In the first place whereof I range the Church of Rome For as it abridgeth the authority of Magistrates so it crosseth the authority of parents ouer their children It is notoriously knowne to the whole world how the Romane Antichrist that proud beast that sitteth vppon the seuen hils 〈◊〉 cardin 〈◊〉 vit Henr. 4. hath stirred vp the children against their parents and prouoked them partly by promises and partly by threatnings to depriue them of their dominions and liues by force of armes by which meanes bloodie warres haue bene raised and waged betweene the father and the sonne Thus they put asunder those whom God and nature hath ioyned together In like manner vnder the vizard pretence of Religion they not onely allow but exhort and entice and receiue into theyr Monkish Orders yong men at fourteen years and yong women at twelue without consent of their parents But in this place God putteth power and authority into the parents hands to disanull the vow which the daughter maketh being in her fathers house which ordinance is grounded vpon the morall Law which commandeth children to honour and obey their parents and the Apostle Paul referreth the whole matter of keeping the daughter a virgin or the bestowing of her in marriage to the will and determination of the father 1 Cor. 7 36 37. Moreouer hath not the father as great power ouer his sonne as the master hath ouer his seruant But it is not lawfull for the seruant to take vpon him the profession of Monkery without the consent of his master and therefore the childe may not do the same The answer of Bellarmine is nothing to the purpose that children are not in like subiection to their parents as seruants are to their masters but haue more power ouer themselues then seruants haue because howsoeuer Children are not in such seruile condition as seruants which is not the question it being out of question yet parents haue as great power ouer the persons of their children being within age as ouer seruants and the law of nature which bindeth sonnes is stronger then the law of men which maketh seruants and parents haue greater power ouer their own flesh then ouer strangers Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth that it belongeth as a special duty to children by all meanes to honor their parents to which they are bound with the strongest bands and this yeelding of honor vnto them consisteth in many particulars For we must be subiect vnto them Reuerence required toward parents and giue them reuerence obedience and maintenance First wee ought all the dayes of our liues to esteeme reuerently of them as also of their wise deuices of their holy counsels of their carefull instructions And this we ought to expresse in gesture in speech and in outward carriage not so much for feare of correction or looking for benefit from them but for conscience sake lest by the contrary we draw the curse of God vpon vs Prou. 30 17. Woe therefore vnto those vngodly and vngracious children that do not esteeme their parents according to the high place wherein God hath seated them ouer them that doe despise them because of some infirmities of age of nature or otherwise and therefore mocke and scoffe at them Prou. 30 11. Gen. 9 22. The second duty is obedience to their lawful commandements in performing of their will howsoeuer sometimes they may seem vnpleasant and vnpleasing vnto them Mat. 21. Col. 3 20. Iere. 35 Deuter. 21 18 19. Thus doth Iacob rest in the counsell of Rebecca his mother and yeeldeth to her wholsome admonition Genes 27 14. And this is one of the cheefe vertues that can be found among them and therefore Paul expoundeth Honor by Obedience Colos 3 20. Obedience required tovvard parents Eph. 6 1. Thus they ought to submit and subiect themselues to their godly gouernment religious discipline And as this ought to bee yeelded to them in all things so it should bee obserued in choosing their trade and order of life and taking vpon them a speciall calling to be ready to be directed by them what by their graue censure wisedome iudgement foresight they thinke fittest for them Prouer. 29 15 15 5 especially in the greatest matter of al that doth most neerely concern them I meane their marriage when they shall begin to thinke of seeking a companion to liue with them in that estate Thus all faithfull children were content to submit themselues to their parents and to be ordered by them and neuer attempt to bestow themselues in marriage without their parents knowledge Genes 24 3. So did Iacob at the commandement of his father and the aduice of his mother and by consent of them both Genes 27 46. and 28 1. This was obserued of those that otherwise led no sanctified life Genesis 21 21 yea of the very heathen themselues I wil produce one testimony among many others and that is of king Cyrus after hee had conquered Babylon and come home in triumph his vnckle Cyaraxis offered him his daughter vnto wife he thanked his vnckle and praysed the maide and liked the dowry but for giuing consent to mariage he made him this answer which I would it were obserued and followed of all Christians O Cyaraxe Xenoph. Cyrop lib. 8. tò te genos Epainô kai tén paida kai dôra boulomai de ephê sun tê toû patros gnómê kai tes metros tanta sunainesai which is englished in this manner Vncle Cyaraxis I commend the stocke the maide and the portion howbeit sayth hee by the counsell of my father and mother I wil assent vnto you as if hee had saide without their aduice I can do nothing All histories Philosophers Terent in phormion and Poets in a manner are full of the practise of this duty And no maruell for this is agreeable to the common principle in nature Whatsoeuer yee would that other men should do vnto you do ye euen so to them Math. 7 12. Sampson saw a maide in Timnah that liked him well notwithstanding hee spake not one word to her but came backe to his parents desired them to make the marriage for him They were the first whom he acquainted with his purpose not as in our daies wherein commonly the parents are the last Iudges 14 2. Get her to me for she pleaseth me well For seeing parents haue taken great paines and bestowed great cost in bringing vp their children it is reason they should reape some fruites of their labour and trauaile in the bestowing of them in mariage and thereby be acknowledged more wise and better able to prouide and foresee for them then themselues This iustly reprooueth many children in our dayes that neuer regard this duty and condemneth the common practise of our corrupt age so much degenerated and growne out of course that they neuer require nor regard the consent of their parents in their matches and marriages but make their choice after the lust of
alledged to this purpose but these are more then sufficient to shew that whensoeuer God hath a mouth to open and a tongue to speake and a voice to vtter vnto vs wee should prepare and make readie an eare to heare and an hearr to obey whatsoeuer is enioyned vnto vs and required of vs. The Reasons are many to enforce vs to Reason 1 yeelde heereunto For first of all GOD hath all authoritie in his owne power hee is our Creator and wee are his creatures he is our Sheepeheard and we the Sheepe of his pasture he is our Father wee his Children hee is our Maister wee his Seruants hee is our King we his Subiects he is as the Potter we as the clay Is not the creature bound to obey the Creator Is not the child to shew al duty to his father Is not the seruant to stoope downe to his Maister And doth not the subiect owe honour and homage to his Prince The Scripture sheweth and nature teacheth that they do This is it which the Prophet Malachi declareth chap. 1. ver 6. A sonne honoureth his Father and a seruant his Master if then I be a Father where is mine honour And if I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lorde of hostes c. These titles of honour giuen to God and these titles of subiection ascribed to our selues do serue as so many bands Obligatorie to perswade vs and draw vs to obedience Reason 2 Secondly obedience is so valued and set at such an high price that it is better woorth then all sacrifices that can be offered and on the other side the Lorde abhorreth and detesteth disobedience and rebellion against him as the sinne of witchcraft True it is God allowed and commanded sacrifices he greatly abhorreth sorcery yet he preferreth obedience before the one and hateth disobedience as the other This Samuel teacheth Saul when he reproueth him to his face 1 Sa. 15 22 23 Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed Behold to obey is better then sacrifice to hearken is better then the fat of Rams for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and transgression is wickednes and idolatry because thou hast cast away the word of the Lord therefore he hath cast away thee from being King This reason is thus framed If obedience bee better then sacrifice then it is due to God and with all care to be performed to him But it is better then sacrifice therefore it is due to God Againe if GOD hate nothing more then the disobedience of his commandements then is disobedience to be auoided But he hateth nothing more inasmuch as hee esteemeth it no better then witchcraft or idolatry therefore it is to be auoided Reason 3 Thirdly such as are disobedient are sure to be punished Obedience hath a promise of blessing annexed vnto it and a recompence of reward depending vpon it as appeareth Exod 19.5 6. Deut. 28 1 2 3 4 c. Exod. 2.14 If ye will heare my voice indeed and keepe my couenant then ye shal be my ch efe treasure aboue all people thogh all the earth be mine On the other side God abhorreth disobedience to his will and commandements as a Prince hateth rebellion raised against him which he will not leaue vnpunished So doth God esteeme those that stubbornly transgresse his Lawes as traitors vnto his person and rebels against his lawes and therefore such as are rebellious against his word shall be reiected of him and punished by him When Sauâ— did cast away th word of the Lord God proceeded also to cast away him This the Prophet Ieremy declareth chap. 4â— ver 6 10 17. when the Captaines of the hoast promised whether it were good or euill they would obey the voice of the Lord God hee assured them of his mercy that God would build them and not destroy them he would plant them and not roote them out Contrariwise if they would not hearken to his voice and submit themselues vnto him he threatneth that they should dye by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence so that none of them should escape from the plague that he would bring vppon them Thus doth hee command Moses to speake to Pharaoh Exod. 8.2 10 4. Thus saieth the Lord Let my people go that they may serue mee Deut. 28 15 1â— but if thou wilt not let them go behold I wil smiâ—e all thy Countrie with Frogs c. This reason may be framed in this sort If the obedient shal be blessed and rewarded and if the disobedient shall be reiected and punished then it behooueth vs to acknowledge all obedience due vnto God but the obedient and disobedient shall be both rewarded the one according to their righteousnesse the other according to their wickednesse Let vs now come to the Vses of this Doctrine First this serueth to reproue diuers Vse 1 and sundry abuses that creepe into vs which make our seruice and worship of God abhominable and detestable in his sight The 1. reproofe And first of all there are too many that refuse to heare and to lend their outward eare to listen to the word of the eternall God to whom all attention is due These men as if they had no soules to saue nay as if there were no God no heauen no hell haue shut their eyes lest they should see and stopped their eares lest they should heare This reprooueth the desperate disease of our dayes men are so farre clogged and cloyed with hearing that they loath the heauenly foode the bread of life Who seeth not how we decline in care and zeale and how the light of the word beginneth to bee extinguished Our change from better to worse touching seeking after knowledge is most fearfull a token that God hath giuen vs deadnesse of heart to prepare the way to some iudgement Math. 12 42. The Queene of the South shall rise vp in iudgement and condemne this froward generation who thought it worthy her labour to make a long iourney to heare the wisedom of Salomon and yet the mystery of the heauenly wisedome of God laid open in the ministery of the word 1 Pet. 1 12. The whâ—ch the very Angels desire to behold passeth the humane wisedom of Salomon and of all other men in the worlde Wherefore to turne away our backes when wee should turne our faces to the worde is a greeuous sinne and we shall giue an account therefore in the great day of vengeance This is set foorth plainly in the first chapter of the Prouerbes and the 24.25 26. verses Because I haue called and ye refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none wold regard I will also laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth Thus doth the Lord lay open the peoples sinnes Ier. 2.27 7 13 23 24 25. 15.2 3 6. and his iudgements by the Prophet Ieremy I rose vp early
would make them right beggers indeed So that as Ieroboam made the basest of the people to be the Cleargy so they make the Cleargy to be the basest of the people and desire to bring them to their doores crouching creeping for a crust of bread But we demand that for which we haue laboured of duty not of curtesie and as a recompence not as a beneuolence not as their vassals but as Steward 's set ouer the family or Captaines ouer the host In the law the people were charged with tithes of foure sorts First such as were paid distinctly and directly to the Leuites What tithes were paied in the Law Secondly such as were deducted out of these and to be leuied for the vse of the Priests both these kindes of tithes are touched in this chapter Thirdly such as the people laid aside for the furnishing of their sacred and solemne feasts when they should be at Ierusalem to which the Priests were ordinarily inuited Deut. 14 22 23 28 29 and 26 11 12. Lastly such as euery third yeere were gathered for the releefe of the straÌ„gers the fatherlesse the widow and the poore This last sort I will not deny to be in nature of an almes but such tithes as were paied to the Priests and Leuites were paid as wages is for worke This will bee plainely proued by the doctrine of the Apostle 1 Cor. 9 7. producing the examples of souldiers gardners sheepeheards such like all which claime a recompence of debt not of deuotion If then a common souldier lawfully requireth his stipend of that people for whom he fighteth Tithes are not almes the Minister also fighting for the people against their spirituall aduersaries may do the like and if he that planteth a vineyard he that feedeth a flocke may of duty chalenge to eate of the fruite of the one and the milke of the othâ—r then the Minister that planteth the vineyard of the Lord and feedeth the flocke committed vnto him may iustly claime to liue vpon the same Againe almes do alwaies exceed the desart of him that taketh the almes they testifie the mercy of the giuer not the merit of the receiuer for charity is more worth then single thankes and good deeds are to bee valued aboue bare words But it is not so in paying tithes of temporall things all which cannot sufficiently counteruaile the worke of the Ministery 1 Cor. 9 11. Is it a great matter if we shall reape your carnall things And the Apostle is bold to tell Philemon that he did owe to him euen himselfe verse 29. It is a principle written in the heart of man by nature to pay him his wages whom wee set on worke not to send him away empty that laboreth for vs. As then the labourer hath right to his wages so the Minister hath his right and part in the goods of those whom he teacheth among whom he laboureth and therfore when he receiueth his tithes he doth not take almes but receiueth his owne hauing as good right vnto the tenth part as hee that paieth it hath to the other nine No man can say that the begger is worthy of almes he receiueth them by the law of charity but cannot claime them as due by the rule of iustice The day labourer that hath laboured all day and wasted his strength and spirits would thinke scorne though he bee a poore man to receiue his hire for his labour in the nature of an almes as the begger taketh a peny at the doore and shall the Minister receiue his wages as a gift or as a gratuity The housholder that hath agreed with the labourers for a peny a day saith vnto them when he came to pay them Math 20 14. Take that which is thine own and goe thy way as then they receiued their duty so doth the Minister receiue his due his duty Vse 3 Thirdly they are also iustly reproued who treading in the steps of the Bishop of Rome do deteine from the Ministers of the Gospel the tithes appointed vnto them which are not vnfitly called Gods auncient dâ—maine founded originally vpon the law of nature For as we learne by the light of nature that there is a God and that he is to be honoured so the honour that is due vnto him Sr Henry Spelman de non temerandis Eccles cannot be performed without Ministers neither can the Ministers attend their function without maintenance To this I will adde the saying of the wise man Prou. 3 9. Honour God with thy riches For seeing he is the high possessour of heauen and earth Gen. 14 19 and giueth life breath and all things vnto vs Acts 17 24. it is our duty to render backe somewhat vnto him again thereby acknowledging that wee hold all of him in chiefe except wee will yeeld lesse vnto him then the Infidels did to their heathenish gods Now we honour God with our riches How to honor God with our riches not onely when we vse them soberly without excesse righteously without oppression and châ—ritably without defrauding of the poore but when we employ them religiously toward his seruice The Nicodemites were content to become Christians thus farre as to giue their hearts to God so that they might haue liberty to dispose of their bodies as theÌ„selues pleased but these will steppe one steppe farther they professe to worship God both with soule and body so they may be discharged dispensed withall from honouring him with their riches They will willingly offer the calues of their lips so they may be freed from the calues of their stalles They can be content to trauaile from the East with the wise men to fall down before him and worship him Bernard but they cannot abide to open their treasures and present vnto him gifts gold frankincense myrrhe Mat. 2 11. Paul had almost perswaded Agrippa to become a Christian when hee exempted those bandes and chaines and if euer we will perswade these to become Christians we must also except these bandes and chaines that wee speake off for they are very heauy vnto them they cannot abide them The tithes are the Lords he hath reserued them to himselfe as a rent of the tenant due to the Landlord or as a tribute and subsidy due to the king therefore when they are not truely paid Deut. 14 28. as GOD commandeth but are vnconscionably deteined he complaineth that he is robbed and spoiled Mal. 3 10. so that if wee giue not vnto the Lord the tenth who hath giuen vnto vs the other nine Serm. de Teâ— pâ—re 219. Sr Fraâ—â—â—â—â— let vs take heed lest he resume the nine parts and leaue vnto vs the tenth onely And I may say as a worthy and learned knight of our times saith Such as haue taken away the Churches dowry and s poiled her of it it had bene great reason they should haue made her a ioynter to recompence the wrong they had offered and the losse
And if we beleeue not yet abideth he faithful 2 Tim. 2 13. he cannot deny himselfe No greater comfort can be giuen no greater promise can be made then to assure vs of the pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes which make a separation between God and vs. To haue a feeling of this mercy is as sweet Incense vnto the soule and as precious balme vnto the heart Let vs therefore comfort our selues with this promise howsoeuer Satan sift vs and seek by all means to take from vs this peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding we must shroud our selues vnder the safety of his worde which abideth for euer and when we are tempted to doubt of his goodnesse in the remission of our sinnes let vs lay hold on the former promises and know that the heauens themselues shall fall and be moued out of their places before the truth of his word which is truth it selfe shall be diminished or disanulled Fourthly is God constant of his word and Vse 4 faithfull of his promise then it is required of vs to be like our heauenly Father in truth and faithfulnesse When God hath promised any blessing to his people he is true of his worde and bringeth it to passe The Lord sayde to them Iet 29 10 11. Dan 9 2. After seuenty yeares bee accomplished at Babel I wil visit you and performe my good promise toward you and cause you to returne to this place for I know the thoughts that I haue thoght toward you euen the thoughts of peace and not of trouble to giue you an end and your hope This did hee accomplish by the meanes of Cyrus whose spirit hee stirred vp to make a proclamation throughout his kingdome that whosoeuer would should goe vp to Ierusalem to builde it and inhabite there Now as God is faithfull in his word so let vs follow his example and make conscience of our words sayings that thereby we may assure our selues to bee the children of our heauenly Father Wee must therefore know that all iust couenants and contracts all promises bargaines must be perfourmed albeit they bee made to our hurt and hinderance and binde vs in conscience and duty by the Law of God man so farre forth as hee pleaseth to require them to whom they haue beene made The Prophet asking the question Who shall dwell in the Lords Tabernacle rest in his holy Hill maketh this answere Hee which sweareth to his hurt and changeth not Psalm 15 4. Iosh 9. This wee see in Ioshua toward the Gibeonites and in the booke of Iudges chapt 1. when the Spies saw a man come out of the City and said vnto him Shew vs we pray thee the way into the City and we will shew thee mercy Iudg. 1 24 25. when he had shewed them the way into the City they smote the City with the edge of the sword but they let the man all his houshold depart Hence wee should learne to be wary and watchfull in our promises considering as well whether wee be able to performe them as whether wee be willing and examining our hearts whether they be in our owne power nor not and whether if they be it be lawfull for vs to performe them For some things are lawfull in themselues to pay and perfourme which are in no sort in our power and other things may be in our power which are not lawfull to be done This fidelity in keeping promise is a weighty point of the Law Math. 23 Math. 23 23. Gal. 5 22. and a fruite of the Spirit and therefore it standeth vs vpon to make conscience thereof If any man were asked the question whether hee thinke it his duty to endeuour to be like God and to striue to resemble him as the childe resembleth his father he would be ready to answere It is his duty to do it and his comfort that it is so If then we acknowledge the necessity of it let vs follow him in constancy and true dealing studying to be perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect This is that vse which the Apostle vrgeth 2 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 1 17 18 20. When I was thus minded did I vse lightnesse Or minde I those things which I minde according to the flesh that with me should be yea yea and nay nay Yea God is faithfull that our word toward you was not yea and nay for all the promises of God in Christ are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs. The Apostle in these wordes declareth that he was wrongfully slandered and vniustly charged with loosenesse and lightnesse of promise and vnconscionable breaking of his word inasmuch as he had alwaies before him the example of God whom he acknowledgeth to be faithfull in his words and promises This serueth to reproue those that will rashly promise any thing as Saul did to Dauid as Laban did to Iacob and then changed their minde as the weather-cocke doeth at euery blaste of winde These are like the reede that bendeth too and fro but it must not bee so with vs we must purpose and not alter we must promise and then perfourme carefully what we haue promised Lastly whensoeuer God hath made good Vse 5 the words of his mouth and accomplished his promises vnto vs which wee haue long looked for expected it is our duty to praise his name and to giue him the glory of the worke to whom alone it is due Hath he fed vs in time of famine and made vs to see Deut. 8 3. Mathew 4 4. that Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of his mouth Let vs not sacrifice vnto our net nor burne incense vnto our yarne but say with the Prophet Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115 1. but vnto thy Name giue the glory for thy louing mercy and for thy truths sake This duty we see practised by King Salomon 1 Kings 8. 1 Kin. 8 15 20 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who spake with his mouth vnto Dauid my father and hath with his hand fulfilled it the Lord hath made good his word that he spake and I am risen vp in the roome of Dauid my father and sit on the Throne of Israel as the Lord promised and haue built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel A worthie patterne and president for vs to follow whensoeuer we taste of the grace and bountifulnes of God to offer vp vnto him a song and sacrifice of thanksgiuing And if wee must doe this for temporall blessings much more are we bound to do it for such as are spirituall If God haue for a season hidde his face from vs that we haue seene no light of his grace but all these things haue been couered with darknesse and discomfort as it were the Sunne in a Cloud if our sinnes as the waues of the sea haue gone ouer our head and beene a
by iustifying of vs by sanctifying of vs and by working in vs such like effect Against mans merits and deserts Secondly this doctrine ouerthroweth all merits and deserts of man which abolish the free grace of God Gods mercy is our merit our workes are not neither can bee our merit If our election be by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then is it no more grace otherwise work were no more worke as the Apostle concludeth Rom. 11.6 We are iustified through faith in Christ in him standeth our saluation and by his merits we are made righteous Christ Iesus is the corner stone of the building Ephes 2. he is the foundation of the building forasmuch as other foundation none can lay 1 Cor. 3. he is also the highest stone of the building notwithstanding the mountains Zach. 4-6 that is the strongest opposition of enemies But let vs see what merit is What merit is that our vnderstanding may be the better and our iudgement the sounder touching this matter Merit is a worke vndue to which we are not bound making the reward and recompence that was not due to be due When a debter satisfieth his creditour he paieth that which he oweth him he giueth no more then is due vnto him by Law and equity by reason and conscience neither doth he deserue any thankes but through the fault of men as the heathen knew well enough Terent. in Phorm Act. sc 1. who confesse that such was the corruption of the times that when a man brought to another euen his owne he was to be thanked Christ our Sauiour a better master teacheth vs this more fully Luk. 17.8 Luc. 17.8 9.10 When a man hath a seruant who girdeth himselfe and serueth him till he haue eaten and drunken Doth he then thanke him because he hath done the things that were commanded him I trow nay so likewise ye when ye haue done all those things that are commanded you say Wee are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our duty to doe Wherefore we make a weake plea to plead our owne merits who haue nothing but by the merits of Christ But it will be obiected Obiection that we find in Scripture no mention at all of the merits of Christ I answere Answere It is true concerning the word it selfe Neuerthelesse if they will conclude any thing against the merits of Christ because the bare name in so many letters and syllables is not extant in the word of God they may as well gainsay the Trinity refuse the Sacraments deny the Catholike Church and hold the Sonne not to be consubstantiall with the Father Forasmuch as none of these are expressed there But if they meane and vnderstand the thing it selfe then we haue the merits of Christ plentifully preached vnto vs in the holy Scripture to whom the whole worke of our saluation is ascribed The Apostle teacheth Ephe. 1 14 that our redemption is a possession purchased by him that is purchased by the merit of his death And in the former Epistle to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.6 he saith God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine saluation by our Lord Iesus Christ that is procured vnto vs by his merits So in the twentieth chapter of the Actes Paul in his exhortation to the Elders of Ephesus willeth them carefully to feed the flocke of God Act. 10.28 which hee hath purchased with his owne blood where he maketh the blood of Christ meritorious And elsewhere he saith we are iustified by his blood and reconciled to God by his Sonne and so shall be saued by his life Rom. 5.9 10. Rom. 5.9 1â— If then we challenge any thing to our selues we take so much from Christs worthinesse He was not bound in any bond vnto vs who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to bee equall to God Wherefore our workes can challenge nothing at Gods hands for as much as whatsoeuer wee can doe is as due debt vnto him Thus the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. Rom. 8.1 Brethren we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh whereby he vnderstandeth the contrary as a member opposed but we are debters to the Spirit to liue after the Spirit So then our spirituall life is called a debt which is true in many respects First How all the we can doe â— due vnto God in regard of our creation Secondly in regard of our redemption Thirdly in regard of our glorification Our spirituall life is due to God in regard of our creation because it is God that hath made vs and not we our selues we are the worke of his hands who hath created vs according to his image and therby bound vs as by a strong band to know him and worship him Hence it appeareth that Adam himselfe in his estate of innocency could haue claimed nothing of God by merit because whatsoeuer he was he was it by him whatsoeuer he had he had receiued it through his gift so that he should haue paide him with his owne which deserueth no thankes as we heard before True it is man fell away defaced and deformed this image and made himselfe liable to eternall destruction howbeit he could not thus shake off the yoke of his necke nor the fetters from his feet nor acquit himselfe of the debt and obligation when of a debter to God he made himselfe a bondslaue to the deuill A debter riotously wasting his goods and carelesly consuming the stocke and substance that he hath and thereby making himselfe a bankrout is not discharged of his debt but standeth bound to pay it as before God will not loose his right nor let go his hold and therefore albeit we are started backe from him he remaineth the same as he made vs so we remaine obliged vnto him Hence we see what is the reason why God commandeth duties of vs in his Law that neither wee nor our fathers are able to performe â—ow God reâ—ireth imâ—â—ssibilities 〈◊〉 our hands If a father should require that of his son or a master exact of his seruant that which were vnpossible to doe as to trauell an hundred thousand mile in one day or to flye vp to heauen might he not be thought to be a tyrant But the case standeth not betweene God and vs as betweene a father and his children or betweene a master and his seruants For he chargeth no more vpon vs then hee had inabled vs to doe and had giuen vs strength to performe so that if there be any impossibility to do it the fault resteth in our selues and not in God It is no cruelty in him to require so much of vs as he doth but iniquity in vs that doth disable vs. He abideth the same that he was but we abide not the same that we were so that there is no change in him but the change is in vs so that
giue sleepe vnto their eies nor slumber to their eie-liddes Let the sluggards goe to the Ant and learne wisedome by her waies which hauing no guide ouerseer nor ruler prouideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the haruest Prou. 6 7 8. Thirdly seeing it is required of vs to haue Vse 3 contented mindes it putteth vs in minde of this duty that we auoid couetousnes which is directly contrary to contentation It is a common corruption that taketh hold of our corrupt nature a fruite of the old man which must be mortified of al the children of God and so much the rather because it stealeth vpoÌ„ vs at a sudden and draweth away our hearts from God and godlinesse This is the vse directly touched and taught by the Apostle Heb. 13. â—â—b 13.5 Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse and be content with such things as ye haue The greatnesse of this sinne is such that it causeth a man to be an idolater as Ephe. 5.5 Col. 3.5 This ye know â—â—h 5.5 CoI â— that no whoremonger nor vncleane person nor couetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God and of Christ â—ow the coâ—â—â—ous are â—dolaters The couetous are idolaters or worshippers of idolles two wayes First because they preferre their riches in their affections before God the gift before the giuer of them depending vpon them as vpon God trusting in them â—â—b 31.24 as in God saying vnto them Thou art my confidence as we heard before out of the booke of Iob. Secondly because they account their life to consist in their riches and to rest vpon their wealth rather then to stand on the prouidence of God failing of all comfort and hope and ioy when their wealth faileth them Sathan vsed this bait to bring Christ himselfe to idolatry when he offered vnto him the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them How easily we slippe into this sinne appeareth by the example of the rich man that came vnto our Sauiour when he was bid sell all that he had hee went away pensine and sorrowfull Matth. 19. Hence it is that he saith in another place â—â—k 12.15 Take heed and beware of Couetousnesse for a mans life consisteth not in the aboundance of the things which he possesseth We are ready to flatter our selues and to say to our soule Thou hast much goods layd vp for many yeeres take thine ease eate drinke and be merry vntill it be said vnto vs Thou foole this night shall thy soule be required of thee then whose shall those things be â—ouetousnes â—y be in the â—ore as well in the rich that thou hast prouided This is a sinne not onely in the rich but also in the poore True it is such as are in want and necessity do wash their hands as innocent in this matter but they do it as Pilat did touching blood which notwithstanding did cleaue so fast vnto his loynes that all the Fullers earth and all the waters in the Sea could not wash away the guilt and staine therof from him So the poore for the most part put this sin farre from them and thinke it doth not belong vnto them they cry out against the rich because they are couetous as blinde men deceiuing themselues and beholding their owne faces in a false glasse For first of all they vse vngodly shifts and vnlawfull meanes to store themselues which is right couetousnesse They care not how they come by meate money corne or any thing so they may haue it Againe they beare not the burden of pouerty patiently but murmure and grudge at it nay at him that sendeth it but whosoeuer disdaineth his present state because it is not higher richer and better is couetous therefore the poore may be couetous Furthermore they are oftentimes idle and liue by the sweat of other mens browes and breake out into pilfering and stealing and so not onely couet but catch and conuey vnto themselues other mens goods This also is couetousnesse and this is a common sickenesse and disease of the poore For as pride may walke and iet vp and downe in a russet coat so may couetousnesse lodge in a simple and smokie cottage But in whomsoeuer it be whether in the rich or poore it is a dangerous euil it bringeth the couetous man to destruction of body and soule 2 King 5.22 It brought the leprosie vpon Gehazi that coueted the siluer and garments that Naaman offered Elisha refused but he accepted It brought a more heauy plague vpon the soule and conscience of Iudas Matth. 27.5 for when he had betrayed his master for thirty shekels in horror of himselfe and of his fact he went and hanged himselfe Hee was brought vp with Christ and liued with him who had instructed him not to couet after siluer nor gold he heard his doctrine and beheld his miracles yet hee was infected with this disease worse then the dropsie or the hungry euill The description of a couetous man It seeth nothing in another without grieefe and sorrow and is neuer well contented vntill he haue it himselfe and then hee cannot bee satisfied but still hee would haue more The more he hath the more he thinketh he hath not The more full his coffers are the more he iudgeth them to be empty for as much as he wanteth as well those things that he hath as those things that he hath not It is a great blessing of God Chrys in Math. 26. homi 81. that the earth yeeldeth the fat of wheat but the couetous man is not a little greeued that in stead of eares of corne it doth not shoot and send forth leaues of gold that euery riuer doth not runne with streames of gold and that the barraine mountaines haue not gold to bee digged out of them in stead of stones He is oftentimes greeued at the seasonablenesse of the weather at the fruitfulnesse of the seasons at the plenty of all things at the increase of the earth and at the sweet influence of the heauens hee taketh it heauily when there is store and aboundance that there is no want nor crying in our streetes because he cannot fell his corne his cattell and commodities at the dearest rate He hateth all men both rich and poore the rich because he doth not possesse that which they haue and seeth them to abound as well as himselfe whereas he cannot abide that any should enioy any thing and thinketh it lost that passeth by his doore the poore because they craue somewhat of him which he is as vnwilling to leaue as his life and therefore as if he were hurt and wronged with all he is angry and offended with all The more he hath The more the couetous man hath the more he coueteth the more he craueth and coueteth Euen as the drunken man is more vexed with thirst then he that vseth to drinke with sobriety and moderation and is therewith contented so
before his conuersion to the faith he had been a persecuter a blasphemer and iniurious consenting to the death of Stephen and breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord one borne out of due time the least of the Apostles the least of all Saints not meete to be called an Apostle but rather a destroyer of the faith of the brethren But when he came to preach the faith which before he destroyed he was nothing inferiour to the chiefe Apostles 2 Cor. 11. â— more then a Minister of Christ in labours more aboundant in stripes aboue measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft louing him very much of whom he had receiued much so that he gaue no place to the residue of the Apostles Euen as in the manner of the natural generation we see that oftentimes such as are of weakest nature and constitution of body are blessed with increase of children and a plentifull posterity more then those that are of stronger complexion so such as haue meane gifts and lesser knowledge and perhaps neuer trained vp in the schooles of the Prophets may saue more soules and bring more to God then such as haue taken many degrees and haue attained to a great depth and profoundnesse of learning as we shall haue occasion farther to shew in this booke What then Chap. 8. Obiection are Vniuersities to be despised are schooles of learning to no purpose No Answere they are nourceries of knowledge humane and diuine They are as those riuers that water the garden of God The Lord blesse them that blesse those places and curse them that are enemies to the peace and prosperity of them and thrust thorough their loynes that wish their hurt neither let them which goe by say The blessing of the Lord be vpon such we blesse you in the Name of the Lord. Neuerthelesse the Lord is not bound to such as are brought vp in those places but maketh the labours of those that want the Artes and Tongues being conscionable in their callings very auaileable to the glory of his Name and to the sauing of many soules Lastly we are put in mind of this duty that Vse 5 we ought not to rest vpon flesh and blood as vpon a reede that will deceiue vs but vpon God the Rocke of our saluation Some put their trust in horses and some in charets Psal 20. and some in Princes Psal 146. We can make no resistance against the weakest things which are as warlike weapons that neuer returne empty but euen they shall be able to push vs downe and to preuaile against vs and to destroy vs vtterly Let vs not therefore lift vp our mindes against God but humble our selues before him Our strength is nothing our multitudes are nothing our Armor and munition is nothing if God fight against vs. Let vs not thinke to escape his hands who is able to arme few against many and the weak against the strong as 1 Sam. 14.6 1 Sam. 14 6. where Ionathan saith to the yong man that bare his armour Come and let vs goe ouer vnto the Garison of these vncircumcised it may be that the Lord will make for vs for there is no restraint of the Lord to saue by many or by few The same in effect Dauid speaketh to the Philistime The Lord saueth not with sword and speare 〈◊〉 â—7 47 for the battell is the Lords and he will giue you into our hands Thus also Asa cryed vnto the Lord his God when a great hoste of a thousand thousand came out against him Lord it is nothing with thee to helpe 〈◊〉 14.11 whether with many or with them that haue no power Helpe vs O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name we goe against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man preuaile against thee We must therefore renounce all pride in our selues and that vaine confidence which will deceiue vs. We haue to doe with God If he will destroy vs and deliuer vs as a prey into the iawes of death 〈◊〉 praelect 〈◊〉 though there be no enemie to resist vs nor power of man to ouercome vs yet we may not secure our selues nor suffer our hearts to be compassed about with presumption as with a chaine he is able with the breath of his nostrils to blow vs away that we shall be no more This vse is concluded by the Prophet Ieremy chapter 37.9.10 〈◊〉 â—7 9.10 Thus saith the Lord Deceiue not your selues saying The Chaldeans shall surely depart from vs for they shall not depart For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise vp euery man in his tent and burne this city with fire Whereby we see that destruction of a kingdome or of a city dependeth not vpon a multitude of men or vpon the valiantnesse and violence of souldiers but vpon the pleasure of God who executeth his iudgements by what hands soeuer he will For when a few and poore remnant remaine and those of wounded men halfe dead and wholly vnable to resist euen such as are thrust thorough with the sword gasping for life and ready to giue vp the Ghost yet shall they recouer the battel that was lost and obtaine the victory and conquer the conquerer and strike down as bulrushes the strongest and choicest men that before preuailed and had the vpper-hand A notable example and memorable exploit whereof we haue recorded in the Turkish history 〈◊〉 history â—e life of â—rath the 〈◊〉 concerning a Christian souldier who sore wounded and all bloody seeing Amurath the third king of the Turkes comming after the victory that he had obtained to take a view of the dead bodies which without number lay on heapes in the field like mountaines seeing him I say rose vp as well as hee was able in staggering manner as if it had beene from death out of an heape of slaine men and making toward him for want of strength fell downe diuers times by the way as he came at length drawing nigh vnto him as though he would haue craued his life of the tyrant and in honour of him haue kissed his feete suddenly stabbed him in the bottome of his belly with a short dagger so that the conquerour was conquered and presently dyed Thus it is with poore weake men when God strengtheneth them for the feeble become strong and the strong feeble 32 These are those which were numbred of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers all those that were numbred of the Campes throughout their hostes were fixe hundred thousand and three thousand and fiue hundred and fiftie 33 But the Leuites were not numbred among the children of Israel as the Lord commanded Moses 34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses so they pitched by their standards and so they set forward euery one after
their families according to the house of their fathers Hitherto we haue spoken of the order prescribed vnto Moses and the people to be obserued now followeth briefly the execution of the commandement as the conclusion and shutting vp of the Chapter in these 3 verses Howbeit before the performance thereof Moses addeth two cautions necessary to be obserued and considered First the totall summe of them that were numbred before which amounted to the number of sixe hundred thousand and three thousand fiue hundred and fifty Loe how great the blessing of God was in multiplying his people and what the truth of his promise is that he made to Abraham Secondly the exemption of the Leuites who were acquitted and discharged out of the former muster being appointed to another office of another nature verse 33. Then is annexed the obedience it selfe to the commandement of God set downe both generally The children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses and then particularly in two points They pitched by their standards and they set forward euery one according to their families according to the house of their fathers No man murmured at the order of God no man enuyed his superiour no man contemned his inferiour but all of them rested in his ordinance marched according to his direction and appointment We learne from hence that it is the duty of Gods children Doctrine 8 to yeeld obedience not onely to some It is our duty o yeeld obedience to all Gods commandements but to all the commandements of GOD. God requireth at our hands a full and entire obedience Doe wee require commandements to confirme this vnto vs or would we haue examples Let vs consider both And first for precept The Apostle is plaine 2. Corin. chap. 7.1 2 Cor. 7.1 Hauing these promises let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Where we see he perswadeth to make a through worke to clense our selues not onely from some filthinesse and to retaine some but from all not onely of the body but of the soule euen of the whole man Likewise in the former Epistle 1 Cor. 5.7 chap. 5.7 purge out the olde leauen that ye may be a new lumpe as ye are vnleauened He confesseth that they were renewed and regenerated in part and therefore concludeth must proceed and goe forward vntill the worke be wholly finished For the word is compounded signifying not only to purge but as much as may be possible to purge out quite and cleane as the Israelites were commended when they celebrated the Passeouer to put away all leauen from them so that whosoeuer had any in his house should be cut off from his people To this purpose commeth the exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloude of witnesses let vs lay aside euery weight and the sinne which doth so easily beset vs and let vs runne with patience vnto the race which is set before vs. As if he had said forasmuch as we haue so great a multitude of beleeuers which he compareth to a cloude that is thickened compacted or gathered together in the middle region of the aire of vapours wee must doe as they that runne in a race they doe not onely cast away clogges and impediments but whatsoeuer may hinder them in their course as the cares of this life the delights of the world the lusts of the flesh and generally euery thing that may cloy vs and clogge vs in our spirituall iourney Thus we see how we are commanded to cleanse away all filthinesse to purge out all leauen to cast aside euery weight Behold how the Apostle addeth vniuersall notes in euery of these places But are these precepts without examples are they meere speculatiue considerations without their vse No we haue in the Scriptures of the new Testament many among the faithfull that receiue this commendation from the mouth of God It is noted concerning Noah Gen. 6.22 Gen. 6.22 that he did according to all that God commanded him euen so did he It is recorded of Moses that when Pharaoh did giue them and their children liberty to goe into the wildernesse to serue the Lord onely their flockes and their heards should be stayed he answered boldly Our cattell also shall goe with vs Exos 10.26 there shall not an hoofe be left behind Exodus chapter 10.26 It is testified by the Euangelist Luke touching Zacharie and Elizabeth that they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse Luke 1.6 Luke 1.6 All these particular testimonies doe teach vs that it is our dutie to labour earnestly and carefully to performe a pure and perfect obedience vnto all the commandements of the Lord that we may be entire wanting nothing Now we come to the reasons that we may Reason be farther confirmed in this trueth First consider the nature of God he is perfect in himselfe and perfect in all goodnesse toward vs. He faileth in nothing so that he may truely say what could I haue done more then I haue done we must therefore answere in duty and obedience vnto him Hence it is that Christ saith Be ye perfect euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect Matth. 5. Matth. 5. â— If then we must be like him and resemble him we ought to striue to be like him in perfection Secondly Christ Iesus is a perfect Sauiour Reason a perfect redeemer a perfect mediatour Hee hath fully finished our saluation and he dyed to satisfie for all our sinnes If he were but halfe a Sauiour a party obedience might bee sufficient on our part But he neuer left the worke of our redemption vntill he had appeased the wrath of his Father and nailed all our sinnes vnto his Crosse This caused the Apostle to say He gaue himselfe for vs Tit. 2.14 that he might redeeme vs from all iniquity and purify vnto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Tit. 2.14 Seeing then that Christ Iesus hath redeemed vs from all sinne it followeth necessarily that we should follow after all righteousnesse and make conscience of all sinne Thirdly in respect of the commandements Reason 3 themselues Cicer. de offâ—â—â— lib. 2. for as an heathen man said of moral vertues that they were linked together as in a chaine so that he which had one truely had all of them so we may much better say of the Lawes of God that as there is one lawgiuer which is the Author of them all so they are all knit in a knot together that the knot cannot be loosed but all are dissolued Or they being ten words are as a band hauing ten conditions if one of them be broken the whole band is forfeited The testimony of the Apostle Iames fully accordeth and agreeeth hereunto chap. 2. Iam. 2.10 â— Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Law
fret and fume wee chide and chafe as men beside our selues Oh that there were such harts in vs to please God Oh that we would looke so narrowly to our owne soules In our apparell nothing must be out of order in matter or forme to the very skirts and borders of them but in our liues we can be content to be out of frame to haue poore rent and ragged soules and neuer to put vpon vs the rightousnesse of Iesus Christ as the richest robes Rom. 13 14. Galath 3 27 and most precious garment The like we require in dressing our meates which we doe in attiring of our bodies which are ordained for the belly 1 Cor. 6 13. and the belly for them albeit God wâ—ll destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6 13. The least fault is soone espied the offenders like to be turned out of seruice and we soone driuen out of our little patience Nay in our ordinary delights and recreations which serue onely to please the eare we see how he that is skilfull in musicke cannot abide the least iarre and discord if hee espy one finger set out of order or heare the missing of one minim rest how impatient is he how much discontented how doth hee testifie his dislike with hand and foot But touching the leading of our liues and the ordering of our actions whereupon dependeth the euerlasting saluation or damnation of our soules though there be a thousand iarres and ten thousand discords in them we thinke the harmony good enough and all things to be in tune This vse that now we vrge hath many branches as furtherances of purity and perfection in vs. First we must labour to haue pure and vpright hearts The branches of this vse which giueth life to all our actions and is much accepted of God It is the counsell of the wise man Prou. 4. Prou. 4.23 23.26 Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and chap. 23. My sonne giue mee thy heart and let thine eyes obserue my waies It is as the wheele of the clocke that moueth all the rest it is the roote that giueth life to the boughes and branches and maketh the Tree yeeld his fruite It is the fountaine that sendeth foorth sweet or bitter waters Heerevpon the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 3. Heb. 3 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe in departing from the liuing God A pure heart is the scourge of hypocrisie and as a strong hammer that serueth to breake it in peeces This is first to be looked vnto reform it and thou art all cleane It is the direction that Christ giueth vnto vs Math. 23. Math. 23 26. Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the out side of them may be cleane also It is a vaine thing to be cleane without vncleane within to haue the outwarde man appeare faire and smoothe and the heart to bee foule and filthy Such then as begin not at the hart begin at the wrong end They take long and needlesse paines that thinke to stoppe the streames while they let the spring alone The hart in the body is the member that first hath life in it so is it in the spirituall life Hence it is that the Scripture commendeth vnto vs the simplicity of the heart Eph. 6 5. Col. 3 21 the circumcision of the heart Rom. 2 29 the meditation of the heart Psal 19 15 the vprightnesse of the heart 1 Kings 3 6 a wise an vnderstanding heart 1 Kings 3 9 a perfect heart 2 Kings 20 3. 1 Chron. 28 9 a faithfull heart Nehem. 9 8 an vpright heart Psal 11 2 a pure heart Psal 24 4. Math. 5 a prepared and fixed heart Psal 57 7 and 108 1 and 112 7 an honest and good heart Luc. 8 15 ioyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart Deut. 28 47 a broken and a contrite heart Psal 51 17 a tender heart 2 Chron. 34 24 an heart of flesh Ezek. 11 19 a new heart and new spirit Ezek. 18 31 and 33 26 a purified hart Acts 15 9 an enlarged heart 2 Cor. 6 11 the good treasure of the heart Luc. 6 45 and a true heart Heb. 10 22. These and many such like testimonies teach vs to begin our repentance from dead workes and reformation of life at the heart that vntil we set our hearts and our soules to seeke the Lord wee dally with God and neuer seriously set vpon that worke Secondly we must be free from any purpose to liue in any knowne sinne and must be inclined to euery thing that is good so that we should be able to say with Paul 1 Cor. 4 4. I know nothing by my selfe yet I am not hereby iustified but he that iudgeth mee is the Lord. The Apostle knew nothing for which he should condemne himselfe Hence it is that the Prophet saith Psal 119 112 106. Psal 119. I haue enclined mine heart to performe thy statutes alwaies euen vnto the end And a little before he saith in the same Psalme I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements So ought all the faithfull to binde themselues by a solemne vow and promise to stirre vp their zeale and kindle their affections to all good duties It is recorded to the perpetuall praise commendation of Asa that he moued the people of Iudah and Beniamin to enter into a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soule That whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great man or woman And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with Trumpets and with Cornets And all Iudah reioyced at the oath for they had sworne with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them and the Lord gaue them rest round about 2 Chron. 15. 2 Chron. 15 13 14 15. Happy are they that set before them this example as a patterne and president vnto them to resolue fully with themselues to cast from them all sinne as a filthy cloath and to settle their hearts to seeke the Lord and to hate with an vnfained hatred whatsoeuer may bee any hinderance or impediment vnto them Thirdly wee must all take notice of our owne wants and imperfections and earnestly bewaile them and mourne for them It is a degree toward perfection to acknowledge confesse our imperfections and to be greeued for them For no man can haue a feeling of infirmities but by the worke of Gods sanctifying Spirit It is a grace of God to know the want of grace The vngodly are not acquainted with it they thinke themselues full they hunger and thirst after carnall things but neuer after spirituall and heauenly things The blessed Virgin in her song sheweth that He hath filled the hungry with
tempted Where we see he beginneth the sentence with the plurall number and endeth it with the singular Wherefore to returne vnto our purpose from which we haue digressed to answere an obiection and to open the interpretation of this Scripture faithfull parents who haue endeuoured to sow the seede of eternall life in the mindes of their children are not to bee censured and condemned because they haue leude and vngodly children that giue euident tokens rather of reprobation then of saluation as if it were their fault and offence for as much as they may bee carefull to vse all meanes of faith and furtherance to eternall life and yet notwithstanding faile of their end If they doe not discharge their duties they shall be guilty of their blood but if they doe teach them they are free they haue deliuered their soules If wee haue vsed diligence and be euill spoken off let vs comfort our selues in the Lord and rest our selues in the cleerenesse of our owne consciences and comfort our hearts in the testimony thereof being well assured that in the great day of account the LORD shall acquit vs when the mouth of iniquitie shall be stopped Vse 3 Thirdly from this ground ariseth great consolation to all faithfull parents who are to comfort themselues in this if among many children and a plentifull issue they haue some fewe of them yea but one onely that appeareth to be the faithfull childe of GOD albeit it bee otherwise with the rest GOD indeede will receiue glory in all though some of them bee reprobates this must preuaile with our natural affections and teach vs to suppresse our greefe and sorrow No doubt it is cause of the greatest griefe and maketh their head as waters and their eyes a fountaine of teares that they make their bed to swimme and water their couch with weeping which striketh neerer vnto them to beholde their vngodly wayes then to see them suffer a thousand deaths Abraham was exceedingly mooued when he was commanded to cast out of his family his sonne Ishmael Gen. 21.11 and 17.18 for the thing was grieuous in Abrahams sight because of his sonne and before this he had saide O that Ishmael might liue in thy sight yet neuerthelesse he yeelded to the will of God who would therein bee honoured So when GOD respecteth vs and confirmeth his couenant toward vs and taketh vnto himselfe any of our seede we ought rather to praise God for this mercy and goodnesse toward vs in sauing one then murmure against him or aske the question of him why he calleth not all If it please God so to deale in mercy toward vs that he vouchsafeth to be both our God and the God of all I say of all our seede we are bound vnto him in so much greater dutie and he requireth of vs the greater obedience and looketh for a sacrifice of greater thankefulnesse Hee dealeth not so with all good men euen such as haue faithfull soules and desire to approoue their seruice vnto him who when they haue giuen them what education they can and heartily craued of GOD his blessing vpon their holy endeauours yet haue found many crosses and such inward griefes as haue beene ready to breake euen their heart-strings and to bring their gray haires with sorrow to the graue Neuerthelesse we must not suffer our ouer-strong affections to preuaile too farre within vs and to swallow vs vp with ouermuch heauinesse when we beholde with our owne eyes the wickednesse of our children that are come out of our owne loynes and are of our owne blood when we see them without hope of being reclaimed and reformed as those that runne into all excesse of riot no though we should see them taken away in the prophanenesse of their hearts For why should we repine at it to consider how God glorifieth himselfe albeit it be in the destruction of some of ours Of this we haue two most notable examples in Aaron and in Eli neuer to be forgotten of vs recorded in the Bookes of Leuiticus and of Samuel Touching Aaron his two eldest sonnes Nadab and Abihu of whom we now speake sinned against the Lord in offering strange fire and seruing of God otherwise then hee appointed which is a thing detestable in his eyes and there came out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them and they dyed before the Lord. Heere was a grieuous sinne committed heere was a grieuous punishment executed vpon them and their father did beholde it with his eyes and how they were carryed out of the campe in their coates Moses tolde him that the LORD would bee sanctified in them that come nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified so that Aaron helde his peace Leuiticus chapter 10. verse 3. So touching Eli when he heard a fearefull iudgement denounced against his posterity he said It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Samuel 3.18 Thus ought we to doe and not vexe and turmoyle our selues without reason for that which we cannot remedy and redresse All the children of the faithfull are not the children of the promise they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God Galatians chapter 4. verse 23. All that are the seede of Adraham are not the children of Abraham Romanes chapter 9. verse 6 7. neither are all the Israel of God which are of Israel Heere it may be obiected which the Apostle Obiection 1 Peter speaketh to the Iewes The promise is made to you and to your children Actes 2.39 God is the God of the faithfull and of their seede I answere The Apostle answereth this in the next wordes Answer euen as many as the Lord our God shall call So many as haue God to bee their God shall in his good time be called to the knowledge of the trueth Hence it is that in the promise annexed to the second commandement it is said Exod. 20.6 hee sheweth mercy to thousands that loue him and keepe his commandements Thus hee limiteth the promise of mercy he restraineth it to those that loue him This promise is performed when it holdeth in any albeit a farre off Another obiection ariseth out of Paules words to the Corinthians where the seede of Obiection the faithfull are said to be holy that is sanctified and cleansed The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife 1 Cor. 7.14 and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now are they holy If then they be all cleane and holy it followeth they are also vnder the election of grace I answere they are holy touching the outward couenant and generall election Answer as to be of the visible Church to haue right in the Sacraments and to haue interest in the outward priuiledges therof as in the word prayer and such like Thus the whole nation of the Iewes are saide to bee chosen and thus they may bee saide Rom. 11.16 and are saide to bee sanctified They
propound to themselues an euil end as either vaine glory to be esteemed of others or the merit of the work that they may be rewarded of God and do not referre them to his glory But not he that commendeth himselfe is approued but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10 18. Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts then shall euery man haue praise of God 1 Cor. 4 5. Wherefore all their workes are as the apples of Sodome which are faire in outward appearance and yet are rotten and corrupt So may vnbeleeuers do sundry workes that are beautifull in outwarde shew but they are like vnto painted Sepulchers which appeare glorious to the sight but they are within full of dead mens bones and all vncleannesse For their heart which God especially beholdeth and searcheth is foule filthy and can no otherwise be made cleane then as it is purified by faith Let all men therefore take knowledge of their naturall condition that they are of themselues abhominable and to euery good worke reprobate vntill they be borne again and regenerate by the Spirit of God The third reproofe The third reproofe is of such as notwithstanding the necessity of the word to direct our actions which without the light of it to shine in our hearts cannot please God yet regard not the knowledge of it but contemne both it and the meanes that leade vs the way vnto it This is an horrible sinne to forsake our owne saluation and as it were to cut our owne throats or to cast our selues wilfully into the middest of the seas It is a greeuous sin to be ignorant of the Law of God not to know what he commandeth or what he forbiddeth but it is more fearefull to despise knowledge offered and so as it were to despite the Spirit of grace what remaineth for such but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries Heb. 10 27. Such can haue no comfort or consolation in any of their actions For as the eye is the light of the body and directeth the rest of the members in all things they go about or else the feete might carry them into some pit of destruction so is the word of GOD our Lampe or Candle Psal 119 105. whereby we see how to walke and direct our selues into the way of peace we know what we ought to do and from what to refraine And as the body runneth violently into an heap of dangers where the eye is blinde and can perceiue nothing vntill it fall headlong into them so is it with such as regard not the knowledge of the scriptures but say vnto GOD as may appeare by their practise Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Iob 21 14. This world is as a wildernesse full of Lyons Bears Tygers and other rauenous and venemous beasts or as a sea standing out with rockes replenished with quicksands We can no sooner step out of doores but we shall be assaulted one way or other nay we our selues are tentations vnto our selues For rather then we should lacke tempters we tempt our selues like vnto a State that wanting forraine enemies falleth out within themselues and by ciuill warres destroy one another So is it with vs when we are free from open enemies we become enemies to our selues If then we want the guidance and gouernance of the word we are in danger to be ouercome and to take the foile Our Sauiour willeth vs as we heard before to search the Scriptures because in them we thinke to haue eternall life and therefore without the knowledge of thē we deceiue our selues if we dreame of eternall life So in another place he maketh the ignorance of them to be the cause of all euill and error in iudgement as Marke 12 verse 24. Are ye not therefore deceiued because yee know not the Scriptures Obiect But some peraduenture will say it belongeth to the Ministers onely to search them it is their office to looke into them I answer Answer it is a duty belonging vnto all persons to know them Christ exhorted the people to search them It is required of all to haue them dwell in them plentifully Colossians 3. If we would be preserued from error we must know them if we desire saluation we must search them if we would be able to resist the tentations of Satan we must be armed with them They are as the will and Testament of Christ whereby he hath bequeathed vnto vs an heauenly inheritance and a most rich possession and therefore it behoueth vs to reade the will to know how we hold it Thou wilt obiect Obiect they are hard and I am simple they may leade me into errors as many haue fallen into strange opinions by reading of them Art thou simple thē thou art the rather bound to reade them for they were written Answer Prou. 1 4. to giue vnto the simple sharpenesse of wit and to the child knowledge and discretion The whole Church is commanded this duty both Iewes Gentiles were there no simple men and women among them Neither oughtest thou to be afraid to be ledde by them into error for they were written to preserue thee from error and to leade thee into all truth It is the vnstable that wrest them to their owne destruction Reade them with humility with reuerence and praier Be thou lowly in thine owne eies and take heed of a proud spirit be conuersant in them with reuerence Esay 66 ◠learne to tremble at his word craue the assistance of Gods Spirit to guide thee and to open thine eyes that thou maiest vnderstand his secrets and thou shalt not need to stand in feare of being carried into error And touching the hardnesse of them be not discouraged from the reading of them Some things indeed are hard to be vnderstood but there is nothing hard in one place but it is made easie in another and it shall he made easie to vs by diligent meditation in them Besides all things that are necessary to saluation are plainely set downe that the people may vnderstand them It is the lying spirit of the diuell in the false Prophets of Antichrist that cryeth out The Scriptures are hard and full of knots the people may not reade them Beleeue not euery spirit 2 Thes 2 3. but try the spirits whether they be of God or not for many false Prophets are gone into the world 1 Iohn 4 verse 1. They are blinde leaders of the blinde they play fast and loose with the people as Iuglers do with the simple and cast a mist before their eies that they should not espy them They leade them into error and then take the light from them whereby they might be conuinced It is the great policy of that great Antichrist and man of sinne not onely to forbidde the reading of our bookes but the free vse of Gods
walke in that broad and beaten path forgetting the commandement of God in the Law Exod. 23.2 Thou shall not follow a multitude to doe euill and the counsell of Christ in the Gospel The gate is wide and the way broad that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat Matth. 7.13 Wherfore we must learne that multitude is no note of true religion nor riches nor prosperity nor glory nor outward blessings forasmuch as these are common to the godly and vngodly to the beleeuers and to the infidels The word of God must be our rule in this life which shall be our Iudge in the life to come This is no way partiall neither can it deceiue any Lastly seeing persons weake and contemptible Vse 3 in the world are oftentimes highly regarded of God it teacheth vs to praise the Name of God for it and to acknowledge it to be his gift and to returne him the glory who out of the mouth of babes and sucklings ordaineth praise vnto himselfe Psal 8.2 We see this in the song of Hannah 1 Sam. 2.1 she prayed and praised the Lord her heart was enlarged ouer her enemies she reioyced in his saluation So in the song of the blessed Virgine Luke 1. My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour for he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaide c. In like manner Christ gaue thankes to his Father that had hid the mysteries of his kingdome from the wise and prudent of the world and reuealed them to babes Matth. 11.25 Thus doth it belong as a speciall duty vnto vs whensoeuer we see these workes of God as if we open our eyes and will not be blinded we may daily see them to adore them and to magnifie his power and to praise his Name This hath many particular branches First we must confesse our selues miserable by nature and no good thing in vs to raise vp our selues aboue others being no way better then others We cannot too farre cast downe our selues nor pull downe the pride of this flesh that is ready to lift vp it selfe against his Maker We are a lumpe of earth and worse then the bruit beasts and the dust out of which we were taken We are fallen from God our excellency is gone Secondly whatsoeuer we haue it is his gift we haue receiued it at his hands it commeth downe from aboue and therefore let vs not glory as if we had not receiued it 1 Cor. 4.7 Thirdly let vs walke worthy of our calling euen of those mercies which we haue tasted and acknowledge our selues to be vnworthy of them Then we are indeed thankefull vnto him when we are dutifull vnto him Fourthly let vs be humble in our owne eyes and not boast of any thing in our selues or in our owne merites neither let vs thinke our selues worthy to be regarded of him This is the way to stoppe the course of his mercies to boast of our owne merites Iacob did not so he accounted himselfe lesse then all the mercies of God and the trueth which he had skewed vnto his seruant Gen. 32.10 The Saints doe all and alwayes cast downe themselues before him in true humility whereas hypocrites are puffed vp with the wind of their owne conceits and swell aloft like the Surges of the sea as we see by the example of the Pharisee Luk. 18.11 he gaue thankes to God for fashion sake but pride possessed his heart and wrought in him the contempt of his brother that was more righteous then he Fiftly from hence we may assure our selues of greater mercies and farther blessings One mercy draweth on another vntill they flocke together on a heape If we be thankefull for lesser we are assured of greater They are as the first fruits that sanctifie the whole Paul hauing found by experience that God had oftentimes deliuered him from present death hath his confidence in him that he also will deliuer him 2 Cor. 1.10 This is as a sure staffe to leane vpon in all distresse to be assured that he is vnchangeable with whom is no shadow of turning â—n 3.10 he is said to repent of the euill that he hath spoken that he would doe and not to doe it but he repenteth not of the good that hee sheweth to his seruants forasmuch as whom he loueth he loueth them to the end Sixtly let vs keepe a register of his blessings and so settle them in our hearts that we neuer forget them but may thereby be prouoked to set forth his praise We cannot open our eyes in the day nor thinke vpon him in the night season but we haue innumerable testimonies of his loue toward vs. Let vs not therefore be silent and hold our peace but say to our owne soules with the Prophet Psa 103 1.2 Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy Name blesse the Lord O my soule forget not all his benefits Giue him therefore the glory in all things and let vs prouoke others to praise him and tell of his wondrous actes It is a sweet smelling sacrifice that God delighteth in he smelleth the sauour of it a farre off and is well pleased with it This duty ought to be the continuall practise of our life it should arise with vs in the morning and lie downe with vs in the euening We haue receiued much from Gods good hand shall we returne nothing to him againe like the barren earth that yeeldeth no encrease The waters that by secret conduits or conueyances doe come to the sea returne openly into it againe so that all men see it and behold it how the riuers runne into the sea Eccle 1.7 So the graces of Gods Spirit as the waters of life which God doth secretly conuey into the hearts of the godly ought publikely to haue their recourse vnto him againe by praise and thankesgiuing There is no great Lord that bestoweth any possession or tenement vpon his tenant but he reserueth some rent to acknowledge the seruice and homage he oweth God hath bestowed much vpon vs we are all his Coppy-holders we hold at the pleasure of our grand Lord The rent that he hath reserued is praise and thankesgiuing if we withhold this from him and will not pay him we haue forfeited our estates we haue deserued to haue all taken from vs and seazed into the Lords hands againe from whom they came 21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites these are the families of the Gershonites 22 Those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth olde and vpward euen those that were numbred of them were seuen thousand and fiue hundred 23 The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the Tabernacle Westward 24 And the chiefe of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the sonne of Lael 25 And the charge of the sonnes of Gershon in the
and Paul chargeth the Philippians to let their patient and equall mindes bee knowne to all men But of this vertue of contentation we haue spoken at large before â—he fift reâ—oofe Fiftly it reprooueth such as contemning their owne callings as vile and base become male-content and thinke better of themselues and their owne gifts then there is iust cause and better then they would indeed if they rightly and truely knew themselues Such are all ambitious and aspiring spirits that loue to be aloft and scorne to be below that seeke for themselues an higher place and a better estate then God hath alotted vnto them as if the bramble should seeke to be promoted ouer the rest of the trees If our first parents through the tentation and instigation of Satan grew discontent with that estate wherein they were created sought to be as Gods knowing good euill Gen. 3 verse 5 no marueile if their posterity draw this corruption from them as the childe that sucketh the brest of his mother Absolom through his high mind 2 Sam. 15 4. was moued to fawne vpon the people and to seeke his fathers kingdome and life also iudging basely of his present estate and climbing vp to an higher What caused the Scribes and Pharisies to contemne and disdaine Christ and his Disciples Mat 23 6 7. but this they loued the chiefe places at feasts and desired the highest seates in the assemblies and looked to be greeted and saluted by men Rabbi Rabbi What was the cause that Diotrephes would not receiue Iohn and the other faithfull Ministers of the word 3 Iohn 9. but did prattle with malicious words against them neither would he himselfe receiue them nor suffer others to entertaine the brethren He loued to haue the preheminence in the Church Loe here the horrible plague and as it were the ranke poison of pride vain-glory and ambition These are the causes of all confusion and disorder These weeds must be pulled out of our hearts by the contrary graces if we would haue any wholesome hearbs grow therein We haue many sharpe tooles lent vs put into our hands if we list to set them on worke to grub them vp by the rootes First we must consider the state of our bodies what it is We are but dust and ashes Meanes to pull downe pride and ambition and to dust we must returne Gen. 3. What a vaine and foolish thing is it to thinke so highly of our selues that were raised out of the earth do carry about vs the matter of our mortality If we had come downe from heauen and had our beginning aboue the Clouds we should haue had wherein to glory but being all of vs fraile and mortall creatures that are here to day and lye in the dust to morrow like the grasse of the fielde Math. 6 30. which flourisheth for a time and by and by withereth away what vanity hath possessed our hearts that earth ashes should waxe proud Our life standeth wholly in vncertainty it is appointed to all men once to die and after death commeth iudgement Heb. 9 27. Neither do we know at what houre the Lord will come Math. 24 42. Why then should we soare so high seeing we must lie so low Why should we say in our hearts I will ascend into heauen seeing our pompe shall be brought downe to the graue and the wormes must couer vs Secondly we are altogether set vpon sin and bring foorth the bitter fruites of our corruption in regard whereof we are more wretched then other creatures They sinne not against God they prouoke him not to anger but keepe their originall condition wherein they were created but we miserable sinners are turned out of the right way and become abhominable so that there is none that doth good no not one Rom. chapt 3 verse 12. If then we will glory of our selues or any thing in our selues we must glory in our shame hauing nothing of our owne but sinne and iniquity Thirdly we are not able of our selues so much as to thinke one good thought neither are we sufficiently furnished to doe the least and smallest duty that God requireth of vs we haue the spawne and seed of all sinne in our nature We are ready to fall into the most horrible sinnes except God sustaine vs and hold vp our heads and strengthen our weake knees We cannot set forward one foot toward the kingdome of heauen It is as vnpossible for vs to doe any good as for a dead carcase to flie We are as poore miserable wretches that are dumbe and cannot speak blind and cannot see deafe and cannot heare The Prophet acknowledgeth that he is a man of vncleane lippes Esay 6.5 and another confesseth he could not speake Ier. 1.6 our eares also are stopped so that we cannot heare the voyce of God that we might liue Ioh. 8.47 Matth. 13.13 our eyes are closed vp so that seeing wee see not but grope as blind men in the darkenesse The light shined in darkenes and the darknesse comprehended it no Ioh. 1.5 Men naturally take themselues to be sharpe eyed and quicke sighted Ioh. 9.41 but because they say We see therefore their sinne remaineth because the carnall mind is enmity against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 Fourthly whatsoeuer gifts are bestowed vpon vs we must thinke meanely and humbly of our selues and of them The Apostle willeth vs to decke our selues with lowlinesse of mind Phil. 2.3 and that each esteeme other better then themselues We know that our best gifts are stained with many blemishes we feele our owne corruptions more then the corruptions of other men so that Gods grace and our nature are ioyned together in one subiect We are not therfore to despise other men or dwell in the contemplation of their imperfections but be alwayes working vpon our selues and considering our owne vnworthinesse that so we may more and more mortifie the deeds of the flesh and grow in the graces of Gods Spirit Fiftly let vs set before vs the example of our Lord and Master Iesus Christ we must be ready to learne of him the lesson that he offereth to teach vs by word example Hence it is that he calleth all to him that are weake and weary and saith Take my yoke vpon you and learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules Matth. 11.29 He disdained not to wash the feet of his disciples to teach them humility not only by doctrine but by practise He is a perfect patterne as of all other vertues so also of this and therefore the Apostle setteth him before vs for our imitation Phil. 2.5 6. Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God c. He made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon
must giue an account â— 16 2. that they may do it with ioy not with greefe for that is vnprofitable for you Some offices haue no accounts or easie and very small belonging vnto it but this hath an heauy and streight accounts because the blood of such as perish shall be required at the watchmans hands that hath neglected his duty Reason 3 Thirdly we haue a gracious promise of a great reward Our paines shall be so rewarded that greater reward shall be for greater paines as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 3 8. He that planteth and he that watereth are one and euery man shall receiue his owne reward according to his owne labour The Apostle Peter concludeth this chap. 5 4. When the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare â— 12 3. we shall receiue a crowne of glory that fadeth not away This ought to encourage vs to our duty to consider that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. Vse 1 The vses remaine First seeing the Ministers must keep watch ward ouer the soules of the people it serueth to reprooue such as make it a matter of ease and therefore when they are once entred into that calling do giue themselues to idlenesse and security â—e first reâ—ofe not considering that it is a worke full of labour and imployment full of difficulty and businesse True it is the Ministery is an honour but withall it is a burden so that whosoeuer will haue the honour must beare the burden vpon his shoulders for these cannot be separated These two are as companions that cannot be diuided Euery one is willing to heare of the dignity but euery one is not willing to discharge the duty euery one is ready to be preferred but euery one is not so ready to profite others God requireth of all Pastors that they should instruct the ignorant Tim. 3 16. â—ek 34 4. Thess 5 14. bring home them that wander heale the diseased comfort the distressed support the weake admonish the disorderly conuince the erronious reproue the vicious but these sluggards that sleepe and delight in sleeping will do nothing at all regarding the fleece rather then the sheepe and the benefit to themselues more then profit to their hearers Woe vnto such idle bellies woe vnto such hard masters who reape where they haue not sowen and gather where they haue not strewed who hiding their talents are conuinced of greeuous iniquity in the sight of God and man For besides those euilles which they haue of their owne they are guilty of the death of other men not onely as accessaries but as principall procurers of their destruction This is a certaine truth neuer to be forgotten but to be engrauen in the hearts of euery Minister as it were with a pen of iron or the point of a Diamond that so many we do kill and euen murder their soules as we suffer thorough our negligence and silence to perish Gregor hom 11 in Ezek. so to fall into the clawes and iawes of the diuell who goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure The Diuell standeth at receit as a cunning huntesman to cath his prey Now he hunteth for soules a more cruell hunter then euer Nimrod was and these are as the diuels dogges to driue them into his nets If we will approue our selues to bee true Ministers indeed we must confesse that wee are bound with a treble band of necessity to discharge our duty as it were with 3 strong chaines that are not easily broken one in regard of our selues another in regard of the people and the third in regard of God and his glory that ought euermore to be before our eyes The Apostle saith of himselfe 1. Cor. 9 16. A necessity is laide vpon me yea woe is vnto me if I preach not the Gospel They are subiect to the curse of men that in time of famine dearth do withhold the corne Prou. 11 26. Such the people shall curse but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth it In like manner such as withdraw the food of mens soules and gather it as ingrossers into their owne hands are accursed not of men onely but also of God and his curse shall enter into their soules and not leaue them vntill he haue rooted them out because they feede not the flocke but feed vpon it prey vpon it but doe not pray for it In regard of the people our Sauiour saith Luke 10 42. One thing is necessary and woe to them that heare not the Gospel for as great a necessity is laide vpon the hearer as vpoÌ„ the Minister so that where there is no vision the people perish Prou. 29 18. If then we take heed to our selues and vnto the doctrine and continue in them in doing this we shall both saue our selues and those that heare vs 1 Tim. 4 16. Lastly the consideration of Gods glory ought to be as a spurre to pricke vs forwarde to do our duties The Apostle speaking of the Thessalonians a most worthy Church abounding in all heauenly graces calleth them his glory his ioy his hope his crowne in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming 1 Th. 2 19 20. Howbeit his glory was ioyned with the glory of God otherwise his glory would haue turned to his shame Hereby is the Father glorified when we bring forth much fruite to the obedience of the Gospel and therefore the loue of God should compell and constraine vs to publish the glad tydings of saluation Hence it is that Christ exhorteth Peter againe and againe as he loued him to feed his sheepe and his lambes Iohn 21 16 17. So then such as are negligent in their duties declare plainly that they neither loue God nor care for the people nor regard their owne soules The second reproofe Secondly they are reproued that are ignorant and cannot as they that are idle and will not teach they that are vnskilfull as well as they that are wilfull in detaining the word of life the food of the soule from the people These haue no knowledge themselues and therefore cannot builde vp others in knowledge They starue themselues and therefore haue no bread to bring forth to saue the liues of others They haue nothing in them and therefore cannot shew any olde or new store They are poore and therefore haue no treasure to bestow vpon others No man ought to aduenture his owne soule though he might aduantage himselfe therby to winne the whole world as Christ teacheth Math. 16 verse 26. For what should this profite him in the end when he hath cast vp his accounts and compared his gaines and losses together But these foolish men to get not the gaine of all the kingdomes of the earth but the tithes and reuenues of some one little parish do hazard their owne soules nay more then that the soules of many people whom they rob sacrilegiously of the meanes of their saluation These also are
cruell mothers or land-monsters that in stead of feeding their children do starue them being worse then the sea monsters Lam. 4 3 4. who draw out the brests and giue sucke to their young ones whereas these are become cruell like the Ostriches in the wildernesse so that the tongue of the sucking childe cleaueth to the roofe of his mouth for thirst the young children aske bread and no man breaketh it vnto them They are silly watchmen that in stead of warning the people do deliuer them betray them into the hands of the enemy They are miserable shepheards who in stead of pasturing their sheepe do pester them and poison them rather and suffer the wolfe to rent them in pieces Christ sent out his Disciples as sheep among wolues Math. 10 but these are wolues among sheep sent out by Satan to annoy the Church They take vpon rhem to bee Captaines to conduct the host of God but they haue no skill to doe it and therefore woe to the people that are vnder them It were better for them to take the place of a common souldier and comfortably to serue in it then by taking vpon them an higher charge of command then they can mannage to destroy themselues and ouerthrow many others that depend vpon them It were better for them to learne then to teach and to be hearers of others then speakers to others Let them not despise this counsell giuen vnto them who are fitter to be gouerned and commanded by others then to rule and command ouer others lest they repent when it is too late Thirdly seeing the office of the Ministery is an office of trust The third reproofe it reproueth al such as take the charge of soules themselues and commit them to a curate or substitute contenting theÌ„selues to reape the profit but contemning to discharge the duty which they ought to doe They go away with the fattest of the fruites of the earth and haue oftentimes poore hunger-staruen deputies to supply their places whose mouthes they stop with a little morsel by which meanes also the people go away with hunger-staruen soules Christ preached not to the people by substitutes to ease himselfe or enrich himselfe or magnifie himselfe sitting Doctor-like at home but took paines in his owne person he went about from City to City teaching and preaching in their Synagogues taking all occasion to doe good to their soules and bodies to their soules by instructing of them to their bodies by healing of them He was annointed as the Prophet of the Church Esay 61 1. Luke 4 18 to preach good tydings vnto the meeke and was sent to binde vp the broken hearted and to proclaime liberty to the captiues he doth not account his duty discharged by sending out his Apostles like to those that lay heauy burdens vpoÌ„ other mens shoulders and will not touch them with their little finger but he ioyned his labours with theirs ioyntly to build vp the house of God The Prophet saith Woe to the idoll Shepheard that leaueth the flocke the sword shall be vpon his arme and vpon his right eye his arme shall bee cleane dryed vp and his right eye shall be vtterly darkned Zac. 11 17. These are no better then hirelings who care for the hire but not for the heard they are willing to catch from them what they can but deliuer vnto them little or nothing It is a ruled case by the Apostle Rom. 12. He that hath an office let him attend on his office if then themselues must waite they cannot be discharged of their waiting by any deputies where their presence in their proper persons is required Hence it is that the Apostle ioyneth their owne labour and their owne reward together 1 Corinth 3 verse 8. If then labour be not proper the recompence should not bee proper if it be another mans paines it ought to be another mans reward If then they labour by another they shall be rewarded by another and therefore let them take heed lest as they depriue the Church of their labours themselues also be depriued of their reward when the great Shepheard of the sheepe shall appeare in glory Let them therefore alwaies haue in remembrance the good affection of the Apostle toward the people 2 Corinth 12 verse 14. Behold the third time I am ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome vnto you for I seeke not yours but you for the children ought not to lay vp for the parents but the parents for the children Heere is the duty of a right Pastor not to seeke gaine by the sheepe but to saue the sheepe His desire was not to enrich himselfe but the people The marke that he aymed at was not couetousnesse but to plant godlinesse in the people and so winne them to God Woe vnto them that are otherwise minded for God wil reueale it in due time What then should not the Minister liue of his labours in the Church â—ect Or is it vnlawfull to take any recompence of his hearers Was not Paul the father of the Philippians because they maintained him and ministred vnto him being absent Or was none of the rest of the Apostles a father because the Churches supplied their wants I answer the Apostle hath no such meaning â—wer forasmuch as naturall parents themselues are to be nourished by their children in their old age or when they fall into decay as we see in the example of Ioseph who preserued aliue both his father and brethren in the yeares of famine but he declareth that whatsoeuer he did vnto them proceeded from a fatherly affection toward them and that as a father he desired to enrich them with heauenly blessings in Christ beeing carefull by all meanes to gaine their soules to God not their wealth vnto himselfe O that all such as are entred into this office haue taken this charge vpon them were thus minded O that the zeale of Gods house had euen eaten them vp that they would preferre the saluation of his people before their owne greedy and couetous affections O that they could in these daies set before their eyes the account that they are to giue for the sheepe committed vnto them Giue me leaue in this place though it bee not according to mine ordinary manner to lay before you a parable which also is a true history and therefore may not vnfitly be called an historicall parable or a parabolicall history it being indeed both of them and for our better knowledge I will sette downe certaine markes in stead of the men â—tis pro noâ—e signis Hoâ— de art Poet. defining the persons by certaine letters but concealing their names G. A certaine man trauelling by the way meeting with a Minister that was also holden skilfull in the lawes said vnto him Sir I am glad I haue met with you so fitly at this time for I am like shortly to come into some trouble if I doe no not looke to my selfe to
brother or neighbour but we must hold no friendship with such as are enemies to God and are at warre and defiance with him Iehoshaphat is reprooued for a lesse matter 2 Chro. 19.2 If any man aske Obiect whether the children must shunne their father the seruants their master the wife her husband c. I answere Answer we must haue no such familiaritie as is free for vs to refuse and deny neither voluntary society which we may auoide Vnnecessary fellowship is forbidden and is offensiue such as is for pleasure and delight As for children seruants subiects wiues and such as are bound by band of duty and obliged in the family or common-wealth they are not by this doctrine discharged from their duties but must be subiect euen to such as are excommunicated prouided that they take heed so farre as lyeth in them that by their conuersation with them they do not consent to their sinne like of it delight in it defende it commend it but rather according to their place and calling mourne that they are compelled to be with such and therefore must exhort and admonish them to returne to the Church as it were to the fold of Christ This then serueth to reprooue all such as delight make choice to be in company with excommunicate persons such as receiue them to their houses such as ordinarily eat and drinke with them knowing them to stand in that fearefull case These partake with them in their sinnes and keepe them from repentance as much as in them lyeth While we are familiarly conuersant with the wicked it will be hard not to be stained with their sinnes For how can a man walke among thornes and not wound himselfe Vse 5 Lastly we are warned hereby to leade our liues circumspectly and soberly that we bee not cast out Let vs hold faith and a good conscience as the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.19 20. Which while some hauing put away concerning faith haue made shipwracke of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander whom I haue deliuered vnto Satan that they may learne not to blaspheme This vse hath diuers particular branches First we should desire euermore to liue in the Church It was the prayer of Dauid Psal 27.4 One thing haue I desired of the Lord that wil I seeke after that I may dwel in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple It is recorded to the great commendation of Anna that she departed not from the Temple Luke 2.37 but serued God with fastings and prayer night and day We must therefore liue orderly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the time because the daies are euill that we may continue as children of the light and members of the Church If once we become prophane and as dogs and swine we must be kept from holy things and barred from the word and Sacraments It is the duty of the Church to keepe the holy ordinances of God from all contempt Some that liue in the Church are open blasphemers of the name of Christ others are heretiks and corrupt the faith many giue scandall and offence to others by their loosenesse of life all these are to be barred and excluded from the word Sacraments For a man liuing in the middes of the Church may be worse in the practises of his life then an open enemy of which the Apostle Paul speaketh Tit. 1.16 They professe that they know God but in workes they deny him being abominable and disobedient and vnto euery good worke reprobate This care of keeping his ordinances from open prophanation Christ himselfe shewed in reforming the abuses of the Temple when in great zeale of spirit that had eaten him vp he whipped the buyers and sellers out of the temple Mat. 21.12 13. because they had made his Fathers house which was the house of prayer an house of merchandise and a denne of theeues Secondly we must doe nothing and speake nothing that may giue occasion to the world to reuile the religion of God or slander our holy profession This is Pauls charge to seruants that they so carry themselues toward their masters that the Name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken off 1 Tim. 6.1 The faults of men are wont to be cast vpon the doctrine which they professe and to be whipped vpon the back of the author from whence it came Such as mens life is that they leade such is the doctrine and religion iudged to be which they beleeue Wherefore we must take heede lest the Name of God be blasphemed through vs Esay 52. Dauid is said by his sins to cause the enemies to blaspheme 2 Samu. 12.14 Thirdly it is our duty to pray that the word of God may be glorified 2 Thes 3.1 It is that which we are taught to aske in the Lords prayer Matth. 6.9 that his Name may be hallowed Now Gods word is his Name forasmuch as thereby he is knowne vnto vs Psal 138.2 It was Dauids prayer Psal 119.39 Turne away my reproch which I feare for thy iudgements are good As if he should say keepe me from doing that which may bring rebuke or reproch to thy word Fourthly it is the duty of all faithfull Pastours and Ministers to keepe the people from prophaning the holy thing Ier. 15 19. they are as the Angels of God set with a glistering sword to keepe the way to the tree of life It is the duty of the shepheard to seuer the infected sheepe from the sound The dispensation of the Sacraments is committed to the Ministers to deliuer them to such as are worthy to withhold them from such as are vnworthy lest we giue them a sword into their hand to kill themselues because obstinate sinners that come vnworthily impenitently to the Supper of the Lord doe eate and drinke their owne damnation Iohn the Baptist would not admit vnto his baptisme any but such as confessed their sinnes and was perswaded they had truly repēted Mat. 3. But is it not enough for them to say they repent No for euery hypocrite may thus repent A man may confesse in words that which he denyeth in his deeds and therefore he must haue the vndoubted testimonies of true repentance weeping humiliation prayer amendment of life such like Besides by this account euery one that commeth to the Lords Table repenteth and no man commeth vnworthily or without repentance forasmuch as euery one will say he repenteth no man will confesse he is impenitent Neuerthelesse we cannot account him to be a true penitent that hath giuen no signe of repentance Fiftly this sentence is to be denounced with meeknesse and moderation with all patience and long suffering yea with much griefe and sorrow It must not be done ordinarily and commonly The cutting off of a member is no vsuall thing the Phisitian tryeth all wayes and meanes before he attempt that desperate cure and oftentimes he findeth it fitter not to
not able to hurt the soule wheras sinne infecteth the soule in which it dwelleth For as a man consisteth of two parts the body and the minde so he is afflicted with two kind of maladies and the euils of the minde are greater then the euils of the body â—in de linâ—in praefa and more danger commeth from them then from these We must haue a true and right iudgement of sinne The common sort thinke him to be much more miserable that hath a dropsie who the more he drinketh the more he desireth then the man that is possessed with couetousnes which is a spiritual dropsie and is neuer satisfied As on the other side they hold him to be more happy that hath a faire and comely body then such a one as hath a faire and beautifull minde adorned with all good qualities of piety and the fruits thereof These preferre the body before the soule and earth before heauen â—â—e diseases â—he soule â—â—se then â—â—e of the â—â—dy The diseases of the body are many in number but the sickenesses of the soule are in a manner infinite and cannot be told and as they are moe in number so they are worse in working and in their effects they corrupt the best part of vs and make vs euill and miserable So doe not the diseases of the body they may vexe vs and paine vs afflict and disquiet vs but though we were sicke from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote though no soundnesse were in the body but wounds and bruises and putrifying soares as it was with Iob who seemed a very picture and patterne of all misery yet they cannot make vs euill men they cannot hurt the soule they cannot separate vs from God Nay the diseases of the body are so farre from destroying of vs that oftentimes they are medicines to cure the diseases of the minde and chastisements are notable instructions whereas the maladies of the body doe for the most part arise of the maladies of the minde For sinne is the cause of sickenesse If we had not transgressed we had not beene visited with such diseases and in the end with death Moreouer those bodily diseases are iudged to be most dangerous and desperate that take away from the sicke party all sense and feeling of his estate all griefe and anguish of his misery forasmuch as the lesse he feeleth the more fearful is his estate the more neere to his end He that is afflicted with the gout or the stone and cryeth out of his misery and willeth the Physitian to be sent for in all haste is in better case and hath more hope to be eased and healed then he that hath a lethargy or frenzy of which one thinketh himselfe sound the other assaulteth the Physitian that commeth vnto him to doe him good Such for the most part are the diseases of the soule and such for the most part is the condition of sinfull persons they thinke themselues to be sound men they thinke they need not the helpe of the Physitian they would defie him that should tell them that they are dangerously sicke euen to the death They are captiues and bond-men and know it not They haue one foote in hell and see it not They are in great misery and feele it not Besides the minde is able to iudge of the diseases of the body but how shall it tell and declare the diseases of the minde seeing it is it selfe diseased If that part be sicke how shall it iudge of sicknesse A Physitian that is sick cannot iudge of himselfe but resorteth to some other because his minde is troubled Aristo polit lib which is the instrument of iudging So is it with all vnregenerate persons they want a right reformed iudgement to iudge of themselues and therefore oftentimes take or rather mistake vice for vertue darkenesse for light and errour for trueth Hence it is that they colour and disguise the face of vice that it might not appeare vgly and deformed as it is in his owne proper likenesse The vnquenchable thirst of getting and hauing is called prouidence and forecast enuy is accounted zeale the loue of himselfe is reputed to be wisedome euill speaking is couered with the title and stile of liberty in speaking Lastly the diseases of the soule are more foule and infectious they pearce deeper and spread farther then those of the body The diseases of the body though they seaze vpon some part yet they leaue other free that they come not neere if they be in the feet they do leaue the eyes and eares and sundry other parts whole and sound yea such as haue some one disease are obserued to be free from the rest There are some diseases that doe not touch or trouble old men some that vexe not yong men But it is not so in the diseases of the minde they corrupt the whole minde and bring a traine and taile of other with them so that one commeth not alone These are as the plagues and pestilences of the soule they spare not any degree any age any sexe they cannot be kept within any bounds but wander ouer the whole world with wonderfull speede and celerity Wherefore this reprooueth all such as make a mocke of sinne delighting in it and dalying with it Who will play with a serpent or sport himselfe with the cockatrice Sinne is worse it bringeth all diseases plagues paines and miseries whatsoeuer It is great folly to shunne sickenesse and death as most fearefull things and not to shunne the causes of them Vse 2 Secondly seeing sinne defileth both the persons that commit it and the places where it is committed it is our duty to walke so circumspectly that we beware of the contagious nature of it and that we be not soiled with it This one vse hath diuers branches and by them spreadeth it selfe hither and thither First it teacheth vs to looke to our footing that we do not fall but that if God haue giuen vs grace to stand we pray him also to giue vs grace to continue and perseuere vnto the end It is a great mercy that God vouchsafeth vnto those that are his when he keepeth them from euill that it hurteth them not The sorrowes of death compasse vs and the paines of hell get hold vpon vs we find trouble and sorrow we want not sundry enemies that enuiron vs round and seeke to preuent vs and to circumuent vs they wait vpon vs and watch ouer vs for euill we haue the diuell our enemy the world our enemy our corruption our enemy what shall we then say but pray to the Lord in the midst of all these dangers Psal 11â— 4 O Lord I beseech thee deliuer my soule And when he hath heard our prayers and we found his helpe at hand and succour in time of need what can we but in thankefull feeling of his fauour cry out with the Prophet Returne into thy rest Ver. 7 8. O my soule for the Lord
A fift motiue A fift motiue which ought to be very effectuall is the consideration of the forgiuenesse that we receiue at the hands of God We are much indebted vnto him there is no sin that we commit but increaseth our debt so that we are no way able to pay it He is content for his sons sake to forgiue vs al therefore we ought to put off anger wrath malice and reuenge and on the other side to put on the bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse and long suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another Col. 3.13 if any maÌ„ haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue vs so also we must do Hence it is that Christ teacheth vs to aske forgiuenesse at the hands of God as we shew our selues ready and willing to forgiue for we say Forgiue vs our sinnes as we also forgiue the trespasses that are done vnto vs and he addeth immediately after If ye forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you Matt. 6.14 15. but if ye forgiue not men their trespasses neither wil your Father forgiue your trespasses If then we carry grudging spirits and reuenging minds boyling in vs we turne this comfortable petition into an horrible imprecation against our selues and pray that God would not forgiue vs but coÌ„demne vs forasmuch as we determine not to forgiue but to be reuenged on our enemies that offend vs. If we could be perswaded of this truth then which nothing can be truer we would not seeke reuenge to gaine a kingdome considering that we call downe vengeance with our own mouthes vpon our selues which is a most fearefull case For do we thinke that when sin lyeth at the dore vengeance wil be farre from vs and not come neere vs except we cry for it our selues Let vs take heede we doe not dally with God who wil in iustice repay vs because we take vpon vs to repay and will powre vpon vs the vengeance which we aske against our selues The sixt motiue Lastly we are mooued to put vp wrongs suffer iniuries to referre all reuenge vnto God and not to requite euil for euill because it is against all good law right reason common sense that any man should be accuser witnesse iudge and executioner But euery one that taketh vpon him to right his owne cause A reuenger executeth the office of foure men and to reuenge himselfe doth all these together he executeth the office of foure seueral men It is no reason that he which layeth any accusation against vs should be admitted to be witnesse against vs because a witnesse should not be partiall nor any way suspected to be party Whosoeuer refuseth to referre his cause to the iudgement of God and will take vp the weapon and instrument of reuenge into his owne hand doth more then this he cannot be content to be an accuser and witnesse of wrong but wil also sit as iudge to ccndemne and as executioner to punish which is against all right law equity and conscience No man therefore ought to ingrosse so many offices which of right belong vnto seuerall men It is vnpossible that there should be iust proceeding where matters are carryed in this order If then we would be Christs disciples let vs possesse our soules with patience and commit our causes vnto God that the spirit of glory and of God may rest vpon vs. Notwithstanding all these motiues which may serue as so many bands to tie vs to this dutie Obiections answered the nature of man that is corrupt striueth to breake them all and to be at liberty to doe what it list and therefore ministreth many obiections which are but carnall reasons to warrant the practise of priuate reuenge Let vs see what they are and apply seuerall remedies to euery one of them to stay vs vp from offending this way First of all it will be said If we Obiect should put vp wrongs this were to make our selues as fooles for euery one to laugh at and as blockes for euery one to insult ouer vs and to tread vpon vs. I answere Answer it skilleth not what the world esteeme of vs and what they speake against vs. If we were of the world the world would loue his owne but because we are chosen out of the world Ioh. 15. â—â— therefore the world hateth vs reuileth vs taunteth vs and speaketh al manner of euill against vs. If we regard the iudgement of God we must passe very little for the iudgment of men if we receiue praise of God it skilleth not if we be dispraised of men And as they speake euill of the seruants of God that are themselues euill so they will account vs fooles that are indeed fools themselues For there is no foole like to the wicked man and therfore he is in Scripture oftentimes branded with this name and note As for those that account godlinesse folly and place wisedome in committing wickednesse let vs leaue such wisedome to the wise of this world and be content to be esteemed as simple fooles to the end we may be like to the wise God who is a God of patience and so be partakers of the heauenly nature He turneth the wisedome of this world into foolishnesse and the foolishnesse of this world he accepteth as true wisedome Wherefore let vs hearken to the counsell of the Apostle 1 Cor 3.18 Let no man deceiue you if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may bee wise It were better for vs to be accouÌ„ted fools in this world by wicked men then to be iudged fooles for euer in the world to come Againe some wil obiect If we alwaies sufser Obiect 2 wrongs we shall make our selues a prey set an edge vpon others to lay on loade vpon vs. For we shall neuer be quiet but euermore be abused I answere Answer the condemning of vengeance is not a taking away of iust defence God tyeth vp our hands from vniust reuenge but he shutteth not our mouthes from iust complaint For we may claime the help of the Magistrate either for the preuenting of wrong or for the punishment of the doer of wrong The Magistrate is Gods deputy and his office is to releeue the oppressed to defend the innocent to execute iudgment on malefactors When certaine of the Iewes more then forty men banded together and bound themselues vnder a curse that they would neither eat nor drink til they had killed Paul Act. 23. â—â— he sent to the chief captaine to be defended from their conspiracy And when he saw the malice of his nation against him that they ceassed not to lay greeuous complaints to his charge he appealed vnto Cesar that he might not be deliuered into the hands of the Iewes that sought his life and thirsted for blood I stand at Cesars iudgement seat where I ought to be iudged 〈◊〉 â— 10 So
make our selues sure of any thing vntill we haue it in present possession We say commonly we say it truly Erasm de 〈◊〉 â—hilâ— ad pâ—aelur 5. Aâ—â— li. noct Allâ— lib. 13. â—â— 17. Erasm 〈◊〉 chil 2. 〈◊〉 2. that many things fall betweene the cup and the lip between the meat and the mouth the meaning whereof is this that nothing is so certain but it may be preuented nothing so neere but may be disappointed and therefore we are not to make our selues too sure of any thing He that hath sowed his seed hath not yet ripe corne neither hath seene the time of haruest he that hath mony hath not yet gotten gain by it we must therfore take the losse as it is not as it may be To returne to the point that is in haÌ„d we hold that no maÌ„ is bound to restore to another that which he tooke not away forasmuch as that were to accuse himselfe falsely and rather to giue then to restore True it is the Prophet saith He restored that which he tooke not away Psal 69 4. but he complaineth of the wrongs iniuries which he receiued and suffered wrongfully wherein he was a notable type and figure of Christ who suffered punishment for the fault which he committed not which after a sort may be called a restitution he was not guilty but dyed for vs that are guilty he was innocent and yet suffered for vs sinners he did no euill yet was crucified for vs euill doers Hee stood in our place the iust for the vniust The fift point to be considered is whether we ought alwaies to mak restitutioÌ„ to him of whoÌ„ we haue receiued and taken somewhat The answer is whatsoeuer belongeth to another How farre we are bouâ—â— to râ—store and is not our owne ought to be restored because there ought to be an equality of commutatiue iustice and the Apostle willeth vs to render vnto al men their dues Roâ— 13 7. tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour Neuerthelesse if that which is to be restored be hurtfull to him to whom restitution shold be made or to any other it ought not to be restored but rather to be kept close and laid vp safe that when better occasion and fitter time serueth it may be restored For restitution rightly made respecteth his profit and benefit to whom it is made When a thing is giuen vnlawfully so that the gift it selfe is vnlawfull as we see in Simony when holy things are bought and sold as sheepe in the market no restitution is to be made to the giuer that deserueth iustly to lose whatsoeuer he hath giuen neither ought the receiuer to retaine it because he can lay no iust claime and title vnto it so that it ought to be bestowed vpon godly and holy vses Cicero de 〈◊〉 â—ibr 1. The heathen man speaking of iustice and making it a part of it to giue to euery man his owne maketh this exception that it is vnlawfull to deliuer into a mad mans hand his owne sword which he committed vnto vs and sometimes the case falleth out that a man is by no meanes to keepe his promise that he hath made And to this purpose he setteth downe these two generall rules to be obserued in the particular duties of iustice first that we hurt no person then that we serue the common profite of men forasmuch as we are seruants vnto all Moreouer if hee to whom we are to restore be vnknowne vnto vs we must make diligent enquiry to know him if he be dead restore it to his heires that he hath left behind him if he be remooued farre from vs it ought if it be possible to be sent vnto him if it cannot be done safely and fitly it ought to be laid vp in some safe place and then the matter must be signified to the owner that he may take order by some meanes to haue it or to dispose of it at his own pleasure The sixt doubt is this whether he be alwayes bound to restore which hath taken any thing I answere he is alwayes bound so long as he hath any thing in his keeping Restitution belongeth to satisfaction but he that hath offended ought to satisfie â—â—w restitutiâ—â— to be â—de by him 〈◊〉 hath taâ— anything Now albeit he that hath taken away any thing haue it not in his owne keeping but another yet because the owner is destitute of his goods he is bound to restore them in regard of the iniury that he hath done or to procure the restoring at his hands that hath them in his possession Besides a man is bound to open and vncouer his owne fault not onely to God by confession but to his brother by satisfaction Many wil neuer acknowledge the matter vntil they be taken with the manner Moreouer when many ioyntly together haue taken away from any man that which belongeth vnto him and some one of them hath made satisfaction vnto him fully so much as he can require the rest are bound to content him that hath satisfied the person iniured they are not to pay it vnto him that was damnified For then he should be payed doubly which double paiment he cannot receiue without iniustice seeing he that is wronged may as well offend by taking too much as they that do wrong by restoring too little Therefore they are repooued that having had their share and portion in euill gotten goods say what need I to giue any thing backe the party wronged is satisfied But if one man haue returned as much in value and quantitie as many tooke away the rest that were partakers of the booty are bound to satisfie him that hath paide the whole not him that was wronged because he hath receiued so much already as he could challenge 〈◊〉 as in 〈◊〉 owne â—ons haue â—aken aâ— any â—g may be â—d to reâ— Seuenthly we are to know and informe our selues whether they that haue not themselues in their owne persons taken away any thing may notwithstaÌ„ding be iustly bound to make restitution and tyed necessarily to this duety I answer that euen such as haue not taken any thing with their own hands are charged to restore because they may be the cause of vnlawful taking if not directly yet indirectly For the Apostle saith that they are worthy of death not only which commit euil things Rom. 1.32 but such as consent to them that do them or haue pleasure in them And we may be partakers of other mens sinnes and so draw vpon our selues the punishments due vnto them We are ready to iustifie our selues and to wash our hands when we practise not euill but it is as Pilate washed his hands who made himselfe guilty of innocent blood by consenting to the Iewes and by pronouncing sentence against him to please pleasure them as well as they that were the executioners and pierced his hands and feet so that
all the water in the riuer Iordan or in the wide sea is not able to cleere him and acquit him of putting the Lord of life to death Now if we desire to know how wee may be accessaries to other mens sinnes and draw them as it were with cart-ropes vpon our selues it may be considered of vs in those few words Iussio consilium consensus palpo recursus Participans mutus non obstans non manifestans Whosoeuer is any cause of any vniust dealing is bound to restore such are they that command or counsell or consent to euill such as flatter any in their euill by commending them for it such as are abetters to them receiuing aiding helping and assisting them such as are companions of them and take part with them he that is dumbe and holdeth his peace as if he neither saw nor heard any euill committed albeit he see it with his eyes and heare it with his eares he that suffereth it to be done and doth not hinder it and withstand it being able to doe it Lastly such as seeke shifts and shelters by all meanes to couer euill and doe not disclose the same when they are priuy to it For he that hideth it doth shew therby that he fauoreth it and furthereth it so farre as he can By all these waies we are made partakers of other mens sinnes and not onely doth he trespasse and offend which executeth and practiseth any sinnes but he that is by any of the former meanes a cause or occasion of them Notwithanding among these there is some difference For flattery and counsell praising them that doe euil and counselling them to doe euill doe not alwayes oblige and bind to restitution but then only when it appeareth euidently that vniust dealing hath proceeded chiefly or onely from these causes where he that is principall in the action is principally bound to restitution to wit he that requireth cōmandeth then he that executeth it And concerning the rest to wit such as doe not bewray or not hinder or not reproue a theefe that stealeth are not alwaies bound to restore but then onely when an absolute necessity lyeth vpon them and no great danger follows by this negligence default Lastly it remaineth to shew this doubt whether a mā be boūd to restore by by or whether he may put off and delay the discharge of this duty No man is to delay restitution but by consent Euery one is charged necessarily to hasten restitution so soone as he is able and conueniently may do it God loueth a cheerefull giuer and restorer whereas delay in any good duty argueth an vnwilling minde It sheweth that we are not throughly resolued to do it It maketh vs euery day more vnfit then other It manifesteth that we are more then halfe willing to keepe it by vs still He that hath hired a poore seruant to doe his worke must giue him his hire before the Sunne goe downe Deut. 24 13. And as it is a sinne against iustice to take away another mans goods so it is likewise to deteine it with vs because the owner thereby is hindred from the vse thereof and so a double iniury is done vnto him but no man is allowed to stay any time though it be short in sinne Neuerthelesse if a man be not able to make present restitution he is to craue pardon and desire respit of him whom he hath wronged but without his consent that is damnified he hath no liberty to keepe euill gotten goods that is of ability to make restitution The counsell that Salomon giueth to the man that hath this worlds goods that he must giue speedily and not bid his neighbour come againe vnto him Prou. 3 28. if he haue at the present for him it must also serue as a good direction to him that hath gotten and ingrossed into his owne hands other mens goods he must not say I will restore them to morrow if he be able to do it to day If we be carefull to practise these things which now haue beene rehearsed we shall finde much comfort in them and assure our owne hearts that we haue truely repented of our sinnes Verse 8. If the man haue no kinseman to recompence the trespasse vnto let the trespasse bee recompenced vnto the Lord euen to the Priest In these words we haue an amplification of the former law by way of preuenting an obiection of which we haue spoken before or rather of many obiections together couched as it were vpon an heape For it may be asked What if the party be dead and gone from whom we haue taken The answer is Restore to his childe What then if he haue no child Restore to his brothers children What if he haue no brother or sister Restore to his next kinseman But put case he haue no kinseman at all Restore it to the Lord euen to the Priest As if he should say Though sometimes it fall out that thou shalt finde no kinseman yet thou shalt neuer haue the Lord to seeke neither the Priest whom he hath set ouer you The point then heere to be obserued is this that the Lord and the Priest are put as both one for it is in the originall To the Lord to the Priest so that the restitution to the Priest was a restitution to the Lord. Doctrine Whatsoeuer is done to the Minister◠done to the Lord. We learne from hence that whatsoeuer is done to the Ministers of the word God accounteth it as done vnto himselfe If we doe good vnto them wee doe good vnto the Lord if we do euill vnto them we do euill to the Lord himselfe We see afterward in this booke chap. 16 verse 11. when Korah and his company lifted vp themselues against Gods ordinance and the authority of Moses and Aaron he saith vnto them Thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him They thought they had to do with his seruant but he sheweth they had to doe with the Lord. When the people required of Samuel that he would make them a King to iudge them like all the Nations the Lord said vnto him 1 Sam. 8 7. Hearken vnto the voyce of the people in all that they say vnto thee for they haue not reiected thee but they haue reiected mee that I should not reigne ouer them Their gathering together against the Prophet was a muster and mutinie and murmuring against God This is that which Christ spake vnto the seuenty Disciples and to the Apostles before them He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10 16. Math. 10 40. Whereby we see that this is the dignity and authority of the Ministery which God hath established that how meane soeuer the persons of the Ministers are yet he so magnifieth their office that what is done to them is offered vnto him The reasons heereof are most
is a seruice that is well pleasing in his sight forasmuch as we shew thereby that we do not depend on the pleasure of men but rely our selues vpon the authority of God And as it is the praise and triall of a good subiect who is content to beleeue and obey the lowest messenger and least officer that commeth vnto him with a message and commandement from his Prince so heereby it appeareth that we are true Citizens of the kingdom of God his adopted children if we heare his word with feare and reuerence albeit it be preached vnto vs by the meanest and poorest of all Gods seruants On the other side as it is a note of contempt toward the Magistrate himselfe to disobey or resist any Serieant or seruant that commeth from him how base soeuer he may seeme to be so wee make our selues guilty of rebellion and high treason against GOD when wee despise such as speake in his Name and contemne them that haue authority committed vnto them from the most high All such as loathe the truth for the Teachers sake when their owne consciences conuince them that it is the word of God which soundeth in their eares let them assure themselues and perswade their owne hearts that the contempt of their persons redoundeth to the Sonne of God yea to the Father himselfe Let them marke this point weigh it diligently who take it hainously when they are reprooued of men equall vnto them or inferiour to them or if they be contemptible to the world by reason of their poore estate The fourth reproofe Lastly it reproueth those that go about to shake the faith of many and to weaken the assurance and certainty of our saluation hauing the promises thereof propounded vnto vs in the doctrine and by the writings of the Apostles Hence it is that sundry scoffers and prophane spirits aske the question who is Paul and who is Peter or what is Iohn that wee should of necessity beleeue them Who gaue them authority or whence haue they power in the Church to set downe and prescribe vnto vs a rule of faith The doctrine that now we deale withall serueth very fitly to stoppe the mouthes of these Atheists and containeth a soueraigne preseruatiue against the poison that they offer vnto vs inasmuch as Christ the eternall Sonne of God maketh them his messengers his witnesses his heraulds to spread abroad his sauing health and auoucheth that he speaketh in them acknowledgeth himselfe to be author of that truth which they deliuer Gal. 1 8. so that if an Angell from heauen should preach any other Gospel then that which they haue preached to the Churches hee must bee holden accursed This therefore we ought to apply vnto our selues and gather as an argument of great comfort that when remission of sins and eternall life are promised to them that are truely penitent and lay hold vpon Christ by a liuely faith according to the doctrine of the Apostles we must assure our selues it is the voice of Christ and he will ratifie it in the highest heauens Neither is this true onely touching the Apostles themselues that had their calling from God and not from men and were conuersant with Christ in the daies of his flesh but likewise of all the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ that haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen committed vnto them When we assure forgiuenesse of sinnes to those that haue contrite and broken hearts it is no doubtfull or vncertaine assurance but grauen with a diamond and written as it were with a pen of steele to continue for euer forasmuch as it is the assurance of Christ and of God himselfe The voice of the Minister is not the voyce of a priuate man but of one that is a publike person it is as the voice of Christ himselfe Art thou humbled and cast downe for thy sinnes and doth thy soule cleaue vnto the dust He sendeth his Minister vnto thee and putteth the word of reconciliation into his mouth so that if thou vnfainedly turne vnto God be as well assured of the mercy of God toward thee as thou heardst Christ himselfe say vnto thee as he did sometimes to the sicke of the palsie Sonne bee of good cheare Math. 3 2. thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Againe when the Ministers of God on the other side doe threaten and thunder out the sentence of condemnation against the vnbeleeuers and such as cannot repent this also is no lesse the voice of the Sonne of God which no power of the world nor authority of man can hinder or call backe forasmuch as whose sinnes they reteine they are reteined Iohn ◠This iudgement howsoeuer it be either denied or derided or doubted off among the vngodly yet will Christ make it good and execute the same vpon them to their confusion This doctrine reacheth to the true Ministers of the word who haue their calling from God his word As for the Bishop of Rome that challengeth sole authority to forgiue sinnes and will haue all his decrees and decretals no lesse acknowledged then the word of God it is more then childish and ridiculous For he hath nothing common with the Apostles and cannot proue his succession wherein he glorieth by any sound reasons and yet arrogateth more vnto himselfe then GOD gaue or the Apostles tooke or the Church acknowledged to be due vnto the Apostles forasmuch as the Lord tied thē by an expresse commandement that they should teach the people to obserue those things which he had commanded them Vse 3 Thirdly this serueth to informe the Ministers that it concerneth them much to adorne their calling and to magnifie their Ministery that it bee not blemished and euill spoken off through their default This ought aboue all other things to be a spur vnto vs in our sides and as a fire kindled within our bowels to inflame our hearts with a zeale of Gods glory with a loue of his people with a care to discharge our office committed vnto vs with an earnest desire to encrease the kingdome of Christ Iesus For seeing God accounteth vs as his owne Embassadors sent out to do his wil and vouchsafeth to ioyne our labour with mans saluation we are bound in duty and conscience to preach the Gospel truely purely painefully sincerely and soundly It is required of vs not onely to teach but to teach the truth and to teach the truth with a right affection For we can neuer challenge the names and titles of being the Messengers of God vnto our selues and to be respected as the person of Christ himselfe except we preach the pure word of God and commend to the Church the pure doctrine of Christ If wee preach corruptly and make merchandise of the word of God and mingle wheat with chaffe and good corne with darnell or that which is worse we are not to bee accepted receiued as Christ but to be reiected and refused as false teachers that speake in their owne
seruants of corruption but the Lords freemen Let them reioyce and bee glad because their names are written in heauen Christ willeth the seuenty Disciples to reioyce in this and not so much that the diuels were subdued vnto them Luke 10. so ought it to be with vs we should finde no ioy or coÌ„fort in our riches treasures and in our store and aboundance of earthly things in comparison of those vnspeakable benefits which we receiue from Christ and enioy by Christ If we had all things without him they might delight the eye and outward man but they could not comfort the heart nor refresh the weary soule Math. 16 26. For what is a man profited if hee shall gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule Or what shall a man giue in exchange for his soule Let vs then learne heereby what true comfort is and wherein it consisteth there is no comfort without Christ he is the substance of the Gospel and there is no glad tydings can come to the soule where he is not Verses 9 10. And euery offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel which they bring vnto the Priest shall bee his euery mans hallowed things c. In these last words of this diuision we haue the application or conclusion of the former law amplified by an argument of the like God had appointed in his Law that the Priests should receiue the oblations and hallowed things to sustaine them Leuit. 10 12. Now euen as these things belong vnto them so God appointeth that such things as are stollen and haue no owner or heire aliue shall be brought to them in case the persons be dead or not knowne to whom they might of right belong Thus doth God prouide for the maintenance of them that serued him We learne from hence that the Ministers of the Church that labour therein Doctrine The Miniâ—â—â— of the châ—â—â— ought to be maintained ought to be maintained of the Church I will not handle in this place whether tithes be due by a diuine right or not but rather come to the equity of it that in the time of the Gospel the Pastours of the Church ought to liue of the Gospel For if in time of the Law the Priests that serued at the Altar had a plentifull allowance as it were a liberall dyet as wee haue shewed before forasmuch as they had benefit by the sacrifices and oblations by first fruites and tenths and such like then it followeth necessarily that the Ministers of the new Testament should haue also a good reward and recompence for their paines and labours And it followeth not by equall comparison but from the lesse to the greater seeing their office is greater the least in the kingdom of heauen being greater then Iohn Baptist Math. 11.11 and therefore the hire of their labor ought not to be lesse To this purpose speaketh the Lord by the ministery of Moses in many places of the Law In the booke of Genesis wheÌ„ Abraham returned from the slaughter of the Kings Gen. 14. â—â— Heb. 7 4 he gaue him tithes of all the spoiles that he had taken in warre God had dispersed the Leuites among all the Tribes and assigned theÌ„ Cities to inhabite in all their quarters to the intent that sound doctrine should be taught throughout the whole Country They had no inheritance alotted and assigned vnto them God promiseth to become their portion and therefore the people ought not to defraud them Deut 12 12. The Leuite was euer to be with them that was within their gates He assigned also to Aaron and his sonnes a worthy portion so that none that serued at the Altar had any want To this purpose the Apostle speaketh to the Galatians chapter 6 verse 6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate vnto him that teacheth in all good things This precept the Apostle giueth to them that are taught toward their teachers wherein he layeth downe these particulars first that the Ministers are to be maintained Secondly they are to be prouided for at the costs and charges of the Churches Thirdly that they are to be sustained honestly liberally and bountifully to the end the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne might appeare not to be muzled The elders that rule wel ought to haue double honour giuen vnto them 1. Tim. 5.18 Not that all ought to be giuen into the Ministers hands that they should abound and others want that they should liue richly or riotously others beggerly as hypocrites dealt among the Pharisies and as it is now in the Church of Rome where they deuoure widows houses and vnder a colour of this commandement haue drawne dry the treasures of Princes and eaten vp the fatte of the land as their Abbies and Monasteries euery where testifie so that they haue builded them pallaces and castles like Princes of the spoiles of other men but the Apostles meaning is that they ought to haue an honest pension and contribution giuen vnto them not abounding in superfluity but contenting themselues with a sufficiency according to the rule of the Apostle Hauing food and rayment let them bee content Reason 1 This trueth is farther confirmed vnto vs by the force of reasons as it were by strong cordes that cannot be broken First the Apostle writing to the Corinthians handleth this argument at large where he setteth downe sundry similitudes which serue fitly and notably to illustrate the same as it were so many lights brought forth to open and discouer the nature of things that are darke and doubtfull The souldier that goeth forth to battell â—or 9.7 fighteth not at his owne costs but hath his pay and wages of his Captaine that hath called him The Planter that planteth trees eateth of the labour of his hands and tasteth of the fruit of the things he hath set and grafted The Shepheard that feedeth a flocke eateth of the milke of the flocke The sower that goeth out to sow reapeth that which he hath sowed and gathereth it into the barne The Ministers of the Gospel are the Lords souldiers to fight his battels against sinne and Satan by the two-edged sword of the word they are the chariots and horsemen of Israel King 2.12 â— 13.14 they plant as gardiners they sow as husbandmen they feed as sheepheards and therefore they all ought to haue a recompense for their labours and maintenance for their persons answerable or agreeable to the worke that is in their hands Reason 2 Secondly such as are taught and instructed by the Ministers are debters vnto them All honest men are bound to pay their debtes or else they are no better then theeues There is a mutuall band and coniunction betweene the Minister and the people and either of them oweth a necessary duty vnto the other It is a part of naturall equity that when we haue receiued a benefit we should recompence our benefactors They that haue receiued much are bound to
with their masters and they possessed them for euer as their oxen or horses and had power to saue them or to kill them at their owne pleasure no man could speake against it or call them to answer and account for it Neuerthelesse the wise men among them saw by the light of nature that there was a common equity to be vsed toward al reasonable creatures and therefore exhorted them to vse their seruants well and to refraine their anger toward them in consideration of their owne gaine and profite that should come vnto them thereby They saw not into the force of the former reason that they must giue an account to God but they mooued them in regard of their own good benefit as also Paul doth Philemon Philem. 11.12 who shold find his seruant profitable vnto him and therefore he sent him againe and would haue him receiue him againe The heathen could say Whatsoeuer thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe doe not thou to another which is according to the rule of Christ Matth. 7.12 All things whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you doe ye euen so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets If then we respect not equitie let vs be mooued by our owne commodity Sixtly we are all as brethren in Christ Iesus howsoeuer many be of low degree and despised in the world yet Christ himselfe accounteth all that beleeue in him to be his brethren If we haue God to be our Father wee must confesse his children to be our brethren If we be ashamed to account thus of others let vs take heed lest Christ be ashamed of vs when he commeth in his glory The Apostle speaking of him saith Heb. 2.17 In all things it behoued him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining vnto God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Ver. 12. And in the same chapter he bringeth in Christ speaking I will declare thy Name vnto my brethren in the middest of the Church will I sing praise vnto thee True it is there is a difference betweene man and man in outward things but in the chiefest things they are equal the lowest haue as good a title to saluation and the kingdome of heauen as the highest there is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither male nor female there is neither bond nor free but we are all one in Christ Iesus Seuenthly this milde dealing toward them serueth to giue them encouragement in well-doing For when they shall see such kindnesse in their masters that they are content to heare them patiently to beare with them meekely and to entreat them gently so that they vse no vnmercifull or vnmeasurable or vnreasonable rigour toward them how is or at least how ought the heart of the seruants to be cheered and comforted in their obedience to them and in yeelding all possible good seruice to them in the singlenesse of their hearts By too much lenity they grow saucie and oftentimes outragious The wise man saith Pamper vp a seruant Prou 29.21 and he will be as thine owne sonne Giue seruants the reines of libertie they waxe proud and know neither their masters nor themselues nor their duties so soone as they are set on horsebacke they gallop beyond all measure There is a moderation to be kept betweene two extreames too much and too little and we may offend by the one as well as by the other Hence it is that Paul setting downe the duties of fathers toward their children Col. 3.21 saith Fathers prouoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged or out of heart Gentle natures are soone dismayed they are rebuked by a word and by a look we must take heede we be not bitter to them Lastly looke how we would be dealt withall by others in like manner ought we to deal with others and behaue our selues toward others There is none of vs all but we desire to haue the seruants that are vnder vs deale well with vs to serue vs willingly to obey vs cheerefully to honour vs readily and from the heart we therefore in our commandements toward them ought to vse all humanity and equity and this the Apostle calleth to doe the same things toward them Ephes 6.9 Againe as we desire that God should forbeare threatnings toward vs and forgiue vs vpon our vnfained repentance so ought wee to doe wee ought to forbeare threatning and to forgiue them that haue offended vs when we see the fruits of a true conuersion and turning vnto God in them And this doth the Apostle require at the hands of Philemon howsoeuer in former times the seruant had purloyned from his master as we haue noted at large vpon that Epistle To conclude therefore seeing God will haue the innocent protected and not oppressed in iudgement it behooueth euery one to looke to the duties of his calling as the seruant should not rise against the master so the master ought not to oppresse the seruant Let all men learne mildenesse toward their inferiours that God may be serued aboue all 19 And the Priest shall charge her by an oath and say vnto the woman if no man hath lyen with thee and if thou hast not gone aside to vncleannesse with another in stead of thy husband be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse 20 But if thou hast gone aside to another in stead of thy husband and if thou bee defiled and some man hath lyen with thee beside thine husband 21 Then the Priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing and the Priest shall say vnto the woman The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell 22 And this water that causeth the curse shal goe into thy bowels to make thy belly to swell and thy thigh to rot and the woman shall say Amen Amen Hitherto we haue shewed such actions as were vsed to try the faith and fidelity of the suspected woman now we come to the words that are spoken declaring the manner how it was performed from the 19 verse to the ende of the 22. verse Heerein we haue laid before vs two thinges first the oath it selfe Secondly the assent of the woman vnto the oath Touching the oath we haue heere a prescript forme of it and the words prescribed vnto her are ministred to her by the Priest who vttereth it by his voyce conditionally on both parts If thou hast not gone astray and broken the band and couenant of mariage so that no man hath knowne thee carnally be free from this curse But if thou hast offended this way and that thou be defiled the curse come vpon thee The assent of the woman followeth being expressed by a common note vsed in the conclusion of all prayers Amen Amen Wherein we are to obserue two things both the signification
their head and gouernour Iudg. 11.10 and that they would bee subiect vnto him The Lord be witnesse betweene vs if we do not according to thy words In like maner Iehoiada the Priest making Ioash king whoÌ„ he had preserued from the massacre executed against the blood royall and hidden sixe yeres in the house of the Lord tooke an oath of the captaines guard that they should obey the king whom he shewed vnto them 2 Kin. 2.11.4 Whereby we may conclude that Christian Princes may bind their subiects by an oath and that subiects may ought to swear to do all homage vnto their Princes so that it argueth a treacherous intent meaning in the Popish sort that refuse to take the oth of alleageance as if they meant to performe no duty to their lawfull Princes For all such as are the Popes subiects caÌ„not be true subiects if he that challengeth a supremacy be their Prince the Prince cannot be supreme Againe an oath may lawfully be taken to confirme a league and establish a couenant between man and man to assure those we deale with that we for our parts mean faithfully purpose to keep it inuiolable And we haue sundry examples heereof in holy Scripture Abraham entred into a league with Abimelech Gen. 21.23.24 26.21.29.31 and confirmed the same by oath For when Abimelech said Swear vnto me heere by God that thou wilt not deale falsely with me nor with my sonne c. he answered I will sweare The like is shewed afterward how Abimelech maketh a couenant with Isaac at Beer-sheba he said Let there be now an oath betwixt vs euen betwixt vs and thee and let vs make a couenant with thee that thou wilt doe vs no hurt as we haue not touched thee c. and they arose vp betimes in the morning and sware one to another The like agreement by oath passed betweene Iacob and Laban Gen. 31.53 So did Dauid and Ionathan make a faithful league betweene them and confirmed it with a solemne oath 1 Sam. 18.3 and 20.8 and 23.18 As then we may sweare to witnesse our alleageance to Princes so also we may for the confirmation of couenants betwixt others and our selues Thirdly it is lawfull to take an oath for the deciding of controuersies that arise betweene party and party which otherwise cannot be ended Some things are committed and conueyed away in such secret maner that they cannot possibly come to light but onely by an oath so that Magistrates are forced to put men to an oath to witnesse the trueth in the Name of God When one is found slaine in the field and it is not knowne who hath slaine him the Lord commandeth that the elders of that citie which are next vnto the slain man shall come into his presence and to say Be mercifull O Lord vnto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood vnto their charge Deut. 21.8 So we shewed before out of the Epistle to the Hebrews that the end of an oath is the confirmation of a truth Woe therfore vnto them that vse it and feare not to take it for the confirmation of an vntruth Lastly we may lawfully swear to iustifie our religion and to bind our selues thereby vnto his worship When men grow cold and carelesse or stand wauering and halting betweene two opinions as if they knew not whether they should worship God or Baal we may strengthen our selues and confirme our hearts in the purity of religion as in the dayes of Asa they entred into a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers 〈◊〉 15. â— 14. and â— 32. with all their heart and with all their soule that whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman and they sware vnto the Lord with a loude voyce and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets These are the chiefe ends of an oath and therefore in euery Christian Common-wealth it ought to haue place without which many euils would lie hidden and vnknowne many men would be hindred in their right and many good duties would be vnperformed It is a good duty to testifie our subiection to our Princes and Magistrates It is a good duty to giue assurance to men of our faithfulnesse in keeping couenants It is a good duty to end controuersies and thereby to become peacemakers It is a good duty to binde our selues not to start backe from our holy religion profession but to continue constant vnto the end all which are the benefits that proceede from an oath Lastly the adioyned properties of an oath â—roper â—f an oth are to be considered For as euery oath is not vnlawful so euery oath is not lawful therefore we are to marke what are lawful what vnlawfull Those are lawfull that disagree not with Gods word those are vnlawfull that are contrary to it The lawfull oathes are vndertakeÌ„ of such things as are true certenly known possible godly necessary profitable waighty and worthy so great a confirmation If these or any one of them be wanting the oath becommeth wicked if they concurre and meete together so that we be duly prepared therunto it ought to be performed On the other side if the matters vndertaken be false or vncertaine or vnknowne or vnpossible or vnprofitable or vnnecessary or wicked or friuolous and light the oath is vnlawfull and to performe it is to adde sinne to sinne as we noted before For he that sweareth to performe that which is false maketh God that is trueth witnesse of an vntruth he that taketh an oath oâ— vncertaine things sweareth with an euill conscience and considereth not what he doth neither regardeth the presence the power and punishment of God when he presumeth to make God a witnesse of the things which hee knoweth not whether they be trueth or vntrueth he that taketh an oath of any wicked thing maketh God to fauour and approoue that which he hath forbidden in his Law and is flatly contrary to himselfe whosoeuer taketh an oath of vnpossible things mocketh God and man to their faces forasmuch as hee cannot haue a purpose and resolution to performe that which he speaketh and sweareth He that taketh an oath lightly declareth that he hath no reuerence or feare of God before his eyes And this is a most certaine rule that whosoeuer commonly sweareth commonly forsweareth or at least will make no bones of it if he see any aduantage to come by it because he that maketh no coÌ„science of the one will not make any of the other Thus we haue handled the doctrine of oathes let vs now make conscience of them take heed we take not the Name of God in vaine He is iealous of his honor and glory let vs not abuse his patience Though he be slow to anger yet he is great in power and albeit he beare long forbeare much Nahum 1.3 yet he will
God not so much because the Church affirmeth it but because we find them to be so as the sheep of Christ acknowledged the voyce of their Shepheard Christ Iesus speaking in them Vse 2 Secondly this assureth vs that the trueth of God shall remaine and continue for euer to the end of the world It may be sometimes brought into a narrow compasse and be much eclipsed that the light shall appeare to be but little but it shall neuer perish vtterly or bee rooted out of the earth For seeing the Church is appointed the keeper and continuer of the trueth as the candlesticke of the candle and that the Church shall abide for euer because the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Matt. 16.18 it cannot bee that the trueth should faile and decay as we see notwithstanding the enemies of Iudah and Beniamin the word is kept vncorrupt and inuiolable to this day God will neuer suffer his people to be robbed thereof but his speciall prouidence watcheth ouer it for our good This doth the Scripture it selfe witnesse touching the durablenesse thereof that the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children for euer that we may doe all the wordes of this Law Deut. 29.29 The Lord hath founded his testimonies for euer Psal 119.152 Our Sauiour speaketh more fully euidently and vehemently Heauen and earth shal passe away but my words shall not passe Mar. 13.31 againe Verily I say vnto you till heauen and earth passe one iotte or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled Matth 5.18 We know by experience that all flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man as the flowre of grasse the grasse withereth and the flowre thereof fadeth and falleth away Peter 1 25. but the word of the Lord endureth for euer This we may see in the bookes of Salomon 1 Kin. 4.32 33. Hee spake three thousand Prouerbes and his songs were a thousand and fiue and he spake of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen vnto the hyssope that springeth out of the wall he spake also of beasts and of fowles and of creeping things and of fishes These bookes of naturall Philosophy were no doubt the most profitable bookes that euer were written in that kind he being endued with the greatest wisedome that euer man since the fall had Christ Iesus only excepted yet none of these are to be found onely those that pertaine to religion and godlinesse remaine safely reserued for all posterities This is the more to be considered wondered at inasmuch as there be infinite moe in the world that affect the knowledge of natural things rather then they doe spirituall and of earthly rather then they do heauenly yet they could not deliuer them from the ruines of time but they are buryed in the graue of perpetuall forgetfulnesse neuer to be raised or recouered These are dead and gone as if they had neuer been written wheras on the other side his holy writings hated of the most part of the world and carelesly regarded of the multitude euen of those that liued in the bosome of the Church haue notwithstanding as full a remembrance as they had the first day the Lord gaue them to his people This serueth to conuince those that thinke many of the bookes inspired by God to be lost thereby accusing the prouidence of God or at least the church of great carelesnesse and negligence of which crime notwithstanding it is not guilty Thirdly there is no light of trueth to bee Vse 3 found any where else able to guide vnto faith and saluation then in the true Church of God For all other places are places of darkenesse and nothing to be found in them but lies errours deceiuings superstition and the spirit of slumber Exod 10 23. As no light was to be found in all Egypt but in the land of Goshen and among the Israelites onely so no sauing doctrine that giueth light to the eyes of the minde is to be found out of the Church they that are in this state liue in palpable darkenesse and can see neither themselues nor others but lie in ignorance and wickednes as Iohn teacheth We know that we are of God 1 Iohn 5 19. and the whole world lyeth in wickednesse Such sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death till this light set on the Candlesticke be brought vnto them Matth. 4 16. The people which sate in darkenesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung vp Therefore to be out of the Church is to be in the state of damnation yea to be in the very dungeon of hell and the kingdome of darkenesse to be vnder the power of Satan the prince of darknesse as there was no saluation out of the Church Let euery man therefore seeke and endeauour with all care to ioyne himselfe to the true Church of God to be a member of the body of Christ that so we may attaine to the light of knowledge and the light of the eternall life Vse 4 Lastly it is a duty belonging to euery one to be an helper to the spreading abroad of the doctrine of godlinesse and to doe all for the truth but nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13 8. Euery man desireth to bee the messenger of good newes so should wee desire to publish to others and to continue to posterity the sauing knowledge of the Gospel For this is the foundation and ground-work of all true obedience The truth of God is as a precious treasure beset with many enemies that wold take it from vs against whom we must alwaies cōtend that we may keepe faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1 19. This truth is the instrument of the holie Ghost to worke all necessary graces in our hearts Rom 1 16. as beeing the power of GOD to saluation and it reuealeth vnto vs all things needful vnto saluation concerning things to be beleeued or things to be practised Hence it is that the Apostle Iude saith Beloued when I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation Iude verse 3. it was needfull for me to write vnto you that yee should earnestly contend for the faith which was once giuen vnto the Saints The true treasure of the Church is committed to the Saints they are the keepers of the doctrine of saluation This is no small trust it is no smal charge that is giuen vnto them wee must therefore fight to maintaine it This must not bee a bodily fight but a spirituall combat and it consisteth of diuers duties Ioel 2 28. Euery man in his place ought to bee as a Prophet or a Preacher for wee are made spirituall Priestes both to pray and to preach We are bound to teach all that are vnder our roofe and iurisdiction that we may be as Gods blessed instruments to conueigh his truth to others It is the duty of
to feede all his creatures though they be neuer so many yea though we see no meanes which way hee can do it for hee is not tied vnto them but worketh freely sometimes with them and sometimes without them Fourthly we learn that all gifts proceed from one and the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12 4. Iohn 14 16. Fiftly we see in the lusting of these men that God heareth the prayers of wicked men and oftentimes granteth them howbeit not in mercie but in wrath and iudgement 1 Sam. 8 5. maketh their owne prayers and desires to be their punishment and to turne to their destruction thereby to teach vs to be careful what to ask euen such things as are agreeable to his will not such things as wee may spend vpon our owne lusts But the point which I do purpose most to insist vpon is the threatning of God that the flesh should doe them no good but come out at their nostrils which iudgement hee also accomplished verse 33. For while the flesh was yet in their teeth before it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them and he smote them with a very great plague The doctrine from hence is this Doctrine God somtimes denieth a blessing to his creatures that the Lord doth punish the sonnes of men when as in abundance of meate and drink they haue no benefit or comfort by them Hee punisheth as well in the middest of store and plenty as hee doth with want and scarsity This he doth many wayes sometimes he withdraweth strength from the creatures that they cannot nourish Hag. 1 9 6. Sometimes he taketh away mens appetites and giueth no strength to digest them or to swallow them as in this place though they had meate in their mouthes yet he sent leannesse into their soules and brought his wrath vpon the vnworthy receiuers thereof Psa 78 30 31. So Esa 3 1. 9 20. Deut. 28 â—7 Mic. 6 14. Esay 28 7 8. It is as great a iudgement and punishment Reason 1 of God to take away the blessing from his creatures as to depriue vs of the Creatures themselues To bee without meate without drinke without raiment without necessaries for this life is a sore plague and one of the greatest iudgements that God inflicteth in this life Now certainly it must needes bee as great a iudgement not to haue benefite and comfort by them when we haue them It is all one not to haue them and not to be norished by them Had not these Israelites bin as good be without these Quailes as to haue them not bee able to swallow them Night is as comfortable to a blind man as the day it is all one to him and why because the sight of the eyes is taken from him Silence is as profitable to the deaf man as the vttering of a voice let the speech bee neuer so excellent because he cannot hear So we may say that the stones are as good for the nourishment of men as bread or flesh when God with-draweth his blessing from them It is as great a iudgment to want the stand of bread as bread it selfe Secondly it is a great punishment because Reason 2 to eate and not to be nourished doth not only decay life and bring an end of our daies but we sustaine a more miserable death then if we dyed by fire or water or sword or pestilence This is a languishing and consuming of vs by little and little and a pining of the flesh away as it were by peece-meale Acknowledge that it is a great punishment Vse 1 and iudgement vpon vnlawfull desires lustes and pleasures they haue for the most part lothing following and accompanying the same yea many times the after-loathing is far greater then the delight taken before Vnlawfull pleasure lasteth not long and the companion following it at the heeles is pain Prou. 14 12 13. and 20 17. and 5 3 4. and 23 31 32. 2. Sam 13 14 15. The forbidden fruite was delightfull to the eye and pleasant to the taste but it did sting in the end as a Serpent and did bite as a Cockatrice The reioycing of the wicked is short Iob 20 4 5. Like the noise of thornes vnder a pot Eccl 7 8. The pleasures of sinne are but for a short season Heb. 11.25 Ier. 2 19. Prou. 7.23 The guilt of sinne remaineth behind after the committing of it and bindeth him to iudgement that doth commit it Secondly whensoeuer this state befalleth Vse 2 vs know we that it is Gods hand We do not for the most part lift vp our eies to God when it commeth but rather impute it to our owne weakenesse and infirmity without ascending any higher Many haue great aboundance of blessings from God yet they are not satisfied they neuer thinke they haue enough This is a great iudgement of God this is the curse of God vpon the couetous man Vse 3 Thirdly it teacheth that howsoeuer wee haue plenty and abundance yet take heede we do not flatter our selues for we may meet with a curse not inferior to the curse of those that are in pouerty and extreame necessitie which falleth out when the Lord denyeth strength to the creature or to vs to receyue the same We haue a common prouerb among vs that misseth not much of the trueth Men say the poore may eate when he hath meate and the rich when he hath a stomack Whereby we meane that an appetite is as necessarie as our meate Hence it is that the rich which haue plenty and know not what pouertie meaneth are as much indebted vnto God bound to be thankfull vnto him for their dayly bread when hee giueth them strength to receiue it and addeth a further blessing vnto it when it is receiued as the poore man as the poorest man of all is For though they haue abundance â—ea 4 10. yet God can curse it if he blow on it he can turne away the blessing and quickly bring it to passe that they shall haue no comfort by it and therefore Christ saith Lu. 12 15. A mans life consisteth not in the abundaÌ„ce of the things which he possesseth This serueth to ad monish rich men to consider what neede they haue of the blessing of God vpon the store prouision which they haue For as it is the curse of God vpon couetous rich men that they cannot bee satisfied with riches so is it vpon those which haue meate and drinke and cannot be satisfied nor haue enough nor bee fed and nourished by them Vse 4 Lastly it is a duty required of vs if we desire to enioy the blessings of God as blessings to labor to vse the creatures of God in a godly and religious manner We must partake of them not onely soberly and moderately to strengthen nature and not to oppresse it but there is more required in the vse of Gods blessings We must carry our selues religiously euen in eating and drinking 〈◊〉 eating â—â—â—nking â—â—ould be
this is the end that God aimeth at Reason 3 in all his threatnings not the destruction of them that are threatned but their amendment Ezek. 18 23. Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should returne from his waies and liue and ch 33 11. Why will ye die O house of Israel The vses First consider that in the greatest Vse 1 and most fearefâ—ll threatnings of Gods heauy iudgements theâ—e is comfort remaining and hope of grace and mercy to be found there is life in death and health in sicknesse if we can change and amend Thus do the Princes of Iudah profite by the threatnings of the Prophet when he had threatned desolation of the Lords house and the destruction of the whole Land for which the Priests and people would haue put him to death they pleaded the practise example of good Hezekiah for the comfort of themselues and the people of his time and thereby stirred vp themselues to feare the Lord and to turne from their euill waies Ier. 26.18 The place is worthy to be considered where the Princes shew that Ieremy did no more theÌ„ Micah had done before him yet Hezekiah and all Iudah did not put him to death but feared the Lord and besought him of mercy and the Lord repented him of the euill which he had pronounced against them But it may be obiected Obiectioâ— If God threaten one thing and doth another it may seeme his will is changeable and that he hath two wils I answer Answer the will of God is one and the same as God is one but it is distinguished into that which is secret reuealed as the Church is sometimes visible and sometimes inuisible yet but one Church The secret will is of things hidden with himselfe and not manifested in the word The reuealed is of things made knowne in the Scripture Deut. 29 29. and by daily experience The secret is without condition the reuealed with condition and therefore for the most part it is ioyned with exhortation admonition instruction and reprehension But no man is exhorted and admonished to doe his secret will because no man can resist it the reprobate and diuels themselues are subiect vnto it and must performe it Rom. 9.19 Vse 2 Secondly it is the duty of the Ministers to propound the threatnings of GOD with such conditions prouoking and perswading all men to repentance and amendment of life offering grace and mercy to the humble and broken hearted 〈◊〉 1 4 14. â—2 3 Esa â— 16. They are to preach not onely the law but likewise with the law the Gospel And thus they are said both to bind and loose both to retaine sins and to forgiue For as Eliah by his earnest and zealous prayer did both shut vp the heauens 〈◊〉 4.25 Iam. â— 18. and open the windowes of heauen so that it gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruit so the Ministers of God by their earnest zealous preaching do shut vp the kingdome of heauen against all obstinate persons â—â—th 16.19 and also open the heauens to such as are penitent To propound the threatnings of God without condition is to bring men to despaire and to take from them all hope of mercy and forgiuenesse Thirdly it is the duty of the people whensoeuer Vse 3 they heare the theatnings of God to stirre vp themselues to repentance thereby to preuent his wrath and to stay his iudgements Let vs take heed we doe not rush on as the horse in the day of battell 〈◊〉 12.11 12. to our destruction And thus haue the seruants of God vnderstood his threatnings and accounted them as a Sermon of repentance as we heard before of Hezekiah king of Iudah and all Iudah with him when Micah the Morashite prophesied saying 〈◊〉 26.18 Thus saith the Lord of hostes Sion shall bee plowed like a field Ierusalem shall become heaps they fell not into desperation neither concluded an impossibility of obtaining pardon and the continuance of the Temple of the citie and of the whole kingdome but besought the Lord and feared his Name the Lord repented him of the plague which he had denounced against them And no maruell that this godly king conceiued the meaning of the threatning in that manner for so did the King of Niniueh an heathen and idolatrous king vnderstand the threatning of Ionah no otherwise Who can tell if God will turne and repent 〈◊〉 3 9. turne away from his fierce anger that we perish not Thus also did Hezekiah before named vnderstand the message sent to him from God by Esayah when he was sicke vnto death 〈◊〉 3â— 1.2 Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not liue and therefore he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord of life Let vs make this vse of the Ministery of the word and of all the threatnings contained therein to bee stirred vp to repentance and obedience lest we be destroyed If there be no change in vs let vs looke for a change from God and he will neuer change his threatnings except we change our liues and conuersations Vse 4 Fourthly seeing the threatnings of God suppose a condition we must also know how we ought to vnderstand his promises to wit with a condition The threatnings of GOD haue a condition of repentance the promises haue a condition of faith and obedience Esay 1.19 God hath made many mercifull promises vnto vs in his holy word howbeit he hath no otherwise bound himselfe vnto vs then wee will acknowledge our selues bound in duty to serue him We must not only consider what God promised to vs but withall remember what he requireth of vs. Hence it is that the Prophet saith I will speake suddenly concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to built it and to plant it Ier 18.9 10. but if it doe euill in my sight that it obey not my voyce then will I repent of the good wherewith I saide I will benefite them He hath promised to loue vs but he requireth at our hands to loue him againe He hath promised to forgiue vs our trespasses but he chargeth vs to forgiue them that trespasse against vs. He hath promised to be a Father vnto vs but he looketh for at our hands that we walke before him as obedient children Lastly if God threaten and no repentance Vse 5 followeth then certainely the threatnings pronounced will come to pâ—sse God threateneth not in vaine he terrifieth not without cause If we doe not preuent them they will preuent vs and take vs away suddenly See the fearefull examples of the flood of Sodome of the destruction of the ten tribes of Ierusalem and of the Iewes of the seuen Churches of Asia and other Churches planted by the Apostles supplanted in the wrath of God all assure vs of the truth of this point Consider our owne wayes in our hearts We liue where wee
neither more nor lesse is morall but if it should euer be changed againe we could not keepe the iust number of one in seuen but at the first change the proportion and morality would be broken â—ct If any aske how then was it changed at the first I answer â—er the Iewes that beleeued altered not the morality of one in seuen albeit they changed the day which was ceremoniall For in the first change they kept two Sabbaths together to wit the Iewish and the Christian yet without breach of the former proportion The Iewes kept the seuenth day for the week past we take the first day which is next to it and so keepe the Sabbath for the weeke to come they obserued that day in memoriall of the worke of creation which was past we christians keeping as we haue great cause the remembrance of the worke of redemption begin our Sabbath at the resurrection of Christ for the time following And thus was the day altered without breaking the morality of one day in seuen which is vnpossible euer to be so changed againe The Princes of Iudah are charged to change the boundes and landmarkes Hos 5 10. God hath set stakes and boundes as it were to compasse and inclose his Sabbath by appointing the time and limiting the season therefore to remoue this is as great an offence to God as to pull vp the pales and hedges of the ground is a trespasse to man If then we take vpon vs to appoint another day of our owne it cannot be called the Lords day but mans day or our owne day or the Churches day And it may be said of vs as Esay 1 12. Who required these things at your hands To set vp another day is to appoint a strange day like to Nadab and Abihu that offered strange fire If any say we may serue the Lord as well vpon another day I answer so might Nadab and Abihu consume the sacrifice with strange fire as well as by that preserued on the Altar yet they were punished of God because they altered his institution as we haue seen before Secondly this reproueth sundry sorts of persons Vse 2 that offend against this doctrine Of all the commandements of God none are more often vrged and yet not one is or hath beene more despised and transgressed The breach of the Sabbath is the maine sin of the world a generall euill spreading farre and neere an iniquitie abounding in euery congregation as if God had neuer spoken anything touching a Sabbath or as if it were a meere ordinance of man Nay humane inuentions and traditions are ordinarily better obserued and more regarded then this commandement of GOD. Now it reproueth especially three sorts First The first reproofe such as make the Lords day which should be the market day of the soule a day of vain pleasures and carnall delights a day of sports and recreations thinking it enough if they follow not the workes of their calling For wherefore are the workes of our ordinary vocations forbidden vpon the Sabbath and why are we restrained from them not that they are vnlawfull in themselues but because they take vp the minde and suffer it not to bee emploied in Gods businesse The same may be said of our owne pleasures much more which naturally we follow with more greedinesse and earnestnesse And it is well obserued that the multitude had rather goe to Church then goe to worke yet had rather go to play then to the Church This is the disposition of the greatest part especially of seruants and of the younger sort who commonly make no other reckoning of this day then as of a day of riot and reuelling of gaming and drinking neuer intending the worship of God which ought then especially to be performed Thus is the commandement turned vpside downe and that day which should be kept holy to the Lord is spent in the seruice of the diuell If they haue beene at the Church in the forenoone they dispense with themselues to serue Satan in the afternoone But as Christ telleth vs that none can serue God and Mammon so no man can serue GOD and their pleasures on that day Secondly The second reproofe heere are reproued such as seeme more ciuill then the former but yet take liberty to follow their owne businesse ordinary affaires Such are they which go or ride about their worldly matters to buy to bargaine to sell to talke with others robbing God of his day to spare one of their owne God hath kept but one day in the weeke to himselfe and euen this also we take from him and grudge at it to giue it to him like the rich theefe that hauing many sheepe of his owne yet killed his neighbours that had but one 2 Sam. 12 4. The third reproofe A third sort are reproued who thinke it enough if they obserue so much as is enioyned by lawes and in iunctions of men if they be at morning and euening praier they thinke they giue to the Lord a large allowance and iustifie themselues as if they were good obseruers sanctifiers of the Sabbath Such men take liberty all the rest of the day to do what they list pertaining to theÌ„selues whether to their profit or to their pleasure Thus they make it partly the Lords day and partly their owne howbeit there is no parting of stakes with him We cannot properly call it the Lords day except wee make it wholly to be his and consecrate it wholly to his worship Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty to remember this day before hand that so wee may euery way fit our selues to the sanctifying of it and therfore the Lord said Exodus 20 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Our nature is very forgetful of this performance of holy duties and therfore we haue need to think of them before hand God hath giuen vnto vs sundry commandements but he commendeth the Sabbath to vs especially aboue all the rest he dealeth with vs like a master that giueth many precepts to his seruant but willeth him to remember one aboue all the rest So it is with the Lord he saith Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me Exodus 20 3. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image verse 4. Thou shalt not bow downe thy selfe vnto them nor serue them verse 5. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine ver 7. But aboue all these Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy For indeede the right obseruation of all the rest consisteth in the due regard of this How can we learne obedience to the rest vnlesse wee be carefull to keepe this day Or how should we be able to practise them to know what God requireth except we giue attendance at the posts of his house to heare his voice We must euermore remember the precept of the Apostle Col. 3 2. Set your affections on things aboue and not on things vpon
the earth but this ought especially to be considered on this day Wee must dispatch all worldly businesses before that they do no way disturbe vs and distract vs. And when the day of the Lord is come wee must assemble together that so there may be an holy conuocation Leuit. 23 verse 3. It was the custome of the people to come together at such times Luke chap. 4. verse 16. Paul sheweth that at Antioch Hee found the whole City assembled vpon the Sabbath day Acts 13 43 44. This assembly is called Gods army Psalme 110 3. It was counted an happy thing to dwell in the Lords house Psal 27 4. and 84 4. Then ought the word to bee both read and preached so was it in the time of the law Acts 15 21. And both of them did Christ himselfe performe ordinarily Luke 4. ver 17 20. It is a part of the Ministers sanctifying of the Sabbath by doing the same The idle ministery is a great cause of prophaning the Lords day both in themselues and in others It is the duty of the people to heare the word with all reuerence and attention to marke and lay vppe in their hearts what they haue heard to the end they might put it in practise And when wee are departed we should spend the rest of the day in priuate duties as Prayer Reading Meditation and Conference things not greatly regarded of the greatest sort We are soone weary of the best things and quickely loathe that we should chiefely loue The cause why we profit not by the publike Ministery is the want of the performance of these duties priuately 38 Speake vnto the children of Israel and bidde them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations and that they put vpon the fringe of the borders a Ribband of blew 39 And it shall be vnto you for a fringe that ye may looke vpon it and remember all the Commandements of the Lord and do them and that ye seeke not after your owne heart and your own eies after which ye vse to go a whoring 40 That ye may remember c. This is the law of making Fringes vpon the foure quarters of their vesture whereby they couered themselues that they might looke continually vpon them and remember all the commandements of the Lord and doe them Of this reade Deut. 22 12. These Fringes and Ribands serued them for a monument that they might consider they were a people consecrated vnto God not as Infidels to walke after their owne fancies For vpon these were written some parcell of the Law This was also the cause that the Iewes were commanded to haue the Law written vpon the postes of their doores and likewise that they should beare it about them euermore decke themselues with it that it should be as a ring vpon their fingers as a bracelet vpon their hand as a frontlet before their eyes that is alwayes in sight and remembrance To this end also it must bee written vpon the frontiers of the Land vpon the gates of the Citie and vpon the postes of euery mans priuate house Deut. 6 8 9 that they might haue euery day euery way occasion giuen vnto them to talke and conferre of the word of God sitting walking and lying at home or else abroad This vsage was afterwards abused by the pride and hypocrisie of the Pharisies as Christ chargeth them Matth. 23 5. who because they would bee thought to haue a more speciall holinesse then the common sort had made long gardes and sentences of Scripture written vpon them that might bee seene a farre off But for our selues we must consider that though this ceremony bee no longer in vse and that these Fringes and Laces are shadowes which ended at the comming of Christ yet an instruction remaineth to vs to exercise our selues in his law day and night Psalme 1 2. Iosephus reporteth of the Iewes that they knew the Scriptures as well as their owne names whereas many among vs scarse know the names of the Scriptures Wee learne from hence That all sorts both yong and old of what condition soeuer â—ne are enioyned to know the doctrine of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 must â—owâ— the â—ces and the wil of God reuealed in them Deut. 6 6 7. Ioh. Iohn 5 39. Coloss 3 16. 2 Tim. 3 15. Psal 119 9. 〈◊〉 1. The Reasons First because God hath appointed such as are gouernors ouer others to be teachers of them that belong vnto their charge Such as are fathers and masters of Families are bound to instruct their children and seruants therefore none ought to be without knowledge Ephes 6 4. Gen. 18 19. But how shall they be able to do this except they haue knowledge whereby they may bee able to performe this duty Secondly ignorance is the cause of all error because the naturall man perceiueth not the things that are of God and the wisedome of God is foolishnesse to man So then being of our selues blinde and wanting the light of the word we must needs goe astray Hence it is that Christ saith vnto the Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Math. 22 29. Thirdly the want of knowledge is the cause of sundry fearfull iudgements spirituall and temporall Hosea 4 6. inward and outward Esay 1 3 7. So then as ignorance is the cause of sinne so it is the cause of iudgement the reward of sinne If wee care not to know him but neglect and contemne the meanes of knowledge no maruell if we be punished Vse 1 This reprooueth the church of Rome of an horrible iniury offered to the people of God They teach that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and keepe the Scriptures in the Latine tongue as it were vnder locke and key And albeit they haue translated them or the greatest part of them into English yet they set out sharpe edicts ratified vnder an horrible curse that no Lay man as they speake shall presume to reade them vnlesse they be specially licensed by their inquisitors and confessors directly contrary to the end of the Scriptures which were written that we should beleeue and by beleeuing haue eternall life Iohn chapt 20. verses 30 31. They beate downe ignorance and teach that all ought to know the Lord from the highest to the lowest Ieremy 31 30. and that God will poure out his Spirit vpon all flesh Ioel chap. 2. ver 28. Wheresoeuer he vouchsafeth great means hee requireth a great measure of knowledge This discouereth the byshop of Rome to bee no better and indeede no other then Antichrist making lawes contrary to Gods lawes and yet binding the consciences of men vnto them But it will be saide that the vnlearned and vnstable peruert them 2 Pet. 3. and therefore it is dangerous to reade them I answer bee it that some do so shall all therefore be forbidden the free vse of them All things euen the best are abused meate drinke apparrell the Sacraments Christ himselfe and
be in a combustion Thirdly as rebellion is an heape of manie sinnes so it ruineth many persons and therefore they iustly deserue first of all to be buried in those ruines themselues and to fall into the pit which they digged for another The life of one Prince is of more value then of many others Therefore the people suffered not Dauid to goe in person against Absolon but saide vnto him If wee flye away they will not care for vs neither if halfe of vs dye will they care for vs but now thou art worth tenne thousand of vs as 2. Samuel chap. 18. verse 3. And againe when Ishbi-benob which was of the sonnes of the gyants was like to haue slaine Dauid with the sword had he not beene presently succoured by Abishai who smote the Philistim and killed him his men sware vnto him saying 2. Sam. 21 17 Thou shalt go no more out with vs to battell that thou quench not the light of Israel The King is the Sunne and shield of the Land he is the light of Israel take him away and all is left in miserable and vncomfortable darkenesse Many mens liues depend vpon his life and the safety of thousands vpon his safetie Princes are the Fathers of the Country more dangerous for the subiect to kill one of them then for the childe to kill the Father as much more as the ruine of the commonwealth consisting of innumerable thousands of houses is worse then the fal of one particular and priuate house As then the Captaine of an hoast is worth many souldiers and the Gouernour of a ship many common passengers and Marriners so is the Head of the kingdome more of valew then many subiects Though many souldiers haue fallen in battell yet often the victory hath beene gotten sildome or neuer when the Generall falleth 1 Kings 22 35 36. And to this purpose wee may well apply that which is written though spoken to another end I will smite the Sheepheard and the sheepe of the Flocke shall bee scattered abroad Matth. 26 verse 31. Fourthly such as conspire against Princes haue bene punished oftentimes in their house in their lands in offices in death in buriall in name and in posterity For who knoweth not the custome obserued euen from the beginning as we may see also in holy Scripture Ester 8 1. 2 Sam. 16 4. 1 Kings 2.16 Ier. 22 8. Prou. 10 7. All dignities and preferments are taken away from such greeuous torments and tortures are laide vpon them a violent death is prepared for them an honourable buriall is denied vnto them their blood is stayned and tainted and the children vnborn feele the smart of it Vse 1 This putteth vs in minde of sundrie duties due to Kings and Princes First we must stand in feare of them they carry not the sword in vain Rom. 13.4 Iob 19 29. It is not put into their hands for a shew for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Therefore Salomon saith The wrath of a King is as the Messenger of death Prouer. 16 14. and like the roaring of a Lyon chap. 19 12. We must therefore feare the sword of Caesar and therefore haue Princes the sword of iustice born before them that the beholding thereof might put all persons in remembrance of this dutie Plutar. in 〈◊〉 Romes Among the heathen the Romane kings Dictators Pretors and Consuls had their Rods and Axes euermore carried before them to breed a terror of their authority in all that see them A good subiect as one saith feareth blame as much as paine and reproch as much as death The good subiect hath alwayes one eye vpon the sharpnesse of this sword that he doth not prouoke it and the other vpon the heynousnesse of this offence that hee neuer commit it This feare is the best porter at the Princes gate it serueth notably to keepe all traitors and rebels out of the kings Court and treachery out of the peoples heart It is as a bridle that curbeth all disobedience where it is not there is an easie entrance for traitors and treasons like the horse which hauing the bridle pulled out of his mouth rusheth forward into the battaile without order and gouernment Hence it is that Salomon ioyneth the feare of God and the fear of the King together Prou. 24 21. where the feare of GOD is which is the beginning of wisedome there will follow the feare of superiour powers ordained of God Another duty is to honour Princes whom Vse 2 God hath first honoured Rom. 13 7. Giue honor to whom ye owe honor So Exod. 20 12. and 22 28. 1 Pet. 2 17. Ester would not presume into the presence of the great King vntill hee held out his golden Scepter Chap. 5 1 2. Ioab though hee were Captaine of the hoast gaue Dauid the honour of the victorie 2 Sa. 12 27. Nathan the Prophet and Zadok the Priest made obeysance before Dauid with their faces to the ground 1 Kings 1 23. And Bathsheba the Queene bowed her face to the earth and did reuerence to the King and saide Let my Lord King Dauid liue for euer v. 31. Euery soule is bound to yeeld this honour if they would be honoured of God Thirdly we are to performe obedience Vse 3 whereunto a way is made by the former For if wee truely honour them wee will readily obey them euen for Conscience sake This is a dutie yeelded by the Childe vnto the Father by the Seruant to the Maister much more then ought it to bee yeelded by the Subiect vnto his Soueraigne as in Titus chapter 3. verse 1. and in the 1. Peter chapt 2. verse 13. This must bee performed readily sincerely and heartily Obiect But it may bee sayde That some are euill Princes wicked men contrary to God whence springeth all goodnesse are such to bee obeyed I answer Answer It skilleth not what their persons bee the full security and therefore it is iust with God to make vs feele his iudgements in our owne persons 41 And on the morrow all the Congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye haue killed the people of the Lord. 42 And it came to passe when the Congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron that they looked toward the Tabernacle of the Congregation and behold the Cloud couered it and the glory of the Lord appeared 43. And Moses and Aaron came c. 44 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying c. 45 Get you vp from this Congregation c. In these words to the ende of the chapter we see another murmuring the day after the former The earth that had opened her mouth was scarse closed and the fire that was kindled was scarse quenched when they fell to a fresh conspiracy This is the nature of wicked men they are neuer at rest like the sea that is euer troubled Esay 57 20. This is the nature of sinne if it be not by and
of which valuation we haue spokeÌ„ before Adde to these the shewbread which was changed euery weeke lastly the tenth of tenths which the Leuites themselues were commanded to pay them out of those tenths which they had receiued of the people of which we shall speake afterward Thus we see that the Priests were to looke to euery one of the people how God blessed them in the City and in the field how he blessed the fruite of their body and the fruite of their ground and the fruite of their cattell the increase of their kine and the flockes of their sheepe yea how he blessed their basket and their store and all that they set their hand vnto to what end serued all this but to put them in minde of their duty that their care of the people should bee according to the commodity they reape receiue by them We learne from hence that the Ministers of God â—â—ctrine â—e ministers â—ht to haue â—e of eueâ—â—â—art of the â—â—ke as in receiuing their duties they looke to euery particular person what he hath and to euery particular benefit how it ariseth so in performing of their duties discharging of their places they must not onely haue a generall care of the flocke committed vnto them but also of euery particular man For as they require their duties so they must be ready to do their duties and as they looke to themselues well enough in the gathering together of their reuenues arising from euery particular person so the purpose of God herein was that as they should care for the whole flocke in generall so also they should care for euery one in particular Ezek. 34 4. Luke 12 42. Acts 20 20. 1 Cor. 9 22. 2 Cor. 11 28. The reasons Reason 1 First the same price was paid for one that was paid for another the same blood of Christ which was shed is that which must saue euery particular soule as well as the whole Church It followeth therfore that if Christ haue shed his precious blood for euery soule in particular then euery particular person must be cared for that so he may be saued by his blood Ioh. 10 11. Hee is that good Shepheard that will leaue ninety and nine in the wildernesse and seeke that lost one Luke 15 4 6. Secondly the Minister must giue an account as for the whole so for euery particular Acts 20 26 that hee may be free from the blood of all now he cannot be free from the blood of all except he be free from the blood of euery particular person so that it sstandeth him vpon to haue as great a care of the saluation of one as of another Thirdly because one vnsanctified man may easily infect and corrupt the whole congregation as one diseased sheepe may infect the whole flock 1 Cor. 5 6. If then the Shepheard be wise he will as wel take care for the curing of that one as he would do if the rest were infected so ought it to be with the Ministers of God if they be spiritually wise they should as wel haue a care of the saluation of each particular as of the whole in generall The vses follow This reproueth all carelesse Ministers that Vse 1 yeeld to haue a generall care ouer the flocke but cannot abide to hear of a particular These are like to those men that yeeld to God a generall care of things that fall out and a generall prouidence ouer the world but by no means a speciall and particular as if that would trouble him too much But his prouidence extendeth to euery one Mat. 10 29. A sparrow falleth not to the ground without the will of God yea the very haires of our head are numbred v. 30. So do many acknowledge that the Ministers ought to haue a generall care ouer the people the Apostle is so plaine that they dare not deny it 1 Pet. 5 2. but yet they cannot abide to heare of a particular care for that were to busie theÌ„ too farre and to lay too heauy a load vpoÌ„ their shoulders and to abridge them of many pleasures which they purpose propound to theÌ„selues to take But do they not receiue part of their maintainance from euery particular Somewhat ariseth as due to them from euery one though it be but a little many of them are such good husbands to looke so neere to their profits that they will not lose a peny nay they will wrangle oftentimes for an halfepeny For as it was with the Priests in this place if they had no meate offering yet they had of them a sinne offering or if they had not a sinne offering yet they receiued the first fruites that they brought and if nothing did arise for first fruites yet for their first borne that was redeemed somewhat fell vnto them so is it with the Ministers many of them can looke into euery quarter and corner of their Parish to pry out what offals will come to their share O that wee were as carefull to know the state of our flocke touching their spirituall wants as for our owne temporall wealth Let vs busie our selues to enquire of their soules as well as of their substance and what they lacke as well as what we lacke We see the soule quickneth euery part of the body and is wholy not only in the whole but in euery part potentially It cannot be prooued that the soule is wholly in euery part otherwise then potentially albeit not essentially the powers and faculties of it are dispersed to the communicating of life to euery member The Sunne lighteneth with his beames the whole world and there is no one thing hid from the heate thereof Psal 19 6. A candle is set vpon the candlestick that it may giue light to all euery one that is in the house The Church is as an houshold the gouernor of it must looke to euery part as the father to all his children from the eldest to the youngest if he should haue care for one and not for another feed one and let another starue hee were an vngodly arid vnnaturall father So ought it to be with the Minister he should be as the soule in the body as the Sunne in the Firmament and as the father in the family that is haue care of euery soule Some conuerse wholly with the rich but care not nor indeed cannot abide to come among the poore whereas a faithfull Minister shall many times finde most comfort and most comfort because most fruite of his labours among them Others thinke it a great disparagement disgrace vnto them to binde them to such particular duties Againe other in their Sermons so are so high and flie so farre aboue the slowe and slender capacities of the people that they can learne nothing at all of them They do so trouble themselues and the people with their latine that the hearers haue almost forgotten their english There is a small deale of learning lieth in pronouncing a fewe latine
and out of which he is shortly to depart Or will he be patching that Tent and Tabernacle which hee hath pitched for a day or two We dwell in earthly Tabernacles as in houses of clay 2 Cor. 5 4. 2 Pet. 1 14. What wisedome then is it to bestow daies and moneths and yeares in plotting plodding for the world for riches and the vanities of this life Let vs also prepare and prouide before hand for the day of our dissolution that such as God hath blessed with this worlds good set their houses and their estates in order as the Prophet in this regard warneth Hezekiah Esay 38 1. Set thine house in order for thou must dye And we may learne this necessary practise of Ahitophel though liuing in wickednes and dying in despaire of whom the Scripture saieth wheÌ„ he saw that his counsell was not followed he went home vnto his City put his house in order hanged himselfe 2 Sam. 17 23. This duty is to be thought vpon in health as that which deepely concerneth our selues and our posterity When we haue rightly disposed the things of this life let vs prepare for a Nunc dimittis let vs commend our spirits into the hands of God let vs resigne vp our selues willingly to death when we must enter into a particular iudgement For so soone as the soule is departed and separated from the body God holdeth his Sessions to which we are summoned by his messenger death to come into his presence to receiue in part according to our workes whether they be good or euill Euen as we see in the affaires of this life how Iudges and Iustices keepe their sessions and assises wherein malefactors brought out of prison are arraigned so God holdeth his time of iudgement and iustice to reward euery one according to his works We haue all a cause and case to bee tried the greatest the weightiest the worthiest that euer was handled not touching siluer gold not concerning house or land not of titles or inheritances but of the euerlasting saluation or daÌ„nation of our soules for euer and therefore it standeth vs in hand to be well armed thoroughly appointed that we come not as the foolish Virgins without oyle in our lampes or as the vnprepared guest without our wedding garment We see in temporall Courts when men haue a cause to be tried and an action to be determined either of goods or good name how carefull they are before hand to reade Euidences to produce witnesses and to search Records that the suite may passe on their sides how much more carefull ought wee to be to answer before the eternall Iudge where no man shall be admitted to appeare by his Atturney but all must come in their owne persons none shall be suffered to put in sureties This wil be a great day wheÌ„ the whole world shall appeare together at once high and low Prince and Subiect noble and vnnoble according to the description that Iohn maketh I saw the dead both great small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the booke according to their works Reuel 20 12. And was buried there Hitherto of the death of Miriam now of that which followed her death to wit her buriall See heere when life was departed what they did with the body they committed it to the earth The Doctrine from hence is this that it is a necessary duty to bury the dead Doctrine A commendable duty 〈◊〉 bury the dead This appeareth by many examples of the godly which haue practised this duty Gen. 23 4. Abraham the father of the faithfull bought a possession of burial of the Hittites who by the sight and light of nature had their Sepulchers therefore answered Abraham Gen. 23 6. 35 29 50 12 13. Thou art a Prince of God among vs in the cheefest of our Sepulchers bury thy dead none of vs shall forbid thee his Sepulcher but thou maist bury thy dead therein So ch 25 8 9. when Abraham yeelded the spirit and died in a good age and was gathered to his people his sonnes Isaac Ishmael buried him in the Caue of Machpelah in the field of Hephron where Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife The like we see done to Isaac when he gaue vp the ghost being old and full of daies his two sonnes Esau and Iacob buried him Now as Iacob did to his father so his children do to him according as hee had commanded them for his sonnes carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the Caue of the field of Machpelah which Abraham had bought The like may be said of Moses Deut. 34 5 6. for albeit the people buried him not neither knew of his Sepulcher lest they shold abuse it to idolatry yet rather then he should want buriall he was buried of God The men of Iabesh Gilead are praised of God and rewarded of Dauid because they buried King Saul and his sonne and aduentured their liues to do vnto him their last duty 2 Sa. 2 5 6. The same might be said of the rest of the Patriarks Prophets Iudges Kings Gouernours and Priests yea of Christ himselfe whose buriall albeit he were able immediately to haue raised and restored himselfe to life is set downe in the Gospel that his death might be confirmed and his farther humiliation manifested These examples teach that it is a christian and commendable duty of the liuing to be performed to the dead of children to bee performed to their parents and of the people of God one to another to commit the body of the deceased to the graue to put dust to dust and so to couer earth with earth And no maruaile For first among all creatures Reason 1 man is most loathsome and vgly when life is departed As in his birth and bringing foorth into the world of all creatures hee is most fraile and feeble without strength to stand without helpe to defend himselfe so being dead he is most fraile filthy and deformed He that a litle before gloried in his beauty comelinesse feature proportion is now become the mirror and spectacle of a deformed and mishapen carkasse Such a confusion and wracke hath sinne wrought and brought into our nature This made Abraham to say to the Hittites I am a stranger a forreiner among you giue me a possession of buriall to bury with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23 4. This is noted in Lazarus who hauing lien buried but foure daies his bâ—dy stanke Iohn 11 39. Reason 2 Secondly buriall is promised as a blessing from God and the want of it threatened for a plague and iudgement God offereth it as a mercy to Abraham â—5 15. that he should be buried in a ripe age and to Iosiah that he should bee put in his graue in peace â— 22 19 and
was the ordinance of God to build one Temple and to chuse one place to which man shold resort to worship him yet this order is now abolished euery coast and countrey is Iewry euery towne and city is Ierusalem euery faithfull company and godly person is a Temple to worship God in 1 Cor. 6 1â— 1 Cor. 6 1â— 1 Tim. 2.8 Psal 127 4. We may call vpon God euery where and lift vp pure hands in all places no land is a strange land no ground is vnholy ground And touching their abstinence from flesh on certaine times for religion sake it is a doctrine of diuels 1 Tim. 4 1 3. Lastly it reprooueth such as propound to themselues false and wrong endes of vowes as conceit of merit and opinion of deseruing the fauour of God and euerlasting life For the ends which we respect must be good as to exercise and stirre vp the gifts of faith prayer obedience repentance and other graces of the Spirit and to testifie our thankefulnesse to God for blessings receiued at his hands The intent therefore and meaning is heere to bee considered and we must be well aduised not onely that our vowes be directed to God but for what purpose and how we vow to God not to binde God vnto vs but to binde vs the closer to God to render all honor vnto him Now if we would examine the vowes practised in the Church of Rome by these things before deliuered we shall easily perceiue the fondnesse and falshood nay the wickednes of them For here are condemned all vowes of pilgrimages and abstinence from flesh for religion noted before Bellar lib. â— de Mâ—â—â—â— cap. 36. their doctrine that children may enter into their orders and cloisters against the counsell and consent of their parents and that persons contracted either to other may vow continency without the liking and approbation of the other party which cannot stand with the doctrine of the Scripture or ancient councels Num. 30 â— Coâ— Gâ—â— cap. 16. For the word establisheth the authority of parents ouer their children which the former vowes abridgeth and cutteth short and teacheth that if a woman vow vnto the Lord and bind her selfe by a bond being in her fathers house in time of her youth if her father disalow her the same day that hee heareth all her vowes and bonds they shall not be of value Lastly by the former obseruations fall to the ground the ordinary vowes of single life voluntary pouerty and Fryarly obedience to vaine and superstitious men which they absurdly make and tye themselues necessarily to obserue For such vowes are directly and flatly against the former rules prescribed deliuered vnpossible intollerable beyond our owne strength calling a will worship Col. 2.16 according to the decrees and traditions of men and directly contrary to the commandement of God 1 Cor. 7.9 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Thess 3. â— Againe they are not in the power of him that voweth for no man can promise perpetuall chastity in single life out of the estate of wedlocke Continency is the speciall and proper gift of God who giueth it not vnto all but to whom he will and as long as he will This our Sauiour teacheth Matth. 19. All men cannot receiue this thing saue they to whom it is giuen he that is able to receiue this let him receiue it To this accordeth and agreeth the doctrine of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. I would that all men were euen as my selfe am but euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner and another after that Furthermore they abolish Christian liberty in the lawfull vse of the good creatures and ordinances of God as riches and marriage food and apparell making that absolutely necessary which God hath freely left to our liking and liberty Lastly they are made most commonly to Saints and not to God and they are made for merits sake therby to deserue saluation and the substance of religion and worship of God is made to consist in them whereas the Apostle teacheth 〈◊〉 4 6. That bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable for all things Therefore these vowes practised and defended by the Church of Rome being vnlawfully rashly vnconscionably â—â—ontra â—l is â—ref superstitiously meritoriously made and vnpossible to be performed cannot binde the conscience but are better broken then irreligiously kept â—si de beno 〈◊〉 ca. 10 in Leuit. according to the doctrine of the former Churches Thirdly seeing vowes be lawful which are promises made to God 〈◊〉 3. of some duty to bee performed to him to some good end the vow which all beleeuers haue made in Baptisme is to be kept of euery one wherein wee promised to beleeue in Christ to obey God to bring foorth the fruites of true repentance to renounce the workes of the diuell the allurements of this present euill world and the lusts of the flesh which lust against the spirit And albeit wee are bound to these duties by our calling redemption without any new vow yet we may lawfully renew our couenant with God and so binde our selues faster and faster As he that hath bound himself in a bond may yet giue greater and better assurance bind himselfe more then before So bee that is bound to haue faith in Christ and to yeeld obedience to all his commandements may yet further and faster bind himselfe to helpe his dulnesse coldnesse and want of zeale and to make himselfe more forward and seruent in duties of the first and second table according to the practise of Dauid I haue sworne and will performe it â—â—19 106 that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements He was bound hereunto without and before his oath yet he kindled his zeale and reneweth his couenant with God by this oath to stirre vp the gift of God that was in him and to helpe his owne infirmity We haue all in baptisme vowed to consecrate our selues euen our soules and bodies to God by renouncing the diuell the world and the flesh if wee goe backe as cowardly Souldiers from this our vow shall wee not bee conuinced as false and vnfaithfull to God And how shall we conscionably keepe any other vowes that breake the first vow we made to God What a fault is it accounted among our selues to promise and then to breake But haue we kept this our generall and common vow Hierom. in Esa lib. 7. cap. 19 August in Psal 7â— 131. Lumba sent lib. 4. dist 38. to fight vnder the banner and enfigne of Iesus Christ against the diuell and all his works Or rather haue we not walked and do we not still walke in the workes of darknes after the inuentions of our owne hearts And do not our open sins cry out and proclaime as much to the dishonour of God and our owne reproch So that all such as walke in the blindnes of their own minds haue besides all their other sinnes this great
77.20 Hee led his people like sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron So long therefore as we haue a voyce so long as we haue an heart to lift vp to God and can poure out the meditations therof before him we haur comfort and assurance to be helped When the poore infant is fallen into danger of fire or water or other misery if he can cry that the father may heare his voyce there is hope of safety and deliuerance So if wee can call vpon God the Father in Iesus Christ in our distresses our heauenly Father will not leaue vs nor forsake vs in our dangers Secondly albeit the faithfull fall into many Reason 2 afflictions and their enemies make long surrowes vpon their backs yet God will not alway suffer them to bee oppressed lest they should sinke deepe and shrinke downe vnder the burthen so turne from their obedience and forsake the faith which they haue professed according to the saying of the Prophet The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous â—al 125.3 lest the righteous put forth their hand vnto wickednesse He knoweth whereof we are made he spareth vs in our infirmities hee will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength he seeth our weakenesse and how vnable wee are to resist and therefore he will not giue vs ouer to perish in our afflictions inasmuch as our light afflictions which are but for a moment Cor 4.17 cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory so that albeit the righteous fall seuen times yet he riseth againe as the wise man teacheth â—ou 24.16 Vse 1 To apply this vnto our selues wee learne first that the deuises and practises of enemies albeit they be neuer so secret or malicious are vaine and frustrate The people of God shall be preserued howsoeuer they bee euer plotting and banding themselues together as wee see in the dayes of the Apostle â—ct 4.27 Herod Pontius Pilate the Priests and people the Iewes and Gentiles conspired together yet wee shall alwayes haue assurance of safety and all shall worke for the best to them that feare God whose loue no powers no principalities no Potentates shall be able to remooue as the Prophet teacheth Reioice not against me O mine enemy â—c 7.8.10 though I fall I shall rise when I shall sit in darknesse the Lord will be a light vnto me then she that is mine enemie shall locke vpon it and shame shall couer her which said vnto mee Where is the Lord thy God mine eyes shall behold her now shall she be troden downe as the myre of the streets This serueth notably to daunt and dismay the wicked and vngodly who insult ouer the righteous and seeme wise in their owne eyes considering that The faithfull escapeth out of trouble â—rou 11.8 â—sa 8.9 10 and the wicked shall come in his stead This truth the Prophet Esay confesseth and confirmeth Chap. 8. Gather together on heapes O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces take counsell together but it shall be brought to nought pronounce a decree yet it shall not stand for God is with vs. So then if the faithfull be not euer forsaken nor stand continually vnder the strokes of their enemies but God will put to his hand and his helpe to deliuer them we see that all their deuises and all their consultations against them and insultations ouer them shal be brought to nothing Vse 2 Againe it behooueth vs in all the time of our distresse to rely vpon him whatsoeuer tentations come though we should walke by the gates of the graue and passe by the gulfe of death Many indeed are our infirmities feares cares sorrowes and troubles yet in them all we must say with the Prophet â—al 42.5.11 â— 43.5 Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Waite on God for I will yet giue him thanks he is my present helpe and my God Let vs not therefore despaire in the day of trouble When the snares of death compasse vs and the griefes of the graue take hold vpon vs â—al 116.3 4. when we find trouble and sorrow to pursue vs and ouertake vs let vs call vpon the Name of the Lord to deliuer our soule who is mercifull and full of compassion Pro. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth vnto it and is exalted This is the surest and safest refuge of the godly against all troubles Lastly let all such learne as lie not vnder Vse 3 the crosse to commend the common cause of their brethren to God as if themselues were in affliction For wherefore doth God promise to free his from the oppression of the enemy and to restore them to the ioy of their saluation but to moue vs to this duty of praying for them pittying their distressed estate and seeking by all lawfull meanes the comfort and continuance of the Church This the Apostle setteth downe 2 Cor. 1.3 4. Where wee see he vrgeth the Church at Corinth to thinke of this point to be mindfull of the miseries of others and to comfort them that are in discomfort as God hath comforted vs. This is taught by Moses Thou shalt not doe iniury to a stranger Exod. 22.21 neither oppresse him for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt And heereunto the Apostle accordeth Heb. 13.3 Remember them that are in bonds as though ye were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if ye were also afflicted in the body Where he would haue vs so much to bee touched as if their misery were our owne This duty it is needfull to thinke vpon Wee know not what troubles may fall vpon our heads When wee take our selues to bee freest and farthest from all dangers then we may bee neerest vnto them and suddenly fal into them as a bird into the snare of the fowler Wherefore let vs remember them to God that suffer afflictions that so we may be deliuered if wee fall into any troubles But if we harden our hearts in the miseries of others and haue no feeling of their sorrowes others shall bee as vnmindfull of vs and vnmercifull vnto vs as we haue beene to them Matt. 7.2 For with what iudgement we iudge we shall be iudged and with what measure we meat it shall be measured to vs againe Nothing is more greeuous vnto a man then to be scorned in his misery and to be insulted vppon in the day of his calamity The affliction it selfe is bitter and yrkesome to the flesh but the derisions mockings of the enemy serue to double the crosse and to adde to the measure and manner of our misery If then we shall see with our eyes and heare with our eares the lamentable condition of the Church and laugh when the people of God weepe and lament the iustice of God shall ouertake vs and make vs a
the punishment of euill doers c 1 Pet. 2 14. Now let vs come to the vses which naturally Vse 1 arise from hence First we must acknowledge that Magistracie is a notable blessing and by acknowledging of it learne to bee thankfull for it If there were no Magistrate or law euery one would liue as he list and would be ready to cut anothers throat so that better were a tyranny then an anarchy This is sundry times repeated in the book of Iudges In those dayes there was no Knig in Israel but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes Iudg. 17 6 and 18 1 and 19 1 21 25. Then was idolatry common among them without any punishment then they gaue themselues to whoredome and vncleannesse without controllement then murther and drawing the sword one against another was practised bloud touched bloud This confusion and lamentable disorder and want of lawfull Magistracy and gouernment should teach vs to esteeme highly of this order and ordinance of God according to the blessings which we receiue by the same We obtayne great quietnesse by our rulers and many worthy things are wrought through their prudence and prouidence They are the instruments of our peace the breath of our nostrils and the meanes of our preseruation By them we enioy vnder God all the benefites which we haue our liberty our lands our liues our wiues our children our possessions our safety our houses and habitations and aboue all the rest the comfortable vse of the Gospel with freedome of conscience which is as marrow vnto our bones and as the very life of our liues How oft had we beene ouercome and ouerrunne by forraine enemies how oft had we beene surprized by inward rebels if this ordinance of God had not ouershadowed vs and ouerreached them This meditation must draw out of vs all thankfulnesse to God and confession of his louing kindnesse toward vs the practice whereof we haue in Ezra chap. 7 26 27 when hee beheld the forwardnesse of the King to promote the worship of God to publish a decree that whosoeuer would not performe the Law of God of the King should haue the sentence of God pronounced against him without delay whether it wereto the taking away of his life or banishment of his Countrey or to confiscation of his goods or to imprisonment of his body he gaue glory and praise to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which so hath put in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord that is in Ierusalem This practice of this worthy man must be an instruction vnto vs to teach vs to acknowledge the necessity of this blessing as great as of the Sunne in the firmament whereby all liuing creatures are comforted and refreshed and must cause euery one to returne the praise of this mercy to him that is the giuer of this and of euery good giuing No people vnder the heauens haue better experience of it nor are more bound to walke worthy of this then we Vse 2 Secondly it is their duty to hate that which is euill with an vnfained hatred and to loue that which is good with a speciall loue and liking of it For if he be euill how shal he aduance and countenance the godly or how shall hee chastise and punish the vngodly Can hee haue or hold the reputation of a good Physician that taking vpon him the curing of other mens diseases is not able or willing to cure himselfe or will not euery one vpbraide such with the common Prouerbe Physician heale thy selfe Luke 4 23. How then can he with courage and comfort take vpon him to correct euill doers that is himselfe wholly giuen to all sorts and kindes of euill Can a father for conscience sake rebuke his sonne for sin as for swearing lying drunkennesse and such like disorders when himselfe maketh no conscience to bee a swearer and blasphemer a drunkard and vncleane liuer Or can a Master chasten his seruants for their rioting reuelling lewdnesse wantonnesse and misdemeanors when the guiltinesse of his owne heart cryeth against him and condemneth him as guilty of the same crimes Hee that teacheth another should first of all teach himselfe and he that reproueth another should first of all checke and controlle himselfe otherwise it shal be said vnto vs as the Apostle speaketh Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art that condemnest for in that thou condemnest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that condemnest doest the same things but we know that the iudgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things thinkest thou this O thou man that condemnest them which doe such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgment of God Rom. 2 1 2 3. Let all those whose office is to reforme euill learne to remoue it both head and taile both root and branch out of themselues let them pull the beame out of their owne eyes that they may cast out the more in their brothers eye It is a great blot and blemish in a gouernor that should punish wickednesse in others to nourish it in his own heart Hence it is that Salomon sayth Woe to thee O land when thy King is a child thy Princes eate in the morning Eccl. 10 16. Prou. 31 4. Where the Wiseman teacheth what danger it is to the commonwealth when the rulers are giuen wholly to their lusts and pleasures to surfetting and drunkennesse If the gouernour that sitteth at the sterne of the ship or the coachman that driueth the coach bee drunken and disordered who seeth not that shipwrack is to be feared and the coach ready to be ouerturned This is to bee considered and regarded of all that haue any authority ouer others to be carefull to order and rule themselues by the word of God If we haue families to gouerne we should goe in and out before them in all wisedome and bee examples vnto them in our liues conuersations If we see that those that be in places of superiority iurisdiction negligent herein not so circumspect ouer their wayes as they ought to be it is our duty to help them by our prayers and to call vpon God to assist them with his grace The burden is great that lyeth vpon their shoulders they many times watch while we sleep and are much troubled while we are at ease we must therfore dayly call vpon God for them to bee with them in their gouernment to indue them with the spirit of wisdom and counsell and to inspire them continually with al holy motions needful for their callings that their thrones may be established with iustice This is it which the Apostle vrgeth I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that wee may liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1. Tim
make all one they set al out of order while they thinke to establish perfect charity Aristot polit lib. 2. cap. 1. they bring in a perfect Anarchy These sectaries are the disciples of Plato not of Christ whose opinion was reiected by the Philosophers themselues and conuinced by natural reason This doctrine serueth to no other end but to burthen one to ease another and to set some at worke to maintaine others in idlenes The grounds whereupon these stand I haue propounded and answered in other places As for the practice of the godly in the Apostles time which is pretended to maintain this heresy it caÌ„not serue their purpose forasmuch as this community was meerely voluntary imposed vpon none but such as imposed it vpon themselues Acts 5 4 and so farre as the necessitie of the poore Saints required it which caused them to stretch themselues beyond theyr ability least the poore being tempted with the extremity of pouerty should slide back from the Christian verity which they had embraced to the Iewish Ceremonies This the church neuer practised but in extreme necessitie and therefore they neuer tooke it vp before neyther do we reade that they continued it afterward Vse 2 Secondly albeit God hath giuen vnto euery one a propriety of possession yet wee must take heed that wee doe not make the things of this life more proper and priuate then he hath allowed Many while they shun one rocke make shipwracke at another and while they would auoyde the Anabaptisticall fansy they haue quite forgotten and buried al Christian charity For as they will not renounce a right in all things they possesse so they will giue nothing of their owne and because they cannot abide to heare to haue all things common they will be sure to retaine al as proper to themselues These can abide well enough nay they are much delighted to heare the Anabaptists confuted while themselues wander as wide out of the way on the other hand But we must know that God hath set vp one to helpe another and giuen to one to giue to another Mar. 14.7 Yee haue the poore with you alwayes and whensoeuer ye will yee may doe them good but me ye haue not alwayes To this end we are to consider both who ought to giue and to whom we ought to giue Touching the first who ought to giue it is much mistaken by many men for wee thinke for the most part that they onely are bound to giue that haue some superfluity which they know not otherwise what to doe withall except they should cast it away vpon the poore Who they are that ar bound to giue or at least such as are landed men or well monied or rich farmers that haue much to spare Howbeit I must giue you to vnderstand that this duty stretcheth farther then to such persons as are before described and therefore we must know that liberality should extend euen to the day labourer yea to those that sometimes may be in want themselues yet somtimes in some cases they ought not to be handfast but ready to communicate and to distribute albeit not when themselues doe want Likewise the seruant that taketh wages and hath but litle should not be behinde hand to giue of that little Christ our Sauiour liued of such reliefe as the faithfull gaue vnto him and receiued maintenance from those whom hee instructed Luke 8 3 yet that which he receiued he receiued first for himselfe and his disciples and then for others also and therefore of that allowance he gaue allowance to those that were in great need Ioh. 13 29. The poore widow in the Gospel is commended who of her penury shewed charity and cast into the Lords treasury for the Lords sake two mites Luke 21 4. It was in it selfe a small thing the seuenth part of one peece of their brasen money for then they vsed much brasse money Math. 10 9 howbeit to her it was a great matter yet she being poore gaue to the poore nay being very poore she gaue theÌ„ that were very poore Other rich men gaue of their superfluity but she of her penury they of their abundance but shee cast in all the liuing that she had The widow of Sarepta in the time of a great famine throughout the land when the heauen was shut for three yeares and sixe moneths Luk. 4 25 hauing nothing left but an handful of meale in a barrell a little oyle in a Cruise for her and her sonne yet was ready to part from part of that little part and portion to the Prophet 1 King 17 12. The Apostle doth direct such as labor for their liuing to be painfull in their places not onely that they may maintain themselues and not be burdensom to others but that they may haue to giue to them that needeth Eph. 4 28. The church of the Macedonians as it is euident by the Scriptures was a poore Church and in necessity themselues yet they doe not make themselues poorer as the maner of many is that they may cunningly get releefe from others but they send releefe to other churches and prayed with entreaty that their gift might be receiued 2 Cor. 8 4. yet the Apostle speaketh not only of their pouerty but of their deepe pouerty ver 2. Al which examples are laid before vs to teach that euery one euen of mean ability not onely those that are rich but others likewise shold shew compassion be ready to distribute And as wee haue seene who ought to giue so let vs see to whom we should giue that our almes may be accepted and rewarded of our father which is in heauen Some wil not giue any thing at all some giue not where they should and others bestow where they should not they are liberall where they may bee sparing and are sparing where they should be liberall If then any ask to whom we ought to giue I answer briefly to the poore and such as stand in neede whom God hath made as it wer his collectors and receiuers and thus we must vnderstand the words of Christ To whom we â—â—ght not to â—iâ—e Luk. 6 30. Giue to euery man that asketh of thee We must not giue almes to the rich and to them that may giue vnto vs againe for that is no charity wee must not giue to our friends and kinsfolkes onely but euen to our enemies Ro. 12 29. If thine enemy hunger giue him meate and if he thirst giue him drinke Not to the idle that will not labor nor yet to maintaine any in idlenesse nor to those that liue onely by the sweate of other mens browes 2 Thes 3.10 12 not to stout sturdy beggers that as rogues go vagrant vp and downe the country such as are members of no society such as haue their limbs and strength to labour these are indeede no better then theeues and robbers and as they that giue to the former sort maintaine them in idlenesse so they that
5 Lastly it is the duty of all Gouernors to looke to theyr families and therefore GOD beginneth with them and directeth the commandement vnto them Why the commandement of the Sabbath is directed to gouernors and that for these causes First because they must giue an acount of theyr gouernment to God of whō they haue receyued it who is the high Commander and generall Master in Heauen and Earth and of all theyr soules that are vnder their charge forasmuch as hee will search and enquire not onely how ciuill and iust among men and toward men our gouernment hath beene but how godly and religious Secondly GOD setteth them in the first place to teach them that God requireth at their hands to teach theyr families to command theyr sonnes and housholds to feare God to bring them vp in his faith feare and in true religion Eph. 6 4. Gen. 18 19. Thirdly because they must go before them by good example and practise of all holy duties as Paul wold haue Timothy to do 1 Tim. 4 12 as we look for any comfort at the Lords hand in that great day of his dreadfull iudgement when he will bring euery worke to light with euery secret thing whether good or euil Eccl. 12 12. If we haue beene examples in good things we shall receyue euerlasting life if examples in euill euerlasting death Fourthly the Lord singleth out the father and master in the first place because if they go before and leade the way the rest of the house wil quickly follow after Iohn chap. 4 verse 53. Acts chapter sixteene verse 32 contrarywise if they yeeld not obedience for conscience sake to the duties of the Sabbath they may by the abuse of their authority hinder frustrate the holy endeauours of his children seruants Hence it is that many fathers vrge their children many masters command their seruants to go about their owne busines and send them from place to place at that time when they should attend to the holy commandement of the Lord whereas both of thē might well and lawfully reply to their fathers and masters and say with Christ our Sauiour Luke 2 49 Wist yee not that I must be about my fathers businesse Lastly the Lord layeth this waighty charge vpon them that such as are vnder their gouernment may yeeld willingly and cheerfully to Gods will considering how straight a charge God hath giuen to all gouernours If they should do it of their owne head or lay an heauy burden vpon thē which themselues would not touch with their little finger the charge could carry no authority It is not therefore their fathers or masters that restraine them of their liberty tye vp their wicked and wandring affections but GOD himselfe to whom all obedience is due The father doth shew loue to his children whē he restrayneth them from wickednes the master doth no wrong to his seruants that brideleth them from following theyr owne willes and pleasures So then the poynt to be learned and practised is that we must first keepe the Sabbath in our owne persons and begin reformation within the doores or closets of our owne hearts or else we will be very remisse negligent in reforming of others or if we be forward we shall bee charged and chalenged to be hypocrites while we teach others but doe not teach our selues Rom. 2 21. Secondly we must cast our eyes vpon others and looke to them that belong vnto vs that they may sanctifie the Sabbath as well as our selues It is not enough for vs to come to the house of of God alone but wee must come with the trayne of our families as a Captaine with his army Psal 110 3 and 42.4 The father oftentimes is praying in the Church when his children are playing in the streetes The master many times sitteth in the house of God when his seruant lyeth at the alehouse The wife sometimes goeth with her husband to the sermon when the daughters and maid-seruants eyther are sent or suffered to runne to lasciuious dancing and wanton company whereby theyr mindes and oftentimes theyr bodyes also are defiled as it fell out to Dinah Gen. chapter 34 verses 1 2 and so the saying of Salomon is verified Prouerbs chap. 29 verse 15. A childe left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame But haply some Masters will alleadge for themselues that their seruants are vnruly Obiect as the vntamed heyffer and will not be ordered by them that they are much greeued they can preuaile no more with them and that they breake out and will not be holden in by them I answer Answer this is not a good plea but a vayne excuse and no better For if thy authority serue to bridle them and keepe them vnder in the sixe dayes how commeth it to passe that thou wantest power to preuayle ouer them on the seuenth day Can wee rule them in our owne cause and can wee not rule them in the cause of God Haue we meanes to enforce them to looke to our businesse and want wee meanes to compell them to do Gods busines It seemeth therefore to me to be rather want of will in vs Obiect then of power If we pretend farther that they be incorrigible and will haue their owne swinge and be at theyr owne liberty that day Answ we haue no warrant to burden our houses with such persons that will neither serue the Lord nor obey vs but rather infect others that liue with them The Prophet Dauid professeth that they should not serue him that were vngodly his eyes should bee vpon the faithfull to dwell with him but the wicked should not tarry in his house Psal 101 6 7. Why then should wee keepe them in our house that loue not the house of God Wee will quickly discharge that seruant which hath no care of our businesse why then will we trouble our selues our house with him that is vnfaithfull toward God Thus then wee see the care that all ought to haue of the Sabbath both master and seruant father and sonne husband and wife But alasse the prophanenesse of our times is so great that the Sabbath is in a manner vtterly contemned we giue him least seruice on that day wherein we are bound to giue him most duty For we see heere vnder the Law how the Lord commandeth that the daily sacrifice which euery morning and euening was offered should bee doubled vpon the Sabbath But our people for the most part performe single seruice and double impiety vpon that day The greatest seruice is done to our selues or that which is worse to the diuell But of the Sabbath we haue spoken before chap. 15. 11 And in the beginnings of your moneths yee shall offer a burnt offering vnto the Lord two yong Bullocks and a Ramme and seuen Lambes of a yeare old without spot 12 And three tenth deales of flower for a meat offering c. 13 And a seuerall tenth deale of fine flower mingled with oyle
Virgin Againe the Apostle wisheth that all men were euen as he himselfe 1 Cor. 7 7 but he addeth in the next words Euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner and another after that Besides in those words he speaketh directly to the widowes and them that are vnmarried verse 8 and hee hath an expresse commandement verse 10 I command not I but the Lord let not the wife depart from her husband And euery one must abide in the calling to which he hath bene called verse 24. To this purpose hee saith verse 27. Art thou bound to a wife seeke not to be loosed And in the words going before he exhorteth al married persons not to defraud one another except it bee with consent so that with consent he alloweth a separation howbeit he addeth immediately for a time and after he willeth them to come together againe lest Satan tempt you through your inconstancy verse 5. Moreouer Christ himselfe teacheth Math. 19 6 What God hath coupled together let no man put asunder but maried persons God hath coupled together therefore they may not be separated nay they may not separate themselues neyther can they without breaking the ordinance of God and the institution of mariage Hence it is that it is called The Couenant of God Prou. 2 17 not onely a couenant betweene themselues but such as God is therein interessed and therefore it lyeth not in theyr power to dissolue that couenant Lastly Obiect Bel. de Mâ—nach cap. 38. they maintaine that if the mariage be onely contracted and not consummated or finished one may lawfully leaue another without consent one of another to vow single life to colour this they pretend that it is lawfull to passe from a state of life lesse perfect to that which is more perfect and so they define a vow to bee a promise to God of some better good But this is a false surmise Answ For how doth hee vow a better good who in the vow of continency burneth with carnall and fleshly lustes and is scorched in the flames of his own concupiscence as the Apostle teacheth directly It is better to marry then to burne 1 Cor. 7 9. In the time of the Law the vow oftentimes was sacrifice the common duty belonging to all beleeuers was shewing of mercy how then was the speciall vow better then the common duty forasmuch as God saith I will haue mercy and not sacrifice Hos 6 6. And how can they be saide to vow a better good that vow voluntary pouerty and beggery when Christ himselfe saith It is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue Act. 20 35. Or how can the blind vow of the Iesuites touching obedience to their superior be a tying of themselues to a greater or better good seeing the Scripture saith Bee ye not made the seruants of men 1 Cor. 7 23 forasmuch as they make themselues slaues to the rules and precepts of an Order altogether deuised by meÌ„ So then wee must know that single life is not alwaies nor in all a perfecter state of life then marriage and it is to bee presumed that such as are contracted to others haue not that gift for otherwise what needed such contracting The next point in a lawfull vow What conditions are to be obserued in vowes is to consider what are the conditions of it which may better appeare by the contrary prohibitions wherein consider both how to make them and how to pay them First it must bee made by him that is free in his or her owne power and not vnder the iurisdiction of another so that the vow of the wife that is vnder her husband of the sonne and daughter vnder their parents of the seruant vnder his Master cannot bee allowable but is voyde and frustrate Obiect If any aske Is it not lawfull for the wife or the sonne or the daughter or the seruant to vow to serue the Lord except the husband the father the mother the master giue their consent Is the power of these greater then the power of God or is the worship of God subordinate to the will and pleasure of superiors or may they hinder their inferiors from seruing the Lord I answere Answ the worship of God is not bound and tyed to vowes and inferiours may serue the Lord fully and faithfully and walke before him in faith obedience prayer and loue without the band of vowes The obedience and subiection which he hath laid as a duty vpon inferiours is more acceptable to him then any vow whatsoeuer Secondly vowes must be made onely to God not to other creatures as wee shewed before and therefore they offend that vowe to Saints departed for they cannot make such to bee vowes to God Thirdly they must bee of things possible for it is foolish if not impious to vow that which wee are not able to performe Fourthly they must bee godly and religious vowes not of such things as are forbidden of God Fiftly they must come from a free heart performed willingly and cheerefully to GOD. Sixtly wee must place no opinion of merit therein as the Romanists doe but tender our duty and thankefulnesse to God Lastly they must be aduised and of great importance These considerations we must set before vs in making a vow in paying and performing thereof we must consider first it must be performed fully wholly not maimed or to halues Therefore Moses in this place saith He shall do all that is gone out of his mouth verse 2. It is not enough for vs to do a part and to leaue a part vndone but wee must do it perfectly These are like to Ananias and Sapphira who vowed vnto God the whole price of their possession but when they came to performe their vow they kept backe apart thought to please GOD with another part Acts 5 3. The manner of many is to bee large in promising but to be sparing in performing This is a token of lightnesse and inconstancy and more displeases God then if they payed nothing at all because it is ioyned with hypocrisie Secondly wee must pay our vowes without delay we must not put off the time Genesis 33 1 Eccles 5 3 Deuteron 23 21. Delay in all duties is dangerous and bewrayeth an vnthankfull heart For as he that giueth quickly giueth twice so he that giueth leysurely it is all one as if hee gaue not at all Thirdly we must performe our vowes from our heart willingly cheerefully not grudgingly or mutteringly like the bad debter that payeth indeede the money hee borroweth at the appointed day but not with a willing minde and therefore hee had rather hee were not bound to pay it and knew how to auoyd it God requireth a cheerefull giuer therefore such payment of vowes as otherwise is is not allowed and approued of God Thirdly What is the right maner of vowing wee must learne what is the right manner of vowing wherein also obserue how it was wont to be
to God and be applyed to an holy vse The prophane Midianites had polluted and defiled them with Idolatry which God hateth of which see more afterward chap. 33 52. 14 Moses was wroth with the Officers of the hoast with the Captaines ouer thousands and Captaines ouer hundreds and hee saide vnto them Haue yee saued all the women aliue c. The Lord told Moses immediately before verse 2 so soone as this busines was ended he should be gathered to his fathers yet see how he hasteth forward the matter that it might be ended that he also might come to the ende of his dayes God had sworne that he should not enter into the Land for he was displeased with him and spared him not because of the people as he sheweth Deut. 1 verse 37 The Lord was angry with mee for your sakes saying Thou shalt not goe in thither where he goeth not about to excuse himselfe and to wash his hands as if hee had not done amisse but his meaning is that hee fell not into euill of his owne accord forasmuch as the mischiefe sprang from the people Thus did Moses smart for the rashnesse and retchlesnesse of the people as oftentimes Kings and Princes do The olde saying was wont to be Delirant reges plectuntur Achiui that is Horat lib. 1. epist 2. The Princes erre and reason lacke But the poore Commons go to wracke Howbeit we may inuert the rule and turne it otherwise Delirat populus rex plectitur ipse The people swarue and cannot be kept within any bounds whē oftentimes Princes beare the punishment of theyr folly as it fell out with Moses But to come to the matter marke how hee reproueth the Captaines and martiall men for sparing the whorish women that had brought a great plague vpon them We learne from hence Doctrine Sins of omission are displesing to God that sinnes of omission and neglect of duties which men are bound to performe are sinnes displeasing to God as sinnes of commission are It is a sinne against God to omit a good duty as well as to commit an euill or else Moses would not haue bin wroth with this people this is proued Math. 25 3 41 42. Hos 4. ver 1 2. Deut. 27 ver 26. Ierem. 10 verse 25. They called not vpon God Not to do good is to do euill The grounds are euident For first this is a kinde of contempt against Reason 1 God for not to obey is to disobey to contemne The seruant which will not doe what his master commandeth Ier. 48 10. what doth hee but shew a contempt against him If then this argue and conuince of open contempt no maruaile if God be displeased with it True it is and it cannot be denyed that men often do not that which God requireth out of frailty ignorance and infirmity but a continuall neglect and omission cannot but proclayme our contempt and therfore it is a fearefull and heynous sinne Reason 2 Secondly the law of God is not onely negatiue but also affirmatiue it commandeth good as well as forbiddeth euill For albeit all the tenne Commandements the fourth and fifth onely excepted do runne negatiuely yet the negatiue carrieth with it the affirmatiue according to the exposition of Christ himselfe Math. 5 verses 25 33 37. The Commandement which saith expressely Thou shalt not kill saith also inclusiuely Thou shalt preserue life Thirdly it is against the rule of loue and Reason 3 charity For where there is lesse loue then ought to be there is sinne Now where there is an omission of those things whereby God may bee glorified and our brethren profited there can bee no true charity Obiect But against this Doctrine it will be saide that sinnes of omission cannot reteyne the nature of sinne because sinne is an acte I answer Answer it is true of sinnes committed they are actes but of duties omitted it will not hold as for example a man refuseth to heare the word hee will not come to the house of God heere is a sinne because he that is of God heareth Gods word saith our Sauiour Iohn 8 47. yet it is no acte at all but the omitting of an acte so if a man heare the word carelesly this is a sinne Luke 8. yet it is not any acte so that sinnes of omission are sinnes before God as well as other of commission The vses follow First it appeareth hereby that many men Vse 1 in the world if they would examine themselues and cast vp theyr accounts and reckonings with God as debters ought to do they should finde themselues to stand endighted and conuicted of a multitude of sinnes that haply they neuer once dreamed of The greatest sort take notice of this and take themselues bound to auoyd euill but they neuer charge themselues with doing that which is good Euery man confesseth it a sinne to serue other gods to worship false gods and yet neuer consider that it is a sinne not to serue and worship the true God Moses was shut out of the Land of promise not because he did openly dishonour God before the Congregation but because hee did not honour and glorifie his Name Numb 20. And wherefore was the rich man cast into the torments of hell was it because he had taken any thing from poore Lazarus or pulled the meate from his mouth No it was because he did not put bread into his mouth Hee fared deliciously euery day himselfe Luke 16 but he suffered him to starue for want Now we must set downe this as a certaine rule that they neuer had their hearts truely reformed from doing of euill that haue not also beene carefull to doe that which is good We haue therefore a farther reckoning to make with God then we imagine and stand deeper indebted to him then we beleeue For if wee doe not make our accounts to account with him for duties let slip and omitted wee can neuer be saued Secondly this Doctrine serueth as a good direction to helpe vs to try our selues whether Vse 2 we bee rightly reformed in our hearts or not If wee haue learned to account duties omitted to bee no better then sinnes against almighty GOD and for which he will one day take vengeance wee haue made a good step in our holy faith and that if wee haue not learned to make conscience of sinnes of omission we will neuer truely make conscience of sinnes of commission A man may make some scruple of conscience of swearing and taking the Name of God in vaine and yet neuer vse it with feare and reuerence This man is as guilty that hath left the good vndone as the other Many men will refrayne from going to worke on the Sabbath day and from open prophaning of it but in the meane season they come not to heare the word neyther make any profite vnto theyr soules by it These men doubtlesse do it but for outward respects and not for any care they haue to keepe it holy For how shall
as wee haue receiued from forraine enemies and domesticall And what blessings wee haue all receiued in particular what tongue can expresse what heart can comprehend Doth not GOD on the other side requyre much at our hands O let vs beware and take heede lest these blessings bee turned into curses and his mercies into iudgments CHAP. XXXII 1 NOw the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattell tand when they saw the land of Iaazer and the land of Gilead that behold the place was a place for cattell 2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake vnto Moses and to Eleazar the Priest and vnto the Princes of the congregation saying 3 At aroth and Dibon c. 4 Euen the countrey which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel is a land for cattell thy seruants haue cattel 5 Wherefore said they if we haue found grace in thy sight let this land be giuen vnto thy seruants for a possession and bring vs not ouer Iordan COncerning the great victory giuen ouer the enemies of Israel wee haue already spoken now wee come to the diuiding of the inheritance among the Conquerors according to their estate and condition wherein consider three things The contents of this chapt First the occasion of distributing the land of the Midianites the victory being obtained Secondly the conditions of this distribution Thirdly the agreement and sending of them into the possession The occasion is in these verses the two tribes and the halfe had many cattel vpon which occasion they come to Moses and request this land which they had lately seazed into their hands the chiefe townes whereof are reckoned vp that they might sit down there not bee compelled to passe ouer Iordan they thought they might speed themselues nearer home and neuer trouble themselues to goe so farre The sons of Reuben are in the first verse set before the sonnes of Gad because Reuben was the eldest and first borne and yet oftentimes in this Chapter the sons of Gad are set before them the cause whereof seemeth to be this Why the sons of Gad are set before the sonnes of Manasseh because they were the authors of this counsell to shift and prouide for themselues and to aske of Moses the land of the Midianites From hence sundry doctrines may bee pointed out Doubtlesse euery tribe had store of cattell for Gen. 46 32 they are said to bee shepheards men of cattell and Exod. 12 38 there went vp with them out of Egypt flockes and heardes euen very much cattell yet the tribes heere mentioned did especially and aboue the rest abound with cattell We learne heereby that God doth distribute his blessings differently hee giueth things temporall to one more and to another lesse as in his owne wisdome he seeth to be expedient and profitable for them He would haue vs stand in need one of another one nation of another one land of another one person of another that we might hold a communion among our selues al depend vpon him as vpon our soueraigne Lord. It is therefore the duty of one member to help another and to do good one to another euen as it is in the members of the body al haue not one office but euery one his speciall function but for the good comfort of the whole And as it is in temporall blessings so also it is in spirituall God giueth disperseth them variably These tribes do come to Moses to obtain their suit They attempt not by force or by fraud to get it they vse lawfull meanes they haue recourse to the Magistrate It is our duty therfore to go to the Magistrat to obtaine our right to make petition of lawfull things to him Again albeit the children of Israel smote this land of the Midianites yet it is said the Lord smote it because the labors endeauors of men come to nought of euery good action God is the principal agent the creature only the instrument is supported by his power From hence this ariseth that all good actions of the second cause are to be ascribed to the first cause as the chiefe worker therof See also the maner of their speech if we haue found grace in thy sight thus they speake to the Magistrate which teacheth that we ought to vse shew all reuerence humility both in word gesture to Magistrates and to our superiours Al these things are good serue for imitation but there is one thing more also must serue for our instruction though it be euil These tribes do seek their own profit altogether forget their brethren their mind was more vpō their own cattel then the procuring of the good estate of the rest Wee learne heereby Doctrine The loue of this world draweth from duties to God and man that the immoderate loue of this world is dangerous drawing to sin against God and to breake the bonds of nature Where the loue of the world of our selues is throughly settled it worketh a carelesse neglect of all others Abraham Lot loued as natural brethren nothing could separat them they went out of their countrey and from their kindred together Gen. 11 31 what seuered these but matters of the world when Lot looked on Sodome saw it fruitful as Eden he left Abraham and dwelled there which brought great trouble vpon himself Gen. 13. And afterward what caused Lots wife to looke backward c. was it not the loue of the things which he had left behind Gen. 19. Luke 17. Saul looked vpon the fattest of the sheep fel into disobedience lost his kingdom Achan looked vpō the wedge of gold the Babylonish garment set his hart vpon thē prouoked God against himself the host of Israel Ios 7 The like we might manifest by sūdry other examples of the yong man that came to Christ Ma. 19 of Iudas that betrayed his Master Math 26 of Demas that forsooke Paul and embraced this present world 2. Tim. 4. Reason 1 And no marueile For the loue of God the loue of the world are contrary the one to the other there is no affinity betweene them they are enemies and one cannot abide the other These can neuer looke each other in the face but by and by they turne their backs 1. Iohn 2 15 If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him These two are as two contrary Masters no man therfore can serue them both for both require the whole seruice of a man both command contrary things Mat. 6 24. Secondly the desire of these worldly things is a ranke thorne Luke 8 and is the roote of all euill 1. Tim. 6. The hearts of men are hardened by it when once they are ensnared and taken in loue with it The world is a very harlot it speaketh faire promiseth much good it hath a painted
of his owne houshold hee that loueth father or mother more then mee is not worthy of me and he that loueth sonne or daughter more theÌ„ me is not worthy of me If then it fall out with vs at any time as it hath come to passe to the Saints of God before vs that we are sought to be drawne from our faith and obedience by friend or enemy by wife or children by father or mother we must not thinke the tryall strange but rather reioyce and be glad that we are made like vnto the Prophets and holy men of God nay like to our head IESVS CHRIST Vse 3 Thirdly this should teach vs to be bold to reprooue such as stand in the way and suffer not the people of God to go forward in good things Euery man will cry out against those varlets that stand with long Poles on theyr neckes or long Blades by theyr sides and hinder passengers in theyr iourney and rob them of theyr money and treasure that they haue about them But these men that lie in wait to hinder the passage of Gods people in theyr pilgrimage toward the holy Land I meane the heauenly Canaan are worse then the former for they seeke to take from them the treasure which they haue layde vp in heauen When the Disciples of Christ saw those that broght young children â—o him that hee might touch them they reprooued and rebuked those that brought them But when Iesus saw it hee was much displeased and saide vnto them Suffer the little children to come vnto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God Mar. 10 13 14. The Disciples reproued the people but he reproued the reprouers he would not winke at them that discouraged those that performed a good duty toward theyr childreÌ„ but encouraged the people in theyr wel-doing When the multitude rebuked the two blinde men sitting by the high way and crying vnto Iesus to haue theyr sight restored because they should hold theyr peace they cryed out the more earnestly Haue mercy on vs O Lord thou sonne of Dauid Math. 20 31. The like we see in Paul when the Disciples besought him not to go vp to Ierusalem hee answered What meane yee to weepe and to breake mine hart for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Act. 21 13. Whensoeuer therefore we meete with such impediments hinderances that would stay vs from glorifying the Name of God and performing good duties to him let vs labour to remoue them let vs leap ouer these stumbling blockes and breake through these hedges though they be fenced with thornes S. Ierome hath an excellent saying to this purpose he counselled Heliodorus to go on in the course of piety follow after Christ whatso-soeuer discoragements he found froÌ„ whoÌ„soeuer though his father stood weeping before him and his mother hanging on his necke behind him and all his brethren sisters children and kinsfolkes howling on euery side to reteyne him in a sinfull trade of life with them and to keep him from the kingdome of God he should tread them vnder his feete that hee might runne to Christ when hee calleth him His words are these Licet paruulus ex collo pendeat nepos licet sparso crine c. that is Hier. ad Heolidorum epist Though thy Nephew hang about thy necke though thy mother with her haire hanging downe and her garments rent shew thee her brests that gaue thee sucke and though thy father should cast himselfe downe vpon the threshold to stop thy passage yet go thou forward trample vpon thy father and with dry eyes follow after Christ Solum pietatis genus est in hac re esse crudelem This is the onely kinde of piety to be cruell in this matter Christ Iesus in this case willeth vs to hate father and mother brethren and sisters so that wee should fling them to the ground and run ouer them also rather then they should hinder vs from being the Disciples of Christ and from following him Fourthly it is the duty of all men to take Vse 4 heed we walke without offence our selues then we shall be sure to giue no offence to others The Apostle chargeth vs to walke wisely toward them that are without Col. 4 5. For if they should see dayly offences before them it would be a meanes to keepe them to be without still that are without 1 Thess 4 12 hee moueth the Thessalonians to behaue themselues honestly toward theÌ„ that are without And to the Corinthians he saith Giue none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10 32. So then we ought to be so farre from discouraging any that we should encourage euery one to the faith gain those that are without strengthen those that are within comfort theÌ„ that are feeble minded support the weake be patient toward all men and labour to turne many vnto righteousnesse The Apostle saith Rom. 14 1. Him that is weake in the faith receiue you but not to doubtfull disputations and verse 13. Let no man iudge one another any more but iudge this rather that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Let vs all that call vppon the Name of Christ and are called by his Name walke circumspectly and giue no iust occasion of sinning to any eyther word or deed eyther to driue them by our euill example from God wholy or to cause them to goe on lesse cheerefully Ieroboam is often described by this note He made Israel to sinne and God hath set this marke vpon him to know him wheresoeuer wee finde him as hee set a marke vpon Caine. The Apostle speaking of such as become stumbling blocks to theÌ„ that are weake saith that they sinne against the brethren and wound their weake conscience and sinne against Christ 1 Cor. 8 12. Such as breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shal be called the least in the kingdom of heauen Mat. 5 19. This is the meanes to edify men in iniquity to open a gap to all licentiousnesse Vse 5 Lastly to remoue these discouragements hindrances that we bee not entrapped by theÌ„ we must al labor after spiritual courage to tread vpon all iniuries and reproches that sinners cast out against vs. Let vs when we heare their railings stop our eares gather our spirits about vs take courage to our selues He that hath attained to a Christian resolution to go forward in the duties of godlines hath gotteÌ„ the victory The difficulty of this lieth more in our faintnes fearefulnes then in the thing it selfe Our own slothfulnes negligence make al things hard that otherwise are easy we must go to God and pray to him to encrease our faith Luke 17 This is our victory which ouercommeth the world euen our faith 1 Ioh. 5 4.
whereunto they are receiued so shall it bee taken from the lot of our inheritance 4 And when the Iubile of the children of Israel shall be then shall their inheritance be put vnto the inheritance of the Tribe whereunto they are receiued so shall their inheritance bee taken away from the inheritance of the tribes of our fathers WHereas Moses had spoken before of the diuiding of the inheritance in generall among the tribes in this place a certaine speciall case is propounded by the Manassites touching the right of inheritance before assigned to the daughters of Zelophehad to wit how prouision might bee made that the same portion might remaine in that tribe and not be conueyed or translated to some of the other tribes For they propound these 2 as repugnant one to the other the right of succession which these women had obtayned and the priuiledge of the yeare of Iubile which they thought was weakened by this meanes if happely these maydes should marry to any other husbands then men of their owne tribe neyther did they know how to cleare this doubt But Moses instructed of God setteth downe a Law that inheritance should not passe from tribe to tribe and that such as were inheritrixes might not marry any of other tribes but among their owne onely which was carefully obserued by these women This is the summe of this chapter wherewith the whole booke is concluded In this obserue three points The contents of this chapt first the question of the Manassites secondly the resolution of Moses thirdly the marriage of the daughters of Zelophehad Touching the first it is handled in these foure verses The question was moued by the chiefe heads of the tribe of Manasseh how the inheritance might rest without a manifest detriment to their tribe For if they should marry in another tribe it was as much as to cut off an arme from the body And by this meanes it might come to passe in processe of time that the chiefe portion assigned to one tribe might be possessed by men of other tribes which would breed great confusion and disorder This practice and proceeding of theirs teacheth first that the Magistrate is and ought to bee the supreme Iudge in causes of inheritance Secondly no man ought to bee Iudge in his owne cause Thirdly wee see how they come to Moses not in contempt or with a commotion as if they meant to gaine that by force which they could not obtayne by fauour but they beare themselues lowly and dutifully as became them to the Magistrate when they say The Lord commanded my Lord and againe My Lord was commanded Doctrine Inferiors must reuerence their superiors c. From hence wee learne that it is the duty of all inferiors to reuerence the superiors in gesture in word in deed We might also shew that Magistrates must acknowledge themselues to rule vnder God and to be Lords vnder that highest Lord. But wee will onely handle this point that inferiors must vse speeches of reuerence such as betoken subiection this we saw before chapt 11 28 and 32 5 25 31. 2 Kings 5 13 1 Peter 3 6. Nehem. 2 5. Esther 7 3. 2 Sam. 24 3. 1 Kings 1 23 24 31. 2 Kings 2 12 and 13 14. Mal. 1 6. 1 Sam. 25 24 25 26 27 28. Gen 16 9. The grounds first because superiors beare Reason 1 the image of God and are to their inferiors in Gods place as Moses was to Aaron when the Lord sayth Exod. 4 16. Thou shalt be vnto him in stead of God Secondly it is the expresse law of God To honor father and mother that is all superiours Exod. 20 12. Psal 82 6. 1 Tim. 5 3. They are set ouer inferiors for their good not for their owne 1 Tim. 2 â— where the Apostle teacheth that Princes are appointed vnto eminent place not to lift vp their hearts against theyr brethren and to maintain themselues in all riot and excesse but that the people may leade a quiet peaceable life vnder them Fourthly such do adorne the Gospel 1 Tim 6 1. This serueth to reprooue such as are so farre Vse 1 from giuing of good words and vsing soft gentle speech sauouring of Christian modesty and subiection that they reuile them rayle at them and speake all manner of euill agaynst them which they ought not to do vnto any much lesse to their fathers or masters or Magistrates to whom they are bound in a neerer band and tyed to a farther duty Hence it is that Moses sayth Exod. 22 28. Thou shalt not reuile the gods nor curse the ruler of thy people It is deliuered as a generall precept binding all that will be the children of God Blesse them that persecute you blesse I say curse not Rom. 12 14. Iam. 3 9 10. It is a thing acceptable to God to speake euill of no man Titus 3 2. It is therfore a thing detestable to speake euill of our superiors vnto whom all dutifull language is due that sauoureth of peace and loue nay of submission and subiection The Apostle exhorteth seruants to bee obedient vnto their owne masters and to please them in al things Tit. 2 9. not answering againe with stout and vnseemely words Such then must learne by the feare of God to bridle their tongues that they offend not that way Iam. 3 4. Many there are who in their seruice are reasonable but they haue no rule ouer theyr tongue they will not onely mutter and murmure but giue curst and cutted answers It is the fruite of an euill seruant to bee euill tongued and to take liberty to taunt in vnseemly manner against those that are set ouer them This was the sinne of Agar that despised her mistresse not onely in her heart but likewise in speech Ge. 16 4. Let such consider the words of Salomon Prou. 15 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath but greeuous words stirre vppe anger Iames chap. 1.20 Iudg. 8. verses 1 2 3. 1 Sam. 25 32. Secondly we see the place of subiection is Vse 2 not an vnlawfull callingâ— neyther must wee think that Christianity hath abolished Magistracy and ciuill authority but rather ratifyeth and establisheth it Titus 3 1. 1 Tim 6 1. And it is lawfull for good men and especially for Magistrates Ministers to haue seruants as Abraham had many Eliah one likewise Elisha Ioseph had a Steward of his house Iacob had men-seruants and mayde-seruants Gen. 14 14 and 15 2 and 44 1 and 32 16. Mephibosheth had a seruant and that seruant had twenty seruants 2 Sam. 9 10. This ouerthroweth the damnable sect of the Anabaptists and Libertines who teach that Christians may not be subiect vnto any Obiection They obiect that they are the Lords free-men I answere Answer it is true but this freedome is inward and spirituall from sinne and Satan and condemnation Obiect Againe they alledge that wee are forbidden to be the seruants of men Answ 1 Cor. 7. I answere the meaning is