a pride and ambition of praise or at least bare loue of vertue to contemne such offers but we by religion and hope of a farre greater matter then the greatest earthly kingdome And this also more particularly teacheth that all must endeuour in their callings and places that God may raigne as in all his heauenly ordinances so especially in this of gouernment in Church land citie towne house for that I say onely must stand and all that is opposite must fall Psalm 2. Religious gouernement is to be sought for yeelded vnto and imbraced and not the contrary but the limites and bounds of Gods holy word kept and preserued which neuer repugneth to ciuill gouernment of the lawfull Magistrate but confirmes it rather so that God may bee obeyed and equitie and iustice maintained for the preseruation of outward peace and order in all things And so I might say particularly of euery condition But alas what care is there had of this but it is rather iustled aside at mens pleasure For though wee pray daily that God may bee glorified by the comming of his kingdome and the guiding vs to the doing of his will which if it might take place what a blessed thing were it to see the superiors and inferiors in all degrees and estates liue together vnder the gouernment of one God and mutually commanding and obeying each other in the Lord yet wee see the quite contrary in mens practise True it is that the law of man stoppeth much disorder and how could men inioy any safe and peaceable dwelling without it but while the Lord is shut out of the conscience the word and faithfull Minister of God despised and in many places none at all to awake and prepare the people for the life to come and the ordinance of God in Magistracie which serueth to backe and authorise the Word and to vphold other good order little to bee regarded and also little put in practise to restraine euill but Atheisme prophanenesse and other great sinnes slightly punished c. behold euery man runneth his owne course and being wedded to his owne wilfull humour without feare of punishment walketh in his frowardnesse atheisme prophanenesse scorne of religion crueltie oppression contempt of the Sabbath ignorance c. saying as they in the Psalme Our tongues are our owne wee will doe as we list who shall controll vs Surely none but sinne and the diuell rule and raigne at their pleasure where the Lord by his word doth not but is iustled aside but let vs mourne for those things till the Lord amend them but in the meane season let vs be sure that we be guided by him ourselues in our whole course or else hold our peace of and concerning others But I passe now to the second thing concerning Gedeon THE FIFTIE FOVRE SERMON ON THE EIGHTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 24. And Gedeon said vnto them I would desire a request of you that you would giue me euery man the earings of his pray for they had golden earings because they were Ismaâ—lites 25. And they answered We will giue them And they spread a garment and did cast therein euery man the earings of his pray 26. And the weight of the golden earings that he required was a thousand and seuen hundred shekels of gold beside collors and iewels and purple rayment that was on the Kings of Midian and besides the chaines that were on their cammels necks 27. And Gedeon made an Ephod thereof and put it in Ophrah his citie all Israel went a whoring there after it which became a snare vnto Gedeon and to his house NOw after this victory ouer the Midianites Gedeon desires to leaue a monument and memoriall of is thankes to God for the same and for the great deliuerance of Israel And thought it meet that it should be of some valew and price and therefore he seeing the people so affected to him that they could willingly haue agreed to make him their king hee thought they would not sticke at a smaller matter but yeeld it to him especially seeing it was not for his owne priuate but for their common benefit and the thing that he asked of them was their eareings which were costly which he obtaining of the people made of them a Priests vpper garment of great valew and richly set forth called an Ephod which was to be worne vpon their other apparrell and this was the monument which he would haue remaine as a token of his thankfull heart But it being set vp in a place of his citie Ophrah because of the forme and costlinesse of it and for that it pertained to the Priests in the seruice of God and to religious vse it grew to be worshipped which through Gods iust iudgement iustly punishing Idolatrie in the posteritie following was the destruction of Gedeon and his house so easily and soone did idolatrie and superstition arise vp among them againe Here first his thankfull mind is to bee commended and imitated of vs thus ought our hearts in all benefits which we inioy leade vs vnto God the fountaine of each good giuing as Saint Iames saith But this point hath been largely handled reade notes vpon the 5. chapter and else where by occasion of the like Scripture Againe we may learne here that when we are willing to pleasure one another without taking any gratuitie againe which few will doe wee may be the bolder to sue for somewhat to bee put to good vses as Gedeon intended here to doe though hee was deceiued asking their earings to make a monument of thanks to God especially I say when wee haue refused to take to our owne priuate vse the commodity which hath been offered vs when it hath been thought we haue deserued it as Gedeon here did in such a case we may desire somewhat to bee imploied of the seruice and glory of God by them that offer it vs as to the relieuing of the poore or other good ends And in this also hee deserued commendation and was and is to bee followed of vs. And as the people yeelded to him to a good vse and end so all good Christians ought with all readinesse to doe the like toward the relieuing and helping of the needy by lending giuing or any other friendship yeelding considering that Saint Paul saith that free giuing and liberalitie hath great force to worke on men for a bountifull person saith he it may be some man will die and so if one did much good by bodily helpe in comforting the needy and poore he might be like to doe good by exhortation also both which duties of loue it were to bee wished might goe together for thereby most good were like to be done And so doing we should moue such as thinke themselues beholding to vs to shew themselues thankfull to God also so bountifull to them that were in penury and want And doubtlesse if the honouring of our God were all in all with
to Ioshua in his first going against the Canaanites I will be with thee and hee belieued and prospered euen so these and the like promises of God being belieued of vs are our comfort and thereby wee learne experience how to doe the like for the time to come in what worke soeuer the Lord shal imploy vs. This would make men vse their callings not so as they should bee burdens to them but recreation going merrily to their work as they may with Gods good allowance and leauing it of with fitnesse to other good duties as prayer reading singing meditating c. If this were beleeued men should be free from the plodding and distracting cares of the vngodly who make their liues wearisome by distrust of Gods prouidence fearing they shall begge ere they dye c. and from the moyling and toyling labor of such as tire themselues with their callings For God giues rest to his beloued as Dauid saith Psalm 127. 2. And from this temporary rest he will in due time translate them to eternall rest All which I say not onely to the denouncing sharpely and heauily against the common professors of the Gospell who will beleeue God no further then they see him but also to the iust reproouing of those who haue obtained of him to beleeue in deed that they shall haue eternall life and yet their particular trials in which they are taught to depend vpon him and to cleaue to his promises made and granted out vnto them to that very end that they should doe so they yet stagger and doubt as if they had neuer had faith He that desireth to heare more of Gods being with his let him reade that which hath been said on verse 19. This place Bethel being so called that is the house of the mightie God because the Lord appeared to Iacob there whereas it had in times past been called by another name it very well teacheth seeing nothing is set downe in vaine in the Scriptures but to good vse that it is commendable as occasion is offered to giue conuenient and meet names such as may instruct in some good thing drawne from some good example or putting vs in mind of duties either to God or men As God gaue the name by the Angell vnto our Sauiour calling him Iesus Some care not what name they giue to their children of most notorious persons as counting it their credit that they may be like them resembling herein the Idolatrous King of Babel his Eunuchs who purposely altered the names of Daniel and his fellowes in token that they should renounce the true God and his seruice and embrace the contrarie Some giue such names to them as the rehearsing of them causeth laughter Which is vnseemely seeing the name is giuen in the assemblie of the faithfull and in the presence of God and when they are to bee entred into the Church of God We doe not place religion in names or titles yet neuerthelesse a wise and godly choice in this matter may be had that the names giuen may be in stead of instructions to the parties named In the apparrelling of our bodies in comely maner we will haue care that the very shoe which is the least matter be decently put on and sutable to other partes of our attire so there being required a proportion in all our actions this one is not to be neglected Therefore in the old Testament the names were giuen either according to the euent of things about the time of the birth of the child as Moses called one of his sonnes Gershom that is stranger because hee was then a stranger in another land or their names were borrowed from their holy predecessors to put them in mind to follow their steppes or some such like respects they had in giuing them Now let vs heare of the spies In this verse where it is said that the spies met this man comming out of the citie for what cause he went it is not expressed somewhat is to be noted by occasion of the man and somewhat from the spies By the man first going in his simplicity out of the city whither to saue his life or vpon some other necessarie occasion meeting with these spies and falling into such a streight thereby that either he must loose his life or betray the citie for the spies said to him shew vs the way into the citie and we will shew thee mercie We may see what streights and difficulties we meet with be subiect to and in danger of in this life for that perill which we neither feare nor once thinke of may befall vs euen to the hazarding of our liues much more of our vndoing or the losse of the best of Gods blessings that we inioy as wife children goods c. In the story of the French Massacres we reade that by the popish faction a whole assemblie of Protestants were slaine at the Sermon The Shunamites child went into the field in the morning well but died at noone The widow of one of the children of the Prophets who liued in good estate for a great part of her husbands time yet through the debt he was in at his death shee was brought into that streight that her two sons must bee sold to pay the debt and carried away from her perhaps to bee brought vp by Idolators in an idolatrous land and she knew no other for a time though God prouided better for her Iob his children in the middest of their merry makings were destroyed by the fall of the house and he himselfe lost all at once and his bodie was filled with scabbes and sores Samaria was besieged and the danger so great that the king therof was resolued and looked for no other but that he and all that hee had must be at the pleasure of another man And Ierusalem was so ouerwhelmed with griefes that she was driuen to complaine that no sorrow was like her sorrow when yet before she had been the beauty of the whole world These difficulties as I haue said with many other both mentioned in Scripture and seene in experience may fall out in our liues so that we shall be driuen to crie out euery one of his owne burdens what shall I doe yea and it may bee an innocent mans case to be brought into such straits and his who is godly and he shal not be able to auoid it till God send helpe As for the wicked such streights come vpon them as an armed man vpon a naked Now seeing God hath such vantage of vs thereby and that throughout this present life may most iustly inflict them vpon vs that I say no more oh what cause haue we to make precious vse hereof for the which cause in so necessary a matter I thinke good to set downe some vses thereof to the Reader And first this is one that we should euery day which is a part of our iourney home as oft as
instrument the sonne of a good man rose vp to attempt and worke the mischiefe which his father abhorred wee may see what wicked posteritie come oft times of a godly seed and how vnlike the parents in goodnesse whereas one would thinke that they should rather labour to resemble and to be like those their godly parents at the least The generation after Ioshuahs time degenerated from that which was before it Ely Samucl and Dauid most of the good Priests Prophets Kings had wicked children euen as is to be seene in all ages The reason is first the want of good education when they are vntaught and ill gouerned Secondly as the best corne breedes chaffe so the godly beget their children not as they are godly but as they are men naturall and sinfull neither is Gods grace tied absolutely to them for their parents sake Thirdly pride stubbornnesse wilfulnesse and seeking of libertie in youth and among the rest this is not the least the multitude of bad example I meane which are fit enough to poyson the best natures though they haue both instruction and outward gouernment So that many leaud youths are trained vp at the great cost of their parents who yet lose all and their hope also their children not walking in their steps Oh what multitudes are there of such in our age In which yet there is more done for making them good especially in some places then hath been in former times though they are rare who offend not herein euen in the sight of others A thing much to be lamented to see so many youths vnlike their good parents but where none or weake meanes are vsed to make them better it is not to be marueiled at The woe to both is not knowne cōmonly til it be so felt that it is past remedying The beholding of the contrary as it is rare so it is goodly and beautifull But it is a great cause why the death of childrē before they come to proofe should be borne patiently seeing it is not to be doubted but that most of them are taken away at the best and who knoweth to what woe they might be brought if they should liue It is to be lamented that the examples of good parēts being so few yet euen of these few few to speake of preuaile with their children from whence the common complaint of all sorts is as theirs to Samuel A good father but the child walkes not in his steps For the infinite bad parternes of gouernours are generally embraced none fearing to follow where they haue led the dance no though it bee to destruction as if all the beasts of the forrest should each follow the tract of his fellow to the den of the Lion because till they be within the den and past recouery there appeares in the footsteps no danger It is said of Iacobs ewes that beholding the pilled roddes laid in their water-troughes they conceiued particoloured lambes forthwith and so a man would thinke that so neere and domesticall examples as good parents are to their children who are nourished by them grow vp with them and are warmed by their heate as Nathan speakes of the poore mans sheepe yea haue the benefit of the familiar instruction and conuersation of such as are of their owne disposition and nature a man would thinke I say that such should take after them in grace as they doe resemble them in their visage or naturall properties A man would thinke that they should as it were through a mutuall feeling of the ioy which a good parent hath of a wise child and of the sorrow by the contrary that they should also reioyce in following their goodnesse Thus wee might thinke and thus it should be if God in his secret iudgement had not prepared some euen of them also to the euill day It is said of Elie his children they hearkned not to their father because God had determined to destroy them to wit for the in expiable offence they had caused to the people by their polluting the holy things of God And so also it is pitifull to thinke that the other sort the posteritie of bad parents dare venture so confidently to goe where their ancestours haue gone as it were taking sinne by tradition from them yea filling vp the measure which they attained not to as our Sauiour speaketh This in a manner is generally seene and where it is in a few otherwise there another father euen the Father of Christ hath reuealed it from heauen flesh and blood hath not taught it And this dregge of Poperie is naturall without teaching to make it a strong piller of a mans religion to do◠as the forefathers haue done In the story of the Church it is reported that a certaine Heathen Prince hauing receiued so much light of true religion that hee was content to bee baptized yet when hee came to the water stopped and asked the Minister this question Whether haue more of my ancestors being vnbaptized gone to heauen or hell To hell saith the Minister So will I then said he and refused Christianitie vrterly Yea doubtlesse nature teacheth no better then this euen rather to go to hell with the parents then to heauen without them Both these I say are lamentable as for the vse that both sorts are to make thereof I shall not need to insist vpon it here hauing oft vrged it in other places Now of his shifts which I will put together for breuitie sake matter arising so plentifully And marke by what fraud he goeth about it insinuating with them that it he be not King ouer them then his seuenty brethren must reigne together But that he thought they would neuer allow or consent to Secondly where hee telles them it were better be so that he reigned it was vntrue also for that is best alwaies that God appoints who did detest this Thirdly in that he setteth out himselfe as though hee should say who is firter for your benefit then I they ought to haue knowne that in creating of Magistrates the publike and not the priuate commoditie is to be respected That which we haue tolearne hereby is this that all shifts and subrile practises are ready at hand with them that intend mischiefe and that which they goe about is by lying cogging and falshood But as for the Lord in their dealings he must stand by and a same off The reason of both is the heart of men is euill aboue measure and is deepe and hath many abominations in it They deuise and goe to worke without him and we see likewise that thereafter they prosper To these way bee added other and some that professe the Gospell who should be ashamed to be found so grossely to degenerate as to vse like practises to the other though they be couered with some fairer shewes who cast off God and say in their hearts depart from vs we desire not to haue acquaintance with thee These shal one day
seeing there are such deceiuers in the world as would prouoke euen the honest to contention if they can see any hole open or espie any aduantage And this rule holdeth also firme and good in religious actions before God For as it is the honour of a Christian to continue constant in his loue to the truth and the Church of God the fruit whereof is a sound and good report so if a man begin to warpe and bewray his hollownesse or treachery in either his staine is not easily washt out neither can he looke for that currant estimation or reuerēce which before he had nor scarce obtain so much afterward as to be credited for all his profession Although men will be trust their vessels with oyle or wine while they be sound whole yet if they begin to leake and run they will not commit any thing vnto them which is in danger of losing Our Sauiour asked Peter but once Whom sayest thou that I am and tooke his word when he deserued no other whereas afterward hee was not satisfied with one nor two professions of his affection Simon louest thou me good reason he had made a great cracke in his credit and therefore he that had forsworne Christ deserued not vpon his owne bare word and answere to be beleeued And those who haue deceiued the opinion of the Church touching their religion by falling into error and schisme or their pietie and honesty by grosse offences may thanke themselues if euer afterward the people of God haue them in a iealousic As we reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie that when once the baptized partie reuolted either from his religion or good conscience as Miriam by her arrogancie the Church admitted him not without serious repentance and confession of his fault But if he slipt the second time they practised greater seueritie towards them enioyning them not repentance only but for a space of time to remaine out of the Church as in famous Yea some euen of the reuerendest Fathers of those times as Cyprian and others grew to this erronious opinion that such were not to be admitted without rebaptization as if their former seale had been quite puld off by their sin I meane the seale of forgiuenesse Therefore let all Christians looke to their standing the didiuell if it be possible will quite ouerthrow them but if he cannot hee will foile them and take away the crowne of their reioycing which is their faithfulnesse and constancie And he is an impudent person who hauing foully dishonored God and his profession wil hold vp his head boldly and claime his old priuiledge Doe we not see that among men one periured or a forger is disabled from euer bearing any witnesse against or for any in publike court And haue not all men such a one in suspition Doth not treason taint euen the blood of the traitor so that euen when he is loyall he goeth for no better and hee who hath got a patent of restitution or pardon for his fellonie doth he not forfeit it by a second offence in the like kind But of this enough Another thing worth the marking is this that in as much as Iphtah went so easily from his iust quarrell that hee had against them of Gilead and had so soone done when he had wisely told them that which concerned them to heare and when they had assured him of that which he demanded by this I say we are taught not to hold in our harts an iniurie against vs by any but soone to remit an offence for it is an honour to passe by it He mentioneth the matter but once to them and once requireth security but goeth no further And who seeth it not to be a great grace in any man to doe so for therein he doth after the example of the Lord himselfe who doth not follow things against vs hotly but sheweth great lenitie and kindnesse And as we should not be rigorous and cruell in our dealings to prouoke men with our bitternes to wrath so should we make an end of controuersies as soone and in as few words as may be as for other causes so not in the least respect for this seeing in many words commonly there is much sinne Of this somewhat was said before in vers 4. but especially looke backe into Chap. 8. verse 2. And further learne what hath been the religiousnesse of an oath in times past to wit such that if it were once offered and taken there was no more question but the controuersie was ended As we see Rahab hauing it granted her by oath of the spies that she and her fathers house should bee saued aliue at the destruction of Ierrico rested satisfied Therefore men must looke to what they sweare seeing an oath is not to bee violated vnlesse it were made for the accomplishment of euill in which case the keeping of it were double sinne as Heroas was and the least euill therein is great And as heed must be taken how men sweare so must they who offer the oath to other that it be so done that they to whom it is ministred may be free from snare so that they may doe it as the Prophet speaketh in truth righteousnesse and iudgement Therefore such as draw men by oath to fulfill their desire and to doe things against conscience haue the more to answer for Men then must not be drawne and forced thereto to which they cannot yeeld nor of themselues rashly sweare to doe that which they approoue not but abhorre Iphtah doubted no more after the oath but goeth after the army But an oath is not strong enough now adaies to hold a man fast neither can wee safely rest in it for the deciding of controuersies although the Lord hath taught vs otherwise Now for the further ratifying of the couenant betwixt them it is rehearsed before the Lord in Mizpeh by them for thus the men of Gilead say We couenant with thee before the Lord to doe as we say and that he may punish vs if we breake it Therefore such as are common swearers are not to be admitted to this solemne oath either in accusation or decission of controuersies For as I said they haue lost their credit they haue often falsified their oathes for how should a common swearer auoid common periury and therefore that which another man vseth reuerently and with conscience such rush vpon commonly and carelesly through a prophane habit being herein worse then Heathens who counted not such worthie of societie but intestabiles as they called them that is such as were not to be admitted as witnesse And commonly such they are who prostitute themselues for gaine to sweare falsely before the Magistrate of whom there are many and some the Lord shoaleth out from among their fellowes as notorious monsters branding some with in famie and misery and terrifying the consciences of other with hellish feares if not with despaire And a step to
perfect as your father in heauen is perfect also purifie your selues euen as I am pure Be mercifull euen as your heauenly father And be ye holy for I am holy Insomuch that in another place he saith without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. And the signification of the Nazarite doth exclude all that are vncleane and vnsanctified from the Lords presence fauour and seruice True it is the ceremoniall rule is abolished for in the Church of the new testament it is not permitted to any man to vowe any regular seruing of God according to outward obseruances and orders with placing any religion therein no not so much as to retaine the obseruation of the Nazarite much lesse to inuent new rites and orders and yet such are holden the onely religious men and women at this day in the church of Rome as haue solemnely entred into some order or other as they haue many confused orders of their owne forging and therein ayme at perfection But to let these and their disorders goe the equitie of this institution still remaineth firme and bindeth vs. For the Lord will haue all his to know that they are not set here to liue no nor to serue him as they list or bee as seruants that be at their owne hands but hee tieth them to a rule and an order according whereto he will haue them to walke But this rule is spirituall first then vniforme and bindeth all without exception The summe whereof is as I haue said to giue vp themselues in bodie and soule to the Lord in all inward subiection of heart and outward obedience of life strictly with clensing themselues of all superfluitie and filthinesse of either body or minde The ceremonies also here required to be vsed of the Nazarite had their signification those which are mentioned in the text are these two the one the suffering of the haire of his head to growe and not to be cut off for the time that their vow of being Nazarites remained for they vowed it either for a certaine number of daies moneths or yeares But when their vow was at an end and the time of keeping it expired at the offering of sacrifice and burning the flesh in the fire they cut off their haire and burnt it in the same fire And after that they were free and returned to their former course of life Although it was otherwise with Samson for he was by the Lord appointed a Nazarite for his whole life though that was not according to the common manner of being made Nazarites The signification of it was that much time should not be taken vp in too nicely trimming and looking to our bodies seeing we know they must be consumed to the earth and become wormes meate and therefore a ridiculous folly to forget that and to please our selues in such deceiueable fancies And also when the minde is set curiously on that worke as it is a dangerous token of pride so it bewrayeth that it slenderly regardeth the inward apparrelling of it But as this nicenes and curiositie in the weaker sexe who spend too many good houres vainely and vnfruitefully in this kind argueth pride folly so there is a foule abuse in men about this matter and that is their disguised wearing of long haire I thinke there are few of them who will defend themselues by the practise of Nazarites if they did yet the world would conuince them as being for the most part furthest off from the strict worship of God and sincere walking after his will as the Nazarites did if they doe not also mocke and skorne those that embrace it Me thinkes it is strange and argueth somewhat more then common for the badnesse thereof that among many changes of corrupt English fashions worne out and expired yet this vnnaturall fashion as Paul calles it for a man to weare long 〈◊〉 hath suruiued them all I know some nourish it for amarous lightnesse of minde others as a supposed ornament to their person or marke of gentâ—ie or at least imitation of gentlemen These as I thinke might more wisely forbeare it now seeing it is become the fashion and habite of the basest swaggerers and ruffians and the diuels marke which he hath set vpon many that wil not be reformed then at the first when they vsed it either as ensigne or ornament It was the speech of a worthie and reuerend Iudge of the land That the vse of the long locke was first taken vp by branded fellowes for a couer of their shame And that honourable personage in his circuit sitting in the place of iustice vpon malefactors practised according to the former obseruation commanding all whom he saw beset with such deformed haire to be immediatly cut or shorne whether to discouer their eare marke or to shame their vnseemely guise I know not And yet many of them farre enough from Nazarites all may thinke set as much by their haire as if they had put religion therein and were as loth to haue sheares or rasor to come vpon it The signification of the abstaining from wine or strong drinke was not simply to forbid the vsing of it to all for wee see in Nehemiah the Lord giueth his people libertie to eate of the fatte and drinke of the sweete but it was commanded them that were Nazarites for the time that they continued so to abstaine therefrom the signification I say thereof was to teach Gods people that they should auoide all excesse that way lest thereby they should dull and blunt the powers of their mindes and so they must of necessitive vse them to shamefull ends which were giuen them to farre more excellent purposes which I say to the iust condemning of all beastly drunkards and such as are their pot companions though they can better beare drinke without open disguising of themselues then the other who yet spending their time wickedly and in needelesse and brutish deuouring of it are nothing inferior to them in sinning but in sundry respects are much worse then many of them But of this sinne by other occasion I haue spoken This particularly be said of the rule of Nazarites and the caueats thereof more generally this I adde to the former that by these prohibitions and such like the Lord would teach vs in how high account hee hath an heart well mortified and purged from the drosse and superfluitie of lusts and concupiscence which it is stuffed withall Wee see how he enioyneth his Nazarites not so much actuall worship as a straight restraint of the flesh from all vnlawfull excesse which he shadoweth out by these two of diet and dâ—cking the body abstinence in both Doubtlesse if it were possible for a man to equall the Angels in obedience and cheerefulnesse readinesse and integritie of seruice yet if it were possible againe that the olde man with his desires and passions might still remaine aliue with them as wrath malice couetousnesse vncleanenesse hollownesse loosenesse pride