Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And so it is the common style of the holy scripture to name the faithful meek ones;¹ & specially we see it is as rife a thing as can be in the Psalms. But forasmuch as he saith, to his meek one; it may be taken for the man of thy mercy; that is to say, for the man whom thou Lord hast elected and chosen through thy goodness. For Aaron attained not to the dignity of the priesthood by his own deserts; but because God vouchsafed to choose him. Now then the name that is attributed to him here, may be taken as if a man should say in the passive signification, that God vouchsafed to make him a mirror of his free election; yea and that having so chosen him & exalted him to so high and excellent honour, he would have him to show that we depend wholly upon his goodness, so that of all the things which we have, none proceedeth of our own power or virtue, but of his pitying of us, for that he is minded to show his gracious goodness towards us. But howsoever the case stand, Moses meant to declare here, that the tribe of Levi should always serve God with the dignity of priesthood, and that the high priest should be clothed with the ornaments that were given him to go into the sanctuary. And in that case he was not as a mortal man, nor as one of the degree of creatures: but as the mediator between God and men, whereby he surmounteth the very Angels of Heaven. For the priest of the law was in his office more excellent than all the Angels of heaven. And why? Because he was to represent the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Angels as well as of men, and hath sovereign dominion over all principality, not only on earth, but also in heaven. Ye see then how the meaning of Moses is, that the priesthood should be in the tribe of Levi.

And so it is the common style of the holy scripture to name the faithfull meekes ones;¹ & specially we see it is as rife a thing as can be in the Psalmes. But forasmuch as he sayth, to his meeke one; it may be taken for the man of thy mercie; that is to say, for the man whom thou Lord hast elected and chosen through thy goodnes. For Aaron attayned not to the dignitie of ye priesthood by his owne desertes; but because God vouchsafed to choose him. Now then the name that is attributed to him here, may be taken as if a man should say in the passiue signification, that God vouchsafed to make him a mirrour of his free election; yea and that hauing so chosen him & exalted him to so high and excellent honour, he would haue him to shewe that wee depende wholly vppon his goodnes, so that of al ye things which we haue, none proceedeth of our owne power or vertue, but of his pitying of vs, for that he is mynded to shewe his gracious goodnes towards vs. But howsoeuer the case stand, Moses ment to declare here, that the trybe of Leuye should alwayes serue God with the dignitie of priesthood, and that the high priest should bee clothed with the ornamentes that were giuen him to goe into the sanctuarie. And in that case hee was not as a mortall man, nor as one of the degree of creatures: but as the mediatour betweene God and men, whereby he surmounteth the very Angels of Heauen. For the priest of the lawe was in his office more excellent than all the Angels of heauen. And why? Because he was to represent the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ, who is the head of the Angels as well as of men, and hath soueraigne dominion ouer all principalitie, not only on earth, but also in heauen. Yee see then how the meaning of Moses is, that the priesthood should be in the trybe of Leuy.