He that liveth by his Faith yet shrinketh and sinneth How vainly shall we hope to beleeve without all fear and to live without infirmities Some little aspertions of unbelief cannot hinder the praise and power of Faith Abraham beleeved and it was imputed to him for righteousness He that through inconsiderateness doubted twice of his own life doubted not of the life of his Seed even from the dead and dry Womb of Sarah yet was it more difficult that his posterity should live in Sarah than that Sarahs Husband should live in Egypt this was above nature yet he beleeves it Sometimes the Beleever sticks at easie tryalls and yet breaks through the greatest tentations without fear Verse 14. Holy Iob's Covenant with his Eyes in the Old Testament should be every Christians in the New to look to his looks to set a guard and sentinel over his Eyes for from looking comes lusting from a lascivious glance proceeds a lascivious act and it is all one in Gods esteem with which part of the body we commit adultery so that if a man lets his Eye or his Thought loose and enjoyes the lust of either he is an Adulterer before God It was therefore our Saviours advice Mat. 5. If thy right Eye offend thee pull it out the meaning is this That when thou doest give check to the loose evibrations and wanton twirles of a lascivious Eye thou dost at that very time pull out that wanton Eye from thy body and the lustful Devil that is in that wanton Eye from thy soul. There is great reason therefore that we should set a strict watch over this Cinque-port of our bodies Beauty is a dangerous bait and Lust is sharp-sighted It is not safe gazing on a fair Woman how many have died of the wound in the Eye No one means hath so enrich'd Hell as beautiful faces Verse 19. It is a sad case when an Egyptian shall reprove an Israelite when a Pharaoh shall rebuke an Abraham and therefore all Professors of Religion should so practice it as the very Infidels seeing their good works answer their good words may glorifie their Father which is in heaven For our Calling as it is most eminent so most eyed and worst censured by all the Infidel part of the World If an Apostle rub but an ear of Corn on the Sabbath 't is breaking of the day a heathens Motes are a Christians Beams and a Turks indifferency is my evil somethings being expedient in respect of the man which are scandalous meerly for his Religion none therefore to keep within so strict lines both for words and deeds as the Christian for behold saith the Apostle We are made a gazing stock to the world to Angels and to men CHAP. XIII Verse 2. ALthough the Scripture tells us That it is hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven yet the Scripture saith not that it is absolutely impossible Heaven gate stands open for the Rich as well as for the Poor for rich Abraham here as well as for poor Lazarus in the Gospel and as it is true Blessed are the Poor for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven So it is also as true Blessed are the Rich for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Thus Adam and Noah flew up to Heaven with the Monarchy of the whole World upon their backs The Patriarchs also as in this Text Abraham with much Wealth many holy Kings with rich Crowns and Scepters It is not Wealth therefore as Wealth but Sin that is the clogg that keeps men from ascending the burthen of covetous desires being more heavie to an empty Soul than much treasure to the full for not the meer Possession and use of riches offends but the affectation Verse 7. When the strife began between Abraham and Lot the Scripture notes it as a special Memorandum here that the Canaanite was then in the Land Doubtless there are at this time also in our Land too many who carry Canaanitish hearts and minds who would no less than the old Canaanites rejoyce and triumph in our discords saying among themselves Aha so would we have it But let those that have the Spirit of Abraham learn also the Speech and Language of Abraham who though he was in Age and Dignity superiour to his Nephew Lot yet came and said unto him I pray thee let there be no strife between me and thee for we are Brethren Verse 9. Before Abraham and Lot grew Rich they dwelt together now their Wealth separates them their Society was a greater good than their Riches many a one is a looser by his Wealth who would account those things good which makes us worse It had been the duty of young Lot to offer rather than to chuse to yield rather than contend Who would not here think Abraham the Nephew and Lot the Uncle It is no disparagement for greater persons to begin treaties of Peace better doth it beseem every Son of Abraham to win with love than to sway with power Abraham yields over this right of his choice Lot takes it And behold Lot is cross'd in that which he chose Abraham is blessed in that which was left him God never suffers any one to lose by an humble remission of his right in a desire of Peace Verse 10. Wealth hath made Lot not only undutiful but covetous he sees the goodly Plain of Iordan the richness of the Soyl the commodity of the Rivers the scituation of the Cities and now not once enquiring into the Condition of the Inhabitants he is in love with Sodom Outward appearances are deceitful guides to our judgement or affection they are worthy to be deceived that value things as they seem It is not long after that Lot payes dear for his rashness He fled for quietness from his Uncle and finds War with strangers by whom he is carried Prisoner with all his substance That Wealth which was the cause of his former Quarrels is made a prey to merciless Heathen that place which his Eye covetously chose betrayes his life and goods How many Christians whilst they have look'd at gain have lost themselves Verse 14. Gods way of appearing unto Abraham was like our Saviours way of appearing in the flesh to the world until such time as there was a general Peace over the whole Earth our Saviour would not appear amongst men and until such time as the strife was ended betwixt Abraham and Lot and they two parted friendly God did not appear unto Abraham God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4. 16. Where Charity is there is an habitation a Temple for the Lord and where it is not there is a dwelling-place for the Devil Religion is but rottenness without it our Devotions unsavory our Sacrifice distasteful and all our front of Holiness but dross and rubbish Therefore Christ saith If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee first be
not admit changes in some places fix'd indeed in respect of Fundamentals but yet a moveable Pillar for things indifferent and arbitrary CHAP. XXXIV Verse 1. GOds Ministers by preaching and crying unto men may as it were hew their stony hearts that is prepare them for writing but only the Lord must write in them by the finger of his blessed Spirit and no man can make any thing enter without him Paul may plant c. but God giveth the encrease Secondly as God did not write before the stones were hewed so no more assure your self will he ever in your heart set any good if you contemn the outward hewing and preparing of you by the Word in the Ministery of his Servants Thirdly by the former Tables broken and these new made some have thought to be figured the abrogation of the Law and establishing of the Gospel our old corruption which must be broken and our new Regeneration which must come in place Verse 8. The greater manifestation of God and his Truth is vouchsafed unto us the more ought we to humble our selves and be thankful worshiping that God which so mercifully dealeth with us Again when God gives signes of his presence let us make hast to him and not suffer him to passe away while we are hindred with this and that God gives signes of his Presence in the Word preach'd in the Sacrament in my heart by good Motions O let him not passe away but make hast as Moses here did bow down and worship Verse 9. God in the former verse had promised to be gracious and in this Moses fals to prayer to shew us that the Promises of God kindle Prayer Wherefore use when you are dull to pray to meditate upon the Promises of God general particular so many so sweet so full of power to enflame a heart half dead and when you feel the fire kindle then pray it will flame out at last Verse 13 It is you in the singular to signifie that publick things were to be done by publick persons the Altars here were to be pull'd down by Moses But for private matters private men may do them as Iacob purg'd his own House of his Wives Idols Private men to meddle with publick matters is dangerous Paul came to Athens and found an Altar yet he threw it not down Therefore beware of false Spirits that will rashly write of Reformation without tarrying for the Magistrate So every man may be a Magistrate and the sweet society of man with man turn'd to bloud and slaughter Some yet are too mild and they tell us Idolatry must be first taken out of the heart by true teaching 'T is true teaching must go before but what then is therefore the Magistrates work excluded No For are not the sins also of the second Table to be taken out of the heart by teaching and yet I hope the Magistrate may concurre with teaching and punish Theives and Murtherers Much more then in the first Table touching Gods Honour and Service Verse 29. Modest men are not carried away with knowledge of their own gifts but are as it were ignorant of them In matters of Almes the Lord saith Let not your right hand know what your left hand doth Verse 30. To note first that Ministers Faces that is their outward actions and words which appear to men should glister and shine So let your light shine that men may see your goodworks Secondly to shadow that the Law which Moses now represented is only bright and shining in the Face a meer outward Justification before men whereas the Righteousness of Christ is all glorious within and without Thirdly to teach that the Law lightneth the Conscience which is as the Face of the inward man making it see and know sin but it lightneth not the Mind by Faith to save from sin Christ only doth this by his Spirit Therefore saith the next verse the people fear'd and durst not approach The Law ever striking a terror into the hearts of them that behold their sins in it and by it Such a Fear there is in Guiltiness such Confidence in Innocency When the Soul is once clear'd from sin it shall run to that Glory with Joy the least glimpse whereof now appales it and sends it away in terrour Verse 35. Nihil in lege gloriosum habet Moses praeter solam faciem His hands were leprous by putting them into his bosome his feet also had no glory he being bid to put off his shooes and so by that Ceremony was to deliver the Spouse unto another But in the Gospel he appeared in the Mount with Christ totus glorificatus this sheweth the preheminence of the Gospel before the Law The Latine reads facies ejus erat cornuta but this is for the mistake of our Hebrew word Keren an Horn for Karan to shine Tostatus sayes the meaning of the Latine is emittebat radios sicut cornua This also shews the righteousness of the Law only a shining of the Face that is of the external Works before men The Vail over Moses signifies the blindness of the Iewes that when Moses is read they understand not the end of the Law CHAP. XXXV Verse 1. IF God had not been Friends with Israel he had not renewed his Law As the Israelites were wilfully blind if they did not see Gods anger in the Tables broken So could they not but hold it a good sign of Grace that God gave them his Testimonies There was nothing wherein Israel out-stripped the rest of the World more than in this Priviledge the pledge of his Covenant the Law written with Gods own hand Oh what a Favour then is it where God bestows his Gospel upon any Nation That was but a killing Letter this is the Power of God to Salvation Never is God throughly displeased with any People where that continues For like as those which purposed love when they fall off call for their tokens back again so when God begins once perfectly to mislike the first thing he withdraws is his Gospel Verse 21. It is a very great blessing to have an importunate Conscience to stirre us up in all good Duties Such a Conscience regards not what pleaseth us but what is good for us that it looketh too and that it perswadeth too and that it urgeth This blessing had these willing Israelites in the Text who gave freely to the building of the Tabernacle Observe here their Heart that is their Conscience stirr'd them up ye have Bracelets ye have Rings offer them sayes Conscience to further this pious Work in hand their Spirit made them willing their faithful Friend in their bosome Conscience overcame them with Arguments and strong perswasions This then must needs be a great Blessing to have such a faithful Conscience it will make a man part with all his Lusts Pride Self-love Covetousness carnal Delights for Gods Glory and our own true Good Verse 22. When God was once reconciled to his People in the Wilderness after their sin
were for sin or for the present pressure only I have not to say but God is so pitiful that he hears and helps our Affliction as he did Hagars in this Text. Verse 15. God presents to us the joyes of Heaven often to draw us and as often the torments of Hell to avert us And to this purpose Origen saith aright as Abraham had two Sons the one of a Bond-woman the other of a Free but yet both sons of Abraham So God is served by two fears and the latter fear the fear of future torment is not the perfect fear but yet even that fear is the servant and instrument of God too Who can so absolutely divest all sense saith Chrysostome but that when the whole City is in a combustion and commotion or when the Ship that he is in strikes desperately and irrecoverably upon a Rock he is otherwise affected towards God then than when every day in a quietness and calmness of holy affections he hears a Sermon Gehennae timor saith the same Father regni affert coronam even the fear of Hell gets us Heaven CHAP. XVII Verse 1. IT is Gods prescript to Abraham here Walk before me and be perfect and that is when as to allude to that known Expression Manus ad Clavum Oculus ad Coelum as our hand is upon the work so our eye must be upon God in every thing we do which is the ground of that uprightness called in the Scripture Dialect perfection Where you may note the difference between these three expressions of the holy Ghost to walk with God after God and before God We walk with God as a sweet companion after God as a commanding Lord before God as an observing Judge we walk with him as his Friends after him as his Servants before him as his Children lastly we walk with him by an humble familiarity after him in a regular conformity before him by a cordial integrity and this is according to Gods rule to Abraham Walk before me and be perfect Verse 3. When God talkes with us in his Word or we talk with God in our Prayers we cannot be too humble you see from this text that Abraham the Father of the faithful fell upon his face at a conference with God and shall we that are his sons not fall upon our knees Certainly were there never a Church standing in the world nor so much as one stone left for a Bethel wheresoever we came to Pray we should worship first looking up to our God and his infinitude with Glory be to thee O Lord then in the Publicans dejected posture reflecting upon the dust our original and our end with Lord be merciful unto me a sinner and indeed can we presume higher than the dust when we reverence before our Maker or do less than hide our own faces with shame appearing before the glorious light of that countenance which we cannot see and live and which we shall one day look upon with trembling if not now with shame Verse 5. There is no Faith where there is either means or hopes Difficulties and impossibilities are the true Objects of Belief hereupon God adds to Abrahams name that which he would fetch from his Loins and made his Name as ample as his Posterity never any man was a looser by beleeving Faith is ever recompenced with Glory Verse 7. God hath in great mercy and goodness promised to shew grace and favour not only to the faithful themselves but to their seed after them and as the mercy of God is great so the Faith of the godly is effectual for themselves and their Children God will be our God and the God of our seed after us If then we consider either the Promise of God to be merciful or the Faith of the godly to beleeve in both respects we may collect and gather this truth That the love of God to the faithful shall so abound that it shall come to their posterity like the pretious Oyntment poured on the head of Aaron that ran down upon his beard and flowed to the border of his garments or as the dew on Hermon and Sion which watered the valleys which were beneath them Now seeing that goodness hath the Promise of bringing a blessing upon the families where it is profess'd it is required of us to profess and beleeve the Gospel that so we may procure a blessing upon our selves and Children The neglect of which bringeth utter ruine to Father and Child So then godly Parents must have a care to bring-up their Children and Families in the true Faith and fear of the Lord which may be a means by the blessing of God to save thy son from death and to deliver his soul from destruction Verse 11. Circumcision is a seal of the Covenant betwixt God and us if we be in God and God in us if we be circumcised within if the fore-skin of our hearts be taken away then is the outward Circumcision a seal unto our Covenant with God otherwise it is a seal indeed but a seal without a Bond a seal without any stipulation betwixt God and us we are no whit priviledged by it no more than are the Turks who yet are circumcised which is the reason that the Jewes at this day have no benefit by this Covenant because they are uncircumcised in their hearts that vail that fore-skin is not taken away and that only is the circumcision which seals the Covenant betwixt God and us the Gospel-circumcision the putting off the old Adam by that circumcision of Christ which is the work of the Spirit wrought by the Word upon the Soul of a poor sinner whereby the corruption of his nature is mortified and himself received into an everlasting Covenant and Communion with God Verse 14. In the first Covenant that God made with his People as we see here That person that would not be circumcised that soul was cut off from the people of God and just so in the second Covenant that God made with his people the Covenant of the Gospel He that is not circumcised in heart and made new by regeneration he shall have no part with the Saints in heaven Joh. 3. 3. The wise man is not priviledged by his wisdom nor the strong man by his strength the King is not freed by his Crown and Dignity nor the Priest by the power of his Keyes For if any one enters himself in Covenant with God under the New Testament and hopes for benefit by that Covenant as Abraham and his Seed did undergo the outward Circumcision of the body so must he the inward Circcmcision of the heart No Circumcision no Son of Abraham no Son of Abraham no Son of God Verse 17. Abraham was old e're this Promise and hope of a Son was given and still the older the more uncapable Yet God makes him wait twenty five years for performance No time is long to Faith which had learned to defer hopes without fainting and irksomness Abraham heard this news
temporary temporal and spiritual death Verse 9. Adultery is called here a great sin not only for the uncleanness and filthiness of it but because of the punishment that follows and sometimes overtakes whole Cities and Kingdoms for that sin in their Governors as it would have done here had not God with-held Abimelech from that sin verse 6. Now God keeps his Children from sinning either by instinct of his Spirit or the instruction of his Word or by the guiding and guard of Angels or by diseases as here Verse 11. Wheresoever is wickedness there can be no fear of God these two cannot lodge under one roof for the fear of God drives out evil Ecclus. 1. 26. As therefore Abraham here argues well from the Cause to the Effect because the fear of God is not in this place therefore they will kill me So David argues back from the Effect to the Cause they imagine wickedness on their Bed therefore the fear of God is not before them I would to God neither of these Arguments were demonstrative but our lives shew they are For if we feared the Lord durst we dally with his Name durst we tear it in pieces Surely we contemne his person whose Name we contemne The Iewes have a conceit that the sin of that Israelite which was stoned for Blasphemy was only this that he named that ineffable Name Iehovah Shall their fear keep them from once mentioning the dreadful Name of God and shall not our fear keep us from abusing it Durst we so boldly sin against God in the face if we feared him Durst we mock God with a formal flourish of that which our heart tells us we are not if we feared him Verse 14. Thus God comes as it were out of an Engine and helps his people at a pinch Abraham had brought himself into the bryars and could find no way out Many a heavie heart he had no doubt for his dear Wife who suffered by his default and she again for him God upon their Repentance provides graciously for them both She is kept undefiled he greatly enriched and now they are both secured and dismissed with rewards and priviledges Oh who would not serve such a God as turns our errors and evil counsels to our great good as the Athenians believed their Goddess Minerva did for them Verse 16. Abraham is said to be a veil of Sarahs eyes First That no man knowing her to be Abrahams Wife should look upon her to desire her Secondly It putteth Sarah in mind of her subjection to Abraham whereof the veil is a sign 1 Cor. 11. 10. Thirdly Abraham was her veil that is her just excuse that she did this for his cause being by him perswaded but the former Exposition is the better For the following words the meaning is that all this was that she might he reproved or in all this she reproved her self so that they seem to be the words rather of the Writer concerning Sarah than of Abimelech to Sarah Verse 18. Barrenness is a just punishment for an Incontinent life This may be seen in Solomon who of 300 Concubines and 700 Wives left but one Son Rehoboam and he not very wise to succeed him CHAP. XXI Verse 6. VVE must rejoyce in the least Mercy how greatly then in the greatest our joyes take their measure by our mercies When Sarah had a Son she said God hath made me to laugh so that all that hear me shall laugh with me Her mercy in receiving a Son was so great that it would serve a whole world to make merry with The man that had found his lost Sheep laid it on his shoulders rejoycing it was a pleasant burthen to him and when he came home he called together his Friends and Neighbors saying Rejoyce with me As some afflictions are so big that all our own sorrows are not large enough to weep and mourn over them so some blessings are so big that they call out more than our own affections to rejoyce over them Verse 9. It is not alwayes a disparagement to be laugh'd at the best may be laugh'd at the just upright man is so holiness is under disgrace among unholy men Saint Paul telling this story reports it as a great example of unholy scorn he that was born after the Flesh did persecute him that was born after the Spirit Ishmael persecuted Isaac Moses here tells us the manner how and the weapon wherewith Ishmael did not lift up his hand against Isaac as Cain did against Abel but his tongue he mocked him Those greatest differences in divine Heraldry of being born after the flesh and after the Spirit shew where the quarrel lay it was the spiritualness of Isaac which rendered him so obnoxious to his Carnal Brother Ishmael Isaac was born after the Spirit and doubtless he shewed some fruits of the Spirit which Ishmael did not relish and therefore mocked him And the Apostle gives the reason The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him 1 Cor. 2. 14. Verse 10. Sarah speaks angerly concerning Ishmael This son of the Bond-woman shall not be Heir with my son and might not God have said as roundly concerning us these bond-slaves of sin and Satan shall not be Heirs with my Son But such is the goodness of our gracious God he deals with us like the Father of the Prodigal Child the Son feared a sharp rebuke and the Father provided a dainty feast And thus God not only pardons our indignities but crowns us with mercies and loving kindness So that we may confess ingeniously with the Prodigal Child We are not worthy to be called thy Sons make us as one of thy hired servants vouchsafe us even the least measure of thy favour and it is more than we can deserve or expect Verse 12. Let us never be ashamed to follow the counsel of such as are discreet and godly Neither is it greatly material who they be that give us good counsel whether our superiors equals or inferiors For we must not weigh so much who is the counsellor as what is the counsel The child is somtimes made able to advise the Father the Servant may somtimes see more than his Master the Wife may sometimes give good counsel to her Husband and it is no dispraise or disparagement for them to hearken to their inferiors but they ought to receive it as a Message brought unto them from God yea if an enemy should perswade us to that which is good we ought to make this benefit and advantage of him as to hearken to our own profit Abraham accounted it no reproach or reproof unto him to obey the Counsel of his Wife when she perswaded him to cast out the Bond-woman and her Son and Abraham is commanded to listen unto it for God said unto him In all that Sarah shall say unto thee hear her voice Away then with the pride and pevishness of all those that take it as a discredit unto
writ and his anger will destroy part of the people that Gods anger may not consume them all Now let us imitate these great examples and that we may be angry and not sin let us only be angry for sin Verse 4. I see in Rachel the image of her Grand-mother Sarah both in her beauty of person in her actions in her success she also will needs suborn her handmaid to make her a Mother and at last beyond hope her self conceiveth It is a weak greediness in us to affect Gods blessings by unlawful means what a proof and praise had it been of her Faith if she had staied Gods leisure and would rather have endured her barrenness than her Husbands Polygamy Now she shews her self the Daughter of Laban the Father for covetousness the Daughters for emulation have drawn sin into Iacobs bed he offended in yielding but they more in solliciting him and therefore the fact is not imputed to Iacob but to them In those sins which Satan draws us into the blame is ours in those sins which we move each other unto the most fault and punishment lies upon the tempter Verse 6. Here Rachel makes use of Gods name to prophane it and under pretence of Religion would have God justifie her Maids and her own sin Many cry up that Cause to be Gods which he never will own and put his Name to those Writings which at the last day shall condemne them And indeed there hath of late years been no sin so common among Christians as to prostitue both Gods Name and his Cause and as that great Commander of the powers of darkness the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of light so there are no deeds of darkness so black and ugly which have not been like their Father the Devil mask'd and veil'd and clouded even with light its self I mean with those glorious heavenly Angel-like pretences of Religion and Conscience Insomuch that not only the most unchristian but the most inhumane practises the most unnatural savage barbarities of this last age of the World are now avowed to be the dictates and commands of God that God himself as in the text hath judged and allowed them Verse 18. Leah broke the bonds of Matrimony and yet expects a reward thus many times men flatter themselves in their sins and think that they are rewarded of God when they do ill As Micah having made houshold gods and entertained a Levite cryes Now I know that the Lord will be good unto me because I have a Levite to my Priest but he never thought he had an Idol to his God Thus Leah here rejoyced in that for which she should have repented and takes that for her hire which God for all she knew intended as her punishment And indeed her Son Issachar who was the hire here was none of the wisest and withal a slave and therefore in Iacobs Prophesie Gen. 49. compared to an Ass and one that for his ease would submit unto any burthens impositions taxes This was a simple low poor spirit and his posterity were for the general very unworthy and vile and yet this was the hire the reward the blessing that Leah rejoyced in as if God had approved of the sin by the success and fruitfulness of her handmaids Womb and this was her error of measuring and judging of things by the success as if God did not many times give Children and Honour and Riches in his wrath and were not many times angry with men though they outwardly prosper If this were not so the Turks and some Christians too at this day were in an happy condition who judge of the goodness of their cause only by the success and because they are not crossed that therefore they are blessed Verse 20. Children are a good dowry if they prove good and though they are alwayes an heritage that cometh of the Lord yet they are not alwayes the Lords heritage When our Children appear to be Gods heirs as well as ours then may we justly esteem them to be the best part of our estate and our greatest dowry Otherwise they will prove but sad blessings and such as we had better be without and yet all men desire them how much rather should we cover grace and those things which accompany salvation having got these we may safely and surely say God hath endued me with a good dowry Verse 27. Iacob rich in nothing but Wives and Children was now returning to his Fathers house accounting his Charge his Wealth But God meant him yet more good Laban sees that both his Family and his Flocks were well encreased by Iacobs service Not his love therefore but his gain makes him loth to part Even Labans covetousness is made by God the means to enrich Iacob and even his strait Master entreats him to that recompence which made his Nephew mighty and himself envious Verse 41. In the very shapes and colours of brute Creatures there is a divine hand which disposeth them to his own ends Small and unlikely means shall prevail where God intends an effect Little peel'd sticks of Hazel or Poplar laid in the troughs shall enrich Iacob with an encrease of spotted Cattel Labans Sons might have tryed the same means and failed God would have Laban know that he put a difference betwixt Iacob and him that as for fourteen years he had multiplyed Iacobs charge of Cattel to Laban so now for the last six years he would multiply Labans Flock to Iacob and if Laban had the more yet the better were Iacobs Even in these outward things Gods Children have many times sensible tastes of his favours above the wicked CHAP. XXXI Verse 13. VVHen God appeared here to Iacob upon his return from Laban he tells him I am the God of Bethel by which expression he no doubt intends to mind Iacob of the Promise not only made there by God to him but likewise by him to God for so it followeth Where thou vowedst a vow to me God is the God of pious resolutions as to approve of them when made so to look after them how they are made good and let me tell you to prophane that heart that is once consecrated to God to faulter in the execution of what is solemnly resolved in Gods service is a fetching the Sacrifice from the Altar and will certainly bring the coal of fire along with it Hadst thou never put in for the title of a Friend or votary with an O God my heart is ready to do thy will thou hadst not been perfidious though prophane but by breaking thy promise thou addest the guilt of unfaithfulness to that of disobedience and thy sin becomes beyond measure sinful Verse 18. I know not whether Laban were a worse Uncle or Father or Master he can like well Iacobs service not his wealth as the wicked have no peace with God so the godly have no peace with men for if they prosper not they are despised if they prosper they are envied This Uncle
that thou shouldest look on such a dead dogg as I am and when he considers from what a low to what an high estate God hath brought him he saith as Iacob here I am less than the least of all thy mercies and when Christ tells a Soul that he will make him a King and a Priest to God he humbly saith as Saul to Samuel am not I a Benjamite of the smallest of the Tribes of Israel yea it saith as Elizabeth said to Mary the blessed Mother of our ever blessed Jesus when she heard the Salutation that the Babe the heart of a true Believer leap'd within her and she spake Blessed art thou whence O whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord Oh saith the Soul that my God should come to see me even me poor worthless me it fares with such a Soul as with the Disciples Luke 24. Jesus stood in the midst and said Peace be unto you and they were terrified and affrighted but he said Why are ye troubled it is I behold my hands and my feet and they believed not for joy and wondred Verse 11. It is like that Esau prepared himself to be revenged of Iacob as may appear by Iacobs prayer and fear here which was not without cause whereby the power of God is also set forth that could in the very way change that purpose of Esau and withall Iacob sheweth in this his weakness and infirmity that although looking to Gods promise he had confidence yet turning himself to the present danger he fear'd and here while Iacob prepared himself by war prayer and gifts to satisfie his Brother he doth well for though God hath promised us deliverance we ought to use all good means and working under Gods providence Verse 12. Prayer is not only a bare manifestation of our mind to God by such a sute or petition but in Prayer there is or ought to be an holy arguing with God about the matter which we declare which is a bringing out and urging of reasons and motives whereby the Lord may be moved to grant what we pray for and this is clear from this example of Iacob in this Chapter Verse 24. When we are most retired from the World then we are most fit to have and usually have most communion with God David shews us divine work when we go to rest the bed is not all for sleep commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still Psal. 4. be still and quiet and then commune with your hearts God will come and commune with them to his Spirit will give you a loving visit When Iacob fearing the rage of his Brother had put himself into the best posture and defence he could and had sent his Wives and Children over the River the Text saith that he was left alone which is not to be understood as if his company had left or deserted him Iacob's solitariness was not passive but effective he having disposed of all his Family withdrew himself and stayed alone and what then then he had a Vision indeed then there wrestled a man with him till the breaking of the day he spent not the night in carping and caring what should become of him to morrow no he retires to pray for a blessing upon his former cares and a blessing he obtains Verse 25. What a wonder is here Iacob received not so much hurt from all his enemies as from his best Friends not one of his hairs perish'd by Laban or Esau yet he lost a joynt by the Angel and was sent halting to his Grave he that knows our strength yet will wrestle with us for our exercise and loves our violence and importunity O happy loss this of Iacob he lost a joint and won a blessing it is a favour to halt from God yet this favour is seconded with a greater He was blest because he would rather halt than leave ere he was blessed If he had left sooner he had not halted but then he had not prospered that man shall go away sound but miserable that loves a limb more than a blessing Surely if Iacob had not wrestled with God he had been folid with evils how many are the troubles of the righteous Verse 30. Holy men even in this life have a sight of the face of God the Soul of a Believer hath interviews with God God and he do often look one another in the face Wheresoever the Saints are except in cases of desertion the place may be called as Iacob here call'd this where he wrestled with God Peniel that is the face of God yet not in that sence fully in which Iacob calls it so he call'd it the face of God because he had seen God face to face We can call it so only ordinarily because we see his face It is one thing to see the face of God another thing to see God face to face the former is the common priviledge of Saints in this life the latter is the priviledge of but some Saints and those rare ones to have it here Verse 31. At death God wrestles with his people laying hold on their Consciences by the menaces of the Law They again resist this assault by laying hold upon God in Christ by the Faith of the Gospel well assured that Christ hath freed them from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for them on the Cross. God yields himself over-come by this re-encounter but yet toucheth their thigh takes away their life howbeit this hinders not the Sun of Life Eternal to arise upon them CHAP. XXXIII Verse 4. VArious and miraculous are the means which God useth to deliver his People from their Enemies sometimes he divides them and sets the Churches enemies one against another so he did for Gideon's small Army to the Midianites mighty Host setting every mans Sword against his fellow sometimes he changeth their minds and turneth the stream of their affections Thus was Esau's heart mollified towards Iacob who instead of a devouring enemy becomes an embracing friend and meets him with kisses to whom he had intended blowes Indeed what Solomon saith of the Kings heart is true of all mens That they are in the hands of the Lord as the Rivers of Waters and he turneth them wheresoever he will No wonder then if sometimes he mollifies the Obdurate qualifies the Malicious and melts the Frozen Hearts of Wicked men into Love and Compassion towards his Servants Verse 5. Children are the blessings of the Lord nay they are part of his inheritance Children are an heritage of the Lord saith the Psalmist and the fruit of the Womb is his reward they are special blessings Children as it is to be observed are a resemblance of our immortality because man revives again lives a-new as it were in every Child he is born again in a civil sence when others are born to him There are some who count their Children but Bills of Charges but God puts them upon the account of our Mercies And
therefore how holy and piously doth Iacob speak here concerning his Children These saith he are the Children which God hath graciously given thy Servant Verse 9. The carnal minded man looks no further than this world and if he can get but his Chests and his Barns fill'd thinks he may say with Esau here I have enough Brother and that he may sing a Requiem to his Soul with that rich man in the Gospel Soul take thine ease thou hast Goods laid up for many years when God in the mean time is not thought upon without whom there can be no true fulness no sincere abundance Let us therefore accustome our selves to find out God in the Creature and in all our gettings in all our preferments in all our studies and then be we as covetous as we will as ambitious as we can we shall be sure to have enough for God will be abundantly sufficient to us for all God is treasure and God is honour enough Wouldst thou have all this World wouldst thou have all the next World too Plus est qui fecit Coelum Terram saith a Father he that made Heaven and Earth is more than all that and thou mayest have all in having him Verse 10. Wicked men cannot be so ill as they would That strong Wrestler against whom Iacob prevailed prevailed with Esau and turned his wounds into kisses An Host of Men came with Esau an Army of Angels met Iacob Esau threatned Iacob prayed His prayers and presence have melted the heart of Esau into love And now instead of the grim and stern countenance of an Executioner Iacob sees the face of Esau as the face of God Both men and Devils are stinted the stoutest heart cannot stand out against God He that can wrestle earnestly with God is secure from the harms of men Those minds which are exaspearated with violence and cannot be broken with fear yet are bowed with love when the wayes of a man please God he will make his enemies at peace with him Verse 11. If we want this Worlds good let us not be discouraged God oftentimes recompenseth the want of earthly blessings with great abundance of heavenly graces This Christ declareth in Rev. 2. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich He maketh them rich in Knowledge in Faith in Obedience and Joy in the holy Ghost He blesseth them with inward comfort and with peace of Conscience that passeth all understanding He giveth them patience in trouble meekness of spirit and an holy contentation to sustain the weight of their affliction and albeit they bear a gracious burthen yet he hath eased them of a greater the burthen of their sins which in Christ they feel to be lightned and remitted This the Apostle testifieth We are as dying and yet behold we live as having nothing and yet possessing all things This is that Iacob perswaded his own heart and told it to his Brother God hath shewed mercy unto me and therefore I have all things for so it is in the Original not I have enough as it is in our English Bibles but I have all Esau had much but Iacob had all because he had the God of all Verse 13. A Conscientious Minister should follow Iacobs example in this verse and so order their flocks as he did his They must have an eye to the weak ones of their Congregations and so to respect all as they over-drive none He must so Preach as his people are able to hear and not alwayes as he is able to Preach He must divide and chew and masticate his Matter and his Doctrines as Nurses do their Childrens meat and speak to the shallowest Capacities of his Hearers else he shall be a Barbarian to them and they to him And as in their instruction so likewise in their reproofs and correction they must have a care of the little Ones of the tender Lambs of Christ's flock and deal gently with them A Venice-glass must be otherwise handled than an Earthen-pitcher some must be rebuked sharply severely but of others we must have compassion making a difference Jude 22. CHAP. XXXIV Verse 1. CHristians should of all others be very shy of the occasions of evil and take heed of the Wine when 't is red in the glass and have an eye to their eye when they look on a Maid Dinah out of a gadding curiosity must needs visit the Daughters of the Land and while she goeth to see the Daughters the Son saw her visamque cupit and having seen her he took her having taken her he lay with her the report whereof coming to Iacobs Sons they were grieved being grieved they were wroth being wroth they meditate revenge meditating revenge they speak deceitfully having deceived they slew having slain they spoyle See how great a fire a little matter kindleth what great evils issue from small beginnings take heed then of these beginnings Verse 3. Shechem in this verse bewrays a good nature even in filthiness he loves Dinah after his sin and would needs Marry her whom he had defiled Commonly Lust ends in loathing Ammon abhors Tamar as much after the act as before he loved and beats her out of doors whom he was sick to bring in But Shechem would not let Dinah fare the worse for his sin And now he goes about to entertain her with honest love whom the rage of his Lust had dishonestly abused Her deflouring shall be no prejudice to her since her shame shall redound to none but him and he will hide her dishonour with the name of an Husband Those actions that are ill begun can hardly be salved up with late satisfactions whereas good entrances give strength to the proceedings and success to the end Verse 4. I find but one only Daughter of Iacob who must needs therefore be a great Darling to her Father and she so miscarries that she causes her Fathers grief to be more than his love As her Mother Leah so she hath a fault in her eyes which was curiosity She will needs see and be seen and whiles she doth vainly see she is seen lustfully It is not enough for us to look to our own thoughts except we beware of the provocations of others If we once wander out of the Lists that God hath set us in our Callings there is nothing but danger her virginity had been safe had she kept home or if Shechem had forced her in her Mothers Tent this loss of her virginity had been without her sin now she is not innocent that gave the occasion Her eyes were guilty of the temptation only to see is an insufficient warrant to draw us into places of spiritual hazard If Shechem had seen her busie at home his love had been free from outrage now the lightness of her presence gave encouragement to his inordinate desire Immodesty of behaviour makes way to lust and gives life unto wicked hopes Verse 14. The two old men Iacob and Hamor would have ended the matter
the Wise and Mighty as he did Balaams Asse to confute his Master Verse 20. Husbands see from hence the heart of a good man to have his Wife and Children with him Wives and Children see their duty to be followers willingly of their Husbands or Fathers calling even into any Country And when I look at Moses his Rod methinks I see little David marching chearfully with his Staffe and Scrip against huge Goliah Good Lord what Weapons were those against him then in mans eyes Or this Staffe now in Moses hand against Pharaoh But God is the same both here and then and for ever strong in weakness and able to match a Kings Scepter with a Stick or a Staffe or a Stone or a word in the hand or mouth of one sent and appointed by him Verse 22. Gods Church is to him as a Man-child to the Father yea as the First-born which commonly is loved most tenderly and in greatest honour Now think with your selves how you could endure to stand and look upon an abuse offered to your First-born and then think of Gods Love to his Church whose affection as much excelleth yours as God excelleth man Now as tender Fathers for the good of their Children suffer them to lie in prison and to be school'd many wayes by want and affliction and yet in the midst of all have an eye to them a love to them and a settled purpose to help them when a love may be known a love and a good a good So our God knows his times and turns and our wants perfectly fitting the one to the other most mercifully that both our corruption and his goodness may best appear to the greatest benefit unto us He may see us humbled and school'd and tamed but undone and cast away for ever he cannot endure it he will not suffer it Verse 24. I do not so much marvel that Iethro gave Moses his Daughter for he saw him valiant wise learned nobly bred as that Moses would take her a Stranger both in bloud and Religion The choice had like to have cost him dear in this verse His Wife stood in his way for Circumcision God stands in his way for Revenge Though he was now upon Gods Message yet might he not be forborn in this neglect No circumstance either of the dearness of the Sollicitor or of our own engagement can bear out a sin with God Those which are unequally yoaked may not ever look to draw one way True Love to the Person cannot long agree with dislike of the Religion He had need to be more than a Man that hath a Zipporah lying in his bosome and can have true zeal in his heart Learn further from hence all unquiet Women what your ignorance and your obstinacy bringeth your Husbands unto though they be as Moses holy and vertuous they cannot serve God aright for you they cannot do what God requireth but you break their hearts you cool their zeal you turn them out of the way and in the end you bring them to a fearful danger of Gods destroying them Verse 26. That which Zipporah should have esteemed as a signal Mercy to her Child she interprets as a Judgement and that very Covenant of God of which Circumcision was the seal which she should have received with the greatest return of thanks was entertained with disobedience both toward her Husband and her God Thus ignorant and unthankful people mis-interpret and repine at the Dispensations of Gods Providence and that which God designes for a Mercy and a Blessing to them they take it as a Judgement and a Curse It is good for me that I was afflicted faith David Yet how many are there in the World that think otherwise and would chuse rather to be out of the Covenant than be circumcised to perish hereafter than be afflicted here CHAP. V. Verse 1. PHaraoh raged before much more now that he received a Message of dismission the Monitions of God make ill men worse the Waves do not beat nor roar any where so much as at the Bank which restraines them Corruption when 't is checked grows mad with rage as the vapour in a Cloud would not make that fearful report if it met not with opposition A good heart yeilds at the stillest Voice of God but the most gracious Motions of God harden the wicked Many would not be so desperately setled in their sins if the World had not controul'd them How mild a Message was this to Pharaoh and yet how galling God commands him that which he feared He took pleasure in the present servitude of Israel God cals for a release If the Suit had been for mitigation of labour for preservation of their Children it might have carried some hope and have found some favour But now God requires that which he knows will as much discontent Pharaoh as Pharaohs cruelty could discontent the Israelites How contrary are Gods Precepts to mans mind And indeed as they love to crosse him in their practise so he loves to crosse them in his Commands before and their Punishments after Verse 4. Moses talks of Sacrifice Pharaoh talks of Work Any thing seems due Work to a carnal mind saving Gods Service nothing superfluous but religious Duties Christ tels us there is but one thing necessary Nature tels us there is nothing but that needless Moses speaks of Devotion Pharaoh of Idleness It hath been an old use as to cast fair colours upon our own vitious actions so to cast evil aspersions upon the good actions of others The same Devil that spoke in Pharaoh speaks still in our Scoffers and cals Religion Hypocrisie conscionable Care Singularity Every Vice hath a title and every Vertue a disgrace Verse 8. Wicked men have no eyes often to see the true causes of a thing but most apt and ready to devise a false Let a man or woman be grieved extraordinarily with the burthen of their sins and with groans and sighs travail under the bitterness of it What say the Wicked Oh it is Melancholy and the body must be purged Festus imagineth Paul mad when he speaketh the words of Truth and Soberness Act. 26. 24. And that much learning made him mad when Learning is Wisdome and maketh wise Yea Heli himself mistaketh Anna a vertuous Woman and deemeth her to be drunk when ravished in her holy feeling she was crying to God in fervent Prayer 1 Sam. 2. Verse 11. The nearer that God draweth to his Church and Children to do them good the more the Devil rageth in and by his Members against them Remember that example in Mar. 9. 26. How the foul Spirit being commanded to depart rent and tare the party more and worse than ever before We cannot leave any sin wherein we have continued but by and by we shall be discouraged sometimes with threats sometimes with shew of perils and losses that may ensue But stand and shrink not and say in your heart now now is my God at hand for now I see and feel
Master requests where he might constrain God will make no Covenant with the unwilling how much lesse the Covenant of Grace which stands all upon Love If we stay till God offer violence to our will or to us against our will we shall die Strangers from him The Church is the Spouse of Christ he will enjoy her Love by a willing Contract not by a Ravishment the obstinate have nothing to do with God the title of all Converts is a willing people Verse 9. This shews how careful great Ones should be to grace and countenance the Ministers of the Word before the People to the end their words may have more weight with their Hearers and their service and pains do more good But now it is farre otherwise with too many For great men must shew their greatness in disgracing the Lords Prophets and meaner men shew their malice in spreading false rumors of them Verse 10. Those Garments must be washed which should never wax old that now they might begin their age in purity as those which were in more danger of being foul than bare The danger was neither in their Garments nor their Skin yet they must be wash'd that they might learn by their clothes with what Souls to appear before their God For little would neatness of Vestures avail them with a filthy Soul The God of Spirits looks to the inner man and challenges the purity of that part which resembles himself Cleanse your hands you sinners and purge your hearts ye double minded Verse 14. We are all by our corruption most unfit profitably to hear the Word of God unless we be sanctified and prepared thereunto by the Spirit of God And therefore we ought to make ready for so holy a work by all due care before-hand and to purge our hearts from all cares troubles and impediments whatsoever The Word of God is not to be handled with unclean hands neither will enter into unclean hearers Verse 16. A good way to make a profitable hearer is first to shake him and throw him down in himself For then assuredly the Word entreth more powerfully and he hath a more excellent touch then without such humbling he would have had Remember how St. Paul was thrown down Acts 9. 4. Surely such rushings and shakings and spiritual frightings in Conscience hath the Lord his gracious meaning in to beat us down in our selves that we may more carefully hearken unto him In sickness in prison in poverty in trouble men have other ears than they have in prosperity Verse 21. Curiosity in matters forbidden is odious unto God and therefore ver 12. there were bounds put to the Mount to shew that God would have every man content with that which it pleaseth him to vouchsafe him of revelation and knowledge The Lord hath revealed his Will in his Word and beyond those limits we must not go having no ear to hear where he hath not a mouth to speak Secondly we learn here how profitable the presence of a Magistrate is to make people keep order For surely men are marvellous apt to transgress and therefore again and again they must be admonished by Moses Give Laws never so good and let there not be a Governour to see the execution of them and 't is too clear what little good such Laws do CHAP. XX. Verse 6. THere is no judgement that God executes but Mercy is mingled with it go over any that were executed since the beginning of the World still there was Mercy in it but there is Mercy often manifested where there is no Judgement in it Here is the difference Judgement is never entire but there is some Mercy in it Mercy is alwayes entire and there is no mixture of Judgement at all in it See the effects in regard of extent God saith he will punish to the third and fourth Generation the Fathers upon the Children that is a long time but it is nothing to his Mercy I will shew Mercy sayes God here to thousands of Generations A thousand Generations is longer than the World shall last For there were but forty two Generations from the Creation to Christ A hundred Generations is like to be longer than the World shall last yet God will be merciful to thousands of Generations if it last so long or if not he will be so for ever A large Periphrasis to set forth the Mercy of God Ver. 18. Here you may learn the difference between the Law and the Gospel The Law fearing and frighting shaking and shivering the heart of man beateth down his pride and makes him cry with the Prodigal Son I am not worthy I am not worthy O Father to be called thy Son Luke 15. 19. Yea it makes him stand afar off with the poor Publican and smite his breast in true feeling of his sin and to beseech God for Mercy to a Sinner But now the Gospel cheereth and comforteth helpeth and healeth and sweetly allureth to come in all joyful assurance of Mercy by him who hath fulfill'd the Law for us and taken away the curse of it Heb. 12. 18 c. Verse 20. There is a fear acceptable to God and yet hath in it a trembling an horror a consternation an astonishment an apprehension of Gods dereliction for a time The Law here was given in thundring and lightning and the people were afraid How proceeds Moses with them Fear not saith he for God is come to prove you that his fear might be before your eyes Here is a fear not that is fear not with despair nor with diffidence but yet therefore that you may fear the Law For in this place the very Law its self which is given to direct them is called fear as in another place God himself is call'd Fear Gen. 31. as he is in other places called Love too Iacob swore by the fear of his Father Isaac i. e. by him whom his Father Isaac fear'd Verse 24. God who was never visible to mortal eye was pleas'd to make himself presential by substitution of his Name that is in certain places he hath appointed that his Name shall be called upon and by promising and imparting such Blessings which he hath made consequent to the invocation of his Name hath made such places to be a certain determination of some special manner of his presence For Gods Name is not a distinct thing from himself not an Idea and it cannot be put into a place in literal signification the expression is to be resolved into some other sense Gods Name is that whereby he is known by which he is invocated that which is the immediate publication of his Essence And because God is essentially present in all places when he makes himself present in one place more than another it cannot be understood to any other purpose but that in such places he gives special Blessings and Graces or that in those places he appoints his Name that is himself specially to be invocated CHAP. XXI Verse 6. THe boaring of his
the Priests from whom others should draw Example should themselves be obedient to Gods Word in all things and first hear then speak Obedience was ever acceptable to God Psal. 40. 6. next the Thumb is touched with Blood to teach that we must not only be Hearers but Doers of the Word joyning Works to Faith and a Holy Life to a sound Belief And the right Thumb not the left to signifie that our Works must be right commanded by God not invented by us To the like end was the right Toe sprinkled with Blood that they might so remember to walk worthy their vocation and usually by the Foot in Scripture is both Action and Affection noted My feet had almost slipt said David meaning both Action and Affection Verse 29. The same garments continued although the Priest by Mortality changed and so was signified that our High Priest not meer Man but God and Man is one and his Righteousness our blessed garment remaineth to Father Son and Sons Son to the Worlds end in them that fear him and by a true Faith believe in him CHAP. XXX Verse 1. THe Altar of Incense was of Wood covered with Gold figuring so Christ in both his Natures the Wood his Humanity the Gold his Divinity the Deity yielding Glory and Majesty to his Manhood as the Gold adorn'd and beautified the Shittim Wood. Verse 2. The square form of this Altar represents the firm stability of Christ who cannot be overthrown The Crown about it the regal Dignity of Christ and of all those that are ingrafted to him For we are Kings and Priesis in him and by him Verse 7. The sweet Incense notes all Duties and services which the People of God do to him by his appointment and that they smell sweet before him as the Incense and are accepted of him But particularly the Prayers of the faithful for so David Psal. 14. 2. expounded it The burning of this Incense upon the Altar which was a figure of Christ shadowed out that in Christ and for Christ only our Prayers are in force with God and therefore by him they ought to be offered unto God Verse 9. Prayers either made to others then to God in the name of Christ or for unlawful things are strange Incense and therefore not to be offered unto God No Saint nor Creature was shadowed by the Altar of Incense but Christ and therefore let them take heed that will pray to others and make others present their desires to God Verse 12. To number People in a Land is lawful and if you think of David why he was plagued for so doing surely it was not for that he numbred the People but because he did it in a pride and confidence in mans strength But here neither Pride nor Wealth nor other such eâ—ds were respected but obedience was aimed at and that they should profess themselves thus Gods People and themselves his Tributaries and so be ever strongly comforted in his protection Verse 15. This was a personal Tribute imposed to testifie obedience to God and therefore equally was paid to signifie that God is no respecter of persons but the poor are as dear to him doing his Will as the rich we are all the Lords the price of our redemption is one the precious bloud of that immaculate Lamb Jesus Christ. Verse 16. In worldly matters the rich may go before us but in matters belonging unto God his Worship and Service we ought to be as forward as the rich For you see here that the maintenance of the Ministery was not posted over to Princes and great men only but even private men also must joyn in this work For if he be born to inherit Heaven he must think himself born to maintain the means that lead us unto Heaven Our Sheep and Cattel we provide for because they labour for us and feed us what hearts then should we have to see them comfortably maintain'd that labour for us in a far higher sort and feed us with a much better food Verse 21. We must not meddle with holy things with unwashen hands that is with prophane Hearts Tongues and minds as they do that read the Scriptures not to guide their lives but to maintain table Discourses drawing the Scriptures to their Judgements and not framing their Judgements according to the Scriptures These washings again in the Law had a further reach being used in Faith even to the inward washing of the Spirit whereof they were true Sacraments to the Believers So David Wash me O Lord and I shall be clean that is inwardly inwardly O Lord by thy blessed Spirit from my sins Verse 23. This holy and most excellent Oil was a figure of the Holy Ghost without whom nothing is pure nothing sweet All things were annointed therewith Preist Ark Table Candlestick to teach that all the exercises of Religion are utterly unprofitable without the inward working of the Holy Ghost in our hearts CHAP. XXXI Verse 3. BY this is manifest that the skill of any Handi-craft is not in the power of men but comes by the Highest And by this we are taught to use all those Gifts well whereby we are enabled to discharge our particular Callings that they may serve for the Glory of God and the good of his Church and those that in their Callings use fraud and deceit or else live inordinately do most unthankfully abuse the Gifts of God and dishonour the Spirit of God the Author of their Gifts Verse 6. God here joyneth Aholiab with Bezaliel in the work of the Tabernacle that by this means it might be the more compleat If there should be any fault in Bezaliels work Aholiab might mend it and if there should chance to be any error in Aholiabs performance Bezaliel might correct it that so by the care and circumspection of these two able Workmen nothing might be omitted And as it was thus under the Law so was it under the Gospel the Work of Christs Church as well as Moses Tabernacle must be performed by pairs Therefore Christ sent out his Apostles to preach the Gospel by couples two and two together Two are better than one saith Solomon For first if they fall the one will lift up the other that which is stronger shoreth up the weaker One man may be an Angel to another in regard of comfort and assistance nay a God to another as Moses was to Aaron Secondly if two lie together then they have heat heat of Zeal and good Affection When Silas came Paul burnt in spirit Acts 18. warm he was before but now all of a light fire as it were The Enemy is readiest to assault when none is by to assist and much of our strength is lost in the losse of a faithful Friend CHAP. XXXII Verse 1. O The ingratitude of that giddy multitude a man would have thought they would have wept out theit eyes and sighed their hearts in sunder for such a man as Moses such an Instrument of God and Good to them such
scent and savour of their Actions as the sound of their Words CHAP. XL. Verse 13. MOses that is appointed here to annoint and consecrate others was never annointed and consecrated himself that so we might learn not to value external Sacraments or Signs by the Dignity of the Minister but by the Ordinance of God Again that the invisible Grace is of force without the visible sign when God will have it so as in Moses here but then withal we must know that this was an extraordinary Command of God to Moses who was then Gods Vicegerent or Vicar-general and therefore what he did God did And certainly God who is the Author of all order may prescribe the form and manner of it Verse 16. Observe how often from this to the two and thirtieth verse is repeated as the Lord commanded Moses and see how sweet commanded Obedience is Were it as acceptable to God to be served with inventions never would these repetitions be made Beware therefore of these wayes and in very reason conclude that if you expect from your Servant your Commands to be fulfill'd according to your will much more may God expect the same obedience from you Verse 32. Those that dispense Gods Ordinances that wait upon his Altar must come with clean hands and a pure heart Holiness becomes every man well but best of all publick persons and that not only for example of good but liberty of controlling ill The Snuffers of the Sanctuary made to purge others must be of pure Gold themselves and the Priest that is to purifie and cleanse the Congregation must be first washed himself But now suppose the Priest be unclean be vicious and who can say he is not so must â—he People notwithstanding seek the Law at his mouth follow his Doctrine Yes certainly For what if the Sacrificer be unclean is the Offering so Scripture is Scripture though the Devil speak it Verse 34. That thus he might grace that outward place now appointed for holy Assemblies to serve him and so to the Worlds end teach how great account all People ought to make of their Churches and Church-meetings Verse 36. The Children of Israels Journey to Canaan was thorow the Wilderness of Arabia Their Guides were a Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night The manner of their Journey was this When the Pillar moved they moved when the Pillar stood still they stood still By all which a further matter namely the regiment of Christ over his Church is signified Every one of us is as Passengers and Travellers to an heavenly Canaan and in this Journey we are to passe through the desart Wilderness of this World Our Guide is Christ himself figured by the Pillar of Fire and Cloud because by his Word and Spirit he sheweth us how far we may go in every Action and where we must stand and he goes before us as our Guide to life everlasting A PRACTICAL COMMENTARY UPON THE THIRD BOOK OF MOSES CALLED LEVITICUS CHAP. I. Verse 4. THE party bringing the Sacrifice did by this sign of laying on his hand c. acknowledge that he himself deserved to die but by the Mercy of God he was spared and his desert laid upon the Beast Secondly that it is not enough to believe that Christ was to die for sin but he must lay his hand upon Christ i. e. lay upon him all his iniquities by the hand of his Faith apply Christ to himself and believe that he died for his sins my sins your sins being the only Propitiation for sin Thirdly this laying on the hand shewed that men bringing Sacrifices to God should rather sacrifice their exorbitant affections than those Beasts Verse 5. The reason why God tyed them to a place and not suffered them to sacrifice where they pleased was that by this means they might be kept from using any unlawful manner in their Sacrifices which they might have done if in every place at their pleasure they might have Sacrificed The same reason is now for our set publick places of Gods Worship where the people are to perform their Duties to God after one manner not allowed at their will every one to have a several place lest private places should breed private Fancies Errors and Heresies in the Church Verse 6. This was to teach the Party that offered the Sacrifice to offer up himself to the Lord flayed and without skin that is without all counterfeit and hypocritical shews without all earthly vain and proud Confidence in himself or any Works or Worth whatsoever in him but naked and bare to present himself to his God with a single and faithful heart boasting of no Desert but humbly craving Mercy and Pardon for Christs sake the true Sacrifice Verse 17. This was a great comfort to the poorer sort of Offerers for thus are they assured that although they were not of ability to Offer unto him Oxen and Sheep yet were they as dear to him as those that could so do and their Sacrifice of Pigeons or Turtles yeelded as sweet a savour And thus gracious will God ever be even two Mites of a poor Widdow shall be accepted and a little Spice or Goats-hair or what my power is to bring unto him shall be received For it is not the Gift but the Heart of the Giver that God looks upon and respects and thus the poor Widdows Mite could weigh but little very little with God but the Heart weigh'd heavy and so her Heart being put to her Mite gave it weight above the greater but far more heartless largesses of the Pharisees CHAP. II. Verse 6. THis Offering thus parted and sprinkled with Oyl signified the Graces of Gods Spirit where with Christ was fully annointed within and without above his fellows For they were only singly annointed either as Kings or as Priests or as Prophets but Christ was a thrice Sacred annointed Person a Prophet to teach us by his Word a Priest to purge us by his Blood a King to guide us by his Spirit And this three-fold Office of our Saviour was really represented by the Oyl wherewith he was annointed For first Oyl is said in the Psalms to make a chearful countenance and thus doth Christ as a Prophet make not only a cheerful Countenance but a cheerful Heart and Soul by Preaching the glad Tydings of Salvation Secondly Oyl doth supple and cure Wounds and so doth Christ as a Priest the Wounds of our Souls and Consciences with that precious Ointment of his Blood Thirdly Oyl will still be the uppermost of all Liquors so likewise Christ as a King is above Men and Angels hath the Soveraignty over all the Creation Verse 11. By this Rule of having no Leaven they were taught the purity of Christs Doctrine and the Holiness of his Life his Doctrine so pure that it maketh others pure Iohn 15. 3. and his Life so pure that not only his false Accusers could fasten no fault upon him but by his Innocency he appeased
of the Ministery that it should not be defrauded of the least thing allotted to it And therefore harden not your heart against God against Law against Right and Truth accustome not your hearts to cover your Neighbours due your hands to purloin it by fraud or take it by strength it is theft spiritual theft sacriledge your house receiveth stoln Goods and the Wrath of God may happily shake the foundation of it for such a sin and you in yours or you and yours be punished Verse 13. Here Leaven is admitted of which before was forbid Leaven therefore is taken in a good sense as well as in an ill Thus the Apostles are resembled to a little Leaven that leaveneth the whole lump they being sent out of God into the unleavened World by preaching to leaven it clean through And there is a Leaven of the new Nature accepted as there is a Leaven of the old Nature rejected For look how the Leaven maketh the Bread savory and strong and wholsome look also how it makes it rise and heave up which otherwise would be sad and heavy So doth Gods regenerate Spirit change us make us savory and all our Duties pleasing to God and we rise up our Hearts and Souls are heaved up in all love in thankfulness to him that in Mercy hath so look'd upon us Verse 15. A Ceremony us'd to signifie that publick Feasts should not be superfluously continued and kept long under the colour of Religion For God loveth not idle banquetting and prodigal spending although he allow graciously what is fit for the occasion Secondly this was done in wisdome by God least if the flesh should have smelt by longer keeping Religion might so have been vile in the eyes of fickle persons Verse 18. We may learn by this that the taking hold of Christ is not to be deferr'd and put off but speedily and quickly to be done whilst time serves and opportunity is offer'd For behold sayes Christ to day and to morrow I cast out Devils and the third day Luke 13. that is a short time I have yet to go on with my Ministery and then I shall be slain More particularly every Man and Woman may be said to have three dayes The first of Youth till Age come the second of Age till Death come and in these two dayes there is Mercy offered but the third day is after Death and then there is no help as here on the third day no Offering was accepted but the sin remained unpardoned and not forgiven Verse 30. The bringing of the Sacrifice with his own hands and not sending it by others taught Humility and Duty to God taught that every one must live by his own Faith and not by anothers Verse 34. The shaking of it to and fro four wayes East West North and South shadowed the spreading of that lifting up of Christ that is of Christs Death and Passion throughouâ— all the World by the preaching of the Gospel CHAP. VIII Verse 2. THe Lord precisely appointed Priests and would not leave it to every man to perform this Office to signifie that not any man butthe-man Christ Jesus could appease Gods Wrath satisfie his Justice and take away the sins of the World This could not be figured out better than by secluding all the Host of Israel from this Office and chusing but Aaron and his Sons as Types of Christ that so by such an Ordinance the Majesty Authority and Property of Christs Office might be resembled and shadowed Verse 5. Nothing but Gods Commandement doth Moses offer unto them For he well knew Gods Will only in his own House must be the Rule Our own heads were never the best heads to follow and for God he knoweth our mould too well to give that swinge unto us Verse 13. Aarons Sons were a figure of the Church which by Faith eateth also of the Sacrifice of Christ being made partakers of his Merits as well as the Priests Their Garments figured out the Graces and Gifts wherewith the Believers in Christ are adorned and beautified casting away the Works of Darkness and putting on daily more and more the Deeds of Light Rom. 13. 12. Verse 30. Upon Aarons Sons Moses did but sprinkle the annointing Oil which was said to be poured upon Aaron verse 12. So plainly shewing that in Christ the Spirit should be without measure and upon his Servants in measure we all receiving of his fulness according to his good Pleasure some more some lesse Verse 35. By this is signified that watch which all our life time is noted by the seven dayes we keep in avoiding sin and working righteousness as the Lord shall enable which indeed may be call'd the watch of the Lord being a holy Christian and happy watch The seventh day we shall be free fully sanctified and delivered from this vail of misery to keep an eternal Sabbath in Heaven to our endless comfort CHAP. IX Verse 7. IN that Aaron was here commanded to offer as well for himself as the People he was herein a figure of Christ not that Christ had any sins of his own but that ours were so laid upon him and he so made satisfaction to God for them as they had been his own Surely sayes the Prophet Isai. 53. 4. he hath born our infirmities c. that is we judg'd him evil as though he were punish'd for his own sins and not for ours Verse 22. Thus doth God blesse us in Christ in whom all the Nations of the World are blessed First with the Blessing of Reconciliation to himself reputing us now just for his Son Christ. Secondly with the Blessing of his Spirit whereby we walk in his Calling being guided thereby in the same Thirdly with the Blessing of Acceptance of all our Works though full of imperfection and weakness And last of all with this great Blessing that all adversity becometh a help to us to draw us to Heaven and Eternal Rest. Verse 24. That God which shew'd himself to Men in fire when he delivered his Law would have men present their Sacrifices to him in fire and this fire he would have his own that there might be a just circulation in this Creature as the Water sends up those vapours which it receives down again in Rain Hereupon it was that fire came down from God to the Altar that as the charge of the Sacrifice was delivered in fire so God might signifie the acceptation of it in the like fashion wherein it was commanded The Baalites might lay ready their Bullock upon the Wood but they might sooner fetch the blood out of their Bodies and destroy themselves than one flash out of Heaven to consume the Sacrifice CHAP. X. Verse 2. NAdab and Abibu were two of Aarons Eldest Sons which after their Father should have succeeded him in his place yet there is no Mercy with God to stay his Judgement when they will not be Ruled by his Word No Prerogative therefore shall save any Man from Wrath if he offend but
of the Wave-offering belong'd to the Priest to teach him to serve the Lord with all their hearts their dearest affections intimated by the Breast and with all their might and strength typified in the shoulder and whereas it is here call'd the Heave-shoulder this signified the heaving of Christ upon the Cross and the heaving up of our heatts to God for so great benefits Verse 23. A set form of Prayer is lawful to be used whether publickly in the Church or privately in the Family and this is most strongly infer'd from hence if we consider the persons to whom this Commandement was given For this solemn form was set not for the simple sort or the most ignorant among the people but it was appointed to be pronounc'd by the Priests and that too not in a corner but in the Tabernacle of the Lord before many witnesses If any were able of themselves to conceive a Prayer certainly they were the Priests of the Lord whose lips must preserve knowledg Mal. 2. 7. and yet are they both allowed and prescrib'd to follow a set form in blessing the people And so likewise at their marching forward and at their standing still there were set forms injoyn'd Numb 10. 35 36. CHAP. VII Verse 8. THe service of the Gershonites was not so much as the service of the Sons of Merari and therefore Moses doth here proportion the assistance answerable to the service two Waggons and four Oxen to the Sons of Gershon but double the number to the Sons of Merari because their service was double to the others and their carriage as much more God knows what every one of his Children is able to bear and therefore proportions the burthen to the Back none of his shall be oppressed though press'd out of measure afflicted they may be and that in an high nature but never brought to despair left for a time but not forsaken for ever Ioseph may be shot at Gen. 49. 23. but he cannot be shot through His bow did abide in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Iacob verse 24. and thence his safety He used his Bow against his Enemies as David did his sling against Goliah who slung as if he had wrapt up God in his sling Verse 13. No quantity was here prescribed because it was a Free-will offering only it must be fine no Bran in it to shew the puriry of Christs Sacrifice and of our services through him by means of the Oyl of his Spirit and Incense of his Intercession Verse 19. In these words as before and in the words following we see what is offered Silver and Gold they spare nothing they bring the best they have Neither do they bring the best in a sparing manner but they deal bountifully and liberally Which teacheth us to serve God with the choicest and chiefest things we have and that in a large and liberal manner We read Exod. 36. that the people were so forward for the building and furnishing of the Tabernacles that the Workmen complained the People brought too much How far are we from this in our dayes The people bring more than enough for the work of the Lord. O that we might come but one degree behind them that it might be said our people bring enough The Israelites thought they never brought enough we think we never bring too little they offered more than they were commanded we bring no more than we are compell'd and constrain'd to bring They offered with a glad and chearful heart we will do no more than the Law urgeth or not so much They brought of the best we think the worst good enough for God and his Service and Ministers Verse 24. The Spirit of God thinks it not sufficient to set down what was offered in the general but takes notice of every mans particular offering to teach us first that we should apply these Examples to our selves and if we pass over one of them without regard yet we should take hold of the next Secondly to assure us that no man shall have that forgotten to the utmost of his praise who is any way forward in doing good because God will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. 2. All the good works of Gods children done to the setting forth of his glory the advancement of his Worship or the good of his Saints shall be punctually reckoned up and rewarded and as their deeds are here registred in the Book of God so the Doers of them are registred in the Book of Life CHAP. VIII Ver. 3. THe Lamps were placed over against the Candlestick which was over the Table in the Tabernacle and typified the Law of God enlightning the Church and People of God For the Commandement is a Lamp or Candle whereof there is no small use when Men go to Bed or rise betimes He that hath the Word of Christ richly dwelling in him may lay his Hand upon his Heart and say as one dying did Hic sat lucis here 's plenty of light Under the Law all was in Riddles Moses was veil'd and yet that saying was then verified Et latet lucet there was light enough to light Men to Christ the end of the Law Verse 10. There was Imposition of Hands upon the Levite under the Law and why not then upon the Minister under the Gospel Certainly the Ceremony is significant or else it had not been used by Gods people of the Old Testament nor yet by us that are his People of the New And thus much it may import when the Reverend Man laies his Hand on thy Head remember thou art then manumniz'd from all secular ties and sequestred no less from the callings of the People than their vices thou art then brought before the Lord as it is in the Text and dedicated wholly to his Service and certainly the Holy impression of Episcopal Hands set on from above is such an Elixar as by contraction if there be any disposition of goodness in the baser mettal it will render it of the property Verse 14. The Levites are here said to be Gods after a more peculiar and special manner than the rest of the People were For though all the Congregation is Holy even as the Levites all the People of God sanctified as well as his Priests which was the saying of Corah and his Complices and it was true yet they were not sanctified to the same degree of Holiness with the Priests but they sicut populus as Gods people these Sicut Aaron as his peculiar servants they are holy it is true but these Holiest of Holies Hence it was that when the Law kept ordinations certain pieces of the Sacrifices were put into the Priests hands and now instead of that a Bible into ours not only as a Rule to direct but as a sacred Witness of that profession into which we are by a Divine hand invested Verse 17. All the first-born of the Children of Israel are mine saith God
Royal Prophet sings Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound Psalm 80 15. that can discern and feel the comfortable sound of Gods Word the free use of his Ordinances serving God with chearfulness and giving him thanks with exaltation of heart and rapture of Spirit Verse 31. Why doth Moses so earnestly desire this Hobab to be their guide in the way was not the All-seeing Eye of God sufficient had not he promised to conduct them and had they not the pillar of Cloud to go before them most true yet humane helps when they may be had and God offers them to our hand may not be neglected The using of lawful means doth not oppose or afront the providence of God who it is true can work without means but yet we must attend unto his will and not stand upon his naked power without his will Verse 35. It is a great encouragement to know the forms that the Saints prevailed with God of old that God accepted such Prayers at their hands he that accepted them then if we send them by the same Spirit will accept them now And therefore it is that we have mention upon Record of the Prayers of Abraham of Iacob of Moses here and in other places of David of Hezekiah and divers others To what end and purpose but that we might thereby learn to fit our selves with words to attain a habit of Prayer by studying these forms For which reason also it was that in the Old Testament for all duties of piety and Religion there were forms set For the blessing of the People there was a form set Numb 6. In time of Repentance and Humiliation the Prophet sets them a form Ioel 2. and so here when the Ark removed there was a form for that Sacrifice Arise O Lord and let thine Enemies be scattered and when the Ark stood still Return O Lord to the many thousands of Israel CHAP. XI Verse 4. THe thirst of Israel is well quench'd and now they complain as fast for hunger the other mutiny for Water was of some few Male-contents this was of the whole Troop Not that none were free Caleb Ioshua Moses Aaron Miriam were not yet tainted Usually God measures the state of any Church or Country by the most the greatest part carries both the Name and Censure Sins are so much greater as they are universal so far is evill from being extenuated by the multitude of the guilty that nothing can more aggravate it With men commonness may plead for favour with God it pleads for Judgement Many hands draw the Cable with more violence than few The leprosie of the whole Body is more loathsome than that of the part Verse 5. Contentation is a rare Blessing because it arises either from a fruition of all Comforts or a not desiring of some which we have not Now we are never so bare as not to have some benefits never so full as not to want something God hath much ado with us either we lack Health or Quietness or Children or Wealth or Company or our selves in all these We remember when we sate by the flesh-pots of Egypt and did eat freely of their Cucumbers and Melons and Leeks and Onyons Every Mind remembers and affects that which is like its self Carnal minds are for the flesh-pots of Egypt though bought with servitude spiritual are for the presence of God though Redeem'd with Famine and would rather dye in Gods presence than live without him in the sight of delicate and full dishes Verse 8. The same hand that rain'd Manna into the Israelites Tents could have Rain'd it into their Mouths or Laps God loves we should take pains for our spiritual food Little would it have availed them that the Manna lay about their Tents if they had not gone forth and gathered it beaten and baked it Let Salvation be never so plentiful if we bring it not home and make it ours by Faith we are no whit the better If the work done and means us'd had been enough to give life no Israelite had dyed their Bellies were full of that Bread whereof one Crum gives life yet they dyed many of them in displeasure As in Natural so in Spiritual things we may not trust to means the Carkals of the Sacrament cannot give life but the Soul of it which is the thing represented Verse 9. The meat of these Israelites was strange but nothing so strange as their Bread from the first day that their Manna fell till their setling in Canaan God wrought a perpetual miracle in this food a miracle in the place other bread rises up from below this fell down from above neither did it ever Rain Bread till now yet so did this Heavenly shower fall that it is confined to the Camp of Israel a miracle in the quantity that every morning should fall enough to fill so many hundred thousand maws and mouths A miracle in the Composition that it is sweet like Hony-Cakes round like Corianders transparent as dew A miracle in the quality that it melted by one heat by another hardened A miracle in the difference of the fall that as if it knew times and would teach them as well as feed them it fell double in the Evening of the Sabbath and on the Sabbath fell not A miracle in the continnance and ceasing that this shower of Bread followed their Camp in all their removals till they came to tast of the bread of Canaan and then withdrew it self as if it had said ye need no miracles now you have means Verse 18. God tells the Jews here that they had wept in his ears God had heard them weep but for what and how they wept for Flesh there was a Tincture a deep die of murmuring in their Tears Christ goes as far in the passion in his agony and he comes to a passionate deprecation in his tristis anima and in this Si possibile and his Transeat calix But as all these Passions were sanctified in the root from which no bitter Leaf nor crooked Twigg could spring so they were instantly wash'd with his veruntamen a present and a full submitting of all to Gods pleasure yet not my will O Father but thine be done Verse 22. When our own provision fails then not to distrust the provision of God is a noble tryal of Faith Shall our flocks and herds be slain cries even Moses Whereas he should have said God who stopp'd the mouth of the Sea that it should not devour us can as easily stop the mouth of our stomack he that commanded the Sea to stand still and guard us can as easily command the Earth to nourish us he that made the Rod a Serpent can as easily make these stones Bread Why do we not wait on him whom we have found so powerful Now they set the Mercy and Love of God upon a wrong Last while they measure it only by their present sence While we see our daily Bread on our Cubbord we believe let God
God gave me to my self and God gave himself to me God the Father gave his Son to me God the Son gave himself to me and God the Holy Ghost gave his Seal to assure that gift to me and shall I not be content God the Son received all things from the Father for me that in him and through him and with him I might receive all things from the Father and why should I not content my self with him without whom all things are as nothing Verse 31. The end of the gifts and oblations under the Law was not that God had reserved these things for his own spending but for the use and sustentation of his selected Servants that so being alwayes to have Ministers of his own he might have also of his own Goods to feed and maintain them This I take to be clear from Gods own words in this Chapter for having set his mark upon divers things calling them My Gifts and my Offerings he adds These have I given to the Sons of Levi for the service they do me in the Tabernacle verse 21. And it is your wages which I give you for your service in this verse which words plainly shew that God would that such as attend him should receive their maintenance as his pay and not as mans Whereupon he saith not to the people you shall give them your offerings for the service they do you But I have given them my Offerings for the service they do me as if he should say these things are mine not yours to me you shall pay them that as mine not as yours they may receive them and so I may pay them with my own hands and of my own Goods and not they to serve at others cost CHAP. XIX Verse 2. This red Heifer was the type of Christ crucified who as a Father saith was Candidus sanctitate rubicundus passione white and ruddy white in his Innocency and red in his Passion And this Heifer must be without spot and blemish our Saviour was free from all sin the spot of Original and the blemish of Actual Sin It must be a Heifer likewise on which never came yoke Christ never bore the yoke either of sin or slavery he offered up himself he was a willing Sacrifice he was not fore'd and drawn to it It is true there was a necessity of our Saviours Death but it was a necessity of immutability because God had so decreed it Acts 2. 23. not of Co action He dyed willingly therefore when he gave up the Ghost he cryed with a loud voice which shews his life was not then spent he might have kept it longer if he would Lastly this Heifer was to be brought by the people at the common charge because for the common good All the Congregation must get them a bloody Saviour Verse 5. The burning of the Heifer with the Garbage and Dung could yeild no sweet savour but thereto was added Cedar-wood and Hysop by Gods appointment and then there was a savour of rest in it Our Prayers as from us would never please hut as indited by the Spirit and presented by Christ they are highly accepted in Heaven Nay our sins were so odious to God that even Christ himself when burnt up with the fire of his Fathers wrath had no savour in him in respect of our sins but by the everlasting Spirit whereby he offered up himself without spot to God he was a full Sacrifice of sweet smelling Incense to purge offences for the Spirit of God gave both value and vertue to his Death both to satisfie and to sanctifie Verse 9. The gathering of the ashes is the applying of the merits of Christ and laying hold on the mysteries of his Kingdom The laying up of the ashes imports that the Christian accounts Christ merits his chief Treasure The clean place is the clean heart without the Camp notes that the Gentiles were strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel These ashes kept for the Congregation shew the fulness of Christs merits for all his people When he saith It is to make a water of separation it notes that our Sins separate betwixt us and our God but now in Christ Iesus we who sometimes were far off are made nigh in his blood Eph. 2. 13. CHAP. XX. Verse 1. ALl Israel murmured when they wanted Bread and Flesh and yet all Israel departed into the desart of Zin at Gods command The very worst men will obey God in something none but the good in all He is rarely desperate that makes an universal opposition to God It is an unsound praise that is given a man for one good action It may be safely said of the very Devils themselves that they do something well they know and believe and tremble If we follow God and murmur it is all one as if we had stayed behind Verse 2. Those begin to distrust Gods providence in this verse in their necessity that in the former were ready to follow his guidance in their welfare It is an harder matter to endure in extream want than to obey an hard Commandment Sufferings are greater tryals than actions And God will have his throughly tryed he puts them to both and if we cannot endure both to follow him into the Wilderness of Zin and then to thirst in Rephidim we are not sound Israelites God set them on purpose to this dry place he could as well have conducted them to another Elim to convenient waterings or he that gives the waters of all their Channels could as well have derived them to meet Israel but God doth purposely carry them to thirst It is not of necessity that we fare ill but of choice It is all one with God to give us health as sickness aboundance as poverty the treasure of his riches hath more store than his Creature can be capable of we should not complain if it were not good for us to want Verse 3. I looked to hear when they would have entreated Moses to pray for them but instead of intreating they contend and instead of Prayers chide and murmur If they had gone to God without Moses I should have prais'd their Faith but now they go to Moses without God I hate this stubborn Faithlesness to seek to the second means with neglect of the first is the Fruit of a false Faith But why do these mutiners say O that we had dyed as our Brethren did before the Lord and before whom do ye dye O ye fond Israelites if you must perish by thirst God carried you forth God restrain'd his creatures from you God is still present with you and yet you say while you are to dye for want of Water in the presence of God O that we had dyed before the Lord. These Israelites loved their lives well enough I heard how they screek'd while they were in danger of the Egyptians and yet now they say O that we had dyed Although life be naturally sweet yet a little discontentment makes us weary It is a base
not so affect us if it were not with the danger of our own Secure minds never startle till God come home to their sences Verse 4. The Midianites joyn with the Moabites in Consultation in Action against Israel one would have thought they should have look'd for favour from Moses for Iethro's sake who was both a Prince in their Country and Father in Law to Moses and either now or not long before was with Israel in the Wilderness Neither is it unlike but that Moses having found forty years harbour among them would have been what he might inclineable to favourable treaties with them but now they are so fast link'd to Moab that they will either sink or swim together Intireness with wicked consorts is one of the strongest Chains of Hell and binds us to a participation both of sin and punishment an easie occasion will knit wicked hearts together in conspiracy against the Church of God Verse 6. Their Errand is Divelish Come curse Israel that which Sathan could not do by the Sword of Og and Seon he will now try to effect by the Tongue of Balaam If either strength or policy would prevail against Gods Church it could not stand And why should not we be as industrious to promote the glory of God and bend both our hands and heads to the causes of the Almighty When all helps fail Moab the Magician is sent for it is the sign of a desperate Cause to make Sathan either our Counsellor or Refuge Verse 9. I should wonder to hear God speak with a false Prophet if I did not know it hath been no rare thing with him as with men to bestow words where he will not bestow favour Not the sound of the voice of God but the matter which he speaks argues love he may speak to an Enemy he speaks peace to none but his own It is a vain bragg God hath spoken to me so may he do to Reprobates or Devils but what said he Did he say to my Soul I am thy Salvation hath he indented with me that he will be my God and I shall be his I cannot hear this voice and not live God heard all the Consultation and Message of these Moabites these Messengers could not have moved their Foot or their Tongue but in him and yet he which asked Adam where he was asks Balaam What men are these I have ever seen that God loves to take occasion of proceeding with us from our selves rather than from his own immediate prescience Hence it is that we lay open our Wants and confess our sins to him that knows both better than our own hearts because he will deal with us from our own mouths Verse 12. The reward of the divination had easily commanded the Journey and Curse of the Covetous Prophet if God had not stayed him How oft are Wicked men Curs'd by a Divine hand even in those sins which their Hearts stand to It is no thank to lewd men that their Wickedness is not prosperous Whence it is that the World is not over-run with Evil but from this that Men cannot be so ill as they would Verse 15. Where Wickedness meets with power it thinks to command all the World and takes great scorn of any repulse So little is Balack discouraged for one refusal that he sends so much the stronger Message more Princes and more Honourable O that we could be so importuuate for our good as Wicked Men are for the compassing of their designs a Denial doth but whet the desires of vehement Suitors Why are we faint in Spiritual things when we are not denied but delayed Verse 22. We that see only the outside of Balaam may wonder why he that permitted him to go afterward opposeth his going but God that saw his Heart perceived what corrupt affections carried him he saw that his covetous desires and wicked hopes grew the stronger the nearer he came to his end an Angel is therefore sent to with-hold the hasty Sorcerer Our inward disposition is the life of our actions according to that doth the God of Spirits judge us whiles men censure according to our external motions To go at all when God had commanded to stay was presumptuous but to go with a desire to Curse made the act doubly sinful and fetcht an Angel to resist it It is one of the worthy employments of good Angels to make secret opposition to evill designs many a wicked act have they hindred without the knowledg of the Agent It is all one with the Almignty to work by Spirits and Men it is therefore our glory to be thus set on Work to stop the course of evill either by disswasion or violence is an Angelical service Verse 28. That no man may marvel to see Balaam have visions from God and utter Prophecies from him his very Ass hath his Eyes opened to see the Angel which his Master could not and his mouth opened to speak more reasonably than his Master There is no Beast deserves so much wonder as this of Balaam whose common sence is advanc'd above the Reason of his Rider so as for the time the Prophet is brutish and the Beast Prophetical who can but stand amaz'd at the Eye at the Mouth of this silly Creature for so dull a sight it was much to see a bodily object that were not too apparent but to see that Spirit which his Rider discern'd not was far beyond Nature To hear a Voice to come from that Mouth which was used only to bray it was strange and uncouth but to hear a Beast whose Nature is noted for incapacity to out-reason his Master a professed Prophet is in the very height of Miracles Yet no heart can stick at these that considers the dispensation of the Almighty in both Our Eye could no more see a Beast than a Beast can see an Angel if he had not given this power to it and if his power can make the very Stones to speak how much more a Creature of sense we may wonder we cannot distrust when we compare the act with the Author which can as easily Create a Voice without a Body as a Body without a Voice There is no Mouth into which God cannot put words and how oft doth he chose the weak and unwise to confound the Learned and Mighty Verse 32. I hear the Angel of God taking notice of the cruelty of Balaam to his Beast his first words to the unmerciful Prophet are in expostulating the wrong We little think it but God shall call us to an account for the cruel unmerciful usage of his poor mute Creatures He hath made us Lords not Tyrants Owners not Tormentors he that hath given us leave to kill them for our use hath not given us power to abuse them at our pleasure they are so our Drudges as that they are our Fellows by Creation It was a signe the Magician would easily strike Israel with a Curse when he wish'd for a Sword to strike his harmless Beast It is
oblation It was a great blessing of God to overcome the Enemy and obtain the Victory but thus to overcome and to have such a Victory required an extraordinary Thanksgiving As men ought to return thanks to God for all his blessings so they ought for extraordinary Blessings to return extraordinary Thanks As in extraordinary visitations it is our duty to use extraordinary humiliation so when God shews us extraordinary mercy we must be thankful accordingly Hezekiah return'd great thanks for his great Deliverance Isai. 38. We must therefore consider what blessings we have received from God that so we may render what thankfulness we owe him else his Blessings will be turn'd into Curses and his Mercies into Judgements CHAP. XXXII Verse 5. THis was an unseasonable demand of these Men at this time but Covetousness had blinded their eyes that they could not see what was fit for them to ask and therefore were afterwards the first of the Children of Israel that were carried away Captive 1 Chron. 5. 25. After the same manner it befel Lot who looking after the goodness of the Plains of Sodom more than the goodness of the People preferr'd that place in his choice and was carried away Prisoner for it Gen. 14. Thus God will not pass by the sins of his dearest Children without a sensible check These Reubenites and Gadites for affecting the first choice had soon enough of it Strong affections bring strong afflictions as hard knots require hard wedges Earthly things court us that they may cut our throats these Hosts welcome us to our Inne with smiling countenance that they may dispatch us in our Beds Beware therefore of the Worlds cut-throat kindness Verse 18. Reuben and Gad were the first that had an Inheritance signed them yet they must enjoy it last so it falls out oft in the Heavenly Canaan the first in title are last in possession They had their lot assign'd them beyond Iordan which though it were then in peace must be purchas'd with their War that must be done for their Brethren which needed not be done for themselves they must yet still fight and fight foremost that as they had the first Patrimony they might endure the first encounter I do not hear them say this is our share let us sit down and enjoy it quietly fight who will for the rest but when they knew their own Portion they leave Wives and Children to take possession and march arm'd before their Brethren till they have conquered all Canaan Whether should we more commend their Courage or their Charity others were moved to fight with hope they only with love they could not win more they might lose themselves yet they will fight both for that they had something and that their Brethren might have Thankfulness and Love can do more with Gods Children than desire to merit or necessity no Israelite can if he might choose abide to sit still beyond Iordan when all his Brethren are in the field Verse 23. When God is searching it is high time for us to search our selves It is sad when God is searching for our sins if we are not searching for them too and it is more sad if when God comes to search for our sins we be found hiding our sins These are searching times God is searching let us search too else we may be sure as Moses tells the people of Israel here Our sins will find us out They who endeavour not to find their sins shall be found by their sins our Iniquity will enquire after us if we enquire not after it But what if Iniquity enquire after us What if Iniquity enquire after us it will find us and if Iniquity find us Trouble will find us yea if Iniquity find us alone without Christ Hell and Death will find us If Iniquity find any man he hath reason enough to say unto it what Ahab said to Eliah without reason Hast thou found me O mine enemy the best of men have reason to look out what evill is in them when God brings evil upon them or wraps them up in common evils They who have no wickedness in them to cast them under Condemnation yet have sin enough in them to make them smart under Correction CHAP. XXXIII Verse 8. THis is that place where the Israelites after three dayes journey found the bitter Waters The long deferring of a good though tedious yet makes it the better when it comes Well did the Israelites hope that the Waters which were so long in finding would be precious when they were found Yet behold they are cross'd not only in their desires but their hopes for after three dayes travel the first Fountains they find are bitter Waters If these Wels had not run pure Gall they could not have so much complained Long thirst will make bitter Waters sweet yet such were these springs that the Israelites did not so much like their moisture as abhor their relish I see the first handsel that God gives his People in their Voyage to the Land of Promise is thirst and bitterness Satan gives us pleasant entrances into his wayes and reserves the bitterness to the end God invites us to our worst at first and sweetens our conclusion with pleasure O my Saviour thou didst drink a more bitter Cup from the hands of thy Father than that which thou refused'st of the Jews or than that which I can drink from thee Verse 9. God taught his People by actions as well as words This entrance shewed them their whole Journey wherein they should taste of much bitterness but at last through the mercy of God sweetned with much more comfort and for one Fountain of bitter Water they should have no less than twelve of sweet Or did it not represent the Israelites rather in their Journey in the Fountains of whose Hearts were the bitter Waters of manifold corruptions yet their unsavory Souls are sweetned by the more abundant Graces of Gods Spirit O blessed Saviour that Fountain of Water and Blood which issued from thy side that is the application of thy Sufferings is enough to sweeten a whole Sea of bitterness I care not how unpleasant a portion I find in this Wilderness if the power and benefit of thy precious Death may season it to my Soul Verse 14. Bread they had from Heaven but wanted Water Our condition here in this World is a condition of singular indigency we are ever wanting somewhat or other Verse 42. Among the several stations which the Israelites made through the Wilderness one was Punon or Phinon which as one of the antient Fathers observes signifieth silence or sparingness of Speech upon which he maketh this useful Application Let us be careful to take up our station here sometimes while we are travailing through the Wilderness of this World It may he our wisdom to pitch in silence The hand is well imployed while we stop the mouth with it from broaching and maintaining that which is evill or from opposing that which is good
were the Lords Inheritance and when men began wickedly to alienate the same and usurp upon his sacred Right then his re-claim and re-seizure thereof condemns the usurpers of down-right theft Mal. 3. Is it so then that these things are Gods it is therefore but equity to pay them to God for equity requireth and Justice biddeth that we give to every one his own on the other side to with-hold them or to take them or any part of them from God is injury because so the right owner is wrong'd more seeing the owner of these things is not man but God it is impiety yea it is sacriledge the highest and the horriblest sin in that kind that can be Verse 15. Christ as a Prophet teacheth spiritually and powerfully spiritually the Word and the Spirit go both together the word is but a dead letter in its self further than the Spirit goes along with it according to that of Iohn 6. 63. If the Spirit goes with the Word then the Word proves Spirit and Life the Spirit worketh freely in the Preaching of the Gospel the Word is but an instrument in the hand of the Spirit by which it works Then Secondly Christ as a Prophet teacheth powerfully therefore the Gospel is call'd The power of God unto salvation and he is said Mat. 7. to teach as one having Authority his word had a commanding power and authority over their Spirits Whensoever Christ comes to preach to thy Soul he will come with power he will make a separation between thy soul and thy sins he will pluck thee off from thy base lusts and cursed practises as once he did Paul and so will Christ deal with thy Soul who ever thou art that cleavest as close to thy sins as thy skin to thy flesh he will fetch thee off from those by his powerful Preaching CHAP. XIX Verse 4. ALl sins then are not equall neither are all to be alike punish'd as by Draco's Laws they were in a manner which Laws are said to be writ not with Ink but blood because they punish'd every Peccadillo almost with blood There are difference in sins and must be so in their punishments He that hates his Neighbour and smites him that he dyes thine eye shall not pitty him verse 13. let him dye without mercy let no man mediate for him lest he draw upon the Land guilt of Blood and hinder the Man-slayer from Repentance But in case a Man kill his Neighbour ignorantly here is a City of refuge to fly unto that he may live And here in an Evangelical sence Christ is our City of Refuge to whom if we fly when we are pursued by the guilt of an evill Conscience we shall live none can take us out of his hands if we be in Christ the Rock Temptations and Oppositions as Waves dash upon us but break themselves Verse 14. How hainous a sin this is appears by this strict prohibition given by God himself back'd with a Curse Chap. 27. and that Curse seconded with a Woe by the Prophet Isaiah A vice so injurious that it was odious to the Heathen and therefore the Romans condemned the meaner sort who were guilty of it to the Mettal houses and banish'd the better sort with the loss of the third part of their Estates so that I cannot but wonder with what face our Anabaptists assert a Community of Goods I grant the Primitive Christians had all things common but that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in regard of use not right and that by voluntary consent not necessary command the truth is that moral prohibition of stealing must be abolish'd and the Evangelical precept of Charity is needless if either men might not erect bounds of their possession or others might lawfully remove them at pleasure Verse 15. To blame then are those that proceed upon every idle surmize supposition or report and here it is further to be noted that three manner of persons can make no credible Witness or Information First Adversaries for evill will doth never speak well Secondly Ignorant men and those without judgement for he must be both a wise man and an honest man that ought to be a Witness for else if he be a wise man and not an honest man he is a Knave and again if he be an honest man and no wise man he may be a fool and therefore he is to be both wise and honest that is to be a Witness Thirdly whisperers and blowers in mens ears that will spue out in hugger-mugger more than they dare a vow openly To all such we must turn the deaf Ear the Tale-bearer and the Tale-hearer are both of them abominable to God Psalm 15. what matter therefore soever is established must be established at the mouth of two or three Witnesses that are both honest and wise Verse 20. They shall fear with a reverential fear from which will spring sincere service Aliorum perditio tua sit cautio let other Mens destruction be your Caution which is in the Psalmist expression to wash our feet in the Blood of the Wicked Psalm 59. 10. when the Righteous seeing the ruine of the Wicked shall become more Cautious And certainly worthily are they made examples that will not take them The fearful judgements that fall upon others should be a terror to us It is a just presage and desert of ruine not to be warn'd CHAP. XX. Verse 8. ALl the Lords Souldiers that fight his Battels and inroll their Names in his Muster-book must be men of stout courage and valiant men at Arms as they that go about a good Work he receiveth none into his Camp that are faint-hearted which are not able to encourage themselves but discourage others Hence it is that the Lord charg'd the Heralds at Arms to make Proclamation in the audience of the people Whosoever is afraid and faint-hearted c. God would have Wars made in his Name and therefore he would have Souldiers go to them without fear If a man be afraid it is a sign he hath no trust in God for he hath power to overcome fearfulness This serves to reprove all those who wanting the vertue of Valour and this gift of magnanimity do betray themselves and yeild to most unequal conditions and make an agreement upon dishonourable termes When Benhadad the King of Aram laid siege to Samaria and sent unto Ahab saying Thy silver and thy gold is mine Ahab stooped and submitted himself unto him saying My Lord according as thou hast said I am thine But our trust and confidence must be in God and then we shall not fear what man can do unto us Verse 12. The people of God may lawfully make Wars both offensive and defensive against their enemies Thus when Amalek fought with the people of God in Rephidim Moses said to Ioshua Chuse us out men and go sight Amalek so he discomfited Amalek and his people with the edg of the Sword Many other testimonies might be brought and
many other examples alledg'd to teach us that it is lawful to gather an Hoast to put on Armour to guird our selves with the Sword and to joyn in Battel with our Enemies Those then that are call'd to be Souldiers must learn from hence not to be feeble and faint-hearted but to be bold as in the work of the Lord. True Religion doth not weaken the hearts of Men and make them Cowards For first it teacheth and informeth the Conscience that the cause of the War is good just and warrantable by the Word of God without which knowledge in the heart how ugly how foul how cruel a thing is the effusion and shedding of Blood Secondly as true Religion establisheth the Conscience touching the lawfulness of War so it teacheth them to commit themselves and their lives into the hands of God as to a faithful keeper and to be perswaded if they Conquer they conquer to the Lord if they be wounded and fall they fall and dye unto the Lord. CHAP. XXI Verse 6. THe Jews were much used to outward Washings and vainly imagined that those were sufficient to cleanse them throughout And here the washing of their hands over the Heifer was as much as to say the guilt of innocent Blood doth no more stick to my Conscience than the filth now washed off doth to my fingers But what Pharisaical washing is this to purifie the hands and pollute the heart O Ierusalem Ierusalem wash thy heart from wickedness saith the Prophet Ier. 4. And cleanse your hands you sinners was the Apostles Exhortation Iames 4. but withall Purifie your he arts ye double-minded and this for many reasons For First God and Nature ever begin at the heart it is the first thing that lives and the last that dyes and therefore it is the first the Devil gives assault to and the last that he gives over Secondly Were there never a Devil the heart hath an ill Spirit of its own to trouble it and had we neither hands eyes nor feet our hearts would find the way to Hell and therefore there is great reason we should look to purge and cleanse that for if this Spring this Fountain be clean the streams that flow from it will be so too Verse 12. Secular Learning is not so Heathenish but it may be made Christian as this Captive in the Text was not such an Infidel but she might become a Convert and part of the Israel of God Aristotle and Plato and Seneca are not of such a Reprobate sence as to stand wholly excommunicate in the Christian Church For Aristotles Metaphysicks may help to convince an Atheist of a God and his Demonstrations prove Shiloes advent to a Jew And therefore though it is true the Scripture was ever the Levites predominant Element yet if you will make him a perfect mixt body the Arts also are to be necessary Ingredients And upon this account when Adrian the sixth in his Tract De vera Philosophia cries down humane Learning with a noise of Fathers yet he concludes Utilem esse scientiam Gentilium dummodo in usum Christianum convertatur that to shave and pare the captive Woman and then Espouse her was ever held lawful Matrimony Verse 13. The Wicked Mans Wine is best at first the good Mans at last the Devil deals by the one as Iael by Sifera speaks them fair at first till he hath lull'd them a sleep in security and then he involves them in misery But God doth by his Children as the Hebrew was to do by the captive Woman in this Text which he had a desire to Marry at first he appointeth us a time of Mourning but afterwards he vouchsafes us the fruition of himself in glory The freshest Rivers of Carnal Pleasure shall end in a salt Sea of despairing Tears whereas the wettest Seed-time of a pious Life shall end in the Sun-shining Harvest of a peaceful Death In a word the Transgressor how pleasant soever his beginnings be his last end shall be dolorous but the upright how troublesome soever his Life be his death shall be joyous For the end of that man is peace Psalm 37. CHAP. XXII Verse 1. IF thou must not suffer thy Brothers Ox or his Ass to go astray much less maist thou suffer his Soul but thou must endeavour in all Christian wisdom and meekness to reduce it from the dangerous precipeces both of sin and error Thou must pull thy Brother out of Hell as the Angel pull'd Lot out of Sodom as ye would save a drowning man though ye pull'd off some of his hair to save him Neither must we of the Gospel be merciful only to our Brother but also to our Enemy This is an hard task you will say but hard or not hard it must be done be it never so contrary to our foul nature We must seal up our love to our Enemies by all good expressions which are to be referr'd to these three heads First We must bless them speak kindly to them and of them they must have our good word Secondly We must do good to them i. e. be ready to help and relieve them upon all occasions Thirdly We must pray for them that God would pardon their sins and turn their hearts This was our Saviours precept to love our Enemies and the same also was his practice He melted over Ierusalem the slaughter-house of himself and his Saints and was grieved at the hardness of their hearts Next for Words he prayed Father forgive them and for deeds he not only not call'd fire from Heaven or Legions of Angels against them but did them all good for Bodies and Souls for he heal'd Malchus ear wash'd Iudas his feet like that good Samaritan he was at pains and cost with them Now if we would be Christs Disciples we must follow his example do good not to our Brethren only but also to our very Enemies Verse 10. This and the following Verses forbid all mixture and Toleration in Religion we must keep our selves to one God and serve him and none with him If Baal be God follow him saith Eliah 1 King 18. and if the Lord be God follow him how long will ye hault between two Opinions It is a foul-imperfection to hault yet more shameful long to hault most of all between two wayes and miss them both To be inconstant in Civil matters which are in their own Nature inconstant is weakness But in Religion which is alwaies constant and one and the same to be unsetled is the greatest folly in the World for he that is not assured of one Religion is sure to be saved by none And there fore it is very strange to me that in this glorious light of the Gospel now among us which we so much boast of we should see so many Bats flying which a Man cannot tell what to make of whether Birds or Mice These are Plantanimals like the wonderful sheep in Muscovy Epicens they are Amphibia animalia Creatures that sometimes live in the Waters
Prayers We beat our Servants if they offend us being but men as they are and may not God then beat us for our faults he being our Creator and we but dust Thus make use of these Curses and instead of them God ever give us for Christs sake his blessings both Temporal and Eternal both of this World and also of that better to come Verse 23. How oft have we seen the same Field both full and famishing how oft the same Waters safe and by some irruption or new tincture hurtful Howsoever natural causes may concur Heaven and Earth and Ayre and Waters follow the temper of our soules of our lives and are therfore indisposed because we are so He turneth the Heavens into brasse saith this Text and the Earth into iron And so Psal. 107. He turneth the Rivers into a wildernesse and water-springs into a dry ground for the wickedness of the Inhabitants Verse 31. If sorrow be in the eye it will not stay long from the heart And therefore the Lord here threatens his People thus in case of disobedience Thine oxe shall be slain before thine eyes And vers 67. he shewes what Convulsions and Divisions of spirit the Visions of the Eye would bring upon them The fear of the Heart and the sight of the Eye are near adjoyned The sight of the Eye caused the fear of the Heart and both were as concauses of those distracting thoughts and wishes there of hasting the morning to the evening and againe suddainly reducing back the evening to the morning Unlesse sorrow be hid from the Eyes it can hardly be kept from the Heart It is an usuall custome if a man be but let bloud to bid him turn away his head if he be faint-hearted for the sight of his bloud will make his heart faint and so from more gashly spectacles men commonly turn away their faces which is to keep sorrow from their sorrow and so from their Hearts Verse 47. As there is no affliction so there is no outward blessing can change the Heart or bring it about unto God Abundance as you see here doth not draw the heart unto God yet Satan when he came before the Lord Iob 1. would infer that it doth asking God the Question Doth Iob serve God for nought which might well be retorted upon Satan himself Satan why didst not thou serve God then Thou didst once receive more outward blessings from God then ever Iob did the blessedness of an Angel Yet that glorious Angelical estate wherein thou wast created could not keep thee in the compasse of obedience thou didst rebel in the abundance of all blessings thine own apostacy refutes thine errour in making so little of Iobs obedience because he had received so much and confirms the truth of this Text that it is not Abundance that makes Gods People serve him CHAP. XXIX Verse 4. VVE see no further than God gives us light and so far as he leads us we go right if he withdraw we turn aside and quickly wander from the way of truth and righteousnesse Thus Moses speakes here of the many signes and wonders which God wrought in the midst of that People which they did not understand Why what was the reason Moses tels us expresly The Lord had not given them an heart to conceive c. They had sensitive Eyes and Ears yea they had a rational heart or mind but they wanted a spirituall Eye to see a spiritual Ear to hear a spiritual Heart to apprehend and improve those wonderful works of God and these they had not because God had not given them such Eyes Ears and Hearts Wonders without Grace cannot open the Eyes fully but Grace without wonders can And as man hath not an Eye to see the wonderful works of God spiritually until it is given so much lesse hath he an Eye to see the wonders of the Word of God till it be given him from above Verse 12. This hath been the practise of Gods Children in Scripture to consecrate themselves to God by Vow or Covenant Thus Moses here after he had given the Law to the People causeth them to enter into Covenant for the performance of it Nor is it without singular reason that godly men have taken this course that hereby they might be the more strongly obliged to God and God to them There is indeed a sufficient obligation in Gods Precepts to require our obedience but when to his Precepts we add our own Promise it is so much the more engaging True it is the Creatures natural Obligation to his Creators Command is so great that in its self it is not capable of addition but yet our voluntary Promises serve to inflame our Luke-warmnesse and stir up our backwardnesse to obedience Indeed a religious resolution is as the putting of a new rowel into a spurre which maketh it the sharper the twisting of another thred into the rope whereby it is the stronger And hence it is that as God in condescention to our weakness hath annexed an oath to his Promises not to make them firmer in themselves but to confirme us the more So godly men in consideration of their own dulness adjoyn their Promises to Gods Precepts not to strengthen their force in enjoyning but to quicken themselves the more in observing Verse 18. Nothing is more bitter then sin and therefore compared here to gall and wormwood Lest there be among you any root that beareth gall wormwood i. e. least any person among you should commit this wickednesse namely Idolatry which will be as distastefull to God as gall is to man and which will be as bitter as gall to the man who commits it whether we consider the bitternesse of repentance if it be pardoned or the bitternesse of paine if he persisting in it impenitently be punished Verse 29. When secret things are revealed unto us of God we ought to endeavour to learn them to understand them to publish them and speak of them to others Whensoever God hath a mouth to speak we must have an ear to hear Therefore Moses saith Secret things belong to the Lord but the things revealed belong unto us to our children Which may serve to reprove all such as refuse to look into these revealed things of God but dwel in blindnesse and ignorance Of this sort are the greatest number of Christians they are wise enough to look into their own profit but they care not for the wisdome that is of God they are brought up in the Church but know not the Doctrine of the Church whereas being brought up in the Schoole of Christ they must every day be profiting and going forward CHAP. XXX Verse 2. THere is no returning without hearing nor hearing without believing nor believing to be believed without doing Returning is all these therefore where Christ saith that if those works had been done in Tyre and Sidon Tyre and Sidon would have repented in sackcloth and ashes In the Syriack translation of saint Matth we have this