Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 2
Hovv to make uſe of the Ceremonies of the Law in opening of a Text, and reducing them to practiſe. Of the Notes whereby Aaron and his poſterity were diſcerned to be called to the Prieſthood.
Num. 17.2. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying, ſpeake unto the Children of Iſrael, and take every one of them a rod, &c.
WHen Corah and his complices murmured againſt Aaron, and contended with him for the Prieſthood, (as we may ſee in the Chapter preceding,) the Lord commanded every one of the firſt borne of the tribes to bring a rod to him, that by this new miracle (cauſing Aarons rod to bloſſome) he might end this controverſie, and confirme Aaron the more in the Prieſthood.
The Prince of the tribe repreſented the whole tribe.Secondly, hee commanded that the names of the Princes of the tribes ſhould be written upon the rods, and the reaſon, was becauſe the Prince repreſented the whole tribe; ſo the Prince being repelled from the Prieſthood, the whole tribe was repelled.
Write thou every mans name upon his rod. Aaron had not written upon his rod the Tribe of Levi, but the name of Aaron, and ſo the reſt of the Princes. Another reaſon wherfore the names were written upon the rods of the Princes, was becauſe the Princes of the tribes were their firſt borne, and therefore they might ſeeme to claime right to the Prieſthood: every mans name was written upon his rod, and Aarons name was written upon his rod, becauſe he was the firſt borne of Levi, for the firſt borne of Levi was Cohath, and he begot Amram, and Amram begot Aaron, who was elder than his brother Moſes.
Queſt. How were the Tribes reckoned in the Scriptures.
Anſw. How the tribes are reckoned in the Scripture.Whē a matter is in hand which cōcerneth the whole people, then Levi is reckoned amongſt the reſt, as in the matter of bleſſing and curſing, Deut. 27. So in ſetting up the twelve ſtones at Iordan; and upon Aarons breaſtplate, ſo here when the queſtion is to which of the Tribes the Prieſthood belonged; but when the matter is concerning civill things, then Levi is excluded as in the diviſion of the land, and then the tribe of Ioſeph is divided into two Ephraim, and Manaſſes, and ſo there are twelve Tribes.
Every Tribe muſt lay their rod before the Lord, and have their name written upon it,foreign Tribus. and from hence it came afterwards that the Tribes were called Shebhte becauſe they carried rods before them, and their names written in them, and therefore Baculus is put for Tribus, Num. 1.4.16.26. Ioſh. 20.10.
Aaron tooke not his brother Moſes rod which was the rod of God,Why Aaron tooke not his brothers rod. by which he wrought ſo many miracles, for the reſt of the Tribes would have excepted againſt that rod, becauſe it was the rod of God; but it was a common rod like the reſt of the rods, that they might take no exception againſt it.
The rod of Aaron for the houſe of Levi was budded.
God thinkes not every man fit for this holy calling, he maketh choiſe here of Aarons rod amongſt all the reſt, and maketh it to bud;God thinketh not every man fit for the Calling of the Miniſtery. No man taketh this honour unto himſelfe, but he that is called, as was Aaron. Heb. 5.4. Firſt, no man taketh this honor, that is, ought to take it;What it is to take this calling. Secondly, take it, that is, uſurpeth it at his owne hand, as he that taketh the ſword ſhall dye with the ſword, Matth. 26.55. That is, he that takes it having no calling. So thou ſhall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine, Exod. 20.7. that is, uſurpe it, having no calling to take it up. Thirdly, this honor, the Prieſthood was an honorable calling, and therefore every baſe fellow ſhould not uſurpe it; any was fit enough, yea the baſeſt of the people, if he could but conſerate a ram, to bee a Prieſt ſufficient for Ieroboam, 1 King. 12.31. but the Lord would have none to take upon him this honorable calling, but thoſe whom he ſeparated for it, and were called as was Aaron; if any man might challenge this prerogative, might not the King? but ſee what Vzzia got for attempting this, 2 Chro. 26.19. & Saul for ſacrificing before Samuel came, thou that canſt not ſhew that the Lord hath made thy rod to bud, meddle not with this calling, for then ſome marke of Gods wrath may light upon thee.
The rod of Aaron was budded.
This miracle was not ſo much to confirme Aaron, as to convince his gainſtanders; the Lord ſayes,The chiefe end of this miracle was to convince the enemies of Aaron. Bring Aarons Rod backe againe to bee kept for a token againſt the Rebels; As the Rodde was kept for a teſtimony againſt the rebels, ſo it budded for a teſtimony againſt them the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 14.22. ſaith of tongues, that they are for ſignes, not to them that beleeve, but to them that beleeve not; ſo are miracles for the moſt part ordained for thoſe that are unbeleevers,Miracles doe not beget faith, but confirme it. or for thoſe who had a ſmall meaſure of faith in the beginning of the Goſpell ſee what ſort have beene moſt deſirous of miracles, thoſe who had no faith; firſt, the Devill, he cryed for a miracle, that ſtones might be turned into bread, Matth. 4.3. Secondly, the rich glutton in hell, he would have one ſent from the dead to tell his brethren, Luc. 16.30. Moſes and the Prophets would not ſerve the turne; ſo the misbeleeving Nazarits would have had a ſigne from Chriſt,What ſort of people deſired miracles. and the Iewes would have ſeene miracles, Mat. 12.39. And Herod hoped to have ſeene ſome miracle of Chriſt, Luc. 23.8. All theſe, becauſe they had not faith, cryed for miracles; When Paul healed the father of Publius the Conſull of a fever, he healed him by a miracle, and made him preſently to ariſe, Act. 28.8, but he healed not Timothy that way, but ſeemed rather to play the Phyſitian to him, bidding him drinke no longer water, but wine; 1 Tim. 5.23. What was the reaſon of this? Timothy beleeved, therefore he needed not a miracle, but the father of Publius beleeved not, he was an infidell as yet, therefore a miracle was more neceſſary for him; many men cry for miracles, but that argues infidelity in them; but if thou didſt beleeve, thou neededſt none of theſe, they ſerve but for infidels, but they ſerve nothing to beget faith; the theefe ſaid, if thou wilt come downe from the Croſſe, and ſave thy ſelfe and us, then I wil beleeve in thee, Luc. 23.39. But if the death of Chriſt will not worke faith in the, if thou ſhouldſt ſee miracles both in heaven and earth, they will never convert thee.
Queſt. What is the reaſon that God confirmes not now mens callings by miracles?
Anſw. Becauſe now religion hath taken roote;Why God confirmeth not mens calling by miracles. Simile. at the firſt when the Law, and the Goſpell were planted, they were confirmed by miracles, but when they once tooke roote, he withdrew theſe miracles. A gardner when he tranſplāteth a tree out of one ground to another, before the tree take roote, he ſetteth ſtayes to it, he poureth water at the roote of it dayly; but when it once taketh roote, he ceaſeth to water it, and pulleth away the ſtayes that he ſet to uphold it, and ſuffereth it to grow with the ordinary influence of the heavens; ſo a Chirurgian when a legge is broken, he bindeth it up; but after the bones be faſtened, he taketh away theſe helps from it; ſo the Lord in planting of Religon, he put to theſe helpes of miracles as ſtayes to uphold it, but when it is once confirmed and faſtened, he taketh away theſe helpes.
Queſt. What ſort of miracle was this, when Aarons rod did bud.
Anſ The Schoolemen marke that there are three ſorts of miracles. Firſt, miracles in the higheſt degree.Thom. contra gentiles. Secondly, miracles in the ſecond degree; and thirdly, miracles in the loweſt degree.
Miracles in the higheſt degree they make to be theſe,Three ſorts of miracles. wherein nature never had a hand, as for the ſunne to goe backe and ſtand ſtil: Miracles in the ſecond degree, they make to be theſe, when nature had once an hand in them, but when they are once decayed nature can never reſtore them againe; nature bringeth forth a man ſeeing, but when he is once blind, nature can never make him to ſee againe; but when he is reſtored to his ſight againe, this is a miracle in the ſecond degree: A miracle in the third degree, they make to bee this; when nature in time could doe ſuch a thing, but nature upon a ſodain cannot doe this, and when it is done upon a ſodaine, it is a miracle in the third degree; they give the example of this in Peters mother in law, when Chriſt upon a ſodaine cured her of a Feaver, nature in time might have cured her of this Feaver, but becauſe ſhe was cured of this Feaver upon a ſodaine, it was a miracle in the third degree. Now what ſort of miracle was this, when this Almond rod budded, and brought forth upon a ſodaine, it was a miracle in the ſecond degree, for an Almond tree will bring foorth Almonds by nature, but being once cut up, it cannot bring forth Almonds againe, then it was a miracle in the ſecond degree, for nature could never have made this rod to bring forth Almonds.
Why Corah and Dathan contended for the Prieſthood.Dathan and Abiram contended for the Prieſthood, becauſe they were of the poſterity of Ruben the eldeſt brother, and Corah thought that it belonged to him, becauſe he was the eldeſt ſonne of Levi, as Adonijah contended with Salomon for the kingdome, becauſe he was the eldeſt ſonne of David, Dathan and Abiram contended for the Prieſthood, becauſe they came of Reuben.
Lineall ſucceſsion not alwayes the Lawfull ſucceſſinn.Learne then that lineall ſucceſſion is not alwayes the lawfull ſucceſſion; theſe were lineally deſcended of Ruben, yet this lineall ſucceſſion failed, for Ruben loſt his dignity by inceſt, the Church of Rome now hath a lineall ſucceſſion from the ancient Roman Church, but by their ſpirituall whoredomes and adulteries, Simile. they have loſt their ſucceſſion; Scarabeus, or the dunghill flye, bragg'd upō a time that he was more excellent than the Bee, becauſe he was deſcended of the horſe; but how was he deſcended of the horſe? he was onelyonly bred of the dung of the horſe: ſo the Church of Rome that now is, is but come of the excrements of the old Roman Church & optimi vint peſsimum acetum; when the contention was betwixt Salomon and Adonijah about the kingdome of Iſrael; Adonijah had ſtanding for him Abiathar the Prieſt; and Salomon had ſtanding for him, Zadok the Prieſt, both of them were Prieſts, and both of them had the holy oyle, but who had the right, whether he that was anointed by Zadok, or he that was anoynted by Abiathar? he that was anoynted by Zadok had the right, becauſe he had Nathan the Prophet upon his ſide. No ſucceſſion is the right ſucceſſion, although they have both Prieſt and the holy oyle, if they have not Nathan upon their ſide; Salomon had the right ſucceſſion, becauſe he had it by Nathan. And ſo Aaron here had the Lord upon his ſide, and therefore the Prieſthood belonged to him.
He chuſed the Almond rod, becauſe it flouriſhed firſt;Miniſters ſhould be trained up frnm their youth. The Lord liketh theſe to be his Miniſters, who begin to bloſſome from their youth, this was excellently typed in Ieremiah, cap. 1. What ſeeſt thou Ieremiah? I ſee an Almond rod; This figured Ieremiahs calling, as the Almond rod bloſſomed firſt, ſo Ieremiah was called from his infancy; and as the Almond tree flouriſhed firſt, ſo the Lord was to bring his judgements quickely upon that people which he pronounced by Ieremiah. So he choſe Samuel from his infancy, and Iohn the Baptiſt from a childe, and ſo Timothy and Athanaſius: he likes not theſe autumnales arbores, as Iude calleth them, verſ. 12. which begunne not to bloſſome till the latter end of Harveſt, and then to enter to the Miniſtery; happy are they who can ſay with the Church, omnes fructus ſervavi tibi, Cant. 7.13. I have reſerved all my fruits to thee, of my infancy and middle age, and old age, and have dedicated my ſelfe ſtill for this calling, it is a pitty to ſee thoſe that have bin deboſhed and diſſolute men, to be thruſt into this holy calling, a caſheerd ſouldier, a bankrupt Merchant, or a fallen Courtier.
When the Lord cauſed the uncleane ſpirit to paſſe out of the land, Zach. 13. then thoſe who had no calling to be Prophets, were aſhamed of their viſion, and of their rough gowne which they wore to deceive the people (becauſe the Prophets of God wore a hairy Gowne) they confeſſe then that they were not Prophets,The falſe Prophets were aſhamed of their viſion. but they were husbandmen, and taught to keepe Cattell from their youth; it were to be wiſhed, that thoſe who have not a calling to this holy function, would renounce it, and ſay, I was not taught from my youth, and trained up to this holy calling, but to be a ſouldier, a Merchant, &c. and therefore I will renounce it.
The Almond rod brought forth buds, bloſſomes, and ripe Almonds The bloſſoming of Aarons rod was to confirme Aaron, as the Vine branches which budded and brought forth bloſſomes, was to confirme the Butler in his office, Gen. 40.10. and this was declared to Ieremiah, a Prieſts ſonne, Ier. 1.11, 12. and the continuance of the Prieſthood, with thoſe who ſhould ſprout and grow out of him, Ezeck. 17.44 children are called buds, Iob 30.12.
The Church is in a happy eſtate when ſhe hath qualified labourers in the Lords Vineyard,The eſtate of the Church is happy when they have good men to ſucceed in the Miniſtry. and expectants to ſucceed them, when ſhe hath her ripe fruits, her bloſſomes, and her buds; the buds are the yong ones, who give themſelves to thoſe holy ſtudies; the bloſſomes are the yong men who have made good progreſſe in Divinity; & the ripe Almonds are thoſe who are actually ſerving in the Church: The Iewes alluding to Aarons rod, call the children of the Prieſts flores ſacerdotoles: it was a comfortable thing to Eli when he had yong Samuel to ſucceed him, and to Elijah when he had Eliſha to ſucceed him,foreign Reliquium revertetu…, Eſay. 7.3. and to Eſay that had his ſonne Shear-jaſhub to ſucceed, as a pledge to confirme his propheſie, that the remnant of the people of God ſhould be ſaved and brought backe from the captivity againe. It was a great comfort to Paul when he had yong Timothy to ſucceed him, and to Auguſtine, when he had Alippius; a father dieth the more willingly, when he hath a good ſonne to ſucceed him; the bloſſomes may rejoyce when they have the buds to ſucceed them, and the Almonds may rejoyce when they have the bloſſomes to ſucceed them. Iohn ſaith, 1 Iohn. 2.14. I write vntounto you babes, I write unto you young men, and I write unto you old men; Babes are the buds, the young men are the bloſſomes, and the old men are the Almonds. Let us pray to God for the Schooles and Vniverſities, when the old men are wearing away that good young men may ſucceed them, and babes in their places: the Church is much to be pittied now, although there bee many youthes to ſucceed, who have knowledge, yet there is little ſanctification amongſt them, and therefore leſſe hope that their miniſtery ſhall bee profitable.
And yeilded Almonds. In the originall it is,foreign a foreign ablactavit [Vaijgmol] et ablactavit, it weaned them; for even as the mother weaneth her child when he is of ſuch an age, ſo did the Almond tree weane the Almonds, when they were ripe.
The Lord likes none to enter into this holy calling untill they be ripe,God will not have Miniſters to enter on their calling untill they be ripe. they ſhould have the full grouth before they enter, theſe foreign, or young plants are not fit for it, young men are not fit for the miniſtery, Eccleſ. 12.1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth; why bids hee the young man remember his Creator in the dayes of his youth? becauſe he is moſt forgetfull of this duty to remember his God; if he be not fit to remember himſelfe, and to recommend himſelfe to God twiſe or thriſe in the day, how can he be the Lords remembrancer, to remember his people before him?Ambroſ. lib. 1. de offic. cap. 1. tom. 1 It was a caſe of neceſſity, when Ambroſe was made Biſhop of Millan, qui ſimul et diſcebat, & docebat.
Why youthes are not fit for the Miniſtry.Secondly, youthes are not fit for this calling, becauſe this age is much ſubject to luſt, 2. Timot. 2.22. Flye the Luſts of youth, if ever Luſt breake forth in a mans life time, uſually it breaketh forth in his youth, he that cannot command his owne Luſts, how can he teach other men to ſubdue theirs? 1 Tim. 3.5. if a man know not how to rule his owne houſe, how ſhall he take care of the Church of God? Paul will not have a young widdow admitted to waſh the Saints feete, 1 Tim. 5.10. becauſe they give themſelves oftentimes to wantonneſſe and fleſhly luſts, farre leſſe will he have a young man to be admitted to this holy calling, who ſhould waſh the ſoules of the Saints, and not their feete; this age likewiſe is much ſubject to contempt, 1 Tim. 4.11. Let no man deſpiſe thy youth, and therefore not fit to enter in this calling. The naturall hiſtory marketh, that the whelpes of the Lyons who have the ſharpeſt pawes, do ſo pricke the matrix of their damme, that they are borne the ſooner, and they never get the full ſtrength; ſo it fareth with young men who haſten out of the Vniverſity before they get giftes, and ſtrength, wherefore young ſtudents are to be exhorted to ſtay at the Vniverſity, untill they get ſtrength; and as the Lord bad his Diſciples ſtay at Ieruſalem untill the holy Ghoſt came downe upon them, Luc. 24.49. So ſhould they ſtay at the Vniverſities untill the Lord enable them with gifts: It is an unſeemely thing to ſee yong ones, ante lanuginem docere ſenes, et hodie Catechumenus, cras Epiſcopus, and how unſavory a thing is it out of the mouth of a greene youth to exhort people to flye from theſe luſts, whereunto they are moſt ſubject themſelves; may not the people juſtly ſay to them, Phyſitian heale thy ſelfe, and take out the beame, firſt, out of thine owne eye.
Queſt. What time ſhould a man enter into the Miniſtery?
Anſw. We cannot preſcribe a certaine time, for ſome are ſooner gifted then others.
Object. But Chriſt who diſputed with the Doctors of the Law, when he was but twelve yeares of age, yet he entred not into his Miniſterie, untill he was thirty yeares of age, therefore it may ſeeme that none ſhould be admitted before that time.
Anſw. Chriſt entred not into his Miniſtery until he was thirty yeares of age, according to the Leviticall Law, for it behoved him to fulfill all righteouſneſſe; this was not a morall precept, but a ceremoniall, for it was changed. Numb 4 3. they entred to their full miniſtery at thirty; but Num. 8.24. he appointed them to enter at twenty and five, for the beginning of their miniſtery; but they entred not to their full miniſtery, untill they were full thirty, and they ſerved untill they were fifty, but in Davias time they began at twenty, 1 Chro. 23.24. The ſonnes of Levi did the worke of the ſervice of the houſe of the Lord, from the age of twenty yeares and upward; and 2 Chron. 31.17. in Hezekiahs dayes, and ſo in the dayes of Ezra, from twenty yeares old and upward, Ezra chap. 3. verſ.. 8.
Some may be ripe Almonds now when they are ſixe and twenty, or eight and twenty, and ſome ſcarce when they are thirty; therefore, there cannnot be a certaine time determined when they ſhall enter, but this is left to the tryall, and diſcretion of the Church; the determination of the Canon Law, who concludeth abſolutely that they ſhould be thirty before they enter, ſeemeth to Iudaize in this. The Levites when they entred on their miniſtery, they were thirty yeares before they entred, becauſe their miniſtery was a laborious and a painefull ſervice, and therefore required full bodily ſtrength, and ſo they gave up their miniſtery, when they were fifty; but the miniſtery now is not ſuch a bodily ſervice, and therefore requireth not ſuch bodily ſtrength now; the ſouldiers when they went to warre were admitted, when they were but twenty yeares of age, but the Levites not untill they were thirty, there is both ſtrength and wiſedome required in the warres, as Solomon ſaith, Prov. 24.6. ſtrength in the ſouldiers; and wiſedome in the governors; but in the Levites and Prieſts there was both wiſedome and ſtrength required, ſtrength without wiſedome before they be thirty, and wiſedome without ſtrength after they are fifty. So knowledge and ſanctification are requiſite in thoſe who are to enter on this Holy calling; knowledge without ſanctification is like wine that runnes in a mans head, and makes him giddy, ſanctification without knowledge turnes into blind zeale, and therefore they are to be joyned together in thoſe who are Preachers, as ſtrength, and wiſedome was in the Prieſts.
The Almonds rod brought forth buds and bloſſomes.
The Lord taught Aaron by this, although hee was weake, and old himſelfe, yet his poſterite ſhould not faile; he was foureſcore and ſixe yeares of age now, yet to let him underſtand of a ſucceſſion, he makes his rod to bud, and it continued in his poſterity for ſixty, and three Highprieſts.
The Prieſthood was entailed to Levi, when they were choſen in the place of the firſt borne; and againe, when they killed their brethren for the worſhipping of the golden Calfe, it was promiſed them anew againe, and when Phinehas killed Zimri and Cozbi, the promiſe was renued to him.
What needed a new promiſe to be made to Phinehas of the Prieſthood, ſeeing it was due to him by the Law, Queſt. and by ſucceſſion.
This new promiſe ſecured him in the Prieſthood, Anſw. that hee ſhould out-live his father, and ſerve in the Prieſt-hood himſelfe. Nadab and Abihu were killed before their father dyed, againe this promiſe aſſured him that it ſhould continue in his famile.
But the Prieſthood was ſoone tranſlated from the family of Phinehas to Ithamars poſterity, Ob. for Eli was of the poſterity of Ithamar, and not of Phinehas, and from Eli it came to his ſonne Phimehas, and then to Achitub, and then to Achiaz the brother of Ahimelech, and then it was reſtored to Zadoc, ſee 1 Chron. 24.3. for foure generations, the poſteritie of Phinehas wanted the Prieſthood.
Elies poſterity had it, de facto et non de jure, Anſ. therefore it is to be marked what bad ſucceſſe moſt of them had in the Prieſthood, Eli brake his necke, his ſonne Phinehas was killed in the battell, Abiathar was put from the Prieſthood, and his ſoone Ahimelech was ſlaine by Doeg, and all this time when they wanted the Prieſthood, the poſterity of Elcazer farre ſurpaſſed the poſterity of Ithamar, 1 Chron. 24.4. Againe it was promiſed to Phinehas poſterity conditionally, if they ſhould walke in their fathers wayes. This promiſe of the Prieſthood was not made ſo abſolutely to Phinehas, but that Phinehas poſterity for their ſinnes might be deprived of it for a time, (even as the promiſe made to David that the Kingdome ſhould continue with his poſterity for ever, did not exclude the captivity of Babylon, and the overthrow of the kingdome for a time) yet by vertue of this promiſe made to Phinehas his poſterity could not want it for ever And thirdly, it is ſo promiſed to his poſterity that it ſhould not be taken for ever from him as it was from the poſterity of Eli.
This rod brought forth Almonds without a roote: the fathers reaſon out of this place againſt the Iewes who will not beleeve that the Virgin could beare a ſonne; why will ye beleeve this (ſay they) that Aarons rod brought forth Almonds without a roote, and cannot beleeve that a Virgin can beare a ſonne? ye beleeve that Eva was created out of the ſide of Adam, and that Adam was created out of the duſt, why may yee not beleeve this likewiſe, that God can create a child in the Wombe of the Virgin? Yee beleeve that Sara an old withered ſtocke, conceived by the power of God, and why ye will not beleeve this, that God by his power created the Child in the Wombe of the Virgin?
The tree bloſſomed, although it was withered.
Hence we may gather that the withered tree, the Church of the Iewes, ſhall flouriſh againe: a man looking with a naturall eye upon that heape of dry bones, Ezek. 37. would never thinke that they ſhould riſe againe, but the Lord by the mighty wind of his Spirit, gathered theſe bones together, and made them to live; ſo the Lord by his mighty power, ſhall make the withered tree of the Iewes to flouriſh againe.
Obj. But ye will ſay that Chriſt curſed the figtree, which repreſented the Church of the Iewes, and ſaid, Never fruit grow upon thee henceforth, Mat. 21.19. Then it may ſeeme, that this tree ſhall never flouriſh againe.
Anſw. That figtree that was accurſed by Chriſt, never to beare fruit againe, repreſented the Iewes who lived then, and thoſe who ſhall live till the converſion of the Iewes; but when the wrath of God is come upon them to the full, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, then the Lord ſhall call them, and their rod ſhall flouriſh againe.
Queſt. Whether kept this rod ſtill the buds, bloſſomes and Almonds, when it was laid up before the Lord, or not?
No queſtion it did, Anſw. for the Lord commandeth to lay it up as a teſtimony againſt the rebels, now when it kept the buds bloſſomes, and Almonds, it teſtified the more vively againſt them, and as the Manna laſted ſo many hundreth yeares in the golden pot, ſo did this rod keepe the bloſſomes and Almonds.
When Aarons rod budded, it was a token to him that he was called of the Lord; he that runneth, and is not ſent by the Lord, ſhall never doe good in that holy Calling: theſe Agrippa who were borne with their feet formoſt, it was a bad token of their evill government to follow, as it fell out in Herod Agrippa, who was a very bad Governour: ſo when a Preacher is not ſent by God to his people, and the Lord doth not make his rod to bud, he ſhall never be a profitable Miniſter in his Calling.