for punishment thereof cause them to be led Captiue into Babilon to serue strange Lordes and Maisters in a Countrey that was not theirs Preache this vnto the house of Iacob and crie it out in Juda. c. God leaueth nothing vndone whereby this Stubburne people may declare themselues vnexcusable if they doe not Repent forsake their wickednesse and therefore chargeth the Prophete that they lacke not Teaching and Preaching and the euident declaration of Gods Iustice to come vpon them and that in such maner as they maye not thinke it to be Wordes onely and bare Threatninges to feare them but that they maye be well assured that they shall be as truely perfourmed in dede as they were vttered in wordes And then if they did not obey they shoulde shew themselues to be not only a Blockishe a folishe people but in dede as indurate Storkes and Stones and altogether like those Idolles that they worshipped which had eyes and yet sawe not and eares and yet hearde not c. but did suffer the Worde of God to passe as if it had bene spoken to Vnsensible creatures To the further amplification and condemnation of their Obstinacie in reiecting al obedience and Feare of God he compareth them to the Sea. The Sea saithe he then whiche there is nothing more forcible and violente yet at my Decree and appointment dothe it* tarie within his boundes and in his greatest rage and swelling of Waues dothe not breake oute beyonde the bankes of light Sande and Grauell Hereby this People mighte be taughte how great my Power is so learne to Feare me as their God and to Obey me as their Lorde that made them and all the worlde beside but they are more dull of vnderstanding than the* Vnsensible creatures and further from obedience than the furious and raging Surges of the Sea. Although the exceeding might and power of God in bounding the Sea within certaine Limites did not moue them to feare his Maiestie yet considering that of his fatherly Prouidence he sent them Raine in due times all maner of Seasonable weathering to temper the grouÌ„d that it mighte bring forth Fruites to their vse and commoditie it should haue somewhat enclined their hartes to Loue his Fatherly goodnesse and Reuerently to haue serued him But they were as vâ—thankefull toward the Goodnesse and mercie of God as they were obstinate against his Power and Maiestie Neuerthelesse youre misdeedes haue turned these from you c. Hereby we are taught that when God taketh from vs the Fruites of the Earth and his other good blessinges the cause thereof is our owne Sinfulnesse and forsaking of God and his true Seruice In the 26. and 27. verses the Prophete reckeneth vp some of their offences and especiallye their Falsheade Deceipte and Crafte in trapping and snaring the simple and by vniust and suttell meanes drawing them into daunger so that it maye appeare there remayned among them no Faithe nor Trueth nor Integritie and vprighte dealing but altogether couetous craftinesse iniurie and oppression And as the People were giuen to extortion and oppression so were the Magistrates negligent in ministring Iustice in defending the innocent and punishing the violence of the oppressour and wrongfull doer Yea and the * verye Prophetes also Preachers and Priests which should haue instructed and taught both People and Magistrate were themselues giuen ouer to Couetousnes and Briberie and by false prophecying teaching noseled the people in their wickednesse and in the contempt of God and of his true Prophetes And therfore God denounceth that he must needes of his Iustice punishe both them and all suche other wicked People as they are The .14 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ieremie Cap. 22. THus sayeth the Lorde Goe downe into the house of the King of Iuda and speake there these wordes 2 And saye Heare the worde of the Lord thou king of Iuda that sittest in the kingly seate of Dauid thou and thy seruants and thy people that goeth in and out at these gates 3 Thus the Lorde commaundeth Kepe equitie and righteousnesse deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent doe not gréeue nor oppresse the straunger the fatherlesse nor the wydowe and shed no innocent bloude in this place 4 And if ye kéepe these things Faithfully then shall there come in at the doore of this house Kinges to sit vpon Dauids seate they shal be caryed in charrets and ryde vpon Horses bothe they and their seruantes and their people 5 But if ye will not be obediente vnto these commaundementes I sweare by myne owne selfe sayeth the Lorde this house shal be waste 6 For thus hathe the Lorde spoken vpon the Kinges of Iuda Thou Gileaâ— arte vnto me the heade of Libanus shall I not make thée so waste as the Cities that no man dwell in 7 I will prepare a destroyer with his weapons for thée to hewe downe thy especiall Cedar trées and to caste them in the fire 8 And all the people that goe by this Citie shall speake one to another Wherefore hathe the Lorde done thus vnto this noble Citie 9 Then shall it be answered Because they haue broken the couenaunt of the Lorde their God and haue worshipped and serued strange Gods. 10 Maurne not ouer the dead and be not woe for them but be sorie for him that departeth awaye for he commeth not againe and séeth his natiue countrey no more 11 For thus sayeth the Lorde as touching Sellum the Sonne of Iosias King of Iuda which raigned after his father When he is caryed oute of this place he shall neuer come hither againe 12 For he shall dye in the place wherevnto he is led captiue and shall sée this lande no more 13 Woe worthe him that buyldeth his house with vnrighteousnesse and his parlours with the good that he hath gotten by violence which neuer recompenceth his neighbours labour nor payeth him his hire 14 Who thinketh in himselfe I will builde mée a wyde house and gorgious parlours who causeth wyndowes to be hewen therein and the séelings and ioystes maketh he of Cedar and painteth them with Sinoper 15 Thinkest thou to raigne nowe that thou haste inclosed thy selfe with Cedar Dyd not thy father eate and drynke and prosper well as long as he dealt with equitie and righteousnesse 16 Yea when he helped the oppressed and poore to their righte then prospered he well from whence came this but onely because he knewe me saith the Lorde 17 Neuerthelesse as for thine eyes and thyne heart they looke vpon couetousnesse to shedde Innocent bloude to doe wrong and violence 18 And therefore thus sayth the Lorde against Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias King of Iuda They shall not mourne for him as they vse to doe Alas brother alas sister neither shall they say vnto him Alas for that noble prince 19 But as an asse shall he be buryed corrupte and bée caste withoute the gates of
to reproue the Ievves for their Disobedience and contempt of his holie Lawes and ordinances being not their Earthlie father but the euerliuing Lorde and God. Then came the worde of the Lorde to Hieremie saying c. In these verses foloweth the applying of this example and comparison of the Rechabites In which application these things are to be noted First the comparison betwene a mortal man and god If the Authoritie of Ionadab a mortal and fraile Creature preuailed so much with his posteritie whom he did neuer greatly benefite how much more Iustlie shoulde the Maiestie and Eternall Power of God in giuing of his Lawe haue bene esteemed among his owne people vpon whom he had bestowed so many and so great blessings Secondly Ionadab gaue his Commaundement but Once and neuer called vpon it afterwarde and yet was it obserued very curiouslye for the space of .300 yeares But Gods Law as it was once giuen with greate Maiestie terrour so was it Continually called vpon by his Prophetes and teachers euen by the diligent and carefull sending of God himselfe And that in so earnest maner as possibly could be deuised and yet woulde they neuer either continue in his obedience or easilie returne vnto his true worship when they were once fallen from it Thirdly those things which God required of the Ievves were not of like Seueritie and rigour as the commaundementes of Ionadab to his posteritie For he lefte vnto them the vse of Tillage Inhabitinge of houses Drinkinge of Wine Planting of vines and all such other like things that mighte be to their comforte in the worlde and onely required that they would not run after the worshipping of other Gods. And yet would they not therin obey him nor yet reclaime themselues when they were reproued wheras the Rechabites did not onely kepe themselues in more Obedience of the Lawe of God than they did but also tied themselues to the streicte and rigorous obseruation of the orders before mentioned onelie in reuerence of Ionadab their Ancester and Forefather by whom they were giuen And therefore thus saith the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel beholde c. Nowe that God by the example of the Rechabites had confounded the disobedience of his People and shewed that they haue nothing to laie for their excuse he addeth what punishment shall come vpon them for it Forsomuch saith he as I haue often sente my Prophetes vnto you to cal you to repentance to bring you home againe into the righte way yet you will not in any wise heare them I will speake no more vnto you in way of exhortation but I will pronounce terrible Sentence against you and most earnestly assure you that those punishmentes that I haue deuised withoute faile shall come vpon you Here is to be noted that whē men Obstinatelie refuse the comfortable worde of God sent vnto them in the waie of instruction and teaching they shall after heare and feele his Dreadfull worde of Threatning iuste punishment to come vpon them for their Disobedience and cōtempt Hieremie also spake vnto the housholde of the Rechabites thus saith c. After that he hath pronounced punishment against the Ievves for their Contempt of Gods holy will he declareth also that God of his goodnesse according to his Promise anexed to the fifte commaundemente woulde reward the obedience and Reuerence that the Rechabites did shew towarde their Father Ionadab and that he would so prosper their stocke as They should neuer faile of one to stande before him that is whiche shoulde be acceptable vnto him For it cannot be interpreted that they shoulde stand before God in the Ministration of the Temple for that was appointed to the Priestes and Leuites onely As touching that the Patrons of superstition alleadge this place for the Maintenance of obedience to mens traditions in the Churche it is verie vnfit For the Rechabites as is saide before were not tied to this obseruatiō with opinion of Holinesse or as a worshipping of God as men were with the traditions of the Church of Rome but obserued those things as Politique orders of life with Reuerence of their Ancesters by whom they were enioyned The .15 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ieremie Cap. 36. IN the fourth yéere of Ioakim the sonne of Iosias the king of Iuda came the word of the Lorde vnto Ieremie saying 2 Take a booke and write therin all the wordes that I haue spoken to thée against Israel against Iuda and against all the people from the time that I began to speake vnto thée in the raigne of Iosias vnto this daye 3 That when the house of Iuda heareth of the plague which I haue deuised for them they may peraduenture turne euerie man from his wicked waye that I may forgiue their offences and sinnes 4 Then dyd Ieremie call Baruch the sonne of Neriah and Baruch wrote in the booke at the mouth of Ieremie all the wordes of the Lord which he had spoken vnto him 5 And Ieremie commaunded Baruch saying I am in prison so that I may not come into the house of the Lorde 6 Therefore goe thou thither and reade the Booke that thou haste written at my mouth namely the words of the Lorde and reade them in the Lordes house vpon the fasting daye that the people whole Iuda and all they that come out of the cities may heare 7 Peraduenture they will pray méekely before the face of the Lorde and turne euery one from his wicked waye for great is the wrath and displeasure that the Lorde hathe taken againste this people 8 So Baruch the sonne of Neriah did according to al that Hieremie the Prophet commaunded him reading the wordes of the Lorde out of the booke in the Lordes house 9 And this was done in the fifth yeare of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda in the nynth moneth when it was commanded that all the people of Hierusalem should fast before the Lord and they also that were come from the cities of Iuda vnto Hierusalem 10 Then redde Baruch the words of Hieremie out of the booke within the house of the Lorde out of the treasurie of Gamariah the sonne of Saphan the scribe which is beside the higher loft of the newe doore of the Lordes house that al the people might heare 11 Now when Micheas the sonne of Gamariah the sonne of Saphan hard al the words of the Lord out of the booke 12 He went downe to the kings palace into the scribes chamber for there al the Princes were set Elisama the scribe Dalaiah the sonne of Semei Elnathan the sonne of Achbor Gamariah the sonne of Saphan Zedekias the sonne of Hananias with all the princes 13 And Micheas tolde them all the wordes that hée hearde Baruch reade out of the booke before the people 14 Then all the princes sent Iehudi the sonne of Nathaniah the sonne of Selemiah the sonne of Chusi vnto Baruch saying Take in thine hande the booke whereout
or to forsake his people but for to* exercise and trie their fayth and to stirre them vp to more earnest prayer and calling vpon his name and that in the ende their deliueraunce may be both to his people more pleasaunt to himselfe more glorious and to the aduersaries the greater confusion Nowe when Ezekia had receyued the letter of the messengers c. Here is to be learned the nature and condition of a true* fayth which riseth against the greatnesse of tentation as it is written that the stocke of the Palme tree doth agaynst an heauie burthen layde vpon it God increaseth the daunger and Ezechias encreaseth his fayth and feruencie in prayer Neyther doeth he giue ouer as the maner of the flesh is but paciently continueth and wayteth for the comming of Gods mightie hand and fulfilling of his promise and resorteth to his old succour and sanctuarie of prayer and calleth vpon God. In whome you maye learne also the maner of true prayer first proceeding out of a * coÌ„stant a strong fayth secondly directed to the * ouely liuing and true GOD thirdely notsomuche desiring their owne deliueraunce and worldelye benefite as the * setting oute of the glorie and name of God. For to that ende the whole course of his prayer tendeth This is the aunswere that the Lorde hath giuen concerning Sennacherib c. As Ezechias continueth in constant fayth and prayer so doth the Lord in comforting and promising helpe by the mouth of his Prophet vntil their full deliuerance be wrought which not long after he putteth in execution mightily and miraculously Wherein we haue to obserue the force * strength of constant earnest and faythfull prayer which is such that albeit God doth for the exercise thereof deferre his working yet in the ende if ordinarie meanes want he will miraculously by his Aungels from heauen worke the help and deliuerance of his faythfull people calling vpon him rather then they shall perishe in their daunger and their enimies triumph ouer them Thou with thy seruants hast hlasphemed the Lorde and thus holdest thou c. The Lorde by his prophete reprooueth the pride and blasphemie of the tyranne and rehearseth the prowde bragge that he made of himselfe By the mountaynes and sides of Libanus he meaneth the kingdomes and cities of those people that Sennacherib had conquered and by Ceders and Firre trees and the chiefest of their wooddes he vnderstandeth their kinges princes and strong holdes By the consuming of their fensiue waters he noteth that by pollicie and labour he deriued away and turned the course of such waters as were lettes and stayes to his purpose Hast thou not heard what I haue taken in hande and brought to passe c. The Prophete in the person of God reprooueth the proude bragge of the Assirian Prince Doest thou thinke sayth the Lord that thou by thy owne pollicie and wisdome hast conquered so many Cities and kingdomes hast thou not heard what I haue done in times past I * haue before time declared by my Prophets that I would destroy wicked kingdomes and punishe the naughtinesse of men by the spoyle of their Cities yea and with the rodde of Chasticement to correct euen mine owne people and bring their Cities to heapes * of stone that haue I nowe done by thee as by mine instrument Wherefore although thou thinkest thy selfe to haue done great feates by these conquests and turnest all this to thine owne glorie It was not thou but I that did it For thou haddest not bene hable without me to haue woonne one poore towne I knowe thy wayes thy goyng foorth and thy comming home I did first set thee in thy royall throne and then stirred thee to vndertake these great enterprises agaynst the kingdomes of the earth for their punishment And nowe I see thou doest not acknowledge mee but settest vp thy countenaunce and blasphemous mouth agaynst me as a furious and madde man Therefore I tell thee I will put a * ring in thy â—osâ— and a bitte in thy lippes that albeit thou shew thy selfe neuer so wilde and wanton a Colt I wil turne thee euen the same way that thou camest I will giue thee also this token O Ezekia this yeare shalt thou eate c. Least Ezechias and his people should be discouraged with the long delay God signifyeth that the warre should yet continue three yeares and that in the meane time he woulde almost * miraculously maintaine them from famine The first yeare by that which groweth of it selfe the second by that which falleth of the former haruest and the thirde yeare in which the warre shoulde be ended and they deliuered by their ordinarie and quiet labour and trauaile of the ground Thus the aungell of the Lord went forth and slue of the Assirians hoast c. Here is declared the execution of that promise that god had made by his prophet Esay the miraculous deliueraÌ„ce of his people wherin we haue to note first the seuere iustice of God against a prowd and blasphemous tyranne killing in one night by his aungell .185000 of his souldiours Secondly the long suffering of God who suffered Sennacherib to go * vnpunished three yeares that if he would haue repeÌ„ted he might haue found mercie Thirdly that the wicked sometime escape from meane daunger and by Gods prouidence are reserued to greater As heare Sennacherib escapeth killing by the Aungell and is murthered of his owne sonnes in the seruice of his * Idolatrous Gods because he would not acknowledge the true God. The first Sunday after Christmasse at Euening prayer Esay 38. ABout this time was Ezekia sicke vnto death and the Prophete Esay the sonne of Annos came vnto him and sayde Thus commaundeth the Lord Set thine house in order for thou must die and not escape 2 Then Ezekia turned his face towarde the wall and prayed vnto the Lorde 3. And sayde Remember O Lorde I beseech thée that I haue walked before thée in truth and a stedfast hart and hane done the thing that is pleasant to thée And Ezekia wept â—ore 4 Then sayd God vnto Esay 5 Go and speake vnto Ezekia The Lorde God of Dauid thy father sendeth thée this worde I haue heard thy prayer and considered thy teares beholde I will put fiftene yeares mo vnto thy lyfe 6 And deliuer thée and the Citie also from the hande of the king of Assyrla for I will defende the Citie 7 And take thée this token of the Lorde that he will doe it as he hath spoken 8 Beholde I will turne the shadow of Ahaz diall that nowe is layde out with the Sunne and bring it tenne degrées backward So the Sunne turned ten degrées backwarde the which he was descended afore 9 A thankesgiuing vvhich Ezekia king of Iuda vvrote vvhen he had bene sicke and vvas recouered 10 I thought I should haue gone to the gates of hel when mine age was shortned
men are subiect to * Frailetie and weakenesse of Faith and therby sometimes doe that which is Euill and can not be defended And so when Abram was come into Egipt the Egiptians behelde the woman c. Marke here the vanity of Worldly fleshly persons Abram vndoubtedly was a man of comely Stature Graue in countenaÌ„ce of much Humanitie and curtesie in behauior And Saray his wife a Sober matron Modest Chast and vertuous of farre more bewtie of mynde than she was of bodie And yet these fleshly men had no consideration of those giftes but with vnchaste affections * cast their eyes altogether vpoÌ„ hir fairenesse And euen for the same take her without further consideration to be a Present for the Prince hymselfe wherby may appeare a great corruption of that kingdome as well in the Prince as in the People For had not the Prince shewed himselfe in lyfe to be such a one as to satisfie his fleshly lust pleature he regarded neither honestie nor godlynesse but onely the bewtie of the person The Egiptians would neuer haue bene so readie to haue tolde the King nor he to haue taken her into his house vpoÌ„ their report Therefore it is well sayde that the Offence of a Prince is a Double Offence as well for the euill that is in the thing it selfe as that it is an Example to drawe many to the like euill For * such as the Prince is such are the People But the Lorde plagued Pharao and his house with great plagues c. God that is the author of Mariage is defendor of the Innocencie and Chastitie of the godly and sharpe Punisher of the breakers thereof as saiâ—t Paule sayth * Fornicators and adulterours God will Iudge Therefore with grieuous plagues doth he punishe Pharao and his houshold for intertayning Abrams wife and purposing vnlawfull Mariage with hir though it were to hym vnknowne that shee was Wyfe to an other man What Plagues then may they looke for at Gods hande that bende there whole endeuor to Allure the known Wiues of other men to wickednesse and Filthy Lust and take the same almost to be no Sin but a Solace and Pastime Surely they can not looke for so great punishment as God in his iuste measure of tyme wyll cast vpon them The first Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Genesis 19. ANd there came two Angels to Sodome at euen and Lot sat at the gate of Sodom and Lot seing them rose vp to méete them and he bowed himselfe with his face towarde the grounde 2 And he saide Oh my Lordes turne in I praye you into your seruantes house and tarie all night and washe your féete and ye shall rise vp earely to go your wayes Which saide Nay but we will bide in the stréete all night 3 And he pressed vpon them excéedingly and they returning into vnto him entred into his house he made them a feast and did bake vnleauened bread and they did eaâ—e 4 And before they went to rest the men of the citie euen the men of Sodome compassed the house rounde about both olde and yong all people from all quarters 5 And they calling vnto Lot sayde vnto him Where are the men which came in to thée this night bring them out vnto vs that we may knowe them 6 And Lot went out at the dore vnto them and shut the dore after him 7 And sayde Nay I pray you brethren doe not so wickedly 8 Beholde I haue two daughters which haue knowne no man them will I bring out nowe vnto you and doe with them as it seemeth good in your eies onely vnto these men doe nothing for therefore came they vnder the shadow of my roofe 9 And they sayde Stande backe And they saide againe He came in as one to soiourne and will he nowe be a iudge we will surely deale worse with thée then with them And they pressed sore vpon the man euen Lot came to breake vp the dore 10 But the men put forth their hande and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut to the dore 11 And the men that were at the dore of the house they smote with blindnesse both small and great so that they were wearied séeking the dore 12 And the men sayd vnto Lot Hast thou here anye besides sonne in lawe and thy sonnes and thy daughters and whatsoeuer thou hast in the citie bring them out of this place 13 For we will destroy this place because the crie of them is great before the face of God for the Lord hath sent vs to destroy it 14 And Lot went out and spake vnto his sonnes in lawe which mariâ—d hys daughters saying Stand vp get ye out of this place for the Lord will ouerthrow this Citie But he séemed as thoughe he had mocked vnto hys sonnes in lawe 15 And when the morning arose the Angels caused Lot to spéede him saying Stande vp take thy wyfe and thy two daughters which be at hande â–ª lest thou perishe in the sinne of the citie 16 And as he prolonged the time the men caught both him his wife and his two daughters by the handes the Lorde being mercifull vnto him and they brought him forth and set him without the citie 17 And when they had brought them out the angels said Saue thy selfe and looke not behinde thee neyther â—ary thou in all this plaine countrey Saue thy selfe in the mountayne least thou perish 18 And Lot said vnto them Oh not so my Lords 19 Behold thy seruant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercie which thou hast shewed vnto mée in sauing my lyfe Beholde I cannot be saued in the Mountaine least some harme fall vpon me and I die 20 Beholde here is a citie by to flye vnto euen yonder little one Oh let me escape thyther Is it not a little one and my saâ—le shall liue 21 And â—e sayde vnto him Sée I haue receaued thy request as concerning this thing that I will not ouerthrowe this citie for the which thou hast spoken 22 Haste thée and he saued there for I can doe nothing till thou be come thither And therefore the name of the citie is Zoar. 23 And the sunne was now risen vpon the earth and Lot was entred into Zoar. 24. Then the Lord rained vpon Sodome and Gomorrhe brimstone and fyre from the Lorde out of heauen 25 And ouerthrâ—we those cities and all that playne region and all that dwelled in the cities and that that grewe vpon the earth 26 But Lots wife folowing him looked behinde her and was turned into a piller of salt 27 Abraham rysing vp early got him to the place where he stoode before the presence of God. 28 And looked towarde Sodome and Gomorrhe and towarde all the lande of that plaine countrie and behelde and lo the smoke of the countrie arose as the smoke of a furnasse 29 And it came to passe that when God destroyed the Cities of
which are rounde aboute you whether they bée nye vnto thée or farre off from thée from the one ende of the earth vnto the other 8 Thou shalte not consent vnto him nor hearken vnto him thyne eye shall not pitie him neyther shalt thou haue compassion on him nor kéepe him secrete 9 But cause hym to be slayne Thyne hande shall bée fyrste vpon him to kill him and then the handes of all the people 10 And thou shalte stone him with stones that he dye bycause he hathe gone aboute to thruste thée awaye from the Lorde thy God whiche broughte thée out of the lande of Egypt and from the house of bondage 11 And all Israell shall heare and feare and shall doe no more any suche wickednesse as this is among you 12 If thou shalte heare saye in one of thy Cities whiche the Lorde thy God hath giuen thée to dwell in 13 That certaine men béeing the children of Beliall are gone out from among you and haue mâ—ued the inhabiters of their Citie saying Let vs goe and serue straunge gods whyche ye haue not knowne 14 Then thou must seeke and make search and enquire diligently and beholde if it be true and the thing of a suretie that suche abhomination is wrought among you 15 Then thou shalt smite the dwellers of that citie with the edge of the sworde and destroye it vtterly and all that is therein and the very cattell thereof wyth the edge of the swoorde 16 And gather all the spoyle of it into the middes of the stréete therof and burne with fyre bothe the citie and all the spâ—yle thereof euery whitte for the Lorde thy God and it shal be an heape for euer and shal not be built agayn 17 And there shall cleaue naughte of the damned thing in thyne hande that the Lorde maye turne from the fiercenesse of his wrath and shew thée mercie and haue compassion on thée and multiplie thée as hée hathe sworne vnto thy fathers 18 Therefore shalte thou hearken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God to kéepe all his commaundementes whiche I commaunde thée this daye that thou doe that whiche is right in the eyes of the Lorde thy God. The Exposition vpon the .xiij. Chapter of Deuteronomie If there arise among you aprophete or a dreamer of dreames c. IN the later end of the former chapter Moyses had willed the people in any wise to beware of the strange worship of heathen Gods Now he willeth theÌ„ to take heed of false teachers rising amoÌ„g themselues seking to â—educe them froÌ„ the true worship of God that in any wise they do not herken or giue credit vnto theÌ„ The Deuil enuying the true honor of God doth not only seke to blemish ouerthrow the same by forain enimies but also eueÌ„ at * howe in the house of God he rayseth False Doctours and teachers â–ª that vnder faire titles and goodly pretenses of holinesse maye draw the people of God from his known truth Wherefore Moyses here noteth the coloures wherewith the Deuill by his ministers in this case vseth to deceiue meÌ„ They wil take on them the name of Prophetes or such as haue reuelation from God by dreames yea and sometime he will help theÌ„ by Gods sufferance to * work some straunge and miraculous thing that by such a Syâ—ne or wonder they maye gather the greater credite in their false doctrine Wherfore God here fore warneth his faythful people to take heede of suche gaye tales and to suspecte such faire pretences and to cleaue only to hys word and hearken to * his voice from whyche if their teachers do swarue and wil them to do that is contrary thereto they must not beleeue them but accompt them as wicked Seducers and deceiuers This lesson is so giuen to the Israelites that it may bee also an instruction to all the faithfull in the Church of God at all times and especially in these latter dayes wherin the Holy Ghost hath giuen warning before hand that Antichrist and his ministers should vse the same meanes and that so mightely that if it were possible he should Seduce* euen the elect of God. When Moyses sayeth The Lorde your God proueth you c. we must vnderstande that God doth not tempt or proue of purpose to lead or induce to that whiche is euill or to lay stumbling blocks at which his people may take offence fall but only by such meanes to examine and â—rie them to make that knowne openly to the World which he knoweth to be inwardly in their hearts whether it be good or euill So did God tempt Abraham Gen 22. that his faith might be â—nown â—o al meÌ„ So did Christ tempt the womaÌ„ of ChanaaÌ„ wheÌ„ he called hir dogge and refused to heare her praier And for this and doth S. Paule saye 1. Cor. 11. that There must be â—â—ctes in the church that they that be proued may be knowne For this cause then God suffereth suche Soducers to be in his Churche that by them the Hypocrites and dissimulers may be tryed from the faythfull and electe Children of god The good man may some times by suche meanes fall into errour and be intrapped of the wicked but it is onely in some parte and for a time and after returneth againe by repentance which god suffereth in him to punish his Negligence that did not bestowe sufficient diligence in studiyng and meditating in the word of God or did not Liue seuerely according to his profession and calling When in the. 5. verse Moises saith And the Prophete or dreamer of dreames shal die c. He declareth that we must not only * discerne false teachers from other and beware of them but that they muste by the Magistrate be seuerelie punished to the example of other least the infectioÌ„ of their corrupt Doctrine do destroy the soules of many and disturbe the Churche of god In that he appointeth the punishment of Death we haue to note these circumstaunces That it must not be executed by euery Priuate maÌ„ but by the Magistrate who hath * Aucthoritie giuen of God to punishe the wicked That not euery one that hath dispersed some errour to the offence of the godly is by and by to be taken and put to Death but such onely as be principall Ringleaders seeke by all meanes they can to drawe the people of God to Apostasie and forsaking of his fettled and knowen truth and vtterlye to subuert the same And lastly that the Crime must be euidently knoweÌ„ and tried and the partie fully conuicted It semeth to many that it is Extremitie trueltie in matter of Religion conscience to vse the punishment of Death and they saye that Christ was milde and mercifull required his Disciples to folow his steppes In so much that wheÌ„ they desired fire to come from heauen to punishe euill persons he said They knew not of what spirit they vveare But let those men
did maintaine and defende them In so muche that verie straungers and Heathen persons did vnderstand that it was not their owne strength or Policie that did preserue them so but the mightie and maruellous Power of their Lord and god Therefore when they shoulde nowe see the same Citie that was so Famous and had in so greate price to be vtterlie destroyed in their Common Talking of the same the one should answere the other that the cause of this desolation was For that they had broken the Couenant of their Lorde In whiche pointe the obstinate Dulnesse of the Ievves is verie muche noted seyng that forraine Nations Heathen and Strangers from God should so easilie conceiue the cause of their Destruction when as they themselues whiche had bene so accustomed to the workes of God woulde not vnderstand it no not at the telling and declaration of the Prophetes Mourne not ouer the deade and be not woe for them but be sorie c. When People doe flee from their enemies into any place bicause they are not hable to Resiste them they commonly doe hope for a Better day for a time of Returne into their countrey and an Ende of the miserie therfore doe they abhorre Deathe more than banishment or any other trouble But the Prophete in this place signifieth that the Miserie of the banished Persons ledde away Captiue shoulde be so greate and so withoute hope to see their Countrey againe that anie Deathe mighte Iustlie seeme more tollerable and therefore saith he Mourne not ouer the dead bycause they seme to be in better case than such as be aliue And this doth he confirme by the example of the kings themselues Ioakim called also Eliakim King of Iuda was taken Prisoner by the Babilonians and Dying by the way with great Contempt was left without Buriall as afterward is declared more largely and yet might he seme to be in good case in comparisoÌ„ of Ioakim named also Iechonias and here called Sellum Who was led Captiue dyed in banishment and neuer returned into his Countrey Some doe interprete this place and this grieuous Threatning of Sedechias to whom it maye verie well in some respecte agree When the texte saith that Sellum was The sonne of Iosias it is not strange in the Hebrewe tongue by the Sonne to vnderstande the Nephewe or other Successour of the same line So Christ is called The sonne of Dauid as lineallie descending from Dauid Woe worth him that buildeth his house with vnrighteousnesse c. From this place vnto the .20 verse the Prophete enueigheth bitterly against King Ioakim called also Eliakim who may seme to haue bene a Glorious Proude and Pompous Prince not contented to dwell in such houses and Palaices as his predecessours had vsed but Enlarged the same and builded them farre more Gorgeouslie with all maner of painting and gaye furniture and that with the grieuous Iniurie Oppression of his Subiectes pilling them of their Wages and iuste rewarde of their Labour which thing here God by his Prophete sharpelie reproueth To dwell in faire houses is not of it selfe euill but bicause the building of Sumptuous places coÌ„monly is ioyned with * Pride and Vaineglorie and wyth the Oppression of the poore Therfore God declareth himselfe in this place and sundry other so muche to myslike it and especially when Princes or other Rich persons doe it with such Delight as though they esteemed their greatest Felicitie to be therin Which may seeme to be noted in these wordes Thinkest thou to raigne novv that thou hast enclosed thy self in Cedar c. As if he had said Now that thou haste buylded to thyselfe goodly and sumptuous houses with Cedar 〈◊〉 thou thinkest thy self a Notable and worthie Prince and that thy gay Buyldings and pompous doings shall be thy chief Glorie and thy Stay in thy kingdom but they shal be no help vnto thee at all but rather the hastning of thy ouerthrowe bicause the Crie LameÌ„tation of those Poore meÌ„ that thou hast oppressed Iniurioulsly to that ende doth ring in myne eares and calleth continually for punishment The meanes to prosper in thy Kingdome is not by settyng vp of Sumptuous buildings but in the Feare of my Name to deale with Equitie Righteousnes and to helpe the Poore oppressed as thy * father Iosias did beefore thee who was a Good and a godly Prince But thou cleane 〈…〉 arte giueÌ„ ouer to Couetousnesse OppressioÌ„ crueltie and shedding of Innocent bloude Therefore thy Captiuitie by the King of Babylon and thy miserable â—nde muste of Necessitie come vpon thee And therefore thus sayeth the Lorde against Joakim the sonne of Iosias c. The Prophet signifieth by the Word of the Lorde and from his owne mouth that Ioakâ—m who in his Life tyme prouided so Sumptuous Palaces to dwel in in reward of his Oppression Crueltie at his death shuld not only want that Solemnitie of Buriall and mourning which comonly Princes Greate personages haue but also shuld be cast out like an Asse or other Contemptible beast without Burial at al lie Rotting vpon the face of the Earth to be Meate for the Birdes of the Aire A notable example may this be to All them which with CoÌ„tempt of gods word the Iniurie of their Subiects TenaÌ„ts set their chief delite in gorgious Buildings poÌ„pous works Climbe vp the hill of Libanus O thou daughter of Sion lift vp thy voyce c. Hieremie perceiuing the Iewes to be settled in desperate Obstinacie in this verse doth scornfully deride y vain Trust which in time of their Distresse they had in their forain FreÌ„ds to whoÌ„ they were allâ—ed 〈◊〉 the Aegyptians and other Borderers And to let them Vnderstand that all that Hope was to no Purpose in way of Derision as I haue sayde he willeth them vnder the Name of Sion to â—limbe vp to Mount Libanus on the one syde and to the hill of Basan on the other and to crie out with Loude voyce for Succour that they might be heard the Further For all their Louers and Frendes shoulde Forsake them and be Destroyed themselues before they could come to Helpe them The Aegyptians as Iosephus writeth comming to Rayse the siege of the Babylonians at Hierusalem wer Discomfited and ouerthrowne that they could not helpe them and therefore the Armie of the Babylonians returning to Hierusalem toke and spoyled the Citie and Led awaye the King and all the residue Captiue I haue declared this vnto you saith Hieremie to y Iewes vnder the Name of y Daughter of Sion when ye were in Prosperitie but youre perpetual maner hath ben neuer to Hearken to the Voyce of the Lord but way wardly to Contemne it Therfore youre Princes and peeres that be as your Guydes and Leaders youre Capitaines and ioylie men that you Delighte and put youre Truste in shall bee Lightly as it were with a Whirlewynde Driuen awaye in
many nations all the remnant of the people shall spoyle thée because of mens bloud and for the wrong done in the lande in the Citie and vnto all that dwell therein 9 Wo to him that coueteth an euil couetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on hie to escape from the power of euill 10 Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne house by destroying many people and hast sinned agaynst thine owne soule 11 For the stone shall crie out of the wall and the beame out of the tymber shall answere it 12 Wo vnto him that buyldeth a towne with bloud and erecteth a citie by iniquitie 13 Beholde is it not of the Lord of hostes that the people shall labour in the verye fire the people shall euen wearie themselues for verie vanitie 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glorie of the Lorde as the waters couer the sea 15 Wo vnto him that giueth his neighbour drinke thou ioynest thy rage and makest him drunken also that thou mayst sée their priuities 16 Thou art filled with shame for glorie drinke thou also and be made naked the cuppe of the Lordes right hande shall be turned vnto thée and shamefull spuing shall be for thy glorie 17 For the crueltie of Libanus shall couer thée so shall the spoyle of the beastes which he made afrayde because of mens bloud and for the wrong done in the lande in the citie and vnto all that dwell therein 18 What profiteth the Image for the maker thereof hath made it an Image and a teacher of lies though he that made it trust therein when he maketh dumbe Idols 19 Wo vnto him that sayth to the wood Awake and to the dumbe stone Rise vp it shall teach thee beholde it is layde ouer with golde and siluer and there is no breath in it 20 But the Lorde is in his holy temple let all the earth kéepe silence before him The Exposition vpon the. 2. Chapter of Habacuc I will stande vpon my watch and set me vpon the tower and will looke and. c. THe Prophet Habacuc in the first Chapiter had comforted the Iewes liuing both in great oppression vnder the wicked king Manasses and also being sore afflicted by the power of the Chaldees But some of the people of God considering the great and * long prosperitie of the wicked enemies of God beganne to * stagger in their faith and halfe to mistrust the prouidence of God as though he did neglect his people And for that cause quarelled with the Prophet and desired some resolution of their doubtfull mindes herein Therefore in the beginning of this Chapiter he sayeth He will stande vpon his watch tower and see what God vvill say vnto him and what answere he may make to them that did in such manner rebuke him and quarrell with him By The watchtower hee vnderstandeth a more deepe and earnest consideration and meditation of the misteries of Gods prouidence wherein his minde was lifted vp aboue the capacitie of mans common reason and was stayed vp by the declaration of Gods holy wil reuealed in his worde The Prophet being in this VVatchtower sayth The Lorde answered him that is that God by his holye spirite reuealed to him that he should VVrite a vision and that so playnely and in so great letters that a man running by in haste might reade it In that the Prophet so easily obtaineth answere of God wee also are taught that when with earnest Meditation and Prayer we seeke to vnderstande the will of God and what is best for vs to doe He will not faile by his grace to lighten our mindes to the vnderstanding therof If thou seeke vnderstanding saith Salomon as siluer and search it out as great treasure thou shalt vnderstande the feare of the Lord and finde out the knowledge of God. The summe of this vision is that those prowde Chaldies which did so afflict his people and glorie in their owne strength notwithstanding that they did seeme for the time to prosper and to be a scourge to other yet in short space by Gods iust iudgement for their wickednesse should be brought to cōfusion and made a laughing stock to the worlde This answere God willeth the Prophete to Set vp in writing that all his people might see it and reade it to their assured comforte When the Prophet addeth The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the last it shall speake and not lye and though it taried yet it shoulde assuredly come and not stay c. He meaneth that the contentes of the vision should not forthwith be fulfilled but after a certaine space and therefore willeth them paciently to abide the time for that vndoubtedlye in the ende it shoulde come to passe And so in deed was it fulfilled about 70. yeares after the destruction of Hierusalem and leading of the people captiue into Babilon At which time Cyrus tooke and spoyled Babilon and transferred the Empire to the Persians Beholde he that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him But c. He sayth the Prophet that lifteth vp his minde vpon confidence trust of his owne deuises helpe and strength and thereby thinketh that he shall be safe agaynst all mutabilitie of fortune or other daunger that maye come shall neuer haue sure quietnesse tranquilitie of minde but euer be tossed to fro with newe deuises For God will * frustrate the counsayles of such persons But the good iust man which with an assured fayth* stayeth himselfe vpon the worde and promises of God in all daungers both worldely and spirituall shall not fayle of tranquilitie and quietnesse of minde For he hath the vnfallible truth the almightie power of God whereon he resteth Wherfore by this verse the Prophete willeth the people to * lay aside all confidence of worldely helpe and to rest onelye in Gods truth and his promises This sentence is not onely to be applyed to worldly afflictions and cares but also and especially to the tormentes of conscience agaynst sinne and Satan and all our spirituall enemies and so doth Saint Paule vse Galat. 3. Yea in deede the prowde man is as he that transgresseth by wine therfore shall c. Here the Prophete beginneth to declare what shall come to the Empire of Babilon of the Chaldees together with the causes wherwith God was mooued thereto The prowde man sayth he that is the prowde and ambitious Babilonian is like to a drunken man that hath passed all measure in drinking of wine As in the Drunkarde the vapours of the wine ascendinge to the heade so trouble the braine and taketh away the right vse of sense and reason that without shame or measure he runneth headlong to all filthinesse and the more he hath powred in the more still he desireth to drink Euen so the prowde and * ambicious spirite of the Babilonian doth so trouble his minde with vaine imaginations
that Woises vttereth is and leaue out that 241. b. for but oblation reade but an oblation 242. b. for had not gathered reade had now gathered 261. a. And made to them his lowe leaue it out 279. a. for of his flocke reade of his stocke 293. b. had ruled leaue out had 296. b. for to be thought that reade to be thought but that for in his flocke reade in his stocke 320. b. for moysting reade moysture 321. b. for this their beautie reade this the beautie 322. a. for by this benefite reade by his benefite 337. b. for the chil reade the children 354. a. for benefices reade benefites 355. b. for endue reade endure 350. a. in the .11 side of Ddd. for continuance reade countenance 380. b. for riches his benefites reade riches of his benefites 382. b. for other Iewes did reade other Iewes did thinke IN the Copie that the Printer vsed sundrie applications of the text were striken out bicause I thought them somewhat troublous to the vnlearned reader and bicause the quotations in the margent that were made for the confirmation of such applications were not so plainly striken out they printed the same quotations and thereby it commeth to passe that sundry of them in the margent are not fitlye to the places which they are set against as these especially that folowe Fol. 2. b. Deut. 3. b. 15. Psal 77. d. 41. Fol. 4. a. Esay 66. a. 3. Psal 51. d. 17. Psal 39. b. 9. Fol. 13. b. lo. 10. a. 3. 2. Tim. 2. c. 19. 2. Pet. 2. b. 9. Fol. 14. a. 1. Tim. 4. a. 1. Fol. 17. a. Iacob 4. e. 9. Psal 74. b. 8. Fol. 18. a. 1. Reg. 20. e. 30. Fol. 24. b. Eccle. 7. b. 14. Fol. 25. a. Exod. 5. e. 21. Rom. 7. b. 13. Fol. 57. a. Iacob 4. c. 10. Fol. 104. b. Dan. 14. a. 8. 10. Fol. 206. a. 1. Cor. 7. d. 19. Gal. 6. d. 15. Fol. 207. a Io. 4. d. 24. 2. Cor. 3. d. 17. Phil. 3. a. 3. Esay 43. b. 7. Fol. 215. b. Psal 108 d. 29. Psal 110. a. 1. Luc. 1. g. 68. Ephe. 1. a. 3. Fol. 232. a. Ephe. 4. a. 4. The first Sunday in Aduent at Morning prayer Esay 1. THe vision of Esay the sonne of Amos which he sawe vpon Iuda and Hierusalem in the dayes of Vzia and Ioathan Ahaz and Ezekia kings of Iuda 2 Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue done vnfaythfully against mée 3 The Oxe hath knowne his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israell hath not knowne my people hath giuen no heede 4. Ah sinfullnation a people laden wyth iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children they haue forsaken the Lorde they haue prouoked the holy one of Israell vnto anger they are gone backwarde 5 Why should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away euery heade is diseased and euery haâ—â— heauy 6. From the sole of the foote vnto the heade there is nothing sounde in it but woundes blaynes and puâ—ifiyng sore they haue not bene sained neyther wrapped vp neyther molified wyth the oyntment 7 Your land is wasted your Cities are burnt vp straungers deuour your lande before your face and it is made desolate as it were the destruction of enimies in the time of warre 8 And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a cotage in a vineyarde like a lodge in a garden of Encumbers like a besieged Citie 9. Except the Lorde of hostes had left vs a small remnant we should haue béene as Sodoma and like vnto Gomorra 10 Heare the worde of the Lord ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken vnto the lawe of our God thou people of Gomorra 11 Why offer ye so many sacrifices vnto me will the lord say I am full of the burnt offerings of weathers and of the fatnesse of fedde beastes I haue no pleasure in the blood of bullocks lambes goates 12 When ye come to appeare before me treading in my courtes who hath required this at your handes 13 Offer me no mo oblations for it is but lost labour incense is an abhominable thing vnto me I may not away with your newe Moones your sabbathes and solemne méetings your solemne assemblies are wicked 14 I hate your newe Moones and appoynted feastes euen from my very heart they make me wearie I cannot abide them 15 When ye holde out your handes I will turne mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers yet I will heare nothing at all seeing your handes are full of bloud 16 Wash you make you cleane put away your euill thoughtes out of my sight ceasse from doing of euill 17 Learne to doe well applie your selues to equitie deliuer the oppressed helpe the fatherlesse to his right let the widowes complaint come before you 18 And then go to sayth the Lorde let vs talke together though your sinnes be as red as scarlet they shal be as white as snowe and though they were like purple they shall be as white as wooll 19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the lande 20 But if ye be obstinate and rebellions ye shall be deuoured with the sworde for the mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it 21 Howe happeneth it then that the faythfull Citie which was full of equitie is become vnfaythfull as a whore Righteousnesse dwelt in it but now murtherers 22 Thy siluer is turned to drosse and thy wine mixt with water 23 Thy princes are wicked and companions of théeues they loue gifts altogither and gape for rewardes As for the fatherlesse they helpe him not to his right neyther will they let the widowes causes come before them 24 Therefore saith the Lorde God of hostes the mightie one of Israell Ah I must ease me of mine enimies and auenge me of mine aduersaryes 25 And I shall lay my hande vpon thée and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne 26 And set thy iudges againe as they were sometime and thy senatours as they were from the beginning and then thou shalt be called the righteous Citie the faythfull Citie 27 Sion shall be redéemed with equitie and her conuertes with righteousnesse 28 But the transgressours and the vngodly and such as forsake the Lorde shall altogither bée vtterly destroyed 29 For ye shall be confounded for the trées which ye haue desired and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens that ye haue chosen 30 For ye shall be as a trée whose leaues are fallen away and as a garden that hath no moystnesse 31 And the very strong one of your Idols shall be as towe and the maker of it as a sparke of fire and they shall both burne together and no man quench them The exposition vpon the first Chapter of Esay The vision of Esai the sonne of Amos which he saw vpon Iuda c.
THe first verse conteynetâ— the tytle which briefly noteth what the thing is by whome it was vttered agaynst what place and people and in what time It is a vision that is a prophesie or reuelation declared by almightie God and therefore not to be esteemed as any maâ—s deuise and vttered by Esaias the sonne of Amos descending of the royall lyne of the kings of Iuda Who prophecied in the raignes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias as it may be thought by the space of fourescore yeares And vttered this prophecie agaynst the nation of Iurie and Hierusalem the chiefe and royall citie thereof that is to say against that Nation that God had chosen of all other for his peculier people and had mainteyned and preserued it with great benefites and yet nowe was fallen from his true worshippe vnto Idolatrie sinne and wickednesse And therefore sayth he Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lorde hath spoken c. That he may the more earnestly mooue that dul and hard harted people he beginneth with a tragicall exclamation and calleth heauen earth to witnesse agaynst them as if he had sayde Forsomuch as the vnthankfulnesse and wicked stubburnnesse of this people is such as they will giue no eare to the worde of God earnestly calling them to repentaunce I turne my speeche to you O heauens and speake to thee O earth Though heauen be 〈◊〉 of yet â—â—ely it will heare though the earth be hard and stonie yet it will relent and be moued but this people will not bend this Nation will by no meanes be reclaymed * Yea they are more dull and vnâ—â—nsible in the vnderstanding of Gods will and of his great goodnesse toward them than the 〈…〉 beastes are For what Oxe doth not from 〈◊〉 himselfe to his mayster that keepeth him What Asse doth not acknowledge and looue those that feede him But my people sayth the Lord whom I haue cherished whome I haue * fostered as my * children with all care and tendernesse do not onely with vnthankfull mindes forget my benefites but with stonie and stubburne heartes refuse to heare my calling and in all maner of wickednesse bende themselues against me and striue to prouoke my wrath and indignation agaynst them Whie should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away c. From the beginning of the fift verse to the tenth he doth greatly amplifie their wayward stubburnnesse declaring that as they could not be woonne to repentance nor mooued to turne to their gracious Lorde by consideration of his exceeding great benefites towarde them so neyther could they be reclaymed nor anye thing at all mooued with the grieuous plagues and punishmentes which to that onely purpose as a mercifull father he had brought vppon them but rather by the same hys plagues they increased in stubburnnesse waxed euery day worse than other And therfore sayth he To what ende should I plague or scourge you with aduersitie any further seeing your obstinacie is such as you will increase in wickednesse and still heape sinne vpon sinne and offence vpon offence The Realme of Iurie may well be resembled to a mans bodie the heade and heart whereof is the Citie Hierusalem and the King and Princes with the residue of the inhabitants thereof and the other cities and townes as the inferiour members All which I haue grieuously touched with my seuere iustice and sharpe punishments so that from the * crowne of the head to the sole of the foote from the highest Citie to the lowest Village from the noblest person to the basest subiect there is none but he hath felt the bitter smart thereof and that in such sort as no Phisition is hable to cure or heale their festured sores that is nor King nor Counsaylour nor Prince nor Priest nor Prophete can helpe the miserie of this kingdome and restore it to the prestinate state and integritie againe Their lande lyeth waste their Cities are burnt with fire straungers possesse their Countrey their possessions are spoyled their royall Citie Hierusalem is left desolate as a lodge in a vineyard or a Cotage in a Cucumber garden that hath no house neere vnto it their people are slaine their glorie decaied their strength consumed yea if the Lorde of hys great mercy had not * left theÌ„ some coÌ„fort through the promised séede of Messiah their desolation had beene euen as the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha and yet I say all this notwithstanding are their hearts nothing mooued to repent or to turne to the Lorde for mercie Heare the worde of the Lorde ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken c. And for that they did flatter themselues in the middes of this great wickednesse with a vaine opinion of hypocriticall iustice and superstitious worshipping of God as thoughe by suche meanes they should winne his fauour towarde them The Lorde plainly sheweth that he doth lothe and abhorre their sacrifices and offerings their festiuall dayes and their solempne meetinges yea though they were commaunded by his owne lawe so long as they were voyde of * inwarde holinesse of heart and minde and distayned with sinne and wickednesse both before God and the worlde In which place the more to mooue them almightie God seemeth to labour with diuersitie of woordes to lette them vnderstande how little account he maketh of such externall worshipping being destitute of true holinesse right worshipping in spirite in truth VVhy offer you sayth he so many sacrifices c. I am full of them I haue no pleasure in them VVho required them at your hands Offer no more It is but lost labour It is * abhominable vnto me I may not away with them They are wicked I hate them They make me weary I cannot abide them I will not heare your prayers I will turne mine eyes from you By all which wordes God sheweth how little he regardeth hipocrisie where true holinesse waÌ„teth Then from the sixtenth verse to the .xxj he sheweth what is the right way to winne his fauour Make you cleane sayth he put away your wicked thoughts and deuises Ceasse from doing euil Learne to do good Applie your selues to equitie Deliuer the oppressed Helpe the fatherlesse Heare the widowes complaint For these are the true fruites of right repentance And then If your sinnes were as red as scarlet in token that you had deserued bloud and confusion they shall be as white as snow in testimonie that by Gods mercie ye be cleared from them This if you will doe the Lorde will looke fauourably on you and prosper you but if you continue obstinate and rebellious as hytherto you haue done the sworde of Gods wrath shal vtterly deuour you for his owne mouth hath spoken it and therefore thinke not that it is mans worde onely How happeneth it then that the faithfull Citie which was full of equitie c. From the .xxj. to the
15 And vpon euery highe tower and vpon euery fenced wall 16 And vpon all the shippes of Tharsis and vpon all pictures of pleasure 17 And the pride of man shall bée brought downe and the loftinesse of men shall be made low and the Lorde alone shall be exalted in that day 18 As for the Idols he shall vtterly abholishe 19 And they shall créepe into holes of stone and into caues of the earth for feare of the Lorde and for the glorie of hys maiestie when he ariseth to destroy the vvicked ones of the earth 20 In the selfe same day shall man cast away his Gods of siluer his Gods of golde into the holes of Mowles and backes which he neuerthelesse had made to him selfe to honour them 21 And they shall créepe into the cliftes of the rockes and into the toppes of the harde stones for feare of the Lorde and for the glorie of his maiestie when he ariseth to destroy the vvicked ones of the earth 22 Ceasse therefore from man in whose nosthrilles there is breath for wherein is he to be accounted of The exposition vpon the seconde Chapter of Esay The selfe same word that Esay the sonne of Amos saw vpon Iuda c. IN the first verse is conteyned the same matter that was in the first of the Chapter before In the three next verses Esay prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ the aduauncement of his Church and the conuersion of the Gentiles that shoulde be in the latter dayes that is when the ceremoniall law and the figures and sacrifices appoynted by Moises should haue an end in the truth of the very Messiah Christ Iesu the sauiour of the worlde The Temple of Hierusalem was buylded by Solomon vppon mount Sion and was the onely chosen place where God would be specially woorshipped and serued so that in sundrie places of the Psalmes it is sayd that The Lord had chosen * Sion for his habitation bicause of the Arke of his presence there in the temple reserued For this cause in the scriptures Sion and Hierusalem are taken for the type and figure of the true Church of God vnder Christ As saint Paule to the Hebrues You are come to the mounte Sion and to the Citie of the lyuing God the celestiall Hierusalem and to an innumerable companie of aungels and vnto the congregation of the first borne That is to say to the blessed Church of Christ Wherefore in this place by the Hyll of the Lordes house that is mount Sion is ment the Church of Christ the congregation of the faythfull which at the comming of Christ should be aduaunced aboue all the kingdomes of the earth and enlarged with great glorie by the conuersion of the Gentiles from their Idolatrie to the fayth of Christ throughout the whole worlde The glorie and aduauncement of the Church which is here so highly spoken of muste not bee thought to consist in the honour power and riches of the worlde wherein the Church is alway contemptible but in the heauēly doctrine strong faith true worshipping of God charitie patience constancie and all Godly giftes of grace which meruelously shined in the Godly fathers and first professours of christian Religion that followed after Christ in all Nations and Countreys of the earth For as Christes kingdome is spirituall so is the glorie of the same spirituall and not worldly When the Prophete sayth Come let vs ascende to the hill of the Lorde he to the reproofe of the Iewes doth note the readinesse and willingnesse of the Gentiles in whose person this is spoken not only to imbrace the fayth of Christ themselues but also cheerefully to encourage other to the same Which may appeere in this that by the preaching of the Apostles within thirtie yeares as Eusebius sayth all the Nations of the earth were woonne to the fayth of Christ and the receyuing of his Gospell And he will instruct vs in his wayes Hereby is to be noted that the chiefe care and studie of the true church of Christ ought to be in the instructing of his people what his wayes are and not to leade thē into mens fantasies or into their own deuises Out of Sion shall come a lawe and the worde of the lord c. The law of grace and truth that is the Gospell of christ Iesu * began first in Hierusalem There christ preached in the Temple there he wrought many miracles * there he sent downe the holyghost vpon his Apostles From * thence he sent his messengers and preachers of his Gospell into all partes of the worlde to reforme the people and bring them by repentance from Idolatrie and wickednesse to the true worshipping of God and vertuous conuersation of life that is to make them subiectes to the kingdome of Christ They shall breake their swoordes into mattocks and their speares c. As the Gospell is a doctrine of reconciliation and peace making betweene God and vs through Christ Iesu our sauiour so doth it pacifie and quiet men among themselues also In so much that they which be the true members of the kingdome of Christ doe not vse to striue by fighting and warre for their priuate quarelles but liue togither in vnitie loue and concorde Or if any doe otherwise it is a great burthen to their consciences and an euident note of their imperfection Insomuch as they shew themselues not to haue that * badge or cognizance whereby the seruauntes and subiectes of Christes kingdome are knowne And yet doth not this place prohibite Princes and Magistrates to make warre for the maintenance of iustice and godlinesse For they haue the sworde put into their handes by God whose ministers they are for the defence of them which are cōmitted to their charge the widowe the fatherlesse and the poore and innocent oppressed Come ye O house of Iacob and let vs walk in the light of the Lorde In this fift verse the Prophete by emulation of the Gentiles prouoketh the Iewes vnder the name of the house of Iacob to imbrace the fayth of Christ and walke in the light of his Gospell As if he had sayd Beholde straungers whom we esteemed as a foolish people that alway worshipped Idols and liued in all vncleannesse with how great desire forsake they their Idols and seeke after the true God Are not we ashamed that we are the last that are ioyned to Christ and his Church To vs the law was giuen to vs the Prophetes preached Christ was borne among vs he is our heritage come let vs imbrace him if we glorie to be of the house and posteritie of Iacob it should be assured to vs that Christ is that promised seede For Iacob prophecied Hunc fore expectationē Gentium that he should be the expectation of the Gentiles now you see our father Iacobs promise fulfilled c. Let vs walke therefore in this light of the Lorde for this Sauior is the true light But as Christ sayth
Noble By Multitude the commons and poorer sort The seuententh verse is a * consolation of the poore and godly which were oppressed by the couetous and wicked drunkardes and shal remaine after their plague and take the fruition of that wealth that the wicked were constrayned to leaue as waste For by the names of sheepe and straungers he meaneth the Godlye that were left after the punishment of the wicked and had their houses and landes taken from them into the which they were nowe restored againe The thirde sower grape is Obstinacie in sinne and manifest derision and contempt of god and his woorde That is it that the Prophete meaneth when he sayth Wo bee to them that drawe wickednesse with cordes of vanitie c. That is that with vaine allurements doe leade their mindes to increase in wickednesse and adde sinne to sinne whatsoeuer perswasion shall be made to the contrarie As by thinking that that is no sinne which in deede is sinne or that that is but a small offence and pardonable which is an heynous and grieuous offence before god Which at the length breake out of this that they * deryde and scoffe at the threatning of Gods iustice And say O you Prophets and Preachers you threaten Gods plague to come vpon vs but in the meane season we enioy our pleasant life so that God doth shewe himselfe rather to be content with our maner of liuing then with yours or if he do not when his plagues light vpon vs then tell vs of them but it appeareth they are * long in comming and god is not so readie to punish as you say he is The residue of the sower grapes are not onely the cloking of vices with the faire names of vertue and disgracing of vertues with the foule names of vices but also pride selfelyking and bryberie in Magistrates which are plaine in the text Agaynst all which he threatneth his grieuous plagues and sayth Hee will destroy great and small strong and weake among them that is both roote and braunche And after that to their vtter confusion he will bring vpon them a mightie armie of straungers Nations dwelling farre of which shall be lustie couragious and fierce earnestly bent agaynst them and well appoynted in all maner of weapons munition and furniture Which is ment of that hoste that Vespasian and Titus brought to the siege and destruction of Hierusalem The seconde Sunday in Aduent at Euening prayer Esay .24 BEhold the Lord maketh the earth waste and empty he turneth it vpside downe and scattereth abroade the inhabitours thereof 2 And the priest shall bée as the people and the mayster as the seruaunt the mistresse like the mayde the seller like the byer he that lendeth vppon vsurie like him that boroweth vppon vsurie the creditour as the dettour 3 The lande shall be cleane wasted and vtterly spoyled for so the Lorde hath spoken 4 The earth is sorie and consumeth away the worlde is féeble and perisheth the prowde people of the earth are come to naught 5 The earth also is become vnprofitable vnder the inhabitours thereof which haue transgressed the lawes chaunged the ordinannce broken the euerlasting couenant 6 Therefore hath the curse consumed the earth and they that dwell therein are fallen into trespasse Wherefore the inhabitours of the earth are perished with drougth and fewe men are left behinde 7 The wine fayleth the vine hath no might all they that haue béene merie of heart are come to mourning 8 The mirth of tabrets is layde downe the noyse of such as haue made meriâ—is ceassed the ioye at the harpe is at an ende 9 They shall drinke no more wine with mirth strong drinke shall be bitter to them that drinke it 10 The Citie of vanitie is broken downe euery house is shut vp that no man may come in 11 In the stréetes is there a crying because of wine all cheare is vanished away the mirth of the lande is gone 12 In the Citie is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction 13 For in the middes of the lande euen among the people it shall come to passe as at the shaking of Oliues as the grapes are when the wine haruest is done 14 They shall lift vp their voyce and make a mery noise and in magnifying of the Lord shal they crie out of the west 15 Wherefore prayse ye the Lorde in the valleyes euen the name of the Lorde God of Israell in the Iles of the sea 16 From the vttermost part of the earth haue we hearde prayses and mirth because of the righteous and I sayde I knowe a thing in secrete wo is me the transgressours haue offended the transgressours haue grieuously offended 17 Fearefulnesse the pit and the snare are vpon thée O thou that dwellest on the earth 18 It will come to passe that whosoeuer escapeth the fearefull noise shall fall into the pitte and he that commeth out of the pitte shall be taken with the snare for the windowes from on high are open and the foundations of the earth are mooued 19 The earth is vtterly broken downe the earth hath a sore ruine the earth quaketh excéedingly 20 The earth shall réele to and fro like a dronkarde and shall be remooued like a tent and the iniquitie thereof shall be heauie vpon it it shall fall and not rise vp againe 21 And in that day shall the Lorde visite the hoast aboue that is on hie and the kinges of the worlde that are vpon the earth 22 And they shall be gathered togither as they that be in prison and they shall be shut vp inward and after many dayes shall they be visited 23 The moone shall be abashed and the sunne ashamed when the Lorde of hostes shall raigne in mount Sion and in Hierusalem with worship and in the sight of such as shall be of his counsell The exposition vpon the. 24. Chapter of Esay Beholde the Lord maketh the earth wast and emptie he turneth it c. IT is not vnknowne that vntill the coÌ„ming of our sauiour Christ the Iewes only were the Church and chosen people of god and the Gentiles that is al other nations of the earth of which number we also are were as straungers from god giuen ouer to Idolatrie wickednesse and had no true sense nor knowledge of God and his right worship But after that the Iewes obstinately had * refused Christ and his Gospel preached vnto them and the Apostles were sent to publish the same into the whole worlde the Iewes by Gods iust iudgement were reiected to be no more of the Church of god and the other Nations of the earth before time kept from the true knowledge of God were then receyued and chosen as his Church and people Of this reiecting of the Iewes and of the horrible desolation of their Countrie and Citie Hierusalem For their obstinacie in refusing Christ the true Sauiour offered vnto them and of the calling of
of heauen be opened and God shall powre downe his plagues vppon the wicked and vurepentaunt contemners of the Gospell And the very earth it selfe and the powers and kingdomes thereof shall stagger and reele and in the end consume and take a newe shape For the iniquitie thereof shall be as an heauie burthen vnto it c. The thirde Sunday in Aduent at Morning prayer Esay 25. THou art my Lorde my God I will magnifie thée I will giue thankes vnto thy name for thou hast brought woonderfull things to passe according to thine olde councels truly and faythfully 2 Thou hast made a Citie a heape of stones and brought a strong towne into decay the habitation of straungers hast thou made to be no Citie neyther shall it be buywed anye more 3 Therefore shall the mightie people giue glorie unto thée the Citie of the valiant heathen shall feare thée 4 For thou hast bene a strength vnto the poore and a succour for the néedie in his trouble a refuge agaynst euil weather a shadowe agaynst the heate for the blast of raging men is like a storme that casteth downe a wall 5 Like as the heate in a drie place wasteth all things so shalt thou suppresse the noyse of aliauntes the heate is abated with the shadowe of the clowde euen so shall God asswage the noyse of the cruell tyrannes 6 And in this mountaine shall the Lorde of hostes make vnto all people a feast of plenteous and delicate things euen of most pleasant and daintie dishes 7 And in this mountaine shall the Lorde destroy the couering that all people are wrapped in and the hanging that is spred vpon all nations 8 As for death he hath destroyed it for euer and the Lorde God shall wipe away teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away out of all the earth for so the Lorde hath sayde 9 And or that day it shall be sayde Lo this is our God we haue wayted for him and he shall saue vs this is the Lorde in whome we haue hoped we will be merie and reioyce in the saluation that cometh of him 10 For in this mountaine shall the hande of the Lorde ceasse and Moab shall be threshed vnder him euen as straw is troden to dung on the dunghill 11 And he shall stretch out his hande in the middes of them as he that swimmeth casteth out his handes to swimme and with the strength of his handes shall be bring downe their pride 12 The strong holde also and defence of thy walles hath he ouerthrowne cast downe and brought them in the grouned euen vnto dust The exposition vpon the .xxv. Chapter of Esay Thou art my Lorde my God I will magnifie thee I will giue thanks c. THe Prophet in this Chapter foreseeing in spirit and earnestly considering the meruelous * preseruation of the church and kingdome of Christ euen in the middest of the furious raging of this worlde coulde not but breake out to the great prayse extolling of the same his woonderfull goodnesse and clemencie saying Thou art my Lorde my god c. The thing for the which he extolleth Christ Iesu the Messias and sauiour for he is that Lord and God to whom he speaketh is that he maruelously preserueth his Church and people and fulfilleth all his counsayles and promises * truely and faythfully For albeit they seeme often to be prolonged and deferred so that the faithlesse iudge them to be false and vaine yet in the ende they prooue alway most firme and true and are fulfilled with great glorie These counsayles and promises consist in two poyntes The one is that Christ will ouerthrowe and vtterly confounde all Empires and Kingdomes of the worlde all Princes and Tirannes and all other whatsoeuer they be that afflict and persecute the Godly that professe his name and of this speaketh he in the seconde and thirde verses The other poynt is that he will * deliuer and preserue from all euill his Church people seeme they neuer so miserable poore and contemptible in the worlde and of this speaketh hee in the other partes following Thou hast made a city an heape of stones and brought a strong towne c. By the time past the Prophete signifyeth what GOD doth presently and alway will doe in his Church and by the singuler number speaking of one Citie he meaneth many so that the sence is I therefore prayse thee O thou Messias and Sauiour my Lorde and God that by thy mightie power thou doest ouerthrow and bring to vtter confusion the great Cities principalities and powers of the worlde that persecute thy Church and afflict thy people and repell thy Gospell This is it that thou promisest to Abraham our father saying I wil blesse them that blesse thee and I will curse them that curse thee c. And therefore all powers that will not * submit themselues to thee shall perish and come to desolation Therefore shall the mightie people giue glorie vnto thee Vers 3. the Citie of c. Great principalities and Cities contemning and persecuting thy worde are therefore brought to cōfusion that other by their example may learn to feare thy name and acknowledge thy maiestie and mightie power For thou hast beene a strength vnto the poore and a succour for c. This is the seconde part of the counsayles and promises of Christ that he faythfully perfourmeth that is that he preserueth and succoureth his people in all their affliction and therefore to the great comfort of all that are troubled in conscience or otherwise is called here The strength of the poore The succour of the needie A refuge against euill weather and tempestuous troubles A shadow agaynst the heate of persecution to saue and keepe his people And here is it to be obserued diligently that the people of GOD are often afflicted and persecuted in this worlde and therefore that all which will submit themselues to the kingdome of Christ must looke for * no better entertainement here and yet with strong fayth conceyue this comfort that their king their Lorde and God will either mightilye deliuer them presently and bee reuenged of their enimies or else giue them that strength of spirite that they shal not onely paciently suffer that which shal be laid vpon them but also as S. Paule sayth * Glorie in their afflictions that God hath thought them worthie to suffer for his names sake And in this mountaine shall the Lorde of hostes make vnto all people a feast c. The Mount here spoken of is the hill of Sion whereby the Church is figured The feast is the feast of his Gospell published and calling all men to the sweetenesse of euerlasting life which was first preached in Hierusalem by Christ himselfe where also he bestowed the daintie and delicate dishes of his holy spirite and heauenly graces to all them that receyued his Gospell that is to say The
the faythfull in that day may comfort themselues and arme their consciences agaynst the temptation and offence rissing in the world by the prosperitie and successe of the wicked For where before it is promised that Christ in his kingdome shall take away all mourning sorowe and weeping from his people and deliuer them from all miserie and oppression and contrarywise that he will threshe downe the wicked to dust to them that looke into the outwarde face of the world and as naturall men onely consider the thing it may seeme to be all cleane contrary aâ—d the wicked to flourishe and prosper in all felicitie and the good and godly to be kept vnder in shame sorow and miserie As it appeareth in the * Parable of good poore Lazarus and the riche prowde glutton Agaynst this offence as I haue sayde doth the Prophete here arme and comfort the people of God. The first comfort is this VVe haue a strong Citie saluation shall God appoynt in steede of walles and Bulwarkes That is howsoeuer the couÌ„tenaunce of the worlde seemeth towarde vs howsoeuer the wicked seeme to be in great strength and glorie and we in great weakenesse and miserie yet haue we a strong Citie a mightie Citie the Church of God the heauenly Hierusalem in which the Lorde God himselfe our saluation is in steede of VValles and Bulwarkes agaynst all the pride and strength of the worlde as he sayth also by hys Prophete Zacharie 2. I will be a fierie wall rounde about them and a glorie in the middes of them This Citie is the Church the foundation thereof is Christ and his doctrine the walles and bulwarkes the might and maiestie of Christ agaynst which the gates of Hell and all the * powers of Sathan cannot preuaile The gates to enter into this Citie is the preaching of the Gospell and that not in one place onely but in all places of the worlde and wheresoeuer the Gospell is preached there is a gate to enter into this Citie of god The way to enter is by fayth to embrace the gospell of Christ The Citizens that doe enter are all faithfull which are * iustifyed by fayth in the bloud of Christ And of them is it that he speaketh in the seconde verse Open you the gate that the righteous people may enter in c. Wherefore when these gates be opened by the messengers of God and preachers of his gospell let all that tender their health and saluation make speede to receyue it that they may enter into this Citie where onely the sure strength of God is for euer more to saue and deliuer For he hath brought downe the high minded Citizens as for the prowde c. This is the seconde argument of consolation in this Psalme to stirre vp the people of God to confidence and constancie agaynst the tentation before mentioned For he describeth how mightily Christ ouerthroweth the wicked that seeme to themselues and to the worlde to bee in greatest glorie and felicitie He hath pulled downe sayth he the high minded Citizens This is it that the blessed virgine speaketh in her song He hath deposed the mightie from their seate and hath exalted the humble and meeke And yet was not shee that spake thus of her selfe greatly exalted in sight of the worlde but remayned simple and poore But in the kingdome of Christ and in heauenly glorie before God she was exalted to a very high degree and contrariwise the enimies of the Gospell and the prowde of the worlde that is the obstinate Iewes and other aduersaries were in the same respect throwne downe and afterwarde also in the worlde by gods mightie hand grieuously plagued The path of equitie wylt thou graunt vnto the iust O thou most righteous c. The right way and the path of equitie which Christ our Lorde graunteth to his subiectes is the preaching of his gospell in that must they walke that will go the streight way to heauen All other waies be but errours and wicked seducings what countenance soeuer be set vpon them Therefore say the sayntes of God In the way of thy iudgementes O Lorde that is in the truth of thy Gospell haue we put our trust in thee thy name also and the remembraunce of thee is the thing that our soule longeth for and that not once in a yeare * but day and night continually For then onely may men learne iustice truely when thy iudgements are in the earth that is when thy doctrine and Gospell is preached sincerely and truely This place is diligently to be noted that we may thereby be more inflamed to the whole some doctrine of the Gospell For the most part thinke it a matter smally apperteining to them and turne ouer the care thereof to Ministers and such olde men as can do little else then come to the Church and heare preachinges and are as they say past the worlde And they themselues followe theyr worldly businesses their Marchandies their husbandrie and other occupations and feele nothing at all that longing and greedie desire of god and his Gospell that the prophet here speaketh of Shal the vngodly man be fauoured which hath not learned righteousnesse c. Shall grace mercie be offered to the wicked shal the Gospel be preached shal remission of sinne in Christ Iesu shall the fauour of God and eternall life be declared vnto them when as they will not learne to doe iustice they will not amend they will not accept the mercy of God But although the euen plaine and smooth waye of Gods holye worde be offered them yet will they still wander after theyr owne pathes to errour and * vngodlynesse and will not see the glory of the Lorde Lorde when thy hande is lift vp to strike they see it not but they shall see it c. That is when thy mightie hande is lifted vp in the meruelous woorkes of glorifying thy sonne by miracles by his woonderfull resurrection from the dead by the sending of the holyghost by publishing of the Gospell throughout the worlde and by thy heauie plagues threatned to all the * refusers therof they yet will not see and vnderstande it But when that the same Christ thy sonne shall come in his maiestie and reueale his glorie to the whole worlde then shall the wicked contemners of christ be ashamed in such sort that they shall * pine away with enuie of those things that they shal see to happen to the people of God and be deuoured and consumed with eternall fyre Lorde vnto vs thou shalt prouide peace for thou also hast wrought c. Before he had spoken of the wicked but nowe he addeth the other part of the contrary comparison what shall be done to the faythfull and godly As if he had sayde The vngodly shall be ashamed and pine away and be consumed with fyre but vnto vs the faythfull and godly our Lorde and Sauiour Christ giueth * peace that
In these verses next folowing is denounced a grieuous threatning of God agaynst such wilfull and obstinate refusers and contemners of hys worde Seeing sayth hee your wickednesse is such thus sayth that holy god that hath chosen Israel for his peculier people Because you haue refused this my worde and promise wherby I haue vndertaken to preserue and deliuer you from your enimies in all your aduersities and putte your trust in wrong dealing and peruerse iudgement by seeking helpe of Idolatours with money and ryches therefore I say shall extreeme destruction come vpon you And as an high wall if it begin to haue a clift falleth sodainly before men beware oâ— it so you which by the blessing of God haue beene hitherto highe and notable because you haue begun to be cleft with the breech of vufaythfulnesse and wickednesse shall fall vpon the sodaine to extreeme coÌ„fusion Yea and euen as an * earthen vessell so broken by the fall of a great stone vpon it that one sharde or shiuer is not left so big as to carie a cole of fire on or to take water out of a pitte so you I say that haue hitherto beene the vessels of Gods great merâ—ie shall be so oppressed and destroyed that scant any remnant shall be saued yea in the ende you shall be brought to so small a number that you shall be but here and there one as it were a maste of a shippe vpon a mountayne or a beacon vpon an hill Which shall remaine onely as a token of the great calamitie that by Gods hande shall fall vpon you Therefore doth the Lorde cause you to waite that he may haue c. Here the Prophete declareth a cause why they should leaue the helpe of straungers and put their trust in him that is because he hath determined to saue them from the Assirians if they will â—arie in their Citie and cal vpon him for helpe The Lord sayth he causeth you to wayte and deferreth hys doing not that he intendeth to forsake you but that he may merrifully and with the more glory of his iudgement deliuer you Therefore should ye be of good cheere and looke for the helpe of the Lorde For * blessed are they and good shall come vnto them that put their trust in the Lorde For this I doe assure you sayth the prophete if the people remaine in Hierusalem with quiet trust in God * though for the time they feele some trouble hurt and scarcitie by the enimies besieging them yet shall they not perish be oppressed but at their first complaint and calling vpon him he will haue mercie on them And although the Assirians shall seeme so to haue wasted their countrey that they shall not haue any sustenance to liue by God yet wil so mercifully deale with them that he shall giue them plentie of foode with raine and prosperous weathering to maintaine the same Yea and as a pastour folowing his flocke doeth guide them with his 〈◊〉 vnto the right way so shall the Lorde sende them Prophetes Princes and Rulers that shall gouerne and guide them that they in their doings may go neyther on the right hande nor on the left but keepe the straight and true way But the Lorde doth not onely require of them that they should remaine with quiet trust and coÌ„fidence in him but also that they should destroy and cast away their filthie Idols the * worship whereof hath led them from the true seruice of God and so caused them grieuously to offende and to stray from the right way of his worde appoynted Then shal God giue raine vnto thy seede that thou shalt sow the ground c. Againe the Prophete doth put them in minde of that great and good blessing of plentie and successe of all thinges that God would sende them if they would forsake their owne waywarde doings and turne to him by repentance These be the blessinges of wealth and prosperitie that he promiseth to them that followe his will. Deuter. 28. and Leuit. 26. Finally vpon euery high mountaine and hill there shall be riuers c. The Prophete sayth that at that time that god shall destroy great multitudes of the Assirians and pull downe their high towers that is ouerthrow their mightiest Princes then shall there be great store of water and springs on all the hilles of Iuda whereby their drie landes may be made battle and fertile Yea when God shall haue deliuered them out of daunger and restored them to their former libertie Then shall the light of the Moone be as the light of the Sunne c. That is God shall poure vpon his people so great ioy and gladnesse that the sunne and moone shal seeme to them to be farre brighter than before they were For to those that are in daunger and heauinesse the sunne and moone doe seeme darke and dimme and when they be deliuered al things for ioy seeme more bright and comfortable And because these particuler deliueraunces of the Iewes from their enimyes often in the Prophetes are figures of the great deliuerance of the people of God from their spiritual enimies by Christ Iesu this whole place may well be interpreted of the happie and * spirituall successe that by Christ shall come to the faythfull and of the great brightnesse of his holy spirite which then shoulde shiâ—e farre more plentifully then euer it did before Beholde the fame of the Lorde commeth from farre and his presence c. This is an other cause why that people shoulde stay themselues in the trust of God and not seeke other forraine ayde and strength For that he will destroye the Assirians and come vpon them as a dreadfull and terrible God his countenaunce his wordes yea the very breath of his mouth shall be so terrible to them that although they be a mightie nation yet shall they not be hable to abyde it but that he will shake and sift them and as it were with a * bitte in their mouthes so turne them that with all their power they shall fall downe and come to nothing Yea the Lorde shall cause hys terrible voyce to be heard among them and shall so stretch out his arme vpon them as he shall most dreadfully declare his grieuous anger towardes them euen as if he had sent downe flames of deuouring fire * lightning and stormes of haile from heaueu to consume them And this scourge of Gods wrath shall not depart from them whither soeuer they go Insomuch that the very king himselfe shall be touched with it and be partaker of that hell and deuouring fire that the iustice of God hath prepared for them euerlastingly The fourth Sunday in Aduent at Euening prayer Esay 32. BEholde a king shall gouerne after the rule of righteousnesse and the princes shal rule according to the ballance of equitie 2 And that man shall be vnto men as a defence for the winde as a refuge
for the tempest like as a ryuer of water in a thirstie place and the shadow of a great rocke in a drie lande 3 The eyes of the séeing shall not be dimmse and the eares of them that heare shall take diligent hésede 4 The heart of the vnwise shall attaine to knowledge and the vnperfect tongue shall speake plainely and distinctly 5 Then shall the foolish niggard be no more called gentle nor the churle liberall 6 But the niggarde will speake niggardly and his heart will worke euill and play the hypocrite and imagine abhominations agaynst God to make the hungrie leane and to withholde drinke from the thirstie 7 The weapons of the churlish are euill he deuiseth noysome deuises that he may beguile the poore with deceytfull wordes yea euen there as he should giue sentence with the poore 8 But the liberall person imagineth honest things and commeth vp for liberalitie vnto promotion 9 Vp ye rich and idle women hearken vnto my voyce ye carelesse daughters marke my woordes 10 Many yeares and dayes shall ye be brought in feare O ye carelesse women for the vintage shal faile and the haruest shal not come 11 Be abashed you that liue in aboundance tremble you that liue carelesse cast of your rayment make your selues bare and put sackecloth about you 12 For as the infantes wéepe when their mothers â—eaâ—es are tryed vp so shall you wéepe for your fayre fieldes and fruitefull vineyardes 13 My peoples field shall bring thornes and thistles and so shall it be in euery house of voluptuousnesse and in euery citie that reioyceth 14 The palaces also shall be broken and the greatly occupied cities desolate The towers and bulwarkes shal become dennes for euermore where wilde Asses take their pleasure and shéepe their pasture 15 Vnto the time that the spirite be powred vpon vs from aboue and that the wildernesse be a fruitfull fielde and the plenteous fielde be reckened for a wood 16 Then shall equitie dwell in the desert and righteousnesse in a fruitfull lande 17 â–ª And the worke of righteousnesse shall be peace and her fruite rest and quietnesse for euer 18 And my people shall dwell in the Innes of peâ—ce and in sure dwellings in safe places of comfort 19 And when the hayle fallesh it shall fall in the wood and the Citie shall be set lowe in the valley 20 O howe happie shall ye be when ye shall safely sowe your séede beside all waters driue thither the féete of your Oxen and Asses The exposition vpon the .32 Chapter of Esay Beholde a king shall gouerne after the rule of righteousnesse c. IN this Capter Esaias literally speaketh of the happie state and gouernment of the kingdome of Iurie and Hierusalem that should be vnder Ezechias after God had deliuered them from the daunger and inuasion of the Assirians But prophetically he meaneth of the kingdome of Christ the Messias and sauiour For albeit Ezechias was a good and godly Prince and his people well and wisely guided by him yet was there not vnder him nor can there be in any worldly 〈◊〉 such perfection as is 〈…〉 Therfore he referreth them as I haue sayde to the spirituall kingdome of Messias vnder 〈◊〉 all these things shall be perfourmed He shall gouerne according to the rule of righteousnesse 〈◊〉 that is to say his 〈…〉 lance of equitie He 〈…〉 agaynst the coldenesse of worldely 〈…〉 to succour them in the blustering stormes of tentation a Pleasant riuer with his grace to 〈…〉 〈…〉 among his people Then shall the foolish niggard be no more called gentle nor the churle c. In the kingdomes of the worlde there is great hypocrisie and dissimulation and as Cato once sayd they leeâ—e the true proper names of things and lauishing of other mens goodes is called liberalitie â— and rashe boldenesse is termed valiauntnesse couetousnesse thrifty sparing c. and al foule vices 〈◊〉 with the fayre tytles of vertues But in the kingdome of messias it shall not be so * the visardes of hypocrisie shall be shaken of and euery 〈…〉 and knowne by their 〈…〉 and operations 〈…〉 and yâ—â—e women and â—earken vnto my voyce ye carelesse c. 〈…〉 in this place leaueth 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 and turneth to the 〈…〉 Iewes By the riche 〈…〉 the great and wealthie 〈…〉 which and both heare Christes 〈…〉 curitie for euer Many yeares and dayes shall you be troubled because the vintage shall say le and 〈◊〉 shall not come in The lawe of Moises euen from the beginning mannred dressed and prepared the Israelites along time as it had beene a 〈◊〉 â–ª that when the Messias should come they shoulde receyue him and bring forth fruite accordingly 〈◊〉 it falleth out cleane contrary For when he shall come he shall finde no grapes there but wylde grapes and thistles Therefore so great calamitie shall come vpon you as you shall be astonied therwith and through extreeme sorow torment your selues pul of your garments and weare sackcloth vpon you You shall be wayle your 〈…〉 time battle but now 〈…〉 your vines your lands 〈…〉 christ the Messias had * 〈…〉 his spiritie vpon hiâ— Apostles at the time 〈…〉 Insomuch that if there fall any 〈…〉 * they shall be so armed with the spirit of God and strength from aboue that it shall not hurt them Oh how happie shall you then be when this great plentie tranquillitie and quietnesse shall come among you so that both Oxe and Asse both Iewe and Gentile shal ioyne togither in the profession of one fayth The first Sunday after Christmas at Morning prayer Esay 37. 〈…〉 heard that he râ—nt his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lorde 2 But â—e sent 〈◊〉 the chiefe ouer the householde 〈◊〉 the fâ—rthe with the 〈…〉 clothed 〈…〉 vnto the Prophete Esay the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 7 Beholde I will rayse vp a 〈◊〉 agaynst him and he shall heare a rumour and he shall go againe into his Countrey 〈◊〉 will I destroy him with the sworde in her owne lande 8 Nowe when Rabasakeh returned he sworde the king of Assiria laying stege to Libnas for he had vnderstanding that he was departed from Lachis 9 And there came a rumour that Tharakas king of Ethiopia was come forth to warre agaynst him and when the king of Assiria heard that he sent other messengers to king Ezekia with this commaundement 10 Say thus to Ezekia king of Iuda Let not thy God deceyue thee in whome thou hopest and sayst Hierusalem shall not be giuen into the handes of the king of Assiria 11 For lo thou knowest wel how the kings of Assiria haue handled all the 〈◊〉 that they haue subuerted and hopest thou to escape 12 Were the people of the Gentiles whome my progenâ—tours conquered deliuered at any time through theft Gods As namely Gosan 〈…〉 and the 〈…〉 and Auâ— 14 Now when
〈◊〉 had receyued the letter of the messengers 〈…〉 vp into the 〈…〉 the Lorde 15 And 〈…〉 on this maner 16 O Lorde 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 is God of all the kingdomes of the worlde for thou onely hast 〈…〉 heauen and earth 17. 〈…〉 Lorde and 〈◊〉 open 〈…〉 wordes of 〈◊〉 which hath 〈…〉 to blasphéeme the liuing God. 18 It is true O Lorde that the kings of Assiria haue conquered all kingdomes and landes 19 And cast their Gods in the 〈◊〉 for those were 〈◊〉 Gods but the workes of mens handes of wood or 〈◊〉 therefore haue they destroyed them 20 Nowe therefore 〈…〉 O Lorde our God from the handes of 〈…〉 that all the kingdomes of the earth 〈◊〉 know that thou onely art the Lorde 21 Then Esay the sonne of Amos fent vnto Ezekia saying Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israell wheras thou hast made thy prayer vnto me as touching Sennacherib the king of Assiria 22 This is the aunswere that the Lorde hath giuen concerning him Dispised art thou and mocked O daughter Sion he hath shaken his heade at thée O daughter of Hierusalem 23 But thou Sennacherib whome hast thou defied and blasphemed Agaynst whom hast thou lifted vp thy voyce and exalted thy prowde â—ookes euen agaynst the holy one of Israell 24 Thou with thy seruants hast blasphemed the lord and thus holdest thou of thy selfe â–ª I wil couer the hie mountaynes and sides of Libanus with my horsemen and there will I cut downe the hie Ceder trées and the fayrest Firre trées I will vp in the heigth of it and into the chiefest of his 〈…〉 If there be no water I will graue and drinke and as for waters of defence I will drie them vp with the féete of mine hoast 26 Yea hast thou not heard what I haue taken in hand and brought to passe of old time That same will I doe now also and waste destroy and bring strong Cities vnto heapes of stones 27 For their inhabitours shall be like lame men brought in feare and confounded they shall be like grasse and gréene hearbes in the fielde like the hay vpon house toppes that withereth before it be growen vp 28 I know thy wayes thy going forth and thy comming home yea and thy madnesse agaynst me 29 Therefore thy furiousnesse agaynst me and thy pride is come before me I will put my ring in thy nose and my bridle bitte in the â—awes of thée and turne thée about euen the same way thou camest 30 I will giue thée also this token O Ezekia this yeare shalt thou eate such as groweth of it selfe and the seconde yeare that which springeth againe of the same in the thirde yeare ye shall sowe and reape yea ye shal plant vineyardes and enioy the fruites therof 31 And such of the house of Iuda as are escaped shall come togither and the 〈◊〉 shall take roote beneath and bring forth fruit aboue 32 For the escaped shall go out of Hierusalem and the remnant from the mount Sion and this shall the zeale of the Lorde of hostes bring to passe 33 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde concerning the king of the Assirians He shall not come into this Citie and shall shoote no arrow into it there shall no shield hurt it neither shall they call ditches about it 34 The same way he came he shal returne and not come at this Citie sayth the Lord. 35 And I will keepe and saue this Citie sayth he for mine owne and for my seruant Dauids sake 36 Thus the aungell of the Lorde went forth and slue of the Assirians host an hundred foure seore and fiue thousand and when men rose vp earely in the morning beholde they 〈…〉 and all my full of â—eads 〈◊〉 37 So Sennacherib the king of the 〈◊〉 brake vp and dwelt at Niniâ—e 38 Afterwarde it chaunced as he prayed in the temple of Nesroch his God that 〈◊〉 and Sarazer his owne sonnes â—â—ue him with the sworde and fled into the lande of Armenia and Asarhaddon his sonne raigned in his steede The exposition vpon the .xxxvij. Chapter of Esay When Ezechias heard that he rent hys clothes and put on sackcloth c. THis Chapiter is annexed to the former as a part of the same historie the declaration wherof is so plaine and easie to be vnderstanded that the text needeth no exposition at all Only you haue to obserue certaine good and whole some lessons to be gathered out of it And first you haue to note in Ezechias and his people a great * zeale for the glorie of the name of God wherewith they may seeme to be more touched then with their own miserie and distresse For all the while their countrey was in spoyling as they shewed themselues somewhat troubled so yet did they not declare so great sorowe But after that they heard the name and power of the God of Israel so blasphemed they rent and toare their clothes and after the maner of the Countrey thereby declared extreeme sorow detestation and abhorring of so great wickednesse This zeale of Gods holy name and glorie shoulde we follow and be * earnestly mooued in heart and minde when we heare the Gospell of Christ and the truth of his worde reuiled and euill spoken of but the maner of the worlde is otherwise Men are much mooued with their owne reproches and seeke reuengement of euery light worde and small iniurie but for the hinderance of Gods glorie and of his worde we make small account Secondly here is to be obserued and diligently to be learned by the example of the good king Ezechias and his people what we ought to doe in our great miserie and distresse that is not neglecting such meanes as God hath giuen and by hys worde alloweth to helpe vs to put our whole trust and confidence in God and with repentant hearts humble mindes to * flie to him by earnest praier and calling vpon his blessed name for helpe For so here doth Ezechias and his people and with all seeketh meanes to confirme and strengthen theyr fayth being somewhat shaken with the instruction of Gods holy worde and promises For that cause doth he here sende to Esay the Prophete by whose mouth God giueth them great comfort and willeth them not to feare For sayth he in the Lordes name I will rayse vp a winde agaynst him and hee shall heare a rumour that shall carie him backe into his Countrey agayne and yet shall he not so escape for euen there I will destroy him Say thus to Ezekia king of Iuda Let not thy God deceyue thee c. Heare we haue to learne that God oftentimes after promise and comfort of deliuerance giuen doth for the time encrease and double as it were the affliction of his people as he doth here to Ezechias and his subiects by this seconde message being in deede more terrible and blasphemous than the former And yet doth he not this that he mindeth to breake promise
myrth and comfort Yea that he will repayre the ruine and decaye of his Church and make their desert and wildernesse a Paradise and garden of pleasure The ruine and decay of Sion are the lost sheepe of the house of Israell which Christ and his Apostles restored The Desert and VVildernesse are the Gentiles which of olde had refused the true knowledge of God and therefore were as straungers to the promise of saluation But the se deserts God made pleasant Gardens by the teaching and publishing of his Gospell This is it that he promiseth when he sayth A lawe and ordinance shall go forth from him to lighten the Gentiles The time is euen at hande that my health and righteousnesse shall go forth c. Be of good cheere my people sayth God and be not ouerwhelmed with the heauinesse of your affliction It is euen at hande that not onely my sauing health shall go forth to preserue you but the might and strength of mine arme also by the preaching of the Gospell to gouerne and guide all other Nations Inso much that the * inhabitantes of the Islandes and other countryes shall beleeue in me and put their trust in my name And do you not mistrust this health and saluation that shall come to you by the Messias For * heauen and earth with all the inhabitours thereof shal vanish away as smoke but the iustice and saluation wrought by the sonne of God shall be most certaine and continue for euer Therefore my people that vuderstand righteousnesse feare not the * reuilings raylinges and reproches of men that shall fall vpon you for the profession of my name and truth For your enemyes shall be consumed as a garment with mothes and my sauing health that you trust in shall stande stedfast for euer and euer Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde c. In these three verses next following God comforteth his people with the example of their deliuerance out of Egypt But his maner of vtterance is with great maiestie figuratiuely turning hys speech to his owne diuine power the sense whereof is this Thou mightie power of God that manye tymes since the beginning of the worlde hast shewed thy selfe rayse thy selfe now in this great anguishe and care that his people are nowe in Is not that mightie arme hable to deliuer his seruāts now in this miserie which before time did * wound the pride of Aegypt and wyth thy woonderous workes hew in peeces that dreadful Dragon Pharao and dryed vp the sea and made it to stande as * walles on eche side of thy people passing through and resolued the same againe to the confusion of thy enimies Therefore let not the Redéemed of the Lord feare but that they shal with ioy returne againe to Sion and there remaine with muche myrth and gladnesse It is I it is I that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then c. God sharply rebuketh his people for Timorousnesse and continuall mistruste in all their aduersities It is I sayth he it is not Abraham nor Moyses nor Aaron nor any of my Saynts your Predecessours but euen I my selfe the mightye God your Lorde that doth alwaye * comfort and helpe you Seeing then the Idols that your enimies trust in are so Vaine as I haue tolde you and they themselues so Fraile and mortall and on the contrary part I your Lord your assured God so mightie and of so great force as I haue alway declared my selfe aswell in the creation of the worlde as in the preseruation of you and delyuerance out of Aegypt from your prowde oppressour whome I then brought full lowe and made him glad to hasten you away out of the Exile that you then were in and gaue you the * treasures of hys people that you might not want breade and sustenance by the way seeing I say all this is so why doe you still mistruste and feare the power of vain men seeme they in the worlde neuer so terrible Remember therefore my promises whereby I haue assured you that I will deliuer you and acknowledge you for my people Awake awake and stande vp O Hierusalem thou that from the hande c. The Lorde here comforteth his people in telling them that he wil take the scourge of his wrath from them and lay it vpon their enimies By the Cuppe and by drinking it is vsuall both in the olde testament and newe to vnderstande Affliction as in Hier. 25. Take this cup of wine of my furie at my hand c. And Christ himself in his agonie Mat. 26. Let this cuppe passe from me c. that is this scourge of my Crosse and passion The plaine sense of thys place is O my Church be of good comfort for albeit thou hast for a time through my wrath for thy sinnes beene grieuously afflicted and no man either would or coulde comfort and helpe thee yet after I shall come through thy repentance of my mercie pardoning thy sinnes this my bitter Cup of affliction shall be taken from thee and * poured vpon the heades of those that haue oppressed thee to their vtter confusion By the Slumbring or poisoned cuppe he meaneth the grieuous aduersities that hath so touched and weakened them as they are not almost hable to stande but stagger and reele as they go as it were men halfe deade Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euery streate like a taken venison c. In these verses he describeth the great miserie that the Iewes were in at theyr captiuitie in Babilon not onely cruelly murdered in all Cities but pyning for hunger and dying in the streetes as it appeareth by the hystorie of Tobie The. 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Euening prayer Esay 53. BUt who hath gyuen credence vnto our preaching or to whome is the arme of the Lorde knowne 2 For he did growe before the Lorde like as a branche and as a roote in a drye grounde he hath neyther beautie nor fauour when we looke vpon him there shall be no fayrenesse we shall haue no lust vnto hym 3 He is despised and abhorred of men he is such a man as hath good experience of sorrowes and infirmities We haue reckened him so vile that we hid our faces from him 4 Howbeit he onely hath taken on him our infirmitie and borne our paines yet we did iudge him as though he were plagued and cast downe of God. 5 Whereas he notvvithstanding was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse for the paine of our punishment was layde vpon him and with his stripes are we healed 6 As for vs we are all gone astraye lyke shéepe euery one hath turned his owne way but the Lorde hath throwne vpon him all our sinnes 7 He suffered violence and was euill intreated and did not open his mouth he shal be led as a shéepe to be slaine
2 Lyke as at an hote fyre and that the malicious might boyle avvay as the water doth vpon the fire whereby thy name might be knowne among thine enimies and that the Gentiles might tremble before thée 3 When thou wroughtest wonderous straunge workes we looked not for them thou camest downe and the hilles melted at thy presence 4 For â—ite the beginning of the worlde it hath not bene heard or perâ—â—yâ—ed neyther hath any eye séene another God 〈◊〉 thée which duest so much for them that put their trust in thée 5 Thou helpest him that doth right with chearefulnesse and them that thinke vpon thée in thy wayes but 〈◊〉 thou hast 〈◊〉 angrie for we offended and haue bene euer in sinne though the worlde haue cleaued to them yet shall we be saued 6 We are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy ragges we fall euersecâ—â—â—â— as the leafe for our sinnes carie vs away lyke the winde 7 There is no man that calleth vpoÌ„ thy name that standeth vp to take holde by thâ—â— therefore hydest thou thy 〈◊〉 from vs and consumest vs because of our sinnes 8. But 〈◊〉 O Lorde thou father of oures we arâ— thy clay and thou act our potter and we all are the worke of thy I. Be not to sore displeased O Lord and kéepe not our offences to long in thy remembrance but consider that we all are thy people 10 The Cities of thy Sanctuarie lye waste Sion is a wildernesse and Hierusalem a desert 11 Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our commodities and pleasures are wasted away 12 Wilt thou not be intreated O Lorde for all this wilt thou holde thy peace scourge vs so sore The Exposition vpon the. 64. Chapter of Esay O that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe c. THis Chapiter is a parcell of that matter that was conteined in the former For from the seuenth verse of the .lxiij. Chapiter vnto the ende of this is a Prayer made by Esaias for the people to vse in time of their grieuous affliction in which they are taught with how great * humblenesse and sorrow of hart they should confesse their sinnes for which that Plague was seâ—t Secondly at whose handes they should looke for deliuerance that is * at Gods hande alone Thirdly how they should comfort themselues and * strengthen their faith with the Memory of those woÌ„derful actes that God had done for them and their fathers before time In this place they breake out to an earnest wishe Oh say they that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe when our fathers were oppressed in Aegipt though they looked for no such goodnesse at thy hande yet thou diddest vouchsafe to come * downe from heauen to delyuer them and that with so great Maiestie and Terrour through thy wonderfull works that thy name was known and dreadfull not only to thine own people * but also to thine enimies whom thou didst mightily consume In the * Desert also thou wast continually with them to defende them And when thou purposedst to publish thy law vnto vs thou camest downe from Heauen with so great Maiestie of thunder and lightning that as water boyleth and consumeth ouer the fyre so did the Mountaine * Sinai seeme to melt away being in a great smoke with thy presence O that thou wouldest now doe the like in working our deliuerance that thy name might be knowne and thy Maiestie feared euen among the myghtiest of thyne enimies c. The rest of the Chapiter folowing is plaine and easie to be vnderstanded The Sunday called Septuagesima at Morning prayer Genes 1. IN the beginning God created heauen and earth â— 2 And the earth was without fourme and 〈◊〉 boyde and darkenesse vvas vpon the face of the déepe and the spirite of God moued vpon the face of the waters 3 And God saide Let there be light and and there was light 4 And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light from the darknesse 5 And God called the light day and the darkenesse night and the euening and the morning were the first day 6 And God saide Let there be a Firmament betwéene the waters and let it make a deuision betwéene waters and waters 7 And God made the Firmament and set a deuision betwéene the waters which vvere vnder the firmament and the waters that vvere aboue the firmament and it was so 8 And God called the firmament heauen and the euening aud the morning were the second day 9 And God sayde Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered togither into one place and let the drie lande appeare and it was so 10 And God called the drie lande the earth and the gathering togither of the waters called he the seas and God sawe that it was good 11. And God sayde Let the earth bring forth budde and gréene hearbe apt to séede and fruitfull trées yéelding fruite after his kinde which hath séede in it selfe vppon the earth and it was so 12 And the earth brought forth gréene herbe apt to séede after his kinde and trée yelding fruit which had séede it in selfe after his kinde 13 And God saw that it was good And the euening and the morning were the third day 14 And God sayde Let there be lights in the firmament of heauen that they may deuide the day and the night and let them be for signes and seasons and for dayes and yeares 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heauen that they may giue light vpon the earth and it was so 16 And God made two great lightes a greater light to rule the day and a lesse light to rule the night and he made starres also 17 And God set them in the Firmament of the heauen to shine vpon the earth 18 And to rule the day and night and to make difference betwéene the light and the darkenesse and God saw that it was good 19 And the euening and morning were the fourth day 20 And God sayde Let the waters bring forth moouing creature that hath life and foule that may flie vpon the earth in the open firmament of heauen 12 And God created great whales and euery liuing and mouing creature which the waters brought forth after their kind and euery fethered foule after their kind and God saw that it was good 22 And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiplie and fill the waters of the sea and let foule multiplie in the earth 23 And the euening and morning were the fift day 24 And God sayde Let the earth bring forth liuing creature after his kinde cattell worme and beastes of the earth after his kind and it was so 25 God made the beast of the earth after his kinde and cattell after his kinde and euery thing that créepeth vpon
that region he thought vpon Abraham and sent Lot out from the middest of the ouerthrowe when he ouerthrewe the cities in one of the which Lot dwelled 30 And Lot departed out of Soar dwelled in the Mountaine with his two daughters for he feared to tary in Soar but dwelled in a caue he his two daughters 31 And the elder saide vnto the yonger Our father is olde and there is not a man in the earth to come in vnto vs after the maner of all the worlde 32 Come let vs giue our father wine to drinke and lye with him that we maye saue séede of our father 33 And so they gaue their father wine to drinke that night and the elder daughter went and laye with hir father and he perceyued it not neither when she lay downe neyther when she rose vp 34 And on the morrowe the elder saide vnto the yonger Beholde yesternight laye I with my father let vs make him drinke wine this night also and go thou and lye wyth him that we may raise vp séede of our father And they made their father drinke wine that night also 35 And the yonger arose and lay with him and he perceyued it not neyther when she laye downe neyther when shée rose vp 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot wyth childe by their father 37 And the elder bare a sonne and called his name Moab the same is the father of the Moabites vnto this day 38 And the yonger bare a sonne also and called his name Bennami the same is the father of the children of Ammon vnto this day The Exposition vpon the xix Chapter of Genesis And there came two Angels to Sodome and Loth seing them arose vp c. IN the begynning of this Chapiter is set before vs a worthye and notable example of * hospitality diligently to be considered as well for the great Humanitie declared in it as also because of that Admonition that the Apostle giueth to the * Heb. By hospitalitie saith he some vnwares haue receyued Angels into their intertainment By which wordes we are instructed not onely to vse Hospitalitie but also are directed to consider the Examples of Abraham and Loth that the same thing may happen by Gods good Prouydence to vs that did to them that is by that occasion to haue the great blessing of God and Deliuerance from his dreadfull plagues This must we doe as Loth and Abram did Readily Willingly Earnestly and Humbly And before they went to reast the men of Sodome compassed the house c. Thys place is diligently to be weyghed that the heynous and Horrible Sin of the Sodomites may be vnderstāded and by it the Iustice of Gods iudgement worthyly considered First they assault the house of a Iust and Innocent man their neighbour and that not by Authoritie of any Officer and Magistrate but of their owne priuate affection to satisfie their wicked vnnaturall filthy lust And this did not two or three but the whole Multitude of the City declaring an vniuersal and Generall corruption euen from the childe to the olde gray heares without restraint or correction of any Lawe Officer or Magistrate So that beside the greatnesse of the offence generally spredde there appeareth an open Impunitie whereby all men were suffered to giue themselues ouer to Filthinesse and that with such impudencie that they openly declared themselues to haue * no regarde either of God or of mā but with bold and Shamelesse faces and with filthie mouthes in open speech breathed out that wickednesse that of it selfe is horrible to be thought and conceiued in the minde Bring the men out vnto vs say they that we may knowe them c. * Such Impudencie in Sin is alway an assured token that the grieuous plague of God is at hande And last of all when they were by iust Loth godly and vertuously perswaded to the contrary they did not onely with Indurate heartes reiect his Admonition but with reproch and threatning vsed violence against him Wherefore their sinne may well appeare to haue come to full Ripenesse and most iustly to haue pulled on their heades the dreadfull vengeance of God from heauen Let vs moreouer call to our remembrance that Christ himselfe compareth * the dayes of Noe and Loth vnto these latter dayes in which we nowe liue doth resemble them in deepe Securitie and excessiue Sensuall pleasure rising of great welth and riches Consider therefore this our age and beholde how Generall Corruption that there is in abusing the good giftes of God to all Losenesse of lyfe and sensualitie euen from the childe cockered vp in wantonnesse vnto the olde man that hath worne his age in the same Consider what Securitie what Impudencie yea and Impunitie in doing wickednesse and what Obstinacie and stubburnnesse there is in contemning and disdainfully with mockes and scornes reiecting all good and * godly Admonition to the contrary by whome soeuer it be made Surely it cannot be but that this State must speedily drawe eyther the Ende of the world and the general Day of iudgement or some Terrible plague from heauen for the wickednesse of mankinde And Lot went out of the doore vnto them and shut the doore after him c. In Loth we haue the example of a Godlye man dangerously aduenturing his life to the fury of wicked persons that by all perswasion he might withdrawe them from their mischieuous purpose But in this may seme some great blemish and imperfection that he did offer the Chastitie of hys daughters to be distayned wyth the Villanie of these vuchast Sodomites For although villanie practised with the Maydens had beene farre lesse grieuous than that which they offered to the strangers Yet S. Paule sayth VVe may not doe euill that good may come of it He ought in deede faith and courtesie to his Ghestes and shoulde by all lawfull meanes haue Defended them but hee was no lesse Bounde to his Daughters then to the Strangers but rather in nature much more Fathers haue authoritie ouer their Daughters but not to cause them to suffer villanie and Dishonestie in their bodyes and soules agaynst the lawe of god But it is to be thought that the good man was so astonied with the outragious wickednesse of the Sodomites that he coulde not well tell what to doe and therfore in these great Troubles of his minde to haue made this Vnlawfull Offer But the men put forth their hande and pulled Loth into the house c. When Good men be in great distresse in resisting the naughtie attempts of the wicked then God eyther * by the handes of hys Angels * or by other meanes of his diuine prouidence deliuereth them as he doth Loth here in this place striking the filthie Sodomites with blindnesse And the men sayde vnto Loth hast thou here any besides sonne in law c. Here appeareth the bountifull goodnesse of God towarde the faythfull who
is not onely readie to deliuer them from the destruction of the wicked as he doth here vnto Loth but * also to impart to them his Purpose and for their sakes to saue other if they doe not stubburnely refuse and deride the grace of God as the sonnes in law of Loth are in this place declared to haue done In the offer of the Angels you haue to obserue the vnestimable goodnesse of god In the doing of Loth the Readinesse of the faythfull to call the wicked by repentance to saue themselues In his sonnes in law and other Indurate heartes and Contempt of God and all godly admonition And when the morning rose the Aungels caused Loth to speede him c. If man Linger and by the dulnesse of the flesh be slacke to depart from confusion and to take the right waye to saue himselfe from the Plagues of God if the parties be not stubburnely giuen ouer to wickednesse the readie mercies of God doth by all meanes Hasten him and pricke him forwarde and in a maner Draw and cōpell him to the same as you see the Angels do here by Loth Bringing him out of the Citie Hastening him by wordes Telling him the daunger Shewing him what he shall doe And Loth sayde vnto them Oh not so my Lorde c. Loth fearing least by going so farre as the hill hee shoulde in the meane time be wrapped in the daunger before he coulde come thither after a thankefull acknowledging of the goodnesse of God towarde him desireth a shorter space and that he might saue himselfe in the little Citie or towne not farre of by the same euent called after Zoar. And that we might vnderstand how * forcible the prayers of good men are with God it was graunted him Notwithstanding the same was one of the Sinfull Cities that GOD was purposed to haue destroyed Yea and the Angell sayth he coulde doe nothing vntill Loth came thither declaring that not only the gates and powers of Hell but not so much as the Angels of heauen can be suffered to doe any thing repugnant to their health whome God will Saue and Deliuer Then the Lord rayned fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Gomorrah c. The terriblenesse of the punishment declareth howe Horrible and Lothsome their Sinne was in the sight of god Strange detestable sinnes are by the Iustice of God plagued with rare and dreadfull punishmentes that all posteritie maye by their Example be taught to beware * Because they had abused the goodnesse of God in giuing them Fertilitie Plentie and Welth had turned his creatures which they should haue vsed wyth thankfulnesse to the fulfilling of their foule and filthie lust in all maner of sensualitie therfore God Rayneth vpon them now and casteth downe from heauen not the sweete dewe moisture to increase the fertilitie and plentie of the earth but Stinking Brimstone and fyre to bring desolation both vpon them and the lande where they dwelled But Loths wife following him looked behinde her and was turned c. God by his Angell had commaunded that they should not looke backe in token of their willing and * speedie departure from the companie of the wicked But Loths wyfe because she Beleued not the Aungell or that she Doubted it woulde not come to passe or else otherwise of a Curious and carnall affection desired to see the thinge or in remēbrance of her Sonnes in lawe and daughters or of the Goods that she had left behind did Looke backe and lingered on the way and so was turned into a salt stone as a perpetuall memorie and Example howe vnpleasant Disobedience is to God. And the elder daughter sayde vnto the yonger our father is olde c. This Incestuous acte of Loths daughters and their father maye seeme not onely straunge but Horrible to be Committed by them who did yet as it were before their eyes beholde the heauie hande of God for the like vncleanesse in the Sodomites But that the lesse offence may be taken here at and some doubtes aunswered we will briefely examine the hystorie in this maner This doing of Loth and his daughters may be considred three wayes eyther in respect of the fact it selfe or of their knowledge or ignorāce or of their intent and purpose The qualitie of the fact in it selfe considered is verie greeuous not onely in that he had to doe with two sisters but the same also his owne daughters And therefore can not be iudged to be lesse then Horrible Incest in the fact it selfe If we respect Loth he knewe not what he did and so the scripture sayth He knewe not when they came to bedde or when they rose and therefore can he not be condemned of wilfull Incest And yet his dronkennesse may not be so Excused but that he must needes be noted of Vntemperancie For although after so great feare and trouble of minde in himselfe his daughters he might drinke wine more then vsuall to comfort his spirites yet he shoulde not in anye wise haue gone so farre as to haue bene dronke therewith and incited to Vncleane lust of the bodye And further if we consider the Intent and purpose of the Daughters by the testimonie of the scriptures they seeme not to haue done the thing so much for the heate of bodily pleasure as of a desire to raise posteritie and issue after them because through feare astonied they thought all mankinde had bene extinguished by that terrible plague of god The summe then is this The fact being of it selfe horrible as well in the Father as in the Daughters by consideration of some circumstances is extenuated but not so that they can be discharged of Iust Crime and blame The first Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Genesis 22. AFter these sayings God did tempt Abraham and said vnto him Abraham Which aunswered Here I am 2 And he sayde Take thy sonne shine onely sonne Isahac whom thou louest and get thée vnto the land Moriiah and offer him there for a whole burnt offering vpon one of the Mountaynes which I will shewe thée 3 Then Abraham rose vp earely in the morning and sadled his Asse and tooke two of his yong men with him and Isahac his sonne and cloue wood for the whole burne offering and rose vp and got him to the place which God had appoynted him 4 The thirde day Abraham lift vp his eyes and sawe the place a farre of 5 And sayde vnto his yong men Bide here with the Asse I and the ladde will go yonder and worship and come agayne to you 6 And Abraham tooke the woodde of the whole burnt offering and layd it vpon Isahac his sonne but he himselfe tooke fire in his hande and a knife and they went both of them together 7 Then spake Isahac vnto Abraham his father and sayde My father And he answered Here am I my sonne He sayde Sée here is
Iacob answered to Sichem Hemor his father talking amongest themselues deceptfully because he had defyled Dina their sister 14 And they saide vnto them We can not doe this thing that we should geue our sister to one that is vncircumcised for that were an abhomination vnto vs. 15 But in this will we consent vnto you if ye will be as we be and all the males amongst you be circumcised 16 Then will we geue our daughters vnto you and take your daughters to vs and will dwell with you and be one people 17 But and if ye will not hearken vnto vs to be circumcised then will we take our Daughter and go our waies 18 Their wordes pleased Hemor and Sichem hys sonne 19 And the yong man differde not to doe the thing because he had a lust to Iacobs daughter he was also most set by of all that was in his fathers house 20 Then Hemor and Stâ—â—em his sonne went vnto the gate of their citie and coÌ„muned with the men of their citie saying 21 These men liue peaceably among vs and dwell in the lande and doe their occupation therein and beholde the land is large ynough for them we will take their daughters to wiues and giue them our daughters 22 Onely herein will they consent vnto vs for to dwell with vs and to be one people If all the males that are among vs be circumcised as they are circumcised 23 Shall not their goodes and their substance and all their cattell be oures let vs onely consent vnto them and they will dwell with vs. 24 And vnto Hemor and Sichem hys sonne hearkened all that went out of the gate of the citie and all the males were circumcised whatsoeuer went out at the gate of his citie 25 And the thirde day whyles they were sore two of the sonnes of Iacob Simeon and Leui Dinas brethren tooke eyther of them his sworde and went into the citie boldly and slue all the males 26 And slue also Hemor and Sichem his sonne with the edge of the sworde and tooke Dina out of Sichems house and went their way 27 And the sonnes of Iacob comming vpon the dead spoyled the citie bicause they had defiled their sister 28 And tooke their shéepe oxen and their asses and whatsoeuer was in the citie and also in the fields 29 And all their goodes and all their children and their wiues tooke they captiue and made hauok of all that was in the house 30 But Iacob saide to Simeon and Leui Ye haue troubled me and made me to be abhorred of the inhabitours of the land of the Chanaanite and the Pherezite and I being fewe in number they shall gather themselues together against me and slay me and so shall I and my house he destroyed 31 And they answered Should he deale wyth our sister as with an harlot The Exposition vpon the .xxxiiij Chapter of Genesis Dina the daughter of Lea which shee bare vnto Iacob went out to see c. MOses in this Chapter setteth forth a great tentation that happened vnto Iacob far more troublesome and daungerous then that was of the feare of his brother Esaus displeasure He was nowe at some quietnesse in the companie of his wife children and familie and so had remayned a good time doing vndoubtedly the dutie of a good and godly Gouernour of his housholde But sodainely falleth out this trouble and reproch of the Rauishing of his daughter Dina much surelye to the griefe of his minde that did so deerely esteeme the Chastitie of his daughter By which we may vnderstande both what daunger maye come to yong womeÌ„ by Idle gadding and Gasing abroad without the company of some graue Persons to Ouersee them and also that euen good men sometime haue so waiwarde and ouerthwart Wantons to their children as wil not well be brideled within order when their Parents haue done all that they can And yet maye there seeme some negligence in Lea hir mother that she did suffer hir so Loosely to go abroade And Sichem spake vnto his father Hemor saying get me this maiden c. The heart of this yong Gentleman was so set vpon this Maiden in vntemperate heate of loue that he coulde not satisfie himselfe by hir defyling and rauishment but nowe seeketh to haue her to wife and that in a maner by force For although both his father and he vsed Faire wordes and great promises yet he keepeth her at home in his house and would not suffer her to retourne to her father If he had sought to haue maried her before the Villanie offered there had bene no great euill but first to worke so great reproche to the People of God and his Chosen Patriarke and then to seeke vnder a faire colour a forcible Mariage made the offence the greater And Hemor the father of Sichem went out vnto Iacob c. A godly Father and a good Prince or gouernour would first haue sharpely corrected his Son and then afterwarde haue done that might haue seemed agreeable to reason and godlinesse But it may appeare this Hemor was a cockering father and a Loose gouernour and that the like examples of wantonnesse had bene common there without punishment And therfore the same prouoked God of his iust iudgement to suffer so great a Plague to come vpon them although the Sonnes of Iacob which were the instruments thereof can not be excused of outragious Furie that for the offence of Oue personne destroyed and spoyled the Whole Citie And Hemor communed with them saying The soule of my sonne c. In that Hemor so earnestly labourethe to Iacob and his Sonnes for the mariage of Dina and made so great offers it may appeare that euen among the Heathens and Infidels it was thought necessarie to haue the Consent of Parents to the Mariage of their Children Much more shoulde that reuerence be vsed among Christians and them that professe the Feare of God. But the sonnes of Iacob answered to Sichem and Hemor talking among c. It is not to be merueiled if the sonnes of Iacob were much grieued to haue so great a reproch and villanie wrought to their fathers House neyther are they in that any thing to be blamed yea if there had bene any ordinarie Magistrate to haue punished so great an outrage they might and ought with safe conscience to haue complayned to him But I see not by what authoritie they coulde take the sworde of Reuengement in their * owne hands and so farre exceede the Measure of Iustice as to destroy an whole Citie for the offence of one Well might they be the Instruments of Gods Iustice for causes to them vnknowne but that doth not excuse them who followed their owne affection and desire of Reuengement In that they doe dissemble here and pretende consent of Mariage if the Sichemites would be circumcised it doth increase their fault and they make the ordinance of God a colour to worke their affection For their consciences did tell them
lawe and blessed Worde and therefore he doth call it Holy. For like cause â—acob called the Place where in a * dreame he sawâ—â— ladder goyng vp to heauen and the Lorde standing at the toppe of it by the name of The terrible house of God and gate of heauen Hierusalem is * called the Holy Citie because Gods worde and his true worship was there declared Take away the Worde of God and his diuine Presence and the Place of it selfe is Indifferent as other are As touching that God willeth Moyses to put of his Shooes by that token or ceremonie of his Bare feete he woulde strike into him a Reuerence towarde that Vision that in the name of God appeared vnto him And also that he should now resigne and giue ouer that State that he was in at that time and submit himselfe wholy to the Will of God nowe at this time reuealed vnto him and to this present calling to be the Deliuerer of his people For in the .4 of Ruth the putting off of the Shoe is a token of Resigning or giuing ouer his Right to an other I am the God of thy father the God â—f Abraham the God of Isaac c. This is that notable Sentence which Christ vseth in the .22 of Math. to proue the Resurrection and that the Soule liueth after it is Departâ—d from the body and therewith stopped the mouthes of the Saduces And the Lorde sayde I haue surely seene the trouble of my people c. Such is the goodnesse of God that when helpe and succour seemeth vtterly Desperate then he offereth his mercie and mightlly Deliuereth euen when his people Least thinke of it Thereby are we taught at no time to Despayre of Gods Help seeme it neuer so Hard or Vnpossible to the world Then is Gods Glorie most set foorth when in greatest Difficultie he Deliuereth The Israelites were nowe more Vniust in the sight of God â—hen that they might Hope for any Reliefe at his 〈◊〉 For they had almost Forgot GOD and his true Worship And is the world they were more Weak and Miserable then eyther three many man see them coulde Deuise whiche ware it â—ought he wrought In this great Distresse God calleth â—â—ses and offereth their Deliuerance not in respect of any Worthinesse in them but partly of his great Pitie that he tooke of their miserie and aâ—â—â—iction â–ª partly for the truth of his * Promises that he had made to their Forefathers â–ª Abraham Isaac and Iacob And herby teacheth vs to the great strengthning of our fayth that although there be much vnworthinesse in vs yet â–ª for his truthes sake and for the Glorie of his name he will fulfill his Promises and worke the safetie of his people agaynst all the gates of hell Come thou therefore and I will sende thee vnto Pharao c. Here Moyses is called to this office of a Deliuerer of the people of GOD and we by him are taught not Ambiciously to offer our selues to any high Office or Function but diligently to followe that State that we be in and loke in all things for the Calling of God eyther by himselfe or by hys Officers to whome he hath giuen Authoritie And Moises sayde vnto God what am I to go vnto Pharao c. This Refusall was not of Disobedience to the will and calling of God but a Confessing and acknowledging of his Infirmitie as afterwarde Gâ—deon and othere did As if he had sayde I am but a poore Sheepehearde and seaâ—t hable to kepe my sheepe from the wilde beastes of the Desert But the Aegyptians are a Mightie people and their king a sterne and Prowde Tiranne therefore O Lorde I see a great vnfitnesse in my selfe for such a purpose As it is Sinne to withstande the Calling of God so is it a Vertue to acknowledge his Weakenesse and Dishabilitie And he answered for I will be with thee and this shall be a token c. If God had promised Moyses an infinite number of mightie Armyes to worke this exployte it had not bene halfe so much as that in this place he offereth * For if God himselfe be with vs all the Power of the World is in vaine against vs He doth also strengthen his Weakenesse with further assurance that this his calling should be of such Force and of so good Effect in the ende that in the same Place He and they togither should Worship theyr God that hath Deliuered them And Moyses said vnto God when I come vnto the children of Israel c. Moyses being nowe well Confirmed for himselfe and his owne Calling desireth also that he may be hable by some euident meanes to Assure the Israelites of the same least when he came vnto them and declared that he was appoynted their Capitain and Deliuerer they should Refuse him and aske from what God he was sent For the Israelites being brought vp a long time among Idolatours in Aegypt had almost forgot the True and liuing God of their fathers Therefore Moises desireth to know here the Name of God which was some Timerous Curiositie in Moyses and therefore God by his answere signifieth that he should Stay himselfe vpon his Worde and Promises made both now to him and before time to his and their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob rather then to enquire for his name whose Nature Maiestie and Power is vnspeakable and not to be vttered by any Name Wherefore God answereth I am that Iam and say vnto the children of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you c. That is the Beear and the onely Vnsearchable Substance that hath his being of himselfe and of none other and of whom all things that are * haue their Being Life and Moouing Euen I that eternall God that is nowe and euer hath beene who in the beginning made Heauen and earth gaue Life and Being vnto all Creatures and that afterwarde made his Promise and Couenant to your fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob that he woulde be their God and the God of their Seede that God I say * mindefull of his promises and pitying your miseryes hath nowe sent me vnto you to be your Capitaine and guide to deliuer you out of that great Tyrannie and Crueltie wherwith you are now Oppressed in Aegypt And they shall heare thy voyce then both thou and the elders of Israel c. Now he Instructeth Moyses what he shall pretende to Pharao in his message that he may suffer them to go Wherein it may with some offence appeare as though God did teach Moyses to Lie. For the chief purpose was not in the Desert to do Sacrifice to God but to conuey themselues away out of Aegypt into the lande of Chanaan For answere wherevnto we must consider 1 First that Peculier things done Extraordinarily by the Inspiration or commaundement of God are not to be taken as Generall Rules or examples for all men to followe 2 Secondly there
smite thée and thy people with pestilence and thou shalt perishe from the earth 16 And in verse déede for this cause haue I kept thée â–ª for to shew thée my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde 17 Yet exaltest thou thy selfe against my people that thou wilt not let them go 18 Beholde to morowe this time I will sende downe a mightie great hayle such a one as was not in Egypt since the foundation thereof was layde vnto this time 19 Send therefore now and gather thy beastes and all that thou hast in the fielde for vpon all the men and the beastes which are founde in the fielde and not brought home shall the hayle fall and they shall die 20 And as many as feared the worde of the Lord amongst the seruants of Pharao made their seruants and their beasts â—lee â—â—to the houses 21 But he that regarded not the worde of she Lorde left his seruants and his beastes in the field 22 And the Lord sayd vnto Moses Stretch forth thy hand vnto heauen that there may be hayle in all the lande of Egypt vpon man and vpon beastes and vpon all the hearbes of the fielde throughout the lande of Egypt 23 And Moyses stretched forth his rod vnto heauen and the Lord thundred and hayled and the fire ranne along vppon the grounde and the Lord hayled in the lande of Egypt 24 So there was hayle and fire mingled with the hâ—â—le so grieuous and such as there was none throughout all the lanâ—â— of Egypt since people inhabited it 25 And the hayle smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field â–ª both man and beast and the hayle smote all the hearbes of the fielde and broke all the trées of the fielde 26 Onely in the lande of Gosen where the children of Israell were was there no hayle 27. And Pharao sent and called for Moses and Aaron and saide vnto them I haue now sinned the Lorde is righteous 〈◊〉 I and my people are vngodly 28 Praye ye vnto the Lorde that these thunderings of God and hayle may be 〈…〉 and I will let you go and ye shall â—arâ—e no longer 29 â—â—yses layde vnto him Assoone as I am out of the Citie I will spread abroade my handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder shal ceasse neither shall there be any more haile that thou mayst know howe that the earth is the Lordes 30 But I know that thou and thy seruants yet feare not the face of the Lorde God. 31 And so the flaxe and the barlie were smitten for the barly was shot vp and the flaxe was boulled 32 But the wheate and the rie were not smitten for they were late sowne 33 And Moises went out of the Citie from Pharao and spred abroade his handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder and hayle ceassed neyther rayned it vpon the earth 34 And when Pharao â—awe that the raine and the haile and thunder were ceassed he sinned yet more and hardened his hart he and his seruants 35 And the hart of Pharao was hardened neyther would he let the children of Israell go as the Lord had sayde by the hand of Moises The .6 Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 10. ANd the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses Go into Pharao for I haue hardened his heart and the heart of his seruantes that I might shewe these my signes before him 2 And that thou tell in the audience of thy sonne and of thy sonnes sonne what things I haue done in Egypt and the miracles which I haue done amongst them that ye maye knowe howe that I am the Lorde 3 And so Moyses and Aaron came into Pharao and said vnto him Thus sayth the Lord God of the Hebrewes How long wilt thou refuse to submit thy selfe vnto me Let my people go that they may serue me 4 Or else if thou refuse to let my people go beholde to morrowe will I bring Grashoppers into thy coastes 5 And they shall couer the face of the earth that it can not be séene and they shall eate the residue which remayneth vnto you and is escaped from the hayle and they shall eate euery gréene trée that beareth you fruite in the fielde 6 And they shall fill thy houses and all thy seruaents houses and the houses of all the Egiptians after such a maner as neyther thy fathers nor thy fathers fathers haue séene since the time they were vpon the earth vnto this day And he turned himselfe about and went out from Pharao 7 And Pharaos seruantes sayd vnto him Howe long shall he be hurtfull vnto vs Let the men go that they may serue the Lorde their God knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed 8 And Moyses and Aaron were brought againe vnto Pharao and he sayde vnto them Go and serue the Lorde your God but who are they that shall go 9 And Moyses answered We will go with our yong and with our olde and with our sonnes and with our daughters and with our shéepe and with our Oxen we must go for we must holde a feast vnto the Lorde 10 And he saide vnto them Let the Lorde be so with you as I will let you go and your children take héede for ye haue some mischiefe in hande 11 Nay not so but go ye men and serue the Lorde for that was your desire And they were thrust out of Pharaos presence 12 And the Lorde saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thine hande ouer the lande of Egipt for Grashoppers that they may come vpon the lande of Egipt and eate all the hearbes of the lande and all that the hayle left behinde 13 And Moyses stretched forth his rod ouer the lande of Egipt and the Lorde brought an east winde vpon the lande all that day and all that night and in the morning the east winde brought the grashoppers 14 And the grashoppers went vp ouer all the lande of Egipt and remained in all quarters of Egypt verie grieuously before them were there no such grashoppers neyther after them shall be 15 For they couered all the face of the earth so that the lande was darke and they did eate all the hearbes of the lande and all the fruites of the trées whatsoeuer the hayle had left there was no greene thing left in the trées and hearbes of the fielde through all the lande of Egipt 16 Therefore Pharao called for Moyses and Aaron in haste and saide I haue sinned against the Lorde your God and against you 17 And nowe forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lorde your God that he may take away from me this death onely 18 And Moyses went out from Pharao and prayed vnto the Lorde 19 And the Lorde turned a mightie strong west winde and it tooke away the grashoppers cast them into the red sea so that there was not one grashopper in all the coastes of Egipt 20 And the Lord hardened Pharaos heart so that he woulde
out of the lande For I wore that he whome thou blessest is blessed and whome thou cursest is cursed 7 And the elders of Mâ—ab and the elders of Madian departed hauing the revvarde of the soothlaying in their hande And they came vnto Balaam and tolde him the wordes of Balac 8 He answered them Tarie here this night and I wyll bring you worde as the Lorde shall saye vnto me And the Lordes of Moab abode with Balaam 9 And God came vnto Balaam and saide What men are these wyth thée 10 And Balaam saide vnto God Balac the sonne of Ziphor king of Moah hath sent vnto me saying 11 Beholde there is a people come out of Egipt and couereth the face of the earth come nowe therefore and curse them for my saâ—e so it may be that I shal be hable to ouercome them in battaile and to driue them out 12 And God said vnto Balaam Go not thou with them neyther curse the people for they are blessed 13 And Balaam rose vp in the morning and saide vnto the Lordes of Balac Get you vnto your lande for the Lorde will not suffer me to go with you 14 And the Lordes of Moab rose vp and went vnto Balac and saide Balaam would not come with vs. 15 And Balac sent againe a greater companie of Lords and more honourable then they 16 Which came to Balaam and tolde him Thus sayth Balac the sonne of Ziphor Oh let nothing let thée but come vnto me 17 For I will greatly promote thée vnto great honour and will doe whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me come I pray thée curse this people for my sake 18 And Balaam answered and saide vnto the seruantes of Blalac If Balac would geue me this house full of Siluer and Golde I can not go beyonde the worde of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more 19 Nowe therefore I praye thée tarie ye here this night that I may wit what the Lord will say vnto me more 20 And God came vnto Balaam by night and sayde vnto him If the men come to cal thée rise vp and go with them but looke what I say vnto thée that shalt thou doe 21 And Balaam rose vp earely and sadled his asse and went with the Lords of Moab 22 And the wrath of God was kindled because he went and the angell of the Lorde stoode in the waye to be against him as he rode vpon his asse and his two seruauntes were with him 23 And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lord stande in the way and hauing his sword drawne in his hand the asse turned aside out of the waye and went out into the fielde And Balaam smote the asse to turne her into the way 24 But the angel of the Lorde stoode in a path betwéene the vineyardes and there was a wall on the one side and another on the other 25 â–ª And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lorde she thrust her selfe vnto the wall and crusht Balaams foote against the wall and he smote her againe 26 And the Angell of the Lorde went further and stoode in a narrowe place where was no waye to turne eyther to the right haude or to the left 27. And when the asse sawe the angel of the Lorde she fell downe vnder Balaam and Balaam was wroth and smote the asse with a staffe 28 And the Lorde opened the mouth of the asse 〈◊〉 she saide vnto Balaam What haue I done vnto thée that thou hast smitten me nowe three times 29 And Balaam saide vnto his asse Because thou hast mocked me I would also there were a sword nomine hand for euen nowe would I kill thée 30 And the asse saide vnto Balaam Am not I thine asse which thou hast ridden vpon since the first time vnto this day Was I euer wont to doe so vnto thée He saide nay 31 And the Lorde opened the eyes of Balaam and he sawe the angell of the Lorde standing in the way hauing his sworde drawne in his hande he bowed himselfe therefore and fell flatte on his face 32 And the Angell of the Lord saide vnto him Wherfore hast thou smitten the asse these thrée times Beholde I came out to withstand thée because thine hart hath declined out of the way before me 33 And the asse saw me and turned from me nowe three times or else if she had not turned fro me I had surely slaine thée and saued her aliue 34 Balaam saies vnto the angell of the Lorde I haue sinned for I wisâ— not that thou stoodest in the way against me Now therefore if it displease shée I will turne home againe 35 The angell of the Lorde saide vnto Balaam Go wyth the men but what I saye vnto thée that shalt thou speake And so Balaam went with the Lordes of Balac 36 And when Balac heard that Balaam was come he went out to méete him vnto a citie of Moab which is in the border of Arâ—on in the vttermost coast 37 And Balac saide vnto Balaam Did I not sende for thée to call thée and wherefore camest thou not vnto me Am I not hable in déede to promote thée vnto honor 38 And Balaam made answere vnto Balac Lo I am come vnto thée and can I now say any thing at all The worde that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speake 39 And Balaam went with Balac and they came vnto a citie of stréets 40 And Balac offered oxen and shéepe and sent thereof to Balaam and to the Lords that were with him 41 And on the morowe Balac tooke Balaam and brought him vp into the his places of Baal that thence he might sée the vttermost part of the people The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Numb And the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab c. IN the ende of the former .xxi. Chapter it was sayde that Schon king of the Amorhites did conquere take from the king of Moab all his lande euen vnto Arnon which as maye in this place appeare is not so to be taken but that there was a portion of lande yet remayning to the Moabites ouer which Balach their king raygned But in likelyhood his kingdome was not so mightie that he durst with his power wythstande the Israelites and therfore he craueth of the Madianites and other his neighbours that they woulde ioyne with him agaynst them The Moabites discended of one of the daughters of Loth the Madianites came from Abraham by Cethura and therefore were they as kinne vnto the Israelites and shoulde in curtesse euen by the Lawe of nature haue vsed more gentlenesse vnto them passing through their Countrey The Historie of this Chapiter and of the next following comprehendeth many matters worthie the obseruing First it sheweth that Satan by his instruments ceaseth not continually by Violence and force by craft and subtiltie by all the meanes he can to worke trouble daunger and confusion to the people and Church of god And
vnto thy fathers Abraham Isahac and Iacob and shall geue to thée great and goodly Cities which thou buildedst not 11 Houses full of all maner of goodes whych thou filledst not and weâ—â—es digged which thou diggedst not vineyardes and Oliue trées whych thou plantedst not and when thou hast eaten and arte full 12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thée out of the land of Egipt from the house of bondage 13 Thou shalte feare the Lorde thy God and serue hym and shalte sweare by his name 14 Sée that ye walke not after straunge Gods the Gods of the Nations which are about you 15 For the Lorde thy God is a Ielous God among you least the couÌ„tenance of the Lord thy God be moued to wrath against thée and destroy thée from the face of the earth 16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as ye did in the place of temptation 17. But you shall diligently kepe the commaundementes of the Lord your God and his testimonies and his ordinaunces which he hath commaunded thée 18 And thou shalt doe that which is ryght and good in the sight of the Lord that thou mayst prosper that thou mayst go in and possesse that good lande which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers 19 To cast oute all thine enemies before thée as the Lord hath said 20 And wheÌ„ thy sonne asketh thée in time to come saying What meaneth these testimonies ordinances and lawes which the Lorde our God hath commaunded you 21 Then thou shalt say vnto thy sonne We were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt the Lord brought vs out of Egipt with a mightie hande 22 And the Lorde shewed signes and wonders great and euill vpon Egipt vpon Pharao and vpon all his housholde before our eyes 23 And brought vs oute from thence to bring vs in and to geue vs the lande which he sware vnto oure fathers 24 And he hath commaunded vs to doe all these ordinaunces and to feare the Lorde oure God for our wealth al the dayes of our life as it is come to passe this day 25 Moreouer this shal be oure righteousnesse before the Lorde oure God if we take heede and kéepe all these commaundementes as he hath commaunded vs. The exposition vpon the .vj. Chapter of Deuteronomie These are the commaundementes ordinances and lawes whiche c. MOyses purposing to exhorte the Israelites to a diligent and faithfull obseruation of the law of God beginneth with the repetition of that whereof he hath before sundry tymes spoken that is that the lawes whiche he dothe so earnestly admonishe them to keepe are * not his nor deuised of his owne brayne but suche as were deliuered him of the Lord and of that Lord which had not only euer shewed himself their gratious and good God but also * chosen them to be his peculiar people and vndertaken to defende them from all their enimies and therfore that they coulde not without most iust blame refuse obedience therevnto And for so muche as Saincte Paule sayeth VVhatsoeuer is written is written to our instruction I thinke there is no better maner of exposition seing the text is plaine inough of it selfe than to apply the same vnto vs We haue far greater cause by our obedience to sette forth the glorie of God than they had First then as Moyses exhorteth the Israelites wée muste feare god For as Salomon sayth The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome This feare will not onely beate downe our pryde and confidence in oure selues but also will bee as a brydle to staye vs from euill and to represse the wicked iustes and affections that rise in vs contrary to the law of god * Feare of the Lorde represseth sinne sayeth Iesus Syrach Chap. 1. And Salomon Prouerb 8. Feare of the Lord doth hate euill Contrarywise where feare of God is not men run headlong to all wickednesse yet must not this feare be in the faithfull a bonde and seruile feare wherein we think of God only as he is a terrible iudge for so Satan * and the wicked do feare God But our feare muste be ioyned with the earnest loue of god We muste not onely feare God for his iustice but wee muste* loue him also for his mercie and goodnesse towardes vs And therefore Moyses afterward addeth Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might This Loue of God in the faithfull * doth far more earnestly bridle them from the disobedieÌ„ce of gods holy lawes than feare can doe For they that by a sure faith haue the true sense of Gods infinite mercies towards them and therby vnfaynedly loue hym are more* readie to please God and to shewe themselues thankful to him than feare of his iustice can make them lothe to displease and offende him by sinne and wickednesse The one of these that is Feare muste represse and keepe vnder olde Adam and the carnall man The other that is Loue doth set forwarde and encourage the spirituall and newe man that is begotten in Christ Iesu Moreouer forsomuch as our corruption is so great and our inclination vnto euill so ready that we soone forget our duties towarde God after Moyses his counsell wee must seeke by all meanes that we can to* imprinte his holy will in oure heartes to sette it before oure eyes and to make it* continually as it were to ring and sound in our eares This will best be doone by the diligent reading hearing and meditating of the holie Scriptures by whiche the wil of God is learned For this cause Dauid sayeth that Hee is blessed whiche delighteth in the lawe of the Lorde and exerciseth himselfe therein both day and nighte This is it that Moyses meaneth when he biddeth the Israelites that they should Talke of the lawes of God in theyr house By the way Lying downe to bedde Rising vp in the morning That they shoulde bee as a sygne in theyr hands as a Frontlet before their eyes and VVryte them on their doore postes That is by all meanes they can to make them selues famyliar with them that by the fleshe and the worlde they myghte not bee drawne to forgetfulnesse thereof And when the Lorde thy God hathe broughte thee into the lande c. This is an other good Instruction that Moyses vseth to the Israelites and behooueth vs also to follow that is that with earnest consideration we call to mynde the * inestimable benefites that God hath doone for vs whiche are farre greater and of more worthinesse than are these worldly benefites whiche God here is reported to haue done for the Israelites For he doth not only continually from tyme to tyme bestowe vpon vs the lyke worldly and outwarde blessings to our no small comfort and quietnesse in this lyfe but hath also enriched vs with his spirituall* treasures and blessings as
hable to bring them into that land that he had promised them but bicause he hated them caried thē forthe into the vvildernesse to slay them In which words Moyses sheweth himself also to haue a great care of the glory of God and therfore that he craueth his gracious mercy toward the Israelites not onely for their sakes but also that he thought it woulde make greatly to the aduauncement of the glory of God staying of the reproche therof among the wicked Such maner of prayer is also of great force and effect with God and doth appease his wrath staye him from the execution of his purposed plagues against his people offending And therfore doth it folow Exo. 32. The Lord refrained himself from the euill vvhich he saide he vvoulde doe vnto his people Whē Moyses had in this maner appeased the wrath of god in the moūt he did not so stay but comming downe among the people and seing their wickednesse in greate zeale and vehemency of spirite he caste the Tables of the law out of hys hand so that he brake them Which is not to be thoughte furye or rage in Moyses but as I haue said an earnest zeale and a declaration of his great grief of heart that he cōceyued not for any worldely matter but to see the * glorie of God and his true woorship to be so wickedly distayned and ouerthrown among his owne people And bicause he was a magistrate and gouerner he proceedeth further both to the destroying and taking awaye of the Idoll and also to the sharpe punishment of the chief offenders In suche matters where Gods glorie is distained priuate persons in deed haue to deale by prayer only as not hauing the sworde of correction put into their hande but the magistrate ought not only to vse prayer but his authoritie also giuen him of God to represse the wickednesse and to * punish the offenders to the example of other The number of them that Moyses executed for this offence were about three thousand as it appeareth Exod. 32. And besyde this he toke the Golden Calfe and buent it stampt it euen to very duste and cast it into the brooke that no memorie of so wicked idolatrie myghte remayne When Moyses sayeth verse 18. That he fell dovvne flatte before the Lorde euen as at the firste tyme and fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights c. It is not to be thoughte that this his fasting was in tyme before his seconde ascending into the hill when he was commaunded to prepare newe tables otherwise he shoulde appeare to haue fasted thryse which was not true therfore that which he addeth ver 25. is but a repetitiō of that which he speaketh vers 18 was performed in the Mount when at the appointment of God hee caried vp other tables to haue the lawe of God newe written in them For bicause the couenant by their sinne and offence was fordone it coulde not be againe confirmed and the tables of the couenāt new written but with the lyke solemnitie that was before and therefore Moyses taried there fortie days and fortie nightes and neither did eat bread nor drinke water The Prayer that is added in the later ende of the chap. was not vsed at his seconde going vp into the mount as it may seeme by the order of the telling of it here but it was the prayer that he made at the first tyme when God declared his displeasure purposed to haue destroyed the people Wherfore it is euident the storie is here repeted by Moyses somewhat interruptly and not in the order wherein euery thing was done His purpose was to put them in mind of the thing which they well knew and therefore regarded not so muche the order in telling The Sunday after the Ascention at Mornyng prayer Deuteronomie 12. THese are the ordinances and lawes which ye shall obserue and doe in the land which the Lorde God of thy fathers giueth thée to possesse it as long as ye liue vpon the earth 2 Ye shall destroye all places wherein the nations which ye shal possesse serued their gods vpon hye moūtaines on hilles and vnder euery gréene trée 3 You shal ouerthrowe their aulters and breake theyr pillers and burne their groues with fire and you shall hewe downe the grauen images of the gods that they haue and bring the names of them to naught out of that place 4 Ye shal not do so vnto the Lorde your God 5 But ye shall séeke the place which the Lorde your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there and there to dwell and thither thou shalte come 6 And thither ye shall bring your whole burnt sacrifices your offrings your tithes and heaue offerings of your hand your vowes your fréewill offerings and the firste borne of your kine of your shéep 7 And there ys shall cate before the Lorde your God and ye shall reioyce in all that ye put your hand vnto both ye and your housholdes wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thée 8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day euery mā what séemeth him good in his owne eyes 9 For ye are not yet come to rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giueth you 10 But when ye go ouer Iordane dwell in the land which the Lord your God hathe giuen you to inherite and when he hath giuen you rest from all your enimies rounde abouse and shall dwell in safetie 11 Then vnto the place which the Lorde youre God hathe chosen to put his name there ye shall bring all that I cōmaunde you youre whole burnt sacrifices your offerings your tythes the heaue offering of your hande and all youre speciall vowes whiche yée vow vnto the Lorde 12 And ye shal reioyce before the lord your God ye your sons your daughters your seruants your maidens the Leuite that is within youre gates forasmuche as he hath no parte nor inheritance wyth you 13 Take héede that thou offer not thy whole burnte offerings in euery place that thou séest 14 But in the place whiche the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes there thou shalt offer thy whole burnt offerings and there thou shalt doe all that I commaunde thée 15 Notwithstanding thou mayste kill and eate fleshe in all thy cities whatsoeuer thy soule lusteth after according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath giuen thée both the vncleane and the cleane maye eate thereof of the Roe bucke and of the Harte 16 Only ye shall not eate the bloud but poure it vpon the earth as water 17 Thou mayst not eate within thy gates the tythe of thy corne of thy wyne and of thy oyle and the first borne of thy kine and of thy shéepe neyther any of thy vowes whiche thou vowest nor thy fréewill offerings or heaueoffering of thyne hande 18 But thou muste eate
consider that it was the Lord of al Mercy that appointed here this order of punishment and also let them remember what extreme crueltie it is for a Magistrate to whose charge God hath committed hys people to se the Soules of a number of his people by wicked Doctrine or other like indeuor to be pulled from God hys true worship and lamentablie drawen to Hel perpetual Damnation yet not to cause the Roots workers therof to be taken awaye that their poyson may not so largely be spred to the great daunger of other and the decaie of Gods glory and truth IF thy brother the sonne of thy mother or thine owne sonne c. The same that was before spoken of false Prophets teachers only is here applied euen to euery one of the people whose offence although it may seme somewhat the lesse bicause of their Ignoraunce that they haue not the Office of teaching yet the Forsaking of God his truth and the seking to misleade other with them is to God alwayes and in all persons vntollerable But this is to be obserued bothe in this place before that such punishmēt is not to be vsed but where Gods true Religion is throughly knowē and Settled as it was at this time among the Ievves This is to be considered how Earnestly God requireth this punishment to be done For he willeth vs not to regarde eyther brother or syster or childe or wife or any* persons whatsoeuer thoughe he be vnto vs as oure owne life Wherby he declareth how earnest our studie and endeuour should be to maintayn his True worship Al natural affections be they otherwise neuer so cōmendable yet ought they to * giue place to the zeale of Gods glory to the affection that we shoulde haue to the establishing of the same among his people For in gods cause to be * slack and colde in consideratiō of these persons what els is it than to set our affections against Gods commaundements and to shewe that we more esteeme oure Naturall friends than we do God and his Glory Wherfore sayth God Thou shalt not obey him thine eye which commonly is the instrument of pitie shall not spare him nor take mercye vpon him no nor thou shalt not hide him or kepe him secrete but cause him to be slaine and yet to make the charge more vehemēt he addeth Thine hande shall be firste vpon him to kill him This he speaketh bicause the maner* was that in stoning of persons condemned the witnesses shold cast the first stones at them to declare that in their conscience the witnesse was true The cause and ende of this seueritye added in the .11 verse is diligentlie to be marked And all Israell shall heare and feare and shall doe no more any such vvickednesse The good and godly are stayed from euill throughe the loue of God and reuerence of his worde but the other which are alwaye the more parte will not be brideled but with* Seueritie feare of punishment whereby we may learne howe necessary sharpe correction and punishment is in Christian cōmon weales For such is the corruption of mans nature that where they see hope of impunitie they runne on headlong to the greatest mischiefes But by example of punishment and feare of Iustice they be somewhat stayed and kept in order If thou shalt heare say in one of thy Cities which the Lorde c. If the infection of Apostasie and falling from God doe growe from the false Prophete to the people and from some of the people to a whole Citie God willeth the whole Citie not to be spared but to be put to punishmente and vtter desolation For better it were that a fewe dyd perishe * than Gods true worship should be ouerthrowen and his glory decaye But in this place especially as in the other also before Men proceede to punishment God woulde haue them enquire and searche out the matter diligently that they dyd not vpon light report rashly condemne men But if it were founde for a suertie then that they should smite them with the edge of the sworde and to declare Gods iuste wrathe against the Reuolters from his knowen truth and right worship and not to spare so muche as their Cattell And gather all the spoile into the middes of the streete thereof c. God willeth the whole furniture and Implements of the Citie to be gathered into one place and burned with fire and * not to turne any therof vnto their owne vse It maye be God somewhat herein respected their couetousnes that they might not couer a corrupt affectiō of couetousnes with a pretensed zeale of Gods iustice But the principall cause that Moises here vttereth that is that the people by this might be more accustomed to the hating and Detestation of that whiche they saw God so greuously dyd abhorre Whitsundaye at Morning prayer Deuteronomie 16. OBserue the moneth of newe corne that thou mayest offer the passouer vnto the Lorde thy God For in the moneth when corne beginneth to rype the Lorde thy God brought thee out of Egipt by night 2 Thou shalt therfore offer the Passouer vnto the Lorde thy God of shéepe and oxen in the place which the Lord shal choose to put hys name there Thou shalt eate no leauened breade with it but seuen dayes shalte thou eate vnleauened breade therewith euen the breade of tribulation for thou camest oute of the lande of Egipte in haste that thou mayest remember the daye when thou camest oute of the lande of Egipte all the dayes of thy life 4 And there shal be no leauened breade séene in all thy coastes seuen dayes long neither shall there remayne anye thyng of the fleshe which thou offerest the firste day at euen vntyll the mornyng 5 Thou mayest not offer the Passouer wythin anye of thy gates which the Lord thy God geueth thée 6 But in the place which the Lorde thy God shall choose to set hys name in there thou shalt offer the Passouer at euen about the goyng downe of the Sunne in the season that thou camest oute of Egipte 7 And thou shalte roste and eate it in the place whiche the Lorde thy God hathe chosen and thou shalte returne on the morowe and goe vnto thy tentes 8 Sixe dayes thou shalte eate swéete breade and the seuenth daye shal be a solempne assemblye before the Lorde thy God thou shalte doe no worke therin 9 Seuen wéekes shalte thou number vnto thée and beginne to number the seuen wéekes when thou beginnest to put the sicle to the Corne. 10 And kéepe the feast of wéekes vnto the Lord thy God with a frée will offering of thyne hande whiche thou shalte geue vnto the Lord thy God according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thée 11 And thou shalt reioyce before the Lord thy God thou and thy Sonne thy Daughter thy seruant and thy mayde and the Leuite that is within thy gates
and the straunger the fatherlesse and the widdowe that are among you in the place whyche the Lorde thy God hathe chosen to put hys name there 12 And remember that thou waste a seruant in Egypte and thou shalte obserue and doe these ordinaunces 13 Thou shalte also obserue the Feast of Tabernacles seuen dayes after that thou hast gathered in thy corne and thy wine 14 And thou shalt reioyce in thy feast thou and thy sonne thy daughter thy seruaunt and thy maide the Leuite the straunger and the fatherlesse and the Widowe that are within thy gates 15 Seuen dayes shalte thou kéepe a solemne feast vnto the Lorde thy God in the place which the Lorde shall choose for the Lorde thy God shall blesse thée in all thy fruites and in all the workes of thine handes therfore shalte thou be glad 16 Thrée times in a yéere shall all thy males appeare before the Lorde thy God in the place whiche he shall choose in the feast of unleaucned because in the feast os weekes and in the feast Tabernacles and they shall not appeare before the Lorde emptie 17 Euery man shall geue according to the gift of his hand and according to the blessing of the Lorde thy God which he hath geuen thée 18 Iudges and officers shalt thou make thée in all thy cities which the Lord thy God geueth thée throughout thy tribes and they shal iudge the people with iust iudgement 19 Wrest not thou the lawe nor knowe anye person neither take anye rewarde for giftes doe blinde the eyes of the wyse and peruert the wordes of the righteous 20 That whiche is iuste and righte shalte thou folowe that thou mayest lyue and enioye the lande whych the Lord thy God geueth thée 21 Thou shalte plante no groue of anye trées neare vnto the aulter of the Lorde thy God which thou shalt make thée 22 Thou shalte set thée vp no Piller which the Lord the God hateth The Exposition vpon the .xvj. Chapter of Deuteronomie Obserue the moneth of newe corne that thou maiest offer the Passouer c. THe Israelites in this place are commauÌ„ded wyth all diligence to obserue the three principall Feastes wherein they were appointed especially to resort to the place that the Lorde would choose that is the Citie of Hierusalem The first Feast was the Passouer called here the Moneth of nevvecorne and by vs noted vnder the name of Easter The second was Pentecost called here the Feast of vveekes and by vs VVhitsontide The thirde was the Feast of Tabernacles As touchyng the Passouer there is more large declaration of it vpon Exodus 12. redde on Easter day It was solemnised the first moneth that is the moneth of Marche and here is called the Moneth of nevve corne bycause fruite and graine then began to growe toward ripening For in those countries being many degrees more Southward narre the sunne Haruest is much sooner than with vs Northwarde At this Feast besyde other ceremonyes they were appoynted to offer vnto God a certayne small portion of their eares of new corne therby confessyng that theyr towardnesse of Haruest was of Gods onely goodnes and also praying that he would vouchsafe to prosper to their vse that which was on the grounde for this cause especiallye is the tyme of this Feast called the Moneth of newe corne The principall cause of the Institution* of the Passouer was to put them in continuall remembrance of Gods maruellous benefite in passing away his plague from them and not striking them when hys Angell* killed all the firste borne of Egipte At this Feast by the space of seueÌ„ dayes they might eate no leauened bread whereby they were put in minde of their Hastie dispatch out of Egipte For albeit Pharao was obstinately set not to let them goe yet God by his mighty plagues so Brake his harte that he did not onely deliuer them but forced them to depart with such spede as they coulde not abyde to leuen their dowe but caried it away on their shoulders Whiche their hastie departure â—â—s some trouble to them and thereof doth this vnleauened bread put them in remembrance and for that cause is called here The bread of tribulation As for all other ceremonies appertainyng to this Feast they are expounded in the chapiter aboue mentioned Seuen weekes shalt thou number to thee and beginne to number c. From the day after that the Measure or Portion of newe corne was offered vnto the Lorde whiche I thinke was in the ende of the Feast of Passouer reckning seueÌ„ ful Sabathes or wekes to the nexte daye after the seuen weekes ended are iuste fiftye dayes was the time appoynted for the Pentecost called here the Feast of vveekes and in Exodus 23 The Feast of Haruest and wyth vs as I haue sayd is named VVhitsontide The firste cause of the ordynance of thys Feaste was that they mighte remember the Libertie that God had geuen them and shewe themselues thankefull for the same For fiftie dayes after their comming out of Egipte God gaue them the Lawe in Mount Sinay and first ordained them a free State and Policie by peculiar Lawes among themselues whereas before they were in bondage and lyued in miserable oppression vnder the Lawes and * tyrannie of the Egiptians An other cause of the Institution hereof was that they myghte offer a newe Oblation vnto God that is two Loaues of new Corne baked as the first Fruites in way of thankesgeuing to the Lorde So that they did not offer onelye the Measure of Newe corne before Haruest but Oblation also towarde the ende of Harueste And thereby are taughte as We also shoulde be that the Fruites of Harueste come not eyther of the Fertilitie of the grouÌ„d or of their owne Labour and trauayle but of the singuler Fauour and Blessing of God and therefore that they should vse the same not to Ryote and DrunkeÌ„nesse but wyth reuerence and * thankesgeuyng The third cause of the Institution was that it might be a figure both of the true Libertie of conscience and of the spirituall Haruest that was to come vnder the true Moyses and Deliuerer Christ Iesu For euen as fiftye dayes after the deliuerie of the Chyldren of Israell oute of Egipte they had the Lawe geuen them in Mounte Sinay So the fiftieth daye after oure deliuerance from the Tyrannie of Sinne and Sathan by the Deathe and Resurrection of Christe whiche was the true* Passouer The holye Ghoste was sente downe from Heauen which myghte not onelye wryte the eternall lawe of God in oure heartes make vs free Citizens of the heauenly Hierusalem but also by the Apostles and other good Ministers labourers might* gather together the Spirituall Haruest of God throughoute the whole worlde and that all Faithfull might receyue the firste Fruites of the benefytes of hys Deathe and Resurrection We do not therfore Obserue this day supersticiously bicause the like was ordeined among
the Iewes But for that it is an ordinarie time appoynted for the people of God to assemble heare the declaration of those maruellous workes of God which as at thys tyme were done after the Ascention of Christe into Heauen For then dyd Christe declare and confirme the Maiestie and trueth of hys Gospell wyth wonderfull Miracles So that it was euidente that he onelye was the trewe Messias and Sauioure that the same Holy Ghost had spoken of manye yeares before vnto the Patriarkes and Prophetes And bycause at the tyme of Pentecost when the Holye Ghost was giuen the Gospell firste began to be published we may not thinke that one or two Festiuall dayes is appointed for the perfourmance thereof but from that first Pentecost vntill the worldes ende should be to vs one perpetuall VVhitsonday in which we should wyth thankesgiuing reioyce for our spiritual fredome and take in the fruites of Christs blessed Passion and Resurrection Thou shalte obserue also the feast of the Tabernacles seuen dayes c. This Feast of the Tabernacles or Tentes was Solemnised the .15 of September when they had not gathered in all their fruites graine and wine All the tyme of this Feast for the space of seuen dayes they dwelt in Tentes or Bowthes of grene trees and obserued sundry ceremonies and oblations declared Num. 28. 29. Leuit. 23. and other where The causes of the ordinance were partly to put them in mind of their former Condition Whence they came and that it was God that firste made them to dwell in Tentes in the wildernesse whē he brought them out of Egipt Secondlye that they mighte remember the wonderfull miracles and benefites that God did in maintayning and Preseruing them vntill they came into the lande of Chanaan where they founde in steede of Tentes and Tabernacles goodlye strong Cities and faire houses to inhabite and by this occasion were they willed to compare the Felicitie that they shoulde be in the land of Chanaā with the Necessity hard state that they had before when they were constrained to inhabite in Bouthes Tabernacles and thereby learne not to waxe insolent but to giue thankes to God the Authour of that great blessing None of these Feastes might be Solemnised in any place but where the Lord had chosēto set his name would especially be called vpō that as I haue said in the time of Dauid was Hierusalē Before that where the Tabernacle of God was Iudges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy Cities which the Lord. c. Now Moises addeth certaine politicall orders and instructions for choise of cōuenient Magistrates in their common weale and for the sincere vpright dealing therin For seing the Iudgemēt Seate of y Magistrate is as it were a sanctuary a place of reliefe succour for the succourlesse the poore and needy and other whatsoeuer persons oppressed by iniurie it might seme most lamentable if they comming thither for succour shuld light vpō Theues Robbers that wil sell right for gaine and money Therfore Moises willeth Magistrates Iudges in anye wise to beware of* Partialitie Briberie as y thing that shutteth vp the eyes of discretion and wisedome and corrupteth al true Iudgement For saith he Gifts doe blind the eyes of the vvise and peruerte the wordes of the righteous Thou shalte plante no Groues of anye trees neere vnto thee c. The heathen vsed to plante Groues of wood about the Chappels of their Idols sometime made Pillars to set their false Gods on wherefore bicause God will haue his Religion not to agree with the Idolatours worship of the Gentils he briefely forbiddeth those two things Trinitie Sundaye at Morning prayer Genesis 18. ANd the Lord appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre and he sate in his tent doore in the heate of the day 2 And he lift vp his eyes and loked and lo thrée men stoode by him and when he sawe them he ranne to meete them from the Tent doore and bowed himselfe towarde the ground 3 And said Lorde if I haue now founde fauour in thy sight passe not away I pray thée from thy seruant 4 Let a litle-water I praye you be fet washe your féete and refreshe your selues vnder the trée 5 And I will fet a morsell of bread to comfort your heartes withall and then shall you goe your wayes for therfore are ye come to your seruant And they said Doe as thou hast said 6 And Abraham went apace into the Tent vnto Sara and said Make redy at once thrée measures of fine meale kneade it and make cakes vpon the hearth 7 And Abraham running vnto his beastes fet a calfe tender and good and gaue it vnto a young man and he hasted to make it ready at once 8 And he toke butter and milke and the calfe which he had prepared and set it before them and stoode himselfe by them vnder the trée and they did eate 9 And they saide vnto him Where is Sara thy wife He answered Beholde in the Tent. 10 And he said I will certainely returne vnto thée if I liue and so Sara thy wife shall haue a sonne That hearde Sara in the Tent doore which was behinde him 11 Abraham and Sara were both olde well stricken in age and it ceassed to be with Sara after the manner as it is with women 12 Therefore Sara laughed within her selfe saying Now I am waxed olde shall I geue my selfe to luste and my Lord olde also 13 And God saide vnto Abraham Wherefore did Sara laugh saying Shall I of a suertie beare a childe whiche am olde 14 Is anye thing vnpossible to God According to the time appoynted will I returne vnto thée if I liue and Sara shall haue a sonne 15 Then Sara denyed it saying I laughed not for she was afraide And he saide It is not so but thou didst laugh 16 And the men rising vp from thence loked toward Sodome and Abraham went with them to bring them on the waye 17 And the Lorde sayde Shall I hyde from Abraham that thyng whiche I doe 18 Seyng that Abraham shall surely be a greate and a mightie nation and all the nations of the earth shal be blessed in him 19 I knowe this also that he will commaunde hys children and his housholde after him that they kepe the way of the Lord and to doe iustice and iudgement that the Lorde maye bryng vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him 20 And the Lorde sayde Because the crye of Sodome and Gomorrhe is greate and because their sinne is excéeding gréeuous 21 I will goe downe now and sée whether they haue done altogether according to that crye which is come vnto me and if not I will knowe 22 And the men departed thence and went to Sodomewarde but Abraham stoode yet before the Lord. 23 And Abraham drew neare and said Wilte thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked 24 If there be
fiftie righteous within the Citie wilte thou destroye and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therin 25 That be farre from thée that thou shouldest do after this maner and slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thée Shall not the iudge of all the world doe according to right 26 And the Lord saide If I finde in Sodome fiftie righteous within the citie I will spare all the place for their sakes 27 And Abraham aunswering sayd Behold I haue taken vpon me to speake vnto the Lord which am but dust and asshes 28 If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie righteous wilt thou destroy all the citie for lacke of fiue And he saide If I finde there fortie and fiue I will not destroy them 29 And he procéeded to speake vnto him againe and saide What if there shal be fortie founde there He aunswered I will not doe it for forties sake 30 He said vnto him againe Oh let not my Lord be angry that I speake What if there shall thirtie be founde there And he saide I will doe nothing if I finde thirtie there 31 He saide againe O sée I haue taken vpon me to speake now also vnto my Lord What if there shal be twentie found there He aunswered I will not destroye them for twenties sake 32 And he sayd Oh let not my Lord be angry I wil speake yet but this once What if ten shal be found there He answered I will not destroy them for tennes sake 33 And the Lord went his way assoone as he had left communing with Abraham and Abraham also returned vnto his place The exposition vpon the .xviij. Chapter of Genesis And the Lorde appeared vnto him in the plaine of Memre c. THis Chapter sheweth how God appered by his angels vnto his seruant Abraham Then how Abraham inuited and entertayned the Angels thinking them at the first to haue ben Men as they appeared And lastly howe the Angels reuealed to him the purpose of God to destroy Sodom and what talke Abraham had with them If we loke to the time of this appearāce it may be thought it was shortely after Abraham had circumcised himselfe and all his And thereby haue we to learne how diligent and * readie the prouidence of God is to Visit Comfort Confirme such as by true faith and obedience haue submitted themselues vnto his Religiō holy ordinaunces The chiefe cause of the sending of these angels vnto Abraham was to confirme to him and his wife Sarah the promise that he had made him of a Chyld by her of whom the Blessed seede should descende By the way also he reueleth to him the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha Why it pleased God to sende three Angels not two or one we must not with vayne curiositie search It is not wicked to think that he respected therin the mysterie of the holy Trinitie as many of the anciente Fathers haue writtē but whether that agree with the Simplicitie of the historie I leaue to the iudgement of the godly In Abraham we haue an example of a godly willing desire to entertain Strangers and to relieue them which is not vnfruteful for vs to consider First therefore Abraham sate at his Tent dore in the heate of the day vndoubtedly not of Idlenes but of purpose to espie if any trauailers passed by that he might entreate them to stay and take some reliefe And therfore whē he saw the Angels thinking them to haue ben Men He ran vnto thē He might haue called to them or sent a seruant but in running himselfe appeared a more godly willingnesse And when he came vnto them he bowed himselfe with all humblenesse though he had neuer seene thē before and called the one of them by the name of Lord for reuerēce thinking him happily a worthier person than the two other If sayth he I haue found fauour in thy sight passe not away c. So ready was this godly father to * liberalitie in entertainement that he signifieth they shuld rather do him a pleasure than receiue any benefite at his hād and that it were a reproch to him if they did not vouchsafe to tarie with him The things that he promised them were but smal A little water to wash their feete and a morsell of bread to comforte thē Which he doth to that end that their modestie and bashfulnesse might not think that they shuld be chargeable and burdenous to him so be the lother to tarie Mē in those coūtries vsed to trauaile cōmonly bare footed and therfore was it ease and comforte to wayfaring men to * wash their feete The place whither he biddeth thē to rest thēselues was vnder a tree Such was the simplicitie of y anciēt time they had not yet takē vp the wasting of their substāce in building of Gay houses gorgeous parlers This Reuerende Patriarke and father of the faithful whom god vsed so familiarly with his angels dwelt in a Tent or Tabernacle had no house at all to declare y he was but a * pilgrime in this land and had no place of long abiding And they saide do as thou hast said and Abraham went apace c. Forsomuch as it was the pleasure of god that it should not yet be knowne what the Angels were as Abraham was ready and willing to offer them such things as were for the reliefe of wayfaring mē as he toke them to be so do they will him to do as he had spoken concealing as yet that they were the Angels and messengers of God sent vnto him And Abraham in making the prouisiō sheweth the same humblenes ready good will that he declared in the bidding He wēt apace to Sarah into the Tent He ran vnto the beastes He fet a tender and a good calfe He prouided all that he had spoken not onely of the best but with speed For as he knew it to be curtesie to entertayne straungers so hee thoughte it no good manner to cause them to tarie longer than happily the necessitie of theyr busynesse woulde suffer them As wel by the place before mentioned as by the residue of this Entertainment we may learne that the worlde was not yet growen to such a nicitie tendernesse and delicacie in feeding other furniture as by Sensualitie men since that are come vnto and especially in these latter dayes Here some moue question how the Angels did eate or whether they did eat or no Seing that they be celestial Spirits and haue no Bodies that neede sustenance and feeding surely Godly Christians must not in such questions be curious As gods pleasure was that they shuld be taken as men for the time So of his diuine power whiche dayly worketh strange things he had prouided bodies for them to walke in and with the same bodyes did they eat althogh their Spiritual substance needed no sustenance And when
Moyses Num. 32. by reading of whiche place this wil be the better vnderstanded And they answered Iosuah saying All that thou hast commaunded vs c. In this thirde parte of the chapiter the people shewe their obedience vnto that Prince and leader that was by God appointed vnto them All things saye they That thou hast commaunded vs vve will doe Whereby we maye learne an example of obedience to Magistrates not onely of obedience but also of carefull loue toward them For that it was that here moued the people to praye for Iosuah saying The Lorde thy God be vvith thee as he vvas vvith Moyses Whereby we are taught also to pray to God for the good estate of oure Princes that we maye quietlye liue vnder them as S. Paule saith in honestie and godlines The first Sunday after Trinitie at Mornyng prayer Iosua 10. NOwe when Adonizedec King of Hierusalem had heard howe Iosuah had taken Ai had destroyed it and how that as he had done to Iericho and her king euen so he had done to Ai and her king and how the inhabitours of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them 2 They feared excéedingly for Gibeon was a great Citye as any Citie of the kingdome and was greater than Ai and all the men thereof were verye mightie 3 Wherefore Adonizedec king of Hierusalem sente vnto Hoham king of Hebron and vnto Pira king of Iarmuth and vnto Iaphia king of Lachis and vnto Dabir king of Eglon saying 4 Come vp vnto me and helpe me that we maye smite Gibeon for they haue made peace with Iosuah and with the Children of Israel 5 Therefore the fiue kinges of the Amorites the kyng of Hierusalem the kyng of Hebron the kyng of Iarmuth the king of Lachis and the king of Eglon gathered themselues together and went vp they with all their hoastes besieged Gibeon and made warre against it 6 And the men of Gibeon sent vnto Iosuah to the hoast in Gilgal saying Withdraw not thy hand from thy seruants come vp to vs quicklye and saue vs and helpe vs for all the kings of the Amorites which dwell in the mountaynes are gathered together agaynst vs. 7 And so Iosuah ascended from Gilgal he and all the people of warre with him and all the men of might 8 And the Lorde saide vnto Iosuah Feare them not for I haue deliuered them into thine hande neither shall anye of them stande againste thée 9 Iosuah therefore came vnto them sodenly and went vp from Gilgal all night 10 And the Lorde troubled them before Israel and slue them with a greate slaughter at Gibeon and chased them along the way that goeth vp to Bethoron and smote them to Azeka and Makeda 11 And as they fled from before Israel and were in the goyng downe to Bethoron the Lorde caste downe greate stones from heauen vpon them vntill Azeka and they dyed there were moe dead with hayle stones than they were whom the children of Israel slue with the sword 12 Then spake Iosuah to the Lorde in the daye when the Lorde deliuered the Amorites before the Children of Israel and he saide in the sighte of Israel Sunne stande thou styll vpon Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon 13 And the Sunne abode and the Moone stoode styll vntyll the people auenged themselues vpon their enemyes Is not this written in the booke of the righteous So the Sunne abode in the middest of heauen and hasted not to goe downe by the space of a whole daye 14 And there was no daye like that before it or after it that the Lorde heard the voyce of a man for the Lord fought for Israel 15 And Iosuah returned and all Israel wyth him vnto the campe to Gilgal 16 But the fiue kings fled and were hyd in a caue at Makeda 17 And it was tolde Iosuah saying The fiue kings are founde hyd in a caue which is at Makeda 18 And Iosuah saide Roule great stones vpon the mouthe of the caue and set men by it for to kepe it 19 And stande ye not styll but folow after your enimies and smite all the hindmoste and suffer them not to enter into their Cities for the Lorde your God hath deliuered them into your hand 20 And when Iosuah and the Children of Israel had made an ende of slaying them with an excéeding greate slaughter tyll they were wasted the reste that remayned of them entred into walled Cities 21 And all the people returned to the hoast to Iosuah at Makeda in peace neither dyd anye man moue his tongue againste the Children of Israell 22 Then sayde Iosuah Open the mouth of the caue and bring out those fiue kings vnto me out of the caue 23 And they dyd so and broughte those fiue kinges vnto him out of the caue euen the king of Hierusalem the King of Hebron the king of Iarmuth the king of Lachis and the king of Eglon. 24 And when they broughte oute those fiue Kings vnto Iosuah Iosuah called for all the men of Israel saide vnto the chéefe of the men of warre which went with him Come néere and put your féete vpon the neckes of these Kings And they came néere and put their féete vpon the neckes of them 25 And Iosuah sayde vnto them Ye shall not feare nor be faint hearted but be strong plucke vp your heartes for thus shall the Lorde doe to all your enemyes against whom ye fighte 26 And then Iosuah smote them and slue them and hanged them on fiue trées and they hanged styll vpon the trées vntyll the euenyng 27 And at the goyng downe of the Sunne Iosuah gaue commaundement and they toke them downe of the trées and caste them into the caue wherin they had béen hyd and layde great stones in the caues mouthe vvhich remaine vntyll this day 28 And that same daye Iosuah tooke Makeda and smote it with the edge of the swoorde and the kyng thereof also destroyed he vtterlye wyth all the soules that were therein and let none remaine and he did to the king of Makeda as he did vnto the king of Iericho 29 Then Iosuah went from Makeda and all Israel wyth him vnto Libna and fought against Libna 30 And the Lorde delyuered it and the King thereof into the hande of Israel and he smote it with the edge of the sworde and all the soules that were therein He let non◠remaine in it but did vnto the King thereof as he did vnto the King of Iericho 31 And Iosuah departed from Libna and all Israel with him vnto Lachis and besieged it and assaulted it 32 And the Lord deliuered Lachis into the hand of Israel which toke it the seconde daye and smote it with the edge of the sworde and all the soules that were therin doyng according to all as he had done to the citie of Libna 33 Then Horam king of Geser came vp to helpe Lachis and Iosuah smote him and his
golden Calfe hauing no respect of Aliance or Kinred Exod. 32 and yet are they reported To haue Consecrated their handes vnto the Lorde That whyche is appoynted by GOD can not seeme to bee agaynste hys Lawe Iaell was of the people of God and therfore might she well adde her helping hande to their deliuerance especially agaynste an vnrepentant Tiranne and seeyng the same to bee appoynted by God. The .ij. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Iudges 5. THen Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang the same day saying 2 Praise ye the Lorde for the auenging of Israell and for the people that became so willing 3 Heare O ye kings hearken O ye Princes I euen I wyll syng vnto the Lorde I wyll syng prayse to the Lorde God of Israell 4 Lorde when thou wentest out of Seir when thou departedst out of the féeld of Edom the earth trembled and the heauens rayned the cloudes also dropped water 5 The Mountaines melted before the Lorde euen as did Sinai before the Lord God of Israell 6 In the dayes of Samgar the sonne of Anath in the dayes of Iael the hye wayes were vnoccupied and the trauaylers walked thorough bywayes 7 The inhabitauntes of the townes were gone they were gone in Israell vntyll I Debora came vp whyche came vp a mother in Israell 8 They chose newe Gods and then had they the enimie in the gates was there a shield or speare séene among fortie thousande of Israell 9 My heart loueth the gouernours of Israel and them that are willing among the people O praise ye the Lord. 10 Speake ye that ryde on fayre asses ye that dwell by Midden and that walke by the wayes 11 For the noyse of the archers among the drawers of water ceassed there shall they speake of the righteousnes of the Lord his righteousnes in his vnfensed townes in Israel then shall the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates 12 Vp Debora vp get thée vp and sing a song arise Barak and leade the captiuitie captiue thou sonne of Abinoam 13 Then shall they that remayne haue dominion of the proudest of the people the Lorde hath geuen me dominion ouer the mightie 14 Oute of Ephraim was there a roote of them againste Ameleck and after thée Beniamin among thy people Out of Machir came rulers and out of Zabulon they that handle the pen of the writer 15 And of Isachar there were Princes with Debora and Isachar and also Barak he was sent on foote into the valley for the diuisions of Ruben vvere great thoughtes of heart 16 Why abodest thou among the shéepe foldes to heare the bleatings of the flockes for the diuisions of Ruben were great thoughtes of hearte 17 Gilead also abode beyonde Iordane and why doth Dan remaine in shippes Aser continued on the sea shore and taried in his decayed places 18 But the people of Zabulon haue ieoparded their liues vnto the death like as did Nephthali in the hye places of the féelde 19 The kings came and foughte then foughte the Kings of Chanaan in Thanack by the waters of Megiddo and wanne no money 20 They foughte from heauen euen the starres in their courses foughte againste Sisara 21 The riuer of Kison swept them away that auncient riuer the riuer Kison O my soule thou hast marched valiauntly 22 Then were the horse hoofes smitten a sunder by the meanes of the praunsings that their mightie men made 23 Curse ye the Citie of Meros sayde the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitantes thereof bycause they came not to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mightie 24 Iael the wyfe of Haber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women blessed shall she be aboue other women in the tent 25 He asked water and she gaue him milke she brought foorth butter in a Lordly dyshe 26 She put her hande to the nayle and her righte hande to the Smithes hammer with the hammer smote shée Sisara and smote his heade wounded him and pearsed his temples 27 He bowed him downe at her féete he fell downe and laye styll at her féete he bowed hymselfe and fell and when he had sunke downe he laye there destroyed 28 The mother of Sisara looked oute at a wyndowe and cryed throughe the lattesse Why is his charet so long a comming Why tary the whéeles of his charets 29 All the wyse Ladyes answered her yea and her owne wordes answered her selfe 30 Surely they haue founde they diuide the spoyles euery man hathe a damsell or two Sisara hathe a praye of diuers coloured garmentes euen a praye of rayment dyed with sundrye colours and that are made of néedle worke rayment of diuers colours and of néedle worke on both sides whiche is méete for him that is chiefe in distributing of the spoyles 31 So perishe all thine enemyes O Lorde but they that loue him let them be as the Sunne when he ryseth in his might And the lande had rest fortie yéeres The Exposition vpon the fifth Chapter of Iudges Then Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang the same daye c. NO kinde of worship is to God more pleasant nor by the holye Ghost in the Scriptures more earnestly required than when God hathe shewed the great benefites of his mercie towarde his people that they * for the same declare themselues Thankefull and prayse his holie name therefore Call vpon mee saieth God by his Prophete Dauid in the daye of they trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me not that God needeth oure Glorifying or praysing beyng of himselfe most Glorious and worthy praise but he * deliteth in Thankfulnes and also for our causes would haue his enemies by that meanes feared when they vnderstande him to be declared by his people to be so terrible and mightie a punisher of his sinfull and wicked aduersaries And on the other parte that they which be weake and fainte may haue their faith Strengthened and more readily commit themselues vnto his mercy when they perceiue him to be so willing and gracious a God beyonde all Deserte Expectation of his mere goodnesse to deliuer them Therefore Debora doth here the parte of a good and faithfull Gouernour that is both her selfe so ready and also * willeth the residue of hir people in this pleasant triumphant Song to the terrour of the enemies and comfort of the faithfull to Set forth the Mightie mercifull goodnesse of God towarde them The like examples we haue in Moyses at the redde Sea In * Anna for her sonne Samuel In * Iudith for her victorie ouer Holophernes c. The People that became so vvilling were the tribes of Zabulon and Nepthalie who did readily folowe the Appointment of God declared by Debora and for the same doth she here and afterwarde Praise them and Reproue the other Lorde when thou wentest out of Seir when thou departedst out of the. c. Debora praiseth God by
Svvept avvay with the Riuer Kison by which the fielde was foughte Yea and the horse men fled with suche violence that they rent their horses hoofes Curse ye the Cittie of Meros sayde the Angell of the Lorde Curse the. c. Meros was a Citie of the Israelites neere to Thabor where the victorie was gotten therfore vnexcusable because they came not forth to helpe and by the Angell of God are here cursed Whereby all men are taught* not to withdrawe their helping hand when God calleth to the deliuerance of his people from the wicked tirannie of the oppressour In the residewe the Prophetisse pleasantly setteth forth the gesture Policie and stoutenesse of Iael in killing Sisara with the great reproche of that proude and confident tiranne that so long vnder his Prince had oppressed Gods people In the ende to the comforte of the faithful in waye of conclusion or rather of a triumphant reioysing She addeth that God in like maner will deale* with all his enemies and they that loue him and put their trust and confidence in his mercy shall prosper and Florishe as the Sunne risen to his might that is when he is come to his midde dayes course The thirde Sunday after Trinitie at Mornyng prayer 1. Samuel 2. ANd Hanna prayed and sayde Myne heart reioyceth in the Lorde and mine horne is exalted in the Lorde my mouthe is wyde open ouer mine enemies for I reioyce in thy saluation 2 There is none holye as the Lorde for without thée is nothing neither is there any of strength as is our God. 3 Talke no more proudely let not arrogancie come out of your mouthes for the Lorde is a God of knowledge and his purposes come to passe 4 The bowe with the mightie men are broken and they that were weake haue girded themselues with strength 5 They that were full haue hyred oute themselues for breade and they that were hungrye ceasse tyll the barren haue borne seuen and she that had many children is waxed féeble 6 The Lorde killeth and maketh aliue bryngeth downe to the graue and fetcheth vp againe 7 The Lorde maketh poore and maketh riche bringeth lowe and heaueth vp on hye 8 He raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dounghill to set them among princes and to make them inherite the seate of glorye For the pillers of the earth are the Lordes and he hath set the worlde vpon them 9 He will kéepe the féete of his Saintes and the wicked shall kepe scilence in darkenesse and in his owne might shall no man be strong 10 The Lordes aduersaries shall be destroyed of him and oute of heauen shall be thunder vpon them the Lorde shall iudge the endes of the world and shall giue mighte vnto his king and exalte the horne of his annointed 11 And Elkana went to Ramath to his house and the lad did Minister vnto the Lord before Eli the priest 12 But the sonnes of Eli were Children of Belial and knew not the Lord 13 And the priests custome toward the people was that whensoeuer anye man offered anye offering the priests lad came whyle the fleshe was a séething and a fleshhooke with thrée téeth in his hand 14 And thrust it into the panne kettle caldron or pot and al that the fleshhooke broughte vp that the priest toke for him selfe And so they dyd vnto all the Israelites that came thither to Silo. 15 Yea and thereto before they burnt the fat the priests lad came and sayde to the man that offered Geue fleshe that I maye roste it for the priest for he will not haue sodden fleshe of thée but rawe 16 And if any man saide vnto him Let them burne the fat according to the custome and then take as muche as thyâ—e heart desireth Then he would answere him Yea thou shalt giue it mée now and if thou wilt not I will take it with violence 17 And the sinne of the young men was verye great before the Lorde for men abhored the offering of the Lord. 18 But the childe Samuel Ministred before the Lordâ— girded with a linnen Ephod 19 Moreouer his mother made him a little coate and brought it to him from yéere to yéere when she came vp with her husband to offer the yéerely sacrifice 20 And Eli blessed Elkana and his wife and sayde The Lord giue thée séede of this woman for the petition that she asked of the Lorde And they went vnto their owne home 21 And the Lord visited Hanna so that she conceyued and bare thrée sonnes and two daughters and the childe Samuel grewe before the Lorde 22 Eli was very olde and heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel and howe they lay with the women that wayted at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation 23 And he saide vnto them why doe ye suche things for of all these people I heare euill reportes of you 24 Oh nay my sonnes for it is no good reporte that I heare howe that ye make the Lordes people to trespasse 25 If one man sinne against another the iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne againste the Lorde who will be his dayseman Notwithstanding they hearkened not vnto the voyce of their father bicause the Lord would slay them 26 The childe Samuel profited and grewe and was in fauour both with the Lorde and with men 27 And there came a man of God vnto Eli and saide vnto him Thus saith the lorde Did not I plainely appeare vnto the house of thy father when they were in Egipte in Pharaos house 28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest for to offer vpoÌ„ mine aulter and to burne incense and to weare an Ephod before me and I gaue vnto the house of thy father all the offeringes made by fyre of the Children of Israel 29 Wherefore treade ye downe my sacrifice and mine offering which I commaunded in the Tabernacle and honourest thy children aboue me to make your selues fat of the first fruites of all the offeringes of Israel my people 30 Wherfore the Lorde God of Israel sayth I saide that thy house and the house of thy father should walke before me for euer but now the Lord sayth That be farre from mée for them that worshippe me I will worshippe and they that despise me shall come to shame 31 Beholde the dayes come that I will cut of thine arme and the arme of thy fathers house that there shall not be an old man in thine house 32 And thou shalt sée thine enemie in the habitation of the lord in all the wealth which God shall giue Israel and there shall not be an olde man in thine house for euer 33 Neuerthelesse I will not destroy euery one that come of thée from mine aulter to make thine eyes to faile and to make thine heart sorowfull and all they that be multiplied in thine house shall dye vvhen they be men 34 And
that is his single Directe Will the other Retribuens that is his Requiting Wil wherby he killeth and punisheth For as in hys single and directe will he would not haue sinne so would he not haue the punishmēt of sinne but is Driuen vnto it by the impenitent synners that of his iustice he must needes giue them the reward of that wickednesse which he would not haue And therfore in his Simple and Reuealed will for the loue he beareth to mankinde he is grieued to see man cast him selfe into the daunger therof When God in Ezechiel saith I wil not the death of a sinner We must further vnderstād that there are two sorts of sinners The penitente and the Impenitent sinner God of his mercie * will not the death of the Penitente sinner although he haue iustly deserued it This Wil is so Firme Sure Resolute that he bindeth it with an oth saying As sure as I liue The Impenitent sinner of his iustice he must will punish by Death both of body and soule And such were the sonnes of Helie of whome here it is spoken There came a man vnto Hely and said vnto him thus saith the lord c. Now God sendeth his messenger to Helie to declare vnto him as well the grieuousnesse of his sonnes offēces cōtinued by his Slacknes as also the Great punishment that shuld come vnto him for the same The Men of God are all they which being lightned with the Spirite of God declare his wil vnto his people Some of which be ordinarie Ministers in the Church of God and so doth Paule cal Timothie The man of God Some ar extraordinarie for some peculiar purposes of greate importance as this messenger in this place was but who it was by name the Scripture expresseth not And here wee may learne that when the ordinarie ministerie is corrupted and regardeth not the worde of God The Holie Ghost rayseth vp other extraordinarie to reproue them Examples hereof we haue in the Prophets and in Christ and his Apostles The Prophets and messengers of God alway vse this preface Thus sayth the Lorde wherby as Ambassadors from God they declare their Commission and that they mynd to vtter nothing but that wherof they haue warrant from God himselfe Ambassadors may not goe beyond their Commission nor the Messengers of God beyond his reuealed will. In this Message the Prophet first putteth Helie in mynde of the singular benefit that God gaue to his ancesters appointing the priesthood to remaine to that familie thereby the more to amplifie his vnthankfull negligence Then hee layeth before him his offence and trespasse done against God that for to benefite and pleasure his lewde Children he suffered the Sacrifice and true worshin of God not only to be abused or dishonored but to be brought to vtter Contempt and as it were trodē vnder foote and the harts of the people alienated from it Lastly he declareth his punishmente that God repenteth him of that priuiledge that he had giuen to hys familie and would take the same frō him that there should neuer be old man in his house but should dye as soone as they came to mans state bicause he so negligently abused the reuerend authoritie of his age That he should see that is That his posteritie should see his enimie and one that he did enuie in the house of the Lorde and that in the time of Salomon when the people of God had greatest prosperitie That they of his flocke should come to extreame pouertie and neede And in assurance that all these things in their due time should come to passe he giueth him this vnpleasant token that his two sonnes should Die both in one day This maye bee a terrible example to all Parentes Princes and Magistrates that by their slacknesse and remisse gouernemente suffer corruption of Gods true worship and wickednesse of life to encrease in their children or subiects for lacke of Seueritie and iust Punishment This punishmente of taking away the priesthoode from the house of Helie God doth not presently execute but differreth it vntill the reigne of Salomon when Sadoc was placed in Abiathars roome 3. Reg 2. In the meane time God of hys mercie gaue time to his posteritie to repente The .14 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ieremie Cap. 5. LOke thorough Hierusalem beholde and sée féeke thorough hir stréetes also within if ye can finde one man that doth equall and righte or seeketh for the truth and I shall spare that Citie saith the Lord. 2 For though they can saye The Lorde liueth yet they sweare to deceiue 3 Wheras thou O Lord lookest only vpon faith and truth Thou hast scourged them but they toke no repentance thou hast corrected them for amendement but they refused thy correction they made their faces harder than a stone and would not amend 4 Therefore I thought in my selfe Peraduenture they are so simple and foolish that they vnderstand nothing of the Lords way and iudgements of their God. 5 Therefore will I go vnto their heads and rulers and talke with them if they know the way of the Lorde and iudgements of their God But these in like manner haue broken the yoke and burst the bondes in sunder 6 Wherefore a Lion out of the wood hath hurte them and a woolfe in the euening shall destroy them the Leopard doth lye lurking by their cities to teare in péeces all them that come therout for their offences are multiplied and their departing away is encreased 7 Shoulde I then for all this haue mercie vpon thée Thy children haue forsaken me and sworne by them that are no Gods and albeit that I fedde them to the full yet they fall to adulterie and haunt harlots houses 8 In the desire of vncleanely lust they are become lyke the stoned horse euery man neygheth at hys neighbours wife 9 Should I not correct this saith the Lorde shoulde I not be auenged of euery people that is like vnto this 10 Climbe vp vpon their walles beate them downe and destroy them not vtterly take away their battlements bycause they are not the Lords 11 For vnfaithfully hath the house of Israel and Iuda forsaken me sayth the Lord. 12 They haue denied the Lorde and sayde It is not hee that looketh vppon vs tush there shal no misfortune come vppon vs we shall sée neither sword nor hunger 13 As for the warning of the prophets it is but wynd yea there is not the word of God in them such things shall happen vnto themselues 14 Wherefore thus saith the lorde God of hostes Bicause ye speak such words behold y words that are in thy mouth will I turne to fire make the people to be wood that the fire may cōsume them 15 Lo I wil bring a people vpon you frō farre O house of Israel saith the Lord a mightie people an old people a people whose speach thou knowest not neither vnderstandest what
they saye 16 Their arrowes are sodain death yea they themselues be very Giants 17 This people shall eate vp thy fruite thy meat yea they shal deuoure thy sonnes thy daughters thy shepe thy bullocks they shal eat vp thy grapes figgs As for thy strong wel defensed cities wherin thou diddest trust they shal bring to pouertie that through the sworde 18 Neuerthelesse I wil not theÌ„ haue done with you saith the Lord. 19 But if they say Wherfore doth the lorde our God al this vnto vs Then answer them Bicause y lyke as ye haue forsaken me serued straÌ„ge gods in your laÌ„d euen so shal ye serue straÌ„gers out of your land 20 Preache this vnto the house of Iacob crie it out in Iuda and saye thus 21 Heare this thou foolish vndiscrete people Ye haue eies but ye sée not eares haue ye but ye heare not 22 Feare ye not me saith the lord will ye not tremble at my presence which bynd the sea with the sand by a coÌ„tinual decrée so that it caÌ„not passe his boundes for though it rage yet can it do nothing though the waues therof do â—wel yet may they not go ouer 23 But this people hath a false obstinat heart they are departed gone away froÌ„ me 24 They thinke not in their hearts O let vs feare the lord our God who giueth vs rain early late when néed is which kepeth euer stil the haruest for vs yerely 25 Neuertheles your misdéeds haue turned these froÌ„ you your sinnes haue robbed you of good thin ges 26 For amoÌ„g my people are found wicked persons y priuily lay snares wait for meÌ„ to take them destroy theÌ„ 27 And lyke as a net is full of birdes so are their houses full of that whiche they haue gotten with falshood and deceipt Hereof commeth their great substance and riches 28 Hereof are they fatte and wealthye and are more mischeuous than any other they minister not the lawe they make no ende of the fatherlesse cause yea and they prosper yet they iudge not the poore according to equitie 29 Shoulde I not punish these things sayeth the Lorde should not I be auenged of all suche people as these be 30 Horrible and gréeuous things are done in the lande 31 The Prophetes teache falsly and the preachers receiue gifts and my people hath pleasure therin what will come thereof at the laste The Exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Hieremie Looke through Hierusalem behold and see seeke through hir streetes also c. THe Prophete Hieremie in the former Chapiter had notably described the comming of Nabuchodonosors armie into Ievvrie and the greate waste and spoyle that he should make of that countrey euen to the very walles of the citie Hierusalem whiche therfore should be in greate feare euen as a woman in trauayle with chylde Therfore in this place before hee noteth the destruction of that Citie he maketh proofe and declaration of the Iustice of God in doing of it For we see commonly when God punisheth the wicked for their offences that they are so obstinate and stiffenecked and so farre from anie sense of true repentaunce and turning to God that they murmure against god and accuse him for dealing ouer Rigorously and Cruelly with them and that he punisheth them more sharply and grieuously than their offences Deserue Wherfore God by his Prophet sheweth that they are so farre ouerwhelmed with their wickednesse as there is not left one Iust maÌ„ amoÌ„g them in coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of whom he might Spare them therefore that of his Iustice he muste of necessitie punish them Looke sayth he through Hierusalem beholde and see seeke thoroughe her streates c. In which words God willeth euen the whole Worlde to looke diligentely into the state of that Citie that was called by the name of The holie Citie to see whether there were any thing or Person in it in respect whereof he shoulde shewe Mercie toward it For though they can saye The Lord liueth yet they sweare to deceyue c. Here the Prophete detecteth their Hipocrisie and signifieth that albeit they pretend to be the People of God and to haue a reuereÌ„ce to the name of God and therefore will call him to witnesse in their affaires and Sweare by his name as by that which they accoÌ„pt very Holie yet it is but wicked Hipocriste in them and indeede the Prophanation of the name of god For they sweare falsely and vntruly to* deceyue their neyghbour and to worke their vniuste deuises so by Periurie make the Name of God a Cloake meane to further their owne Wickednesse Wheras God Looketh only vpon faith and truth and regardeth not the faire * PreteÌ„ce of his Name when the true Reuerence therof is not in their hearts This place ought to teach vs that the Name of the * Churche or People of God the Title of Christians the Externall Sacraments of christian Religion are not sufficient to moue the Fauour of God toward vs nor to make vs his people vnlesse the feare of God and true Holynesse be in our heartes In the begynnyng of the thirde Verse whiche in deede shoulde be a parte of this secoÌ„d the Prophet altereth the Person and turneth the speach vnto God himselfe Thou hast scourged them but they toke no repentance thou hast corrected c. This was of exceding great Stubbornesse in the Iewes and of Indurated heartes that they coulde not bee moued to Repentance no not with the heauie Plagues and punishments that God did bryng vpon them to that ende yea they rather hardened their faces as it wer againste God and became shamelesse in their wickednesse casting of al consideration of Godlynesse and Honestie Therfore I thought in my selfe peraduenture they are so simple and c. Forsomuch as it might be thought the Simple Foolishe people did amisse by Ignorance and errour only and that the wyser and better sort had more Care of the feare seruice of God hee turneth nowe to the Princes Priests Magistrates and Rulers and sheweth that they also whiche of duetie should haue ben not only Instructers Leaders Guyders to other but also correcters Punishers of their Leudnesse were become more stubborne and dissolute than they and had cleane cast froÌ„ them the bond and Yoke of Obedience to the Holie Will Lawe of god So that there myght seeme no Hope eyther in Prince or People in Riche or poore in Learned or Ignorant but that they All were giuen ouer to their owne Lustes and Sensual appetites Wherfore a Lyon out of the wood hath hurte them and a Wolfe in the. c. By the Lion the VVolfe and the Leopard the Prophet meaneth the Assyrians the Aegyptians and sundrye other Enimies that shoulde come vpoÌ„ them and so straightly Besiege them in their Cities that not One shuld be hable to goe out but shoulde be Taken and Slayne
hill let all the inhabitāts c. THe Prophet Ioel liued in the time of Esay and taught in Iuda in the reigne of Ezechias not long before the inuasion of the Assirians vnder Sinnacherib For although that good king to the vttermost of his power had restored the true worship of God yet a great number receyued it vnthankefully and both enclined in their heartes againe to Superstition and continued in most Detestable and sinfull liuing * Which was the cause that God did send the Assirians grieuously to plague them But of his woonted mercies before that terrible time of punishment should come he * sent his Prophetes to foretell them of it and to call them to repentance Among these was Ioel who nowe vttereth these wordes and purposing to call them to repentance layeth before them the terrible punishment that GOD will bring vpon them if they turned not vnto him His beginning is tragicall Blowe vp a trumpet sayth he c. Because their Plague shoulde be by inuasion of euimies and crueltie of warre he alludeth to warrefare and willeth the Scowtes and watchmen that is the Prophetes and teachers to sound the trumpet of Gods holy worde and giue men warning to prepare themselues to battaile that they were not taken with the plague of god ere they were ware This he willeth them to doe in Sion and in His holy hill His chosen Citie of Hierusalem that they might not thinke any holinesse of place should help them Yea and he speaketh to all the inhabitans of the lande of Iuda and biddeth them to Tremble and feare for that the Lord did not minde to dally with them or any longer to put of the time For sayth he The day of the Lord is come and is nigh at hande and you must repent with * speede if you will escape it By The day of the Lorde he meaneth the time appointed to Plague them for their vnthankfulnesse and contempt of Gods worde and the calling of his Prophetes A darke and glomie daye a clowdie and blacke day as the morning is spred c. By Glomie Clowdie and Blacke he signifyeth the heauie and sorowfull time that should be so lamentablie ouercast with grieuous afflictions and calamities that men shoulde not be hable to tell what to doe or howe to rid themselues from them Darkenesse commonly in scripture noteth trouble and heauinesse Light prosperitie and felicitie As the spring of the day and morning light sodainlye spreadeth it selfe ouer the mountaynes and cannot by any meanes be stayed So shall this mightye and strong people of the Assirians sodainely spread themselues and ouerwhelme euen the toppes of those mountaines that you thinke harde to be passed and that in such sort as they cannot be resisted For since the beginning was there neuer Empire eyther of so great force or of so long continuance of their dominion as this hath beene and is Therfore they shall be to you and to your Countrey as a raging and consuming fire The Land that was before their comming as a pleasant Garden or paradise after they be gone it shall be left lamentablie spoyled wasted and desolate Yea they shall come with such fiercenesse that with great speede they shall runne ouer the mountaynes and highe places as it were Horsemen or chariots in a plaine field Your men of warre Capiteynes and Souldiours in whom you may seeme to put some trust at the report of their comming shall tremble and waxe pale and wanne for exceeding great feare They shal runne against you as mightie Gyants and assaulting the walles of your strong and fenced Cities they shall doe it not onelye with suche strength but also with actiuitie nimblenesse and good order that one shall not be a let or impedimēt to the other but euery one shall kepe his place and araye And when they runne with desperate courage euen amonge your swordes and weapons they will doe it in such maner that you shall not be hable to hurt them And furthermore though your Cities be strongly walled and fenced with so great munition as they maye seeme vnpregnable they wil with such facilitie both enter and go to and fro as if the matter were to be done in the plaine fielde where no resistance is Finally their rage fiercenesse shal be so dreadfull that the earth shal quake the heauens shall tremble the Sunne Moone shall be darke the Starres shall withdrawe their light all the creatures of God shall be abashed to see that God will so grieuously plage his people And therfore they as it were hauing sense of the same before hand shal giue straunge signes and sightes vnto men to put them in minde to repent turne vnto God that he may withdrawe this his heauie hande from them For God it is that worketh it and by his voice calleth the Assirians they do nothing but execute his commaundement in punishing your waywarde and stubburne vnthankfulnesse and contempt of his worde In all this we see the Prophete hath done nothing but signify vnto the Iewes that no worldly thing should be hable to stay from them the grieuous punishmentes of God by the Assirians Neyther the plentifulnesse of the earth nor the great distance of the places nor the difficultie of the passages ouer hilles and mountaynes neyther the number of their Souldiours nor the strength of their Cities to the ende that they seeing all worldly helpe to fayle them maye the more readily repent and flie vnto God for his mercie But nowe sayth the Lord turne you vnto me with all your hearts with fasting c. Although the day of Gods wrath be nighe at hande yet the Prophete signifieth that there is time to repent because * no true repentance from the heart is euer to late And therefore vnder the person of God exhorteth them therevnto and telleth them what they shall doe Turne sayth he We must in repentance first Turne frō wickednesse of minde and dissolute life from Idolatrie Superstition and corruption of Gods true worship And we must Turne vnto God and submit our selues to his merrie and to be directed by his holy worde We are not willed to Turne to Saintes to Patriarkes to Prophetes to Fathers to Apostles or to any creature be he neuer so holy No nor yet to our owue inuentions and deuises of holynesse thereby thinking to raunsome our sinnes But we must Turne to the euerliuing God who is both willing as a father and hable as a mightie Lorde to helpe vs And this must we doe vnfaynedly VVith all our heartes Renting our mindes wyth sorow and not our garments with hypocrissie and outwarde shewe of griefe and repentance when we haue no true sense of Gods wrath inwardly in our heartes If renting of Garmentes and such other signes be vsed as tokens and witnesses to the worlde that we are in deede and vnfeynedly touched with exceeding sorow of hart as Iosias did when he
as it were in iudgement cleareth him selfe that he neuer hurted them neuer wrought trouble griefe vnto them whereby they might pretende cause to reuolt from him but alway hath shewed him selfe their gracicious mercifull and bountifull Lord euer readye to assiste and helpe them and miraculously with mightie hande to deliuer them As for example out of Aegipt from the sterne Tirannie of Pharao and his people In the wildernesse from manye dangers by the meanes of Moyses Aaron Marie their sister indued with the spirite of prophecie From the wicked deuises of Balach at which time he turned the Cursing that was sought agaynst them into a notable blessing By this wee also haue to take heede that wee doe not contemne the worde of God and reiect the memorie of his exceeding benefits that he hath of late yeares done for vs least it be grieuously laide against vs as the like is here vnto the Iewes Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe to the hye God c. As the Prophet before made as it were God him selfe to accuse the Iewes euen so here doth he bring in the people of the Iewes cōsulting asking by what meanes by what sacrifices by what satisfactions they may please God and appease his wrath and displeasure Here is to be noted that as the faithfull when they perceiue God to be displeased resort to his holy worde and out of that learne what to doe to please God so other that are vnfaithfull when he hath beaten into their mindes some sense of his wrath as he had here done to the Iewes they cannot ascende to any higher consideration then the wisedome of the flesh and of the worlde And therefore giue themselues to worke reconsiliation by externall things as sacrifices outward kneelings fastings and tormentings of the bodie iudging that God also maketh great account of those outwarde thinges which they themselues greatly esteeme and wherein they iudge principall holinesse to consist But God being a spirite sheweth himselfe to delight in that holinesse only that is in spirite and in truth And therefore in the 8. verse the Prophete aunswering their question sayeth God hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thee c. Whereby he taketh from them their pretence of ignoraunce or rather reproueth their obstinate impudēcie wherby they moue such questions As though God had not by his seruant Moises and by his Prophetes declared oftentimes vnto them what true worship he looketh for at their handes and wherewith his anger will be appeased that is with repentaunce and the true fruites therof Such as are the doing of iustice when not onely the Magistrate dealeth vprightly in iudgement but also euerye priuate man according to his office and calling The loue of mercie and pitie consisting in all the workes of Charitie The humblenesse of our hartes submitting our selues to the will and pleasure of God declared in his worde For To walke with God is to walke before him according to the appointment of his holy will and worde The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the Citie and the man that shal be saued c. In this part of the chapter the Prophete chargeth them with their sinnes wherewith they had displeased god The Lordes voyce is the preaching and teaching of his worde You haue heard sayth the Prophete what * dueties God requireth of you neyther can you in this pretende ignorance For the Lord doth his part diligently when he sendeth his Prophets to you that be of this Citie and to all other likewise that be in your case and by them crieth to you that you should repent and doe those fruites of repentaunce And therefore the faythfull and good man that hath care of his saluation doth consider it and feare the name of thee O Lorde But you O stiffe necked Ievves shewe your selues to contemne his voyce and to neglect his calling Therefore seeing you will not heare that voyce calling you to saluation hearken to this voyce that assureth you of your punishment rodde and destruction Then layeth he before them their grieuous faultes and offences that is Riches vniustly gotten False measures False waightes and balances Crueltie Lying Falsehoode and deceyte as well in their occupying and bargayning as in all other dealing and for these thinges sayth he the Lorde will take in hande to punish them Therefore I will take in hande to punishe thee and to make thee desolate c. This is vttered in the person of God I wyll therefore punish thee sayth the Lorde and take all those my good gifts frō thee which hath made thee so prowde and obstinate not ouely so but bicause thou wilt not repent and turn from thy sinnes O thou wicked Citie I will vtterly destroy thee and make thee desolate The first plague is famine and that in a strange maner that they should haue to eate and yet there meate not prosper with them The seconde plague that by inward mischiefe among themselues that is by discorde discention or other like meanes by giuing credite to the false Prophetes that were among them they shoulde worke their owne ouerthrowe The thirde is that all meanes of help succour and refuge should be taken from them and that those whome they would seeke to saue the Lorde would deliuer to the sworde The fourth is that their goodes and the fruites of the grounde shoulde be spoyled and taken from them and that they shoulde enioy no part of their labours therein The last is that they should be vtterly wasted caried away captiue and be a scorne and reproch to all people The. 21. Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Habacuc 2. I Will stande vpon my watch and set me vpon the tower and will looke and sée what he will say vnto me and what I shall answere to him that rebuketh me 2 And the Lorde answered me and sayde Write the vision and make it plaine vpon tables that hée may runne that readeth it 3 For the vision is yet for an appoynted time but at the last it shall speaks and not lye though it tarie waite for it shall surely come and shall not stay 4 Beholde he that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him but the iust shall liue by his fayth 5 Yea in déede the prowde man is as he that transgresseth by wine therefore shall he not endure because he hath enlarged his desire as the hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth vnto him all nations and heapeth vnto him all people 6 Shal not all these take vp a parable agaynst him and a taunting prouerbe agaynst him and say Wo to him that increaseth that which is not his howe long and he that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay 7 Shall they not rise vp sodenly that shall bite thée and awake that shall stirre thée and thou shalt be their pray 8 Because thou hast spoyled
and carieth him awaye with furious lust and desire of larger dominion That without all shame or measure he attempteth anye thing that may serue his pleasure And the more he hath gotten vnder his dominion by violence and crueltie the more still he lusteth Therefore sayth God by the Prophete He shall not endure he shall come to a fowle ende For euen as hell mouth the graue or the sepulchre and Death itselfe are vnsatiable and drawe vnto them yong and olde and of all sortes and states euen so the outragious lust of the Babilonian not contented with the great Empire of Assiria seeketh by might violence and oppression by heapes as it were to pull vnder his subiection all Nations and Countries of the earth By this that is here spoken of the Babilonians we must learne what * mischiefe commeth of pride and ambition and how displeasant it is to God. Shall not all these take vp a parable against him and a taunting prouerbe c. The first plague that God threatneth to the Empire of Babilon for vnder the personne of one Man he meaneth the whole kingdome and sayth that al those nations that it before had afflicted and grieued when they sawe the ouerthrowe thereof should triumph at it and take vp taunting sayings and Prouerbes against it And in reproch of it say Wo be to this greedy kingdome that with vnsatiable rauine hast before time increased thy Dominion with that which by no right belonged to thee and loaded thy selfe with riches being none other thing in themselfe then Dirt and Clay of the Earth How long shall such wicked violence continue Shall not Cyrus with the Persians and Medians sodainly come vpon them when they least thinke of it and bite them with lyke sorowe as they haue grieued other and in the ende vtterly spoyle them Yea because they with exceeding crueltie and bloudshed haue wasted other Nations and Countreys and done great iniurie vnto Lande Citie and inhabitantes the remnant of the same Countreys shall nowe in like maner spoyle them with their Country Citie and People Thus God vseth to reward the crueltie of Tyrannes with like crueltie as they haue vsed towarde other Wo to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that he may c. Nowe the prophete speaketh against the couetousnesse and extortion of the Babilonians Wo be to thee O Babilon sayth he and to all them which in like wicked and couetous maner studie to enrich their children and set vp their houses and families aloft thinking by their great treasure power and wealth to set them out of all daunger of euill Yea such persons as by extortion robbe other poore and honest people to enrich their familie to make them noble persons gentlemen to builde gay houses to purchase landes to procure sumptuous pleasures doe pull shame and perpetuall reproch vpon their houses and sinne grieuously agaynst theyr soules These men thinke that they are so highe and of so great authoritie that no man dare blame them But God wil so worke it that if no man wil the verie stones of the houses that they haue builded by Extortion shall crie against them and say VVo vnto him that buildeth a towne with bloud and crueltie And the Beames out of the tymber shall answere And to them also that erect a citie in iniquitie This God will cause euen the vnsensible creatures to crie out curse wo against them And so all their laboures that they haue taken god wil make vaine as if they were consumed with fire And the worke of God shall so euidently appere to the comfort of his people in the punishment destruction of the Babilonians that his glory shal be spred ouer all the earth as the waters ouerwhelme the roome of the Sea. Wo bee to him that giueth his neighbour drinke thou ioynest thy heate and c. The next vice that the Prophete doth reproue is Drunkennesse and quaffing wherevnto the Babilonians were muche giuen and specially vnder their king Balthasar as appeareth Dan. 5. When the Prophete sayth VVoe to him that giueth his Neyghbour drinke he doth not blame them that offer drinke in honest maner to their ghestes or to relieue the poore But as he expoundeth himselfe such persons as in the Heate of their drunkennesse prouoke other to quaffing and immoderate drinking vntill they haue made them more like beastes then men discouering themselues filthily and therein take they great delight and pleasure Wherefore God threatneth them punishment for that wickednesse and sayth that they Shall be filled with shame in stede of Glorie For when the Prophet sayth Thou art c. by the present time as the Prophets often do he signifieth what shall so assuredlye come vnto them as if it were now already fulfilled Then the Prophet with bitter scorne addeth Drinke thou also and be made naked c. As if he hadsayde seyng it is such a pleasure and delight to thee to beholde the filthy nakednesse of other whome thou haste made drunke thou also will thou nill thou shalte drinke and haue thy filthinesse thy shame and reproche discouered and layde open to all men For the lorde by his right hande and mightye power hath prepared a VVofull Cup of affliction for thee which when it shall be poured vppon thy heade Shamefull spuing that is the bewraying of thyne owne ignominie reproche and shame shall ouerwhelme and distayne all thy glorye wherein thou hast reioiced Thus bitterly God reproued in them that foule vice of drunkennesse And he addeth moreouer the principall cause of their vtter destruction to be the exceeding crueltie murder and spoyle that they had vsed towarde the country of Iury and his people dwelling therin For that is it that he meaneth by the Crueltie of Lybanus By Lybanus which is a parte of the lande of Chanaan he vnderstandeth the whole countrie What profiteth the Image for the maker therof hath made it an Image c. God that his people being in captiuitie among the Heathen and seing their prosperitie might not attribute the same to their false Gods in this place by his Prophet reproueth the Idolatry of the Babilonians and sheweth that they are not * hable to helpe them or in any respect to doe them good For they are but stockes and stones * and haue theyr shape and figure of the workeman that maketh them Who as an vnreasonable Creature and as it were bewitched of his senses * worshippeth it as God and putteth his trust in the woorke of his owne handes They are set as Teachers of lyes For they breede opinion that they are the Image of God which can be expressed by no Image being a spiritual substance They mooue many vaine false wicked cogitations of God in the minds of men and leade them into errour They corrupt and ouerthrowe the true worshippe of God and cause it to be transferred to creatures And what greater
left 33 But walke in all the wayes which the Lorde your God hath commaunded you that ye may liue that it may go well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shal possesse The exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Deuteronomie And Moyses called all Israel and sayd vnto them heare O Israel c. MOyses purposing in this chapter by repetition to call to their remembraunce the lawe and commaundementes that god gaue vnto hys people in Horeb In these fine fyrst verses in way of a preface he exhorteth admonisheth them diligently to harkē to the lawes ordinances of God and that in such sort as they maye in dede* perfourme them and not onely by hearing receyue them For they conteyne that blessed couenaunt whereby both God did more euidently and notablie binde him self to be their god thā he did before time to their fathers and they also with like protestatiō submitted themselues to be his people so that they coulde not now without great blame fal frō his obedience I am the Lord thy God which broughte thee out of the land of Egipt c. Almighty God that his law might haue the greater reuerence maiestie with his people in the first entrance he * challengeth to himself the authoritie of a Lord God ouer them I am saith he the Lorde thy God * therby giuing thē to vnderstande that they ought of right to submit thē selues to his will and pleasure Secondlye he putteth them in mind of the great benefite of deliuerance that they had receiued at his hande * therby the more to moue allure them to obedience By these ten commaundements we may fully perfectly learne those things whereof by the law of Nature we haue but a single bare taste onlie that is First that we owe a * perfect loue reuerence and feare toward god Secondly that he is pleased with godlines and iustice displeased * with wickednesse and dishonestie Thirdlye by examining our liues according to this rule of his perfecte iustice that we are of our selues * vnworthye to be esteemed his creatures seing that we do not in our obedience fulfill that end * wherunto we were made by him And forsomuch as God the law maker is spirituall in this his lawe he speaketh not onely to our body in requiring external iustice but also to our soule requiring inward and spirituall integritie and in dede such puritie as the Angels in heauē haue as it may appeare by Christs own interpretation* Mathew 5. and likewise when he saith* Thou shalt loue God with al thy hart wyth all thy mind with all thy soule c. Moreouer to the right vnderstanding of these commaundements we must not onely consider the euils that by them God forbiddeth but the vertues and good things that are contrarie vnto the euill For in forbidding the euill he commaundeth the good As for example when he saith * Thou shalt not commit adultry he doth not onlie prohibite all vncleane actes thoughtes but also commaundeth the contrarie that we should moderate our whole life in all chastitie puritie and continencie yea to our powers prohibite vncleanesse in other also These wordes the Lorde spake vnto all your multitude in the mount c. That the wayward people might not discredite the law of God make the lesse accompt of it bicause he was the minister thereof Moyses in this place putteth them in minde that God himself with his owne * voyce gaue these commaundements in the hearing of them all that with so great * terrour and maiestie of thunder lightening fire earthquake that they themselues confessed they were not hable to abide it therfore ernestlie desired that Moyses might be a mediatour betwene God and thē in the deliuerie of his lawes binding themselues wyth this* promise that they would accepte fulfyll those lawes that he in the name of God should deliuer them wherfore he willeth them to take hede that they did in dede performe those things that God had commaunded not to turne aside from them either* on the righte hande or on the left that they might enioye the promises that God in like maner had made vnto them Oh that there were such an heart in thē that they would feare mee c. It is God onely that is hable to mollifie the stome harts of men giue them pliant and obedient willes to fulfill his commaundementes What may it meane then that God in this place both wishe to his people such an hart as would feare him seing that he only can giue it and they of thēselues not able to haue it Surely he doth not signifie hereby that men of their * owne free willes are hable to frame their harts to the perpetuall loue and feare of God. But he speaking after the manner of men declareth that it is a thing rather to be wished than to be looked for that the wayward people of the Iewes shuld for euer be obedient to his lawes and ordinaunces God by wishing that his people might or by commaunding that they shoulde kepe his commaundements doth not signifye that they haue of themselues power to doe them but by the commaundement they maye learne what they should doe and in finding wante in themselues be driuen to seke habilitie* where it is to be had that is at the mercy grace of almighty God. The fourth Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Deut. 6. THese are the commaundementes ordynaunces and lawes which the Lorde your God commaunded mée to teache you that ye mighte doe them in the lande whither ye goe to possesse it 2 That thou mightest feare the Lorde thy God and kepe all his ordinances and his commaundements which I commaund thée thou and thy Sonne and thy sonnes sonne all the dayes of thy life that thy dayes may be prolonged 3 Heare therefore O Israell and take héede that thou doe it that it may go well with thée and that ye may encrease mightily as the Lorde God of thy fathers hath promysed thée a land that floweth with milke and hony 4 Heare O Israel the lord our God is lorde onely 5 And thou shalte loue the lorde thy God with all thyne heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might 6 And these wordes which I commaunde thée this day shal be in thine heart 7 And thou shalt shewe them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the waye and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp 8 And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shal be as frontlettes betwéene thine eyes 9 And thou shalt write them vpō the postes of thy house and vpon thy gates 10 And when the Lord thy God hath brought thée into the land which he sware
he which geueth thée power to get substaunce for to make good the promise which he sware vnto thy fathers as appeareth this daye 19 And if thou forget the Lorde thy God and walke after straunge Gods and serue them and worship them I testifie vnto you this day that ye shall surely perishe 20 As the nations which the Lorde destroyed before your face so ye shall perishe bycause ye would not be obedient vnto the voyce of the Lord your God. The exposition vpon the .viij. Chapter of Deuteronomie All the commaundements whych I commaunde thee this day c. FOrsomuche as the Israelites were not nowe far of from the land of Canaan Moyses putteth them in minde therof and signifieth that the same God which did require them to be obedient vnto hys lawe was nowe euen at the poynt to fulfill his promise and to set them in possession of that countrey and therefore that they shoulde be more willing and readye to folow him and to obserue his ordinances He willeth them also to haue in remēbrance how God vsed them in the wildernesse for the space of fourtie yeares by hunger thirst some other aduersityes* trying them whether they would remaine his faithfull and obediente people or no. For God did not bring them into those distresses and lacke of foode other things necessary bicause he hated them but as a good father to proue them and humble their hearts before him and that they might learne and vnderstand that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god For thoughe there were no foode in the world to sustaine mans life yet is God hable by his diuine prouidence miraculously to preserue vs As he did feede them in the wildernesse with * Manna from heauen a foode that neither they nor their forefathers euer heard of and caused the stony* rocke to yelde them water to quenche their thirst yea and moreouer caused their rayment in fourtie yeares space neuer to * weare or consume nor theyr feete to swell or be greeued wyth contynuall trauayle These strange things wrought he that they mighte learne to put their truste in him and be well assured that so great daunger could neuer come vnto them but that he was hable readily woulde deliuer them oute of it if they dyd faithfully serue him And therfore Moyses wylleth them to harken vnto this theyr gracious Lord to feare him and to walke in his wayes For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good lande c. Moyses describeth vnto them the * fertile and plentifull countrey that God had prouided for them flowing with aboundance of all fruites commodities delectable pleasures that they might be the more * willing and ready to shewe their thankfull obedience towarde him If the same land of Canaan be not at this day so fertile as is here reported nor answerable to many parts of Moyses his description but lieth in a great part wast as some trauailers declare we may not thinke it straunge For beside the mutation that naturallie may come to any coūtrey in the space of .3000 yeares it pleased God of his goodnes at this time here mentioned to make it y more fruitfull bicause of his chosē people that he promised to place there which good blessing may well be thought to haue continued so long as his people kept his commaūdement and contynued in any tollerable obedience of the lawes and ordinaunces by him appoynted But when they both fell from the true obseruation of the outwarde lawe and also reiected the true Messias and Sauioure of the worlde no meruaile if that curse fell both vpon them their land which before God had oftentimes threatened whereby great alteration therof might fall When thou haste eaten therefore and fylled thy selfe thou shalt blesse c. The Israelites are here warned in the time of their prosperitie the enioying of Gods benefites that they shew themselues thankfull ernestly to take hede that in time of their* wealth they waxe not wanton forget God by whose goodnesse they are in that felicitie Howe necessary this admonition might then be to them and is also presently to all other the common course of mans lyfe righte well declareth What one among an hundred is there which by wealth continuall successe doth not wax insolent and forget his duety toward God Moises in his song chap. 32. of this booke saith of the Israelites Thou art vvel fedde Thou are growē thicke Thou arte euen laden vvith fatnesse and he hath forsaken God his maker Regarded not the Lord of his saluation In which wordes he prophecied before hand what wold come to passe among them and therfore ernestly he willeth thē here to take hede VVhen thou hast eaten filled thy selfe saith he and builded goodly houses c. Bevvare least thy hearte rise and thou forgette the Lorde thy God. Here he noteth wherby mē in such case ar moued to forget God that is Rising of their hearte with pride insolencie of minde For fewe there are that in great wealth prosperitie can holde themselues within the boundes of modestie and humblenesse but so sone as they perceiue them selues to flourish be * aloft their minde also in such sort swelleth with selfliking that they doe not onely contemne other but let slippe also the feare of God himselfe and by litle litle are caried on through the allurement of Satan that they cleane fal from him Let Solomon hereof be a notable example and Christ himself said That it was as hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God as for a Camell to go through a needels eye Therefore Moyses calleth the Israelites to remembrance and willeth them not to forget what they were in Egipt and in the wildernesse and how louingly mercifully God then dealte for them gaue them * all things at their nede that by that meanes they might the sooner acknowledge him to be the * authour and worker of al their prosperitie and so continne in his true worship and obedience Otherwise if they goe from their Lord God and giue themselues to the worshipping of strange gods he protesteth denounteth to them that they shall assuredly perishe and be destroyed in like maner as they had seene God to worke the confusion of other nations before their faces For where the mercie of God and his bountifull goodnesse eyther is abused or will not preuaile his Iustice and seueritie must needes take place The fifth Sundaye after Easter at Euening prayer Deut. 9. HEare O Israel thou passest ouer Iordane this daye to goe in and possesse nations greater and mightier than thy self cities great and walled vp to heauen 2 A people great tall the children of the Anakims which thou knowest of and of whom thou hast heard say who can
stand before the children of Anac 3 Vnderstand therfore this daye that the Lord thy God is he which goeth ouer before thée as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and he shal bring them downe before thy face So thou shalt caste them out bring them to naught quickly as the Lorde hath sayde vnto thée 4 Speake not thou in thine heart after that the Lorde thy God hath cast them outs before thée saying For my righteousnesse the Lorde hath brought me in to poâ—â—esse this lande but for the wickednesse of these natioÌ„s the Lord hath cast theÌ„ oute before thée 5 It is not for thy righteousnesse sake or for thy right heart that thou goest to possesse their land But for the wickednesse of these Nations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thée to perfourme the worde which the Lorde thy God sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isahac and Iacob 6 Vnderstande therefore that it is not for thy righteousnesse sake that the Lorde thy God dothe gyue thée this good lande to possesse it séeyng thou art a stifnecked people 7 Remember and forget not howe thou prouokedst the Lord thy God to anger in the wildernesse since the day that thou diddest depart out of the lande of Egipt vntill ye came vnto this place ye haue rebelled against the Lord. 8 Also in Horeb ye prouoked the Lorde to anger so that the Lord was wroth with you to haue destroyed you 9 When I was gone vp into the mount to receiue the tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt which the Lorde made with you and I abode in the mount fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes when I neither dyd eate breade nor drinke water 10 And the Lorde deliuered me two tables of stone written with the singer of God and in them were conteined all the wordes which the Lorde said vnto you in the mount out of the middes of the fire in the day when ye came together 11 And when the fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes were ended the Lorde gaue me the two tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt 12 And the Lorde sayde vnto mée Arise and get thée downe quickly from hence for thy people which thou hast brought out of Egipt haue marred all â–ª they are turned at once oute of the waye which I commaunded them and haue made them a molten image 13 Furthermore the Lorde spake vnto me saying I haue séene this people and beholde it is a stifnecked people 14 Let me alone that I may destroy them and put oute the name of them from vnder heauen and I will make of thée a mightie nation and greater than they be 15 And I turned me and came downe from the hill euen from the hill that burnt with fire and the two tables of the couenaunt were in my handes 16 And I loked and beholde ye had sinned against the Lorde your God and has made you a molten calfe and had turned at once out of the way which the Lord had commauÌ„ded you 17 And I toke the two tables and cast them oute of my two handes and brake them before your eyes 18 And I fell downe flat before the Lorde as at the firste time and fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes I did neither eate breade nor drynke water bycause of all your sinnes which ye sinned in doying wickedly in the sighte of the Lorde in that ye prouoked him vnto wrathe 19 For I was afrayde that for the wrath and fiercenesse wherwith the Lord was moued against you he would haue destroyed you But the Lord heard me at that time also 20 The Lord was verye angry with Aaron also to haue destroyed him and I made intercession for Aaron also the same time 21 And I toke your sinne the Calfe which ye had made and burnte him with fire and stamped him and grounde him verye small euen to dust and I caste the dust thereof into the brooke that descended out of the mount 22 Also at the burning place at the place of tempting and at the Sepulchres of lust ye prouoked the Lord to anger 23 Likewise when the Lorde sent you from Cades Barnea saying Go vp and possesse the land which I haue giuen you you rebelled against the worde of the Lorde your God and neither beloued him nor hearkened vnto his voyce 24 You haue bene rebellious vnto the Lord since the day that I knew you 25 And I fell downe flat before the Lord fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes as I fell downe before for the Lorde sayde he would destroy you 26 I made intercession therefore vnto the Lorde sayde O lorde God destroy not thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou haste deliuered through thy great goodnesse and which thou haste broughte out of Egipt through a mightye hande 27 Remember thy seruauntes Abraham Isahac and Iacob and looke not vnto the stubbernesse of this people nor to their wickednesse and sinne 28 Least the lande whence thou broughtest them saye The Lorde is not able to bring them into the lande whych he promised them and because he hated them therfore hath he caryed them out to slay them in the wildernesse 29 Beholde they are thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou broughtest oute in thy mightye power and in thy stretched out arme The Exposition vpon the .ix. Chapter of Deuteronomie Heare O Israel thou passest ouer Jordane this day to goe in and possesse c. THe Israelites were a proude wayward and vnthankefull people sone forgetting Gods benefites done vnto them Wherefore the purpose of Moises is in this chapter to * beate into their memorye that they were made the heires of the land of Chanaan came to al that felicitie wherin they either had or should be onely by the free goodnes and mercye of God for his promises for his couenauntes sake and not by their owne strength or for their owne worthines In this to perswade them he vseth two reasons especially The one by comparing them with the people of that couÌ„trey The other by the example of their owne wayward and rebellious doyngs against God. As touching the former he sayth the people of that countrey were farre greater in number mightier in power than they were For manye of them were of the race of the * Giaunt Anac strong and mightie persons as the messengers that went to viewe the lande did bryng worde So that they were stricken with feare * murmured against GOD as hauing brought them to a land vnpossible for them by conquest to get Wherefore if GOD by hys mightye hande did worke it for them they oughte to acknowledge they did stande and depende onelye vpon hym And as they were not hable to worke thys of their owne strength so coulde they not iustlye thinke that GOD did it for them of dutie or for their owne worthines but rather that they had deserued the cleane contrarye at his hande and that he letteth theÌ„ vnderstand as I haue
worde thereof shall not be frustrate or vayne In like maner he wil of his Seueritie Iustice bring vpon them all those euils that he hath Threatned if they doe fall from him by disobedieÌ„ce to Idolatrie and wickednesse For Heauen and Earth shall perishe as Christ saith Mat. 24. but the vvordes of God shall not perish The second Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Iudicum Cap. 4. ANd the chldren of Israell began againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord when Ahud was dead 2 And the Lorde solde them into the hande of Iabin king of Chanaan that raygned in Hazor whose captaine of warre was called Sisara whiche dwelt in Haroseth of the Gentiles 3 And the Children of Israell cryed vnto the Lord for he had nine hundred charets of yron and twentie yeares he troubled the children of Israell very sore 4 And Debora a prophetisse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israell the same time 5 And the same Debora dwelt vnder a paulme trée betwéene Ramath and Bethel in mount Ephraim and the children of Israell came vp to hir for iudgement 6 And she sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam out of Kedes Nephthali and said vnto him Hath not the Lord God of Israell commaunded saying Go and drawe towarde mount Thabor and take with thée ten thousand men of the children of Nephthali and of the children of Zabulon 7 And I will bring vnto thée to the riuer â—ison Sisara the captayne of Iabins armie with his charetts and his people and will deliuer him into thyne hands 8 And Barak said vnto hir If thou wilt go wyth me I will go but and if thou wilt not come with me I wil not go 9 She saide I will surely go with thee but thys iourney that thou takest shall not be for thine honoure for the Lorde shall deliuer Sisara into the hande of a woman And Debora arose and went with Barak to Kedes 10 And Barak called Zabulon Nephthali to Kedes and ledde after him ten thousand men and Debora wente with him 11 But Haber the Kenite whyche was of the children of Hohab the father in law of Moyses remoued from the Kenites and pitched his tente vnto the playne of Zaanaim which is by Kedes 12 And they shewed Sisara that Barak the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to Mount Thabor 13 And Sisara gathered together all his charettes euen nine hundreth Charettes of yron and all the people that were with him from Haroseth of the Gentils vnto the ryuer of Kison 14 And Debora sayde vnto Barak Vp for this is the day in which the lord hath deliuered Sisara into thine hand is not the Lord gone out before thée And so Barak went downe from mount Thabor and ten thousande men after him 15 But the Lord destroyed Sisara and all his Charetts and all his hoast with the edge of the sworde before Barak so that Sisara lyghted downe of his Charet and fled awaye on his féete 16 But Barak followed after the Charets and after the hoast vnto Haroseth of the Gentiles and all the hoaste of Sisara fell vpon the edge of the swoorde and there was not a man lefte 17 Howebeit Sisara fledde away on his féete to the tâ—nte of Iaell the wyfe of Haber the Kenite for there was peace betwéene Iabin the king of Hazor and the householde of Haber the Kenite 18 And Iael went out to méet Sisara and said vnto him Tourne in my lord tourne into me feare not And when he had tourned in vnto hir into hir tent she couered him with a mantell 19 And he saide vnto hir Giue me I pray thée a litle water to drinke for I am thirstie And she opened a bottell of milke and gaue him drinke and couered him 20 And againe he saide vnto hir Stand in the doore of the tent and wheÌ„ any man doth come and enquire of thée whether there be any man here thou shalt say Nay 21 Then Iael Habers wife toke a nayle of the tent and an hammer in hir hande and wente softly vnto him and smote the nayle into the temples of his head and fastned it into the ground for he slumbred sore and was wéery and so he dyed 22 And behold as Barak folowed after Sisara Iael came out to méete him and said vnto him Come and I will shewe thée the man whome thou séekest And when he cam into hir tente beholde Sisara lay dead and the nayle was in his temples 23 And so God broughte Iabin the king of Chanaan into subiection that day before the children of Israell 24 And the hand of the Children of Israell prospered and preuayled against Iabin the king of Chanaan vntill they had destroyed Iabin king of Chanaan The Exposition vpon the .iiij. Chapter of the Booke of Iudges And the children of Israel began agayn to do wickedly in the sight of God. c. IN this place and in the Chapiters before after those Promises Threatnings be often fulfilled towardes the Israelites that Moyses and Iosua their Gouerners before their departures out of this lyfe moued by the Spirit of god declared to theÌ„ For here in this boke we read ofteÌ„times of Falling from God to wickednesse error and often tymes of Gods * plagues cast vpon them for the same Also of often Repentaunce and tourning to God and Gods often mercifull deliueraunce of his people when they forsooke their wickednesse and called vpon him for succour Wherby wee must learne that Gods worde is vnfallible true as wel in the promises of his Mercie goodnesse towarde them that wyth * contrite hearts come vnto him as also in the Threatnings of his iustice to the stubburne obstinate sinner that will not Repent As touching this place let vs marke that nothing is more perilous than carnall Securitie and Abusyng the prosperous Benefites of God. After the Mesopotamians the Moabites and Philistines were ouercome as is before mencioned it might seeme the Israelites should haue had no Enimie that would once haue stirred against them For they enioyed great * tranquillitie and Peace Fourescore yeares togither But Wealthe and Prosperitie breedeth wantonnesse and forgetfulnesse of god And therefore sodainly while they thought all was husht quiet another Enimie was raysed vp whom they little thought of that is Iabin king of the Chanaanites whose predecessour before they had slayne and destroyed his royal Citie Hazer Iosue 11. But nowe his Nephew or coosen of the same name was growen to so great power that he had subdued the Ievves and held them in miserable Bondage which for al his strength hee had not bene hable to bring to passe if God for their sinnes Had not solde them into his handes to be punished for their offences The Tirannie of Iabin was the more cruell agaynst the Israelites bycause they had before as I haue sayd slayne his predecessor and burnte his royall citie with fire to the ground And the children
of Israell cried vnto the Lorde for he had 900. c. Where the Chanaanites had afflicted the people of Israell twenty yeares we may not thinke that in all that time before they neuer cried vnto God but happily their crying and calling vpon God before was rather in way of murmuring and muttering against God and the rod of his Chasticement but nowe when with repentant and sorowfull harts they pray vnto God and acknowledge their wickednesse and traÌ„sgression with redy mercy he heareth and helpeth them And Debora a prophetisse the wyfe of Lapidoth iudged Israell c. That God might make the deliueraÌ„ce of his people more glorious vnto him by the ministerie and * weaknesse of a woman he worketh it therby sheweth that neyther might of Princes nor policie of Captaines nor streÌ„gth of armies nor swiftnesse of chariots is hable to hold them in miserie that God wil haue deliuered In this that God chooseth a Woman to be a Prophetisse thereby the instructer teacher the guyd gouerner yea the Deliuerer of his people he sheweth that he doth not alway reiect that Sexe or kind from the ministerie of his holie will neyther in matters of Policie nor of Religion but that oftentymes he wil * vse them to his glorie as the good Nurses and Patrons of his Churche and people And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedes c. Some thinke that Debora had oftentymes before aduertised Barak that he should attempt the deliuerance of the people that he through Timorousnesse had stayed and therfore now she opeÌ„ly before the people declareth the same vnto him that in the Name Authoritie of God after the maner of Prophets adding the promise of God to hys further confirmation For sayeth she in the person of God I vvill bring or dravve vnto the ryuer Kison Sisara the Captayne c. And Barak sayde vnto hir If thou wilt goe with mee I will goe but and c. Barak in these woordes may seeme to haue somewhat doubted of his calling and therfore Debora signifyeth that the Glorie and chiefe Prayse of this Victorie shoulde bee giuen from him to a Woman Other thinke that he spake not this of any mistrust of his Calling but bicause he would be sure to haue hir with him as the Prophetisse of God by whose Wisedome he might be instructed to all oportunities And therfore S. August readeth in the text these words Bycause I knowe not vvhat day the Angell of God shal prosper mee When Debora willeth Barak to gather ten thousandemen wee muste consider that God had ben hable withoute MaÌ„s helpe to Subdue their enimies but by this he wold declare that hee dothe not reproue iust Warre nor the helpe of mannes strengthe when it is vsed wyth trust and confidence in Him. WheÌ„ God saith that he wil draw Sisara to the Riuer Kyson we may vnderstaÌ„d that God Draweth both to good also to Euil y is in the way of punishmeÌ„t but this he doth in a diuers maner WheÌ„ he Dravveth to Good he healeth our corrupt mindes by his Grace prepareth vs to that which otherwise we could not do When he Dravveth vs to Euill we neede no MotioÌ„ nor helpe therevnto beeing altogither by our Corruption bent vnto the same only God directeth oure euill doings to his Glorie and to oure Punishmente But Heber the Kenite whiche was of the children of Hobab father c. This is here added bycause of Iael Hebers wyfe who is after reported to kill Sisara wyth a Nayle c. The cause that moued Heber to liue separatly from his kinsmen is not here expressed It maye bee some lyke cause as moued Abraham and Loth to dwel asunder that is great Plentie of cattell and Scarsitie of pasture And Debora sayd vnto Barac Vp for this is the day in whiche the lord c. Iosephus writeth that Barac was muche abashed of the power of Sisara and woulde haue stedde into the Mountaynes but that hee was stayed by Debora who signifyed to hym that this was the tyme in which the Prouidence of God had appoynted to Deliuer Sisarah and his armie into his hands as the Historie declareth that in deede it did fall out Howbeit Sisara fled awaye on his fecte to the tent of Iael wife of Heber c. Sisara was a wicked and Cruell Tiranne a Persecuter of the people of God he trusted in his power and strength of his armie he had no smal trust in the AlliaÌ„ce and Confederacie of other neere vnto him and vpon * coÌ„fidence hereof of was puffed vp wyth Pryde and wyth extreme Tirannie soughte to oppresse the Israelites But when God * visited hys wickednesse neyther his Policie and experience in warre neither the power and Multitude of his Souldiours neither the Strength of his yron Chariottes coulde helpe hym but that hee Fledde and that on foote from a Small number of aduersaries and had reprochefull and villanous Death where he trusted for helpe and comfort So God vseth to deale wyth the enimies of his people And Jael went out to meete Sisara and sayde vnto him Turne in my lord c. It maye here be Doubted howe Haber Iaels husbande beeing of the people of God coulde haue League with a Heathen godlesse Prince Surely to haue such league as tendeth only to the saâ—fe Enioying of the Limites boundes of their Possession semeth not to be against the Scriptures Iacob had league with Laban And the children of Israel sauing seuen natioÌ„s had truce with other countreys aboute them But to desire ayde of them or to ioyne power with them in assistance any way may appeare vtterly to bee agaynste the worde of God and alwayes hathe fallen oute euill to them that haue vsed it As it maye appeare by the example of Iosaphat going with the king of Israel againste Ramoth in Gilead And God by his prophete reproued him for the same 2. Paral. But what shall we here saye of Iael who seemeth in the killyng of Sisara bothe to haue done against the League and couenant of peace betweene them and also to haue broken the lawe of Hospitalitie contrary to Nature and the preseruation of humane Societie Surely in other cases to breake League and Hospitalitie and vnder pretence of Frendshippe to Murther such as committe themselues vnto vs may well seeme a foule and horrible acte But that Iaell here doth was a certayne deuise and practise of Faythe and obedience towarde God. For as it is lawfull for any by what meanes he can to kill suche a person as the Prince hath proclaimed a Traitour and put out of his protection So was it lawfull for Iaell to kyll Sisara whome she nowe knew to be the enimie of God and the oppressour of his people and had declaration therof by the Prophetisse Debora as from the mouth of God hymselfe The Leuites killed the worshippers of the