SERM. crucified, and professed Him with hazard of her estate and life, Whom they persecuted in all bloody manner. VI. Who hath preserved us in the profession of His holy Name and truth many years, quietly without fear and peaceably without interruption; and so may still, many and many times many years more. To this, to such a one, by special due, Reddite more, and more willingly, and more bounteously, than to them. The conclusion is good, the consequent much more forcible. This for quæ Cæsaris now. For quæ Dei at some other time, when like text shall offer like occasion. A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KING'S MAJESTY AT HAMPTON COURT, ON SUNDAY THE TWENTY-EIGHTH OF SEPTEMBER, A.D. MDCVI. NUMBERS X. 1, 2. Then God spake to Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver, of one whole piece shalt thou make them. And thou shalt have them (or they shall be for thee) to assemble (or call together) the congregation, and to remove the camp. [Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens, Fac tibi duas tubas argenteas ductiles, quibus convocare possis multi- [And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver, of a whole piece shalt thou make them; that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. Eng. Trans.] למקרא הערה AMONG divers and sundry commissions granted in the Law A Grant. for the benefit and better order of God's people, this which I trumpets, Of the power of A right calling asheard of semblies. have read is one; given, as we see, per Ipsum Deum, by God From God. Himself,' and that vive vocis oraculo, by express warrant from His own mouth: "Then God spake to Moses, saying." And it is a grant of the right and power of the and with them of assembling the people of God. and power not to be lightly accounted of, or to be with slight attention; it is a matter of great weight and of this consequence, the calling of assemblies. There is yearly a matter of solemn feast holden in memory of it, and that by God's own ance. appointment, no less than of the Passover or of the Law itself, The grant power, a import Nu. 29. 1. SERM. even the "feast of the trumpets," much about this time of the VII. year, the latter equinoctial. And God appointeth no feast but in remembrance of some special benefit. It is therefore one of His special benefits and high favours vouchsafed them, and to be regarded accordingly. In whose hands this power was before. Nu. 9. 18, 20, 23. This power hitherto, ever since they came out of Egypt and that God adopted them for His people, unto this very day and place had God kept in His own hands, as to Him alone of right properly belonging. For unto this very day and place the people of God, as they had assembled many times and oft, so it was ever-they be the very last words of the last chapter, which serve for an introduction to these of oursever all their meetings and removings were by immediate warrant from God Himself. But here now God no longer intending thus to warn them still by special direction from His own self, but to set over this power once for all, here He Exod. 19. doth it. This is the primary passing it from God and deriving it to Moses, who was the first that ever held it by force of the Law written. For to this place they came by the sound of God's, and from this place they dislodged by the sound of Moses' trumpet. 13. The time and place of the granting. And it is a point very considerable what day and place this was; for it appeareth they were yet at Sinai, by the twelfth verse, yet at the very mount of God by the thirty-third verse of this chapter, even then when this commission came forth; so that this power is as ancient as the Law. At no other place nor no other time delivered than even the Law itself; when the two tables were given, the two trumpets were given; and Moses that was made keeper of both the tables, made likewise keeper of both the trumpets; both at Sinai, both at one time, as if there were some near alliance between the Law and assemblies. And so there is, assemblies being ever a special means to revive the Law, as occasions serve, and to keep it in life. As if the Law itself therefore lacked yet something, and were not perfect and full without them; so till this grant was passed, they stayed still at Sinai, and so soon as ever this was passed, they presently removed. To entreat then of this power. The story of the Bible would serve our turn to shew us who have had the exercise of it in their hands from time to time, if that were enough. But that is not enough. For the errors first and last about this point, from hence they seem to grow, that men look not back enough, have not an eye to this, how it was "in the Mat. 19. 4. beginning," by the very Law of God. Being therefore to search for the original warrant by which the assemblies of This the God's people are called and kept, this place of Numbers is grant of it. generally agreed to be it; that here it is first found, and here it is first founded; even in the Law, the best ground for a power that may be. In Lege quid scriptum est? quomodo legis? saith our Saviour, original "What is written in the Law? how read you there?" as if He Lu. 10. 26. should say, If it be to be read there it is well, then must it needs be yielded to; there is no excepting to it then, unless you will except to Law and Lawgiver, to God and all. Let us then come to this commission. of the grant. The points of it be three; first, "two trumpets of silver," The parts to be made out of "one whole piece" both. Secondly, with these trumpets "the congregation" to be called, and "the camp" removed. Thirdly, Moses to make these trumpets, and being made to use them to these ends. These three; 1. the instrument, 2. the end for which, 3. the party to whom. Now, to marshal these in their right order. 1. The end is to be first; Sapiens semper incipit a fine, saith the philosopher. 'A wise man begins ever at the end,' for that indeed is causa causarum, as logic teacheth us, the cause of all the causes,' the cause that sets them all on working. 2. Then next, the instrument, which applieth this power to this end. 3. And so last, the agent who is to guide the instrument, and to whom both instrument and power is committed. 1. The end for which this power is conveyed is double, as the subject is double whereon it hath his operation; 1. the camp, and the 2. congregation. On either of these a special act exercised; to "remove the camp," to "call together the congregation." One for war, the other for peace. That of the camp hath no longer use than while it is war. God forbid that should be long; nay, God forbid it should be at all. The best removing of the camp is the removing of it quite and clean away. But if it be not possible, if it lie Rom. 12. not in us, to have peace with all men, if war must be, here is order for it. But the calling of the congregation, that is 18. SERM. it; that is to continue, and therefore that which we to deal with. VII. [1.] Assem bling, a motion extraor The calling of the congregation, as in the two next verses, either in whole or in part; either of all the tribes, or but the chief and principal men in them. A power for both these. And in a word, a power general for calling assemblies; assemblies in war, assemblies in peace, assemblies of the whole, assemblies of each or any part. 2. This power to be executed by instruments: the instruments to be trumpets, two in number; those to be of silver, and both of one entire piece of silver. 3. This power, and the executing of it by these instruments, committed to Moses. First he to have the making of these trumpets, Fac tibi; then he to have the right to them being made, Et erunt tibi; then he to use them to "call the congregation," and if need be to "remove the camp." None to make any trumpet but he; none to have any trumpet but he. None to meddle with the calling of the congregation or removing the camp with them but he, or by his leave and appointment. Wherein as we find the grant full, so are we further to search and see whether this grant took place or no. Whether as these trumpets were made and given to "call the congregation," so the congregation from time to time have been called by these trumpets. And so first of the granting this power to be executed, and then of the executing this power so granted. So have we two subjects, "the camp" and "the congregation." Two acts, to "assemble" and to "remove." Two instruments, the "two silver trumpets." Two powers: to make them, to own them being made for the two acts or ends before specified; first for calling the assembly, and then for dislodging the camp. And all these committed to Moses. The sum of all this is, the establishing in Moses the prerogative and power of calling and dissolving assemblies about public affairs. Then God spake to Moses, &c. If we begin with the end, the end is assembling. Assembling is reduced to motion; not to every motion, but to the dinary. |