his word séeing it is so sure a way for mée to walke in Or why should any Teacher deliuer to me that which hée neuer receiued of God to be deliuered to his people If they craue obedience why should they bée angry that I pray to haue it shewed out of his word whom onely I must obey Hée hath prescribed a forme of seruing him that forme hée will accept and blesse with eternall peace all other formes hée will abhorre and punish Nadab and Abihu preach so vnto vs and all flesh They wish vs to take héed by their harme God is in other things full of patience but in this he is full of wrath and his authoritie to appoint his owne worship he will not indure it to be taken from him by any man Let Popish whisperers then make good out of Gods word Latine Prayers when we vnderstand no Latin Calling vpon Saints that heare vs not Flying from the sufficiencie of Christs Passion to our owne merits crossings and creepings with a thousand deuised toyes and we will obey them But if they cannot let them leaue vs to serue God according to his word that we may bée accepted 3 You may also well note it here that Nadab Abihu were two of Aarons eldest sonnes which after their father should in his place haue succéeded him yet there is no mercie with God to stay his iudgement when they will not be ruled by his word No prerogatiue therefore of any man shall saue him from wrath if hee thus offend but the eldest shall die aswell as a yonger the richest aswell as the poorer a great man or woman aswell as a small There is no regard with God of these things But the soule that serueth him according to his owne will reueiled in his VVord that is regarded and euer déere vnto him c. Build we not therefore vpon any titles and so swarue from the rule laid downe vnto vs. If so little a transgression cannot be qualified any way by any circumstance O what will bée their case one day that so many wayes stray from the Law of God and almost in no one iote of their worship haue any warrant Thinke with your self more of this matter and meditate further of it at your times 4 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neere mee and before all the people I will be glorified You can conceiue what wo it was to Moses to sée this end of two of his brothers sonnes but he must stoope to God and so he doth telling Aaron the trueth of the fault and so consequently defending God that he did but iustly In déede saith he we must confesse that this is that we were told before how God will be sanctified in them that come neere vnto him that is how he will haue his Law obeyed and followed in his worship and not any way else how though he vse the Ministerie of man yet no man liuing must be wiser than Hee to swarue from the forme appointed and to follow his owne libertie but man must thinke it his wisedome to doe as God biddeth c. 5 But Aaron held his peace saith the Text that is was so astonished with the fearefulnes of it that he had no spéech but all amazed and shaken with the woe of it held his peace He howled not out with any vnséâ—mly cries neither vttered any words of rage and impatiencie but méekly stooped to Gods will kissed his rodde and held his peace If thus Aaron in so great a iudgement how much more we when our friends dye naturally swéetly and comfortably so that we may boldly say NoÌ„ amisimus sedpraemisimus VVe haue not lost them but sent them before vs whether we our selues hope to follow Lay to this heauie harted father yet silent and patient the example of olde father Elye the Priest to whom when Samuel had related such fearefull things quietly he answered It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The example also of Dauid who in his distresse very bitter and heauie yet notably said Let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes These are most excellent Paterns for vs to follow in all our crosses and griefes not forgetting that golden Saying of Iob Wee haue taken good things at Gods hands and shall we not take euill O yes yes The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and euer euer blessed be his Name for all The fish groweth greater in salt waters and the Lord for his mercie make our Faith Pacience and Comfort in him great in the saltest and bitterest waters of this world Amen 6 Obserue here againe with your selfe the strange and admirable change of these worldly matters in the turne as we say of a hand For but Yesterday as it were Aaron and these sonnes of his had a famous and glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignitie vpon earth nothing vnder the Sunne being more glorious than that Priest-hood in those dayes And how may you thinke his heart reioyced to sée not onely himselfe but his children which Parents often loue more than themselues so blessed and honoured But O change now sudden and fearefull O fickle fading comfort that man taketh hold of in this world whatsoeuer it be if wordly These sonnes so lately exalted and honoured to their old Fathers swéet and great ioy now lye destroyed before his face to his extréeme and twitching torment And how Not by any ordinarie and accustomed death but by fire from Heauen a sore and dreadfull iudgement For what also Euen for breach of commaunded dutie by the Lord all which doubled and trebled the fathers sorrow As it did in Dauid when his sonne Absolon died not an vsual death and in rebellion and disebedience against his king and Father You remember his passion then vttered O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne He considered the cause wherein he dyed the manner how he dyed to a father so kinde as Dauid was both of them full of woe and sorrow Let neuer therefore any prosperitie in this world puffe vs for wée little know what to morrow-day may bring with it The glasse that glistereth most is soonest broken the rankest corne is soonest layd and the fullest bough with pleasant fruite is soonest slit hauing more eyes vpon it moe stones cast at it than all the other boughs of the trée Pleasant wine maketh wise men fooles and fooles often starke mad Thousands fall at the left hand but tenne thousand at the right Multos fraÌ„git aduersitas sed plures extollit prosperitas Many saith Saint Bernard are crushed with aduersitie but more are puffed vp by prosperitie Lacertus Milonem perdidit ambitio Caesarem Nimis alter Naturae nimis alter Fortunae credidit Milo his strong arme ouerthrew him and Caesar his ambition The one
104. People shoulde bee touched with the griefe of their Minister 85. Pentecost 191. Persons which might be vowed to the service of God 215. Posteritie provided for 171. Pleasures are to be mortified 32. and forsaken for God 66. Policie may not destroy pietie 141 170 185. Poligamie vnlawfull 149 150. Poore provided for in sacrifices 19. their little is accepted 20 37 45 106 119. God hath care of them 162. and so should we have 163 164 207. Povertie comforted 37 45. 100. Popish frankincense 24. fasts 34. rapers 53 194. performance of their devotions by another 67. elevation 67. priest-hoode 70 180. greasing 71. devises without the word 81. forbidding of marriage and meates 92. shrift 108. wronging of the soules of men 124. transubstantiation 132. kinred 134 143. cloystering 139. forced chastitie 141 181 185. forbidding ministers marriage 161. shaving 174. stewes 174 Priestes and Iesuites of an vnquiet humour 183. representation of the Trinitie 194. Iubile and pardons 204 205. vowes 218 219. Prayers signified by incense 24. they pierce onely by the blood of Christ 39. a reason why they are not alwayes heard 213. Preaching of Christ through the world prefigured 13 58 67 192. it is a sacrifice 21. not to be turned to popular applause 27. Prophetes exhortations vppon what grounds 209. In promised blessings wee must not appoynt God a time 210. Providence 59 Prosperitie may not puffe vs 84. Pride scorneth excuses 89. it bindeth men 184. Purification 106 c. Punishments are necessary to preserve common-wealths 176 177. Punishments of wilfull contemners of Gods will 211. Puritie of Christ prefigured 10 16 20 23 180. all puritie to be sought in him only 105 185. Puritie of his doctrine and life 25. and of his nature 104. Purifying of women not to bee forced now in maner as it was vsed amongest the Iewes 103. why it was doubled in a woman childe to that it was in a man child 105. Q. QVestion whether divorce may bee made for the leprosie 114. Question whether errour or mistaking make a marriage voyde or no 141. Secondly whether a vow hinder marriage 143. Thirdly whether spirituall kinred hinder marriage 143. Fourthly whether a man may marry her whome hee adulterously abused in her husbands life time 144. Fiftly whether diversitie of religion breake marriage ibidem Sixtly what if marriage be forced 145. Seaventhly what if marriage be with one violently taken away 145. R. RAvens figured vnnaturall parents vnkinde friends and ill husbands 99. Remembring of wrong forbidden 169. Relapse into sinne 58. Repentance neglected 44. 45. it should be continuall 120. when it is true there is comfort 212. Resurrection of Christ prefigured 20 55 128. that it should be on the third day 64. Restitution 46 49. Religious vowes 219. Revelation now clearer than in the old Testament 20. Riches are to be forsaken for God 66. Righteousnesse of Christ shaddowed 125. S. SAcrifices were not meritorious by the worke done 4 22 36 38 49 178. they were shadowes of such vertues as the sacrifice of Christ shoulde woorke 4. but chiefely of the death of Christ it selfe 5. why there were many sortes of them 5 6. what things were to be sacrificed 6. why ⧠The Praeface IT is Saint Hierome his speech in one place That almost euery syllable of this Booke of Leuiticus conteyneth a mysterie A great motiue to stirre vp all God his people both to the reading of it and to a verie great obseruing of whatsoeuer we read in it We see by experience that if a man happen to finde any old and ancient Monument of some Famous man that liued many yeeres ago with any inscription of old Letters or Characters how he reioiceth at it keepeth it sheweth it to his friends and is neuer wearie of it Much more should it please vs to view and marke the ancient Figures of this Booke wherin as in pictures Iesus Christ the great King of all Kings and the eternall Sonne of almightie God was set-out and expressed to the world before he came and still most profitably noted and knowne now when hee is come Let vs therefore begin to read this heauenly Booke with comfort continue the same with constancie to the end And most gracious Father for thy deere Sonnes sake I beseech thee throw my sins out of thy sight that make me vtterly vnworthy to come nere thy word much more both to taste the sweetnes of it my selfe and to be a means that others may doe the like with mee And as it hath pleased thee to vouchsafe mee a place of teaching in thy Church with many and many mercies more to stir my heart vp to this course of doing some part of my dutie in the same so vouchsafe to giue power to my will and to enable me with thy grace that I may see and set downe obserue and note what may bee to this end namely to worke both in mine owne soule and in the hearts of thy deere Chosen knowledge and feeling of thy heauenly truth that may bee to the praise of thy vnspeakable goodnesse and our owne aeternall comfort for euermore O grant it sweet Lord grant it and be strong in weakenesse as thou hast promised to be Let no sinne of mine or of thy people that shall euer vse my poore labours hinder and hold this mercie from vs. Amen Amen The like Notes vpon euery Chapter of the Booke of Leuiticus CHAP. I. BEfore you come to the words of the Text you may consider in your minde why God should institute and appoynt such a kinde of worship as this hereafter described in this Booke séeming to be delighted with the slaughter of Cattle and liuing creatures to his seruice And the rather I wish you to thinke of this point because we read of some in old times that by reason hereof and by the commandement and approbation of warres also wherein men women and children are often slaine with great rigor and force haue condemned the holy Law of God his sacred and Diuine word as not agréeable to his Nature who is all good and not delighted with slaughter and crueltie but with louing mercie and mildnesse vnitie amitie and peace Such were the Cerdonian and Marcion Heretickes as witnesse Turtullian and Augustine Others haue fallen into this foolish and false conceite that there were two Gods one God the Father of Christ and the Authour of the new Testament the other seuere and sowre cruell and bloody the Authour of the olde Testament wherein so many commandements concerning blood by warres and by sacrifices are giuen Againe Lucian that prophane Scoffer scoffed and iested at this kind of worship by blood and death The former folly is so grosse and senselesse as in our dayes God be blessed it néedeth no confutation For we well know that euen the Scriptures of the olde Testament also Came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost We know the Law it selfe
themselues as if they had béene Egiptians borne and not Christians acquainted with the booke of God Whom I make no doubt if they hold on their way but the Red-sea will deuoure as it did these that is the Justice of God will destroy them for their sinne Till then patience and a continuall comfortable remembrance that God sitteth at the stearne which surely is enough to any that knoweth how swéete he is to all that fast and faithfully cleaue vnto him 5 What is the euent to kéepe them vnder is the plot but will it hold O comfort O comfort I say againe No no their deuise will not hold for the Lord sitting in the heauens laughed all their counsels to scorne And the more they vexed them the more they multiplied and grew saith the text A thing neuer to be thought of enough So hath it béene so shall it be to the worlds end with all faithfull seruants of God as shall be fit In those bloodie persecutions after Christes death by the Romaine Emperours what strange torments were deuised to kéepe downe religion and religious professours men and women They plucked off their skinnes quicke they boared out their eies with wimbles they broiled them aliue on Gridâ—rons they scalded them in boiling liquors they enclosed them in barrels and driuing great nailes through tumbled them downe mountaines till their owne blood so cruellie drawne out stifled and choaked them in the barrell womens breasts were seared off with burning irons their bodies rent and their ioynts racked with many and many gréeuous paines But would all this serue no no euen as héere so then the more they were vexed the more they multiplied through the mercie and power of him that gaue them strength to endure the paine and to scorne the malice So that S. Augustine saith of those times Ligabantur vrebantur cadebantur et tamen multiplicabantur they were bound they were burned they were beaten c. and yet they multiplied The bloud of Martyrs is the séede of the church and bringeth forth fruite as séede dooth some thirtie some sixtie and some a hundred fold as God pleaseth His arme shortneth not at any time wée all know and therefore what hée will suffer the deuill and his instruments to doe that they can and no more They haue worne the crowns of Kingdomes at last to the ioy of thousand thousands in despite of all malice who were thrust sore at that they might fall and from an honourable rising could not the malice of all Iosephs brethren kéepe him Therefore saith the text they were the more grieued against the children of Israel And so vsuallie falleth out to those that séeke their securitie by wicked wayes God crosseth and their deuises turne to their owne further woe and discontentment according to the common prouerbe Malum consilium consultori pessimum euill counsell is alwaies worse to him that giueth it 6 Will they then giue ouer their wicked waies and suffer them to increase whom God will haue to increase No but they adde vnto their crueltie more and more in such sort as the Israelites are weary of their liues by sore labour in clay and bricke and in all worke in the field with all manner of bondage which they laide vpon them most cruelly that their iniquity might bée full they deuise a crueltie neuer heard of before to send for the Midwiues and to deale with them to destroy the male-children of the Israelites at the birth Which may rightly teach vs to beware euer how wée begin to do euill for feare one euill pull on another as héere it did and in Dauid againe when adultery drew on murder of an innocent man and a faithfull subiect But did the Midwiues obey his commandement No they feare God saith the text and did not as the king commanded them but preserued aliue the men-children iustly commended for that they rather obeyed God than man They considered what stoode with the law of God which to them was knowne and not what pleased a mis-led minde of a gouernour Kings are to bée obeied and pleased but in the Lord. And if further they will force vs our bodies are theirs to sustaine vndeserued paine but both bodie and soule shall die if wee sinne against God This did those happie men know and followe when they were threatned and at last thrust into that fierie fornace by great crueltie saying as you reade there Our God is able to deliuer vs if it please him but if not yet know O King that wée will not doe this thing béeing wicked idolatry to worship the moulten image The reason of the Midwiues refusall is alledged the feare of God And surelie wheresoeuer this banke is the waters of vngodlinesse are held out from euerflowing as where the banke is not they doe When Abraham once entertained the thought that in the king of Gerar his courte the feare of God was not streight hée doubted violence both to himselfe and to his wife and so offended in saying she was his sister This feare made Ioseph that he durst not sinne against his maister or against his brethren when his father was dead This feare is the beginning of wisedome and a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for euer Still then labour to kéepe this feare in your heart and you â—hall reape a comfortable reward of it at the last 7. What then became of the Midwiues how escaped they the Kings wrath disobeying his commaundement Surely the text saith the King sent for them and they by an vntruth excused themselues saying The Hebrewe women were so strong that they were deliuered before anie midwife came Where in the King we may learne this good not to condemne anie before we heare them for if so wicked a man as this King was had yet that iustice to send for them and to heare their defence much more should wee that knowe more doe the like Manie swelling tales and strange reports haue féeble proofe when hearing is graunted Secondlie in the Midwiues we may sée the weakenes of our natures for they should not haue lyed for anie feare and therefore though a good déede be done yet it is ill defended Wee may not lie saith the scripture to iustifie God much lesse for anie other cause This weakenes then in these good women was like a spot in a faire face and S. Augustine saith of them Viues conseruare natos fuit miserecordiae at pro vita sua mentit as esse opus fuit infirmitatis quam Deus gratia condonat Homines veró non nisi ingrati et proterui possunt adexemplum imitationis sibi proponere To preserue aliue the children was a worke of mercie but to lie for the safetie of their liues was a worke of infirmitie which yet God pardoned by grace and none sauing vnthankfull and crooked persons will euer propose it to themselues to be imitated 8. But the text saith God prospered
pittifullest manner that it could therby desiring to be saued from the destroyer yet could they not help it must away to the riuer to the riuer it must be drowned without all remorse and pitie Let it worke in our hard hearts some true féeling of our happie fréedome from such miserie and earnest prayer to the God of mercie that euer he would continue freedome vnto vs. 3. It is said also the child was faire What God had appointed him for you knowe and now sée how the Lord gaue what with men might giue him more grace Uertue in a faire bodie is more acceptable And often in children appeareth some signe of future vertue wherewith God purposeth to endue them when they are men Beautie and comlinesse either in men or women is the gift of God but a greater gift it is to haue grace withall to liue vertuouslie Sarai Rebecca Rachel among women were verie faire and most vertuous withall Salomon speaketh of others beautifull also but not good Prou. 6. 27. Prou. 11. 22. Ioseph Saul Absolon among men were goodly personages but Iosephs pietie was more glorious than all his beautie Thanke GOD for his mercie in your selfe and your children and to supplie all defects beséech him in your prayer you shall finde the comfort and the benefit of it If fauour be but hard remember S. Bernard It is a happie blacknes in bodie which is accompanied with a whitenesse in minde Many haue béene hard fauoured and yet endued with excellent parts Philopaemen a Grecian Captaine verie deformed excelled most men in Militarie matters Acsope very hard fauored yet most wittie Socrates full of imperfections in shape and yet who more famous for wisedome Apollo his oracle gaue him preheminence Thus might I tell you manie Stories but you sée the Meditation sufficientlie followe it further as you sée cause Blessed be God that euery way giueth vs comfort Xerxes that had that huge armie yet is said to haue béene the goodliest man of them all Plutarch in the life of Demetrius saith hee was so passing in face and countenance that no Painter or Picture-maker was able to drawe him Of Scipio Africanus he saith that the Barbarians in Spaine stoode amazed at his comlinesse Suetonius writeth of the goodlie Eie of Augustus Caesar What an excellent personage Charles the great had Paulus Aemilius sheweth in his third booke Maximilian the first had such a Presence Maiestie that a stranger is said among 30. great Princes to have noted him out hauing neuer séene him before But I forget my selfe out of a desire to giue you occasion to thinke of more 4. But was onlie the fairenesse of the childe that made the mother hide him No euerie creature thinketh his owne faire This therefore is somewhat but not all Nature had a sway and yet aboue all Gods Spirit telleth vs of another thing which wee must marke namely of faith For by faith saith he by the Apostle to the Hebrewes Moses when he was borne was hid thrée moneths by his parents because they sawe hee was a proper childe neither feared they the Kings commaundement Faith beléeued that God would one day release them and not any longer suffer them so cruellie to be oppressed In hope therefore of the same they vsed meanes hiding him as they could and leauing the successe to God Their eies could not sée any way of safetie much lesse that way which after fell out but their hearts hoped their soules prayed and vpon him they fixed both heart and soule who is Almightie All-mercifull All-swéete and kinde to his distressed seruants then néerest when he séemeth furthest then strongest when hee séemeth weakest then swéetest when hee seemeth lowrest and then vp in wrath to reuenge our wrongs when the world doth thinke hee hath forgotten vs. Such faith then let vs marke and pray for in the euill day doubt not the Lord distrust not his helpe shift along in his holy feare with such lawfull meanes as you possiblie can commend the blessing of them to him and let him euer doe his owne will 5. But alas she could not long keepe him thus Three moneths she did it by secret hiding but then saith the Storie she could no longer so cruell were their hearts and so narrowe was the search that hee must away a case more than bitter as hath beene saide But what helpe now for this guiltlesse babe See an excellent woman full of faith in her God when she could no longer hide him she deuised for him a little arke made of réede and dawbed it with 〈◊〉 and pitch putting the childe in it and setting it among the bulrushes by the riuer side appointing her daughter the childs sister to watch the same so committing that thing to her mightie God which her selfe could not keepe from a bloodie tyrant neuer yeelding but in hope still euen as it were past hope depended faithfullie and constantly vpon her God for the safetie of her child 6. And what did the father all this while that the scripture still mentioneth the mother saying shee did and shee did Trulie of like all vexed amazed and tormented with she woe of it stoode as a man shiftlesse not séeing what to doe The woman enabled by God is the better man quicker and prompter for deuise in so touching an extremitie shee deuiseth what hee liketh and shee performeth what God blesseth In the weaker vessell Gods strength was more séene and hee doth enable them now and then for that purpose The knowledge of it must yéeld them a fit regard and men may not euer disdaine to followe them by whom they sée God sometimes doth worke Manie men haue béene well aduised by their wiues and the womans counsell not followed you reade in Scripture hath turned sometimes to the mans woe You remember the particular Haue not thou to doe with that iustman with diuers others 7. The childe thus placed by the water side and his sister watching a farre off as though she knewe not of it to sée what would become of her little brother what falleth out O depth of Gods mercie and goodnes downe commeth that way to wash her selfe in the riuer Pharaohs daughter euen this cruell Pharaohs daughter called of some Thermutis walking by the riuer side with her maydes spies the arke among the bul-rushes and sent her mayde to fetch it when shee opened it behold little Moses in it and the poore babe wept vpon her begging by teares as well as it could some mercie and pittie against the bloodie lawe of her father Shée had compassion and conceaued rightlie that it was one of the Hebrewes children By all which what may we learne but first that there is no rocke more sure nor refuge more comfortable when mans power faileth than Gods gracious prouidence for there is no temptation so great whereunto that cannot giue an issue Secondly how able God is to dispose of men and womens courses otherwise than at the
of thy land the increase of thy kine and the flockes of thy Sheepe Cursed shalt thou be when thou commest in and cursed when thou goest out The Lord shall send vppon thee cursing trouble and shame in al that which thou settest thine hand to doo vntill thou be destroyed and perish quickly because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken me Take we héede therfore we were best of Pharaohs obstinacy disobedience against God against his Worde and against his Seruaunts and messengers sent vnto vs for our good lest this heape of curses light vpon vs and euen All the Lords plagues punish vs. Wee may note againe how he calleth them his plagues saying all my plagues and learne thereby that neither Fortune nor Chaunce ruleth rods and crosses layd vpon vs but these thinges still are Gods tooles whereby he either boweth or breaketh men women that are warped and cast aside being by him layde on and taken off at his pleasure So said our Sauiour to his Persecutor thou couldest haue no power ouer mee except it were giuen thee from aboue This well remembred will make vs sée and discerne God in our sicknes in our losse of friends or goods in our woes and wants whatsoeuer they be and the sooner stoope vnder his hand and be turned to his will Our hearts will say within vs This is Gods hand this is his blowe O soule turne turne and be reformed thou maist goe no further in this way thou maist not resist him that is too strong for thée Witches Sorcerers Théeues Robbers Raylers Slaunderers and Oppressours whatsoeuer that haue done mee wrong I looke not at them otherwise than at God his rods for all plagues I sée in this Text are his plagues and he ruleth all casting these rods into the fire when his childe is humbled and reformed Blessed therefore is the man that feareth alway but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill 9. God saith hee will send all these plagues vpon his heart which besides the Note in your Bibles margine may signifie that they should touch him inwardly and déepely so doth God daily where he is angrie and so can God doo with vs if wee prouoke him To smite vs in armes hands legges or the like parts is gréeuous vnto vs and bitter but when sorrowe is laide vpon the heart it stingeth indéede and most bitterly which He would expresse that said Sorrowe hath pierced my head shewed it selfe at the windowes and sunke downe to my heart Degrées of woe all bitter but the last most of all to be feared for looke what the moath is to the garment and the worme to the wood such is the sorrowe of the heart And therefore saith Salomon againe Sorrowe or heauines in the heart of man doth bring it downe and in another place A sorrowfull minde drieth the bones And by the sorrowe of the heart the minde is heauie Poets would expresse as much when they termed sorrowe and care eating and biting The way to preuent this dolefull sorrowe of heart laide on by an angrie God is to take our sinnes to heart betimes and by true repentance to fâ—ie from them which God for his mercie sake graunt wee may doo 10. The 16. and 17. verses to our great good instruct vs concerning wicked men that indéede as Pharaoh héere so are they appointed of God and they can doo but what He will haue them howsoeuer yet they not considering thus much exalt themselues against Gods people often as héere did this Tyrant Feare not therefore their feare but settle this doctrine soundly in your harts leaue all to God Hee that raised them for his Will can kéepe them within the limits of his Will and that Will to vs can neuer be hurtfull if wee dutifully commend our selues to it 11. Thus God hath giuen Pharaoh warning what Judgements are hanging ouer his head readie forthwith to fall vpon him vnlesse he yéeld to dismisse his people out of Egypt Yet sée and neuer forget it whilest you liue In the middest of all this wrath the Lord remembreth mercie And biddeth them be warned to send for their Cattell into the house for feare of the haile which was to come For vpon all the men beasts which were found abroade should the hayle fall and they die Why what then should not all this haue béene most iust in God they being so rebellious sinners It is very true if they had all died it had béene most iust Neuerthelesse euen to such sinners the Lord would haue his mercie extended And therefore if euer any man or woman shall doubt of mercy from such a God it is a wrong it is a sinne intollerable For he that is thus to Lyons raging and roaring against him can hee be hard to his little Lambes that religiouslie trust in him Shall you and I be cast away when Pharaoh is respected No it hath not béene it shall not be it connot be so with the Lord. Quicke is the eye of him to sée the feares of his Children euer and with a tender hart he sendeth comfort in his good time Déere and gracious Father confirme the hearts of thy little Flocke in the swéete assurance of this thy goodnes euermore and in my blessed Sauiour thy beloued Sonne accept the hidden thankfull thoughts of my soule for what I haue found at thy gracious hand in mine owne particular and pardon my wants Amen Amen 12 Such then as feared the word of the Lord among the seruaunts of Pharaoh saith the Text made his Seruants Cattell fly into the houses But such as regarded not the word of the Lord left his seruaÌ„ts his cattel in the field Quare grandinem illaturus denunciauit illis vti pecora domuÌ„ cogerent Dominus cum sit humanissimus miserecordia temperat suppplica Alioqui etiam nouerat quosdam esse venia dignos quod non tacet Scriptura Diuina Qui enim ait ex seruis Pharaonis timuit verbum domini peccora sua domum coegit c. Why did the Lord being purposed to bring haile vpon them admonish them to fetch their cattell into the house Euen because hee being most gentle would temper punishment with mercie And againe he knew there were some differing from others more to be respected which the Scripture doth not conceale when it saith So many of Pharaoh his Seruants as feared the word of the Lord fetched their Cattell into the house c. As followeth in Theodoret and Saint Agustine vpon this place Such and so diuerse is the fruite of the selfe same worde of God spoken at one time by one man to one people Some regard it and doo thereafter some neglect and doo contrarie The greatest Moses must reckon of this and being forewarned be also forearmed against the discoÌ„fort that followeth of it Let the people also obserue that such only are saide here to feare the word of the Lord as did obey it
all sinnes So in Daniel is it saide that to Antichrist are giuen the eyes of a man still therefore marke how these properties hit Sixtly Their haire as the haire of women So are these they are delicious and wanton full of light allurements so trick and trim in silke and sutes of their fashion that the very Persians may séeme to giue place vnto them when they are in their Pontificalibus and gay attire In a word nothing may be saide more truly than that their haire is like the haire of women Their loose life hath toâ— much proofe Seauenthly But their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons So are these passing cruell and beyond all the butchering Tyrants that Stories speake of No mercie no bowels no respect of age seâ—e or circumstance vsually respected of men that haue any remnants of pitie Their Inquisition Oh how mercilesse their new deuised Torments Oh how strange Againe their teeth may bee well said to be like Lyons because they deuoured and eate vp such great things Looke vpon their Abbies Priories Nunries and all Religious Houses iudge what teeth they had and when there was not enough to satisfie them of temporall Lands then they preyed vpon the Church making Impropriations the venome whereof remaineth yet So that one way or other they were planted placed seated and setled in the very fat of the earth and had they continued still and not béene limited to fiue moneths who or what should haue escaped their Lyon-like teeth Eightly They had Habbergions like to Habbergions of yron And â—o haue these if you well marke them for by these yron Brest-plates are noted two properties found in the Romish rabble First a most obstinate stubbornnesse and inflexible frowardnesse not enduring any perswasion not yéelding any way but crying euer The Church The Church I am setled I am resolued and as a Captaine of theirs an English Apostata saide once Heaue at vs whilest you will and whilest you may you shall neuer remoue vs. This is to haue an Habbergion or Brest-plate of yron or euen to bee turned into yron Blessed be God who hath thus foretolde vs of this striffe conâ—umacie of theirs to the end we should take no offence that they are not conuerted vnto the Truth but stand and die in their wilfulnes Secondly they are defended by that Antichristian power as it were by an Habbergion of yron claiming an impunitie immunitie from all secular power and authoritie and hauing in readines curses and threats of Excommunication euen against the Greatest Princes and against All their Subiects who shall obey them whereof many a wofull Tragedie hath followed Againe themselues many of them haue béene Princes younger Sonnes Noble-mens younger sonnes greatly allied and friended so that in regard of this power and strength they might truly be saide to haue Habbergions of yron Ninthly The sound of their wings was like the sound of Chariots when many horses runne vnto battell So haue these winges when they flie aloft by the Names of MOST HOLY FATHERS MOST BLESSED MOST EXCELLENT and such like themselues giuing out That they are more blessed than the holy virgin Mary because she bare Christ but once and they make him and beare him in their hands euery day at the Altar Thus flying with their light wings of proud Titles they make such a noise and sound as Chariots drawne by many horses into the battell For denie any of these things and how violent how vehement are they by Disputations Excommunications Suspentions and Sentences of death it selfe Surely no whéeles of Chariots can flash out fire so as these men doo if their flickering wings of flattering Titles be touched Fitly therefore the words of S. Iohn hit them Their Scorpion tailes and power to hurt was touched before therefore I omit it now The tenth Marke is Those Locusts haue a King ouer them And so haue these Romish Locusts their Pope acknowledging no Magistrates authoritie ouer them but exalting him and exempting themselues from all others This King of the Locustes is héere called The Angel of the bottomlesse pit and in the eleuenth Chapter The Beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit Wordes of weight to mooue all Popish mindes if the Lord had not a purpose to destroy them For they must néedes acknowledge such a King is not worth the following and that their Pope is this King that which hath béene said and may further be noted of him clearely sheweth For hee that crosseth and crusheth to his vttermost power His Doctrine that came from Heauen he is the King that commeth out of Hell in whom S. Hierome saith the Deuill dwelleth bodily But the Pope doth so as proofe enough will manifest and Ergo the conclusion followeth as I said His Name also is folde héere which giueth againe great light For albeit the Pope be called Holy Father and so forth yet indéede he is a bloodie Destroyer and so his right Name in Hebrewe is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is destroying Thus in the Prophecie of the Reuelation hath God you sée described a fearefull kinde of Locustes vnto the consideration whereof by reason of these Egyptian Locusts or Grashoppers we haue slipped I hope not without some encrease of féeling how dreadfull their steps be that continually walke in Romish wayes and will not be reclaimed by any meanes Our owne safer iudgement God make vs thankfull for and continue the blessed helpes of our confirmation in his Truth euer vnto vs his holy and Heauenly Word a fréedome to vse all the profitable exercises thereof as Preaching hearing reading writing praying conference and whatsoeuer else without feare vnder the swéete smelling gouernment of a gracious Prince our dread Souereigne Amen Amen 10. Therefore Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and saide I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you And now forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death one 〈…〉 Thus the wicked in extremities seeke to Gods Ministers whom in their heart they hate and cannot abide But this hypocriticall holinesse of this dissembling King we haue diuers times noted before and therefore may passe it ouer now Yet marke the great vehemency of his wordes and consider in your minde what a déep sin Hypocrisy is how disagréeing from the nature of God who is all Truth and from that blessing in the Gospell of a pure heart Moses yéelded againe to pray to God And by a mightie strong West-winde the Grashoppers were taken away and violently cast into the Red-Sea so that there remained not so-much as one in all the coast of Egypt But when it was done Ph 〈…〉 h shewed himselfe in his olde colour and would not let them goe The 9. plague 1. VVHere vpon the Lord spake againe to Moses and said Stretch out thine hand toward heauen that there may be vpon the land
with filthie Frogges and so still you knowe by degrées vntill he had brought 9. fearefull plagues vpon the Land But as you also know none of them all would worke the deliuerance of the Church but still with an hardned heart as soone as any plague was remoued Pharaoh returned to his disobedience against the Lord. Whereupon at length God came to these words Yet will I bring one plague more as if hee should haue saide notwithstanding that all these former works can preuaile nothing with Pharaoh yet let him not thinke that he can be too hard for me for hee shall well finde that I both can and will be too hard for him I haue yet one Plague more which I wil bring vpon him and that shall so stoope him that hee shall not onely let my people goe but shall be most glad of the dispatch of them Sée we then in these things for our owne vse the Course and procéeding which euer from the beginning the Lord hath vsed and euer will vnto the end as he shall sée occasion euen first in mercy to entreate and in mildnes by more gentle meanes to allure then in the end by power and Judgement to compell when the former course will not serue In the first age when the olde world would not bee reformed but more and more prouoked him to wrath by taking wiues descended of wicked Parents more regarding in a fleshly sensuality outward beautie than inward vertue the Lord saide His Spirit should no longer striue with man meaning with lenitie and gentlenes as vnto that time it had done but now hee would bring vpon them his one plague more as héere vpon Egypt which should be indéede a stooping plague as héere this was and should suffice to crush crooked disobedience and to pull downe haughtie pride as was méete That was the Great flood which destroyed man woman and childe sauing eight persons appointed to be saued When Sodome and Gomorrha would not 〈◊〉 warned by any way of mercie and patience vsed by a gracious God vnto them many yéeres then that one plague more of fire and brimstone from Heauen came and stooped them and burnt them to ashes as they deserued Iezabell had faire warnings to amend her life to loue Religion to leaue Idolatrie and to become a better woman both to GOD and the world many a yéere before her fall came Eliah that worthie Prophet liuing by her doing great works to shew that God was with him yet nothing would serue Therefore at the last came the stooping Plague and shee was throwne downe at the windowe where the Dogges did eate her vp all sauing the scull feete and palmes of her hands A dreadfull example of Gods wrath vpon a sinner when milde and mercifull wayes to amend him will not serue Manasses a King of great vngodlines as you sée in the Storie at length was brought by the stooping plague of yron-fetters and bondage to be humbled and repent as was fit for him What gracious dealing did God first vse towards Nabuchadnezzar in forwarning him by a Dreame what should be the end of his wicked life then to prouide Daniel for him both to expound the same vnto him and to giue him that good aduise specified in the Text euen to breake off his sinnes by righteousnes and his iniquities by mercy towards the poore and that there might be an healing of his error yet all would not serue but he went on and offended God more and more as you sée in the 27. verse Wherefore God brought vpon him his stooping plague and draue him from among men to haue his dwelling among the beasts of the field to eate grasse as the Oxen and to haue his body wet with the dewe of Heauen till his haire was growne as Eagles feathers and his nailes like vnto birds clawes By which one plague more the Lord as you knowe brought him home and humbled him Let vs come vnto that fearefull example of Hierusalem â—he wofullest Storie that euer pen committed to paper What preaching and teaching had they first vouchsafed vnto them What Prophets and men of God full of grace power liued among them yea euen the Sonne of God himselfe Christ Iesus they had in the flesh to conuerse with them who both by Doctrine and miracles most admirable offered them life and comfort and laboured to drawe them from their danger but all would not serue they killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent vnto them they despised all and with bloodie hands crucified the Lord of life himselfe in a most high contempt of God and all his offered grace What remained therefore but that the Lord should drawforth his last plague his one plague more his stooping plague as héere he did against Pharaoh and to make such a rebellious people knowe themselues So hee did and sent against them Titus the sonne of Vespasian with the Romaine power who besieged their Citie at such a time as the greatest concourse was there brought them to famine and such miserie as neuer befell any people in this world but them and in the end vtterly ouerthrew them all their Citie and glory and whatsoeuer had exalted it selfe against God O miserie who can reade it or speake of it with drie eies When once they began to issue-out compelled with famine they were still taken and crucified vpon crosses and gibbets set vp before the walles that they which were within might sée them and giue ouer but yet they would not Fiue hundred a day were thus hanged vp till there were neither trées to be gotten nor any more space left to set them in Amongst whom no doubt were the children of those that cried against our Sauiour Crucifie him crucifie him his blood be vpon vs and vpon our children They regarded not God his Sonne and God regarded not their sonnes when time came The number of dead bodies vnburied and the multitude of other miseries was so great that Titus himselfe shaked at it and lifting vp his hands to Heauen cried O Lord O Lord this is not my doing as if hee should haue said it is thy wrath and Judgement thy Justice and vengeance pursuing this people or else it could neuer be thus Certaine of them getting meate for compassion sake in the Campe of the Enemies were yet so prosecuted with this anger of God that when they hoped their liues were in some safety suddainly in the night by the bloodie Souldier imagining that sure they had gold and Jewels within them which they had swallowed to conuay them for their vse were miserably â—â—aine and slit-vp their bowels raked in for that which happily was not there to the number of two thousand in one night which sore grieued the Generall Titus when he heard of it There was a desire to knowe the number of dead caâ—cases caried out of the Citie for want of buriall to be throwne in the Ditches as dung vpon the earth but
wisheth a Benefice forget his dutie when hee hath got it and suffer his people the Lords Lambes to perish by his sloath Thus doth the Seruant when hee is become a Maister and thus doo thousands who when they were vnmaried and had little thought and said if they had some portion to liue vpon some reasonable competent estate O how would they serue God and doo good things to their power But all is forgotten and they are not the same persons when the Lord in mercie hath giuen them more cause to serue him than euer they had Followe this Meditation farther your selfe and thinke often in your heart what a swéete killing poyson Prosperitie is to many a one and how néedefull this Note of Moses was That they should Remember their duties to God when they were come into that pleasant Land of Promise 15. The Cōmaundement To teach their children what the Passeouer meant noteth vnto vs how the Word Sacraments should goe together not hiding in an vnknowne tongue by neglect of preaching what Gods ordinance is but plainly openly euer ioyning Doctrine to it that the people of God may knowe the Lords meaning in his holy Sacraments so vse them as they ought to his glory and their cōfort Yea the children you sée should not be brought vp in ignorance as ours are to the great prouocation of Gods wrath against vs. But euen when they are young taught and tolde what a Sacrament is and what is meant by the Paschal Lambe for thus would they prooue good seruants of God when yéeres came on and the Lord be honoured in our séede when we are dead Which whether it can be without a blessing from his hand both vpon them and whatsoeuer we leaue vnto them iudge in your owne soule when you haue considered well how sweete and gracious God is how many are his promises how faithfull he euer is in them Doo therefore as followeth in this your Chapter of this people ver 7. They bowed thēselues and worshipped That is they thankfully receaued the Lords pleasure at Moses mouth not as the word of man but as it was in déede the Word of God And they went their way and did as the Lord commaunded Moses and Aaron A blessed obedience both in hearing and doing a chéerefull alacritie and readines such as gladded the heart of Moses and euer will glad all godly Ministers Chronicled héere vp in the Booke of God by the direction of God to the lasting praise of them that were so touched and moued to obey God in his mercie make it also profitable to thy soule good Christian Reader that thou likewise in the Booke of life mayst be Chronicled vp for euermore Amen The second part 1. COncerning the death of the first borne which was the second generall Head noted before to be in this Chapter that which hath béene spoken before in the Denunciation may suffice to which I refer you praying that héere may be obserued the great care of Almightie God to haue this thing well remembred when againe he thus repeateth it with all his Circumstances of time of persons their awaking their crying their desire to bee rid of the Israelites their forcing of them away in all hast c. Surely Gods works for mankinde in generall or for any of vs all in particular to be forgotten must néedes be most displeasing vnto him when we sée such care as this to preserue in his church children a due Remembrance of them Theodoret speaking of these first-borne saith Cur interfecit primogenita Aegypti Propterea quòd Israële prmimogenita Dei Pharaoh nimis durae subiecerat seruituti Hoc enim ipse Dominus Deus dixit Filius meus primogenitus Israel c. Why did he slay the first borne of Egypt Euen because Pharaoh had subiected his first borne Israel to too hard and cruell a bondage For thus speaketh the Lord of Israel Israel my first-borne Sonne c. Againe in this that the first-borne only dyed both of man and beast not the second-borne nor the third-borne wée may with profit well obserue how the differences of children are knowne to God who is first who is second and who is third which may yéelde this vse neuer for any childe to goe about with craft and subtilty or any vnlawfull inuention of man to thrust himselfe into the place and prerogatiue thereof which God in his prouidence hath not giuen him but to abide in the order disposed to him of God and to trust in his mercy who so disposed for feare lest God who knoweth our order seuerely punish vs for breaking his order He could haue made the yongest the eldest if he had pleased he could haue made the 3. to be the 2. if he had so liked But he hath not done it and what he doth is euer best til his owne hand alter the same A contented minde much pleaseth God and a working spirit contrary to his Will as much offendeth him Let it be thought on for there is too much cause in the world giuen and sinne is counted Wisedome 2 This mightie power of God is fearefull and comfortable Fearefull for that in one night yea in one instant and with one word as it were he destroyed so many first-borne in Egypt Comfortable because what iudgment soeuer he vseth and executeth against the wicked yet he can saue his owne in the very middest of death and danger So that not a haire of their heades shal be hurt Thousands may fall on the right hand and tenne Thousands on their left yet no harme happen to them Also this gratious Clemency and Mercy in the Lord is most comfortable who when he could as easily and as iustly haue destroyed all yet in his goodnes that hath neither bottome nor measure he taketh but the first-borne so gratiously humbleth thē by a few This is that which the Prophet speaketh when he beggeth of the Lord in wrath to remēber Mercy so noting his manner and nature euer full of pitty long suffering 3 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron saying get you hence c. That is he sent his Messengers vnto them to will them to depart For Moses saw him no more after the departing mentioned in the tenth Chapter the last verse And in the eleuenth Chapter verse eight you sée Moses foretold that thus his seruants should intreat him to depart Euer till now Pharaoh had some exceptions either of their Children or of their Cattell c. But now all are put in a libertie graunted vnto all and glad and glad to be deliuered of them Thus can God with his mighty arme bring downe the proude stomakes of the greatest and make them yéelde to his Will wholly not in part A fruitfull consideration for those that dayly amongst vs vse to limmit their obedience to God saying either openly or secretly in their hearts Herein will I follow my Teacher and herein I will not Adultery
they can They will rake they will scrape they will hoord and muckervp their wicked Mammon is their GOD and their Chest their hope in time of néede But what became of Manna it selfe when it was kept contrarie to Gods liking Wormes bred in it as you sée it stanke and no wayes serued to their vse that so disobediently had laide it vp Euen so so shall it euer bee with this Crue let them make their reckoning of it and rest assured Ill gotten goods shall not prosper nor the thirde heire bee the better for them Our eyes daylie sée what may teache our hearts if GOD bee within vs and this notable place of rotting Manna would neuer bee forgotten 7. Yet the sixt day they reserued and it corrupted not Uerie true and let it neuer goe out of your minde whilest you liue For vpon the sixt day they were commaunded to gather both for that day and the day following ver 5. which was the seauenth day and the Sabbath to the end they might rest vpon the Sabbath and not goe out to gather and it corrupted not No more shal any goods you get and gather with the will and good liking and by the commaundement of Almightie God that is truly lawfully and with a good conscience but the Lord shal blesse that basket and that store to you whilest you liue and to yours when you are gone and though it bee but little yet hee shall make it sufficient to sustaine your selfe to bring vp your Children and to doo what they which haue thrice as much as you comming in cannot doo Your Children againe after you maintayned with that which you haue well gotten shall prosper either in learning or trade so that they shall come to great Places often and to bee Great menne to carie such Offices of credite as are in the Countrie or Tewne where they dwell and leaue Gods mercies againe to their Children after them to a thousand generations louing and fearing Gods holy Name and kéeping his Commaundements when the quite contrarie shall come to passe with the goods ill gotten as you haue séene 8. Forget not to marke héere also the great care that GOD hath of his Sabbath that it bee kept holy according to his appointment when hee will not suffer these Israelites to gather so much as his Manna for their foode vppon the Sabbath day but appointeth them to doo it the day before May not a good soule thus reason then with himselfe or her selfe Good Lorde what doo I vppon the Sabbath day This people of his might not gather Manna and may I safelie gad to Faiers and Markettes to dauncinges and drinkinges to wakes and wantonnesse to Beare-baytinges and Bull-baytinges with such like wicked prophanations of the Lords day May I bee absent from the Church where Gods people are gathered together in his Name he in the midst of them walking about my Closes and grounds sending my Seruaunts and Cattle to Townes with corne which I haue solde before because I will not spare them on the wéeke daies and so forth Are these works for the Sabbath Is this to keepe holy the Sabbath day Can I answere this to my God that giueth me sixe daies for my selfe and taketh but one day to himselfe of which I rob him also No no assuredly I shall not be able to endure his wrath for these thinges one day and therefore I will leaue them and regard héereafter his holie Sabbath better than I haue done Yes assuredly this is a sound and a blessed Reason and therefore I pray God to set it in our hearts since now a-daies there is so much offending this way 9. When came this Manna from Heauen in the day or in the night In the night when the dewe fell downe this Heauenly bread fell with it and in the morning as hath béene noted verse 14 When the dewe ascended this lay all scattered vpon the earth to be gathered till the heate of the Sunne melted it away ver 21. What a swéete Note doo I sée heere namely that when his Children sléepe and are at rest Gods prouidence for them sléepeth not but worketh and giueth thinges for their vse and for their comfort for their health for their life for their aduancement vnto honour Groweth not the grasse when wee sléepe and the best hearbs for our health and vse Come not the swéet showers when we sléepe that make the Husbandman reioyce and sing Peter was a sléepe in the prison the next day to suffer death by cruell tyrannie watched and warded and bound with chaines neither was there any helpe in mans eyes for him only the little flocke of Gods Children gathered together in the house of a religious woman prayed for him but the prouidence of God was not sléepe which watched ouer him and his life and sent his Angell to deliuer him in such miraculous manner as you reade of euer and euer leauing vs a Testimonie of his care loue mercie and power as shall be good for vs the swéetnesse whereof I am not able to reach vnto but crie with the Prophet from my heart O blessed blessed is the man that hath the Lord for his God! it is better to trust in him than in all the Princes of the world And if he be on our side wee neede not care what man can doo against vs. Such another Example is that of king Ahasuerosh not able to sléepe but calling for the Chronicles and hitting vpon that place where Mordecai his loyaltie and faithfull seruice was mentioned thereby enquiring what had béene done for him and so exalting him to great honour Poore Mardocheus was a sléepe when this was done and little thought of such a matter But his swéete and gracious God was not on sléepe you sée sending from Heauen his Manna that is his comfortable Mercie to his Childes honour and his whole Churches good by his aduancement Shall wee euer then fall from this God by distrustfull feare that thus careth for his when they be on sléepe Lord Lord giue vs the vse of these thinges and strengthen our Meditation to an immoueable Faith and strong comfort in Thee euermore Consider the olde generations of men saith the wise Sirach and marke them well was there euer any confounded that put his trust in the Lord Did euer any continue in his feare and was forsaken or euer any call vpon him and was despised No no no no. And therefore lay it vp in your heart marke the Scriptures If wee beléeue that he hath made our bodies shall wee not also beléeue that hee will prouide for them séeing the creation is greater than the preseruation Hath hee care ouer the wicked to doo them good and will hee not much more reioyce to doo his Children good Did the Lord loue vs when wee were his enemies and will he leaue vs succourlesse when we are reconciled to him in so déere a price as his owne Sonnes precious blood O if he did vs
good when hee might haue punished vs for our sinnes will not hée now doo vs good when through his grace we hate sinne in some measure sanctified by his holy Spirit Hee will he will and neuer feare therefore but cleaue fast Thinke with your selfe how the Fathers before the floud eating nothing but hearbes yet liued some seuen hundred some eight hundred some nine hundred yeares know by it that man liueth not by these meanes but if neither grasse nor corne nor any vsuall foode now amongest vs were in the earth yet could God Preserue vs and keepe vs both aliue and in health and in good liking But much more now by flesh and fish and his other good blessings can he do it Moses Elias liued forty daies without meate and the Israelites walked as I noted forty yeares in the wildernesse with the same apparrell not waxen olde By which and many such things mo in the Scriptures you see that the blessing of God is all in all and that these earthly meanes are but things giuen of GOD for our vse which yet he can want when hee will notwithstanding preserue vs. Up with your hart then how hard soeuer the world goeth with you and fix both heart and eies vpon GOD beléeue his Scriptures and reade them for your comfort all shal be well assure your selfe in his time 10 The Lord by Moses commaundeth a pot of this Manna to be kept in the Arke for a remembrance euer of this great miracle and so it was which very notably may teach vs euer to be carefull to keepe in minde the gracious fauoures of our good God shewed vnto vs and not to suffer them to be forgotten The Scripture often layeth this point before our eies if you remember As in Deut. Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thine eies haue seene and that they depart not out of thine heart all the daies of thy life but teach them thy sonnes and thy sons sonnes So in the sixt Chapter againe These wordes which I commaund thee this day shal be in thy heart And thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thine house as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp And thou shall binde them for a signe vpon thy hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes Also thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house and vppon the gates c. When they passed ouer Iordā on dry land presently twelue stones were set vp for a remembrance Dauid in his Psalme Prayse the Lord O my Soule and forget not forget not all his benefits So the Fathers haue many good Sayings to this end As Saint Gregorie So much shall thy Soule finde more sweet rest in Heauen by how much thou giuest thy minde lesse rest in this Worlde from the continuall remembrance of GOD and his Workes If thy Corne lay in a low moiste and dankishe vault where it might putrifie and corrupt Wouldest thou not speedelie and carefully raise it vp to a higher and sweeter Place that so it might continue sweete Why then dooest thou suffer thy Minde to lye so lowe among the rotten thinges of this World that also will corrupt it with a grieuous corruption and dooest not spéedely and carefullie also raise it vp to a sweete remembrance of GODS fauoures and great workes for thee for thy Neighboures for thy Countrie for his Church and Children in all ages Here here is the sweete beeing of the Minde and not below Againe marke how the eyes of thy bodie if they bée in a smokie place are vered and grieued with that foule smoake and shedde out their teares to bee deliuered there hence So thinke of the light of thy minde that with vile thinges it is much offended but with remembrance of good things much pleased and bettered Euer therefore let it haue his comfort and looke vpon that pot of Manna which God hath giuen thee from heauen that is vpon his mercies and fauoures vouchsafed vnto thée many waies in thy life time which to thée are the Testimonies of his loue and gracious prouidence as this Manna here was to the Israelites Another saith Will the young Lamb be drawne from his damme or the young kid the young calfe the little chickens and such like will not they still kéepe with their kinde not stray away farre but run to the damme againe So certainely should our mindes not stray from our God and the thankfull remembrance of his mercies but euer kéepe here and tarie here and ioy here as in our swéete and quiet comfort A good carefull seruant is still in his Maisters eye and cannot abide to be farre off No more can the seruant of God assuredly bée pleased in the forgetfulnesse of his God and his great workes The fire of the Altar went not out either by night or by day No more should the fire within you that is the heate of thankfull féeling and due remembrance of Grace receiued from a swéete God The Priests did bring wood to that fire vppon the Altar and still nourish it that it might euer burne so will the zealous Preacher to thy inward Soule giue a holy heate continually kéepe in that blessed fire of loue of zeale of thankfulnesse and so foorth to Almightie God if thou diligently frequent his company and heare his words For the Lord hath appointed him to this end to kéep this fire within his people and his ordinance shall not be in vaine vnlesse the fault be yours What a heate will the fire giue to the coldest water if it be set to it But remooue the same water from the fire againe and it returneth to his former coldnesse So so is it in the matter we speake of and forget it not The preserued fruite that is bailed in sugar looseth his owne tartnesse and taketh a swéeter taste from the sugar that all men may know where it hath béen And euen so assuredly wil a minde much meditating on Gods benefits and to the end it may the better doo it much frequenting the reading and hearing of the Word tast most swéetly both with God and Man Wherefore follow this aduise of Scripture and Fathers and learne by this reseruing of Manna for a remembrance what an acceptable thing to God and what a fit dutie for his seruant this carefull remembrance of his works is 11. Now as by this Figure of the kept Manna men were taught to remember all Gods mercies in generall So in particular it did lay before the Israelites the promised séede Christ Iesus of when it was a very notable Type and therefore may likewise teach vs as to remember all Gods mercies so by name this great mercie aboue all the gift of his deare and blessed Sonne our Sauiour for vs. The type is resembled by learned men in
of gold that so it might shadow and shew that all though Christ should suffer die for sin yet he should himselfe haue no sinne but be pure as gold that is holy iust vnspotted the immaculate Lambe of God in whom there is no blemish of impuritie In all things saith the Apostle he was tempted in like sort yet without sinne 3 There were two Cherubims set vpon this Mercie seat in manner as you sée expressed in the picture of your Bible which Cherubims whatsoeuer Iosephus saith were in the most receiued opinion like Angels happely to shadow out the subiection of all Angels to Christ and their readie seruice at his commaundement for the Church and any particular member thereof For vnto which of the Angels saith the Apostle did God say at any time Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee No it is said Let all the Angels of God woship him And of the Angels he saith He maketh the Spirits his messengers and his ministers a flame of fire Also to shew as they are obedient and seruiceable at all appointments so should we be remembring the incomprehensible goodnes of our God who among other his infinite fauours whereby he bindeth vs to his seruice hath made euen this one That these holy Angels also are our seruants by his appointment A mightie motiue to a good and thankfull minde to labour to become obedient and dutiful to such a Father to such a Creator to such a God Lastly to figure out that when we draw néere to the Propitiatorie a figure of Christ and are of God in his great mercie adopted in Christ for his sonnes we are called and as it were ioyned to the companie and societie of the Cherubims and holy Angels of God A comfort also for vs that come vnto him 4 The Cherubims stretch their wings on high couering the Mercie Seate with their winges so representing the maiestie of Christ who though he should humble himselfe to a verie low estate for mans good yet indéede was of that glorie and brightnesse in his Godhead as no flesh could be able to behold but must hide their eyes and acknowledge their infirmitie if but a small glimse thereof should be shewed them Figuring also the most comfortable protection of the Lord Iesus our Sauiour who spreadeth as it were his wings ouer his Church and euerie member of it to repulse any harme that might happen other than he will graciously turne to his glorie the Church or parties good which then indéed is no harme but a benefit rather although bitter to the flesh disgracefull in the world Thus spread he his winges ouer Iacob and saued him from Laban ouer Ioseph saued him from his brethren ouer Eliah saued him from Iesabell ouer Elisha 2. King 6 and thus euer as the Hen to her chickens so is the Lord our gracious God to all that truly feare him A maruellous swéet Meditation if you follow it 5 The faces of these Cherubims were one towards another and both of them toward the Mercie Seat so representing the consent of the Old and New Testament in both which there is but one truth and one doctrine the Olde hauing his face towards the New and the New also looking at the Olde For what is the Olde Testament but the newe obscure and what the new Testament but the Olde made plaine And both Olde and New looke vpon Christ the promised seed of the woman that should bruise the Serpents head They being saued in the olde Testament by beleeuing he should come and we being saued in the New by beléeuing he is come 6 And there saith God I will declare my selfe vnto thee and from aboue the Mercie Seat betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the Testimonie I will tell thee all things which I will giue thee in commaundement vnto the children of Israel Still note the excellencie of this figure of the Mercie Seat For as God before had spoken out of the bush Exod. 3. 4. vers and out of the cloud Numb 12. 5. vers so hereafter saith he I will speake to you from betwixt these Cherubims and so he did For in the Booke of Numbers you reade thus When Moses went into the Tabernacle of the congregation to speake with God he heard the voyce of one speaking vnto him from the Mercie Seat that was vpon the Arke of the Testimonie betweene the two Cherubims and he spake to him Whereupon the Prophet Esay saith God dwelleth betweene the Cherubims And Dauid in his Psalme also The Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient he sitteth between the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnquiet And againe Heare O thou Shepeheard of Israel thou that leadest Ioseph like sheepe shew thy selfe also that sittest vpon the Cherubims And fitly did this resemble Christ by whom God afterward would speak vnto his Church whatsoeuer he would commaund As the Apostle writeth to the Hebrewes when he saith At sundrie times and in diuers manners God spake in the olde time to our Fathers by the Prophets but in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his Sonne which still hee continueth and will vnto the end of the world though not by liuing voice and personall presence in earth as he did for a time How then Still looke vpon the figure Two Cherubims were vpon the Mercie seat representing as you haue heard the Two Testaments and from betweene those two Cherubims God spake so doth Christ still by the Two Testaments the olde and the new the lawe and the Gospell the Prophets and Apostles and so will he still speake to the end Other waies wee must not now expect Reuelations and dreames visions and miracles are ceased and if they will not heare Moses and the Prophets neither wil they beleeue if one should rise and come from the dead vnto them In Moses and the Prophets is the new Testament conteyned though obscurely as you haue heard and therefore still to these Cherubims resort if you meane to heare your God speake Huge is the heape therfore of their sinne that barre Gods people from this way and will make themselues to be Cherubims onely to be heard and beléeued shamefully affirming That the people are not to search the Scriptures but to receiue all things from their Teachers vpon their bare credit not reasoning not disputing not asking any Questions more than the horse asketh his maister why he turneth him this way or that but simply obeying Thus neuer dealt God with people since he gaue them his Scriptures you well know but as the other parts of their spirituall armour Helmet Breastplate and so forth so he bad them take their weapon without which what should armour do euen their sword which saith he is the word of God But truth séekes no darkenesse and lies loue no light Be you armed being warned and go you to the Cherubims where you
Catechisme among them you will be found an vnprofitable seruant in the Reckoning-day one that hath gayned nothing to his Lord but hid his talent in the fowle Napkin of fruitlesse matter and idle figures of affected spéech Are you a hearer and no teacher Looke at your Leauen doth it heaue you vp in thankes for the Gospell vouchsafed vnto you in loue to them that truely preach it in honest life to them that looke at our example Doe you season your children seruants familie as you are able This is new leauen then in you and good leauen accepted of GOD and profitable to your selfe be thankefull for it and God increase the measure of it 4 In the 14. verse you read thus Of all the Sacrifice hee shall offer one Cake for an heaue-offering vnto the Lord c. And bui one Cake saith a Writer vpon this Booke was appointed that it might shadow out one Holy Communion to be celebrated in time to come of the Church and not so many Masses euen Masses vpon Masses c. 5 In the 15. verse c. A Law is made that the Flesh of the Peace-offerings for thankesgiuing shall bee eaten the same day that it is offered and nothing thereof left vntill the Morning A Ceremonie vsed saith One to signifie that publike Feasts should not be superfluously continued and kept long vnder the colour of Religion For GOD loueth not idle banquetting and prodigall spending although hée alow graciously what is fit for the occasion Mariage-Feasts therefore in some Places according to the equitie of this Law are restrayned to one day or two dayes and not more So of other lawfull occasions of méetings A Ceremonie sayth Another made in wisedome by God lest if the Flesh should haue smelled by longer kéeping Religion might so haue béene vile in the eyes of tickle persons Happily also saith the same Person to restraine vaine glory which some would haue shewed in sacrificing often with small charge if the meat might haue béene kept salted and so offered againe for a glorie 6 But if the Sacrifice of his Offering be a Vow or a Free-offering it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his Sacrifice and so in the Morning the residue thereof shall be eaten But as much of the offered flesh as remayneth vnto the third day shall be burned with fire For if any of the Flesh of his Peace-offerings bee eaten in the third day he shall not be accepted that offereth it neither shall it be reckoned vnto him but shall be an abhomination therefore the person that eateth of it shall beare his iniquitie That is the Sinne for which he offered shall still remayne and not be forgiuen The Flesh then of the first sort must be eaten the same day and this of the second sort in two dayes none might be eaten the third day but if any remained burned A Ceremony say some fore-telling and fore-shewing that this out-ward worship of God by Sacrifices and such Ceremonies should haue his being no longer than vnto the Resurrection of the Messiah which was on the third day Others make vse of this Ceremonie thus eueÌ„ to learne thereby that the taking hold of Christ and his benefits is not to be deferred and put off but spedily and quickly to be done whilest time serueth oportunitie is offered for behold saith Christ to day and to morrow I cast out Deuils and the third day c. Luke 13. 32. that is a short time I haue yet to go on with my Ministerie and then I shall be slaine So the Phrases to day and to Morrow signifie a short time and therefore when this Law alotteth but one day to eat the one sort and but two at the vttermost for the second well may we learne by it that whilest by the Preaching of the Word the fruite and benefit of Christ is offered we spéedily take hold and deferre not lest the time elaspe and we finde the doore shut against vs. This poynt hath bene handled before 7 Others deuide all time into three dayes as it were and the first day they make from Adam to Christ The second from Christ to the Iudgement and The third euer after In these two first dayes the Gate is open to true penitent sinners that come when they are called without putting-off from day to day but these two dayes neglected and ended there is no more sacrifice for â—â—nne no more mercie no Christ nor Comfort any longer but a fearefull expectation of iudgement and eternall death for euer More particularly euery man and woman may be said to haue three dayes The first of Youth till Age come The second of Age till death come and in these two dayes there is mercie offered but the 3. day is after death and then no helpe As here on the 3. day no Offering was accepted but the sinne remayned vnpardoned and not forgiuen All these applications by Godly men tending to our good are agreable to the proportion of Faith we may be bettered by them 8 In the 19. verse c. You haue another Law of vncleannesse growing by touching For the Flesh sayth your Chapter that toucheth any vncleane thing shall not be eaten but burnt with fire c. Againe If any eate of the Flesh of the Peace-offerings that pertayne to the Lord hauing his vncleannesse vpon him euen the same person shall bee cut-off from his people Moreouer when any toucheth any vncleane thing as the vncleannesse of man or of an vncleane beast or of any filthy abhomination and eate of the Flesh of the Peace-offerings which pertayneth vnto the Lord euen that person shall bee cut-off from his people A man would thinke that rather this Flesh of the Sacrifice representing Christ shonld sanctifie all things that it touched than be defiled by any thing so that it might not be eaten But the Ceremonie aptly teacheth what it was intended for if you marke it For as it was meant it sheweth that Christ sanctifieth and bettereth none but such as take hold of him by a true Faith To others if they touch him hée is vncleane not in himselfe who euer is holy and pure the immaculate Lambe of God but accidentally he is hurtfull by reason of their want of Faith and prophanesse according to the Scripture We preach Christ Crucified to the Iewes a stumbling-blocke to the Graecians foolishnesse but to them that are called of both sorts wee preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God And that the vncleane Toucher of this Sacrifice was to be cut-off it taught them the punishment of vnreformed Hypocrites and still doth shew what shall bée the ende of those that touch Christ that is beare his Name and are called Christians vse his Word come to his Sacraments and yet as the Psalme saith Hate to bee amended surely they shall be cut-off their ende shall be destruction and they shall perish eternally Euer
bée poore and pull downe our stomackes if wée bée rich for the matter accepted with God is not glorie and Pompe but a true heart fearing to doe euill and hungring to do well resting in Christ and in nothing els as the true medicine for all our sores and most pleasing Sacrifice for all our sinnes Riches are comfortable if God giue them and grace with them but pouertie is no miserie when wée feare God 6 Lastly concerning the vse with vs wée must well consider that although this Ceremoniall Lawe of Moses be abrogated and gone yet honestie of Nature and modestie in women-kinde is neither abrogated nor gone Therefore euen still wée retaine in our Church a lawfull and laudable custome among women that they shal rest a time after child-birth to gather strength againe in their houses without comming abroad and when God shall inable them to indure the Ayer then to come to Church accompayned with their louing friends and neigbours there thankfully to acknowledge Gods great mercie to them in both giuing them safe deliuerance and blessing them with fruite of their bodyes to their comfort But sée the difference of the Mosaicall Law and this our Custome There the woman was put apart by God and so continued vncleane Fortie dayes vpon a man-childe and double vpon a Mayd With vs neither by God nor man is shee put aside for any time certaine but as the Lord shall giue strength sooner or longer she is at her libetry yet euer obseruing womanly modestie as is most fit There she was to touch no holy thing neither to come into the Sanctuarie til that time was out with vs she may touch any thing and come to the Sanctuarie when shee will with respect aboue said There was a difference betwixt a man-childe and a mayd with vs none but both alike There was a Burnt-Offering and a Sinne-Offering with vs neither the one nor the other There an Attonement was made for her with vs no such thing Lastly there shee was vncleane till all were ended with vs neuer vncleane at all And doe wée then retaine still a Iewish Purifying Farre bée from vs both vntrue speach and false iudgement Our custome you sée differeth greatly from This Iewish Ceremonie and is nothing but a néedfull thing in regard of weaknesse a modest Ceremonie in regard of womanhood and a Christian dutie in regard of mercie and comfort receiued to come to the Church and to giue him thanks most humbly and heartily that hath dealt so kindly and mercifully with vs. Let vs therefore loue to bée obedient to good things hate to be contentious and troublesome in a peaceable Church and let modestie euer make vs estéeme better of our Gouernours than of our selues There was neuer the thing since the world was made which an euill heart and a lawlesse tongue may not carpe at but the Apostles wordes must rule the Apostles Schollers VVee haue no such custome neither the Church of GOD. Women in Womens matters may haue authoritie to discerne what is fitte and why should any immodest minde meddle with them so much as to raise stirres and breake peace in things established by Law by honestie by modestie by long continuance and all good approbation I trust what is past is dead and will neuer reuiue againe God make vs thankfull for our Gouernment and Lawes and for the happy peace both of Church and Common-wealth and let vs neuer bée the breakers of it Amen Amen And so no more of this Chapter CHAP. XIII IN this Chapter you haue an other kinde of vncleanesse spoken of namely the Leprosie a disease verie fearefull and vgly Whereof three sorts are named to wit Of the bodie of the Garments and of the house for all these might be infected and vncleane And learned men are of opinion that after some speciall and peculiar maner vnknowne this day to vs the Iewes were troubled and afflicted with this disease For profite and vse to vs when we read these thinges which is all my drift thus wée may better our selues and gather good First let vs marke who were appointed Iudges hereof to tell when any man was infected with this maladie surely not all the Leuites but Aaron onely and his Sonnes who were Priests By which our popish Teachers would gather an argument for their auricular confession and eaâ—e shrift that as these Priests were made Iudges of this contagion of bodie by viewing and looking on it so they should bée Iudges of the Leprosie of the soule by hearing confessions of men and women and iudging of the qualities of their seuerall sinnes But alas it hangeth together as the sand doth the one hauing expresse warrant and the other none And if it were good to gather arguments in this sort we might rather conclude the contrarie that forasmuch as Aaron and his Sonnes were not made Iudges of any secret matter but onely when it was broken out into plaine apparance of a swelling in the skinne of a scabbe or a white spot c. Therefore neither must these Romish Masters meddle with hidden and secret thinges as they doe but onely with matters publique and publiquely Let this idle collection therefore of theirs goe and we truely and rightly learne by this that herein was figured not that Romish Priesthood but the pure and holy Priesthood of our blessed Sauiour who doth sée and know handle and touch regard and heale all our spirituall spots as these Priests here dealt with this bodily infection So that if wée be vncleane wée cannot deceiue him but full well He séeth and knoweth vs to be so He iudging vs so putteth vs apart for such and till sorrow sinking into our hearts for the same we repent and take hold of him by Faith that we may be healed by him we neuer recouer any health and when we doe then are wée cured and so pronounced by him to our eternall ioy and comfort Away therefore with our figge leaues for they cannot couer vs if I be a swearer an vncleane liuer a drunkard an enuious person a slaunderer or such like I am a Leper a spirituall Lèper and Christ is Iudge whome I cannot mocke he wil neuer say I am cleane till indéede I be so and so without amendment of life I must out of the host that is out of the Church and number of his chosen to die for euer in my impuritie Thinke thinke of it while you haue time 2 When you read in the fourth verse of shutting vp the partie for seuen dayes and then to looke on it againe you may note with your self how greatly God hateth hasty rash and vncharitable iudgement A thing which many men and women otherwise honest and good are carried away withall to their owne great hurt not onely in soule but in worldly reputation also and to the bitter and biting discomfort of those whom they ought to loue and iudge well of Nay you may reason further with your selfe thus that if in
Diuorces But what may some say I haue touched many things how a woman ought to behaue herselfe to worke and continue liking in her husband and I haue said nothing or little of the mans dutie to the woman Indéede it is true First and more I haue spoken of women because as they are the weaker so they are often the workers of discontentment either through wilfulnesse or at the least through want of care to doe otherwise but yet I acknowledge there is a Law also for the man which hée should regard and not breake deliuered in the Word and easily to bée remembred by good mindes Bee not as a Lyon in thine owne house saith Wise Syrach nor oppresse them that are vnder thee Husbands loue your wiues and bee not bitter to them saith the Apostle Paul and dwell with them saith S. Peter as men of knowledge giuing honour to the Women as the weaker vessels euen as they that are heyres together of the grace of life that your prayers may not bee interrupted Her parents and friends haue committed her to thy trust and shée herselfe forsaking father and mother and all the world hath giuen herselfe vnto thee how then may shée be vsed ill so could S. Chrysostome reason Aristotle himselfe being but a Heathen could finde fault and most iustly with certaine that made no other reckoning of their wiues than of seruants Shall a man contend with his wife Non habet victoria laudem There is no praise in the victorie saith One well By ill dealing Morbus non tollitur sed augetur exasperatur The disease is not taken away but increased and exasperated Wherefore in olde times they did vse at Marriages to place Mercurie by Venus and the Goddesses of Eloquence and delectable speach to note that whatsoeuer marryed couples will obtaine one of the other it must be done not by any vnkinde course but by good perswasion and louing speach And when they offred sacrifice they pulled out the gall of the sacrifice and cast it away to signifie likewise that in marriage no bitternes should be vsed Thus are men also aduised by al means to louing carriage of themselues in all things towards their wiues Wherefore since God commandeth it and man perswadeth it who is hée regarding either God or man that will forget it Away then with all thoughts of Diuorces and as men and women that makè account of a Iudgement day let either part beare with the weaknesse of the other and abhorre such crimes as should stirre vp to any separation God in mercie strengthen vs all Amen CHAP. XIX THIS Chapter contayneth a Repetition of Lawes formerly giuen and comprised in the Decalogue to the end that by this Second Rehearsall they might both bée better explaned and receiued with greater care and regard of them The first is generall Yee shall bee holy for I the Lord your GOD am holy Where by holines is meant true pietie towards God and iust dealing towards our Neighbours in such measure as wée are able in this mortalitie to attaine vnto For here we see but in part know but in part are regenerated but in part being neuerthelesse â—ust by imputation and labouring to perfection These wordes are by Romish Teachers applyed to Ministers and vrged to prooue that they ought not to marry But doth the Text here so say or you sée with your eyes that God speaketh these words to all Israel and Peter aledging them in his Epistle applyeth them to all in generall If therefore they forbid Marriage as a breach of Holinesse sure they must forbid it to all men and women aswell as to Ministers But woe to that Doctrine that opposeth Gods Ordinance to Holinesse when no vnholinesse can bée ordained by him and the ende of Marriage is to preserue holinesse and to abolish vncleannesse both from man and woman The reason aledged because our Heauenly Father is holy should much mooue vs. For dâ— wée not sée here among vs dayly how they that serue wicked and ill disposed men will labour to please them euen in euill How much more then should wée with our best care indeauour to please him in holines that is most holy himself and will crowne it with eternall comfort in vs 2 The reuerence of Father and Mother The kéeping of the Sabbaths The auoyding of Idolatrie and Molten Gods A free heart in all Offerings and a due regard of commanded circumstances in the same these are all Lawes which haue been spoken of before and therefore to that and to my Treatise vpon the Commandements I referre you In the 9. Verse you read thus When you reape the haruest of your Land you shalt not reape euery corner of your field neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy Haruest Thou shalt not gather the Grapes of the Vine-yard cleane neither gather euery grape of thy Vine-yard but thou shall leaue them for the poore and for the stranger I am the Lord your God A worthy Law euer to teach vs both what care the Lord hath of the poore and what care wee must haue If wée haue it there are many blessings promised to it if wée want it as fearefull curses Yet what coldnesse possesseth mans heart who séeth not But when the Lord commanded something to bee left in the field for was his meaning that of that which came home and was put into the Barne they should haue nothing No no both in the Fieldes and out of Barne and House the poore must euer bée remembred if we meane to heare that ioyfull Speach one day When I was hungry you fed mee and when I was naked you clothed mee But the LORD willed héere precisely some-what to be left in the field because hée knew our corruption which more hardly parteth with a thing alreadie housed and brought in than when it is yet abroade in the Field A Purse once tyed vpon knots will not easily open when it should and therefore to méete with this hardnesse and to prouide the better for them hée commandeth a care in the Field before it come in and yet expecteth the other too as néede requireth O where is this care with wolrdly men that rake and ouer rake their Fields with greedy minde to haue euen the vttermost they can get from it that gather their fruite so as if they sée but one Apple left vpon the tree will rather set a Ladder of purpose to fetch it downe than they will goe without it If any poore come they are rated and reuiled and driuen away as if they were Dogges rather than Men and Women as wée bee Children of the same Father Heyres of the same promises and redéemed with the same price the precious blood of the Lord Iesus Christ our Sauiour Will God euer winke at this wickednesse and prosper these thus gotten goods vpon our posteritie Thinke of it but in reason and tell me what your conscience saith The Example
beginning they entended for this Ladie purposed onelie to walke and wash her but God had a worke of mercie to doe by her her purpose was one thing and the Lords was another Often thus Trulie so often as any man or woman heare their owne name they are accused of these things if they be guiltie A promise so broken being made to God in the face of the congregation will trouble the soule sore at the houre of death 11. Finally wée sée plainely by this whole discourse how mans counsell can not hinder that which God hath determined shall come to passe For there is no counsell no wisdome no strength against the Lord. Moses must liue and become a Deliuerer to that people doo Pharaoh what he can And though many poore infants were cast away to preuent his feare yet that Infant which must effect what he so feared is preserued aliue in despight of him yea nourished vp by his owne daughter in his owne bosome to the wonder of all that reade it to the worlds end The like you may remewber of Herod and those infants but this is inough of the first part of this chapter The second part 1. NOw followeth the second part namelie of his departure both from Court and Country which happened when hée was forty yéeres olde as Stephen witnesseth And if any maruell why it was so long of all the reasons that are alledged it séemeth best that till that time hée had not his Calling from God to beginne that worke Hée might consider his owne birth and parentage his great preseruation and education his Nations misery and bondage and heartilie pittie them but that he was of God appointed to them a Deliuerer he knew not till God reuealed it and God reuealed it not till now as it should séeme for Stephen saith it came into his minde when he was thus olde to visite his brethren as if hee should say hée now felt his calling and not before 2. When he did feele it and that once the Spirit of God smote his hart then marke we how no honours no pleasures no riches could kéepe him in the Court any longer but he rather chose to suffer aduersitie with the people of God than to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt For he had respect vnto the recompence of the reward A notable example for all Courtiers and men of high place that they suffer themselues not to be snared with any thing incident to their places so that they may not serue the liuing God as they ought For surely if either pleasure or profit draw froÌ„ him it is too dearely bought wil lie heauie vpoÌ„ their soules one day Their dissembling there can neuer profit Gods people as their open profession would doe But in steade of profiting it draweth many thousands to death with them who obserue their steppes and depend vpon them which will bée laide to their charge in that great daie of the Lord when Moses shall liue and they die Not all the glory they possessed in this world béeing able to procure them one droppe of water to coole their tougues 3. When hee came to his brethren he saw their bitter seruitude burdens and slauery out of measure hée saw many great abuses offered vnto them wherewith hée was so farre mooued that he laide his hands vpon one of the Egyptians and siue him Not so teaching priuate men to doe without authoritie what he did warranted by a Calling but rightly teaching Magistrates which haue calling to vse their Places to the reliefe of the oppressed instrucing all men as their Places will warrant them to helpe their brethren from iust oppressors 4. But his looking about him on euery side when he did it and hiding him that was slaine argue as you may thinke an euill conscience and prooue in him an vnlawfull act No indéede no more than it dooth in other Magistrates that they execute iustice vpon some earely or late or priuately to auoide sedition and tumult This was in Moses and in them a godlie wisedome prouiding warely that whiles they endeauour a good by some indiscréet handling there grow not an euill Some feare if you will I deny not to haue béene in Moses when hée did it it may truly teach vs the weakenesse that sometimes is in the best seruants of God in the very warranted works of their lawful calling to our comfort if wée féele the like And which is swéete also that God dooth not â—ast away obedience performed to him with some feare more than it should Wée are not greater than Moses and therefore praying for strength and dooing our best if some vnwished weakenesse shew it selfe let this example bée remembred 5. It is saide in the text that Moses came forth againe the second daie and thereby all Magistrates may learne constancie and continuance in their care for their people For it is not inough one day to come and sée how all goeth as at their first entrance vpoÌ„ their Office or otherwise but euen the second day they should doo the same and so day by day as occasion serueth during the time of their Charge The want whereof maketh many a one wring that by more diligence would bée righted and relieued 6. But how was he requited Surely finding two striuing together and admonishing them to cease from such vnbrotherly strife streight hee was reproached by one of them in this sort Who made thee a man of authoritie a Iudge ouer vs Thinkest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian A cléere glasse for all eies to sée in the reward often giuen to good men when they haue performed some good duties to their brethren But it may be no discouragement for GOD is in heauen and will reward all obedience to him paying home heauily such vnthankefull receiuers of it 7. Was this all no marke more in these vnkinde Israelites The death of the Egyptian is brought to Pharaohs care so that now Moses for his zeale and heart to relieue his country-man that was abused must either himselfe fall into danger or flie the country to his disgrace Not onelie therefore the vnthankefulnesse but the measure of it is to bée obserued for our good For many times wée can disgest some ingratitude but such a measure and such a manner as is happily offered vnto vs wée caunot This example will helpe vs for sure the measure héere was great and the manner odious Againe for whiblers and pratling pick-thanks tatlers and tale-tellars there may bée a Note of them You sée what an auncient wéede in the world they bée they were neuer wanting nor will bee while the world indureth neither Princes nor meaner than Princes can auoide them there is no newes stirring but they are carriers of it and they can greatlie iucrease it in the carriage No circumstances can make them silent Many good men haue smarted by them and