Commentary on Numbers
The uses are these. First, seeing it pleases God [Use 1] to make his own people to creep and crouch to his and their enemies, we see it is lawful in our necessitous estate, to crave alms & relief of our enemies and those that hate us, to help us for our needful sustentation. This condemneth the niceness and scruple of those y t hold it unlawful to buy and sell, to deal and Trafficke with the enemies of the Church, or to be any way indebted or beholding unto them. But as we are commanded to do good to them that are without, and are debtors to all men that are our own flesh, and are enjoined to succor thē in their necessities, so far as we do not maintain and help them against Christ: so is it fitting our profession (when God denieth other means) to ask relief and refreshing of them, otherwise we tempt God in despising such means as he openeth unto us for our good. Let us not disdain or refuse to take at the hands of men, but withal acknowledge it to come from God the chief giver, whosoever be the instrument, as Elijah received meat of the Ravens, both morning and evening.
Secondly, let us never promise any certainty [Use 2] or assurance of the things of this life. For, as the Kings daughter is said to be all glorious within: so the comeliness, beauty, and happiness of the Church standeth not in meat nor drink, but in righteousness of life, peace of conscience, joy in the holy Ghost, & in the loving countenance of the Lord towards his servants. For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal So Solomon saith, Riches remain not always, nor the Crown from generation to generation. And again, Travel not much to be rich, but cease from thy wisdom: wilt thou cast thine eyes upon nothing? For riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, and flieth into the heaven. And indeed this is the cause why men bear want and poverty so impatiently, because they promise immortality unto themselves, make an act of perpetuity, and wholly toil and moil for the mucke of this world. They dream sweetly of dwelling forever upon the earth, and make their money and riches the god of their refuge. If Job had made gold his hope, & had said to the wedge of gold, Thou art my confidence, he could never have spoken this in the patience of his soul, The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Therefore the Apostle teacheth, that if we have food & raiment, we ought therewith to be content. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain, we can carry nothing out. Wherefore let us often and seriously enter into the meditation of the poor and low estate of y e church driven many times into a corner, and constrained to seek help of others, thereby to teach our selves the uncertainty and slippery state of all human things.
Lastly, take this low estate patiently, whensoever [Use 3] such extremities do befall us, as the lot that God hath appointed us. Let us consider that no temptation hath overtaken us, but such as appertaineth to man, and God is faithful which will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will even give the issue with the temptation that we may be able to bear it. Indeed every affliction for the present is grievous, and not joyous, but afterward it bringeth y e quiet fruit of righteousness unto them that are thereby exercised. So then, we must know that we have need of patience, y t after we have done the will of God, we may receive the promise. And without this heavenly grace, considering the present or eminent calamities of the Church, we shall never be able to hold out our profession unto the end. We shall never apprehend the love of God in our sufferings, but be always grudging, repining, and rebelling against the will of GOD. This made the Apostle to say, I have learned in whatsoever estate I am, therewith to be content. Let us not therefore in our necessities and calamities fret and fume, rage and be angry against God, but pray for this patience & the silence of the heart, which is much set by of God. For albeit the affliction we endure be grievous for the measure, manifold for the number, strange for the manner, and long for the continuance; yet if we put on the armor of a Christian, it shall work in us experience of God's mercy, and bring forth hope of a full deliverance, which maketh not ashamed.
[Verse 14. Thus saith thy Brother Israel. ] Hitherto of the request sent by Moses, delivered by the Ambassadors, and consented unto by the whole congregation: now we are to mark the reasons used to stir up the hearts of the Edomites. The first is drawn from their nerenesse of blood and kindred in the flesh, We are your Brethren: Now, if we be Brethren, then help us: But we are Brethren, therefore help us. The word [Brother] is taken in Scripture sundry ways. First, for such as are brethren by birth, as Cain & Abel, Jacob & Esau. Secondly, by affinity, which come of one family, as branches of one root, and streams issuing out of one fountain: so Abraham and Lot were brethren, and the kinsmen of Christ are called his brethren. Thirdly by Country & Nation: thus all the Jews are called Brethren one to another, Deut. 17.15. Rom. 9, 1. Fourthly, by profession: thus all Christians are accounted Brethren, being of the same religion and profession. Now in this place it is taken in the second sense, for such as were of the same kindred & stock, as if they should say, We are all the seed of Abraham, we have Abraham and Isaac to our father. Thus we see they allege their alliance & communion of the same blood, descending long ago by many generations from one father. Observe here first of all the manner of their reasoning, If we be Brethren of one kindred, deny us not this favor, but suffer us to pass. Where we see the strength of this reason, how that to persuade some kindness, they plead some kindred, and beseech them by the amiable name of a Brother. From hence we learn, that the consideration of our nerenesse and conjunction of blood, must urge and enforce from us all duties of love and brotherly kindness. Howsoever we are to do good to all, yet our Communion in blood should be a forcible means to move us to all duties of humanity. This moved Abraham to take away the heat of contention kindled between his Heardmen and the Heardmen of Lot, Let not us I pray thee strive for we are Brethren. The like we see pressed by Moses to the Israelites striving together to the dishonor of God, to the slander of their profession, and to the opening of the mouths of the enemies, Sirs, ye are Brethren, why then do ye wrong one another? This consideration was so strong, that it prevailed with Laban toward Jacob, saying, Though thou be my brother, sholdst thou therefore serve me for naught? I will give thee wages? So David upon this ground expecteth kindness, and reproveth the Tribe of Judah for their negligence in bringing him unto his house, Ye are my Brethren, my bones and flesh are ye; wherefore then are ye the last that bring the King again?
The Reasons follow. First, the communion [Reason 1] and fellowship of the same nature, ought to move us to be bountiful and beneficial unto men, because we must do to others, as we wish and would that others should do unto us. Let us put the case, & suppose we were in distress, would we not be glad to receive good at the hands of others? and would we not think it a duty belonging unto them as men, to relieve & succor us as men? Even so ought we in like case to do and deal with them according to the rule of the Law, and the exhortation of Christ, Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even the same unto them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Secondly, the flesh of one, is as the flesh of an [Reason 2] other; all the world was made of one flesh, so that we are as it were parts and members one of another. We see in the members of our body, how one is helpful and serviceable to another; when one is pained, the rest are troubled; when one is honored, y e rest rejoice. So should it be in the general communion and conjunction of mankind. This is that which the Israelites affirm, being oppressed by their brethrē: Our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, & our sons as their sons: and therefore in this consideration, they looked for the duties of kindness, and fruits of humanity to come from them.
The Use of this Doctrine, is first of all, to reprove those that break these bands, and [Use 1] cast these cords from them, wherewith the Lord hath tied us one to another. For, where many times shall you find less familiarity and friendship one with another, then among those that are most nearly linked and allied one to another? Their often jars and most deadly dissensions, proclaim to their open shame, that they are void not only of true piety, but of all due humanity. What a reproach is it? yea what a blot and blemish, that the husband setteth himself against the wife, and the wife against the husband; the father falleth out with the son, and the son with the father: the mother cannot live peaceably with the daughter, nor the daughter with the mother: the mother in law with the daughter in law, nor the daughter in law with the mother in law; and that the love of brethren and sisters is so geason among us? Great is the force and strength of Nature in all such as are not wholly without natural affections, as we see in David, albeit he had a godless and ungracious child, aspiring in the pride of his heart to usurp the kingdom, and driving his father out of Jerusalem; yet when he was slain in the battle, the King was moved, and mourned, saying; O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, would God I had died for thee. O Absalom my son, my son, 2 Sam. 18, 33. The like we see in the true mother to her child, whose bowels yearned within her, when Solomon called for a sword to divide it. The like force of love could not be dissembled in Joseph toward his brethren, but he turned from them, & his heart melted toward them. Yea, cruel Esau when he saw his brother a far off, though he had threatened to kill him, yet he ran to meet him, and embraced him, he kissed him, and wept upon him. And yet we now see by lamentable experience, that every toy & trifle maketh debate, not only between dearest friends, but between nearest Kinsfolkes, that they can never be reconciled. And as no band knitteth faster, nor bindeth closer then this, while love and liking lasteth: so no contention is so bitter, no hatred so deadly, as that of brethren and others that are near in blood, when the knot is broken and dissolved. The tender glass when it is once broken, will never be set together again. No water proveth so exceeding cold, as that which was once heated exceeding hot: so no hatred proveth like to the hatred of brethren, which are often found merciless one toward another, & such as can never be appeased: as we see in the malice of Cain toward Abel. This is it that Solomon pointeth out in Prov. 18, 19. A brother offended, is harder to win then a strong City, & their contentions are as a bar of a Castle. For as they loved most entirely & dearly before, so when once they grow enemies, they hate one another most extremely, whose hearts are as stony walls that cannot be pierced, and as bars of iron that cannot be broken. Now as the Prophet teacheth, That it is a good and comely thing for brethren to dwell together in unity: so it is a noisome and unnatural thing to behold greatest envy and most mortal malice, where the greatest and nearest bands of kindred should knit together.
Secondly, how much more is it required of those that spiritually are knit together in the profession of the same faith, to love and help one another, that have one God to be their Father, one Church to be their Mother, one Christ to be their elder Brother, one Heaven to be their hope, and one Faith to be their assurance. These considerations are of far greater might and moment, then all bands of other societies, which begin in the flesh, and end in death. Wherefore the Apostle handleth this at large, Eph. 4, 3, 4, 5, 6. Endeuour to keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your vocation. There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, which is above all, and through all, and in you all. To this purpose Christ our Savior teacheth, that there is a nearer conjunction between himself & the faithful, as also between the faithful among themselves, then between brethren and kinsfolks in the flesh. For when some of his hearers said: Behold thy Mother and thy Brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee: he answered and said to him that told him, Who is my Mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hands towards his Disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren: for whosoever shall do my Fathers will which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Lastly, there is no man in the world, but we are after a sort charged with him to affect him as a brother, to account him as a friend, to help him as a neighbor, and to love him as he is a man. Albeit he be never so far removed from us, albeit we never saw him, albeit we know him not in the flesh, yet we are appointed as his keeper and guardian, to do him good all the days of his life, defending him from wrongs, garding him from enemies, & saving him from dangers. It was a profane voice of a profane man, who being asked where his brother was, answered, I cannot tell, Am I my brothers keeper? Therefore our Savior in the Parable of him that fell among thieves teacheth, that every man is to be called and accounted our neighbor. It is not for any to advance and lift up himself above his brethren in disdain or pride of heart, be he never so high & great in the world, but to acknowldge from whence he came, and in that respect to make himself equal with them of the lowest sort.
[Thy Brother Israel.] Hitherto we have spoken of the strength of the reason, and considered the words not simply in themselves, but as they are referred to the point they argue, that is, to persuade their passage. Now we will weigh them as they stand by themselves. They declare in their plea, that there is a conjunction between them in the flesh. The Doctrine from hence arising is this, Among kinsfolks, and generally among all mankind, is a certain brotherhood, acquaintance, familiarity, and union one toward another. True it is, there is not fleshly kindred immediately among all men, to make them so near of blood, as to cal one another kinsmen, and to descend of the same line and linage: but there is a certain common kindred in general, to join & bind us one to another. So then, all mankind, though seated and placed far one from another by large and many Countries, and distinguished by several languages, rites, laws, religions, and customs, are one blood, one flesh: yea, all as brethren issuing out of one fountain, & hewn out of one Rock. Everyone is of kin to every man, whether Jew or Grecian, Turk, Barbarian, Scythian, French, Spanish, Italian, German, &c. This appeareth in many places of the word of God. Thus Ahab calleth Benhadad King of Aram his Brother, that is, his Friend. So Christ compriseth every man under the name and title of a neighbor. This also the heathen knew and acknowledged well enough, as the Apostle testifieth, Acts 17, 26. God hath made of one blood all mankind, to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath assigned the seasons which were ordained before, and the bounds of their habitation; declaring hereby, that there is an union and conjunction among all mankind.
[Reason 1] The Reasons are these. First, we had all one beginning from God, who is the Creator and Maker of all things visible and invisible, and therefore he being the efficient cause of all, there must be some dependence upon him, and some fellowship among the works of his hands. This the heathen confessed, as the Apostle alledgeth out of their own Poet, Acts 17, 29. We are the generation of God. He is the Creator, we are the works of his hands: he is our Father, we are his children, & consequently brethren one to another.
[Reason 2] Secondly, as we had one beginning, so we all were made of one mould and matter, being framed of the clay and dust of the earth, which the Lord tempered and fashioned to make man, as appeareth in the history of the Creation. So then, the matter of all mankind is remembered unto us to be the earth. This Moses teacheth, Gen. 2.7. & 3, 19. Hereunto the Apostle accordeth, 1 Cor. 15, 47, The first man is of the earth, earthly. Thus the most noble and notable creature, of a wonderful frame and composition, representing in it the glory of y e world, was made of the most base matter, and lowest element, as it were the dregs and lees of the Vniuerse.
[Reason 3] Thirdly, touching the form of man's Creation, they are all made in the image according to the similitude of God, which is a certain band of Nature to knit us together. There is one image and likeness of God that shineth in all men, which we must regard & reverence wheresoever we find it. This is it which Moses sets down, Gen. 9.5. At the hand of a man's brother will I require the life of man, for in the Image of God did he make man.
[Use 1] The Uses are these. First, it serveth to condemn the sundry sects of Monks, Friers, Hermits, and all Cloister-men, that live apart by themselves in woods and desert places, & separate themselves from others, as if they were borne for themselves alone, and not to do good to others. These live as in another world menbers of no society, parts of nobody, limbs of no Family, of no Church, of no Commonwealth. Every man must bring some good, not only to himself, but also to others, & choose some honest and lawful calling When a man is out of his proper l • wfull calling, it is as if a member were put out of joint, or a part of the building were thrust out of order. So then that life which is the forsaking of human society, is neither comfortable for themselves, nor profitable for the Church, nor commendable for the family, nor warrantable by the word, doing good neither to themselves, nor to any other. This the Apostle reproveth to the Hebrews, Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works; not forsaking the fellowship that we have among our selves, as the manner of some is: but let us exhort one another, and that so much the more, because ye see that the day draweth near.
Secondly, it followeth from hence, that it [Use 2] is a singular and special mercy that grace is offered to some more then to othersome, that one nation or kingdom is preferred before another, that one place or person is respected above another, being by birth like and equal, and seeing there is no difference between man and man by nature. It cometh not of our selves, that the Gospel of the kingdom, and word of salvation is offered unto us, there is no dignity in us above our brethren. This Moses bringeth the Israelites to consider, Thou enterest not to inherit their land for thy righteousness, or for thy upright heart. Esau and Jacob were brethren, borne of the same parents at the same time, yet one was received, and the other forsaken. So y e Apostle to the same purpose speaketh, Gal. 3, 28, There is neither Jew nor Grecian: there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are alone in Christ Jesus. This therefore must teach us to acknowledge our own unworthiness, & to magnify the mercy of God toward us above all earthly things.
Thirdly, we are bound to do good to all men, [Use 3] to be servants one to another in love, to help and succor each other in time of need, as the Samaritan did him y t fell among thieves: and as the barbarous nations did the Apostle. True it is, the nearer God bringeth men together, and the straighter bands of kindred, acquaintance, society, and neighborhood, he tieth us withal, y e more prompt & ready we ought to be to do service one to another. But seeing he hath set a kind of brotherhood among all, we must love one another, & be kind-hearted to all our flesh, otherwise we bid battle to God, and are at defiance with nature it self. Notwithstanding, if we consider the common trade & practice of the world, we shall see an open conspiracy to do contrary to the will of God, and the secret instinct of nature it self. For where is this employment of our selves to the good one of another? Do we not see among brethren, many times such divisions, as everyone shifteth for himself, and shrinketh from another; drawing still to themselves without respect of reason, without care of honesty, and without sign of pity or compassion? So y t the wolves are not at such variance, neither do the Lions or Leopards pursue one another as these men do. But man from man is in daily danger. A storm threateneth before it riseth: a building cracketh, before it falleth: a fire smoketh, before it flameth: even the dog barketh, before he byteth: but mankind hurteth suddenly, they are felt oftentimes before they are seen, they strike before they warn, having y e shape of men, but the mind of beasts. This made Solomon to give out this counsel, Prov. 27, 10. Thine own friend and thy fathers friend forsake thou not, and enter not into thy brothers house in the day of thy calamity: a neighbor near, is better then a brother far off. Where he showeth, that sound and sincere love between brethren is rare, and the kindness of kinsfolks tried to be no better then unkindness, especially in the day of adversity. Therefore he adviseth, that we go not to our alliance and kindred in our afflictions, to crave their help, and require their succor, inasmuch as the brethrē of the poor man for the most part hate him, and are soon weary of him. Nature is oftentimes without good-will, but friendship is never without good-will. Natural men may prove to be unnatural, but a friend which is as thine own soul, cannot; and therefore ordinarily will sooner help his friend, then a brother will his own brother, albeit the Son of his own mother. If so little love be among brethren, no marvel if lesser be among the rest of mankind, where lesser bands are to hold them together. What marvel therefore is it, that neighbors fo seldom live as brethren, and generally men with men: seeing such as are Children of the same father show no more friendship one to another then wild beasts? But we, who besides the common conjunction of man with mā, have learned Christ, have all one Father, who hath called us to the knowledge of his Name, & to the inheritance of his kingdom in Christ, by the means of one faith, which is confirmed both by one baptism, being a badge of our engrafting into the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by his last Supper, being a seal of our perpetual nourishment from him: we (I say) must practice better things, and seek (if it be possible) to have peace with all men, having this double communion, both in the flesh and in the Spirit to follow after love. Heereby shall all men know that we are the Disciples of Christ, if we love one another: and hereby we shall know, that we are translated frō death to life, if we love the brethren. We must not live as Wolves and Tigers, by rauine and spoil, we must not oppress one another, for God is an avenger of all such things. This is it that Moses teacheth, Deut. 23, 7. Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother: neither shalt thou abhor an Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his Land. Thus the people of Israel complain against the rich, and cry out upon the unequal & injurious dealing of their brethrē, upon this ground; because their flesh was as the flesh of their brethren, the sons & daughters of the poor, as the sons and daughters of the rich.
Lastly, this serveth to reprove & convince [Use 4] three sorts of men. First, it condemned all railing at, and reviling one of another, all words of reproach and contumely, as if they were our slaves and villains; which practice Christ reproveth, Mat. 5, 22. Secondly, it meeteth with such as delight in contentions, as the beggar doth his sores, & nourishing dissention in the Church or Common-wealth, contrary to the amiable name of brethren that ought to be acknowledged among us. All contention is irksome, but especially y t which is between brethren. All war is lamentable, but especially civil war, where brother is divided against brother, & sometimes the son against y e father. This victory should not be sounded with triumph, but passed over with silence. Therefore the Roman Captains, after a civil war, never triumphed when they returned victors, as we see in Cinna and Caesar, in Silla and Marius. So among all quarrels and controversies, those among brethren are most unnatural. Wherefore, the Apostle Paul saith, I beseech you brethren, mark them diligently which cause division and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. So the Apostle James teacheth, If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, rejoice not, neither be liars against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish: For where envying and strife is, there is sedition, and all manner of evil works. Wherefore let us learn to cut off all occasions of contentions, even from them that seek occasions. Thirdly, this reproveth all unmerciful dealing towards those that are in necessity, such as was in the Priest and Levite toward him that fell into the hands of thieves & was wounded. Whē we see a poor man or woman destitute of daily food, in misery and want of this worlds good, we must thus think with our selves, This man or this woman is my flesh, my brother, my sister, as good by nature and in creation, as myself, having the same Maker, and made of the same matter, and bearing the fame Image of God as well as myself. It is only God's goodness toward me, that I possess those things which he wanteth; the same Lord requireth of me to my utmost power to relieve and help him. This is taught by Moses, Deut. 15, 7. Thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand frō thy poor brother. Let it not grieve us to give and forgive. Let us have a cōpassionate heart, a pitiful eye, a liberal hand. Remember it is an easy thing with God to bring thee into as low an ebb, though thou be now afloat, as we see it hath fallen out to many great Kings & mighty Monarchs. This is that charge which the Prophet giveth, Es. 58, 7. Is not this the fasting that I have chosen, to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that wander, unto thine house, when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Let this consideration move us to love all mē under heaven, and to show the fruits of mercy unto them in distress, as the Samaritan did to the poor wounded man, Luke 10, 33. Let us pray for the conversion of Jews & Gentiles, as Stephen did for his enemies.
[Ver. 15. Thou knowest our trouble, how our fathers went down into Egypt, therefore I pray thee let us pass. ] This is the second reason before remembered, drawn from the woeful experience of many miseries, which they have had in Egypt and out of Egypt. Here we see, they allege the afflictions endured in • gypt, to stir up the Edomites to pity, and to give thē quiet passage. This reason is thus contrived, If we have suffered many sorrows and afflictions, and been evilly entreated in Egypt, then pity our poor condition, and deliver us out of our distress: but we have all suffered many sorrows and afflictions, &c: therefore pity us and give us passage. Mark here the force and strength of the reason: he persuadeth thē to grant them free passage, moved with this consideration, that the miseries of the Church have been many, and as yet they saw no ende of them. They were bound by all good means to procure their peace, and seek a blessed end of their present sorrows, that entering into the Land, they might sit under their Vines & Fig-trees, and reason of the ways and word of the Lord without fear. Now the want of this liberty and freedom to serve the Lord, and the distressed estate of the oppressed Church, is made a motive to mercy in these Edomites to redress their troubles, and so the Israelites might have been eased, & themselves no way burdened. From hence we learn, that y e wants and miseries of the Church should move the hearts of others to pity them, and to procure according to their power the remedy thereof. Whensoever we see the people of God in affliction, if there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercy, we must be touched inwardly even to the quick, and put too our helping hand to end their calamities as we are able. This hath been put in practice from time to time by the holy servants of the Lord. When Nehemiah heard that y e people returned from captivity, were still in great misery, Neh. 1, 3, 4, Jerusalem trodden down, the gates burnt with fire, he sat down and wept, he mourned, fasted, & prayed before the God of heaven for the redress of those evils, and for a blessing upon his holy endeavours. The like affection we see in Mordecai & Este • ; chap. 4, 8, 16. when Mordecai saw what evil was concluded against the Church, and that a commission was sued out at Shushan to destroy and massacre the people of God in one day, he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth, he goeth to Ester, he chargeth her that she should go in to the King, and make petition and supplication before him for her people. She undertaketh the cause of the Church with the hazard of her life, she relieth upon the all-giving providence of God, saying; If I perish, I perish, I will go in to the King, albeit it be not according to the Law. So the Prophet teacheth, Psal. 80, 5, where he complaineth, that God had given them bread of tears, and fed them with tears to drink in great measure; Thou hast made us a reproach to our enemies, thou hast brought a Vine out of Egypt, thou hast cast out the Heathen, and planted it, yet the wild Boar devoureth it, the beasts of the field eat it up. Upon this consideration he showeth his affection, and oftentimes doubleth it: Return we beseech thee, O God of hosts, look down from heaven, and visit this Vine. The like care of redressing the distressed condition of the Church, appeareth in Habakkuk; for when God revealed unto him, that for the wickedness and iniquity, the strife and contention of the people, he would punish and visit them by the Chaldeans, a Nation worser then themselves, it constrained the Prophet to break out into an earnest prayer; When I heard thy voice, I trembled and was afraid, Lord, in wrath and in the midst of judgment remember mercy. Hab. 1, 3, 6, & 3, 2. What should I add more? The book of Lamentations showeth, that the horrible desolation of the Church did draw up whole buckets of water, and fountains of tears frō the Prophet, even bowels of compassion and most earnest prayer to God for the delivery of his people, being moved with a sensible feeling of the Churches distresses. Lam. 1, and 2, and 3.
And although this meditation alone be sufficient [Reason 1] to enforce this affection of compassion, yet it may be more earnestly considered, and deeply enforced by sundry reasons. For first, nothing ought to be more precious and dear unto us, then to see the flourishing estate of the Church: nothing ought to go nearer unto our hearts, and to make our eyes a fountain of tears to weep day and night, then to behold the decayings and desolations of Zion. This appeareth evidently unto us, Psal. 137, 1, 2, 5, where the Prophet layeth down the miserable estate of the Church under the Babylonians, and the affection of the Church conceived upon that distress, We sat down and wept when we remembered Zion, we hanged our Harps upon the willows in the midst thereof; if I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget to play, If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave unto the roof of my mouth, yea if I prefer not Jerusalem before my chief joy. Wherein ariseth this reason, that howsoever many things are ministered to comfort the people of God, as favor, friends, honor, glory, pleasure, and prosperity, yet above all other joy, the peaceable and prosperous estate of the Church affecteth thē, as that which sticketh nearest, and cleaveth closest unto them, at the sight whereof the Angels take occasion to wonder at the mercies of God. Contrariwise, the troubles and tumults raised against the Church, beginning to prevail against it, and threatening to make havoc of it, have caused the greatest sorrow of all other incident to the sons of men.
We see a worthy and memorable example of this in the wife of Phinehas, when the Philistines prevailed over the people of God, many sorrows fell upon her, one in the neck of another; the taking of the Ark, the fall of her father, the death of her husband, the slaughter of her brother, the overthrow of the host, the triumph of the enemy: yet above all (as if the rest were nothing) the report of taking the Ark, was as a sword to pierce through her soul, and suffered her not to receive any comfort in her travail, but she named her child, Icabod, that is, no glory, saying; The glory is departed from Israel, because the Ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law, and her husband: She said again, For the Ark of GOD is taken. 1 Sam. 4, 19, 21, 22. Whereby we see, that howsoever we feel nothing but worldly losses, being men of this world, whose portion is in this life, and are acquainted with nothing but worldly sorrows which cause death, choosing rather to leave Christ, then to lose our commodities; to sell our birth-right, then to want our pottage, like profane Esau, or the swinish Gadarenes: yet she sealeth up her sorrow in the name of her son, and repeateth the departure of the glory from Israel, as that which most of all doubled and increased her affliction. If then, all things in this life are not to be compared and matched with the prosperous proceeding & increase of the Church in spiritual things; if no earthly loss of things nearest and dearest unto them, do so far enter into them as the calamities and ruins of the Church, marvel not if the wants thereof go near unto the Church, and stir them up to labor the redress thereof in their best meditations.
Secondly, the distresses of the Church set [Reason 2] open a wide door to faithless and profane men, to insult contumeliously, and to triumph vain-gloriously over the Church, as though God had forsaken them, & left them as a prey in the jaws of the enemy, whereby the truth is slandred, & the Name of God which ought to be precious unto us, is blasphemed. This appeareth, Psalm. 70, 1, 4, 5, 8, 10. when the heathen rushed into the inheritance of God, defiled the Temple, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones, that they were a reproach unto their neighbors, even a scorn and derision to them that were round abound them. The Prophet expressing his affection, saith; Lord, how long wilt thou be angry, forever? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire? And thē he addeth this as a reason: Wherefore should the heathen say, where is their God? Let him be known among th • heathen in our sight by the vengeance of the blood of thy servants that is shed. So then, as on the one side the flourishing estate of the Church is that which giveth inward joy and true comfort of heart above all other things to God's servants, & on the other side, the distresses of the Church do set open a door to faithless and rebellious men, to take advantage to rejoice over the Church, and in the spirit of Ishmael to scoff at it with taunts more bitter then gall and wormwood: it followeth, that the troubles thereof must draw us to pity, move us to prayer, and incite us to use all good means to redress them.
The uses follow. First, we must be grieved for the troubles of the Church, as fellow-members [Use] of the same body. Can that be a true and lively member, that is not any way touched with a fellow-feeling of the rest of the members? The Apostle teacheth, 1 Corin. 12, 25, That the members should have the same care one for another, therefore if one member suffer, all suffer with it: if one member be had in honor, all the members rejoice with it. Would we then know, whether we have Christ for our head, coupling us together, whether we be members of Christ, and have him dwelling in us by faith, and whether we be made bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, without which we have no salvation? we must examine our harts by this note that is found in all the members of the body one toward another. If any member be hurt or endangered, the rest are ready to help, everyone according to his office; the foot runneth for it, the eye looketh upon it, the hand stretcheth out it self for the good thereof. If it be so with us in the dangers and desolations of the Church, we have comfort in our own hearts, we carry a witness about us that we are lively menbers of Christ. But if we have no feeling, no compassion, no pity toward them that suffer for Christ's sake, we are dead and rotten members, we want life and quickening in Christ, we cannot assure our selves that as yet we are engrafted into his body. Therefore the Apostle saith, Gal. 6, 2. Bear you one another's burden, and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Again, Who is weak, & I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not? 2 Cor. 11, 29. And in another place, Be of like affection one to another, rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep, Rom. 12, 15, 16. Hereunto the Apostle accordeth in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 13, 3. Remember them that are in bonds, as though ye were bound with them: and them that are in affliction, as if we were also afflicted in the body: teaching us hereby that their condition must be as our own condition, and their trouble as our own trouble. So the Prophet uttereth his affection, Lam. 2, 11, 13, 20, that although he should be preserved from the judgment executed, yet beholding Zion lying waste, he crieth out, Mine eyes gush out water for the destruction of the daughter of my people, thy breach is great like the sea. And afterward he stirreth up his zeal, Behold, O Lord, and consider to whom thou hast done thus? Wherefore, whensoever God offereth us the sight of any chastisement upon our brethren at home, or the neighbor-Churches abroad, we ought not to be as those that are dull, senseless, and past feeling, but to have a sympathy of their sorrows, and draw out the bowels of compassion toward them.
[Use 2] Secondly, woe and woe again to them that are secure, that laugh when the Church weepeth; that live in bravery and excess, whē the Church putteth on sackcloth and ashes; that fill, and feast, and fat themselves with all delicates, when the Church fasteth; that awake not out of their sleep, when the judgments of God are here unto them. This the Prophet reproveth, Isaiah 22, 12, 13, 14. In that day did the Lord of hosts call unto weeping & mourning, and to baldness, & girding with sackcloth: & behold, joy & gladness, slaying oxen & killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine, for tomorrow we shall die. When we are once come to this carelessness and contempt of our brethren's condition, the threatening denounced in these words following shall fall upon us: Our iniquities shall not be purged from us until we die. A fearful sentence of a grievous judgment, to teach us humility, and to drive away all security. Hereunto also cometh the saying of Amos chap. 6, 1, 2, 3, 4.5, 6. Where we see, he pronounceth the woeful estate and condition of those that lived without fear and regard of God's judgments, neither remembered their brethren carried into captivity, and living in great adversity. We live in the time of the distresses and wants of the Church. This calleth us to practice this duty, of seeking the good of the Church, and using all good means by supplication to God, and by petition to men, for the redress thereof. Especially let us be mindful in our prayers of the peace of Jerusalem, Because of the house of the Lord our God. This was the prayer of the Prophet, Lord, be favorable to Zion, for thy good pleasure, build the walls of Jerusalem. If then we would have both the Common-wealth and our private wealth to flourish, we must tender the good and flourishing estate of the Church, we must be tender-hearted to procure the prosperous estate thereof. For the Church and Common-wealth are as those twins which are said to weep together, and to laugh together; they flourish together, they fade together, they fall together. So long as pure religion and preaching of the Gospel are maintained, it cannot go ill with the common-wealth, they are as a brazen wall, as a strong fortress and bulwark, as a Castle of defense, to keep out all invasion of enemies, and crying in our streets. For the one addeth strength unto the other, whilst the Common-wealth fighteth against the visible enemies of the Church by counsel and authority, the Church fighteth against the invisible enemies of the Commonwealth by prayer and supplication. If then the Church be spoiled, & the publishing of the Gospel be hindered, the Commonwealth cannot long go free, but the foundation thereof is dangerously shaken, which hath no promise to be kept in good estate, but as it is a Nurse to the Church, and a Lantern to hold the light of the word. The like might be said of private families, and of particular persons, we have no assurance of the protection of God, & of the continuance of our estate in peace, farther then we promote his glory, and give entertainment to the Gospel. We see in the second book of the Chronicles, ch. 36, 15. when the people of Israel came to this height of iniquity, to mock the messengers & misuse the servants of God, which he sent unto them rising early, Because he had compassion on his people and on his habitation, then he brought upon them the King of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword, in the house of their Sanctuary, & spared neither young men nor virgins, ancient nor aged, God gave them all into his hand. So Christ saith, Mat. 23, 37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, & stonest thē that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, but ye would not. Now what followeth this contempt of the word, and neglect of the Gospel? Behold, your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. To conclude therefore, let us promote true religion, and then we shall prosper and be safe; otherwise we have no promise of blessing.
Lastly, this doctrine of pitying the Churches [Use 3] troubles, serveth most fitly to condemn the contrary practice of those miserable and merciless men that are without all humanity & natural affection, that are borne of wolves, nourished of tygers, and have sucked y • milk of most savage beasts, or rather the poison of asps and vipers, whose very bowels of mercy are the breathings out of cruelty, as the wise man speaketh: who are so far from pitying the miseries of others, and helping them in their distresses, that they add to the heap of their afflictions, oppress them with an heavier burden, and thrust them quite down that are ready even to fall. This the Prophet condemneth, Psal. 69, 26, 27. This is a note of extreme hatred and malice, and yet how many are there among us, that live in the bosom of the Church, who make the miseries of others as a game and pastime to refresh themselves, reviling & reproaching with most bitter taunts and terms of infamy, such as lie under the cross, as those passengers that mocked Christ hanging on the Cross? Let all such remember the wise counsel of the wise man in sundry places of the Proverbs, chap. 11, 8. & 24, 16, 17, 18. Where he showeth, that howsoever the faithful may fall into many adversities, yet their adversaries are not to triumph over thē, and tread them under their feet as dung of the earth, no nor show signs of mirth & gladness in their affliction, lest the Lord who pondereth the spirits, lay the same affliction upon them. So then, to rejoice at the misery of another, that he may have sorrow upon sorrow, is the ready way to bring misery and draw God's plagues upon our selves: and therefore if at any time we see them sink down in affliction as under a burden, it is our parts not only to pity them, but to comfort and relieve them, who are commanded to raise up the Ass of our enemy that is fallen down, as we see in the law of Moses: Thou knowest our trouble, how our fathers went down into Egypt. Hitherto we have handled the strength of the reason: now let us consider the truth of the words, which set forth the miseries and afflictions of the Church of God. From hence we learn, that the afflictions of the church are many: the troubles that it endureth at the hands of evil men are very great. True it is, the people of God are endued with the first fruits of the Spirit, and are reserved unto a kingdom, yet if we will live with him, we must first die with him: if we will reign with him, we must first suffer with him; if we will have him wipe away all our tears in heaven, we must first shed them on earth. This is expressly taught, Psal. 34, 19. So the Apostle James, chap. 1, 2. 1 Cor. 4, 9. & 2 Cor. 11, 23, 24, 25, 26. This was the estate of the whole Church of the Hebrews described, Heb. 11, 35, 36, 37, 38. This we might farther consider in the examples of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Joseph, David, Jeremiah, and sundry others, whose lives are a plentiful storehouse to testify this truth, that the people of God do many times endure manifold afflictions from evil men.
The reasons are evident. First, the enemies [Reason 1] of the Church know not the Father, neither Jesus Christ his Son. They have nothing to stop and to stay their fury and violence, being stirred up by their own malice, and set on fire of hell. This is it we read, John. 16, 2, 3. They shall excommunicate you: yea, the time shall come, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service: and these things will they do, because they have not known the Father nor me. For whatsoever their pretence be, yet their rage against the servants of God, proceedeth from their ignorance of God, and instigation of the devil, who beareth all the sway in their harts. Therefore Christ saith, Revel. 2, 10. Behold, it shall come to pass, that the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried. Howsoever thē, they bear themselves oftentimes in hand that they do well, yet whensoever they take crafty counsel against the innocent, the suggestion is of the devil: when they give their tongues to lying and cursed speaking, they are thrust forward by the father of lies: when their hearts are inflamed with malice, the devil is as the bellows to blow the coals. Finally, whensoever they work injuriously against the Saints of God, he is the master of the mischief, and of him in the end they shall receive their wages.
Again, the delight of God's people is to [Reason 2] follow goodness. Now so long as the devil is in the world, and his instruments stirred up by him that walk after the vanities of their own mind, and the corruptions of their own heart, so long they will always malice and abhor the servants of God, wherein it seemeth to them strange, that we run not with them into the same excess of riot, therefore speak they evil of us; which shall give accounts to him that is ready to judge the quick and dead. 1 Pet. 4, 4, 5. The Spirit of God teacheth this from the beginning, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall break thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Where we see, there is and there must be always a perpetual opposition and enmity between believers and hypocrites, between the godly & the ungodly. The world hateth them that are chosen out of the world, John 15, 19. Thus it was in Abraham's family which was the Church of God, where he that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit, even so it is now. Gal. 4, 29. Hereunto Solomon had respect when he said, A wicked man is abomination to the just, and he that is upright in his way, is abomination to the wicked, Prov. 29, 27.
The uses now to be considered are these. First, we must learn hereby, that afflictions [Use 1] are not simply evil, neither shall they be able to separate us from God, as we see, Rom. 8.35 28, 38, 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, as it is written, for thy sake are we killed all day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nevertheless, in all these things, we are more then conquerors through him that loved us. Where we see, that seeing it is the lot of the righteous to suffer persecution, he concludeth, it shall never be able to separate us frō the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. For God giveth to all those that are his, a sanctified use of the Cross, who disposeth all things to work the best to them that love God, even to them that are called of his purpose. This is the unspeakable mercy of God, that maketh not only the Ministry of the word, the use of the sacraments, the grace of prayer, and such like exercises of our holy religion turn to our good, but blesseth the bitter cup of the greatest afflictions that is offered us to drink, to be unto us the medicine of the soul, the trial of faith, the mortifying of corruption, the school house of humility, the preaching of repentance, the renouncing of the world, the taming of the flesh, and the stirring of us up to prayer. We may now comfortably conclude to our own consciences with the same Apostle, I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God. Let us know then there is great use of the cross, being assured, that tribulation bringeth forth patience, & patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our harts by the holy Ghost, which is given unto us.
[Use 2] Secondly, we learn hereby, not to promise to our selves worldly peace & prosperity, but prepare to endure the cross before it cometh, and know that the end of one cross is the beginning of another, while we live here. We must not look to find heaven upon earth, we must not dreme of the victory before we fight. We think of receiving the prize, but we would not run the race. We would put on the crown, but we shun the cross, like those foolish husbandmen that would receive the fruits of the earth, but care not for the labor. And surely the reason why we are many ways impatient under the cross, & murmur under the mighty hand of God, is, because we are unprepared & unprovided to bear any storm, or endure any trial. We must not think to live at ease and pleasure, but know, that whosoever taketh not up his cross & cometh after Christ cannot be his Disciple. So Paul teacheth Timothy, Thou hast fully known my faith and my patience, my persecutions which came unto me, but from them all the Lord delivered me: yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim. 3, 10, 12. For as the head was first crowned with thorns, so the members must not look to live in pleasures.
Lastly, be not offended at the great afflictions [Use 3] that oftentimes we hear to befall y e faithful, or we see to be upon such as fear God; let us not marvel and wonder at it, as at some rare and strange thing, much less should we start back from our profession for the persecutions and fiery trials that come upon the Church. Therefore the Apostle John saith, Maruaile not my brethren, though this world hate you: nay, rather we have cause to rejoice, that God vouchsafeth us this honor, not only to believe in him, but to suffer for his Name. This made Paul say, Acts 21, 13. being entreated that he would not go up to Jerusalem, What do ye weeping, and breaking mine heart? For I am ready, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the Name of the Lord Jesus. Doubtless, if we were of the world, the world would love his own; but because we are chosen out of the world, therefore the world hateth us. It is noted to the everlasting praise of the Apostles, Acts 5, 21. Heb. 10, 33, 34. Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward. God hath no need of us to maintain his glory, he is able to maintain it without us; therefore it is a great privilege and prerogative, that God calleth us out to suffer for his Names sake. Besides, such and so great are our infirmities, that the Lord might worthily make us suffer for our own sins, and bring shame and confusion of faces upon us, according to our own deservings.
Now, in that he mercifully passeth over our faults and frailties, & covereth our transgressions, and maketh us suffer taunts, reproaches, & persecutions, for his truth and Gospel, it is a great honor and dignity whereunto he exalteth and advanceth us; and therefore our Savior saith, Blessed shall ye be when men revile and persecute you, & say all manner of evil against you for my sake falsely, rejoice and be glad: for great is your reward in heaven. Mat. 5, 11, 12. Wherefore, let us not shrink back for trouble, but rejoice in our sufferings, and praise God for our afflictions.
[Ver. 16. But when we cried unto the Lord; he heard our voice: therefore let us pass through thy Country. Here we have the third reason used to the Edomites, to persuade them to give them passage, drawn from an experience of God's help, who seeing their misery, and hearing their groanings, brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Now it would argue great cruelty, to forsake those and leave them in their affliction, of whō God hath taken the protection. If then God have helped us, do not you deny us help: but God hath helped us, therefore deny not us your help. Thus the gracious dealing of God is propounded for their imitation.
This is a forcible and effectual reason, teaching us this Doctrine, that the consideration of God's love & mercy shown to his childrē, must move us to mercy. The truth hereof hath the consent and agreement of many other Scriptures. Hereunto cometh the exhortation of Moses, Deut. 10.17, 18, 19. The Lord your God is God of God's, and the Lord of Lord's, a great God, mighty, and terrible, who doth right unto the fatherless and widow, & loveth the stranger, giveth him food and raiment: Love ye therefore the stranger, for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt. Thus the Apostle reasoneth, 1 John. 4, 9, 11. God hath manifested his love in sending his only begotten Son into this world, that we might live thorough him. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. Wher we see, he persuadeth to brotherly love in respect of the experience which we have of the free love of God toward our selves. So our Savior concludes, Lu. 6, 36. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Hereunto cometh that which we read in the Apostle John, in another place, Hereby have we perceived love, that he laid down his life for us, therefore we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren 1 John 3, 8, 16. There is nothing more effectual to persuade brethren to unity among themselves, thē to know they have a gentle father that loveth them all. Nothing is able to bind faster those that are fellow-servants in one family, to seek the mutual good one of another, then to consider they have a good master, careful of the good of them all, to give them their portion in due season
[Reason 1] The reasons are evident. First, we are bound to follow the example of God, which must be our direction and instruction. This the Apostle teacheth. Phil. 2, 5, where he exhorteth to humility and lowliness of mind from the example of Christ, Let the same mind be in you, that was even in Christ Jesus. And the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 11.32, having propounded the examples of the Patriarchs and Prophets, y t by faith received a good report, concludeth, that we must rather look to the example of Christ, the Author & finisher of our faith, who endured the Cross, and despised the shame for the joy that was set before him. If thē the example of God be to be followed of us, we must be moved to show mercy where we see y e bountiful hand of God opened before us.
[Reason 2] Secondly, we are the children of God, we are the servants of God, we are the subjects of his kingdom; we must therefore seek to be like to him, & resemble him in our obedience to his Commandments, as the Apostle Peter showeth, As obedient children fashion not yourselves unto the former lusts of your ignorance, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And thus saith the Lord by Malachi the Prophet, ch. 1, 6. A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: If then I be a Father, where is mine honor? If I be a Master, where is my fear? Hereunto accordeth and agreeth the exhortation of Christ, John. 13, 12, 13, 14. Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master, and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am: If I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do even as I have done to you.
[Use 1] The uses. First let us learn to acknowledge from hence this truth, that great is God's mercy, who never faileth nor forsaketh those that are his. For assuredly, his mercy and compassion should never be propounded to us as a rule to direct us, and as an example to guide us, if there were not infinite love in him, and in our God plentiful redemption. Wherefore, we may safely conclude this principle of our faith and teach it to others, that the mercies of God are sure and certain to his Church. This the Prophet handleth at large, Psal. 103, 8, 11, 13. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and of great kindness as high as the heaven is above the earth, so great is his mercy toward thē that fear him: As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him. There is no end, no measure, no limitation of his mercy & compassion. The height of it is not to be taken, the depth of it is not to be found, the length and breadth of it is not to be comprehended. It is higher then the heavens, it is deeper then the grave, it is longer then the earth, it is broader then the sea: Who is it that by searching can find out God, or search out the Almighty to his perfection? For love, and mercy, & pity, are not in God as they are in men. In us, they are such graces of the Spirit of God as we are qualified withal throug • his gift, they are streams flowing from his Fountain, and as light drawn from his Candle. But in God are no qualities or accidents, he is of none, but hath his being of himself, & giveth being to all other things. Therefore the Apostle saith, God is love it self: not only the Fountain and well-spring of love, but love it self. And one saith truly and properly: God is not wise, but wisdom it self: not just, but justice it self: not pitiful, but pity it self: not merciful, but mercy it self: not good, but goodness it self. This is a great comfort and refreshing to us in all afflictions, be they never so great, be they never so grievous: there is no infirmity and weakness in God, his mercy is over all his works, he is infinite in compassion, he can no more cease to be merciful, then cease to be God, and therefore it being essential to him, our misery can never exceed or countervail his mercy. Secondly, we must [Use 2] learn from hence, to love all the creatures of God (albeit not all equally) after the example of God. We read everywhere in the Scripture, of the love of God, loving not only his Son, his Church, his Elect, but the rest of the world, the reprobate, and all his creatures, Giving them rain and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with joy and gladness. Let us therefore first see what the love of God is. He loveth all his creatures, even all the works of his hands, He saw all that he had made, and loe, they were exceeding good. Yea, he doth good to all, in him they move, live, breathe, and have their being. Notwithstanding, he loveth his elect and chosen people, ordained to eternal life, more then the rest of mankind, whom he leaveth in their sin, to work out their own confusion, as the Apostle teacheth, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. For touching the faithful, he calleth them effectually, he justifieth thē freely, he sanctifieth them thoroughly in soul and body; yea, as the faithful increase in grace & the exercises of piety, so they more and more feel the love of God toward them, as Christ speaketh, He that keepeth my Commandments, is he that loveth me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father. Here then we have an example before us for our continual instruction to guide us in the matter and measure of our love. For first, the meanest of the creatures are to be loved, none of them are to be abused of us. Hereunto tend the laws givē to the Jews, not to oppress our Cattle, not to musle the mouth of the Ox, nor to take the dam with the young, to help up the Ass sinking & falling under his burden, and such like. Secondly, we must much more love mankind, made after the Image of God; yea even our enemies, according to the commandment of our Lord and Master Christ, Math. 5, 44, 45. This is not a counsel, but a Commandment, charging us to love our enemies, seeking their good, thirsting after their salvation, overcoming evil with goodness, heaping coals of fire upon their head, and thereby gathering an assurance to our own hearts that we are the children of God. Thirdly, it belongeth to the faithful, to love the faithful with an especial love, as children with them of the self same Father, & heirs with them of the same kingdom: for hereby we shall know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren. This the Apostle teacheth, Gal. 6, 10. While we have time, let us do good to all men, but especially unto them that are of the household of faith. So that in the duties of love, we must prefer our godly brethrē, that are Christians by profession, Saints by calling, heirs by faith, sons by adoption, partakers of the same grace with us; yea, as we see the gifts of God more clearly to shine, and more manifestly to multiply in them, so our love must increase toward them. As they go forward or backward, increase or decrease; as we see them zealous, or cold, or luke-warm, so must our inward love proceed or stay, grow or slake toward them; & always where God showeth forth the abundance of his love shed into their hearts, we must most wisely bestow our love according to his example, which the nearer we follow, the more conformable we are to God, wherein standeth our happiness.
[Use 3] Lastly, it reproveth such as are vnappeasable, and will never forgive and forget the injuries that are done unto them. Assuredly, such shall find judgment without mercy, as show no mercy. Who is there among us, that doth not daily (even with the air) draw in y e mercy of God. It is his mercy that we are not all consumed. If then, having our selves received so great mercy, we can return in way of thankfulness, no compassion to others, we make a law against our selves, and as it were stop and shut up the spring of grace from flowing unto us. This the Apostle James teacheth, There shall be judgment merciless to him that showeth no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. It standeth us all therefore upon, not to rest in y e bare and naked name of the sons of God, but labor in the truth of the inner parts and in sincerity of our hearts to be like to him, practicing the exhortatiō of the Apostle, As the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, &c. There is no salvation without pardon and remission of sin. Would we then have salvation? Do we desire forgiveness at the hand of God? The means to assure us that we have attained it, is to put away wrath & all maliciousness, and to be courteous & tender-hearted one to another, forgiving one another, if we desire to feel any true comfort to our own souls in the forgiveness of our own sins.
When we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice. The truth of the former reason, setteth down the love of God to his people, hearing their prayers, sending his Angel, and bringing them out of Egypt. The doctrine out of these words considered in themselves, is this; God loveth and favoreth his own people. Howsoever they be hated of the world, because they are not of the world, but are chosen out of the world, yet he setteth thē as a seal on his heart, and as a signet on his arm. Hereunto come the amiable and lovely titles y t Christ giveth to his Church, calling it, & knocking unto it, saying; Open unto me my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my undefiled; for my head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. So the Prophet expresseth his love in the Psalm, toward his people, Albeit they were few in number, yea, very few, and strangers in the Land, and walked about from Nation to Nation, from one Kingdom to another people, yet suffered he no man to do thē harm, but reproved Kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm. So Moses testifieth the same; The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people unto himself, above all people that are upon the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you, because ye were moe in number then any people (for ye were the fewest of all people) but because the lord loved you, and would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers. Thus God in great mercy brought Abraham from his Country, took David from the sheepfolds, chose Peter and Andrew from their nets, called Matthew from the custom, converted the thief upon the cross, and turned Paul from a persecutor to be an Apostle, being oftentimes found of them that sought not after him: by all which testimonies and examples it appeareth, that God doth show himself good and gracious unto his people.
The reasons are; First, because they are his [Reason 1] sons and daughters. This is an argument of great love, & a testimony that he will not forsake us forever. We are not only the servants and friends of God, but the sons of God, & the spouse of Christ. Indeed Christ is the natural Son of God, and the eldest brother, by whom we are adopted to be the sons of God. This reason the Apostle propoundeth, 1 John 3, 1. Behold, what love the Father hath given to us, that we should be called the sons of God; for this cause the world knoweth you not, because it knoweth not him Great is the affection of fervent love y t parents bear toward their children; no heart of any can well express it, but he that hath been a father himself to feel it. Others may, well speak of it, but they are not able to comprehend it. And yet all their love is a cold & frozen love, yea it is no love indeed, yea it is no better then hatred in comparison of the love that the Father of heaven and earth beareth to his children, whose love to us is wonderful passing the love of men and women. This the Prophet teacheth, Can a woman forget her child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb, though they should forget, yet will not I forget thee. Es. 49, 15. Likewise Christ saith, Mat. 7, 9, 10. What man is there among you, which if his son ask him bread, would give him a stone? Or if he ask fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then which are evil, can give to your children good gifts; how much more shall your Father which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?
[Reason 2] Again, he hath sent his Son into y e world, who came from the bosom of his Father, and took our nature upon him, he endured the infirmities of our nature, the shame of the cross, the wrath of his Father, to bring us into his favor. He was punished, we are pardoned: he was charged with our sins, we are discharged from our sins: he was crucified, we are acquitted: he was condemned, we are justified. Thus the Apostle John reasoneth, Herein was the love of God made manifest among us, because God sent his only begotten Son into this world, that we might live through him. Herein is that love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a reconciliation for our sins. The natural Son of God was smitten for the unnatural: the only begotten, for the adopted: the beloved, for the enemy: greater love then this could no man show, then to die for his enemies. But God setteth out his love toward us, seeing that while we were yet sinners, [Use 1] Christ died for us. The uses follow. First, we may conclude from hence, that no creature shall be able to hurt his people. If he have takē them into his protection, & loved them with an everlasting love, who shall by the hatred of thē procure their harm? If he be on our side, who shall be against us? If he be our friend, who shall show himself our enemy? What servant feareth the face of his fellow servant that hath the good will of his master? Or what mā feareth the hatred of any subject, that hath the love of his Prince? So then, the consideration of God's love toward us, assureth us of our blessed condition, and of our safety & defense from all dangers that may surprise us. Whosoever dwelleth in the secret of the most High, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty, he will deliver him from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pestilence. This the Prophet concludes, Extend thy loving kindness unto them that know thee, and thy righteousness unto them that are upright in heart: Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked move me. Let us labor to have a true feeling of the love of God shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost, then will he cover us under his wings, and we shall be sure under his feathers. The cause why we fear him that can kill the body, is, because we are not rooted & grounded in the love of God.
[Use 2] Secondly, hereby we receive another comfort to our faith; for as the wicked shall not hurt us, so we are assured to have our prayers heard & granted. Why? because God loveth us as his dear children. Comes not that child with boldness unto his father that loveth him in all his need? So if once we have this persuasion settled in us, that God will show himself gracious unto us, we may ask in faith and not waver, but be assured of the promise of God, that he will give to them that ask, and open the gate of mercy to them that knock. This Christ our Savior affirmeth, Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you: Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. What greater comfort can there be then this, that God will hear our prayers? that we may vnlade all our cares and troubles into his bosom? There cannot be a greater daunting and dismaying unto any, then when God will not respect and regard them, though they pour out many prayers, yet he will not hear them, as he threateneth those that will not hear his voice, speking and crying unto them in the ministry of his word, They shall cry and not be heard. Prov. 1, 28. Zach. 7, 13. So, of all comforts that can befall us in this life, this is one of the greatest, which cannot be taken from us, though our mouths should be stopped, yet we may safely lift up our hearts and souls unto the Lord, from whence our help cometh.
Thirdly, it is our duty to love one another, [Use 3] as everyone of us hath a blessed experience of God's mercy & favor toward us, let us deal in like measure toward our brethren. This the Apostle John exhorteth unto, Herein is that love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, & sent his Son to be a reconciliation for our sins: Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another: for hereby shall all men know that we are his Disciples, if we love one another. This is my Commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you: greater love then this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his friends. Great was the love of God toward us, as appeareth by many circumstances & considerations. For he loved us first, not we him; as Christ chose his Disciples, not they him. Heereby God commendeth & setteth forth his love toward us, that he loved us first, and not we him.
Again, he loved us when we were not, whē we had not our birth or being, he chose us to be a peculiar people unto himself before the foundations of the world, as Rom. 9. Before the children were borne, and when they had done neither good nor evil, it was said, Jacob have I loved.
Thirdly, he loved us, when we were enemies unto him, he was found of us when we sought not after him, nay when we fled from him and rebelled against him, as Ro. 5, 6. & 10. Christ, when we were yet of no strength, at his time died for the ungodly: so as God setteth out his love toward us, seeing that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Fourthly, he loved us frankly and freely, without any merits or deserts of our own, but of his own mere grace and favor only. Our salvation is wholly of grace. We are elected according to the good pleasure of his will. We are called with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, 2 Tim. 1, 9. We are justified freely by his grace, without the works of the Law, Rom. 3, 24, 28. We have salvation of grace, not of our selves: It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, Eph. 2, 8, 9. Lastly, the love of God is so great, that he spared not his own Son, but gave him to the death, That whosoever believed in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. If then the love of God be such and so great to his servants, that he loved them first: freely, when they were not, when they were his enemies, & spared not his well-beloved Son for them: how great should our Christian love be one to another, to promote the good one of another, and to relieve the necessities one of another? We know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he being rich, for our sakes became poor, that we thorough his poverty might be made rich: Whosoever therefore hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his compassion frō him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Wherefore, let us not love in word, neither in tongue only, as Cain, which was of that evil one, and slew his brother; but in deed and in truth; for hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall before him assure our hearts. It is not enough if we hurt no man, it is required of us to do good from the heart, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, and to seek all occasions of showing our compassion unto them.
[Verse 17. We will not go through the fields. ] This is the fourth and last reason yielded to y e King of Edom, to obtain their purpose and passage through his country. Wherein the Israelites promise a peaceable marching, without doing wrong to any. As if they should say, We do not desire that our selves should be benefited, and you hindered; our selves eased, and you burdened; our selves comforted, and you grieved; our selves to gain, and you to live by the loss: we covet no man's silver nor gold, we gape after no man's goods, we will not take any possession of your country, we will not enter your fields, we will not drink of your wels, we will not invade your vineyards, we will not stay to take up your places as our own dwelling, we will only make a thorowfare among you, keeping the Kings high way, and not taking so much as a thread or shoe-latchet from any man to enrich our selves, having learned not to do that to another, which we would not have done to our selves. So thē, the strength of the reason to move them to grant them free passage, standeth in propounding & laying before them their just dealing toward them. This may teach us, that as good men in love and kindness deal with us, so must we deal with them again: and with what measure they measure to us, it must be measured to them again. The Apostle describing the properties and effects of true love, affirmeth, that It doth nothing uncomely: it seeketh not her own things: it is not provoked to anger: it thinketh no evil. So our Savior, having expounded the Commandments of the second Table, compriseth the sum of them all in this, saying; Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, even so do ye to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets. And there is good use to be made of this point, that we learn to be so affected to others, as we wish and desire in our hearts to have others minded toward our selves.
Now there is no man but seeketh his own good, and desireth to be respected when he wanteth the help of others; therefore let us do good to other men, let us abstain from wrongs and injuries, let us hurt no man, but procure the profit and safety one of another: and every man be a rule to himself of just and upright dealing toward his neighbors, performing that to others which we require to be done to our selves.
We will not go through the fields, nor the vineyards, &c. We will go up by the high way. Having in the former Doctrine pointed out y e strength of the reason, let us now proceed to consider the words themselves, by themselves, wherein we see the solemn promise the people make, to observe the rule of charity, & law of equity, to know their own frō other men's goods, & to medle nothing with that which belonged to others. We learn from hence, that God's people must offer no wrong, nor violently intrude themselves upon the possessions of other men. In that the Israelites show their innocence, and harmless purpose, the servants of God must learn to abstain from all injuries; fraud, and oppression. Hereunto cometh the commandment, Deut. 24, 17. Thou shalt not pervert the right of the stranger, nor of the fatherless, nor take a widows raiment to pledge. So Zeph. 1, • . I will visit all those that dance upon the threshold so proudly, which fill their masters houses with cruelty and deceit. Likewise when the soldiers demanded of John the Baptist, what they should do, he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages. Thus the Apostle also teacheth, showing, that love suffereth long, is bountiful, envieth not, boasteth not it self, is not puffed up, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. And in another place: Let him that hath stole, steal no more, but let him rather labor, and work with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give unto him that needeth. Thus we see, this is a plain and evident truth, that no deceit & defrauding of our brethren, whether openly or closely, whether in bargaining or out of bargaining, must be used among the people of God.
And no marvel. For first, we are called to better things. It standeth not therefore with [Reason 1] our profession to intrude upon other men's substance, and to use unjust dealing in heart or deed, being forbidden to steal or to hurt any man. This the Apostle urgeth, 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 7. Let no man oppress or defraud his brother in any matter, for God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness. We must everyone know the end of our calling; which is, that we should be holy & unblameable before him, that hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Therefore brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation, let us walk so, as we may adorn the Gospel of Christ, and beautify our profession of the doctrine of Christ. If then any that is called a brother, or a Christian, walk inordinately, and live wickedly, if he circumvent any man, if he oppress his brother, this must be charged upon his person, not upon his calling; & be imputed to the man, not to his profession, as the manner of some is, who are ready to catch the least advantage to speak evil of the truth of God. For our calling is heavenly, and our profession is holy, it will not bear out any unjust practice.
[Reason 2] Again, God is a just Judge, an avenger of all wrongful dealing between man & man. It is God that distributeth this worlds good, and the things of this life to whomsoever he pleaseth. He is the general Lord of the whole world, he hath the sovereign right in his own hand, and hath in most excellent wisdom distributed and disposed to every man his several portion, and no man lawfully enjoyeth anything but by the gift and giving of God. So the • , whosoever circumuenteth his brother, getteth anything from him by fraud, & impaireth any way his wealth, crosseth God's ordinance, inuerteth his order, and will bring in a new and another division of the earth thē God hath made. For whereas God hath said, This man shall have this portion, he shall have this house, this horse, this land, this money; this corn, this cattle: the thief cometh and saith, The churl shall not have it, or he shall not have so much, I will part stakes with him, and so turneth upside down the distribution that God hath made, making himself wiser then God, and bringing upon his own head the due and deserved curse of God. For if the Lord pronounce him accursed, that remooueth the bounds and marks of his neighbor, of ancient time set, as the listes and limits of men's possession: how much more accursed shall he be, that changeth the bounds which God, the ancient of days hath made in the world, having given the earth to the sons of men? Wherefore, God maintaining his own right and office, showeth himself a just avenger of such pride and presumption, as the Apostle reasoneth, 1 Thess. 4, 6. Let no man defraud or oppress his brother in any bargain; for the Lord is an avenger of all such things, &c.
The uses are these. First, it teacheth us to [Use 1] be content and well pleased with that estate wherein we are put and placed by the hand of God. This will be a notable means to keep us from rushing violently into the possessions of other men. Let us not suffer our hearts and affections to overflow the banks and bounds of our condition, but rather show our thankfulness to God for our present estate, considering that how much or how little soever we have, we have more a great deal thē we have deserved. Therefore the Apostle saith, I have learned, in what state soever I am, therewith to be content. Phil. 4, 11. 1 Tim. 6, 6, 7. Heb. 13, 5, 6.
Secondly, we must be careful to give to every [Use 2] one his own, that we do no way oppress the fatherless and the widow, neither do injury to the stranger, lest they cry to the Lord, & he hear them, and his wrath be kindled: then saith the Lord, I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless, Exod. 22, 22, 23, 29. Again, we must not use false weights and deceitful measures, to enrich our selves by the spoils of others, Levite. 26, 35, 36. Ye shall not do unjustly in judgment, in line, in weight, and in measure, &c. Now, greater injustice there cannot be, then to turn the measures of justice to be instruments of craft and subtlety. Therefore Solomon saith, Divers weights and diverse measures (buying with a greater, and selling with a less, or selling to the wise and wary • buyer with the greater, and to the simpler sort that trust them too far & see not their fraud, with a lesser, thereby deceiving others to enrich themselves) both these are such an abhominatiō to the Lord, as he will not leave vnpunisht.
Lastly, we are from hence instructed to restore [Use 3] that w c is wrongfully gotten, otherwise we cannot truly repent of our oppression. It is a bad practice used of many y t grind the faces of the poor, as the Lyon roaring after his prey, or the wolf in the evening which leaveth not the bones till the morrow: which do use devoutly to bequeath their souls to God, & presently give their evil gotten goods to their heirs; and therefore God oftentimes bloweth upon them, so that being unrighteously gotten they are vnthriftily wasted and consumed. The reason is, because with such goods they likewise bequeath the curse of God. It is an evil practice of servants to convey from their masters, and of one man to purloine from another the substance that they have. If such will have God pleased with them, and hear their prayers, they must make recompense and restitution of things wrongfully taken, & unjustly detained, as we have shown before at large, ch. 5. This offer did Samuel make, 1 Sam. 12, 3. Behold, here I am, bear record of me before the lord, & before his anointed: Whose Ox have I taken? Oy whose Ass have I taken? Or whom have I done wrong unto? Or whom have I hurt? Or of whose hand have I received any bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith, and I will restore it you? The like we see in Zacchaeus, Lu. 19, 8. He stood forth in the day of his conversion, and said unto y e Lord, Behold, half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken from any man by forged cavillation, I restore him four fold. The performance of this duty is the pathway to life: Restore and thou shalt live. The contrary leadeth to death: they are worse then Micah the Idolater, then Judas the betraier of his master. Wherefore it behooveth all oppressors to practice the counsel of y e Prophet; Let my counsel be acceptable to thee, & break off thy sins by righteousness, & thine inquities by mercy towards the poor: let there be an healing of thine error. Otherwise there is no promise of pardon, or hope of life, or assurance of mercy, if God have made him able thereunto.
[Verse 20. He answered again, Thou shalt not go through. Then Edom came out against him with much people, and with a mighty power. ] We have already handled the request of the Israelites: now let us consider the answer of the Edomites, wherein we see they deny their petition, and withal come out with an host of men to stop their passage. The people of Israel spake kindly, and did no way deal injuriously against them to provoke them: but they answer roughly and currishly, they deal also maliciously and cruelly against them. We see hereby as in a glass, the nature of the enemies of the Church, they are merciless & malicious, destruction and calamity is in their ways, their feet are swift to shed blood, & the way, of peace they have not known, Prov. 12 10.2 Kings 8, 11, 12. Thus dealt Hazael with Israel, and Pharaoh was no better before him. If all the pictures and patterns of merciless tyrants in the world were lost, they might all be painted to the life in the histories of these two, Exo. 1. & 2. For one of them did set their strong cities on fire, slew their young men with the sword, dashed their infants against the stones, and rent in pieces their women with child. The other, so envied the growth and increase of the children of Israel, that they threw their male children (the fry and seed of the Church) into the waters. A like plot and practice against the Church, we read in the Book of Ester, when Haman was exalted, and his seat set above all the Princes that were in the kingdom, he sought to destroy all the Jews, without difference of sex or age, Ester 3, 1, 6, 13. The book of the Lamentations is plentiful in this point, as Ch. 5, 4, 5, 10. &c.
[Reason 1] The Reasons are plain and evident, whether we respect the Church it self, or the enemies of the Church. Their malice exceedeth toward the Saints of God, because they follow righteousness, and do not follow them in all excess of riot: so that, Whosoever refraineth from evil, maketh himself a prey, Isaiah 59, 15. For albeit when GOD setteth up merciful Princes that rule in peace and quietness, they dare not show y e inward malice of their hearts: yet hatred evermore boileth and burneth within: and in the late days of the grievous afflictions of the Church (in the memory of many yet living) they shown it to the full, striking many innocents with the sword, that deserved not to be touched with the scabbard. They raged against young and old, learned and unlearned, rich and poor, men and women, children and sucklings, against the living & the dead. They beat them with rods, they cut out their tongues, they smote them with Halberts, they burned their hands with torches, and their whole bodies with fire: and the poor babe breaking out of the mothers belly they cast into the fire again, as the brood of heretics. This is the reason added by the Prophet, Psal. 38, 19, 20, where he showeth wherefore the servants of God are so much maligned, not because they had holden up their hands to a strange god, not because they had raised any tumult, not because they were found in any wickedness, but because they follow goodness. A lively image and picture of this persecuting Church we have in Cain, who slew his brother: and wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his Brothers good, 1 John. 3, 12. And this hath been the estate of the Church, even from righteous Abel (whose blood cried for vengeance) unto this present time.
Again, as their hearts are inflamed with [Reason 2] rage and fury, so the devil is the bellows to blow the coals, he moveth their minds to madness and mischief, albeit they perceive it not. He is compared in Scripture to a Lyon, to a Dragon, to the old Serpent. He was a murderer from the beginning; and therefore no marvel if his instruments thirst after the shedding of blood, being no better then a wretched generation of cruel beasts. There is nothing so sweet and pleasant to the Wolf, as to suck the blood of the Lambes. This they have learned of him that is the father of all mischief & murder. This is noted by the Apostle John Revel. 2, 10. Behold it shall come to pass, that the devil shall cast some into Prison, that ye may be tried. For in all persecutions although the devil be not seen to work and contrive the plot, yet he is the grand Captain and chief agent. It was Cain that lifted up his hand against his brother, but it was the devil that set him on work. It was Judas one of y e twelve, that with a kiss betrayed his master, but it was the devil that first Put it into his heart, Lu. 22, 3.
Here then is a great mystery and deep secret to be considered. We think men to be Actors of all mischief, but indeed it is the devil in them. Ahab's false Prophets bad him go up against Ramoth Gilead and prosper, 1 Kings 22.6, 22. but it was a false and lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets that enticed him and them to their destruction. Ananias and Sapphira sold a possession, and kept away part of the price, but it was Satan that had filled their heart, that they should lie unto the holy Ghost, Act. 5, 2, 3. Elymas the sorcerer, withstood the Ministers of God, and hindered the course of the Gospel, neither embracing the faith him self, nor suffering them that would embrace it, but it was because he was an enemy of all righteousness, and the child of the devil, Act. 13 10. The Sabaeans took away the Oxen, the Chaldeans fell upon the Camels, the fire of God burned up the sheep of Job, his sons & daughters were eating and drinking in their elder brothers house; and loe, a vehement and violent wind smote the four corners thereof, that it fell upon all of them and slew them: but Satan had an Oare in this boat, he was the master workman that gave to everyone his task, Job 1, 12. For whosoever is the instrument, the devil is the principal mover and procurer of all evil and trouble unto the Church of God.
[Use 1] The Uses are these. First, marvel not at all, if the Church lie under many great crosses and afflictions, insomuch y t the ploughers plough upon their backs, and make long furrows, For they have many and mighty enemies that plot crafty counsels against them, and seek to suck out their heart blood, and to draw out their last breath. Many Controuersies and contentions arise in the world for things of this life, for houses, for lands, for possessions and inheritances, for slanders and trespasses, whereby many actions are brought, and many suites commenced between party & party, from whence much hatred and great hartburning oftentimes ensueth: but there is no hatred like to that which cometh for matters of religion, no bands of affinity or of consanguinity can tie them together, as our Savior teacheth, Matth. 10, 34, 35, 36. I came not to send peace into the earth, but the sword: for I am come to set a man at variance against his Father; and the daughter against the mother, and a man's enemies shall be they of his own household. Ye shall be betrayed also of your parents, and of your brethren, and kinsmen, and friends, and some of you shall they put to death, and ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake. All questions and quarrels among men for temporal and transitory things find easy means of reconcilement, either the Judge doth judge them, or Arbitrators determine them, or friends do end them, or the parties themselves (wearied with costs and charges in suites of Law) do grow to an agreement & composition: but the rage of the ungodly set on fire of hell is vnappeaseable; no bounds of reason, no bands of nature, no chains of Law can tie them or tame them, whence once they have set themselves against the truth of God.
The cause of this hurly burly, and of these persecutions is not properly in Christ, or in y e Gospel of Christ, For he is the Prince of peace, and his Gospel is the Gospel of peace preached unto them that were a far off, and to them that were near, Ephe. 2, 17. But the true cause of all these dissensions and troubles in the world, is the malice of the devil and the hatred of y t world against Christ and against his Gospel. Here is the cause of division and disagreement, that the wicked man is abomination to the just, and he that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked. Here is the right and proper cause of mortal hatred that the wicked beareth and breatheth out against the godly. Hence came the Popish Canon and conclusion, That faith is not to be kept with such as they call and account Heretics. Thus then we see, that the greatest hatred hath risen evermore from difference and diversity in religion. This appeareth in Cain and Abel, in Isaac and Ishmael, in Jacob and Esau, in the Israelites & the Egyptians, in David and Saul, in Christ and the Pharisees, in Paul and the Jews, in the heathen and God's people, in the believers & infidels. There is no fellowship between righteousness and unrighteousness, no communion between light and darkness, no concord between Christ and Belial: and therefore a confused mixture between the religion of Antichrist, & the Gospel of Christ hath an impossibility of any agreement. This is also manifest in all histories of the Church from the beginning. These things being thus considered and thought upon, we cannot think it strange, that the Church lieth under the cross, and groaneth under the heavy burden of it. So soon as H • man was advanced, by & by the Church mourned and sighed. This the wise man teacheth, Prouerb. 28, 28, and 29, 2. When the wicked rise up, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase. Let us then acknowledge that the Church is subject to many sorrows and much affliction, as a campe besieged of enemies, as a ship tossed of the winds, as Corn ground in the mill, as a vineyard eaten with beasts, as a building beat upon with storms, and as a flock daily in danger and assaulted with Wolves, whilst the enemies clap their hands, and stamp with their feet, and rejoice in heart with all their despite against the Church of God, as the Prophet confessed, Psal. 79, 1, 2, 3, 4. O God, the Heathen are come into thine inheritance, thine holy Temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones. We are a reproach to our neighbors, even a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. The first use is, that which the Apostle John directly concludeth from this doctrine, having produced the example of Cain, who slew his own brother, gathereth this consideration from thence, Maruell not my Brethren, though this world hate you.
Secondly, we learn from hence a point of [Use 2] wisdom and godly policy, to look to our selves, that we do not rely upon them, lest they beguile us and betray us. There is no truth in them, and therefore no trust is to be given to them. Herod made a show of love & reverence to Christ, he would needs love and worship him, but his meaning was, he would come & kill him. Beware thou be not seduced and entrapped by such secret enemies which pretend piety, but use treachery: see thou do not rely upon them, commit not thyself unto them. They cannot love thee that do not love the Lord, neither can they be faithful to thee, that are unfaithful to God. They will close and gloze with thee, til thou be come within their danger, as Cain spake kindly to Abel til he was in the field, then he rose up and slew him: or as Joab, whose words were smoother then oil, and softer then butter, 2 Sam. 20, 9. Art thou in peace my Brother? But he smote him that he died, shedding the blood of battle in the days of peace. These men have the voice of Jacob, but the rough hands of Esau: they have the words of a brother, but the hearts of an enemy: they salute with a kiss, but persecute with the sword. For deceitful amity is double enmity, and feigned friendship is a double mischief. The Fisher baiteth his hooks when he would catch the fish: the Fowler singeth sweetly, when he would deceive the bird: the Hunter hideth his nets warily & wisely when he mindeth to take his prey. We have oftentimes to do with such cunning Fishers & mighty Hunters. Wherefore there is great cause to look to our selves: for when they cannot prevail with the Lions paw, they put on the Foxes skin, and go to work with craft and wiliness. Yea, the Church of God from time to time, hath sustained greater hurt by their own simplicity, then by the enemies cruelty: and by their own lightness of belief, then by the sharpness of their sword. When they pretend the greatest courtesy, thē they intend the greatest villainy. When they offer treaties of peace, leagues of marriage, and such like confederacies, then the hook is baiting, the snare is laying, the net is spreading before the eyes of all y t hath wings, that they may effect their treasons and conspiracies. And this is it which one of the heads of their Church once said, If the keys of Peter could not prevail, they would take up and draw out the sword of Paul. Thus like false Prophets, and false brethren, they come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves. It remaineth therefore, that we stand upon our guard, and watch over our selves, that we be not entrapped by their subtleties. Upon this ground our Savior warneth us to be wary, Matth. 10, 16. Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves, be therefore wise as Serpents, and innocent as Doves: where we are taught, that we must all be armed with wisdom and simplicity against our enemies. Two needful graces to be sought after, as in all ages; so especially in these dangerous times wherein we live. Let us labor to have true policy, and true simplicity, let both these be found in us, that they may accompany always each other, and never be separated the one from the other. For policy without simplicity is deceiveable craftiness, and simplicity without policy, is deceived sottishness.
[Use 3] Lastly, it is our duty to pray earnestly unto God, not to deliver us into their hands whose rage and malice knoweth no end or measure. Indeed our sins have deserved this scourge, but let us rather desire him to correct us by his own hand, for he is gracious and merciful, He desireth not the death of a sinner, but that he may turn unto him and live. This made the people of God from time to time, rather then they would fall into the hands of cruel enemies, to be willing and ready to receive any punishment at God's hand. This we see, Judge. 10, 15. when the Israelites had forsaken the Lord and his worship, he complaineth against them, saying; Did not I deliver you out of the hands of the Egyptians, Amorites, &c. yet ye have forsaken me, and served other God's that ye have chosen, let them save you in the time of your tribulation: then they cried in their danger, We have sinned O Lord, do thou unto us whatsoever pleaseth thee, only we pray thee to deliver us this day from the Ammonites. This we see yet more evidently in the example of David. 2 Sam. 24, 13, 14. when in the pride and presumption of his heart he had numbered the people, after God sent him this word, and offered him the choice of famine, or sword, or pestilence, he said: I am in a wonderful straight, let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great, and let me not fall into the hand of man. Who had not rather receive punishment at his fathers hands, of whose love he is assured, then to be punished with the strokes of an enemy, that loveth him not, but hateth him to the death? Men are proud and cruel, fierce & ambitious: but God is full of compassion, and his mercy endureth forever, he knoweth whereof we were made, he remembereth that we are but dust, he considereth that we are mortal, yea a wind that passeth and cometh not again. He will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear. Hitherto the Lord hath visited us with his merciful and gentle corrections, famines, sicknesses, and strange diseases. Let us behold his gracious dealing toward us, and profit by these fatherly admonitions; for if he should deliver us into the hands of barbarous and beastly enemies, we should soon discern the difference between the loving chastisements of a father, and the bloody strokes of an enemy.
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Then they departed from Kadesh, and the childrē of Israel, even all the congregation came unto Mount Hor.
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And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, saying:
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Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the Land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my commandments at the waters of strife.
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Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and charge them to come unto this Mount.
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And cause Aaron to strip off his garments, and thou shalt put them upon Eleazar his son: then Aaron shall be gathered unto his Fathers, and shall die there.
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And Moses did as the Lord had commanded: for they went up unto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
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And Moses caused Aaron to strip off his garments, and he put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron died there in the top of the Mount: So Moses and Eleazar came down from off that Mount.
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And when all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
Hitherto of the Ambassage of Moses to the King of Edom: These words contain the third and last part of the Chapter, to wit, the death of Aaron after the people were removed from the borders of the Edomites. For albeit the King did so unkindly deny them any passage, yet Moses and the Israelites do not oppose themselves against them, or attempt to break through by force of Arms, & multitude of men, and dint of sword, but pass by their borders peaceably, and fetch a compass about their land. True it is, those envious Edomites, were worthy to perish, and to be utterly destroyed for their inhumanity; yet because the time was not yet come wherein the Lord had prophesied and promised, that the elder should serve the younger, therefore the Israelites commit vengeance to the Lord to whom it belongeth. Now in these verses, we see how God beginneth to execute the former threatening against Moses and Aaron. For here we are to consider three things. First, the death of Aaron. Secondly, the succession of his son. Thirdly, the mourning of the people. The father dieth, the son succeedeth, the people lamenteth the death of the high Priest. If Aaron had died without any prediction and foretelling of his death, all men might have thought it had fallen out at adventures, and ascribed it wholly to the decaying of strength, & wasting of nature: but being revealed to Aaron himself, and manifested to the whole Congregation, both the time when, and the place where he should die, it appeareth that his days were numbered, and his years limited, which he could not pass.
As then God had determined the death of Aaron, and denounced his shutting out of the land of Canaan so that sentence is here executed upon him, the other concerning Moses, is reserved unto his time appointed of God. In this place God commanded both of them what to do, even to ascend up to the Mountain, and showeth that Aaron shall die there for his disobedience; whose garments must be pulled off, and put upon Eleazar, lest by touching of the dead, the holy garments should be defiled. After this commandment followeth their obedience agreeable to the same, they come up to the Mountain, Aaron is stripped; Eleazar is clothed with them: Aaron without fear of death, or longer desire of life, or prayer for life, departeth in peace, according to the word of God, he is gathered to his Fathers, Moses and Eleazar descend from the Mountain, Moses, Eleazar, and the people, mourn for Aaron thirty days.
[Verse 23, 24. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron. ] We see here according to the former threatening pronounced by the mouth of God, verse 12. that Aaron cometh not into the land of Promise, but dieth in Mount Hor. We learn hereby, that the threatenings of God are accomplished. Howsoever his judgments are many times deferred, and his punnishments prolonged because he is patient toward us, and would have no man to perish, but would have all persons come unto repentance: yet in the end all his threatenings shall be verified and fulfilled in their times and seasons. Consider this truth in our first parents, God threatened them that if they did eat the forbidden fruit they should die the death: we see the effect in them, and all their posterity throughout all times and generations. Behold other threatenings of God, we shall always read the execution after the denunciation. So when God by the Ministry of Noah a Preacher of righteousness, had threatened to destroy the whole world, if in an hundred and twenty years they repented not; we see how he brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, & swept them away from the face of the earth, which they had corrupted with their cruel and unclean conversation. This we see likewise taught unto us throughout the books of the holy history of Joshua, The man is cursed before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth the City Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest son, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it: meaning thereby, that whosoever should attempt to build this City he should pay for it dearly, because what time he layeth the foundation of the walls his eldest son shall die, and when he setteth up the gates and hath finished it, his youngest son shall die. When this threatening seemed quite forgotten, and consumed with the rust of time, God doeth bring it to pass: as we see in the book of Kings, in Hiel the Betheli • e, according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Joshua, the son of Nun. The like we see in Zachariah, when resting in the power of nature, and the strength of his own body, he believed not the Angel, be was stricken dumb, and could not speak unto the people, Luke 1, 20. A memorable example also we have in the straight siege of Samaria, where a Prince answered the man of God, and said, Though the Lord would make Windowes in the heaven, could it come so to pass? And he said, Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof: and so it came unto him for the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.
The Reasons here of are evident. For first, [Reason] the Nature of GOD is true and unchangeable: Heaven and earth shall pass, but one jot or tittle of his word shall not pass, but shall be fulfilled. This is that which is urged afterward in this book, Chapter 23.19. God is not as man that he should lie, nor as the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall it not be done? hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it? Seeing therefore God is unchangeable, with whom is no variableness, or shadow of turning, he will let none of his words fall to the ground; he is in one mind, and who can turn him? yea, he doth what his mind desireth.
[Reason 2] Again, who can hinder him, or say unto him, Why doest thou thus? No might, no power, no policy can withstand him in his works, albeit men rebel never so much, and resist never so mightily against him. There is great power in Princes, they are able to bring mighty things to pass, and to cross the attempts of others, yet sometimes they are crossed and resisted themselves. It is not so with the Lord our God, Who is in the heavens, and doth whatsoever he will. He hath the hearts of all, even of Princes in his own hand, as the Rivers of waters he turneth them about as pleaseth him. This made the Apostle cry out, O the deepness of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who was his Counselor? Or who hath given him first, and he shall be recompensed? And who hath resisted his will? So then, whether we consider the nature of God without change, or the weakness of man without power, we may safely and truly conclude, that all the threatenings which have been pronounced and denounced by the mouth of God, shall be verified and performed without any altering or diminishing of them.
[Use 1] Let us apply this to our selves, and gather assuredly from hence, the woeful estate of all wicked and ungodly men. For, seeing he doth not dally with us, or scare us without cause, so that all his threatenings faithfully denounced, shall be undoubtedly accomplished: how shall they escape so great condemnation as lieth at the door, and hangeth over their head? Howsoever therefore they put away the evil day far from them, and live as if God sat idle in heaven, beholding all things, but punishing nothing: knowing all hearts and thoughts, but not regarding the works of men: saying, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we are at agreement: though a scourge run over and pass thorough, it shall not come at us, for we have made falsehood our refuge, and under vanity are we hid: yet he that dwelleth in the heaven shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision. For what followeth? Your covenant with death shall be disanulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when a scourge shall run over and pass through, then shall ye be trodden down by it. This is y t which the wise man saith, Eccles. 8.11, 12, 13. Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed, therefore the heart of the children of men is full, set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and God prolongeth his days, yet I know that it shall be well with: them that fear the Lord, but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days: he shall be like a shadow, because he feareth not before GOD. And to the same purpose the Prophet Ezekiel speaketh, Chap. 12, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. where the Prophet reproveth two sorts of persons, open deriders of God's word, as if it should never be performed: and such as prolong the evil days, as if the plagues were for many years, and should not come in their days. But God expressly and directly meeteth with them both, and bindeth them together in one bundle, declaring and making it plain to their consciences, that when he speaketh the word it shall be done, and when he pronounceth a decree it shall stand. Thus in all ages of the Church, sat • n prevaileth with the children of disobedience, and draweth more to destruction by presumption, then he is able to do by desperation. Let us not harden our hearts thorough the deceitfulness of sin, Let us seek the Lord while he may be found, and cal upon him while he is near.
Secondly, let us ground our faith in the undoubted [Use 2] performance of those judgments y t are yet to come: as that the Lord Jesus at the appointed time will break the heavens, and will come to judge the quick and the dead, at his appearance and in his Kingdom: that the wicked shall rise again, and stand before the bar of God's throne. These things we see not yet accomplished; for all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation. Hence it is, that Mockers arise which walk after their lusts, and say, Where is the promise of his coming? But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the Elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up. Yea, When they shall say, peace and safety, then shall come upon them sudden destruction, as the travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. Thus the Prophet Malachi prophesieth: Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven, and all the proud, and all the wicked doers shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, and shall leave them neither root nor branch. Thus then we see a day of judgment is decreed and determined, and remaineth for the appointed time, but at last it shall come, and not lie: though it tarry, wait: for it shall surely come, and not stay.
Thirdly, we must not be dismayed when [Use 3] we see the wicked prosper and flourish, spredding themselves as the green Bay tree: for loe God hath set them in slippery places, and casteth them down in the end unto desolation; they are suddenly destroyed, & horribly consumed, as the chaff which the wind driveth away, and as a dream when one awaketh. This temptation hath overtaken the children of God, and caused them oftentimes to shrink back when they saw the prosperity of the ungodly, and on the other side the troubles of the godly, & hath made them to reason within themselves of the providence of God. But shall not the King rule his own kingdom? or the Master govern his own house as pleaseth him? And shall not we give the Lord leave to dispose of all things in heaven and earth, after the good pleasure of his own will? He fatteth the wicked against the day of slaughter: he leaveth them without excuse, and maketh his blessings as a witness against them. Contrarywise, the children of God, although they suffer afflictions, yet afflictions to them are not evil, but try their faith, as the furnace doth the gold. Let us not deceive our selves in judging and esteeming of good and evil. That is good which maketh us better, that is evil that maketh us worse. The works of the flesh, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, covetousness, and such like, are manifestly evil. These God keepeth from his deer children, and his deer children from them, that they reign not in them.
The Israelites in Egypt lived under hard masters, and carried many heavy burdens, and sent up many passionate sighs to God, with deep groans of spirit, whilst Pharaoh and the Egyptians took crafty counsel together, and sported themselves in the miseries & mischiefs which they had brought upon them. But whose condition was the more happy, let the red Sea testify, from which the Israelites were delivered, in which the Egyptiās were drowned. David taken from the sheep-folds, tasted of many sorrows, being in perils among the Amalekites, in perils in the Wilderness, in perils of his own Nation, in perils of his own servants, in perils among false brethren, and was hunted from place to place as a Partridge in the Mountains, whilst Saul sought his life, and enjoyed the pleasures and treasures of a kingdom. But whose estate was the more happy, let the end and issue of them both determine; the one lived in glory, & ended his days in peace, the other sheathed his sword in his own bowels, and so died in despair. The Apostle James willeth us to take the Prophets for an example of suffering adversity, and of long patience, which have spoken in the name of the Lord: Ye have heard of the patience of Job, & have known what end the Lord made, for the Lord is very pitiful and merciful.
Lazarus a poor beggar, destitute of succor and friends, lying at the rich man's gate, having his mind as full of cares as his body was of sores, whilst the rich glutton was clad in purple gorgiously, and fared deliciously every day. But whose condition was the more blessed and happy of them twain, let this tell us and teach us for our instruction, that Lazarus when he died had the holy & elect Angels to attend upon him to carry his soul into Abraham's bosom, that is to say, into the kingdom of heaven: the rich man also died, & his body was buried, his soul was carried & cast into the torments of hell, Where the worm never dieth, and the fire never goeth out: the one unsufferable, the other unquenchable, both infinite. Let us not therefore rest in beholding the present face of outward things, but possess our souls with patience in a sweet meditation of God's providence, considering that it shall in the end be well with all them y t fear the Lord: and that howsoever the wicked do prosper in the world, & increase in riches, yet if we enter into the Sanctuary of God, we shall see they are set in slippery places, they are lifted up on high, and therefore their fall shall be more fearful, seeing all the threatenings of God must without fail fasten upon them.
Lastly, seeing the menaces and threatenings [Use 4] of God must be performed, this serveth also to assure us that the gracious promises of God made in mercy to his people, shall in truth and righteousness be accomplished. The Lord that is always the same, as he is true in his threatenings to the ungodly, so will he be found true in his promises toward the godly. For, seeing no part of his word shall pass away, & that he will not falsify his truth, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, one part serveth to confirm another; his threatenings are ratified by the assurance of his promises, and his promises are established to be surer then the heavens by the assurance of his threatenings. So then, let us learn to depend upon God, & to trust in him, knowing, that all his promises are yea and Amen, unto the glory of his name. Let us rest in him for the pardon of our sins, for the hearing of our prayers, for the feeding of our bellies, for the resurrection of our bodies, for the inheritance of everlasting life, having a strong assurance of faith, that the Lord is just and true in all his promises. This is a notable comfort and consolation to all the childrē of God, to cause us to set our hope in him, having a patient and constant expectation of all things that by faith we have believed, saying with the Apostle, 1 Tim. 1, 12. For this cause I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day.
[Verse 25, 26. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and cause Aaron to strip off his Garments, and thou shalt put them upon his son. ] Here is delivered, how Aaron yet living, his son is invested and installed into his Office with the ceremonies and solemnities thereunto appertaining, at the appointment of God, to show the continuance of the Priesthoode, & to take away all occasions of dissensions from the people. Thus we see the good estate of y e Church is provided for by Moses before Aaron died, and went the way of all flesh. The Doctrine hence is, that the good of the Church must be regarded of us, to leave it in good case after our death and departure. I say, it is a principal duty required of us, when we must leave the world, to provide for the continuance of the Church and truth of God, that it may flourish after us, and not die with us, or be buried in the earth forever. This appeareth by the Apostle Peter, I will endeavor always, that ye also may be able to have remembrance of these things after my departure. 2 Pet. 1, 15. Hereunto accordeth the care of the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy, Watch thou in all things: suffer adversity; do the work of an Evangelist; cause thy Ministry to be thoroughly liked of, for I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departing is at hand, 2 Tim. 4, 5, 6. This we see many ways in Moses, who would not leave the people without a guide, as sheep without a Shepherd, and therefore prayed for a fit Governor, Let the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh appoint a man over the Congregation, who may go in and out before them. And therefore it is said, Deut. 34, 9. that Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, For Moses had put his hands upon him, and the children of Israel were obedient unto him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. Likewise David at the point of death exhorteth the Officers of his kingdom, and Solomon his son which was to sit upon his Throne, to know the God of his fathers, and to serve him with a perfect heart, & with a willing mind, assuring him, that if he seek him, he will be found; and threatening him if he forsake him, y t God will cast him off forever. [Reason 1] And great reason it is, we should have this care and consideration of the good & beauty of the Church. For the Church is our Mother, who hath conceived and brought us forth to live a spiritual life to God, we have sucked her breasts, and through her we have here begun our heaven & happiness. What unkindness and unthankfulness were this to leave her destitute, who hath travailed in pain of us until Christ be formed in us, and to withdraw all duty and endeavor from her touching her condition to come? Were it not a note of an unnatural, a lewd, a shameful child, to forsake his own mother who bare him in her womb, nourished him with her breasts, dandled him in her lap, refused no base service for his good, cared for him whē he could not care for himself, in whose eyes he was tender and dear; were it not (I say) a note of great infamy to leave her in misery, or as a prey to the enemy? We see the Lord Jesus Christ being on the Cross, provided for his Mother, & committed her to the care of the Disciple whō he loved. In like manner the Apostle requireth this duty, If any faithful man, or faithful womā, have widows, let them minister unto them: And if there be any that provideth not for his own, he denieth the faith, and is worse then an Infidel. Whosoever therefore hath been brought up in the bosom of the Church, begotten by the immortal seed of the word, nourished at the Table of Christ, and taught to look for an eternal inheritance in the heavens, can never assure himself to be the true child of his mother, but rather a base and bastardly brood unless he show it by the continual care he hath of the safeguard and protection of the Church, which is the mother of all the faithful.
Besides, grievous and greedy wolves enter [Reason 2] upon the labors of faithful and painful Pastors, to make havoc of the Church, and to seduce the people of God. For Satan is never idle, though never well occupied, and as a reverent father once said, he is the most diligent Bishop in his Diocese: he never resteth, but always compasseth the earth too and fro, and walketh therein: He hath his instruments which he setteth on work, that poison the church with the leaven of false doctrine, and sow y e Lord's field with the Darnell of their devilish devices. Therefore the Apostle exhorting the Elders of Ephesus, Acts 20, 28, 29, 30 saith, Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, where of the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers, to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood: for I know this, that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Moreover of yourselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw Disciples after them.
Now it remaineth to see the uses hereof [Use 1] First, we learn from hence, the con • inuance of the Church upon the earth, and the perpetual remaining of it, so long as the earth endureth, and so long as the Sun abideth a faithful witness in the heavens. Though it be sometimes driven from place to place, and abideth not in one stay and state, like y e Moon that sometimes shineth in the full, sometimes in the wane, and sometimes in the eclipse, as the woman constrained to fly into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there: and as the reign of Ahab, when Elias thought himself left alone, as a Sparrow upon an house top: yet there always hath been a Church from the beginning, and ever shall be a Church to the end, from Adam the first, to the last man that shall stand upon the earth. This the Prophet teacheth, Psal. 72, 5. & 102, 26, 27, 28. Let the enemies fret and storm, let them rage & roar never so much, they labor in the fire, and sweat in vain, they shall perish & fall down; but the Lord that is able of stones to raise up Children unto Abraham, holdeth up y e heads of his people that they stand as an house built upon the Rock; the rain falleth, the flood cometh, the wind bloweth and beateth upon that house, yet it abideth firmly and falleth not, for it is grounded on the Rock, Math. 7, 24, 25, like the bush that burned with fire, but was not consumed. Exod. 3, • .
Secondly, seeing our care must be, that the [Use 2] truth of God may live when we are dead, and remain after our departure: It is the duty of all the Ministers of God to preach the word of God in season and out of season, 2 Tim. chap. 4, verse 2, 3, to be instant in reproving, rebuking, exhorting, with all longsuffering and doctrine: yea, to do these things with all their power, seeing there is neither work nor wisdom in the grave whither they go. For (alas) how shall they mind the future good of the Church after their death, that mean not the present good of the Church in their life? Wherefore, let us take all occasions & opportunities to promote the Gospel, Let us keep back nothing that is profitable, but reveal to the people the whole counsel of God, knowing that they are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and we are put in trust after a sort with the price thereof. We have a great account to make in that day, in y e great day of the Lord; let us therefore stir up our selves to feed the flock of God that dependeth upon us. And surely, the cause of the ruin and desolation of many Churches, is the negligence and idleness of the Pastors thereof, For while the Husbandmen sleep, the Enemy soweth tares among the wheat. From hence it cometh, that the people live in ignorance, lie in open sins, and are carried away with every blast of false doctrine, whithersoever false Teachers will carry and conduct them. This the Prophet Isaiah expresseth, Chap. 56, 9, 10, 11, 12. All ye beasts of the field come to devour even all the beasts of the Forest: their watchmen are all blind, they have no knowledge, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark: they lie and sleep, and delight in sleeping: and these greedy dogs can never have enough, and these shepherds cannot understand, for they all look to their own way, everyone for his advantage, and for his own purpose. Where he teacheth, that the people are ready, and lie open to be seduced by Atheists, by Papists, by Libertines, by Familists, by Anabaptists, by Brownists, where there are blind guides, and idol shepherds, evil beasts, and slow bellies, that feed themselves, but feed not the flock. And he noteth four monstrous vices and capital sins that poisoned the Church. First, albeit they were appointed watchmen, yet they were blind, & their judgment corrupted. They were made Seers, and yet did not see; Lights, and yet were in darkness; Teachers, and yet were unlearned; Instructers of others, and yet wanted knowledge themselves. If then the light be darkness, how great is that darkness? Secondly, they were sluggish and slothful dogs, they cannot for drowsiness and laziness open their eyes to see, or their mouths to bark. And when they are called upon and spoken unto, saying, How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? They answer, Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. Prov. 6, 9, 10. Thirdly, they are greedy of their own gain, covetous, and given to filthy lucre, being carried away by the deceit of Balaam's wages. Lastly, they are given to belly-cheer and all riot, Jude v. 12. They follow their pleasures and pampering of their bellies, making them the god whom they serve, and do not serve the Lord Jesus. The Apostle said, I seek not yours, but you, 2 Cor. 12, 14. but these might say otherwise of themselves, I seek not you, but yours. And are not such Pastors to be found among us, that through covetousness & Epicureanism regard not the duties of their calling? They join living to living, as those that joined house to house: they live at pleasure, they eat, they drink, they feast, they say, Come I will bring wine, and we will fill our selves with strong drink, and tomorrow shall be as this day, & much more abundant. Heereby they are made unfit & unable to do the duties of their Calling: so as like crammed dogs they lie bathing and beaking themselves by the fire: and though never so much harm be done in God's churcn, they cannot be made to awake and bark in any season to warn the people, and to fray away the Wolf. But if any go about to raise and to rouse them up out of their sleep, they disquiet their consciences too much, and trouble their patience so, that they are ready to gnar, yea they begin to snap and snatch at him with their teeth. So that the best way is to follow the counsel of our Savior which he gave concerning the Pharisees, Mat. 15, 14. Let them alone, they be the blind leaders of the blind: and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Seeing then, such as teach not the people over whom the holy Ghost hath made thē Overseers, can never soundly desire the aftergood of them: it behooveth such to labor with all their strength, to build up the people in knowledge, faith, and obedience, that so God may have a people to serve him after their departure.
Lastly, it standeth everyone upon that hath [Use 3] the government of others, whether it be in the Church or in the Common-wealth, or in the private Family, to look to their charges, that by their godly care and holy endeavor, God may be worshipped & served after their departure. This is to be considered of Magistrates, Ministers, and Governors of houses. The Magistrate ruling in the Commonwealth (whether it be the King as the superior, or whether it be other Governors, as they y t are sent of him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well) must provide to the utmost of his power for y e godly and peaceable estate of the kingdom, or incorporation where he remains, by maintaining the Ministry, by promoting Religion, and by executing Justice. This Moses did (as we saw before Deut. 31, 2, 6, 7, 8) he assembled the people, he signified his departure, he encouraged them against their enemies, & took order for their welfare after his death, by appointing Joshua to succeed him, and to bring the people into the land which the Lord had sworn unto their Fathers. Thus Joshua dealt, walking in the steps of Moses his master, he giveth the people charge to worship the true God, to stick fast unto him with full purpose of heart, to love him, to fear him, to serve him in uprightness and in truth, and to put away the gods which their fathers served beyond the River. Thus did David set his son upon his throne before he died, 1 Kings 2.2, 3. and gave him a great charge to maintain that Religion which he had established. The duty of all Ministers when they are dying and departing this life, is, to provide as carefully as they can, that the good work begun by them, may be furthered by their successors, and that the truth which they have planted may not be supplanted & pulled up by the roots by such as shall enter into their labors. It is not enough for them to labor in their own persons while they live, but to endeavor that others may succeed them in piety as well as in place, & in diligence, as well as in office. Thus dealt Christ our Savior in calling his Apostles: thus dealt the Apostle in ordaining elders in every City, and appointing Pastors and Teachers in several places so soon as they had gained them to the faith. Lastly, it is the duty of all Fathers and masters of families to provide for the souls and salvation of all such as are under their jurisdiction and government; even of such as are the meanest and lowest in the house, to charge them to know the true God, and to serve him in the simplicity and sincerity of their hearts. This we must do in health, this we must do in sickness, this we must do in death: and so we shall glorify God living and dying. Thus did Abraham teach his children and servants, and for this is he commended of God, Gen. 18, 19. I know Abraham my servant, that he will command his sons and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and judgment. Thus said Jacob when he died, Gen. 49, 1, 2. & this must all of us be careful to practice, if we will be the children of faithful Abraham, to speak of the laws of God in our houses, whē we walk by the way, when we lie down and when we rise up.
[Verse 27, 28. And Moses did as the Lord had commanded, he caused Aaron to strip off his garments, and he put them upon Eleazar his son. ] We see the obedience of Moses to the Commandment of God; for Aaron pulled off his Priestly robes, and they are put upon Eleazar, to whom lineally the Priesthood did descend: whereby we see that there was a personal succession belonging to the Priesthood from father to son, & from one man to another. Hereby we learn, that the Priesthood under the law passed from one to another. The Priesthood begun in Aaron, and continued in his line, rested not in one man, but continued by succession from age to age. This we see evidently proved throughout the old testament: for as they were cut off by death, so others arose in their rooms that served at the Altar. As Eleazar succeeded Aaron so did Phinchas succeed Eleazar, & so the Priesthood proceeded from father to son, and from one generation to another, as appeareth in the genealogies of the Priests. This the Apostle to the Hebrews plentifully proveth, Many among them were made Priests, because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death; declaring y t the Priests after the order of Aaron, succeeded each other, and confirming it by the reason & cause thereof, because the Levitical Priests were taken away by death, and could not endure forever.
This then we must hold to be one reason forcible and powerful, to prove the continued [Reason 1] succession of the Priesthood of Levi from father to son, because they were cut off by death and so not suffered always to execute their Priesthood. Seeing therefore these Priests were mortal, there must be a succession from one to another. This is that reason which was remembered before out of Heb. 7, 23. showing that they had many Priests, because they were all subject to mortality, and could not continue through necessity of death.
Secondly, the promise of God made unto Aaron and to his posterity must be accomplished [Reason 2] and performed. He consecrated Aaron and his sons, and made a covenant with them, not with Aaron alone, not with his children alone, but with their posterity, he established it as a testimony in Jacob, and as a law in Israel, that their posterity might know it, and the children which should be born of them should stand up and minister before the Lord, in the beautiful garments and glorious robes of the Priests, Exod. 28, 2. Therefore the Lord said by Moses, Exod, 29, 29, 30. Num. 3, 10. & 18, 7. The holy garments which appertain to Aaron, shall be his sons after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrate therein. That son that shall be Priest in his stead, shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, to minister in the holy place. So God made his covenant of peace with Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, & confirmed the Priests office to him & his seed after him; because in the zeal of his Spirit he had turned away the wrath of the Lord from y e Children of Israel.
This teacheth us first of all the imperfection [Use 1] and insufficiency of it, both of the Priests themselves, and of the Priesthood it self. It pointed out a better Priest, and a better priesthood, and directed them to rest not in it, but in some other. So the Apostle, Heb. 7, 11, 12. declareth, that the Levitical Priesthood was imperfect, because another Priest is promised a long time after, according to the order of Melchizedek: If any perfection had been by the Priesthood of the Levites, what needed it furthermore that another Priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not to be called after the order of Aaron? &c. Where we see, he showeth to what purpose there must be a Priest after another rule and fashion; not after the order of Aaron, even because perfection is not in the Priehhood of the Levites, nor under the Law which was established under it: so that we must acknowledge it hath an end, forasmuch as with the ceremonial law, the ceremonial Priesthood was cancelled and abolished.
[Use 2] Secondly, from hence we learn to acknowledge a difference between the Priesthood of Christ, and the Priesthood of the Levites. This standeth in diverse points and circumstances, as the same Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, evidently declareth. The Priesthood of Christ is eternal, as the Prophet declared long before, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek: he was made with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord hath sworn and will not repent. But the Priests of Aaron's order were mortal, not eternal; they were made by the word of God, but without an oath. Besides, our great high Priest Christ Jesus, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher then the Heavens, hath a Priesthood which cannot pass from one to another: wherefore he is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them who by his own blood entered in once into the holy place, and obtained eternal redemption for us, purging our Conscience from dead works to serve the living God; for it is impossible that the blood of bulls & Goats should take away sins. Thus we see, that the Priesthood of Christ can have no succession, inasmuch as being once performed, it hath no imperfection: and whereas the Jews in the time of the law had Aaron and his posterity, which were but mortal and miserable men, we have Christ the immortal and blessed God, who liveth forever, to be our everlasting Priest.
[Use 3] Lastly we learn, that seeing the Levitical Priesthood passed from one to another, so as by death they were not always suffered to exercise and execute their Priesthood: we see, I say, that the Church of Rome bringing in again such a Priesthood & such Priests as are cut off by death, do renew the Levitical priesthood, and labor to raise it out of the grave, w c hath long ago been buried with honor. For this is common to them both, to end their days and leave their Priesthood to others: so y t the Dart which the Apostle casteth against the Levitical Priesthood, pierceth and perisheth the very heart of the Popish priesthood, when he saith and proveth, that there can be no other Priests but Christ under the New Testament, because he continueth forever, considering that the multitude of Priests, and succession of them one after another, ariseth from the imperfection and insufficiency of the Priests, which were continually by death taken away. If then the upstart Priests of the Synagogue of Rome will be Priests properly, they cannot be Priests after the order of Melchizedek (as they wretchedly and blasphemously claim themselves to be) who was both King and Priest; neither cā they be successors of Christ, forasmuch as he hath none to succeed him. For if y e Jews might not continue to offer their sacrifices and oblations after the sacrifice of Christ was once offered, because it was perfect and all-sufficient, yea the consummation of all that went before; it followeth, that the Popish sacrifice (being an addition unto that which is perfect) as a rotten and ragged patch to a new garment, cannot stand, but is to be thrown down and abolished like an abhominable idol.
[Verse 29. All the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days, when the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead. ] The last point observed in this chapter, is the affection of the people, after the death of Aaron one of the chief pillars and protectors of the Church, and of true Religion among the Israelites. They mourn for him, not a day, or a week, but a whole month, to declare what a sensible feeling they had of the incomparable loss of the Church. We learn hereby, that when the chief members, stays, props, and pillars of the church be taken away, the rest of the parts are to be humbled and touched to the quick for the same. True it is, a measure in mourning and lamentation is to be used, that we be not sorry as men without hope: yet by this example we see it is lawful to mourn for the dead, & the greater loss the Church hath received, the greater lamentation and grief ought to be expressed.
This is evident by the practice of God's servants in all ages of the Church, proportioning their sorrow according to the greatness of their loss. We see Ge. 50, 1, 10, 11. when God called Jacob to himself out of this world, a Father of the Church (and a great light that shined not only within the doors of his own family, but in the darkness of Egypt) he was greatly and exceedingly lamented for y e space of seventy days: so that the Canaanites said, This is a great mourning unto the Egyptians. So when Moses the servant of the Lord died (like unto whom there arose not a Prophet in Israel) unto whom GOD spake not by vision or dream, but face to face as a man talketh with his friend, Deut. 34, 8. the children of Israel mourned for him thirty days, whom he had guided with a fatherly care many years. So when Samuel, another principal pillar of the house of God died, 1 Sam, 25, 1. All Israel assembled, and mourned for him, and buried him in his own house at Ramah. When God took away good King Josiah, like to whom there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, who bowed neither to the right hand, nor to the left, who remembered his Creator in the days of his youth, and honored God with the first fruits of his life; all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him, 2 Chron. 35, 23, 24. yea Jeremiah lamented Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women mourned for him in their lamentations, and made the same for an ordinance to Israel & behold they be written in the Lamentations. But touching Jehoiakim y e son of Iosia, who degenerated from his father, & walked not in his ways, it is said, They shall not lament him; saying; Ah my Brother, or ah my Sister: neither shall they mourn for him, saying, Ah Lord, or ah his glory: he shall be buried as an Ass is buried, even drawn and cast forth without the gates of Jerusalem. The like comparison we see in the New Testament, when as Stephen was stoned, a faithful witness of Christ, a worthy member of the Church, and a constant defender of the faith, certain men carried him to be buried, and made great lamentation for him. But when Ananias and Sapphira filled with Satan, keeping away part of the price of their possession, tempting the Spirit, and lying unto God, fell down and gave up the ghost, young men arose, took them up, and buried them, but no mention of any tears or lamentatiō, much less of any great lamentation made for them. God swept them away as dung from y e earth for their hypocrisy; but the Church lamented not the death of these wicked persons. So then to omit many other examples that might be alleged, we see, that howsoever men may be mourned for in a natural affection & compassion by their friends and kinsfolks, yet chiefly and principally we are to bewail the loss of the church, whē such are taken away as might do good service to God and his people.
[Reason 1] This truth appeareth by good force of reason. First, the Ministers are as the Chariots & horsemen of Israel in their Ministry, that is, the strength and defense of the Church and Commonwealth. Therefore Elisha seeing Elijah taken up by a whirlwind into heaven, cried out, My father, my father, the Chariot of Israel, & the horsemen thereof. And as Elisha said of Elijah, so did Joash the King of Israel of Elisha. For being sick of his sickness whereof he died, the King came down unto him, and wept upon his face, and said, O my father, my father, the Chariot of Israel, and the horsemen of the same. Thus spake the King himself to the Prophet, and these honorable Titles he gave unto him. And no marvel. For they fight and bend their forces against swearing, blasphemy, contempt of God's word, profaning of his Sabbaths, whoredom, drunkenness, idleness, covetousness, and such like, as lay us open to the wrath of God. These and such like sins are they that weaken the land, and lay it naked to the invasion of enemies, as appeareth, Exo. 32, 25. Moses saw that by their idolatry the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked unto shame among their enemies. We do oftentimes fear enemies, and invasion by enemies: but we fear not that which bringeth in the enemies, and openeth them a free passage to spoil and destroy without compassion, to wit, sin. So long as we walk with our God, and are reconciled unto him, we are under God's protection, and he is a Buckler round about us, we are in league with the stones of the street, and the beasts of the field. For if God he on our side, who shall be against us? Rom. 8, 31. If then the Ministry of the word be as a brazen wall, and the Ministers thereof stand in the breach between the living & the dead to turn away the wrath of GOD, when his judgments run through the Land, there is great cause to be humbled, when God pulleth from the Church and Commonwealth, so great posts and pillars that help to hold them up.
Again, it is a sign of God's wrath & heavy [Reason 2] displeasure, and a fore-runner of a farther judgment. When God took away the good and godly King Josiah, a nursing father of the Church, that reformed religion in his young and tender years, sought unto the Lord, hūmbled himself before him, and wept when he heard the threatenings denounced against the land: he spared not Jerusalem and the inhabitants thereof long after. If there be a good Pastor in the church, if a good Prince in the land, if a good Magistrate in town or city, if a good Master in a family, and God take him away, there is cause to lift up our voice by mourning, weeping, and great lamentation: this being a token of God's displeasure, & a sign of taking his former mercies from us: so that the seeing and feeling of God's wrath in bereaving us of such as might do good along time publicly or privately, ought to be no small grief to us. The prophet teacheth, that when God hath any vengeance ready to be poured upon a people, he taketh away the righteous from the plague, as he did Lot out of Sodom, saying; The righteous perisheth, and no man considereth it in heart: and merciful men are taken away from the evil to come. Therefore when God taketh excellent and principal members from the rest of y e body, it is as a threatening always to those that are left behind, and an evident testimony to them, that they are unworthy of their company and presence, as the Apostle declareth, That the world was not worthy of those faithful men that shined as lights in the midst of a froward & crooked generation. So then, it is a right mourning and well ordered grief, when we lament the taking away of good men, endued with the graces of the Spirit, which have lived in the fear of God, and done notable service in the Church or Commonwealth.
Let us apply this point to our instruction & [Use 1] edification. First, it serveth to condemn the Stoicall senselessness and blockishness of such as take it to be a part of manhood & courage, to be affected with nothing, to be grieved at nothing. It is lawful to mourn for the dead: so did Abraham the Father of the faithful for Sara: nay, so did Christ the head of the church in whom was no sin, neither guile found in his mouth, mourn for Lazarus. These lamented the dead, but not the state of the dead, which they knew to be most comfortable to all the faithful, as the Apostle teacheth, Reu. 14.13. Blessed are they that dy in the Lord, for they rest from their labors and their works follow them. In regard whereof, Paul warneth the Thessalonians concerning them that are asleep, that they sorrow not even as they which have no hope. True it is, we cannot so renounce or reform our affections, but that there will be always somewhat worthy of blame and fault in us, in our mirth and mourning, in our love and hatred, in our hope and fear, in our anger, and such like passions: and we find it the hardest thing in the world to keep the mean between excess and defect, between too much & too little: yet it is absurd to dream of such a kind of dullness and stupidity as over-turneth human nature, and cannot be found in flesh and blood, yea standeth not with the condition of mankind, as he was created, or as he became corrupted. For so long as man remaineth in this life, he cannot be void of affections and perturbations, or be senseless like stocks or stones: albeit wise men are to moderate their passions, that Reason remain mistress of the soul, as it were the governor of the house.
Wherefore, we must know that Christian Religion doth not abolish natural affections, or pull them up by the roots, but only doeth moderate them and keep them, that they over flow not the banks, and doth bring them in subjection unto the will of God. So the Apostle (as we heard before) did not forbid the Church to sorrow for the dead, but putteth as it were a bridle into their hands, & only restraineth immoderate sorrow. Again, he doth not absolutely condemn and reprove all anger and indignation conceived in the heart, but represseth the excess & abundance thereof, as a wise Physician that seeketh to purge the over-flowing of choller. And in another place, he doth not condemn weeping in adversity, or rejoicing in prosperity, but he requireth that they which weep, be as though they wept not, and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not: and they that use this world, as though they used it not. Furthermore, Christ our Savior doeth not forbid the loving of Father and Mother, of wife and children, of brethren and sisters, as that which standeth with the law of God and man; but only ordereth it aright, & bringeth it into his compass, saying, He that loveth father or mother more then me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more then me, is not worthy of me. Thus then we are taught to use temperance and moderation in all the affairs of our life, in speaking or holding our peace; in joy or in sorrow, that we give not scope to our unbridled affections, but always order and dispose them as there is just cause.
[Use 2] Secondly, it condemneth such as are bereft of all sense and feeling of such grievous judgments of God. Alas, how can such assure thenselves to be true members of Christ's body? For tell me, Can a man lose a principal part of his body, as his eye, his hand, his foot, and not be grieved? Or can a man be deprived of thē, and make a sport of it as at a play or pastime? Even so, such as in the suffering of y e members of y e Church do rejoice, or in the public joy of the Church do mourn, cannot in truth persuade their own hearts that they have any part or portion in the body of Christ. Wherefore, whensoever God taketh away any principal stay of Church or Common-wealth, we have cause of mourning, and humbling our selves under God's judgment. When the husbandman layeth his Axe to the root of y e tree, or vndermineth the ground about it, we cannot doubt but he meaneth the felling and falling of it. Or when we see a Gardener take away the hedge or wall of his garden, pluck up by the roots the chiefest & choicest plants disfigure the ornaments and beauty of it, and lay it open for the beasts to enter, we may gather he mindeth not to continue, but deface the Garden. Or, when a Carpenter pulleth down the master-pieces and posts that doth hold up the whole frame, and layeth the foundation even with the ground, we may conjecture by these means, that he meaneth to remove the building to another place. So when we see the evident footsteps of God's wrath, and begin to discern the fire of his jealousy breaking out by the smoke beginning to appear, in taking away serviceable men as plāts of his own garden, as pillars of his own house, and as branches of the Tree which his right hand hath planted, we must lay it to our hearts as tokens going before destruction. This our Savior handleth, Matth. 42, 32, 33. speaking of the signs going before his glorious appearance at the end of the world, Learn the Parable of the Fig tree, when her bough is yet tender, and it putteth forth leaves, ye know that Summer is near: so likewise ye, when ye see all these things, know that the kingdom of God is nere, even at the door. And now (beloved) behold and consider, lift up your eyes, and look how God hath dealt with us: and mark whether his dealings toward us be not tokens of his anger and fore-runners of his judgments. Hath he not taken from us a most worthy Prince, our late Sovereign, who by the course of nature might have lived longer? Of whom we may truly say as David did, 2 Sam. 1, 24. Ye daughters of Israel weep for Queen Elizabeth, who clothed you with Scarlet and pleasures, and hanged Ornaments of Gold upon your apparel. Or else as Solomon doth speaking of a good woman, Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou surmountest them all. She opened the house of the Lord in the first year of her reign, as good K. Hezekiah did: she called back the reverent Ministers fled out of the land as Elijah into the wilderness, through the tyranny of Jezebel: she brought in the pure worship of God, cast out the Romish abominations, set forth the service of God in a known tongue, repealed the bloody acts of the persecutors: and therefore she thus honoring God, and advancing his Gospel, he likewise exalted her Throne on high, as the Throne of Solomon, 2. Samuel, 2, ver. 30. so that she shined in her time in the world, as if all the firmament thereof had been but one star, and as if in all the cope & compass of heavē, there had shined none but she. This star is now set and gone down, which should go near unto us, and pierce us to the quick, and make us (seeing a great Prince is fallen in Israel) never to forget y e great works which the Lord did among us by her happy hand. Besides, hath not the Lord taken from us many lights out of the Vniuersity, whence flowed many comfortable streams that watered the Garden of God? many out of Cities and particular Churches, whereby the Church hath received a deep and dangerous wound, and yet we seem to have feared consciences and to be past feeling? When the vital parts begin to fail or to languish, the life of the body is in hazard. While the disease or distemperature is in the outward parts far from the head or the heart, there is hope of health and recovery; but when the lively parts begin to waste and consume by little and little, it is a sign of the decay of life, and of the approach of death. Howsoever therefore, the greatest part never lay these things to their hearts, nor interpret them as present tokens of imminent danger and judgment, yet we that have learned better things, ought to consider, that as they are taken away from the evil to come, & rest quietly in the grave (as in a bed,) even so they have left us behind for the evil to come.
[Use 3] Lastly, it is our duty to pray to God to stay his hand, to show mercy to his Church, and to pour out the full Vial of his vengeance upon his enemies that know him not, and upon the Nations that call not upon his Name. This the Prophet practiseth, Psalm. 74, 2, 19, 20, 21, 22. Think upon thy Congregation which thou hast possessed of old, and on thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed, and on this Mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelled. We see how he putteth God in mind of his Covenant, and entreateth him to strike through the loins of his enemies to their destruction; to maintain his own cause, and to spare his people, the sheep of his own Pasture, the dwelling place of his own Name, and the Congregation of his poor afflicted ones. So when in like manner we behold the hand of God upon his own Sanctuary, & to begin judgment at his own house; let us call upon him to consider whereof we are made, and to remember that we are but dust. This did the Prophet Habakkuk, when God threatened to enter into judgment with his church, O Lord, I have heard thy voice, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of thy people: in wrath remember mercy. Hab. 3, 2. Where he teacheth, that whensoever we hear of the threatenings and judgments of God, we must pray him to repair and restore the state of the Church, which is ready to perish, who is able to heal the wound that his own right hand hath made. True it is, the great sins of this Land do cry out against us, & may justly provoke him to make havoc of all: yet let us call for mercy at his hands, and stay the course of our sins, that so he may stay the stroke of his judgments.
1
Then the children of Israel came with the whole Congregation into the desert of Zin, in the first Moneth, and the people abode at Kadesh, and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2
And there was not water for the Congregation, and they assembled against Moses and against Aaron.
3
And the people chid with Moses, & spake, saying: But would we had perished when our brethren died before the Lord.
4
And wherefore have ye caused the Congregation of the Lord to come into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5
And wherefore have ye made us to come up from Egypt, to bring us into this miserable place? No place for seed, nor Figs, nor Uines, nor Pomegranates? Neither is there any water to drink.
6
Then Moses and Aaron went from the face of the assembly unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.
7
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying;
8
Take this Rodde, and gather thou and thy brother Aaron this Congregation together,
that ye may speak unto this Rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth his waters, and thou shalt bring them waters out of this Rock: so thou shalt give this Congregation and their Cattle drink.
9
Then Moses took that Rod from the presence of the Lord, as he commanded him.
10
And Moses and Aaron caused the Congregation to assemble together before that Rock, and he said unto them; Hear now O ye Rebelles: shall we bring you waters out of this Rock?
11
Then Moses lift up his hand, and smote that Rock with his Rod twice, and much water gushed out: so the Congregation and their Cattle drank.
12
Wherefore the Lord spake to Moses & Aaron: Because ye have not believed in me, to sanctify me, before the eyes of the childrē of Israel, therefore ye shall not
bring this Congregatiō into the Land which I have given them.
13
These are the waters of strife, where the children of Israel strove against the Lord, & he sanctified himself among them.
In this Chapter we are to consider three several things. First, the murmuring of the people: secondly, the purpose of the Israelites to pass toward Canaan by the borders of Edom. Thirdly, the death of Aaron in the Mountain, in whose stead Eleazar his son succeedeth, and for whom the people a long time lamenteth. All these particulars are amplified in the beginning of the Chapter, by the circumstances of time; to wit, the first month of the 40 year after their departure out of Egypt, as appeareth, chap. 33, 38. and likewise of the place, of Kadesh a City in the borders of Edom, at which time also Miriam the sister of Aaron and of Moses died. These circumstances being set down, the History of their murmuring followeth, which we have often before seen and considered: declaring that whensoever & wheresoever any adversity happened, by and by they became impatient, unthankful, and forgetful of present mercies and favors. A like history to this we saw before, Exod. 17. which is not the same recorded in this place, but differing in time & place, as may appear by collation & conference of both the places.
Now let us mark their behavior in this want of water in the wilderness. First, they wish they had died by the stroke of God's hand with the seditious rout of rebels that conspired against God, whom notwithstanding they call their brethren. Secondly, they expostulate with Moses and Aaron, that they had brought them out of Egypt into the wilderness, being barren without fruit, miserable without harvest, and dry without water? Whereas they should comfort themselves in the former mercies of God, rest in the experience of his power, and remember his help ever ready in time of need: they rise up against Moses and Aaron in show, but in deed against God, whom they served; setting down their present condition, and comparing their abode in Egypt (where they had tasted all miseries, felt all oppressions, and groaned under the heavy burdens) with their present estate, to amplify the woe and wretchedness thereof: such is their blindness and unthankfulness.
But what doth Moses, whose meek and patient spirit they grieved, and whose righteous soul they vexed frō day today with their ungodly murmurings? He doth not here turn himself to them, nor dealeth with them to reclaim them as he did, chapter 16. but went with Aaron to God, flying to the Tabernacle as to a Sanctuary, throwing down thenselves on their faces, and comforting themselves in his power, presence, and protection; who being always near to them that call upon him, shown forth his glory, and commanded them to take the Rodde and speak to the Rock, promising them water, and assuring them of an happy issue of all their troubles & necessities. Now, as God commandeth, so Moses obeyeth and taketh the Rod.
Here a question may be asked, what Rod God meaneth, and Moses taketh? for we read of two Rods famous among them, and well known; one the Rod of Moses, that he used when he kept sheep in the Land of Midian, whereby he wrought afterward many miracles in Egypt, and at the red Sea, & in the wilderness: the other the Rod of Aaron, which did bud and bear blossoms, to confirm the calling of Aaron, and to declare that God had separated the Tribe of Levi to serve in y e Tabernacle. I answer, [Answer.] we are to understand in this place, rather the flourishing Rod of Aaron: first, because Moses made mention of this in y e last place, not long before, to wit, chap. 17, the other is not spoken off in this book: so that we are rather to refer it to Aaron's Rod before specified, then to the other not named. Secondly, this served more fitly and fully to confirm their calling of rule and government over the people, which by these conspirators was called into question. As if they should say, Do you doubt of our calling, & ask by what authority we do these things? Behold this rod, (do ye not know it?) this flourishing rod shall convince you, and serve to bear witness against you.
Thirdly, Moses and Aaron were fled into the Tabernacle, verse 6, now chap. 17, 10. it is said, that Aaron's rod was laid up before the Testimony, for a token and testimony against those rebellious companies.
Lastly, Moses is said, ver. 9, to have taken this rod from before the Lord, or from his sight & presence, where we shown it was laid up: but we never read, that Moses his rod, whereby his calling was confirmed, Pharaohs obstinacy was convinced, and the red Sea divided, was laid up before the Testimony. So then, here is a charge & commandment, that Aaron's rod budding & bearing blossoms, should be taken, the people assembled, and the Rock only to be spoken unto before the Israelites: a promise being added, and again repeated, that waters should gush from thence in abundance, whereof the whole Assembly should drink, and the plenty of it should flow even to their beasts and cattle.
These are the Commandments of God: let us see their obedience, with their failing & halting in it: For it is not perfect and entire, wanting nothing, as appeareth by the threatening presently denounced, and by the punishment afterward inflicted. Indeed they gathered together the people, as God commanded, but they spake not to the Rock as God willed thē: they were charged to speak to y e Rock only, yet by impatiency & doubting, they spake not to the Rock, but complained against the people, and smote the Rock once, and again, not commanded. So then, they that hitherto shown invincible constancy in resisting the rage of the people, and maintained zealously the glory of God, believed faithfully his promises, and stood as Rocks unmovable against all storms that beat against them, now fail in their faith and obedience, both in speaking to the people, and in striking of the Rock. For they ask whether they should bring unto thē water out of the Rock, as if it were impossible for God to perform what he had promised, & to make good the word that was gone out of his own mouth. Again, he lifted up his hand, and smote the Rock twice through impatiency and distrust: so that albeit he were a notable Prophet and holy man of God, and that God gave this witness of him, that He was a meek man above all the men that lived upon the earth: yet as the Psalmist teacheth, they troubled him with their grudgings, and vexed him with their murmurings, that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
But God, with whom is no respect of persons, who judgeth every man according to his ways and works, doth openly accuse & convince them of sin, complaineth that they had not glorified his great Name, pronounceth & decreeth the sentence of death against them, that they should not enter into y e Land of promise. And lest this failing of Moses, and fall of the people should be forgotten, it is named the waters of Meribah, or of strife & contention. Thus we see their doubting and disobedience is here reproved and threatened, and afterward punished, which is amplified by the reason, because they were so far from strengthening the people, by confirming them in the truth of God's promises, and assuring them of the due accomplishment of them, that themselves waver, doubt, and dishonor God. For as God is much honored when he is believed, and we rest in his word as in a thing unchangeable; so he is greatly dishonored when his power is not acknowledged, whē his promise is not believed, and when his truth is not trusted of us. Thus much of the meaning of the words, as also of the order and circumstances of this history: now let us come to the doctrines that arise out of the same.
[Ver. 1. The people abode at Kadesh, and Miriam died there. ] In this first verse, where this murmuring for want of water is described by the time and place, we see mention is made of the death and burial of Miriam. She was an excellent woman in the Church, an holy Prophetess, one that went before others in singing the praises of God after their deliverance out of Egypt, after their passing over the red sea, and after the overthrow of Pharaoh & his host; yet is subject to death as well as others. From hence we learn, that all flesh, men and women, high and low, rich and poor, godly and ungodly, how great soever their gifts and graces be, are subject to death and mortality. This appeareth, Gen. 5. where in the catalogue of the fathers that lived before the flood, it is said of them all, they died. Albeit God multiplied their days, many hundred years for the increase of mankind, & the spreading abroad of the truth from generation to generation, yet after many days, in the end, all of them died. So Psal. 89, 48. Heb. 9, 27. Job 17, 13, 14. & ch. 21, 23, &c. One dieth in his full strength, being in all ease and prosperity; another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure; they shall sleep both in y e dust, and the worms shall cover them. And what shall I say more? We acknowledge in words, and see with our eyes, a decay and declining of of all things by experience. All earthly things under the Sun that have beginning, both have and hasten to their ending. The grass, when it is grown, is mowed: the fruit, when it is ripe, is gathered: the harvest, when it is ready, is reaped. The trees that flourish in the Spring and Summer, have their declining Autumn, and their decaying Winter. The Moon set in the Heaven to rule the night, hath her wane. The Sun which cometh forth as a Bridegroom out of his chamber, & rejoiceth like a mighty man to run his race, yet hath his setting and descending: the farther he goeth, & the more degrees he passeth, the nearer he is to the end of his course.
The reasons of this Doctrine, are these. First, [Reason 1] because all are dust; the matter whereof we are made, is the dust of the earth, & therefore must return to the dust, out of which we are are taken. All flesh is as grass, and the glory of man is as the flower of the field, the grass withereth, and the flower fadeth & falleth away. The Sea never resteth nor standeth still, but ever ebbeth or floweth: so is it with the life of man, it never standeth at one stay, every day cutteth off one part of our days, we are nearer to our end in the evening then in the morning, according to the saying of Job, we are consumed from morning to evening, & we hasten unto the grave, as the Rivers are carried into the Sea. This is that reason which is used, Gen. 3, 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou turn to the earth; for out of it wast thou taken, because thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return. Where the reason is thus framed; Thou art made and taken out of the dust, therefore thou shalt return to the dust.
Secondly, we must all die the death, because [Reason 2] all have sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God: for the Scripture concludeth all, both Jews and Gentiles under sin. True it is, man was created to immortality, and if he had ever loved God and never sinned, he should ever have lived without seeing death. But whē sin entered, death followed in the world, as the wages doth the work: according to the threatening of God, Gen. 2, 17. In the day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit, thou shalt die the death. For as they that are adjudged and condemned to die, are accounted as dead men, albeit they be kept alive in prison: so our first Parents, although they did not immediately die, yet immediately were subject to death by desert of sin. So the Apostle, Rom. 5, 12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death went over all men, in whom all men have sinned. Where he proveth the cause by the effect, that sin was before Moses and the Law given by him, because death was in the world, which seizeth upon young and old, infants & sucklings, whereby everyone is convinced of sin, every mouth is stopped, and all y e world subject to the righteous judgment of God. Seeing therefore we are all made out of the dust, and carry about with us this body of sin: we have here no continuing City, but are placed in the world for a season, as men set upon a Stage to play our parts, & then must be gone to give room to others, according to the saying of Solomon, One generation passeth, and another generation succeedeth.
[Use 1] The uses follow. First, the rich, the mighty, the learned, and men of high degree, must acknowledge, that there shall be no difference between them and the poor, the lowly and unlearned, in the grave, unto which all must descend. True it is, there is a difference and distinction between rich and poor, high and low, great & small, in their life time, in friends, in honors, in houses, in lands, in livings, in food, in apparel, in duties, in dignities, & such like external privileges and perogatives, which shall have an end: yet all these shall cease, and all degrees must equally meet together in the grave: so that albeit an unequal life have gone before, yet an equal death shall follow after. This is it which Job pointeth unto, chap. 17, which we named before, where he showeth, that all worldly prosperity and hope shall fail, They shall go down into the bottom of the pit, surely it shall lie together in the dust. And the Prophet, Psal. 49, 9, 10, 11. showeth, that neither wit, nor wisdom; neither might nor money; neither favor nor policy, can prevent or put away death: that all without difference & respect of persons must yield to Nature, and that all means which they can devise for the continuance of their names shall come to naught: For he seeth wise men die, and also that the ignorant, and foolish perish, and leave their riches for others.
Secondly, let men of excellent and eminent [Use 2] places live justly, and deal uprightly in their callings, wherein they are set. As they are placed above others, so they are seen & marked before others, and notwithstanding all their honor and estimation, their riches and retinue, they must die and depart hence, when it shall be said to them, Come, give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward. The remembrance of death must therefore admonish them of their duties, that they dream not of immortality, and they promise not to themselves continuance here and perpetuity. This David toucheth and teacheth, Ps. 82, 2, 3, 6, 7. How long will ye deal unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Do right to the poor and fatherless, do justice to the poor and needy: deliver the poor and needy, save them from the hand of the wicked. I have said, ye are God's, and ye all are children of the most High: but ye shall die as a man, and ye Princes shall fall like others. So then, when we are tempted to evil, we must remember death, and the estate that followeth death. Therefore the Apostle chargeth them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, neither trust in uncertain riches, but in the living GOD; because we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain, that we can carry nothing out.
Thirdly, this consideration of the common [Use 3] condition of all flesh, must stir up our affections from resting & relying upon men whose breath is in their nostrils, to depend upon the eternal God, which continueth and liveth forever. Let us beware of all vain confidence. We are ready to rest upon creatures, and stay our selves upon an arm of flesh, as upon a broken Reed, whereby we deceive our selves of our hope, and rob God of his honor. This we learn, Psal. 146, 3, 4, 5. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the sons of man, for there is no help in him: his breath departeth, and he returneth to the earth, then his thoughts perish. Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Man is vain, and all his pomp is lighter then vanity. If then we make him our stay and staff, we beat the air, we labor in the fire, we build upon a weak foundation, and rest upon the uncertain life of mortal and miserable man, who vanisheth as a shadow, passeth as a dream, flieth as an Eagle, speedeth as a Poste, consumeth as a garment, and goeth away as a thought that cannot be recalled. His life is as a span soon measured, as a vapor soon gone, as a tale soon told, as an hand-breadth soon measured, as a wind soon ouerblowne, and as the weauers Shuttle, quickly sliding.
Lastly, it is our duty to prepare for it before [Use 4] it cometh, that we may be found ready, and have oil in our lamps, whē the Bridegroom cometh. For death spareth none, it respecteth no person, no age, no Sexe, no State or condition, no power can withstand it, no wisdom can prevent it, no bribe can corrupt it, no cunning can overcome it. And albeit we often recover of some diseases, yet in the ende we are taken away. The whole life of a Christian should be a continual meditation of death, to teach us (as it were to die daily, and to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom: not to set our whole love and liking on the world, which we must shortly leave. Will a man bestow cost and charges on an house and tenement, in which he shall not long dwell, and out of which he is shortly to depart? Or will he be patching that Tent and Tabernacle which he hath pitched for a day or two? We dwell in earthly Tabernacles, as in houses of clay, 2 Cor. 5, 4. 2 Pet. 1, 14. What wisdom then is it, to bestow days, and months, and years, in plotting & plodding for the world, for riches, and the vanities of this life? Let us also prepare and provide before hand for the day of our dissolution, that such as God hath blessed with this worlds good, set their houses and their estates in order, as the Prophet in this regard warneth Hezekiah, Isaiah 38, 1. Set thine house in order, for thou must die. And we may learn this necessary practice of Ahithophel, though living in wickedness, and dying in despair, of whom the Scripture saith, whē he saw that his counsel was not followed, he went home unto his City, put his house in order, & hanged himself. 2 Sam. 17, 23. This duty is to be thought upon in health, as that which deeply concerneth our selves and our posterity. When we have rightly disposed the things of this life, let us prepare for a Nunc dimittis, let us commend our spirits into the hands of God, let us resign up our selves willingly to death, when we must enter into a particular judgment. For so soon as the soul is departed and separated from the body, God holdeth his Sessions, to which we are summoned by his messenger death, to come into his presence, to receive in part according to our works, whether they be good or evil. Even as we see in the affairs of this life, how Judges and Justices keep their sessions and assizes, wherein malefactors brought out of prison, are arraigned: so God holdeth his time of judgment and justice, to reward everyone according to his works. We have all a cause and case to be tried, the greatest, the weightiest, the worthiest that ever was handled, not touching silver & gold, not concerning house or land, not of titles or inheritances, but of the everlasting salvation or damnation of our souls forever: and therefore it standeth us in hand, to be well armed & thoroughly appointed, that we come not as the foolish Virgins, without oil in our lamps, or as the unprepared guest, without our wedding garment. We see in temporal Courts, when men have a cause to be tried, and an action to be determined, either of goods or good name, how careful they are before hand to read Evidences, to produce witnesses, and to search Records, that y e suite may pass on their sides: how much more careful ought we to be to answer before the eternal Judge, where no man shall be admitted to appear by his Attorney, but all must come in their own persons, none shall be suffered to put in sureties? This will be a great day, whē the whole world shall appear together at once, high and low, Prince and Subject, noble and unnoble, according to the description that John maketh, I saw the dead, both great & small stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the book according to their works, Revel. 20, 12.
[And was buried there.] Hitherto of the death of Miriam: now of that which followed her death, to wit, her burial. See here, when life was departed, what they did with the body; they committed it to the earth.
The Doctrine from hence is this, that it is a necessary duty to bury the dead. This appeareth by many examples of the godly which have practiced this duty, Gen. 23, 4. Abraham the father of the faithful, bought a possession of burial of the Hittites, who by the sight and light of nature, had their Sepulchers; & therefore answered Abraham, Thou art a Prince of God among us, in the chiefest of our Sepulchers bury thy dead: none of us shall forbid thee his Sepulcher, but thou mayest bury thy dead therein. So ch. 25, 8, 9. when Abraham yielded the spirit and died in a good age, and was gathered to his people, his sons Isaac & Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah, in the field of Hephron, where Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife. The like we see done to Isaac, when he gave up the ghost, being old and full of days, his two sons, Esau and Jacob buried him. Now as Jacob did to his father, so his children do to him, according as he had commanded them; for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the Cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought. The like may be said of Moses, Deut. 34, 5, 6. for albeit the people buried him not, neither knew of his Sepulcher, lest they should abuse it to idolatry, yet rather then he should want burial, he was buried of God. The men of Jabesh Gilead are praised of God, and rewarded of David, because they buried King Saul and his son, and adventured their lives to do unto him their last duty. 2 Sa. 2, 5, 6. The same might be said of the rest of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Judges, Kings, Governors, and Priests, yea of Christ himself, whose burial (albeit he were able immediately to have raised and restored himself to life) is set down in the Gospel, that his death might be confirmed, and his farther humiliation manifested. These examples teach that it is a Christian and commendable duty of the living to be performed to the dead, of children to be performed to their parents, and of the people of God one to another, to commit the body of the deceased to the grave, to put dust to dust, and so to cover earth with earth.
And no marvel. For first, among all creatures, [Reason 1] man is most loathsome and ugly when life is departed. As in his birth and bringing forth into the world, of all creatures he is most frail and feeble, without strength to stand, without help to defend himself: so being dead, he is most frail, filthy, and deformed. He that a little before gloried in his beauty, comeliness, feature, & proportion, is now become the mirror and spectacle of a deformed and misshapen carcass. Such a confusion and wrack hath sin wrought and brought into our nature. This made Abraham to say to the Hittites, I am a stranger & a foreigner among you, give me a possession of burial to bury with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight, Gen. 23, 4. This is noted in Lazarus, who having lien buried but four days, his b • dy stank, John 11, 39.
[Reason 2] Secondly, burial is promised as a blessing from God, and the want of it threatened for a plague and judgment. God offereth it as a mercy to Abraham, that he should be buried in a ripe age; and to Josiah, that he should be put in his grave in peace, and his eyes should not behold the evil that should be brought upon that place. Contrariwise, the want hereof is threatened as a curse to Jeroboam & Ahab Kings of Israel, that they and their posterity should be devoured of dogs. And Ier. 22, 19. and 36, 30. because Jehoiakim fell from God, it was foretold unto him by the Prophet, that he should not be buried honourably, but he should be buried as an Ass is buried, even drawn and cast forth without the gates of Jerusalem. But it may here be objected, that the faithful oftentimes want burial, some consumed to ashes, some drowned in the waters, some devoured with wild beasts, some hanged on gibbets, of whom the world was not worthy: as the Prophet complaineth, Psalm. 79, 2, 3. I answer, all temporal chastisements are common to the godly and ungodly, as famine, plague, pestilence, sword, nakedness, & such like punishments, which God shooteth as his arrows against the sons of men. The favor of God bringing salvation, standeth not in these outward things. For as it cannot profit a wicked and wretched man to be solemnly enterred and costly buried, dying out of the favor of God, (as is noted in the parable of the rich glutton: ) so it shall not hurt a righteous man to want a sumptuous solemnizing of his funerals.
[Use 1] From this principle we learn sundry instructions. First, we must make a difference between the body of man and beast. For as man differeth from the beast in his life, made after the image of God, fashioned to look upward, created with a reasonable soul, and sundry other perogatives: so he should in his death and burial. The bodies of beasts are drawn forth being dead, to lie in the open air, and to be devoured one of another, and it skilleth not. But it is unseemly and unlawful, against order and honesty, that the dead bodies of men should be cast out unburied into ditches and dunghills, or such foul and filthy places; and therefore Jehu speaking of Jezebel cast down out of her window, and having her blood sprinkled upon the wall said, Visite now yonder cursed woman, and bury her. 2. Kings 9, 34.
[Use 2] Secondly, observe in this place, that all superstition in burial is to be avoided. We read here of her burial, and Josephus addeth, it was done at the common charges with great solemnity: but we read of no masses, obits, crosses, dirges, singing, ringing, watching, holy-water, bell and banner, trentals, & such like trumpery, practiced in these days in y e Church of Rome. Thē they praised the Name of God for the dead, to stir up others to an imitation of their virtues: now they pray to God for the dead to get money withal. Then they rejoiced that they had overcome the enemies of their saluatiō, & had received their crowns: now they teach men to weep, for fear of the Popes painted fire of a supposed Purgatory. Thus we see in that her burial is nakedly set forth, without these superfluous and superstitious toys, it teacheth us to condemn shrines, tapers, torches, candles, pilgrimages, and such ceremonies as are hurtful to the living, unprofitable to the dead, chargeable to their friends, and dishonorable unto GOD. For it is great wickedness and gross superstition to hold any holiness in the manner of burial, to make one garment holier thē another, as to be buried in a Monks cool: to make one place holier then another, as to be buried in the Church-yard rather then out of it; to be buried in the Church, rather then in y e Churchyard; in the Chancel rather then in y e Church, and near the high Altar, rather then in any other place. This is great vanity, to place any religion in times, in places, in garments, all which we see passed over in this History.
Thirdly, it reproveth all keeping of dead men's bones unburied, and reserving of relics [Use 3] practiced in the Church of Rome. It is a great part of the religion of Rome, to glory of their devout touching and adoring of holy relics, and to make Merchandize thereof. The Lord said in the beginning to Adam and all his posterity, Dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou return, Gen. 3, 19. So that the bones and bodies of men departed, are not to be kept out of their graves, neither can they be preserved without corruption. And when Stephen was stoned, we read that certain men fearing God, carried him among them to be buried, which was a duty of charity: and that they made great lamentation for him, which was a fruit of their piety: but we find no mention of shrining up of relics, or keeping any monuments or members of him. They allege for their purpose, the woman's touching the hem of Christ's garment, whereby she was healed. I answer, we doubt not but Christ living upon the earth, wrought miracles with his word, and without his word, present and absent, by outward signs, and without outward signs. But now the gift of miracles is ceased, and therefore to look for help by garments, by napkins and shadows, is superstition and tempting of God. Again, the force and virtue of healing her infirmity, did not proceed from his garment, but immediately from himself; and therefore Christ saith, Some body hath touched me, for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me: he doth not say, virtue is proceeded from my garments. The Disciples confess, the people thrust and thronged him. Likewise the soldiers cast lots for his Coat, and parted his garments among them; yet they received no benefit by him or them. Wherefore, it was her faith that healed her. Moreover, they allege the reserving of Manna in the golden Pot, and keeping of Aaron's rod in the Tabernacle, Heb. 9. I answer, these were reserved and laid up by the express commandment of God; let them bring forth like warrant for keeping their crosses, garments, images, bones, and such like scraps, and we will receive them. Secondly, as they were reserved by the commandment of God, so by the word of God they were preserved in their full strength from corruption and putrifaction: whereas their trumpery of Saints relics, rot and consume away, as our Writers have proved, and their own authors have confessed. Lastly, from this reservation, they shall never be able to prove any adoration. For these monuments, the Pot of Manna, and the rod of Aaron were never commanded to be worshipped. But the Romish relics are shown openly for men to fall down to thē, which is superstition and idolatry: and therefore being thus abused, they should be defaced, as Hezekiah brake in pieces the brazen serpent (though it were a special monument of God's mercy, and a lively figure of Christ) when it began to be worshipped, and the ordinance of God turned into an idol.
[Use 4] Fourthly, we learn from hence to strengthen our faith in the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead. For burial is a pledge of immortality, a sign of the resurrection, and as a glass to behold the life to come, and therefore the bodies of men are not contemptibly to be cast abroad, but decently to be laid in the earth, as the Corn is cast in the ground, & there rotteth, groweth up, and beareth fruit. We were not created of God to lie forever in the grave, and to end in corruption; but our burial preacheth to us another life, and showeth that we shall be restored into a new and better estate. We are laid up in the safe keeping of God, until the day come that he shall raise the dead again. Let us then stir up our selves to understand, that we are not appointed to live only in this world, but that there is another life prepared for us. This the Apostle teacheth, 1 Cor. 15, 29. What shall they do that are washed for dead? If the dead rise not at all, why are they then washed for dead? It was an ancient custom, both among Jews & Gentiles, among Infidels and Christians, to wash the bodies of the dead before they were buried, by which, all other ceremonies belonging thereunto, as embalming, mourning, wrapping, & burying, are signified; as if he should say, if there be no resurrection, why are the dead bodies costly anointed, cleanly washed, decently buried, solemnly accompanied, sorrowfully lamented for, and carefully wrapped in Linnen? Seeing then these rites commonly used, show that our bodies shall be renewed, let us labor to make them members of Christ, and Temples of the holy Ghost. Let us abhor all Atheists, Epicures, Libertines, and such proud heretics, that mock at all religion, & deny the faith of the resurrection, which is the ground-work and foundation of all our comfort. Howsoever therefore the wicked here flourish for a time, and spread as the green Bay-tree; contrariwise, the godly are destitute, afflicted, and tormented, and accounted as sheep to the slaughter, yet it shall be well with them that fear the Lord, and in the end he will reward the wicked according to their works. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you which are troubled, rest, when the Lord Jesus shall show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels. This is it which Abraham saith to the rich man, Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy pleasures, and likewise Lazarus pains; now therefore is he comforted, and thou art tormented.
[Ver. 2, 3, 4, 5. And there was not water for the Congregation. ] The people had been brought out of the Land of Egypt, out of the yoke of bondage, and out of the furnace of iron: they had seen the great works and wonders of God, they had promised to yield faithful obedience, they had tasted of the bountiful hand of God, they had tried his power and presence in bringing waters out of the dry Rock, they had observed many thousands slain for their rebellion in the wilderness; yet behold their fresh unthankfulness; they cast out diverse reproaches, as it were so many darts and spears, not against Moses, but against God. The Doctrine from hence is this, that in all wants and dangers we are ready to murmur and repine against God. An example hereof we have, Exod. 14, 11, & 17, 1, 2. Whē the people were come out of Egypt, and saw the red sea before them, the host of Pharaoh behind them, the mountains on each side of them, and no means to escape, they repine against Moses, as if he had brought them out to die in the wilderness. Hereunto accordeth that which is recorded, chapter 17, when they came where no water was, they contended with Moses saying; Give us water that we may drink. Tempting God, distrusting his providence, murmuring against his servants, & not looking for succor and success from God. The like example we see Rahel, Gen. 30, 1, 2. when she saw her self barren & bare no children, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. She went not to God, who only is able to open the womb, as Jacob teacheth her; Am I in God's stead which hath withholden from thee the fruit of the womb? but complaineth against her husband, envieth her sister, & manifesteth the corruption of her own heart. Therefore the Apostle exhorteth, 1 Cor. 10, 10. Neither murmur ye as some of thē also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
[Reason 1] The reasons are, first, the bitter root of infidelity. For as the wickedness of man is great, and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are only evil continually: so the fountain of all is an unfaithful heart to depart away from the living God, and therefore the Apostle chargeth, that There be not in any of us, an evil heart and unfaithful. Faith, apprehending the mercies of God, and applying the merits of Christ, is the mother of all graces, and the well spring of all obedience. And if we were acquainted with our corruptions, & the force of temptations, we would know the comfortable use, and the great necessity thereof, and magnify it above all other graces. The capital sin of unbelief, striketh at the very heart of God, and what do we leave unto him, if we deny his truth, who is truth it self. This reason is expressly set down, Psal. 78, 18, 22. They tempted God in their harts, in requiring meat for their lust: because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his help.
[Reason 2] Again, present things for the most part are wearisome and loathsome unto us, be they never so excellent. This we see in our first parents. What estate could be wished and desired, more goodly, more glorious, more gracious, thē their estate in the blessed time of their innocence: resembling and representing most lively the image of God in perfection of their Nature, in excellency of their gifts, and in preeminence of their place? Yet they were not content with this condition, they restrained not themselves within the bounds of their own calling, but presumed above that they ought to understand, and would be as God's, knowing good and evil. What is the cause of tumults and troubles in families, in Churches, in Commonwealths, and in all Societies? Surely even this, we loathe and like not the present estate of things, but seek chāges & alterations.
[Use 1] Let us apply this point to our uses. We are ready to accuse and condemn the Israelites to be a rebellious and stiff-necked people, ever tempting God, & provoking the holy one to anger. In like manner we use to inveigh against the Jews for crucifying Christ, and delivering up the Lord of glory into the hands of sinners: we accuse the partiality of Pilate, the treachery of Judas, the envy of the Pharisees, the malice of the high Priests, the villainy of the false witnesses, the cruelty of the soldiers, the taunts of the passengers, and the hard-heartedness of the whole people. But we consider not that the same original corruption is in us that was in them, by the sway & swinge whereof, being all the sons of old Adam, we would have done as they did, if we had lived in those times. So when we hear or read of these murmurings and mutinies of the children of Israel, we are commonly wont to revile them, to defy them, and to account them the vilest people under the heavens. But we must cease to wonder at them, and learn to confess our own corruption of heart, and proneness to yield and fall down in time of temptation, unless we be stayed up by y e mighty hand of God. For albeit he be most gracious and merciful unto us, hedgeth us round about with many blessings, and compasseth us with riches of grace on every side, yet we forget thē all, if any one cross do any way lie upon us. If the Lord touch us with sickness, as with his little finger; with losses, with crosses, with poverty, or any misery, such is our impatiency, that we always dwell upon the meditation of that want, we look upon it with our eyes, we handle it with our hands, we toss it in our minds, and never remember the multitude of his mercies, the peace of a good conscience, the loving countenance of the Lord, the seal of our adoption, the assurance of our salvation, the sweet taste of his love shed in our harts by the holy Ghost; so that one trouble doth more daunt us, and strike us to the heart, then many blessings can comfort & refresh us. But God, taking away outward blessings, giveth spiritual to his children, & doth sweeten the bitterness of the cross with inward consolation, and doth recompense it with heavenly grace, whereby we gain more in the spirit then we lose in the flesh.
Secondly, we are taught hereby to pray [Use 2] to God in our troubles, to hold us up, and stay us with his grace, that we fall not from him. For seeing at all times, and upon all occasions of want, we are ready to repine and murmur against God, who can stand by his own power, or by the strength of his own free will? When a man holdeth fast a staff in his hand, so long it standeth upright as he retaineth it; but if he withdraw his hand never so little, it falleth. Carry up a stone to the top of a Mountain, so long as thou staiest it, there it abideth but if thou leave it, it rowleth down of it own strength, even to the bottom. So unless the Lord, in our calamities and crosses that befall us, do stay us by his heavenly hand, & strengthen us by his Almighty power, we break out into unthankfulness, forgetfulness, impatiency, & grudging against him. This made the Apostle, after the reckoning up of the idolatry, fornication, murmuring, and tempting of Christ, to exhort them, that He which thinketh he standeth, must take heed lest he fall. As then we ought all to take special notice & knowledge of the corruption of our hearts, and behold a lively and express image of our nature in the glass of this people: so it is our duty to call upon God (from whom every good giving & perfect gift proceedeth) to put to his helping hand, that we may learn to depend upon him, that we may know how to want and how to abound, and in every condition to submit our selves to his heavenly pleasure. For we shall never be able by our own strength to subdue our own corruptions, nor to prevail over our own lusts, nor to overcome the temptations that oftentimes assail us, unless we be assisted from above.
[Use 3] Lastly, our corruption of heart, prone to murmur and complain against God, whensoever he trieth our faith, obedience, and patience, with any misery, warneth us to seek all holy means & remedies, to repress this rage and repining against God: which may be as sure helps to further us in this way, & to furnish us with strength able to hold us up in the day of trial. First, let us consider the high providence of God, ruling all things in heaven or earth, and ouerswaying all creatures, that nothing falleth out without his will & pleasure, as our Savior teacheth, Mat. 10, 29.30. For who giveth us our bodies? Who clotheth the Lilies, that Solomon in all his glory was not like one of them? Who feedeth the young Ravens that cry unto him? Who sustaineth the wicked that are his enemies? Who provided all things for man in the beginning, before he was made & created? Is it not the Lord, whose all the beasts of the forest are, and the beasts on a thousand Mountains? So that the resting of our selves upon this providence that he will feed and clothe us, and care for us, must take away the grief of all our wants that ouerpresseth, and oftentimes overcometh us.
Again, we must learn the benefit of contentation, and to grub up all distracting and distrustful cares, as noisome weeds out of our hearts, bearing with patience and meekness of spirit, whatsoever y e Lord sendeth. This mind was in Jacob, when he went far from his fathers house, he did not desire silver or gold, house or lands, but only a competent & convenient living, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this journey which I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to put on, then shall the Lord be my God. So the Apostle teacheth, Godliness is great gain, if a man be content with that he hath: for we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain, that we can carry nothing out; therefore when we have food and raiment, let us therewith be content. And in another place; I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content: & I can be abased, and I can abound, everywhere in all things, I am instructed both to be full, and to be hungry, to abound, and to have want; I am able to do all things through the help of Christ which strengtheneth me. Lastly, let us set our affections on things which are above, and not on things which are on the earth. If we believe that God doth forbear and forgive us our sins, & not deal with us according to our deservings; if he sanctify us with his Spirit, & make our bodies Temples of the holy Ghost; if he turn us to himself, working our conversion, which is as great a work as at the first to create us: we may be assured, he will deliver our souls from death, & preserve us in famine. For if he spared not his own Son, but hath given him for us all to death, how shall he not with him give us all things also? Fear not therefore the want of outward things which perish with their use; for it is your Fathers pleasure to give unto you a kingdom. If he have promised to give unto us the greater, nay the greatest blessings that can be rehearsed or remembered, we may ground our selves on this assured truth, that he will not leave us nor forsake us; so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my deliverer, I will not fear what man can do unto me. Indeed, the judgment & practice of carnal men is otherwise, who esteem earthly things above heavenly, and prefer their Swine before Christ-like Esau, who prized one mess of pottage above the birthright. If these men be a little pained and pinched with famine, and suffer a little want of food, that they have not their necessities supplied, their bodies clothed, & their bellies filled, they cry out aloud in the anguish of their spirit, What shall we eat? What shall we drink? How shall we live? How shall we maintain & sustain our selves and our families? But (alas) though their souls be hunger-bitten, and hungerstarued, ready to pine and consume away through want of spiritual food, they are never grieved or vexed, it troubleth them not at all. Let us learn better things: let us value spiritual things at the highest rate, and set them in the chiefest place. If thus we set (as our honorable friends) all heavenly things in the chiefest place, and turn all transitory things with shame into the lowest room and rank, as saucy & aspiring guests, usurping & climbing above their betters, we shall bear all earthly losses and troubles with patience, and stay our selves from murmuring at the feeling of them.
[Ver. 6. Then Moses and Aaron went from the face, &c. ] We heard before the complaint of y e people; now let us see the behavior of Moses & Aaron. They do not rage, nor revile thē, they do not fret and fume against thē, or ask the life of their enemies, but possess their souls with patience; and declining the violent rage of the people, (as a beast with many heads) they go to the Tabernacle & declare their causes and cases before the Lord. From this their distress we learn this truth, that in all wrongs & injuries offered unto us, we must seek help and comfort of God. I say it is the duty of all the servants of God when they are wronged and oppressed, when they are evilly entreated, and spitefully handled at the hands of sinful men, to vnlade & disburden all their cares into the bosom of God, depending for counsel and comfort upon him alone. In the performance of this duty, the holy servants of God have gone before us. Read the book of the Psalms, as a plentiful storehouse and school-house to teach this truth, as Psal. 3, 1, 2. and 7, 1, 2. where we see, that in his troubles he had recourse to God, who smiteth his enemies on the cheek-bone, and breaketh y e teeth of the wicked, but was a sure Buckler to him; not such as men hold up, that can defend one part, and in one place only; but a buckler to safeguard him round about, before and behind. And being grievously accused of some heinous crime by some of Saul's retinue, he flieth to God, he trusteth in him, who preserveth the upright in heart. So when Job had his camels and cattle taken away by the enemies, he did not through the greatness of his affliction and grief of mind rebel against God, but said, Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken it, blessed be the Name of the Lord. The like appeareth in Hezekiah, when Jerusalem was besieged: This is a day of tribulation, and of rebuke and blasphemy, for the children are come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth: Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know, that thou (O Lord) art only God. All which examples teach us, that when we suffer wrongs, or fall into any wrongs, or fall into any dangers, we must have recourse to God, and crave of him, y t the malice of the wicked may come to an end.
[Reason 1] The reasons of this doctrine are, first the gracious promise of God, who hath mercifully promised to hear and to help us in all our troubles. This the Prophet teacheth, Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And the Apostle John, This is the assurance that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have desired of him. Let us not doubt and waver like a wave of the Sea, tossed to and fro by the violence of the winds, but by faith believe that God will grant our requests, which we make according to his will and word. Seeing therefore he is willing to hear, and able to help, and promiseth to grant our requests; our duty is to come when he calleth, to ask seeing he giveth; and to knock, seeing he openeth the gates that leadeth unto his treasures. Some put their trust in chariots, some in horses, and some in Princes, but we must remember the Name of the Lord our God, who never faileth and breaketh promise with these that depend upon him, that fear and trust in his mercy.
[Reason 2] Secondly, as he is our helper, who delivereth our soul from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling, so whither shall we turn our selves to find comfort and consolation, besides in him? When God denieth to send succor, who shall save? When he refuseth to help, who shall deliver? When he shutteth, who can open? If we look to men or Angels, to heaven or earth, to the living, or the dead, we shall be deceived and deluded. The Prophet saith, Psal. 62.8, 9. Trust in him always ye people, pour out your harts before him, for God is our hope above all; yet the children of men are vanity, the chief men are lies, to lay them upon a balance, they are altogether lighter then vanity.
[Use 1] Let us now come unto the uses. First, from hence we gather that such is God's great goodness to his children, that he never leaveth them without comfort. For, if he require of us to repair to him in our troubles, surely he will not send us away empty, nor cause us to depart confounded and ashamed. How many came to our Savior Christ in the days of his infirmity, when he lived upon the earth, to be helped and healed; yet who returned diseased to his own house? Who came to be restored to sight, and went away blind? Who sought for help, & turned his back sick? who sought comfort, & went away sorrowful? Who came to him deaf or dumb, or lame, and went away without his speaking, his hearing, his legs and limbs restored unto him? This the Prophet David knew, and in the meditation of it found unspeakable comfort in the days of his affliction, when he was in perils among the Amalekites, in perils among the Philistines, in perils among false brethren, in perils in the wilderness, in perils of his own nation, he trusted in his God, and comforted himself in a sweet feeling of his manifold mercies. For when the city where he sojourned was sacked and burned, his wives taken prisoners, and the people intended to stone him, he comforted himself in the Lord his God. The enemies of God in their rage and cruelty may take from us liberty, friends, wife, children, lands, possessions, and all the substance of our house; but they can never rob us of this treasure, our comfort in God's promises, our hope in his mercies, and our affiance which we have in him, which are as the Anker of the soul cast in the storms and tempests that seek to drown us in the gulfs & quicksands of despair & unbelief. [Use 2]
Secondly, they dishonor God and deceive themselves, that run to Saints or Angels; from the Creator, who is blessed forever, to the creature that cannot help. The Prophet David saith, Who have I in heaven but thee? and I have desired now in earth with thee. Therefore the Church of Rome is deceived, and deceiveth others, making other mediators and intercessors, by whō we must have access to God the Father: through the multitude whereof the miserable people are so entangled, that they know not to which Saint they should turn themselves. The Prophet having good experience of trouble, sendeth us to God in the day of trouble. The Father saith, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Christ Jesus directing us to pray, willeth us to say, Our Father The Apostle teacheth us; that there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. And John in his first Epistle saith, If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just; and he is the reconciliation for our sins. To like purpose the same Apostle in the Gospel, Whatsoever ye ask in my Name, that will I do, that the Father maybe glorified in the Son: if ye shall ask anything in my Name, I will do it. Let us therefore detest the absurdities and abominations of the Romish Church, who masking under the blind distinction of mediation and interession, seek to creep away in the dark, that their mischief may not be espied. They say a Mediator is of two sorts, one of redemption, to wit; Christ alone: another of intercession, and so they make all the Saints. Thus they divide & sever these things that indeed are one. Let us acknowledge one only Mediator of our salvation, let thē keep themselves other mediators of intercession. Notwithstanding, this distinction is not observed by themselves. For if Christ only be the Mediator of salvation, why do they call upon the blessed virgins, Save thou all them that glorify thee? Nay, why do they teach the people thus to pray, Command thy son, use thy motherly authority over him, let him know thee to be his mother. Howsoever it pleaseth some to excuse these speeches, as spiritual sporting and daliance: yet indeed it is most odious and open blasphemy to be detested of all God's people. And why say they thus of Thomas Becket, filled with ambition and vanity, O Christ make us to ascend unto heaven, whither Thomas is ascended, even by the blood of Thomas which he shed for thy sake. Here he is made more then a mediator of intercession: and yet he died for willful maintenance of manifest wickedness, to the dishonor of God, and to the infection of the Clergy, and to his own confusion, being a false Martyr, but a true traitor. Now against all these blasphemous trash and trumpery, we must know to whom to direct our prayers, and in whose Name we ought to pray. We must pray to God alone, in whom only we are to believe: and therefore Paul linketh prayer and faith together, Rom. 10.14. How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And this we are taught in the articles of our faith, to believe only in God the Father, in God the Son, and in God the holy Ghost. But we are not to put our trust in Saints, or Angels; they know not our thoughts, see not our behavior, they hear not our prayers, they fil not all places, thenselves are accepted in heaven for the blessed merits of Christ our Savior.
And as we must pray only unto God, so prayer must be mace in the Name and Mediation of Christ, not of any other creature beside, as we shown before. We have no commandment in the Scripture to warrant us, no promise to assure us, no example to go before us, and therefore let us renounce all comfort and confidence in man, and fly unto him that is the God of all comfort and the Father of all consolation.
[Use 3] Thirdly, let us use no unlawful means to come out of our troubles, but wait on God, and depend upon him in our necessities. This the Prophet warneth, Psal. 62. Trust not in oppression, nor in robbery, be not vain: if riches increase, set not your hearts thereon.