Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. V. Ver. 1. That they may hold a Feaſt]
CHap. 4.23. That they may ſerv mee. Let us keep the feaſt. 1 Cor. foreign5.8. which is the ſame with Let us ſerv God acceptably. Heb. 12.28. It is a Feaſt and better for a good ſoul to converſ with God. Pſal. 63.5. Iſa. 25.6.
Ver. 2. Who is the Lord?] God's attributes either ſhew what hee is, or who hee is. To the queſtion of Moſes, what hee is? God gave a ſhort anſwer, I am. To this ſecond by Pharaoh, Who hee is? God made a large replie, till Pharaoh was compelled to anſwer himſelf, The Lord is righteous.
Ver. 3. Three daies journie] viz. to mount Horeb. They made it three months journie e're they came there. Exod. 13.17, 18. God lead's his people oft not the neareſt, but the ſafeſt waie to their journies end.
Ver. 4. Let the people from their works] Moſes talk's of ſacrifice, Pharaoh of work. Anie thing ſeem's due work to a carnal minde ſaving God's ſervice; nothing ſuperfluous but religious duties: Aug. de Civit. Dei.Seneca ſaith, the Jewes caſt away a ſeventh part of their time upon a weekly Sabbath. To what end is this loſs ſaid Judas.
Ver. 5. The people of the Land are manie] & nihil agendo malè agere diſcent. Iphicrates never ſuffered his ſouldiers to bee out of emploiment; foreign, &c. Polym. ſtratag. lib. 3.but, if out of militarie ſervices, hee ſet them to dig or lop trees, or carrie burdens, &c. to keep them from mutining or worſ doing.
Ver. 6. And Pharaoh commanded] Hee raged the more for the meſſage of diſmiſſion: ſo wholeſom admonitions make ill men worſ. Corruptions encreaſ and biggen by the Law. Rom. 7. ver. 8.
Ver. 7. Yee ſhall no more give the people ſtraw] Speculum tyrannidis ſemper augeſcentis atque invaleſcentis. The matter mend's with us, Acts and Mon.ſaid thoſe Martyrs in priſon, as ſowr Ale doth in Summer.
Ver. 8. For they bee idle] I heard a great man once ſay (ſaith Luther) Neceſſe est otioſos eſſe homines qui iſta negotia Religionis curant. They muſt needs bee idle fellows that are ſo much taken up about the buſineſs of religion. See the Note on verſ. 4.
Verſ. 9. And not regard vain words] Vain lying words. So this profane Prince calleth, and counteth the word of God. What's Truth? ſaith Pilat ſcoffingly.
Verſ. 10. I will not give you ſtraw] Cold comfort: things commonly go backward with the Saints before they com forward, as the corn groweth downward ere it grow upward. Hold out faith and patience; deliverance is at next dore by. Cùm duplicantur lateres, venit Moyſes. When things are at worſt they'le mend.
Verſ. 11. Yet not ought]. Such hard ſervice put's Satan his ſlaves to, and yet they rejoice in their bondage.
Verſ. 12. So the people were ſcattered] So are moſt people now-a daies buſied about traſh and trifles, neglecting the one thing neceſſarie. In the inthronization of the Pope before hee put's on his criple Crown, a wad of ſtraw is ſet on fire before him, and one appointed to ſaie, Sic tranſit gloria mundi, the glorie of this world is but a blaze of ſtraw or ſtubble, ſoon extinct. They that highly eſ…e…m it rejoice in a thing of nought, feed upon aſhes &c. Amos 7.8, 9. with 13.
Verſ. 13. And the task-maſters] Who were Egyptians, as the officers under them were Iſraëlites, and beaten. verſ. 14.
Verſ. 14. Were beaten] It is the miſerie of thoſe that are truſted with autoritie that their inferiors faults are beaten upon their backs.
Verſ. 15. Came and crie'd unto Pharaoh] They did not rail upon him to his face, as the Janizaries did in an uproar upon Bajazet the ſecond their Prince, ſaying that they would by and by teach him, as a drunkard, Turk. hiſt. fol. 444.a beaſt and a raſcal to uſe his great place and calling with more ſobrietie and diſcretion. Neither did they go behinde his back, and call him, as Sanders did Q. Eliſabeth, his natural Sovereign, Lupam Anglicanam, the Engliſh wolfe, or as Rhiſton calleth her, leaenam, omnes Athalias, Maachas, Rivetti Jeſuita vapulans. page. 263.Jezabeles, Herodiades &c. ſuperantem, a lioneſs worſ then anie Athaliah, Maacha, Jezabel. A foul-mouthed Jeſuite made this falſ Anagram of her, Eliſabeth, Jezabel. Tis omitted; Fuller's holy State. fol. 317.the preſage of the gallowes, whereon this Anagrammatiſt was afterwards juſtly executed. Aretine, by a longer cuſtom of libelous and contumelious ſpeaking againſt Princes, had got ſuch a habit, that at laſt hee came to diminiſh and diſeſteem God himſelf.
Verſ. 16. But the fault is in thine own people] Fffugiunt corvi, vexat cenſura columbas. As a man is friended, ſo is his matter ended. And where the hedg is low, a man may lightly make large leaps. Or as the French man ſaith, Qui ſon chien vult tuer, la rage luy met ſus, Hee that hath a minde to kill a dog, give's out that hee is mad. It was fault enough in God's Iſraël, that they would not bee miſerable.
Verſ. 17. Yee are idle] See the Note on verſ. 4, and 8.
Verſ. 18. Yet ſhall yee deliver the tale of bricks] Or bee miſerably beaten, if but one bee miſſing. The Spaniards (beſides other intolerable burdens and bondages that they laie upon the poor Indians) ſuppoſe they ſhew the wretches great favor, when they do not, Sir Fran. Drake World encompaſ. pag. 53.for their pleaſure, whip them with cords, and daie by daie drop their naked bodies with burning bacon. Regiment without Righteouſneſs turn's into tyrannie.
Verſ. 19. In an evil caſe] For their evil courſes. Ezek. 23.8. 20.5, 7, 8. Ioſ. 24.14. It is written as a heavie curſ of God. Levit. 26.17. If yee ſtill treſpaſs againſt mee, I will ſet Princes over you that ſhall hate you: Miſcheivous, odious Princes, odious to God, malignant to the people.
Verſ. 20. And they met Moſes] How readie are wee to miſtake the grounds of our afflictions, and to caſt them upon falſ cauſes? 1 King. 17.18.The Sareptan told the Prophet that hee had killed her ſon.
Verſ. 21. The Lord look upon you] Thus wee have ſeen dogs in a chafe bark at their beſt friends.
Verſ. 22. And Moſes returned unto the Lord] Hee turned aſide, as it were to ſpeak with a friend, and to disburthen himſelf into God's boſom. This is the Saints privilege. See the Note on Mat…h. 11.25.
Verſ 23. Neither haſt thou delivered] Here Moſes himſelf was too ſhort-ſpirited. Hee conſidered not, belike, that God's promiſes do manie times bear a long date, neither is it fit to ſet him a time, or to awaken him whom our ſoul loveth; untill hee pleaſ. Do but wait, ſaith the Lord. Habac. 2.3. You ſhall bee delivered, you ſhall bee delivered, you ſhall bee delivered, you ſhall, you ſhall. So much that text in effect ſoundeth and aſſureth.