is a difference betweene Lying and Dissimuling A godly and wise Man in time and place may Dissemble and not vtter his Purpose But none sauing wicked and vaine persons doe Lie. As touching the Lande of Chanaan promised * to them by God what did it appertaine to Pharao to knowe In that Moyses is taught to say they should goe three dayes iourney into the wildernesse to Sacrifice to God it was no Vntruth For in Exod. 24. it is declared they did so And I am sure the king of Egipt will not let them go no not in a mightie c. God telleth Moyses of this before least when it shoulde so fall out hereafter it myght shake Moyses his fayth and make him to Doubt of his calling So God vseth often to Forewarne his Elect of such Stormes as are to come least in the time of their troubles they should Faint and Mistrust his gracious Promises of comfort and blessing So our Sauiour Christ tolde his Apostles when he sent them to preach They shall delyuer you vp sayth he vnto their counsailes and shal whip you And againe Ioh. 15. If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also And Ioh. 16. The tyme shall come when they that kill you shall thinke them selues to doe acceptable service to God. These things haue I tolde you sayth Christ that when they come to passe you maye not be offended therwith but remember that I haue forewarned you And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egipt with all my wonders c â–ª He doth againe Comforte Moyses with the promise of his Mightie assistance and the great Successe that he wyll worke for hym and hys people But this may seeme straunge that God sayth he will helpe the Israelites to Spoyle and Robbe the Egiptians We must learne that the Eternall God and Lorde of Heauen and Earth that made the Lawe is not bounde and tyed by his owne law Therfore that the Israelites do by the appointment of God is no Breach of his law but a work of Obedience to his holy will. * GOD is Lorde of all things neyther hath any Man any thing but that he hath at Gods hande and that not in perpetuall Possession but so of Loan for the time that he may without vniustice take it away from any It was Iustice also before God that they which had beene Enriched by the Oppression and iniurie of the people of God should also by the appointment of God haue their Iniurious gotten Goodes taken from them by the same People But I must often repeate this that such Extraordinarie Acts done by the especiall Commaundement of God are not to be drawne into the Example of common life The fift Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 5. MOyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and folde Pharao Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel Let my people go that they may holde a feast vnto me in the wildernesse 2 And Pharao saide Who is the Lorde that I should heare his voyce and let Israell go I knowe not the Lorde neyther will I let Israell go 3 And they sayde The God of the Hebrues hath called vs let vs go we pray thée thrée daies iourney into the desert and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God least he smite vs with pestilence or with the sworde 4 Then sayde the King of Egypt vnto them Wherfore doe ye Moyses and Aaron let the people from their workes get you vnto your burdens 5 And Pharao saide furthermore Beholde there is much people nowe in the lande and you make them leaue their burdens 6 And Pharao commaunded the same day the taskmaysters which were amongst the people and the officers saying 7 Ye shall geue the people no more strawe to make bricke withall as ye did in time past let them go and gather them strawe themselues 8 And the number of brick which they were wont to make in tyme past lay vnto their charges also and minishe nothing thereof for they be Idle and therefore crye saying We will go and doe sacrifice vnto our God. 9 They must haue more worke laide vpon them that they may labour therein and not regarde vaine wordes 10 Then went the taskemasters of the people and the officers out and tolde the people saying Thus sayth Pharao I will giue you no more straw 11 Go your selues and gather you strawe where yée can finde it yet shall none of your labour be minished 12 And so were the people scattred abrode throughout all the lande of Egypt for to gather stubble in steade of straw 13 And the taskemaisters hasted them forwarde saying Fulfill your worke your daylie taskes in their due tyme as if you had strawe 14 And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaos taskemaisters had set ouer them were beaten And they saide vnto them Wherfore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making of bricke both yesterday and to day as well as in times past 15 The officers also of the children of Israel came and complayned vnto Pharao saying Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy seruants 16 There is no straw giuen vnto thy seruantes and they say vnto vs Make bricke and thy seruants are beaten and there is wrong done to thine owne people 17 He sayde Ye are Idle Idle are ye and therefore ye say We will go and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde 18 Go therfore nowe and worke and there shall no straw be geuen you and yet shall you deliuer the whole tale of bricke 19. And the officers of the children of Israel dyd sée that they were in worsâ— caâ—e after it was sayde Ye shall minishe nothing of your bricke of your daylie taske in due tyme. 20 And they met Moyses and Aaron which stoode in their way as they came out from Pharao 21 And saide vnto them The Lorde looke vpon you and iudge you which hath made the sauour of vs to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharao and in the eyes of his seruants and haue put a sworde in their hande to sâ—ay vs. 22 Moyses returned vnto the Lorde and sayde Lorde wherefore hast thou so euil entreated this people And wherfore hast thou sent me 23 For since I came to Pharao to speake in thy name he hath fared foule with this folke and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people at all The Exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Exodus Moyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and tolde Pharao Thus saith c. AFter Moyses and Aaron had nowe purchased Credite with the Israelites as is mentioned in the * former Chapiter they enter nowe into the execution of their office for the deliuerance of the people of God and speake vnto Pharao for them This was in them a great Obedience vnto God in a matter verie vnlike for them to bring to passe in the sight of the worlde and ioyned with their great perill and daunger in dealing with so sterne and Obstinate a Tyranne Their obedience to
people vntill none remayned of him 34 And from Lachis Iosuah departed vnto Eglon and all Israel with him and they besieged it and assaulted it 35 And toke it the same daye and smote it with the edge of the sworde and all the soules that were therin he vtterly destroyed the same daye according to all that he had done to Lachis 36 And Iosuah departed vp from Eglon and all Israel with him vnto Hebron and they fought against it 37 And when they had taken it they smote it with the edge of the swoorde and the King thereof and all the townes that perteyned to it and all the soules that were therein and he lefte none remainyng but dyd accordyng to all as he had done to Eglon and destroyed it vtterly and all the soules that were therin 38 And Iosuah returned and all Israell wyth him to Dabir and foughte against it 39 And when he had taken it and the king therof and all the townes that parteyned therto they smote them with the edge of the sworde and vtterly destroyed all the soules that were therin neither let he anye remaine euen as he dyd to Hebron so he did to Dabir and the King thereof as he had done also to Libna and her king 40 Iosuah therefore smote all the hyll contreys and the South countreys and the valleys and the downes and all their kings let none remaine of them but vtterly destroyed all that breathed as the Lorde God of Israel commanded 41 And Iosuah smote them frō Cades Barnea vnto Asah ▪ and all the countrey of Gosen euen vnto Gibeon 42 And all these kinges and their lande dyd Iosuah take at one time because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel 43 And Iosuah and all Israel returned vnto the hoast that was in Gilgal The Exposition vpon the .x. Chapter of Iosuah Nowe when Adonizedec king of Hierusalem had heard how Iosuah c. IN Adonizedec and the other fiue kings of the Amorites that are spokē of in this chapiter is expressed to vs the nature and propertie of wicked and obstinate enemies of God and his people If maruellous things be wrought against them they be stricken with * feare yet will they not submit themselues to the mightie hand of God and acknowledge his power but still encrease in wickednes and become more obstinate heaping to themselues greater confusion These kings had* hearde and vnderstoode as well as the Gibeonites how maruellously God had dealte for his people against* Seon King of the Amorites and* Og king Basan and also againste the Cities of Iericho and of* Aye whereby they mighte haue beene taughte how vaine their cruell and wicked endeuour of resistaunce woulde be vnto them But they were so farre from that cogitation That because the Gibeonites had* submitted themselues to the Children of Israel they here Ioyu◠in Conspiracie to destroye them and their citie In which pointe the Gibeonites set forth vnto vs the Image of all them that forsaking the Errour Blindnesse and wicked obstinacie of the world doe ioyne themselues to God and his people For by and by their verie Neighbours Yea the nighest of their Kin seeke to Vexe and Persecute them with all extremitie and that not because they be Sinfull or euil or because they are Idolatours Couetous persons Adulterers and suche like for at those thinges they can winke well inough But because They make peace vvirh Iosuah and the Children of Israel that is * because they Allie themselues to GOD and his people But in suche cases wee muste learne by earnest Prayer and intercession to flee for succour to our Iosuah Christ Iesu who vndoubtedly wil spedelie helpe and assiste vs against suche enemies as Iosuah doth here the Gibeonites And so Josuah ascended from Gilgal he and all the people of warre Forsomuch as the Gibeonites were the confederates of Israel Iosuah doth here the part of a wise good and faithfull* Prince that he is so ready to rescue and helpe them in their daunger For if he shoulde haue done otherwyse beyng nowe become his Subiectes he shoulde bothe haue omitted his duetie towarde them and also haue procured to him and his people a note of Vnfaithfulnesse toward such as had submitted themselues vnto him and whom he had receiued to his defence protection In that he doth it with Spede and commeth Sodainly on his enemies in the night ere they were ware of him he played the parte of a Wise and Skilfull Captaine vnderstanding that in warfare after men be once in good readinesse nothing more preuaileth than spedie dealing with good watching of oportunitie of place and time This is not to be omitted that God is* ready to comforte his good Princes and Gouernours in their enterprises for the defence of his people Feare not them saith God I haue deliuered them into thy handes and therefore dyd he easilie obtayne Victorie of them yea God will* fight for them miraculouslie altering the course of all naturall effectes rather than they shoulde miscarie or want strength and oportunitie to be reuenged on his enemies As we see in this place by two Notable and straunge Miracles killing moe of the enemies with Hailestones from heauen than the Israelites did with the sworde Then said Josuah vnto the Lorde c. and he said in the sight of Israel c. A question maye in this place be moued whether Iosuah did wel in asking such a strange Miracle of God or whether he mighte seeme rather to tempte God in so doyng To whiche it maye be answered that vndoubtedly he dyd it by Instinction of the Spirite of GOD in a strong faythe beyng perswaded that it would be to the glorie of god For Gods purpose was by thys Miracle to confirme the Faith of his People and to abashe the Chanaanites his enemies to declare his power to those Heathenishe and Godlesse People and by this Miracle to declare vnto them that he was the onelye Authoure and worker of all those Miracles that they before had heard of in Egipte and in the wildernesse And yet the praying for suche Miracles is not now to be followed of vs For God hauing nowe abundantlie declared his wyll and pleasure in his holie Worde lefte vnto vs by our Sauioure Christ and his Apostles will haue his People to cleaue stedfastlie to that and* not to looke for Signes and Miracles from Heauen But thys is notable and to oure great comfort to be obserued that Iosuah by his Prayer might seeme to haue the Sunne and Moone and all the Creatures of God at his commaundement By like force of Prayer Moyses opened awaye throughe the redde Sea Exodus 14. and ouercame in Battayle the Amalachites Exodus 17. Iosaphat subdued his enemies and caused them to kill one the other 2. Croni 20. Ezechias deliuered his Citie Hierusalē ▪ caused also the Sunne to goe backe certayne degrees 2. Croni 32. By which
that Woises vttereth is and leaue out that 241. b. for but oblation reade but an oblation 242. b. for had not gathered reade had now gathered 261. a. And made to them his lowe leaue it out 279. a. for of his flocke reade of his stocke 293. b. had ruled leaue out had 296. b. for to be thought that reade to be thought but that for in his flocke reade in his stocke 320. b. for moysting reade moysture 321. b. for this their beautie reade this the beautie 322. a. for by this benefite reade by his benefite 337. b. for the chil reade the children 354. a. for benefices reade benefites 355. b. for endue reade endure 350. a. in the .11 side of Ddd. for continuance reade countenance 380. b. for riches his benefites reade riches of his benefites 382. b. for other Iewes did reade other Iewes did thinke IN the Copie that the Printer vsed sundrie applications of the text were striken out bicause I thought them somewhat troublous to the vnlearned reader and bicause the quotations in the margent that were made for the confirmation of such applications were not so plainly striken out they printed the same quotations and thereby it commeth to passe that sundry of them in the margent are not fitlye to the places which they are set against as these especially that folowe Fol. 2. b. Deut. 3. b. 15. Psal 77. d. 41. Fol. 4. a. Esay 66. a. 3. Psal 51. d. 17. Psal 39. b. 9. Fol. 13. b. lo. 10. a. 3. 2. Tim. 2. c. 19. 2. Pet. 2. b. 9. Fol. 14. a. 1. Tim. 4. a. 1. Fol. 17. a. Iacob 4. e. 9. Psal 74. b. 8. Fol. 18. a. 1. Reg. 20. e. 30. Fol. 24. b. Eccle. 7. b. 14. Fol. 25. a. Exod. 5. e. 21. Rom. 7. b. 13. Fol. 57. a. Iacob 4. c. 10. Fol. 104. b. Dan. 14. a. 8. 10. Fol. 206. a. 1. Cor. 7. d. 19. Gal. 6. d. 15. Fol. 207. a Io. 4. d. 24. 2. Cor. 3. d. 17. Phil. 3. a. 3. Esay 43. b. 7. Fol. 215. b. Psal 108 d. 29. Psal 110. a. 1. Luc. 1. g. 68. Ephe. 1. a. 3. Fol. 232. a. Ephe. 4. a. 4. The first Sunday in Aduent at Morning prayer Esay 1. THe vision of Esay the sonne of Amos which he sawe vpon Iuda and Hierusalem in the dayes of Vzia and Ioathan Ahaz and Ezekia kings of Iuda 2 Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue done vnfaythfully against mée 3 The Oxe hath knowne his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israell hath not knowne my people hath giuen no heede 4. Ah sinfullnation a people laden wyth iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children they haue forsaken the Lorde they haue prouoked the holy one of Israell vnto anger they are gone backwarde 5 Why should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away euery heade is diseased and euery haâ—â— heauy 6. From the sole of the foote vnto the heade there is nothing sounde in it but woundes blaynes and puâ—ifiyng sore they haue not bene sained neyther wrapped vp neyther molified wyth the oyntment 7 Your land is wasted your Cities are burnt vp straungers deuour your lande before your face and it is made desolate as it were the destruction of enimies in the time of warre 8 And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a cotage in a vineyarde like a lodge in a garden of Encumbers like a besieged Citie 9. Except the Lorde of hostes had left vs a small remnant we should haue béene as Sodoma and like vnto Gomorra 10 Heare the worde of the Lord ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken vnto the lawe of our God thou people of Gomorra 11 Why offer ye so many sacrifices vnto me will the lord say I am full of the burnt offerings of weathers and of the fatnesse of fedde beastes I haue no pleasure in the blood of bullocks lambes goates 12 When ye come to appeare before me treading in my courtes who hath required this at your handes 13 Offer me no mo oblations for it is but lost labour incense is an abhominable thing vnto me I may not away with your newe Moones your sabbathes and solemne méetings your solemne assemblies are wicked 14 I hate your newe Moones and appoynted feastes euen from my very heart they make me wearie I cannot abide them 15 When ye holde out your handes I will turne mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers yet I will heare nothing at all seeing your handes are full of bloud 16 Wash you make you cleane put away your euill thoughtes out of my sight ceasse from doing of euill 17 Learne to doe well applie your selues to equitie deliuer the oppressed helpe the fatherlesse to his right let the widowes complaint come before you 18 And then go to sayth the Lorde let vs talke together though your sinnes be as red as scarlet they shal be as white as snowe and though they were like purple they shall be as white as wooll 19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the lande 20 But if ye be obstinate and rebellions ye shall be deuoured with the sworde for the mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it 21 Howe happeneth it then that the faythfull Citie which was full of equitie is become vnfaythfull as a whore Righteousnesse dwelt in it but now murtherers 22 Thy siluer is turned to drosse and thy wine mixt with water 23 Thy princes are wicked and companions of théeues they loue gifts altogither and gape for rewardes As for the fatherlesse they helpe him not to his right neyther will they let the widowes causes come before them 24 Therefore saith the Lorde God of hostes the mightie one of Israell Ah I must ease me of mine enimies and auenge me of mine aduersaryes 25 And I shall lay my hande vpon thée and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne 26 And set thy iudges againe as they were sometime and thy senatours as they were from the beginning and then thou shalt be called the righteous Citie the faythfull Citie 27 Sion shall be redéemed with equitie and her conuertes with righteousnesse 28 But the transgressours and the vngodly and such as forsake the Lorde shall altogither bée vtterly destroyed 29 For ye shall be confounded for the trées which ye haue desired and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens that ye haue chosen 30 For ye shall be as a trée whose leaues are fallen away and as a garden that hath no moystnesse 31 And the very strong one of your Idols shall be as towe and the maker of it as a sparke of fire and they shall both burne together and no man quench them The exposition vpon the first Chapter of Esay The vision of Esai the sonne of Amos which he saw vpon Iuda c.
THe first verse conteynetâ— the tytle which briefly noteth what the thing is by whome it was vttered agaynst what place and people and in what time It is a vision that is a prophesie or reuelation declared by almightie God and therefore not to be esteemed as any maâ—s deuise and vttered by Esaias the sonne of Amos descending of the royall lyne of the kings of Iuda Who prophecied in the raignes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias as it may be thought by the space of fourescore yeares And vttered this prophecie agaynst the nation of Iurie and Hierusalem the chiefe and royall citie thereof that is to say against that Nation that God had chosen of all other for his peculier people and had mainteyned and preserued it with great benefites and yet nowe was fallen from his true worshippe vnto Idolatrie sinne and wickednesse And therefore sayth he Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lorde hath spoken c. That he may the more earnestly mooue that dul and hard harted people he beginneth with a tragicall exclamation and calleth heauen earth to witnesse agaynst them as if he had sayde Forsomuch as the vnthankfulnesse and wicked stubburnnesse of this people is such as they will giue no eare to the worde of God earnestly calling them to repentaunce I turne my speeche to you O heauens and speake to thee O earth Though heauen be 〈◊〉 of yet â—â—ely it will heare though the earth be hard and stonie yet it will relent and be moued but this people will not bend this Nation will by no meanes be reclaymed * Yea they are more dull and vnâ—â—nsible in the vnderstanding of Gods will and of his great goodnesse toward them than the 〈…〉 beastes are For what Oxe doth not from 〈◊〉 himselfe to his mayster that keepeth him What Asse doth not acknowledge and looue those that feede him But my people sayth the Lord whom I haue cherished whome I haue * fostered as my * children with all care and tendernesse do not onely with vnthankfull mindes forget my benefites but with stonie and stubburne heartes refuse to heare my calling and in all maner of wickednesse bende themselues against me and striue to prouoke my wrath and indignation agaynst them Whie should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away c. From the beginning of the fift verse to the tenth he doth greatly amplifie their wayward stubburnnesse declaring that as they could not be woonne to repentance nor mooued to turne to their gracious Lorde by consideration of his exceeding great benefites towarde them so neyther could they be reclaymed nor anye thing at all mooued with the grieuous plagues and punishmentes which to that onely purpose as a mercifull father he had brought vppon them but rather by the same hys plagues they increased in stubburnnesse waxed euery day worse than other And therfore sayth he To what ende should I plague or scourge you with aduersitie any further seeing your obstinacie is such as you will increase in wickednesse and still heape sinne vpon sinne and offence vpon offence The Realme of Iurie may well be resembled to a mans bodie the heade and heart whereof is the Citie Hierusalem and the King and Princes with the residue of the inhabitants thereof and the other cities and townes as the inferiour members All which I haue grieuously touched with my seuere iustice and sharpe punishments so that from the * crowne of the head to the sole of the foote from the highest Citie to the lowest Village from the noblest person to the basest subiect there is none but he hath felt the bitter smart thereof and that in such sort as no Phisition is hable to cure or heale their festured sores that is nor King nor Counsaylour nor Prince nor Priest nor Prophete can helpe the miserie of this kingdome and restore it to the prestinate state and integritie againe Their lande lyeth waste their Cities are burnt with fire straungers possesse their Countrey their possessions are spoyled their royall Citie Hierusalem is left desolate as a lodge in a vineyard or a Cotage in a Cucumber garden that hath no house neere vnto it their people are slaine their glorie decaied their strength consumed yea if the Lorde of hys great mercy had not * left theÌ„ some coÌ„fort through the promised séede of Messiah their desolation had beene euen as the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha and yet I say all this notwithstanding are their hearts nothing mooued to repent or to turne to the Lorde for mercie Heare the worde of the Lorde ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken c. And for that they did flatter themselues in the middes of this great wickednesse with a vaine opinion of hypocriticall iustice and superstitious worshipping of God as thoughe by suche meanes they should winne his fauour towarde them The Lorde plainly sheweth that he doth lothe and abhorre their sacrifices and offerings their festiuall dayes and their solempne meetinges yea though they were commaunded by his owne lawe so long as they were voyde of * inwarde holinesse of heart and minde and distayned with sinne and wickednesse both before God and the worlde In which place the more to mooue them almightie God seemeth to labour with diuersitie of woordes to lette them vnderstande how little account he maketh of such externall worshipping being destitute of true holinesse right worshipping in spirite in truth VVhy offer you sayth he so many sacrifices c. I am full of them I haue no pleasure in them VVho required them at your hands Offer no more It is but lost labour It is * abhominable vnto me I may not away with them They are wicked I hate them They make me weary I cannot abide them I will not heare your prayers I will turne mine eyes from you By all which wordes God sheweth how little he regardeth hipocrisie where true holinesse waÌ„teth Then from the sixtenth verse to the .xxj he sheweth what is the right way to winne his fauour Make you cleane sayth he put away your wicked thoughts and deuises Ceasse from doing euil Learne to do good Applie your selues to equitie Deliuer the oppressed Helpe the fatherlesse Heare the widowes complaint For these are the true fruites of right repentance And then If your sinnes were as red as scarlet in token that you had deserued bloud and confusion they shall be as white as snow in testimonie that by Gods mercie ye be cleared from them This if you will doe the Lorde will looke fauourably on you and prosper you but if you continue obstinate and rebellious as hytherto you haue done the sworde of Gods wrath shal vtterly deuour you for his owne mouth hath spoken it and therefore thinke not that it is mans worde onely How happeneth it then that the faithfull Citie which was full of equitie c. From the .xxj. to the
for the tempest like as a ryuer of water in a thirstie place and the shadow of a great rocke in a drie lande 3 The eyes of the séeing shall not be dimmse and the eares of them that heare shall take diligent hésede 4 The heart of the vnwise shall attaine to knowledge and the vnperfect tongue shall speake plainely and distinctly 5 Then shall the foolish niggard be no more called gentle nor the churle liberall 6 But the niggarde will speake niggardly and his heart will worke euill and play the hypocrite and imagine abhominations agaynst God to make the hungrie leane and to withholde drinke from the thirstie 7 The weapons of the churlish are euill he deuiseth noysome deuises that he may beguile the poore with deceytfull wordes yea euen there as he should giue sentence with the poore 8 But the liberall person imagineth honest things and commeth vp for liberalitie vnto promotion 9 Vp ye rich and idle women hearken vnto my voyce ye carelesse daughters marke my woordes 10 Many yeares and dayes shall ye be brought in feare O ye carelesse women for the vintage shal faile and the haruest shal not come 11 Be abashed you that liue in aboundance tremble you that liue carelesse cast of your rayment make your selues bare and put sackecloth about you 12 For as the infantes wéepe when their mothers â—eaâ—es are tryed vp so shall you wéepe for your fayre fieldes and fruitefull vineyardes 13 My peoples field shall bring thornes and thistles and so shall it be in euery house of voluptuousnesse and in euery citie that reioyceth 14 The palaces also shall be broken and the greatly occupied cities desolate The towers and bulwarkes shal become dennes for euermore where wilde Asses take their pleasure and shéepe their pasture 15 Vnto the time that the spirite be powred vpon vs from aboue and that the wildernesse be a fruitfull fielde and the plenteous fielde be reckened for a wood 16 Then shall equitie dwell in the desert and righteousnesse in a fruitfull lande 17 â–ª And the worke of righteousnesse shall be peace and her fruite rest and quietnesse for euer 18 And my people shall dwell in the Innes of peâ—ce and in sure dwellings in safe places of comfort 19 And when the hayle fallesh it shall fall in the wood and the Citie shall be set lowe in the valley 20 O howe happie shall ye be when ye shall safely sowe your séede beside all waters driue thither the féete of your Oxen and Asses The exposition vpon the .32 Chapter of Esay Beholde a king shall gouerne after the rule of righteousnesse c. IN this Capter Esaias literally speaketh of the happie state and gouernment of the kingdome of Iurie and Hierusalem that should be vnder Ezechias after God had deliuered them from the daunger and inuasion of the Assirians But prophetically he meaneth of the kingdome of Christ the Messias and sauiour For albeit Ezechias was a good and godly Prince and his people well and wisely guided by him yet was there not vnder him nor can there be in any worldly 〈◊〉 such perfection as is 〈…〉 Therfore he referreth them as I haue sayde to the spirituall kingdome of Messias vnder 〈◊〉 all these things shall be perfourmed He shall gouerne according to the rule of righteousnesse 〈◊〉 that is to say his 〈…〉 lance of equitie He 〈…〉 agaynst the coldenesse of worldely 〈…〉 to succour them in the blustering stormes of tentation a Pleasant riuer with his grace to 〈…〉 〈…〉 among his people Then shall the foolish niggard be no more called gentle nor the churle c. In the kingdomes of the worlde there is great hypocrisie and dissimulation and as Cato once sayd they leeâ—e the true proper names of things and lauishing of other mens goodes is called liberalitie â— and rashe boldenesse is termed valiauntnesse couetousnesse thrifty sparing c. and al foule vices 〈◊〉 with the fayre tytles of vertues But in the kingdome of messias it shall not be so * the visardes of hypocrisie shall be shaken of and euery 〈…〉 and knowne by their 〈…〉 and operations 〈…〉 and yâ—â—e women and â—earken vnto my voyce ye carelesse c. 〈…〉 in this place leaueth 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 and turneth to the 〈…〉 Iewes By the riche 〈…〉 the great and wealthie 〈…〉 which and both heare Christes 〈…〉 curitie for euer Many yeares and dayes shall you be troubled because the vintage shall say le and 〈◊〉 shall not come in The lawe of Moises euen from the beginning mannred dressed and prepared the Israelites along time as it had beene a 〈◊〉 â–ª that when the Messias should come they shoulde receyue him and bring forth fruite accordingly 〈◊〉 it falleth out cleane contrary For when he shall come he shall finde no grapes there but wylde grapes and thistles Therefore so great calamitie shall come vpon you as you shall be astonied therwith and through extreeme sorow torment your selues pul of your garments and weare sackcloth vpon you You shall be wayle your 〈…〉 time battle but now 〈…〉 your vines your lands 〈…〉 christ the Messias had * 〈…〉 his spiritie vpon hiâ— Apostles at the time 〈…〉 Insomuch that if there fall any 〈…〉 * they shall be so armed with the spirit of God and strength from aboue that it shall not hurt them Oh how happie shall you then be when this great plentie tranquillitie and quietnesse shall come among you so that both Oxe and Asse both Iewe and Gentile shal ioyne togither in the profession of one fayth The first Sunday after Christmas at Morning prayer Esay 37. 〈…〉 heard that he râ—nt his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lorde 2 But â—e sent 〈◊〉 the chiefe ouer the householde 〈◊〉 the fâ—rthe with the 〈…〉 clothed 〈…〉 vnto the Prophete Esay the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 7 Beholde I will rayse vp a 〈◊〉 agaynst him and he shall heare a rumour and he shall go againe into his Countrey 〈◊〉 will I destroy him with the sworde in her owne lande 8 Nowe when Rabasakeh returned he sworde the king of Assiria laying stege to Libnas for he had vnderstanding that he was departed from Lachis 9 And there came a rumour that Tharakas king of Ethiopia was come forth to warre agaynst him and when the king of Assiria heard that he sent other messengers to king Ezekia with this commaundement 10 Say thus to Ezekia king of Iuda Let not thy God deceyue thee in whome thou hopest and sayst Hierusalem shall not be giuen into the handes of the king of Assiria 11 For lo thou knowest wel how the kings of Assiria haue handled all the 〈◊〉 that they haue subuerted and hopest thou to escape 12 Were the people of the Gentiles whome my progenâ—tours conquered deliuered at any time through theft Gods As namely Gosan 〈…〉 and the 〈…〉 and Auâ— 14 Now when
〈◊〉 had receyued the letter of the messengers 〈…〉 vp into the 〈…〉 the Lorde 15 And 〈…〉 on this maner 16 O Lorde 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 is God of all the kingdomes of the worlde for thou onely hast 〈…〉 heauen and earth 17. 〈…〉 Lorde and 〈◊〉 open 〈…〉 wordes of 〈◊〉 which hath 〈…〉 to blasphéeme the liuing God. 18 It is true O Lorde that the kings of Assiria haue conquered all kingdomes and landes 19 And cast their Gods in the 〈◊〉 for those were 〈◊〉 Gods but the workes of mens handes of wood or 〈◊〉 therefore haue they destroyed them 20 Nowe therefore 〈…〉 O Lorde our God from the handes of 〈…〉 that all the kingdomes of the earth 〈◊〉 know that thou onely art the Lorde 21 Then Esay the sonne of Amos fent vnto Ezekia saying Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israell wheras thou hast made thy prayer vnto me as touching Sennacherib the king of Assiria 22 This is the aunswere that the Lorde hath giuen concerning him Dispised art thou and mocked O daughter Sion he hath shaken his heade at thée O daughter of Hierusalem 23 But thou Sennacherib whome hast thou defied and blasphemed Agaynst whom hast thou lifted vp thy voyce and exalted thy prowde â—ookes euen agaynst the holy one of Israell 24 Thou with thy seruants hast blasphemed the lord and thus holdest thou of thy selfe â–ª I wil couer the hie mountaynes and sides of Libanus with my horsemen and there will I cut downe the hie Ceder trées and the fayrest Firre trées I will vp in the heigth of it and into the chiefest of his 〈…〉 If there be no water I will graue and drinke and as for waters of defence I will drie them vp with the féete of mine hoast 26 Yea hast thou not heard what I haue taken in hand and brought to passe of old time That same will I doe now also and waste destroy and bring strong Cities vnto heapes of stones 27 For their inhabitours shall be like lame men brought in feare and confounded they shall be like grasse and gréene hearbes in the fielde like the hay vpon house toppes that withereth before it be growen vp 28 I know thy wayes thy going forth and thy comming home yea and thy madnesse agaynst me 29 Therefore thy furiousnesse agaynst me and thy pride is come before me I will put my ring in thy nose and my bridle bitte in the â—awes of thée and turne thée about euen the same way thou camest 30 I will giue thée also this token O Ezekia this yeare shalt thou eate such as groweth of it selfe and the seconde yeare that which springeth againe of the same in the thirde yeare ye shall sowe and reape yea ye shal plant vineyardes and enioy the fruites therof 31 And such of the house of Iuda as are escaped shall come togither and the 〈◊〉 shall take roote beneath and bring forth fruit aboue 32 For the escaped shall go out of Hierusalem and the remnant from the mount Sion and this shall the zeale of the Lorde of hostes bring to passe 33 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde concerning the king of the Assirians He shall not come into this Citie and shall shoote no arrow into it there shall no shield hurt it neither shall they call ditches about it 34 The same way he came he shal returne and not come at this Citie sayth the Lord. 35 And I will keepe and saue this Citie sayth he for mine owne and for my seruant Dauids sake 36 Thus the aungell of the Lorde went forth and slue of the Assirians host an hundred foure seore and fiue thousand and when men rose vp earely in the morning beholde they 〈…〉 and all my full of â—eads 〈◊〉 37 So Sennacherib the king of the 〈◊〉 brake vp and dwelt at Niniâ—e 38 Afterwarde it chaunced as he prayed in the temple of Nesroch his God that 〈◊〉 and Sarazer his owne sonnes â—â—ue him with the sworde and fled into the lande of Armenia and Asarhaddon his sonne raigned in his steede The exposition vpon the .xxxvij. Chapter of Esay When Ezechias heard that he rent hys clothes and put on sackcloth c. THis Chapiter is annexed to the former as a part of the same historie the declaration wherof is so plaine and easie to be vnderstanded that the text needeth no exposition at all Only you haue to obserue certaine good and whole some lessons to be gathered out of it And first you haue to note in Ezechias and his people a great * zeale for the glorie of the name of God wherewith they may seeme to be more touched then with their own miserie and distresse For all the while their countrey was in spoyling as they shewed themselues somewhat troubled so yet did they not declare so great sorowe But after that they heard the name and power of the God of Israel so blasphemed they rent and toare their clothes and after the maner of the Countrey thereby declared extreeme sorow detestation and abhorring of so great wickednesse This zeale of Gods holy name and glorie shoulde we follow and be * earnestly mooued in heart and minde when we heare the Gospell of Christ and the truth of his worde reuiled and euill spoken of but the maner of the worlde is otherwise Men are much mooued with their owne reproches and seeke reuengement of euery light worde and small iniurie but for the hinderance of Gods glorie and of his worde we make small account Secondly here is to be obserued and diligently to be learned by the example of the good king Ezechias and his people what we ought to doe in our great miserie and distresse that is not neglecting such meanes as God hath giuen and by hys worde alloweth to helpe vs to put our whole trust and confidence in God and with repentant hearts humble mindes to * flie to him by earnest praier and calling vpon his blessed name for helpe For so here doth Ezechias and his people and with all seeketh meanes to confirme and strengthen theyr fayth being somewhat shaken with the instruction of Gods holy worde and promises For that cause doth he here sende to Esay the Prophete by whose mouth God giueth them great comfort and willeth them not to feare For sayth he in the Lordes name I will rayse vp a winde agaynst him and hee shall heare a rumour that shall carie him backe into his Countrey agayne and yet shall he not so escape for euen there I will destroy him Say thus to Ezekia king of Iuda Let not thy God deceyue thee c. Heare we haue to learne that God oftentimes after promise and comfort of deliuerance giuen doth for the time encrease and double as it were the affliction of his people as he doth here to Ezechias and his subiects by this seconde message being in deede more terrible and blasphemous than the former And yet doth he not this that he mindeth to breake promise
hath chosen you 25 Neuerthelesse I haue waked vp one from the north and he shall come from the east he shall call vpon my name and shall treade vpon princes as vpon clay and as the potter treadeth downe the mire 26 Who declared this from the beginning and we will know him or from the olde times and we will confesse and say that he is righteous but there is none that sheweth or declareth any thing there is none also that heareth your wordes 27 The first is he that shall say to Sion Beholde beholde they are present and to Hierusalem it selfe will I giue an Euangelist 28 But when I consider there is not a man among them nor any that can giue counsaile nor that when I examine them that can answers one worde 29 Lo wicked are they and vaine with the things also that they take in hande yea their Images are but winde and vaine things The exposition vpon the. xlj Chapter of Esay Bee still you Islandes and hearken vnto me let the people lay their c. ESay in this Chapter imagineth god to stande in place of iudgement as it were at the barre pleading his owne cause agaynst the Idols and false Gods of the Heathen and al the worshippers of the same Which he doth to this ende not onely to confound the heathen for the vanitie of their worshipping of Idols stockes and stones but also to confirme and establish hys owne people of the Iewes and other in the true worship of him selfe being the onely liuing and almightie God maker and gouernour of all things And therefore as being in place of iudgement hee thus beginneth Bee still and keepe silence all you inhabitours of the Islandes and other partes of the earth that worship your false Gods. Lay your strength together arme and furnish your self with as good matter as you can for your defence to answere that I shall say and then will I pleade the cause with you euen in iudgement of the world c. Who raysed vp the iust man from the east and called him to go forth c. This is his fyrst reason against the heathenish worshippers of Idols By the iust man he meaneth the Patriark Abraham whom God called out of his couÌ„trie of Mesopotamia from Idolatrie wherin he was bredde and caused him to go into the lande of Chanaan and there to worship the true god where also although he were in a straunge lande vtterly vnknowne god did so prosper and defend him that he made euen kings abashed to worke him villainy as it appeareth in Pharao king of Egypt Gen 12 and Abimelech king of Gerar Gen. 20 21. yea and at another time gaue him force and hability to put to flight and chase foure kinges at once which had caried away prisoner his cosin* Loth. Gen 14. which easie victory god vttereth here by this spech Scattering them like stubble with his bowe The force of this example is thus This maruelous calling defending prospering of one meane man in a straunge Countrie agaynst so noble and mighty persons and the making of him so notable a man among them done and wrought by me only yea and the true seruice and honor wherwith he worshipped me the only liuing God coulde not bee vnknowne to all your Idolatrous nations thereabout For he preached and declared these thinges as a Prophete and gaue you to vnderstande by whose power it was done yea you sawe it you knewe it and were abashed at it and therefore shoulde you haue sought to haue learned at hys hande whyle he was amonge you the knowledge and seruice of that mighty God that did so aduance and * defend him in farre other maner than your Idols were hable to do But you were so farre froÌ„ thus doing that you comforted encouraged one another forwarde in your wicked Idolatrye and ioyned your helpes togither to make vp your grauen and carued Goddes The Carpenter who had carued the stocke spake to the Goldsmith to lay on the plates of siluer or gold that it might seme a gay God and the Goldesmith instructed the hammer man to set it on fynely and smooth and to soulder it surely and set it fast with nayles and * this did you altogither take conference to sette forwarde your worshipping of Images Idols as you yet continue And therfore are you in the iudgement euen of men * vnexcusable that by this means knowing the power of the true God you haue not yelded to doe condigne worship to him but run on yet still in your owne vayne and * grosse phantasies Hereby ought we also to learne dearely beloued euen in these our dayes in howe great danger we are and how vnexcusable before god if we hauing so great oportunitie to learne the truth of the doctrine and gospell of Christ doe neglect the same and followe on still in the desire of our olde superstition and Idolatrie The calling preseruing and defending of Abraham was not so great nor the publishing of the true knowledge of God by him so notable as the publishing prospering defending of his Gospell hath bene in these latter days agaynst Popes Princes Prelats and al powers of the earth And therfore may God more iustly stande in iudgement with vs to our vtter condemnation if we do not acknowledge his goodnesse But thou Israell art my seruant thou Iacob whome I haue chosen c. Least that Gods people of the Iewes and other faithfull of hys Churche shoulde bee discouraged with the pryde and prosperitye of the Heathen and their cruelty agaynst them Here doeth hee comforte and assure them that hee will helpe and defende them also as notably and with as great terrour to the wicked as hee had done their father Abraham Shewinge that hee had * bounde himselfe by Couenant to be the mightie and defending God not onely of Abraham but also of his posterity And putting them in mind of their wonderfull deliueraunce out of Egypt whence he led theÌ„ through the desert into the land of Chanaan which he had promised before to the seede of his loued seruant Abraham Therefore sayth he be not afraid thou little silly worme Iacob Thoughe my Church and people that put their trust in mee seeme neuer so simple and contemptible and euen as very wormes of the earth in sight of the gay meÌ„ and great powers and as it were * Lions of the worlde yet are they my people the sheepe of my pasture And therefore will I and â—he holy one of Israell my sonne Christ Iesu their Redeemer preserue and defend them yea I wil make them as a treading Cart as a new stayle wher with corne is threshed that they may thresh * grind and beate to dust Mountains and Hils that is the high and mighty Empires kingdoms and principalities of the world thinke they themselues neuer so strong They shall fanne and scatter them abroade with
shame they are driuen to vâ—â—ode their vntemperate stomacks No merueyle though God punishe such exceeding grieuously as he shreatneth Esay 5. And Ham the father of Chanaan seing the nakednesse of his father c. Thus God punisheth vndiscrete Parents that 〈…〉 as he had done 〈…〉 And Sem and Iaphet taking a garment layde it vpon their shoulders c. As in Ham we haue a Paterne of a lewde and vnnaturall sonne so haue we in Sem and Iaphet an example of good and godly children not onely nothing at all delighting in the reproch of their Father but being hartily sorie for the same and with all Reuerence Shamefastnesse and modestie * seeke â—o hide that vncomelynesse that had happened vnto him And this in deede is the office of good children not as Ham to Discrie and blase abroade the Shame of their parentes but with 〈◊〉 Secrecie and honestie to hide such blemishes as shall happen vnto them And Noah awooke from his wine c. and saide cursed be Chanaan c. This is the Curse of Ham and his wicked Posteritie as a dewe rewarde of his vndewtifulnesse towarde his father And also she Blessing of Sem and Iaphet wherewith God prospered them as well for this their Reuerence towarde their Paâ—entes as for their other Obedience to the 〈◊〉 of god This curse of Ham the blessing of Sem 〈◊〉 Iapher â–ª with their poslepitie was vttered by Noah in way of prophecie For Ham 〈◊〉 the father of the inhabitants of the lande of Chanaan that was subdued by the mightie hand of God and deliuered in subiection to the Israelites after their comming out of Egypt Of Sem 〈…〉 the people of Israel whom God merueilously preserued and brought into that lande of promise where they were Lords ouer the posteritie of Ham. Of Iaphet and his progenie came the most part of the Gentiles which a long time were seperated from the knowledge of God and so deuided from their brethren of the Iewes and of the posteritie of Sem. But at the comming of Christ by the sweete voyce of the Gospel they were brought vnder one * Sheephearde and one Folde and so according to the blessing of their father Noah dwelled in the tentes of Sem and were partakers of the promises * first made to the loste sheepe of the house of Israel So that this is an euident testimonie of the Calling of the Gentiles euen by the mouth of the holy Patriarke so manye hundred yeares before in deede it was performed The sunday called Quinqua gesima â–ª at Euening praier Genesis 12. AND the Lord sayde vnto Abram â—et thâ—e out of shy Countrey and out of thy Nation and from thy fathers house vnto a lande that I will shew thée 2 And I will make of thée a great people and will blesse thée and make thy name great that thou shalt be a blessing 3 I will also blesse them that blesse thée 〈◊〉 curse thâ— that curse thâ—â— in thée shall 〈…〉 of the earth be 〈◊〉 4 And so Abrâ—â— departed as the Lordâ—had 〈…〉 himâ— and Let 〈◊〉 with him and Abram was 〈◊〉 and fiue yeares olde when he departed out of Haran 5 And Abram tooke Sarai his wife and Lâ—t his brothers sonne and all their substance that they had in possession and the soules that they had begotten in Haran and they departed that they might come into the lande of Chanaan and into the lande of Ehâ—â—aan they came 6 Abram passed through the lande vnto the place of Sichem vnto the plaine of Morâ—h And the Chanaanite was then in the lande 7 And the Lord appearing vnto Abram sayde Vnto thy séede will I giue this lande and there builded he an aulter vnto the Lorde which appeared vnto him 8 And remoouing thence vnto a mountaine that was eastwarde from Bethell he pitched his tent hauing Bethell on the west side and Hai on the east and there be buylding an aulter vnto the Lorde did call vpon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram tooke his iourney goyng and iourneyng towarde the south 10 And then there was a famine in that lande and therefore went Abram downe into Egypt that he might soiourne there for there was a griouous famine in the lande 11 And when he was come néere to enter into Egypt he sayde vnto Sarai his wife Beholde I know that thou art a fayre woman to looke vpon 12. Therefore shall to come 〈…〉 that when the Egiptiâ—◠〈…〉 wife and they will she is his but they saue thée aliue 13 Say I pray thée that thou art my sister that I may fare well for thy sake and that my soule may liue through thy occasion 14 And so when Abram was come into Egipt the Egiptians 〈…〉 for she was very fayre 15 The princes also of Pharaâ— sawe 〈◊〉 and commended hâ—â— before Pharad and the woman was taken into Pharaâ—â— house 16 〈…〉 for her sake and he had shéepe 〈…〉 and mayde seruants 〈…〉 17 But the Lorde plagued Pharao and his house wyth great plagues because of Sarai Abrams wife 18 And Pharao calling Abram sayde Why hast thou done this vnto me 19 Why diddest thou not tell me that she was thy wife why saydes thou She is my sister and so I might haue taken her to be my wife Nowe therefore beholde there is thy wife take her and go thy way 20 And Pharao gaue his men commaundement concerning him and they conueyed him forth and his wife and all that he had The Exposition vpon the .xij. Chapter of Genesis And the Lorde sayde to Abram Get thee out of thy Countrey c. GOd would not haue his chosen seruant Abram whome of his singuler grace hee had appoynted to a great purpose any loÌ„ger to be Tempted Troubled Afflicted among the wicked Chaldees though they were of his kinred And therefore * willeth him to depart Here we haue to note that when it pleased God to Cal one whom he might appoint to be Father of the faythfull he did not choose him out of the Posteritie of the Wicked but from the Generations of the Godly though they were now fallen to great corruption and liued in Idolatrie And this person doth God call Freely not in respect of anye Woorthinesse or dignitie in the partie For there are not here recited any merites or deserâ—es in Abram why God shoulde so it but 〈◊〉 proceeded only of the Mere grace and Free election of God. By this departure of Abram out of his wicked Countrey If may seeme to be drawne into question whether a godly man maye liue among hys wicked Countrey men or no but is bound in conscience to depart from them wheÌ„ Vice naughtinesse doth increase To this it may be answered that there are two causes for which a godly man may ought to Forsake the Companie and habitations of the wicked 1 The one is if he can not be out of daunger of Life and
as 〈◊〉 Asses dyd bring so Long a iourney coulde s long a' tyme â–ª finde to great a Number as were of Iacobs retinewe For besides the .lxvi. persons that descended of his bodye as is mentioned Cap. 46 it can not be but that he they had a great nuÌ„ber of seruants But we must consider that the seruants might be fedde with Herbes Rootes and Acornes as the maner of the East partes is in the time of distresse And that the Corne that was brought was in Sparing maner employed to the sustenance of other his Sonnes and Nephewes This was a * harde temptation that thys Godly Father whome God had taken by his promise into his Protection was nowe brought to so great a Necessitie for want of Sustenance yea and in that lande wherein God had promised his Abundant blessing This in a frayle man might haue shaken the credite of that notable promise Cap. 35 I am thy God encrease and multiply I will blesse thee It is profitable for vs in time of Affliction to consider such Examples of the holy Fathers that we maye learne by the lyke Armour of trust in the prouidence of God and pacient expectation of his blessed will to Ouercome such Tentation euen as they did If thou wilt send our brother with vs we will go downe c. It may seeme Contrarie to the dewtie of Good and obedient Children so precisely to prescribe a Condicion vnto their father but for so much as they were driuen to this Necessitie by the streight charge that Ioseph gaue them not to come without their brother they durst not yeelde without Condicion And because Iacob had * before so stifly stoode in the refusall to sende Beniamin they doe nowe the more plainly declare their Necessitie with the cause thereof and that without anye iust Reproofe of Obstinacie or Disobedience The man asked vs streightly of our state and of our kindred saying c. Because Iacob accused his sonnes of Cruell dealing toward him in telling that they had a yonger brother they Excuse and cleere themselues by declaring 1 First the Curious Questioning that the man vsed to them of their State and Kindred whereeby they were Driuen to answere 2 Secondly that they were in that case they might not choose to answere and that according to the Troth 3 Thirdly that they coulde not Surmise that he would haue saide vnto them Bring your yonger Brother Then sayde Iuda to Israell his Father sende the lad with me that c. Iuda perswadeth his Father to yeelde to the sending of Beniamin 1 First by the Necessitie of dearth and Hunger wherein he and all his dyd stande 2 Then the vndertaking vpon his peryll the safe Bringing home of the yong man. 3 Lastly by the hurte and Hinderance that they had alreadie Susteyned by thys his delay And therfore the father nowe after his affection is somewhat Quailed vpon better consideration yeeldeth to that before he refused and as a wise man Instructeth them in what maner they should go what they should doe to * appease the Rigour of the Gouernour and to shunne such daunger as might seeme to be toward them And yet not trusting altogither to thys policie prayeth to Almighty God most hartily to Prosper them and sende them mercye in his sight When the men were brought into Iosephs house they were afraide c. A conscience * guiltie of wickednesse and a man put in feare is alway Suspicious and surmiseth that euery thing is done to his harme though it be farre otherwise So Iosephs brethren being in feare Suspect euill and daunger to come of that which in deede was done of Gentlenesse and therfore seeke so much as they can to preuent it by offering againe their Money that they caried away with them in their sackes And he saide peace be vnto you feare not your God and the God of your c. An example of a godly faythfull and gentle Seruant Because he sawe them in a great feare he comforteth them and willeth them to be of good cheere assuring them of that which they Doubted of and as for their Money that was in their sacks he wylleth them to Thanke their GOD for it by whose goodnesse it was wrought And yet vnderstanding his maisters Purpose as a faythfull seruant doth not bewray the same vnto them And he asked them of their welfaire and saide is your father that olde man c. In these Questions of Ioseph and in the residew of his dealing declared in this place towarde his brethren you maye perceiue the * Force of gentle and Naturall Affection toward such as by Nature we are Bounde vnto and yet the same by Ioseph with great wisedome and Moderation for certain purposes repressed and dissimuled for the tyme Such affections therefore may well stande wyth Wisedome and Godlinesse and in sundrye places are Praised in the saintes of God. And they prepared for him by himselfe and for them by themselues and for c. They prepared for Ioseph by hymselfe as a Prince and great Person For them and the Egiptians seuerally because the Egiptians did Disdaine and Abhorre to eate with the Hebrewes In which part we haue to note first touching Ioseph That although from verie Poore eâ—tate yea * and out of the Prison he was adualiced to highe Dignitie vndoubtedly reteyned the same humblenesse of minde that was in him before yet he was content and thought it no Burden to his Conscience to obserue the Comelynesse of his estate and to sit Seuerally as a great Piere and State of the Realme The lyke we see in Dauid Hester Daniell c. Honours annexed to Power and dignitie they Refused not but with modestie and gentlenesse in the feare of God vsed the same The cause why the Egiptians Disdained the Hebrews was for that they were Grasiers and keepers of cattell as is mentioned Cap. 46. which might seeme to proceede of a great Pride in the Egiptians wherewith Ioseph as a wise man doth seeme to beare least by Strugling against that which he could not mend he might take away that Oportunitie that he had purposed to worke the Reliefe and singuler Benefite of his Father and Brethren Some write that the Egiptians worshipped Sheepe as Gods and therfore did hate the Hebrews because they did not onely feede Sheepe but also Kyll eate them so that their lothing of the Hebrews came not only of Pride but also of Idolatrie and Superstition because they vsed Crueltie towarde their Gods. The fifte Sunday in Lent at Morning prayer Exodus 3. MOyses kept the shéepe of Iethro his father in lawe priest of Madian and he droue the flocke to the backside of the desert and came to the Mountaine of God Horeb. 2 And the Angell of the Lorde appeared vnto hym in a flame of fyre out of the middest of a bushe And he looked and beholde the bushe burned wyth fyre and
on some that be in honour and dignitie By this bayte the common subiects are allured to take part with them and headelong to thrust themselues not onely to daunger and slaughter but also to the iust * vengeance of God that commonlye followeth for the same These meanes doe Corah Dathan and the other vse agaynst Moyses and Aaron For first they say vnto them You take to much vpon you wherein they note Pride and Ambition in them And againe in the. 13. Verse Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs out of the land that flovveth vvith milk and honie to kill vs in the VVildernesse but that thou make thy selfe Lorde ouer vs also In these wordes of an obstinate stubburnnesse euen agaynst his owne conscience Dathan obiecteth to Moyses ambitions seeking of principalitie where as in deede he sawe by the woonderfull workes wrought by him that he was called therto by god But this is of Exceeding malice that he â—ayeth agaynst him as a great fault that thinge which was the Worthiest act that euer he did that is the Deliuerie of the Israelites out of the miserable bondage of Aegypt And yet this wicked Rebell calleth it here a bringing of the people out of A lande flovving vvith milke and honie An horrible Bondage and Oppression in dispite of their gouernour is tearmed a state of great felicitie and all of purpose to make him odious to the people Their Dissimulation appeareth in this that whereas they seeke nothing but principalitie and the high Priesthood they pretende fauour and loue towarde the people All the people say they are holy euery one of them as if they had sayde they are all the people of God and therefore whie shoulde you gouerne them so sternely whie should you so oppresse them And againe You bring forth the people to kill them in the VVildernesse As though the Pitie of the people had mooued them to that purpose and not rather their own ambitious miâ—ds By this common people may learne to Beware of the dissimuled pretences of such as be Capitaynes in Rebellion And for their owne ambitious purpose seeke to leade them to vnquietnesse trouble and daunger It is not vnprofitable to consider how Moyses as a good Gouernour and hauing a cleere conscience did in this trouble behaue hymselfe he is not greatly Astonied or dismayed nor seeketh any vnlawful or extraordinarie meanes to represse them But first he was assured in his conscience he was called and appointed to that office by God therefore he resorteth to him in earnest prayer For the Falling dovvne vpon his face mencioned in the fourth verse was not for Feare of the Rebell but an earnest prostrating hymselfe before God praying for his assistance Then he Reproueth the Rebelles and telleth them of their fault how greatly they doe against their Dutie and howe Vnthankfully towarde God and thereby exhorteth them to quyetnesse He sendeth for some of the other Rebelles Dathan and Abiran to haue delt with them in like maner if they would haue come vnto hym But they stubbernly refused it Lastly seing they would not yeelde to reason or perswasion with an assured confidence of the goodnesse of his cause he putteth it into Gods hande by his mightie power to determine ende the matter This should all good Princes and Rulers in the like case folow First to * call vpon God earnestly and faythfully then to vse all the quyet meanes they can by reason to perswade them And if that will not serue as seldome times it doth such is the furie of Rebelles then with an assured confidence in the prouidence of God and the right of their cause being Gods appointed gouernours by battayle or other lyke meanes to commit the thing to His hande to determine who neuer hath hitherto vsed to gyue sentence or successe on the parte of the Rebels And Corah gathered all the congregation against them c. and the glorie c. The verie confidence that Moyses shewed in the Goodnesse of his cause might well haue Abashed their rebellious spirites Much more when they sawe the glorie of the Lorde appeare on the part of Moyses and to speake vnto him they should haue bene abashed and giuen ouer their wicked purpose But such a furie doth alwayes folow the mindes of Rebels that though they see neuer so present daunger they will as Corah and his company doe as it were Face God himselfe and neuer giue ouer vntill by the iust iudgement of God they bring themselues to vtter confusion And assoone as he had made an ende of speaking the ground cloue c. By this dreadfull punishment of destroying the principall doers by the swallowing of the Earth and with fyre from heaueÌ„ God declareth would haue it knowne to the worlde howe he doth Hate and Dâ—test â–ª * such as rebell agaynst their Princes and Rulers appointed by him to gouerne them which he afterwarde more amply declareth For when euen the next day folowing the people murmurd against Moyses and Aaron and that punishment wherewith God had plagued the Rebelles Gods wrath was so kindled against them that if the earnest Prayer and endeuour of Moyses and Aaron had not beene he woulde haue vtterlye destroyed them All from the face of the earth And yet could not Moyses with such speede appease his wrath but .xiiij. thousande of them were slaine to the terrible Example of all other that in any age should follow their euill doing And in deede if we looke into the histories of all times we shall finde that Rebellions and Insurrections haue ended in the vtter destruction of them that haue beene the doers of it For they striue not against the Magistrate but against God that ordayned him For vvhatsoeuer povvers there are they are of God. Paul. Rom. 13. The first Sunday after Easter at Euening prayer Numb 22. ANd the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab on the other side of Iordane from Iericho 2 â–ª And â—alue the sonne of Ziphor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorâ—tes 3 And the Moabites were sore afraid of the people because they were manye and they were strikon with scare of the children of Israell 4 And Moab saide vnto the elders of Madian Now shall this companie â—ick vp all that are round about vs as aâ—ore 〈◊〉 vp the grasse of the field And Balac the sonne 〈◊〉 was â–ª king of the Moabites at that time 5 He sent messengers therfore vnto Balaam the sonne of Beor to Pethor which is by the riuer of the lande of the children of his folke to call him saying Beholde there is a people come out of Egipt and beholde they couer the face of the earth and dwell it ouer against me 6 Come now therfore I pray thée and curse me this people for they are to mightie for me so it may be I shal be hable to smite them and to driue them
out of the lande For I wore that he whome thou blessest is blessed and whome thou cursest is cursed 7 And the elders of Mâ—ab and the elders of Madian departed hauing the revvarde of the soothlaying in their hande And they came vnto Balaam and tolde him the wordes of Balac 8 He answered them Tarie here this night and I wyll bring you worde as the Lorde shall saye vnto me And the Lordes of Moab abode with Balaam 9 And God came vnto Balaam and saide What men are these wyth thée 10 And Balaam saide vnto God Balac the sonne of Ziphor king of Moah hath sent vnto me saying 11 Beholde there is a people come out of Egipt and couereth the face of the earth come nowe therefore and curse them for my saâ—e so it may be that I shal be hable to ouercome them in battaile and to driue them out 12 And God said vnto Balaam Go not thou with them neyther curse the people for they are blessed 13 And Balaam rose vp in the morning and saide vnto the Lordes of Balac Get you vnto your lande for the Lorde will not suffer me to go with you 14 And the Lordes of Moab rose vp and went vnto Balac and saide Balaam would not come with vs. 15 And Balac sent againe a greater companie of Lords and more honourable then they 16 Which came to Balaam and tolde him Thus sayth Balac the sonne of Ziphor Oh let nothing let thée but come vnto me 17 For I will greatly promote thée vnto great honour and will doe whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me come I pray thée curse this people for my sake 18 And Balaam answered and saide vnto the seruantes of Blalac If Balac would geue me this house full of Siluer and Golde I can not go beyonde the worde of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more 19 Nowe therefore I praye thée tarie ye here this night that I may wit what the Lord will say vnto me more 20 And God came vnto Balaam by night and sayde vnto him If the men come to cal thée rise vp and go with them but looke what I say vnto thée that shalt thou doe 21 And Balaam rose vp earely and sadled his asse and went with the Lords of Moab 22 And the wrath of God was kindled because he went and the angell of the Lorde stoode in the waye to be against him as he rode vpon his asse and his two seruauntes were with him 23 And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lord stande in the way and hauing his sword drawne in his hand the asse turned aside out of the waye and went out into the fielde And Balaam smote the asse to turne her into the way 24 But the angel of the Lorde stoode in a path betwéene the vineyardes and there was a wall on the one side and another on the other 25 â–ª And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lorde she thrust her selfe vnto the wall and crusht Balaams foote against the wall and he smote her againe 26 And the Angell of the Lorde went further and stoode in a narrowe place where was no waye to turne eyther to the right haude or to the left 27. And when the asse sawe the angel of the Lorde she fell downe vnder Balaam and Balaam was wroth and smote the asse with a staffe 28 And the Lorde opened the mouth of the asse 〈◊〉 she saide vnto Balaam What haue I done vnto thée that thou hast smitten me nowe three times 29 And Balaam saide vnto his asse Because thou hast mocked me I would also there were a sword nomine hand for euen nowe would I kill thée 30 And the asse saide vnto Balaam Am not I thine asse which thou hast ridden vpon since the first time vnto this day Was I euer wont to doe so vnto thée He saide nay 31 And the Lorde opened the eyes of Balaam and he sawe the angell of the Lorde standing in the way hauing his sworde drawne in his hande he bowed himselfe therefore and fell flatte on his face 32 And the Angell of the Lord saide vnto him Wherfore hast thou smitten the asse these thrée times Beholde I came out to withstand thée because thine hart hath declined out of the way before me 33 And the asse saw me and turned from me nowe three times or else if she had not turned fro me I had surely slaine thée and saued her aliue 34 Balaam saies vnto the angell of the Lorde I haue sinned for I wisâ— not that thou stoodest in the way against me Now therefore if it displease shée I will turne home againe 35 The angell of the Lorde saide vnto Balaam Go wyth the men but what I saye vnto thée that shalt thou speake And so Balaam went with the Lordes of Balac 36 And when Balac heard that Balaam was come he went out to méete him vnto a citie of Moab which is in the border of Arâ—on in the vttermost coast 37 And Balac saide vnto Balaam Did I not sende for thée to call thée and wherefore camest thou not vnto me Am I not hable in déede to promote thée vnto honor 38 And Balaam made answere vnto Balac Lo I am come vnto thée and can I now say any thing at all The worde that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speake 39 And Balaam went with Balac and they came vnto a citie of stréets 40 And Balac offered oxen and shéepe and sent thereof to Balaam and to the Lords that were with him 41 And on the morowe Balac tooke Balaam and brought him vp into the his places of Baal that thence he might sée the vttermost part of the people The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Numb And the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab c. IN the ende of the former .xxi. Chapter it was sayde that Schon king of the Amorhites did conquere take from the king of Moab all his lande euen vnto Arnon which as maye in this place appeare is not so to be taken but that there was a portion of lande yet remayning to the Moabites ouer which Balach their king raygned But in likelyhood his kingdome was not so mightie that he durst with his power wythstande the Israelites and therfore he craueth of the Madianites and other his neighbours that they woulde ioyne with him agaynst them The Moabites discended of one of the daughters of Loth the Madianites came from Abraham by Cethura and therefore were they as kinne vnto the Israelites and shoulde in curtesse euen by the Lawe of nature haue vsed more gentlenesse vnto them passing through their Countrey The Historie of this Chapiter and of the next following comprehendeth many matters worthie the obseruing First it sheweth that Satan by his instruments ceaseth not continually by Violence and force by craft and subtiltie by all the meanes he can to worke trouble daunger and confusion to the people and Church of god And
times past therfore shuld he flée vnto one of the same cities and liue 43 Namely Bezer in the wildernesse euē in the plain coūtrey of the tribe of Ruben and Ramoth in Gilead of the tribe of Gad Golan in Basan of the tribe of Manasse 44 And so this is the lawe which Moyses set before the children of Israel 45 These are the witnesses statutes ordinances which Moises told the children of Israell after they came out of Egipt 46 On the other side Iordane in the valley ouer against the house of Peor in the land of Sehon king of the Amorites which dwelt at Hesbō whō Moises the children of Israel smote after they were come out of Egipt 47 And possessed his land the land of Og king of Basan two kings of the Amorites which were on the other side of Iordane towarde the sunne rising 48 From Aroer which is by the banke of the riuer Arnon vnto moūt Sion which is Hermon 49 And all the plain on the other side Iordane eastward euen vnto the sea which is in the plaine vnder the springs of the hyll The Exposition vpon the fourth Chapter of Deuteronomie Now therfore hearken O Israell vnto the ordinaunces and lawes c. THis whole Chapter containeth nothyng but an earnest exhortation to the children of Israel not only with diligence to harken to the ordinances and lawes of God but also in dede to * obserue and performe the same bicause the lawe of God is a doctrine of practise and not of hearing onely The condition of their reward is added that so they might liue and possesse the lande For the promises of God made to them were * conditionall and depended vpon their obedience vnto his ordinances And in the second verse this is notable that he straightlye chargeth them That they do not adde any thing to his lawe nor Take any thing from it Therby declaring that God will be worshipped onely according to his worde and that all vnnecessarie traditions of mens deuises do * hinder Gods word and carie men from the simple trueth therof The first reason of exhortation that Moyses vseth is the exāple of the great sharp punnishment that God vsed vppon them that reuolted from him fell to the worshipping of Baal Peor the Idoll of the Madianites and Moabites as it is written Num. 25. The seconde reason is in the fifte verse by the aucthoritie of the lawe maker God himselfe For he saith I haue taught you ordinaunces such as the Lorde my God hath commaunded mee and thereby willeth them so to esteme the lawes not as the commaundements of * men onely but of God that appointed them The third reason is in the. 6. 7. verses by the renowne and fame of great wisdome and of the singular fauour and ready helpe of God toward them which shoulde be spred of them among all nations to their great comfort and commendation In the. 9. verse hee concludeth with admonition that they should not only themselues diligently remember the lawes of God but also * instruct and teach their children and posteritie in the same Speciallye the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb. c. In these verses is contained an other reason to moue thē by the remembrance of the * terrible manner and solemne maiestie that God in their sighte and hearing dyd vse in the publishing of his lawe with thunder and lightening earthquake with fyre cloudes and darknesse In so muche that they confessed themselues not to be * hable to abide the dredful maiestie therof as it is largely declared in the .20 of Exodus Take therefore good heede vnto youre selues as parteining vnto c. He straightly chargeth them to beware vpon daunger of their soules health that they did not make vnto themselues the Image of anye thing in heauen in earthe or in the water vnder the earth And signifieth that by the wisedome and prouidence of God in the publishing of the law they heard a voyce onely and sawe * no figure least they shoulde take vpon them by that figure to represent God which would not be represented by anye worldly thing This commaundemente he sundrye times repeateth to th ende to beate into their mindes howe odious Idolatry and the worshipping of Images and false gods was vnto him Furthermore the Lorde was angry with mee for your woordes c. By his own example Moises willeth them to beware howe they fell into the displeasure of God by disobeyng his holy will. For if the seueritie of his iustice was so sharpe * toward Moises for a litle mistrust in his promise how much more would it be vpon them if they did fall from his true worshippe to Idolatrie and to the open disobedience of his lawes and ordinances For saith he the Lorde is * a Consuming fire to destroye the obstinate disobedient and a Ielous God that will not suffer his glorye to be gyuen to other When thou shalte beget children c. I call heauen and earth to witnesse c. Moyses in this place moueth them to the diligent obseruing of the law of God by laying before them the threatnings of Gods iustice and * punishments that shall come vpō them for the contrary that is That they should perishe from the land whereunto they were goyng and should not therein prolong their dayes That the Lord shuld scatter them in subiectiō of other nations That he wold giue them ouer to the vnsensible worshipping of stockes and stones the workes of mens hands In which point we of this latter time haue to lerne that the grosse Idolatry that hath growen by pilgrimage and worshypping of Images hath beene the * iust plague of God sent vpon men bicause they departed from the obedience of Gods holy word vnto worshipping of him by their owne deuises and traditions of men If from thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him c. Least when the punishments before mentioned for their offences by Gods iust iudgemente should light vpon them they shoulde dispeire of the mercie of God and so cutte of the occasion of repentance in this place he sayth whē god doth cast thē out into strange nations if they doe * repent them of their wickednesse and seeke after their Lorde and God that he will receyue them to his mercie For God is to his people a mercifull father and not a terrible iudge And * when he punisheth he doth it not to destroy them but by a * fatherly correction to pull them frō their disobedience and wickednesse which whensoeuer they shall doe the bosome of his mercye and goodnesse is ready to receyue them For aske of the dayes that are past c. and aske if euer there came c. There is nothing
that can more moue either a godly person or anye man of common sense and reason to loue and obey one than to consider hys great works and benefites done for his defence and deliuerance out of thraledome and miserye Therefore Moyses willeth the children of Israell to descend into earnest * consideration with themselues how great and maruellous workes God had done for them That he chose them firste as his peculiar people among all the nations of the earth that when they were holden in miserable * captiuitie vnder the tyrannye of the Egiptians of his meere mercy without any regard of their worthynes and farre beyond their hope or expectation he by mightie * power deliuered them By his own voyce with great maiestie of signes and wonders he published hys law vnto them that they might not be ignorant of hys holye will and commaundementes He maruellously gaue victory vnto them against mighty * kings and Nations and to bring them into a blessed lande and countrey by his power not * their might he turned out the inhabitants thereof before them Therefore if after so great and many benefites they should reuolt from this so gratious mercifull and mightye a God they should shewe themselues very vnthankfull and worthy of great punishments TheÌ„ Moyses seuered three Cityes on the otherside of Iordane c. Bicause it semed not iust in the sight of God that they which had committed manslaughter vnwillingly by casualtie and chaunce should be punished as wilfull murderers or those that wittingly doe kil men or commit any other hainous offence Therefore God appoynted Moyses to assigne sixe Cities that myght be as sanctuaries for such persons to resorte vnto for their salftie Of which these are three that Moyses here in this place speaketh of Of the ordaining of these Cities of refuge you may read Num. 35. Deut. 19. Iosua 20. The thirde Sundaye after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deut. 5. AND Moyses called all Israel sayd vnto them Heare O Israel the ordinances and lawes whiche I speake in your eares this daye that ye may learne them fulfill them in déede 2 The Lord our God made a couenaÌ„t with vs in Horeb. 3 The Lorde made not this couenaunt with our fathers but with vs euen with vs which are al here alyue this day 4 The Lorde talked with you face to face in the mount out of the middes of the fire 5 And I stoode betwéen the Lord and you the same time and shewed you the word of the Lord For ye were afrayde at the sight of the fire and went not vp into the mount and he sayd 6 I am the Lord thy God which brought thée out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage 7 Thou shalt haue none other gods in my presence 8 Thou shalt make thée no grauen image or any likenes of that which is in heauen aboue or that is in earth beneath or that is in the waters beneath the earth 9 Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Ielous God visiting the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation among them that hate me 10 And shewe mercy vpon thousands among them y loue mée and kepe my commaundementes 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 12 Kepe the sabbath day that thou sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée 13 Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe 14 But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter nor thy man seruauÌ„t nor thy maide nor thine Oxe nor thine Asse nor any of thy â—â—ttell nor the stranger that is within thy gaâ—es that thy man seruaunt and thy maide maye rest as well as thou 15 Remember that thou wast a seruaunte in the lande of Egipt how that the Lord thy God brought thée out thence through a mightie hand a stretched out arme For which cause the Lord thy God coÌ„maunded thée to kepe the Sabbath day 16 Honour thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée that thy dayes maye be prolonged and that it may go well with thée in the land which the Lord thy God geueth thée 17 Thou shalt not kyll 18 Thou shalt not commit adulterie 19 Thou shalt not steale 20 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 21 Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house his fielde his seruant or his maide his Oxe his Asse or ought that thy neighbour hath 22 These wordes the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the middes of the fire of the cloude of the darknesse with a great voyce added no more therto and wrote them in two tables of stone and deliuered them vnto me 23 And it came to passe that when ye heard the voyce out of the middes of the darknesse for the mountaine dyd burne with fire then ye came vnto me with the Captaines of your tribes and your Elders 24 And ye said Behold the Lorde our God hath shewed vs his glory and his greatnesse we haue hearde his voyce oute of the middes of the fire we haue séene this daye that God doth talke with man and he yet liueth 25 Now therfore why shoulde we dye that this great fire should consume vs If we heare the voyce of y Lord our God any more we shall die 26 For what flesh hath it bene that euer heard the voyce of the liuing God speaking oute of the middes of the fire as we haue done and yet did liue 27 Go thou and heare all that the Lord our God saith and tell thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God saith vnto thée we will heare it and doe it 28 And the Lorde hearde the voyce of your words when ye spake vnto me and the Lorde saide vnto me I haue heard the voyce of the wordes of this people which they haue spoken vnto thée they haue wel said all that they haue spoken 29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me kepe all my commaundements alway that it might go well with them and with their children for euer 30 Go and say vnto them Get you into your tentes againe 31 But stand thou here by me and I will tell thée all the commaundements ordinances lawes which thou shalt teach them that they may doe them in the land which I geue them to possesse 32 Take hede therefore that ye doe in déede as the Lorde your God hath commaunded you and turne not aside either to the righte hande or to the
vnto thy fathers Abraham Isahac and Iacob and shall geue to thée great and goodly Cities which thou buildedst not 11 Houses full of all maner of goodes whych thou filledst not and weâ—â—es digged which thou diggedst not vineyardes and Oliue trées whych thou plantedst not and when thou hast eaten and arte full 12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thée out of the land of Egipt from the house of bondage 13 Thou shalte feare the Lorde thy God and serue hym and shalte sweare by his name 14 Sée that ye walke not after straunge Gods the Gods of the Nations which are about you 15 For the Lorde thy God is a Ielous God among you least the couÌ„tenance of the Lord thy God be moued to wrath against thée and destroy thée from the face of the earth 16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as ye did in the place of temptation 17. But you shall diligently kepe the commaundementes of the Lord your God and his testimonies and his ordinaunces which he hath commaunded thée 18 And thou shalt doe that which is ryght and good in the sight of the Lord that thou mayst prosper that thou mayst go in and possesse that good lande which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers 19 To cast oute all thine enemies before thée as the Lord hath said 20 And wheÌ„ thy sonne asketh thée in time to come saying What meaneth these testimonies ordinances and lawes which the Lorde our God hath commaunded you 21 Then thou shalt say vnto thy sonne We were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt the Lord brought vs out of Egipt with a mightie hande 22 And the Lorde shewed signes and wonders great and euill vpon Egipt vpon Pharao and vpon all his housholde before our eyes 23 And brought vs oute from thence to bring vs in and to geue vs the lande which he sware vnto oure fathers 24 And he hath commaunded vs to doe all these ordinaunces and to feare the Lorde oure God for our wealth al the dayes of our life as it is come to passe this day 25 Moreouer this shal be oure righteousnesse before the Lorde oure God if we take heede and kéepe all these commaundementes as he hath commaunded vs. The exposition vpon the .vj. Chapter of Deuteronomie These are the commaundementes ordinances and lawes whiche c. MOyses purposing to exhorte the Israelites to a diligent and faithfull obseruation of the law of God beginneth with the repetition of that whereof he hath before sundry tymes spoken that is that the lawes whiche he dothe so earnestly admonishe them to keepe are * not his nor deuised of his owne brayne but suche as were deliuered him of the Lord and of that Lord which had not only euer shewed himself their gratious and good God but also * chosen them to be his peculiar people and vndertaken to defende them from all their enimies and therfore that they coulde not without most iust blame refuse obedience therevnto And for so muche as Saincte Paule sayeth VVhatsoeuer is written is written to our instruction I thinke there is no better maner of exposition seing the text is plaine inough of it selfe than to apply the same vnto vs We haue far greater cause by our obedience to sette forth the glorie of God than they had First then as Moyses exhorteth the Israelites wée muste feare god For as Salomon sayth The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome This feare will not onely beate downe our pryde and confidence in oure selues but also will bee as a brydle to staye vs from euill and to represse the wicked iustes and affections that rise in vs contrary to the law of god * Feare of the Lorde represseth sinne sayeth Iesus Syrach Chap. 1. And Salomon Prouerb 8. Feare of the Lord doth hate euill Contrarywise where feare of God is not men run headlong to all wickednesse yet must not this feare be in the faithfull a bonde and seruile feare wherein we think of God only as he is a terrible iudge for so Satan * and the wicked do feare God But our feare muste be ioyned with the earnest loue of god We muste not onely feare God for his iustice but wee muste* loue him also for his mercie and goodnesse towardes vs And therefore Moyses afterward addeth Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might This Loue of God in the faithfull * doth far more earnestly bridle them from the disobedieÌ„ce of gods holy lawes than feare can doe For they that by a sure faith haue the true sense of Gods infinite mercies towards them and therby vnfaynedly loue hym are more* readie to please God and to shewe themselues thankful to him than feare of his iustice can make them lothe to displease and offende him by sinne and wickednesse The one of these that is Feare muste represse and keepe vnder olde Adam and the carnall man The other that is Loue doth set forwarde and encourage the spirituall and newe man that is begotten in Christ Iesu Moreouer forsomuch as our corruption is so great and our inclination vnto euill so ready that we soone forget our duties towarde God after Moyses his counsell wee must seeke by all meanes that we can to* imprinte his holy will in oure heartes to sette it before oure eyes and to make it* continually as it were to ring and sound in our eares This will best be doone by the diligent reading hearing and meditating of the holie Scriptures by whiche the wil of God is learned For this cause Dauid sayeth that Hee is blessed whiche delighteth in the lawe of the Lorde and exerciseth himselfe therein both day and nighte This is it that Moyses meaneth when he biddeth the Israelites that they should Talke of the lawes of God in theyr house By the way Lying downe to bedde Rising vp in the morning That they shoulde bee as a sygne in theyr hands as a Frontlet before their eyes and VVryte them on their doore postes That is by all meanes they can to make them selues famyliar with them that by the fleshe and the worlde they myghte not bee drawne to forgetfulnesse thereof And when the Lorde thy God hathe broughte thee into the lande c. This is an other good Instruction that Moyses vseth to the Israelites and behooueth vs also to follow that is that with earnest consideration we call to mynde the * inestimable benefites that God hath doone for vs whiche are farre greater and of more worthinesse than are these worldly benefites whiche God here is reported to haue done for the Israelites For he doth not only continually from tyme to tyme bestowe vpon vs the lyke worldly and outwarde blessings to our no small comfort and quietnesse in this lyfe but hath also enriched vs with his spirituall* treasures and blessings as
he which geueth thée power to get substaunce for to make good the promise which he sware vnto thy fathers as appeareth this daye 19 And if thou forget the Lorde thy God and walke after straunge Gods and serue them and worship them I testifie vnto you this day that ye shall surely perishe 20 As the nations which the Lorde destroyed before your face so ye shall perishe bycause ye would not be obedient vnto the voyce of the Lord your God. The exposition vpon the .viij. Chapter of Deuteronomie All the commaundements whych I commaunde thee this day c. FOrsomuche as the Israelites were not nowe far of from the land of Canaan Moyses putteth them in minde therof and signifieth that the same God which did require them to be obedient vnto hys lawe was nowe euen at the poynt to fulfill his promise and to set them in possession of that countrey and therefore that they shoulde be more willing and readye to folow him and to obserue his ordinances He willeth them also to haue in remēbrance how God vsed them in the wildernesse for the space of fourtie yeares by hunger thirst some other aduersityes* trying them whether they would remaine his faithfull and obediente people or no. For God did not bring them into those distresses and lacke of foode other things necessary bicause he hated them but as a good father to proue them and humble their hearts before him and that they might learne and vnderstand that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god For thoughe there were no foode in the world to sustaine mans life yet is God hable by his diuine prouidence miraculously to preserue vs As he did feede them in the wildernesse with * Manna from heauen a foode that neither they nor their forefathers euer heard of and caused the stony* rocke to yelde them water to quenche their thirst yea and moreouer caused their rayment in fourtie yeares space neuer to * weare or consume nor theyr feete to swell or be greeued wyth contynuall trauayle These strange things wrought he that they mighte learne to put their truste in him and be well assured that so great daunger could neuer come vnto them but that he was hable readily woulde deliuer them oute of it if they dyd faithfully serue him And therfore Moyses wylleth them to harken vnto this theyr gracious Lord to feare him and to walke in his wayes For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good lande c. Moyses describeth vnto them the * fertile and plentifull countrey that God had prouided for them flowing with aboundance of all fruites commodities delectable pleasures that they might be the more * willing and ready to shewe their thankfull obedience towarde him If the same land of Canaan be not at this day so fertile as is here reported nor answerable to many parts of Moyses his description but lieth in a great part wast as some trauailers declare we may not thinke it straunge For beside the mutation that naturallie may come to any coūtrey in the space of .3000 yeares it pleased God of his goodnes at this time here mentioned to make it y more fruitfull bicause of his chosē people that he promised to place there which good blessing may well be thought to haue continued so long as his people kept his commaūdement and contynued in any tollerable obedience of the lawes and ordinaunces by him appoynted But when they both fell from the true obseruation of the outwarde lawe and also reiected the true Messias and Sauioure of the worlde no meruaile if that curse fell both vpon them their land which before God had oftentimes threatened whereby great alteration therof might fall When thou haste eaten therefore and fylled thy selfe thou shalt blesse c. The Israelites are here warned in the time of their prosperitie the enioying of Gods benefites that they shew themselues thankfull ernestly to take hede that in time of their* wealth they waxe not wanton forget God by whose goodnesse they are in that felicitie Howe necessary this admonition might then be to them and is also presently to all other the common course of mans lyfe righte well declareth What one among an hundred is there which by wealth continuall successe doth not wax insolent and forget his duety toward God Moises in his song chap. 32. of this booke saith of the Israelites Thou art vvel fedde Thou are growē thicke Thou arte euen laden vvith fatnesse and he hath forsaken God his maker Regarded not the Lord of his saluation In which wordes he prophecied before hand what wold come to passe among them and therfore ernestly he willeth thē here to take hede VVhen thou hast eaten filled thy selfe saith he and builded goodly houses c. Bevvare least thy hearte rise and thou forgette the Lorde thy God. Here he noteth wherby mē in such case ar moued to forget God that is Rising of their hearte with pride insolencie of minde For fewe there are that in great wealth prosperitie can holde themselues within the boundes of modestie and humblenesse but so sone as they perceiue them selues to flourish be * aloft their minde also in such sort swelleth with selfliking that they doe not onely contemne other but let slippe also the feare of God himselfe and by litle litle are caried on through the allurement of Satan that they cleane fal from him Let Solomon hereof be a notable example and Christ himself said That it was as hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God as for a Camell to go through a needels eye Therefore Moyses calleth the Israelites to remembrance and willeth them not to forget what they were in Egipt and in the wildernesse and how louingly mercifully God then dealte for them gaue them * all things at their nede that by that meanes they might the sooner acknowledge him to be the * authour and worker of al their prosperitie and so continne in his true worship and obedience Otherwise if they goe from their Lord God and giue themselues to the worshipping of strange gods he protesteth denounteth to them that they shall assuredly perishe and be destroyed in like maner as they had seene God to worke the confusion of other nations before their faces For where the mercie of God and his bountifull goodnesse eyther is abused or will not preuaile his Iustice and seueritie must needes take place The fifth Sundaye after Easter at Euening prayer Deut. 9. HEare O Israel thou passest ouer Iordane this daye to goe in and possesse nations greater and mightier than thy self cities great and walled vp to heauen 2 A people great tall the children of the Anakims which thou knowest of and of whom thou hast heard say who can
for punishment thereof cause them to be led Captiue into Babilon to serue strange Lordes and Maisters in a Countrey that was not theirs Preache this vnto the house of Iacob and crie it out in Juda. c. God leaueth nothing vndone whereby this Stubburne people may declare themselues vnexcusable if they doe not Repent forsake their wickednesse and therefore chargeth the Prophete that they lacke not Teaching and Preaching and the euident declaration of Gods Iustice to come vpon them and that in such maner as they maye not thinke it to be Wordes onely and bare Threatninges to feare them but that they maye be well assured that they shall be as truely perfourmed in dede as they were vttered in wordes And then if they did not obey they shoulde shew themselues to be not only a Blockishe a folishe people but in dede as indurate Storkes and Stones and altogether like those Idolles that they worshipped which had eyes and yet sawe not and eares and yet hearde not c. but did suffer the Worde of God to passe as if it had bene spoken to Vnsensible creatures To the further amplification and condemnation of their Obstinacie in reiecting al obedience and Feare of God he compareth them to the Sea. The Sea saithe he then whiche there is nothing more forcible and violente yet at my Decree and appointment dothe it* tarie within his boundes and in his greatest rage and swelling of Waues dothe not breake oute beyonde the bankes of light Sande and Grauell Hereby this People mighte be taughte how great my Power is so learne to Feare me as their God and to Obey me as their Lorde that made them and all the worlde beside but they are more dull of vnderstanding than the* Vnsensible creatures and further from obedience than the furious and raging Surges of the Sea. Although the exceeding might and power of God in bounding the Sea within certaine Limites did not moue them to feare his Maiestie yet considering that of his fatherly Prouidence he sent them Raine in due times all maner of Seasonable weathering to temper the grouÌ„d that it mighte bring forth Fruites to their vse and commoditie it should haue somewhat enclined their hartes to Loue his Fatherly goodnesse and Reuerently to haue serued him But they were as vâ—thankefull toward the Goodnesse and mercie of God as they were obstinate against his Power and Maiestie Neuerthelesse youre misdeedes haue turned these from you c. Hereby we are taught that when God taketh from vs the Fruites of the Earth and his other good blessinges the cause thereof is our owne Sinfulnesse and forsaking of God and his true Seruice In the 26. and 27. verses the Prophete reckeneth vp some of their offences and especiallye their Falsheade Deceipte and Crafte in trapping and snaring the simple and by vniust and suttell meanes drawing them into daunger so that it maye appeare there remayned among them no Faithe nor Trueth nor Integritie and vprighte dealing but altogether couetous craftinesse iniurie and oppression And as the People were giuen to extortion and oppression so were the Magistrates negligent in ministring Iustice in defending the innocent and punishing the violence of the oppressour and wrongfull doer Yea and the * verye Prophetes also Preachers and Priests which should haue instructed and taught both People and Magistrate were themselues giuen ouer to Couetousnes and Briberie and by false prophecying teaching noseled the people in their wickednesse and in the contempt of God and of his true Prophetes And therfore God denounceth that he must needes of his Iustice punishe both them and all suche other wicked People as they are The .14 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ieremie Cap. 22. THus sayeth the Lorde Goe downe into the house of the King of Iuda and speake there these wordes 2 And saye Heare the worde of the Lord thou king of Iuda that sittest in the kingly seate of Dauid thou and thy seruants and thy people that goeth in and out at these gates 3 Thus the Lorde commaundeth Kepe equitie and righteousnesse deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent doe not gréeue nor oppresse the straunger the fatherlesse nor the wydowe and shed no innocent bloude in this place 4 And if ye kéepe these things Faithfully then shall there come in at the doore of this house Kinges to sit vpon Dauids seate they shal be caryed in charrets and ryde vpon Horses bothe they and their seruantes and their people 5 But if ye will not be obediente vnto these commaundementes I sweare by myne owne selfe sayeth the Lorde this house shal be waste 6 For thus hathe the Lorde spoken vpon the Kinges of Iuda Thou Gileaâ— arte vnto me the heade of Libanus shall I not make thée so waste as the Cities that no man dwell in 7 I will prepare a destroyer with his weapons for thée to hewe downe thy especiall Cedar trées and to caste them in the fire 8 And all the people that goe by this Citie shall speake one to another Wherefore hathe the Lorde done thus vnto this noble Citie 9 Then shall it be answered Because they haue broken the couenaunt of the Lorde their God and haue worshipped and serued strange Gods. 10 Maurne not ouer the dead and be not woe for them but be sorie for him that departeth awaye for he commeth not againe and séeth his natiue countrey no more 11 For thus sayeth the Lorde as touching Sellum the Sonne of Iosias King of Iuda which raigned after his father When he is caryed oute of this place he shall neuer come hither againe 12 For he shall dye in the place wherevnto he is led captiue and shall sée this lande no more 13 Woe worthe him that buyldeth his house with vnrighteousnesse and his parlours with the good that he hath gotten by violence which neuer recompenceth his neighbours labour nor payeth him his hire 14 Who thinketh in himselfe I will builde mée a wyde house and gorgious parlours who causeth wyndowes to be hewen therein and the séelings and ioystes maketh he of Cedar and painteth them with Sinoper 15 Thinkest thou to raigne nowe that thou haste inclosed thy selfe with Cedar Dyd not thy father eate and drynke and prosper well as long as he dealt with equitie and righteousnesse 16 Yea when he helped the oppressed and poore to their righte then prospered he well from whence came this but onely because he knewe me saith the Lorde 17 Neuerthelesse as for thine eyes and thyne heart they looke vpon couetousnesse to shedde Innocent bloude to doe wrong and violence 18 And therefore thus sayth the Lorde against Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias King of Iuda They shall not mourne for him as they vse to doe Alas brother alas sister neither shall they say vnto him Alas for that noble prince 19 But as an asse shall he be buryed corrupte and bée caste withoute the gates of
Hierusalem 20 Climbe vp the hill of Libanus O thou daughter Sion lifte vp thy voyce vpon Easan crye from all partes for all thy louers are destroyed 21 I gaue thée warning whyle thou wast yet in prosperitie but thou saydest I will not heare And this manner haste thou vsed from thy youth that thou wouldest neuer heare my voyce 22 All thy heardmen shal be dryuen with the winde and thy darlinges shal be caryed away into capitiuitie then shalt thou be broughte to shame and confusion because of all thy wickednesse 23 Thou that dwellest vpon Libanus and makest thy nest in the Cedar trées O howe litle shalte thou be regarded when thy sorowe and panges come vpon thée as vpon a woman trauailing with childe 24 As truely as I liue saith the Lorde thoughe Conanias the sonne of Iehoakim king of Iuda were the signet of my right hande yet will I plucke him of 25 And I will giue thée into the hande of them that séeke thy life and into the power of them that thou fearest euen into the power of Nabuchovonozor the King of Babilon and into the power of the Chaldées 26 Moreouer I will sende thée and thy mother that bare thée into a straunge Lande where ye were not borne and there shall ye dye 27 But as for the Land that ye will desire to returne vnto ye shall neuer come at it againe 28 This man Conanias shall be like an Image robbed and torne in péeces and like a vessell wherein there is no pleasure Wherefore bothe he and his séede shall be sent awaye and cast into a lande that they knowe not 29 O thou earthe earthe earthe heare the worde of the Lorde 30 Thus sayth the Lorde Write this man destitute of Children for no prosperitie shall this man haue all his dayes neither shall anye of his séede be so happie as to sitte vpon the seate of Dauid and to beare rule anye more in Iuda The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Hieremie Thus sayeth the Lorde goe downe into the house of the King of Iuda c. THat this admonition mighte be of the greater force with the people the Prophete is here willed by God to goe to the Prince Counsailers themselues and to declare the Message to them For the inferiours and subiectes might wel thinke it was no Idle or trifeling admonishment that was denounsed to the chiefe and principali rulers but that in dede it shoulde be fulfilled The Kings of Iuda and posteritie of Dauid had a singular preheminence in the Couenant of God a peculiar Promise that that line and successiō should continue for euer This promise which should haue put them in minde of their duetie they turned to the maintenance of their obstinacie and stubburnesse thinking bicause of this Promise that al the Threatnings of punishment and destructiō declared by the Prophete were but Vaine and not agreing with the former Couenant Therefore God here willeth his Prophete plainely to signifie to the King himselfe and to all his Princes that as the promise was conditionall and required as well their Obedience on the one parte as his Trueth on the other so if they fulfilled not the Condition they neyther might nor should be Partakers of the Benefite of the couenant The Place was holye wherein the Kings of Iuda did sit and they were Figures of the kingdome of Christe therefore the Iustice of God might the lesse beare with their wickednesse By this we maye learne that no Title of Dignitie Preheminence or holinesse cā saue vs from the iuste plague of God if we Depart from the Truth of his holie will and couenant Keepe equitie and righteousnesse sayeth the Prophete Deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent Doe not greeue nor oppresse the stranger the fatherlesse or the vvydovve Shedde no innocente bloude Execute Iudgement faithfully and truely in all things and towarde All persons and then shall ye prosper and flourishe and ye shall enioye the Promises made to Dauid and to his Posteritie But if ye will not so doe but cōtinue in * Iniurye Oppression and Violence as before time ye haue done I sweare vnto ye by mine Owne selfe and by my truth that the holy Citie of Dauids throne and kingdome shal not helpe you but that I wil make this House to be Waste and giue it as a Praie vnto the enemies For althoughe Hierusalem which is The head of Libanus be the place which I haue chosen for the peculiar Seate of my worship yet seing it is fallen from me to wickednesse and Idolatrie I esteme it nowe no otherwise than I doe Gilead and the kingdome of the tenne Tribes wherein it standeth And as I haue dealte by that Kingdome and for the Disobedience thereof made it waste and desolate euen so will I doe by Hierusalem and the kingdome of Iudah and wil bring the enemie to destroy that also seing they wil by no meanes be reclaimed The kingdome wherin Mounte Gilead standeth is farre larger and of greater worthinesse in it self thā Libanus and the Kingdome of Iuda wherof Hierusalem is the thiefe Cittie Therefore if I spared not that they may not thinke that I will spare Hierusalem and Iuda I will prepare a destroyer with his weapons for thee to hewe downe c. Bicause he had saide that Hierusalem should be destroyed he now sheweth the Meanes and the maner howe it should be donne This Destroyer is the armie of the Chaldees and Babilonians which was brought by God vpon his people They came not of their owne motion but were led therto of God as his Scourge to the Punishment of the wicked therefore he saith I vvill prepare a destroyer By whiche wordes bothe the Ievves and by them All other haue to learne That it is * God that bringeth affliction trouble vpon sinners and therfore should they also consider that they haue not onely to deale with the outward enemie that persecuteth thē but with God himselfe whose Will no power or endeuour can Resist And therefore that the best way is when in such case we feele the Heauie hande of God laide vpon vs by earnest Repentance humblie to submitte oure selues vnto him craue his Mercie To hevve dovvne their especiall Cedar trees may either be takē literallie that they should make Spoile of that goodlie Woode of Libanus of the notable Timber thereof wherein the Ievves greatly gloried or els it maie be vnderstanded figuratiuelie of the beames of the Temple which at the destruction thereof should be cut oute to the fire or thirdlie of their Noble men and all the glory of their Citie and kingdome the chiefe whereof should be brought to confusion And all the people that goe by this Citie shall speake one to another c. Before time God had beautified the Citie of Hierusalem with his maruellous benefites so that it was spoken of as a wonder or Miracle among straunge Nations howe mightilie God
Captiuitie and your selues brought to shame and Confusion bycause of youre Obstinate wickednesse You thinke youre selfe in greate Honour and Felicitie Glorie muche in that ye dwell in houses Gorgiously Seeled with Ceders of Libanus but all that your Gaynesse shal be little regarded in the tyme of your Sorow when the VioleÌ„ce of the enimie shall Sodaynly come vpon you at the time ye least thinke of it euen as the throwes of a Woman labouryng with chylde As truly as Jliue saith the Lord though Iechonias the sonne of Ioakim c. The maner of the Prophetes is almost continually to vtter their sayings in the Person of God and oftentymes to * repeate that it is the worde of the Lorde and that the Mouthe of the Lord hath spoken it to the intent that the people might be wel Assured that it was no vain speache that they vttered but the certaine Will and determinate Purpose of god And therfore if they would shunne the danger thereof that they ought to giue credite to it and Beleeue it Of all other Princes doe most hardely Beleuethe declaration of Aduersitie to come vnto them bicause they haue commonly the greatest worldly Helpes to deliuer them Wherfore that Iechonias otherwyse called Ioakim the sonne of Ioakim might not doubt of that he here speaketh he vttreth it in the Person of God and confirmeth it with an othe That although he sit â—â—on the holie Throne of Dauid yet he shoulde be a miserable Captiue yea God sheweth himself so to detest that king for the Contempt of his Word that though he were as straightly ioyned to him as a Signet on his right hand yet he woulde plucke him of and cast him into the haÌ„ds of his Enimies that seek his life And that bothe He his Mother that bare him and his SeruaÌ„ts with al other that wer Chief about him shuld be led Captiue into a StraÌ„ge laÌ„d there Die in great miserie O thou Earth earthe earthe heare the woorde of the Lorde c. Forsomuch as the Iewes had so great confideÌ„ce in the Promise that was made to Dauid for the continuance of his posteritie in his seate So long as the Sunne and Moone endured as neither Prince nor People coulde in anye case bee brought to Beleue the Threatnings of God to the contrary therfore the Prophet here in earnest maner bicause the People were so Obstinate turneth his Speache to the Earth and openly denounceth that he was Willed by God himself to set vp this Prophecie in writing vpoÌ„ the doores of the Temple to the knowledge of all men that Iechonias shuld not Prosper in his Issue nor haue any child That shuld be so happie to sit on the seat of Dauid and beare rule after him And yet maye not this seeme repugnante to the prophecie of Iacob That the scepter should not be taken from Iuda and a Lawgiuer from betvveene his feete vntill Silo came c. For althoughe the Iewes after this Iechonias had no king in Succession either vnto the time of the Captiuitie or after whiche reigned among them with suche Libertie and Maiestie as the kings of Iuda before had Done yet had they a Gouernement by which they had Ruled bothe their Common weale and the External forme of Religion according to the Lawe of Moyses vntill the very comming of our Sauioure Christ vnder the Romaines by whoÌ„ euen that mean Libertie which they had to that Time was taken away and the Prophecie of Iacob fulfilled as well in the Losse of their gouernement as in the comming of Messias that should be the Expectation of the Gentiles The .xv. Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Hieremie 35. THe wordes whiche the Lorde spake vnto Hieremie in the raigne of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda are these 2 Goe vnto the house of the Rechabites and call them out and bring them to the house of the Lord into some commodious place and giue them wine to drink 3 Then took I Iazaniah the sonne of Hieremie the sonne of Habaziniah and his brethren and all his sonnes and the whole housholde of the Rechabites 4 And brought them into the house of the Lord into the closet of the children of Hanan the sonne of Iegedaliah the man of God whiche was by the closet of the Princes that is aboue the closet of Maasiah the sonne of Sellum whiche is the treasurer 5 And before the sonnes of the kinred of the Rechabites I set pottes full of wyne and cups and sayd vnto them Drinke wine 6 But they sayde Wée will drinke no wine for Ionadab the sonne of Rechab oure father commaunded vs saying Ye and your sonnes shall neuer drinke wyne buylde houses sowe no séede plante no vines 7 Yea ye shall haue no vineyards but for all your time ye shall dwell in tentes that ye maye liue long in the lande wherin ye be straungers 8 Thus haue wée obeyed the commaundemente of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab our father in al that he hath charged vs and so wée drinke no wine all our lyfe long wée nor our wyues our sonnes and our daughters 9 Neither buyld we any house to dwel therein we haue also among vs neyther Vineyardes nor corne lande to sowe 10 But we dwell in tentes we obey and do according vnto al that Ionadab our father commanded vs. 11 But nowe that Nabuchodonozor the King of Babylon came vp into the lande we sayd Come let vs go to Hierusalem that we may escape the hoast of the Chaldeis and the Assyrians and so wée dwell nowe at Hierusalem 12 Then came the word of the Lord vnto Hieremie saying 13 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Go and tell the men of Iuda and the inhabiters of Hierusalem Will ye not be reformed to obey my wordes sayeth the Lorde 14 The wordes whiche Ionadab the sonne of Rechab commaunded his sonnes that they should drinke no wine are faste surely kept for vnto this day they drinke no wine but obey their fathers commandementâ— but as for me I haue stande vp early I haue spoken vnto you and giuen you earnest warning and yet haue ye not ben obediente vnto mée 15 Yea I haue sent my seruantes all the Prophets vnto you I rose vp early and sent you word saying O turne you nowe euery man from his wicked way amende your lyues and goe not after straunge gods to woorshippe them that yée maye continue in the lande whiche I haue giuen vnto you and your fathers but ye woulde neyther heare me nor folow me 16 The children of Ionadab Rechabs sonne haue stedfastly kept their fathers commandemeÌ„t that he gaue them but this people is not obedient vnto me 17 And therfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Behold I wil bring vpon Iuda vpon euery one that dwelleth in Hierusalem all the trouble that I haue deuised against them For I haue spoken vnto them but they woulde
not folowe I haue called vnto them neuerthelesse they woulde giue me no answere 18 Ieremie also spake vnto the housholde of the Rechabites Thus saith the lord of hoastes the God of Israel Forasmuche as ye haue obeyed the commaundement of Ionadab your father and kept all his preceptes and done according to all that he hath bidden 19 Therfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Ionadab the sonne of Rechab shal not fayle but haue one out of his stocke to stande alway before mée The Exposition vpon the .xxxv. Chapter of Hieremie The wordes which the Lord spake vnto Hieremie in the raigne of c. GOD willing to confounde the obstinate Disobedience of his people vnto his Law and to declare how vnexcusable they were In this Chapiter willeth the Prophete to their reproch shame to lay before them the exāple of the Rechabites Constantly Obeying the cōmandement order of their Ancesters though they were but Mortal men without breache for the space of .300 yeres The Rechabites are thought to haue bene the Posteritie eyther of Iethro or of * Hobab who * followed Moyses the Israelites through the Wildernesse into the Lande of Chanaan and were promised to haue had an heritage with the Children of Israel in that lande but it appeareth they had not For they were dispersed in sundrye Tribes and some of them dwelled euen among the Heathen and yet were they cōmonlie diligent Obseruers of the Law and men that Feared God. Of this stocke came Ionadab the sonne of Rechab who liued in the time of Iehu may seeme to haue bene of greate credite and authoritie For it was he that Iehu tooke by the * hand into his Chariot when he was goyng in great zeale to destroye Achab his house for the Wickednesse that he wrought against the Lorde This Ionadab for certaine considerations which after shal be noted gaue in charge to his childrē that they and their Posteritie for euer shuld forbeare the Drinking of Wine the Tilling of the Earth the keeping of Vines dwelling in any Builded houses but only to vse for their abiding Tentes and Bouthes This order and commaundement as I haue saide the Posteritie of the Rechabites kept very diligently from the time of Ionadab their father or Auncestour vnto this time of Hieremie which was .300 yeares The occasiō that God toke at this time was that these Rechabites whiche hitherto had not dwelt in anye Townes Cities but in Tentes and Bouthes in the fieldes throughe the great Spoile and waste that Nabuchodonosor and the Chaldees did make in all the Countrey of Iurie were forced for their salftie to come and dwell in Hierusalem in suche places as they mighte get And yet did they obserue all the other partes of Ionadabs commaundement although by meere necessitie they were driuen at this season to dwell in houses Wherfore Ieremie by the commaundemēt of God in such sort as is declared in this chapiter calleth the Rechabites together being manie in number vnto a place by the Temple whiche was notorious and where things done coulde not be kept close but muste needes be spredde by fame both through the whole Citie and Countrey For it is not to be thoughte that Hieremie did it secretely or in close maner For such a multitude coulde not be called to such a place without admiration and greate expectacion of some notable thing to followe Hieremie therefore in the place here discribed in solemne manner setteth pottes of Wine before them and willeth them to Drinke But they refuse so to doe alleadging for their excuse their Obedience to the order and commaundemente of their Auncestor and forefather Ionadab who had giuen them charge to obserue those things which are euidente in the Texte Here maye seeme to be some doubtes Iustlie moued First whether the Rechabites did offend or no in refusing to Drinke Wine at the bidding of the Prophete of god Therein they mighte seeme to set more by a tradition of their fathers than by the appointment of God vttered by the Prophete But wee reade not that the Prophete Hieremie did say vnto them that it was Gods will and commaundemente that they shoulde Drinke Wine but it semed to them a bidding of the Prophete simply vttered to them withoute the Authoritie of Gods name And yet in their refusing thereof they vndoubtedly did excuse themselues with greate modestie so that if the Prophete had pressed Gods commaundement vpon them it may be thought they woulde haue yelded as they did to dwell in houses in Hierusalem when they coulde not salfely haue place abroade to vse their Tentes Secondly if maye be doubted whether Ionadab did well in bidding them to forbeare Wine or not to vse Tillage not to plante Vines or to dwell in houses For therein semeth to be some great Superstition to forbid the people of God to vse his Creatures and those trades of Life that haue their Iuste comendatiō in the Scriptures and were vsed by good and Godlie men And therfore this place is alleadged of some for the maintenance of Monastical vowes and such like Obseruations of mens Traditions euen with burden of Conscience and restrainte of Christian Libertie Surelie it is not to be thought that Ionadab did meane to Institute any new worship of God or to laye any burden of Holinesse or Religion vpon their Consciences in the forbidding of these things but only the obseruation of a Politique meanes whereby they mighte be traded to a more Moderate life easier Contempte of the worlde For it is to be thoughte that Ionadab who ioyned himselfe to Iehu in the punishment of the wicked house of Achab had great feare of God and a desire to haue his Law true Worshippe restored and maintained And bicause he sawe that Sensualitie Loosnesse of life glory of the world were the chiefest Causes that did carie the Israelites from the Obedience of God fearing some great Plague and punishment to followe for the same according to the * Threatnings of the lawe so muche as mighte be to preuent the same Inconuenience in his flocke or kindred He enioyned them to forbeare Wine whereof ryseth Drunkennesse and Wanton lust and not to vse any other trade of life thā Pasturing or keping of Cattaile wherein they were alwayes brought vp from their first fathers Ionadab thought that kind of life to be best whervnto himselfe had beene accustomed He sawe what Incōueniences Immoderate vse of Wine did bring all which they shun that Forbeare it And they haue their mindes Freer that are not Tied to Tillage husbanding of Vineyardes And if God did bring any Plague vpon their Countrey for the Sinnes of the People their losse shoulde be the lesse and they mighte more easily shift for themselues But howsoeuer it was in Ionadab wee reade not here that God doth praise that ordināce but only semeth to like the Obedience of the Rechabites and taketh the same for an Example
thou hast readde before all the people and come So Baruch the sonne of Neriah tooke the book in his hād came vnto them 15 And they sayd vnto him Sit downe reade the booke that we may heare also So Baruch redde that they myght heare 16 Now when they had heard all the words they were abashed one vpon an other and sayde vnto Baruch Wée will certifie the king of all these wordes 17 And they examined Baruch saying Tel vs how diddest thou write all these wordes out of his mouthe 18 Then Baruch answered them He spake al these wordes vnto me with his mouthe and I wrote them in y booke 19 Then sayde the princes vnto Baruch Go thy waye hyde thée with Hieremie so that no mā know where ye be 20 And they went in to the king to the Courte but they kept the booke in the chamber of Elizama the scribe tolde the king al the words that he might heare 21 So the King sent Iehudi to fet him the booke which he brought out of Elizama the scribes chamber and Iehudi redde in it that the King all the princes which were aboute him might heare 22 Nowe the king sate in the winter house for it was in the ninthe moneth and there was a fire before him 23 And when Iehudi had red thrée or foure leaues therof he cut the book in péeces with a penknife and cast it into the fire vpon the harth vntill the booke was all brent in the fire vpon the harth 24 Yet no man was abashed thereof nor rent his clothes neither the king himself nor his seruants though they heard all these words 25 Neuerthelesse Elnathan Dalaiah and Gamariah besought the king that he would not burne the book notwithstanding the king wolde not heare them 26 But commanded Ierahmel the sonne of Amelech Saraiah the sonne of Ezriel Selemiah the sonne of Abdeel to lay handes vpon Baruch the scribe and vpon Ieremie the Prophet but the Lord kept them oute of sight 27 Now after that the king had brent the Booke and the sermōs which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Hieremie the word of the Lord came vnto Hieremie saying 28 Take an other booke write in it all the forsayd Sermons that were written in the first booke which Iehoakim the king of Iuda hath brent 29 And tell Iehoakim the king of Iuda thus sayth the Lord Thou hast brent the Booke and thoughtest within thy selfe Why haste thou written therin that the king of Babylon shal come and make this land wast so that he shal make both people and cattell to be out of it 30 Therfore thus the Lord sayth of Iehoakim the king of Iuda There shall none of his generation sitte vpon the throne of Dauid his dead coarse shall be caste out that the heate of the day and the frost of the night may come vpon him 31 And I wil visite the wickednesse of him of his séede and of his seruants Moreouer all the euill that I haue promised them thoughe they hearde me not will I bring vpon them vpon the inhabiters of Hierusalem and vpon all Iuda 32 Then tooke Hieremie an other booke and gaue it Baruch the scribe the sonne of Neriah whiche wrote therin out of the mouth of Hieremie all the sermons that were in the first booke which Iehoakim the king of Iuda did burne and there were added vnto them many moe Sermons lyke vnto the former The Exposition vpon the .xxxvj. Chapter of Hieremie In the fourthe yeare of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias the king of Iuda c. IN this chapter is described a notable historie very profitable to be considered how God apointed Hieremie to put in Writing al the Sermons Prophecies that frō the beginning he had vttred by his mouth against Israell and Iuda how Hieremie performed the same by his minister or Secretarie Baruch whom he caused also to Reade the same openly in the Temple and what thereof folowed before the king hymselfe and all the Nobles and Counsellours The Iewes oftentimes had heard the word of God at the mouthe of Hieremie and yet notwithstanding did obstinately Contemne reiect the same Wherfore god nowe willeth him to put the summe of all in Writing that either they might be therwith somwhat more moued to embrace the same and to Turne to the true worshipping of God or else that his woordes might remain in Writing as * witnesses against their obstinate and Indurate heartes whiche by no calling or teaching coulde be broughte to Relent By this example wee may learne the greate Benefite commoditie of Writing and that the People of God may be wel taught not only by a mans own Speach but also by Reading of the Good godly Exhortatiōs of other vnto them Those things that are vttered by mouth only may soone slip out of memorie be forgotten or not be wel vnderstāded at the first But whē they remain in Writing they may be redde again better weighed cōsidered at leisure so wil both sticke more Surely in remēbrance and be the more easily vnderstanded Seing therfore the Prophet by speaking had laboured in vaine wyth that waywarde People the space of .23 yeares as appeareth cap. 25. of the Prophet God now willeth him to Write the Prophecies whiche he had Vttered to the end they might haue no Excuse nor want anye externall meanes wherby they might come to the vnderstanding of his will and therby turne vnto him that he mighte take mercie of them or else that y their obstinate Disobedience both of the King the Counsellors the whole People might be made thereby more notorious and open to the worlde Then dyd Hieremie call Baruch the sonne of Neriah and Baruch c. The readie Willingnesse of Baruch is here to be obserued who was not onely Contented to Write the thing at the Mouth of Hieremie but also at his Appointment openly to Reade it in the face of all the People wherof in all likelyhood of Reason it muste needes haue ben that great Displeasure and danger shuld haue come vnto him But to Further the will of God hee did not sticke to hazard himselfe to all Perils of the world Neyther may we thinke that Hieremie Cūningly shifted the danger hereof from himselfe to Baruch For hee coulde not procure greater Misliking by this publishing of things in Writing than he had doone by Speaking of the same to their faces It may bee that for some causes and respectes hee was letted and stayed by the Spirit of God that he might not doe it himself for so I iudge this place to be vnderstanded Now Hieremie shuld be Letted by Imprisonement I doe not well conceiue seing verse 19. of this same chap. Baruch is willed by the Princes That he and Hieremie shoulde hide themselues and not be knowne where they vvere And also in the .26 verse the king willeth certain to lay hand on Baruch Hieremie but
other dealings doe euidently declare I would to God there were not many such euen in the Boldmes of Godly men But I trust God will detect them as he doth here to Ezechiel and to their shame and rebuke teach his seruants to Beware of them For as they may Dissemble with the worlde and Abuse some true and honest meaning men so they cannot deceyue God who seeth the beâ—wels and Secretes of their heartes and will vse them accordingly Wilt thou not iudge them O Sonne of man wilt thou not iudge them c. This place is diuersly translated and enterpreted I thinke the playnest sense to be this O sonne of man enter not into disputation and reasoning with them and be not carefull to aunswere all their arguments and pretences For they Will not be taught of thee And therefore simplye and plainely to their iudgement and condemnation tell them what maner of men their fathers haue bene and what yet they remaine still themselues beginning euen at that time when I beganne first to bring them out of Egipt and so contynuing vnto this present day that they maye thereby knowe themselues In the day when I chose Israel and lift vp my hande vpon the seede c. This fashion of speaking To lift vp the hande doth signifie sometime to Sweare or take an oth because the Ceremonie or gesture of lifting vp the hand to heauen in taking an othe did signifie that they called God to wytnesse that they Concealed no truth nor Vttered any falshood or if they dyd they desired the same God to be ReueÌ„ged of them And in this signification of Swearing it is to be taken in this place because God in his concnant by othe did binde himselfe to be their God and to delyuer them Somtime To lift vp the hande signifieth to shewe his Power or strength eyther in Deliuering or Punishing or in Hurting and Stryking which signification maye also well serue in this Chapiter A lande which floweth with milke and honie and is pleasant among c. In manye places of the Scripture the lande of Chanaan is mentioned to flow with Milke and Honie that is to abounde with all things Necessarie not onely for susteynance but also for Delight and pleasure For in those dayes there was no more delectable feeding then Milke and Hony. S. Hierome who lyued a long tyme in that Countrie wryteth that it was a verie Delectable and fruitfull place but yet can we not thinke that it was then any thing in comparison of that it was before so long as they were the people of God and remayned in his obedience keeping his lawes and ordinances For when they had reiected the sonne of God and promised Messias it is likely the land it selfe also was striken for their wickednesse and thereby farre decayed from that it was in times past But they rebelled against mee and would not harken to me they did c. It is a testimonie of the great goodnesse mercie of God that he calleth earnestly to repentance before he strike and punishe his people for their sinnes And so did he then to the Israelites but they would not harken vnto him nor did cast away The abhominations of their eyes that is their wicked Idoles on which they dyd cast their eyes with great delight euen as they that be in vnchast loue be alwaye desirous to see and beholde them that they loue Vndoubtedly Idolatrie was vnpleasaunt to Ioseph and the other Patriarkes in Egipt and they did exhort their children to remain in the True worship of the liuing god Yet many of them as borne and bredde in Egipt were corrupted and fell to Idolatrie by the Imitation of that People Then were Moyses and Aaron sent from God vnto them and yet contynued they still in Idolatrie Whereby we may gather what was the Cause why God did so long suffer his people to continue in so miserable oppression in Egipt and did not sooner turne his mercifull continaunce towarde them And that was because they had almost Forgot him and his true Worship deliuered them by their Fathers and were gyuen to the worshipping of straunge Gods. And yet GOD would not euen Then poure out his wrath vpon them although they had iustly deserued it but for his Owne name sake and for the Couenant that he had made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob with his mightie hande he Deliuered them I wrought for my names sake that it should not be polluted before c. I stayde my selfe sayth God from Extremitie of my wrath and from working vtter destruction not for my people sake which in deede had iustly deserued it but for my Names sake that it might not be distained and euill spoken of among the Egiptians Amalechites and other Heathen Nations in whose sight my great works were wrought and which had Hearde of my purpose to delyuer my people And therefore would haue sayde that I had neyther beene hable nor willing to doe that which I had promised and therby to haue thought of me no otherwise then they dyd of their owne False Gods. This cause in this Chapiter so often repeated maye bring a singuler Comfort to the godly in time of affliction and trouble And therefore Moyses and other holy men haue alway staied most vpon that in their earnest prayers vnto God when he hath threatned or begunne any priuate or common plague desiring him that he would spare his people holde his mercifull hande ouer them though not for their Owne sakes which in no wise they haue deserued yet for his promise sake and for his Owne Names sake that the enemyes might not reioyce in the confusion of his people And these praiers haue euer taken good effect with God. Nowe when I hadde caused them to go out of the lande of Aegipt c. Hitherto the Prophete hath declared how their Fathers behaued themselues in Aegypt Before their deliuerance Now he sheweth how after his great benefites they Rebelled and murmured against him in the wildernesse As when Moses was in the Mountaine they made a golden calfe when God tried them with Want of meate and drinke they murmured They repined often against their gouernours and accusing them of treason and of a meaning to destroy the people were readie to haue stoned them The Histories are Exod. 15. 16. and 17. Num. 11. 14. 16. 20. and 21. The Sanctifying of the Sabboth mentioned verse .12 was a token that God had sanctifyed the Israelites euen as he had sanctifyed the Sabboth and had chosen them * as his peculier people and holy Priesthoode which should preserue and keepe his promises vntill they were fulfilled in Messias Christ Iesu who was the appoynted Sauiour of the worlde And that because they cast awaye my iudgements and walked not in my c. By this place and the like often vsed in this Chapter we haue to learne what be the Causes that mooue GOD to minde and purpose the vtter Desolation
of anye people that is * because they Breake the lawe of God Cast awaye his iudgementes and Contemne his worde Yet is God of long pacience and slow to wrath euer trying all means of amendment before he come to extremitie and euen then also sometime he respecteth not the desertes of men but the Glorie of his owne name Moreouer I sayd vnto their sonnes in the Wildernesse Walke not in the c. In the space of fortie yeares well neare all the Fathers which came out of Aegypt were deade partlye by Gods plagues for their disobedience partly by his iust iudgementes otherwise so that but two of them came into the lande of promise Therefore God by his seruant Moyses exhorted their sonnes not to followe their fathers steppes but to cleaue to the law and ordinances of God as it appeareth well neare in the whole booke of Deut. But they were no more obedient thā their fathers were God forbade the people to follow the statutes and Traditions of their fathers Therefore the holy ghost confuteth them which in matters of religion and holinesse will pretend to follow the Example of their fathers and not measure their faith by Gods worde and his holy scriptures The authoritie of fathers ought certainly to be great with their children in all thinges that are not Repugnant to Gods will which is safely and surely vnderstanded by his worde only and not by example of Ancetours or predecessours For it hath beene a common thing among the people of God as it appeareth in this place a number mo that Ancetours haue Erred in Gods causes and therefore can they be no sure ground of conscience I gaue them also statutes that were not good and iudgements wherein they c. All the lawes and precepts of God were pure holy and good therfore the meaning of these words is that forsomuche as in no case they woulde be brought to keepe the Good and wholsome lawes of God by his iust iudgement he gaue them ouer to their owne Phantasies suffered them to vse the wicked and Superstitious ordinances of the heathen to their owne further condemnation And the same meaneth he by this saying I defiled them in their owne giftes and gaue them vp to a reprobate sense that they might destroy the first borne of their owne children in sacrificing them to the Idoll Moloc The like to this Paule also threatneth that shall happen vnto men in the latter dayes and in the times of Antichrist that forsomuch as they will not loue the truth God will bring vpon them an effectuall illusion that they may beleeue lyes to the ende that all may be iudged which would not giue credite to the truth After I hadde brought them into the lande for the which I lifted vp c. Nowe followeth howe Waywardly and disobediently their Fathers behaued themselues after they came into y land of Chanaan For the greater benefices that God of his goodnesse had bestowed vpon them the more readie were they to Fall from his true worship to the Idolatrie and superstition of the Gentiles They serued the Lorde Truly all the dayes of Iosuah and of the Elders that followed him as it is written in the seconde of the Iudges But in the next generation the children of Israel dealt wickedly in the sight of the Lorde and serued all maner of Idols The whole Booke of the Iudges is nothing but as it were a Register of their inconstancie and light flitting from the True seruice of God notwithstanding that he did sundrie times of his great mercie Rayse diuerse Gouernours to deliuer them And afterwarde did they in like maner in the Reigne of many euill kings both of Israell and Iuda And I sayd vnto them what is that high place wherevnto you resort c. The Patriarkes and Saintes of God did alway Sacrifice vnto God as appeareth by Abell Noah Abraham and other Which were not therefore acceptable and pleasant vnto god because they were full Satisfaction for sinnes but rather partly as Thankesgiuing for his benefites partly as figures of the true Redemption and Satisfaction that shoulde be made by the oblation and Sacrifice of Christ Iesu vpon the Crosse Afterwarde God by Moyses distincted those Sacrifices into sundrie sortes and appointed one Place where he would be serued that is at his tabernacle before the time of Salomon and in his temple of Hierusalem after it was by him builded But the Israelites making small account of this order and appoyntment of God builded aulters in euery high place and on the same offered Sacrifice not onely to the liuing God pretending the imitation of the Patriarkes against the prescript of Gods worde but also in the like places offered to Idols and straunge Gods according to the imitation of the Gentiles as in diuerse Chapiters before I haue noted Thus sayth the Lord God are you not defiled in the wayes of your fathers c. After that God hath layde before them the rebellious wickednesse of their Fathers in Aegypt in the wildernesse and in the land of Chanaan that they might not * glorie in the holinesse of their fathers as some time they were woont to do he now commeth to themselues and declareth ▪ that whatsoeuer by Hypocrisie they pretended yet in deede and in truth they were as euill and wicked as they in all kinde of abhomination and spirituall whoredome And in one example especially he maketh proofe of the whole reciting that which of all other was most Horrible that is the Offering of theyr children vnto Idols Wherefore he sayth he will not answere them to their questions nor will not be sought vntoby such Hypocrites as they are And that which commeth into your minds shall not be at all which you say c. These Elders came to the Prophete vnder fayre pretence to Learne at his hande howe they might behaue themselues and howe long the captiuitie shoulde endure but in the meane time they reuolued in their mindes howe they might haue a reasonable colour and pretence cleane to reiect the law of God and to serue Idols of wood and stone euen as the heathen did Happily they surmised that the Prophete would haue tolde them that the * captiuitie should endue 70. yeares as it was then commonly spred from the mouth of Hieremie And then would they haue answered that seeing it was so that they should tary so long in Babilon it should be best for them to applie themselues to the Religion and maners of the people of that Countrey Otherwise if they did sticke to stifly to their former Religion and so much differ from the Babilonians they shoulde be sure to finde them the more grieuous Lordes and Maisters to them But God detecteth this their vnhappie purpose and sayth they shall haue due correction for it As truely as I liue sayth the Lord I my selfe will rule you with a mightie c. I know sayth God this
Daniel should not be chaunged 18 So the king went into his palace and remayned fasting neither was there any instruments of musick brought in before him and his sléepe went from him 19 But betimes in the morning at the breake of the day the king arose and went in all haste vnto the denne of the Lyons 20 Nowe as he came nie vnto the denne he cryed with a piteous voyce vnto Daniel yea the king spake and sayde vnto Daniel O Daniel thou seruaunt of the lyuing God is not thy God whome thou seruest alway hable to deliuer thée from the Lyons 21 Then Daniel sayde vnto the king O king liue for euer 22 My God hath sent his angel which hath shut the Lions mouths so that they might not hurt me for mine vngiltinesse is founde out before him and as for thée O King I neuer offended thée 23 Then was the king excéeding glad for him and commaunded to take Daniel out of the denne so Daniel was brought out of the denne and no maner of hurt was founde vpon him for he put his trust in his God. 24 And as for those men which had accused Daniel the king commaunded to bring them and to cast them into the Lions denne them their children and their wiues so the Lions had the mastrie of them and brake all their bones asunder or euer they came at the ground of the denne 25 After this wrote king Darius vnto all people nations and tongues that dwelt in all landes Peace be multiplied vnto you 26 My commaundement is in all my dominion and kingdome that men feare and stande in awe of Daniels God for he is the lyuing God which abideth euer his kingdome shall not fayle and his power is euerlasting 27 It is he that deliuereth and saueth he doth wonders and meruaylous workes in heauen and in earth he hath preserued Daniel from the power of the Lyons 28 So this Daniel prospered in the raigne of Darius and in the raigne of Cyrus of Persia The Exposition vpon the .vj. Chapter of Daniel It pleased Darius to sette ouer his Kingdome an hundred and twentie c. WE see it daylie to fall out in experience to truly that the excellent vertue of good and godlye persons hath alwaye * to their great trouble and daunger the spite and enuie of * ambicious worldlings following it And especially in the state of gouernment and in the Courts of kings and Princes For thyther often resorteth such persons as haue not the true feare of God before their eyes and therefore delight not in sinceritie and faythfull dealing but in the pompe and glorie of the worlde and to mainteine the same by flatterie and dissimulation seeke to worke their owne benefite and aduauncement If they see any eyther in respect of his vertue or any other consideration to creepe betweene them and their ambicious purposes or by anye meane to hinder the same him they seeke to supplante and by all cunning practises to bring him to Discredite fall and ruyne Example hereof Daniel in this place declareth in his owne person and teacheth all good men to consider what be the fruits and works of cankred Enuie This Darius that is here spoken of was the sonne of Astiages and vncle vnto Cyrus to whome also he gaue his daughter in mariage and in Zenophon is called Cyaxares he raigned not passing one yeare after the conquering of Babilon and maye seeme to haue bene a Wise and Politique Prince By the aduice of Daniel as it maye be thought he had set a verie good order of gouernment in his kingdome He deuided his whole dominion into .3 partes or Prouinces and in eche of them had set fortie Iudges or Gouernours so that the whole number came to sixe score And ouer them had appointed three Lieuetenants noble and wise men which might haue a diligent carefull eye into their doings and take a iuste reckening or accompt of them for all things One of these three was the Prophet Daniel whome he * brought with him out of Babilon at his returne into Medea In him he sawe so great Wisedome sinceritie faythfulnesse and diligence aboue all the other that he minded to set him ouer the whole Realme And this was the cause of that canckred roote of enuie that grewe in the hartes of the other Princes and Nobles against him Wherefore the Rulers and Gouernours sought an occasion against Daniel c. The kingdome of the Medes was in great towardnesse of good gouernement but Satan the common disturber of mans life could not abide it knowing that by the continuance therof his kingdome would be diminished and Gods glorie and truth encreased Therefore he pricked forwarde his Ministers and Instruments to worke trouble to Daniel the chiefe cause therof and by al meanes that might be to bring him to confusion And here I praye you consider the nature of * enuie They looke into his doings with al diligence whether he did anye thing ambitiously towarde the atteining of the kingdome or at the least wise that might be so interpreted They consider whether he dealt vntruely in his accomptes of the kings treasure or otherwise slackly and negligently in any thing But the innocencie and faithful diligence of Daniel in all pointes was such as his verie enimies saide of him That they should neuer finde matter agaynst hym vnlesse they did entrappe him by the lawe and worship of his God from which they were well assured he would not swarue The consideration of this mans sinceritie being so Curiously scanned euen by themselues should haue moued them to haue imbraced and loued him But malice and enuie is alwaye so blinde that it doth neuer consider any good gift or well doing in a man but onely to peruert it to an euill purpose Vpon this went the Princes and Lordes together vnto the king and sayde c. Now followeth the wicked practise of the enimies of Daniel turning that by sinister meanes vnto his daunger that of all things was worthy greatest praise in him that is his faithfull constancy in the true worship of god From which neither the loue of worldly honour nor the authoritie of the Prince nor the daunger of his life could moue him Malicious enuie espyeth all oportunities to worke mischiefe The king although wise well enclyned yet was he of nature glorious and desirous to haue his honoure aduaunced as it maye appeare in Xenophon This occasion doe they take and pretende that nowe at the beginning of his raigne this their deuise would strike a greater admiration and Reuerence of his person into the mindes of his Subiects and cause them thereby to be more readie to obey him and the more afraid to displease him They omit not the authoritie of al their consents whereby they might seeme euen to force the Prince to a thing so profitable as they pretended this to be By which allurements the glorious Prince was easilie wonne
hill let all the inhabitāts c. THe Prophet Ioel liued in the time of Esay and taught in Iuda in the reigne of Ezechias not long before the inuasion of the Assirians vnder Sinnacherib For although that good king to the vttermost of his power had restored the true worship of God yet a great number receyued it vnthankefully and both enclined in their heartes againe to Superstition and continued in most Detestable and sinfull liuing * Which was the cause that God did send the Assirians grieuously to plague them But of his woonted mercies before that terrible time of punishment should come he * sent his Prophetes to foretell them of it and to call them to repentance Among these was Ioel who nowe vttereth these wordes and purposing to call them to repentance layeth before them the terrible punishment that GOD will bring vpon them if they turned not vnto him His beginning is tragicall Blowe vp a trumpet sayth he c. Because their Plague shoulde be by inuasion of euimies and crueltie of warre he alludeth to warrefare and willeth the Scowtes and watchmen that is the Prophetes and teachers to sound the trumpet of Gods holy worde and giue men warning to prepare themselues to battaile that they were not taken with the plague of god ere they were ware This he willeth them to doe in Sion and in His holy hill His chosen Citie of Hierusalem that they might not thinke any holinesse of place should help them Yea and he speaketh to all the inhabitans of the lande of Iuda and biddeth them to Tremble and feare for that the Lord did not minde to dally with them or any longer to put of the time For sayth he The day of the Lord is come and is nigh at hande and you must repent with * speede if you will escape it By The day of the Lorde he meaneth the time appointed to Plague them for their vnthankfulnesse and contempt of Gods worde and the calling of his Prophetes A darke and glomie daye a clowdie and blacke day as the morning is spred c. By Glomie Clowdie and Blacke he signifyeth the heauie and sorowfull time that should be so lamentablie ouercast with grieuous afflictions and calamities that men shoulde not be hable to tell what to doe or howe to rid themselues from them Darkenesse commonly in scripture noteth trouble and heauinesse Light prosperitie and felicitie As the spring of the day and morning light sodainlye spreadeth it selfe ouer the mountaynes and cannot by any meanes be stayed So shall this mightye and strong people of the Assirians sodainely spread themselues and ouerwhelme euen the toppes of those mountaines that you thinke harde to be passed and that in such sort as they cannot be resisted For since the beginning was there neuer Empire eyther of so great force or of so long continuance of their dominion as this hath beene and is Therfore they shall be to you and to your Countrey as a raging and consuming fire The Land that was before their comming as a pleasant Garden or paradise after they be gone it shall be left lamentablie spoyled wasted and desolate Yea they shall come with such fiercenesse that with great speede they shall runne ouer the mountaynes and highe places as it were Horsemen or chariots in a plaine field Your men of warre Capiteynes and Souldiours in whom you may seeme to put some trust at the report of their comming shall tremble and waxe pale and wanne for exceeding great feare They shal runne against you as mightie Gyants and assaulting the walles of your strong and fenced Cities they shall doe it not onelye with suche strength but also with actiuitie nimblenesse and good order that one shall not be a let or impedimēt to the other but euery one shall kepe his place and araye And when they runne with desperate courage euen amonge your swordes and weapons they will doe it in such maner that you shall not be hable to hurt them And furthermore though your Cities be strongly walled and fenced with so great munition as they maye seeme vnpregnable they wil with such facilitie both enter and go to and fro as if the matter were to be done in the plaine fielde where no resistance is Finally their rage fiercenesse shal be so dreadfull that the earth shal quake the heauens shall tremble the Sunne Moone shall be darke the Starres shall withdrawe their light all the creatures of God shall be abashed to see that God will so grieuously plage his people And therfore they as it were hauing sense of the same before hand shal giue straunge signes and sightes vnto men to put them in minde to repent turne vnto God that he may withdrawe this his heauie hande from them For God it is that worketh it and by his voice calleth the Assirians they do nothing but execute his commaundement in punishing your waywarde and stubburne vnthankfulnesse and contempt of his worde In all this we see the Prophete hath done nothing but signify vnto the Iewes that no worldly thing should be hable to stay from them the grieuous punishmentes of God by the Assirians Neyther the plentifulnesse of the earth nor the great distance of the places nor the difficultie of the passages ouer hilles and mountaynes neyther the number of their Souldiours nor the strength of their Cities to the ende that they seeing all worldly helpe to fayle them maye the more readily repent and flie vnto God for his mercie But nowe sayth the Lord turne you vnto me with all your hearts with fasting c. Although the day of Gods wrath be nighe at hande yet the Prophete signifieth that there is time to repent because * no true repentance from the heart is euer to late And therefore vnder the person of God exhorteth them therevnto and telleth them what they shall doe Turne sayth he We must in repentance first Turne frō wickednesse of minde and dissolute life from Idolatrie Superstition and corruption of Gods true worship And we must Turne vnto God and submit our selues to his merrie and to be directed by his holy worde We are not willed to Turne to Saintes to Patriarkes to Prophetes to Fathers to Apostles or to any creature be he neuer so holy No nor yet to our owue inuentions and deuises of holynesse thereby thinking to raunsome our sinnes But we must Turne to the euerliuing God who is both willing as a father and hable as a mightie Lorde to helpe vs And this must we doe vnfaynedly VVith all our heartes Renting our mindes wyth sorow and not our garments with hypocrissie and outwarde shewe of griefe and repentance when we haue no true sense of Gods wrath inwardly in our heartes If renting of Garmentes and such other signes be vsed as tokens and witnesses to the worlde that we are in deede and vnfeynedly touched with exceeding sorow of hart as Iosias did when he