Whole Works, Biblical prologues · Old Testament · Exodus
The Prologue to the ſecond booke of Moſes called Exodus.
BY the Preface vppon Geneſis, mayeſt thou vnderſtand howe to behaue thy ſelfe in this booke alſo, and in all other bookes of the Scripture. Cleaue vntounto ye texte and playne ſtorie, and endeuour thy ſelfe to ſearche out the meanyng of all Learn here how to read & vnderſtād y• ſcripture.that is deſcribed therein, and the true ſence of all maner of ſpeakinges of the Scripture, of prouerbes, ſimilitudes, & borowed ſpeach, whereof I entreated in the ende of the obedience, and beware of ſubtile allegories.
And note eueryevery thyng earneſtly, as thynges pertainyng vntounto thyne own hart and ſoule.
For as God vſed him ſelfe vntounto thē of the old Teſtament: euen ſo ſhall he vntounto the worldes end vſe him ſelf vntounto vsus, whiche hauehave receiued hys holy Scripture, and the teſtimonie of hys ſonne Ieſus. As God doth all things here for thē that beleue his promiſes, & herken vntounto his commaūdements, and with patiēce cleaue vntounto him, and walke with him: euen ſo ſhall he do for vsus, if we receiue the witnes of Chriſt with a ſtrong fayth, and endure patiently folowyng his ſteppes. And on the other ſide, as they that fel from the promiſe of God thorow vnbelief, and If we herken vntounto the voyce of God, and bend our ſelues to do hys wyl, he wyll be our God, & help vsus, but otherwiſe he wyl plague vsus as he plagued the vnthankful & faythleſſe Iewes.from his lawe and ordinaunces, thorowe impatiēcie of their owne luſtes, were forſakē of God, and ſo periſhed: euen ſo ſhall we as many as doe lykewiſe, and as many as mocke with the doctrine of Chriſt, and make a cloke of it to liue fleſhly, & to folow our luſtes.
Note thereto howe God is founde true at the laſt, and howe when all is paſt remedy, and brought into deſperation: he then fulfilleth his promiſes, and that by an abiect and a caſt away, a deſpiſed, and a refuſed perſō, yea, and by a way impoſſible to beleue.
The cauſe of all the captiuitie of Gods people is this. The world …uer hateth them for their fayth, and truſt whiche they hauehave in GOD: but in vayne, till they fall from the fayth of yt promiſes, and louelove of the lawe, and ordinaunces of God, & put their truſt in holy dedes Truſt and beleue in God, and care not what the world ſay.of their owne finding, and liue altogether at their owne luſt & pleaſure, with out regarde of God, or reſpect of their neighbour. Then God forſaketh vsus, & ſendeth vsus into captiuitie, for our diſhonoryng of his name, and deſpiſyng of our neighbour. But the world perſecuteth vsus for our fayth in Chriſt onelyonly (as the people nowe doth) and not for our wicked liuyng. For in his kingdom thou mayeſt quietly, and with licence, and vnderunder aprotection, do what The world liketh well all wycked lyuers and vngodly people.ſoeuer abhominatiō thine hart luſteth: but God perſecuteth vsus, bycauſe we abuſe his holy Teſtament, and bycauſe when we knowe the truth, we folowe it not.
Note alſo the mightie hande of the Lord, how he playeth with his aduerſaries, and prouoketh them, and ſtyrreth them vp a litle and a litle, and deliuereth not hys people in an houre that both the patience of his elect, and alſo the worldly wit and wyly policie of the wicked, wherwith they do fight agaynſt God, might appeare.
Marke yt long ſufferyng, and ſoft patience of Moyſes, and howe he loueth the people, and is euer betwene the Here is ſet forth the office of eueryevery good perſon,wrath of God and them, and is ready to liue and dye with them, & to be put out of the booke that God had written for their ſakes (as Paule for his brethren. Romaines ix.) and how he taketh his own wronges patiently, and neuer auengeth him ſelfe. And make not Moyſes a figure of Chriſte with Rocheſter: but an enſample vntounto all Princes, and to all that are in authoritie, how to rule vntounto Gods pleaſure, & vntounto their owne profite. For there is not a perfecter life in this world, both to the honor of God, and profite of his neighbour, nor yet a greater croſſe, thē to rule chriſtianly. And of Aaron alſo, ſee that thou make no figure of Chriſt, vntill hee come vntounto hys ſacrifiſyng: but an example vntounto all Preachers, that they adde nothyng vntounto Gods word, or take ought therefro.
Note alſo, how GOD ſendeth his promiſe to the people, and Moyſes cō firmeth it with miracles, and the people Temptatiō is the triall of true chriſtians.beleue. But when temptatiō commeth, they fall into vnbelief, and fewe byde ſtandyng. When thou ſeeſt that all be not Chriſten that will be ſo called, and that the croſſe tryeth the true from the fayned: for if the croſſe were not, Chriſt ſhould hauehave Diſciples enough. The excellency of faith which is the gifte of God.Whereof alſo thou ſeeſt, what an excellent gift of God true fayth is, and impoſſible to be had, without the ſpirite of God. For it is aboue all natural power, that a mā in time of temtation, when GOD ſcourgeth hym, ſhould beleue then ſtedfaſtly, how that God loueth him, and careth for hym, Thoſe whō God ſcourgeth he dearely loueth.and hath prepared all good thyngs for hym, and that, that ſcourgyng is an earneſt that GOD hath elect and choſen hym.
Note how oft Moyſes ſtyred them vp to beleue, and truſt in God, putting them in remembraunce alway in tyme A neceſſary leſſon for a good precher.of temptation, of the miracles & wonders that GGD hath wrought before tyme in their eye ſight. How diligently alſo forbiddeth hee all that might withdraw their hartes from God? to put ought to GODS word, to take ought from it, cōmaundyng to do that onelyonly, that is ryght in the ſight of the Lord, that they ſhould make no maner God commaundeth that we ſhold make no images.Image, to kneele downe before it: yea, that they ſhould make none aultare of hewed ſtone, for feare of Images, to fle the heathen Idolatries vtterly, and to deſtroy their Idols, and cut downe theyr groues where they worſhypped, and that they ſhould not take the daughters of them vntounto their ſonnes, nor geue their daughters to yt ſonnes of them, and that who ſoeuer moued any of them to worſhyp falſe Gods, how ſoeuer nighe of kynne he were, they muſt accuſe him, and bryng him to death: yea, & whereſoeuer they The worſhipping of Idoles or Images, was abhorred of god.heard of man, woman, or Citie, that worſhypped falſe Gods, they ſhould ſlea them, & deſtroy the Citie for euer, and not builde it agayne, and all bycauſe they ſhould worſhip nothing but God, nor put confidence in any thing, ſaue in his word.
Yea, and howe warneth he to beware Witchcraft ſorcery, &c. abhorred of God.of witchcraft, ſorcerie, enchauntment, nicromancie, and all craftes of the Deuill, and of dreamers, …othſayers, and of miracle doers to deſtroy the word, and that they ſhould ſuffer none ſuch to lyue.
Thou wilt hapely ſay, they tell a man the truth. What then? GOD will that we care not to knowe what ſhall come. He will hauehave vsus to care onelyonly to kepe his commaundementes, and to committe all chaunces vntounto hym: He hath promiſed to care for vsus, & to kepe vsus from all ill. All thynges are in hys hand, he can remedy all thynges, and will for his truth ſake, if we pray hym. In his promiſes onelyonly will hee hauehave vsus truſt, and there reſt, and to ſeke no farther.
How alſo doth he prouoke them to louelove, euer rehearſing the benefites of God done to them already, & the godly promiſes that were to come? And Moſes often reherſeth the benefites of almighty God, to moue vsto feare hym, and to louelove our neighbour.how goodly lawes of louelove geueth hee, to helpe one an other, and that a man ſhould not hate his neighbour in hys hart, but louelove him as himſelf. Leuit. 19 And what a charge geueth he in eueryevery place, ouer the poore and nedie? ouer the ſtraūger, frendleſſe and widowes? And when he deſireth to ſhew mercy, he rehearſeth with all, the benefites of God done to them at their neede, that they might ſee a cauſe, at the leaſt waye in GOD to ſhew mercy of very louelove vntounto their neighbours at their nede.
Alſo there is no lawe ſo ſimple in apparaunce thoroughout the v. bokes of Moſes, but that there is a great reaſon of yt makyng therof, if a man ſearch diligently. As that a man is forbyd to ſethe a Kydde in hys mothers milke, moueth vsus vntounto compaſſion, and to be pitiful. As doth alſo that a man ſhould not offer the ſyre or damme & the yoūg both in one day. Leuiticus .xxij. For it might ſeme a cruell thyng, in as much as his mothers milke is as it were his bloud, wherfore god wil not hauehave him God will hauehave vsus to be merciful to our neighbors.ſodde therin: but will hauehave a man ſhew curteſie, vppon the very beaſtes. As in an other place hee commaundeth that we moſell not the Oxe that treadeth out the corne (whiche maner of threſhyng is vſed in hoate countreys) and that bycauſe we ſhould much rather to be liberall and kynd vntounto men that do vsus ſeruice. Or happely GOD would hauehave none ſuch wanton meate vſed among his people. For the Kydde of it ſelfe is nouriſhyng, and the Goates milke is reſtauratiue, and both together might be to rancke, and therefore forbydden, or ſome other lyke cauſe there was.
Of the ceremonies, ſacrifices, and tabernacle, with all hys glory and pompe, vnderſtand that they were not permitted onelyonly, but alſo commaunded of GOD, to lead the people in the ſhadowe of Moyſes and night of the All the ceremonies of the olde teſtament, we… but preachers of Chriſt that was to come.olde Teſtament, vntill the lyght of Chriſt, and day of the new Teſtament were come. As children are lead in the phantaſies of youth vntill the diſcretion of mans age be come vponupon them. And all was done to keepe them from Idolatrie.
The tabernacle was ordeined to the entent they might hauehave a place appointed them, to do their ſacrifices openly in the ſight of the people, and namely the Prieſtes whiche wayted thereon: that it might bee ſene that they dyd all thynges accordyng to Gods worde, & not after the Idolatry of their owne imagination. And the coſtlineſſe of the The …ea… … of the tabernacle was to keepe the Iewes frō harkenyng to the heathen.Tabernacle and the beauty alſo, pertayning therunto, that they ſhould ſee nothyng among the heathen, but that they ſhould ſee thinges more beautiful at home, becauſe they ſhoulde not bee moued to follow them.
And in lyke maner the diuers faſhions of ſacrifices and ceremonies, was to occupy their minds, that they ſhold hauehave no luſt to follow the Heathen: & the multitude of them was, that they ſhould hauehave ſo much to do in keepyng them, that they ſhould hauehave no leyſure to imagine other of their owne: yea, & that Gods worde might be there by in all that they did, that they might hauehave their fayth and truſt in God, which he cannot hauehave that followeth either hys own inuentions, or traditions of mēs makyng without Gods worde.
Finally, God hath two teſtaments, the olde and the new. The olde teſtament is thoſe tēporall promiſes which God made the children of Iſraell of a God had two Teſtaments, that is, the olde and the new.good lande, and that he would defend them, and of wealth and proſperitie, & of temporall bleſſinges, of which thou readeſt ouer all the law of Moſes, but namely, Leuiticus. 26. and Deut. 28. & the auoyding of all threatenynges and curſes of which thou readeſt likewyſe eueryevery where, but ſpecially in the two bookes aboue rehearſed, and the auoiding of all puniſhment ordeyned for the tranſgreſſours of the law.
And the olde Teſtament was builte The old teſtament was built vponupon the obſeruatiō of the law.altogether vpō the kepyng of the lawe and ceremonies, and was the rewarde of kepyng them in this lyfe onelyonly, and reached no farther then this lyfe & this world. As thou readeſt Leuit. 18. A mā that doth them ſhall lyue therin, which text Paule reherſeth, Rom. 10. & Gal. 3. That is, he that keepeth them ſhall hauehave his lyfe glorious, according to all the promiſes and bleſſings of the law, and ſhal auoyde both all temporal puniſhments of the law, & all the threatnynges and curſinges alſo. For neyther the lawe of the tenne commaundementes, nor yet the ceremonies, iuſtified in the hart before God, or purified vntounto the lyfe to come. In ſo much that Moſes at his death, euen fourtye yeares after the lawe, and ceremonies were geuen, complaineth ſaying, God hath not geuen, you an hart to vnderſtande, nor eyes to ſee, nor eares to heare vntounto this day. As who ſhoulde The law could not geue lyfe.hauehave ſayd. God hath geuen you ceremonies, but ye knowe not the vſe of them, and hath geuen you a lawe, but god hath not writen it in your hartes.
Wherfore ſerueth the law then, if it geue vsus no power to do the law? Paul anſwereth them, that it was geuen to vtter ſinne onelyonly, and to make it appeare. As a coroſie is layd vntounto an old The law is the vtterer of ſinne.ſore, not to heale it, but to ſtirre it vp, and make the diſeaſe alyue, that a man myght feele in what …eopardie he is, & how nye death and not aware, and to make a way vntounto the healing playſter.
Euen ſo ſayth Paul Gal. 3. The law was geuen bycauſe of tranſgreſſion (that is to make the ſinne alyue, that it might be felt and ſene) vntill the ſeede came vntounto whome it was promiſed, that is to ſaye, vntill the children of fayth came, or vntill Chriſt that ſede in whom God promiſed Abraham, that all natiōs of the world ſhould be bleſſed, came.
That is, the law was geuen to vtter ſinne, death, damnation, and curſſe, The law was geuen by God to ſhewe what ſinne was.and to driue vsus vntounto Chriſt, in whom forgeuenes, lyfe, iuſtifiyng, and bleſſynges were promiſed, that we might ſee ſo great louelove of God to vsus ward in Chriſt, that we hence forth ouercome with kindnes, might louelove agayne, and of louelove kepe the commaundementes.
Now he that goeth about to quiet his conſciēce, and to iuſtifie him ſelfe with the law: doth but heale hys woundes with freatyng coroſeis. And hee that goeth aboute to purchaſe grace with Ceremonies are not geuen to iuſtify the hart, but to ſignifie our iuſtificatiō by Chriſt.ceremonies: doth but ſucke the ale pole to quench his thyrſt, in as much as the ceremonies were not geuen to iuſtifie the hart, but to ſignifie the iuſtifiyng, and forgeueneſſe that is in Chriſtes bloud.
Of the ceremonies that they iuſtifie not thou readeſt. Hebr. x. It is impoſsible that ſinne ſhould be done away with the bloud of Oxen, and Goates. And of Ceremonies cannot iuſtify.the law thou readeſt. Galla. iij. If there had bene a lawe geuen that could hauehave quickened or geuen lyfe: then had righteouſnes, or iuſtifiyng come by the lawe in deede. Now the law not onelyonly quickeneth not the hart, but alſo woundeth it with conſcience of ſinne, and miniſtreth death, and damnation vntounto her. ij. Cor. iij. So that ſhe muſt nedes dye and be damned, except ſhe find other remedy. So farre it is of, that ſhe is iuſtified, or holpen by the law.
The new Teſtament is thoſe euerlaſtyng promiſes, whiche are made vsus The new Teſtament are the euerlaſtyng promiſes made to vsus in Chriſt.in Chriſt the Lorde throughout all the the Scriptures. And that Teſtament is built on fayth, and not in workes.
For it is not ſaid of that Teſtament. He that worketh ſhall lyue: but he that beleueth ſhall lyue. As thou readeſt. Iohn. iij. God ſo loued the world, that Faith only iuſtifieth.he gaue his onelyonly begotten ſonne, that none that beleue in hym ſhould periſhe, but hauehave lyfe euerlaſtyng.
And when this Teſtament is preached and beleued, the ſpirit entreth the hart, and quickeneth it, & geueth it life, & iuſtifieth her. The ſpirite alſo maketh the law, a liuely thyng in the hart, ſo that a man bringeth foorth good workes of his owne accord, without compulſion of the lawe, without feare of threatenynges, Good workes ſpryng out of the louelove we hauehave to God.or curſings: yea, and without all maner reſpect, or louelove vntounto any tē porall pleaſure, but of the very power of the ſpirite, receiued thorough fayth, as thou readeſt. Iohn. i. He gaue them power to be the ſonnes of God, in that they beleued on his name.
And of that power they worke, ſo that he which hath the ſpirit of Chriſt, is now no more a child: he neither learneth, nor worketh any lōger for payne of yt rod, or for feare of bugges or pleaſure of apples, but doth all thynges of his owne courage. As Chriſte ſayeth. Iohn. vij. He that beleueth on me, ſhall hauehave riuers of liuyng waters flowyng out of hys belly. That is all good workes, and all giftes of grace ſprynge out of Where true fayth is, there good workes do flow and abound.hym naturally, and by their owne accord. Thou nedeſt not to wreſt good woorkes out of hym, as a man would wryng veriuce out of crabbes. Nay they flowe naturally out of hym, as ſprynges out of rockes.
The new Teſtamēt was euer euen from the begynnyng of the world. For there were alwaies promiſes of Chriſt The new Teſtament was from the beginnyng.to come by fayth, in which promiſes, the elect were then iuſtified inwardly before God, as outwardly before the world, by kepyng of the law, and ceremonies.
And in concluſion, as thou ſeeſt bleſſynges, or curſynges folowe the breaking, or keping of the law of Moyſes: euen ſo naturally do the bleſſynges, or curſynges folowe the breakyng of keping of the law of nature, out of which Our temporall lawes ſpring out of the law of nature.ſpryng all our temporall lawes. So that when the people kepe the temporall lawes of their land, temporal proſperitie, and all maner of ſuch temporall bleſſynges (as thou readeſt of in Moyſes) do accompany them, and fall vponupon them. And contrarywiſe, when they ſinne vnpuniſhed, and when the rulers hauehave no reſpect vntounto equitie or honeſtie, then God ſendeth his curſſe among them, as hunger, dearth, morein, bannyng, peſtilence, warre, oppreſſion, with ſtraunge and wonderful diſeaſes, and new kyndes of miſfortune and euill lucke.
If any man aſke me, ſeing that faith iuſtifieth me, why I worke? I aunſwere. LoueLove cōpelleth me. For as lōg LoueLove counſelleth the faythfull to worke.as my ſoule feeleth what louelove GOD hath ſhewed me in Chriſt: I can not but louelove God agayne, and his wil and commaundements, and of louelove worke them, hor can they ſeme hard vntounto me. I thinke not my ſelfe, better for my woorkyng, nor ſeeke heauen nor an higher place in heauē bycauſe of it. For a Chriſtiā worketh to make his weake brother perfecter, and not to ſeeke an higher place in heauen. I compare not my ſelfe vntounto hym, that woorketh not. No, hee that worketh not to day, ſhall hauehave grace to turne, and to woorke to morow, and in the meane tyme, I pitie We muſt nor preſume in our well doing, not cōdēne others that run aſtray: the laſt which turneth to god is as farre forward as the firſt.hym and pray for hym, If I had wrought the will of God thoſe thouſād yeares, and an other had wrought the will of the deuill as long, and this day turne, and bee as well willyng to ſuffer with Chriſt as I: hee hath this day ouer taken me, and is as far come as I, and ſhall hauehave as much reward as I, & I enuie hym not, but reioyce moſt of all, as of loſt treaſure found.
For if I be of GOD, I hauehave theſe thouſād yeares ſuffered to winne him, for to come & prayſe the name of God with me. Theſe thouſand yeares, I hauehave prayed, ſorowed, longed, ſighed, and ſought for that which I hauehave this day found, and therefore reioyce with all my might, and prayſe God for his grace and mercy.
A Table expounding certayne wordes of the ſecond booke of Geneſis.
ALbe, a long garment of white linnen.
Arke, a cofer or cheſt, as our ſhrines, ſaue it was flatte, and the ſample of ours was taken therof.
Booth, an houſe made of bowes.
Breſtlap, or breſtflappe is ſuch a flap, as thou ſeeſt in the breſt of a cope.
Conſecrate, to appoynte a thyng to holy vſes.
Dedicate, purifie or ſanctifie.
Ephod, is a garment ſomewhat lyke an amice, ſaue ye armes came thorow, and it was girded to.
Geeras, in weight as it were an Engliſh halfepeny, or ſomwhat more.
Heaue offringes, becauſe they were houen vp before the Lord.
Houſe, he made them houſes, that is, he made a kynrede, or a multitude of people to ſpring out of them, as we ſay the houſe of Dauid, for the kinred of Dauid.
Peace offering, offering of thankes geuing of deuotion, and not for conſcience of ſinne and treſpaſſe.
Pollute, defile.
Reconcile, to make at one, & to bring in grace or fauour.
Sanctifie, to cleanſe and purify, to appoynt a thing to holy vſes, and to ſeperate from vncleane & vnholy vſes.
Sanctuary, a place hallowed and dedicate vntounto God.
Tabernacle, a houſe made tentwiſe, or as a pauilion.
Tunicle, much lyke the vppermoſte garment of the Deacon.
Waueoffring, becauſe they were wauen in the prieſtes handes to diuers quarters.
Worſhip, by worſhippyng, whether it was in the olde teſtament, or newe, vnderſtand the bowing of a mans ſelf vponupon the ground: as we ofte tymes, as we kneele in our prayers how our ſelues, and lie on our armes, & hands with our face to the ground.
Of this word I will be, commeth the name of God Iehouah, which we interprete Lord, and is as much to ſaye, as I am that I am. 3. Chap.
That I here call a ſhepe in Hebrue is a worde indifferent to a ſhepe, and a goate both. 12. Chap.
The Lambe was called paſſeouer, that the very name it ſelfe, ſhould put them in remembraunce, what it ſignified, for the ſignes that God ordained, either ſignified the benefites done, or promſſes to come, and were not done, as the ſignes of our domme God the Pope.
Iehouah Niſſi, the Lord is he that exalteth me. chap. 17.
Ephod, is a garment lyke an amice. Chap. 25.
Shewbread, becauſe it was alway in the ſighte and preſence of the Lorde. Chap. 25.