Itrates, I will give you Pastors, which shall feed you with wisdome and understanding,in the third chapter of Feremiah and the fifteenth verfe : And the talfe Prophets are called falie Shepheards, in the eleventh The neceffity chapter of Zachariah: And of the people that are without a Go of temporall and spirituall fhepheards, and why › vernor, it is faid, Let not the Lords people be as fheep without a shepheard, in the twenty feventh chapter of Numbers: And for ecclefiafticall government, Chrift faw the people As Sheep that have no shepheard, and had compassion of them, in the ninth chapter of Matthew; and in the thirty fourth chapter of Ezekiel That which is performed to sheep by the thepheards, as the leading of them forth, the bringing them in pafture, the gathering of them together being difperfed, the defending of them from violence: All this is afcribed to the Prophets, that should teach Gods people, and sheep of his pasture, The fheep are fubject to be torne in pieces, by the Bears and Lions, in the firft of Samuell and the feventh chapter: And The fat sheep, will kick against the young and weak sheep, in the thirty fourth chapter of Ezekiel: Against which injuries the fhepheard is to defend them, which is a reprefentation of that overfight, that Magiftrates have of the people Therefore God took Mofes from keeping of sheep, to be governor over his people, in the third chapter of Exodus: And David from following the ewes great with lamb, was chosen to be King over Ifrael, in the feventy eighth Pfalme: As if by keeping of fheep they had been trained up and made fit to govern men: Therefore as in 4bell, is reprefented the care and overfighted, that temporall magiftrates have over their people and fubje&s; So Foseph is called the fhepheard of Ifrael, in the fourty ninth chapter of Genefis; And Cyrus is called Gods fervant and shepheard, in the fourty fift chapter of Efay And for ecclefiaftiall government, that is no leffe fet out in the care of fhepheards. And therefore Chrift who is the chief fhepheard faith to Saint Peter, Pafce agnos meos, in the twenty first chapter of Fohn. Gen.4.3. Aprill 22. 1599. Abella patern of the Saints, Cain of the wicked. Fuit autem poft dies multos, quum obtulit Kajin de fructu terræ munus Fehova. Et ipfe quoque Hebel obtulit de primogenitis gregis fui, & de adipe eorum: HESE two Bretheren, as we have heard, are the great patern of the maine divifion of the world, that is, Abell is a patern of the Saints and Church of God; and Cain of fleshly and wordly minded men. Concerning whom from the beginning, we have already confidered two parts. First, the difpofition of their natures. Secondly, their vocations. Thirdly, we we are at length come to their Religion; which, howsoever it be laft regarded of men, yet ought it to be first in place: For how fosver Adam after the tall did provide for Re-igion in the last place, yet First provides as Chrift faith, Non fic fuit ab initio, in the ninth chapter of Mathew, for religion, Therefore we are first to enquire of Gods fervice, and after to pro- trades, and Secondly, for vide for trades and occupations, as the Prophet exhorteth, Stand in why ? the way, and behold, and aske for the old wayes, in the fixth chapter of Feremiah, and the fifteenth verfe. four paris rou Touching their Religion we have to confider four points: First, Divifion in the antiquities and generalities of it. Secondly, the kindes of it, that ching this Reis, Cains oblation, and Abell's facrifice. Thirdly, the ground and ligion, realon why they performed this fervice to God. Fourthly, the ⚫warrant they had for it. of nature. Firft, for the Antiquitie of this kinde of worship, in offering up to 1. The antiGod, we are to know, that there is no act of Religion remembred quity of it be ing firft. in Scripture before this offering of Cain and Abell: And therefore the Apoftie fheweth, that the Sacrifice which Abell offered up to Examples. God, was the first fruit of faith, that ever was shewed, in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews and the fourth verfe. As it was the first be- 1. In the law fore the flood, fo in the new world, when all things had been drowned with the flood, the first service done to God, was the offering of Noah, upon an Altar which he made, as it is in the eighth chapter of Genefis and the eighteenth verfe: In the law of nature we fee it is first, and so it was first in the law of Mofes; for before he spake of 2 In the wilts any worship,he willed that they fhould facrifice unto the Lord their ten law. God, in the third chapter of Exodus and the eighteenth verse: So is it the first, not only in the old Teftament, but in the new, for, the first fervice performed to Chrift the fon of God, was the oblation 3. As in the of the wifemen, in the fecond chapter of Matthew and the eleventh old; fo in the verse. new. 3 Secondly for the generalitie: As mention is firft made of oblation; 2. For the ge fo it is faid generally,that Cain and Abell offered: For there is no Reli- nerality, both offered, and gion, be it true or falfe, that is without offerings and facrifices. Not why? only the Jewes had them t ut the Gentiles alfo: And of them not only fuch as were godly, as it is faid of Fob, that he offered a facrifice, in the first chapter of Fob and the fifth verfe; but even those Gentils that were not regarded of God,had their facrifices; as Balaak had his fervice altars,apon which he offered oxen and rams to God, Numbers twenty third. And for the Chriftians, that they have alwayes had their offerings is plaine, for of them the Apoftic faith, Nos habemus Our Chriftian altare, in the thirteenth chapter to the Hebrewes, that is, as the Jewes Altars, the had their altars upon which they offered thofe facrifices which did prænunciare mortem Domini, lo the Altar of the Chriftians is the Lords table whereon they doe anunciare mortem Domini, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, the eleventh chapter and the twen y fifth verfe. As the Jewes Sacrifices were figures, fo our Sacraments are memorialls of Chrifts paffion, in the twenty fecond chapter of Luke, and the nineteenth verfe, Facite hoc in memoriâ miel. Secondly Lords Tables, 2. The kindes of offering, 2. Sacrifice. Secondly, the kindes of their offering are, as the Apoltle faith, in the fifth to the Ephesians, and the first verle, An oblation of a sweete 1. Oblation, (melling favour, and a facrifice which the Hebrewes cali Minchab and Zebach,and the Greckes Heroes, and Quia the Latines Oblatio and Sacri. ficium. Sothe Apoftle fhewesh the divifion where he faith, Preists were appointed to offer up to God, on the behalf of the people, gifts and Sacrifices for finne, in the fifth chapter to the Hebrews and the firft verfe: 1 hele were offered in the Tabernacle, in the ninth chapter to the Hebrews, and the twelfth verfe; and had their ground in Cain and Abell; after whofe example, their pofterity offered thofe oblations to God. 2. Kinde of 2. To pacifie The oblation was a thing offered up whole as it was, without alteration; But the Sacrifices were changed and confumed with fire. Such an oblation was that which Abell offered: And therefore the Apostle faith, it was a facrifice, in the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews and the fourth verfe: By faith Abell offered a better facrifice. Which two kindes of gifts or offerings, are thus distinguished, 1. To please. as there are munera placentia, fuch a gift was the Mandrakes which Lea gave to Rachel to please her, in the thirtieth chapter of Genefis and the fifteenth verle: And munera placantia to pacific anger, fuch as Fa cob gave Efau, when he had offended, in the thirty third chapter of Genefis; And the brethren of Fofeph when they had offended him, in the fourty third chapter of Genefis: A prefent of Spices, the first kinde of oblation which is to pleale, is common to us, with the Angels themselves; for they offer up to God praife and thanksgi ving, because they know God is pleafed with them. But the fecond fort, is proper to men only, who as they have procured Gods anger by finning; fo they are to offer thofe gifts which may pacific his wrath. 1. To please Angels offer up praife to ́alfo to men, 2. Praises to men, to offer Gods wrath. 3. 1. For oblati on. In teftimony of and why? The ground Thirdly, the ground and reason why they offered, is first for and reafon why oblation. Albeit God forbad to offer to Idols; yet his will is not they offered. that we should not offer at all: And though we may not offer to God, to the end wemight fupply his need, feeing he is not hungry, in the fiftieth Pfalme: Yet he will have us offer in teftimony of our thankfulneffe, thankfulneffe to him, as he faith, offer to me the facrifice of thanksgiving; So that as a Prince, having made a conqueft of a City, doth diftribute it to his fubjects at his pleasure; yet fo, as he referveth to himself a rent or fervice, be it never so little, that they may thereby acknowledge, that whatsoever they have they hold it of him; fo God will have us after the example of Cain and Abell, in bath to offer fine dierum, that is on the Sabbath, to offer to him our quit-rent, we our quit rent may not come before him empty handed, the twenty fecond chapter of Exodus, but bring fomething with us, to acknowledge that whatsoever we have, we have it from him; So the people were to bring their first fruits in a basket, and to offer to God by the Prieft, and to make not a vocall, but a reall confeffion of Gods Not only by goodneffe, and providence for them, in the twenty fixt chapter a vocall, but a of Deuteronomie: As David acknowledged, all comes of thy hand, On the Sab to God, and reall confefli. on. & quod facrifices. &quod de manu tua accipimus, ea damus tibi, in the first of the Chroni Note, cles the twenty ninth chap.er and fourteenth verfe: Even fo as God gives us our fpirits, in the twelfth chapter of Eccle. We must offer 1 To offer in to him fpirituall facrifices, in the first of Peter and the fecond chap- foul spirituall ter: And feeing corpus aptavit nobis, in the tenth chapter of the Hebrews: And in the fourtieth Pfalme : We muft glorifie him both 2. In body the in our bodies, and in our fpirits, in the first of the Corinthians the calves of our lips. fixth chapter, that is, we must offer up to him the calves of our Jips, in the fourteenth chapter of Hofe, that is, the facrifice of praise to God, which is, the fruit of the lips, in the thirteenth chapter of the Hebrews and the fifteenth verfe: And thirdly, it must not be a vocall3. In our fubconfeffion, but we must really acknowledge it, by offering of our fance, and fubftance to him, we must not come emptie handed, in the twenty second chapter of Exodus; But as we confeffe before the Lord, that we were like to perish till he provided for us; fo we must give him a prefent, even the firft fruits of that we have, acknowledging that all came from him, in the twenty fixt chapter of Deuteronomie, fo The ground of as the ground of our oblation, is the teftifying of our thankfuln. ffe. our oblation is Another end is, the teftifying and acknowledging of our subjection to God, that as he gave us our fouls; fo we confeffe we ought to bestow our fouls on God. why ? to teftific; fulness. 2 our fubjeЯion to God. 1. to give and And that we shall de, if when our own reason cannot attain to fee, how that fhould be juft which he requireth: yet we be con- fubje& our tent to make our fouls fubje&t to him, and to bring them into the fouls to God. obedience of Chrift, in the fecond of the Corinthians and the tenth chapter: If as we have grieved the spirit of God with our finnes ; do we be content to grieve our fouls, and to break them with forrow, which is a facrifice to God, in the fifty first Pfalme and the seventeenth verse. God. Secondly, as we have received our bodies from God; fo we 2. to fubje&t muft make them subject to God, by abating the defires which our our bodies to flesh delighteth in, that we may delight in that which God requireth, and that we be content to impoverish the body, to chaften it, and bring it under by fafting, in the firft of the Corinthians and the ninth chapter: that it may be more fit for his service, we muft From both soul not only acknowledge in our foul, that we owe our felves, both and body, our foul and body to God, but we muft open our lips and fhew forth few forth his praife with our mouthes, in the fifty first Pfalme. mouths muft Gods praife. with our fubftance. The facrifice alfo hath two And lastly, we must honor God with our fubftance, in the third chap- 3. We must ter of the Proverbs: And not content our felves with the oblation honour God of the lips, as a facrifice that coft us nothing, in the fecond of S4muell and the twenty fourth chapter: The facrifice also hath two grounds. First, The confeffion of our finnes, for in that the poor Lamb, or other beast whatsoever, hath his throat cut; what is it elfe but confeffion, that what the Lamb fuffereth, the fame we our felves deserved to foffer: As the Lamb dieth, fo we deferve the death both of body and foul And as the Lamb was burnt to ashes; fo Bbb a grounds. fion of our fins, and why? 1. The confef 2 The confeffion of our faith in Chrift, we deserved to be burnt in the lake of fire and brimstone, in the twen tieth of the Apocal. and the tenth veric: For fine effufione fanguinis non eft peccatorum remißio, in the ninth chapter of the Hebrews: And fo in that the poor beaft hath his blood poured out; we doe thereby confeffe, that we cannot have remiffion of finnes, without the fhedding of blood, if we feck it in our felves. But there is a fecond ground of the facrifice, and that is, the conteffion of our faith, which maketh all the other confeffions perwhich maketh fe&t, for how is it poffible that a Lamb fhould be worth a Man, and the other per- that the death of an unreasonable creature, should be a fufficient fe&t, and why? fatisfaction for the finnes of a realoable foul; the Apoftle faith, It is imposible that the blood of Lambs and Goats, fhould take away finnes, in the tenth chapter of the Hebrews and the fourth verse: It coft more to redeem fouls, then lo vile a price, or the price of the most pretious things in the world, in the fourty ninth Pfalme: Therefore the reason why they offered facrifice, was to make confession of Lamb flain, by their faith in Christ, whom they confeffed to be the Lamb of God, we have remif- fain from the beginning of the world; by whole blood we have fion of fiones, remiffion of finnes : So the Lambe which Abel offered, in the fourth and why? Chrift, the whose blood The warrant whereby they offered obla:i ons and facri fice. by Adam. 1 . chapter of Genefis, which Efay forefaw should stand before his fhearrer, in the fifty third of Ifaiah; whom John Baptift pointed at, Fohn the first chapter, and the twenty ninth verfe, Ecce Agnus Dei, is Chrift the Son of God, flain from the beginning of the world, to take away finnes, Apoc. the thirteenth chapter, And in the blood of that Lambe are the finnes of the whole world purged, as it is in the first Epistle of St. John, the first chapter and the feventh verle. Fourthly, The warrant whereby they offered their oblation and facrifices, was not any expreffe command of God in the Scripture; and God only knoweth what kinde of service beft pleaseth him; and of themselves they were not to devife any thing; but they were taught by Adam, and Adam was instructed by God: As Adam had 1. Adam was experience that God was able to bring light out of darkneffe; fo he God, and they taught Adam by his fpirit, that, as by the tree of life he would give life; fo by death he would give life: For as in the Sacrifices of the We by our Sacraments, life; Law, the Jews were taught, that out of death God would give them life; fo now in our Sacraments, Christians are affured, that by the Made known, death of Chrift whereof the Supper is a commemoration, the faith1. By the light full obtain life. The meanes whereby God made this known to That they had them, was firft the light of nature, which told them, that seeing fo offended God. many infirmities and fickneffes lay upon them, it was for that they 2. That they had offended fom body. Secondly, that all they poffeffed was from nefs for all fome fuperior power, to whom they ought to be both thankfull they had, to be and dutifull, and to acknowledge both thefe in words, as well as in acknowledged, in heart, word, heart, and to expreffe this fubjection by works, that is, by offering and works. fomthing to God: But as for confeffion of faith, no reason of feffion of faith, man, no light of nature, that could apprehend that; but as Chrift no reafon or faith, in the fixteenth of Matthew, it was the Revelation of Light of nature taught but by Gods Spirit, which taught them, that Chrift the Lambe of Gods Spirit. of nature. owe thankful 2. For the con 1 God |