〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For our selves either a Petition of some good to be givenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deprecation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that evill things may be taken away from us Thus it is interpreted by the Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprecation of evill For deprecatio that evill may be turned away it is certaineely as Iames 5.17 the most essentiall kinde of prayer Is any of you afflicted let him pray And the reason is for that the removing of evill being sub ratione boni though hope apprehend nothing but good yet this commeth under the shew of good and so commeth under hope Vt avertatur Auferatur Minuatur malum It is in these three things 1. As it is Dan. 9.16 that the wrath of God may be turned away before it come upon us 2. Or as Psal 25.22 Deliver Israel O God out of all his troubles i. being now in it that we may be delivered it is called liberatio deliverance 3. Or as Psal 85.4 Mitiga iram tuam Domino when we pray for a diminution that we may be able to sustaine it 1. The first part standeth alwayes in a confession of our sins and defects in doing of that which we should doe and that we might be justly punished for not doing of it So the Prophet in sundry Psalmes runneth through all his sinnes originall and actuall those which he committed before his conversion and after those that hee had done by omission or commission those that he had committed in thought word or deed against God or against his brethren either by instigation of himselfe or inforced by others Prov. 28.13 Hâ—e that covereth his sinne shall not prosper there is a dangerous saying and Psal 32.3 4 5. there is a dangerous example till he had opened his sinnes and made them knowne his bones wore away and his moysture became as the drought in Summer 2. That being done then we come to the essential deprecation to desire of God that he would divert his just deserved judgements from us and 1. against that malum that is maxime deprecandum that evill that is most to be prayed against Luke 22.31 the Sieve of Satan cribrum satanae that our sinnes in affliction winnow us not as Satan desired that he might winnow Peter Not wishing as they commonly wish I would I were out of the world but as Iohn 17.15 Christ non ut tollas eos è mundo sed ut liberes à malo I pray not that thou wouldest take them from the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from the evill And desiring this certaine it is that that promise 1 Cor. 10.13 cannot be voyd He will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength and that either our strength shall encrease as the crosse encreaseth or as our strength diminisheth our crosse shall so diminish also Then 1 King 8.38 What plague soever any shall seele in his heart and shall make prayer and supplication for it it shall be removed In temporall danger 2 Chron. 10.12 Iehosophat Cum ignoramus quid agendum sit hoc solum restat ut ad te oculos dirigamus Domine Neither know we what to doe but our eyes are upon thee for as Prov. 18.10 that same nomen Domini the name of the Lord it shall be turris fortissima the strongest Tower to us as to the Saints it hath beene But yet for this temporall evill we must submit to Gods will in that we must stand as the three children Dan. 3.17 they answered to the King We are sure that the Lord whom we serve is able to deliver us out of this fiery furnace but though he will not because the covenant is in the remission of sinnes yet will we not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up and as Christ Luke 22.42 If it be possible let this cuppe passe from me and yet fiat voluntas non mea sed tua thy will not my will be done for those reasons alleadged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precation of good Give to them that have not Stablish them which have it weake in them Increase it in them that have it but little 2. The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desiring of something that is good there is nothing more common in the Psalmes then this 1. Give me a true understanding 2. so Psal 68.28 Stablish the thing that thou hast wrought in us 3. so in Luke Domine adaugenobis fidem Lord increase our faith so that in these three 1. that it be given 2. that it be established 3. that it be increased in us is this kinde of prayer contained Concerning this petition of good because we have it so seldome granted Christs saying is verified Mat. 20.22 his answer to the sons of Zebede is Ye aske ye know not what so it may be said of all such that desire that good which is more agreeable to their owne humours then to the will of God Chrysostome reporteth of a thiefe qui orabat Deum being not minded notwithstanding to become true ut non capereâ—ur eo citius capiebatur that desired of God that he might not be taken and his prayer was an occasion that he was the sooner taken therefore our rule must be that 1 Iohn 5.14 Quicquid secundum voluntatem ejus petimus whatsoever we aske according to his will he will heare us i. whereof we have promise in his word and those in degrees too as Psal 27.4 unum petii a Iehovâ one thing have I desired of the Lord i. one thing above the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life Luke 11.13 interpreted to be that that shall not be denied the holy Ghost Now with these or after these we may pray for temporall good things Gen. 28.20 Iacobs prayer is that he may have soode and raymeni and Prov. 30.8 Give me not poverty nor riches but sufficientiam victus a sufficiencie onely and Austin saith non indecenter petit quia eam petit non amplius it is no misbeseeming prayer because he askes but for so much and no more Else we must desire this with a condition as if it be possible let it be yet thy will be done so 2 Sam. 15.25 King David to Zadok the petition of a Kingdome If I have found favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe c. if not and if it be best for me to resigne here I am let him doe what he will There is no way more compendious nor sooner to obtaine then to resigne over into his hands For divising meanes and strugling he suffereth not to obtaine resignation is the best part Now that we said before to fall into this omnis omnia what wee are to think of it because it may be best expounded here It seemes a strange thing that every one that asketh should receive and whatsoever we desire we should
to us that was offered to the Fathers for we beleeve to be saved by the faith of Jesus Christ as well as they Act. 15.11 and wee have no other Sacraments then those which the Jewes had of whom Saint Paul saith They all did eate the same spirituall meat and dranke the same spirituall drinke 1 Cor. 10. and therefore it is meete likewise that we should make the same prayer that they made and indeed there is no Petition in the Lords Prayer which is not found in the Old Testament used by the Church of the Jewes For that which the Prophet prayeth Psalm 57.6 Lift up thy selfe O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth Psal 67. That thy way may be knowne upon earth c. is nothing else but the hallowing of Gods Name Secondly Remember mee O God that I may see the felicity of thy chosen Psal 106. It is nothing else but an exposition of the second Petition where we pray Thy Kingdome come Thirdly these words of the Prophet Psal 143. Teach mee to do the thing that pleaseth thee is a full comprehension of the third Petition where we desire that his will be done Fourthly the eyes of all things do looke upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Psal 145. and the prayer of Solomon Prov. 30. Give mee not poverty nor riches but feed mee with food meete is a full expressing of the fourth Petition Fifthly My misdeeds prevaile against mee O be mercifull to our sinnes Psal 65.3 is a summe of the fifth petition and the condition of this Petition is found Psal 7. wherein the Prophet saith If I have done any such thing or if there be any wickednesse in my hands If I have rewarded evill to him that dealt friendly with mee yea I have delivered him that without a cause was my enemy then let my enemy persecute my soule whereby he desireth no otherwise to be forgiven of God then as he doth forgive his brother Sixthly that which the Prophet prayeth Psal 119.37 Turne away my eyes that they behold not vanity and Psal 143. Set a watch before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips is that which Christ teacheth us to pray Lead us not into temptation Seventhly Redeeme Israel from all trouble Psal 25.20 in affect is as much as Deliver them from all evill which is the seventh Petition Lastly looke what reason Christ teacheth us to use here the same doth David use 1 Chron. 29. Therefore having the same prayer that the Jewes had it is meet that wee should have the same conclusion that they had and the same is they said Amen and so do wee Touching the use of this word it is found in Scriptures to have two seats or places and accordingly two severall expositions to wit in the beginning and in the end before and behind In the beginning as in the doctrine of the Sacrament of Baptisme concerning which our Saviour saith Amen Amen except a man be borne of the water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. And touching the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist Verily verily except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you Joh. 6.33 And touching the effect of prayer Christ saith also Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my name hee will give it you Joh. 16. In those places the word Amen is used and thereby our Saviour laboureth to expresse the truth of that which he doth teach In the end likewise it is said as Psal 41.13 Psal 72. Psal 87.50 Praised be the Lord for evermore Amen Amen And in the New Testament when the Apostle sheweth That of the Jewes according to the flesh came Christ who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 Here the word is used and set behind to signifie that wee desire that that may be performed which God before by his Amen hath affirmed to be true Therefore David having received promise from the Lord by the hand of Nathan saith Let the thing that thou hast promised be Amen Let there be an accomplishment of the same 1 Chron. 17.25 So when the Prophet Hananiah had prophesied in the name of the Lord I have broken the yoke of the King of Babell and after two yeares will I bring againe into this place all the ornaments of the house of the Lord Jeremy the Prophet said Amen the Lord do as thou hast said Jer. 28.6 As in the beginning it ratifieth the truth of Gods promise so being set in the end it signifieth the desire of our hearts for the accomplishment of the same and this desire alwaies followeth and is grounded upon the promise of God and the truth thereof In which regard the Prophet saith Remember me O Lord concerning thy word wherein thou causest me to put my trust Psal 119. and therefore to Christs A non in the beginning where he promiseth Verily verily whatsoever ye aske in my name Iohn 16. we may boldly adde our Amen in the end that his Amen may be performed and by right doe we ground our Amen upon Gods Amen for he is called Amen that is truth Esa 65.16 So the Apostle expresseth it when speaking of Jesus Christ he saith Thus saith Amen the fault fall and true witnesse Revel 3.14 Therefore S. Paul saith of Christ that in him all the promises are made to us yea in the beginning and Amen to us in regard of the certaine accomplishment 2 Cor. 1. The reason of our Amen is because not onely faith but trust and confidence doth proceed from the truth of God fides hath relation to Gods truth but fiducia or confidence is setled upon Gods faithfulnesse and both are affirmed of God Moses saith of God that he is verus and fidelis Deut. 32. and Esay The Lord is faithfull Esa 49.7 8. Paul in the new Testament Hee is faithfull that promised Heb. 10. He deemed him faithfull that promised Heb. 11. For there are two things required in faithfulnesse without the which a man cannot be said to be faithfull the one is ability of which Abraham doubted not of Gods faithfulnesse being fully perswaded That what he promised he was able to performe Rom. 4.21 the other is will and readinesse to doe touching which the Apostle saith Faithfull is he that called you ipse faciet 1 Thes 5.24 These are the parts of faithfulnesse and they are both found in God and therefore not onely God the Father is true but Christ is said to be the truth Iohn 14. and the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of truth 1 Iohn 5.6 So that albeit men deale so untruly that it is verified of them ad men are lyers Rom. 3. Yet God abides faithfull and cannot denyâ—h myselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 So much the Prophet teacheth when he saith the mountaines shall be removed but the thing which be hath spoken shall not faile Esa 58. And
spake to him to rebuke them for it he alledged for them out of Psal 8.2 out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained to set forth thy praise 3. Matth. 18.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs curse is on them that hinder little children to come unto him though at that time it pleased him to beare with his Disciples and to shew mercy to them yet even after a curse is pronounced and in the same place Matth. 18.14 when his Disciples forbad them to come to him he saith It is not the will of our Father which is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish Perish they must unlesse they come to him and Christs curse is on all that seeke to lay a stumblingblock before them And they have a stumblingblock laid before them yet that shall be taken away by admonitions and if they will not heare when they are forewarned they shall perish for we may say that the Lord hath purposed their destruction as 1. Sam. 2.25 Notwithstanding they obeyed not unto the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them Speaking of the sonnes of Eli. 4. Christ being ready to be taken up into Heaven his charge to Peter and so in him to all the Apostles and in them to all their successors which was his last charge as Augustine noteth 1. Feed my Lambes pasce agnos nieos 2. Pasce oves meas 2. Feed my Sheepe For the prospering of the Lords sheepfold dependeth upon the good feeding of the Lambes And thus you see that children are to be brought up in the feare of the Lord. The reason Reasons 1. There is a promise and stipulation in our baptisme that as soone as we could we should fall in hand with it as Prov. 6.4 When a man hath made a promise unto the Lord he is not to rest untill he hath performed it For though the naturall order be as Christ biddeth Matth. 28.19 first teach and then baptize yet in singular mercy to the children of the faithfull he hath granted this priviledge In primi◠annis dantur nobis magistri ut in nobis generent timorem Dei In our first yeeres Tutors are given unto us that they may beget in us the feare of the Lord. Piut. Sumptio virilis tagae non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The taking of the robe of a man is not a casting away of the groundworke but a change 2. Pers first to be baptized therefore though we begin never so soone yet we doe it not in that order that it should be done Of this Nazianzen saith well let us not set that in no place because the Lord hath set it in the second place which should have been in the first 2. And Augustine he saith Quare adhibetur magister extrinsecus nisi ut sit magister intus Wherefore is there given unto us an outward teacher but that there may be an inward teacher But when we come to be men we cannot have this outward teacher ergo we are to endeavour as soone as may be to establish the inward teacher that is to direct us all our life long 3. For as much as the light of nature doth leade us thus farre that there is an aptnesse in children to vice ergo it is requisite that we take the advantage and apply their aptnesse to goodnesse for he that is able to say to Elizeus bald-pate is able to say to Christ Hosanna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I will instruct or catechise you Arg. A nomine probat tenuiter declarat concinnè he proves it from the name barely declares it properly English Latine followeth the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 catechising which seemeth to come of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth repetere acuere to rehearse to sharpen in which two is contained the office of the Catechist and the catechized And as in the one so in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is included an iteration of a sound from whence our eccho commeth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to sound the last syllable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sound the whole speech after another Clemens defineth catechising to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Catechising is an abridgement of Christian doctrine to be delivered to the youth The difference of catechising from preaching The differences betwixt catechising and preaching is in three things 1. Preaching is the dilating of one member of Religion catechising is a contraction of the whole 2. Catechising is to be delivered to the yong and ignorant preaching to all 3. Preaching exacteth no repetition catechising requireth repetition Whether the Scriptures may be abbreviated They may first from Christs example Abbreviating of Scriptures taught us of God 2. From Salomon Concerning that it is a summe here is a doubt whether such summes or epitomes may be made They may For proofe whereof see Matth. 22.37 where Christ draweth the whole Law into two Heads and John 3.16 Christ catechising Nicodemus contracteth the summe of the Gospell into one verse God so loved the world that he gave his onely c. 2. Likewise also Eccles 12.13 Salomon compriseth all that hee had said before in these two heads First feare God Secondly and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man 3. Practice of the Church It hath beene the use of the Church in all ages that it be not onely delivered to them but also required of them againe 3. Hebr. 6.2 The whole summe of Religion is drawne into repentance from dead works and faith in Christ This is also seene in other Sciences Physitians have their principles 1. Aphorisme commonly delivered in parva arte in the short or briefe art 2. Lawyers in their institutions their maximae Philosophers in their introductions their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chiefe sentences One calleth this sepes legis the fence of the law Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fundamentum vel basis a foundation or pillar The fruit of this It is a limit to the whole Scriptures It teacheth us how to range our studies into method and order 4. The same in other sciences The fruit of catechising to what head we are to referre all our readings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thankes be unto the blessed God who hath made these things that are necessary short and easie to be understood and things not concise not necessary and difficult Seeing therefore things are drawne into such a narrow compasse they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse that will not frame themselves to the knowledge of God being so easie and compendious In these places Catechising a short Gospell 2 Pet. 3.18 1 Cor. 14.20 Ephes 14.13 We are to proceed continually For as there are places where every Lambe may wade over so there are places also where Elephants may swim For wee shall never be free from Scrutamini Scripturas search the Scriptures 2.
ever had never wanted that he ascribes to himselfe of common things we have the like thoughts Later it could not conveniently have beene given for then it could not have beene over the World before the comming of Christ and then men might have pleaded ignorance being no time for the divulging of it To shew that in this written law of Moses be those foure parts that are in all lawes 1. Psal 19.7 The Law of God is a perfect rule for all duties and actions vers 11. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisedome unto the simple 2. The manners 1. that we may be whole observers of it 1. Toti All the whole of all men we must doe it with all our whole soule and body For we consist but of two parts of a soule and body The soule hath but two partes mind and heart God must be scopus perfectus metae the perfect scope we aime at There must be plena intentio Dei a full intention of God The heart the will must be tota inflammata wholly inflamed For the body with all the strength every member must be an instrument of righteousnesse Deut. 6.5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God 2. Totum The whole Law with all thy heart soule and might 2. For all the law it is the wish of God Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them to feare me and to keepe all my Commandements alwaies that it might goe well with them and with their children for ever And the contrary were very absurd for whereas God is perfectly wise if some of his precepts were needlesse then might God be arraigned of folly in not leaving out that which is superfluous as also Gods wisedome is impeached if any thing beside the law were to be kept then that added to the law would make the whole which we should doe and the law it selfe should be but part of our Agenda things to be done and so imperfect and the Lord should be an unwise Law-giver but this is impossible Therefore doth the Lord justly say Whatsoever I command you take heed you doe it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought there-from 3. Toti tempore at all times Deut. 12.32 3. For continuance totâ vitâ alwaies all the daies of our life Deut. 12.32 And though the place includeth not the time yet the time includeth the place alwaies without dispensation If this law be perfect 3. Pramium The reward 〈◊〉 it carrieth with it a reward 1. Tim. 4.8 There are two rewards of this life and that to come Deut. 28. à vers 3. to 9. in the soule from the 9. to the 11. Levit. 26. à vers 3 For the life to come Levit. 26.3 expounded Dan. 12. some to everlasting life c. Christ Iohn 5.29 saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall come forth that have done good to the resurrection of life but they that have done evill unto the resurrection of condemnation Acts 26.6 7. Paul answered before Agrippa that he rested in the expectation of the just and the opinion of the Sadduces was very odious among the Jewes 4. Pâ—na The punishment Againe on the contrary if they be not kept or not after this manner 1. Toti not wholly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a double heart Jer. 48.10 Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and that keepeth backe his sword from blood And so for the whole law Deut. 27.26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them and all the people shall say Amen For the other that continueth not in every part of the law he is cursed This curse of the Lord was pronounced by the Priest and all the people said Amen These curses are Gods curses and when he saith benè well it will be well indeed And there is a full blessing to them that can keepe it so the fulnesse of his wrath is to the breakers of it A curse without blessing and a blessing without curse In this life Deut. 28.15 But if thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord to keepe and to doe all his Commandâ—ments and Ordinances which I command thee this day then all those curses shall light on thee and overtake thee Levit. 26.14 But if ye will not obey me nor doe all these Commandements c. In the life to come Psal 21.9 Their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not on them Esay 66.24 For their worme shall not die nor their fire be quenched and they shall be an abomination to all flesh So that this law of Moses in summe agreeth with that of nature And as the Proconsull said in the Acts so say we This law is open the good universall and without end whereof the one taketh away feare the other filleth the desire The law is open any man that will may lay claime to it But Paul Gods Atturney from Rom. 1.18 to Rom. 7.13 laieth his accusation 1. To the Gentiles 2. To the Jewes proveth both to have forfeited after he excludeth the regenerate and withall himselfe for though the spirit were willing yet the law of his members was disobedient children guilty by reason of originall sinne as cockatrise egs All men guilty of prevarication and doing against their owne knowledge But Pauls owne argument is sufficient because the stipend of sinne hath taken hold on all and the stipend of sinne is death God being just therefore sinne also must needs take hold on all David confessed this Delict a quis intelligit Who can understand his faults Salomon confessed he could lay no clame to it What then If all offend it should seeme God commanded an impossible thing to be kept It is sure that God is just Therefore we must thinke that there is no injustice in the dealings of God though the matter be never so untoward yet the rule must be streight not as a Lesbian leaden rule 2. It cannot be otherwise for God being perfectly just his rule also must be perfectly just Why then were we not made to it Adam received strength to fulfill it in that perfection that was required but he was like the evill servant who receiving money of his master to accomplish his businesse spendeth it and so maketh his excuse that he hath no money to lay out or being sent about his masters businesse in the way is drunken and so is not able to discharge that businesse that is justly required at his hands And thus of the law generally A preparation to the exposition of the Law PSalm 119.144 The Law of the Lord is from everlasting Genes 1.26 Let us make man according to our Image and likenesse Colos 3.10 The likenesse of God is said to be in all knowledge And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him A preparation
alienate Gods glory from him and to intitle himselfe to it therefore he shall be punished as Prov. 15.25 the Lord will destroy the house of the proud men c. even in the time wherein he magnified himselfe he is taken away as Haman and Herod c. or is punished with the losse of his gift that was the cause of his pride his tongue shall cleave to the roofe of his mouth his right hand shall forget her cunning 2. Because he will be singular as Ierome calleth it because hee will be an Vnicorne one that will have no match therefore as they rumpunt rete break the net i. humility wherein Gods prey is so hee delivereth them over to be people by themselves and so they beginne to be authors and beginners of erroneous opinions and heresies and as the Fathers of the Greeke Church say very well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall at length come to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by abstaining from usuall things they shall come to hold absurd things and to be more absurd then they were when they were young Ratio For when one is young he is marvellous fearfull to stand to any thing after when he comes to be a man and hath found as he thinketh some experience of his strength then he cannot so much distrust as before and consequently he commeth to be absurder and there is never an Heretick but may be an example that way 3. Being once brought to this that he is able by himselfe to deale well enough and to leane on his owne staffe the staffe of God i. prayer must needes give over so not craving a supply of God whereas in humility he could have withstood great assaults in his pride hee is overcome with every little temptation At a mans first entry into Christianity and regeneration God giveth him great strength for every little want whereby he may resist great sinnes and temptations because then he wholly relieth himselfe to God afterward relying to himselfe and leaving God he prayeth not and not praying he taketh tge foyle 4. When it pleaseth God to leave those three and to suffer the gift to remaine yet it is an example that they are not fruitlesse we see that where he joyneth them with this pride he doth leave them fruitlesse and no gaine returneth to God by them excellent graces of God have beene employed great eloquence hath beene shewed and yet no fruit comes of them not one soule gained to God when as a simple man with his simple gift well employed in humility shall gaine more then a glorious tongue that is as eloquent as ever Tertullus was 5. Last of all and that punishment which we ought most of all to feare it is to be observed toward the latter end of a man the Fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a thing in the minde comparable to the Palsie This dulnesse is so ordinary a punishment of pride that it falleth on the children of God but of this dulnesse doe not prevaile then followeth judgment or apoplexie in the body and it is the state that the most part of the world passeth away in a certaine numbnesse or blockishnesse that neither reason can perswade them nor all the threatnings terrifie them nor all the promises allure them nor any thing move them then they passe to death without any sense of Gods judgements so they perish and die as beasts nothing differing from them but onely for the furniture of beds and pillowes This in them is in great measure those that have their hearts as fat as brawn that can feele nothing and in small measure it is in all thus God makes our hearts and state the punishment of our pride while we not making use of pride in us there shall a dulnesse come upon us therefore 2 Cor. 12. God lest in Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best interpreters interpret it a privie wrestling or fighting and conflict against his owne pride keeping himselfe exercised that those things might not fall out in effect which he felt within him he that feeleth any of these he may ascribe it to the blessing of himselfe in his owne heart and security of his conscience The other extreme and that is Coacta or Spuria Humilitas Alterum hâ—â—ititaâ—â— extremum Another extreme is constrained humility 1. Either constrained humility Exod. 4. in Pharaoh the practise of it is in the 6.7 8 9. chap. so long as Gods hand was on him and his people and he felt his plagues so long he humbled himselfe to the Lord and promised to let the people goe Exod. 9.27 I have now sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked v. 28. pray ye to the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mighty thunders and hailes and I will let you goe and ye shall tarry no longer but vers 34. when Pharaoh saw that the thunder and raine and haile ceased he sinned againe and hardned his heart both hee and his servants and in the next chap. he asketh Who is the Lord that he should let his people goe There is in every vertue beside the 2. extremes an habit that hath the likelihood of the good habit which they call spâ—â—tam â—iâ—â—utem a bastard vertue Malum câ—namentum humilitatis veritatis detrimentum 3. Rules how we are to stand affected in humility and to know whether our humility be in the truth Bernard expresseth it in one word videmus multos saith he humiliatos sed non humiles we see many humbled but few humble men 2. The other is that which they call Spuriam humilitatem a bastard humility common and especially in some natures that by disposition are humble Ecclus. 13.9 we must not be humiles in sapientia nostra we must be humble in a good cause not in our own conceits if we know it is Gods matter that we have in hand there must no humility be shewed in it detrimentum veritatis non est ornamentum humilitatis we must so be humble as that we keepe our humility for cases unlike In every man there is of God somewhat somewhat of nature and somewhat of the evill spirit Ephes 3.5 the Apostle warrants me to know the gift that God hath bestowed on me and that it is not to give place to the gift of nature * * * Nature must give place to grace In the gifts of nature he preferreth himself Gal. 2.15 of the gifts of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles by nature he preferreth the Jewes before the Gentiles the good gifts of nature before the corruption of nature onely this 1 Tim. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Every one may thus think that in my nature there is so monstrous a masse of corruption as
servant Hee would not eate till his Masters worke was done and under this falleth the commandement of the service of the great worke Deut. 18.5 God saith he hath chosen the Tribe of Levi to serve him at the Altar so that service is the service of choyce howsoever some account of it That desire ought to be in every one The outward behaviour in the outward worship was in bowing downe and in service that is for gesture honor signi which we call a reverent behaviour it had two parts First the laying downe of whatsoever signe of excellency is in us secondly a drawing neare to the earth The other honor facti which is in service which is properly called devotion or devoutnesse that is the promptnesse and readinesse of our will and of our selves to serve God By the service of God we shewed what was meant by a division not given but yet approved of Christ first in going and comming when we are bidden Secondly in doing his businesse preferring it before our owne For the making of this more manifest and plaine and applying it to the former parts you shall understand that the Prophet in Psalm 95.6 which our Church hath used as an antepsalm or introduction to the service of God that there is placed first a comming secondly a worshipping thirdly a falling downe fourthly a kneeling whereby we may see that in the substantiall parts of the service of God first in Prayer secondly hearing the Word thirdly administration of the Sacraments fourthly in the execution of discipline but in the two former especially there is required a due gesture and manner of behaviour And first this as we have our direction according to the councell of James Cap. 5. vers 10. to take the Prophets for examples And 1 Pet. 3.6 that Women are to attire themselves as holy Women in old time Then laying downe this and it being the approved practice of the Church we shall finde that they never came without exhibiting some reverent externall behaviour both in accessu recessu both in comming and going For their comming together 2 Chron. 6.12 and 13. Salomon comming into the Temple of God and standing upon the Altar they all worshipped toward the Prince and he himselfe before all the Congregation kneeled on his knees and stretched out his hands towards heaven and prayed For their departure 2 Chron. 29.29 Hezekiah a devoute King and the people departing they all bowed to the earth and worshipped And so they went to the Lords Temple and returned Then this is the first there must bee a reverent behaviour in accesse and recesse Now in particular for our presence 1. in prayer seeing it commeth as was said partly from humility partly from hope the outward behaviour is to bee conformed to the inward affection therefore in prayer there is an outward signe and behaviour Behaviout in Prayer First for humility there must be depositio magnificientiae which is 1 Cor. 11.4 With uncovered heads in prayer and prophecying and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it came in this respect The other part in humiliation making our selves neare to the ground in kneeling at prayer Gen. 18.2 Abraham first did it to the three men and his servant Gen. 24.26 taught by him performed the like duty In the Law Exod. 12.27 the people bowed themselves and worshipped In the Prophets time Solomon and the people 1 Kings 8.58 the Prophets Dan. 6.10 Daniel kneeled three times a day and prayed After the second Temple Ezra 9.6 Ezra fell on his knees and spread out his hands to the Lord. Christ Luke 22.41 The Apostles Acts 9.40 Peter kneeling downe prayed Paul Ephes 3.14 For this cause I bow my knees Acts 20.36 When he had thus spoken he kneeled downe and prayed there the whole Church of Ephesus Acts 21.5 Wee kneeled downe on the shore and prayed So we see our patterne if we take the Patriarchs or Prophets or Christ or the Apostles or the whole Church and if we doe thus we see what our duty is The word in Hebrew signifieth service which is also in standing True it is that because not onely in kneeling but also in standing before another there is a phrase of servitude because they are both signes of service therefore in many places we reade that the gesture in prayer was standing and that some prayed standing we speake now of it as it is a part of service as Gehezi stood before Elisha and Samuel before the Lord and in no other respect Abraham Gen. 19.27 And Abrahams servant Gen. 24.13 Loe I stand by the Well of water Exod. 33.10 All the people rise up and worship every man in his Tent doore Numb 23.10 Balaam to Balak Stand by the burnt offerings and I will goe c. Psal 135.2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord and in the courts of the house of our God 2 Chron. 23.13 And when shee looked behold the King stood by his pillar at his entring c. These are commonly read for publick prayer In private prayer if he be so affected a man may prostrate himselfe before the Lord as did Moses and Aaron Num. 20.6 Deut. 9.18 and Christ Mat. 26.39 fell on his face and prayed but this to every man as he is affected inwardly Sitting at prayer time is not warranted by the word Balaam willed Balak to stand by his burnt offering Numb 23.15 and being set he willed him to rise up vers 18. Secondly for the signe that hope bringeth Oculus elevatus expectat manus elevata petit postulat a lift-up eye hopeth and expecteth and a lift-up hand beggeth and asketh therefore we lift up our eyes and hands The first is the effect of hope the second the effect of prayer therefore these two gestures are used in prayer and it is used in that part of prayer which is called Petition otherwise in deprecation for herein our eyes may be cast downe with the Publican Luke 18.13 Else when we are to aske or to give thanks Psal 123.1 Unto the Hills lift up mine eyes and of Christ John 11.41 and John 17.1 He lift up his eyes to heaven which shew that it was the usuall behaviour so to doe So for the hand Exod. 17.11 When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed Psal 141.2 Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice and 88.9 I call dayly upon thee I stretch out mine hands unto thee 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting up pure hands These examples are set downe for our instruction In this part there is an evill and corrupt custome come up in our Church Baalam would not suffer Balak to sit but to stand by his burnt offering To pray sitting and covered not warranted by any place or example in the Scriptures In regard of the Angels we should be reverent For outward behaviour at the ministery of the Word it is plaine that in the Old Testament Ezek. 33.31 my people sit before thee so in the New Mar. 3.32 the people
the opposition to stealing to labour to have to give to others that need shewing this that the poore must alwayes be in our minds and every one must say I doe worke for them as well as I doe worke for my selfe 1 Cor. 29.14 David speaking of the Temple vers 1. saith Quod de manu tua accepimus damus tibi What we have received of thine hands that wee returne to thee speaking of the applying of his preparations to the building of the Temple and not that Ad quid perditio haec Why was this waste Marke 14.4 And good affection Deut. 15.21 if there be any evill favoured thing either maimed or blinde or lame or that had any other deformity that is given to God there is plaine order taken against it and the affection of Solomon Prov. 3.9 in the good part Honour the Lord with thy riches and tithes and Mal. 3.9 in the evill part Ye spoyle him and ye shall have a curse and as August Date Dabitur give and it shall be given unto you Date dabitur two brethren shall be two brethren Now for the second use 1. For the poore because as out of it Prov. 15.9 it is sinne if he doe not give therefore every one must give except he himselfe be in extrema necessitate extreme necessity 2 Cor. 8.12 his reason is Every one shall be accepted not according to that he hath not but according to that he hath As for this first part Luke 21.4 if but two mites there greatly commended of our Saviour Christ and for the other Marke 7.41 even to the cup of cold water in Christs name there shall be a reward given And giving and lending they are both enjoyned Matth. 5.42 And rules for them Acts 2.45 he saith they parted their goods as every one had neede 1. they had respect to the need of every party not as the prodigall of whom the Heathen male fit ei qui fecisti choracibus he fared the worse for his former luxury whereas they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graces thou hast made them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prostitutes prostituting them without regard Now then 2 Cor. 1.13 their almes must not be so that other men might have and they want that other men might finde ease by it and they disease whereas others that have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passio a transient passion there is no hold in it so when their liberality doth perire liberalitate perish by their liberality it commeth so that is for the measure 2 Cor. 9.7 God doth not love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a giver of necessity but a cheerefull giver it must not be wrung out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither searching curiously nor with weighing and sifting what the party is or whether he be such a one as is worthy for that the Heathen could say that these were given not homini but humanitati to the man but to humanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow-feeling compassion is due to nature and we ought to yeeld to the law our approbation these in free gifts In matters of justice we are to looke to the man and Prov. 3.28 he putteth another he will have it done out of hand and when as a man hath he must not bid him goe away and come to morrow but give then Ambrose Pauperi dabit potum cum acidatur panem cum mucidatur he will give the poore his drinke when it is sower and his bread when it is mouldy according to these rules And thus doing Psal 128.2 a man shall be sure to eate the labours of his hands Psal 41.3 the Lord will have a regard to him in his sicknesse he will bee his Physitian Psal 37.25 his seede shall not begge not onely corporall blessings but Dan. 4.27 it shall abrumpere peccata breake off his sinnes When a man feeleth his bowels open it is a good signe and symptoma of forgivenesse As Acts 10.2 when Cornelius gave almes his calling was neare and Luke 11.41 Give almes and all things shall be cleane unto you This outward ceremoniall But Iames 1.27 It is right and pure religion and undefiled to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in adversity And not onely this but also warranted by 1 Tim. 6.19 he saith we shall have a good foundation against the day to come as out of the sentence of Christ Mat. 25. the latter part of that Chapter this is that that commeth in rationem to be accounted for I was hungry and you fed me or fed me not and the reason we may alledge out of v. 27. for there it is said he asketh the unprofitable servant why he gave not his money to exchangers The Exchangers to whom we must put the Lords money be pauperes Ambrose on that place enquireth who be those Trapezitae money-changers he speaketh of and findeth out at last that they be pauperes that be campsores the poore that be those money-changers as he calleth them and therefore he saith if a man be to goe into another Countrey and in this respect he carry money with him hee might be met with by theeves and so be eased of his money and secondly if he carry mony that will not be currant and allowable in that Countrey that he is to go to and therfore he goeth to the Exchanger and delivereth him the money and takes a bill of his hand and carries but that with him and so feareth neither the one nor the other that he is sure they will not take and so he shall be sure of mony that will passe there and so he compares the state of a mans life to a Traveller who doth not load himselfe with that which may either indanger his life by Theeves or will not passe currant in the Countrey whither he goeth but laies out his money here that he may receive it there Now as Iob 1.21 he saith Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world neither shall we carry any thing out if we carry any thing with us we shall be spoyled as we go Psal 76.5 The proud are robbed they have slept their first sleepe they shall rise in the mornining and finde nothing in their hand And then secondly if a man Iob 35.7 could have it in his hand it is not gold nor silver will serve there for it is not currant there Then as before in the temporall passage it is best to make us friends of the temporall Mammon and to deliver here and to receive the worth of it there as Ambrose saith to be dives in libro sigillato rich in the sealed booke that Cornelius Act. 10.4 his almes entâ—ed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the committing of it here to his Factors and exchangers that is the poore for whom Christ is surety Matth. 19.21 25.40 What ye doe to them ye doe to me and I will make it good and his bill which
LANCEL ANDRE EPISCOPê° ELYENSIS Eâ— REVERENDISSIMUS ET DOCTISS DOMINâ— These LINEAMENTS of Art haue well set forth Some outward features though no inward worth But to these LINES his WRITINGS added cann Make vp the faire resemblance of a MAN For as the BODIE' 's forme is figurd here So there the beautyes of his SOULE appeare WHICH I had praised but that in THIS place To praise THEM were to praise Him to his FACE Ge Wi THE MORALL LAW EXPOVNDED 1. Largely 2. Learnedly 3. Orthodoxly THAT IS The long-expected and much-desired Worke of Bishop ANDREVVES upon THE TEN COMMANDEMENTS Being his Lectures many yeares since in Pembroch-Hall Chappell in Cambridge which have ever since passed from hand to hand in Manuscripts and beene accounted one of the greatest Treasures of private Libraries but never before this published in Print Whereunto is annexed nineteene Sermons of His upon Prayer in Generall and upon the Lords Prayer in Particular Also seven Sermons upon our Saviours Tentations in the WILDERNESSE Both which Two latter Treatises though before Printed yet being much worne out of Presse were thought fit for divers reasons to be added to this Worke. LONDON Printed for Michael Sparke Robert Milbourne Richard Cotes and Andrew Crooke 1642. TO THE HIGH COURT OF PARLIAMENT BOTH LORDS AND COMMONS More particularly to the Worthy Speakers of both Houses The Right Honourable Edward Lord Littleton Lord Keeper of the Great-Seale of England and the Right Worshipfull William Lenthall Esquire My Lords and Gentlemen TO aske whether Light be pleasant is a blind mans question and whether knowledge be sweet is an ignorant mans question and whether Divine Light and knowledge in regard of which all other is but as a Glow-worme of the Braine be most pleasant and most sweet is a prophane mans question This Booke challengeth an eminent Dedication of it selfe both ex congruo condigno in diverse regards For first the origirall Theame which beares the burthen of the whole Discourse and Tractate is the ten Commandements of Almighty God which are the ten Predicaments of all those vertues and vices which render men either acceptable or odious to their Maker the Scripture of Scripture as being prerogatived above the whole Bible in this respect that in issuing them forth to the sonnes of men God was pleased to become his owne Amanuensis The whole Scripture is * 2 Tim. 3.16 inspired by God but onely * 1. Pet. 1.21 holy men of God spake and wrote them as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost but here God both indited and spake and wrote not onely the mind and mouth but the * Exod. 8.19 Finger of God was here Secondly the Author of this Booke is enough praised in naming of him it was Dr. Andrewes the late Bishop of Winchester a man both at home and abroad of great fame for his Clerk ship and of a good fame for his regular and strict life of whom the lesse is said the more is said for that to fetch lustre to his name from a meane stile or tongue is to goe Northward for heat Thirdly the worke it selfe is such as in those dayes when it was Preached he was scarce reputed a pretender to learning and piety then in Cambridge who made not himselfe a disciple of Mr. Andrewes by diligent resorting to his Lectures nor he a pretender to the study of Divinity who did not transcribe his notes and ever since they have in many hundreds of Copies passed from hand to hand and have beene esteemed a very Library to young Divines and an Oracle to consult at to Laureat and grave Divines in all which severall regards they are more fit to sweeten and even to sanctifie the Presse from the pollutions and prophanations of it which of late it hath beene defiled withall by those many lying and scandalous pamphlets which have beene Printed to the dishonour of God the shame of ours and just distaste of other Nations to the prejudice of truth and charity and to the particular wrong of that excellent Art of Printing which being rightly used is of such availe to all Christian both Churches and Commonwealths And that the publisher hereof makes such a bold and ambitious accesse unto your Honours as to Nuncupate and present it to so high and eminent persons this is to be said that as the worke in it selfe is so worthy as it may justly be thought to merit the wing and patronage of the greatest Christian Prince in the world so can it now no where be laid so properly as at the feete of the Parliament First because hereby the Law of God which is both the best rule of making humane Lawes and the best enforcement to yeeld obedience unto them being made is in you virtually and by way of representation expounded to the whole Nation Nextly not onely Kings but according to their Latitude all Magistrates and Civill powers ordayned of God whereof yours is the chiefe are Custodes utriusque tabulae And also because here are two strong and sinewy Tractates the one about Idolatry in handling the second Commandement and the other about observation of the Sabbath under the fourth which will both notably redargue the late heterodox insinuations of both doctrine and practice in some anent those things and concurre with you in propugning the Orthodox tenets of both those points Lastly because Preachers are publique Oratours and like winds upon seas have great influence upon the people therefore here they have presidented before them that which in due time will fall under your Considerations to call them unto to wit the right Art of Sermoning and salvificall Preaching which consists not in State invectives or popular declamations to sway multitudes and tumults either one way or other wherein they Preach themselves and not Christ but in revealing the whole Counsell of God and shewing their auditors how to decline the infortunate Jslands of sin and hell and to thrust into the faire havens of grace and glory God Almighty of his great mercy so blesse your Counsels as that truth may empire over errour in the Church Peace triumph over division in the Common-wealth Plenty over famine in the Countrey Riches over poverty in the City Learning over barbarisme in the Vniversities c. To which end this Worke is most humbly Dedicated to your Honours both for protection and direction by Your Honours most humble and most faithfull Servant in the things of God and of Christ JOHN JACKSON A PREFACE Concerning Catechisme CLemens Alexandrinus writing of instruction or Catechising in his three Bookes entituled his Paedagogus hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exhortatory Introduction Cyrill Bishop of Ierusalem before his twenty foure Catechismes hath another Booke which maketh up the twenty five called of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an enterance to the Catechisme Both ground themselves upon the example of David who being to comprise Religion into a short sum maketh his entrance 〈◊〉
naturall affection be a vice and reprehensible no doubt it cannot fall in Deum upon God therefore we must give him his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affection over his creatures 2. No workman will give over his worke till he hath brought his worke unto perfection But generation of things is not yet compleat and every day he bringeth forth some new thing therefore yet God hath not given over his providence Dilucidius apparebit in singularibus this will more clearely appeare in particulars 1. Arist de motu animalium argues of the providence of God the Sea being higher then the Land and the waters farre above the brimmes of the earth and no Philosopher being able to give a reason why it should not overflow the earth especially seeing the nature of it is to overflow it must needs be of Gods providence which doth limit its bounds that it cannot passe 2. Plotinus from plants They without any direction if they stand betweene two soyles the one dry and barren the other moyst and fruitfull they will shoote their roote from the dry and barren to the moyst and good ground 3. From the Flowers that shut themselves in the night lest they should receive corrupt and evill moystures in the day they open themselves for to receive the heate of the sunne Psal 147.9 4. In the Birds The yong Ravens saith David cry unto the Lord and he feedeth them being as yet scarce covered with the white mosse and forsaken of the old Raven from their dung there ingendereth a worme that creepeth up to their bill and so are fed 5. Arist that the little fish Pimotheca entreth league with the Sea-crabbe and taking a stone in his mouth when the Oyster openeth it selfe against the sunne swimmeth in with the stone in her mouth so that the Oyster cannot shut againe so the Crabbe pulleth forth the meat and they both fall to their prey 6. In Beasts The wild beasts are not so fruitfull and generative as the tame least all things should be overrunne with them therefore there is something that taketh their fruitfulnesse from them namely God 2. Whereas their natures are to pray therefore by all likelyhood they should love those places that are fittest to pray in yet they love desert places dennes 3. Psal 104. When man is to goe forth to his worke all the day time they lie in their dennes at night when man is to take his rest they goe forth to seeke their prey Generally in all the discerning the places of nourishment and the meanes how to get nourishment out of it the knowing of the motions of the musculs without a teacher 2. When a man of great experience and knowledge may easily be confounded and deceived in a great company of sheepe in seeking every Lambs ewe the Lambe in the thickest of them will finde out her owne ewe 3. In discerning of hurtfull things at the voyce of a Kite the Chicken at the smell of a Woolfe the Lambe will flie though they never had experience of any hurt by them 4. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affection of the parents toward mishapen children though to every one else most odious yet no lesse loved of their parents then if they had all the gifts of nature perfect 5. The sudden cry of every creature affrighted with any griefe by all mens confession it cannot be voluntary no reason can be given of it and it hath made the heathen confesse that it was Vox naturae vel amantis dominum naturae the voyce of nature or of one loving the Lord of nature So we see that there is a providence both by argument and also by practise in the Sea Plants Flowres Fishes Wild-beasts c. Theodoret Bishop of Sirus hath taken paines about this point in his ten Sermons de providentia concerning providence The second opinion The second point To that imagination that granteth providence but such onely as is in a Clocke the plummets weighing downe by little and little so that the providence is in the second causes 1. The meanes worke nothing but as the Prophets say there is beside the bread the staffe of bread Ezech. 4.16 5.16 14.13 Matth 4.4 Psal 17.14 Hag. 1.6 which Christ calleth the World of God David Gods hidden treasure which if it be not we shall as Haggai saith put money into a bottomlesse purse The meanes alwaies worketh not because there is not a thing added to the meanes that giveth strength The Philosophers have acknowledged it and called it the infusion of strength and efficacy into the creatures This is the first cause not of the secondary causes that if without meanes divers things have beene brought to passe not onely Genes 1. because men should not thinke that the sunne is cause of light he made the light before the sunne nor thinke that the seed is cause of fruit therefore he made with the seed fruit but also in these daies we see preferment cast on them that never sought for it Second causes withstanding yet the effects are brought forth Christ used clay to open eyes which is rather a meanes to put them out Helias put Salt into Salt water to make it fresh and sweet Iohn 9.6 2 Reg. 2.20 Gen. 40. 41. Iason Phereus healed by a sword thrust into his belly Iosephs imprisonment the meanes of his preferment the first bringing in of the Christian faith doth most firmely shew this Then by want of learning They had not onely no meanes but also meanes against them great learning confounded by weaknesse strength by nothing something 2. Fortunes commission it is not issue of warre of which though many profane mouthes have given forth this that Sors Domini campi fortune is Lady of the field yet there never was any but before he entered battell vowed and after payed his vow So in drawing of lots which a man would thinke especially to be of chance Ionah 1.7 c. 5.16 c. yet the Marriners in the shippe with Ionas used this as being of the providence of God Cassena in Plutarch 3. Ihado when the Heathen could not finde out any thing but was in doubt used to fall to lots as if God would answer them in their doubtfull lots 3. From chaunce medly Herodotus Cambyses lighting off his horse his sword falling out of the Scabbard ranne him into the groyne and he ascribeth this to providence for his evill behaviour in Egypt Lastly the Philosopher concludes That casuall things are nothing else but effects of causes farre off removed if of these much more the things concurring neere together are referred to providence That is a greater argument of providence to joyne things farre asunder then those that be neere But that which proves all fully Prophecy cannot be brought to passe withall the plummets but that is of the providence of God Having shewed that there is a providence of God in generall 2. That it dealeth her selfe and hath her owne hand in bringing things to
was nothing else but a small still voyce comming from the Lord nor the Temple open till the Messiah came c. And they confessed that this voyce ceased in Christs time and in Herods daies and that the vaile of the Temple rent in two peeces and never since came it together Besides these three other three or foure The continuall sending to and fro as of Iohn Baptist doth argue that they wholy did looke for his comming then the Disciples to Christ Some that thou art Elias some Jeremias some one of the Prophets 2. About that time there were so many false and counterfeit Messiahs as never were before nor never after For there were then either eight or ten Seven or eight as Iosephus in the 18 19 20. books of antiquities Beside Herod of whom came the Herodians Iudas the sonne of Marbaeus Acts 5.36 37. by Gamaliel Thâ—udas Arthronges Barchosba the elder and the yonger But especially the yonger was in such reputation that all the Rabbins did acknowledge him for the Messiah These upstarts dâ—e argue that there was a great expectation among the people for never since then durst any be so bold as to call himselfe the Messiah save one 3. Suidas in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus saith that it was reported to Iustinian the Emperour by Philip a Merchant of Constantinople that had received it by the report of one Theodosius a Iâ—w that in the catalogue of Priests was found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Temple for a while At the same time that Christ was crucified there was the first breach made into the City in the same time of the yeere Amâ—s 6.14 Zach. 11.12.13 The siege of Ierusalem most miserable Iâ—sus the Sonne of God and of Mary and that he was admitted into the company of the twenty two Priests It should therefore seeme that he was a Priest else could he not have preached because he was of the Tribe of Iudah And for this cause some thinke that he was permitted to preach at Capernaum Beside these one more The prophecie of Christ Luke 19.43 of the destruction of the second temple They confessing that after Malachy there should no Prophet arise but it should be Messiah Amos 6.14 from the entring of Hamath to the river of the wildernesse Zach. 11.12 13. The siege of the City so strange and wonderfull as never was the like that the very heathen did see and confesse that the hand of the Lord was against them when they could not besiege it long for water there was a little brooke Siloh which in former yeeres was so dryed up that men might goe over it dry-foote That did so swell suddenly without any naturall cause that it served all the armies of the Romans 2. Titus did labour by all meanes possible to offer them peace yea he granted them to set downe what condition of peace they would so they would yeeld themselves to the Romanes yet they were so wilfull that they would suffer no condition of peace There was such a great plague beside many millions slaine that the ground could not containe the dead bodies but were faine to cast them over the walles such a famine that they were faine to eate their owne children c. The first breach that the enemy made into the City was at the brooke Cedron where they tooke Christ and on the same day that Christ was taken was the Citty taken on the same feast day at the same time of the yeere The Emperour commanded them to be whipped there where they had whipped Christ 30. Jewes were sold for a penny as they sold Christ for thirty pence There is a prophecy Amos 2.6 Amos 2.6 For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne to it because they sold the innocent for silver and the poore for shooes Righteous They being urged to tell of whom the Prophet meant in this place knowing not how to shift it off are faine to say that it is of Ioseph that was sold of the Patriarchs for silver and for that cause that they suffered that misery And never since had they any reliefe but have lien these 1500. yeeres scattered over all the world hated of all scoffed at of all and now they are become common bondslaves to all the world and whereas before they were wont to feede their Rabbines now they are faine to feed the people least they should be forsaken of them Whether Christ be come That the Messiah is not come Beside the confounding of the Tribes they all confesse Mich. 5.2 That he shall be borne in Bethlehem There is now no Bethlehem nor any place where Bethlehem stood for him to be borne This they are driven to answer thus that he was borne indeed before the building of the second Temple but ever since he hath lurked in some corner or other they know not where but he will at the length come But Paulus Berosus and Augustine answer this Ammianus Marcellinus Iulian to worke despight to the Christians gave them leave to build their Temple againe sought to gather them together Being come together and having laid the foundation thereof there brast a fire out of the earth that burned their timber cast downe their stones and though the Emperout oft times encouraged them to their worke and gave them great summes to the building of it yet youl l the flames come out of the ground and overthrow their building There was one since that tooke upon him to gather them together that called himselfe Moses Cretensis he would needs with foure hundred divide the sea and goe thorow it dry-shod But the waves stragling against their course and nature suddenly comming upon them they were all drowned and their friends that stood all along the sea-shore were not able to save one of them Againe there were often prefixed times by the Rabbins when Christ should come and yet all deceived Rabbi Shahadiah appointeth 1200. yeeres Rabbi Salomon Rabbi Jehuda 1390. Rabbi Elias 4230. Rabbi Moses ben Maymon 4474. and his time that appointed last was expired 300. yeeres agoe and yet their Messiah is not come and they are ashamed to appoint any more time but forbid under paine of death Vt sint in spiritu vertiginis that they may be in the spirit of giddinesse having their eyes open and will not see 3. Thirdly betweene the Mahometists Turkes and us They say there is but one God and therein they agree with us but in Christ they agree not with us For they say in the fourth chapter of the Alcoran that he was not the last Prophet that should finish all prophecies but Mahomet Seven points to prove that their religion cannot be the truth 1. Because it is forbidden throughout all his Dominions to call it into question And to him that shall at any time call it into question it is present death But the truth delighteth in nothing more then in sifting and feareth it shall never be
delivered from the curse of the Law 2. In 2 Pet. 1.10 How we may be sure that this deliverance pertaineth to us if we make our calling and faith sure 3. Quid retribuam what we are to performe i. true obedience not secundum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus plectorium secundum jus praetorium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not according to the extremity of the Law the Law punishing but according to praeter Law equity and right in Christ Now for the Law naturall we learned in the generall prooemium or preface that we depend of Gods providence and therefore we must thinke of God as of a King For so it is Revel 19.16 and therefore as he hath rewards from us Revel 19.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King of Kings and Lord of Lords In every law foure things are required 1. The worke 2. The manner 3. The reward 4. The punishment so he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his worke house to try us in and this is the world Then we being in a work house must have our agenda things we are to doe and the Law being defined doctrina agendorum the doctrine of things which are to be done it is our agenda thing we are to doe And as there are foure things in every Law in mundo in the world so doth this which is Lex creatoris mundi the law of the Creator of the world containe them all 1. The worke this you must doe 2. The manner thus you shall doe 3. Reward in palatio in Court 4. Carcer the prison punishment in the prison All these are in every law and so are they in Gods law In the law of Moses who hath set downe in the decalogue a perfect pandect of all the workes and duties that God requireth at our hands These are the true Ethica Christiana Christian Ethickes passing all others Ethickes In this thing are they of the Church of Rome to be commended that teaching their youth Logicke Physicke and Metaphysicke three yeeres because they are not compleately to be found in these bookes referre them to these bookes for Ethiks propter regulam morum for the rule of manners For this is the just square of all our actions it ought neither to be longer or shorter then this This law was given by Moses saith he here Gods Law is the rule of our life in regard of the first of the foure things it is called our agenda or things to be done In respect of the other the rule or cubit of the Sanctuary Here may a doubt arise Seeing that the law was not given till 2600 yeeres after the creation it might seeme that men might aswell live still without the Law But to shew how the world was governed by the law and that which is Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles both before and after doing the things that belong to the law are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law to themselves not to doe what they list but to doe the workes of the Law how that can be it is thus that they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. they had the effect of the law written in their heart which was equivalent to the law it selfe This he proveth because they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accusing or excusing of their thoughts and that they had their conscience for a witnesse to them both Gen. 3. Man is the image of God Col. 1.10 The Image of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge of God And therefore Augustine of the Trinity Ioh. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Psal 119.142 Thy Law is from everlasting as concerning thy testimonies I have knowne long since that thou hast grounded than forever Effectumlegis praestitum esse ante legis traditionem Gen 31.53 Laban sware by the God of Abraham and Nahor and of their fathers but Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isaac lib. 14. ch 14. saith That every man had it in his heart which must be understood after the fall For before it was all perfection Mali multa rectè laudant rectè reprehendunt Quibus regulis hoc faciunt ubi habent hoc quod homines sic vivere debent cum ipsi sic non vivant hae regulae sunt justae mentes corum injustae hae regulae immutabiles mentes eorum mutabiles Evill men praise many things rightly and reprehend rightly upon what ground doe they this where have they this that men ought thus to live and yet they themselves live not so these rules are just their minds unjust these rules unchangeable their minds changeable then he concludeth Vident eas in libro lucis they see them in the booke of truth which truth being in God as a seale maketh a print in the mind of man and yet keepeth it it selfe which print they can never plucke out and so by this meanes all men have the effect of the Law in them To prove that this effect was performed before the giving of the Law For the first Commandement not so manifest Gen. 11.13 by the departure of Terah with Abraham Sarah and Lot out of Vr of the Chaldees from their idolatry into Canaan Gen. 35.2 Jacob said to his houshold and to all that were with him put away the strange Gods that are among you and clense your selves and change your garments For the second ibidem verse 5. where Jacob buried the idols under an Oake More plaine Gen. 31.34 Rachel hid her fathers idols in the Camels straw For the third Gen. 24 3. Abraham made his eldest servant to put his hand under his thigh and sweare by the Lord God of Heaven and earth that he should not take a wife to his sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom he dwelt Gen. 31.53 The solemne oath betweene Laban and Iacob For the fourth Gen. 2.2 God hallowed the seventh day 2600. yeeres before the delivery of the Law God useth not to sanctifie a thing so long before when there shall be no use of it Gen 16.23 Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord bake that to day which ye will bake and seeth that ye will seeth and all that remaineth lay it up to keepe till the morning for you Gen. 2.2 For in the seventh day God ended his worke which he had made and in the seventh day he rested from all his workes that he had made For the fifth Gen. 27.28 Esaus howling and crying for his fathers blessing Verse 41. He stood in aw of his father though otherwise prophane For so long as his father lived he would not kill Iacob For the sixth a plaine precept Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed For the seventh Gen. 38.24 Of Thâ—mar whom Iudah would have burned for playing the whore Gen. 34.31 The answer of Simeon and Levi that had put a whole Citty to the sword for their sister
munda mundis holy things to them that are holy and cleane things to them that are cleane so here Sanctis sancta To them that are holy holy things Therefore we must sanctifie our selves or else we are not capable the reasons are 1. The receiving of a cleane thing into an uncleane maketh the cleane uncleane 2. Out of Luke 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man putteth new Wine into old Bottles else the new wine will burst the Bottels and be spilled and the Bottles shall perish Keepe not a proportion betweene the Bottles and Wine they will both be lost so if there be not a proportion betweene the hearer and the thing that is heard it shall be both the condemnation of the hearer and frustration of the word Every man is not able though willing unlesse he be prepared every bottle is not for new Wine Tempus praeparationis The time of praeparation The time to prepare here is two daies Sanctifie them to day and to morrow that they may be ready the third day 1 Sam. 14.18 And Saul said to Ahiah bring hither the Arke of God for the Arke of God at that time was with the children of Israel and while Saul talked with the Priest the noise that was in the host of the Philistins spread further abroad and increased therefore Saul said to the Priest withdraw thine hand Saul here being to encounter with his enemies tooke the Ephod and would fall to prayers before the battell but vers 19. hearing that his enemies were at hand straight layd aside the Ephod left off praying and fell to set his people in aray fearing least he should lose time in praying so his preparation was in vaine But it appeared afterward that he played the foole for doing so For that time that is bestowed in prayer is never lost yea it is the best time that can be bestowed And this care must be in us alwaies so it is Gods will we should doe Deut. 5.29 O that there were such a heart in them to feare me and keepe all my Commandements alwaies that it might goe well with them and with their children for ever The Lords wish is that the people had such an heart alwaies to feare him c. This sanctification here to them was in a ceremony 1 Cor. 10.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come And there is no ceremonie but it hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equity to the which we are all bound The garments of the old Testament or Law were Vestimentum stola id est the inward garment and the outward To this seemeth John to have an allusion Revel 7.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe And Paul 2 Cor. 7.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit We must make us cleane both in the flesh and in the spirit We shall best see how to make our selves cleane by knowing how we came foule that when we are once washed we may keepe our selves cleane still And the meanes be two The first principall Secondly an under meanes As in a garment there is either the internall pollution namely the moth or the externall namely spots aspersiones and besprinklings so in us 1. If a man touch a dead body or any one that hath an issue by the very touch he is uncleane Levit. 15. Wholy of that matter de pollutione as de intrinseca Levit. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propria Levit. 15. Haec est pollutio carnis externa ab extrinseco à societate aliorum This is that pollution we receive of the world of evill example of evill company pollution externall Levit. 13.2 If a man hath an issue of his owne flesh Haec est pollutio Spiritus interna à fluxu proprio This is that uncleannesse that is within us that is concupiscence The knowledge being blind and leading the will to corruption had need of washing both defile us 2 Cor. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sumus templa Spiritus We are the temples of the spirit Augustine on that place saith Quisque Christianus Templum est in Templo templum in domo templum domi foris ubique semper templum ambulans Every Christian is a Temple in a Temple a Temple in the house a Temple at home a Temple abroad in every place at all times a walking Temple And Revel 21.27 Nihil inquinatum ingredietur in illud c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written in the Lambs booke of life Therefore we must make us cleane that other things may be cleane unto us Sic munda sed mundis So things are cleane but to the cleane But if we be once cleane we must take heed least we after touch pitch againe Syrach He that washeth himselfe after he hath touched a dead course and toucheth it againe is defiled We must not be like the dogge that returneth to his vomit nor the Sow that walloweth againe in the mire Modus purgandi The manner of purging 1. By the blood of Christ Therefore we must be continuall clensers of our selves But how may we wash our selves Mundamur primo per baptismum flaminis we are cleansed first by the baptisme of fire that is the spirit August Balneum autem nobis erectum balneum sanguinis sui Now a bath is prepared for us even the bath of his blood We are bathed in the blood of Christ And this is that whereby our aspersions and blemishes are washed away of this bath the water in Baptisme is a representation And not onely that but baptismus flaminis the baptisme of fire goeth with it Baptismus aquae flaminis that will purge cleere i. the Spirit of God which remaineth with us to the Worlds end Baptisme of water of fire and wherewith we are every day baptised So doth the Spirit of God abridge our concupiscences daily There is another meanes set down yet all one with this for you may purge either with Nitre or with the Fullers earth Iohn 15.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mundi estis propter sermonem quem audivistis 2. By the word Now ye are cleane through the word which I have spoken unto you The daily hearing of God by the mouth of man If we will compare it with water it is like the Fullers earth wherewith the Spirit scoureth us correcting us and comforting us By the outward washing they meane the washing of the body and he that cleanseth not that is not onely beneath a Scribe or Pharisee for he maketh cleane the outside of the Platter but is worse
we may seeke and finde naught for they should finde none yet verse 27. they would needs goe out to seeke and found none This is a curious inclination of our nature it cleaveth fast to us 1. Sam. 6.19 The men of Beth-shemesh would needs know what was in the Arke but they payed well for it 50070. men of them were slaine for that one action so here God enacted that none should touch the mountaine and that for the beast much more for man Numb 14.45 the people of Israel that would enter into the Land contrary to Gods Will are soone slaine Verse 44. yet they presumed obstinately to goe up to the top of the mount But the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord and Moses departed not out of the Campe. 45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites which dwelt in that mountaine came downe and smote them Two things 1. To goe up into the mount 2. To touch the mount It s nâ—t tâ—e law that these men have desire to know it s but to goe up into the mount to gaze which was altogether unprofitable They have omitted the thing and searched for the times and places and consumed them to Hormach It was no necessary thing for the people to ascend the mountaine yet the people itched after it and when they should come there they would not be so hastie to know as to gaze so that the knowledge was not so much sought of them as the place therefore it was an idle thing and odious to God We see the very same hath raigned among the sonnes of men Acts 1.6 Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel Matth. 24.3 Tellus when shall these things be and what signe shall be of thy comming and of the end of the World But as Christ answereth them there It s not for you to know the times and the seasons which my heavenly Father hath put into his owne power So Moses here It s not for you to touch or ascend into the mountaine it pertaineth not to you This then must be our wisedome as it is Deut. 29.29 Hiddâ—n things belong to God and those that are manifest to us We must say to our selves as Moses said to the people It s not for you to ascend up into the mountaine More excellently Rom. 12.3 Not to be wise above that we ought but to be wise unto sobriety We must therefore keepe our selves in the limits which the Holy Ghost setteth downe As temporall death or punishment here is for trangressors and those that be over-curious in seeking out quiddities so Pro. 25.27 Qui scrutator est majestatis divinae opprimetur a gloria The curious inquirer after divine Majesty shall be overwhelmed of glory Those that are overcurious in seeking things unnecessary shall seeke with ignorance and lose the knowledge they had of necessary things 1 Tim. 6.4 they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 languish they shall be sicke with foolish questions deceiving others and themselves to They shall be alwaies a learning but never know any thing A fearefull example of Salomon Preach 1 17. I gave my heart to know wisedome and knowledge madnesse and foolishnesse I knew also that this is a vexation of the Spirit August Qui inventa veritote aliud quaerit mendacium quaerit He that having found the truth seeketh any thing else seeketh a lie This overmuch curiosity made Salomon subject to the grievous points of Idolatry We are then to know our barres about the law unum est necessarium One thing is needfull Fourth point of the del very or the law There is added of the learned another point not as a point of preparation but as a necessary motive in the delivery of the Law necessary meditation of the law gathered out of the delivery of it and it may be comprehended in the points of the delivery of the law Heb. 12. à v. 17. to the end whatsoever terrible thing there was the Lord caused them to concurre at the delivery of the law vers 9.16 first in a thicke cloud secondly with thunderings and thirdly lightnings fourthly the sound of a Trumpet sounding exceeding loud 18. fifthly Mount Sinai on fire and a vapour of smoake sixthly the quaking of the mount and as David Psal 20.8 The voice of the Lord made the wildernesse to tremble the wildernesse of Cades All these as they are fearefull sights and objects of the cogitation of man so it was the purpose of God to shew his law in terrible things to terrisie them withall And we see it tooke effect For first the mountaines and rockes trembled in the next chapter the people fled and desired Moses that they might heare God speake no more to them And Moses himselfe Heb. 12.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So terrible was the sight that Moses cried out and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I exceedingly feare and quake This fourth point is a circumstance of the manner of delivery which though it be not of requiring the preparation yet Heb. 12. the Apostle useth it as a great argument to stir us up effectually For whatsoever thing is terrible either to the eye to behold or to the heart to thinke 18. v. 31. Mount Sinai was all on a smoke because the Lord came down upon it in fire and the smoke therof ascended as the smoke of a furnace and all the mount trembled exceedingly So that this wrought such a requisit reverence in the people that the Lord said Deut. 5.29 O that my people had alway such an heart to feare me c. These sights and sounds because they are past affect us not But yet that argument of the Apostle Heb. 12.25 26. may affect us If the delivery of the law be so terrible if the law Act. 7.53 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it being delivered by the hands of Angels be so dreadfull when God in the power of his Majesty shall come to require it how dreadfull shall it be And this shall more plainely appeare by the conference of circumstances of the delivery of the law and of the day of judgement 1. The delivery of the law was done by Angels A collation of circumstances in the delivery of the Law and in the day of judgement 1. By Angels 2. Darknesse the requiry shall be by God himselfe 2. Here is mention made of a thicke and darke cloud Amos 5.18 that it shall be a darke and gloomy day that there shall be darknesse and no light Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord what have you to doe with it the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light 19. As if a man did flie from a Lyon and a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light even darknesse no light in it Jude v. 13.
trayterous And it pleaseth the Holy Ghost throughout the whole course of the Bookes of Samuel and the Kings to leave this as a blemish for wicked Kings Quia non c. That they tooke not away the groves and high places c. that they permitted the high places to stand Therefore Augustine saith very well Tu imple personam tuam alioqui Deus de te de illo implebit suam Performe thou thy part otherwise God will performe his both upon thee and upon him Thou shalt be punished with the offender and its better ut sentiam lenitatem patrie quam severitatem judicis that I feele the lenity of a father then the severity of a Judge 3. Provocation The other goe before action 3. Provocation provoking to sinne Provocation is by two means whether it be of a superiour or inferiour 1. By daring as Jobs wife Iob 2.9 Dost thou continue in thine uprightnesse blaspheme God and die Or as when men be provoked to sweare to anger c. 2. To provoke by alluring meanes 1 Kings 21.25 Iezebel Ahab sold himselfe to doe evill whom Iezebel his wife provoked And Iob if he had beene tempted no doubt his wife had beene guilty of it And God is so farre from provoking that he taketh it cleane from the superiours to their inferiours Ephes 6.4 Fathers provoke not your children but bring them up in the feare of God Generally Galat. 5.26 Le ts not be desirous of vaine-glory provoking one another 4. Malum consilium Evill counsel envying one another 4. Evill counsell or advice Psal 1.1 Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the ungodly Genes 49.6 Iacob lying in his deathbed and calling his sonnes together to blesse them saith Simeon and Levi into their secret let not my soule come my glory be not thou joyned with their assembly For in their wrath they slew a man and in their selfe-will they digged downe a wall The same prayer maketh Iob 21.16 Loe their wealth is not in their hand therefore let the counsell of the wicked be farre from me Ezra c. 4. v. 5. Privy Counsellers hired to hinder the building of the Temple 2 Sam. 16.21 Absolon committed the incest with dis fathers concubines but the incest is layd to Ahitophel that did put the counsell into his head Marke 6.24 Herods wifes daughter asked John Baptists head in a platter but Herodias the mother counselled her to aske it and the blood of that godly man is laid to her charge Iohn 11.49 50. The sinne of the Jewes in desiring Christ to be crucified came upon Caiphas his head that gave them the advise Acts 19.25 The uproare against Paul is laid to Demetrius the Silversmith that counselled the rest of the handicrafts men c. These by extension are also condemned 5. Consensus Consent Consensus interpretativus Consent by interpretation These two goe before 5. The fault of consent Consilium est instar agentis principalioris consensus instar instrumenti Counsell is like the principall agent consent like the instrument Rom. 1.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely doe the same but consent with them that doe them Consensu peccatur men sinne by consent whether it be as the Lawyers say consensu directo vel vero vel interpretativo by plaine consent or consent by interpretation 1 Tim. 5.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes keepe thy selfe pure Consent by interpretation is when a man is instrument of an evill deed by his action though in words he mislike it 2 Sam. 11.16 Ioab is an instrument of evill namely Davids instrument to kill Vriah 2. And not onely that but approbation also Acts 8.1 Saul is said to have beene consenting to Stephens death by onely keeping their clothes that stoned Stephen Num. 16.26 Moses maketh all consenters to the rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram which stood by and would not depart from their tents 3. Taking part in the gaine Ps◠50.18 When thou sawest a Thiefe thou consentedst to him and hast beene partaker with the adulterers 4. Casting of lots Prov. 1.14 Cast in thy lot among us we will have all one purse 5. Another is consensus silentii consent by silence When a man is bound to withstand another mans sinnes and doth it not be doth after a sort consent to it That he is bound to it Levit. 19.17 a flat precept This is commonest of all the reason why this consent by silence is a sinne is this Augustine ut malus sermo inducit in peccatum sic malum silentium relinquit in peccato as evill counsell leads men into sinne so evill silence leaves men in sinne 6. Is no doubt a kind by consent by interpretation but it s so speciall 6 Defending c. that it may be a kind of it selfe namely a defending commending flattering of other in their sinnes excusing of them when they are done c. Pro 24.24 He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse and the multitude shall abhorre him Prov. 16.29 Lactant amicos suos ducunt per viam non bonam with faire words they deceive their friends and lead them by a way which is not good This lactatio peccatorum this deceiving of sinners is the way that leades to destruction Ps 55.22 Habent verba butyrina they have words as smooth as Butter but warre in their hearts Their words were softer to him then Oyle yet very swords Let not their sweet words breake my head but rather let the godly reprove me friendly Rom. 16.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By good words and faire speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple A woe pronounced against them Esay 5.20 Woe to them that speake good of evill and evill of good which put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter And Ezek. 13.10 they are said to be dawbers up of other mens sins And therefore because they have deceived my people saying peace when there is no peace and one built up a wall and behold the other dawbed it with untempered morter and in the 18. verse they are called sowers of pillowes under other mens elbowes We have example of this 1 Kings 22. in Ahabs false Prophets verse 6. Goe up for the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the King And especially in Zidkiah verse 11. that made himselfe hornes of Iron saying Thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push at the Aramites untill thou hast consumed them And because Micaiah stood against him he was smitten on the face and sent away to prison The reason why this sinne is so grievous when a man commeth to commend sinne it s a signe that his judgement and conscience are corrupt Non autem semper corrupta est mens
a building the foundation is first in the naturall generation of the members the heart This also is done the first being Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Scopus primi mandati The scope of the first Commandement Then to observe our former rules It s said Fines mandatorum sunt diligenter observandi the end of the Commandements are diligently to be observed We must first know what intent God had in giving this Commandement The end of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beget good It s said that the generall end of this Commandement 1 Cor. 10.31 is the glory of God of the first table godlinesse holinesse or religion Religion being an action must needs proceed from something and so it doth For that that it commeth from is the soule of man and principally from the spirit of it In that regard it is compared Matth. 12.35 Luke 6.45 to a treasure-house out of which good men bring good things evill men evill things for that as the furniture of any part of the house commeth from thence so in like state is it of outward worship of the tongue the hand the eye it commeth de bon◠thesauro cordis out of the good treasure of the heart if it be good our worship will be good as mala de malo Mat. 15.19 The breaches of it commeth from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies This then we see in as much as this is principall 1. Regard must be had of his spirituall worship and it s the scope of the first Commandement It s said that according to the superiour end the Commandement is esteemed quo prior finis eo prior necessitas the more principall the end is the more prime the necessity The first table before the second Mar. 2.27 man was made the end of the Sabbath not the Sabbath the end of man therefore the breach of the outward part of the Sabbath must yeeld to the health of man This is generall the higher the end the nearer the necessity Therefore this precept is primae necessitatis of chiefe necessity This was never dispensed with nor ever shall be Now we come to the second Which is the first rule in extension to the affirmative part of the Commandement The negative was Thou shalt have none other Gods The affirmative part is set downe Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve And in his allegation out of Deut. 6.13.10.20 Thou shalt worship one God or to answer the negative Thou shalt have me alone for thy God This is done in the third rule which is the drawing of it into particular branches The second rule herein is best First to follow the plaine order and to see how many propositions will naturally arise out of it and they be three First we must have a God Secondly we must have him for our God Thirdly we must have him alone for our God So you see The affirmative as a proposition compounded of three propositions Propositiones primi mandati The Propositions of the first Commandement First that we should have a God the meaning of this that we should not be our selves Gods which was the beginning of all mischiefe judging of good and evill by our owne choice but to knowledge a superiour nature and of him to take our rules to follow God and abstaine from evill and not to stand to our owne mind 2. That this nature thus teaching us what is good and evill and promising to bring us to the full fruition of all good things by the contrary we should acknowledge him and tie our selves to him This acknowledging or tying our selves to him is to have a religion and so consequently that we should worship him and have our religion from him 2. The second That we must have him for our God The meaning of it is this that the gods of the Nations are nothing but Idols and no Gods and consequently that their services are false But Jehovah our God who hath shewed himselfe to be a true God he is the God indeed and his religion is the true religion and therefore that we should give over them and their religion and consecrate our selves to him and his worship and here is commanded true religion 3. That we should have him alone The meaning is that there is not one of those Gods and indeed none besides God that hath revealed or can performe eternall blessednesse to us or that can joyne with him and helpe him in performance but he alone is able and willing and consequently as he alone doth and will do it so he will onely have all the glory to himselfe he will have none to be joyned with him in it Profanenesse Peccata contraria virtutibus mandati Sins contrary to the vertues of the Commandements 1. The sinne of the first of these of not having a God but following our owne mind is called prophanenesse when a man will have his owne liking in every thing so that he will doe that onely that seemeth good in his owne eyes when he will have no yoke no cords no bonds but will breake them giving credit to nothing but that which his owne reason his God perswadeth him unto and pursuing nothing but that his will standeth well affected unto And doe nothing but by his owne direction 2. The sinne of the second is false worship or whatsoever false religion it be it pleaseth the Holy Ghost here to call it other gods 2. Cultus peregrinus Strange worship As in the Scriptures he calleth all evill by the name of strange as strange flesh an harlot strange worship idolatry strange gods false gods This is secondly forbidden 3. Idolatry Samaritanisme 3. The sinne of the third That which Elias found such fault with namely halting on both sides mingling Gods religion with others following both God and Baal as the Samaritans did having an Altar on the one side of the Temple and the image of an idoll on the other joyning God together with other Gods and idols These are three speciall things that the divell shooteth at and hath helpes in our nature to bring his purpose to passe when he tooke upon him first the name of Belus Belial which is being without the yoke that he would lay no yoke upon any he would force him to nothing then that he was willing to follow himselfe and therefore this was his way in his first tentation that Adam was now yoked that he must be underaw and that he needed a director whereas if he would but taste of the Apple he should be a guide to himselfe and should doe whatsoever he thought good and that he should appoint good and evill himselfe This vaine licentiousnesse wherein men according to their corrupt nature delight dissolutely to follow their concupiscence and in all things to sit Judges to define good and evill is
which is a greater miracle then any of the other so grant we must a miracle whether we will or no. Such were the Prophets and Apostles for they wrought such workes as no man else could worke seeing they came from God These warrant us that these men that is the Prophets and Apostles they came from God and God hath spoken to us by them Now whether we be able to performe these things Luke 1.37 with God nothing is impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both for his knowledge power and will for so he saith Mat. 19.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with men this is unpossible but with God all things are possible and the reason is if it were not so there must needs be a want in his knowledge for every impotency it is for want of abilitie of knowledge but for his knowledge Heb. 4.15 all things are naked to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto his eyes For his Power Esay 59.1 his hand is not shortned it is able to reach to all and that we may see out of Numb 11.23 where God promising flesh enough for all the Host We see Moses his unbeliefe insomuch as he said Shall all the Fish of the Sea bee gathered together or all the Beasts of the Field come together and God saith ver 23. Is the Lords hand shortned thou shalt see now whether my words shall come to passe or no to thee The order Lastly for his Will that in Lament 3.25 The Lord is good to them that trust in him and to the soule that seeketh him A Father Scioposse scio scire cuperem velle I am perswaded of the Power and Knowledge of God but it is his Will I stick at 1. Faith Heb. 11.1 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance of those things that are hoped for and the ground evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or demonstration of those things that are not seene Both words argue the great necessity of the Order of it If it be a substance it is to be handled first or if it be not the whole substance but the first part yet it commeth first to be handled For in totis ordinatis in all things where there is Order as Religion hath an order the first part dicitur substantia reliquarum is said to be the substance of the rest as the substance of an house is in the foundation of a ship in the sterne of a tree in the root Col. 1.23 it is compared to a Foundation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye continue grounded in the faith Col. 1.23 to a root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rooted in the faith and there is a Shipwrack of our faith as 1 Tim. 1.19 and consequently it is compared to the sterne of Ship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argumentum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first Principle Rom. 4.14 if the Law stand still in effect then faith is voyde and then the principle of Religion is denyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not risen then is your faith vaine making faith the first Principle And this for the Order Necessitas fidei There is a further thing to be considered in Faith that is the necessity of it That is necessary without which nothing can be done of a Christian man Faith is a diffused thing every where a Cor. 1.24 if we stand it is by Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for by faith yee stand 2 Cor. 5.7 if we walke we walke by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we walke by faith and not by sight 1 Cor. 7.37 if we sit it is our seat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he that standeth firme in his heart c. or Rom. 14.23 whatsoever we doe if we have not faith it is sinne and in this respect Faith is called mater obedientiae the mother of obedience because all duties arise out of it at every thing that it apprehendeth it bringeth forth a new Vertue Luther hath a saying and if it be taken in a good sense it is true That in Faith all the Law is fulfilled before we have fulfilled any part thereof or worke of it in act And therefore in regard of this great necessity it pleased God to cast away the great names of the jolly wise men of the world and Philosophers 1 Cor. 1.19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for seeing the world knew not God in the wisedome of God it hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save them that beleeve Prima â—â—x christians credo and to entitle his flock onely by the name of Faithfull And Eusebius Emissenus hath a good reason for it for the first word of a Christian is Credo I beleeve which maketh a Christian If we be not faithfull we are unbeleevers and God giveth us no other name then that he is contented to take to himselfe 2 Cor. 1.18 Fidelis Deus God is faithfull and his sonne Heb. 12.2 is in no other sense called Author fidei finitor fidei the author and finisher of our Faith 1. Tim. 3.1 4.9 his word is called Sermo fidelis a true or faithfull saying This inchoatio visionis is begunne in this life and performed by faith and in the same place 1 Tim. 4.6 Sermo fidei and Rom. 10.8 Verbum fidei the word of Faith Gal. 6.10 the Church is called the Houshould of Faith Jam. 5.15 Prayer is called the Prayer of Faith Rom. 4.11 the Sacraments are called the Seales of Faith The kingdome of Heaven being compared to a marriage So we see it goeth cleane through all duties * * * Every good duty in this life is an inchoation of the blessednesse in the life to come And not only this but also that which was said in knowledge may be said of Faith for knowledge is for faith That it is the beginning of our blessednesse John 20.29 the faith without sight blessed are they that see not The necessity of the Negative The reason of the necessity why it should be so punished for else woe make God a lyer and yet beleeve Hosea 2.20 there is a fit similitude to expresse this God likening the knowledge that we shall have to a Marriage and the knowledge that we have now to Espousing as the inchoation and certainty of marriage is in sponsalibus in true espousals When hands are given so our sponsalia espousals are in fide in Faith therefore it is said Mar. 16.16 that qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that will not beleeve shall be damned And as it is John 3.18 it is not differred but the sentence is gone on him Et quanto major tanto migis expetit the greater any one is the more tender is he of his word he is already condemned Then we may conclude
with that Heb. 11.6 that without faith it is impossible to please God And the reason why God dealeth thus streitly with them that beleeve not for there is no man but desireth this to be credited To argue that the Princes word must be so stedfast as if that no other disgrace or dammage might come to him but the breaking of his word yet in that respect he is to stand to his word The honourable man thinks the venturing of his honour sufficient for his credit the Prince his word if there be such majesty in an earthly Prince then much more in the word of God not only giving his word but also sweaâ—ing writing sealing pledging c. as you have heard before and the greater person he is the more he desireth it as a private man would be credited upon his honesty a man of greater state upon his Worship or Honour the Prince upon his own word Teste me ipso witnesse my selfe and if on any of these offers credit were denyed to any of these they would thinke great discourtesie offered them If there be a God he must set himselfe higher then a Prince and consequently he may with greater right say teste meipso witnesse my selfe because he is above all Job saith none dare say to a wicked Prince Impius es much lesse to a good Prince and least of all can any say it to God Especially seeing he ads on his part that it is true 1 John 3.33 If ye beleeve signastis quod Deus est verus you have set to your seale that God is true and on the contrary 1 Joh. 5.10 Qui non crediderit facit Deum mendacem he that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyar and there can be nothing more to Gods disgrace then to say that he is a lyar Bernard upon that sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is impossible to please God Quomodo potest placere Deo cui non placet Deus how can he please God saith he that is not pleased with God that likes not of him And this is for the necessity and end of Faith Unbeliefe forbidden Now we come to our Rules As we have seene the Affirmative and what is commanded so we must see the Negative and what is forbidden Here is forbidden first Unbeliefe Ephes 5.1 it is a note of the reprobate to be the children of unbeliefe whether it be a proud imagination of our owne reason as Habac. 1. ver 5. saith or in contempt or any other wretchednesse that notwithstanding the forbidding of it yet in carelesnesse the world is like to grow to be Scepticks and to come to this that Machiavell holdeth God punisheth unbeliefe by it selfe Non curandum quid boni credat sed quid faciat it matters not what our beleife is if our actions be good And it is thus punished 2 Thes 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye If thou any way reject the truth thou shalt be given over and beleeve a lye Because they beleeved not Christ when he came in his Fathers name one shall come in his owne name and shall prevaile and they shall beleeve him So in our age those that would not cleave to the truth shall be given over to untruths in this World and for the world to come And so the promises of God they shal see them performed in this life albeit in the life to come thy shall have no communication that punishment shall befall them which is 2 King 7.19 when the Prince on whose hand the King leaned would not beleeve the Prophet prophecying of great plenty of victuals though the Lord should make windowes in Heaven the Prophet said to him Videbis sed non gustabis thou shalt see it but shalt not tast of it So they shall see the glory of God and their children after them but they shall have no tast of it 2. A scanty measure of faith forbidden And as unbeliefe is forbidden so also a scant measure of faith is forbidden when a man doth partly beleeve but it is mingled with many doubts Rom. 12.3 there is mention of a measure of faith and if we want that we are not of the faithfull Mat. 8.10 verily I say to you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Mat. 15.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must pray for faith and I 〈…〉 when â—is setled ad 〈…〉 then bring it to the measure O woman great is thy faith there is a great faith and Mat. 14.31 Christ to Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt here is a little faith Luke 17.5 there is a prayer made by the Apostles to the Lord for the increase of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord increase our faith and this is if we have faith if we have it not then in Mark 9.24 Credo Domine adjuva incredulitatem meam Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleife We must first pray to God to helpe it Secondly to increase it The reason of the quantity why it must come to a measure If it be not in some measure it will not be able to hold fast as Heb. 11. the quantity we see is not great no greater then a graine of Mustardseed Luke 17.6 It is Roman 14.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let every one have a full assurance a full resolution The Interpreters thinke it is a metaphor taken from a Ship This is our power and our strength 1. against Satan 2. against the world that commeth with full sailes Our strength it is of God Ephes 6.16 there is commended unto us a speciall defence against the Devill and his firy darts scutum fidei the shield of faith against the World 1 John 5.4 This is your victorie wherewith ye overcome the World Fides vestra even your faith Against the Flesh 1 Thes 5.8 the Apostle willeth us to be sober and to put on loricam fidei the breast-plate of Faith And no marvaile that faith is a thing of so great might and hath such strength seeing the Apostle maketh the strength of the Sacraments to come by Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who through faith subdued Kingdomes Heb. 11.33 c. beside that which we see Matth. 14.29 It prevailes with things above nature as also in things naturall Peters faith made his body so light and brought it to such a temper that he walked on the sea and sunke not and that Mark 6.5 that except faith be his power is restrained not but that he can worke miracles but that he hath so compounded it and as this was to prove the concurrence of Faith with the mercy of God so he ascribeth the strength of all the Sacraments to Faith Christ could not worke any more miracles because of their unbeliefe so that it seemeth by Gods owne ordinance that he must have helpe
all Patriarchs and Prophets were either Unwise or Unhonest and that their faith was in vaine But as they felt themselves by experience so they left their experience to the Posteritie 2. So there is none of us but will say as the Samaritans John 4.42 Now we beleeve not because of thy report for we our selves have heard him and doe know that this is the Christ the Saviour of the World and this we have by our owne experience that God hath beene with us and it may now teach us that they which trusted in God were never deceived Now our owne experience is in regard of things belonging to this life and if we can have experience of these we shall have an easier experience of the rest 3. So beyond both these the proper and especiall meanes is the very object the Word of God and that Roman 10.17 Preached and after that we must returne to the same course that we held in knowledge for the word by often repetition we must acquaint our selves with it we must read it speake of it heare it Deuter. 6. and use the whole practise as wee said before Our experience must teach us sence Fâ—des 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beliefe of earthly things A meane and way Ad fidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the beliefe of heavenly But because Christ Luke 16.10 saith that he that is not faithfull in a little will not be faithfull in much and John 3.10 if wee beleeve not earthly things wee shall come farre short in the beliefe of Heavenly things therefore it hath pleased the learned both ancient and late to distinguish Faith into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beleife of Heavenly Earthly things And the one that is the latter of these a meanes or way to the other An argument it is a way of preparation and therefore specially to be handled which is a speciall part of faith and most effectuall and is rather to be called Confidentia quà m fides Confidence then beliefe It pleaseth God thus to prepare us to faith that a man must repose himselfe wholly upon God and he that can be brought to this etiam vacuo penu when there is no hope of any good and he altogether unfurnished of earthly meanes that man will also be able to bestow his confidence on God in heavenly things Now when the Storehouse of meanes that is faith in these earthly things is empty we cannot attaine to heavenly things So both are here enjoyned us that whether wee have the meanes or have them not we should beleeve The trust in God two wayes either when it pleaseth him to give the meanes or when wee are destitute of them when wee have the meanes because it pleaseth God to order that these should be instruments of our actions wee are to use them This faith or rather confidence in God is considered two wayes first either the man that hath it hath the meanes also or secondly he that hath it is utterly without the meanes If we have them as we are willed we are to use them because it pleased God to ordaine them as ordinary instruments to worke with as Gen. 30.30 a good care in Jacob to provide for his owne Family Thou knowest what service I have done thee and in what case the cattell hath beene under my hand for the little thou haddest before I came is increased into a multitude and the Lord hath blessed thee by my comming But now when shall I provide for mine owne Family As also Gen. 22.8 Abraham to Isaac Isaac speaketh to his Father here is wood and fire and the knife but where is the Sacrifice And Abraham answereth God will provide us the rest my sonne he will provide a Sacrifice if we will doe our parts God will performe the rest Therefore we must not doe as Mat 4.6 the Tempter would have Christ to doe to cast himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple when there was an ordinary way to come downe For this were to neglect the meanes and to seeke extraordinary meanes And as we are commanded to use them and not presume without them So on the other side we are forbidden to trust in them Whether they be private to the Art we are in which Habac. 1.16 expresseth by a Net if we sacrifice to our Net that is ascribe that we have to that within us that is there noted as a fault and folly If we ascribe all to our Wealth and to that our hands get as Job 31.24 If I made gold my hope or have said to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence vers 25. If I rejoyced because my substance was great or because my hand had gotten much Or if we trust to great personages as Jer. 17.5 He that saith to flesh that is to great men great personages thou art mine arme there shall a curse follow and fall upon him and not onely to great Personages but even to Common-wealths and the strength of them Psalm 20.7 Some put their trust in Charriots and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God and to the Church as Jer. 7.4 if we trust that we are of the Church trust not in lying words saying Templum Domini Templum Domini Templum Domini hoc est Though wee heare diligently yet it is not enough unlesse wee have a found judgment withall to judge of them Meanes destitute of Gods grace be nothing for their naturall force worketh by his blessing The meanes have a force given to them naturally but the blessing the lord keeps it to himselfe or as it is Ezek. 33.30 ordinary commers to Ezekiels Sermons to heare the word of the Lord and to jest at it and to seeke in their hearts after covetousnesse diligent hearers not looking to an higher power to blesse the meanes all shall be made sinne to us and here is our meanes to our destruction Therefore this is a speciall thing to regard in them as to use them well so not to trust in them Which may be done two wayes First by having a right judgement concerning them Secondly by using them aright so as we shew that we doe not thinke that for the good using of them we shall be blest For right judgement Deut. 8.3 God saith it is not bread that a man liveth by but his Word that his eternall decree in nature is that bread that should nourish us but when he giveth his staffe it is that that a man liveth by and Psalm 42.6 the Prophet he looked on his Bow and on his Sword and he saw that they could not helpe him for I will not trust in my Bow it is not my Sword that shall helpe me and Psal 127.1.2 If the Lord adde not his building to our building and his watching to our watching neither our building nor our watching shall prosper The Lord must give us the Staffe of building watching nourishing
head so there is a fleeting hope when a man thinkes he hopeth and doth not it may be tried thus 1. The first is Hezekiah his signe 2 King 20.3 when he was in the time of his sicknesse he prayed Remember Lord I pray thee how in my prosperity I have walked with an upright heart c. this is a signe that our hope is good this maketh us cheerefull that in the time of affliction and danger we may say that we have beene mindfull of him in our prosperity 2. The second is Saint Iohns signe 1 Iohn 3.3 it is a purger not like the presumers hope which is a very sinke to receive and maintaine whatsoever corruption our hands our eyes our hearts or any other member hath But it must be resident in the conscience So the Fathers say that conscientia est custos spei conscience is the preserver of hope and if that be cleane kept then our hope is true if not then there is no true hope 3. The third is of David Psal 37.3 hope thou in the Lord and be doing good The Heathen call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labour the husband of hope there is hope the harlot and hope the married woman we shall know hope the wife from hope the harlot by her husband for she is alwayes with her husband Psal 4.5 sacrificate sacrificium justitiae sperate in Domino offer the Sacrifice of righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord there must be a travelling and striving to doe good 4. The fourth is Rom. 5.3 And not so onely but we rejoyce in our afflictions knowing that affliction worketh patience and Esa 33.15 there must be tribulation to bring a proofe of our hope in sileâ—tio spe erit fortitudo vestra in quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength Such as we are in adversity such we are in deed such as our hope was in adversity such it is if you faint in adversity thy hope is fainting and thererefore the heathen call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tribulation the bud or blossome of hope which you must passe through if that be not nipt there will be fruit of it otherwise if it bring forth no fruit it is spurium vitulamen a bastard joy The 6. rule for the provoking of it in others Rule â— not onely to have it in our selves but as Psal 40.3 that many may see it and feare and trust in the Lord and as it is Psal 62.8 that all the nations may put their trust in him so farre as it is possible and Psal 115.9 that the house of Israel 10. the house of Aaron 11. and all that feare the Lord may trust in him An encouragement endeavour thereto Ps 51.13 Davids promise to the wicked to sinners that he would teach them to hope and Ps 75.5 to the presumers that he would plainly tell them that they should not be so foolish so mad and set up their horne Invocation The necessity and use of prayer VNto every affection there is an action as the action of faith is hope so the action of hope is prayer spei operatio oratio so to come backe againe as the fruit of faith is hope and of hope prayer and as the property of hope is prayer Interpres spei oratiâ— so the property of prayer is to be interpres spei to make plaine the desire of the hope conceived In which respect as the Articles of our faith are summa credendorum the summe of our beliefe and the Law summa agendorum the summe of our actions so the Lords prayer is summa sperandorum the summe of our hope for the soule of man by considering and beleeving the judgments of God being humble and brought downe to the dust and as it were dead and buried by it hath some life againe put into it by conceiving an hope in his mercy for which mercy wee must goe to God and Prayer becommeth suiter for it Aug. Precibus non passibus itur ad Deum therefore that hope may be made pertaker of her object â— mercy we must know that Psal 13.5 mercy is of God And not onely prayer of words with the lips but it must be from the heart that it may ascend Austin writes on the 66. Psal ut descendat miseratio ascendat oratio that mercy may descend prayer must ascend and so there shall be a blessed exchange betweene our prayer and his mercy When we speake of prayer lest there should be an errour it is not to be conceived that the intreaty is made concerning that prayer in the Congregation which with lips and outward gesture we deliver such prayer Hosea 14.3 calleth vitulum labiorum the sacrifice of our lips that commeth not into the compasse of the first Commandement which is only inward but in the 1 Cor. 14.15 Orabo spiritu orabo mente I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also * * * The growing of the inward man when the spirit commeth to God which howsoever it be not heard of men by the outward eare how vehement it is yet we know it hath its effect with God for so Exod. 14.15 we read that Moses made so fervent intercession to God though there be no mention nor signe of any word he spake yet the Lord saith Why cryest thou thus unto mee So that this being the especiall part and the soule of every prayer to God without this inward prayer the lips prevaile not as Matth. 15.8 there is a drawing neere with the lippes Matth. 7.21 a doubling of Lord Lord it prevaileth nothing neither will it gaine him the Kingdome of Heaven And therefore Aug. Hoc negotium plus gemitibus constat quam sermonibus the worke of prayer consists more in grievance than words And Rom. 8.26 The spirit groaneth for us with sighs inenarrable as Esay 38.3 And so conceiving of it as of an inward oblation or speech of soule to God then whether it be of persons without the Church as Act. 10.2 of Cornelius or of those that are within the Church and have cast themselves out of Gods favour by their sinnes and so as Psal 130.1 be in the depth whether it be of an Heathen or of a sinner it is no lesse acceptable to God in substance though not in degree then the prayer of a just and righteous man Now the applying of this to Hope to the maine scope and end of it i. Gods glory as Psal 123.2 it pleaseth God by the Prophet to account it a speciall honour done to him that even as the servants eyes are alwaies on the hands of his Master and the eyes of the handmaiden are on the hands of her Mistresse so that our eyes should wait upon the Lord till he have mercy on us Or as Austin in his fifth Sermon de verbis Domini Magna est gloria Dei ut nos simus mendici God accounts it great glory done unto him when we become beggers
and suiters unto him And not only this glory but also a double glory returneth to God by it so the action is so much the more to be commended to us and so much the more to be esteemed of us for both this when we acknowledge that we have it not from our selves but from him this is great magnifying of Gods bounty as also when we have received thanksgiving i. that homage that we do to him that is a thing that he maketh most account of Psal 50.15 when he hath given commandement to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath made promise that he will heare So I will heare thee and thou shalt praise mee But more excellently in Psal 107. it is five times repeated and it is the keep of the song he entreating of five sorts of men that are especially bound to God 1. those that goe astray in the wildernesse out of the way and find no City to dwell in 2. Those that are at the point of death and escape 3. Those that are delivered from prison and from the sentence of death 4. Those that be saved from the raging of the tempest 5. Those that are delivered from the enemy he saith v. 6. So they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble then commeth performance of promise and he delivered them from their distresse and then last O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men For when as the prayer of the poore afflicted is heard then seeing both the humble mind by the having of his request granted is raised up and beginneth to be glad Psal 34.3 and secondly forasmuch as sinners when they see the fulfilling of their prayers and forgivenesse of sins granted them Ps 51.13 are converted and thirdly Psal 107.42 that the mouth of sin may be stopped all these three waies there doth still glory returne to God Then if it be so necessary and God without it is defrauded of much honour it imposeth on us a necessity diligently to consider of it and to practise it in regard of Gods glory so in regard of our selves thus Luk. 18.1 Christ being in exhortation sheweth his Apostles by a parable that they ought to pray alwaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not to faint for the which end he that never did any superfluous thing being as the Apostles call him our Advocate 1 Joh. 2.2 it is said Luk. 11.2 hee hath indited us a forme of prayer In the use whereof that commeth first to mind that Chrysostome hath in his 1. booke de orando Deum out of Dan. 6.10 that death of hody being set before his eyes on this onely condition to abstaine from prayer 30. dayes tanquam si as if the forbearing from it for that time could be the death of the soule so he was content rather to hazzard his life then not to performe his daily custome As in that respect in Numb 28.3 8. there is set downe by way of figure that God requireth of the Israelites as a necessary thing beside the hallowing of the Sabbath a morning and evening Sacrifice What this in truth is it is expounded Ps 141.2 the lifting up of his hands he compareth to the morning and evening sacrifice as the first is burning of incense so the morning prayer is nothing else but as an incense that goeth up into the nostrils of God the lifting up of his hands in the evening is the true evening sacrifice of the Christians If a man should read what the fathers have written in this point as Cyprian on the Lords prayer Gregory in his booke of Prayer Austin ad Probam c. he shal rather see them spent in perswading the necessity then in teaching the manner to performe it that being an especiall meanes to performe it to thinke it so necessary They call it Clavim diei et seram noctis the key that openeth the day and the barre that shutteth in the night Chysostome calleth it signaculum diei the seale of the day Out of 1 Tim. 4.5 where the use of the creatures be noysome without blessing by prayer and thanksgiving and out of Mat. 14.19 and out of Mat. 26.26 Christs prayer before supper and Mat. 26.30 his last seale and the end of his supper was hymno dicto after an hymne it having beene no new thing but the outward practise having continued so from the dayes of Abraham as the Jewes record their manner remaining that the chiefe of the family taketh first the bread and with that delivereth prayer and then breaketh it as the last thing he taketh is the cup and then he delivereth the second blessing this being so holy an use as that it was used generally in the whole Church from this generall custome of the Church Christ translated it to his owne supper In Eph. 6.18 for the necessity of it as head foot breast were armed before by the Apostle there being no place to put it in yet in all cases and times he recommendeth it unto us Prayer goeth through out all things which the Fathers call armaturam armaturae the very armour of armour without which all the armour we put on beside is of no greater strength then if we were naked as in regard of the necessity of the spirituall enemies they call it flag ellum Daemonum a scourge for the Devills Athanasius standeth very stiffe on this assertion that at the bare Psal 68.1 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered c. but hearty recitall of the 68. Psal v. 1. it is a verse that makes all the devils of hell to quake and as Maximus another of the Fathers commendeth the 1. v. of the 70. Psal to be that which as an instrument or meanes he found alwayes effectuall to deliver him from any temptation Jam. 5.13 when he will commend it he taketh no other course to shew the great strength that it hath for as in hope it saw nothing of it selfe to be performed but that which was impossible to us was possible per alium by another so there being the same in Prayer It hath its force in miracles it is the more to be esteemed That in Jam. 5.17 is nothing but a certaine miracle wrought in the aire by prayer that the Prophet Elias shut up the middle region that no raine could come downe for three yeares and an halfe If we desire to see it in other elements we may see it in fire by the same Elias 2 King 1.10 at his call fire descended from heaven and devoured the Captaine with his 50. men and in the earth Psal 106.17 at the prayer of Moses the earth opened and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram with their Companies In Water Exod. 14.16 the division of the red sea And we see the performance of it from Gods behalfe not in elements onely but also as Josh 10.12 it hath an efficacle on the heaven it selfe at the prayer of
through to which affliction is resembled The reason of the resemblance If you be a true Israelue you shall goe through the Red-Sea if an Egyptian you passe not The last is the confusion of the Devill himselfe to confound him that he may not say Doe they serve thee for nought as in Iob 2. This is an especiall end of patience to stop his mouth God often rewards not at all nay he often sends malam mercedem an ill reward to shew that we serve grataito freely The manner there were in the Primitive Church a sort called Câ—rcumcelliones a sect of the Donatists When it is not a senslesse thing but mixt of sensus doloris in the soule and oppressio doloris in the body and it hath voluntatem liberandi sui voluntatem patiendiâ—tui that hearing patience to be so much commended for such an excellent thing they presently conceived of it as of the Stoicks doctrine to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore they whipped themselves and acquainted themselves so much with it that they could beare any thing We see Pauls disputation with Epicures and Stoicks therefore we must understand that Christian Religion as it is not Epicurisme so it is not any doctrine of the Stoicks Christian patience is not a Stoicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we see in Iob David Christ though they were patient yet they gave notable signes that they felt that which they suffered But this is patience when a man feeleth it and would be ridde of it and yet doth abide it to the pleasure of God It is not to have a will onely to be punished patience is not a monothelite as Christ saith Luke 22.42 his will was to be ridde of the Cup but yet he prayed that not his will but that Gods will might be done and 1 Pet. 4.19 because it was the will of God he should drink the Cup therefore he conformed himselfe to it August in his book de patientia chap. 7. sheweth the distinction betweene the Heathens patience and the true the Heathens patience and the Hereticks c. was not for a good cause nor for a right end but possible it was that they used themselves to it and felt it not this is as he saith stupor morbi potius quam rebur sanitatis so miranda est duritia quae magna est sed neganda patientia quae nulla est an unsensiblenesse of disease rather then soundnesse of health admire their hardinesse you may which is great but deny their patience you must for it is none at all The Negative part Want of due regard of the Crosse and the fainting under it The first concemeth all the regard is after the Crosse this they call patientia panica The second degree for awhile we regard it the Prophets compare it to the morning dew or the clouds That which is forbidden is in Heb. 12.5 comprised under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the small regard and despising of the chastisement of the Lord and a fainting under his correction for the one is the one extreme and the other is the other 1. For the first it is sure that as we see Exod. 9.28 and as Chrysost upon that place noteth there is not in the wicked no regard but a small and short regard we see a momentany regard of the plagues of Egypt in Pharao a reprobate he regarded it no longer then he was under it and it is no other in Ieroboam 1 King 13.6 there was in Ieroboam a present humiliation till his hand was restored But the common resemblance to that effect which the chastisement of the Lord bringeth upon the wicked is of the horror that is in Beares and Wolves at the sound of a Drumme or Trumpet they are as it were clean beside themselves and are in a horror which for a time continueth so long as they heare the sound or as they that are tost on the Sea and being not used to it fall sicke but when they come to shore they have no sooner footing on the land but they are well againe and returne to their former health and that present forgetfulnesse is the first step Ier. 12.13 he sheweth a kinde of them they were sicke and profited not by it making it as a marke of wickednesse in them Now by this and other degrees we come to that which in the ancient Fathers is called stupor morbi duritia non robur sanitatis a numbnesse of soule and hardnesse not comming from the strength of health in one word they call it animi paralysin the Palsie of the soule it is one thing to thrust in him that is in health and another in dead flesh this is of two sorts the one ye shall finde Prov. 23.35 he speaketh there of a person given to excesse of eating and drinking Stupor contractus is of drunkennesse that are drunken ebrietate They have smitten me but I was not sicke they have beaten me but I know not when I awoke Their life is like to theirs that sleepe in the toppe of a maste their ship is broken but yet they continue and so they come to a kinde of drunkennesse Now this drunkennesse which is spoken of in Esa 51.21 Ebrii sunt Contractus is that that troubleth the world sed non vino they are drunke but not with wine it falleth out also even in other vices as when a man is bewitched with any finne he is smitten but feeleth not 2. The other is such as we read 1 King 18.28 for it is said there of the Prophets of Baal when their god would not heare them that they cut themselves with knives and launces Immissus stupor whether the Devill possesse us in soule of actually in body and so they might seeme patient this is not stupor contractus but stupor immissus not an acquired but an insensiblenes infused by the Devill as we see in Mar. 5.5 in the man that could breake chaines and cut his owne flesh with sharpe stones very pitifully For in the Circumcellions the Manichees and Donatists and whosoever they were that did as Aug. saith pati malum ut facerent malum sufferevill the better to doe evill we may see that this manlinesse or rather hardnesse was in the soule of them all it is a thing to be regarded The reason of both these either because they consider not the true efficient or the true end of afflictions We returne to the former first stupor contractus we come to that by two meanes 1. Is a not considering of the cause from whence 2. A not considering of the end whereunto 1. When the afflicted doth not consider the cause from whence their affliction cometh as Ier. 5.3 2.30 Esa 1.5 you shall see what he saith Esa 1.5 God saith Why should you be smitten any more c. from the soale of the foot to the head there is nothing whole but wounds c. Where is there any
place where I should smite thee and in Ier. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed thou hast consumed them c. and chap. 2.30 he had corrected their children but they sorrowed not There is no doubt but the same examples are among us and no doubt but God calleth before him and arresteth them with these his Sergeants but they are no whit called nearer to the Lord nor amended These men are usually compared to Simon of Cyren Luke 23. which was violently caught and was forced but to beare the Crosse whereupon not he but Christ should be crucified Now these men that carry a Crosse but are not crucified on it themselves they are in the same case that he was a Crosse they beare but profit not and the reason because they ascribe it to a cause beside God and that is it that the Divines call caecum tormentum or caecus dolor a blinde torment or griefe a griefe they have on the sudden and they are not able to say for this and this cause this heavinesse is come upon them Purblinde Christians that cannot looke up to the hand that striketh nor discerne the intended end of their chastisement 〈◊〉 if any alteration befall them they ascribe it not rori gratiae but humori naturae not to grace but nature and so consequently they get them terrenas consolatiunculas some poore earthly delight as Bernard saith pleasures and friends and so drive it away If the effect be not within them but come from without them then nothing is more common then this insurgere in instrumenium August to hack the staffe omittere percussorem to let God goe which is a great oversight by reason of two concurrences for we must note that affliction is just on Gods behalfe on the behalfe of the instrument injust as the calamities of Iob they were therefore just because they were of God cui nil nisi justum placet that delights in nothing but what is just More plaine Matth. 5.11 it is said that men shall be blessed when they shall be injuried of men persecuted and accused falsely so they shall receive injury from men but recompence from God The not distinguishing of these two breedeth a desire of revenge Psal 7.3 when David saith O Lord my God speaking in regard of the instrument of Saul and Doeg if I have done any such thing if there be any wickednesse in mine hands c. yet he ascribed this to God and though he ascribed it to God yet that thing argueth not but that he was injuriously dealt withall even as he doth ascribe that of Shimei to the same cause peradventure the Lord hath striken with his instrument As these two when we looke not high enough to the efficient cause so on the other side when we conceive not aright of the end that tribulation being of tribulus August Ideo mittitur aut ut detineat aut ut revocet which is sent to keep us in or to call us When they consider not this through these two they begin not to regard it and so get a numnesse of soule and consequently they gather a thick skinne 2. We come to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of it is most commonly from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fainting under the crosse either for want of due consideration of Gods justice or of his mercy that men cannot distinguish as 2 Cor. 4.8 betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene being shaken and cast downe the Apostle he could say they were often in trouble but never in perplexitie and cast downe When a man imagineth that God afflicteth him in his wrath and that he aimeth at nothing but his destruction whereas the chastisement of God is not to drive us to despaire but onely to bring us to a godly perplexity When a man cannot distinguish these then he falleth to have an heavinesse and that breedeth death Psal 42.6.9.11 he is cast downe and there is a question between him and his soule Why art thou so heavy O my soule c. but then we see he commeth to the other part Put thy trust in God for he is thy refuge he is the light of thy countenance and so standeth as Paul doth here which thing when it is not considered men first feele their courage die and as Prov. 18.14 fall into a wounded spirit which cannot be borne howsoever the spirit of an heathen man can sustain his infirmitie though the patience that appeared in the Heathen were great yet as the Prophet saith A wounded spirit who can beare Gen. 4.13 My punishment is greater than I can beare or if not into that then they fall to murmuring against Gods justice Gen. 4.13 Cains murmuring that they beare a greater punishment than they deserve as on the other side in regard of the mistaking of his justice they fall away so for want of a due consideration of his mercy they are of Sauls mind 1 Sam. 28.9 if God will not answer him neither by Dreames nor by Urim nor by Prophets then he will come to the witch if this fall not out then he will try by another way he falleth into another extreme he lyeth flat on the ground with a brutish kind of patience and is not moved These two they come either by a misconstruing of Gods justice or by a miscontruing of his mercy that because he correcteth like a Father he will condemne like a Judge The meanes in that it is truly said of Jerome that quot sunt causae for God Meanes common to us with the Heathen 3 the other proper to Christians ad puniendum looke how many causes he hath to punish us so many meanes are there to move us ad patiendum to suffer of the tryall of patience we have handled before It is sure that the examples of Scevola Rutilius Regulus c. among the Heathen they carried a shew of patience and we have their reasons if the heathen could say Sis asinus quemcunque asinum sors prospera fecit 1 The indignity to call downâ— a 〈◊〉 â—all man under any crosse whatsoever there ought to be in Christians a more heroicall courage seeing wee know the causes from whom and the end why and therefore this is one speciall reason that as in unreasonable creatures so much more in reasonable it is an ignominious thing and great shame to prostrate so excellent a vertue to these 2. That the 〈◊〉 of â—â—e mining of 〈◊〉 inâ—o a good â—â—â—â—ing if they could not amend it Seeing therefore we must needs do it let us do it with commendation 2. Againe this they saw that quicquid corrigere est nefas what cannot be amended it were best to make of the necessity of it some commendable action and turne it into a vertue as Act. 9.5 it was hard to kicke against the pricke that yeelding being necessarily laid even that that is laid upon us wee may do it with
this Commandement Affirm paâ—â— The affirmative is set downe Heb. 8.5 All things must be done according to the patterne shewed in the Mount Numbers 12.7 the commendation of Moses that he was faithfull in every point that is he varyed not one whit from his patterne And Heb. 3.2 Christ is said to be as faithfull as he He might have beene an act above him because hee was the Sonne and the other but the servant that is hee was likewise faithfull in Gods house his patterne must be precisely kept It is commonly expressed by the phrase of the holy Ghost Acts 3.22 by hearing of one Prophet not adding nor detracting A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you like to me c. The acknowledging of Christ to be our onely Prophet and that he hath set downe whatsoever is necessary and to which as Deut. 12.32 we are neither to add nor detract therefrom nor to alter any thing Deut. 2.11 nor of that that is commanded to leave any thing undone Deut. 5.32 Cultus Dei extâ—rnus partâ—s ejus 4. Of this affirmative part the externall worship of God we are to consider 1. the substance of it 2. the ceremony The substance consisteth of foure parts 1. Preaching 2. Prayer 3. Sacraments 4. Discipline First Preaching the word We see this hath been used alwayes as 1 Pet. 3.19 he preached to the spirits that are in Prison Preaching a part of Gods outward worship ever used in the Church Noah a Preacher before the Flood Acts 15.21 in Moses time Moses hath them that Preach him every Sabbath day Deut. 33.10 the Priests office was to Teach to burne incense to offer Sacrifice In the time of the Prophets Esa 61.1 2. And the same continued in the time of the second Temple Nehem. 8.4 there was a Pulpit of wood set up and in it Ezra preached In Christs time Luk. 4.16 Christ himselfe annoynted to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord and as he himselfe preached so Mark. 16.15 a commission is there given forth to his Disciples Goe preach the Gospell to every creature and 1 Cor. 1.21 it is the foolish kinde of preaching that God hath made to overthrow the wisedome of the wise Secondly Invocation as it is called vitulus labiorum the calves of the lips in Amos is of two sorts 1. Petition Gen. 4. ver last in the time of Enoch then began men to invocate the name of the Lord Gen. 20.7 and Exod. 8.8 Abimelech and Pharaoh knew this so Gen. 24.11 28.20 Abrahams servants and Jacobs prayed But when the Church began to be gathered Numb 10.35 the Army of Israel never moved nor stood still without Prayer it never pitched but it continued in Prayer Rise up O Lord c. Returne O Lord c. 1 Kings 8.22 At the building of the Temple Salomons Prayer to blesse his Temple that it would please God to grant a blessing Psalm 102. there is a generall Prayer And Luke 11.12 an expresse forme of Prayer taught by Christ to his Disciples 2. Thanksgiving is the other part commanded Deutero 31.19 Practised privately Gen. 24.27 after he had obtained his request Publickly of Moses Exod. 15.1 a manifest forme of it The generall forme of it Psalm 95. And that Psalme and many other the holy Ghost beareth witnesse 2 Chron. 7.6 the Kings used to sing them After Ezra 3.10 in the time of the second Temple Psa 92. a Psalme of thanksgiving In Christs time Mat. 26.30 and when they had sung a song c. Ephes 5.19 speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes c. Col. 3.16 Thirdly Sacraments The Word is the speech that God hath to us Prayer is the speech that we have to God This is the covenant betwixt God and us Ge. 17.2 Circumcision Exo. 12. the Passover the Sacraments of the law seals of things to come Mat. 28.19 Baptisme Mat. 26.26 the Supper of the Lord the Sacraments of the Gospell seales of benefits past Fourthly Discipline Commanded Matth. 18.18 John 20.22 Executed extraordinarily Acts 5.4 by Peter Ordinarily 1 Corinthians 5.3 by Paul Rules for the full ordering of it 1. Tim. 5. Secondly the Ceremony Of this we have foure Rules First that they be not many and those necessary Acts 15.28 there are onely foure set downe Secondly 1 Cor. 14.26 that they be to edification Gal. 2.18 that the outward ceremony pull not downe that which the inward substance hath set up And it is the reason why Paul 1 Cor. 14.14 c. refuseth that prayer that is made in an unknowne tongue Thirdly that it be for order 1 Cor. 14.32 1 Cor. 11.33 without confusion in the Church 1 Cor. 14.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to order vers 33. they broke order Fourthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it be for decencie in which respect he commandeth them that they come into the Church with their heads uncovered 1 Cor. 11.4 The fourth rule The meanes the rule for it to keep the depositum that which is committed to us as Paul willeth 1 Tim. 6.20 without adding or detracting It is strange that they of Rome alleadge it that Religion is depositu that is a thing committed of trust that we neither add thereto nor detract from it but we alleadge it that we impaire it And the meanes for that is Josu 1.8 that God was shouldred up by not letting the Law be lost Let not this booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayst observe to doe all therein The volume was either gone or else corrupt as if it had never come forth therefore that the Legend thrust it not out of the Church They were wont to have the Legend read in the Church and books of sentences and other scholasticall sums of the Schoole-men read among them that gave themselves to Divinity and none of the Scriptures There was ambo in medio posita and nothing else but volumen utriusque foederis laid upon it 2 Cor. 2.17 As we must take heed that it goe not away so that none come to it that doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our cultus arbitrarius praescriptus 1 Tim. 6.13 the Apostle interpreteth himselfe he chargeth him under a severe charge that he keepe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there be not a spot in it like the Lepers skinne 1 Cor. 5.6 a little leaven will sowre a whole lumpe or as Nazianzen a little Wormewood will marre a whole Barrell of Honey For the proceeding of this the best way is arcere coenaculis 2 Kings 16.14 Uriah the Priest devised an Altar in all points like to that that King Ahab sent from Damascus and being made brought and set it hard by Gods owne the brasen Altar and after that brought it in further betwixt the Altar and the house and at length it got the North-side of the Altar that is the upper hand and so it will be therefore we must take heed of this
it or not As after this of the Apostles Matth. 26.40 some departed nay all left him some forswore him this measure of apostasie is to be feared But howsoever it standeth in respect of Gods punishments and mercies yet the former reasons doe condemne it but especially Luke 24.32 The heart rightly affected is ARDENS COR and a Father saith It is not possible that Sub gravi Oculo should be a burning heart Againe seeing every sinne is to bee weighed and esteemed In primo partu prima poena as of disobedience in Adam Murther in Cain unlawfull marriage in the old World Pride in Sodome so in the New Testament unreverent hearing punished in Eutiches Acts 20. vers 9. and in the Apostles that after it forsooke their Master And this is the second signe The third is that our hearts be present Many there be that outwardly watch yet their gesture testifieth to all that looke on them that they are praesentes absentes Where the heart is absent it is impossible but that the outward members should give a signe of his absence If we have Cor fatui Eccles 7.6 it will be in the house of mirth the minde runneth on the place where his sport lyeth and so as Prov. 15.7 14. Non dilatabit scientiam non quaerit scientiam as the wise heart doth which doth not let knowledge passe but Eccles 21.14 the inner parts of a foole are like a broken vessell they can keepe no knowledge it runneth out as fast as it is powred in the wise not so Eccles 21.17 They inquire at the mouth of the wise man in the Congregation and ponder his words in their heart That the fooles heart is such as ante will be testified by some signe Proverbs 17.24 by having his eye in all quarters and corners not as they Luke 4.20 that fastned their eyes nor an eye searching out the places of Scripture Acts 17.11 and his hands and feet will tell you that he is not present Proverbs 6.13 And when he heareth his fault reproved it is but a laughing matter Proverbs 14.9 to behave himselfe in this sort Patrare scelus hoc And it is nothing to heare except we looke how we heare and be attentive Luke 8.18 or be affected as Lydia was Acts 16.14 To give an eare is nothing but to give a wise eare Proverb 18.15 and 3.13 and happy is he that speaketh to a wise and understanding eare Proverbs 25.12 it is compared to a golden earing The foolishnesse of the eares of this Generation is such that you shall see the same attention given to him that giveth out a sort of words as to him that telleth us the message of God It is a sore plague and often repeated in the Scriptures Esay 6.10 a fearefull place repeated by Christ Matthew 13.15 Mark 13.12 Luke 8.10 John 12.40 Acts 28.26 Rom. 11.8 beside three times in the Prophets Give this people an heavy eare that they may heare and not heare give them a fat heart This is the extremity of his wrath and a heavy curse and so to be accounted If it be true and the heathen could say Pietas non est vultu laedenda sive serio sive simulate then our owne reason will lay on us an hard rule of framing our gesture when haec pietas is in place The fourth That we talke not in the time for that is cleane opposite unto it not to allow unto it so much as silence Preacher 4.17 When yee come into the house be ready to heare and not to offer the sacrifice of fooles to prate and talke Joh 29.21 If I spake every man gave eare and there was not a word a note of reverence in them for if any man should turne from us to talke with another whilest we tell him a tale wee will thinke hee maketh little regard of us and that is to offer the Sacrifice of fooles Zephe 1.7 When the Lord speaketh let all the earth give eare and keepe silence and he speaketh when his messenger speaketh for that Qui vos audit me audit therefore Deus loquitur And the Fathers say that that place is taken out of Esay 32.17 Cultus justitiae silentium So in the primitive Church the first word was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is out of Paul Act. 13.16 he made silence with his hand The fifth not to depart from it till it be done and ended set downe Exod. 33.11 and may be gathered out of Tit. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said there of Joshuah that hee dealt faithfully in the Lords service because he departed not Used in Psalm 119.118 they had a relation to the departing out of the Congregation when the Law was a reading As preaching is the speaking of God to us so prayer is a speaking of us to God We pray that hee would heare us Psalm 30. and 38. Goe not farre from us O Lord Why then should we goe farre from him The Law is equall as we deale with God Psalm 130. so will he deale with us and if we be attentive to him he will be attentive to our complaint and so there shall be talio Psalm 38.21 we shall have occasion to say Goe not from me O Lord Why then goe not from him forsake him not Else when we say Quare dereliquisti me Domine he will say againe Serve mi quare dereliquisti me that sentence Discedite à me Mat 25.41 shall be a punishment for them that goe farre from him here in this kingdome of grace where he is willing to keepe them In the primitive Church from the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none might depart for the punishment of it was no lesse then Excomunication Concil 4. Carthag 24. so that none might goe out till the end The fourth Rule the meanes The first in Eccles 4. ver last well considered and with it Heb. 12.22 25 28. These by meditation well digested before the service of God Take heed to thy feet when thou entrest into the house of God Give not the sacrifice of fooles Be not hasty In the other place Ye are not come to the Mount that might not be touched but to Mount Sion c. Despise not him that speaketh He maketh it more to come to the Church then to the Mount Secondly to consider that the Angels are present among us 1 Cor. 11.10 and 1 Pet. 1.12 the Doctrine of the Gospell is such as the Angels of Heaven desire to behold Therefore if they see any not to esteeme it which they so much esteeme shall they not be ministers of Gods wrath c therefore the Angels presence another meanes Thirdly we live to glorifie God by our worke and how shall we doe that if we heare not Ut audies ita facies for glorification commeth from instruction and instruction from hearing Fourthly but if you put too Ut audies ita audieris of God and men it may be a fourth meanes therefore
this is the punishment of God upon Ministers that they shall fall into such a company that will not heare because they had dull eares themselves in hearing before and not onely that Pro. 28.9 but also to speake to a dull people The fifth Rule of signes The Commandemâ—nt it selfe is signum i. Mal. 1.14 a way to examine us God maketh there a very abject and as Augustine saith an unlawfull comparison to compare himselfe to a great King on earth and vers 8. he reasoneth If you should offer such a gift to your Prince would he accept thy person If we would heare him as we would heare a great Prince 1 Sam. 19.8 Jonathan to David To morrow is the day of the month you will be looked for for my Father will see your place empty And our place may be empty that is we may be absent for divers causes First 1 Sam. 19.14 sicknesse Lawfull causes of absence from Church for so Micholl answered to Saul for David Secondly 2 Sam. 20.28 the answer of Jonathan for David He went to Bethel for my family said he offereth a sacrifice to day so if a man be to offer a sacrifice himselfe he may be absent from Sauls sacrifice for it is best to be the principall agent in Gods service Thirdly Mat. 9.13 Misericordiam volo potius quam sacrisicium the workes of mercy to visit the sicke is lawfull c. because they be meanes ordained for the duty of charity therefore for such a duty we may depart and leave the other duty The second signe Judg. 9.7 the meditation of this talio Looke as you heare so you shall be heard Heare what I say and I will heare what you say It is a good signe if we can say Even as I heare even so heare me O Lord. The third signe Psalm 119.63 79. If we be companions of those that worship God and if those persons be more deare to us because they are reverent and zealous in Gods service and the other more odious because they be cold it is a good signe The sixth Rule Accessory to procure it in others Hierome on Numb 36.13 no man may be a curtaine in the Lords house unlesse he hath a hooke and a tache Quilibet verus Christianus est cortina patris to draw on another brother Psalm 42.4 Davids affection I remember it with joy John 1.41 45. of Andrew to his brother We have found that Messiah and of Philip to Nathaniel We have found him of whom Moses in the Law did speake c. 1 Cor. 11.33 the Rule spoken of before one to stay for another and one to bring another that they may by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same mind and one accord The contrary condemned and punished Acts 13.8 in Elymas for seeking to hinder the Deputy from receiving the Gospell he was stricken with bodily blindnesse c. Order is taken Com. 1. for the inward worship and Com. 2. for the outward now he proceeds to the Commination or Sanction which containeth a penalty on the breakers and a reward for the keepers of the Commandement Every Commandement sancitur praemo poena If it be asked why this Commandement is the first that hath this punishment set downe as the fifth Commandement is said to be the first with promise Ephes 6.2 We have three reasons for the justifying of Gods worke in it First because that as Deut. 25.2 the punishment must be proportionable to the fault and the sinne against the first Commandement is hidden and in the wombe in our hearts and bosomes that God onely can see it and view it therefore the punishment of it also is left to God and Acts 17.30 he is content to oversee it But this because it comes into the light of the Sunne and is to be seene of every body in this respect God hath more particularly pronounced a punishment against it 1 Tim. 5.20 that others may feare According to the rule of justice Malum ubi contingit ibi moriatur if the fault be open so shall the punishment also be if private so also And seeing this is committed in the sight of all therefore to be punished in the sight of all The second is that whereas every punishment is brought in Ut prohibeat impetum ad turpia and our impetus or inclination being marvellously whetted to the breach of this by profit and safety the best Oratours annexed to it I speake of that corruption wherein every head is full of new platformes that it will devise to it selfe and that we cannot be vile in our owne eyes as David was 2 Sam. 6.22 but of this that sometimes it falleth out as God foretold Revel 14.9 that the Beast getteth place and then he that will not receive the marke of the Beast in his forehead he shall neither buy nor sell and not that onely but hee shall be rent in pieces Here then is the motive that man can be content to leave God and bow downe to the Beast if they can be perswaded they may thereby enjoy temporall commodities and security of this life for come what Religion will they are ready for all And in regard of the comming with these reasons not onely of that the Devill counted a great thing Job 2. the saving of mens Skinnes but the Fleeces also peace and tranquillity so because this profit was annexed it was necessary there should be a punishment cohibere impetum hunc to stop our inclination Thirdly because we see Dan. 3.6 6.8 and Acts 4.18 Edicts and Commandements contrary given out i. for receiving of a false invented worship that men should at the sound of the Trumpet fall downe and worship the golden Image else to be cast into the middest of a hot fiery Furnace And that who so should pray to God within thirty dayes should be cast into the Lyons denne And an edict that the Apostles should speake no more in Christs name Therefore it was necessary that God should give a countermaund and a contrary edict And that as Princes say Qui secus faxit he that transgresseth shall forfeit this and this So God should say If you will not bow downe and give me this worship you shall forfeit you and your children after you and your childrens children shall be subject to mine indignation This for the reason why God hath made it a penall Statute The Sanction or establishment is divided into Commination visiting the iniquity c. Promise and shew mercy c. The preface was touched before in the beginning of the Law Of Jehovah thy God Now of fortis zelotes strong and zealous the two words that remaine they containe the certainty of bringing to passe that which he threatneth or promiseth here in this Commandement For mighty signifieth that there is no hinderance in performance of it He is able to doe it It falleth out that where men whose armes and hands are shortened conceive mighty wrath and indignation but there wanteth
he will worke the like effect as men doe for the breach of Wedlocke Out of these we have three commodities First we learne that we are of dull spirits not feared with Gods proper names of justice c. but he must take other of raging men so jealousie we feare but when we heare that God is just we heare it without any great motion Secondly that of Tertullian Lib. 2. contra Marcion Utitur Spiritus hoc vocabulo ad exaggeranda ejus scelera that sinne is so odious a thing and so vile that if it were possible would make God angry and to be that he cannot be Thirdly it is the Apostles use that he maketh of the justice of God as we see in 1 Cor. 11.29 he protesteth himselfe to be jealous that we our selves might be jealous that is that every man enter into his owne heart and consider what God is and say thus What saith God that he is jealous let us consider what God is and againe what we are how excellent hee is and how vile and wretched creatures we are Why then it should appeare that this should pertaine to us and not to him and rather of our selves and our owne salvation there is nothing worthy in us that he should be jealous of And this for the entry to the thing Now to the thing it selfe Visiting the finnes c. This commination hath two things 1. The censure of the sinne 2. The punishment The censure is by two names First by hatred for if it bee love that maketh us to keepe the Commandements then it must be hatred that maketh us to breake them But can any thing hate God The nature of God is essentially good Solut. nay goodnesse it selfe which can no way come to be the object of hatred Againe sundry of his effects come from his love and they are such as the very wicked love them and him for them because he bestoweth on them their being life sense moving But there is another kind of effects that proceed indeed from his love by which he would have us preserved and so consequently he giveth us Commandements Cohibentia voluntatem inordinatam that bridle our licentious will and these are they that make him to be hated of us For when a man is given to his owne will and is drowned with the zeale of himselfe then he must needs hate those Commandements because they are adversaries and contrary to his will and affection and indeed God commeth to be hated by too much love of our selves For it would have all our desires to be free to our selves and any that doth oppose it selfe it hateth it So then as God saith Mal. 1.5 Your eyes shall see it and you shall say The Lord will be magnified upon the borders of Israel Secondly I have loved you saith the Lord And ye say Wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacobs brother yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and made his Mountaines wast c. Expounded Rom. 9.13 to be nothing else but that he did not choose Esau Then are we said to hate God when there standeth a case betweene his will and an inordinate affection of ours when his will is not chosen but our inordinate affection is preferred and our minde Hoc est odisse deum deum non eligere For God loving us it is the will of God that when the question commeth his loving being so exceeding good to us as that it challengeth us wholly and that love is Vinculum conjugale and therefore the love of the Lord should be Amor conjugalis which hath no third thing but aut amat aut odit non est medium Mat. 6.24 either he must love or hate Deut. 22.16 the Maids father shall say to the Elders I gave my Daughter to this man to Wife and he hateth her c. and chap. 24.3 And if the latter husband hate her and write her a bill of divorcement c. treating there of love betweene married persons he saith If a man marry a wife and hate her that is cease to love her and begin to be weary of her If shee be not onely and wholly loved she is hated because these duties are joyned to one alone there can be no third thing 2. The other name which God calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquity perversnesse peevish and perverse the having of it is to meete with the opinion and censures of men as Dan. 3.14 Nebuchadnezzar to the three Children What disorder is this in you that you will not serve my god nor worship the golden Image that I have set up For the observing and not transgressing of this Second Commandement they were called perverse fellowes and disordered Subjects because they obeyed not the Kings decree Therefore God sheweth the truth who are disordered even those that are breakers of this Commandement and so it shall be found at the judgement of judgements at the last day of judgement God saith Exod. 23.2 A man must not follow a multitude to doe evill his reason is because in doing so he shall become perverse But the voice and judgement of the world is cleane contrary But the resemblance of it that is commonly made of the Fathers is of a pond full of Crabs a perverse swimming fish for she swimming backwards and a fish that were cast into the pond should swimme right they would charge her of not swimming right because she swimmeth not backward as the rest But God Christ the Prophets and Evangelists the Apostles tell us it is not so but that they are disordered that breake this Commandement And this for the censure 2. Now for the punishment It were enough to be found among the hated of God but God moreover addeth here a visitation the meaning of it we haue 1. Sam. 7.16 the word betokeneth the Circuit of a Judge as Samuel went his Circuit year by yeare to Bethel Gilgal and Mispeh and judged Israel And out of our owne practise or as we our selves terme it the Visitation of a Bishop And because visitare is to goe to see it presupposeth absence and so an intermission and it doth very fitly resemble the judgements of God For the forbearing of them as it is Luke 19.44 Dominus requiret de manibus vestris he will require it at our hands to know the time of our visitation As there be some that say the Lord is long a comming so there be some that say he will not come at all That say Non requiret Dominus as Ps 10.12 therefore for the patient waiting of the just for the judgement and glory of God that they may know that it 's a sure thing that he will come as a Judge and though he be long a comming yet at the last he commeth and then he taketh order so certaine we should be of the requiring of our sinnes at our hands though he seeme as though he would not come at all The visitation of God we find to be fitly resembled to this his
〈◊〉 3. Reverently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for blessing Gods name Psal 72. ver ult Blessed be his glorious name for ever for the revenge of the wicked as the Fathers when they talke of this they say it is the Epiphonema David expresseth it Psal 70.4 they shall say alway this Epiphonema The Lord be praised and Psal 58.11 there is an Epiphonema after a judgement Surely there is a God that judgeth the earth and Psal 124.5 when they are delivered they shall say Praised be God c. but praised be God that hath not given us over for a pray to their teeth and Psal 35.27 when he sendeth a blessing and prosperity then Praised be God which sheweth himselfe to have pleasure in the prosperity of his servant This speaking well of God and converting the judgement or blessing into an honorable mention of his name is commanded Contrary to this when a man receiveth mercy and it is not great enough he grudgeth and is not thankefull for it and a judgement and it is too great and then commonly he murmureth and every thing he converteth to the dispraise of God he learneth not to blesse God whether he give or take away as Iob did 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A reverent speaking of a thing whose contrary as the Hom. maketh opposition betwixt sanctifying and prophanenesse is making common Whereas Levit. 22.32 a man counteth of it as a common thing and giveth it no more reverence When a man maketh account and useth the name of God as a stone lying in the street that is to be looked at when a man talketh of serious matters as of Gods Predestination c. without any sense of it there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reverence in their talke much lesse in those 1 Sam. 28. that use his name to Sorcery and Witchery c. but least of all Levit. 24.15 16. in Blasphemy This for the respects out of the case of necessity There commeth a third thing in regard of applying Gods name to the Actions which be first either our owne secondly or other mens 1. To our owne there is a commandement Col. 3.17 omnia quaecunque facitis c. and whatsoever ye doe in word or deed doe them in the name of the Lord that is every action you take in hand sanctitfie it how is that as David Psal 124.8 our helpe is in the name of the Lord that made heaven and earth 2. To others Deut. 10.8 applyed to the Levites Imponetis nomen meum illis benedicetis illis yee shall put my Name upon them and shall blesse them how that is David sheweth Psal 129.8 Wee wish you good luck in the name of the Lord Contrary to this is to curse Iam. 3.9 Therewith blesse we God the Father and therewith curse we men Ephes 4.3 When we curse God with his name that is as Augustine saith Quando faciunt Deum carnificem suum when they make God their Executioner and say Now God confound them he must be their Executioner For God hath given his name for a strong tower of defence And thus much for our Speech now for our Actions There follow two for our outward actions making them glorious that is Mat. 5.16 that we deale so in our actions that they may see our good workes and glorifie our heavenly Father that is 2 Tim. 2.19 Every man that taketh the name of Iesus in his mouth let him depart from iniquitie for the wickednesse of the Child polluteth the Father Levit. 21.9 If the daughter of a Priest commit fornication she polluteth her Father So do the wicked the name of God Psal 50. he is our Father when we take his name upon us and doe not glorifie him as we should nor depart from iniquitie we doe what we can to make him polluted There are many carelesse and notorious men and yet Psalm 50. they will take the covenant of God in their mouthes and talke of points of Religion This must not be done Rom. 2.24 to wound Gods name by our evill conversation and cause others to sinne The second in this point is the commandement of a Free Vow Psal 119.108 Lord I beseech thee accept the free offerings of my mouth and teach me thy judgements and Psal 76.11 that a man should make a freewill offering to God insomuch as God hath done so many things for us we should not onely doe the things commanded of God but vow our selves Now as touching the use or necessity of Gods name in an Oath the commandement is Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord and sweare by his name and Deut. 10.20 Thou shalt feare serve and cleave to God and sweare by his name In Vaine To understand this we must note in every action Three things the 1. End 2. Agent 3. Worke. These three being marked we shall soon know what it is to take Gods name in vaine First we know in the chiefe signification that which wanteth an end and is done to no end is said to be in vaine as Levit. 26.16 You shall sow your seed in Vaine you sow your seed to get a harvest and you hope for it You shall have no harvest your enemies shall eate it up So it is of Gods name he that for no end lifteth up Gods name doth it in Vaine Therefore wee must looke cui bono what fruit have ye of it the fruit and profit is our end So if we doe no good it is done in vaine Prov. 26.7 All other faire shewes are like streight and well fashioned leggs which yet cannot goe Frustra pulchras habet tibias claudus if it be not the due end Now the great and chiefe end is the glory of God it is that that he requireth he would impart all the blessednesse he hath upon us and requireth nothing againe of us but glory To which if we bring no profit we must be accounted of him as Nabal was to David 1 Sam. 25.21 David had done magood turnes for Nabals shepheards he desired nothing but a little meate and could not have it Therefore he said All that I have done for him is in vaine So it is in the case of Gods glory God doth all for his owne glory so if that come not by us then all that he hath done is in vaine Secondly under this greate end is next the health of our selves and our brethren Phil. 2.16 he saith he hath laboured in vaine so if there be not sought things tending to Gods glory to our neighbours edifying and our owne soules health it is in vaine and to no end The first Vaine is ex privatione finis when it wanteth an End 2. Yet if there be an end we must looke to the Agent that is the swearer the person consequently upon that part in him that is the principall agent that is his soule and heart For if his soule be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rhachah that is a vaine soule it commeth not with
reasons and witnesses c. so that we count it as Prov. 18.10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth to it and is exalted And the Heathen man saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all things men set most by their faith When all faile we may take Sanctuary here This is the first part of the honour of God 2. In regard of the cause as before his greatest honour the ground of all honours Faith that this proceedeth from a great Faith In regard of the former part of an oath that is Contestation that we beare witnesse with tongue that are present that we beleeve as 1 Cor. 4.5 that God will lighten all things that are in darknesse that God will make all manifest He seeth all things even the very secrets of the heart And secondly in regard of the execution as Rom. 12.19 that he will punish mihi ultio ego retribuam Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Herein we beleeve that God hath power to bring his judgements upon us This beleife that he hath vengeance to execute turneth greatly to Gods glory and therefore was it that God was contented as it were to lend his name to sweare by it to make an end of their questions Thus we see how God hath his glory hence The next thing is to see what we are commanded and forbidden 1. The affirmative part that we shall take his Name to end our quarrells his name shall come as a sanctuary to quit or condemne in which we shall enclose our selves and satisfie our Law The first is jurare to sweare that is commanded flatly Deut. 6.13 set close to that which was the affirmative part of the last Commandement but more effectually and vehemently Esay 45.23 I live and have sworne by my selfe that every knee shall bowe to me and every tongue sweare by me For this cause there cometh another division of Oathes he hath not onely taken order that we should be willing that the oath should passe Exod. 22.11 which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary Oath but also 2 Chron. 6.22 that if they still not be willing there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oath of imposition conrstictè jurare to make him sweare precisely and punctually And Levit. 5.1 if any man heare an Oath that should returne to Gods glory and doe not utter it but hold his peace it shall be accounted to him as sinne So we see what Gods will is herein what he commandeth and then the great end of Gods glory and necessity of men Now for examples of these David Psal 63.12 Laudabuntur omnes laetabuntur qui jurabunt per eum every one that sweareth by him shall glory and rejoyce Therefore we see this commendation All the Saints have passed under it 1. God himselfe Gen. 22.16 I have sworne by my selfe saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing c. vers 17. therefore I will surely blesse thee 2. After God the caelestiall spirits Revel 10.6 The Angell lifted up his hand to Heaven and swore by him that liveth for ever more So the division concerning the case first of Gods glory to be confirmed and secondly the benefit of our brethren For the glory of God a famous Oath 2 Chron. 15.14 of Asa and the people They sweare to the Lord with a loud voyce for the observation of Dauids Religion 4. Likewise Nehem. 10.29 The chiefe of them received it for their brethren and they came to the curse and to the oath to walke in Gods Law c. For the other part in regard of mans benefit the wealth of mankind First we see it in mutuall leagues and confae deracies the example of Abraham Gen. 21.24 betwixt Abimelech and him Secondly likewise for a conspiracy publike Judg. 21.1 Moreover the men of Israel swore saying None of us shall give his daughter to the Benjamites to wise Thirdly for the receiving or uniting of Nation to Nation Ioshua 9.19 To the Gibeonites Ioshuah made peace and league with them that he would suffer them to live and they sware and the breach of it was punished 2 Sam. 21.2 2. For obedience and reciprocall duties betweene the Prince and Subjects we have examples and commandements First of the Prince 2 Kings 11.12 of Ioash Secondly of the Subjects 1 Kings 1.29 For the succession of Salomon Davids oath And the King swore as the Lord liveth c. For Subjects to him 1 Sam. 24.23 David swore to Saul And all the Subjects tooke an oath for the preserving of Davids life 2 Sam. 21.17 And the men of David swore to him c. Thirdly in a case of safegard of a mans life Ioshuah 2.12 And in regard of Marriage Abrahams example Gen. 24.2 therefore Abraham said to the eldest servant c. Put thy hand under my thigh and sweare by the Lord c. Fourthly in Litigious Suits and Causes Exod. 22.8 11. And as these come under the forme of a Publique oath so for Private oathes in the New Testament in remembrance in prayers and in love Paul seareth not in Rom. 1.9 and Phil. 1.8 to call God to witnesse for a matter of suspition 2 Cor. 1.23 Now I call God to record unto my soule c. all this tendeth to this end that we seeing the two maine reasons the exact Commandement of God his owne example and the Fathers in the Old Testament and the Apostles in the New We might be farre from the vaine opinion of the Anabaptists that are gain sayers of this first part and hold that we may not sweare at all grounding on Christs words Sweare not at all For Mat. 5.17 wee know that Christ came not to breake the Law nor to undoe the least jot of the Law and if it had beene his meaning to have had us not to sweare at all he would have said Non assumes nomen Dei omnino thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God at all For Christs words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should not sweare at all Sure it is that you must marke the scope for it must bee referred to the scope of the place which is to reconcile the Law from the Pharisees corrupt interpretation for they thought if any man swore by any other name so that he sware not by the name of Iehovah sumere nomen Iehovae and onely frustra in vaine that hee might sweare by any other name Some take also jurare to be put for pejurare Augustine in his 27. Homilie and 30. de verbis Apostoli handleth it sufficiently and largely To sweare is commanded and to consent to Anabaptisme is forbidden The second point Affirmative the word added here Thou shalt take the name of God that is our swearing must be by the name of God and by no other Esay 48.1 There are they that will sweare by the name of the Lord but not in truth and righteousnesse They that sweare not by his name take away his praerogative
that professe Christ in outward behaviour and shew that in their gates and apparrell are opposite to this there are plaine Tessarae Badges of the enemy and if you heare them speake they have the right Watchword of the Devill Worldly speeches and worldly signes and that we doe militari carni sanguini we weare them daily and so by this we may examine our selves 4. The fourth The perishing of a righteous man in his righteousnesse It was the manner of the delivering of the standard among the Lacedaemonians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My name I deliver unto you eiâ—her bring it home or be brought home upon it This is confession of the name of Christ that we bring our Shield sound to God or else dye for it rather then lose it that is he must not onely be bound at Jerusalem but dye for Christ Jesus 5. Last How to others we may be perswaded for the procuring of it in them also The Apostles precept Col. 4.6 our speech must be such as the hearers may receive grace and have profit by it It hath a place in the second Commandement and not onely in speech but also as Christ saith in Workes c. And as Rom. 2. Esay 52.2 that men blaspheme not the Word of God by your unreformed lives that men say not this word is a word not of power but may say it is a Religion of strength that they say not that our Religion is Unweaponed or a Favourer of Vice The Penalty of the Commandement Penaltie God will not hold him guiltlesse that is as before in the second Commandement he saith hee will fall downe to an Image because hee will spare himselfe he shall not need to begge therefore he will fall downe but God upon that saith they shall all fare the worse for it hee will visit him and his children to the third and fourth generation So here is a Frustra quod non erit frustra here is a taking of Gods name in vaine which will not prove in vaine for he will come in judgement they to save themselves from some present danger will take his name in vaine but here cometh not an holding Guiltlesse but a Condemning for it It shall turne to his destruction where he thought to be saved The reason why God annexed here a penalty as before the great gaine a man might reape by changing his Religion So here when there is a great profit then there is a great penalty set upon them that breake it So here Ubi lapsus est in procliui as a mans tongue as Augustine saith Posita est in udo is set in a glio and slippery place Therefore as it is Psalm 141.3 God must set a doore and a lock upon our lips And that doore is Thou shalt not be held guiltlesse that is if ye be called Christians and take upon you a vaine profession and make frustrate Gods name For a Christian must depart from wickednesse 1 Sam. 2.3 Psalm 75.5 I said to the fooles deale not so madly and to the ungodly set not up your horne If you take upon you any other name if you defend not this or defend things opposed to this in Disputations maintaine false Doctrine if in your speech you bury the name of God or if you bury it not but talke of it foolishly and vainely and without feare and reverence if in talke you forget it if you speake evill of Gods name by disliking of his mercies bestowed upon any or his judgements if you when you should blesse his name you take it and apply it to Witchcraft and Sorceries and evill things If when you should blesse others ye make it a By-word to curse them by it If in swearing you take it in vaine if you vow and doe not performe if any of these wayes you blaspheme God How then Then it is said The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse And it is well said for it is he indeed that must doe it for the World will hold him guiltlesse as swearers now a dayes are not punished For a man that should empaire a mans name I have better remedy for it then for the blasphemie of the name of God He shall not goe scot-free for slandering my name but Gods name findeth not so much favour of our Law Therefore because the World regardeth it so little it is necessary that the Lord should take it into his hands the Lord will looke to it Not to be held Guiltlesse is the whole matter for who is there that shall not fall into intollerable and endlesse trouble if the Lord hold him not Guiltlesse For every man is guilty before God and if he found him guiltie yet he will not be accompted guiltie but this name shall not be holden guiltlesse Hic est totus fructus ut auferatur peccatum this is the whole fruit that our sinne may be taken away else we are the most miserable creatures if we lived alwayes in Vaine Because Gods threatnings in the Law pertaine as well to this life as to the life to come and we said before that there is no Commandement that ever God hath set downe that there is so fearefull judgements in this age and in the age before and in every age as this hath had Zach. 5.4 The Prophet setteth there a flying Booke and that was to take hold of the house of the Swearer and to consume the Posts Tymber Stones and all For stoning Levit. 24.11 to stone the Perjured person to death Num. 5.21 Then the Priest shall charge the Woman with an oath of cursing and he shall say to the woman The Lord make thee be accursed and detestable for the oath among the people and the Lord cause thy thigh to to rott and thy belly to swell vers 22. And that this musty water may goe into thy bowels to cause thy belly to swell and thy thighes to rot And not onely in these private persons but Jer. 21.7 the plagues of God against whole Nations 1 Sam. 21. the plague of a Famine Shall hee prosper shall hee escape that doth these things or shall he breake the Covenant and be delivered Ezek. 17.16 Destruction and Captivity on a whole Land And there are bookes of this thing alone and of particuler persons and whole Nations God hath shewed manifest judgements And this cannot otherwise be because we are so zealous and carefull of our name how much more is God of his For his name passeth ours We say and it is a common By-word among us What is a man but his good name 2. They say Crudelis est sibi homo qui famam suam negligit aut inultam sinit He is a cruell man that neglecteth his name that God should be negligent if he should not punish it Et solius laesae famae causa duellum est permittendum quia fama ambulat pari passu cum vitâ the taking away of a mans life that taketh away his good name Then if we for our owne names sake
be thus zealous and so if it be for the name of our Father or any of those that we receive benefit by wee will thinke ill of our selves if we take not the quarrell upon us God is not to be accused to punish those that take his name in vaine To conclude as it is most certaine that Gods name is glorious in it selfe Psal 8.1 How glorious is thy name in all the World So it must be in every one of us If thou wilt it shall be glorified by thee willingly if thou wilt not in spite of thy teeth whether thou wilt or no he will be glorified Exod. 14.4 And I will harden Pharaohs heart so I will get me honour upon Pharaoh and upon all his Host Deut. 14.2 Thou art an holy people unto the Lord. We must be as the Israelites or wee shall be as Pharaoh Hee that will not glorifie Gods name with the Israelites shall glorifie it with Pharaoh that is by suffering Gods punishing hand For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse The end of the third Commandement The IV. Commandement Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day c. THE outward worship was divided into the generall or state and temporall worship The reason is this because whereas God commandeth the inward worship of the Soule in the first Commandement both of knowledge and will and in the second hee would have manifest and knowne outwardly the submitting of our knowledge wisedome and reason by reverence a worship the submitting of our affections or will by yeelding reverence of gesture and for this outward gestnre because it could be performed onely to him he would not have it done then onely but when wee were dealing with others and to others that the glory of his name might be magnified in speech and therefore the duties of the third Commandement are injoyned and these three perpetuall and generall besides these three in the fourth Commandement he taketh order that there be not onely a generall profession but also a set day a solemne profession wherein there should be a publique profession of these duties and those and wherein they should all be brought to â—ight Levit. 23.2 3. The feasts of the Lord which ye shall call the holy assemblies even those are my feasts Six dayes shall worke be done but the seventh shall bee the Sabbath of rest an holy convocation ye shall doe no worke therein It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings The end of the Sabbath A great and holy assembly for this end either that they might be sanctified and all taught or that they might practice them to his glory in the great congregation It is true and that the Heathen man saw well Publicorum cura minor the common care is not the best care But that that is looked to of all is cared for of none and cometh to be regarded of none and so no doubt would men have dealt with God had not he provided a particuler day for himselfe and setled it by a Commandement and that in very particuler manner By that continuall and generall Sabbath they have no day of rest The drift of God in adding this Commandement shall be seene For the Commandement it selfe generally it is full out as long and longer then the second Commandement of many words and therefore moveth us to a due and no lesse consideration of it We see for the duties of the second Table foure of them are ended in a word because common honesty and writers as Philosophers politick and civill Lawes have taken order for them as in manslaughter whoredome and theft c but the fifth because God seeth there is an humour in us that will not willingly yeeld to subjection therefore it was necessary that God should fence it with a reason So likewise in the tenth there is a great particularity used in it because men thinke that their thoughts are free and not to come into judgement and therefore they may have their Concupiscence and Will free But now in the first Table every Commandement hath his reason but above them all in particular this Commandement it includeth six respects that are not found in any of the rest 1. That where the rest runne either barely affirmative as the fifth or barely negative as the rest in this both parts are expressed Affirmative in these words Remember thou keepe holy c. Negative In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke c. So that our desire and inclination to the breach of this Commandement is both wayes met withall 2. That not onely to our selves but to all others that pertaine to us which in a full ennumeration and a wonderfull kind of particularity God proceedeth here to reckon them up that with us or by us may be violators of this Commandement 3. In the other we see how the case standeth they all are imperative and they runne peremptorily the word here used though it be of the Imperative Moode yet it is rather a word of intreaty Remember and may be a note of separation from the rest this Commandement therefore imperat persuadet doth both command and perswade in the word Remember 4. Againe beside the Commandement it yeeldeth a reason and perswadeth but not with one reason as the other but with one maine reason indeed and three others so that this exceedeth all by the multitude of perswasions 5. Another is this that we see in the former Commandement the reason is fearefull so it is in the second Commandement In this it is a farre more easie and reasonable for the great and maine reason is this that we should doe no more then God hath done 6. That as we see by the preface annexed Recordare Remember when we know it is that word that we expresse an especiall charge by because we thinke that it maketh no matter that it is but a trifle whether a duty be broken or kept and therefore he wileth and chargeth us to have an especiall regard of it and not forget him The Commandement as it standeth is divided into the 1. Precept and 2. Aetiologie that is the reason or perswasion First the Precept Remember that thou sandine a day unto me a day of rest to the Lord. For the understanding of it wee must know what is meant first by day of rest or Sabbath secondly what by sanctifying A day of rest or Sabbath properly in the Originall tongue betokeneth such a rest as there hath a worke gone before it Cessaâ—iâ— such a rest is plainely set downe Levit. 25. When the Land hath beene laboured and tilled six yeares he chargeth it to be suffered to rest the seventh yeare and lye fallow a politick Law So that after a labour of six dayes this is it that God requireth that there should be a day of ceasing Sanctifying is here attributed to two in this Commandement in the end that the Lord sanctifyed the Sabbath here in the beginning that wee must remember to sanctifie it The
sanctification For Christ Mat. 12.9 out of Hosea 6.6 when as he was there reproved for a worke of healing he defends himselfe and biddeth them goe and learne what that saying meant I will have mercy and not sacrifice Mercy being here indeed a worke of sanctification is preferred before the meanes So in regard of the practice of sanctification to shew a worke of mercy a man may leave the very meanes of sanctification for if in Sermon time there should happen a fire or man or woman sounding or travelling the meanes may be left because by this meanes they shew a worke of mercy saving those which should have perished therefore this is the thing that maketh that for the second part the bodily rest may be omitted It shall be convenient to consider this point that as God is glorified in his Creation and the memory of this from the beginning was the cause of this Institution so hath he glory in the preservation of his creatures and so consequently by the preserving of them As Iohn 6.12 Christ bids the fragments to be taken up his reason that nothing be lost and if the least things may not be lost much lesse the life of any thing much lesse mau or the life of man And wee see for mans life Matth. 12.13 and for beasts that serve man Luke 13.15 that hee will have workes of Mercie practised on the Sabbath day as contra for other perill Matth. 12.11 and 13. But wee must with all understand this that those cases of shewing mercie must bee onely praesente necessitate and not impellente or imminente necessitate When any present danger is offered to my life I am to defend my selfe and save my selfe without the helpe of the Magistrate yea even with the the taking away of the life of the other in casu praesentis necessitatis quisque magistratus est personam DEI gerit vt occidat potius quam occidatur But if the perill bee not present but imminent as if it bee tolde me I am way laid c. I may not take the matter into my handes but looke to the Magistrate so for the present perill or necessitie there is exemption and the LORD hath given his right into our handes but not for imminent perill And on the other side wee must marke another thing that because wee have to deale with GOD who searcheth the heart though happily men bee borne in hand that it was a present necessitie and could not bee prevented nor differred whereas before hand wee might have either prevented or differred it it must bee so that wee bee able to justifie our hearts in GODS eyes but that wee have beene carefull and laboured by all meanes possible to prevent that businesse and could not have prevented nor deferred it but that wee were overtaken with present necessitie Else it is no necessitie but we draw it unto us with coards For this ende tell them abroad touching their working in harvest on the Sabbath by what authority they doe these thinges presently they will have their answer that it is not GODS will that any of his creatures should perish And it is true And therefore that which they doe is onely for the preserving of the creatures and not for their gaine Therefore for this case a proviso must bee had and there was a good proviso in the Canonicall Church made for it that because they should make a distinction betwixt the workes of that day and other as 1. Cor. 16.2 Every first day of the weeke let every one as GOD hath prospered him lay up by him c. That whatsoever was then gathered it should bee given to the poore to the Glorie of GOD. And by this meanes the Church shall come to take good order And this shall try with what heart they doe it Wee see then what is commanded and in what cases and how farre in these two points The other Sanctification by what marke it may bee knowne When wee have our rest have wee all wee should have It is sure wee have not Leo hom 3. de quadrages Our people saith hee will hene vestiri nihil agere They thinke they have got enough if they have on their best apparell and doe nothing Whereas 1. â—â—m 4.8 GOD knoweth that as it is not the labour of the bodie so not the rest of the bodie that pleaseth him Hee that can give accompt that hee hath done nothing this the Fathers call Sabbathum boum asinorum c. The oxe and the asse keepe as good a Sabbath as hee Besides there bee yet two sorts they bee neither idle nor well occupied That neither buy nor sell nor yet are idle Augustine in his Booke de decem chordis Cap. 3. and serm 1. on Psal 32. Sheweth who they are 1. Such as did vacare nugis theatris speclaculis choreis such as did spend the day in toyes in running to playes and sights and dancing and 25. hom hee putteth another kinde in Carthage that spent the Sabbath in venatione in hunting Leo. serm 3. de quadrag in this behalfe worth the reading hee putteth more to it for hee saith they did vacare chartis aleis rationibus commessationibus they spent it in playing at dyce and cardes in discourse and feasting But yet so as the LORD knoweth they were not occupied in any worke of sanctification These mens Sabbaths as Augustine alluding to the people Exod. 32. that said cras observabimus sabbathum JEHOVAE they would keepe a sabbath to the LORD it was to eate and drinke and play Sabbathum aurei vituli this is the Sabbath of the golden calfe Against this carnall Sabbath severe order was taken Concil Gangrense in Paphlagonia 5. Can 18. and last and the Councell of Agatho in France 38. Can 1. For the other it was for the worldly sabbath but this for the carnall sabbath Concil Grangren 1. Can. 18. That the people the true Christians they gave themselves so wholly at that time to celebrate the Sabbath and to the sanctifying of it that they would sit all day in the Temple praying and doing other exercises without eating or drinking any thing so as that there grew diseases amongst the people insomuch as the Councell was faine to give such an Edict that hee should bee anathema quicunque remaneret in templo in die dominico that no man should fast so sit in the Temple till night if hee did hee was given over to the Devill These as they fall not into our time so certainly they shew unto us the excellent examples of Abstinence 2. The other sort for if the affaires of our calling bee not lawfull and the recreations at other times and at other dayes beeing lawfull may not bee used then the workes of our owne nature such as Esay speaketh against Cap. 58. much lesse as Gluttonie Lust Grunkennsse and such like Where such are no doubt there is a double Iniquitie 1. Because hee breaketh this Commandement of the Sabbath
the the state of a Learner and yet shewed a great gift that way above his yeares And if points of doctrine faile Luke 3.10 and Act. 2.37 what other points were to bee resolved of as there were divers questions moved by some how they might live accordingly id est by the Souldiours and by the Publicanes Now because there are no doubts it is a signe that feare is cleane extinguished out of mens hearts and if there bee any it is not of doing or leaving undone but of detracting 2. Betweene equalls Gal. 2.2 2. Kings 2.11 Luke 24.17 Mal. 3.16 When as hearers or two of like calling whether they bee Teachers as in the two first places as Elias and Eliseus went talking The word in the originall beareth a further signification and as Paul with Peter and the disciples in Luke with CHRISTS approbation and in Malachie it is accompanied with a blessing id est because that thing in the preaching of the Word doth good to one which doth not to the other by the laying together as it were a symbolum in a common shot they receive a more generall benefit As on the other side those imperfections and infirmities that hinder mee happly the same may fall into the minde of my brother and I may shew him how his case and how I was delivered out of it The third is Deuter. 11.19 Where it is sayd Of the exercise of the Law there shall bee an examination in families and the father or chiefe thereof hee shall question with the younger and that shall enter and whet them more and make it sticke faster So these three make a full member 4. Concerning the fourth and last It is not to bee passed over Aug. lib. 10. de Civit. DEI accompteth it totum opus Sabbathi as if the Sabbath was made for nothing else But onely for thanksgiving and prayse For this ende was as is aforesayd penned Psal 92. for that ende appointed Howbeit they have drawne Psalmes generally to these three points That the Church of GOD publikely that every man particularly may make use Either of those that containe generall matter or of some particular custome For generall instruction Psal 91. the generall Psal 103. of some particular benefit as Psal 68. When as wee have had too much raine and pray for faire weather or when there is too much drought the latter part of Psal 65. Then for these particular benefites particular Thanksgiving or as Psal 35.18 the neglect of which is a blemish in our Church Hee desireth deliverance and promiseth that beeing heard hee will sing His Praise in the Congregation So Psal 65.1 the very word there is due There is due to thee an Hymne The reason is because thou hast heard our prayers Tibi debetur Hymnus à SION These actions are so generall as that they may serve for every action of the Sabbath In wicked exercises wee can never bee frequent enough God requires that wee should bee as faithfull in his worke The celebration of the Sacraments Exod. 12.16 and performing of the discipline of the Church It is the Sabbath dayes worke The order doth pertaine to all and it so pertaineth to all that least any man should thinke it is enough to doe it once Revel 22.11 Qui sanctisicatus est sanctisicetur adhuc Hee that is holy let him bee holy still There is still a necessitie every Sabbath day wee must continue 1. Cor. 13.9 Our knowledge is but in part and our prophecying but in part There shall still remaine scrutamini scripturas search the Scripture Revel 7.14 That wee should still wash our Robes in the bloud of the Lambe id est Come still nearer and nearer to cleannesse so farre forth as 1. Tim. 4. If wee continue there in wee shall save our selves This for the Meanes The Meanes are for the Fruit and therefore hee that planteth a Vineyard hoc est vltimum fructus ejus Though hee hope when it is yet aframing yet last is the Fruit. This is the fruit that GOD looketh for the great ende of the Commandement that His Name may be sanctified in us We must not use the Meanes only For the Meanes the phrase is set downe Numb 20.12 Because ye beleeved mee not to sanctifie mee in the presence of the children c. Levit. 20.7 Sanctificate sancti estote Sanctifie your selves and bee yee holy Such wordes because of the two folde glorie that redoundeth to GOD have a double use GOD is glorified 1. either by us directly or 2. from us by others indirectly Matth. 5.16 That they seeing our good workes might glorifie Him Therefore commeth it to passe that these wordes as sanctification and justification c. have a double sense First it signifieth a making holy When wee are indeed made holy and that is by Meanes for this cause sanctification is a making holy Second in regard of the other a declaring of this made sanctification And of our selves The first beeing 2. Pet. 1.10 And second shewing it to all other men to bee so and so wee may glorifie GOD our selves and GOD may bee glorified in others Whereby it falleth out that because good workes make this Therefore CHRIST Matth. 12.12 sayth That a good worke is lawfull on the Sabbath day What worke soever sheweth Regeneration is lawfull 2. Tim. 2.21 for there the Apostle sayth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Prepared or made fit to every good worke But because that the day is specially instituted for the remembrance of his great Mercies as 1. Making us when wee were nothing 2. Redeeming us when wee were in a worse case and 3. The beginning of Sanctification for these three great Mercies Therefore it is that no worke doth so well agree as Thanksgiving for these Mercies Hee is so delighted in no worke as in the worke of Mercie And therefore commeth it that there is an especiall affinitie betwixt sanctification and workes of mercie Ose 6.6 When hee had sacrifice without this hee abjecteth all Therefore to compare this with the rituall sanctification of the law As you had annointing so you had the second part every thing was sanctified by two meanes First If hee were a person his hand was filled by Aaron implevit manum ejus Aaron And if it were an Altar then there was somewhat offered on it So oblation or filling the hand is the second Deut. 16.16 There is a charge to Aaron that whensoever they came to appeare before the LORD none of them should appeare emptie Therefore Levit. 8.31 There is mention made of a Basket of sanctification in which were reserved those thinges that afterward they would consecrate to the LORD The very same order was taken 1. Cor. 16.1.2 On the LORDS Day there should bee collection for the poore There is nothing that so setteth out the matter as Deut. 26. wholly The workes are either outward and performed to the bodie or inward and performed to the spirit of man For the first Matth. 25.
our Saviour certainlie as hee is CHRIST when hee shall come to judge it shall be happie for six works that he there reckoneth and the seventh may be added three in Verse 35. first the feeding the hungrie second giving drinke to the thirstie third the mercifull dealing with or good entertayning of the stranger And three in Verse 36. first cloathing the naked second visiting the sicke third succouring them that bee in prison Seventh is the care of the dead 2. Sam. 2.5 Wee see that the Prophet David desireth a blessing of GOD for the men of Jabesh Gilead because they had buried the bodie of Saul Ioh. 12.7 CHRIST commended Maries worke Joh. 19.38 Nicodemus and Joseph are commended the one for begging CHRISTS bodie of Pilate to burie it the other for enterring it with linnen cloathes and with spices Augustine lib. de cura pro mortuis giveth this reason that this care of the dead is a worke of mercie It is done ne pateat miseria sua to make that this miserie of rotting may not bee seene of every man It would grow both loathsome to the eye and nose As also because every man loveth his owne flesh so well that hee would have it well and honestly dealt withall And therefore this is a benefit done to him Now for flesh and bloud it is easie to reason against this They say wee know not whether a man bee hungrie or no and wee see none go naked c. Therefore the Fathers in a Generall Counsell have set downe this Idem est occurrere necessitati quod succurere to keepe from misery and to helpe out of misery is all one For this case of necessity the monuments that they have left behinde them show that they were more given to this than wee Their rule is this In diâ— Domini extende ad DEVM ne extende ad pauperem stretch out the hand to GOD on the LORDS Day and stretch it not out to the poore and yee shall stretch it out in vaine Augustine For he asketh nothing but his owne that which hee gave you and that which yee cannot keepe long doth hee aske of thee but pauxillum a morsell to reward thee centuplum an hundreth folde and but caducum that which fades to reward thee eternally And then because there were then as there are now that would talke of their unablenesse and therefore their answer was Si tibi non susficiunt res tuae ad Christianos vsus parandum est vt tu sufficias illis If thou hast not an estate to bestow vpon thy poore Christian Brother bestow thy selfe vpon him And further because they alleadged that they had but little they would answer that GOD doth not regard quantum but ex quanto what I give but what I have to gives as the Widdowes mite multum obtulit qui parum sibi reliquit hee parts with much that leaveth himselfe but little Last there were some that were able to give and when they had given on the Sunday they would recover it on the other dayes either by dealing hardly and oppressing them if they were under them Thâ—refore The last caution was that Esa 15.16 as that his mercies must not make him vnrighteous Esa 58. So the conclusion is this If a man doe dare rem suam DEO se peccato or Daemoni Give his substance to GOD and himselfe over unto sinne and the Devill and so give quod est minus DEO creatori quod majus est inimico The lesse to GOD and â—he more to the Devill Howsoever hee doth looke for the mercie of the LORD hee shall not keepe his Sabbath Augustine Est quaedam charitas quae de sacculo non erogatur All charitie commeth not out of the purse There are spirituales eleemosynae or misericordiae Spirituall Almes And they are so much better than the other as they doe mederi partis principalioris miseriae They take order for a more principall part id est the Soule 1. They bee seven 1. Amongst which if a man shall * * * Psal 51.13 Dan. 12.3 teach the ignorant 2. †††Prov. 27.9 Give good and christian advise to one that is in doubt 3. or * * * 2 Cor. 13.11 exhort him that is slacke in soome good duetie 2. The second The comforting of those that are in perplexitie and in distresse of minde 1. Thes 5.14 Flere cum slentibus to weepe with them that weepe Rom. 12.15 Rejoyce with them that rejoyce Such was made Job 29.13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish 3. The third is the duetie which CHRIST Matth. 18.15 made as a part of Discipline the reproving of our brethren betwixt vs and them 1. Thes 5.14 4. The fourth is Matth. 6.14 The forgivingâ— The perswading with our selves to forgive whatsoever is committed against us of others Greg qui dat non dimittit hee that giveth and doth not forgive upon Matth. 5.23 doeth a worke unacceptable that GOD liketh not of sed si dimittat etiamsi non dat yet hee shall bee forgiven of GOD so often as hee forgiveth others Si tu ponas limitem DEUS tibi ponet limitem but if you forgive sine limite nor put limites to the offence of thy brother GOD will not limit thy sinne 5. The fift is Rom. 15.1 Wee that are strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weake brethren Gal. 6.2 Alter alterius omnia portate beare yee one anothers burden 1. Thes 5.14 Beare with those that are weake 6. The sixt Jam 5.16 praying one for another Here was a worke but the especiall thing is Matth. 5.44 to pray for our enemies as Luke 23.34 CHRIST did and his example must bee every mans imitation in this kinde Augustine Fortasse causaberis te non posse docere It may so happen that thou canst doâ— no good by thy advice .. Some are as forward to advise you as you them Perhaps you have not the gift of comforting and if you tell them of their fault they will contemne you nunquid dices non possum dimittere offendenti But to forgive one that hath offended thee to beare with or to pray for him this may alwayes bee done vt malitiâ ignoscatur nullâ excellentiâ nulla sapientia nullis divitiis opus est To pardon a wrong done vnto us there is neither excellencie nor wisdome nor riches required of us Therefore these take hold of all 7. Last Matth. 5.9 Reconciling those that are at variance making peace That so wee may shew our selves to bee Children of GOD. Now because here falleth an objection likewise What if they will not Aug lib. 2. contra Parmenian If thou hast done thy good will thou art a peace-maker Tum si aequitate improbas pacificus es These are the seven fruites of spirituall mercie Further then these whatsoever is a worke of the law of GOD is also acceptable but especially these The third Precept is the Rule of HOMOGENEA Where any
And we see plainely Gen. 9.3 whatsoever liveth and moveth they are given to man to bee food most plainely Lawfull to â—ilâ— Beasts 1 Cor. 10.25 Quicquid in macella c. Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles eate it And indeed reason it selfe in Law sheweth it plainely For where there is no Ius societatis a Law of society there is not societas juris a society in Law But they have no society with us because they want reason And secondly to use all things for the end they were ordained for is no sinne but the lesse perfect things are for the more perfect therefore herbs for beasts and beasts as being lesse perfect for man Onely in these two cases 2. Caveats the holy Ghost forbids to kill beasts first when it turneth to the detriment of our neighbour the sinne is not to kill the beast but to endammage him by it And secondly that we kill them not in the impotencie of our wrath exacting that power or understanding of him that is not in him Aug. he saith men are so foolishly bent they must have facilitatem motus things work to their mind If the poor Pen through their negligence and perversenesse did not write as they would have it capit collidit he taketh it and dasheth it So in beasts if they doe not as we would have them then we shew our impotencie Psal 36.6 Gods mercie he preserveth both man and beast and Prov. 12.10 man must be like to him in this point he shall be mercifull to the soule of the beast he rideth upon In this regard he shall not kill the beast The second division of man 2a Divisiâ— We will take him first as he is a member then as a head of a society There is a slaughter 1. Sui ipsius of a mans selfe 2. Alierius of another man of his neighbour Because we see the Heathen as we read of Lucretia Seneca and Cato that though they would never have beene brought to kill others A man may not kill himselfe yet they durst lay hands on themselves and were therefore highly thought of amongst the Heathen But Christian Religion teacheth us that it must not be so and that no man hath power of his life for these causes 1. We must needs understand Non occides thou shalt not kill so because as was said before the generall rule of the Law is Siâ—ut te ipsum as thy selfe Then non occides alium sicut non occides teipsum thou shalt not murther another even as thou shouldest not kill thy selfe So the proportion is against the Law of charity and nature Against the Law of nature it is we are so linked to our selves that nature first maketh alimentum individuum the nutriment to satisfie the stomack before she giveth propaginem speeiei supplement to the other members shewing that to every man belongeth a care how to preserve himselfe 2. Because that every man that liveth in a society or Common-wealth is a part thereof and so is not his owne but societatis or reipub the societies or Common-wealths therefore hee cannot injure or kill himselfe but he must needs bring detriment to the whole company whereof he is And consequently by the Law of the Heathens they forfeit the goods to the Exchequer as they doe by the the Law of the Christians though it be somewhat otherwise So the Common-wealth will take some revenge of him because in that action there doth concurre some dammage to her 3. Because our life is the gift of God 1. Sam. 2.6 so consequently it is God that giveth life and bringeth death therefore we must not dispose of the gift of God without the minde of the giver Rom. 12.4 rather because the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.23 he saith we are bought with a price we are his servants that bought us Then commeth that in Rom. 14.4 Quis tu qui jud cas servum alienum Who art thou that judgest another mans servant so Quis tu qui intersicis servum alienum Who art thou that killest another mans servant Matth. 8.32 It s said that the very swine would not have runne into the Sea but that they were carried of the Devill else they of themselves would not therefore as Aug. reproving the deed of Razis 2. Maccab. 14.37 and so consequently the authority of the writer that commendeth him for it in that place and the Papists dis-allow the thing So it is a fault to thinke that any man may kill himselfe whether he doe it that he may fugere molestias temporales hoc enim modo saith he incidunt in perpetuas to avoid temporall evils for by this meanes they fall into eternall neither ut evitet peccatum alienum ne incipiat habere gravissimum proprium to shun the sinne of another lest he become guilty of a most grievous one himselfe nor pro suo peccato for his owne sinne for there is time of repentance neither ne peccer lest he fall into sinne as the woman did in the Primitive Church sic enim incidit in peccatum certum ut evitaret incertum for so he commits a certaine sinne to avoid an uncertaine one And indeed he proveth out of Rom. 3. that we must not doe it for any cause 2. Come to the next in alium Manslaughter looking into mans nature we must not kill any other The reasons Man-slaughter besides the generall reason Quod tihi fieri non vis Matth. 7.12 c. Whatsoever ye would that men should not doe c. And besides the other of Gods Image no man must kill another Esa 58.7 he saith when thou seest a naked man cover him and despise not thine owne flesh because we are one flesh This Esa 9.20 is made a strange judgement that they should bee brought to such extremity that every man should eate the flesh of his owne arme But Gal. 5.15 this is done and if they bite one another and prey one upon another according to discords contentions and hatreds and so consume themselves unnaturall sinne Iohn 8.44 By this meanes we come to be primogeniti Diaboli Murtherers primâ—geâ—iti Diaboli Santans first begotten because he was the first murtherer Gen. 3.4 By this nequaquam moriemini yee shall not die he brought in a moriemini death and so brought them to it Gen. 4.10 It is said that the bloud of thy brother cryeth unto me because it is peccatum clamoris a crying sinne Bloud-shed that will cry and come up to Heaven and will not cease till God take revenge Other sins they may be as if he heard them not but his eares shall be open to this for this is somewhat more straight Deut. 21.8.9 A man found lying dead in the fields and no man knoweth who killed him God saith This order shall they take The Elders and Judges of Israel shall come forth and mete to the Cities that are round about him and the Elders of the next City shall take an Heifer out of the
no cruelty to cut it off Because as was said in the beginning and it is a most true rule Melius est us periat unus quam unitas it is better that one perish then unity should be broken And as we see in a common fire that a house that hath taken fire so long as there is hope that it may be saved they deale with water but when there is no hope and it bringeth danger to the next houses about they pull it down extinguit incendium ruina that the fall thereof may quench the fire thus we see it in the naturall body so likewise in the civill Deut. 19.10 20. 13.11 In the 10. he will have them tollere homicidam ut malum tollatur ab Israele to cut off the man-slayer that evill may be taken away from Israel and that a double malum a double evill there is the wrath of God upon the whole land because if any part shed innocent bloud and the land that is the whole looke not to it Impunity magna venefica to make other do the like And a second malum a 2. evill vers 10. is the multiplying of it 1. Impunity because it is magna venefica a great Witch to make other men doe the like therefore Deut. 19.20 13.11 that men may see and heare and feare and the like evill may be no more committed They shall not onely avoide his wrath and multiplying of murther tollere malum ex Israele but take away evill also from Israel So consequently if bloud be shed in this respect as Moses saith Exod. 32.29 it is not a polluting but a consecrating of the hands Ps 101. vers ult the Prophet David saith his common morning exercise after prayer should be this that he would cut off all the wicked from the Lords City Prov. 20.26 There is the wise Kings study or this shall bee his study how to scatter the wicked or to make the wheele goe over them For as it was found in the establishing of the Magistrate that it was Caines City that made Seth to make himselfe a City and not only that but there were also sundry of Caines spirit that came in among the seed of Seth therefore heed was to be had to them as Ezek. 34.18.21 to the Hee Goates to the Rammes and to the fat sheepe for they would push at the leane sheepe with their hornes and as the Heathen man saith Tam necesse est it is as needfull that there should be qui arceant homines such as may restraine men from outward invasion quā necessariae sunt palpebrae oculis as the eye-lids are needfull for the eyes for they keepe out outward injuries and that that would hurt the eyes and the sight from hurting it self for else it would disperse it self too much therefore expedient it is that prius sanguis funderetur ne plus sanguinis funderetur that bloud be first shed lest more bloud afterwards should be shed How this may bee done it is manifest that bloud may be shed Gen. 9.6 and Matth. 26.52 Qui gladium acceperit gladio peribit he that taketh the sword shall perish with the sword and the sword Rom. 13.4 is given to one who is there called Gods Minister and to the Magistrate to whom he hath delivered it not to bear it in vain and consequently in deed in effect no man sheddeth any bloud if it be lawfully shed For as we say it is not the sword that killeth and sheddeth mans bloud so neither doth the Magistrate the Minister of it nor the Judge but the chiefe cause doth it for quod est organum utenti id est minister jubenti what the toole is to him that useth it such is the Officer to him that commandeth him Now Iubens est Deus the Commander is God for we blame not the sword neither must we the minister but we must have recourse to God The Magistrates Writ Now then for the Magistrates use of it as we say that the Sheriffes and under-Officers rule is they must doe nothing but ex praescripto by a Writ and when it doth come downe for execution then they must doe it and not else so certainely the Prince he must have a Writ too from God else he is not to execute Now Gods Writ or Prescript in this behalfe we have Exod. 23.7 for there is said there is a Countermand that no innocent man should have his bloud shed If any doe it I will not spare the wicked man saith the Lord. And Abigail 1 Sam. 25.29 doth well set it out The soule of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God and the soule of thine enemies shall the Lord cast out Whoso is a man of bloud and liveth to the disquieting of the society that hee should maintaine his soule shall be throwne our as out of a sling And 1 King 1.52 he saith there according to his Writ If he will bee a worthy man and a faithfull subject there shall not a haire fall from his head but if he will be seditious he shall surely die So then wee see that a Prince may not execute the innocent and when he doth so 1 King 21.8.13 Naboth an innocent man is put to death by the King then the King is a murtherer he is Rex homicida for he is so called by the Prophet Elisha 2 King 6.32 See I pray you this murtherers sonne and 2 Chron. 24.25 when Ioas fell violently on Zachariah an innocent Prophet for telling him the truth it is said that God revenged this murther and stirred up his owne servants against him to kill him And for this cause because he had murthered the children of Ichoidah the Priest As on this behalfe we must not execute the innocent so on the other side Deut. 19.13 non miseraberis non parcet oculus tuus thou shalt not have mercie upon him neither shall thine eye pitie him there is an irrevocable Writ that whosoever is a murtherer must die Then the question Whether any one that is a murtherer may be any way afterwards executed And therein there are three points necessary to be considered The first wee call Iudicium perversum unrighteous judgement That those that are innocent are put to death and those that are nocent are spared But a just man must not be killed and an unjust man must not be spared The second Iudicium usurpatum judgement usurped Every man must be kept in his limits Rom. 14.4 Quis i◠es qui judicas alienum servum Who art thou that judgest another mans servant Others subjects that pertaine not to our Prince If further then jus gentium against the law of armes any be executed it is usurped The third we finde Deut. 19.18 Diligentissimè inquisiveris thou shalt make diligent inquisition without triall he must be sons damna tus condemned against law Acts 23.35 Claudius Lysias would have Pauls accusers come before him And Iohn 18.27 the wicked
every man is a Magistrate and in that case hath his authority from God Exod. 22.2 he saith there if a thiefe come by night and breake up my house I may kill him I shall never answer for it therefore if I may doe this for my house I may kill then for my life much more This is the reason that gladius Petri as August saith is lawfull for a man to carry about with him which the law granteth to carry to keepe one from evill by the terrour of my weapon which is not nothing but especially because I have the lawes in mine owne hands and if I doe slay I am quit But when this terminus is divisibilis when the necessity hath a latitude Acts 23.17 they sweare Pauls death but because it was not present Paul might not runne upon them but caused it to be revealed to Lysias the chiefe Captaine so it is inculpata tutela that is without any purpose of shedding any bloud save onely when otherwise I cannot save my selfe a man must plus timere vitae suae quam alienae therefore I may in my defence And another division is he that is slain is slain either of purpose or without purpose Now it is not lawful when it is done without purpose and the reason of it is this We doe not attribute to nature but that which is done per se And as the distinction per se per accidens in naturall things so answerable to these in morall things is ex intentione praeter intentionem to doe a thing purposely or besides our intention And as we say not that it is naturall that is per accidens in naturall things so it maketh neither a good neither an evill action that is done praeter intentionem besides our intention in morall things so if bloud be shed praeter intentionem the shedder thereof is no murtherer Praeter intentionem Not onely so but we see God Deut. 19.1 4.29 Exod. 13.35 Numb 35.24 he buildeth up his Sanctuaries of refuge for them that doe praeter intentionem Now God will build no Sanctuary for vices Deut. 19. If one be hewing a Tree in the Wood and by chance his Hatchet fall and kill his neighbour and Numb 35.25 when as he had no intent and purpose the Congregation shall deliver him from the avenger and restore him to the City of his refuge And indeed as August proveth and goeth further if we take this praeter intentionem for murther if we take away intentions then must we cease to have any thing that may be an occasion of evill for I have ferramenta instruments as ropes shovels spades and with these may a man goe and kill a man praeter intentionem nostram therefore I must not have them and for other uses I have Trees in mine Orchard and oxen and a man may hang himselfe upon one of my Trees and one of my Oxen may happily kill a man therefore I must have no Trees nor Oxen and not onely that but a man may be cast out of a window and therefore I must not have a window in my house and consequently wee shall have almost nothing but absit as he saith when a man doth intend to keepe them from that end yet in these matters God hath qualified them two wayes he must dare operam rei licitae bestow his time in things lawfull Exod. 21.22 If there be two men striving and one of them hurt a woman with child and the child passe away from her if the child miscarry he shall surely be punished though it were not his intention yet doing a thing unlawfull as striking was Besides they that are evill occupied that are at unlawfull games if any such thing fall out are not to be excused The second thing there must not lack debita sollicitudo he must doe his diligence Exod. 21.33 If a man digge a Pit or a Well and cover it not over night and anothers cattels fall into it and die hee shall make it good because he might have covered the Well And if a man should let fall a peece of timber from the top of an house and give no warning and kill a man In these foure cases the whole restraint of the Commandement consisteth Now in the extension of these that willingly and of purpose commit murder there be two sorts for some murther directly and some indirectly Directly Numb 35.16 17 18. If any man smite another with an iron stone or wood or any instrument that will kill him Wâ—lfull murther he is a murtherer and he shall die And besides this there is a colourable murther and indirect And there are three sorts First by poyson Ier. 11.19 Mittamus lignum in panem ejus Let us put some of this poysoned wood in his meate so by Witchcraft Deut. 18.10 or by sorcery or if not by poyson yet by strange things medicamen a infanticidii killing of children in the wombe a grievous murther and in the Concil of Ancyra Can. 21. and according to the Greeke but 20. in the Latin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the 35. can Concil Wormatiens That they are murtherers if they take strange purgations and doe abigere parium cause abortion she is homicida a murtheresse that doth so And not onely that but if a man bee cooperator or accessorie as Matth. 26.49 Iudas was accessorie with his kisse 2 Sam. 3.27 and 20.9.10 Ioab said to Amaza art thou in health my brother And tooke Amaza by the beard with his right hand to kisse him vers 9. but Amaza tooke no heed to Ioabs sword that was in his hand for forthwith he smote him in the fifth rib and shed out his bowels to the ground and smote him not the second time so he died Ioabs kisse when he murthered Abner and Amaza so the murther was coloured 1 Sam. 18.17 By bringing into danger as Saul to David I will make David Captaine against the Philistims my hand shall not be upon him but the Philistims hand shall be upon him 2 Sam. 11.15 David doth deale so with Vriah following Sauls example he writeth letters to Ioab Let him stand in such a place c. though his enemies flew him yet it was Davids murther And 1 King 21.13 to stand a false witnesse and cap. 11.49 to be a counseller to it and Iohn 18.28.31 the high Priests and Scribes sought not how to put Christ to death but yet because they were as bellowes incouragers of the people to aske Barrabas they were murtherers of Christ likewise Acts 7.52 and Acts 8.1 if he be a private man and consent to it and Matth. 27.24 if a Magistrate that may hinder it and doth not and in Magistrates permission Pilates washing his hands would not serve 1 King 2.5.8 the permission of the wicked man Ioab vers 8. Shimei troubled David toward his death I suffered them but looke thou to it so the not putting to death of wicked men and the not saving of the innocent this
but for a greater good and hee permitteth this for patience no greater good in this life then patience A second thing Ephes 4.27 to see the Devill in it Chrysostome saith it is a foolish thing for the Dog to runne after the stone that is cast and bite it in his mouth and leave the man that cast it and when one hath beaten us well with a staffe to pray him to let us have the staffe and when we have it to hack it and not hurt the man that beate us with it So it is sure The wicked men of this world and whosoever are incited by the Devill are nothing but his staves and stones so then we must set against the Devill and we cannot scourge him worse then with patience Bona opera our good workes as before are flagella daemonum whips for the Devill If the first motion will not stay but it come into the griefe yet if it stay there it is well We said that it was mixt with griefe and revenge but if it be â—otus in fermento all in a fume and if he said Prov. 24.29 I will doe to him as he hath done to me the not saying as Christ said 1 Pet. 2.22 when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to God Deut 30.35 Mihi vindictam ego retribuam his is vengeance he will looke to it In the meane season as Prov. 24.27.28 when this revenge commeth we must be so farre from desiring it that we must not be glad when our enemy falleth lest the Lord seeing it turne his wrath from him to us Iob 31.29 If saith he I have rejoyced at his destruction that hated me when his servants would have beene at him and desired his flesh he would not doe so But the practise is 2 King 21. as the King of Israel did when the Syrians were brought under his hands by the Prophet he asked My Father shall I smite them so when they have one at advantage but 1 Sam. 24.9 Davids practise was better for wee know when he had Saul in the Cave he might have stricken him but did it not but cut off a peece of the skirts of his coate But if some had had him in this case they would have cut his skirts so neere that it is Chrysostomes saying effudissent è renibus ejus sanguinem they would have let out the best bloud in his body This must not be the desire of revenge and execution And the reason is for we marke in Gods creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is an Ants anger and a Flies anger and the least creatures are the most angry and women more then men and quo infirmiores eo magis iracundi the weaker they are the more subject towrath so on the other side he that is magnarum virium of great courage doth not sentire se percussum resent a blow thus to deale against the desire of revenge If it cannot be prevented it is to be sorrowed but ratio irae or suppuratio the measure or impostume of the anger must be met with he will now and then be angry but he must not requiescere in ira sleep in anger Ephes 4.26 Ne occidat Sol let not the Sunne goe downe upon your anger And the reason is because then we must offer our evening Sacrifice and Marke 11.25 before we open our mouth to pray we must forgive This in Matth. 6.14.15 is set downe both in the Affirmative and Negative This is a case of necessity It was shewed us before what we are to thinke Matth. 18.22 if we number our forgivenesse then our forgivenesse shall be delivered by taley if our forgivenesse be sine fine numero then our sinnes shall be forgiven sine numero This for Suppuratio now for foaming of it out Ecclus. 28. Hee that doth this is a trouble and scandalous to his friends and therefore men must thinke that they have to deale with men and such men Eccles 19.16 fall with their tongue though not with their will who is he that hath not offended whith his tongue And David Psal 116.10 when he was in his anger and haste he said all men were lyers 1 Sam. and all because God deferred his Kingdome therefore if a word passe sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing there is none but offendeth with the tongue the counsell of the Prophet David is good Psal 38.13 eram tanquam surdus to be not deafe but tanquam surdus it is the best and if not yet Ecclus. 28.12 when a man hath heard an evill word it is even like a coale of fire laid before him he may blow on it and it will kindle he may spit on it and it will out And indeed this did the Heathen consider by the light of nature If he without a cause be thus angry quid faciet irritatus so as the Philosopher when one reproached him he cast up dust into the aire and when the other asked him why he did so he answered Injicio pulverem vomitui tuo I throw dust to cover thy vomit and indeed it is nothing else but vomitus bilis a disgorging of choler Vomitus bilis Prov. 29.9 Solomon saith if one man contend with another if he be not wise whether you answer him in jest or in earnest you goe by the worst if he be wise you are wiser if you forbeare him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wiser for not returning word for word therefore Prov. 26.4 he would not have a fool answered because so we come to be like him and we shall as we see when a man in reproving a fault will oftertimes be gone so far as he wil commit as great nay a greater absurdity sometimes therefore of fooles words magnum remedium negligentia the best course is to neglect them and vers 5. he would have him answered at sometimes not at other sometimes A foole sometimes must be answered sometimes not lest hee make him è stulto insanum of a foole a mad-man But when he is among such a himselfe that thinke well of him then answer him lest he seeme wise If he be among wise then answer him not and they will regard rather quid tu taceas quam quid ille dicat thy wisedome in being silent then his folly in speaking but Prov. 25.9 there must be no secrets disclosed and Ecclus. 8.5 there must be no exprobration of benefits Come to the action it selfe Requiting They call it bringing a man to justice Acts 22.25 in some causes it may be We must not be as the Pope said of England that it was a good Asse to beare all It was the errour of Iulian persecuting the Primitive Church For if it be a case of Gods or the truths Ecclus. 4.28 strive for the truth to death but if it be a case of meum tuum then it maketh no great matter as Abraham Gen. 13.8 he would be contented to be ordered by Lot and to
on of hands or taking a thing by violence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a crafty way of compassing Upon the petition that pertaineth to temporall things in the Lords Prayer of daily bread Chrysost saith that habere convenit etiam malis habere autem de manu dei sanctis tantum the wicked may lawfully possesse goods but to enjoy them as blessings and favours from God is the portion of the Saints which God saith he praeparare non vetat sed cum peccato praeparare qui enim cum peccato praeparat ei diabolus dat quod manducat non Deus forbids not to purchase at all but not to compasse them sinfully which whosoever doth he hath it of the gift of the Devill and not of the gift of God neither can justly make that petition and hee hath with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some pledge that some visitation shall come upon him for it On the other side the vertue opposite is the just getting and that is the object we have in hand It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sludium honeste rem parandi Prov. 16.8 Every man ought thus to be perswaded that a little by righteous meanes well gotten is better then great revenues without i. as very well the Apostle setteth downe both the parts 1 Tim. 6.5 where he speaketh of covetous men he saith they are corrupted in mind and destitute of the truth the reason is this is their position Game is godlinesse as the Heathen man saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let me put up the money in my bagge and call me a piller and a poller and what you will But in the next verse he sheweth that if a man can turne the proposiion and say that godlinesse is gaine that is to account the true gaine as indeed it is that that is gotten by Gods prescript not by mans oversight Gen. 43.4 But that he may say so as Iacob said to Laban Gen. 30.33 call my doings to account cras respondebit pro me justitia mea my righteous dealing shall be able to answer for me and to acquit me Now unto this vertue as it appertaineth to save and preserve us from evill dealing yet because the world is full of it and men have mentem malam they are in a wicked and vicious race and so runne on till stopp'd by conscience and then afterwards touched therefore is there a second vertue that they call Restitution and that is necessary if perhaps any man have over-shot himselfe in getting his goods unjustly It is one of the greatest and principallest common places throughout the Fathers from the time of Constantine the great And August Restitution he sets it downe for a Canon Non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum The sinne of an unlawfull purchase is not pardoned unlesse restitution be made the ground of it is Numb 5.7 For God saith there if they have done any such thing they shall confesse the fault that they have done and restore the dammage to him that it was done to And agreeable to that is the affection of Iob in the law of nature Iob 20.18 He shall restore his labour and devoure no more the reason he addeth in the next verse For hee hath undone many and spoyled houses he never built And as by the example of nature so by the example of the practice of it under the law Nehem. 5.11 For there Nehemiah saith Ye shall restore the people their lands and Vine-yards and the goods they had gotten by usury and they said they would and he called the Priests and caused them to sweare that they should doe according to this promise and he shooke his lap and said So let God shake them that would not restore such things as they had gotten wrongfully God shall shake them off and all the Congregation shall say Amen If we come to the Gospel we shall see the rule of it Rom. 13.7 Give to every man that which is his And in the repentance protestation of Zacheus Luk. 19.8 that if he had done any wrong by cousening forgery or falshood he would restore foure-fold the value of it And as this is in goods unlawfully gotten so in those things that have a lawfull contract there is a restitution too as in the gift donation God De it 21.15 taketh order for the conveyance of inheritance But for that matter there is but little order to be taken These things that are of the nature of a gift as that one being wholly commended to the necessity liberalis donatio so the other wholly to the trust depositum the committing of any thing upon trust to be restored Exod. 22.7.10 vers 7. if any man deliver money to his neighbour to keepe c. vers 10. if any deliver to keepe Oxe or Asse there must be a restitution of whatsoever is delivered to our trust to keepe or else justice will be broken Among the depositarii in regard of the thing committed Depositarii fiduciarii as the Law calleth them in regard of the trust that is put in them Those that are put in trust with children while their fathers be alive as tutors or guiders after their fathers death they must make an account and give an account for their depositum the things committed to their trust for we see that the holy Ghost doth give an honourable witnesse of Mordocheus Hester 2.7 he was put in trust with Hester his Uncles daughter he saith he brought her up as carefully as if she had beene his owne daughter that is the extremity that can be required And so they that have charge during the parents lives Whatsoever they take as Prov. 22.20 Solomon did he saith he had uttered and written three times many times in counsels and knowledge that is that they must diligently read whatsoever they receive or whatsoever commeth in the bill of accounts Luk. 16.6 If 50. be put in the bill for 80. surely this must not be so of Executors that are put in trust with the administration of the goods of the dead and feoffees put in trust with the conveyance of lands 1 Sam. 20.15 there David is put in trust with Ionathans sonne and the execution of it and that in good order 2 Sam. 9.1 And for those Luke 20.14 when as they had the Vine-yard and the heire was sent to receive some fruit of them they said Let us kill the heire and the inheritance shall be ours We see how grievously he threatneth them and what a great woe the Lord pronounceth against them for it 3. After these things that goe sub ratione depositi Strayes under the name of trust they joyne those things that come sub ratione inventi strayes Exod. 23.4 God saith If we meete our enemies Oxe or Asse going astray we shall bring him home to him and if we be farre from him and we know him not Deut. 22.2 we must keepe it till he come for it And if the owner never come for it
but by reason of ignorance or negligence let him alone then it is plaine by Levit. 6.4.5 and by Numb 5.8.9 we must not divert it to our owne uses but restore it to the kindred and if the party have no kindred it shall bee given to the Lord it shall be employed ad pios usus to sacred uses 4. Then for those things that are lent us that is that are given freely to us for to use for a time and then to restore them againe August saith Tameisi benigne dimittitur tamen non injuste repetitur although it were freely lent yet may it lawfully be demanded againe So he that doth not restore that which was lent him is injust therefore God hath taken order for it Exod. 22.14 where he saith that it shall not onely be restored but in this order if any hurt befall it it shall bee made good if it perish there shall be another given for it Now because restitution is in conducto in things that are hired he hath taken order for it the thing shall be restored if it perish not and Exod. 22.15 if it perish onely the hire shall goe for it and so he doth limit us in every action And because the unfaithfulnesse and untrustinesse of man hath brought in writings as Bils and Obligations and pledges and sureties c. therefore even for them also hath God taken order in his word Psal 15.4 If a man have once passed his promise hee must performe it and Exod. 22.26 and Zech. 18.7.12 of the pledge and Ezek. 33.15 if he restore the pledge he shall live and not die and if he doe not he shall be as he accounteth him there an unjust man and hurtfull and obnoxious So the surety seeing Prov. 22.26 it was such a dangerous thing to become surety and that the law was so strict Spare him not and that the world was now growne to make it a rule Prov. 20.16 to take the pledge of him that is surety and let the other goe therefore he saith Prov. 6. vers 4. If you be surety be carefull to discharge it And if he that is surety must be so carefull much more must he care for whom he is become surety because the care is brought upon the other by him And last of all Tenacitas in regard of the Common-wealth there is a detaining and that is as Solomon speaketh well Prov. 11.26 to keepe corne in the time of dearth the people shall curse him for it So it may be said of any thing that is beneficiall to the whole every man is bound not to detaine it but to utter it that is of that we call withdrawing Come to the use which is when we have neither by detaining that which is none of ours nor by taking away from others which have right of them but not power to retaine them if we come not to generare pecuniam increase money by usury after none of these wayes we are just Lords It is well said Vbi justitia est condus ibi Christus est Dominus where justice is the layer up there Christ is the Lord over those goods and we have a good tenure the Devill is Lord of the other Aug. upon Luke 8. vers 14. saith that the first gaines is thornes Simile A thorne non colligitur sine laesione if one come to gather it it may chance to runne him in the hand if it be not well gathered hereupon commeth it that it is a Proverbe Omnis dives aut iniqâ—us ipse aut haeres iniqui every rich man is either an unjust man himselfe or the heire of an unrighteous father A man being rightly enstalled in the right of his possessions and goods then the use of them is either upon himselfe or others the one Eccles 6.7 the other 2 Cor. 9.11 he saith he would have them rich to liberality The first is for sufficiencie to a mans owne neede the second for liberality to the neede of others These are the two uses of riches they are both comprehended in Prov. 5.15 for he saith there Drinke the waters of thine owne Cisterns and let the pipe of the fountaines runne forth to others for our use and for the use of others Gal. 6.8 there is a double sowing into the flesh and into the spirit for a man may sow them all into the flesh then as the flesh endeth in putrifaction it is a putrisving soyle and so he may reape putrifaction but if he sow in spirit to that is for spirituall uses propter pies usus for pious uses of the Church and the Ministery and propter pios civiles usus for religious civill uses for the poore But they are plainest and best of all seene in Christs purse Iohn 13.29 For there he biddeth Iudas dispatch Now it is said that some thought his meaning had beene because hee carried the bagge first to buy for their owne use those things they had need of or else the second that he should give something to the poore In the first use of these there is a double extreme Profusion Niggardnesse Profusion 〈◊〉 nigarâ—â—â—â—â—â— As one may not inserre caedem sibi kill himselfe and as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncleannesse may be with himselfe so this is furtum in se theft against or from a mans selfe Eccles 4.8 he saith there is a covetous man alone by himselfe that gathereth with niggardnesse and never saith Quare desraudo animan meam bono why defraud I my selfe of so much pleasure here is a defraudation and theft of himselfe And while he doth this Iam. 5.3 his gold and his silver cankereth and his garments waxe full of moths and his canker and moths shall stand up in the last day and accuse and condemne him Ambrose upon that place saith Esurientium est cibus qui apud te mucescit sitentium est potus qui apud te acescâ—t it is the bread of the hungry that growes mouldy by thee it is the drinke of the thirsty that sowres by thee Of this man by the consent of interpreters Hosea speaketh Tâ—◠〈◊〉 o◠〈◊〉 8. cap. vers 7. he soweth into the winde and reapeth in the whirlewinde there is no profit of it and if there come any profit the stranger shall reape his labour That is the common plague as the Heathen man saith Quodque profunda hausit avaritia what profound avarice hath gathered together there shall another come Qui luxuâ— pejore retundet whose profuse vanity shall scatter it And indeed the hand of the Lord is upon them that whereas their sparing is that they at the last day may enjoy it and say as he saith Luke 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soule take thine ease eate drinke and be merry God disappointeth them vers 20. or else that they may be kept when they are sicke Psal 41.3 But when they are in sponda languoris upon their sick bed they shall receive no comfort but waxe worse and worse they shall spend all their
the poore Psal 41.1 he saith Blessed is the man that judgeth wisely of the poore Our common fancie is that they concerne us not that judgement must be as God judgeth and that shall never be reversed How is that even as he saith Deut. 15.11 God saith there that he hath taken this order that there shall be ever some poore in the land and therefore I command thee it is strange thou shall open thy hand to the needy and to the poore so some poore are appropriated unto us they are made nostri ours we cannot shake off this affixum hanger on us and so consequently vers 3. we shall be bound to doe this Non obfirmabis cor heard heart neque claudes manum close hand and vers 9. he saith Take heede there be not a wicked thought in thy heart that it grieve thee to looke on him And if he crie out unto the Lord against thee it will be sinne unto thee And the reward of sinne is death therefore he sheweth what he ought not to doe therefore vers 8. he saith if his hand be but weakned open thy hand and lend him and vers 10. if lending will doe no good thou shalt give him For there is a double estate of the poore some if it be lent them cannot employ it so that they can live and pay it againe other be so impotent that lending cannot helpe them therefore God hath taken order for a free gift for them Matth. 5.43 they are both joyned together by Christ Now this is a second thing August counsell is not to let thornes grow among seed but to compasse the seed with an hedge of thornes that is the proper use of them or else if that will not be then we must inserere verbum spinis as to graft on thorne stickes here is a science Thou shalt open thy hand and lend him and if that will not serve thou shalt give him graft that and it shall bring forth fruits of mercie therefore this we must doe Christ Luke 19.13 as before he saith there that he hath given us our talents with this condition Negotiamini dum venio trade till I come for his advantage and he saith Matth. 25.24 that this occupying if we will deale with him for a reward must be by improving our talent and then laying it out to the use of the hungry naked and sick this is the best way of increase and the surest to binde him to reward us yet is he not content to goe thus farre only but he hath made a new promise in the Gospel that that which is done to the least of them he will account it as done to him Those that the wise man Prov. 20.10 speaketh of viscera impiorum crudelia cruell bowels or else as the Apostle saith Phil. 2.1 nulla viscera no bowels or 1 Iohn 3.17 clauserit viscera close bowels shut up and no fruit of mercie commeth from them the law of God abideth not in them In Exod. 23.11 to meete with this vice there is a peculiar order taken sixe yeares the land shall be ploughed and sowen and whatsoever commeth of it those sixe yeares thou shalt gather in for thy selfe but in the seventh yeare thou shalt let it lie and let the poore gather of it so likewise shalt thou doe in thy Vine-yards and Olive-trees Levit. 19.9.10 When a man reapeth his field whatsoever he leaveth unreaped he shall not goe over the field twice and he shall have a corner that is for the poore and Deut. 25.19 if a man have left sheaves in the field he shall not returne to take them but let the poore stranger have them And by an argument a comparatis Deut. 22.1 he saith If any see the Asse of his brother goe astray or any harme befall him thou shalt not passe by but help the Asse therefore much more thy brother if any weaknesse befall him thou shalt help him Now for the point it selfe necessitas uiplex there is a three-fold necessity in Divinity 1. Necessitas naturae the necessity of nature every man is to provide for inward food meat drinke tegumenium apparell house-roome 2. Necessitas personae personall necessity 1 Tim. 5.8 he is bound to provide for them of his owne house Luke 11.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they likewise give almes of what they have 3. Necessitas status conditionis to have wherewith to live according to our state and condition This last commeth not unto this neither doth respect it Aug. if a man have three hundred pounds hee hath no more then will serve him and if a man have three thousand pounds he hath no more then will serve him But Christ saith after the two first be served then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather give almes of such things as you have give almes for during particular necessities to our selves of nature or person a man is not bound to give except 2 Cor. 8.3 it be for the common helpe and good of the Church but if there be any surplus he is bound also even those that were in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise The reason of this Châ—ysostome giveth for saith he if you doe not this you love not your money and yet covetousnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of money The covetâ—u loveth not his money and yet they which are covetous have most close bowels he proveth that they love it not very soundly for saith he that true love is not amor concupiscentiae to desire meate to eate but the other velle ejus bonum quod quem amamus to wish the good of that thing and of that person whom we love If we love our money we wish ut bene fit ei good to it now of all things in the world here bene esse is iâ—a esse ut Deus ordinavu the welbeing of a thing is so to be as God hath appointed it Now then if any man doe ordaine an esse to his money in that order that God hath ordained it then he wisheth the good of it and consequently he loveth it else he wisheth the evill of it and so loveth it not if we speake of the right love Gods ordinance is as we see in every thing that is good that it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sociable or willing to communicate and to make it an infallible signe of the Church that there is communicatio Sanctorum the communion of the Saints Rom. 12.13 communicantes Sanctorum necessitatibus communicating to others necessities Now we become liberales liberall and free that is liberare animam à vitiis to free our soules from vices this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowship 2 Cor. 9.13 and there likewise to shew that we are to account of it it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distribution 2 Cor. 9.1 it is a service or ministery a rent to be paid This is that men must thinke of it and he
devotion and reverence for both must be joyned together neither feare without the consideration of his goodnesse nor bold confidence that is not tempered with a dutifull regard of his power is acceptable to him So that which we learned in lege credendi that God is the Father Almighty is here taught againe in lege supplicandi where wee are instructed in our prayers to ascribe both these unto God first that hee is our Father secondly our heavenly Father The consideration of these two are the pillars of our faith and there is no petition wherein we doe not desire that God will either shew us his goodnesse or assist us with his power and no Psalme or Hymne that is not occupied in setting forth one of these The titles which expresse Gods goodnesse have two words the one a word of faith the other a word of hope and charity Of both these words of Pater and noster Basil saith that here Lex supplicandi non modo credendi sed operandi Legem statuit The Law of prayer doth not onely establish and confirme the Law of beliefe but of working also For where in the word Father is expressed the love of God to us it comprehendeth withall the love wee beare to him Where we call God our Father and not my Father therein is contained our love to our neighbour whom we are to love no lesse then our selves Vpon these two hang the Law and the Prophets Matth. 22. Againe the word Father is a word of faith and our a word of charity and the thing required of us in the new Testament is Fides per charitatem operans Faith which worketh by charity Gal. 5. So that in these words Our Father we have a summe both of the Law and the Gospel Christ might have devised many more magnificent and excellent termes for God but none were apt and fit for us to assure us of Gods favour Our Saviour saith Luke 11.13 That earthly fathers which many times are evill men have notwithstanding this care for their children that if they aske them bread they will not give them a stone much more shall our heavenly Father give us the holy Spirit if we aske it Wherefore Christ teaching us to call God by the name of Father hath made choyce of that word which might serve most to stirre us up unto hope for it is Magnum nomen sub quo nemini desperandum a great name under which no man can despaire There may seeme an opposition to be betwixt these words Father and Our if we consider first the Majesty of God before whom the hils doe tremble and the Angels in Heaven cover their faces Secondly our owne uncleannesse and basenesse both in respect of the mould whereof we be made which made Abraham confesse himselfe unworthy to speake unto God being but dust and ashes Gen. 18. And also in regard of our pollution of sinne in which regard we are called The slaves of sinne and children of the Devill Iohn 8. Herein we finde a great distance between God and us and so are we farre from challenging this honour to bee the sonnes of God in regard of our selves Who durst saith Cyprian pray to God by the name of Father if Christ our Advocate did not put these words in our mouthes He knoweth how God standeth affected towards us for all our unworthinesse and therefore seeing he hath framed this patition for us we may boldly as he commandeth say thus Our Faâ—her Therefore albeit of our selves we cannot conceive hope that God is our Father yet we may call him Father by the authority of Christ and say with Augustine Agnosce Domine stilum advocati Filâ—iâ—ui Lord take notice of the stile of our Advocate thy Sonne Wee know not Gods affection towards us but by Christ wee take notice of him for hee hath declared him unto us Iohn 1.18 and being taught that God in Christ vouchsafeth to admit us for his children Wee doe with boldnesse come to the throne of grace Heb. 4. Therefore we have thankfully to consider unto what dignity wee that live under the Gospel are exalted not onely above the Patriarches in the time of the Law but above the heavenly Spirits Before the Law was given Abraham saith Shall I speake to the Lord Gen. 18. In the Law Christ saith Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus Exod. 20. then he was not called Father But if we aske that question which the Apostle makes To which of the Angels said he Thou art my Sonne Heb. 1.5 It will appeare that God hath honoured us in a degree above Angels for that he giveth us leave to call him Father Thus we see what preheminence we have from God above as well the Saints on earth in time of the Law as the heavenly Angels that we may not only pray but pray thus Our Father In the word Father we are further to note not onely that God is the cause of all things for that he bringeth forth all things but also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or naturall affection to those things that are produced Gods Paternity is first generally to be considered in all creatures which for that they have their being from God he is said to be their Father So Iob called God Pater pluviae The Father of the raine Iob 38. Also he is called Pater Luminum Iam. 1.17 and this is a motive sufficient to move God to be favourable to our prayer if there were no more that we are his creatures so David spake Despise nâ—t the work of thine owne hands Psal 138. But men have another use of Gods paternity for whereas of other things God said Producat terra Ger. 1. When man was to be created he said Let us make man giving us to understand that how soever other creatures had their being from God immediately God himselfe would be his Father and frame him immediately with his owne hand Secondly when God created man according to his owne Image he breathed into him life immortall he gave him the sparkes of knowledge and indued his soule with reason and understanding in which regard it is called the candle of the Lord Prov. 21. Thirdly when man was fallen from his first estate God opened to him a doore of repentance which favour hee hath not vouchsafed to the Angels that fell and so wee may crave Gods favour not onely as we are the workes of Gods hands but as we are his owne Image Fourthly God is our Father as we are Christians that which Moses saith Is he not thy Father Deut. 33. and Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63. is to be understood of our generation but we have a second birth called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Regeneration which setteth us in a degree above mankinde and makes us not onely men but Christians which if we be then we are the sons of God not as the raine or lights or they that are created to the Image of God but for that we are borne of God
it Eccles 12. During this our exile and pilgrimage we are not onely to consider that we looke upwards with our faces which moved the Heathen to meditate on heaven but chiefly that in our soules wee have the Image of God imprinted ought to move the people to thinke of God and to set our minds onthings above Col. 3. Albeit we be here in a farre country farre from our fathers dwelling yet we must not forget our fathers dwelling house Luk. 15. The poition is in heaven which our Father will give us and that we seeke to be acquainted with the lawes of that country where our inheritance lyeth that we may guide our lives according to the same lest being rebellious we deprive ourselves of our right and be disinherited Secondly seeing we know that we are not in our owne country we must say as Absolon did Why am I come hither if I may not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. He being an ungratious sonne was desirous to see his father then it shall be a shame for us that are all the Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. if we have not a longing desire to come before the presence of God our Father Psal 42. and except we have a desire to enter into the Courts of the Lord Psal 84. except that with the Apostle we desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1. the first begotten of many brethren and if with our Father God we lay up our treasure in heaven and count it our chiefe felicitie to be there then would we thinke upon heaven more then we doe For where our treasure is there must our hearts be also Matth. 6. But because we altogether set our hearts on earthly things therefore it falls out that our heart is as a heavy clodde of earth and unable to lift it selfe up to heavenly meditation Thirdly as wee desire to be in heaven in our Fathers house so our conversation must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. we must not live by the lawes of earthly Princes and Acts of Parliaments but by an heavenly law though we be strangers on earth yet we are Citizens of heaven and must carry our selves according to the lawes of our country being alwayes desirous to do that which pleaseth our heavenly Father though there were no humane law to compell us thereunto and whereas naturall men have for the end of their civill actions bonum commune a common utility we that are spirituall must make bonum coeleste the heavenly good our end we must do well because God will behold our well-doing favourably and the Angels of heaven will be glad of it Luk. 15. Christ who is the Lord from heaven did subject himselfe to the will of God his Father Not my will but thy will be done and as hee that is heavenly so must they that will be heavenly as we now beare the Image of the earthly so shall we port are imaginem coolestis 1 Col. 15. He while he lived on earth did guide himselfe by an heavenly law and we that remaine on earth must expresse his image by the imitation of his obedience It is true which both our Saviour Christ and John Baptist said That that is borne of the flesh is flesh and so that that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth Job 3. But there must be an imitation and we must set our selves forward towards our heavenly country But because it is not in our power to doe this of our selves for that as Christ sayes No man can come to mee except the Father draw him Joh. 6. therefore wee must pray with the Church in the Canticles Cant. 1.4 Trabe me and to this end doth the holy exercise of fasting and mortification serve greatly that wee may as it were with Doves wings flye up into Heaven As the word Father doth shew us not onely our dignity but our duty also so the word Heavenly doth not onely give us a hope of heaven but also teacheth us that seeing our Father is heavenly wee must live by the lawes of Heaven As we are carefull to be made partakers of the inheritance which God hath prepared for us so we must be as carefull to please him and to do those things which are agreeable to his will We must not onely know Quid sperandum what is to be hoped for but Quid praestandum what is to be performed of us If we pray not onely with confidence because God doth take us for his sonnes but also with invocation with devotion and reverence knowing that our Father hath his dwelling in heaven and we are pilgrims in earth Thus shall we be veri adoratores Joh. 4. true worshippers As we know we shall have our part in heaven so we must begin our heaven here on earth and this shall be done if we adde our endeavour to those things which we pray for at the hands of God as August prayeth Da Domine ut pro quibus oramus pro iis laboremus Grant Lord that the things we pray for and crave of thee for them we may also labour THE NINTH SERMON Hallowed be thy Name HAving ended the first part of this prayer which we called Invocation consisting upon the power and goodnesse of God we come to the petitions themselves which are seven of which the first concerneth God the other concerne our selves or they may be divided as the dayes of the weeke whereof as one falleth out to Gods portion the other to be imployed in our owne affaires So of these petitions the first doth immediately concerne the glory of God the other sixe the supply of our owne necessities in the beginning we heard that it is expedient to know not onely what we are to aske but in what order what first and what second touching which point we are taught by this forme of prayer that that petition which concerneth the sanctification of Gods name is Caput votorum and that all other things that we either desire or pray for in our owne behalfe ought to stand after it and that wee must both desire and pray for the sanctification of Gods name before any thing that we desire either for our selves or for our brethren whether it be for the removing of evill or for the obtaining of good for as before we learned what his love is to us in that he vouchsafed to be our Father so hereby we shall expresse our love againe to him if when we come to pray to him for our necessities we be carried away with such a desire of the glory of our heavenly Father that we forget our owne selves and desire onely that his name may be sanctified which duty Christ doth by his owne example commend unto us In this forme of prayer we are put in mind of that which before was required in the law of works for as there vve learned that God is not honoured aright except he be loved above all things because he
as man eateth and drinketh every day so he drinkes iniquity like water Iob 15. Thirdly vve runne into such debts as vve are not able to discharge for if vve vvere vve needed not to say Dimitte nobis Forgive us our debts but Have patience with me and I will pay thee all Matth. 18. To signifie to us the greatnesse and number of our sinnes one vvas brought that ovved 500. pence and another that ovved 50. Luke 7. and another that ovved to his Master ten thousand Talents By vvhich vve perceive that vve cannot make satisfaction to God therefore hee must remit them The consideration vvhereof ought to vvorke in us humiliation First that as Iob sayes our hearts doe not excuse us and that vve seek not to justifie our selves that as God requireth we confesse our mis-deeds Levit. 26.40 that we acknowledge our sinnes to God and hide them not Psal 32. For if we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgive our sins 1 Iohn 1. Secondly that vve doe not onely confesse but be sorry for them Psal 38. that vvhile vve are in danger to God for our sinnes vve goe and humble our selves and intreat him and suffer not our eves to sleepe till we be sure how we may obtaine forgivenesse Prov. 6 3. The consideration of sinne made David forget to eate his bread Psal 102. so greatly was he disquieted till he was assured of pardon For the second point if our sinnes be debts they must be payed Owe nothing to any but we are not able to answer one of a thousand Iob 9. and for the penalty of malediction we are not able to endure it Psal 90. Who knoweth the power of his wrath therefore our prayer must bee to God that our misery may prevaile more with God to move him to compassion then our unworthinesse to stirre up his indignation and that he will Cancell the hand-writing Col. 2. which thing for that he is full of the bowels of compassion Ier. 31.20 hee is moved to doe when he seeth us sorry for our sinnes howbeit his justice must be satisfied else his mercie cannot take place but Christ by his death having done that God saith of the sinner Deliver him for I have received a reconciliation Iob 33. Qui circumcisus est debitor est totius legis Gal. 5.3 But Christ was circumcised and therefore fulfilled the law for us ad ultimum quadrantem to the utmost farthing and not onely so but he saith of himselfe Exolvi quae non rapui I restored that which I tooke not Psal 69.4 He not onely perfectly fulfilled the Law but suffered the curse of the Law which he had not deserved with this condition Sinite istos abire Let these goe Iohn 18. that is hee was content to be the reconciliation for us that he might draw us out of the hands of Gods justice The estate of our debts may be compared with the Widewes state that was left in debt by her husband 2 King 4. for as the Lord blessed her Oyle in such sort as she did not onely pay her debts but had enough to live on after so Christ is our Oleum effusum our Oyle powred out that is of power not onely to satisfie Gods wrath for ous sins but also to give us an estate in the Kingdome of Heaven and for his sake it is that we may be bold to pray for remission of sinnes and are taught to beleeve that for his merits our sinnes are forgiven so that is true Legem operandi legem credendi lex statuit supplicandi the Law of prayer stablished both the Law of obeying and beleeving Our of Dimitie arise three things for our comfort First that even these sinnes which we commit after Baptisme after our calling and when we are come to the knowledge of the truth are remissible In teaching the Apostles to pray he assureth them of this favour that the same party that saith peccata nostra our sinnes is taught to say Pater noster Our Father Our comfort therefore is that still we are the children of God though great sinners for though we lose the dutifull affection of children yet God cannot lose Viscera patris the tender bowels of a Father David to a rebellious sonne could not but shew a fatherly affection Doe good to the young man Absolon 2 Sam. 18.5 So though the prodigall sonne had offended hainously yet the Father is ready to receive him Luke 15. Secondly another comfort that albeit we commit sinne daily yet he will daily forgive us for God should mocke us saith Augustine if bidding us pray for forgivenesse he should for all that shut up the bowels of his mercie he bids us pray for pardon of our sinnes putting no difference whether they be peny-debts or Talents whether fifty or a thousand if we aske forgivenesse he tels us be is ready daily to remit them Thirdly that be our sinnes never so great so great as cannot be satisfied by us yet he will forgive them propâ—er seipsum for his owne sake Isa 45. Christ hath made himselfe a satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world 1 Iohn 2. We must labour how we may soundly apply his satisfaction to our selves and among other meanes whereby we apply the satisfaction of Christ to our selves prayer is one They shall confesse their iniquities then I will remember my covenant Levit. 26.40.41 He shall pray unto God and he will be mercifull unto him Iob 33.26 I confessed my sins unto the Lord and thou forgavest the wickednesse of my sinne Propter hoc orabit omnis sanctus Psal 32. For this cause shall every one that is holy pray c. By vertue of this prayer Solomon saith that the people having committed any sinne if they come into the house of the Lord and pray for pardon God who is in Heaven will heare them 1 King 8.47 But this is more plaine in the new Testament Matth. 18. Did I not forgive thee quia rogasti me and to Simon Magus Pray to God if he will forgive thee the thoughts of thy heart Acts 8.22 that is if we confesse and be sorry for our sinnes and aske pardon he will forgive us How long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth to thee Psal 66. But we must be of the number that is meant by Nobis that is of the Apostles that is such as are baptized into Christs death Rom. 6. We must die unto sinne as he died for sinne Vt sicut is demisit peccata so we must dâ—mitiere peccata he hath suffered in the flesh and hath ceased from sin so must we 1 Pet. 4. We must have a care that hereafter we fall not into sinne more then our infirmity compels us For sinnes of infirmity Gods grace is sufficient 2 Cor. 11. But if we willingly sinne after remission there is no more sacrifice for sinne Heb. 10. We are therefore to crucifie the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof if wee will be Christs and receive benefit by
concerning whom Christ saith That wee shall bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equall or like to the Angels Luk. 20. ought while we live on earth not speake only with the tongue of men but of Angels not onely to confesse our owne wants and to crave a supply from God but to acknowledge Gods riches goodnesse and power Againe the Petitions that wee make for our selves is a taking and sanctification of his name by ascribing Kingdome power and glory unto God is a giving and therefore as the Apostle saith It is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Act. 29.35 So the confession of Gods goodnesse and power is a better confession then that which we make of our owne weaknesse and poverty and this is the onely thing which God receives from us for the manifold benefits that we receive from him Neither is this confession and acknowledgement left to our owne choice as a thing indifferent but we must account of it as of a necessary duty which may in no wise be omitted seeing God enters into covenant that he will heare us and deliver us out of trouble when we call upon him Psal 50. therefore God challengeth this a duty to himselfe by his servants Ascribe unto the Lord worship and strength give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name Psal 29. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee and glorifie thy name Psal 86.9 Therefore our Saviour commends the Samaritan because he returned to give glory to God for the benefit received wherein he blames the other nine that being cleansed of their leprosie were not thankfull to God in that behalfe Luk. 17. For God for this cause doth heare our prayers and grant our Petitions that we should glorifie and honour his name But this is not all that we are to consider in these words for they are not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely an astipulation but an allegation wherein as we acknowledge Gods goodnesse and power that hath heard and granted our requests so wee alledge reasons why he should not onely heare us but also relieve and helpe us with those things that wee crave for at his hands wee do not onely say heare our Petitions for so shalt thou shew thy selfe to be a King but a mighty and glorious King and we for our parts shall acknowledge the same but we use this confession as a reason why our former requests are to be granted for it is in effect as much as if we should say Forgive thou our sinnes deliver thou us from evill hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdome come for Kingdome power and glory is thine and not ours The reason why we would have our requests granted is drawne from God himselfe in two respects first that we may by this humble confession make our selves capable of the graces of God which do not descend to any but those that are of an humble spirit For he giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. If we would have our desires granted because it is the nature of God to be good and gracious to be of power to do what hee will for the good of his people we must desire him to be gracious propter semetipsum Esay 43.25 Our motive unto God must be For thy loving mercy and thy truths sake Psalm 115.1 Helpe us for the glory of thy Name deliver us be mercifull unto our sinnes for thy Names sake Psal 79.9 By these motives we must provoke and stirre vp God to heare us This is the difference that is betwixt the prayers of profane men and those that are sanctified Heathen and profane men referre all to their owne glory so saies Nabuchadnezzar Is not this great Babell which I have built by my great power and for the honour of my Majesty Dan. 4.30 Such a man thinkes himselfe to be absolute Lord and will say Who is the Lord over us Psal 12. Therefore are they called the sonnes of Beliall But the Patriarches that were sanctified frame their prayers otherwise Jacob acknowledged I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies Gen. 32. by which humility he made himselfe capable of mercy To us belongeth shame saith Daniel chap. 9. but to thee belongs compassion and forgivenesse though we have offended So Christ himselfe in this place doth teach his Disciples to pray that God will give them the things they desire not for any thing in themselves but for his names sake for thine is Kingdome Power and Glory whereby wee perceive that humility is the meanes to obtaine at Gods hands our suites The other respect is in regard of God for he makes his covenant with us that he will be our God and we his people And when the Prophet stirreth up the faithfull to worship the Lord and to fall downe before the Lord our maker hee addeth this as a reason For he is the Lord our God and we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture Psal 95. Wherefore one saith Commemoratio est quaedam necessitas exaudiendi nos quia nos ipsius sumus ipse noster est It is a necessary motive to God to heare us because we are his and he ours Therefore in all the Prayers and Psalmes which the Saints of God make they ground their Petitions upon this in regard of God the Father who is the Creator they say Wee are thy workmanship created by thee therefore despise not the workes of thy owne hands Psal 138. Besides wee are the likenesse of Gods Image Gen. 1. therefore suffer not thine owne Image to be defaced in us but repaire it Secondly in regard of Christ Wee are the price of Christs bloud Empti estis pretio 1 Cor. 6. Yee are bought with a price therefore suffer not so great a price to be lost but deliver us and save us Againe We carry his Name for as he is Christ so wee are of him called Christians seeing therefore that his name is called upon us Dan. 9.19 be gracious to us and grant our requests Thirdly in respect of the Holy Spirit the breath of his Spirit is in our nostrills which is the breath of life which God breathed in us at our creation Gen. 2.7 Againe the same Spirit is to us an Holy Spirit and sanctifieth us wee are not onely Vaginae Spiritus viventis the sheaths of the living Spirit but Templa Spiritus sancti The Temples of the holy Spirit 1 Corinth 6.19 And therefore for his sake wee are to intreat him to be gracious to us Wee are Gods Kingdome and therefore it belongeth to him to seeke our good all the world is his kingdome by right of inheritance but we that are his Church are his Kingdome by right of purchase wee are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.9 a people peculiar or gotten by purchase hee hath redeemed us to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2.14 A peculiar people and the price whereby we are purchased is his owne blood 1 Pet. 1.
he entreth into the soule of a man which he counteth his palace he doth not breake open the doore no nor so much as draw the latch but when he commeth he findeth it swept and garnished Luke 11.25 and so goeth in There must therefore be a reaching out of the hand and an opening of the doore by our selves and so a casting downe of thy selfe or else though the devill thrust sore at thee that thou maist fall the Lord will helpe thee Psal 118.13 In Deut. 22.8 God hath caused battlements to be made on every house top by which we may stay our selves The devill tels God that he had made a hedge about Job Chap. 1.10 so that unlesse Job step over it or breake it downe he is safe III. The devils dart is Cast thy selfe downe but he bestoweth some great cost on this With the selfe-same armour that Christ bare off the other dart doth the devill sharpen and harden this he doth not so in any other of the temptations therefore we are to looke for some great matter he bringeth Scripture that he may be the better credited He speakes not now after the manner of men 1 Cor. 9.8 so that it is not he now that speaketh but Scripture as Paul reasoneth there You see saith he I counsell you to nothing but that the Psalmes will beare you out in The devill knew well by his owne fall how dangerous the sinne of presumption is it cost him dearely and so did it David likewise and therefore of all other he prayeth God to keepe him from presumptuous sinnes Psal 19.13 He knew also what it was to abuse the goodnesse patience and long suffering of God Rom. 2.4 Therefore he avoucheth it by Scripture he tels him it will be too long to goe downe the staires and withall teacheth him a neerer way but to jump or to cast himself down and to feare no hurt for the Angels have charge of him And even so he perswadeth men now adayes that they need not goe downe faire and softly in feare and trembling but to deferre all till their dying houre and then commend themselves to God and throw themselves upon Gods mercy and that fiery Chariot that tooke up Elias shall come and fetch up them or else an Angell shall carry them up let them be sure they shall have no harme for they be Gods darlings and God doth so dote on them that he will not suffer them in any case to receive the least hurt that may be If ever the devill came in his likenesse it was here In the first of Sam. 28.18 he came but in the guise of a Prophet so that in stead of saying Is Saul among the Prophets it might have beene said What is the devill among the Prophets But here he hath used himselfe so cunningly that if ever he was transformed into an Angell here it is verifyed 1 Cor. 11.14 For he commeth here like a white devill or like a Divine he comes with a Psalter in his hand and turnes to the place and shewes our Saviour the 91. Psalme the 11 and 12. verses Wherein first we are to note that the devill readeth Psalmes as well as we and hath the words of Scripture in his mouth And 1 Sam. 28. he counterfeited Samuel so right and used the very words that he had used that they could not know him from Samuel so here he counterfeited the voyce of David Act. 19.15 This will make us shake off security considering that God doth for our triall sometime deliver the adversary the key of our Armory whereby he is able to hold argument with an Arch-angell Jude 9. yea with Christ himselfe as we see here How carefull therefore had we need to be to finde out a fit answer for him For onely to assault us doth he reade the Scriptures yea but not to any good end but even thereby to deceive the simplicity of men as here to make them put their soules in adventure to the last houre He hath indeed a grace with some vaine youths of the Count and ungodly Atheists to set them a scoffing at the Scripture as Esay 28.22 But with others that have the Scriptures in more high reverence he goeth another way to worke making it to them the favour of death Rom. 7.10 The words which he useth in the name of Samuel hee useth to make Saul despaire and here he useth Davids words to cause presumption and to make them our bane And not every Scripture but if there be any Scripture more full of heavenly comfort than another that of all other will the devill abuse as indeed the Psalmes are and of all the Psalmes this 91. especially and in that part if any one sentence be sweeter than another that of all other will the devill abuse Marke the second verse here cited Hee shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes These last words the devill leaves out because they make not for his purpose They shall beare thee in their hands that thou dash not thy foote against a stone And we shall see nothing can be spoken more comfortable as first in that it is said that the Angels have charge over us in all our wayes Exod. 23.20 Behold I send my Angel before thee to guide thee in the way and to comfort and confirme us As when Jacob was in feare of his brother Esau the Angel met him Gen. 32.1 and to defend us in all dangers and succour us in all necessities spreading their wings over us and pitching their tents about us Psal 34.7 Secondly this charge not onely concerneth our head and principall members but also our feet yea Gods providence reacheth even to the haires of our head for they are numbred Mat. 10.30 Thirdly this charge of theirs is not onely to admonish us when danger commeth but they are actually to helpe us as it were putting their hands betweene the ground and us Matth. 13.14 They shall take the rubs and offences out of our way Fourthly this doe they not of curtesie as being creatures given by nature to love mankind but by speciall mandate and charge they are bound to it and have a praecipe for it yea the very beasts and stones shall be in league with us This Psalme and these verses containing such comfort hath the devill culled to perswade men that being such sweete children of God they may venture whether and upon what they will for the Angels attend them at an inch He bids them put the matter in adventure and then but whistle for an Angell and they will come at first he carryeth them up to the top of the Pinacle and shewes them their owne case in Annas and Herod and tels them God will require no more of them than he did at their hands and all the way as they goe up he singeth them a Psalme of the mercies of God he carryeth them up with a song that Gods mercy is above al his workes Psal 145.9 And with Psal
when he would not beleeve the Angell that told him so but would needes have a signe was stricken dumbe Behold thou shalt be dumbe till the day Here is a signe for incredulity he had beene as good have beleeved without a signe The second kinde of tempting proceedeth of over-much familiarity when as we thinke we may be bold with God and that he will take it in good part and therefore we will put him to it as we say we will try both him and his Angels what mettle is in them and what they can doe We are to thinke upon the name of God as of a heavy and weighty thing that is not upon every small occasion to be taken up and removed We are not to accompt it as a feather that we may lightly tosse up and downe at our pleasure and even so are we to esteeme of the mercy of God It is not to be advocated upon every vaine trifle for that were to use God as we are wont to use our Juglers Come on let us see what you can doe shew us a miracle say they Exod. 7.11 So Herod desired to see Christ that he might see some miracle of him as in Luk. 13.8 It is a heavy case when men stand thus affected toward God when afterwards in Luk. 22.64 they blind-folded him and bade him read who strucke him We our selves would not be so used we could not endure to see our friends used so how much lesse ought we to use God in that manner especially that attribute quality or property of God which of all others he would have to be most magnifyed that is his mercy He must needs take it very hainously to see that abused since of all the rest be makes most accompt of it Howsoever he could be content to serve yet would he not be a servant to our sinnes in any case Esay 43.24 especially not to be made a packe-horse if I may so say for our sinnes to lay load on even till his backe ake He saith Amos 2.13 that hee is prest under us as a cart is prest that is under sheaves Let us not make a dung-cart of Gods mercy let us forbeare him that service of all other VI. The sixt is that none of these Dominum Deum tuum neither Lord nor God nor that he is thine are fit arguments to prove that we may presume upon him The devill belike had perceived that there was some acquaintance betweene Christ and God and peradventure had said unto him You may be bold with him and with his Angels What he is your Father and as Caesars daughter answered that though he forget himselfe to be Caesar yet doe not you forget to be his Sonne No saith Christ these be no good arguments to make one presume As for Dominus we will all grant I am sure there is small matter of presumption in that In Deus there may be some more colour but yet very little It is no good dealing with one that is mightier than our selves lest he happen not to take it in good part but fall to earnest and so we feele the smart We were not best to make sport with Sampson least he pull the house about our eares and so make us pay dearely for our pastime Paul saith Doe we provoke the Lord to anger Are we stronger than he 1 Cor. 10.22 If we will needs tempt we were best tempt with our matches There is no dealing with fire for it will burne all that toucheth it Heb. 1.7 his Angels and Ministers are a flame of fire but Heb. 12.29 it is said Our God is even a consuming fire Indeed if he were like Dagon the Philistims god he might be set up and taken downe and we might breake his necke and hands at our pleasure but being the strong and mighty God of Hoasts we were best take heed how we deale with him Tuum what say we to that An ungracious child might make that an argument of presumption but whosoever is of a good nature will make it an argument of the contrary Isaac was Jacobs father but was Jacob more bold to abuse him for that No but rather more timerous Gen. 27. My father saith he may chance feele me and so I shall seeme to him a mocker and so bring a curse on me and not a blessing Is God mercifull yea truly Mercy is with thee but that thou mayest be feared Psal 130.4 We may not abuse his mercy as to sinne that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Is he bountifull and long suffering We must therefore the more feare to displease him When the Pharisees tempted him and would adventure their soules in seeking a signe it is said Matth. 8.11 Christ sighed and why did he sigh Because God sware in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest whose Fathers tempted him in the Wildernesse Psal 95. What rest He doth not meane the rest in the Land of Canaan onely but that which shall be in the Kingdome of God Heb. 3.10 These two temptations of the devil may fitly be compared to those two rockes betweene which Jonathan was to passe which are said 1 Sam. 14.4 to be sharpe One is called Bozez which signifyeth dirt the other Seneh which signifyeth a Bramble or some sharpe pricke betweene which he and his Armor-bearer were faine to clamber up ver 13. Betweene two such Rockes lyeth our way that is Presumption and Desperation therefore blessed is he that so loveth God that he can be content to creepe on hands and feete to him THE SIXTH SERMON MATTH 4.8 9. Againe the devill taketh him up into an exceeding high Mountaine and sheweth him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me AT the first overthrow we had the first Againe and when Christ overthrew him then also yet would not the devill leave then neither but he commeth with his second Againe he comes Againe and Againe The first Againe was an argument of his courage and stomacke this second is an argument of his importunity The first repulse could not drive him away nor the second neither no nor this third for altogether for Luke saith He departed for a season Luk. 4.13 So that as Christ saith John 16.16 After a while ye shall see me and after a while you shall not see me so saith the devill also After a while you shall not see me and againe after a while you shall see me Which teacheth us this lesson that it is not enough to have prevailed against his temptations twice or thrice and so become secure but we are alway to stand upon our guard knowing how the devill will successively every turning of a hand be with us and that while we live we shall never be at rest with him or if he tempt us not we shall be in as bad or worse case For so long as the Lord left other Nations among the Israelites to
devils wit in making such a bargaine It had beene the best penny worth that ever was bought For if we marke how Christ rateth one onely soule we may see how he that to gaine all the kingdomes of the world shall lose his owne soule Matth. 16.26 makes but a foolish bargaine Then what rate shall be made of all mens soules if one be worth kingdomes all which had beene lost if Christ had consented to that which the devill here requireth for then he could not have said I restored that which I tooke not Psal 69.4 By his death he payed the price for the sinnes of the whole world he should then have had a score of his owne to have paid and his death could have beene sufficient but for himselfe onely If he had falne downe and worshipped him he could not have said That the Prince of this world had nothing to say against him John 14.3 Now let us apply this to our selves But we will peradventure say the devill never made us any such offer and therefore what needs any admonishment in this behalfe But I answer though the devill come not in person to us as he did to Christ yet he comes by his instruments When Balak sent to Balaam to come and curse the Israelites and promised him great rewards Numb 22.17 it was not Balaks messengers that spake but the devill used them as instruments to speake So when Simon Magus would have bought the Holy Ghost with money the devill therein tempted the Apostles with Simonie Simon was but the trunke through which the devill spake Act. 8. Againe there be some that will say they were never tempted with Kingdomes It may well be for it needs not when lesse will serve It was Christ onely that was thus tempted in him lay a Heroicall mind that could not be allured with small matters But with us it is nothing so we esteeme farre more basely of our selves wee set our wares at a very easie price he may buy us even dagger-cheape as we say he need never carry us so high as the Mount the Pinacle is high enough yea the lowest steeple in all the Towne would serve the turne Or let him but carry us to the Leads or gutters of our owne houses nay let us but stand in our window or in our doores if he will give us but so much as we can there see he will tempt us throughly we will accept it and thanke him too He shall not need to come to us with Kingdomes one Kingdome is too much what say ye to halfe a one Mark 6.23 No will the devill say I will give ye halfe a one If he would come to us but with thirty pence Matth. 26.15 I am afraid many of us would play Judas Nay lesse than so would buy a great sort even handfuls of Barley and peeces of Bread Ezek. 13.19 and Prov. 28.21 Yea some will not sticke to buy and sell the poore for a paire of shooes as Amos speaketh Chap. 8.6 When he commeth then to tempt us he may abate a great deale of this that he offers Christ he may strike out Omnia and Hac too and instread thereof of put in Hoc and say Hold ye shall have this to worship me I will give ye no more I feare me we will make short worke and take it Hoc aliquid a matter of halfe a crowne or ten groates a paire of shooes or some such trifle will bring us on our knees to the devill Is there a pretty commodity to be had It makes no matter for breaking faith and promise This is that that makes the devill so good a husband and thrifty and to goe neere hand what need he give more when so little will serve Whereas if we will stand hucking with him we might get a great deale more In this temptation as in the former there is both fire to consume our faith and a dart to wound our consciences The fire is the motion of discontent that God is either a poore God not able sufficiently to reward those that serve him or else an unkind God that will not reward the duties that are performed by those that serve him By this we come to say Who is the Almighty that we should serve him Job 21.15 The wicked are they that prosper and encrease in riches I have cleansed my heart in vaine for daily have I beene punished Psal 73.12 Then this dart makes us weary of well doing and then followes that we will serve the devill Being discontent with Gods service we undertake the service of his enemy he requireth nothing but a little falling downe and then if Simon shall come and require any unlawfull thing at our hands we are ready with Judas to meete with him and say What will ye give me and I will doe it Matth. 26.15 though it be to the betraying of Christ The devill here opens his meaning in this Temptation plainely that he would have him fall downe and worship him with a bare and bold face before he came disguised and spake in Parables His meaning is not when he saith Dabo to give them but to barter or exchange one thing for another It is no gift but a flat bargaine men use not to account it a gift except it be without rendring backe either money or service If he render here service backe he may well thinke I have sold my soule for Hoc aliquid Matth. 16.76 He may thinke as Esau sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage Heb. 12.16 so hath he sold his soule his birth-right and freedome for we were all bought with a price 1 Cor. 7.23 the same great high Priest redeemed us all with his blood No sinnes are so carefully to be taken heed of as these that have annexed to adoration donation he hath Malum with a joynter If he should have cast himselfe downe from the Pinacle here is all he should have had they would have talkt of it and have wondred a while at it Well we must be thus perswaded that God is as well able and willing to reward us for any service as the devill and better too It is he indeed that reigneth over the kingdomes of men Dan. 5.21 and placeth in them whom pleaseth him but when he giveth or disposeth he giveth indeed freely exacting nothing backe againe unlesse it be such things as he were to have without any such gift such things as are due of meere right without any stipulation or hire Jam. 1.5 The devils Dabo is as Offices and Parsonages are given amongst us that is as usually sold as horses in Smithfield But if we could be content to give indeed let that heroicall minde that was in Abraham be in us Gen. 14.23 that as he would not take any thing of Melchisedech so we will not be a shoo-lachet the richer by the devill If he offer to make us wealthy let us answer him Pecunia tua tecum pereat THE SEVENTH SERMON MATTH 4.10 11. Then Jesus saith unto