not folowe I haue called vnto them neuerthelesse they woulde giue me no answere 18 Ieremie also spake vnto the housholde of the Rechabites Thus saith the lord of hoastes the God of Israel Forasmuche as ye haue obeyed the commaundement of Ionadab your father and kept all his preceptes and done according to all that he hath bidden 19 Therfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Ionadab the sonne of Rechab shal not fayle but haue one out of his stocke to stande alway before mée The Exposition vpon the .xxxv. Chapter of Hieremie The wordes which the Lord spake vnto Hieremie in the raigne of c. GOD willing to confounde the obstinate Disobedience of his people vnto his Law and to declare how vnexcusable they were In this Chapiter willeth the Prophete to their reproch shame to lay before them the exāple of the Rechabites Constantly Obeying the cōmandement order of their Ancesters though they were but Mortal men without breache for the space of .300 yeres The Rechabites are thought to haue bene the Posteritie eyther of Iethro or of * Hobab who * followed Moyses the Israelites through the Wildernesse into the Lande of Chanaan and were promised to haue had an heritage with the Children of Israel in that lande but it appeareth they had not For they were dispersed in sundrye Tribes and some of them dwelled euen among the Heathen and yet were they cōmonlie diligent Obseruers of the Law and men that Feared God. Of this stocke came Ionadab the sonne of Rechab who liued in the time of Iehu may seeme to haue bene of greate credite and authoritie For it was he that Iehu tooke by the * hand into his Chariot when he was goyng in great zeale to destroye Achab his house for the Wickednesse that he wrought against the Lorde This Ionadab for certaine considerations which after shal be noted gaue in charge to his childrē that they and their Posteritie for euer shuld forbeare the Drinking of Wine the Tilling of the Earth the keeping of Vines dwelling in any Builded houses but only to vse for their abiding Tentes and Bouthes This order and commaundement as I haue saide the Posteritie of the Rechabites kept very diligently from the time of Ionadab their father or Auncestour vnto this time of Hieremie which was .300 yeares The occasiō that God toke at this time was that these Rechabites whiche hitherto had not dwelt in anye Townes Cities but in Tentes and Bouthes in the fieldes throughe the great Spoile and waste that Nabuchodonosor and the Chaldees did make in all the Countrey of Iurie were forced for their salftie to come and dwell in Hierusalem in suche places as they mighte get And yet did they obserue all the other partes of Ionadabs commaundement although by meere necessitie they were driuen at this season to dwell in houses Wherfore Ieremie by the commaundemēt of God in such sort as is declared in this chapiter calleth the Rechabites together being manie in number vnto a place by the Temple whiche was notorious and where things done coulde not be kept close but muste needes be spredde by fame both through the whole Citie and Countrey For it is not to be thoughte that Hieremie did it secretely or in close maner For such a multitude coulde not be called to such a place without admiration and greate expectacion of some notable thing to followe Hieremie therefore in the place here discribed in solemne manner setteth pottes of Wine before them and willeth them to Drinke But they refuse so to doe alleadging for their excuse their Obedience to the order and commaundemente of their Auncestor and forefather Ionadab who had giuen them charge to obserue those things which are euidente in the Texte Here maye seeme to be some doubtes Iustlie moued First whether the Rechabites did offend or no in refusing to Drinke Wine at the bidding of the Prophete of god Therein they mighte seeme to set more by a tradition of their fathers than by the appointment of God vttered by the Prophete But wee reade not that the Prophete Hieremie did say vnto them that it was Gods will and commaundemente that they shoulde Drinke Wine but it semed to them a bidding of the Prophete simply vttered to them withoute the Authoritie of Gods name And yet in their refusing thereof they vndoubtedly did excuse themselues with greate modestie so that if the Prophete had pressed Gods commaundement vpon them it may be thought they woulde haue yelded as they did to dwell in houses in Hierusalem when they coulde not salfely haue place abroade to vse their Tentes Secondly if maye be doubted whether Ionadab did well in bidding them to forbeare Wine or not to vse Tillage not to plante Vines or to dwell in houses For therein semeth to be some great Superstition to forbid the people of God to vse his Creatures and those trades of Life that haue their Iuste comendatiō in the Scriptures and were vsed by good and Godlie men And therfore this place is alleadged of some for the maintenance of Monastical vowes and such like Obseruations of mens Traditions euen with burden of Conscience and restrainte of Christian Libertie Surelie it is not to be thought that Ionadab did meane to Institute any new worship of God or to laye any burden of Holinesse or Religion vpon their Consciences in the forbidding of these things but only the obseruation of a Politique meanes whereby they mighte be traded to a more Moderate life easier Contempte of the worlde For it is to be thoughte that Ionadab who ioyned himselfe to Iehu in the punishment of the wicked house of Achab had great feare of God and a desire to haue his Law true Worshippe restored and maintained And bicause he sawe that Sensualitie Loosnesse of life glory of the world were the chiefest Causes that did carie the Israelites from the Obedience of God fearing some great Plague and punishment to followe for the same according to the * Threatnings of the lawe so muche as mighte be to preuent the same Inconuenience in his flocke or kindred He enioyned them to forbeare Wine whereof ryseth Drunkennesse and Wanton lust and not to vse any other trade of life thā Pasturing or keping of Cattaile wherein they were alwayes brought vp from their first fathers Ionadab thought that kind of life to be best whervnto himselfe had beene accustomed He sawe what Incōueniences Immoderate vse of Wine did bring all which they shun that Forbeare it And they haue their mindes Freer that are not Tied to Tillage husbanding of Vineyardes And if God did bring any Plague vpon their Countrey for the Sinnes of the People their losse shoulde be the lesse and they mighte more easily shift for themselues But howsoeuer it was in Ionadab wee reade not here that God doth praise that ordināce but only semeth to like the Obedience of the Rechabites and taketh the same for an Example
a whirle winde to vtter confusion For so haue you seene it come to passe by all those mightie Monarchies Principalities that from time to time haue vexed and persecuted the Church of god Therefore sayth God faint not but put thy trust and reioyce in mee and in the holy one of Israell Christ Iesu the true Messias and Sauiour and wee wil not suffer you to miscary When as thirstie and poore seeke water and finde none and when their c. Here God promiseth the Iewes in captiuitie of Babilon and other of his Church that he will not onely defende them from persecution and pull downe their enimies but relieue them with such thinges as they want and supplie their hunger thirst and other necessities both worldly and spirituall But this place is specially to be vnderstanded of the spirituall graces of God in satisfying the poore hungrie and thirstie consciences wyth the blessed water of saluacion That is the true knowledge of God and the 〈◊〉 by Christ Iesu Of which water Christ himselfe speaketh in the fourth of S. Iohn VVhich shall be made a fountaine of water springing to eternall life Such fountaynes raysed God in many drie and barraine mountaynes whē he spredde abroade his true knowledge among the Gentiles As first for example in the Empyre of Babilon by occasion of a * dreame expounded by Daniel by the myracle of the yong men preserued in the * fierie fornace by the deliuerance of Daniel from the * Lions c. By which the worshipping of the liuing god was acknowledged and commaunded But especially he opened these fountaynes when he * sent abroade his Apostles and other furnished with the spirite of God to publishe the doctrine of saluation in all the partes of the earth whereby not onely a number of thirstie consciences were refreshed but theyr barren soules also made fruitfull and brought forth fayre and goodly trees of all sortes pleasaunt to beholde and yelding good fruites to the glorie of God and to the comfort of his people And all this only did the mightie hande of God. Stand at your cause sayth the Lorde and bring forth your strongest ground c. The Prophete in the person of God turneth his speech again to the gods of the Gentiles to the idolatrous worshippers of them * willeth them to stande to their cause and say the best for them that they coulde to proue them Gods. And because their greatest glorie was in prophesying and telling things to come he doth Chalenge them euē in that very poynt whereby he giueth to vnderstand that their predictiōs were either in things natural such as wise skilful worldly men might by obseruation foretell or else they were friuolous vaine and vncertaine and to bee interpreted on both parts Insomuch that euen their Oracles of Apollo accounted of all other the most certaine were esteemed euen among themselues by a common prouerb as Shipmēs hoses that might be fashioned to diuers purposes For by such subtil meanes the deuill did * delude those that were giuen to the worshipping of Idols And alwayes are they such as tende to the confirmation of vanitie and superstition and neuer to the correction of wickednesse and vice But the * Prophecies of the liuing God are alway not onely certaine and true but also of such matter as farre passeth either the common course of nature or humaine obseruation noting things with the circumstances and distinction of tymes persons and places And alway are directed to the maintenance of true religion and vertuousnesse of life and punishing of superstition Idolatrie vice and wickednesse Such are the prophecies of Daniel certaine hundred yeares before telling of the foure great Empyres and the destruction and ende of the same Such were the prophecies of Esay Hieremie and other concerning the captiuitie of Babilon the deliuerance of the people of God after a certaine appointed time Such was the prediction of all the Prophets generally touching the true Messias and Sauiour Christ Iesu with the * stocke that he shoulde come of the * place and * time of his byrth the maner of his * estate and life his miraculous * workes his * death * his resurrection and * ascention Wherfore the God of Israell is the true God and the Idolles of the Gentiles are nothing neyther are hable to doe any thing but by the delusion of the Deuill to the deceyuing of the wicked and naughtie men by Gods iust iudgement because they would not know the truth I haue waked vp one from the north and he shall come from the east c. That God may shewe himselfe onely to haue the vniuersall knowledge of things to come he in this place to the terrour of the Deuils by whose delusion the Idols of the Gentiles doe stand prophecieth of the cōming of Christ the Messias whom he rayseth vp and shall bring vnto him from the East and from the West of all sortes of people of the heathen which together with him shall call vpon the name of the true and onely liuing god So sayth Christ Math. 8. Many shall come out of the east and out of the west and sit in the kingdome of God with Abraham Isaac and Iacob This prophecie we see was fulfilled by Christ and the lyke hereof neuer vttered any of the Gentiles Gods. But GOD himselfe it was that first gaue knowledge hereof at Sion and at Hierusalem and there fyrst declared that these people of the Heathen Nations shoulde come vnto him and as it were Poynted to them wyth his finger saying Beholde they are present This did he by Christ the principall Euangelist and after by other sent abroade from Hierusalem into the whole worlde This hath God pleaded his cause with the Gentiles and in the ende concludeth them and their Gods to be wicked and vaine The 2. Sunday after Christmas at Euening prayer Esay 43. BVt nowe the Lorde that made thée O Iacob and he that fashioned thée O Israell sayth thus Feare not for I haue redéemed thée I haue called thée by thy name thou art mine own 2 If thou goest through the water I will be with thée the strong floudes shall not ouerwhelme thée and if thou walkest through the fire it shall not burne thée and the flame shall not kindle vpon thée 3 For I am the Lorde thy God the holye one of Israell thy sauiour I gaue Egypt for thy deliuerance the Ethiopians and the Sabées for thée 4 Bicause thou wast déere in my sight and bicause I set by thée and looued thée I will giue ouer all men for thée and deliuer vp all people for thy sake 5 Feare not for I am with thée I will bring thy séed from the East and gather thée togither from the West 6 I will say to the north Let go and to the south kepe not back but bring me my sonnes from far and my daughters from the endes
the * deliuerance from the tyrannie of Satan sinne and Antichrist * the knowledge of his holy worde * light of his Gospel wherby we are to be made the children of God and * heires not of the land of Chanaan and the fruites and pleasures therof but of the celestiall Ierusalem the kingdome of God and eternall lyfe with Christe Iesu in heauen And if the consideration of worldly benefits might be so good a stay vnto the Israelites how much more ought these to be vnto vs if we think our selues worthie the name of christiās See that you walke not after straunge gods and the gods of the nations c. As the Ievves and by them all other are forbidden to worship straunge gods so are we also to woorship the liuing God with straunge worship that is with any other worship than he himselfe in his holie worde hath appointed We must beware therefore that wee fall not away from Gods true worship * in spirit truth vnto idolatrie superstition and fonde* deuises of men therby thinking to please god For as god is a ielous God and will be worshipped alone and not with other false Gods so is he a seuere God and delyghteth more in single obedience to his woorde than in sacrifice superstition or any of mans deuised holinesse thoughe it seeme neuer so pleasant in the sight of the worlde or to be done of neuer so good an intent * Saule when he spared the fat beastes of the Amalekites for sacrifice might seme to haue done it for a good purpose But God dyd so muche mislyke it that for the same he cast hym bothe oute of his fauoure and out of the kingdome of Israell And when thy sonne asketh thee in time to come saying What meane c. It is not sufficient for vs to know the true worship of God oure selues but we must desyre also to instruct * and teache other and especially oure owne * children that Gods true Religion may be deliuered from hande to hande and so be enlarged to our posteritie How farre from this are a greate number of suche as will be called Christians and neither can nor will teach theyr sonnes and daughters themselues nor yet procure them to bee instructed by other no nor to come thyther where by order they are appoynted to bee taughte the principles of christian faith Surely it muste needes be thoughte they haue small feare of God little sense of the mysterie of oure redemption in Christe no regarde of the good estate of their chyldren or of the saluation of their owne soules They should teache theyr children in lyke manner as Moyses here commaundeth the Iewes and saye We were of oure selues and of oure* owne natures as bondeslaues and subiecte to Sathan synne and Hell And it pleased Almightie God of his exceeding greate mercie withoute any regarde of woorthynesse in vs to sende downe his only and dearely beloued sonne from heauen to take fleshe of the blessed virgin and here liued in this worlde in great contempt and reproche and at the laste was put to moste cruell death by his passion paying the ransome for oure sinnes and for vs satisfied the Iustice of God. So that we by* him are nowe reconciled to God haue remission of our sinnes and in his sight are reputed iust and appoynted heires of eternall lyfe wyth Chryste Iesu For thys cause doe me* assemble togyther in the house of Prayer and vse the Sacramentes and mysteries of oure Religion thereby to call into our remembraunce this vnestimable benefite and to* giue thankes vnto him for the same and to pray for the assistance of his holy spirite that in all vertuousnesse and holynesse of lyfe we may shewe our selues thankefull and studie to liue according to thys our holye vocation that the name of God maye in vs bee praysed This I saye shoulde they teach their children to make them to vnderstande why they be called Christians and what the substance of true religion is The fourth Sunday after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deuteronomie 7. WHen the Lorde thy God shall bring thée into the land whither thou goest to possesse it and hathe caste oute many nations before thée the Hethites the Gergesites the Amorites the Chanaanites the Pherezites the Heuites and the Iebusites seuen nations greater and myghtier than thou 2 And when the Lorde thy God hathe sette them before thée thou shalte smyte them and vtterly destroy them and make no couenaunt with them nor haue compassion on them 3 Thou shalte make no mariadges with them neyther giue thy daughter vnto his sonne nor take hys daughter vnto thy sonne 4 For they will deceyue thy sonne that he should not folowe mée and they shall serue straunge gods and then wil the wrath of the Lorde waxe hotte agaynst thée and destroy thée sodeinly But thus ye shall deale with them ye shall ouerthrowe their aulters and breake downe their pillers cutte downe their groaues and burne theyr grauen Images wyth fyre 6 For thou arte an holy people vnto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thée to be a special people vnto himselfe aboue all nations that are vpon the earth 7 The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you bicause ye were mo in numbre than any people for ye were the fewest of all people 8 But bycause the Lorde loued you and bicause he wold kéep the othe which he had sworne vnto your fathers therfore hath the Lorde brought you out through a mightie hande and deliuered you out of the house of bondage from the hande of Pharao king of Egypt 9 Vnderstande therefore that the Lorde thy God he is God and that a true God which kéepeth appointment and mercie vnto them that loue him and kéepe his commaundementes throughout a thousande generations 10 And rewardeth them that hate him to their face so that he bringeth them to naughte and doth not deferre the time but rewardeth him that hateth him before his face 11 Kéepe thou therefore the commaundementes and ordinances and lawes which I commaunde thée this daye that thou do them 12 If ye hearken vnto these lawes and obserue and do them the Lord thy God also shall kéepe vnto thée the couenant and the mercie whiche he sware vnto thy fathers 13 He will loue thée and blesse thée and multiplie thée he wil also blesse the frute of thy wombe and the fruite of thy lande thy corne thy wyne and thyne oyle and the increase of thy kine and thy flocks of shéep in the land which he sware vnto thy fathers to giue thée 14 Thou shalt be blessed aboue all nations there shall be neither man nor woman vnfruitfull among you nor any of your cattell shal be barren 15 Moreouer the Lord wil take away from thée all maner infirmities and will put none of the euill diseases of Egypt which thou knowest vpon thée but will sende them vpon
Examples we also ought to conâ—â—iue an assured hope in the trueth of Gods promises when in ouâ— great perils and daungers we call vpon God and praye to him for his helpe and deliuerance The fiue Kings fledde and were hidde in a Caue at Makeda c. These fiue Kinges fledde and thought they had escaped the Plague of God bycause they were not killed eyther with the sworde of the Israelites or with the Hayle from Heauen But God of his Iustice reserued them to a greater and a more notable Punishmente bycause the were the Ringleaders and chiefe stirrers of others to withstande the People of God. In like maner Sennacherib 2. Croni 32. escaping the Daunger of Battaile was murdered in the Temple of his Gods that he serued Iosuah when he vnderstode the Kings were hidde in the Caue he prouided them to be kepte in Saâ—â—etie but he dothe not omitte the oportunitie wyth speede to followe his enemies and so to subdue them that they might not be hable afterward to recouer their power worke him newe trouble In this that Iosuah causeth his Captaines to set their feete vpon the Neckes of the Kings it may seme a barbarous Crueltie but he knew they were the enemies of God and vnderstode also that his people did often Mistrust the promises that God had made vnto them therefore his meaning was by this signe to assure them that as God had donâ—e by these enemyes that might seeme the most mightie so he woulde doe also by the residue and therefore willed them not to doubte or to be * fainte hearted but to be well assured of the assistaunce of their Lorde and God so long as they faithfullye serued him thoughe their enemies did seeme neuer so mightie And the same in effect God did Iustifie immediatlie For they did not only with good successe conquere these fiue kinges that were conspired but also a number of other cities and Principalities that are here reckened vp euen to the ende of this Chapiter as Makeda Libna Lachis Gazer Eglon Hebron and Debir If Iosuah killed in these victories Man Woman and Child we may not thinke it crueltie in him For he had the speciall commaundement of God so to doe Suche were their Sinnes and offences in the sighte of God. And Saul and Achab maye be an example to all Princes what daunger it is to shewe Mercy to them whom God for Iust causes to his secrete wisedome knowen woulde haue to be punished The first Sunday after Trinitie at Euenyng prayer Iosua 23. ANd it came to passe a long season after that the Lorde had giuen rest vnto Israel from all their enemies round aboute that Iosuah waxed olde and was striken in age 2 And Iosuah called for all Israel and for their elders their heades their iudges and officers and saide vnto them I am olde and stricken in age 3 And ye haue séene all that the Lorde your God hathe done vnto all these nations before you howe the Lorde your God hymselfe hath fought for you 4 Beholde I haue diuided vnto you by Lot these nations that remayne to be an inheritaunce for youre Tribes from Iordane with all the nations that I haue destroyed euen vnto the great sea Westwarde 5 And the Lorde your God shall expell them before you and cast them from oute of your sighte and ye shall conquer their lande as the Lord your God hath saide vnto you 6 Be ye therefore of a good courage that ye kepe and doe all that is written in the booke of the Lawe of Moyses that ye bowe not aside therefrom to the ryghte hands nor to the lefte 7 Neyther company with these nations that is with them that are lefte wyth you neyther make mention of the name of theyr Gods nor cause to sware by them neyther serue them nor bowe your selues vnto them 8 But sticke faste vnto the Lorde your God as ye haue donne vnto thys daye 9 So shall the Lorde caste oute before you great nations and mightye as no man hathe béene able to stande before you hitherto 10 One man of you shall chase a thousande for the Lord your God he fighteth for you as he hath promised you 11 Take good heede therfore vnto your selues that ye loue the Lorde youre God. 12 Els if ye goe backe and cleaue vnto the reste of these Nations that remaine with you and shall make mariages with them and goe in vnto them and they to you 13 Be ye sure that the Lorde your God will no more cast oute all these Nations from before you but they shal be snares and trappes vnto you and scourges in your sydes and thornes in your eyes vntyll ye peryshe from this good lande which the Lorde your God hath giuen you 14 And beholde this daye doe I enter into the waye of all the worlde and ye knowe in all youre heartes and in all youre soules that nothyng hath fayled of all the good things which the Lorde your God promised you but all are come to passe vnto you and nothing hath failed thereof 15 Therefore as all good thinges are come vpon you which the Lorde your God promised you so shall the Lord bryng vpon you all euyll vntyll he haue destroyed you from thys good lande whiche the Lorde youre God hathe giuen you 16 When ye haue transgressed the Testamente of the Lorde youre God whych he commaunded you and haue gone and serued straunge Gods and bowed your selues to them then shall the wrathe of the Lorde waxe whote vpon you and ye shall perishe quickly from the good land whiche he hath giuen you The Exposition vpon the .xxiij. Chapter of Iosuah And it came to passe a long season after the Lorde had giuen rest c. THe Lande of Chanaan was nowe by the Israelites possessed The portions were allotted to eche Tribe all things appertaining aswell to the state of the common weale as of Religion was nowe established And Iosuah their Prince and Captaine waxen olde and farre stricken in yeares Therefore he as a good Prince drawing nowe to the ende of his life sheweth himselfe to haue had a care not onelye for the good gouernemente of the people of God in his life time but also that the true * worship of God and obedience to Gods holy worde mighte continue among them to Gods glory after his life time And therefore in this place he calleth the People and vnder Magistrates together vseth vnto them a verye fatherly exhortation to continue in the loue obedience and true worship of God declaring vnto them the greate benefites and blessings of God that shall come to them if they doe so the assured daunger of his wrathe and displeasure to be poured vpon them if they did otherwise As touching that is saide in the first verse After the Lord had giuen rest vnto Israel wee are by it instructed to acknowledge God only to be the Author * giuer of Peace Tranquillitie and
quietnesse vnto common weales and the restrayner and brideler of all aduersarie powers that they worke not so much trouble and daunger to the people of God as otherwyse they would doe And therfore that both wee and all suche whome God blesseth with those giftes ought to shew our selues Thankful and to accept the same as his gracious mercie to allure vs to Repentance And you haue seene all that your Lord God hath done vnto all these c. Iosuah putteth them in mynde of the benefites of God shewed vnto them and dothe assure them that the same their Lorde and god will also performe the residue of his promyse and make perfecte the worke that he hath begonne if they doe continue in his faythfull obedience By proofe and triall of that is * past he exhorteth them to the vndoubted expectation of those things that were to come By this that Iosuah foure tymes in this place repeateth The Lord youre God wee may not thinke that he is not the God of other Nations also For God is the Generall Lord and gouernour not only of all Nations but also of al particuler Persons creatures of the world * and by him do they liue and haue their being But the Iewes he hadde chosen as his peculiar People and deliuered to them his lawe made to them his lawe and made to them his promises especially and therfore is he here called The Lorde their God. Whē he sayth that God hathe fought for them we are taught that all Victorie and good Successe in warre cōmeth of God * vnlesse he doe fight for vs all labor strength of men is in vayne And the same God dothe alway assist his people and giue Victorie vnto them vnlesse their vnthankfulnesse in abusing his Benefites doe moue his iustice by his and their enimies to punishe them Goe to therfore and be of good courage that you take heed and do all that c. This is the ende why God eyther blesseth his people wyth Tranquillitie and quietnesse or giueth them Victorie agaynste enimies that they maye continue in the obedience of his blessed will declared in his holie woorde which consysteth not onely in the Knowledge of his Lawe and in the externall professyng of the same in wordes or outwarde behauiour but in deede and in hearte and mynde And therefore sayth Iosuah Take heede and doe all that is written in the booke of the Lawe of Moyses yea and that in suche sorte That they goe not aside on the righte hande or on the lefte For God * loueth obedience more then all the gay deuises of mans Brayne and therfore will be worshipped according to his holy worde Neyther companie with these nations that is with them that c. How daungerous the Fellowship Companie of the wicked is we see too too many examples dayly before our faces And if we be loth to come in that Cōpanie by which we thinke our bodies shall be infected with any contagious disease much more ought we to fear the Infection of our Soules and to dread least * by societie of persons corrupted either in life or religion we shuld be ledde from the true Seruice of god No mā * Toucheth pitch but he shal be defiled with it No man or woman vseth the companie of them that be euill but he taketh some hurte by thē either in Life or Credite In that he saith Make no mention of their Gods he dothe not forbidde them to name Dagon Astaroth or Baalim but y they shoulde make no Honorable Mētion of them nor vse their names with reuerence but with Detestation But especially they might * not Sweare by thē For to y persō or thing by which any mā sweareth he doth attribute diuine Power and Worship that is That he seeth the harts and cogitations of men That hee knoweth their secrete partes That hee can and will rewarde the good and punishe the wicked Therefore let men consider with what conscience they can sweare by Saints departed or by any Person or Thing be it neuer so Holy other than God alone whose onely Power and Propertie it is to vnderstande the inwarde Thoughtes of man. One man of you shall chase a thousand for the Lord your God. c. In the Leuit cap. 26. If you keepe my commandements sayth the Lord you shall persecute your enimies and they shall fall vvith the svvorde before you and fiue of you shall persecute an hundred and an hundred of you shal persecureten thousand In this place he sayth One of you shall persecute a thousande whereby he giueth to vnderstande that God will abundantly fulfyll hys promise vnto them Example wherof God shewed in sundrye places of the Scriptures as Iudic. 7. by Gedeon 1. Sam. 14. by Ionathas 2. Chro. 20 ▪ by Iosaphat 32. by Ezechias If you go backe and cleaue vnto the reste of these Nations c. As before he hath exhorted by consideration of the great benefites that God had and would do for them if they cōtinued in his obediēce so nowe he moueth them by Laying before thē the threatnings of Gods iust plagues and punishments if they did otherwise and reuolted from his true worship saying that God would not only not destroy those people that were among them but hee woulde suffer them to bee vnto the Israelites as snares and traps to take and entangle them in wickednesse As Scourges in their sides to vexe and trouble them as Thorns in their eyes to greeue them and to bleare their eyes that they shoulde not discerne good from euill falshoode from truth light from darknesse c. And bycause nothing could be more dangerous vnto them or a greater snare to lead them from God than to ioyn in Societie League or Mariage with those wicked people Therefore he oftē earnestly willed them to beware of that Wherby Christiā Princes and people that professe the truth of Christes Gospell ought also to learne how perilous it is for them to * linke in League or Mariage with the enimies or aduersaries of the same least God make them vnto vs as Snares as Whips and as Thornes in our eyes c. Behold this day do I enter into the way of all the worlde and ye knowe c. By this fashion of Speaking that He entred the way of al the world he meaneth Death which * way all liuing Creatures of this worlde must tread Wise and Learned mē haue deuised remedies for al maner of diseases but neuer any could Inuent how to put away Death That is the assured end wherto in this world we shal come whether we sleepe or wake or whatsoeuer we do we Hasten to this end So * little assurance haue we of this miserable life wherewith wee are so greatly in loue In the ende Iosuah putteth them in mynde that as God of his great mercie hath and will assuredly fulfyll his promyses so that one
At Sodome and in all general plagues the yong children that neuer in Act offended were partakers of the punishment c. These things may seeme repugnant to Gods iustice here defended by Ezechiel And this was it that the Israelites and Ievves did finde themselues Grieued withall Ieroboam sayd they did set vp the golden Calues and Manasses mainteyned Idolatrie and corrupted the law of God but the punishment falleth vpon vs To this we haue to answere that when God sayd Exod. 20. That he vvoulde punishe the sinnes of the fathers c. vnto the thirde and fourth generation he added of them that hate me If the children hate God and Followe theyr fathers Idolatrie and sinfulnesse although God of his mercie Spare their fathers in Wordly punishment he will plague them and so muche the more Because they would not beware by their fathers offences and consider Gods goodnesse towarde them in graunting them Time and Space to repent But some will aske whie God sayth he will punish The sinnes of the fathers vpon their children seeing the children haue their owne sinnes for which they are iustly punished It may be answered Because if their Fathers had not so grieuously offended their Punishment might haue bene longer Deferred As God is mercifull so he is Iust and forsomuch as his pacience and mercie hath Long borne with their wickednesse and looked in vaine for their repentance his Iustice must needes take place and at Length light vpon them with due punishment So that they are the Sooner and more Grieuously punished for their wicked Parents and yet not without their Owne iust desertes and euill doings Wherefore to conclude with Ezechiel the Iewes in their lewde Prouerbe did blasphemously depraue Gods Iustice seeyng their owne vniust doinges in Following the foote steppes of their sinfull Fathers did pull his iust wrath vpon them And yet it cannot be denied but that God Sometimes doth punishe some for the cause or by the occasion of other Abraham and Iacob felt the smart of famine and hunger euen as Sinfull men did and they of the house of Pharao and Abimeleck were plagued for their Princes cause But beside that which is sayde before that no man is so Righteous in the sight of God but that he Iustly deserueth punishement we must moreouer consider that Gods Scourges are not alway nor to all persons of One sort Towarde the wicked they are Plagues of his Iustice towarde the Godly they are Exercises and Medicines by which he healeth their corruptions practiseth their fayth and Stirreth them vp the more earnestly to call vpon him So that he maketh it to them as a Schoole of discipline to retaine them in more Feare of his name that they be not caried away with the wicked Allurements of the worlde as the vngodly are We may not therefore thinke God to deale vniustly when sometimes we see him to wrappe good men in those plagues wherewith he punisheth the Vngodly In those Properties of a Iust man which are recyted and sundrie times repeated in this Chapter the Prophete may seeme to omit and leaue out many workes of Iustice but in one general clause he comprehendeth all other As when he sayth And hath walked in my statutes and kept my iudgements If there had beene any such Iust man among the Iewes he might with some countenance haue quarreled with GOD punishing him being Innocent for his fathers offences But there was neuer yet any that * perfectly fulfilled the Statutes and lawes of god Therefore all mens mouthes are in that case stopped There hath beene many good men whose vnperfite obedience it hath pleased God in respect of the Promised seede and Sauiour of the worlde to accept as Iust and so to account them before him But otherwise neyther the childe this day borne nor the Angels in heauen are pure in his sight The Prophete vndoubtedly reciteth these Properties and workes of Iustice especially because men in them most commonly and Notoriously in those dayes offended so that he choked them from their blasphemous Obloquie by the testimonie of their owne Consciences which tolde them that in these poyntes they were not innocent but iustly susteyned Gods Plague euen for their Owne sinnes and not for their Fathers onely And hath not eaten vpon the hilles he hath not lift vp his eyes to the Idole c. He meaneth Sacrifycing and keeping of their holy Feastes in the highe Places so often mentioned in the bookes of Kings and the Chronicles For as the Gentiles and Heathens were wont on Hilles to haue Chappels and aulters for their False Gods euen so the Iewes and Israelites after their Temple buylded appointed place chosen did make Aulters on high places and therin worshypped sometime the lyuing God but disorderly sometyme Idoles and false Gods by the imitation of the Gentiles Neyther hath come neere a woman remooued c. He meaneth a woman hauing hir naturall and Monthly Disease because to seeke the companie of a woman at that time is lothsome to nature and a token of immoderate lust and affection But hath restored the detter his pledge he that hath not spoyled any c. The Prophet meaneth the Pledge or gage of a Poore man which hath borowed any thing of him The Lawe is Exod. 22. If thou haue taken the garment of thy neighbour to pledge before the sonne go dovvn thou shalt restore it to him and he addeth Because hee hath nothing else to couer hym c. Whereby it maye appeare he speaketh of a Poore man. And Deut. 24. the matter is made more plaine For after a larger declaring of this lawe of Charitie he sayth If he be a pore man thou shalt not sleepe vvith his pledge in thy house If this man get a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes c and doth not c. Our fathers are to be folowed but only in those things that be good but if they shall eyther giue vs example of that which is Contrarie to the wyll of God yea eyther commaunde vs to doe it surely they are not to be obeied And yet in these days we haue manye that wyll Tye themselues verye streightly to Follow their Parents Religion but if there were any Example in them of vertuous and Honest lyfe that they neuer remember Such persons imbrace in their Fathers that is euill and neglect that is good If the vngodly will turne awaye from all his sinnes that he hath done c. Of this place maye be taken a singular Comfort for all them that are tormented in their consciences for the heauie burden of their sinnes For God here * proclaymed Mercie and forgiuenesse to all that Repent them of their former wickednesse and sayth it shall not be Mentioned vnto them be it neuer so great It is a great craft of the Deuill first by all Flattering allurements of the worlde to cause men grieuously to offende and when they