Lectures Upon Exodus 20, Title page – Dedication
LECTVRES of John Knewſtub, vponupon the twentith Chapter of Exodus, and certeine other places of Scripture.
¶ Seene and allowed according to the Queenes maieſties Iniunctions.
IMPRINTED BY Lucas Harriſon.
ANNO. 1577.
¶ To the right Honorable and vertuous Ladie, the Ladie Anne, Counteſſe of Warwick I. K. wiſheth increaſe of that grace, that hath promiſes, bothe of this life, and of the life to come.
WHen once I had yeelded (right honorable) to the often and earneſte requeſt of ſundry men, for the publiſhing of certeine Lectures which (as they ſaid) not without ſome fruite they had heard me reade, I was ſoone reſolued within my ſelfe of one, to whome I might preſent the firſt fruites of this my labour. For the well accepting of that which firſt I did ſpeake before your honour, put me in aſſured hope to finde an indifferent eare for this, whiche with more deliberation I ſhould commit to writing and the manifolde benefites which I hauehave receiued, conſtreined me to lay holde of any opportunitie offered, whereby I might le…e ſome remembraunce of my thankefulneſſe and dutie toward any of that honourable houſe of Warwick, to the which I am (in the Lord) ſo many wayes indebted. Wherof I hauehave in few wordes to ſay thus much, that I thinke there is great occaſion offered of thankefulneſſe vntounto the Lord, who would that ſo many benefites and ſo much comforte ſhould come to me from thence, that he hath offered me alſo this opportunitie, to leaue behinde me a thankefull memorie thereof, that there might be ſome remembraunce continued of that thing, that hath in it greate deſeruing why it ſhuld not be ſoone forgotten. And to the Chriſtian reader whoſoeuer I ſay, that I am not ignorant into what danger I hauehave offered my ſelfe, attempting to write of that matter wherein ſo many and godly men with ſo greate fruite and commendation hauehave trauayled before me for to add any thing vntounto them, or to differ any whit from them, will bee charged of ſome with noueltie, or ſecret reprehenſion of their trauayles, and to tread in the ſame ſteps with others that hauehave gone before, ſhal not be able to auoide the blame of needleſſe labour, and trauel to no purpoſe. I am therefore to require of all men that iudgement may not proceede againſt me, before I ſhal be admitted to ſpeake for my ſelfe, and that with indifferencie it may be heard what can be ſaid, why no ſuche ſentence ought by any right to paſſe againſt me or any other in the like attēpt. And for the former charge (of adding any thing to the labours of ſo godly men) if thoſe who hauehave gone before vsus hauing ſo litle helpe from their predeceſſours, hauehave notwithſtanding left great light vntounto vsus, ſo that being be truſted, but (as it were) with one talent, by their diligent trauel and occupying they hauehave made it fiue, I do not ſee, but that it may wel ſtand with the modeſtie of a Chriſtian of our time, being ſo richly left, and entering vponupon ſo great a ſtocke, to trauel at the reckoning to be found at the leſt to hauehave gayned ſomething: nay, I do not ſee how we ſhal auoide the iuſt reproche of vnfaithful ſtewardes, if ſo many talents increaſe nothing vnderunder our handes: ſo farre am I from imagining that the blame of noueltie or any ſuche thing, hathe in it iuſt cauſe to ſtay our trauell, or hinder our labour in that behalfe.
And for the other charge (of treading in the ſame ſteppes with them that hauehave gone before vsus) if that courſe ſhould be taken, there is much that might be ſaide for it. For the ſame meate which beeing prepared by one, doth pleaſe the taſte and ſtomach: beeing dreſſed by another, we hauehave no ſuche ſauour in it: and ſurely the affections of men ſtande no leſſe diuerſly affected towardes the varietie of Gods giftes in deliuering one and the ſame matter, then doth the ſtomache toward the diuerſitie of dreſſing of one and the ſame kinde of meate, ſo that in ſo great diuerſitie a man may with modeſtie hope to be directed vntounto ſome, who ſhall finde themſelues holpen by his handeling of the matter, albeit no other thing be brought beſide that which hath beene heard of before: For as the Lord will alway hauehave this aduantage againſte the wicked for the cleareing of his iuſtice, that it may truely be ſaid vntounto them, in respect of the varietie of Gods giftes graunted them: We hauehave piped vntounto you, but ye hauehave not daunſed: Luke▪ 7.31.we hauehave mourned vntounto you, and ye hauehave not wept: ſo wil he magnifie his merciemercy towardes thoſe that be his, in graunting them ſuche varietie of giftes, as no man ſhalbe ſo affected, but that he ſhall finde a helpe prepared, whereby he may be benefited. We ſee then, that either of theſe courſes hathe not onelyonly ſufficient defence to cleare it, but alſo muche to be ſaide in the cōmendation of the ſame. The Christian Reader ſhal perceiue in peruſing this treatiſe of the lawe, that my trauel hath beene to let him ſee, that Chriſt is a Sauiour in deede vntounto him, that he might perceiue the length, bredth, and depth of his mercies, and ſo be brought to imbrace them accordingly. And becauſe the greatneſſe of our corruption diſcouereth the riches of his grace, which is by ſo much the richer, as the pouertie is greater which it doth relieue: I hauehave laboured therefore to lay out our pouertie & want in euerie particular commandement, & how our affection ſtandeth naturally not indifferent, but an vtter enimie to the obedience required in the ſame: that in the ſight of ſo muche rebellion and ſinne, bleeding (as it were) in euerie part of vsus of ſome deadly wound, we might ſlacke no time in ſeeking vntounto Chriſt Ieſus the only Phyſician of our ſoule: and conſidering the number and daunger of thoſe wounds that he doth cure and couer in vsus, we might neuer forget or ſmally account of, but alwayes worthily magnifie the greatneſſe of his grace and merciemercy towards vsus.
Which manner of proceeding (if it be indifferently examined) ſhall be found to hauehave great fruite and profite in it: For to make vsus carefull in ſeeking after Phyſick, this is not ſufficient, that we knowe our ſelues to be diſeaſed and ſick, but to know a number of diſeaſes to be growing vppon vsus, & thoſe of that quantitie that eueryevery of them threatneth preſent death, haueing infected the principall partes of our life: that is it which maketh a man with all ſpeede to take him to the remedie appointed for the ſame. Many there are, who will not denye themſelues to be ſinners and ſicke of ſinne: but becauſe they neither knowe how many partes are infected, nor yet howe daungerous their infection is, their care to be releeued is the ſmaller, and their labour the leſſe to bee ridd of it. Wherevppon alſo it followeth, that he is ſo much the leſſe regarded who is to worke that cure vppon them: ſo that we ſee this generall lapping vp of ſinne, when it is not vnfolden to our conſciences and layd out in the ſeuerall braunches thereof, is not only hurtful vntounto vsus, but alſo iniurious vntounto the due eſtimation of the death of Chriſte. I cannot more fitlie compare thoſe men (who will moſt willingly confeſſe them ſelues in generall words to be ſinners, and yet are very loath to be troubled with any particular knowledge thereof) then vntounto ſome notorious offenders againſt the lawes and peace of their prince, who can willingly heare theſe generall wordes, that they bee offenders, and hauehave not kept the ſeuerall ſtatutes and lawes of their prince, ſo that they will proceede no further with them: but to be brought foorth and charged with their ſeuerall fellonies, murthers, or treaſons that they hauehave committed, and to hauehave their wickedneſſe particularly layd out in number of dedes, & manner of doing, that may beſt ſet out the heynouſneſſe thereof, that, in no eaſe, may be abidden: and yet notwithſtanding before that time, neither is their owne eſtate greatly feared, nor yet the lawe ſo much as thought vppon how to bee ſatisfied. It is this particular ſight of ſinne that ſendeth vsus forthwith vntounto Chriſt, and maketh him appeare both glorious in the multitude of his ſo greate mercies, and moſte neceſſarie in the conſideration of our ſo many daungerous infirmities.
If it pleaſe the Reader in the examining of him ſelfe in any commaundement, foorthwith to ioyne to the ſame that which is written here of the properties of louelove, and that other nexte Lecture of the vſe of the lawe: he ſhall finde (I hope) ſome helpe in them, the ſooner to departe from him ſelfe, and the more carefully to imbrace Christe. And that he may be acquainted the better with my meaning, and purpoſe in this matter, I will giuegive him in fewe wordes the reaſon of the ſame.
I ſee in the lawe of God that we are not only forbidden the workes of our owne deuotion and intent, & bound to that choiſe of workes that God hath appointed in his word: but alſo that we are ſtrictly charged to doe the ſame, all and euerie one of them in louelove, which is an affection that carrieth a man ſo in delight after the thinges which he loueth, that he oftentimes forgetteth himſelfe in respect thereof, according as it is reported by the holy Ghoſt (as a propertie to know it by) that louelove ſeketh not her owne thinges. This is the cauſe why after the commandementes I hauehave ſet downe the notes and properties to diſcerne louelove by, that when we hauehave ſeene what workes they be that we are bound to doe, we may alſo ſee with what affection we are charged to do thē: that we may be as careful to bring the right manner of doing vntounto the Lord, as the verie deede that he approueth. For we are as well to perfourme duetie in the manner of doing, as in the deed it ſelfe: It is one and the ſame God who hath inioyned both vntounto vsus, and therefore may not be denyed in either of them. The vſe of the lawe which is in the Lecture following, wil declare with what conditions we hauehave wages promiſed for our worke, and whether the couenant be ſo fauourable as that we neede not to doubt, but that we ſhall be able to perfourme it, and therefore to liue in it: or otherwiſe ſo harde, (as the trueth is in verie deede) that he remayneth vnderunder the curſe of God, who continueth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the lawe to do them. Let vsus then ſet theſe together. Firſt, the number of deeds: then, the manner of doing, whiche muſt hauehave in it thoſe properties that be in louelove: and last of al, the hard condition, which is, not to hauehave our good doeings to blotte out and put off our euil, but to remaine vnderunder the curſe, if we ſhall not continue in euerie thing that is written in the booke of the lawe to doe it: and then we ſhalbe forced to giuegive ouer this ſtrong holde, euen this confidence in our ſelues, and betake vsus wholy to the merciemercy of our God, and magnifie the ſame accordingly. And leaſt we ſhould imagine the matter of letting go the opinion of our ſelues and our worthineſſe to be nothing ſo hard as is ſuppoſed, and therefore no ſuch nede to hauehave ſo often before vsus in meditation and earneſt conſideration thereof the multitude of deedes to be doone, the louing manner of doing, and the hard condition if they ſhall not be doone: Let vsus aduiſedly conſider, how that ſingular inſtrument of God S. Paule confeſſeth, that he himſelfe was ſo ſubiect vntounto this ouer great opinion of him ſelf, that the meſſenger of ſathan was ſent vntounto him to buffet him,2. Cor. 12.7 leaſte hee ſhould be puffed vp with the meaſure of graces, whiche were giuen vntounto him. The daunger is greater therefore then we are aware of, when ſo rare an inſtrument and choſen ſeruaunt of GOD as was Paule, ſo hardely and with ſo much a doe, is brought to hauehave an humble opinion of him ſelfe and his worthineſſe.
The Romiſh religion likewiſe (fighting ſo ſtoutely for the deſerte of man) may teach vsus, that this doctrine of true humbling and ſubmitting of our ſelues vntounto our God, wil not ſo eaſilie enter into fleaſh and bloud, as at the firſt we would imagine: but that we hauehave neede often to ſet before vsus this lookeing glaſſe of the lawe, in manner as hath beene declared, to humble vsus withall: and all ſhall bee founde little inoughe to bring vsus truely from our ſelues, and to ſende vsus, not in parte, but wholy, vntounto the mercies of our GOD, whiche are declared vntounto vsus at large in the next Lecture after the vſe of the lawe.
When we ſhall hauehave profited in drawing nere vntounto Chriſt, and making much of his merciemercy, by an often and true ſight of our ſelues in the lawe, there is yet remayning an other vſe and fruite to be taken by it, of no leſſe profite then the former: whiche is, that when wee ſhall hauehave taken comforte in the mercies of Chriſt, and decreed to walke in the obedience of his will, to declare our thankefulneſſe thereby: the lawe will ſtand vsus in good ſtead to quicken vsus therevnto, while wee learne by it, bothe the number of things that are to be done, and alſo the backwardneſſe of our naturall diſpoſition and inclination therevnto: which we could not once (without this admonition from the lawe) hauehave ſuſpected to hauehave beene ſo greate, and therefore our care to ſuppreſſe it, would hauehave bene ſo much the leſſe. But hauing determined once to walke in the wayes of his commaundements, and then hauing warning from the lawe, that there is bothe in our witt and will enimitie therevnto, altogether bent to reſiſt it: it can not but increaſe our care, and add vntounto our paines and trauaile, for the atteining vntounto that end of obedience which we hauehave propounded vntounto vsus. For the man who hath a deſire vntounto any thinge, vnderſtanding once of any let in the way, is thereby more prouoked and ſtirred vp to beſtowe cares and paines vppon the ſame: knowing very well, that the thing which he deſireth can not otherwiſe be compaſſed.
And where is that man then, that ſeeing what duties are to be perfourmed bothe to the Lord, and to his brethren, and in what manner of affection and louelove, (for it is the end of Chriſte his death, and the purchaſe of his paſſion to hauehave a number not only giuen, but zelouſly giuen vntounto good workes) remembring withall, what an enimie he hath at home of his owne nature, if there be any feare of God in him, that ſhall not be occaſioned hereby more plentifully to practiſe the meanes of his ſaluation: eſpecially knowing, that thoſe who are ingrafted into the body of Chriſte, muſt dye vntounto ſinne and riſe vp in to theſe fruites of righteouſnes? Moreouer the knowledge and meditation of the lawe and commaundements, doe helpe vsus forward vntounto true and ſincere Chriſtianitie. For a great number deceiue them ſelues in a generall good meaning whiche they hauehave to ſerue the Lord, taking that to be the true ſeruice of him: and in the meane time are nothing carefull to keepe a good conſcience in the ſeuerall dueties of the lawe, nor any thing traueyling to traine vp their affections to delight therin: as if in Chriſtianitie we were to roue vncerteinely aboute good motions and good meanings, and had no certeine marks of ſeuerall dueties ſet before vsus to ſhoote at, that we might ſo iudge of our ſelues, as we ſee vsus come ſhorte or wide of them: whereas the true Chriſtian, in very deede profiteth in drawing neerer and neerer vntounto the Lord, in making his life and conuerſation more conformable vntounto the ſeuerall duties ſet downe in the commaundementes, beeing likewiſe carefull to approue his doings by the lawes & ſtatutes made for the ſame, as in ciuil dealings and traffique, a man wil feare to offende againſt the lawes and ſtatutes prouided in that behalfe. And as a wiſe man that hath much dealing in the worlde, wil hauehave ſome abstract of the ſtatutes, that (as occaſion requireth) he may turne to them, and ſo deale without danger of lawe: ſo it ſtandeth well with the policie of a Chriſtian, to be ſkilfull in the ſtatutes of his God, that when he hath to deale with the name of his brother, lookeing in this abſtract, he may ſee the cautions to be obſerued in the ſame, that he offend not againſt the lawes and ſtatutes of the Higheſt: & when ſoeuer he hath to deale with his goodes, he may turne in like maner to that ſtatute that hath prouided for wel dealing therin, & ſo auoide the dangers that otherwiſe he ſhould fall into. The like is to be done, when there are dealings immediately betwene vsus & the Lord, that we ſhould often loke into this briefe abſtract of the ſtatutes of our God, to ſee alwayes what is the prouiſo that is made for his glorie, and the ſuppreſſing of our owne corruption. Our corrupte nature doeth aſke all this of vsus, and the man that feareth God giueth no leſſe vntounto it. For the bleſſed man is ſaide to meditate in the lawe of his God day and night. Nay, we ſee that the only wiſe God (who knoweth better then we our ſelues what nede we hauehave) hath appointed vsus yet more meanes, and therfore we muſt thinke that there is more vntowardnes in vsus, then we could of our ſelues ſuspect. For he hath left it a perpetuall order for the education of his children, that there ſhould be men of ſpecial giftes, both for learning and aptneſſe to teach, & alſo for good life: who by teaching, exhorting, and reprouing, ſhould (as it were) whet the word to make it enter. It muſt of neceſſitie bee an hard matter, that requireth ſuch inſtruments, & ſuch workemen, for both the inſtrument and the workmen are from aboue: The wiſedome of the world could not perfourme this, and therefore the Gospell (which is the arme and power of God vntounto ſaluation) was ſent from the boſome of the father: and for the workemen, we are not at our choyſe to take where it ſeemeth good vntounto vsus, but they are appointed to our hād by the holy Ghoſt, who hath ſet downe ſuch notes of good learning & good life to diſcerne them by, who are of his ſending, and fit for ſo weightie a worke, as that they giuegive forth a plaine teſtimonie vntounto vsus, that they come from Heauen, framed and prepared of the Lord him ſelf vntounto this work.
As the goodneſſe of our God could not deny vsus any thing neceſſarie, ſo his wiſedome would not that we ſhould be loaden with any thing ſuperfluous and vnneceſſarie, which muſt force vsus to conclude againſt our ſelues, that we are not knowen vntounto our ſelues, vnleſſe we ſee matter within vsus, neceſſarily requiring to be pricked forward with the liuely preaching and ſounding miniſterie of the word: and that we tempt the Lord, if we content our ſelues with our priuate readings and meditations, and despiſe the preaching of the worde: which the Lord hath ſeene to be ſo neceſſarie, that hee hath appointed it not for one ſorte of men, but vntounto all, of what condition ſoeuer: neither vntounto age alone, but perpetuall for all ages and times. The labours therefore of them that doe write, are not taken in hand, that men ſtanding vponupon them, ſhould contemne or leſſe frequent the publique miniſterie of the Church: but to bring them into greater louelove and liking with the ſame, that receiuing ſome fruite that way, they might looke for a greate deale more by that which is appoynted by the Lorde,Col. 1.21 to preſent vsus perfect in Chriſte Ieſus.
Concerning theſe Lectures, I am to craue generally of all men to whoſe handes they ſhall come, that in what point ſo euer they ſhall thinke their admonition may doe mee good, they woulde not denie mee that Chriſtian and Brotherly helpe: and likewiſe if they ſhall in any thing finde themſelues holpen by my trauell, that as they are to returne the whole praiſe vntounto GOD (to whome onelyonly it is due) ſo they woulde not denie the comfort of their prayers vntounto him, whom the Lord in merciemercy hath vouchſafed to make an inſtrument (though moſt vnworthie) of ſome goodneſſe vntounto them. And of your honour (my verie good Ladie) I am moſt humblie to require, that this dutie (how ſlenderly ſoeuer performed) may according to your accuſtomed clemencie be well accepted of: that what want ſoeuer be in the work, either of that you deſire, or that I were in duetie to perfourme, may finde a ſupplie herein, for that it proceedeth from a minde moſte willing to anſwer your deſire, and moſte vnwilling (if abilitie did ſerue) to be behinde with the leaſte parte of that, that duetie may in any reſpect demaunde.
And as al good Chriſtians ſhould rather be deſirous to lerne howe to go forwarde, then to heare what good beginnings they hauehave made, ſo I doubt not (Madame) but a fewe wordes vttered to that ende (eſpecially from me that hauehave great cauſe to be thankeful vntounto God, for that he hath already wrought in you) ſhall finde better interteinement with your honour, then much ſpeeche directed to an other purpoſe, howe good and iuſt ſoeuer the cauſe be that might prouoke me thervnto. It was a ſaying ſometime of Aſia, that it was no prayſe neuer to hauehave ſeene it, but to hauehave liued temperately in Aſia, was praiſe worthie: ſo many were the allurements, & ſo great was the intemperancie thereof. I thinke we may nowe (altering the words) reteine the trueth of the matter, if we ſhould ſay: it were no great matter, neuer to hauehave ſeene the Courtes of Princes, but to hauehave liued Chriſtianly in thoſe Courtes, were a ſpecial work of Chriſt in his. And therefore (Madame) as ſometimes I ſpake in the hearing of your honour, ſo nowe I ſay againe, that where the aſſault of the aduerſarie lyeth ſoreſt againſt any, there wiſedome would, that the inſtruments to beare off and to beate backe the ſame, ſhould be more in number, and ſtronger in effect. And for this cauſe we do reade, that in the Courte of Iſrael the Prince himſelfe, who for the number and weight of affaires was (as may be thought) by ſome iuſt title to be priuileged aboue the reſt, might not be exempted from keeping this diligent watch and warde in his owne perſon, (by reading all the dayes of his life in the lawes of his God) againſt the dangers that by reaſon of that place he was in great danger of: diuers wherof, after they are recited in Deuteronomie, immediately the holy Ghoſt giueth the medicine for them, whiche is, to be occupied in the lawes of his God, all the dayes of his life. If any by daily meditation in the lawe of God,Pro. 4.8. ſhall thus exalt wiſdome (that is the word of God) by making it the chief delighte of their heart, beſide the auoyding of theſe daungers and ſuche like, there is a promiſe paſſed from the Lord, that wiſedome ſhall exalt them. If they ſhall ſett her in place and eſtimation aboue all other things, ſhe will requite it againe, by aduauncing their honour and eſtate aboue the condition of others: but if they ſhall make no more of her, but as a common thing, ſhe wil anſwer them in like meaſure againe, to leaue thē in place & eſtimation with the common & worſt ſort of men.
The honour therfore of aduauncement (which all men are giuen to hauehave ſo great lyking of) commeth neither from the Eaſt nor frō the Weſt, but from the Lord him ſelf: & this true honour wayteth vponupon all of them, whom imploy them ſelues, their countenance and their credite, to honour and aduaunce this wiſedome, which is the worde of God. Which thing that it may abound in you (Madame) daily more and more, and in his honour to whome the Lorde hath ioyned you, and that by the meanes thereof, you may ſo continue your life, as that you ſhall not feare to dye, as in dutie I am for many benefites receiued moſte bounden: ſo I doe moſte humbly craue it of our mercifull GOD, to whoſe fatherly prouidence (ceaſsing to adde any thing further, and remayning to perfourme all duties, from time to time that I ſhall bee enabled vntounto) I do moſt humbly committee your Honour. (¿?¿)
Your honors moſte humble to commaund in the Lorde. Iohn Knewstub.