Commentary on Numbers

What became of Korah himself, we have seen before. His name was famous in the Congregation, but he became infamous through his rebellion, and it is called the gainsaying of Korah to this day, Jude, verse 11. Notwithstanding mark here, that the sons of Korah perished not when their father perished and was punished, who spake evil of them that were in authorty: for it appeareth that they were preserved alive, and became afterward famous in the Church of God, and honorable mention is made of them in the book of Psalms and of the Chronicles, 1. Chronicles, chapter 6, verse 22. Psalm. 42, and Psalm 44, and Psalm 45, and sundry others afterward, as 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 19.

From hence ariseth this Doctrine, that it is no disgrace for godly children to descend and come of ungodly parents. Howsoever sin be a reproach to the parents themselves, yet it taketh not hold of their issue, except they walk in those sins. Ezek. 18, 14. If he beget a son that seeth all his fathers sins which he hath done, and considereth & doth not the like, &c. he shall surely live. Iephte is commended for a faithful man, that fought the battles of the Lord, & subdued the enemies of his people, yet he was the son of an harlot, Judge. 11, 1. Heb. chap. 11, verse 32. This farther appeareth in Saul and Jonathan, the one of them the greatest enemy, the other the greatest friend of David: the one sware his death, the other his life; the father to kill him, the son to save him, and therefore it was no dishonor to him to have such a father. The like we might say of Ahaz, a most wicked man, and Hezekiah a most godly King, one of the best sons of one of the worst fathers: yet who accounteth the worse of good Hezekiah, because he had wicked Ahaz to his father? Jeroboam king of Israel set up idolatry, and caused Israel to sin, and therefore the Lord threateneth to bring evil upon his house, that the dogs should eat him that died in the City, and the fowls of the air, him that died in the field, 1 Kings, chapter 14, verse 10: so that they should all be swept away, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone: yet God gave him one good son, whom in mercy he took to himself, and saved as a brand out of the fire, or as a Sheepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lyon two legs or a piece of an ear, Amos, chapter 3, verse 12: and therefore it is said, All Israel shall mourn for him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel.

The grounds of this truth follow. First, [Reason 1] that election might stand wholly by grace, forasmuch as almighty God showeth mercy, where and to whom he will. If religion should descend from father to son in a common and ordinary course of generation or propagation without any interruption, it might be thought to be a work of nature, not of grace, and to proceed from parents, not from almighty GOD. Therefore be often breaketh off that course, so that wicked parents have sometimes good and godly children; and contrariwise godly parents have wicked and vile children, that the purpose of GOD according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, Rom. chap. 9, verse 11.

Secondly, it is sin only that bringeth shame and reproach, as we shown and proved in the first Doctrine upon this chapter: and therefore such as come of wicked persons and parents, if they forsake the sins wherein their ancestors and forefathers have walked and wallowed as swine in the mire, can receive no touch of disgrace, or blemish of honor, or stain of name at all.

Thirdly, it is no credit or grace, for evil and corrupt children, to descend of godly parents; as we see in the children of Josiah, he reformed religion betimes, and consecrated his young years, as it were his first fruits unto God: howbeit his children walked not in the ways of their father, but did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, 2 Chron. 36, 5, 12: the righteousness of their father could do them no good, but the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself, Ezek. chapter 18, verse 20.

[Use 1] We learn from hence, that such as have had evil parents, must acknowledge God's great mercy toward them, and never forget what he hath done for them. He might justly leave us in the wicked ways of our forefathers, and give us over to follow their steps. And as one serpent engendereth another, so naturally doth one wicked man bring forth another: and without a special grace preventing, like father, like son: an evil root, an evil tree: an evil fountain, an evil stream. None ought therefore to justify the works of their progenitors, & think it enough if they follow them, but must consider whether they followed the right way, Psalm. 78, 8: rather they must say in humility, We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against thee, Ier. 14, 20. Dan. 9, 8. Psal. 106, 6. Isaiah 65, 7. How many do we see run on in evil with their evil fathers? When Jeroboam had set up two Calves, the one at Dan, the other at Beth-el, the rest that succeeded him in his seat, followed him in his sin one after another, (like those that run down a steep hill, never stay till they come to the bottom) until a worse arose, I mean Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness, and changed the idolatry of Jeroboam into a worse, bringing in the worship of Baal a strange god, whereas before they worshipped the true God, albeit in a false manner. Wherefore when God restraineth the childrē from those wicked ways, and openeth their eyes to see the evil of their parents, how can it but be acknowledged and confessed to be his good hand? and how should we not say, that the ways of God are equal? Ezek. 18. Nothing is more natural and ordinary, then of evil parents to have brought forth into the world evil children, Job 14, 4. John. 3, 6. Psal. 51, 5. Every thing fructifieth according to his kind; of briars, what can come but briars? Of thorns, what can we look for but thorns? Every seed hath his proper body, 1. Corinth. chap. 15, verse 38. Do men gather Grapes of thorns, or Figs of thistles? saith Christ, Math. 7, 16, yet behold how God, his mercy as it were prevailing and getting the upper hand over his justice, and his power altering our corrupt nature, behold I say, how God by his marvelous and strange work, at which we may all wonder, maketh Grapes to grow of thorns, and Figs to spring our of thistles; He maketh the barren woman to bear and to be a joyful mother of children, Psalm. 113, 9. Gal. 4, verse 27: and them that were cut out of the Olive tree, which was wild by nature, to be graffed contrary to nature into a good Olive tree, Rom. chap. 11, verse 24. Whence did Abraham himself spring, but of an idolatrous stock? for his fathers worshipped strange gods on the other side of the flood, Josh. chapter 24, 2, so that God shown mercy to him, and called him from his Country and kindred, and from his fathers house, Gen. chapter 12, verse 1.

Secondly, we are from hence admonished [Use 2] and provoked to repent and turn unto God. Nothing can blot out the remembrance of the oppression, cruelty, wickedness, and profaneness of ungodly parents, but the repentance of their children, Ezek. chapter 18, ver. 30, 31. A wicked life led by wicked parents, is as the skin of the black-moore, or as the spots of a Leopard: it is written or graven with the Pen of a Diamond, all the water in the sea cannot wash it away, nor all the nytre & sope in the world cannot purge it, but it cleaveth to the children, and to the children's children, as a leprosy: only true repentance is able quite to blot it out. This is as the Fullers earth, that can scour out all the staynes and blots of parents, that they shall not cleave to the children, and therefore the Prophet calleth to them to repent and turn themselves from all their transgressions, that iniquity be not their ruin, Ezek. 18, 30, 31, they must make them new hearts and new spirits. And until the child have learned this, to blot out his fathers sins by repentance, the reproach of them cleaveth fast unto him: but when once he hateth and forsaketh them, they are none of his, they died in the bed, and are buried in the grave of his father, never to arise nor to be charged upon him or his name. For as repentance blotteth out the remembrance of sin before God, as if it had never been, so ought it much more before men, whose praise is to be like their heavenly Father.

Thirdly, no man ought to object the sins [Use 3] of parents (whether dead or alive) or the punishment befallen unto them, though they have lived an ungracious life, or died an ignominious death, to their children that do not approve of their ways, neither follow them in wickedness. It was no disgrace or reproach to these sons of Korah, to have a traitor and rebel to their father, that made insurrection against the lawful Magistrate, and was consumed with fire from heaven, & therefore there is as honorable mention made of them in holy Scripture, as there is dishonorable of their father. It was no discredit for Ruth or Rahab to come, the one from the Moabites, who were branded with infamy from their first conception, Gen. 19, 37. the other from the Canaanites who were cursed in their first father, Gen. 9, 25. and all of them vowed to destruction, Gen. 15, 16, 18, 19, &c. If the father be an Ammorite, and the mother an Hittite, yet if the child be a true Israelite, in whom is no guile, as it is said of Nathaniel, it shall be his greater praise and glory, rather then any shame and ignominy unto him; as it was more admired that any good should come out of Nazareth, then out of Jerusalem. If a man have an adulterer, or drunkard, or murderer, or profane person unto his father, or have had such forefathers for many generations, yet shall their sins die with their persons, and be remembered no more, whensoever the son forsaketh those their wicked ways. No man therefore must cast them in the teeth, or upbraid any believer with the sins of his unbelieving parents. If a man come of Turkish or Heathenish parents, that never believed in Christ, nor acknowledged the true God, yet God will accept of those y ^t forsake this infidelity and impiety: who therefore are we that we should upbraid them with the blots and infirmities of their fathers? For, as the godliness of the father shall nothing help the ungodly child, but the soul that sinneth shall die the death: Ezek 18, 20: so the ungodliness of the father shall nothing hurt the godly, because he renounceth it and hateth it as an enemy. The practice therefore of those is evil, that lade and burden with cart-loads of reproaches, those that are not to be touched in their own persons, because of the vices and sins of their parents.

[Use 4] Lastly, we must learn, that it shall on the other side be no honor, credit, comfort, or commendation, to descend from godly and worthy Ancestors, if we degenerate from thē as a base and bastard brood, Ezek. 18, 10, 13. It is the manner of many to stand much upon their pedigree, which the very heathen derided as great vanity, and accounted nothing indeed their own which themselves had not done: for what hath a coward to do, to glory in the valor of his Fathers? And they made choice rather to descend of unnoble Parents, so themselves were noble and renowned thorough virtue, then to come of worthy Progenitors, and themselves to grow base & degenerate out of kind. This did the Prophet tell Jehoiachim, Ier. 22, 15, 16. Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice & judgment, and then it was well with him? he judged the cause of the poor, &c: but thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and to shed innocent blood, and for oppression and violence to do it. Hence it is, that John the Baptist telleth the Jews, that they should not boast of their progenitors, to say, They had Abraham to their Father, Mat. 3, 8, 9. They gloried much in this carnal privilege, and thought the whole seed of Abraham by generation of the flesh to be within the covenant of grace, and should be partakers of salvation; and in a proud conceit of this external glory, grew to contemn the Gentiles as a people forsaken of God. But there is an Israelite in the covenant, and an Israelite out of the covenant, as there is a Jew that is outward, and a Jew that is inward, Rom. 2, 29. & 4, 16: as there is an election that is general, and an election more special taken out of that general. There are sons of Abraham according to the flesh, and there are heirs of the faith of Abraham: as the Lord himself saith, Mal. 1, 2. Is not Esau Jacob's broth •• ? Yet I have hated Esau, and loved Jacob. Wherefore, when the Pharisees said, We have Abraham to our father: Christ answered, If ye were the children of Abraham, ye would do the works of Abraham: but now ye are of your father the devil, John 8, 39, 44. Let no man therefore rejoice in the flesh, neither stand upon the gifts given unto others, as it were to decke himself with the feathers of other birds. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles showeth, that he might have confidence in the flesh, and if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, he had cause much more: he was circumcised the eight day, he was of the stock of Israel, and of the Tribe of Benjamin, he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews, and as touching the law a Pharisee, Yet what things soever might be gain unto him, the same he counted loss for Christ's sake, yea as dung that he might win him, Phil. 3, 7, 8. Let everyone therefore labor to have grace in his own heart, knowing, That the just shall live by his own faith, Hab. 2, 4. forasmuch as the faith of the father cannot profit the child that is without faith.

In the description of this Tribe, we are to consider the small number and little company in comparison of the other Tribes, and of themselves also, compared with the former sum. For whereas before they were 59300 they are now only as we see 22200. If any ask what may be the cause of this great abatement, [Objection] that there were so many before, & now fallen to be so few? [Answ.] The reason is to be taken out of the last history remembered in the former chapter, to wit, that one of the Princes of the Tribe of Simeon, being accompanied with many others of that Tribe, and backed and countenanced with them, committed a most shameful and shameless act before his brethren, and brought a Midianitish harlot into the host in the sight of Moses; yea, he was no doubt a mover and persuader of others to commit the like wickedness, whereby it came to pass, that the greatest number of this Tribe perished with him in that grievous plague. For it was reason that as they did partake with him in the Whoredom, so they should communicate together in the punishment. Hereupon it fell out, that whereas all the other Tribes in a manner surmounted the former account, or at least equalled the same, this failed much of the former sum. This is to be noted of us in this place, serving as a good commentary and exposition of the words of Moses, Deut. 32, 6. where Simeon is wholly left out. This teacheth us, that it is a very hard thing, to avoid, shun, and break off our society with wicked men, when once we are entered into it, but we follow and pursue it with greediness till we be punished together with them. It is hard to be kept from contracting friendship and fellowship with them: they are cunning to insinuate thenselves; and if they be not called to us, they will call themselves; and if they be not bidden, they are as shameless guess, they will invite them selves. If at any time they be thrust out of our company, they will seek to enter again: and if the door be barred against them, they will wind in themselves (like the Thief) at the window, rather then they will stand without, that is, they will take all occasions to force themselves upon us. And if we find it hard not to contract it, we shall find it much harder to break it off, being once contracted: & doubtless never harder then in these days of sin, wherein iniquity hath gotten the upper hand, Exod. 33, 32, 33. Deut. 7, 2, 3, 4. 2 King. 8, 18.

[Reason 1] The grounds are, because sin is a cunning Orator, able to move much: so is every sinner, though otherwise never so simple, a cunning Rhetoritian, speaking in the enticing words of man's wisdom, or rather of the devils eloquence: and therefore they seldom plead, but they persuade: they sildom come, but they overcome. They compass sea and land, they spare no time, or place, or means, to win whomsoever they can to themselves, Prov. 7, 21. Secondly, our nature is prone to decline unto evil: for, as sin is strong twisted as a cartrope to draw others, so we are of our selves weak and feeble, ready to yield and to give over upon every occasion, even of our selves through our inbred corruption, though none do entice or entrap us; much more then when we are proved and provoked. We see it by the Israelites that suffered the Heathen to live among them, they soon learned their ways and served their idols, which were a snare to them, Psal. 106, 35, 36.

[Use 1] This reproveth all such as enter into league with such persons, they even offer their hands and feet to be bound as it were in chains, and they become afterward as prisoners and vassals to them. The chains of sin are small and subtle in the beginning, they are not easy to be espied while they are more easy to be passed over, or to be broken: and so much less easy they are to be discerned, because they promise pleasure or profit, liberty or life; howbeit afterward having taken hold, they do so clasp and inclose the poor prisoner, that he can hardly free himself. This is the ruin and downfall of many. If we make much of the sinner, we cannot long hate the sin: and therefore the Apostle joineth them both together, and chargeth us to avoid both the one & the other, Eph. 5, 7, 11. Be ye not partakers with thē: and afterward he addeth, Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. If then we be continually in company with evil doers, the continual custom of seeing and hearing evil, dimmeth our fight, and stoppeth our ears, and hardeneth our hearts, and taketh away out feeling, that we can neither see the vglines of sin, nor hear the cry of it, nor feel the foulnes of it, yea it stoppeth our mouths that we cannot, nor dare not for fear of offense reprove any of their evil ways, but first we wink at them, and afterward we join with them.

Secondly, we see hereby the error & vain [Use 2] persuasion of many men, that for pleasure or profit, or such like carnal respects yoke themselves with profane persons, who glory and boast that they can easily and quickly break off society with them whensoever they list, & leave their company at their own pleasure or leisure. But these men are much deceived, & know neither the deceitfulness of sin, nor cunning of a sinner, nor the judgment of God. For mark when we list, we shall find by experience few examples of such as have returned from carnal and corrupt company. And hereby it appeareth to be true, because when as such as delighted to stand in the way of sinners, once went seriously about it, to shake off their fellows, and to leave their folly, they have been discouraged with the difficulty of the work, and found it as hard as for a prisoner to shake off his fetters that are made fast about him. When Peter lay in prison, he could not with all his might free himself from his irons, it was the hand of the Angel that delivered him from those chains, Acts 12, 7: so all the power and strength that we have is not great enough to set us at liberty from the snares of sin, it must be a superior and supernatural work, that we may confess and say, This is the finger of God. The strong man keepeth us under lock and key, Till a stronger then he cometh, and taketh from him all his Armor, wherein he trusted, and divideth the spoils, Luk. chapter 11, verse 22. Nay, the more strength a man thinketh he hath to withstand any sin, or to resist the sinner, the sooner he is overtaken with the one & the other. For this persuasion ariseth from presumption in himself of his own gifts, and this breedeth in him security, and so in the end thorough a proud opinion he hath of his great strength, he groweth so reckless and careless, that he feareth not to commit any sin whatsoever. This we might express and enlarge by the example of Peter, Math. 26. The Scripture setteth him down as a glass before us, that so often as we look upon him we should take notice of our own frailty and weakness. And doubtless this is the cause why God oftentimes in his just judgment forsaketh men, and leaveth them unto themselves, because they make flesh their arm, and presume upon their own strength. Hence it is that they are oft • n overtaken with those sins, which otherwise, if they had feared with a godly jealousy their own hearts, he would have kept them from the pit of them. So then it is a vain thing for men to use the company of those that are profane and wicked, under an evil-grounded conceit and foolish imagination of their own ability to stand fast, seeing it is so hard a thing to forsake and shake off their society.

[Use 3] Lastly, it admonisheth everyone, that there is required great wariness and watchfulness of him, to forsake the company, and abandon the society of those that are wicked men. For the hardness of this duty should stir us up to be so much more careful and fearful of our selves. Therefore we ought to labor after a sound faith, that we may believe this to be true: for this is the foundation of the whole building. Faith is that which will beget fear, and fear will beget diligence and circumspection to avoid that which is evil. Thus it was with Noah, he did believe that GOD would destroy the world, or else he had himself been destroyed with the unbelieving world: therefore also he feared, knowing that he who had threatened would perform. And what did this fear work in him? was it idle? No, it caused him To prepare the Ark to save himself, and to enter into it, going from the rest of the world, and separating himself and his family from them, Heb. 11, 7. So then these three go together, faith, fear, and diligence. Faith breedeth fear, and fear bringeth carefulness. If we have faith to believe the danger of evil company, and how hard it is to separate from them, and to touch nothing of theirs, as we heard chap. 16, 26: where Moses saith, Depart, I pray you, from the Tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins: this will make us begin to be fearful, to fear our own estate, lest we be suddenly surprised and supplanted, and then it will make us careful and watchful over our own harts. But where there is want of this faith, there men are rash and fool-hardy, and fear nothing at all, and so like blind men they fall into the pit, & cause others to fall. This is the cause that Satan in the beginning labored to batter this fortress, and to undermine the faith of our first parents, that they should not believe y ^e word of God, and so entertain communication with him, Genes. 3. So he sought to shake the faith of Christ in the first place; but the Prince of this world found nothing in him. Let us therefore take to us the shielde of Faith, wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, Ephes. 6, 16. And albeit we cannot but live in the world with wicked mē as the Apostle teacheth, 1 Cor. chap. 5. verse 10: yet must we beware we do not eat with them, verse 11. that is, converse with them, and join in league with them, lest if we run with them into evil, it turn to their and our destruction. To conclude therefore, let us remember that if we be partakers with them in their sins, we shall also be partakers in their punishment; and learn to be faithful, fearful, and careful.

In these words, we have the second part of the Chapter, containing the commandment of God, touching the dividing of the Land, amplified by the form or manner of the doing of it: first, by an Arithmetical proportion according to the number of names, having regard to the multitude or fewness of them, they that were moe in number were to have the greater inheritance, and they that were fewer, a lesser. And this was one end of this new numbering taken of the people in this place, whereas they had been numbered before. Secondly, to avoid partiality and contention, it must be done by Lot, that they might rest in that division no less then if it had been done by the immediate voice of God from heaven. So then, as all the Tribes had not an equal number of persons, so they were not to receive an equal measure of inheritance: and as they differed in multitude, so they were to differ in their portion and partition of the Land. If they had received all an equality, some should have been burdened with superfluity, and others straightened through penury.

The Doctrine arising from hence is this: That God provideth sufficiently for all his people. Every man hath his portion assigned him of God upon the earth. It is his will and pleasure that all should have their measure of earthly things, not some to have all, and some nothing at all, but all to have some part, Deu. 15, 7, 8, 10. God would have no beggar in Israel. When the Lord sent down Manna, and fed his people with Angels food, all the host from the highest to the lowest had enough; He that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little, had no lack, Exod. 16, 18. 2 Cor. 8, 15. To this end he instituted deacons in the Church, merciful men to look to the poor, that none should be neglected in the daily ministration, Acts 6, 1, 3. & 4, 34: there was none in the Church of Christ that lacked, forasmuch as distribution was made to everyone according as he needed. This was no Anabaptistical communion, but a Christian communication of outward and earthly things, as every man had need. And here we have not a disannulling of propriety, but an establishing of charity. The Evangelist Luke describing the state of the church after Christ's ascension, saith, that the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul, neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common, Act 4, 32. Rom. 12, 13, 2 Cor. 9, 9.

[Reason 1] The reasons are manifest. For he provided for man in the beginning before he had any being or beginning, as he prepareth milk in the mothers breast before the infant be brought forth into the world. He made all things necessary for man, before he made man himself, Gen. 1. & 2. much more will he provide for us after we have life and bodies given unto us.

Secondly, who gave unto us life? & whence have we received our bodies? Is it not from God? is not he our Maker? and are not we y ^e work of his hands? Our Savior teacheth us, That the life is more then meat, and the body thē raiment, Matth. chap. 6, 25. If then we have received life from him, we shall also receive meat to sustain life: and if he have given us our bodies, he will give us garments to cloth our bodies, and to cover our nakedness.

Thirdly, he feedeth all his creatures that he made, He causeth grass to grow for the Cattle, & herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth, Psal, 104, 14. Yea, the young Lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God, verse 21. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young Ravens that cry, Psal. 147, 9. The Lord is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works, Psal. 145, 9. So the eyes of all wait upon him, and he giveth them their meat in due season, he openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing, verse 15, 16: much more then will he provide for man whom he made after his own image, and set him to rule over y ^e beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven.

Fourthly, every man by the instinct of nature, and the light of grace provideth for his own children, and supplieth all their wants, and every Governor ministereth food and necessary things for his family, Prouerb. 31, 15. and he that doth not this, Hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidel, 1 Tim. 5, 8. We are God's own people, we belong to his household and family: he is the Creator, and we his creatures: he is our father, and we his children: he is our master, and we his servants: he is our shepherd, and we his sheep. If then he should not feed us and provide for us, he should deny himself, and falsify the word that is gone out of his own mouth, which is impossible. This reason is urged by our Savior Christ, Matth. 7, 9, 10. Luke 11, 11, 12, 13.

This reproveth those that never think they [Use 1] hau • enough, neither will know what is sufficient, no not when God hath given them great plenty and abundance. They that have much are yet desirous of more, and they that are full think themselves empty. Hence it is, that though they have much laid up in store for many years, Luke 12. yet they have no use at all of it, no benefit by it, no comfort in it. As it is a great blessing of God to give riches, and an heart to use them, nay it is a twofold blessing: so on the other side, it is a great judgment to have this worlds good, and to be a slave unto it, to serve it as his master, and to worship it as his god. For first of all these men do wonderfully fret and fume, vex & torment themselves, especially when anything crosseth their desire (and the least occasion will do it) the want of contentation setteth the mind upon the Racke, that they have less peace of heart and comfort of their life then the poor man. For when his labor is done (which thorough custom and continuance is made light and easy) his sleep is sweet, and his rest is pleasant: whereas the other disorder, disquiet and distemper themselves in heaping up riches, and cannot tell who shall enjoy them, or whether their heir will prove a wise man or a fool, Eccles. 2, 19. 1 Tim. 6, 9, 10. Secondly, they bewray much impiety and infidelity, that their hearts are destitute of true godliness, whatsoever show they make to the contrary, 1 Tim. 6, 6. Psal. 119, 36. James 1, 27: for the immoderate desire of riches overturneth the order and course of nature, and maketh the soul which is heavenly to be altogether earthly. Thirdly there is no sin which a covetous man will not commit for his gain, and therefore the Apostle calleth it the root of all evil, 1 Tim, 6, 10. It is in effect the breach of the whole law. It setteth up a strange or false god in the heart, and therefore is called, The worshipping of Images, Col. 3, 5. and the covetous person an Idolater, Ephes. 5.5. He will swear and stare, he will curse and blaspheme to get an halfepeny, Prouerb. 30, 9: he regardeth the Sabbath no more then his old shoes, & will damn his own soul to fill his purse, and to feed his belly, Amos 8, 5. It is therefore a mother sin, and a capital evil. It was the cause of lying in Gehazi, 2 Kings 5, 25. of murder in Ahab, 1 Kings 21, 19: of treachery in Judas, Matth. 26, 15. of theft in Achan, Josh. 7, 21. of Apostasy in Demas, 2 Tim. 4, 10. Lastly, it worketh a distrust for the things of this life in the goodness and providence of God, that they dare not trust him for their daily bread, who notwithstanding provideth for all his creatures, that they might have what to suffice them, and learn to depend upon him.

[Use 2] Secondly, it is the office of God to provide for all living things that have life and breath in them, he hath enough to sustain them all, but we are more worth then thousands & ten thousands of them; and he maketh them to feed us, as he commanded the ravens to feed Elijah, who brought him bread and flesh in the morning and in the evening, 1 Kings 17, 4, 6. Do we then at any time want provision, so that we know not what to do, or where to become, or which way to turn our selves? It is as much as if God told us, it is his charge to give us whatsoever is meet and sufficient for us, as a faithful Steward that provideth for all his family, be it never so great. And seeing he feedeth the wild beasts which howl and bray, without knowing that there is a maker which should nourish them: how then ought we to depend upon him, who are sure that he hath set us in the world, to maintain us as his creatures, and to feed us as his children in it? This is after a sort natures prayer, to make suite to God for succor and sustenance, as Job 38, 41. He provided for the Raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God. Their crying is as it were a confession of their need, which cannot be supplied and relieved but by God only; and therefore he will not leave us destitute, Math. 6.26. But some may say, how doth the crying of the Ravens, [Object.] and the roaring of the Lions tend to God? or how do they ask their food of him? Alas, they know nothing concerning God: the swine that grunteth under the tree, never lifteth up his eyes so much as to the tree from whence the Mast falleth. How thē should they seek their meat at the hands of God? Or how should they understand the things of God, who understand not the things of men, but as unreasonable creatures are led only by sense and appetite? [Answ.] I answer, there is no more ascribed to the Ravens and Lions, then is to be understood of all other creatures. But it importeth these two things: first, that it is God who through his providence provideth, and through his goodness giveth meat unto the Lions and all other creatures. It is he that upholdeth all the works of his hands that none perisheth that was formed in the beginning, Psal. 111, 4. Secondly, the crying and yelling of brute beasts, wrung from them by the force of famine and hunger, is instead of a calling on him, and hath after a sort the nature of a prayer for meat & maintenance. As if one should say, that the young child, the infant and suckling that hangeth at the mothers breasts, when it crieth, seeketh to the mother for food and sustenance, albeit it have no knowledge of the mother, neither of the mothers duty or tender care over it: but because the necessity of the child doth properly belong unto the care of the mother. Now then to apply these things, if the cry of the unreasonable creatures have the force and power of a calling upon him, how much more are we to believe, that the prayers and groans of the faithful, have indeed the force of a fervent and earnest prayer, yea albeit sometimes they speak nothing distinctly and directly unto him?

Thirdly, it is our duty to praise the name [Use 3] of God, and to give thanks to him humbly and heartily, when he hath fed us with his blessings every day, Psal. 104, 1. & 103, 1.5. where he provoketh his soul to offer up this sacrifice, and all that is within him to bless his name, who redeemed his life from destruction, and satisfieth his mouth with good things. Let us not therefore be unthankful for his mercies, nor forget any of his benefits. The natural man taketh his daily bread as a fruit of his own labor, not as the gift of God, & therefore no marvel if he do ascribe the praise and glory to himself. But if we consider aright that it is God who feedeth us, and that we have not so much as a bit of bread, or a drop of water to do us good, but we must ask it & receive it at his hands, it will teach us to give the glory to his name, and to lift up our hearts in thanksgiving to him.

Lastly, it becometh us to ascend as it were [Use 4] by steppes to an higher comparison, from the body to the soul, and from the meat that perisheth to that which endureth to everlasting life. For seeing we understand that GOD is thus careful to feed our bodies, it is much more reason that we should seek at his hands the nourishment of our souls. If we have not this skill and consideration in us, the Fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field will be witnesses against us to condemn us. This is the voice of faith, the other the voice of Nature. Nature is wise enough to tell us when we want provision for the body, but it must be the office of faith to tell us when we want food for the soul. We are ready to cry out oftentimes, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewith shall we be clothed? Mat. 6. but few feel the wants of their souls though they be like to perish and pine away; wherefore our Savior teacheth us, Matth. chapter 6. verse 33. First of all to seek the Kingdom of God, and then all other things shall be ministered unto us.

We have here the third and last part of the chapter, touching the numbering of the Levites apart by themselves, branched out into three principal families, but specially Aaron is insisted upon, to whom the Priesthood was given, who is described both by his parents and by his posterity, and among his posterity Moses again singleth out the fact of Nadab & Abihu, who died when they offered strange fire before the Lord. And albeit we have spoken of this before, chap. 3, 4. yet being offered again let us consider better of it. For whereas God commanded fire to be duly and diligently kept always burning upon the Altar, wherewith the sacrifices were to be consumed, and must never be suffered to go out, Levite. 6, 9, 12, 13. they presumed to offer sacrifice with strange fire, and therefore died before their father; for as well they might have taken a strange beast, as a strange fire, the one being no less forbidden thē the other. Whereby we see, y ^e evil persons are cut off betimes, 1 Chro. 24.1, 2: and are not suffered to live out half their days. This heavenly fire which GOD sent to consume his sacrifices was brought into the Temple built by Solomon, and there it continued from one generation to another until the destruction of the Temple and the City. True it is, the author of the second book of Maccabees telleth us a tale, that when Nehemiah's had built the Temple and the Altar, he offered sacrifice with this fire: for when tht Fathers were led into Persia, the Priests that were devout took the fire of the Altar privily, and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water, where they kept it sure, so that the place was unknown to all men: wherefore he sent for the posterity of those Priests that had hid it, howbeit they could find no fire, but thick water, which being sprinkled upon the wood and sacrifice, there arose a great fire, so that every man that saw it marvelled, 2 Maccha. 1, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Wher we see, two things are coupled together, the building of y ^e Temple and Altar by Nehemiah, and the sending of fire from heaven by God; these may well be joined, the one being as true as the other. But it is plain by the whole Scripture, that Nehemiah built not the Temple, if we shall consider the circumstances either of the persons, or of the time, or of the place. For the Altar was built by Zerubbabel and Joshua in the reign of Cyrus, so soon as by his proclamation they returned from the captivity of Babylon, to wit, the seventh month after, Ezra 3. And touching the Temple, though the foundation began to be laid while Cyrus himself yet lived: yet it was not ended & finished before the sixth year of the reign of Darius Nothus, Ezra 6, which was many years after, John 2, 20. But Nehemiah was then in Babylon, and not yet come to Jerusalem, forasmuch as he obtained leave of the king of Persia to go thither, in the 20. year of Artaxerxes Mnemon the successor of this Darius, Ezr. 4. & 7. Neh. 1, & 2: by which computation of time it will appear, that the Altar was built an hundred years and more, and the Temple finished at the least 30. years before the coming of Nehemiah: so that the author of this second book of Maccabees is not a little deceived in his Chronology, and discovereth that he wrote by a mere human spirit, according to his own confession in the shutting up of the book, wherein he craveth pardon for his slips and oversights, & we see there was great need he should do so. Now from the former premisses I reason thus:

Again, the author of that book testifieth, that after Nehemiah had received this fire from God, the king of Persia built a Temple unto it: but we may truly affirm he never built any such Temple, forasmuch as y ^e Jews neither had, neither indeed might have, any other Temple then one, and that at Jerusalem, before the coming of the Messiah, which the Lord had chosen to put his name there. It might be that the kings of Persia & that king in particular might build a Temple to fire, w ^c they worshipped as God, howbeit this is spoken by way of supposition, and hath no relation to the fire here spoken off. Neither can this be understood of the Tēple at Jerusalem, but must be referred to some other built elsewhere if haply any were built at all. For it is said that after the Temple and Altar were built, and Nehemiah had offered sacrifice, this came to the ears of the king of Persia, and then he commanded this supposed Temple to be erected. Again, Nehemiah expressing his journey up to Jerusalem, and coming to the sepulchers of his fathers, maketh no mention of the finding of any such fire, which no doubt he would have done, if any such had been offered unto them. For he reporteth many & sundry things done by him in that book, he mentioneth their offering of sacrifices with great joy and gladness, chap. 12. how is it then that he omitteth this miracle? Doubtless if he had received so great & miraculous a benefit, he would not have forgotten it, neither indeed could without note of unthankfulness, which was far from that devout and religious man. Furthermore, the setting up of this miracle of the new-found fire hid in the pit, and after discovered by the Priests, and kindled by the Lord, is the weakening and shaking of a great mystery and foundation of the Christian religion. For it is written, that the Jews were stirred up by the Prophets to proceed cheerfully in building of the Temple, because the glory of that latter house should be greater then of the former, Hag. 2, 9, which prophecy is agreed upon to be fulfilled, in that Christ was borne while the second house stood, w ^c he made famous and renowned by his presence, by his doctrine, & by his miracles, Luke 2, 46, & 7, 8. There also did the Apostles begin the preaching of the Gospel, which taking his beginning from Zion and Jerusalem, was spread abroad from thence into all the earth. Many were the privileges and perogatives of the Tabernacle framed by Moses, and of the first house built by Solomon; they had the fire from heaven, the Ark of the Covenant, the pillar of the cloud, the Vrim and Thummim, and the succession of the Prophets: but the second house built after their return from captivity wanted all these; therefore while it stood, the Messiah must come (being greater then all these) that through his presence, who was to be the ruler in Israel, Mic. 5, 2, the glory of the latter house might be greater then the former, and so the prophecy should be fulfilled. But if this story were true, which is broached by the writer of that book, the latter Temple should be more glorious and famous through this miraculous fire then the former, For in the former, the sacrifices were only consumed with fire, & that fire was sent from God, and nourished by the continual ministry and attendance of the Priests: but in the latter temple, they should have had not only the same fire with the other, but the fire preserved by a wonderful miracle, & that in a contrary element: yea, here are many miracles heaped together: for as that fire was preserved in water, so of y ^t thick water (into which it was changed) was the fire kindled again, 2 Macab. 1, 22: and that which is more, when the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemiah is said to have commanded the water that was left to be poured on the great stones; whereby was kindled a flame which was consumed by the light that shined from the altar, verse 31, 32. And this is so apparent that the Jewish Rabbin's that have the veil before their eyes, or rather before their harts, have acknowledged the truth hereof, that the 2 house had not that fire which the former had, contrary to the opinion of that writer. And yet notwithstanding the evidence of the former reasons and the confession of the Jews themselves, he sticketh not in the next chapter, to allege the Prophet Jeremiah, as if he had commanded them that were carried away to take with them the Tabernacle, the Ark and the fire, as hath been signified, 2 Maccab. 2, 1. But to leave all these assertions delivered with warrant, let us come to the doctrine offered to our considerations in the destruction of the 2. sons of Aaron, because they offered strange fire, to wit, that it is a sin & impiety, which the Lord leaveth not unpunished for any man in y ^e outward worship of God, to decline from the Law of God. He appointed to burn every sacrifice with fire taken from the Altar, which was continually kept and nourished for that purpose. They altered God's ordinance, and are therefore stricken suddenly from heaven: so that it is a great sin for any Church or particular person to swerve from the Law of God in the worship of God, as appeareth by many examples & testimonies of holy Scripture, 1 Sam. 13, 12, 13, 14. 2 Chro. 26, 16, 17, 18. Math. 15, 9. Col. 2.20.21, 22.

The grounds are plain: first because the [Reason 1] word of God is the rule of all things that we are warranted to do, and more generally it is the rule of God's worship, so that to decline from this rule to the right hand or to the left, must needs be a great sin which GOD abhorreth, Deut. 12, 8, 13, 32. In an art to vary from the rules of the art is a great error; thr carpenter and mason are guided by their line and level; the Law of GOD is the square and rule of his worship: the more closely we keep our selves to this rule, the more warrantable are our works: if we decline and depart from it, we wander in error, and the farther we go from it, the more we are out of the way. Secondly, that starting and swerving from the Law, reproveth and checketh the wisdom of God, who is Wisdom it self, Pro. 9, 1: as if we were able to direct him, and knew what belongeth to his worship better then himself. An artificer in his work cannot abide to be checked and controlled by those that know not so well what belongeth unto it as he doth: so the wise GOD, the supreme Lawgiuer cannot endure that men should decline from the order which he hath settled and established in his worship, and prescribed unto them in his Word, and therefore he accounteth it a great sin and impiety in any that attempt the same.

This reproveth the Church of Rome [Use 1] which is as a body infected with many diseases, and running sores. For their whole worship in a manner is an apostasy from God, full of dangerous wounds that cannot be cured, as we may see by their worshipping of images, prayer in a strange tongue, communion under one kind, and an hundred such like horrible corruptions, which are so many profanations of the worship of God. These men set the Law of God at naught, and think themselves wiser then he, and prefer their own traditions before his commandments, and so worship him by the precepts of men, Math. 15.6, which is a vain worship, and maketh his Law of none effect.

Secondly, it serveth as a direction to the [Use 2] Church what they receive, & to godly Magistrates what they establish by their authority, that in the worship of God they always set y ^e law of God before their eyes, & allow nothing but that w ^c is grounded vpō the rules of y ^e same, y ^t they add nothing to it, & take nothing frō it. For this cause the King must write him a coppy of the Law in a book that it may be ever with him, that he may read in it all the days of his life, and learn to fear the Lord his God, Deu. 17, 18, 19. This was taught to Joshua, chap, 1, 8: and practiced by Josiah, 2 Chron. 34, 16. If they cleave to this rule, they must continue: if they have declined, they must return & cause others to return, and reform what hath been amiss. This the Pharisees acknowledged, when they said to Christ, By what authority dost thou these things, &c. Mar. 11, 28: and John. 1, 19, they said to him, Who art thou? what sayst thou for thyself? If it be in the Gospel of Christ, or in the books of the Prophets and Apostles, we must willingly receive it, and be guided by it: if not, we must refuse it, otherwise we bring upon our selves manifest destruction.

[Use 3] Lastly, it behooveth all private persons that live in a Church, wherein true Religion and the pure worship of GOD is established, to submit themselves to those things that are agreeable to the word, howsoever they be not agreeable to their affections. For as we must give obedience to the Scriptures, whether they speak as we would have them, or whether they speak not as we would have them: so in a reformed Church where a private man doth dwell, if anything be commanded by authority, either agreeing or not agreeing to our affections, yet if the same be agreeable to the Word of God, we must yield obedience unto it. If the Church command anything declining from the Law of God, he must be peaceable in refusing, and patient in suffering, remembering that the only weapons of a Christian are supplication to God and to man. Besides we must know thus much, that whosoever refuseth to obey that which hath been uniformly established and advisedly and moderately concluded by the whole, what private persons soever refuse to obey, had need to do it upon a sure ground, that the same which they refuse, is against the Law of God, lest it fall out with them as with those y ^t Augustine speaketh off, who gloried that they suffered persecution, but it was for their faults, not for their virtues; so they that withdraw obedience, ought to do it with a good conscience and upon a sure ground, otherwise they can have no comfort in suffering, nor look for reward after suffering. There have always been some things amiss in the Church; and no Church is, or ever was so perfect, but somewhat may be found in it worthy reformation, so that Christ may say to it, as he did to the Churches of Asia, Habeo aduersus te pauca, I have somewhat against thee. The best Churches will quickly decline, as we see it fell out to those which were founded by the happy hands of the Apostles themselves that were the chief workmen & master-builders.

The conclusion of the whole chap. followeth in these words, wherein the former numbering is illustrated by place where it was, & by the persons y ^t did number, & were numbered: all amplified by the contrary, that among all these there was not so much as any one man left alive, that came in the former account, but they were all of them dead & perished in the wilderness, except Caleb & Joshua. Here is a great blessing set down, & likewise a great judgment: a blessing in multiplying of them, a judgment in chastifing of them; thereby to teach us that God is faithful and true both in his promises and also in his threatenings. For he had promised to Abraham, that he would multiply his seed exceedingly as the stars of heaven: & he made this havoc of them, & brought this desolation upon them for their often murmurings & mutinies; wherefore by his promises let us be stirred up to faith & obedience, & by his threatenings be feared & terrified from sin. Moreover mark from this fearful example of a general disobedience or rather conspiracy against God, that it is not a whole multitude that can shelter themselves from God's judgments when they come upon them, though they be never so many or mighty. Though thousands, & thousand thousands muster together & join hand in hand, yet they are not able to deliver thenselves. The reasons follow.

The Lord is just in all his ways, even in the works of his judgments. Now justice giveth [Reason 1] equal to them that are equal. If then all have sinned, as he is just in punishing one, so he will be just in punishing all. This we see in his casting down all the angels from y ^e heavens that sinned, in drowning the whole world, in destroying Sodom & Gomorrhah, & infinite such like examples. Secondly, as he is just & righteous, so he is strong & powerful. Many men do well deserve to be called just, yet oftentimes they want power, as we see in Daniel toward Joab when he committed murder, complaing of himself that he was weak, & the sons of Zeruiah (being martial men) were too hard for him. It is not so with God, he is as powerful as he is just, & therefore he will certainly proceed against whole multitudes, be they never so many or powerful, so that none shall be able to escape unpunished. Thirdly, the moe they are that offend, the greater is the offense, and the greater the dishonor done to God; no maruail therefore if he spare not to overthrow great companies in his wrath and sore displeasure. For as in a civil state, the greater the number of rebels is, the greater is the offense against y ^e Prince: so it is in this case, the greater multitude of offenders, the greater the oence against God's, and consequently the greater judgment will fall upon them.

[Use 1] This serveth to reprove those that walk on boldly in their sins, & lift up their heads without fear, because they are many in number, & great in power, & thereupon think they shall be excused because they are not singular, & sin not alone. Alas, this will prove a slender comfort, when God shall come to take an account of us: certainly no more then this, that as we sinned not alone, so we shall not be punished alone. What benefit hath the thief that is going to the place of execution, to see a train of many others bear him company? Is his judgment any whit the less? or is his comfort any whit the more? So when the Lord shall come against those that have broken the covenant with him, & made a league with hell & death, what shall it help them, or ease them to go to hell with company, whereas the yelling and crying of one, shall rather add to the torment & misery of another? If you think God will the sooner respect us because we are many, we deny his justice, and deceive our selves. True it is, he is mindful of a few y ^t serve him, and ready to show mercy to one of a City, and two of a Tribe that fear his Name. Though they be contemned & derided of the unthankful world, yet they are dear to him, and they come up in remembrance before him. When all flesh had corrupted their ways, he remembered Noah and his family, & saved eight persons, when he destroyed all the rest, Gen. 7, 1. So he delivered righteous Lot, when he overthrew the cities of the plain, and would have spared Sodom, if ten righteous persons had been found in it, Ge. 18, 32. On the other side, if multitudes trespass against him, and rush on in evil as the horse into the battle, he will not spare them for their multitude sake. It is a great encouragement unto many to walk in the broad way, because many there are that go in thereat: & they are much discouraged and terrified from entering into the strait gate & narrow way, because there be few that find it, & they shall have little company to go with them: but if we would consider the end both of the one & of the other, it were sufficient to make us wise unto salvation. It is a very notable & remarkable judgment that is remembered unto us, that fell vpō this multitude; & the exceeding goodness & kindness of the Lord only toward two persons of those six hundred thousand that were brought out of the land of Egypt; forasmuch as albeit he saved them from the hands of Pharaoh, yet afterward he destroyed them that believed not, Jude 5. Who doth not desire rather like Caleb & Joshua, to be had in everlasting remembrance, Psa. 112, 6, & to have our names written in the book of life, then to perish with the multitude, and to be cast into destruction?

[Use 2] Secondly, it warneth and warranteth the Ministers of God to be bold to reprove sin in all, though they be never so great and gracious in the world, though they be many, yea a whole multitude, yet if they be a sinful company, they have a commandment and commission given unto them to reprove them, without respect of persons, without care of the multitude, and without fear of their faces. This is a certain rule, a multitude may not stop our mouths from reproving sin, and it serveth as a shield and sure defense for the Ministers against those that upbraid them for their faithfulness in their callings, asking them what they need to trouble themselves and the people by reproving these and these things, do you not see that all men practice them? It is no matter who or what they are that offend, whether they be many or few, all or some; he is not to be silent because of the multitude, but is rather to open his mouth the wider, and to lift up his voice the louder. For if God's hand will not be stayed when great cities are sinful, & when the whole world corrupted their ways, but his judgments will certainly come according to our sins, the Minister ought not to be dumb and tonguetyed, though a whole land be corrupt and sinful. In the days of Noah all flesh became obstinate and disobedient, stiff-necked and abominable, yet he is made a Preacher of righteousness to reprove the world of sin, 1 Pet. 3, 20. If a Prince send forth his Herald to proclaim war against a company of rebels, shall the Herald, because he findeth them to be a great multitude, return back, and not pronounce the sentence, and yet think himself discharged? No certainly, he may not do so, but rather he should do it the more speedily and earnestly and boldly because they are a multitude: how then should the Minister hold his peace, and have his mouth stopped, because generally the times are corrupt, and the days are evil? whereas he should consider, that the moe do sin, the more God is offended, dishonored, and provoked.

In the time of a general plague or infectious sickness, will any, well in his wits, or in his right mind, say to the Physician, Take no care to cure or recover any, it is a vain labor to go about it, for the plague is general. Is it not rather the honor of a Physician, that will still stay and do his endeavor, even then when the disease is dispersed and scattered far and near?

And shall it be thought the dishonor of the Minister of God, when the plague of sin is spread as a leprosy over all, that from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness, but wounds and bruises, & putrifying sores, if he shall then lift up his voice as a Trumpet, and reprove sin with zeal and boldness? No doubtless, he ought to do it, & if he be faithful and painful in his place, he will do it, yea though he see little hope, when the evil is grown common and hath prevailed, & the hearts of the multitude through custom are hardened. For if the blood of one soul that perisheth, be a burden too heavy to be borne, how then shall he be able to bear the weight and the cry of the blood of many souls? If the blood of Abel, which was but the blood of the body, and that but of one only, did notwithstanding cry for vengeance against him that shed it: doubtless the blood of the soul, much more of many souls, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, shall cry unto God, and bring wrath upon their heads that shed it, as water upon the earth. Forasmuch as they must answer for them if they perish through their negligence and ydlenesse. What though no repentance or reformation follow our reproofs, yet we must not give over, but continue constant in our calling, knowing that our labor shall not be in vain in the Lord, but our reward is laid up with God in the life to come to remain forever.

[Use 3] Lastly, it must teach and admonish us to take heed that we do not follow a multitude to do evil, nor be carried with the time as with a stream to commit wickedness; as if we must needs be safe and out of gun-shot, because we follow the multitude, and do as the most do. For it is never a whit the less sin, neither are less judgments to be looked for. In the government of a private family, if all the servants and children should conspire together against the governor of the household, shall their multitude joining in one, ever a whit excuse or lessen their conspiracy? No certainly, rather it will make the master of the family to be far more angry and displeased with them: so is it in this point; though they be many that rebel & rise up against God, yet they shall thereby nothing at all protect themselves from his wrath and displeasure. There are many thousands in hell, ordained of old to this condemnation, yet none of them hath the less torment, or the more ease, but rather the less ease & the more torment, because of the multitudes and thousands of them: so on the earth there are many desperate sinners, yet when once judgment cometh, they cannot by any means ease one another, who shall not be able to help themselves, and therefore it is one of the vainest things in the world for any man to deceive himself by following the corruption of the times, and by doing as the greatest part of people do. Be it that no extraordinary judgment come upon us generally or particularly, yet when we must die the common death of all men, and be visited after the common visitation of all flesh, & Satan shall come & charge us for our sins, what comfort can this minister unto us at y ^t hour, to allege for our selves, that we have done as the multitude did, & have walked with them in the way that leadeth to destruction? And be it further granted, that we feel no check of conscience, or temptation of Satan, but end our days in peace, as one that quietly falleth asleep; yet when we come to stand before the seat of God, where every man shall bear his own burden, and receive according to his own works, Rom. 2, 6. 2. Cor. 5, 10: what comfort or confidence can this give us to plead for our selves, and say, O we have followed the multitude? Let no man therefore dally with himself, & so delude his own soul; for this must come to pass, we must all dy, and appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man may receive the things done in his body, when the heavens shall pass away as a scroule, and the elements melt with heat. Be it some general plague donot come before in this life, or some particular judgment do not seize upon us, yet in the end we cannot escape, when everyone must answer for himself in his own person.

CHAP. XXVII.

THe former Chapter hath opened unto us the order to be observed in the division of the land, that the greater tribe should have the greater share and portion in the land, & the lesser a lesser portion, thereby to give contentment & satisfaction to everyone: & this was to be done by lot to take away contention, which often ariseth in like cases & upon like occasions; as we see when some commons or wasteground cometh to be enclosed, one thinketh his fellow hath too much, & another thinketh himself hath too little; one will have his part lie in such a place; another thinketh that parcel the fittest morsel for himself. In this chapter observe two things; first touching the persons that should enjoy the inheritance, and of the right of succession: secondly, touching the designing and deputing of Joshua the servant of Moses, to be his successor, & to be set over the people, to conduct them unto the land, to fight the battles of the Lord, and to give to every tribe his proper inheritance. Concerning the first point, to wit, what persons should have inheritance, consider two things, the occasion of a question and controversy here arising, and the deciding and determining hereof, without any farther doubt or contradiction by the sentence of God himself. The occasion fell out in this manner. When the families of y ^e tribe of Manasseh came among the other tribes to be numbered, five sisters, all the daughters of Zelophehad came likewise in their order, hoping to receive as the rest did, and thinking themselves as capable as any: but because their father was already dead, and left no heirs males behind him, some of their Tribe would have put them by their inheritance, that themselves might obtain y ^e more, not regarding what they gained by the loss of others. A common evil of the world, a common practice of worldly men. These women being left fatherless, comfortless, and friendless, exposed therefore to injuries, and like to be ouerborne, finding few or none to stand for them and to take their part, complained to Moses, and to the rest of the Princes & heads of the people, which is the lawful remedy left unto us in all wrongs whatsoever. They do plainly declare the truth of their cause, & the equity of their request, that they were Israelites, of the seed of Abraham, of the Tribe of Manasseh, whose father died in the wilderness, not in the rebellion and conspiracy of Korah, Numb. 16, whose companies were worthily destroyed and disinherited; neither yet perished he in any murmuring of the people, neither for any public and notorious offense committed against God, but died a natural death when his time was come, as all men must die, inasmuch as all have sinned, Rom. 5, and therefore they show, that their kindred, their flesh and their bones, had no just cause to exclude thē from such inheritance as their father should have had if he had been alive. But of this, more afterward, both of the issue of their request, & the deciding of this question.

[The daughters of Zelophehad stood before Moses and Eleazar, and before the Princes, &c.] These women after the decease of their father were left as we say, to the wide world, and were like to sustain great wrong, to the prejudice both of their father, and of themselves and their posterity, and of the whole Tribe, when one family was like to perish in Israel. Here we see, that above all other, such as are left destitute of protection, as the fatherless, the widow, the stranger, the poor, and such like, lie open to receive wrongs and injuries. Such whose forlorn & distressed estate ought to move special pity and commiseration, even they are least regarded and relieved, Zac. 7, 10. Job 31, 21. Hence it is, that God promiseth to take care of them, and to protect thē, and to punish their oppressors, Exod. 22, 22, 23, 24. A great comfort to all that are in distress, to consider that God is on their side, he will be a father to the fatherless, and an husband to the widow. These daughters of Zelophehad appeal to the Magistrate: they do not side themselves with others to make a commotion, as turbulent spirits use to do, but they go to Moses as supreme, and to the Princes under him. Whereby we learn, that in all wrongs and injuries we must go to the Magistrate, and seek help of him, we must make our causes known to him, and seek remedy and redress at his hands. This hath been the practice of God's servants from time to time. Hereunto cometh the Parable of the wise woman of Tekoah, when she pretendeth that one of her sons being slain by the other, the whole family rose up against her to deliver her son that was left her, that they might kill him for the life of his brother: she appealed to the king to be delivered from the avenger of blood, 2 Sam. 14, 11. So 2 Kin. 6, 28, & 8, 3. The Shunamite having left her house and country thorough famine, and in her absence some encrochers seizing upon her land, at her return, to whom goeth she, but to the King to have the same restored? and he sent an Officer, as it were the high Sheriff to put her in possession again, and took order that they should make restitution unto her, both of her house and land, & all the fruits and revenues thereof, since the day she left the Country. See more, Ester 7, 3. Ier. 38, 8, 9. Act. 23, 20, 21.

The Reasons. First, because God hath instituted [Reason 1] & appointed Magistrates to this purpose. It is properly the office of God to be the revenger of wrongs, and to do justice to all, but he hath left Kings and Princes to be his Lieutenants, and set them to supply his place, not to enrich themselves, but for the good of the people, as Rom. 13.4. He is the Minister of God for thy wealth, & not for his own. Secondly, men are oftentimes constrained, especially the faithful, to receive many great wrongs & injuries, from them whose might is as great as their malice. If then Princes were not to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to y ^e church, they must many ways undergo much danger and displeasure, much hurt and oppression: & thus doth Ester reason, ch. 7, 3, making petition for her people, and her own life, For we are sold, I and my people to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish.

This reproveth all private men, that forsaking [Use 1] the means that God hath left, will be Magistrates to themselves, like Peter, who when his Master was wronged, drew the sword and smote off the high Priests servants ear, howbeit he is reproved of Christ, Mat. 26, 51. This is the disorder that Solomon complaineth of, Eccl. 10, 7. What then, will some say, [Object.] shall we suffer our selves willingly and willfully to be trodden under foot as blocks, and be exposed as spectacles and gazing stocks for everyone to insult over us? I answer, No: [Answer.] God hath not left us merely in the hands of evil men, but hath appointed us to resort to the Magistrate. But some will say, [Object.] we have complained to them oftentimes, and we find no remedy; they are deaf and will not hear; they are partial, and will not understand; they are careless, & will not help. Answ. [Answ.] Be it so: yet we must not be as malecontents to right our own cause, but rather continue from time to time to solicit the Magistrate, albeit he will not do it at the first, yet he may repent and do it at the last. We see this in the poor distressed widow mentioned in the Gospel, remember her example, Luke 18, 3, 4, 5: she came to an unjust Judge, and said, Auenge me of mine adversary; and he would not for a while, but afterward he said, Though I fear not God, nor regard not man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming and importunity she weary me. Thus it ought likewise to be with us. [Object.] But it will be said, They are oftentimes wickedmen, they look for bribes, and therefore we have little hope to have help for them. So was the judge to whom the poor widow complained. [Answ.] So was Ahasuerus wicked, or else he would never have sealed and set forth so bloody and barbarous a decree for the utter subversion of the Jews; and besides he was an idolater and an infidel; yet Esther petitioned unto him, and obtained a gracious answer: and they found a great calm after a great flaw of wind and weather that threatened shipwreck. So had Pharaoh hardened his heart against GOD and his people, and was no better then the former, yet would not Moses and Aaron give him over. So was Caesar a profane Prince, yet Paul appealed unto him from his own countrymen the Jews, Acts 25, 10. If any say, [Object.] we have waited long, and yet can find no redress; but matters rather grow worse and worse, and we are every day farther from succor then before. I answer, [Answer.] then we must know thus much; that God calleth us to suffer, thereby to try our patience and obedience; as we see in the example of the Israelites, oppressed by the hard dealing of the task-masters, when they find no release or redress, they sigh to God and groan in spirit, and waire his leisure. In this case it is our duty to submit our selves to his heavenly pleasure, remembering what the holy and constant martyrs suffered, and what the Apostle saith, Phil. 1.29. Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, and 1. Pet. 2.19. And if supplication to men will not serve our turn, let us turn our selves to God, and make our supplication to him. And as Paul appealed from the Jews to Caesar, so let us appeal to an higher Court, from Caesar to God.

[Use 2] Secondly, it is the duty of all Magistrates to deal justly and truly, knowing that they carry the Name of God, so that their place is the place of God, and their judgment is the judgment of God. They must be so far from doing wrong, & taking away the goods of other men, as Ahab did the vineyard of Naboth, 1, King. 21, 16, that they ought to restore to everyone his right, as Jehoram did to the Shunamite, 2, King. 8, 6: and Nehemiah to the people, chap. 5, 11, 12. Job was a man endued with great power and authority, Job 29, 7, 8: as well as with much wealth and substance, chapt. 1, 1, 2: and yet he telleth us, chap. 31: that he never withheld the poor from their desire, neither caused the eyes of the widow to fail, verse 16: he never saw any perish for lack of clothing, or any poor without covering, verse 19: he never lifted up his hand against the fatherless, when he saw he might help him in the gate, verse 21: and before, chap. 29: he testifieth that he delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless and him that had none to help him, verse 12: he became eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame; a father to the poor, and the cause which he knew not he searched out, verse 15, 16: he brake the jaws of the wicked and plucked the spoil out of his teeth, verse 17. Here is a looking-glass for all magistrates to behold, and a picture to look upon, and a watchword to admonish them what to do; the oppressed should be relieved, and the oppressors should be restrained and bridled. Happy are such magistrates, that thus regard the people; and happy are the people that have such magistrates. The blessing of such as are ready to perish shall come upon the heads of such magistrates, and the loins of the distressed shall call for and bring down mercy upon them & theirs that thus do show mercy. Let all that have the calling of Job, and sit in the gate and in the place of justice and judgment, be like unto him; and let them not fear the faces of men, but be bold in the cause of the poor, or rather in the cause of God. And let me say to them, as God doth to Joshua; Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you, whithersoever you go, Josh. 1, 9. Hence it is that the Scripture teacheth, how such as are set over y ^e people should be qualified, and with what virtues they ought to be adorned, Exod. 18, 21: first, they must be such as fear God; this is the beginning and fountain of all other graces; where this is once rooted and grounded in the heart, it is as a bank that keepeth out all evil, and maketh them not to fear the faces of men: wheresoever and in whomsoever it is not yet planted, there is room for a legion of all impieties to enter, as Abraham showeth, Gen. 20, 11: The fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wives sake. Secondly, they must be men of truth, wherein they resemble the God of truth: the contrary will transform them into the image of Satan, who was a liar from the beginning, and the father thereof, John. 8.44. This should be the end of all their hearing and determining; this is the mark they ought to shoot at, that truth may be brought to light, which is sought to be covered and smothered in darkness. Every false sentence in judgment is an open and public lie, and turneth the seat of justice into a sink of iniquity, and overturneth the ordinance of God. Thirdly, they must be men hating covetousness: for the desire of money is the root of all evil, and a bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and casteth dust or rather dung in their faces, that they cannot judge righteously between a man and his brother, nor pronounce sentence without partiality. But they ought to have clean hands and a pure heart, that they may do no unrighteousness in judgment, forasmuch as they must not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty, Levite. 19, 15. Psal. 82, 3, 4. 2 Chron, 19, 6.7. These things must be learned and practiced of them.

Thirdly, from this ground we may be assured, [Use 3] that it is not in it self unlawful to go to Law, and to sue even a brother if just cause require; if he may be accounted a brother that giveth just cause of prosecuting the Law against him. I say it is in it self lawful, because the best things may be abused and corrupted; and lawful things may be perverted, if they be used unlawfully. To try our right is a right thing; and to use the Law is nothing else but to appeal to the magistrate; and to appeal to the magistrate is to seek help of God. [Object.] It will be objected, that Paul reproveth the Corinthians, in that a brother goeth to Law with a brother, 1 Cor. 6, 6: and again, I speak it to your shame, is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, no not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? [Answ.] verse 5. I answer, he reproveth not the thing it self, but the corrupt affection and practice of those that used or rather abused the Laws, whose sin was hereby also aggravated, that they did it before the infidels, who thereby took occasion to mock at Christ, and to contemn the Christian Religion, to see the professors thereof to be given so eagerly to prosecute their profits, that for every toy and trifle, yea for the wagging of a straw would trouble the courts and seats of judgment. This doth discover a contentious spirit, and a mind altogether given to cavil and contend, a custom too common in many, howbeit nothing beseeming the Christian Faith and holy Religion which they seem to embrace. Again, it argueth an heart set upon revenge, which ought to be far from all the faithful, who ought rather to be ready to forgive, as they have received forgiveness. [Objection] Secondly, it may be objected, that Christ saith, Math. 5, 40. If any man will sue thee at the Law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. [Answ.] I answer as before, he only condemneth the usual dealing of men, where they go to Law and sue one another in spleen and desire of revenge for trifles and things of no value; and besides he speaketh comparatively, rather then we should seek a private revenge, we should be ready to suffer a new wrong, and be furnished with patience as with armor of proof, not only to be stripped of one garment, but to endure the loss of other temporal goods. To conclude therefore, we must be assured, that as it is lawful to seek help of the magistrate, so it is lawful to seek the benefit of the Law, provided that we use it lawfully. To this end we must know how the Law may be used lawfully. First, we must not use it of pleasure or wantonness, or of custom, as the manner of many is, who are never well but when they are in Law; but we must use it sparingly, as we use Physic, not as meat and drink. No man will use Physic every day, but he keepeth a better diet. It is meat and drink to some to go to Law, and they are never quiet till they have quenched their thirst by undoing others and themselves. Secondly, it must be used upon necessity, when the case cannot otherwise be decided. They say commonly, a bad end is better then the Law. If then we may end our controversies without troubling the magistrate, we ought not to refuse that means. Thirdly, we must not propound to our selves as the end of our suites, to be revenged of our neighbor: for then we shall never carry upright hearts in that which we do. Fourthly, we must not go to Law for trifles, the matters must be of moment and importance, for which we contend. Fifthly, our end must not be to undo one another, but to obtain our own right. Lastly, we must not be given to strife and contention, and in an humor seek occasions to begin and breed quarrels, 1 Cor. 3, 3. Phil. 2.2. It must be our wisdom to cut off occasions from them that seek after them, and to stope the flood-gates where the waters seek their passage. For when contention is once raised, it is not easily stopped, and therefore ere it be begun, let us prevent it.

Lastly, from hence all persons have direction [Use 4] what to do, that live under the government of others, even in private houses and families. The Law of God and man allow not, nay they condemn the common practice of brawling, fighting, quarrelling, or challenging one of another into the field for private and personal wrongs, whereby the seeds of murder and shedding of blood are sown, which soon grow up to ripeness and perfection, and yield a doleful harvest of sorrow and repentance when it is too late, if they be not weeded out of the heart betimes. Whosoever shall think it a disgrace to refuse such challenges, let them also think it a disgrace to walk in the ways of God, and to obey the good Edicts of Princes, and the wholesome laws of the Commonwealth. It is the greatest grace that can be, to yield obedience to God; and contrariwise, it is no credit to sin against him, to save and salve up a supposed honor and reputation among men. It is the duty therefore of all that live in private societies, when they have hard or wrong measure offered unto them, to go to their fathers or masters; for they are Magistrates in the house, and are within their own doors as Kings to rule, and Officers to govern, and no man ought to revenge his own cause and quarrel: he is as a Marshal to right every man's cause that is under his roof, and to maintain their credit and reputation. The causes of these duels are evil, sometimes pride & vain-glory, sometimes covetousness and greediness of gain, and the cause of all these causes, the devil himself, who was a murderer from the beginning. The effects thereof are no better, for they cause deadly feudes, breed hatred never to be appeased, nourish contention and confusion, hinder prayer and holy exercises of Religion, shed man's blood made in the Image of God, and bring down the vengeance of God upon our own heads. For how often do such quarrels begin with brawling, and end in blood; which once being spilled, cannot be gathered up? Let all such therefore as either challenge, or accept of challenges consider this point, that he which killeth, maketh himself guilty of execrable murder before God, and the blood so shed crieth as it were with a loud voice against him to heaven, and never ceaseth till it hath called down vengeance: and touching him that is killed, let him know, that he is no better then one of the martyrs of the devil. For as God hath his Martyrs that die in his cause, so the devil also hath his martyrs that die in his cause: and such as shed their blood are the devils executioners, and no better. We can hold no other opinion either of the one or of the other, neither of him that killeth, nor of him that is killed, whatsoever they think of themselves, and therefore let them look to it, that are so prodigal of their lives, or of the lives of others.

In these words the daughters of Zelophehad plead their own cause to have their part in the division of the land, & not to be shut out from their inheritance. The plea is good and well grounded; and they use sundry reasons of no small importance. First, because their father died in the wilderness in his journey toward the land of Canaan, and therefore the same inheritance that was due unto him being alive should not be denied to his issue, being dead. For seeing he died in the way before any of the Israelites could take possession of the land of promise, he could leave to his daughters nothing but the promise of GOD and a lively faith appprehending the same, which no doubt was truly grafted in them, or else they would never have been so earnest in this matter, but have let it alone till the conquest of the land, and the displanting of the Canaanites. They plead that he was not partaker with Korah in his conspiracy, but died in his own sin, that is, as all other men do, and must do that are sinners, forasmuch as the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6, 27. Now under this conspiracy of Korah here expressed, we must understand all other mutinies of the same nature, that he joined not with any in their rebellions, neither was partaker with any seditious persons whereby he should deserve to be excluded from his possession of the land. If any ask, [Object.] why this conspiracy of Korah is named and singled out above any of the rest of the murmurings which were many, and of many: I answer, first because this was late and yet fresh in remembrance. Secondly, [Answer.] it was more eminent then any of the rest, and as it were swallowed up the memory of all the former. Thirdly, because it seemeth he died at the same time that Korahs treachery brake out, and therefore he might more easily be thought to be destroyed with them. But though he died at the same time, yet he died not of the same crime, as likewise it fell out that Methushelah died immediately before the flood, it might be after it began to rain upon the face of the earth, but was not swept away with the flood. And here it is not to be forgotten, that some of the Hebrews (as also we noted before, chap. 15, 21) are of opinion, that this Zelophehad was the man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day: others think, that he was one of them that died by the biting & stinging of the fiery serpents, chap. 21, 6. But the purpose of his daughters was to bring to their remembrance, that their father had committed no act, whereby his issue should be denied or debarred of their inheritance, because he died a natural death, and went the way of all flesh, and when he had served his time was gathered to his fathers. An other reason is, because he left behind him no sons or heirs males of his body lawfully begotten, whereby it might and would come to pass that the name of a family in Israel should perish, if no portion of the inheritance were assigned to his daughters. In all this plea we may perceive in them a notable example of honoring parents, in that they are careful that the Name of their father should not be buried in perpetual forgetfulness, but be honourably remembered & preserved, which all ought to follow. Likewise an example of faith believing the promise of God: for except they had assured their hearts, that God would perform his promise, and make good the words of his own mouth spoken to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they would never have made such earnest suite, that they might be heirs also of that land by right of succession, in which as yet they had not the breadth of a foot; and therefore the Apostle teacheth, that faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11.1. Thirdly, we see that we may be made partakers of other men's sins, and therefore we heard before, that the people were commanded to depart from the tents of Korah and his partisans, lest they should be defiled by the evils of those evil men, Tit. 3, 10, 11, 2 Cor. 6, 7. 1 Tim. 5.22. This may be done many ways: sometimes by counsel and persuasion; and thus was Achitophel guilty of the rebellion of Absalom against his father, 2. Sam. 16: and Balaam of the whoredom of the Israelites, because they committed fornication with the daughters of Moab by his counsel, Numb. 31: sometimes by commandment, as Herod the great sent forth and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, Math. 2, 16: and so did Herod Antipas behead John the Baptist in prison, Math. 14, 22: thus was David guilty of the death of Uriah his faithful servant, and is therefore himself charged to have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites, 2. Sam. 12: sometimes by consent, and so was Saul guilty of y ^e martyr Stephens death, because he consented to his death, Act. 9, 1: and they that sat in judgment to condemn Christ, to whō Joseph of Arimathea would not consent; and therefore cleared himself from his blood, which otherwise he could not have done, Luke 23.51: sometimes by flattery, as those that call evil good, and good, evil, Isaiah 5: such are the ministers that sow soft cushens under every elbow, Ezek. 13: and such people as would have the Prophets to prophesy flattering words unto them, Isaiah 30: sometimes by receiving, as they that take and lay up stolen goods, or buy them of those that have stolen them, these are as bad, if not worse then the thieves themselves, and to be punished as they are; likewise they that receive false tales to the hurt of their brethren, though they do not first devise them, Levite. 19, 16: sometimes by partaking with thieves, and sharing with them, as Prov. 1, they took part of that which was stolen: sometimes by defending those that have done evil, and justifying them in their ungodliness, Rom. 1: sometimes it may be done by holding our peace, and saying nothing at all, when we may speak and clear a matter; so is he a false witness that will not speak in the cause of the dumb, as well as he that uttereth an untruth: thus also is the watchman guilty that should give warning and blow the trumpet, but becometh as the dumb dog that cannot bark, Isaiah 56, 10. Lastly, by not resisting or withstanding, when we are able, Psal. 82, 4. If God give us power, & we make our selves weak, the evil that we suffer shall be required of us. Likewise in the example of Moses, we learn to have recourse to GOD in all matters of doubt; we must not run on upon an head, but go into the Sanctuary, and ask counsel of the Lord. Lastly, observe, that sin is the true cause of death mortality, corruption, and all the misery that hath taken hold of all mankind; when sin entered, then entered all plagues and judgments in this life, and after this life, Gen. 2, 17, & 3.19. 1. Cor. 15, 21, & 11, 30: Rom. 5, 12, 21. James 1, 16. Hebrews 9, 27, 28.

[Reason 1] For sin is the sting of death, that is, the power and strength, and the very armor of death, it is as a sword which he holdeth in his hand to wound us withal. It is as a stinging serpent, 1. Cor. 15: and if remedy be not sought against the biting of it, it woundeth soul and body to death. Secondly, it standeth with the justice and righteousness of God, which will not otherwise be satisfied. We see how Magistrates, whose breath is in their nostrils, do punish malefactors and offenders with bodily death, their eye doth not spare them: no marvel then if the Lord (who is a consuming fire, Heb. 12.) whose person is of infinite Majesty, take hold of soul and body, and punish them both spiritually and eternally; and therefore the Apostle justly calleth death the wages of sin, Rom. 6.23. Thirdly, sin hath pestered and poisoned our nature, corrupting all the powers and parts in us, our mind, our will, our memory, our affections, our conscience, Eph. 4, 17, 18.19. Rom. 6, 12, 13. It is as a worm that is always gnawing at the root of life, until tree and all fall down. Lastly, sin giveth strength to Satan the prince of darkness, without which he could not hurt us, it is he that hath power over death, Heb. 2, 14. 1. Cor. 15, 56: and therefore was the Son of man manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil, 1. John. 3, 8. But it may be objected, if sin be the cause of death, [Objection] how cometh it to pass that Christ died, who knew no sin, in whose mouth was no guile found? [Answ.] Answ. Though Christ were without sin in himself, yet he that knew no sin, was made sin for us, &c. he took upon him the sins of all y ^e faithful, as a surety taketh upon him the debt of another. And albeit he were not a sinner by transgression, yet he may be said to be a sinner by imputation, and therefore he must die, yet so, that dying (having no cause of death in himself) he might destroy death, and him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, Heb. 2, 14, Hos. 13, 14. Again, [Object] if death be a fruit & effect of sin, how cometh it to pass that the faithful, which have in Christ remission of sins, do notwithstanding dy? [Answ.] Answ. Albeit they have forgiveness of sins, yet they have in them always the relics of sin through the corruption of nature, though it be not imputed unto them through the mercy of God. The guilt of Adams sin followeth us, as the shadow doth the body, it cannot in this life be wholly purged; it shall be at the last clean put off by death. It is necessary therefore that we should die or be changed at the last day, that sin may be utterly extinguished, & that we may by death as by a door enter into everlasting glory. Sin is every day lessened and consumed in the faithful, howbeit still we bear about us the body of death, Psal. 51, 5, 2 Cor. 12, 7, Eph. 2, 3.

We learn from hence what a horrible and hideous thing sin is, that bringeth with it such bitter fruit; for sin & death are coupled together, Rom. 8, 2. Sin came not in by creation, Eccl. 7, 31, but by transgression; for from the beginning it was not so. Sin hath wrought this confusion, even the first sin of Adam, which also is our sin. Now there are four things that do continually and distinctly cleave to sin, the fault, the guilt, the blot, and the punishment. The fault is the offense committed against God in the action, which is the root of all the rest. The guilt is an obligation to punishment for the fault and offense which we have committed. The blot or spot thereof is as it were a mark or print set and branded in the soul of him that sinned, when he groweth to an hight in wickedness, like the mark that was set upon Cain when he had killed his brother. For the multiplying of offensive actions is the continual increase of the blot or blemish of the soul, til in the end the light of nature be utterly extinguished, and men come to a reprobate sense, and grow to be past feeling, through the blindness of their minds, and the hardness of their hearts. Even as the dropsy man, the more he drinketh, the more he drieth; so the more a man sinneth, the more he is given to sin. As the covetous person always desireth to get more, so the sinner always desireth to sin more, and to work all uncleanness with greediness. The punishment it self is the wages and just recompense of all the former, which is the first & second death. The first death is a separation of the soul and body: the second, a separation of the whole man from God: for as the soul is the life of the body, so is God the life of the soul. Know therefore and acknowledge from hence, that it is an irksome and bitter thing to provoke him by our sin, which driveth away his comfortable presence from us.

[Use 2] Secondly, this teacheth that none can escape death, by strength, or policy, by friends or fraud, or by any occasion, in as much as all are sinners, even from their mothers womb unto the day of their death, Psal. 58, 3. & 51, 5. Gen. 8, 21. Job 4, 17. & 15, 14. & 25, 4. It is a fearful and cruel tyrant, an outrageous and wasting enemy that maketh spoil and havoc wheresoever he cometh, sparing neither young nor old, rich nor poor, Prince nor people, good nor bad, Psal. 89, 48. It standeth us therefore in hand, to account of every day as our last day, and to know that every moment may cut off the thread of our life, so that we are suddenly gone, & are no more: & we must prepare for it continually, our whole life should be a meditation of it. Again, we must pull out of our hearts this false conceit and imagination, whereby every man naturally blesseth, and notably deceiveth himself, and thinketh, though he have one foot in a manner in the grave, yet he shall not die this year, but he may live one year longer, as the rich man was in a pleasant dream, & did forecast for many years, Luke 12, 19. And yet alas we know not what shall be tomorrow, I am. 4, 14, no nor what one day may bring forth, Pr. 27, 1

[Use 3] Lastly, let everyone labor to take away the power and strength of his own death. And to this end we must deal with it, as the Philistines dealt with Sampson, they never gave over till they had learned where his strength lay, Judge. 16, 5, 6, and then they quickly weakened him, and prevailed over him, who before had prevailed over them. So ought we to do, we must know wherein the strength of death consisteth, & that is in sin only. Take this away by repentance from dead works & faith in Christ, and you shave off the seven locks of it, that is, you shall weaken it, that it shall never be able to hurt you. So many sins as live and reign in us, so many stings hath death, which serve to wound our souls to eternal death. If then we would die the death of the righteous, let us endeavor to the utmost of our strength to live the life of the righteous. Then we shall lay a good foundation that shall never be shaken, and build our house upon the rock; we shall begin our eternal life in this mortal life, and have our conversation in heaven while we walk upon the earth, Phil. 3, 20. Let us beware of putting off the time from day today, & whatsoever we would do at the last gasp & groan when we are dying, let us do the same every day while we are living. The most wicked when he seeth he is presently to leave y ^e world, will seem desirous to pray, though he never prayed in his health, and to require others to pray for him, and haply those whom before he contemned and derided, & their prayers also; then likewise he will promise and protest amendment of life, & make solemn vows & covenants with God. Let us therefore do this daily, which these men do at their last day, that when death cometh, we may be found ready and prepared with oil in our lamps, like the wise virgins, Math. 25. To conclude, he that would live when he is dead, must die when he is alive, and there is no way for us to come to life, but first to enter by the gate of death.

The deciding of the former question, being referred by Moses unto GOD, followeth in these words, wherein he returneth his answer consisting of two parts, the one special, the oath general: the one respecting the time present, the other the time to come. The special belongeth to the cause of these five sisters. God approveth their suite, & requireth that an inheritance should be given to them all, so much as their father should have inherited, if he had lived longer. The accomplishment of this designment is afterward related, Josh. 17, 3, 4, &c. where he performeth this Commandment of the Lord. The general ariseth upon the former particular case, and this belongeth to all the children of Israel, wherein God determineth in what order they shall inherit. Now these are the degrees. First, the nearest heirs are the heirs males, a man's own sons. Secondly, if he have no heirs males, his daughters shall be his heirs. Thirdly, for default of such issue, the inheritance shall go to his own brethren; for after his children, his brother is next in nature and blood unto him, therefore if his own children fail, his brother must be his heir. Fourthly, if he have no brother, then his fathers brethren, his vnkles. Lastly, if his father have no brethren, the inheritance must descend to the next kinsman whatsoever he be of his tribe and family. Here a question may be asked, whether this law bind in conscience all Nations and persons forever? And many things may be said of it and for it, as most equal and the voice of nature it self. Nevertheless all things considered, [Answ.] I rather take this law to be among the Judicials that do not necessarily tie all places & persons to the performance of them. Hence it is, that it is said afterward, verse 11, that it is a statute of judgment: and to whom? not to all Nations, but to the children of Israel: so that though some of their judicial and political laws do bind, yet all do not, as we see in Exodus, where they are handled in the 21, 22, & 23, chapters. Secondly, this law appointeth that the inheritance must of necessity pass from one to another, from the father unto the child, &c. without any interruption: if then this order must hold as a perpetual ordinance forever, it should be utterly unlawful to sell a man's inheritance for any cause, or upon any occasion, or to buy a man's inheritance, because the Jews were as well tied to that; and if they did, it must return to the owner again at the year of Jubilee, as we read in many places of the Law of Moses, Levite. 25, 23, 24, & Numb. 36, 8: and it appeareth farther in the practice of Naboth, 1 Kings 21, 3, when Ahab required of him his Vineyard, either by way of sale or exchange, he answered, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee. Thus doth God ordain, that every man's Land should keep and continue within his own tribe, and not pass from tribe to tribe, which would bring much confusion, and an intermingling of one tribe with another; all which were peculiar to this people. Thirdly, God ordained it as a statute also in Israel, that the eldest should have a double portion of all that a man hath, because he is the beginning of his strength, therefore the right of the first borne is his: this is grounded upon the same reasons that this is, & yet who accounteth this precisely imposed upon all as a moral ordinance? Nay, some of good note and name in the Church, are of opinion, that they should receive the best portion that are best, and inherit most, that have most grace in their hearts; and therefore they take not this precept to be as a president to bind all posterity. And if this do not necessarily bind, why should the former? Fourthly, the words of the law in this place do not seem to me as a law of annexing the inheritance to these, that it should not be lawful to alter this course. It is said, if a man die and have no son, or if he die and have no daughter, then shall the inheritance descend thus and thus: but this hindereth not, but a man while he liveth, may by will or otherwise make conveyance of his estate, and this law is nothing against such conveyance. Lastly, we find that the Israelites themselves did sometimes give inheritance to their daughters, even while they had heirs males, as appeareth in Caleb, Judge. 1, 15. 1. Chron. 2, 18. Solomon was not the eldest son of David, yet he succeeded his father in his kingdom, and had more then all the rest. To conclude, if grace must have the first place, & virtue must make the heir, then nature must give place to grace. But to leave this doubt, let us come to the Doctrine, for hereby we learn, that the propriety of goods is the ordinance and blessing of God; he hath appointed that men should have their possessions peculiar to themselves in this life. So did Abraham buy a possession for burial, and paid for it currant money among Merchants, Gen. 23, 16: he laid no claim to it before he had purchased it, as if it had been no less his thē any other. The Patriarchs challenged as proper to themselves the Welles which by their own labor and industry they had digged, and complained of wrong and violence when they were taken from them, Gen. 26. To this end did God appoint, that every Tribe should have inheritance given them by lot. Hence it is also that we read that the faithful have had possessions, and retained their possessions, and are said many of them to be exceeding rich, to have possession of flocks, possession of herds, and great store of servants: and others are said to become great, to have silver, and gold, and jewels, Gen. 26, & 24; as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Obadiah, and infinite others. In the New Testament we read of John the Evangelist, of Joseph of Arimathea, a Disciple of Christ, who honored the burial of his Master; of Lazarus raised up by Christ, & his two sisters; of Simon the leaper, of Joanna, of Susanna, and these lived in the days of Christ, and had possessions. After his ascension, many believers sold their possessions, Tabitha was full of good works, Cornelius the Captain gave much alms to all the people, Philemon and Philip, and sundry others; all which professing and some of them preaching the Gospel, are nowhere commanded to abjure their possessions, and to renounce their houses and lands, neither did they betake themselves to a supposed community, knowing that private possession and Christian profession stand together, and do not one overthrow the other, as hath been plentifully declared elsewhere.

[Reason 1] The grounds of this doctrine are very apparent. First, God approveth of buying and selling, or else the first Christians might not have sold their possessions, and taken money for them; and they did alienate them from them, not because they could not lawfully be possessed, but because the poor should be relieved, Act. 4, 34. The Lord likewise giveth rules in the Law for the right ordering thereof, Levite. 25, 15. Secondly, God commandeth almesgiuing to the people as an holy and Christian duty, which he also promiseth to reward to a cup of cold water, Matth, 10. and everywhere he commendeth the relieving of the wants and necessities of their poor brethren, & threateneth the contrary, Deut. 15, 11. Thirdly, he forbiddeth stealing and wronging one of another in temporal things, and hurting one another in their goods, Exod. 20, 15. As also the defrauding one of another, Mark 10, 19. Lastly, every man hath his children proper to himself, every man knoweth his own children, and can say, These are mine, these are not mine. Now children are part of their fathers goods, as appeareth Job 1: As then they are proper unto every man, so also ought other goods, that every man may know his own.

[Use 1] This reproveth the Anabaptists, y ^t would bring in a communion, or rather a confusion of all things, who while they go about to make all one, they set all out of order; & while they think to establish perfect charity, they bring in a perfect Anarchy. These sectaries are the disciples of Plato, not of Christ, whose opinion was rejected by the Philosophers themselves, and convinced by natural reason. This doctrine serveth to no other end, but to burden one, to ease another: and to set some at work to maintain others in idleness. The grounds whereupon these stand, I have propounded and answered in other places. As for the practice of the godly in the Apostles time (which is pretended to maintain this heresy) it cannot serve their purpose, forasmuch as this community was merely voluntary, imposed upon none but such as imposed it upon themselves, Acts 5, 4: and so far as the necessity of the poor Saints required it, which caused them to stretch themselves beyond their ability, least the poor being tempted with the extremity of poverty, should slide back from the Christian verity (which they had embraced) to the Jewish Ceremonies. This y