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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	babylon_n	enemy_n	zion_n	23	3	9.1236	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22507	A commentarie vpon the fourth booke of Moses, called Numbers Containing, the foundation of the church and common-wealth of the Israelites, while they walked and wandered in the vvildernesse. Laying before vs the vnchangeable loue of God promised and exhibited to this people ... Heerein also the reader shall finde more then fiue hundred theologicall questions, decided and determined by William Attersoll, minister of the word.	Attersoll, William, d. 1640.; Attersoll, William, d. 1640. Pathway to Canaan.; Attersoll, William, d. 1640. Continuation of the exposition of the booke of Numbers.	1618 (1618)	STC 893; ESTC S106852	2,762,938	1,336

of the Church in what weak and desolate estate had it beene if Mordecai and Ester had not procured the safety of it Was it not taken out of the iawes of the Lyon and pulled out of the pit of death In such times we must cast anker in heauen and make the Lord of hoasts our onely confidence Vse 3 Thirdly conclude from hence that it is a fearefull thing when men become oppressors of the Church For if euery one from the highest to the lowest should be a succourer defender thereof then none brought vp in the bosome of the Church should be an oppressor of it But how many haue there beene who haue lifted vp themselues against it not onely open enemies but close vnderminers who kindle the coales of their owne confusion and haue beene consumed in the flame that they haue raised The Prophet Obadiah concludeth this point ver 10 For thy violence against thy brother Iacob shame shall couer thee and thou shalt be cut off for euer c. as thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall returne vppon thine owne head Obad. verse 10 15. And touching the persecuting Babylonians that carried the people away captiues and scoffed at them in the day of their calamity the Prophet foretelleth their finall ouerthrow Psalm 137 8 9. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall hee be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs happy shall hee be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Wo therefore to all the enemies of the Church in generall or to any particular soule that serueth the Lord they are also enemies to God himselfe Vse 4 Lastly none liuing in the Church must bee ignorant of the state of the Church euery one must take notice how things goe in it whether it go forward or backward encrease or decrease grow better or worse Wee are come for the most part to this to content our selues with looking to our priuate wealth particular estate as if we had nothing else to thinke vpon but to follow our profits and delights So it was with the people after their returne from captiuity they built their owne houses but they let the house of God alone they were very busie in seeking their owne commodities but they were wholly vnmindfull of the seruice of God and therefore they said The time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built whom the Prophet reproueth saying Is it time for you O ye to dwel in your sieled houses this housely waste Hag. 1 2 3. Others there are that shrink back for feare and dare not aduenture and being moued they plead ignorance they pretend they know nothing But the Prophet denounceth a woe against them that are at ease in Sion Amos 6 1. If euery one ought to bee helpfull to the Church and to put on the bowels of pitty and compassion how shall we excuse our selues say we knew not what was wanting or what was amisse or out of course For euery one at his owne perill must know the perils of the Church and be touched with a feeling of thē and ignorance shall excuse no man It is an excellent saying of Salomon Prou. 24 11 12 13. If thou faint in the day of aduersity thy strēgth is small if thou forbeare to deliuer them that are drawne foorth to death and those that are ready to be slaine If thou saiest Behold we knew not of it doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth thy soule doth not he know it and shall not hee render to euery man according to his works The Lord suffereth his people to fall into sundry tentations and into great dangers not onely to try their faith and to proue their constancy but likewise to manifest their loue affection that seeme to be out of gunshot as Ester 4 14. 2 Tim. 1 16 17 18. Ier. 39 16 17 18. 33 And Moses gaue vnto them euen to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben vnto halfe the Tribe of Manasseh the son of Ioseph the kingdome of Sihon King of the Amorites and the kingdome of Og King of Bashan c. 34 35 36. And the children of Gad built Dibon and c. 37 38 39. And the children of Reuben c. 40. And Moses gaue Gilead c. The inheritance that was giuen vnto these Tribes is heere particularly described to wit what Cities befell vnto them which they diligently fortified and couragiously expelled the enemies that dwelt in them Out of these words some questions are breefely to bee decided And first touching the changing of the names of the Cities which befell to the children of Reuben verse 38 the question may be asked Wherefore their names were changed The answer is that without question the cause of this change was that the former names giuen of ancient time were meerely Idolatrous for both of them had their names of the Idols which ought not to be had in remembrance neyther to be heard out of their mouthes Exod 23 13. Obiection Psal 16 4. Secondly from hence a doubt ariseth how Moses can bee sayde to giue Gilead to Machir the sonne of Manasseh and how he dwelt therein for may we thinke that Machir was then aliue I answer Answ It is not likely that he liued vnto this time rather we must vnderstand the sonnes and posterity that came of him So the children of Israel are called Israel and the sonnes of Edom by the name of Edom. He that knoweth not this knoweth nothing Thus it is said that Iudah spake vnto Simeon his brother Iudg. 1 3 yet neyther of them was aliue in many ages before therefore it must be vnderstood of theyr posterity The like we see Gen. 48 22. I giue vnto thee one portion aboue thy brethren which I haue taken out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bowe Where Iacob bequeatheth vnto Ioseph by his last will and testament a double portion of the Land 1 Chron. 5 2. By Ioseph we must vnderstand his posterity for in his owne person he inherited nothing but dyed long before and by the sword and bow of Iacob wee must vnderstand the Ephraimites which helped to conquer the Land and were a mighty people in Iosuahs time Iosh 17 14 18. Obiect But it is an harder question to determine how Iaer is saide to be the sonne of Manasseh who doubtlesse did belong to another Tribe For in the Genealogies mentioned in the booke of Chronicles it is euident that hee was the sonne of Segub the sonne of Hetzron of the Tribe of Iudah 1 Chron. 2 22. I answer Answ he is reckoned of the Tribe of Manasseh by the mothers side not by the fathers For it is plaine in the Chapter before named that Hetzron the son of Iudah married the daughter of Machir the sonne of Manasseh 1 Chro. 7 13. Ad difficil loca in Num. c. 131.

the Saints to hinder the best workes Zach. 3 1. Luke 8 12. like a subtill serpent that he may seduce deceiue vs as he did our first parents we may be assured he commeth freely and frequently into the company of his professed seruants which are his children Ioh. 8 44. For as Christ speaketh that where two or three are gathered together in his Name he is in the midst of them so wheresoeuer two or three are met together at his pleasure to his liking and for the doing of his will he will be in the midst of them though not in a visible manner to tempt thē to euill and to make them glory and continue in their euill If then we feare such a companion let vs forsake such company If we will needs frequent the company of wicked liuers we cannot auo●d the society of Satan Do we then see any place where drunkennesse where whoredome where vanity where blasphemy and all impiety is maintained vpholden we may conclude and as it were write vpon the backside of it and vpon euery doore and poste within it This is the diuels house here are the workes of the diuell to be seene heere is the diuell in a speciall manner present with his tētations with his allurements with his instruments to ruine the soules of men and to bring them to confusion and destruction Thirdly it is our duty to frequent those Vse 3 places that make knowne his Name vnto vs and spread abroad his sauing health among al people Here we may haue familiar accesse to him be admitted into his presence In praier we talke familiarly with him Gen. 18 27. where Abraham saith he had taken vpon him to speake to the Lord and in his word he talketh familiarly with vs and therefore do the Prophets continually cry out to heare the word of the Lord and tell vs that the Lord speaketh to his people What an high honour is it to a subiect to haue free accesse to his Prince and to come into his chamber of presence we are so honoured of God to come to him without checke or controlement the more boldly we preasse into his presence the more welcome we are No man is reproued for coming too often The faithfull haue accounted it a great part of their happines to haue liberty to meet together with one minde with one mouth to glorifie God to set forth his praises This made the Prophet say Lord Psal 26 8. I haue loued the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth On the other side they haue lamented their condition with a lamentable bitter cry when they haue bin banished from the place of Gods worship driuen to seeke harbour and habitation among the vnbeleeuers Then their soules longed and fainted for the Courts of the Lord Psal 84 2 and 137 1 2. their hearts and their flesh cryed out for the liuing God yea they wept and lamented when in captiuity they remembred Sion They longed for the Courts of the Lord but many among vs long greatly to be out of them They accounted it a great greefe to be out of the house of God but we account it a great greefe to abide in the house of God They were neuer well nor quiet so long as they were from the worship of God we are euen sicke and discontent so long a● we are at it Finally they were banished from the Lords house we banish our selues they were compelled to be absent we cannot be compelled to be present We wold be thoght to be willing to haue God in our company to desire to haue accesse vnto his presence but if this were truly in vs we would loue the place of his dwelling We shall bee sure to finde him in his word to meete with him at the Sacraments and to speake with him by our prayers This then reproueth the carelesnes of all such as make no reckoning of Church-assemblies that account one day or houre of the day spent in their owne pleasures vanities better thē a thousand in the Courts of the Lord. These are weary of the heauenly Manna it is a light and a loathsome food This is a fearefull sinne to pollute the holy things that he hath sanctified and set apart to holy vses These are scornfull beasts and prophane persons there is but a step betweene them and atheisme They are men without religion and tread vnder feete the Sonne of God and account the blood of the new Testament as a prophane thing Hereby we see the height of that sinne which is too rife and common to wit the carelesse wilfull and negligent forsaking of the holy things of God These are come to the highest steppe of sin and are set downe in the seate of scorners Psal 1 1. These haue faith iustly denied vnto them and haue not the grace giuen them to beleeue because they contemne the meanes by which they might beleeue be saued Act. 13 48. And doubtlesse he that maketh no cōscience of Gods worship will also if occasion shew it selfe make as little conscience of any thing else that belongeth vnto his brother To conclude let vs haue no part or fellowship with these men but carry earnest affection to the exercises of religion hungring and thirsting after them with longing desires When one Sabbath is ended we should wish for the next when one Sermon is finished we should desire another when one Communion hath beene celebrated we should enquire when the next shall follow euen as the Gentiles besought Paul and Barnabas to preach to them the next Sabbath day Acts 13 42. the same things they had offered to the Iewes O that this zeale were found in vs then would God be found of vs O that we would enquire after him he would offer to vs his gracious presence in this life we should be sure to enioy his glorious presence in the life to come CHAP. VIII 1. AND the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 2. Speake vnto Aaron and say vnto him When thou lightest the Lampes the seauen Lampes shall giue light ouer against the Candlesticke 3. And Aaron did so c. IN the latter end of the former chapter wee haue seene how God gaue answer vnto Moses from aboue the Mercy-seate between the two Cherubims according to his promise before Exod 25 22. In this chapter is recorded what he spake Wee haue also learned what was the sanctification of the other Tribes testified by the solemne offering that they brought at the dedication of the Altar heere Moses entreateth of the sanctification of the Church-officers wherein obserue two things the first touching the Priests the second touching the rest of the Leuites For such as serued at the Altar either were taken into the order of the Priests or else were of the rest of the Tribe of the Leuites that serued in inferiour places about the Tabernacle to assist the Priests in their offices Touching the Priests we are to

He did not glory to haue in his owne breast an oracle to answer all doubts nor challenge any power of freedome from errour as the man of sinne in the pride of his owne heart boasteth of himselfe The third part is the resolution and determination of God deciding the question and making some lawes extending to them and their posterity first if any were vncleane they had respit giuen them vnto the second moneth they haue not liberty vntil the next yeare but to the next moneth they are dispensed withal Secondly the man that is cleane and refuseth to come he shall be cut off that is excommunicated from the people Thirdly if a stranger desire to be partaker of the Passeouer he must embrace the true religion be circumcised Exod. 12.49 and then he may come Touching the question and the occasion thereof it appeareth that those good men which were shut out from this part of Gods seruice by reason they were defiled by touching a dead body were much greeued at heart and troubled in mind that they were barred and as it were banished from the Passeouer hauing as great a desire as others to come vnto it Hence it is that they make earnest moane and complaint to Moses for their separation and therefore desire to be eased and releeued by him The doctrine Doctrin● from hence is that it is a great cause of sorrow and griefe to Gods deare children Gods chi●dren are greeued 〈◊〉 they are 〈◊〉 from his ●●●uice when they are by any iust occasion or by the hand of God vpon them withheld and kept back from the parts and exercises of his worship We see this in Hezekiah in his sicknesse Esay 38.1 his chiefe lamentation and complaint was that he should not see the face of the Lord in his Temple Dauid often complaineth and lamenteth that he was driuen by his enemies from his worship He maketh the condition of the sparrow swallow better then his Psal 84.3 42.1 and 5. and 137 which might come neerer to the altar then he his soule panted and thirsted after God The Church wept by the riuers of Babylon when they remembred Sion and the songs they had sung in the Temple and in another place the Church being by captiui●y depriued of the Temple of their Synagogues of their sacrifices of their Sacraments and of the exercises of their religion maketh bitter complaint to God O Lord and 74.7 they haue cast thy Sanctuary into the fire they haue defiled thy dwelling place The incestuous Corinthian being by excommunication put from the fellowship of the Saints and the vse of the Ministery became comfortlesse and was almost swallowed vp with sorrow 2 Cor. 2.7 And can it be otherwise The godly find Reason 1 such sweetnesse such comfort such spirituall ioy in the presence of God where the exercises of his worship and religion are performed as nothing in this life is more pleasant and delightfull vnto them The Prophet cryeth out as if he were rauished with an holy contemplation of the excellency of this Psa● 8● 1 1● 10 an● 8. and 14 How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hostes my soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord c. The word is sweeter to them then the hony and the hony combe and more to be desired then much fine gold They feed vpon the bread in the Sacramēts as vpon the fatnes of his house drink of the cup as of the riuers of his pleasures they offer vp praiers as sweet incense and lift vp their hands as the euening sacrifice How then can it be but that the losse want of al these brought vpon thē should strike them to the heart and minister matter of much greefe and mourning vnto them Secondly the great loue and mercy of God toward his people doth appeare in the exercises of religion and the place of his worship to them that are not altogether blind and deafe and past all sense and feeling of good things then in all other things throughout the whole world besides Prou. 9.1.2 And indeed a man or woman that hath once tasted the comfort of his adoption and saluation in Christ taught in the word and confirmed in the Sacraments will think it one of his greatest losses to lose and leaue these exercises and the greatest plague to be depriued of them and by them of the pledges of his goodnesse and fauor Thirdly when these are gone they know and consider the greatest stayes and helpes of their standing in the grace of God are vtterly taken away from them therefore they haue cause to lament as Psal 74.9 We see not our signes there is no more any Prophet neither is there among vs any that knoweth how long When he taketh away his word he lifteth vp his standard and goeth away And can there be greater cause to mourne then when God departeth from his people Vse 1 This reprooueth such as can lament bitterly and mourne heauily for the least earthly losses and troubles but neuer trouble themselues for losse of spirituall things It was not so with the wife of Phinehas she had many causes of mourning met together by heauy tidings that were told vnto her her father in law had broken his necke her husband was killed the hoste of God discomfited and the Arke of God was taken howbeit among all these none went neerer none so neere vnto her as the taking of the Arke and therefore she doubleth this which she could not put out of her mind and did after a sort put out all the rest ●●m 4.22 The glory is departed from Israel for the Arke of God is taken But there are many in our daies that account it no losse at all to lose Sermon after Sermon Sacrament after Sacrament and one meeting in the house of God after another they can do this easily and neuer mourne for it Nay they are vexed and tormented as if they were vpon the rack that they are constrained to come so often to the word to the Sacraments and to the house of prayer See herein the great diffrence between the godly and vngodly It is the voyce of the faithfull When will the Sabboth come but the vnfaithfull say When will the Sabboth day be done Amos 8.5 It is the voyce of the faithfull Blessed are they that dwell in thy house Psal 84.4 but the vnfaithfull hold it a misery and bondage to be tyed so strictly and straitly to the publike exercises of religion It is the voyce of the faithfull 〈◊〉 42.2 and 7. 120.5 When shall I come and appeare before God but the vnfaithfull say When shall we depart out of Syon it is time we be gone It is the faithful mans voyce complayning Woe is me that I soiourne in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar but the vnfaithfull think thēselues vnhappy that they must soiourne in the Tabernacle of God and dwel in his house If

of the church rauishing as it were all his senses and so astonishing him that he is not able to finde words sufficient to expresse the glory thereof For heere we see he compareth the happinesse and blessednesse of the Church to the Valleyes Gardens Cedars and such like all to this end to shadow out vnto vs the value and worth of it that it farre surmounteth all other societies and is most precious deare in the sight of God Heereby then wee learne what is the Doctrine true Church The Chur● is more excellent an● precious 〈◊〉 all other ●ces it exceedeth all other societies of men and is most precious and deare vnto God and vnto Christ We see then how from hence we learne that aboue all other companies and fellowships in the world the Church is most excellent and beautifull and of GOD most respected This hath plentifull testimony of other Scriptures The Prophet saith The Kings daughter is glorious within her cloathing is of broidered gold Psal 45 13. Hereunto come the titles and commendations giuen vnto the Church in sundry places dispersed in the booke of Canticles chap. 2 2. and 4 13. and 5 9. Shee is the Rose of the field the Lilly of the valley the fairest among women an Orchard of Pomgranats a Fountaine of Gardens a Well of springing waters the Spouse and Sister of Christ the beauty of the earth the glory of the world and being compared with other societies as a Lilly among Thornes like the Apple among the Trees of the Forrest It is a Citty whose walles and gates are of precious stones and the streetes thereof of gold Reuel 21 2 19. It is compared to a woman cloathed with the Sunne and had the Moone that is all corruptible things which are vnstable and vncertaine vnder her feete As the Doctrine by these euidences is Reason 1 made cleare so by the Reasons whereby it is proued it may be yet made much clearer For first it is more excellent then all other societies as gold aboue all other mettals because in it alone saluation is to be found and no where else When the vniuersall flood came and couered the face of the whole earth what place wouldest thou preferre before the arke in which Noah and his family were saued and out of the which all the world beside was drowned So saluation is taught and receiued in the Church damnation is to be found and felt out of the Church Can there be a greater priuiledge had then to haue our souls saued or a greater losse then the losse of our soules Wee reade in the Scriptures of many great and exceeding grieuous losses Iob lost all his camels and his asses his oxen and his sheepe his seruants and his sons all his goods and riches Saul lost his kingdome and his life But all these are pettie losses and damages in comparison of the incomparable and inestimable losse of the soule which is a perpetuall separation from the glorious and comfortable presence of God according to the saying of our Sauiour Math. 25 16. What shall it profite a man if he winne the whole world and then lose his owne soule Or what shall a man giue for the recompence of his soule The truth of this reason the Lord himself expresseth in the Prophet saying I will giue saluation in Sion and my glory vnto Israel Esay 46 13. The wealthiest country vnder heauen hath not this treasure the greatest Monarke in the world hath none of this merchandice the richest merchant that compasseth sea and land and trauaileth into the furthest part of the earth cannot bring home with him this pearle of vnualuable price it is only to be found in the city of God which is his Church for in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shal be deliuerance Reason 2 Secondly all other sorts and societies of men are appointed and ordained of God to serue and preserue this This is it which the Prophet Esay saith Esay 45 14. It shall be the honour of Kings and Princes to doe seruice to the Church and to promote the good of it It is the end for which God hath lifted vp the heads of rulers and gouernors aboue their brethren to promote the good of the Church and to aduance the glory of God This the Prophet speaketh of in the Psalme Psal 78 71. that God chose Dauid his seruant tooke him from the sheepefold and preferred him before his brethren euen tooke him and from behinde the ewes with yong brought he him to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel so he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart and guided them by the dis●retion of his hands The like we see in the book of Ester when the destruction of the Church was determined and contriued Mordecai said to Ester Ester 4.14 If thou holdest thy peace at this time comfort and deliuerance shall appeare to the Iewes out of another place but thou and thy fathers house shall perish and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time So what power strength ability or meanes soeuer God hath giuen he looketh for this duty and thankfulnes at our hands to seek the safety of Sion to aduance the glory of Ierusalem and to know that hereunto we are called Thirdly the beauty of all other cities and Reason 3 societies standeth in this that they are parts and members of the Church This is the glory of kingdomes and countries whereby they are beautified in that they belong to the true Church for otherwise all places are as cages of vncleane birds nay as lodges of vncleane spirits and all persons are as dogges swine as Tygers and vncleane beasts Hence it is that the Apostle describing what wee are by nature saith Eph. 2 12. Yee were at that time without Christ aliants from the commonwealth of Israel strangers from the couenants of promise and had no hope and were without GOD in the world If then it beautifie other places and persons it must needes be beautifull it selfe If it giue grace and glory to others that ioyne themselues to it it must needs be both gracious and glorious it selfe For whatsoeuer causeth a thing to be so must needes be so it selfe much more The vses of this doctrine are excellent as Vse 1 the nature of the Church is For first we conclude that they must needs be most happy blessed of God that are members of the Church For howsoeuer the world account them miserable grinning at them with their teeth nodding at them them their heads gaping at them with their mouthes hissing at them with their tongues and euery way contumeliously reproaching them with their words yet they are deare and precious in the account of God and in the reputation of Christ Iesus who bought them at a great price and redeemed them with the ransome of his owne blood 1. Pet. 1 18 19. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen to vs that we should be called