before his comming These things we haue seene in these latter dayes meruelously fulfilled in all the elements In the Sunne and Moone often Eclipses In the vpper parte of the aire blasing Starres Swoordes Pillars of fire fire Drakes flying in the Aire and other like impressions In the Earth Earthquakes and other straunge alterations In the Water many and exceding great floudes risings and swellings to the great griefe and annoyance of Mankinde And as there hath bene in all times some of those signes so in no age so manye as hath bene within these fewe yeares Whereby we must needes gather that we are fallen into those latter troublesome and perilous dayes thathere the Prophete speaketh of But whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued for c. The whole summe of our* saluation consisteth in * calling vpon the name of the Lord and in putting our* confidence and trust in his mercy and deliueraunce wrought for vs by the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Iesu Who suffred and dyed for vs by his resurrection made perfect the misterie of our Redemption At Mount Sion and in Hierusalem according to the vnfallible Promises of Almightie God. The. 20. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Micheas 6. HEarken ye nowe what the Lorde sayth Aryse thou and contende with the mountaynes and let the hilles heare thy voyce 2 Heare O ye mountaynes the Lordes quarrell and ye mightie foundations of the earth for the Lorde hath a quarrell agaynst his people and will pleade with Israell 3 O my people what haue I done vnto thée or wherein haue I grieued thée giue me answere 4 I haue brought thée out of the lande of Egypt and deliuered thée out of the house of bondage and I made Moises Aaron and Miriam to lead thée 5 Remember O my people what Balach the king of Moab had deuised against thée and what answere that Balaam the sonne of Beor gaue him from Sethin vnto Galgal that ye may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lorde 6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lorde and bowe my selfe to the hie God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings and with calues of a yeare olde 7 Hath the Lord a pleasure in many thousandes of rammes or innumerable streames of oyle shall I giue my first borne for mine offences and the fruite of my bodie for the sinne of my soule 8 He hath shewed thée O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thée namely to do iustly to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God. 9 The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the citie and the man that shall be saued considereth thy name hearken what is your rod and heare him that warneth you 10 Are not yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abhominable 11 Shoulde I iustifie the false balances and the bagge of deceytfull weightes 12 For the rich men thereof are full of crueltie and thâ— inhabitants thereof haue spoken lies and haue deceytfull tongues in their mouthes 13 Therefore I will take in hande to punishe thée and to make thée desolate because of thy sinnes 14 Thou shalt eate and not haue inough yea thou shalt bring thy selfe downe in the middes of thée thou shalt flée but not escape and those that thou wouldest saue will I deliuer to the sword 15 Thou shalt sowe but not reape thou shalt presse out Oliues but Oyle shalt thou not haue to annoynt thy selfe with Oyle thou shalt treade out must but thou shalt drinke no wine 16 Ye kéepe the ordinances of Amri and all the customes of the house of Ahab ye walke in their counsels therefore will I make thée waste and cause thy inhabiters to be hissed at and ye shall beare the reproche of my people The Exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of Micheas Hearken you now what the Lorde sayth Arise thou and contende with c. THe Prophet Micheas blameth the Iewes for their wickednesse and declareth to them their punishment for y same 1 First he noteth their vnthankefulnesse for the great benefites that they haue receyued at his hande 2 Then he taketh from them al the confidence that they might haue had to please God with their Sacrifices and external Hypocrisie and sheweth what they should doe to please God rightly 3 Thirdly he sharpely rebuketh their obstinacie in contemâ—ing the worde of God and refusing to heare him 4 Lastly he openeth some of their particular faultes and denounceth their punishment that God will bring vpon them And all this doth he in maner of a pleading of Gods cause before Iudges which * maner the Prophetes diuerse times doe vse thereby to set out the Iustice of God and more euidently to declare that his people euen by the Iudgement of men or other common creatures are vnexcusable and by their owne wickednesse to pull vpon themselues iust and grieuous punishments In this place the Prophete by appointment of God taketh Mountaynes and Hilles and the verie Foundations of the earth to heare the cause and complaint of Almightie God agaynst his people of Israel And that is it that the Prophete vttereth in the person of God saying Arise thou and contende with the mountaynes c. And then he Obeying the appoyntment of God sayth Heare O you mountaynes the Lordes quarell c. As if he had sayde Forsomuch as the heartes of this people are so farre from God that not so much as one of them will consider and vnbe â—stande his cause I appeale to you hilles and mountaynes and make the vnsensible Creatures Iudges agaynst them In this the Prophet both noteth the hard hearts and the obstinate contempt of the Iewes particularly and also generally teacheth all then which in like maner contemne the worde of god that they shal by no meanes be hable to escape iust iudgement and condemnation For because the * who le world was made by God for vs and in all poyntes seruing to our vse perfourmeth that ende to the which it was made though all other Iudges and witnesses would fayle the very partes of the world and the coÌ„mon creatures will pronounce sentence against vs if we in our calling doe shewe our selues vnthankefull disobedient and rebellious agaynst God. O my people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieued thee c. There is no one thing that in the Prophetes causeth more difficultie then the often and the sodaine chaunging of the Person wherefore that is here also to be obserued The second verse was vttered in the person of the Prophet these three verses God himselfe speaketh Although God were grieuously displeased with them yet he calleth them His people therby * shewing that he would be readie to receiue them to Mercie if they would turne vnto him and repente Then he lamentably vpbraideth them with the vnthankefull receiuing of his great benefites that he had done for them Whereby hee
a whirle winde to vtter confusion For so haue you seene it come to passe by all those mightie Monarchies Principalities that from time to time haue vexed and persecuted the Church of god Therefore sayth God faint not but put thy trust and reioyce in mee and in the holy one of Israell Christ Iesu the true Messias and Sauiour and wee wil not suffer you to miscary When as thirstie and poore seeke water and finde none and when their c. Here God promiseth the Iewes in captiuitie of Babilon and other of his Church that he will not onely defende them from persecution and pull downe their enimies but relieue them with such thinges as they want and supplie their hunger thirst and other necessities both worldly and spirituall But this place is specially to be vnderstanded of the spirituall graces of God in satisfying the poore hungrie and thirstie consciences wyth the blessed water of saluacion That is the true knowledge of God and the 〈◊〉 by Christ Iesu Of which water Christ himselfe speaketh in the fourth of S. Iohn VVhich shall be made a fountaine of water springing to eternall life Such fountaynes raysed God in many drie and barraine mountaynes whē he spredde abroade his true knowledge among the Gentiles As first for example in the Empyre of Babilon by occasion of a * dreame expounded by Daniel by the myracle of the yong men preserued in the * fierie fornace by the deliuerance of Daniel from the * Lions c. By which the worshipping of the liuing god was acknowledged and commaunded But especially he opened these fountaynes when he * sent abroade his Apostles and other furnished with the spirite of God to publishe the doctrine of saluation in all the partes of the earth whereby not onely a number of thirstie consciences were refreshed but theyr barren soules also made fruitfull and brought forth fayre and goodly trees of all sortes pleasaunt to beholde and yelding good fruites to the glorie of God and to the comfort of his people And all this only did the mightie hande of God. Stand at your cause sayth the Lorde and bring forth your strongest ground c. The Prophete in the person of God turneth his speech again to the gods of the Gentiles to the idolatrous worshippers of them * willeth them to stande to their cause and say the best for them that they coulde to proue them Gods. And because their greatest glorie was in prophesying and telling things to come he doth Chalenge them euē in that very poynt whereby he giueth to vnderstand that their predictiōs were either in things natural such as wise skilful worldly men might by obseruation foretell or else they were friuolous vaine and vncertaine and to bee interpreted on both parts Insomuch that euen their Oracles of Apollo accounted of all other the most certaine were esteemed euen among themselues by a common prouerb as Shipmēs hoses that might be fashioned to diuers purposes For by such subtil meanes the deuill did * delude those that were giuen to the worshipping of Idols And alwayes are they such as tende to the confirmation of vanitie and superstition and neuer to the correction of wickednesse and vice But the * Prophecies of the liuing God are alway not onely certaine and true but also of such matter as farre passeth either the common course of nature or humaine obseruation noting things with the circumstances and distinction of tymes persons and places And alway are directed to the maintenance of true religion and vertuousnesse of life and punishing of superstition Idolatrie vice and wickednesse Such are the prophecies of Daniel certaine hundred yeares before telling of the foure great Empyres and the destruction and ende of the same Such were the prophecies of Esay Hieremie and other concerning the captiuitie of Babilon the deliuerance of the people of God after a certaine appointed time Such was the prediction of all the Prophets generally touching the true Messias and Sauiour Christ Iesu with the * stocke that he shoulde come of the * place and * time of his byrth the maner of his * estate and life his miraculous * workes his * death * his resurrection and * ascention Wherfore the God of Israell is the true God and the Idolles of the Gentiles are nothing neyther are hable to doe any thing but by the delusion of the Deuill to the deceyuing of the wicked and naughtie men by Gods iust iudgement because they would not know the truth I haue waked vp one from the north and he shall come from the east c. That God may shewe himselfe onely to haue the vniuersall knowledge of things to come he in this place to the terrour of the Deuils by whose delusion the Idols of the Gentiles doe stand prophecieth of the cōming of Christ the Messias whom he rayseth vp and shall bring vnto him from the East and from the West of all sortes of people of the heathen which together with him shall call vpon the name of the true and onely liuing god So sayth Christ Math. 8. Many shall come out of the east and out of the west and sit in the kingdome of God with Abraham Isaac and Iacob This prophecie we see was fulfilled by Christ and the lyke hereof neuer vttered any of the Gentiles Gods. But GOD himselfe it was that first gaue knowledge hereof at Sion and at Hierusalem and there fyrst declared that these people of the Heathen Nations shoulde come vnto him and as it were Poynted to them wyth his finger saying Beholde they are present This did he by Christ the principall Euangelist and after by other sent abroade from Hierusalem into the whole worlde This hath God pleaded his cause with the Gentiles and in the ende concludeth them and their Gods to be wicked and vaine The 2. Sunday after Christmas at Euening prayer Esay 43. BVt nowe the Lorde that made thée O Iacob and he that fashioned thée O Israell sayth thus Feare not for I haue redéemed thée I haue called thée by thy name thou art mine own 2 If thou goest through the water I will be with thée the strong floudes shall not ouerwhelme thée and if thou walkest through the fire it shall not burne thée and the flame shall not kindle vpon thée 3 For I am the Lorde thy God the holye one of Israell thy sauiour I gaue Egypt for thy deliuerance the Ethiopians and the Sabées for thée 4 Bicause thou wast déere in my sight and bicause I set by thée and looued thée I will giue ouer all men for thée and deliuer vp all people for thy sake 5 Feare not for I am with thée I will bring thy séed from the East and gather thée togither from the West 6 I will say to the north Let go and to the south kepe not back but bring me my sonnes from far and my daughters from the endes
of the worlde 7 Namely all those that be called after my name For them haue I created fashioned and made for mine honour 8 Bring forth that people which is blinde and yet hath eyes which are deafe although they haue eares 9 If all nations come in one and be gathered togither which among them shall declare such thinges and tell vs the thinges that are past let them bring their witnesse so that they be iust els let them heare and say It is truth 10 You are my witnesses sayth the Lord and my seruant whome I haue chosen therfore be certified and giue me faithful credence and consider that I am he before whome there was neuer any God neyther shall be any after me 11 I am euen I am the only Lord and beside me there is no sauiour 12 I gaue warning I made whole I taught you when there was no straunge God among you and this recorde must ye beare me your selues sayeth the Lorde that I am God. 13 And euen he am I who was froÌ„ the beginning and there is none that can take any thing out of my hande I doe the work and who shall be able to let it 14 Thus sayth the Lord the holy one of Israell your redéemer For your sake I haue sent to BabiloÌ„ and brought it downe all they are fugitiue with the Chaldees whose sorowfull crye is in their shippes 15 I am the Lorde your holy one which haue made Israel and am your king 16 Thus sayth the Lorde euen he that maketh a way in the sea and a foote path in the mightie waters 17 It is he which bringeth forth the charets and horses the hoste and power of warre that they may fal togither and neuer rise and be extinct like as towe are they quenched 18. Remember not thinges of olde and regarde nothing that is past 19 Beholde I shall make a newe thing and shortly shall it appeare and shall you not knowe it I will make a way in the desert and riuers of water in the wildernesse 20 The wilde beastes shall worship me the dragons and the yonge Estriches for I shall giue water in the wildernesse and streames in the desert that they maye giue drinke to my people whom I chose 21 This people haue I made for my selfe and they shall shewe foorth my prayse 22 For thou Iacob wouldest not call vpon me but thou hadst an vnlust towarde me O Israell 23 Thou gauest me not thy beasts for burnt offeringes neither didst honour me with sacrifices I haue not bene chargeable vnto thée in offerings neyther griâ—â—ous in incense 24 Thou boughtest me no deare spice with thy money neyther powredst the fat of thy sacrifices vpon me but thou hast laden me with thy sinnes and wearied me with thy vngodlynesse 25 Where as I yet euen I am he only that for mine own selues sake doe away thine offences and forget thy sinnes so that I will neuer thinke vpon them 26 Put me nowe in remembrance for we will reason togither and shewe what thou hast for thée to make thée righteous 27 Thy first father offended sore and thy rulers haue sinned against me 28 Therfore I prophaned the princes of the sanctuarie I did curse Iacob and gaue Israel into reproofe The Exposition vpon the. xliij Chapter of Esay But nowe the Lorde that made thee O Iacob and he that fashioned thee c. FOr so muche as the small number of the good and godly people had iust cause to bee in great feare through the prophecy of their Captiuitie in Babilon before declared and to dreade thereby the subuersion of the whole Church of God then liuing the Prophete in thys place vnder the person of God doth adde a singuler and great comfort By the name of Iacob and Israel he vnderstandeth the whole Church of god For he speaketh here not onely to the Iewes for the comfort of their deliuerance from the captiuitie of Babilon but also and specially to all the faythfull of his Church which be the true * seede of Abraham as Paule sayth and the right succession of Iacob to whome this promise was made In thee and in thy Seede all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed And againe I will bee thy keeper whither so euer thou go Of which promises he putteth them in minde when he calleth them by the name of Iacob as he doth also comfort them not a little in that he sayth he is their * Creator Maker and Redeemer and calleth them His owne For God cannot neglect those that he hath fashioned to his owne Image and redeemed with so precious a treasure and purchased to be his owne people Therefore sayth he If thou goe through the water I will bee with thee the strong flouds shall not c. By the tearmes of * VVater and Flouds Fire and Flames he vnderstandeth al maner of Tentations Troubles Afflictions that any way either in Soule or bodie might come vnto theÌ„ and assureth them that they shall not miscarie by any of them I gaue Egipt for thy deliuerance the Ethiopians and the Sabees c. That is such care and loue haue I had toward my Church and faythfull people that to deliuer and preserue them I haue afflicted Aegypt Aethiope Sabaea and many other mightie Princes and Kingdomes and in like maner will deale with all other Nations that shall worke trouble to them Therefore bee not dismayde but be of good comfort I will bring thy seede from the East and gather thee together c. Here is plainly prophecied the Calling of the Gentiles to the fayth of Christ and the gathering of the dispersed children of God from all the quarters of the earth As if he had said you feare that if Hierusalem as my Prophete hath sayde be destroyed and the people led captiue and Princes of the earth persecute them that there shall bee no Church nor any that shall liue to serue god But feare it not I will be with them euen to the ende of the world to bring the seede of my people together and to * gather the members of my Church out of all the quarters of the earth from the East and from the West And I will say to the North giue me my children that thou hast kept in blindnesse as if they had had no eyes and let them come and see the light of the truth And to the South will I say forbid not them to come and heare that I call by the preaching of my Gospel though before they were deafe and heard not This is it that Christ speaketh of Many shall come from the east and from the west and rest with Abraham and Isaac in the kingdome of God. This is it that is spoken in the Actes of the Apostles You shall be my witnesses in Hierusalem and in all Iurie and Samaria and to the vttermost partes of the earth Wherefore God
2 Lyke as at an hote fyre and that the malicious might boyle avvay as the water doth vpon the fire whereby thy name might be knowne among thine enimies and that the Gentiles might tremble before thée 3 When thou wroughtest wonderous straunge workes we looked not for them thou camest downe and the hilles melted at thy presence 4 For â—ite the beginning of the worlde it hath not bene heard or perâ—â—yâ—ed neyther hath any eye séene another God 〈◊〉 thée which duest so much for them that put their trust in thée 5 Thou helpest him that doth right with chearefulnesse and them that thinke vpon thée in thy wayes but 〈◊〉 thou hast 〈◊〉 angrie for we offended and haue bene euer in sinne though the worlde haue cleaued to them yet shall we be saued 6 We are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy ragges we fall euersecâ—â—â—â— as the leafe for our sinnes carie vs away lyke the winde 7 There is no man that calleth vpoÌ„ thy name that standeth vp to take holde by thâ—â— therefore hydest thou thy 〈◊〉 from vs and consumest vs because of our sinnes 8. But 〈◊〉 O Lorde thou father of oures we arâ— thy clay and thou act our potter and we all are the worke of thy I. Be not to sore displeased O Lord and kéepe not our offences to long in thy remembrance but consider that we all are thy people 10 The Cities of thy Sanctuarie lye waste Sion is a wildernesse and Hierusalem a desert 11 Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our commodities and pleasures are wasted away 12 Wilt thou not be intreated O Lorde for all this wilt thou holde thy peace scourge vs so sore The Exposition vpon the. 64. Chapter of Esay O that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe c. THis Chapiter is a parcell of that matter that was conteined in the former For from the seuenth verse of the .lxiij. Chapiter vnto the ende of this is a Prayer made by Esaias for the people to vse in time of their grieuous affliction in which they are taught with how great * humblenesse and sorrow of hart they should confesse their sinnes for which that Plague was seâ—t Secondly at whose handes they should looke for deliuerance that is * at Gods hande alone Thirdly how they should comfort themselues and * strengthen their faith with the Memory of those woÌ„derful actes that God had done for them and their fathers before time In this place they breake out to an earnest wishe Oh say they that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe when our fathers were oppressed in Aegipt though they looked for no such goodnesse at thy hande yet thou diddest vouchsafe to come * downe from heauen to delyuer them and that with so great Maiestie and Terrour through thy wonderfull works that thy name was known and dreadfull not only to thine own people * but also to thine enimies whom thou didst mightily consume In the * Desert also thou wast continually with them to defende them And when thou purposedst to publish thy law vnto vs thou camest downe from Heauen with so great Maiestie of thunder and lightning that as water boyleth and consumeth ouer the fyre so did the Mountaine * Sinai seeme to melt away being in a great smoke with thy presence O that thou wouldest now doe the like in working our deliuerance that thy name might be knowne and thy Maiestie feared euen among the myghtiest of thyne enimies c. The rest of the Chapiter folowing is plaine and easie to be vnderstanded The Sunday called Septuagesima at Morning prayer Genes 1. IN the beginning God created heauen and earth â— 2 And the earth was without fourme and 〈◊〉 boyde and darkenesse vvas vpon the face of the déepe and the spirite of God moued vpon the face of the waters 3 And God saide Let there be light and and there was light 4 And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light from the darknesse 5 And God called the light day and the darkenesse night and the euening and the morning were the first day 6 And God saide Let there be a Firmament betwéene the waters and let it make a deuision betwéene waters and waters 7 And God made the Firmament and set a deuision betwéene the waters which vvere vnder the firmament and the waters that vvere aboue the firmament and it was so 8 And God called the firmament heauen and the euening aud the morning were the second day 9 And God sayde Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered togither into one place and let the drie lande appeare and it was so 10 And God called the drie lande the earth and the gathering togither of the waters called he the seas and God sawe that it was good 11. And God sayde Let the earth bring forth budde and gréene hearbe apt to séede and fruitfull trées yéelding fruite after his kinde which hath séede in it selfe vppon the earth and it was so 12 And the earth brought forth gréene herbe apt to séede after his kinde and trée yelding fruit which had séede it in selfe after his kinde 13 And God saw that it was good And the euening and the morning were the third day 14 And God sayde Let there be lights in the firmament of heauen that they may deuide the day and the night and let them be for signes and seasons and for dayes and yeares 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heauen that they may giue light vpon the earth and it was so 16 And God made two great lightes a greater light to rule the day and a lesse light to rule the night and he made starres also 17 And God set them in the Firmament of the heauen to shine vpon the earth 18 And to rule the day and night and to make difference betwéene the light and the darkenesse and God saw that it was good 19 And the euening and morning were the fourth day 20 And God sayde Let the waters bring forth moouing creature that hath life and foule that may flie vpon the earth in the open firmament of heauen 12 And God created great whales and euery liuing and mouing creature which the waters brought forth after their kind and euery fethered foule after their kind and God saw that it was good 22 And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiplie and fill the waters of the sea and let foule multiplie in the earth 23 And the euening and morning were the fift day 24 And God sayde Let the earth bring forth liuing creature after his kinde cattell worme and beastes of the earth after his kind and it was so 25 God made the beast of the earth after his kinde and cattell after his kinde and euery thing that créepeth vpon
the earth after his kinde and God sawe that it was good 26 God sayde Let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse and let them haue rule of the fishe of the sea and of the foule of the ayre and of cattell and of all the earth and of euery créeping thing that créepeth vpon the earth 27 So God created man in his owne Image in the Image of God created he him male and female created hée them 28 And God blessed them and God sayd vnto them Be fruitfull and multiply and replenishe the earth and subdue it and haue dominion of the fishe of the sea and foule of the ayre and of euery liuing thing that mooueth vpon the earth 29 And God sayde Beholde I haue giuen you euery hearbe bearing séede which is in the vpper face of all the earth and euery trée in the which is the fruite of a trée bearing séede that they may be meate vnto you 30 To euery beast of the earth also and so euery birde of the ayre to euery such thing that créepeth vpon the earth which doth liue I haue giuen euery gréene herbe for meate and it was 31 And God sawe euerye thing that he had made and beholde it was excéeding good And the euening and the morning were the sixt day The Exposition vpon the first Chapter of Genesis In the beginning GOD created heauen and earth c. THis booke is called Genesis because in the very first entrāce therof by the course of sixe dayes worke is declared the Beginning Creation and as it were the first Natiuitie of heauen and earth and all thinges therein conteyned by the mightie worde and wisedome of God made and framed of Nothing Which the Spirite of God mooued his faythfull seruant Moyses to do thereby as well to refell that generall and grosse errour of the Idolatrous Gentiles throughout the whole worlde which gaue themselues ouer to the * worship and seruice eyther of common and base creatures either of false and vainely deuised Gods As also to * shew that the God of Israel was the Onely True and Almightie God maker of Heauen and of Earth and all the partes thereof In that he sayth In the beginning God made heauen and earth c. we haue to learne First that the worlde is * not of euerlasting Continuance as some vaine Philosophers haue taught but that being made by God certainely it had a beginning and euen as certainely shall in due time haue an ende As it is sayde Psal 102. In the beginning O Lorde thou lay dest the foundation of the earth and the heauens be the workes of thy fingers They shall perish but thou shalt continue for euer c. Secondly that it was not made of it Selfe by Chaunce or otherwise as Democritus dreamed but by the workemanship of some other beside it selfe Thirdly that it was made by God that therby we might be admonished of his great Wisedome Power and goodnesse towarde Mankinde to whose vse principally these things might seeme to be framed Fourthly that it was made of nothing and therefore we may not Imagine as some wickedly haue done that there was a Matter whereof the world was made coeternall with God himselfe before all Beginning And here it is to bee wished that all Christian heartes would enter into a perfect Consideration of this Worke of God in Creating of the world so that when they looked vp into heauen and sawe the Sunne the Moone the Planets the Starres and all the furniture thereof keeping their orders and courses they woulde thinke earnestly wyth themselues that they sawe the meruelous workemanship of God their heauenly Father Maker and Creator of all things And when they consider the Ayre the Water the Earth and all things therein conteyned in their kindes and places and offices distincted that they woulde Remember the same was made by the same our God and gracious Lorde to the vse of vs mortall men By this meanes should they discende from the faith of their Creation to the fayth and beliefe of Gods diuine * Prouidence and tender Loue and care that hee beareth toward mankinde which in all afflictions is the most assured stay and comfort This did Dauid to his great consolation as well in the eight Psalme as in the. 104. and many other And the spirite of GOD mooued vpon the face of the earth c. The confused Heape of heauen and earth was without shape vnperfect and darke and yet not vtterly deade but was indued with the strength of Gods spirite and so made liuely to continue vnto the worldes ende And GOD sayde Let there be light and there was light We may not here conceyue that God hath any corporall Voyce or such maner of Speach as doth proceede by tongue and lippes from mortall men For to Speake in God is nothing but with an assured and effectuall will to determine with himselfe and to doe that he hath determined We haue here to learne also that all thinges were made by the mightie power of Gods worde that is to say by the Wisdome Purpose and Counsaile of God which was Christ Iesu the seconde person in Trinitie as saint Iohn doth expounde it in his Gospel In the beginning sayth he was the VVorde and the VVorde was with God and God was that VVorde The same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by it c. And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light c. This maner of Iudgement God giueth of all things that he made he sayth not God sawe that they were pleasant beautifull and faire but that they were * Good. Whereby we may learne that God did not so much respect his owne glorie in the fairenesse of his workes as he did the benefite and and Commoditie of Mankinde to whose vse he made them Let there be a Firmament betweene the waters and let it make a deuision c. Let there be a Firmament that is as the Hebrue speaketh A Stretching out or a Setting abroad betweene waters and waters Vnto thys maner of speaking the Scripture often alludeth as Esay 42. He that made the heauens and spreade them abroad c. And in the 40. Chapiter He spreadeth out the heauens as a couering he stretcheth them out as a Tent to dwell in c. And Psal 104. He stretcheth out the heauens as a Curtaine Wherefore it maye well be gathered that this Firmament is nothing but a large Stretched out space betweene waters and waters betweene waters aboue and waters beneath and such as we see betweene the clowdes which are the vpper waters and the Sea and Ryuers which are the neather waters by Gods ordinaunce gathered into their appointed places All that is aboue vs is deuyded into two partes the one called Aether which is the vpper part of the Firmament wherein the Starres Planets are the other called the Aire
shall be for a token betwéene me and the earth 14 And it shall come to passe that when I bring a clowde vpon the earth the bowe also shall be séene in the same clowde 15 And I will thinke vpoÌ„ my couenant which is betwéene me and you and euery liuing creature in all flâ—she and it shall no more come to passe that waters make a floode to destroy all fleshe 16 And the how shall be in the clowde and I will looke vpon it that I may thinke vpon the euerlasting couenant betwéene God euerie lyuing creature in all flesh that is vpon the earth 17 And God saide vnto Noah This is the token of the couenant which I haue made betwéene me and all fleshe that is vpon earth 18 The sonnes of Noah going forth of the arke were Sem Ham and Iapheth and Ham is the father of Chanaan 19 These are the three sonnes of Noah and of them was the whole earth euerspread 20 Noah also beganne to be an husbandman and planted a Vineyarde 21 And he drinking of the wine was dronken and vncouered within his Tent. 22 And Ham the father of Chanaan seing the nakednesse of hys father tolde his two brethren without 23 And Sem and Iapheth laking a garment layde it vpon their shoulders and comming backwarde couered the nakednesse of their father namely their faces being turned away least they should sée their fathers nakednesse 24 And Noah awoke from his wine knew what his yonger sonne had done vnto him 25 And he laid Cursed be Chanaan a seruant of seruants shal he be vnto his brethren 16 He saide moreouer Blessed be the Lord God of Sem and Chanaan shall be his seruant 27 God shall inlarge Iapheth and he shall dwell in the tentes of Sem and Chanaan shall be his seruant 28 Noah liued after the floode three hundred fiftie yeres 29 And all the dayes of Noah were nine hundred and fiftie yeares and he died The Exposition vpon the ix Chapter of Genesis And God blessed Noah and his sonnes and sayde vnto them c. AFter the Historie of the generall Deluge or drowning of the world for sinne declared in the former Chapiters Moses in verie good order now commeth to speake of the next age and worlde following in the * latter ende whereof we nowe 〈◊〉 And he begynneth his discourse at that thing that is first and of greatest Maiestie that is at the Comfortable speeche that GOD had to Noah and hys Children in blessing them Confirming their hartes against that great feare that they might well Conceyue vpon the drowning of the worlde and Destroying of mankinde from the faâ—e of the earth For by thys that GOD doth so largely comfort Noah by blessing him it maye be gathered howe greatly hys minde was before troubled This Blessing doth not only Comprehend the grace of Fertilitie and increase by multiplying vpon the earth but the opening also of the purpose of God in Restoring the worlde agayne by Noah and his children whome he so marueylously and graciously had preserued to that ende Therefore that they might not Doubt or feare in their harts he declareth the state and ende of their life to come willing them To increase and multiply and replenishe the earth Yea and to their further Comfort delyuereth to them in subiection * all the beastes of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea to their vse and Commoditie Of this blessing and gracious gift of God it Commeth that all beasts and Cattell doe with such obedience and so Conueniently serue to the vse and benefite of our lyfe The Oxen to be accustomed to the yoke the Horses and other beastes to Cariage Kine to yeelde vnto vs their milke and Sheepe their flises to clothe vs yea and the same 〈◊〉 all the residue of his Creatures to be vnto bâ— as Foode and 〈◊〉 And therfore it behoueth vs in these things * thankfully to acknowledge and prayse the exceeding goodnesse Liberalitie of our good and gracious Lorde towarde vs. Euery thing that mooueth or liueth shall be meate for you euen as the c. By this some gather that men before the floode did not eate Flesh but liued onely by fruites and Hearbes of the ground and that nowe onely and not before God gyueth leaue to man to eate flesh Herin as I will not greatly contend so yet it seemeth not to me so likely For it is euident that in y Generall blessing God made man Lorde and Mayster of all his Creatures and that Beastes were killed as well for Sacrifice as to haue their Shinnes to make them Clothes And then Can it not well be thought that the Fleshe of the same beasts was vnprofitably Cast away but serued to the vse of mans foode But fleshe in the life thereof which is the bloud shall ye not eate And surely c. This forbidding to eate Bloud is a part of Discipline to accustome the people of God to Lenitie and myldenesse among themselues For if 〈◊〉 they shoulde haue 〈…〉 to eat the Bloud of beastes it might be 〈…〉 people that it would haue 〈…〉 murder and crueltie among themselues And therfore doth he 〈…〉 For sayth he whosoeuer sheddeth mans bloude by man shall his bloude be shed 〈◊〉 By which 〈…〉 〈…〉 thinke by this saying that it is lawefull for Priuate persons in way of Reuenge to Kil any be he neuer so Great an offendour Beholde I euen I stablishe my couenaunt with you and with your seede c. 〈…〉 in the mindes of Noah 〈◊〉 his poâ—teritie and least they should Doâ— when they lawe the ayre ouercast with clowds that God 〈◊〉 againe Destroy the worlde with water of his great goodnesse hee doth here assure Noah and all his children and all other that in lime should come of them yea and all liuing creatures made to the vse of man that he will no more in that Sort ouerwhelme the earth with water This Promise and couenant doth he set forth with earnest woords and often repetition that it might of 〈…〉 the better beleeued 〈…〉 and more assured credite thereof 〈…〉 the same by a Signe or Sacrament oppoynting the Rainebow in the 〈…〉 his coneuant By the 〈…〉 estimable goodnesse towarde them Who is 〈…〉 thereof Noah also begâ—nne to bee an husband man and planted a Vineyarde c. By these wordes it is not to be vnderstanded that Noah 〈…〉 of God although he were aged he begâ—nâ— to be take himselfe againe to the Manuring of 〈◊〉 earth and made a Vineyarde â–ª c. And he drinking of the wine was dronken and vncouered within his c. In that Noah dranke Wine he did not offende for it was lawefull to vse the benefites of God and the * labours of his 〈…〉 â—span Hereby may we learne how 〈…〉 nothing but to go from Tauerne to Tauerne eating and drinking vntill they haue so ouercharged themselues as beside other Filthinesse with great
that GOD oftentimes Preserueth his people from those Miseries that he casteth vpon others And yet if we looke into the common course of the worlde we shall see that the * Wicked are in more Felicitie and more Free from punishment then the good and godly And this tentation hath often * shaken the mindes of the Saintes of God as it appeareth in sundrie Psalmes What then shall we say to this Surely the Common ordinance of GDD is that the Godly should be in Happinesse and escape Plagues and the Wicked onely be Punished And if this common ordinance of God be altered It is eyther because they that professe the name of God be* Sinfull and Liue not according to theyr Calling or else that Gods good and fatherly will is by suche Chasticing and Affliction of this life to keepe his seruants in Obedience to Quicken their Fayth and put them in minde of the Heauenly felicitie and life euerlasting The Care and Cogitation whereof in time of * Prosperitie is more Cold and Slacke in vs then our duetie requireth Easter daye at Morning prayer Exodus 12. AND the Lord spake vnto Moyses and Aaron in the lande of Egypt saying 2 This moneth shall bée vnto you the beginning of Monethes and the first moneth of the yeare shall it be vnto you 3 Speake ye vnto all the congregation of Israell saying In the tenth day of this moneth euery man take vnto him a lambe according to the house of the fathers a lambe thorowout euery house 4. If the householde be to little for the lambe let him take his neighbour which is next vnto hys house according to the number of the sâ—â—les euery one of you according to his eating shall make your count for a lambe 5. And let your lambe be without â—â—â—mish a male of a yeare olde vvhich ye shal take out from among the shepe and from among the goates 6 And ye shall kéepe him in vntill the fourâ—enth day of the same moneth and euery assemble of the congregation of Israell shall kill him about euen 7 And they shall take of the bloud and strike it 〈◊〉 two side postes and on the vpper doore post in the houses where they shall eate him 8 And they shall eate the fleshe the same night rost with fire and with vnleauened breade and with sowre hearbes they shall eate it 9 See that ye eate not there of rawe nor sodden with water but rost with fire the head feete and purtenance thereof 10 And ye shall 〈◊〉 nothing of it remaine vnto the morning That which remayneth of it vntill the morow shal ye burnâ— with fire 11 Of this maner shall ye eate it Wyth your loynes gâ—rded and your shooes on your feete and your staffe in your hande and ye shall eate it in haste for it as the Lordes Passouer 12 For I will passe thorow the lande of Egypt this same night and will smite all the first borne of Egipt from man to beast and vpon all the Gods of Egypt I will execute iudgement I am the Lorde 13 And the bloud shall be vnto you 〈◊〉 token in the houses wherein you are and when I see the blood I will passe ouer you and the plague shalâ— not be vpon you to destroy you when I smite the lande of Egypt 14 And this day shall be vnto you a remembrance and you shall kéepe it an holy feast vnto the Lorde throughout your generations ye shall kéepe 〈◊〉 holy for an ordinance for euer 15 Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleaue ned bread so that the first day ye put away leaueÌ„ out of your houses For whosoeuer eateth leauened bread from the first day vnto the seuenth day that soule shall be rooted out of Israell 16 The first day shall be an holy conuocation vnto you and the seuenth day shall be an holy conuocation vnto you and there shall be no maner of worke done in them saue about that onely which euery man must eate that onely may ye â—oe 17 And ye shall obserue the feast of vnleauened bread for this same day haue I brought your armies out of the lande of Egypt therefore ye shall obserue this day and all your children after you by an euerlasting decrée 18 The first moneth and the fourtenth day of the moneth at euen ye shall eate vnleauened bread vnto the one and twentie day of the same moneth at euen againe 19 Seuen dayes shall there be no leaneued bread founde in your houses and who soeuer eateth leauened bread that soule shall be rooted out from the congregation of Israell whether he be a straunger or â—orne in the lande 20 Ye shall eate no leauened breade but in all your habitations shall ye eate vnleauened breade 21 Then Moyses called for all the elders of Israell and sayde vnto them Choose out and taâ—â— you to euery houshold of you a lâ—mbe and kill the Passeouers 22 And take a 〈…〉 and dip it in the bloud that is in the bason and strike the vpper post of the doore and the two side postes with the bloud that is in the bason and none of you go out at the doore of his house vntill the morning 23 For the Lorde will passe ouer to smite the Egiptians and when he séeth the bloud vpon the vpper doore post and the two side postes he will passe ouer the doore and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to plague you 24 Therefore shall ye obserue this thing for an ordinance to thée and to thy sonnes for euer 25 And when ye be come to the lande which the Lorde will giue you according as he hath promised ye shall kéepe this seruice 26 And when your children aske you What maner of seruice is this that ye doe 27 Ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lordes Passeouer which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israell in Egypt â–ª and he smote the Egiptians and saued our houses And the people bowed themselues and worshipped 28 And the children of Israell went and did as the Lorde had commaunded Moises and Aaron so did they 29 And at midnight the Lorde smote the first borne in the lande of Egypt from the first borne of Pharao that sate on his seate vntill the first borne of the captâ—â—e that was in prison and all the first borne of cattell 30 And Pharao rose in the night he and his seruantes and all the Egyptians and there was a great crie in Egypt â–ª for there was not a house where there was not one deade 31 And he called vnto Moyses and Aaron by night saying Rise vp and get you out from amongst my people both you and also the children of Israell and go and serue the Lorde as ye haue sayde 32 And take your shéepe and your droues with you as ye haue sayde and depart and blesse me 33 And the Egyptians forced the people that they might senâ—e them out of the lande in hast for they sayd
so in the land whither ye go to possesse it 6 Kepe them therfore do them for that is your wisedom and vnderstanding in the syght of the people that they may heare all these ordinances and say Surely it is a wise and vnderstanding people it is a great nation 7 For what other nation is so great that gods come so nie vnto as the Lord our God is nie vnto vs in all things as oft as we call vnto him 8 Yea and what nation is so greate that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day 9 Take héed to thy self therfore and kéepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thyne eyes haue séen and that they depart not out of thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sonnes thy sonnes sonnes 10 Specially the day that thou stodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lorde sayde vnto me Gather me the people together and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me all the days that they shal liue vpon the earth that they may teach their children 11 Ye came and stode also vnder the mountayn the mountayn burnt with fire euen vnto the middes of heauen and there was darknesse cloudes mist 12 And the Lord spake vnto you oute of the middes of the fire and ye hearde the voyce of the wordes but sawe no similitude but hearde a voyce onely 13 And he declared vnto you his couenant which he commaunded you to do euen ten commaundements which he wrote vpon two tables of stone 14 And the Lord cōmaunded me that same season that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which ye ought to do in the land whither ye go to possesse it 15 Take therefore good héede vnto your selues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of fire 16 Lest ye marre your selues make you a grauen image picture of any maner of figure whether it be the likenesse of man or woman 17 The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that flyeth in the ayre 18 Or the likenesse of any maner worme that créepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19 Yea and lest thou lift vp thyne eyes vnto heauen and when thou séest the sunne the Moone and the starres with al the hoast of heauen shuldest be driuen to worship them and serue them and shuldest worship and serue the things which the Lord thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen 20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the yron fornace euen out of Egypte to be vnto him a people and inheritaunce as ye be this daye 21 Furthermore the Lord was angrie with me for youre wordes and sware that I should not go ouer Iordane that I should not go in vnto that good lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thée to inheritance 22 But I muste dye in this land and shall not go ouer Iordane but ye shall go ouer and possesse that good land 23 Take héed vnto your selues that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he made with you that ye make you no grauen image or likenesse that the lord thy God hath forbidden thée 24 For the lord thy God is a cōsuming fire a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children and thy children beget children and shalte haue remained long in the lande if ye do wickedly and make any maner of grauen image and worke euill in the sight of the Lorde thy God to prouoke him to anger 26 I call heauen and earth to recorde against you this daye that ye shall shortly perishe from of the lande wherunto you go ouer Iordane to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes therein but shall vtterly be destroyed 27 And the Lord shal scatter you among the people and ye shal be left fewe in number among the nations whither the Lord shall bring you 28 And there ye shall serue Gods which are the work of mans hande wood and stone which neither sée nor heare nor eate nor smell 29 If frō thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him * if thou seke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30. When thou art in tribulation and when all these things that be here spoken of are come vppon thée euen in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lorde thy God and shalt be obedient vnto his voyce 31 For the Lorde thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thée neither destroye thée nor forget the appoyntment of thy fathers which he sware vnto them 32 For aske of the dayes that are paste which were before and since the day that God created man vpō the earth and aske from the one side of heauē vnto the other if euer there came to passe suche a great thing or whether anye such like thing hath ben hearde as this 33 Did euer any people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the middes of a fire as thou hast heard yet lyued 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a people frō among nations by temptations by signes by wonders by warre by a mighty hande by a stretched out arme and by great sightes according to all that the Lord your God dyd vnto you in Egipt before your eyes 35 Vnto thée it was shewed that thou mightest knowe that the Lord is God and that there is none other but he 36 Out of heauen he made thée heare his voyce that he might instruct thée and vpō earth he shewed thée his great fire thou heardest his word out of the middest of the fire 37 And bycause he loued thy fathers he chose their séede after thē and brought thée out in his sighte w his mightie power * out of Egipt 38 To thrust out natiōs greater mightier than thou before thée to bring thée in to geue thée their land to inheritāce as it is come to passe this day 39 Vnderstand therfore this day and consider it in thine hearte that the Lorde is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath neither is there any other 40 Thou shalt kepe therfore his ordināces hys commaūdements which I cōmaund thée this day y it may go wel with thée with thy childrē after thée and that thou maist prolong thy dayes vpō the earth which the lord thy God geueth thée for euer 41 Then Moyses seuered thrée cities on the other syde of Iordane toward the sun rising 42 That he shoulde flée thither whych had kylled hys neighboure vnwares and hated him not in
stand before the children of Anac 3 Vnderstand therfore this daye that the Lord thy God is he which goeth ouer before thée as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and he shal bring them downe before thy face So thou shalt caste them out bring them to naught quickly as the Lorde hath sayde vnto thée 4 Speake not thou in thine heart after that the Lorde thy God hath cast them outs before thée saying For my righteousnesse the Lorde hath brought me in to poâ—â—esse this lande but for the wickednesse of these natioÌ„s the Lord hath cast theÌ„ oute before thée 5 It is not for thy righteousnesse sake or for thy right heart that thou goest to possesse their land But for the wickednesse of these Nations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thée to perfourme the worde which the Lorde thy God sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isahac and Iacob 6 Vnderstande therefore that it is not for thy righteousnesse sake that the Lorde thy God dothe gyue thée this good lande to possesse it séeyng thou art a stifnecked people 7 Remember and forget not howe thou prouokedst the Lord thy God to anger in the wildernesse since the day that thou diddest depart out of the lande of Egipt vntill ye came vnto this place ye haue rebelled against the Lord. 8 Also in Horeb ye prouoked the Lorde to anger so that the Lord was wroth with you to haue destroyed you 9 When I was gone vp into the mount to receiue the tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt which the Lorde made with you and I abode in the mount fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes when I neither dyd eate breade nor drinke water 10 And the Lorde deliuered me two tables of stone written with the singer of God and in them were conteined all the wordes which the Lorde said vnto you in the mount out of the middes of the fire in the day when ye came together 11 And when the fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes were ended the Lorde gaue me the two tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt 12 And the Lorde sayde vnto mée Arise and get thée downe quickly from hence for thy people which thou hast brought out of Egipt haue marred all â–ª they are turned at once oute of the waye which I commaunded them and haue made them a molten image 13 Furthermore the Lorde spake vnto me saying I haue séene this people and beholde it is a stifnecked people 14 Let me alone that I may destroy them and put oute the name of them from vnder heauen and I will make of thée a mightie nation and greater than they be 15 And I turned me and came downe from the hill euen from the hill that burnt with fire and the two tables of the couenaunt were in my handes 16 And I loked and beholde ye had sinned against the Lorde your God and has made you a molten calfe and had turned at once out of the way which the Lord had commauÌ„ded you 17 And I toke the two tables and cast them oute of my two handes and brake them before your eyes 18 And I fell downe flat before the Lorde as at the firste time and fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes I did neither eate breade nor drynke water bycause of all your sinnes which ye sinned in doying wickedly in the sighte of the Lorde in that ye prouoked him vnto wrathe 19 For I was afrayde that for the wrath and fiercenesse wherwith the Lord was moued against you he would haue destroyed you But the Lord heard me at that time also 20 The Lord was verye angry with Aaron also to haue destroyed him and I made intercession for Aaron also the same time 21 And I toke your sinne the Calfe which ye had made and burnte him with fire and stamped him and grounde him verye small euen to dust and I caste the dust thereof into the brooke that descended out of the mount 22 Also at the burning place at the place of tempting and at the Sepulchres of lust ye prouoked the Lord to anger 23 Likewise when the Lorde sent you from Cades Barnea saying Go vp and possesse the land which I haue giuen you you rebelled against the worde of the Lorde your God and neither beloued him nor hearkened vnto his voyce 24 You haue bene rebellious vnto the Lord since the day that I knew you 25 And I fell downe flat before the Lord fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes as I fell downe before for the Lorde sayde he would destroy you 26 I made intercession therefore vnto the Lorde sayde O lorde God destroy not thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou haste deliuered through thy great goodnesse and which thou haste broughte out of Egipt through a mightye hande 27 Remember thy seruauntes Abraham Isahac and Iacob and looke not vnto the stubbernesse of this people nor to their wickednesse and sinne 28 Least the lande whence thou broughtest them saye The Lorde is not able to bring them into the lande whych he promised them and because he hated them therfore hath he caryed them out to slay them in the wildernesse 29 Beholde they are thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou broughtest oute in thy mightye power and in thy stretched out arme The Exposition vpon the .ix. Chapter of Deuteronomie Heare O Israel thou passest ouer Jordane this day to goe in and possesse c. THe Israelites were a proude wayward and vnthankefull people sone forgetting Gods benefites done vnto them Wherefore the purpose of Moises is in this chapter to * beate into their memorye that they were made the heires of the land of Chanaan came to al that felicitie wherin they either had or should be onely by the free goodnes and mercye of God for his promises for his couenauntes sake and not by their owne strength or for their owne worthines In this to perswade them he vseth two reasons especially The one by comparing them with the people of that couÌ„trey The other by the example of their owne wayward and rebellious doyngs against God. As touching the former he sayth the people of that countrey were farre greater in number mightier in power than they were For manye of them were of the race of the * Giaunt Anac strong and mightie persons as the messengers that went to viewe the lande did bryng worde So that they were stricken with feare * murmured against GOD as hauing brought them to a land vnpossible for them by conquest to get Wherefore if GOD by hys mightye hande did worke it for them they oughte to acknowledge they did stande and depende onelye vpon hym And as they were not hable to worke thys of their owne strength so coulde they not iustlye thinke that GOD did it for them of dutie or for their owne worthines but rather that they had deserued the cleane contrarye at his hande and that he letteth theÌ„ vnderstand as I haue
and fill it with the chiefe bones 5 Take one of the best shéepe and burne also bones vnder it let it boyle well and let the bones thereof séeth well therein 6 With that saide the Lord God on this maner Wo vnto the bloudy citie to the pot whose scumme is therin and whose scumme is not gone out of it bring it out péece by péece let no lot fall vpon it 7 For her bloud is in the middest of it vpon a high drye stone hath she powred it and not vpon the grounde that it might be couered with dust 8 That it might cause wrath to arise take vengeance I haue set her bloud vpon a highe drye rock that it shoulde not be couered 9 Wherefore thus sayth the Lorde God O wo be vnto the bloudthirstie citie for whom euen I my selfe wyll make a great fyre 10 And heape on much wood and kindle the fyre and séeth the fleshe and spice the pot so that the verie bones shall be brent 11 Moreouer I will sette the pot emptie vpon the coales so that the brasse thereof may be hot and burnt and the filthinesse of it may by molten in it and the scumme of it shall be consumed 12 She hath wearied her selfe wyth labour yet her great scumme is not gone of her in the fyre her scumme must be consumed 13 In thy filthinesse is wickednesse because I would haue purged thée and thou wast not purged from thy filthynesse thou shalt not be purged any more till I haue caused mine indignation to reast in thée 14 Euen I the Lorde haue spoken it yea it is come thereto all readie that I will doe it I will not go backe I will not spare I will not repent but according to thy waies and imaginations shall they iudge thée sayth the Lorde God. 15 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me saying 16 Thou sonne of man beholde I will take awaye from thée the pleasure of thine eyes with a plague yet shall thou neyther mourne nor wéepe neyther shall thy teares run downe 17 Mourne in silence make no mourning of the deade binde the tyre of thy heade vpon thée and put on thy shoes vpon thy féete couer not thy lips and eate no mans bread 18 So I spake vnto the people betimes in the morning and at euen my wife died then vpon the next morowe I did as I was commaunded 19 And the people saide vnto me Wylt thou not tell vs what this signifieth toward vs that thou doest so 20 I answered them The word of the Lord came vnto me saying 21 Tell the house of Israel thus sayth the Lord God Beholde I will pollute my sanctuarie euen the glorie of your power the pleasure of your eyes your harts delight your fouâ—es and daughters whome ye haue left shal fall through the sworde 22 Lyke as I haue done so shall ye doe also ye shall not couer your lips ye shall eate no mans bread 23 And your tyre shal be vpon your heades and your shoes vpon your féete ye shall neyther mourne nor weepe but ye shall pine away in your iniquities and mourne one towardes another 14 Thus Ezechiel is your shewtoken according to all that he hath done ye shall doe when it commeth then ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde God. 25 Also thou sonne of man shall it not be in the day when I take from them their power the ioy of their honour the pleasure of their eyes the lifting vp of their soules their sonnes and their daughters 26 In that daye shall come one that is escaped vnto thée and bring it to the hearing of thine eares 27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped that thou mayst speake be no more dumbe yea thou shalt be their shewetoken that they may knowe howe that I am the Lorde The Exposition vpon the .xxiiij. Chapter of Ezechiel In the ninth yeare in the tenth Moneth the tenth day of the moneth c. THe Prophete being in Babilon foretelleth the time in which the Citie Hierusalem was besieged and by an allegorie of a potte set ouer the fire declareth how the Iewes for their obstinacie should be punished Whereby we also haue to learne what shall * happen to Kingdomes Cities Countreys and priuate men also which contemning the worde of God and often calling by his ministers remaine Obstinate and go on stil in their former wickednesse that is that by Gods iustice they shal come to vtter confusion Though it be a time deferred by Gods pacience and long sufferance * alluring to repentance yet after sundrie warninges at length it falleth in deede and then heape they vpon themselues greater wrath in the day of wrath First the time and verie day is noted which was the ninth yeare of the captiuitie of Iechonias or the reigne of Zedechias the tenth moneth answerable to our December in the tenth day of the moneth on which the king of Babilon came to the siege of Hierusalem as appeareth Hier. 39. .2 Reg. vltiÌ„o cap. The Prophete wrote this in Babilon a great number of miles from Iewrie therefore it maye seeme a great thing in the Prophet that in so large a distance of places before any messenger coulde bring worde thereof he was hable to say in truth This day Hierusalem is besieged As touching the exposition of the allegorie or figuratiue similitude The Potte is the citie Hierusalem The preparing of the pot to the fire is the comming to the siege thereof The Powring of the water is the assault thereof continuing two yeres For it was first besieged in the ninth yeare and taken in the eleuenth The calamitie affliction and trouble is The fire that maketh this pot boyle and bubble The Bones that in steede of wood nourisheth this fire is partly the death and slaughter of many Innocentes whose bloud was shed before time in that cruell Citie and cryed now to God for vengeance as the * bloud of Abell partly the multitude of all their other stubburne wickednesse inflaming the fire of Gods wrath against them The chiefe and principal Peeces of flesh cast into the pot are the Princes and chiefe men of greatest estimation not onely of that Citie but also of all the countrey about which fled thither for feare of spoyle before the siege The Chiefe bones are the strength of the principall Souldiours there appoynted for the defence of the Citie The VVell seething or boiling is the long continuing in the trouble of the siege in which time both strength of Souldiours and might of Princes within the Citie shoulde be consumed The Fome remayning still in the pot is the filthie froth of wickednesse and abhomination yet in all the boyling of this trouble remayning among them euen to the sight of all men and not Scummed away by Repentance When the Prophete sayth Bring it out peece by peece he signifieth that they shal not Al together be taken out
which is agayne deuyded into three partes The vpper Region next the Firmament The middle Region where the Clowdes and vpper waters by Gods prouidence are stayed to the great benefite of the world and The neather part left for the commoditie of Gods Creatures to liue and breath in The vpper waters are reserued aswell to make the earth * Fruitfull by sending them downe in due season according to his gracious prouidence as also by hys iustice in way of punishment to work the Plague of Sinfull men as we euidently see in the example of the * generall Deluge and in sending vnseasonable weathering to take from vs the fruites of the earth Let the earth bring forth budde grene hearbe apt to seede and fruitfull c. When we see these faire and manifold Commodities of the earth the greene Grasse the bewtifull Flowers and hearbes the Fruites of Trees and Graine to the singular benefite of man and beast we must not thinke that the same cōmeth by course of Nature only but by the singular Prouidence of God sending the same to the Reliefe of his creatures For the sweet cōfort of this place read Psal 104. He causeth grasse to growe for cattell and herbes for the vse of men that he maye bring forth Foode out of the earth both VVine that maketh gladde the hart of man and Oyle to make him haue a cheerefull countenance and also Bread to strengthen mens harts God hath made not onely fruites of one kinde but of Innumerable sorts that we might thereby vnderstande the bountifull goodnesse and riches of his mercies towardes vs. Let there be lightes in the Firmament of heauen that they may deuide c. Et sint in signa c. The vse and benefite of the Moone Sunne and Planets is not onely to giue light vnto the worlde but to make distinctions of Times and seasons as Sommer VVinter Autumne the Spring also Yeares Moneths VVekes dayes and houres which distinction much serueth to the vse and commoditie of mans life And God made the beaste of the earth and euery thing that creepeth c. Hereby we haue to learne that the Prouidence of God stretcheth not onely to Man Beast Fishe Foule such like but to the verie smallest things and of least estimatiō as Wormes Flees Fleas and other Vermine whatsoeuer be they in mans fight neuer so contemptible For God vseth the same at his pleasure eyther to the benefite or to the punishment of Mankinde as it may very well * appeare by sundrie of the Plagues of Aegipt wherein he vsed these things for his instruments And God sayde let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse c. After God had created and made perfite all the Furniture of Heauen and earth and by his wisedome marueylously distincted eche thing in hys kinde place and office he lastly commeth to the Making of mankinde as that thing vnto whose vse principallie al other his creatures might seeme to be framed That he in the vse of them might vnderstande the great goodnesse of his Lorde and Maker towarde him and for the same yeelde vnto him true Worship and glorie Concerning Man he noteth here briefely 3. thinges his Creation his Dignitie his Blessing and encrease Of his Creation it will be spoken in the next chapiter more particularly Of his Dignitie aboue all other Creatures this is one euident testimonie that he sayth not let Man be made as he sayde before of other things Let there be a lyght Let there be a Firmament c. But to declare vnto vs that it was a Worke of greater worthynesse He as it were calleth in cōsultation his VVisdom that is the seconde person in Trinitie and hys Vertue or VVoorking Power that is his Holy spirit and saith Let vs make man. So that in the making of Man is a more perfite token giuen of the Three Persons in Trinitie then in the Creating of any other part of the worlde And further to declare the Dignitie of man He was made according to the * Image of God whereby we maye not thinke as some wicked heretikes haue done that God hath a like proportion of body as we see man to haue For that is not the Image or likenes that is here spoken of but as God was Wise Iuste Mercifull Good Innocent Holy Immortall so was Man made by God wise iuste mercifull good innocent holy immortall and to expresse a more perfite lykenesse he was made of power and appointed Lorde and Ruler ouer all the other Creatures of the worlde This Image by the fall of Adam was almost cleane blotted out and restored againe by the * second Adam Christ Iesu to that perfectnesse that this frayle and mortall lyfe might beare carying continually about with vs in our bosomes the * stings of our corruption lyricking vs forward still to vngodlynesse The blessing of encrease and multiplying that God giueth vnto Man declareth that he was made Male and Female to the ende that by lawfull procreation they might fulfill the earth and raise vp a large and great Church or congregation of holy Creatures to giue Honor and glorie to their Lorde and maker Wherefore it cannot be thought that Mariage and the lawfull ioyning of Man and Woman is an euill or an vncleane thing but the lawfull and good ordinance of God himselfe And therfore well sayth Saint Paule Honorable in all persons is VVedlock and the bedde vndefiled but VVhooremaysters and Adulterers God will iudge God sawe euery thing that he had made and beholde they were exceeding c. This Iudgement of God that here he gyueth vpon hys workes pronouncing them to be all verie Good ought to be vnto vs a Rule that we presume not to speake or thinke otherwise of them and shewe our selues therein vnthankfull to our God maker If there be eyther fruites or herbs or beasts that we accompt and call Euill or Hurtfull it riseth eyther of our Vnperfitnesse that vnderstande not the right vse of them or else of the Curse of God for the Sinne and fall of Adam by which as Man himselfe so diuers other Creatures are fallen frō that Perfection in which they were first made by GOD So that the Sinne of Man and not Gods creation is cause therof The Sunday called Septuagesima at Euening prayer Genesis 2. THus the heauens and earth were finished and all the hoast of them 2. And in the seuenth day God ended his worke which he had made And the seuenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made 3 And God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from al his worke which God ordened to make 4 These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created in the daye when the Lorde God made the earth and the heauens 5 And euery plant of the fielde before it