And I raysed vp of your Sonnes for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not euen thus O ye children of Is∣rael, saith the Lord?
* 1.1THe fourth benefite of God towards the Israelites, whereby God doth amplyfie his goodnes towards them. For he sheweth that he gaue vnto them not onely earthly benefites (as were victories, dwellings, riches, and such like before rehearsed) but also heauenly giftes, and such as made for the health of their soules, namely the true doctrine of his worship and of euerlasting saluation, and the vse thereof, and that most plentifully, whilest that among them, and out of themselues he rayseth vp Prophets and Nazarites. This is a singular benefite of GOD, and peculiarly reserued for the sonnes of GOD, and not giuen indifferently vnto them and the Infidels: the which notwithstanding the Israelites despised as they did the former, and as the verse following dooth declare. And by these two effects is noted not some cōmon declaring of the health∣full and heauenly doctrine: but a most excellent, and also extraor∣dinary, such as was done by the Prophets: nay moreouer the pra∣ctise, vse, and effect thereof was also shewed by God vnto them, such as was the vow of the Nazarites, taken vpon them by many of their children, so that God promiseth no singular and especiall thing vnto his: the worship and doctrine of God hath nothing pe∣culiar and proper, the which God hath not clearely bestowed vp∣on these Israelites. The which thing to be most true, the interroga∣tion or asking of a question following doth teach, Is not this true? and also these wordes (saith the Lord) which two things are added, that the consciences of these men, albeit neuer so stubborne and brutish in the acknowledging of God his benefites might be tou∣ched most sharply, and that the confession of the trueth to the iusti∣fying of GOD might bee wrested from them in spite of theyr teeth.