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. Read all the Chapter Looke in euery Chapter
foorth Read you the text and marke euerie particular thing as it is expressed For exposition whereof you may know that first this Arke was an out-ward signe vnto that people of God his presence amongst them and therfore as in other things the name of the thing signified is attributed to the signe so is it in this For you read Dauids words so when he sent to fetch the Arke of God WHOSE NAME IS CALLED BY THE NAME OF THE LORD OF HOSTES THAT DVVELLETH BETVVEEN THE CHERVBIMS And in the Booke of Numbers when the campe remooued they spake to it as to God Vp Lord and let thine enemies be scattered c. Secondly as men are apt and prone to abuse outward signes and Sacraments tying God to them and too much trusting in them so did the Israelites abuse this Arke For in the time of Heli that Priest when they had war with the Philistines and were put to the worse streight way they sent for the Arke out of Shiloh and alledge this reason That it might saue them out of the hands of their enemies And when it came into the host they shouted a mightie shout so that the earth rang againe when God was not tied to the Arke but could be present with them without it neither could the outward matter of the Arke profit them So abuse some men that words of the Scripture as of S. Iohn his Gospel hanging thē about their necks and putting trust in that outward words whereof S. Chrysostom much complaineth if that be his work vpon Mathew which is ascribed to him Thus in our time is the Sacrament of the Lords bodie abused by carying the outward signes vp down on horsback foot and giuing that to the signe which is proper to the thing signified Thirdly for that Name you may obserue it is called the Arke of the Couenāt the Arke of the Testament the Arke of the Testimonie The reason because in this Arke was the law kept written in the two tables which law is called the book of the Couenāt Exo. 24. 7. or the Testament of God Psal 78. 10. or the Testimonies of God ps 119. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies I haue had as great delight in the way of thy Testimonies as in all maner of riches And in this Chapter Thou shalt put in the arke the Testimonie which I shal giue thee v. 16. for the like cause also shall you read the whole Tabernacle called the Tabernacle of the Couenant or of the Testimonie because it contayned this Arke wherein the lawe was Fourthly for the significatiō some make this Arke a figure of Christ and resemble it thus The wood wherof the Ark was made was Sittim wood a durable and lasting wood not subiect to wormes and corruption as other wood is so representing and shadowing the humanitie of Christ whose bodie in the graue felt no corruption or putrifaction as other mens flesh and bodies doe neither was subiect to sinne That wood was ouerlaid with pure gold both within and without so shadowing out the diuine nature of Christ vnited to his manhood the incomprehensible excellencie whereof wee haue nothing heere in earth more precious than Gold to resemble and yet euen in that no comparison The crowne of gold that went about it shadowed the Maiestie of his kingdome of which so great things are spoken in the Scripture The Ringes and the Barres by which the Arke was carried were shadowing figures of the preaching of the Gospell by which Christ is caried borne from place to place through the world as his owne diuine will shall appoint The Barres remained euer in the Rings might not be taken out so figuring that preaching Christ must not be seuered but euer be together Wherefore whosoeuer teacheth preacheth mans merits as eyther wholly or partly the cause of saluation y◠Preacher Teacher pulleth the Barres out of the Rings seuereth them from the Arke a thing forbidden vnlawfull offending God hurting eternally the partie so doing without vndeserued mercie The Arke must be carried onely by the Leuites and not by euerie Tribe so is there a calling still to the preaching of the word and euerie man indifferently may not do it those Leuites were able to carrie the Arke and so should men called to the Ministerie be able to preach in some measure though not in like measure as neither had the Leuites like bodily strength neither had like burdens imposed vpon them They were also willing and carefull to do what they were able and commaunded to do and certainly euen so should it be in preaching power and paines should goe to gether otherwise the sinne is as great now as it should haue béen then in that kind of bearing that material Arke the figure and shadow of Christ and of this bearing of him before our brethren if it had béene then neglected eyther for want of strength or will Hence are the Ministers called the pillars of the Church A thing not so deepely considered of many Ministers as it should and as I pray God make it to be To the calling we come of carying the Arke but from the paines many runne and let the Arke alone It will not euer be borne of a iust God and therefore happie he that returneth soonest to his office This Arke as hath beene said was a signe of Gods presence so that when the Arke was there God was thought to be there but how much more is Iesus Christ the cause that God is present with vs from whom our sinne had so seuered vs as where we were hee would not bee and where hee was wee could not be In this Arke was the lawe to shadow how Christ for vs should vndergoe the lawe satisfie and fulfill it in all points and so free and deliuer vs from it There was the pot of Manna shadowing that Christ should be the true bread from Heauen nourishing to eternall life all those that faithfully feede vpon him And thirdly there was Aarons rod that budded so to represent the Priesthood of Christ for euer after the order of Melchisedech and his Resurrection who being dead liued againe as Aarons rod dead and drie budded and bare againe Finally where the Arke was there was it lawfull to serue God and not in euerie place and where Christ is there is the Church and without him no seruice nor labour acceptable in whom and by whom only we can please What an excellent figure then was this Arke of Christ and how rightly though some-what obscurely for so then it pleased God to deale did it lay before the Iewes their future Messiah Others haue made it a figure of the Church and followed the application that way As for the name the Arke as you haue heard was called the Arke of his Couenant and what is the true Church but the people of his Couenant that is a peculiar flocke and companie chosen of God with whom he
with our swéete gratious God it is far otherwise of whom the Prophet Hosea speaketh thus Quomodo affligam te Israel aut quomodo puniam te O Ephraim Iusté quidem te delerem sed conuersum est in me cor meum Exarsit comiseratio mea non faciam furorem irae meae quia Deus ego sum et non Homo c. How should I afflict thee O Israel Or how should I punish thee O Ephraim Iustly might I destroy thee but my heart is turned within me my mercie burneth towards thee I will not execute the furie of my wrath because I am God not mā c. Thus thus let vs gather comfort and in all stormes look vnto him and hold fast by him he is the same and no Changling good before good now and good euer Chastise vs he may for our good but forsake vs to our harme he will neuer Fyre tryeth gold affliction the godlie Abraham euen past hope yet beleeued vnder hope and so doo you If the Lord should kill me saith Iob yet will I put my trust in him Aske since the world was made who euer claue fast vnto him and was shaken of by him No saith Christ whom I loue to the end I loue and he that commeth vnto me I neuer cast away God for his Sons sake strengthen our harts in al our waies and giue vs assurance immoueable that he dwelleth with vs according to this promise Amen Amen CHAP. 30. 1. THe Holy-Ghost hauing thus passed ouer the ordinarie Sacraments of the lawe in the 25. and 26 Chapters the obseruations belonging thereunto in the 27. and 28. the Sacrifices in this last 29. Chapter Now in this 30. he layeth down such things as belonged to the Ministring of all the former And by name noteth 5. sorts of holy instruments whereof the first belongeth to Gods seruice the second to the whole Ministerie to wit the money for the maintenance of the Sanctuarie the third is the Lauer the fourth is the holye Oyle the fift is the Incense the manner to make it Touching the Altar of Incense if you marke the Text you shall sée in the first verse the matter of it Sittim wood in the second verse the forme of it thus long thus broad in the third verse the adorning of it it was ouerlaide with gold in the fourth and fift verses the helpes to carry it as rings barres c in the sixt verse the place for it to wit before the vayle neere the Arke in the seauenth and eight verses the vse of it to burne sweete perfume vpon it Morning and Euening in the ninth verse the holinesse of it in that no strange incense might be offered vpon it And lastly in the tenth verse a peculiar reconciliation by sacrifice to be made vpon the hornes of this Altar once in a yeere by blood 2. Concerning the mysterie and meaning of all these thus you may safely meditate of them The Altar of incense was of Wood and couered with gold figuring so Christ in both his Natures the Wood his humanitie the gold his Diuinitie the Deitie yéelding glorie and Maiestie to his Manhood as the gold adorned and beautifyed the Shittim wood You remember an other Altar in the Court of the TABERNACLE whereupon all the Sacrifices were offered and that was of Brasse now this ouerlaide thus with gold and as as it were of gold Both of them shadowed out Christ and this difference of matter happely the difference of his estate when humbled here on earth and when glorified now in Heauen The brasen Altar standing in the Court might note his meane accompt in the World before his passion This golden Altar standing in the Sanctuarie might note his Glorie and Maiestie in Heauen after his ascension For the Sanctuarie is a figure of Heauen The forme of this Altar square significantly represented the firme stabilitie of Christ who cannot bee ouerthrowne The Crowne about it the regall dignitie of Christ and of all those that are ingrafted to him For wee are kings and Priestes in him and by him Peter saith A royall Priesthood c. The hornes of the foure corners the power and force of our heauenly Altar CHRIST dispersed ouer the Worlde to the East West North and South in such as will beléeue in HIM The sweete Incense generally noted all duties and seruices which the people of GOD doo to him by his appointment and warrant and that they smell swéete before him as the Incense and are accepted of him But particularly the Prayers of GODS faithfull for so DAVID in his PSALME expounded it saying Let my prayer come before thee as the Incense and the lifting vp of my hands be as an Euening SACRIFICE And so the Custome noted which was That whilest the Priest was burning this Incense within in the Sanctuarie the people were without at prayer Also in the Reuelation thus you reade That the twentie foure Elders fell downe before the Lambe hauing Harpes and Golden Viols full of odours which are the PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS Againe in the eight Chapter An other Angell stood before the Altar hauing a golden censer and much odours was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden ALTAR which is before the throne This resemblance was very fit if you marke it shewed the Nature of true praier For what dooth the smoake of the incense but ascend vpward scatter it selfe abroad in the ayre euery way so shewing that the Faithfull Prayers of true Beléeuers ascend vp to Heauen and the profit of them disperseth it selfe far and wide ouer the World the members of the true CHVRCH praying one for an other through out the Worlde and beeing profited one of another by naturall prayer although they liue in seuerall countries and neuer knowe or see one another The burning of this Incense vpon the ALTAR which was a figure of Christ shadowed out that in Christ and for Christ onely our prayers are of force with God and therefore by him they ought to bee offered to GOD hee himselfe telling vs That No man commeth to the FATHER but by HIM and whatsoeuer we aske the FATHER in his Name we shall receiue it No Saint nor Creature was shadowed by the ALTAR of Incense but Christ therefore let them take heed that will pray to others make others the presēters of their desires to God Againe no strange Incense was to be offered vpon this ALTAR but Prayers either to others than to GOD in the Name of Christ or for vnlawfull and vnfit things are strange Incense and therefore not to bee offered to GOD. The LORD by the Prophets much complained of Incense offered without Faith in those dayes and prayers without faith are as odious Lip-labour much babling by number vpō Beads for to kéepe the reckoning is not incēse that pleaseth God It was forbiden that any man should make
to Corne which except it fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite And the Apostle calleth Christ the first-fruites The beating also of the Corne out of the husks shadowed the bitter Passion of our Sauiour 2 The remainder a memoriall being burned to God did remaine to the Priests so shadowing out that Christ should not obtaine Heauen for himselfe but for his Church which was represented in the Priest all being a royall Priest-hood Againe it taught how carefull God would haue his seruants for the maintenance of the Ministrie when they sée him so carefull of them and for them From which care how farre they are that spoyle them and all manner of wayes abus◠them let their owne soules witnesse vnto them before the smarting day come And thus doe you profit by this Chapter CHAP. III. THE Burnt-offering and the Meat-offering thus passed ouer this Chapter returning againe to the Sacrifices of liuing creatures speaketh of the Peace-offering that is a Sacrfice of thanksgiuing offered for peace and prosperitie either generally or particularly For who sayth Iob hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered He remoueth the Mountaines and they feele not when he ouer-throweth them in his wrath He remoueth the Earth out of her place and the pillars thereof do shake c. That men therefore might know their peace and safetie both of their persons and goods to procéede only from this Almightie GOD therefore would he haue a set kinde of Sacrifice to be offered of them for the same and called a Peace-offering This kinde of Sacrifice hath something like and something vnlike to the Burnt-offering described in the first Chapter Like were these It was brought to the doore of the Tabernacle as that was the Offerers hand layd vpon the head killed and the blood sprinckled about the Altar as there c. Vnlike were these In that onely a Male might be offered in this either Male or female in that the whole was burnt in this onely a part namely the fat and as you sée vers 4. c in that no part went to any man but the skinne this was deuided into 3. parts one to the Lord one to the Priest and one to the Offerer as you see in the 7. Chapter of this Booke and Deut. 18. in that foules might bee offered in this not c. Of the former nothing néeds to be sayd againe because in the first Chapter they were sufficiently opened but of the latter a little 1 First then what might it meane that in the Burnt-Offering onely a Male might be offered and in this Peace-offering both Male and Female Answere may be made that first the Lord in this would drawe the Israelites from the manner and fashion of the idolatrous Egyptians who in their Sacrifices as Herodotus noteth vsed to offer no Female And secondly hée would herein yéeld a comfort to all women that for them Christ should die aswell as for men and they should be heires of his Kingdome by Faith in Christ aswell as men For there is neither Iewe nor Graecian saith the Apostle there is neither bound nor free there is neither Male nor Female but we are all one in Christ Iesus And ye husbands saith S. Peter dwell with your wiues as men of knowledge giuing honour vnto the women as vnto the weaker vessell Now marke euen as they which are heires together of the grace of Life that your prayers be not interrupted A swéet Sauiour then is the Lord Iesus you sée to women aswell as to men if they haue grace to beléeue and in token here of GOD would haue the Female offered aswell as the Male. It was a blessed Woman that sayd My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour And so may euery true-beléeuing woman say with comfort 2 In the Offering of the fat that couereth the Inwards and all the far that is vpon the Inwards c. vers 3. 4. Some haue iudged the delights and pleasures of the flesh to be shadowed which of a true childe of God are to be killed and slaine as Sacrifices were and mortified Others looking at the phrase of the Scripture which vsually noteth by the word fat the best things haue thought that herein was figured taught how men ought to offer to God euer of their best and not as we now a dayes doe of our worst For the phrase you haue it often in Scripture as when God saith All the fat of the Oyle all the fat of the wine haue I giuen thee that is the chiefest or the best Numb 18. In the Psalme God would haue fed them with the fat of the Wheat your vulgar Translation expresseth what that is euen with the finest Wheat-flower In another Psalme My soule shall be satified as it were with marow and fatnesse That is euen as it were with the best things and so in many places more For the matter who in right should haue the best if God should not of whom we haue the best and all whatsoeuer we haue Thinke then of this many wayes by your selfe andaamend what is amisse In your Tythes and Duties do you giue the best Do you offer the fat No no your conscience accuseth you fearefully I feare in this behalfe He that sweareth swaggereth all his youth and intendeth to offer vnto God his old age when for debilitie of body he can doe no more harme doth he offer to GOD the fat or the leane the best or the worst He that hath many sonnes and can indure none to serue God in his Temple but onely one that is lame and full of imperfections doth hée offer willingly the fat vnto his God Who gaue him all these branches of his body and must giue him comfort of them or else he shall neuer haue any but vnspeakable woe and griefe in stéed of it Thus may you go further in this Meditation and be the better by it in many particulars Againe because this fat appoynted to be offered was an inward thing and not an outward Others haue thought that thereby was figured how carefull we must euer be to offer vnto God our inwards without which no eternall dutie can or will please God Hypocrites are full of out-ward holinesse make cleane diligently the out-side of the platter but God abhorreth them and their painted shewes The true worshippers of God take an other course and looke that all be well within The Lord saith Dauid loueth truth in the inward parts and his Sacrifice is a troubled spirit a broken and a contrite heart within not a pale face a downe looke many out-ward sighes that are heard of men vaine fasting from flesh and surfeting vpon Fish c. Enter into thy Chamber and shut the doore to thee and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Still still offer to God thy in-wards Moses prayed within Anna prayed within that her chéeke quiuered with the vehemencie