If they were demaunded what they thinke of the word and of God the author of the word they would acknowledge the Scriptures to be most true both the promises that are made and the threatnings that are contained in it they would confesse that God is a most iust God euen visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation yet it skilleth not what they speak with their tongues so long as we may euen openly reade the secrets of their thoughts and the imaginations of their hearts in their outward practises For touching the word of God it is most true and it cannot be denyed we reade oftentimes that God is also mercifull Rom 2.4 Ephe. 2. we reade of the riches of his grace and bountifulnesse of his abounding in compassions and reseruing mercy for thousands What then or what is all this to them shall we continue therefore in sinne that grace may abound ought not rather the riches of his bountifulnes and patience and long suffering leade vs vnto repentance Shal we after our hardnes and hearts that cannot repent heape vp vnto our selues as a treasure wrath against the day of wrath and the iust declaration of the iudgement of God who shall giue to euery man according to his workes It is a good lesson which the Prophet teacheth vs that there is mercy with God not that we should presume of his mercy and runne into all excesse of ryot but to the end he may be feared Psal 130.4 Hence it is that Moses Deut. 29.20 strippeth all such as flatter themselues with hope of pardon and conceit of mercy and opinion of escaping from that foolish imagination He that blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lie vpon â—im the Lord shall blot out his name froÌ„ vnder heauen These persons may call for mercy but he will not answere them in mercy they may seeke him early but they shall not finde him because they hated to be reformed and did not chuse the feare of the Lord Prou. 1.28 29. He is very gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse Psal 103.17 18. Howbeit it is to the penitent only not to the obstinate The Prophet saith The mercy of the Lord is from euerlasting to euerlasting and his righteousnesse vnto childrens children to such as keepe his couenant and to those that remember his commandements to doe them Where we see the Scripture maketh a difference and diuision betweene man and man and giueth to euery one his portion so that albeit he be mercifull yet it is to those onely that keepe his commandements For although all be sinners and therby seeke to creepe away closely that way as it were in the darke that they might not bee espyed yet we must know this that some are repentant sinners for whom there is mercy in store some are obstinate sinners the Scripture hath no mercy for them but terrors threatnings and iudgements and punishments because vpon such wicked he will raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup for the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse his countenance doth behold the vpright Psal 11.6 7. Now such as continue in the course of their sins are ready to beleeue that God is merciful but they beleeue not the Scripture that he is mercifull onely vnto such as repent they perswade themselues falsely that they may run on in euill wayes and yet find mercy at the latter end which is directly contrary to the whole doctrine of the Scriptures And yet these men aske shall we not beleeue the Scripture to be true Whereas they beleeue one part of the Scripture but they call into question another part they lay holde on his promises but they stop their eares against his iudgements nay they doe not so much as beleeue the promises aright neither will learn to whom they are deliuered in whom they shall be verified which sauoureth altogether of infidelity and vnbeliefe Besides as they derogate from the verity of the Scriptures so they deny God after a sort and turne him into a lie make him an idoll to stand stil and doe nothing For to imagine in our heart a GOD wholly compact of mercy that seeth sinne but will not punish it that knoweth who sinneth but will let him alone is to deny the true God who as he is merciful so he is also iust This the Prophet Nahum testifieth in the beginning of his Prophesie The Lord is iealous â—â—m 1 2 3 and the Lord reuengeth the Lord reuengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his aduersaries and reserueth wrath for his enemies The Lord is slowe to anger great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked c. And heereunto accordeth the description of him Exod. 34 6 7. The Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiuing sinne and that will by no meanes cleere the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation Such then as thinke they may proceede and goe forward in their transgressions without controlement or punishment because God is a mercifull God do vtterly deceiue themselues make a snare to entrap their owne soules The wise man saith that to iustifie the wicked and to condemne the innocent are both of them an abhomination vnto the Lord Prou. 17 15. If then he hate it in all the sonnes of men how shall we imagine that the Lord will do or can do either of theÌ„ Let vs therefore so conceiue of God as hee hath taught vs in his holy word let vs not make a counterfeit god nor set vp an Idoll in our heart for he will be serued no therwise then he hath appointed To conclude we must know that whosoeuer denieth 〈◊〉 of the threatnings denounced in the word denyeth a part of the Scripture and as much as lyeth in him maketh God a lyar who will as well execute his judgements as performe his promises forasmuch as hee is faithfull in both And whosoeuer imagineth that God is onely mercifull consequently denieth his iustice hath not the true God for his God but committeth horrible idolatry in coÌ„ceiuing wrongfully of his Maiesty Vse 4 Fourthly seeing such damages and iniuries as are offered to our brethren doe reach to God are condemned as sinnes against him it should teach vs to looke to our own waies to practise iustice and equity toward them to take heed of all fraud forgery falsehood oppression whatsoeuer forasmuch as hee will take an account of vs and bring vs vnto a
bee yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be the Lord shall laugh at him for he seeeth his day comming Then it shall be saide to all the wicked â—th 25 41. Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his Angels The truth may be ouer-borne and smothered for a time yet it cannot be disgraced and concealed for euer It were well for them if they might lie for euer in the graue and neuer come into the light it were well for them if their works might neuer come to bee examined might dye as the vntimely fruite of a woman that neuer saw the Sun but it shall not go so well with them they must not then looke for auie comfort like the rich Glutton who was denied a drop of water to coole his tongue If then they would giue a thousand worlds for one day of repentance or for one droppe of Faith or for oyle in their lampes they cannot obtaine it Heere life is either wonne or lost here saluation is begun or else we neuer haue it Then all things shall appeare as they are though many things are that do not now appeare Then the vizard of the hypocrite must be pulled off and hee shall deceyue no more by shewes of honest dealing And she shall conceiue seede In these words wee haue a second promise made to the Woman suspected of adultery against whom nothing could bee proued For God maketh a two-fold promise to the innocent party The first was set downe before that she should be free from the imputation of the sin and from the castigation of punishment Now cometh the second promise to bee considered which reacheth further then the former wherein God doth wonderfully recompence the slander charged vpon her and declare himselfe to be a maintainer of chastitie and innocency For what could a woman in this case haue desired but to haue her innocency made known to her husband and to the whole Church It was an hard case to vndergo this triall and to haue her name in this manner called into question but after she is tried God doth abundantly recompence her sorrow and affliction and doth not onely cleere her good name but giueth her yssue making the barren woman to keepe house and to be a ioyfull mother of children Hee doth not onely set her free the thing which she desired but withal maketh her fruitfull which is more then shee could haue expected We learne hereby Doctrine God bestowâ—th more mercy vpon his hildren then they desire that howsoeuer the faithfull are many waies tried and troubled yet all their sorrowes are turned to their good When the innocencie and righteousnesse of the godly is once made knowne God is more gracious vnto them then they could desire or craue at his hands We see this in the examples alledged in the former Doctrine as in a glasse most cleerely Remember what wee saide of Ioseph albeit he liued for a time as a prisoner and was clapt in the stocks yet hee was deliuered and his innocency reuealed But was this all Or did God content himselfe to bring his sincerity to light No he was aduanced to honor Gen. 41 41. and made ruler ouer all the land of Aegypt which he neuer dreamed of nor looked for nor gaped after And as it was with the sonne so was it also with the father For Iacob vowed a vow to God that if he would bee with him and keepe him in his iourney that he was to go Genes 28 20. with â—2 9 10. And would giue him bread to eate and raiment to put on then the Lord should be his God His desires are not extended farre but he is contented with a little he craueth of God his daily bread the which Christ also willeth and warranteth vs to aske Mat. 6 neuertheles God was more gracious to him then so and gaue him great riches as himselfe coÌ„fesseth to God his louing kindnes I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan and now I am become two bands The like we might speak of Iob the faithfull seruant of the Lord who may be compared to him in the suffering of aduersity Or who can match him in patience He sustained the losse of his Children and of his goods and yet these were but the beginnings of sorrowes forasmuch as he was deepely afflicted in body and minde What then did he desire of God in his miserie Iob 42 10. to haue his Asses and Camels and cattle doubled vppon him and all the substance of his house to be increased He had no such thoght in his hart and yet it came to passe according to the saying of the Apostle Iames 5 11. Yee haue heard of the patience of Iob and haue seene the end of the Lord for the Lord is verie pittifull and of tender mercy Let vs also call to minde the example of Dauid the least in his Fathers house hee was called of God from feeding his sheepe and following the Ewes great with young and was annointed to bee King and appointed to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel whereof he neuer dreamed Psal 78 71 72. The like we might say of Daniel of Mordecay of Ester and many other children of the captiuity who saw great dangers ready to fall vpon the church as it were a gaping gulfe ready to swallow them vp quick or as a huge rocke threatning ship-wracke if they had onely tasted of the mercie of God and his power in working their deliuerance they wold haue magnified his great goodnesse and sung his praise with the Psalmist Psal 34 19 20 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all hee keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Psal 34 19 20. But besides this he gaue them fauour in the sight of Princes 1 Sam. 2 8. and raised them from the dung-hill to make them inherit the Throne of glory as Hannah singeth who had good experience of it who was contemned but now regarded who asked of God one sonne and obtained not him alone but three other sonnes and two daughters From all which concents of holy Scripture we conclude that the faithfull and righteous seruants of God are oftentimes blessed not onely aboue their deserts which are none at all but aboue their desires and demands Reason 1 The Reasons that serue to confirme this truth to our consciences are to be considered of vs. First God is infinite in his loue toward his people he is no niggard of his goods hee keepeth not all to himselfe as the couetous man He is as the liberall man that freely bestoweth where he seeth need we are as poore beggers that haue nothing our own but rags and rents or as poore criples that can boast of nothing but wounds and sores full
Patriarkes and Prophets that by faith receiued a good report concludeth that we must rather looke to the example of Christ the Author finisher of our faith who endured the Crosse and despised the shame for the ioy that was set before him If theÌ„ the example of God be to be followed of vs we must be moued to shew mercy where we see the bountiful hand of God opened before vs. Reason 2 Secondly we are the children of God wee are the seruants of God we are the subiects of his kingdome we must therefore seeke to be like to him resemble him in our obedience to his Commandements as the Apostle Peter sheweth 1 Pet. 1.14.15.16 As obedient children fashion not your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so bee ye holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy And thus saith the Lord by Malachy the Prophet ch 1 6. A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his master If then I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my feare Hereunto accordeth and agreeth the exhortation of Christ Ioh. 13 12 13 14. Know ye what I haue done to you Yee call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master haue washed your feete ye ought also to wash one anothers feet For I haue giuen you an example that ye should do euen as I haue done to you Vse 1 The vses First let vs learne to acknowledge from hence this truth that great is Gods mercy who neuer faileth nor forsaketh those that are his For assuredly his mercy and compassion should neuer be propounded to vs as a rule to direct vs and as an example to guide vs if there were not infinite loue in him and in our God plentifull redemption Wherefore we may safely conclude this principle of our faith and teach it to others that the mercies of God are sure and certaine to his Church This the Prophet handleth at large Psal 103 8 11 13. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kindnesse as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy toward theÌ„ that feare him As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him There is no end no measure no limitation of his mercy compassion The height of it is not to be taken the depth of it is not to be found the length and bredth of it is not to be comprehended It is higher then the heauens it is deeper then the graue it is longer then the earth it is broader then the sea Who is it that by searching can finde out God Iob 11 7 8 9. or search out the Almighty to his perfection For loue and mercy pitty are not in God as they are in men In vs they are such graces of the Spirit of God as wee are qualified withall througâ— his gift they are streames flowing from his Fountaine and as light drawne from his Candle But in God are no qualities or accidents he is of none but hath his being of himselfe giueth being to all other things Therefore the Apostle saith God is loue it selfe not onely the Fountaine and well-spring of loue 1 Iohn 4 16. but loue it selfe And one saith truely and properly Bernard in de d. l g. Deo God is not wise but wisedome it selfe not iust but iustice it selfe not pittifull but pitty it selfe not mercifull but mercy it selfe not good but goodnesse it selfe This is a great comfort and refreshing to vs in all afflictions be they neuer so great be they neuer so greeuous there is no infirmitie and weaknesse in God his mercy is ouer al his works he is infinite in compassion he can no more ceasse to bee mercifull then ceasse to be God and therefore it being essentiall to him our misery can neuer exceed or counteruaile his mercy Secondly we must Vse 2 learne from hence to loue all the creatures of God albeit not all equally after the example of God We reade euery where in the Scripture of the loue of God louing not onely his Sonne his Church his Elect Zanch denâ— dei lib. 4 â—ap quest 2. Acts 14 17 but the rest of the world the reprobate and all his creatures Giuing them raine and fruitefull seasons filling their hearts with ioy and gladnesse Let vs therefore first see what the loue of God is He loueth all his creatures euen all the works of his hands He saw all that he had made and loe Gen. 1 31. they were exceeding good Yea he doth good to all in him they moue liue breathe and haue their being Notwithstanding he loueth his elect and chosen people ordained to eternall life more then the rest of mankinde whom he leaueth in their sinne to worke out their owne confusion as the Apostle teacheth Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated For touching the faithfull Rom. 9 14 Rom â— 3â— Rom 3 2â— 1 Thess 5 â— Iohn 14 2â— Math. 25 â— he calleth them effectually he iustifieth theÌ„ freely he sanctifieth them throughly in soule and body yea as the faithfull increase in grace the exercises of piety so they more and more feele the loue of God toward them as Christ speaketh He that keepeth my Commandements is he that loueth me and he that loueth me shall bee loued of my Father Heere then we haue an example before vs for our continuall instruction to guide vs in the matter and measure of our loue For first the meanest of the creatures are to be loued none of them are to be abused of vs. Hereunto tend the lawes giueÌ„ to the Iewes not to oppresse our Cattell not to musle the mouth of the Oxe nor to take the dam with the young to helpe vp the Asse sinking falling vnder his burthen and such like Secondly we must much more loue mankinde made after the Image of God yea euen our enemies according to the commandement of our Lord and Master Christ Math. 5 44 45. This is not a counsell but a Commandement charging vs to loue our enemies seeking their good thirsting after their saluation ouercomming euill with goodnesse heaping coales of fire vpon their head and thereby gathering an assurance to our owne hearts that wee are the children of God Thirdly it belongeth to the faithfull to loue the faithfull with an especiall loue as children with them of the selfe same Father heyres with them of the same kingdome for heereby we shall know that we are translated from death to life â—hn 3 14. because wee loue the brethren This the Apostle teacheth Gal. 6 10. While we haue time let vs do good to all men but especially vnto them that are of the houshold of faith So that in the duties of loue we must preferre our godly
word of God is preached and deliuered hee speaketh to vs and calleth vpon vs to heare him If then wee would haue God regard vs when we cry to him we must respect him wheÌ„ he calleth to vs. We cry by prayer he calleth vs by his word Therefore it is that the Lord often denounceth and threateneth all impenitent persons that hee will despise them that despise him and will not heare them praying vnto him that will not heare him preaching vnto them as Pro. 1.24 26 27 28 29. Zach. 7.11 12. Mic. 3.4 Prou. 28.9 Of all comforts that we feele in this life none is greater then to pray vnto God in our troubles with assurance to be heard this the vngodly with all their rage and cruelty can neuer take from vs. Therefore this is a sore iudgement when God openly professeth and proclaimeth that hee will not heare our prayers crying vnto him in our miseries When wee are reiected and forsaken of men in our afflictions yet we haue our recourse and refuge vnto GOD and wee are comforted How wretched therefore is the estate of all vnrepentant sinners who stopping their eares at the hearing of the Law doe make all their prayers to be abominable So did God threaten his people to number them to the sword because saith he I called Pro. 28.9 Esay 65.12 and ye did not answer I spake and ye heard not but did euill in my sight and did chuse that thing which I would not If then wee would haue God open his eares to heare vs let vs acknowledge it to be our duty to open our eares to heare him God will neuer stop his eares against any but those that haue stopped their eares against him Vse 4 Lastly learne to acknowledge the greatnesse of Gods mercy and louing kindnesse and returne the praise and glory of his owne workes to his great Name As he hath heard vs graciously so let vs beare our selues thankfully in rendring to him the calues of our lips and offering to him the sacrifice of praise Euen as he filleth vs with his mercy let vs fill our mouthes with his praise and the memoriall of his Name Psal 116.12.13 and 145.18 19 21. and say What shal I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord. This vse the Prophet teacheth Psal 145. hauing declared that God sheweth himselfe neere to those that call vpon him and feare him he addeth My mouth shall speake the praise of the Lord and all flesh shall blesse his holy Name for euer and euer If I can say when all men forsooke me the Lord took me vp I haue beene running into the pathes of death and was neere to destruction but thou hast brought me backe shewing me the wayes of life and saluation I haue beene ignorant and thou hast instructed me If I haue this experience of his goodnes so many waies toward me he openeth my mouth to praise his mercy and I can neuer sufficiently magnifie his Name that hath brought so great things to passe for me This practise is likewise taught Psal 107. Psal 107.8 15 21 31. where the Prophet mentioning sundry deliuerances that God sheweth his people in times of famine and in the dayes of affliction by land or by sea he doubleth oftentimes his affection Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull works before the sonnes of men He deliuered them the Canaanites and they vtterly destroyed them See heere the vncertainety of warre The Israelites after their ouerthrow fight againe and haue the victory They were at the first ouercome and taken prisoners by their enemies but now they preuaile get the vpper hand Albeit the righteous fall for a time yet they are not cast off for euer Psal 37.24 and 144.1 2. for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Great deliuerances giueth he to his seruants he teacheth their haÌ„ds to fight and their fingers to battel he is their strength and their fortresse their tower and their deliuerer their shield and in him they trust The horse indeed is prepared against the day of battell Prou. 21.31 1 Sam. 14.6 but saluation is of the Lord to whom it is not hard to saue with many or with few This the Prophet setteth downe Psal 81. Psal 81.13.14 Oh that my people had hearkened vnto me and Israel had walked in my wayes I would soone haue humbled their enemies and turned my hand against their aduersaries Heereby we learne that howsoeuer God thinke it meete that his Church lie vnder the crosse yet in his good time hee helpeth he forsaketh it not for euer Doctrine Though â—â— Church lye long vnder the croffe â— God learâ—â— it not for eâ— uer but returneth againe in great mercy and compassion Albeit affliction dwelleth vpon the seruants of God not onely for a moment but oftentimes presseth them for a long season that they haue no breathing time Iob 7.19 No not to swallow their spittle as Iob speaketh yet in due time God is not vnmindfull and forgetful of them Hereunto commeth the saying of the Psalmist Hee endureth but a while in his anger Psal 30.5 but in his fauour is life weeping may abide at euening but ioy commeth in the morning This the Lord expresseth in the Prophet Esay 54.7 For a little time haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee We see this point largely declared in the booke of Iudges Iudg 3.8 â— when God raised vp enemies against the Israelites and sold them as a vile thing of base account for whom he tooke no mony yet when they called and cried vnto him he sent them a deliuerer who saued them out of the hands of their aduersaries This appeareth in the histories of Ioseph of Iob of the Church in Egypt of Dauid of Daniel Gen. 41. 1â— Iam. 5 11. Exod. 12 â— Psal 18.1 Dan. 6 23 who first indured shame and the reproach of the crosse yet afterward hee returned vnto them when the time of refreshing came from the presence of God The reasons are plaine First his eares are Reason 1 alwayes open to the cryes of his children hee putteth their teares in his bottle of remembrance and writeth them in his Register Psalme 5â— so that when they cry their enemies shall turne their backs for God is with his This he saith Exod. 2. the children of Israel sighed for the bondage and cryed and their cry for their bondage came vp vnto God Exod. 2 2â— and 3 7. Then the Lord said I haue surely seene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt I haue heard their cry and moane for I know their sorrowes and I will deliuer them verifying that in the Psalme Psal
were to heare the law Exod. 19. Ier. 4.14 O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saued And Iam. 4. Draw neere to God aad he will draw neere to you cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded What need God to wash vs will some say seeing we are willed to wash our selues God doth not by these commandements attribute a naturall power and strength to mans will as if they were able to wash themselues but he stirreth them vp to vse the meanes that so they may be washed by him Whensoeuer we vse the instrument of the word which is a pure word whereby the wayes of a yong man are cleansed Psal 119.9 together with prayer and inuocation of Gods holy Name and such like meanes to be washed we may be said after a sort to wash our selues because God doth wash vs by vs and not without vs as also he that made vs without vs is said to saue vs not without vs. For a desire to bee washed is our washing of our selues So the Minister is said to saue himselfe 1 Tim. 4.16 when he deliuereth his soule from the curse denounced against vnconscionable watchmen and vseth the meanes by which God will saue him and them that heare him It is the worke of God alone to wash and to cleanse vs Ezek. 16.9 Where he telleth his people that he had washed them with water and Ioh. 13.8 Christ declareth to his disciples that except he wash them they had no part in him for that which he speaketh vnto Peter he speaketh to them all And the Apostle Iohn teacheth vs that he hath washed vs from our sins in his blood Reuel 1.5 Wherefore we must goe vnto him to haue this pure water and cleere streames to wash our soules We are foule and filthy creatures by nature No leper so foule and vgly We can no more cleanse our selues by our owne power then the Ethiopian or blacke More can change his skinne or the Leopard his spottes This vse hath many branches contained vnder it First we must labour to come to the knowledge of our sinnes and to be touched with a feeling of them For we can neuer be earnest in prayer to God for mercy or haue assurance that our request shal be granted vntil we come to haue a sense of the grieuousnes of sin as they that know not their disease make no haste to send or seeke to the Physitian We must therefore haue our eyes opened to see sinne and to vnderstand what dependeth vpon it that we may preuent it or recouer our selues being fallen into it Hence it is that so many sinne with greedinesse and eagernesse because they doe not throughly weigh and consider themselues what they haue done as Luke 23.34 Iesus said Father forgiue them for they know not what they do And the Apostle speaking of the ignorance that is among men concerning Christian religion saith Doubtlesse if they had knowne it 1 Cor. 2.8 they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory They delight in swearing and blaspheming because they know not how feareful a thing it is to take the Name of God in vaine They make no conscience of the Sabbath because they know not what danger it is to prophane it Secondly we are put in minde to confesse our sinnes and vncleanenesse that so we may be washed by him that purgeth vs. So long as Adam did hide his sins he was not cleansed of them It is not with God as it is with men if we confesse vnto men we are oftentimes taunted for them and vpbraided with them and checked for them But if we acknowledge them vnto our gracious God he will neuer hit vs in the teeth with them 1 Ioh. 1.9 but he is mercifull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse But because we shall haue fitter occasion to speake farther of this point in the next diuision I passe it ouer Thirdly we must know what meanes God vseth to sanctifie vs it is by the blood of his owne Sonne for the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1.7 and Heb. 9.14 The blood of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God shall purge our conscience from dead works to serue the liuing God Naaman the Syrian washing in the flood of Iordan seuen times was healed of his leprosie and had his flesh come to him againe like the flesh of a child how much more then shall we be cleansed from the leprosie of sinne when the Lord shall wash vs in the blood of his Sonne Fourthly we must seeke mercy while it is offered vnto vs when our hearts are terrified for sinne let vs haue recourse to the fountaine of his loue which can neuer be drawne dry This did the Prophet Psal 51.1.2 Haue mercy vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according vnto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne And the Prophet Esay calleth the people to repentance cha 55. ver 6 7. Seeke yee the Lord while he may bee found call ye vpon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercy on him and to our God for he will aboundantly pardon God hath his time of mercy when that is gone and past the time of iustice commeth While we haue eares to heare let vs heare when the eares are made dull of hearing we may heare but we shall not vnderstand While we haue eyes to see let vs behold his goodnesse and mercy toward vs when they are once shut and closed vp we may see but we shall perceiue nothing at all While we haue soft and tender hearts let vs humble our selues before him and tremble at his word if once our hearts be hardned as a stone and become past feeling there is little hope of our conuersion that we should turne and be healed Fiftly we must buy of Christ white garments to clothe vs and to couer our deformitie Reuel 3.18 that the filthinesse of our nakednesse doe not appeare True it is there is nothing properly bought and sold betweene Christ and vs but this is spoken by way of resemblance For in bargaining a man that will buy first vnderstandeth his want then he cometh to the place where it is to be bought afterward he cheapneth it and lastly he maketh exchange with money or some other commoditie So he that will come to Christ must first feele himselfe to haue need of Christ and see his owne misery otherwise he will neuer desire him Secondly he must hunger after Christ to be partaker of his merits Thirdly he must prize Christ aboue all other things Phil. 3.8 Lastly he must make exchange he must giue him his sinnes and lay them vpon his shoulders that so we
of corruption His grace is the true riches and by it he hath abounded toward his church Hence it is that the Apostle writing to the Ephesians commendeth in many places of the Epistle the ouer-flowing grace of God and sheweth that hee is rich in mercy and aboundeth in kindnes chap. 1 7. chap. 2 4 7. hee setteth out his great loue wherewith he loueth vs the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindnesse toward vs through Iesus Christ And chap. 3 8. he calleth his grace toward vs vnsearchable riches He doth not keep vs to a diet as though he meant to pine vs or famish vs he doth not allow vs onely so much as serueth to keep vs in state and holde body and soule together but he dealeth bountifully towards vs maketh our cup to ouer flow If then he bee rich in mercy and goodnes and abundant in kindnesse if there bee in him exceeding riches vnsearchable riches riches of his grace and glorie it is not to be marueiled at that his childreÌ„ find him gracious toward them aboue all that the tongue can desire or the heart can think forasmuch as his mercy is ouer all his workes Reason 2 Secondly God is euermore better then his word and performeth more then hee promiseth He is not as man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should deceiue al his promises are yea and Amen to the praise of his mercie He promiseth little and performeth much He is a Prince indeede that neuer falsified his worde neither could the vnbeleefe of some that did not beleeue make the saith of God without effect Rom. 3 3. he remaineth alwaies true and faithfull constant and sure If we obtaine not the promises the fault is not in the promise of God but in the infidelity of maÌ„ forasmuch as he neuer deludeth any nor dallieth with them whatsoeuer is gone out of his mouth hee meaneth it in good earnest The word of the Lord is right and all his workes are done in truth he will not suffer his faithfulnesse to faile Psal 33.4 and 89. Hee promiseth in the fift commandement to giue to inferiors that are obedient a long life yet sometimes they dye betimes and on the other side the stubborn and disobedient haue prospered in this world and liued long How then will some say is God as good as his word and how is he certaine of his promise Because albeit he take vs away yet hee performeth it by giuing much more then hee promised When Herod promised to his wanton Minion that danced before him Marke 6 â—â— The one halfe of his kingdome it is certaine it had beene no breach of his promise if hee had resigned vp the whole kingdome into her hands So if God promise a prolonged life Exod 20 â—â— and giue instead of it a perpetuall life heere is more then halfe in halfe gaines and aduantage as hee that promiseth tenne peeces of siluer and performeth twenty peeces of Gold or hee that promiseth a yard of cloath and giueth an ell of Veluet doeth not breake his promise or falsifie his word Thirdly as God is rich in grace so hee is Reason 3 infinite in power he is able to doe what hee will and more then he will Nothing is vnpossible vnto him he hath all creatures in his own hand to employ theÌ„ as it pleaseth him This is the reason vsed by the apostle Eph. 3 20. Vnto him that is able to do exceeding aboundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs bee praise in the Church by Iesus Christ c. If then he be able to giue vs more then wee craue or desire wee are not to doubt of his doing of it and wee haue all of vs many notable experiences of it Let vs come to the Vses and marke them Vse 1 diligently First let vs not bee dismayed vnder the Crosse but assure our selues of a good end and of an happy issue It is the cup which we must all drinke of in one kinde or in another Let vs not sinke downe vnder it but lay holde on this principle and fasten our hearts vppon the doctrine with which wee deale as on an Anchor cast out of the ship to stay vs assuring our selues that God will bee gracious vnto vs his mercy shal superabouÌ„d so that we shall bee more then Conquerors One affliction followeth another as one waue of the Sea rouleth after another as Psal 42. verse 7. One deepe calleth another deepe by the noise of thy water spouts all thy waues and thy flouds are gone ouer mee And in the 66. psalme the 10 11 12. vers Thou O God hast prooued vs thou hast tried vs as siluer is tryed thou hast brought vs into the net thou layedst affliction vpon our loines thou hast caused men to ride ouer our heads we went through fire and through water but thou broughtst vs out into a wealthy place Nothing therefore shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord who hath promised vs that he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs. This promise we are to lay hold vpon by faith that hee is able and willing to performe it and that he wil be better vnto vs then his word We cannot beleeue too much concerning God we neede not feare to hope too farre of his mercy True it is wee oftentimes presume too farre of the kindnesse of men and so are deceiued of our expectation we promise to our selues much when we goe away empty It is not so with God There is no sinne greater then infidelity when hee speaketh not to heare when hee promiseth not to beleeue which he suffereth not to go vnpunished If you call his worde into question which is passed out of his mouth you call his nature and being in question you 〈◊〉 in effect doubt whether he bee God or not yea whether there be a God or not The Prince that heard the word of the Lord sent in mercy during the famine in Israel and the siege of Samaria 2 King 7 1. â—ings 7 1. To morrow this time a Measure of fine floure shall be solde for a shekell and two measures of Barley for a shekell in the gate of Samaria did not beleeue it because such was their miserie that it seemed not onely strange but impossible vnto them that there should be such plenty and aboundance at a sodaine and no meanes appeare how or which way it should be done and therefore saide verse 2. Though the Lorde would make windowes in the heauen could this thing come to passe But what followed The Prophet denounced against him that hee should see the trueth of it with his eyes but he should not eate thereof and the Lord executed this sentence and let nothing of that which he had saide fall to the ground for the people trod vpon him in the gate hee hauing the ouer-sight of the businesse committed
vnto him and hee dyed as the man of God had saide Zachariah the Priest had an Angell sent vnto him from God standing at the right side of the Altar of Incense 〈◊〉 1 13. telling him that His prayer was heard and that his wife should beare him a sonne and that many should reioyce at his birth â—â—rse 14. howbeit hee would not beleeue the message he measured all things by the course of nature the word of the Angel would not suffice him that stood in the presence of God and was sent to speake vnto him and to shew him these good tydings hee must farther heare verse 18. Whereby hee should know this But he that would not rest in these good tydings is constrained to heare heauy tydings that he should be dumbe â—se 20 and not be able to speake vntill the day that these things be done because he beleeued not his words which should bee fulfilled in their season The like we might also say of the Israelites in the wildernesse as wee shal see afterwards in the eleuenth chapter of this booke of Numbers Moses shewed the weakenesse of his faith and the people the want of their faith so that the Lord complaineth against them against Moses that hee was of little Faith against the rest that they were for the most part a faithlesse generation albeit they had knowne his goodnes tryed his power felt his iustice and seene his mercies and miracles plentifully amongst them he might iustly take vp the same complaint against his people which Christ did against his Disciples Mat. 17. verse 17. O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I bee with you How long now shall I suffer you Hence it is that when Moses considering the want they had of flesh Numb 11 21 22. saide Sixe hundred thousand foote-men are there of the people among whom I am and thou sayest I will giue them flesh that they may eate a moneth long Shall the sheepe and the Beeues be slaine for them to finde them eyther shall all the fish of the sea bee gathered together for them to suffice them The Lord saide vnto Moses Is the Lordes hand shortned Thou shalt see now whether my worde shall come to passe vnto thee or no. Hee sent them that which they desired but hee sent it not as a blessing they lusted with Concupiscence in the Wildernesse and tempted GOD in the Desert so that it turned to bee a curse vnto them Verse 33. for While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth before it was chewed euen the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and hee smote the people with an exceeding great plague Yea such was the iudgement that came vppon them Verse 34. that the place was called Kibroth hattaauah the graues of Lust for there they buried the people that fell a lusting to keepe thereby the greatnesse of their sinne fresh in remembrance verifying that also which the Prophet saith Psal 106 16. Hee gaue them their request but he sent leannesse into their soule They had flesh enough but it did them no good they abounded but their aboundance turned to their destruction So wheÌ„ they wanted water and Moses Aaron did not teach them to be patient vnder the crosse and contented with Gods hand the Lord spake vnto them Because ye beleeued mee not Numb 2â— 12 to sanctify me in the presence of Israel therefore ye shal not bring this Congregation into the land which I haue giuen them There is no greater wrong can bee done to God then to doubt of his trueth of all sinnes this is one of the most highest and most heinous to haue in vs an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God Wherefore when wee or any part of the Church are in extreamity and lye vnder affliction let vs not cast off our confidence that hath great recompence of reward Heere is a stay to rest vpon heere is a pillar that cannot bee shaken heere is a most sure and firme foundation vpon which we should builde our house Is hee more mercifull to his Saints then they can wish or desire Let vs then know for a certainety that there is great hope of deliuerance in the greatest extreamities though wee know no way to escape but that wee rest as a prey in the teeth of the Lyon yet the loue of God toward vs is infinite and vnspeakeable hee can restore vs and redeeme vs by sundry wayes that wee could not thinke of nor dreame of nor desire This is that which Mordecai is bolde to put Esther in minde of Ester 4 14. If thou holdest thy peace at this time comfort and deliuerance shall appeare to the Iewes out of another place but thou and thy Fathers house shall perish Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene Heb 11 1. If there be faith in vs as the graine of Mustard seede which is very little we shall finde the benefite and fruite of it If any grace bee wanting in vs the fault is in our selues and not in God wee haue the truth of his word deliuered vnto vs but we beleeue not the doctrine which we heare This wee see in the Prophet Esay chap. 50 2. Wherefore came I and there was no man I called and none answered is mine hand so shortned that it cannot help Or haue I no power to deliuer Beholde at my rebuke I dry vp the sea I make the floodes desert Their Fish rotteth for want of water and dieth for thirst And afterwards the same Prophet vrgeth this point Esay 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot saue neither his eare heavy that it cannot heare but your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your GOD and your sinnes haue hidden his face from you that he will not heare Nay his eare is so farre from being heauy that he cannot heare that on the other side he is quicke of hearing and so quicke that hee is sought of them that asked not for him and found of them that sought him not Esay 65 1. Seeing then hee is fo bountifull aboue all our desires woe vnto vs if wee beleeue not his worde nor rest vpon his power nor content our selues with his promise When the Israelites were oppressed with the hard and cruell taske-masters of the Egyptians what could they desire or what did they desire at the hands of Pharaoh but to go into the wildernes to serue him and to carrie with them their owne Cattle their children and their substance But God did not only grant that vnto them but brought them out with great substance Psal 105 37. Exod. 12 29. He gaue them siluer and gold there was not one feeble person among their tribes They neuer durst aske of God to giue them the treasures and the spoiles of their enemies yet he gaue them that which they neither dared to aske nor desired to obtaine for they
second and the second with falling into a third Sin is like the infant that is in the mothers wombe where it groweth by little and little vnto the birth â—am 1.15 and neuer stayeth till it come to perfection This must Vse 1 teach vs that there is no dalying with sin it is not barren but very fruitfull Many think they may stretch their conscience a litle and make bold with God and his law for once but they deceiue themselues for they sow that seede which in short time will spring vp and grow a monster For as the sluggard saith yet a little more sleepe so the sinner saith yet a little more sin He is like the couetous man that saith euermore Bring bring and as he thinketh he neuer encreaseth his substance enough so the sinner supposeth he neuer encreaseth his sin enough This will bite as a serpent in the end though it delighteth in the beginning Againe it teacheth vs to acknowledge Gods great mercy toward his children in staying them back that they goe not forward being once entred into the practise of it When Paul would haue entred in among the furious people it might haue cost his life if the disciples had let him alone howbeit they suffered him not Act. 19.30 So if God should suffer vs to runne on it might cost vs our liues and cause vs to bee condemned with the world When we open a port and passage for sinne wee are as a man that is falling or rouling downe a very high mountaine how can he escape death except he be stayed by a very strong hand So is it with vs if once we make a breach into our conscience it is vnpossible to stop it if God himselfe do not set to his hand If he take the matter in hand and determine to shew mercy vpon the poore perishing soule that beginneth to suffer shipwracke though we had one foote in hel he can bring vs backe again And how should not that soule so deliuered and seeing the snare of death and hell broken and hauing experience of the power and mercy of God in raising him to life but in a sweet feeling of them cry out Blessed be the Lord who hath not giuen me as a prey vnto their teeth Psal 124.6 and againe My helpe is in the Name of the Lord who made heauen and earth ver 8. This mercy is the greater both because it is rare for not one among an hundred maketh vp the breach that sinne hath made and because it is wholly gracious and freely bestowed the sinner deseruing to be forsaken vtterly who hath fearefully forsaken God God hath fast hold vpon all that are his from their election Ier. 14.7 and therefore hee will neuer withdraw his hand from them nor suffer them to be drowned Lastly it must be our care to stop the beginnings of sinne Iosh 24.14.15 and then we shall be sure it will neuer come to perfection Againe these murmuring Egyptians seeing the mighty works and miracles of God in Egypt would needs become proselites they ioyne themselues to the people of God and seeme so forward that they forsake their idolatry their countrey and kinred their owne people and their fathers house neuerthelesse they starte backe as a deceitefull bow and they reuolt backe to their olde manners as dogs to their vomit and as swine to their former mire filthinesse â—â—ctrine 〈◊〉 are in 〈◊〉 profession 〈◊〉 are not 〈◊〉 members 〈◊〉 church Wherby we learne that many are in the profession of the faith which are not indeed faithfull neither true members of the Church as wee see in Ismael Gen. 21 9. and Caine chap. 4 3. there are many temporizers that beleeue for a season Luk. 8 13. Others are offended and fall away Iohn 6 66. Such professe that they know GOD but they deny him in their workes and become abhominable and disobedient Tit. 1 ver 16. 1 Iohn 2 vers 19. And no maruaile for many loue the praise of the world more then the praise of God and neuer had found rooting and therefore though they go farre in the right way yet they returne backe and are neuer the neerer nay they are set farther off then euer they were The Church had alwaies such all are not the true seed of Abraham that are of Abraham neither the Israel of God that came of Israel Good fish and bad fish are taken in the net Math. 13 and good wheate and Vse 1 chaffe are mingled together This teacheth vs good vses First that it is not enough to saluation or sufficient to entitle vs to Gods kingdome to make an outward profession The diuell himselfe may this way go as farre as the best for Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light 2 Cor. 11 14. a wolfe may put on a sheepes skinne Math. 7 15. Yea a Parot and an Ape can imitate and therefore trust not too much to the outwarde appearance and profession if thou goe no farther neither account it sufficient that thou art baptized and made partaker of the Word and Sacraments and of the praiers of the church this is no better then to trust in lying words which shall not profit nor prosper Ier. 7 4. Secondly we must ioyn to our profession sanctification and holinesse of life Ier. 7 5. Such as content themselues with outwarde shewes are like the tree that hath leaues without fruite are ranke hypocrites like weeds that grow among good herbes God hath chosen and redeemed vs that wee should bee holy Eph. 1 4. Luke 68 75. The condition of such is no better then of the heathen and infidels Math. 5 20. Nay it is not so good Lastly let vs heereby try and proue whether we be in the faith or not 2 Cor. 13 5. Many liue in the Church that neuer examine themselues whether they be of the Church nor consider that they may deceiue themselues many others forasmuch as an hypocrite and a reprobate may go farre in christian religion Many haue in them the first beginnings of christian religion as it were the foundation of a building and there they stand at a stay but wee must build forward vntill the spirituall building be perfected It is not enough to runne except we obtaine the prize He that doth perseuere to the end shall be saued and he that is faithfull to the death â—â—â—trine 〈◊〉 euil man â—pteth aâ—er shall receiue the crowne of life Moreouer see heere how the Israelites are led by the example of the Egyptians to murmure with them and therfore one euill person entiseth corrupteth and infecteth another as Eue did Adam and the serpent did Eue Prou. 13 20. Psal 106 35 36 39. For sin is as leauen 2 Tim. 2 17. 1 Cor. 5 6. and as a contagious disease Woe therefore to the world because of offences Vse 1 Mat. 18 6.8 and they are pronounced to be accursed that lay a stumbling block before the blinde to make them to fal Deut. 27.
Pet 3.1 2. Ezek. 12.27 28. Againe it meeteth with such as abuse Gods patience to harden their hearts in sinne The more God spareth vs and the longer he waiteth the more insolent and vntoward the greatest sort doe grow abusing the lenity and long suffering of God presuming and waxing bold to offend because he doth not speedily punish Eccle. 8.11 Nehe. 9.17 sinne is increased by this meanes for the more he suffereth the greater is our sinne Thirdly this serueth for comfort and consolation Vse 3 It lifteth vp perplexed and disquieted consciences for their sinnes trembling vnder Gods hand as the child vnder the rod and fearing to be consumed in his wrath Let no man despaire or be out of hope for this is his nature he is long suffering Exod. 34. This is vttered to Moses to comfort him who feared the vtter subuersion and destruction of Israel for their idolatry in worshipping the golden calfe Exod. 32.2 Psal 103.8 9. Againe it serueth to worke confidence and assurance of faith and mercy in the hearts of the godly that if they pray vnto him and desire to haue his anger remoued he will be appeased toward them and spare them as we see in this place how Moses vseth these words to the same purpose Lastly it comforteth the Church against the wickednesse and cruelty of her persecuters they sticke not oftentimes to shed innocent blood and God seemeth for a time to hold his peace and nothing at all to regard either what the enemies doe or what his children suffer for he sendeth downe no punishment vpon them Notwithstanding we must not imagine that God hath forgotten vs in our miseries as if he had shut vp his kindnesse in displeasure but he is patient euen toward them he best knoweth his times and seasons for iustice and iudgement as he doth for mercy and compassion When the time of his patience is runne out then will his time of iustice clearely appeare Thus doth Dauid comfort himselfe a man that had experience of many sorrowes Ps 86.14 15. O God the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of violent men haue sought after my soule and haue not set thee before them but thou O God art a God full of compassion and gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth Lastly sundry exhortations arise from Vse 4 hence to sundry good duties which I will only point out first it serueth to mooue vs to breake out into the praise of God Our sinnes deserue suddenly to be swept away the measure of them is exceeding great It is his great mercy that we are not vtterly confounded consumed Psal 130.3 4. Secondly we must be patient toward our brethren Col. 3.12 13. Ephe 4.32 Let vs deaâ—e with our brethren as we see God hath dealt with vs. If we be hasty to reuenge let vs take heed lest we kindle the wrath of God against our selues Matthew 6. verse 15. Lastly it is our dutie to repent of our sinnes while we haue time and to seeke the Lord while he is neere Rom. 2.4 Ioel 2.3 Verse 19. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatnesse of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiuen this people from Egypt euen vntill now Heere we haue the third and last argument of the prayer to mooue the Lord to pardon them wherein he putteth the Lord in mind of his workes of mercy and thereupon is bold to pray for the continuall course of more mercy Pardon this people as thou hast forgiuen them from Egypt vntill now Doctrine The doctrine All the benefites and blessings that we receiue in this life All the blessings present giue assurance of more blessings to come are such as giue vs hope and assurance that we shall receiue more blessings and mercies from God So then the point to be considered is this that mercies present assure more mercies to come vpon the faithfull as Psal 77.5 Iosh 10.25 1 Sam. 17.34 35 36 37. Reason 1. The reasons A promise in part performed is a good assurance that the rest also shall be performed So then if God haue giuen to a man any blessing in part it shall be an assurance vnto him that he shall also receiue more from God Euery gift of God is as a pawne or gage laid vp and left with vs for when hee bestoweth any blessing he giueth vs earnest to assure vs of moe that shall follow and of a greater measure of the same gift 2 Cor. 1.22 and 5.5 Ephes 1.14 Secondly deedes are much more effectuall and powerfull then words Albeit the word of God be sure whatsoeuer he hath spoken yet we lay better hold vpon his workes Men are not so much afraid of Gods threatnings to come as when they see and feele his iudgements present vpon themselues and others so is it in this case for though the promises of God bee good payment because he hath promised that cannot lie Tit. 1.2 yet we are not so easily drawne to beleeue them made by wordes onely as when we find them in part performed vnto vs then we conceiue vndoubted and assured hope to receiue the rest also because he doth thereby as it were enter paiment of a debt I meane a debt by promise on his part not by any desert on our part Vse 1 The vses follow First this teacheth euery man that be ought to obserue and keepe in mind the benefits and mercies of God both vpon himselfe and other how God from time to time hath blessed him that so he may haue comfort in time of need For this is the cause why so many despaire and haue no comfort at all when the iudgements of God are vpon them they forget Gods goodnesse and neuer cast their eyes backe to the times past nor remember the former benefits and comforts which they haue receiued from God and so are wholly destitute of comfort and remaine without hope to receiue any moe mercies froÌ„ him When Moses prayed vnto God to shew him this mercy that he might enter into the land of promise he beseecheth the Lord after this manner O Lord God thou hast begun to shew vnto thy seruant thy greatnes and thy mighty hand I pray thee therefore let mee goe ouer and see the good land that is beyond Iordan Deuter. 3.24 Whereby wee see he considereth how God had dealt with him in former times and maketh that a motiue to stirre vp his faith for the time to come to hope for and to desire the continuance thereof Secondly this teacheth all of vs whereupon Vse 2 we ought in our wants and necessities to stay our selues and looke for comfort surely in the remembrance of Gods former promises There we shall be sure to finde comfort if we thinke vpon them For they are as sure pledges to vs that we shall afterward receiue moe also And let vs labour to rest vpon God because he hath giuen vs many blessings and mercies in former times so that we
mastery they wil hardly leaue their hold We shall finde it little better then to wash a Tile or brick and go about in a manner an vnpossible worke they are become a Cart-ropes which are not easily vntwisted Esay 5 18. Or as a threefold cable which is not quickly broken Eccles. 4 12. CoÌ„sider the truth of this in these three things Drunkennesse whoredome and swearing what meanes soeuer are vsed to take these away they are vnprofitable the drunkard will follow it still Pro. 23 35. Such as comit whoredome sildome returne againe and take holde of the paths of life Prou. 2 19. when a man hath once accustomed himselfe to swearing he cannot but sweare at euery word he neuer feareth an oath Custome taketh away feare of sinning where no fear is to offend men are bold to sin when men are growne bold and past shame they haue no sense of sinne You shall heare them sweare ordinarily and horribly and yet they know not of it or at least neuer consider it Rom 2 4. Eph. 4 19. Vse 5 Lastly it behooueth vs to vse all the meanes we can to keepe vs from sinne as wee would do to keepe vs from the pestilence least wee grow secure and senslesse and think our selues in good case when we are neerest to destruction and farthest off from saluation â—nes sancâ— or God 〈◊〉 vs 〈◊〉 The meanes which God sanctifieth as so many preseruatiues to worke in vs a conscience of sinne and to stay vs from falling into the same are many First the ministery of the word I range this in the first place both because of the power of it and because it giueth force vnto the rest God commandeth his Ministers to cry alowd and spare not to preach the doctrine of repentance and to tell the people their sinnes Pro. 1 20 21. and 9 2 33. Ephes 4 11 12. Thus hee sent Ionah to the Niniuites Ionah 3 4. Nathan to Dauid 2 Sam 12 1. and the prophets continually to the Israelites 2 Chronic. 36 14 15 Acts 2 37 38. Secondly the benefites and blessings of God which are many and great daily continuall vpon soule and body hee saueth and preserueth vs in him we liue and mooue who reneweth his mercies to vs euerie morning Psal 68 18 Lam 3 23. be daileth loadeth vs with benefits wonderfully Moses telleth the people that the Lord bestowed so many benefits vpon them that they should loue the Lord with all their hearts and with al their soule Deut. 10 12. That they should cleane vnto him and knit their hearts vnto him Iosh 23 8. and 24 14. 1 Kings 14.7 8. Paul beseecheth the Romanes by the mercies of God to offer vp their bodies as an holy sacrifice vnto God Rom. 12 1. God hath made vs to abound with this argument and hath often spoken vnto vs. Thirdly he hath bestowed vpon vs his own Sonne the greatest blessing in heaueÌ„ or earth for a greater cannot be promised of God or comprehended of vs Rom. 8 32 He spared not his owne Son but deliuered him vp for vs all Ioh. 3 16. He gaue his owne his onely Sonne for vs his enemies euen vnto the death that wee should be reconciled vnto him If the consideration of this and the earnest meditation in it will not mooue vs to repent of sin nothing in the world will put life into our hard hearts Fourthly the corrections and chastisements which are laide vpon vs Psal 89 31 32. Iob 33 16. The Lord openeth the eares of men euen by their corrections which he hath sealed so that we should humble our selues when we feel them Heb. 12 6 11. It is our duty therfore to mourn for sin betimes which wil bring with it comfort in the latter end Luk. 6 21. Blessed are yee that weepe for ye shall laugh This vse did Dauid make of them Psal 119 71. To this wee may ioyne the chastisements of God sent vpon others though we feele them not ourselues for if we see them or heare of them they should be as so many warning peeces to our selues to call vs to repentance Esay 26 9. Fiftly priuate admonitions and exhortations yea reproofes and threatnings of iudgement when the former will not serue Leu. 19 17. Prou. 9 8. Rebuke a wise man and hee will loue thee Math. 18 15. Iames 5 20. Thus he may be wonne by his brother Psal 141 5. Let vs not therefore refuse this meanes but make good vse of it Lastly the inward motions and inspirations of the holy Spirit which he stirreth vp in our hearts as it is saide of Dauid that God caused his owne heart to smite him 2 Sam. 24 10. and Psal 16 7. We haue all of vs at one time or other some good motions and desires put into our mindes let vs make much of them and entertaine them into our soules lest hee withdraw his Spirit from vs and giue vs ouer vnto our selues 40. And they rose vp early in the morning and gate them vp into the top of the Mountaine saying Loe we be heere and will goe vp vnto the place which the Lord hath promised for wee haue sinned 41. And Moses said Wherefore now doe you transgresse the commandement of the Lord but it shall not prosper 42. Goe not vp for the Lord is not among you c. Heere we haue the behauiour of this crooked and peruerse people hearing from the mouth of Moses the minde of God that they must go backe againe by the way of the red sea and shall wander vp and downe fourty yeares in the wildernesse for the false report which the spies had brought vp of the Land and for their own beleeuing of that report Now they will not obey but will needs goe forward though God had commanded them to retire and returne See heere the peruersenesse of our nature as if we had made a generall conspiracy neuer to obey him but to oppose against him whatsoeuer he say so we euermore striue against that we are forbidden They refused before to goe into the Land now they will needs in a Brauado proceede when they are forbidden When they should go forward theÌ„ they will go backward and make them a Captaine to conduct them into Egypt When they should go backward then they will goe forward though they perish for it This is our corrupt nature that which God willeth vs to do we will not do and that which he willeth vs not to do that we will do whereby we see that the lustes of the flesh are enmity against God Againe obserue that when God is not with a people they cannot prosper his presence is the cause of victory 2 Chron. 20 27. If he be gone from vs and goe not foorth with our armies we fall by the sword of the enemy wee cannot stand before them we go out one way and flie before them seuen waies Deut. 28 25. Moreouer we see in the example of this disobedience that God oftentimes punisheth one
peace dwelled in our houses possessed our inheritances enioyed our lands and goods thus long but for the faithfull seruants of God who mind the peace of Sion Doubtlesse he would not spare the world one minute and moment of time but for the godly Hee would haue spared the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha 〈◊〉 18.32 if ten righteous persons had bin found in them For the faiths sake of Rahah who hid the spies and sent them out another way 〈◊〉 26. hee spared her kindred and her fathers house For the faith of Lot whose righteous soule was vexed day by day in seeing and hearing the vnclean conuersation of those sinfull men he would haue saued his sonnes in law 〈◊〉 12 that should haue married his daughters For Pauls sake a chosen vessel to beare the Name of God to the Gentiles he gaue freely those that sailed with him and saued their liues 〈◊〉 â—4 Thus wee see that for the godly he beareth with the vngodly but when they are safe and sealed in the forehead then iudgement shall come vpon the wicked Contrariwise a nation a cittie a towne an house and family is cursed for the society and company of the wicked The Israelites could not prosper at the siege of Ai so long as Achan was among them The Sea could not be calme the ship could not be safe the Marriners could not be at rest so long as vnrepentant and vnreformed Ionah was a burden vnto it for he said vnto them Take me and cast me into the Sea so shall the waues worke no more so troublesomely for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Wherefore it is a sweet and comfortable thing to bee in the number of the faithfull wee haue benefite by the prayers of the Church which pierce the eares of God and bring downe his blessings in great aboundance Verse 8. And the Lord said vnto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent We heard before how the people repented of their sinnes and how Moses prayed for pardon Now see how God remooueth his hand Psal 103.9 He will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer hee doth not deale with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our iniquities Indeed he sheweth oftentimes his seuere iudgments but so soone as the sinner is humbled hee receiueth him to mercy the sinne is pardoned and the punishment is remooued Doctrine God is merciful to greeuous sinners when they are penitent The doctrine from hence is this that God is mercifull to all penitent sinners Repentance once going before mercy followeth after albeit we sinne greeuously against him This the Prophet teacheth in the Name of God Esay 1.18 Ezek. 18.21 22 23. and 33.11 Dauid sinned exceedingly in numbring the people for which God sent a pestilence three dayes in Israel that many thousands dyed yet when his heart smote him that he said I haue sinned exceedingly 2 Sa. 24 17.18 1 Chr. 21.15 17. I haue done wickedly but these sheep what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee bee against mee and against my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction the Lord repented him of the euill and said to the Angel that destroyed It is enough let thine hand ceasse Let vs consider the reasons of Gods merciful Reason 1 dealing which are first the comfort and releefe of his people that none should to the end of the world despaire of obtaining of mercy For the mercy of God in Christ is aboue all his workes which he extendeth to thousands it is infinite without measure Hee pardoneth such offenders to make them examples to others of Gods great mercy hee receiueth them to fauour and remitteth their offences not onely to manifest his mercy to the offender himselfe but to teach others to resort and repaire vnto him for pardon and forgiuenesse When the Prophet testifieth that by acknowledging his sinne vnto God and confessing his wickednesse against himself he obtained the remission of his sinne and punishment of sinne he addeth immediately Therefore shall euery one that is godly Psal 32.5 6. make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest bee found This is the reason that the Apostle toucheth 1 Tim. 1. teaching that he was receiued to mercy for this cause That Iesus Christ shold first shew on him all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life So then from these and such like examples of great sinners that haue obtained much mercy we likewise should be assured of the goodnesse of God for our saluation whensoeuer wee can bee brought to beleeue the Gospel repent from dead works Secondly the consideration of the nature Reason 2 of God ministreth a strong and inuincible reason to gaine our affections to yeeld to this truth For his mercy is aboundant and his goodnesse is infinite It surmounteth the reach and vnderstanding of all mortall men It passeth the highnesse of the heauens the depth of the earth the breadth of the Sea the power of the diuel the strength of the Law the measure of the whole world and nothing can be compared with the perfections of the Almighty Iob 11.7 8 9. Paul who before his conuersion to the faith which he sought to destroy was a blasphemer a Persecuter an oppresser maketh this the cause why he was receiued to mercy The grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue 1 Tim. 1.14 which is in Christ Iesus that is giuing vnto me faith that chased away infidelity and loue that ouercame cruelty So the Lord maketh this the chiefe and principall cause why he spared that rebellious and idolatrous people The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne Vse 1 The vses follow of this doctrine First we learne that there is no sinne that doth exceed the mercy of God None can say without iniury against his owne soule without reproach against God and giuing the lie to the glorious Maiestie of God My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen True it is there is an vnpardonable sinne Mat 12.31 that shall neuer bee forgiuen either in this world or in the world to come the blasphemy against the Spirit but that is because they cannot relent or repent that commit it they are so farre gone that they can neuer returne backe againe not because God is not able to forgiue it or that it doth exceed the mercies of God Seeing then vile sinners finde such infinite and vnspeakeable mercie let vs neuer despaire or doubt of his mercy fauor though we be suddenly ouertaken through infirmitie and fall into diuers and greeuous sinnes He hath mercy in store for such as haue beene exceeding sinners against him If they can repent of their sinnes his mercies are as great as himselfe Consider the examples of Peter that denyed
Peter They fall by frailty with Dauid but they rise not by repentance with Dauid They sinne with Salomon but they repent not with him 〈◊〉 â—7 They sinne with the Iewes but they are not pricked in heart with the Iewes saying What shall we doe They persecute the Saints of God with the laylor Acts 16.29 but they tremble not at their sin nor seeke to the seruants of God saying Sirs what must we doe to be saued They break out with their tongues and iustifie themselues as Iob but they set not a watch before the dore of their lips Iob 42 6. they doe not abhorre themselues neither repent in dust and ashes with Iob saying Psal 39.1 I will tâ—ke heede to my wayes that I sinne not with my tongue I will keepe my mouth bridled They flye from the presence of God with Ionah but they remember not to pray with him for pardon â—on 1.3 and â— 1.8 acknowledging that such as waite vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercy Let vs therfore all learne to profit by the fauorable dealing of God toward offenders neither abusing his louing kindnesse nor continuing in sinne nor presuming of his mercy assuring our selues that if the persons receiuing pardon be such as are penitent then assuredly to the impenitent there is no forgiuenesse This the Apostle setteth downe Rom. 2.4 5. The acceptable time of repentance for all of vs is the time present what time we haue to come is vncertain Late repentance is oftentimes constrained and sildome true repentance The longer a diseased man continueth in his sickenesse the harder is his recouery Let vs not delay and deferre our repentance This is the blessed time and the acceptable season To day therefore if we will heare his voyce let vs not harden our hearts in sinne Heb. 3.7 8. Fourthly let vs not spare to seeke the saluation Vse 4 and thirst after the conuersion euen of the greatst sinners Let vs not account their estate and condition forlorne and desperate Neither iudge any before the time 1 Cor. 4.5 vntill the Lord come who will lighâ—en things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest and then shall euery man haue praise of God The husbandman waiteth for the fruite of the earth Iames 5 7 and hath long patience for it vntill hee receiue the former and latter raine Now we are Gods labourers and husbandmen 1 Cor. 3 9.6.7 ye are Gods husbandry and Gods building Paul planteth and Apollo watereth but God giueth the increase So then neither is hee that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giueth the increase Wee are vnto God the sweet sauour of Christ in them that are saued 2 Cor. 2 15.16 and in them which perish to the one we are the sauour of death to death and to the other the sauour of life vnto life This must be our comfort in the midst of all discomforts iniurious dealing and hard measure offered vnto vs to know that euery man shall receiue his wages according to his labour And the Prophet prophesying of the kingdome of Christ that he should spread out his hands all day vnto a rebellious people maketh this his stay and staffe of rest Esay 49 4. I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God Let vs therefore goe Iustile forward in building vp the house of God preach in season and out of season and commit the fruit of the work and successe of all our labours to the Lord whose word is neuer deliuered nor heard in vaine as the Apostle vrgeth it 2 Ti. 2.24 25 26. Vse 5 Lastly seeing God is mercifull to miserable Sinners as a good shepheard taking them out of the iawes of the Lyon bringing them vnto the sheepefolde and feeding them in greene pastures let vs seeke to be like our heauenly Father in shewing mercy and forgiuenesse toward such as greeuously offend against vs. Euery mans experience telleth and teacheth him the mercy of God to be exceeding great we feele it toward our selues wee see it daily toward others we reade that blasphemy it selfe findeth place for pardon Mat. 12.31 Wee find this to be the nature of God The Lord the Lord Exod. 34.6 7 gracious and mercifull slow to anger and aboundant in goodnesse reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity trangression and sinne If we will be the children of God we must resemble our heauenly Father we must expresse the liuely lineaments of his face wee must bee transformed into his likenesse and beare his image in all holinesse and righteousnesse This the Apostle teacheth Col. 3.12 13. To this purpose Christ propoundeth the parable Matthew chapter 18. verses 32 33 35. teaching vs that wee must forgiue small things that receiue the pardon of greater we must remit a sew pence because God forgiueth vs many talents an huge summe an infinit debt But if we will not forgiue nor forget the trespasses done to vs we are stamped in the image of the diuel who was malicious and a murtherer from the beginning we make a law against our selues inasmuch as we shall find the Lord so toward vs as wee deale toward our brethren For there shall bee iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercy Iam. 2.13 Mat. 7.2 and with what measure wee mete it shall bee measured to vs againe Verse 9. Moses made a Serpent of brasse and set it vpon apole and when a serpent had bitten a man then he looked to the serpent of brasse and liued We saw before how the prayer of Moses was heard and the remedy prouided of God to heale the people We saw in God the greatnesse of his compassion wee saw in the people the fruit of their confession we saw in Moses the grace of meeknesse and gentlenesse suffering all things and enduring all things Heere there is offered to our considerations the obedience of Moses the setting vp of the serpent and the recouery of the people Moses doth not heere consult with flesh and blood neither doth he vse carnall wisedome to bee his counseller which in matters of faith is an enemie to God He doth not reason whether it were likely that a piece of brasse should remedy this biting or whether a dead thing shold giue life but so soon as he receiueth the commandement of God hee prepareth himselfe maketh ready a brazen serpent pitcheth it vpon an high pole the people looke vpon it and are recouered This cure was not by Phisicke or Chirurgery or by inherent vertue in the brasse as in a medicine but by casting vp the eye vpon the serpent and beleeuing the ordinance of God who had appointed the serpent for that purpose We are all of vs from hence to learne and consider That the brazen serpent standing on the pole was a type and figure of Christ crucified Doctrine The
nine There are none found that returned to giue God praise saue this stranger that was a Samaritan Secondly seeing we must giue God thanks Vse 2 for benefits receiued of what sort soeuer they be then especially we must praise him for spirituall blessings that are of an higher nature belong to a better life This the Prophet Psa 103 1 3. thought vpon prouoking himselfe to praise the Lord preparing his hart with his tongue to extoll his mercies he beginneth with this Which forgiueth all thine iniquities healeth al thine infirmities For wel did he know that if a man enioyed the world at wil and yet wanted the perswasion of the pardon of his sins and reconciliation towards God it were nothing For what shall it profit a man if hee win the whole world and lose his owne soule c. Mat. 16 26. When Israel was oppressed in Egypt it was ioyfull tydings to heare of a deliuerer and they rendred praise to God for their deliuerance When they had bin carried to Babylon and accomplished the yeares of their bondage prophesied by Iere. 25 12. and the Lord brought again the captiuity of Sion they seemed at the first like them that dreame Ps 126 1 2. Then was their mouth filled with laughter their tongue with ioy then the heathen confessed The Lord had done great things for them Then the church sang The Lord hath done great things for vs wherof we reioyce Suppose the case stood with any of vs bodily as it standeth with al of vs spiritually without any supposition at all that we were taken by enemies bound in chains cast into prison sticking fast in the mire pinched with famine and wasted with despaire of euer comming out of such a dungeon that lying thus without helpe or hope a king shold come vnto vs smite off our fetters free vs out of prison pay our ransome and promote vs to honor in his kingdome would we not render vnto him al possible thanks depend on him all the daies of our life But we are deliuered from greater enemies and from greater dangers from sin hell death darknesse the diuell and damnation For as the diuell doth exceede all bodily enemies and hell fire infinitely surpasseth the pains of this life which endure but for a season so we must consider that our deliuerance being greater our Thankesgiuing must not be the lesse but our praise must bee answerable to his power who hath cut the cords of our enemies and restored vs into the glorious liberty of the sons of God Let vs acknowledge our selues tied to this duty to offer to him the offering sacrifice of praise for the spiritual blessings of our redemption and saluation for his word Gospel he hath not so dealt with euery nation people This is the onely recompence that we can make him to giue him all the glory How shal we requite his mercies Ezek. 16 4 5 6. who finding vs neither washed in water nor swadled in clouts nor pittyed of any but cast out in the open field to the contempt of our person and polluted in our own blood couered our filthinesse annointed vs with oyle cloathed vs with broidred worke girded vs with fine linnen decked vs with ornaments and entred into a couenant with vs to become his Shall wee come before him with burnt offerings and Calues of a yeere old Will the Lord be pleased praised with thousands of Rams and with ten thousand riuers of oyle All these be as nothing For all the beasts are his and the beastes on a thousand Mountaines yea all the world is his and whatsoeuer therein is Psal 50 10 14. The seruice sacrifice wherein he delighteth is an humble contrite and thankfull heart which is more acceptable to him then all sacrifices that haue hornes and hooues Offer therefore vnto him praise and pay thy vowes vnto the most High which thy lips haue promised in the presence of all his people Vse 3 Thirdly let vs acknowledge this truth that his name is most glorious and confesse the greatnesse of his name to be worthy of al glory Let vs not set vp our owne names nor sacrifice to our owne nets nor say wee haue escaped by our owne power but thorough the fauour and kindnesse of God as the Prophet teacheth Psalme 124 1. Let vs not claime the praise of God to our selues nor rob him of his honour but confesse that his mercy endureth for euer This vse the Prophet teacheth Psal 8 1 9 where setting downe many arguments of the praise of God which he sheweth in the earth he concludeth the maiesty of God to be worthy of all honor O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the world None can praise him aright except hee be touched with a feeling of Gods greatnesse goodnesse and maiesty euen as our prayers are colde when wee haue a small and slight feeling of sinne Vse 4 Lastly seeing praise and glory is due to God for his blessings it is our duty to pray for thē and to aske them at his hands When the Prophet Psal 50 15. had stirred the people vp to offer vnto God praise he addeth withall Call vpon him in the day of troble so will he deliuer thee and thou shalt glorify him For when wee come to him by praier and haue experience of his goodnes who deliuereth our soul from death our eies from teares and our feet from falling and are assured that our helpe commeth neyther from the East nor from the West nor frō the wildernesse that is from the North nor South inasmuch as Iudea was on both sides included and compassed with a Desert Psal 75 6. we are hereby prouoked and pricked forward to cast downe our selues and all our glory at his feet to magnifie his mercy to exalt his praise on high and to say with the Prophet Ps 115 1. Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy louing mercy and for thy truths sake But if we trust in our owne strength and rest in our owne labours and think the good things we possesse be the works and fruits of our own hands not the blessings gifts of God we shal neuer giue him praise for them but set vp our selues in his stead to the dishonor of his name to the confusion of our owne faces and to the hindering of the course of his blessings toward vs. Let vs therfore confesse that euery good and perfect gift commeth downe from aboue from the father of lights and then wee shall render him the Calues of our lips Verse 18. O Well whom the Princes digged c. We haue already declared in the former doctrine that the people gaue thanks to God for sending them water miraculously and supplying their want in that necessity Here we see offred to our consideration who were the chiefe workemen and principall Labourers in digging the Well the Princes Heads of the people the
theÌ„ seeing he hath railed on the hoast of the liuing God Whereby it appeareth how he strengtheneth his faith by the experience that he had in time past of Gods helping hand nothing doubting but the same God that had preserued him from the iaw of the Lyon and the paw of the Beare would keepe him in this single combate with that Champion that defied Israel This the Apostle Paul also concludeth 2 Cor. 1 9 10. We receiued the sentence of death in our selues because we should not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that yet heereafter he will deliuer vs. The Reasons follow First his gifts are freely and frankly bestowed he neuer repenteth Reason 1 of them he neuer changeth nor altereth that which is gone out of his mouth he giueth liberally and reprocheth no man Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 11. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance so that whom he loueth he loueth to the end Iohn 13 1. and where hee hath once shewed mercy he will perseuere in in his kindnesse and he that hath begun his good worke in vs will perfect the same vnto the day of Iesus Christ He neuer waxeth weary of well-doing but delighteth in the works of mercy When the Lord would reueale to Abraham the father of the faithfull his decree touching the destruction of Sodome he maketh this the reason and motiue to moue him vnto it because he had begun already to shew him mercy Shall I hide from Abraham my seruant that thing which I doe seeing that Abraham shall be indeed a great and mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall bee blessed in him Gen. 18 17 18. If then he neuer repent him of his gifts that he hath bestowed nor reuoketh the riches of his graces that he hath granted Then we see that the giuing of one gift assureth that a multitude shall follow after as Leah said A company commeth Secondly he is mercifull to his enemies and Reason 2 them that hate him to such as neuer seeke after him or the knowledge of his wayes hee maketh the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the godly and vngodly yea his mercy stretcheth to the beasts of the field and the fowles of the ayre He prepareth showers for the earth he maketh grasse to grow vpon the Mountaines he giueth to beasts their food to the yong Rauens that cry Psal 147 8 9 and 36 6 7. He saueth man and beast so that we may boldly say How excellent is thy mercy O Lord thâ—refore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy wings He is mercifull to our bodies in him we liue and moue and haue our being hee hath giuen vs life and breath much more therfore will he be the GOD of our spirits and maintaine our spirituall life with the continuance of his graces and sending fresh supply of his Spirit after he hath once giuen vs faith and wrought our conuersion he which hath vouchsafed some portion as it were the first fruites of his mercy will adde greater store of mercy vnto it as it were store vpon store and heapes vpon heapes The vses are next to be considered First Vse 1 we learne from hence to acknowledge his great mercy that maketh mercy the seale of mercy and one grace as the pawne pledge of receiuing and obtaining a new grace O the vnspeakable mercies of God who can sound the bottome of them or who can ascend vp to the height of them Can any tongue expresse or hart conceiue this goodnes of God teaching vs to draw an argument from his first mercy to a second and from a second to a third alwayes to arise from one degree to assure another to conclude a farther proceeding from the first beginning What man or woman hath not receiued thousands and ten thousands of mercies from the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1 3. and much consolation from the Father of all consolation and thereby so many comforts to his owne soule to assure him that he will neuer forsake him so that we may boldly with a cheerefull heart say Lord be mercifull to vs because thou hast begun to be merciful we haue receiued much mercy therefore continue thy mercy toward vs not because wee haue beene good and profitable seruants to thee or haue deserued thy fauour but because thou hast beene gracious to vs. If our owne workes if our obedience if our righteousnes were to be made the ground reason to perswade the Lord to haue compassion on vs we should build vpon a weake and sandy foundation our comfort were gone and our hearts should faile vs. For we know our owne wickednesse and our sinnes are euer before vs. But since former mercies are arguments of further mercies and the granting of one grace is a key to vnlocke the ga e and open an entrance for the rest to follow since the first loue is a testimony and token of more loue to be shewed and continued we abound with such arguments to moue his Maiesty blessed be his Name for them whereby we may be assured that he will adde mercy to mercy and fauour to fauour Thus we see how fruitefull the louing kindnesse of God is alwayes producing more as one Corne encreaseth an hundred fold This was the stay and staffe of Paul the Apostle when he was in danger of death and was brought vnto his answer At my answering no man assisted me but all forsooke me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge notwithstanding the Lord assisted me and strengthened me that by mee the preaching might bee fully knowne and that all the Gentiles should heare and I was deliuered out of the mouth of the lyon the Lord will deliuer me from euery euill work and will preserue me vnto his heauenly Kingdome to whoÌ„ be praise for euer euer Amen 2 Ti. 4 16 17 18. Secondly it is a speciall comfort to the afflicted when they are fallen into diuers tentations Vse 2 For when the Tempter cometh vnto vs and perswadeth vs that God hath cast vs off for euer and that we are none of his tempting vs to despaire of his mercy and suggesting vnto vs our vnworthinesse let vs record and recount Gods former mercies taking sweete comfort therein and stirring vp our selues to praier with assurance to be heard If he go about to perswade our harts by a strong illusion that we are not effectually called or freely iustified and elected or endued with faith and therefore shall be certainely condeÌ„ned let vs neuer yeeld to Satan nor to his Angels neither to their helpers assistants the flesh and the world When we are entised to commit sin yeeld not to the subtilties and suggestions of the diuell but flye from it and follow after the contrary vertue very earnestly When he calleth to our remembrance our sins
his voyce Acts 9 4. saying to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me His persecution was directly against the Saints but wee heare how the Lord acounteth that persecution to be against himselfe This is a singular encouragement to euery one of vs to loue the seruants of God from our hearts and to serue their necessities considering that it is as it were put vpon the Lords accounts and he will recompence it vnto our bosomes It is a great terror to al mercilesse malicious men for whatsoeuer mischiefe they worke against the godly it is done against Christ and they shall be arraigned as guilty of oppression and persecution against Christ Againe as this is an incouragement in well doing so it is a great comfort vnto vs in these fruites and works of mercy that God will remember them be mindfull of them and for them will assuredly helpe vs when wee are in distresse This the Prophet saith Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lord will deliuer him in the time of trouble Psal 41 1 2. So then when we haue bene seruiceable comfortable vnto others especially to the seruants of God there ariseth from hence a great comfort to our consciences an assurance of our eternall peace acception with God so that we may with boldnesse come to the throne of his grace pray vnto him for the graces of his Spirit Obadiah proueth that he seared the Lord in the truth of his spirit assureth his conscience thereof because hee had hid the Prophets of God in the persecution raised against them by Iezabel 1. King 18 12 13. Therefore when he feared that Eliah would procure vnto him the displeasure of Ahab and so bring vpon him a cruell death hee found comfort in the former fruites of mercy and said to the Prophet Was it not told my Lord what I did when Iezabel slew the Prophets of the Lord how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets by fifties in a caue and fed them with bread and water And now thou sayest goe tell thy Lord Behold Eliah is heere that hee may slay mee The like wee see in Nehemiah when hee had relieued the oppressed people and euery way sought rather the welfare of the Church then his owne commodity hee turneth himselfe to God and saith Neh. 5 19 13 14 22 31. Remember me O my God in goodnesse according to all that I haue done for this people Neh. 5 19. And chap. 13 14 22 31. Remember me O my God heerein and wipe not out my kindnesse that I haue shewed on the house of my God and the offices thereof He doth not heere glory in his owne merits nor putteth his trust in his good works for before he pleadeth mercy craueth pardon but desireth that God in goodnes would graciously reward the works which hee had done with a good conscience and is bolde to put him in minde of his promise who hath promised to repay whatsoeuer is done for the benefit and behoofe of his Saints A great comfort it is to be able in the simplicity of our hearts to speake thus How many are able in our dayes to say with Nehemiah Lord remember me according to all that I haue done for thy people For their owne conscience would by and by accuse them and cry out of the wrongs and iniuries they haue done vnto them how they haue hated them in their hearts smitten them with their hands wounded them with their tongues trampled vpon them with their feet and sold themselues to work mischiefe against them If they will not remember the seruants of God in kindnesse let them know God will remember their vnkindnesse and the children of God may pray vnto him not for desire of reuenge but for the aduancement of his glory to reward them according to their desarts as we see in Nehemiah Remember them O my God that defile the Priesthood Neh. 13 29. This must of necessity galle a mans conscience whē the terrors thereof shall accuse him for want of doing good seruice to the Church of God Iob 27.23 Iam. 2 15. yea for doing great wrongs and offering many indignities against the Church 10 Then Balak was very angry with Balaam and smote his hands together so Balak said vnto Balaam I sent for thee to curse mine enemies and behold thou hast blessed them vncessantly now three times 11 Therfore now flee vnto thy place I thoght surely I will promote thee vnto honour but loe the Lord hath kept thee backe from honour 12 Then Balaam answered Balak Told I not also thy Messengers which thou sentest vnto me saying 13 If Balak would giue mee his house full of siluer and gold I cannot passe the commandement of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine owne minde What the Lord shall command the same I shall speake 14 And now behold I goe vnto my people Come I will counsell thee such things as this people shall do to thy people in the latter dayes Hitherto we haue spoken of the preparation into the Prophesie and likewise of the Prophesie it selfe Now followeth the effect and euent thereof expressed partly in Balak the King and partly in Balaam the false Prophet Touching Balak Moses declareth that when he saw himselfe againe disappointed of his hope and expectation hee bursteth for anger and smiteth his hands together in token of the inward indignation of his heart For as the patient abiding of the righteous shall be gladnesse Prou. 10 28 so the hope of the wicked shall perish He is content to hearken vnto the Sorcerer so long as hee hopeth to heare pleasant and pleasing things of him but when he is deceiued he rayleth and rageth without measure Balaks anger against Balaam His indignation conceiued against him appeareth first by comparing his owne purpose with Balaams practise when he saith I sent for thee to curse mine enemies and behold thou hast not ceased to blesse them now three times It is no lesse absurd and iniurious in thee to blesse mine enemies thē if thou shouldest curse my friends for in that thou blesses them it is all one as if thou cursedst me If thou standest with them thou standest against me both of vs cannot stand together If they continue I fall Secondly he doth cashire him and cast him out of his fauour he withdraweth the present prepared for him and denyeth him the wages and stipend promised vnto him I saide Surely I will aduance thee to honour but the Lord hath kept thee backe from honour as if he should say Depart from me thou vnhappy Prophet vnhappy in thy Prophesie vnhappy in thy preferment vnhappy to me vnhappy to thy selfe I called thee not to blesse this people but to curse them I haue honoured thee among my Princes and would moreouer if that had bin too little haue done vnto thee and for thee greater things then these But seeing thou settest so light by my gifts goe thy wayes
There is no way to turne away his wrath from them and their kingdomes but by turning vnto God and by entreating him to spare them As their places are great so their sinnes are great and many times draw many to follow after them If they would blot out their offences against GOD and call in his iudgments gone out against them they must shew their subiection to him and giue him the reuerence that is due to his holy Name Lastly our trust must not bee in man our Vse 3 confidence must not be in Princes who cannot deliuer their owne soules from the sentence of death nor discharge themselues of the punishment which they haue deserued much lesse can they giue safety and assurance vnto others This is that duty which the Prophet Esay concludeth in the second and third chapters of his Prophecy where threatning that God will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudah the stâ—y and the strength the strong man and the man of warre the Iudge and the Prophet the prudent and the aged the captaine of fifty and the honourable and the counseller and the eloquent man hee sayth Cease from the man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be esteemed Esay 2.21 3 1 2 3. Whereby we see that we must not put our trust in weake man nor ralye vppon him to be our defence but put our whole trust in God alone Hee that putteth confidence in him shall be blessed and bee like the tree planted by the riuers side Ier. 17 7 whatsoeuer changes and alterations others do find in the world hee shall continue in a fruitfull and flourishing condition The staying of our selues on mans power ariseth from the forgetfulnesse of our duty toward GOD who hath commanded vs to trust in him with all our heart Prou. 3 5 and hath promised that If we stay vpon him he will giue vs our hearts desire Psal 37 4. This trust we shall attayne vnto if we vse these means the meditation of mans weakenesse that cannot helpe vs the consideration of Gods power that is able to strengthen vs and the experience of his mercy that hath deliuered other of his children from great afflictions If these things as helpes to our faith bee laide vp in our hearts wee shall bee assured to build vpon a good and certaine foundation that shal neuer be remoued Verse 5 Then Moses saide to the Iudges of Israel Euery one slay his men that were ioyned vnto Baal-peor The wrath of God was so fierce against â—hose that sinned that he commanded them to be destroyed To this end wee see Moses as the chiefe Magistrate taketh order that the guilty should not be suffered to Lue but suffer punishment according to their offences From hence ariseth this doctrine Doctrine Magistrates must punish Maiefactors that Magistrats are appointed of God to gouerne mankind in the ciuill affaires of this life to be the hand of GOD for punishing and cutting off the wicked and for the supporting and maintayning of the godly It is the duty of Magistrates to doe Iustice vpon euill doers and to giue comfort and countenance to the faithfull This is it which Dauid promised vnto God when hee should bring him vnto the kingdome and set him vpon the throne I will sing mercy and iudgment vnto thee O Lord will I sing Psal 101 1. This is the charge that hee giueth to Salomon his sonne concerning diuers men as appeareth 1. Kings â— 6 for he telleth him hee should remember the bloud of battell that Ioab shed in peace and therefore not suffer his hoare head to goe downe to the grâ—ue in peace The like direction he giueth him to shew kindnesse vnto the sonnes of Barzillai the Gileadite and to let him be amongst them that eate at his table because they came vnto him when hee fled from Absolom This direction did Salomon precisely follow he slew Ioab Shemei and Adoniah and set vp godly men in the places of such as were remoued from their offices being more able then his father was All the precepts that are giuen vnto them to execute iustice tend directly to this point whosoeuer sheddeth mans blood must not be spared but haâ—e his blood shed by the Magistrate Gen. 9.6 If a man sayth Moses cause any blemish in his neighbour as he hath done so shall it bee done to him breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth such a blemish as he hath made in any such shall be repayed to him Leuit. 24 19. These examples and precepts serue to teach vs this truth that the end of Magistrates appointed of God ouer his people is not to rule as they list not to be idle and doe nothing not to tyrannize or to be highly accounted of not to lift vp their hearts or to please themselues in the titles of honour giuen vnto them but to doe good in helping the good and punishing the euill Reason 1 The reasons to enforce this doctrine are to be weighed considered First they haue to these ends and purposes the sword of Iustice committed vnto them not to let it rust in the scabberd but to remooue all such as the land for their outragiousnesse is not able to beare For when they grow obstinate in their sinnes enemies to God plagues to the godly burdens to the earth and an infection to all with whom they liue they must be cut off as rotten members swept away as filthy dung and purged as euill humours out of the body This is it which the Apostle teacheth in his Epistle to the Romanes There is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God he is the Minister of God for thy wealth beareth not the sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Rom. 13 4. So then they are Gods Lieutenants in his stead the iudgement is Gods and not mans For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God neither respect of persons nor receiuing of reward 2. Chro. 19 7. Deut. 1.16 17 so that it is required of them to heare the controuersies that come be-fore them indifferently to iudge righteously to heate the small as well as the great and not to stand in feare of the faces of men Reason 3 Secondly they are as bulwarks of brasse as wals of defence as maintayners of peace among men For albeit men be of one self same nature yet they cannot abide one another vnlesse they be held in as with a bit and bridle Wolues know one another in the woods the Lyons know one anothet in the forrests so doe other wild and sauage beasts in the fields but men haue such a corrupt and sauage nature that hardly they can loue another or suffer the company one of another vnlesse they had rulers Magistrates set ouer them This the Apostle teacheth He is the Minister of God for thy wealth Rom. 13 4. And the Apostle Peter Hee is sent for
executing iudgement vpon the offenders and euill dooers which brought a greeuous plague vpon the people His spirit was stirred within him beeing first stirred by the Spirit of God which mooued him to take a speare and to thrust thorow the adulterer and adulteresse Now wee shall see the recompence of reward that was giuen vnto him for that worke which was acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto his people He hath a couenant of peace made with him the Priesthood confirmed vnto him and his posteritie He onely had appeased the wrath of God made vppe the breach betweene God and his people but the blessing is conueyed euen to his posterity He destroyeth two malefactors whereby he bringeth a blessing vnto his children Hereby we learne Doctrine The faithfâ—â— bring able â—sing on the families That when the wayes of a man please God he will bee gracious to his house posterity God is so pleased with the obedience of his people that he wiil shew mercy to such as belong to them This is pleÌ„tifully proued vnto vs in the word of GOD. When God saw Noah righteous before him in that corrupt age and generation hee made all that belonged vnto him partakers of a great deliuerance saying vnto him Enter thou all thine house into the Arke for thee haue I seene righteous before me in this age Gen. 7 1. This appeareth in the person of Abraham when God had called him out of his Countrey and from his kindred and made a Couenant with him to blesse him Gen. 12 2 3. The Prophet Ieremy teacheth this in the example of the Rechabites Thus saith the Lord of hoasts the God of Israel Because ye haue obeyed the Commandement of Ionadab your Father and â—ept all his precepts and done according vnto all that he hath coÌ„manded you Therfore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Ionadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for euer Ier. 35 18. To this purpose speaketh the Prophet Dauid Psal 37.21 A good man is mercifull and lendeth and his seede enioyeth the blessing If wee come to the new Testament wee haue many testimonies leading vs vnto the consideration of this truth When Zaccheus beleeued in Christ for his saluation and testified his repentance by his restitution Iesus said vnto him This day is saluation come into this house forasmuch as he is become the sonne of Abraham Luke 19 9. When the ruler whose son was sick at Capernaum saw the great power of Christ in restoring him to health againe Hee beleeued and all his houshold Iohn 4 13. This is oftentimes remembred vnto vs in the Acts of the Apostles When God had opened the heart of Lydia that shee attended vnto the things which Paul deliuered She was baptized and all her houshold Acts 16 15.33 VVhen the Iayler beleeued in the Lord Iesus for his saluation and shewed his vnfained conuersion by the fruites of his loue to the Apostles he was baptized with all that belonged vnto him straitway and reioyced that he with al his houshold beleeued in God Reason 1 The reasons to enforce this doctrine are euident if wee consider eyther the person of God or the condition of the faithfull For first God hath in great mercy and goodnesse promised to shew grace and fauour not onely to the faithfull themselues but to the seede of the faithfull that feare him It is the nature of God to be mercifull and gracious to be slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse shewing mercy vnto thousands to them that loue him and keepe his commandements Exod. 20 6 and 34 6 7. VVe see this in the history of the destruction of Sodome the Lord did not onely in great mercy and compassion saue Lot himself but said vnto him Whom hast thou yet heere either sonne in law or thy sonnes or thy daughters or whatsoeuer thou hast in the citty bring it out of this place Gen. 19 12. Hee was ready not to saue him alone but as an ouerplus to deliuer all that belonged vnto him We see the mercy of God to others for his childrens sake hee thinketh it not enough to bee good to them but extendeth his mercies to those that any way concerne them Reason 2 Secondly as the mercy of God is great so the faith of the godly is effectuall for themselues and their children This is the tenour of the couenant that God hath made with al the faithful their faith is auailable both for themselues and for others God will be our God and the God of our seede after vs Gen. 17 7. And this is the priuiledge prerogatiue that the faithfull haue they beleeue this mercifull promise of God themselues and thereby entitle their children vnto it For as a father that purchaseth house or land giueth thereby an interest vnto his son therein so he that layeth hold on the promise which God hath made to all godly parents doth conueygh it vnto his children so that albeit they want faith by reason of their yeares yet they are made partakers of Christ and ingrafted into his body So then we may collect and gather this truth that the loue of God to the faithfull shall so abound that it shall come to their posterity like the precious oyntment powred on the head of Aaron that ranne downe vpon his beard and flowed to the border of his garments or as the dew on Hermon and Sion which watered the vallies that were beneath vpon which it descended Psal 133 2 3. The vses remaine to be handled First wee Vse 1 learne that the children of faithful parents haue right and interest to Baptisme and are to receiue the seale of the couenant This the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 7 14 when hee sayth The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husband elsewere your children vncleane but now they are holy Seeing then that faithfull parents entitle their children to the blessings which they receiue wee see that there ought to bee a difference betweene them and the children of Turkes and Infidels All the offspring of Abraham was accounted holy in the time of the old Testament because God made with him the couenant of life and the Apostle reasoneth that if the root be holy the branches also are holy Rom. 11.16 Hence it is that he calleth them all his children who are borne of Israel But since the partition wall is pulled downe the grace of God is not obscured and lesse assured vnto vs then it was before vnto the Iewes Infants and children doe no lesse belong to the couenant and Church of God then others doe that are of yeares of discretion as it is plaine by the promise made to Abraham I will set my couenant betweene me and thee and betweene thy seed after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant that I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Genes 17 7. Where God doth
there can be no greater dishonour offered vnto the most High God then when the sonnes of his owne house the seruants of his owne family and the flocke of his owne pasture rebell and resist against him The sinne of the Iewes is greater then of the Gentiles which sinned of knowledge and not of ignorance and therefore should receiue the greater punishment and be beaten with moe stripes as our Sauiour teacheth Luke 12 47. We are not therefore to maruel if they come into iudgment that they may be despised as they haue despised him For seeing no sinnes are greater then the sinnes of his owne chosen they must first taste the scourge of his hand as they haue contemned him and his glory Reason 2 Secondly his owne people haue the first and greatest experience of his mercies They haue the chiefest and choisest priuiledges and prerogatiues of his graces aboue all the wicked True it is all mankinde tasteth abundantly of Gods liberall and bountifull hand to make them without excuse but to the sonnes and daughters of the Almighty All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth the secrets of the Lord are reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Psal 25 10 14. Hee calleth not them his seruants For the seruant knoweth not what his master doth but he calleth them his friends for all things which he hath heard of his Father hath hee made knowne to them Iohn 15 15. This is that reason which the Prophet pointeth vnto when he saith Loe I begin to plague the citty where my Name is called vpon Ier. 25 29 As if he should say I haue set my Name there I haue giuen them my word I haue fed them as from mine owne table therefore they shal not escape This is it which the Apostle meaneth when he saith I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ c. Rom. 1 16. Whereby he declareth that God keepeth this order to offer grace first vnto his own people VVhen Christ sent out his disciples hee commanded them not to go into the way of the Gentiles neyther to enter into the citties of the Samaritanes But to goe rather to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Math. 10.6 And when the Apostle saw the Iewes full of enuy and speake against those things which were preached vnto them he said behold It was necessary that the word of God should first haue bin spoken vnto you but seeing yee put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles Acts 13 46. Seeing then that this is the constant order that God obserueth to bestow his blessings first vpon his seruants it followeth that for the abuse of them they must first feele his punishments The greater loue they haue abused the greater punishment shall bee inflicted vpon them This is it which the Apostle remembreth Tribulation and anguish shal be vpon the soule of euery one that doth euil Rom. 2.9 Let vs now make vse of this doctrine which Vse 1 hath beene made plaine to our consciences First this serueth to ouerthrow the Church of Rome who dreame of a Church set in outward pompe and glory Bellar. de not eccl lib. 4 cap. 18. and make it a note of the Church to haue temporall felicity to haue earthly triumphs to haue victories and good successe in warre against their enemies as also the vnhappy end of the enemies of the Church For our doctrine teacheth vs that the Church is oftner without this flourishing estate in outward happinesse then it doth enioy it The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world The Lord declareth to Abraham that for a surety his seede should bee a stranger in a land that is not theirs foure hundred yeares and shall serue them and they shall intreat them euil Gen. 15.13 So he threatned by his Prophet Ieremy and performed it that they were carried into captiuity seuenty yeares verifying that which is spoken I haue forsaken mine house I haue left mine heritage I haue giuen the dearely beloued of my soule into the hands of her enemies Ierem. 12 7. Hence it is that Christ sayth oftentimes In the world yee shall haue trouble ye shall weepe lament and the world shall reioyce Ioh. 16 7.33 The Apostle teacheth That all which will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 It is a worthy sentence recorded by the Prophet Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints howsoeuer the world doe account of them Psal 116 15. It is made a note of the Turkish Religion to haue externall felicity to abound in earthly prosperity It is the heauenly felicity and euerlasting happines which belongeth to the true Church and is proper to it Therefore one of their owne writers though not so absurd in opinion and corrupt in iudgment as most of that side Espens in 2 Tim. 3. faith The crosse is a note of the Church Christ foretold vs of troubles but false Christs of peace and prosperity So then by the confession of this man they must be accounted false Prophets that make outward glory and renowne to bee the true markes of the true Church And if we should necessarily vrge this as any priuiledge of the Church we should long agoe haue condemned the Prophets the Apostles the Patriarks Martyrs yea the sonne of God himselfe Christ Iesus who wanted the fauour of the world suffered the reproch of the crosse and gaue vp their liues vnto the death that they might receiue a better resurrection If the Church of Rome condemne these wee are content they should condemne vs if they iustifie them they must condemne themselues and renounce this outward felicity as a false note of the Church Vse 2 Secondly we may from this vsuall order of Gods punishments conclude that the vngodly shall neuer escape albeit for a time they be free GOD hath most assuredly determined to inflict great and grieuous punishments vpon the wicked and vngodly that are his enemies howsoeuer he beare for a season with the vessels of wrath This the Prophet is sent to tell the King of Babel and that nation and sundry other people Thus sayth the Lord of hoasts yee shall certainely drinke for loe I begin to plague the citty where my Name is called vpon and should you goe free yee shall not goe quit for I will call for a sword vpon all the inhabitants of the earth Ier. 25 29. This wee see likewise in the Prophet Habakuk first the Lord raysed vp the Caldeans a bitter and furious nation whose horses were swifter then the Leopards and fiercer then the wolues to chastise his owne people and afterward the Caldeans themselues shall be spoyled Chapter 2. This serueth as a terror to all vngodly men to consider that howsoeuer GOD beginneth to chastise those of his owne houshold when hee doth purpose to bring a plague vppon a land and beginneth not at the
Let vs not therefore look how many we be in number but how our right our workes be For when God will punish no multitude can priuiledge and therefore the Wiseman sayeth Though hand go in hand they shall not bee vnpunished Prouerb 16 verse 5 so that all the loftinesse and haughtinesse of men how soeuer they thinke themselues backed and shall be borne out by friends and mighty men of the world shall be brought downe and made low Esay 2 11 12 c. Vse 3 Lastly this admonisheth euery Country Citie Nation Language and People if they would enioy their lands and goods in peace they must seeke to be at peace with God and if they would not haue destruction come vpon them from him let them not draw it as it were with Cart-ropes vpon themselues by their sinnes and casting from them the lawes of God For the prouidence of God is ouer all the wayes of men and therefore hee will bring destruction vpon them This is the dignity and honour of a Citie except the inhabitants of it do betray it it cannot be betrayed Many thinke the onely strength and safety of a Citie to consist in the iron gates strong barres high walles deepe ditches great pieces of Ordnance and much munition and the honour and ornament thereof to stand onely in goodly houses stately towers braue castles and curious workemanship of cunning Artificers neuerthelesse such as put theyr confidence in these are greatly deceiued they make flesh their arme know nothing how to make Townes and Cities fortified It is true piety and godlinesse that is the defence and glorie of a Citie and no man can destroy a Citie except those that are the inhabitants do destroy it themselues This is it that the Prophet telleth Niniueh that great and bloudy Citie Genesis 10 12. Nahum 3 1 Art thou better then populous No that was situate among the riuers that had the waters round about it whose rampart was the sea and her wall was from the sea c. Yet was she carried away she went into captiuity c. Nothing can deliuer where sinne reigneth Defences â—re no defences all meanes are vaine and vnable to saue It is not the woe and miserie of a City or Nation or Towne or House that they haue lost a number of able men by the sword or that manie are smitten downe with the plague and pestilence but this is the wretchednes of a place that it is full of drunkards vncleane persons swearers Atheists and such like horrible impieties These are the procurers of woe these are the causes of destruction And howsoeuer some may repent and saue themselues their owne soules yet it shall not long keepe vs from generall iudgements so long as these things are found among vs. It cannot be that the Lord should long forbeare vs wee haue hardned our hearts through his patience We haue filled vp the measure of our sinnes and they are growne to so great an height that euery man now adayes maketh a scorne and scoffe of the word of God and there are among vs not onely committers of euill but scorners of good things these are perillous dangerous times What then can we expect but that God should come against vs and set all our sinnes in order before vs nay before himselfe Let vs therefore repent and turne from our sinnes and returne to the Lord our God and then though wee should taste of a generall desolation yet when it commeth it shall go well vs and we shall haue our reward in the life to come 48 And the Officers which were ouer thousands of the hoast the Captaines of thousands and the Captaines of hundreds came neere vnto Moses 49 And they saide vnto Moses Thy seruants haue taken the summe of the men of warre which are vnder our charge and there lacketh not one man of vs. 50 Wee haue therefore brought an Oblation for the Lord what euery man hath gotten of Iewels of Gold Chaines and Bracelets rings earrings and tablets to make an attonement for our soules before the Lord. 51 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest tooke the Golde of them and all the wrought Iewels c. 52 And all the golde of the offering that they offered vp to the Lord c. 53 For the men of warre had taken spoyle euery man for himselfe 54 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest tooke the gold of the Captaines c. The offering of the Captaines followeth in these words That which they brought was matter of great price thereby giuing to God thankes for couering their heads in the day of battell and desiring to make an attonement between the Lord and their owne soules This offering was accepted and laide vppe in the Tabernacle for a memoriall for the Children of Israel Obserue here sundry points of instruction First from the persons that offer to God and acknowledge Gods mercie to wit the Captaines themselues that were the chiefe in this businesse that howsoeuer God be to be serued of all without exception and all must shew themselues ready to doe it yet aboue all the cheefest and the heads ouer others ought to be leaders to the rest So was it when the Israelites were brought ouer the red sea and deliuered from all their enemies Moses and Aaron prouoked them by their example to giue praise and glory vnto God and encouraged them in that duty Exod. chapt 15. Iudges 5. verse 15. How zealous was Nehemiah that hee euen consumed himselfe with desire to do the Church good So was it with Zerubbabel and many others But of this we haue spoken before chapt 7 in the offering of the Princes And whereas they offer to God Iewels of Gold Chaines Bracelets Rings Eare-rings and Tablets we learn to serue God with the best things wee haue and to thinke nothing good enough for him This also is handle before Doctrine For benefites receiued wee must returne praise to God chap. 7. Againe from these men we must acknowledge that it is our dutie to returne praise and thanks vnto God for his benefites and blessings that we haue receiued Psalme 50 15. Ephes 5 20. Philip. 4 6. Psal 116. The grounds are plain First because praise and thankesgiuing are due to God as to the author and fountain from whence all mercies come and therefore to whom should we giue praise and glorie but vnto him Psal 65 6.7 Secondly it is a blessed thing to blesse the Lord and if we ascribe not glory to him we take it to our selues and are no better then theeues that steale away their neighbours goods nay we are worse Wee ought as well to returne thankes vnto him when wee haue receyued blessings as to pray for them when we want them and would haue them Psalme 50. Thirdly it is an high and honorable duty to glorifie and praise God it is the duty which all the Saints and Angels performe and euer shall performe in heauen to honour God A good subiect would bee very willing
Iosiah was named of God long before he was borne as we see in the first booke of the Kings chap. 13. and the second verse and so is Cyus Esay 45 1 2. as appeareth in the prophesie of Isaiah For when the Prophet was sent to cry out against the Altar at Bethel he saide O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord Behold a childe shall bee borne to the house of Dauid Iosiah by name and vpon thee shall hee sacrifice the Priestes of the high places that burne Incense vpon thee they shall burne mens bones vppon thee This was threatned long before Iosiah was borne yet God knoweth his name before hee was and reuealeth him as if hee had bene aliue in that time The like we may say of Cyrus the deliuerer of the Iewes whom the Lord nameth and appointeth to free his people from the bondage captiuity wherein they liued albeit at that time hee was not borne nor in an hundred yeares after nor Iosiah in three hundred after his name was published Seeing therefore the very haires of our heads are numbred seeing Christ is the good Shepheard of his Sheepe and seeing all things both past and to come are present with God so that hee beholdeth them with one acte wee conclude that the people of God are knowne to him and that particularly Vse 1 The Vses First this giueth singular comfort to all Gods children if any thing else bee able to minister them comfort If an earthly Prince should vouchsafe to looke vpon vs shew vs this fauour to single vs out from the rest and call vs by our names how would we reioyce and how much would we esteem that the King would stoope so low as to know vs So doth this doctrine seale vp to our heartes this great consolation that the King of heauen doth know vs by our names Are we then in trouble and persecution Are wee accounted silly men obscure base and vnregarded Do we liue as contemptible persons to the men of this world and will they not once vouchsafe to know vs Let not this trouble or grieue vs let it not dismay or discomfort vs we cannot sinke downe in destruction but rather let vs lift vp our heads assuring our selues that albeit they turne themselues from vs yet God looketh vpon vs though they reproch vs yet he will respect vs and though they seeke to roote out our names from the earth yet hee will know vs and call vs by our names Thus the Lord speaketh to Moses and encourageth him Exod. 33. and sheweth how he regardeth him in all trouble because hee knew him by name Thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name Exo. 33 12.17 Where we see hee ioyneth these two together Finding grace in his sight and knowing him by name The like doth Christ say to his Disciples that returned from preaching of the Gospell Luke 10 20. In this reioyce not that the spirits are subdued vnto you but rather reioyce because your names are written in heauen And indeed what greater comfort can there be then this If thou hadst all the delights and pleasures of this life for a season and haddest thy name written in the blacke book of reprobation and thy condemnation grauen in thy forehead what could the former allurements comfort thee Or how could they driue horror and heauinesse from thy heart So when he sent out his Apostles and gaue them power to cast out vncleane spirits and to heale all sicknesses hauing taught them that the haires of their head were numbred Math. 10 28. he addeth Feare ye not them that kill the body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell So then heere we haue the foundation of sounde comfort laide before vs and this wee must lay vp in store against the day of tentation and time of trouble For albeit we liue now in time of peace and plenty yet we know not how long they shall continue and how soone they may be taken from vs and we bee scourged with the contrary iudgements It is a rule in our holy Religion that the Church must taste of the Crosse and God wil try vs this way that wee may bee acquainted with our owne infirmities that wee may bee preserued from many greeuous sinnes that we should not be condemned with the Worlde that others beholding Gods hand correcting his Church for sinne might learne thereby to hate and abhorre sinne and to loue righteousnesse and that the Church might gaine glory to Gods name by striuing for the trueth vnto the death But when the crosse is any way vp on vs and we feele the sharpnesse of his rod we are ready to sinke downe to desperation and to say wee are no more had in rememberance as Psal 10 1. Why standest thou farre off O Lord and hidest thee in due time euen in afflâ—ction And afterward Psal 22 1 2. My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so farrâ— from my health and from the wordes of my roaring O my God I cry by day but thou hearest not and by night but haue no audience Thus are we inclined to iudge in our miseries and to thinke God to haue forgotten vs and to be vtterly absent from vs. But if wee in time of trouble remember him and his name hee will remember vs and our names for good not for euill If we can say in trouble I wil delight in thy statutes I will not forget thy word Psal 119 16 6â— 163. beholde mine affliction deliuer mee for I haue not forgotteÌ„ thy law we may lay this vp as a truth plant it as a chiefe plant in the ground of our hearts that God will neuer forget vs nor put vs out of his sight for euer True it is hee will proue his people and try their faith for a season but he will neuer forsake them nor leaue them as a prey in the iawes of their enemies who reioyce at their fall and delight themselues in their aduersities And as true it is that the vngodly triumph ouer them trample vppon them euen as abiects and men out of the fauour of God but if we waite a little while he will remember his people according to his mercy and recompence his aduersaries according to their iniquity This doeth the Prophet declare Psal 10. where he complaineth of the fraud wrong rapine and tirannie of the vngodly He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face Psal 10 11 12 14. and wil neuer see yet thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefe and wrong that thou mayest take it into thine owne hands the poore committeth himselfe to thee for thou art the helper of the fatherlesse Howsoeuer therefore the faithfull say they are forsaken and the vnfaithfull iudge them also to bee forsaken yet there is great difference betweene the tentation of the
accepteth and approueth of his creatures to bee his vouchsafing to them his speciall fauour louing them as his own children of this the Psalmist saith The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous or godly Psal 1 6 but the way of the wicked shall perish So the Apostle saith Rom. 11 2. God hath not cast away his people whom he knew before that is whom hee approued and loued The other is that knowledge whereby he disalloweth of the wicked and disavoweth them to be his and therefore he wil not shew forth his mercy toward them and of this we now speak which setteth forth the greatnesse of their misery and vnhappines Though he know them by the general knowledge of his power and prouidence Psal 34 16. Iob â—9 21. Psalme 31 3. Ieremy 9 12. Exod. 6 6. Psal 110 1. 114 7. 27 8 9. yet he wil not see them with the eie of his pity nor touch them with the hand of his fauour nor heare them with the eare of his bounty nor speake vnto them with the mouth of his goodnes nor compasse them with the arme of his protection nor come vnto them with the feete of his presence nor behold them with the Face and countenance of his louing kindnesse Can there be a more miserable condition described and felt then this is Yet these are they that count themselues happy and entitle themselues to the Kingdome of heauen But as soone shall they bring heauen and earth together and make an agreement betweene fire and water betweene God and the diuell betweene righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse as procure the loue and fauour of God toward them so long as they walke in their euill waies For as they regard not to know God in his word so hee regardeth not to know them with his grace in this life and to crown them with his glory in the life to come These are they that Iob speaketh of chap. 21. ver 14 15. Who say vnto God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Who is the Almightie that we should serue him And what profit should we haue if we should pray vnto him Though they speake not this with their tongues nor vtter such words with their mouths yet such corruption and Atheisme is in their harts For there is a double kinde of voice and a two-fold speaking One with the tongue the other with the heart and the foole speaketh with them both sometimes with the former and sometimes with the latter On the other side the Lord recompenceth them according to their words and workes and meeteth with them according to their sinnes for hee will professe vnto them his despising of them as they haue despised him and his passing by of them in the day of iudgement as they haue passed by him in the day of his mercie This is it which Christ himselfe speaketh in the manifestation of the iust condemnation of the Reprobate Math. 7 23. Then will I professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Heere is a description of the estate of all vnreformed and vnrepentant persons God disclaimeth them commandeth them to depart out of his sight Both these are ioyned together and both of them are most fearefull If God once disclaime vs who can lay claime to vs but the diuell If we may not enioy the presence of God whose fellowship shall we enioy but the diuels And mark with me how God iustly repayeth such men and findeth them out in their owne wickednesse They say to God in their life as we heard before out of Iob Depart from vs and God in the last day shall say to them Depart from mee They say in their life to God wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes and he shall say in the end of the world I know you not ye workers of iniquity They will not know the Lord who he is and the Lord will not know them with his fauour but with his furie not with mercy but with iudgement not with glory but with shame and contempt poured vpon them Hence it is that in another place amplifying the last iudgement he saith Then shall they begin to say Luk 13 26 27 We haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he shall say I tell you I know ye not whence you are depart from me ye workers of iniquâ—ty Let vs therefore all betimes seeke to know the Lord to haue him dwelling in our hearts to call vpon him and to attend vnto his word with feare and reuerence that he may know vs and accept of vs. When a certaine man going downe from Ierusalem to Iericho fell amongst theeues was robbed of his goods Luke 10 31 32 33. stripped of his raiment wounded in his body and lefte halfe dead did it not increase his sorrow and misery that a certaine Priest saw him and passed by on the other side And that likewise a Leuite came neere to the place looked vppon him and departed his way without counsell or comfort without succor or assistance This did adde to the heape of his miserie but how much more lamentable shall it bee when wee shall lye not halfe dead but without any life of God in vs without any pitty shewed vnto vs without any Samaritan to haue compassion vpon vs to binde vp our wounds to poure in oyle and wine to giue vs any ease or to make prouision for vs When God will not know vs none of his creatures shall acknowledge vs or comfort vs or call vs by our names It shall bee with vs as with the rich man to whoÌ„ the Scripture vouchsafeth to giue no name as not worthy to be spoken of Luke 16 19. verifying the saying of the Wiseman Prou. 10 7. The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Seeing therefore God promiseth to take notice of all such as are his it followeth he wil not know that is loue or allow the wicked or their deedes and therefore their condition must needs be miserable as being out of his number Vse 3 Thirdly seeing all that are Gods are numbred of him and haue their names written in his booke this serueth to seale vp the assuraÌ„ce of our saluation and election to eternall life For if God know vs euen by name our names shall neuer be blotted out of his account but remaine there grauen for euer This the Apostle teacheth 2 Tim. 2 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquity Where he sheweth that Gods decree is infallible and vnchangeable and built vppon a sure foundation that cannot bee remooued True it is Satan will not cease to winnow vs the world to allure vs the flesh to corrupt vs and sundry other tentations to set vpon vs yet the elect shall
whether they bee good or euill Then shall the faithfull be fully glorified and inherite the crowne of eternall life This howsoeuer it bee oftentimes and faithfully promised of God yet hath bene and is derided of many who shall in the end pay the price of their folly and infidelity feele that Gods truth is stable and surer then the heauens 2 Pet. 3 3 4. This is it which the Apostle Peter testifieth This first vnderstand that there shall come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lustes and say Where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers dyed all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation But whatsoeuer these Atheists dreame of the glorious appearance of Christ his second comming and howsoeuer they put the euill day farre from them yet the Lord of that promise is not slacke as some men count slackenesse but is patient toward vs and wold haue no man to perish Neuerthelesse the day of the Lord will come as a Theefe in the night in the which the heaueÌ„s shall passe away with a noise and the Elements shall melte with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp This we see not yet performed 1 Thess 4 17. neither are we made partakers of eternall life when we shall euer rest remain with the Lord and nothing shall separate vs from his glorious and comfortable presence This doctrine therefore serueth to vphold our faith in this point And whensoeuer we reade of any promise that God hath in mercy made to his Church albeit it be for a time deferred not presently accomplished let vs waite with patience and build our Faith vpon the experience of his former promises which wee see already fulfilled and say with the Apostle 2 Tim. 1 12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue coÌ„mitted to him against that day We are sure wee builde not in the aire we beate not the ayre but we builde vpon aâ—sure foundation that shall neuer decay or deceiue vs. For who euer put his trust in him and was confounded Or who did set vp his rest on him and went away ashamed Hence it is that Christ saith Math. 5 17 18. Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them for truly I say vnto you till heauen and earth perish one iot or one title of the Law shall not scape till all thinges be fulfilled This is needfull for vs to consider remember for our faith is often shaken with doubting and infidelity that which we see not we many times beleeue not and so we are shaken through our weakenesse as with the winde but we must make God our rock and rest on his vnchangeable word who is trueth it selfe and cannot lye Secondly seeing Gods promises are so Vse 2 surely grounded vppon the immutabilitie of Gods truth that it is vnpossible that they should faile or he deceiue this teacheth that it is as true that his iudgements shall not faile but follow the wicked at the heeles For God is as vnchangeable in the one as in the other It is a foolish error to imagine that God will vndoubtedly performe the promises of his mercie and not the threatnings of his iustice True it is many presume of his goodnes but they doubt of his righteousnesse This is to set vp an abhominable Idoll in our hearts and to denie the infinitenesse of his glorie and maiesty and to deuise a God made altogether of mercie If God be true in the one he is also as true in the other if hee faile in the one he changeth also in the other This vse is directly concluded by Ioshua in the exhortation that he maketh to the people that they should not ioyne themselues to the idolatrous Nations but loue the Lord their God and cleaue vnto him with full purpose of heart when he saith Chap. 23. ver 14 15. Behold this day do I enter into the way of all the world and ye know in your hearts and in all your soules that nothing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised you but all are come to passe vnto you nothing hath failed thereof Therefore as all good things are come vpon you which the Lord your God promised you so shall the LORD bring vpon you euery euil thing vntil he haue destroyed you out of this good Land which the Lord your God hath giuen you In which words hee teacheth that his threatnings are of the same nature with his promises and his iudgements as certaine as his mercies 2 Kings 7 1 2 17.18 This appeareth by a notable example which God shewed at the breaking vp of the long siege of Samaria he promised to the faithfull that would beleeue plenty and abundance the next day and hee threatned to the Prince on whose hand the King leaned that he should see it with his eies but he should not eate thereof Here God did promise good and threaten euill Did he shew forth the worke of his mercy and not of his iudgement of his goodnes not of his wrath Yes of his wrath and iudgement for the people trod vpon him in the gate and he dyed as the man of God had said so it came to passe This serueth to shew the wofull estate and condition of all vngodly men vnrepentant sinners for howsoeuer they flatter themselues put away the euill day far from them being deluded and as it were charmed with a proud presumption of Gods mercies yet the threatning of God the curse of the Law and the terror of their conscience which standeth against them shall abide for euer and therefore so long as they go forward in sin and proceed in the wickednes of their hearts they haue iust cause to mourne and lament forasmuch as the threatnings manifested in the word are inuiolable and vnchangeable Let all those that lye in any sin repent while it is called to day hear his voice lest the curse of the Law which shal certainly be fulfilled do seize vpon them and they be carried to vtter destruction The Prophet Esay denounceth many woes against wicked men Esay 5 8 11 18 20 21 22. Wo vnto them that ioyn house to house and lay Field to field til there be no place for the poore Woe vnto them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and to them that continue til night Woe vnto them that draw iniquity with cordes of vanity and sinne as with Cart-ropes Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euil of good which put darknesse for light and light for darkenesse that put bitter for sweet sweet for soure Woe vnto them that are wise in their own eyes prudent in their owne sight Woe vnto them that are mighty to drinke wine and to them that are strong to
burden too heauy for vs to beare and yet in the ende God hath remembred his mercy towards vs and not shut vp his kindnesse in displeasure why haue we still vnthankfull hearts why haue we shut vppe our mouthes in silence as dumbe men and why do wee not confesse the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Who is it that liueth vpon the earth and hath not found by daily experience the faithfulnesse of the Lord in making good his promises vnto him yet where are they that returne to him againe with a gratefull remembrance of his grace and an holy acknowledgment of his truth toward him We are like the Lepers in the Gospell who were all cleansed Lu. 17.14 11◠but God was not praised of them all onely one was found who returned to giue God the praise Let vs not be like these vnthankfull Lepers that swallowed vp the goodnes of God toward them and neuer confessed the receiuing of it He will not suffer such swine to deuoure his benefits that can open their mouthes wide to taste of his mercies as the earth that gapeth to receiue the showers of raine but haue learned to keepe them shut when they shoulde praise Gods name with a loud voice Their tongues are eloquent and learned when they are to craue but when they haue receiued they are tongue-tyed and cannot speake Let vs be farre from such practises and as we see them learne to detest them that God may haue the glory and be all in all Let vs not tread in the steppes of such persons as albeit the Lord doth continually remember them with his kindnesse yet do forget him and the workes of mercy that he hath shewed toward them The former part of the Chapter consisted in numbring of the Tribes in the latter he declareth that the Leuites were not numbred who were not for the wars but to serue in the Tabernacle of the Congregation We shall see them afterward numbred by themselues but they were not put in the common rancke and reckoning because God had chosen them to be his possession and separated them from the rest of the people And lest any man should thinke that Moses did extraordinarily exalt and ambitiously preferre the Tribe of Leui wherof himselfe descended he sheweth he did it not of his owne head but by the speciall commandement of God Their office is declared to take the charge of the Tabernacle and worship of God that when they were to take their iourney they should carry it and when they were to stay and pitch their Tents they should set it downe and looke to it with all diligence And as God would not haue them entangled and encombred in affaires vnproper to them and impertinent to their calling so hee would not haue others that were not of their Tribe and family to breake into their function as it were to inuade another mans possession nay he denounceth death to such as were strangers from that Tribe that should presume to meddle with those holy things or set their hands vnto thē An example heereof we haue in Vzzah 2. Sam. 6. who because hee touched the Arke of God contrary to the Law was punished with sodaine death and striken with the immediate hand of God that fell vpon him to the terror of others and to worke reuerence in the harts of all men toward the sacred things of his seruice God did not admit all men without difference to minister before him but separated onely the Leuites lest holy things should be polluted and prophaned and withall to teach that all men are in themselues vnworthy to stand before him and come into his presence except they haue a calling from him Thus then wee see the charge laide vpon the Leuites what it is they are distinguished frō the other Tribes who were numbred for the warre but these are kept to serue in the Tabernacle to minister in the holy place to meddle with the holy things and to take the charge of the worship of God lest vengeance come vpon the Congregation of the Children of Israel These things they ought to do but touching things of another nature they had nothing to do We learne from hence that it is the duty of the Ministers of Gods worde Doctrine 5 to exercise themselues onely in things of their calling It is the Misters duty to do the duties proper to his calling they must waite and attend vpon the office to which they are chosen and appointed They are not to be distracted from their calling by worldly matters that no way belong vnto them but considering to what vses and ends they are set apart from others they should be intentiue thereunto This is set downe afterward more plainely and particularly touching the Tribe of Leui. Bring the Tribe of Leui Num. 3 6 7. and set them before Aaron the Priest that they may serue him and take the charge with him euen the charge of the whole Congregation to do the seruice of the Tabernacle This is it which Moses setteth downe touching Leui Deut. 33 9 10. He saide vnto his father and mother I haue not seene him neyther knew he his brethren nor knew his owne children for they obserued thy word and kept thy couenant they shall teach Iacob thy iudgments Israel thy Law they shall put Incense before thy face and the burnt Offering vpon thine Altar The Apostle Paul setting downe the offices Officers of the Church giues euery one his charge and bindeth them within the limits precincts thereof out of which they were not to walke or wander Rom. 12. 7 8. Seeing we haue gifts that are diuers c whether wee haue an Office let vs waite on the office or hee that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation he that distributeth let him do it with simplicity where he assigneth to euery one his proper duty as it were his owne ground to till and manure that they shoulde not enter into the possession of another Thus doth the Apostle Peter charge the Elders whose office was to teach the people 1 Peter 5 2 Feede the flocke of God that dependeth vpon you All these testimonies tend to this point to shewe that the Ministers are not to encomber themselues rashly in matters estranged from them but to waite and attend vpon the Office vnto which they are called And doubtlesse it is great reason that they should content themselues with their owne Reason 1 callings that so they may please him that hath called them and forgoe al that may distract disturbe them in the course and calling wherunto they ought to tend Wee must be like souldiers that are called to beare armes The reason and comparison is pressed by the Apostle to this purpose 2 Tim. 2.3 4. Therefore suffer thou affliction as a good souldier of Iesus Christ no man that warreth entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life because hee would please him that
Tribe of Simeon pitch and the Captaine ouer the sonnes of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the sonne of Zuri shaddai 13. And his hoast and the number of them were nine and fifty thousand and three hundreth 14. And the Tribe of Gad and the Captain ouer the sonnes of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Deuel 15. And his hoast and the number of them were sixe and forty thousand sixe hundreth and fifty 16. All the number of the Campe of Reuben were an hundreth and one and fifty thousand and foure hundred and fifty according to their armies and they shall set foorth in the second place In these words wee haue a description of the second standard as appeareth in the shutting vp of this diuision where it is said They shall set foorth in the second place In this standard the principall is Reuben his assistants ioyned with him are Simeon and Gad. In which combination wee see the particular number of each of them declared their Captaines are specified and then the totall summe is reckoned vp We shewed before that Reuben was the eldest sonne of Iacob to whom as to the first borne the birth-right did of right belong yet we see in the former words that Iudah was set before him thus doth God shew himselfe a iust Iudge in punishing sin and declareth how odious and abhominable it is in his sight But see how God dealeth in mercy with him that is with his posterity He deserued vtterly to bee raced out of the number of Gods people and to be forgotten for euer by reason of his horrible incest and no doubt the rest of the Tribes were ready to hate him to reproch him and preferre themselues before him But behold the goodnesse of God that though he will punish sinne yet he doth it in mercy not with seuerity gently not rigorously for correction not seeking the ruine and destruction of those that belong Doctrine 3 vnto him From this example of Gods dealing toward Reuben Gods iudgements are alwayes tempered and seasoned with mercy toward those that are his wee learne that Gods iudgements are tempered and mingled with great mercy and mildnesse toward those that are his Reuben committed horrible incest and thereby deserued not onely to bee thrust into the lowest place but to be cast out of the account of Iacobs posterity and to be honoured neither of God nor man neither aliue not dead yet though Iudah haue the first place Reuben hath the second so then albeit hee was punished iustly he was punished gently Thus God dealeth euermore he correcteth both moderately and mercifully and as the Physitian allayeth the bitternesse of the potion with some sweetnesse so God asswageth the greatnesse of his punishment with some mildnesse and fauour that hee mingleth with it This doth the Prophet declare Psal 89 30 31 32 33 34. If his children forsake my Law and walke not in my iudgements If they breake my statutes and keepe not my Commandements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes yet my louing kindnesse will I not take from hâ—m neither will I falsifie my truth c. God will chastise his for their sinnes but in the middest of his punishments he remembreth his mercy toward his and will not vtterly forsake them though he afflict them for a time So the Prophet Esay testifieth the like chap. 54 7 8. For a little while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer He correcteth his owne people because they are sinfull he correcteth them gently because he is mercifull This will yet better appeare vnto vs if we take a view of the examples of Gods dealing toward his seruants in their afflictions When Miriam rose vp against Moses she was striken with leprosie Numb 12 10 14. and shut out of the hoast seauen daies and afterward was receiued againe When Dauid had sinned in numbring the people 2 Sam. 24 13 16. the Lorde threatned three dayes pestilence in the Land the Angell stretched out his hand vpon Ierusalem to destroy it notwithstanding when Dauid repented of his sinne the Lord also repented of the euill and saide to the Angell that destroyed the people It is sufficient hold now thine hand When Zachariah the Priest would not beleeue the message that was sent him from God and deliuered by the Angell that hee should haue a sonne in his olde age then which what greater dishonour could be done to God what greater disgrace to his messenger It was saide vnto him Behold thou shalt be dumbe and not be able to speake Luke 1 20. vntill the day that these things be done If Miriam had beene striken with leaprosie as many yeares as she was daies or Dauid with the pestilence or Zachary with dumbnesse they could not haue complained against God but must haue acknowledged their sinnes had deserued more so that such is the dealing of our GOD toward his children that he euermore mitigateth the bitternesse of the cup of his wrath with the greatnesse of his mercy so that his iustice and goodnesse goe together This will farther appeare vnto vs by setting Reason 1 before vs sundry reasons which will put this doctrine out of all doubt For first of all he punisheth his people as it were vnwillingly as enforced and compelled vnto it by our disobedience Hee had rather spare vs and not correct vs if it were for our good but he seeth it to be for our benefit and to further our saluation who before we be afflicted doe goe astray and wander out of the right way This is the reason vrged by the Prophet Ieremy Lam. 3 32 33 Lam. 3 32 33. Though he send affliction yet will he not forsake for euer but haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies for he doth not punish willingly nor afflict the Children of God If then he take no delight nor pleasure in it but doth it of necessity for our profite and amendment it followeth that he dealeth gently and not cruelly mildely and not rigorously with vs. Secondly he is as a louing Father that spareth Reason 2 his sonne that serueth him Hee dealeth not as a tyrant or a tormenter that setteth vpon the Racke and sheweth exquisite punishments vpon such as offend but he correcteth his Church as a father doth his childreÌ„ which come out of his bowels and therefore it must be done with great compassion This reason is often rendred to enforce this point of doctrine as Deut. 8 5. Know therefore in thine heart that as a man nourtereth his sonne so the Lord thy God nourtereth thee declaring thereby that his afflictions are signes of his fatherly loue toward vs. Likewise 2 Sam. 7 14. I will be his father and he shall bee my sonne if he sinne I
will chasten him with the rod of men and with the plague of the Children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whom I haue put away before thee So then he dealeth not extremely with his people but spareth them Malac. 3 17. as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Reason 3 Thirdly as his nature is to shew mercy so knoweth he the matter whereof we are made and he considereth that we are but dust If he should deale with vs according to our deserts and pay vs home as wee haue prouoked him by sinning against him he should bring man to nothing and consume him for euer Wherfore the Lord saith I will not contend for euer neyther will I bee alwaies wroth Esay 57 16. for the spirite should faile before me I haue made the breath Wee are as a winde that soone passeth as a breath that is easily stopped and as the dust that is quickly blowne away The Prophet calleth this to our remembrance which wee ought to learne without the worde by daily experience Psal 103 13 14 15 and 78 38 39 and 30 5. As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him for hee knoweth whereof wee bee made he remembreth that we are but dust the daies of man are as grasse as a flower of the field so flourisheth he And in another place He being mercifull forgaue their iniquity and destroyed them not but ofttimes called backe his anger and did not stirre vp all his anger for he remembred that they were flesh yea a winde that passeth and commeth not againe If then we consider that God punisheth vnwillingly that he sheweth mercy and remembreth our frailty wee must needs conclude with the same Prophet that he endureth but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life weeping may abide at euening but ioy cometh in the morning Let vs now obserue the vses that may bee gathered from this doctrine First marke the Vse 1 difference betweene God and man whose waies are not as our waies nor his works like vnto our workes It is not with God as it is with man Esay 27 4. Albeit he bee daily prouoked and offended yet he is not easily moued and vpon our submission and repentance he is quicklie appeased and his wrath by and by is turned backe Psal 103 8 9 10 11. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kindnesse hee will not alwaies chide neither keepe his anger for euer he hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities for as high as the Heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him But when man is once moued hee sildome keepeth any meane or moderation he can hardly or neuer will be appeased againe albeit hee that hath offended and prouoked him doe submit himselfe vnto him and craue pardon for his offence Hence it is that God is constrained to restraine the outrage and cruelty of man in his Law that as a violent streame breakes out can be kept within no bounds of reason where he giueth in charge that if the wicked be worthy to be beaten Deut. 25 2 3 the Iudge shall cause him to lye downe and to bee beaten before his face according to his trespasse vnto a certaine number forty stripes shall because him to haue and not past lest if he should exceede and beate him aboue that with many stripes thy brother should appeare despised in thy sight This law declareth that so soon as we are iniuried a fire is kindled within vs we conceiue rancor and choler we fret and fume with indignation and cannot be reconciled wee are filled with our passions wee lay on loade and know no moderation If the Lord shoulde deale with vs as we measure to our brethren we were not able to beare it and abide it If he should be so fierce and full of rage against vs we should vtterly be destroyed and consumed but there is alwaies mercy with him that he may be feared Secondly this serueth greatly to comfort Vse 2 all the faithfull seruants of God to consider the moderation of his chasticements and the gentlenesse of his hand in all his corrections We see by daily experience how hee forbeareth vs and powreth not out all his wrath vpon vs. If it were not so it would oftentimes goe hard with vs. Albeit his hand be sharpe vpon vs yet wee must needs confesse our sins haue iustly deserued greater plagues longer plagues sharper plagues And when his iudgments are ceassed and withdrawne our sinnes are found to be as great and sometimes greater then before so that wee deserue other plagues and punishments to come in place immediately to follow the former Our deliuerance therfore is for his mercies sake Herevpon the Prophet saith Psal 30 5. He endureth but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life weeping may abide in the euening but ioy cometh in the morning In like manner sorrow may happen in the morning but ioy and comfort shall abide within the euening that we may acknowledge the greatnesse of his mercie and the shortnesse of his wrath Wee heard how sorrowfull a message and what heauy tydings Dauid had brought vnto him so soone as he was vp but this sorrow was soone turned into ioy and this heauinesse into gladnesse when the Angell of vengeance is commanded to stay his hand and to put vp the sword of iustice into his sheath To this purpose the Apostle teacheth the Hebrewes chap. 12. Heb. 12 9 10 12. Wee haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits that wee might liue For they verily for a few daies chastened vs after their owne pleasure but he chasteneth vs for our profite that we might bee partakers of his holinesse Wee must euermore remember that it is his mercy that moueth him to stay his hand and to call in his iudgements and to make our plagues to ceasse Wee cannot stand to pleade with GOD we must not iustifie our selues we ought not to hold our selues innocent but rather perswade our selues that God hath a iust quarrell and controuersie against vs. Hath he visited our brethren that dwell neere vs as good and peraduenture better then our selues and yet hath not touched vs Hath he freed vs when others haue felt the stroke of his rodde Haue wee stood vpright when others haue fallen downe When his arrowes flye abroad and sticke in the flesh and enter into the bones hath hee passed ouer vs and hidde vs vnder the shaddow of his wing as in a place of safety Oh consider this and let vs not forget the fauour of God toward vs O let vs remember his louing kindnesse and engraue it in
GOD had a remnant among them according to grace euen his elect and chosen people which he would not cast away for their sakes the dayes of their great distresse in the Land Luc. 21 23. and of wrath ouer this people should be ended and finished which declareth how precious and deare the faithful that feare God are in his sight that because of their company he would ceasse to scourge afflict the nation any longer euen as at the intercession of Abraham he would haue spared Sodome and Gomorrha if ten righteous persons had beene found there Gen. 18. So God shewed mercy to the hoste of Israel because Iehosaphat was present with them And therfore when Iehoram the son of Ahab complained for want of water the Prophet Elisha answered What haue I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of thy father 2 Kin. 3 13 14 and to the Prophets of thy mother as the Lord of hosts liueth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regard the presence of Iehosaphat the King of Iudah I would not haue looked toward thee nor seene thee So then wee see to returne to the former point that hee speaketh of ending the troubles of the Iewes and siege of the City not of cutting shorter the day of iudgement Thus God knowes how to mitigate the sorrowes and shorten the calamities that threaten the ruine and subuersion of his seruants And who is it but desireth comfort in time of trouble If then wee would bee assured that these things belong vnto vs How we may comfort our selues in trouble take comfort in the meditation of them let vs obserue these points as speciall rules for our edification First it is our duty to acknowledge Gods mercie to be great who might lay a greater loade and an heauier burthen vpon vs. When the Angel stretched out his hand to destroy Ierusalem the Lord staied his hand caused the plague to ceasse so that when thousands fell downe on the right side and ten thousands on the left side they were spared and not touched Whence did this difference arise And how came it to passe that the City was passed ouer the rest of the Land punished Was it because these were worse liuers or greater sinners or was it because there were better people in Ierusalem then in other corners of the country Was it because of the goodly buildings in the City or because of the multitude of rich and wealthy Citizens or because of the sumptuous stones of the Temple or because of the sacrifices and seruice of God solemnized in the Temple or because the seate of the King and the Thrones set for iustice were there If we thinke it was for all these or for any of these or for any such like outward respect we are deceiued Indeed the Temple was an occasion of vaine confidence to carnall men who cryed out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord â—er 7.4 this is the Temple of the Lord whereas they remained impenitent and vnreformed but as yet it was not builded for Salomon built him an house As for the City and the Citizens Acts 7.47 we must looke for no great good there there was want of true piety store of pride cruelty and oppression which had enclosed nay infected the walles with the coÌ„tagion thereof In what state it stood Dauid declareth who calleth to God for helpe and saith There is not a godly man left the faithfull are failed from among the children of men Psal 12 1 2. so that euery one dealt deceitfully with his neighbour and spake flattringly with double harts To this purpose speaketh Ieremy chap. 5 1. Runne too and fro by the streetes of Ierusalem and behold now and know and enquire in the open places thereof if yee can finde a man or if there be any that executeth iudgement and seeketh the truth and I will spare it Thus doth the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 22 7 â— 9 12. complaine painteth out as in a Table the wickednesse of Ierusalem chap. 22. There did abound shedding of blood contempt of superiours oppression of strangers wronging of the fatherlesse iniurying of the widdowes prophaning of the Sabboths carrying about of tales coÌ„mitting of idolatry taking of bribes peruerting of iudgement biting by vsury defrauding of their neighbours by extortion and forgetting of the Lord. This was the estate of Ierusalem and therefore the cause why the pestilence did not walke through the middest of the City and the Angell is commanded to stay his hand froÌ„ destroying that place which was such a sinke of all filthy sinnes was the Lords mercy onely who was willing to spare it to giue them longer time of repentance This must we confesse when wee are spared or we are most vnthankfull vnto God For we haue experience of his goodnesse toward vs. Secondly we must in time of our affliction pray vnto him and call vpon his name and come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may put him in minde of his mercies Thus doth the Prophet behaue himselfe wheÌ„ he heareth of the hauocke and waste that should be made among the people of GOD he prayeth heartily for the faithfull saying O Lord I haue heard thy voice and was not afraide Hab. 3 2. O Lord reuiue thy worke in the middest of the people in the middest of the yeares make it knowne in wrath remember mercy What greater motiue can there bee to make vs repaire to God then to consider how mildly and gently hee dealeth with his people when he doth afflict them This was it that moued Dauid to make choise of the pestilence hauing the choise of two other iudgements propounded and laide before him because he was most gracious and full of compassion Let me now fall into the hand of the Lord 1 Chr. 21 13 for his mercies are exceeding great and let me not fall into the hand of man Hee had experience both of Gods mercy and of mans cruelty We neuer profit aright by our afflictions vnlesse they driue vs neerer to God and cause vs to call vpon his name It is the Commandement of God that we should call vpon him in the day of trouble Thirdly if we would haue comfort in the feeling of Gods hand we must thereby bee drawne vnto repentance acknowledge our sinnes to deserue farre greater iudgements then yet we suffer and consequently turne vnto him with all our hearts If we remaine stubborne and rebellious vnder the Crosse GOD will not leaue vs so but double his strength and strokes vpon vs vntill we be eyther reclaimed or conuinced in our owne consciences and made without excuse The Lord commanded his Prophet to go and cry these words Thou disobedient Israel returne Ierem. 3 12. saith the Lord and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you for I am mercifull and wil not alwaies keepe mine anger The end that God aimeth at in afflicting his people
they are as a talent committed vnto vs for which we must giue an account And when the day of audite commeth we can say no more then that we haue glutted our selues with them and starued our neighbours woe will be vnto vs the rusting of them shall be a witnesse against vs and shal eate our flesh as it were fire It was not so with Iob Iob 31 16 19. whose example we alledged before he did not withhold the poore from their desire nor cause the eies of the widdow to faile hee did not eate his morsels himselfe alone but the fatherles did eate thereof he neuer saw any perish for lacke of clothing nor any poore without a couering This was the vse he made of his goods to shew pitty and mercy when he saw any in aduersity If we say onely My friend God helpe thee neuer succour him it is no better then a meere mockery hypocrisie to make shew of loue and yet to doe them no good God hath made vs stewards of his goods which he hath committed vnto vs if we shal deuoure all our selues and not communicate any thing to such as haue need wee shall one day pay sweetly for this rigour and cruelty when we shall receiue according to our deserts for we also our selues must appeare before God who will deale with vs as we haue dealt with others He hath shewed al goodnes kindnes vnto vs and this ought to haue bin a rule example vnto vs to shew mercy to our brethren but because we haue shut vp our compassion from them we shall receiue iudgment without mercy and as we would not heare theÌ„ in their necessity so God will stop his eares against vs in our misery If we be carefull of these two points in the vse of this worlds good that we do not put our trust in them but imploy them to the good of others we shall neuer be drawn away by the nets of Satan to take away other mens goods wrongfully to snatch and catch what we can from them and to circumuent them in our dealing with them Thus then are they met withall that vse deceit and fraud to beguile deceiue whom they can This is the tradesmans sinne that careth not how he selleth He spreadeth his net to catch his brother and all is fish with him that commeth into the net he preieth vpon him that commeth vnto him as if euery buier or brother were an enemy Hee will not sticke to sweare to forsweare himselfe he maketh no conscience to lye at all assaies He forbeareth not to vse naughty deuises and wicked practises to enrich himselfe and impouerish another The roote of al these is discontentment with our estate that wee haue not learned to rest our selues well pleased with that condition wherein GOD hath set vs and therefore wee couet to rise higher then God affoordeth meanes and to catch froÌ„ others that which belongeth not vnto vs. Secondly heereby direction is giuen vnto Vse 2 vs touching the things of this present life what we may craue and desire of God in our prayers This is called in the Lords prayer Our daily bread for the day Luc. 11 3. â—â—c 11 3. We haue liberty onely to pray for competent and conuenient food and that onely for the day This we see in the practise of Iacob Gen. 28 â—en 28 20. If God will be with me and will keepe me in this way that I goe and will giue me bread to eate and raiment to put on so that I come againe to my fathers house in peace then shall the Lord bee my God He desireth not great riches or honors or might or maiesty or earthly excellency renowne but food and raiment These two necessary things he contenteth himselfe withall and suffereth not his affections to wander farther Hitherto commeth the praier of Agur Prou. 30 7 8 9. â—o 30 7 8 9. Two things haue I required of the Lord deny me them not before I dye remoue farre from me vanitie and lies giue me neither pouerty nor riches feed me with foode conuenient for me lest I be full and deny thee say who is the Lord or lest I be poore and steale and take the Name of my God in vaine This ought to be the substance and subiect of our praier a competent measure of earthly things ought to content vs we must aske bread not fulnesse of bread raiment not costly raiment necessaries Obiection not superfluities But may not a man prouide for the time to come and lay vp in store for the times of need I answer Answer yes he may he ought as God shall affoord the meanes This is a point of wisedome that God alloweth It is a token not of niggardlinesse and miserablenesse but of frugality and foresight when goods gotten are for good vses reserued and afterward profitably imployed â—autions to â—e obserued â—laying vp and therefore is not forbidden But wee must remember these cautions and conditions First they must be iustly gotten Things euilly gotten are as euilly kept oftentimes as euilly consumed A little wel gotten is better then the treasures of iniquity One morsell of bread obtained by the sweat of our browes is better then an house filled with robbery That which is not well gotten is not ours but another mans Secondly as that which is laide vp must haue a sure foundation it must be iustly and rightly gotten so we must not put our trust and confidence in it If God do but blow vpon it he can driue it away as chaffe before the winde and if he do not take it from vs yet he can make it to be vnprofitable vnto vs. Though he take not away our garments he can make them that they shall not warme vs and our food that it shall not nourish vs so that albeit we haue bread we shall not haue the staffe of bread to teach vs that Man liueth not by bread onely Math. 4 4. but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Thirdly it must not be laide vp to be meate for the worme and the canker but to be spent in lawfull vses Our families challenge one part the Church of God another the poore Saints another yea we are debters to them that dwell afarre off euen to the Turkes and Infidels so it be done in Christ not against Christ for we must do all for the truth nothing against the truth These rules of restraint being obserued it is required of all especially of those of meane condition to haue an eye to the time to come We must consider not onely how we may liue presently but how we may maintaine our selues heereafter Now we liue in health in wealth or at least in a competent measure we liue in daies of plenty of peace of liberty and freedome to follow our businesse We haue our limbes and strength of body able to labour and take paines Wee know not what times and tempests
tempted Where we see he beginneth the sentence with the plurall number and endeth it with the singular Wherefore to returne vnto our purpose from which we haue digressed to answere an obiection and to open the interpretation of this Scripture faithfull parents who haue endeuoured to sow the seede of eternall life in the mindes of their children are not to bee censured and condemned because they haue leude and vngodly children that giue euident tokens rather of reprobation then of saluation as if it were their fault and offence for as much as they may bee carefull to vse all meanes of faith and furtherance to eternall life and yet notwithstanding faile of their end If they doe not discharge their duties they shall be guilty of their blood but if they doe teach them they are free they haue deliuered their soules If wee haue vsed diligence and be euill spoken off let vs comfort our selues in the Lord and rest our selues in the cleerenesse of our owne consciences and comfort our hearts in the testimony thereof being well assured that in the great day of account the LORD shall acquit vs when the mouth of iniquitie shall be stopped Vse 3 Thirdly from this ground ariseth great consolation to all faithfull parents who are to comfort themselues in this if among many children and a plentifull issue they haue some fewe of them yea but one onely that appeareth to be the faithfull childe of GOD albeit it bee otherwise with the rest GOD indeede will receiue glory in all though some of them bee reprobates this must preuaile with our natural affections and teach vs to suppresse our greefe and sorrow No doubt it is cause of the greatest griefe and maketh their head as waters and their eyes a fountaine of teares that they make their bed to swimme and water their couch with weeping which striketh neerer vnto them to beholde their vngodly wayes then to see them suffer a thousand deaths Abraham was exceedingly mooued when he was commanded to cast out of his family his sonne Ishmael Gen. 21.11 and 17.18 for the thing was grieuous in Abrahams sight because of his sonne and before this he had saide O that Ishmael might liue in thy sight yet neuerthelesse he yeelded to the will of God who would therein bee honoured So when GOD respecteth vs and confirmeth his couenant toward vs and taketh vnto himselfe any of our seede we ought rather to praise God for this mercy and goodnesse toward vs in sauing one then murmure against him or aske the question of him why he calleth not all If it please God so to deale in mercy toward vs that he vouchsafeth to be both our God and the God of all I say of all our seede we are bound vnto him in so much greater dutie and he requireth of vs the greater obedience and looketh for a sacrifice of greater thankefulnesse Hee dealeth not so with all good men euen such as haue faithfull soules and desire to approoue their seruice vnto him who when they haue giuen them what education they can and heartily craued of GOD his blessing vpon their holy endeauours yet haue found many crosses and such inward griefes as haue beene ready to breake euen their heart-strings and to bring their gray haires with sorrow to the graue Neuerthelesse we must not suffer our ouer-strong affections to preuaile too farre within vs and to swallow vs vp with ouermuch heauinesse when we beholde with our owne eyes the wickednesse of our children that are come out of our owne loynes and are of our owne blood when we see them without hope of being reclaimed and reformed as those that runne into all excesse of riot no though we should see them taken away in the prophanenesse of their hearts For why should we repine at it to consider how God glorifieth himselfe albeit it be in the destruction of some of ours Of this we haue two most notable examples in Aaron and in Eli neuer to be forgotten of vs recorded in the Bookes of Leuiticus and of Samuel Touching Aaron his two eldest sonnes Nadab and Abihu of whom we now speake sinned against the Lord in offering strange fire and seruing of God otherwise then hee appointed which is a thing detestable in his eyes and there came out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them and they dyed before the Lord. Heere was a grieuous sinne committed heere was a grieuous punishment executed vpon them and their father did beholde it with his eyes and how they were carryed out of the campe in their coates Moses tolde him that the LORD would bee sanctified in them that come nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified so that Aaron helde his peace Leuiticus chapter 10. verse 3. So touching Eli when he heard a fearefull iudgement denounced against his posterity he said It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Samuel 3.18 Thus ought we to doe and not vexe and turmoyle our selues without reason for that which we cannot remedy and redresse All the children of the faithfull are not the children of the promise they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God Galatians chapter 4. verse 23. All that are the seede of Adraham are not the children of Abraham Romanes chapter 9. verse 6 7. neither are all the Israel of God which are of Israel Heere it may be obiected which the Apostle Obiection 1 Peter speaketh to the Iewes The promise is made to you and to your children Actes 2.39 God is the God of the faithfull and of their seede I answere The Apostle answereth this in the next wordes Answer euen as many as the Lord our God shall call So many as haue God to bee their God shall in his good time be called to the knowledge of the trueth Hence it is that in the promise annexed to the second commandement it is said Exod. 20.6 hee sheweth mercy to thousands that loue him and keepe his commandements Thus hee limiteth the promise of mercy he restraineth it to those that loue him This promise is performed when it holdeth in any albeit a farre off Another obiection ariseth out of Paules words to the Corinthians where the seede of Obiection the faithfull are said to be holy that is sanctified and cleansed The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife 1 Cor. 7.14 and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now are they holy If then they be all cleane and holy it followeth they are also vnder the election of grace I answere they are holy touching the outward couenant and generall election Answer as to be of the visible Church to haue right in the Sacraments and to haue interest in the outward priuiledges therof as in the word prayer and such like Thus the whole nation of the Iewes are saide to bee chosen and thus they may bee saide Rom. 11.16 and are saide to bee sanctified They
the Lord Obiect Ephes 6. Ephe. 6.4 If any obiect against these commandements They will be vnruly and disordered albeit they be neuer so well brought vp and though their parents be very carefull they will be very carelesse and therefore they were as good holde their peace as to speake to them and not to be regarded Answer I answere so it is sometimes but alwayes it is not so Many that haue feared GOD with all their housholdes haue receiued much comfort by their children and seruants that haue had good instruction put into them as pure and wholesome liquour into a vessell and haue seene the fruite thereof to the vnspeakeable ioy of their hearts This we might shew at large in the reformed families of Abraham and Cornelius and sundry others As they planted and sowed good seede in the parts of their families as it were in a fruitfull field so they reaped a plentifull haruest Abraham had seruants that were also Gods seruants Gen 24.12 and 14.14 Act. 10.7 and prayed earnestly vnto him Cornelius had a souldier that waited vpon him that feared God yea all his band of Italian souldiers were Christian souldiers Againe we must trust GOD with the effect and successe of the education that we giue them He will worke thereby by his Spirit in all that belong vnto him as seemeth good to his heauenly wisedome If he doe not giue a blessing for causes vnknowne to vs but knowne to him let vs leaue Gods secret yet iust iudgments to himselfe The third particular branch is to pray to God for them to guide them in his wayes and to blesse them in his feare and to blesse our labours bestowed among them This wee see in Iob Iob 1.5 Chapter 1. toward his children When the dayes of their feasting were gone about he sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all for he said It may be that my sonnes haue sinned and cursed God in their hearts He was carefull for those which were committed vnto his charge and feared they might offend God in their meetings albeit hee knew no such euill by them The wise man saith Happy is the man◠that feareth alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Prou. 28. Prou. 28.14 A like example wee haue in Dauid Psalme 72. where he prayeth for Salomon Giue the king thy iudgements O God and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne hee shall iudge thy people with righteousnesse and thy poore with iudgement So then the faithfull are to entreate and craue from God the continuance of his couenant to their children and to begge from his handes an holy and sanctified seede We must not presume because we are faithfull and haue receiued to beleeue that therefore our seede must of necessity be so likewise for then we shall but deceiue our selues Let not vs therefore faile in crauing a blessing from God vpon our children if we desire to make them heires of blessing Fourthly it is required of vs to reioyce in the blessing of God vpon them and to giue him praise and glory when he vouchsafeth to shew mercy vpon them and vpon vs. If hee did leaue them in their sinnes and in that corruption which they receiued from vs Psal 51. as it were by inheritance we could not finde iust cause of complaint against him who is bound neither to vs nor to our children but forasmuch as he sheweth much mercy to our posteritie as he hath done vnto vs we haue matter of praise and thankesgiuing giuen vnto vs whereby also we shall procure their farther good It is noted of the Iailour Actes 16. Act. 16.34 that he reioyced that they of his houshold also beleeued in the Lord. He accounted it not sufficient for himselfe to beleeue nor reioyced onely in his owne saluation but forasmuch as God had vouchsafed greater mercy vnto him to call his family also to the faith this cheered his heart much more If we haue tasted of the like mercy let vs not be forgetfull of the like duty Lastly it belongeth vnto vs for the furtherance of their good to giue those all good encouragement in well doing that are conscionable in their duties to God and to vs we are bound to praise and commend them to comfort them to cheere them vp and to defend them against all malicious enemies that seeke to disgrace them The Apostle Paul willeth parents not to prouoke their children lest they be discouraged Coloss 3.21 It is a meanes to coole and quench zeale to finde discouragements in godly proceedings On the other side we ought to shew all dislike and hatred against euill and an angry countenance toward such as are vnreformed The Prophet touching the right ordering and good gouernment of his house declareth that hee would not know a wicken person and him that hath an high looke he will not suffer Psal 101.4.5 His eyes should be vpon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with him hee that walketh in the perfect way hee shall serue him This is a good meanes to make both houses to prosper and kingdomes to flourish when the godly are aduanced and the euil doers are beaten down but when euil is set aloft and goeth vnchecked and vncontrolled and godlinesse is driuen to the wall it prognosticateth and foretelleth the ruine and vtter desolation of those societies albeit for a time they may continue When they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wildernesse Wee haue hitherto spoken of the destruction of Aarons sonnes before the face of their father now let vs see for what cause it was done The sinne of his sonnes is remembred to be this they offered strange fire that is such as was not appointed and commanded of the Lord they tooke not the fire from the altar to burne incense with all which came downe from heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests vntill the captiuity of Babylon Now whereas the authour of the second booke of Macchabees telleth vs that whē their fathers were led into Persia the Priests that were then deuout tooke the fire of the altar priuily Macch. 1.19 and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water where they kept it sure so that the place was vnknowne to all men hath no testimony of trueth out of the sacred Scriptures as we shal shew more in the 26. Chapter of this Booke of Numbers Moses maketh mention of this example of the sinne and punishment of Aarons sonnes to the end the Leuites should be more wise and wary in the execution of their office because God hereby sheweth that they shal neuer escape his hand that do not rightly discharge the duties committed vnto them For the examples of Gods iudgements vpon the corrupters and contemners of his worship must make vs more carefull and fearefull to offend Now whereas they are punished according to their
iustifie or warrant that calling and the greatest Rabbines that are cloathed in Scarlet and haue written in defence of it doe shew themselues more then ridiculous in their Apologies wherein they doe nothing but vent their owne vanity and publish their owne shame to the view of all men The like might be said of the swarmes of Monkes and Fryers and those pestilent Orders that trouble heauen and earth Church and Common-wealth true religion and externall peace and policy in bodies politike Are these officers or offices ordained of God are they any plants of his setting in the Church haue they receiued any authority from his mouth Or is there any syllable in the Scripture to auouch these Orders or are they not rather the Popes deare sonnes and of his creation Iesus Christ neuer knew them they grew vp while his seruants slept that should haue looked better to their false fingers Matth. 13.25 He neuer instituted this kind of life he neuer commanded or counselled men to goe into the wildernesse or to coope vp themselues in a Monastery or to vow single life or to renounce their temporall possessions or to betake themselues to voluntary pouerty thereby to follow a new rule of life and to preferre the commandements of men before his Gospel and to place the state of perfection The perfection of Votaries wherein it standeth in the obseruation of certaine vain traditions which they haue vndertaken The vowes that they haue taken vpon them to obserue are these three the vow of pouerty the vow of obedience and the vow of chastity First touching pouerty or rather beggery as it pleaseth them to boast off which indeed they professe more then practise like to such as Salomon painteth out Prou. 13.7 There is that maketh himselfe poore hauing great riches Christ neuer ordained such a kinde of life neither taught any to enter into it for himselfe had bagges and mony to buy things necessary as appeareth Ioh. 12.6 and 13.29 Nay hee saith It is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue Acts 20.35 The like we might say of the Apostles they neuer vowed such a life themselues nor approued of it in others For albeit they forsooke all that they might follow Christ and preach the Gospel yet they reserued and retained the propriety of them it is the vse of them and the pursuing after them that they gaue ouer When Christ on the Crosse said vnto Iohn Behold thy mother from that houre hee tooke her home to his house Ioh. 19. but how could he take her to his owne if he had nothing his owne And when Peter after the Passion of Christ said I goe to fishing Ioh. 21. it is not likely he hired a ship and vsed another mans nettes but rather had them of his owne which he had left and forsaken for a season Againe neither did Christ euer say to his Apostles or the Apostles to any others Vow ye pouerty but rather Giue ye almes Luke 11.41 remember the poore Gal. 2.10 distribute to the necessities of the Saints Rom. 12.13 He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly for God loueth a cheerefull giuer 2 Cor. 9.6 7. To doe good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 These things they could not performe but of their owne substance except they should giue the Mammon of iniquitie taken away wrongfully from others Hence it is that the Scripture so often exhorteth to workes of mercy to fruites of loue and liberality toward the poore that we should lend vnto them looking for nothing againe Luke 6. Ephes 4. 2 Cor. 8. promising that if we giue it shall be giuen vnto vs. They therefore that vow pouerty cast away the blessing of God and such helpes as might serue them to shew their loue and liberality vnto their brethren Lastly beggery is threatned as a punishment and therefore not to be vndertaken as a state of perfection Dauid complaining of his slanderous and malicious enemies doth vnder the person of Iudas deuote them or proscribe them Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widow let his children be continually vagabonds and begge let them seeke their bread also out of their desolate places Psal 109.9.10 If then it be a state of perfection to be a begger it is also a state of perfection to haue his posterity cut off to haue the extortioner catch all that he hath to haue none to extend mercy vnto him to haue his name blotted out in the generation following and his memory razed out of the earth all which and many other like the Prophet ioyneth with begging of bread in that Psalme which being heaped vpon one man would keepe him from perfection And if with begging of bread were alwayes annexed this that none should shew fauour vnto them nor extend any mercy to their fatherlesse children it is like it would bring out of vse this beggerly occupation in a short time The same Prophet noteth it as a speciall blessing of God vpon his gouernment I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread Psal 37.25 It is the ordinance of God that there should be no begger in Israel Deut. 15. The wise man prayeth against that estate Prou. 30.8 that he might haue neither superfluous riches nor extreame pouerty Now then either the state of perfection is not so glorious a thing as they boast off or else the wise man prayeth against this perfection which these hypocrites doe embrace and voluntarily chuse vnto themselues Touching the vow of obedience Secondly touching obedience to be performed to the superiours of their orders they professe to follow his rules and iniunctions as the Franciscans must follow the rule of Saint Francis and so the rest bind themselues to obserue the precepts of their gouernours which sometimes are sottish senselesse and sometimes impious and blasphemous whereby they leaue the commandements of God to execute traditions The Apostle saith Ye are bought with a price be not seruants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 But such as vow Monkish obedience in things not prescribed in the word make themselues seruants and slaues of men Againe he reproueth them that said 1 Cor 1. I am Paules I am Apollos I am Cephas because they addicted themselues as bond seruants to men they then are much more to be condemned that are the slaues of Dominicke of Francis of Ignatius and the rest The Apostles themselues neuer made any such vow nor taught it to others they could not abide to haue any disciples consecrated vnto them to beare their names Christ our Sauiour sheweth that no man can serue two masters because one onely is our master For when they command contrary things we cannot cleaue vnto them both but such things may superstitious superiours and gouernours command nay haue commanded Besides it is folly to lay a burden of humane precepts vpon other mens shoulders when as we cannot perfectly obserue and fulfill the commandements of
Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt The like doth the blessed Virgin confesse Luke 1.48 Luke 1.48.49 and 2.8 â—oh 7.46 He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden for beholde from henceforth all generations shal call me blessed for he that is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his Name She was a poore despised handmaid in Israel yet chosen to be the mother of Christ The Apostles were many of them taken from base trades other from ignominious offices some were fishermen called as they were mending their nets Matthew was one of the Publicanes which were contemned of the people of Israel yet God made them master builders of his Church and appointed them to lay the foundation and so had the highest and chiefest place of honour and preferment to be made planters of Churches throughout the whole world God therfore vseth when it pleaseth him persons of inferiour place and condition to effect great and mighty things And why should it not be so forasmuch as Reason 1 all things are ruled and ordered by his prouidence he disposeth of them in his wisedome as seemeth good vnto himselfe for the pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world vpon them 1 Sam. 2.8 All the frame of heauen is whirled about the poles this is the order that God hath set and who is able to alter it whatsouer things come to passe in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath are all the workes of his hands he setteth vp and pulleth downe at his owne appointment and who shall be able to controll them Secondly in the choice of simple and vntoward Reason 2 meanes such as haue litle or no force in them his glory is most of all seene Now hee will maintaine his owne glory and will haue it acknowledged and magnified of his creatures and requireth that hee which glorieth should glory in him as 1 Cor. 1.29 hee will haue no flesh glory in his presence Iere. 9.23 neither the rich man in his riches nor the strong man in his strength nor the wise man in his wisedome but let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. So then he chuseth foolish things before the wise weake things to confound the mighty and base things of the world to bring to nought things that are because he hath respect to the manifestation and setting forth of his owne glory Thirdly we are not to maruell that God Reason 3 maketh such a choyce of his instruments which carnall men might account an euill and vngrounded choice because he respecteth the heart and not the outward appearance 2 Chr. 28.4 5. When Dauid the least and so the most vnlikely both in his fathers family and in the eyes of the iudgement of men was annointed to be king chosen as he followed the Ewes great with yong to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel the Lord said vnto Samuel Looke not on the countenance of the eldest nor on the height of his stature 1 Sam. 16.7 because I haue refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearanâ—â— but the Lord looketh on the heart Thus then we may conclude that God raiseth vp weake instruments to honour him and employeth them to serue him in the workes to which it pleaseth him to fit them Let vs therefore make some vses of this Vse 1 Doctrine which serue vnto vs for great profit First of all it ministreth great comfort to such as are poore and of low degree for albeit men contemne them and disgrace them albeit they are ready to tread them vnder their feet and thrust them to the wall albeit they be hissed at in the streetes and oppressed by the mighty yet God vouchsafeth to respect them and in great mercy to looke vpon them This we see in our spirituall estate and condition What are we but a masse of sinne the children of wrath and condemnation yet God vouchsafeth to elect vs and call vs by his grace to the knowlege of his truth from our naturall life led in the time of our ignorance It was the mercy of God to call Dauid from the sheepefolds and from following the Ewes great with yong Psal 78. But it was a greater mercy to call vs from the greatest bondage and slauery that euer was bound faster then with chaines of yron which giueth vs no time to rest or breathe or feed or sleepe but setteth vpon vs continually day and night This thraldome is worse then that of Egypt it is endlesse intollerable deadly and without intermission What an honour and dignitie then doth God doe vnto vs who were strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in vs to deliuer vs from this captiuity and to bring vs into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Our perdition is of our selues Hos 13.9 but our saluation is of the Lord Reuel 7.10 He will not giue his glory to any other â— 42.8 and therefore let not vs ascribe it vnto our selues or to any creature but magnifie the goodnesse of the Creator who is blessed for euermore We are raised vp from the greatest misery to the greatest glory as the lowest ebbe hath the highest tide and therefore let vs shew all thankefulnesse and obedience vnto him â—â—t 9.4 Before the children of Israel entred into the land of promise he gaue them warning and a watchword that they should not say in their hearts nor speake it with their mouthes that it was for their owne righteousnesse they were brought into Canaan and shall we thinke that we are deliuered from the slauery of sinne and Satan and made the freemen of Iesus Christ by our owne deserts and so giue the glory of our saluation to our selues Let this be farre from vs euen as farre as hee hath remooued our transgressions from vs. So then â—l 103.12 heere is matter of great comfort that our sins are forgiuen vs and though the remnants of them remaine in vs yet they haue receiued their deathes wound and shall in the end vtterly die in vs. And in the meane season while we beare about with vs the body of this sinne â—m 8.9 the Lord calleth vs spirituall and esteemeth vs according to his grace not according to our corruption If there be one sparke of grace and one drop of faith as a graine of mustard seede God acknowledgeth vs to be his â—mb 23.21 he seeth none iniquity in Iacob he beholdeth no transgression in Israel He that is euill can see nothing in Gods seruants but euill if sinne be in them Satan will charge them that sinne reigneth in them It is otherwise with God he iudgeth not of vs by the reliques of sinne but by the beginning of grace If we haue the first fruites of the new man in vs the remnants of
sinner all men are sinners there is no man that sinneth not God be mercifull vnto vs this is the ordinary confession of euery man These are no better then words of course it is rotten at the roote it is blasted in the eare it is green in the leaues but beareth no fruite it is beautifull without but soule and filthy within it is formall in shew but fading in substance Wherfore that we may not deceiue our selues as a great part of the world do The properties of right confession we are to vnderstand the properties of true confession that wee may comfort our selues in them if we finde them in vs or else labour to attaine vnto them if we feele the want of them and seeke to increase in the knowledge of them if we haue already receiued them First of all wee must confesse to God our speciall and particular sinnes as the patient that would bee cured not onely telleth the Physition that he is sicke but acknowledgeth in what part and in what manner how long he hath beene sicke When men complaine to Magistrates of the wrongs that haue beene done them they will expresse in what particulars and in what sort they haue beene damnified Shall we not much rather seeke to the Physition of our soules and acknowledge to him how sorely we are sicke especially considering hee knoweth our diseases better then our selues If there were no other motiue to stir vs vp to this duty of confession this were sufficient because we cannot hide them from him We may conceale them from the knowledge of men but with all our craft and cunning with all our deuises and pollicies with all our fetches and falsehood we cannot conceale them from God whose eies pierce into the bowels of the earth and into the depth of hell This is that which the wise man deliuereth Hell destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sons of men Pro. 15 11. So that there is nothing so deepe nothing so secret which can be hidden froÌ„ the sight of God Hence it is that Dauid confessed oftentimes that he had sinned addeth in what kindes in blood-guiltinesse Psal 51 14. 1 Chr. 21 8. and in numbring of the people so Paul confessed that he was a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressor the chiefest of all sinners 1 Tim. 1 15. We see then to whom we must goe to confesse and in what manner we are to performe it which serueth to reproue those that when their sinnes are discouered and come to sight that they can no longer hide them doe submit themselues vnto men and stoope downe to them but neuer humble themselues before God whom they haue offended nor acknowledge how shamefully they haue broken his lawes We haue many false teares shed to blinde and bleare the eyes of men but they neuer seeke vnfainedly to reconcile themselues vnto him that is able to saue and to destroy Iames 4 12. Math. 10 28. and neuer stand in feare of him that can destroy body and soule in hell fire Let vs take heed of this hypocrisie which is a most vaine and fruitelesse kinde of humiliation of which we shall speake more afterward Secondly we must set out our sins in their right colours The second property as beggers that vncouer their sores to men that they may behold them and shew mercy We must be so farre from making our sinnes lighter and lesser then they are that we should enlarge them to the full and labour to make them appeare vile heinous as they are A notable practise of this we haue in Dauid Psal 51 5. he ascendeth vp from his present sinnes to his original corruption Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceiue me The like wee see in Ezra chap. 9 verse 6. when the people had transgressed by making affinity with strangers taking of their daughters for themselues and for their sonnes he fell vpon his knees spred out his hands vnto the Lord his God and said O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our trespasse is growne vp vnto the heauens We must confesse when and where and how we haue sinned We must confesse how much we haue dishonoured God and scandalized the Church and how long we haue liued and continued in our sinnes Wee must confesse that if he should condemne vs he should do vs no wrong but we must cleere him and the course of his iustice when he proceedeth against vs. Wee heard how Paul confessed his sin in the time of his ignorance that he had persecuted the Church of God extremely and made hauocke of it horribly Gal. 1 13. and therefore was not onely the least of all Saints but the greatest of all sinners Neither doth he in vttering this speech Pernar de vita solâ—tar make a lye or speak for modesty sake but as he thought in his heart esteeming no mans sinne like his owne nor vnderstanding another mans as he doth his owne nor feeling another mans as his owne Thus do the seruants of God deale with themselues with their sinnes and thereby shew that they were out of loue with themselues and their sinnes This reproueth those that content themselues with a word and away they cannot abide to stand long in their confession as if they were afraid to humble themselues too farre whereas we cannot make our selues too vile nor hate our sinnes too much Many confesse theÌ„ as if they meant presently to returne vnto theÌ„ like to the harlot that wipeth her mouth and saith I haue not committed iniquity Pro. 30 20. wheras we should hate theÌ„ with a perfect hatred as our vtter enemies that seek our destructioÌ„ Thirdly The third property our confession must proceed from the heart it must be sound at the roote otherwise the fruite will be blasted rotten corrupt and vnsauory as Prou. 4 23. Keepe thine heart with all diligence for thereout commeth life and chap. 23 26. My sonne giue me thine heart and let thine eies delight in my waies Thus it was with Dauid Ps 6.7 6. whose soule was troubled very sore I fainted in my mourning I cause my bed euery night to swim and water my couch with my teares and the more he was afflicted the more vnfainedly he came to God Such was the confession of the Publican when he smote his brest and said Lord be merciful to me a sinner When he laid his hand vpon his brest if it had bin possible he would haue touched and taken his hart to haue offred it vp to God If we bring vnto God onely an outward confession fetched no farther then from the mouth it returneth empty to vs againe and neuer obtaineth any blessing This lip-labour God hateth as a lame offering and a maimed sacrifice The hart is as salt that seasoneth euery part of the worship of God
euery exercise of our religion euery fruite of our most holy faith This is commended to haue bin in Ephraim by the Prophet After that I conuerted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote vpon my thigh I was ashamed yea euen confounded because I did beare the reproch of my youth Ier. 31 18. Hypocriticall confession is no confession Fourthly The fourth property we must confesse our sins with an hatred of them For where there is no feeling of sin there can be no pardon of sin and therefore Christ calleth such to him as were weary and heauy laden and ready to faint fall downe vnder the burden of them Mat. 11 28. The Prophet confesseth Psal 38 4 5. that his sinnes were as a weighty burdeÌ„ too heauy for him so that he went crooked bowed very sore So long as sinne appeareth vnto men small as a mote light as a feather pleasant as a sport that it groweth to be as common with them as going in the high way drinking iniquity as water and delighting in it as in meat drink it is plaine they know not the nature of it Many hypocrites like Iudas haue confessed their particular sins who said he had sinned in betraying innocent blood Math. 27.4 but it is of custome without conscience or of passion without remorse or of feare without change because they are weary of the punishments that lie vpon them but are not weary of their sins that are the causes of them their plagues seem heauy but their sins seeme light â—e should â—e greeue 〈◊〉 punishâ—t wheras the sins that are in vs should more greeue vs then the iudgements that are vpon vs. Such men are for the present touched with the stroke of Gods hand but after they haue confessed and the punishment is remoued they are the same that they were before and are found no changlings they returne againe to their old sinnes as the dogge to his vomit and practise that which before they seemed to abhorre Let vs therefore hate sin much more then the punishment lest we be as malefactours that oftentimes cry out for the punishment but seldome or neuer for their offence Sinne is the breach of Gods law and the procuring cause of all punishment If we be carefull to stay the cause we shall quickly and easily stay the effect and if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. Fiftly â—e fift proâ—ty our confession must not be extorted or enforced but freely and willingly performed Many men confesse their sinnes but this is no free wil offering they are forced vnto it by the rigour of the Law or by the anguish of the soule or by violence of sicknesse or by feare of death or by the cracke of Gods iudgement or by the censure of men If we be as forward to confesse them to the glory of God as we were forward to commit them to his dishonour we haue comfort in the performance of this duty and it will worke in vs repentance neuer to be repented of But if necessity compel vs to this as it did Pharaoh and Iudas and Achan while the rod was vpon their backs or God otherwise had found them out it is our crosses that make vs confesse and not our sinnes as Psa 78. When the wrath of God was heauy vpon them so that he slew them and consumed their dayes in vanity and their yeeres hastily then they sought him and they returned and sought God early they remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their redeemer but they flattered hem with their mouth 〈◊〉 78.36 and dissembled with him with their tongue Euery duty must be performed to God cheerefully if it be done otherwise God regardeth it not 〈◊〉 sixt proâ—y Sixtly this must be obserued in our confession that we ought not so farre to dwel vpon the meditation of our sins that we forget the mercies of God and faith in his promises and forgiuenesse of our sinnes Iudas confessed against himselfe his owne particular sinne in betraying his master and shedding of innocent blood howbeit this being wrested from him through horrour of his conscience and the fearefull apprehension of Gods wrath he neuer expected any mercy but went his way solitary 〈◊〉 27 5. and hanged himselfe desperately Hee had no beleefe of pardon nor hope of fauour nor desire of repentance and therfore his confession serued to no other end but to acknowledge as on the one side the Iustice of God and the equality of his wayes so on the other side the merit of his owne punishment and the sealing vp of his owne iust condemnation by his owne mouth It was farre otherwise with Peter after he had denyed and abiured his master Mat. 26.75 he repented of his sinne and wept bitterly for the same he beleeued the promise and laide hold on mercy and was saued This confession was ioyned with faith which sanctified it to his comfort Confession ioyned with infidelity is no confession for vnbeleefe is as a bitter root that poisoneth it and maketh it vnsauory and vnhealthfull Seuenthly The seuenth property it belongeth vnto vs and to our confession to ioyne prayer to God for the pardon of our sinnes It is our duty together with our acknowledging of our faults to aske forgiuenes and to pray for mercy to the God of all mercy against whom we haue trespassed without which all is in vaine Thus did not Caine that despaired and cryed out that his sin was greater then he could beare Gen. 4.13 and therefore receiued no comfort nor grace in time of neede How many and great soeuer our sins are let vs neuer giue ouer prayer for pardon It is one of the engines of the diuel whereby he betraieth our soules and he catcheth many in his snare He knoweth that they are holden fast as slaues in chaines and fetters that are perswaded to giue ouer prayer He is in the way to Atheisme that prayeth not at all Psal 14.4 He is forsaken of God that thinketh it needlesse and superfluous as appeareth in Saul when the noise that was in the hoste of the Philistims spred farther abroad hee said vnto the Priest that brought the Arke of God Withdraw thine hand as if he had said 1 Sam. 14.19 There is now no time to aske counsell of the mouth of God Numb 27.21 It is otherwise with the seruants of God though they haue bene ouercome by the strength of their corruption by want of watchfulnesse by the subtilty of sin and by the tentation of Satan yet they would neuer shut vp their mouthes from the inuocation of the Name of God and from calling for mercy at his hands We see this in Dauid both in the booke of Psalmes in other places Psal 51.1 We see it in the penitent Publican Luk. 18.13 and 15. â—1 and in the prodigall son that returned to his fathers house We see it in the Israelites
to wit the glory of God For as he is the beginning of whom are all things so hee is the end to which all things tend and are to be referred inasmuch as he hath made all things for himselfe so that we must conclude with the Apostle Of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glory for euer Amen Rom. 11 36. Let vs know that as wee are not to liue vnto our selues so we shall not die vnto our selues We are not our owne to do what we list for that were to liue to the flesh if we liue wee must liue to the Lord that when we die we may die to the Lord. Let vs consider that it belongeth to Christ to iudge of the workes consciences of others we shall stand to be iudged at the tribunall seat of this common Iudge therefore ought not to iudge one another Let vs not lay snares to entrap and stumbling blockes to offend our brethren and baits to entangle them and hookes to catch them that we may prey vpon them For woe to that man by whom the offence commeth â—th 18 7. which is as much as to lay a stone in the way whereat the vnwary passengers may stumble Let vs walke by the rule of loue and take heed we hurt not our brethren for whom Christ died and as in the members of the body wee fauour and tenderly touch that part which is weake and if need require binde it vp and heale it so it ought to bee in the mysticall body of Christ Iesus that is the Church we must loue cherish and strengthen one another and do seruice one to another Such then as greeue vex hurt and damnifie one another are destitute of charity which is a band to knit vs together Let vs not striue about things indifferent that are neither good nor euill the kingdome of heauen doth not stand in them neither doth the doing or not doing of them simply please God neither doth the saluation of the Church consist in them according to the saying of the Apostle 1 Cor. 8 8 9. Meate maketh vs not acceptable to God for neither if we eate haue we the more neither if we eate not haue we the lesse but take heed lest by any meanes this power of yours be an occasion of falling to them that are weake And in the Epistle to the Romanes hee saith chap. 14 17. The kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost and 1 Tim. 4 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable to all things c. To conclude let vs doe those things that belong to peace and beware of strife contention if any man list to contend about these things we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God let vs ioyne heart hand together to edifie the Church as they that build an house do communicate their labors vntill they haue finished and made an ende of their worke But some man may say Obiection Is all manner of iudgement vnlawfull Or is a man in all cases forbidden to iudge I answer Answer No there are some iudgements lawfull and these both are publike and priuate The first is the iudgement of the Magistrate whose office is to try the liues and actions of men that they may punish offenders and reward them that do well It is their duty to sing both mercy and iudgement Psal 101 1. They beare not the sword in vaine Rom. 13 3. but are appointed as well for terrour of euill dooers as for the praise of them that do well The second is the iudgement of the Minister who in the dispensation of the word and preaching of the Gospel iudgeth the actions of his hearers reproouing and condemning them for their sinnes Thus the vnbeleeuer is said to be iudged 1 Cor. 14 24. If all prophesie and there come in one that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is conuinced of all hee is iudged of all Hence it is that Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse is saide to haue condemned the olde world Hebr. 11 7. When the vnbeleeuing Iewes heard Peter preach vnto them touching saluation through Christ whom they had crucified they were pricked in their hearts and said to him to the rest of the Apostles Acts 2 37 and 14 26. Men and brethren what shall we doe Felix the Gouernour hearing Paul prophesie that is to reason of righteousnesse temperance and iudgement to come trembled and was afraid to heare him any longer being conuinced by the word and his owne conscience The word of God is liuely and mighty it pierceth deepe and entreth into the thoughts discouering the things that are most secret The third is the iudgement of a Christian and faithfull brother exhorting and admonishing vs for our good This is commanded in many places of the Scripture Moses warneth vs that we should not hate our brother in our harts but plainely reproue him and not suffer sinne to dwell in him or to rest vpon him or to preuaile against him Leuit. 19 17. It is our duty to stirre vp one another to good things WheÌ„ an house is to be reared set vp al the neighbours gather together and set to their hands to helpe it forward no man is idle but euery one is busie some by lifting some by carrying others by ordering the whole businesse to finish the frame so ought it to bee among vs that haue a better building in hand wee are Gods building 1 Cor. 3 9. and Gods house Heb. 3 6. If we hold fast that confidence and reioycing of hope vnto the end and therefore as we haue a greater worke in hand so wee ought to bee more faithfull in it and more busie about it exhorting one another while it is called to day lest any of vs be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3 13. and considering one another to prouoke vnto loue to good workes not forsaking the fellowship that we haue among our selues as the manner of some is and so much the more carefull ought we to be hereof Heb. 10 25. because we know the day of the Lord and of our account draweth neere And as wee sit in iudgement vpon others by exhorting of theÌ„ so we doe by threatning and reprouing much more as occasion serueth and need requireth Thus did Iohn the Baptist call the Pharisees Sadduces that came to his baptisme a generation of vipers Math. 3 7. and 23 14 23 25. so Christ calleth the Scribes and Pharisees oftentimes hypocrites desiring to do all things to be seene of men Math. 6 deuouring widdowes houses vnder a colour of long prayer tithing mint cummin making cleane the vtter side of the cup and platter but within were full of bribery and excesse Mat. 23 14 23 25. Thus he painteth them out in their colours that others might beware of them and none be deceiued by them So hee called Herod
the hand of GOD to be with vs and to haue scattered the clouds and mistes of falsehood slanders and euill surmises and so made the goodnesse of our cause and the cleerenesse of our conscience to appeare as the Sunne that shineth in his strength it belongeth vnto vs to confesse his louing kindnesse and by all meanes to be thankfull to him for it and to expresse our thankfulnesse by obedience Let vs not be like vnto the Lepers in the Gospel who were very desirous to be clensed of their leprosie they lifted vp their voices and said Iesus Master haue mercy on vs Luke 17 verse 13. Howbeit when once they were healed they went their waies and neuer remembred him that recouered them like to Pharaohs chiefe Butler that gaue the cup into his hand Gen 4â— â—1 who forgat Ioseph so soone as his head was lifted vp and he restored vnto his place Verse 14. albeit Ioseph had intreated him to thinke vpon him when it should be well with him and so to shew kindnesse vnto him for that kindnesse which hee had receiued Onely one of these ten leapers that were cleansed returned backe to Iesus to giue him thankes and ascribe praise and glory to bee due vnto him for that worke Thus it is with many of vs we are ready to call and cry out for the wrongs that wee sustaine we are as desirous to haue our names cleered as the Lepers were to haue their bodies clensed but when God hath helped to cleere vs who were not able to cleere our selues and so hath wrought meanes for our good we reioyce in our selues and not in the Lord we praise our selues and not the Lord we do so magnifie our selues that we neuer glorifie him we are so iealous of our owne name that wee are neuer a whit zealous of Gods Name Is it so small a benefit to haue our good meaning manifest and our righteousnesse knowne that it is not worth thanks If a man should come as a witnesse on our side when our case seemed desperate and out of hope would we not thinke our selues beholding vnto him It is the Lord that is the God of our righteousnesse it is he that will giue iudgement on our side and therefore to him we owe praise glory thankes and all honour This we see performed in Dauid Psalm 18 20 24 47 49. being a Psalme of thankesgiuing in the day that the Lord deliuered him from the hand of all his enemies from the hand of Saul of whom he was accused to affect the kingdome and to seeke his life He confesseth how good God had bene vnto him that he rewarded him according to his righteousnesse and according to the cleanenesse of his hands he recompenced him that it was God that auenged him and subdued the people vnder him and deliuered him from the violent man whereupon he concludeth Therefore will I giue thankes vnto thee O Lord among the heathen and sing praises vnto thy Name Thus must we doe and this ought to be our song when we haue receiued the same fauour We are acquainted with his goodnesse in this kinde but he cannot be acquainted with our thankfulnesse We can be content to swallow with a wide and open throat his benefits but wheÌ„ we should confesse his mercy to his glory our mouthes are stopped and our tongues are tyed and our throats are dryed and our harts are streightned that we cannot vtter a voice nor deliuer him a word for the deliuerance that we haue had experience of Vse 5 Fiftly as our doctrine putteth vs in minde of duties belonging vnto God so it offereth vs instruction how to behaue our selues toward our brethren Is God carefull of our good name and will hee make knowne our innocency Then let the same minde be in vs one toward another which is in the Almighty toward vs all let vs follow the example of our heauenly Father and be carefull to maintaine the good name of our brethren shew that mercy vnto them which we haue receiued of God We cannot haue a better example set before our eies then the example of God who chargeth vs to be mercifull as he is mercifull Luk. 6 30. As he is ready to forgiue vs so ought we to forgiue from our hearts the trespasses that are done vnto vs Ephe. 4. As he made all things in sixe daies and rested the seuenth so ought we to rest from the labours of our callings and sanctifie the Sabbath day Gen. 2. Exod. 20. As Christ washed the feete of his Disciples so he gaue them an example that they should do as hee had done to them for he is meeke and lowly in heart they shall finde rest to their soules Ioh. 13. As he being in the forme of God thinking it no robbery to be equall to God made himselfe of no reputation tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant so the same minde ought to be in vs that was in him that so in lowlinesse of minde we should esteeme each other better then our selues haue a kinde of emulation among vs who should cast down himselfe lowest Phil. 2 5. As he suffered for vs so he hath left vs an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 As he was reuiled and reuiled not againe as he suffred threatened not but committed himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously so should not we giue taunt for taunt and reproch for reproch And as Christ defended his Disciples when as they were falsely charged wrongfully accused as we shewed before so ought we to deale toward our brethreÌ„ When we heare false reports which haue no ground or good beginning such as in our owne knowledge conscience we know to be inuented in hell and broached in earth such I say as are spread abroad through malice of our brother and hatred of his profession what must we do shal we beleeue them giue credite vnto them Shall we increase them adde somewhat of our owne or shal we laugh at them make our selues merry with them No we must not only stop the streame and stay the reports keepe our selues and others from receiuing of them but we must open our mouthes in the cause of the dumbe and oppose our selues against those that are their enemies A good name is a precious iewell Prou. 22 1. it is better then siluer and gold It commendeth vs to God his Angels It is a precious oyntment and a sweete perfume that maketh vs acceptable to the sons of men and winneth their hearts yea sometimes it maketh our enemies to bee at peace with vs and to fauour vs. It seasoneth the gifts that we haue receiued and maketh them profitable vnto others If our giftes be neuer so great and excellent yet if we haue not a good name to grace them and counrenance them we can do very little or no good with them If we see a man stealing away the goods of our neighbour and
so deuout in prayer that euerie day they were mindfull of their owne dutie towarde him and of his mercy toward them so that sometimes at midnight they rose vppe and sometimes both euening and morning and at noone they praied vnto him and hee did heare their voyce as in the 55. Psalme and the 17. verse and Psalme 119. Dan. 6. Lastly seeing God aboundeth in grace Vse 3 and goodnesse aboue our desires it is our dutie to render vnto him againe the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing For how shall we receiue such vnspeakeable kindnesse and not giue him the glorie Or how shall he open his hands in so liberall and large a manner and we shut our mouthes against him If he be so gracious to remember vs how shall we be so vnmindefull and vnthankefull vnto him This vse is concluded by the Apostle Ephes chap. 3. ver 20 21. hauing shewed that God is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that we either aske or thinke he addeth in the next words To him bee praise in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout all generations for-euer Amen If we would diligently consider what God hath done for vs wee shall bee compelled to confesse that GOD hath many times preuented vs with his liberall blessings and that hee hath bene mercicifull towards vs aboue all that wee are able to craue or conceiue What then Shall wee do nothing to him againe True it is we liue not in a giuing age we are hand fast and loue not to part with any thing Do wee so reward the Lord Shall wee receiue all good things at his handes and returne nothing to him againe Shall wee finde him better to vs then we desire and shall he find vs worse then he deserueth at our handes Let vs therefore giue him praise for his vnspeakeable and vnsearchable mercies let his name be glorified in the Church by vs. Hee sheweth his power especially in the Church by worke and word and therefore it is great reason hee should receiue praise in his church Hence it is that the Prophet saith In Iudah is God knowne his name is great in Israel Psal â—6 1 2 3 and â—â— 2 â—â— in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion there brake hee the arrowes of the bow the sword and the shielde and the battell Heere then he teacheth vs that God maketh his name glorious and famous But where In Iudah His name is great But where In Israel and that because he wroght a marueilous worke in ouerthrowing the army of Senacherib which threatned destruction to the Church but it was destroyed it selfe To this purpose wee reade in another psalme Sing forth the glory of his name make his praise glorious say vnto God how terrible art thou in thy workes through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies bee in subiection vnto thee The like we might say of the worde of God as it is Psal 147 19 20. Hee sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery Nation neyther haue they knowne his iudgements and in another place he teacheth Psalme 138 2 that he had magnified his name aboue all things by his word Let this then stand as a firme principle that God because he sheweth himselfe diuers waies in his Church to wit by his word and workes is therefore to bee glorified and honoured especially in it Hee is gracious indeede to all mankinde howbeit he blesseth no persons in comparison of the members of his Church so that he is to be praised in no places among no persons so much as in his Church according to that saying of the Psalmist Psal 65 1 2. Praise waiteth for thee O God in Sion vnto thee shall all flesh come Now God may bee saide to be glorified in the church two waies God is glorified two wayes first priuately secondly publiquely Priuately when euery man seuerally and apart by himselfe doth serue him and worship him and set forth his praise For we do receiue euery priuate man of vs seuerall blessings and benefites not common to others these wee are to acknowledge particularly and priuately and GOD accepteth this seruice at our hands Publikely when wee meete in the assembly and congregation of the faithfull that are fellow members of the same bodie that so hee may receiue praise by the mouths of many witnesses Doubtlesse God alloweth the former and hee is delighted with the priuate sacrifice of euery one and accepteth the calues of our lippes but especially hee is well pleased with the publike prayers and praises that are performed by many This did Dauid promise to giue vnto GOD because hee had not a greater to promise or to performe Psalme 22 23. In the middest of the congregation I will praise thee True it is God standeth not in neede of our praises neyther gaineth any thing to himselfe thereby which hee had not before For as euery beast of the Forrest is his and the cattle on a thousand mountaines Psal 50 10. so wee can yeelde him nothing but it must first proceede from him and bee giuen vnto vs. Hee is perfect of himselfe and needeth no supply from vs for what can the begger that hath nothing giue to the King that hath all in his power Neuerthelesse hee is delighted in our obedience to his will and well pleased with our performance of that which he requireth We must therefore acknowledge our selues vnworthy of the least of his mercies wee deserue not one bit of bread or one droppe of wateâ— In him wee liue and moue and haue our being The Land of Canaan was giuen to the Israelites of mercy not of merit because hee loued them not because they loued him not thorough their godlinesse and goodnesse but through the wickednesse of the nations The Lord is our righteousnesse Ierem. â—â— â— Ephe. â—â— â— and he hath made vs accepted vnto his Father Wee are of our selues wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked wee are not able so much as to thinke one good thought There is nothing due to vs but shame and confusion yet such is Gods grace goodnes toward vs that where sin hath abounded his mercie hath abounded much more If we aske of him garments to couer our nakednesse he will beside them decke vs with Ornaments and cloath vs with broidred work and attire vs in siluer and gold he will put bracelets on our hands a chaine about our necke a Iewell on our forhead earings in our ears a beautiful crown vpon our heads If wee aske of him bread to eate he wil together with it giue vs wine to comfort the heart and oyle to make vs haue a cheerefull countenance so that wee shall eate fine floure and honie Ezekiel 16 13. He is like vnto Iael that entertained Sisera he asked water and she gaue him milke she broght forth Butter in a Lorldly dish Iudg. 4 19. and 5 25. We
aske sparingly and he bestoweth liberally yea he giueth freely that which we durst not hope for This we see in Iacob Genes 48 11. When Ioseph came with his two sonnes to visite his sicke Father hee saide vnto him I had not thought to see thy face and loe God hath shewed mee thy seede O the greatnesse of Gods goodnesse vnto vs How vnspeakable are his mercies How infinite is his louing kindnes O well shall it bee with vs if we bee euer mindefull of it and neuer forget any of his benefites For seeing he is rich in his mercies towards let vs not vs bee poore in our praises towards him Christ hath spent himselfe vpon vs let vs not bee sparing to giue our selues vnto him againe Let vs follow the example of Iacob who was in the earnestnesse of his affection carried into an admiration of Gods fauour towardes him and breaketh out into a thankesgiuing for his benefites as if hee had saide That which I neuer thought would haue come to passe nay that which seemed to mee desperate and vnpossible God hath offered to mee in wonderfull manner beyond my expectation I iudged my son lost but I haue found him dead but I haue receiued him aliue So let vs take pleasure and delight in his mercies let vs confesse them in words and let vs praise his power set forth his goodnes toward vs. Let vs theÌ„ be ashamed of our own sluggishnes seeing God is more willing to bestow theÌ„ we to receiue he is more ready to shew compassion vpon vs then we to be freed froÌ„ our misery 〈◊〉 His grace is more plentiful then our praier for he giueth vs more then we ask The theefe on the crosse no sooner desired of the Lord to remeÌ„ber him when he came into his kingdome but immediately hee receiued this answer Verily Luke 2â— I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise which containeth more then he was bold to aske We need not then feare any excesse in faith or that we should beleeue more then he wil bestow forasmuch as his fauour goeth beyond our faith who hath his hand open to giue before our mouth is open to speake vnto him 29 This is the Law of iealousies when a wife goeth aside to another in stead of her husband and is defiled 30 Or when the spirit of iealousie commeth vpon him and he be iealous ouer his wife and shall set the woman before the Lord and the Priest shall execute vpon her all this law 31 Then shall the man be guiltlesse from iniquitie and the woman shall beare her iniquity Hitherto hath beene handled the setting downe of the Law We haue heard the cause propounded and resolued examined and determined Now we come to the conclusion of the whole matter and the winding vp of the sentence touching the woman suspected of adultery which is two fold one belonging to the man the other to the woman The man shal be free from sinne the woman shall beare her iniquitie â—ction Heere the question may be asked whether it be lawfull in our dayes for the husband to make tryal of his wife whoÌ„ he suspecteth of adultery may he attempt to discouer openly what she hath done secretly I answere there is no such law now in force neither may we giue way to any such practise therefore it cannot be allowed as lawfull This action commenced against the wife â—achi 〈…〉 b. cannot want sinne and hath an euill foundation Wee that liue in the light of the New Testament who haue more reuealed vnto vs then was made known in the time of the Law must know that no such thing is permitted vnto vs. What then will some say shall the husband suffer his wife to doe what shee list and must he be a baud vnto her or be constrained to take all patiently or shall he bee driuen to see all and to say nothing I answer if the crime be knowne God hath prouided in his law to deale seuerely with such Leuit. 18. and Christian Magistrates must take away euill out of Israel But if it be secret they are to wait with patience vntill God reueale it and bring it to the open light No man may rashly suspect his wife of adultery or call her name into question or raise an euill report of her but labor to keepe her within the bounds of her calling that on the other side shee may learne to loue him and to reuerence him Verse 29. This is the Law of iealousies We are come to the conclusion of this matter to wit of the law of iealousies We haue heard euery part of it we haue expounded euery circumstance we haue considered euery branch of it True it is we haue no vse of the practise of it The bitter waters are not now to be drunken the earthen vessell hath no more place the iealousie offering of memoriall is abolished the vncouering of the womans head is ceassed and the whole manner of tryall is abrogated Neuerthelesse albeit the whole law bee ended yet the same God remaineth the searcher of all hearts bearing the same hatred to all sinne which he did before and hath the like loue to innocency which he had before What is it that moueth to the committing of the sin of adultery but the hope to hide it This bewitcheth the vngodly and leadeth them to destruction when they dream that God is like vnto them This is a vaine conceit and foolish opinion because we see how the Lord himselfe taketh vpon him to discouer it and to be reuenged of those that shall presume to breake the band of wedlock which he hath made This was the purpose of this law to shew that the Lord taketh vpon him not only the knowledge reuealing and punishing of this sinne euen when it is most secretly committed without witnesse of any other man yea or certain knowledge from the husband himselfe or any confession of the party that had done it but also the defence and cleering of the innocent woman being oppressed vexed and ouer-burdened with the vniust iealousie of her suspicious husband He might present his wife whether she were guilty or not guilty before the Priest vnto that tryall which God had appointed and established to that end among them to auoid thereby a greater mischiefe After which matter solemnized with all the ceremonies and circumstances therof if the woman were defiled indeed then should her belly swell and her thighes rot if shee were not defiled then should she not only be free from this punishment but also be blessed with fruitfulnesse as a reward of her innocency and a recompence of the iniury done vnto her and a cleering of her good name which had euilly beene called into question Wee learne from hence that all secret sinnes Doctrine All secret sins are knowne to God hidden from men are knowne vnto God and nothing is hidden from him Howsoeuer many sinnes be committed very secretly and caryed closely
as the doctrine of the Trinity the vnion of the two natures in Christ to make one person and such like which albeit they be in theÌ„selues darke hard to be conceiued yet they are plainely set downe Againe he doth not say all things are hard or the most things or many things but some things are hard to be vnderstood And to whom are they hard to those that wrest them to their owne destruction to the vnstable and vnlearned Now those things that are darke to the vnbeleeuer are lightsom to the faithfull as Christ saith to his Disciples To you it is giuen to know the mystery of the Kingdome of God but vnto them that are without Mark 4 1â— all things are done in Parables To them that are huÌ„ble and desire to learn are plaine instructions but to others that are proud high-minded the plainest points are darke riddles If any aske whether there be not diuers things hard in Scripture I answer there are and it is the great wisedome of GOD it should be so tempering the one with the other to make vs deuout in praying diligent in searching wise in prizing valuing the truth of God huÌ„ble in knowing our owne wants and to teach vs that God would haue some teachers in his Church and some to learne at their mouthes some to instruct and some to be instructed Thirdly we may conclude that seeing the Vse 3 word of God is the light of the Church they that now perish do perish iustly and worthily They haue a light set vp to direct them and the Sunne shineth most brightly in their faces if then they shut their eyes and so stumble and fall downe who will take any pitty vpon them who can say but they are worthy to perish Hence it is that the Apostle saith If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine vnto them 2 Cor. 4 3 4. If we had not a light before vs we might pretend ignorance and alledge the darknesse of the way as a defence of our wandring but now the vizard is pulled from our faces we haue nothing to answer for our selues Wherefore Christ saith If I had not come and spoken vnto them they had not had sinne but now they haue no cloke for their sinnes Iohn 15 22. No man can alledge any iust colour or excuse or finde what plea to put in for himselfe The light is among vs what shall we say that we walke not in the light He that walketh in darknes knoweth not what he doth or whither he goeth or how neere he is to danger O that it might be said of vs as the Apostle doth of the Thessalonians â—â—ess 5 5. Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day ye are not of the night nor of darkenesse It may rather be said of vs you are children of the night and of darknes ye are not of the light nor of the day Christ Iesus is come as a light into the world that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not abide in darkenesse Iohn 12 46 48 Whosoeuer reiecteth him and receiueth not his words hath one that iudgeth him the word which he hath spoken shall iudge him in the last day verse 48. Such then shall be taken speechlesse and stand dumbe hauing nothing to say being conuicted and condemned in their owne consciences and therefore he that is ignorant let him be ignorant 1 Cor. 14 38. The light was powerfully and plentifully offered vnto him but he closed his eies that he might not see and stopped his eares that hee might not heare and hardened his heart that he might not vnderstand It shall be easier for the Turks and Infidels at the day of iudgement then for many of vs. For if the light of the truth had shined so fully vpon them as it hath done vppon vs they had long agoe repented in sackcloth and ashes Let vs consider this betimes and open our eies while the light is among vs before it be taken from vs and darknesse come vpon vs. Now is the acceptable time let it not slip from vs. Vse 4 Fourthly they should be welcome vnto vs that bring this light that we may say with the Apostle How beautifull are the feete of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tydings of good things Rom. 10 ver 15. In winter nights that are darke and consequently dangerous for passengers men thinke they doe others a great pleasure if they hold them out a light to shew them the way and to free them from feare of danger and it is so What an happy thing then is it to haue a light holden foorth to guide vs to heauen and to bring vs to euerlasting life We see therefore the necessity of the word of God and of the Ministers thereof To take away these is to take away the light in a darke night nay to pull the Sunne out of the Firmament to leaue men to goe and to grope in darknesse forasmuch as it is impossible for vs to direct our waies aright without the one and the other It is the great mercy of God that hath giuen vnto vs the Sunne to rule the day the Moone and the Starres to rule the night Psal 136 8 9. which are so necessary as that without them the life of man cannot bee continued and preserued and as in a darke house nothing can be seene without a Lampe or a candle so the right way cannot be discerned from the wrong truth from errour and vertue from vice in the darknesse of our life without the light and lustre of the word There are dangerous pits in this misty world Ambros in Psal 119. and many threatning rockes in this troublesome sea which are not seene we shall fall into the one and rush vpon the other and ruine our selues by them both except we carry before vs this light and lanthorne Let vs beleeue no man that will offer to teach vs the way except he shew vs this light The Israelites in the wildernesse were gouerned by a Cloud in the day and by a pillar of fire in the night till they came into the Land of Canaan afterward they had no neede of the one or of the other so should we order our resting and remouing our going out and our comming in by this light of the word which will bring vs to the heauenly Canaan Our duty therefore must be to take heede to the word seeing it is a light giueÌ„ vnto vs of God It is our duty to heare it to beleeue it to obey it We must heare it attentiuely we must beleeue it stedfastly we must obey it readily We must heare it without loathing we must beleeue it without wauering we must obey it without resisting Hence it is that the Apostle Peter
our care and endeuour be to dwell with him first in his other house which is the lower house of which sort is euery particular assembly where God doth also dwell to which he giueth lawes and ordinances as an housholder vnto his house of this Paul speaketh 1 Tim. 3.15 Thou must know how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God Let vs examine our loue to the one by our loue to the other our loue to the kingdome of heauen by our loue to the kingdome of grace If we care not for the former we shall neuer haue entrance into the latter God must know vs to be guests in his first house otherwise he wil neuer acknowledge vs as his friends in the second To the many thousands in Israel The words in the original are to the ten thousand thousands a certaine number for an vncertaine A notable description of the church of God Doctrinâ— Whence obserue that the people which belong to God are many thousand thousands The peopâ—â— that beloâ—â— to God aâ—â— many thoâ—sand thoâ—sands They are a great flocke of sheepe they are a plentifull haruest of corne they are a wonderfull hoste and army of men This God promised to Abraham Gen. 15.5 he brought him forth and said Looke now toward heauen and tell the starres if thou be able to number them for so shall thy seed be Rom. 4.18 So Psal 2.8 Psal 72.9 11. Aske of mee the heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Thus Esay prophesieth of the amplitude of the church Chap. 54.2.3 Enlarge the place of thy tent c. In the New Testament Christ telleth vs that many shall come from the East and West and sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Matth. 8.11 so that his elect children are many in number For first of all the mercy of God is the Reason 1 more manifested thereby Hee might iustly haue reiected all because all had sinned in Adam but the more to manifest the greatnes of his goodnesse and the largenes of his compassions it pleased him to call and gather together a great people that they might take hold of his mercy and sing of his louing kindnes to his glory Rom 11.3 God hath concluded them all in vnbeleefe that he might haue mercy vpon all By nature all are alike all vnbeleeuers all disobedient all miserable the elect are no better then others by birth He speaketh heere of beleeuers among Iewes and Gentiles Secondly Christ Iesus will not lose the price of his death neither suffer it to be void and of none effect He died for many and therefore many belong vnto him as sheep of his pasture and as members of his body The Apostle teacheth that by the obedience of one not a few but many shall be made righteous euen as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. chap 5.19 And the Euangelist Saint Matthew declareth Christ in the deliuering of the Cuppe at his last Supper said This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes 〈◊〉 26.28 〈◊〉 2.10 whereby he brought many sonnes to glory Thirdly none is able to count the number of them which are as the starres that are innumerable and as the sand on the sea shore This made Balaam pronounce afterward in this booke chap. 23.10 Who can count the dust of Iacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel And Iohn speaking of the number of them that were sealed saith he saw a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds and people and tongues clothed in white robes and palmes in their hands Reuel 7.9 They must needs be many thousand thousands seeing the number of them is without number Vse 1 The vses follow See heere the key to open and vnlocke sundry places of holy Scripture speaking of an vniuersality appointed vnto life and eternall glory as where it is said God would haue all men saued 1 Tim. 2.4 all men to come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 that Christ dyed for all 2 Cor. 5.14 2 Pet. 2.1 These speeches must be vnderstood of an vniuersality and generality of the elect onely for they alone are elected they alone are iustified they alone are redeemed they alone shall be glorified They must not be vnderstood though they speake of all and extended to euery particular of Adams seed nor be taken of euery particular person but must be limited and restrained to beleeuers of all sorts and conditions as Rom. 10.12 God is rich to all that call vpon him and Gal. 3.22 the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise of faith in Iesus Christ might be giuen what to all no but to all that beleeue Ioh. 11.52 There is therefore an vniuersality and a world of beleeuers as wel as of vnbeleeuers and they are expressed vnder the word All because they are many in number and consist of thousand thousands which cannot be accounted and therefore Iohn saith Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Ioh. 2.2 that is for the sins of all the elect and beleeuers dispersed thoroughout the world To conclude Christ may be said to saue all as he is said to heale all sickenesses and diseases among the people Matth. 4.23 and 9.35 that is some of all sortes and kinds and as the Pharisees are said to tithe all herbes Luk. 11.42 that is all sorts Vse 2 Secondly we may gather from hence that most glorious shal the name of Christ be when all meeâ— together in one to magnifie his grace and mercy toward them as appeareth Reu. 7.10 11 12. The Angels and the Elders ascribe blessing and glory and power and thankesgiuing vnto God When we shall all sing Hallelu-iah in the heauens what a sweet and pleasant melody will this make O how should we labour to be of this company that we may beare our part euery one in this triumphant song Hence it is that the Iohn saith Reue 19.1.3 I heard a great voice of much people in heauen saying Alleluia saluation and honour and power vnto the Lord our God and againe they said Alleluia Blessed are they that accompany the Saints to sing with them with heart and voyce Alleluia If we be not of this communion of Saints we cannot tune the right accent we cannot be in the number of these sweet singers our musicke iarreth and hath a discord in the eyes of God he will soone find it out Heere the godly seeme to bee thinly sowen as wheat couered with chaffe and so the song to consist of a few voyces onely The corne which seemeth little while it lyeth in the heap and maketh no shew when once the fanne hath scattered away the chaffe it appeareth to be much in quantity so when the Lord Iesus at his second
is slow Reason 1 to anger and of great kindnesse more ready to shew mercy then to send iudgement Psal 103 8 9. Secondly he doth not afflict willingly nor greeue the children of men Lam. 3 33. Thirdly he dealeth with vs as a father dealeth with his children spareth them as a father doth his sonne that serueth him Mal. 3 v. 17. Psal 103.13 Esay 49.15 Fourthly he spareth oftentimes the wicked and vngodly and powreth not all his wrath vpon them and so prone is he to shew mercy that an outward humiliation hath obtained a mitigation and prorogation of the punishment For when Ahab hearing the threatning of God denounced to come vpon him as a fearefull thunderbolt and against all his house so that such as dyed in the city should be eaten of dogs and such as dyed in the field should bee eaten of the fowles of the ayre hee rent his clothes and put on sackecloth vpon his flesh he fasted and lay in sackcloth the word of the Lord came vnto the Prophet saying Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me See the accomplishment hereof 2 King 9.25 because he humbleth himselfe before me I will not bring the euill in his dayes but in his sonnes dayes will I bring this euill vpon his house 1 King 21.27 29. This was but a temporary repentance as appeareth in the chapter following verse 8. yet it was not altogether fruitlesse but obtained a blessing answerable to the repentance the repentance was for a time the deferring of punishment was for a time also If God grant thus much to the penitency of an hypocrite we may be well assured that he will be gracious to such as bring forth true repentance and the fruits thereof Fiftly we are the workemanship of God created by him who willingly destroyeth not the worke of his owne hand therefore hee is not pleased with the striking of them Iob. 10.8 c. Esay 38. Lastly he seeth what is in our hearts he knoweth that we are but dust euen as a wind that passeth away Psal 78.39 Therefore he is full of compassion he turneth his anger away and doth not stirre vp all his wrath Vse 1 Learne from hence that God is compassionate he is soone intreated vpon our serious repentance He taketh no pleasure in our destruction hee desireth not to crush vs vnder his feet he is full of mercy and goodnesse This is the nature of God these are his titles And howsoeuer he may seeme to our corrupt affections to be seuere and rigorous as the euill and vnfaithfull seruant speaketh in the Gospel Matth. 25.24 I knew thee to be an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowen and gathering where thou hast not strewed yet euen in his corrections and our afflictions his great mercy and moderation appeareth 1 Cor. 10.13 This is a singular comfort to all that are in distresse whether it be of body or minde to consider how God is affected toward vs. Vse 2 Secondly we see that happy is the state of the Church no euill shall ouertake those that are truely the Lords farther then tendeth to their good Gen. 19.16 their afflictions shall fall out to the best We deserue to bee made like to Sodome and Gomorrha Wee know the affliction of Iob and the ende that GOD made for hee is very pittifull and of tender mercy Iam. 5.11 Now he is euermore the same with him is no change or shadow of turning as he was good to him so also hee is and will be good to vs. Thirdly is God thus fauourable then be assured that the soule which returneth shall Vse liue Ezek. 18.25 and 33.11 As I liue saith the Lord I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne ye turne ye from your euill wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel It is with God as it was with the woman that had found her groat as with the shepheard that had found his strayed sheepe as with the father that embraced his leude and licentious sonne Such as beginne to see their sinne must not thinke it to bee too late to returne When God calleth and cryeth out so often so earnestly so louingly turne ye turne ye froÌ„ your euill wayes shall we answere as infidels or as men in despaire the time is past it is too late when God saith Why will ye die shall we reply against God nay indeed against our owne selues It is too late to liue Let vs bewayle the abuse of Gods mercy patience and long suffering but withall we must know that the Lord delighteth not in the death of a sinner but would that the should liue The people iourneyed not till Miriam was brought in againe See here the greeuousnesse of sinne it was committed by one or two but the contagion of it passeth farther it was the worse for them that were neere vnto it for the people were stayed and could not goe forward Sinne therefore hurteth not onely those that commit it but such also as come neere it and troubleth those that are within the reach or sent of it Againe as God is iust in causing her to be shut out of the hoste so he is merciful in suffring her to be brought in And here is an instruction to the Church of God that they be not too rigorous in execution of the discipline and dispensation of the keyes We must be as ready to receiue the penitent as zealous in casting out the impenitent We haue spoken already of putting out of the Church open offenders and of the mitigation of the censure at the commandement of God now before we end the chapter obserue the quality and condition of the person against whom God proceedeth Miriam was a great Prophetesse the sister of Moses and Aaron and great suit and supplication was made to God for her that she might be healed of her leprosie and receiued againe into the assembly yet she continueth a leper and as an excommunicate person We learne hereby this truth That no man Doctriâ—â— None caâ— free from iudgemeâ—â— hauing â—â—â—ned though neuer so excellent of what place soeuer he bee can be free from Gods iudgements when he hath sinned against him What was it that droue Adam out of the garden and as it were banished him into the rest of the earth Gen. 3.24 was it any thing but disobedience 2 Sam. 6.7 Who hath sinned against the most High and hath not reaped the fruit of his owne wayes Let the Angels speake that first sinned and were first punished who because they kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto iudgement of the great day Iude vers 6. Was it any better with the old world among whom were men of al sorts high and low rich and poore old and yong they sinned together and as it were made a conspiracy with one accord against God in the end they
thinke vpon them that they perish not ver 6. Pharaoh the king of Egypt knew that the prayers of Moses and Aaron the holy seruants of God were very profitable and acceptable Exod. 8.8 and 9.27 and 10.16 17. therefore he sent for them and desired them to pray for him when the plagues of God lay vpon him and his people This also did Ieroboam that wicked king that made Israel to sinne know and vnderstand for when his hand was dryed vp which he thrust out to lay hold on the Prophet of God 1 King 13.6 Ier. 42 2. Act. 8.24 hee desired him to pray that it might be restored If these haue confessed the benefit of prayer how much more ought we though there be an infinite distance betweene heauen and earth between God and man yet heareth he from his holy hil the supplications of his righteous seruants powred out before him Affliction taketh away all comfort and ioy from the sonnes of men that are vnregenerate when they are pinched with pouerty with famine with misery and calamity The behauiour of the wicked in time of affliction they are quite out of heart they distrust they despaire they fret fume they mutter and murmure against God They haue no hearts to lift vp vnto him neither can they runne to the throne of grace to find mercy in time of need but doe oftentimes blaspheme the God of heauen and repent not of the workes which they haue wickedly committed They would faine haue some comfort in their sorrows but they know not of whom to seeke it or where they shall find it Hence it is that they runne to musicke and instruments of delight to wine-tauernes to strong drinke to euil company and some to witches and enchanters which they call cunning men and cunning women But the seruants of God which haue learned better things 2 Cor. 1.3 know that God is the Father of all comfort and consolation and therefore they fly vnto him by prayer who is able to deliuer their soules from death their eyes from teares and their feete from falling Psa 56.12 13. and 116.8 In troubles therefore if wee call vpon him we haue his promise surer then the heauen that he wil helpe vs and send vs a ioyfull deliuerance Vse 3 Lastly let vs from hence be mooued to be diligent in this duty and not to giue ouer till the God of blessing powre downe a blessing vpon vs. How heauy soeuer his hand be and how long soeuer in continuance yet if we can call vnto him wee are safe Wofull were our condition if we should cry and there were none to heare but it is otherwise with vs we doe not so soone call as he is ready to answer A poore silly lamb entangled in the bushes and brambles if it can but bleat the shepheard will quickely helpe it so if we be the sheepe of Christ and can call vnto him the good shepheard of the sheepe will by and by heare vs if we can lift vp our voyce to him that sitteth in the heauens hee will soone free vs and deliuer vs out of our affliction So long as we haue a mouth to speake he hath eares to heare and when the tongue cannot if with the heart we can sigh to him he vnderstandeth that language and we shall be sure of helpe as Abraham gaue ouer asking before God gaue ouer answering Gen. 18.32 33. 15 Now if thou wilt kill all this people as one man then the nations which haue heard the fame of thee will speake saying 16 Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware vnto them therefore he hath slaine them c. Now let vs come to consider the parts of the prayer as they lye in order And first we may not thinke that we haue the whole praier which Moses vttered We haue oâ—ly the substance of 〈◊〉 prayer and that he deliuered it in no moe words for it appeareth by the abrupt beginning ver 13. that he had spoken somewhat before but this is onely the substance of the prayer and hath the chiefe reasons which he vsed The first argument is very forcible and effectuall and largely pressed vpon God which sheweth that the nations round about had heard of their deliuerance out of Egypt the Canaanites had heard that God was among his people with his word with his presence with his authority with his signes and miracles if then God should deliuer them to death these cursed nations would reuile the Name of God and accuse him either of impotency or of tyranny that by reason of his hatred toward theÌ„ he would not or of his weaknesse he could not bring them into the land of promise whereupon he concludeth that it were far better for God to free his name from such blasphemous reproches by sparing his people Moses neuer once offereth to plead for pardon through any thing that was to be found in the people themselues he confesseth that there was matter enough in them to haue remoued them long agoe out of the world but he lifteth vp his eies vnto heauen and desireth God to looke vpon himselfe and to haue respect to his owne name lest the infidels and idolaters shold take occasion by the destruction of the Israelites to blaspheme him The foreâ— the reasoâ— that Moseâ— feth to 〈◊〉 God to pâ—â—don theâ— How forcible this reason is and how powerfully it pierced as I may say the eares nay the heart of God appeareth notably by the mouth and confession of God himselfe I would make the remembrance of them to ceasse from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy lest their aduersaries shold behaue theÌ„selues strangely and should say Our hand is high the Lord hath not done all this What was it then that hindered him from putting out their name from vnder heauen Not that they were not worthy to perish but it would haue opened the mouthes of the infidels to scoffe at God whom they serued and at his religion which they professed They would haue said Where is the God that hath maintained them so long is he fallen asleepe or is he in a farre iourney â—trine or what ayleth he that hee succoureth them no more â—eueth to merâ— put him â—ind of â—wne â—e and 〈◊〉 We learne from hence that it is a good plea to mooue the Lord to shew mercy euen for his glory and his owne names sake Iosh 7.8 9. Psal 79.8 9 10. and 115.1 Dan. 9.19 The reasons follow God doth not bestow any thing to any other end then this â—son 1. be aimeth at this marke and hath respect to his own glory both in giuing and forgiuing Esay 48.9 Prou. 16.4 and therefore ought we also to set the same end before vs in prayer The Lord in all his actions of mercy and iudgement hath euermore a speciall respect to the promoting of his honor and the maintaining of his
euill man by another one of his enemies by another enemy neuertheles afterward they also perish They are his rod and when it hath bin imploied to scourge malefactors it is cast into the fire Doctrine But to passe these ouer which partly haue beene handled before Such as haue giuen vp theÌ„selues to sin do fill vp the measure of them and partly come more fitly to be handled after let vs consider this generall point that wicked men that haue sold themselues to sinne do at length come to that measure of sinne that no bandes or banks can hold them or containe them Such as haue giuen themselues vp to sin do not onely proceed in sinne wilfully and violently but come to that height that neither the iudgements of God nor his mercies can restraine them but they breake through all like an vnruly beast whom no hedge can hold no fence can order no boundes can keepe in whatsoeuer they be Ier. 5 8. 2 Chron. 36 13 14 16. Psal 50 17. Esay 1 3 4 5 6 7 8. And no maruaile For their hearts are obstinate Reason 1 their consciences are hardened and seared as with an hot iron so that they cannot be softened with the oyle of his mercies nor terrified with the fire of his threatnings nor broken in peeces with the hammer of his iudgements Rom. 2 5. They haue gotten hearts that cannot repent and therefore when sinfulnesse and obstinacy meet together there must needs be an exceeding great measure of iniquity Secondly because there is in such a great Reason 2 contempt of God his word now contempt ioyned with sinne maketh the sinne greater It is noted as the top of Esaus prophane hart that he contemned his birthright Gen. 25 34. It was a note of prophanenes to set it to sale to preferre his belly before the pledge of Gods fauour to sweare rashly and securely to passe ouer what he had done but to contemne and despise the grace of God passeth all the former and containeth the height and depth of his prophanenesse This argueth that the times wherein wee Vse 1 liue are growne to a maruailous height of impiety and that we are come to a fearefull degree of all prophanenes For not only grosse sinnes as great beames in our eies are to bee found among vs but euill men are carried violently with a full career in their sinnes like an horse without a bridle that rusheth into the battell We are growne to this perfection as it were to a complete age of sinne in the midst of the blessings and benefits of God we turne his grace into wantonnesse the more grace aboundeth the more sinne continueth and though he warne vs by his word yet we will not be warned His word is as the winde that passeth away Againe many men liue in sinne in the middest of the iudgements of God not onely generall iudgements but euen speciall vpon themselues Zeph. 1 12. yet they are setled in the dregs of their wickednesse nothing can turne them or amend them This cannot but argue a great height of impiety This maketh all sinne whatsoeuer to be vnpardonable when wee grow obstinate and sapped in our euill waies that nothing can preuaile with vs. Afflictions contemned abused briâ— moe afflictions If any haue a seruant or childe whom he hath warned of his euill course and lately corrected him for the same if this seruant or this childe should notwithstanding words and blowes vsed toward him continue to doe the same things would you not thinke that he deserued a greater measure of punishment Then let vs I pray you iudge our selues in this case God hath giuen vs his word and commandements to tell vs what we ought to do what not to do often sendeth his iudgments among vs for the farther manifestation of the truth of his word yet wee see men will to their old sins againe though they die for it that eternally in soule and body We must therefore expect daily a greater measure of Gods iudgements then before because wee continue obstinate and rebellious Secondly seeing nothing will hold vs from our sinfull wayes but we will rush forward it teacheth euery maÌ„ that it is our duty to humble our selues for our obstinacy impenitency and hardnesse of heart in that wee are so dull and slow of heart to beleeue and to repent of those things which we haue heard reprooued out of the word of God The heinousnesse of obstinate sinnes committed with an high hand wil appeare vnto vs by these particulars â—einousâ—d greeâ—esse of â—ate sins open First obstinate proceeding in sinne keepeth al mercie from vs as a thick cloud that suffereth not the comfortable light of the Sunne to shine in our faces This made the Apostle say that blindnesse was happened to Israel that they were not his people Rom. 11 25. Woe vnto them in whom this remaineth for God hath giuen vnto them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Rom. 11 28. Secondly it maketh the least sinne that a man committeth or can commit to bee like to that sinne against the holye Ghost that shall neuer be forgiuen neither in this world neither in the world to come Mat. 12 32. For it is not so much sin that condemneth a man for then all men should bee contemned inasmuch as all men haue sinned as obstinacie and wilfull continuing in sin And haue wee not therefore great cause to humble our selues for the same and to lament bitterly Thirdly it is a sinne against the Gospell it selfe and against the doctrine of saluation ought we not therefore to mourne for it Notwithstanding many are so farre from leauing off their continued practise of sinne that they repent of their repentance they are sorry that they haue turned and changed so farre â—epent of â—tance a â—â—us sin This is such a sin as maketh men odious in the sight of God and maketh them more acceptable to satan when they greeue that they haue a little broken off their sinnes and made a few steps some small beginnings to repentance This is an high degree of sinne and this was it that did fill the hardnesse of Pharaohs heart to the full He and his seruants were at the last content that Israel should depart out of Egypt this was some kinde of relenting and a bringing of their former hardnes to a better temper but they are much greeued for that which they had done and therefore they say one to another Why haue we done this that we haue let Israel go from seruing vs Thus it was also with the Israelites themselues they had hitherto proceeded toward the land of promise and as it were ranged themselues vnder the standard of God but now they repent of all that they had done and would needes returne backe againe into Egypt But on the other side when a man can mourne that he hath not mourned and repent that he
iudgements vpon our families We see this with our eyes wee need not say we haue heard and our fathers haue told vs for wee haue seene and haue knowne the hand of GOD heauy vpon their wiues their children their seruants and yet they take no more notice of them then if they were in another world Sometimes God doth punish men with lesse iudgements when they haue deserued greater he doth but as it were touch them with the little finger when they haue deserued to bee striken with his whole hand and smiteth them with the backe of the sword that deserue to bee cut in peeces with the edge Take example in the sinne of drunkennesse and wonder at it How many drunkards hath God cast downe in a ditch from a bridge from an horse where peraduenture they haue broken arme or legge or face wheÌ„ God could as easily haue suffered theÌ„ to haue broken their neckes so to haue ended their sinfull daies wretchedly as they liued prophanely yet which of them hath beene bettered or admonished by it or who hath taken instruction from it to feare the Lord or to repent of the same sinne Many there are that are companions in sin and brethren in euill they ioyne together in the practise thereof God giueth warning sometimes by the death of one of these companions which dieth desperately in his sins yet will not the rest take warning but proceed in their wickednesse as if there were no GOD to take vengeance of their presumptuous sinnes Lastly it belongeth to euery one to take Vse 3 notice of the corruptions of his owne heart that he is very forgetful of Gods iudgements very vnwilling to be admonished of them but is ready to passe them ouer and to put theÌ„ from him as matters that no way concerne him This is a voluntary and wilful ignorance Let vs therefore learne to make good vse of them and to lay them vp in our hearts as wee would do a treasure in our coffers The consideration of these well digested may doe vs more good then all the gold and siluer in the world As Dauid said I will neuer forget thy precepts Psal 119 61. so let vs say I wil neuer forget thy iudgements And as he remembred his mercies of old so let vs remeÌ„ber his iudgments of old And whereas the greatest fort make a mocke both of their owne sinnes and of Gods punishments let vs say with the Prophet My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements Psal 119 120. He giueth warning of his iudgements before hee smiteth and he smiteth one to teach another that so we should not fall into his iudgments but might learne to preuent them by a timely care of auoiding sinne We are yet safe from his reuenging hand let vs not be secure nor abuse his patience Security is one of the last sinnes that shall be in the world For before the fearefull day of the Lord there shall be a generall security when all are ready to fall asleepe Let vs bee warned by other mens harmes lest we feele them vpon our selues Esay 28 15. Christ our Sauiour speaking of the last times saith When the Sonne of man cometh shall he finde faith on the earth Luk. 18 8 and therefore he compareth them to the daies of Noah and of Lot when they did eate drink build and plant marry and giue in marriage euen vntill his iudgements fell in the midst of them so shall the comming of the Sonne of man be Math. 24 37 The more common this sinne shall bee the more watchful we ought to be that so against this vniuersall slumber we may prepare a generall remedy 46 And Moses said vnto Aaron Take a censer and put fire therein from off the Altar and put on incense and goe quickly to the Congregation and make an attonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun 47 And Aaron tooke as Moses commanded and ranne into the middest of the Congregation and behold the plague was begun among the people and he put on incense and made an attonement for the people 48 And hee stood betweene the dead and the liuing and the plague was staied 49 And they that died in the plague were fourteene thousand c. 50. And Aaron went againe c. We heard before the sinne or rather the many sinnes of these men now Moses setteth downe the punishment that fell vpon theÌ„ Albeit God at the intercession of Moses did not consume them in a moment yet he sent a fearefull plague and a deuouring pestilence among them that smote downe fourteene thousand and fiue hundred beside them that died about the matter of Korah And this plague had passed a great deale farther had not Moses and Aaron by their feruent praiers preuailed mightily with God to stay his hand so that we may say as it is in the Psalme He saide hee would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turne away his wrath lest he should destroy them Psal 106 23. This is a borrowed speech from warrefare and the besieging of a City where the walles are battered with engines that make a breach in theÌ„ â—hat it is to â—nd in the â—each so that nothing remaineth but for the enemy to giue the assault and to make an entrance put all to the sword meaning thereby that the wrath of God is as the violent shaking of the walles of a City there can no strength hold out against him Now Moses and Aaron did as it were oppose theÌ„selues against Gods wrath and the peoples danger by earnest and hearty praier made on their behalfe that God would spare his people not destroy them with the pestilence For as in times of greatest danger and distresse the most valiant Captaines and Souldiers offer themselues to manifest perilles when a breach is made in the wall for the enemy to enter with all his forces that thereby they may driue backe such as are pressing forward to giue the assault so did Moses and Aaron stand betweene the liuing and the dead interposed body for body and life for life â—octrine We learne heereby that the necessity dignity 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Ministery and worthinesse of the Ministery is exceeding great in respect of the good of the people 1 Tim 3 1. Eph. 4 11 12 13. Acts 8 29 and 9 11 and 10 20 and 16 9 10 14.15 29.30 Math. 16 19. Reason 1 This is farther confirmed by the titles wherby they are called and adorned They are appointed to be Shepheards by the great Shepheard of the sheepe 1 Pet. 5. Eph. 4 11 12 to be Ouerseers of the Church of Christ Acts 20 28 to bee as fathers ouer their children Exod. 20 12. 1 Cor 3 to be as nurses ouer the infants and to be as stewards ouer the house to giue to euery one his portion Secondly they haue charge ouer mens Reason
doe He promised to Abraham to giue him a childe but he gaue vnto him many children for hee had not only Isaac the sonne of promise by Sarah but he had Ismael by Agar Gen. 25 1 2 3 Gen. 16 15 16. and many other by Keturah God therefore is not onely good but much better then his word Reason 1 And no marueile for he is of infinite power and can do much more then he will Mat. 3 9. and 26 53. Secondly he promiseth afore-hand more then we can looke for to make vs ready and willing to obey him as he did to Salomon 1 Kin. 3 12 13. to the end that no man should thinke it tedious troublesome to come vnto him The vses remaine Vse 1 Acknowledge from hence the infinite goodnesse mercy and power of God His louing kindnesse is incomprehensible Hence it is that the Apostle praieth for the Ephesians earnestly with his knees bowed vnto the Father that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith that they being rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might bee filled with the fulnesse of God Eph. 3 18 19 Thus then wee must learne to magnifie the exceeding loue of God toward vs of which we haue daily experience Vse 2 Secondly from hence we may conclude that much more he will giue vnto vs whatsoeuer he hath promised Hee cannot deceiue nor faile nor alter that which is gone out of his mouth it is God that cannot lie which hath promised Titus 1 2. He is faithfull he cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2 13. As he is not deceiued so he cannot deceiue man is subiect euen the best men both to deceiue and to be deceiued Doubt not therefore of his word that is better then his word Vse 3 Thirdly we haue comfort to goe vnto him in al our necessities and great encouragement to pray vnto him in time of danger He is able to giue vs more aboundantly aboue all that which we aske or thinke Eph. 3 20. We see how men in their suite to their betters commonly aske more then they looke for they cannot looke for more then they aske thinking by that means of asking largely to obtaine somewhat answerable to their expectation But God giueth more then we aske we do not aske more then he giueth as all the Saints of God haue found to their endlesse comfort Psal 105 20 21. Gen. 39 19 20. and 40 14. and 41 14 41 42. Ester 7 10. compared with chap. 9 10. Lu. 15 22. Math. 15 22. Vse 4 Fourthly see the difference between God and man Men for the most part are liberall in promising but sparing in performing It is not so with God indeed he promiseth much but he performeth more hee is a liberall pay-master he dealeth bountifully with his seruants When Iacob was sent away to Padan Aram to his mothers father Gen. 2â— â— God promâ—sed he would be with him that he would â—â—epe him in all places whither he went that hee would bring him againe to his fathers house that he would not leaue him vntil he had done that which he had spoken vnto him of and Iacob himselfe craued no more of God but this that he would keepe him in his way that hee went and giue vnto him bread to eate and raiment to put on Gen. 28 15 20. But God performed a great deale more vnto him for Iacob receiued more acknowledgeth more ch 32 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this IordaÌ„ now I am become two bandes Lastly it is our duty to be cheerefull in the Vse 5 duties of our callings the Magistrate the Minister the master the seruant euery one as his place requireth in ruling in teaching in instructing in obeying seeing God will reward so plentifully Let no hinderances or pulbacks discourage vs whatsoeuer we meete withall let vs passe them ouer not regard them Let vs go constantly forward as Moses did there were many hookes baited and laid before him to catch him many snares set before his eyes to entangle him but hee escaped as a bird out of the net of the fowlers Heb. 11 26 because hee had respect to the recompence of the reward God rewardeth abundantly aboue our deserts desires Our deserts indeed are little nay none at all but our desires are great and yet the bountifulnes of God exceedeth our desires though they be often enlarged very far and wide If this will not giue encouragement nothing will Behold the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Leui was budded yeelded almonds Out of these words another point is to bee considered I meane from the flourishing of this rod Doctrinâ— that is God is ablâ— giue life to things thaâ— are quite dâ— that God is able to quicken giue life to things that are dead withered though they haue no sap no moysture no iuyce in them yet God is able to put a vegetable force into them This we see in Abraham Sarah they were in respect of generation as good as dead for Sarah was aged and barren and past bearing of children for it ceased to be with her after the manner of women Gen. 18 11. and Abraham himselfe was an hundred yeare old Gen. 17 17. yet he was made a father of many Nations euen before him whoÌ„ he beleeued who quickneth the dead and calleth those things which bee not as though they were Rom. 4 17. This we see euidently in the first creation when out of the earth dead in it selfe he produced liuing creatures and made it bring forth grasse and hearb yeelding seed and the fruite tree yeelding fruite after his kinde Gen. 1 11 and 2 7. So when God had formed man of the dust of the ground he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life man became a liuing soule Againe it appeareth how God in all ages raised some out of the graue and from the number of the dead the dead man that was cast into the sepulcher of Elisha so soone as he touched his bones â—ng 13.21 reuiued and stood vp on his feet This we see among the miracles of Christ When a yong man was carried dead out of the gates of the City the onely sonne of his mother he came and touched the Beere and raised him to life 〈◊〉 7.11 12 â—th 9.25 So he raised the daughter of Iairus for he tooke her by the hand and she arose The like we might say of Lazarus that had beene buried and had layen foure dayes in the graue for when he cryed with a loude voice Lazarus come forth 〈◊〉 11.43.44 hee that was dead came foorth bound hand and foot with graue clothes So did Peter to Tabitha a woman
a true miracle But if it were a miracle men might discerne it by sense as all the miracles of Christ were discerned Let them giue vs an instance in any creature in heauen or earth where the Lord wrought any miracle which he did not subiect to the senses of man but heere is nothing that can be discerned by the senses for as much as the bread by the iudgement of all the senses remaineth and appeareth to bee the same in substance which it was before of the same quality quantity colour taste handling smelling vertue and nourishment there is not any one sense or all the senses together that can iudge otherwise of it then it did before therfore it can be no miracle No work is a miracle which cannot bee felt smelled seene tasted or perceiued Wherefore let the Church of Rome teach in their schooles write in their bookes preach in their Pulpits and decree in their Councels neuer so often that there is a miracle wrought in their Sacrament of the Altar yet because we can neither see nor touch nor taste nor feele any thing but the same that it was before we cannot beleeue them But they tell vs Obiect that though the outward forme and accidents of the bread remaine yet the substance of it is turned into the body of Christ which though we cannot perceiue by our senses yet wee are bound to receiue by faith I answer Answer that if the natural body of Christ were there present we might feele him as Thomas did forasmuch as Christ still retaineth his true body albeit it be now glorified Wherefore seeing there is no miracle in the Supper apparent to the senses there can be no miracle at all The difference which is is in the vse before it was common bread ordained for the nourishment of our bodies now it becommeth holy bread sanctified by the Lord not so much to feede the body as the soule To conclude then by this strange and new found miracle they ouerturne the doctrine of the Scriptures touching miracles For wheras we haue shewed that a miracle is a rare worke apparently to the senses wrought by the sole omnipotent power of God they make it to be an vsuall common and ordinary worke wrought by euery Priests pronouncing of fiue words yet so as no sense at all can discerne of it 12 And the children of Israel spake vnto Moses saying Behold we die we perish we all perish 13 Whosoeuer commeth any thing neere to the Tabernacle of the Lord shall die shall wee bee consumed with dying Hitherto of the first part of the Chapter heere followeth the second part to wit the repentance of the people crauing to bee deliuered from present death and from their sinne wherewith they had prouoked God to anger As if they had said We acknowledge that we deserue to die and perish through our sinnes neither did wee know so much vntill the plague that brake in among vs taught vs and the blossoming of the rod conuinced vs to our faces We presumed to meddle with the office of the Priesthood that belonged not vnto vs and therfore we deserue iustly and worthily to die But is there no place for mercy and forgiuenesse We may obserue from hence that this should bee the effect of all punishments which God bringeth vpon sinners to humble vs â—â—d explic â—â—m to make vs auoide sinne and to submit our selues to God with all obedience Againe we must neuer despaire of Gods mercy which is greater then our sinnes as a garment wider then the body and therfore more then able to couer the nakednesse thereof Thirdly we must acknowledge and confesse our sinnes to God because all sinne is committed against God him onely we haue offended Psal 51.4 Briefly also learne that the first degree of pardon is to know that our sinnes are pardonable this is as a sparke of light in a darke night and giueth hope of great mercy But to leaue these particulars this is the generall doctrine In all chastisements â—trine â—t is to bee â—owled iust in all chastiseâ—ts how grieuous and sharpe soeuer they be God is to bee acknowledged iust and righteous in laying them vpon vs Dan. 9.6 7 8 9 16 19. Ezr. 9.6.10 13 15. Psal 51.4 5. 2 Sam. 24.10 The reasons which are as the grounds of this truth are euident First because his punishments though many times they be greeuous burdens to beare yet are alwayes lesse then our deserts and offences Psal 103.10 He dealeth not with vs according to our offences Secondly our sinnes are the procuring causes of all the euils which we suffer Mic. 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him So then the cause of all our sufferings is in our selues Thirdly in all his corrections and iudgements hee remembreth mercy Hab. 3.2 Wee see this often in this book though the whole people sinned as one man yet iudgment came not vpon the whole but the mercifull God striketh some to admonish and amende others The vses follow First it reprooueth such Vse 1 as stand out with God and are ready to iustifie themselues and accuse God of ouermuch sharpenesse and seuerity These men neuer consider Gods manifold blessings and their owne vnthankefulnesse vnto him who reneweth his mercies toward vs euery morning Lam. 3.23 But we render vnto him euill for good and hatred for his good will We are like vnto stubborne children that murmure vnder the rod and cannot abide correction So it is with vs we can abide to sinne but wee cannot abide to suffer Wee regard not how much we prouoke him but we care not how little he punish vs. It is one of the hardest things in the world to iustifie God and to condemne our selues worthy of eternall death and damnation We see it from the beginning in our first parents they sought shifts and fig leaues to couer the nakednesse of their soules more then they did the nakednesse of their bodies as indeed there appeared much more deformity in the one then in the other and they had more cause to be ashamed of the nakednesse of their soules then of their bodies For sinne maketh vs naked of Gods protection and causeth him to depart from vs it taketh away our shield and defence and leaueth vs in the hands of our enemies We see also in the example of Achan Iosh 7. of Saul 1 Sam. 15. how hardly they were drawne to confesse their sinnes they heard sentence pronounced against them before they would pronounce sentence vpon themselues Let vs not tarry vntill God iudge vs but rather learn betimes to iudge our selues Secondly let vs humble our selues vnder Vse 2 the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 and when he draweth out his sword let vs not say wee are righteous like the Pharisee that condemned another but iustified himselfe Luk. 18. rather let vs cry out in the eares of God Spare Lord Ioel 2.17 and confesse that it is
had numbred the people after God sent him this word and offered him the choise of famine or sword or pestilence he saide I am in a wonderfull streight let vs now fall into the haÌ„d of the Lord for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man Who had not rather receiue punishment at his fathers hands of whose loue he is assured then to bee punished with the strokes of an enemy that loueth him not but hateth him to the death Men are proud and cruell fierce ambitious but God is full of compassion and his mercy endureth for euer he knoweth whereof we were made Psal 103.14 Psalme 78 39 he remembreth that we are but dust hee considereth that we are mortall yea a winde that passeth and commeth not againe He will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee are able to beare Hitherto the Lord hath visited vs with his mercifull and gentle corrections famines sicknesses and strange diseases Let vs behold his gracious dealing toward vs and profit by these fatherly admonitions for if he should deliuer vs into the hands of barbarous and beastly enemies we should soone discerne the difference betweene the louing chasticements of a father and the bloody strokes of an enemy 22 Then they departed from Kadesh and the childreÌ„ of Israel euen al the congregation came vnto Mount Hor. 23 And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor neere the border of the land of Edom saying 24 Aaron shall be gathered vnto his people for he shall not enter into the Land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel because yee rebelled against my commandements at the waters of strife 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and charge them to come vnto this Mount 26 And cause Aaron to strip off his garments and thou shalt put them vpon Eleazar his sonne then Aaron shall be gathered vnto his Fathers and shall dye there 27 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded for they went vp vnto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation 28 And Moses caused Aaron to strip off his garments and he put them vpon Eleazar his son and Aaron dyed there in the toppe of the Mount So Moses and Eleazar came downe from off that Mount 29 And when all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty dayes Hitherto of the Ambassage of Moses to the King of Edom These words containe the third and last part of the Chapter to wit the death of Aaron after the people were remooued from the borders of the Edomites For albeit the King did so vnkindly deny them any passage yet Moses and the Israelites doe not oppose themselues against them or attempt to breake through by force of Armes multitude of men and dint of sword but passe by their borders peaceably and fetch a compasse about their land True it is those enuious Edomites were worthy to perish and to be vtterly destroyed for their inhumanity yet because the time was not yet come wherein the Lord had prophesied and promised that the elder should serue the yonger Gen. 25 23. therefore the Israelites commit vengeance to the Lord to whom it belongeth Rom. 12 19. Now in these verses we see how God beginneth to execute the former threatning against Moses and Aaron For heere wee are to consider three things First the death of Aaron Secondly the succession of his sonne Thirdly the mourning of the people The father dieth the son succeedeth the people lamenteth the death of the high Priest If Aaron had dyed without any prediction and foretelling of his death all men might haue thought it had fallen out at aduentures and ascribed it wholy to the decaying of strength wasting of nature but being reuealed to Aaron himselfe and manifested to the whole Congregation both the time when and the place where he should die it appeareth that his daies were numbred and his yeeres limited which hee could not passe As then God had determined the death of Aaron and denounced his shutting out of the land of Canaan so that sentence is heere executed vpon him Deut. 34 4 5. the other concerning Moses is reserued vnto his time appointed of God In this place God commanded both of them what to doe euen to ascend vp to the Mountaine and sheweth that Aaron shall die there for his disobedience whose garments must be pulled off and put vpon Eleazar lest by touching of the dead the holy garments should be defiled After this commandement followeth their obedience agreeable to the same they come vp to the Mountain Aaron is stripped Eleazar is cloathed with them Aaron without feare of death or longer desire of life or prayer for life departeth in peace according to the word of God he is gathered to his Fathers Moses and Eleazar descend from the Mountaine Moses Eleazar and the people mourne for Aaron thirty daies Verse 23 24. And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron We see heere according to the former threatning pronounced by the mouth of God verse 12. that Aaron cometh not into the land of Promise but dieth in Mount Hor. We learne heereby Doctriâ— God-thrâ—nings are 〈◊〉 compâ—â—â—â— that the threatnings of God are accomplished Howsoeuer his iudgments are many times deferred and his punnishments prolonged because hee is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all persons come vnto repentance yet in the end all his threatnings shall be verified and fulfilled in their times and seasons Consider this truth in our first parents Ge. 2 17. â— 3 7. God threatned them that if they did eate the forbidden fruite they should die the death we see the effect in them and all their posterity throughout al times and generations Behold other threatnings of God wee shall alwayes reade the execution after the denunciation So when God by the Ministery of Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Peter 2â— had threatned to destroy the whole world if in an hundred and twenty yeeres they repented not wee see how he brought in the flood vpon the world of the vngodly swept them away from the face of the earth which they had corrupted with their cruell and vncleane conuersation This we see likewise taught vnto vs throughout the bookes of the holy history of Ioshua The man is cursed before the Lord Ioshua 6â— that ryseth vp and buildeth the City Iericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest sonne and in his yongest sonne shall he set vp the gates of it meaning therby that whosoeuer should attempt to builde this City he should pay for it deerely because what time hee layeth the foundation of the wals his eldest sonne shall dye and when hee setteth vp the gates and hath finished it his yongest sonne shall dye When this threatning seemed quite forgotten and consumed with the rust of time God doeth bring it to passe as we
or in the publicke ioy of the Church do mourne cannot in truth perswade their owne hearts that they haue anie part or portion in the body of Christ Wherefore whensoeuer God taketh away any principall stay of Church or Common-wealth we haue cause of mourning and humbling our selues vnder Gods iudgement When the husbandman layeth his Axe to the root of the tree or vndermineth the ground about it we can not doubt but he meaneth the felling and falling of it Or when wee see a Gardiner take away the hedge or wall of his garden Esay 5 5 6. plucke vp by the roots the cheefest choisest plants disfigure the ornaments and beauty of it and lay it open for the beasts to enter we may gather hee mindeth not to continue but deface the Garden Or when a Carpenter pulleth downe the master-peeces and postes that doth hold vp the whole frame and layeth the foundation euen with the ground wee may coniecture by these meanes that he meaneth to remoue the building to another place So when we see the euident footsteps of Gods wrath and begin to discerne the fire of his iealousie breaking out by the smoake beginning to appeare in taking away seruiceable men as plaÌ„ts of his own garden as pillars of his own house and as branches of the Tree which his right hand hath planted we must lay it to our hearts as tokens going before destruction This our Sauiour handleth Matth. 42 32 33. speaking of the signes going before his glorious appearance at the end of the world Learne the Parable of the Figge tree when her bough is yet tender and it putteth foorth leaues yee know that Summer is neere so likewise yee when ye see all these things know that the kingdome of God is nere euen at the doore And now beloued behold and consider lift vp your eies and looke how God hath dealt with vs and marke whether his dealings toward vs be not tokens of his anger and fore-runners of his iudgements Hath hee not taken from vs a most worthy Prince our late Soueraigne who by the course of nature might haue liued longer Of whom wee may truly say as Dauid did 2 Sam. 1 24. Ye daughters of Israel weepe for Queene Elizabeth who clothed you with Scarlet and pleasures and hanged Ornaments of Gold vpon your apparrell P. oâ— 31 2â— Or else as Salomon doth speaking of a good woman Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surmountest them all She opened the house of the Lord in the first yeere of her reigne as good K. Hezekiah did shee called backe the reuerent Ministers fled out of the land as Eliah into the wildernesse through the tyranny of Iezabel she brought in the pure worship of God cast out the Romish abhominations set forth the seruice of God in a knowne tongue repealed the bloody acts of the persecutors and therefore she thus honouring God and aduancing his Gospel he likewise exalted her Throne on high as the Throne of Salomon 2. Samuel 2 ver 30. so that she shined in her time in the world as if all the firmament thereof had bin but one starre and as if in all the cope compasse of heaueÌ„ there had shined none but she This starre is now set and gone downe which should go neere vnto vs and pierce vs to the quicke and make vs seeing a great Prince is fallen in Israel neuer to forget the great works which the Lord did among vs by her happy hand Besides hath not the Lord taken from vs many lights out of the Vniuersity whence flowed many comfortable streames that watered the Garden of God many out of Cities and particular Churches wherby the Church hath receiued a deepe and dangerous wound and yet we seeme to haue feared consciences and to be past feeling When the vitall parts begin to faile or to languish the life of the body is in hazard While the disease or distemperature is in the outward parts farre from the head or the heart there is hope of health and recouery but when the liuely parts begin to waste and consume by little and little it is a signe of the decay of life and of the approch of death Howsoeuer therefore the greatest part neuer lay these things to their hearts nor interprete them as present tokens of imminent danger and iudgement yet we that haue learned better things ought to consider that as they are taken away from the euill to come â— 57 1 2. â—gs 22 20 rest quietly in the graue as in a bed euen so they haue left vs behinde for the euill to come Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty to pray to God to stay his hand to shew mercy to his Church and to poure out the full Viall of his vengeance vpon his enemies that know him not Psal 79 6. Ieremy 10 25 and vpon the Nations that call not vpon his Name This the Prophet practiseth Psalm 74 2 19 20 21 22. Thinke vpon thy Congregation which thou hast possessed of old and on thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed and on this Mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelled We see how he putteth God in minde of his Couenant and entreateth him to strike through the loynes of his enemies to their destruction to maintaine his own cause and to spare his people the sheepe of his own Pasture the dwelling place of his own Name and the Congregation of his poore afflicted ones So when in like manner we behold the hand of God vpon his owne Sanctuary to begin iudgement at his owne house let vs call vpon him to consider whereof wee are made and to remember that we are but dust This did the Prophet Habakkuk when God threatened to enter into iudgment with his church O Lord I haue heard thy voice and was afraid O Lord reuiue thy worke in the midst of thy people in wrath remember mercy Hab. 3 2. Where hee teacheth that whensoeuer wee heare of the threatnings and iudgements of God we must pray him to repaire and restore the state of the Church which is ready to perish who is able to heale the wound that his owne right hand hath made True it is the great sinnes of this Land do cry out against vs may iustly prouoke him to make hauocke of all yet let vs call for mercy at his hands and stay the course of our sinnes that so he may stay the stroke of his iudgements CHAP. XXI IN this Chapter â—e diuition â—â—es chapter we are to obserue four principall pointes First the battaile fought betweene Arad King of the Canaanites the Israelites Secondly another murmuring of the people the last recorded in this Booke which God punisheth with fiery serpents cureth them with a brazen serpent Thirdly their happy proceeding in their journey toward the Land of promise where God gaue them water and brought them to the borders of the Amorites Lastly the victories which Israel obtained on Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the
the blinde so that he had ruinated himselfe his wife if the hand of God had not assisted and preuēted the mischiefe The like we see in Lot in a greater sinne Ge. 19 33 35. who being deliuered out of Sodome and growing secure fell twice into horrible incest with his owne daughters and yet recouered himselfe by vnfeigned repentance The like we see in Iohn Reuel 19 10. and 22 8. one of the twelue Apostles and the Disciple whom Iesus loued how he fell into idolatry and worshipped an Angell for which he was reproued of the Angell yet he failed the second time in giuing diuine worship to a creature which belongeth properly and peculiarly to the Lord the Creator Here then is comfort and consolation to all such as grone vnder the burden of sinne haue fallen through infirmity into the same sinnes let not such doubt of Gods mercy Who is much in sparing sinners and with whom is plentifull redemption Psal 130 7. Let them not feare the tentations of the diuell who goeth about like a roring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure 1 Pet. 5 8 but assure themselues that albeit with Peter they fall often yet if with him they repent truely weepe bitterly for their sinnes the Lord is mercifull to forgiue them their sinnes Not that we should sinne proudly presumptuously stubbornely stifly and obstinately against him that grace may abound Romanes chapter 6 verse 1 but if we sinne thorough frailty he wil not shut vs frō his mercy The diuell will tempt often the world allure often the flesh entise often so we may fall often through the tentations of the diuell thorough the allurements of the world and thorough the entisements of the flesh If they did draw vs and prouoke vs to sinne but once we should fall but once but they are euer at our elbow to worke our ruine and forsake vs not for euer as the diuell departed from Christ onely for a season Luke 4 13. But the Lord knoweth whereof we are made He remembreth that we are but dust he considereth that wee are but flesh yea as a winde that passeth and cometh not againe Psal 103 14 and 78 39. So that albeit we be often ouercome by sin yet if we often repent and returne vnto him he is a Father that hath more then one blessing in store and a liberall giuer that reprocheth no man Iam. 1.5 and pardoneth those that haue often asked and begged pardon It followeth Here is neither bread nor water and our soule loatheth this light bread Heere is the sinne of this people after God had plentifully and aboundantly fed them to the full they waxe wanton and weary of this food they account their Manna a vile and contemptible meat albeit it were most precious and named therefore Psal 78 25. Doctrine Naturally we soone waxe wearie and wanton of Gods gifts Reuel 2 17. Angels food The doctrine from this corrupt practise is this that we waxe weary loathe and contemne Gods blessings which we seemed at the first with ioy and gladnesse to receiue We soone learne to contemne to make little and light account of spirituall and temporall blessings for this Manna was both We see this in our first parents they were compassed with the kindnesse of God and hedged about with his mercies yet were not long contented with them nor rested in them with thanksgiuing but lusted to taste of the tree of be knowledge of good and euill and would be as gods knowing good and euill Gen. 3 6. So Esau was the first borne he should haue delighted therein as in a pledge of Gods fauour and a mirrour of his great mercy Ge. 25 33.44 Heb. 12 16 17 yet he grew prophane and secure he sold the birthright and contemned the blessing This Salomon teacheth Prou. 27 7. The person that is full despiseth an hony-combe but vnto the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweet The like we reade in Moses Deut. 32 15. Hee that should haue beene vpright when he waxed fat spurned with his heele thou art grosse thou art laden with fatnesse therefore he forsooke God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation Thus we see how ready we are to despise Gods graces and so to come to the very top of iniquity Reason 1 The reasons follow to be considered First it is not much to be maruailed at that we wax weary of good things because we want the spirit of discerning and of iudgement to see into our owne selues Hence it is that we hold not on in a certaine and setled course the way of godlinesse which we are entred into We hault in our iourney and many waies trip before we come to the end thereof And the reason is because we weigh not heauenly things with the weights of the Sanctuary but put thē in the partiall and deceitfull ballances of our owne braines wherby we deceiue our selues rob God of his honor prize the best things at a vile rate as Christ was valued at thirty pence Zach. 11 22. This sencelesnesse sottishnesse Christ himselfe checked in the Israelites saying vnto thē when he was come neere to the City and beheld it with teares O Luke 19 4◠if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this day those things which belong vnto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eies Where there is this blindnesse of minde this security of heart this want of iudgement to discerne of their estate condition aright no maruaile if there be a loathing and leauing of good things as was among the Israelites in this place Secondly we are so besotted and bewitched Reason 2 with the glittering shew of this world and of the things in this world that we haue no leisure to minde the world to come and are so pampered vp with the peace and plenty and pleasures of the world that as resty horses we spurne against our Creator Deut. 32 1 as Moses complaineth and we heard before As we are of the earth by creation so we alway carry a lump of this earth about vs our hands are full of it our eyes looke vpon it our feete tread vpon it our senses are exercised with it our talke communication is vpon it our hearts are possessed with it ahd all our life long we dwell vpon it Seeing therefore this mould of earth earthly things hath taken such roote in vs no maruaile if we grow carnal and secure waxe wanton and weary of the word and of those waies that leade vnto life and saluation This doth our blessed Sauiour teach vs Mat. 13 22 in the Parable of the Sower He that receiued the seed among thornes is he that heareth the word but the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choake the word and he is made vnfruitfull The vses heereof are first to shew vs the Vse 1 difference betweene the godly and vngodly For the godly do magnifie Gods
whether we shall returne to them aliue or not forasmuch as wee carry about vs euermore houses of clay And when we come into them we know not whether we shall go out of them againe vpon our feet or be carried out vpon the shoulders of others Lastly the manner and kinde of our death is also as vnknowne as the rest whether we shall dye a naturall or a violent death a suddaine or a lingring death whether our life shall be prolonged to the last point and period of nature our heat and moysture being consumed Cicer. de ◠as the light of a candle consumeth by little and little and at length goeth out of it selfe or whether it shall be taken away by fire by water by sword by famine by pestilence by beasts and such like casualties incident to the sonnes of men all which proclaime and publish in our hearts the vaine condition of all flesh Reason 2 Secondly God hath prepared for vs a City whereof he is the builder and maker This City we seeke being Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem the mother of vs all For we shall neuer sufficiently be brought to acknowledge our fraile and brittle estate vnlesse wee be raised and lifted vp to the meditation of our future condition in the life to come If then the kingdome of glory be a place of rest what is this present estate but a sea of sorrowes If the heauen be our natiue Country what is the earth but an exile and banishment ◠3 20. If it bee true happinesse to enioy the blessed presence of the liuing God then it must needs be a miserable thing and death it selfe to want it If to leaue this earthly tabernacle be a setting of vs free and at liberty what is this body but a prison If immortality be as the putting on of a garment 〈◊〉 5.6 what is our mortality but as it were a nakednesse Lastly if to die in the Lord bee to goe vnto God what is this life but an absence from him This did the Patriarkes professe and to this they sealed by their practise Heb. 11 13 14 15 16. Abraham possessed not one bredth of a foote sauing the purchase bought to bury his dead Iacob was banished out of that Land a great part of his life Isaac and the rest of the fathers had but their walke in it and enioyed it as a pledge of another Country which is aboue Vse 1 The vses follow If we haue heere no abiding City in the daies of our vanity then acknowledge Gods great mercy toward vs being so vaine We see other creatures in their estate more permanent then man is far exceeding and excelling in naturall gifts in seeing tasting mouing hearing touching and such like properties yet no creature tasteth of his sauing mercies as man doth This consideration doth the Prophet leade vs vnto Psal 8 3 4 6 7 9 that hee is mindfull of him and visiteth him and hath put all things vnder his feet There is no merite in vs to be a motiue to moue him to shew so great mercy vnto vs. He findeth vs walking in our sinnes as it were wallowing in our blood all our righteousnesse is as a foule and filthy cloth Esay 64 6. This vse Dauid vrgeth Psal 103 14 15 16 18. Hee knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that wee are but dust the daies of man are as grasse as a flower of the field so flourisheth he but the louing kindnesse of the Lord endureth for euer he is full of cōpassion and mercy slowe to anger of great kindnesse So that he confirmeth himselfe others in Gods mercy by the consideration of our owne vanity Vse 2 Secondly seeing our daies be vaine short why doe we carke and care so much for the things of this life what we shall eate what we shall drinke and what we shall put on Why do we eate the bread of sorrow with too much painfulnesse heape vp worldly things It may be we shal not come to the sight of the fruite of our labours much lesse to the partaking of it A traueller the shorter his iourney is the lesse his prouision is We are all trauellers we are in the way to our country and we are not far from the end of our iourney what folly then and madnesse is it to cast all our thoughts and meditations to earthly things and to care not onely for the morrow Math 6 25 34 but for moneths and yeares This our Sauiour setteth downe Luke 12 19 20 21 for when the rich man saide to his soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime It was answered him O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall these things bee which thou hast prouided So is he that gathereth riches and is not rich in God Hereunto consenteth the Apostle Iames chap 4 13 14 15. Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a City and continue there a yeare buy sell and get gaine and yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrow for what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth away for that yee ought to say Thus rather the words are to be read if the Lord will both we shall liue and we shall do this or that Salomon hauing had plentifull experience of the shortnesse and vanity of mans life penned to this purpose the Booke of Ecclesiastes which is as it were the marrow and pith yea the very quintessence of all his best knowledge and wherein we may see the refined wisedome of reformed Salomon he proclaimeth Vanity of vanities all is vanity there is an euill which I saw vnder the Sunne and it is much among men one to whom God hath giuen riches treasures and honour he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth but God giueth him not power to eate thereof a strange man shall eate it vp though he leaue no sparke behind him neither son nor brother yet doth he not thinke for whom do I trauaile and defraud my soule of pleasure This also is vanity and this is an euill trauaile Eccles 1 2 and 4 8 and 5 12 and 6 1 2. To conclude this vse if we be not strangers in this life wee shall haue no part in the kingdome of heauen If we will haue God to auow and acknowledge vs for his children let vs liue heere as forreigners and warfaring men in our iourney or rather in our race We haue pitched and patched vp a Tent or Tabernacle for a day or a night we must not nestle our selues heere we must not alwayes goe groueling to the ground nor intangle our selues in the affaires of this life to make it our euerlasting habitation but bee flying vpwards as birds sitting vpon a bough True it is God is so fauourable to many
himselfe teacheth out of the whirlewinde Iob 39 1 2 3. Who prepareth for the Rauen his meate when his Birds cry vnto God wandering for lacke of meate Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lyon and fill the appetite of the Lyons whelps We know the Lyons other sauage beasts are vnsatiable they are not filled with a morsell of meate they couch not downe in their dens wheÌ„ they haue taken a little they require much sustenance according to their deuouring nature Now who is it that findeth them this food and prouision but he that is the Creator of all things who saueth man and beast for the Lyons rore after their prey and seeke their meate at God Then let vs come to the comparison which the Prophet maketh Psalme 34. Psalm 104 21 If he feede the Lyons who suffer hunger and seeke their prey with violence how shall hee forget or forsake vs whom he auoweth for his children and hath created after his owne Image The Lyons do lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psalm 34 9 10. All these things teach vs that God reserueth to himselfe the office and charge of maintaining vs and giuing vnto vs whatsoeuer is necessary and meete for vs. Reason 1 The Reasons may easily and euidently appeare vnto vs. First his prouidence watcheth ouer those that are his for their comfort and benefit as the Prophet teacheth Psal 33 18 19. Behold the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vpon them that trust in his mercy to deliuer their soules from death and to preserue them in famine This made him say in his old age He saw neuer the righteous forsaken their children begging bread Psal 37 25. This prouident eye can neuer be deceiued or disappointed neither can it deceiue or disappoint such as rest vpon it for their comfort and preseruation Againe he is the Creator of all a mercifull Reason 2 Father a carefull Shepheard a gracious Redeemer a louing Husband to his people Will the Maker forsake the worke of his owne hands Can the Shepheard forget his flocke and the sheepe of his pasture Can the Father forget his childe or the Mother not haue coÌ„passion on the sonne of her wombe Can the Redeemer cast off his inheritance that he hath bought and dearely purchased Can the husband deny protection and prouision vnto his wife that lieth in his bosome Thus the Prophet reasoneth and from the titles of God assureth his faith that it should neuer faile The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want hee maketh me to rest in greene Pastures and leadeth me by the still waters c. Psal 23 1. The vses of this Doctrine are lastly to bee Vse 1 stood vpon First we are hence to gather that we ought in all estates to feare God and not to feare want of worldly wealth or transitory things let vs haue our conuersation without couetousnesse which is vnsatiable and enlarged as the graue let vs take heed of diffidence distrustfulnesse touching the things of this life let vs as well in aduersity as in prosperity be ready to rest on Gods prouidence whatsoeuer fall out vnto vs. True it is we ought to labour in our callings and to take paines to get meate and drinke but we must beware of carking and cares and vsing vnlawfull meanes to sustaine our selues If we see not such successe on our labours as we looke for let vs be content if we see his blessing let vs remember to render him thanks This duty the Prophet declareth Psal 34 9 37 5 for hauing declared that albeit the Lyons lacke yet God will nourish those that be his hee concludeth hereupon O feare the Lord ye his Saints for nothing wanteth to them that feare him Commit thy way to the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe Let vs pray to him in our necessities and call vpon him for our daily bread let vs especially bee mindfull of heauenly things and lift vp the eyes of our mindes to that kingdome that is reserued for vs. As for this world 1 Cor. â— 32. wee must vse it and all the things therein as if we vsed them not and as though they were not our owne but anothers according to the example and practise of the godly Patriarkes Let vs vse our houses and dwelling places as strangers doe an Inne wherein they lodge and seeke harbour for a night and then are gone Let vs vse our goods and riches as Pilgrims do other mens goods for a small season but we must take heede wee set not our hearts vpon them Let vs reiect and cast off all things that may clog and hinder vs in the way to the kingdome of heauen like good trauellers that wll burden themselues with nothing that may hinder them in their iourney And let vs all learne true contentation of heart in euery estate of life whether in health or in sicknesse whether in want or in abundance whether in trouble or in peace considering that as we brought nothing into this world so we can carry nothing out of the same Againe seeing God supplieth the wants of Vse 2 the body let vs seeke also at his hands the norishment of our soules and depend vpon him for our spirituall food We see how men being in any aduersity are vexed and greeued how neere it goeth vnto the quicke If they want bodily food and sustenance they compasse sea and land they spare no labour they refuse no charges to haue it supplied How much more should wee double our care for the soule â— â—6 which is of a more diuine nature and commeth nearer to the Image of God The soule of man is the more precious and noble part of a man the soule of a man is truely himselfe the body is but his instrument therefore being of a more excellent substance it is more to be regarded and cared for then the body If therefore a man would leaue country and kindred to prouide for his body hee should be willing to go out of house home yea euen to forsake himselfe to saue his soule If a man be ready to trauaile a thousand miles by sea and land for the increase of his wealth or the bettering of his knowledge or the delight of his body â— 6 33. we should not think much to go ten thousand miles to take any paines for the good of our soule and to get food for the same But the practise of the world goeth cleane contrary the soule is least regarded the health the wealth the welfare the peace the sustentation and preseruation thereof is nothing esteemed They that are of the earth do sauour onely of the earth and will neuer leaue caring for it till their mouthes be full of it As we do tread vpoÌ„ the earth so let vs tread vnder our feet all earthly things and as wee are borne to looke vpward toward heauen
let vs haue our conuersation in heauen set our affections vpon heauenly things as we aske of God our daily bread so let vs depend vpon him for the daily food of our soules Vse 3 Lastly let vs returne to him praise and glory due vnto his Name We see men looke for this duty at our hands as an acknowledgment of their fauours who are but the instruments of God for the good of his people How much more then ought wee to be carefull to remember the Lord and to lift vp our hearts to the heauens We must not be alwaies groueling vpon the earth like the swine that eate the Mast but looke not to the Tree Wherfore the Prophet teacheth vs this duty I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart yea I will glorifie thy holy Name for euer for great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue Psal 86 12 13. If we be not carefull when God hath opened his hand toward vs to opeÌ„ our mouthes yea our minds toward him we depriue our selues of many other blessings that God would plentifully bestow vpon vs. A skilfull husbandman will not alwaies till a barren soile nor cast his corne in the high-way where it shal neither be encreased nor receiued so if there be found in any of vs a dry and vnthankfull heart we stop the streame of Gods blessings and hinder many good things from vs. So then it is not enough to desire a supply of our necessities to haue a sense and feeling of our own wants we must not be idle beggers alwaies crauing catching what we can out of the Coffers of Gods Treasury and neuer acknowledge what we receiue and from whence we receiue it It is a notable note and token of the childe of God to be often in praises and thanksgiuings If we haue receiued but a litle measure of knowledge or faith learne vnfainedly to be thankfull for that to the end thou maist procure a farther blessing from God and that thou maist grow from faith to faith and from strength to strength Many hypocrites dissemblers nay many Atheists and Libertines in trouble and affliction are ready to aske seeke and knock at the gate of Gods mercy as we see in the Israelites and in sundry others but these praiers proceed from feare not from faith from a feeling of sorrow not from a feeling of sin from a sight of their own necessity not from a sight of their owne misery through want of reconciliation vnto God But we must testifie our loue to God and our zeale of his glory by our acknowledging of his gracious blessings and rendring vnto him the praise of his works of mercy Verse 17. Then Israel sang this song c. The goodnesse of God was great toward the Israelites in those dry and desolate places to send them water reueale vnto them where they should dig a Well Wherefore so soone as they haue experience of his kindnesse they make a song of thanksgiuing and sing a song of praise to remaine vnto all posterity to testifie the acknowledgement of Gods mercy toward them The Doctrine from this place is this Doctrine Thanksgiuing to God is a necessary duty That it is required as a speciall duty to God to offer the sacrifiâ—e of praise and to pay vnto him the calues of our lips when we haue tasted of his bounty and louing kindnesse We must giue thanks for mercies receiued at his hands WheÌ„ the people of God receiued any victory ouer their enemies they returned the glory to him for their deliuerance Gen. 14.20 Exod. 15 1. and 18 10. The Prophet Dauid as he abundantly tasted of the fauour of God so plentifully powreth out praise and thanksgiuing as the 18 Psalme It is a Psalme of praise which he sang in the day that the Lord deliuered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul Likewise Psal 116 12 13. What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefites toward mee I will take the Cuppe of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord. This duty we see practised by Melchizedec on the behalfe of Abraham Blessed be the most High which hath deliuered thine enemies into thine hands This we see performed by Moses and Aaron when they saw the mighty power of God ouerturning the Egyptians I will sing vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously the horse and him that rode vpon him hath he ouerthrowne in the sea they sanke to the bottome as a stone This duty is not omitted nor deferred by Deborah and Barak in the day of their deliuerance Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel and for the people that offered themselues willingly Iudg 5 1 5. This is it also that the Apostle teacheth Phil. 4 6. In all things let your requests bee shewed vnto God in prayer in supplications and in giuing of thanks Yea Iob fearing God and eschewing euill performed this duty to God after the losse of outward wealth when he had beene bereft of his children robbed of his goods spoiled of his seruants reproched of his wife and tempted of the diuell he said Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne againe the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the Name of the Lord for euer Iob 1 21. Teaching vs heereby to glorifie God not onely for meate drinke apparell peace liberty Gen. 24 12. and 29 35. 1 Sam. 1 1. health children successe in domesticall affaires and such like but euen for the losses crosses that he sendeth vpon vs which he sanctifieth to the saluation of his seruants Let vs therefore acknowledge that it is a duty belonging vnto vs to offer the sacrifice of praise alway vnto God that is the fruite of the lips which confesse his Name Reason 1 The Reasons remaine to bee considered First we must giue him the praise of his works because it is the will and pleasure of GOD who is so good vnto vs to require it of vs who can giue him nothing else Psal 118 1. For what are we able to require and returne to the Lord for his great mercies Can we deserue them at his hands or glory of any our own merits Without him we can do nothing If then wee can render nothing but this let vs not deny him this duty of praise It is the will of God we should not kill or steale nor commit idolatry or adultery such like few but make conscience of these sinnes because we see the will of God restraining vs and condemning them So it is the will of God we should beware of vnthankfulnesse and open our mouthes in setting foorth his praises for his goodnesse vnto men This reason the Apostle vseth 1 Thess 5 17 18. Psalm 81 4. Pray continually in all things giue thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus toward you
Reason 2 Secondly of all sacrifices this is the chiefe and principall and groweth in the Garden of God as one of the Cedars in Lebanon eminent aboue the rest of the Trees of the Forrest It excelleth and surmounteth all the rest in respect of the enduring and continuance of it in respect of the vse and end of it and in respect of our vnwillingnesse and vntowardnes to performe it First touching the lasting of it it was in Paradice before the fall it was before the flood it was before the Law vnder the Law vnder the Gospel and shall hold to the end of the world It is performed of men and Angels in heauen and earth it shall neuer end no not when other exercises of our religion shall ceasse The Scripture shall haue an end preaching shall ceasse prayer shall faile the sacraments shall fade we shall haue no need of these things but the sweete singing of Gods eternall praises shall neuer ceasse The blessed Saints and all the hoast of heauen shall giue praise and power honour and glory to him that sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Reuel 5 13 and 11 17. Againe it is the end both of the works of Reason 3 God and of the other exercises of religion It is the end of our election for he hath predestinated vs to the praise and glory of his grace wherwith he hath made vs freely accepted in his beloued Eph. 1 5 6. It is the end of our creation for he hath made all things to his owne glory euen the wicked for the day of wrath Prou. 16 4. It is the ende of our redemption for the holy man blesseth the Lord God of Israel for visiting and redeeming his people who would send vs deliuerance from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate vs that wee should serue him without feare all the daies of our life in holinesse and righteousnesse before him Luke 1 68 74 75. And the Apostle teacheth this Eph. 1 3 7. Blessed bee God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according to his rich grace It is the end of our iustification for we are iustified freely by grace that no man shold boast in himselfe But he which reioyceth should reioyce in the Lord. 1 Cor 1 31. It is the end of our sanctification of our saluation and of our glorification to returne all glory praise vnto God that sanctifieth and saueth vs will glorifie vs in soule and body And as it is the end of these works of God so likewise all the exercises of our religion are directed and referred vnto it as to the principall marke they aime at A cheefe part of Gods seruice is praier But why doe we pray vnto him but that obtaining our requests hauing experience of his mercies wee may giue him the praise According to the saying of the Prophet I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50 15. Wherefore do we heare his word but that receiuing increase of knowledge and the gift of faith we may giue thanks to God Wherfore are we partakers of the Sacraments but that finding and feeling comfort by them we might returne the greater glory to God the author of them Lastly the vnwillingnesse of our corrupt Reason 4 nature to do this duty manifestly proueth the worthinesse and excellency of this exercise We are willing enough to pray for the gift but we are not so ready to praise the giuer we are forward and feruent in asking but cold dull in thanksgiuing In time of sicknesse and dangers wee are large in promises and protestations but being deliuered we are backeward in performing We are full of desiring the things wee want but wee are emptie of praises when God hath heard vs and so lose the fruite of that good which he hath sent vs. Seeing therefore the offering to God the sacrifice of praise is a principall part of his seruice and standing directly with his will it standeth vs in hand to confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes and his wonderful workes before the sonnes of men Psal 107 8. Vse 1 Now let vs come to the Vses First forget not his mercies and goodnesse toward vs. We are ready to remember our owne wants and our mouth with our desire is inlarged to pray for health in sicknesse for deliuerance in danger and for comfort in heauinesse but when light is risen in darkenesse and ioy to the vpright in heart wee forget the hand that lifted vs vp and that our helpe is in the name of the Lord which hath made heauen and earth This vse the Prophet Dauid maketh Psal 103.1.2 My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holye name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits This also Moses vrgeth to the people when they were compassed about on euery side with the mercies of God Deut. 6 10 11 12. 8 10 11. When they should possesse Cities that they builded not houses full of all manner goods which they filled not Welles which they digged not Vineyards and Oliue trees which they planted not when they haue eaten and are full then he willeth them to beware lest they forget the Lord their GOD that brought them out of the Land of Egypt from the house of bondage Why is it that he willeth theÌ„ especially to take heede to themselues when their bellies are filled when their cattle is increased when their substance is multiplyed and when their possessions are inlarged Surely because if euer wee forget God it is when we are full If euer wee despise his lawes and commandements it is in the time of plenty abundance euen then when we are most of al bound to serue him When he hath beene on our side and made an hedge round about vs then wee stand in a slippery place readie to haue our hearts puffed vp our minds hardned in pride and to forget God and his goodnesse as Pharaohs chiefe Butler did forget Ioseph Gen. 40 23. The more loue is bestowed vpon vs the lesse duty is performed vnto him whereby satan goeth about to take away all the graces of God from vs. In 2 King 20 8 13. Hezekia was deliuered from a deadly sicknesse and went vp to the house of the Lord to magnifie his mercy for his recouery yet see how soone after he was ouertaken with vnthankfulnesse and lost the comfort of his deliuerance â—â—â—on 32 â—5 and receiued heauy tydinges that his posterity should be carried away captiues into Babel He thought that in his prosperitie He should neuer be moued This is taught vs also in the curing of the ten lepers mentioned by the Euangelist Luke 17.15 16 17 18. of the which one only returned back and with a loud voice praised God and gaue him thanks and Iesus answered saying Are there not ten cleansed but where are the
things as trauellers not possesse any thing as Conquerers yet nothing at al albeit neuer so right or reasonable and so equall or honest is granted permitted to Gods people Wherefore Sihon either resoluing with himselfe to deale vniustly and vnkindly or suspecting that vnder a faire colour and outward shew of honest dealing they might haue a further proiect and hide the depth of their cunning deuises as oftentimes is vsed at the dyets and consultations of Princes and beeing enflamed with the malice of his owne heart Guicciard hist lib. 11. 19. he dealeth more vnmercifully with theÌ„ then the Edomites and Moabites had done and denieth that fauour and friendship which they had found among them Indeed the Edomites denyed them passage thorough their Land as we saw before chapter 20 yet they suffered them to trauell by their Coast Borders and solde them foode for their money Deut. 2 29. The Moabites another enemy permitted them indeed to passe by their Borders but refused to giue them meate or water for mony as appeareth Deut. 23 3. But the Amorites worse then both the former not only affoorded them no commodity but being destitute of all sparkes of humanity denyed theÌ„ passage in word and deed In word he answered Thou shalt not passe In deed he vnited his forces he tooke the field and so prouoked Israel to battell who lay still and stirred not against him True it is Israel had Gods purpose reuealed vnto them to subdue them and enter their Land but Moses waiteth with wisedome vntill they were teazed and constrained to defend themselues lest if they had begun and giuen the occasion the enemy should vpbraide them with iniustice and charge them with oppression chalenge them for wrongfull vsurpation Now they deale vprightly euen their enemies being Iudges inasmuch as Nature teacheth euery man to resist force with force Cicer. pro â—loâ—e and defend himselfe with his weapon against open and outragious violence The occasion being offered and the fire kindled by Sihon Israel being compelled fighteth against him ouerthroweth him in the battell and inuadeth his Dominion and maketh them all passe vnder the mercy of the sword without compassion sparing neither men Deut. 2 34. women nor children This victory is amplified by a particular enumeration of the Cities which they subdued and they inhabited euen in the head-Citty Heshbon Afterward their right to these places is proued and confirmed For albeit Heshbon properly belonged to Moab as a part of his Dominion yet all that coast euen to the Riuer Arnon was come by conquest into the possession of Sihon King of the Amorites so that the Israelites tooke not away any thing from the Moabites according to the commandement of the Lord Deut. 2 9. Iosh 13 25 but from the Amorites whose whole Countrey was alotted to his people GOD scattering the people that delight in war and take pleasure to shed blood This is that mercy of God which Nehemiah magnifieth chap. 9 8. Thou madest a Couenant with Abraham c. And Psal 78 55. Hee cast out also the heathen before them c. Thus did God shew himselfe to be the Shepheard of Israel that led his people like sheepe and brought them into the Borders of his Sanctuary which his right hand had purchased Here was the beginning of all comfort heere they began to set down their rest heere they saw the first fruites of their labours assuring them that as God had begun to performe his promise so he would continue to finish his owne worke Furthermore their right in possessing of these places is declared by a publike song of triumph and victory as it were a Trophie fet vp which was made by the Poets of that time to make knowne to posterity the victory of the Israelites and their lawfull claime to those Cities which they had won by the dint of the sword This Poeme was not a song made by the Amorites as many suppose but composed by the Israelites as appeareth by these reasons First we see it to be a most common and vsuall thing with the people of God when they had obtained any victory or receiued any benefit to leaue some token monument of it to posterity to acknowledge by whose hand they haue preuailed This we see in the words going before ver 17 18 where they sang a song of thankesgiuing for the Well which God had granted and they had digged Secondly it is no ordinary and vsuall thing with God to alledge the sayings of heathen Poets and so to sanctifie their prophane writings to be holy Scriptures True it is the Spirit sometimes produceth a short sentence to conuince the heathen by their own Prophets but neuer citeth an whole Poeme as Moses doth in this place Thirdly in the 30 verse it is saide We haue destroyed them vnto Nophah and subdued Sihon that had conquered the Moabites by which meanes Israel came to dwell in the Cities of the Amorites Fourthly here is pronounced and concluded the wofull and wretched estate of Moab â—g 11.33 for their idolatry and trusting in their god Kemosh which had deceiued them and deliuered them into the hands of their enemies which agreeth not to the Amorites as deepe in the sinne of idolatry as the Moabites and worshipping the same Idoll the Moabites did For Kemosh was the god of the Amorites Ammonites and Moabites Therefore as the Prophet saith â—y 2 11. that the Gentiles will not change their gods so it may be truely said they will not reproch and reuile their gods Thus then we see this was one of the songs of the Israelites most likely to bee penned and published by Moses himselfe who as he was brought vp in all the learning of the Egyptians â— 7 22. so he was cunning in this faculty as appeareth in other places of his works This Song or Sonnet remaining as a Testimony and witnesse of their iust conquest to ages succeeding setteth downe both the vsurping of the Amorites the recouery of those places out of the hands of the Amorites by the Israelites First it sheweth how Sihon inuaded the Moabites and exhorted his army to play the men appointing Rendevous place of meeting to be at Heshbon willing them to resort thither to begin the battell stirring theÌ„ vp to repaire the breaches of that City which Sihon made the head and mother-city of his kingdome and then inuading other parts of Moab which were wasted consumed with fire and sword Thus he seemed to haue most reason and right â— Aâ—al â— who had greatest strength They got their superiority by cruell iniustice and wrong vsurpation the distressed Moabites chusing to sell their liues in the field with honor seeing they could not enioy them with safety in their Cities Sihon then beeing thus Conqueror the Poet bringeth him in insulting ouer his enemies vaunting in his owne strength and ascribing the victory to his own power their god Kemosh the
reserueth wrath for his enemies and taketh vengeance on his aduersaries will helpe to redresse and represse our corrupt affections and make vs able to preuaile ouer them and to withstand them Let vs not recompence like for like let vs not measure euill for euill let vs do good against euill committing our cases and causes to that iust Iudge that alwayes iudgeth vprightly Therefore the Prophet ascribeth this Title as peculiar to God to right and reuenge the quarrels of his Children Psal 94 1 2. O Lord God the auenger O God the auenger shew thy selfe cleerely exalt thy selfe O Iudge of the world and render a reward to the proud It is the proper Office of God to take vengeance on the wicked and vngodly Wherefore the Apostle exhorteth the church Rom. 12 17 19 to recompence to no man euill for euill Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord So the Apostle Iohn after the foretelling oâ— troubles and persecutions addeth Heere is the patience of the Saints declaring thereby Reuel 14 12 what our armour and what our weapons of defence are to giue vs victory ouer our enemies Let these things stay vs in our afflictions from breaking out into impatiency of spirit and from returning wrong for wrong albeit the vnfaithfull rise vp against vs the Drunkards make songs of vs Psal 69 12. and we suffer reproofe and reproch for the Gospels sake yet he whose cause it is will not suffer the water-flouds to drowne vs neither let the deepâ— swallow vs vp nor let the pit shut her mouth vpon vs. Thirdly it is the duty of his people to praisâ— Vse 3 him greatly when hee auengeth the cause oâ— his Children When they see the wicked punished and those that forget God taken 〈◊〉 the snare of their own hands let them reioyce and be glad and giue vnto God the glory due vnto his name This practise we haue in the Prophet Ps 136 1. speaking of the ouerthrow of Pharaoh in the red sea and remembring the slaughter of sundry mighty Kings yea euen the names of those which we now speake of he prouoketh the people by a most earnest exhortation to giue thankes vnto God for their destruction Praise yee the Lord because hee is good for his mercy endureth for euer Heereunto commeth the praier of the Israelites induring the bitter scornes and reprochfull tauntes of most malicious enemies in the daies of their captiuity who as they demanded an heauie curse against those Edomites Psal 137 7 8. so they pronounced a blessing vpon them that shall vexe and trouble them This appeareth euidently in Ester 9 17. when the Church of God saw a great worke wrâ—ught for them their enimies destroyed and themselues deliuered they reioyced with an exceeding great ioy and kept a feast in remembrance of their deliuerance It is not cruelty to reioyce at the destruction of Gods enemies and to magnify his most great name for it This the Apostle Iohn teacheth Reu. 19 1.2 3 4 5. where the heauenly companies of Angels and blessed soules set foorth their gladnes and triumph that God had iudged the enemies of his people So chap. 18. v 20. O heauen reioyce of her and yee holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath punished her to be auenged on her for your sakes The innocent blood of the patient martyrs so cruelly murthered crieth out for vengeance in the eares of the Lord of hoasts as the blood of righteous Abel and shall not the Iudge of all the world do right It is his office to render into the bosome of his aduersaries seuen fold Now as it is our duty earnestly to desire the accomplishment of his iudgments so when they are performed as surely they will come and not tarry we must glorifie his blessed name with all reioycing that we can conceiue and expresse Lastly this serueth to be a terror to the vngodly Vse 4 when this Doctrine shal sound in their eares that God wil iudge the wicked for persecuting the members of Christ Iesus If they escape in this world the Lord reserueth them for greater iudgement When the Lord Iesus commeth with thousands of his Angels 2 Thes 1.6 7 8.9 hee will render vengeance vnto them in flaming fire and punish them with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power This the Prophet assureth Esai 8 9 10 14. 17 11 12 13 14. where by an Ironicall insulting he setteth downe the ruine of the enemies of the Church who albeit theyr rage be restlesse and their malice endlesse yet they shall not stand and their counsels shall come â—o nothing they do fight against God and against his sonne Christ Iesus who is the inuinâ—ible Rocke whereon the Church is builded â—gainst which the gates of hell shall not bee â—ble to preuaile So that whosoeuer shall fall on this stone he shall be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will dash him in peeces Mat. 21. Thus shal all the vngodly be scattered as chaffe before the winde and swept away as dung in the iust iudgement of God So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but they that loue him shal be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might Iudg. 5 31. Verse 21.22 Let me go through thy Land We will not turne aside into the Fields nor into the Vineyards c. Heere Moses setteth downe another danger of the Israelites greater then the former remembred in the former chapter Thus one trouble followeth in the necke of another As one deepe calleth to another deepe by the noise of his water spouts Psal 42 7. Wee see heere againe how Israel is driuen to the same exigent they were before After they haue compassed the land of Edom they come to the Amorites and craue of them some help and compassion They seeke comfort and an end of their sorrowes at the hands of Sihon a wretched Idolater an enemy of God and of his people Thus low are the people of God oftentimes brought to stand in neede of the fauour of the vngodly as we haue shewed in the former chapter Furthermore Moses assureth before hand what their behauiour shall be and promiseth to abstaine from all hurt wrong From hence we learne this doctrine Doctriâ— The pâ— God 〈◊〉 â—staine 〈◊〉 wrong â—ries That the people of God must abstaine from al violent incroching vpon the goods and possessions of others they must not intrude them selues vpon their goodes and substance they must keep their hands from robbing and stealing and their hearts from coueting and desiring that which is anothers and not their owne they must not take of all that is another mans so much as a thred or shoo-latchet to inrich themselues Hereunto come the lawes giuen of God vnto his people Exodus 22 1. If a man steale an Oxe or a Sheepe if a man hurt his neighbours field or
his power is not now weakened he can deale thus with all his enemies the enemies of his Church If he blow vpon them with the blast of his mouth they passe away suddenly as the chaffe is scattered before the winde An example heereof is recorded in the holy History 2 Chron. 20 23. when a great multitude of the Moabites Ammonites and Amorites assembled themselues to fight against Iehoshaphat after he had set himselfe to seeke the Lord proclaiming a fast throughout all Iudah asking counsell of the Lord and praying to him in the zeale of his spirit the enemies slew one another with the sword Thus doth God turn the edge of the sword drawne against the Church vpon themselues rescueth his people when there is none to helpe We haue had experience of Gods protection of his church our eyes haue seene and our eares haue heard how one hath butchered and murthered another whereby God hath giuen a time of rest and breathing vnto his seruants Hee is the same without changing with him is no variablenes neither shadow of turning if we turne to him with all our hearts he will turne to vs and not suffer the rod of the wicked alwaies to rest on the lot of the righteous lest they should put forth their hand to wickednes Therefore Israel dwelled in all the Cities of the Amorites in Heshbon and in all the Villages therof We haue heard of the murthers slaughters that were betweene the Moabites the Amorites in the which howsoeuer one sought to defend himselfe the other preuailed by vsurpation as might sometimes ouer-cometh right yet the purpose of God who ouer-swayeth all actions of men and draweth good out of euill was to giue rest to his people and to make them inherite and inhabite the Cities and Villages which the Amorites had wrongfully gotten Doctrine Gods childreÌ„ are oftentimes brought into the inheâ—itaÌ„ce of the vnfaithfull Hereby we learne for our instruction that God oftentimes bringeth the godly and faithfull that please him to inherite the Lands and possessions of the wicked and vngodly Howsoeuer the beleeuers that feare God are many times thrust out of house and home and haue their lawfull possessions taken from them as we see in Naboths Vineyard 2 King 21 15. Gen. 21 25. and in Abrahams Well yet sometimes God returneth in mercy to the faithfull and maketh the substance and inheritance of the vnfaithfull to descend vnto them This is confirmed in the Booke of Exodus at the departure of Israel out of the Land of Egypt at which time GOD recompenced the sore labours and heauy trauels of his people imposed vpon them by cruell taske-masters For they asked of the Egiptians Iewels of siluer and Ingots of gold and change of rayment then the Lord gaue them fauour in the sight of the Egiptians so that they granted their requests inriched the Israelites and spoiled themselues Exod. 12 35 36. This goodnesse of God the Prophet with praise acknowledgeth toward his people saying He cast out the Heathen before them caused them to fall to the lot of his inheritance c. Psal 78 55. This verifieth the saying of the wise man Prou. 28 8. He that encreaseth his riches by vsury and interest gathereth them for him that will be mercifull to the poore And in another place Prou 13.22 The good man shall giue inheritance to his childrens children and the riches of the sinner is laid vp for the iust In like manner Iob describing the condition of the vngodly fheweth that though he should heape vp siluer as the dust Iob 27.16 17. and prepare raiment as the clay hee may prepare it but the iust shall put it on and the innocent shall diuide the siluer Thus God taketh away the things of this life from such as vse theÌ„ wickedly and bestoweth them vpon such as will imploy them lawfully Reason 1 The Reasons remaine to be considered to strengthen this truth and to make it appeare to the conscientes of all of vs to be a necessary and apparant truth First of all the mercy of God toward such as are sealed vp to be his seruants is without end there is no brim nor bottome of it If then his mercy surmount our thoughts he will let passe no part of his kindnes toward them that do feare him Thus the Prophet reasoneth Psal 136 21 22. Where vpon these examples of Gods great kindnes toward Israel in ouerthrowing Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan hee saith He gaue their Land for an heritage for his mercy endureth for euer euen an heritage vnto Israel his seruant for his mercy endureth for euer Whensoeuer therefore wee see this come to passe we must acknowledge the cause of it to be in God who ceasseth not to bee good to those that be his Reason 2 Againe God maketh knowne his power among his people to teach them to depend vpon him to shew vnto them that they serue not a weake and impotent God to instruct them to walke in the obedience of his waies This the Prophet pointeth out Psalm 44 2 3 and 111 6 105 44 45. Vse 1 The vses follow First this truth teacheth who is the soueraigne disposer of all things in heauen and earth namely God He ordereth kingdomes and disposeth Countries he giueth and taketh away hee encreaseth and diminisheth he maketh rich and maketh poore It is not our owne strength or pollicy it is not our owne care or labour it is the bountifulnes and blessing of God that is all in all We haue heere beneath vpon the earth Owners and Land-lords we haue such as account themselues possessours of houses and lands but we must know that wee are all Tenants at will we enioy nothing by Lease or Indenture for terme of yeares but hold the tenure of the Lands and liuings at the will and pleasure of the great and high Land-lord of all the world This is the confession of Hannah in her song of thanksgiuing 1 Sam. 2 7 8. The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalteth he raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherite the seat of glory for the Pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world vpon them Whatsoeuer therefore we haue let vs acknowledge therein not our owne desarts or merites but the goodnes of God toward vs filling vs with good things to serue him Secondly let vs from hence confesse that Vse 2 all the carke and care of man with his best endeuours cannot alwaies attaine to the benefit and fruite of his trauell but he prouideth that which another enioyeth This the Prophet Haggai testifieth chap 1 6.9 Yee haue sowne much and bring in little ye eate but ye haue not enough ye drinke but ye are not filled ye cloathe you but ye are not warme c. According to that which
bring it to any greatnesse The more we encrease in grace waxing strong in faith firme in hope and constant in our profession The more do wee grow to be conquerers through him that loued vs. 2 Cor. 4 16. Let vs alwaies fight against sinne watching in praier feruent in spirit reioycing in hope patient in tribulation cleauing to that which is good procuring things honest in the sight of all men and the God of peace shall tread Satan vnder our feete Rom. 12 11 12 16 20. Let vs alwayes in this life looke for enemies and prepare to with-stand them let vs stand on our watch-tower and descry the approching of them Let vs know that our aduersary the diuell goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may deuoure and be strong in the grace which is in Iesus Christ Heere is not the place of triumphing but the place of fighting No man is crowned except he striue as he ought to doe 2 Tim 2 5â— 11 12. The husbandman must labour before hee receiue the fruiâ—es of the earth We must dye with Christ before we can liue with Christ We must suffer with him before we can reign with him So long as we liue in this life we are souldiers and liue in warfare we must not dreame of the victory before the combate If we will heere skirmish with our enemies putting on the whole armour of God the day shall be ours we shall win the field Heere is our comfort that when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortality then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written 1 Cor. 15 54. Death is swallowed vp into victory which is the last enemy that shall be subdued If we be the children of God and are escaped from the bondage of corruption if we cast off Satan and his tentations we must neuer thinke to liue in rest but looke for him to buffet and batter vs that he may re-enter the Fort which he hath forsaken We must be content sometime to take a foyle and to haue the Bucklers and Wasters driuen to our heads yet so as our stepping backe should be but to recouer the greater force and strength They indeed that haue not a liuely faith in the Sonne of God nor haue giuen their names to their Captaine to serue in the warres against the flesh the world and the diuell do not know at all but are altogether ignorant what the suggestions of the flesh allurements of the world and the tentations of the diuell do meane They striue not they fight not they resist not they ouercome not they vnderstand nothing what killing conquering meaneth This our Sauiour teacheth in the Parable Luke 11 21 22. When a strong man armed keepeth his Pallace the things that he possesseth are in peace but when a stronger then he commeth vpon him he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted and diuideth his spoiles Verse 34. Thou shalt doe vnto him as thou didst vnto Sihon King of the Amorites which dwelt at Heshbon In these words is an illustration and amplification of the promise of deliuerance and assurance giuen them to preuaile drawne from a present and comfortable experience which they hadde of the power of God in subduing Sihon King of the Amorites As if the Lord should haue saide vnto them Why do ye shrinke and hang backe when ye should make an head against them looke them in the face What though this King bee puissant and of great stature of the race of those mighty Gyants Haue ye forgotten my power And do ye not remember what I did to Sihon King of the Amorites how I gaue him his people and his Cities into your hand Haue ye not experience that I giue the victory to whom I will Is my hand shortened that it cannot helpe Nay be of good comfort assure your selues I will not leaue you nor forsake you but as you haue ouercome those that haue hitherto stood against you so yee shall see your desire vpon all your enemies Whereby we learne That the experience of Gods former fauour â—octrine â—perience â—ormer faâ—â—r assureth â—â—re fauour casteth off feare causeth affiance in him and assureth future grace to come from him Among other meanes to worke faith in him and a resting our selues in his promises the blessed experience and comfortable proofe which we haue had of Gods mercies toward vs in former times is one of the cheefest to cause vs still to trust in him and euermore to call vpon him in our necessities We see this proued vnto vs in sundry Psalmes of the Prophet as Psal 4. Heare me when I call O God of my righteousnesse thou hast set me at liberty when I was in distresse haue mercy vpon me and hearken vnto my praier Where the Prophet reasoneth from the time past to the time to come and entreateth God to heare him because hee hath already had mercy vpon him The like ground of his assurance we finde againe Psal 22 9 10 11. Thou diddest draw mee out of the wombe thou gauest me hope euen at my Mothers breasts I was cast vpon thee euen from the womb thou art my God from my Mothers belly bee not farre from me because trouble is neere for there is none to helpe me In these words we see how the Prophet by benefits past assureth himself of deliuerance from dangers present and in time to come As if he should say seeing I was committed to thy prouidence and protection so soone as I was borne and came into the world when I could not feed and defend my selfe and seeing I haue hitherto receiued so many benefits from thee do not now depart from me when affliction is at hand and when there is none beside to helpe So the same Prophet layeth the foundation of his hope expecting mercy from God vpon the consideration of Gods dealing with him before as in the third Psalme verse 4 7 where beeing combred and compassed with a wonderfull number of aduersaries reuolting from him in the conspiracy of Absolon hee gathereth comfort to himselfe of Gods present aide from the experience he had felt before saying I did call vpon the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy Mountaine O Lord arise helpe mee my God for thou hast smitten all mine enemies vpon the cheeke-bone thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked This is farther confirmed and strengthened vnto vs in Dauids faithful behauiour going to encounter with the vncircumcised Philistim 1 Sam. 17 34 35 36 37. Thy seruant kept his fathers Sheepe and there came a Lyon likewise a Beare and tooke a Sheepe out of the flock and I went after him and smote him and tooke it out of his mouth and when he arose against mee I caught him by the beard and smote him slew him so thy seruant slew both the Lyon and the Beare therfore this vncircumcised Philistim shal be as one of
Abel in Saul toward Dauid in the Scribes and Pharisies toward Christ in Haman and his sonnes toward Israel in the chiefe Priests toward Paul Albeit they be ouermamastered their counsels detected their purposes defeated and themselues be disappointed that they may see how they fight not against men but against God yet their diligence is vnweariable and their rage vnspeakable This truth will further appeare vnto vs by Reason sundry reasons drawn from the person of God and from the conditions of the enemies of the Church God seeth the wickednesse of their hearts heareth the groanes afflictions of his elect yet he suffereth the vngodly to whet their tongues sharpen their swords against them to the end hee may gaine glory to his great Name in the confusion destruction of them Pharaoh contriued sundry plots fetching deuices to subuert the Church in Egypt some secret some open Exo. 1.17 9 16. Rom 9.17 He commanded the midwiues to stifle strangle the young infants comming out of their mothers wombe which are the spawn fry of Religion the hope of the succeeding Church When this diuellish deuice was discouered and disappointed because the midwiues feared God did not as the King charged them but preserued aliue the men children then he attempteth another way commanding by publique edict to drown and destroy their children afterward vexeth them by making bricks and carrying burdens Thus he proceedeth from one euill to another God setteth him vp as a marke and appointed him to shew his power in him and to declare his Name throughout all the world Thus GOD draweth good out of euil and manifesteth his owne glory in confounding the malice of mischieuous enemies Secondly the enemies of the Church run Reason 2 on in malicious courses to vndermine the good estate of the Church because they are led by the spirit of the diuell as his vassals and slaues to do his will Why did Cain burst with enuy against his brother hanging down his head drawing his weapon Because he was led by that euil one the prince god of the vngodly 2. Cor. 4 4 who blindeth their minds worketh in their hearts holdeth them in ful power possession The greatest deuouring beasts in the wildernesse alwayes keepe their courses recourses Psal 104 2◠12 23. either wearinesse constraineth them to cease or the light of the Sunne affrighteth them whereby the silly prey getteth some respite and refreshing But Satan the Prince of this world is neuer at rest he is euer greedy and neuer weary alwayes plotting practising catching destroying and deuouring The light of the day and darkenesse of the night are both alike to him Iob 1 7. Who compasseth the whole earth and walketh in it too and fro 1 Pet. 5.8 like a ramping and roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may surprize and subuert The end of one tentation is the beginning of another Hee will neuer make peace with vs vnlesse wee deliuer our soules vnto him in hostage Nahash the Ammonite is noted of extreme cruelty that would no otherwise make a couenant with the men of Iabesh Gilead but on this condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes and bring the shame vpon all Israel 1. Sam. 11. But Satan as he is more mighty so is he more malicious he will haue both eyes and hands he wil haue both head and heart hee will haue possession both of soule and body And therefore no maruaile if the sonnes of Belial bee stamped with his Image and resemble him in an vnweariable desire of mischiefe plotting and performing day and night one mischieuous attempt or other against the children of GOD. Vse 1 Let vs now carefully apply this doctrine to our vses First consider from hence the cause of the confusion of the enemies of the Gospel and of the godly They deuise crafty counsels and conspiracies against the faithful but withall they worke out their owne death and destruction and ouerthrow themselues in their malice mischiefe For of al such the Prophet saith Psal 7 15 16. He hath made a pit digged it for another and is fallen himselfe into the pit that he made his mischiefe shall returne vpon his owne head and his cruelty shall fall vpon his owne pate The hatred of the vngodly goeth before and the iudgements of God follow immediately after who hath prepared him deadly weapons will ordain his arrowes for them that persecute his seruants This the Prophet pronounceth against y◠enemies of the Church Esai 8 9 10. Gather together on heapes ye shall be broken in pieces gird your selues and ye shall be broken in pieces take counsell together yet it shall be brought to nought pronounce a Decree yet it shall not stand for God is with vs Behold the horrible down-fall of Haman an Arch-enemy of the people of God 〈◊〉 7 9 10. raised vp from the highest degree of honor and dignity who thought it too little to lay hands on Mordecai alone but sought to destroy all the Iewes that were throughout the whole kingdome he fell into the lowest step of shame reproach was hanged on the tree that hee had prepared for Mordecai The aduancement of the wicked is but for a momēt their destruction commeth suddainly according to the saying of the Prophet Dauid Psa 37 35 36 58 6 7 8 in Iob 20.4 Thus we see that the malice of the wicked turneth to their own calamity and confusion so that when they haue raked ransacked all the corners of their heart to contriue meanes to ouer-throw the Church they shall find by woful experience that God hath many moe meanes and wayes to turne their owne deuices to their owne destruction Secondly see hereby Gods almighty power Vse 2 and abundant kindnesse in sauing and preseruing the Church among so many enemies as it were a little flocke of sheepe among so many wolues For we may behold a part of his chastisements vpon his Church by setting them in the world as in a wildernesse and that among the wicked as it were among so many beasts whereby their faith is tried their obedience manifested and their patience proued so wee see his maruailous mercy in their deliuerance from them as out of the denne of Lyons inasmuch as we know to our endlesse comfort that notwithstanding all the pollicies and practices of the diuelish and damned crew of most spiteful and desperate enemies yet God holdeth vp the heads of his people that they are not drowned like the Arke that floated on the waters Reu. 12 15. Howsoeuer the serpent cast out of his mouth water after the woman like a floud that he might cause her to bee carried away of the floud Let vs therfore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and acknowledge surely that saluation is of the Lord and not of our selues of his mercy and not of our own merit This the Prophet professeth at large Psal 114 1
to be annointed So then we haue heere in this attribute a testimony of the constancy of God Doctrine God is vnchangeably true in al hi◠waies words and works From hence we learne that God is vnchangable infallible faithfull true in al his waies words and works His decrees are immutable and irreuocable and without shew or shadow of turning This is that which the Lord claimeth and challengeth to himselfe I am the Lord Mal. 3 6. I change not I am God and there is none other God there is nothing like me My counsell shall stand and I will do whatsoeuer I will So the Prophet speaketh in the Psalme 105 7 8 10. He is the Lord our God his iudgements are thorough all the earth he hath alway remembred his couenant and promise that hee made to a thousand generations and since hath confirmed it to Iacob for a Law and to Israel for an euerlasting Couenant To this purpose the Apostle saith The guifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11 29. By all these places we see this truth plainly proued vnto vs that God is vnchangeable in his mercy and goodnes toward his Church and Children Reason 1 The Reasons follow to be considered First he is not like vnto man his wayes are not like mans wayes nor his thoughts like vnto mans thoughts but as farre as Heauen is distant from the Earth so farre are the works of God from ours We know by experience the changeable nature of man of whom the Scripture sayth All men are lyars Psal 116 11. He is ready to say and vnsay to affirme and deny with one breath He is constant to day he changeth to morrow He loueth one day and hateth another The people that receiued Christ with great ioy when he rode to Ierusalem not long after cryed out Crucifie him crucifie him It is not so with God whose mercy endureth for euer he falsifieth not his truth neyther altreth the thing that is gone out of his mouth Hee giueth liberally vnto all Iam. 1.5 and reprocheth no man Reason 2 Secondly his loue and mercy to his people is not changeable as the Moone vnconstant as the winde floating as the sea vncertaine as the weather but stable as the earth that cannot be moued out of his place and stedfast as Mount Sion that remaineth for euer Psal 125.1 This will plainly appeare vnto vs if we consider the similitudes and comparisons whereby it is expressed His loue is like to the Couenant of waters as sure as the promise that he made to Noah that the waters should no more ouerflow the whole earth as the Prophet Esay teacheth chap. 54 7 8 9. Reason 3 Againe his goodnesse is as the ordinance of God that hath set an order for Summer Winter for day and night for seed-time and haruest for cold and heat which shall not bee changed therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet If thou can breake my couenant of the day and my couenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may my couenant be broken with Dauid my seruant Ier. 31 35 and 33 20. Nay his mercy is saide to bee more stable then the Mountaines for they shall remoue and the hils shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shal the couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath cōpassion on thee Esay 54 10. We see the loue of mothers is tender full of pitty toward their children who bare thē in her womb brought them into the world nourished them with her breasts and refused no base seruice for theyr good yet the Lord saith Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Though they forget yet will not I forget thee Esay 49 15. Seeing therfore that God is not like to the sonnes of men and seeing his louing kindnesse is firmer then the waters of Noah surer then the couenant of the day faster then the foundation of the Mountaines and stronger thē the loue of mothers toward their children we may conclude that the stablenes of his counsels are as the Pillars of the earth that cannot be shaken and the changeablenes of his goodnesse as the standing Rockes that cannot be remoued Now let vs come to the vses of this Doctrine Vse 1 First heereby we learne that God is to be preferred before all creatures They are changeable and subiect to alteration which agreeth not with the nature of God True it is God hath highly honoured and aduanced man aboue the rest of the works of his hands he made him a little inferiour to the Angels crowned him with glory dignity Ps 8 5 Heb. 2 7. he hath made him Ruler ouer the earth put all things in subiection vnder his feet yet he is subiect to mutability and mortality and must returne vnto the earth out of which hee was taken Great is the excellency of the heauens and the stars yet they shall be changed deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God But with God is no change neyther any alteration with the Almighty who remaineth one the same for euer This difference betweene the Creator and the creature betweene God and the works of God the Prophet teacheth Thou Lord hast in the beginning established the Earth Psal 102 with He◠the Heauens are the works of thine hands They shall perish but thou shalt remaine and they all shal waxe old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them vp and they shall be changed but thou art the same thy yeares shal not faile Thus we must magnifie the Lord aboue all creatures that are weake and fraile and acknowledge a great difference betweene the infinite and incomprehensible Maiesty of God subiect to no change at all but remaining the same for euer and the creatures of God subiect to vanity misery Vse 2 Secondly we may from hence assure our selues that God will make vs vnchangeable like himselfe and we may reioyce in the comfort of this his fauour For seeing his nature is vnchangeable and altereth not he will make vs in our measure partakers of immortality when this corruptible shall put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15 53 this weake shall put on power and death be swallowed vp in victory we shall be like the Angels of God nay be transformed into the liuely Image of God to reigne with him in euerlasting glory This is a great comfort vnto vs in these dayes of sorrow to consider that the time will come when our state shall be changed and we continue for euer without change Heere we are subiect to many turnings and returnings but after this life shall be no more place for changing our happines shall be vnchangeable and firmly established with God This the Prophet sets downe Psal 16 12. In thy presence is fulnesse of
what indignation yea what feare yea how great desire yea what a zeale yea what reuenge Where this care is not to please God and feare to fall againe and offend him there was neuer true repentance nor any feeling of the forgiuenes of former sinnes This were exceeding vnthankfulnes for mercy receyued and a turning of the grace of God into wantonnes to commit sinne anew that grace may abound Thirdly it is our duty to returne all praise and thankfulnes to God for this so infinit and vnspeakable mercy which appeareth in nothing more theÌ„ in the forgiuenes of our manifold sins It belongeth to God onely to forgiue sinnes therfore to him onely belongeth the glory of forgiuenes as being onely worthy to receiue all praise This Daniel confesseth in his praier O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs open shame as appeareth this day So the prophet Dauid prouoking all to praise the Lord alledgeth this as the cheefe reason to mooue them Which forgiueth all thine iniquities healeth all thine infirmities Psal 103 3. This also we see in the practise and example of the Apostle who mentioning his sinnes and magnifying the exceeding and abundant mercy of God in the pardon of them hee breaketh out into a thankesgiuing to the eternall God Vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise be honor and glory for euer euer Amen 1 Tim. 1 17. Rom. 7 25. If we haue tasted of this mercy let vs bee mindfull of this duty and if wee haue had experience of this forgiuenes let vs be carefull to expresse vnto him our thankfulnesse Fourthly wee must shew backe againe our loue toward our heauenly Father according to the measure of his loue toward vs. The greater sins he hath pardoned the greater loue should bee returned This is it which the Prophet professeth to haue wrought exceeding loue in his heart towards the Lord when he considered how gracious and mercifull he had bene vnto him Psal 116 1. I loue the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my prayer The practise of this duty is remembred and commended in the sinfull woman Luke 7 47. Many sinnes are forgiuen her for she loued much to whom a little is forgiuen he doth loue a little Let this example be continually before our eies Let vs examine our selues how neere we come vnto her in the practise of this duty Let vs behold our selues in her as in a glasse If wee haue had a blessed experience of Gods louing kindnesse toward vs in blotting out and burying our sinnes out of his remembrance let vs be answerable in loue to him againe who hath loued vs first Where little loue appeareth to God there is little knowledge of forgiuenes of sinnes Where no loue is there is no feeling of the comfort of this doctrine If we haue found God exceeding kinde and gracious vnto vs it will work an exceeding measure of loue where God hath assured and sealed vp that grace by his holy Spirit Lastly the receiuing of this mercy from God must worke in vs mercy toward our brethren that as we haue obtayned forgiuenesse of sinnes at his hands so wee should be ready to forgiue one another And so bee mercifull to others as our heauenly Father is mercifull to vs Luke 6 36. This our Sauiour teacheth in the parable of the King that would take an account of his seruants to wit that he requireth mercy where he hath shewed mercy and that iudgement shall be without mercy to him that sheweth no mercy Hence it is that the Apostle giueth this in charge Eph. 4 32. Colos 3 13. This we are also directed vnto in that forme of prayer which Christ did teach his Disciples and hath left vnto his Church warranting vs to aske forgiuenes as we feele our selues ready to forgiue This we are to apply vnto our selues and learne euerie day to be like to our heauenly Father Matth. 5 45. Who maketh his Sunne to arise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust If then we desire to be partakers of the goodnes of God in forgiuing the infinit debt whereby we are deeply indebted vnto GOD and would finde him mercifull vnto vs as euery one will seeme to be desirous of it let vs shew our selues ready to forgiue from our hearts the iniuries and offences done vnto vs. Among all testimonies that we may gather to our selues of Gods goodnesse and mercie towards vs none is more excellent more coÌ„fortable more certaine then this if we finde it in vs that is the pardoning and passing ouer the wrongs offered vs and a readines to forgiue euen our enemies that most enuy and hate vs and that frankely and freely as we our selues haue receyued forgiuenesse at the hands of God The Lord his God is with him These words containe the second priuiledge peculiar and proper to the Church which God hath bestowed vpon it to wit the presence of his Spirit True it is in regard of his essence and deity hee is euery where the heauen is his throne and the earth is his footstoole Psalme 139 7 8. So that we cannot hide our selues from his presence If we ascend into heauen he is there If we lye downe in the graue he is there if we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea thither shall his hand leade vs and his right hand hold vs if wee say yet the darknes shal hide vs the night shall be light about him But in this place this prophesie poynteth vs vnto vs another presence to wit of his grace protection defence and deliuerance the presence of his Spirit sanctifying his children purging them from dead workes to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe Doctrinâ— It is a priâ—â—ledge of 〈◊〉 Church haue Goâ— presence his grace working in them regeneration and finishing all good things in them to bring them to euerlasting life We learne from hence That it is a great priuiledge of the Church to haue God present with it and president ouer it He is not farre off from those that are his howsoeuer in time of affliction and in the houre of tentation he seemeth so to them hee is neere vnto them he is euer with them he holdeth a gracious hand ouer them This is it which the Lord so often promiseth in his word truly performeth to the great comfort of all his children This is it which the Lord speaketh to Iacob going from his fathers house to Padan Aram Gen. 28 15. This also the Prophet Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 34 15 18. And lest any should restraine that exhortation and take it peculiarly to belong to him alone the Apostle extendeth it farther and applyeth it to all the people of God speaking to them as well as vnto Ioshua chapt 1 9. I will not faile thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is mine helper I will not fear what man can do vnto
5 verses 28.29 They haue well saide all that they haue spoken they were ready to heare all and do all that Moses should speake vnto them But if we fall to stint the Spirit and teach the Lord to speake prescribing the Minister what he shall say and restraining our hearing what we will heare wee shall neuer heare fruitefully we shall neuer practise conscionably what we haue heard Thus much concerning the protestation of Balaam Verse 27. Balak saide vnto Balaam Come I pray thee I will bring thee vnto another place if so be it will please that God c. Heere is offered to our considerations the profession of Balaam Hee pretendeth Religion and the helpe of God and professeth to do all things in the Name of the true God yet was voyd of all Religion and sincere dealing and doth all things by the working of the diuell abusing the glorious and fearefull Name of God to malicious mischieuous purposes Doctrinâ— Many prâ—fesse God that seruâ— the diueâ—â— Hereby we learne that many in the world professe piety and godlinesse in the tongue that haue none in the heart They professe GOD outwardly but serue the diuell inwardly This appeareth in the Iewes who albeit they would not heare the preaching of the Prophets rebuking them in the Name of the Lord yet had oftentimes in their mouthes The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord Ier. 7 4. Thus the Prophet Esay reproueth them in his time This people come neere vnto me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but haue remoued their heart farre from me and their feare toward mee was taught by the precept of men Esay chap. 29 13. So many that were professors and teachers of the truth as Christ testifieth yea workers of myracles and crying vnto him Lord Lord yet shal not be acknowledged of him as belonging to him The Samaritans called and accounted themselues the true worshippers Iohn 4 2 and pretended the tradition of their fathers and hated the Iewes as false worshippers yet themselues worshipped they knew not what All heretiques will boast they teach Gods truth all hypocrites will say they embrace the faith all carnall and loose professors will challenge sincerity all Papists will cry out they are the Church the successors of the Apostles and the true Catholiques yet are no true Church but in shew no true Catholiques but in name no true successors of the Apostles but in place In the dayes of Christ the Iewes gloried that they were the seede of Abraham Iohn 8 44 the sonnes of the Couenant the heyres of promise they pleaded they were the first borne of God yet he proueth to their faces that they were the very limbes of the diuell And the Church of Smyrna had such among theÌ„ as vaunted they were Iewes Reuel 2 9. that is the people of GOD but were in truth the Synagogue of Sathan All which examples conclude the certainty of the former doctrine and verifie the saying of Salomon Prou. 30. There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet are not washed from their filthinesse The truth heereof will farther and more Reason 1 fully appeare vnto vs if we enter into the consideration of the causes and reasons of it The first is pride selfe-loue which so ouercome their hearts and blinde their eyes that they cannot see their owne wickednesse and wretchednesse which are so hud-winked with palpable ignorance of God as that they cannot iudge of themselues and their owne misery as they should We see the coniunction of these in the King of Moab and his Chaplaine the false Prophet that albeit they pretend the holy Name of God yet through loue of themselues on the one side and ignorance of God on the other they cannot see that their whole proceeding is an vtter renouncing of God This reason the Prophet Dauid pointeth vnto when he saith The wicked hath made boast of his owne hearts desire and the couetous blesseth himselfe though hee contemneth the Lord for the wicked is so proud that he seeketh not for God hee is in prosperity God spareth him in mercy and hee imagineth presently that he is iust and holy pleasing God Psal 10 3 4. Reason 2 Secondly the heart of man is many times deceitfull He can speake with his tongue that which he meaneth not in his heart nor hath any sence or feeling of in his owne soule but beguileth with lying lips and a double toong Many are vnder their profession hypocrites and haue hypocriticall hollow hearts speaking that which they did not minde For the nature of an hypocrite is to appeare outwardly like a painted Toombe 〈◊〉 8. as if there were nothing in him but singlenesse and simplicity of heart and vntill his corruption breake out as filthy matter out of a sore which assuredly it will do at some time or other seeing there is nothing couered that shall not bee reuealed Luke 12 2. there is none more conformable then he in the outward exercises of the Word Prayer and the Sacraments They draw neere with their lips they listen with their eares they stretch foorth their hands thus they prepare and make ready their mouthes to pray their eares to heare their hands to receiue This appeareth in the proud Pharisie Luke chapter 18 verses 11 12. He came into the Temple to pray he thanked God for his blessings hee fasted twice in the weeke hee gaue tythe of all that he possessed yet he worshipped God in vaine and departed to his house without profit or comfort Now let vs handle the vses of this doctrine Vse 1 First wee learne heereby for our instruction that outward profession is not enough to assure vs of our saluation or to fit vs to Gods kingdome for the diuell might go as farre as the best of those that rest in the shew of godlinesse who can turne and transforme himselfe into an Angel of light 2 Corinth 11 verse 14. A wolfe may put on a sheepes skinne yea the Parrot and Ape can imitate and therefore trust not to thy faire shewes and externall appearance if thou proceed no further It is not sufficient for thee to be baptized to bee made partaker of the word of God of the Table of the Lord and such priuiledges of the Church this is to trust in lying words that shall not profite Ier. chap. 7 verse 4. The case and condition of many professors is no better then of the heathen Infidels as of the Turkes and Sarazins I meane of such as content themselues with the bare name or profession of Christianity and therein satisfie themselues nay it is a great deale worse as our Sauiour teacheth Math. chapter 11 verses 21 22 23. that Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum shall be punished more seuerely then Tyre and Sidon then Sodome and Gomorrha What comfort in the things of this life can any man take to beare the name of land and another to
ouer vs as he hath done them For are wee more excellent or better by nature or desert then they No by no meanes Eph. 2 1 3. we are borne dead in sinnes the heires of wrath as well as others This made the Apostle hauing made mention of the mercies of God shewed vnto him that had bene a blasphemer a persecuter and an oppressor to render thankes vnto GOD and to giue him the praise and glory Thou hast herein greater cause to blesse and praise the Name of GOD then for thy creation which onely gaue thee a being vpon the earth whereas this doth ioyne thee to GOD and entitle thee to the kingdome of heauen Verse 4. He hath said which heard the words of God and saw the vision of the Almighty falling into a trance Wee heard before how Balaam was inspired of God to deliuer vnto the Moabites Midianites and Ammonites the will of God Now here is offered to our considerations the meanes and manner that God vsed in giuing vnto him his diuine inspiration and that is by a vision or trance We heard before what a trance is to wit an extraordinary worke of the spirit vpon the whole man casting the body as it were in a deepe sleepe making the minde fit to receiue the things which are reuealed of the Lord. Thus it pleased the Lord to deale with Balaam at this present that his words might be knowne to be diuine not humane Doctrine In formeâ— times Goâ— reuealed dâ—uers thingâ— by visions From hence wee learne that God in former times hath reuealed diuers things vnto men by visions by dreames and otherwayes as seemed good to his heauenly wisedome God hath not vsed one meanes alone but diuers to speake to the world either by Angels or by the cloud or betweene the Cherubims or by Vrim or by dreames or by visions To this purpose there is a rule set downe Numb 12 6. If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I will be knowne to him by a vision and will speake vnto him by dreame This is further taught in the booke of Iob by the words of Elihu instructing Iob in the maner of Gods dealing with sinners shewing how God admonisheth them in dreames and visions God speaketh once or twice and one seeth it not in dreames and visions of the night when sleepe falleth vpon men and men sleepe vpon their beds Iob. 33 14 15. So when Paul was conuerted by the voyce of Christ the Lord spake to Ananias in a vision to goe vnto him and Paul likewise in a vision saw him comming in vnto him and putting his hands on him that he might receiue his sight Acts 9 10 12. When Peter lodging with one Simon a Tanner waxed hungry and would haue eaten he fel into a trance he saw heauen opened and a certaine vessell came downe vnto him as it had beene a great sheete knit at the foure corners and was let downe to the earth c. Acts 10 10 11. So the Apostle being compelled by the false Apostles to glory of himselfe maketh a rehearsall of the visions and reuelations of the Lord that were offered vnto him 2. Cor. 12 1. Vnto these examples wee might adde sundry others out of the Scriptures as of Iacob of Samuel of Ezekiel Gen. 46 â— of Daniel of Iohn all declaring that GOD vsed to reueale many things by visions to his seruants the Prophets and to others when it pleased him The reasons are First to discouer and Reason manifest his will vnto them sometimes to admonish them sometimes to teach them somtimes to terrifie them and alwayes to declare and reueale his heauenly pleasure vnto them as we heard before out of the booke of Iâ—b Iob 33 15 16. For it hath bene the ordinary maner of God euen from the beginning to warne comfort and declare what hee would haue done or forbid what he would not haue done both in the day time and in the night season partly by visions to such as were waking partly by dreames to such as were asleepe Reason 2 Secondly God would haue the reuelation of his will appeare to be onely his and not of themselues For howsoeuer it pleased the Lord to deale with his seruants and what way soeuer he vsed to signifie his good pleasure in all these cases he imprinted in the mindes and hearts of them to whom hee shewed himselfe certaine notes and euident tokens whereby they might expressely and manifestly know that it was his doing This we noted before to be one of the causes why it pleased the Lord to deale by visions that we should chalenge nothing to our owne selues but ascribe all vnto him Vse 1 Now let vs come to the vses First consider from hence the greatnesse and excellency of Gods hand who hath diuers wayes to reueale his will and to teach his people to call them and gather them vnto himselfe Some meanes he hath to preserue a sinner from falling and some to restore him being fallen He is the head Physician of the world he ministreth the best Physicke and of most sure and certain working He neuer faileth in his cures both because hee knoweth the nature of the disease and the working of the ingredient The woman in the Gospel diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeeres suffered many things of many Physicians and spent all that shee had yet it auailed her nothing but shee became much worse Marke 5 26. But such as seeke to God to heale the diseases of their soules and submit themselues to be his patients doe alwayes receiue from him health and depart from him better then they came Hee vseth partly preseruatiues and partly restoratiues He speaketh by admonitions in dreames and visions And these being ceased hee speaketh by chasticements and corrections he preacheth vnto vs by the Ministers of his word and by all meanes desireth to doe vs good True it is the diuell hath his visions being as it were the ape of God which are so many delusions of men as when hee maketh men beleeue they see that which they see not or perswadeth men strange things of themselues that they are that which indeed they are not 1. Sam 28.14 His drift and purpose in both is to deceiue and seduce But God vseth sundry meanes to draw vs to himselfe to draw vs out of our selues to draw vs to his kingdome He is not as a poore practitioner that hath but one plaster for euery sore or one medicine for euery disease he hath variety of meanes store of prouision for al maladies which serueth to commend vnto vs the goodnesse mercy greatnesse power and wisdome of God to be acknowledged and confessed of euery one of vs. Secondly wee learne that God neuer leaueth Vse 2 them destitute of a teacher that in a reuerent feare of his Name seeke vnto him and call vpon him We see he oftentimes admonisheth and informeth of his will such as are out of the Church and know him
the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Reason 1 c. The reasons heereof follow to be considered First God will honour all those that honour him he will despise all those that despise him This is the gracious promise that is gone out of his owne mouth which hee cannot but verifie and performe for he is not as man that he should lye hee is not as the sonne of man that he should deceiue This is it which the Lord spake by the mouth and ministry of Samuel concerning Eli and his house Them that honour me I will honour and them that despise me shall be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 And therefore Reason 2 they shall prosper that loue the Church Psal 122. Secondly God hath appointed it to be the end of our obedience our mercy to others shall procure mercy vpon our selues This the Apostle setteth downe Math. 5 7. Rom. 2 10. To euery one that doth good shall be honour and glory and peace Rom. 2 10. We saw this before in the history of Rahab who through faith receiued the spyes shee her family and kinred were were preserued maried into the family of Iudah of whom Christ came according to the flesh Reason 3 Thirdly mercy a notable fruite of loue receiued kindleth the hearts and enflameth the affections of Gods people both to praise God for them to pray vnto God for them that haue bene helpeful and seruiceable to the Church It is recorded to perpetuall remembrance touching Iehoiada that hee was buried among the Kings and greatly honoured both aliue and dead because hee had done good in Israel toward God and his house 2. Chron. 24 15 16. So when Paul remembreth the kindnesse of Onesiphorus who sought him out refreshed him was not ashamed of his chain he desireth the Lord to grant vnto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord at that day 2. Tim. 1 16 18. Nay he prayeth not onely for Onesiphorus selfe although he onely had helped him but for his whole house family whereby is set downe a most notable meanes and motiue to stirre vs vp to doe good and to distribute to all the members of Iesus Christ inasmuch as God sheweth that hee will haue mercy and take pitty not onely of vs but vppon our housholds and all those that are neere about vs. Vse 1 The vses follow First from hence wee haue the strengthening and confirmation of another holy truth in our Christian Religion to wit that mercifull liberall and kinde men shall be surely blessed No mercifull man shall lose his labour but in the end he shal haue his recompence and reward Our Sauior Christ saith Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy The Prophet teacheth Psal 112. that a good man is mercifull and lendeth and will measure his affaires by iudgment he hath distributed and giuen to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer his horne shall be exalted with glory So the Wise man speaketh in many Parables Prou. 11 25. and 28.27 and 19.17 The liberall man shall haue plenty and he that watereth shall also haue raine he that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke but be that hideth his eyes shall haue many curses hee that hath mercy on the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen Cast thy bread vpon the waters for after many dayes thou shalt finde it giue a portion to seuen and also to eight for thou knowest not what euill shall be vpon the earth Eccl. 11 1 2. On the other side miserablenesse and vnreasonable handfastnesse are the causes of the ruine of many men and their houses and bring curses vpon body goods soule children family and all things that belong vnto them So it was in churlish and cruell Nabal So shall there be iudgment mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy And he that gathereth goods by vnlawfull meanes shal leaue them to such as will pitty the poore Thus we see God requireth mercy of vs to be like him Vse 2 Secondly it is our duty to loue Gods people seeing such as fauour them doe fare the better for them Such as are friends to them shall haue God to be their friend who promiseth to blesse such as blesse them What greater blessing can there be then to haue God to be our friend What greater curse and miserie then to haue him our enemy The vngodly haue receiued temporall blessings for shewing kindnesse to the faithfull the Lord hath sent none of them empty away that euer did good to his people as wee heard in Laban Potiphar and others This serueth to reproue all such as hate and reuile them that curse and detest them that reproach them and speake all manner of euill against them And here let vs weigh and consider into what euill times we are fallen times filled and defiled with all iniquitie 2 Tim. 3 1. 2. Pet. 3 3. In former ages the very infidels and vnbeleeuers confessed that they were blessed for the godlies sake they were so farre from branding and vpbraiding them with odious taunts forged in hell hammered with the tongues of euil men that their mouthes haue acknowledged how GOD hath prospered them for their sakes This last age is as a common sink wherein all the wicked inuentions and diuellish practices doe meet and are gathered together and therefore it bringeth forth masters of mischiefe and expert practitioners in sinne who are furnished with their owne inuentions former examples and tryed experiments of all times places and persons Maruaile not therefore if the children of God be now scorned when godlinesse it selfe is made a common by-word In former ages when as the Prophets and righteous men were persecuted and their liues sought after euery one was ready to helpe and to hide them So did Ionathan detect the hatred and reueale the fury of his father against Dauid with the hazard of his owne life 1. Sam. 20 42. So did Obadiah in the court of Ahab hide an hundred Prophets in caues from the cruelty of Iezabel 〈◊〉 18 13. sustained them in the time of the famine of the which wee shall speake more afterward Thus did the disciples let downe Paul in a basket when his life was sought for by the bloody Inquisition Acts 9 21. Woe vnto them therefore rhat betray them into the hands of their enemies as the Ziphims did Dauid 1 Sam. 23.20 as Iruah did Ieremy Ier. 39.13 as Iudas did Christ Math. 26 48. Woe be vnto them that falsely accuse them and any way adde affliction to their affliction whereas they should countenance and defend them to their power as Ionathan did Dauid as Ebed-melech did Ieremy and woe vnto them that hurt the godly for GOD threatneth to curse such as curse them so that we should feare any way to doe them wrong Vse 3 Thirdly hereby wee are warned to exhort one another to this duty and by all meanes to prouoke one another
Christ the reproch redounds in part to the head Fourthly it behoueth vs from hence to Vse 4 learne to auoyde all allurements and enticements that may draw vs into this sinne For to auoyd sinne is to auoyd the occasions of sinne Whosoeuer doth nourish the occasions cannot be long free from sinne And whosoeuer maketh no conscience to follow the prouocations of lust and the meanes that may bring it vpon vs will shortly make no conscience of whoredome it selfe Therefore our Sauior correcting the false glozes of the Scribes and Pharisies and expounding the true meaning of the seuenth Commandement saith If thy right eie cause thee to offend plucke it out and cast it from thee for better it is for thee that one of thy members perish then that thy whole body should be cast into hell Math. chap. 5 29. Whereby our Sauiour meaneth that the Law of God not onely forbiddeth the sinne expressed but restraineth all occasions and allurements though they were as deare vnto vs as our right eye or as necessary vnto vs as our hand A notable example hereeof wee haue in Ioseph when he was tempted by his wanton mistresse to commit folly hee was so farre from consenting to adultery that he absented him selfe from her company Gen. 39 10. Many are the allurements that leade the way vnto this sinne wanton apparrell filthy communication vncleane songs wanton lookes beastly drunkennesse vnlawfull embracings excessiue dyet hurtfull idlenesse and too familiar company with those that may entice vs and tempt vs to lust The following after these the delighting in them is the path that guideth vs to the practise of all vncleannesse and therefore we must abhorre them if we would hate whoredome it selfe Such then as say they cannot abide whoredome and they doe detest it from their harts and yet do not shun these allurements do not consider their owne weaknes but offer themselues leade themselues into tentation yea as much as in them lyeth they make God a lyar and there is no truth in them Lastly let vs according to our duty with Vse 5 all speede forsake this filthy kinde of life and renounce our former vncleannes so the hearty repeÌ„tance may follow after wher this sin hath bin coÌ„mitted before For there remaines mercy to such if they repent and turne with all their hearts and with all their soules The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kindnesse If the wicked man forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations if he returne vnto the Lord and craue mercy at his hands hee will not alway chide neither keepe his anger for euer Esay 55 7. He will not deale with vs after our sinnes neither reward vs according to our iniquities Psal 103 10. Dauid through the lust of his eye fell into this sinne and committed folly in Israel but when he confessed his fault and forsooke his sinne he was receiued to mercy For when Dauid saide vnto Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord Nathan saide vnto Dauid The Lord also hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die 2. Sam. 12 verse 13. The Lord seeketh no more but that the sinner turn vnto him When once we are reconciled vnto him he hath no more controuersie against vs. This we see in Rahab the harlot she led a filthy and vncleane life among her people but when she heard of the great workes that the Lord had done for the children of Israel in deliuering them out of Egypt in drying vp the red sea in feeding theÌ„ from heauen and in preseruing them from all their enemies she ioyned in heart with the Church forsooke her euill life and in token of her true repentance Heb. 11 31. Iam. 2.25 she receiued the messengers sent vnto her with the danger of her life and sent them out another way This the Apostle speaketh of the Saints at Corinth for hauing denounced a fearful iudgment against fornicators adulterers wanton persons that they shall not inherit the kingdome of God he addeth 1 Cor. 6 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but yee are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Seeing therefore God is ready to forgiue our sins why should not we be ready to forsake our sinnes This vncleannesse maketh vs guilty of temporall and eternal punishments yet God offereth to discharge vs of both and to receiue vs vnto his fauour if we will turne from our sinnes to him bring forth fruite worthy amendment of life Let vs therefore confesse with Dauid that wee haue sinned let vs call for mercy at the hands of God saying Haue mercy vpon me O Lord according to thy louing kindnes acording to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sinne Psalme 51 the first second verses Verse 4. And the Lord said vnto Moses Take all the heads of this people and hang them vp to the Lord before this Sunne In the words before the punishment that fell vpon the people of Israel was set downe in generall now hee setteth downe vpon whom it fell in particular to wit both Princes people for the wrath of God was so kindled against them that they were cut off as rotten members all through the counsell of Balaam For when he saw that God opened not his mouth to curse the Israelites but rather when he was resolued to vtter curses hee was inforced to pronounce blessings hee gaue diuellish counsell as his last shift to the Moabites that their beautifull women should allure the Iewes into their coÌ„pany and by their company vnto adultery by adultery vnto idolatry wherby they shold prouoke Gods indignation and so bring vpon themselues vtter confusion Now we must obserue in this place that God in punishing these sinnes beginneth first with the heads of the people Doctrine Superiors lye open to iudgmenâ—s as well as others From hence we learne that Superiors and men of high places lye open to greeuous iudgements as wel as others All sorts of men high and low rich and poore noble and vnnoble shall taste of the punishments of God for sinne This the Prophet pointeth vnto when he faith God powreth contempt vpon Princes and causeth them to erre in desert places out of the way Psal 107 40. In the first chapter of Esay verses 10 23 24 this truth receiueth plentifull confirmation Heare the word of God O Princes of Sodome hearken vnto the Law of our God O people of Gomorrha thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeues euery one loueth gifts and followeth after rewards they iudge not the fatherlesse neither doth the widdowes cause come before them therefore saith the Lord God of hostes the mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine aduersaries auenge me of mine enemies And in the Chapter following the same Prophet saith The high lookes
supplanted and then it will make vs carefull and watchful ouer our own harts But wher there is want of this faith there men are rash and foole-hardy and feare nothing at all and so like blinde men they fall into the pit cause others to fall This is the cause that Satan in the beginning laboured to batter this fortresse and to vndermine the faith of our first parents that they should not beleeue the word of God and so entertaine communication with him Genes 3. So hee sought to shake the faith of Christ in the first place but the Prince of this world found nothing in him Let vs therefore take to vs the shielde of Faith wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fierie darts of the wicked Ephes 6 16. And albeit we cannot but liue in the world with wicked mē as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. chap. 5. verse 10 yet must wee beware wee do not eate with them verse 11. that is conuerse with them and ioyne in league with them lest if wee run with them into euill it turne to their and our destruction To conclude therefore let vs remember that if wee be partakers with them in their sins we shall also be partakers in their punishment and learne to be faithfull fearefull and carefull 52 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 53 Vnto these the Land shall bee diuided for an inheritance 54 To a fewe thou shalt giue the lesse inheritance to euerie one shall his inheritance bee giuen according vnto those that were numbred of him 55 Neuerthelesse the Land shall bee diuided c. 56 According to the lot shall the possession therof be c. In these words we haue the second part of the Chapter containing the commandement of God touching the diuiding of the Land amplified by the forme or manner of the dooing of it first by an Arithmeticall proportion according to the number of names hauing regard to the multitude or fewnesse of them they that were moe in number were to haue the greater inheritance and they that were fewer a lesser And this was one end of this new numbering taken of the people in this place whereas they had beene numbred before Secondly to auoyd partiality and contention it must bee done by Lot that they might rest in that diuision no lesse then if it had beene done by the immediate voyce of God from heauen So then as all the Tribes had not an equall number of persons so they were not to receyue an equall measure of inheritance and as they differed in multitude so they were to differ in their portion and partition of the Land If they had receiued all an equality some should haue beene burthened with superfluity and others streightned through penury The Doctrine arising from hence is this Doctrine God prouideth sufficiently for all his people That God prouideth sufficiently for all his people Euery man hath his portion assigned him of God vpon the earth It is his will and pleasure that all should haue their measure of earthly things not some to haue all and some nothing at all but all to haue some part Deu. 15 7 8 10. God would haue no begger in Israel When the Lord sent downe Manna and fed his people with Angels food all the hoast from the highest to the lowest had enough He that gathered much had nothing ouer and hee that gathered little had no lacke Exod. 16 18. 2 Cor. 8 15. To this end he instituted deacons in the Church mercifull men to looke to the poore that none should bee neglected in the dayly ministration Actes 6 1 3. 4 34 there was none in the Church of Christ that lacked forasmuch as distribution was made to euery one according as he needed This was no Anabaptisticall communion but a Christian communication of outward and earthly things as euery man had neede And heere we haue not a disanulling of propriety but an establishing of charity The Euangelist Luke describing the state of the church after Christs ascension saith that the multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one soule neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his owne but they had all things common Act 4 32. Rom. 12 13 2 Cor. 9 9. Reason 1 The reasons are manifest For he prouided for man in the beginning before hee had any being or beginning as he prepareth milke in the mothers brest before the infant be broght forth into the world He made all things necessary for man before he made man himself Gen. 1. 2. much more will he prouide for vs after we haue life and bodies giuen vnto vs. Secondly who gaue vnto vs life whence haue wee receiued our bodies Is it not from God is not he our Maker and are not wee the worke of his hands Our Sauiour teacheth vs That the life is more then meate and the body thē raiment Matth. chap. 6 25. If then we haue receiued life from him wee shall also receyue meate to sustaine life and if he haue giuen vs our bodies he will giue vs garments to cloth our bodies and to couer our nakednes Thirdly he feedeth all his creatures that he made He causeth grasse to grow for the Cattle hearbe for the seruice of man that hee may bring forth food out of the earth Psal 104 14. Yea the yong Lions roare after their prey and seeke theyr meate from God verse 21. He giueth to the beast his food and to the yong Rauens that cry Psal 147 9. The Lord is good vnto all and his tender mercies are ouer all his workes Psal 145 9. So the eyes of all waite vpon him and hee giueth them their meate in due season hee openeth his hand and satisfieth the desire of euery liuing thing verse 15 16 much more then will he prouide for man whom hee made after his owne image and set him to rule ouer the beasts of the field and the fowles of heauen Fourthly euery man by the instinct of nature and the light of grace prouideth for his owne children and supplieth all their wants and euery Gouernor ministreth food and necessary things for his family Prouerb 31 15. and he that doth not this Hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidel 1 Tim. 5 8. We are Gods owne people we belong to his household and family he is the Creator and we his creatures he is our father and wee his children he is our master and we his seruants he is our sheepheard and we his sheepe If then he should not feede vs and prouide for vs hee should deny himselfe and falsifie the worde that is gone out of his owne mouth which is vnpossible This reason is vrged by our Sauiour Christ Matth. 7 9 10. Luke 11 11 12 13. This reproueth those that neuer thinke they Vse 1 hau◠enough neyther will know what is sufficient no not when God hath giuen them great plenty and abundance They that haue
made and then how performed The making thereof was wont alwayes to be ioyned with prayer to note that the faithfull alwayes lifted vp theyr hearts to GOD crauing his blessing Psalm 61 5. Gen. 28 20. Iudg. 11 ver 30 31 so that such as were fit to vow must be faithfull iustified before God and reconciled vnto him otherwise they can neuer call vpon him aright And as they must be made with prayer so they must be performed with thanksgiuing Psal 61 5 otherwise it were better neuer to haue vowed and promised vnto God that cannot be deceyued Fourthly it behoueth vs to know the right ends of vowes which are these First The true and right ends of vowes concerning Gods glory and the aduancement of his worship Secondly to testifie our speciall thankfulnesse to God for blessings which we haue receyued at his hands Thirdly to chastice our selues that thereby we may preuent the wrath of God for by iudging of our selues we escape his iudgement 1 Cor. 11 Fourthly to make our selues more circumspect and watchfull ouer our owne wayes for when we haue fallen into some sinne we do heereby make ourselues more wary and heedfull for the time to come Fiftly to binde our selues more strongly as by a two-fold cord which is not easily broken to yeeld obedience to God Lastly to strengthen the weaknes of our faith hope and other spirituall graces and to giue vs greater assurance of the mercy of GOD which we shall receyue at his hands Lastly it is a duty belonging to euery one Vse 3 to consider diligently what vowes they haue vowed to God We are ready and not sparing to vow in times of our afflictions troubles O that we were as carefull to performe them Psal 66. But if we haue not vowed this way there is a common vow which we haue all vndertaken the vow of our baptisme that wee will beleeue in God and serue him that wee will forsake the diuell and all his works and this is the answer of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3 21. The master of the Sentences calleth baptisme The common vow because therein men protest promise and professe to consecrate themselues theyr soules bodies vnto God both which are his by right of creation and redemption Ierome maketh holinesse in body and spirit the matter of a Christian vow In Esay lib. 7. cap. 19. And S. Austine to this purpose in many places teacheth that to beleeue in God to hope for eternall life and to liue according to his commandements August in Psal 75 131. are the things which we are to vow to God And in another place What doe we vow to God but to be the Temple of God These Christian duties containe the truth of the Iewish vowes They vowed external sacrifices and oblations bound themselues to the outward seruice in the exercise whereof it pleased GOD for a time to traine that people howbeit in all these he called them to the true practice of piety to the inward affections of praise thankesgiuing Psal 4 5 50.14 23 51 17 107 22 115 17. Ionah 2 9. Hos 14 13. Neyther is the holy Scripture silent what their ceremoniall vowes imported to them and to vs. The vow of humbling and afflicting themselues by fasting did teach them to forbeare their owne desires to renounce their own wils to subdue their owne corruptions and to abstaine from cruelty oppression Esay 58 6. Mic. 6 as appeareth by the reproofe of the Prophet when he chargeth them that in the day of their fast they sought their owne wils verse 3. This wee see notably in the vow of the Nazarites a principall one among the rest of which wee haue spoken before The meaning of the vow of the Nazarits whereby they were separated to the Lord Numb 6 2. And this was the chiefe intendment of that ceremony to signifie the common condition of all that people that the Lord their God had separated them from all other people and therefore they must be holy vnto him because the Lord himselfe is holy and hath separated them from other people that they should be his Leuit. 20 24 26. And this is that which Balaam vttered concerning Israel Numb 23 9 Loe the people shall dwell alone shall not be reckoned among the nations This then was a speciall vow of ceremonial obseruations wherein by abstayning from many outward things as separating themselues from wine strong drinke suffering no rafor to come on their head and other outward things expressed in that place they were diuided from the common and prophane conuersation both of themselues and others among that people howbeit a special spiritual respect was had of preseruing inward piety holines toward him so that such diuided persons were so many spectacles and examples of the condition of all the faithfull of whom Christ our Sauior hath told vs and taught vs that they are not of this world but he hath chosen thē out of the world Iohn 15 19 they must flye the corruption that is in the world 2 Pet. 1 4 and they must heare the voyce of God calling and crying vnto them Come out from among them separate your selues from them and touch no vnclean thing and then hee will receiue them 2 Cor. 6 17. In al which he alludeth to the vow of the Nazarites who were a separated and selected people retiring themselues from others of which see more before chapter 6. So then the vowes that temaine in the Gospel and belong vnto vs are the vowes of prayer of praise thankesgiuing of obedience to God of denying our selues of subduing our sinnes of mortifying the corruptions of the old man of mercy and compassion toward our brethren and briefly of keeping our selues holy vnto God and vnspotted of the world Psal 27 8 58 12. 79 13. 80 17. 86 11.119 34 35.106 Mat. 16 24. Col. 3 5. Rom. 6 13 12 1. 2 Cor. 6 20. These are the holy and solemne vowes that we promised to God in our Baptisme wherein wee were dedicated and consecrated vnto God and these we doe continually renue when we come to the Table of the Lord. Let vs diligently thinke of these vowes and be careful to practise and performe them that God may be duly glorified in vs. 3 If a woman also vow a vow vnto the Lord and binde her selfe by a bond being in her fathers house in her youth 4 And her father heare her vow her bond wherewith she hath bound her soule and her father shall hold his peace at her then all her vowes shall stand and euery bond c. 5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth not any of her vowes c. shall stand and the Lord shall forgiue her because her father disallowed her 6 And if shee had at all an husband when shee vowed or vttered ought out of her lippes wherewith she
infirmity Psal 77 10. For when they are themselues in trouble and theyr soule refuseth to be comforted they begin to reason and dispute with themselues and say Will the Lord cast off for euer Will hee be fauourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for euer and doth his promise faile for euermore Psalm 77 7 8 9. On the other side when they see the vngodly prosper that they are not in trouble as other men neyther plagued like other men they are ready to thinke of themselues that they haue cleansed their hearts in vaine and washed their hands in innocency Psal 73 verses 3 5 13. Neuerthelesse whatsoeuer we are sometimes ready to iudge in the time of trouble tentation wee must vpon better aduice say with the Apostle Let God be true and euery man a lyar as it is written That thou mightest be iustified in thy sayings and mightest ouercome when thou art iudged Rom. 3 verse 4. Albeit therefore GOD do not by and by strike with his hand and draw his sword yet he is not vniust neyther is he slacke concerning his promise but he is long-suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all shold come to repentance 2 Pet. 3 9. Secondly this serueth to teach vs that we Vse 2 should not enuy at the wickednesse of men albeit for a season they prosper in theyr sins the measure is not yet heaped vp but when once they are growne to the height the iudgments of God will ouertake them and they shall passe away as the grasse of the field A good man will neuer enuy at their euill Psal 37 1 2 because he knoweth well that they stand in a slippery place and what is reserued for them if they go on in theyr sinnes Thirdly this serueth to instruct informe Vse 3 euery man that he should not grow obstinate and obdurate in his sinnes because of Gods patience and long-suffering toward him because as he hath his time so also God hath his If we fill vppe the measure to the full of our transgression hee will also poure downe the vialle of his indignation Such as runne on in sinne grow thereby starke blinde that they cannot see and starke deafe that they cannot heare vntill theyr eyes and eares bee opened by affliction and his iudgements take holde vpon them Let vs lay before vs the examples of others and consider how it hath gone with them that wee may learne wisedome by theyr folly and take warning by theyr misery Wee know how it went with the old world after the dayes of Gods patience were expired only eight soules were saued all the rest were destroyed Gen. 7. 1 Pet. 3 verse 20. It is better for vs to be admonished by the fall and ruine of others and to take heed of abusing the patience of God then that we should bee taken in our sinnes and bee made examples vnto others to our vtter confusion and destruction for euer And they slew the Kings of Midian besides the rest of them that were slaine namely Eui c. fiue Kings of Midian c. Moses doth not content himselfe to tell the Church of God in generall that the multitude of the people of Midian were destroyed but singleth out the number and the names of theyr Kings that were slayne Whereby wee may gather that high and low Doctrine Princes and Potentates are punished for sin as well as others Prince and people lye open to iudgement God spareth none but striketh punisheth all that sinne against him We see this in those Kings that took away Abrahams wife the Lord plagued them and theyr houses with great plagues Gen. 12 17 and 20 3 17 to verifie that which the Prophet saith He suffered no man to do them wrong but reprooued Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme Psal 105 14 15. We saw this in the sixteenth chapter of this Booke concerning Korah and his complotters they were famous and great men in the Congregation yet the earth was not able to beare them his iudgements were so heauy vpon them This doth the Lord tell such as are mighty vpon earth that band themselues together and take counsell against the Lord and against his annointed He will breake them with a rodde of Iron and dash them in peeces like a Potters vessell Psal 2 2 9. And Psalm 82 6 7. I haue saide ye are Gods and all of you are children of the most High but yee shall idie like men and fall like one of the Princes The examples of this are infinite when God sent out Saul to take vengeance vpon the Amalekites the sword fell vpon Agag the King that sate vpon the Throne as well as the common sort that sate in the dust 1 Sam. 15. Herod the king although he were clad in royall apparell could not keepe his body from the wormes by the which he was eaten vp aliue Acts 12. And it must be thus Reason 1 For first the Heads and Captaines of the people haue oftentimes the cheefe hand in the trespasse and when open impieties are set afoote and practised they should not beare the sword in vaine If then they draw not out the sword of iustice but suffer it to rust in the scabbard while iniquity walkes in the Land without controlment they make themselues guilty of those sins bring vpon themselues many iudgements As then it was saide to Eli who winked at the wickednesse of his sonnes I wil iudge his house for euer for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sonnes made themselues vile and he restrained them not 1 Sam. 3 13 so it may be said to Kings and Princes that God will also enter into iudgement with them if they restraine not theyr people from theyr euill Reason 2 Secondly with God is no respect of persons at all though they be supreme and souereigne though they be wealthy and honourable learned and mighty in the world yet they shall escape neuer a whit the more for these priuiledges as Iob 34 19 He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poore they beeing all the worke of his hands This serueth iustly to reprooue those that Vse 1 make their places a priuiledge and as it were a Sanctuary to hold and harbour them from Gods iudgements These do much deceyue themselues to beare themselues so bold and to build vpon so weake a foundation It is as possible for a City to hold out against the enemy that hath no wall but of Reedes which are easily eyther pierced or fired as it is for a man to stand against gods iudgments by his noble birth or his high place or his great riches or his deepe learning or his golden crowne And yet wee see how common it is for such to exempt themselues from the common sort as if they â—ad more liberty to sinne then others Indeed heere is for a time some difference betweene them and
at the right hand of his Father Col. 3 1 2. Luke 12 32. Seuenthly it is an vnsatiable euil as a gulfe that swalloweth whatsoeuer is cast into it and as the poore ill-fauoured and leane fleshed kine that Pharaoh saw in his dreame which did eate vp seuen well-fauoured and fat kine And when they had eaten them vp it could not bee knowne that they had eaten them but they were still ill-fauoured as at the beginning Gen. 41 21. Hence it is that Salomon saith He that loueth money shall not be satisfied with it Eccl. 5 ver 10. Eightly it maketh such as are infected with it companions with Achan with Gehazi with Iudas Iscariot nay the most couetous persons are worse then that traitor and farther from the kingdome of heauen because he was touched with some remorse restored the thirty peeces of siluer whereas they keepe by them that which they haue wrongfully taken from others and yet haue no sense or feeling eyther of the sinne present or the punishment to come whereas without restitution confession they cannot be saued Vse 4 Lastly from hence we ought all to learne contentation with our seuerall estates wherein God hath set vs which should be as bounds to hedge vs in as if it were saide vnto vs Behold God will haue vs to rest and stay vpon that which he hath giuen vs and to content our selues therewith otherwise we trouble the whole order of the world and defie the Lord himselfe to his face as if wee meant to proclayme open warre against him This obedience S. Paul had learned when he professeth that he knew to be rich and to be poore to be hungry and thirsty and likewise to haue abundance Phil. 4 12. He had learned to be patient in pouerty and to be content with his estate Both these are two notable vertues and special graces of Gods Spirit This is it to learne to be rich and to abound when we do not desire to gather yet more and more neyther are proud to trust in our riches neyther take occasion by them to oppresse the weaker sort that haue no friends in the world to maintaine and defend them and finally when we so vse the world as if we vsed it not be ready to become poore for Christs sake and to leaue all whensoeuer it shall please God to lay that crosse vpon vs. This is a great blessing when such as are rich in wealth can be poore in heart and indeede greater then the former and more needfull to be vrged then the former Many will be ready to laugh at this speech to know how to bee rich But if wee consider how vnsatiable for the most part such are and how their eares and harts also are stopped with earth and clay we shall finde that it is not without great reason that Christ our Sauiour telleth vs that It is an hard thing for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Mat. 19. For they are for the most part more discontented then poore men and so farre in loue with their owne shadow for what is riches but a shadow that they cannot be satisfied And if they had the whole earth in possession they would think that too little and beginne to dreame of two earths Wherefore let vs labour after the grace of Contentation which is a vertue whereby wee are content with our present estate and such blessings as we haue lawfully gotten and rest in them with a quiet heart and bee ready to beare the burden of pouerty patiently The holy Scripture setteth before vs as in a glasse Motiues to moue vs to contentation sundry motiues to mooue vs to seek after and to practise this gift First because it is commanded of God to euery one to be content with his estate Heb. 13 5. Secondly such as are endued with it neede not feare want or pouerty or to be forsaken in theyr pouertie for God hath promised to be their deliuerer and hath sayde He will neuer forsake them Heb. 13 5. Thirdly such as are endued with it shal not be destitute of godlinesse which is great gaine to supply all things 1 Tim. 6 6. Fourthly it is a testimony of true faith resting in the will and pleasure of God Matth. 19 21 for it witnesseth for them that they haue their treasure in heauen Fiftly it maketh this life sweet and comfortable Prou. 13 15. and without it there is nothing but trouble and vexation of spirit Lastly a little with the feare of God is better then great heaps of riches treasures Prou. 15 16 17. 16 8. 13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel saying This is the Land which ye shall inherite by lot which the Lord commanded to giue vnto the nine Tribes and to the halfe Tribe 14 For the Tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers and the Tribe of the children of Gad according vnto the house of their fathers haue receiued inheritance and halfe the Tribe of Manasseh haue receiued their inheritance 15 The two Tribes and the halfe Tribe haue receiued their inheritance on this side Iordan nere Iericho Eastward toward the Sunne rising In the former words wee heard the Commandement of God to Moses touching the bounds and diuision of the Land here we see the execution of it commending his obedience wherein he encourageth the Israelites to prepare themselues to enter into the Land We haue all need to be comforted and encouraged to good duties in regard of our present dulnesse Againe we see that the consideration of the neerenesse of Gods mercies should embolden and encourage euery one to bee constant and couragious that wee faint not in the last acte This made Moses say This is the Land which ye shall inherite he doth as it were point it out with the finger and biddeth them lift vp their eyes and behold the goodnesse which God had promised to their fathers For as the consideration of iudgement at hand lying at the doores ought to moue terror and astonishment so when we behold the mercies of God before our eyes which are not prolonged for many yeares it ought to enflame vs with an holy zeale and desire to see the accomplishment of the same as Christ teacheth his Disciples touching the last day the comming of the Sonne of man Luke 21 28 When these things begin to come to passe then looke vp lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nigh But to passe these ouer let vs stay our selues a while in the consideratiō of the estate of the Church of Israel as now it stood Some were at rest other were to passe farther Some had their inheritance and some had none Some had Townes and Cities to dwell in and some were yet left to the wide world and were to wander farther Some had much and others little or nothing at all Some wanted and some wanted nothing This teacheth vs what is the estate of the
2 2 3. If the Lord had not bene on our side may Israel now say if the Lord had not bene on our side when men rose vp against vs then had they swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs. Then the waters had drowned vs the streame had gone ouer our soule then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule Praised be the Lord c. Lastly let vs lay vp these things in our Vse 3 hearts and know the nature of our enemies and the greatnesse of our own danger Let vs consider the present perill and estate of the Church and looke for such enemies Let vs all watch ouer our selues and weigh our calling and condition It is not a calling to outward peace and prosperity neither must wee looke here to find carnall ease and delight but when one trouble and tempest is ouer-blowne and the griefe of one affliction is ended wee must not then grow carelesse and secure wee must not lull our selues asleepe in the cradle of sensuality but in the end of one affliction wee must looke for another to beginne alwaies to keepe watch and ward knowing the frailty of our owne flesh remembring Satan to be an enemy of our peace and happinesse and considering our life to be as a continuall warfare so long as we tarry in this Tabernacle If wee be compassed about with many enemies and to be put into the furnace of affliction made exceeding hot let vs still haue comfort and consolation God will make the end glorious the issue happy Dan 7 28. This vse is taught and practised by the Prophet Daniel where a vision of foure beasts is shewed vnto Daniel and the calamities to come successiuely vpon the Church of the Iewes thereby fore-shewed he apprehended this doctrine by faith and kept it in his memory to remaine with him for his comfort and instruction for euer Wherefore let vs not promise rest to our selues after one deliuerance the enemies will gather themselues together againe and when wee haue victory ouer one tentation let vs prepare our selues for a new combat and make ready our armour for another assault Luke 4.13 Iob 1. and 2. This wee see in Christ the head of the faithful This wee see in Iob a man that feared God and eschewed euill who hauing vanquished Satan in one tentation hee returned eftsoones and redoubled his forces vpon him with another If this practice of the diuel were well pondered and throughly considered it would not onely preuent and redresse much impatiency but worke much peace and contentment in our hearts For what is the cause that we are so impatient vnder the crosse murmuring against God in our trials and tentations accounting them heauy and intollerable burthens vnto vs but because we promise to our selues peace and pleasure in the dayes of our pilgrimage and wee dreame of an heauen here vpon earth But if wee will profite aright in affliction whereby our faith is tryed 1 Pet. 1 7. and made much more precious then gold that perisheth wee must looke continually to be assaulted if we would not suddainly be surprised so come as a prey into the iawes of Sathan Verse 13.14 Thou shalt not see them all So hee brought him into the field of the Watchmen c. We haue heard before how the enterprises of Balaam were disappointed of God and so the wisedome of the wise confounded Now the King seeing himselfe crossed in his purpose and desiring to make an end of this matter carrieth him vp to another place where he might onely see a part of the Israelites his enemies Why doth hee take this course â—urely because he thought he feared the sight of that great multitude and considereth not the vanity of his sorcery Howsoeuer therefore they might see with their eyes and as it were feele with their hands God fighting against them yet both of them proceede in their purposeâ— the King in prouoking the false Prophet in hearkning and obeying Loe how obstinate the wicked are in euill setled with a full resolution to continue in their course so that albeit they change the place yet abide in their former purpose and cannot be brought to acknowledge their own folly From hence we learne Doctrine Wicked men in their euil successes lay the fault vpon second causes that wicked men when they haue euill successe neuer look vp to God whom they haue offended nor consider their sinnes whereby hee is prouoked but lay the fault in second causes and in anything rather then vpon themselues This corruption appeared in our first Parents immediately after their transgression For when they saw the filthinesse of their nakednesse and the miserable experience which they had gotten losing the good Gen 3.12 13 and enioying the euill Adam laide the fault vpon the woman as the woman did vppon the serpent and could not be brought to acknowledge their owne offence When the Philistims were plagued and the hand of God was sore vpon them for abusing the Arke they did not strike their hand vpoÌ„ their thigh and confesse they had sinned but doe ascribe all things to blinde-chance and vncertain fortune whereas nothing is done without the decree and prouidence of God Therefore determining to send backe the Arke they reason thus 1. Sam. 6.9 If it goe vp by the way of his owne coast it is the God of Israel that did vs this great euill but if not wee shall know then that it is not the hand that smote vs but it was a chance that happened vs. This like wee see in the Aramites when they had ill successe in the battell against the Israelites they said 1. Kings 20.23 Their gods are gods of the mountaines and therefore they ouercame vs but let vs fight against them in the plaine and doubtlesse wee shall ouercome them Heereunto accordeth the saying of the Wise man Prou. 19.3 The foolishnesse of a man peruerteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord that is when the scourge of God lyeth sore vpon the transgressours for despising the Word for abusing the Sacraments or for practising any wickednesse they learne not by his plagues and iudgements to accuse and iudge themselues but accuse God as the authour of their euils and aduersities and murmure against him for dealing so rigorously sharply with them like to the dogge that byteth the stone but looketh not after him that casteth it The reasons First wicked men want the Reason 1 knowledge of the true God to iudge of their crosses and afflictions and therefore no maruaile if they bee disquieted and fret through the euill successe they haue in their enterprises This made the wise Salomon to say Prou. 19.3 They sâ—et against the Lord. The want of sound iudgment and a right vnderstanding is the mother of all the corruptions which are in vs and of the sinne which we commit For we should ascribe to our owne folly the things that goe not well with vs
hurt losse and damage may by them redound to the commonwealth in such sending of them The way to be rid of them is to execute iudgement against them and to cut them off by the sword of the Magistrate for theyr euill deeds Lastly from hence we should learne much more to be watchfull in the spirituall warrefare Eph. 6 10. 2 Tim. 2 4. We are all souldiers and we are to fight against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesse in high places and therefore it behoueth vs to put on the whole armour of God and to bee strong in the Lord knowing that we shall stand in his might and be able to put to flight these enemies 7 And they warred against the Midianites as the Lord commanded Moses and they slew all the males 8 And they slew the kings of Midian besides the rest of them that were slaine namely Eui and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba He was the father of Cozbi whom Phâ—nehas slew Numb 25 15. fiue kings of Midian Balaam also the sonne of Beor they slew with the sword 9 And the children of Israel tooke all the women of Midian captiues and their little ones and tooke the spoyle of all their cattell and all their flockes and all their goods 10 And they burnt all their Cities wherin they dwelt c. 11 And they tooke all the spoyle c. This is the second part of the Chapter wherein we see the manner obserued in managing this warre and in performing obedience to the Commandement of God and his seruant Moses Wherin we may see the slaughter that they made first set downe generally They slew all the males then particularly Fiue of their Kings and also Balaam Secondly the captiues that they tooke to wit al the women and their little ones Thirdly their booty they tooke the spoyle of their cattell flocks and goods Lastly they set their Cities on fire and consumed theyr goodly Castles to nothing Heere a question may be demanded concerning Balaam Obiect how he came to be among these Midianites forasmuch as we reade before that he went his way Numb 24 25. I answer Answer some vnderstand the words of his purpose resolution to returne home but that he stayed in the way among the Midianites through whose Country he must necessarily go and so was slayne among them And indeed it is certaine he was present in the battell but it is more likely and credible that he went home and afterward hearing of the destruction of so many thousands of the Israelites 1. Drusij comment in loca diffic Num. cap. 125. procured through his diuellish counsell that hee returned vnto Madian hoping to receyue the wages which had beene promised vnto him seeing the matter succeeded according to his theyr desire and thus indeed hee receyued a iust reward and recompence as the wages due vnto him for he was slaine by the sword And hence also it may not vnfitly bee concluded that he was no true Prophet of God but a Prophet of Satan for then doubtlesse the Israelites would neuer haue put him vnto the sword Eucher in Gen. pag. 102. Some there are that too highly magnifie him and esteeme better of him then is cause and thinke that he was the same who in the booke of Iob is called Elihu howbeit this is a blinde conceit Some of the Hebrew Doctors obserue that he could be no Prophet because it is said God opened his eyes and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way c. because this is noted of others as of the seruant of Elisha 2 Kings 6 17 and of the Syrians verse 20 as also of Hagar Gen. chapter 21 verse 19 but it is neuer spoken in the same manner of any of the Prophets Other of them say he was damned with Doeg Gehazi and Achitophel but the things that are secret belong not vnto vs the truth he knoweth that knoweth all things it is not for vs to iudge before the time But to leaue this and to come to the doctrines We saw before the sinne of the Midianites chap. 25 and how God threatned them hitherto they escaped well enough and might say as Agag did that had beene spared with the fatter Oxen and the better sheepe 1 Sam. 15 32. Surely the bitternesse of death is past notwithstanding wee see God maketh good his word and suffereth no part of it to fall to the ground Doctrine Wicked men are suffered long yet in the end are punished We learne heereby that wicked men howsoeuer they may bee suffered long in theyr sinnes and God prosper them in theyr wayes and bring no temporal iudgment vpon them yet at last he meeteth with them and bringeth his plagues and punishments vpon them Psalm 73 verses 12 17 18 and 37 35 36. Iob 21 17 18. Ierem. 12 1 2 3. Hab. 2 3 5. Psal 50 21. The Scripture is full of these examples Reason 1 And it must needs be thus because God is a iealous God visiting iniquities and transgressions Exod. 34. he is angry with the wicked hateth them his soule abhorreth and detesteth them and therfore must needs bring iudgment vpon them Rom. 1 verse 18 and 2 5 8. Deut. 9 8 20. Mal. 1 2 3. Not that GOD hath any passion of anger but because hee is saide to do that which men do when they are angry that is he will take vengeance and punish them for theyr sinnes and offences Secondly because the Lord hath set a stint to the wicked he seemeth for a while to put the bridle in theyr neckes and to let them run at liberty but they haue theyr appointed time which they cannot passe hee hath set downe how farre they shall go and how long they shall liue and the measure of theyr sinne to what height they shall grow so that though they desire to proceede neuer so much they shall not be able they cannot go any farther he wayteth till they haue filled vp the measure of their sinnes Gen. 15 verse 16. Math. 23 ver 32 and then he will not spare to bring his iudgements vpon them Vse 1 The vses First this teacheth vs to acknowledge the iustice of God He oftentimes holdeth his peace and men thinke him to be like vnto themselueâ— howbeit hee will manifest to all the world that hee is a iust and righteous God and holy in all his wayes Hence it is that the Apostle saith He will reward euery one according to his works Rom. 2 6. Psalm 62 12. For as God neuer forgetteth to be mercifull neyther shutteth vp his kindnesse in displeasure Psalm 77 9 so hee cannot forget his iustice except he should forget himselfe No man forgetteth his owne name Iustice is Gods essentiall attribute This is his Name for euer and this is his memoriall to all generations True it is the faithfull themselues do many times conceiue amisse both of the mercy and of the iustice of God but they confesse that this is their