propound to themselues an euil end as either vaine glory to be esteemed of others or the merit of the work that they may be rewarded of God and do not referre them to his glory But not he that commendeth himselfe is approued but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10 18. Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts then shall euery man haue praise of God 1 Cor. 4 5. Wherefore all their workes are as the apples of Sodome which are faire in outward appearance and yet are rotten and corrupt So may vnbeleeuers do sundry workes that are beautifull in outwarde shew but they are like vnto painted Sepulchers which appeare glorious to the sight but they are within full of dead mens bones and all vncleannesse For their heart which God especially beholdeth and searcheth is foule filthy and can no otherwise be made cleane then as it is purified by faith Let all men therefore take knowledge of their naturall condition that they are of themselues abhominable and to euery good worke reprobate vntill they be borne again and regenerate by the Spirit of God The third reproofe The third reproofe is of such as notwithstanding the necessity of the word to direct our actions which without the light of it to shine in our hearts cannot please God yet regard not the knowledge of it but contemne both it and the meanes that leade vs the way vnto it This is an horrible sinne to forsake our owne saluation and as it were to cut our owne throats or to cast our selues wilfully into the middest of the seas It is a greeuous sin to be ignorant of the Law of God not to know what he commandeth or what he forbiddeth but it is more fearefull to despise knowledge offered and so as it were to despite the Spirit of grace what remaineth for such but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries Heb. 10 27. Such can haue no comfort or consolation in any of their actions For as the eye is the light of the body and directeth the rest of the members in all things they go about or else the feete might carry them into some pit of destruction so is the word of GOD our Lampe or Candle Psal 119 105. whereby we see how to walke and direct our selues into the way of peace we know what we ought to do and from what to refraine And as the body runneth violently into an heap of dangers where the eye is blinde and can perceiue nothing vntill it fall headlong into them so is it with such as regard not the knowledge of the scriptures but say vnto GOD as may appeare by their practise Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Iob 21 14. This world is as a wildernesse full of Lyons Bears Tygers and other rauenous and venemous beasts or as a sea standing out with rockes replenished with quicksands We can no sooner step out of doores but we shall be assaulted one way or other nay we our selues are tentations vnto our selues For rather then we should lacke tempters we tempt our selues like vnto a State that wanting forraine enemies falleth out within themselues and by ciuill warres destroy one another So is it with vs when we are free from open enemies we become enemies to our selues If then we want the guidance and gouernance of the word we are in danger to be ouercome and to take the foile Our Sauiour willeth vs as we heard before to search the Scriptures because in them we thinke to haue eternall life and therefore without the knowledge of thē we deceiue our selues if we dreame of eternall life So in another place he maketh the ignorance of them to be the cause of all euill and error in iudgement as Marke 12 verse 24. Are ye not therefore deceiued because yee know not the Scriptures Obiect But some peraduenture will say it belongeth to the Ministers onely to search them it is their office to looke into them I answer Answer it is a duty belonging vnto all persons to know them Christ exhorted the people to search them It is required of all to haue them dwell in them plentifully Colossians 3. If we would be preserued from error we must know them if we desire saluation we must search them if we would be able to resist the tentations of Satan we must be armed with them They are as the will and Testament of Christ whereby he hath bequeathed vnto vs an heauenly inheritance and a most rich possession and therefore it behoueth vs to reade the will to know how we hold it Thou wilt obiect Obiect they are hard and I am simple they may leade me into errors as many haue fallen into strange opinions by reading of them Art thou simple thē thou art the rather bound to reade them for they were written Answer Prou. 1 4. to giue vnto the simple sharpenesse of wit and to the child knowledge and discretion The whole Church is commanded this duty both Iewes Gentiles were there no simple men and women among them Neither oughtest thou to be afraid to be ledde by them into error for they were written to preserue thee from error and to leade thee into all truth It is the vnstable that wrest them to their owne destruction Reade them with humility with reuerence and praier Be thou lowly in thine owne eies and take heed of a proud spirit be conuersant in them with reuerence Esay 66 ◠learne to tremble at his word craue the assistance of Gods Spirit to guide thee and to open thine eyes that thou maiest vnderstand his secrets and thou shalt not need to stand in feare of being carried into error And touching the hardnesse of them be not discouraged from the reading of them Some things indeed are hard to be vnderstood but there is nothing hard in one place but it is made easie in another and it shall he made easie to vs by diligent meditation in them Besides all things that are necessary to saluation are plainely set downe that the people may vnderstand them It is the lying spirit of the diuell in the false Prophets of Antichrist that cryeth out The Scriptures are hard and full of knots the people may not reade them Beleeue not euery spirit 2 Thes 2 3. but try the spirits whether they be of God or not for many false Prophets are gone into the world 1 Iohn 4 verse 1. They are blinde leaders of the blinde they play fast and loose with the people as Iuglers do with the simple and cast a mist before their eies that they should not espy them They leade them into error and then take the light from them whereby they might be conuinced It is the great policy of that great Antichrist and man of sinne not onely to forbidde the reading of our bookes but the free vse of Gods
not cleere the wicked Although Princes doe not make statutes against it yet the statute law of God hath decreed against it and condemned it set a great penalty vpon the breach of it We haue sundry lawes that none abuse our names but we haue none for the preseruation of Gods Name and therefore God will looke to it and take order for it No commandement hath had more visible iudgments executed vpoÌ„ the breakers of it then this The plague of God shall not depart from his house that is a swearer one iudgment or other shall ouertake him and if he do escape the greater torment is reserued for him in the life to come The Prophet Zachary Zach. 5.4 telleth vs that God will consume the timber and stones of his house The sonne of the Israelitish woman that blasphemed the Name of the Lord and cursed is brought foorth without the campe and stoned to death Leuit. 24.14 15. and thereupon a Law established Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sinne It is lamentable to consider the wretchednesse of prophane men notwithstanding the greeuousnesse of this sinne Many are of such a ruffian-like spirit that they feare not to teare in peeces the Lord of life and to crucifie againe the Sonne of God as much as in them lyeth We our selues are iealous of our own names and the names of our parents and posterity no maruell then if God be exceeding iealous ouer himselfe If we wil not glorifie him he will glorifie himselfe and his Name in our destruction He may winke at vs for a time as also at our manifold and monstrous oathes but he hath not forgotten them he keepeth a booke of accounts as a register against vs and when the great day of the Lord shall come he will bring forth the records and set our sinnes in order before vs. Let vs not thinke to escape Eccles 8.11 because sentence is not speedily executed the more he delayeth the more he hoardeth vp punishment for vs. The longer the arrow is in drawing the deeper it will pierce when it is shot out against vs. Hee suffereth them to liue in security for a time but they shall taste of seuerity in the end Iob 24.23 and 21.30 The wicked is reserued to the day of destruction they shal be brought forth to the day of wrath 23 And the Priest shall write these curses in a booke and he shall blot them out with the bitter water 24 And he shall cause the woman to drinke the bitter water that causeth the curse and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter 25 Then the Priest shall take the iealousie offering out of the womans hand and shall waue the offering before the Lord and offer it vpon the Altar 26 And the Priest shall take an handfull of the offering euen the memoriall thereof and burne it vpon the Altar and afterward shall cause the woman to drinke the water Hitherto wee haue seene the things that goe before the tryall now we come to such as are more neerely ioyned with it which are these He must write the curses in a booke and then blot them out with the waters of bitternesse before remembred But before the woman drinke of the waters he must take the offering out of her hand and waue it before the Lord and then offer it vnto the Lord. Lastly he is to burne a part of it vpon the altar and afterward cause the woman to drinke the water Obiect Heere the question may be asked wherefore the curse must be written and afterward blotted out If it must be blotted out what need it to be written If it must be written why should it be blotted out I answer Answer it was written to note out the stablenesse of Gods iudgements and the certainety of his trueth And therefore also it was vttered in words expressed in actions and established by writing In word of the adiuration in worke of the drinking vp of the water in writing of the whole fact as it was done before the Lord. Neuerthelesse this writing was so extant that it continued not long but was so cleane defaced that none could reade it because God would not haue the remembrance of such filthy causes and iealouses and suspicions to remaine to posterity lest any be inflamed with the like passion and so bring into imitation such like practises Verse 23.24 c. And the Priest shall write these curses c. We see in this place the former ceremonies and circumstances farther vrged and pressed neere to the conscience of her that was suspected and stood before the Lord to be tryed She is caused and commanded to drinke of these waters prepared for this purpose These waters that cause the curse shall enter into her and become bitter This is the meanes that God wil vse to manifest things that yet are hidden in secret and such as should bring an heauy iudgement vpon her that was guilty We learne from hence Doctrine Adultery â— albeit secâ— coâ—â—â—â— punished of God that whoredome is alwaies punished of God and neuer escapeth vnpunished Howsoeuer adultery be not regarded among men and thought either no sinne or a little and veniall sinne yet God findeth it out and ceasseth not to plague and punish it both temporally and eternally both in this life and in the life to come This we see set foorth before vs at large throughout the whole booke of God Gen. 6 1â— What was the cause that brought the flood vpon the old world and swept away the inhabitants thereof was it not for their vncleannesse and the lusts of their eyes and the loosenesse of their life The like we might say of Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities about them who giuing themselues once to fornication Iude 7. and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire When Balaam was not suffered to curse the people of God he gaue the Moabites and Midianites this damnable counsel to allure them to commit fornication by which meanes many perished as we shall shew afterward in the 25 chapter of this booke whereunto also the Apostle alludeth 1 Cor. 10.8 when he saith Neither let vs commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand It must needs be a greeuous sin that brought downe so greeuous a iudgment A like fearefull example we haue in the booke of Iudges when the Leuites wife was abused vnto death there followed the destruction of the beniamites 〈◊〉 20 35. 〈◊〉 21.3 so that there fell of them fiue and twenty thousand almost one whole tribe of Israel was wanting This is it which the Lord threatened to his people Leuit. 18.24.25 20. Ye shall not defile your selues in any of these things among which this was one to defile themselues with their neighbours wife by carnall copulation for in all these the nations are defiled which I will cast
And if we beleeue not yet abideth he faithful 2 Tim. 2 13. he cannot deny himselfe No greater comfort can be giuen no greater promise can be made then to assure vs of the pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes which make a separation between God and vs. To haue a feeling of this mercy is as sweet Incense vnto the soule and as precious balme vnto the heart Let vs therefore comfort our selues with this promise howsoeuer Satan sift vs and seek by all means to take from vs this peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding we must shroud our selues vnder the safety of his worde which abideth for euer and when we are tempted to doubt of his goodnesse in the remission of our sinnes let vs lay hold on the former promises and know that the heauens themselues shall fall and be moued out of their places before the truth of his word which is truth it selfe shall be diminished or disanulled Fourthly is God constant of his word and Vse 4 faithfull of his promise then it is required of vs to be like our heauenly Father in truth and faithfulnesse When God hath promised any blessing to his people he is true of his worde and bringeth it to passe The Lord sayde to them Iet 29 10 11. Dan 9 2. After seuenty yeares bee accomplished at Babel I wil visit you and performe my good promise toward you and cause you to returne to this place for I know the thoughts that I haue thoght toward you euen the thoughts of peace and not of trouble to giue you an end and your hope This did hee accomplish by the meanes of Cyrus whose spirit hee stirred vp to make a proclamation throughout his kingdome that whosoeuer would should goe vp to Ierusalem to builde it and inhabite there Now as God is faithfull in his word so let vs follow his example and make conscience of our words sayings that thereby we may assure our selues to bee the children of our heauenly Father Wee must therefore know that all iust couenants and contracts all promises bargaines must be perfourmed albeit they bee made to our hurt and hinderance and binde vs in conscience and duty by the Law of God man so farre forth as hee pleaseth to require them to whom they haue beene made The Prophet asking the question Who shall dwell in the Lords Tabernacle rest in his holy Hill maketh this answere Hee which sweareth to his hurt and changeth not Psalm 15 4. Iosh 9. This wee see in Ioshua toward the Gibeonites and in the booke of Iudges chapt 1. when the Spies saw a man come out of the City and said vnto him Shew vs we pray thee the way into the City and we will shew thee mercy Iudg. 1 24 25. when he had shewed them the way into the City they smote the City with the edge of the sword but they let the man all his houshold depart Hence wee should learne to be wary and watchfull in our promises considering as well whether wee be able to performe them as whether wee be willing and examining our hearts whether they be in our owne power nor not and whether if they be it be lawfull for vs to performe them For some things are lawfull in themselues to pay and perfourme which are in no sort in our power and other things may be in our power which are not lawfull to be done This fidelity in keeping promise is a weighty point of the Law Math. 23 Math. 23 23. Gal. 5 22. and a fruite of the Spirit and therefore it standeth vs vpon to make conscience thereof If any man were asked the question whether hee thinke it his duty to endeuour to be like God and to striue to resemble him as the childe resembleth his father he would be ready to answere It is his duty to do it and his comfort that it is so If then we acknowledge the necessity of it let vs follow him in constancy and true dealing studying to be perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect This is that vse which the Apostle vrgeth 2 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 1 17 18 20. When I was thus minded did I vse lightnesse Or minde I those things which I minde according to the flesh that with me should be yea yea and nay nay Yea God is faithfull that our word toward you was not yea and nay for all the promises of God in Christ are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs. The Apostle in these wordes declareth that he was wrongfully slandered and vniustly charged with loosenesse and lightnesse of promise and vnconscionable breaking of his word inasmuch as he had alwaies before him the example of God whom he acknowledgeth to be faithfull in his words and promises This serueth to reproue those that will rashly promise any thing as Saul did to Dauid as Laban did to Iacob and then changed their minde as the weather-cocke doeth at euery blaste of winde These are like the reede that bendeth too and fro but it must not bee so with vs we must purpose and not alter we must promise and then perfourme carefully what we haue promised Lastly whensoeuer God hath made good Vse 5 the words of his mouth and accomplished his promises vnto vs which wee haue long looked for expected it is our duty to praise his name and to giue him the glory of the worke to whom alone it is due Hath he fed vs in time of famine and made vs to see Deut. 8 3. Mathew 4 4. that Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of his mouth Let vs not sacrifice vnto our net nor burne incense vnto our yarne but say with the Prophet Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115 1. but vnto thy Name giue the glory for thy louing mercy and for thy truths sake This duty we see practised by King Salomon 1 Kings 8. 1 Kin. 8 15 20 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who spake with his mouth vnto Dauid my father and hath with his hand fulfilled it the Lord hath made good his word that he spake and I am risen vp in the roome of Dauid my father and sit on the Throne of Israel as the Lord promised and haue built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel A worthie patterne and president for vs to follow whensoeuer we taste of the grace and bountifulnes of God to offer vp vnto him a song and sacrifice of thanksgiuing And if wee must doe this for temporall blessings much more are we bound to do it for such as are spirituall If God haue for a season hidde his face from vs that we haue seene no light of his grace but all these things haue been couered with darknesse and discomfort as it were the Sunne in a Cloud if our sinnes as the waues of the sea haue gone ouer our head and beene a
assured that our labor is not in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15 58. We must haue our hearts setled and constant in good things that wee be not as children carried about with euery vanity We must be resolute in the truth and stand hauing our loines girt about with the truth and hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnesse c. As we grow in age so let vs grow in grace and as euery yeare addeth to our life so let it adde to our faith If we stand at a stay we shall neuer come to the ende of our race but if we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ wee shall receiue the ende of our faith which is the saluation of our soules Thirdly we learne to confesse from whence Vse 3 we haue receiued life temporall spirituall and eternall one following another and all begun in this life and to acknowledge our thankfulnesse to God for these his blessings The temporall is common to vs with the wicked but the other two to wit the spirituall and eternall life are proper to the elect and make them Citizens of the kingdome of heauen Hence it is that the Prophet saith Blesse the Lord Psal 103 2 3. O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiueth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with louing kindnes and tender mercies He respecteth not what we are or what we are worthy of but as hee loued vs before we were which argueth the bottomlesse sea of his grace toward vs so he neuer ceaseth to follow vs with his mercy to adde loue to his loue alwayes preuenting vs with his liberall blessings True it is the guifts of God are great toward vs in regard of temporall things which are of the least and lowest nature forasmuch as in him we liue moue Acts 17 28. and haue our being he blesseth vs hee keepeth vs he preserueth vs he defendeth vs and suffereth nothing to do vs hurt but besides these he giueth vs to beleeue he calleth vs to the knowledge of his truth hee iustifieth vs he sanctifieth vs he redeemeth vs hee establisheth vs that we shall neuer be remooued and all these are freely and frankly bestowed vpon vs not purchased by vs. Howbeit we shall neuer vnderstand the foundation of Gods mercy nor learne the height the bredth and bottome of his loue vntill we come to behold and consider our free election and saluation to be meerely by his grace And if once wee come to the vnderstanding heereof it will be most forcible aboue all the former reasons to moue vs to magnifie his goodnesse and to giue vp our selues wholly to him and consecrate all that is in vs to his glory Indeed this consideration that we haue receiued life health and peace and liberty all things belonging vnto them if we had no farther cause ought to moue vs to thankfulnes obedience but this laieth the ground-worke and reacheth to the top of all that hee loued vs before the world was and therefore we must loue him againe extoll his praise confesse his Name and feare to offend him and serue him in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of our life This is the beginning and as it wer the first step to true humility it is a forcible weapon to strike down all pride and presumption and to giue them their deaths wound it stoppeth the mouthes of arrogant men who would gladly sacrifice to their owne nets and build their saluation vpon themselues Therfore the Prophet saith in the Name of the Lord Ezek. 16 62 63. I will establish my Couenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that thou maiest remember and be confounded and neuer open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Hee will haue no flesh to reioyce in it selfe he will haue the whole glory of our saluation he saw vs polluted in our own blood he found vs cast out into the open field to the contempt and loathing of our person he set his loue toward vs and spread his skirt ouer vs and couered our nakednesse and said vnto vs when we were in our blood Liue to the end we should chalenge no part of his worke to our selues Vndeserued loue is a great binder There is no loue comparable to this loue which began before we began and shall liue when we are dead and buried Our saluation hauing so sure a foundation is more firme then the frame of heauen and earth whereas if it were builded vpon our selues and committed vnto our selues to bee kept alasse it would quickly fall downe as a ruinous Pallace or a tottring wall and we could haue no certainty or assurance of it yea albeit wee were renewed to our first innocency as appeareth in Adam who fell in the garden as the Angels themselues had done before that were in heauen But seeing it is hid with God and put into his hands as a faithfull Creator no creature shall be able to take it from vs as no creature could giue saluation vnto vs. So then it behoueth vs to giue him praise for beginning his worke in vs for the continuance of it in vs and to craue of him the full perfect finishing of it vnto the day of IESVS CHRIST Fourthly this putteth vs in minde to vse Vse 4 all meekenesse and moderation toward others that are not yet called to the knowledge of the truth but wander as blinde men that cannot finde the way For seeing our calling and conuersion and euery good guift is of Gods grace Rom. 3 9. it sheweth that there is no difference betweene them and vs by nature but by grace we haue nothing of our selues being as farre from heauen as the most prophane but all is of Gods good pleasure Wee are all equall and no way better we are all the children of wrath as well as others It is a true saying that there are many sheepe without and many wolues within We see this in the examples of the Gentiles of Manasses of Mary Magdalen of Paul many others Chap. 5. of whom we shall speake afterward The Church of the Iewes confesse Cant. 8 8. that they had a little Sister which had no breasts and Christ himselfe teacheth he hath other sheepe which are not of this fold whom also he must bring home they should heare his voice so that there should be one fold and one Shepheard Iohn 10 16. Thus it should come to passe when the time appointed was come that GOD would enlarge Iaphet that he should dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9 17. This vse hath many branches as a fruitefull Tree that spreadeth it selfe many waies First it belongeth vnto vs to pitty them that go astray to bewaile their ignorance What griefe doth it moue and how great cōpassion doth it
of faith established So then the people in doing some good to the Ministers doe more good to themselues they minister to them in temporall things but they receiue at their hands spirituall and eternall things and therfore they are not to leaue them and forsake them but to maintaine them profit them to comfort them of whoÌ„ they receiue comfort 11 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 12 Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them If any mans wife goe aside and commit a trespasse against him 13 And a man lie with her carnally and it be hid from the eyes of her husband and bee kept close and she be defiled and there be no witnesse against her neither she be taken with the manner 14 And the spirit of iealousie come vpon him and he bee iealous of his wife and she be defiled or if the spirit of iealousie come vpon him he be iealous of his wife and she be not defiled â—ent Peâ—â—â— Numer It is well obserued by some writers that Moses intreateth in this Chapter of remouing of three impediments and hinderances that were among the people of God one of vncleannesse another of vnrighteousnesse the third of suspicion We haue spoken already in the former part going before how impurity is to be banished and how wrong and iniustice is to be purged Now we come to consider how euill surmises and suspicions are also to be taken away which is done by setting downe the try all of the suspected wife whereby the innocency of the woman is reuealed and the iealousie of the husband is remooued and the trueth of the matter before hidden is tryed Before we spake of such crimes as are open manifest now of that which is not certaine but only suspected not cleere in it selfe but doubtfull â—â—t iealouâ—â—â— But first let vs speake of Iealousie in generall which is the bane and poison of marriage and maketh that sociable life to be vncomfortable and mingleth it with worse then gall and wormewood Iealousie therefore is a griefe of mind arising from hence that another is iudged to enioy that which we desire to haue wholly and properly as our owne and none beside vs to possesse any part with vs. Heere then we cannot abide any community but hate it as our enemy and the right cause of this iealousie Or we may describe it otherwise on this manner It is an affection proceeding from feare to haue that communicated to another which we challenge and couet to retaine as peculiar and proper to our selues alone â—ereof ieaâ—ie consiâ— From hence it appeareth farther what the nature of iealousie is to wit that it is mixed and compounded partly of loue partly of feare and partly of anger Of loue which admitteth no fellow partner in the thing he loueth Th m. â— secund quaest 28. art 40. For as the king will suffer no companion to be equall vnto him or partaker with him in his kingdome so will the husband suffer no corriuall to mate him in his loue Of feare lest another enioy the vse of that which we cannot abide or suffer he should enioy Of anger whereby it commeth to passe that he is ready to breake out to seeke reuenge and punishment vpon him that hath offended him that way as Pro 6.34 he beareth no ransome For Iealousie is the rage of man therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance he will not regard any ransome neither will he rest content though thou giuest many giftes For in this doth the husband suppose the estimation of his owne person the dignity of his children and the honor of his whole family to consist whiles the wife keepeth the marriage-bed chaste and vndefiled and giueth no iust occasion to be suspected of dishonesty and vncleannesse And on the otherside he accounteth all things in the house turned vpside downe his person disgraced his children embased and his family turned into a stewes by the false dealing and the leude practise of his vnchast wife Hence it is that Salomon saith A vertuous woman is the crowne of her husband Prou. 12.4 and contrariwise shee that maketh him ashamed is as rottennesse in his bones Wherefore God established this speciall Law in this place both that false suspicion might be resisted and that no crime though neuer so closely and cunningly committed should be vndetected For albeit it be practised secretly it shall be discouered openly according to the saying of our Sauiour oftentimes repeated in the Gospel uke 13.2 8.17 Matth. 10.26 There is nothing couered that shall not be reuealed neither hid that shall not be knowne Now let vs come to the order of the words In this tryall of the woman suspected of adultery we are to consider two points first The order of the words the setting downe of the Law Secondly the conclusion of the whole matter In setting down the law we are to obserue three points first the propounding of the cause is noted Secondly the determination of the cause is handled Thirdly the issue or euent of the whole processe is declared Touching the matter or cause it is propounded in these foure verses to wit from the 11 to the end of the 14 verse which is twofold in one and the same point of iealousie one if the woman haue committed adultery from whence ariseth a iust and lawful iealousie the other if she haue not committed adultery whence proceedeth a foolish and an euill grounded iealousie The first point is propounded on this manner Put the case a man haue a wife that hath gone aside and deceiued him and committed fornication and he doth not certainly know it neither can euidently prooue it because he can produce no winesse that saw her and she will not make a voluntary confession of her fact committed This is handled in the 11 12 13 and part of the 14. verse The second is set down in this sort Put case she haue not gone astray neither hath beene defiled which is briefly signified in the latter end of the 14. verse In both these whether she be guilty or not guilty the case is doubtfull the husband in perplexity of the matter and therefore in the next words that come heereafter to be considered the Lord himselfe deliuereth the way and meanes how the doubt may be dissolued and that which is secret may be cleared and decided Thus much touching the order Before we come to the doctrine that ariseth from hence it shall not be vnprofitable or any whit from our purpose to answere such Obiect 1 questions as arise out of this diuision And first of all forasmuch as nothing doth more crosse the law of loue and rule of charity then to suspect euill of our neighbour it may bee demaunded to what end and purpose God giueth liberty to the husband to pursue his wife following his corrupt humour and suffereth him to call his wifes name and credit into question defaming and shaming her
dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of hell Such naughty women are called euery where in this booke strangers though they be too familiar and well known and thrust themselues into the company of others because they should be strangers vnto vs and not of our acquaintance There is nothing more common in them then to entice young men by wanton gestures lasciuous words and plausible perswasions to dalliance and delight It is a great fauour of God to be preserued from their baites and kept from their snares yea it is a farre greater mercy to be secured from harlots then to be kept from the pestilence they shew greater wisdome that shun and passe by their houses and company then they that forsake places persons that are infected with some dangerous and deadly disease Euery one is forward to beware hee come not neere any pest-house for feare of his life but if we assemble into harlots houses we run in danger of soule body It is an easie matter to fall into a pit where a man may be drowned but it is not so easie to get out of it The wanton woman is as a deepe ditch and a narrow pit and a dangerous hole whereinto a man may slip hastily at vnwares but he shall hardly come out from thence or deliuer himselfe without the speciall goodnesse of God pulling him as it were out of the fire and setting his feete in safety For as a theefe lurketh in a denne or wood to get a prey so doth she lye in waite and vseth baites to steale away the hearts of men and thereby preuaileth mightily with many in the world Among all dangers this is not the least that Salomon speaketh of â— 2 19. None that goe vnto her returne againe neither take they hold of the pathes of life These words do not absolutely deny repentance to them that are falleÌ„ or shut the gate of mercy against them that haue sinned but the meaning is that few yea very few escape destruction returne to saluation because they sildome repent It is a very rare thing to see a penitent adulterer they leaue the sinne when it leaueth them because they can follow it no longer but they do not repent of it they do not sorrow for it they do not flie from it Hence it is that you shall hear many old men whose strength is decaied whose bodies are withered whose feet are already entred in a manner into their graues laugh heartily at the remembrance of their tricks of youth and talke wantonly filthily of the prankes which they haue plaied so that from the abundance of the heart â—h 12 34. the mouth speaketh and their corrupt communication testifieth that they neuer soundly repented of their vncleannesse No maruaile therefore if the wise man peremptorily declare that few or none of those that are giuen ouer to this lewdnesse of life do come to repentance for albeit some few find grace yet in comparison of such as run on headlong liue securely to the end in their wickednes they may worthily be said to be none at all They are so blinded besotted that they cannot see their own filthines they are so dull and deafe that they cannot heare those that admonish them nay they hate those that reproue them The Apostle Paul exhorting the Corinthians to flye fornication â— 6 18. which was most common in those daies â—â—es to a â—fornica and esteemed a slight or no sin at all vseth many notable reasons of great weight importance worthy to be considered of vs. One reason or motiue is this that our bodies are the Lords and must be seruiceable vnto him â— 6 13. The body is not for fornication but for the Lord. Wherfore hath he giuen to vs our body but that we should serue him in our body We are not to yeeld our members as instruments of vnrighteousnes vnto sin â—6 13. but we ought to yeeld our selues vnto God as those that are aliue from the dead and so make our members as instruments of righteousnes vnto him First therefore the Apostle reasoneth froÌ„ the end of our creation Secondly the Lord Iesus is ordained appointed to be the Redeemer Sauiour not only of the soule but also of the body therefore he saith the Lord for the body 1 Cor. 6 13. Fornication and sanctification cannot stand together but are contrary one to the other so that they cannot abide in one subiect Christ came into the world to this end that he might redeeme our bodies by his death out of the power of the diuell and sanctifie them by his Spirit If then we giue our selues as seruants to obey the lusts of the flesh wee make void the glorious worke of our redemption wherein mercy iustice and truth kissed one another For herein we see the truth of Gods promise accomplished Gen 3 15. that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head and the truth of his threatning fulfilled that man offending shold die the death Herein we may behold the wonderfull iustice of God that because man had sinned man must be punished for otherwise he had not bin a iust God Lastly hereby appeareth the vnspeakable mercy of God toward mankinde who albeit his iustice were such that rather then sin should goe vnpunished he would punish it in his Son 1 Pet. 2 24. Esay 53 12. who bare our sins in his body and made intercession for our transgressions yet found out a way how to redeeme vs when we cast our selues headlong into all misery and made our selues subiect to the greatest thraldome that euer was We are deliuered from the hands of our enemies sin the world and the diuell that we should be holy vnto him that hath called vs. The third motiue is drawne from the glorious resurrection of our bodies as the former was froÌ„ the gracious redemption of our bodies If we would haue them liue with him for euer that shall raise theÌ„ vp we must abstaine from filthy lusts which defile the body therfore the Apostle saith God hath both raised vp the Lord 1 Cor. 6 14. wil also raise vs vp by his own power The author of this great benefit and wonderfull worke is God which passeth and exceedeth mans reason Hence it is that he putteth vs in minde of his power because he is almighty If it were not vnpossible vnto him to create our bodies out of the dust of the earth why shall it not bee possible to raise them out of the dust againe Nay if he were able to make theÌ„ of that which was nothing inasmuch as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 11 3. that the things which are seene were not made of things which doe appeare how much more shall he bee able to giue to euery one his body which he had before Again he teacheth that God hath raised already the Lord Christ froÌ„ death to life therefore
as we haue noted in sundry particulars before We sinne against God because we resist and withstand his will whose pleasure it is that wee bring forth the fruites of sanctification wee pollute and prophane the holie ordinance of Matrimony wee make the members of Christ the members of an harlot and so seeke to draw as much as in vs lyeth our blessed Sauiour into a filthy fellowship of our sinne Down Lectur on Hos 4 2. we defile the Temples of the holie Ghost and turne them into stewes Against our neighbour because this sinne is not committed alone but we draw some other to be partakers with vs in the same wickednesse punishment we sin against the wife or husband of the married-party whom we wrong in the cheefest treasure possession that she or he hath we sinne against the fruite of our owne body whom we disgrace brand with a note of perpetuall infamy which for the most part proue a degenerate brood through want of good-education and especially thorough the secret iudgement of God we sin against our owne families which wee oftentimes ouer-turne by defiling of them turn our houses into stewes we sin against the Cities societies kingdomes where we abide because we defile the land and cause it to vomit out the inhabitants we sinne against the church of God both by hindering the propagation thereof Malach 2 â—5 which encreaseth by an holye seed and by causing it to be euill spoken of by others as if it wer a company of vnclean persons Against our selues because we make our bodies the instruments of sin and sathan we weaken them and make them subiect to diuers diseases and we plunge soules bodies into the pit of hell which burneth with fire and brimstone Such then as are adulterers do not goe into hell alone they carry other company with them If then the iudgements of pouerty beggery infamy infirmity folly and impenitency will not mooue vs to make conscience of this sin yet let this preuail with vs that thereby we destroy our owne soules and exclude our selues from his presence Let vs threfore be watchful ouer our own wayes let vs pull vp the roote of this sinne and all other of the same sort and mortifie the deedes of the flesh Col. 3 5. Let vs cut off all occasions that may draw vs to them as surfetting drunkennesse idlenesse wantonnesse prophane company and such like And aboue all these things let vs obserue these three things First let vs remember that as God is holie so he requireth an holy people to serue him It is his wil that we liue in sanctification so that without holinesse no man can see God or haue fellowship with him Heb. 12. Secondly we must learne to feare God in his word and mark the commandement that forbiddeth adulterie Nothing maketh vs to fall into sinne but the forgetting of the Law which saith thou shalt not sin This stayed vp Ioseph in a strong tentation which being yeelded vnto did set before him a faire shew and goodly traine of all pleasures profits honors but being withstood did threaten him with a multitude of miseries hatred pouerty sorow shame imprisonment destruction and death it selfe yet he eschewed the sin by this means Shal I do this Genesis â—5 3â— and sin against God The word of God must be made our wisedome and direction our guide and our counsellor it is able to deliuer vs froÌ„ the stranger that flatteteth with her wordes This is it that Salomon setteth before vs My sonne keepe thy fathers commandements Prou. 6 â—â— â— 23 24. and forsake not the law of thy mother binde them continually vpon thine heart and tie them about thy necke c. For the Commandement is a lamp and the Law is light c. to keepe thee from the euill woman from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman He teacheth that the lips of a strange woman drop as an hony combe and that her mouth is smoother then oyle but her end is bitter as worme-wood and sharpe as a two-edged sword how then shall we bee deliuered from her if the word of truth bee not in our mouthes and that which is more in our hearts to rule and reforme vs and to order our pathes aright Such as are ignorant of the word are soonest ouer-taken and they that haue not the loue and power of it dwelling in them The foolish woman that sitteth at the doore of her house and calleth the passengers that goe right in their waies Prou. 4 â— maketh choyse of such as are simple and want vnderstanding to turne in vnto her Lastly let vs keepe inuiolable the Couenant of marriage made in the presence of God of Angels and of men let the married persons make one another the delight of their eyes and the ioy of their hearts and be carefull to performe the duties they owe one to another And as the vnlawful impure coniunction of man and woman is detested of God so is holy matrimony euer accepted of him and adorned with many blessings and crowned with a continual supply of the fruits of his loue and fauour The Prophet sayeth Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord walketh in his waies 〈◊〉 28 1 2 for thou shalt eate the labour of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shal be well with thee thy wife shall bee as a fruitfull Vine by the sides of thine house thy children like Oliue plants round about thy table behold that thus shal the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. Riches are the inheritance of parents but a prudent wife is a speciall gift of God and wee receiue her as at his hands The Apostle doth beautifie it with an honorable title when he calleth it honorable in all It is the spirit of error which calleth that vncleane which God hath sanctified Adultery is foule and vncleane but the marriage bed is vndefiled Damnable then is the decree of Pope Syricius that marriage it selfe is the pollution of the flesh that the married cannot please God Diuellish also is the law of forced chastity restraining some orders and degrees from it whereas to auoid fornication euery man is commaÌ„ded to haue his owne wife and euery woman her owne husband 22 And when he hath made her to drinke the water then it shall come to passe that if she be defiled and haue done a trespasse against her husband that the water that causeth the curse shal enter into her and become bitter and her belly shall swell and her thigh shall rot and the woman shall bee a curse among her people 28 And if the womaÌ„ be not defiled but be clean then she shal be free and shall conceiue seed Wee haue shewed already that in setting downe this law of triall Moses obserueth 3. things First the cause is propounded Secondly the question and controuersie is determined And lastly the euent of the whole is deliuered The two former haue bene
those men that accused Daniel and to cast them into the den of Lyons who had the mastery ouer them and brake all their bones in peeces or euer they came at the bottome of the denne Dauid sinned in committing of adultery with the wife of Vriah his faithfull seruant and destroyed him with the sword of the Ammonites 2 Sam. 11â— he is paied home and punished in his owne kind for God by way of rewarding and seruing him as he had serued others as a iust iudge doth raise vp euill against him out of his owne house His owne sonnes breake out into the same sinnes and he kindleth such a fire in his owne family that they rise vp against him and one against another Absalom spreadeth a tent and lyeth with his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel Amnon deflowreth his sister Tamar to reuenge this Absalom killeth his owne brother Experience teacheth vs that blood requireth blood so that the murtherer requireth vengeance of God albeit peraduenture he escape the hand of the Magistrate We see this in Ioab he shed innocent blood and escaped a long time as if it had bin forgotten but at length his blood was shed and his hoare head went not downe to the graue in peace This is it which Christ telleth vs 1 King 2. â— Matth. 7.1 2. Iudge not that ye be not iudged for with what iudgement ye iudge ye shal be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe He that rashly and vniustly censureth others feeleth at one time or other the smart of it in the like kinde for God rayseth vp others iustly albeit they defame him vniustly that therby he may be recompensed This is that which Samuel bringeth into the remembrance of Agag the king of Amalek 1 Sam. 15.33 As thy sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother bee childlesse among women so he hewed him in pieces before the Lord. Neither need we goe farre to fetch examples of this trueth or turne ouer histories of ages past for we haue it sealed vp to vs in our daies and times wherein we liue I meane in those of the pretended holy league in our neighbor kingdome they confederated themselues to root out true religion and the professors therof out of the face of the earth they bend all their forces to effect it but the Lord that sitteth in heauen laugheth them to scorne and hath theÌ„ in derision he hath rewarded theÌ„ to the full and that in their owne kind he turned their weapons vpon themselues and sheathed their swords in their owne bowels as he dealt with the Midianites that slew one another Iudg. 2. â—â— The example of Haman is famous and well knowne he set vp a gibbet to hang Mordecai because he bowed not vnto him Ester â— â—â— howbeit himselfe was hanged vpon it and fell into the pit he had prepared for another but Mordecai escaped and was deliuered and aduanced who spake good for the King as appeareth in the booke of Ester Reason 1 The reasons are euident to be seene and easie to be found out First the iustice of God is thereby cleered and the mouth of iniquity stopped For what haue we to alledge or answer for our selues when God retaileth vs according to the sinne that wee haue committed Doubtlesse we haue no excuse or pretence or allegation for our selues but wee must confesse with our owne mouthes euen against our selues that God is righteous and we are vnrighteous This appeareth in the booke of Iudges in the example of Adonibezek being taken by Ioshua and the people hee had his thumbes and great toes cut off for he confessed that the iustice of God had found him out and requited him in his kinde according to his owne cruelty Iudg. 1 ver 7. Threescore and ten Kings hauing their thumbes and their great toes cut off gathered their meate vnder my Table as I haue done so God hath requited me and they brought him to Ierusalem there he died If then God bee iust he cannot but measure all his actions by iustice for no vnrighteousnesse is found in him as he will make men themselues confesse Reason 2 Secondly the Lord cannot abide a measure and a measure they are an abhomination vnto God as Prou. 20 23. Diuers weights are an abhomination to the Lord and a false ballance is not good The Iudge of all the world cannot but deale iustly and truely This reason is expressed by the Angel of the waters Reuel 16 5 6. Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shall be because thou hast iudged thus for they haue shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke Where he concludeth that their blood must be shed that delighted to shed the blood of others because God is a righteous Lord. His iustice shineth among men in all places in that he recompenceth the wickednesse of men by a like punishment sent from him so that their punishment is answerable to their sinne Reason 3 Thirdly the vngodly are fully worthy of such punishment It is meete that malefactors haue their deserts how then can they complaine of iniquity or iniustice so long as they receiue their owne and he paieth them the debt he oweth them with their owne mony GOD will giue to euery man according to his workes Rom. 2. and giue their wages according to their merites This reason is also added in the former place of the Reuelation where the Angel chargeth them that they had shed the blood of the Saints and putteth them in minde that God had done them no wrong when he gaue them blood to drinke then he annexeth the reason for they are worthy â—euel 16 6. If then wee consider the deserts of men how great they are we cannot maruaile wheÌ„ at any time we behold the hand of God stretched out against them in this manner and recompencing them with such measure Fourthly let vs marke what God requireth Reason 4 at the hands of Magistrates in his Law to wit that they recompence like for like Moses saith in the Law Thou shalt pay life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burning for burning wound for wound stripe for stripe Exod. 21 24. Such a blemish as he hath made in any such shall be repaied to him Leuit. 24 20. Neither was this law repealed or disliked by Christ our Sauiour Math. 5 38. Forasmuch as in that place he onely condemneth the abuse of it by priuate persons according to their priuate affections and lustes of reuenge who are not Magistrates If then the Lord will haue the higher powers recompence the sinner according to the manner of his sinne we may not doubt but he that is aboue all will measure his workes according to the rule of iustice which is most equall Therefore whatsoeuer measure we mete Luke 6 38. Matth. 26 52. Esay 33 1. it is iust
foundation The lampes vnder the law burned only in the night therefore the Papists haue no warrant to set them vp in the day time True it is Doway-Translators slubber ouer the matter in their annotations vpon Exodus and Samuel and tell vs that God would not haue darkenesse in his Tabernacle by day nor night but this is a weake and vngrounded assertion contrary to the Scripture as hath bin shewed and may also farther be shewed oâ—t of Exod. 27 21. The truth is that these noone-day Taper lights in honour of the liuing or of the dead Danae respons ad 7. Contro cap. 4. are a meere heathenish superstition as it appeareth out of the history of Herodian lib. 1. And from hence as also many other toyes did crept into the Church and therefore Hierome saith aduers vigilant Cereos clara luce non accendimus we do not light candles in the day time But we haue some reason to beare with them For to what end do they vse it in the day time but to make manifest their blindnesse ignorance Their religion is a darke and obscure religion compacted altogether of many blinde doctrines and therefore they would haue some light of their candles though they haue none of their doctrine The vse of a lanthorne and light is in a darke night There is no man in his right wits will carry a candle when the Sun shineth cleerely and brightly Durandus a great patrone of these superstitions can finde out nothing in the word written to iustifie defend these wax-candles therefore is constrained to establish them vpon the rotten decrees of Zosimus and Theodorus Enchirid. lib. 6. cap. 80 If any obiect that the Christians vsed lights lampes in their meetings I answer their meetings were in the night time for feare of their enemies For while the Church was in persecution they could not safely assemble in the day time and therefore they vsed those lights of necessity to remedy the darknesse of the night Acts 20 8. but when we haue free liberty choise of time place for the exercises of our religion that practise is not to be brought into imitation Vse 2 Againe it reproueth them that hold the Scriptures to be so darke and difficult that it is dangerous for the people to meddle with them lest they fall by them into errors heresies But we heare that the Scriptures are a lampe as a candle set vpon the table and as a Beacon kindled to shew light farre and neere What then Can the light be darknesse surely no more then the darknesse can bee light And if they be darke it followeth that either the holy Ghost could not expresse his minde and meaning more cleerely and euidently or else he would not To say hee could not is blasphemy and maketh him a weake and impotent God to say he would not were to make him an enuious God as if he did enuy the good of his Church But whatsoeuer was written afore time was written for our instruction Rom. 15 4. 2 Tim. 3 16. therfore God euery where commandeth that they should be read and heard of all high and low rich poore men and women old and young Deut. 6 9. 17 18. 31 11. Iosh 1 8. Esay 8 20. He wil haue all sorts of persons come to the knowledge of the truth that they may be saued 2 Pet. 3 9. 2 Tim. 2 25. But how shall they come to repentance and to the knowledge of the truth without the Scriptures Euery member of the Church must haue them dwell richly in them Col. 3 16. All are commanded to search them Ioh. 5 39. The men of Berea are commended for it Acts 17 11. so is the Eunuch who while he sate in his Chariot read them Acts 8 30. They also are reproued that were vnskilfull in them and slow of heart to beleeue them They are able to make vs wise vnto saluation Out of them as from an armory Math 22 29. Luke 24.25 Eph 6 16 17. Math. 4 4. 22 31 29. we must draw weapons against Satan and his instruments both defensiue and offensiue Christ and his Apostles vsed these weapons to beate downe all impiety and heresie whereas the ignorance of them is the cause of errour This armour artillery must all men procure and no man be denied to draw this sword that is a soldier of Iesus Christ From hence therefore is reproued the errour in opinion and weaknesse of iudgment resting in the common sort they perswade themselues that the knowledge of theÌ„ belongeth not to them but to the Ministers and to the learned because they take them to be so darke and themselues so simple that they are as a deepe well and they haue nothing to draw nay that it is dangerous for them to meddle with them as if they were a rocke at which they might suffer shipwracke But this is nothing so Let all such marke that they are as a light shining in the night of this present world to shew vs the right way and to leade vs a sure way forward to the end of our faith True it is we shall haue no need of it when once we come to our iournies end For as men wheÌ„ they are come to their lodging resting place require no more the helpe of the lanthorne so shal it be with vs when the daies of our passage and pilgrimage are ended and we be come to the heauenly Ierusalem we shall no more want this ministeriall light the Lord shall be the light of that City Reuel 21 2â— 1 Cor. 13.8 there shall bee no need of the Sun or Moone there to shine in it then Prophesie shall faile tongues shall ceasse and knowledge shall vanish away Furthermore we must know that the Scriptures are not hard and hidden in the fundamentall points but all things necessary to saluatioÌ„ are easie to them that will vnderstand Deu. 30 11 Rom. 10 â— â— They are like to the holy waters that issued out froÌ„ vnder the threshold of the house Eze. 47 1 which were first vp to the ankles v. 3. then vp to the loynes v. 4. which afterward became as a riuer that could not be passed ouer v. 5. In them is strong meat for men and milke for babes and children In them the Elephant may swim and the Lambe may wade No man must therfore be discouraged from searching the Scriptures which do giue vnderstanding euen to the simple Prou 1 4. Psal 119 3. and knowledge and discretion to the young man he may learne by them to reforme his waies and to know how to feare the Lord. But are not many things hard in them Doth not Peter say of Pauls Epistles that they are hard 2 Pet. 3 1â— I answer he speaketh not of the hardnes of the Epistles as appeareth by the change of the gender but that in the Epistles are many mystical points and matters of faith rather then of reason
vnto vs. If an earthly Prince should send a messenger vnto any of vs hee is regarded for the Princes sake that sent him We are Ambassadors for Christ saith the Apostle as thogh God did beseech you by vs we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled vnto God 2 Cor. 5 ver 20. and therefore we should bee heard receiued and respected for our Masters sake Again they must submit themselues to our doctrine not onely when wee heare pleasing things precious promises and gracious comforts but when we heare the word sounding an alarme in our eares vttering reproofes deliuering threatnings and denouncing iudgements We see in humane things we are content to accept of the excuse of men that say they are but seruants and messengers they craue pardon because they are seruants and they obtaine it So standeth the case with vs we are sent of God who hath put his word into our mouths The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie Amos 3 7 8. Let vs not therefore be blamed we are Messengers we cannot but doe our message for the loue of almighty God of his people constraineth vs. How then shold we hold our peace when we are commanded to speake Lastly this Title importeth a limitation for no more is to be ascribed vnto vs then vnto seruants We are indeede as the Stewards of the house not in the number of the lowest and meanest seruants howbeit yet we are seruants as 1 Cor. 3 5. What is Paul or Cephas or Apollos but the Ministers by whom ye beleeue And therefore when Cornelius ascribed more to Peter then should be yeelded to a seruant he forbad him saying Stand vp for I my selfe also am a man But not many in our dayes offend this way we haue turned honouring of them into contempt and are so farre from falling at their feete that we are ready to trample them vnder our feete and make them our foote-stoole who are for no other cause accounted our enemies but because they tell vs the truth Verse 23 24. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying This is it that belongeth vnto the Leuites from twentie and fiue yeare olde c. In these words we haue a limitation annexed by the expresse commandement of God touching the time of entering into the office of the Leuites to wit at the age of 25. yeeres This may seeme to be contrary to that which wee noted before Obiectioâ— chap. 4 23 31 33. where the age of thirty yeeres is appointed If then it be asked how it commeth to passe that in these seueral places seueral times are assigned for their election into the office and how it falleth out that fiue yeeres are cut off which before were granted I answer Answer here is no contrariety these Scriptures are thus to be reconciled The fiue yeeres restrained in this place which were enlarged before serued for triall and probation of such as entred into the office and seruice of the Sanctuary For when they were fiue and twentie yeeres olde they began to ioyne themselues with the rest and to minister before the Lord but being thirty and found fit they entered fully and wholly vpon their calling and therefore Chapt. 4. verse 3. Moses saith Fit to do the worke but in this place they are said to goe in to execute Euen as such as must go to warre are first trained and mustered and taught how to fight and skirmish that afterward they may know how to buckle on their armour in earnest and to looke the enemy in the face so was it in this spirituall warfare they were for a certaine time trained which yeeres once expired they were admitted The Doctrine from hence is this that the Ministers must be proued tried Doctriâ—â— examined before they be admitted to teach the people The miâ—â—â— must be â—â—â—ued and 〈◊〉 before tâ—â— be admiâ—â—â— to teach 〈◊〉 people The Apostles did not by their sole authoritie appoint one to succeed in place of Iudas who was faln from the Apostleship but they broght two forth and presented them or set them vp before the people that they might iudge whither they were fit or not Actes 1 23. The Church ought not to appoint any to the holie Ministery without good triall of their ability and sufficiencie forasmuch as two were set vp and caused to stand before the congregation that it might bee knowne whether they were such persons as ought to be chosen and that any man might obiect against them if he had ought to obiect Obiect But it may be saide Is this apposing or examining necessary at all times and to be vsed toward all persons I answer if they be fully and famously knowne to them that haue the right of choosing and trying it is not needfull howbeit it is necessary that they should offer themselues to this examination We see this in schooles of learning such as are to be preferred to any dignity that is voide there is an examination required albeit the parties to be chosen be neuer so sufficient and their sufficiency fully knowne to such as haue the voices of election in their hands how much more then ought this to be in this most weighty businesse of the Church This is farther apparent out of the Apostle 1 Tim. 3 10. Let these also first be proued then let them vse the office of a Deacon being found blamelesse so that they ought not before they be proued and when he saith Let these also he signifieth that the Ministers of the Church ought to vndergoe this triall Besides they must be without reproofe and haue good report of all Tit. 1 6. But it cannot be knowne whether they bee blamelesse without examination and triall going before And this standeth vpon good reason Reason 1 For first he is to take vpon him a greater charge then they that haue most costly iewels and precious pearles of wonderfull price coÌ„mitted vnto them forasmuch as he is to gouerne the sonnes and daughters of the King of heauen and earth and hath the price of the blood of Christ committed vnto him Acts 20 28. Secondly there be many subtill workers and deceitfull dealers transforming themselues into Angels of light 2 Cor. 11 13 14 and into the Apostles of Christ they haue indeed sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues Math. 7 15. They seeke craftily and cunningly to creepe in that they may hurry and weary the flocke and then destroy and deuoure it Acts 20 29 30. They speake peruerse things to draw away disciples after them ver 30. If then there be not a narrow search and triall made of their doctrine and conuersation before they be admitted into the Ministery they haue a gate and gap opened vnto them to enter to the ruine of the Church Thirdly the office of Deacons was a function of lesse duty and danger in the Church they were onely to attend vpon the poore and yet they must not haue admission without due triall and examination as
saide that Ioseph was sold to the Ismaelites in the same chap. ver 36. that the Midianites solde Ioseph to Putaphar Pharaohs steward and chap 39 1. that Putaphar bought Ioseph of the Ismaelites which the Chaldean Paraphrast in the same place calleth Arabians To make this yet more plaine it appeareth Iudg. 6 3. that when Israel had sowen then came vp the Madianites Amalekites and they of the East to set vppon them they of the East were Arabians of the Desert so as where before in the buying of Ioseph the Madianites and the Ismaelites were confounded here the Madianites the Amalekites are made one nation and chap. 8 24. these nations are all called Ismaelites and neither Madianites nor Amalekites of which in processe of time came the Mahometan Arabians Neither is the marginall note vpon chap. 37 28 of Gen. in the Geneua Bibles any thing to the purpose who to auoide the confounding of these Nations and taking one for another tell vs that Moses wrote according to their opinion who tooke the Madianites Ismaelites to be all one For Moses wrote the truth as it was in it selfe who was no stranger but well acquainted in Arabia in the border whereof and in Arabia it selfe he had formerly liued forty yeres and therefore no man was better able to describe these places so that it is a vaine thing to make him vtter an vntruth contrary to his own knowledge and to follow the opinion of others that were deceiued The like mistaking of Ethiopia for Chush is found in many other places The first is Gen. 2 13. The name of the second riuer is Gihon the same is that which compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia in Hebrew it is the land of Chush But the Ethiopians are as much as blacke or burnt faces whose proper countrey is called Thebaides lying to the Southward of all Egypt farre distant from that land which was peopled and inhabited by the Cushites And Gihon is a riuer that watereth Chush and not Ethyopia But it will be obiected Obiection that Homer maketh a twofold Ethyopia the East and the West which also is found in Strabo For hee saith Odyss lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where he sheweth expressely that the Ethiopians are diuided into two sorts some lye vnder the East Sun and some vnder the west But this serueth nothing to bring these Chusites to be either the one or the other Answer both of them being found elsewhere For the East Ethiopia is that which compasseth Nilus to the South of Egypt and is the south border therof now a part of the Empire of the Abyssines vnder Prester Iohn and the west Ethiopia is that which ioyneth it selfe with the riuer Niger which we call Senega and Gambria for there-about are these Ethyopians called Perorsi Daratites with diuers other names which Pliny numbreth in his fift booke and eight chapter Plin natur hist lib. 5. cap. 8. and these two do lye indeede directly east and west I meane that of Niger and the other of Prester Iohn But touching Chush and the region of the Ismaelites with the rest they are extended directly North from that of Ethiopia which is beyond Egypt The farther mistaking of Chush for Ethiopia may be shewed out of two places in the second book of the chronicles First where Zearah the Chushite 2 Chro. 14 9. brought an army of ten hundred thousand against Asa King of Iudah which army whence it came the question ariseth whether out of Ethiopia or out of Arabia where the Chusites inhabited Doubtlesse not from Ethiopia for that had bene a strange march and progresse for such a multitude or world of people hauing so mighty a King as the King of Egypt betweene Palestina and Ethiopia But these were the Cushites Amalekites Midianites Ismaelites and Arabians God hauing long before promised to make a great people of Ismael Gen. 25 16. and that twelue Princes should yssue from him For after that Asa strengthned by God had defeated this huge army swarming with such a multitude he followed his victory and tooke some of the Cities of king Zearah round about and among the rest Gerar. Now that Gerar should be any City of the Ethiopians no man can suspect or defend as appeareth in these places Gen. 12 11. and Exod. 17.8 compared together Abraham departed to the south country and dwelt between Cadesh and Sur and soiourned in Gerar. Now Sur is that part vpon which Moses and the Israelites first set their feete after they had passed the redde sea where the Amalekites set vpon them in Rephidim supposing they had beene weary and vnable to resist And in the history of Isaac it is written Genesis 26 1. that he went to Abimelech King of the Philistims vnto Gerar but no man is so simple as to say that Abimelech and the Philistims were Ethiopians The same might be shewed out of many circumstances in that chapter Lastly Moses himself describing the bounds of Canaan to confirme the faith and to quicken the hope of Israel hath these words Gen. 10 19. The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as thou commest to Gerar vnto Gaza as thou goest vnto Sodome and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboim euen vnto Lusha now Sidon was the Frontier of Canaan toward the North and Gerar by Gaza toward the South Another place of translating Ethiopia for Chush is in 2 Chro. 21 16. which the Geneua Translators haue thus The Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the spirit of the Philistims and Arabians which were beside the Ethiopians But the Philistims and the Negroes are farre asunder as euery one that looketh vpon a Map may easily iudge whereas the Philistims and Arabians do mixe and ioyne with the land of the Cushites and are distant from Ethiopia about 32. or 33. degrees and therefore cannot be their next neighbours inasmuch as all Egypt and the deserts of Sur and Pharan are betweene them so that it ought rather to be thus translated The Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the spirit of the Philistims and of the Arabians which confine or border vpon the Cushites for these indeede are their next neighbours But the Israelites had neuer any communion or affaires with the Ethiopians nor any intelligence or trade beyond Egypt to the South but the enemies which they had on the south and east parts were these nations of the Chushites Philistims Ismaelites Amalekites and Midianites who in one generall name were all Arabians Another mistaking of Ethiopia for Chush is in the history of Senacherib 2 Kings 19 9. where the Geneua saith he heard that Tirhakah king of Ethiopia was come out to fight against him This army that marched against the king of Arabia Antiq. lib. 10. cap. 1. not from Ethiopia as Iosephus himself maketh it manifest for he confesseth that this army came to releeue the Iewes and the Egyptians whom the proud Senacherib
chapter of Deuteronomy And his very drift and purpose was to curse that is to bewitch them and so to weaken them with his enchantments that they might be a cursed and detested a loathsome and forlorne people So it is noted that when the Embassadors came first vnto him to acquaint him with the purpose of Balak they had the reward of the soothsaying in their hands Numb 22 7. Yea when the Lord opened the mouth of Balaam to vtter his will against his owne will the truth hath this wretch vpon the racke he confesseth that all his sorcery and soothsaying could not preuaile against Gods people saying There is no sorcery against Iacob nor soothsaying against Israel Numb 23 23. This also sundry of the Fathers affirme that he was famous in art-magicke Aug Ser◠〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 and mighty in working by hurtfull charmes and therby grew in great estimation among all the people of the East This likewise is the iudgment of Origen Gregory Nissen Basil and others reputing him as a Prophet of the diuell thinking he had bene oftentimes hyred for like purposes perswading themselues he had made many like experiments of his science in former times Lastly the manner of his whole proceeding â—m 24 1. in going to fetch diuinations and answers from the diuell and in preparing seuen Altars seuen Bullocks seuen Rams seuen sacrifices is altogether correspondent and answerable to the ancient Discipline of the Magitians â—natur hist 〈◊〉 8. cap. 10. 〈◊〉 Chil. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 Echog 8. who ascribed a certaine kinde of heauenly force and vertue vnto vneuen numbers as appeareth by the Poet Numero Deus impare gaudet that is A mystery diuine it is that God Delighted is in numbers that are odde This deuise proceeded at the first from the Pythagoreans â—â—an in lib. 4 â—ap cap. 14. 〈◊〉 lib. 14 â—â—ph 〈◊〉 in lib. 〈◊〉 who made all things to be the resemblance similitude of numbers whom Aristotle and Galen in many places laughed to scorne Wherefore seeing we haue sufficiently proued by testimony of the Scripture and authority of the ancient Fathers that Balaam was no better then a Witch Sorcerer therfore he dealeth in all his actions according to the learning of the Augures and soothsaying which we will vnfold for our better vnderstaÌ„ding of this History in the last conclusion Hitherto we haue spoken of the person of Balaam and haue discouered his wicked life his wretched idolatry his execrable sorcery we haue made it plaine that both Balak the King and Balaam the false Prophet were of the vnbeleeuing Gentiles without hope in God without beleefe in Christ without taste of religion without sparke or spice of godlinesse so that in the next place wee will lay downe certaine rules of the base or bastard religion of these Nations and vpon those coÌ„clusions as vpon a sure and certaine foundation wee will build the interpretation of this place 〈◊〉 fourth â—â—clusion Therefore the fourth conclusion shall be that the Gentiles had and held many gods onely the people of Israel beleeued and worshipped one God to whom Moses said Heare O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely Deut 6 4. When Salomon by marrying strange wiues embraced also a strange religion it is noted that his wiues turned his heart after other gods So that he followed Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites and Chemosh the Idoll of the Moabites 1 Kings 11 4 5. This the Apostle Paul plainly teacheth 1 Cor 8 4 5 6. We know that an Idoll is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one For though there be that are called gods whether in heauen or in earth as there bee many gods and many lords yet vnto vs there is but one God which is that Father of whom are all things and we by him Where we see the true religioÌ„ touching one God is opposed against the superstition of the Infidels touching the plurality and multitude of gods Thus then we see that in the corrupt opinion of corrupt men they had many gods some worshipping the Sunne the Moone the Starres some the Angels others Iupiter Mars Mercury Diana and many such of like sort For being left to the vanity of their owne minde they gaue diuine worship wheresoeuer any diuine gift appeared in any creature And so while they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles They turned the truth of God into a ly Rom. 1 22 25 28. worshipt the creature insted of the Creator which is blessed for euer so God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts and deliuered them vp into a reprobate mind to do those things which are not conuenient The fift conclusion The fift conclusion is that as they beleeued many gods so they imagined that euery people had his protecting god to be their patron and protection to store them with blessings and to preserue them from their enemies In each Towne and City one was chosen to bee the Deus tutelaris that is the Patron of the place for euery house is a little City or rather euery City a great house Viues his annot on August de Ciuit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 3. When he was well pleased then they prospered when he was angry they were ouercome destroied Macrob. Saturn lib. 3. cap 9. Herodian lib. 8. as is testified by sundry writers of good credit Thus do the Papists at this day For as they call vpon sundry Saints for sundry purposes vpon some for the plague vpon others for the safe deliuerance of women vpon others for the tempests on the sea vpon others to obtaine faire weather and haue a seuerall Saint for euery season so they account them their Patrons and call them by the name of their protecting gods Paâ—l Ioui hist lib. 24. as appeareth by Paulus Iouius one of their owne writers of histories Thus wee see that the idolatry of our time is indeed and in truth the same with the ancient idolatry of the heathen so that albeit the names of the Idols bee changed yet the nature of the idolatry is still retained Now the truth of our conclusion is euidently collected gathered out of the Scriptures Hereunto commeth the reason produced by Iephtah to auow the lawfulnes of inheriting the Cities of the Amorites which Israel had conquered by the sword held by prescription for three hundred yeeres Iudg. 11 24. Wouldest not thou possesse that which Chemosh thy god giueth thee to possesse So whomsoeuer the Lord our God driueth out before vs them will we possesse This also appeareth in the description of the wickednesse of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28 23. In the time of his tribulation did hee yet trespasse more against the Lord for he sacrificed vnto the gods of Damascus which he falsly supposed had plagued him and he said Because the gods of the Kings of Aram helped them I will sacrifice vnto them and
most High that made them that ministreth all things vnto them in whom they liue and breath and to whom they shall one day giue an account when all flesh shal appeare before hâ—m Would not he be iudged among men a most vngodly and vngracious child that should slander and curse reprooue and reproach his â—aren s with contumelious words And if he should deny his father that he knoweth him â—r onely doubt of it would not such an one be thought vnworthy to liue vpon the earth How much more are they to be abhorred and â—etested that blaspheme the name of GOD which is blessed and holy throughout all generations Which say vnto God Depart from vs for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Who is the Almighty that we should serue him what profit shall wee haue if we should pray vnto him Iob. 21 2â— 25. Vse 2 Secondly see hereby how forward zelous men are in their wil-worship and let vs take notice of our owne dulnes backwardnesse in the true worship of the eternall God in comparison of these poore blind Idolaters We see this euidently in the Israelites when they determined in the absence of Moses to set vp the golden Calfe Exo. 32 3 6. they pulled off their earings they bestowd their gold they spared no cost to the end they might haue a seruice of God after their owne fancy and when it was made they rose earely in the morning to worship it and expressed theyr delight in it by â—eaping and dancing before it We see it also in the old Idolaters they were so zealous and superstitious that they were content to part with things most deare and precious 〈◊〉 â—6 37 they offered their sons and daughters vnto diuels and shed innocent blood euen the blood of their sons and of their daughters whom they offered to the idols of Canaan This also appeareth by our neâ— idolaters by their pilgrimages vowes garnishing gâ—lding and cloathing of images Let vs therfore be zealous in the true worship of God and learne of these blinde men to be ashamed of our coldnesse and carelesnesse of our backewardnesse vnwillingnes in the best things When the mother of Machah would make a molten image Iudg 1â— 3â— she dedicated eleuen hundred sheâ—els vnto the Lord to make thereof a grauen image or idoll Whereby we see in this voluntary worship and wil-seruice being agreeable vnto the corrupt nâ—ture of man how forward and feruent how ready willing they were to follow and further their idolatry But how many be there that liue in the bosome of the Church and professe the true religion prospering vnder the shadow of it and tasting how bountifull the Lord is that to maintaine the trueth repine and greeue to giue one halfe peny Albeit they waste their yeares in vanity and think nothing too much to bestow on pride drunkennesse riotousnes whoredome and all excesse to the dishonoring of God to the impairing of their estates and to the destruction of their soules and bodies yet when they should bestow and contribute any thing for the maintaining of a lerned ministry to instruct them theyr families in the word which is able to saue their soules how do they pinch and repine at it as if they were like to be vndone Or if a collection or contribution be to be made for the poore to releeue them in their necessities one peny giuen this way doth more grieue them make them grudge at it then a pound coâ—sumed in baddeâ— and baser vses What a shame is this for those whom the Lord hath blessed with abundance that they should spend all on their backes and bellies on hawkes or houndes or whores and nothing at all to the glory of God to the comfort of their soules and vnto the helpe of their brethren nothing on the Church of God and vpon their bretheren in Christ dearly bought with the blood of Christ as of a Lambe vnspotted and vndefiled To this purpose Salomon speaketh also Prouer. verse 23. Buâ— the trueth but sell it not likewise wisedom instruction and vnderstanding This our Sauiour Christ teacheth also Mat. 13 44 45 46. Lastly seeing the heathen were woont to Vse 3 esteeme highly and prouide liberally for their prophets and soothsayers how much more ought the faithfull and painfull Ministers of God that labour in the word and doctrine to be maintained For seeing they plant in the Lords vineyard 1 Cor 9 7 13 14. why should they not eate the fruit and gather the profites thereof Seeing they go a warfare and fight the battels of God why should they not take their presse-mony receiue their pay Seeing they feed the flocke of God committed vnto them wherof the holy Ghost hath made them ouerseeâ—s why should they not eat of the milke thereof Seing they bee nurses to nurse the sonnes and daughters of God with the two brests of the Olde and New Testament why should they not receyue their wages If they sowe spirituall things why should they not reape carnall things Seeing they minister about holy things why should they not eate of the things of the Temple And seeing they waite at the Altar why should they not bee partakers with the Altar If they bee the Lords Labourers why should they noâ— haue the reward and recompence of theyr worke For the Lord himselfe hath decreed and ordained that they which do preach the Gospell should likewise liue of the Gospell All the Heathen people thoroughout the world are bountifull and open their hands wide to their Priests and Prophets Iezabel so prouided for the Priests of Baal and the other Prophets of the Groues that she kept foure hundred at her owne Table 1 Kings 18 19. The Papists haue thought nothing too much nothing too deare to bee bestowed vpon theyr Priests and Iesuites and vpon theyr foolish superstition And as they do liberally maintaine so they do greatly honor and highly aduance them they account them as the Fathers and Pillars of the Church This should stirre vs vp hauing a founder religion and making a better profession to haue the Teachers thereof in singular loue for their works sake that is in their hands 1 Thess 5 12 13 and to account their feete beautifull Rom. 10 15. that bring glad tydings of good things who are as spirituall fathers of our soules and as Ioash said to Elisha the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof For when Elisha fell sicke of his sicknesse whereof he dyed the King came downe vnto him to visite him and wept vpon his face saying O my father my father the Chariot of Israel the horsemen of the same 2 Kings 13 14. This serueth to condemne our contempt toward the Messengers and Ministers of God that rise early and late to speake vnto vs in the Name of the Lord who in stead of honour are disgraced in stead of countenance are contemned in stead of maintainance are euery way defrauded partly by prophane Atheists
respect of the largenesse and seeing the obedience of Christ is not lesse auaileable then the disobedience of Adam we feare not to auouch that the Church hath many children as a tree with many branches as a body with many members as a fountain with many streames and as an army of many souldiers making vp one Campe. But before we come to the vses of this Doctrine it shall not be amisse to answer a question Obiect and to remoue an Obiection that may be raised from hence For this may seeme to be contrary to other places of Scripture where it teacheth that few shall be saued that few are chosen Math. 7 14 and 20 16. Luk. 12 32. Esay 1 9. that a remnant shall be saued that the flocke of Christ is a little flocke that the way is narrow and the gate streight that leadeth to life and few enter into it If then they be few how are they many If a small company how are they moe then can be numbred To be few and yet to be many to be a remnant and yet moe then can be reckoned seeme not to agree together I answer the Church may be truely said to haue many children Answer and few members in diuers respects For it is considered two wayes First simply Secondly by comparison First in respect of themselues and the seuerall parts thereof Secondly in respect of the vnbeleeuers If they be compared with the world of Infidels and Hypocrites with Reprobates and Castawayes Lu. 13 23 24. with the vessels of wrath that shall be consumed they be a very few and as a little handfull like a sparke in respect of a great fire or like a drop of water in respect of a great streame for the number of the damned is farre greater But if they be considered in themselues not compared with others The multitude of them that are ordained to eternall life and shall be saued is very great and exceeding many yea so many as no maÌ„ is able to comprehend the number of them Hebr. 12 1. To expresse this difference by some similitudes and examples we see in a common collection and gathering albeit euery man can giue but a little yet when it commeth together the totall summe amounteth to a great matter When a Captaine is to leuy forces and to muster his souldiers if he should take but ten out of a Parish through this kingdome when they come together and meete in one place they make a great Army and a Campe-royall yet if they be compared with the multitude of men women and children that are left behind they are as nothing they are as an handfull and are scarce missed So is it with the true Church of God they are both few yet many they are few in respect of those that shal be condemned which multiply vpon the earth and couer the face thereof and yet they are many in number in respect of the particular parts as shal appeare in the end of the world when they shall be gathered into one place from all places of the world Hauing answered this Obiection and cleered Vse 1 the Doctrine before deliuered let vs come to the vses arising from hence First we learne from hence the great power of the word of God Albeit the Ministery thereof be of the world esteemed foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1 2 yet to them that are iustified to them that are sanctified to theÌ„ that are effectually called it is the wisedome of God and the power of God The Church is called our Mother the word of God is coÌ„mitted to the keeping of the Church beeing the Piâ—lar of truth 1 Tim. 3 â— so that by preaching of the word the Church bringeth forth children to God The word is the seed of regeneration 1 Pet. 1 23 it is milke for children 1 Cor. 3 2 it is strong meate for men of riper yeares Heb. 5 14 whose sences are expert and exercised in the discerning of things that differ If then it worke such a glorious effect we may conclude that it is liuely and mighty in operation entring through to the diuiding of the soule and spirit the ioynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Seeing therefore the encrease of the Church is by the effectuall preaching of the Gospel whereby the members of Christ are vnited into his body and the Sheepe of Christ are gathered into his fold we must acknowledge the power and force of the word to be exceeding great wherby it is brought to passe Heb. 4 1â— Secondly hereby we haue matter of great Vse reioycing praising God to see the prosperity and flourishing estate of the Church encreasing and growing to so many millions or multitudes and to consider how glorious the Name of Chrâ—st shall be when all concurre meete together to praise him The honouâ— of an earthly Prince standeth in the multitude of his Subiects Prou. 14 28 then how glorious and excellent shall the Name of Christ be when so many thousands and thousand thousands that none can number for the infinite multitude shall assemble together to sing the praises of God saying Saluation commeth of our God that sitteth vpon the Throne of the Lamb Praiâ—e and glory and wisedome and thanks and honour be vnto our God for euermore Amen Reu. 7 9.10 12. Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises vnto our King sing praises for God is the King of all the earth Psal 47 6 7. What can minister more ioy vnto vs then to behold the beauty of Sion when one member is added vnto the Church We see how men reioyce when their house is encreased when they haue children giuen vnto them being the inheritance of the Lord and the fruite of the wombe being his reward Psal 127 3. How much more should we reioyce and be glad when we see the church which is the house of God to multiply florish That hee maâ—eth a barren woman to dwell with a family and a ioyfull mother of many children Psal 113.9 It is noted by Christ our Sauiour that the Angels reioyce at the repentance of men when he saith I say vnto you Luk. 15 â— that ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that conuerteth more then for ninety and nine iust men which need none amendment of life how much more then ought we to comfort our selues when the faithfull are encreased when the wayes of the Lord are knowne vpon earth and his sauing health among all Nations The Euangelist Luke testifieth That when the Apostles and Brethren heard that God had granted repentance vnto life to the Gentiles they praised and glorified God Acts 11 18. And this is that vse which the Apostle Paul teacheth Gal 4 27. It is written Reioyce thou barren that bearest no children breake foorth and cry thou that trauailest not for the desolate hath many moe children then shee which hath an husband So then the encrease of the Church when one member
ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore This the Apostle confirmeth describing the second comming of Christ to iudgement The dead in Christ shall rise and wee which liue and remaine shall be caught vp with them in the Clouds so shall we euer be with the Lord. 1 Thess 4 17. This circumstance serueth to commend the happines of the godly in that after they haue once made an entrance into it taken possession of that heauenly inheritance they shall neuer haue experience of any change nor finde any ende or intermission of euerlâ—sting glory When we shall lay downe this earthly tabernacle be cloathed with immortality we shal taste of a better condition then euer Adam had in his greatest felicity Gen. 1 26. True it is Adam in his innocency had a glorious estate and he was created in the Image of God according to his likenesse yet withall he was made mutable changeable as we see by the euent for he fell from all his glory so that the excellency of his dignity and the excellency of his power were lost and turned into weaknesse and misery but so many as shall reigne in the kingdome of heauen shall liue for euer be vnchangeable they shall neuer fall away but shall be vnmoueable So then heereby we see to our endlesse comfort and consolation that so many as be true members of Christ haue mortified the corruptions of the old man to bring foorth the fruites of a sanctified life haue lost nothing by the fall of Adam but shall recouer a more excellent estate in Christ then euer they lost in Adam so that our losse is turned to be gaine and aduantage vnto vs. Vse 3 Thirdly it teacheth that it is time for vs to repent and turne vnto God Euery soule that will escape the wrath of God and be partaker of his mercies must be fashioned anew framed to please God sanctifying his heart and changing his will to be agreeable to the will of God For God will neuer apply himselfe to vs nor alter that which is already gone out of his mouth Many in this life take a priuiledge vnto themselues by reason of their high places riches friends other outward respects to sinne against God and claime a tolleration and qualification to be borne withall aboue others But with the Lord there is no partiality to be found but being a most constant God in all his doings he obserueth one rule way with all he regardeth no mans person or persons nor accepteth any gift or reward he fauoureth the Prince no more then the Subiect the honourable no more theÌ„ the base of birth the rich no more then the begger but dealeth with all sorts of men and women according to that which hee hath already in iustice and righteousnes determined in his word that is To them which are contentious and disobey the truth he sendeth indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill the Iew first and then the Gentile but vnto those that continue through patience in well doing hee giueth glory and honour c. Rom. chap. 2 ver 8. This admonisheth vs that we deceiue not our selues in hoping for another manner of dealing from God then he hath already manifested in his word It is a common practise in the world when we are admonished of any duty or reproued of any sinne and heare the penalty thereof denounced out of the word to answer We hope it is not so hard as you would beare vs in hand we trust God will disspence with vs if we do no worse ther are few or none but offend in as great matters as these And thus although not plainly and peremptorily yet in very deed we do as much as if we accused God to be a lyar to be inconstant and deceiueable and his word to be a counterfet word which notwithstanding is saide to bee like vnto siluer Psalm 12.6 which is seuen times tryed in the fire It hath no drosse or deceit in it it hath neuer fayled or beguiled any An vnchangeable God an vnchangeable word Let vs be transformed into the obedience of it It is not a leaden rule to bend euery way to vs. All our wayes must bee brought and framed vnto it And when once we are turned to God let vs not returne backe againe to our olde wayes but perseuere and continue constant vnto the end The vnchangeable God requireth an vnchangeable seruant As he is euerlasting and eternall so he requireth faith and obedience to remaine and endure with vs to the last breath Lastly heerein is great comfort offered to Vse 4 the seruan s of GOD as on the other side horrour to the wicked and disobedient For seeing GOD is immutable the same now which he hath beene heeretofore and so is to continue for euer wee may from hence take strong consolation by former examples of Gods dealing toward his dearest children and in all tentations and tryals build our selues vpon that blessed experience as vpon a sure foundation that can neuer fall or faile vs. As God hath heeretofore neuer forsaken those that trusted in him rested and relyed vpon him but loued those for euer Iohn 23 1. whom hee loued once preserued and defended the godly from the rage of their enemies his guifts toward them being without repentance so will hee continue vnto the end of the world and therfore Dauid saith that in his experience he neuer saw the righte us forsaken Psal 37 25. And our Sauiour saiâ—h in the Prophet that They are Plants planted by God that shall neuer bee plucked vp Esay 61 3. Thus the Apostle teacheth that The foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2 19. We haue heard of the patience of Iob and know what end the Lord made Iob 5 11 albeit he did try him yet he did not destroy him albeit he did afflict him yet he did not leaue him Many haue beene the troubles of the righteous yet the Lord deliuereth them out of them all Psal 34 19. They haue bene stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandered vp and downe in sheepe-skins and in goats skins being destitute afflicted tormented Heb. 11 37 yet he euermore succored them in their tentations so that they became more then Conquerours through him that loued them and were made able to comfort others His right hand is not shortned he is euer the same yesterday and to day and abideth like himselfe for euer Hee will deale with vs as he hath dealt with them He will shew himselfe toward his children in these dayes as he shewed himselfe toward our fathers in former times He doth not shew himselfe to be one God in our age another God in another age but in all ages and generations he is one the same to his people to our endlesse comfort and consolation And as this ought to
many men of a proud and prophane spirit in our dayes For when the wife who ought to bee an helper vnto her husband shall with modesty and meeknesse of spirit it admonish him for the bettering of his estate for the benefite of his wealth for the comfort of his family anâ— for the profit of his owne soule to forsake his euill company to renounce his drunkennesse or other wickednesse wherein hee delighteth what is more common then for his companions to say vnto him Wilt thou bee ruled and gouerned by her Wilt thou endure her to be thy master Wilt thou suffer her to crow and to carpe ouer thee And thus while they think to become wise men they shew themselues fooles For are we wiser then our father Abraham who accounted it no reproofe or reproach vnto him to obey the counsell of his wife when she perswaded him to cast out the bondwoman and her sonne out of his house No woman in Scripture more renowned and commended for subiection and submission to her husband yet she gaue him good counsell to her great praise and Abraham is commanded to listen vnto it for God sayd vnto him In all that Sara shal say vnto thee heare hir voice Gen. 21 12. Away then with the pride peeuishnesse of all those that take it as a discredit vnto themselues to be put in minde of theyr duty by others and refuse all counsel whereof themselues are not the authors Let vs put on the spirit of humility and decke our selues inwardly wiâ—h lowlynesse of minde to hearken to euery one that can direct vs in the which is good On the other side it behooueth vs to beware of euill counsell and of euill counsellors for they are as the instruments of the diuell and lye in waite to entrap vs. It is impossible to be free from these sonnes of Belial we shall be assaulted by them and therefore thou must be so throughly prepared against them that if thy father that begate thee or thy mother that bare thee or thy wife that lyeth in thy bosome 〈◊〉 13 6. or thy friend that is as thy owne soule shall entice thee secretly or openly to any impiety against thy holy faith or obedience remember from what bâ—tter root it proceedeth and say vnto him as Christ did vnto Peter Come behinde me satan For when Peter began to disswade him from that gâ—eat worke vnto which the Father had sanctified him and sent him into the world he sayd vnto him Get thee behinde mee Satan thou art an offence vnto me because thou sauourest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men A notable example for vs all to follow when we are moued any way to dishonour our God and to wound our owne conscience by committing of sinne 15 And he vttered his Parable and said Balaam the son of â—eor hath saide and the man whose eyes weâ—e opâ—ned hath sâ—â—â—e 16 He hath said that heard the word of God hath the knowledge of the most High and saw the vision of the Almighty and being in a trance had his eyes vncouered 17 I see that but not now I behold it but not neere there shall come a Starre oâ—t of Iacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Isrâ—el and â—hall smite the coasts of Moâ—b and shall destroy all them that are behinde me 18 And Edom shall bee possessed and Seir shall be a possession to their enemies for Israel shall do valiantly 19 Hee also that shall haue Dominion shall bee of Iacob and shall destroy the remnant of the Citie 20 And when he looked on Amalek he vttered his Parable and sayde Amalek was the first of â—â—e Nations but his latter end shall come to destruction 21 And he looked on the Kenites and vttered his Parable and said Strong is thy dwelling place and put thy nest in the rocke 22 Neuerthelesse the Kenite shall bee spoyled so long as Ashur shal hold them câ—ptiue We haue shewed already that the prophesies of Balaam doe concerne either Israel or such as were strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel The prophesie belonging to the Israelites hath bene already handled Now Moses proceedeth to set downe other speciall prophesies which Balaam vttered concerning other particular Nations For it pleased God to vse the meanes and ministery of this wicked man to foretell the troubles and destruction that should come vpon them The first of all those prophesies is against the Moabites and Edomites the second against the Amalekites the third against the Kenites Against all these he prophesieth and foresheweth the ruines of their seuerall States and Dominions Now because al these were great weighty matters belonging to the subuersion not of priuate persons or families but of whole Countries and kingdomes he vseth that preface and introduction which he did before to procure credit and authority to his prophesy declaring that he was inspired by the Almighty to speake of which we haue spoken already in the beginning of this chapter Touching the prophesie against the Moabites and Edomites which is the fourth in number The fourth prophesie of Balaam and the first of those that concerne other nations that were strangers from Israel hee sheweth that the glory of the Israelites shall bee so great their dominion so large theyr kingdome so mighty and magnificent that it shal shake the Moabites Ammonites and Midianites and men of the East in peeces yea shal subdue Edom and enter into their Cities and country as their owne possession This shall be the victorious conquest of the Israelites whose glory is expressed by the name of a Starre and whose kingdome is vnderstoode by the name of the Scepter which is amplified in the beginning of the words and prooued in the end of them It is amplified by the preuenting of â—n obiection which is â—â—â—ting and may bee thus supplyed When shall this be Obiect Or is the time thereof neere that it should bee by and by looked for The answer Answer followeth I see and plainly perceiue the certain and vndoubted trueth thereof howbeit the season is not yet at hand thou O King hast no cause to feare it for it is not reserued for thy dayes bâ—t must be fulfilled after many generations For Dauid liued foure hundred years after the vttering and deliâ—ering of tâ—is prophesie in whom it was accomplished Thus he comforteth the King and declineth enuy against himselfe He proueth and confirmeth his prophesy by the courage and valour of the Israelites for they shall doe valiantly and destroy the enemies that remaine Now in this prophesie thus propounded wee are to obserue two things First thâ— interpretation of som things mentioned herein and then consider when it had his accomplishment and fulfilling which is the soundest way to vnderstaÌ„d a prophesy The words that require interpretation are in the end of the 17. verse It shall destroy all them that are behinde me Some reade them thus Shall destroy all the sonnes of Sheth
in this waightie and necessary busines This was the care of the good and godly kings of Iudah Dauid Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiah and some others the first thing which they obserued was the reformation of religion the establishment of Gods worship and the sending foorth of the Leuites to teach the people If these means of instructions were vsed in Ireland Wales other places thoroughout the land for there is want hereof euery where if this way were taken in priuate families by the gouernors therof the people would not bee so tumultuous seditious and rebellious and seruants would not so breake out into swearing lying stealing stubbornnesse all vnfaithfulnesse We should not haue our Magistrates so continually troubled nor our prisons so much filled nor executioÌ„ so often done vpon malefactors For if we did prouide to haue them taught the feare of God we should finde them more dutifull seruiceable in their callings But how can we looke that they should bee faithfull to vs when they are vnfaithfull to God Or how should they feare vs when they are ignorant of the feare of the Lord or how should they be obedient to vs for conscience sake when they make no conscience of disobedience to God This serueth to reproue all those that punish seuerely the transgressions of the second Table and the trespasses done to themselues but are loose and negligent in punishing the breaches of the first Table These men begin at the wrong end A Physitian that would cure a disease must first take away the cause He that would dry vp any streame or running water must stop the head fountaine So the onely remedy and right order to purge the commonwealth family of treasons murders thefts and such like enormities is to be sharp and seuere against idolatry blasphemies contempt of true religion and of the seruice of God So then let vs in our places endeuor that they which are committed vnto vs may know the acceptable wil of God and haue it taught among them this will do them in soule body the greatest good this will make them most painful profitable to themselues leauing a blessing behind it For as they grow in godlines so they will increase in faithfulnes Verse 3. And Israel coupled himselfe to Baal-Peor Wee haue already seene the sinnes into which the Israelites did fall now let vs consider the occasion heere offered vnto vs whereby they were drawne into this spirituall and bodily fornication Psal 106 28. They coupled themselues to Baal-peor they frequented the company of the Midianitish women and vsed the familiaritie of euil persons so were brought not onely to allow of their sins but to fall into sin themselues Doctrine It is daÌ„gerous to the church to haue fellowship with the wicked This teacheth vs this truth that it is dangerous to the Church to haue fellowship with the wicked Wee are alwayes in danger of falling into euill the diuell is euer at hand ready to tempt the world to allure the flesh to entice but our estate is more dangerous when we ioyne with wicked men grow in a league with them This apeareth in the people of Israel who dwelt among the Canaanites Iudges 3 5 6. They tooke their daughters to bee their wiues and gaue their daughters to their sons and serued their gods This is it which is remembred in Psalme 106 35. They destroyed not the people as the Lord had commanded them but were mingled amongst the Heathen and learned their workes and serued their Idols which were their ruine Heereunto commeth the exhortation of the Apostle Ephes 5 7 11. Bee not companions with them And the Apostle Iohn setteth down 2 Ioh. 10 11. If there come any vnto you bring not this doctrin receiue him not to house nor bid him God speed for hee that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his euill deeds This will yet better appeare if wee marke the Reasons whereby it is confirmed First the godly and vngodly differ as things most opposite as fire and water as heauen and hell It is vnpossible to make an agreement betweene things that are so flatly contrary one to the other It is a vaine thing to attempt a reconciliation betweene extremities This reason the Apostle vrgeth 2 Cor. 6 14. Be not vnequally yoaked with the Infidels for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse Or what communion hath light with darknesse And what concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This opposition being so great should be effectuall to draw vs to shake off wholly and reiect vtterly the company and society of the vngodly Secondly the godly are sooner corrupted Reason 2 then the vngodly are gained Nay one wicked man will sooner seduce an hundred in regard of the pronenesse of our nature to wickednes and our vnto â—ardnesse to the fruites of godlinesse then an hundred good men shall win one wicked man from his wicked wayes We see this in Salomon was not hee excellent in wisedome Neh. 13.16 beloued of his God and renowned aboue the Kings of Israel He thought to haue conuerted his wiues but his wiues peruerted him and turned his heart after theyr gods 1 Kings 11 2. This we see in Nehemiah who reprouing the Israelites after theyr returne from captiuity for ioyning with the Idolaters presseth vnto them the example of Salomon Did not Salomon the King of Israel sinne by these things yet among many Nations there was no King like him for hee was beloued of his God and God made him King ouer Israel yet strange women caused him to sinne To this purpose the Apostle compareth sinne to a leauen 1 Cor. 5 6 whose nature is in short time to leauen the whole lumpe Euill men can teach vs no good but much hurt commeth to vs by theyr infection Whiles the Israelites liued in Egypt they learned many Egyptian tricks and practised theyr fashions in worshipping the Calfe And common experience sheweth that they draw vanity and corruption vnto themselues that vse the company of vaine and corrupt men according to the saying of the Apostle Bee not deceiued euill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15 33. It remaineth to handle the vses of this Doctrine Vse 1 First if wicked company bee dangerous much more is wickednes it selfe dangerous For wherefore are we to auoid them but for theyr wickednes sake We must not hate theyr persons but abhorre theyr impieties When the Apostle Paul had exhorted the Ephesians to bee no companions with carnall men he addeth Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitefull works of darknesse but euen reproue them rather If then such societies are to be forsaken much more the works of darknes whereby we are corrupted For as we are greatly to affect earnestly to desire the sweet fellowship of the godly for their godlinesse and goodnesse sake that we may learne to follow them so on