againe vnto life and liuing to giue thee euerlasting life and with it al happines all which he doth assure thee of when he calleth himselfe thy God then I say keepe his Sabbath For this hee requireth at thy hands who is thy God and hath done all these things for thee in becomming thy God And thus much for the motiues that this reason containeth in it to perswade vs to keepe his Sabbath § Sect. 2 One doctrine hence I note in that he saith it is holy vnto the Lord wee are therein taught to whom to consecrate holy daies namely vnto the Lord. Therefore Isai 56. he calles the Sabbath his holy day and Ezech. 20. 12. his Sabbath So doth he call the place of his worship his house Luk. 19. 46. And indeede being his seruice is there and then performed and that he wil haue no partners therein for he will not giue his glorie vnto another Isai 42. ought not the day and so the place to be consecrated onely vnto him The more shame then for the Papists that consecrate daies and Churches to Saints Angels Apostles Martyrs men women of which their Callender containeth aboue an hundred certainly they are herein worse than the Israelites for though they set vp an Idoll yet they would not consecrate a day vnto it but they said to morrow is holy vnto the Lord Exod. 32. 5. not vnto the Idoll but these institute daies vnto them yea and powre foorth prayers vnto them Heare vs Mary and pray for vs Peter c. But doubtlesse did these Saints know it they would crie out as in the Psalme 115. 1. Not vnto vs not vnto vs O Lord but vnto thy name giue we the glory Yea I say howsoeuer these men giue this worship vnto them did they know it they would euen rend their long white robes in an holy zeale as Paul and Barnabas did their garments and they would crie out vnto them from heauen as those did to the Idolaters vpon the earth O men why doe ye these things Act. 14. 15. But what needed they when as their practise in the Primatiue Church standeth vp against them There were I am sure holy men in olde times Patriarkes and Prophets yet did neither Christ nor any of his Apostles euer institute any day or make any prayer vnto them Which doubtlesse they would haue done had they held it a matter meete to bee done onely when they did consecrate a day they called it the Lords day being lead thereto by this in that it is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And thus much as concerning the second reason CHAP. III. The third reason is taken from Gods example who rested the seuenth day Sect. 1. Wherein we are to imitate God and wherein not Sect. 2. How God can be said to rest Sect. 3. The vse of these words Sect. 4. § Sect. 1 THe third reason followeth to be considered in these words For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth c. And it perswadeth from an example of the like thus That which I did for thine example thou oughtest to doe the like but I laboured sixe daies and rested the seuenth for thine example and therefore thou must doe the like So that the force of this reason standeth in the example of God himselfe the best president that the world or word it selfe can yeeld Now of what force examples are wee see in that men are lead by example rather than by law and hold it a good warrant for the doing of any thing for that others doe so but if they be great ones that doe it then it is put out of question For would such men doe so say they if it were not lawfull Now God seeing men so to be carried by example and that this commandement is so commonly broken by the example of great mē especially who esteeme of the Sabbath but as of another day therefore he opposeth against their examples his owne example who is higher than the highest of them whose breath is in their nostrels and his example alone is able to waigh downe all the examples or reasons that can bee brought to the contrarie And if a man will be lead by example it is meete he should be lead by the best example and if it may be by such an example that cannot erre Now all the examples of men be they neuer so holy haue much weaknes in them and in one thing or other they misse Let vs make proofe of some of the best of them As for example Salomon had a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there was none like neither before nor after him 1. King 3. 12. a very high commendation yet hee had his blemish he loued outlandish women 1. King 10. 1. Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord but will you know his fault he put not downe the high places 1. King 15. 14. Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart that did what was right in the sight of the Lord and turned from nothing that he commanded all the daies of his life yet in one thing he is chalenged in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1. King 15. 5. So then wee see the best men come short and in many things wee sinne all I am 3. 2. And therefore the best dare propose themselues for examples to be followed no further than they follow Christ 1. Cor. 12. 1. If a man be iust another may be as iust as he if a man be learned another may bee as learned as he if a man preach well another may preach as well as he if a man write well another may write as well as he and often we see the scholler to exceede the master Now if these be the best examples we can propose vnto our selues then the best come short of that they should be and another man may possibly doe as well as they and so he may haue occasion of boasting but God his example is an example propsed without example it is so exact so full and so absolute that all the world cannot yeeld the like example neither can a man take any exception against it and therefore this is an example aboue all to bee followed And this his example hee so proposeth here as first setting it downe for a law and then afterwards keeping the same law in his owne person so that if either law or example will doe any thing with vs hee would by both of them perswade vs to keepe the Sabbath Nay further whereas in the other commandements you shall not see the example of God obserued in the keeping of them yet in this one you may obserue a double example giuen by God For twice in the Scripture his keeping of the Sabbath is obserued first in the beginning when he created the heauens and earth then hee rested the seuenth day Secondly when hee rained Manna in the wildernesse euery day yet when the Sabbath came he ceased Exo. 16. 26. 27. Well then hath the
heare God out of his law to reason in this sort against them I gaue you sixe daies to doe your worldly businesse in to labour to ride to runne to buy to sell to sow to reape to solace your selues to see your friends to make merrie c. and yet cannot you bee contented with them but that you must incroach vpon me to take my holy day also and to spend it I say not vpon your labours but that which is more vntollerable vpon your lusts and delights This I say cannot but strike them thorough and make their harts to fall in sunder like water when they shall consider their great ingratitude towards him that when he of seuen could affoord to giue them sixe they of seuen cannot affoord to giue giue doe I say out vpon it nay cannot suffer him to enioy one The scarre of churlishnes sticketh like a starre in the forhead of Nabal and shall to the worlds end 1. Sam. 25. 3. that Dauid when in regard of his kindnes shewed vnto his shepheards in the wildernesse requiring him to giue him a present of any thing that came next vnto his hand the churle refused to doe it Now Nabal how soeuer churlish yet this was his owne it was in his power and it was prouided for his shearers yet for all this is hee iustly condemned for a chrule in that hee sent not a present vnto Dauid that had so well deserued it With what words then may this sinne of ours be sufficiently aggrauated that whereas God of his bountie of seuen hath giuen vs sixe if we also should take away from him that one If a poore man on the way as thou trauellest should come vnto thee and craue of thee for Gods sake to bestow vpon him something to relieue him and thou out of thy liberalitie and compassion towards him shouldest giue him all the money in thy purse reseruing onely a very little for thine owne vse to bring thee home if hee I say should catch thy purse and that also and run away with it wouldest thou not account him very vngratefull Yet thy vngratitude to God is as great as his and more for in very truth thou art so bound vnto God as that if thou shouldest giue halfe of thy daies yea all of them back againe vnto him thou couldest not sufficiently recompence him To conclude therefore this point let that reason which mooued Ioseph not to consent to his Mistris preuaile with thee My master hath committed all into my hand and hath kept nothing from me but onely thee because thou art his wife how then shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Genes 39. So shouldest thou answere thy companions when they shall allure thee on the Sabbath to sinne The Lord hath giuen me all the daies in the weeke to doe my workes in sauing onely this one he hath reserued vnto himselfe how then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against the Lord in breaking his Sabbath And thus much for the manner of the reason how it inforceth vs to the keeping of the Sabbath The doctrine that we learne hence is first that the commandements of God stand all of them and are grounded vpon good reason and therefore that all his commandements are not onely true Psal 119. 86 but righteous also vers 106. Yea they are all most iust vers 128. And there is nothing in the world that standeth with such reason as the seruice of God which maketh the Apostle to call it our reasonable seruing of God Rom. 12. 2. And therefore Ezec. 18. 25. God blames those that say his waies are vnequall and no lesse worthie of blame are such as thinke that it is vnreasonable to keepe a whole day holie vnto the Lord. Why then how should their businesse goe forward why then when should they haue any time for recreation What is all this but to finde fault with Gods law as if it were not iust as if it were not equall But what saist thou is it not equall and is it not meete that thou shouldest haue thy sixe daies to doe thy businesse in which God hath allowed thee And is it not as meete that God should haue one Let this therefore cease thy murmuring against Gods law seeing it standeth with such good reason The second doctrine that wee note in these words Sixe daies shalt thou labour is this that as it is sinne for vs ordinarily to worke on the seuenth day so also is it sinne for vs through negligence or idlenes not to dispatch our worldly businesse in the sixe daies seeing he hath allowed them vnto vs for that purpose And therfore on them we ought to labour and it behoueth vs so much the more carefullie to labour in them seeing that God hath enioyned man to labour in the sweate of his browes Genes 3. Yea seeing as Iob saith he is borne to labour as the sparkles flie vpward Iob. 5. 7. And hence it is that God hath left him so many precedents of labour before his eyes the oxe is made to till the land and tread out the corne the asse is to stand vnder the burthen the heauens are still in their motion as it were still a working the Angels are ministring spirits Psal 104. 4 and when man was in the state of perfection God would not haue him idle Gen. 2. though God had no neede of his worke nor the garden for it brought out all things without planting yet hee would haue man to labour because man had neede of it and therefore sets him his taske to dresse and trimme the garden Nay God himselfe in his owne person wrought sixe daies in making of the heauens and the earth Hee could indeed haue finished it in one or at a words speaking but yet he would worke sixe daies to leaue vnto vs an example to doe the like Then here are those slow bellies and idle Abbey lubbers condemned that spend whole daies in doing nothing that are like paralitique and gowtie members loose and vntied in the ioynts of obedience that say vnto the head commaund vs not for we will not moue neither will we stir But shal not God curse them as he did the fig tree that bare no fruite cut it downe why combreth it the earth And were it not that these words did stand vp so pregnantly against these men yet the very euils that accompany idlenes were sufficient to make it to be detested for what sinne is it almost that groweth not out of this as out of a nurcerie of all sinne Idlenes causeth to fall asleepe Pro. 19. 15. then idlenes is the cause of drowsinesse So is it of beggerie He that will 〈…〉 in winter shall begge in summer Prou. 20. 4. Idlenes is the cause of ill husbandrie His land cries out against him and the furrowes thereof complaine that haue not their water courses Iob. 31. 38. Thornes and nettles couer the face thereof Prou. 24. 4. So is idlenes the cause of drunkennes Amos
as the Israelites kept a fast in Mispeh 1. Sam. 7. And Hest 4. 16. there is a fast kept of three daies long yea Daniel keepes a fast of three weekes of daies Dan. 10. 3. Neither in so doing is there any breach or alteration of Gods ordinance but rather an obseruation For as Christ brake not the commandement when he neglected his dutie to parents to performe his dutie to God so neither doe we breake this ordinance of God when wee on any of the sixe daies neglect our owne businesse to serue God the cause and necessitie so requiring for if necessitie may cause vs to breake the Sabbath for the good of man may not necessitie aswell dispense with our daies and cause vs to sanctifie a Sabbath for the good of man Nay further I take it that this commandement being a Synecdoche and but a part put for the whole as are all the other commaundements doth warrant yea and commaund such time conuenient in the weeke daies to be set apart vnto Gods seruice And we see that Christ and the Apostles preached on these daies as well as vpon the Sabbath which they would not haue done if it had been vnlawful for the people to heare And as I thinke that any of these daies may by the Church be set apart to Gods seruice the cause so requiring so also doe I perswade my selfe that some part of euery one of these daies should be set apart to holy exercises as morning and euening to pray with our families And of these wee see Isaac had one hee went out in the euening to pray Gen. 24. 63. Daniel had three for he prayed three times a day Dan. 6. 10. And Dauid prayed seuen times a day Psal 119. 164. And thus much as touching the second question and so consequently of the first reason to perswade to the keeping of the Sabbath for as for such things as be here obserued about the rest I haue handled them before in the discourse of the rest of the day CHAP. II. The second reason because it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Sect. 1. Holy daies are to bee consecrated onely to the Lord Sect. 2. § Sect. 1 THe second reason followeth and is drawne from the end and institution of the Sabbath contained in these words It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And it may be thus gathered If the Sabbath bee consecrate vnto the Lord and his worship then you must rest on it from your works but the former is true for it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and therfore it followeth that you must rest from your works And here marke with me first the workmanship of this reason how fitly it is framed for first least any man should bee so bold as to aske him for his commission as Exo. 2. one demaunded of Moses Who made thee a Iudge or as Mat. 22. 23. the Priests demanded of Christ By what authoritie doest thou these things Therefore he shewes his authoritie namely that he is authoritie it self and he may command for he is Lord and no man will say vnto him vnlesse he be a diuell What hast thou to doe with vs Matth. 8 for he hath to doe with vs for he is thy Lord and that diuers waies First hee is thy Creator hee made thee and therefore looke how the vessell is in the potters hand so art thou in his Rom. 9. This Dauid knew well enough when he said Come let vs fall downe before the Lord our maker Psal 95. 6. Secondly as he is thy Lord by creation so also is he by redemption He hath bought thee with a price 1. Cor. 6. 20. a price not of gold and siluer but with his most pretious bloud 1. Pet. 1. 18. And therefore this is rendred as a reason of his dying and rising again that he might be Lord ouer vs Rom. 14. 9. Thirdly as by his redemption so by his soueraigntie rule and authoritie in that he is absolute in his commaund and doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and in earth Psal 115. 3. No man can stay his hand neither dare any say vnto him what doest thou Dan. 4. 32. for he is Lord of Lords Rom. 17. 14. and his hests stand like the lawes of the Medes and Persians that cannot be recalled Dan. 6. 12. Yea a degree further he is the Lord of spirits Num. 16. 22. and therefore will commaund not as other Lords thy bodie onely but thy soule too Matth. 21. 37. Thou must serue him with all thy soule and if it please him he can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Mat. 10. 28. Now then if he be thy Lord and master in so full and so absolute a manner what then why then where is his feare Malac. 1. 6. He calles for that and good reason for if there bee no master but will haue some seruice shall God so great a Lord and master be without it No he will not and therfore he here requireth it of thee on this day to serue him Now there is one thing which the master oweth vnto the seruant and that is protection and euery man harpes vpon that string if he stands in need of his helpe then Master saue vs we perish Matth. 8. 25. But there is another thing that the seruant oweth to his master and that is obedience and there wee breake with him He saith goe and we goe not come and wee come not doe this and we doe it not wee keepe his commandements with notes as the Atheist beleene the Articles of faith But may it not be that there is cause as that he is a hard man or hee will not stand by his seruants to defend them or else he giues not so good wages as others Surely it is not so for first Dauid tels vs that he will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer Psal 103. 8. Yea if he see vs once to fall downe before him and to craue him to appease his anger he forgiues vs all Mat. 18. 27. then he is no hard master And as for defence he will suffer no man to doe vs wrong but wil reproue euē kings for our sakes Psal 105. 14. And as for his hire there is no seruice like vnto his no not the seruice of the King You cannot say of him as Saul said of Dauid will he giue euery one of you fields and vineyards will hee make you Captaines ouer thousands c Yea he will and more than that he makes all his seruants Kings Reu. 1. 6. and giues euery one of them a crowne of life 2. Tim. 4. yea an euerlasting kingdome that withereth not reserued in heauen 1. Pet. 1. 4. All this hee giueth and he giueth it liberally not reproching and casting men in the teeth with it as Saul did his followers why then what shall let vs to serue such a master Yet behold and wonder let a flattering diuell a little intice vs with a shew of any matter or
lawgiuer himselfe gone before you in keeping this commaundement let me then exhort you as the Apostle doth Ephes 5. 1. Be you followers of God as deare children and walke as ye haue him for an example Now louing children will followe their parents then if you be children I say if louing children you wil follow him Now I know in generall that euery man will subscribe vnto this that they must follow God in keeping his Sabbath but yet come and presse them to yeeld obedience in the particular duties there you shal haue them as the young man in the Gospell they then depart sorrowfull that makes them to scratch where it doth not itch What must they doe nothing but heare pray meditate c. Nay if it had been onely to forbeare the doing of some worldly businesse which they greatly cared not for the doing of at any time they would haue forborne but now vpon this day to forgo their afternoone sports and playes and to sit as they terme it moping in a corner this is too hard Well but I say if you bee Gods children you will follow him yea and more than any sonne imitateth the father for the father begetteth his sonne but like vnto him in substance but God begetteth his children like vnto him in qualities They be holy as he is holy mercifull as he is mercifull and will imitate him in all his doings and therefore in this they will keepe the Sabbath as he kept it otherwise they are no children but bastards I say bastards on the mothers side but not on the fathers for were they his true children they would be also his deare children as in this place and would follow him § Sect. 2 Yea but will some man say what a stirre is here about following of God what would I haue them to doe and I thinke I would haue them assaile to make a new heauen and a new earth because God made them both Not so neither but I would haue them labour sixe daies and rest the seuenth as God did But that they may be the more fully answered the workes which God hath wrought are of three sorts Whereof the first are such as are miraculous as to giue sight vnto the blind to fast fourtie daies to walk vpon the waters to raise the dead c. Now these are to bee wondred at but not to be imitated because the gift of working miracles ceaseth in the Church and it is a note of Antichrist now to worke wonders 2. Thess 2. 9. The second sort of works are works of our redemption as the sonne of God to become the sonne of man to be borne of a virgin to beare our sinnes to die for vs to rise againe and to ascend into heauen Now these are works to be beleeued but not to be imitated vnlesse it bee in a certaine similitude or resemblance that as Christ was conceiued and borne so he should bee conceiued and borne in vs Gal. 4. 19. And as Christ died for sinne 1. Cor. 15. 3. so we should die to sinne Rom. 6. 2. As Christ in his flesh was crucified vpon the crosse so should we crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Galath 4. 24. As Christ being dead for our sinne was buried so wee being dead to sin should also be buried with him by baptisme Rom. 6. 4. As Christ being buried rose againe so must we being buried with him by baptisme rise again to walke in newnes of life vers 5. As Christ being risen did ascend so must we risen from the graue of sinne ascend by setting our affections on things aboue Coloss 3. 2. And hereupon grew that rule that whatsoeuer Christ did for vs the same he did in vs. Lastly the third sort of duties are morall duties commaunded in the law and these are the workes wherein he is to bee imitated by vs. Examples whereof he giueth vs Mat. 11. 29. Of meeknes Learne of me that I am humble and meeke In Iohn of loue and brotherly kindnes Ioh. 13. 15. I haue giuen you an example And in this place of working sixe daies and resting the seuenth Indeede hee could haue finished all his workes in one houre or with a word speaking but hee would worke about them sixe daies and rest the seuenth for our example And therefore as Christ said Haue you not read what Dauid did how when hee was an hungred c. So haue you not read what the Lord did how when he made the heauens and the earth he laboured sixe daies and rested the seuenth haue you not read it I say if you haue then againe I say as Christ in another case Goe and doe the like Luk. 10. 37. that is rest as he did For not the worke but the rest is that which is proposed vnto thee § Sect. 3 But here is one doubt more that may be moued in this place and that is how God can be said to rest that is a pure act in himself and alwaies worketh or how he can be said to worke that alwaies resteth in his action The answere is he alwaies worketh and alwaies resteth in himselfe but in this place he is said to rest or to worke in respect of his creatures To rest I say in that hee ceaseth to make any more creatures yet not to rest from preseruing them being made For God was not idle on the seuenth day but did sustaine and preserue the creatures which hee before had made otherwise they would haue come to nothing And therein wee are taught that though on the Sabbath it bee not lawfull to labour to increase that wee haue yet it is lawfull to saue and preserue that we haue and this he teacheth vs here by his owne example And so much touching the sense and force of these words § Sect. 4 Now the vse of these words is foure-fold First they serue to confute those that stand so much vpon the examples of others let a man demand of thē why they do so prophane the Lords day by their vnlawful games sports by their riding and running abroad in errands by their trudging and posting to Faires and Markets they will answere they doe but as others doe and they that are better men and haue more knowledge than they do so and if it were not lawfull they would not doe it would such a Iustice or such a Preacher bowle or banquet or ride about vpon the Sabbath if it were not lawfull And when they haue thus answered they thinke they haue spoken to the matter passing well But I wonder seeing they will bee lead by example why they doe not looke vnto God and follow his example which is the best of all for I am sure that there is none of those which they follow is worthie to bee named the same day with him none so learned none of such authoritie as he may not a man then returne this their answere vpon them when they shall say such and such that are learned and of authoritie do breake the
the name of God was with such religion regarded amongst them as that there were some found amongst them that did chuse rather to die than to breake their oath as Regulus which also their lawes yet extant against periuries and blasphemies doe sufficiently testifie which were they in force amongst vs wee should not haue oathes so rife as now they are euen as our steps or as the stones of the streetes or if we had yet we should haue law to punish the blasphemer wheras now we haue none but of this sufficient There remaineth onely the fourth commandement that a time all businesse set apart is to be sanctified to Gods seruice Wherein let their Feriae and dies festi that is their holy daies and daies of rest from labour testifie that they held a time all businesse set apart to be kept holy vnto the Lord. Now as for the second table I hope I shall not be put vnto much businesse in it seeing the Philosophers intreate most of the duties commanded therein yea they were in the knowledge therof so exact as that it is possible to find amongst them some one precept that containeth in it the effect of the second table namely that sentence which was so rife amongst them Quod tibi non vis fieri alteri ne feceris that is That which thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe that thou shalt not doe to another Now what else is this but the same with that Matth. 6. which Christ calleth the law and Prophets Whatsoeuer saith he ye would that men should do vnto you euen so doe you vnto them for this is the law and the Prophets So then the Decalogue being the same with the law of nature is one and the same for euer It followeth necessarily that the Decalogue is to remaine for euer and consequently the Sabbath being a part of that Decalogue is to remaine for euer § Sect. 6 And to put this matter out of doubt that the Decalogue is to remaine for euer and is not abolished the Apostle himself auoucheth it Rom. 3. the last verse where disputing of iustification by faith without the workes of the law he putteth The continuance of the law warranted by the Apostle this question Doe wee then saith he make the law of none effect God forbid thereby accounting it as a most sinfull thing once to be conceited yea he is so farre from that minde as that hee resolueth it quite to the contrarie We establish it saith he Now that which is established is made more sure than it was before And therefore those that say the moral law is abolished by the law of faith speake like Peter in the transfiguration they wote not what they say For the Apostle saith it is established and not abolished by faith Neither yet is the Apostle alone in this case The law warranted to continue by Christ but he followeth therein the example of his master Christ who expreslie affirmeth so much Matth. 5 17. where speaking of the morall law he saith Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfill them The occasion of this doctrine as it should seeme was thus because hee had found fault many times with the Pharisies for their ouer strict keeping of the Sabbath preferring the rest of the day before the good of man as if man had been made for the Sabbath and not the Sabbath for man the Pharisies therefore began to accuse him as a breaker or rather as an abolisher of the law And as it may seeme some of his Disciples also began to drinke in this opinion and to promise libertie vnto themselues as if Christ had come to put an end vnto the law especially seeing hee went about to establish iustification by faith which Christ obseruing directeth this speech vnto them Thinke not saith he that I am come to dissolue the law as opposing this his speech directly vnto their conceit which they had of the abolishing of the law Neither yet doth he here rest but in the second place he sheweth that he is so farre from the destroying of it as that hee came to a quite contrarie end namely to fulfill it Now he which doth fulfill it doth not destroy it for these are opposed by him as being contrarie the one to the other For it were impossible for him both to destroy the law and yet to fulfill it Neither yet doth hee here content himselfe to shew the end of his comming namely to fulfill the law but when he hath done hee sheweth in the third place the durablenes of this law and that there is nothing so lasting as it no not the heauens though neuer so constant in their motion nor the earth though neuer so fixed a center for they shall both passe away before the whole law doth he say shall passe Nay rather than the least iot or title of it shall escape or fall And therefore whereas some say so much of the morall law shall stand as Christ hath reestablished in the new Testament therein they graunt the very thing in question namely that the Sabbath shall remaine for Christ hath established the whole law yea and hath warranted euery iot or title of it to be as durable as the heauens and therefore vnlesse wee can turne heauen and earth vpside downe let vs beware to take one iot or title from the law of God Fourthly that wee may certainly know that neither this law nor any part of it is dissolued hee sheweth that he that shall breake one of the least commaundements As in Luke thou childe shalt be called the Prophet of the highest that is shalt be and teach men so shall be called that is shall be the least in the kingdome of heauen as also on the contrarie he that shall c. And lastly he is so farre from the breaking of it that he requireth a more exact keeping of it For saith he if your righteousnesse exceede not the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Now as for those that are of opinion that this place is to be vnderstood of the ceremoniall law which Christ did fulfill though it be true that Christ did fulfill that also yet that hee meaneth the ceremoniall law in this place I cannot see how they will be able to prooue vnlesse they will also hold first that the ceremonial law is not abolished secondly that it shall last as long as the world lasteth thirdly that if a man breake the least ceremonie thereof and teach men so that he shal be the least in the kingdom of heauen fourthly that if hee obserue and teach them he shall be the greatest in the kingdome of heauen and fiftly that we are more bound vnto the obseruation of them than were the Scribes and Pharisies if wee will enter into heauen All which things Christ verifieth here of that law of which hee maketh mention All
Sabbath day there ought to bee an assemblie is more euident than We must vpon the Saâ—bath be assembled togetâ—er wiâ—h the coâ—gregation can be denied the word sounding it with shriller trumpet than that wherewith the congregation was wont to bee assembled euery Sabbath day and new Moone Num. 10. 10. For God himselfe requireth Leuit. 23. 3 that there be vpon that day an holy conuocation And Luk. 4. 16 wee see it was their practise this day to assemble and to that end they had houses built them which were called Synagogues borrowing their names from their assembling in them And Paul sheweth that at Antiochia he found the whole citie assembled vpon the Sabbath Act. 13. 43 44 which assemblie Psal 110. ver 3 is called Gods armie God as it were taking a muster of them there and as this was in the time of the law solemnely assembled so was it in the Gospell when though the ceremonies of the law were done away and the Sabbath chaunged into the first day of the weeke yet they retained their manner of assembling as a morall dutie to bee kept for euer Of which meeting there is not onely mention made 1. Cor. 11. 17 18 but also the time set downe euery first day of the weeke 1. Cor. 16. 1. Then if this assemblie be commaunded of God practised by Christ and the faithfull also in the time of the law and since the law most religiously obserued I marueile with what face these time-seruing and place-seruing Papists and these statute-protestants I may say Atheists well enough for they are without God in this present world being without his worship will stand vp before God to answere whose feete seldome or neuer tread in the Lords courts or weare the thresholds of his Sanctuarie but only when the law bindes them thereunto It was Dauids desire when he was banished and that aboue all things he did desire Psal 27 that he might dwel in the house of the Lord for euer And Psal 87. when he sheweth it noâ— his desire longing as of women but euen fainting as of the hungrie soule or chased Hart that is falling for thirst yea hee thinketh the sparrow in better case than himselfe that might lay his young neere the Lords altar The Iewes came earlie vnto Ierusalem though dwelling in the vttermost lists and bounds of the land The Queene of Sheba came out of her own countrie to heare the wisedome of Salomon yea the beasts came to the Arke to be saued but these will not come to the Church to bee saued It was well wished of good Master Latimer that men would come to the Church though it were but to sleep for these he thought happely might be caught napping but these men will not doe so much Well let them know that as Saul marked Dauids place when hee was absent 1. Sam. 20. 27 so will God much more marke their emptie seates and solitarie pewes when they are absent But they that are so cold when God and Prince require their presence what would they doe thinke you if the line of France should be stretched ouer our land when men should be killed with Bibles in their hands and their blood should be sprinkled about the seates they sit on Well I desire not to be ominous but if it should come so to passe which God forbid how easily would they conclude as that euill messenger 2. King 6. 33. Commeth not this euill of the Lord and doe we waite on him any longer Though neither yet is this sufficient for them We must come timely to the church that they come but that their comming be timely that they may preuent the preacher as Cornelius and his kinsmen did Peter Act. 10. 33. Now wee are all here present before God to heare all things that are commaunded thee of God and that they might stay as the cripple waited for the mouing of the waters at the poole of Bethesda considering that God hath promised that they that seeke him early shall finde him Prou. 8. And that it is a note or a marke of true Christians that they come willingly at the time of the assembling Psalm 110. 3 which if they did they would as timely come vnto it as any should make haste to see a shew or to come to a good market But let them know that are late commers that as they come so they shall speede and as they doe Gods worke to holinesse so they shal finde comfort to holinesse The next thing is how wee ought to demeane our §. Sect. 5. selues when wee bee assembled which consisteth in these three things reuerence attention and consideration Reuerence attention and consideration required in hearing Reuerence in regard of the maiestie before whom wee stand attention in regard of the thing which wee heare and consideration in respect of our selues whom those things so much concerne All which 3. things are taught Eccl. 4. 17. When thou entrest into the house of the Lord take heed vnto both thy feete there is reuerence Secondly Be more neere to heare than to offer the sacrifice of fooles there is attention Thirdly Be not rash with thy mouth there is consideration All which if they will not preuaile yet heare the reason God is in the heauens but thou art on the earth thou a base sillie weake worme of the earth standest before the greatest maiestie which the world is not able to comprehend This should make thee to feare and quake as it did Iacob at Bethel that is at the house of the Lord if thou diddest consider How fearefull is the place saith Iacob Surely it is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heauen This I say if thou diddest consider would make thee to bee readie as Cornelius to heare whatsoeuer is commaunded thee of God But it befalleth to the most part of men as it befel to Iacob while he slept The Lord was there but he was not aware Genes 28. So the Lord is there but they wist it not they stand gazing about the Church as if they should be asked that question when they come home What went you to the Church to see and not what to heare their eyes are on euery one saue on the teacher on whom they should be fastned as the peoples were on Christ Luk. 4. 16 but as for the Preachers though they sit before them yet as Phineas wife they neither aske nor regard though they speake comfortably vnto them But doe these men thinke that God is present that they stand before his Angels Surely they wist it not if they did they would not doe it Neither would others so soundly sleepe as though the Preacher came to make their funerall sermon if they wist that God were there least in his wrath hee should make them sleepe their last and should make them fall downe dead in the place as he did Eutychus for their prophanation of his Sabbath Act. 20. The next and last point
of the Ministerie than a lame man were to goe without his crutches they are or they should be the salt of the earth but if the salt season not you know it is good for nothing no not for the dunghill What thinke you then of the Church is the Church worse than a dunghill that you season it with such vnsauourie salt The Ministers should feed and giue the milke of the word vnto the people but these are more cruell than the very Dragons for they giue sucke vnto their young Lament 4. 3 but these starue and famish them Well they are cruell Nurses that take a mans childe to nurse and haue drie breasts But what are these that take Gods children to nurse and haue no breasts What shall we doe for them when they shall bee spoken for There is no father but would say of such a nurse she hath murdered my childe And doubtlesse God our father when he shall make inquisition for the bloud of his children will account them no lesse than murderers I know what will be answered they are men and they must liue they cannot digge and they are ashamed to begge what then must they rob must they kill I say more starue the soules of Gods people Rather let them returne to their occupations whence they came and let them that waies shift if at least they doubt of Gods mercie towards them or thinke that hee will not regard them but it were a thousand times better for them to digge or begge or starue than thus to starue the soules of Gods people and to sell them for morsels of bread and handfuls of barley Ezech. 13. 19. But I know my words are too weake to preuaile in this case Well yet let them know that their sinnes are written before the Lord with the poynt of a Diamond and that he will neuer forget them vntill he be auenged of them vnto the full vnlesse they repent And so much touching the lets by which wee are held from the duties of holines on the Sabbath THE THIRD BOOKE TREATING OF THE PERsons that must keepe the Sabbath CHAP. I. We our selues must keepe the Sabbath and those that are vnder our charge Sect. 1. The father must see that the sonne keepe the Sabbath Sect. 2. And the master that his seruant keepe it Sect. 3. § Sect. 1 OF the keeping of the Sabbath holie we haue alreadie heard it remaineth that wee consider the persons whom these duties doe concerne which are either thy selfe or those that are vnder thee And first he requireth it at thy hands We must first obserue the Sabbath in our owne persons because hee would haue reformation alwaies to begin where loue doth that is with it selfe and then with those that are at our elbowes And of this there is great reason For if a man be not himselfe reformed either hee is remisse in reforming of others because they are like himselfe or if he be forwards yet hee shall be challenged because he is in his practise vnlike himselfe and is like the boate-man that fetcheth his stroake one way and looketh another Therefore God speaketh in the second person of the singular number the reason of which is that euery man may know that God speaketh vnto him directly When Princes make a law they vse generall termes as no man shall doe such a thing or euery man shall doe such a thing but these lawes we vse to shift off as if they concerned vs not For say we that which is spoken to all is spoken to none This God wisely preuenteth and speaketh to thee directly thou shalt do no manner of worke The reason why God speaketh in this manner is because sinne hath gotten her a whores forehead Ier. 3. 3. it will not blush nor bee ashamed vnlesse it bee pointed at and vnlesse a man speake vnto it as the voyce vnto Nebuchadnezzar To thee be it spoken In deede a good man when he readeth any thing in the Scripture spoken in so generall termes doth sometimes applie it vnto himselfe as Dauid Psal 40. 7. In the volume of thy booke saith he it is written of me that I should doe thy will which though it be no where in particular written of Dauid yet hee being a man applies it in particular vnto himselfe as if it had bin spoken vnto him And there be I confesse some like Dauid but this sect hath not many disciples For the most are of minde that it concerneth any man rather than themselues of which mind Dauid also was when Nathan came vnto him with a parable which stifnes of ours God obseruing speaketh in particular to euery man Thou shalt not doe any manner of worke So that this euery man when he readeth it must needes confesse as Dauid it is written of me and so must the King say this is written of me that I should keepe the Sabbath so must the master say this is written of me that I should keepe the Sabbath so the Minister so the husbandman and so of the rest for this is spoken vnto euery man of what place or calling so euer he be of what sexe or age so euer he be And vnto that purpose in the word we shall find precepts of euery sort to inforce so much Isai 56. ver 5. the Eunuch must keepe the Sabbath Neh. 13. 15. the victualler must keepe the Sabbath Exod. 31. 3 4. the artificer must keepe the Sabbath Nehe. 10. 31. the buyer and seller must keepe the Sabbath Ierem. 17. the carriers and porters must keepe the Sabbath Exo. 34. the husbandman must keepe the Sabbath Exo. 44. 24. the Priest must keepe the Sabbath And what shall I more say if any might except then the Prince either by reason of his authoritie or his distractions in waightie affaires but the Prince himselfe must be in the middest of them Ezech. 46. 9 10. And therefore wee see none is exempt from this dutie but thou whosoeuer thou art must keepe the Sabbath Though neither yet art thou alone bound in Those that are vnder vs must keepe the Sabbath thine owne person to keepe it but also in thy place to see it kept Art thou a father then thou must see that thy sonne keepe it Art thou a Master then thou must see that thy seruant keep it Art thou a Prince then thou must see that thy subiect keepe it for the commaundement runneth thus thou must keepe it and thy sonne thou and thy seruint thou and thy cattell thou and thy stranger But why is not the husband also in ioyned to see his wife keepe the Sabbath The reason is first because she is a part of her husband and they twaine be but one man Rom. 5. 19. Secondly she is a gouernour in the familie with the man and therefore she is to see that others keepe the Sabbath Thirdly all are not mentioned in the commaundement but it is figuratiue and a part is put for the whole For as the master is ouer the seruant or
Sabbath may not wee answere them I say and that iustly that their betters doe keepe it and that therefore they should keep it Dauid kept it the Prophets kept it the Apostles kept it Christ himselfe kept it when hee was here in the flesh nay God kept it as here we see Now if they can bring examples for the prophaning of the Sabbath greater and better than these let them shew them but certaine it is they cannot and therefore hence foorth let them be ashamed thus to reason and to offer that measure vnto God which they would disaine their seruant should offer vnto them For let thē answer me in the like case would they be contented if sending their seruants in their businesse their seruants should neglect the doing of that wherein they were imployed and spend the time at cards or dice or dauncing or seruing their owne turnes would they I say be contented if when they should expostulate the matter with them they should answere that they did not play alone but others did play aswell as they Or if thou shouldest reproue thy child for swearing or lying vnto thee wouldest thou take it well that he should answer others lie and sweare as well as I But thou art too cockering of thy childe I propose therefore another case If a theefe should answere a Iudge thus that others did steale as well as hee would not the Iudge replie that therefore he should be hanged for example vnto others And how is it then that wee thinke so basely of God as that the example of such prophane men for so I may iustly terme them that prophane Gods Sabbath should bee able to match yea and ouermatch the example of God himselfe with these men Secondly this also serueth for our comfort that when others shall vpbraide vs as precise and curious for that we will not doe vpon the Sabbath as others of our neighbours doe as to goe to bowles with them or cards or to dauncing or such like vaine sports I say when wee shall be thus vpbraided yet here is our comfort wee are not alone in this but God is with vs and he hath troden the way before vs in his owne person resting vpon the Sabbath that wee might doe the like Thirdly in that God wrought sixe daies and rested the seuenth to teach vs to doe the like we are thence to learne this instruction that the end of our doings must not bee our selues alone but we must haue regard of others also that they by our good example may be moued to well doing Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes And for this cause it was that Christ payed tribute though hee were free And for the example of others it was that hee went to heare Iohn he had no neede to be taught of any for the spirit was giuen him aboue measure yet he would goe heare Iohn to giue an example vnto vs to imbrace the gifts and graces of God in our inferiours But of this sufficient Fourthly and lastly in that God within the compasse of sixe daies was able of nothing to create the heauens and the earth and all things that are in them contained we may learne that God is able in a short time to bring wonderfull things to passe When wee reade the acts of Alexander wee wonder to see how that in a short time hee did subdue the greatest part of the world but what was that to this it is easier by farre to pull downe and to destroy than to build vp to take away life than to giue And therefore that God should so soone of nothing make a world how great was this his power The Iewes thought it an incredible thing that Christ should say he would reare the Temple in three daies that was a building sixe and fourtie yeeres they misunderstood him I know but if he had said it of the materiall Temple it had been nothing to this to the frame and workmanship of the world the Temple was but as the rearing of a molhill in comparison of the greatest mountaine in the world Yet see how soon he dispatches this great work in sixe daies he dispatches the whole frame though hee had not any matter wherewithall to begin to build So true is that in the Psalm 115. 3. he doth whatsoeuer he will And therfore it skils not how difficult the worke be so he be the builder how troublesome the seas so hee bee the Pilot how doubtful the conquest so he be the Leader nor how dangerous the sicknes so he be the Physition And as he is powerfull in sauing so is hee also in destroying it being as easie a thing and therefore let his enemies looke vnto the rod of his power who is able at an instant to destroy them all At an instant he disgards Nebuchadnezzar and turnes him out of his palace At an instant he smites all the first borne in Egypt At an instant hee ouerwhelmes Pharaoh and his host rendeth tenne Tribes from Ieroboam ouerturneth Sodome maketh a world drowneth a world and saueth a world againe What shall I say more as he knoweth all things so hee can doe all things both in heauen and in earth in which he hath all meanes to serue his turne the very Angels themselues are his ministring spirits Psal 104. 4. and the diuels cannot goe without his leaue Mat. 8. 32. And as for men he commaunds them much more for he is the Lord of hosts Isai 1. And he hath not only these of men and none other hosts but he hath armies of frogges and flyes and lice to fight against his enemies Exod. 8. When he will the heauens shell take his part 1. Sam. 7. and the Sunne shall stay his course till he be auenged of his enemies So then he hath all meanes at his command And were it so that hee had but small meanes yet hee can make it serue and hold out If hee say the word the meale in the barrell shall not waste neither shall the oyle in the cruce diminish 1. King 17. 14. If he will haue it so one suite of apparell shall last fourtie yeeres and yet shall not waxe old With fiue loaues hee will feede fiue thousand men Matth. 14. Were it so that meanes should faile yet he can worke without them as well as with them Asa had said little if he had said it had bin all one to God to saue by few as by many if he had not added or by none 2. Chro. 14. 10. For hee is not tyed vnto the meanes as a Carpenter is vnto his tooles but hee can worke aswell without them as with them For when there was no raine yet hee made the earth fruitfull Gen. 2. 5. when there was no Sunne to shine yet there was light Then God can worke we see without meanes and so hee can against meanes Who would not thinke that clay put in a mans eyes should put out a mans eyes yet tempering