Moses' Faith

_VERSE 23._By faith, Moses when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; neither feared they the king's commandment.

In this verse the Holy Ghost proceeds further, and sets down unto us a notable and worthy example of the faith of Moses' parents. If we would see the history at large, we must read the second Chapter of Exodus; of which, these words are an abridgment, or brief Epitome. Now, here the faith of Moses' parents is commended unto us by two notable actions: 1. The hiding of Moses their child when he was born; 2. Their courage and boldness in that action; in not fearing the King's commandment. Of their hiding of him, we will first entreat generally, and then come to the circumstances thereof. In general, Their hiding of the child was this: They kept him close, and unknown to the Egyptians for three months space; because the King had given commandment and charge to all his people, that they should drown every man-child born among the Hebrews. Exodus 1.22. In this action of their faith, we may observe some special points.

First, Moses was to be a worthy Prophet, and Captain, or guide unto the people of Israel: and therefore howsoever other men-children were drowned upon the cruel command of Pharaoh, yet the Lord provides for him so soon as he is born, that he shall be hid, and so preserved from the tyranny and rage of Pharaoh.

Whence we learn, that God in the midst of all persecution, doth evermore preserve the seed of his Church. There be two estates of God's Church in the world: the first is quiet and peaceable, when the Gospel is publicly professed, taught, and received without hostile opposition, as by God's great mercy it is in our Church at this day. The second is an hidden estate, when as it cannot show itself visible, but the open profession of the Gospel is suppressed by the rage of the enemy the devil, and by wicked and cruel men that be his instruments. Thus God suffereth his Church sometimes to be shadowed, and in these times many of his dear children to be slain and put to death for the sins of his Church; yet so, as that always he preserves the seed of his Church. When Isaiah had showed the Jews the fearful desolation of their Land; that the Cities should be wasted without inhabitant, and their houses without man; yet then he saith, There shall be a tenth in it, and the holy seed shall be the substance or underprop thereof, Verse 13. God doth not deal with his Church, as he doth with the enemies thereof: he but lops off the branches in his Church, when as he stocks up the root of the enemies, Isaiah, chapter 27. verses 7, 8. When he visited Sodom and Gomorrah, he destroyed them utterly out of the earth: but the Lord doth ever keep fast the seed of his Church, that when the storm of persecution is blown over, his Church may spring and flourish afterward.

Here some may say, Seeing God purposed to make Moses such a worthy man over his people, why did he not by some wonderful, powerful, and mighty manner preserve him against the rage of Pharaoh? Answer. God indeed was able to have sent a legion of Angels for his preservation, or to have done it after some strange visible manner; but yet he would not: for we must know and remember, that it is God's pleasure to show his power in weak means. He can preserve every servant of his from all kind of injury: but he will not always do so. When Christ himself our Savior was, in his infancy, persecuted by Herod, God his Father was then able to have preserved him in Judea, and to have overthrown his persecutor by many legions of Angels; yet he would not, but only useth the poor help of Joseph, and Mary, with the ordinary weak means of flight: and all this he did, that he might be glorified in the weakness of his servants; for, when all means fail, then doth he magnify his power and providence in preserving those that trust in him. And thus much of this Action in general.

The circumstances to be considered in the hiding of Moses, are four: 1. The time when he was hid: the Text says, When he was born. Moses (as we said) must be afterward a notable servant, and a worthy instrument of God, whereby he would work the deliverance of his people, out of the bondage of Egypt: and yet we see, he is fain to be hid so soon as he is born.

Hence we learn; that those that be the servants of God, and are in special favor with him, must look for trouble and affliction in this life, from the cradle to the grave, from the day of their birth, to the hour of their death. Moses is in danger of his life by Pharaoh, so soon as he is born. And so was our Savior Christ by Herod, when he was but a babe: whereupon his Parents fled with him into Egypt for his safety. And answerable to their infancy was the rest of their life; full of danger, full of trouble: And as it was with them, so is it with others; second Timothy, chapter 3. verse 12; He that will live godly must suffer persecution: and he that will be Christ's Disciple, must take up his Cross every day and follow him, Luke 9.23.

This is a point which all of us must mark; we must not look to have ease and joy in earth: It is enough for us to enjoy that after this life. If Christ himself carry his cross out of the gate, we then with his disciples must take up our cross and follow him every day.

The second circumstance to be considered, is this: How long was Moses hid? Namely, three months. Question. Why was he hid no longer? Answer. Because they could not; for it is likely, there was search for him, and therefore they made a basket of reed,and daubed it with slime and pitch, and laid the child therein, and put it among the bul-rushes by the river's brink.

Thus did the Parents adventure the child's life, for the saving of their own: wherein we may see a great want and weakness in their faith; for they kept their child a while by faith: but afterward committed him to the dangers of the waters, of wild beasts and fowls of the air. So that it is plain their faith was weak, and mingled with fear and with some doubting. For in keeping the child three months, they show forth lively faith; but when as they expose him to danger for their own safety, herein they betray some want of love, and weakness of faith: and yet we see they are here commended for their faith. Which shows plainly, that if a man have true and sound faith, though it be but weak, yet God in mercy will take knowledge of it and commend it, passing by the weakness of it; yea, and unto that faith will give the promises of life everlasting made in Christ.

The third circumstance to be considered, is this; Who it was that kept Moses three months. In Exodus it is said that his mother kept him; but here it is said, his parents kept him: where the Holy Ghost includes his father also. How can both these be true? Answer. We must know that the Mother was the chief doer in this work, and the father though he was not a doer, yet he gave his consent. Now we must remember, that consent is a kind of doing, whether it be in good things, or in evil: for, when Saul did but keep the persecutors clothes that stoned Stephen, (Acts 7.58.) whereby he signified his consent; thereupon he confesses himself to be guilty of his death, Acts 22.20.

Lastly, observe the Cause, or rather the Occasion that moved the Parents to save their child. It was a notable comeliness and beauty, which did appear in the body of the child, when he was born. This moved them to reason thus with themselves: Surely God hath given such beauty and comeliness unto this child, that it is very likely he will use him hereafter, to be some notable instrument of some great work: we therefore will keep him alive. This point must be marked of us: for, beside their natural affection, this also was a motive to make the parents save their child.

Hence we may learn, that those whom God will employ above others in some special service for his own glory, are usually endowed with some special gift above others; yea many times with outward grace and comeliness in the body. For, this beauty in Moses' body, moved his parents to seek to save his life; they persuade themselves that God had not imprinted that in him for nought. Saul (we know) was made King over Israel: and it is noted, that the Lord had given him a goodly stature; for he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders upward. So David had a good countenance, and a comely visage: for the Lord purposed to make him king over Israel. Now as he did excel his brethren in beauty and comeliness, so he was to be far above them in this special service of God, in governing his people.

Hence we learn, first, that comeliness and beauty is a gift of God: Secondly, that those which excel others in these gifts of nature, must look also that answerably they excel them in holiness, and zeal in the service of God, and doing good unto men, as Moses and David did. But alas, wretched is the practice of these times: for commonly those which have comeliness and beauty above others, do use it as a bait and occasion unto all sin, and naughtiness; as to whoredom and lasciviousness, that hereby they may more fully satisfy their own wretched and satanical lusts: but this must carefully be looked unto, of all such as have the gifts of nature in more excellent manner than others. For if they use them, or rather abuse them to be means of sin, and to set forth the pride and vanity of their hearts, they have much to answer for unto God, at the dreadful day of Judgment. Has God given you beauty and comeliness? And do you use it as a bait to ensnare others for the satisfying of your lust? Then look unto it you evil servant, for you do not hide, but consume your Master's talent, employing it to his dishonor; therefore it shall be taken from you: and in stead thereof, you shall have ugliness and deformity, and so in soul and body be tumbled into hell with unclean spirits. And thus much of the first action of their faith, with the circumstances thereof.

The second action, whereby the faith of Moses' Parents is commended unto us, is this; They did not fear the King's commandment. These words must not be understood absolutely and simply, but with limitation. For many places of Scripture are spoken simply, which must be understood with respect: as when it is said, Matthew 11.18, John came neither eating nor drinking, that is not, eating nothing at all, but eating little: and Christ saith, Matthew 10.34, He came not to bring peace, but the sword: that is (as Luke expounds it, Luke 12.51.) rather debate, than peace. And so in this place, Moses' parents feared not the King's commandment; that is, they did not fear it overmuch, or wholly, or only, or so much as others did in the like case.

Here then first we may learn, how far forth we must obey superiors and magistrates; we must obey them, not simply, but in the Lord: Ephesians 6.1. that is, in all their lawful commands: but when they command things evil and unlawful, then we must stay ourselves, lest obeying them we rebel against God. For this, we have sufficient warrant in this place, as also in the Apostles; who being commanded (Acts 4.18, 19.) that in no wise they should speak or teach in the name of Jesus: answered, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to obey you rather than God, judge ye. And the midwives of Egypt are commended of the Holy Ghost, (Exodus 1.17.) for saving the young children alive, against the King's commandment. And the three men of the Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, are renowned with all posterity, for disobeying the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3.16, 17.) of worshipping the golden Image. By which examples, we may see plainly, that our obedience to men must be in the Lord only. Neither is our refusing to do their unlawful commands, any disobedience indeed: because the fifth commandment in this case ceases to bind, and gives place to the commandments of the first table, which are greater; as we showed before, verse 17.

Secondly, see here this godly boldness, in not overmuch fearing the King's commandment, is made a work of faith: whence we learn, that true faith in the promises of God, does serve to moderate a man's affections. There is no man, but if he be left to himself, he will go too far in the sway of his affections: experience shows that many through anger, and joy, have lost their lives; some for fear have forsaken religion, and sorrow has cost many a man his life. Yea, any affection if it be not moderated and stayed, will bereave a man of his senses, and make him a beast, and no man.

But behold the use and power of true faith: It serves to mitigate a man's affection; so as if a man be angry, it shall be with moderation: and so we may say of fear, joy, hatred, or any other affection; faith will assuage and stay the rage thereof. For undoubtedly, Moses parents might have been overwhelmed with fear of Pharaohs tyranny and cruelty, but that God gave them faith, which did moderate this fear. There is none of us, but if we look well into ourselves, we shall see that we are excessive in many affections; sometime in fear, sometime in anger, sometime in sorrow, and such like. Now, would we know how to bridle these strong passions? Then get true faith: it is the means whereby a man may moderate and stay the rage of his affections, so as they shall not break out into extremity. Is a man angry? Why, if he have faith, he will bridle his anger. Is he sorrowful? Yet it is in measure: and so for the rest, faith will rule them all, and yet extinguishes none. Which, should greatly provoke us to labour for true faith, seeing it is of such use and power in the stay of our affections.

Verse 24. By faith, Moses when he was come to age, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter. 25. And chose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. 26. Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches, than the treasures of Egypt: For he had respect unto the recompense of reward.

Here the Holy Ghost comes to the commendation of Moses faith, and in these three verses propounds a most notable example hereof.

By Moses faith, in this place, we must understand saving faith; which is nothing else, but a gift of God, whereby Moses received the promise of God touching salvation by the Messias, and of the promised Land, made to Abraham and to his seed after him, and applied the same unto himself particularly.

Now in the first entrance of this example, the Holy Ghost sets down a wonderful thing of Moses; namely, that Moses had faith, and by it did this great work. This (I say) is strange, because he was brought up by Pharaohs daughter in the Court of Pharaoh, where was no knowledge of the true God, and indeed nothing but idolatry, wantonness, and profaneness. And yet here it is testified of him, by the Spirit of God which cannot lie, that he had faith; which is a wonderful thing. And the like is recorded of others in the word of God: As in Ahabs Court (who was a King that had sold himself to work wickedness) yet the Spirit of God testifies, that even there was good Obadiah, a man that feared God greatly. And Herod was a most deadly enemy to Christ: and yet Joanna the wife of Chuza Herods friend, ministered of her goods unto Christ. And Paul says, The Saints which are of Caesars household salute you: Where, by Caesars house, is meant the Court of Nero, who was a most bloody man, and a wicked persecutor; and yet in his house were the professors of Christs Gospel. By these examples we learn, that Christ has his children and servants in the middle among his enemies: for, these three Courts, of Pharaoh, Herod, and Nero, may be called a kind of hell; and yet there were some of Gods servants in them all. Which shows us clearly the truth of Gods word, which says of Christ, that he reigns in the middle among his enemies. Howsoever they rage, and seek to blot out his name, and to root out his kingdom, yet despite their throats, he will rule in the middle of their kingdoms, and there have those which truly serve him and fear his name: Revelation 2:13, God had his Church in Pergamus where Satans throne was.

Again, this faith of Moses serves to check many a man in this age, that is brought up in the Church of God, and under godly Parents and governors, and yet is a hater and mocker of the religion of Christ. Surely Moses in the day of judgment shall stand up against all such, and condemn them. For he had faith, though he were brought up in a most profane place: and they are void of faith, nay, enemies unto it; though they live in the bosom of the Church.

But let us come to the strange fact which Moses did, for which his faith is so commended. The Text says of him first of all, That when he was come to age, he refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter. How Moses became her son, we may read at large, Exodus 2: where it is said, that she having found Moses in the basket, preserved him alive, and brought him up as her own child; purposing to make him her own son and heir. But this honour of hers he would not accept; this he refused by faith, and this is that notable and famous act, for which his faith is here commended unto us.

But some will say, This fact of Moses may seem rather worthy of blame than praise, as being a practice of great rudeness and ingratitude: for she preserved his life from death, and brought him up as her own child, and vouchsafed him this special favour to make him her heir; and therefore Moses should not thus have contemned her favour. Answer. Indeed it had been Moses part to have showed himself thankful, in accepting this favour at her hands, and also in enjoying the same, if he might have done it with the fear of God, and keeping a good conscience. But, that he could not do: for, if he had dwelled still with her, and been her son and heir, he should have been undutiful unto God. Now this is a rule to be remembered and practiced always; that in duties of like nature the Commandments of the second table do bind us no further than our obedience thereto may stand with obedience unto the commandments of the first table: and when these two cannot stand together, then we are freed from obedience unto the second table; as, from performing honour and thankfulness unto men, when we cannot therewithall perform obedience and service unto God. And this was Moses case: because he could not both serve God, and continue his thankfulness, to Pharaohs daughter (for in staying with her, he should have made shipwreck of true religion) therefore he forsakes her favour and honour; and for this cause is here commended unto us. The like did our Saviour Christ, for when the people would have made him King, he refused it, and fled from among them, John 6:15, because it would not stand with that calling, for which he was sanctified and sent into the world: therefore Moses fact was commendable, and does greatly set forth unto us his holy faith.

In this fact of Moses thus generally considered, observe a notable fruit of true faith: It makes a man to esteem more of the state of adoption to be the child of God, than to be the child or heir of any earthly Prince. This is plain in Moses in this place. And the like we may see in David: for though he were a King, yet he set all his royalty and majesty at nought, in regard of Gods blessing of adoption; and therefore says, The Lord (not the Kingdom of Israel) is my portion. And again, when he was kept from the Lords tabernacle, and the company of Gods Saints, through persecution; he says, The Sparrows and Swallows were more happy than he, Psalm 84, because they had nests where they might keep their young, and sit, and sing; but he could not come near the Lords Altar. And yet more fully to express the earnestness of his affection this way; he says, he had rather be a man of a base office, even a doorkeeper in the house of God, than a man of renown in the tents of wickedness. But howsoever, these men were of one mind herein; yet come to our age, and seek in Town, Country, and people, and we shall see this fruit of faith is rare to be found: for generally (though I will not say all) the most of those that are born of good parentage, as the sons of Knights or Squires, and especially of Nobles, are so bewitched with the pride of their earthly Parentage, that they have scarce a thought after adoption in Christ. Gods heavenly graces will take no place in their hearts, but they utterly contemn all other estates of life in regard of their own. And this is the common sin of the whole world: for, at earthly preferments men will stand amazed; but seldom shall you find a man that is ravished with joy in this, that he is the child of God, as Moses did. But his practice must be a precedent for us to follow: we must learn to have more joy in being the sons of God, than to be heirs of any worldly Kingdoms; and to take more delight in the grace of adoption through Jesus Christ, than in the sonship of any earthly Prince.

It is a great prerogative to be heir to a King or Emperor: but yet to be the child of God, goes far beyond it, even above comparison. For, the son of the greatest Potentate may be the child of wrath: but the child of God by grace, has Christ Jesus to be his eldest brother, with whom he is fellow heir in heaven; he has the Holy Ghost also for his comforter, and the Kingdom of heaven for his everlasting inheritance. And therefore we must learn of Moses, from the bottom of our hearts, to prefer this one thing, To be the child of God, before all earthly things, either pleasures, riches, or any other prerogatives whatsoever.

Now, more particularly in this fact of Moses note two circumstances: 1. The manner how: 2. The time when, he refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter.

For the first; his refusal was not in word, but in deed: for, if we read the whole History of Moses, we shall not find, that either he spoke to Pharaoh, or to his daughter, or to any other to this effect, that he would not be her heir, nor called her son; but we find that he did it in deed: for, when he came to age, he left the Court oftentimes, and went to visit his brethren, to comfort them, to defend them, and to take part with them. And hence we must learn, not so much to give ourselves to know, and to talk of matters of religion, as to do and practice the same both before God and men. This did Moses. It is the common fault of our age, that we can be content to hear the doctrine of religion taught unto us; yea, many will learn it, and often speak thereof: but few there be that make conscience to do the things they hear and speak of. But let us learn of Moses to put those things in practice which we learn and profess, and in silence do them: for, the fewer words the better, unless our deeds be answerable. If any of us were to walk upon the top of some high mountain, we would leave off talking, and look unto our steps for fear of falling. Behold, when we enter the profession of Christianity, we are set upon an high mountain: for the way of life is on high; and Christianity is the high calling of God. We therefore must be wise, as Solomon says, Proverbs 15:24, and look well to our conversation, having a strait watch over all our ways, through the whole course of our life, even to the end of our days; and not stand so much on speaking and talking, as on doing: for the doer of the work shall be blessed in his deed, James 1:25. This is the thing we must look unto, as the only ornament of our profession, declaring that we have the power of godliness: but if deeds be wanting, our religion is vain, we are like the fig tree which Christ cursed, having leaves but no fruit.

The second circumstance to be considered, is, the time when he refused this honour; namely, when he came to be a man of years and discretion. A man in common reason would judge thus of Moses' fact; Moses has rare fortune offered him, he might have been son and heir to a Princess: surely this is a rash fact of his, and void of consideration, to refuse it; undoubtedly he far overshot himself herein, either through rashness or ignorance. But to prevent such carnal surmises, the Spirit of God sets down this circumstance of time; saying, that he did not refuse it in his youth: but when he was come to age, that is, to perfect years of discretion, and by reason thereof, must needs have consideration and judgment to know what he did; then did he refuse this honour, to be Pharaoh's daughter's son and heir. In the seventh of the Acts, we shall see that he was forty years old when he did this. And therefore this is true which is here said, that when he was come to age, and staidness; then he refused this honour: for, forty years is a time, not only of ripeness for strength; but of staidness in judgment and discretion.

Out of this circumstance we learn two points. 1. That it is a common fault of young years, to be subject to inconsideration, and rashness; for, Moses did not refuse the honour of Pharaoh's daughter, when he was young, lest it should seem to be a point of rashness: but, when he was come to age (as the text says); insinuating, that if he had done it when he was young, it might have been esteemed but a rash part, and done in some hasty passion of youth. Every age of man has his faults: and this is the fault of youth, to be heady and rash in their affairs, for want of consideration and experience. And therefore all young persons must have care of these sins of youth, and watch the more against them, because they are so incident to their years. Now, the way to avoid them, is to follow Christ's example, Luke 2:52, to labour to grow, as in years, so in wisdom and grace: and to obey the counsel of Paul to Timothy, 2 Timothy 2:22, to fly the lusts of youth; following after justice, faith, charity, and peace, with all that call upon the name of the Lord with a pure heart.

Secondly, this circumstance of time, noting Moses' deliberate staidness in this fact, does plainly advertise us, what is, or should be, the virtue of old age, and the ornament of years; namely, staidness, and discretion: whereby, I mean, not only that natural temper of affection, which old age brings with it; but such religious discretion, whereby men of years do all things in faith, so as their works may be acceptable and pleasing unto God. For, when a man is grown in years, and has had experience and observation in the Church of God, he must not only have a general knowledge and wisdom; but a particular wisdom, whereby he may do in faith, whatsoever he takes in hand, and therein please God. But alas, this may be spoken of old men in these days, that in regard of this wisdom, they are very babes; a thing greatly disgraceful to their condition. For, Paul bids the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 14:20, that they should not be children in understanding, but of ripe age: yea, and he forbids the Ephesians, Ephesians 4:14, to be children still, wavering and carried about with every wind of doctrine. Whereby we may see, that aged persons do quite degenerate from that they ought to be, when they are babes in knowledge, void of spiritual wisdom. Indeed, we must grant, that our aged persons are worldly wise; and he must have a cunning head, and (as we say) rise early, that herein goes beyond them: But bring them to the book of God, and to give a reason of their actions, that they are done in faith; herein, they are mere babes, and ignorant: neither can they tell what it is to do a thing in faith, so as it may be acceptable to God. Herein, many that are young in years, do quite outstrip them. What would we think or say of a child, that being set to a good school, should still be in the lowest form, though he had long continued at it? Surely, we would judge him either exceeding negligent, or destitute of ordinary capacity.

Behold, the Church of God is the school of Christ: and if a man have lived long therein (as twenty, or forty years) and yet be no wiser in religion, than a young child; is it not a shame unto him? and shall we not condemn him of great negligence? Wherefore, let all aged persons here learn their duty; which is, to grow to ripeness in spiritual wisdom, that so their age may be to them a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness, Proverbs 16:31.

VERSE 25. And chose rather to suffer adversities with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

The meaning of these words is this: Moses cast with himself, that if he should yield to become heir to Pharaoh's daughter, he must live with her, and please her in all things, and so altogether leave God's Church, and people, and God's holy religion; which thing to do, he abhorred in his heart: and withal, he must leave and lose the eternal blessedness of God's children, for the honours, and sinful pleasures of the Court, which were but momentary. These things considered, he chooses rather to be in affliction and misery with the people of God, than upon these conditions, to live in Pharaoh's Court, and to become his daughter's son and heir.

And because this may seem a strange choice, the Holy Ghost does afterward render a reason hereof, which is this; Because Moses liked rather to enjoy the prerogatives of God's Church (though it were in misery) than to enjoy any honour in a wicked Court, such as indeed Pharaoh's was.

In this verse therefore, we are to note a second fruit of Moses' faith; to wit, that he preferred the fellowship and communion of God's Saints, before all other societies in the world. The same also was David's practice. Psalm 16:3, All my delight (says he) is in the Saints that dwell on the earth.

This fruit of Moses' faith, does discover unto us a grievous fault, which reigns in this age; to wit, the neglect and contempt of the communion and society of Saints. There is a society and fellowship that is loved and magnified among us: but what manner of society is that? Surely of such as give themselves to drinking, jesting, scoffing, riot, mirth, and gaming. This is the common and general good fellowship: through which, God is greatly dishonoured. For most men set their delight therein, and are never merry but in such company, wherein indeed they delight themselves in their sensuality. True it is, men plead that this good fellowship is a virtue. But then was Moses far overseen: for in Pharaoh's Court he might have had all kind of such good fellowship and company; yet he likes it not, but rather chooses affliction and misery with the people of God, than to enjoy such fellowship in Pharaoh's Court. And as for the goodness of it, it is neither so esteemed nor called by any, but by them that call good evil, and evil good. We see, Moses a man of wisdom and learning, Acts 7:23, no child, but a man of 40 years old, hates and abhors this good fellowship, as the worst estate in the world: rather choosing the society of a miserable and persecuted Church, than the best of that fellowship which a King's Court could yield. Let us therefore learn more wisdom out of his practice. Some say, this good fellowship is harmless; and such men who thus merrily pass their times, do no such hurt as many others do. But I answer, men are born to do good. Again, to misspend time, wealth, and wit, are not these evil and harmful, both in themselves and in the example? And which is worst of all, it is no fellowship with God, nor any part of the communion of Saints, but rather a fellowship with Satan: therefore let all that will, like true Christians, have true comfort in that article of their Creed, the communion of Saints, esteem the fellowship of good and holy men above all other. For, by this communion with God's Saints, a man reaps great profit, when as the other brings to a man the ruin both of his body and soul. By the society of the godly, we are first made partakers of their gifts and holy graces; and secondly, of their prayers, and the blessings of God upon them: which things if there were no other, might move us to embrace this blessed society before all other. And yet further; by being of this society, a man avoids many of God's judgments: If there had been ten righteous men in Sodom, they had all been spared from destruction. Wherein we may see, that they that cleave to such as fear the Lord indeed, never receive harm by them, but rather much good; for, for the elect's sake it is, that the world yet stands: and if they were gathered, heaven and earth would go together; but for the calling of the Elect, the hand of God is yet stayed. Why then should not Moses' example be our rule, Above all worldly pleasure to rejoice in the society of God's Saints?

Thus much in general: Now, in the particular words, are many notable points of doctrine, which we will touch in their order. And chose rather, etc. Mark here a rare and strange choice as ever we shall read of. There are two things propounded to Moses: The first is, honour and preferment in Pharaoh's Court; to be son and heir to Pharaoh's daughter: wherewith he might have enjoyed all earthly pleasures and delights. The second, is the miserable afflicted condition of God's Church and people.

And of these two, Moses must needs choose the one: well what chooses he? Surely he refuses the prerogatives and dignity, that he might have had in Pharaoh's Court, and makes choice of the misery and affliction of God's people in adversity; that so he may enjoy the privileges of God's Church. A wonderful choice: for which, his faith is here commended, and he renowned to all posterity. The same choice has God set before men in all ages. In former times God set before Esau two things; A mess of red broth, and his birthright: but profane Esau chooses the worser, he forgoes his birthright, so he may have the broth. But far worse did the Gadarenes; there was set before them Christ Jesus the Lord of life, and their hogs and cattle: Now they prefer their hogs before Christ; A most miserable and senseless choice. And is it not as ill with us? There is set before us on the one side heaven, and on the other side hell; but men for the most part choose hell and forsake heaven. Civil worldly men whose delight is all in riches, they prefer earth before heaven, the service of sin which is the greatest slavery, before the service of God which is perfect freedom, and glorious liberty of the Saints in light: and thus do all men without God's special grace. Whereupon Paul prays in his Epistles for the Churches, that God would give unto them the spirit of wisdom, that they may be able to judge between things that differ. And this wisdom we must labour for, that when these different things are set before us, we may make a wise choice: otherwise, we show ourselves to be like brute beasts without understanding, and do quite overturn our own salvation. In the Ministry of the word we have life and death, good and evil set before us, as Moses said to the people, Deuteronomy 30:15, 19. Let us therefore endeavour ourselves to choose life by embracing and obeying the word of God: and so shall we follow both his precept and practice.

To suffer adversity with the people of God. Here we may observe what is the ordinary state and condition of God's Church and people in this world: namely, to be in affliction and under the cross. Hence Paul says, That we must come to heaven through manifold afflictions, Acts 14:23. The Lord knows what is best for his servants and children: and therefore he has set down this for a ground, that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12.

Thus the Lord deals with his children for special causes: for first, all crosses, as loss of goods, friends, liberty, or good name, they are means to stir up and awake God's people out of the slumbering fit of sin; for the godly are many times overtaken this way. The wise virgins sleep, as well as the foolish: Now, afflictions rouse them out of the sleep of security. See this in Joseph's brethren, who went on a long time without any remorse for selling their brother: But when they were stayed in Egypt, then they are roused up, and can say, Genesis 42:21, This trouble is come upon us, for selling our brother.

Secondly, afflictions serve to humble God's children, Leviticus 26:41. So the Church of God speaks, I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, Micah 7:9.

Thirdly, they serve to wean the people of God, and to drive them from the love of this world: for, if men might always live in ease, they would make their heaven upon earth; which may not be. And herein GOD deals with his children like a Nurse; when she will wean her child, she lays some bitter thing upon the breast's head, to make the child to loathe the breast: so the Lord, to draw our hearts from the world, and to cause us to love and seek after heaven and heavenly things, he makes us to taste of the bitterness of affliction in [reconstructed: this] world. Fourthly, afflictions serve to make God's children to go out of themselves to seek sincerely unto GOD, and to rely only upon him: which in prosperity they will not do. This, Paul confesses of himself and others: We (says he) received the sentence of death in ourselves, because we should not trust in ourselves, but in God: 2 Corinthians 1:9. So good King Jehoshaphat, when he was compassed of his enemies, He cried to the Lord, and said; Lord we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards Thee: 2 Chronicles 20:12. Yea, the rebellious Jews are hereby driven to seek the Lord, whom in prosperity they forsook: as we may see at large, Psalm 107:6, 12, 13, 19.

Lastly, afflictions serve to make manifest the graces of GOD in his children. The Lord (says Job) knows my way and tries me; Job 23:10. Deuteronomy 8:2, Remember all the way (says Moses to the Israelites) which the Lord your GOD led you, this forty years, for to prove you and to know what was in your heart. Hence James calls temptations, the trial of faith, James 1:2, 3: And Paul makes patience, the fruit of tribulation: Romans 5:3. For, look as the showers in the spring time cause the buds to appear: so do afflictions make manifest God's graces in his children. Patience, hope, and other virtues, lie close in the heart in the day of peace: but when tribulation comes, then they break forth and show themselves.

Hence we learn, that it is not always a token of God's wrath, to suffer affliction. If any man or people be laden with crosses, it is no argument, that therefore they are not the children of GOD: for, as Peter says, Judgments begin at God's house, 1 Peter 4:17: and any cross upon a people, family, or particular persons, if it bring forth the fruit of grace in them, is a true sign, they belong to GOD. Yea, when men wander from God by an evil way, these afflictions are means to call them home to GOD. Psalm 119:67: Before I was afflicted I went astray. And they that forsake their sin and return to GOD in the time of affliction, are certainly God's people: for, the wicked man frets and murmurs against God when a cross comes, and he cannot abide it. But the godly man is humbled thereby, and it makes him more obedient in all duties unto God.

This we should consider: for by an outward profession, we bear the world in hand, that we are God's children, and therefore we come to hear God's word, and to learn how to behave ourselves as becomes his children. But if we would be known to be God's children indeed, then when any of God's judgments do befall us, we must make this use of them; namely, labor thereby to be humbled for our sins, and to forsake our sins, and to make conscience of all bad ways for ever afterward; and then we show ourselves to be God's children indeed: but if under the cross, or after the cross, we be as dissolute as ever we were, and still follow our old sins, then we cannot be judged to be God's people and children, but rather a wicked and stubborn generation, which the more they are corrected, the worse they are; like a stithy, the more it is beaten, the harder it is. Let us therefore by the use of God's judgments, show ourselves to be God's children: so shall we say with David with much joy and comfort, It is good for us that we have been in trouble, Psalm 119:71.

Thus we see what Moses chose: now come we to the thing he refused; To enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. By pleasures of sin, we must understand the riches and dignity that Moses might have had in Pharaoh's Court and Kingdom: Which are called the pleasures of sin, not because they were so in themselves; for, so they were the good gifts of GOD: but because Moses could not enjoy them in Pharaoh's Court without living in sin; for, he must have refused the society of God's Church and people, and so have been a stranger from the covenant which God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with his seed after them, if he would have been son to Pharaoh's daughter.

Here then the holy Ghost sets down two notable reasons, which induced Moses to refuse these honors and dignities: First, because they were the pleasures of sin; And secondly, because he should enjoy them but for a season.

The first reason affords unto us many notable points worthy our consideration. 1. Here we learn, that riches, honor, and dignity severed from true religion, are nothing but the pleasures and profits of sin. This was Moses' judgment, as the holy Ghost here testifies: and it is the plain truth of God, as Solomon after lamentable experience disputes, and proves at large: concluding of riches, honor, pleasures, and all earthly things separated from the fear of God, that they are nothing else but mere vanity and vexation of spirit. And Paul says, To the impure all things are impure; his meat, drink, and apparel, which in themselves are otherwise the good gifts of God.

The consideration hereof is of great use. For, first it lets us see what is the state of these men which lay aside religion and good conscience, and betake themselves wholly to the world, to get riches and preferment: most men are of this disposition, and such indeed are only counted wise. For, let there be speech tending to a man's commendation, usually this is the first matter of his praise, that he is a substantial wealthy man; and one that looks well to himself: as though riches or honor were a man's chief happiness. But, howsoever the world judges of these men; yet hereby we may see and know, that their case is miserable. For without religion and the fear of God, their riches and honor are but the pleasures and profits of sin: and therefore the more they heap up riches after this sort, not regarding Christ nor his Gospel; the more they heap up to themselves the treasures of sin, and consequently the greater condemnation: for worldly treasures severed from religion, are but the Mammon of iniquity which causes damnation. Hence Christ said unto his Disciples (upon occasion of the young rich man) that it was as easy for a great Camel to go through the eye of a needle, as for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven; that is, such a rich man as sets his heart to get riches and honor, not regarding the religion of Christ. Whence also in another place he pronounces this fearful sentence against them: Woe be to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation: Luke 6:24. They therefore that lay aside religion, and give themselves wholly to seek gain and honor, are before God most wretched and miserable: and the longer they continue in this course, the more miserable they are; for the more sin they heap up, and so the deeper shall be their condemnation. Wherefore if any of us have been thus minded heretofore, let us now leave this course, as most dangerous to our souls: for, what will it profit a man to gain the whole world, if he lose his soul?

2. Hence we must all learn, especially they that have any measure of wealth more or less, to join with the use of our riches the fear of God, and the practice of true religion: for, sever these asunder, and riches are nothing else but sinful pleasures. It is a good conscience which rectifies the owner in the right use of his honor and treasures: but without that, he pollutes the blessings of God which he enjoys; and they being polluted shall turn to his greater woe. A man would have thought that King Belshazzar had been a happy man, when he kept his royal feast, and drank wine in golden bowls before a thousand Princes that were under him, and before his Concubines: but the end of that his jollity may show us the nature of such prosperity. For so soon as he saw the fingers of a man's hand, writing upon the wall, he became quite confounded in himself: his countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him; so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other: What comfort had he now from all his riches and pleasures? So Dives, while he lived, might seem for his wealth and riches to be happy: yet all this did him little good; for, he had but his pleasure for his lifetime, Luke 16:25: and after this life, his soul went down to hell. A worldly man would judge the rich man in the Gospel, a most happy man, that said unto his soul, by reason of his great abundance of outward wealth, Luke 12:19, Soul, soul, you have much goods laid up for many years, live at ease, eat, drink, and take your fill: yet because herewith he wanted religion, a good conscience, and the fear of God, this sentence was denounced against him; Oh fool, this night will they fetch away your soul: then, whose shall these things be? Wherefore, unless we will willfully cast away our own souls, let us sanctify our interest in all earthly blessings, by a sincere endeavor in all things, to show forth the fear of God, with the keeping of faith and a good conscience: and let us begin with this, as Christ says, First, seek God's Kingdom and his righteousness, Matthew 6:33. Let us hereby seek to have our hearts acceptable unto God: and then all things shall be clean unto us.

Thirdly, are riches and honor, being severed from true religion, but the pleasures of sin? then undoubtedly all recreations, all sports, and pastimes, severed from religion and a good conscience, are much more the pleasures of sin. This Solomon knew well: for, speaking of such mirth, he calls laughter madness; and to joy (he says) What is it that you do? Ecclesiastes 2:2. Oh then how manifold be the sins of all sorts of men? for, who almost does not neglect religious duties for matters of sport and pleasure? Wherefore, if we desire joy indeed in any worldly things, let us first lay the foundation in our own hearts, by getting and keeping true faith and a good conscience.

Secondly, whereas Moses refuses dignity and honor only for this, Because they would be unto him the pleasures of sin; here we are taught in what manner and order we ought to enjoy worldly riches and honor. Moses' practice here, must be our direction: we must enjoy them, and use them with thankfulness to GOD, so far forth as they will further us in the course of religion and true godliness. But if the case stand thus, That we cannot enjoy them both together, then we must follow Moses' example; choose religion and a good conscience, and let honor and preferment go. This is Moses' practice: and we may resolve ourselves, that if he might have enjoyed them together, he would have refused neither; but because he could not have them both, therefore he prefers the religion of Christ with a good conscience, before the honor and wealth of Egypt.

Thirdly note this, Moses does not only refuse the riches and pleasures of Egypt, when they would become unto him the pleasures of sin; but rather than he will enjoy them, he is content to suffer great misery, and adversity with God's people. Where, behold a singular virtue in Moses: He judges it to be the greatest misery, to live in sin; and therefore he chooses rather to suffer any adversity and reproach in this world, than live and lie in sin: because thereby, he should displease God, his most loving father in Christ. A most notable virtue in this servant of God: and the like mind bear all those, that have the same graces of saving faith, and true repentance that Moses had. Saint Paul esteemed the Temptations unto sin, which Satan suggested into his mind, to be as beatings and buffetings, and as pricks and thorns in his flesh, 2 Corinthians 12:7. And David says, Psalm 119:136, His eyes gush out with rivers of waters, because men break God's commandments. Was David thus grieved for other men's sins? Oh! then what a grief did he suffer, when he himself broke God's commandments, and thereby displeased God?

Now, look how these servants of God were affected, so must every one of us, that profess the faith and religion of Christ, labor to be affected towards sin; we must judge it the greatest misery and torment in the world, to do anything that shall displease God. But alas, come to our days, and the case is far otherwise; for, to most men, it is meat and drink unto them to commit sin: so far are they from counting it a misery. Yea, if a man be ordinarily addicted to some special sin, you then may as soon take away his life, as bereave him of his sin: he will adventure the loss of heaven for ever, for the pleasure of sin for a time. But all such, are far unlike these holy servants of God; for they counted it the greatest cross, and misery that could be, to do anything that displeased God, and did check and break the peace of a good conscience. And if we look to enjoy like peace and comfort with them; we must strive against our own corrupt disposition, and labor to find sin to be our greatest sorrow. Worldly miseries may affect us: but, in respect of sorrow for sin, all worldly grief should be light unto us. Indeed, we are otherwise minded naturally: but herein, we must show the power and truth of grace, that to displease God by any sin, is our greatest grief.

The second reason, that moved Moses to refuse the honors and pleasures of Pharaoh's Court; was, because he should have enjoyed them but for a time: for, the time of his natural life, was the longest that possibly he could have enjoyed them. And the same reason must move every one of us, to use this world, and all things herein (even all temporal benefits) as though we used them not: being, always willing and ready to leave them whensoever God shall call. This same reason does Paul render when he persuades the Corinthians to the same duty, 1 Corinthians 7:31: Use this world (says he) as though you used it not; for the fashion of this world goes away. As if he should say, All things in the world last but for a time; and if a man would never so fain, he could but enjoy them to the end of his life: and therefore, use them as though you used them not. But pity it is to see, how far men are from the practice of this duty; for, they set their whole heart upon the world: and to get riches is their delight, and their God. This ought not so to be. God has not laid down these precepts and examples in vain: undoubtedly, if they draw us not to the like practice, they shall rise up in judgment against us at the last day. And thus much of Moses' choice, and refusal.

VERSE 26. Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches, than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect to the recompense of reward.

Moses (as we have heard) refused the honor and wealth of Egypt, and chose to live in affliction with God's people. Now, because this might seem to be a strange choice, and a natural man would soon condemn him of folly for his labor; therefore here the Holy Ghost lays down a reason that moved Moses thus to do: to wit, Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with God's people, than to enjoy the pleasures and honors of Egypt; because he was persuaded, that reproach for Christ's sake, was greater riches, than all the wealth in Egypt. So that he refused not absolutely riches, honor, and other comforts; but chose the best riches and honor, and left the worse, upon a sound judgment between things that did differ.

Hereby we may observe in general, how needful a thing it is for every Christian, to have sound knowledge and understanding in the word of God. For, he that would walk uprightly, and approved of God, must be able to judge between things that differ; not only between good and evil, but between good and good, which is the better: and so of evils, which is the worse. Which, no man can do, but he that has a sound and right judgment in the word of God; for, therein is attained the spirit of discerning. Many there be, that by the course of their lives choose hell, and refuse heaven; which, undoubtedly, comes from their ignorance in the word. But ignorance will excuse none. He that will come to heaven, must be able to discern good from evil; and accordingly, to choose the good, and to refuse that which is evil; which, without divine, and supernatural knowledge, no man can do. And therefore all ignorant persons, and all such as are blinded through the deceitfulness of sin, must shake off their security, and get sound knowledge in scripture, with a good conscience; that when things which do differ are set before them, they may with Moses choose the better.

But let us come to Moses' judgment more particularly. He esteemed the rebuke of Christ, etc. that is, he was firmly resolved, that reproach and contempt for Christ's sake, was greater riches unto him, than the treasures of a whole kingdom. But some will say, This is a very strange judgment: can it possibly be true and good? Answer. Yes undoubtedly, it is most sound judgment, and worthy eternal remembrance of every one of us; that to suffer reproach for Christ's sake, is greater riches, than all worldly wealth. The truth hereof is proved by many reasons out of God's word. 1. God has made a promise of blessedness to those which suffer for Christ's sake. Blessed are you (says Christ) when men revile you, and speak all manner of evil sayings against you, for my name's sake, etc. And Saint Peter says, If ye be railed upon for my name's sake,blessed are ye. And lest any should doubt how this can be, Christ shows wherein this blessedness consists, saying; He that forsakes houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father,or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake; shall receive an hundredfold more, and shall inherit eternal life. A most worthy promise, assuring us that no man loses by suffering for Christ's sake; for, he shall be rewarded an hundredfold over. Instead of earthly friends, and worldly comforts, he shall have the love and favor of God shed abroad in his heart; which will be an overflowing fountain of comfort for soul and body for ever, far more worth than the wealth and treasures of all the kingdoms in the world. A small springing fountain (we know) is better to an house, than a hundred Cisterns full; because of continual supply from the springing fountain, when the Cisterns will be spent. Behold: the love of God in Christ, with other spiritual graces, shall be in all that suffer for the name of Christ, as living streams flowing unto life eternal; when as the cisterns of all worldly pleasures and treasures, shall be spent and dried up. 2. By suffering affliction for Christ's sake, we are made conformable unto him in his humility; that so we may be made like unto him after this life in glory. So Paul says, Our light affliction causes unto us, an eternal weight of glory, 2 Corinthians 4:17. And again, it is a true saying; If we be dead with Christ, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him, 2 Timothy 2:11, 12. This assurance can no worldly riches give: and therefore we may boldly say, that the suffering of reproach for Christ's sake, is greater riches than the treasures of a whole kingdom. 3. To suffer for Christ's sake, is a token of God's special love: and therefore Saint Paul bids the Philippians, Not to fear their adversaries: which is a token of salvation unto them and that of God;because it is given to you (says he) for Christ, that you should not only believe, but suffer for his sake. Wherefore, if suffering for Christ have a promise of blessedness; if it make us conformable unto Christ, and be a sign of God's special love; then is it to be esteemed above the riches and honors of the whole world.

Are afflictions for Christ to be esteemed above the treasures of a kingdom? Then we must all learn to rejoice in the troubles and wrongs which we suffer for Christ's sake. So did the Apostles, Acts 5:41. They departed from the council, rejoicing in that they were counted worthy to suffer affliction for his name. And Saint Paul brags hereof greatly, saying; I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus, Galatians 6:17. And look, as these servants of God rejoiced in their sufferings for Christ: so likewise must we labor for the same heart and affections in the like case; for, who would not rejoice to be made partaker and possessor of the treasures of a kingdom? Well, the rebuke of Christ is greater riches than the treasures of a kingdom.

This lesson is of great use: for, howsoever many among us come to hear God's word, yet there be many also, that scoff and mock at religion, and at the Gospel of Christ, and the professors thereof; whereby, the most are hindered in profession, and many daunted, and quite driven back. But, we must here learn, not to be discouraged by these mocks. Indeed we must take heed, we give them no just occasion to mock us; and then if we be scoffed at, we shall never be hurt by it: nay (though that be far from their intent) yet in mocking us, they do us great honor. For, the word of God that cannot lie, is this; that to suffer affliction for Christ's sake, is greater honor and riches, than the treasures of a kingdom. And if Moses' judgment be good, which God himself does here commend; then we are happy and blessed, in enduring these mocks and scoffs for Christ.

Secondly, we must here learn instruction for the time to come: We have for a long time, through the great goodness of God, enjoyed peace and wealth, with the Gospel of Christ; but undoubtedly, these days of peace will have an end, they cannot last always, God's people must pass through the fiery furnace of affliction: Well, when this is come upon us, how shall we be able to bear it? Surely, we must now learn to be of this opinion that Moses was of; we must judge it to be the greatest honor and riches that can be, to suffer affliction for Christ's sake: and this will be the ground of all constancy, courage, and Christian boldness, in the day of trial. For, he that is of this mind, will never fear affliction, nor reproach for Christ's sake: nay, he will be so far from fearing it, that he will rejoice and triumph therein.

Further, whereas it is said, Esteeming the rebuke of Christ; here mark, the rebuke of God's church and people is called the rebuke of Christ. The people of God in Egypt were laden with reproaches and rebukes: and behold, Christ accounts it his rebuke, and the Holy Ghost so calls it. Where learn this, That Christ esteems the reproach and affliction of his Church, as his own affliction. When Saul went to persecute the brethren at Damascus, Acts 9:2, 4, Christ Jesus calls to him from heaven, saying; Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Saul went to persecute the Christians: and yet our Savior Christ takes it unto himself. And after his conversion he says, 2 Corinthians 4:10, Every way we bear about in our bodies, the dying of the Lord Jesus. And again, Let no man put me to business: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus, Galatians 6:17. This is a point of special use.

First, hence we learn, that Christ hath a special care of his Church and Children, in that he judgeth their afflictions to be his own afflictions; and therefore, he can no more forget, or leave off to help them in distress, than deny himself.

Secondly, here is a special comfort for Gods children that be in affliction: their afflictions are not their own alone, but Christ's also; he is their partner, and fellow sufferer. This may seem strange, but it is most true: Christ puts (as it were) his shoulders under our afflictions, and takes them to himself, as though they were his own; than which, what can be more comfortable? For, though you yourself cannot bear it; yet trust undoubtedly, that Christ who bears with you, will give you strength to undergo it, unto victory.

Thirdly, if the afflictions of a Christian, be the afflictions of Christ; then it is a fearful sin for any man to mock or reproach his brother, in regard of his profession and religion: for, mocking is persecution, Galatians 4:29 with Genesis 21:9. And that reproach which is cast upon a Christian, is cast upon Christ; and Christ takes it as done unto himself: the persecutor wounds Christ Jesus through the sides of a poor Christian; which is a fearful thing. For, in so doing, he sets himself against the Lord Jesus, he kicks against the pricks; and if he so continue, he must needs look for some fearful end; for who hath ever been fierce against the Lord, and hath prospered? Job 9:4. Wherefore, if any of us be guilty of any sin in this kind, let us repent: for unless we turn, our condemnation will be remediless.

Again, the afflictions of the Israelites, are here said to be their sufferings for Christ: where note, that though Christ his coming were then afar off, yet the Israelites then knew of Christ; for else they could not suffer for him.

This confuteth those which hold, that every man may be saved by his own religion, whatsoever it be, if he live civilly and uprightly therein. Their reason is taken from the Jews, who (they say) had only the knowledge of outward ceremonies, and so were saved. But that opinion is here disproved; for, the Jews knew Christ, and professed him, or else they would never suffer for him: and therefore they were saved by him, and not by their obedience to outward ceremonies. And thus much of the reason, which moved Moses to make such a choice as he did.

Now in the end of the verse is added a reason, why Moses was of this strange judgment; to think the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: namely, because he had respect to the recompense of reward. That is, he often set his eye to behold, and his heart to consider, how God had made a promise of life everlasting after this life, unto all those that obeyed him, and trusted in him in this life: for the enjoying whereof, he preferred that estate wherein he might live in the fear of God, though it were a state of reproach, before all other whatsoever. Where we see, what it is that will bring a man to esteem affliction, with the fear of God, better than the treasures and pleasures of an earthly kingdom: namely, as we set the bodily eye to behold the affliction; so we must lift up the eye of the mind of faith, to behold the recompense of reward; that is, the state of glory in heaven prepared for Gods children. Thus did the Christian Hebrews in the primitive Church, Hebrews 10:37, They suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods. (A very hard thing, but yet most true, for it is the word of GOD) And the reason is rendered, They knew in themselves how that they had in heaven a better and more enduring substance. And our Savior Christ endured the Cross, and despised the shame, for the joy that was set before him, Hebrews 12:1; that is, in consideration of that joy in glory, whereto he should be advanced himself, and bring all his members. This we must make use of: for if we will live godly in Christ Jesus, we must suffer affliction. This, flesh and blood will not yield unto: and therefore, to persuade us to suffer with joy, we must with Moses have respect to the recompense of reward. We must say thus to our souls, The day will come wherein we shall have everlasting life in the Kingdom of heaven, if we now serve and fear him: Shall we not then for his sake be content to suffer a short affliction; seeing the greatest of them are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed? Romans, chapter 8, verse 18.

Question. But why doth the holy Ghost call everlasting life, a reward? Answer. It is not so called, because Moses did procure it, and deserve it at Gods hand by the dignity of his works in suffering: for sure no man can merit any thing at Gods hands. The case is plain: For, Christ as he is man (consider his manhood apart from his Godhead) could not merit any thing at Gods hands: for, he that would merit of God by any work, must do three things: 1. He must do the work of himself, and by himself; for if he do it by another, the other merits, and must have the reward and praise of the work. Secondly, he must do it of mere good will, and not of duty: for that which is of duty, cannot merit because a man is bound to do it. 3. The work done to merit, must be of that price and dignity, that it may be proportionable to life everlasting, which is the reward. Now, though Christ as he is man, be above all men and all Angels in grace and dignity: yet consider his manhood apart from his Godhead, and he could not do a work with these three properties. For first, the works done of the manhood were not done of itself, but from that fullness of the spirit wherewith he was endued. Secondly, Christ as man is a creature: and so considered, his works are of duty to the Creator, and so cannot merit. Thirdly, Christs works as man simply considered are finite; and so could not merit infinite glory.

Question. How then did Christ merit at Gods hands? Answer. Partly by means of Gods promise made in the Law, which was this; Do this, and thou shalt live: but properly and chiefly, because he was not a mere man only, but (withal) true and very God: for, because his obedience both in his life and death (though performed in his manhood) was the obedience of him that was God and man, even from the infinite excellency of the person whose it is, it becomes meritorious. In his manhood, he obeyed the Law, and suffered for our sins: but the dignity thereof came from his Godhead; for, he that did these works for us, was both God and man.

Now, if Christ considered as man only cannot merit: then much less can any other man merit at Gods hands. And therefore Moses, though he were a worthy man, yet because he was but a man, and a sinful man also, he could not by any work deserve life everlasting at Gods hands.

But life everlasting is called a reward in the Scripture, because it is the free gift of God, promised by GOD to his children in Christ; for this end, to allure and draw them on in obedience. And it must not seem strange, that we say a reward is a free gift: for so it may be, as we shall see by comparing two places of Scripture together; to wit, Matthew 5:44 with Luke 6:32. For, whereas Matthew saith, If you love them that love you, what reward have you; Saint Luke repeating the same thing, saith, What thank have you, or (as the word signifies) what favor or free gift have you? Secondly, there may be another cause rendered, why life everlasting is called a reward; to wit, not in regard of the work done: but in regard of the worker considered in Christ: for, Christ's merit makes life everlasting to be a reward. Now, every true believer that endeavors to do the will of God, is in Christ: and so Christ's righteousness with the merit thereof, is his, so far forth as serves to make his person acceptable to God. Whereupon, he hath a promise of reward made unto him upon his obedience; yet not for his work, but for the work of Christ's obedience, in whom he is: And so must these words here be understood.

1. The consideration of this reward of life eternal given, through Christ, to those that suffer for his sake, may make us joyful and patient in all our afflictions for righteousness sake. A natural man will endure much for a good recompense in the end. Now Christ saith, Great is your reward. And therefore let us rejoice in suffering for Christ; holding fast our confidence, which hath so great recompense of reward. Hebrews 10:35.

Secondly, is life everlasting a recompense, that is, a giving of a reward? Then here is condemned the desperate practice of many a one, who spend their whole life in a greedy pursuit after the profits and pleasures of the world: as it were running themselves out of breath in the way to hell, without all regard of their souls, till death come; thinking, that if at the last gasp they can cry God mercy, and commend their souls to GOD, all is well. But all such persons for the most part deceive their own souls, not considering that life everlasting is given as a reward. Now, we know that no reward is given to any man, till the work be done which he is set about; he must come work in the vineyard some part of the day that would have his penny at night: as for those that neither stir hand nor foot to do the work, what reward can they look for? And yet this is the state of carnall livers, they addict themselves wholly to earthly things. But if we look for any reward at the day of death, we must labor in the works of godliness all the days of our life; for, therefore were we redeemed. Luke 1:74-75.

In the whole book of God, we find but one man that lived wickedly, and repented at his end: that is, the thief upon the Cross. Which shows that it is a most rare thing for a man to have the reward of life everlasting after this life, that labors not in the works of godliness in this life.

Thirdly, the consideration of this reward, must stir up all Gods children unto all diligence in the duties of godliness, and that with cheerfulness, through the whole course of their lives. When we shall die, we will look earnestly for this reward; and therefore while we live, we must diligently do the works that God commandeth: and then when death comes, we may assure ourselves that God will give us this reward; not because we did deserve it by our works, but because he hath promised it in Christ, upon our endeavor in obedience and true repentance. And thus much for the reason of Moses' choice.

_VERSE 27._By faith he forsook Egypt, and feared not the fierceness of the King. For, he was courageous, as he that saw him that is invisible.

In this verse, the spirit of God proceeds to another example of Moses faith: and hereto also in the verse following, he adds a third. Now he is thus large in the commendation of his faith, for this end; to persuade the Hebrews, to whom this Epistle is sent, that they were not to look for any Justification by the works of the Law: and his reason is; because if any man could be justified by the works of the Law, it must be Moses, who gave the Law to the people from the Lord, and did excel in obedience to both Tables, and therefore is a renowned Prophet unto all posterity in special favor with God, Numbers 12.7.8. But Moses could not be justified by the works of the Law; for here the Holy Ghost proves, that Moses was justified and saved by faith. The thing that commends Moses and makes him stand before God, is not his works, but his faith: and therefore the conclusion is; that as Moses was not justified by his works but by faith, no more must they stand upon their works to be justified thereby, but labor for such faith as Moses had. Now, this faith of Moses is a true saving faith, founded on these two promises of God: 1. On this great and main promise made to Abraham, I will be your God and the God of your seed: 2. On another particular promise rising from the general, made unto him when he was called to fetch the Israelites out of bondage; which was this; I will be with you and guide you. And in this place Moses is said to have faith, not only because he believed that God would be his God, as he was the God of all Abraham's seed; but because he believed particularly that God would be his God, and defend and be with him in the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt.

To come particularly to this fact. By faith, Moses forsook Egypt. Moses departed from Egypt twice: First, when he had slain the Egyptian, and fled from Pharaoh unto Midian, and there kept Jethro's sheep. Secondly, forty years after when he led the people of Israel out of Egypt into the Land of Canaan: and here some make it a question, whether of these departures is meant in this place. Answer. It is most like, that this place is to be understood of his second departure, rather than of the first: And the reason is taken out of Exodus, Chapter the second, verses 14, 15. Where we find that the first time, he fled for fear: for, so soon as he heard that his slaughter of the Egyptian was known to Pharaoh, he fled in such fear, as that he durst not return again, of 40 years. Now, these words are not to be understood of such a flight: for here it is said, He departed, not fearing the King's wrath or fierceness.

Here some will say, This is no commendation: for, malefactors and rebels do flee their Country? Answer. They flee indeed, yet not in faith, but in fear. Moses fled in faith: and hereby his faith is commended, that he fled, not fearing the King. But malefactors flee for fear of due punishment. Moses departed with courage and boldness, and therefore fled not as a malefactor: for he feared not the King, as appears plainly in the History; for, though Pharaoh had said unto him, Exodus 10.28 Get you gone, see you see my face no more: for when you come in my sight, you shall die; yet Moses went once more: namely, the tenth time, and told him of the tenth plague, and said, That Pharaoh's servants should come down unto him, and fall down and pray him to get him out with the people and their cattle. And when the Israelites murmured against him at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh was at their heels, and they had no way to flee, Moses encourages the people; saying, Fear not, stand still, and behold the salvation of the Lord which he will show you this day: for the Egyptians whom you have seen this day, shall you never see again, Exodus 14.13. Whereby, it notably appears, that Moses departed in faith without fear of Pharaoh.

But some will say; For a man to come into another man's Kingdom, and to carry away his Subjects without the King's consent, is a fact of rebellion and sedition; and therefore worthy no commendation, but rather shame and punishment: And this did Moses, he comes from Midian, and carries away the Jews which had been a long time Pharaoh's subjects; and for whose service he might plead possession, and a long prescription: therefore it seems to be no fact of faith? Answer. Indeed if Moses had done this on his own head, he might worthily have been thus censured. But when he came to Egypt, he had a calling immediately from God to do as he did; and for confirmation hereof he had God's promise of assistance in working strange miracles: and when he carried the people out of Egypt, he did it by commandment from a King that was higher than Pharaoh. Neither yet did Moses carry them away as a private man; for, he was a public person, an high Magistrate, and no stranger, but one of themselves: yea, he was a King, as may appear in God's word; for, Deuteronomy 33.5, He is plainly called a King: and Genesis 36.31, it is said, There were so many Kings in Edom, before there reigned any King over the children of Israel. Now, the last of those Kings reigned at that time when Moses went with the Israelites out of Egypt: so that Moses was their King, and had the authority and government of a King over them from the Lord; and therefore it was no fact of rebellion in him, but a work that did greatly commend his faith, being grounded upon God's commandment and promise.

Thus we see how we must conceive of Moses fact. Now we come to some particular points to be considered therein.

How came it to pass, that Moses now had this courage, to depart from Pharaoh not fearing his commandment; whereas 40 years before, being called to show himself unto his brethren, as one whom they were to respect as their deliverer, Acts 7.23, 25, he fled immediately out of Egypt upon the notice of one fact of defence in behalf of the Israelites? Why did he not show as much courage when he slew the Egyptian as at his second departure? Answer. The cause of his courage at this later time was this; God now renewed his commission and confirmed his former calling. For, when he was first called, he did his duty and revenged their wrongs: but yet being in danger, and his calling being as yet but a secret instinct, he was fearful, and fled. But now when God called him the second time, and confirmed the same calling both by promise and commandment, and power to work miracles, then fearful Moses becomes courageous and bold.

Here then observe, that there is a difference of God's graces; there is a first grace and a second grace. The first, is that which God gives to any man for any calling: the second is that, which God adds to the first, for the confirming thereof. And the first, is not effectual without the second; As here we see, Moses first calling was not effectual with him, till the second came. And so God's first grace is not effectual till the second come; by which the former is confirmed, strengthened, and increased. And the second is confirmed by the third: and so we must go on from grace to grace, if we will be bold and courageous in any duty, either of our general or particular calling. This must be well considered; for, that any man stands in grace, or increases therein, either respecting his particular calling, or his Christian conversation, it comes from this, that God adds a second grace unto the first. And therefore whosoever is enabled for any duty, has great cause to praise God: for, whether we continue in grace or increase therein, it comes from the goodness of God, who adds grace to grace: which if he should not do, we should fall away, and not be able to go forward in the fear of God, and the duties of our calling; for the first grace would not suffice to strengthen us against temptation. And therefore howsoever God has strengthened us for the time past, yet still we must pray to God to deliver us from evil: which plainly imports, that our standing is from his daily supply of new grace.

2. Point. When went Moses out of Egypt? The time is directly set down, Exodus 12.41, Even the self same day when the promise of God was expired: for when the four hundred and thirty years were expired, then went all the host of the Lord out of Egypt, neither before nor after, but the very same day. Indeed Moses was chosen to be their captain 40 years before, and sent unto them by God: and Saint Stephen says, He thought they would have understood so much. But then they would not take him for their guide. Yet now 40 years after, when God's determinate time of 430 years was expired, he comes again unto them, to carry them out of Egypt; and then they acknowledge him, and follow him out, according to God's commission.

Hence we learn, first, that no creature can alter the rule of God's providence. Forty years before, Moses would have delivered the people; but he must stay till the time of the Lord's promise was accomplished, and then he carries them all away. Secondly, this must teach us, not only to believe, that God both can and will keep his promises; but also by faith to wait for the time, wherein he will accomplish the same unto us. Moses is fain to wait 40 years for the fulfilling of God's promise. When Daniel understood how long the Israelites must be in captivity, he would not pray for the shortening of that time: but when he knew that the time of their return drew near, then he prayed unto the Lord most earnestly, waiting for the accomplishment of God's promise in their deliverance. And David thus waited on God for deliverance in all his troubles. And their examples must we follow, for the fruition of all God's blessings.

3. Point. In what manner does Moses depart? The text says, He went out, not fearing the King's commandment: so that his departure was with courage. Whence we learn sundry instructions. First, here is a notable precedent for the framing of our lives, which must be a rule unto us. We must walk diligently in our callings, as Moses did; and though crosses meet us, so that Pharaoh fall out with us, if Kings become our enemies: yet we must not lay aside the duties of our callings; but after Moses example, go on therein with courage. Moses without fearing the King's wrath, went and led all the people away. And so must every one of us do: although dangers come, we must not fear, but stand fast in our profession, and go on in the duties of our calling: Ecclesiastes 10.4, If the spirit of him that rules rise up against you, leave not your place.

Secondly, hence we may learn, that Magistrates which are to govern the people, ought to be men of courage in performing the duties of their calling. When too heavy a burden lay on Moses, in judging all the congregation himself; Jethro his father in law bids him provide among all the people men of courage, fearing God, to be Rulers, Exodus 18.13, 21. Now their courage must not be a proud haughtiness, or an indiscreet cruelty; but a godly boldness, which may enable them to the duties of their calling, without fear of man. To this end, the Lord put of his spirit upon the seventy, which were to rule with Moses, Numbers 11.17. Now, the spirit of God, is not a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Timothy 1.7. Which shows, that in a Magistrate must be courage to call, and (if need be) to compel others to the duties of their calling, how great soever they be. And it is a matter of great weight and moment in God's Church: for, the Minister may teach, and speak as much as he will, or can; yet unless with the sword of the spirit, there be joined the temporal sword of the Magistrate, to reform men's lives, and to keep them from open sin against the law of God, and to urge them to the duties which the minister teaches: surely, their teaching and preaching will be to small effect.

Lastly, Moses went with courage out of Egypt. This departure of his was a sign of our spiritual departing out of the Kingdom of darkness: for, so Paul applies it, 1 Corinthians 10. And therefore after Moses' example, we must with courage come every day more and more out of the Kingdom of darkness, marching forward with courageous faith and heavenly boldness toward our blessed Canaan, the glory of heaven: we must not leave this to the last breath, and then think to have heaven gates ready open for us: but we must enter into Gods Kingdom, in this life. Look as Moses by his faith did depart boldly out of Egypt, so must we in heart by faith depart out of the Kingdom of sin. This we shall do, when we use means to establish the Kingdom of Christ Jesus in our hearts, and do forsake the works of sin and darkness. For, look where there is no departing from sin, there is no faith: and therefore let us show ourselves to have true faith, by departing more and more boldly and joyfully out of the Kingdom of sin and Satan; that so it may appear, we love the light and hate darkness. And in this journey, let us not fear any contrary commandment, nor the furious wrath of spiritual Pharaoh the devil, nor all the gates of hell: for Christ Jesus is our guide.

Because a man might think at the first, that it was a rash and desperate part in Moses, thus boldly to take away the Israelites, not regarding Pharaoh's commandment; therefore in the later part of the verse, the Holy Ghost sets down a reason, that moved Moses to do so, in these words: For he endured, or was courageous; that is, he took heart to himself. Why so? Because he saw God that is invisible. That is, he cast the eye of faith upon God, who had promised the evidence of his power and presence, in their deliverance. So that it was the work of Moses' faith, laying hold on the promise of Gods presence, and protection, from the rage of Pharaoh, that made him thus confident and bold.

Hence we learn, that the true valor and manhood that was in Moses, and is in all Gods children, like unto him, is a gift of grace. Among many gifts of the Spirit, poured upon our Savior Christ, the spirit of strength, or courage, is one, Isaiah 11.2. And Jethro's counsel to Moses is notable this way; he bids him provide for governors, men of courage, fearing God, Exodus 18.21. Insinuating, that true courage is always joined with the fear of God, and is a fruit of grace. But some will say, that many heathen men, who never knew the true God, nor what the gifts of the Spirit meant, had that courage. Answer. True it is, they had courage indeed: but it was nothing but a carnal boldness (not worthy the name of courage; being only a shadow of true fortitude) arising from ambition, pride, and other fleshly humors; whereas Moses' courage sprang from the grace of faith, in the merciful promises of God, made unto him concerning his deliverance and safety. And indeed, howsoever wicked men have a notable show of diverse virtues, yet in the trial they prove but shadows; for, true valor, and other virtues, do always accompany regeneration.

As he that saw him that is invisible.

Here is the cause that made Moses thus courageous: and this will make any man bold, if he can be persuaded in his conscience of Gods special presence with him, and of his providence and protection over him.

Here then observe a singular fruit of faith: it makes God, who is indeed invisible, to be after a sort visible unto us. Moses by faith saw him that is invisible; for, by faith he was persuaded of Gods providence, and special protection in the delivery of his people, though Pharaoh should rage never so much. So Enoch is said to have walked with God, because he saw him by the eye of faith, in all his affairs. And when Joseph was allured to sin with his mistress, what stayed him? Surely, the fear of God, whom he saw by faith. How can I do this great wickedness (says Joseph) and so sin against God? As if he should say, I am always where God is present; how then should I do so wickedly, and God see it? And the same is the state of all true believers; their faith makes the invisible God, to be after a sort visible unto them; so as a faithful man may say, God is present with me, and protects me. Whereby we may see, what little faith is in the world; for few can truly say, they see God: which, faith enables a man to do. Yea, most men care so little to see God, that he is far from their very thoughts. Many have made means to see the devil: but where is he that labors for such a measure of faith, that he may see the invisible God? If wicked men run to Conjurers, to see the devil, whom they shall once see to their sorrow; let us labor for faith in the word and sacraments, and this faith will make us so to endure in all tribulation, as though we saw God.

Furthermore, seeing Moses by faith endured, as he that saw God; we learn, that the seeing of God by faith, takes away fear, and gives spiritual boldness. This is a point of special use: for, naturally men are fearful; some cannot endure the dark, nor solitary places, for fear of the devil: yea, the shaking of a leaf, or the crawling of a worm does terrify others. Now, howsoever some men's constitution may help forward this fear, yet many times it comes from an accusing conscience, as a fruit of sin. And the way to remove it, is here to be learned; namely, to do as Moses did: that is, labor to be resolved of Gods presence with us, and providence over us; and this will arm us against all satanical, and foolish fear. For, if God be on our side, who can be against us, to do us harm? Again, the Soldier, by his place and calling, ought to be a man of courage; for else the state of his life, and the thought of his enemies will much affright him. Now how may he become courageous? They use to sound the drum and trumpet for this end; and it must be granted they be good incitements and provocations unto battle: but, when it comes to the point of danger, these cannot give heart. Others use against the battle to fill themselves with wine, and to make themselves valiant by strong drink. This indeed may make them senseless, and so desperate. But the true way is, to become Christian soldiers, knowing, and fearing God; and with their bodily armor, to bring also the shield of faith: whereby their hearts may be assured, that God has called them to that fight; and that he is present with them, to cover their heads in the day of battle. This will make them to take heart and courage to themselves, and to become truly valorous; though by nature they be weak and timorous.

Thirdly, who knows whether God will bring us to this trial; either to lay down our lives, or forsake his truth: for, he may justly take from us these golden days of peace, for our ingratitude. Now, if such times come upon us, what shall we do? Shall we deny the faith of Christ? God forbid. But how shall we stand out in such a trial? Surely, we must follow Moses, and labor to see him that is invisible, by faith. This will make us courageous, and without fear in Gods cause; remembering this also, that among those which are reckoned to go down to hell, the fearful man is one, (Revelation 21.8) who dares not stand to the truth of God, but for fear of men denies it. Let us therefore now begin to settle our hearts in the assurance of Gods providence and protection; that so, when trial comes, we may be bold in the case of God.

Him that is invisible.] That is God, who is a most simple essence, void of all composition, or corporal substance: for, God is a Spirit, (John 4.24) and therefore invisible, and not subject to man's senses. But some will say, God is said to have head, heart, hands, and feet; with other parts of man's body: and therefore he is visible? Answer. The Holy Ghost so speaks in scripture of God, by way of resemblance of him unto man; that we might the better thereby conceive of his works: for, therefore are the parts of man's body ascribed unto God in scripture, that we might know he does such works by his divine power, as man does by the parts of his body. Man shows his strength and valor in his arm: and by resemblance unto man, God is said to have an Arm, to note out his power and valiant acts. And so God is said to have eyes, because we should conceive, that by his infinite wisdom he sees all things more clearly, than man does any thing at noon day, with his bodily eyes. And so of the rest.

But Moses is said, to talk with God face to face: and, to see his back parts, Exodus 33.11, 23. Answer. This imports not, that he saw the substance of God; but only, that God did after a familiar manner, reveal himself unto him, and in some resemblance show him his glory, so far forth as Moses was able to behold it: for the text is plain, My face cannot be seen. There shall no man see me and live, verse 20.

Here we learn, that when we pray to God, we must not conceive of him by any form or image in our minds; for so we make an idol of God. Question. What then must we do? For, how (will some say) can I pray to him, and not think of him? Answer. When we think of God, or pray unto him, we must conceive of him in our minds, as he has revealed himself in scripture; that is, by his works, and by his properties: we must think in our minds of an eternal essence, most holy, wise, et cetera, who made all things, and governs them by his mighty power. For, every image to resemble God by, either to the mind, or to the eye is a plain lie; making him visible, who is invisible: as says the Prophet, Habakkuk 2 18, The image, what profits it, for it is a teacher of lies? Which flatly overthrows the opinion and practice of the Romish Church, who resemble the true God, even God the Father, and the holy Trinity, in images: what else do they herein, but make a lie of God?

But the Papists say, they devise no image to resemble God in, but only such whereby he has showed himself; as the scripture testifies: as the Father, like an old man; the Son, as he was incarnate; and the Holy Ghost, like a dove, Matthew 3.16. Answer. We must not conceive of those forms, of an old man, or of a dove, to have been ever any images of the Father, or of the Holy Ghost; but only signs and pledges for a time, whereby those persons did then manifest their presence. Now, there being an express commandment against all representation of God by images, not excepting those very shapes, whereby it pleased God for a time to signify his presence; it must needs be idolatrous presumption to make any image of God, or of the Trinity. And indeed, God being invisible (as the text says) it is impossible to make any true image or resemblance of him.

VERSE 28. By faith, he ordained the Passover, and the effusion of blood; lest he that destroyed the firstborn, should touch them.

In the former verses, the author of this Epistle has showed unto us, the notable faith of Moses, by two worthy acts: 1. His refusing to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter. 2. His departing out of Egypt. Now, here in this verse, he commends his faith unto us by a third action; which is, the ordination, or celebrating of the Passover. This verse is the sum of the twelfth Chapter of Exodus; the effect whereof is this: After that God had sent nine several plagues upon the Land of Egypt, which were occasions to harden Pharaohs heart; at last he sends Moses to certify Pharaoh, that unless he would let the people go, he would send a tenth plague, which should be more grievous to them, than all the former; even the slaughter of all the firstborn in Egypt, both of man and beast. Yet Pharaohs heart was not softened, neither did he let the people go. Therefore Moses departs from him, and (according to God's commandment) assembles the Elders of Israel together, and causes them to kill every man a lamb of a year old, and to eat it, roast with fire; and to take the blood, and sprinkle it upon the door cheeks, and upon the posts of their houses: for a sign unto them, that the Angel of the Lord, (seeing the blood sprinkled upon their doors) should pass over them, and touch none of their firstborn, neither man, nor beast. This is the sum and meaning of that history. Now let us come to the consideration of this fact more particularly; and first, to the meaning of the words of this verse, because there is some difficulty in them.

Through faith he ordained the Passover.

The Passover here named, may be thus described: It is one of the Sacraments of the old Testament, serving for a sign to the people of Israel, both of their temporal deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and from the slaughter of the firstborn; and also of their spiritual deliverance from everlasting death, by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus the immaculate Lamb of God.

Touching this description: first, I call it one of the Sacraments of the old Testament: because they had beside this, Circumcision, another ordinary Sacrament. Next I say, It served for a sign to the people of Israel, to show that it was properly a sacrament unto them for, it is of the nature of a sacrament, to signify and seal up some blessing of God to his people: now that the Passover did so, is plain, where the Lord calls it a sign or token of deliverance unto them. But some will say, this Passover was a sacrifice: for so it is called, This is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover. And, Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread, etc. Answer. It is called a sacrifice, because it was killed, also the blood thereof was sprinkled, and some parts of it as the fat with the two kidneys were burnt in sacrifice to the Lord. For, when Josias kept that famous Passover with all the people, the Priests that slew the Passover, and sprinkled the blood thereof, did first take away that which was to be consumed with fire, and then gave to the people according to the divisions of their families as Moses appointed. Now, in regard of these properties of a sacrifice which were in the Passover, it is truly called a sacrifice. And yet more properly it was a Sacrament, because it was a visible sign of special blessings from the Lord.

But what did this Sacrament of the Passover signify? Answer. It did signify a double deliverance; one temporal, as well from the destroying Angel, as also from the bondage of Egypt: The other spiritual, from the curse of the Law, and from the wrath of God. The first is plain, where the Lord says: The blood being sprinkled upon the door posts, shall be a token for you that I will pass over you. And verse 17. You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: for that same day will I bring your Armies out of the Land of Egypt. And touching the second, that it was a sign of a more heavenly deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan, Paul tells us plainly, when as he says, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: giving us to understand, that the Paschal Lamb in the old Testament, was undoubtedly a true sign of the true Paschal Lamb Christ Jesus: to which purpose John Baptist says; Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world: John 1:29: Where he calls Christ the Lamb of God, making there an opposition between him and the Paschal Lamb of Moses, which may be called the Paschal Lamb of men; for herein also they differ: The Paschal Lamb was separated by men, though by God's appointment; but Christ the true Lamb of God, was set apart before all worlds by God the Father. And thus we see briefly what this Passover is. It follows.

Ordained the Passover. The word translated, ordained, signifies, He made, or did celebrate: for the better understanding whereof, we must have recourse to the Evangelists. Matthew sets down Christ's speech to his Disciples about the Passover, which he kept with them a little before his passion, thus: My time is come, I will make my Passover at your house. Now, Saint Luke repeating the same Story, mentions, first the killing, and then the eating of it: by which two words he explains what Christ meant by making (which here is translated ordaining) the Passover; to wit, first, the killing and preparing of the Paschal Lamb, and then the eating of it as the Lord's Sacrament. But this is a strange kind of speech (will some say) how can the Passover be killed or eaten? seeing properly the Passover is nothing else, but the act of the Angel passing over the houses of the Israelites, when he smote the firstborn in every house of the Egyptians. Answer. The phrase is improper: yet it must not seem strange, because it is usual in Scripture, treating of the Sacraments, sometimes to give the name of the sign to the thing signified: as 1 Corinthians 5:7, Christ is called our Passover; and on the other side, to give the name of the thing signified to the sign: as in this place, he ordained the Passover; that is, the Paschal Lamb, which was a sign of the Angel's passing over their houses. So, This is my body, that is, a sign of my body. The rock was Christ. The reason of these figurative speeches, whereby one thing is put for another, is the Sacramental union of the sign with the thing signified: which yet is not natural according to place, either by change of the sign into the thing signified, or by including the thing signified in the sign, or fastening it upon it; but respective and analogical, by reason of that agreement and proportion, which is between the sign and the thing signified: which stands in this, that look when the outward sign is presented to the outward senses, at the very same time the thing signified is thereby, as by certain visible words presented to the mind. And indeed look what conjunction is between words, and the things spoken of, in the mind of the understanding hearer; the same is between sacramental signs, and the things signified, in the mind of a discerning receiver. But when words of sense are spoken to the ear, the understanding mind does therewith apprehend the thing spoken of. And even so the mind of the discerning receiver does inwardly apprehend the thing signified, and apply it to his soul, when the sacramental sign is presented to the outward sense. And this conjunction arises not from the nature either of the sign, or the thing signified; but from the institution of the Lord. The meaning then of the Holy Ghost here is this, That Moses by faith did ordain and appoint the killing and eating of the Paschal Lamb, which was the sign of the passing over of the Lord's Angel, when the firstborn in Egypt were slain.

It follows: And effusion of blood; that is, the sprinkling of the blood of the Paschal Lamb; which was a notable rite and ceremony used in this first Passover, after this manner: The blood of every Lamb was put into a basin, and sprinkled with a bunch of Hyssop upon the door posts of every man's house among the Jews. Now this rite did not continue always, but was peculiar and proper to this first Passover kept in Egypt at the institution thereof; being then practiced (but not after) in regard of that special deliverance then at hand, whereof it was an assurance: for it signified unto them, that the Angel of the Lord, coming to destroy the firstborn of Egypt, and seeing that blood so sprinkled, should pass over their houses, and touch none of their firstborn, of man nor beast. This end of the sprinkling of this blood, is here likewise set down in these words; Lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. He: that is, the Angel of the Lord, who was sent to destroy the firstborn throughout all Egypt both of man and beast, save only of those who had their door posts sprinkled with blood. And thus much for the meaning of the words.

First, observe what the Holy Ghost says of this fact of Moses, in ordaining the Passover: namely, that he did it by faith. Hence we learn, that the Sacraments of the new Testament must be celebrated in faith: for, herein we are to seek to be acceptable to God as Moses was. The Lord's Supper in the new Testament succeeds the Passover in the old: for, that was a sign to the Jews, that Jesus Christ the immaculate Lamb of God, should afterward be sacrificed for their sins; and this is to us a sign of Christ already sacrificed. Now look as that was ordained and received under the Law, so must this be administered and received under the Gospel. But in the old Testament Moses celebrates the Passover through faith, and enjoins the Israelites so to do; therefore accordingly must we by faith celebrate and receive the Lord's Supper under the Gospel. Cain's sacrifice was fruitless to him, and odious to God, because he offered not in faith; and no less were all other faithless sacrifices: even so every Sacrament and spiritual sacrifice received or offered in time of the Gospel, is unprofitable to man, and unacceptable unto GOD, if it be not received in faith. In every Sacrament we receive something from God, as in every sacrifice we give something to God. In the Lord's Supper, as the minister gives the bread and wine into the hand of the receiver, so the Lord God gives his son unto their hearts. Now if faith be wanting, Christ crucified is not received: for, faith is the hand of the soul, without which, there is no receiving of Christ, and his benefits; but contrariwise, a heavy and fearful sin, heaping up God's wrath against us. Hereby we learn, how sundry sorts of people sin most grievously against God: for, many come to receive the Lord's Supper, who are altogether ignorant in the nature and use thereof, not knowing what the sacrament means: and yet because it is a custom in the church, they will receive (at least) once a year, though they know nothing therein as they ought. Now such persons must know, they ought to come in faith; which they cannot do, because they want knowledge: and therefore in receiving it so, they commit a grievous sin, and so endanger their own souls, because they receive it unworthily. And this is not the fault of young ones only; but of many, whose years might shame them for their ignorance, if they were not past all feeling of spiritual wants. A second sort there are, who receive the Lord's Supper, and say they will do so, because they have faith. But these are like the former: for their faith is nothing but honest dealing among men; thinking, that if they bring that to the Lord's Supper, though they have no more, yet all is well. The greatest sort are of this mind, taking fidelity for true faith: and it is a plain point of popery, so common, as almost in every place, men do embrace it. But these deceive themselves: for another kind of faith is required of those that receive the Lord's Supper worthily; namely, such a faith, whereby we do not only believe the remission of sins in Christ's blood; but also are assured, that the bread and wine received worthily, are signs and seals of the same blessing exhibited unto us by Christ. He that comes only in a good meaning, deceives himself, and receives to his condemnation. And yet alas, many even of the ancient sort, have no other faith, but their good meaning.

A third sort there are, who yet go further, and knowing the vanity of this opinion; that a man's fidelity in his dealing with men, should be his faith, to commend him unto God; they hold and know, that true faith, is to believe their own salvation in the blood of Christ: and these are to be commended in respect of the former. But herein they fail; that coming to receive, they bring not with them a lively faith: for, it is not only required in a communicant, that he profess the faith of Christ aright; but a worthy receiver must look to his own heart, that his faith therein, be a living faith, such as works by love, and shows itself by obedience. Now herein, many that have good knowledge do grievously offend, That howsoever they make a show of faith, in an orderly and religious carriage of themselves on the Communion day; yet when that time is a little past, they return to their former sins again, never else having any care (nay, not so much as making any show) of laying away their sins, save only at the receiving of the Lord's supper. And thus do too many of those, who make a fair profession. These men bring faith in profession, but yet their faith is dead; for, if it were a lively faith, it would purify their hearts, and cause a change in them from evil to good, and from good to better, every day more and more. But blessed be God, by whose mercy it comes to pass, that there are some in his Church, who come with such a faith, and thereby communicate acceptably to God, and fruitfully to themselves. Yet we must confess, they are but few in comparison. But as for all the other three sorts of people, they sin grievously, because they bring not the hand of a lively faith, to receive those things which their God offers unto them. We therefore in this example are admonished, to celebrate and receive the Lord's supper in such sort, as Moses did; namely, in faith: and that not in an idle, or dead, but in a lively faith; which may, both before and after the receiving of this sacrament, bring forth good fruits, to the reforming of our lives, in continual obedience, for God's glory, and our own comfort and salvation in Christ.

2 Observe further: Moses ordained and made the Passover. We may not think, that Moses killed all the lambs that were to be slain at this Passover; but in his own family he killed his own lamb, and enjoined the people from God, to do the like in theirs. The like phrase is often used in the scripture, Joshua 5:3, Joshua is said to circumcise the sons of Israel; which was almost a thing impossible for one man to do: But the meaning thereof is this; that Joshua enjoined and procured, that all the people should be circumcised, and saw it done. And so we must understand this place.

Now in this, that Moses did in this manner celebrate this Passover, we are taught this lesson; that Governors and Superiors in their place, must procure, that those which are under their government, do keep the commandments of God; and especially those, which concern God's worship. It is the commandment of the Lord by Moses, that the King should have the law written; that he may learn to fear his God, and keep all the words of this law written, to do them. Now, how shall the king do all the words of the law? Seeing there are many commandments, that do not concern him, nor his place; but his subjects, and other particular men, of other callings. Surely thus: He must do those in his own person, that concern him in his place; and then see that his subjects and servants do likewise such duties, both towards God and man, as concern them in their places. This is a special point concerning all Magistrates and Superiors whatsoever; and therefore Paul says, Romans 13:4, The Magistrate bears not the sword for nought, but for the wealth of God's people: that is, for their good; not in body only, but principally, for the good of their souls. And therefore every governor, either of town or kingdom, and every master of a family, within the compass of his calling, is to see that those which are under him keep God's commandments; especially those which concern God's worship. When a magistrate shall do this, then the praise and honour of the whole is given to him; as here the killing of the Passover is ascribed to Moses, because he saw that the people did it. So on the contrary, if the Magistrate be negligent in his duty, he becomes the greatest sinner of all; for then the sins that are committed through his default, are ascribed to him. Nehemiah, reproving the Rulers, tells them that they broke the Lord's Sabbaths, Nehemiah 13:13; when as not only they, but the people also broke them: yet there he charges the sin of the people upon them, because it came through their negligence. As, if any sin be committed in a family, through the defect of the governor of the family; it is not only the sin of the particular party, but the governor's sin. And so, when any man sins in breaking the Sabbath, it is not only the sin of that particular man, but of the governors to whom he is subject. And therefore governors must see that God's commandments be kept of those that be under their government. But here some may object (as indeed some abuse the place to this end) that it seems no man may be barred from the Lord's Supper; for the like reason is in the Lord's Supper, that was in the Passover: but Moses kept the Passover himself, and commanded all the people of Israel so to do; therefore no man is to be put from God's table. Answer. It is true indeed, that in Egypt at the celebration of the first Passover, Moses kept it himself, and commanded every Master of a family among the Israelites to do the same; and the reason hereof was, because at the first institution, the Passover was both a sign and a means of a temporal deliverance, besides the spiritual: and therefore there was great reason then, why all the Israelites should eat the Passover, and none be put back; because all of them were to escape the temporal punishment, which God was to inflict upon the Egyptians. But afterward the Lord made a law, that if any were but legally unclean, he might not eat the Passover, but must stay till the next month, and then come, and only the clean must eat thereof: so that the Lord himself did inhibit some from that Sacrament. Whereby it is plain, that the celebration of the Passover is so far from giving warrant to this confusion, and careless admitting of all to the communion, that rather it proves that there must be a distinction made, and a separation of the unworthy from the Lord's Table. Those which are fitly prepared are to be received. But notorious offenders, who are morally and spiritually unclean, are to be put back, till by repentance they have testified their worthiness.

3. Let us consider the signification of the Passover. For the Paschal Lamb was a sign of Christ the true Lamb of God, shadowing out diverse things worthy our observation: as first the Lamb; for the Passover was to be a Lamb of a year old, without spot or blemish: which signified unto us, that Christ was that immaculate Lamb of God and without spot, as Peter calls him, 1 Peter 1:19. Secondly, the Paschal Lamb when it was killed and eaten, had no bone of it broken, so was it commanded, Exodus 12:46, and Numbers 9:12; signifying, that Christ when he was crucified, should not have a bone of him broken, as Saint John applies the former Texts, John 19:36. Thirdly, the Paschal Lamb must be eaten with sour herbs, Exodus 12:8: signifying that no man can feel any sweetness in the blood of Christ, till he have his heart full of bitterness for his sins; and, with Hannah, be sore vexed and troubled in mind, so as he can pour out his soul before the Lord, 1 Samuel 1:15. The want of this is the cause why so many do hear God's word, and receive the Sacraments, and yet reap no benefit by them. Fourthly, before the Paschal Lamb was eaten, all leaven must be removed out of their houses. This had a notable signification: which we need not to guess at, seeing the holy Ghost has set it down; namely, that we must remove all old leaven of corrupt doctrine (Matthew 16:12) out of our hearts; and the leaven of sin and wickedness, out of our lives, if we profess communion with Christ. This is a point worth our marking; for, unless we do so, we shall have no benefit by the sacrifice of Christ: for if we will live in this old leaven, we must never look to receive Christ Jesus into our hearts. Lastly, every person received the Passover in haste, with shoes on their feet, with staves in their hands, and their clothes girt up, Exodus 12:11: yet this we must understand only of the first Passover in Egypt; for Christ did eat it sitting. Now this ceremony used in the first Passover, signified thus much, that if we look to have benefit by Christ, we must be of this mind to be always ready to leave this world, and be prepared to go when and whither God shall call us: We must not have our hearts glued to earthly things, but always ready to receive God's command, and to go at his call. These are the significations of the Passover: which we must remember to make good use of in the course of our lives. And thus much of the first branch of this act of Moses faith, in ordaining the Passover.

The second branch of this work is this; And the effusion of blood: that is, the sprinkling of the blood of the Lamb upon the posts of their houses, and upon the door cheeks; which was a token to the Israelites, that the destroying Angel should not strike the firstborn of the Israelites either man or beast. In man's reason, this may seem to be a weak and simple means; yet God ordains it to preserve all the firstborn among the Israelites. And thus the Lord uses to deal, that his people through the weakness of the means, might be brought to acknowledge God to be their protector and defender. When the Israelites were stung with the serpents, a man would have thought it had been the best way for their curing, to have given them cunning Surgeons; but the Lord ordains only a dead serpent of brass, which they must look up unto, and be cured. A weak means it was, and yet the Lord uses it; because he would have them to give all the glory unto him, and not to ascribe the same either to themselves or to the means.

Further, this sprinkling of the blood upon the door cheeks and the posts of their houses, had a notable signification: namely, of the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon the doors of our hearts: to which Peter alludes, 1 Peter 1:2; Through the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. And David, when he says, Sprinkle me with Hyssop and I shall be clean: David knew well that the blood of beasts could not take away sin, and therefore no doubt by his saving faith, he had an eye to the blood of the Messiah under legal terms. Whence, we are taught this lesson: that as the Israelites with their bodily hands did sprinkle the blood of the Paschal Lamb upon their door cheeks, and the posts of their houses: so by the hand of faith, every one of us must sprinkle the blood of Christ upon our own hearts: which we shall then do, when we do not only in general believe that Christ is a Saviour and Redeemer, but particularly that he is a Redeemer unto us; and that the merits of his death, and the benefit of his blood are ours.

Objection. But some will say, If this be so, then all is well, for I do believe this? Answer. Herein very many deceive themselves, thinking that they have faith, when indeed they have none. For, look unto their ways, and see into their hearts by their lives; and it will easily appear, that they have nothing in them but ignorance, security, and presumption in sin. Now, such men are deceivers of their own souls; for after this sprinkling follows sanctification, and rising from dead works to newness of life: so that they that live in sin, and yet say they have faith, deceive themselves. For, if a man's heart be sprinkled with the blood of Christ through faith, it will change his life and conscience, and make him a new creature; for, Christ's blood is a cleansing and purifying blood, insomuch as where it is truly sprinkled, it certainly cleanses: Hebrews 9.14. And thus much of this ceremony of sprinkling.

Now follows the end of both these actions, in these words: Lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. Let us examine the words in order: First, by the destroyer, is meant the Angel of God (as we may see in the Story, Exodus 12.19): who at midnight smote all the firstborn of Egypt both of man and beast. Where by the way we may take a view of the wonderful power and strength of God's Angels, and also of their admirable swiftness and readiness in doing the will of God, that in one night even at midnight, one of them could pass through the Land of Egypt, and kill all the firstborn of man and beast, in every place of the Egyptians. The like we may see in the destruction of Sennacherib's host, by one Angel in one night.

The firstborn: that is, both of men and beasts. So it is in the Story, Exodus 12.29. But being so, it may not unfitly be demanded, How this Passover could be a Sacrament, when as even the beasts of the Israelites had benefit by it; for, they were spared by reason of this sprinkling of the blood of the Paschal Lamb? Answer. That hinders not why it should not be a Sacrament. For, we must consider this Passover two ways: First, as a means of temporal deliverance; and so the beasts had benefit by it. Secondly, as a sign and seal of our spiritual deliverance from hell by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God Jesus Christ, which is the thing signified; and so it is a Sacrament for man's salvation: and thus the beasts had no benefit by it. The water that flowed from the rock in the wilderness, was a Sacrament, and the beasts drank of the water, but yet they did not partake of the Lord's Sacrament: for, we must consider that water two ways; first, as a means to quench thirst, and consequently as an outward benefit to preserve the life of the creature, and so the beasts had a benefit by it: but consider it as a sign and seal of the water of life, and so their beasts had no benefit by it, but only the believing people.

It follows; Should touch them. Here is the very use and end of both the former actions; That the angel might not hurt them, but pass by the Israelites' houses. Here consider a notable point, concerning Christ, the true Passover: namely, that they which have their hearts sprinkled with his blood, shall be preserved from everlasting damnation; and not only so, but hereby they shall have deliverance from all temporal judgments in this life, so far forth as they are curses, and hurtful unto them. So we may read, before the destruction came to the city of the Jews, the angel of God went through the city with a writer's inkhorn,to set a mark upon those that did mourn and cry for their sins. And David says, the righteous man stands upon a rock,so as the floods of many waters shall not come near him. This is a point of great use: and the consideration hereof, should move all persons that have been careless in religion, now to become careful and desirous to have their hearts washed in the blood of Christ: and those also which have any care, must have double care hereof; for they have freedom and security, both in temporal, and eternal judgments.

Objection. But many of God's dear children are taken away in common judgments. Answer. True: but yet they are never hurt thereby; but the judgment and affliction is sanctified unto them, because they have their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ. And as for those whom God knows it good for, they are delivered in general judgments, and preserved for his glory, and use of the Church.

But how did the Angel destroy the firstborn in Egypt, both of man and beasts? Answer. By taking from them their temporal lives, by destroying or killing their bodies. That is the sense, and plain meaning of the holy Ghost: and to this signification answers the word in the original. Now some do abuse this place, and such like, for the overthrowing of the ancient censure of the church in excommunication: for (say they) the practice of Saint Paul, 1 Corinthians 5, is the principal ground of excommunication; where Paul bids that the incestuous man be given to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Now, they that deny excommunication, would have that place to be interpreted by this, because the same word is there used: and therefore (say they) Paul's words must be understood, of destroying the incestuous man's body, and taking away his temporal life. This interpretation does quite overthrow excommunication: for, if nothing else be there understood, but only the tormenting of the body, then excommunication is not thence proved. But the truth is, that that censure which the Apostle urges there, cannot be understood of the punishment of the body: which I prove thus. In that place Saint Paul opposes the flesh and the spirit. Now usually, when he makes this opposition, Flesh signifies the Corruption of the whole man; and the Spirit signifies the grace of God in the man: so that his plain meaning is this, Let him be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh; that is, for the destruction of his natural corruption, and of the body of sin.

Further, where it is said, the firstborn; we must understand it of the firstborn among the Egyptians, both of man and beast. And whereas he says, should touch them; he means the Israelites, who were not touched in this destruction.

Hence we learn two points further. 1. The firstborn of Egypt are destroyed, both of man and beasts. This is remarkable: for the Egyptians in former times destroyed the Israelites' children, and especially their firstborn; for they slew all the males, lest they should increase in their land: and now it comes to pass, that their children, even the principal of them, their firstborn are slain for the Israelites' sake; and when they are preserved. Where we may observe a most righteous, and yet a usual kind of judgment with God. He does often punish the wicked in their kind, with their own sins: This is true even in the best, so far forth as they are sinful. The same injury which David did to Uriah, was done unto him, by his own son, even by his son Absalom, 2 Samuel 10 verse 10, 11 and 16.22. And this, our Savior Christ teaches us, saying; (Matthew 7.1.) Judge not, that ye be not judged. We find this true likewise by experience: they that give themselves to backbiting, railing, and slandering, by the just judgment of God, have for the most part the same done unto themselves by others; so that men are often punished in their own sins. For, God has his storehouse full of judgments, and he can punish men what way he will. But he oft observes this order, to punish men by their own sins, and to catch the wicked in their own devices.

This must be a motive to make us to look unto ourselves, and to have care against all sins of the second table; for, look wherein you take your pleasure to God's dishonor, therein shall you feel and see God's judgment upon you, to your correction and confusion. Psalm 109.17, As he loved cursing, so shall it come unto him; and as he loved not blessing, so shall it be far from him. This, Adonibezek felt and confessed, when his thumbs were cut off, Judges 1.6, 7, As I have done, so God has rewarded me.

Lastly, in that the destroyer kills the firstborn of Egypt, mark a strange kind of God's judgments. King Pharaoh and his people sin, because they will not let the Israelites go; but the punishment of their sin, is laid upon their children and cattle. The like we read of 2 Samuel 12.14, when David had committed those grievous sins of adultery and murder, a part of his punishment was the death of his child. When he numbered the people, the plague lit on them, 2 Samuel 24. Now we must not too curiously pry into the reason of this course of God's judgments: for he is not bound to give account of his actions, and yet in reason we may see the equity thereof. For, we must consider of kingdoms and societies, and of towns and families, as of bodies: every society is a body, and the particular persons therein, are members of that body. Now, look, as it is in the natural body; so it is in the body civil or politic. Oftentimes in the natural body, when the stomach is sick, the head aches; the brain is wounded, and the heart aches; the foot is hurt, and the head aches; and the offense of the tongue may be punished with stripes upon the back: Even so it is in civil societies, the Prince sins, and the people are punished; or, the people sin, and the Prince is punished. This is no injustice with God: for since Prince and people make but one body, and so Parents and children; God may justly lay upon any member, the temporal punishment of sin committed by another. And thus much of this example; and of the faith of Moses alone.

Verse 23. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

In this verse the Holy Spirit goes further and presents a remarkable example of the faith of Moses's parents. To read the full account, we must go to Exodus 2, of which these words are a brief summary. The faith of Moses's parents is commended here through two notable actions: first, the hiding of their child Moses when he was born; second, their courage and boldness in that action — 'they were not afraid of the king's edict.' Regarding their hiding of him, we will first address the matter generally and then examine its circumstances. In general terms: they concealed Moses and kept him unknown to the Egyptians for three months, because the king had given orders to all his people that they should 'throw every Hebrew boy into the Nile' (Exodus 1:22). In this act of faith, several notable points are worth observing.

First, Moses was destined to be a great prophet, captain, and leader for the people of Israel. Therefore, even though other Hebrew boys were being drowned at Pharaoh's cruel command, the Lord made provision for Moses from the moment of his birth — he would be hidden and thus preserved from Pharaoh's tyranny.

From this we learn that God, in the midst of all persecution, always preserves the seed of His church. The church has two states in the world. The first is quiet and peaceful, when the Gospel is publicly professed, taught, and received without hostile opposition — as it is in our church today by God's great mercy. The second is a hidden state, when the church cannot make itself visible — when open profession of the Gospel is suppressed by the rage of the enemy the devil and by the wicked and cruel people he uses as instruments. God sometimes allows His church to be hidden in this way, and during these seasons many of His dear children are killed for the sins of the church. Yet He always preserves the seed of His church. After Isaiah had shown the Jews the terrible devastation of their land — the cities left empty and the houses without inhabitants — he still said: 'Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, and it will again be subject to burning, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump' (Isaiah 6:13). God does not deal with His church the way He deals with its enemies. With the enemies He pulls up the root, but in His church He only prunes the branches (Isaiah 27:7-8). When He judged Sodom and Gomorrah, He destroyed them completely from the earth. But the Lord always guards the seed of His church, so that when the storm of persecution passes, His church may spring up and flourish again.

Someone may ask: since God intended Moses to be such a great man over His people, why did He not preserve him from Pharaoh's rage in some wonderful and mighty way? Answer: God was certainly able to have sent a legion of angels for his protection, or to have preserved him in some extraordinary visible manner. But He chose not to — for we must understand that it is God's pleasure to display His power through weak and ordinary means. He can protect every one of His servants from all harm, but He does not always do so. When Christ our Savior was an infant and was being persecuted by Herod, God His Father could have protected Him in Judea and destroyed His persecutor with many legions of angels. Yet He did not — He used only the simple help of Joseph and Mary and the ordinary, weak means of flight. He did all this so that He might be glorified through the weakness of His servants. For when all means fail, He magnifies His power and providence in preserving those who trust in Him. That is enough on this action in general.

Four circumstances deserve consideration in the hiding of Moses. First, the time when he was hidden: the text says 'when he was born.' Moses was destined to become a great servant and worthy instrument of God, through whom He would bring about the deliverance of His people from Egypt's bondage. And yet we see that from the very moment of his birth he had to be hidden.

From this we learn that those who are God's servants and hold a special place in His favor must expect trouble and affliction in this life — from the cradle to the grave, from the day of their birth to the hour of their death. Moses faced danger to his life from Pharaoh the moment he was born. Our Savior Christ faced the same from Herod when He was only an infant, causing His parents to flee with Him to Egypt for safety. Their infancy set the pattern for the rest of their lives — lives full of danger, full of trouble. And as it was with them, so it is with others. 'All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted' (2 Timothy 3:12). And whoever 'will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me' (Luke 9:23).

This is a point we must all take note of: we must not expect ease and comfort on earth. It is enough for us to enjoy that in the life to come. If Christ Himself carried His cross out of the city gate, then we, as His disciples, must 'take up our cross daily and follow Him.'

The second circumstance to consider: how long was Moses hidden? Three months. Question: why no longer? Answer: because they could not keep it up any longer. It is likely that a search was under way for him — and so 'they made a basket of reeds for him and covered it with tar and pitch. They put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.'

In this act the parents risked the child's life to save their own — and here we can see a real weakness in their faith. They kept their child by faith for a while, but then committed him to the dangers of the water, wild beasts, and birds of the air. Their faith was clearly weak and mixed with fear and some doubt. In keeping the child for three months they showed genuine faith, but in then exposing him to danger for their own safety, they revealed some lack of love and weakness of faith. And yet they are commended here for their faith. This makes plain that if a person has genuine and sincere faith — even if it is weak — God in His mercy will take notice of it and commend it, overlooking its weakness. He will even grant to that faith the promises of eternal life made in Christ.

The third circumstance to consider: who was it that kept Moses for those three months? Exodus says 'his mother kept him,' but here it says 'his parents kept him,' with the Holy Spirit including his father as well. How can both be true? Answer: the mother was the primary actor in this, and the father, though not personally involved, gave his consent. We must remember that consent is itself a form of action, whether in good things or in evil. When Saul 'was watching over the coats' of those who stoned Stephen (Acts 7:58) — thereby showing his agreement — he himself later confessed that he was 'in agreement with his death' (Acts 22:20).

Finally, notice the cause — or rather the occasion — that moved the parents to save their child. It was a remarkable beauty and loveliness that appeared in the child at birth. This moved them to reason with themselves: God has given this child such beauty that He likely intends to use him as a remarkable instrument for some great work — therefore we will keep him alive. This point deserves attention: beyond their natural parental love, this was also a motivation for the parents to save their child.

From this we may learn that those whom God intends to use above others in some special service for His own glory are typically endowed with some special gift above others — often including outward grace and physical beauty. Moses's beauty moved his parents to seek to preserve his life. They were persuaded that God had not placed it in him for nothing. Saul was made king over Israel — and it is noted that the Lord had given him a fine appearance, for 'he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.' David also had 'a ruddy appearance with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance.' The Lord had purposed to make him king over Israel. Just as David excelled his brothers in appearance and beauty, so he was to far surpass them in this special service of God — governing His people.

From this we learn: first, that beauty and physical attractiveness are gifts of God. Second, those who excel others in these natural gifts must also excel them in holiness and zeal for God's service and in doing good to others — as Moses and David did. But the practice of our times is sadly the opposite. Those who have more physical attractiveness than others commonly use it as a lure and occasion for all manner of sin and wickedness — for sexual immorality and indulgence, to satisfy their own wretched and ungodly desires. All who have natural gifts in greater measure than others must take careful notice of this. For if they use — or rather abuse — those gifts as means of sin and as ways of displaying the pride and vanity of their hearts, they will have much to answer for before God on the day of judgment. Has God given you beauty and attractiveness — and are you using it as a trap to ensnare others for the satisfaction of your lusts? Then take heed, you unfaithful servant. You are not merely hiding your master's talent — you are squandering it and using it to dishonor him. Therefore it will be taken from you. In its place you will receive ugliness and deformity, and in soul and body be cast into hell with unclean spirits. That is enough on the first action of their faith and its circumstances.

The second action by which the faith of Moses's parents is commended is this: 'They did not fear the king's edict.' These words must not be taken absolutely and without qualification. Many statements in Scripture are made in absolute terms but must be understood with limitation. As when Matthew 11:18 says John came 'neither eating nor drinking' — meaning not that he ate nothing at all, but that he ate very little. And Christ says in Matthew 10:34 that 'He came not to bring peace but a sword' — which, as Luke explains (Luke 12:51), means 'rather division than peace.' In the same way here: Moses's parents 'did not fear the king's edict' means they did not fear it excessively, or completely, or exclusively, or to the same degree that others in similar situations would have.

From this we learn how far we must obey those in authority and our rulers. We must obey them — not simply and unconditionally, but 'in the Lord' (Ephesians 6:1) — that is, in all their lawful commands. But when they command things that are evil and unlawful, we must stop short, lest in obeying them we rebel against God. We have sufficient basis for this here, and also in the apostles, who when commanded 'not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus' (Acts 4:18) answered: 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge' (Acts 4:19). The Hebrew midwives in Egypt are commended by the Holy Spirit (Exodus 1:17) for saving the boys alive against the king's command. And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have been celebrated ever since for disobeying Nebuchadnezzar's command to worship the golden image (Daniel 3:16-17). These examples make plain that our obedience to human authority is to be given only 'in the Lord.' Refusing to obey unlawful commands is not genuine disobedience — because in such cases the fifth commandment ceases to bind and gives way to the commandments of the first table, which are greater, as was explained at verse 17.

Second, notice that this godly boldness — not fearing the king's edict excessively — is described as an act of faith. From this we learn that true faith in God's promises serves to moderate a person's emotions. Left to himself, any person will go too far in the pull of his feelings. Experience shows that many have lost their lives through anger and uncontrolled joy, some have abandoned religion out of fear, and sorrow has cost many a person his life. Any passion, if not moderated and restrained, will rob a person of his reason and make him behave like an animal rather than a human being.

But see the value and power of true faith: it serves to temper a person's passions. If a person is angry, faith keeps it within bounds. The same is true of fear, joy, hatred, or any other feeling — faith will calm and restrain its excessive force. Moses's parents could certainly have been overwhelmed by fear of Pharaoh's tyranny and cruelty — but God gave them faith, which moderated that fear. None of us, if we look honestly at ourselves, can deny that we go too far in many feelings — sometimes in fear, sometimes in anger, sometimes in sorrow, and so on. Would we know how to bridle these powerful passions? Then get true faith. It is the means by which a person can moderate and restrain the force of his passions so they do not burst into extremes. Is a person angry? If he has faith, he will put a rein on his anger. Is he sorrowful? Still it will be measured. And so for all the rest — faith will govern them all, while extinguishing none. This should greatly move us to strive for genuine faith, given how useful and powerful it is in restraining our passions.

Verse 24. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Verse 25. Choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Verse 26. Considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

Here the Holy Spirit proceeds to commend Moses's faith, and in these three verses presents a most remarkable example of it.

By Moses's faith in this passage we should understand saving faith — the gift of God by which Moses received and personally applied to himself God's promise of salvation through the Messiah and of the promised land, made to Abraham and to his descendants after him.

At the very beginning of this example, the Holy Spirit records something remarkable about Moses: that Moses had faith and by it performed this great act. This is truly extraordinary, because he was raised by Pharaoh's daughter in Pharaoh's court — a place where there was no knowledge of the true God, but only idolatry, immorality, and godlessness. And yet the Spirit of God, who cannot lie, testifies that Moses had faith — which is a remarkable thing. Similar examples are recorded elsewhere in God's word. In Ahab's court — a king who 'sold himself to do evil' — the Spirit of God still testifies that Obadiah was there, 'a man who feared the Lord greatly.' Herod was a deadly enemy of Christ — yet Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, served Christ with her resources. Paul writes: 'All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.' By Caesar's household he means the court of Nero — one of the most bloodthirsty and wicked of persecutors — and yet even there were those who professed the Gospel of Christ. From these examples we learn that Christ has His children and servants in the very midst of His enemies. The courts of Pharaoh, Herod, and Nero may each be called a kind of hell — and yet God had servants in all three. This confirms the truth of God's word, which says that Christ 'reigns in the midst of His enemies.' However much they rage and seek to destroy His name and uproot His kingdom, He will in spite of all of them rule in the middle of their kingdoms, and there have those who truly serve Him and fear His name. In Revelation 2:13, God had His church in Pergamum, 'where Satan's throne is.'

Furthermore, Moses's faith rebukes many a person in this age who was raised in the church of God, under godly parents and teachers, and yet is a mocker and enemy of the Christian faith. Moses will stand up against all such people on the day of judgment and condemn them. He had faith, though raised in the most godless of places. They are without faith — indeed, enemies to it — even though they live in the very heart of the church.

But let us come to the remarkable act Moses performed, for which his faith is so commended here. The text says first of all: 'when he had grown up, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.' How Moses became her son we can read in full in Exodus 2 — where it is said that she found Moses in the basket, preserved him alive, and raised him as her own child, intending to make him her own son and heir. But this honor she offered him he would not accept. He refused it by faith — and this is the remarkable and celebrated act for which his faith is commended to us here.

But some may say that this act of Moses seems worthy of blame rather than praise — as an act of great rudeness and ingratitude. Pharaoh's daughter had saved his life from death, raised him as her own child, and extended the extraordinary favor of making him her heir. Moses should not have despised her generosity in this way. Answer: it would indeed have been Moses's proper response to show gratitude by accepting her favor and enjoying it — if he could have done so while still fearing God and keeping a clear conscience. But he could not. Had he remained with her and been her son and heir, he would have been unfaithful to God. A rule must always be remembered and practiced here: duties of the second table bind us only as far as our obedience to them is compatible with obedience to the first table. When the two cannot coexist, we are released from the obligation of the second table — from showing honor and gratitude to people, when doing so prevents us from obeying and serving God. This was Moses's situation. He could not both serve God and continue his gratitude to Pharaoh's daughter — for remaining with her would have meant making shipwreck of true religion. Therefore he forsook her favor and honor — and for this he is commended here. Our Savior Christ did the same. 'When the people intended to come and make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone' (John 6:15), because it would not have been consistent with the calling for which He was consecrated and sent into the world. Moses's act was therefore commendable, and it powerfully displays his holy faith.

In Moses's act, considered in this broad way, notice a remarkable fruit of genuine faith: it makes a person value being an adopted child of God above being the child or heir of any earthly prince. This is plain in Moses here. The same can be seen in David. Though he was a king, he counted all his royal majesty as nothing compared to God's blessing of adoption. Therefore he says: 'The Lord — not the kingdom of Israel — is my portion.' And again, when persecution kept him from the Lord's tabernacle and the company of God's people, he said 'the sparrows and swallows were happier than he' (Psalm 84) — because they had nests where they could tend their young and sing, but he could not come near the Lord's altar. To express his longing even more fully, he said he would rather hold a lowly position — even be 'a doorkeeper in the house of God' — than be a man of renown 'in the tents of wickedness.' Yet however united these men were in this conviction, come to our age and search through town and country and you will find this fruit of faith to be rare. For generally — though I will not say universally — most of those born to good parentage, as the sons of knights, squires, and especially of nobility, are so captivated by pride in their earthly lineage that they rarely give a thought to adoption in Christ. God's heavenly graces find no room in their hearts — they utterly despise all other conditions of life compared to their own. This is the common sin of the whole world. People will stand in awe at earthly advancement, but you will rarely find anyone who is overwhelmed with joy at being a child of God, as Moses was. His example must be a precedent for us to follow. We must learn to take more joy in being sons of God than in being heirs to any earthly kingdom, and to delight more in the grace of adoption through Jesus Christ than in sonship to any earthly prince.

It is a great privilege to be heir to a king or emperor. But to be a child of God surpasses it beyond all comparison. The son of the greatest ruler may still be a child of wrath. But the child of God by grace has Christ Jesus as his elder brother, is a fellow heir with Him in heaven, has the Holy Spirit as his comforter, and the kingdom of heaven as his eternal inheritance. Therefore we must learn from Moses, from the very depths of our hearts, to prefer this one thing above all earthly things — pleasures, riches, or any other privilege whatsoever: to be a child of God.

Looking more specifically at Moses's act, notice two circumstances: first, the manner in which he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; and second, the time when he did so.

Regarding the first: his refusal was not in words but in action. Reading the full account of Moses's life, we do not find that he ever said to Pharaoh, to his daughter, or to anyone else that he would not be her heir or her son. But we do find that he acted on it. When he came to age, he regularly left the court and went to visit his fellow Hebrews — to comfort them, defend them, and take sides with them. From this we must learn to give ourselves not so much to knowing and talking about matters of religion, but to doing and practicing them — before God and people alike. This is what Moses did. The common fault of our age is that we are content to hear religious teaching and many will even learn it and talk about it frequently — but few make any real effort to do the things they hear and speak of. Let us learn from Moses to put into practice what we learn and profess, and to do so quietly. The fewer words the better, unless our deeds are consistent with them. If any of us were walking along the top of a high mountain, we would stop talking and watch our step for fear of falling. When we enter the profession of Christianity, we are set on a high mountain — for 'the way of life leads upward,' and Christianity is 'the high calling of God.' We must therefore, as Solomon says, 'be wise' (Proverbs 15:24) and carefully watch our conduct — keeping a close watch over all our ways through the whole course of our lives to the very end. We must put less emphasis on speaking and talking, and more on doing. For 'the one who looks intently at the perfect law and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer — this man will be blessed in what he does' (James 1:25). This is what we must attend to — the only real ornament of our profession, showing that we have the power of genuine godliness. But if deeds are missing, our religion is empty. We are like the fig tree Christ cursed — with leaves but no fruit.

The second circumstance to consider is the time when Moses refused this honor — 'when he had grown up' to mature years and mature judgment. A person reasoning in ordinary human terms might think: Moses had a remarkable opportunity — he could have been the son and heir to a princess. Surely it was a rash and thoughtless act to refuse it. He must have gone badly wrong here, whether through rashness or ignorance. But to prevent such worldly conclusions, the Spirit of God records this circumstance of timing — stating that Moses did not refuse in his youth, but 'when he had grown up,' that is, when he had reached full maturity and judgment. With that maturity, he had the wisdom to know what he was doing. Only then did he refuse the honor of being Pharaoh's daughter's son and heir. In Acts 7 we find that he was forty years old when he did this. Therefore what the text says is true — 'when he had grown up' and was settled in his judgment. For forty years is not only an age of full physical strength but of settled judgment and maturity.

From this circumstance we learn two things. First, that impulsiveness and rashness are a common failing of youth. Moses did not refuse Pharaoh's daughter's honor while he was young, lest it appear rash. He waited until 'he had grown up,' as the text says — implying that if he had done it in youth, it could have been dismissed as an impulsive, hasty act of youthful passion. Every stage of life has its particular faults, and this is the fault of youth: to be headstrong and rash for lack of reflection and experience. Therefore all young people must be on guard against these sins of youth and watch against them all the more closely because they are so natural to that season of life. The way to avoid them is to follow Christ's example in Luke 2:52 — laboring to 'grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.' And to follow Paul's counsel to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:22: 'flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.'

Second, this detail of timing — noting Moses's deliberate maturity in this act — plainly indicates what is, or should be, the virtue and ornament of old age: settled wisdom and good judgment. By this I mean not merely the natural calming of passions that age brings, but a religious wisdom by which people of mature years do all things in faith, so that their actions may be acceptable and pleasing to God. When a person has grown in years and gained experience and observation in the church of God, he must have not only a general knowledge and wisdom but a particular wisdom — so that whatever he undertakes he does in faith and thereby pleases God. But sadly it must be said of older men today that in terms of this wisdom they are very much like infants — which is a great disgrace to their condition. Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 14:20 'not to be children in your thinking' but mature. And he forbids the Ephesians in Ephesians 4:14 to 'be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.' By this we can see that aged persons fall far short of what they should be when they are infants in knowledge and lack spiritual wisdom. We must admit that older people are often shrewd in worldly matters — a person would have to be very clever to outmaneuver them there. But bring them to the word of God and ask them to account for their actions — to show that what they are doing is being done in faith and is therefore acceptable to God — and they are like infants, ignorant of what it even means to act in faith so as to please God. In this, many who are young in years far outpace them. What would we think or say about a child who, after being enrolled in a good school for many years, was still in the lowest class? We would surely conclude he was either extremely lazy or lacked ordinary capacity.

The church of God is the school of Christ. If a person has spent years in it — twenty, forty years — and is no wiser in religion than a small child, is that not a disgrace? Should we not condemn such a person for gross negligence? Therefore, all older people should take this to heart: their duty is to grow to maturity in spiritual wisdom, so that their age may be 'a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness' (Proverbs 16:31).

Verse 25. And chose rather to suffer adversities with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

The meaning of these words is this: Moses weighed the situation and realized that if he agreed to become Pharaoh's daughter's heir, he would have to live with her, please her in everything, and completely abandon God's church, God's people, and God's holy religion — something his heart utterly rejected. He would also have to give up the eternal blessedness of God's children in exchange for the honors and sinful pleasures of the court, which were only temporary. With all this in mind, he chose suffering and hardship alongside the people of God rather than living in Pharaoh's court as his daughter's son and heir on those terms.

Because this may seem like a strange choice, the Holy Spirit then gives the reason for it: Moses preferred to enjoy the privileges of God's church — even in misery — over any honor in a wicked court like Pharaoh's.

In this verse, then, we see a second fruit of Moses's faith: he valued the fellowship and community of God's people above every other society in the world. David practiced the same thing. In Psalm 16:3 he says: 'All my delight is in the saints who dwell on the earth.'

This fruit of Moses's faith exposes a serious fault that prevails in our age: the neglect and contempt of the community of God's people. There is a kind of fellowship that is celebrated and valued among us — but what kind of fellowship is it? It is the fellowship of those who give themselves to drinking, joking, mocking, excess, entertainment, and gambling. This is what passes for good company today — and through it, God is greatly dishonored. Most people set their delight in it and are never more at ease than in such company, where they indulge their sensual appetites. It is true that people argue this kind of good fellowship is a virtue. But then Moses was badly mistaken — for in Pharaoh's court he could have had all the good fellowship and company he could want. And yet he despised it, and chose instead suffering and hardship with the people of God over that kind of fellowship in Pharaoh's court. As for calling it good, no one calls it that except those who call good evil and evil good. Moses — a man of wisdom and learning (Acts 7:22), not a child but a man of forty years — hated and rejected this kind of good fellowship as the worst way of life imaginable. He chose the company of a suffering, persecuted church over the best fellowship any king's court could offer. Let us therefore learn more wisdom from his example. Some say this good fellowship is harmless, and that people who spend their time this way do no great harm compared to others. But my answer is this: people are born to do good. And beyond that — is it not evil and harmful, both in itself and by example, to waste time, wealth, and ability? And worst of all, this is no fellowship with God and no part of the communion of saints — it is a fellowship with Satan. Therefore, let all who want to be true Christians and find genuine comfort in that article of their Creed — the communion of saints — value the fellowship of good and holy people above all other. Through this communion with God's people, a person gains great benefit, while the other kind brings ruin to body and soul. By the company of the godly, we first share in their gifts and holy graces, and second, in their prayers and the blessings of God upon them. These reasons alone should be enough to move us to embrace this blessed fellowship above all others. And more than that: being part of this community helps a person avoid many of God's judgments. If there had been ten righteous people in Sodom, all the others would have been spared from destruction. From this we can see that those who stay close to those who truly fear the Lord receive no harm from them but much good — for it is for the elect's sake that the world still stands. If all the elect had been gathered in, heaven and earth would pass away. God's hand is stayed for the sake of calling in His chosen people. Why then should not Moses's example be our rule — to rejoice in the company of God's people above all worldly pleasure?

That covers the general point. Now, looking at the specific words, there are several important points of doctrine to take up in order. Notice here a rare and remarkable choice — perhaps the most striking we will ever read of. Two things are set before Moses. The first is honor and advancement in Pharaoh's court — to be the son and heir of Pharaoh's daughter, with all the earthly pleasures and delights that would bring. The second is the wretched, afflicted condition of God's church and people.

Of these two options, Moses had to choose one. What did he choose? He rejected the privileges and honor he could have had in Pharaoh's court and chose instead the hardship and affliction of God's people — so that he could enjoy the privileges of God's church. A remarkable choice — one for which his faith is commended here and his name has been celebrated throughout all generations. God has set this same choice before people in every age. In earlier times, God set two things before Esau: a bowl of red stew and his birthright. But the godless Esau chose the worse option — he gave up his birthright for the stew. The Gadarenes did even worse. Christ Jesus, the Lord of life, was set before them alongside their pigs and livestock. They preferred their pigs over Christ — a most wretched and senseless choice. And are we any different? Before us on one side is heaven and on the other is hell — and yet most people choose hell and reject heaven. Worldly people whose delight is all in riches prefer earth over heaven, the slavery of sin over the service of God — which is the perfect freedom and glorious liberty of God's people in light. This is what everyone does apart from God's special grace. This is why Paul prays in his letters for the churches, asking God to give them the spirit of wisdom so they may be able to distinguish between things that differ. We must work for this wisdom, so that when these different things are set before us we can make a wise choice. Without it, we show ourselves to be like animals without understanding and bring about our own ruin. In the ministry of the word, life and death, good and evil are set before us — as Moses said to the people in Deuteronomy 30:15, 19. Let us therefore make every effort to choose life by embracing and obeying the word of God, and so follow both Moses's teaching and his example.

'To suffer adversity with the people of God.' Here we can observe what the normal condition of God's church and people is in this world: to be in affliction and under the cross. This is why Paul says that 'we must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations' (Acts 14:22). The Lord knows what is best for His servants and children, and so He has established this as a fixed principle: 'all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted' (2 Timothy 3:12).

The Lord deals with His children this way for specific reasons. First, all crosses — loss of goods, friends, freedom, or reputation — are means to stir up and awaken God's people from the slumbering sleep of sin, for the godly are often overcome by this. The wise virgins fell asleep just as the foolish did. Afflictions rouse them from that comfortable drowsiness. We see this in Joseph's brothers, who went on for a long time without any remorse for selling their brother. But when they were detained in Egypt, they were shaken awake and said, 'This trouble has come upon us because of what we did to our brother' (Genesis 42:21).

Second, afflictions serve to humble God's children (Leviticus 26:41). So the church of God speaks: 'I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him' (Micah 7:9).

Third, they serve to wean God's people from the love of this world. If people could always live in ease, they would make their heaven here on earth — but that is not how it should be. In this, God deals with His children like a nurse who wants to wean a child. She puts something bitter on the breast to make the child pull away. In the same way, to draw our hearts from the world and cause us to love and seek after heaven and heavenly things, the Lord makes us taste the bitterness of affliction in this world. Fourth, afflictions drive God's children out of themselves to seek God sincerely and to rely on Him alone — something they will not do in times of prosperity. Paul admits this about himself and others: 'We received the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God' (2 Corinthians 1:9). Similarly, when King Jehoshaphat was surrounded by his enemies, 'he cried to the Lord and said: Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You' (2 Chronicles 20:12). Even the rebellious Israelites were driven in this way to seek the Lord, whom they had abandoned in prosperity — as we can see at length in Psalm 107:6, 12, 13, 19.

Finally, afflictions serve to make God's graces visible in His children. 'The Lord knows my way and tries me,' says Job (Job 23:10). And Moses told the Israelites: 'Remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to test you, to know what was in your heart' (Deuteronomy 8:2). This is why James calls trials 'the testing of your faith' (James 1:2-3), and Paul calls patience 'the fruit of tribulation' (Romans 5:3). Just as spring showers cause buds to appear, afflictions make God's graces visible in His children. Patience, hope, and other virtues lie hidden in the heart during peaceful times — but when tribulation comes, they break out and show themselves.

From this we learn that suffering affliction is not always a sign of God's wrath. If a person or a people is burdened with crosses, that is no proof they are not God's children. As Peter says, 'Judgment begins at the household of God' (1 Peter 4:17). Any cross upon a people, a family, or an individual — if it produces the fruit of grace in them — is a true sign they belong to God. In fact, when people have wandered from God into sinful ways, afflictions are the means God uses to call them back. Psalm 119:67: 'Before I was afflicted I went astray.' And those who forsake their sin and return to God during affliction are certainly God's people — because a wicked person frets and murmurs against God when a cross comes and cannot endure it. But a godly person is humbled by it and becomes more obedient to God in all his duties.

We should take this seriously. By our outward profession we give the world to understand that we are God's children — and so we come to hear God's word and learn how to live as His children. But if we want to be truly known as God's children, then whenever any of God's judgments fall on us, we must make this use of them: work to be humbled for our sins, forsake our sins, and make a clean break from all sinful ways going forward. When we do this, we show ourselves to be God's children in truth. But if during a trial or after it we are just as careless as before, still following the same old sins, then we cannot be regarded as God's people and children — we are rather a stubborn and wicked generation that grows worse the more it is corrected, like an anvil that grows harder the more it is struck. Let us therefore use God's judgments to show ourselves to be His children. Then we will be able to say with David in great joy and comfort, 'It is good for me that I was afflicted' (Psalm 119:71).

We have seen what Moses chose. Now we come to what he refused: 'to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.' By 'pleasures of sin' we should understand the riches and dignity Moses could have had in Pharaoh's court and kingdom. These are called 'the pleasures of sin' not because they were sinful in themselves — they were, in themselves, the good gifts of God — but because Moses could not enjoy them in Pharaoh's court without living in sin. To become Pharaoh's daughter's son, he would have had to abandon the community of God's church and people, and so become a stranger to the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with their descendants after them.

Here the Holy Spirit sets down two notable reasons that led Moses to refuse these honors and dignities: first, because they were the pleasures of sin; and second, because he would only enjoy them for a season.

The first reason gives us several important points worth considering. First, we learn here that riches, honor, and status separated from true religion are nothing but the pleasures and profits of sin. This was Moses's judgment, as the Holy Spirit testifies here. It is also the plain truth of God, as Solomon argues at length after his own painful experience — concluding that riches, honor, pleasures, and all earthly things separated from the fear of God are 'mere vanity and striving after wind.' And Paul says, 'To the impure all things are impure' — including food, drink, and clothing, which in themselves are otherwise the good gifts of God.

This point is of great practical importance. For one thing, it shows us the true condition of those who set religion and good conscience aside and give themselves entirely to the world — to gaining wealth and advancement. Most people are inclined this way, and such people are generally counted as the truly wise. When someone is praised, the first thing typically said in his favor is that he is a wealthy, substantial man who looks after himself well — as if riches and honor were a person's greatest good. But however the world judges such men, we can see here that their situation is actually miserable. Without religion and the fear of God, their riches and honor are only the pleasures and profits of sin. The more they heap up wealth this way — without regard for Christ or His gospel — the more they are heaping up the treasures of sin, and therefore the greater their condemnation. Worldly wealth separated from religion is nothing but the wealth of wickedness, which brings damnation. This is why Christ said to His disciples (in response to the rich young man) that 'it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven' — meaning the kind of rich man who sets his heart on gaining wealth and honor with no regard for the religion of Christ. In another place He also pronounces this fearful sentence against them: 'Woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full' (Luke 6:24). Those who set religion aside and give themselves entirely to seeking gain and honor are, before God, utterly wretched — and the longer they continue in this course the more wretched they become, because the more sin they accumulate and the deeper their condemnation will be. If any of us have lived this way, let us now leave that course as most dangerous to our souls. For what does it profit a person to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?

Second, from this we must all learn — especially those who have any measure of wealth, great or small — to join the fear of God and the practice of true religion to the use of our riches. Separate these, and riches are nothing but sinful pleasures. It is a good conscience that puts a person in a right relationship to his honor and wealth. Without it, he corrupts the blessings of God he enjoys, and those corrupted blessings will turn to his greater ruin. One might have thought that King Belshazzar was a happy man when he hosted his royal feast, drinking wine from golden bowls before a thousand princes and his concubines. But the end of that celebration shows us the nature of such prosperity. As soon as he saw the fingers of a hand writing on the wall, he was utterly undone. His color changed, his thoughts filled him with dread, the strength went out of his legs, and his knees knocked together. What comfort did all his riches and pleasures give him then? Similarly, the rich man in Luke 16 might have seemed fortunate during his lifetime. Yet none of it helped him — he had his pleasure for his lifetime (Luke 16:25), and after this life his soul went down to hell. A worldly person would judge the rich man in the parable a truly happy man — the one who said to his soul, because of his great abundance, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink and be merry' (Luke 12:19). Yet because he had no religion, no good conscience, and no fear of God, this verdict was pronounced against him: 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you. Now who will own what you have prepared?' Therefore, unless we want to throw away our own souls, let us sanctify our use of all earthly blessings by sincerely striving in all things to show the fear of God and maintain faith and a good conscience. And let us start where Christ directs: 'Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness' (Matthew 6:33). Let us seek to have hearts that are acceptable to God, and then all things will be clean to us.

Third, if riches and honor separated from true religion are nothing but the pleasures of sin, then all recreation, sport, and entertainment separated from religion and a good conscience are even more clearly the pleasures of sin. Solomon knew this well. Speaking of such enjoyment, he calls laughter madness and says of pleasure, 'What does it accomplish?' (Ecclesiastes 2:2). How many sins are committed by people of every kind? For who does not almost constantly neglect religious duties for sport and amusement? Therefore, if we truly want joy in any worldly thing, let us first lay the foundation in our own hearts by gaining and keeping true faith and a good conscience.

Second — since Moses refused dignity and honor precisely because they would have been for him the pleasures of sin — we learn here the right manner and order in which to enjoy worldly wealth and honor. Moses's practice must be our guide: we should enjoy them and use them with thankfulness to God, as long as they help us in the course of religion and true godliness. But if the situation arises where we cannot have both together, then we must follow Moses's example — choose religion and a good conscience, and let honor and advancement go. This is what Moses did. We can be confident that if he could have kept them both, he would not have refused either. But because he could not have both, he chose the religion of Christ and a clear conscience over the honor and wealth of Egypt.

Third, notice that Moses does not simply refuse the riches and pleasures of Egypt when they would become the pleasures of sin — he is willing to endure great hardship and suffering with God's people rather than enjoy them. Here we see a remarkable virtue in Moses: he regarded living in sin as the greatest possible misery. He chose to suffer any adversity and reproach in this world rather than live in sin, because sin would mean displeasing God — his most loving Father in Christ. This is a remarkable virtue in this servant of God, and everyone who shares the same graces of saving faith and true repentance that Moses had will have the same spirit. Paul considered Satan's temptations to sin to be like 'a thorn in the flesh' and 'beatings and buffetings' (2 Corinthians 12:7). And David says, 'My eyes shed streams of water, because they do not keep Your law' (Psalm 119:136). Was David this grieved over other people's sins? Then how deeply he must have suffered when he himself broke God's commandments and thereby displeased God.

The way these servants of God were affected toward sin must be the way every one of us who profess faith in Christ must strive to be affected. We must regard it as the greatest misery and torment in the world to do anything that displeases God. But sadly, in our day the situation is very different. For most people, committing sin is a pleasure — they are far from counting it a misery. If a person is habitually addicted to some particular sin, you might sooner take his life than take away his sin. He will risk losing heaven forever for the pleasure of sin for a time. But such people are nothing like these holy servants of God, who counted it the greatest possible cross and misery to do anything that displeased God and disturbed the peace of a good conscience. If we want to enjoy the same peace and comfort they had, we must fight against our own corrupt nature and work to find sin to be our deepest sorrow. Worldly troubles may affect us — but compared to sorrow over sin, all worldly grief should feel light. We are naturally inclined to think otherwise. But here we must show the power and reality of grace — that displeasing God through any sin is our greatest grief.

The second reason that led Moses to refuse the honors and pleasures of Pharaoh's court was that he could only have enjoyed them for a time — the length of his natural life at most. This same reason should move each of us to use this world and all its benefits as though we were not using them — always willing and ready to let them go whenever God calls. Paul gives this same reason when he urges the Corinthians to the same duty in 1 Corinthians 7:31: 'Use this world as though you did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.' What he means is this: everything in the world lasts only for a time, and however much a person might want to hold on, he can only enjoy it until the end of his life. So use it as though you were not using it. It is a sad thing to see how far people are from practicing this. They set their whole heart on the world — gaining wealth is their delight and their god. This should not be so. God has not laid down these principles and examples for nothing. If they do not move us to the same practice, they will certainly rise up in judgment against us on the last day. That is enough on Moses's choice and refusal.

Verse 26. Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect to the recompense of reward.

As we have seen, Moses refused the honor and wealth of Egypt and chose to live in affliction with God's people. Now, because this might seem a strange choice — and a natural person would quickly condemn him as a fool — the Holy Spirit here sets down the reason that moved Moses to do this: Moses chose suffering with God's people over the pleasures and honors of Egypt because he was convinced that reproach for Christ's sake was greater riches than all the wealth of Egypt. He was not refusing riches and honor outright. He was choosing the better riches and honor over the lesser, based on a sound judgment between things that differed.

From this we can observe, in general terms, how essential it is for every Christian to have solid knowledge and understanding of God's word. A person who wants to walk uprightly and be approved by God must be able to judge between things that differ — not only between good and evil, but between good and better, and between one evil and a worse one. No one can do this without sound and right judgment formed by God's word, for it is there that the spirit of discernment is gained. Many people, through the course of their lives, choose hell and reject heaven — and this undoubtedly comes from their ignorance of God's word. But ignorance will excuse no one. A person who wants to reach heaven must be able to distinguish good from evil and choose the good while rejecting evil. Without divine and supernatural knowledge, no one can do this. Therefore all who are ignorant and all who are blinded by the deceitfulness of sin must shake off their complacency, gain solid knowledge of Scripture, and maintain a good conscience — so that when things that differ are set before them, they may choose the better, as Moses did.

But let us look at Moses's judgment more specifically. 'He esteemed the rebuke of Christ' — meaning he was firmly convinced that reproach and contempt for Christ's sake was greater riches to him than all the wealth of an entire kingdom. Some will say this is a very strange judgment. Can it possibly be true and right? Yes, without question — it is completely sound judgment, and worthy of every person's lasting reflection: suffering reproach for Christ's sake is greater riches than all worldly wealth. The truth of this is proven by several arguments from God's word. First, God has made a promise of blessedness to those who suffer for Christ's sake. Christ says, 'Blessed are you when people insult you and say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.' And Peter says, 'If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed.' And in case anyone doubts how this can be, Christ makes clear what this blessedness consists of: 'Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.' This is a remarkable promise — assuring us that no one loses by suffering for Christ's sake, for he will be rewarded a hundredfold over. Instead of earthly friends and worldly comforts, he will have the love and favor of God poured out in his heart, which will be an overflowing fountain of comfort for soul and body forever — worth far more than all the wealth and treasure of every kingdom in the world. We know that a small flowing spring is more valuable to a household than a hundred full cisterns, because the spring provides a constant supply while the cisterns will eventually run dry. Just so — the love of God in Christ, along with other spiritual graces, will be like living streams flowing to eternal life for all who suffer for Christ's name, while the cisterns of all worldly pleasures and treasures will dry up and be gone. Second, by suffering affliction for Christ's sake, we are made like Him in His humility — so that we may be made like Him in glory after this life. Paul says, 'Our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory' (2 Corinthians 4:17). And again: 'It is a trustworthy statement: if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him' (2 Timothy 2:11-12). No worldly wealth can give this assurance — and therefore we may confidently say that suffering reproach for Christ's sake is greater riches than the treasures of an entire kingdom. Third, suffering for Christ's sake is a mark of God's special love. This is why Paul tells the Philippians not to be frightened by their opponents — 'which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake' (Philippians 1:28-29). Therefore, since suffering for Christ carries a promise of blessedness, makes us like Christ, and is a sign of God's special love — it is to be valued above the riches and honors of the entire world.

If afflictions for Christ are to be valued above the treasures of a kingdom, then we must all learn to rejoice in the troubles and wrongs we suffer for His sake. The apostles did exactly this in Acts 5:41: 'They went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.' And Paul boasts of it, saying: 'I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus' (Galatians 6:17). Just as these servants of God rejoiced in their sufferings for Christ, we too must work toward the same heart and attitude in similar situations. After all, who would not rejoice to share in the treasures of a kingdom? And the rebuke of Christ is greater riches than the treasures of any kingdom.

This lesson is of great practical importance. Though many among us come to hear God's word, there are also many who mock and scoff at religion, at the Gospel of Christ, and at those who profess it — by which many are hindered in their profession and some are discouraged and driven back entirely. But we must learn here not to be discouraged by these mocks. We must take care not to give mockers any fair occasion — and then if we are scoffed at, we will never be harmed by it. Indeed, though it is far from their intention, in mocking us they actually do us great honor. For the word of God, which cannot lie, declares that suffering affliction for Christ's sake is greater honor and riches than the treasures of a kingdom. And if Moses's judgment is sound — which God Himself commends here — then we are happy and blessed in enduring these mocks and scoffs for Christ.

Second, we must learn a lesson here for days ahead. For a long time we have enjoyed peace and prosperity alongside the Gospel of Christ through God's great goodness. But these days of peace will certainly come to an end — they cannot last forever, and God's people must pass through the fiery furnace of affliction. When that day comes, how will we be able to bear it? We must now form the same conviction Moses held: we must judge it the greatest honor and richest privilege to suffer affliction for Christ's sake. This conviction will be the foundation of all steadiness, courage, and Christian boldness in the day of trial. A person with this mind will never dread affliction or reproach for Christ's sake. He will be so far from fearing it that he will rejoice and triumph in it.

Furthermore, notice that the text says 'the rebuke of Christ.' The rebuke suffered by God's church and people is called the rebuke of Christ. God's people in Egypt were loaded with reproaches and rebukes — and Christ counts this as His own rebuke. The Holy Spirit calls it so. From this we learn that Christ regards the reproach and affliction of His church as His own affliction. When Saul went to persecute the believers in Damascus (Acts 9:2, 4), Christ Jesus called out to him from heaven: 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' Saul was persecuting Christians — yet our Savior took it personally. After his conversion, Paul himself says: 'Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus' (2 Corinthians 4:10). And again: 'Let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus' (Galatians 6:17). This is a point of special importance.

First, from this we learn that Christ has a special care for His church and children — He regards their afflictions as His own. Therefore, He can no more forget them or stop helping them in their distress than He can deny Himself.

Second, here is a particular comfort for God's children who are in affliction: their afflictions are not theirs alone — they are Christ's as well. He is their partner and fellow sufferer. This may seem surprising, but it is absolutely true. Christ puts His shoulder under our afflictions, so to speak, and takes them as His own. What could be more comforting than that? For though you yourself cannot bear it, trust without wavering that Christ — who bears it with you — will give you the strength to endure it all the way to victory.

Third, if a Christian's afflictions are Christ's afflictions, then it is a fearful sin for anyone to mock or reproach his brother because of his faith and religion — for 'mocking is persecution' (Galatians 4:29; Genesis 21:9). The reproach cast upon a Christian is cast upon Christ — and Christ takes it as done to Himself. The persecutor wounds Christ Jesus through the sides of a poor Christian, which is a terrible thing. In doing so, such a person sets himself against the Lord Jesus and kicks against the goads. If he continues in this, he must expect a fearful end: 'Who has hardened himself against the Lord and prospered?' (Job 9:4). Therefore, if any of us are guilty of this kind of sin, let us repent. For unless we turn, our condemnation will be beyond remedy.

Also worth noting: the afflictions of the Israelites are here described as their sufferings for Christ. Observe that even though Christ's coming was still far off, the Israelites knew of Christ — for otherwise they could not have suffered for Him.

This refutes the view that every person can be saved by their own religion, whatever it may be, as long as they live decently and uprightly within it. Those who hold this view appeal to the Jews, claiming they had only knowledge of outward ceremonies and were saved by that. But this passage disproves that opinion. The Jews knew Christ and professed Him — otherwise they would never have suffered for Him. They were therefore saved through Him, not through their obedience to outward ceremonies. That is enough on the reason that moved Moses to make the choice he did.

At the end of the verse, a reason is given for why Moses held this remarkable conviction — why he regarded the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: 'he had respect to the recompense of reward.' That is, he regularly lifted his eyes and directed his heart to consider how God had promised everlasting life after this life to all who obeyed and trusted Him in this life. In order to enjoy that life, he preferred the condition in which he could live in the fear of God — even if it was a condition of reproach — over every other condition. Here we see what it takes to make a person count affliction with the fear of God as better than the treasures and pleasures of an earthly kingdom: just as we see affliction with our physical eyes, we must also lift the eye of faith to see the recompense of reward — the state of glory in heaven prepared for God's children. This is what the early Christian Hebrews did: 'They accepted joyfully the seizure of their property' (Hebrews 10:34). That is a hard thing — and yet it is true, for it is the word of God. And the reason given is that 'they knew that they had for themselves a better possession and a lasting one.' Our Savior Christ 'endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy set before Him' (Hebrews 12:2) — that is, in view of the glory to which He would be raised and to which He would bring all His people. We must make use of this. If we are to live godly lives in Christ Jesus, we must suffer affliction. Flesh and blood will not accept this willingly. So, to persuade us to suffer with joy, we must follow Moses in having regard for the recompense of reward. We must say to our souls: the day is coming when we will have everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven, if we now serve and fear God. Should we not then be willing to endure a brief affliction for His sake, knowing that the greatest of afflictions is 'not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us'? (Romans 8:18).

Question: But why does the Holy Spirit call everlasting life a reward? Answer: It is not called a reward because Moses earned or deserved it by the dignity of his suffering — for no person can merit anything from God. The point is clear: even Christ, considered purely in His human nature apart from His divine nature, could not merit anything from God. For a person to merit something from God through a work, three conditions must be met. First, the person must do the work entirely by himself and of himself — for if he does it by means of another, it is the other who merits and deserves the credit for the work. Second, the work must be done from pure goodwill, not from duty — for what is owed as a duty cannot merit a reward, since a person is already obligated to do it. Third, the work done to merit must be of such worth and dignity that it is proportionate to the reward, which is everlasting life. Now, though Christ in His human nature surpasses all people and all angels in grace and dignity, still — considering His human nature apart from His divine nature — He could not perform a work with these three qualities. First, the works done in His humanity were not done by that humanity on its own, but from the fullness of the Spirit with which He was endowed. Second, Christ as a human being is a creature; and considered as a creature, His works are owed as duties to the Creator and therefore cannot merit. Third, Christ's works considered simply as human works are finite and therefore could not merit infinite glory.

Question: How then did Christ merit from God? Answer: Partly through God's promise made in the law — 'Do this and you will live' — but properly and chiefly because He was not merely human but also true and very God. His obedience — both in His life and in His death, though performed in His human nature — was the obedience of One who was both God and man. It is from the infinite dignity of His person that His obedience becomes meritorious. In His human nature He obeyed the law and suffered for our sins, but the merit of it came from His divine nature — for the One who did these things for us was both God and man.

Now, if Christ considered only as a human being cannot merit from God, then no other human being can merit from God either. Therefore Moses, though a worthy man, was still only a man — and a sinful man at that. He could not by any work deserve everlasting life from God.

Everlasting life is called a reward in Scripture because it is God's free gift, promised by God to His children in Christ — given for the purpose of encouraging and drawing them forward in obedience. It should not seem strange to call a reward a free gift, for that is exactly what it can be. We can see this by comparing two Scripture passages: Matthew 5:46 with Luke 6:32. Where Matthew says, 'If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?' — Luke, repeating the same thought, says, 'What credit is that to you?' or, as the word means, 'What favor or free gift do you have?' Second, there is another reason why everlasting life is called a reward — not in regard to the work done, but in regard to the one doing the work as he stands in Christ. It is Christ's merit that makes everlasting life a reward. Now, every true believer who seeks to do God's will is in Christ. Therefore Christ's righteousness and the merit of it belongs to him, to the degree that it makes his person acceptable to God. On this basis, a promise of reward is made to him in his obedience — yet not for his own work, but for the work of Christ's obedience, in whom he stands. This is how these words must be understood.

First, the consideration of this reward of eternal life — given through Christ to those who suffer for His sake — can make us joyful and patient in all our afflictions for righteousness' sake. Even a natural person will endure much for a good reward at the end. Now Christ says, 'Great is your reward.' Therefore let us rejoice in suffering for Christ, 'not throwing away your confidence, which has a great reward' (Hebrews 10:35).

Second, since everlasting life is a recompense — that is, a reward given — this condemns the reckless practice of many who spend their whole lives in a frantic pursuit of worldly profit and pleasure, running headlong toward hell with no concern for their souls until death arrives. They think that if they can cry out to God for mercy at the last breath and commend their souls to Him, all will be well. But such people are for the most part deceiving themselves. They do not consider that everlasting life is given as a reward. We know that no reward is given to anyone until the work he was set to do is completed. A person must come and work in the vineyard for some part of the day in order to receive his wages at the end. As for those who never lift a hand to do the work — what reward can they expect? Yet this is the condition of those who are ruled by their flesh: they devote themselves entirely to earthly things. If we want any reward at the day of death, we must labor in the works of godliness throughout our lives — for that is the very purpose for which we were redeemed (Luke 1:74-75).

In all of God's word, we find only one person who lived wickedly and repented at the very end — the thief on the cross. This shows how rare it is for a person to receive the reward of everlasting life after this life if he did not labor in the works of godliness during this life.

Third, the prospect of this reward must stir all God's children to diligence in the duties of godliness — cheerfully, throughout the whole course of their lives. When we come to die, we will look earnestly for this reward. Therefore, while we live, we must faithfully do the works God commands. Then, when death comes, we may be assured that God will give us this reward — not because we deserved it by our works, but because He has promised it in Christ on the basis of our sincere obedience and true repentance. That is enough on the reason for Moses's choice.

Verse 27. By faith he forsook Egypt, and feared not the fierceness of the King. For he was courageous, as he that saw Him who is invisible.

In this verse, the Spirit of God moves to another example of Moses's faith, and adds a third example in the verse that follows. The Spirit is so thorough in commending Moses's faith for this reason: to persuade the Hebrews, to whom this letter is written, that they were not to look for justification through the works of the law. His argument is this: if any person could be justified by the works of the law, it would be Moses — the one who delivered the law from the Lord to the people, who excelled in obedience to both tables of it, and who is celebrated as a renowned prophet throughout all generations as a person 'in special favor with God' (Numbers 12:7-8). But Moses could not be justified by the works of the law. The Holy Spirit proves here that Moses was justified and saved by faith. What commends Moses and causes him to stand before God is not his works but his faith. The conclusion follows: just as Moses was not justified by his works but by faith, those who received this letter must not stand on their works to be justified by them — but must strive for such faith as Moses had. This faith of Moses was true saving faith, built on two promises of God: first, on the great and foundational promise made to Abraham, 'I will be your God and the God of your descendants'; and second, on a particular promise arising from that general one, made to Moses when he was called to bring the Israelites out of bondage: 'I will be with you and guide you.' Moses is said to have faith here not only because he believed that God would be his God as He was the God of all Abraham's descendants, but because he believed specifically that God would be his God and would defend him and be with him in delivering the Israelites out of Egypt.

To look at this act specifically: 'By faith, Moses forsook Egypt.' Moses left Egypt twice. The first time was when he had killed the Egyptian and fled from Pharaoh to Midian, where he tended the flocks of Jethro. The second was forty years later, when he led the people of Israel out of Egypt toward the land of Canaan. Some have raised the question of which departure is meant here. The answer is that this passage almost certainly refers to his second departure, not the first. The reason comes from Exodus 2:14-15. There we find that the first time he fled in fear. As soon as he learned that Pharaoh knew he had killed the Egyptian, he fled in such terror that he did not dare return for forty years. But the words here cannot refer to that kind of flight, because it says 'He departed, not fearing the king's wrath or fierceness.'

Some will say: this is no great commendation — lawbreakers and rebels also flee their country. The answer is that they do flee — but not in faith. They flee in fear. Moses fled in faith, and that is what commends his faith here: he fled without fearing the king. Criminals flee because they fear deserved punishment. Moses departed with courage and boldness — not like a criminal. This is plain from the historical account. Pharaoh had told him in Exodus 10:28: 'Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die.' And yet Moses went to him one more time — the tenth — to announce the tenth plague and declare that Pharaoh's own servants would come down to him and beg him to leave with all his people and their livestock. And when the Israelites complained against him at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh at their heels and no way of escape, Moses encouraged the people: 'Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever' (Exodus 14:13). All of this makes it abundantly clear that Moses departed in faith, without fear of Pharaoh.

Some will object: for a person to enter another ruler's kingdom and lead away his subjects without the king's permission is an act of rebellion and sedition, deserving not commendation but shame and punishment. And this is what Moses did — he came from Midian and took away the Jews, who had long been Pharaoh's subjects and over whom Pharaoh could claim long-established possession. Does this not seem like something other than an act of faith? The answer is this: if Moses had done this on his own initiative, he could rightly have been judged that way. But when he came to Egypt, he had a direct commission from God to do what he did, confirmed by God's promise of assistance through miraculous signs. And when he led the people out of Egypt, he did so on the command of a King far greater than Pharaoh. Nor did Moses do this as a private individual. He was a public figure, a high official, and not a foreigner among them — he was one of their own. He was in fact their king, as God's word makes clear. Deuteronomy 33:5 plainly calls him a king, and Genesis 36:31 mentions 'the kings who reigned in Edom before any king reigned over the sons of Israel.' The last of those kings was reigning at the time Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt — which means Moses was their king, holding royal authority and governance over them by divine appointment. His act was therefore not rebellion but a work that powerfully commends his faith, being grounded on God's command and promise.

We have seen how to understand Moses's act. Now we come to some specific points within it.

How was it that Moses now had the courage to leave Pharaoh without fearing his command — when forty years earlier, called to make himself known to his brothers as one they should recognize as their deliverer (Acts 7:23, 25), he had fled Egypt at once upon news of a single act of defense on behalf of the Israelites? Why did he not show as much courage when he killed the Egyptian as he did at his second departure? The answer is this: the source of his courage this second time was that God had renewed and confirmed his commission. When he first received his calling, he acted on it and defended his people — but being in danger, and his calling still being an inner instinct rather than a fully confirmed commission, he was frightened and fled. But when God called him a second time and confirmed that same calling with both a promise and a command, along with power to perform miracles, then the fearful Moses became courageous and bold.

Notice here that there is a difference between God's graces — there is a first grace and a second grace. The first is what God gives a person for any calling; the second is what God adds to the first to confirm and establish it. The first is not effective without the second. We see this in Moses — his first calling was not fully effective until the second came. In the same way, God's first grace is not effective until a second comes — by which the first is confirmed, strengthened, and increased. And the second is further confirmed by a third. So we must go on from grace to grace if we are to be bold and courageous in any duty of our general or particular calling. This deserves careful attention. Whether a person stands firm in grace or grows in it — whether in his particular calling or his Christian life — it comes from God's adding a second grace to the first. Therefore, whoever is enabled for any duty has great cause to praise God. Whether we continue in grace or increase in it, it comes from God's goodness in adding grace to grace. If He did not do this, we would fall away and be unable to go forward in the fear of God and the duties of our calling — for the first grace alone would not be sufficient to hold us against temptation. Therefore, however much God has strengthened us in the past, we must still pray daily for Him to deliver us from evil. This clearly implies that our standing depends on His daily supply of new grace.

Second point: when did Moses leave Egypt? The time is set down precisely in Exodus 12:41: 'At the end of the four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.' Not before, not after — the very same day God's promise reached its fulfillment. Moses had actually been chosen as their leader forty years earlier and sent to them by God. As Stephen says, 'he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him.' But at that time they would not receive him as their guide. Forty years later, when God's appointed time of 430 years had run its course, Moses came to them again to bring them out of Egypt — and then they recognized him and followed him out, just as God had commissioned.

From this we learn, first, that no created being can alter the course of God's providence. Forty years earlier Moses would have delivered the people — but he had to wait until the time of the Lord's promise had been fulfilled, and then he led them all out. Second, this must teach us not only to believe that God both can and will keep His promises, but also to wait by faith for the time when He will fulfill them for us. Moses was required to wait forty years for the fulfillment of God's promise. When Daniel came to understand how long the Israelites must remain in captivity, he did not pray for the time to be shortened. But when he knew their return was drawing near, he prayed to the Lord most earnestly, waiting for the fulfillment of God's promise of deliverance. David likewise waited on God for deliverance in all his troubles. Their examples must be our pattern for receiving all of God's blessings.

Third point: in what manner did Moses depart? The text says he went out 'not fearing the king's commandment' — his departure was made with courage. From this we draw several lessons. First, here is a notable example for shaping our own lives — one that must serve as a rule for us. We must walk faithfully in our callings, as Moses did. Even when crosses arise — even when Pharaoh turns against us, even when kings become our enemies — we must not lay aside the duties of our calling but press on with courage, following Moses's example. 'Moses, without fearing the king's wrath, went and led all the people away.' So must each of us do: even when dangers come, we must not fear but stand firm in our profession and continue in the duties of our calling. As Ecclesiastes 10:4 says: 'If the temper of the ruler rises against you, do not abandon your position.'

Second, from this we may learn that those who govern the people ought to be people of courage in carrying out their duties. When the burden of judging the whole congregation became too heavy for Moses alone, his father-in-law Jethro advised him to 'select from all the people men of courage, those who fear God, to be rulers' (Exodus 18:13, 21). But this courage must not be proud arrogance or reckless cruelty. It must be a godly boldness that enables them to fulfill the duties of their office without fear of men. To this end, the Lord put 'His Spirit' upon the seventy who were to rule alongside Moses (Numbers 11:17). And the Spirit of God is not 'a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline' (2 Timothy 1:7). This shows that those in authority must have the courage to call people to their duties and, when necessary, to compel them to fulfill them — however great those people may be. This is a matter of great importance in the church of God. A minister may teach and speak as much as he is able, but unless the spiritual sword of the minister is joined by the civil authority of the magistrate — to reform people's lives, restrain open sin against God's law, and press them toward the duties the minister teaches — the preaching and teaching will accomplish very little.

Finally, Moses went out of Egypt with courage. His departure was a picture of our spiritual departure from the kingdom of darkness — Paul applies it this way in 1 Corinthians 10. Therefore, following Moses's example, we must each day move further out of the kingdom of darkness with courageous faith and heavenly boldness, pressing toward our promised Canaan — the glory of heaven. We must not leave this until our last breath and then expect heaven's gates to be thrown open for us. We must enter God's kingdom in this present life. Just as Moses by faith departed boldly from Egypt, so we must in heart and by faith depart from the kingdom of sin. We do this by working to establish the kingdom of Christ Jesus in our hearts and forsaking the works of sin and darkness. Where there is no departing from sin, there is no faith. Let us therefore show that we have true faith by departing more and more boldly and joyfully from the kingdom of sin and Satan — so that it may be evident we love the light and hate the darkness. In this journey, let us not fear any opposing command, nor the furious wrath of the spiritual Pharaoh — the devil — nor all the gates of hell. For Christ Jesus is our guide.

One might think at first that Moses acted rashly and recklessly in boldly taking the Israelites away without regard for Pharaoh's command. So in the latter part of the verse, the Holy Spirit sets down the reason that moved Moses to do so in these words: 'For he endured' — or 'was courageous' — meaning he took heart. Why? 'Because he saw God who is invisible.' That is, he fixed the eye of faith on God, who had promised to display His power and presence in their deliverance. It was Moses's faith, laying hold on God's promise of presence and protection from Pharaoh's rage, that made him so confident and bold.

From this we learn that the true courage and valor in Moses — and in all God's children like him — is a gift of grace. Among the many gifts of the Spirit poured out on our Savior Christ, 'the spirit of strength' or courage is one (Isaiah 11:2). And Jethro's counsel to Moses is highly instructive: he advised him to select as governors 'men of courage, fearing God' (Exodus 18:21) — implying that true courage is always joined with the fear of God and is a fruit of grace. Some will object that many pagan people who never knew the true God or understood the gifts of the Spirit nevertheless displayed great courage. The answer is this: they did have a kind of courage. But it was nothing but a fleshly boldness — not worthy of the name courage, being only a shadow of true fortitude — arising from ambition, pride, and other carnal drives. Moses's courage, by contrast, sprang from the grace of faith in God's merciful promises of deliverance and safety. And however much wicked people may display an impressive show of various virtues, when tested those virtues prove to be mere shadows. True courage and other genuine virtues always accompany regeneration.

As he that saw him that is invisible.

Here is the cause that made Moses so courageous. And this will make any person bold: to be persuaded in his own conscience of God's special presence with him and of God's providence and protection over him.

Notice here a remarkable fruit of faith: it makes God — who is in fact invisible — visible to us in a certain sense. Moses by faith saw the One who is invisible. He was persuaded by faith of God's providence and special protection in the deliverance of His people, however furiously Pharaoh might rage. Enoch is said to have 'walked with God' because he saw God by the eye of faith in all the affairs of his life. And what stopped Joseph when his master's wife tempted him to sin? The fear of God, whom he saw by faith. 'How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?' Joseph said. He was saying, in effect: I am always in God's presence — how could I act so wickedly when God sees it? This is the condition of all true believers: faith makes the invisible God visible to them in a certain sense, so that a person of faith can say, 'God is present with me and protects me.' This reveals how little faith there is in the world — for few can truly say they see God, which is what faith enables a person to do. Most people care so little about seeing God that He is far from their very thoughts. Many have gone out of their way to consult with those who traffic in dark arts, seeking to see the devil. But where is the person who labors for such a measure of faith that he might see the invisible God? If wicked people run to occultists to see the devil — whom they will one day see to their everlasting sorrow — let us labor for faith through the word and sacraments. That faith will enable us to endure all tribulation as though we saw God Himself.

Furthermore, since Moses by faith endured as one who saw God, we learn that seeing God by faith removes fear and produces spiritual boldness. This is a lesson of great practical use. By nature people are fearful — some cannot stand the dark or be alone, for fear of the devil. Others are terrified by the rustling of a leaf or the crawl of a worm. This kind of fear may partly arise from a person's natural temperament, but it often comes from an accusing conscience — a fruit of sin. The remedy is found here: do as Moses did. Labor to be settled in the conviction of God's presence with you and His providence over you. This will arm you against all satanic and irrational fear. For if God is for us, who can be against us to do us any real harm? Consider also the soldier, who by his position and calling ought to be a man of courage — otherwise the nature of his life and the thought of his enemies will greatly terrify him. How can he become courageous? Drums and trumpets are used for this purpose, and it must be granted they are good incentives to battle — but when the moment of real danger comes, they cannot give a man heart. Others drink wine before battle and try to make themselves brave through strong drink. This may make them reckless and desperate, but not truly courageous. The true way is to become Christian soldiers — knowing and fearing God — and to bring along with their physical armor the shield of faith. Through faith their hearts can be assured that God has called them to that fight and is present with them to cover their heads in the day of battle. This will give them genuine courage and make them truly valiant — even if by nature they are weak and fearful.

Third, who knows whether God will bring us to a trial of this kind — either to lay down our lives or to abandon His truth? He may rightly take away these golden days of peace from us, in response to our ingratitude. If such times come upon us, what will we do? Will we deny the faith of Christ? God forbid. But how will we stand firm in such a trial? We must follow Moses and labor to see the invisible God by faith. This will make us courageous and fearless in God's cause. And we should remember that among those reckoned as going down to hell, 'the cowardly' are listed first (Revelation 21:8) — those who dare not stand for the truth of God but deny it out of fear of men. Let us therefore begin now to settle our hearts in the assurance of God's providence and protection, so that when the trial comes, we may be bold in God's cause.

'Him who is invisible' — that is, God, who is a perfectly simple being, without any mixture of parts or bodily substance. 'God is spirit' (John 4:24), and therefore invisible and not accessible to human senses. Some will say: God is described as having a head, heart, hands, feet, and other human body parts — does this not make Him visible? The answer is this: the Holy Spirit speaks this way in Scripture by comparing God to a human being, so that we can more easily grasp something of how He works. The body parts attributed to God in Scripture are used to help us understand that He does by His divine power what a human being does by the parts of his body. A person displays strength and valor in his arm. By analogy to a human being, God is said to have an arm — to indicate His power and mighty acts. Similarly, God is said to have eyes so that we understand He sees all things with infinite wisdom more clearly than a person sees anything in broad daylight with his physical eyes. And so with the rest.

But Moses is said to speak with God 'face to face' and to see God's 'back' (Exodus 33:11, 23). Does this not suggest he saw God's actual form? The answer is that this does not mean Moses saw God's essence or substance. It means only that God revealed Himself to Moses in an intimate, personal way and showed him something of His glory — as much as Moses was capable of beholding. The text itself is clear: 'You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live' (Exodus 33:20).

From this we learn that when we pray to God, we must not form any image or shape of Him in our minds — for in doing so we fashion an idol out of God. Question: What should we do instead? How can a person pray to God without thinking of Him? Answer: When we think of God or pray to Him, we must conceive of Him in our minds as He has revealed Himself in Scripture — that is, through His works and His attributes. We should think of an eternal being, perfectly holy and wise, who made all things and governs them by His mighty power. For any image that tries to represent God — whether to the mind or to the eye — is a plain lie: it makes visible the One who is invisible. As the prophet says, 'What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it? It is a teacher of lies' (Habakkuk 2:18). This directly overthrows the belief and practice of the Roman Church, which represents the true God — even God the Father and the Holy Trinity — in images. What else is this but making God out to be a lie?

But Catholics say they only use images in which God has shown Himself, as Scripture records — the Father appearing like an old man, the Son as He was incarnate, and the Holy Spirit like a dove (Matthew 3:16). The answer is this: those forms — an old man, a dove — were never meant to be images of the Father or the Holy Spirit. They were signs and tokens given for a particular moment in time, by which those persons of the Trinity made their presence known. Since there is an express commandment against all representation of God by images — with no exception even for those very forms God used temporarily to signify His presence — it is necessarily an act of idolatrous presumption to make any image of God or of the Trinity. And indeed, since God is invisible — as the text says — it is simply impossible to make any true image or likeness of Him.

Verse 28. By faith, he ordained the Passover, and the effusion of blood; lest he that destroyed the firstborn, should touch them.

In the previous verses, the author of this letter commended Moses's remarkable faith through two notable acts: First, his refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Second, his departing from Egypt. Now in this verse, he commends Moses's faith through a third act: the institution and celebration of the Passover. This verse summarizes Exodus 12. The account is this: after God had sent nine successive plagues upon Egypt — each of which gave Pharaoh occasion to harden his heart — He finally sent Moses to warn Pharaoh that unless he let the people go, a tenth plague would follow more terrible than all the rest: the death of every firstborn in Egypt, both human and animal. Yet Pharaoh's heart was not softened, and he did not let the people go. So Moses left him and, following God's command, gathered the elders of Israel together. He had them each slaughter a yearling lamb, roast and eat it, and take its blood and sprinkle it on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. This blood was a sign: the angel of the Lord, seeing the blood on the doors, would pass over them and spare every firstborn among them — both human and animal. That is the substance of the account. Now let us examine this act more carefully — beginning with the meaning of the words in this verse, since they contain some difficulty.

'Through faith he ordained the Passover.'

The Passover mentioned here may be described this way: it is one of the sacraments of the Old Testament, serving as a sign to the people of Israel both of their outward deliverance from the bondage of Egypt and from the death of the firstborn, and also of their spiritual deliverance from eternal death through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God.

Regarding this description: first, I call it one of the sacraments of the Old Testament because they had another ordinary sacrament as well — circumcision. Second, I say it served as a sign to the people of Israel, showing that it was properly a sacrament for them. It is part of the nature of a sacrament to signify and seal some blessing of God to His people. That the Passover did this is clear from the Lord calling it a 'sign' or 'token' of deliverance to them. Some will object that the Passover was a sacrifice — for it is called 'the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover,' and 'you shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread.' The answer is that it is called a sacrifice because the lamb was killed, its blood was sprinkled, and some of its parts — the fat and the two kidneys — were burned as a sacrifice to the Lord. When Josiah kept that famous Passover with all the people, the priests who slaughtered the Passover lambs and sprinkled the blood first removed the parts to be consumed in the fire, and then distributed the rest to the people according to their family groupings, as Moses had appointed. In view of these sacrificial elements, it is rightly called a sacrifice. And yet it was more properly a sacrament, because it was a visible sign of special blessings from the Lord.

But what did the sacrament of the Passover signify? It signified a twofold deliverance. The first was outward: deliverance from the destroying angel and from the bondage of Egypt. The second was spiritual: deliverance from the curse of the law and from the wrath of God. The first is plain from the Lord's words: 'The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you.' And in verse 17: 'You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt.' As for the second — that the Passover was also a sign of a greater, heavenly deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan — Paul makes this plain when he says, 'Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.' He is telling us that the Passover lamb of the Old Testament was without question a true sign pointing to the true Passover Lamb, Christ Jesus. And John the Baptist says the same: 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29). John calls Christ 'the Lamb of God,' drawing a contrast with the Passover lamb of Moses — which we might call the Passover lamb of men. They differ in this respect too: The Passover lamb was set apart by human hands, though by God's appointment. But Christ, the true Lamb of God, was set apart before all worlds by God the Father. And so we see briefly what this Passover is. The text continues.

'Ordained the Passover.' The word translated 'ordained' means 'he made' or 'he celebrated.' To understand it better, we should look at what the Gospels say. Matthew records Christ's words to His disciples about the Passover He kept with them just before His suffering: 'My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.' Luke, in relating the same account, mentions first the killing of the lamb and then the eating of it. By these two words he explains what Christ meant by 'making' (here translated 'ordaining') the Passover: that is, first the slaughtering and preparing of the Passover lamb, and then the eating of it as the Lord's sacrament. Some may find this a strange way of speaking. How can the Passover be killed or eaten? The Passover properly refers to the act of the angel passing over the houses of the Israelites when he struck the firstborn in the houses of the Egyptians. The answer is that the phrase is figurative — but this should not seem strange, because it is common in Scripture when speaking of the sacraments. Sometimes the name of the sign is given to the thing signified: as in 1 Corinthians 5:7, Christ is called our Passover. And on the other side, the name of the thing signified is given to the sign: as in this passage, 'he ordained the Passover,' meaning the Passover lamb, which was a sign of the angel's passing over their houses. Similarly: 'This is My body' — that is, a sign of My body. And 'The rock was Christ.' The reason for these figurative expressions — where one thing stands for another — is the sacramental union between the sign and the thing signified. This union is not a physical one in terms of location, nor does it involve the sign being changed into the thing signified, or the thing signified being contained in or attached to the sign. It is rather a relational and analogical union, based on the correspondence and proportion between sign and thing signified. This correspondence consists in the fact that when the outward sign is presented to the outward senses, the thing signified is at that very moment presented to the mind through it — as through visible words. Indeed, the same connection that exists between spoken words and the thing spoken of in the mind of the attentive listener exists between sacramental signs and the things they signify in the mind of a discerning recipient. When meaningful words are spoken to the ear, the attentive mind grasps the thing spoken of. In the same way, the mind of a discerning recipient inwardly grasps the thing signified and applies it to his soul when the sacramental sign is presented to his outward senses. This connection does not arise from the nature of either the sign or the thing signified — it arises from the Lord's institution. The meaning of the Holy Spirit here, then, is this: Moses by faith instituted and appointed the killing and eating of the Passover lamb, which was the sign of the Lord's angel passing over the houses when the firstborn of Egypt were struck down.

The text continues: 'And the effusion of blood' — that is, the sprinkling of the blood of the Passover lamb. This was a prominent rite used in this first Passover. The blood of each lamb was put into a basin and then applied with a bunch of hyssop to the doorposts of every Jewish household. This rite, however, did not continue permanently. It was specific to this first Passover kept in Egypt at its institution. It was practiced then — but not afterward — in light of the particular deliverance then at hand, of which it was an assurance. It signified to them that the angel of the Lord, coming to destroy the firstborn of Egypt, would see the blood sprinkled on their doors and pass over their houses, leaving every firstborn among them — both human and animal — untouched. This purpose of the blood-sprinkling is stated plainly in the words that follow: 'Lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.' 'He' refers to the angel of the Lord, who was sent to strike down the firstborn throughout all Egypt — of both people and animals — except in the houses whose doorposts were sprinkled with blood. That is enough on the meaning of the words.

First, notice what the Holy Spirit says about Moses's act of instituting the Passover: 'he did it by faith.' From this we learn that the sacraments of the New Testament must be celebrated in faith — for in this we seek to be acceptable to God as Moses was. The Lord's Supper in the New Testament succeeds the Passover in the Old. The Passover was a sign to the Jews that Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, would afterward be sacrificed for their sins. The Lord's Supper is a sign to us of Christ already sacrificed. Just as the Passover was instituted and received under the law, so the Lord's Supper must be administered and received under the gospel. In the Old Testament, Moses celebrates the Passover through faith and requires the Israelites to do the same. We must therefore receive the Lord's Supper through faith in the same way. Cain's sacrifice was fruitless to him and offensive to God because he did not offer it in faith — and every other faithless sacrifice was the same. In the same way, every sacrament and spiritual sacrifice received or offered under the gospel is unprofitable to people and unacceptable to God if it is not received in faith. In every sacrament we receive something from God; in every sacrifice we give something to God. In the Lord's Supper, just as the minister places the bread and wine into the hands of the recipient, so the Lord God gives His Son into their hearts. If faith is absent, Christ crucified is not received. Faith is the hand of the soul, without which there is no receiving of Christ and His benefits — and instead there is the fearful sin of heaping up God's wrath against oneself. From this we learn how several kinds of people sin gravely against God. Many who come to receive the Lord's Supper are entirely ignorant of its nature and meaning — they have no idea what the sacrament means. Yet because it is a custom in the church, they receive it at least once a year, knowing nothing of what they should know. Such people must understand that they are required to come in faith — something they cannot do because they lack knowledge. In receiving the sacrament without that knowledge, they commit a serious sin and endanger their own souls by receiving it unworthily. This is not only the fault of the young. Many whose age should make them ashamed of such ignorance are too far gone in spiritual insensitivity to feel it. A second kind of person receives the Lord's Supper and says they are doing so because they have 'faith.' But these are no better than the first kind. Their 'faith' is nothing but honest dealing with other people — they think that if they bring that to the Lord's Supper, however little else they may have, all is well. The majority of people think this way, confusing faithfulness in human dealings with true saving faith. This is a plainly Catholic error, yet it is so widespread that nearly everywhere people embrace it. But such people deceive themselves. Those who receive the Lord's Supper worthily must have a different kind of faith — one by which we not only believe in the forgiveness of sins through Christ's blood, but are also assured that the bread and wine received worthily are signs and seals of that same blessing, offered to us by Christ. Whoever comes with nothing but a good intention deceives himself and receives to his condemnation. And yet sadly, many even among the more mature have no other faith than this good intention.

A third kind of person goes further. Knowing the emptiness of the idea that honest dealings with people constitutes faith before God, they understand and hold that true faith means believing in one's own salvation through the blood of Christ. These are to be commended above the previous groups. But here they fail: when they come to receive, they do not bring with them a living faith. It is not enough for a communicant to profess the faith of Christ correctly. A worthy recipient must also examine his own heart to ensure that his faith is a living faith — one that works through love and shows itself in obedience. Here many who have good knowledge fall into serious sin. However well they present themselves on Communion day — however orderly and devout their manner — when that time passes they return to their former sins, never otherwise caring (or even making any show of caring) about putting away sin, except at the Lord's Supper. Too many who make a fine profession of faith do this. These people bring faith in profession, but their faith is dead. For if it were a living faith, it would purify their hearts and bring about change in them — from evil to good, and from good to better, more and more every day. Blessed be God, by whose mercy there are some in His church who come with such a faith and receive worthily — acceptably to God and fruitfully for themselves. Yet we must confess they are few in comparison. As for all three of the other kinds of people described — they sin gravely, because they do not bring the hand of living faith to receive what God offers them. From Moses's example, we are instructed to celebrate and receive the Lord's Supper as he did — in faith. Not in an idle or dead faith, but in a living faith that brings forth good fruit both before and after receiving the sacrament, reforming our lives in continual obedience — for God's glory and our own comfort and salvation in Christ.

Second, observe further: 'Moses ordained and made the Passover.' We should not think that Moses personally slaughtered every lamb that was killed at this Passover. In his own household he killed his own lamb and commanded the people, on God's behalf, to do the same in theirs. This kind of expression is common in Scripture. In Joshua 5:3, Joshua is said 'to circumcise the sons of Israel' — something nearly impossible for one man to do personally. What it means is that Joshua commanded and arranged for all the people to be circumcised and oversaw that it was done. We must understand this passage in the same way.

In Moses's celebrating the Passover in this way, we are taught that governors and superiors in their stations must ensure that those under their authority keep God's commandments — especially those relating to God's worship. The Lord's commandment given through Moses is that 'the king shall write for himself a copy of this law' so that 'he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law.' But how is the king to observe all the words of the law? Many commandments do not concern him personally but rather his subjects and those in other positions. The answer is this: he must personally obey the commandments that apply to him in his station, and then ensure that his subjects and servants likewise fulfill the duties that apply to them — toward both God and people. This is a foundational point for all magistrates and authorities. As Paul says in Romans 13:4, 'The magistrate does not bear the sword for nothing, but for the good of God's people' — not only for their physical wellbeing but chiefly for the good of their souls. Therefore every governor — of a town or a kingdom — and every head of a household, within the scope of his calling, is to see that those under him keep God's commandments, especially those concerning God's worship. When a magistrate does this, the credit for the whole is given to him. This is why the slaughter of the Passover lambs is ascribed to Moses — because he saw to it that the people did it. Conversely, if a magistrate neglects this duty, he becomes the greatest sinner of all — because the sins committed through his negligence are charged to him. When Nehemiah rebuked the rulers, he told them they had profaned the Lord's Sabbaths (Nehemiah 13:17-18) — even though not only they but the people had done so. He charged the people's sin to the rulers because it arose from their negligence. Similarly, if any sin is committed in a household through the failure of the head of that household, it is not only the particular offender's sin but the governor's sin as well. And so when any person breaks the Sabbath, that sin belongs not only to that individual but to the governors to whom he is subject. Governors must therefore see to it that God's commandments are kept by those under their authority. Some may object here — and some actually use this passage to argue — that no one should be excluded from the Lord's Supper. The reasoning goes: the same principle applies to the Lord's Supper as to the Passover; Moses kept the Passover and commanded all the people of Israel to do the same; therefore no one should be turned away from God's table. The answer is this: it is true that in Egypt at the first Passover, Moses kept it himself and commanded every head of a household among the Israelites to do the same. The reason was that at its first institution, the Passover served as both a sign and a means of outward deliverance, in addition to its spiritual significance. There was therefore good reason at that time for all the Israelites to eat the Passover and none to be excluded — because all of them were to escape the temporal punishment God was about to inflict on the Egyptians. But afterward the Lord made a law that anyone who was ceremonially unclean was not permitted to eat the Passover — he had to wait until the following month and come then. Only the clean were to eat it. God Himself, then, excluded certain people from that sacrament. This makes plain that, far from supporting indiscriminate admission to communion, the Passover actually demonstrates that a distinction must be made and the unworthy must be kept from the Lord's Table. Those who are properly prepared are to be welcomed. But notorious offenders who are morally and spiritually unclean are to be turned away until they have demonstrated their repentance and worthiness.

Third, let us consider the significance of the Passover. The Passover lamb was a sign of Christ, the true Lamb of God, and it foreshadowed several things worth noting. First, the lamb: the Passover had to be a yearling lamb without spot or blemish. This pointed to Christ as 'a lamb unblemished and spotless,' as Peter calls Him (1 Peter 1:19). Second, when the Passover lamb was killed and eaten, not a bone of it was to be broken — as commanded in Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. This signified that when Christ was crucified, not a bone of His would be broken — as John applies those earlier texts in John 19:36. Third, the Passover lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs (Exodus 12:8). This signified that no one can truly taste the sweetness of Christ's blood until his heart is filled with bitterness over his sins — until, like Hannah, he is so deeply troubled in spirit that he pours out his soul before the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15). The absence of this bitterness is the reason so many hear God's word and receive the sacraments yet receive no benefit from them. Fourth, before the Passover lamb was eaten, all leaven had to be removed from their houses. This had a pointed significance — one we need not guess at, since the Holy Spirit has told us plainly. It signifies that we must remove all 'old leaven of corrupt doctrine' (Matthew 16:12) from our hearts and the 'leaven of malice and wickedness' from our lives, if we profess communion with Christ. This is worth taking to heart. Unless we do this, we will receive no benefit from Christ's sacrifice. If we continue to live in this old leaven, we can never expect to receive Christ Jesus into our hearts. Finally, everyone ate the first Passover in haste, with sandals on their feet, staffs in their hands, and their cloaks tucked up (Exodus 12:11). This applied only to the first Passover in Egypt, however — for Christ ate the Passover reclining. This ceremony at the first Passover signified that if we want to receive benefit from Christ, we must be ready always to leave this world and prepared to go wherever and whenever God calls us. We must not have our hearts attached to earthly things but always ready to receive God's command and go at His call. These are the meanings of the Passover — meanings we must remember and put to use in the course of our lives. That is enough on the first part of Moses's act of faith in instituting the Passover.

The second part of this act is this: 'And the effusion of blood' — that is, the sprinkling of the lamb's blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. This was a token to the Israelites that the destroying angel would not strike the firstborn among them, whether human or animal. By human reasoning, this might seem a weak and simple means. Yet God ordains it to preserve all the firstborn of Israel. This is how the Lord often works — using weak means so that His people are brought to acknowledge Him alone as their protector and defender. When the Israelites were bitten by serpents, any human mind would have thought the best remedy was skilled physicians. But God ordained only a bronze serpent lifted up, which they were to look at and be healed. It was a feeble means — and yet the Lord used it, because He wanted them to give all the glory to Him alone and not attribute it to themselves or to the means.

Further, the sprinkling of the blood on the doorposts and lintels had a profound significance: it pointed to the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon the doors of our hearts. Peter alludes to this in 1 Peter 1:2: 'according to the foreknowledge of God the Father... that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.' And David, when he says 'Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean' (Psalm 51:7), clearly understood that the blood of animals could not take away sin. Without question, his saving faith was looking through these ceremonial terms to the blood of the Messiah. From this we learn: just as the Israelites with their physical hands sprinkled the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts and lintels, so by the hand of faith each of us must sprinkle the blood of Christ upon our own hearts. We do this not merely by believing in general that Christ is a Savior and Redeemer, but by believing specifically that He is our Redeemer — that the merit of His death and the benefit of His blood belong to us personally.

Objection: Some will say, 'If that is what is required, then all is well — for I do believe this.' Answer: A great many people deceive themselves in exactly this way, thinking they have faith when in fact they have none. Look at their lives and examine their hearts through their conduct, and it will quickly become clear that all they have is ignorance, spiritual carelessness, and presumption in sin. Such people are deceiving their own souls. For this sprinkling of blood is followed by sanctification and a rising from dead works to newness of life. Those who continue to live in sin and yet claim to have faith are deceiving themselves. For if a person's heart is truly sprinkled with the blood of Christ through faith, it will transform his life and conscience and make him a new creation. Christ's blood is a cleansing and purifying blood — wherever it is truly sprinkled, it certainly cleanses (Hebrews 9:14). That is enough on this ceremony of sprinkling.

The purpose of both these actions is stated in the words that follow: 'Lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.' First, 'the destroyer' refers to the angel of God (as the account in Exodus 12:19 shows). At midnight this angel struck down every firstborn in Egypt, both human and animal. We may pause here to take note of the wonderful power and swiftness of God's angels in doing His will — that in a single night, at midnight, one angel could pass through all the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals in every Egyptian household. We see the same power in the destruction of Sennacherib's army by a single angel in a single night.

'The firstborn' — both of people and animals, as the account in Exodus 12:29 confirms. This raises a fair question: how could the Passover be a sacrament if even the animals of the Israelites benefited from it — for their firstborn animals were spared because of the blood sprinkling? The answer is that this does not prevent it from being a sacrament. We must consider the Passover in two ways. First, as a means of outward deliverance — and in that respect the animals did benefit from it. Second, as a sign and seal of our spiritual deliverance from hell through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ — and in that respect it is a sacrament for human salvation, a sacrament from which the animals received no benefit. The same principle applies to the water that flowed from the rock in the wilderness. That water was a sacrament, and the animals drank it. But they did not partake of the Lord's sacrament. We must consider that water in two ways: first, as a means of quenching thirst and sustaining life — and in that respect the animals benefited. But consider it as a sign and seal of the water of life, and only the believing people — not the animals — had any part in it.

The text continues: 'Should touch them.' Here is the purpose of both actions: that the angel might not harm the Israelites but pass over their houses. Here we should note something important concerning Christ, the true Passover: those whose hearts are sprinkled with His blood will be preserved from eternal damnation. And not only that — they will also be shielded from all outward judgments in this life, to the extent that those judgments are curses and harmful to them. We see this before the destruction of Jerusalem: the angel of God went through the city 'with a writer's inkhorn to put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.' And David says the righteous man stands on a rock, so that the floods of many waters will not reach him. This is a point of great practical importance. It should move all who have been careless in religion to become earnest and eager to have their hearts washed in the blood of Christ. And those who already have some concern for this must take even greater care — for they have security from both outward and eternal judgment.

Objection: But many of God's dear children are swept away in common judgments. Answer: True — yet they are never truly harmed by it. The judgment and affliction is sanctified to them because their hearts are sprinkled with the blood of Christ. And as for those whom God in His wisdom knows it is good to preserve, He delivers them from general judgments and keeps them for His glory and for the benefit of His church.

But how did the angel destroy the firstborn in Egypt, both people and animals? By taking their physical lives — by killing their bodies. That is the sense and plain meaning of the Holy Spirit here, and the word in the original confirms it. Some misuse this passage and others like it to argue against the ancient church practice of excommunication. They say that the primary basis for excommunication is Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 5, where he commands that the immoral man 'be delivered to Satan for the destruction of his flesh.' Those who deny excommunication want to interpret Paul's words by this passage, since the same word is used. They therefore argue that Paul must mean the physical destruction of the immoral man's body — the taking of his temporal life. If that interpretation were correct, it would entirely undermine excommunication — for if nothing more than bodily punishment is meant, excommunication cannot be derived from the text. But the truth is that the censure Paul urges there cannot refer to physical punishment. Here is the proof. In that passage Paul contrasts 'flesh' and 'spirit.' When Paul makes this contrast, 'flesh' regularly means the corruption of the whole person, and 'spirit' means the grace of God in the person. His plain meaning, therefore, is this: 'Let him be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh' — that is, for the destruction of his natural corruption and the body of sin.

Furthermore, where the text says 'the firstborn,' this means the firstborn among the Egyptians — both human and animal. And where it says 'should touch them,' it means the Israelites, who were untouched in this destruction.

From this we learn two further points. First, the firstborn of Egypt are destroyed — both human and animal. This is striking: the Egyptians had earlier destroyed the children of the Israelites — especially their firstborn sons, slaying all the male infants to prevent Israel from growing strong in their land. And now it comes about that the Egyptians' own children — the most honored of all, their firstborn — are slain for the Israelites' sake, while the Israelites are preserved. Here we see a most just and characteristic pattern in God's judgments. He often punishes the wicked in kind — repaying them with their own sins. This is true even in the case of the godly, to the extent that they have sinned. The same wrong David did to Uriah was done to him by his own son Absalom (2 Samuel 12:10-11; 16:22). And our Savior Christ teaches us this principle: 'Do not judge, so that you will not be judged' (Matthew 7:1). Experience confirms this as well: those who habitually slander, rail at, and speak ill of others find that, by God's just judgment, the same is most often done to them. People are frequently punished through their own sins. God has an inexhaustible storehouse of judgments and can punish people in whatever way He chooses. But He often follows this pattern: He punishes people through their own sins and catches the wicked in their own schemes.

This should move us to examine ourselves and guard carefully against all sins of the second table. In whatever sin you take pleasure — to God's dishonor — in that very thing you will feel and see God's judgment upon you, for your correction and shame. Psalm 109:17: 'As he loved cursing, so it shall come to him; and as he did not delight in blessing, so it shall be far from him.' Adoni-bezek felt and confessed this when his thumbs were cut off: 'As I have done, so God has repaid me' (Judges 1:6-7).

Finally, note a striking feature of God's judgment in the destroying of Egypt's firstborn. King Pharaoh and his people sinned by refusing to release the Israelites. But the punishment for their sin fell upon their children and their cattle. We see a similar pattern in 2 Samuel 12:14: when David committed those grave sins of adultery and murder, part of his punishment was the death of his child. When he numbered the people, the plague fell on them (2 Samuel 24). We should not pry too deeply into the reason for this pattern in God's judgments — He is not obligated to give an account of His actions. Yet even in human terms we can see the fairness of it. Kingdoms, communities, towns, and families must be thought of as bodies. Every society is a body, and the individuals in it are members of that body. What happens in the physical body is a picture of what happens in a civil or political body. Often in the physical body, when the stomach is sick the head aches; when the brain is injured the heart aches; when the foot is hurt the head aches; and an offense of the tongue may be punished with stripes on the back. In the same way in civil societies, the ruler sins and the people are punished, or the people sin and the ruler is punished. This is no injustice on God's part. Since ruler and people form one body — and so do parents and children — God may rightly lay upon any member the outward punishment for sin committed by another. And that is enough on this example, and on the faith of Moses considered on its own.