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
the earth after his kinde and God sawe that it was good 26 God sayde Let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse and let them haue rule of the fishe of the sea and of the foule of the ayre and of cattell and of all the earth and of euery créeping thing that créepeth vpon the earth 27 So God created man in his owne Image in the Image of God created he him male and female created hée them 28 And God blessed them and God sayd vnto them Be fruitfull and multiply and replenishe the earth and subdue it and haue dominion of the fishe of the sea and foule of the ayre and of euery liuing thing that mooueth vpon the earth 29 And God sayde Beholde I haue giuen you euery hearbe bearing séede which is in the vpper face of all the earth and euery trée in the which is the fruite of a trée bearing séede that they may be meate vnto you 30 To euery beast of the earth also and so euery birde of the ayre to euery such thing that créepeth vpon the earth which doth liue I haue giuen euery gréene herbe for meate and it was 31 And God sawe euerye thing that he had made and beholde it was excéeding good And the euening and the morning were the sixt day The Exposition vpon the first Chapter of Genesis In the beginning GOD created heauen and earth c. THis booke is called Genesis because in the very first entrāce therof by the course of sixe dayes worke is declared the Beginning Creation and as it were the first Natiuitie of heauen and earth and all thinges therein conteyned by the mightie worde and wisedome of God made and framed of Nothing Which the Spirite of God mooued his faythfull seruant Moyses to do thereby as well to refell that generall and grosse errour of the Idolatrous Gentiles throughout the whole worlde which gaue themselues ouer to the * worship and seruice eyther of common and base creatures either of false and vainely deuised Gods As also to * shew that the God of Israel was the Onely True and Almightie God maker of Heauen and of Earth and all the partes thereof In that he sayth In the beginning God made heauen and earth c. we haue to learne First that the worlde is * not of euerlasting Continuance as some vaine Philosophers haue taught but that being made by God certainely it had a beginning and euen as certainely shall in due time haue an ende As it is sayde Psal 102. In the beginning O Lorde thou lay dest the foundation of the earth and the heauens be the workes of thy fingers They shall perish but thou shalt continue for euer c. Secondly that it was not made of it Selfe by Chaunce or otherwise as Democritus dreamed but by the workemanship of some other beside it selfe Thirdly that it was made by God that therby we might be admonished of his great Wisedome Power and goodnesse towarde Mankinde to whose vse principally these things might seeme to be framed Fourthly that it was made of nothing and therefore we may not Imagine as some wickedly haue done that there was a Matter whereof the world was made coeternall with God himselfe before all Beginning And here it is to bee wished that all Christian heartes would enter into a perfect Consideration of this Worke of God in Creating of the world so that when they looked vp into heauen and sawe the Sunne the Moone the Planets the Starres and all the furniture thereof keeping their orders and courses they woulde thinke earnestly wyth themselues that they sawe the meruelous workemanship of God their heauenly Father Maker and Creator of all things And when they consider the Ayre the Water the Earth and all things therein conteyned in their kindes and places and offices distincted that they woulde Remember the same was made by the same our God and gracious Lorde to the vse of vs mortall men By this meanes should they discende from the faith of their Creation to the fayth and beliefe of Gods diuine * Prouidence and tender Loue and care that hee beareth toward mankinde which in all afflictions is the most assured stay and comfort This did Dauid to his great consolation as well in the eight Psalme as in the. 104. and many other And the spirite of GOD mooued vpon the face of the earth c. The confused Heape of heauen and earth was without shape vnperfect and darke and yet not vtterly deade but was indued with the strength of Gods spirite and so made liuely to continue vnto the worldes ende And GOD sayde Let there be light and there was light We may not here conceyue that God hath any corporall Voyce or such maner of Speach as doth proceede by tongue and lippes from mortall men For to Speake in God is nothing but with an assured and effectuall will to determine with himselfe and to doe that he hath determined We haue here to learne also that all thinges were made by the mightie power of Gods worde that is to say by the Wisdome Purpose and Counsaile of God which was Christ Iesu the seconde person in Trinitie as saint Iohn doth expounde it in his Gospel In the beginning sayth he was the VVorde and the VVorde was with God and God was that VVorde The same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by it c. And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light c. This maner of Iudgement God giueth of all things that he made he sayth not God sawe that they were pleasant beautifull and faire but that they were * Good. Whereby we may learne that God did not so much respect his owne glorie in the fairenesse of his workes as he did the benefite and and Commoditie of Mankinde to whose vse he made them Let there be a Firmament betweene the waters and let it make a deuision c. Let there be a Firmament that is as the Hebrue speaketh A Stretching out or a Setting abroad betweene waters and waters Vnto thys maner of speaking the Scripture often alludeth as Esay 42. He that made the heauens and spreade them abroad c. And in the 40. Chapiter He spreadeth out the heauens as a couering he stretcheth them out as a Tent to dwell in c. And Psal 104. He stretcheth out the heauens as a Curtaine Wherefore it maye well be gathered that this Firmament is nothing but a large Stretched out space betweene waters and waters betweene waters aboue and waters beneath and such as we see betweene the clowdes which are the vpper waters and the Sea and Ryuers which are the neather waters by Gods ordinaunce gathered into their appointed places All that is aboue vs is deuyded into two partes the one called Aether which is the vpper part of the Firmament wherein the Starres Planets are the other called the Aire
was in the earth and euery herbe of the fielde before it grewe For the Lorde God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth neyther vvas there a man to till the grounde 6 But there went vp a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground 7 The Lorde God also dyd shape man of the dust of the ground and breathed into hys nosethrilles the breath of life and man was a liuing soule 8 And the Lorde God planted a Garden eastwarde in Eden and there he put the man whome he had shapen 9 Moreouer out of the ground made the Lorde God to growe euery trée that was fayre to sight and pleasant to eat The trée of life in the middest of the Garden and the trée of knowledge of good and euill 10 And out of Eden there went forth a ryuer to water the Garden and from thence it was deuided and became into foure heades 11 The name of the first is Pison the same is it that compasseâ—h the whole lande of Hauilab where there is golde 12 And the golde of the lande is very good There is also Bdellium and the Onix stone 13 The name of the second riuer is Gihon the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia 14 The name of the thirde Ryuer is Hidekel and it goeth towarde the east side of Assyrta and the fourth ryuer is Euphrates 15 And the Lorde God tooke the man and put him into the gardeÌ„ of Eden that be might worke it and kéepe it 16 And the Lorde God commaunded the man saying Eating thou shalt eate of euery trée of the garden 17 But as touching the trée of knowledge of good And euill thou shalt not eate of it For in what daye so euer thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death 18 And the Lorde God sayde It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him an helpe lyke vnto hym 19 And so out of the grounde the Lorde God had shapen euery beast of the fielde and euery foule of the ayre and brought them vnto man that he might sée howe he woulde call them For likewise as man named euery lyuing thing so was the name thereof 20 And the man gaue names to all cattell and foule of the ayre and to euery beast of the fielde but for man founde he not an helpe like vnto him 21 The Lorde God caused a déepe sléepe to fall vpon Adam and he slept and he tooke one of his ribbes and closed vp the place with fleshe in steade thereof 22 And the ribbe which the Lorde God hath taken from man made he a woman and brought her vnto the man. 23 And man sayde This is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh she shall be called woman bicause she was taken out of man. 24 For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned with his wyfe and they shall become one fleshe 25 And they were both naked the man and his wyfe and were not ashamed The Exposition vpon the .ij. Chapter of Genesis Thus the heauens and earth was finished and all the hoast of them c. SEing that when Man was made the whole worlde had his perfection and ending it maye appeare that all thinges by Gods goodnesse were made for man and to his vse which consideration oâ—â—ght to moue men to bee thankefull vnto God for so great and vnestimable Benefites and to * doe all things to his Honour and glorie according to the ende of their Creation For as the world was made for Man So Man was created to set forth the praise and glorie of god By this worde Hoste he meaneth the Furniture of heauen and Earth and the Multitude of all Gods creatures belonging to them both And therfore when God is often in Scripture called* The Lorde of Hostes it is ment he is the Lord and maker of all Creatures and hath them all at hys commaundement eyther to defende his people or to worke punishment vpon his Enimies And the seauenth daye he rested from all the workes that he made c. Verie well saith Augustine God rested the seauenth day from the worke of Creation but he neuer Ceaseth from the rule of his gouernance For the same God that in the beginning made Heauen and Earth and all Creatures contayned in them doth now also continually Preserue Maintaine and gouerne the same Therefore we are no 〈◊〉 nowe daylie bounde to thanke God for the Preseruation of his Creatures to our vse then we were at the beginning for Making of them We maye not thinke that Creatures once made doe preserue and prosper themselues by a course of Nature oâ—ely but that it is the finger of God and his gratious Prouidence that woâ—â—eth coÌ„tinually in them By him saith Saint Paule wee haue our Being we Liue and we Mooue And to the Hebr. Sustayning all things by the worde of his power And God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because c. There are 4. causes why God sanctified the seuenth day 1 The first because he ceased from the making of any mo new Creatures 2 The second for the Worthynesse of mankinde whose creation and making was the Ende of the whole worlde 3 The thirde that it might be an institution and ordinance of a worship due vnto God on the behalf of Man wherby he should set forth his prayse and Glory and acknowledge his vnestimable goodnesse towarde him 4 The fourth that it might be a Figure of Immortality and of our eternal Rest with God in heauen after the ende of the worlde For the Lord God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth c. At the beginning thinges that grewe on the Earth were brought forth by God without raine and without labour of mans hande but afterward God giueth in commaundement that Man should Manure the Earth and God did sende Raine to season and moyst it Wherefore Men must Laboure and traueile Plant and Sowe and not looke to eate the fruites of the Earth * in Idlenesse And yet must he not so trust in his worke and labour as though it coulde be of any force or worke benefite vnto him without the goodnesse of God in Seasoning the Earth and prospering his labors and traualles The prouidence of God will haue both to go togither Mans painefull labour and Gods gracious working The Lord also did shape man of the dust of the Grounde c. Here Moyses returneth againe to the worke of the sixt day and expoundeth nowe that he left vnspoken before that is that God made the body of Man of the dust of the Earth He had before sayde that God did make Man according to his owne Image which was the greatest Dignitie that could be giuen vnto Man But nowe least by that pretence he should be puffed vp with Pride he setteth before his eyes his Base
that felicitie that is * purchased for vs by Christ Iesus our seconde Adam It cannot be that we shall feele the sweetnesse of the felicitie of our redemption by Christ Iesu except we feele in deede wyth humble heartes what we are by the disobedience of our first father that is nothing but Dust Ashes And the Lorde sayde beholde this man is become as one of vs in knowing good c. By this euent we may learne with howe euill successe man doth yeeld to the disobedience of God at the perswasion of Sathan and his wicked instruments They where promised to be Gods but after they had eaten they were so farre from the glorie of God that they were debased vnder the Condition of Man and made almost equall wyth Beasts They were promised the Knowledge of good and euill wherby they shoulde ascend to perfect Wisedom but they became more mad and foolishe than other common Creatures they vnderstoode what was Good but by the miserable losse of that goodnesse which before they had they knew by experience in Sin what was euil but that Knowledge and experience they bought with the Losse of eternall Felicitie and Loue of God. Therefore the Lorde God sent him forth of the Garden of Eden c. It was the iust iudgement of God to Cast Adam out of Paradice because he neglecting the consideration of so great Dignitie felicity wherin he was placed did transgresse the Law of Paradice forgetting whence he was taken and into what Place he was transferred At the East side of the Garden he did set Cherubins and a fierie two edged c. God might by some priuie meanes haue kept Adam out of Paradice and from the tree of Life but his pleasure was by this outwarde and sensible way to Cut of from Adam all hope of atteyning the same hereafter that thereby he might the sooner submit himselfe to the will and pleasure of god Mans stubburnnesse hopeth and attempteth many things impossible which he woulde not doe if he did see before his eyes vnuincible resistance as in this place the Aungell and the fierie sworde Was. Sexagesima Sunday at Euening prayer Genesis 6. ANd it came to passe that when men began to be multiplied in the vpper face of the earth there were daughters borne vnto them 2. And the sonnes of God also sawe the daughters of men that they were fayre and they tooke them wyues such as they lyked from among them all 3 And the Lorde sayde My spirite shall not alwayes striue with man because he is fleshe yet hys dayes shall be an hundred and twentie yeares 4 But there were Gyantes in those dayes in the earth yea and after that the sonnes of God came vnto the daughters of men and had begotten children of them the same became mightie men of the worlde and men of renowne 5 But God sawe that the malice of man was great in the earth and all the imagination of the thoughtes of his heart vvas onely euill euery day 6 And it repented the Lorde that he had made man vpon the earth and he was touched with sorowe in his heart 7 And the Lorde sayde I will from the vpper face of the earth destroyman whom I haue created from man vnto cattel vnto worme and vnto foules of the ayre For it repenteth me that I haue made them 8 But Noah founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde 9 These are the generation of Noah Noah vvas a iust man and pefect in his generations and walked with God. 10 Noah begat thrée sonnes Sem Ham and Iaphath 11 The earth also was corrupt before GOD and the same earth was filled with crueltie 12 And God looked vpon the earth and beholde it was corrupt for all fleshe had corrupted his way vpon earth 13 And God said vnto Noah The ende of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with crueltie through them and beholde I will destroy them with the earth 14 Make thée an Arke of Pine trées Habitations shalt thou make in the Ark and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch 15 And of this fashion shalt thou make it The length of the Arke shall be thrée hundred cubites the breadth of it fiftie cubites and the height of it thirtie cubites 16 A window shalt thou make in the arke and in a cubite shalt thou finish it aboue but the doore of the arke shalt thou set in the side thereof With thrée loftes one aboue another shalt thou make it 17 And beholde I euen I doe bring a floud of waters vpon the earth to destroye all flesh wherein is the breath of life vnder heauen and euerye thing that is in the earth shall perish 18 With thée also will I make my couenant and thou shalt come into the Arke thou and thy sonnes thy wyfe and thy sonnes wiues with thée 19 And of euery liuing thing of all flesh a payre of euery one shalt thou bring into the ark to kéepe them aliue with thée they shall be male and female 20 Of feathered foules also after their kinde and of all cattell after their kinde of euery worme of the earth after hys kynde two of enery sort shall come vnto thée to kéepe them aliue 21 And take thou with thée of all meats that is eaten and thou shalt lay it vp with thée that it may be meate for thée and them 22 Noah therefore did according vnto all that God commanded him euen so did he The Exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of Genesis And it came to passe that when men began to be multiplied in the vpper c. THe sonnes of God in this place are taken to be the sonnes of Seth and his godly posteritie whiche professed the name of GOD and his true worship And the daughters of men are vnderstanded to be the Daughters of Cain and his vngodly Generation which contemned the name of God and gaue themselues to the lustes of the worlde So that the sense is that the whole worlde was Corrupted and giuen ouer to their sensuall pleasure For not onely the wicked generation of Cain and his ofspring but the posteritie of the godly also forsooke the feare of God and without all regarde of Conscience onely to satisfie their Carnall lust and pleasure tooke wiues of the daughters of the vngodly worldlings * which seduced them from the true worship of God and vertuous life to the Contempt of God and all Corruption and wickednesse of the flesh Therefore GOD iustly breaketh out in displeasure agaynst mankinde and sayth that His spirite shoulde not alwayes or for euer thus striue and trauaile with them as hitherto he had done to bring them to amendment because they were altogither fleshly and vncorrigible and giuen ouer to the wicked deuises of their owne mindes Wherefore he doth appoynt them * a determinate time within which if they did not repent and amende he woulde surely destroy them And this time was the space
Conscience among them â—or haue any hope to Preuaile and do Good by drawing them to repentance 2 The second if he haue the 〈…〉 of gods commaundement calling him and good Oportunitie to Spreade the glorie of God and studie of his true worship in an other place Otherwise if these causes be not as they were both in Abram I thinke he is not bound in conscience to depart but without Sinne maye Tary among them as Loth did in Sodome And I will make of thee a great people and will blesse thee c. This Blessing that God here promiseth to Abrain is in wordes very great and notable But if we looke to the maner of perfourming it in the face of the worlde it will seeme somewhat straunge to mans reason He promiseth Abram Multiplying and Blessing if he depart out of his Countrey but it might seeme more likelie that he should grow to wealth and power if he Taâ—yed in his Countrey Furthermore when he dyed in the lande of his peregrinage he was in deede welthy and riche but he scantly left One Sonne to performe the great Blessing of the increase of his Seede Yea and the same Sonne hauing lyke condition as his father had left but One sonne behinde him partaker of the Promise And lastly when some shew of great increase appeared in the sonnes of Iacob by Hunger and Famine they were * driuen to go into Aegypt and there in deede increased in great numbers but yet vnder the crosse of Trouble and AfflictioÌ„ as it is read The morâ— that they did â—ppresse them the more they mereased and multiplied This must we diligently consider iâ— the blessing of Abram that we may learne howe God blesseth his in this world least we fall into the iudgement of carnall men and thinke them Happie and blessed whiâ—h in deede are cursed and vnhappie â–ª For Gods Blessing doth not alway go with the Wealth of the worlde nor his Curse with Affliction and trouble but most commonlye in cleane contrarie maner For it is profitable for the Elect of god often in this life to be vnder the bridle of Affliction and Trouble It is good for me sayth Dauid that thou hast Humbled me Who would haue esteemed Ioseph happie when he was * solde into Aegypt and there a long time kept in Prison Or Dauid when he was Tenne yeares Persecuted of Saule Or in time of his kingdome when he was troubled with so many Warres and * Rebellions But as the kingdome of God is Spirituall so are his Blessings for the most part Spiritual and not according to the iudgement of the 〈◊〉 And in thee shall all the kindredes of the earth be blessed c. This place is diligently to be imprinted in the mindes of the faythfull as one of the sweetest Promises of our Free blessing in Christ Iesu that is in all the Scriptures We be taught in these wordes to learne the riches and abundance of Gods mercie who doth not restraine his blessing to anye one House kindred or Nation but doth freely impart it to All the Kindreds of the earth Therefore when Christ sent his Messengers to bestowe this blessing he sayd Go into the whole worlde and declare these good tydings To all creatures Moreouer this blessing here promised is our Iustification For sayth Saint Paule * The scripture foreseeing that God iustified the Nations of the earth by fayth preached of the same to Abraham before saying In thee shal all Kinreds of the earth be blessed Thus Blessing then to saint Paule is Iustifying and Blessed are Iustified And this Iustifiyng by S. Paule is by Fayth and * not by our Workes To conclude the foundation of this free blessing or Iustification is the seede of Abraham * Christ Iesu Wherefore we see that God him selfe in thys place to Abraham is the First preacher of our Free out some great consideration whie God did nowe chiefely plague the Chananites after that Abram and other good and godly persons were come among them It might seeme more likely that God for the * Iustes sake woulde haue spared them or that all things for their cause shoulde haue gone the more Prosperously with them But seeing it pleased God otherwise we must thinke that Gods pacience was greatly stirred against them both by some meruelous increase of their Stubburnnesse and wickednesse and also by the malicious and frowarde Abusing of the Godly For so we see it oftentimes by the prouidence of God that when Gods truth and his holy will is preached taught in the worlde by his notable and worthie instruments some great Aduersitie and Plague doth followe to the punishment of the stubburnnesse and blasphemie of the wycked agaynst it The causes of which plagues the Malice of the worlde to their further coÌ„demnation not seeing their owne Sinnefulnesse doth blasphemously Impute to the true Doctrine of God and to the good and godly persons publishing the same Thus was it in the time of Hieremie and of the Prophetes Thus was it in the Primitiue Church Thus it is now in these Latter dayes And when he was come nere to enter into Egypt he sayde vnto Sarai c. Here first we haue to note that euen Godly men comming among the Wicked or into place of daunger though they put their trust in God yet are they not voyde of care and feare and * Deuise by all meanes they can howe they may Shunne and auoyde the same Secondly we haue to consider the Violence Malice of the wicked which to satisfie there Filthie and fleashly Lust whyll not spare to commit any Mischiefe eyther by Murder or otherwise Thirdly it may be doubted howe a godly man can deuise to saue himselfe by a Lye for aunswere wherevnto vnderstande you there are three kinds of Lying 1 First when we vtter an Vntruth 2 Secondly when we denie a Truth 3 Thirdly when Truth is dissembled and for the time vpon considerations concealed The two first wayes no man can vse without sinne nor ought to saue himselfe by them The thirde waye Abram did vse concealing that Sarah was his wyfe and yet vttering no vntruth in saying she was hys sister But neyther in this nor yet in that that foloweth is it to be thought that Abram was voide of some Imperfection proceeding of to much timorousnesse and want of confidence in the promises of god For how can it stand with perfit Sinceritie for his bodily safetie and hope of better intertainement in a straunge place to hasarde the Chastitie of his faythfull true and louing Wife and giue occasion both to her and to the Prince or other of the Egiptians to commit adulterie Saint Paule sayth VVe may not doe ill that good may come therof We haue not therfore any colour here in Abram wherby we may be encouraged for any cause to vse the lyke dealing but rather a plaine example that euen Holy
heard the threatnings of God read in the booke of his law Then are they acceptable vnto God and he doth not prohibite them For to that ende he willeth them here To fast To lament To weepe thereby to shewe the inwarde and repentant sorowe of their heartes That they may in this maner repent he declareth by the nature and properties of GOD that there is assured hope of mercie in God. For sayth he God is Gracious and of nature more prone to pleasure then to punishe He is Mercifull as a father mooued with compassion euen vpon the deserued miseries of his children He is of Long suffering and loth to be drawne to wrath and punishmēt He is of exceeding Bountie and goodnesse as a plentifull springing fountaine desireth still to poure out vpon vs the riches of his benefites and gracious gifts Lastly He will repent him of the euill that is he will alter his decree and reuoke his sentence of displeasure For all the sentences of punishment that god pronounceth vpon his people are euer ioyned with condition of repentance which if they shew he may and doth without note of Mutabilitie or inconstancie chaunge his purpose And therefore it is sayde here He will returne and leaue behinde him a blessing of meate offering c. Whereby he meaneth that where they were before oppressed with suche scarcitie that they had not beastes wherwith to do sacrifice to God nowe he woulde blesse them with Plentie c. Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion proclaime a fast call an assemblie sanctifie c. As before the Prophet exhorted them to priuate repentance and sorrow of hart so now he willeth them to declare the same by publique and open decree that in a cōmon daunger all generally might declare their repentant hartes and call vnto god In this he sheweth what the duetie of Rulers and Gouernours is when there are great tokens of the wrath of God to hang ouer their Countries and common weales The maner of this publique repentance is here at large set forth and a prayer deuised to the same purpose Vnto this must all sortes of men be assembled olde men children babes yea the newe maried man and his bryde out of the chamber of his pleasure But especially Priestes and the ministers of the Lorde must shewe themselues readie in this and by earnest prayer and weeping be as Mediatours betweene God and his people And the Lord will be ielous ouer his land and will spare his people c. The Prophet nowe comforteth the people and doth assure them what benefite they shall haue by their Repentance if they turne vnto god As the husbande cannot abyde to see his wyfe cruelly vsed of any other so will the Lorde be ielous ouer the lande of the Iewes his chosen people Where they were pinched with Famine and hunger through spoyle of the lande and barrennesse he will nowe sende them Corne Wine Oyle and plentie of all things necessarie for their sustenance He will remoue from them the power and armie of the Assyrians that came Northward against them and will so scatter them and put them to flight by his* Angell from heauen that they shall runne Eastward and Westwarde not knowing which waye best to saue themselues yea the prowde and * blasphemous speeche of the Capitaine Sinnacherib wherin he extolled his power against the lyuing God of heauen shal ascend as a stench or lothsome sauour to prouoke his displeasure against them Therfore Be glad sayth the Prophet Reioyce Feare not the Lorde will worke great things for you The beastes of the fielde shall prosper the ground shall be fruitfull the barnes shall be filled the Vine presses shall runne ouer The Lorde will sende you seasonable weathering the first rayne in the spring to make the Corne growe and the latter raine towarde the haruest to fill the eare yea he shall doe all things for you so fauourably that you shal perceiue him to be as it were present and dwelling in the middle of you And it shall come to passe after this I will poure out my spirite vpon all c. Vpon the occasion of the declaring of this comfortable and bountifull promise of the fauour of God towarde his people after their repentance Ioel breaketh out to speake of the spirituall kingdome of Christ of the * benefits that men should haue and the state of lyfe that shoulde be vnder him This is the ordinarie maner of all the Prophets to mixe the mention of Christ with their other doctrine of things pertayning to their present state Hereby signifying that all the benefites and blessings eyther worldly or spirituall that God giueth to his people are promised and perfourmed onely in respect of the Sauiour of the worlde and that promised seede Christ Iesu that was to come The Prophet therefore in this place putting the people of God in minde of the spirituall blessings of Messias first beginneth with the sending of the holy ghost which of all other was the greatest and in deede the summe of all the residue For albeit the whole riches and * treasures of Gods graces and goodnesse are giuen out by Christ Iesu yet can we not enioy the same * but by the Holy ghost The worke and effect of whome is * to open vnto men the will of God eyther by * prophecie and foretelling of things to come by word by visions by dreames or by interpretation and opening of the* misteries of religiō out of the holy scriptures and by * inclyning the harts and willes of the faithful to the obseruation of the lawe and commaundementes of god This is it that God speaketh of in Ieremie cap. 31. I will plant my lawe in the inward partes of them and write it in their hartes and from thenceforth shall no man teache his neighbour or hys brother saying know you the Lorde but they shall all knowe me from the lovvest to the highest c. And I will shewe wonders in heauen and in earth bloud and fyre and pillers c. Least that after the comming of Christ into the worlde the faythfull should perswade themselues that all trouble were paste and that they shoulde liue in rest and quietnesse as the Phariseys and other Iewes did the Prophet Ioel here declareth what a troublous and daungerous State there shoulde bee towarde the ende of the worlde and what wonderful * signes and straunge sights God woulde worke in all the elementes before the last comming of Christ to iudgement It maye seeme that Christ himselfe had respect to this place when he prophecied of the same matter Math. 24. and Luc. 21. This the Prophete doth not onely to forewarne the fiathfull people of God and to shake from them securitie but also to strike a feare in the heartes of the enimies of Gods people and of his Gospell that they doe not contemne him who will send so terrible signes
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
ende of the Chapter Esay prophecieth that god hauing destroyed the naughtie and rebellious people wil restore and reforme the kingdome of Israell by Christ Iesu the true Messias by him giue them true iustice and integritie And that he may the more aggrauate their present fault in so wicked reuolting from God the Prophete in the person of God himselfe by admiration wooondreth howe it commeth to passe that that Citie which before time hath bene ioyned to almightie God as a faythfull pure chast spouse hath nowe forsaken him as a light strumpette and giuen ouer hir selfe to all corruption and naughtinesse In so much that there is neyther in Prince nor people any integritie or vpright dealing but altogither corruption vnfaythfulnesse counterfeyting forgerie dissimulation falsehoode deceyte oppression and briberie and that is it that he meaneth when he sayth Their siluer is turned to drosse and their wine is mixed with water Meaning therby that their sinceritie and integritie in all maner of dealing is turned to falsehoode and forgerie And therefore with sorrowe and groning he protesteth that he will ease his stomacke * and be reuenged of this his froward and stubburne people which for that cause he calleth nowe his enimies And yet least such as haue some feare of GOD should haue their consciences to much shaken with this terrible threatning he doth * comfortably qualifie the grieuousnesse thereof signifying that hee will not cleane destroy his Church but with the fire of affliction will purge the drosse and corruption from it that they which feare God and haue the grace of repentaunce by this meanes beeing put in minde of their dutie and seperated from the wicked and obstinate may serue him more trulye and sincerely in all maner of Godlinesse And notwithstanding he plainely sayeth that the wicked transgressours that haue forsaken God and cleaned to superstition and Idolatrie for that he meaneth by their trees and gardens which they had chosen shal not escape the scourge but he destroyed and brought to coÌ„fusion togither with their Idols Vnder trees and in groues or gardens they were woont to sacrifice to their Idols Out of this Chapter are these lessons to be taken 1 First that we do not trust and glorie in the bare names of Christen men the Church of Christ the people of God the children of God for these names are burthens vnto vs and notes of vnthankefulnesse as the like were to the Iewes if we serue not God sincerely according to our profession and therfore cannot turne away the displeasure of God from vs which he iustly conceiueth for our sinnes 2 Secondly that we be not negligent and contemptous in hearing the worde of God and preaching of his holy will calling vs to repentance lest he call heauen and earth and his vnsensible creatures to witnesse agaynst our obstinacie as he did agaynst the Iewes 3 Thirdely that we be not vnmindefull of the great benefits of God from time to time bestowed vpon vs but that with thankfull heartes and obedient mindes we acknowledge and confesse the same least we be iustly in the sight of god esteemed more dull and thankelesse than the brute beastes are to their maysters and keepers 4 Fourthly when God shall for our sinfulnesse fatherly chastice vs with any scourge of aduersitie whether it be with warre sedition trouble sicknesse pouertie vexation of minde or any other affliction publique or priuate of purpose by that louing correction to bring vs home to him againe by repentance that we doe not stubburnely stande agaynst him as the Iewes did but with humble and repentant heartes submit our selues and flie to him for mercie through Christ Iesu our Sauiour 5 Fifstly that we flatter not our selues and think to winne Gods fauour by externall and superstitious worshipping of God being inwardly destitute of true fayth toward God and vnfeyned loue or vpright dealing towardes our brethren For God doth here notably declare how he lotheth and abhorreth such maner of hypocrisie 6 Sixtly when want of repentance and the multitude and greatnesse of our sinnes shall prouoke the iustice of god to lay his heauy hand vpon vs by raysing vp of cruell Tyrannes or bringing in of forraine enimies by his iust iudgement to spoyle our countrey or people that we conceyue this comfort of his great mercie that he will not vtterly and for euer destroy his Churche and the number of them that feare him but by this meanes will purge them from their owne corruption and from the infection of the wicked ones that they may more sincerely serue him in spirite and in truth The first Sunday in Aduent at Euening prayer Esay 2. THe selfe same worde that Esay the sonne of Amos sawe vpon Iuda and Hierusalem 2 And this shall come to passe in the latter dates The hill of the Lordes house shal be prepared in the heigth of the mountaines and shal be higher than the hilles and all nations shall prease vnto him 3 And a multitude of people shall go * speaking thus one to another Come let vs ascende to the hill of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and * he will instruct vs of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes for * out of Sion shall come a lawe and the worde of the Lorde from Hierusalem 4 And shall * giue sentence among the heathen and shall * reforme the multitude of people they shall breake their swoordes also into mattocks and their speares to make sythes And one people shall not lift vp a weapon against another neither shall they learne to fight from thenceforth 5 Come ye O house of Iacob and let vs walke in the light of the Lord. 6 For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Iacob bicause they be replenished vvith euils from the east and with sorcerers like the Philistines and in straunge children they thinke themselues to haue inough 7 Their lande is full of siluer and golde neither is there any ende of their treasure their lande is also full of horses and no ende is there of theâ—â— charrettes 8 Their lande also is full of vaine Gods and before the worke of their owne hands they haue bowed themselues yea euen before the thing that their owne fingers haue made 9 There knéeleth the man there falleth the man downe before them therefore forgiue them not 10 Get thée into the rocke and hide thée in the grounde for feare of the Lorde and for the glorie of his Maiestie 11 The high lookes of man shall be brought lowe and the hawtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lorde alone shall be exalted in that day 12 For the day of the Lord of hostes shall be vpon all the prowde loftie and vppon all that is exalted and he shall be brought lowe 13 And vpon all high and stoute Cedar trées of Libanus and vpon all the okes of Basan 14 And vpon all the high mountaynes and vpon all the high hilles
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
the Gentiles doth the Prophete speake in this Chapter This plague of Gods heauy iudgement vpon the Ievves doth the Prophet set forth in forme of a waste or desolation made in warre For albeit the Ievves after their reiecting were in deede by warre vnder Vespasian and Titus brought to miserable waste and desolation yet is this place not onely to be vnderstanded therof but also and specially of their Spirituall calamitie being vtterly refused to be the people of God and turned out of all that heauenly riches glory blesse and comfort that they had before through the lawe promise and couenant of almightie God made vnto them Which was a farre more grieuous plague than the spoile of their Countrie and subuersion of their Citie For by that the glorie of Gods kingdome among them was rased and defaced In warre men eyther are slaine or cast out of their Countrie the lande is made waste from inhabitance goodlye buildinges are ouerthrowne There is no regarde of priest or people maister or seruant maistresse or mayde riche or poore c. all sortes are spoyled and feele the plague thereof And then needes must the inhabitantes lament and mourne and the whole Countrey be turned into an horrible and miserable fourme and shape As this was the outward waste so was the Spirituall desolation no lesse but rather more grieuous For they were bereft of all that maiestie and glorie that they had before God they remained no longer the people of god Fewe of them came to the knowledge of saluation Both priest and people mayster and seruant and al other sortes without difference were cast of from God and the benefite of all his blessings To conclude kingdome and priesthoode and all the treasures of heauenly knowledge were taken from them And that not by the hande of anye mortall Prince but by the mightie power of god For the Lorde sayth he shal make waste the land the Lord hath spoken it The cause is added in the fift verse They haue transgressed the lawes They haue chaunged the ordinances They haue broke the euerlasting couenant That is to say They haue transgressed the lawe of the tenne commaundementes prescribing the true worship of God and dutie towarde theyr neighbours they haue not kept the ordinaunces appoynted for the gouernement of their common weale and externall forme of Religion they haue broken the euerlasting Couenant and testament whereby God had bounde himselfe for euer to bee the God of Abraham and of his posteritie For they reiected that happie seede of Abraham * Christ Iesu in whome promise was wade that all the nations * of the earth should be blessed This was of all other the most grieuous offence For they that reiect Christ and his Gospel reiect from them selues all hope of Saluation Therefore hath the curse consumed the earth and they that dwell c. This curse is that which God threatneth * Leu. 26. and * Deut. 28. agaynst them that keepe not his law Cursed shalt thou be in the Citie and cursed in the fielde cursed shall be the fruite of thy bodie and the fruite of thy lande c. The wine faileth the vine hath no might all they that haue bene merie c. By the decay of wine myrth solace and minstrelcie he signifieth that he will take from them all those his creatures wherin they did delight and take pleasure and cast them into * lamentation sorowe and mourning and want of all comfort both before God in conscience and before the world outwardly The citie of vanitie is broken downe euery house is shut vp c. The destruction of Hierusalem and the sorowfull desolation therof is described in these three verses For in the middes of the lande euen among the people it shall come c. Because he hath before prophecied of the destruction of the lande and kingdome of Iurie and of the reiection of that people least it might bee thought that God shoulde haue no face or countenaunce of a Church in the whole worlde he signifieth here both that some reâ—â—â—anâ— of the Iewes should be saued as S. Paule wryteth and also that he will rayse vp a more ample and glorious church of all the other Nations of the earth which shall giue prayse and glorie to his name This is it that he meaneth in the .13 verse when he saith That it shal fal out as in the latter end of haruest some Oliues and some clusters of grapes will bee left on the trees being but a small portion in comparison of the whole Euen so some of the Iewes should receyue Christ and be saued and those but fewe in respect of the whole Nation that were reiected In the 14. 15. and 16. verses by those that shall crie out of the west and prayse the Lorde in the valleyes and in the Isles of the sea and from the vttermost partes of the earth He meaneth the number of the Gentiles in all places that professing the Gospell and saluation by Christ shall giue prayse and glorie to the name of God for the same I knowe a thing in secrete I know a thing in secrete wo is me c. Here the Prophete breaketh out to sorrowfull lamentation for the reiecting of his people and countreymen from the fauour of god through their obstinate transgression as if he had sayde * wo is me for that I doe with sorrowe and heauinesse of heart foresee that at the reuealing of the Gospell by Messiah many other nations imbracing the same fewe of my Countriemen shall receyue the sweete comfort thereof For they shall heynously and grieuouslye transgresse in contemning and refusing Christ the Messiah and Sauiour And therefore God shall by his iust wrath refuse and cast of them also from the number of his people Fearefulnesse the pit and the snare are vpon thee O thou that dwellest c. To this place Esay hath prophecied as it is noted before of the reiecting of the Iewes and calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of god Nowe he telleth what shall become also of the other wicked inhabitours of the earth and kingdomes of the worlde which shall continue in wickednesse after the gospel published and the kingdome of Christ spred and enlarged by Christ and his Apostles and especially towarde the latter ende of the worlde VVhen the Church and kingdome of Christ who is the Lorde of hostes shall be set vp in Sion and Hierusalem that is in the Church of God with so great maiestie and heauenly brightnesse that it shal farre passe the Sunne and the Moone then shall these troubles happen to the wicked of the worlde He that shall escape the fearefull noyse shall fall into the pit and he that scapeth the pit shall light into the snare that is they shall haue no quietnesse nor rest but shall runne out of one calamitie into an other vntill they perish vtterly For euen as in the generall deluge so shall the windowes
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
heauenly foode of Christ himselfe * Iohn 6. Remission of sinne * Reconciliation Acceptation * Iustification before God The assured gift of euerlasting * life and The inheritance of the kingdome of God. In this Mountaine therefore was the table as it were first spredde for this heauenly banquet and from thence were the messengers sent into all partes of the worlde to bid the ghestes as Christ signifieth by a parable Math. 22. and Luke 14 â–ª And in this Monntaine shall the Lorde destroy the couering c. The couering and hanging or the mourning garment wherin all men are wrapped is Corruption and Sinne whereby sorrow daunger shame and reproch is come vnto them by which death also hath inuaded them * For death is the rewarde of sinne But the daunger both of the one and of the other and the sorrowe weeping and heauinesse that commeth by them is cleane taken awaye by Christ Iesu as S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 15. * VVhere is thy sting O death O hell where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne the power of sinne is the lawe but thankes be to God that hath giuen vs victorie by Christ Iesu Therefore with glad and thankfull heartes the Prophete maketh the people of God and subiectes of the kingdome of Christ to reioyce and triumph for the same saying Lo this is our God wee haue wayted for him and he shall deliuer vs c. Here the Prophete noteth the three sacrifices wherewith the Church of Christ and his people do worship him 1 The first is Fayth and Beleefe of hart noted in this word VVe haue wayted for him that is with constant fayth we haue abidden hys comming being assured that he would deliuer vs. 2 The second is Confession with the mouth For we must not onely beleeue in heart that Christ Iesu is the sauiour of the worlde as S. Paule sayth but also confesse with mouth and therefore sayth the Prophete here Lo this is our God c. 3 The thirde is Triumphant gladnesse in heart and conscience for the saluation happened by christ our Sauiour which is vttered in these wordes VVe will reioyce and be mery in the saluation c. For in this Mountaine the hande of the Lorde shall abide c. By the hande of the Lorde he vnderstandeth the power and maiestie of Christ that shal remaine alway in his Church For I am with you sayth he to the ende of the worlde that is in vertue power and maiestie of his Godhead though as touching his humanitie he be absent in heauen on the right hande of God the father By the name of Moab that shoulde be threshed and troden vnder lyke a dunghill he meaneth all the enimies and aduersaryes of Christ and his Gospell vpon whom our Sauiour Christ shal stretch out his hande like one that swimmeth that he may thresh them and beate them as it were to dust and bring to confusion all their glorie and great strength The Moabites were the sworne and perpetual enimies to the Israelites and therefore by that name doth he note all the aduersaryes of the people of God. The thirde Sunday in Aduent at Euening prayer Esay 26. IN that day shall this song be sung in the land of Iuda We haue a strong Citie saluation shall God appoynt in steade of walles and bulwarkes 2 Open ye the gates that the righteous people which kéepeth the truth may enter in 3 By an assured purpose wilt thou preserue perfect peace bicause they put their trust in thée 4 Put ye your trust alway in the Lorde for in the Lorde God there is strength for euermore 5 For he hath brought downe the high minded Citizens as for the proude citie he hate brought it lowe euen to the grounde shall he cast it downe and bring it vnto dust 6 The foote euen the foote of the poore and the steps of such as be in necessitie shall treade it downe 7 The path of equitie wilt thou graunt vnto the full O thou most righteous thou shalt order the path of him that is righteous 8 Yea in the way of thy iudgements O lord haue we put our trust in thée thy name also and the remembraunce of thée is the thing that our soule longeth for 9 My soule hath longed for thée al the night and with my spirit which is within me will I séeke thée earely in the morning for when thy iudgements are in the earth the inhabitours of the worlde shall learne righteousnesse 10 Shall the vngodly man be fauoured which hath not learned righteousnesse but â—â—th wickedly in â—he earth where nothing ought to be done but that which is righteous he shall not sée the glorie of the Lorde 11 Lorde when thy hande is lift vp to strike they sée it not but they shall sée it and be confounded with the zeale of the people and the fyre that consumeth thine enimies shall douour them 12 Lorde vnto vs thou shalt prouide peace for thou also â–ª hast wrought all our workes in vs. 13 O Lorde our God other Lordes besides thée hath subdued vs but we will be mindefull onely of thée and of thy name 14 The deade will 〈…〉 they that be out of life wyll not rise againe therefore hast thou visited and rooted them out and destroyed all the memorie of them 15 Thou hast increased the people O Lorde thou hast increased the people thou art glorious thou hast sent them far of vnto all the costes of the earth 16 Lord in trouble haue they visited thée they poured out their prayer when thy chastening was vpon them 17 Like as a woman with childe that draweth nie towardes hir trauayle is sorie and cryeth in hir paynes euen so haue we béene in thy sight O Lorde 18 We haue bene with childe and suffered paine as though we had brought forth winde for there is no saluation in the earth neyther doe the inhabiters of the worlde submit themselues 19 Thy deade men shall liue euen as my body shall they rise againe awake and sing ye that dwel in dust for thy deawe is euen as the deawe of hearbes and the earth shall cast out them that be vnder her 20 Come my people enter thou into thy chambers shut thy doores about thée hyde thy selfe for a little while vntill the indignation he ouerpast 21 For beholde the Lorde is comming out of his place to visite the wickednesse of such as dwell vpon earth the earth also shall disclose her bloudes and shall no more hide them that are slaine in her The exposition vpon the .26 Chapter of Esay In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Iuda We haue a strong citie c. AFter that the Prophete in the former Chapter hath recyted the benefites that câ—me to them that acknowledge â–ª Christ the true Messias and sauiour he nowe maketh a song or psalme in meeter wherewith
〈◊〉 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
For death in deed is terrible to them that in such sort consider it but to them that in strength of * fayth beholde it ioyned with the fauour of God it is very pleasaunt and therefore sayde Paule I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Mine age is folden together and taken from me like a sheepeheards cottage c. By this maner of speech he signifieth that God had determined to take this worldly life from him in short time to transferre him to another place as the maner of sheepeheardes in that countrey is to remooue their Cotes from place to place as they chaunge the Pasture and place of feeding theyr Cattell I thought I should haue liued till the morow but he bruised my bones c. I was sayth he in so great dispaire of my life that at night I was in doubt through the vehemencie of my sicknesse whether I should liue vntil the morning Yea I was so farre past as I was not hable to speake distinctly but vttered a confuse chattering like the noise of a Swallow or Crane and a mourning like the noyse of a Doue Thou it is O Lorde that hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe c. Here Ezechias plainely confesseth what the cause was of his sickenesse and of his restoring to health * Sinne was the cause of his sickenesse and the mercy of God forgiuing the same and turning them from his sight was the cause of his deliuerance Wherefore it cannot be thought when before he sayth he walked in truth and a stedfast heart before God that he sought thereby to be iustified in the sight of GOD but rather as I haue sayde before that he vttered those wordes in comfort of himselfe that he was not vtterly reiected of God albeit he were then punished For hell prayseth not thee death doth not magnifie thee nor they that go down c. The Sense of this verse is vtterd in many of the Psalmes as in the. * 6. the. * 87. and the. * 117. The deade shall not prayse thee nor all that go downe into the pit c. By which wordes and the like neyther Dauid nor Ezechias denie that the spirite of the dead haue their actions before God to his glorie or affirme that they perish together with the bodie But they signifie that those that be deade buried and layde in the graue ouerwhelmed wyth earth haue no longer their bodily Actions in the Church of God here in this worlde nor cannot set forth among men liuing here the clemencie mercie and goodnesse of God toward them to the prayse and glorie of his name in this worlde like as the liuing may The dead as touching their body are in y graue as touching their soules they are in heauen but so as they cannot* returne into the worlde to preach declare and set forth to men the maiestie iustice and mercie of God. The .2 Sunday after Christmas at Morning prayer Esay 41. BE still you I landes and hearken vnto me let the people lay their strength together let them come hither and then shewe their cause we will go to the 〈◊〉 together 2. Who raysed vp the iust man from the east and called him to go forth who cast downe the people and subdued the kinges before him that he may throwe them all to the grounde with his sworde and scatter them like stubble with his bowe 3 He foloweth vpon them and goeth safely himselfe and that in a way where before his foote had not troden 4 Who hath made and created these things euen he that called the generations from the beginning euen I the Lorde which am the first and with the last 5 The Isâ—es saw and did feare and the endes of the earth were abashed drew 〈◊〉 and came hither 6 Euery man helped his neighbour and sayde to his brother Be strong 7 The Carpenter comforted the Goldsmith and the Goldssmith the Hammerman saying Sowder win do very well in it they fastened it with naâ—â—es that it shoulde not be mooueel 8 But thou Israell art my seruant thou Iacob whom I haue chosen thou art the séede of Abraham my beloued 9 Thou art he whome I led from the endes of the earth for I called thée euen from among the glorious men of it and sayde vnto thée Thou art my seruaunt I haue chosen thée and not cast thée away 10 Be not afrayde for I am with thée Melt not away as waxe for I am thy God to strengthe thée helpe thée and kéepe thée with the right hande of my righteousnesse 11 Beholde all they that resist thée shall come to confusion and shame and thine aduersaries shall be destroyed and brought to naught 12 So that who so séeketh after them shall not finde them thy destroyers shall perishe and so shal they that vndertake to make battell agaynst thée be as that is not and as a thing of naught 13 For I the Lorde thy God will strengthen thy right hande euen I that say vnto thée Feare not I will helpe thée 14 Be not afrayde thou little worme Iacob and thou despised Israell for I wil helpe thée sayth the Lorde and the holy one of Israell thy redéemer 15 Beholde I will make thée a treading cart and a newe stayle that thou mayest threshe and grinde the mountaynes and bring the hilles to powder 16 Thou shalt fanne them and the winde shall carie them away and the whirle winde-shall scatter them but thou shalt reioyce in the Lord and shalt delight in the holy one of Israell 17 When the thirstie and poore séeke water and finde none and when the tongue is drie of thirst I giue it them sayth the Lorde I the God of Israell forsake them not 18 I bring forth flooddes in the hilles and welles in the plaine fieldes I turne the wildernesse to riuers and the drie lande to conduites of water 19 I plant in the wast ground trées of Cedar Boxe Myrre and Oliues and in the drie I set Firre trées Elmes and Hawthornes together 20 All this doe I that they altogether may sée and marke perceyue with theyr heartes and consider that the hande of the Lord maketh these things and that the holy one of Israel bringeth them to passe 21 Stande at your cause sayth the Lorde and bring forth your strongest ground sayth the king of Iacob 22 Let them bring forth their Gods and let their Gods tell vs what shall chaunce hereafter yea let them shew vs the thinges that are past what they be let them declare them vnto vs that we may take them to heart aud knowe them hereafter 23 Either shew vs things for to come and tell vs what shall be done hereafter so shall we know that ye are Gods doe some thing either good or bad so will we both knowledge the same and tell it out 24 Beholde ye are Gods of naught and your making is of naught yea abhominable is the man that
hath chosen you 25 Neuerthelesse I haue waked vp one from the north and he shall come from the east he shall call vpon my name and shall treade vpon princes as vpon clay and as the potter treadeth downe the mire 26 Who declared this from the beginning and we will know him or from the olde times and we will confesse and say that he is righteous but there is none that sheweth or declareth any thing there is none also that heareth your wordes 27 The first is he that shall say to Sion Beholde beholde they are present and to Hierusalem it selfe will I giue an Euangelist 28 But when I consider there is not a man among them nor any that can giue counsaile nor that when I examine them that can answers one worde 29 Lo wicked are they and vaine with the things also that they take in hande yea their Images are but winde and vaine things The exposition vpon the. xlj Chapter of Esay Bee still you Islandes and hearken vnto me let the people lay their c. ESay in this Chapter imagineth god to stande in place of iudgement as it were at the barre pleading his owne cause agaynst the Idols and false Gods of the Heathen and al the worshippers of the same Which he doth to this ende not onely to confound the heathen for the vanitie of their worshipping of Idols stockes and stones but also to confirme and establish hys owne people of the Iewes and other in the true worship of him selfe being the onely liuing and almightie God maker and gouernour of all things And therefore as being in place of iudgement hee thus beginneth Bee still and keepe silence all you inhabitours of the Islandes and other partes of the earth that worship your false Gods. Lay your strength together arme and furnish your self with as good matter as you can for your defence to answere that I shall say and then will I pleade the cause with you euen in iudgement of the world c. Who raysed vp the iust man from the east and called him to go forth c. This is his fyrst reason against the heathenish worshippers of Idols By the iust man he meaneth the Patriark Abraham whom God called out of his couÌ„trie of Mesopotamia from Idolatrie wherin he was bredde and caused him to go into the lande of Chanaan and there to worship the true god where also although he were in a straunge lande vtterly vnknowne god did so prosper and defend him that he made euen kings abashed to worke him villainy as it appeareth in Pharao king of Egypt Gen 12 and Abimelech king of Gerar Gen. 20 21. yea and at another time gaue him force and hability to put to flight and chase foure kinges at once which had caried away prisoner his cosin* Loth. Gen 14. which easie victory god vttereth here by this spech Scattering them like stubble with his bowe The force of this example is thus This maruelous calling defending prospering of one meane man in a straunge Countrie agaynst so noble and mighty persons and the making of him so notable a man among them done and wrought by me only yea and the true seruice and honor wherwith he worshipped me the only liuing God coulde not bee vnknowne to all your Idolatrous nations thereabout For he preached and declared these thinges as a Prophete and gaue you to vnderstande by whose power it was done yea you sawe it you knewe it and were abashed at it and therefore shoulde you haue sought to haue learned at hys hande whyle he was amonge you the knowledge and seruice of that mighty God that did so aduance and * defend him in farre other maner than your Idols were hable to do But you were so farre froÌ„ thus doing that you comforted encouraged one another forwarde in your wicked Idolatrye and ioyned your helpes togither to make vp your grauen and carued Goddes The Carpenter who had carued the stocke spake to the Goldsmith to lay on the plates of siluer or gold that it might seme a gay God and the Goldesmith instructed the hammer man to set it on fynely and smooth and to soulder it surely and set it fast with nayles and * this did you altogither take conference to sette forwarde your worshipping of Images Idols as you yet continue And therfore are you in the iudgement euen of men * vnexcusable that by this means knowing the power of the true God you haue not yelded to doe condigne worship to him but run on yet still in your owne vayne and * grosse phantasies Hereby ought we also to learne dearely beloued euen in these our dayes in howe great danger we are and how vnexcusable before god if we hauing so great oportunitie to learne the truth of the doctrine and gospell of Christ doe neglect the same and followe on still in the desire of our olde superstition and Idolatrie The calling preseruing and defending of Abraham was not so great nor the publishing of the true knowledge of God by him so notable as the publishing prospering defending of his Gospell hath bene in these latter days agaynst Popes Princes Prelats and al powers of the earth And therfore may God more iustly stande in iudgement with vs to our vtter condemnation if we do not acknowledge his goodnesse But thou Israell art my seruant thou Iacob whome I haue chosen c. Least that Gods people of the Iewes and other faithfull of hys Churche shoulde bee discouraged with the pryde and prosperitye of the Heathen and their cruelty agaynst them Here doeth hee comforte and assure them that hee will helpe and defende them also as notably and with as great terrour to the wicked as hee had done their father Abraham Shewinge that hee had * bounde himselfe by Couenant to be the mightie and defending God not onely of Abraham but also of his posterity And putting them in mind of their wonderfull deliueraunce out of Egypt whence he led theÌ„ through the desert into the land of Chanaan which he had promised before to the seede of his loued seruant Abraham Therefore sayth he be not afraid thou little silly worme Iacob Thoughe my Church and people that put their trust in mee seeme neuer so simple and contemptible and euen as very wormes of the earth in sight of the gay meÌ„ and great powers and as it were * Lions of the worlde yet are they my people the sheepe of my pasture And therefore will I and â—he holy one of Israell my sonne Christ Iesu their Redeemer preserue and defend them yea I wil make them as a treading Cart as a new stayle wher with corne is threshed that they may thresh * grind and beate to dust Mountains and Hils that is the high and mighty Empires kingdoms and principalities of the world thinke they themselues neuer so strong They shall fanne and scatter them abroade with
of the worlde 7 Namely all those that be called after my name For them haue I created fashioned and made for mine honour 8 Bring forth that people which is blinde and yet hath eyes which are deafe although they haue eares 9 If all nations come in one and be gathered togither which among them shall declare such thinges and tell vs the thinges that are past let them bring their witnesse so that they be iust els let them heare and say It is truth 10 You are my witnesses sayth the Lord and my seruant whome I haue chosen therfore be certified and giue me faithful credence and consider that I am he before whome there was neuer any God neyther shall be any after me 11 I am euen I am the only Lord and beside me there is no sauiour 12 I gaue warning I made whole I taught you when there was no straunge God among you and this recorde must ye beare me your selues sayeth the Lorde that I am God. 13 And euen he am I who was froÌ„ the beginning and there is none that can take any thing out of my hande I doe the work and who shall be able to let it 14 Thus sayth the Lord the holy one of Israell your redéemer For your sake I haue sent to BabiloÌ„ and brought it downe all they are fugitiue with the Chaldees whose sorowfull crye is in their shippes 15 I am the Lorde your holy one which haue made Israel and am your king 16 Thus sayth the Lorde euen he that maketh a way in the sea and a foote path in the mightie waters 17 It is he which bringeth forth the charets and horses the hoste and power of warre that they may fal togither and neuer rise and be extinct like as towe are they quenched 18. Remember not thinges of olde and regarde nothing that is past 19 Beholde I shall make a newe thing and shortly shall it appeare and shall you not knowe it I will make a way in the desert and riuers of water in the wildernesse 20 The wilde beastes shall worship me the dragons and the yonge Estriches for I shall giue water in the wildernesse and streames in the desert that they maye giue drinke to my people whom I chose 21 This people haue I made for my selfe and they shall shewe foorth my prayse 22 For thou Iacob wouldest not call vpon me but thou hadst an vnlust towarde me O Israell 23 Thou gauest me not thy beasts for burnt offeringes neither didst honour me with sacrifices I haue not bene chargeable vnto thée in offerings neyther griâ—â—ous in incense 24 Thou boughtest me no deare spice with thy money neyther powredst the fat of thy sacrifices vpon me but thou hast laden me with thy sinnes and wearied me with thy vngodlynesse 25 Where as I yet euen I am he only that for mine own selues sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes so that I will neuer thinke vpon them 26 Put me nowe in remembrance for we will reason togither and shewe what thou hast for thée to make thée righteous 27 Thy first father offended sore and thy rulers haue sinned against me 28 Therfore I prophaned the princes of the sanctuarie I did curse Iacob and gaue Israel into reproofe The Exposition vpon the. xliij Chapter of Esay But nowe the Lorde that made thee O Iacob and he that fashioned thee c. FOr so muche as the small number of the good and godly people had iust cause to bee in great feare through the prophecy of their Captiuitie in Babilon before declared and to dreade thereby the subuersion of the whole Church of God then liuing the Prophete in thys place vnder the person of God doth adde a singuler and great comfort By the name of Iacob and Israel he vnderstandeth the whole Church of god For he speaketh here not onely to the Iewes for the comfort of their deliuerance from the captiuitie of Babilon but also and specially to all the faythfull of his Church which be the true * seede of Abraham as Paule sayth and the right succession of Iacob to whome this promise was made In thee and in thy Seede all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed And againe I will bee thy keeper whither so euer thou go Of which promises he putteth them in minde when he calleth them by the name of Iacob as he doth also comfort them not a little in that he sayth he is their * Creator Maker and Redeemer and calleth them His owne For God cannot neglect those that he hath fashioned to his owne Image and redeemed with so precious a treasure and purchased to be his owne people Therefore sayth he If thou goe through the water I will bee with thee the strong flouds shall not c. By the tearmes of * VVater and Flouds Fire and Flames he vnderstandeth al maner of Tentations Troubles Afflictions that any way either in Soule or bodie might come vnto theÌ„ and assureth them that they shall not miscarie by any of them I gaue Egipt for thy deliuerance the Ethiopians and the Sabees c. That is such care and loue haue I had toward my Church and faythfull people that to deliuer and preserue them I haue afflicted Aegypt Aethiope Sabaea and many other mightie Princes and Kingdomes and in like maner will deale with all other Nations that shall worke trouble to them Therefore bee not dismayde but be of good comfort I will bring thy seede from the East and gather thee together c. Here is plainly prophecied the Calling of the Gentiles to the fayth of Christ and the gathering of the dispersed children of God from all the quarters of the earth As if he had said you feare that if Hierusalem as my Prophete hath sayde be destroyed and the people led captiue and Princes of the earth persecute them that there shall bee no Church nor any that shall liue to serue god But feare it not I will be with them euen to the ende of the world to bring the seede of my people together and to * gather the members of my Church out of all the quarters of the earth from the East and from the West And I will say to the North giue me my children that thou hast kept in blindnesse as if they had had no eyes and let them come and see the light of the truth And to the South will I say forbid not them to come and heare that I call by the preaching of my Gospel though before they were deafe and heard not This is it that Christ speaketh of Many shall come from the east and from the west and rest with Abraham and Isaac in the kingdome of God. This is it that is spoken in the Actes of the Apostles You shall be my witnesses in Hierusalem and in all Iurie and Samaria and to the vttermost partes of the earth Wherefore God
their heartes that they cannot perceyue 19 They 〈◊〉 not in their mindes for they haue neyther knowledge nor vnderstanding to thinke thus I haue brent one péece in the fire I haue baked bread with the coles thereof I haue rosted flesh withall and eaten it and I will now of the residue make an abhominable Idoll fall downe before a rotten péece of 〈◊〉 20 Thus doth he but lose his labour 〈…〉 turne him aside so that 〈…〉 to thinke Do not 〈…〉 Israel 〈…〉 serue me O them backwarde and make their cunning foolishnesse 26 He doth set vp the purpose of his seruant and fulfilleth the counsayle of his messengers concerning Hierusalem he sayth it shall be inhabited and of the Cities of Iuda they shal be builded againe and I will repayre their decayed places 27 He sayth to the depth Be drie and I will drie vp water flouds 28 He sayth of Cyrus he is my heardman so that he shall fulfill all thinges after my will he sayth also of Hierusalem It shall be builded and of the temple It shall be fast grounded The exposition vpon the. 44. Chapter of Esay But heare now O Iacob my seruant and Israel whom I haue chosen c. FOrsomuche as God in the ende of the former Chapter had charged his people with Sinne and grieuous 〈◊〉 and that for the same some 〈◊〉 should come vpon them by their captiuitie in Babilon Here in thys place he doth adde sweete words and a gentle and mercifull mitigation comfort saying as it were Albeit grieuous 〈◊〉 shall come vpon thee being led away captiue 〈◊〉 Babilon yet heare now what I thy Lorde and 〈◊〉 that haue * 〈◊〉 and preserued thée by my diuine prouidence euen from thy mothers wombe will doe for thée my chosen seruant Albeit thou Iacob art nothing in thy selfe and that no nobilitie in thee or worthinesse 〈◊〉 deliuer thee from this wrath and great calamitie yet the adoption and choyse that I thy heauenly father of my meere mercie in my Sonne the Melsias Sauiour haue vouchedsafe to make of thee man be of sufficient force to deliuer thee and to turne all the benefites of the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes vpon thee that is not onely thy wonderfull dispatch out of Babilon but also the watering with the knowledge of the true doctrine of Saluation and the gift of my holy spirite whereby thou and all those that by fayth shall shewe themselues to be thy true posterity and of the number of mine elect shall grow and prosper in all goodnesse submitting their selues to the profession of my holye name Therefore * feare not nor flit not from my true worshipping to the Seruice of the Idols of Babilō 〈…〉 〈…〉 in face of the worlde Wherefore I say againe be not afrayde I haue tolde you and warned you before Put your trust in me All caruers of Images are but vaine and the carued Images that they loue c. Vnto the ende of the twenteth verse In this seconde part of the Chapter GOD doth sharpely and grieuously reprooue and at large scornefully deride the fonde blindenesse and furious rage and madnesse of those that make Gods Idols or Images for themselues to worship And as it is pleasant in this place to consider how he painteth out the busie vanitie of them that make the Idols and the fonde and importunate desire of those that long for them and the vnsensible grossenesse of such as be giuen to the worship of them Euen so may it seeme horrible in the sight of God and man that man indued with reason and the most honorable creature of god should euer fal to so extreme Blindenesse as that he will aduenture with his owne handes to make him a God or an Image to worship as god But some will say no man was euer so blinde to thinke the images Gods or to worship them as Gods and so crie the Papistes at this day for their defence and say they haue Iniurie when they be so charged And yet surely is their defence herein no better than the defence of the Heathen and Gentiles whom God here thus mocketh and reprooueth For they had the same answeres and pretences and yet is it euident that both the one and the other do so rage in their madnesse that so soone as they be made by a Mortall wicked and Sinfull man they thinke them to haue a certain deuine Grace in them and therefore doe they Cap and kneele vnto them call vpon them Burne incense and set vp candels and other giftes before them and runne Hundreds of myles to worship them And if they shoulde shewe and declare to the world the very True worship to the Liuing God they could not set it out by more euident meanes Wherfore dearely beloued earnestly consider with your selues how pitifully you haue bene abused in the time of Papistrie and by Gods * commaundement giuen straitly to the contrary and by this place of the Prophete now read Learne you how wickedly and how displeasantly you haue done in his sight Consider this O Iacoh Israell for thou art my seruant c. Nowe God returneth to an other warning and comforting of his people that seing the Idols of the Gentiles and all that worship them seeme they for the time neuer so prosperous are in deede in the sight of God vaine wicked and odious and seing that he is the gracious Lorde that hath Made them Preserued them * Chosē them to be his seruants * redeemed them and forgiuen their sinnes That they should not * feare nor starte * from hym by any temptation or affliction but in their hartes reioyce and giue thankes continually for this hys great goodnesse and mercie towarde them which is such as not onely they but also in their behalfe * Heauen Earth Mouutaines Woods Trees and all the other creatures of God should triumph and be gladde of and giue glorie and praise vnto hys name Towarde the ende he doth in plaine and flatte wordes renewe the promise of their deliuerance from Babilon and sayth he will fulfill the words of his seruants the Prophets and that their Citie Ierusalem should be repayred again their Temple buylded and that it should be done by a king of the Persians named Cyrus Surely this is a notable place to confirme the certainetie of Gods prouidence in disposing of things and the * truth of his worde and Prophets in foretelling the same For these wordes were vttered by the Prophet long before Cyrus was borne From the death of Esaie vnder Manasses vnto the birth of Cyrus was aboue an hundred yeres and a good space before the Citie of Ierusalem was destroyed the people ledde captiue into Babilon yea when the Iewes themselues for the most part coulde not be perswaded that such misery should come vpon them and therfore hated and persecuted the Prophets and when as yet no man coulde dreame that eyther the Empire
wherein I can be worshipped but onely the * expresse Image of my Deitie my sonne Christ Iesu your Sauiour and the true Messias Wherefore yet agayne I say vnto you beware of the Idolatrie of the Gentiles and cleaue fast vnto me For * my deuises shall stedfastly be established and I will fulfill all my pleasure and whatsoeuer I haue declared to you by my Prophets for your comfort Yea euen as I haue promised you I will bring a Birde out of the East that is a noble king of the Persians that shall with great power breake into Babilon trausferre the Empire from them and restore you to your Countrey againe And not onely this but I wil also in conuenient and short time bring forth my iustice and sauing health and set my saluation in Sion and my glorie in Hierusalem by the comming of the Messias and Sauiour of the worlde The 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 51. HEarken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that séeke the Lord take héede to the stone wherout ye are hewen and to the graue wherout ye are digged 2 Consider Abraham your father and Sara that bare you howe that I called him alone and blessed him and increased him 3 Therefore shall the Lorde comfort Sion and repaire all hir decay making hir desert as a Paradise and hir wildernesse as the garden of the Lorde Myrth and ioy shall be founde there thankesgyuing and the voyce of praise 4 Haue respect vnto me then O my people both highe and lowe and laye thine eare vnto me for a lawe and an ordinance shall go forth fro me to lighten the gentiles 5 It is harde by that my health and my righteousnesse shall go forth and the people shall he ordered with mine arme the Ilandes that is the Gentiles shall hope in me and put their trust in mine arme 6 Lift vp your eyes towarde heauen and loke vpon the earth beneath for the heauens shall vanishe awaye lyke smoke and the earth shall ware olde lyke a garment and they that dwell therem shall perishe in like maner but my saluation shall endure for euer and my righteousnesse shal not cease 7 Hearken vnto me ye that haue knowledge in righteousnesse thou people that hearest my lawe in thine heart feare not the reuylings of men be not afraide of their blasphemies 8 For wormes and mothes shall eate them vp like cloth and weell but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation 9 Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde wake vp like as in time past euer and since the the worlde beganne 10 Art not thou the same arme that hast wounded the prowde and hewen the Dragon in péeces Art not thou euen the same which hast dryed vppe the déepe of the Sea which hast made plaine the sea ground that the deliuered might goe through 11 Therefore the redéemed of the Lorde shall turne againe and come with ioy vnto Sion continuall ioy shall be on their heade and mirth and gladnesse shall be with them and sorrowe and wo shall flie from them 12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then fearest a mortall man and the childe of man which goeth away as doth the floure 13 And forgettest the Lorde that made thée that spreade out the heauens and layde the foundation of the earth but thou art euer afrayde for the sight of thine oppressour which is ready to doe harme where is the wrath of the oppressour 14 The exile maketh haste to be loosed that he dye not in prison and that his bread fayle him not 15 I am the Lorde thy God that diuide the sea and his waues shall rage whose name is the Lorde of hosts 16 I haue put my wordes in thy mouth and haue defended thée in the shadowe of my hande that I maye plant the heauens and lay the foundation of the earth and saye vnto Sion Thou art my people 17 Awake awake and stande vp O Ierusalem thou that from the hande of the Lorde hast drunken out the cup of his wrath thou that hast supped of and sucked out the slumbring cup to the bottome 18 For among all the sonnes whome he hath begotten there is not one that maye holde it vp and not one to leade it by the hande of all the sonnes that he hath nourished 19 Both these things are happened vnto thée but who is sory for it yea destruction wasting hunger and sworde but who will comfort thée 20 Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euerye stréete like a taken venison and are full of the terrible wrath of the Lorde and punishment of thy God. 21 And therefore thou miserable and dronken howbeit not with wine heare this 22 Thus sayth the Lorde thy Lorde and God the defendour of his people Beholde I will take the slumbring cup out of his hande euen the cup wyth the dregges of my wrath that from henceforth thou shalt neuer drinke it more 23 But I will put it into their hand that trouble thée which haue spoken to thy soule Stoupe downe that we may go ouer thée make thy body euen with the grounde and as the stréete to go vpon The Exposition vpon the. lj Chapter of Esay Hearken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that seeke c. THe good and godly people in the time of Esay seeing themselues fewe in number and hearing by the Prophetes that they shoulde be ledde captiue into Babilon greatly feared that all faythfull and true worshippers of GOD should in that persecution be vtterly consumed Therefore God here speaketh to them and comforteth them signifying that he will not onely in that trouble of Babilon preserue his chosen and elect of the Iewes but also not long after greatly encrease the number of his Church by the* accesse of all Nations that he would call to the light of his truth and to his true worship by the promised Messias and Sauiour of the seede of Abraham And first he willeth them to consider The rocke wherout they were hewen and the denne whereout they were digged that is as he expoundeth himselfe Abraham their father and Sara their mother of whome they discended and that God called Abraham being but one man* out of his Countrey and suffered him to liue in Chanaan to the age of an hundred yeres and his wife fourescore without children and yet that he so encreased him that his issue prooued innumerable as the * sande of the sea And by this example he willeth them all other faithful to vnderstand that though his Church people appere to the world to be neuer so much afflicted or to be brought to so low an ebbe yet he will increase and multiplie it with exceeding numbers and bring them out of miserie and trouble vnto great ioy
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
yet shall he be as still as a Lambe before the shearer and not open his-mouth 8 From the 〈◊〉 and iudgement was he taken and his generation who can declare for he was cut of from the grounde of the lyuing which punishment did go vpon him for the transgression of my people 9 His graue was giuen him with the condemmned and with the riche man at his death whereas he did neuer violence nor 〈◊〉 〈…〉 him with infirmitie that when he had made his 〈…〉 of the Lorde shall prosper in 〈◊〉 hande 11 Of the trauaile and labour of his 〈…〉 the fruite and be satisfied my righteous 〈…〉 knowledge iustifie the multitude for he shall 〈…〉 their sinnes 12 Therefore will I giue him among the great ones his part and he shall deuide the spoyle with the mighty because he giueth ouer his sioule to death 〈…〉 The Exposition vpon the. liij Chapter of Esay But who hath giuen credence vnto our preaching or to whome c. ESay in sundry places of hys prophecies speaketh so plainely of the vocation of the gentyles to the fayth of the kingdome of Christ of his merueylous byrth of his stocke and kindred c. that he is of a auncient wryters esteemed as an Euangelist recording thinges past rather then a Prophet foretelling things to come albeit he was before the comming of Christ aboue 750. yeares And yet of all the parts of his prophecies is there none wherein he doth so plainely speake of Christ of the state of his life of his death and passion and of the fruites thereof as he doth in this present chapiter Neyther is there any place of the olde Testament out of the which so manye allegations be made by Christ and his Apostles as out of this part of Esay The Prophete in the latter ende of the former chapiter had sayde that as Christ should be published and knowne among all the Gentiles so the state and maner of his lyfe should be so * base and simple as all men should woonder at it Therefore in the begynning of this chapiter as it were vnder the person of the Apostles and first preachers of the Gospell he breaketh 〈◊〉 to a lamenting of the * small number of them that at the publishing of this doctrine would giue credence to it So straunge and so * vnlikely a thing shall it seeme to them to haue saluation by one that in continuance of the worlde appeared so meane a person as Christ should be especially seing the Prophets in other places described the Messias as a myghtie Prince and king For he did growe before the Lorde like as a branch and as a roote in c. Shootes or branches doe sometime spring vp in drie barraine groundes but bicause â—hey haue not moysture and fatnesse of the earth they prosper not nor proue faire and large to see to So Christ when he came in fleshe and sprang vp here in the soyle of this drie and horraine worlde entring his spirituall kingdome he shewed not hymselfe of anye notable continuance and authoritie nor flourished in the worlde with princely maiesty and power but appeared rather as a thinne slender and vnprofitable shoote more meete to be cast into the fyre or to be trodden vnder foote then to looke for any great fruite of it Therefore when they behelde him they sawe no maiestie in hym but esteemed him as an abiect as * an outcast and as a contemptible person not worthye so much as once to be looked on This euydently appeareth to haue bene in Christ aswel in the residue of his lyfe as especially at his death passion wheÌ„ they scorned and 〈…〉 when they buffeted him and crowned him 〈…〉 when they preferred a robber and a murderer before him when they cried away with him awaye with him and crucifie him finally when with great despite they hanged him betweene two theeues Howbeit he onely hath taken on him our infirmitie and borne our paines c. And yet sayth the Prophet in the person of the Church of God this CoÌ„temptible Person whom we esteemed as a worme of the earth was the only man that hath 〈◊〉 vpon him out infirmitie and borne our paines When we saw him not only so base and simple but so 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 A shéepe of all cattell is most foolish and the flock being once scattered euery one runneth his way and not one knoweth how to Returne to the folde vntill he be fet by the shepeherde By this Similitude he expresseth our waywardnesse ignorance and blindnesse that being once gone astray from God we neyther * can nor will nor know howe to returne to him againe vntill our gracious and good pastor Christ Iesu vpon whome God hath layd our sinnes doe seeke vs and * Bring vs home to the folde vpon his shoulders Hee suffered violence and was euill entreated and did not open c. The Sheepe whether he be shorne or led to the slaughter he neuer byteth nor strugleth no nor so much as openeth his mouth to bleate to signifie any Misliking By this he discribeth the great obedience and * pacience of our Sauiour Christ at the time of his passion sufficiently declared by the Euangelistes This place and certaine verses folowing are interpreted by saint Peter 1. Pet 2. and Actes 8. by Philip to the Eunuch From the prison and iudgement was hee taken and his generation c. This is to be vnderstanded of the Resurrection of Christ and deliuerance from death and miserie Although Christ was taken bounde despiteously entreated adiudged to die last of all put to * most reprochfull death yet he was by Gods mightye hande deliuered from miserie from bondes from death and restored to life and glorie for euer to endure For Christ sayth Paule being raysed from death dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him No man therefore is hable to declare the euerlasting age and continuance of Christ The cause why he was so Glorified is in the latter part of the verse set forth for that he did vouchsafe to die and suffer punishment for the sinnes of the people of God. His graue was giuen him with the condemned and with the rich man c. By the Rich man is ment the cruell and violent oppressor and by the Graue the maner and place of his death So that the sense is he suffered and was put to death in that place that was appointed for the wicked and condemned persons that vse extortion and violence whereas he * neuer did iniurie neither vttered deceyte with his mouth Yet hath it pleased the Lord to smite him with infirmitie that when c. The death and passion of Christ for our sinnes was not the worke of enimies but of our mercifull * God and heauenly father God sayth the Prophete would strike him with infirmitie to the ende that when he had * giuen his
lif◠as a Sacrifice for sinne he might see the seede of his faythfull posteritie made happie for euer and that this will and deuise of the lord might prosper be throughly wrought by him Of the trauayle and labour of his soule shall he see the fruit and be satisfied c. He declareth what fruite Christ shall haue by his Death and Passion For the labour trauaile sorowe anguishe care and reproch that he sustayned as well in all the residue of his life as especially at his death he shall with ioy and gladnesse beholde and be satisfied with true and eternall felicitie and the fruites of all heauenly goodnesse and blessinges and that not onely for himselfe but for * all them that through fayth shall acknowledge the same and beleeue in him For it followeth that this righteous seruant of God Christ Iesu through his knowledge shall iustifie many that is shall pay the raunsome for theyr sinnes reconcile them to God and cause them through the price of his bloud to be accounted iust before god For this in deede is our true Iustificatiō whē we of our selues sinfull by the mercie of God in Christ Iesu are accepted as iust Therefore will I giue him amōg the great ones his part and he shall deuide c. In this verse as in a conclusion the Prophete reciteth the chiefe poyntes of Christes death and the benefites that come to the faythfull thereby First his * obedience in giuing ouer his soule to death Secondly that he was * reputed among sinners and wicked persons Thirdely that he was an * innocent and dyed not for his owne sinnes but for the sinnes of Mankinde Fourthly that he is nowe become an * Intercessour for sinners and in the dignitie of the high priest according to the order of Melchisedech Wherefore sayth God the father I will giue him his part among the great ones and he shall Conquer subdue Sathan with all his power and take awaye the spoyle of his Kingdome and bring to his owne subiection all Nations euen to the vttermost boundes of the earth This verse also is expounded of Christ by Christ himselfe Luke 22. and Marke 15. The 3. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 55. COme to the waters all ye that be thirstie and ye that haue no money come bye that ye may haue to eate come bye wine and milke without any money or money worth 2 Wherefore doe ye laye out any money for the thing that féedeth not and spende your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not But hearken rather vnto me and ye shall eate of the best and your soule shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesse 3 Encline your eares and come vnto me take héede I say and your soule shall lyue for I will make an euerlasting couenant wyth you euen the sure mercies of Dauid 4 Beholde I gaue him for a witnesse among the folke for a Prince and a teacher vnto the people 5 Lo thou shalt call an vnknowne people and a people that had no knowledge of thée shall runne vnto thée because of the Lorde thy God and the holye one of Israell which glorifieth thée 6 Séeke the Lorde whyle he may be founde and call vpon him whyle he is nye 7 Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde so shall he be mercifull vnto him and to our God for he is verie readie to forgiue 8 For thus sayth the Lorde My thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes 9 But as farre as the heauens are higher then the earth so farre doe my waies excéede yours and my thoughtes yours 10 And like as the raine and snow commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither againe but watereth the earth maketh it fruitefull and gréene that it may giue corne vnto the sower and bread to him that eateth 11 So the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne againe voyde vnto me but shall accomplishe my will and prosper in the thing whereto I sende it 12 And so shal ye go forth with ioy and be led with peace the mountaines and hilles shall sing with you for ioye and all the trées of the fielde shall clappe their handes 13 For thornes there shall growe Firre trées and the Myrre trée in the stéede of bryers and this shall be done to the praise of the Lord and for an euerlasting token that shal not be taken away The Exposition vpon the. lv Chapter of Esay Come to the waters all yee that be thirstie and ye that haue no money come c. THE Prophet in the former Chapiters had euydentlye spoken of the Gospell of Christ and of the benefites that come to his Church by it nowe he earnestly calleth and exhorteth all men to heare the same and by faith to receyue it and not to hearken after other doctrines whereby they cannot haue true comfort of conscience What auayleth it that Christ dyed for mankinde and purchased great benefites for them if they doe * not Beleeue it nor shew themselues destrous to obtaine it Come therefore sayth he to the waters c. By the Water to drinke and by the Breade to eate he meaneth the same water and bread that Christ speaketh of Iohn 4. 6. VVhosoeuer sayth he shall drinke of the water that I shall gyu◠him shall neuer thirst againe but the water that I shall giue him shal be a foūtaine springing to euerlasting life And again as touching the bread Iohn 6 I am the breade of life that discended from heauen If one eate of this breade he shall liue for euer The Water and Breade then wherevnto the Prophet in this place calleth is Christ Iesus offered to vs in his Gospell And by Wine Milke he vnderstandeth the same thing For there is none other foode whereon our Soules can feede but Christ his Doctrine in which are cōprehended al things wherby we are nourished to euerlasting life Here is to be noted First that God to this heauēly foode calleth not one nor two but * All excepting no coūtrie no state no kinde or degree of persons Secondly that he calleth thē that be Thirsty that is such as long after it or greatly desire it He calleth not those that * swell in trust and confidence of their owne worthynesse and therefore thinke they haue small neede of Christ and hys Gospell No nor such as liue in * securitie and delight of worldly Pleasure and therfore haue no care for the fauour of God nor desire of eternall life but such he calleth as haue feare of God in their consciences and sence of his wrath against sinne Thirdly is to be obserued that he offerth these things Freely without any respect of our * worthynesse and therfore sayth Come and bye wythout mony Wherefore doe ye laye
out any money for the thing that feedeth not c. As God by his Prophet calleth his people to the liuely Water heauenly Foode before mentioned so doth he rebuke them that they bestowe their cost labour trauayle to attaine that which in deede is no foode and wherwith their Soules cannot be relieued that is to saye that they leaue the liuely fountayne of Gods mercie in Christ Iesu and seeke after saluation by their owne works or by the obseruation of mens Deuises Traditiōs and Doctrines wherwith God by his Prophet in another place doth protest that * They worship him in vaine Encline your eares and come vnto mee take heede I say and your soule c. That which before he vttered Figuratiuely he speaketh nowe in plaine wordes that is that they should harken and giue dyligent eare vnto Hys doctrine and not be ledde away by the Fantasies of men For sayth he * I will make my euerlasting couenant with you I once promised to Dauid my seruant that of his seede I would bring forth a Sauiour of the worlde by whome I woulde be reconcyled to all them that beleeued in him and that I would chose thē as my Sonnes and heires of euerlasting lyfe This promise or couenaunt that by my othe I confirmed confirmed I will * keepe and performe to you for euer Cleaue therefore to my doctrine and swerue not from it Beholde I gaue him as a witnesse among the people for a prince c. This may be Literally spoken of Dauid But prophetically it is ment of Christ whome he sayth he gaue to the people as a * witnesse to Iustify the promise of his mercy made vnto them as a Prince to gouerne and rule them with the direction of his Spirit as a Teacher to instruct and lead them into all truth Loe thou shalt call an vnknowne people and a people that had no knowledge c. Esay prophecieth of the calling of the Gentiles and sayth that Christ by his Apostles shall * call that people that neuer knewe him before and that they shall gladly and readily runne after him because of the comfortable and sweete Doctrine of the Gospell that he published Seeke the Lorde while he may be founde and call vpon him c. After the publishing of his mercie through the Messias and Sauiour Christ Iesu he nowe exhorteth the Iewes and in them all other to turne to God by earnest repentance while his mercie and goodnesse is so freely offered For if they stubburnly refuse when God is neere at hande and calleth to mercie he will * afterwarde turne his face from them and be so farre of in his displeasure that he will not heare their prayers God is sayde to bee Nigh when by the Preachers and teachers of hys Gospell he calleth to repentance and exhorteth to imbrace his mercie liberally and bountifully offered And then to be Farre of and hard to be Found when for theyr obstinacie of his iustice he turneth his eyes from them and wil not heare their crying complayning at all as he threatneth in the first of this Prophete Esay The reason which the Prophete vseth to mooue them to repentance is the exceeding great * Readinesse and inclination of God to mercy and forgiuenesse especially towarde all them that with Sorrowfull and contrite hearts turne vnto him For thus sayth the Lorde My thoughtes are not your thoughtes c. I knowe sayth God you are all greedie of reuengement and seeke for euery small offence to be wreaked but I am not so Your mercy is Wauering and mutable but mine is Cōstant and perpetuall You are merciful by Pangues and passions but it is of my Nature and substance to be mercifull Wherefore you may not measure my wayes and cogitations by your owne Heauen and earth are not so farre distant nor so farre vnlike as your corrupt Nature and mine is Lyke as the raine and snowe commeth downe from heauen c. By this notable similitude is painted out the truth force and efficacie of the promise of Gods mercie which is the Gospel of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ The raine and snow commeth downe from heauē not to be as an idle spectacle or to return vp into the ayre agayne without vse or profite but to moysten the earth and to make it * fruitfull This is the vse wherevnto the prouidence of God hath appoynted it and this doth it perfourme whensoeuer it lighteth on grounde that is not altogether stonie and harde Euen so is it with the Gospell of our Saluation by Christ which proceded out of the mouth of God and was promised by him from the beginning of the worlde and was appoynted by his goodnesse not to be published * in vaine but so to fall moysten the field of Gods Church that it may be fertile and in deed bring forth the fruit of remission of sinnes Adoption into the Children of God Iustice before God and the world and Assurance of euerlasting life This is the true and right vse of the Worde of God and of his holy Gospell whereby we are assured of his mercy Neither is there any thing more certaine than that it shall worke this effect if it light not on heartes * harder than any stone and such as through stiffenesse and want of fayth will not receyue the Moysture of it And so shall you go forth with ioy and be led with peace the mountaynes c. He numbreth here fiue kindes of fruites that shall spring of the doctrine of the Gospell The first is that as Moyses led forth the children of Israell out of Aegypt euen so shall Christ leade forth and deliuer the faythfull people of God from the bondage of Sathan and all their spiritual enimies to their exceeding great ioy and comfort The seconde that he shall not onely leade them forth with ioy but in peace also and shall make them Quiet in conscience and set them in such safety that neither Trouble nor Afflictiō nor Death nor Hell shall be hable to hurt them The thirde that Mountaynes and Hilles that is all the creatures of God and euen the verye Aungels in heauen shall triumph and reioyce for this our Deliuerance out of that thraldom wherinto we fell by the offence of our first father Adam The fourth that the sweete dewe of the Gospell for Briers and Thornes shall bring forth Firre Mirre and other fruitful trees that is for wicked vniust and naughtie persons it shall make iust good and godly men Thus sayth saint Paule you were whoremasters adulterers wanton persons worshippers of Images but now you are washed you are sanctified you are iustified by the name of the Lorde Iesus Christ The fift that the immortall prayse and glorie of God shall bee set forth in the Church among hys Saintes for this his great Mercies The. 3. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Euening prayer Esay 56. THus sayth
restorer of thy stocke and Countrie Yea if thou turne thy feete from the sabbath so that thou doe not the thing c. As the Iewes fasted so did they keepe the Sabbath day that is Externally and in way of hypocrisie not rightly and as God appointed Therefore he doth here also teach them the true maner of solemnising his holy day The * Sabbath was ordained that they should learne to doe she will of God to walk in his way and to * heare and reade his worde But they solowed their owne will they walked in their owne way they harkened to their owne deuises wherfore sayth God if thou follow not thine owne will if thou walke not in thyne owne wayes if thou harken not to thyne owne deuises but giue glorie vnto my name then shalt thou keepe an acceptable Sabbath in my sight then shalt thou through peace and quyetnesse of coÌ„science delight in the Lorde Then will Iaduance thee aboue other kingdomes of the earth Then will I feede the with the fruites of Iacobs heretage that is with all those blessings that are to come by the promysed â—eede and Sauiour of the Worlde The 5. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 59. BEholde the Lordes hande is not so shortened that it can not helpe neyther is his eare so stopped that it may not heare 2 But your misdeedes haue seperated you from your God and your sinnes hide hys face from you that he heareth you not 3 For your handes are defiled with bloud and your fingers with vnrighteousnesse your lippes speake leasings and your tongue setteth out wickednesse 4 No man regardeth righteousnesse and no man iudgeth truely euery man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth deceipt conceyueth wearinesse and bringeth forth euill 5 They bréede Cockatrice egges and weaue the Spiders webbe who so eateth of their egges dyeth but if one treade vpon them there commeth vp a Serpent 6 Their webbe maketh no cloth and they may not couer them with their labours their deedes are the déedes of wickednesse and the worke of robberie is in their handes 7 Their féete runne to euill and they make haste to shed innocent bloud their counsels are wicked counsels harme and destruction are in their wayes 8 But the waye of peace they knowe not in their goings is no equitie their wayes are so crooked that whosoeuer goeth therein knoweth of no peace 9 And this is the cause that equitie is so farre from vs and that righteousnesse commeth not nigh vs we looke for lyght loe it is darkenesse for the morning shyne sée we walke in the darke 10 We grope like the blinde vpon the wall we grope euen as one that hath none eyes we stumble at the noone day as though it were towarde night in the falling places lyke men that are halfe dead 11 We reare all like Beares mourne still like Doues we looke for equitie but there is none for health but it is farre from vs. 12 For our offences are many before thée and our sinnes testifie against vs yea we must confesse that we offende and knowledge that we doe anâ—â—sse 13 Namely transgresse and dissemble against the Lorde and fall away from our God vsing presumpteous and â—rayterous imaginations casting false matters in our hearts 14 And therefore is equitie gone aside and righteousnesse standeth farre of truth is fallen downe in the stréete and the thing that is plaine and open may not be shewed 15 Yea the truth is taken awaye and he that refrayneth himselfe from euill must be spoyled when the Lorde saw thâ—s 〈◊〉 displeased him fore that there was no equitie 16 He sawe also that there was no man righteous and he wondred that there was no man to helpe hym wherefore he helde him by his owne power and he sustayned hym by his owne righteousnesse 17 He put righteousnesse vpon him for a breast plate he set the helmet of health vpon his head he put on wrath in the steade of clothing and tooke iealousie about him for a cloke 18 Euen as when a man goeth forth wrathfully to recompence his enimies and to be auenged of his aduersaries he will recompence and reward the Ilands 19 They shall feare the name of the Lorde from the rysing of the sunne and his maiestie vnto the going downe of the same for he will come as a violent water streame which the winde of the Lorde hath moued 20 But vnto Sion there shall come a redéemer and vnto them in Iacob that turne from wickednesse sayth the Lorde 21 I will make this couenant with them sayth the Lorde My spirite that is vpon thée and the wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall neuer go out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy chylders children from this time forth for euermore worlde without ende sayth the Lorde The Exposition vpon the lix of Esay Beholde the Lords hand is not so shortened that it cannot helpe c. IT is no doubt but the Prophet doth in all this Chapiter answere the cogitations of the wycked hypocrites mentioned in the Chapiter before which did impute the calamitie that God had sent vpon them not to their owne sinnes as they * should haue done and so bene moued to repentance but to the great seueritie and sharpenesse of almightie GOD towarde them Therfore the Prophet here sheweth that God lacketh in himselfe neyther Power nor Will to helpe them but that he is hindered and stayed by their naughtinesse and wicked life which at large he reciteth First he chargeth them with * Bloud Crueltie violeÌ„ce and Extortion which is to be thought to haue beene both in Magistrates and priuate persons Secondly with * vntruth Falshoode and Lying as well in doctrine by their Priests false Prophets as by other in contractes bargaines Thirdly with vnrighteousnes and Corrupt iudgment through hatred loue or briberie Fourthly that they put their trust in vanitie craftie deuises and wicked doings They breede Cokatrice Egges and weaue the Spiders webbe who so eateth c. By this figuratiue Speech he reproueth the studies endeuours and workes of the wicked which all are eyther as Cockatrice Egges * poysonous and hurtfull either as Spiders Webbes vnder a faire shew Vaine and vnprofitable If a man vse their counsayles thinking them to be good they shall worke him destruction euen as the Egges of a Cockatrice to him that eateth them If a manne any way touch them he shall be in daunger of the poysonous infection that commeth of them Therfore the best way is to shun their Companie The Spiders webbes although they be finely and artificially wrought yet serue they to no vse neyther can men make any garment of them wherewith to couer them from the weather So the counsailes of the wicked thoughe they seeme neuer so finely deuised yet are they * vnprofitable wyll helpe a man nothing at all Their deedes are the
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
which is agayne deuyded into three partes The vpper Region next the Firmament The middle Region where the Clowdes and vpper waters by Gods prouidence are stayed to the great benefite of the world and The neather part left for the commoditie of Gods Creatures to liue and breath in The vpper waters are reserued aswell to make the earth * Fruitfull by sending them downe in due season according to his gracious prouidence as also by hys iustice in way of punishment to work the Plague of Sinfull men as we euidently see in the example of the * generall Deluge and in sending vnseasonable weathering to take from vs the fruites of the earth Let the earth bring forth budde grene hearbe apt to seede and fruitfull c. When we see these faire and manifold Commodities of the earth the greene Grasse the bewtifull Flowers and hearbes the Fruites of Trees and Graine to the singular benefite of man and beast we must not thinke that the same cōmeth by course of Nature only but by the singular Prouidence of God sending the same to the Reliefe of his creatures For the sweet cōfort of this place read Psal 104. He causeth grasse to growe for cattell and herbes for the vse of men that he maye bring forth Foode out of the earth both VVine that maketh gladde the hart of man and Oyle to make him haue a cheerefull countenance and also Bread to strengthen mens harts God hath made not onely fruites of one kinde but of Innumerable sorts that we might thereby vnderstande the bountifull goodnesse and riches of his mercies towardes vs. Let there be lightes in the Firmament of heauen that they may deuide c. Et sint in signa c. The vse and benefite of the Moone Sunne and Planets is not onely to giue light vnto the worlde but to make distinctions of Times and seasons as Sommer VVinter Autumne the Spring also Yeares Moneths VVekes dayes and houres which distinction much serueth to the vse and commoditie of mans life And God made the beaste of the earth and euery thing that creepeth c. Hereby we haue to learne that the Prouidence of God stretcheth not onely to Man Beast Fishe Foule such like but to the verie smallest things and of least estimatiō as Wormes Flees Fleas and other Vermine whatsoeuer be they in mans fight neuer so contemptible For God vseth the same at his pleasure eyther to the benefite or to the punishment of Mankinde as it may very well * appeare by sundrie of the Plagues of Aegipt wherein he vsed these things for his instruments And God sayde let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse c. After God had created and made perfite all the Furniture of Heauen and earth and by his wisedome marueylously distincted eche thing in hys kinde place and office he lastly commeth to the Making of mankinde as that thing vnto whose vse principallie al other his creatures might seeme to be framed That he in the vse of them might vnderstande the great goodnesse of his Lorde and Maker towarde him and for the same yeelde vnto him true Worship and glorie Concerning Man he noteth here briefely 3. thinges his Creation his Dignitie his Blessing and encrease Of his Creation it will be spoken in the next chapiter more particularly Of his Dignitie aboue all other Creatures this is one euident testimonie that he sayth not let Man be made as he sayde before of other things Let there be a lyght Let there be a Firmament c. But to declare vnto vs that it was a Worke of greater worthynesse He as it were calleth in cōsultation his VVisdom that is the seconde person in Trinitie and hys Vertue or VVoorking Power that is his Holy spirit and saith Let vs make man. So that in the making of Man is a more perfite token giuen of the Three Persons in Trinitie then in the Creating of any other part of the worlde And further to declare the Dignitie of man He was made according to the * Image of God whereby we maye not thinke as some wicked heretikes haue done that God hath a like proportion of body as we see man to haue For that is not the Image or likenes that is here spoken of but as God was Wise Iuste Mercifull Good Innocent Holy Immortall so was Man made by God wise iuste mercifull good innocent holy immortall and to expresse a more perfite lykenesse he was made of power and appointed Lorde and Ruler ouer all the other Creatures of the worlde This Image by the fall of Adam was almost cleane blotted out and restored againe by the * second Adam Christ Iesu to that perfectnesse that this frayle and mortall lyfe might beare carying continually about with vs in our bosomes the * stings of our corruption lyricking vs forward still to vngodlynesse The blessing of encrease and multiplying that God giueth vnto Man declareth that he was made Male and Female to the ende that by lawfull procreation they might fulfill the earth and raise vp a large and great Church or congregation of holy Creatures to giue Honor and glorie to their Lorde and maker Wherefore it cannot be thought that Mariage and the lawfull ioyning of Man and Woman is an euill or an vncleane thing but the lawfull and good ordinance of God himselfe And therfore well sayth Saint Paule Honorable in all persons is VVedlock and the bedde vndefiled but VVhooremaysters and Adulterers God will iudge God sawe euery thing that he had made and beholde they were exceeding c. This Iudgement of God that here he gyueth vpon hys workes pronouncing them to be all verie Good ought to be vnto vs a Rule that we presume not to speake or thinke otherwise of them and shewe our selues therein vnthankfull to our God maker If there be eyther fruites or herbs or beasts that we accompt and call Euill or Hurtfull it riseth eyther of our Vnperfitnesse that vnderstande not the right vse of them or else of the Curse of God for the Sinne and fall of Adam by which as Man himselfe so diuers other Creatures are fallen frō that Perfection in which they were first made by GOD So that the Sinne of Man and not Gods creation is cause therof The Sunday called Septuagesima at Euening prayer Genesis 2. THus the heauens and earth were finished and all the hoast of them 2. And in the seuenth day God ended his worke which he had made And the seuenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made 3 And God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from al his worke which God ordened to make 4 These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created in the daye when the Lorde God made the earth and the heauens 5 And euery plant of the fielde before it
and simple beginning that he came of the * Dust of the Earth And therefore hath no cause to glorie in his owne worthinesse And if he be any thing more than any other common Creatures that the Prayse thereof is to be giuen to God alone Therefore to beate downe the pride of Mans corrupt Nature very wel saith Iesus Sirach VVhy art thou so proude O thou Dust and Ashes And the Lorde God planted a Garden Eastwarde in Eden c. In this that God did set Man in a Paradise or Garden of pleasure it maketh muche to the aduauncement of Mans dignitie and the settinge forth of the great Fauour of God towarde him who woulde not haue his principall Creature whome he had made as Lorde of all other to inhabite in a cōmon place of the Earth but in a plat framed of purpose replenished with al maner of plesure delight according as is here discribed by Moyses Where or in what part of the world this Paradise was or whether it doe at this day remaine or no we may not be Curious to search or determine It may well be thought that that place of delight and pleasure that was prepared for Man in his Innocencie when he sinned and fell from the obedience of God his maker was defaced partly by the * Curse that for the same fel vpon the Earth partly by the generall Deluge ouerflowing the whole lande and all the partes thereof And if we shoulde assigne it to any place it is most likely to haue beene about the coastes of Mesaporamia and Armenia c. where the Riuers Euphrates and Tigris are The Tree of Life planted in Paradise may be thought to be that by the fruite whereof if man had not Sinned he should haue continued Immortall The Tree of knowledge of Good and Euill was that tree which God to trie the Obedience of Adam did Forbid him to taste of and tooke the name of that miserable euent that after fell vnto him by his Disobedience For thereby he vnderstoode euill and was ashamed of himselfe And out of Eden there went foorth a ryuer of water c. Forsomuch as the Riuers that beare those names at this day and flowe into the partes here mencioned haue their heades and beginninges farre asunder it is mooued as a doubt howe they are reported here to haue one heade and spring For aunswere herevnto we must vnderstand that in the time of the generall Deluge when all the fountaynes of the Earth brake out by the prouidence of God to drowne the worlde for sinne it is not vnlikely that this Spring also and the Ryuers that grewe thereof by the continuance of the Deluge did alter and varied their course and toke also other beginnings then before they had Some other thinke that at the same Deluge the sea swelling to drowne the Earth did ouerwhelme that place where Paradice was from whence these Ryuers had their beginning and that it so remayneth at this day either where the redde Sea is or in some partes of the Sea there bordering And the Lorde God commaunded Man saying eating thou shalt eate c. It is not to be thought that God had Inspired the diuin◠knowledge of good and euill into the fruites of this tree but it is to be vnderstanded that it was a type or Figure of perfite knowledge of good and euill which becommeth the wisedome of God alone being hable to declare the perfect causes of all thinges both generally and particularly wherevnto God woulde not haue Man arrogantly to aspire as a thing farre aboue his Cōdition and therefore commaunded him vnder a great paine not to taste of this fruite Augustine and others iudge that the name was giuen to this tree by the euent that folowed For Man by the tasting of that fruite to his owne great harme by experience learned the difference betweene the goodnesse of obedience innocencie felicitie immortalitie and the * euill of disobedience sinfulnesse miserie and death And the Lorde sayd it is not good for man to be alone I will make him an helpe c. Seeing that God had made Man as he did other Creatures to this ende that he should multiply and encrease vpon the face of y Earth it was not fitte and conuenient for him to be alone therefore God of his great goodnesse respecting this his purpose in creating of Mankinde sayth he will make an Helper to Adam like himselfe The woman lawefullye ioyned to Man bringeth three Helpes which he cannot haue without hir 1 The first is the Helping to Procreation and multiplying of mankinde 2 The seconde is that she is a lawfull Remedie agaynst whoredom al filthy vncleane lusts To auoyd fornication sayth Paule let ech man haue his wife And again It is better to Marry than to burne 3 The thirde Helpe is Comfort in sickenesse in affliction and in all houshold cares and troubles as in education of children and keeping the family in order In this place haue we the Institution and notable commendation of matrimonie by God himselfe euen before the fall of Adam Which maketh greatly agaynst all such that vnder a colour of hipocrisy in the Spirit of Antichrist depraue the Institution of God and make Mariage a Wallowing in the Flesh or a Permission onely for the auoyding of a greater euill c. For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned c. After the Institution of matrimonie Moyses addeth the Indissoluble bonde and knot whereby the husbande and wife are fastened togither by the ordinance of God and sheweth that it is * straighter than any other coniunction in the societie of mankinde Inso much that it is a lesse offence to forsake Father and Mother and to leaue them succourlesse whiche notwithstanding ought by Gods commaundement to be honoured then it is to doe the like towarde his lawfull maried Wife Wherefore let them looke well what they doe that are readie for Light and Small causes to Seperate man and wife Seeing that Christ himselfe sayth that VVhosoeuer is separated from his wyfe sauing for fornication and marieth another committeth adulterie The sunday called Sexagesima at Morning prayer Genesis 3. ANd the Serpent was subtiler then euery beast of the fielde which the Lorde God had made and he saide vnto the woman yea hath God saide ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden 2 And the woman sayde vnto the Serpent We eate of the fruite of the trées of the garden 3 But as for the fruite of the trée which is in the midst of the garden God hath sayde Ye shall not eate of it neyther shall ye touche it least peraduenture ye die 4 And the Serpent sayde vnto the woman Ye shall not dye the death 5 For God both knowe that the same daye that ye eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and euill 6 And
of one hundred and twentie yeares And there were Giants in those dayes vpon the earth yea and after that c. THe Giantes were not onely men of verye big Stature but also of great Might Authoritie and power by reason of their strength aud vsed their force to the tyrannicall oppression of other with great violence Such became many of them that were of the posteritie of the Godly and tooke wyues among the daughters of the wicked and vngodly so that to their fleshly and sensuall pleasure in Choise of their wiues they added extortion and violent oppression of other and especially of the Power sort Thus God oftentimes dealeth by iust iudgement for the Sinnes of the people* sending Tyrannes and oppressours to beare rule ouer them But God saw that the malice of man was great c. And it repented him c. By this we see the 〈◊〉 of Sin is to prouoke the heauie wrath of God agaynst vs and to Cause him to repent of all his goodnesse that he hath shewed toward vs Moyses sayth not The malice of man was vpon the earth but the malice of man was Great vpon the earth Whereby we learne that the goodnesse of God is such that it doth * Long suffer the malice of men and doth not by and by punishe the same onlesse it doth greatly encrease and shewe it selfe vncorrigible When Moyses sayth It repented God c. We must vnderstand that there is not either Repentance or Sorow or any such mutable affection in God but that the scripture often speaketh of God according to the capacitie maner of mortall men that we may the more easily Conceyue what is ment And the maner of men is by the Deede to iudge of the Affection of the minde When we see a Potter breake and destroy some vessel that he hath made we iudge that he Repenteth him to haue made it and seeth somewhat that he doth greatly mislike in it Euen so because God the Maker of the worlde and Framer of Mankinde determined for Sin by the instinction of Satan increasing in men vtterly to Destroy hym from the face of the earth whome before he had made loued In respect of This fact I say and not in respect of Mutabilitie in God Moyses vsed these words It Repented him to haue made man c But Noah founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde c. This clause hath a singuler Comfort for all good men that liue in such times of generall Corruption as was before the Deluge before the destruction of Sodome and nowe in these Latter dayes For albeit the vniuersall Sinfulnesse of the world doth pull vpon the wicked the iust and terrible Plagues of God yet of his fatherly goodnesse he will not Neglect those that truly Feare him but wil prouide for them though they be but Few yea though it be but * One alone as it appeareth in Noha and Loth. Noah was a iust man and perfect in his generations and walked c. This place sheweth a notable Commendation of Noah that he was a Iust man and in Comparison of men of his time a sincere vprightman voyde of Câ—aft and deâ—eyâ—e and giuen to Iustice and truth contrarie to the 〈…〉 of that time to Propose God and his holy will as a certaine Rule to folow in all his life And God looked vpon the earth and beholde it was corrupt c. Because the Wrath of God is Horrible and the ende of all flesh was at hande Moyses vseth here an earnest repetition of the great Wickednesse of the World that Gods Iustice in punishing might the more appeare when he sayth He will destroye them with the earth that they dwell in Make the an Arke of Pine trees habitations shalt thou make in the Arke c. In these wordes that folowe to the ende of this Chapter Moyses describeth the Instrument and Meanes wherby God saued Noah and the residue of the faythfull that is the Maner Proportion of the Arke Now so small a compasse as is here mentioned might conteine so great a number of beastes or how the same beastes came to Noah or how they were mainteined wyth foode when they were there with a number of such vaine and curious questions we must leaue to the Heathens and wicked Heretikes which by such meanes haue sought occasion to discredite the Scriptures and meruelous workes of god And such as he faythfull and haue the feare of God must with Reuerence in this and such other great workers of God acknowledge not onely 〈◊〉 or two 〈◊〉 number of extraordinarie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doings beyonde the compasse of Mans reason and capacitie And not by and by to thinke that all is false and vaine that our weaknesse is not hable to yeeld an accounte of Rather let vs learne this lesson that Admightie GOD to punishe the wicked and sinnefull persons and to preserue and sane suche as beleeue trust in hym both can and wyll Alter and * turne the Natures and possibilities of all hys Creatures as 〈◊〉 sundrie * examples left for our instruction in the holye Scriptures he hath declared The sunday called Quinquagesima at Morning praier Genesis 9. ANd God blessed Noah and his sonnes and sayde vnto them Be fruitfull and multiply and replenishe the earth 2 The feare of you and the dread of you shall be vpon euery beast of the earth vpon euery foule of the ayre vpon all that moueth vpon the earth and vpon all the fishes of the sea into your hande are they delyuered 3 Euery thing that moueth it selfe and that liueth shall be meate for you euen as the gréene herbe haue I giuen you all things 4 But fleshe in the life therof vvhich is the bloud thereof shall ye not eate 5 And surely your bloud of your lyues will I require at the hande of euery beast will I require it and at the hand of man at the hande of mans brother wyll I requyre the lyfe of man. 6 Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made â—e man. 7 But be fruitfull and multiplie you bréede in the earth and increase therein 8 God spake vnto Noah and to hys sonnes with him saying 9 Behold I euen I stablishe my couenant with you and with your séede after you 10 And with euery lyuing creature that is with you in foule in cattle in euery beast of the earth which is with you of all that go out of the arke whatsoeuer lyuing thing of the earth it be 11 And my couenant I make with you â–ª that from henceforth all flesh be not rooted out with the waters of a floode neyther shall there be a floode to destroy the earth any more â–ª or And 〈◊〉 This is the token of the couenant which I make betwéene me and you and euery lyuing creature that is with you for euer 13 I doe set my bowe in the clowde and it
shall be for a token betwéene me and the earth 14 And it shall come to passe that when I bring a clowde vpon the earth the bowe also shall be séene in the same clowde 15 And I will thinke vpoÌ„ my couenant which is betwéene me and you and euery liuing creature in all flâ—she and it shall no more come to passe that waters make a floode to destroy all fleshe 16 And the how shall be in the clowde and I will looke vpon it that I may thinke vpon the euerlasting couenant betwéene God euerie lyuing creature in all flesh that is vpon the earth 17 And God saide vnto Noah This is the token of the couenant which I haue made betwéene me and all fleshe that is vpon earth 18 The sonnes of Noah going forth of the arke were Sem Ham and Iapheth and Ham is the father of Chanaan 19 These are the three sonnes of Noah and of them was the whole earth euerspread 20 Noah also beganne to be an husbandman and planted a Vineyarde 21 And he drinking of the wine was dronken and vncouered within his Tent. 22 And Ham the father of Chanaan seing the nakednesse of hys father tolde his two brethren without 23 And Sem and Iapheth laking a garment layde it vpon their shoulders and comming backwarde couered the nakednesse of their father namely their faces being turned away least they should sée their fathers nakednesse 24 And Noah awoke from his wine knew what his yonger sonne had done vnto him 25 And he laid Cursed be Chanaan a seruant of seruants shal he be vnto his brethren 16 He saide moreouer Blessed be the Lord God of Sem and Chanaan shall be his seruant 27 God shall inlarge Iapheth and he shall dwell in the tentes of Sem and Chanaan shall be his seruant 28 Noah liued after the floode three hundred fiftie yeres 29 And all the dayes of Noah were nine hundred and fiftie yeares and he died The Exposition vpon the ix Chapter of Genesis And God blessed Noah and his sonnes and sayde vnto them c. AFter the Historie of the generall Deluge or drowning of the world for sinne declared in the former Chapiters Moses in verie good order now commeth to speake of the next age and worlde following in the * latter ende whereof we nowe 〈◊〉 And he begynneth his discourse at that thing that is first and of greatest Maiestie that is at the Comfortable speeche that GOD had to Noah and hys Children in blessing them Confirming their hartes against that great feare that they might well Conceyue vpon the drowning of the worlde and Destroying of mankinde from the faâ—e of the earth For by thys that GOD doth so largely comfort Noah by blessing him it maye be gathered howe greatly hys minde was before troubled This Blessing doth not only Comprehend the grace of Fertilitie and increase by multiplying vpon the earth but the opening also of the purpose of God in Restoring the worlde agayne by Noah and his children whome he so marueylously and graciously had preserued to that ende Therefore that they might not Doubt or feare in their harts he declareth the state and ende of their life to come willing them To increase and multiply and replenishe the earth Yea and to their further Comfort delyuereth to them in subiection * all the beastes of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea to their vse and Commoditie Of this blessing and gracious gift of God it Commeth that all beasts and Cattell doe with such obedience and so Conueniently serue to the vse and benefite of our lyfe The Oxen to be accustomed to the yoke the Horses and other beastes to Cariage Kine to yeelde vnto vs their milke and Sheepe their flises to clothe vs yea and the same 〈◊〉 all the residue of his Creatures to be vnto bâ— as Foode and 〈◊〉 And therfore it behoueth vs in these things * thankfully to acknowledge and prayse the exceeding goodnesse Liberalitie of our good and gracious Lorde towarde vs. Euery thing that mooueth or liueth shall be meate for you euen as the c. By this some gather that men before the floode did not eate Flesh but liued onely by fruites and Hearbes of the ground and that nowe onely and not before God gyueth leaue to man to eate flesh Herin as I will not greatly contend so yet it seemeth not to me so likely For it is euident that in y Generall blessing God made man Lorde and Mayster of all his Creatures and that Beastes were killed as well for Sacrifice as to haue their Shinnes to make them Clothes And then Can it not well be thought that the Fleshe of the same beasts was vnprofitably Cast away but serued to the vse of mans foode But fleshe in the life thereof which is the bloud shall ye not eate And surely c. This forbidding to eate Bloud is a part of Discipline to accustome the people of God to Lenitie and myldenesse among themselues For if 〈◊〉 they shoulde haue 〈…〉 to eat the Bloud of beastes it might be 〈…〉 people that it would haue 〈…〉 murder and crueltie among themselues And therfore doth he 〈…〉 For sayth he whosoeuer sheddeth mans bloude by man shall his bloude be shed 〈◊〉 By which 〈…〉 〈…〉 thinke by this saying that it is lawefull for Priuate persons in way of Reuenge to Kil any be he neuer so Great an offendour Beholde I euen I stablishe my couenaunt with you and with your seede c. 〈…〉 in the mindes of Noah 〈◊〉 his poâ—teritie and least they should Doâ— when they lawe the ayre ouercast with clowds that God 〈◊〉 againe Destroy the worlde with water of his great goodnesse hee doth here assure Noah and all his children and all other that in lime should come of them yea and all liuing creatures made to the vse of man that he will no more in that Sort ouerwhelme the earth with water This Promise and couenant doth he set forth with earnest woords and often repetition that it might of 〈…〉 the better beleeued 〈…〉 and more assured credite thereof 〈…〉 the same by a Signe or Sacrament oppoynting the Rainebow in the 〈…〉 his coneuant By the 〈…〉 estimable goodnesse towarde them Who is 〈…〉 thereof Noah also begâ—nne to bee an husband man and planted a Vineyarde c. By these wordes it is not to be vnderstanded that Noah 〈…〉 of God although he were aged he begâ—nâ— to be take himselfe againe to the Manuring of 〈◊〉 earth and made a Vineyarde â–ª c. And he drinking of the wine was dronken and vncouered within his c. In that Noah dranke Wine he did not offende for it was lawefull to vse the benefites of God and the * labours of his 〈…〉 â—span Hereby may we learne how 〈…〉 nothing but to go from Tauerne to Tauerne eating and drinking vntill they haue so ouercharged themselues as beside other Filthinesse with great
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
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
fire and wood but where is the beast for a whole burnt sacrifice 8 Abraham aunswered My sonne God will prouide a beast for a whole burnt sacrifice and so they went both together 9 And when they came to the place which God had shewed him Abraham buylt an aulter there and dressed the woodde and bound Isahac his sonne and layde him on the aulter aboue vpon the wood 10 And Abraham stretching forth his hande tooke the kniâ—e to haue killed his sonne 11 And the angell of the Lorde called vnto him from heauen saying Abraham Abraham And he sayde Here am I. 12 And he sayde Lay not thy hande vpon the childe neyther doe any thing vnto him for nowe I knowe that thou fearest God hast for my sake net spared thine onely sonne 13 And Abraham lifting vp his eyes looked and beholde behinde him there was Ramme caught by the hornes in a thicket and Abraham went and sooke the Ramme and offered him vp for a whole burnt offering in the stéede of his sonne 14 And Abraham called the name of the place The Lorde will sée As it is sayde this day In the mount will the Lorde be seene 15 And the aungell of the Lorde cried vnto Abraham from heauen the seconde tyme. 16 And sayd By my selfe haue I sworne sayth the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thyne onely sonne 17 That in blessing I will blesse thée and in multiplying I will multiplie thy séede as the starres of heauen and as the sande which is vpon the sea syde and thy séede shall possesse the gates of his enimies 18 And in thy séede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast heard my voyce 19 So turned Abraham againe vnto his yong men and they rose vp and went together to Béer-saba and Abraham dwelt at Béer-saba 20 And after these things one tolde Abraham saying Beholde Milcha she hath also borne children vnto thy brother Nachor 21 Hus his eldest sonne and Buz his brother and Camuel the father of the Syrians 22 And Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Iidlaph and Bethuel 23 And Bethuel begat Rebecca These eight did Milcha beare to Nachor Abrahams brother 24 And his concubine called Reumah she bare also Tebah and Gaham Thahas and Maacha The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Genesis After these sayings God did tempt Abraham and sayde vnto him c. MOses in this Chapter setteth forth a singuler and rare History and in deede woonderfull whether you consider God commaunding the thing or Abraham obeying and readie to perfourme it In that he sayth God tempted Abraham we must vnderstande that God tempteth not * as the Deuill and his Ministers doe to induce a man to sinne but to Trie and Prooue hys faith that not because he is ignorant what is eueÌ„ in the Secrets of mans heart But eyther that he may knowe his owne weakenesse as he did to the * Israelites in the desert or to the ende that that thing which is excellent in him may be notoriously knowne to the example of all other and to the aduauncement of his glorie And so doth he in this place tempt Abraham to set before the eyes of all posteritie a singuler example of Faith and Obedience Take thy sonne thine onely sonne Isahac whome thou louest c. This Tentation ryseth by sundrie degrees to an exceeding great triall of the fayth of Abraham to kill any Innocent person may seeme an vniust and cruell thing much more to kill not one of his Aliance and kindred onelye but his owne naturall Sonne yea and his Onely sonne and that onely sonne that he at the appoyntment of God loued so tenderly and vpon * whom the Fulfilling of the promise and blessing of God did seeme to depende this I say was a marueylous triall of his fayth And it was no small tentation also that it might seeme vncredible that the true and lyuing God should nowe delite in the sacrifice of mans bloud It was neuer before done Nor Adam nor Abel nor Noe were willed to doe the like Yea God him selfe had shewed Gen. 9. that he detested the shedding of mans bloud Therefore Abraham might haue suspected that this commaundement was not of God but of the Deuill to drawe him and his sonne to the displeasure of God and to defeate and ouerthrow the fulfilling of the blessing of all the Nations in earth by his seede But so * strong was Abrahams faith as al this could not shake it no not though both he and his wife were past children by the course of Nature Then Abraham rose vp early in the morning and sadled his Asse c. This is in Abraham an example of a wonderfull Obedience It maye appeare that this man euen from the beginning of his calling had setled his minde both constantly to Beleue whatsoeuer God promised were it neuer so vnpossible to humaine reason and also wyllingly to obey that he was commaunded by him though it seemed neuer so lothsome displeasant and odious in the sight of the worlde He * forsooke his naturall countrie He liued wyllingly as an exile in a straunge land being pressed with * famine He bare it paciently and went into Egypt He by the appointment of God put from his his elder sonne * Ismaell whome he loued and setled his hope altogither vpon the yonger And nowe sheweth himselfe readie to offer his life also at the coÌ„maundement of the Lord Such is the fayth and obedience of the saintes of god For they alwaye cleaue to the sincere and Simple worde and commaundement of god If there be any thing therein that seemeth difficulte straunge or absurde that they leaue to the wisedome and prouidence of God to the vnderstanding wherof they are not hable to attaine And in deede right Faith Obedience are grounded and stayed vpon these two things that is the Truth and the Omnipotencie of god If his promise seeme vnpossible thereby shake our faith it is Staied vp by the consideration of his Truth For he can not * but speake that is True seeme it neuer so vnpossible And againe if we doubt of the truth we strengthen our selues with his Omnipotency and therefore appeare it to mans weakenesse neuer so vntrue yet God is hable to performe it With these two pyllers did Abraham stay vp his fayth and set forwarde is readie obedience that is declared in all this historie And Abraham stretching forth his arme tooke the knife to haue killed c. Nowe the purpose of God is opened and the matter declared that whatsoeuer GOD caused Abraham hitherto to do was not to this ende that his sonne should be Sacrificed but that his fayth and Obedience toward God should be tried and testified to the worlde For when Abraham had prepared and done all thinges and was nowe in readinesse to haue offered vp his Son in sacrifice the Angell of
God euen in the very point staieth him saying Lay not thy hande vpon the childe nowe I knowe that thou fearest God. In which words he sheweth also that the feare of God is the Roote of true obedience God knewe before that Abraham did feare him but by this maner of speaking the scripture gyueth vs to vnderstande that GOD doth not regarde the Shewe and pretence of hys feare and worship but the true * Practise of the same in deede that the world also may vnderstand the same and * glorifie God therein They are detestable to God that pretend to feare and worship him and doe not in deede but by hipocrisie and dissimulation Therfore doth he extoll here the Faith of Abraham that shewed so notable proofe therof And Abraham lifting vp his eyes looked and beholde there was c. God of his singuler prouidence by such meanes as his wisedome onely knoweth prepared this Ramme to be their vpon the sodaine to be offered in the place of Isaac And Abraham to make a solemne and perpetuall Memoriall not of his owne Doing but of gods Mercies chaungeth the name of the place calling it The Lorde will see to signifie that God is readie and at hande alwaye to His and seeth them in their distresse and neede And the Angell of the Lorde cryed to Abraham the seconde time c. Thys is the fruite of Abrahams fayth and obedience that by the Mouth of the Angell of God he hath Confirmed vnto him the great Blessings that God before had promised But for somuch as the reason why God doth here so blesse Abraham is added in thys wise Because thou hast done thys thing and hast not spared thy only sonne c. There may seeme two great Doubts to be moued First howe this may stande with the Free Promise of the same blessing made to Araham cap. 12. before he shewed this obedience Secondly because this part of the blessing In thy seede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed doth appertain to the Spirituall and Heauenly blessing in the Sauiour of the world Christ Iesu It may seeme by the words that the same blessing did depēd vpon this Fact of Abraham so that if he had not this done that promise had not bene performed For he sayth Because thou hast done this thing c. and because thou hast heard my voyce But thys maye seeme verie absurde and repugnant to the Scriptures that the Sauing of the worlde by Christ should be graunted because of the Obedience of Abraham and not of the Free mercie of God. To these doubtes we must answere that with out exception these Promises were made and in dewe tyme performed of the free mercie of God and loue towarde not Abraham alone but all mankinde also not regarding their Worthinesse but his Owne goodnesse And when God sayth Because thou hast done this thing and because thou hast heard my voyce we must vnderstande that God for our imbecillitie and weake capacitie in heauenly matters speaketh in this place as he doth in manye other after the Maner of Men. For a man oftentimes hath a fauourable inclination to loue an other and that of his owne motion without any consideration of desert in the person and vpon the same loue towarde him doth freely promise him some good benefite and pleasure But when he seeth the good will of the partie towarde him againe he is greatly Delited therewith and the more he doth declare it by his readie seruice the more he is incensed to performe his Liberall Promise to him and to assure him of the same In the like maner doth God deale here with Abraham The principall Causes of these blessings and the Performance thereof are the Truth and Free mercie God as it maye appeare in that they were made to Abraham not onely * before he did this but before Isaac was borne The second cause that moueth God here to repeat them and to confirme Abraham in the assurance of them was his * Faith and obedience in this place declared After these thinges one tolde Abraham beholde Milcha she hath c. This may seeme straunge to the worldly Man that Abraham forsaking his countrie at the calling of Almightie GOD and hauing the promise of great increase of his seede at the length when he was an Hundred peares of age hath but One sonne and Nahor his brother who taried behinde and had no promise of God hath by that time a Number of children So the Blessings and Promises of God in this life seeme not to take such force but the vngodlye be more happie then they But the onely sonne of Abraham was not giuen by the Common Course of Nature as Nahors were but of the mightie Power of God aboue all Nature or reason and before the birth of the Child he had the Promises of gods blessings and the assured couenāt of God that he would be * His God and the God of his Seede which was a far greater Felicitie then the Multitude of Nahors children The second Sunday in Lent at Morning prayer Genesis 27. AND it came to passe that when Isahac wasxed olde and his eyes were dimme so that he could not see he called Esau his eldest sonne and sayee vnto him My sonne And he sayde vnto him Here am I. 2 And he sayde Beholde I am nowe olde and know not the day of my death 3. Now therefore take I pray thée thy weapons thy Quiuer and thy Bowe and get thée to the fielde that thou mayest take me some veneson 4 And make me well tasting meates such as I loue and bring it to me that I may eate that my soule may blesse thee before that I die 5 But Rebecca heard when Isahac spake to Esau his sonne And Esau went into the fielde to hunt veneson and to bring it 6 And Rebecca spake vnto Iacob hir sonne saying Beholde I haue hearde thy father talking with Esau thy brother and saying 7 Bring me veneson and make me daintie meate that I may eate and blesse thée before the Lord afore my death 6 Now therefore my sonne heare my voyce in that which I commaunde thée 9 Get thée to the flocke and bring me thence two good kiddes from the goates and I will make of them pleasant meates for thy father such as he loueth 10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father that he may eate and that he may blesse thée before his death 11 Then sayde Iacob to Rebecca his mother Beholde Esau my brother is a hearie man and I am smooth 12 My father shal peraduenture féele me and I shall séeme vnto him as though I went about to beguile him and so shal I bring a cursse vpon me and not a blessing 13 And his mother sayde vnto him Vpon me be the cursse my 〈◊〉 onely heare my voyce and go and fetch me them 14 And Iacob went and fet them and brought them to his mother and his mother made
pleasant meate such as she knew his father loued 15 And Rebecca fet goodly rayment of her oldest sonne Esau which were in the house with her and put them vpon Iacob her yonger sonne 16 And she put the skinnes of the kiddes vpon his handes and vpon the smooth of his necke 17 And she put that pleasant meate and breade which she had prepared in the hande of her sonne Iacob 18 When he came to his father hée sayde My father And he aunswered Here am I who art thou my sonne 19 And Iacob sayd vnto his father I am Esau thy eldest sonne I haue done according as thou baddest me arise I pray thée sitte and eate of my veneson that thy soule may blesse me 20 And Isahac sayde vnto hys sonne Howe commeth it that thou hast founde it so quickly my sonne He aunswered The Lorde thy God brought it to my hands 21 Then sayde Isahac vnto Iacob Come néere and I will féele thée my sonne whether thou be my very son Esau or not 22 Then went Iacob to Isahac his father and he felt him and sayde The voyce is Iacobs voyce but the handes are the handes of Esau 23. And he knewe him not because his handes were hearie as his brother Esaus handes and so he blessed him 24 And he asked him Art thou my sonne Esau And he sayde That I am 25 Then sayd he Bring me and let me eate of my sonnes veneson that my soule may blesse thée And he brought him and he eate and he brought him wine also and he dranke 26 And his father Isahac sayd vnto him Come neere and kisse me my sonne 27 And he went vnto him and kissed him and he smelled the sauour of his rayment and blessed him and sayde Sée the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a féelde which the Lorde hath blessed 28 God giue thée of the deawe of heauen and of the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of corne and wine 29 People be thy seruantes and Nations bowe to thée be Lorde ouer thy brethren and thy mothers children stowpe with reuerence vnto thée cursed be he that curseth thée and blessed be he that blesseth thée 30 Assoone as Isahac had made an ende of blessing Iacob and Iacob was scarse gone out from the presence of Isahac his father then came Esau his brother from his hunting 31 And he also had made a pleasant meate and brought it vnto his father and sayde vnto his father Let my father arise and eate of his sonnes veneson that thy soule may blesse me Then his father Isahac sayd vnto him Who art thou He aunswered I am thy sonne thy first borne Esau 33 And Isahac was greatly astonied out of measure and sayde Which is he and where is he then that hath hunted veneson and brought it me and I haue eaten of all before thou camest and haue blessed him yea and he shal be blessed 34 When Esau heard the wordes of his father he cryed aloud and bitterly aboue measure and sayd vnto his father Blesse me I also am thy sonne O my father 35 Who aunswered Thy brother came with sutteltie and hath taken away thy blessing 36 And he sayd againe Is not he rightly named Iacob for he hath vndermined me nowe two times First he tooke away my byrth right and sée nowe he hath taken away my blessing also And he sayd Hast thou kept neuer a blessing for mée 37 Isahac answered and sayde vnto Esau Beholde I haue made him thy Lorde and all his brethren haue I made his seruantes Moreouer with corne and wine haue I established him what shall I doe vnto thée now my sonne 38 And Esau sayd vnto his father Hast thou but that one blessing my father blesse me I am also thy sonne O my father So lifted vp Esau his voyce and wept 39 Then Isahac his father aunswered and sayde vnto him Beholde thy dwelling place shall be the fatnesse of the earth and of the deawe of heauen from aboue 40 And through thy sworde shalt thou liue and shalt bée thy brothers seruant and it shall come to passe that thou shalt get the maistrie and thou shalt loose his yoke from of thy necke 41 And Esau hated Iacob because of the blessing that his father blessed him withall And Esau sayde in his heart The dayes of sorowing for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Iacob 42 And these wordes of Esau her elder sonne were told to Rebecca And she sent and called Iacob hir yonger sonne and sayde vnto him Behold thy brother Esau as touching thée doth comfort himselfe full purposing to kill thée 43 Nowe therefore my sonne heare my voyce make thée readie and flie to Laban my brother at Haran 44 And tary with him a while vntill thy brothers fiercenesse be swaged 45 And vntill thy brothers wrath turne away from thée and he forget the things which thou hast done to him then will I sende and fet thée away from thence why shoulde I be desolate of you both in one day 46 And Rebecca spake to Isahat I am wearie of my life for the daughters of Heth If Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these vvhich are of the daughters of this lande what good shall my life do me The Exposition vpon the .xxvij. Chapter of Genesis And it came to passe when Isahac olde and his eyes were dimme c. THis whole historie that Moses setteth forth in this Chapiter so largely may seeme at the first to conteyne no great matter of weight but onely the Sleight and Craft of a mother and her sonne causing the Father to transferre the blessing of his Heritage vpon one that he would not haue done it vnto But if with Reuerence as our duetie is we looke into the scriptures of God and lay aside vaine and wicked cogitations we shall see in this place the worke of the wisedome Prouidence of God vsing the Blemishes and frailties of the Godly vnto his glorie and to the perfourmance of his determined purpose and promise For as the Patriarkes were Godly men and in the * singuler Fauour of GOD so had they as men their Imperfections and offences which God vndoubtedly misliked and yet of his mercie pardoned as in other Chapters before is declared The like is here nowe in this place as well in Isaac as in Rebecca and Iacob her sonne Therfore no person can by them take Example of the like doyng but rather learue a Godly lesson to be more ware of themselues and to take heed least to the Hasarding of the Fauour of God they doe that which shall be contrarie to his holy Will and displeasant vnto him When the two children were borne the determined purpose of God was declared and his Election made manifest * That the elder Esau should be Seruant vnto Iacob the yonger This was reuealed vnto Rebecca and not vnknowne to Isaac the father And yet this notwithstanding of a
Carnall affection and loue towarde his elder Sonne hee sought to Transfer the blessing of God heritage of preheminence in the couenant of God vnto him Wherein he might seeme to ouerthwart the Election of God which coulde not be done without some offence and therefore GOD did suffer him to be Deluded by his Wife and Childe And yet this humaine affection in Isaac was ioyned with a constant fayth in the fauor of God wherby he beleeued that aswel himself as other Patriarks were ordeined y good instruments of God by their blessings to denounce and declare the Heritage and Succession of the Couenant of God made to Abraham and his Seede And Rebecca spake vnto Iacob her sonne saying beholde I haue heard c. Moses here declareth by what Craft the blessing was transferred to Iacob from Esau And truely this dealing of Rebecca is not without blame For albeit she could not rule her husbande and Cause him to yeelde to the declared purpose of God in preferring Iacob the yonger brother yet shoulde she not haue vsed so vncomely and vnlawfull meanes to worke the thing by Counterfeyting and Vntruth If she * knewe as she did in deede that it was the Immutable purpose electiō of God She should haue paciently looked and haue abidden vntill God had wrought it by such waies as he thought good if she could not by any godly perswasiō haue brought it to passe But such Frailetie God often in his Saintes of his great mercie pardoneth when it is not done of Malicious minde and purpose as surely it was not in Rebecca but of a desire by some meanes or other to bring that to effect which she knewe was the will of God. Then saide Iacob to Rebecca his mother Beholde Esau my brother c. Iacob did to easily yeelde to his Mothers perswasion and as in his words he shewed that he feared his father and was lothe to enter his displeasure so he shoulde haue feared GOD much more and Considered what a blemishe it was to purchase his blessing by Coūterfayting vntruth For although he respected a right ende that is to attaine that which was the * promise of God yet by Such meanes he should not haue done it Then saide Isaac vnto Iacob come neere and I will feele thee my sonne c. Isaac did suspect that he was abused therefore Tryeth the matter by all meanes he can But it pleased God to dull hys senses partly to shewe that Man laboureth in * vaine to ouerthwart hys Purpose that which he is determined to haue partly that by this maner of correction he might punishe and Chastice his Immoderate affection towarde Esau his elder sonne God giue thee of the dewe of heauen of the fatnesse of the earth c. Vnder these worldly blessings the auncient fathers conteined the Heauēly promises Albeit they be not vitered so Plainly as they haue bene sence in the time of the Gospell For Gods will was to deale with thē vnder tipes * and figures of worldly things And therefore the lande of Chanaan and the Fertilitie thereof is a tipe of the heauenly and euerlasting Felicitie with God and the Subiection of enemies doth signifie the Conquest and ouerthrowe of our Spirituall enimies to whome we were thrall and in daunger When Esau hearde the wordes of his father he cried alowde c. A man might think that Gods mercy would haue bene mooued with this * heauie and sorrowful complaynt of Esau for the losse of his fathers blessing but it is euident that this lamentation did not proceede of a Sound fayth and true Repentance but rather of a prowde minde and of a Desperate furie and rage as it maye appeare by the Hatred that he protested and by the bitter wordes greeuous Threatnings that after he vsed against hys brother Manacing that after his fathers death he would assuredlye kill him And of what affection he was and howe smally he esteemed his birth right and the felicitie that might come thereof he declared when he Solde the same to Iacob his brother for a messe of wortes And she called Iacob her yonger sonne saide vnto him thy brother c. The blessing that Isaac had giuen to his yonger sonne might seeme of Small force seing he was brought euen nowe presently into so great Feare to be Slaine by hys brother and this was vndoubtedly no small temptation and trouble to the minde of Rebecca that she sawe her sonne whome she so tenderly loued by her Fact to be brought in daunger of Present death But yet did she and her son so much esteeme this Blessing that rather then they woulde yeelde it vp to Esau to haue his fauour he was Contented to go into voluntarie Banishment and she to forgo the Presence and Companie of her sonne that she so much esteemed By this example in Iacob we must learne to take paciently if after the hope of Gods blessing and of his fauour * immediatly the Crosse of affliction do followe and not for the trouble and daunger of the worlde to forgoe the sweete promises of God. Neyther must we seeke to purchase the quietnesse of thys lyfe with the Losse of Goddes Heauenly Blessing The second Sunday in Lent at Euening praier Genesis 34. DIna the daughter of Lea which she bare vnto Iacob went out to sée the daughters of the lande 2 Whom when Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Heuite Lord of the countrie sawe he tooke her and laye with her and defiled her 3 And his heart laye vnto Dina the daughter of Iacob and he loued that damsell and spake kindely vnto her 4 And Sichem spake vnto his father Hemor saying Get me this maiden vnto my wife 5 And Iacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter his sonnes being with their cattle in the fielde and Iacob helde his peace vntill they were come 6 And Hemor the father of Sichem went out vnto Iacob to commune with him 7 And when the sonnes of Iacob comming out of the fielde heard it it grieued them and they were not a little wroth bicause he had wrought folly in Israel in that he had lyen with Iacobs daughter which thing ought not to be done 8 And Hemor communed with them saying The soule of my sonne Sichem lōgeth for your daughter I pray you geue her him to wyfe 9 And make maryages wyth vs and giue your daughters vnto vs and take our daughters vnto you 10 And ye shall dwell with vs and the lande shall be before you dwell and doe your businesse therein and haue possessions therein 11 And Sichem sayde vnto her father and vnto her brethren Let me finde grace in your eies and whatsoeuer ye appoint me that wyll I geue 12 Aske fréely of me both dowrie and giftes and I wyll giue according as ye saye vnto me so that ye geue me the damsell to wyfe 13 But the sonnes of
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
is a difference betweene Lying and Dissimuling A godly and wise Man in time and place may Dissemble and not vtter his Purpose But none sauing wicked and vaine persons doe Lie. As touching the Lande of Chanaan promised * to them by God what did it appertaine to Pharao to knowe In that Moyses is taught to say they should goe three dayes iourney into the wildernesse to Sacrifice to God it was no Vntruth For in Exod. 24. it is declared they did so And I am sure the king of Egipt will not let them go no not in a mightie c. God telleth Moyses of this before least when it shoulde so fall out hereafter it myght shake Moyses his fayth and make him to Doubt of his calling So God vseth often to Forewarne his Elect of such Stormes as are to come least in the time of their troubles they should Faint and Mistrust his gracious Promises of comfort and blessing So our Sauiour Christ tolde his Apostles when he sent them to preach They shall delyuer you vp sayth he vnto their counsailes and shal whip you And againe Ioh. 15. If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also And Ioh. 16. The tyme shall come when they that kill you shall thinke them selues to doe acceptable service to God. These things haue I tolde you sayth Christ that when they come to passe you maye not be offended therwith but remember that I haue forewarned you And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egipt with all my wonders c â–ª He doth againe Comforte Moyses with the promise of his Mightie assistance and the great Successe that he wyll worke for hym and hys people But this may seeme straunge that God sayth he will helpe the Israelites to Spoyle and Robbe the Egiptians We must learne that the Eternall God and Lorde of Heauen and Earth that made the Lawe is not bounde and tyed by his owne law Therfore that the Israelites do by the appointment of God is no Breach of his law but a work of Obedience to his holy will. * GOD is Lorde of all things neyther hath any Man any thing but that he hath at Gods hande and that not in perpetuall Possession but so of Loan for the time that he may without vniustice take it away from any It was Iustice also before God that they which had beene Enriched by the Oppression and iniurie of the people of God should also by the appointment of God haue their Iniurious gotten Goodes taken from them by the same People But I must often repeate this that such Extraordinarie Acts done by the especiall Commaundement of God are not to be drawne into the Example of common life The fift Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 5. MOyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and folde Pharao Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel Let my people go that they may holde a feast vnto me in the wildernesse 2 And Pharao saide Who is the Lorde that I should heare his voyce and let Israell go I knowe not the Lorde neyther will I let Israell go 3 And they sayde The God of the Hebrues hath called vs let vs go we pray thée thrée daies iourney into the desert and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God least he smite vs with pestilence or with the sworde 4 Then sayde the King of Egypt vnto them Wherfore doe ye Moyses and Aaron let the people from their workes get you vnto your burdens 5 And Pharao saide furthermore Beholde there is much people nowe in the lande and you make them leaue their burdens 6 And Pharao commaunded the same day the taskmaysters which were amongst the people and the officers saying 7 Ye shall geue the people no more strawe to make bricke withall as ye did in time past let them go and gather them strawe themselues 8 And the number of brick which they were wont to make in tyme past lay vnto their charges also and minishe nothing thereof for they be Idle and therefore crye saying We will go and doe sacrifice vnto our God. 9 They must haue more worke laide vpon them that they may labour therein and not regarde vaine wordes 10 Then went the taskemasters of the people and the officers out and tolde the people saying Thus sayth Pharao I will giue you no more straw 11 Go your selues and gather you strawe where yée can finde it yet shall none of your labour be minished 12 And so were the people scattred abrode throughout all the lande of Egypt for to gather stubble in steade of straw 13 And the taskemaisters hasted them forwarde saying Fulfill your worke your daylie taskes in their due tyme as if you had strawe 14 And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaos taskemaisters had set ouer them were beaten And they saide vnto them Wherfore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making of bricke both yesterday and to day as well as in times past 15 The officers also of the children of Israel came and complayned vnto Pharao saying Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy seruants 16 There is no straw giuen vnto thy seruantes and they say vnto vs Make bricke and thy seruants are beaten and there is wrong done to thine owne people 17 He sayde Ye are Idle Idle are ye and therefore ye say We will go and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde 18 Go therfore nowe and worke and there shall no straw be geuen you and yet shall you deliuer the whole tale of bricke 19. And the officers of the children of Israel dyd sée that they were in worsâ— caâ—e after it was sayde Ye shall minishe nothing of your bricke of your daylie taske in due tyme. 20 And they met Moyses and Aaron which stoode in their way as they came out from Pharao 21 And saide vnto them The Lorde looke vpon you and iudge you which hath made the sauour of vs to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharao and in the eyes of his seruants and haue put a sworde in their hande to sâ—ay vs. 22 Moyses returned vnto the Lorde and sayde Lorde wherefore hast thou so euil entreated this people And wherfore hast thou sent me 23 For since I came to Pharao to speake in thy name he hath fared foule with this folke and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people at all The Exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Exodus Moyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and tolde Pharao Thus saith c. AFter Moyses and Aaron had nowe purchased Credite with the Israelites as is mentioned in the * former Chapiter they enter nowe into the execution of their office for the deliuerance of the people of God and speake vnto Pharao for them This was in them a great Obedience vnto God in a matter verie vnlike for them to bring to passe in the sight of the worlde and ioyned with their great perill and daunger in dealing with so sterne and Obstinate a Tyranne Their obedience to
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
not let the children of Israel go 21 And the Lord saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thy hand vnto heauen that there maye be vpon the lande of Egypt darkenesse which maye be felt 22 And Moyses stretched forth his hande vnto heauen and there was a thicke darkenesse vpon all the lande of Egypt thrée daies 23 No man saw another neyther rose vp from the place where he was by the space of thrée daies But all the children of Israel had light where they dwelled 24 And Pharao called for Moyses and â—ayde Go and serue the Lorde onely let your shéepe and your oxen abide and let your children go with you 25 And Moyses saide Thou must geue vs also sacrifice and whole burnt offerings for to doe sacrifice vnto the Lord our God. 26 Our cattell also shall go with vs and there shall not one hoofe be left behinde for thereof must we take to serue the Lorde our God neyther doe we knowe with what we must doe seruice vnto the Lorde vntill we come thither 27 But the Lorde hardened Pharaos heart and he would not let them go 28 And Pharao saide vnto hym Get thée from me take héede vnto thy selfe that thou séest my face no more for whensoeuer thou commest in my sight thou shalt die 29 And Moyses saide Let it be as thou hast saide I will sée thy face no more The Exposition vpon the .ix. and .x. Chapter of Exodus The Lorde saide vnto Moyses goe vnto Pharao for I haue hardened c. IN these two Chapiters read this day in the Church are recited sundrie of those plagues wherewyth God Punished Pharao and wrought the Deliuerie of the People out of Egipt And because God was determined to set his People at Freedome and was hable * with one Breath to haue confounded Pharao ouerthrown the Whole power of the Egiptians a man myght marueyle why he dyd Deferre the tyme so long and worke so many Meane miracles whereas he might haue brought it to passe with one Mightie and terrible worke Seing especially that God did know that Pharao would not repent and yeeld To this cogitation GOD himselfe answereth in the .13 14. 15. and 16. verses of thys nynth Chapiter Go thy wayes sayth God to Moyses and tell Pharao c. let my people goe serue me or else at this tyme I wil send al my plagues vpon thyne hart and vpon thy seruants and on thy people that thou may est know there is none like me in al the earth c. And in verye deede for this cause haue I kept thee to shewe thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde Here haue we an euident cause why GOD did so long Suffer the wicked and obdurate hart of Pharao that is that God might * set forth his Glorie and by this terrible Example be knowne to the whole worlde That he was a Mightie God hable to breake the power of their Enimies were they neuer so Obstinate and Stiffe harted against hym That he was a Seuere God and * would terriblie punishe the Obdurate vnrepentant sinners Yea though they be neuer so great Kings Princes That he is a Wise God that can Turne the wicked Malice and Obstinacie of sinners to the Working of his greater glory That he is a Carefull and mercifull God towarde his people and for their defence and deliuerance will not sticke to Breake and Pull downe euen Mightie Princes and people There is also an other cause why God doth here Suffer Pharao at other times Beare with other Grieuous sinners and onely for the time punishe them with Light Meane plagues and this is By his great Lenitie Sufferance and Mildenesse if it might be to bring them to repentance or otherwise if they will not repent that they shall declare themselues to the worlde to bee Vnexcusable and God in his Iudgement when he doth confounde them to be a iuste god Of this Cause speaketh Paule Rom. 2. Eyther despisest thou the ryches of his goodnesse and long sufferance not knowing that the kindenesse of God leadeth thee to repentance c. When God is sayd To harden the hart of Pharao we maye not thinke that God doth Force and Compell Pharao to sinne or that the blame of his obstinacie and vnrepentant hart can iustly be laide vpon God * For God doth neyther worke Sinne himselfe nor would haue it to be Wrought of other But God by his seruantes Moyses Aaron offered to Pharao his holye worde and great miracles and he being of nature Wicked and waywarde from God and vtterly destitute of his holy Spirit of which al Inclination to goodnesse commeth did more and more Harden his harte and Withstande the will of god For the Corrupt nature of man without the singuler grace of God when he heareth Gods worde and will declared to him doth not only not yeelde vnto it but more and more stormeth against both the Worde it selfe and the Messengers that bring it For naturall man vnderstandeth not those things that are of God no nor cannot Wherefore when we see in these Chapiters that all endeuour is vsed both by God and by his seruauntes to perswade Pharao and yet that he is nothing Mooued eyther by his Worde or by his threatnings or by his Miracles or by the counsaile and aduertisement of Moyses and Aaron yea or of his owne subiectes we are taught that all the Workes endeuours of Man to bring sinners from their obstinacy vnto the Imbracing of Gods holy will is all Vaine vnlesse it please God also to worke by his holye spirite Wherefore we must submit our selues to the mightie hande of God in his secreat iudgementes and continually in our prayers * craue the assistance of his grace and good spirite which may so worke in vs that both we our selues may humbly Receiue the worde of GOD and that our endeuour to perswade other may by him be Effectuall Moreouer when there happeneth vnto vs vnseasonable Weathering Plagues and other sicknesses of sundrie sortes terrible Nayle Thunder and Lightning Murraine of cattaile Destruction of corne or fruites by blast Vermine or otherwise we must by these examples learne that they come not by Chaunce or by naturall causes onely but that they are Sent of God as Punishmentes of our Sinne and Disobedience to the will and worde of God and as * Meanes to bring vs to Repentance or else that God will lay on vs continually mo of his Plagues vntill he bring vs to Vtter confusion as hee did Pharao and the Egyptians All whose Disobedience sprange of this Roote that they Contemned the worde of God brought vnto them by his seruantes The Contempt whereof if repentaunce did not preuent it God hath alway punished with Induration and vtter Desolation When we reade that the Israelites were cleare from all those grieuous Plagues with which the Aegyptians were punished we muste to our comfort consider
on some that be in honour and dignitie By this bayte the common subiects are allured to take part with them and headelong to thrust themselues not onely to daunger and slaughter but also to the iust * vengeance of God that commonlye followeth for the same These meanes doe Corah Dathan and the other vse agaynst Moyses and Aaron For first they say vnto them You take to much vpon you wherein they note Pride and Ambition in them And againe in the. 13. Verse Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs out of the land that flovveth vvith milk and honie to kill vs in the VVildernesse but that thou make thy selfe Lorde ouer vs also In these wordes of an obstinate stubburnnesse euen agaynst his owne conscience Dathan obiecteth to Moyses ambitions seeking of principalitie where as in deede he sawe by the woonderfull workes wrought by him that he was called therto by god But this is of Exceeding malice that he â—ayeth agaynst him as a great fault that thinge which was the Worthiest act that euer he did that is the Deliuerie of the Israelites out of the miserable bondage of Aegypt And yet this wicked Rebell calleth it here a bringing of the people out of A lande flovving vvith milke and honie An horrible Bondage and Oppression in dispite of their gouernour is tearmed a state of great felicitie and all of purpose to make him odious to the people Their Dissimulation appeareth in this that whereas they seeke nothing but principalitie and the high Priesthood they pretende fauour and loue towarde the people All the people say they are holy euery one of them as if they had sayde they are all the people of God and therefore whie shoulde you gouerne them so sternely whie should you so oppresse them And againe You bring forth the people to kill them in the VVildernesse As though the Pitie of the people had mooued them to that purpose and not rather their own ambitious miâ—ds By this common people may learne to Beware of the dissimuled pretences of such as be Capitaynes in Rebellion And for their owne ambitious purpose seeke to leade them to vnquietnesse trouble and daunger It is not vnprofitable to consider how Moyses as a good Gouernour and hauing a cleere conscience did in this trouble behaue hymselfe he is not greatly Astonied or dismayed nor seeketh any vnlawful or extraordinarie meanes to represse them But first he was assured in his conscience he was called and appointed to that office by God therefore he resorteth to him in earnest prayer For the Falling dovvne vpon his face mencioned in the fourth verse was not for Feare of the Rebell but an earnest prostrating hymselfe before God praying for his assistance Then he Reproueth the Rebelles and telleth them of their fault how greatly they doe against their Dutie and howe Vnthankfully towarde God and thereby exhorteth them to quyetnesse He sendeth for some of the other Rebelles Dathan and Abiran to haue delt with them in like maner if they would haue come vnto hym But they stubbernly refused it Lastly seing they would not yeelde to reason or perswasion with an assured confidence of the goodnesse of his cause he putteth it into Gods hande by his mightie power to determine ende the matter This should all good Princes and Rulers in the like case folow First to * call vpon God earnestly and faythfully then to vse all the quyet meanes they can by reason to perswade them And if that will not serue as seldome times it doth such is the furie of Rebelles then with an assured confidence in the prouidence of God and the right of their cause being Gods appointed gouernours by battayle or other lyke meanes to commit the thing to His hande to determine who neuer hath hitherto vsed to gyue sentence or successe on the parte of the Rebels And Corah gathered all the congregation against them c. and the glorie c. The verie confidence that Moyses shewed in the Goodnesse of his cause might well haue Abashed their rebellious spirites Much more when they sawe the glorie of the Lorde appeare on the part of Moyses and to speake vnto him they should haue bene abashed and giuen ouer their wicked purpose But such a furie doth alwayes folow the mindes of Rebels that though they see neuer so present daunger they will as Corah and his company doe as it were Face God himselfe and neuer giue ouer vntill by the iust iudgement of God they bring themselues to vtter confusion And assoone as he had made an ende of speaking the ground cloue c. By this dreadfull punishment of destroying the principall doers by the swallowing of the Earth and with fyre from heaueÌ„ God declareth would haue it knowne to the worlde howe he doth Hate and Dâ—test â–ª * such as rebell agaynst their Princes and Rulers appointed by him to gouerne them which he afterwarde more amply declareth For when euen the next day folowing the people murmurd against Moyses and Aaron and that punishment wherewith God had plagued the Rebelles Gods wrath was so kindled against them that if the earnest Prayer and endeuour of Moyses and Aaron had not beene he woulde haue vtterlye destroyed them All from the face of the earth And yet could not Moyses with such speede appease his wrath but .xiiij. thousande of them were slaine to the terrible Example of all other that in any age should follow their euill doing And in deede if we looke into the histories of all times we shall finde that Rebellions and Insurrections haue ended in the vtter destruction of them that haue beene the doers of it For they striue not against the Magistrate but against God that ordayned him For vvhatsoeuer povvers there are they are of God. Paul. Rom. 13. The first Sunday after Easter at Euening prayer Numb 22. ANd the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab on the other side of Iordane from Iericho 2 â–ª And â—alue the sonne of Ziphor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorâ—tes 3 And the Moabites were sore afraid of the people because they were manye and they were strikon with scare of the children of Israell 4 And Moab saide vnto the elders of Madian Now shall this companie â—ick vp all that are round about vs as aâ—ore 〈◊〉 vp the grasse of the field And Balac the sonne 〈◊〉 was â–ª king of the Moabites at that time 5 He sent messengers therfore vnto Balaam the sonne of Beor to Pethor which is by the riuer of the lande of the children of his folke to call him saying Beholde there is a people come out of Egipt and beholde they couer the face of the earth and dwell it ouer against me 6 Come now therfore I pray thée and curse me this people for they are to mightie for me so it may be I shal be hable to smite them and to driue them
so in the land whither ye go to possesse it 6 Kepe them therfore do them for that is your wisedom and vnderstanding in the syght of the people that they may heare all these ordinances and say Surely it is a wise and vnderstanding people it is a great nation 7 For what other nation is so great that gods come so nie vnto as the Lord our God is nie vnto vs in all things as oft as we call vnto him 8 Yea and what nation is so greate that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day 9 Take héed to thy self therfore and kéepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thyne eyes haue séen and that they depart not out of thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sonnes thy sonnes sonnes 10 Specially the day that thou stodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lorde sayde vnto me Gather me the people together and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me all the days that they shal liue vpon the earth that they may teach their children 11 Ye came and stode also vnder the mountayn the mountayn burnt with fire euen vnto the middes of heauen and there was darknesse cloudes mist 12 And the Lord spake vnto you oute of the middes of the fire and ye hearde the voyce of the wordes but sawe no similitude but hearde a voyce onely 13 And he declared vnto you his couenant which he commaunded you to do euen ten commaundements which he wrote vpon two tables of stone 14 And the Lord cōmaunded me that same season that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which ye ought to do in the land whither ye go to possesse it 15 Take therefore good héede vnto your selues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of fire 16 Lest ye marre your selues make you a grauen image picture of any maner of figure whether it be the likenesse of man or woman 17 The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that flyeth in the ayre 18 Or the likenesse of any maner worme that créepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19 Yea and lest thou lift vp thyne eyes vnto heauen and when thou séest the sunne the Moone and the starres with al the hoast of heauen shuldest be driuen to worship them and serue them and shuldest worship and serue the things which the Lord thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen 20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the yron fornace euen out of Egypte to be vnto him a people and inheritaunce as ye be this daye 21 Furthermore the Lord was angrie with me for youre wordes and sware that I should not go ouer Iordane that I should not go in vnto that good lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thée to inheritance 22 But I muste dye in this land and shall not go ouer Iordane but ye shall go ouer and possesse that good land 23 Take héed vnto your selues that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he made with you that ye make you no grauen image or likenesse that the lord thy God hath forbidden thée 24 For the lord thy God is a cōsuming fire a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children and thy children beget children and shalte haue remained long in the lande if ye do wickedly and make any maner of grauen image and worke euill in the sight of the Lorde thy God to prouoke him to anger 26 I call heauen and earth to recorde against you this daye that ye shall shortly perishe from of the lande wherunto you go ouer Iordane to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes therein but shall vtterly be destroyed 27 And the Lord shal scatter you among the people and ye shal be left fewe in number among the nations whither the Lord shall bring you 28 And there ye shall serue Gods which are the work of mans hande wood and stone which neither sée nor heare nor eate nor smell 29 If frō thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him * if thou seke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30. When thou art in tribulation and when all these things that be here spoken of are come vppon thée euen in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lorde thy God and shalt be obedient vnto his voyce 31 For the Lorde thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thée neither destroye thée nor forget the appoyntment of thy fathers which he sware vnto them 32 For aske of the dayes that are paste which were before and since the day that God created man vpō the earth and aske from the one side of heauē vnto the other if euer there came to passe suche a great thing or whether anye such like thing hath ben hearde as this 33 Did euer any people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the middes of a fire as thou hast heard yet lyued 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a people frō among nations by temptations by signes by wonders by warre by a mighty hande by a stretched out arme and by great sightes according to all that the Lord your God dyd vnto you in Egipt before your eyes 35 Vnto thée it was shewed that thou mightest knowe that the Lord is God and that there is none other but he 36 Out of heauen he made thée heare his voyce that he might instruct thée and vpō earth he shewed thée his great fire thou heardest his word out of the middest of the fire 37 And bycause he loued thy fathers he chose their séede after thē and brought thée out in his sighte w his mightie power * out of Egipt 38 To thrust out natiōs greater mightier than thou before thée to bring thée in to geue thée their land to inheritāce as it is come to passe this day 39 Vnderstand therfore this day and consider it in thine hearte that the Lorde is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath neither is there any other 40 Thou shalt kepe therfore his ordināces hys commaūdements which I cōmaund thée this day y it may go wel with thée with thy childrē after thée and that thou maist prolong thy dayes vpō the earth which the lord thy God geueth thée for euer 41 Then Moyses seuered thrée cities on the other syde of Iordane toward the sun rising 42 That he shoulde flée thither whych had kylled hys neighboure vnwares and hated him not in
times past therfore shuld he flée vnto one of the same cities and liue 43 Namely Bezer in the wildernesse euē in the plain coūtrey of the tribe of Ruben and Ramoth in Gilead of the tribe of Gad Golan in Basan of the tribe of Manasse 44 And so this is the lawe which Moyses set before the children of Israel 45 These are the witnesses statutes ordinances which Moises told the children of Israell after they came out of Egipt 46 On the other side Iordane in the valley ouer against the house of Peor in the land of Sehon king of the Amorites which dwelt at Hesbō whō Moises the children of Israel smote after they were come out of Egipt 47 And possessed his land the land of Og king of Basan two kings of the Amorites which were on the other side of Iordane towarde the sunne rising 48 From Aroer which is by the banke of the riuer Arnon vnto moūt Sion which is Hermon 49 And all the plain on the other side Iordane eastward euen vnto the sea which is in the plaine vnder the springs of the hyll The Exposition vpon the fourth Chapter of Deuteronomie Now therfore hearken O Israell vnto the ordinaunces and lawes c. THis whole Chapter containeth nothyng but an earnest exhortation to the children of Israel not only with diligence to harken to the ordinances and lawes of God but also in dede to * obserue and performe the same bicause the lawe of God is a doctrine of practise and not of hearing onely The condition of their reward is added that so they might liue and possesse the lande For the promises of God made to them were * conditionall and depended vpon their obedience vnto his ordinances And in the second verse this is notable that he straightlye chargeth them That they do not adde any thing to his lawe nor Take any thing from it Therby declaring that God will be worshipped onely according to his worde and that all vnnecessarie traditions of mens deuises do * hinder Gods word and carie men from the simple trueth therof The first reason of exhortation that Moyses vseth is the exāple of the great sharp punnishment that God vsed vppon them that reuolted from him fell to the worshipping of Baal Peor the Idoll of the Madianites and Moabites as it is written Num. 25. The seconde reason is in the fifte verse by the aucthoritie of the lawe maker God himselfe For he saith I haue taught you ordinaunces such as the Lorde my God hath commaunded mee and thereby willeth them so to esteme the lawes not as the commaundements of * men onely but of God that appointed them The third reason is in the. 6. 7. verses by the renowne and fame of great wisdome and of the singular fauour and ready helpe of God toward them which shoulde be spred of them among all nations to their great comfort and commendation In the. 9. verse hee concludeth with admonition that they should not only themselues diligently remember the lawes of God but also * instruct and teach their children and posteritie in the same Speciallye the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb. c. In these verses is contained an other reason to moue thē by the remembrance of the * terrible manner and solemne maiestie that God in their sighte and hearing dyd vse in the publishing of his lawe with thunder and lightening earthquake with fyre cloudes and darknesse In so muche that they confessed themselues not to be * hable to abide the dredful maiestie therof as it is largely declared in the .20 of Exodus Take therefore good heede vnto youre selues as parteining vnto c. He straightly chargeth them to beware vpon daunger of their soules health that they did not make vnto themselues the Image of anye thing in heauen in earthe or in the water vnder the earth And signifieth that by the wisedome and prouidence of God in the publishing of the law they heard a voyce onely and sawe * no figure least they shoulde take vpon them by that figure to represent God which would not be represented by anye worldly thing This commaundemente he sundrye times repeateth to th ende to beate into their mindes howe odious Idolatry and the worshipping of Images and false gods was vnto him Furthermore the Lorde was angry with mee for your woordes c. By his own example Moises willeth them to beware howe they fell into the displeasure of God by disobeyng his holy will. For if the seueritie of his iustice was so sharpe * toward Moises for a litle mistrust in his promise how much more would it be vpon them if they did fall from his true worshippe to Idolatrie and to the open disobedience of his lawes and ordinances For saith he the Lorde is * a Consuming fire to destroye the obstinate disobedient and a Ielous God that will not suffer his glorye to be gyuen to other When thou shalte beget children c. I call heauen and earth to witnesse c. Moyses in this place moueth them to the diligent obseruing of the law of God by laying before them the threatnings of Gods iustice and * punishments that shall come vpō them for the contrary that is That they should perishe from the land whereunto they were goyng and should not therein prolong their dayes That the Lord shuld scatter them in subiectiō of other nations That he wold giue them ouer to the vnsensible worshipping of stockes and stones the workes of mens hands In which point we of this latter time haue to lerne that the grosse Idolatry that hath growen by pilgrimage and worshypping of Images hath beene the * iust plague of God sent vpon men bicause they departed from the obedience of Gods holy word vnto worshipping of him by their owne deuises and traditions of men If from thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him c. Least when the punishments before mentioned for their offences by Gods iust iudgemente should light vpon them they shoulde dispeire of the mercie of God and so cutte of the occasion of repentance in this place he sayth whē god doth cast thē out into strange nations if they doe * repent them of their wickednesse and seeke after their Lorde and God that he will receyue them to his mercie For God is to his people a mercifull father and not a terrible iudge And * when he punisheth he doth it not to destroy them but by a * fatherly correction to pull them frō their disobedience and wickednesse which whensoeuer they shall doe the bosome of his mercye and goodnesse is ready to receyue them For aske of the dayes that are past c. and aske if euer there came c. There is nothing
that can more moue either a godly person or anye man of common sense and reason to loue and obey one than to consider hys great works and benefites done for his defence and deliuerance out of thraledome and miserye Therefore Moyses willeth the children of Israell to descend into earnest * consideration with themselues how great and maruellous workes God had done for them That he chose them firste as his peculiar people among all the nations of the earth that when they were holden in miserable * captiuitie vnder the tyrannye of the Egiptians of his meere mercy without any regard of their worthynes and farre beyond their hope or expectation he by mightie * power deliuered them By his own voyce with great maiestie of signes and wonders he published hys law vnto them that they might not be ignorant of hys holye will and commaundementes He maruellously gaue victory vnto them against mighty * kings and Nations and to bring them into a blessed lande and countrey by his power not * their might he turned out the inhabitants thereof before them Therefore if after so great and many benefites they should reuolt from this so gratious mercifull and mightye a God they should shewe themselues very vnthankfull and worthy of great punishments TheÌ„ Moyses seuered three Cityes on the otherside of Iordane c. Bicause it semed not iust in the sight of God that they which had committed manslaughter vnwillingly by casualtie and chaunce should be punished as wilfull murderers or those that wittingly doe kil men or commit any other hainous offence Therefore God appoynted Moyses to assigne sixe Cities that myght be as sanctuaries for such persons to resorte vnto for their salftie Of which these are three that Moyses here in this place speaketh of Of the ordaining of these Cities of refuge you may read Num. 35. Deut. 19. Iosua 20. The thirde Sundaye after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deut. 5. AND Moyses called all Israel sayd vnto them Heare O Israel the ordinances and lawes whiche I speake in your eares this daye that ye may learne them fulfill them in déede 2 The Lord our God made a couenaÌ„t with vs in Horeb. 3 The Lorde made not this couenaunt with our fathers but with vs euen with vs which are al here alyue this day 4 The Lorde talked with you face to face in the mount out of the middes of the fire 5 And I stoode betwéen the Lord and you the same time and shewed you the word of the Lord For ye were afrayde at the sight of the fire and went not vp into the mount and he sayd 6 I am the Lord thy God which brought thée out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage 7 Thou shalt haue none other gods in my presence 8 Thou shalt make thée no grauen image or any likenes of that which is in heauen aboue or that is in earth beneath or that is in the waters beneath the earth 9 Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Ielous God visiting the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation among them that hate me 10 And shewe mercy vpon thousands among them y loue mée and kepe my commaundementes 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 12 Kepe the sabbath day that thou sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée 13 Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe 14 But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter nor thy man seruauÌ„t nor thy maide nor thine Oxe nor thine Asse nor any of thy â—â—ttell nor the stranger that is within thy gaâ—es that thy man seruaunt and thy maide maye rest as well as thou 15 Remember that thou wast a seruaunte in the lande of Egipt how that the Lord thy God brought thée out thence through a mightie hand a stretched out arme For which cause the Lord thy God coÌ„maunded thée to kepe the Sabbath day 16 Honour thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée that thy dayes maye be prolonged and that it may go well with thée in the land which the Lord thy God geueth thée 17 Thou shalt not kyll 18 Thou shalt not commit adulterie 19 Thou shalt not steale 20 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 21 Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house his fielde his seruant or his maide his Oxe his Asse or ought that thy neighbour hath 22 These wordes the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the middes of the fire of the cloude of the darknesse with a great voyce added no more therto and wrote them in two tables of stone and deliuered them vnto me 23 And it came to passe that when ye heard the voyce out of the middes of the darknesse for the mountaine dyd burne with fire then ye came vnto me with the Captaines of your tribes and your Elders 24 And ye said Behold the Lorde our God hath shewed vs his glory and his greatnesse we haue hearde his voyce oute of the middes of the fire we haue séene this daye that God doth talke with man and he yet liueth 25 Now therfore why shoulde we dye that this great fire should consume vs If we heare the voyce of y Lord our God any more we shall die 26 For what flesh hath it bene that euer heard the voyce of the liuing God speaking oute of the middes of the fire as we haue done and yet did liue 27 Go thou and heare all that the Lord our God saith and tell thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God saith vnto thée we will heare it and doe it 28 And the Lorde hearde the voyce of your words when ye spake vnto me and the Lorde saide vnto me I haue heard the voyce of the wordes of this people which they haue spoken vnto thée they haue wel said all that they haue spoken 29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me kepe all my commaundements alway that it might go well with them and with their children for euer 30 Go and say vnto them Get you into your tentes againe 31 But stand thou here by me and I will tell thée all the commaundements ordinances lawes which thou shalt teach them that they may doe them in the land which I geue them to possesse 32 Take hede therefore that ye doe in déede as the Lorde your God hath commaunded you and turne not aside either to the righte hande or to the
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
Daniel should not be chaunged 18 So the king went into his palace and remayned fasting neither was there any instruments of musick brought in before him and his sléepe went from him 19 But betimes in the morning at the breake of the day the king arose and went in all haste vnto the denne of the Lyons 20 Nowe as he came nie vnto the denne he cryed with a piteous voyce vnto Daniel yea the king spake and sayde vnto Daniel O Daniel thou seruaunt of the lyuing God is not thy God whome thou seruest alway hable to deliuer thée from the Lyons 21 Then Daniel sayde vnto the king O king liue for euer 22 My God hath sent his angel which hath shut the Lions mouths so that they might not hurt me for mine vngiltinesse is founde out before him and as for thée O King I neuer offended thée 23 Then was the king excéeding glad for him and commaunded to take Daniel out of the denne so Daniel was brought out of the denne and no maner of hurt was founde vpon him for he put his trust in his God. 24 And as for those men which had accused Daniel the king commaunded to bring them and to cast them into the Lions denne them their children and their wiues so the Lions had the mastrie of them and brake all their bones asunder or euer they came at the ground of the denne 25 After this wrote king Darius vnto all people nations and tongues that dwelt in all landes Peace be multiplied vnto you 26 My commaundement is in all my dominion and kingdome that men feare and stande in awe of Daniels God for he is the lyuing God which abideth euer his kingdome shall not fayle and his power is euerlasting 27 It is he that deliuereth and saueth he doth wonders and meruaylous workes in heauen and in earth he hath preserued Daniel from the power of the Lyons 28 So this Daniel prospered in the raigne of Darius and in the raigne of Cyrus of Persia The Exposition vpon the .vj. Chapter of Daniel It pleased Darius to sette ouer his Kingdome an hundred and twentie c. WE see it daylie to fall out in experience to truly that the excellent vertue of good and godlye persons hath alwaye * to their great trouble and daunger the spite and enuie of * ambicious worldlings following it And especially in the state of gouernment and in the Courts of kings and Princes For thyther often resorteth such persons as haue not the true feare of God before their eyes and therefore delight not in sinceritie and faythfull dealing but in the pompe and glorie of the worlde and to mainteine the same by flatterie and dissimulation seeke to worke their owne benefite and aduauncement If they see any eyther in respect of his vertue or any other consideration to creepe betweene them and their ambicious purposes or by anye meane to hinder the same him they seeke to supplante and by all cunning practises to bring him to Discredite fall and ruyne Example hereof Daniel in this place declareth in his owne person and teacheth all good men to consider what be the fruits and works of cankred Enuie This Darius that is here spoken of was the sonne of Astiages and vncle vnto Cyrus to whome also he gaue his daughter in mariage and in Zenophon is called Cyaxares he raigned not passing one yeare after the conquering of Babilon and maye seeme to haue bene a Wise and Politique Prince By the aduice of Daniel as it maye be thought he had set a verie good order of gouernment in his kingdome He deuided his whole dominion into .3 partes or Prouinces and in eche of them had set fortie Iudges or Gouernours so that the whole number came to sixe score And ouer them had appointed three Lieuetenants noble and wise men which might haue a diligent carefull eye into their doings and take a iuste reckening or accompt of them for all things One of these three was the Prophet Daniel whome he * brought with him out of Babilon at his returne into Medea In him he sawe so great Wisedome sinceritie faythfulnesse and diligence aboue all the other that he minded to set him ouer the whole Realme And this was the cause of that canckred roote of enuie that grewe in the hartes of the other Princes and Nobles against him Wherefore the Rulers and Gouernours sought an occasion against Daniel c. The kingdome of the Medes was in great towardnesse of good gouernement but Satan the common disturber of mans life could not abide it knowing that by the continuance therof his kingdome would be diminished and Gods glorie and truth encreased Therefore he pricked forwarde his Ministers and Instruments to worke trouble to Daniel the chiefe cause therof and by al meanes that might be to bring him to confusion And here I praye you consider the nature of * enuie They looke into his doings with al diligence whether he did anye thing ambitiously towarde the atteining of the kingdome or at the least wise that might be so interpreted They consider whether he dealt vntruely in his accomptes of the kings treasure or otherwise slackly and negligently in any thing But the innocencie and faithful diligence of Daniel in all pointes was such as his verie enimies saide of him That they should neuer finde matter agaynst hym vnlesse they did entrappe him by the lawe and worship of his God from which they were well assured he would not swarue The consideration of this mans sinceritie being so Curiously scanned euen by themselues should haue moued them to haue imbraced and loued him But malice and enuie is alwaye so blinde that it doth neuer consider any good gift or well doing in a man but onely to peruert it to an euill purpose Vpon this went the Princes and Lordes together vnto the king and sayde c. Now followeth the wicked practise of the enimies of Daniel turning that by sinister meanes vnto his daunger that of all things was worthy greatest praise in him that is his faithfull constancy in the true worship of god From which neither the loue of worldly honour nor the authoritie of the Prince nor the daunger of his life could moue him Malicious enuie espyeth all oportunities to worke mischiefe The king although wise well enclyned yet was he of nature glorious and desirous to haue his honoure aduaunced as it maye appeare in Xenophon This occasion doe they take and pretende that nowe at the beginning of his raigne this their deuise would strike a greater admiration and Reuerence of his person into the mindes of his Subiects and cause them thereby to be more readie to obey him and the more afraid to displease him They omit not the authoritie of al their consents whereby they might seeme euen to force the Prince to a thing so profitable as they pretended this to be By which allurements the glorious Prince was easilie wonne
power and diuine prouidence sharpely punisheth the malicious accusers Leauing herin a notable example to all princes straightly to punish and correct such as by craftie meanes seeke the destruction of the faithfull Seruants and Saintes of God. After this wrote king Darius vnto all people nations and tongues that c. The Good king could not satisfie himselfe but that he must also giue Straite charge through all his dominions that no other should be worshipped but the Liuing god As if he had sayde let decrees and proclamations no more â—inde your consciences whether they come from me or from any other if they be contrary to the law of Daniels god I my selfe haue learned howe farre mans lawes should take place and when they are to be abrogated * It is farre better to obey God then to obey man. I am but mortall dust and ashes but the true God liueth for euer He can punish and he can rewarde He therfore is to be feared They that put their trust in him as Daniel hath done can not lacke defence He liueth and is present when he seemeth to be absent and to neglect the care of his people He deliuereth when helpe and succour is lest looked for and in extremitie of daunger fayleth not Wherefore our commaundement is that you neyther feare nor worship any God but him The .20 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ioel. 2. BLowe vp a trumpet in Sion and showte in my holy hill let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the Lorde is come for it is nie at hande 2 A darke and glomie day a clowdie and blacke day as the morning is spread ouer the mountaynes so is this populous and strong people like it there was none from the beginning nor shall be hereafter for euermore 3 Before him is a deuouring fire and behinde him a butning flame the lande is as a pleasant garden before him and behinde him a wast desert yea and nothing shall escape him 4 The shew of him is as the shew of horses and lyke horsemen so shall they runne 5 Lyke the noyse of charets vpon the toppes of the mountaynes they shall skip like the noyse of a flaming fire deuouring the stubble and as a strong people prepared to battayle 6 Before his face shall the people tremble the countenaunce of all folkes shall waxe blacke 7 They shall runne like strong men and clime the walles like men of warre and euery one shall march on in his way and they shall not linger in their pathes 8 No man shall thrust another but euery one shall walke in his path and if they shall fall on the sworde they shall not be wounded 9 They shall runne to and fro in the citie they shall runne vp and downe vpon the wal they shall clime into the houses they shall enter in at the windowes like a théefe 10 The earth shall quake before him the heauens shall tremble the sunne and the moone shall be darke and the starres shall withdraw their shining 11 And the Lorde shall giue his voyce before his hoast for his campe is excéeding great for he is mightie that executeth his commaundement for the day of the Lorde is great and verie terrible and who can abyde it 12 But nowe sayth the Lorde Turne you vnto me with all your heartes with fasting with wéeping and with mourning 13 And rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne you vnto the Lorde your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great goodnesse and he will repent him of the euill 14. Who knoweth whether the Lorde will returne and take compassion and will leaue behinde him a blessing euen meate offering and drinke offering vnto the Lorde your God. 15 Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion proclame a fast cal an assembly sanctifie the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ 16 Gather the people gather the elders assemble the children and sucking babes let the Bridegrome come forth of his chamber and the bride out of hir closet 17 Let the Priestes the Lordes ministers wéepe betwixt the porch and the aulter and let them say Spare thy people O Lorde and giue not ouer thine heritage to reproche that the heathen should rule ouer them Wherefore should they say amongst the heathen Where is their God 18 And then the Lorde will be iealous ouer his lande and will spare his people 19 Yea the Lorde will answere and say to his people Beholde I will sende you corne and wiâ—e and oyle and will satisfie you therewith and will not giue you ouer any more to be a reproch among the heathen 20 And I will remoue farre of from you the northen armie and I will driue him into a lanÌ„de barren and desolate with his face towards the east sea and his hinder parts towardes the vttermost sea and his stinch shall arise and his corruption shall ascend because he hath exalted himselfe to doe this 21 Feare not O thou lande be glad and reioyce for the Lorde will doe great things 22 Be not afraide ye beastes of the fielde for the fruitfull places of the desert are gréene for the trée beares hir fruite the figge trée and the vine yéelde their strength 23 Be glad then ye children of Sion and reioyce in the Lord your God for he hath giuen you moderate raine and he will sende downe for you the raine euen the first raine and the latter raine and in the first moneth 24 And the barnes shall be filled with corne and the presses shall ouerflowe with wine and oyle 25 And I will restore to you the yeres which the grashopper the canker worme the locuste and the caterpiller haue deuoured my great armie which I sent amongst you 26 And you shall eate in plentie and be satisfied and shall prayse the name of the Lorde your God which hath dealt wonderously with you and my people shall not be ashamed any more 27 And you shall know that I am in the middle of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and none but I and my people shall neuer be ashamed 28 And it shall come to passe after this I will powre out my spirite vpon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames your yong men shall sée visions 29 Also in those dayes vpon the seruantes and vpon the handmaydens will I powre out my spirite 30 And I will shewe wonders in heauen and in earth bloud and fyre and pillers of smoke 31 The sunne shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into bloud before that great and terrible day of the Lord come 32 But whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued for there shall be deliuerance in mount Sion and in Hierusalem as the Lorde hath promised and also in the remnant whome the Lorde shall call The Exposition vpon the seconde Chapter of Ioel. Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion and showte in my holy