could wish and so might haue continued if he would for hee was the adopted sonne of Pharaohs daughter but yet Moses left them all and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God in Goshen then to enioy all the pleasures of Egypt And this he did because they were but the pleasures of sinne which hee could not enioy vnlesse hee would forsake the true feare and worship of God and all good conscience his example we ought to follow Now that we may auoid all the occasions of sinne and so put in practise this wholesome precept of our Sauiour Christ I wil here intreat of the occasions of sinne and shew withall how they may be auoyded By occasion of sinne I meane any thing that either of it selfe or by mans abuse becomes offensiue and prouoketh vnto sinne In this large acceptance an occasion of sinne extendeth it selfe not onely to such things as are euill but euen to things good and commendable in themselues which by mans abuse cause transgression against God Occasions of sinne are two-fold either giuen or taken An occasion giuen is that thing either word or action that is euill in it selfe the speaking or doing whereof stirres a man effectually to sinne Occasions giuen are two-fold either of one man vnto another or of man vnto himselfe The occasions whereby one man may prouoke another to sinne are many I will reduce them vnto sixe heads The first is badde counsell whereby one man perswadeth another vnto sinne This is a great cause of much euill in the world thus came the fall of our first parents for Sathan perswaded Eue and Eue her husband thus came the crucifying of the Lord of life for the high ' Priests and Rulers perswaded the people to aske Barrabas and to destroy Iesus Hence commeth seeking vnto wisards one friend perswades another for their outward good as they thinke yea from this bad counsel comes the common neglect of all good duties in Gods worship The second is consent or approbation of sinne and it is two-folde secret or open Secret approbation and consent is when men see sinne committed and are not grieued thereat for this cause the Apostle Paul checketh the Corinthians that they were not sorrowfull but rather puffed vp at the facte of the incestuous man whereby they did in some sort hearten him in his sinnes this is a great occasion of sinne in our daies The Prophet Dauid was of another minde his eies gushed out riuers of teares because men brake Gods lawes Open approbation of sinne is when men doe openly countenance sinners and lewd persons which make profession of badde practises this is a great occasion of many horrible impieties hereby the hands of the wicked are strengthened in their wickednesse as the Lord complaineth and this is the sinne of this age for who is so badde that hath not some patrone of his euill and some backe friend to sooth him in his sinne which makes sinne shameles and sinners impudent But all Gods children must follow Elisha who in great feruencie of spirit told Iehoram to his face though he were a king that if it had not bâ—ene for the preseuce of good King Iehosaphat he would not haue looked towards him nor seene him the Lord himselfe will not take the wicked by the hand neither can he endure that his children should helpe the wicked or loue them that hate the Lord. The third occasion giuen is prouocation vnto sinne when either by word or deed men excite or drawe on others to some euill as vnto anger reuenge hatred to drunkennesse or such like and this is a common fault of those that delight in drunken fellowship The fourth occasion is neglect of good duties vnto our brethren as of exhortation admonition instruction or rebuke Ioshua 7. Achan stole the execrable thing for himselfe alone yet all the people are charged with that fault and punished for it the cause was their neglect to keepe one another from that sinne according as God commanded theÌ„ chap. 6. 18. This is a great occasion of impietie among vs if neighbour would admonish neighbour and one brother an other sinne would not be so rife as it is But this dutie is not onely neglected of priuate men one to another but of publike persons who are more bound vnto it The Magistrate is negligent in punishing and the Minister in reproouing sinne and the master of the family carelesse in reforming those that are vnder him which causeth sinne to abound The fift occasion giuen is euill Example in the practise of any sinne whatsoener which may be knowne this is most dangerous like vnto wild fire that inflameth all places whereon it lighteth The truth hereof appeares among vs for let any one man or woman take vp a new fashion in attire and presently the same is generally receiued let a man inuent or sing a leud song and presently it is learned of all euen of little children that can scarse speake whence also comes it that crawling infants should sweare roundly and frame themselues to all impietie when they cannot speake readily but from the bad example of their Elders with whome they are brought vp Now among all men their bad example is most dangerous who make the greater profession of Religion They are like false lights vpon the shoare which lead the shippesvpon the sands And therefore such as shew any care or forwardnes in holy practises of religion must haue speciall watch ouer all their waies that if it be possible they may be blamelesse both in word and deede for all men haue an eye at them and the wicked would gladly spie holes in their coate The last occasion giuen is the priuate slandering of Gods Ministers and the disgracing of their Ministerie this is an offence as generall as the rest and it causeth many to contemne the meanes of their saluation When men meete together their common talke is of the Ministers and of their doctrine not to be edified by mutuall conference but onely to disgrace their persons and to make their ministerie contemptible but they little know what mischiefe this causeth and therefore it ought to be auoided These are occasions of sinning giuen by one man to another for the auoiding whereof which is the plucking out of the eye and cutting off the hand here commanded this Rule must be obserued We must hate and eschew the occasions of sinne as deadly poison and esteeme those persons that giue them vnto vs in that regard as ill as the deuill Thus Christ dealt with Peter his owne disciple when he went about to hinder him from doing his Fathers will in suffering for our sinnes saying Come behinde me Satan considering him in that action as if he had beene the deuill himselfe for we must know that the deuill comes not openly vnto men but cunningly conuaies himselfe in these
place as Pharaohs court was Second reason 2. King 2. 4. The Prophet Elisha sweareth by Eliah's soule Ans. That place prooueth not the point in hand for the question is of indirect oathes where the name of God is concealed but in that place Gods name is prefixed as the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth Againe that phrase may be taken for a solemne Asseueration onely as it is well translated as the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I will not leaue thee Reason III. Canticl 3. 5. There say they Christ himselfe sweareth by the creatures the Roes and the Hindes of the field Answ. Those words are not an oath but an admiration for Christ chargeth the enemies of his Church not to trouble her and he confirmeth his charge by a testimonie from the bruit beasts which may be done without an oath for it is all one as if he had said If you doe trouble my Church the Roes and Hindes of the field shall be witnesses against you because you doe that which they would not doe if they had reason as you haue now the creatures may be made witnesses vnto an Admiration as Deut. 32. 1. Moses calleth heauen and earth to witnesse and so doth the Lord Isa. 1. 2. but when a man sweareth by a thing the same is made a witnes to his conscience which no creature can be Reason IV. Paul say they sware by their reioycing which is a gift of God Ans. Those words are not an oath but an obtestation to testifie the constancie which he shewed in his ministerie and they declared in the confession of their faith now a testimonie may be drawne from a creature as we shewed before But say they the word there vsed is a note of an oath Ans. Not alwaies for sometime it betokens an asseueration as in other authors might be shewed so that I take it there ought not to be any indirect oathes wherein Gods name is concealed and the creature sworne by made a pledge of Gods presence Now I come to the reasons for which Christ forbids these indirect oaths the summe of them in generall is this because Gods name which must not be taken in vaine is set in euery one of his creatures euen in the least haire of a mans head for therein a man may see the wisdome and power of God therefore we may not sweare in our common talke no not by the least creature that God hath made Hence we learne sundrie instructions 1. That it is not lawfull to sweare by faith troth bread drinke and such like for faith to insist in one is a gift of God which beareth Gods name in it for the matter of our faith is Christ so as when we sweare by it we sweare by Christ whose name we may not take in vaine and therefore may not sweare at all by any such oathes Againe God hath set his name on euery creature he hath imprinted in them the signes of his power wisdome iustice and mercie Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of God are seene by his workes and Act. 14. 17. Raine from heauen and fruitfull season were witnesses vnto the Gentiles of Gods goodnes vnto them which serueth first to condemne the world of great ingratitude for we haue set before our eyes we daily tast and handle the good creatures of God yet who beholds in them his wisdome mercie and goodnes that thereby he might take occasion to praise his name for men are like to bruit beasts who vse the benefit of the creatures but yet neuer think on God the creator and like vnto the swine who eateth vp the mast but neuer looketh vp to the tree from whence it cōmeth yea some are so shamelesse that they denie God by their works though not in word Secondly this teacheth vs carefully to meditate vpon the creatures of God labouring therein to see Gods wisdome iustice mercy and the rest of his attributes that hereby we may take occasion to praise his name Psal. 139. 14. I will praise thee for I am wonderfully and fearefully made maruelous are thy works and that my soule knoweth right wel here the Prophet doth professe First that he did meditate on the creatures of God seriously then that his meditation made him to feare and to be astonished and thirdly to praise God Psal. 92. 5 6. Oh how glorious are thy workes therein importing that he did meditate thereon but the vnwise man saith he knoweth it not and a foole doth not vnderstand this where he sheweth that it is a great point of folly to see Gods creatures and not to behold the wonderful power and goodnes of God in them Psal. 145. 5. I will meditate vpon all thy wondrous workes and v. 10. All thy works praise thee O Lord. His example we should follow And whereas Gods iudgements are among vs we must labour in them to see Gods indignation against our sinnes and his mercy in chastening vs for our amendment that we might not be condēned with the world Thirdly if euery creature carie in it some stampe of Gods name then what should the reasonable creature doe should not men much more beare Gods image yes verely both in thought will affection and action we must therefore seeke to repaire in vs Gods image decaied in Adam and aboue all things take heede we carie not about vs the image of the deuill in any sinne for if we doe we are farre worse then the dumbe creatures Fourthly whereas euery creature beares about some part of Gods image this serues to strippe the ignorant sort of their false plea who thinke God will hold them excused because they are not booke learned but they must know they deceiue themselues for sith they are ignorant of the wisdome mercie iustice and power of God and of many other things in God which the very vnreasonable creatures might haue taught them if they had beheld the same and meditated thereon they may iustly feare least these silly creatures stand vp in iudgement against them at the last day And lastly seeing God hath set his image in euery creature we must labour to vse them all in an holy manner as meat drinke apparell and such like we must beware we abuse them not vnto our lusts any manner of way for the abuse redounds vnto the Lord whose name they beare and we know God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Now I come more particularly to the seuerall reasons annexed to the seuerall prohibitions The first particular prohibition is this Thou shalt not sweare by heauen and the reason followeth for it is the throne of God This reason is to be scanned A Throne is a chaire of estate wherein earthly Princes vse to sit in iudgement and shew themselues in glorie and maiestie Now heauen is not properly a Throne but by resemblance because that God doth in heauen and from heauen shew his glorie and maiestie vnto men In
righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and for the obtaining hereof he must denie himselfe and become nothing in himselfe that hee may bee all in Christ. Secondly true conuersion of the whole man vnto God from all sinne so as his heart must be renued and disposed to please God in all things And because these things are inward and secret therfore to make them knowne there is further required that a man carrie in his heart a resolute and constant purpose from time to time neuer to sinne against God and this purpose of heart he must testifie by a godly and consâ—â—onable endeauour of life to please God in all things for this is the fruite of true faith and of sound inward conuersion and in regard hereof were Enoch Iob Dauid Zacharie and Elizabeth called iust But he that wants this constant purpose and a daily endeauour from a beleeuing penitent heart to please God in all things is a wicked person and as yet Gods enemie By this first wee see how many are deceiued euery where with ciuill honestie for if a man liue vprightly among his neighbours and doe abstaine from murther adulterie oppression and such like sinnes hee is presently counted a good man such a one indeede may be counted an honest man ciuilly as Ahâ—melecâ— was but yet this outward honestie makes not a man iust and good in the sight of God so as he reputeâ— him for his friend thereto are required true faith and true repentance testified by new obedience Secondly here also see that neither the knowledge of Gods word nor the hearing of it with some gladnesse and bringing forth some fruits noâ— yet to bee able to conceiue a praier for the forme thereof that none of these I say no noâ— all of these doe make a man the friend of God indeede for all these may bee in an euill man who hath a purpose in his heart to liue in some sinne in whose heart as yet there is no true faith noâ— sound repentance without which as wee heard no man is iust in the sight of God nor accounted for his friend And therefore we must not content our selues with these things but labour to be good and iust indeede When affliction shall beâ—â—ll vs or death approach we would giue all the world if it were in our hands for good assurance that God were our friend now then let vs labour for true saith and repentance and testifie these by a constant purpose a godly endeauour to please God in all things through the whole course of our liues and then will the Lord esteeme vs for his friends Verse 46. 〈◊〉 if you loue them that loue you what reward shall yee haue doe not the Publicans euen the same In these words our Sauiour Christ propounds a second reason to perswade his Disciples and hearers to loue their enemies and to the end it might take the deeper root in their hearts he repeats the same againe in the next verse which in effect is the same with this The words are plaine if we know what Publicans were Publicans therefore were officers that gathered tâ—ll and tribute taxes and rents of the Iewes for the Romane Emperom to whom the Iewes were in subiection Now in the gathering of it they vsed much iniustice oppression for which cause they were hated of the Iewes aboue all other people esteemed most basely of Now saith Christ though these Publicans be void of all good conscience yet they will loue their friends of whom they are loued And hence Christ reasons thus If you my hearers doe but loâ—e them that loue you ye do but as these Publicans do but you must do more then such vngodly persons doe and therefore you must loue your very enemies Here first obserue that Christ doth not forbid one friend to loue another for then he should be coÌ„tâ—ary to himselfe but here he condemnes carnall loue whereby one man loues another onely because he is loued againe which in effect is nothing else but for a man to loue himselfe in another And here to note the true maner of louing our neighbour this Rule must be remembred that all the commandements of the second Table must be practised in with the first coÌ„mandement touching the loue of God thus father and mother must be honoured in God for God thus one man must loue another in God yea thogh he be his enemy because he is Gods creature beares his image as well as he himselfe doth yea he is by God commeÌ„ded to our loue This must be the grouÌ„d though for other respects our loue may increase towards our brother What reward shall ye haue Here Christ would teach vs singular wisdome for the ordering of our liues namely that we giue our selues especially to the doing of such things as with God haue promise of reward what moued Moses to refuse to be called the sonne of Pâ—arâ—â—â— daughter to forsake the pleasures and riches of Egypt and to choose to suffer affliction with Gods people the word of God is plaine he had respect to the recompence of reward But this doctrine is not regarded else how should all places abound so much with idle persons and such as giue themselues wholly to gaming and company keeping to sports and delight now what reward can these looke for at Gods hands vnlesse it be the wages of sinne which is eternall death Let vs therefore beware of such a course and learne to abound in good works which are things good and profitable Doe not the Publicanes euen the same Our Sauiour Christs intent in this instance is to shewe that his Disciples and so all professors of the Gospel must goe beyond all other people in duties of loue indeede then whole life should be spent in the practise of this vertue Ephes. 5. 1. Walâ—e that is lead the course of your life in loue and the state of the Church is to dwell in loue 1. Iohn 4. 16. The reason is great for Christians of all other receiue the greatest measure of loue from God through Iesus Christ and therefore they must abound in this grace first â—â—wards God and then one towards another this is the badge of a Christian and the grace of our religion and therefore let vs shewe it forth Verse 47. And if yee be friendly to your brethren onely what singular thing doe ye doe not euen the Publicanes likewise Christs drifâ— in these words is further to inforce the dutie of loue to the same effect with the former verse The word translated be friendly betokens the friendship which was shewed in that countrie in salutations by embracing now saith Christ the very Publicanes will kindly embrace their friends therefore you must doe more We obserued before three branches of kind vsage to be shewed towards an enemie to wit to speake well of him to pray for him to do him good now here we may annexe a fourth
bewayled I. Here we are to call to minde our wants and to humble our soules for those sinnes whereby we haue hindred Gods glorie or prophaned his name And these especially are foure I. Pride of heart a vile affection whereby we seeke our owne praise and glorie and not Gods This is naturall and so the more hardly discerned but while it is nouriâ—hed Gods glorie is neglected and therefore when we desire to glorifie Gods name we must acknowledge and bewaile this inward corruption II. Want of zeale coldnesse of heart towards God This is an inward corruption which debaseth the Lord in our hearts and takes away that high esteeme of God which ought to be in vs. This causeth vs to omit to glorifie God and to defend the causes of God and the honour of his name when wicked men disgrace and reproch the same he that hath any insight into his owne estate may perceiue this in himselfe now it mightily hinders the glorie of God and therefore we must vnfainedly bewaile it in our own hearts III. Hardnesse of heart whereby we are hindred from the true knowledge of God in his word and from discerning his wisdome power iustice mercie c. in his works though we haue them before our eyes hence it comes that eiâ—â—er we neglect the word and passe by the workes of God without consideration or if we vse them yet it is without glorie to God or profit to our soules Mark 6. 5. Christs owne disciples considered not the matter of the loaues because their hearts were hardened they discerned not or at least remembred not the power of God in that miracle though themselues were instruments about it and they might perceiue the foode to increase in their hands IV. Prophanenesse and impietie in life for God is glorified when we bring forth the fruits of grace Ioh. 15. 8. and our good workes cause others to glorifie God Math. 5. 16. And therefore our prophane life is a reproach vnto the Lord and causeth others to dishonour and blaspheme his name Rom. 2. 24. Now this prophannesse appeareth either in mens speach by blaspheming the name of God abusing his tides attributes his word his creatures or any worke of his prouidence or in their conuersation when they dispose the whole course of their liues to wrong ends seeking themselues and not Gods glorie These are the speciall sinnes against Gods glorie which we are to see and to bewaile in our owne hearts if we see them not in our selues our case is the worse and we must suspect our selues the morâ— if we porceiue them in vs we must be humbled for them yea ashamed and confounded in our owne hearts thinking euill of our selues by reason hereof and then shall we be able to say with some truth of heart O Lord halowed be thy name And indeede till we be inwardly humbled for these corruptions in some measure the heart can neuer speake these words as a sonne and daughter of God ought to doe 2. Use. Graces to be desired Secondly this petition teacheth vs earnestly to desire of God those spirituall graces whereby we may glorifie his name in our selues and others The graces enabling vs hereto are these especially I. The true knowledge of God as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word and in the workes of his power and prouidence for he that knowes not God cannot possibly glorifie his name II. To sanctifie God in our hearts by louing fearing and truâ—ting in him aboue all This makes greatly for his glorie when wee depende vpon him in soule and bodie for all good things III. The calves of our lips which is a sacrifice of praise to God for all his mercies Psal. 50. 23. He that offereth praise shall glorifie me IV. To see Gods hand in all his workes how mightie wise iust and gratious the Lord is V. To reuerence the workes of God for his iustice mercie power c. appearing in them VI. To vse all his creatures reuerently sanctifying the same vnto our selues by the word and praier These graces we must hunger after and labour to haue a liuely feeling of in our owne hearts and so shall we sanctifie Gods name and honour him in all his workes And hereby we shall know our selues to be the sonnes and daughters of God we may indeede belong to God in his secret counsell but without these sanctified affections and holy actions we are not effectually called and so indeede not actually become Gods children 3. Vse Duties to be practised Thirdly whatsoeuer we aske of God in prayer we must vnfainedly endeauour to practise in our liues as therefore wee pray that Gods name may be halowed so wee must be carefull to sanctifie the same in our conuersation For this ende we must haue regard to three things I. That our liues be vnblameable not tainted with any sinne that as Paul said of earthly seruants They must count their masters worthie all honour that the name of God be not euill spoken of so the same may be verified in euery one of vs towards the Lord our master in heauen Away therefore with all Idolatrie blasphemous oathes and cursed speaking with Sabbath breaking and all other sinnes against the second table for a prophane life brings great reproach vpon the name of God which men professe II. We must propound the right ende of our life euery day in our calling and conuersation to wit Gods honour and glorie and not our owne praise wealth pleasure or dignitie III. When God offers occasion by any worke of his prouidence we must endeauour therein to glorifie and magnifie God example say God sendes a gricuous dearth and famine of bread among vs or the plague of pestilence as he hath done sundrie times then must we striue herein to glorifie and praise Gods name first by labouring to see the hand of God smitiag vs for our sinnes secondly by reuerencing the worke of God esteeming it as his hand vpon vs thirdly by humbling our selues vnto God and renuing our repentance for our sinnes that haue brought Gods iudgements vpon vs. Thus should we glorifie God in his Iudgements but alas such is our blindnesse and securitie that though Gods hand be vpon vs yet few lay it to heart where is he that saith What haue I done nay though God himselfe call vnto weeping and mourning And to girding with sacke cloath as the Prophet speaketh yet behold ioy and gladnesse eating and drinking so as Gods name is dishonoured in his iudgements So when Gods blessings are vpon vs we should glorifie his name by labouring to see his hand of mercie and esteeming of them reuerently with praise and thanksgiuing to God that is the giuer but herein also men dishonour God by poaring vpon the meanes praising their owne witte and industrie and so sacrifice to their nets as the Prophet saith Now because this dutie is of great waight and importance I will adde some speciall reasons to
and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. whereof we haue spoken before all which we must labour to finde in our hearts and to expresse in our liues else this kingdome shall be taken from vs we shall neuer see the glorie of it Thirdly hence we must learne to bee contented in all estates of this life whatsoeuer the hope of the glory of this kingdome which we pray for must swallow vp all the sorrowes that earthly calamities can bring vpon vs This it was that made the Patriarks to walke contented in the state of Pilgrimes and Strangers here on earth Hebr. 11. 13 14. Yea this renues the inner man it cheeres the heart and keepes it from fainting though the outward man perish to looke after the ioyes of this kingdome which are the things not seene and therefore Christ herewith comforts his Disciples against the sorrow of afflictiō saying Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the kingdome Luk. 12. 32. Fourthly wee must all labour in our places and callings to bring one another into this kingdome one neighbour another one friend another Ezek. 18. 30. Returne saith the Lord to the house of Israel and cause one another to returne This the Prophet Isay noteth as a practise of the subiects of this kingdome that they shall say one to another come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord Isay 2. 3. But masters of families especially must looke to the practise of this dutie and labour to bring Gods kingdome into their families for this ende they must see to these things First that there bee no manifest or open sinne permitted in their families ridde thy house of such a person if thou canst not reforme him Psalm 101. 7. Secondly instruct thy familie in the way of the Lord that they may know to liue righteously and vprightly both before God and man Thirdly set vp and maintaine the priuate worship of God in thy familie ioyne thou with them in holy duties especially in daily calling vpon the name of God In regard of these and such like duties it is that the Scripture ascribes saluation to a familie where the master or the gouernour of the house is conuerted to the faith And for the practise hereof the holy Patriarkes are commended to all posteritie God saith of Abraham I know him that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord and Iacob commands his family to put away their strange gods and to clense themselues and Ioshuah prosessed publikely that he and his familie would serue the Lord. Fiftly hence wee must learne euery day to prepare our selues to die for by death our soules enter into the glorie of this kingdome which we pray may come vnto vs and therefore we must be ready to receiue it euery day that whensoeuer our King commeth vnto vs either by death or in the last iudgement wee may passe from grace to glorie And indeede wee cannot with comfort make this petition vnlesse wee bee in some measure prepared for death and that euery day Now beeing prepared wee must waite as Iob did euery day till our changing come Looke how the godly in the olde Testament looked for our Sauiour Christs first comming in the flesh so must we waite for his comming to vs either by death or iudgement neither must any thing dismay vs in this waiting no not death it selfe for the sooner we die the sooner wee may enter into glorie And here wee may take a viewe of the monstrous hypocrisie of the world for who will not say these words Thy kingdome come but yet the most men neglect to prepare themselues for entrance into this kingdome nay many contemne the word and praier which are the meanes whereby we haue admittance into the state of grace and are prepared for the kingdome of glorie Sixtly wee may here learne of our Sauiour Christ the practise of humilitie and in all things to giue all glorie to God for though this kingdome pertaine equally to him as hee is God with the father yet because he hath it from the father as he is the son therfore he will haue it wholly attributed vnto him for he teacheth vs to say Our father thy kingdome come Lastly here obserue the necessitie of this petition in respect of our outward estate for the comming of this kingdome to any estate is a speciall cause of prosperitie and happinesse vnto it for where this kingdome is Gods hand of blessing and protection is in a speciall manner here the Lord raigneth and his glorious and blessed Angels which are mightie in strength and power keepe watch and guard in that kingdome and about that people who haue the Lord for their King and God Hence it is that this our Kingdome hath so long enioyed peace and protection from many dangerous assaults because we embrace and professe the Gospel which is the scepter of Gods kingdome and if wee could doe it in sinceritie and walke worthie of the Lord our King our prosperitie should bee as the stoods and our peace as the Sunne and Moone in heauen And therefore they that loue the peace of this kingdome must embrace and obey the Gospel and pray for the happie and flourishing estate thereof for therein standes our peace Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen The Coherence This petition dependeth on both the former thus as a meanes whereby wee doe that which wee desire in the first petition for Gods name is glorified when his will is done and as a manifestation of that which wee desire in the second petition for there wee pray that Gods kingdome may come vnto vs and hee rule in our hearts by his word and spirit now here we craue that we may doe his will and so testisie our selues to be his loyall subiects The meaning This petition is propounded in a comparison which naturally standeth thus As thy will is done in heauen so let thy will bee done in earth And it hath two parts The first respects the grace of obedience which wee pray for Thy will be done in earth The second shewes the right manner of performing it as it is in heauen For the first Thy will c. Gods will is onely one considered in it selfe as God is one yet for our vnderstanding it may be thus distinguished It is either absolute or reuealed Gods absolute will is the will of his good pleasure whereby according to his eternall counsell hee determines of all things what shall be done or what shall not be done and in what manner This absolute will extendeth ouer all creatures and ouer all their actions Ephes. 1. 11. Wee are predestinate according to the purpose of him that worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Roman 9. 19. Who hath resisted his will Matth. 10. 26. Without this will
of God a sparrow cannot fall to the ground And this absolute will of God is hidden from vs till God reueale it by the euent Gods reuealed will is the sacred doctrine of God in his word whereby he signifieth vnto man so farre as concernes his happinesse and saluation what he ought to doe or what he ought not to doe This is not Gods absolute will but rather an effect thereof concerning man reuealing vnto him not what he simply and absolutely willeth to bee done for that must needes be done but what is pleasing or displeasing vnto him done by man and what he will haue man to doe or not to doe if he desire to come to life and would not be condemned And this reuealed will comprehendeth both the Law and the Gospel with all their commandements prohibitions threatenings exhortations promises such like whereto the Apostle hath relation when he saith Proue what is the good will of God and acceptable Rom. 12. 2. Now this distinction of Gods wil being according to the Scripture hath his vse in this place for when we say Thy will be done wee meane not the absolute but the reuealed will of God Reasons I. The absolute will of God is alwaies done cannot be resisted My counsel shal stand saith the Lord and I will doe whatsoeuer I will and againe Who hath resisted his will that is his absolute will for his reuealed will is generally transgressed by men and men doe that which seemeth good in their owne eies notwithstanding God reueale his will to the contrarie II. A man may sometime dissent from the absolute will of God without sinning so be it he still submit himselfe to the will of God resting therein when it is reuealed Thus Abraham praied for the safetie of Sodome yet submissiuely which God willed and decreed to destroy and Dauid prayed for the life of his childe which God would haue to die and our Sauiour Christ prayed for the remooual of that cuppe which God had absolutely decreed he should drinke of yet submitting his will vnto his fathers And Paul according to his Apostolike function desired to preach the Gospel in Bythinâ—a but the spirit suffered him not which sheweth plainely it was not the will of God that he should preach there and yet he desired it religiously without sinne as did the rest before mentioned And as in will so in affection a man may dissent from Gods absolute will without sinne Christ as the sonne of God knew his Fathers will concerning the destruction of Ierusalem and yet he wept for it in a tender compassion ouer their miserie to come and so the brethren at Cesarea wept and lamented for Pauls going to Ierusalem though Agabus prophesied that God would haue it so neither must this seeme strange vnto vs for two things may remaine both good and yet differ one from the other so may mans created will differ from Gods absolute and vncreated will and yet both remaine good Hauing found that this petition must bee vnderstood of the reuealed will of God wee now come to search out the speciall branches of Gods reuealed will which wee shall finde in seuerall places of the holy Scripture The first is the conuersion of a sinner Ezekiel 33. 11. As I liue saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but that the wicked turne from his way and liue The second is that wee denie our selues and relie wholly on our Sauiour Christ Iesus for life and saluation Iohn 6. 40. This is the will of God that hee that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day The third is our sanctification in soule and bodie and spirit 1. Thess. 4. 3. This is the will of God euen your sanctification The fourth is that euery one that liues in the church of God beside his generall calling of a Christian should haue a particular calling to liue in wherein he must seeke the glorie of God in the good of others 1. Cor. 7. 20. Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he is called and therein walke with God v. 24. The fiâ—t part of Gods will is to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God in all crosses and afflictions whatsoeuer when the brethren at Cesarea saw Pauls resolution to goe to Ierusalem notwithstanding the bonds that there remained for him they said as it were expounding this petition the wil of the Lord be done Act. 21. 14. Be done According to the Scripture there bee two degrees of doing Gods will the first is prescribed in the Gospel to wit a sincere endeauour and strife according to all the power of grace that God hath giuen vs to doe the will of God and this especially is here meant The second is commanded in the Law and it is a fulfilling of Gods will doing that which God commandeth in that manner of perfection which he commandeth but this is not attained vnto in this life and therefore our desire of God in this petition is that he would giue vs grace sincerely to endeauour to doe his whole will here on earth and to hasten that time and state vnto vs wherein we shall doe it perfectly as the Law requires 1. Vse Wants to be bewailed both in our selues and others I. This petition teacheth vs to bewaile our naturall disposition whereby we are prone to rebell against the will of God beeing wholly bent to disobedience in doing that which is euill II. We must bewaile our naturall hypocrisie euen that which remaineth in vs after grace receiued for though we may say these words yet we can not possibly haue our hearts affected with such a perfect desire after obedience to Gods will as we ought to haue III. Though we haue neuer so much grace yet here we must lament and bewaile our want of obedience in all good duties for though we giue our selues to doe good things yet the best of vs all faile in the manner of doing them as in hearing the word in receiuing the Sacraments and praier so as we must be humbled for our wants and confesse that we are vnprofitable seruants when we haue done all that is commanded vs Luk. 17. 10. Secondly we must bewaile the sinnes of others whereby they disobey the will of God and so rebell against him hereby God is dishonoured and therfore in zeale of Gods glorie and loue to our brethren we must be grieued when others sinne Thus was Dauid affected Psal. 119. 136. and Paul 2. Cor. 12. 21. I feare least when I come vnto you my God abase me among you and I shall bewaile many of them that haue sinned alreadie 2. Use. Graces to be desired As we must bewaile the wants that hinder the doing of Gods will in our selues and others so we must stirre vp our hearts vnto heauenly desires after those graces whereby Gods
the same vnto vs. So that it is not here to be taken as it is commonly onely for a bare assent of the people answering the Minister in the congregation but for a part of the praier belonging both to Minister and people that pray in faith whether publikely or priuately and that so much more excellent then the former by how much our faith excelleth our desire yea it is the seale of our hearts which we must set to euery petition for to ratifie and confirme the same vnto our selues as when we say Halowed be thy name our hearts must say Amen that is as I desire grace to glorifie thy name so I beleeue Lord thou wilt enable me thereunto and so for the rest The vse I. FroÌ„ the vnion of this word with the petitions we learne that euery child of God must beleeue particularly and certenly the pardon of his own sinnes endeauour by grace to attaine thereunto if as yet he cannot be perswaded of it This the Papists denie teaching that a man must onely beleeue in generall that remission of sinnes belongs to Gods Church hope well for himselfe and they make it presumption for a man to arrogaâ—e particular certenty vnto himselfe But it is no presumption because we must beleeue to receiue froÌ„ God that we aske according to his will now God bids vs aske forgiuenes of our particular sinnes therfore we must beleeue it so by faith may be assured of it as for their generall faith it differeth not from the faith of deuills for they beleeue there is remission of sinnes in Gods church And to say we hope well when we are not assured by faith is to bewray both ignoraÌ„ce negligence in the matter of our saluation for faith is the ground of things hoped for therefore their hope without faith must needs be a blind presumption And here further we may note that by their opinioÌ„ they abolish a great part of the Gospel for with the gracious promises of mercy in Christ made therein the Gospel coÌ„mandeth euery penitent person that beleeueth to applie the same promises particularly to himselfe this part of it they cut off so depriue the child of God of all true comfort II. This testification of our faith ioyned to our requests shewes that all praier ought to be made in a knowen tongue for els the assent affiance of the heart cannot be giuen together Ob. The word here vsed is an hebrew word which was vnknowne to the Greek churches now if one word of maine vse in praier may be in vnknowne toÌ„gue why may not many so a whole praier Ans. Though this word Amen be hebrew yet by vse it became as familiar wel knowne in the Greek Church so in other Churches as any word of their owne dialect as many Latine words as nisi prius and other tearmes of law by common vse become familiar and wel knowne in our English tongue The vse of the Lords prayer The principall vse of this prayer is to be a patterne and direction whereby the Church of God and euery member of it may frame their praiers to God on any occasion And because many through ignorance faile in this point therefore I will stand somewhat to shew how the Lords praier must be made a patterne to our praiers For this ende we must applie the seuerall petitions of this praier both to the speciall times of praier as morning and euening and also to the speciall occasions whereupon we pray which may be reduced to some of these three to wit 1. some waightie businesse we haue in hand 2. some affliction we are in or in danger of 3. or in regard of death Now to applie the petitions to each of these seuerally I. In the morning A fit praier for that time before we set vpon the duties of our calling may thus be framed from these petitions 1. we must desire the Lord to giue vs grace to seeke the aduancement of his glorie that day following in the duties of our calling in euery thing we take in haÌ„d 2. that he would rule in our hearts by his grace guide vs by his word that whole day 3. enable vs to doe his will that day and not our owne euen with readines delight 4. strengthen vs to depend vpon his prouidence that day for all things needefull for this life 5. that he would humble vs in our selues for our sinnes giue vs repentance for them pardon in Christ Iesus that so no iudgment light vpon vs for them and that our hearts may be enclined to loue mercy towards our brethren as we desire mercie with God for our owne soules 6. That God would strengthen vs against temptation that neither the world the flesh nor the deuill preuaile against vs. And of all these we must gather assurance because all soueraigntie and power and glorie belongs to God II. At euening also we may fitly applie these petitions for the comfortable coÌ„mending of our selues to God that night 1. intreating God to blesse our rest vnto vs that thereby we may be fitter to glorifie God 2. That we may rest and sleepe safely as his true subiects vnder his gracious regiment 3. That we may doe his will as well in rest as in labour in the night and secretly as in the day sight of men 4. That he would blesse our rest sleepe that it may coÌ„fortably serue for the preseruation of our liues 5. That he would forgiue the sinnes of the day past that so no cuâ—se terrour nor feare meete with vs for them the night following 6. That he would keepe vs in our rest from all sinnefull lusts from all wicked motions and suggestions either waking or sleeping III. When we enterprise any waightie matter or businesse of our callings we may fitly applie these petitions in praier to God for abilitie good successe therein for whatsoeuer we take in hand we must doe it in the name of the Lord 1. we must pray that in this whole businesse our hearts may be set sincerely to seeke the aduancement of Gods glorie 2. That the Lord would vouchsafe to guide and gouerne vs in doing the worke whatsoeuer it be 3. That in doing of it we may make conscience to doe the will of God and to obey him from the beginning to the ende of it 4. That we may by faith relie vpon Gods prouidence for the issue and effect of our whole endeauour 5. That none of our sinnes may bring a curse vpon vs in the worke 6. That neither Satan nor any other enemie of our soules may hinder vs by temptation but that God would deliuer vs from them all IV. When any affliction lies vpon vs or ours we may hence frame holy requests to God Intreating 1. that we may honour God by patience and obedience in that affliction and not dishonour him 2. That God would shew in vs the
thinketh on them though heauen be Gods throne and the earth his footstoole yet will hee looke to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit yea the Lord will dwell with him that is of a contrite and broken heart Christ came to preach the glad tidings of the Gospel to the poore yea the Lord filleth the hungrie that is the poore and hungrie soule with good things but the rich he sends emptie away Let these and many such fauours with God which they enioy prouoke vs to become poore in spirit Secondly are they blessed that be poore in spirit then here all poore and wretched persons in the world may learne to make good vse of their wants and distresses they must consider them as the hand of God vpon them and thereby be ledde to the viewe of their sinnes and by the consideration of their sinnes be brought to see their miserie in theÌ„selues the true ground of this spirituall pouertie Now when they are once poore in spirit they are in a blessed state in the iudgement of Christ. If a man bleed dangerously at the nose the best way to saue his life is to let him blood else-where and so turne the course of the blood another way euen so when a man is oppressed with worldly calamities hee cannot finde any comfort in them for in themselues they are Gods curses yet if thereby he can bee brought to see his spirituall pouertie then of curses they become blessings vnto him and therefore when we are in any distresse wee must not onely fixe our eies vpon the outward crosse but by meanes of that labour to see the pouertie of our soules and so will the crosse lead vs to happinesse Thirdly they that abound with worldly wealth must hereby learne to become poore if they would be saued Poore I say not in goods but in soule and spirit this indeed is hard to flesh and blood for naturally euery rich man blesseth himselfe in his outward estate and perswades himselfe that God loues him because he giues him wealth but such conceits must he striue against and learne of God to reioyce in this that he is made lowe Iam 〈…〉 Fourthly on this saying of Christ that the poore are blessed the Popish teachers obseruing the word translated poore to beâ—oken outward pouertie goe about to builde their vowe of voluntarie pouertie whereby men renouncing their wealth and possessions of this world doe be take themselues to some Monasterie there to liue a poore and solitarie life But their voluntarie pouertie will not agree with this text son Christs poorâ— here pronounced blessed are such as by reason of their pouerty are miserable and wretched wanting outward comforts as we shewed oâ—t of Luke where Christ opposeth them to the rich who abound with all worldly delights but to vndergoe the Popish vow of voluntarie pouertie is no estate of miserie or distresse for who doe liue in greater â—ase or enioy more freedome from the crosses and vexations of this life then their begging Friers Againe if their vowed pouertie had any ground in this text then Christ should pronounce such poore blessed as made themselues poore but that he doth not for then in the next verse he should pronounce such mourners blessed as voluntarily cause themselues to mourne for that verse dependeth on this as a more full explanation of this first rule But no man will say that they that mourne without a cause are there called blessed and therefore Popish vowed pouertie hath no ground on this place And thus much of the persons II. Point Wherein the blessednes of these poore consists namely in hauing a right to the kingdome of heauen For theirs is the kingdome of heauen By kingdome of heauen for the better conceiuing of this blessednes we must vnderstand a state or condition of man whereby he is in Gods fauour and hath fellowship with God The truth of this description is euident by the tenour of the new Testament Now this estate of man is called a Kingdome because herein God rules as king and man obeies as Gods subiect for no man can be in Gods fauour nor enioy his fellowship vnlesse God be his King ruling in his heart by his word and spirit and he Gods subiect resigning himselfe to be ruled by him for this happie estate consists in Gods gracious ruling of man and mans holy subiection vnto God Indeede fewe doe see any great happines in this estate but the truth is mans whole felicity stands herein Rom. 14. 17. The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Here the Apostle teacheth vs three things namely that when Gods spirit rules in a mans heart then first he is iustified there is righteousnes secondly he hath peace with God euen that peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding thirdly the ioy of the holy Ghost which is all vnspeakable comfort passing all worldly ioy whatsoeuer And these three doe notably set out the state of an happie man which will yet more plainly appeare by their contraries in Iudas who beeing a wretched sinner vnrighteously betraied his master and thereupon fell into the miserie of a guiltie accusing conscience which was the cause of his desperate death and also that his bodie burst asunder and his bowells gushed out now if an euill conscience be so fearefull then â—ow blessed an estate is the peace and ioy of a good conscience which a man then hath when God by his word and spirit ruleth in his heart Againe this estate is called the kingdome of heauen because that man in whom Christ 〈…〉 by his word and spirit is alreadie himselfe in heauen though iâ— bodie he be yet on earth for heauen is like a citie with two gates thorough both of which a man must passe before he obtaine the full â—oyes thereof now so soone as God by his word and spirit rules in any mans heart he is alreadie entred the 〈…〉 te of grace which is the first gate the other remaines to be passed thorough at the time of death which is the gate of glorie and then he is in full possession Doth true happines consist in this estate where Christ ruleth and man obeies then here behold the errour of all Philosophers and wise men of this world touching happines for some haue placed it in pleasure some in wealth and others in ciuill vertue and some in all these But the truth is it stands in none of these A naturall man may haue all these and yet be condemned for the ciuill vertues of the heathen were in them but glorious sinnes Our Sauiour Christ hath here reuealed more vnto vs then all the wise men of the world did euer know and hereby we haue iust occasion to magnifie the bookes of Scripture farre aboue all humane writings because they doe fully set out vnto vs the nature and estate of true felicitie which no humane
rodde of men but not take his mercie quite from them 2. Sam. 7. 14. Secondly when God remooues the griefe with the causes thereof thus he comforted Manasses who for his abominable Idolatries and witchcrafts was carried captiue into Babylon and there laid in prison fettered in chaines of iron yet when he did mourne vnder that affliction and withall humbled himselfe vnto God for his sinnes the Lord comforted him by bringing him out of that captiuitie and prison to Ierusalem into his owne kingdome Thirdly when God giues inward comfort to the heart and conscience by his word and spirit In this case Paul said we reioyce in afflictions knowing that the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs yea when he was exceedingly afflicted aboue his strength so as he receiued the sentence of death in himselfe hauing no hope of life yet euen then he professeth that as the sufferings of Christ abounded toward him so his consolations through Christ abounded in him Fourthly when God by death puts an ende to all their miseries and brings their soules to eternall life Thus was Lazarus comforted as Abraham saith vnto Dives Luk. 16. 25. and thus doth Christ comfort the Theefe vpon the crosse who with his bodily torment for his leud life was vndoubtedly touched in conscience for his sinnes and therefore desires Christ to remember him when he came into his kingdome by telling him that that day he should be with him in Paradise Here then we haue a notable remedie against the immoderate feare of death whether naturall or violent and of any other iudgement of God for when death it selfe or any other miserie whatsoeuer shall befall vs if we can there with bewaile our transgressions we neede not feare still holding fast this promise by faith in our hearts that we shall be comforted Secondly this promise well obserued may teach vs to auoide the perill of this false conceit That true faith doth alwaies minister present comfort Many doe herewith perplexe themselues measuring their estate towards God by that which they feele in theÌ„selues so as if in time of trouble they finde not present comfort they iudge themselues voide of faith and cast out of Gods fauour but herein they greatly wrong themselues for though the apprehension of comfort from God in distresse be a fruit and worke of faith yet a man may haue true faith that wants this sense and feeling of present comfort Doubtlesse none are blessed that want faith yet many are blessed that want feeling for here it is saide they that mourne for sinne are now blessed and yet it is not said they are now comforted but they shall be comforted meaning afterward in Gods good time Vers. 5. Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth This is the Third rule of Christ touching happinesse which as the former containeth two parts first the parties blessed secondly wherein this blessednes consists For the first The parties blessed be the meeke That we may know aright who be meeke I will somewhat lay open the vertue of meekenes and briefly handle these foure points first what meekenes is secondly what be the fruits thereof thirdly wherein it must be shewed fourtly the cause and ground thereof I. Point Meekenes is a gift of Gods spirit whereby a man doth moderate his affection of anger and bridle in himselfe impatience hatred and desire of reuenge II. Point The fruits of meekenes are principally two First it makes a man with a quiet and patient heart to beare Gods iudgemeÌ„ts which is a worthie grace of God and the greatest fruit of meekenes Levit. 10. 3. When Aarons two sonnes Nadab and Abihu were burned with fire from heauen which was a grieuous iudgement he went to Moses to know the cause thereof who told him that God would be glorified in all that came neere him which when Aaron heard he held his peace and was not mooued with grudging or impatience So Dauid beeing in great distresse through the hand of God vpon him doth notably shew forth this grace saying I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because Lord thou diddest it Secondly meekenes causeth one with a quiet minde to beare the iniuries men doe vnto him yea to forgiue and forget them and to requite good for euill referring all reuenge to God that iudgeth righteously When Dauids enemies laid snares for his life vttered sorrowes and imagined deceit against him continually yet by this vertue he suffered all patiently beeing as a deafe man that heareth not and as the dumbe which openeth not his mouth so farre was he from priuate reuenge And our Sauiour Christ sets forth himselfe a patterne of this vertue saying Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart herein he left himselfe an example that we should follow his steppes who when he was reuiled he reuiled not againe when he was buffeted he threatned not but referred all to the iudgement of him that iudgeth righteously yea he praied for them that crucified him So did Stephen Act. 7. 60. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge so Zachariah the sonne of Iehoida beeing stoned saide onely this The Lord will see and require it at your hands 2. Chron. 24. 22. III. Point Wherein must this meekenesse be shewed Ans. Not in the matters of God when his glorie is impeached for therein we must haue zeale as hote as fire but in the wrongs and iniuries that concerne our selues Moses was the meekest man vpon the earth in his time Numb 12. v. 3. and yet when the Israelites had made a golden calfe in zeale to Gods glorie hee brake the two tables of stone put to the sword that same day three thousand men of them that had so dishonoured God Dauid also that held his tongue at his owne wrongs did consume away with zeale against his enemies that forgat Gods word Psal. 119. 139. And our Sauiour Christ who as a lambe before the shearer opened not his mouth for the wrongs done vnto himself did yet in rescue of his fathers glorie make a whip of cordes and driue the buyers out of the Temple who made his Fathers house a denne of theeues Math. 21. 12. IV. Point The cause and ground of this meekenesse is affliction and pouertie of spirit as the order of these rules declareth where it is placed after pouertie of spirit and mourning and therefore Psal. 37. 11. whence these words are borrowed the meeke person is called by a name that signifieth one afflicted to teach vs that hee that is meeke indeede is one who by affliction and distresse hath beene brought to mourne for his offences for hardly can he bee meeke and patient in spirit that hath not beene acquainted with the crosse Lamen 3. 27 28 29. The Church commendeth this bearing of the crâ—sse in youth because it maketh a man to sit
quietly alone to put his mouth into the dust and to giue his cheeke vnto the nippers Doth blessednesse belong to meeke persons hereby then wee are admonished to labour for the moderation of all our affections especially of anger hatred and reuenge and to beware of all hindrances to this blessed vertue as choller hastinesse grudging impatience vnder wrongs with all rayling reuiling chiding and brawling and all such threatning speeches which come too oft in practise that wee may forgiue but we will neuer forget yea in Action we must auoyd all quarrelling fighting contending and going to law on euery light occasion for true meekenesse admits none of all these to take place with Gods children And to induce vs hereunto consider first Christs precept and example bidding vs learne of him for he is meeke and lowely Againe consider Gods owne dealing with vs we daiely wrong him by our offences and yet he beares with vs shall we then bee so vnlike our heauenly Father that we will straight reuenge the wrongs that others doe vnto vs See Colloss 3. 12 13. As the elect of God holy and beloued put on the bowels of mercie gentlenesse lowelinesse of minde meekenesse long suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against another euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you so doe yee Lastly the fruition and practise of this grace hath the promise of blessednesse belonging to it and therefore as we would bee happie so we must get the spirit of meekenesse into our hearts and expresse the vertue and power thereof in our liues Obiect I. Here some will say If I put vp all iniuries I shall be couÌ„ted a dastard and a foole Ans. In this case learne of Paul to passe little for mans iudgement but be carefull to get and 〈…〉 this grace of meekenesse and then Christ will pronounce thee â—â—â—ssed which ought more to preuaile with thee then all mens estimatioÌ„ in the world and so it will vnlesse thou loue the praise of men more then the praise of God Ioh. 12. 48. Obiect II. Again it will be said The more I vse to put vp wrongs the more shall I haue still done vnto me Ans. That is onely so â—â—th wicked men for who else will wrong thee if thou followe that which is good Yet say they doe thy patient suffering is praise-worthy with God and he will take the matter into his hand yea Christ Iesus who iudgeth not by the sight of the eie he will rebuke aright for all the meeke of the earth Obiect III. But yet thou saist this is the way to loose all that a man hath and to be thrust out of house and harbour Ans. Nothing lesse for Christ here saith the meeke shall inherit the earth doubt not but Christ will make good his word and therefore if thou respect these outward things labour to get and exercise the spirit of meekenesse II. Point Wherein doth this blessednes of the meeke consist namely in their inheriting of the earth And this is a great happinesse for a man to be Lord of the whole earth But how can this be true sith many of Gods dearest seruants haue beene strangers on this earth thrust out of house and land and constrained to wander in mountaines and desarts afflicted and miserable yea destitute of conuenient foode and raiment Heb. 11. 37 38. Ans. The meeke are here called Inheritors of the earth not for that they alwaies haue the possession thereof but first because God giues a meete and conuenient portion of the earth either to them or to their posteritie thus hee dealt with Abraham Isaac and Iacob they had sufficient for themselues and a promise of great possessions which their posteritie did enioy Secondly if it fall out that meeke persons die in want or banishment yet God giues theÌ„ contentation which is fully answerable to the inheritance of the earth so Paul saith of himselfe and other Apostles they were as men hauing nothing and yet possessed all things meaning through contentation with the peace of a good conscience Thirdly the meeke haue this inheritance in regard of right being the members of Christ who is Lord of all Hence Paul saith to the beleeuing Corinthians all things are yours whether it be Paul or Cephas or the world things present or things to come all are yours and ye Christs Fourthly the meeke are made kings by Christ and after the last iudgement they shall rule and raigne with him for euer 〈…〉 â—eu 5. 10. And in these two last respects the meeke are more properly said to be the inheritours of the earth Obiect Yet here it will be said againe that wicked and carnall men are oftentimes the greatest Lords of the earth as Nimrâ—d in his time and the Turke at this day Answ. The right vnto the earth is two-fold Ciuill and Spirituall Ciuill right is that which stands good before men by their lawes anâ—â—ustomes and in regard therof men are called Lords of such lands as they haue right vnto in the Courts of men and so the Turke at this day is a mightie Lord of a great part of the whole world Spirituall right is that which is warrantable and approoued with God himselfe and such right and title had Adam to all the world before his fall which he lost by his sinne both from himselfe and all his posterity but yet in Christ the same is recouered to all the elect And of this right Christ here speaketh when hee calleth the meeke inheritours of the earth in regard whereof the Turke all vnbeleeuers and vngodly persons are but vsurpers of those things which otherwise ciuilly they doe lawfully possesse Here then is an excellent priuiledge of all the true members of Christ that in him they be Lords of the earth whereby first wee may see how farre most men doe ouershoote themselues in seeking earthly possessions for the manner is without all regard of Christ to hunt after the world but this is a preposterous course these men set the Cart before the horses for seeing all our right to the earth was lost by Adam and is onely recouered by Christ doubtlesse till we haue part in Christ we cannot with the comfort of a good conscience either purchasse or possesse any inheritance vpon earth In regard of certaintie men desire to hold their lands in capite that is in the Prince as beeing the best tenure but if wee would haue a sure title and hold aright in capite wee must labour to become true members of Christ and hold our right in him for he is the Prince of the kings of the earth and Lord of all the world and till we be in Christ wee shall neuer haue an holy and sanctified right to any worldly possessions Secondly this serues for a bridle against all immoderate care for the world for if wee
with such sacrifices God is pleased This is the fast which God requires to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burden and to let the oppressed goe free to take off euery yoke and on the other side to breake thy bread vnto the hungrie to bring the poore that wanders into thine house and to couer the naked c. And because this dutie is so necessarie and excellent I will propoūd certaine Rules to be obserued for our furtherance herein First wee must exercise three of our senses seeing hearing and feeling in other mens miseries for seeing we must bee very warie it grieue vs not to looke vpon our poore brother but wee must see and behold his miserie and distresse whether it bee in soule or bodie This is the Lords practise Israel is oppressed in Egypt and the Lord saith I haue surely seene the trouble of my people and the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them And we must be followers of God as deare children and learne to visit them that be in miserie either through sickenesse imprisonment pouertie or such like for sight will stirre vp in a man a sense and compassion of others miseries Hence it is said that when Iesus saw a great multitude hee was mooued with compassion towards them And who can see a poore distressed person to lie in strawe or on the ground without needfull releefe as many a one would not suffer his dogge to lie and not be mooued with compassion Secondly if wee cannot come to see a mans miserie then we must bee content to heare of it and giue heed and credit to the true reports that others make thereof vnto vs. Thus did Nehemiah hearing of the affliction of the residue of the captiuitie he wept and mourned fasted and praied and sought for releefe for them at the Kings hands Thirdly for feeling if the Lord shall afflict our bodies with sicknes or our soules with temptations we must be willing to suffer the same patiently that thereby we may be fitted to take more compassion vpon others in like case and to comfort them the better Paul saith of himselfe and Timothie that in Asia they were pressed with affliction aboue measure passing strength so as they altogether doubted of life and yet he saith the Lord dealt mercifully with them that they might be able to comfort others which were in any affliction with the same comfort wherewith God had comforted them Secondly we must make our particular callings wherein we liue the instruments of mercie and in doing the duties thereof shew forth compassion towards others This Rule is of great vse and therefore it will not be amisse to shew the practise of it in particular The Magistrate must rule and gouerne in mercie and the Minister must preach in mercie euery sermon must be a worke of compassion towards the people not onely for the matter which it containeth but for the manner of his deliuerie and in the scope and drift which he aimeth at he which preacheth otherwaies doth barre himselfe of all mercie euen then when he intreates of mercie vnto others There is a carnall and humane kinde of preaching which now adaies takes place wherein nothing is so much regarded as the vaunting of wit memorie and learning by fine contriued sentences multiplicitie of quotations varietie of allegations of Fathers Schoole-men and other learning but herein is no mercie nor compassion to the poore soule It is said indeede that none condemne this kinde of preaching but they that can not attaine vnto it But the truth is God will haue his word deliuered not in the enticing speech of mans wisdome but in the plaine euidence of the spirit and of power and therefore a man can not with good conscience applie himselfe to such kind of preaching els no doubt a man of meane gifts might finde it more easie to attaine vnto then to the true preaching of Christ crucified Thirdly euery priuate man must make the duties of his calling works of mercie the rich man must know himselfe to be not a lord but a steward of Gods blessings and therefore must imploy and dispence the same in mercie by giuing and lending vnto the poore freely as God shall minister vnto him iust occasion The trades man must buie and sell in mercie dealing iustly with the rich and shewing liberalitie to the poore The master must thus in mercie vse the labour of his seruant and the seruant thus in mercie doe seruice to his master for conscience towards God And happie were it with all estates if this rule of mercie were obserued the want whereof is the bane of all societies Thirdly for the more chearefull practise of mercie we must lay aside some part of our goods for the releefe of them that be in miserie The Iewes were commanded to set apart the first fruits of their corne and cattell for the Lords altar but in the new Testament the altar is ceased and the poore come in stead thereof and therefore we must now bequeath some thing for their releefe Many are giuen to great excesse in fare and in artire but they may doe well to abate some part thereof and bestow it on the poore for hereby will the rest be sanctified to their more free and comfortable vse nay in case of necessitie we ought to sequester some part of our owne necessaries for the refreshing of the poore so did the Church of Macedonia euen beyond their power giue to the releefe of the afflicted brethren Men are exceeding cold in charitie and one maine cause thereof is want of obseruing this Rule in setting apart some thing according as God shall blesse vs in our callings for the releefe of the poore The second point to be considered in this rule is wherein this blessednes doth consist namely in the obtaining of mercie he that shewes mercie shall finde mercie both with God and man Where first we may see the errour of the Church of Rome in their doctrine of merits for they make a speciall part of humane satisfaction to consist in Almes deedes and releeuing of the poore teaching that a man may hereby merit eternall life but they or to grossely for then Christ would not haue said blessed are the mercifull for they shall finde mercie but rather thus they shall finde iustice for that which comes of merit is due by right Secondly hereby we may see what to thinke of our Church and Nation in respect of true Title to Gods mercie for onely the mercifull shall finde mercie Now it were easie to goe through all orders and conditions of men among vs and therein to shew abundance of vnmercifulnes and crueltie so as we may be iustly called a cruell people and therefore can not looke for mercie at Gods hands for to the mercilesse shall be iudgement without mercie This is euident by the Lords dealing with his owne people for all their sacrifices
and duties of religion were abomination vnto the Lord because their hands were full of blood and because they had no mercie therefore they were led into captiuitie as we may see at large Ier. 5. 28. Euck. 9. 9 10. and Zach. 9. 12. Now we beeing in the same case with them for vnmercifulnes and crueltie haue no doubt deserued long since the same punishment euen that the Enemie should depriue vs both of Gospel and peace and of all our prosperitie and wealth what then shall we doe surely we must humble our selues by praier and fasting vnto the Lord if not publikely yet priuately euery man and euery familie apart euen for this one sinne of vnmercifulnesse and withall in this humiliation begin to practise mercie by bestowing that vpon the poore which we spare froÌ„ our bodies in the daie of our fast Verse 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God These words containe the sixt Rule of Christ touching true happinesse wherein as in the former obserue two points the persons blessed and wherein their blessednesse consists The persons blessed are thus qualified they are pure in heart This is diuersly expounded By pure in heart some vnderstand those that are chasse others those that are simple hearted voide of guile and deceit But the words will beare a more generall sense betoken such as are holy in heart hauing their hearts purged from the defilement of their sinnes and be in part renued and sanctified by the holy Ghost and that they are so to bee taken may appeare Psal. 24. 4. whence these words are borrowed where also the Prophet expoundeth the pure in heart to be such as haue not lift vp their minde to vaine things to which purpose the Author to the Hebrewes saith Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man can see God Againe the intent of our Sauiour Christ in this place was no doubt to crosse the Pharisaicall conceipt of those times whereby men did content themselues with outward holinesse as sufficient to true happinesse and therefore he saith Blessed are the pure not outwardly but inwardly in heart Further by heart we are to vnderstand the soule with the parts and faculties thereof that is the mind the conscience the will and affections And that wee may yet conceiue more clearely of this point we are to search out two things first in what maner then in what measure the heart is made pure For the first the purifying of the heart is by a two-fold Action of the holy Ghost first by creating in the minde a sauing faith which vnites a man vnto Christ as an hand applieth Christs puritie that is his obedience to the heart so Peter speaketh of the Gentiles in the Councell at Ierusalem that by faith the Lord purified their hearts Secondly when a man is in Christ the holy Ghost purgeth and sanctifieth the heart inwardly by mortifying all the corruptions in the minde will and affections and by putting into it inward holinesse whereby the image of Christ is renued therein And this our Sauiour Christ expresseth Iohn 15. 2. when hee saith that the father purgeth every one that bringeth forth fruit in him Now vnto these the holy Ghost addeth an excellent grace of Christian Resolution whereby a man hath a constant purpose not to sinne against God any way either in thought word or deede but in all things to please God continually so as if at any time he-sinne it is against his holy resolution Now for the measure of this purification it is onely in part in this life for the grace of sanctification is not perfect till death as the Apostle saith we receiue but the first fruits of the spirit that is not the Tenths but as an handfull of corne to a whole field the soule is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne and in some sort purged from corruption but not wholly This wee must obserue the more diligently because the Papists teach otherwise to wit that after Baptisme and regeneration sinne is so taken away that there is in man nothing that God can hate but experience in euery childe of God shewes this to be false The chiefe ground of their opinion is this that if sinne properly called should remaine in the regenerate then God should repute a man to be iust which is a sinner But we answer that God neuer reputeth an impenitent sinner iust but onely the repentant and regenerate which are by faith in Christ and so in effect are no sinners because though corruption remaine in them in part yet it is not imputed to their persons Besides in the acte of their conuersion corruption hath receiued that deadly wound whereof it shall neuer recouer but daiely die till it be quite abolished and therefore doth it not raigne in them And thus we see in what manner and measure the heart is purified whereby the pure in heart may be thus described They are such as beleeue the pardon of their sinnes in Christ and be in part renewed in their soules by the holy Ghost hauing their naturall corruptions mortified and abolished in some measure and the graces of Gods image repaired in theÌ„ and a godly resolution wrought in their hearts not to sinne against God in any thing Considering that the pure in heart bee blessed wee must search our selues and see whether our hearts bee qualified with this grace As in former times so at this day inward puritie is much neglected The ancient Iewes stood vpon their legall puritie and righteousnesse and the Pharises after them relied vpon their outward holinesse and the holy Ghost foretold that in the latter daies should come perilous times by reason of sundrie sinnes wherof this is one that men should content theÌ„selues with a shadow and shew of godlinesse and in truth denie the power thereof And doth not experince shewe this to be true among vs for the pure heart is so little regarded that the seeking after it is turned to a by-word and a matter of reproach Who are so much branded with vile tearmes of Puritans and Presitians as those that most indeauour to get and keepe the puritie of heart in a good conscience Againe the generall ignorance that euery where abounds doth plainely argue the want of this grace for what can bee in the heart but impuritie and iniquitie where there is no knowledge of the will of God in the minde And for such as haue more knowledge then the rest generally they are not answerable vnto it in practise for take a view of all the markets in the land and you shall hardly find a man that is to sell his graine that will be brought to abate one iot of the highest price no not vnto the poore that stand in extreame neede which as it argueth a bloodie and cruell heart so it sheweth our times to be euill daâ—es wherein men professe much and doe nought which sinne
and rebellion into our Land if this were not our peace would continue for euer for the worke of iustice shall be peace quietnesse and assurance for euer And againe in righteousnesse shalt thou be established and be farre from oppression This therefore should mooue all vngodly persons to repent and to breake off the course of their sinnes vnlesse they will continue professed enemies to the peace of the state vnder which they liue The second Point wherein this blessednesse of Peace-makers consists namely in that they shall be called the children of God that is they shall be esteemed and reputed for Gods children in this world of God himselfe and all good men and in the world to come fully manifested so to be That this is true happinesse will soone appeare by the view of the state of euery childe of God for they are vnited vnto Christ by the spirit of grace by which they are regenerate and in Christ they are adopted for sonnes and daughters and so enioy Gods speciall grace and fauour Now hereupon they are Kings children hauing God for their Father who loues them more tenderly then any earthly Parents can loue their owne children secondly they haue Christ for their brother and so are heires annexed with him hauing heauen and earth for their possession In him they are made Kings and Priests vnto God and shall be iudges of the world at the last day yea they haue the holy Angels for ministring spirits to attend vpon their persons for their defence from the power of the enemie which farre surpasseth the dignity of any guard of men on earth whatsoeuer all things worke together for the best vnto them their crosses and afflictions are no curses but fatherly trialls and chastisements yea their sinnes are turned to their good to them death is no death but a sweet sleepe vnto their bodies and a straite passage for their soules into eternall glorie yea in the acte of death they haue the comfort of life in the ioy of the spirit and the Angels readie when breath departeth to carrie their soules to heauen If this be true happinesse to be called Gods children then they that liue after their owne wicked lusts voyd of all care to keepe a good cōscience are miserable and accursed for they are the children of the diuell seruing him in the workes of sinne and expressing his image in vngodlinesse and worldly lustes It stands them therefore in hand if they haue any care of true happinesse to labour after regeneration whereby forsaking the lusts and courses of their former ignorance and embracing and obeying sincerely the word of life they may become Gods children and so happie Secondly hast thou receiued this grace of Gods spirit whereby thou art inclined to haue peace with all men and to seeke for peace between God and thine owne conscience yea betweene the Lord and others then comfort thy selfe thou art the childe of God these motions come from grace flesh and blood brings forth no such fruits labour therefore to maintaine these good motions with all other pledges of thine adoption and so shalt thou growe fully assured of thine own happines In this age men make much adoe to get good assurance of earthly purchases but what madnesse is this so greatly to regard momentanie things and to haue no care in comparison of our eternall inheritance which we shall haue assured vnto vs when wee become the children of God Verse 10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen 11. Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsly 12. Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Here Christ propounds his eight Rule touching happinesse which he handles more largely then the former for hauing laid downe the Rule vers 10. he expounds the same in a speciall application of it to his Disciples in the 11. and 12. verses In the Rule it selfe note two points first the parties blessed secondly wherein their blessednesse consists The parties blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Persecution properly signifieth pursuite such as one enemie maketh after another but here the word must be taken generally for all kind of persecution whatsoeuer Now because it is a paradoxe and absurd in humane reason to thinke him blessed that for any cause is persecuted therefore Christ to verefie the truth hereof repeats the same Rule in the nextwerse where also he expounds euery parcell thereof wherewith I will content my selfe because Christ is the best interpreter of his owne words In the 11. verse therefore Christ sets downe three things all pertaining to the true exposition of this Rule First he explaines more particularly the parties that be blessed saying to his Disciples Blessed are yee In the beginning of the Chapter wee heard that hee cast his eies vpon them and spake vnto them and now here he doth the like again therefore this Rule must not be vnderstood of all men in the world that suffer but of all Christs true Disciples and generally it is not true for the heathen and infidels doe often suffer for good causes and yet remaine infidels without the true God and so are not blessed Againe a Chrstian professor may giue vp his life in a good cause yet not of loue to God or his truth but vpon ambition and so not be blessed for though I giue my bodie to be burned yet wanting loue it profiteth mee nothing Secondly Christ expoundeth particularly what hee meaneth by persecution naming three parts thereof first slaundering and reuiling which is the persecution of the tongue Thus the Iewes persecuted the Apostles saying they were drunke or full of sweete wine Thus Festus persecuted Paul making him madde or beside himselfe Secondly persecution meaning hereby as the word doth properly signifie first pursuite such as one enemie maketh after another when he seekes to spoile him of his goods or of his life secondly the bringing a man vnto the Barre and there of malice to accuse and arraigne him thirdly euill speaking with lying when as men of purpose be without cause malitiously carried thereunto as when the Iewes called Christ a Samaritan that had a diuell and said that he cast out diuels by Belzebub the prince of diuels and thus were the Christians in the Primitiue Church persecuted beeing malitiously accused for killing their owne children for worshipping the head of an asse for incest and such like To these three kindes of persecutions S. Luke Chap. 6. 22. addes a fourth namely hatred and a fift called separation wherby men were excommunicated and cast out of the Temple Synagogues for Christs sake and his Gospels These are the seuerall kinds of that persecution for the enduring whereof Christ pronounceth men blessed vers 10.
whereof Hatred is the roote and the rest are the branches Thirdly Christ laies downe the cause for which this persecution shall be inflicted namely for my sake or as S. Luke saith for the sonne of mans sake which expoundeth this phrase for Righteousnes sake v. 10. to wit for professing beleeuing and maintaining the doctrine of the Gospel taught by Christ touching remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to them that beleeue The vses in generall We see that Christ vrgeth this Rule of blessednes more largely then the former this he doth for speciall cause first hereby he would teach his Disciples and vs in them that it is the will of God his Church in this world should be vnder the crosse in such affliction and persecution as their blood shall be sought for the maintenance of the faith And this hee will haue to bee the state of his Church for speciall causes First that the members thereof by their afflictions may be acquainted with their owne wants and infirmities which they would not much regard if they were freed from the crosse Secondly that by affliction they may be kept from many grieuous sinnes into which they would fall if they liued in peace Thirdly that others seeing the correction of the Church for sinne might learne thereby to hate and auoide sinne and lastly that the Church might glorifie God in a constant and couragious maintenance of his truth vnto death for euen in persecution is Gods truth preserued against the reason of mans wisdome patient suffering for the truth beeing faithfull witnes-bearing thereunto Secondly Christ had newely called the Twelue out of all his Disciples to be Apostles whereupon they might thinke that they should be aduanced to some outward honour ease and peace but Christ hereby calles them from that conceit puts them in mind of affliction which should befall them in time to come that when it came they might the better indure it And thus he prepares all churches to suffer affliction yea and we our selues must hereby learne in time of peace to prepare our selues against the day of triall because his will is that whosoeuer would liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer affliction Thirdly hereby Christ intends to lay a ground of comfort to his disciples in their persecution by a plaine and ful declaration of their happines that suffer for righteousnes sake in that they haue sure title to the kingdome of heauen out of which estate no sound comfort can be had And this same must we lay vp in store against the time to come for we liue now in peace by Gods mercie but we know not how long it will continue we haue beene threatened and dangerously assaulted by our enemies many a time beside the rodde of God shaken with his owne hand against vs and wee may not thinke our peace will last alwaies but seeing our sinnes increase we may be sure our ioy and peace will one day bee turned into sorrow and therefore it will be good to haue this Rule engrauen in our hearts that they are blessed which suffer for righteousnesse sake If therefore tribulation come for the defence of the Gospel we must haue recourse to this promise of blessednesse and that will be our comfort More particularly In the words of this Rule Blessed are they c. Christ would let vs see that deadly hatred which the world beares vnto Gods Church for so much the word persecute importeth The reasons of this hatred may be these First the Church of God in the ministerie of the Gospel seekes the ruine of the diuels kingdome who is the Prince of the world the diuell therefore rageth and inflames the hearts of his instruments with malice against Gods Church that they may persecute and quite destroy it if it were possible Secondly Gods Church is a peculiar people seuered from the world in profession doctrine and conuersation and therefore the world hates them Ioh. 15. 19. And this very point may serue to stay our hearts when we shall bee persecuted for the profession and embracing of the Gospel of Christ for the world doth hate Gods Church and will doe to the end there must be enmitie betweene the seed of the serpent and the seede of the woman as then he that was borne of the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit so is it now Gal. 4. 29. Secondly obserue that this hatred of the world is not onely against the members of Gods Church but euen against Christs holy religion so Christ saith for my sake or for my Religions sake This is to be marked as a most excellent argument to perswade our consciences that the Gospel of Christ which we professe is the true and blessed doctrine of God because the wicked world doth alwaies hate it yea it hateth vs also for the Gospels sake now if it were a doctrine of men it would fit their natures well and they would loue it for the world doth loue his owne Ioh. 15. 19. Thirdly if they be blessed that suffer persecution then how may any man lawfully flie in persecution Answer A man may flie in persecution with good conscience these two things obserued first that he be not hindred by his particular calling secondly that he hath libertie offered by Gods prouidence to escape the hands of his enemies The intent of this verse is not to forbid flight but to comfort such as are in persecution and cannot escape for the word signifieth such persecution as is by pursuite and oppression which cannot be auoided Lastly seeing they are blessed that suffer for righteousnes sake Whether are they alwaies cursed that suffer deseruedly for an euill cause for the contrarie reason is in contraries Ans. They are alwaies accursed saue in one case to wit vnlesse they repent for their vnrighteousnes for which they are afflicted but by true repentance they become blessed The thiefe vpon the crosse had liued in theft and was therfore attached condemned and crucified and so he suffered for vnrighteousnesse but yet hee was saued because hee repented and beleeued in Christ. It is added for righteousnesse sake In this clause we are taught a speciall lesson namely that when God shall lay vpon vs any affliction or persecution as imprisonment banishment losse of goods or of life it selfe we must alwaies looke that the cause be good and then suffer willingly This is a necessarie Rule for we must suffer affliction either publikely or priuately if we will liue godly in Christ Iesus Now it is not the punishment but the cause that makes a Martyr and to this purpose Peter saith Let none of you suffer as a Murtherer a Thiefe or a busie-body but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalfe and therefore we must be sure the cause be good yea this we must looke vnto in our particular priuate crosses Verse 11. Blessed are ye when men reuile you and
persecute you c. In handling the former verse we shewed the meaning of these words how they serue to expouÌ„d the former Rule The point here to be obserued is this That to reuile and slaunder yea as Luke saith to hate a man for a good cause especially for religion is persecution which shewes how fearefull the common sinne of the age is whereby men reuile their brethren with base and odious tearmes because they shewe some care to please God and to adorne their profession by a godly life But thou art a persecutor whosoeuer thou art that vsest this and therefore repent and leaue it for it is a preparation to a greater sinne in this kinde and most odious in Gods sight as the punishment hereof declares Gen. 21. 9 10. with Gal. 4. 29 30. S. Luke addes a second word And when they separate you whereby is meant excoÌ„municatioÌ„ out of the Temple and Synagogue a punishment which Christ foretold should befall his disciples This censure was put in execution in their Synagogues for besides the administration of ciuill Iustice Ecclesiasticall matters were there handled Now marke what Christ saith Though excommunication bee mine owne ordinance yet blessed are you when men excommunicate you out of the Temple and Synagogues for my names sake where hee maketh excommunication a kinde of persecution when it is denounced against men for righteousnesse sake Here then we may learne what to thinke of the Popes Bulls whereby he excommunicates Kings and Queenes and particular Churches for denying subiection to his chaire namely that they are the diuels instruments where with Gods children are persecuted and that all such as are thus excommunicated for defending the truth of the Gospel are blessed for excommunication is not the instrument of a curse to them that suffer it for good cause Secondly hence we learne that excommunication abused against Gods word is no powerfull censure though in it selfe beeing vsed according to Gods ordinance it be a most terrible thunderbolt excluding a man in part from the Church and from the kingdome of heauen and therfore all Churches must see that this censure be not abused for the abusers of it incurre the danger of the curse and not they against whom it is vniustly pronounced Vers. 12. Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Here Christ drawes a conclusion from the former Rule for hauing said in generall that they which suffer for righteousnesse sake are blessed v. 10. and applied it in particular to his Disciples ver 11. hereupon hee infers that they must reioyce in affliction euen then or as Luke saith in that day yea they must be glad which word signifieth exceeding ioy such as we vse to expresse by outward signes in the body as skipping and dauncing such as Dauid vsed to testifie his ioy for the returne of the Arke of God to his citie This is a most worthy conclusion often vrged and commended vnto vs in Scripture Iam. 1. 2. Brethren count it exceeding great ioy when yee fall into diuers temptations Rom. 5. 3. We reioyce in tribulation knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience and Act. 5. 41. The Disciples reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ. Here we learne then that Gods church and people that suffer in a good cause must reioyce and be glad This must be remembred for we â—aue bene many times in great danger of our enemies for the Gospels â—ake and it may please God to leaue vs in their hands for our manifold sinnes and great abuse of his heauenly blessings which if he doe what must be our behauiour must we be swallowed vp with sorrow and griefe no but humbling our selues for our sinnes we must remember for what we doe suffer and reioyce and be glad in that behalfe for though our outward man perish yet the inner man shall bee reuiued Now because it is a hard thing to reioyce in grieuous afflictions therefore Christ doth giue two reasons to mooue them hereunto first from the Recompense of reward after this life in these words for great is your reward in heauen This point I haue handled heretofore therfore I will here onely shewe how the Papists abuse this text to prooué the merits of mans workes of grace for hence they reason thus Where there is a reward there is merit But in heauen there is a reward for mans works of grace and therefore in this life there is merit by them To this it is answered diuers waies I will touch the heads of the principall First the word reward must not bee vnderstood properly but figuratiuely for Christs speech is borrowed from labourers who after they haue done their worke doe receiue their wages which is the reward thereof euen so after Christs disciples and seruants haue suffered afflictions for the name of Christ at the end of this life they shall receiue life euerlasting Secondly when wee read of wages and reward in Scripture wee must not dreame of any thing due by right of debt and merit but conceiue thereby that which is giuen by promise and of meere mercie like as when an earthly Father promiseth to his sonne to giue him this or that thing if hee will learne now the Fathers gift is not merited by the childe but is freely giuen the more to incite the childe to learne his booke Thirdly if we vnderstand reward properly then we must referre it not to our sufferings but to the sufferings of Christ for there is no proportion betweene our sufferings and life eternall the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs Rom. 8. 18. The second reason is taken from the example of the auncient Prophets for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you In this Reason Christ intendeth two things First to teach his Disciples and vs that persecuâ—ion for good causes is no newe or strange thing Secondly to comfort his Disciples and seruants in their sufferings for that thereby they should bee made comformable to the ancient worthy Prophets who were of old renowned among men and are now glori fied of God in heauen Hereto wee must compare the words of Luke ' spoken to the same purpose for after this manner did the Fathers to the Prophets By Fathers we must needs meane the auncient people of the Iewes for here hee speaketh to his Disciples and others that were Iewes by nation Now hence obserue a strange point to wit that the auncient Prophets who were most worthy men of God were persecuted in their time not so much by forrainers and enemies to religion as by those that were outwardly members of the Church of God and professors of religion This may seeme strange that men liuing in Gods Church should growe to this height of impietie to become persecutors of Gods Saints but Saint
obedience to God now vnlesse God appoint them the doing of them cannot be any obedience to his will Thirdly will-worship whereby men thrust vpon God their owne inuentions for his seruice is euery where condemned and of like nature be all those actions wherein men of themselues doe fasten goodnesse without the will and appointment of God This point must bee remembred because the Church of Rome doth teach the contratie That a man may doe good workes not required or appointed by God but the former Reasons shew this to be false and the arguments which they bring for their opinion are nothing but abuse of Scripture as in these fewe may plamely appeare First they say the Iewes had free-will offerings which were not commanded in the word and yet were acceptable vnto God and so do many now adaies many good workes acceptable to God though not commanded Answ. Their free-wil offerings were ordained of God and therefore were acceptable they were onely free in regard in the time of offering them but for the manner how and the places where they must be offered both these were appointed of God Againe they say Phinees slewe Zimrâ— and Cosbie with Gods approbation though hee was no Magistrate and therefore workes not commanded of God may be acceptable vnto him Ans. Though Phinees had not any outward commandement yet he had that which was answerable thereto to wit an extraordinary instinct by the spirit wherby he was carried to doe that fact which was as much as if God had giuen him an expresse commandement And so we may say of the Ministerie of sundry auncient Prophets who by extraordinarie instinct were mooued thereunto and vpon this ground did Elijah slaie Baals Prophets Thirdly Maries fact say they in powring a boxe of costly ointment on the head of our Sauiour Christ was a good worke and yet there was no commandment for it in Gods word Answer Maries fact was a worke of confession whereby she testified her saith in Christ and so was generally commanded though not in particular Againe she was carried thereto by a speciall instinct of the spirit for she did it to burie him as Christ himselfe testisieth because his buriall was so speedy after his death in regard of the approaching of the sabboth that they could not embalme him as the manner of the Iewes was now euery instinct of Gods spirit in the conscience of the doer hath the force of a particular commandement Fourthly the spirit of God say they mooues euery man to any good worke that is to be done and therefore men need not a particular commandement for euery worke for those that are carried by the spirit cannot but doe well Answer True it is the spirit mooueth men to good works freely but yet this motion of the spirit is in and by the word of God and at this day those instincts which are besides the word are mens owne fancies or illusions of the diuell Many other reasons they alleadge to this purpose for the Iustifying their vowes of Chastitie of regular obedience pilgrimages trentals and such like but they are like to these and notwithstanding them all the truth is this that for substance a good worke is such a one as is ordayned appointed commanded by God And here by the way we may obserue that they are farre deceiued who so much commend the times of Poperie for good workes for the truth is that all their oblations to Images to Monasteries and to Churches for Masses Pardons and such like were no good workes but onely in their owne opinion for God commanded them not Now it is the Lords reuealed will that must giue the goodnes to mans worke Mich. 6. 8. he hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Next I adde Done of a regenerate person The Author of a good worke is not euery one in the world but that man or woman that is a member of Christ borne a new by the holy Ghost so Christ here saith Let your light c. restraining his speech to the persons of his disciples True it is that among Turkes and Infidels many a ciuill man will doe workes of mercie of ciuill iustice and liberalitie and will abstaine from outward sinnes and liue orderly now these and such like though in themselues they be good workes so farre forth as they are required by the law of nature or commaunded by Gods word yet in an infidel or an vnregenerate person they are sins for first they proceed from an heart which is corrupt with originall sinne and with vnbeleefe for the heart is the fountaine of all actions and also they are practised by the members of the bodie which are weapons of vnrighteousnesse and therefore must needs be like vnto water springing from a corrupt fountaine and running through a filthy channell Secondly these workes are not done for Gods glorie and the good of men Thirdly they are not done in obedience to God according to the Rule of goodnesse the will and word of God and therefore cannot be good workes And this must teach euery one that would doe good to labour for regeneration by the holy Ghost that so his person may be good then shall his workes of obedience be good in Gods sight for such as the tree is such will be the fruit An euill tree cannot bring forth good fruite nor a good tree euill fruite Matth. 7. 18. Wee must therefore labour to be engraffed into Christ for without him we can doe no good thing but beeing paâ—takers of his grace we shall abound with the fruits of rightcousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the praise and glorie of God Phil. 1. 11. Thirdly I adde that good workes must be done in faith for saith is the cause of euery good worke and without faith it is impossible to do any good worke Now in the doing of a good worke there is a twofold faith required First a generall faith whereby a man is perswaded that God requires of him the doing of that worke which he takes in hand as when a man giueth almes hee must be perswaded it is Gods will he should giue almes and so for other good workes for what soeuer is not of faith is sinne that is whatsoeuer proceedeth not from this perswasion in the conscience that it is Gods will that such a thing should be done or should not be done is sinne for he that doubteth of the thing he doth sinneth therein though the thing done be good in it selfe Secondly herein is required Iustifying faith whereby a man is perswaded in his conscience of his owne reconciliation with God in Christ of this it is said Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God This Iustifying faith hath a double vse in the causing of a good worke First it giues the beginning to a good worke for by iustifying faith Christ with his merits is apprehended and applied
hold them necessarie as causes of our saluation and iustification but this we haue confuted heretofore Secondly of some Protestants who hold them necessarie though not as principall causes for they say we are only iustified and saued by Christ yet as conseruant causes of our saluation but the truth is they are no causes of saluation neither efficient principall nor conseruant nor yet materiall formall or finall as hath else-where beene shewed The third opinion is the truth that good workes are necessarie not as causes of saluation or iustification but as inseparable consequents of sauing faith in Christ whereby we are iustified and saued or as a way is necessarie to the going to a place The dignity of good workes is expressed in this that they are called good now they are good only in part not perfectly as I shew thus Such as the tree is such is the friute but euery one regenerate is partly spirit and partly flesh that is in part regenerate and in part naturall and corrupt this is true of his minde will and affections which are the fountaine of all his actions and therefore the workes that proceed thence must needes bee answerable that is in part corrupt as they come from nature and yet good in part as they come from grace Quest. But how can God approoue of them if they be euill Ans. We must consider good workes two waies First in themselues as they are compared with the law and the rigour thereof and so they are sins because they answer not to that perfection which the law requireth for there bee two degrees of sinnes Rebellions which are actions flatly against the lawe and Defects when a man doth those things that the lawe commandeth but yet faileth in the manner of doing and so are mans very best workes sinnes Secondly consider good workes as done by a person regenerate and reconciled to God in Christ and so God accepts of them for in Christ the wants thereof are couered But here wee must take heed of the Romish doctrine which teacheth that good workes are so farre forth good that there is no sinne in them their reasons are many to prooue this point but they haue beene heretofore confuted First they say good workes haue God for their Author and therefore are perfectly good Answ. This were true if he alone were the author of them but man is another author thereof from whom they take their imperfection They say againe that here they are called good but if they had any sinne in them they should be called euill for euery sinne is perfectly euill Ans. Where sinne is vnremitted it is perfectly euill but when it is pardoned in our Sauiour Christ it is as though it were not Thirdly they obiect that if good workes be sinnefull then they must not bee done and hereupon they say that by our doctrine men are bound to abstaine from all good workes Answer That which is euill must not be done so farre forth as it is euill now good workes are not simply and absolutely euill they are good in themselues and in vs in part comming from grace and therefore they must be done because God requires them at our hands and for the imperfection of them wee must pray for pardon in our Sauiour Christ. And here by the way we may iustly taxe the prowd doctrine of the Papists who teach that men may bee iustified by good workes when as the best workes of any man in this life are tainted with sinne and are farre vnanswerable to that perfection which the law requireth wee must be of a farre other minde namely that for our best workes God may iustly condemne vs because wee haue not done them as we ought therefore Christ bids vs say of our selues that when we haue done all that we can we are vnprofitable seruants The vse of good workes is here set downe by our Sauiour Christ to glorifie God this is not the whole ende of good workes and therfore I will propound the same more fully out of other places of Scripture for Christ here onely propoundeth that ende of good workes which concerned his intended purpose The vse and ende of good workes is three-fold either concerning God our selues or our brethren As good workes concerne God they haue three vses First they serue as meanes whereby wee giue vnto God testimonie of our homage and obedience vnto his commaundements for by creation preseruation and redemption he is our Lord and our God and so prescribeth lawes for vs to keepe in which regard wee owe homage vnto him which that wee may shewe forth and testifie wee must walke in good workes as hee in his word hath commaunded vs. Secondly they serue to bee tokens of our thankefulnesse vnto God for our creation redemption and manifold preseruations both in soule and bodie Thankefulnesse indeede is shewed in word but yet true thankefulnesse stands in obedience and our obedience is shewed by doing good workes And therefore the Apostle Paul exhorts vs to giue vp our bodies as holy and acceptable sacrifices vnto God Rom. 12. 1. Thirdly they serue to make vs followers of God we are commaunded to be holy as he is holy 1. Pet. 1. 15. and to put in practise the duties of loue one towards another as the Lord loued vs and therefore we must walke in the duties of the Morall law that therein we may imitate God 1. Ioh. 3. 3. He which hath this hope purgeth himselfe as he is pure Secondly the vse of good workes in regard of our selues is fourefold especially First they serue to bee outward testimonies of the truth of our faith and profession proouing that the grace of our hearts is not in hypocrisie but in truth and sinceritie And for this cause Abraham is said to haue beene iustified by workes because his workes did testifie that his faith was true and sincere for where the fire of grace is there it cannot but burne and where the water of life is it cannot but slowe and send out the streames thereof in good workes Secondly they serue to be signes and pledges of our election iustification sanctification and of our future glorification as wee knowe a tree to liue by the fruite and budde which it bringeth forth so by keeping a continuall course in good workes a man is knowne to bee in Christ and to haue true title to all his benefits and therefore when the Apostle willeth men to giue all diligence to make their calling and election sure he propoundeth certaine vertues wherein they ought to walke as beeing the most euident tokens of election that we haue in this life Thirdly they serue to make vs answerable to our holy calling for euery one that professeth the Gospel is called to be a mēber of Christ and a new creature whose dutie is to bring forth good workes Eph. 4. 1 2. Walke worthy of the vocation wherevnto you are called with all humblenesse of
him in word or deede and he hath knowledge thereof and iust cause thereupon to complaine Leaue there thy gift before the Altar Still he alludeth to the manner of the Iewes worshippe who when they went to sacrifice to the Lord brought their sheepe or bullocke vnto the vtter court or as some thinke tied it to the hornes of the altar in token that they presented it vnto the Lord now if at that very instant they did remember that they had any way offended their brother then were they to leaue their gift there not quite omiting this dutie but onely suspending or deferring it for a while and goe seeke to be reconciled to their brother whome they had wronged Question How could this departure be warrantable seeing the Iewes had a law that when the seruice of God was once begun none might depart no not the Prince himselfe till it was ended Ans. This Rule must be vnderstood of departure out of the vtter court of the Temple whither the people brought their sacrifice soone after they had presented it before it was begunne to be offered for till the Priests had begunne Gods seruice it was lawfull for the people to depart especially vpon this occasion Question II. But what if the partie offending cannot possibly come to his brother whome he hath wronged by reason of his absence in some farre countrey his close imprisonment or such like Ans. He must testifie his endeauour to be reconciled vnto him and if the act it selfe be necessarily hindred by Gods prouidence God will accept the will for the deede if there be a willing minde for this is Christs meaning that we should doe our vtmost endeauour to be reconciled vnto our brethren whome we haue wronged shewing such care thereof that we preferre the same before the outward actioÌ„s of Gods worship not presuming to worship God till we be reconciled to our brethren Here we haue a notable Rule for the maintaining of loue and charitie among men namely brotherly reconciliation In the giuing whereof Christ still continues his exposition of the sixt commandement for hauing condemned murther and the prouocations thereunto in the former verse here he commandeth the contrarie vertue of brotherly loue and the meanes to vphold the same to wit Reconciliation for offences giuen Out of this Rule in generall we may obserue first a Third direction to the right expounding and vnderstanding of Gods commandements namely where any vice is forbidden there the contrarie vertue is commanded and on the contrarie where any vertue is commaunded there the contrarie vice is forbidden This Rule must be obserued as a priuiledge of the law of God aboue all humane lawes for mens lawes are satisfied by abstaining from the vice forbidden though the contrarie vertue be not practised as he satisfies mans law forbidding Murther that abstaines from the actuall crime though he loue not his brother But he transgresseth the law of God that performeth not the contrarie vertue though he abstaine from the vice forbidden for though a man abstaine from killing yet if he doe not loue his brother hee is guiltie of the breach of this sixt commandement which serues to confute the error of our ignorant people who because they abstaine from Murther Adulterie and other outward sinnes doe perswade themselues that they keepe the law and that God will therefore be mercifull vnto them But they must know that though they should abstaine from the vices forbidden yet they stand culpable of Iudgement for want of doing the contrarie vertues for it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill but we must doe good and therefore Iohn Baptist saith Euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire and the sentence of damnation shall bee denounced against the Reprobates for their omission of doing good I was an hungrie and ye gaue me no meate c. Secondly by this Rule of Reconciliation it appeareth that the performance of any outward seruice vnto God is displeasing vnto him if it be separated from the loue of our brethren Isay 1. 11 12. What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord and so hee proceedeth reiecting in particular all the seruice of the Iewes because they liued in enuie debate and oppression Their hands were full of blood Isay 58. 5 6. The Lord doth there reprehend the Iewes fasting from meates because they did not withall abstaine from strife and oppression adding withall that refraining from crueltie and doing workes of mercie is the fast which hee requires which serues to ouerthrowe the naturall conceit of men who thinke that the whole worshippe of God standeth in the duties of the first Table This was indeede the conceit and practise of the Pharises whereupon they taught the people that if they gaue oblations to the Church though they releeued not their poore parents yet God was well pleased with them And the like is the practise of the Church of Rome who in cases of transgression through want of brotherly loue doe not appoint this Reconciliation but Auricular confession and Canonicall satisfaction as matters well pleasing vnto Almightie God yea such is the conceit of our common people that if they be present at diuine seruice if they heare the word preached and receiue the Sacracâ—aments at ordinarie times then they haue done good seruice and he will respect them though in their ciuill conuersation they be at enmitie with their brethren or liue in such like sinnes But we must learne that God is serued not onely in the duties of the first Table but of the second also and that God abhortes the duties of pietie in such persons as make no conscience of the practise of loue and mercie Ierem. 7. 9 10. Will you steale murther commâ—t adulterie c. and yet come and stand before me in this house wherein my name is called and say we are deliuered though we haue done all thesâ—â—bâ—ominations as if he should say neuer thinke it and therefore if 〈◊〉 desiâ—e true comfort in our seruing of God let vs make conscience to ioyne therewith the practise of mercie towards our brethren Thirdly here also we may learne how to behaue our selues before we come to the Lords Table if we call to minde euen when we be in the Church that we haue any way offended our brother we must first goe and reconcile our selues vnto him and then come to the Lords Table we must not abstaine vpon the remembrance of our wrong doing for so we adde sinne vnto sinne refusing spirituall societie with God because we will retaine enmitie towards our brother but seeking speedily reconciliation we must returne to receiue the Lords Sacrament Which flatly condemnes the common practise of many who abstaine from the Lords Supper because they will not seeke to be reconciled to their brethren This argues an heart full stuâ—â— with pride and malice which preferres it owne lust before the will of
to beare it 1. Cor. 6. 7. Paul doth sharply rebuke the Corinthians for going to law about trifles Why rather saith hee suffer you not wrong why sustaine you not harme And this by Gods grace a man shall doe if first he duely equally consider his owne deserts both of like iniuries from men and of eternall damnation from God himselfe whom he continually offendeth Secondly if he haue an eie to the prouidence of God in that thing wherein he is wronged which disposeth all things for the good of his children Fourthly for the maintenance of peace wee must yeeld of our owne right so did Abraham vnto Lot though hee were aboue him both in yeares and authoritie bidding him choose where hee would dwell whether on the right hand or on the left and our Sauiour Christ though he were free beeing of the Kings stocke yet for the auoyding of offence paid tribute for himselfe and Peter And obseruing these things with good conscience we shall by Gods grace maintaine Christian concord Secondly Christ commanding speedie agreement condemneth that wilfulnesse and stubbornnesse of men whereby rather then they will submit themselues and yeeld a little of their right they will carrie euery trifling matter before the Magistrate This is a common fault among vs in these daies of peace for euery triâ—lie is made a law matter which ought not to be among Christians it plainely argueth great want of loue and small regard to this commandement of our Sauiour Christ. I speake not this to condemne the lawful vse of the law but to reprooue the bad practise of carnall men who make lawing the meanes of their priuate reuenge and sometime of flat iniustice against their brethren whom they doe not affect Thirdly Christ here also noteth out the hardnesse and crueltie of mens hearts who will neuer let a man goe if once they get him in the lurch such cruell wretches are they that take the forfeitures of leases bonds and obligations and such for the most part are our common vsurers but all these must know that they are void of loue and grace whereby they should maintaine this concorde which Christ requires Fourthly by this circumstance of time Agree quickly Christ would teach vs to keepe our hearts cleare from grudging and heart-burning euen then when wee haue occasion of suite or controuersie with others for this rancor of heart will cause further debate and contention like to an angrie humour in the veines which sets the whole body in burning fits Fiftly if wee must vse speed in seeking agreement with men whom wee haue offended before we come to the trial of a mortall Iudge then much more must we giue all diligence to be reconciled vnto God for our daiely sinnes whereby we offend him and that with all speed euen in this life before we come to his tribunall seate for howsoeuer in the courts of men wee may goe vpon sureties yet at the barre of Gods Iudgement none can answer for vs. If we be not before hand reconciled to God in Christ this vndoubtedly will be the issue wee shall bee cast into vtter darkenesse and there remaine till we haue fully satisfied the Iustice of God which will neuer be Let all estates degrees think on this and especially the yonger sort who deceiue themselues by deferring repentance when as indeed they as wel as others are euery day going forward to the barre of Gods iudgement Sixtly as in seeking Reconciliation so in doing euery good worke that concernes Gods glorie in the good of others we must vse all conuenient speed while we haue time wee must doe what good we can vnto all for death and the last iudgement come suddainly Say not to thy neighbour saith Salomon goe and come againe to morrow if thou hast it now And againe Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoeuer thy hand shall find to doe doe it with all thy power This is Iobs defence that he restrained not the poore of their desire nor caused the widowes eies to faile and his practise must be our president for the more good we doe the more grace we haue and the liker we be to our heauenly father Thus much of the Precept The Reason followeth Least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge c. which is thus much in effect If thou shew extremitie thou shalt finde extremitie shewed vnto thee againe euen by the Magistrate They that deale stifly and rigorously shall bee rewarded in their kinde God in his iust iudgement will haue men measured vnto as they measure vnto others Matth. 7. 2. 6. Mark 4. 24. Here then we are taught to deale in equitie and moderation with all men in the priuate affaires of our callings euen as we would haue them to deale with vs and then God will cause others to deale well with vs but if we deale ill with others God will reward vs in the same kinde This point all Vsurers Ingrossers Trades-men c. should well obserue who thinke they may doe with their owne what they wil but we must knowe wee are but Stewards and our account will bee exact Secondly here wee see Christ alloweth of the Magistrate and his Iudgement seate 2. Of his proceeding against the guiltie in deliuering him to the Officer 3. Of the office of the Sergeant 4. Of casting guiltic persons into prison 5. Of suing at the law when right cannot be gotten by any other lawfull meanes but law must not bee the first course we take in seeking our right we must rather suffer some wrong seeke to end the matter by friends vse law as Physitions vse poisons when gentle physicke will not serue the turne then in case of extremitie they doe minister stronger physicke yea sometime poison it selfe so when we cannot otherwise procure our peace and right then we may lawfully take the benefit of the law Verse 27. Yée haue heard that it hath beene said of olde time Thou shalt not commit Adulterie Here our Sauiour Christ goeth about to restore the seauenth commandement touching Adulterie to his true sense and meaning and so to his proper and right vse by purging it from the false and erroneous interpretation of the Iewes for which ende he first laies down the false interpretation of the Scribes and Pharises verse 27. and then adioyneth the true sense thereof verse 28. especially yet so as he continueth the same in the verses following For the first before the interpretation of the Iewes Teachers hee prefixeth this Preface Yee haue heard that it hath bin said of olde time or of the ancient Teachers the meaning and vse whereof wee haue before shewed verse 21. Then after follow the wordes of the seauenth commandement Thou shalt not commit Adulterie which are the proper words of the H. Ghost yet here must not they be takeÌ„ in that sense which the Scribes and Pharises gaue vnto them for the better conceiuing whereof this one thing especially
2. The third occasion of offence taken from the Church is the miseriâ— thereof for the state of the Church is oftentimes in affliction because it consisteth of such as are subiect to the contempt and reproach of the world Hence sundrie are discouraged from ioyning themselues truely to the Church and although this occasion of offence be not much among vs saue onely in reproaches yet it may be more and therefore we must learne to preuent it and to cut it off The way is this we must beleeue and remember that out of the church there is no saluation In this regard Noahs Arke was a true type of the Church for as none were saued from drowning that were out of the Arke in the generall deluge so none can be saued ordinarily from condemnation that are out of the Church for in the Church is Gods couenant of grace with the Sacraments which be the sâ—ales thereof In the Church is vocation iustification sanctification and the way to glorification but out of the Church are none of all these and therefore it is said that God added to his Church daiely such as should be saued In the Church is protection against all enemies and from all iudgements so farre forth as shal be for the glorie of God and the good of the church and in a word in the Church is liâ—e euerlasting but out of the Church is nothing but a feareful looking for of eternall woe condemnation and for this cause Moses chose rather to suffer afflicton in Gods church then to enioy all the pleasures in the world out of it whose example wee ought to follow and so shall not the miserie of the Church be any occasion vnto vs to forsake the same especially if wee consider that the whole world will profit a man nothing if hee loose his soule Matthew 16. 26. The fourth offence taken from the Church is from the Apostacie of some that liue in the Church for ordinarily in Gods Church are many Apostates as in this our Church many that were in times past Protestants are become Papists some Arrians Sabellians and some open Atheists and blasphemers Hence many fearing their falls as they pretend dare not ioyne themselues to the truth and the profession thereof But to cut off this occasion two rules must be remembred First that the falling away of any man from the truth is the worke of God discouering an hidden hypocrite 1. Ioh. 2. 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs but this is come to passe that it might appeare they were not all of vs. Secondly consider that the beginning and continuance of our religion saluation stands on Gods free election which is vnchangeable and hereupon must we staie our selues touching our estate when we see others fall away 2. Tim. 2. 19. Paul comforteth the Church against the feare of griefe which they might conceiue by the Apostacie of Himeneus and Philetus which were two pillars amongst them by this Rule The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his Now because some might say God indeede knows it but we doe not to this I take it the Apostle answers when he saith and let euery one that calles vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie as if he should say Looke that you call vpon God for grace and make conscience of all sinne and by this you shall know your selues to belong to God which thing when once you know then staie thereon for Gods calling is vnchangeable Againe as these occasions are taken from the whole Church in generall so more especially some take offence from seuerall things therein as first from the wants that be in Ministers both for iudgement and doctrine Hence politicke carnall men plead thus Preaching is full of imperfection therein men publish their owne errors but the written word containeth in it the sermons of Christ and of his Apostles which are most perfect and therefore it is best to content our selues with the Scripture read and to heare no preaching by men To cut off this offence wee must remember that the preaching of the word though it bee by sinnefull man is Gods holy ordinance prescribed and enioyned as solemnely as any morall precept is either against murther or adulterie for from the beginning till the Iews came to mount Sina God himselfe preached to his Church which was then contained in some fewe families But from that time because the people could not abide the voyce of God himselfe it pleased him to ordaine the Ministerie of the word by the hand of sinnefull man Now it beeing Gods owne ordinance vnlesse we will make our selues wiser then God we must subiect our selues thereto with all reuerence albeit it be deliuered by sinnefull man Thus Corâ—elius did Act. 10. 33. and the Thessalonians 1. Thess. 2. 13. Secondly many are offended at the liues of Ministers and from the wants that be in them whether in deed or in suspition onely many take occasion to contemne their doctrine thinking as the Rulers of the Iewes said to the blind man Thou art altogether borne in sinne and doest thou teach vs Now to cut off this occasion two things must be remembred First we must distinguish of euery Minister and consider in him a double person both that he is a sinnefull man subiect to many infirmities as we our selues are and also that he is the Lords Ambassadour sent in Gods name to deliuer his will vnto vs. Now looke as we honour the Embassadour of a Prince though his person be vile and base so much more ought wee to reuerence the Embassadour of God himselfe and receiue his doctrine as from God though for his person he be subiect to manifold infirmities Secondly we must consider that it is Gods wil and commandement that though ministers be manifestly faultie and sinnefull yet their ministerie must be receiued and obeyed carefully Math. 23. 2. The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses chaire saith Christ all therefore that they bid you obserue that doe but after their workes doe not Phil. 1. 15. Some preach Christ of enuie saith Paul and not in sinceritie but yet the Apostle reioyced therein because Christ was preached euery manner of way verse 18. And therefore as we doe not refuse meate for our bodies when wee bee hungrie though a wicked person haue dressed it so must wee not refuse or contemne the word of God the food of our soules for the sinnes of the party that deliuereth it Thirdly many take offence at the lenitie of the Church towards offenders and for the presence of wicked persons at the Lords table doe refuse to communicate with the Church now albeit men should not be admitted hand ouer head to the Lords Table but scandalous persons ought to be restrained yet the
want thereof ought not to keepe the godly from this Sacrament for another mans euill conscience cannot defile thy good conscience another mans sinne cannot hurt thee vnlesse thou doe some way communicate with him therein Christ was more carefull in his dutie then euer man was and yet hee communicated with the wicked Iewes Scribes and Pharises in the seruice of God vnder the Law The fourth head from whence offence is taken is the state of the wicked principally in regard of their prosperitie Hence some holy ones suspect their owne estate and religion as either not good or not regarded of God This befell Dauid Psal. 37. when hee sawe the prosperitie of the wicked and their increase in riches with peace and ease hee said Certainly I haue clensed mine heart in vaine â—nd washed my hands in innocencie Hence also Ieremie reasons with God why the way of the wicked should prosper and they bee in wealth that transgresse rebelliously Hence vndoubtedly at this day many call into question the good prouidence of God Now the way to cut off this offence is to enter into the sanctuarie of God as Dauid did that is to come to the assemblies of Gods people where the word is preached for there a man shall see the manifold reasons why God will haue his owne people afflicted also the fearefull end of the pleasures of the wicked namely a fitting of them to further destruction Againe from this same ground doe many rich men take offence for hauing the world at will they blesse themselues with this perswasion that God loues them and thereupon take occasion to condemne all religion and to goe on in the pursuite of worldly profits and delights And this is one maine cause why among the rich we haue so few good and sound Professors because that from a false ground of outward things they perswade themselues of Gods loue fauour But to cut off this offence we must remember that mans case is the more fearefull when he wants all crosses for God chasteneth euery child whom he receiueth Heb. 12. 6. it is a marke of Gods child to be in affliction if he profit thereby the stalled oxe commeth sooner to the slaughter then the oxe that is vnder the yoke and the sheepe that goeth in fat pasture commeth sooner to the shambles then that which goeth on the bare commons so oftentimes God fatteth the wicked with the blessings of this life as hee did the rich glutton that he may more iustly condemne them in the world to come Lastly we must remember what Salomon saith No man knoweth loue or hatred of all that is before him that is of all outward things all things fall alike vnto all both good and bad therfore no man must so blesse himselfe with his outward estate that he be drawne to esteeme of religion as a thing needlesse or superfluous Verse 31. It hath beene said also whosoeuer shal put away his wife let him giue her a Bill of diuorcement 32. But I say vnto you whosoeuer shall put away his wife except it be for fornication causeth her to commit adulterie and whosoeuer shall marie her that is diuorced committeth adulterie Our Sauiour Christ proceeding further to restore the seauenth commaundement to his perfection doth here confute a false interpretation of a Politicke law of Moses giuen by the Scribes and Pharises For this ende first he laies downe the wordes of Moses politicke law but yet so as containing in them the false interpretation of the Iewish teachers ver 31. then hee opposeth the truth of God against their false interpretation and maintaineth the first institution of mariage v. 32. For the first Moses politicke law was That hee which put away his wife should giue her a Bill of diuorce This law the Iewish Teachers did falsly interpret for the better perceiuing wherof these three points are to be handled touching Moses politicke law 1. what kinde of law it was 2. the straitnesse of that law 3. what effect and force it had For the first the law is set downe Deut. 24. 1. when a man marieth a wife and she finde no fauour in his eies because he hath espied some filthinesse in her then let him write her a bill of diuorce and put it in her hand and send her out of his house This law was not morall but ciuill or politicke for the good ordering of the common wealth Now among their particular lawes some were laws of toleration and permission which were such as did not approoue of the euill which they concerned but did onely tolerate and permit that euill which could not be auoided for the preuenting of a greater euil which otherwise would fall out As when the sea hath made â— breach into the land if it cannot possibly be stopped the best course is to make it as narrow as may bee Such was the law concerning vsurie Deut. 23. 20. permitting the Iewes to exercise it vpon a stranger but not towards a brother and the like was the law touching polygamie Deut. 21. 15. If a man had two wiues the one hated the other loued and they both haue borne him children if the first borne be the sonne of the hated though shee were maried to him the latter yet her seed was legitimate and her sonne had the right of the first borne In both which lawes were tolerated that which God condemned onely for the preuenting of a greater euill Vnder this sort comes our law of vsurie for taking tenne in the hundred not approuing but permitting so much for the auoyding of greater vsurie Vnto this kind the Papists would reduce their law of permitting Stewes for the preuenting of greater sinnes but that law can haue no title to such permission for a law of permission is to diminish that euill which by man cannot possibly be cut off altogether now that sinne which they would preuent by their Stewes might be cut off among them if they would giue allowance to Gods owne ordinance of lawfull mariage vnto all sorts and sexes So likewise this law of Moses for diuorce was a law of permission not approouing of the giuing a bill of diuorce for euery light cause but tolerating of it for the preuenting of greater mischeife euen of murther for the nature of the Iewes was this if a man once tooke dislike to his wife he would neuer be at rest till he had shed her blood if they might not bee parted asunder Now this law of diuorce was giuen to restraine this great euill for hereby a man was tolerated to put away his wife when shee found no fauour in his eies lest hee should kill her yet so as he gaue her a bill of diuorce wherein hee must set downe the cause why hee put her away whereby also many were restrained from putting away their wiues because it was a great shame for a light occasion so highly to transgresse Gods holy institution who made them by mariage
heauen the Saints and Angels behold the vnspeakable glorie of God And from heauen doth God shew his exceeding power euen in spreading the heauens like a curtaine aboue the earth in setting therein the Sunne the moone and starres most glorious creatures in giuing particular motions vnto theÌ„ by sending raine from heauen with stormes lightnings and thunder Againe he sheweth his iustice from heauen by powring downe his iudgements thence As the flood vpon the world of the vngodly and fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Gomorrah as the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men Againe Gods mercie and goodnes is daily manifested from heauen thence commeth euery good gift Iam. 1. 17. yea thence our Sauiour Christ descended for the worke of our redemption thence also the holy Ghost descended in Christs baptisme and the Fathers voice was heard from thence pointing out that lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world and thence shall Christ come againe in glorie at the last day to be glorified in his Saints all which doe magnifie vnto vs the glorie of this Throne Is the Throne of God in heauen not on earth theÌ„ must we learne to conceiue of God as of an heauenly King in the chapter following we are taught to call him our heauenly Father v. 9. and therefore when we speake or think of God or doe worship vnto him in praier or thaÌ„ksgiuing we must not conceiue of him in any carnall sort but in an heauenly manner The second commandement forbidding the representation of God in any similitudes may teach vs that we must not conceiue of God after any earthly or carnall manner Indeede the Popish church approouing of the images of the Trinitie as before was shewed doe thereby teach the people to conceiue of God as of an old man sitting in heauen with a crowne vpon his head because he is called the Ancient of daies but all such carnall conceits of God are here forbidden That we may then conceiue aright of God two Rules must be remembred First we must not frame in our minds any image of God at all as that he should be like vnto man or any other creature but we must conceiue of him both in his works as our creator gouernour and preseruer and also in his properties as most wise most iust holy mercifull and such like Secondly we must conceiue that God is one in substance and three in person we must not confound the persons nor deuide the substance but conceiue of one God in three persons and three persons in one and the same godhead These two Rules beeing well obserued wil keepe our hearts from those vaine conceits of God which many frame to themselues when they thinke of him in their mindes Secondly seeing Gods throne is in heauen therefore our conuersation must be there also for where God is and his throne there ought our hearts to be Now we shall haue our conuersation in heauen by doing two things first by a continuall eleuation of our minds vnto heauen morning and euening and at all times when we haue occasion 1. Thess. 4. 17. we are commanded to pray continually and that we doe so oft as in the duties of our ordinary calling we desire in our hearts the blessing and assistance of God for the sighs and grones of the soule are praiers approoued before God we must therefore lift vp our heart to God as Dauid did Psal. 25. 1. Secondly we must set all our affections on God and on heauenly things as our loue our ioy and feare yea our care must be of comming to heauen for where can we be in a more happie place then before Gods throne in heauen where God sets out his glorie and maiestie to his creature Thirdly hence we may learne to conceiue aright of the prouidence of God for God sitting in his maiestie in heauen and beeing infinite in wisdome power and greatnes doth by a most carefull prouidence see know and gouerne all things that are done vpon the earth this is notably set forth vnto vs Psal. 11. 4. The Lords throne is in heauen his eâ—â—â— wil coÌ„sider his eye lids wil try the children of men the words are very significant importing that God from heauen doth most narrowly see into all mens dealings and affaires which teacheth vs when we shall be in any distresse either in bodie minde goods or friends to behaue our selues in an holy manner for God sees our case and therefore first we must make our moane vnto him and humbly intreat for that grace and mercie at his hands whereof we stand in neede Dauid maketh this a ground of much comfort in affliction Psal. 102. 19 20. Out of heauen saith he did the Lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death Lastly this serueth to terrifie euery sinner for the Lord sits in heauen with a piercing eye beholding all thy doings whatsoeuer thou art and therefore when a man sinneth though he may hide the same from men yet the Lord sees him and will reprooue him and iudge him let vs therefore make conscience of all sinne and feare to not euill either by thought word or deede seeing we are euer before the Iudge that â—its vpon this throne The second particular prohibition is against swearing by the earth the reason is because it is the Lords foot-stoole The earth is the Lords footestoole not properly but by resemblance because as the footstoole is nothing in glorie to the throne no more be those glimpses of glorie which God shewes here on earth comparable to that surpassing dignitie and glorie wherein God manifests himselfe in heauen Is the earth the Lords footstoole then is he not included in heauen but is present also vpon the earth God is not in one place alone but he is euery where at one and the same time Here then we haue a plaine proofe of Gods infinite greatnesse and omnipresence in regard of his essence and godhead for Christ compares him to a king who is of that bignesse that he fils heauen with his glorie and of that height that the earth below is his footstoole according as he saith Ierem. 23. 24. I sâ—ll heauen and earth This point Dauid prooues at large Psal. 139. 7 8. Whither shall I goe from thy presence c. shewing plainely that there is no place wherof it can be truely said that God in essence is not there present The consideration whereof teacheth vs First to vnderstand aright that saying of Paul Act. 17. 28. In him we liue mooue and haue our beeing we are not in God as parts of God for his essence is most simple yet it is true we are in God because his essence is euery where it is in vs forth of vs and about vs and beeing in vs and about
vs giues vs liuing beeing and moouing Secondly this teacheth vs to conceiue aright of Gods holy prouidence to wit that God in regard of his substance is in euery place giuing beeing life and moouing to all things that be liue and mooue preseruing thē killing thē at his pleasure doing whosoeuer he wil. Thirdly this consideration of Gods essentiall presence serues to kindle in our hearts that feare of God which is the ground of true obedience in all estates If God shall laie vpon vs any affliction either in body or minde friends or goods let vs then consider the essentiall presence of God laying that crosse vpon vs and it will strike into our hearts a reuerent feare of God and mooue vs to patience meeknes contentation yea it wil cause vs to hūble our selues vnder his hand for the cause why men flie not to God by humbling themselues in their afflictions is because they thinke God is farre off Again if in prosperity we consider Gods essentiall presence with vs giuing vnto vs all good things it will make vs thankefull so much we doe vnto man when we bee in his presence that hath bestowed a fauour vpō vs we readily addresse our selues to thankefulnes and shall we not doe so to God In a word this holy meditation of Gods presence will make vs to humble our selues vnto God and to rest contented with his good will and pleasure Fourthly if God in essence be present euery where then it is needelesse to make choice of places in regard of holinesse for the worshippe of God for one place is no more neare to God then an other which confutes the vanitie of Popish Pilgrimages to cheife places for religious worship and it checketh also the blind opinion of many among vs who thinke the Church is the onely place of praier and other parts of Gods worship whereupon they neuer regard to pray in their priuate houses But God is in thee and in thy house as well as in the Church and therefore thou maist lift vp pure hands vnto God in all places and must pray at home as wel as in the Church alwaies prouided that thou honour Gods ordinance in the publike assemblies Fiftly if God be euery where then we must labour to haue hearts affected with this perswasion that wheresoeuer we be God is present with vs. This lesson God taught Abraham Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be vpright and this Enoch had learned long before Gen. 5. 24. and therfore was reported of that he had pleased God Heb. 11. 5. now where this perswasion taketh place 〈◊〉 will strike the heart with a reuerend feare and awe towards God making a man thus to reason God is present with me how then should I doe this euill in his sight Oh that this thought did run in our minds in the time of temptation then by Gods grace we should feare to sinne and endeauour to walke before God in all holy obedience as his seruants haue done Many are shamelesse in sinning which comes from the want of this perswasion of Gods presence which should strike this feare into their hearts as we may see Gen. 20 11. Psal. 10. 3. 4. 11. and 94. 6 7. Sixtly this knowledge of Gods presence serues to quiet and strengthen their hearts that are troubled with feare of the deuill thus they must reason with themselues the Lord my God is present with me both in power and essence he can bind Satan and he will keepe those that trust in him from the snare of the hunter wherefore then should I be afraid Secondly is the earth the Lords footestoole then while we liue here vpon the earth our liues ought to be a daily practise of humiliation and repentance when good subiects come before the chaire of estate especially if the Prince be present then they bowe their bodies to testifie their loyall subiection vnto their Prince shall man doe this to man and shall not we whose dwelling is at the Lords footstoole much more humble our selues When Dauids wrath was kindled against Nabal Abigail Nabals wife beeing wiser then her husband went to meete Dauid with a present and so soone as shee saw him shee light off her asse and fell downe on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground and fell at his feete and be sought him humbly to forget the trespasse and to stay his hand from blood so likewise when Iacob met his brother Esau he bowed himselfe seauen times to mooue him to compassion towards him and his family how much more then ought we to bowe our selues before the Lord who haue ten thousand fold more deserued his wrath then Nabal did Dauids or Iacob Esaus and besides our humble walking before him at his footstoole here on earth may giue vs assurance that one day he will place vs on his throne in glorie in the heauens But if we walke proudly before him in the practise of sinne being at his footstoole let vs know that he hath feete like vnto fierie brasse burning in a furnance Revel 1. 15. vnder which he will trample all his enemies and make them his footestoole Psal. 110. 1. The third inhibition is from swearing by Ierusalem the reason is for it is the citie of the great King that is the citie of God the king of kings for God had chosen the Iewes to be his peculiar people and Ierusalem for his holy citie where he had his Temple and sacrifices for his solemne worship Now here obserue that at this time the Temple was made a denne of theeues and many of the Scribes and Iewish teachers were notable Heretikes erring against the foundation of religion yea the people were rebellious and wicked as Steuen plainly telleth them Act. 7. 51. and yet Christ here calleth Ierusalem the citie of God and so the people Gods people though they for their parts had forsaken God The reason hereof is this because neither the Iewes nor any other doe then presently cease to be the people of God when they by sinne cut off themselues from God and forsake him but then doe they cease to be Gods people when God forsakes them and cuts them off from him like as in the state of matrimonie when either man or wise commits adulterie that partie breakes the bond of mariage and as much as in him lieth cuts off himselfe from the other but yet while the partie innocent retaines matrimoniall affection towards the partie offending and giues not a Bill of diuorce they still remaine man and wife This appeares in these Iewes whome neither Christ himselfe did then forsake when they reiected him for he praied for them when they crucified him nor yet his Apostles till they saw in them manifest signes of incurable obstinacie Act. 13. 46. This point must be remēbred as seruing to rectifie our iudgements touching the state of a Church or people that haue many grieuous wants and faults
we professe our selues to be Christians for he that hath not the spirit of God is none of his Rom. 8. 9. And if we be in the spirit wee must obey the motions thereof and learne of Christ who was meeke and humble and following him wee shall finde rest for our soules Secondly when Christ sets downe these three examples of suffering wrong he applies himselfe to the present outward estate of the Iewes which was this For one man to suffer wrong of another in his bodie and in his goods and yet to rest contented without reliefe or amends Now the cause of this their miserable condition was their seruitude to the Romane Emperour who a little before Christs comming had remooued the Scepter from Iuda made Iuda a Prouince tributarie vnto Rome so as they were ruled not by a Prince of their owne but by a forraine enemies Deputies In this estate we may see the miserable condition of any people that are in bondage to a forraine enemie their liues are euery way miserable for besides their personall bondage they are constrained to suffer losses and wrongs in goods and in their names without all remedie or reliefe The consideratioÌ„ hereof must teach vs First to be heartily thaÌ„kfull vnto God for the happie outward peace which with the Gospel of Gods grace we now enioy vnder our dread Soueraigne being free from subiection vnto any forraine power Secondly to praie earnestly vnto the Lord for the good estate life and health of our Prince by whom vnder God we enioy such ioy and prosperitie as also for the continuance of Gods holy hand of protection to preserue the whole land against all forraine power whatsoeuer Thirdly to repent vnfainedly of all our sinnes that so we turning vnto God from them he may continue vnto vs those happy daies of peace wherein we haue freedome from subiection to forraine tyrannie for our sinnes are our greatest foes they lay open the ports of our lands and the gates of our cities to the spoyling enemie they will put downe our strong walls and take away the strength of our armed men no enemies can doe vs so much harme as our owne sinnes and therefore we must humble our selues for them and if we haue not repented now we must beginne and if we haue begunne we must proceede and renew the same more and more If we had felt the miserie of subiection to foraine power as these Iewes now did it would touch vs and therefore before these euills come vpon vs let vs meete our God by true repentance that so he may keepe from vs this fierce wrath vers 42. Giue to him that asketh and from him that would borrow of thee turne not away Christ hauing forbidden priuate reuenge doth here command the requitall of good for euill in two particular examples of well-doing taken from giuing and lending by both which though not expressely yet in sense and meaning Christ would teach his hearers thus much Let the man be what he will doe thou good vnto him for euill For the first Giue to him that asketh c. These words must not be taken simply but in this sense Giue to him that asketh on a iust cause beeing poore though be cannot requite thee againe nay though he had done thee wrong and were thine enemie This exposition is plaine Luk. 6. for hauing set downe his commandement for giuing v. 30. he renders this reason thereof in effect because they cannot requite thee againe v. 33. which plainely imports that it must be to the poore Here now first obserue the forme of Christs words they are commanding Giue to him c. whence I gather that a man is bound in conscience vpon paine of death to giue Almes and releefe Matth. 25. 41 42. Christ adiudgeth some to hell for the neglect of this dutie now there could be no such course if there were no commandement that did bind their conscience to doe that for want whereof they are condemned Againe in the sixt commandement we are bound to doe all duties that may preserue our neighbours life of which sort is giuing releefe vnto the poore without which they cannot liue If it be saide that Daniel made Almes deedes no commandement but a matter of counsell vnto Nebuchadnezzar I answer that things commaunded may be propounded by way of counsell so doth Christ to the Church of Laodicea I counsell thee to buie of me gold c. Againe Daniel vsed this forme of speech to the King Let my counsell be pretious vnto thee not because it was no commandement but because he would so temper his speech that it might better take place in the stout heart of this proud king And when as Paul 2. Cor. 8. 8. speaking of Almes saith he speaketh not by commandement it is to be vnderstood not simply of Almes giuing but of thâ— measure thereof as the former verse doth plainly shew Here then wee see those men confuted which say they may doe with their owne what they will this is not so for mens goods are not their owne simply but Gods also and they indeede are but the Lords stewards to dispose of them as he commands now his will is that part thereof should be giuen to them which want Secondly we see here also that those men sinne grieuously who are so couetous that they will giue nothing to the poore sell they will and lend also vpon a good pawne for their owne aduantage but by free gift they will part with nothing These are miserable persons who doe what they can to condemne themselues for Gods commandement binds men in conscience to giue vnto the poore and that freely Yet here we must know that not onely they who giue fâ—eely doe a worke of mercie but also they who lend and sell when as their lending and selling will as much profit the poore as giuing this in effect is almes deedes here also commanded and therefore is Ioseph commended not onely for giuing but for selling corne to the Egyptians and others in the time of dearth Thirdly this beeing a commandement binding conscience must stirre vs vp to doe all good duties of releefe with cheerefulnes that so meete and decent prouision for the poore may not onely be begunne but also continued for it is acceptable vnto God A second point here to be obserued is what kind of commandement this is Giue to him that asketh Gods commandements be of two sorts Affirmatiue and Negatiue and in the Morall law the one is alwaies comprehended in the other now this commandement is affirmatiue which must be noted because negatiue precepts lay a straighter bonde vpon the conscience then the affirmatiue and therefore are the precepts of the Morall law for the most part propounded negatiuely for the negatiue precept binds a man to obedience alwaies and to all and euery time as when God saith Thou shalt not kill a man is neuer exempted from obedience hereunto but an affirmatiue
Againe in the new Testament the Apostles ordained that in euery Church there should be Deacons that is men of wisdome and discretion who were to gather for the poore and likewise to dispose of that which was giuen according as euery man had neede in which very order of prouision for the poore the Lord forbids all waÌ„dring begging II. These wandring beggers are the shame and reproch of the people where they are suffered for it argueth want of care of good order in gouerners and want of mercie in the rich that they gather all to themselues without regard how the poore should liue III. In releeuing these wandring beggers there is this double want in the giuer he cannot tell what to giue nor how much because he knowes not the state of the partie that beggeth Now in almes deedes there ought to be a double discretion the giuer ought to know both his owne abilitie and also the necessitie of the receiuers IV. Common releeuing at mens doores makes many beggers and maintaines a wicked generation for these wandring beggers are for the most part flat Atheists regarding nothing but their bellie separating themselues from all congregations and from begging many fall to stealing or els they take such pleasure therein that they will neuer leaue it no not for a yearely rent This is knowne to be true by experience All which things duly considered must moue the Magistrates and euery other in their place to see that better order be obserued for the poore then doore-releeuing to all that come And sith good lawes are made in this behalfe men ought in conscience to see the same obserued and kept neither can any man without sinne traÌ„sgresse the same Indeede if good order were not prouided for the poore it were better to releeue them in their wandring course then to suffer them to starue for so dealt Christ his disciples with the poore when good order failed among the Iewes they releeued them in the high waies streetes VII Point At what time must Almes be giuen Ans. Hereof the Scripture speaketh little yet this may be gathered thence First that releefe must be giuen when present occasion requireth therfore Salomon saith Say not to thy neigbour Goe and come again to morow if thou now haue it Secondly that the Sabbath day is a fit time for the giuing of releefe for the poore for the Apostle commanded the Corinthians that each one should lay aside vpon that day according as God had prospered him the weeke before that which he would giue for the poore where by the way it may be obserued that daily giuing at mens doores was not allowed by the Apostles Also touching Trades-men this may be added from this that the Apostle makes contribution for the poore a Sabbath daies worke that wheras they vse to imploy part of the Lords day both morning euening in seruing their customers for their own priuate benefite this can not be â—arranted onely this they may doe vpon the Sabbath they should sell vnto none but to such as buie of necessitie and then they may not make a priuate gaine of their sale but must turne that worke to a worke of mercie for the poore either selling without gaine if it be a poore bodie that buies or giuing the gaine of that which they sell to the rich for the releefe of the poore This indeed will hardly be obtained at trades-mens hands but yet they must know that the whole Sabbath day is the Lords wherin he wil be worshipped with delight neither ought men to doe therein their owne workes nor seeke their owne wills nor speake their owne words Isa. 58. 13. VIII Point In what manner must Almes be giuen Ans. Hereof more is to be spoken in the chapter following yet from this text these things may be obserued First that Almes-giuing must be free the giuer must neither looke for recompence at the hands of man nor thinke to merit any thing thereby at the hands of God That Popish conceit depriues a man of the true comfort of the spirit in this worke of mercy none but Christ by his obedience could euer merit at Gods hands Secondly our hearts in giuing must be touched with charitie and the bowels of compassion we must giue with cheerefulnes for without loue all that we giue is nothing 1. Cor. 13. 3. and the Lord loueth a cheerfull giuer 2. Cor. 9. 7. now if we consider the poore as our owne flesh and see Gods image in them this will mooue vs to pitie Thirdly in the person of the poore we must consider Christ Iesus and giue vnto them as we would giue vnto Christ. This will mooue vs to giue and that chearefully for in the day of iudgement Christ will make it known that he comes for releefe to the rich in the person of the poore to the mercilesse he will say In as much as ye did it not to them ye did it not to me but to the mercifull thus In as much as ye did it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me Fourthly our almes must be giuen as a pledge of our thankefulnesse vnto God for the blessings we enioy for all we haue commeth from God and of his hand it is whatsoeuer we giue now he professeth that when men doe good and distribute to the poore he is well pleased with such sacrifices Hauing seene what this dutie of Almes-giuing is and how it must be performed we must now stirre vp our selues to put the same in practise and to mooue vs hereunto consider the reasons following I. We all desire to be counted religious now if we would be such indeede we must visit the fatherlesse and widowes we must doe good and giue almes to the poore for this is pure religion and vndefiled before God as Iames saith To come to the Church and heare the word and to receiue the Sacraments are good things but without mercie to the poore they are not regarded but hated of God Isa. 1. 13 14 15. II. If a man should offer vnto vs a peece of ground to manure and till for our owne reaping we would take it kindely and bestowe both paines and seede vpon it behold the poore are sent of God to the rich as a peece of ground to be tilled and when they giue to the poore they sowe vpon the ground now as Paul saith in this case looke as a man soweth so shall he reape we therefore must sow liberally that we may also reape liberally III. Prov. 19. 17. He that hath mercie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord we would easily be mooued to lend if we had an honest man to be suretie vnto vs for returning of our owne with aduantage well the Lord offers himselfe to the rich to be suretie for the poore who then will feare to lend hauing so good a debter
man to be mercifull and to lend Psal. 112. 5. where wee see that wretched practise of many rich men condemned to the pit of hell who are so far from lending to the poore that they hoard vp their store till a time of dearth that then they may inrich theÌ„selues by poore mens want thus they increase Gods iudgement vpon the poore and as it were grinde their faces and tread vpon them as the holy Ghost speaketh But they shall one day find that they ought to haue lent vnto the poore in their necessities yea and when the hand of God in common want lieth more heauie vpon the poore they ought then to open their hands more liberally towards them It is an vsuall common practise that when a man beginnes to decaie in his estate no man will lend him any thing â—uâ—â— because he beginnes to decay therfore they withdrew their helpe least he should not pay them againe But this ought not to be so it s Christs commandement that the rich by lending should sustaine such a one as by reason of want is readie to fall into decay Secondly this coÌ„mand of Christ binds the Rich not onely to lend but to lend freely without taking any increase for they must lend not looking for any againe yea Exod. 22. 25. the Lord expressely forbids to take increase of the poore where we see the common practise of Vsurers condemned to the bottome of hell who lende vnto the poore vpon bonds for increase these are they that liue on the blood and life of the poore whose sinne is euery where condemned and ought to be hated as bloodshed it selfe But the rich will say they are intreated so to doe and are greatly thanked for so lending Ans. This excuse will not serue the turne for Sauls armour bearer was a murtherer for killing his master though Saul earnestly besought him so to doe 2. Sam 1. 9. 16. Thirdly here further learne that a man must lend and yet not alwaies take againe the principall indeede he may require and receiue his owne els there should be no lending but all giuing which two are here distinct but yet when the poore that borowed is fallen inâ—o further pouertie the Rich must turne his lending into giuing and forgiue the principall or part thereof as their seuerall estates shal require Deut. 24. 10 11 12. A man may take a pledge for his debt of the poore but yet if the pawne be a thing necessarie to the poore mans life he must not take it or at least not retaine it till the sunne setting Fourthly some may here aske seeing Christ bids oâ— lend looking for nothing againe whether may a man at no time with good conscience receiue increase for his lending Ans. Lending is twofold of due or of curtesie lending of due is the loane of the rich vnto the poore when his necessitie compells him to borrow and for this a man cannot with good conscience take any increase Lending of curtesie is when one rich friend lends vnto an other this is not forbidden in the word of God but is left to a mans owne libertie and discretion neither hath it any promise of reward Now in this case of curtesie I doe not finde in Scripture that all taking of increase is simply condemned nay in some cases both the law of nature and the lawes of all countries doe allow it As first when the increase is giuen onely in way of thankefulnesse as a blessing to require in kindnes a good turne receiued for ingratitude is abhorred of all and the low of nature requires to doe good for good and all Diuines almost both Protestants and Papists doe allow this kinde of increase Secondly when a man sustaineth dammage by his lending he may receiue increase by way of satisfaction for his losse Thirdly when a man is contented to aduenture his principall in the hand of him that borroweth then also may he take increase like as a man may receiue hire for his hourse or for the vse of any other goods standing to their losse Exod. 22. 14. Thus we see what the will of God is for giuing and lending vnto the poore now hence the poore may receiue instruction First hereby all may learne that God will haue some poore among his people to receiue and borrow of the rich which may serue to perswade the poore to be contented with their meane estate esteeming it to be the best for them because God in his wisdome and prouidence hath ordained it Secondly the poore must take occasion from their outward pouertie to seeke to be rich in God through grace Iam. 2. 5. Hath not God chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith Herein they may match and goe beyond the richer sort which is a matter of great ioy Iam. 1. 9. Let the brother of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted that is with God who counts them rich Revel 2. 9. Thirdly hence the poore must learne to carie themselues submissiuely towards the rich of whome they receiue great helpe and comfort by their giuing and lending Prov. 18. 23. The poore saith Salomon vttereth supplications noting their humilitie which reprooues many poore who are so proud hearted and ingratefull that they will not affoard the rich a good word but this beseemeth none much lesse those that are to liue by the rich Psal. 101. 5. Him that hath a proud looke and bigh heart I cannot suffer vers 34. Ye haue heard that it hath beene said of old thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie In this verse and the rest to the ende of this Chapter our Sauiour goeth about to purge the generall commandement of the second Table touching the loue of our neighbour from the corrupt interpretation of the Iewish teachers and to restore it to his true and proper meaning And as in the former so here he first laies downe their false doctrine touching this commandement v. 43 and then consutes the same v. 44 45 c. In laying downe their false interpretation he propounds the law of Moses touching brotherly loue Leuit. 19. 18. Thou shalt loue thy neighbour which must here be vnderstood in their false sense who by neighbour meant a friend as if God had said Thou shalt loue thy friend Then he adjoyneth their tradition gathered from the law of God misconceiued namely to hate a mans enemie In these Iewes we may obserue two manifest abuses of Scripture which ought not to be in any Teachers to wit misinterpretation and a false collection The word they misconstrue is Neighbour which in the olde Testament is taken two waies either strictly and more properly for a familiar friend and acquaintance in which sense it is commonly taken or more generally for any one that in any kind of societie is neare vnto vs as by consanguinitie habitation office traffique or beeing onely in
the same place with vs for so is the Samaritane saide to be neighbour to the man that fell among theeues because he found him lying in the way where he traueiled and had compassion on him Now the Iewish teachers leaue the generall signification of the word which expressed the true meaning of the holy Ghost and take the speciall signification and so restraine this law of loue to friends onely Whereby we see how necessarie it is that the tongues wherein the Scriptures were penned should be well knowne and vnderstood for the mistaking of the signification of a word by the Iewish teachers caused a manifest errour to be taught among them for truth And this maketh greatly for the honour of the Schooles of learning where the studies of the Tongues is professed And herein also an other thing may be noted in the Iewish teachers that in the time of Christ they were ignorant in their owne tongue and therefore no maruell though at this day they knowe not the proprieties thereof seeing their Common-wealth is decaied and they dispersed among all people Their second fault is a false collection and consequent that because a man must loue his friend therefore he must hate his enemie this is against the rules of Arte for vnlesse the contraries be equall a consequent will not thence follow in this sort Here then obserue the necessitie of the studie of humane Artes and among the rest especially of the Arte of Logicke whereby we may discerne betweene true and false collections Againe here obserue an infallible note of a false teacher to wit to temper the word of God to mens naturall affections and so to expound it as they may both stand together The Iewes were a people that loued their friends entirely and hated their enemies bitterly now answearably doe their Teachers expound this law whereby they ouerturne both the law of God and the saluation of the people Thirdly marke here the fruit of corrupt doctrine namely to corrupt good manners The Iewes were a people that did much bragge of their Ancestours and priuiledges and in regard of themselues contemned all forraine Nations yea they hated them and therefore they were â—oâ—e in contention with Peter for going to Cornelius a Gentile Act. 11. 2. now this their malice proceeded partly from nature and partly from the false doctrine of their Teachers which was that they might hate their enemies The like may appeare in many practises of Poperie to this day for when that Superstition was aloft the people were taught a distinction of times and places in regard of holinesse the fruit of which doctrine stickes fast in the hearts of many vnto this day for they thinke Churches and Chappell 's to be more holy then other places and therefore some will neuer pray but when they come into some-such place And doe they not make great difference of daies and times all which are fruits of Poperie In regard whereof we see it is necessarie that the puritie of Religion in faith and manners should be strongly maintained by the syncere ministerie of the word for many disorders in mens liues come from the vnsound handling of the Scriptures Whereby we may see Gods vnspeakeable mercie and goodnesse towards vs in vouchsafing vs an holy Ministerie wherein the puritie of doctrine is and hath beene long and may be still through Gods mercie maintained and published This ought to mooue vs to all thankefulnesse vnto God and to endeauour to shew the fruit of this true Religion in all holinesse and pietie both of heart and life towards God and man vers 44. But I say vnto you Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which hurt you and persecute you Here our Sauiour Christ propounds his Answer vnto the former false doctrine of the Iewish Teachers for the hating of an enemie Wherein first he laies downe a generall Rule containing the summe of his whole answer saying Loue your enemies then he expounds that Rule in the same v. and after prooueth it v. 45 46. Of these in order For the first Loue your enemies In this Rule two things must be knowne I. what is an enemie II. what it is to loue our enemie both these are euident in the words following wherein Christ expounds this rule Blesse them that curse you c. An enemie then is any one that of hatred doth wrong vnto his neighbour either in word by cursing or euill speaking or deede by striking and persecuting him But what is it to loue our enemie Loue properly is an affection of the heart whereby one is well pleased with an other But here more generally loue comprehendeth these two things first to be louingly affected in heart towards an enemie secondly to vse an enemie louingly in speech and action so it is taken 1 Ioh. 3. 18. Loue not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth And Rom. 10. 1â— Loue is the fulfilling of the Law For the first loue in the heart comprehendeth all good affections that one man beareth to another aâ— mercie compassion meekenesse and desire to doe vnto them what good we can as it is more plainely expressed Luk. 6. 36. Bee ye therefore mercifull as your heauenly father is mercifull And for the second that kinde vsage which loue expresseth in word and deede is here set out vnto vs in three branches First blesse them that curse you where is commaunded all good speech both vnto our enemie and of our enemie The second Do good to them that hate you where is prescribed all louing vsage in action by affoarding them helpe reliefe and comfort any way we can The third Praie for them that persecute you that is for their good estate in this life so farre forth as it serueth for Gods glorie and for their conuersion and saluation in the world to come See the euidence of these things in examples for the affection of the heart take Christs example who so loued his enemies that he was contented to shed his owne hearts blood for them and to suffer the pangs of hell vpon the crosse for their saluation For loue in courteous speech see Dauid's practise towards Saul his professed enemie for though Dauid had him in his hands and might haue killed him sundrie times nay though he was prouoked thereunto by his seruants yet hee spared him and with all tearmes of reuerence towards Saul appeased his seruants calling Saul his master and the Lords annointed Thus louingly also in speech did Paul behaue himselfe to Festâ—s Agrippa though they were heathen men and his enemies For doing good in action to an enemie read Exod. 2â— 4 5. If thou meete thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astraie thou shalt bring him to him againe and if thou seest thine enemies Asse lying vnder his burden wilt thou cease to helpe him thou shalt helpe him vp againe with it and Prou.
Lord. And to cleare this point yet further consider this that the roote of hypocrisie and of Atheisme is in our nature whereby naturally wee doe these three things wee Loue feare and trust in men more then in God and therefore doe make men the Iudges of our actions 1. for Loue are wee not greeued when we our selues or our freinds are dishonoured and on the contrarie when wee our selues or our freinds are praised are we not glad and reioyce but when God is dishonoured who is greeued or whose heart doth leape for ioye when God is glorified which argues plainely that our affection of loue is more inclined towards our selues and to our freinds then vnto God 2. for feare are not most men more afraide when they offend a mortall man like themselues then when they offend the euerliuing God 3. for trust and confidence in the time of affliction most men are more comforted if some friend promise them helpe then they are by all the promises of God himselfe in his word But men will say that they loue and feare and trust in God aboue all This indeede is the ordinarie profession of ignorant people but the truth is that by nature we refuse God to be our iudge and our approouer and appeale vnto men and therefore we must labour to see and feele and to bewaile this hypocrisie and to be indued with the contrarie grace whereby we may simply and sincerely seeke to be approoued of God in all our actions Secondly in this example note one euident cause of the disorder which was among the Iewes in respect of their poore for they begged in the high waies in the streetes of the cities and gates of the Temple flat against Gods commandement who would not haue such a begger in Israel other occasions there were of this abuse but one principall cause is here noted namely that priuate persons were permitted to giue their priuate almes vnto the poore with their owne hands in publike places This was a great disorder and the cause of many beggers for priuate men could not discerne the particular wants of all that begged so and therefore God had otherwise prouided for them in the old Testament as he shewed before And in the new Testament there were chosen faithfull men called Deaâ—ons in euery congregation who were to looke-vnto their poore to collect for them and to distribute to euery one according to their necessitie It is not vnlawfull for a priuate man to giue Almes in publike place if neede require but where the poore are no otherwise prouided for then by such priuate releefe it is a great disorder like as it is in a family where the children and seruants know not where and when to haue their dinners for the poore are Gods children in his family and ought to be prouided for in better sort then by such priuate releefe and therefore where good order is wanting for prouision for the poore it ought in conscience to be begunne and where it is begunne men must carefully maintaine and continue the same Thirdly in this example of a corrupt manner of Almes-giuing see the concurrence of sundrie sinnes First here is noted hypocrisie which were enough to condemne a man but yet with this there goes ambition and with both an open contempt and breach of good order in prouiding for the poore which shewes euidently that no sinne goes alone but ordinarily hath his companions for sinnes are so infolded one in an other that he which commits one is not free from any other this may plainly be shewed by many examples In Adams sinne there was the breach of the whole law in euery commandement either directly or by consequence for he shewed euident want of loue to God in beleeuing Satan more then God therein he chose Satan for his God he worshipped Satan and tooke Gods name in vaine he shewed also euident want of brotherly loue for hereby he became a murtherer not onely of himselfe but of all his posteritie and thus doe sinnes concurie in euery wicked action in which regard it may be said with Iames that he which faileth in one commandement is guiltie of all which must admonish vs to make conscience of euery sinne for we cannot liue in any one but we must needes runne into many other Uerely I say vnto you they haue their reward These words containe the reason of the former prohibition wherein we may see the vanitie of this giuing of Almes for the praise of men is all their reward they haue none with God as we shewed in the former verse vers 3. But when thou doest thine Almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth 4. That thine Almes may be in secret and thy father that seeth in secret he will reward thee openly These words containe Christs second commandement touching the manner of Almes-giuing with the reason thereof The commandement is in the third verse and it beareth this sense that if the left hand could vnderstand yet it should not know what our right hand gaue and therefore much more must we conceale the same from men Yet here Christ forbids not all giuing of Almes in open place or in the sight of men but his meaning is to restraine the ambition of the heart after the praise of men the giuer must not intend or desire that men should see him giue Almes that they might praise him but his heart must simply and sincerely seeke to approoue it selfe vnto God This will appeare to be the right meaning of our Sauiour Christ by comparing this verse with the first for here Christ renueth the commandement there giuen and forbiddeth the corrupt desire of the heart after vaine glorie in the giuing of almes Now for our better vnderstanding of this commandement first we will shew what is here forbidden and secondly what is commanded Here are two things forbidden first all desire or intention of mens beholding of vs when we giue our Almes secondly all respect and intent to please our selues in Almes-giuing for the left hand must not know what the right hand giueth The thing here commaunded is this that he which giues Almes must doe it simply intending and desiring onely to please God and to approoue his worke vnto God without all by-respects of mens praise or approbation Here then first is condemned the doctrine of the Church of Rome which teacheth men to doe good workes with opinion of meriting life euerlasting thereby at the handes of God for that is farre more then to doe them for this ende to get praise of men which yet is here forbidden and therefore the other must needes be abominable Secondly seeing in our weldoing we must simply intend to approoue our selues vnto God it shall not be amisse here to shew how we may so doe our good workes that God may approoue thereof Hereunto foure things are required faith loue humilitie and sinceritie or simplicitie For the first in euery good
foure kinds or parts of invocation to wit I. Supplication when we intreat God to remooue some euill from vs. II. ' Prayer whereby we begge at the hands of God the gift of some good thing vnto vs and these two concerne our selues The III. is Intercession when as we intreate the Lord to graunt some good thing vnto our brethren or to remooue some euill from them The IV. is thankesgiuing whereby we giue laud thanks to God for blessings receiued either by our selues or by our brethren Now in this place Prayer is not to be taken strictly for one part of invocation but generally for the whole worship of God by invocation as it is commonly taken of vs and often vsed in Scripture one part beeing put for the whole Be not as the hypocrites that is doe not as they doe in prayer by hypocrites he vnderstandeth principally the Iewish teachers the Scribes and Pharisies for at them he aimeth in this part of his Sermon For they loue to stand and pray in the Synagogues and in the streetes We must not here conceiue that Christ condemnes altogether this gesture of standing in prayer as vnlawfull for himselfe praied standing when he raised vp Lazarus and the primitiue Church in their assemblies called Stations praied standing but he reprooueth here the abuse of this gesture in these Iewish teachers For first they vsed this gesture to a wrong ende namely thereby to get the praise of men because standing is the fittest gesture which a man can vse in praier to make him be seene of others Secondly these Scribes and Pharisies thought themselues more righteous then all other men and therefore iudged that they had no neede to humble themselues so much either in soule or bodie as the Publicans and sinners did Againe Christ here condemneth not the action of praier in these places the Synagogues and the streets for no man was euer forbidden of God to pray in any place The Patriarks were not tied to any place and vnder the law howsoeuer the Temple was the place appointed for Gods outward worship in sacrificing and such like yet euen then it was lawfull for the Iewes to pray in any place and after Christs comming Paul willeth that men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands vnto God but here is condemned this grosse fault of these Scribes and Pharisies that they minded to pray no where els but in these open and publike places which is expressed by this phrase they loue to stand and pray So that in a word this is the meaning of this verse You my hearers when you pray take heede of the hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisies for they regard onely the praise of men and therefore doe vse such gesture in praier and chuse such places to pray in that they may best be seene of men Where wee see he directly condemnes their hypocrisie as well in respect of the ground thereof which was the pride of their hearts not Gods grace as also in regard of the end thereof which was the praise of men not the glory of God The vse 1. Whereas Christ saith When thou praiest he taketh it for graunted that all men of yeares must pray and whereas he condemnes the false manner of prayer and sets downe the right forme and manner thereof he teacheth vs that it is a most necessarie thing for all that haue discretion to exercise themselues religiously in this dutie of prayer And because our Sauiour here vrgeth this dutie so much I will here shew the necessitie of prayer which may appeare vnto vs by sundrie reasons I. Prayer is one of the most principall parts of Gods worship for herein we acknowledge him to be the giuer of all goodnes the searcher and knower of our hearts and hereby we testifie the faith hope and confidence we haue in God And prayer is called the â—alueâ— of our lippes because it is a sacrifice well pleasing vnto God II. By prayer we doe obtaine and also continue and preserue vnto our selues euery good grace and blessing of God especially such as concerne eternall life for God promiseth his spirit to them that aske it by praier the first conuersion of a sinner howsoeuer it be the free gift of God yet by Gods grace moouing and inabling a man thereunto is obtained by praier and so are all the good graces following our conuersion both gotten and increased III. The true gift of prayer is a pledge of the spirit of Adoption and therefore Zacharie calls the spirit of prayer the spirit of grace And Paul saith the spirit helps our infirmities euen the spirit of our Adoption which teacheth vs to crie Aâ—ba father IV. By prayer we haue spirituall communion and familiâ—â—tie with God for in the preaching of the word God speakes to vs and in praier we speake to God and the more we pray the nearer and greater fellowship we haue with God which one reason if there were no more is sufficient to perswade vs of the necessitie of prayer and to mooue vs vnto diligence therein But sundrie obiections are made against the necessitie of praier 1. It is said God knows our thoughts before we praie and therefore it is needlesse to expresse them by praier vnto him Answ. We praie not to acquainte God with our suites or with our hearts as though he knew them not but to performe obedience vnto his commandement who requireth this duty at our hands Againe we praie vnto God to honour him in acknowledging him to be the knower of our hearts the giuer of all goodnes the stay of our faith and hope in whome only we put all our trust and considence Obiect 2. Whether we pray or not God will giue vs the blessings which he meanes to bestow on vs. Ans. This is â—lat Atheisine and yet we must distinguish of Gods blessings for some are common blessings which God oft giues to men without their asking because they serue to preserue nature as raine and fruitfull seasons food raiment c. Act. 14. 16. and yet euen these common blessings must be praied for Phil. 4. 6. In all things let your requests be made knowne to God and Iames saith Ye lust and haue not because ye aske not Psal. 106. 23. Moses prayer saues the people from destruction Others are speciall blessings of the Elect and these must alwaies be sought and obtained by prayer Obiect 3. God hath decreed all euents and euery thing shall so fall out as he hath appointed and therefore its needlesse to pray and oftentimes it s but the crossing of Gods will Ans. This reason is naught for as God hath decreed the euent of all things so likewise he hath appointed the meanes whereby his decree shall be effected and prayer many times is a principall meanes to bring Gods will to passe 1. King 18. 1. God shewed to Eliah that he would send raine in Israel after that long
name and mediation of Christ for in our selues we are sinners our iniquities make a separation betweene God and vs so that wee cannot haue accesse vnto the father saue only by the mediation of Iesus Christ. If we would come with boldnesse into the holy place it must be by the new and liuing way which Christ hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh 5. In praier we must haue faith wherby we beleeue that the thing we aske shall be done vnto vs Mark 11. 24. whatsoeuer ye aske in praier beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall bee done vnto you now the ground of this faith must be Gods commandement and his promise which I mentioned before The duties after praier are chiefly two 1. Wee must call to remembrance the praier wee made to God if one man talke with another he will be so attentiue that as neere as may be he will remember the words that passed betweene them and much more ought we so to doe when we talke with God now we must thus meditate on our praiers for this ende that we may the better doe the thing wee aske as we craue in praier the pardon of our sinnes so wee must after praier indeauour to leaue the practise of them What a horrible shame is it for men to begge at Gods hands the pardon of sinne and when they rise from praier to fall againe to the practise of it This is with the dogge to returne to his vomite and with the desperate thiefe to stealing after he hath intreated fauour of the Iudge 2. After praier wee must bee carefull to be as plentifull in thanksgiuing for blessings receiued as wee were in petition to craue them This indeede may bee done in the beginning of our praier though here I mention it last but omitted it may not be Ordinary men haue this humanitie that where they find friendship they will be more plentifull in rendring thankes then in making new requests and if we deale thus with men shall wee not much more doe it with God with whom true thankfulnesse for one blessing is a speciall meanes to procure many moe Now this thankfulnesse must not be onely in word but in deed testified by due obedience in life and conuersation and these are the duties whereby a man shall auoide all carnall ostentation in praier and approoue his heart vnto God therein By this description of the true manner of praier we may learne three things First that the Romish Church doth neither know nor teach nor practise the dutie of praier aright they pray not in knowledge for they pray in an vnknowne tongue and allow of ignorance as the Mother of deuotion they commend doubting by speaking against assurance and so pray not in faith nor obedience they praie not in humilitie for mercie for their sinnes for they thinke to merit by their prayers and which is worst of all they direct not their praiers to God only in the name of Christ but to God and his Saints making the virgin Marie their Mediatresse yea they pray to the wooden crosse which is most horrible Idolatrie Secondly that our common people come farre short of their dutie in this part of Gods worship for their praiers consist chiefly in the bare repetition of words which is onely a lip-labour they pray without knowledge and feeling so must needes faile in many other duties Now this bewraies the manifold wants that be in the praiers of the best Christians for besides their ignorance of many duties in praier their doubting and distrust their dulnesse and deadnesse of heart and their by-thoughts doe all shew that their hearts are not wholly taken vp with Gods glorie as they ought to be Lastly hereby we may see the grosse ignorance of our common people about spels and charmes because they consist of good wordes and many strange things are done thereby therefore they thinke them to bee good praiers but herein they are deceiued through ignorance in the right forme of praier for they that make them and vse them are either gracelesse persons that haue societie with the deuil or grosly deluded through palpable ignorance and they cannot set themselues before God to approoue their hearts vnto him in this action nay the worship that is done herein is to the deuill and the cure that is wrought thereby is his worke for these charmes are his watch-word to stirre him vp to such exploits Furthermore in this clause Pray vnto thy Father which is in secret that is an inuisible God is couched a reason to induce men to the obedience of this commandement to this effect He to whom thou praiest i◠an inuisible God therefore thou must endeauour to approoue the hidden man of thy heart vnto him Hence I gather first that it is an horrible thing to make an image to represent the true God or to worship God in it for God is inuisible The second commandement condemneth thē both as Moses himselfe doth so expound it Deut. 4. 15 16. Ye saw no Image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb therefore corrupt not your selues by making you a grauen image or representation of any signe Secondly that there should be no outward pompe in prayer either for gesture or for garments for praier is made to an inuisible Father This ouerthrowes the whole worship of the Popish Church which stands in outward shews of carnall pompe if there be any pomp it must be inward in the graces of the heart among which humilitie is the first ornament Thirdly that all places are alike in respect of Gods presence and of his hearing for hee is a God in secret wheresoeuer a man hath occasion to praie there God is which confuteth them that make the Church a more holy place for praier then other-where and therefore reserue all their praiers till they come thither for now difference of place in respect of Gods presence is taken away God is as well in the fielde and in the priuate house as in the Church and yet Churches are ordained and vsed in a godly policie because a congregation may more conueniently there meete to their mutuall edification in the publike exercise of the word and praier otherwise priuate houses were as good places for Gods worship as Churches if they were so decent and conuenient for edification for in all places men may lift vp pure hands vnto God as the Apostle teacheth And thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly These words containe a two-fold reason wherby Christ perswadeth his hearers and in them all others to the carefull practise of the former dutie of sinceritie in praier The first reason is drawne from Gods All-seeing propertie the second from his bountie Gods all-seeing propertie is set out in these words the father which seeth in secret that is though the father himselfe be inuisible yet when thou
of blood God will not heare them though they make many prayers If therefore we call vpon God as on our father we must be sine to loue his children as our brethren for this commandement we haue of God that he which loueth God should loue his brother also and he is not of God that loueth not his brother 1. Ioh. 3. 10. IIII. Here we see that all true beleeuers whether high or lowe poore or rich are in an equall condition in regard of God for God is no respecter of persons and here Christ teacheth euery one to say Our father In earthly kingdomes there be differences of estates and degrees some be noble some base some rule others serue and obey but with God in Christ there is neither bond nor free c. Coloss 3. 11. The beleeuing shepheard may call God his father as well as the beleeuing King and haue as good a place in Christs kingdome Which serues notably both to encourage the poore to embrace the Gospel in sinceritie seeing their meane outward estate can nothing preiudice or hinder their high acceptance with the Lord if they be faithfull as also to admonish the rich and noble in this world not to bee puffed vp with these outwarde thinges to contemne the poore for these things giue them no title to the kingdome of God nay not many noble nor mightie after the flesh are called but God hath chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith Iam. 2. 5. Which art in heauen These words shewe towardes what place we must dispose our selues in praier our father to whome we pray is in heauen and therefore thither must we direct our hearts our eyes our hands and all that is in vs. Indeede the Iewes vnder the law looked towards the Temple and in the Temple towards the mercie-seat because the Lord had there promised the manifestation of his presence and therefore Daniel turned his face towardes Ierusalem when he praied in Chaldea but now in the new Testament difference of place in respect of Gods presence is taken away and we are not tyed in praier to looke East or West North or South but men may now euery where and euery way lift vp pure hearts and hands vnto God towardes heauen thou must dispose thy heart because thy father to whome thou praiest is there and looke which way thou wilt or goe whither thou wilt heauen is not nearer nor further off Which shewes euidently two notable and grosse Popish fooleries in the matter of Gods worship the first is their going on pilgrimage from place to place to serue God the better for God whome thou must worship is in heauen in respect whereof all places are alike goe whither thou wilt thou art not nearer and stirre no foote thou art not further off Their second foolerie which is also abominable before God is to worship God in an Image at Crosses and in Crucisixes c. these they vse to put them in minde of God and of Christ but this they learne by the precepts and traditions of men and therefore it is but meere vaine and foolish worship in the sight of God Christ teacheth vs to set our hearts towardes heauen and not to poâ—â—e on dumme Images here on earth II. Instruct. Is God in heauen then when we pray we must come before God with all reuerence feare and trembling for he is in heauen a most glorious God full of all maiestie and power Eccles. 5. 1. Be not rash with they mouth nor let thine heart be hastie to vtter a word before God why so for he is in heauen and thou art vpon earth therefore let thy words be fewe Now this reuerence must shewe it selfe first in the holy disposition of the heart and affections towardes the Lord when the minde is not caried away with by-thoughts but applyeth it selfe wholly and onely to the present seruice it hath in hand secondly in the comely gesture of the body beseeming so holy an action done to so high a maiestie Thirdly in the humble and reuerend vttering of our requests hauing before hand well considered the things we are to vtter before God But goes the case thus with men in their ordinarie praiers nothing lesse for beside the multitude that pray without vnderstanding euen the better sort in the time of praier haue their minds running vpon other matters some about their profits others about their sports or such like now is not this pharisaicall praier wherein the lippes draw neare to God but the heart is farre remooued Againe many shew no reuerence in gesture or in speach some disdaine to bow to God in prayer and others doe rush vpon God in many words without premeditation But all these sinne grieuously for howsoeuer vnreuerent praying troubles few mens consciences because it is not easily discerned beeing against the first table yet it is to be esteemed as a disgrace vnto the Almightie and beeing carelessely practised when it is once knowne it is plaine mockerie of Gods maiestie worser then mocking of father or mother and therefore we must with all carefulnes auoide it and set our hearts with all reuerence towards God in prayer III. Hence we must learne to aske of God in prayer heauenly things especially these earthly blessings may be asked so farre forth as they are helpes to further vs towardes our euerlasting inheritance in heauen to which we are called 1. Pet. 1. 3 4. But to be euer groueling in the earth is against the nature of him that hath a father in heauen IIII. Our principall care must be how to come to heauen for there our father is ordinarily a child desires to be with his father and is best pleased on his mothers lappe or in his fathers armes herein therefore we must testifie our selues to be the sonnes and daughters of God by our vnfained desire to be in heauen where our father is It is vnnaturall for a child not to be delighted with his fathers house and so it argues them to be void of grace that haue no affection towards heauen and heauenly things let vs therefore delight to pray whereby we may creepe into our fathers bosome and though our bodies be on earth yet in affection and desire let our soules mount vp to heauen here we are but pilgrimes if God be our father our hearts must be vpon our home which is heauen where our father is Now the words of this preface thus opened containe a twofold notable ground and proppe to all our praiers to wit that God is both able and willing to heare and helpe when we pray for his beeing in heauen imports that he is almightie and therefore can heare and helpe vs our God is in heauen and be doth whatsoeuer he will And beeing a father yea our father in Christ he must needes be willing and readie to graunt our requests for no father is so tenderly affected towardes his naturall
mooue vs hereunto I. from the necessitie hereof in Gods Church and children for Gods name is dishonoured ouer all the world In the great dominions of the Turke God is acknowledged but yet out of the Trinitie And the Iewes confessing God denie Christ The Papists in word confesse and acknowledge the Trinitie but yet by their Idolatrie they greatly robbe God of his glorie they robbe Christ of his offices and giue diuine worshippe vnto creatures And in the bosome of the Church are many Atheists blasphemers oppressors drunkards adulterers and voluptuous persons whose bellie is their God all which though they will professe God in word yet by their workes they denie him so that vnlesse Gods children seeke to maintaine and aduance Gods glorie it is like to be trampled and troden vnder foote II. There is great daunger to Gods children in omitting and neglecting this dutie for by calling they are brought neare vnto God now God will be glorified in all that come neare him if we doe not honour him according to our profession his hand will be vpon vs for his glorie in our confusion hence it was that God slew Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron for offering straunge fire before the Lord and he debarred Moses and Aaron out of the promised land because they glorified him not at the waters of strife This made the wrath of God to burne like fire against the house of Elâ— for the iniquitic of his sonnes which their father saw in them and yet staied them not and so honoured them aboue the Lord. We had neede therefore to looke vnto our selues that we glorifie God in himselfe and in his workes els his hand will be vpon vs in soule or bodie goods or calling or some other way for the glorie of his iustice for God will not loose his glorie III. If wee say Halowed be thy name with our mouth and seeke not his honour in our life we bewray in our selues damnable hypocrisie and make profession of that sinne which the Lord vtterly detesteth we esteeme very basely of dissemblers among men but much more edious is this sinne in the matters of God and therefore let the practise of our liues shew the sinceritie of our hearts when we pray for the glorifying of Gods name Fourthly this petition teacheth vs that wee our selues must bee halowed and sanctified for else we cannot halow Gods name They that beare the vessels of the Lord in his sanctuarie must be clean Isay 52. 11. How much more ought they to be holy that beare the glorious name of God When Ananias doubted of going to Paul the Lord tels him he is a chosen vessel vnto me to beare my name alluding to that state of sanctification whereto the Lord had lately called him whereby hee made him a fit instrument for the glorie of his name in the ministerie of the Gospel And the same state must we labour after if we would be answerable to that we seeme to desire in this petition We must therefore labour to be new creatures changed in minde and heart for an vnholy person cannot truely desire the glorie of God but when wee once feele the grace of sanctification then will the desire of Gods glorie breed in our hearts and we shal know how worthy the Lord is to haue all glorie giuen vnto his name Fiftly if we compare this petition with the reason wherewith Christ concludes this praier wee shall see that the praise and honour of God is the beginning and end of Christs praier and so as it were the first last thing with Christ whence we learne that wee ought to bee more frequent and plentifull in thanksgiuing vnto God then in petition and request Thus we deale with those that be bountifull vnto vs on earth we giue them many thankes for one good turne and therefore should we much more abound in thanksgiuing to our heauenly father from whom we receiue euery good gift that we enioy It beseemes not the childe of God to be alwaies and onely begging as though he had nothing but withall he must be plentifull in thanks and praise for that argues he hath a taste of Gods mercie towards him this made Dauid say Praise is a comely and pleasant thing it well becommeth vpright men to be thankefull Our life of glorie shall be spent in praising God and therefore we should invre our selues thereto in this time of grace and indeed according to our thanksgiuing is our grace little praise little grace but he that abounds in thanksgiuing abounds in Gods blessings Againe heartie thanksgiuing for that we haue is an effectuall praier for more increase Lastly the place wherein this petition is set in this praier teacheth vs to seeke the glorie of God simply and absolutely before all other things This ought to be the affection of Gods child though he should receiue no blessings from God for looke what God preferres in his direction that must we alwaies prefer in all our actions though no good should follow vnto vs thereupon for this ende God giues vs time to liue in this world that wee might glorifie God in our places and callings and hee that imployeth himselfe otherwaies profaneth Gods name and transgresseth this heauenly order here set downe by Christ who is the wisdome of his father Verse 10. Thy kingdome come The Coherence Christ hauing taught vs to pray for the sanctifying of Gods name in the former petition doth in this and the rest which follow as it were expound the same by directing vs to the meanes whereby Gods name is halowed of vs for then doe we glorifie Gods name when he sets vp his kingdome in vs and we suffer him to rule in our hearts when we doe his will depend vpon his prouidence for the things of this life trust in his mercie for the pardon of our sinnes and on his power and strength against temptation Now of them all this second hath the neerest dependance vpon the former as beeing an especial meanes thereof for men ought to glorifie Gods name on earth but of themselues they cannot doe it till God rule in their hearts by his word and spirit and so set vp his kingdome in them The meaning Gods kingdome is two-fold Generall and Speciall Gods generall kingdome is his absolute power and soueraigntie whereby he ruleth all things in heauen in earth and in hell euen the deuils themselues Psal. 103. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen his kingdome ruleth ouer all and this wee acknowledge in the ende of this praier For thine is the kingdome Now this wee pray not for because it is alwaies euery where no creature can hinder it no not all the deuils in hell for euery creature is subiect hereunto and can doe nothing but that which God either willeth or permitteth according to his will hee worketh in the armie of heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can
in sinne and feeles it not wee therefore must labour to feele in our selues this spirituall bondage vnder sinne and when we feele it we must bewaile it and so shew some life of grace to be in vs. This Paul did Rom. 7. 24. O. wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Looke as the prisoner feeles his bolts and fetters so sensibly should we feele the chaine of sinne wherewith our soules are kept in bondage and till we feele it and bewaile it the kingdome of Christ doth not come vnto vs wee must therefore euery day crie vnto Christ our Lord that he would shew himselfe to be our Redeemer by breaking the fetters of sinne wherewith our soules are kept in bondage and giuing vs that free spirit which may fully erect his blessed kingdome in our hearts for where the spirit is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. Secondly wee must bewaile the sinnes of all the world in the transgression of Gods law whereby God is dishonoured and his kingdome hindered and the kingdome of darkenesse furthered 2. Pet. 2. 7 8. Iust Lot vexed his righteous soule with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked of his time 1. King 19. 10. When Elias saw the children of Israel forsake Gods couenant breake downe his altars and slay his Prophets with the sword then he became very zealous for the Lord of hosts Psal. 119. 136. Mine eies saith Dauid gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy Law Vers. 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy law Mark 3. 5. Christ mourned for the hardnesse of the hearts of the people and Luke 19. 41 42. Hee wept ouer Ierusalem for that they knew not the day of their visitation Now looke how these were affected with the raigning sinnes of their times so must we also mourne for their sinnes that raigne among vs as Atheisine and profanenesse contempt of Gods word blasphemie sabbaoth breaking oppression crueltie and pride all good subiects are grieued much when they see forraine enemies displaie among them banners of victorie how much more then ought the godly to grieue when they see impietie practised with an high hand which is as it were a flagge of defiance in the kingdome of Christ and a speciall ensigne of Satans triumphing in the increase of his kingdome of darkenes When the deuil sees one that hath liued in sinne but cast a looke toward the kingdome of Christ hee rageth greatly and labours by all meanes to turne him backe and when we see those that haue made profession of religion returne againe to the lusts of their former ignorance O it should grieue our soules and cause vs to pray thy kingdome come Doe we perceiue the Turke or Pope or any instrument of Satan either by subtiltie or tyrannie to hinder the Gospel preached which is the scepter of Christs kingdome and the aime of God whereby hee puls men from the kingdome of darkenesse O then we should mourne Or doe we see the want of Gods ordinance in preaching sacraments and discipline which serue for the furtherance of Christs kingdome or the Lords people committed to ignorant or idle Ministers to scandalous teachers either for life or doctrine In all these we haue cause of mourning and they should stirre vp our hearts to crie vnto the Lord Thy kingdome come Use 2. Graces to be desired As we must mourne for the wants and hinderances of Christs kingdome so we must hereby learne to haue our hearts inflamed with spirituall desires after all helpes and furtherances vnto Gods kingdome both in our selues and others as First for the preaching of the Gospel and all other diuine ordinances whereby Gods kingdome is erected and maintained our hearts desire to God must be that these may bee set vp and continued where they are wanting and that God may blesse them where they are vouchsafed Secondly that God would enlighten the eies of our minds that we may see the wonders of his Law as Dauid did that so the Lords ordinance may be blessed vnto vs. Thirdly that we may be wholly subiect vnto Christ and that of conscience not onely in our outward behauiour but in minde and heart in will in all our affections wee must make sure this holy desire bee in vs indeede and therfore must denie our selues and subiect our selues wholly vnto God as a willing people to serue him and none but him and then we may be sure his kingdome is come vnto vs. Fourthly we must desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ in the kingdome of glorie for this end that we may make an ende of sinning and become more obedient subiects vnto Christ yea wholly ruled by him though for the good of others we must be content to liue Fiftly that Christ would come in iudgement when all things shall be subdued vnto God and all his obedient subiects shall be fully glorified This wee may desire in heart though we must leaue the time to Gods good pleasure still waiting for it by faith in his promise Sixtly that God would inlarge his sanctuarie here on earth gather his elect more and more and still defend and maintaine his Church in euery place in the world when these desires affect our soules then doe wee truely say Thy kingdome come 3. Use. Duties to be practised Whatsoeuer we aske in praier that must we endeauour after in life and conuersation else we mocke God saying well and doing nothing First therefore as we say Thy kingdome come so must we seeke to meet it striue to enter into it for this end God giues vs time to liue in this world that here we might enter the gate of grace and wait for the fruition of glorie and therefore we must diligently frequent the suburbs of this heauenly Ierusalem euen the preaching of the word and therein labour both for true humiliation and conuersion or else wee cannot enter into this kingdome Math. 18. 3. Iohn 3. 5. First we must haue the pride of our hearts pulled downe and become as little children beeing humbled in our selues through the knowledge of our sinnes and the feeling of that miserie which is due vnto vs for them yea wee must confesse them vnto God and crie vnto him for mercie and by this meanes lay aside this burden which hinders our entrance into the gate of grace Secondly we must bee conuerted and changed by the renuing of our mindes our hearts must cleaue vnto God and we must carry therein a resolute purpose not to sinne when these things be in vs we enter into Gods kingdome but till we endeauour after them in some truth we say in vaine Thy kingdome come Secondly wee must bee carefull to bring forth the fruites of Gods kingdome for therefore doth he send it among men and for want hereof doth he take it from them Matth. 21. 43. Now these fruits are Righteousnesse peace
brought the tidings of his birth to the shepheards Luk. 2. 9 10. they ministred vnto him in his temptation Mat. 4. 11. in his Agonie Luk. 22. 43. in his resurrection Math. 28. 2. and ascension Act. 1. 10. so should we performe vnto Christ all the seruice we can Fourthly they spend their time in praising and lawding the name of God and so should we labour to haue our hearts inlarged for his glorie and our mouthes filled with his praises Fiftly they be seruiceable for our good if we be Gods children though they be farre better then we are Heb. 1. 14. They are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation Psal. 91. 12. They are as nurces to beare Gods children in their hands Psal. 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him And all this they doe vnto vs of loue as though it were not inioyned them So we after their example must imploy our selues in soule and bodie calling credit and all we haue for the good of men Sixtly the Angels are ioyfull when sinners are humbled and conuerted from sinne vnto God Luk. 15. 10. and they are grieued when men by sinne dishonour God And the like affections should be in vs we should mourne for all sinne in our selues and others whereby God is dishonoured and haue our hearts to leape for ioy when sinners repent and turne vnto God In the world to come we shall be like the Angels of heauen in glorie Math. 22. 30. let vs therefore here testifie this hope by beginning our heauen vpon earth in becomming like to the Angels though not in glorie yet in obedience Here lastly obserue what honour we are to giue to the Angels of heauen namely the honour of Imitation becomming like vnto them in obedience and treading in the steps of their vertues but for the honour of inuocation that is due to God alone and we must not giue it to Angels damnable therefore is the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome who pray vnto the Angels and giue vnto them the honour of God in religious worship vers 11. Giue vs this day our daily bread The coherence Hitherto we haue handled the petitions that concerne Gods golrie now we come to the petitions that concerne our selues as the word Us doth plainly shew in these three which follow and they depend vpon the former as an explication of the manner of our obedience for there we asked grace to doe Gods will and here we pray for those blessings and mercies wherein we may expresse our obedience for we doe Gods will when we depend vpon his prouidence for the blessings of this life when we relie vpon his mercie for the pardon of our sinnes and trust in his power for strength against temptation and deliuerance from euill Now then to come particularly to this fourth petition hauing in the former craued grace to doe Gods will in our particular callings here we pray for such sufficiencie of all temporall blessings whereby we may glorifie God therein In the handling of this petition sixe points are to be considered 1. what we aske Bread 2. what bread we aske daily bread 3. whose bread ours 4. for what time this day 5. to whome to vs 6. whence we would haue it by gift from God giue vs. For the first The thing we aske is Bread But what is meant by Bread is not agreed vpon some expound it spiritually of Christs bodie and blood the foode of the soule in the word and Sacraments But the vnfitnesse of this exposition we shall see by the weakenesse of their reasons alleadged for it First they say it is not meete that in so heauenly a praier we should aske so base a thing as materiall bread of our heauenly father Ans. If God command vs to aske him bread and to depende vpon him for it wee must not iudge basely of it nowe in this chapter God commands vs to depend vpon him for foode to eate yea 1. Pet. 5. 7. we must cast all our care on him and Iacobs practise in praying for bread to eate Gen. 28. 20. and Agurs praying for a competencie in outward things Prov. 30. 8. declare plainely the lawfulnesse thereof Secondly they say we must first seeke Gods kingdome and his righteousnesse and then all these things shall be cast vpon vs v. 33. Ans. Distrustfull and distracting care is there onely forbidden but a moderate care is there allowed and therefore praier for them is vndoubtedly lawfull The second opinion touching Bread is of the Papists to wit that here we aske not onely all necessarie sustenance for the bodie but much more all spirituall foode namely the blessed Sacrament which is Christ the bread of life But neither is this so fit for first we praied for spirituall things directly in the second petition Secondly sacramentall bread cannot here be meant because it was not ordained when Christ taught his Disciples this praier Thirdly their exposition is against their owne practise for if by bread were meant Christ in the Sacrament then the people should be fed therewith euery day which they barre them frō The third opinion is that by bread is meant corporall food and blessings necessarie to temporall life onely and this I take to be the truth for these reasons which also make against the former expositions First S. Luke the best interpreter of our Sauiour Christ expounds the words of bread that serues for the day that is for euery day Luk. 11. 3. and therefore it must needes be bodily for spirituall food once truly receiued serues not for a day but for euer Ioh. 4. 14. Secondly this is a perfect platforme of praier and therefore must containe petition for temporall blessings els it were not perfect now we cannot comprehend our requests for temporall blessings vnder any other petition but this onely and therefore Christ here propoundeth them Now properly bread imports that sustenance made of graine which is fit and conuenient for mans bodily nourishment such as Melchisedek brought out to Abraham and his companie with wine for their refreshing Gen. 14. 18. and such is meant in Scripture where bread is opposed to wine or water But more generally it is taken for all kinde of foode whatsoeuer whereby life is preserued in which sense goates milke is called bread Prov. 27. 27. and the fruit of trees Ier. 11. 19. and all things that passe too and fro in trafficke Prov. 31. 14. Now in this place it must be taken in a generall sense not onely for bread but for all other necessarie foode and for raiment also with health peace libertie and all other things that are meete and needfull for the good outward estate of man of family or common wealth The vses 1. In that Christ bids vs pray for bread and not for dainties hereby he would teach vs to beware of couetousnes the common sinne
imploy them as we will but for his glorie who is our absolute Lord now his direction is to this effect that first we should glorifie God with our temporall goods imploying them for the maintenance of his worship and of true religion Secondly that we should imploy them for the common good in the releefe of the poore and other necessarie duties for the common-wealth Thirdly that we should prouide for our owne especially them of our family that we may liue in peace and quietnes and so the better prepare our selues for the life to come VI. Point From whom must we looke to receiue our bread namely from God for we say vnto him that is our father in Christ Giue vs which teacheth vs that though we be his children and so haue right to temporall blessings yet whatsoeuer wee haue we must know it comes from God and must receiue and vse it as from his hand And this we shall doe if we sanctifie the creatures of God vnto our temporall vse for euery creature of God is good if it be sanctified in his vse Now the creature is sanctified not as man is when the spirit of God worketh in him abolishing corruption and renuing grace nor yet as the elements in the sacraments are sanctified which are set apart by God to an holy and spirituall vse to be seales and pledges of grace but when it is made fit to our temporall ciuill vse which is done by the word and prayer 1. Tim. 4. 4. Where by the word is meant first the word of creation whereby God in the beginning fitted the creature for mans vse and gaue him power and soueraigntie ouer it secondly the word of restitution whereby after the fall and after the flood he graunted vnto man the vse of his creatures Gen. 9. 3. thirdly the word of the Gospel concerning our Christian libertie wherein he hath inlarged our vse in the creatures of God Act. 10. 15. And by prayer we desire God to giue his power vnto the creatures and his blessing vpon them to serue for our good and comfort as also to giue vs grace to receiue them as from his hand and to vse them to his glorie If we could learne and practise this dutie we should haue more comfort in the creatures then yet we haue yea it would restraine vs from fraud oppression crueltie and from pride and vanitie in getting and vsing all Gods blessings for if we were perswaded that all temporall blessings came from his hand how durst we sinne against him either in getting or vsing of them Secondly in that after our labour and diligence in our callings we must still pray to God to giue vs bread we must learne to obserue that order of causes which God hath set in the producing of all temporall blessings for his life for not onely foode and rayment but our labour and diligence thereabout are secondarie causes depending vpon the blessing of God which is the first cause of all disposing and ordering all things vnto goodnesse for it comes from God that meate doth feede vs and cloathes doe keepe vs warme If he say vnto stones become bread they shall feede vs Matth. 4. 4. yea in the want of bread he can preserue strength for many daies Exod. 34. 8. and 1. king 19. 8. yea if he speake the word poyson shall become bread and nourish vs but without his blessing nothing can doe vs good Psal. 127. 1 2. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it wee therefore must learne to relie vpon Gods prouidence for a blessing on all our labour and studie and waite for his blessing in all the meanes we vse for our good and comfort for he is our life our health and preseruation vers 12. And forgiue vs our debts as we forgiue our debters I. The Coherence Christ hauing taught vs in the former petition to pray for temporall blessings and for grace to relie vpon Gods prouident dispensation for the things of this life doth in this petition and the next direct vs to aske spirituall blessings for our selues to wit remission of our sinnes and strength against temptation and the reason of this order is this Christ makes the former petition a steppe vnto these for a man must rest vpon Gods prouidence for the preseruation of his bodie that will relie vpon his mercie for the saluation of his soule he that can not be perswaded that God will giue him bread will hardly be resolued that hee will forgiue him his sinnes Where first we may note what is the faith of worldlings they doe not trust in God for foode raiment and other temporal blessings how then can we say that their faith is sound for eternall mercies Isa. 28. 16. He that beleeueth will not make hast but will stay Gods leasure waiting for his blessings whereof he stands in neede But is this the practise of the world no verily for let a crosse come and men will not sticke to vse vnlawfull meanes for their deliuerance and so they deale when hope of gaine is offered making little conscience of fraud lying oppression c. and so making hast to be rich they ouerrunne the prouident hand of God that would lead them by ordinarie lawfull meanes Secondly hence we learne how to enioy and vse all temporall blessings foode raiment such like namely as helps and meanes to draw vs towards Gods mercie in Christ. Thus did Iacob Gen. 28. 20. 21. If God will be with me and giue me bread to eate and clothes to put on then shall the Lord be my God Ioh. 6. 27. Christ bids those whome he had fed miraculously when they sought him afterward for outward things that they should not labour for that foode which perisheth resting therein but for that which endureth vnto euerlasting life leading them from bodily care and labour to that which is heauenly and spirituall To come to the petition wherein we will handle first the necessitie of it then the meaning and lastly the vses For the first This petition may seeme to be needlesse for they that make it are Gods children who haue all their sinnes forgiuen them both past present and to come Ans. This indeed must be the daiely petition of all Gods children in this world and the necessitie of it is great for howsoeuer in the purpose of God all sinnes are pardoned to true beleeuers yea all sinnes past repented of are so forgiuen that they shall neuer be againe imputed yet sinnes present and to come are not actually pardoned till they be repented of This experience teacheth for who can feele the assurance of mercie for any sinne committed before he haue repented of it and though true repentance once had set vs for euer in Gods fauour yet it must bee daiely renued for our daiely falls or els we cannot know it to be true Hence it is that Paul intreats the Saints of God in Corinth though they had
this petition for here we are taught to call to mind our sinnes euery day praying for the pardon of them Secondly here we see whereon we must relie and setle our hearts in all estates in affliction temptation and death it selfe namely on the meere mercie of God in Christ by faith in his blood for the pardon of our sinnes Looke to the prayers of all the Saints of God in Scriptures and we shall finde that they made this their rocke and ankor of stay in all distresse Dan. 9. 18 19. O Lord heare and behold not for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies deferre not for thy owne sake oh my God This we must obserue to arme vs against the damnable doctrine of the Church of Rome for they will graunt that in his first conuersion a man must relie onely on Gods mercie in Christs blood but after a man is made the childe of God he may rest vpon his owne good merits so it be in modestie and sobrietie But this is the right way to hell flat against this petition for how can wee dreame of any merit when as we must euery day aske mercie and forgiuenesse for to aske mercie and to plead merite are contraries now by our daily sinnes we adde debt to debt and so must still plead mercie and not merit euen after we are conuerted and sanctified euer praising God that hath deliuered vs from the slauish bondage of that proud Synagogue Thirdly here we see what we must doe in respect of our daily sinnes whereunto we fall we must not lie in them but renue our-estate by true humiliation and repentance Also if thou be crossed in the things of this world the way of comfort and deliuerance is to be learned here for as thou doest daily aske bread so thou must aske forgiuenesse for thy sinnes and when they are pardoned thou hast title and interest to al Gods blessings Now this daily humiliation stands in three things 1. in examination of our selues for our debt vnto God by sinne 2. in confessing our debt vnto our creditour yeilding our selues into his hands 3. in humbling our selues vnto him crauing pardon and remission earnestly for Christs sake as for life and death herein the children of God are presidents vnto vs Psal. 32. 5 6. Dauid in great distresse found no release while he held his tongue but when he humbled himselfe and confessed against himselfe then he found mercie and ease whereupon he professeth that he will be a patterne to euery godly man for their behauiour in the time of distresse Fourthly here we haue a notable remedie against desparie wherewith the deuill assaults many a child of God when through infirmitie they fall into some grieuous sinne or commit the same sinne often which greatly wounds the conscience for here Christ bids vs aske forgiuenesse of our daily sinnes whatsoeuer they be or how often so euer cōmitted And no doubt he that bids vs forgiue our brethren that sinne against vs though it were seauen times in a day if they seeke it at our hands will much more forgiue vs. This must not embolden any to sinne presumptuously for the Lord hath saide He will not be mercifull vnto that man Deut. 29. 19. but if any fall through infirmitie hereon he hath to stay himselfe from despaire Fiftly hereby we see that no man possibly can fulfill the law for the Apostles themselues were commanded to aske pardon of sinne euery day whereby it is plaine they could neuer fulfill the law and therefore much lesse can any other Sixtly that which we pray for we must in all godly manner endeauour after And therefore as we pray for pardon of sinne euery day so must we daily vse the meanes wherein God giues assurance of remission to his children as heare the word receiue the Sacraments and pray vnto God publikely and priuately endeauouring to resist all temptations and to glorifie God by newe obedience for it is grosse hypocrisie to aske the pardon of sinne and still to liue in the practise of it Lastly here we see we must pray not only for the pardon of our own sinnes but of our brethrens also Forgiue vs whereby Christ would teach vs to be carefull of the saluation of our brethren and neighbours the good estate of their soules should be deare and pretious vnto vs and if this were so happie would it be with the Church of God but alas men are so farre from care of the saluation of their neighbours that men of the same family are carelesse of one an others soules masters regard not their seruants nor parents their children indeede they will prouide for their bodies and outward state but for their soules they haue no care wherein they bewray themselues to be cruell and mercilesse hauing more care of their hogges and bruit beasts then of their children and seruants for when their hogges haue all needefull prouision their children and seruants soules shall want instruction As we also forgiue our debters These words are here propounded as a condition of the former petition and they include a reason thereof as Luk. 11. 4. Forgiue vs our sinnes FOR euen we forgiue euery man that is indebted vnto vs. And this Christ addeth for waightie causes euen to crosse the fraud and hypocrisie of our corrupt hearts who would haue forgiuenesse of God and yet would not forgiue our brethren nor yet leaue off the practise of sinne our selues But this condition imports that we must exercise mercy towards our brethren and so breake off the course of our sinnes if we looke for mercie at Gods hands Now the words here vsed are comparatiue betokening a likelihood and similitude betweene Gods forgiuing and ours which must be rightly vnderstood because our forgiuenesse is mingled with much corruption through want of mercie and therefore we must not vnderstand it of the measure of forgiuenesse nor yet of the manner simply but especially of the very act of forgiuing for thereto sometimes must similitudes be restrained as Mat. 9. 29. According to your faith be it vnto you And the force of the reason stands in the circumstance thus If we who haue but a drop of mercie doe forgiue others then doe thou who art the fountaine of mercies forgiue vs but we forgiue others therfore do thou forgiue vs. Touching our forgiuing others three questions must bee scanned I. How can any man pardon a trespasse seeing God onely forgiueth sinnes Answ. In euery trespasse which one doth to his neighbour be two things the losse and dammage whereby man is hindered in bodie goods or name and an offence against God by a practise of iniustice against his law Now as a trespasse is a damage vnto man so may a man forgiue it but as it is a sinne against God in the transgression of the morall law so God onely pardons it as when a man hath his goods stollen that dammage done to him a man may
c. Here also we say Gods power is his owne that is of himselfe alone not receiued from any other as is also said of kingdome and glorie to distinguish the true God from all creatures who haue not power and kingdome and glorie of themselues but from God whereas all these in God are of himselfe alone And the glorie By Glorie is meant excellencie and maiestie and this propertie rightly ariseth from the two former for seeing he hath an absolute soueraigntie ouer all things and power answerable to dispose and gouerne them at his pleasure therefore of right all glorie and maiestie and excellencie belongs vnto him yea the glorie of all creatures is from him so that sinnefull man must say with Daniel Vnto vs belongs shame and confusion Dan. 9. 7. but vnto God be honour and glorie and power and dominion for euermore The vse I. This reason thus conceiued and vnderstood containes a notable ground of trust and confidence in God and of praier to God in all distresse of life and death for we haue a father whose is kingdome power and glorie now his power assures vs that he is able to helpe vs and is he our King and we his subiects then he is willing to helpe vs. Is glorie his why what can make more for his glorie then to shew mercie to his people in hearing their praiers and helping them in distresse Psal. 50. 15. I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie my name II. These words are a notable forme of giuing thanks and praise to God for when the heauenly creatures are said to giue thanks to God they doe it to this effect Rev. 4. 9. 11. Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue honour and glorie and power Againe Phil. 4. 6. Be distrustfull in nothing but in all things let your requests be made knowne to God with giuing of thankes where we see praier and thanksgiuing must goe together Now this beeing a perfect forme of praier must needes comprehend thanksgiuing with petitions as therefore in the sixe petitions Christ taught vs to aske all needefull things of God so in this reason he teacheth vs how to giue thanks for these three kingdome power and glorie doe generally comprehend all matter of praise and thanksgiuing vnto God yea it is a summe of all the Psalmes of praise and therfore when Dauid blessed God it was to this effect 1. Chron. 29. 11 12. Thine O Lord is greatnesse and power and glorie and victorie praise for all that is in heauen and earth is thine thine is the kingdome O Lord and thou excellest as head ouer all both riches and honour come from thee and thou raignest ouer all and in thine hand is power and strength c. This point well obserued directeth vs in two Christian duties first that we must be earnest and frequent in giuing prayse and thanks to God for the first thing we aske is grace to glorifie Gods name and the last thing we here doe is to ascribe glorie to God indeede Secondly here we see in what maner we must giue thanks to God namely in euery blessing we must ascribe kingdome and power and glorie vnto God as in the vse of meate and drinke first therein labour to see and accordingly to ascribe the kingdome to God that is acknowledge Gods soueraigntie in that creature that the right and interest thereto belongs to God and that thou hast it from him and not of thy selfe Secondly see and acknowledge the power and prouidence of God in that creature his prouidence in that thou hast it and his power in that it serues for thy good and comfort in thy nourishment and refreshing Thirdly when thou art comforted therewith giue honour and glorie to God so thou shalt be truly thankefull And thus must we be thankefull to God for his word and all other blessings that we enioy Yea this direction must we obserue for our behauiour in affliction we must labour to see and acknowledge Gods soueraigntie and power ouer vs as we are his creatures and that he hath right to dispose of vs at his pleasure and therefore we must humble our selues vnder his hand desiring grace so to behaue our selues therein that we may glorifie his name And thus shall we honour God euen in affliction III. Here we see a way whereby we may obtaine the things we aske of God namely we must confesse our owne vnworthinesse taking shame and confusion to our selues and giue all praise and honour and glorie to God Thus did Iacob Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthie of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant so Dan. 9. 7. To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes but vnto vs open shame And thus comming in humilitie of heart renouncing our selues and all that we can doe and endeauouring to giue all glorie to God we shall finde mercie with the Lord for the obteining of all our requests IV. Is kingdome power and glorie Gods then is he to be feared aboue all creatures for howsoeuer Satan and earthly Monarchs haue dominion and power yet it is not of themselues but from God they can doe nothing but by power and permission from God but God of himselfe can punish and destroy Lastly hereby we must be mooued to loue God and to yeild obedience vnto him in all good duties for to such will he shew his soueraigntie and power for all good things that so they may giue the glorie of all to God that giues them Amen We haue heard the preface and the petitions of this praier now we come to the third part of it which is the Conclusion in this word Amen which is as much as verely truly It is commonly taken to be a word of wishing in this place importing as much as So be it I wish it be so or such like But we must know that it hath here a further vse to wit not onely to expresse our desire of the things we aske but also to testifie our faith in assurance of receiuing them according to our desire for so it is vsually taken in the new testament where it is vsed to affirme or asseuere a thing with vehemencie and certentie Againe our Sauiour Christ giuing both direction and incouragement to praier saith thus Whatsoeuer you desire when ye pray beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you Mark 11. 24. where he shewes two principall things required in prayer the first an earnest desire of the grace and blessing we aske the second is faith whereby we beleeue that God will graunt vs the things we aske Now our desires were sufficiently expressed in the sixe petitions and therefore this beeing a perfect platforme of praier here vndoubtedly is propounded the testification of our faith to this effect As we haue craued these things at thy hands O Lord so doe we beleeue that in thy good time thou wilâ— for Christs sake graunt
power of his gratious regiment in that affliction and not suffer Satan or our owne corruptions to raigne in vs. 3. That we may obey God therein as well as in any other estate of peace or â—ase 4. That we may see his prouidence therein and be patient relying also vpon the same hand of God for our deliuerance 5. That our sinnes may not turne it into a curse but that we hauing the pardon of our sinnes may make good vse thereof for our humiliation and reformation 6. That we may not in that our weaknesse be assaulted of Satan aboue our strength but that God would deliuer vs from all temptations U. In the howre of death we may most comfortably commend our selues to God following these petitions praying first that we may glorifie God in sicknesse and death as wel as in life health 2. That God would now shew the comfortable worke and regiment of his word and spirit in our hearts euen aboue all that we haue felt in the time of our health 3. That we may as readily and cheerefully obey God dying as liuing 4. That God would giue his blessing vpon all meanes we shall vse for our comfort or recouerie making vs contented with his prouidence euen in death it selfe 5. That we may be truly humbled for our sinnes and hauing comfortable assurance of mercie and pardon may with ioy render vp our soules into the hands of God in the moment of death 6. That seeing Satan is most busie and malitious in our greatest weaknesse it would please the Lord to magnifie his mercie in strengthening our soules against all the assaults of sinne and Satan Thus we see how in all estates of life and death we may haue sweete and comfortable recourse to God following these petitions we must therefore labour to know and vnderstand this heauenly praier that so we may vse it on all occasions to the glorie of our God and the comfort of our soules we cannot giue more euident testimonie of the grace of Adoption then by the sincere exercise of the gift of praier when we can come with boldnesse into the presence of our heauenly father and therefore we must giue our selues to the serious and often imitation of this heauenly patterne and not content our selues to say ouer the words but from a feeling heart powre out our soules before God according to the meaning of this praier in all estates 2. Vse These petitions may serue for a notable direction according to which we may frame our whole liues for what we aske of God in praier that must we endeauour to practise in our liues and therefore according to our requests in these petitions must we spend our time in a godly endeauour after these sixe things 1. our cheife care and endeauour must be euery day to bring some glorie to God 2. We must euery day yeild vp our selues in soules and bodies vnto God submitting our sâ—â—â—es in all things vnto his godly regiment 3. We must endeauour to doe his will in all things euery day making conscience of all sin whereby we rebell against him 4. We must applie our selues faithfully to our callings yet so as we still depend vpon Gods prouidence for a blessing in euery thing we take in hand 5. We must humble our selues euery day before God in regard of our daily offences still confessing our sinnes and crauing pardon for them at the hands of God 6. We must daily flie to God for helpe and succour in our spirituall combate with sinne and Satan striuing manfully against our owne corrupt nature against the world and the deuill 3. Vse This praier of Christ ministers most heauenly comfort to euery child of God by certifying him of his Adoption for out of euery petition he may gather a speciall note thereof As 1. an earnest and heartie desire in all things to further the glorie of God 2. A care and readinesse to resigne our selues in subiection to God to be ruled by his word and spirit in thought word and deede 3. A sincere endeauour to doe his will in all things with cheerefulnesse making conscience of euery thing we know to be euill this is an infallible note of the child of God 4. Vpright walking in a mans lawfull calling and yet still by faith to relie vpon Gods prouidence beeing well pleased with Gods sending whatsoeuer it is 5. Euery day to huÌ„ble a mans selfe before God for his offences seeking his fauour in Christ vnfainedly so daily renuing his faith repentance 6. A continuall combate betweene the flesh and the spirit corruption haling drawing one way grace resisting the same drawing another way where this striuing resistance is in mind and heart there is the spirit for els all would goe full-sway with corruptioÌ„ Hereby then make search in thy selfe for these graces of God if thou find theÌ„ in thee comfort thy selfe in assurance of thine adoption though thou canst not find theÌ„ all yet if there be an vnfained desire after them when thou puttest vp these requests vnto God comfort thy selfe for thou art the child of God for without the spirit of praier which is the spirit of adoption we cannot cal God father nor say halowed be thy name from a true heart vnfainedly desiring Gods glorie 4. Use. Out of these petitions we may obserue the plaine marks of a carnall man as 1. to neglect the glorie of God and to seeke his owne praise glorie 2. To follow the sway of his owne corruptions suffering them to be his guide to neglect to yeeld subiection and obedience to the word of God 3. To make no conscience of sinne if it fit his humour so his own will be satisfied he cares not for the doing of Gods will 4. Not to rest on Gods prouidence for the things of this life but wholly to relie vpon the meanes if they faile his heart is downe his hope is gone 5. To goe on in sinne without remorse or humbling himselfe vnto God this impenitence is a plaine marke of a carnall man 6. To runne headlong into temptation without feare or feeling so as he finds no occasion to pray for deliuerance from sinne he that hath any of these sixe things raigning in him is a carnall man therfore trie thy selfe if thou finde them in thee turne vnto God by true repentance And look what we haue said of praier according to the patterne of the former petitions may also be said of thanksgiuing after the example of these words For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory We haue shewed the vse of theÌ„ before so accordingly in al Gods blessings and works of his prouidence for which we must giue thanks we must first labour to see therein the soueraignty power of God then we must ascribe the same to God with all glorie praise thanksgiuing And not onely giue assent but with 〈…〉 ce of heart wait for the
thou diddest not annoint but she hath annointed my feete with ointment for as Dauid â—aith God giues oyle to make the face to shine Ps. 104. 15. But yet these words are not to be taken properly neither do they bind vs to annoint our heads when we fast as may appeare by these reasons 1. If the words should be taken properly then should Christ condemne al the fasts of holy men in the old testament who vsed neither ointments nor washings but abstained from all such bodily delights for that time 2. Christ should command contraries namely the vse of such things in fasting as were more proper to feasting wherin meÌ„ vse to be ioyfull cheerefull 3. He should inioyne that to some countries which were not in their power or at least could not be vsed of theÌ„ without excessiue charges as in this or other cold couÌ„tries where sweet oiles are rare costly The true meaning therfore must be gathered out of the circuÌ„stances of the place now Christs intent is here as in the former points of Alms-deeds praier to prescribe vnto men the approuing of their hearts vnto God in fasting by auoyding ostentation therein desire of the praise of men therfore he names such behauiour as doth no way intimate a fast vnto others meaning thereby that we should conceale our priuate fasts froÌ„ men as if he should say when thou fastest priuately so carrie thy selfe that it may not appeare to men thou fastest and in all thy fasts seeke onely to approue thy heart vnto God The words thus explaned containe 2. parts a commandement and a reason therof The commandement is two-fold First that we should coÌ„ceale our fasts froÌ„ men intimated by wash thy face annoint thy head secondly that we should seeke to approoue our selues not to men but to God in our relgious fasts in these words That thou seeme not to men to fast but to thy father which is in secret In this first branch of this commandement we may learne that the priuate worship of God must be performed priuately vnto God concealed froÌ„ men for that which is here said of priuate fasting which is a meanes to further our praiers is true of praier it selfe of euery part of Gods priuate worship for there is the same reason of all as may thus appeare First in al actions of Gods worship there must be obserued an holy comelines decencie which is then done when they be performed with fiâ— conuenient circuÌ„stances that is publike actions of worship with publike circumstances and priuate actioÌ„s with priuate circuÌ„stances as publike praier must be made of a publike person in a publike place with an audible loud voice priuate praier must be made in a priuate place by priuate persons with a still and lowe voice other seemely priuate gestures Secondly when priuate worship is performed with publike circumstaÌ„ces there are many occasions giuen to ambitioÌ„ pride hypocrisie but being done priuately these occasions are preuented the heart is more free to seeke the approbation of God only This doctrine serues to direct our practise in Gods worship as first that we must not reserue our priuate preparatioÌ„ to Gods publike worship til we come to the publike congregation but prepare our selues at home priuately in our chaÌ„ber or closet for though to pray euery where be lawfull yet because conuenient circumstances must be obserued in all our actions of worship therefore priuate praier in a publike place is not so seemely nor conuenient for publike circumstances doe not beseem priuate worship Quest. What if a man wanted time or had forgot to prepare himselfe before hand Ans. Slight pretences cannot iustifie any disorder in Gods worship yet if a man will needs there performe his priuate preparation he must conceale all outward signes of praier only lift vp his heart vnto God for a good dutie may become offensiue by inconuenient circumstances Secondly this shews how Christian families must order their priuate exercises of religion namely so priuately for voice gesture that they may conceale the same from others beside their familie present and so must particular persons praying alone obserue such circumstances as may conceale their praiers from others for all occasions of ostentation must be auoided that so the heart may apply it selfe wholly towards the Lord. That thou seeme not to men to fast This is the secoÌ„d branch of Christs commandement wherein wee learne a second dutie in a religious fast namely that therein we seeke to approoue our selues our action only to God for which end we must obserue 3. things 1. With our fasting wee must ioyne a conuersion of our heart froÌ„ sin vnto God Ioel 2. 12. Turne you vnto me with all your heart with fasting there God hath ioyned them together they may not be seuered Now that our hearts may turne to God in fasting we must haue speciall regard to our behauiour both before in and after our fast whether publike or priuate Before the fast we must prepare our selues thereto in an holy manner by a serious consideration of the causes and occasions of our fast a worthy example hereof we haue in Iehoshaphat who considering a fearefull iudgement to be at hand in the approching of his enemies was sore afraid therupon set his heart to seeke the Lord proclaimed a fast In fasting wee must labour to haue more tender affections deeper humiliation then ordinarie 1. Sam. 7. 6. The Israelites humbling themselues in fasting for their idolatrie in Mispah drew water and powred it out before the Lord which words import their deep humiliation whether it were by abundant weeping as some expound the place or by powring out water indeed to signifie that they powred out their soules before the Lord. After the fast we must labour for reformation and amendment of life that our behauiour both towards God and man may be euery way better then before A notable example hereof wee haue in the Iewes who hauing renued their couenant with God vpon their humiliation did not onely write it and seale vnto it but bound themselues thereto by curse oath 2. That we approoue our selues our action to God in fasting we must be sure we propound vnto our selues therein the right ends of a religious fast which we haue before propouÌ„ded for if we faile therein and propound other ends vnto our selues we corrupt the whol action vnto our selues 3. With our fasting we must ioyne the duties of the second table in the works of iustice mercie loue to our brethreÌ„ for without these our loue to God is not sincere nay God reiects that bodily humiliation which is seuered from the exercise of mercie coÌ„passion as we may see at large Isay 58. 3 4 c. I shewed before that we had iust cause to humble our selues which when we doe wee must bee carefull
or calling without his conuaiances of craft and deceipt though it doe not appeare so much in some callings as in others and hard it is to finde them that make conscience hereof when gaine and profit may come thereby which comes from this distrustfull care in mens hearts whereby they doubt of Gods blessing answerable to their desire in the vse of lawfull meanes onely But sith Christ forewarnes vs of this sinne we must beware it take not place in our hearts and for the auoyding of it we must follow the counsell of the holy Ghost in Scripture Psal. 37. 5. Commit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe which is oft commended vnto vs Psal. 55. 22. Cast thy burden vpon the Lord he shall nourish thee Pro. 16. 3. Rowle thy worke vpon the Lord 1. Pet. 5. 7. Cast all your care on him for â—e careth for you In all which places we haue a most worthy instruction to this effect not exempting men from doing the duties of their calling but teaching theÌ„ that when they haue done their endeauour in the diligent sober vpright vse of meanes then they must leaue the euent and issue for good successe to the blessing of God Thus the trades-man whose liuing stands by buying and selling must be carefull and diligent about his businesse without deceit or lying and in so doing referre the successe of his bargaine to the blessing of God and so must the husbandman plow and sowe leaue earing and haruest to Gods good prouidence This is the Apostles couÌ„fell Phil. 4. 6. Be nothing carefull that is after a distrustfâ—ll or distracting sort as the word signifies but in all things let your requests bee made knowne to God with giuing of thankes where it is to be marked that distrustfull care is opposed to praier and thankesgiuing as an hinderer thereof and therefore our care must onely be to vse the lawfull meanes moderately for any blessing and then to pray to God for good successe and blessing relying wholly thereon that when it comes wee may giue him thankes But some will say it is hard for flesh and blood not to be carefull of successe how then should we be able to leaue it wholly to God Answer We must lay to our hearts the blessed promises of God made to them that depend vpon his mercy and goodnesse and labour to liue by faith thereon Psal. 127. 2. It is in vaine for man to rise early and to lie downe late and to eate the bread of sorrow meaning while hee trusts to himselfe or in the meanes but God will surely giue rest to his beloued which serue him and trust in him in the vse of meanes Psal. 34. 10. The Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger though euery poore beast of the field bee a prey to his teeth but they which seeke the Lord shall lacke nothing that is good If wee had no more promises in the Bible yet these were sufficient to cause vs to rest vpon his prouidence in the sober vse of lawfull meanes Againe this must bee considered how wee shall relie vpon his mercie for the sauing of our soules in the time of temptation and howre of death that dare not trust in his prouidence for the things of this life Quest. But what if all things goe crosse with men will some say may I not then sticke more to the meanes Ans. Nay rather cleaue the more to God for if the blessing were in the means men would not be so often crossed God knoweth what is good for thee better then thou thy selfe and therfore rest contented with his prouidence though he crosse thine expectation for outward blessings want is many times better for Gods children then plentie and affliction then peace and prosperity as Dauid found Psal. 119. 67 71. therfore God laies it vpon them Did not good Iosias fall before Pharaoh Necho which he should not haue done but that God would chasten him for not regarding the words of Pharaoh Necho which were of the mouth of God perswading him not to fight against him and also that he might be taken away from seeing the euill to come and was not Hezekiahs heart puffed vp in time of peace in so much that wrath came vpon him and vpon Iudah and Ierusalem Therefore learne to depend vpon Gods prouidence in the moderate vse of lawfull meanes whether he giue thee blessings or take them away blesse his name for it is good for thee it should be so And thus much for the maine commaundement Now further marke in the wordes how Christ distinguisheth betweene life and the bodie and applieth meate and drinke to life and raiment to the bodie and yet we know that apparel serues to preserue life also especially in cold countries But Christ doth thus distinguish them so iust cause for though in cold countries apparell serues to preserue life as well as meate and drinke doe yet the first and most generall vse of apparell is another matter to wit to hide the shame of nakednesse which the sinne of Adam brought vpon it Gen. 3. 7. 21. for before their fall the man and the woman were both naked were not ashamed Gen. 2. 21. Here then we are to learne that the proper and maine end of apparell is for the bodie to couer the shame of nakednesse that sinne hath brought vpon vs which is so great that if necessitie would permit both hands and face should also be couered The consideration whereof as it shews their immodestie and want of shame that laie open the nakednesse of their breasts or other parts of their bodie more then need requires so it teacheth vs neuer to bee proud of our apparell but rather humbled and abashed when we put it on or looke vpon it for it is the couer of our shame and so an ensigne of our sinne the thiefe hath as good cause to be proud of the bolts on his heeles or of his braÌ„d in the hand or hole in the care as wee of our apparell for as these are badges of misdemeanour so is apparel a badge of our sinne And on the other side that we may haue comfort in this ordinance of God for our bodies wee must labour therein to expresse the graces of God in our hearts as modestie sobrietie temperance frugalitie and such like Is not the life more worth then meat and the bodie then raiment Our Sauiour Christ hauing giuen commandement against the immoderate care for things needfull to naturall life least the same should passe away without effect doth here begin to enforce the same with diuers arguments the first whereof is in these words taken froÌ„ the creation wherin God giues life and the bodie which are better then food raiment from whence Christ reasons for his prouidence thus The life is better theÌ„ food the body then raiment but God by creation giues life bodie therefore will he
much more giue food and raiment for their preseruation Seeing God giues the greater we need not to doubt but he wil affoard the lesse In this reason Christ teacheth vs to make right vse of our creation namely by the consideration of it to learne confidence in Gods prouidence for all things needfull to our naturall life Iob. 10. 8. Thine hands haue made me and fashioned mee and wilt thou destroy me where Iob Perswades himselfe of preseruation because God created him 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according to the will of God commend their soules vnto him in wel-doing as vnto a faithfull creator because God is a faithfull creator therfore in death we must relie vpon him Experience teacheth vs that euery workeman is carefull to preserue the worke of his owne hands if it lie in his power why then should we doubt of this in our creator who is almightie Verse 26. Behold the fowles of the heauen for they sowe not neither reape nor carrie into the barnes yet your heauenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they These words containe Christs second reason to disswade his Disciples from distrustfull care for things needefull drawne from the consideratioÌ„ of his prouidence ouer baser creatures then they were for needfull prouision the reason standeth thus If God prouide for the foules of heauen then much more will he provide for you But God prouideth for the fowles of heauen and feedeth them therefore much more will he prouide for you The first part of this reason is here confirmed two waies First because the children of God haue meanes of prouision which the fowles of the heauen want they sowe not neither reape c. Secondly Gods children are better then fowles and therefore he will not suffer them to lacke sith he prouideth for baser things then they be both which are so sensible and familiar that they may induce any man to depend vpon Gods prouidence without distrustfull care Christ in propounding this reason bids vs Behold the creatures that is take a serious view of them looke vpon them wishly with consideration as the word signifieth whereby wee may learne that euery childe of God ought seriously to consider the works of God for that which we must doe to the fowles of heauen we must do to al the works of his hands therein labour to behold the wisdome iustice goodnes loue mercy and prouidence of God This is Salomons lesson Eccl. 7. 15. Behold the worke of God Iob. 36. 24. RemeÌ„ber thou magnifie the worke of God which men behold Why did God make the creatures distinctly one after another in sixe seuerall daies and take a particular view of theÌ„ all after he had made them with approbation of their goodnesse and also sanctifie the 7. day for an holy rest both by his own example expresse coÌ„mandement vndoubtedly among other causes this was one to teach vs to consider distinctly of al the works of his hands among other holy duties to meditate on the sabbath day on the glorious works of our creator This was Dauids practise for Psal. 19. 1. c. he resembles the heaueâ—s to a great booke wherein a man may read the glorie of God and in the contemplation hereof did he exercise himselfe vpon the Sabbath daies as we may see in the Psalme which he penned for the Sabbath Psal. 92. 4 5. I will reioyce in the works of thine hands O Lord how glorious are thy workes And they which are negligent in this dutie are here called to attendance by our Sauiour Christ. But what must we behold in the foules of heauen How they neither sow nor reape nor carie into barnes c. that is they vse not the meanes of prouision that man doth which shews they haue not that care which man hath Man may lawfully be carefull to vse these meanes for God ordaineth them for mans prouision but the fowles of the heauen goe not so farre to haue care of any meanes And this priuiledge of man to the meanes doth strongly enforce Christs disswasion against distrustfull care for the fowles wanting such meanes are free from that care Quest. How then are they prouided for Ans. They expect for foode at Gods hand Iob 39. 3. The birds crie vnto God wandring for lacke of meate Psal. 104. 21. The lyons roâ—ring after their pray seeke their meate at God Psal. 145. 15. The eyes of all waite vpon God and he giueth them meate in due season Psal. 147. 9. He giueth to beasts their foode and to the young rauens that crie But how can vnreasonable creatures crie to God Ans. They doe not vse praier as man doe but yet they are said to crie to God and to waite on God because by a naturall instinct giuen them by creation they seeke for that foode which God ordaineth for them and are contented therewith so that by these phrases God would teach vs that they depend vpon his prouidence wholly for prouision and rest contented therewith Here then we are to obserue that the vnreasonable creatures made subiect to vanitie by the sinne of man doe come nearer to their first estate and better obserue the order of nature in their creation then man doth for they seeke for that which God prouideth for them and when they receiue it are content but man is deepely fallen from the state of his creation in regard of his depending on Gods prouidence for temporall things though he haue the vse of meanes which the fowles of heauen want yet his heart is full fraught with distrustfull care whether we respect the getting or keeping or imploying of earthly things This sheweth that man is more corrupt then other creatures and more vile and base in this behalfe then bruit beasts which should humble euery one of vs deopely vnder the serious consideration of our sinnes that haue so depraued our nature that we are more rebellious to the law of our creator and more distrustfull in his prouidence then the bruit and senslesse creatures And yet your heauenly father feedeth them In these words is couched a forcible reason whereby Christ would perswade his disciples and in them all beleeuers to depend vpon Gods prouidence without distrustfull care God saith he is your father yea your heauenly father and you are his children therefore depend vpon him for if earthly fathers will prouide and giue good things to their children much more will your heauenly In this reason also is couched a meanes and way whereby a man may come to rest vpon Gods prouidence In the word of God there be two kind of promises some of euerlasting life and saluation by Christ others of inferiour gifts and blessings concerning this life Now if we would relie on God for temporall blessings we must first labour to lay hold by faith on his spirituall and eternall promises get assurance of thine adoption in Christ and labour to know and feele
When our Sauiour Christ was to die vpon the crosse hee commended his soule into his fathers hands Luk. 23. 46. And none of vs haue assurance of our continuance in life but though we be well in the morning wee may be dead in the euening or aliue at night and dead in the morning and therefore we must not forget the practise of this dutie Dauid did it in the time of trouble though hee were in health Psal. 31. 5. and though we were free from perill of death yet our daiely vexations should mooue vs hereunto for who can learne any good thing without labour and paine who can doe a good worke without let or opposition If wee would repent we are either clogged with corruptions or ouerwhelmed with temptations and if wee seeke to walke in new obedience we haue the world the flesh and the deuil all endeauouring to turne vs backe to our olde course in sinne So that if we would either auoide euill or doe good or support with some comfort our daily vexations we must commend our selues and all ours into the hands of God euery day And thus much of this reason and of Christs dehortation from distrustfull care Chap. 7. Verse 1. Iudge not that you be not iudged 2. For with what iudgement ye iudge yee shall be iudged and with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you againe IN these words and so forward to the end of the fift verse is contained the sixt part of this sermon of our Sauiour Christ concerning Iudgement and it consisteth of three parts first a commandement Iudge not then certaine reasons of the commaundement in the words following to the 5. verse and thirdly a remedie of euill and rash iudgement in the 5. verse Touching the commandement Iudge not The meaning This commandement forbids not all kinde of Iudgement but must bee restrained to vnlawfull Iudgement for there be foure kinds of lawfull Iudgement two whereof be publike and two priuate Of publike the first is ciuil Iudgement belonging to the ciuill Magistrate who is to enquire into the manners of men and according to the good positiue lawes of the country to giue iudgement either in punishing offenders or rewarding them that doe well The second kinde is Ecclesiasticall belonging principally to the minister who in the publike dispensation of the word iudgeth mens manners by reproouing and condemning their sinnes whether they be thoughts words or actions In this sense the vnbeleeuer is said to be iudged when his thoughts actions are controlled by the word 1. Cor. 14. 24. and thus Noah iudged and condemned the olde world Heb. 11. 7. Of priuate lawful iudgement the first is priuate admonition whereby one man doth in Christian and louing maner reprehēd another for his sinnes and thereby iudgeth him this is also commanded in the word of God and therefore it is not here forbidden The second is iust dispraise when the grosse faults of notorious persons are reprooued and condemned for this ende alone that others may take warning thereby thus Christ iudged the Pharisies both for life and doctrine before his Disciples calling them Hypocrites that said and did not and their doctrine leauen and that most iustly and wisely that his Disciples and others might beware of them and thus he called Herod a Foxe so discouering his subtiltie for the admonition of others The thing then here forbiddē is rash iudgemēt which one man doth vniustly giue of another and the reason why wee so vnderstand this place may be drawne from the 3. verse where instance is giuen of the iudgement here forbidden in a quicke espiall and sharpe censure of small faults in others not seeing farre grosser and greater in our selues also Saint Luke setting downe this same prohibition Iudge not expounds it in the next words by condemne not which must be vnderstood of rash censure as is plaine by S. Paul Rom. 2. 1. In that thou iudgest another thou condemnest thy selfe because thou doest rashly cōdemne him of that whereof thou thy selfe art guiltie Now that wee may better know the thing forbidden first I will shew what rash iudgement is and in the second place make knowne the common practises thereof For the first Rash iudgement is when of an euill minde wee iudge amisse of others for some euill ende In this description first obserue the roote and ground of all rash iudgement to wit an euill minde whereby wee loue our selues too well and want the loue of our neighbour This wee testifie by beeing sharpe sighted to prie into the liues and behauiour of others and are blinde as beetles to see into our selues as also by giuing our selues exactly to censure other mens sayings and doings and with delight to heare their faults ripped vp but for our own courses we would not haue them called into question nor controlled Secondly here note the manner of rash iudgement which is to iudge amisse of others and this they doe which iudge of other mens persons and doings without a calling or vrgent necessitie secondly which giue out sentence of mens doings but not according to the law of charity which bindes a man to iudge and say the best of others alwaies so farre forth as may stand with good conscience and the word of God Thirdly here note the ende of rash iudgement for as it is ill grounded and guided so it aimes not at the reformation of the partie nor the detestation of sin in our selues and others but is directed to some wrong ende as first to testifie our hatred of the partie and desire of reuenge secondly to delight our selues with the faults of others thirdly to defame our neighbours and to bring them to an ill name that our names may beare away the praise without comparison and lastly that wee may seeme more holy then others by beeing much in censuring sinne in others The practise of rash iudgement consists in two things first the euill minde of man prepares matter of wrong iudgement and secondly giues sentence accordingly of the sayings and doings of men and likewise of their persons For the first the euill minde prepares matter of rash iudgement thus it sets it selfe to prie and inquire narrowly into the liues and behauiour of men and to see if it can find any matter in word or action worthy reproofe Indeede there is a vertue wherby one man doth obserue another in his waies but that is directed to a good ende namely to rectifie and reforme him in his wants and to further him when he doth well but for one man to obserue another for this ende to finde out matter of defamation and reproach is a fault directly forbidden by our Sauiour Christ in this place Secondly when matter is found the euill minde accordingly giues censure this censure is giuen first of the persons of men then of their speeches and actions Rash censure of mens persons is when a man thinkes otherwise of the
which we speake or thinke of others els how could this be true that rash Iudgers shal be so rewarded in their kind seeing men may coÌ„ceale their thoughts and many times their words from the eyes of men To this purpose Salomon admonisheth not to curse the king no not in thy thought nor the rich in thy bedchamber for the foule of heauen shal carie the voice and that which hath winges shall declare the matter And this must teach vs to make conscience of all our speaches and thoughts that concerne others yea then when we our selues are iudged When Dauid was rayled vpon by wicked Shemei he staied himself with the consideration of this that God knew it and had appointed Shemei to curse Dauid 2. Sam. 16. 10. Lastly here it may be doubted howe God can be cleared from the guilt of rash iudgement seeing in his prouidence he causeth it by his decree Answ. Though he decree it yet is he free from the fault thereof for first he decrees it not to be the cause thereof himselfe but to permit it among men leauing them to be the authors thereof secondly he decrees to dispose of it well and to order it as a iust punishment of the rash iudgement of others and so in no sort is the cause of the euill in rash iudgement howsoeuer he dispose hereof for the iust punishment of offenders in this kinde The second confirmation of the first reason is contained in this parable which tendeth to the same ende with the former sentence And with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you againe That is the Lord hath ordained that men shall be rewarded in their kind like for like Hence we may obserue this rule of Gods iustice in the punishment of sinne namely to reward men in their kind punishing them in the same things wherein they offend David sinned by committing adulterie with Bathsheba the wife of Vriah and God by way of punishment raised vp euil against him out of his owne house in the same kind for his own son Absolon deflowred his fathers coÌ„eubines in the sight of all Israel 2. Sam. 12. 9. 11. 16. 22. And experience shewes that blood will haue blood for though the murtherer escape the hands of the ciuill Iudge yet the terror vengeaÌ„ce of God doth ordinarily pursue him to destruction A notable exaÌ„ple hereof we haue in the holy league as it is called but indeed the bloodie league wherein the enemies of Gods grace and truth did confederate themselues to roote out true religion and the professors thereof from off the earth but the Lord hath rewarded them in their kind and turned their owne swords against theÌ„selues causing them to spoile one an other according to the prophesie of Isai Woe to thee that spoilest and was not spoiled and doest wickedly and they did not wickedly against thee when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled Isa. 33. 1. This rewarding iustice of God well obserued doth discouer vnto vs yea and denounce a fearefull woe not onely against all those that giue out rash iudgement of others but against all vsurers and oppressors who metâ— out hard measure vnto others euen cruelty without mercie but so shall they be serued againe Gods heauie hand hath heretofore laine sore vpon this land for many yeares in dearth and scaâ—fitie which also in some sort hath bin made more grieuous vpon the poore by hard hearted rich men who are like to great fishes that deuoure the lesser for they grind the faces of the poore and plucke off their skinnes from theÌ„ and their flesh from the bones by their wicked couetousnes yea doubtlesse their cruelty costs many a mans life Some in higher place by inclosing and racking of rents others of meaner sort by ingrossing and withholding the commodities of the land froÌ„ the common good till a time of dearth come wherein as the Prophet saith they may make the Epha small and the Shekel great that is sell little for much lessening the measure and enhauncing the price And indeed such a time of dearth is the worldlings day wherein they doe inrich themselues by the spoile of the poore but they must know that a feareful woe belongs vnto theÌ„ for the like mercilesse measure shall be measured to them againe and when they cease to spoile then shall they be spoiled for when the hand of God is heauie vpon the poore then no doubt is vengeance preparing for hard hearted rich men who increase the same The Lord forbiddeth to trouble the widdow or fatherles child Exod. 22. 22 2â— c. for if thou vexe and trouble such and so he call and cry vnto me I will surely heare his crie then shall my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widows and your children fatherles This is Gods word and it must stand The Lord himselfe foretold that towards the latter day iniquitie should abound and charitie should waxe cold are not these the times whereof Christ spake for what power hath the Gospel to withdraw mens hearts from iniquitie and when was there euer lesse charitie then is now well these are forerunners of greater iudgements and therefore in the feare of God let vs make conscience of this and all other sinnes euen in consideration of this that the Lord will pay vs home in that kinde wherein we offend v. 3. And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye and perceiuest not the beame that is in thine owne eye 4. Or how saiest thou to thy brother Suffer me to cast out the mote out of thine eye and behold a beame is in thine owne eye These two verses containe a second reason to inforce the former coÌ„mandement against rash iudgement The meaning of the words is this Why seest thou that is vpon what ground forwhat cause and with what conscience seest thou And so in the 4. v. How saiest thou that is with what face with what honestie and conscience saiest thou So much these interrogations how and why import Seest sight here is not a light or sudden beholding of the mote but a seeing with attention a serious and considerate obseruation thereof A mote the word vsed in the originall may as well be translated a straw or a peece of a straw as a mote as it hath beene in former times for it will beare eiâ—her translation yet the word beame seemes rather to haue reference to a straw then to a mote but which way soeuer it be taken it signifies small and little sinnes as sinnes of ignorance and infirmitie such as the best Christians doe commit cannot be free from in this life Again it signifies supposed sinnes such as are not indeed sinnes before God but onely in his opinion that giues rash iudgement And perceiuest not this perceiuing is properly an action of the minde standing in consideration and thinking which follows after seeing Thus the word
is vsed Luk. 12. 27. Consider the lilies of the field that is looke vpon them and then consider well thereof in your minde And Iam. 1. 23. He that heares the word and doth it not is like vnto a man that BEHOLDS his naturall face in a glasse that is to one that sees and considers of his shape So that Christs meaning is as if he had said It may be thou seest but why doest thou not well waigh and consider with thy selfe of the beame that is in thine owne eye By beame is here meant great and notorious raigning sinnes in mans heart such as wound the conscience which are like vnto a beame in the eye which doth not onely blemish but quite dash out the fight Some may here aske in what sense this is spoken seeing the eye is not capable of a beame Ans. It is spoken by way of supposition as if iâ— had bin said if it were possible that a beame could be in the eye the rash censurers fault is as a beame in the eye this kind of spech is vsuall in Scripture If I could speake with tongues of Angels saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 13. 1. that is suppose Angels had tongues and that I could speake as eloquently as they The words of the 4. v. are for substance all one with the former in the 3. The difference between them is onely this in the 3. v. Christ speaks onely of rash iudgment coÌ„ceiued in the mind but in the 4. he speaks of rash iudgemeÌ„t vttered in speech How saist thou to thy brother c. So that in both verses the words are a parable bearing this sense with what face honestie or conscience canst thou finde fault with thy brother either in thought or speach thou thy selfe beeing tainted with greater faults and offences And hence the second reason may be thus conceiued He that hath greater faults must not censure him that hath lesser But he that giues rash iudgement hath greater faults then he whom he censureth And therfore no maÌ„ ought to vse rash iudgment The proposition or first part is omitted the Assumption expressely set downe in the 3. 4. v. whereupon the conclusion follows against rash iudgement Vpon this forme of speech How seest thou why saiest thou that is with what face and honestie and vpon what ground we may learne this instruction that our speaches yea our very thoughts must be conceiued and vttered vpon good ground and in a good manner Establish thy thoughts by counsell saith Salomon and by counsel make warre teaching vs to haue direction from the word of God for the ground and maner of our very thoughts and for all our affaires Our Sauiour Christ bids vs take heede how we heare Gods word and Salomon would draw vs to this heede attention in prayer also Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God now that which they speak of diuine exercises is in this place by our Sauiour inlarged to euery thought of the heart word of the mouth that coÌ„cerns our brother Further in these words Seest thou that is with attention and consideration beholdest our Sauiour Christ acquaints vs with a common fault wherewith our nature is generally stained and corrupted to wit that we are ouersharpe sighted into other mens liues and offences this appeares in that men can easily discerne small faults in others and cannot see great offences in themselues nay wheÌ„ they can find no iust fault yet they will make those faults which indeed be none at all Example hereof we haue in the Scribes and Pharisies in their censures against our Sauiour and his disciples they theÌ„selues were hypocrits tainted with grieuous sinnes yet they pried to finde motes in Christs â—ies for when he wrought miracles cured the diseased and did good vnto all they blamed him as a breaker of the Sabbath day and as a companion of Publicans and sinners though he conuersed with them for their good so they blamed his Disciples for eating with vnwashen hands and for plucking vp the eares of corne on the Sabbath day to satisfie their hunger and for their seldome fasting This fault was in the Corinthians who censured Paul and his ministerie for want of eloquence and excellencie of words which was in other Teachers among them as may appeare by his rebuking of them 1. Cor. 4. And the Christian brethren among the Romans condemned one another in the obseruation of daies and times and in the vse of the creatures of God Rom. 14. which was nothing els but rash iudgement And this no doubt is a fault which raignes in our congregations euen among the better sort at this day for deepely is our nature stained with this corruption and so prone it is to this sinne that euen they which haue receiued true grace can hardly abstaine from the practises of rash iudgement The consideration hereof must teach vs these duties First to take knowledge of this corruption of our nature and of the want of brotherly loue in vs for why should we so soone spie a fault in another but because we want loue and charitie to his person Wee may consider the vilenesse of this practise by resemblance in some bruite creatures for we account most basely of those rauening fowles which delight in nothing but in filthie carrions and such for all the world are these rash censurers all their delight is in other mens faults which makes them so sharp sighted to spie them out Secondly when we are about to censure any man we must in regard of this corruption suspect our selues and our speeches call our selues backe to a view and consideration of that which wee are to speake for oft-times we see that which we ought not to see and thereupon speake that which we ought in conscience to conceale Physitions giue this note of a frensie to begin to take vp strawes Now when the mind looks not into it selfe but pries into other mens actions then no doubt it is not right but is corrupt and infected with a spirituall frensie and therefore the danger of this disease must cause vs to looke vnto our selues Thirdly here we may obserue a reason of the strange behauiour of men in regard of sinne for this we may easily perceiue that men with open mouth will condemne those things in others which they like and approoue in themselues now the cause hereof is for that the affections doe followe the minde such as the minde is such are the affections and mans minde naturally lookes outwarde not inwarde it sees very little faults in others but will neither see nor condemne the same faults nor greater in it selfe nay rather it causeth man to loue those sinnes in himselfe which he detests in others And therefore in the amendment of our liues we must beginne in our owne hearts and turne the eye of our minde inward to see our owne sinnes and labour first to haue our
make before we heare the word of God First we must wash our hands in innocencie and then compasse the Altar of the Lord the word and sacraments are holy in theÌ„selues but not so to vs out of their holy vse and therefore if we would reape profit to our selues by them we must prepare our hearts therevnto Thirdly whereas the word is vnto vs the voice of God the means of sanctification we may learne that in the congregatioÌ„ of Gods people ordinarily the pure word of God alone ought to be heard without the mixture of the words of men be they neuer so holy for it is not said of the words of any man that they are that holy thing The Lord himselfe alone had the appointment of the making of the holy oyle which was to anoint the Kings and Priests vnder the law neither might any man adde any thing thereto though it were neuer so pure and good nor make any oyle like vnto it so likewise the trumpets that serued for the Tabernacle to assemble the people the Lord himselfe alone had the appointment of them and none might vse any other though it were made of most pure gold Had the Lord this care ouer his Sanctuarie vnder the law to take the appointment of these things to himselfe alone and shall we thinke that the trumpet of his holy word which now by his appointment soundeth in the congregation of the Saints may admit a mixture with the words of men humane or diuine be they neuer so holy The ancient Church was farre from this mixture and therfore forbade the publike reading of the Apocrypha which yet are more excellent bookes then the writings of men published since the Apostles But it is saide that they onely finde fault with this kinde of preaching which cannot attaine vnto it I answer it is no point of the greatest learning to vse the sayings of Fathers and Poets in preaching and they which vse it not refraine therefrom not because they cannot doe it but because they dare not mingle the sayings of men with the word of God which is that holy thing seruing in stead of Gods owne glorious voice in all matters that concerne our faith and obedience and beeing the onely sufficient instrument of our sanctification and therefore it were to be wished that in the congregations of the Saints the pure word of God might sound alone vnto Gods people that as they are begotten alone of this immortall seede so they might be fedde alone with this sincere milke II. Point What is meant by pearles Ans. The wholesome doctrines and instructions of Gods word contained partly in commandements and partly in sweete and heauenly promises so Matt. 13. 46. the Gospel preached is compared to a pretious pearle And further we are to note that these wholesome instructions are called your pearles Christ speaking to his Disciples and other hearers now they are so called in two respects First in regard of the Apostles and other Ministers their successors because they are the Lords stewards to dispense the word and the doctrine thereof to Gods people Secondly in regard of all true beleeuers and seruants of God that haue care to know and to obey the word of God for euery beleeuer hath a speciall right vnto Gods word aboue other men to which purpose the Lord saith Bind vp the testimonie seale vp the law among my disciples Isa. 8. 16. that is commend coÌ„mit my word vnto my disciples there giuing a special right and interest vnto them in the word of saluationâ— for they haue the true iudgment and meaning thereof they keepe it in their hearts expresse the power of it in their liues they haue the vse and benefit thereof in euery estate in this world and vnto their eternall saluation in heauen From this that the doctrines of Gods word are our pearles first wee are taught to place all our riches in the word of God for that is our Iewell and our principall treasure of this Salomon saith Her merchandise are better then merchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof better then gold In the valuing of this pearle Dauids practise is notable who made the testimonies of God his heritage and the very ioy of his heart Psalm 119. 111. and esteemed them aboue gold yea aboue most siâ—e gold vers 127. Secondly we must hereby learne to content our selues in all casualties and calamities of this lise with this pearle of the word of God for though we loose friends health goods or good name yet this pearle of good doctrines and sweete promises is not lost if that were taken away with the losse of outward commodities then there were some cause of discomfort but seeing this iewell remaines with vs in all estates therefore herewith we must stay and comfort our selues as Dauid did counting Gods promises his comfort in trouble Psal. 119. 50. his songs in his pilgrimage v. 54. Thirdly this must teach vs to vse the doctrines and promises of Gods worde as pearles wee must looke them vp in our hearts and haue them in faithfull keeping in our memories A man that hath an earthly iewell that is of any worth will bee very carefull to looke it vp in the surest chest he hath how much more care ought wee to haue of these true pearles of heauenly instructions As the Holy Ghost speakes of Deaconâ— they must bee such as keepe the mysterie of faith in good conscience so must euery one of vs bee carefull keepers of this heauenly pearle This was Maries practise Luke 2. 51. Shee powdered the sayings of Christ in her heart and Dauid hidde the word of God in his heart that he might not sinne against the Lord. Psal. 119. 11. IU Instruct. The doctrines and promises in Gods word are the pearles of the Apostles and ministers therefore they aboue others in all ages and times ought to haue speciall care by all good meanes to preserue the puritie of doctrine in the Church of God This is Pauls charge to Timothie keepe that which is committed vnto thee that is that whole some doctrine which thou hast learned of me this neerely concerneth ministers at this day that as by the good meanes of others they haue receiued true doctrine purified from the dregges of Popery so they should preserue keepe the same froÌ„ all â—int of corruption to their posteritie The third and fourth things to be considered are touching dogs and swine where these three points are to bee handled I. What are here properly meant by dogs and swine II. Who must giue iudgement of men to be dogs and swine and III. Where they are to be found For the first By dogs and swine wee must vnderstand the enemies of Gods word yet not all enemies for so euery sinner should be a dog a swine but onely such as are malitious obstinate enemies manifestly conuicted of their enmitie to Gods word doctrine of whose
enemie of such like the Apostle speaketh Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God but by their works they denie him And such a one was Ismael who for mocking Isaac the sonne of the promise was cast out of Abrahams familie that is out of the Church of God Gen. 21. 10 11. for Abrahams familie at that time was Gods visible Church Secondly here also obserue the ende of Excommunication namely to preserue the holy things of God from pollution contempt and prophanation euen the word prayer and Sacraments which wilfull enemies would trample vpon as swine will vpon pearles And herein we may see the abuse of this ordinance when it is vsed for politicke and ciuill respects especially in the Church of Rome where it is made an instrument of the vniust deposing of Christian Princes and of exempting their subiects from due obedience and allegiance Thirdly here our Sauiour Christ noteth out the principall persons that are to execute this censure of the Church vpon wilfull and obstinate enemies that be as dogs and swine namely they to whome the disposing and keeping of the holy things of God is committed that is the lawfull ministers of the word and Sacraments for they must keepe those holy things pure which God hath committed vnto them but that they cannot doe without the exercise of this censure which God hath giuen vnto his Church Fourthly here also we may see how farre this censure of the Church extendeth against obstinate and wilfull enemies namely to the debarring of them from the vse of the Churches Ministerie in the word praier and sacraments Indeed if the partie be excommunicate for some particular crime and there be hope of his repentance because he doth not shew himselfe a dogge or a swine by wilfull obstinacie in his sinne and contempt of the Church then although he be excluded from communion with them in the Sacraments and prayer yet he may be admitted to the hearing of the word because that is a means to humble him for his sinne and to bring him to repentance which is the end of all Ecclesiasticall censures And thus much of the prohibition Now follow the reasons to enforce the same Least they tread them vnder their feete and turning againe all to rent you Here Christ renders a double reason to enforce his prohibition both drawen from the daungerous euents which would ensue by communicating holy things vnto dogges and swine for first they would â—read them 〈◊〉 their feete secondly turning against all to rent you For the first by Treading vnder feete he meanes prophaning and abâ—â—ing Now because the holy things of God must not be prophaned and abused therefore they must not be communicated vnto wilfull enemies of the grace of God In this reason see the singular care of our Sauiour Christ to keepe the scriptures and other holy things of God from prophanation This care he likewaies shewed with great zeale when he whipt the buyers and sellers out of the temple because they made his fathers house that holy place a house of marchandise and a denne of theeues Math. 21. 12. 13. And herein he must be a patterne and example vnto vs all to teach vs care and zeale in keeping the holy things of God from prophanation far must it be from vs to doe or speake any thing which may cause the world to speake euill of our holy profession and religion This is Pauls charge to seruants that they so carie themselues towards their masters that the name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken of 1. Tim. 6. 1. for want of care herein was Gods hand heauie vpon Dauid for because by his foule facts of a Adulterie and murther he had caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme therefore the child borne vnto him must surely dye 2. Sam. 12. 14. We must therefore pray as the Apostle bids vs that the word of God may be glorified This is Christs direction in his prayer before all things to desire and seeke that Gods name may be halowed and glorified Now Gods word is his name for thereby is he knowen vnto vs yea his name is magnified aboue all things by his word Psal. 138. 2. Excellent was Dauids praier to this effect Psal. 116. 36. Take away my rebuke which I feare for thy iudgements are good that is keepe me from doing that which may bring rebuke or reproach vpon thy word or vpon thy workes for they are good Good king Hezekias is also commended for his care of Gods glorie in that he forbade his seruants to answer to the rayling blasphemies of Rabshakeh least thereby he should be prouoked to blaspheme the more as also in that he greatly humbled himselfe before the Lord vpon the hearing of it for he rent his cloaths and put on sackcloath and spread the rayling letter before the Lord thereby referring the reuenge to God himselfe chap. 19. 1. 14. And turning againe all to rent you These words containe Christs second reason against communicating holy things to malicious obstinate enemies drawne from the perill that may ensue thereupon to his disciples ministers for these dogs and swine are not onely prone to abuse the holy things themselues but also to annoy hurt by reuiling and persecution those that be the messengers of the word vnto them In this reason Christ sheweth that it is not onely lawfull but necessarie that Gods ministers should seeke to auoid and shunne the malice and rage of obstinate enemies by all lawfull meanes which may stand with Gods glorie and the keeping of a good conscience Hence he bad his disciples with the innocencie of doues ioyne the wisdome of serpents now the serpent is most wily and warie to saue her selfe from harme Obiect But it is the propertie of an hireling to flie from his flocke when he seeth the wolfe comming therefore it seemes Gods ministers may not flie in time of persecution Ans. To flie in persecution is not alwaies a forsaking of the flocke but sometimes tends to their greater good as when persecution is intended directly against the minister then he may with good conscience flie for his safetie in hope of returne for their future good els Christ would not haue said to his disciples If they persecute you in one citie flie into another Matth. 10. 23. Yea not onely the minister must thus looke to his owne safetie but his people also must doe what lies in them for his preseruation So did the beleeuers in the primitiue Church for S. Paul When his life was sought in Damascus the disciples let him downe at a window in a basket through the wall and he escaped Act. 9. 25. And at Ephesus when the great tumult was about Diana Paul would haue thrust himselfe in among the people but the Disciples seeing it would be dangerous vnto him kept him backe and would not suffer him Act. 19. 30. vers 7. Aske and it
great vnto whome the gods come so neare vnto them as the Lord our God is neare vnto vs in all that we call vnto him for Secondly this must perswade vs to loue God vnfaignedly and heartely who is so readie and willing to graunt our requests in praier specially considering we are by nature his enemies A rare thing it is to see any resemblance of it in the world and indeede among mâ—n this dealing is able to draw loue from an enemie when we shew our selues willing to doe him any good we can this heapes coles of fire vpon his head to consume his malice and kindle in him loue to vs oh then how should Gods gratious bountie and readinesse to heare vs draw our hearts to God in all loue and thankfulnes Thirdly this serues to be a notable stay and comfort to all those that are cast downe in soule with the sight and burden of their sinnes for behold if they aske mercie at Gods hands they shall haue it if they can call he will heare and if they will but knocke at the doore of his mercie he is readie to open vnto them Here they vse to plead that they haue long called and cried and knocked but they finde no comfort Ans. O consider the vsuall dealing of God with his owne children for a time he will hide his face and seeme to locke vp his mercie and compassion from them as we may see by Dauids complaint Psal. 77. 7. Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour v. 8. Is his mercie cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore v. 9. Hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. But his intent herein is to humble them deeper to make them knocke more earnestly that they may be more thankfull for Gods mercie when they finde it and more carefull to keepe themselues from sinne whereby they may loose againe that assurance Indeede it is a most heauie crosse and the deepest griefe that can be fall a man to haue the conscience apprehend the wrath of God without any feeling of his fauour yet in this case here is comfort let this poore soule out of the depth of his horror criâ— vnto God with Dauid and out of the bellie of this whale of desperation with Ionas endeauouring against all feeling to lay hold vpon the promise of mercie in Christ and he shall finde the Lord in due time readie to heare and to sende comfort yea the sweetnesse of his loue shall distill most ioyfully into his poore soule v. 9. For what man is there among you which if his sonne aske him bread would giue him a stone 10 Or if he aske him fish will he giue him a serpent 11 If ye then which are euill can giue to your children good gifts how much more shall your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him These words containe a second reason of the former commandement to pray as also a confinnation of the promise annexed thereunto for assurance to be heard and it may be framed thus If earthly parents though they be euill can giue good gifts to their children when they want them and aske them at their hands then much more will your heauenly father giue good gifts to those that aske him But earthly parents though they be euill will giue good gifts to their children Therefore much more will your heauenly father giue good things to them that aske him This reason standeth in a comparison of vnequalls drawen from the lesse to the greater from the care which is ordinarily seene in naturall parents ouer their children to prooue vndoubtedly the most tender care of our heauenly father ouer vs. And this kind of reasoning is vsuall with God in Scripture Isay 49. 15. Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet will not I forget thee Psal. 103. 13. As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him Mal. 3. 17. and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him In the framing of this reason behold a speciall fauour of God vouchsafed to godly parents They may take a tast of Gods loue and care ouer themselues by the consideration of that naturall care and tender affection they beare towards their owne childreÌ„ And indeed they may more easily then other apprehend and apply to themselues the louing fauour and tender care of God ouer them by the like affections in themselues towards their owne children Now this fauour and priuiledge God vouchsafeth for speciall cause first to incite and stirre vp those parents which yet haue not tasted of Gods loue to embrace his word and promises whereby God reueales his loue to men that so they may tast of Gods loue towards them whereof they haue so notable a patterne in their affection towards their owne children Secondly to prouoke them to labour to haue their hearts rooted and grounded in the loue of God And thirdly that they hauing experience of Gods loue in themselues may bring their children and posteritie to the fruition of the same loue and mercie Now to come to the comparison The first part whereof is this that it is a naturall propertie in all parents to giue good things vnto their children This is a principle binding conscience that parents should be carefull of their children He that prouideth not for his owne saith the Apostle especially for them of his familie is worse then an infidell for infidells doe not put out this light of nature but prouide for their children Here then those parents are to be blamed who spend their substance in gaming and ryote and so leaue their children and familie destitute and in want These spende vpon their owne lusts those good things which they should bestow vpon their children and so shew themselues vnnaturall but the Magistrate who is the publike father ought to looke vnto them and to restraine them from such disorder Secondly here those likewise are to be blamed which for foode and rayment will prouide and giue sufficient to their children but in the meane while they giue them not godly education in the instruction and information of the Lord which is a good thing indeede vnto the soule for which the godly in Scripture are commended as Abraham towards his familie Gen. 18. 19. and Lois and Eunice towards Timothie 2. Tim. 1. 5. who brought him vp in faith vnfaigned Thirdly by this we may see the state of those that kill their owne children for so we may read that some parents haue eaten their owne children namely they are such as become vnnaturall beeing in Gods iust iudgement left vnto themselues to be ruled by the Deuill who filleth their hearts with this vnnaturall and sauage crueltie Now Christ speakes here of the light of nature not extinguished and so it is
man by oath and not otherwise may either free himselfe from temporall losses or procure to himselfe temporall benefits which be of great weight and moment for an oath for confirmation is among men the ende of all strife now we know that much strife and controuersie doth arise about worldly affaires And in this regard a man by oath may lawfully purge himselfe of infamie and slander In these foure cases a man may lawfully sweare not onely publikely before the Magistrate but also priuately so it be with due reuerence and good conscience But in common talke or on light occasion a man cannot lawfully sweare either by small or great oath for that is to take the name of God in vaine II. Quest. How must a man take an oath when by iust occasion he is called to sweare Ans. To this question the Prophet Ieremie answereth chap. 4. 2. Thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth in truth in iudgement and in righteousnes where three vertues are required in an holy manner of swearing First truth and that respecteth two things as well the matter whereto we sweare for God may not be brought for a witnesse to a lie as also the minde of him that sweareth for his oath must be according to his minde without fraud or deceit and with intent to performe that truly which he promises thereupon Secondly Iustice or righteousnes which also respecteth two things first the thing sworne to that must be iust and lawfull and according to Gods word secondly the conscience of the swearer for a man must not sweare for a trifle though the thing be true but either by the authoritie of the Magistrate or vpon some necessarie cause of his lawfull calling and against this vertue doe those sinne that sweare vsually in their common talke though the thing be true for trifles and light matters are not a iust cause of an oath Thirdly iudgement as well of the oath as of his owne person for the oath he that sweareth rightly ought to know the nature of an oath and be able to iudge of the matter whereabout he sweareth and also discerne rightly of the persons before whome of time place and other circumstances And for his owne person a man that sweareth ought to see in his conscience that he is fit to take an oath and thereby to worship and glorifie God for he that sweareth ought to haue his heart smitten with feare and awe towards God as in all other parts of his worship Deut. 10. 20. the feare of God and swearing by his name are ioyned together and a prophane man that hath no feare of God in his heart ought not to sweare And thus much of Christs general Answer to their false interpretation Neither by heauen for it is the throne of God v. 35. Nor yet by the earth for it his footestoole neither by Ierusalem for it is the citie of the great King c. Here our Sauiour Christ commeth particularly to forbid swearing in foure seuerall kinds of oaths vsed among the Iewes vnder which he includeth all indirect oathes by the creatures and withall obserue that he addeth seuerall reasons in prohibiting these seuerall kinds of indirect oathes as that a man must not sweare by heauen because it is the throne of God c. Now as I take it Christ doth not directly forbid swearing by the creatures in this place for his intent is to forbid ordinarie swearing in common speach whether it be by God or by the creatures which here he nameth because the Iewes counted them but light oathes Yet here this point must needes be skanned Whether it be lawfull at any time to sweare by the creatures Sundrie Papists and those of the best account both for learning and deuotion make two kinde of oathes in swearing by the creatures First when a man sweares by the creature and puts it in the place of God making it a Iudge and witnesse to his conscience of the truth of the thing whereof he sweareth and this doe all condemne as wicked and vnlawfull both Protestants and Papists Secondly when the creature is named but yet the oath is directed to God in the minde of the swearer vnder the name of the creature as the creature is in relation to God a signe of his presence and this kind of swearing is taken for lawfull not onely of all Papists but of many Protestant Diuines which be of good account in our age Yet with reuerence to them all I see no reason in the word of God to warrant this kind of swearing by the creature with direction to God in the minde of him that sweareth Indeede a man may name the creature in his oath as Paul did I call God to record to my conscience and yet sweare by God for it is one thing to name the creature in swearing and an other thing to sweare by the creature Reasons against this forme of swearing by the creatures are these First an oath is part of Gods worship as hath before beene shewed now euery part of Gods worship must be referred to God directly so we pray and giue thankes vnto God directly and not in the creature and so we ought to sweare but in indirect swearing by the creatures the oath is directly referred to the creature and indirectly vnto God namely in the creature which is not lawfull Secondly a man must sweare by him that is greater then himselfe and therefore God sware by himselfe because there was no greater to sweare by where it seemeth the holy Ghost takes it for graunted that there is no lawfull swearing by the creatures because they are not greater then man and so there must be but one onely direct kind of swearing by God himselfe Thirdly Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt sweare by my name there it seemeth he prescribeth such a forme of swearing wherein the name of God in some plaine manner is expressed but in indirect oathes an other besides him that sweareth cannot tell whether he sweare by God or not because the oath is by the creature and directed to God onely in the minde of him that sweareth Fourthly Math. 13. 16. He that sweareth by the Temple sweareth by God whence I gather that an indirect oath is superfluous because it is sufficient that a man sweare by God onely and not by the creature also By these reasons I haue beene mooued to dislike of indirect oathes now let vs see what is said in the behalfe of them First it is saide that Ioseph a man commended for his faith sware by the life of Pharaoh therefore men may sweare by the creatures Ans. It may be well expounded not to be an oath but an asseueration to this effect as surely as Pharaoh liueth but say it is an oath yet this fact prooueth not the lawfulnes of this kind of swearing for no man is so good but he may be tainted with the impieties of the place wherein he liueth especially beeing so wicked a