comfort and maketh the sleepe to be sweet and bringeth no feare or griefe or care with it Prou. 3 24. Riches are corruptible the moth may corrupt them and the theefe may steale them Math. 5 19. Iam. 5 2 3 but heauenly graces can neuer fade they shall endure for euer they shall follow vs after we are gone they can neuer be lost when once they are gotten Earthly riches make the owners as slaues they naile the minde of man to the earth that he cannot lift vp his eyes to Heauen Math. 6 21 but piety beareth vs vp as it were with Eagles wings that we learne by little and little to mount vp to Heauen and to haue our conuersation there euen while we soiourne vpon the earth Riches can deliuer no soule from eternall death nay sometimes they are meanes to thrust the same into hell Prou. 10 2 and 11 4 but godlines freeth a man from euerlasting death and setteth him in the path that leadeth to life Wee are forbidden to heape vp transitory riches Math. 6 19. and 10.9 10. Ptou 23.4 and if we haue them it is onely in this life they serue no further and afterward there is no need or vse of them 1. Tim. 6 7. Iob 1 21. Psal 49.11 but godlines serueth for the next life and we are commanded to treasure it vp and the more we labour to increase it the happier we are Riches are often taken from the right owners and come into the hands of our enemies not onely after we are departed this life but euen whiles we liue as we see by many examples of sundry cities and prouinces 1. King 14 25 26 and 2. King 24 15. Ezek. 29 19. 2. Kings 23 35. Heb. 10 34 but piety shall neuer be taken away nor be bestowed vpon our enemies but layeth vp for vs an enduring substance in heauen and it maketh the greatest enemies to be the greatest friends it maketh the wolfe the lambe dwell together and the leopard to dwell with the kid and the sucking childe to play vpon the hole of the aspe Esay 11 6.7 8. Many of the godly haue beene without the earthly riches Christ our Lord did not desire them 2 Cor. 8 9. Math. 8.20 nor his seruants couet after them Heb. 11 26 37 2 Cor. 6 4. Act. 3. But none of the godly haue bin without the heauenly riches all haue desired them al haue obtained them some in one measure and some in another and herein they haue accounted their happines and blessednes to consist 6 And Moses saide vnto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben Shall your brethren go to warre and shall ye sit heere 7 And wherefore discourage yee the heart of the children of Israel from going ouer into the land which the Lord hath giuen them 8 Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land 9 For when they went vp vnto the valley of Eshcol and saw the land they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go into the land which the the Lord had giuen them 10 And the Lords anger was kindled c. 11 Surely none of the men that came out of Egypt from twenty yeare old and vpward shall see the land c. 14 Behold ye are risen vp in your fathers stead an increase of sinfull men c. 15 But if ye turne away c. Heere beginneth the second part of the Chapter to wit the conditions of agreement how the matter was decided ended wherein obserue the debating and pleading of the matter then the determining of the controuersie Touching the demurre or debating first Moses sharpely reprooueth and reiecteth the request of these tribes and sheweth the vnfitnesse and vnlawfulnesse thereof which he proueth both by the dangerous effect that would follow the discouragement of the rest of the people and by example of the like practice of the false-hearted spies who after they returned from searching of the land spread abroad false newes whereby the hearts of the Israelites were weakned God was so greatly prouoked that he pronounced the sentence of death against all aboue twenty yeares old Caleb and Ioshua excepted This history wee saw before Chapter 13 24. This doth Moses presse and vrge to the full and sheweth what heauy iudgment came vpon the hoste for discouraging of the people whereby we see that nothing is more forcible to represse and hold from sinne then vrging the examples of God fearefull iudgments in former times against those that haue committed the like sinnes 1. Cor. 10.7 and Iude verse 6 7. 2. Pet. 2.4 5 6. Nehem. 13.17 18. Iosh 22 17 for examples are oftentimes more powerfull and piercing then precepts or threatnings are and therfore Moses is so earnest in this kinde Again whatsoeuer was written afore time was written for our instruction This reprooueth those that will take no warning by any examples but are secure till the iudgment beginne to take hold vpon them like to those carelesse people that when a citty is on fire neuer looke to their owne house till it take hold vpon it and bee ready to burne it downe to the ground Euery one would condemne such retchlesse persons but such are all those that see the iudgments of GOD breake out vpon others and yet will not looke to themselues Furthermore wee must all take notice of such examples no man ought to be ignorant of them 1.
or are in our mindes as when they are releeued and helped out of theyr misery For as we remember God when we serue him so we remember the needy when we succour them It is noted of Saul and al Israel that they went to releeue Iabesh Gilead when it was beleagred by Nahash the Ammonite who would make a couenant with them vpon no other condition but that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproch vpon all Israel 1 Sam. 11 1 2. So did Dauid and his men goe to releeue Keilah spoyled and oppressed by the Philistims chap. 23 5. The booke of the Iudges is full of this argument they thought it theyr duty to releeue the enthralled estate poore condition of the Church lying vnder the hard yoke and heauy seruitude of the Moabites the Canaanites the Midianites the Ammonites the Philistims and sundry others So that all Gods seruants although themselues were free from trouble yet must they put too theyr hands and set too theyr shoulders and employ all theyr strength as farre as God enableth them to deliuer the Church from trouble and to procure the present benefite and good estate thereof Wee shewed before in this chapter that we must haue some compassion and a fellow-feeling of the miseries and afflictions of Gods people this doctrine goeth farther and pierceth deeper and teacheth that we must put foorth our selues to maintaine the publike cause of the afflicted church and procure the peace thereof Reason 1 And so much the rather wee ought to doe this because of the wicked mindes and wretched endes that the vngodly set before theyr eyes For what is it I pray you that the enemy the common aduersary and oppressour of the Church looketh after and layeth before him Is it the persons of them that they seeke to spoyle or is it to take away theyr goods and substance from them or any other thing that might bee deare vnto them in earthly things All these indeed are sought after but are these the chiefe marke and scope that they ayme after or would these taken away coÌ„tent them No no they shoote at a farther thing to deface the seruice and worshippe of God and to blaspheme his glorious Name being themselues the children of darknes and not able to beare the light of the truth they oppose themselues against the same The Citties and Altars of our GOD ought to bee of greatest account and in highest price more deare to vs then thousands of gold and siluer for which we must be content to leaue father and mother wife and children that we may with freedome of conscience enioy professe the truth This meditation was it that moued Ioab when he went out with a strong hand saw the enemies gathered together to roote out the Church out of the Land and the truth out of the Church to fight against them 2. Sam. 10 12. Be of good courage and let vs play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord doe that which seemeth him good wheâ—e hee sheweth that the chiefe motiue to waxe strong and valiant in battell was to maintaine the Cities and seruice of God Secoâ—â—â—y this hath promise of a great blessing Reason 2 and a good yssue it is no vaine or fruitelesse thing whereunto we are moued Many men are discomfited and quite out of heart because they see no blessing annexed But howsoeuer the persecuter and oppressor for a time preuayleth and entreth into the houses and habitations of God yet theyr destruction sleepeth not God hath reserued them as the chaffe before the winde and as the stubble before the fire Resting therefore on the gracious promises of God and knowing that Heauen and earth shall perish Math. 5 17. but no one iote shal passe or faile from his word beeing assured that the couenant that he hath made is surer then the couenant of the day and the night of the Sun and of the Moone wee must arme our selues with this assured perswasion that the destruction of the enemy is determined as Esay 16 3 4. speaking to Moab he saith Take counsell execute iudgement c then he addeth the reason for the extortioner is at an ende the spoiler ceaseth the oppressours are consumed out of the Land Esay 16 3 4. Wherefore albeit the enemies of God and his people seeme long to florish to glory in theyr wickednesse and to insult ouer the godly that are vnder the crosse yet they shall not escape the wrath and vengeance of God so that none should be ashamed to thrust theÌ„selues into danger to maintaine the common cause of the Church The vses follow First this putteth vs in Vse 1 minde of the estate of the faithfull which oftentimes endure more trouble in this world both inwardly outwardly then any other as were easie to be shewed and proued by the examples of Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Iob Ieremy Dauid and Christ himselfe the perfect patterne of suffering affliction It was no otherwise with his Apostles also and experience teacheth vs that the church in this world fareth no better as it complaineth Lamen 1 12. Is it nothing to you all yee that passe by Behold and see if there bee any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto me wherwith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his anger Thus it pleaseth the Lord to weane them from the loue of the world because he loueth them would haue them long after heauen and heauenly things We are oftentimes so peruerse and vntoward that we must be put into the fire that we may be refined and reformed and must endure many greeuous corrections that we may bee framed to delight in spirituall things Besides Satan and his instruments do hate vs and labour continually to seeke our destruction and therefore let vs neuer promise to our selues worldly peace and prosperity neyther be offended at the great afflictions which we heare to come vpon the godly but rather prepare our selues to looke for one trouble to come vpon the necke of another whiles we liue vpon the earth Vse 2 Secondly conclude from hence the fearefull wofull miserable estate of the church when all the friends and comforters of it are gone when they that should be the shield and shelter of it do flye backe and dare not shew theyr faces as often it falleth out then onely faith for the present and hope for the time to come must hold vp our heads that we sinke not into the bottome of despayre This is it which the Prophet saith I looked and there was none to helpe and I wondred that there was none to vphold therefore mine owne arme brought saluation to me c. And I will tread downe the people in mine anger and make them drunke in my fury c. Esay 63 5 6. When Haman the aduersary of the Iewes whose malice was hereditary vnto him and deriued from his fathers had plotted the ruine
Eleazar the Priest and Ioshua the son of Nun. 18 And ye shall take one prince of euery tribe to diuide the land by inheritance 19 And the names of the men are these Of the Tribe of Iudah Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh 20 Of the Tribe of Simeon Shemuel c. 21 Of Beniamin Elidad c. 22 Of Dan Bukki c. 23 For the tribe of Manasseh Hananiel c. 24 Of Ephraim Kemuel c. 25 Of Zebulun Elizaphan c. 26 Of Issachar Paltiel c. 27 Of Ashur Ahihud c. 28 Of Naphtali Pedahel c. 29 These are they whom the Lord commanded to diuide the inheritance vnto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan This is the second part of the chapt where the persons are appointed and named which ought to diuide the land these are of 2. sorts the chiefe and principall were the priest of the Church and the Captaine of the hoast the rest were ten Princes chosen out of the ten tribes so that two tribes are left out to wit Reuben and Gad because they had their inheritance befalne them already at their owne request on this side Iordan All these Princes are particularly expressed by their names and by the names of their fathers and all are ioyned in equall commission together that nothing should be done with partiality to whose arbitrement and determination all were bound to stand From hence three questions may bee raysed First Obiection what need there was of any Princes to diuide the land and giue the Tribes their possessions seeing this was to be done by lot I answer Answ the one of these doth not take away the other there was vse of them both For seeing the lot could not bee vsed except the land were diuided into ten parts or Prouinces therefore it pleased God to vse the helpe and ministery of men to diuide it into tenne parts after which diuision made the lots wer cast by iudgement whereof euery Tribe had his portion of the land Thus we see how both of them were very necessary and that the one did not ouerthrow or disanull the other Againe Obiect why doth God ioyne ten other Princes to Eleazar the Priest and to Ioshua the son of Nun were not these two sufficient Answer I answer that which belongeth to all ought to be done of all and thereby God taketh away that enuy which might he cast vpon them when the matter was indifferently decided by a seuerall Prince selected out of euery seuerall Tribe Thus the mouthes of all were stopped and euery one perswaded to rest without complaint or contradiction in the deciding which they should make Thirdly the question may bee asked Obiect Why the Priest was employed in this diuision For some haply will maruell that matter of temporall inheritance in which himselfe and the rest of that tribe had no other portion but the Lord should be committed to him that had the charge of the Tabernacle and this may seeme altogether impertinent to his function I answer Answ this was done for sundry waightie considerations For this was not without a mystery Why the high Priests helpe was vsed in the diuision of the land And as euery ceremony had his signification so heerein the Priest was a figure of Christ to whom the spirituall inheritance belongeth who is ascended to prepare a place for those that are his in heauen Secondly this was done in regard of the Priests Leuites for albeit they had no inheritance in the land yet some part and parcell fell vnto their share out of euery Tribe as we shall see in the following chapter Thirdly if any controuersie should arise in this great and waighty busines of making a stable and vnchangeable diuision that might remaine among their posterity for euer they might haue the Priest at hand for direction and to aske counsell for them at the mouth of God Lastly that this whole action might bee sanctified to them theyr children it was to be begun with prayer and to be finished with thankesgiuing for which the Priest was the fittest according to the saying of the Apostle Coloss 3. verse 17. Whatsoeuer ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God and the Father by him This diuision offereth diuers instructions In that Eleazar Ioshua the cheefe of the rest appointed to set out the land are named before other it teacheth that superiours whose head God hath lifted vp aboue their bretheren ought to giue good example to others Againe wee see that God maketh choise of men to bee his instruments so that not onely those things are to be holden diuine and of diuine authority which are done immediately by God himselfe but such also as are done by men assigned to their office by him Thus God hath called men and not Angelles to preach the Gospel whereby hee regenerateth vs and maketh vs heires of his kingdome if we receyue the same by fayth We are therefore to submit our selues vnto it and to bee content to be informed and reformed by it no otherwise then if an Angel from heauen nay no lesse then if God himselfe should speake vnto vs Luke 10 16. 1 Thess 2 13. Acts 10 33. This is the way to heare aright Furthermore obserue the faith of this people They were not yet come into the land they had not passed ouer Iordan nor obtained one foote there the Canaanites yet dwelled in their Cities and armed themselues to resist them they had strong Cities walled vp to heauen and mighty men of strength and stature to oppose against them they had a generation of Gyants mighty men that were as so many Goliahs to bid defiance to Israel yet we see they are occupied in diuiding the land and haue Princes appointed to determine the same and all of them are no lesse busie in the work then if the land were already conquered subdued vnto them which sheweth to vs the nature of faith according to the description of the Apostle Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the euidence of things not seene for by it the elders obtained a good report This we saw before in the daughters of Zelophehad how zealous they were in the cause of their father to haue a part of the inheritance particularly to themselues True it is this is touching a temporal promise or a promise of a temporall blessing howbeit it had reference typically to the eternall inheritance in the heauenly Canaan So then this teacheth vs that true faith apprehendeth appropriateth Doctrine True faith is of an applying nature and applyeth Gods promises as if they were present True faith is of an applying nature It doth not onely assent vnto the promises of God but maketh application of them to our selues and both are necessary to saluation Ier. 31 33 Esay 25 9. Cant. 2 16 and 6 3. Iohn 1 12. and 6 51 35 and 3 14 15. None had comfort by the brazen
afraide that Christ should come within their doores They are in effect like the Gadarens that bid him depart out of their quarters The particular faith is the only comfortable faith and by this the iust man liueth The Ciuilians haue a rule that mine is better then ours and in temporall things all men like of it So we may say in the matters of faith touching particular application it is better for a man to say Christ is mine then Christ is ours Neuerthelesse we must vnderstand and obserue thus much that men must not bee discouraged to thinke they do not beleeue when indeed they do beleeue For the best of Gods children do beleeue with much weaknesse and encounter with many oppositions with which they wrastle and buckle hand to hand Sometimes the effects of Gods grace are not so liuely in them as formerly they haue beene sometimes the heart of man being full of corruption will cast many doubts concerning his faith which is as much as if it should cast mire and dirt in the face of it The life of a Christian is like the daies of the yeare sometimes the dayes are verie faire sometimes againe they are cloudie and full of showres so a man that doeth beleeue shall finde much peace and haue a long time of rest and refreshing together sometimes againe he shall be full of many doubts and of much staggering as when the Sun withdraweth it selfe within the clouds Euery true faithfull soule knoweth this by continuall experience And he that findeth these things let him not be discouraged but rather be assured that these are signes of true faith that God dealeth thus with his own for these ends to make them more certaine of their faith to teach thē to lay better hold of the promises of God and to haue more ioy in them and howsoeuer they may lose the sight of these things for a time yet their faith in the end shal haue victory and they shall bee able to pierce and passe through these clouds and haue a certaine application by which they shall be sure to want no good thing CHAP. XXXV 1 ANd the Lord spake vnto Moses in the plaines of Moab by Iordan neere Iericho saying 2 Command the children of Israel that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritance of their possession Cities to dwell in and ye shall giue also vnto the Leuites suburbs for the c. 3 And the Cities shall they haue to dwel in and the suburbes of them shall be for their Cattle and for their goods c. 4 And the suburbes of the Cities which ye shall giue vnto the Leuites shall reach from the wall of the City and outward a thousand cubites round about 5 And yee shall measure from without the City on the East side two thousand cubites and on the Southside two thousand c. 6 And among the Cities which ye shall giue vnto the Leuites there shall be six Cities for refuge which ye shall giue to the manslayer c. 7 So all the Cities which ye shall giue to the Leuites shall be 48. Cities 8 And the Cities which ye shall c. IN the former chapter we spake of the inheritance in generall Now we come to the particular and first touching the Priest which is an exception from the former The contents of this chap. Of this chapter there are two principall parts first a commandement to assigne certaine Citties for the vse and dwelling of the Priests and Leuites who otherwise had no portion allotted chap. 29. Secondly Lawes prescribed touching manslaughter Touching the first we see that albeit in the former distribution of the inheritance there be no mention made of the Priests and Leuites yet God will not forget them himselfe neyther haue them forgotten by others but prouideth for them places of habitation and assigneth to them 48. Cities with their suburbs wherein they are appointed to dwell Touching their foode and sustenance they had the first fruites and the tythes of the fruite of their land and of the increase of their Cattle And because he would haue them wāt nothing that was needfull for them although mens deuotion and charity is such that they could be content to see them want all things he taketh order in this place for theyr houses and dwellings and that in a plentifull and bountifull manner considering the compasse of the land as wee described it in the former chapter For besides the many Cities appointed they had suburbes with a thousand Cubites in compasse about those cities for barns outhouses and stalles for cattle besides fields stures and medowes containing two thousand cubites more for feeding and breeding of their cattle These were not assigned vnto them out of one or two tribes but selected out of them all yet in such sort that the tribes which had the larger inheritance must set apart the more and they that had lesse were to giue the fewer and thus was a iust and equall proportion obserued that one should not bee eased and another ouerburthened Thus were the Leuites dispersed in Iacob and scattered in Israel that so God might bee serued and his worship preserued throughout the land Thus God would haue all his people in all corners and quarters to be taught and instructed the small as well as the great plaine villages as well as famous and populous Cities as wee haue shewed before chap. 3. Thus was the punishment laide vpon Leut Gen. 49 7 turned into a blessings and their reproach changed into matter of honor and dignity These were commonly called the Citties of the Leuites not that they onely dwelt in them but because they among others dwelled in them the youth were instructed in the liberall sciences the law of God was expounded in the Synagogues there also publicke schooles and colledges were builded to be as holy Seminaries and Nurseries of piety and religion as we do reade in many places of the bookes of Samuel and the kings Of the Cities of refuge Moreouer obserue that out of these Cities of the Leuites God maketh choise of sixe Cities of refuge whereof three are in the land of Canaan and the other on this side Iordan and these were not chosen to bee together but they were so fitted that euery part of the Land had one of them at hand least such as were without fault and innocent should be pursued and slaine by the auenger of blood before he could recouer any of them Now these Cities are assigned out of the Cities of the Leuites rather then out of any othet that the places might be more respected and bee more inuiolably obserued and it is presumed that the Priests would not protect wilfull wretched offenders and so defile the places which were granted onely to be Sanctuaries for the innocent Thus did God allow Sanctuaries priuiledged places among his people and many other nations in all times and of ancient times haue followed this example But whether it be expedient in the
Corne yet suffereth the poore to famish for want of food deserueth iustly the curse of God and man Prou. 11 26. Wheras blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth it In like manner the Ministers that are rich in grace and well stored with knowledge who seeke nothing but to ingrosse more into their hands but will part from nothing at all haue cause to feare to be accursed of God man whereas they shall be blessed praised in the gate that make others partakers of their store Wherefore let all such consider the commandement of God to preach the word oftentimes repeated and vrged to the Prophets Es 58 1. Motiues to perswade the Ministers to diligence in their Calling and to the Apostles and other Ministers of the word Math. 28 19. If then we regard what the Lord saith vnto vs we must hearken to his voyce Secondly hereby we testifie our loue to Christ who hath deerely loued vs Iohn 21 15. God hath so loued vs that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but gaue him to the death for vs and therefore wee are most vnthankfull wretches if we doe not loue him againe but we cannot testifie our loue to him more then by feeding his Sheepe and his Lambes Thirdly we haue committed to our charge the price of the blood of Christ the soules of mē which he bought at a deare rate Acts 20 28. Fourthly the Ministery of the word is the ordinary meanes ordayned for the building planting the enlarging strengthening the vpholding and continuing of the Church of God 1 Pet. 1 ver 23 25. Fiftly there is a gracious promise of a very great reward made vnto those men that are faithfull and gaine soules to their master for they shall shine as the Starres for euer and euer Dan. chap. 12. verse 3 and when the great sheepheard of the sheepe appeareth they shall appeare with him in glory 1 Peter chap. 5. verse 4. and be made heires of al their masters riches Mat. chap. 24 verses 45 46 1 Tim. 4 16. 2 Tim. 4 7 8. Sixtly all such as are negligent watchmen haue a fearefull woe denounced against them because while they feede themselues vnto the full they suffer the flocke to starue Ezek. 34 2. 1 Cor. 9.16 Seuenthly such as haue gifts and doe not vse them haue them in Gods iust iudgment taken from them Matth. 25 28 Zach. 11 17. For as such as vse and employ the talent that God hath giuen them haue his gifts increased in a plentifull measure so they that burie theyr knowledge and zeale and neuer bring them forth they are so weakned and wasted in them that in the end they vanish away as smoke and come to nothing as is too too euident in many of our times Lastly they bring destruction and damnation vpon themselues and the people Ezech. 34 8 10. Matth. 25 10. 9 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 10 Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them when ye bee come ouer Iordan into the land of Canaan 11 Then yee shall appoint you Cities to bee Cities of refuge for you that the Man-slayer may flee thither which killeth any person at vnawares 12 And they shall be vnto you Citties for refuge from the auenger that the man-slayer dye not c. 13 And of these c. 14 Yee shall giue three Cities on this side Iordan and three Cities shall yee giue in the land of Canaan c. 15 These six Cities shall be for refuge The commandement of God touching the setting apart of Cities for the Leuites hath before bene considered in general now he speaketh in particular of the Cities of refuge taken out of the former Cities wherein wee see the number of them the end wherefore they were appointed and the places where they are to be taken Of murther voluntarily and wilfully committed Moses speaketh in the words following such persons must be pulled from the Altar Deut. 19 and put to death but when blood is shed at vnawares there is libertie to flye to one of these Cities of refuge Whereby we see that there is difference between sinne and sinne betweene such as are committed ignorantly and those that are done voluntarily And therefore wee may conclude from hence that all sinnes are not equall Touching the auenger of blood we shal speak more afterward howbeit here we see that he which had killed another at vnawares was in danger to be pursued ouer-taken and slaine by the next of kinne as wel as he that had shed mans blood wilfully True it is God alloweth not that the kinsman of him that is slaine should take away the life of him that was guilty but such was the malice and corruption of men that they would be ready to adde murther to murther that blood should touch blood vnlesse some place of safety had beene prouided This teacheth vs Doctrine All men by nature are prone to reuenge That howsoeuer God hath made vs keepers of the liues one of another yet by nature we thirst after reuenge and are neuer quiet vntill it bee satisfied Heereunto come the many precepts which God giueth to forbid reuenge which hee would neuer so often repeate were it not that hee knoweth the inclination of our hearts Deutero chap. 32 35. Rom. 12 17 19 and 1 29 31. 1 Thes 2 15 16. Prous 12 10. Such an one was Cain Iudas Saul Herod Pharaoh yea such are all persecuters and all heretikes And not onely men vnregenerate are of an hatefull and malicious disposition but such as otherwise haue receyued the spirit of adoption and the grace of sanctification do yet carry about them the body of sinne and the corruptions of the olde Adam as we see in the brethren of Ioseph who for enuy sold him into Egypt Gen. 37 28. Acts 7 ver 9. And in Dauid otherwise a man after Gods heart for when hee had receyued euill words for his good deedes at the hands of Nabal 1 Sam. 25 22. he sware God do so more also to the enemies of Dauid If I leaue any aliue of all that pertaine to him by the morning light and so hee prepared himselfe his men for present and speedy reuenge And no maruell seeing the nature of man Reason 1 is prone to all euill and all the imaginations of his heart are onely euill continually Gen. 6 verse 5. and 8. verse 21. For malice aboue other things is a naturall fruite of the flesh delighting and pleasing our corruption Galat. 5 21. Iames 4 5. Hence it is that we are sayd to serue our lustes and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuy hateful hating one another Tit. 3 3. Secondly by nature satan getteth the possession of vs who hath bene a fierce dragon a mercilesse Lyon a cruell murtherer from the beginning Iohn 8 44. Our Sauiour remembereth vnto the Iewes why they were a murtherous generation and telleth them They were of their father the diuell And
vs aboue other nations The more he hath honoured and exalted vs aboue others the more vile and odious we shall become he will poure shame contempt vpon vs he will make vs a mirrour and example of his iudgements to others vnlesse we bring foorth fruites answerable to so great goodnesse Who so is wise-hearted let him consider these things Verses 22 23 24. God brought them out of Egypt their strength is as an Vnicorne for there is no sorcery against Iacob Hitherto wee haue spoken of the spirituall blessings bestowed vpon the Church to wit the forgiuenesse of their sinnes the presence of the Spirit and the vse of the word Now followeth another priuiledge being an effect of the former that nothing shall hurt them they may fall into many afflictions but none shal be able to destroy them He alludeth in this place to the practise of the Vnicorne purging and clensing the water with his horne against the poison of venomous beasts From hence we learne Doctrine No attempt◠shall hurt th◠Church that no meanes and attempts shall hurt or ouerthrow the Church Whatsoeuer the enemies of God and his people imagine what counsell soeuer they take what mischiefes they deuise God will make them frustrate and of none effect This truth appeareth by sundry examples in the word of God When the Church of God was in Egypt the Egyptians said Let vs work wisely with them lest they multiply they vexed them with bondage they destroyed their children they oppressed them with burthens they plagued them with taskemasters and euery way they encreased their miseries Ex. 1 2 3. yet after all these diuellish practises they preuayled nothing against them This appeareth likewise in the ambition and pride of Haman Ester 3. and 7 and 9. He thirsted after blood but the plot he had contriued was disappointed and he fel into the pit which hee had digged for another the snare was broken and the Church was deliuered Infinite are the examples that might be produced to this purpose of the Churches dangers and deliuerances The Prophet Dauid handleth this argument at large in sundry Psalmes In the 91. Psalme verses 3 4 5 c. he assureth those that trust in God that into whatsoeuer dangers they fall they shall neuer miscarry nor be dismayed in theyr afflictions Where the Prophet meaneth that howsoeuer these afflictions may come to the godly yet they shall not bee able to hurt or hinder their eternall peace with God but he will make them and all things besides to further theyr saluation This is it which the Apostle teacheth at large Rom. 8 35 37. Thus we see that no attempts can hurt the Church inasmuch as God taketh the wise in their craftinesse and scattereth the deuices of the wicked Iob 5.13 as he turned the wisedome of Ahithophel into foolishnesse The Reasons of this Doctrine seruing for confirmation of vs are direct euident For Reason first it is God that watcheth ouer his to deliuer and to preserue them from all the dangers that go ouer theyr heads We shall not neede to feare hauing so good a keeper being assured of right good keeping He will alwayes protect vs by his great power and infinit goodnesse This the Prophet handleth at large Psal 121 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. So Moses declaring the cause that Balaams curses coniurations did not preuaile but were turned into a blessing sayth It was because the Lord loued his people Deut. 23 5. No policies can preuaile where there is such a keeper who being on our side what skilleth it who bee set against vs Reason 2 Secondly hee hath appointed the Angels also to guard and defend them to pitch their Tents round about them to bee ministering spirits sent out for their good which alwayes behold the face of their Father which is in heauen God is the cheefe watchman whom nothing can escape the Angels are second watchmen vnder God whom God hath deputed to that office to serue the necessities of the Church This the Prophet Dauid that sweet singer of Israel setteth downe Psal 91 10 11 12. Where the prophet proueth that no crosse or calamity shall come neere them or their dwellings to hurt them because not onely God himselfe will care for their defence but appoint the holy Angels as his heauenly messengers to preserue them Not that the helpe of God is not sufficient or that we should put our trust in their helpe but to teach vs for our comfort that we haue God and all the hoast of heauen as an army ready mustered marshalled to succour and sustaine vs in all our dangers Now it remaineth to consider what Vses Vse 1 may be made of this Doctrine First we must confesse to our singular comfort that great is the power and goodnesse of God which can neuer faile or forsake those that are his No counsell or wisedome or policy can escape his knowledge or encounter with his power we see this notably in this example before our eyes This false Prophet Balaam was an enemy of God and of his people he had set both his heart to couet and his tongue to saie all his purpose was to curse the people hee leaueth nothing vnattempted to compasse and contriue his enterprize yet we see all is vanity and commeth in the end to nothing Great therfore is the power and might of God We heard in verse 19. that he was constrained to say That God is not like to mortall men therfore we ought to be ashamed to call the truth or power of God into question wherein there is neither want nor weaknes All the power that is in men and Angels is nothing to the infinite power of God Let vs therefore acknowledge and confesse this might and maiesty of God let vs in all our dangers and calamities reuerence it and rest in it Let vs not measure it by ordinary meanes but know that he is able to work as wel without means and against meanes as by meanes The faith of Abraham is commended by the Apostle Ro. 4 18. Heb. 11 That aboue hope he beleeued vnder hope and that God was able of the ashes of Isaac offered vp in sacrifice to raise him againe to life 〈◊〉 2. Secondly wee may in assurance of his fauour conclude the blessednesse of the people of God and their happy estate and condition yea we may truly say with the Psalmist Psal 144 15. Blessed are the people that are so yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. None are harder assaulted none are better protected Their confusion is sought but they stand in the strength of God This is a great blessing to be shaken and yet to abide firme in stormes and tempests Happy are they that haue so vigilant a watchman as the Lord is That City is safe that kingdome is sure that house is quyeted that soule is secured that hath such a keeper What City vpon the earth sauing the City of
our God hath such a watchman as neyther slumbereth nor sleepeth But the Church which is Gods commonwealth hath a gouernour and guardian which is all an eye to see their dangers all an eare to heare the counsels all an heart to vnderstand the deuices of theyr enemies and all an hand and strong arme to scatter them and to defeate them This happines we heard before verse 10 how Balaam praised and desired He confesseth alowd that the death of the Iews was more to be desired thē the life of all other men because GOD held them for his people Though he were a wretched idolater and sought to turne the truth of God into falshood yet standing as it were vpon the racke hee was inforced to vtter this speech as if he had sayde Who is it that can doe any thing against Israel seeing they remaine in the fauour of their God Let vs learn to magnifie the Lord for his mercy and walk worthy of this our happines which the men of this world do want They haue no protection from God but lye open and naked vnto dangers of soule and body and haue to defend them not so much as a poore fig leafe Thirdly let vs seeke to bee at peace with God and labour to be reconciled vnto him If God be against vs what creature dare stand vp for vs to helpe and comfort vs nay what creature shall not fight against vs to destroy and confound vs For the subiect though neuer so noble honorable that hath the King against him shall finde few others to succour him or shew him any countenance as we see in the booke of Ester Ester 7 9. so soon as the wrath of the King began to be kindled against Haman by and by they couered his face and helped forward his execution So if wee sinne against God the King of Kings and prouoke him to wrath who shall dare to pleade for vs On the other side if God be on our side who shall be against vs or what creature shall hinder our peace This the Prophet Hosea declareth as a benefite belonging to the Church Hos 2 18. In which words the Lord promiseth that hee will so watch ouer his Church by his prouidence that they shall haue rest and securitie from all dangers of enemies and be deliuered from the rage of beasts and the violence of men But how will some say can this bee Obiection Seeing the vngodly that haue God their enemy yet haue the world and the men of the world smile laugh vpon them and the godly who haue God their friend yet haue the world for their enemy I answer Answ This seemeth to be so to those that iudge of things after the flesh according to the outward appearing but if we will iudge righteous iudgement and behold them with the eye of Fayth wee shall finde it to be otherwise whether wee respect the end or the inward feeling of the soule and Conscience Touching the end and issue of things if we waite with patience but a while and looke with a single heart vpon the euent we shall see that the vngodly who haue God set against them haue al things to work their destruction and to further their condemnation not onely their troubles but euen the most holy ordinances of God the exercise of prayer the hearing of the word the partaking of the Sacraments The things are in themselues and their owne nature the sauor of life to life 2 Cor. 2 16 but to them they become the sauour of death to death Contrarywise the godly who haue God reconciled to them in Iesus Christ haue all things to further to finish the saluation of their soules and to seale vp their eternall peace Rom. 8 28 inasmuch as all accidents that befal them tend to bring them to glory and immortality and work for the best vnto them that loue God euen vnto them that are called of his purpose not onely prayers and praises not onely the Word and Sacraments which are as the life of their souls and the breath of their nosthrils but all crosses calamities and afflictions are sanctifyed for their good and happinesse Secondly in respect of the inward feeling of the soule and conscience For the vngodly who feele the wrath of God for their sinnes as it were the flashings of hell fire doe finde rest and refuge in nothing but account all the creatures for their enemies and alwayes stand in feare of them as of Gods hoast and army set in battell array against them and as of his instruments to bring them to destruction The heauens are prepared at the commandement of God to be as brasse as in the dayes of famine to punish them 1 Kings 17 1. the clouds to poure down showres of raine vpon them as vpon the olde world Gen. 7 11 the waters ready to drowne them as the hoast of Sisera Iudg. 5 12 the fire to consume them as it did Sodom and the other Cities of the plaine Gen. 19 24 the aire to poyson and infect them as in the time of pestilence Ezek. 5 12 the earth open to swallow them as it did Dathan and his followers Numb 16 32 the Beares to deuoure them as they did the two and forty vngracious children that mocked the Prophet 2 King 2 42 the Lyons to destroy them as they did the Idolatrous Samaritanes 2 King 17 25 Fiery serpents to sting them as they did the murmuring Israelites in the wildernesse Num. 21.6 the basest and meanest creatures are armed with power and will to bidde battell against them Flies and Frogges to annoy them as they did the Egyptians Exod. 8 6.24 Lice to eate them as they did Herod a bloody persecutor of the Church Acts 12 23. Thus do the vngodly feare all the creatures of God cannot be secured from any one of them An example whereof we haue in Cain who wandered vp and downe in the earth and feared that euery creature that found him would kill him Gen. 4 14. And no maruell for the wicked flyeth when no man pursueth him Prou. 28 1. But the godly who feele Gods fauour and mercy toward them and haue him for their friend do find by blessed experience all Gods creatures as it were his souldiers to stand for them and therefore doe not stand in feare of them but can say with a feeling faith Rom 8 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. For when the wayes of a man please God he will make euen their enemies at peace with them Prou. 16 7. All this appeareth in the example of Adam as in a glasse before he fell into sinne Gen. 3 8. he walked in the garden without feare he talked and communed with God without feare all things were subiect to him that was