An exposition of the lawes of Moses: Viz. Morall. Ceremoniall. Iudiciall. The second volume. Containing an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof. Wherein also are opened divers ancient rites & customes of the Iewes, and also of the Gentiles, as they haue relation to the Iewish. Together with an explication of sundry difficult texts of Scripture, which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the Commandements, as also upon the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes. Which texts are set downe in the tables before each particular booke. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, the Hebrew and Greeke, and out of the distinctions of the schoolemen and cases of the casuists. / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods Word.

Commandement. VIII. EXERCITAT. XXXI. Of devouring of holy things. A ceremoniall appendix of Command. 8.

Prov. 20.25. It is a snare for a man to devour that which is holy, and after Vowes to make inquiry,

IT is a snare for a man to devour holy things; a snare is set as a trape to catch, Ier. 5.26. When the fowler lay∣eth his snare, he scattereth some Corne about it to draw the Birds to it; then the snare catcheth the Birds, and lastly the fowler destroyeth them, when Sacrilegious men meddle with holy things to devour them, they see some hope of gaine there which allureth them, but there is a snare laid secretly to catch them, and then the Lord who taketh them, justly destroyeth them for meddling with holy things.

There was never one that medled with those holy things, to devour them, or turne them to their owne private use and commodity, but it was a snare to him: Iehoiakim tooke the Cedar out of the house of God, and seiled his owne Windowes with it, and painted it with Vermilion that it should not be knowne to be the seiling of the house of God, but see what judgements befell to him, quia commiscuit se cum ista cedr••, because he meddled with that Cedar, & turned it to his owne use, the Lord saith, They shall not lament for him, he shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse, drawne

and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem, Iere. 22.19. And see what judgements befell to Nebuchadnezzer because he robbed the Temple? and to Belshazzer be∣caused hee dranke in the Vessels of the House of the Lord? And what befell Sbishak King of Egypt, and to Crassus for robbing of the Temple of the Lord? All these doe let us see what a snare it is to devour holy things. Abimelech when he burnt the house of Baal Be∣rith the Idol, his snare catched him quickely, because he medled with the house of Baal which he tooke to be a god, hee was killed by a Woman with a piece of a Milstone, Iudg 9.53. How dangerous a thing is it then to rob the house of the living God? Dionysius, the Ty∣rant, after he had robbed the Temple of Apollo, and fin∣ding a good goale of wind, as he returned home, he jestingly said, O how doth sacrilege please the Gods! But here the Lord saith, It is a snare to devour that which is holy. When the Heathen were sacrificing, [Simile.] there came an Eagle to the Altar and caught a peece of the sacrifice from it, but a coale did cleave to the flesh, which she carrying into her nest, burnt her nest, her yong ones, and she hardly escaped her selfe; it is easie for any to apply this, who is not a mocker as Dionysius was.

So it was a snare to the sonnes of Eli, to take that part of the Sacrifice which belonged not to them; so it was a snare to those in the dayes of Malachy, Who with-held the tithes from the house of God, and so to the Priests who changed and alienated their Portions, Ezek. 48.14. And so to those who delayed to pay their vowes.

So the Hebrewes say, that to transgresse in the holy things, is sacriledge, as if they did eate the tithe of their Corne and Wine within their owne gates, Deu. 12, 17. So if they did worke with their first borne bullocke, or sheare their first borne sheepe, Deut. 15.29. All these

were devourers of holy things, and the Prophet allu∣deth to this, [Allusion.] Iere. 2.3. Israel was holinesse to the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase, all that devour him shal offend, evill shall come upon them, saith the Lord. The Hebrewes say that tithes are the hedge of a mans riches, and they say gnashar with the point in cornu dextro signifieth dite∣scere, to grow rich and in sinistro, decimas pendere, to pay the tithes, haec duo vno puncto dirimuntur.

To devour holy things, avaritious and greedy men, are like the horse leech, who hath two Daughters which cry continually, give, give, but most of all they are desirous to devour holy things, and to eat of the for∣bidden tree, the Iewes say that every Child in Israel knew his owne portion, there were somethings where∣of both the Priest, his sonnes and daughters might eate, as the wave breast, and heave shoulder. Levit. 10.14. There were other things which the Priest and his sons might eate of, but not his daughters, As the sinne offe∣ring, whereof none of the blood came within the Tabernacle of the Congregation to reconcile with all, Levit. 6.28. and there were other things which the Priest might eate, but neither his sonne nor his daughter might eate of them, as the meat offering that remained of the offering of the Lord, made by fire, Levit. 10.12. for it was eaten be∣side the Altar. When men become vnsatiable, and lust as the Israelites did at the graves of concupiscence, then nothing will content them untill they have Gods por∣tion also; when the father and the mother came before the Iudges in Israel, [Simile.] and complained that their son was [Zolel] a vile person, a drunkard, and a glutton, Dut. 21.20. Then the Iudges ordained that he should be stoned to death; but when God the Father and the Church their Mother, doe complaine of those devourers of holy things, what fearefull Iudgements must they un∣dergoe?

And after Vowes to make inquiry, that is, after that thou hast vowed a Vow to seeke how thou mayest illude or disanull it: the Iewes said of old, that vowes were the hedge of the first fruites, and tithes the hedge of their riches; they said that vowes were the hedge of the first fruites, because when a man had vowed, his vow would bind him to performe it, but these thought not that their vow was such a hedge, when they sought to disannull it.

When they vowed of old, they said after this maner, my estimation be upon me fifty Shekels, or the esti∣mation of this man, be upon ine fifty shekels, this was the forme of their vow: according to this David saith, My Vowes are upon me, Psal. 56.12. then they were bound to pay their vowes, and if they refused to pay, then they might take a pawne or pledge of them, and force them to pay them as just debt, and this was called the money of the soules estimation. 2 King. 12.4. When they said, the estimation of this man be upon me, they meant, I am willing to pay that, which such a man may be valued at; therefore when they made such a vow, they might not enquire after it.

Thus God would not suffer his name to be abused. Eccles. 5.2, 4, 5, Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in Heaven, and thou upon Earth, therefore let thy words be few. When thou vowest a vow unto God, deserre not to pay it, for hee hath no pleasure in fooles; pay that which thou owest; better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow, and not pay. And if so bee, that the Lord will have a man that hath but given his word for his neighbour, not to give sleepe to his eyes, nor slumber to his eye Lids, untill he have delivered him∣selfe, As the Roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler, Prov. 6, 1, 2, 3.4. Much more

when he hath bound his soule with a bond, Num. 30.4.5. will he have him to performe his vowes, and not to enquire after them.

Notes

• Sacriledge compared to a snare.
• The judgements of God upon those who have devoured holy things.
• What it is to transgresse in holy things.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ditescere, cum puncto in dextro, et 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 decimare, cum puncto in sinistro cornu.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vrbis.
• The forme of the Iewes vow of old.
• They might force them to pay their vowes.
• Better not to vow, than to vow and not per∣forme.