his All-powerfull blood Fourthly this laying on the hand shewed that men bringing Sacrifices to God should rather sacrifice themselues and all their exorbitant affections than that beast For manie are content to giue their goods to God but themselues to the deuill which God abhorreth Lastly this Ceremonie taught them of what minde they should be when they offered namely of this that they thought the fauours and mercies of God so great and gracious towards them that if they should euen offer themselues to the death for him and indéede dye as that beast must yet no recompence would that be worthy such a louing Lord and answerable to such his great kindnesse When it is said in the Text that such sacrifice should be axcepted to the Lord to be his atonement vers 4. and in the 9. vers for a sweet sauour vnto the Lord or a sauour of rest which pacifieth the anger of the Lord these promises being no deceiuings of men but true as the Promise-maker is euer true We must note and consider that there was a satisfying power in those Legall sacrifices whereby the right Offerer was loosed and clâ—ered from guilt in the sight of God not that brute creatures of theÌ„selues could doe thus but as they were true figures of Christ and grace by him to be obtained and had sacramentally Therefore they satisfied and helped or reconciled to God as at this day we are washed sacramentally by Baptisme Profitable then no further but as they were exercises to true repentance and faith that sinners might learne to feare the wrath of God and to séeke saluation in Christ and Christ onely Seuenthly the burnt Offering was slaine to fore shew the death of Christ O fooles and slowe of heart saith our Sauiour to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered those things to enter into his glorie And he began at Moses all the Prophets throughly interpreted vnto them c. Now thinke with your self wherin Moses that is the Law did so shew the death of Christ as by these deathes and killings of the Sacrifices But who offred the slaine sacrifice any but the Priest No that so it might be shadowed how that there is no power in man to please God but by the chiefe and high Priest Christ Jesus of whom the Leuiticall Priest was a type and a figure Eightly the Priests sonnes offered the blood and sprinkled it round about vpon the Altar that is by the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation The blood noting the death of Christ and the sprinckling the preaching of it through the world Ninthly the burnt Offering was flayed and the skinne plucked off then was it cut in peeces vers 6. Hereby was noted the great and gréeuous bitternesse of Christ his Passion who should for maÌ„s sake be stripped-out of all humane helpe and made as bare and naked of all worldly glory shew credite and estimation with men as this Sacrifice was turned out of his skinne Remember what you read in the Psalme spoken of Christ in the person of Dauid I am a worme and no man a shame of men and the contempt of the people All they that see mee haue me in derision they make a mowe and nodde the head saying He trusted in the Lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seeing he loueth him And so foorth as followeth in the Psalme Adde vnto it what you read in Esay He hath neither forme nor beautie when wee shall see him there shall be no forme that we should desire him He is despised and reiected of men c we hid our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Both which Prophecies are Expositions of this shadow may truly tell vs how his skinne was plucked of An other vse there might be to the partie that Offered the burnt Sacrifice euen to teach him to pull-off his skinne and to offer himselfe vp to the Lord flayed and without skinne that is without all counterfeit and bypocriticall shewes without all earthly vaine and proud confidence in himself or any workes or vertue or worth whatsoeuer in him but naked and bare to present himselfe to his God that is with a single a simple a true and a faithfull heart boasting of no desert but humbly crauing mercy and pardon and life for the true Sacrifice sake Christ Iesus who in time should come so suffer for mans sins to set him frée And surely thus still must wée be flayed skinned in all our prayers approachings to God or else we shall deceiue our selues be disappointed of our desire The proud Pharisce in the Gospell was not thus but came with his skinne on and let his example teach vs. The poore Publican was flayed and came with skinne off let it comfort and incourage vs. Tenthly your Chapter saith And the sonnes of Aaron the Priest shall put fire vpon the Altar and lay the wood in order vpon the fire Then the Priests Aarons sonnes shall lay the parts in order the head and the kall vpon the wood that is in the fire vpon the Altar In that body and head and all was laid in the fire it might note how whole Christ should suffer for vs that is Christ wholy both in body and soule for our bodies and soules that had sinned and so you know Christ did verifying and fulfilling the Figure Againe by the head might be vnderstood himselfe and by the parts his Church and members all in the fire all burnt together that it might be shewed the suffering of Christ to belong to his Chosen both in fruite and sense The fruite is his taking away of their sins The sense is their suffering also with him for him which is fit when it shall be his blessed pleasure and alotted to vs but in mercie that so suffering with him we might also reigne with him eternally in his Kingdome The Disciple is not greater than his Master c. Matth. 10. 24. And Blessed is the man whom God correcteth therefore refuse not thou the chastising of the Almightie For hee maketh the wound and bindeth it vp He smiteth and his handes make whole againe c. So saith S. Iames againe Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed hee shall receiue the crowne of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Thirdly in the fire might be shadowed the power of the Spirit and this Lesson so learned that as the fire gaue those Legall Sacrifices their sauour was as it were the sawce that made them taste well so is the Spirit to all our duties the means to season them and giue them liking with the Lord. Pray then without Spirit and what is it Heare the Word preached without Spirit and what doe you Receiue the Sacrament without this working Spirit and how can you doe well Marke it
GOD is neuer pleased with any thing that is ours whilest wee retaine and keepe that which is not ours But marke well an Offering to the Lord beside that satisfaction of men And through all Moses finde me a place where sinne is taken away otherwise than by Sacrifice Now whatsoeuer is attributed to the Sacrifices the same is plainly taken away from mans workes And if it was neuer the meaning of God to tye that people to the out-ward Sacrifice it selfe but by the same to leade them to Christ shadowed by the Sacrifice then apparant it is to all men that there is no meanes to take away sinne but onely by Christ Which all men will not confesse because they would establish works in farther strength thaÌ„ God hath giuen 4 Well weigh it againe in the 7. verse and euer throughout these Bookes That the Priest must make the aâ—onement so euer signifying that not in the Sacrifice but in the Priest-hood was the matter Now that Priest-hood noted Christ his Office And therefore as then no Sacrifice pleased but offered by the Priest so at this day nothing of ours as prayer and such like auaileth but in Christ and by Christ our onely and eternall High-Priest Againe the Text saith before the Lord this atonement shall be thereby ouerthrowing the wicked error of them that affirmed a ciuill purgation onely of sinne by those Sacrifices and not any spirituall promise in them Which I say is most wicked as well as false Because so those Sacrifices and Exercises of pietie should no way haue serued to bréede and strengthen Faith in man touching his spirituall estate whereunto in déede they wholly aymed and effectually wrought in the godly that vsed them rightly 5 The second point in this Chapter is concerning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Sacrifices And first of the firevpon the Altar wherwith the Burnt-offering was consumed The Text is thus Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Command Aaron and his sonnes saying This is the Law of the Burnt-offering it is the Burnt-offering because it burneth vpon the Altar all the night vnto the morning and the fire burneth on the Altar c. So carefull is God of this continuall burning that if you marke it is repeated ouer and ouer In the 12. verse againe but the fire vpon the Altar shall burne there and neuer be put out Againe in the 13. verse The fire shall euer burne vpon the Altar and neuer goe out c. To this ende the Priests care was to féede it with wood and sée to it day and night and with no other fire might either Sacrifice or Incense be burned and offered to God This fire was carefully kept vpon the Altar to the captiuitie of Babilon and afterward found againe of Nehemias 2. Machâ—b 1. 18. 19 verses Of like from hence might grow that great honour and regard which the Heathens had fire in whereof we read often The Athenians in their Prytaneo and at Delphos and at Rome of those Vestall Virgins continuall fire was kept and of many it was worshipped as a GOD. The Persians called it Orismada that is Holy-fire and in publicke pompe they vsed to carry it before Kings with great solemnitie A merry Tale there is of this god Fire which I will repeate The Chaldeans say our Bookes worshipping this vaine god proudly boasted that of all other gods he was the strongest conquering and consuming all other gods of the Gentiles And no maruell for they were either wood or mettall that by fire might bée defaced This bragge at last came to the eares of a Priest of Canopus This Canopus was Maister of Menelaus shippes and dying in an Jland at the entrie of Nilus the famous Riuer of Egypt caused that Iland to be called after his name and was there honoured for a God This Priest fearing lest his god Canopus the Image béeing belike of some mettall might come in contempt and so his liuing be taken away deuised thus with himselfe Hée got a water-pot full of holes like vnto these that we water gardens withall stopped vp all the holes with waxe filled it full of water painted it very trimme and setting it very artificially vpon the toppe of the old Image of his god Canopus brought him foorth to contend with the Chaldeans god of fire which of them should be the greater The fire was set about him and great expectation in the beholders which way the victorie would goe By and by when the heat of the fire had melted the waxe that stopped the holes of the pot the water began to streame out at all the holes quite put out the fire about it Then there was a cry by all Canopus friends Victorie victorie and from that time Canopus that Idoll was counted through this subtiltie of the Priest the strongest God of all others Thus blinde are men when God giueth not light and thus easily abused when they are blinde We may maruell lesse at this great simplicity if we consider what is taught and held by these that thinke themselues wise in these dayes Namely that the water called Holy-Water sprinkled in the graue of a dead man not only purgeth the same man from all spot of sinne but extinguisheth also in great part that fell-fire which they call Purgatorie-fire Thus you sée mens follyes both of fire and water But passe we them ouer and come to the Matter What might be the reason why God appoynted this Ceremonie of continuall fire vpon the Altar and how may we profit by it First there was figured by it the death of Christ from the beginning of the world Namely that he was the Lambe slayne from the beginning for Mankinde and by this shadow they were led to beléeue That although as yet Christ was not come in the flesh neuerthelesse the fruit of his death belonged to them aswell as to those that should liue when hée came or was come for this fire was continuall and went not out no more did the fruite of his Passion faile to any True-beleeuer euen from the beginning But they were saued by beléeuing that he should come as we are now by beleeuing that he is come Also this fire came from Heauen Leuit. 9. vers 24 and so should Christ in the time appointed This fire was euer in and neuer went out and so is God euer ready to accept our Sacrifices and appointed duties euer ready to heare vs and forgiue vs but we are slow and dull and come not to him as we ought No other fire might be vsed but this and so they were taught to kéepe to Gods Ordinances and to flye from all inuentions of their owne heads For euer it was true and euer will be true In vaine do men worship me teaching for Doctrines mens praecepts Our owne deuises séeme they neuer so wise so fit so holy and excellent they are strange fire not that fire that came from Heauen Not that fire that God will be pleased
they shall in time bee deliuered from false imputations 100. they are comforted 45 46 53 304. though theiâ— persons may be thoâ—ght conteÌ„ptible yet God is in them by them powerfull 83 though their gifts places be but meane yet are they not therefore altogether vnprofitable 397. God doth strike a reuerence of them into the hearts of great o 〈…〉 es 174 415 451. yet often the chiefest of their parish are their chiefest hindereâ—s 194 but they may comfort themselues with example of the loâ—ds goodnesse 318. the verie dust of their feet shal be a witâ—esse against their enemies 131. Miâ—isteâ—s must not bee duâ—be 412. nor idâ—e 317. nor to much absent 224 357 383. 442. they must be obedient to Gods worâ— 4â—â— Ministers may be lawfully distinguish froâ— others by appaâ—ell 408 412. M 〈…〉 les wrought by Moses 5â— they doe not reforme the wicked â—4 they 〈…〉 bee tryed by gods word 36. 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 from worders bid Mi 〈…〉 ms song 234. how she iâ— calle◠〈◊〉 sister 235. Monarâ—â—â—e 306. Moneths of Septeâ—ber October c. why so caâ—led 1â—5 Morâ—ll law is the law of nature 327. Moses borne of a blemished t 〈…〉 e yet 〈…〉 fed to be the deliuerer of Gods people 〈◊〉 refâ—sed to sucke an Egyptian 〈…〉 called to be a deliue 〈…〉 of Gods people 〈◊〉 he was foâ—tie yeaâ—eâ— old 22 and the◠〈…〉 ueth all pleasâ—â—es to foâ—low 〈◊〉 calling 〈…〉 kilâ—ing of the Egyptian is no warraâ—t for prâ—uate men to kiâ—l ibid. he was eightie yeâ—â—es old when he câ—me to be a de 〈…〉 2◠〈◊〉 praâ—eth priuately 30. he was a diligâ—nt obseruer of thinge done by God 33. readie to answere when God calleth 34. his 〈…〉 39. his 〈…〉 not to gâ—â— into Egypt 4â— 5â— how he came by his infâ—rmitie of 〈…〉 the height of his weakenesse 〈…〉 his dâ—te to 〈◊〉 5â— his 〈…〉 with God 70. how he was 〈◊〉 God 〈…〉 the vse of the miracles done by him 〈…〉 his rod 〈…〉 into a into blood causes theâ—eof c. N. Names at Baptisme giuen vpon diuers occasions and of what they should remember vs 21 22. God knowes euery man by name 433. Names of God 72. Name of God vsurped by the Pope 79. and by other men 80. Names vsurped by Papists 143. Names of the tribes vpon the breast-plate what they signifie 412. Nature of God incomprehensible 325. Nature of man weake and euer doubting 48 50 297. being freed from the rod sinneth againe 100. it is apt to learne the corruption of the place where we abide 439. Natures lawe 351. Nature is Gods seruant 121 241. God can worke aboue the course of nature 260. Negatiues shew the excellencie of the habit 455. Neâ—ghbours goods are to be cared for 336. Night hath both iudgement and meâ—câ—e waking and walking 175. God prouideth for vs in the night 270. We must meditate of God c. in the night 176. Why the Passeouer was to be killed at night 188. Night how deuided into paâ—ts 226. Night of ignorance and the night of sinne 221 222. Nilus turned into bloud 89. Nobilitie 463. Non-residencie 224 357 383 442. Numbring of the people lawfull 428 429. O. Obedience of God may not be hindred by conceits of men 61. it is hard to shew it vnder the crosse 74 it is to be performed wholy and not in part 199 130. it is to be shewed in things commaunded 465. Obâ—dience to Gods word 119. Obedience to Gods Ministers 197. Obedience to Magistrates 310. Obedience euer acceptable 419. Obseruation how â—eedfull 33. Obstinacie against God 111. punished 11â— Occasions of sinne taken away 206. Oldman 417. Omer what measure it was 267. Omnipotenâ—ie of God 73 104 167 168 184 231 232 260. it is both fearefull and comfortable 198. God doth not worke all he can 206. Oppressors warned 37 344. Oppression 336 352. Orphanes 344. Outward signes should go with inward truth 230. Oyle signifieth the Gospell and faith 396. Oyle and wine signifie faith and repentance 423. Oyle signifieth the holie Ghost 405 413 431. Popish oyling 414. P. Pan a God worshipped by the Heathen 437. Papists being learned harden the hearts of the ignorant 85. being ignorant when they cannot answere our reasons they shift them off as Pharaoh did the miracles c. ibid they are obstinate 142 422. they will not be wonne by their owne men 104. they are in shew courteous 141. but iâ—dâ—ed cruel 142 422. Papists giue out that they are more blessed then the Virgin Mary 143. Papists did not build our Churches 366. Papists compared to Locusts or Grashoppers 132 134 135 to Scorpions 136. to Horses 139. to women 141 to Lyons 142. Partes of this booke of Exodus pag. 2. Parents ought to teach their children 126 196 197. Paâ—ents should not be striken 333 334. Parents conâ—ent in the marriage of their children 341. Passion of Christ prefigured 189 190. the publishing thereof prefigured 416. Passeouer the name the time of the institution the place where it was eaten 185. the manner thereof with the signification of euery thing 186. c. Patience 61 74 83 279. Peoples frowardnes 15. the Ministers discouragement 49 50 51 83. and their obedience is his ioy 317 they should delight in a godly teacher 396. they ought not to direct their Minister 438. their inconstancie 69 280 281 438. Perfume 431. Perseueranâ—e in going forward 209 216. Persâ—cuâ—ions by Romane Emperours 10. Pharaoh hardned by his enchanters 85. alâ—bi passim Pharaohs daughters name 19. her humilitie 21. she was reckoned among the Gods for bringing vp Moses 174. Philosophers may be vsed as seruants to Diuinitie 173 363. Pillar of fire 207 c. Pittie not to be shewed where God condemneth 458. Plagues by small things haue ouerthrowne great both persons and places 94. one in the neck of another 121. if lesse preuaile not greater will be sent 89 91 92 112 113 115 159 163 181. Plagues of the Egiptians see Egyptians Pledges 340. Pomp 326. Pompey wanted honour of buriall 425. Poore are not to be wronged 352. Poore are to be relieued 353 354 360. Pope he would be God 79 80. he is a monster neither God nor man 80 135 his pedegree 133. hee is the cause of warres 139 c. hee came from Hell 144. he may erre 440. hee may be rebuked 445. Poperie is no cause of plenty 257. Poperie is not the best religion for a common-wealth 458. All that died in the time of Poperie were not cast away 138 and therefore we may comfortably hope of our forefathers liuing in that time 304. Popish superstition in preferring one place before another 35. Popâ—sh rememberances 205. Popish doctrine of doubting 287. Popish altars 403. tapers 404. oyling â—14 the making of their oyntment 432. Trâ—nta's and Maâ—les 179 cake 187. Popâ—sh priests are no ministers of the Gospell 432. Posteritie fareth the worse for want of religion in predecessors 64. Posteritie prospereth with well gotten goods 269. Pouertie 37 251 260 267 268
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
and fetch their Cattell in according to it Looke therefore euer at obedience and iudge thereby of your heart at the least looke at the willingnes of your hart to obey though humane frailety cause some imperfectioÌ„ When Iosiah his hart melted when those Iewes harts were pricked wheÌ„ those Trauellers harts burned in the way to EMMAVS then was it wel you know with al of them And such féeling must euer make vs well also For there be too many that say Moses what the can will fetch neither seruants nor cattell into the house to whoÌ„ it shal happen one day as suredly as here it did to the Egyptians Uengeance shal come down one way or other and light vpon them as here did thunder hayle and fire and lightning vpon the despisers of Moses warning For with an heard heart saith the Wise-man it shal neuer be well in the end If a condemned man should refuse his Prince his gratious pardon died he not iustly If a besieged Citie should refuse offered aide perished it not worthelie So standeth it with Contemners of the word which is a gratious pardon for all our offences and a sauing ayde to our besieged soules When a sicke man refuseth meate we doubt of his well-doing but if he féede well wee hope of life So is it with vs if we receiue the Word or refuse the Word For he that is of God saith our Sauiour heareth Gods word and who so will not as sure a signe it is on the other side For you therefore heare not because ye are not of GOD. A fish fresh and swéete is knowne by the eare being fresh and swéete and so is euer a good Christian Search then your selfe by this Rule and you shall profit either to prayer for what you misse or to thankes-giuing for what you finde In the eye of Christ it was so blessed a thing to heare obey the word that he pronounced happinesse rather to such than to the wombe that bare him and the paps that gaue him sucke A moouing spéech if we haue any life in vs. 13. Then Moses stretched out his rod towards Heauen and the Lord sent thunder and hayle and lightning vpon the ground and the Lord caused hayle to raine vppon the land of Egypt So there was hayle fire mingled with the hayle so grieuous as there was none throughout all the land of Egypt since it was a Nation Of which strange Plague many things are written which I will cut off séeking onely to make some profitable vse vnto vs of it Grandinem fulgura immisit illis ostendens quòd ipse sit Dominus omnium elementorum Et enim tam Aegyptij quaÌ„ Graeci existimabant quosdaÌ„ Deos esse coelestes alios subterraneos Et hos quideÌ„ imperare terrae illos vero mari alios in montes alios in agros imperiuÌ„ habere Quapropter etiam Syrus dicebat Deus mâ—ntiuÌ„ Deus Israel non conualliuÌ„ Ob id meri to Deus omniuÌ„ non soluÌ„ per fluuiuÌ„ terram sed per aërem mare castigauit eos flumina coelitùs illis immisit doceÌ„s quòd ipsesit Dominus Creator omnium quod beatus Moses dixit vt cognoscas quód Domini sit terra tu serui tui He sent vpon them Hayle and Lightning to shew that he was Lord of all the elements For both the Egyptians and Graecians had a conceipt that there were some Gods of the Heauens some of the earth and some vnder the earth that one sort ruleth the Earth an other sort the Sea one sort the Mountaines another sort the fields Wherefore that Syrian said the God of Israel is the God of mountaines not of vallies Wherefore God rightly heere chastised theÌ„ not only by the Waters and the Earth but by the Ayre also and the Sea and sent Thunder Lightning froÌ„ Heauen vpon them that so he might teach and shew that he is Lord and Creator of all things Which blessed Moses said in those words to Pharaoh that thou mightest know how the Earth and Thou and thy Seruants are in the Lords power Let it make vs soundly settle in our hearts euer both what héere we sée and what other Scriptures testifie of Him He raineth downe snares fire brimstone storme and tempest And it is the Lord that commaundeth the waters it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder Fire and hayle snow and vapours winde and storme fulfill his word Whether therefore wee be hindered or furthered by weather let vs euer cast vp our eyes to Heauen for it is the Lord still that ruleth these things and by his Will they come and goe Nature is His seruant and the Deuill is His rod neither of them working but as he appointeth The very Heathens had a glimpse of this truth when they taught Aeolus to be God of the winde and Neptune God of the Sea supposing that by some God these things must be gouerned Thinke then of the yéere 1588. and poure out his praise that so gouerned these things for our comfort On the other side when so euer they shall crosse our affaires either by Sea or Land stoope we to Him in humilitie search out our wayes what wee knowe amisse and amend it spéedily that the Lord may rebuke both winde and sea for our profit Furthermore in this that the Lord sent this plague of thunder and lightning vpon the Egyptians let vs learne how he commeth not stealing to wrath and iudgement against rebellious sinners but ratling and shaking both Heauen and Earth The fruite whereof should bee to make vs feare to offend For I will make the eares of whosoeuer heareth to tingle saith the Lord at that which I will doo so noting a fierce fearefull publique procéeding against sinne and sinners as it were vpon Stages house tops not in darknes and in secret Againe fire was mingled with hayle to teach that his Judgements shall not bee single but euen one vpon the necke of another vntill wee be either humbled or destroyed according vnto his will One Example of many that are in Gods Booke and other Histories may suffice Haman that wicked enemie of the Church true Religion was at length to taste of Gods Justice for his sinnes and how commeth the Lord against him closely couertly No but euen with thunder and lightning as héere against Pharaoh that is with open and great shew to all men of his wrath For first he is made to leade his horse in honour of him whom of all men he most maliced secondly hee falleth iustlie into his Princes heauie indignation and when hee humblie sued at the Quéenes féete for pardon hee was taken by the King as intending high villanie which encreased the Kings wrath mightily thirdly he is dispatched away to be hanged vpon that Gallowes which in his greatnes he had prepared for another fourthly his house and Land his honour and
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
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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