owne mother Which indéed properly is but Affinitie but because shee is a kind of mother it is put héere among those that are of Consanguinitie The Heathens detested this vncleanenes and therefore S. Paule speaking of it saith It is heard certainly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not once named among the Gentiles that one should haue his fathers wife Wherefore more monstrous was the saying of the step-mother of Anthonie Caracalla for when Anthony was so bewitched with her beauty that he desired to marrie her and sighing sayd O if it were lawfull She shamefully answered if thou list it is lawfull for Princes giue lawes take not A most vntrue speach in things concerning the law of nature as well confelsed Dionysius when his mother would haue married otherwise than became her age sayd O mother the ciuil lawes of man may be changed altered but the law of Nature may not The Apostle vrgeth this law you know in a small matter as vnchangeable saying Doth not Nature tell you it is a shame to a man if hee haue long haire c. Much more then are the weightie poynts of Natures Law not to bee altred and changed as by these wicked marriages they are Remember Ruben his incest with Bilhah and Absolons with his fat 〈…〉 s concubines and see the end 5 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of thy sister the daughter of thy father or the daughter of thy mother whether shee be borne at home or borne without thou shalt not discouer their shame This belongeth to the collaterall line wherein Marriage is not euer forbidden as in the streight line This Law forbiddeth the sister by both Parents that is the full sister or the halfe sister the full by both the halfe by one For by borne at home is vnderstood the sister borne of an other wife in thy fathers house and by borne without the sister of thy mother married to an other man out of her house where shée dwelled before Ammons incest with Thamar his sister was against this Lawe and many other like matches Herodotus writeth that Cambyses King of Persia coueting to marrie with his sister asked his Counsellers whether there was any Lawe to permit the brother to marrie with the sister they answered after deliberation that they could finde no Lawe commaunding such marriage but they found a Law whereby it was permitted to the King of Persia to doe what hée list A most vile answere when the Question was of the Law of Nature But you will say in the beginning it was thus that brethren and sisters married and such like Saint Augustin answereth True it is because of necessitie there being then no choyce But the older this thing may be said to bee in regard of such necessitie the more damnable it is now because Religion forbiddeth it 6 The shame of thy sonnes daughter or of thy daughters daughter thou shalt not I say vncouer their shame for it is thy shame This is the right line againe wherin neuer marriage is lawful and was touched before verse 7. 7 The shame of thy fathers wiues daughter begotten of thy father for shee is thy sister thou shalt not I say discouer her shame This is a repetition as men thinke of the Lawe before verse 9. to shew that that Lawe was to be vnderstood of a sister by the one parent or other and not of a sister by marriage of father and mother For the husbands sonne by another wife may marrie with his wiues daughter by an other man albeit they be brother and sister in lawe 8 Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy fathers sister for shee is thy fathers kinswoman Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy mothers sister for shee is thy mothers kinswoman These two Lawes concerne the Aunt by father or mother It is a law of Nature And as it is not lawfull for the man to marrie his mothers sister so it is not for the woman to bée married to her mothers brother because these persons be as Parents So goe on to the great Aunt by father or mother 9 Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy fathers brother That is thou shalt not goe into his wife for she is thy Aunt Now hée commeth to affinitie as the Vncles wife by either father or mother that is either my fathers brothers wife or my mothers brothers wife for these are as step-father or step-mother 10 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of thy daughter in Law for she is thy sonnes wife Therefore shalt thou not vncouer her shame This is the neerest affinitie that is of the father to his daughter in law and the mother in law to her sonne in law Therefore it is no marriage lawfull Read Chap. 20 Vers 12. 11 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of thy brothers wife for it is thy brothers shame This was to bée vnderstood then during the life of his brother and so in the next Chap. verse 21. For otherwise in those dayes it was lawfull for the brother to raise vp séede to his brother Deut. 25. But now it bindeth vs euer as appeareth by Iohn to Herod It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife 12 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of the wife and of her daughter neither shalt thou take her sonnes daughter nor her daughters daughter to vncouer her shame for they are thy kinsfolkes and it were wickednesse These horrible incests are well knowne to any and therefore néed no further speach God giue grace and strength to auoyd them according to our knowledge 13 Thou shalt not take a wife with her sister during her life to vexe her in vncouering her shame vpon her Know that Moses héere hath written but a bréefe of these matters not naming all but leauing to Naturall reason by these examples to vnderstand all others which by the same Law of Nature are forbidden Moses nameth not the Vncle by Father or Vncle by Mother But as in genealogies commonly the mention is of men so in these descriptions of Marriages lawfull and vnlawfull mention is made but onely of women But the same degrees restraine both men women If any man thinke of some marriages of holy men in scripture contrary to these Rules let him remember that wée now liue by lawes and not by examples What God then either approoued or tolerated let vs neither rashly condemne nor vnaduisedly follow but obediently tary within the precinâ—â—s of the law of nature And again in these cases let it euer be remeÌ„bred as good reason is it should not only what is lawfull but what also is conuenient and fit to be done For many things are lawfull which are no way yet expedient but most vnfit in regard of some circumstances 14 Thou shalt not goe to a woman to vncouer her shame whilest shee is put a part for her disease Neither
Egypt Then hee tooke Zipporah Moses wife c and went vnto him Thereby noting that the hearing of Gods great and wonderfull workes done for his people mooued his heart to come and ioyne himselfe to them so entereth God to the heart by the eare vsuallie And therefore the vse of the eare to heare of God and his workes out of his word euer cried for in the Scriptures and the stopping of the same euer condemned as to GOD rebellions and to the soule most hurtfull and pernitious O that it might sinke and settle in all men for their amendment and encrease of care and conscience to heare 2. What is Iethro A Gentile Where dwelt hee In Midian a good way of Gentiles then heare and Iewes will not they that dwell farre of come and they that are néere will not He that but heareth is much mooued they that sée with their eyes and féele with their hands Gods works and mercies murmure repine sinfully Doo not things fall out thus in our dayes and finde wee not by erperience to the griefe of all good mindes that plentie is no daintie would GOD wee did not But let vs in time remember what is spoken for our admonition if wee haue grace Manie shall come from the East and West and shall sitte downe with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the Kingdome of Heauen And the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Woe be to thee Chorazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackcloath and ashes The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it for she came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and beholde a greater than Salomon is heere Then Christ in his person now Christ in his word the same Christ God and man euer aboue Salomon who was his creature 3. Iethro brought with him Moses wife whom he had sent away and her two sonnes ver 3. The time when hee sent her away I doo not remember to be expressed in the Scripture But of like it was when shee shewed her selfe so crosse and weyward about the circumcision of her sonne to the hazard of Moses owne life whom the Lord would haue killed for neglect of the Sacrament Happily he thought shee would be crosse and headie in other things as well as in that and therefore for feare lest shee should hinder him in his vocation now imposed by God he sent her for a time back with his Children to Iethro her father Whereof we may make me thinks these two vses first that it is a gréeuous offence for either wiues or others to be an hinderance to men in their duties enioyned them by God for this is euen to striue against God and to set our will against his will to the great perill both of the men so called and of the parties that so hinder them if they persist Secondly that it is the dutie of all so called to remoue from them in a lawfull sort those hinderers preferring the Lords worke before their owne affection and remembring zealouslie their Maisters wordes Hee that loueth Father or Mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And hee that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than me is not worthie of me But whosoeuer shall forsake houses or Bretheren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake he shall receaue an hundreth fold more and shall inherite eternall life This forsaking for a time of Moses was a holie resistance of his owne affections and a zealous care of his imposed office 4. And Iethro saide to Moses that is hee sent messengers to say I thy Father in lawe Iethro am come to thee and thy Wife and thy two Sonnes with her A singular modestie in Iethro and reuerence to his Sonne in lawe Moses his place when albeit hee had with him those guests that hee knew in nature must néedes be welcome besides his owne due who was come so farre in loue and kindnes yet hee would not come to him without this reuerent sending before to acquaint him Such reuerence to mens places in our daies is much wanting in those that chiefely should performe it and familiaritie breedeth contempt But behold Iethro héere and know that God hath Chronicled this for his praise and our profit Reuerence to Magistrates reuerence to Ministers reuerence to all authoritie and superioritie certainly it pleaseth God and commendeth vs. The contrarie is immodestie yea impietie and as a great contempt of the Author of that authoritie as of the partie contemned vsuallie punished of God either with want of euer hauing authoritie or with such contempt if they haue authoritie as erst they measured vnto others 5. Howe requiteth Moses this kinde respect The Text saith Hee went out to meete his Father in lawe and did obeysance and kissed him and each asked other of his welfare and they came into the Tent. No authoritie and greatnes maketh him proude or vnmindfull of an olde friend who had shewed him kindnes when he was in a lower estate but with a singular humilitie he receaueth reuerence in his place and with like respect againe boweth himselfe and reuerenceth Iethro Such mutuall loue and reciprocall offices of complement and order shall you euer sée in wise men what difference soeuer is in their places And there is no greater pride than where least worth is Pride maketh rude and rudenes getteth little loue wee all knowe Such an Example as this is in steade of an hundred to a wise heart and yet you may ioyne Dauids protestation to it be much profited Lord I am not high minded I haue no proud lookes c. 6. Then Moses told his Father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians c. Being met together after ordinarie salutations and kinde enquiring one of anothers health they fall to religious and godlie talke Moses taking pleasure to speake Iethro to heare of such gracious fauours as the Lord had shewed to his people and of such powerfull iudgements as he had laide vpon their enemies Which may serue for a good motiue in our daies to cut off idle if not very prophane conference when wee méete and to leade vs this good way remembring euer that of idle words wee must giue an accompt Woe be to the world because of offences for it must needes be that offences must come but woe bee to that man by whom the offence commeth c. If any man among you seeme religious refraineth not his tongue but deceaueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine The hartie ioy also that was in Iethro when hee heard these thinges notablie telleth vs the right affection of a Childe of GOD
being Vehiculum animae vitalis for the Vitall spirits which yéeld vnto man through his whole bodie heate and motion and action are begotten of blood by the power of the heart and therefore mans life and the life of euery other creature is said to bée in the blood Secondly because the Lord had ordained blood to bée vsed in the Atonements made for sinnes as a plaine Figure of the blood of Christ the only able thing to purge and wash away our sinnes and offences therefore hée would haue blood regarded as a holy thing and not vsed by man as other meates might bée Thus God in his Law would not suffer man to eate the blood of a beast because it figured the blood of his Sonne in poperie we are taught to make no bones at Christ his own blood but to beléeue that the Wine in the Sacrament is turned into his very blood really and then to drinke the same boldly The Gospell shall not yéelde so much reuerence to Christ as the Law did Is it to be taught and bléeued God forbid 2 You may remember how the Apostles continued this Law Acts 15. 29. and aske why being a ceremoniall Law it was more continued than others To which answere is made that chéefly for three Causes they did it First to auoyd offence in the mindes of ignorant people not yet taught nor of the suddaine apt to heare of the abrogation of so ancient a Lawe euer since Noah his time Secondly that thus they might shewe that their doctrine was no other but euen the old ancient doctrine since the beginning of the Church And thirdly for discipline that men might still be afraid of murther by this continued ceremonie After when God had vouchsafed to his Church further knowledge this also was abrogated and men left to their liberties to eate blood as well as the flesh CHAP. XVIII IN a godly Common-wealth two things are necessarie right Religion according to Gods word and holy honesty of Matrimonie The first the Lord hath laid downe both in the ten Commandements Exod. 20. and in these Sacrifices thus passed ouer Now therefore it pleaseth him to come to the second Vnspotted Marriage Where he first vseth a Praeface to mooue them to diligent obseruation of what héerein he should say and then he commeth to the matter it selfe The first is contayned in the fiue former Verses And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them I am the Lord your God After the doings of the land of Aegypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the maner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances But doe after my iudgements and keepe my ordinances to walke therein I am the Lord your GOD c. This Praeface of some is taken generally to concerne all the Lawes of God the obseruation whereof is euer the sure safetie of a state publike or priuate For it is not the munition of walles leagues aliance with forreigne Princes largenes of confines plentie of treasure or such like that preserue a Common-wealth but carefull and diligent obseruation of publicke Lawes ordeyned of God for the good of man It is sayd Lacedemon flourished whilest Lycurgus his Lawes were obserued much more any Common-wealth when Gods be kept for what comparison betwixt mans Lawes Gods Demosthenes saith It was the maner of the Locrenses that if any man would publish deuise a New law he should put his necke into a halter ready to be put to death if the Law were not good by which meanes they made men more carefull to obserue old ancient tryed knowne Lawes than with busie heads to make new Now what Lawes so olde and so approued good as Gods Lawes Euer therefore are they to be regarded and hearkened vnto Others take this Praeface particularly of these Lawes concerning Mariage now following that if they be carefully kept a kingdome long flourisheth and if not soone it commeth to a fearefull fall For so odious and abhorred of God is the vnlawfull mixture of man and woman that the Lord cannot long with-hold great iudgements And thus much remember as you reade them euer that these lawes doe not concerne the Iewes onely as the Ceremoniall lawes now spoken of and iudiciall did but these lawes belong to all men and women and to all succeding times being eternall immutable grafted by God in mans nature and giuen by him for holinesse sake Note all the wordes well that God would not haue them like either the Aeygptians or Canaanites and wish with mée that there were a like law against our béeing like forreigne nations néere vs with Ruffes dipped in the deuils liquor called starche bursten-belly doublets garded as the French fringed as the Venetian Turkish heads Spanish backs Italian wastes c. giuing dayly occasion to the mockers that say French nets catch English fooles 2 The Praeface ended God commeth to the matter it selfe in the 6. verse saying None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh to vncouer her shame I am the LORD Kindred is of two sorts by societie of blood which is called Consanguinitie or by carnall coniunction of man and woman which is called Affinitie That popish kindred which they called spiritual kin dred arising by baptisme or confirmatiō this Chapter knoweth not neither any other part of Gods booke it was onely deuised for Popes gaine 3 The greatest Consanguinitie is betwixt Parents and children and therefore that is forbidden in these words Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy father nor the shame of thy mother for she is thy mother c. The very Heathens abhorred this wickednes as most vnnaturall and vile Yea the Camels saith Aristotle abhorre it by nature and the Colt will not come néere in this sort to the Dam God being pleased in brute beasts to giue vs an example against this thing Hermiene in Euripides could crie it was barberous Now when thus hée nameth father or mother you must not tie the words to our immediate parents onely and to immediate children but the words stretch to all the right line of Consanguinitie either ascending or descending For as it is vnlawfull for the daughter to marry with her grandfather or so vpward in the streight line so is it for the Father to marrie the Neece his Neeces daughter or her daughters daughter or any other down-ward again in the right line For all these if you reckon ten thousand of them are said to be as parents and children in respect one of another And by the Lawe of Nations it was euer accounted incest to marry vpward or downeward in the right line 4 The next Lawe is The shame of thy fathers wife shalt thou not discouer for it is thy fathers shame Hée meaneth the wife of my father that is my step-mother not mine
forget This maketh the child vndutifull to his parents because hee forgetteth what they haue done for him which made the olde father Tobiah call vpon his sonne earnestlie to remember what his mother suffered for him when he was in her bodie what care after when he was brought into the world to make much of her as long as she liued when she should die to burie her by him The good father doubted not but due remembrance would work gratitude as he well knew vnkind forgetfulnes would do the contrarie This is the sinne of seruants to their Maisters of Maisters often to their seruants Of one neighbour towards another of all the world almost this day But could such seruice may you thinke as Ioseph did to Egipt be euer forgotten yea yea we sée it héere noted by God himselfe and therefore we must know it for truth that ingratitude will make no bones to swallow vp any vertue any merit any goodnes whatsoeuer Which causeth a saying to be most true Si ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris if thou canst truly say he is vnthankfull in that one word thou hast saide all the euill of him that may be spoken Honourable therefore was it and thrice honourable in King Henry the 3. King of this land so to remember the seruices of his oppressed seruant Hubert Lord chiefe Justice of England thereupon to frée him from the malice of his enemies and to saue his life I sée no reason saith he why we should deale so hardly with Hubert when his enemies vrged his execution and expected the Kings cōmandement for the same for first from the time of his youth he serued mine Uncle King Richard then my father King Iohn in whose seruice as I heard say beyond the seas he was driuen to eate his horse and in my time he hath stoode constantly in the defence of that Realme against forreigne Nations kept the Castle of Douer against king Lewis and vanquished the French-men vpon the seas also at Bedford and Lincolne he hath done great seruice If hee should be guiltie of anie thing done vntruly against me which is not euidentlie proued yet by me he shall neuer be put to such a villanous death For I had rather be accounted a king foolish and simple than to be iudged a tyrant and séeker of blood especiallie of such as haue serued me and my Auncestors in manie perils so dangerously weighing more the few euils which yet be not proued than so many good deserts both to me and the whole Realme euidently knowne vnto all men As then remembrance and forgetfulnes of a good are contrarie so you sée the effects of them are contrarie the one bringing forth all honourable actions the other oppression and crueltie as in this place These were the foure causes of this great affliction of Gods people and let vs neuer forget them nor their vse 3. In the next place let vs note their manner in bringing their purpose to passe first they haue a méeting and a consultation then an exeeution of what they haue deuised Their méeting the king caused when he said Come let vs work wiselie c. In which wee sée the guise of the world the wicked haue a Come as well as the godlie but farre and farre differing for the godlie haue their Come as a word of encouragement to religion and the exercises thereof as when they say O come and let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs hartily reioyce in the strength of his saluation But the wickeds Come is to conspiracie and practise in which they are more diligent than the children of light are in their good for their bodies méete their heads méete their hearts méete both outward inward they are earnest in euill Such a Come we reade of against holie Ieremie Come sayd the wicked and let vs imagine a deuise against Ieremie let vs smite him with the tongue and not giue credite to any of his words Such another haue Kuffians and théenes and swaggering fellowes in the booke of the Prouerbs Come and cast in thy lot with ours for we will haue all but one purse c. Such another hath the harlot to the young man Come my husband is not at home c. But against such cursed Comes let vs euer remember what the Psalme saith Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stand in the way of sinners and hath not sit in the seate of the scornfull And that Arnobius an olde Writer well noteth vpon those words Primus psalmus vnde scit beatitudinem perijsse inde recuperat In consilio impiorum abijt Adam id est in serpentis et mulieris Et nunc Adam noster id est consensus noster beatus erit si non abierit in consilio serpentis et mulieris id est inconsilio carnis et diaboli aut si abierit non ibi stet aut si steterit non sedeat c. The first Psalme saith he where it knew happines was lost there beginneth to recouer it againe for Adam walked in the counsell of the wicked namely of the woman and of the serpent And now our Adam that is our consent shall be blessed if it doo not walke in the counsell of the woman and of the serpent that is of flesh and the deuill or if it happen to walk yet standeth not still or if it stand still yet sitteth not downe in the same that is abideth not and tarieth in it but remembring the law of the Lord taketh his delight therein and in the same doth exercise himselfe both day and night This cursed conuenticle and malicious méeting albeit wholely it sauoreth of crueltie and blood yet if you marke it it is couered and smeared ouer with a vizard and die of wisedome for Come faith the King let vs wisely worke So still is the Deuill like himselfe if you marke it and euer in his colours His followers learne of him and they also delight in colours The proud man is cleanlie the couetous man is prouident the drunkard a good-fellow and such like But the day will come wherein all such colours will be washed away and the cleare sunne breaking out and dispiersing all clouds sinne will be discerned to be sinne and eternally punnished Thus of their méeting and their counsell 4 The conclusion resolution of their counsel if you marke the text is to lay burthens vpon this people and to kéepe them downe Burthens of labours as appeareth and burthens of payments as some write So that by this way their strength should be shaken and their liues made wearisome vnto them that thereby lesse encreasing might be amongst them and lesse feare had of them Where marke if you doe not sée the deuises of some in our daies wise as they thinke but héerein wicked as we know séeking by such practises to breake both backs and hearts of those that deserue better then
the midwiues and built them houses what is that Domus nomine in scripturis non solum habitationis locus sed et filij quibus tanquam lapidibus domus seu familia construitur crescit resetiam familiaris intelligi possunt vnde quidam copiosam sobolem eis dedisse affirmant vt Euseb Hugo de Sto. victore Hyeron innuit aedificasse eis spirituales domus Thom. quód conuersae fuerunt ad cultum veri dei Euseb Caesarien aedificasse domus non manu factas sed in coelis sitas c. The meaning vsually receaued is hée blessed their families that they became of great reputation which were descended of them And hée stirred vp the hearts of the Israelites to build them houses which descended to their families and were fit for them By the phrase then of spéech let vs learne thus much euer to lift vp our eies to God for any thing that happeneth to vs albeit man be the meanes which hée vseth for euer it is the Lords worke Such a phrase was that in Genesis God made them aprons or coates of skins when themselues were the workers and God the author of the deuise Did wée thus sée God in all wée enioie it could not be but thankful thoughts would arise in our harts and more care to please him than appeareth now in many an one Prosecute this meditation with your selfe and thinke of your owne particular what God hath donefor you and what you render to him againe c. I will cast my heart vpon another thing mée thinke héere most comfortable namelie how God reiected not the good that was in these women for the imperfection that was mingled with it but pardoning what was weake gratiously rewardeth what was well Feare not you then though all bée not in you as you wish but pray as you can reade as you can heare as you can and all other Christian duties doe them as you can according to that measure of grace which you haue receiued and if any infirmity thrust it selfe in and trouble you when you are most desirous to bée frée from it feare not the Lord sheweth in these women what his nature is He knoweth our mould whereof we be made and he turneth away his face from beholding our fraileties casting a grations countenance vpon our good Frailtie is ours our weldooing is his and his own grace he wil reward You are not greater than the Apostle was who yet groaned you know vnder this burden that he could not doe the good which hée would but still slipt into the euil which he would not Tyrannize not then ouer your selfe but know it for a truth that want to doe all disgraceth not a will to doe some thing with a swéete God Often remember that place in the Kings so ful of comfort He onlie saith the Lord shall goe to the graue in peace because in him there is some goodnesse Some goodnesse I say againe and euer haue you it in your remembrance for not some goodnesse shal loose his rewarde with God though all bée not there Your will would doe better and that hée séeth but you faile as a child of Adam and that hée séeth also yet will not sée it to stop any mercie from your some goodnesse Ifhée then bée so swéete bée not you sower against your selfe but chéerefully doing what you can say for your wants with him in the Gospell which felt infirmity as you doe Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Lord helpe my weaknes euery way for thy mercy sake 9 Lastly when the King saw hée could not haue his will that way then hée commaunded that euery man-childe should bée cast into the riuer as soone as it was borne and of like appointed bloodie searchers for that purpose So when craft can not rage must increasing their malice against the Lord and his poore members neuer thinking how hard it is to kicke against the pricke Such a like bloody attempt made Herod when hée flew the children but yet missed of his purpose as did héere this King Let his power to preuent his foes bée the comfort of all his true seruants euer Thus may we profit by this chapter CHAP. 2. In this chapter consider chiefely these three heads The birth of Moses and his bringing vp His flying away from Egypt His mariage 1. TOuching the birth of Moses it is noted that both by father and mother he was of the tribe of Leui and what Leui the sonne of Iacob did we reade in Genesis 34. 25. verse The blemish whereof claue vnto his posteritie after yet now you sée God honoureth it with this great honour that of that Tribe should come this famous Deliuerer of the whole Nation from such cruell bondage as now they endured An honour surelie verie great and we may well note in it the swéete goodnes of Almightie God who though some of a Tribe haue offended him and left cleauing to their name that blacknes and blot which the rest of their name neuer occasioned yet is not for euer alienated thereby from the whole blood but extendeth mercie and fauour yea verie high honour to some of them as hee shall thinke good wiping out by degrées what foule sinne had wiped on too wickedlie How may men pray then in comfort euer O Lord O Lord remember not the offences of them that haue gone before vs but let mercie reach notwithstanding their euill to those that hartilie defied their euill This example of God both good Princes and all good Christians carefullie follow not hurting one for another when like deseruing maketh them not in like sort punishable Neuerthelesse some there be that forgetting it maintaine by an euill name of deadlie feud as they call it a damnable reuenge vpon manie and for many yéeres against which is the forme of prayer taught vs by Christ forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs with many scriptures more 2. It is said his mother hid him thrée moneths and Origen maketh this vse of it that men be carefull not to doe all things to be séene of men but as the scripture teacheth to shut the dore and to pray in secret not to let the left hand knowe what the right hand doth for feare least if these male-children be exposed to the view of men with a longing desire to win praise the Egiptians catch them and cast them into the riuer But rather thinke you by these words of the wofull estate wherein this people of God then liued What fulnes of furie was this so bloodilie to tyrannize ouer new borne Infants were they neuer so swéete and well fauoured that their parents must hide them if they would enioy them but a day O bittertimes O wofull mothers when they saw themselues once conceiued with child for if it were a man-child their eies must see the murderers take it and though it wept vpon father and mother and lifted vp both little hands and eies in the
daughter to become a shéepheard to a meane man From the rauishing pleasures of a Kings Court to come to lie vnder a bush and behold but shéepe To talke with his flocke and sport with his dogge instéede of all he inioied before To ruffle in his Russet sit for that office with adiu to garments of former honour O sweete experience if neede require of the estate of one most deere to God! Sinke not my heart so low in my body for feare of a change Feare not that fall that hurteth not with God These earthly shewes as the shining Sun flashe their beames abroad and flie vpon the soddaine into the cloude as if they had neuer bene But thy God is all one with them and without them nay often time more neere thee the further thon art from them as this very Example may assure thée if thou marke it For in all the glory of his earthlie honour Moses had not such a conference with his God as now that he is a poore sheepheard guiding and leading another mans flocke Dauid by cutting away a piece of Sauls garment made him remember himselfe a little better and God many times by cutting away some part of our former estate maketh vs profitably feele what wee felt not before of sweete consolation in him and his hea was some shadowe and figure Theoderet is of the same minde whose words are these Vniuersus locus demonstrat deum esse qui apparuit Dicitur Angelus vt cognoscamus quód is qui visus est non est Deus Pater cuius enim Angelus esset Pater sed vnigenitus Filius qui magni consilij est Angelus qui sacris discipulis dixit Omnia quaecunque audiui apatre meo nota fecivobis Quemadmodum autem Angeli nomen posuit non quidem volens ministrorum quempiam innuere sed personam vnigeniti demonstrare sic iterum ipsius tum naturam tum potentiam praedicat inquiens ipsum dixisse Ego sum qui sum et Ego Deus Abraham Deus Isaack Deus Iacob c. The whole place saith hee sheweth it was God but he is called an Angell that wee might knowe that hee which was séene was not God the father for whose Angell should the Father be but the onely begotten Sonne of God which is the Angell of the great Counsell which saide to his holie Apostles All thinges which I haue heard of my Father I haue declared vnto you And euen as hee gaue him the name of an Angell not meaning thereby to note anie other minister or messenger but to shewe the person of the onelie begotten Sonne so againe he setteth forth both his nature power saying he said I AM THAT I AM and I the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob c. Hillarie also speaketh to this effect in his booke of the Trinitie Gregory thought it was an Angell in the person of God Augustine varieth in his opinion c. Touching this manner of appearing it may occasion vs to remember how God vseth to applie himselfe vnto the purpose and intent of his appearing whensoeuer it pleaseth him to manifest himselfe vnto men For in the Prophet Esay he is said to haue appeared like a Judge sitting vpon a high throne because as then the iudgement of Israel approached and drew néere At the Baptisme of Christ it pleaseth the holy Ghost to appeare like a Doue because that forme might shewe the innocencie and milde nature of our Sauiour In the Acts of the Apostles like Tongues because now the tongues of the Apostles were to bée framed as it were a new like clouen tongues because the benefit was to bée deuided vnto all Nations like firie tongues because their spéech by the gratious working of GOD his holy Spirit should héereafter kindle in the hearts of men as it were a fire that is an hot and burning hatred of sinne a loue of rightcousnesse and all holy obedience acceptable to God And now héere like a bush burning but not consumed that it might declare the state present of his people in Egypt and the condition of his Church vnto the end of the world His people in Egypt euen burning in the fornace of Pharaohs cruelty and oppression and yet not consumed for all that through the mightie power and gratious goodnesse of his swéete fauour that vpheld them yea multiplyed and increased them in the very flame of it His Church militant in like sort to expect trouble after trouble and one woe to another but not to bée ouerwhelmed and vtterly destroied by all the malice of Hel working in wicked instruments to the vttermost Quid sibi vult ardere rubum non exuri Nempe Israelem Aegyptiorū insidijs appetitū non esse subing andū sed aduer sarijs superiorem futurum What meaneth this saith Theodoret vpon this place that the bush burned was not consumed surelie that the Israelites be-set with the wrongs of the Egypptians should yet not be ouerthrowne but euen ouercome their aduersaries Philo the Jewe in the life of Moses saith there appeared in the middle of the flame a glorious Image as a manifest testimonie of the Presence of God c. 4. When Moses saw this strange sight hée said I will turne aside now and see why the bush burneth not where we may sée the good disposition of men minds gouerned with Gods feare They doo not contemne and lightly passe ouer such things as they sée but they obserue and marke searche and séeke what good they may possibly draw from them They are of a docile and apt nature to be instructed when as others like deafe and dead people are not profited by any thing but finally perish whatsoeuer hath béene shewed to them by God or man Learne wée by Moses to doo as hée did and by the other to beware of their dulnesse 5. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see Hee called him vnto Him c. No sooner then can wée shew willingnesse to learne but God is most readie to instruct and teach If wée will heare He wil speake and if wée will know Hée will declare A swéete incouragement euer to bée willing to bée informed And now He is called LORD and GOD as you sée who before is said to bée an Angell as before also you remember I noted Moses Moses saith Hée familiarly and kindely for it was euer a fauour to be called by our names of superior men much more of God Nathaniell maruelleth how Christ knew him when he spake of him as you reade in Iohn but Christ told him that before Philip called him he saw him vnder the fig-tree Our God to our comfort knoweth vs all and calleth his shéepe by their names Happy are wée if as Moses here we may euer be readie to answer and say I am here Lord or as another saith Speake-on Lord for thy seruant heareth or as Dauid the Propet saith my heart is readie my heart is ready
gold Rayment or any thing néedefull and wished they shal graunt it and lend it giue it or send it with a fauour with a loue with so willing a mind as the partie taking néedeth to wish This shall the Lord doe by a secret power of his working grace and fauour for his people to their good This was that which hee did for Iacob the Father of these Israelites when Laban angerly pursued him the Lord changed his hart To Isaac and Abraham before the Lord gaue fauour in seuerall places To Ioseph the like to his owne comfort and the good of many And this is it which the Psalmist affirmeth The Lord giues grace and worship and no good thing shall he with-hold from them that liue a godly life This is it which all of vs haue tasted of euen in our selues and God make vs thankfull Thus may wee profit by this Chapter CHAP. 4. The generall Heads of this Chapter are chiefely these Moses his power to worke myracles His excuses not to goe into Egypt His comming to Egypt at last 1. BVtloe they wil not beleeue me sayd Moses c. Sée first and formost the ingrafted weakenes of mans nature when any great or difficult thing is to be taken in hand It is euer fearing and doubting euer quaking and shaking euer casting of perils more than stand with that prompt readines and willingnes which ought to be in all the seruants of God when he their Lord once speaketh and saith Doe this Such feare as this was in Ionas when he was commanded to Niniuie In Ieremie when hee was caused to prophecie and in many others Secondly obserue in these words also what a powerfull Pul-backe euen to the best mindes incredulitie crookednes in the people is Surely it pierceth déepe and woundeth fore as you sée in this place For euen the feare of it héere daunteth Moses a man of such faith a man of such grace as wee reade before this hee had shewed himselfe to be What what will it doe when it is not feared but found not suspected but tried and tasted of euery day Let that great Prophet of the Lord tell vs whom it so wounded that he sate him downe and desired to die to be out of woe saying It is enough Lord now it is enough take my soule for I am no better than my Fathers Let Esay againe another famous Prophet witnes whose words shewed woe when hee said and wrote Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed as if he should haue said Alas alas what comfort haue wée when so vngraciously our preaching is reiected and the comfortable tidings of Jesus Christ not beléeued Let the sighes of Ieremie and the groanes of his soule when he cries Ah Lord c witnes the like also to all Readers but most wonderfully that spirituall battell that hée tooke such a fearefull fall in as that hee said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name O firie dart then and piercing stroke to a tender hart of flesh that meaneth well an vntoward and froward people when so great a Prophet thus is shaken by it I néede to pursue this matter no further wee sée enough yet could I remember you of other Prophets also and many moe deare children of God faithfull members and Ministers in the Lords busines whom yet crookednes of the people hath mightily agréeued discouraged and dismayde yea it caused a sigh in our very Sauiour from the rootes of his hart that the people hee spake vnto so fitly might be resembled to children complained of for not dauncing when they were piped vnto not lamenting when they were mourned vnto c. Conclude wee therefore what wee sée héere the effect of incredulitie in the people to be bitter to the Lords Messengers sent or to bee sent vnto them for their good But so sée wee it that our selues auoide it and both day and night pray against it remembring alwaies as deare children the Apostles words to the Hebrewes Obey them that haue the ouer-sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your Soules as they that must giue accompts that they may giue it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you c. The like Scriptures there are many moe all which may comfort vs if wee obey them and iustly iudge vs vnto the lake of Hell if we contemne them God that biddeth will neuer be abused finally but will repay Ionas had rather commit himselfe to the wilde Sea and raging gulfes than goe to preach to a people that hee could conceiue no hope of that they would beléeue and be turned vnto God 2. This infirmitie in Moses the Lord mercifully cureth when in iustice hee might haue reiected him for it So good and gracious is our God Hée cureth it by a power giuen him to worke Miracles so great and fearefull that if not to moue Pharaoh to true repentance yet aboundantly to shewe his authoritie from God to conduct that people they should suffice His Rod is turned to a Serpent and backe againe to his owne nature His hand put into his bosome is become leaprous and by and by whole againe The water is turned into blood and other great things wrought when hee came before Pharaoh Thus can the Lord and thus will the Lord enable euer to the worke that he appointeth and calleth vnto A great comfort to Magistrates and Ministers if it bee well considered 3. Then flieth hée to another excuse and saith Hee is not eloquent But the Lord also prouideth for that as you sée in the Text and promiseth helpe Still so weake and wayward is man and so good and gracious is God The Jewes haue a Tale amongst them how Moses came by this infirmitie of spéech And say that when hee was a childe and brought by Pharaohs daughter before her Father the King the King playing with him and offering hun his golden Crowne the childe tooke it and threwe it vnder his féete wherewith the King being offended and some lookers on iudging it Fatall as if that childe should ouerthrowe the King the Nurse to shew the childes want of wit put an hote coale to his mouth which hee streight licked with his tongue and so hurt his spéech But the Scripture telleth vs not any cause and therefore ignorance is best This rightly wee may note that God chooseth men in mans eies not so fit that his glory may more appeare and therefore take wee héede how wee censure our Calling for some defects since God could haue made Moses eloquent and did not In our owne Stories how M. Tyndall complained for want of vtterance wée sée and yet what a notable member and Martyr in Gods Church was hee 4. Lastly when these excuses serue not Moses breaketh out euen to an height of weakenes and prayeth him to send some other A strange thing that a
Thus saith the Lord that cretaed thee O Iacob and he that formed thee O Israel Feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the floudes that thy doo not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee For I am the Lord thy God the Holy One of Israel thy Sauiour I gaue Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee c. reade the Chap. your selfe and I stay héere 10. Now sée an Accident in the way When Moses was in his Inne the Lord met him and would haue killed him That is by either a sore sickenesse or some other way the Lord made him know his wrath conceined against him as also the cause to wit the omitting of the circumsicion of his Sonne as by the euent wée may sée although it bee not expresly named Where to our profit let vs stay a while and consider diuers things First why Moses so well acquainted with the law of God in this behalfe should omit or neglect to do it And for answere herevnto marke with your selfe how of two sonnes which Moses had and carried with him the circumcision of one is onely here mentioned whereby you may well see the other was before and alreadie circumcised or else Gods wrath would not haue stayed in this place vpon performance of dutie onely to one Now the one hauing before beene circumcised why should he not haue done the like to the other but that out of all question his wife béeing not sonndly perswaded in this point tooke offence at the first grew vnquiet offered vnfit speathes and happely stirred vp her father also Iethro to ioine with her to rattle Moses for such crueltie as they estéemed it to his sonne Wherupon the good man milde soft of spirit in humane frailety chose rather to forbeare the second son to haue his peace than to circumcise also him and please God A notable example to teach vs this doctrine how néedefull it is euen to the great Doctours and Diuines to the great Masters and Teachers and rulers and leaders of others still and continualy to be vnderpropped and held-vp by Gods powrefull ayde and blessed Spirit in their duties when as otherwise euen they they I say that seeme so strong play Moses part here and faint in the way to the offence of God and danger of themselues Nay if Moses faint how much more fall they flat downe that neuer had such measure of grace as Moses had Pray therefore and pray continually for increase of strength for courage and fortitude for constancy and power to repell al the darts that Sathan shall throw at vs and prepare we to buckle with men and women and Diuels that shal assay to quench or to coole our zeale in our places and to bring vs to omit this and that and euerie day somewhat which God expresly requireth and will not abide to be omitted See you Discouragers and discomforters of Gods seruants in necessarie duties what venome is in your darts and poyson in yonr doings Moses this great man is ouercome and brought into daunger by them and O how shal athousand others of farre weaker strength be turned out of the way by you Will God be angry with Moses for yéelding and shall you safely escape that are the causes of his sinne the cut-throates of his zeale and the ouer-turners of his well doing No no assure your selues the wrath of the Lord shal consume you when it hath profitably corrected his childe vnlesse you repent and leaue-off such Deuillish dealing Sée you also you brawling and vnquiet women what your ignorance and obstinacie bringeth your husbands vnto though they be as Moses holy and vertuous they cannot serue God a-right for you they cannot doe what God requireth but you breake their hearts you coole their zeale you turne them out of the way and in the end you bring them to a fearefull danger of Gods destroying of them For the Lord met Moses héere and would haue killed him saith the Text. Shall this euer be vnpunished in you no your Husbands shall bee schooled for their frailtie and you shall be consumed for your arrogancie so proudly and so disobediently contemning both their religious instructions and holy actions If God be in you this will be a warning 11. Then Zipporah tooke a sharpe knife cut away the fore-skin of her Sonne The two things that héere might be considered namely that doctrine of Poperie concerning the danger of children dying vnbaptized and secondlie of such an absolute necessitie of Baptisme as that women must administer it in time of supposed néede I forbeare to stand vpon now I haue sufficiently touched them in my Notes vpon Genesis Therefore doo but remember with your selfe touching the first that wee make a great difference betwixt want of the Sacrament and contempt of the same contempt damning and want not through the strength of Gods promise meaning by want when God so preuenteth by death that it cannot be had according to the manner allowed in the word And touching the second obserue that this act of Zipporah here in circumcising her childe was méerely extraordinarie and doth no way warrant women to baptize now-a-daies Her bitter words to her husband that hee was a bloodie husband to her shewe but what spéeches are often giuen by women that haue their tongues a little too much at liberty His wisedome in not answering her is to this day his praise and her fact her fault in so vndutifully speaking Let this suffice of this Chapter and nowe reade the Text ouer in your Bible and sée how these Notes haue helped you My drift you sée and I leaue it to God I would haue all men encouraged to reade CHAP. 5. The chiefe Heads of this Chapter are these The comming of Moses Aaron to the King The greeuanees of the people Their impatiencie 1. TOuching the first héere wee sée that although Moses was very backward a-while to obey God and goe to this King vpon this errand yet at last hee yéelded faith ouercame feare and all conceits steeped to the obedience of God A happie thing and happie is that man and woman euer which can likewise say truly I haue had my feares and fancies my errors and mine ignorances my pride and my preiudice against that which was good and right but they are all gone I thanke God and I much ioy that they are gone as likewise that I am now sincerely his whose I ought to be and in this obedience doe not doubt but shall end my dayes by his grace 2. Wée may againe thinke héere why God should thus send Moses and Aaron to pray deliuerance for his people when hee was able without stretched arme to haue deliuered them at his pleasure And wee may aunswere our selues in this sort euen for the reasons
That the calling of God by seuerall Names as Father Maister or as here Almightie Iehouah and the like ariseth not of any varietie in his Nature which euer was and shall be inuariable but of and from a manifold varietie of affections in vs according to a diuers profiting or not profiting of our soules whereby hee séemeth to be changed with vs that change So may I profit in the way of Godlines that his Name toward me may be a Father and so may I not profit as his Name may be a Judge a Reuenger mightie and terrible c. 2. Let vs obserue these words ver 5. I haue heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keepe in bondage c. Are they not swéete and comfortable Miserable man remembreth and heareth his friends when they are in prosperitie and if aduersitie come vnto them neither hearing nor séeing then but a proude scornefull and bitter forgetting The Lord is not so but when wee are at the worst then he remembreth vs then hee heareth our groanes and sighes and pittying helpeth to our vnspeakeable comfort O kinde O gracious and déere God still continue this eare of mercie towards thy poore afflicted Seruants and giue that deliuerance ease and fréedome that euer euer may bee matter of thy praise to all succéeding learners how swéete thy nature is Amen Amen 3 Also I will take you for my people c. Behold the end of all deliuerance and of all benefites receiued from God euen that wee should be his people that hee might rule in vs ouer vs and his praise be euer in our mouthes Wherefore sée how carefull wee should be alwaies to answere this our Calling and neuer to be found vnmindfull of such fauours For if this plainer manifestation of his goodnes to them more than to their fathers was matter to them iustly to stir them vp to thankfull féeling how much more should his manifestation of himselfe to vs in his owne Sonne in whom he hath opened all the treasures of mercie and louing kindnes moue vs to an eternall and neuer ceasing care to please him serue him honour him and loue him And then more perticularly that hee should accept me me for one of his people O what can I say for such a loue but beséech him euer to make me thankfull Amen Amen 4. And I will bring you into the Land which I sware that I would giue to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and I will giue it vnto you for a possession I am the Lord. Swéete comfortable was this promise as often as God repeated it but many were the difficulties that appeared to mens eies against this hope all which how great so-euer or many the Lord if you marke it easeth with this one word Ego Dominus I am the Lord. Thereby teaching that as long as our hearts holde this perswasion of him that hee is the Lord so long wee must euer rest assured without fearefull fainting that hee can performe his promises in mercie made vnto vs be there neuer such stops and lets in our eyes What then is thy case are thy sinnes many and great remember he is the Lord and play not Cains part to say they cannot be forgiuen Are thine enemies strong and fierce and bitterly bent against thée Hée is the Lord and therefore can stop and stay them they shal not hurt thée aboue his pleasure which shall be no hurt but profit to thée in the end Are thine infirmities many hee can heale them hee is the Lord. Are thy children vntoward or vnkinde hee can change them hee is the Lord. Finally whatsoeuer gréeueth thée remember this and be comforted hee is the Lord he shall euer be the Lord and he shall euer be thy Lord to care for thy woes and to send thée helpe Onely beléeue 5. So Moses tolde the Children of Israel thus but they hearkened not vnto him Sée sée how hard it is as your Marginall Note saith to shewe true obedience vnder the Crosse Neither the word of God nor his miracles wherewith heretofore they iustly haue béene moued and wondred haue now any place with them but all dulled and deaded with conceiued griefes they suffer themselues to be caried away beyond the measure that Gods children should euer holde in their aduersitie which as it is a very dangerous thing so ought it carefully to be auoyded It is often a penaltie that hee layeth vpon the contemners of his Graces that cleauing altogether to the externall fauours and fawnings of this life they taste not comfort in any affliction whereas the godly the more they are pressed and nipped by the schooling hand of their God the more vehemently they sigh vnto God and looke to his promises with patience and hope This may teach the Ministers of God also not to be cast downe and discouraged if their words euer be not hearkened vnto and regarded since so worthie a man as Moses was in the house of GOD found this measure I knowe I knowe the bitternes of it to a heart that hungreth for their good but wee must bee content wee are not like to them that haue spoken in vaine to deafe eares before wee were borne The world will bee the world crooked and crosse froward and vnkinde though wee breake our hearts in labouring to winne to a better course O what a thing is it to come out of Egypt c. 6. Thē the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Goe speake to Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel goe out of his Land Before you sawe how he was bid goe to the people now wee heare him sent to Pharaoh so is there neuer any time for men of place and publique function to be idle Euer euer there is some seruice for them and an vse of their care paines and labour Now they must defend the oppressed and wronged now they must punish the euill dooers now they must comfort now they must chide that euer they may sée and finde honour to bee a burthen and an vnceasing carefulnes Priuate men also may make vse of it for either in flying euill or in doing good there is alwaies a care in good mindes But I leaue it to your meditation I note and sée héere the bottomlesse mercie of the Lord who although he might iustly haue giuen ouer to fauour so froward a companie that would not hearken to his words and messages sent vnto them yet he doth not but still continueth to haue mercy vpō them verifying that spéech of the Prophet Dauid Euen as a Father pittieth his children so is the Lord mercifull to his people I sée it also héere not without my good that when Moses had receiued this discomfort that the people would not regard his wordes and might stand in a maze what more to doe the Lord helpeth him out of this doubt and sendeth him to Pharaoh Surely surely if the Lord helped vs not in many mazes that this
of thy land the increase of thy kine and the flockes of thy Sheepe Cursed shalt thou be when thou commest in and cursed when thou goest out The Lord shall send vppon thee cursing trouble and shame in al that which thou settest thine hand to doo vntill thou be destroyed and perish quickly because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken me Take we héede therfore we were best of Pharaohs obstinacy disobedience against God against his Worde and against his Seruaunts and messengers sent vnto vs for our good lest this heape of curses light vpon vs and euen All the Lords plagues punish vs. Wee may note againe how he calleth them his plagues saying all my plagues and learne thereby that neither Fortune nor Chaunce ruleth rods and crosses layd vpon vs but these thinges still are Gods tooles whereby he either boweth or breaketh men women that are warped and cast aside being by him layde on and taken off at his pleasure So said our Sauiour to his Persecutor thou couldest haue no power ouer mee except it were giuen thee from aboue This well remembred will make vs sée and discerne God in our sicknes in our losse of friends or goods in our woes and wants whatsoeuer they be and the sooner stoope vnder his hand and be turned to his will Our hearts will say within vs This is Gods hand this is his blowe O soule turne turne and be reformed thou maist goe no further in this way thou maist not resist him that is too strong for thée Witches Sorcerers Théeues Robbers Raylers Slaunderers and Oppressours whatsoeuer that haue done mee wrong I looke not at them otherwise than at God his rods for all plagues I sée in this Text are his plagues and he ruleth all casting these rods into the fire when his childe is humbled and reformed Blessed therefore is the man that feareth alway but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill 9. God saith hee will send all these plagues vpon his heart which besides the Note in your Bibles margine may signifie that they should touch him inwardly and déepely so doth God daily where he is angrie and so can God doo with vs if wee prouoke him To smite vs in armes hands legges or the like parts is gréeuous vnto vs and bitter but when sorrowe is laide vpon the heart it stingeth indéede and most bitterly which He would expresse that said Sorrowe hath pierced my head shewed it selfe at the windowes and sunke downe to my heart Degrées of woe all bitter but the last most of all to be feared for looke what the moath is to the garment and the worme to the wood such is the sorrowe of the heart And therefore saith Salomon againe Sorrowe or heauines in the heart of man doth bring it downe and in another place A sorrowfull minde drieth the bones And by the sorrowe of the heart the minde is heauie Poets would expresse as much when they termed sorrowe and care eating and biting The way to preuent this dolefull sorrowe of heart laide on by an angrie God is to take our sinnes to heart betimes and by true repentance to fâ—ie from them which God for his mercie sake graunt wee may doo 10. The 16. and 17. verses to our great good instruct vs concerning wicked men that indéede as Pharaoh héere so are they appointed of God and they can doo but what He will haue them howsoeuer yet they not considering thus much exalt themselues against Gods people often as héere did this Tyrant Feare not therefore their feare but settle this doctrine soundly in your harts leaue all to God Hee that raised them for his Will can kéepe them within the limits of his Will and that Will to vs can neuer be hurtfull if wee dutifully commend our selues to it 11. Thus God hath giuen Pharaoh warning what Judgements are hanging ouer his head readie forthwith to fall vpon him vnlesse he yéeld to dismisse his people out of Egypt Yet sée and neuer forget it whilest you liue In the middest of all this wrath the Lord remembreth mercie And biddeth them be warned to send for their Cattell into the house for feare of the haile which was to come For vpon all the men beasts which were found abroade should the hayle fall and they die Why what then should not all this haue béene most iust in God they being so rebellious sinners It is very true if they had all died it had béene most iust Neuerthelesse euen to such sinners the Lord would haue his mercie extended And therefore if euer any man or woman shall doubt of mercy from such a God it is a wrong it is a sinne intollerable For he that is thus to Lyons raging and roaring against him can hee be hard to his little Lambes that religiouslie trust in him Shall you and I be cast away when Pharaoh is respected No it hath not béene it shall not be it connot be so with the Lord. Quicke is the eye of him to sée the feares of his Children euer and with a tender hart he sendeth comfort in his good time Déere and gracious Father confirme the hearts of thy little Flocke in the swéete assurance of this thy goodnes euermore and in my blessed Sauiour thy beloued Sonne accept the hidden thankfull thoughts of my soule for what I haue found at thy gracious hand in mine owne particular and pardon my wants Amen Amen 12 Such then as feared the word of the Lord among the seruaunts of Pharaoh saith the Text made his Seruants Cattell fly into the houses But such as regarded not the word of the Lord left his seruaÌ„ts his cattel in the field Quare grandinem illaturus denunciauit illis vti pecora domuÌ„ cogerent Dominus cum sit humanissimus miserecordia temperat suppplica Alioqui etiam nouerat quosdam esse venia dignos quod non tacet Scriptura Diuina Qui enim ait ex seruis Pharaonis timuit verbum domini peccora sua domum coegit c. Why did the Lord being purposed to bring haile vpon them admonish them to fetch their cattell into the house Euen because hee being most gentle would temper punishment with mercie And againe he knew there were some differing from others more to be respected which the Scripture doth not conceale when it saith So many of Pharaoh his Seruants as feared the word of the Lord fetched their Cattell into the house c. As followeth in Theodoret and Saint Agustine vpon this place Such and so diuerse is the fruite of the selfe same worde of God spoken at one time by one man to one people Some regard it and doo thereafter some neglect and doo contrarie The greatest Moses must reckon of this and being forewarned be also forearmed against the discoÌ„fort that followeth of it Let the people also obserue that such only are saide here to feare the word of the Lord as did obey it
offices were all giuen away where hee least wished them and yet the Lord stayed not héere but fearefully destroyed also his posteritie Was not this thundering was not this lightning and was not this Judgment as vpon a stage O let it euer be remembred of all that reade it with their eies and God for his mercy sake make it profitable 14 Only in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were was no hayle In which words as heretofore so stil stil is noted the vnsearchable goodnesse of God to his Church together with his Almighty power to doo euer what He wil. He can saue and He can spill He can make such a wall about his children that no storme or tempest no calamitie or euill shall come nere them though it compasse them round about and others perish with it on euery side Two shall be in the fielde the one receaued the other forsaken two shall be grinding at the mill the one accepted the other reiected c. Blessed therefore is that man and woman who haue the Lord for their God And say vnto my soule I am thy saluation saith Dauid in one of his Psalmes noting thereby the comfort of this aboue ten thousand worldes Let vs therefore euer be carefull to be of the number of those that abide in Goshen where the Sauing hand of God shall defend from al euil 15. In these smooth wordes of Pharaoh verse 27. That he had sinned that the Lord was righteous and he and his people wicked That Moses should pray for him c. returning neuerthelesse to his old byas when the Plague was gone stil obserue as you haue done before the déepe falshood of mans hart making faire shewes without fruite and if God be thus glozed and dissembled with all thinke whether it séeme strange to mortall man to taste of it No no we must reckon of it to be praised to our face to be sclaundered at our backes by the one and the same person Yet let it not discourage vs to doo any good but onely let it make vs carefull to giue no iust cause and tenne thousand times thankfull when wee are released out of such a world and taken into his kingdome 16. Lastly that often repeated Sentence of Pharaohs heardened heart let it remember vs of that Saying in Saint Augustine Corda mala patientia Dei durescunt Euill hearts wax-heard by Gods long-suffering and patience Also of that in Saint Bernard Cor durum dici quod non cōpūctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec mouetur precibus minis non cedit flagellis duratur ingratum ad beneficia ad consilia infidum ad iudicia saeuum inuerecundum ad turpia impauidum ad pericula inhumanum ad humana temerarium ad Diuina preteritorum obliuiscens praesentium negligens futura non praeuidens It is called a heard heart which is neither rent with compunction nor softned with piety nor mooued with prayers which giueth no place to threatnings is hardened with stripes in benefits vnthankfull in Councill vnfaithfull in iudgment cruell vnshamefast in foule things not fearefull in perils in humane things most inhumane in Diuine things rashe forgetting things past neglecting things present and not foreseeing things to come Surely such a description if we our selues haue not Pharaohs hardnes will euer mooue vs earnestly to pray against such hardnesse Thus endeth this Chapter and thus end I hauing giuen you some taste how we may profit by reading of it CHAP. 10. Here you haue following two Plagues more to wit the eight and the ninth The eight from the beginning of the Chapter to the twenty verse and the ninth from thence to the end Concerning the former the Holy-Ghost layeth downe 1. A Commaundement to Moses to goe 2. A Denunciation 3. An Execution 4. The Effect that in the Seruants King 1. TOuching the first the Text saith Againe the Lord said vnto Moses goe to Pharaoh c. Diuers times you know hee had sent before and all in vaine yet ceaseth not the bottomlesse and incomprehensible mercy of God still still againe and againe to send This was euer his gratious dealing with miserable sinners and a swéete comfort it is to a troubled minde to thinke of it The Gospell saith in like sort He sentagaine and againe other and other seruants to those wicked husbandmen to remember them of his due and their duetie At last he sent his owne Sonne vnto them saying they will reuerence my Sonne Againe to Hierusalem how often how often would I haue gathered thy Children together euen as a Hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yet would not O tender Father what a certaine Seale is this thy goodnesse in these examples that true Repentance shall neuer be reiected A sorrowfull sinner neuer repulsed a broken and contrite hart neuer despised Let it profit vs vnto increase of faith for his sake that dyed for our sinnes Our owne experience hath taught vs as much if wee did obserue it For how long haue wee béene sinners haue not some of vs béene 20 yéeres some 30 some 40 and more all of vs too long walking the way that leadeth vnto death And what haue our sinnes béene surely great foule vglie odious to God dangerous to our selues and offensiue to the world yet hath the Lord neither swept vs away in his most iust wrath neither ceased to send Moses againe and againe vnto vs for our reformation Should not this infinite goodnes much moue vs to returne to so swéete a Father Knowest thou not O man saith the blessed Apostle that the long suffering of God leadeth thee to repentance How entertained hee the Prodigall Sonne when hee returned how reioice the Angels in Heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth far be it euer then from vs euer to resist a God so powerfull to confound vs and so mercifull to receaue vs. 2. But the Lord saith héere that he hardened Pharaohs heart and the hearts of his seruants how then was the fault in them that they yéelded not for answere let mee aske you another question whether you thinke it not lawfull that God should punish a sinner as himselfe liketh and whether hardnes of heart be not a punishment if both be true then might the Lord punish him this way Yet all men doo not thinke this such a punishment as it is for if wee be sicke wee looke for helpe if the eye faile the eare growe dull or any sense be weakened we quickly féele it and readily with for remedie onely if our heart growe dull and our vnderstanding féeling and profiting in Gods Schoole be taken from vs wee are not mooued neither thinke it goeth ill with vs preferring the outward sense of body far and far before the light of the minde But let it be lawfull you say with the Lord thus to punish yet it must néedes excuse the partie so punished for how can a man féele and relent whose heart God smiteth with
hardnes no it excuseth not because a man may sinne necessarily and yet not constrainedly but willingly which consent of will maketh him guiltie as in common experience you sée one in a great heate drinke necessarily in respect of heate yet not constrainedly but very willingly Looke not therefore at Gods secret Decrée but at mans willing approbation of what is euill And in this matter remember the modestie and reuerence of S. Paule when he saith O man who art thou that pleadest with God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus c. O the deepenes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his Iudgements and his waies past finding out Remember also howe S. Augustine imitateth him in this vertue saying O man thou lookest for an aunswere of me and I also am a man my selfe therefore let vs both heare him that saith Who art thou that disputest with GOD Better is holy ignorance than rash knowledge Seeke thou for merit thou shalt finde but punishment O deepenes reason thou I will meruaile dispute thou I will beleeue and hee that liketh not of this answere let him séeke one more learned but take héede hee finde not one more presuming 3. That thou maist declare in the eares of thy sonne and thy sonnes sonne what things I haue done in Egypt c. A Notable place to teach vs as the end of Gods workes and wonders so the dutie and office of all Christian Parentes and Gouernours euen to teach their Children and Charge carefully and zealouslie by them and in them to knowe the Lord. The like place you haue againe in Deuteronomie These wordes which I commaund thee this day shall bee in thine heart And thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thoutariest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp c. Thus is God himselfe the Author of that Catechizing and instructing of youth in his holy feare and true Religion which so much is neglected in our daies and whereunto not onely youth who knowe not their owne good are hardly drawne but euen their elder Parents and Maisters are very vnwilling to haue them drawne But can the stubborne and headstrong contempt of so holy a Commaundement of him that made vs be euer vnpunished no no it both hath and euer shall haue his due correction both in those that should come and those that should send them and sée them come Parents Maisters Godfathers and Godmothers and the like Hence it commeth that children are often disobedient to their Parents wanton wilfull wicked and in the end die a shamefull death Parents can get for their Sonnes the Landlords Cloath thereby to haue countenance and aide in the world but they neuer cast nor care to get them Gods holy feare in their hearts who is Landlord of all Lands and Lords thereby to haue both the promise of this life and of that to come O blindnes doo we not sée how great and how foule how grosse and how sinfull if we doo let vs héereafter amend this fault and assure our selues that all the countenance in the world is not like his fauour that made both our posteritie and the world ruleth them and the world destroyeth them and the world Wherefore he promised it to Abraham as a thing aboue all the riches of the world that he would be his God and the God of his seede if he walked before him in vprightnes Follow this Meditation further in your owne minde and you shall finde it worke to a carefull course touching such as are committed to you 4. How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy selfe before me These wordes tell vs the drift of all crosses and afflictions in this life euen to bring downe the swelling pride of our sinfull hearts that yéelding God what is due to him we againe from him might reape mercie and goodnes more and more to our endlesse comfort for he would the contrary of the Storie in Genesis where for ten righteous if they could haue bene founde the whole Citie had bene saued Houses and whole kingdomes haue bene fauoured for one righteous man dwelling therein proofes are many both in Scripture all Stories Ioseph Daniel and such like 7 This spéech of Pharaohs seruants preuailed so farre that Moses and Aaron were sent for to Pharaoh and had an offer made them to depart if they would with some company but not with all vnto which Moses answered that they must néedes all goe Young and old Sons and Daughters sheepe and cattell orels none Wherein I profit thus by the graunt of Pharaoh of some to goe and not all I obserue the malice of Satan and his members against the Church and the true seruice of God if they cannot wholly destroy it hurt it and hinder it then in part as farre as they can they will doo it euer valuing much but a little gaine herein By the answere of Moses I obserue againe on the other side that we must not yéelde an inch to these plottes and fetches of the wicked but zealously must stand vpon the full obseruance of all Gods Will according to his commaundement and not according to the fancies either of others or of our selues Where the Lord dispenseth not wée must not dispense where al are bound to departe out of Egypt we must not capitulate for some to goe and some to tarrie Whereof would God men in our dais had due consideration where the Husband goeth to Church but not the wife the Father but not the Sonne the Seruant but not the Maister Moses would not doo thus in this place but knowing all to be bound requireth all leauing vs therein a fearefull assurance that this playing at halfe stake with the Lord as it is most odious to him so most dreadfully by him it will one day be punished 8. The wordes following in the eleuenth verse are not to be passed ouer without some profit Then they were thrust out from Pharaohs presence For they notably shew the too common entertainement of Gods messengers in this wicked world namely to be thrust out and very vnkindly entreated without any fault So were the Prophets and Apostles in their times yea the great Maister himselfe when they forcibly caried him toward the top of a mountaine with a purpose violently to haue cast him downe But let it comfort vs and shake the hearts of such wicked wretches euer that the very dust of our féete shall bee a witnesse for vs against them in the great day of iust iudgment and due reuenge for such sinne He that receaueth you receaueth me and he that refuseth and thrusteth you out refuseth and thrusteth me out Vengeance is mine and I will repay 9 By occasion of these Grashoppers sent in the wrath of God as a Plague to annoy the
in his life hee be truly humbled You remember the Fable of the wise Foxe who would not visite the sicke Lion because he saw not any come out that went in Let it profit you much to beware of Hell from whence you knew neuer any returne that went thither Now is the time to thinke of these thinges the continuance in Hell is for euer and the paine there is without measure Better late than neuer to thinke of it Our Bookes tell vs of a light woman who spending her time in sinne desired her wicked Associate to bestowe on her a new Gowne which when hee did sticke at shee instantlie answered Doo I desperately cast away both body and soule for euer to content thée and doest thou miserably denie so small a request to me I will looke to my selfe héereafter better and auoide thée and this wicked life which if she did it was a happy deniall made vnto her But certaine it is that God hath many wayes to pull such out of the fire as hee will haue saued The like wee reade of a Couetous Father who raking vp riches very disorderly suddainly God purposing mercie towards him called for his eldest Sonne and for a Chafing-dish of coales requiring his Sonne to put his finger in and to burne it off At the first he thought his Father had but iested but perceauing in the end his setled resolution he prayed to be excused hee might not doo it To whom then earnestly his Father answered and shal I to make thée a Great man in the world so heape vp riches by all vnlawfull meanes that Jam sure eternally to burne both body and soule and thou not endure the losse of one finger for mee I will alter my Course in time and consider of that which héereafter cannot be redressed Were it true or were it a fiction to a wise man it carieth a Morrall with it Swéete is our God if we will returne and as yet it is day that wee may returne Were thy sinnes as red as scarlet saith Hee I will make them as white as snow The sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit A broken and contrite heart hee shall neuer despise Iosia his heart melted and hee found it so Ezechias sorrowed and hee found it so Peter wept bitterly and he found it so Neuer any sorrowing sinner but he found it so God then in mercie so stoope vs by his Spirit that his outward Stoopings may euer be far from vs. This example of Pharaoh preacheth vnto vs to be wise 2. Secondly consider these words When hee letteth you goe he shall at once chase you hence That is hee shall hast you away without any condition stop or stay at all It is euer swéete to the seruants of God to obserue this mighty power and out-stretched arme ouer all his Enemies when once he setteth on to doo a thing As here how he was able not onely to giue his people passage but to make Pharaoh as glad to rid them away as euer hee was desirous to hold them So in Genesis when Abimelech had taken Abrahams wife supposing shee had béene but his sister God caused him not onely to restore her without any iniurie but he was vp very early in the morning saith the Storie to see it to be done that is hee hasted to doo it and had no rest in his minde till it was done What comfort then in this God euer what rest and peace in relying vpon him what assurance of that end issue victorie and deliuerance that he in his wisedome shall knowe to be best for vs séeing he is thus able Lord make vs patient then willing to tarie thy leasure and euer contented with thy pleasure For thou canst doo for vs what thou wilt and when thou wilt all earthly pride must stoope to thée and if Ieroboam stretch out his hand against thy Prophet thou canst make him neuer plucke it backe againe till thy Prophet pray for him Who hath resisted him and had peace saith Iob The Lord of Hosts hath decreed it and who can disappoint it saith the Prophet God would haue Ioseph exalted his Brethren storme at it and practise against it but all in vaine when time commeth it must bee so Saul grieueth that Dauid is likely to succéede him but all in vaine it must be so The Iewes work against Christ yet to no end for the Lords purpose must come topasse The farther you go in this Meditation the swéeter shall you finde it The 2. part 1. THe second generall Head of this Chapter I saide was an Admonition to the Israelites what to doo betwéene the Denunciation of another plague and the Execution of the same Euen euery man to require of his neighbour and euery woman of her neighbour Iewels of siluer and Iewels of gold Which they did and were greatly enriched by them Concerning which matter remember with your selfe what was fore-tolde foure hundred yeeres agoe to Abraham namely That his seede should be strangers in a strange Land so many yeeres but in the end should come forth with great substance Now was it fulfilled as you may sée in the next Chapter So they spoiled the Egyptians Noting by the word of spoiling a verie great measure of riches in thinges desired Wee may rightly ground this Comfort vpon it That be the time neuer so long before he doo it yet euer in the end GOD will performe what hee hath promised and neuer faile Foure hundred yeeres space shall not hinder but that at last his Truth shall appeare Applie it then to what most may ease you and be assured hee is the same In matter of sinne you haue his promise As I liue I will not the death of a sinner c. Hee shall neuer breake it and therefore bee comforted In matter of want you haue his promise All these thinges shall be ministred vnto you And you are better than many Sparrowes c. Rest vpon it Hee is euer true In matter of triall you haue his promise Hee will neuer lay more vpon you than he will make you able to beare Joy in it and know that he cannot lye his word shall stand and you shall finde it 2. But a Question is mooued whether it was lawfull for the Israelites thus to doo or no And whether wee may imitate them and doo the like whereunto diuers men make diuers Answeres and wee may take profit by them all Basill saith Haebrei honesta astutia ab Egyptijs mercedem operarum suarum receperunt qua hactenus defraudati fuerunt The Hebrewes by an honest craft receaued of the Egyptians recompence for their labours whereof hitherto they had beene defrauded Which Spéech without reference to the Commaundement of GOD cannot well stand For the Apostles Rule is plaine That no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter for the Lord is an Auenger of all such things To lend is a dutie necessarie when wee can doo it and not arbitrarie as
wee likewise may raine-downe abundance of teares praying for our sinnes and thanking him for his goodnes knowing it as a most assured truth that no dewe of the night can so glad the earth as this swéete moisture of thy wet eye in these respects doth please thy God Good therfore was that Counsaile of a most honourable Father to his Childe that aboue all other times hee should haue a care in the quiet night to talke with his God Dauid goeth on in another Psalme and saith I haue thought vpon the Lord in the night season and remembred him when I was waking At midnight will I rise to giue thanks to Thee because of thy righteous Iudgements In the night I commune with mine owne heart and search out my Spirits With my soule haue I desired thee in the night saith the Song of the Faithfull And all these thinges should be our instruction In Iob it is said God giueth songs in the night and it is a Place much to be thought on Therefore I say againe since mercie and iudgement thus stir in the night the one for his children the other for his Enemies awake thou that sleepest in most dull securitie going to thy bed as the Dogge to his kennell without anie thought either of God or of Deuill Full little knowest thou what may happen vnto thée before it be day It may be with thée as with these first borne with the fiue Kings with the Citie Ai c. Thy selfe may be dead thy houses on fire thy goods spoyled thy children destroyed and a thousand wofull miseries vpon thy friends Wherefore goe to bed with prayer awake with prayer and arise with prayer Let God and grace be in thy first thoughts and not anger and wrath not Shéepe and Oxen not money and mucke which shall all perish with thée when God is angrie We see how the faithfull haue done before vs and let it suffice in this point concerning the time when this plague was executed 2. The second thing is the Plague it selfe which was the death of the first borne To make vse of it to our selues let vs consider how great a gréefe it is to haue any childe die and that to haue the eldest and first borne to die is commonly a griefe much greater but yet this was not all the griefe of the Egyptians For besides the particular griefe of any one to haue it generall through the whole Land and not to knowe whether God would there stay or extend his wrath vpon them all for they said we all shall die this was a thing most full of feare and woe So by all these circumstances the iudgement was terrible vpon them and to them past our féeling and conceite except the Lord assist our vnderstanding and féeling But why will some say séeing wee all owe a death to God first or last young and olde and all degrées I answere that death in it selfe to any grounded vpon God is neither hurtfull nor fearefull yet Nature is Nature when the separation commeth and wee are allowed to mourne for them that die but when death commeth with a circumstance or shewe of Gods anger in manner or suddainnesse or such like then is there not that comfort which we otherwise haue For Example sake Lot knewe well his wife must die but to sée her changed so suddainly and strangely into a pillar of Salt was very fearefull and discomfortable both to him and all her friends Those sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu their Father knewe full well must haue a death but to sée them both together suddainly slaine by a fire frō God iudge in your heart what griefe it was Corah Dathan ond Abiram must haue died and no friend of theirs but well knewe it yet to haue the earth open and swallowe them vp with all their families O what a dreadfull spectacle was it Add vnto these those Tormentors which died with the flames flashing out of the fierie fornace where into they had cast the three seruants of God those Accusers of Daniel who were cast into the Lions denne and shaken in peeces ere they came to the ground Ananias and Saphira his wife suddenly smitten by the hand of God This Pharaoh here and so many of his Nobles and people drowned and ouerwhelmed in the Red-sea were they not all full of woe and griefe to friends more than if they had died orderly without any such circumstance of Gods anger Surely they were And the best Learned are of opinion that Dauid so doubled his crie for Absolon more in regard of the manner of his death than of the death it selfe For hee died in rebellion against his naturall Father and King he was hanged by the haire of his head betwixt Heauen and Earth in a tree till his enemies came and stabbed him through againe and againe There were no signes knowne of his repentance Which all laid together and considered of a wise Father made his heart turne and ouerturne within him crying O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne Conclude we therefore that though naturally wee must all die and there is nothing more sure yet either the kinde of death or the suddennes may depriue friends of much comfort So was it heere in Egypt for these first borne in euerie house 3. But yet you will not iudge may some say all that die a suddaine or extraordinarie death No indeede For things reuealed belong to vs and the Lords secrets appertaine to himselfe The Lords mercie is restrained neither to time nor manner and the Apostle saith what shall or can separate a man or woman once grafted into Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword No no. Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature can doo it No suddainnes of death then or extraordinarie manner which may happen to the best either by naturall causes in their bodies or otherwise as God shall please in his vnsearchable wisedome But in such cases we are to remember for our comfort what Testimonies of Faith Religion of vertue and pietie they gaue in their life time to rest vpon those The Lord is no Changeling but loueth to the end whom hee once loued although sodainly they depart and say nothing Neuerthelesse wee entreate the Lord if it may be his blessed will to deliuer saue vs frō sodaine death and to giue vs spéech memorie and hearing to our last breath Because the Last part is all in all of this transitorie life and being once gone cannot be restored againe as a Carpenter can pull downe his house if hee dislike it and make it new againe Also because it fareth with vs in this point as with the Archer who though he
Murder and such like be great sinnes and I will forbeare them but for my swearing my oppressing of my Neighbours my selling of my Benefices in my gift my negligence at Church and Sacraments and such like yee shall pardon me I know what is fit as wel as he Thus did Herod heare Iohn Baptist as I haue noted before in many things not in all things and namely not in the matter of Keeping his Brothers wife Now Herod and Pharaoh are but bad Exampels for a man to follow that hath any care of his soule And therefore rather fix your eye vpon that wish of God in Deut. O that there were such a heart in this people to feare me and to keepe All my commandements All All alway that it might goe well with them and with their seede for euer This is a better Example and he that thus wisheth hath Heauen in his right hand to giue it vs if we héede it and Hell in his left hand to cast vs into if we despise it Follow this meditation by your selfe farther and beware of restraining and limiting your duty to God but performe all obedience as the Lord shall inable you And if you faile in any thing let it be frailety in you not head-strong boldnesse for that is dangerous Remember also how Pharaoh here desired to be blessed of these men who erst were odious in his eies The same God can pull you downe and make you as glad of your Pastors prayer for you as you haue béene contented spitefully and malitiously to oppose your selfe against him Now is the time to thinke of these things so to vse the messenger of God as he may euer pray for you with an edge that is hartily and powerfully 4 They tooke-vp their dough before it was leauened and departed in haste The Lord knoweth euer what is best hast or leasure for his children and so be appointeth Lot was long before he would get-out of Sodom and his wife was worse than he We are all couetous and gréedie of these worldly matters and too loath to leaue them when we are called Wherefore the Lord in his great loue often preuenteth such weakenesse in vs by a suddaine and constrained haste Be it therefore euer vnto vs as he will for he is alwaies more carefull of our good than we can be Other things here mentioned haue bene touched before and therefore I passe them ouer The 3. part 1. THeir departure now out of Egypt is the 3. general Head of this Chap. concerning which it is said that They tooke their iourney from Ramases to Succoth c. This is that Rameses which you read of in Genesis 47. ver 11 Where Ioseph placed his father and his bretheren The number also is set downe about six hundered thousand men of foote beside children A most wonderfull increase from 70. Soules which were all that came into Egypt And most effectually it sheweth vs how able the Lord is to increase his Church notwithstanding all the malice of man Deuill whatsoeuer Gen. 12. 21. Gen. 15. 5. I will multiply thy seede as the sand of the Sea and we sée the truth of it A multitude also of sundry sorts of people went with them following the prosperity hoped for in the Israelites who they saw were not touched with the plagues of Egypt and rightly shadowing what after fell out and euer will that Christ shal be followed of many for the loaues and his Gospell embraced for the prosperitie and peace that often he vouchsafeth vnto it Yet no doubt some follow it for Religion and Truth sake c. 2 Their time of aboad in Egypt is here said to be foure hundred and thirty yeeres which how it is to be reckoned from the Promise sée Genesis 15. Actes 7. 6. Galathians 3. 17. and see Interpreters by name Calasius who reckoneth euery yéere in particular Note we and alwaies remember that so carefull was the Lord of his promise as When the 400. and thirty yeeres were expired the selfe same day they departed euen the selfe same day Euer it may comfort vs in our spirituall feares and conflicts that certainely the Lord will neuer faile in any promise but euen dayes and howers of comfort fit for his Children as they are knowne to him so are they obserued of him most mercifully most gratiously and most precisely Why then should not I dust and ashes tarrie his good leasure in assured hope and in peace of Soule waiting for the good houre but I must needes tye the Lord to my time and to my will or els I faint I fall I speake or thinke amisse That the Lord regardeth me not but hath forgotten me and forsaken mee and all that Sathan my sworne-Enemy suggesteth is true O doo it not any more neither euer wrong your gratious Father and déere God so much who you sée breaketh not with these Israelites one day but the very selfe same day deliuereth them which was apointed 400. yeares before God strengthen vs for his Son sake for we are weake but he is faithfull for euermore 3 Some other circumstances touching the Paschal Lamb are héere noted in the end of this Chapter omitted before namely That only such as were circumcised might eate of it so figuring that of the true Passeouer Christ Iesus they onely can be partakers hauing their hearts circumcised and purged by faith c. And being circumcised seruants might eat shewing that bond and frée are alike accepted of God That it must be eaten in one house signified that out of the Church Christ is not to be found Not a bone must be broken which was fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ as was touched before yet héere remember Theodorets wordes Ossa conterunt Agni qui male intelligentes eloquia Diuina ad suam impietatem illa detorquere conantur They may be said to breake the bones of the Lamb who ill vnderstanding the holie Scriptures go about to wrest them to their impieties One Law must be to him that is borne in the Land to the stranger that dwelled among them which signified that whosoeuer vnto the worlds end will liue in the Church he must and ought to be gouerned by the Lawes of the Church Finally The obedience of the people héere mentioned in all things to Moses and Aaron teacheth vs the like obedience euer to Magistrate and Minister ouer vs which the better we performe the more assured may we be that we are true Israelites Thus may this Chapter profit vs in Gods blessing CHAP. 13. The generall Heads of this Chapterare chiefely these 1. The Sanctification of the first-borne to the Lord. 2. By what way the Lord led them 3. The Signes of direction vouchsafed to them COncerning the first The Paschall Lamb as hath béene shewed was a liuely remembrance of the Lords passing ouer their houses and not slaying their first-borne as he did the Egyptians yet doth God héere againe institute for an other
from any He he is the propitiation for our sins and nothing els wholly or partly Therfore let vs doo no wrong to this blessed Rocke but being thankfull to God Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost let vs looke to bée saued onely by that meanes that so gratiously is prouided and drinke wée euer and onely of this water The 2. part THen came Amalech and fought with Israel in Rephidim I still like to put you in remembrance that as God hath giuen vs bodies so hath he giuen vs soules and as meate for the bodie so for the soule euen his holy and blessed Word If the body féede not it cannot liue and if the soule féede not it must likewise die If the body eate yet féele no taste of swéetnesse and comfort in the meate or digest it not wel in the stomacke and conuert it to good nutriment for the parts wee say and thinke the bodie is sicke and verelie so is it with the soule Wherefore euer thinke with your selfe when you haue red or heard read vnto you a piece of Scripture what you are the better for it what taste what relish what vse and profit you haue by it And if you finde any thank your God and be much comforted with it for it is an assured taken that your soule is in health But if you finde none cal for the Physition euen the Physition of your soule and pray him to help you God shal be pleased with your care and giue a blessing But if he be absent and not at hand til hee come take this my labour and as farre as it goeth make vse of it It may please God to make it profitable at least it shall shew you how I my selfe profited both in that which is past and now againe in this second part 1 First then I see heere a warre and it is the First warre that these Israelites had after their deliuerance out of Egypt I thinke with my selfe meditating of it why God should suffer his chosē people deliuered by him with such a mighty arme from Pharaoh and directed altogether in their iourney by him for they trauelled not but when and which way he by the cloude in the day and the pillar of fire in the night directed them I say I thinke with my selfe why God should suffer his people to be troubled in their way and set vpon and fought withall And I conceiue these vses First that he might fit them for great conflicts which they must haue in the execution of his iustice vpon the Chananites whose places he had appointed vnto them determined to roote out and destroy all those inhabitants Now euery thing hath a beginning and a training vp euen as schellers in the schoole and Tradesmen in their trades The young beginner is brought from easier things to harder and at the last made a Maister of his Art So doth the Lord fit men by degrées for that which he hath appointed them vnto If hée will in time haue vs to doo any great things wée must begin to doo the lesse and if we bée appointed to beare great crosses wee must beginne to beare little ones and so on on in our appointed warrefare of this life The good consideration whereof will make you euer welcome what GOD sendeth and thinke it is a Degree of his schoole You know not yet what you are appointed for but follow him and bée théerefull the end I warrant you shall be good Secondly by this as by many other Scriptures he teacheth his people the lawfulnesse of warres both defensiue and offensiue contrary to fantasticall spirits that talke they know not what The Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine but hath it to defend and offend as occasion serueth that is to protect the good and to smite the euill Thirdly to tell vs and his Church euer that as these Israelites could not trauell to the earthly Canaan but they must fight with Amalech in the way no more can we trauell to the heauenly Canaan without battaile giuen to many foes The Deuill the World and the flesh they are fierce Amalechites and they must be fought with yea they must be ouercome also as Amalech was of Israel or els we shall neuer sée Canaan Pouerty Sicknesse Crosses by children by feigned friends and spitefull foes Sclanders and ill reports with infinite more they are Amalechites and they méete you in your way as you are trauelling towardes the spiritual Canaan they stop you at the least they offer to staie you so that without buckling with them you shall not passe At them then in the power of our GOD and faint not be valiant and of a stout courage He standeth at your backe that is Almighty and hee ioyeth to see you hartie To Hell a man may saile with a forewinde and méete neuer an Amalechite but not to Heauen When Israel was going to Egypt they met no foes but when they came from Egypt to goe to Canaan they meete with many Lazarus poore Lazarus had a bitter battaile in his way to Heauen when the Rich-Glutton sayled smoothely to Hell with neuer a rub in his way c. This meditation you may follow further if you will and be much comforted in it in your crosses For they are but Amalechites and you shall ouer come them arriuing ioyfully in the glorious Chanaan prepared for you and all that fight manfully 2 I consider next what shoulde bée the cause why these Amalechites would fight with the Israelites For as touching bloud Amalech came of Eliphaz Son of Esau by Timna his Concubine Esau and Iacob were brethrē so they were too néere to fight one with an other if all had béene well Neither is there mention made of any iniurie done of the Israelites to Amalech Nothing then can I finde to bee the cause but that which is too common a cause still still in the Worlde euen a bitter enuie at GODS mercies vouchsafed vnto them and a wicked desire to haue the spoile of them GOD was gratious vnto the Israelites and had long bene they could not abide it and GOD meant to be further gratious they would preuent it In a word God may not doo with his owne what hee listeth but if his eye bée good theirs is euill though themselues had fauoures beyond their worth yet spite they that others are fauoured also An old canker in mans heart for Abel tasted of it so long ago at his owne brothers hand and I would it blemished not in our daies those that should be brethren Perhaps also there was in them naturally a roote of quarreling iarring and contending with others for such rootes there are too déepe set in some heartes Men that cannot be quiet that cannot liue in peace with their neighbours but that delight in trouble and controuersies in strife and debate and will damnably boast that they haue health and growe fat by going to lawe with their bretheren whereas if they were quiet they should dye Men
tenne seuerall branches and heades commonly called the Decalogue or Ten Commaundements Of all which because I haue made exposition in a Booke alreadie I will spare my labour here and refer you to that Treatise The other general head of this Chap. to wit the peoples feare beginning at the 18. verse I will a little touch First then it is saide That all the people saw the thunders and lightnings and the sound of the Trumpet and the mountaine smoking whē the people saw it they fled stood a far of which words yéeld vs many good things to note First the difference of the Law and the Gospell The law as hath bene saide fearing and frighting shaking shiuering the heart of Man beateth downe his peacocks feathers and maketh him abashed and ashamed in himselfe to crie with the prodigall Sonne I am not worthy I am not worthy O Father to be called thy sonne Yea it maketh him stand a far of with the poore Publican smite his breast in true féeling of his sinne and to beséech God for mercy to a Sinner Whosoeuer is not thus humbled he neuer knew what the law ment but like the vaine Pharisie doteth vpon himselfe without cause erreth as the Apostle did before the Commandement came Contrariwise the Gospell chéereth and comforteth helpeth healeth and swéetely allureth to come in al ioyfull assurance of mercie by him who hath fulfilled the law for vs and remooued away the curse that would haue slaine vs. Read the 12. Chap. to the Hebrewes noted before and sée what I say most plaine beginning at the 18. verse Secondly it may teach vs to our great good now whilst wee haue time that if the law were so terrible when it was giuen it will be a dreadfull day when all the breaches of the same shal be iudged And if the people fled now stood a far off and were in such feare how will the Idolater the Blasphemer the Adulterer the Drunkard the Thiefe the Murderer the Rebellious and Disobedient the false witnesse the couetuous oppressour and all such iolly fellowes that now scorne and scoffe at all admonitions I say how will all these doo and what will be their case at that day Turne turne we then vnto God in time and amend your liues that Christ fréeing vs from this feareful law wée may be safe by his holy Gospell Thirdly this place sheweth their ignorant folly that say in their hearts O if I might heare God speake himselfe I should be much mooued I should belieue and bee out of all doubt c For were the people here able to indure the voice of God Doo they not say to Moses talke thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talk with vs lest we dye Little little doo they conceiue which thus say either their own weakenes or the Maiestie of God Let them therfore learne of this people here the blessing of God in giuing vs Moses to speak to vs the is in raising vp among vs men of our own shape mould matter men that we feare not but know loue are linked to in degrées of loue to speak vnto vs in his Name putting his holy spirit among them induing them with guifts fit for such a calling in vouchsafing his Word to direct both them and vs and so euery way familiarlie and yet truly and effectually labouring and working our saluation if wee bee not obstinate to contemne his meanes and care This Ministerie of Man so despised of Man so wronged and so cast downe is an other manner of mercie than wicked worldlings conceiue or féele but one day they shal know when it will bée too late to reforme their fault which now they may leaue if they haue grace Then shall they sée God and heare God but with greater terror than this people did héere They shall also sée blacknesse and darknesse they shall heare thundrings and lightnings smokes and fires and flames with trembling perplexitie then if it could be had againe Moses voice to speake vnto thē would be accepted which now is so little regarded and set by Fourthly This darknesse wherein God was noteth the Maiestie of God to be incomprehensible and not to be reached vnto by our wits We must therefore be sober and modest and humble in talking and writing of God Simonides foūd this when vndertaking to shew what God was the more he studied to doo it the more time still he craued and was further and further off First he asked three daies then six and then double againe and in the end gaue ouer and could not doo it To vs this place may be in stead of a thousand But Moses drew neere vnto the darknesse where God was GOD dwelleth in light but in regard of our weaknesse it is darknesse and happie wée if wée acknowledge our weakenesse and craue helpe where it is to be had Other things your selfe may note which I passe ouer The great charge that God giueth to beware any Images of him either of Gold or Siluer you may conferre with the 4. Chap. of Deut. with the second Cōmandement whereof I haue spoken and settle in your heart how odious to God that course is frō which yet no perswasion will draw some If God would be remembred by an Image he would haue suffered it if he would be worshipped in an Image hee would haue suffered it and he would haue letten them sée some forme which they might haue followed if he could like of an Image of wood or stone more fit for his Maiestie were gold siluer But you sée al is for bidden cursed with them are the makers of them which is a fearefull thing if it were thought of Reade Esay 45. ver 16. 2 An Altar of earth shalt thou make c. God would haue but one Altar to note one truth and one Religion He would haue it of earth or rude without labour that vhen they remooued they might throw it downe or it fall of it selfe so that posterity might take no cause of Idolatry thereby Steppes to the same Altar he forbiddeth likewise for the cause specificd in the margin of your Bible and it well teacheth that in Gods Worship all things should be done deuoutly and comely euen as the Apostle himselfe teacheth and requireth Ignorant and prophane men delight in pompe and earthly shew but Christians must indeauour to haue all thiugs done so modestly and soberly as to euery man it may appeare what spirit they are guided and gouerned by The multitude of Popish Altars might here be remembred if it were néedefull and that good decree of the second Councill of Africa Chap. 50. and the fift of Carthage Chap. 14. That such suspitious Altars as were in those daies set-up in euery corner should be plucked downe beeing built vppon dreames and superstitious conceipts And if without tumult they could not bee pulled downe then the people to be
negligence they be cast away and in one word nothing that may hurt or offend iustly a religious mind The contrary spéeches are slaunders shamelesse lies as your self may sée if you wil make trial Priuate houses holes woods thickets hay-mowes barnes night darknesse may please them that loue darknesse walke in darknesse but a good mā a good woman will loue light open assemblies will open both eare and heart to the truth when God knocketh and stand no more wilfull against God that so made them bought them must iudge them The next point is reuerēce fit behauiour in the Church when we come there because it is Gods house where he dwelleth and is present In the first of Luke it is said that the whole multitude were without in prayer while the incense was burning so reuerently religiously did they then vse the place But alas in our daies S. Chrysostome his complaint may be taken vp Alios videostare et nugari dum preces fiunt neque solum dumpreces fiunt sed et dum Sacerdos benedicit Nescis quod cum Angelis stas cum illis cantas cum illis Hymnos dicis et stas ridens Non mirum esset si fulmen emitteretur non solum in eos sed etiam in nos dignaenim fulmine sunt haec I see others stand and trifle while prayer is said yea not onelie when prayer is saide but when the Priest blesseth Doest thou not know that thou stādest with the Angels singest with the Angels thou saist Hymns with thē standest thou laughing It were no maruell if God should sēd out a thunder-bolt not only vpon thē but vpō vs also for surely these things deserue a thūder-bolt In an other place againe Non est ecclesia tonstrina aut vnguentaria taberna aut officina forensis sedlocus Angelorum Regia Coeli Coelum ipsum The Church is not a Barbars Shoppe or an Apothecaries house or a common Court but a place of Angelles the Court of Heauen and Heauen it selfe Surely the deuout behauiour of the Iewes in the Temple wil be a witnesse to condemne Christians in the great day For they to types and figures shewed more reuerence than wee now a dayes to the truth and body Such in those dayes as did not regarde this reuerence of the place he whipped out shewing by that base punishment that such people are base not sonnes but seruile slaues of the Diuell If Moses were commaunded to put off his shooes told that it was holy ground where God appeared we may fitly learne by it reuerently to demean our selues in the Church The washing in the law when they entred iuto the Tabernacle The forbidding of burdens to be carried through the Temple all shewed then teach vs now reuerence of Churches and holy places where Gods people are assembled to heare and serue him And if he saith Augustine were worthy great punishment that should abuse a common well where all the Cittie fetch their water may we not say much more is he seuerely to be checked who abuseth the common well where Gods people fetch the water of life for their soules yes assuredlie for the sinne is greater I will wash my hands in innocencie saith Dauid and so go to thine Altar meaning he would euer remember what that holy place requireth Wicked men will forget it and do otherwise till Gods wrath breake out against them Sée Nicanor Antiochus Heliodorus in the Machabees and Belshazzar in Daniel When the king conceiued that Haman would haue forced Quéene Hester he tooke it the worse because it was in his house and before him and we meaner men also cannot abide our poore houses to be abused polluted by any How much more should not Gods house where he is séeth all Stat Sacerdos Dei orationem offerens cunctorum tu autē rides nihil timens Non contremiscis non colligis teipsū In aulā Regiā intraturus et habitu et oculis et incessu cōponis te et exornas huc autē ingressurus vbi est aula Regis Coelestis rides garris ambulas negotiaris The Priest standeth saith Chrysostom againe offering vp the prayers of all doest thou flire laugh fearing nothing doest thou not trēble recal thy selfe If thou wert about to enter into a Princes Court thou wouldest order thy habit thy look thy gate but ētring into the church which is the Court of the heauenly King thou doest laugh iangle walke make bargaines As a wise man knoweth the difference of times places and when to speake and when to holde his peace so a foole obserueth none but doeth in the Church what was to bée done in his priuate house And as the swine putteth his filthy foote in the very same trough where hée putteth his mouth to take his meate so the prophane Man and Woman there speake to their dog where they pray to their GOD and shew no reuerence to so holy a place In olde time mens houses were their Churches but now the Churches are our houses yea more prophaned than our houses with noise with babling with gazing and staring at euery one that commeth in or goeth out with fliring and laughing with sléeping and what not that is vnfit If we will buy and bargaine méete at the Church if you will brawle and brable méete at the Church thus thus are we odious to God men for abusing the house of Almightie God The Priests of Dagō all that came into Dagons house forbare to treade on the threshold where Dagō their Idol brake his necke for very reuerence and we shew no reuerence in the Court of the High God his Church and Temple To goe in to please God and further to displease him and so to encrease the sinne thou prayedst pardon for what a madnes is it if it be well considered Great care then let vs euer haue in the Church of God where Father Sonne Holy Ghost behold vs to doo nothing any way vnfitting the place The Lord shall neuer suffer such Christian reuerence of his house want a rich and comfortable blessing Let vs also consider the dulnesse of many men to adorne this house to repaire it to maintaine it and doo these remember it is Gods house what cost wée bestow on our owne dwellings who séeth not and yet neuer shall they bee ours longer than this GOD shall kéepe them to vs whose house wée thus neglect Truly it is fearefull to sée Mens backwardnesse in this behalfe Were GOD without a house til they built one that will not vphold one alreadie built it would be long How then can they say they desire his dwelling among them and his presence to their comfort No no they are far from féeling the true vse of Church méetings that thus hardly or not at all are drawn to any contributions for them They tast not what Tertullian
hath made a gracious league and couenant as you read in Esay The mountaines shall remooue and the hilles shall fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee c. This is my couenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I haue put in the mouth of thy seede from hence forth for euer A comfortable meditation in all the stormes and stirres of the Church Militant here on earth to looke and runne vnto this Couenāt which shal neuer faile because God is true and to consider that whatsoeuer men be or do or threaten to do the Church dependeth not vpon men nor their fauours or leagues or promises but vpon Gods couenant with it euen the Almightie maker of all the worlds Masse who bloweth vpon all earthly Potentates and they perish who saueth not with bow and speare but with his word and will no confederacies of men being able to indure his wrath He he is our strength and stonie rocke he is our defence our Sauiour our God and our might in whom we will euer trust our buckler the horne also of our saluation and our refuge By his commandement it is said to the members of his Church I baptize thee in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost As much as if he should will his Minister to say from him to me to you to euerie one particularly 〈◊〉 the Almightie God maker and preseruer of all things together with my coeternall Sonne crucified for thee and raysed vp againe and with the Holy Ghost powred vpon the Apostles make with thee a Couenant of euerlasting peace which by no power of the Deuill or his members shall euer be made frustrate And to this Couenant I flye in all my feares séeking no vnlawfull meanes but remembring comfortably the words spoken Quoniam in me sperauit liber abo eum protegam eum quia cognouitnomen meum c. Because he hath hoped in mee I will deliuer him I will saue him because he hath knowen my Name I am with him in trouble to wit as his confederate I will deliuer him and exalt him to honour I will fill him with length of life shew him my saluation Then for the kéeping of the law as the two Tables of Moses were kept in the Arke so is the Church the kéeper of the Scriptures not onely by intertaining and holding the holy doctrine in our senerall hearts as in an Arke but euen also by preseruing the Bookes the ministerie of that trueh to the end of the world in prosperitie and aduersitie So whether we apply it as a figure of Christ or of the Church you sée the consideration of this Arke may yéeld vs many good meditations The Mercie Seate THe Arke as you may sée had a couer appointed to be made for it which was the Mercie Seate or the Propitiatorie The wordes of your Bible are thus Also thou shalt make a Mercie seate of pure gold two cubits and a halfe long and a cubit and a halfe broad And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold c. How notable a figure againe this was of Christ I pray you sée for first it was the couer of the Ark where the law of Moses lay and who hideth and couereth vs from the wrath of God and from the accusation of the lawe but Iesus Christ He is like a coole shadow to flie vnto in the scorching heat of Gods deserued displeasure which is a consuming fire And were it not for him vp would the law rise against vs with his heauie curse and crie for condemnation against vs for our manifolde breaches and contempts which no flesh is able to abide Wherupō the Psalmist saith O Lord O Lord if thou wilt marke what is done amisse who who is able to indure it But do not thou O Lord enter into iudgement with thy seruant to wit without this mercie seat couer or propitiatorie for without Christ thy Sonne represented and shadowed héereby shall no flesh be iustified in thy sight Our first Parents hauing sinned couered themselues with Figge leaues and did they help Euen so are all couers beside this against God and sinne trie them and trust them who will One Dionysius a sowre and seuere defender of that Stoicall vnfeelingnesse of passions being tormented in his reines cried out That all things were false which he had till then held of paine griefe as that it might so easily be borne indured whatsoeuer it was for now he felt the contrarie that pain pincheth wil be felt notwithstanding all plaisters of philosophie humane reasons Euen so shall the sense of Gods diuine iudgement conuince all hypocrites when he shall please to touch them with it make them confesse that will-worship outward works whatsoeuer are as figge leaues to hide them from God their sinnes whatsoeuer opinion they haue formerly held of the force and merit of them and that Christ onely is the couer of the Arke when the accusing law lyeth to whom whosoeuer flie and in whom whosoeuer trust being iustified by faith they haue peace with God through him Thinke you then of it for euer and lay hold on him and on him onely by your vnfeigned faith in him if you meane to be sure and safe without perill and hazard He is our mouth whereby we speake vnto God he is our eye whereby we sée God and he is our hand whereby we offer to God Quo nisi intercedente nec nobis nec omnibus Sanctis cum Deo quicquam est Without whose intercession neither we nor any of the Saints haue any thing to do with God Quem inuenirem qui me tibi reconciliaret an eundum mihi ad Angelos At qua prece quibus Sacramentis verus Mediator Christus Whō should I find to recōcile mee to thee saith S. Angustine Must I go vnto Angels But with what praier with what Sacraments The true Mediator is Christ Quisquis pro peccato compunctus esurit sit it iustitiam credat in te qui iustificas impium per solam fidem iustificatus pacem habebit apud Deum Whosoeuer feeleth compunction for sinne and hungreth and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee that doest iustifie the wicked and by faith only he shall haue peace with God saith S. Bernard Non in fletibus actibus nostris sed in Aduocati nostri allegatione confidimus We doe not trust in our weeping or working but in the allegation or pleading of our Aduocate for vs saith S. Gregorie Thus spake the olde Fathers all we must marke it Popes pardons were pro fisco non pro Christo for their own gaine not for the good of Christes people as One of their owne side said well of them c. 2 Secondly it was
of gold that so it might shadow and shew that all though Christ should suffer die for sin yet he should himselfe haue no sinne but be pure as gold that is holy iust vnspotted the immaculate Lambe of God in whom there is no blemish of impuritie In all things saith the Apostle he was tempted in like sort yet without sinne 3 There were two Cherubims set vpon this Mercie seat in manner as you sée expressed in the picture of your Bible which Cherubims whatsoeuer Iosephus saith were in the most receiued opinion like Angels happely to shadow out the subiection of all Angels to Christ and their readie seruice at his commaundement for the Church and any particular member thereof For vnto which of the Angels saith the Apostle did God say at any time Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee No it is said Let all the Angels of God woship him And of the Angels he saith He maketh the Spirits his messengers and his ministers a flame of fire Also to shew as they are obedient and seruiceable at all appointments so should we be remembring the incomprehensible goodnes of our God who among other his infinite fauours whereby he bindeth vs to his seruice hath made euen this one That these holy Angels also are our seruants by his appointment A mightie motiue to a good and thankfull minde to labour to become obedient and dutiful to such a Father to such a Creator to such a God Lastly to figure out that when we draw néere to the Propitiatorie a figure of Christ and are of God in his great mercie adopted in Christ for his sonnes we are called and as it were ioyned to the companie and societie of the Cherubims and holy Angels of God A comfort also for vs that come vnto him 4 The Cherubims stretch their wings on high couering the Mercie Seate with their winges so representing the maiestie of Christ who though he should humble himselfe to a verie low estate for mans good yet indéede was of that glorie and brightnesse in his Godhead as no flesh could be able to behold but must hide their eyes and acknowledge their infirmitie if but a small glimse thereof should be shewed them Figuring also the most comfortable protection of the Lord Iesus our Sauiour who spreadeth as it were his wings ouer his Church and euerie member of it to repulse any harme that might happen other than he will graciously turne to his glorie the Church or parties good which then indéed is no harme but a benefit rather although bitter to the flesh disgracefull in the world Thus spread he his winges ouer Iacob and saued him from Laban ouer Ioseph saued him from his brethren ouer Eliah saued him from Iesabell ouer Elisha 2. King 6 and thus euer as the Hen to her chickens so is the Lord our gracious God to all that truly feare him A maruellous swéet Meditation if you follow it 5 The faces of these Cherubims were one towards another and both of them toward the Mercie Seat so representing the consent of the Old and New Testament in both which there is but one truth and one doctrine the Olde hauing his face towards the New and the New also looking at the Olde For what is the Olde Testament but the newe obscure and what the new Testament but the Olde made plaine And both Olde and New looke vpon Christ the promised seed of the woman that should bruise the Serpents head They being saued in the olde Testament by beleeuing he should come and we being saued in the New by beléeuing he is come 6 And there saith God I will declare my selfe vnto thee and from aboue the Mercie Seat betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the Testimonie I will tell thee all things which I will giue thee in commaundement vnto the children of Israel Still note the excellencie of this figure of the Mercie Seat For as God before had spoken out of the bush Exod. 3. 4. vers and out of the cloud Numb 12. 5. vers so hereafter saith he I will speake to you from betwixt these Cherubims and so he did For in the Booke of Numbers you reade thus When Moses went into the Tabernacle of the congregation to speake with God he heard the voyce of one speaking vnto him from the Mercie Seat that was vpon the Arke of the Testimonie betweene the two Cherubims and he spake to him Whereupon the Prophet Esay saith God dwelleth betweene the Cherubims And Dauid in his Psalme also The Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient he sitteth between the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnquiet And againe Heare O thou Shepeheard of Israel thou that leadest Ioseph like sheepe shew thy selfe also that sittest vpon the Cherubims And fitly did this resemble Christ by whom God afterward would speak vnto his Church whatsoeuer he would commaund As the Apostle writeth to the Hebrewes when he saith At sundrie times and in diuers manners God spake in the olde time to our Fathers by the Prophets but in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his Sonne which still hee continueth and will vnto the end of the world though not by liuing voice and personall presence in earth as he did for a time How then Still looke vpon the figure Two Cherubims were vpon the Mercie seat representing as you haue heard the Two Testaments and from betweene those two Cherubims God spake so doth Christ still by the Two Testaments the olde and the new the lawe and the Gospell the Prophets and Apostles and so will he still speake to the end Other waies wee must not now expect Reuelations and dreames visions and miracles are ceased and if they will not heare Moses and the Prophets neither wil they beleeue if one should rise and come from the dead vnto them In Moses and the Prophets is the new Testament conteyned though obscurely as you haue heard and therefore still to these Cherubims resort if you meane to heare your God speake Huge is the heape therfore of their sinne that barre Gods people from this way and will make themselues to be Cherubims onely to be heard and beléeued shamefully affirming That the people are not to search the Scriptures but to receiue all things from their Teachers vpon their bare credit not reasoning not disputing not asking any Questions more than the horse asketh his maister why he turneth him this way or that but simply obeying Thus neuer dealt God with people since he gaue them his Scriptures you well know but as the other parts of their spirituall armour Helmet Breastplate and so forth so he bad them take their weapon without which what should armour do euen their sword which saith he is the word of God But truth séekes no darkenesse and lies loue no light Be you armed being warned and go you to the Cherubims where you
you go ouer older times And for these later times our Romish teachers haue excéeded all that went before them in this fault as may be shewed by many miserable expositions when time shall so require 5 Thou shalt kill the Ramme and take of his bloud and put it vpon the lap of Aarons eare and vpon the lap of the right eare of his sonnes and vpon the thumb of their right hand and vpon the great toe of the right foote c. By the eare is noted obedience whereupon the seruant that would stil continue with his master was put to the post of his maisters house and bored in the eare in token of perpetuall seruice and obedience So by this figure the Lord would shadow out that the Priestes from whom others should draw example should themselues be obedient to his word in all things and first heare and then teach Obedience was euer acceptable and pleasing to God Sacrifice and meat offerings saith the Psalme thou wouldest not haue but mine eare thou hast opened Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when his voyce is obeyed Beholde to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of Rammes c. Especially in them that call vpon others to obey obedience must needes be looked for and the want seuerely punished The right eare is chosen to shadowe a right hearing of the word for amendement of life and not a left for confirmation of errour and further obstinacie against the Lord as many do heare it The Thumbe of the hand is touched with bloud to teach that we must not onely be hearers but dooers of the word ioyning workes to faith and holy life to a sound beleefe For the kingdome of God standeth not in word but in power The right Thumbe not the left to shadow out that we may not deceiue our selues in our workes and doe what séemeth good in our owne eyes thinking to please GOD with our good and fayre intents but our workes must be right commaunded by God not inuented by vs. For want of which due consideration O how many are deceiued and wearie themselues in dooing what God neuer will accept or reward Wo be to the Teachers that for their owne aduantage haue thus abused Gods poore people the worke of his hands the price of his déere Sonnes bloud The Thumbe is touched but it is the right Thumbe and both by figure and plaine testimonies the Scriptures are manifest in this point To the like end was the great Toe of their right foote also sprinkled with bloud that they might so remember to walke worthie of their vocation And vsually by the foot in Scripture is both action and affection noted Their feete are swift to shed bloud that is their actions are cruell and tyrannicall My feete had almost slipped saith Dauid meaning both action and affection Looke to thy foote when thou enterest into the house of God that is to thy minde intent and affection Lastly both Aaron and his garments and his sonnes and their garments were sprinkled with bloud To teach that he and all his seruice and intercession for the people was onely in his bloud acceptable who should shed his bloud for mankinde the true Aaron and High priest Christ Iesus 6 The brest the shoulder were the Priests part as you sée alotted by God to them for their maintenance yet not without some figuratiue resemblance for the brest is often vsed to signifie wisdom the shoulders to note strength in bearing So by these parts giuen to the Priests God would shadow how the priests ought euer both in wisdom iudgement in bearing induring the many difficulties of their own function all other crosses whatsoeuer go before the people and be examples to them of comfort and courage of counsell and good aduise in all things Great vses are then of Ministers if people had eyes to see them and harts wisely to consider them that with thankfulnes both to God and his instruments they might righly vse Gods goodnes prouided for them 7 The head was cast away not without an excellent figure For thereby was signified that in matters diuine and heauenly we must cast away our owne heads and wits as not able to attaine to such depth and pray with the Prophet Dauid Open mine eyes O Lord that I may beholde the wonderfull things in thy lawe The naturall man saith Saint Paule vnderstandeth not the things that belong to God neyther can he for they are foolishnesse vnto him This meditation is a notable stay when we cannot vnderstand and so are tempted to thinke it false and absurd c. 8 And the holy garments which appertaine to Aaron shall bee his sonnes after him to be anoynted therein and to be consecrate therein c. The same garments continued although the Priest by mortalitie being a naturall man changed and so was signified that our High priest not meere man but God and man is one and his righteousnesse our blessed garment remayneth to Father Sonne and sonnes sonne to the worlds end in them that feare him and by a true faith beléeue in him Againe by the way we may note that by Gods lawe the high priest was not buried in his Robes Pontificalibus as now forsooth Bishops be among apish imitators of these Iewes Ceremonies a toy taken vp without reason vnlesse this may be reason because being dead they meane to discharge that dutie of their place which aliue they neuer made any conscience of 9 Aaron and his Sonnes shall eate the fleshe of the Ramme and so foorth But a straunger shall not eate thereof bycause they are Holye thinges When any Sacrifice was effected in this sort the bringer or owner and the Priestes did eate part and so were as Gods guestes inuited of him to a holy feast which that it might be with more reuerence and spiritual presence all things were done in the Holy place the meat soden and eaten c so a difference made betwixt that and their ordinarie diet at other times their mindes drawen to the meditation of such mysteries and they present rather at a Sacrament than an earthly repast No prophane person was admitted but onely such as were of the family of God and yet in our daies they that will séeme most religious teach and striue to maintaine that wicked and prophane persons may aswell eate the bodie drinke the bloud of Christ as the godly may and to that end teach a grosse reall presence of materiall flesh and blood by transubstantiation Nothing will draw them from this madnesse neyther the figures of the lawe nor the plainnesse of the Gospell but headlong to hell they will runne with it against Scripture Fathers Reason and whatsoeuer ought to perswade wise men The late beginning of this cursed error they read and sée as well as we Tertullians Rule they acknowledge with vs That
aliam quamcumque causam Spiritus Sanctus appellatus est Digitus Dei For God is not limitted or cōcluded within any forme or shape of bodie neither are limmes and Fingers to be imagined so to be in him like as we see them in our selues but because by the Holy Ghost the gifts of God are so distributed vnto holy men that although they be able to doo differing things yet they do nothing cōtrary to the quietnesse of loue For in the Fingers most of all is seene some certaine separation howbeit no cutting off from vnitie among themselues Either for that cause or for some other cause whatsoeuer it be the Holy Ghost is tearmed the Finger of God Theophilact thinketh Spiritum Sanctum Dei apellari digitum propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut enim inquit Digitus toti corpori est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita Spiritus Patri filio That the holy Ghost is called the Finger of God because of the same substance For euen as saith hee the finger is of the same substance with the whole bodie so is the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Sonne Ambrose noteth that the naming of the Finger is to be referred ad formam vnitatis non ad distinctionem potestatis to the maner of vnitie in the Godhead not to the distinction of power But an Obiection is made how they were written with the Finger of God when Moses is saide to haue written them Exod 34 28 diuerse men answere diuersly S. Austine thinketh the first were written by God which béeing broken the second were written by Moses But Moses plainly affirmeth that both were written by God Exodus 31. 18. Deut. 10. 2. Lyra therefore saith Deum scripsisse authoritatiuè dictando Mosen ministerialiter figurando God wrote as the Author that prescribed but Moses as the Minister a figure Then not liking this so wel Fieri potuit ait vt Moses manū tabulae admouerit Deus autē miraculose litter as formauit It might be saith he the Moses hād was put to the table of God miraculosly framed the letters Hugo saith Moses wrot the Tables that is He receiued them writtē Later Writers make this answere that the words Exod. 34. 28. referred to Moses should be referred to God And for Moses writing it was that volume Exod. 17. ver 14. But let this much suffice of this Chapter CHAP. 27. I will shut vp these Chapters following as briefely as I can leaue the amplificatiōs of the Notes to the diligēt Readers owne meditatiōs In this Chap. we see 4. principall Heads The Idolatrie of the people The wrath of God The Intercession of Moses The fact of Moses 1. TOuching the first follow the words and note things as they lye The text saith whē the people saw that Moses taried long ere hee came downe from the mountaine c. The causes of Idolatrie are moe than can be reckoned vp but some you may here think of and first of this that appeareth in these words impatiencie to stay for Moses cōming down from the Mountaine Such impaciencie made Saul run to a Witch euen at these times many to doo the like God dooth deferre many times his helpe for the tryall of men and then hauing not his holy Spirit to make them patiēt they rashly and hastily flye to forbidden meanes for help It was truly said Feare maketh Gods to wit false Gods For in distresses agonies as I say men doe as here they did run to wicked deuises thinking so to comfort themselues A second cause of Idolatrie is often an ignorant imitation of things not rightly vnderstood as because Abraham was commanded to offer vp his sonne Isaack and his readinesse to doo it so wel taken therefore men would follow him herein and offer vp their sonnes and daughters with bloudy hands to their false Gods A third cause foolish doting loue and affection Thus was Salomon made an Idolater for his loue to his Wiues And it is written of Alexander that he so loued Ephestio as he decréed diuine honor to be done vnto him A drian the Emperour did the like to a most wicked and naughtie person whom he loued A fourth cause good hap or prospertie Thus did the Athenians who hauing but Ten Thousand in their armie against the Persians at Marathe the Lacedemonians being not yet come it is saide a certaine Spirit apeared in their armie in the likenesse of Pan and mightily daunted their aduersaries assuring them after of victorie in the same likenesse Whereupon in great kindnesse forsooth they would euer after worship Pan and built him a Chappell vnder the Temple of Pallas Thus is mans nature prone to Idolatrie and taketh very small occasions to fall from God The roote of this foule Idolatrie here was that foule and odious vice of ingratitude forgetting all the great works and wonders of God done and shewed for them and by name their so comfortable deliuerance from such thraldome and miserie in Aegypt Such vice and such effect of it ruleth still in too many whose eyes haue bene lightened and whose hearts haue béene comforted with truth of the Gospell and yet cursedly and damnably they fall from this kinde God and run a whoring after their owne inuentions whose wisdome herin is much like the Thracians that could not as Aristotle saith number aboue fiue Wherefore against this feareful inconstancie and mutabilitie of our natures let vs often vse from our harts the words of the Psalme Make me a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirit within me Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me Giue me the comfort of thy helpe againe and stablishe me with thy free Spirit I am thy seruant O giue me vnderstanding to learne thy Testimonies 2 They gathered themselues together against Aaron said vnto him vp and make vs Gods to go beforevs They neuer aske Aaron whether it might bee done lawfully or no but vp doo it most presumptuously directing him who should direct thē audatiously vrging him to approoue what they liked Think here of some people some parishes where if the minister will not doo as they fancie allowing their dācings drinkings their bowles their pastimes full of disorder and sin for orderly recreatiō is good they fall out with him they turne both hart hand from him he is now become their greatest enemy because he hartely wisheth their saluation But I said I would not amplifie much and therefore your selfe meditate of this hatefull and pernitious boldnesse in some Congregations 3 For this Moses the man that brought vs out of the lād of Aegypt we know not what is become of him And is this all the care of him if he be gone Such an instrumēt of God good to them such a deliuerer such a famous Gouernour so deare to God so familiar with God so graced honoured by
in this matter The third part 1 THen Moses prayed and said O Lord c. Heere héere then sée A faithful Magistrate A faithfull Minister A true Shepeheard ouer his people coÌ„mitted to him of God Who knoweth what iudgements godly Gouernours turne away by their earnest intercession to God for their people We sée this place we read what Hester did and the mercie of God is plaine for their sakes It should worke in vs all loue and obedience and dutie to them and make vs day and night pray for the continuance of them Treasons and treacheries raylings and reuilings slaunders and defamations wrongs and iniuries any way are not fit requitals of such good receiued by them and for them This prayer of Moses if you marke it is most vehement as comming from a mooued heart and vseth vehement and vrging arguments vnto God As first of his fauour all waies extended to them vers 11. Secondly of his glorie which would be obscured by the Aâ—gyptians lewd speaches if he destroyed them ver 12. Thirdly of his promises made vnto their fathers Abraham Isaac and Israel the trueth whereof might not be violated vers 13. with which the Lord moued in mercie stayeth as you see Such Reasons serue euen at this day and may be vsed to the Lord in our prayers Hee hath béene good to vs infinite waies and we may intreat him by these passed fauours to vouchsafe future and to stay his wrath which we haue deserued Nothing more commonâ—with Dauid in euerie Psalme if you marke it Againe euen by our punishment the enemie will be proud and speake euill they will call both himselfe and his truth into question and ecclipse his glorie to the vttermost His promises also we haue most richly and therefore in all these respects we may craue pardon and doing of it heartely with true repentance and purpose to amend he is the same God still and we shall finde fauour 2 Upon this earnest praier the Lord saith the text v. 14. changed his minde from the euill which he threatned to doe vnto his people with which comfort Moses came away and drawing neere the host he first heard the noyce of singing vers 18. for they were making merrie about their new God then comming nearer he saw the Calfe and the dancing vers 19. But then although he were the meekest man in the world yet his wrath waxed hote and he cast the Tables out of his hands and brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine Which breaking of the first Tables allegorically shewed that the law of God lighting vpon our vnregenerated nature is brokeÌ„ as it were and by the meanes of our inabilitie cannot iustifie vs. But the second written tables are put in the Arke that is when God by his Spirit worketh in vs we are regenerated and the law is obeyed of vs though not fully yet in measure this imperfect obedience is made perfect by Christ Aug. Magno etiam mysteris figurata est iteratio Testamenti noui qucniam vetus erat abolendum constituendum nouum Quaest 144. By a great mysterie the abrogating of the olde Testament by the comming of the new was figured But vnderstand Augustine rightly Then he tooke the Calfe which they had made and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder and strowed it vpon the water and made the children of Israel drinke of it vers 20. Partly to despight them and partly that they should haue no occasion to remember it After he rebuked Aaron vers 21. And if Aaron now elect High priest a Figure of Christ be so sharply rebuked of Moses surely great men must be reprooued and it is a cursed doctrine that though the Pope should carrie thousands of soules to hell yet no man may say Sir why do you thus Secondly in matters concerning the glorie of God we must rebuke euen our néere ones as others no place for affection After that he called for such as would reuenge this wrong done to the Lord vers 26. and the sonnes of Leui gathering to him he bad euerie man put his sword by his side goe to and fro from gate to gate through the host slay euerie man his brother euerie man his companioÌ„ euerie man his neighbour vers 27. so that there fell of the people the same day about three thousand men vers 28. This was the zeale of his heart to the glorie of God it must be a glasse for vs to look in whilst we liue in this world The Lord hath placed the commaundements in the Decalogue the petitions in the Lords prayer which concern his honor before those which coÌ„cerne our selues to teach vs that we ought to prefer his glorie before all worldly things yea euen life it selfe if they come in Question together Thus did Shadrach Meshach and Abednego thus did Daniel when he he opened his window and made his prayer to God notwithstanding that cruell law thus did the Mother and her seuen sonnes in the Machabees thus did Elias Phinees Dauid and others Thus did not olde Heli and therefore the Lord smote him Mine eyes gush out with teares saith the holy Prophet because men keepe not thy law And doe not I hate them that hate thee and am grieued with them that rise against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were mine enemies He that loueth Father or mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And he that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than mee is not worthie of mee c. 3 And when the Morning came Moses said vnto the people yee haue committed a grieuous crime but now I will goe vp to the Lord if I may pacifie him for your sinne Moses therefore went againe vnto the Lord and said Oh this people haue sinned a great sinne and haue made them gods of Gold Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written When Moses had fought on Gods part with the sword now he striueth for the people with his prayer so both true to God in a holy zeale and carefull of his people in the bowels of loue was this holy man this faithfull Gouernour and leader of this multitude Anotable example for all Magistrates and all Ministers euer to follow But heere is more than I said in the former Note For here is a preferring of Gods Glorie before euen life and comfort eternall which is farre more than this temporall life and all the ioyes of it So shall you sée in Saint Paule to the Romanes and what a measure of Gods holy Spirit it was consider you Farre are we from this that preferre euerie small profit and pleasure before this glorie of God and yet say we hope to be saued as well as they A true féeling of our owne iniquitie herein may much amend vs hereafter and God for
104. People shoulde bee touched with the griefe of their Minister 85. Pentecost 191. Persons which might be vowed to the service of God 215. Posteritie provided for 171. Pleasures are to be mortified 32. and forsaken for God 66. Policie may not destroy pietie 141 170 185. Poligamie vnlawfull 149 150. Poore provided for in sacrifices 19. their little is accepted 20 37 45 106 119. God hath care of them 162. and so should we have 163 164 207. Povertie comforted 37 45. 100. Popish frankincense 24. fasts 34. rapers 53 194. performance of their devotions by another 67. elevation 67. priest-hoode 70 180. greasing 71. devises without the word 81. forbidding of marriage and meates 92. shrift 108. wronging of the soules of men 124. transubstantiation 132. kinred 134 143. cloystering 139. forced chastitie 141 181 185. forbidding ministers marriage 161. shaving 174. stewes 174 Priestes and Iesuites of an vnquiet humour 183. representation of the Trinitie 194. Iubile and pardons 204 205. vowes 218 219. Prayers signified by incense 24. they pierce onely by the blood of Christ 39. a reason why they are not alwayes heard 213. Preaching of Christ through the world prefigured 13 58 67 192. it is a sacrifice 21. not to be turned to popular applause 27. Prophetes exhortations vppon what grounds 209. In promised blessings wee must not appoynt God a time 210. Providence 59 Prosperitie may not puffe vs 84. Pride scorneth excuses 89. it bindeth men 184. Purification 106 c. Punishments are necessary to preserve common-wealths 176 177. Punishments of wilfull contemners of Gods will 211. Puritie of Christ prefigured 10 16 20 23 180. all puritie to be sought in him only 105 185. Puritie of his doctrine and life 25. and of his nature 104. Purifying of women not to bee forced now in maner as it was vsed amongest the Iewes 103. why it was doubled in a woman childe to that it was in a man child 105. Q. QVestion whether divorce may bee made for the leprosie 114. Question whether errour or mistaking make a marriage voyde or no 141. Secondly whether a vow hinder marriage 143. Thirdly whether spirituall kinred hinder marriage 143. Fourthly whether a man may marry her whome hee adulterously abused in her husbands life time 144. Fiftly whether diversitie of religion breake marriage ibidem Sixtly what if marriage be forced 145. Seaventhly what if marriage be with one violently taken away 145. R. RAvens figured vnnaturall parents vnkinde friends and ill husbands 99. Remembring of wrong forbidden 169. Relapse into sinne 58. Repentance neglected 44. 45. it should be continuall 120. when it is true there is comfort 212. Resurrection of Christ prefigured 20 55 128. that it should be on the third day 64. Restitution 46 49. Religious vowes 219. Revelation now clearer than in the old Testament 20. Riches are to be forsaken for God 66. Righteousnesse of Christ shaddowed 125. S. SAcrifices were not meritorious by the worke done 4 22 36 38 49 178. they were shadowes of such vertues as the sacrifice of Christ shoulde woorke 4. but chiefely of the death of Christ it selfe 5. why there were many sortes of them 5 6. what things were to be sacrificed 6. why ⧠The Praeface IT is Saint Hierome his speech in one place That almost euery syllable of this Booke of Leuiticus conteyneth a mysterie A great motiue to stirre vp all God his people both to the reading of it and to a verie great obseruing of whatsoeuer we read in it We see by experience that if a man happen to finde any old and ancient Monument of some Famous man that liued many yeeres ago with any inscription of old Letters or Characters how he reioiceth at it keepeth it sheweth it to his friends and is neuer wearie of it Much more should it please vs to view and marke the ancient Figures of this Booke wherin as in pictures Iesus Christ the great King of all Kings and the eternall Sonne of almightie God was set-out and expressed to the world before he came and still most profitably noted and knowne now when hee is come Let vs therefore begin to read this heauenly Booke with comfort continue the same with constancie to the end And most gracious Father for thy deere Sonnes sake I beseech thee throw my sins out of thy sight that make me vtterly vnworthy to come nere thy word much more both to taste the sweetnes of it my selfe and to be a means that others may doe the like with mee And as it hath pleased thee to vouchsafe mee a place of teaching in thy Church with many and many mercies more to stir my heart vp to this course of doing some part of my dutie in the same so vouchsafe to giue power to my will and to enable me with thy grace that I may see and set downe obserue and note what may bee to this end namely to worke both in mine owne soule and in the hearts of thy deere Chosen knowledge and feeling of thy heauenly truth that may bee to the praise of thy vnspeakable goodnesse and our owne aeternall comfort for euermore O grant it sweet Lord grant it and be strong in weakenesse as thou hast promised to be Let no sinne of mine or of thy people that shall euer vse my poore labours hinder and hold this mercie from vs. Amen Amen The like Notes vpon euery Chapter of the Booke of Leuiticus CHAP. I. BEfore you come to the words of the Text you may consider in your minde why God should institute and appoynt such a kinde of worship as this hereafter described in this Booke séeming to be delighted with the slaughter of Cattle and liuing creatures to his seruice And the rather I wish you to thinke of this point because we read of some in old times that by reason hereof and by the commandement and approbation of warres also wherein men women and children are often slaine with great rigor and force haue condemned the holy Law of God his sacred and Diuine word as not agréeable to his Nature who is all good and not delighted with slaughter and crueltie but with louing mercie and mildnesse vnitie amitie and peace Such were the Cerdonian and Marcion Heretickes as witnesse Turtullian and Augustine Others haue fallen into this foolish and false conceite that there were two Gods one God the Father of Christ and the Authour of the new Testament the other seuere and sowre cruell and bloody the Authour of the olde Testament wherein so many commandements concerning blood by warres and by sacrifices are giuen Againe Lucian that prophane Scoffer scoffed and iested at this kind of worship by blood and death The former folly is so grosse and senselesse as in our dayes God be blessed it néedeth no confutation For we well know that euen the Scriptures of the olde Testament also Came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost We know the Law it selfe
of the booke of Judges how still still they were deliuered ouer to their aduersaries for transgressing in this behalfe All the dayes of Ioshua saith the Storie there and all the dayes of the Elders that out-liued Ioshua which had seene all the great workes of the Lord that he did for Israell But when that generation was gathered to their fathers there arose vp an other generatiō which neither knew the Lord nor yet the works which he had done for Israell And these did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim c. Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was hote against them and he deliuered them into the hands of spoylers c. And whithersoeuer they went the hand of the lord was sore against them c. Marke with your selfe the vehemencie of these words and the greatnesse of this wrath for worshipping him after other wayes than hee himselfe appoynted In the 8. Chap. Gedeons Ephod made without warrant did it please O marke the words All Israel went a whoring after it which was the destruction of Gedeon and his house Hee and his house perished for worshipping God otherwise than God himselfe appointed This is no small punishment if God giue a heart to thinke of it fruitfully The like you read of Saul who would offer sacrifice contrary to the word He and his house also perish for it Ieroboams golden Calues set-vp without warrant worshipped without warrant ouerthrew him and all his also I exalted thee saith God to Ieroboam and made thee Prince ouer my people Israel c But thou hast not beene as my seruant Dauid which kept my Commandements and followed me with all his heart and did onely that which was right in mine eyes For thou hast gone and made thee other Gods and molten Images to prouoke me and hast cast me behinde thy backe And therefore behold I will bring euill vpon thy house and will cut of him that pisseth against the wall euery Male euen to the dogges as the Marginall Note hath and I will sweepe away the remnant of thy house as a man sweepeth away doung till it be all gone Judge then in your secret thought hearing these words whether it be a small matter to worship God otherwise than he in his word appointeth to vs. It is a very memorable thing that is written of Gregorie sometimes Byshop of Rome the best of all that followed him the worst of all that went before him how hée in a most grieuous plague deuised and appointed those Supplitions to Saints set downe in the Letanie hauing for it neither commandement nor example nor any warrant in the word but all to the contrary very plainly and that so God reuenged this wicked boldnesse as in one houre fourescore of those that so prayed and rehearsed those suffrages suddenly fell to the earth and breathed out their last breath Thus the Lord liketh deuises of men in his seruice Why should not all flesh be resolued then that in vaine doe wee worship God teaching for doctrine mens precepts And consequently of the impudencie of that speach of a Popish Doctor that GOD respecteth not so much what we doe as with what minde wee doe it The vntaught Romanes vnderstood more trueth than this man when béeing mooued to receiue Christ into the number of their gods they answered that euery God must needes bee serued according to his will and not according to his worshippers will and therefore since they vnderstood that Christ would haue no fellowes but would be worshipped alone they must needes either forgot all their other Gods which they might not doe or worship him otherwise than his will was which would offend him So they resolued to reiect him which turned to the destruction of them in the ende Discamus Deum ex ipsius voluntate honorare c Let vs learne to worship God according to his VVill saith S. Chrysostome c. Cyprian telleth vs VVe must follow Christ he that doth not so is not a Priest of God but walketh in darknesse Paul saith Hee deliuered to them what he had receiued c Hée condemned all voluntarie worship A learned Professor in Paris affirmeth boldly that mens praecepts turne people from the truth seduce the hearts of the simple therefore saith he God tyeth vs so strictly to his Word without adding or diminishing c. 2 But doth not a good intent and meaning preuaile with God albeit the thing be not expresly warranted Your selfe iudge by that which you sée here and in many other Scriptures making this the second of the two things I said were here to be obserued Had Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron héere any ill meaning towards God or did they of malicious purpose offend him and procure their owne destruction No you must néedes thinke their intent was good but because they swarued from the word that good intent serued not The words out of Deutro cited before are not you shall not do ill in your owne eyes but you shall not doe that which seemeth good good I say and I pray you marke it you shal not do that but shall kéepe you to my commandement Be it neuer so good then in my conceite that is be my meaning neuer so good it profiteth not neither shall excuse Gods destroying wrath more than it did here these sonnes of Aaron There is a way saith Salomon that seemeth good to a man and right but theyssues thereof are the wayes of death Such assuredly are all wil worships not grounded vpon the word but vpon mans will and good intent They shall excommunicate you saith our Sauiour Christ Yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that hee doth God good seruice What then shall his so thinking excuse his bloody murder Ioseph had no ill meaning when hée prayed his Father to change his hand and to lay his right hand vpon his elder sonnes head What ill meant Iosua when hée wished Moses to forbid those that prophecied Michas mother when according to her vow shée made her sonnes two Idoles Saul when he saued aliue the shéepe of the Amalekites c. Peter when he had Christ his Master to pitie himselfe The Disciples of Christ when they forbadde little Children to come vnto him when they would haue commanded that fire should come from Heauen c. Peters meaning had no hurt in it when he forbad Christ to wash his feete with a number like places in Scripture yet you know no good intent was accepted in these cases No more no more shall it euer be when it is not agréeing to the VVord which onely is a Christian man and womans true and perfect guide Let therefore these things take place with vs and neuer wrostle we against the Lord for he is too strong for vs. and his will must stand not ours O why should it grieue mée to be ruled by
his word séeing it is so sure a way for mée to walke in Or why should any Teacher deliuer to me that which hée neuer receiued of God to be deliuered to his people If they craue obedience why should they bée angry that I pray to haue it shewed out of his word whom onely I must obey Hée hath prescribed a forme of seruing him that forme hée will accept and blesse with eternall peace all other formes hée will abhorre and punish Nadab and Abihu preach so vnto vs and all flesh They wish vs to take héed by their harme God is in other things full of patience but in this he is full of wrath and his authoritie to appoint his owne worship he will not indure it to be taken from him by any man Let Popish whisperers then make good out of Gods word Latine Prayers when we vnderstand no Latin Calling vpon Saints that heare vs not Flying from the sufficiencie of Christs Passion to our owne merits crossings and creepings with a thousand deuised toyes and we will obey them But if they cannot let them leaue vs to serue God according to his word that we may bée accepted 3 You may also well note it here that Nadab Abihu were two of Aarons eldest sonnes which after their father should in his place haue succéeded him yet there is no mercie with God to stay his iudgement when they will not be ruled by his word No prerogatiue therefore of any man shall saue him from wrath if hee thus offend but the eldest shall die aswell as a yonger the richest aswell as the poorer a great man or woman aswell as a small There is no regard with God of these things But the soule that serueth him according to his owne will reueiled in his VVord that is regarded and euer déere vnto him c. Build we not therefore vpon any titles and so swarue from the rule laid downe vnto vs. If so little a transgression cannot be qualified any way by any circumstance O what will bée their case one day that so many wayes stray from the Law of God and almost in no one iote of their worship haue any warrant Thinke with your self more of this matter and meditate further of it at your times 4 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neere mee and before all the people I will be glorified You can conceiue what wo it was to Moses to sée this end of two of his brothers sonnes but he must stoope to God and so he doth telling Aaron the trueth of the fault and so consequently defending God that he did but iustly In déede saith he we must confesse that this is that we were told before how God will be sanctified in them that come neere vnto him that is how he will haue his Law obeyed and followed in his worship and not any way else how though he vse the Ministerie of man yet no man liuing must be wiser than Hee to swarue from the forme appointed and to follow his owne libertie but man must thinke it his wisedome to doe as God biddeth c. 5 But Aaron held his peace saith the Text that is was so astonished with the fearefulnes of it that he had no spéech but all amazed and shaken with the woe of it held his peace He howled not out with any vnséâ—mly cries neither vttered any words of rage and impatiencie but méekly stooped to Gods will kissed his rodde and held his peace If thus Aaron in so great a iudgement how much more we when our friends dye naturally swéetly and comfortably so that we may boldly say NoÌ„ amisimus sedpraemisimus VVe haue not lost them but sent them before vs whether we our selues hope to follow Lay to this heauie harted father yet silent and patient the example of olde father Elye the Priest to whom when Samuel had related such fearefull things quietly he answered It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The example also of Dauid who in his distresse very bitter and heauie yet notably said Let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes These are most excellent Paterns for vs to follow in all our crosses and griefes not forgetting that golden Saying of Iob Wee haue taken good things at Gods hands and shall we not take euill O yes yes The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and euer euer blessed be his Name for all The fish groweth greater in salt waters and the Lord for his mercie make our Faith Pacience and Comfort in him great in the saltest and bitterest waters of this world Amen 6 Obserue here againe with your selfe the strange and admirable change of these worldly matters in the turne as we say of a hand For but Yesterday as it were Aaron and these sonnes of his had a famous and glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignitie vpon earth nothing vnder the Sunne being more glorious than that Priest-hood in those dayes And how may you thinke his heart reioyced to sée not onely himselfe but his children which Parents often loue more than themselues so blessed and honoured But O change now sudden and fearefull O fickle fading comfort that man taketh hold of in this world whatsoeuer it be if wordly These sonnes so lately exalted and honoured to their old Fathers swéet and great ioy now lye destroyed before his face to his extréeme and twitching torment And how Not by any ordinarie and accustomed death but by fire from Heauen a sore and dreadfull iudgement For what also Euen for breach of commaunded dutie by the Lord all which doubled and trebled the fathers sorrow As it did in Dauid when his sonne Absolon died not an vsual death and in rebellion and disebedience against his king and Father You remember his passion then vttered O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne He considered the cause wherein he dyed the manner how he dyed to a father so kinde as Dauid was both of them full of woe and sorrow Let neuer therefore any prosperitie in this world puffe vs for wée little know what to morrow-day may bring with it The glasse that glistereth most is soonest broken the rankest corne is soonest layd and the fullest bough with pleasant fruite is soonest slit hauing more eyes vpon it moe stones cast at it than all the other boughs of the trée Pleasant wine maketh wise men fooles and fooles often starke mad Thousands fall at the left hand but tenne thousand at the right Multos fraÌ„git aduersitas sed plures extollit prosperitas Many saith Saint Bernard are crushed with aduersitie but more are puffed vp by prosperitie Lacertus Milonem perdidit ambitio Caesarem Nimis alter Naturae nimis alter Fortunae credidit Milo his strong arme ouerthrew him and Caesar his ambition The one
as the Dogge that returneth to his vomit Or the Swine that walloweth in the myre that is wickedly filthily and beastly This taught Irenaeus many yeares agoe and both for his antiquitie and worthinesse let vs marke his words They that haue the Pledge of the Spirit saith hée and serue the concupiscence of the flesh but subiect themselues to the Spirit and reasonably behaue themselues in all things rightly of the Apostle are called spirituall because the Spirit of GOD dwelleth in them And they that cast away the Counsaile of the Spirit and serue the pleasures of the flesh liuing vnreasonably and vnbridledly following their sinfull desires hauing no working of the Spirit but liuing as dogges or swine rightly hee calleth carnall because they sauour of nothing but the flesh And the Prophets for the selfe same cause compared them to bruite and vnreasonable beasts as to fed-Horses neighing after their Neighbours wiues c. Dauid also in the Psalme Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding but is compared to the beasts that perish c. Now all these things are done Figuratiuely to note cleane and vncleane persons as before For they that haue a true Faith and a good life by meditating in the Word are such as diuide the hoofe and chew the cudde and they are cleane Such doe neither or but the one are vncleane as hee that beleeueth in GOD but liueth not well or hee that liueth in an outward honestie but beleeueth nor rightly hee also that doth neither liue well nor beleeue well all these are vncleane The Iewes saith this Father may be sayd in some sort to chewe the cudde because they read the Scriptures but they diuide not the hoofe because they beleeue not in the Sonne of GOD Christ Iesus as well as in the Father To this effect Irenaeus Others haue by cleane beasts parting the hoofe noted the true Teachers of the Word which diuide the same aright the Lawe and the Gospell Praecepts and promises c. They againe say others may be well called cleane diuiding the hoofe who doe not beléeue in great or in grosse but discerne and distinguish things as Christ and Moses Nature and Grace Truth and falshood c. Not beleeuing euery spirit but trying the Spirits whether they be of God or no. Things may not bée taken euer litterally And againe we may not be too bold with Mysteries and Allegories leauing the letter but a true wisedome is to be prayed for and vsed in both Hee that is spirituall saith the Apostle discerneth all things That for diuiding and be wise vnto Sobrietie that for beeing too busie in deuising Mysteries For chewing the Cudde They may bée said to doe it and so to be cleane who meditate of that they heare and learne out of Gods Booke and often repeating it in their mindes ponder it in their heart as is said of the blessed Virgin A thing much commended in the Scripture as in the first Psalme Blessed is that man that meditateth in the Law of God day and night Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hart be alway acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength my Redemer Isaac went out to meditate c. Commended also by the Fathers Meditatio Dei dulcis est To meditate of God is a sweete thing Saith Saint Augustine Meditatione pericula agnoscimus oratione euadimus And by meditation saith Saint Bernard Wee know perils by prayer we auoyd them 2 Your Chapter nameth many particulars which were but curiositie to stand on A few may be touched for example sake The Cony was vncleane because hee cheweth the cudde and diuideth not the hoofe And by this some haue thought were figured out such men and women as lay vp their treasures in earth because the Conies digge and scrape and make their berryes in the earth whereas the Scripture teacheth vs not to doe thus but to lay vp our treasures in Heauen where no theefe no moth c. These men and women are vncleane and God will haue none of them 3 The Hare was also vncleane for the same cause because hee cheweth the cudde but diuideth not the hoofe The Hare is a very fearefull creature and therefore by him figured out fearefull men and women despayring of grace and shrinking from God fearing crosses and losses and forsaking Faith Such persons are vncleane and excluded out of the Kingdome of GOD. Read Apoc. chap. 21. But the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abhominable and murtherers and whore-mongers and forcerers and Idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and Brimstone which is the second death 4 The Swyne was vncleane beause hee parteth the hoofe but cheweth not the cudde and of their flesh they might not eate nor touch their carkeise c. Tertullian saith Herein was figured such vncleane persons as bee good for nothing but to be slaine For if you consider what a creature the Swyne is Hee neuer looketh vp to Heauen but hath his mouth euer in the earth and myre caring for nothing but his belly Hee serueth not to ride vpon as doth the horse to till the ground as doth the Oxe to giue milke as doth the Cowe to cloath vs with his fléece as doth the Sheepe to watch by night for vs as doth the Dogge and so foorth but he is onely nourished for the knife and his death hath vse his life hath none Such ought not men and women to bée and if any be such they are vncleane God would admonish the Iewes by this Figure and still we may learne by it to be no Swyne no Hogge no filthy myrie creatures wallowing in sinne and vncleanes without regard and féeling louing the earth and looking euer on the earth rooting in it all the day and féeding the belly with all gréedinesse nourished onely to the slaughter and profiting no way whilest we liue A profitable meditation for Gods children that they may so continue and a profitable remembrance to others not yet called that they may become his children A good caueat to rich Cormorants in this world who neuer profite any till they dye with all the wealth they haue A knife therefore for the Hogge that wée may haue Puddings and death for such Wretches that the Common-wealth may haue vse of their bagges 5 From the Land Your Chapter commeth to the Water and so from the beastes to the Fishes therin vers 9. shewing what was cleane and what vncleane what might be eaten and what might not But Fishes in particular are not named as the beastes were the Fowles afterward are because the most part was vnknowen to Iewes hauing little vse or none of Fish and few Waters or none but Iordan for Fresh-fish Sea-fish was sold néerer the East and came not to the Iewes much where they were By the markes therefore God describeth them and saith Whatsoeuer hath finnes and skales in the Waters
this be not Saint Iohn telleth vs Hee Hee not she shee is the propitiation for our sinnes And therefore Come vnto him all that trauell not vnto her c. But thus séeing our manifold vncleanenes and the right remedie of it by modestly and chastly reading ouer this Chapter I wade no further in it This is a taste of the vse of it More will follow in the next Chapter and Chapter 23. CHAP. XVI 1 STill the Lord goeth on to note mans imperfections how he is freed from them séeing herein consisteth all that wée truely know our selues to be as we are and the way of God appointed for our remedie First hée forbiddeth Aaron at al times to enter into the holiest of all whereby may be learned that euen Ministers aswell as other men are not rashly to enter into all the things of God but to stand in reuerence of some mysteries either dealing not at all or very aduisedly and sparingly with them as their nature requireth 2 It is shewed how he should come in when hée did enter Namely with a yong bullocke for a sinne offering and so foorth Learne wée may by it with what ornaments men and women should come before God It is not silke nor veluet that he careth for neither the costly Iewels of pearle and stone that wée thinke so highly of but come with a sinne offering that is come with an humble acknowledgement as this sinne offering figured that thou art a sinner confesse it to God with a gréeuing heart and bring Iesus Christ in thy soule with thée offering him by thy true faith to God his Father as a sure safetie for all sinners against deserued wrath and punishment 3 Hee must also put on the holy linnen coate c. Another shadow of Christ his righteousnes wherewith wée must be clothed and couered if wée euer finde acceptance with God For to that end Aaron did change his garment to shewe that hée sustayned an other person who was holy he himselfe beeing but a man subiect to imperfection and sinne To which end tended also his washing and sacrifice héere mentioned 4 This likewise serued to beat into the people their corruption when they sawe Aaron thus changed that was the Priest chosen of God and anoynted with the holy Oyle For if hee might not enter but in such sort how much lesse might they appeare at any time before God but in Christ and by Christ shadowed in all these sacrifices And concerning this once entring into the Holy place you haue had the figure of it before and the Place to the Hebre. noted Chap. 9. verse 8. Aaron entred but once a yéere and Christ but once the Tabernacles diuers Aaron by blood Christ by blood but the blood diuers Aaron made an Atonement Christ made an Atonement but in a differing manner Aaron outwardly or ciuily as touching the sight of man Christ of the conscience truely and rightly and touching God Hebr. 9. verse 9. 13. Aaron often Heb. 10. 11. Christ but once verse 12. 14. Aaron confessed sinnes and layd them vpon the Goate but his owne sinnes aswell as the peoples Christ had no sinnes of his owne and ours hee bare himselfe and layd them vpon himselfe not vpon any creature whatsoeuer 5 The two hee Goates béeing presented lots were to be cast ouer them one Lot for the Lord and another for the Scape Goate Thus was it shadowed that in a sinner there is nothing to make him worthy of God his choise And therefore as GOD would not chuse either the one Goate or other but by lot the one was appoynted and not by choyse so wee are accepted whensoeuer we finde fauour without all merit or matter worth or dignitie in our selues to mooue the Lord to such goodnesse 6 The Goate vpon which the Lords lot fell was offered for sinne-offering And Incense cast vpon the fire to make a cloude to couer the Mercy-seate that Aaron dyed not the one shadowing the death of the Sonne of God the other with what feare reuerence we ought euer to come before God For if to Aaron the Maiestie of him were so dangerous how much more to others not to bée compared to Aaron Would God we thought of this euer when we come to Church to doe our duties to him Then would there not in that place bée so much light behauiour and sléepie vsage of our selues as is by which things the holy place is defiled verse 16. Homines ita contaminant Dei sacra ne quid tamen discedat eorum naturae nec dignitas violetur Quare diserte exprimit Moses purgari Sanctuarium ab inquinamentis non suis sed Filiorum Israel Men doe so pollute the holy things of God that nothing departeth from their nature neither is their glorie violated Therefore playnly doth Moses lay downe that the Sanctuarie is to bee purged from pollutions not of their owne but of the Children of Israel 7 But as touching the other Goate called the Scape Goate it was brought aliue And Aaron saith God shall put both his hands vpon his head of it and confesse ouer him all the iniquities of the Châ—ildren of Israel all their trespasses in all their sinnes putting them vpon the head of the Goate and shall send him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wildernesse So the Goate shall beare vpon him all their iniquities into the land that is not inhabited c. From this Law of God no doubt did spring that Custome among the Heathens who offering Sacrifices as Herodotus witnesseth of the Aegyptians vsed to banne and curse the head of the beast offered in Sacrifice with these words That if any Euill bee to come either vpon the Sacrificers themselues or vpon the whole Countrey of Aegypt it would please the Gods to turne all vpon that Head The Massilians also yearely vsed to make an Atonement or expiation for their Citie with some holy man whom decked and set out with holy garments and with Garlands after the maner of a Sacrifice they led through the Citie and putting all the euils vppon his head that might any way hang ouer their Citie they cast him into the Sea sacrificing of him so vnto Neptune speaking these words with great solemnitie Be thou an expiation for vs. Thus the Heathen catched at things but not in a right maner whereby wée may well sée what a darkenesse it is to bee depriued of the light of the Word of God In like maner receiuing it from the Doctrine of the olde Fathers by the tradition of Noah his sonnes that there should in time come a Man who taking vpon him the sinnes of all men should become a Sacrifice for the saluation of all men and not vnderstanding the maner how this should bée they vsed in great extremities perils as Plagues Famine Warres c to offer vp men to their Gods to appease their wrath thereby So in Liuie wée
read Quintus Curtius did in a time of Pestilence The Decij Father and sonne in a time of hard Warre with the Latines and Samnites Codrus King of the Athenians in Lycurgus Menoeceus in Euripides and the daughters of Erecteus offered themselues to be sacrificed for their Countrey So Achas 2. Kings 16. Manasses Chap. 21. and the King of Moab Chap. 3. their owne sonnes This was a great mistaking you plainely sée and therefore let it mooue you to send vp thankfull thoughts to God for your better knowledge and vnderstanding What a notable Figure againe this Scape Goate was of Christ you sée vpon his head all the sinnes of mankinde were layd hec bearing them himselfe and remoouing them away from vs Esay 53. 4. 8 Well may you also marke héere when Confession was made ouer the head of this Goate what diuersitie of wordes are vsed as all iniquities all trespasses all sinnes Why so many wordes but to teach that confession of sinnes must not be light and formall onely but earnest vehement heartie and zealous And in déed neuer can a good childe of God satisfie himselfe herein but still wisheth hée could more bewayle his sinnes and more earnestly expresse with words what his soule féeleth in this behalf Saying as I heard a dying woman once say to the good profit of all about her O Sir I am sorie and sory that I can bee no more sory c. 9 And he that caried forth this Scape Goate shall wash his clothes and his flesh in water and after that shal come into the Host If such a thing did separate a man in some sort from the Church how much more doth that sinne that is our owne cleauing to vs and resting in vs make a diuorce betwixt God and vs and the Church and vs Sée therefore the vse of these Figures to worke a touch in them of the effect of sin let our corruption bée displeasing vnto vs that we in Christ may be pleasing to God 10 A certaine day they had named héere The tenth day of the seauenth moneth but wée haue now no one day therefore all our life should be a time of true humbling of our selues before God Not of bowing downe our heads like bul rushes but of humbling our soules euen our inward soules as here is said and repeated And this often iteration that the Priest and none els should make the Atonement should put on the linnen clothes and holy vestments should purge the holy Santuarie the Tabernacle of the CongregatioÌ„ should clense the Altar make Atonement for the Priests and People this I say manifestly noted out the graces of the Messiah Christ Iesus and directed all to him to finde remission and pardon in him of all impurities and defilings whatsoeuer Thus haue you some taste of the vse of this Chapter Meditation with Prayer will yéeld much more CHAP. XVII IN this Chapter you haue two seueral lawes giuen which you may obserue The first that euery Sacrifice should bee brought to the doore of the Tabernacle and no man should dare to offer it otherwise The second against eating of any blood Concerning the first the words are sharpe Namely that the Lord will impute blood vnto him that hee hath shed blood and that hee shall bee cut of from among the people The reasons both of the Lawe and this seueritie were these and such like First because it serued for the preseruation of the ministerie which God had ordained that euery man should not bee his owne Priest Secondly because it was a chiefe meanes to kéepe them from idolatrie and offering the honour due vnto God to deuils as the Heathens did or to other creatures to whom it was not due Thirdly because thus they were taught that all worship of God ought to bée gâ—ided and directed by his word and commandement not by the priuate willes of men as often before yée haue séene Deut. 12. That which I command that onely shall yee doe Yea in this place note it and euer thinke of it to follow my owne fancie and not Gods prescription is to become as odious to God as if I had killed a man Esay 66. hee that killeth an Oxe is as if hee killed a man meaning when hée killeth not the Oxe according to the maner appointed of God Yet yet will some men teach and some vnwise people beleeue that a good intent will beare out all and wée are not tyed to the Word of God but read and remember such places as these Fourthly because héereby was signified that onely in the Church by faith in the chief high Priest Christ Iesus Our sacrifice and seruice accepted of God is and can bee offered and done and no where els 1. Peter 2. verse 5. Hebrews 13. 15. 2 But you will say the Scripture doth often mentâ—â—n that sacrifices were offered elsewhere and not brought to the doore of the Tabernacle Which is very true but then marke you the complaints that God maketh against such persons and their doings Iehoshaphat did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but the high places were not taken away The first of Kings 22. verse 43. The like of Ioas the second of Kings 12. 2. 3. Of Manasses marke what is written 2. Chron. 33. 16. 17. Of Israel 2. of the Kings 17. 32. 33. Of Iuda Iere. 44. c. For in all these places you may sée that no good meanings or intents no colours nor couers will serue but forasmuch as the prescript forme of bringing their sacrifices to the doore of the Tabernacle and offering them according to the rules giuen by God were not obserued therefore both they their worship displeased God and that so highly as grieuously he punished theÌ„ for the same And is it not a most strange dotage to thinke that God should not appoint his owne worship but wee out of our idle darke braynes do what séemeth good to vs Let it mooue you euer worke with you to your good 3 Yet you will say againe not only these but the Prophets that knew their duties and were carefull to doe it did not bring the sacrifice to the Tabernacle but offered in other places as Samuel in Mispah 1. Sam. 7. and Elias in Mount Carmel 1. Kings 18. You must answere your selfe thus touching these men That all this in them was extraordinarie and wée may not follow extraordinarie matters without some such personal and speciall vocation as no doubt they had For wee doe not liue by examples but by Lawes And thus much of the first Lawe in this Chapter Concerning the second Law of abstayning from eating of any blood it was first giuen to Noah Genesis 9. then repeated againe as you saw in the third seuenth Chap. and shall sée in the Nineteene Chap. of this Booke of Leuiticus The Lord by this Lawe would teach men to abstaine from murder and bloodshed the blood of man
was an Idolater the people followed him and what did the Lord to him till he saw his fall and was most sorry for it The whole state of the Iewes how was it ouer throwne for this wickednesse Read that notable Chapter of Ieremie the Prophet from that 28. verse forward It is true may some say Idolatrie grieuously offendeth God but what is Idolatrie Let that person know that euery worship not commanded of God is Idolatrie the worship also that is commanded if it be done in other maner then is commanded To make it plaine the worshipping of God in and vnder that similitude of a golden Calfe was therefore Idolatrie because God commanded and appoynted no such thing were their intent neuer so good their distinction betwixt God the calfe neuer so plainely made Againe to offer those sacrifices which the law appointed and by God were commaunded with affiance in that out-ward worke done was Idolatrie because in a thing commanded they did not vse the maner commaunded So so God make it enter is the reading of Lessons of Scripture saying of Prayers singing of Psalmes Fasting and such like very offensiue to God and plaine Idolatrie when they are vsed with an opinion of merit the Lord Iesus robbed by them of that praise that is only due to him for meriting our reconciliation with God and eternall saluation Beware beware we then how we kindle the wrath of him against vs that hath here vowed to set his face against such persons to cut them off and their Families also with them although the Magistrate wink and will not sée what the Lord hath willed him both to sée and to punish Yea the Lord will himselfe bée reuenged both of doer and sufferer bée hée Father Husband Master Magistrate or whatsoeuer bound by place and Office to looke to such things and to reforme them And therefore beware of winking at and suffering what you are able to amend Great is the good that a willing Superiour may doe although nor euer what hée would through the enuie and practises of some that should not hinder For it is true that either sincerely or at least séemingly inferiours will frame to his will that is ouer them And séemingly I say because all is not euer gold that glistereth And I remember when certaine Embassadours praysed the Lacedemonian souldiers for being so orderly who before had béen so iniurious one of them answered No no the prayse is not ours that wee are thus changed for wee are the same men still but wee haue now another Captaine and hee it is that ordereth vs c. Thus goe ouer your Chapter and sée the seuerall punishments annexed to euery lawe and feare his wrath that is so strong and iust CHAP. XXI Three principall Heads are contained in this Chapter The Priests mourning for the dead His Marriage His bodily qualities COncerning the first the Priests in the Law might not lament and mourne for euery one but for such as here are mentioned Namely His kins-man that is neere vnto him by his mother or by his father or by his sonne or by his daughter or by his brother or by his sister a mayde that is neere vnto him which hath not had an husband for her hee may lament c. The drift of this whole matter in short was to restraine them from such Heathenish fashions as were then vsed among the Gentiles round about them who vsed to cut themselues to teare their cloathes to beate their heads and foolishly many wayes to vse themselues In the 19. Chapter before this was touched Ezek. 44. you may reade of it and in the 6. of Baruch directly contrary to this Law did the Priests mourne Yet euen Gentiles did sée the folly of much of this as Bion his speach sheweth who tested at Agamemnons furious pulling of his haire and saide hée pluked it of as though baldnesse were an excellent remedie to aswage griefe 2 That of following his sisters Funerall not married and not following if shee were married was not to derogate any thing from that holy Ordinance of God but because his sister marryed was ingrafted into another house and familie and so was not the next of kinne in that respect 3 The high Priest might neither follow father nor mother nor any A thing that God would haue to distinguish the Priests among themselues and so to shewe how he not onely liketh and alloweth of degrées among thē but euen he maketh the same degrées appointeth some higher some lower some to doe this others not to doe that that reuerence may bée among themselues one to another and of all the people to them all Allegorically this restraint of the High Priest from that which was then a legall pollution noted that in Christ was no spot nor blot nor pollution of any sort whatsoeuer And the suffering of others to goe that in them also touching themselues there was originall corruption aswell as in others howbeit their Office was more excellent and gaue them preheminence aboue other men Popish priests say their Priest-hood was shadowed by this in the Lawe yet they vse shauing and going to Funerals c. 2. Of the Second Point concerning their Marriage your Chapter sayth They shall not take to wife an Whore or one polluted neither shall they marry a woman diuorced from her husband for such a one is holy vnto his GOD. Thou shalt sanctifie him therefore for he offereth the bread of thy GOD he shall be holy vnto the c. All which things are thus layde downe to giue credite to his Office and function and to shadow out that the Church which is the Spouse of the great High-Priest Christ Iesus is and should be without wrinkle a chaste Virgin holy vndefiled by imputation through Christ If Marriage had béen such an vnfit thing for the Priests the Lord could as easily haue simply forbidden them to marry at all as thus to haue limited them what manner of women they should marry But neuer shall they sée whom God in wrath hath blinded How plainely héere doth God require reuerence to them and magnifieth their Office that they offered the bread of God and were holy yet marryed but I will not enter into this matter it hath béene touched before that Marriage euer was honourable among all men and the bed vndefiled And Let euery man haue his wife and euery woman her husband c. The heauen and earth were ashamed when time was of their holinesse that vnder the colour of holinesse forbad marriage and the Lords wrath is vpon the houses where they dwelt to this day c. 3. The Third Poynt concerning bodily qualities in the Priests beginneth in your Chapter heere at the 17. verse making exceptions against all blemishes and particularly making mention of diuers which may not bée so taken as if God respected the outward fauour and personage of any man For when Samuel went to annoint Dauid and sawe
and bondage May not we remember burnings and killings and most hateful handlings of bloudic Butchers and persecutors May not we remember great warres and dissentions in this our natiue Countrie the fall of our friends and the change of many houses May not we remember great impositions and payments and in one word verie many miseries and calamities Laying them to the present times wherein we enioy truth and libertie of conscience without either death or danger or so much as any feare what a change is this to a man or woman that knoweth and feeleth the blessing O that we may send vp to God most thankful thoughts for it while we liue Now againe we entoy peace such as no Nation hath had the like We are not eaten vp with heauy and continuall payments but we liue as in heauen by comparison to former times The Lord hath driuen away the Cananites that would haue inuaded coÌ„quered had not he resisted for vs and ouerthrowne them He hath made vs a terror to our foes â—a refuge or sanctuarie for our friends when earst forreigne nations were Lords ouervs And for the last point we haue no more certaintie of abode here theÌ„ they had but looke for the same end of faith an induring house in heaneÌ„ Let vs theÌ„ do what we ought to do and what they did thank God most hartily for the change beséech him in his bottomles mercie to coÌ„tinue his fauors to vs that in peace we may liue in peace die in peace that neuer endeth liue with him for euer God for his sons sake grant it to vs. AmeÌ„ Amen CHAP. XXIIII IN this Chapter the first thing spoken of are the Lights vsed in the Tabernacle whereof mencion was made also before in the 17. Chapter These lights were not ordeined for our imitation now vnder the Gospel but in those times of shadows and figures they signified that while they were thus vsed the true light was not yet come by which all true beléeuers should be deliuered from the darknesse of death as Saint Paul speaketh of the Tabernacle Heb. 9. Papists lights then vsed still in their Churches and Massing places are euident signes that themselues see not the true light and as much as lyeth in them they thus confirme that Iewish expectance of the true light Christ as if yet hée were not come I know they haue their excuses or reasons for euerie thing but who is able to abide most of them As in this particular why vse they lights Forsooth in representation of the Trinitie the wax representing the Father the weeke the Sonne and the light the holy Ghost This boldnesse is fearefull and sinfull hauing neither warrant fitnesse nor reuerence Away with these lights therfore and imbrace we the true light who lightneth all that come into the world c. 2 This light also was a figure of true doctrine which euer must shine in the Church and Tabernacle of God The oyle Oliue which they are commaunded to bring you see here must bee pure to note that doctrine must haue no mixture of mans deuices but be pure The Priest is the man that hath charge of these lights and God his Ministers still are the Ministers of light and haue the charge of it in the house of God Happie they if they be carefull of it to their best abilitie that they may one day heare that ioyfull voyce Come come thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull ouer little and therefore now I will make thee ruler ouer much Enter enter into thy Maisters ioy c. 3 The next thing spoken of is the Shew-bread spoken of also before It likewise represented that as yet the true bread from heauen was not come That it is God vpon whom the eyes of all things wait and that openeth his hand feeding both man and all his creatures with his blessings That God so loued the Iewes as hee had them continually at his table with him yea euery Tribe particularly he loued there being 12. Cakes for euerie Tribe one c. More you may see Chap. 25. 4 The third thing touched in this Chapter is the matter of blasphemie vers 10. wherin your words are these And there went out among the children of Israel the son of an Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian and the sonne of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel stroue together in the host So the Israelitish womans sonne blasphemed the name of God and cursed and they brought him vnto Moses And they put him in ward till he told them the mind of the Lord. Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Bring the blasphemer without the host and let all that heard him put their hands vpon his head and let all the Congregation stone him And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying Whosoeuer curseth his GOD shall beare his sinne And hee that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death aswell the stranger as he that is borne in the land when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord let him be slaine What this blaspheming was if you looke your marginall note it saith by swearing or despiting God Interpreters mencion diuerse opinions and scanne both the Hebrew wordes and the Greeke translation of them all which I omit as still mindfull for whom I lahour and I ioyne with him that saith Ego hunc locum sic intelligo quod filius viri Egyptii male precatus sit alteri in iurgio vt fieri solet exoptauerit ei exitium aut calamitatem idque non simpliciter sed per nomen Dei. Non dixit tantum exopto tibi malum sed addidit ac diserte nominanit Deum aut nomen Domini inquiens Dominus det tibi malum per dat te perpetuo I vnderstand this place thus that the sonne of the Egyptian father cursed the other in chiding as the maner is wishing destruction or some calamitie to him and that not simplie but by the name of God For hee said not onely I wish thee euill but added and plainly named God or the name of God saying the Lord giue some euill to thee and vtterly destroy thee Our fearful damned phrases are Gods curse light on thee the plague of God take thee c. Which kind of speaking is most grieuously to abuse the name of God and to prophane it being not onely a breach of the second Table concerning the loue of our neighbour but a breath also of the first Table by taking his most holy name in vain This grieuous offender therfore is not winked at by theÌ„ that heard him neither yet punished by them that had no authoritie out of a colour of zeale but he is orderly and by a right zeale carried to Moses the magistrate and his offence opened there Moses againe although such a man yet will do nothing hasâ—ily in iudgement and especially touching life but he will be
Christs one Oblation and that there is now remission of sinnes séeing the Scripture saith Where there is remission of sinnes there is no more offering for sinnes c. Heb. 10. 18. 2 So Moses did as the Lord God commanded him and the companie was assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Obedience in Moses the Head and chief obedience also in the People vnder him do offer vs here a good Example Such mutuall agréement in great litle to come together to the Tabernacle to vnderstand further of Gods Wil O how commendable in it self how acceptable to God how profitable for others that shall behold sée it Would God any thing might smite our hearts to come to Gods House diligently Certainly the praise of it wil endure wheÌ„ we are dead and the blessing of such zeale vpon our childreÌ„s children Banish then vngodly whisperers to the contrary with all their deceitfull and damnable perswasions and he that hath an eare let him heare what God will say to his soule Let him speake as that good Samuel was taught to speake Say on Lord forthy Seruant heareth 3 Then Moses said vnto the company This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded to doe Nothing but Gods Commandement doth Moses offer vnto them For he well knew Gods will onely in his owne House must be the Rule Our own heads were neuer the best heads to follow and for God he knoweth our mould too well to giue that swinge vnto vs. If we will preach his will he hath a blessing and if we teach our owne fancies he will with his breath blowe away both vs and our idle fancies We offering then but his will to his people and by a plaine course of teaching according to their capacities making that appeare to them as many as are ordayned to eternall life shall beleeue in time to our vnspeakable comfort and their eternall goodâ— and such as must perish if any such be in our flock eâ—â— in those also we shal be a sweet sauour to God because we haue only deliuered to them what we receiued of God not abused theÌ„ with any mans Traditions that cannot saue 4 And Moses brought Aaron his sonnes and washed them with water And put vpon him the coate and girded him with the girdle c. Of all these Ceremonies reade what hath bene noted in the 29. Chap. of Exod. The Tabernacle a type of heauen Heb. 8. 2. cha 9 11 12 24. anoynted to signifie that Heauen is the sanctified Place for perpetuall and eternall rest vnto all the Sonnes of God his Elect before the foundations of the world were laid He powred the Oyle vpon Aarons head so in him who was a Figure of Christ shadowing out the fullnes of the Spirit vpon Christ Psal 44. and Esay 61. He put also coates vpon Aarons sonnes c. They were a Figure of the Church which by Faith eateth also of the Sacrifice of Christ being made partakers of his merit aswell as the Priests Their garments figured out the Graces and gifts wherewith the beleeuers in Christ are adorned beautified Casting away the works of darknes and putting on dayly more and more the deeds of light The Lap of Aarons right eare and his sonnes thumbes of their right handes and the great toes of their feete are anoynted to represent that in Christ there is no left but all right To shew that that his blood should make blessed them on his right-hand and to teach that such as bée his Chosen haue their eares touched and made right hearing with profit good things and sincerely abhorring to heare euill Their workes also shadowed by their right thumbe are holy honest good and in their seuerall vocations they paynfully and carefully walke shadowed by their right toes anoynted with the blood 5 Upon Aarons sonnes Moses did but sprinckle the anoynting oyle which before was said he powred vpon Aaron vers 12. so plainly shewing that in Christ the spirit should be without measure and vpon his seruants in measure wée all receyuing of his fulnesse according to his good pleasure some more some lesse 6 That which is said of abiding at the doore of the Tabernacle day and night seuen dayes and ye shall keepe the watch of the Lord that ye die not is thought to haue shadowed that watch which all our life long noted by the seuen dayes wée kéepe in auoyding sinne and working righteousnesse as the Lord shall inable Which indéede may be called the wrath of the Lord being a holy Christian and happy watch The seuenth day wée shall bée frée fully sanctified and deliuered from this vale of misery to kéepe an eternall Sabaoth in Heauen to our endlesse comfort Thus bréefly for order sake of this Chapter the chiefe points as I said hauing béene touched in the 29. of Exodus CHAP. IX THe Consecration of Aaron and his sonnes being fully ended in this Chap is shewed how they entred vpon their Office began to doe the duties thereof Aaron offering the foure principall Sacrifices to witte the Burnt-offering the Sin-offering the Peace-offering the Meat-offering And for vse vnto vs. First it may be obserued that Moses who was neuer consecrated himselfe doth consecrate and inuest Aaron into his Office that so men might learne to ascribe all to God the authoritie I meane and effect of the outward signe 2 In that Aaron is commanded to offer aswell for himselfe as his people verse 7. The Apostle to the Hebr. reasoneth that the Leuiticall Priest-hood was weake but a shadow of a stronger namely of Christs For such an High-Priest saith he it became vs to haue as needeth not dayly like those in the Law to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for his peoples c. Read the 7. Chap. verse 26 27. Also the 5. Chap. Verse 3. Hée was also herein a Figure of Christ not that Christ had any sins of his owne but that ours were so layd vpon him and he so made satisfaction to God for them as if they had bene his owne Surely saith the Prophet He hath borne Our infirmities and caryed Our sorrowes yet We did iudge him as plagued and smitten of GOD and humbled That is wée iudged euill as though hée were punished for his owne sinnes and not for ours But hee was wounded for Our transgressions he was broken for Our iniquites the chastesment of Our peace was vpon him and with his stripes We are healed 3 When it is said Aaron lift vp his hand and blessed the people vers 22. Wée must consider that héerein hée was plainly a Figure of Christ who onely can blesse béeing onely the séede of Abraham In whom all the Nations of the world are blessed and in whom saith S. Paul The Father hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenly things As with the blessing
of Reconciliation to himselfe reputing vs now iust for his Sonne Christ and Sonnes and Heires of all heauenly benefits with the blessing of his Spirit whereby wée walke in his calling béeing guided and gouerned therby in the same with the blessing of acceptance of all our workes though full of imperfection and weaknesse and with this great blessing That all aduersitie becommeth a helpe to vs to draw vs to Heauen and eternall rest c. How are wée bound to loue such a GOD Let vs often fall into the reckoning of it and rise vp in thankefull speaches and thoughts as others of his seruants haue done before vs vpon the same cause Namely Saint Augustin whose wordes are these Minus te amat O Deus qui aliquid tecum amat quod non propter te amat O GOD hee loueth thee not as much as hee should who loueth any thing els but thee which he loueth not for thee Saint Cyprian Disce nihil Deo praeponere quia Deus nihiltibi praeposuit Learne O man to prefer nothing in thy loue before God because he hath preferred nothing before thee in his loue No no not the life and blood of his owne deare and onely Sonne Saint Bernard Quando ignorabam me instruxit quando errabam me reduxit quando steti me tenuit quando cecidi me erexit quando veni me suscepit c O quid retribuam When I was ignorant he instructed mee when I erred he reclaymed mee when I stood hee held me vp when I fell he raysed me when I came to him he receiued me c O what should I giue to the Lord for these fauours c. 4 And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people And there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the Altar the Burnt-offering and the fat which when all the people sawe they gaue thankes and fell on their faces or they gaue a shoute for ioy Thus did the Lord please to confirme both that maner of worshipping him by such Sacrifices and the Ministerie of Aaron and his sonnes now chosen and consecrated to that Office The like credite he gaue to Elias his Prophet When fire from Heauen came downe and consumed the Burnt-offering and the wood and the stones and the dust licked vp the water that was in the ditch Which the people also sawe and there fell againe vpon their faces and sayd The Lord He is GOD The Lord Hee is GOD. Againe When Salomon had made an ende of praying fire came downe from Heauen and consumed the Burnt-offering and the Sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the House Such mercie in the Lord to méete with mans weakenesse is duely and carefully to bée thought of all péeuish frowardnesse to bée instructed and to beléeue as a most vnfit thing for any that looke for Heauen to be abandoned and cast away Left after all meanes in mercie offered to winne vs and saue vs wée be destroyed with some fearefull iudgement that all the world may talke of vs for our obstinacie This I say because euen this gracious God is the same to man by his Holy-word and infinite fauours séeking vs as lost Shéepe to be wonne vnto him Let vs read let vs search let vs day and night indeuoure to know his holy Will and then constantly and faithfully walke in the same whilest we haue a day to liue This fire from Heauen did not plainlier confirme them than the euidence of his Word doth all those at this day that will looke into it And aswell may we at this day fall vpon our faces and giue a shoute in thankefulnesse for the great glory of the same in the Ministerie of his Seruants indued with great gifts of knowledge and power to expound open the same vnto vs as they did héere or in other places for such visible Lestimonies of his approbation God strike vs and worke with vs for his mercies sake that wée may liue and not die praysing and blessing his Name for euer for his Godnesse Amen Amen CHAP. X. IN the former Chapter hauing shewed by that miracle of fire frō heauen how he accepteth of worship done according to his will now in this by a dreadfull iudgement vpon the two sonnes of Aaron he sheweth how he abhorreth all presumption of man to serue him any other way The sinne and death of the young men for their sinne is layd-downe in these words But Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron tooke either of them his Censar and put fire therein and put incense thereupon and offered strange fire before the Lord which he had not commaunded them Therefore a fire went out from the Lord and deuoured them so they dyed before the Lord. Their sinne was then that to burne incense withall they tooke not the fire from the Altar of that which came downe from Heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests till the Captiuitie of Babilon but other fire which therefore is called strange fire because it was not fire appointed and commaunded Which fault in mans eyes may séeme to haue excuse ann not to deserue so fearefull a punishment For they were but yet gréene in their office and so of ignorance might offend being not yet well acquainted with the nature of their Office Againe of forgetfulnesse they might offend not remembring or thinking of the matter as they ought Thirdly there was no malice in them or purpose to doe euill but wholly they aymed at Gods seruice with a true meaning although in the manner they missed somewhat But all these and whatsoeuer like excuses were as figge-leaues before God vaine and weake to defend them from guiltinesse in the breach of his commaundement and not withstanding any such they are thus fearefully and dreadfully deuoured with fire from God that they then we no◠and all flesh to the worlds end might learne and settle in our hearts two thinges First with what seueritie the Lord challengeth defendeth his authoritie in laying-downe the way and manner of his worship not leauing it to any creature to meddle with but according to prescription and appointment from him Content he is that men shall make lawes for humane matters concerning their worldly estate in this earth as shal be fittest for the place where they liue lawes against murder theft oppression c. but for his diuine worship he onlywill prescribe it himselfe and what he appoynteth that must be done and that onely or else Nadab and Abihu their punishment expected that is Gods wrath expected in such manner as he shall please The Poynt is good to be carefully marked and would god it might take full place in all hearts The Scriptures are plaine and they would be seriously thought of you shall not doe euery man what seemeth good in his owne eies but what I cōmaund what I I command that that shall yee doe c. 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