abstaine then come vnprovided To whom it may be said that their vnfitnes in this and other respects ought to be a strong motiue to induce them at least to vse all holy indeauour to prepare themselues euery day rather then a meanes to keepe them backe For if a man should abstaine vpon euery occasion of variance discontentment and infirmitie he should neuer receiue and so consequently haue no benefit by this ordinance of God Daily preparation therefore is the more necessarie that when they be called and haue opportunitie they may come as welcome guestes vnto that heauenly banquet II. Question How may a man rightly vse the Lords Supper to his comfort and saluation Ans. Three things are required therevnto A right preparation a right Receiuing and a right Vse of it afterward Sect. 1. That Preparation is needefull the commandement of the Apostle plainely shewes which is directed to al Communicants without exception 1. Cor. 11. 28 Let a man that is let euery man examine himselfe Now that a man may be rightly prepared hee must bring with him foure severall things First Knowledge of the foundation of Religion specially of the vse of both the Sacraments That this is necessarie to Preparation it appeareth by that which Paul requireth in a good Communicant 1. Cor. 11. 26. to wit the shewing forth of Christs death which is done by confession and thanks giuing and these two cannot be performed without knowledge The second thing required is Faith For all Sacraments are seales of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4. 11. Now Faith is hereby discerned when the heart of the beleeuer contents it selfe onely with Christ in the matter of saluation and doth beleeue not onely that there is a remission of sinnes in generall but that his sinnes are forgiuen to him in particular The third is Repentance standing in a hearty sorrow for sinnes committed in a hatred and detestation of the same and in a resolued purpose of amendment and obedience for time to come Here we must remember that renewed Repentance for sinnes committed is principally required before the Sacrament For the Apostle chargeth the beleeuing Corinthes with vnworthie receiuing because they came in their sinnes without renouation of their repentance The fourth is Charitie towards man For this Sacrament is a Communion whereby all the receiuers ioyntly vnited together in loue doe participate of one and the same Christ. And therefore as no man in the old law might offer his Sacrifice without a forehand agreement with his brother so no Communicant may partake with others at this Table without reconciliation loue and charitie Now further touching Preparation there are three Cases of Conscience to be resolued I. Case What shall a man doe if after preparation he finds himselfe vnworthie Ans. There are two kinds of vnworthines of an euili conscience and of infirmitie Vnworthines of an euill conscience is when a man liues in any sinne against his conscience This we must especially take heede of For it is proper to the Reprobate and he that comes to the Table of the Lord vnworthily in this sense questionlesse he shall eate his owne iudgement if not condemnation The vnworthines of infirmitie is when a man truly repents and beleeues and makes conscience of euery good dutie but yet sees and feeles wants in them all and in regard hereof himselfe vnfit to the Supper Such vnworthines cannot iustly hinder a man from comming to this Sacrament neither is it a sufficient cause to make him to abstaine The reason is because the Lord requires not therein perfection of faith and repentance but the truth synceritie of them both though they be imperfect If it be demanded how the truth of faith and repentance may be knowne I answer by these notes I. If our faith be directed vpon the right obiect Christ alone II. If there be a hungring and thirsting after his bodie and blood III. If wee haue a constant and serious purpose not to sinne IV. If there follow a change in the life Thus we read that many of the Iewes in the daies of Hezekias came to Ierusalem and did eate the Passeouer which had not clensed themselues according to that which was written in the Law And yet for those among them that had prepared their whole hearts to seek the Lord the text saies that God heard the praier of Hezekias and healed the people though they were not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuarie 2. Chron. 30. 18 19 20. II. Case Whether it be requisite to preparation that a man should come fasting to this supper Ans. It is not necessarie For in the Primitiue Church Christians did first feast and at the ende of their feast receiued the Lords Supper And if receiuers bring with them attentiue mindes reuerent and sober hearts it matters not whether they come fasting or not The kingdome of God stands not in meates and drinkes as Paul saith Rom. 14. 17. III. Case Whether such persons as are at contention and goe to law one with an other may with good conscience come to the Lords table The reason of the Question is because men thinke when they goe to law that they doe not forgiue Ans. There be three kinds of forgiuenes of reuenge of the penaltie and of iudgement Ofreuenge when men are content to lay aside all hatred and requitall of euill Of penaltie when beeing wronged they are content to put the matter vp and not proceede to reuenge by inflicting punishment Of iudgement when a man is willing to esteeme and iudge things badly done as well done and to iudge a bad man no euill person nor an enemie though he be an enemie Of these three the first is alwaies necessarie A man is bound in conscience to forgiue the reuenge and leaue that to the Lord to whome Vengeance properly belongeth But to the forgiuenes of penaltie and iudgement we are not alway bound We must shunne and decline iniuries offered as much as possibly we can but when they be offered we may with good conscience seeke a remedie of them and vse any lawfull meanes to defend our selues Therefore I answer to the Question thus That if a man going to law with an other forgiues him in regard of reuenge when he comes to the Lords table he doth his dutie For doing that he is not bound to the other as hath beene said Sect. 2. The Second thing in the right vse of the Lords Supper is the right Receiuing of it Wherein there be two things required First the renewing of our Knowledge or Generall Faith And then secondly the renewing of our Speciall Faith in Christ. Let the reason of both be obserued This Sacrament cōtaines many particular Signes as not onely the bread and wine but the actions about the same The Signes may be thus distinguished Some of them are representing signes some are signes applying Representing signes are such as doe liuely set forth vnto vs Christ with his benefits as the bread and the wine
a twofold relation to God or to Man As he stands in relation to God he beares the name of a Christian that is a member of Christ or a sonne of God whose dutie is to know and to worship God according to his will reuealed in his word As he stands in relation to man he is a part of a bodie and a member of some societie Now the Questions that concerne him as a member of a societie are of three sorts according to three distinct kinds of societies For euery man is either a member of a Familie or of the Church or of the Common-wealth And answerably some Questions concerne mā as a member of a familie some as he is a member of the Church some as he is a member of the Commonwealth In a word therefore all Questions touching man may be reduced to three generall heads The first whereof is concerning man simply considered as he is a man The second touching man as he stands in relation to God The third concerning man as he is a member of one of the three societies that is either of the Familie or of the Church or of the Commonwealth QVestions of the first sort concerning man simply considered in himselfe as he is a man are especially three The first What a man must doe that he may come into the fauour of God and be saued The second How he may be assured in conscience of his owne saluation The third How he may recouer himselfe when he is distressed or fallen Of these in order CHAP. V. Of the first maine Question touching Man I. Question What must a man doe that he may come into Gods fauor and be saued FOR answer to this Question some Groundes must be laid downe before-hand The first is this That we must consider and remember how and by what meanes God brings any man to saluation For looke how God saueth others so he that would know how to be saued must vse the meanes whereby God saueth them Sect. 1. In the working and effecting of Mans saluation ordinarily there are two special actions of God the giuing of the first grace and after that the giuing of the second The former of these two works hath X. seuerall actions I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation specially the Ministerie of the word and with it he sends some outward or inward crosse to breake and sub due the stubbornnesse of our nature that it may be made plyable to the will of God This we may see in the example of the Iaylour Act. 16. and of the Iewes that were conuerted at Peters sermon Act. 2. II. This done God brings the minde of man to a consideration of the Law and therein generally to see what is good and what is euill what is sinne and what is not sinne III. Vpon a serious consideration of the Law he makes a man particularly to see and know his owne peculiar and proper sinnes whereby he offends God IV. Vpon the sight of sinne he smites the heart with a Legall feare whereby when man seeth his sinnes he makes him to feare punishment and hell and to despaire of saluation in regard of any thing in himselfe Now these foure actions are indeede no fruits of grace for a Reprobate may goe thus farre but they are onely workes of preparation going before grace the other actions which follow are effects of grace V. The fifth action of grace therefore is to stirre vp the minde to a serious consideration of the promise of saluation propounded and published in the Gospel VI. After this the sixt is to kindle in the heart some seedes or sparks of faith that is a will and desire to beleeue and grace to striue against doubting dispaire Now at the same instant when God beginnes to kindle in the heart any sparkes of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall begins the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combat for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by feruent cōstant earnest inuocatiō for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength and preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and settles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life where vpon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercy followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance wherby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needs be before the light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauor to obey his commaundements by a new obedience And by these degrees doth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is the giuing of the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first grace giuen For looke as by creation God gaue a beeing to man all other creatures and then by his prouidence continued the same beeing which was as it were a second creation so in bringing a man to saluation God giues the first grace for example to beleeue repent then in mercie giues the second to persevere continue in faith and repentance to the end And this if we regard man himselfe is very necessary For as fire without supply of matter wherby it is fedde continued would soone goe out so vnlesse God of his goodnesse should followe his children and by new and daily supplies continue his first grace in thē they would vndoubtedly soone loose the same finally fall away The second Ground for the answere of this Question is taken from some speciall places of Scripture where the same is mooved and resolued The men that were at Peters sermon being touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to an other Men brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iaylor who after that the stubbornnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs what must I doe to be saued to whome they gaue answer Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospel sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christs answers him Keepe
Chaldeans slaine that is the very night wherein those 70. yeares came to their full period And as there are set times allotted by God for the execution of his threatning senteÌ„ces so also hath he determined certenly the accomplishment of all and euery of his promises An example hereof we haue in the Israelites of whom the Lord said to AbrahaÌ„ that they should be in affliction in a strange land 430. yeres and then be deliuered This promise of God was expressely fulfilled as we read in the booke of Exodus For before the ende and tearme of these yeares they had no deliuerance at all but when that time was expired euen that selfe same day departed all the hosts of Israel out of the land of Egypt And though Moses fourtie yeares before this time tooke in hand the worke of their deliuerance yet he did it without successe and vpon a certaine accident beeing himselfe constrained to flie into Madian he liued there as a stranger with Iethro his father in law till the saide time of foure hundred and thirtie yeares was accomplished toward the ende whereof being called of God to that office he prospered and not before And in the same manner hath God set downe a certaine period of time within which he will exercise his children more or lesse and at the end wherof and not before he will releeue and comfort them againe Now as the certentie of the accomplishment of Gods threatning word serues to terrifie all wicked liuers from sinne so the vnchangeable performance of his promises at the very time prefixed not before teacheth the children of God sundrie things First that when they are in any distresse haue not present or speedie deliuerance according to their desire they should waite the Lords leisure and expect with patience till the time come which is appointed by him for their ease and releefe and in the meane while stay their hearts by hope and affiance in his mercie Reason is plaine God is sure in his word therefore though heauines may indure for a night yet ioy will returne in the morning Psal. 30. 5. Thus the Lord comforteth the Iewes in a particular distresse as we may read in the prophecie of Habbakuk where the Prophet in the name of the Iewes complaineth and expostulateth the matter with God why his owne people should be so lamentably afflicted by a terrible and furious nation and why they should be led away captiues by the Chaldeans the enemies of God To this the Lord makes answer that as he had certenly determined that iudgemeÌ„t to come vpon them so certenly had he appointed a set time wherein they should be deliuered In the meane while he bids them to comfort themselues in this that though the affliction should rest vpon them for a season yet vndoubtedly they should be eased at the length and therefore that they should in patience waite for the vision that is the accoÌ„plishment of the vision touching their deliuerance Secondly hence we learne that we must not onely beleeue the promises of God in generall that God is true and faithfull in them and that he is able willing to fulfil them euen as he made them but we must beleeue them in particular that is with application to their proper and seuerall circumstances which are the particular meanes places and times whereby and wherein he hath giuen his word as touching our freedome and exemption from the crosse Take an instance hereof in the Prophet Daniel who knew well by the spirit of Prophecie that the Lord had determined to bring vpon the Iewes 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon He knew also that God had promised to put an ende to that captiuitie at the end and tearme of those yeares Now what did Daniel in this case Vpon knowledge of the will of God in that point during the said time he praied not vnto the Lord for deliuerance of his people But when he vnderstood that the time drewe neere wherin it was the wil of God that the Iewes should returne out of captiuitie then by faith applying the promise of God to that particular time he besought the Lord in praier and supplications with fasting in sackcloth and ashes and the Lord gaue eare vnto his praiers and yeelded him a gratious answer II. The second point is that God when he deferres deliuerance doth it vpon great and weightie causes and considerations best knowne to himselfe The first wherof is that thereby he might humble men throughly and bring them to an vtter deniall of themselues and consequently cause them to learne patience in affliction which they would not learne if they might be their owne caruers and haue speedy deliuerance from the crosse at their own wills and pleasures Secondly that beeing afflicted they may acknowledge whence their deliuerance comes yea whence they doe receiue not onely that but euery other good benefit which they inioy namely not from theÌ„selues or any creature but onely from the Lord and accordingly may learne to value and prize his gifts at their deserued excellencie For it is a true saying and often verified in affliction want that benefits easily obtained are lightly regarded and sooner forgotten Thirdly that by the continuance of the crosse without intermission he may make them to distaste the world and consequently drawe them to the meditation of the life to come wherein all matter of mourning shall cease and all teares shall be wiped from their eies Fourthly the Lord deâ—erreth deliuerance from affliction that he might preuent greater euils and dangers whereinto those that are afflicted might runne if they had their heartes desire and were eased not at his will but at their owne wishes When the childreÌ„ of Israel came into Canaan they were informed that they should dwell together with the Canaanites and Moses rendreth a reason thereof Least saith he the wild beasts of the field multiply against thee And for the preuenting of this euill the Israelites must indure some annoyance by the Canaanites Euen so the Lord keepeth his seruants vnder the crosse for the preuenting of greater sins offences This should stay the mindes of men make them content to wait vpon God for deliuerance when they are afflicted III. The third and last point is that God alwaies hath and doth exercise his best seruants with long and continued crosses Abraham was childlesse till he was 70. yeares of age and at those yeares the Lord promised him issue But this promise was not accoÌ„plished til a long time after when he was an hundred yeares old Dauid had a promise to be king of Ierusalem and Iuda but the Lord exercised him by many and grieuous afflictions before he came to the crowne in so much that he saies of himselfe that his eies failed with waiting vpon his God Zacharie Elizabeth praied to god both of theÌ„ in their youth many yeares after for issue but the Lord granted not their request til
doe with patience expect it Rom. 8. 25. The third is Loue of God which hath two effects in the heart First it makes the heart to cleaue vnto God and to be well pleased with him simply for himselfe In this manner God the father louing Christ testifieth that he was well pleased in him Matth. 3. 17. Secondly it mooues the heart to seeke by all meanes possible to haue true fellowship with God in Christ. This the Church notably expresseth in the Canticles The fourth is Inward praier or Inuocation of the heart and it is nothing els but the lifting vp of the heart vnto God according to his will by desires and grones vnspeakable Or it is a worke of the heart whereby it flies vnto God for help in distresse makes him a rocke of defence When the children of Israel were afflicted They remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their redeemer Psal. 78. 35. Of this kinde of prayer Paul speakes when he saith pray continually 1. Thess. 5. 17. For solemne prayer conceiued and vttered in forme of words cannot alwaies be vsed but we are to lift vp our hearts vnto God vpon euery occasion that by inward and holy motions and affections they may be as it were knitte vnto him Now to conclude this point touching Inward worship we must remember that it alone is properly simply and of it selfe the worship of God and the Outward is not simply the worship of God but onely so farre forth as it is quickned by the Inward and grounded vpon it For God is a Spirit and therefore the true worship that is done vnto him must be performed in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. CHAP. VI. Of the outward worship of God and the first head thereof Prayer THus much of the Inward worship of God The Outward is that which is performed by the bodie externally eitherin word or deede To this belong many particulars which I will reduce to eight seuerall heads I. Prayer II. The hearing of the word preached III. The vse of the Sacraments IV. Outward Adoration V. Confession VI. An Oath VII Vowes VIII Fasting Touching Praier conceiued and vttered by the voice there are many Questions of Conscience the principall whereof are foure I. Question How shall a man make a lawfull and acceptable praier to God Ans. The word of God requires many conditions in making praier to God they may all be brought to three heads Some of them goe before the making of praier some are to be performed in the act of praier some after praier is ended Sect. 1. Conditions to be obserued before praier are three First he that would make such a praier as God may be pleased to heare must repent Esa. 1. 15. God would not heare the praiers of the Iewes because their hands were full of blood that is because they had not repented of their oppression and crueltie Ioh. 9. 31. God heares not sinners that is such as liue and lie in their sinnes and turne not vnto God by true repentance 1. Ioh. 3. 22. By this we know that God heares our prayers if we keepe his commandements I adde further that the man which hath before-time repented must againe renew his repentance if he desire that his praiers should be accepted For the very particular sinnes of men whereinto they fall after their repentance doe hinder the course of their praiers from hauing accesse vnto God if they be not repented of And for this cause the worthie men of God the Prophets in the old Testament doe vsually in the beginning of their praiers still humble themselues and confesse their sinnes as we may see in the example of Daniel chap. 9. v. 5 6 c. and of Ezra chap. 9. v. 6. c. Secondly before a man make a praier he must first if neede require be reconciled vnto his brother If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering and goe thy way first be recōciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Matt. 5. 23. When ye shall stand and pray forgiue if ye haue any thing against any man c. Mark 11. 25. Thirdly he that is to pray must prepare himselfe in heart and mind as one that is to speake familiarly with God In this preparation foure things are required First the mind is to be emptied of all carnall worldly thoughts Secondly there must be in the minde a consideration of the things to be asked Thirdly a lifting vp of the heart vnto the Lord Psal. 25. 1. Fourthly the heart must be touched with a reuerence of the maiestie of God to whome we pray Eccl. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to vtter a thing before God For the neglect herof the Lord threatneth to bring a iudgment vpon the Israelites Esay 29. 13. 14. Sect. 2. The second sort of Conditions are those that are required in praier and they are in number eight I. Euery petition must proceed from a liuely sense and feeling of our owne wants and of our spirituall pouertie For without this no praier can be earnest and hartie and consequently become acceptable vnto God For example when we pray that Gods name may be hallowed we must in making that petition haue in our harts a sense of the corruption of our nature wherby we are prone to dishonour the name of God II. Our praier must proceede from an earnest desire of that grace which we want and this desire is indeede praier it selfe Moses vttering neuer a word but groning in the spirit vnto God in the behalfe of the Isralites is said to crie vnto the Lord. Exod. 14. 15. We know not saith Paul what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sights that cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. III. The petition must proceede from sauing and true iustifying faith The reason is because without that faith it is impossible that either our persons or our praiers or any other action we doe should please God Heb. 11. 6. IV. Euery petition must be grounded vpon the word of God and not framed according to the carnall conceit and fansie of mans braine And this is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL he heareth vs. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Now we haue a double ground of our praier in Gods word a commandement to make the praier either generall or particular and a promise that our requests shal be granted Here we must remember two rules First Things to be asked are either spirituall or temporall Spirituall are such as concerne God whereof some are more necessarie to saluation as remission of sinnes faith repentance and such like some are lesse necessarie as hope ioy in the feeling of Gods mercie in distresse c. Temporall things are such as belong to this life as meate drinke clothing
the Commandements When he replied that he had kept them from his youth Christ tels him that he must goe yet further and sell all that he hath and giue to the poore And Iohn tells the Scribes and Pharises who came vnto his Baptisme and confessed their sinnes that if they would flie from the wrath to come they must repent and bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life From these places then I frame this answer to the Question in hand The man that would stand in the fauour of God and be saued must doe foure things first humble himselfe before God secondly beleeue in Christ thirdly repent of his sinnes fourthly performe new obedience vnto God Sect. 2. For the first Humiliation is indeode a fruit of faith yet I put it in place before faith because in practise it is first Faith lieth hid in the heart and the first effect whereby it appeares is the abasing and humbling of our selues And here we are further to consider three points first wherein stands humiliation secondly the excellencie of it thirdly the Questions of conscience that concerne it Touching the first point Humiliation stands in the practise of three things The first is a sorrow of heart whereby the sinner is displeased with himself ashamed in respect of his sinnes The second is a confession to god wherin also three things are to be done first to acknowledge all our maine sinnes originall and actuall secondly to acknowledge our guiltinesse before God thirdly to acknowledge our iust damnation for sinne The third thing in Humiliation is supplication made to God for mercie as earnestly as in a matter of life and death and of these three things we haue in Scripture the examples of Ezra Daniel and the prodigall sonne Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Luk. 15. 18. The second point is the excellencie of Humiliation which stands in this that it hath the promises of life eternall annexed to it Esa. 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. A contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes By all these and many other places it is manifest that in the very instant when a sinner beginnes truly in heart and conscience to humble himselfe he is then entred into the state of saluation So soone as Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan pronounceth in the name of the Lord that his sinnes were put away And Dauid himselfe saith alluding to the former place I said I will confesse my sinne and loc thou forgauest the wickednes of my sinne When the Prodigall sonne had but said I will goe to my father c. euen then before he humbled himselfe his father meetes him and receiues him The third point is touching the Questions of conscience concerning Humiliation all which may be reduced to foure principall Cases I. Case What if it fall out that a man in humbling himselfe cannot call to minde either all or the most of his sinnes I answer A particular humiliation indeed is required for maine and knowne sinnes but yet there are two cases wherein generall repentance will be accepted of God for vnknowne sinnes One is when a man hath searched himselfe diligently and by a serious examination passed through all the commaundements of God and yet after such examination and search made his particular offences are yet hidden and not reuealed vnto him so as he cannot call them to remembrance then the generall repentance is accepted For this is answerable to the practise of Dauid who after long search when he could not attaine to the knowledge of his particular slippes then he addresseth himselfe to a generall humiliation saying Who knoweth the errours of this life clense me Lord from my secret faults and vpon this he was no doubt accepted Againe when a man humbleth himselfe and yet is preuented by the time so as he cannot search his heart and life as he would his generall repentance will be taken and accepted of God The truth hereof appeares in the theefe vpon the crosse who hauing no time to search himselfe made no speciall humiliation yet vpon his generall confession he was accepted Now the ground of this doctrine is this He that truly repents of one sinne in this case when he is preuented is as if he repented of all II. Case What must a man doe that findes himselfe hard hearted and of a dead spirit so as he cannot humble himselfe as he would Answ. Such persons if they humble themselues they must be content with that grace which they haue receiued For if thou be truly and vnfainedly grieued for this that thou canst not be grieued thy humiliation shall be accepted For that which Paul saith of almes may be truly said in this case that if there be a readie minde a man shall be accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not III. Case Whether the party that is more grieued for losse of his friend then for offēce of God by his sinne doeth or can truly humble himselfe Answ. A man may haue a greater griefe for an earthly losse then for the other and yet be truly greiued for his sinnes too The reason is because that is a bodily naturall and sensible losse and accordingly sorrow for it is naturall Now the sorrow for the offending of God is no sensible thing but supernaturall and spirituall and sensible things doe more affect urge the minde then the other Dauid did notably humble himselfe for his sinnes and he did exceedingly mourne for the losse of his sonne Absolom yea and more too then for his sinnes Would God I had died for thee Absolom O Absolom my sonne my sonne c. Againe I answer that the sorrow of the minde must be measured by the intention of the affection by the estimation of the thing for which we sorrow Now sorrow for sinne though it be lesse in respect of the intention thereof yet is it greater in respect of the estimation of the mind because they which truly mourn for their sins grieue for the offence of God as the greatest euill of all and for the losse of the fauour of God as for losse of the most excellent pretious thing in the world IV. Case Whether it be necessarie in Humiliation that the heart should be smitten with a sensible sorrow Answer I. In sorrow for sinne ther are two things first to be displeased for our sinns secondly to haue a bodily moouing of the heart which causeth crying and teares The former of these is necessarie
namely in heart to be deepely displeased with our selues the latter is not simply necessary though it be commendable in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth for Lydia had the first but not the second II. It falleth out oftētimes that the greatnes of the grief taketh away the sensible paine and causeth a mummednesse of the heart so that the partie grieueth not III. Sometimes the complexion will not affoard teares and in such there may be true humiliation though with dric cheekes Sect. 3. The Secōd thing to be done for the attaining of Gods fauour and confequently of saluatiō is to Beleeue in Christ. In the practise of a Christian life the duties of humiliation faith cannot be seuered yet for doctrines sake I distinguish them In Faith ther are two things required and to be performed on our behalfe First to know the points of religion and namely the summe of the Gospel especially the promise of righteousnes and life eternall by Christ. Secondly to apprehend and applie the promise and withall the thing promised which is Christ vnto our selues and this is done when a man vpon the commandemēt of God sets down this with himselfe that Christ and his merits belong vnto him in particular and that Christ is his wisdome iustification sanctification and redemption This doctrine is plaine out of the sixt of Iohn for Christ is there propounded vnto vs as the bread and the water of life Therefore faith must not be idle in the braine but it must take Christ and applie him vnto the soule and conscience euen as meate is eaten The Questions of Conscience touching Faith are these First how we may truly applie Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues For wicked men applie Christ vnto themselues falsely in presumption but fewe doe it truly as they ought to doe I answer That this may be done we must remember to doe two things First lay downe a foundation of this action and then practise vpon it Our foundation must be laid in the word or else we shall faile in our application and it consists of two principles The one is As God giues a promise of life eternall by Christ so he giues commandement that euery one in particular should applie the promise to himselfe The next is that the Ministerie of the word is an ordinarie meanes wherein God doth offer and applie Christ with all his benefits to the hearers as if he called them by their names Peter Iohn Cornelius Beleeue in Christ and thou shalt be saued When we haue rightly considered of our foundation the Second thing is to practise vpon it and that is to giue our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance which stand in meditation of the Word and prayer for mercie and pardon and when this is done then God giues the sense and increase of his grace When Lydia was hearing the Sermon of Paul then God opened her heart Act. 16. v. 12. Secondly it is demaunded When faith beginnes to breede in the heart and when a man beginnes to beleeue in Christ Answ. When he beginnes to be touched in conscience for his owne sinnes and withall hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnes then beginneth faith The reason is plaine As faith is renewed so it is begunne but it is renewed when a man is touched in conscience for his sinnes and beginnes a new to hunger after Christ therefore when these things first shew themselues then faith first beginnes For these were the things that were in Dauid when he renewed his repentance Sect. 4. The third dutie necessarie to saluation is Repentance In which two things are to be considered the beginning namely a godly Sorrow which is the beginning of Repentance 2. Corinth 7. and vpon this sorrow a Change which is indeede Repentance it selfe In Sorrow we consider first the nature of it secondly the properties of it Touching the nature of sorrow it is either inward or outward The inward sorrow is when a man is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes The outward when the heart declares the griefe thereof by teares or such like signes And sorrow in this case called a godly sorrow is more to be esteemed by the first of these then by the second The propertie of this sorrow is to make vs to be displeased with our selues for our sinnes directly because they are sinnes and doe displease God If there were no iudge no hel nor death yet we must be grieued because we haue offended so mercifull a God and louing father And as godly sorrow will make vs thus to doe so is it the next cause of repentance and by this is repentance discerned The next thing in Repentāce is the Change of the minde and whole man in affection life and conuersation And this standeth in a constant purpose of the minde and resolution of the heart not to sinne but in euery thing to doe the will of God Hereupon Paul exhorteth them to whome he wrote to continue in the loue of God and in the obedience of his word Barnabas when he came to Antioch and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they should cleaue vnto God or continue with the Lord. So the Prophet Ezckiel saith if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die In this purpose stands the very nature of repentance and it must be ioyned with humiliation and faith as a third thing auaileable to saluation and not to be seuered from them For a man in shewe may haue many good things as for example he may be humbled and seeme to haue some strength of faith yet if there be in the saide man a want of this purpose and resolution not to sinne the other are but dead things and vnprofitable and for all them he may come to eternall destruction Furthermore we must distinguish this kinde of purpose from the minde and purpose of carnall men theeues drunkards harlots vsurers for they will confesse their sinnes and be sorie for them yea and shed some teares wishing they had neuer sinned as they haue In these men indeed there is a wishing will for the time but no setled purpose And it is a propertie of nature to auoid euill but to haue a constant resolution of not sinning is a gift of grace and for this it is that we must labour otherwise our repentance is no true and sound repentance Sect. 5. The fourth and last dutie is to performe New obedience vnto God in our life and conuersation In this new obedience three things are required First it must be a fruit of the spirit of Christ in vs for when we doe any good thing it is Christ that doth it in vs. To this purpose Dauid praies vnto God Psal. 143. 10. Let thy good Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousnes And
Paul exhorts the Galatians to walke in the Spirit and then marke what followes and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. Secondly this new obedience must be the keeping of euery commandement of God for as S. Iames saith He that breakes one commandement is guiltie of all that is he that doth willingly and wittingly breake any commandement and makes not conscience of some one maketh not conscience of any and before God he is as guiltie of all as if he had broken all Thirdly in new obedience the whole man must endeauour to keepe the whole law in his minde will affections and all the faculties of soule and bodie As it is said of Iosiah that he turned to God according to all the lawes of Moses with all his heart This last point added to the rest is the very forme and life of new obedience from hence it followes First that therepentant person must not liue in the practise of any outward sinne Secondly that there must be in him an inward resisting and restraining of the corruption of nature and of the heart that he may truly obey God by the grace of the spirit of God The heart of Ioseph was readie prest to resist the euill request of Potiphars wife And Dauid staid his affectioÌ„ from reuenging himselfe vpon Shemei when he cursed him Thirdly that he ought to stirre vp and exercise the inward man by all spiritual motions of Faith Ioy Loue Hope and the praise of God Now touching this point there are 2. principal Questions propouÌ„ded First How may a man frame his life to liue in New-bedience Ans. Though all the bookes of the old and new Testament are direction sufficient for a good life yet a more speciall answer may be made out of the same plainly and briefly That there are three maine grounds or rules of New Obedience The first is laid downe by our Sauiour Christ Luk. 9. 23. If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me The meaning is this Euery one that will become a scholer in the schoole of Christ and learn obedience vnto God must deny himselfe that is he must in the first place exalt and magnifie the grace of God and become nothing in himselfe renouncing his owne reason will affections and subiecting them to the wisdome will of God in all things yea esteeming al things in the earth euen those that are dearest vnto him as drosse and dung in regard of the kingdome of Christ. Againe he must take vp his Crosse that is he ought alwaies to make a forehand reckoning euen of priuate crosses and particular afflictions and when they come to beare them with chearefulnesse This done he must follow Christ by practising the vertues of meekenes patience loue and obedience and by beeing conformable to his death in crucifying the bodie of sinne in himselfe The second rule is propounded by Paul Act. 24. 14. To beleeue all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and that is to hold and embrace the same faith which was embraced by the Saints and seruants of God in auncient times and which was written by Moses and the Prophets Againe in all reuerence to subiect himselfe to the true manner of worshipping and seruing God reuealed in his word and not to depart from the same doctrine and worship either to the right hand or to the left The third and last rule is to haue and to keepe faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. Now faith is preserued by knowledge of the doctrine of the Law and the Gospel by yeelding assent vnto the same doctrine beleeuing it to be true and by a particular application of it vnto a mans selfe specially of the promise of righteousnesse and life euerlasting in and by Christ. Againe that a man may keepe a good conscience he must doe three things First in the course of his life he must practise the duties of the generall Calling in the particular so as though they be two distinct in nature yet they may be both one in vse and practise Secondly in all euents that come to passe euermore in patience and silence he must submit himselfe to the good will and pleasure of God Thus it is saide of Aaron that when God had destroied his sonnes for offering vp strange fire before him he held his peace Levit. 10. 3. And Dauid shewes that it was his practise when beeing afflicted he saith I was as dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it Psal. 39. 9. Thirdly if at any time he falleth either through infirmitie the malice of Satan or the violence of some temptation he must humble himselfe before God labour to breake off his sinne and recouer himselfe by repentance And these three be the principall and maine grounds of New-obedience The Second Question Considering that all good works are the fruits of a regenerate person and are contained vnder New-obedience How may a man doe a good worke that may be accepted of God and please him For resolution whereof it is to be carefully remembred that to the doing of a good worke sundrie things are required Whereof some in nature doe goe before the worke to be done some doe accompanie the doing thereof and some againe doe follow the worke beeing required to be done when the worke is done Before the worke there must goe Reconciliation whereby the person is reconciled vnto God in Christ and made acceptable to him For it is a cleare case that no worke of man caÌ„ be accepted of God vnles the person of the worker be approoued of him And the workes of men of what dignitie soeuer are not to be esteemed by the shewe and outward appearance of them but by the minde and condition of the doer Againe before we doe any good worke we must by praier lift vp our hearts vnto God and desire him to inable vs by his spirit to doe it and to guide vs by the same in the action which we are about to doe This did the Prophet Dauid oftentimes as we may read in the Psalmes but especially in Psal. 143. 10. when he saith Teach me to doe thy will O God for thou art my God let thy good spirit lâ—â—d me vnto the land of righteousnes And oftentimes in the 119. Psalme Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes vers 33. Giue me vnderstanding 34. Direct me in the path of thy commandements 35. Againe Teach me iudgement and knowledge 66. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes 80. Stablish me according to thy promise 116. Direct my steppes in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me 133. In the doing of the worke we are to consider two things the matter and the manner or forme of doing it For the matter it must be a worke commanded in the word of God either expressely or generally For it is Gods reuealed will that giues the
of Gods loue vnto vs is our loue of God For those whom God loueth in Christ to them he giues his grace to loue him againe And this louing of him againe is an euident token of that loue wherewith he loueth them So saith the Apostle We loue him beâ—ause he loued vs first 4. 19. If it be demaunded howe a man may be assured that he loueth God the answer is hee may knowe it by two things First by his conformitie to him in holines The child that loues his father will be willing to tread in the steps of his father and so in like manner he that loueth God will indeauour euen as hee is so to be in this world 4. 17. But howe is that not in equalitie and perfection but in similitude and conformitie striuing to be holy as he is holy and indeauouring to doe his will in all things Secondly by the weaning of his affection from the things of this world yea from all pleasures and delights of this present life so farre forth as they are seuered from the feare and loue of God Loue not this world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. Sect. 4. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an offence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be changed because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we know not so much of our selues Therefore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of al and euery sin in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Wherby he signifieth that those that can cal vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themseles they are the Lords Sect. 5. A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts First an exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him both it and all other things are vnchangeable but to ourselues in our owne hearts consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doeing the things before named in the 5. 6 and 7. verses and that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall Lawe there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall Law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God wherby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meat drinke attire By Patience is ment a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is an other vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue whereby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehersal of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation CHAP. VII Of the third maine Question touching distresse of minde and generally of all distresses and their remedies III. Question How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releeued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set downe that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand Sect. 1. DIstresse of minde which Salomon calls a broken or troubled spirit is when a man is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single Feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspence and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call Despaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kind of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily follow and so inseparably accompanie each the other that no distresse of what kinde soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therefore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the
sudden to tempt him to despaire and to the making away of himselfe III. Thirdly the partie in distresse must be taught not to rest vpon his owne iudgement but alwaies to submit himselfe and be content to be aduised by others that are men of wisdome iudgement and discretion A thing to be obserued the rather because the very neglect thereof hath caused sundrie persons to remaine vncomforted for many yeares IV. Fourthly the partie distressed must neuer heare tell of any fearefull accidents or of any that haue bin in like or worse case then himselfe is For vpon the very report the distressed conscience will fasten the accident vpon it selfe and thereby commonly will be drawne to deeper griefe or despaire The mind afflicted is prone to imagine searefull things and sometime the very bare naming of the Deuill will strike terrour and feare into it V. Fiftly the partie that is to comfort must beare with all the wants of the distressed as with their frowardnes peeuishnes rashnes and with their distempered and disordered affections and actions yea he must put vpon him as it were their persons beeing affected with their miserie and touched with compassion of their sorrowes as if they were his owne grieuing when he seeth them to grieue weeping when they doe weepe and lament VI. Sixtly he that is the comforter must not be discouraged though after long labour and paines taking there follow small comfort and ease to the partie distressed For men wil often bewray their stiffenes in temptation and vsually it is long before comfort can be receiued and why surely because God hath the greatest stroke in these distresses of minde and brings men thorough all the temptations that he hath appointed euen to the last and vtmost before he opens the heart to receiue comfort The Church in the Canticles seekes for her beloued but before shee can finde him shee goes about in the citie through the streetes and by open places passing by the Watchmen themselues and after shee hath vsed all meanes without helpe or hope at length and not before shee findes her beloued him in whom'◠her soule delighteth Thus much for the generall Remedie of all Distresses now I come to the particular Distresses themselues CHAP. VIII Of the first Speciall Distresse arising of a divine temptation THE first distresse ariseth of a divine Temptation which is a combate with God himselfe immediatly And this distresse is when the conscience speakes some feareful things of God and withall the partie distressed feeles some euident tokens of Gods wrath Sect. 1. Examples hereof we shall finde many in the word of God One is the example of righteous Iob who hauing beene long in outward afflictions was withall exercised with the apprehension of the anger of God and in that state he saith that the arrowes of the Almightie were in him that the venime thereof did drinke vp his spirit that the terrours of God did fight against him Yea further he addeth that God was his enemie and writ bitter things against him and made him to possesse the sinnes of his youth And at an other time he complaineth that Gods wrath had torne him that he hated him gnashed vpon him with his teeth and had sharpened his eyes against him yea that he had taken him by the necke and beaten him and set him as a marke for himselfe In all which and diuers other places it appeares that his conscience was exercised with the sense of the wrath of God which had now euen seazed vpon his soule Another example we haue in Dauid who also was exercised with this temptation and trouble of minde as the first words of the 6. Psalme and the whole tenour thereof doe euidently shew For first he desires the Lord not to rebuke him in his wrath and afterward complaineth that his griefe was so great that his very flesh consumed his bones were vexed and his bodie brought to such a state as no sicknesse could haue brought him vnto And it is not vnlike that the same Prophet did often fall into the like kind of distresse of minde as may be gathered out of Psalme 77. and sundrie other places Now as it fared with these and diuers other seruants of God in ancient times so are we not without some instances thereof in our daies Amongst many that worthie man Master Luther writes of himselfe that he was in this particular temptation and that he learned in it the doctrine of the Iustification of a sinner by the meere mercie of God without any merit of workes and vpon the sense and experience of the nature and properties of this distresse he wrote a notable exposition of the 6. Psalme of Dauid the scope and intent whereof he writeth to be nothing els but a soueraigne remedie of this and the like distresses of the minde and conscience Sect. 2. If it be demaunded what is the Occasion of this kind of temptation I answer that it ariseth sometimes vpon the commission of some notorious sinne which doth wound the conscience as in Cain Iudas and Saul who for their great and capitall sinnes that stinged and wounded their consciences grew to a fearefull state and consequently perished in this temptation Sometimes againe it comes when there is no sinne committed but obedience to God performed and then there cannot be rendered any reason of it either in man or out of man saue this that God will haue it so to be And the truth hereof is plaine by the examples of Iob and Dauid before mentioned Sect. 3. The Effects of this Temptation are many and very strange For outwardly it workes a change and alteration in the body as it were a burning ague and it causeth the entralls to rise the liuer to rowle in the bodie and it sets a great heat in the bones and consumes the flesh more then any sicknes can doe And that it is so as I say beside experience it is cleare in the word of God Dauid in this distresse affirmeth that his eyes were eaten as it were with wormes and sunke into his head Psal. 6. 7. that his moisture became as the drought in sommer Psal. 32. 4. and Iob saies that his skin was blacke vpon him his bones were burnt with heat yea that by meanes of this distresse he was now full of wrinkles and his leanenes did rise vpon him It is a principle which Physitians doe hold that The minde followes the temperature of the bodie and is affected according to the good or euill constitution thereof which though it be true yet withall it is as manifest on the other side that the bodie doth often follow the state and condition of the minde For a distressed heart must of necessitie make a fainting and a languishing bodie Sect. 4. But the principall thing to be sought for in this temptation is the Remediē thereof whereunto there be fiue things required which are to be practised as occasion shall be
offered First choise must be made of the most fitte and present remedie and that must be vsed in the first place Now the most fit and present remedie is to bring the partie troubled to the personall exercises of faith and repentance by and in himselfe For this ende he must examine his conscience most straightly and narrowly of all the sinnes of his heart and life Secondly he must humbly confesse against himselfe all his knowne sinnes and withall acknowledge the due condemnation that he thereby hath deserued Thirdly he must crie to heauen for mercie intreating the Lord most instantly for pardon and for the restraint of his wrath due vnto him for his sinne Dauid beeing in this distresse performed all these duties as we may read in the 6. Psalme and he saith further of himselfe that whilst he concealed his sinnes the hand of God was heauie vpon him but vpon his earnest confession and deprecation he receiued mercie And if we read the booke of Iob we shall finde that the principall scope thereof is this namely to shew vnto vs that Iob was throughly exercised with this temptation and that in the ende hauing beene rebuked both by his friends and by God himselfe his recouerie was made by humbling himselfe when he saith Behold I am vile againe now I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Some may here demand If it fall out that the person himselfe cannot performe any good dutie of himselfe by reason of his distraction in soule and bodie what must then be done Ans. If the partie can but sigh and sobbe vnto God for mercie and comfort it is no doubt a worke of Gods spirit and a practise both of faith and repentance We know not saith Saint Paul what to pray as we ought namely in our distresses but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and therein lies our comfort Thus Moses at the redde sea beeing in great distresse and not knowing what to say or doe sighed and groned inwardly in his soule vnto the Lord for helpe and protection and his very desire was in stead of a loud crie in the eares of the Lord. The second thing is that triall must be made whether the partie hath in him any tokens of grace or not These tokens are the small beginnings of grace which before I haue declared As for example a griefe because we cannot grieue for sinne as we should a serious will and desire to beleeue and repent a purpose to sin no more and such like If these be found in the partie then by them as by sure pledges he may bee assured of the fauour of God towards him and where any of these be found the saying of God to Saint Paul must be vrged My grace is sufficient for thee and therewith must the distressed partie stay his minde Yea we are to be content with any condition in this life be it neuer so miserable so long as we are in the fauour of God though he should lay vpon vs euen the paines of hell till the time of our death So did Dauid who when he was pursued by his owne sonne vttered these words vnto God Behold if I please thee not do with me what thou wilt And the like was the mind of Paul who being assured of the fauour of God was content for his glorie the saluation of the Israelits if it had beene possible to be separated 〈◊〉 Christ and to indure the very pangs of hell The third thing in this cure is to Applie to the said distressed partie such promises of God made vnto afflicted persons as are most large and comfortable For example that The Lord is neere to them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Psal. 34. 18. Againe I came not saith our Sauiour Christ but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Matth. 15. 24. He saies not to the straying sheepe but to such as are now in the pitte readie to be drowned or in the Lyons mouth readie to be deuoured Againe The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me therefore he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that is to such as are distressed in consciēce and poore in spirit he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues These many other such like promises are in this case to be vrged and the partie mooued to endeauour to beleeue them to hold to them and rest himselfe vpon them though he loose all things els Fourthly the partie must be brought to a serious consideration of his owne life past and of Gods mercifull dealing with him others in his case in former times and therwith is he to be comforted for the time present For if aforehand he hath receiued any tokens of the fauour and loue of God by them he is now to stay and to settle his minde The reason is plaine the gifts of god are without repentāce whom he loueth once he loueth to the ende whom he chooseth he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth and will also in time glorifie Dauid beeing in such affliction that he could hardly thinke vpon God yet he tooke this course praied to the Lord for comfort communed with his owne heart and called to remembrance how God had formerly dealt with him and with this meditation of the continuall course of Gods mercie in his preseruation he confirmed his faith and staied his heart in his greatest troubles Sect. 5. The fifth and last thing to be done is the remooueall of such reasons and doubts as the partie distressed vsually makes against himselfe for his owne ouerthrow For it is the manner of those that are troubled in minde to dispute against themselues and commōly they are woont to alleadge three things First beeing instructed how to humble themselues and to depend on Gods mercie they will graunt that all these indeede are good things but they belong not to them for they neither do nor can feele any thing but the tokens of Gods anger and that they are alreadie entred into some degrees of condemnation This obiection may be taken away by informing them of the manner of Gods dealing in all his workes For commonly he workes all things in his creatures in and by cōtraries if we could know the whole frame of them Thus in the Creation euery creature had his beeing of that which had no beeing and something was made not of something but of nothing After the flood the signe of Gods coueuant for the preseruation of the world from destruction by raine is the Rainbow which indeed is a naturall signe of raine When Elias was to prooue the Lord to be the onely true God against the Idolatrous priests of Baal and that by burnt offerings he powred water vpon the sacrifice fills a trench with water round about and in this contrarie
means was the sacrifice burnt vp Christ for the curing of a blind man teÌ„pers spittle and clay together which in all reason is a fitter meanes to put out the eyes then to cause the blind to see Thus in the worke of our Redemption Christ giues life not by life but by death and he sendes men to heauen by the gates and suburbs of hell he shewes his greatest power in the greatest weaknes nay his power is made perfect through weakenes He will not build vpon an old foundation but he pulls downe and destroies all that Man may haue no hope at all in himselfe but that all the hope he hath may be in God First he kils and then he makes aliue as Anna speaketh first he woundeth and then he healeth He makes man to sowe in teares that afterward he may reape in ioy And he that knowes Gods dealing to be this must herewith rest content and satisfied because in wrath God vseth to remember his mercy yea his mercie is neuer sweete vnto the palate of the soule vntill it be seasoned with some tast of his wrath The Paschall Lambe was eaten with sowre hearbs to signifie that we can feele no sweetenes in the blood of Christ till wee first feele the smart of our owne sinnes and corruptions Secondly these persons vse to alleadge against themselues that if they could feele any comfort at al then they would stay their minds and yeild to good perswasions and exhortations To this the answer is That there is a Rule of grace which we must follow gathered out of the word of God and the experience of Gods Children contrarie to the rule of nature and aboue the light of reason and it is this that in case of aâ—â—liction we must not liue by feeling but by faith This Rule is grounded vpon the speech of the Lord by the Prophet the iust maÌ„ shall liue by his faith When we haue neither sight nor sense nor any tast of Gods mercie but onely apprehend his wrath euen then we must labour to lay hold of mercie in his word and promise Sense feeling are not alwaies fit directioÌ„s for the time of this life For he may be the deare child of God that in present feeleth nothing but his wrath and indignation This indeede is the true triail of our faith when euen aboue and against reason we relie on the mercie of God in the apprehension of his anger So did Dauid Out of the deepe saith he that is beeing nowe deepely plunged into the pangs of a distressed conscience haue I called vpoÌ„ thee O Lord and Iob in the like case Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Abraham is commended by the holy Ghost amongst other things for this that he beleeued in God aboue hope that is against all matter of hope that might possibly be conceiued vpon the consideration of the strength of natural causes The thiefe vpon the crosse feeling nothing but woe and seeing nothing in Christ but misery and contempt yet he beleeued in Christ and was saued In a word Christ himselfe when he was sorsaken of all men and voide of all wordly comfort and felt nothing but the depth of the wrath God in his agony and passion yet by the faith of his manhood hestaied himselfe and said My God my God Thirdly they vse to plead that their case is desperate that neuer any was in such a state as they are neuer any touched with the like distresse of mind Answ. It is false For the holy Ghost hath penned three notable places of Scripture the booke of Iob and two Psalmes of Dauid wherein are propounded vnto vs the examples of Iob and Dauid Gods owne deare seruants who were in as great distresse as euer they or any other haue beene And they may not thinke that they euer could be able to indure greater paines then Christ who notwithstanding in the anguish of his soule vpon the Crosse cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And thus much touching the first kind of trouble of conscience called the diuine temptation CHAP. IX Of the second Speciall Distresse arisiâ—g from outward afflictions THe second kind of Distresse is that which ariseth from outward afflictions By Afflictions I vnderstand all manner of miseries and calamities in this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death Nowe the Question is howe the Trouble of minde arising by Afflictions may be remedied For the answer of which question two things are required of the partie distressed Practise and Meditation Sect. 1. The Practise is that which is to be vsed in all distresses of minde what soeuer And it is a diligent examination of the conscience in regard of sinne an earnest and heartie confession thereof vnto God and deprecation that is earnest praier vnto him for the pardon of the same These three things beeing done truly and vnfainedly from the heart are a present remedie against this trouble and bring with them much comfort Manasses the king of Iudah that had coÌ„mitted much wickednesse when he was carried captiue to Babel and there put in chaines he humbled himselfe acknowledged his sinnes and praied earnestly vnto the Lord and the issue was good for God was intreated of him and gaue him deliuerance Iob beeing long in outward affliction humbled himselfe in like manner and at length receiued comfort Daniel humbled himselfe before God for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of Gods people making request vnto God earnestly for them and euen when he was in the acte of praying the Lord sent his angel Gabriel to giue him notice of deliuerance Lastly the Church of God vnder the crosse performed the like dutie Let vs search and trie our waies and turne to the Lord and God in mercie gaue an eare vnto her mourning and lamentation By all these places it is apparent that there is no better remedie in the world for the minde of man grieued by meanes of outward afflictions then the practise of the duties before named Sect. 2. The next thing vnto Practise is the Meditation of the comfortable doctrines that are set downe in the word of God touching afflictions All which doctrines may be reduced to fiue principall and maine grounds of comfort and shall be laid downe in their order The first Ground is that All afflictions from the least to the greatest doe come to passe not by accident chaunce or fortune but by the speciall prouidence of God I explaine it thus In euery particular crosse and affliction there is the hand of Gods particular prouidence and that in three regards First because God decreeth and foreappointeth euery particular crosse Marke the words of Paul Whome God hath foreknowne them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto the image of his sâ—â—ne and what is this image nothing else but a conformitie vnto Christ in
they were olde To adde no more examples by these we see the Lords dealing euen with holy men and women his owne deare seruants that he doth not alwaies grant their requests nor condescend to their desires at the first but as it were holds them off and suspends his grace and fauour for a time And therefore if it shall please him thus to deale with any of vs we must from these examples be taught to possesse our soules with patience resting contented in his will and waiting on his good pleasure to the ende To conclude this point Suppose that the condition of Gods seruants be such as that they finde no ende of their afflictions but that they doe continue euen vnto death what shall they doe in this case Ans. Besides that which hath beene said before for the resolution of this Question I answer further that first they must still euen vnto death liue by faith and say with holy Iob Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Secondly they must stay and releeue their soules in the meane time with these and such like meditations I. That it is the will and pleasure of God that we should through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. Now it is the propertie of a true child of God to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure euen when he is afflicted Prov. 3. 11. My sonne be not grieued at my correction that is let it not be tedious vnto thee be content to beare it Our dutie therefore is meekely to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God as the child doth vnto the correction of his father II. That though afflictions be long and tedious yet God will at length giue a ioyfull and comfortable issue For so himselfe hath promised Math. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Psal. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord wil deliuer him out of them all Psal. 37. 73. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the ende of that man is peace III. Afflictions be they neuer so heauie in regard of continuance yet they are in no sort comparable to those eternall ioyes that God hath prepared for them that loue him This was Pauls meditation who indured the crosse euen to his dying day Our light affliction saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternall waight of glorie And else where he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Rom. 8. 18. Saint Peter tells them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioyce though now for a season they were in heauines through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the Author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God withholdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot separate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde arising of outward afflictions Sect. 3. The Second particular distres is bodily and temporarie Death which consisteth in the separation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helps in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may applie my heart vnto wisdome In which places is remembred a notable dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and before-hand number his daies This is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must endeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to know in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time will come when we all must encounter with this strong powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power and might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these means are the duties of humiliation inuocation and true repentance We must therefore humble our selues before God be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweet certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our mindes may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of new obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequently euen in death to prèuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen before-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happines in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to
spirit He also that praies for the same to God the Holy Ghost must pray that he would assure vnto him the remission of his sinnes from the father by and for the merit of the Sonne CHAP. V. Of the second part of Religion touching the worship of God and first of the inward worship II. Question How God is to be worshipped and serued FOr the full answer hereof we must remember that the worship of God is twofold inward or outward Inward is the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections for man by all these ioyntly and seuerally performeth worship and seruice to his creator The outward is that worshippe whereby the inward is testified outwardly in the speach and actions The former of these two is the spirituall worship of the inward man and the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God for God is a spirit and therfore must be worshipped in spirit that is in the the minde conscience will and affections Indeede all the worshippe of God is spirituall euen that which we call outward yet not of it selfe but by vertue of the inward from which it proceedeth Sect. 1. The heades of Inward worship are two Adoration of God and cleaving to God For as they are two different actions of the heart so they may fitly be termed two distinct parts of Gods worship This distinction is in some part propounded by Moses where he exhorteth the Israelites to feare Iehovah their God to adore him to cleaue vnto him and to swear by his name Adoration is that part of Gods worship whereby a man vpon a vile and base estimation of himselfe as beeing but dust and ashes submits subiects his soule to the glorie and Maiestie of God This hath two principal groundes in the heart which if they be wanting there can be no true worship of God The first is Abnegation or deniall of our selues when we esteem our selues to be meerely nothing The second is exaltation or Advancemēt of Gods maiesty aboue all the things in the world Exāples of these we haue many in the scriptures as of Abraham who called God his Lord and himselfe dust and ashes of the Angels whome in a vision the Prophet sawe standing before God with one wing couering their feete which signified the abasing of themselues and with another couering their faces which betokened their adoration of the maiestie of God Of Daniel when he confesseth To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes it selfe but to vs shame and confusion of face Lastly of the woman of Canaan who calls Christ Lord and her selfe a dogge Now in Adoration there are foure Vertues Feare Obedience Patience Thankefulnesse Feare is a great part of the worship of God which I prooue by two places laid together Esa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8 9. wherein Feare and Worship are taken for one and the same thing for that which Esay calls Feare Matthew calls Worship Now in this feare there be two things that serue to distinguish it from all other feares First it is absolute for by it God is reuerenced absolutely Saint Paul exhorteth to yeelde tribute feare and honour to the Magistrate not for himselfe but for God whose minister he is And our Sauiour saith Feare ye not them which kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell As if he should say I allow and command you to feare men onely for God who hath set them ouer you but feare God for himselfe Secondly it makes a man first of all to feare the offence of God and then the punishment and iudgement For it is not a feare of the offence alone but of the offence and punishment together and of the offence in the first place Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Lord where is my feare And where it is saide in Matthew but rather feare him that is able to cast bodie and soule into hell fire there is commanded a feare of God in regard of his anger We feare the sword of man and that lawfully why then may we not feare the punishment of God If it be said this is a seruile feare to feare the punishment and agrees not to Gods children I answer slauish feare is when a man only fears the punishment not the offence of God or at least the punishment more then the offence The second vertue of Adoration is inward Obedience of the hidden man of the heart The Lord preferres this obedience before all sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. 22. This standeth in two things First in yeelding subiection of the Conscience to the commaundements threatnings and promises of God so as we are willing that it should become bound vnto them Secondly when the rest of the powers of the soule in their place and time performe obedience vnto God And by this meanes doe we bring into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 10. 5. The third vertue of Adoration is Patience which is when a man in his afflictions submitteth his will to the will of God and quieteth his heart therein because God sendeth afflictions This was Dauids counsell Be silent before the Lord and alwaies waite vpon his pleasure And his practise when in trouble he resigned himselfe into the hands of God and said Lord if I please thee not loe I am here doe with me as seemeth good in thine eyes This patience is a part of Gods worship because it is a kind of obedience The fourth vertue of Adoration is Thankfulnesse to God which shewes it selfe in two things First in an acknowledgement of the heart that our selues and whatsoeuer we haue is Gods and proceedeth from his blessing alone Secondly in a consecration of our bodies soules liues callings and labours to the honour and seruice of God Thus much of the first head of Inward worship or the first action of the heart standing in Adoration Sect. 2. The second Action of the heart in Inward worship or the second part thereof is Cleauing vnto God Now we cleaue vnto God by foure things by Faith Hope Loue and inward Inuocation By Faith I meane true iustifying faith whereby we rest vpon Gods mercie for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and life euerlasting and vpon his prouidence for the things of this life Thus Abraham beeing strengthened in this faith and relying by it vpon Gods promises made vnto him gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4. 20. This Sauing faith is the very roote and beginning of all true worship For Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law must come from it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The second is Hope which followes and dependes vpon faith and it is that grace of God whereby with patience we waite the Lords leisure for the performance of his promises especially touching redemption and life eternall If we hope saith Paul for that we haue not we
extraordinary man that is qualified with these two gifts may pray not onely against the cause of him that is an enemie to God but against his person Thus Dauid did especially in the 109. Psal. which Psalme is full of terrible curses against his particular enemies and typically against Iudas For he had the spirit of discerning by which he knewe that they were incurable enemies and a pure zeale of the glorie of God which made him breake out into such imprecations So Paul praies Gal. 5. 12. that they might be cut off which troubled the Church c. 2. Tim. 4. 14. he praies directly against the person of Alexander the coppersmith that had don him much wrong The Lord reward him according to his workes Which must not seeme strange for Paul had in that imprecation the Spirit of prophecie and consequently both the spirit of discerning and of pure zeale and therefore he might pray against him as he did But for Ordinarie men such as haue nothing but ordinarie gifts and want the spirit of discerning and haue also a zeale mingled with choler stomack anger and hatred they may vse no extraordinarie praier against the person of any man All that they may doe is to pray that God would restraine their malice hinder their badde practises and turne them to his glorie and the good of his Church Therefore Act. 4. 29. when there had beene a Councell holden at Ierusalem against the Apostles Peter and Iohn in the first beginning of the great persecution of Christians in the primitiue Church it is said that they departed from the assembly and praied together with the rest of the Church in this manner And now O Lord behold their threatnings c. Wherein they praied not against the Councell nor against the men that sate in counsell but against their proceedings courses deuises and threatnings And their practise may be a patterne for ordinary men to follow In Luk. 9. 54. the Disciples asking our Sauiour Christ whether they should call for fire from heauen to destroy his enemies he sharply reprooueth them for their intemperate heate against the Samaritans and tells them that they had not that extraordinarie Spirit to effect such a thing because they were but ordinarie men Ordinarie men therefore may not pray against the persons of Gods enemies The Pope at this day is a professed enemie to Christ and his Gospel yet no man may pray against the person of the Pope but onely against his state kingdome and regiment which is Antichristian whereby he sets himselfe against God and his kingdome Sect. 2. Vpon the answer to this question there followeth an other Sundrie Psalmes of Dauid are Psalmes of imprecation wherin Dauid curseth his enemies fearefully especially in the 109. Psalme now all these psalmes were penned for our vse It may therefore be demanded how we may vse these and such like when we read or sing them Ans. I. We must not vse them as Dauid did namely as praiers against the persons of our enemies but onely as prophecies against the enemies of God wherein the punishment of incurable men that were enemies to God and his truth is foretold For wee haue not as Dauid had an extraordinarie spirit or a pure zeale therefore we cannot pray as he did II. I answer whereas these Imprecations were directed against particular enemies we may vse them in some sort as praiers but how as generall praiers against all the incureable enemies of God not against any particulars among the Iewes Turkes or Papists As therfore as we may vse these Imprecations as praiers so we must vse them without any particular application to the persons of any particular men III. Question What be the particular Circumstances of Prayer Ans. There are chiefly foure I. The voice or speech II. The gesture III. The place where IV. The time when Sect. 1. Concerning the Voice this Question may be mooued Whether a Voice or words are â—o be vsed in prayer or no Ans. Prayer is either Pubâ—cke or Priuate In publike prayer a forme of wordes must alwaies be vsed in a knowne plaine and distinct voice The reasons are these First the Minister is the mouth of the whole Congregation in prayer as he is the mouth of God to the people in preaching Now as the Minister is their mouth to God in prayer so the people must giue their assent and approbation to his prayer by the word Amen But there can be no professed and publique assent without a voice Secondly God is the Creator not onely of the soule of man but also of his bodie and we blesse God not onely with the heart but also with the tongue therefore the whole man must pray in publicke Now in priuate prayer made in priuate and secret places by priuate persons the Voice is profitable but not simply necessarie It is profitable because it stirreth vp the affections of the heart it serueth also to keepe the wandering minde in compasse to expresse the affection and to procure attention of the heart to the prayer Yet it is not simply necessarie For a man is not bound in coâ—â—cience to vse a forme of wordes in all his prayers Moses prayed he spake neuer a word and yet it was a prayer for the Lord saies vnto him Exod. 12. 15. Why criest thou Anna praying in the Temple her lippes did mooue onely her voice was not heard and yet shee is said to pray 1. Sam. 1. 13. Againe the Spirit is said to pray in the Elect with groanes that cannot be vttered and yet the Holy Ghost giues them the name of prayers Rom. 8. Paul biddes vs pray continually which is not to be vnderstood of a continuall vse of a forme of words but of the groanes and sighes of the heart which may be made at all times Out of this Question ariseth another Whether it be lawfull when we pray to read a set Forme of prayer for some thinke that to doe so is a sinne Ans. It is no sinne but a man may lawfully and with good conscience doe it Reasons First the Psalmes of Dauid were deliuered to the Church to be vsed and read in a set forme of words and yet the most of them are praiers Secondly to conceiue a forme of praier requires gifts of memorie knowledge vtterance and the gifts of grace Now euery child and seruant of God though he haue an honest heart yet hath he not all these gifts and therefore in the want of them may lawfully vse a set forme of prayer as a man that hath a weake backe or a lame legge may leane vpon a crutch It is alleadged that set formes of praier doe limit and binde the Holy Ghost Ans. If we had a perfect measure of grace it were somewhat but the graces of God are weake and small in vs. This is no binding of the Holy Ghost but a helping of the spirit which is weake in vs by a crutch to leane vpon therefore a man may with good conscience
Of this Saint Paul speaks to the Corinths Iudge ye what I say 1. Cor. 10. 15. The second is the iudgement of the Prophet or minister And this is a surer kind of iudgement then the former proceeding from a greater measure of Gods grace The third is the iudgement of the Holy Ghost in scripture and this is soueraigne and absolute For the Holy Ghost iudgeth all and is iudged of none These three kinds of iudgment are set in this order The first depends vpon the second the second vpon the third and the third is absolute and iudged of none Vpon this caueat two things doe follow First that a priuate hearer though he may iudge of doctrine deliuered yet he may not censure the Teacher or his ministrie Ministers are to be iudged but their spirit is not subiect to euery priuate man but to the prophets For the spirit of the prophet that is the doctrine which the prophets bring beeing inspired by the Holy Ghost is subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14. 32. Secondly a priuate man is not to publish or broach any point of doctrine but that which is plainly propounded in the word and taught by the ministers thereof This is a necessarie rule and the want of obseruation thereof is the cause of many scismes and haeresies in the Church The Lord commands the people Mal. 2. 7. to require the law at the mouth of the priest in all maine points of faith and manners The second Rule to be obserued in hearing Euery hearer must haue care that the word of God be rooted and grounded in his heart like good feede in good ground which Saint Iames expresseth Iam. 1. 21. Receiue with meekenes the ingrafted word Here generally it is to be remembred that not onely ignorant people but euen the most learned ought to be hearers of the word preached For the preaching thereof serues not onely for the increasing of knowledge but also for the reformation of the affection which may be inordinate where knowledge doth abound Now for the rooting of the word of God in our hearts sundry things are required First a true right vnderstanding therof Secondly it must be mingled with faith Heb. 4. 1. For the word is as wine or water of life our faith is the sugar that sweetneth it and giues it a pleasant relish The word therfore must be tempered and mixed with our saith that it may become profitable vnto vs. Now in this mixture there is required a double faith the first generall whereby we beleeue the doctrine deliuered to be true so as we neuer call the same into question Our Gospell to you saith Paul was in much assurance 1. Thess. 1. 5. The second special whereby we apply the word preached vnto our selues for the humbling and comforting of our hearts Thirdly we must labour to be affected with the word Thus Iosiah his heart is said to melt at the reading of the law 2. Chro. 34. 27. And the people reioyced greatly because they vnderstood the word which the Leuites had taught them Neh. 8. 12. The hearts of the two disciples that went to Emmaus burned within them when Christ opened vnto them the scriptures Luc. 24. 32. And the Iewes at Peters sermon were pricked in their hearts and said Men and brethren what shall we doe Act. 2. 37. Fourthly the word of God must dwell plenteously in vs Coll. 3. 16. This is doth when it rules and beares the greatest sway in the heart and is not ouerruled by any corrupt affection III. The duties to be performed after hearing are these First the doctrine deliuered must be treasured vp in the heart and practised in life Psal. 119. 11. I haue hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Secondly a man must meditate on the word which he hath heard with lifting vp of his heart vnto God The beasts that were clouen footed and chewed the cudde were fittest both for meate vnto man and for sacrifice to God Levit. 11. It was the olde and auncient opinion of the Church that this chewing the cudde signified holy meditations And he that heares the word must doe as the beast doth fetch vp the meate out of his bellie againe and chewe it ouer a new The man that doth so is the fittest for the Lords vse Thirdly he must haue experience of the word of God in himselfe Psal. 34. 8. Tast and see how gracious the Lord is Fourthly he is to examine himselfe after he hath heard the word Thus Dauid saith of himselfe Psal. 119. 59. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies Fiftly he must be obedient vnto it and testifie his obediēce though not at all times yet whensoeuer occasion is offered Iam. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues II. Question touching hearers is How are they to be comforted who after long hearing of the word either profit very litle or not at all For resolution of this Question the Causes of not profiting are distinctly to be considered And they are of two sorts The first sort of Causes are the sinnes of the hearers And that sinnes are the causes of not profiting it will appeare by this signe if the memorie vnderstanding and other parts of the minde in common matters be strong and pregnant but dull and weake in apprehending and retaining the doctrine taught Now these sinnes are principally two First Hardnes of heart when a man is not inwardly mooued and affected with the word preached but remaines in the same state he was before This is set forth by the hard ground that is by the high way side and by the stonie ground Math. 13. 4 5. And such is the heart that is not mooued nor affected either with ioy sorrow feare or consolation The hardnes of heart ariseth from a custome in sinning and from that the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. 13. Secondly worldly Cares that is a heart possessed with desire of profits pleasures honours preferments and such like which be as thornes that choake the seede of the word and suffer it not to grow and fructifie yea that fill the heart full of wandering imaginations which steale away the mind from attending to the word preached Those that are thus hindred from profiting are rather to be reprooued then comforted for that the cause of their non-proficiencie is in from themselues They are therefore to vse all good meanes for the remooueall of their sinnes that of hard hearted and carnall they may become good and profitable hearers of the word The meanes are these First they must labour to be touched in heart with sense and feeling of their spirituall pouertie and want of Gods fauour and mercie in the pardon of their sinnes The reason is giuen of Dauid Psal. 25. 9. The Lord teacheth the humble his waies And by Marie in her song Luk. 1. 35. He hath filled the hungrie with good things and the rich he hath sent
emptie away The second meanes is to heare the word of God with an honest heart ioyned with a constant purpose of not sinning The third to be as carefull to bring good affections as a good vnderstanding For affections are the feete that carrie the heart and Salomon biddes vs to take heede to our feete when we enter into the house of God Eccl. 4. 17. They are the very key of knowledge and memory and therefore Dauid saies The secret of the Lord is reuealed to those that feare him and his couenant is to giue them vnderstanding Psal. 25. 14. And that which he saith of Feare may be said also of other good affections The second sort of Causes are ordinary and vsuall defects of naturall gifts as of capacity or conceipt of memory and vnderstanding For all men haue not the like gifts of nature and therfore all men cannot reape benefit by the word preached These wants may be discerned thus If the mind and memory be weake or wanting as well in common wordly matters as in diuine things that belong to gods kingdome And to this kinde of men which are thus troubled for not profiting there belongeth comfort Yet not simply but vpon these conditions First if they know the principall grounds of religion Secondly if they haue care to profit and increase in knowledge Thirdly if they liue according to the measure of their knowledge in obedience to Gods will These beeing obserued such parties are to comfort themselues in this that God in mercy will accept of their indeauour forgiue their ignorance and beare with their infirmities This is to be seene in the example of Peter whose faith was highly commended by Christ when he said the gates of hell should not preuaile against it Matt. 16. 16. And yet at that very time Peter was ignorant of many maine pointes of Religion as of the death resurrection and ascension of Christ. And in his person the other discisples are commended also for their faith because they held Christ to be the Messias and Sauiour of the world though they were ignorant of the manner of his redemption thinking he should haue beene an earthly king Act. 1. Againe the want of knowledge in such as haue naturall defects may be supplied by good affection if they be not wanting in an honest heart and carefull indeauour of godly life Thus the Church of the Iewes in the old Testament did farre exceede the Church of the new in good affection though it came farre short of it in knowledge and apprehension CHAP. VIII Of the Sacraments in generall the reeeiuing and vse of them IN the next place follow the Questions of conscience touching the third part of Gods Outward worship namely the Sacraments and these concerne either the administration or the receiuing of them The Administration I will here let passe and handle those Questions onely that concerne the receiuing and vse thereof both in generall and in particular Touching the receiuing of the Sacraments in generall there is one onely Question Whether the Sacraments ministred by Heretickes Idolatours and vnsufficient ministers be Sacraments or no For answere hereunto we are to knowe there be three sorts of men that may administer the Sacraments Some are true lawfull ministers lawfully called by God men to that function keeping the right forme of the Sacrament according to the institution Some againe are more priuate persons that haue no authoritie at all to administer whome we may oppose to the former sort as contrary to them in this action Others againe be admitted to stand in the roome of lawfull ministers by the acceptation consent of men or by custome though corrupt and these are in a meane betweene the two former sorts Of the first there is no question But the Sacramēt administred by the second is in truth a meere nullitie because they haue no calling thereto neither can they doe it of faith forasmuch as they haue neither precept nor exāple out of the word of God Now for the third sort though they be not indeede lawfull pastors yet beeing in the place of such by the consent allowance and custome of men though corrupt their action is of force and the Sacrament which is administred by them is in deede a true Sacrament which I prooue by these Reasons First the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments are all one in substance For in the one the will of God is seene in the other heard Now the word preached by Heretikes is the true word of God and may haue his effect The Scribes and Pharises great Doctors of the Iewes were not all of the Tribe of Levi but descended frō other Tribes Againe euen the principall of them liued by extortion and bribery and were wicked men yea Heretikes and Apostataes deposed excommunicated persons And yet because they occupied the places of good teachers and sate in the chaire of Moses that is read the doctrine of Moses Law Christ bids his disciples to heare them Matt. 23. 3. Prouided only that they tooke heed of the leauen of their false doctrine and wicked life Now if the word taught by their ministery was powerfull why may not the Sacraments ministred by the Heretiques standing in the roome of true ministers be true Sacraments In the daies of Paul Phillip 1. 15. Some preached Christ through enuy and strife and some of good wil what was the Apostles iudgement in this case Himselfe answereth v. 18. What then yet Christ is preached all manner of wayes whether it be vnder a pretence or sinceerely and I therein ioy yea and will ioy Secondly this point is plaine by examples The Leviticall priests vnder the Lawe were Heretickes and taught after a sort the breach of the morall law Yea they held iustification by workes Rom. 10. 3. and yet Circumcision by them administred was in force neither was the passeouer celebrated by them or the sacrifices which they offered any other then the true Passeouer and true sacrifices Iudas was a very hypocrite yea Christ calls him a Deuill Ioh. 6. 70. and yet he preached the word at Christs commandement and baptized with the rest of his Disciples Ioh. 4. 1 2. Thirdly the Sacrament if it be administred in the name and by the power of Christ is the ordinance of God beeing receiued by faith yea a true Sacrament of Christ and the force and efficacie thereof doth not depend vpon the worthines of the Minister but vpon Christ. The letters or epistle sent from one man to an other are authenticall and serue fully to expresse the minde of the author though the messenger or carier be a wicked or a naughtie man And in like manner the sinne of any man that stands in the roome of a lawfull Minister doth not nullifie the Sacrament and therefore not heresie or vnsufficiencie S. Cyprian who liued 300. yeares after Christ was of this opinion that Sacraments administred by Heretikes were no Sacraments But the Churches of Africa in
in heauen glorified doth he by the power of his Deitie raise vp vs his mēbers frō death to life Rom. 6. 4. A certaine pledge whereof he hath giuen vs in this Sacrament Which also affordeth singular comfort and ioy vnto a man euen in his greatest extremity True it is that man by nature is dead in sinne yet God of his mercie sealeth vnto him in baptisme his rising from the death of sinne to newnesse of life True it is againe that all men must die Yet this is our comfort that in baptisme God hath sealed to vs euen our rising from the graue to life euerlasting and all by the vertue and power of Christs resurrection This is a comfort of all comforts able to vphold the soule of man euen in the houre of death The second Vse of Baptisme is that it serues to be a notable meanes of our death vnto sinne and that three waies First by putting vs in minde of mortifying the flesh and crucifying our owne corruptions For if we be baptized into the death of Christ as Paul saith Rom. 6. 3. then ought we not to continue in sinne but to labour by all meanes as by praier by fasting by the word preached and by auoiding all occasions of offence to kill and destroy the corruption of our nature and the wickednes of our hearts Gal. 5. 24. Secondly it causeth vs to dedicate our selues wholly vnto God and Christ remembring that we once offered our selues to be baptized in the presence of the whole congregation in token that we should euer afterward consecrate our soules and bodies vnto the Lord and wholly renounce and forsake the flesh the world and the Deuill Thirdly it causeth vs to labour to keepe and maintaine peace and vnitie with all men but specially with Gods people For Baptisme is a solemne testimonie of the bond of mutuall loue and fellowship both of Christ with his members and of the members one with another To this ende Paul saith that we are all by one spirit baptized into one bodie 1. Cor. 12. 13. yea and Baptisme is one of those things whereby the vnitie of the Spirit is preserued in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 5. V. Question Whether a man falling into sinne after he is baptized may haue any benefit of his Baptisme Answer He may if he repent And the reasons are these First his Indentures and Euidences remain whol in respect of God his name is not put out of the couenant Which is otherwise in the Evidēces of men For if they be once cancelled a man cannot haue his name put into them againe Secondly Baptisme is indeede as hath beene said the Sacrament of Repentance and as it were a plancke or board to swimme vpon when a man is in danger of the shippewracke of his soule Therefore if a man repent and be hartily sorie for his sinnes committed he may haue recourse to his baptisme wherein was sealed vnto him the pardon of all his sinnes past present and to come he standing to the order of his baptisme beleeuing and repenting Thirdly to them that fall euen after Baptisme there is hope of repentance and consequently of the fauour of God if they be touched in hart with true remorse and sorrowe for their offences For hence it was that Paul calls the Galatians fallen after they had beene baptized to the remembrance of the fauour of God promised vnto them in the Couenant and sealed in their Baptisme Gal. 3. 3. 19. 27. In the same manner doth Iohn call the Churches of Asia that had left their first loue to repentance conuersion Apoc. 2. 5. 16. And the said Iohn in Ecclesiasticall historie is said to haue reclaymed a young man who had most grieuously fallen after his Baptisme CHAP. X. Of the Lords Supper THus much concerning the Sacrament of Baptisme Now we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper concerning the vse wherof there are two principal Questions mooued I. Question How farre forth men haue libertie to vse or not vse the Lords Supper For the answering hereof I propound three Rules The First Euery man of yeares liuing in the Church and beeing baptized is bound in conscience by Gods commandement to vse the Lords supper In the institution of the Supper the Lord gaue a Sacramentall Word whereof there be two parts a Commādement a Promise The Cōmandement is expressed in these termes Take eate drinke doe ye this And it binds all men in the Church that are baptized to the vse of the Lords Supper The second Rule Euery man of yeares baptized is to receiue it often 1. Cor. 11. 26. As oft as ye shall drinke it in remēbrance of me The reason is because we haue need continually to feede on Christ. And herein the Lords Supper differeth from Baptisme because by Baptisme a man is once onely graffed into Christ but being in Christ he hath neede often and continually to be fedde in him to life eternall And this often nourishment of the beleeuer is sealed vnto him by the often vse of this Sacrament The third Rule Euery man is to receiue and vse the Lords Supper according to the laudable custome of that Church whereof he is a member vnlesse there be a iust impediment A iust impediment is that which barres a man from the vse of the Supper as Suspension Contagious and incurable sickenesse Absence vpon a iust and weightie cause as when a man is in his iourney and such like The reason of the Rule is first if any man refuse to receiue it when he may conueniently hauing no iust Impediment so doing he neglects and contemnes the ordinance of God Secondly for a man to abstaine when he is called to receiue it though happily he may be excused in regard of some reason inwardly knowne to himselfe yet his abstinence is a bad example and may giue offence to others Thirdly the man that may receiue and yet will not doth in effect suspend and withhold himselfe from the benefite of this holy Sacrament Now these three Rules as they serue directly to answer the Question in hand so they doe plainly discouer some errours faults in the practise of sundrie persons in these daies Some there be that thinke it sufficient to receiue the Communion once by the yere namely at Easter time Whereas on the contrary it is to be vsed as oft as may be considering that it is nothing but the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come which is not once or twise in the yeare but often yea continually to be remembred Others ther are that take liberty to thēselues to com to this Table abstaine at ther pleasure as if it were a thing arbitrary to themselues which notwithstanding the Lord hath enioyned by expresse commandement as hath beene said But some alledge for this their practise that they are at variance with such and such persons that haue done them wrong and whom they cannot forgiue and in this respect they were better
This description of an oath whereby the creature sweareth includes not that oathe whereby God sweareth For the ende why God sweareth is to binde himselfe as it were with a bond vnto man whereby he would haue man to repute him a lier and no God if he failes and keepes not his promise Thus the Lord sweares in his wrath Hebr. 3. 11. If they shall enter into my rest The words of the oath are to be vnderstoode with this clause If c. then let me be holden as no God or as a false god And in this manner is God said to sweare when he manifesteth to man that he is content to be counted no God if that which he auoucheth by oath be not performed Furthermore in every Oath there be foure distinct things First an Asseueration of the truth which should be avouched though there were no oath taken Secondly a confession or the omnipotent presence wisedome iustice and truth of God whereby we acknowledge that he is the searcher and knower of the heart yea that he is both witnesse iudge and reuenger of falshood and lying Thirdly Prayer and Inuocation whereby God is called vpon to giue testimonie to the conscience of him that sweareth that he speakes nothing but the truth These two actions of Confession and Invocation doe make an othe to be no lesse a true and proper part of Gods worshippe then praier it selfe Fourthly Imprecation in which a man acknowledging God the the iust reuenger of a lie bindes himselfe to punishment if he shall sweare falsely or speake an vntrueth wittingly or willingly Now though these be the distinct parts of an Oath yet all of them are not expressed in the forme of euery oath but sometimes one sometimes two of the principall and the other concealed but yet alwaies vnderstood For example The Prophet Ieremie teacheth the people of Israel a forme of swearing Thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth Ierem. 4. 2. In which there is expressed onely the second part Confession and in that the rest are to be vnderstood Againe the words of Ruth to Naomi The Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death depart thee and me are onely an Imprecation in which the other parts are infolded So the othe which God maketh Heb. 3. 11. If they shall enter into my rest is expressed onlie by imprecation and the other parts vnderstood though they be not mentioned In common speach betweene man and man it is vsually avouched though most wickedly If it be not thus or thus let me be banged I would I were dead I would I might neuer mooue hence c. Now this auouchment howsoeuer it may be taken is indeed a form of swearing in value and force all one with the oath of God when he saith If they enter into my rest let me be no God but a deceiuer Sometimes two parts of the foure are expressed and the rest vnderstood 2. Cor. 1. 23. Now I call God to record vnto my Soule Here Invocation with Imprecation is vttered in speach and the other two conceiued in the minde By these particulars we see it vsuall in Scripture to propound formes of swearing by expressing some one or two particular parts in stead of the rest yet so as the parts concealed be all vnderstood for otherwise the othe is not formalland entire Sect. 2. II. Question How an Oathe is to be taken in a good and godly manner For the answering hereof two Rules are to be remembred The first Rule He that will take an Oathe by the name of God must sweare in truth in iudgement in righteousnesse Ierem. 4. 2. Here three vertues are required in a lawfull Oathe First that it be made in truth And wee must know that there is a double truth the one of the thing spoken the other of the minde wherein it is conceiued Truth of the thing is when a mans speech is framed according to the thing as it is indeede or as neare as possibly may be and that because God is truth it selfe This is called by Schoolemen Logical veritie Sometimes by reason of mens frailtie this truth is wanting because we know not things as they are The truth of the minde is when a man speakes or sweares as he thinketh or is in conscience perswaded of the thing and this the Schoolemen tearme Morall veritie Now though the first of these two be wanting yet the latter must necessarily be in an oath least we fall into periurie The second vertue is Iudgement that is prudence or wisdome This Iudgement requires discretion and consideration principally of fiue things First of the thing in question which is to be confirmed Secondly of the nature of the oath that is taken Thirdly of the minde and true meaning of him that sweareth Fourthly of the particular circūstāces of time place persons when where and before whome he sweareth Fiftly of the euent or issue of the oath All these are duly to be regarded that we sweare not rashly or vnaduisedly The third is Iustice wherein also care must be had of two things First that the point to be confirmed be lawefull And it is then lawfull when it may stand with pietie and charitie Secondly that the occasions of taking the oath be also iust and they be chiefly foure I. When it may further Gods glorie and worship or serue to prooue some doctrine of saluation in whole or in part II. When it may tende to the furtherance of brotherly loue or to the preseruation of our neighbours life goods or good name or further to the confirmation of some league couenant or contract made betweene parties vpon good ground and for good and necessarie purposes III. When it serueth to releeue a mans owne priuate necessitie as when one sweares to maintaine his owne good name goods or life to confirme his owne faith and truth in contracts An example hereof we haue in Paul who to confirme the Romanes in the perswasion of his loue and care of their saluation saith God is my witnesse whome I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you Rom. 1. 9. And againe to keepe his owne credit and good name among the Iewes I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Rom. 9. 1. IV. When the Magistrate doth exact it by order of iustice This though it be a iust occasion and warrant of an oath yet three Caueats are in it to be obserued First that the oath be administred lawfully not against pietie or charitie Secondly he which takes an oath tendered by the Magistrate must sweare according to the minde and meaning of the Magistrate who exacts the oath and not according to his owne priuate intent Thirdly he must not sweare ambiguously but in a simple sense so as the words of his mouth may be agreeable with that which he conceiueth in his heart Psal. 15. 2. And whatsoeuer oath is taken without obseruation
pray and heare the word cheerefully when their stomacks are emptie These persons may eate in the day of a solemne fast so that they obserue the caueats before remembred It is not with vs in these countries as it was with the Iews They could fast one two or three daies together without any inconvenience we cannot doe the like And the reason is plaine Men that liue in those hotte countries haue colde stomackes and so may fast the longer but in colder climates such as ours is in respect of theirs men beeing of hotter stomackes are not able to continue fasting so long as they Sect. 3. The third point is concerning the Right endes of a religious fast and they are foure The first is to subdue the flesh that is to bring the body and so the bodily lusts into subiection to the will and word of God By eating and drinking the body is made heauie the heart oppressed the senses dull and the whole man vnfit for the duties of humiliation praier and hearing of the word Luk. 21. 24. That therfore this vnfitnesse may be taken away not onely the body it selfe but the vnruely lusts of the flesh are to be mortified and subdued by this exercise of fasting The second end is to stirre vp our deuotion and to confirme the attention of our mindes in hearing and in praier To this purpose in the Scripture fasting and prayer are for the most part if not alwaies ioyned togither because when the stomacke is full the body and minde are lesse able to doe any good dutie and contrariwise when abstinence is vsed the heart is lighter the affections in better order the whole man more quicke and liuely in the seruice of God For this very cause Anna is saide to worshippe God night and day with fasting and praier Luk. 2. 37. And the intent of the Holy Ghost there is to commend her for the feruencie of her praier which shee testified in that by such exercises shee stirred vp and increased the attention of her minde The third ende is to testifie the humilitie and contrition of our hearts that is to say our inward sorrow and griefe for sinne and our repentance and effectuall turning vnto God Without this ende the fast is but a vaine ceremonie And therefore the Prophet Ioel calls vpon the people to turne vnto the Lord with all their hearts with fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts and not their garments c. Ioel 2. 12 13. The Prophet Esay in like manner reprooveth the Iewes because when they fasted they would afflict their soules for a day and how downe their heads as a buâ—rush and lie downe in sackcloath and ashes But made no conscience to turne from their euill waies Esay 58. 5 6. Therefore their outward humiliation was but hypocrisie The fourth end of a fast is to admonish vs of our guiltines before the Lord and to put vs in mind of the acknowledgement of our sinnes wherby we become vnworthy of any blessing gift or mercie yea vnworthy to goe vpon the ground to breath in the aire to eate drinke sleepe or inioy any other benefit In a word that we haue deserued by our sinnes all the plagues and punishments threatued in the Law against sinners The Malefactor in the day of Assises cannot giue greater testimonie of the true confession of his guiltines then by comming before the Iudge with the rope about his neck neither can we bring a more notable signe of our true humiliation before God then by comming before him in the day of the solemne fast with open confession and Proclamation of our guiltinesse both of sinne and punishment Hence it was that in the fast of Nineueh not onely men but euen the beasts were forbidden to feede or drinke water for this very end that the Niuevites might acknowledge their sinnes to be so great and heinous in the sight of God that in regard therof not onely the reasonable creatures themselues but also the beasts of the field for their sakes were vnworthy of life and nourishment III. Question Whether Popish Fasts be lawfull and approoued of God Ans. They are wicked and therefore neither approoued of God nor to be obserued by man and that for three speciall causes First the patrons maintainers of them doe appoint set times of fasting which are necessarily to be kept vpon paine of mortall sinne And abstinence from flesh with them is made a matter of conscience Now to prescribe set times necessarily to be obserued is contrarie to that libertie which the Church of God and the gouernours thereof haue for this purpose onely vpon speciall occasion When the question was mooued to our Saviour by Iohns Disciples Why they and the Pharises fasted often whereas his fasted not Answer was giuen in this manner Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegrome is with them But the daies will come when the bridegrome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast Mat. 9. 15. From whence we may gather that times of fasting must be according to the times of mourning For Christ giues them to vnderstand that they were to fast as occasions of mourning were offered As therefore there can be appointed no set time for mourning no more can there be enioyned a set time for fasting but must be left to the libertie of the Church to be prescribed as God shall giue occasion Againe the Apostle reprooueth the Church of Galatia for obseruing set daies and moneths times and yeares in way of Religion Gal. 4. 10. Montanus the Hereticke is thought in Ecclesiasticall stories to haue beene the first that made lawes for set-fasting And the Churches of God in ancienter times fasted of their own accords freely not inforced by law or commandement but as time and occasion serued It is alleadged that this doctrine seemes to chalenge the Church of England of Heresie for it appointeth and obserueth set times of fast Ans. Nothing lesse For our Church inioyneth and approoueth these times not vpoÌ„ necessity or for religions sake but for ciuill and politicke respects whereas the Romish church holds it a mortal sinne to put off a set fast appointed so much as till the next day following The second reason They of the Church of Rome make a distinction of meates For they wholly forbid flesh to be eaten vpon daies of fast and allow whit-meates onely then to be vsed and that of necessitie Now this difference of meates is partly impious partly absurd and foolish Impious it is because they make it for Religions sake For since the coÌ„ming of Christ there is a libertie giuen to all men whatsoeuer to eate of all kindes of meates without any distinction commanding abstinence froÌ„ nothing which God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing It is true indeede we hold a difference betweene meate and meate but how not in way of religion but in regard of temperance health for ciuill and politike
any person II. That it withdraw not the mind of the worker or any other from sanctifying the Sabboth either publickely or priuately III. That it be not a worke of gaine but a worke of mercie or tend to a worke of mercie IV. That it serue for the immediate preseruation of life health or goods Of life thus Elias continued his flight from Iezabel many Sabboths together 1. King 19. 8. And the reason is good the Sabboth was made for man saith Christ that is not for the hurt but for the good of man Of health and thus our Sauiour Christ visited the sicke Ioh. 5. 3. and cured the blind man vpon the Sabboth Ioh. 9. 14. By whose example the Phisitian the Chirurgion may lawfully goe not onely to giue necessarie counsell but to minister necessarie phisicke and doe cures Lastly of goods which are in present danger of loosing Thus Christ would haue the oxe presently pulled out of the pit Luk. 14. 5. and the shippe on the shore full fraught with wares requires present helpe if it be in apparent danger of sinking Thus much concerning the first thing required in the observation of the Sabboth Sect. 2. The second thing required in the halowing of the Sabboth of the new testament is the Sanctification of rest which is nothing els but the dedicating of it to a religious vse that is to the practise of diuine worshippe This sanctification is either publicke or priuate The publike is the solemne performance of spirituall workes commanded in the second and third Commandements and tending to publike worship And this may be reduced to foure principall heads I. The reading or preaching of the word when the Minister publikely in the Congregation assembled doth faithfully deliuer vnto the people pure and sound doctrine and applies the same as necessitie requireth and occasion serueth to the edification and saluation of all and euery hearer in publicke audience and the people on the otherside do reuerently and attentiuely heare the same word read and preached II. The administration of the Sacraments according to Gods institutioÌ„ by the Ministers of the Church lawfully called III. Publike praier wherein the Minister calleth vpon the name of the Lord the whole congregation in feruent affection lift vp their hearts vnto him and in mind giue assent to the praiers made in the name and behalfe of them IV. Collection and giuing of almes for the reliefe of the poore whether they be captiues and strangers or those that dwell among vs the sicke the needie orphanes and widowes and such like Vpon these foure heads doth stand the whole publike worship of God For proofe and declaration hereof read these places Neh. 8. Act. 2. 42. Act. 13. 14. 15. Act. 16. 13. Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. c. Priuate sanctification which serueth to answer the second opinion stands in these things I. That euery man in the beginning of the Sabboth in the morning do priuatly prepare himselfe to the publicke seruice that followeth by priuate prayer by examination and humbling of himselfe before God in respect of his particular sinnes This the wiseman exhorteth vnto when he saith Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God Eccles. 4. 17. and his meaning is that before a man betakes himselfe to the publicke congregation there to perform seruice and worship vnto God he should looke into his heart and examine his affections and thoughts that he come not vnprepared which duty though it be alwaies to be done yet principally on the Sabbothday The childreÌ„ of Israel rose vp early in the morning on the Sabbothday to offer vp burnt offrings peace offerings to an Idol Exo. 32. 5. 6. much more ought wee c. And it is said of our Sauiour Christ that he arose very early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place to pray and the day following was the Sabboth when he preached in the Synagogues Mar. 1. 35 36. II. That when the congregation is dissolued we spend the rest of the Sabboth in meditation and conference of the word before preached and of the creatures Thus it is said of some that heard Paul preach that they receiued the word with all readines and searched the Scripture whether those things were so Act. 17. 11. And the whole 92. Psalme was penned that it might be a song of the Sabboth and it containes nothing but a meditation of the workes of God III. That men priuately exercise themselues in the workes of charitie and mercie as in visiting the sicke in making peace betweene those that are at discord in releeuing the poore in teaching and instructing the ignorant in coÌ„forting those that are distressed and comfortlesse Neh. 8. 12. Then all the people went to eate and to drinke and to send parâ— abroad to the poore and to make great ioy The Tthird Question touching the Sabboth When the Sabboth doth beginne To this some doe answer in the euening and some in the morning My answer is this that the Sabboth of the new Testament amongst vs is to beginne in the morning and so to continue tâ—l the next morrow not in the euening till the euening The reasons be these 1. The Sabboth is to beginne when other ordinarie daies begin according to the order and account of the Church wherein wee liue 2. It was the practise of Christ and the Apostles For Christ as it hath beene thought of auncient times consecrated the Sabboth in that he rose from the dead early in the morning when the first day of the weeke beganne to dawne Matth. 28. 1. and therfore it is fitte that the Sabboth day should then beginne when he rose for as much as it is kept in remembrance of his resurrection The same was the practise of the Apostles For Act. 20. 7. the first day of the weeke the Iewes came togither at Troas in the morning there Paul preached from that time till midnight beeing the next morning to depart hauing staid there as is plaine out of the 6. v. seuen daies In that text I noâ—e two things First that the night there mentioned was a part of the seuenth day of Pauls abode at Troas For if it were not so then he had staied at least a night longer and so more then seuen daies because he should haue staied part of another day Secondly that this night was a part of the Sabboth which they then kept For the Apostle keepes it in manner of a Sabboth in the exercises of pietie and diuine worshippe and namely in Preaching Yea further he continues there till the rest was fully ended He communed with them till the dawning of the day and so departed vers 11. Besides this text Dauid saith in his Psalme of the Sabboth that he will declare Gods louing kindnes in the morning and his truth in the night Psal. 92. 2. making the night following a part of the Sabboth Against this doctrine it is alleadged first that
that it be done with keeping of true religion and good conscience This Rule was practised by Paul Act. 28. 11. who liuing among the Heathen was constramed to speake as they and therefore he saies that he departed in a shippe to Rome whose badge was Castor and Pollux Act. 19. 10. Againe he was three yeares in Ephesus an idolatrous place where the great goddesse Diana was worshipped yet in all that time he contained himselfe and spake nothing in particular against Diana but onely in generall against false gods saying that they be no gods that are made with hands v. 26. Nay Alexander could not charge him with this that he had in all that while blasphemed their goddesse Diana Paul therefore was faine to yeeld to the sway of those times that so he might doe some good in Ephesus by his Ministerie Whereas if he had spoken against Diana directly it had not bin possible for him to haue done that good by preaching which otherwise he did Againe in the Primitiue Church the Apostles for the weaknes of the Iewes did yeelde to the vse of Circumcision and permitted abstinence from blood and that which was strangled c. so farre forth as it stood with pure religion and good conscience and if they had not so done they should not haue wonne the Iewes to the faith as they did IX Rule If we cannot doe the good things that we desire in that exquisite manner that we would we must content our selues with the meane and in things which are good and to be done it is the safest course to satisfie our selues in doing the lesse least in ventring to doe the more which cannot be we grow to the extremitie and so faile or offend in our action It is a good and wise counsell of the Preacher to this purpose Eccl. 7. 16. Be not iust ouermuch and his meaning may be this Be not too strict or curious in effecting that which thou intendest exactly when thou canst not but rest contented in this that thou hast done thine endeauour and take to the lesse when the greater cannot be effected In some countries Popish Images erected in Churches doe stand vndefaced The good desire of the people is that they may be pulled downe but this cannot be brought to passe What then are they to doe in this case they must not grow to extremitie and pull them down themselues but they must intreat the lawfull Magistrate for their remooueall and pray to God that he may be mooued so to doe and in the meane time rest content with that they haue done and waite the Magistrates pleasure In the Iudiciall law by reason of the hardnes of the Iewes hearts sundrie sinnes could not vtterly be taken away as diuorcements polygamie vsurie Hereupon the Lord makes a law of Toleration without approbation and did not remooue them quite away for that was not possible in regard of man for the time but restrained the euill that could not be quite off and abolished otherwise And herein appeared the great wisdome of God in making a Law not to allow of nor yet vtterly to take away but to moderate the practise of these sinnes in the Iewes for the hardnes of their hearts In like manner in this our land there is the practise of Vsurie a sinne that cannot nor euer shall be rooted out vtterly For this cause the States of this kingdome haue out of their wisdome prouided a Law for the toleration thereof after a sort and that vpon speciall cause For if the Magistrate should haue enacted a Law vtterly to abolish it it would before this in likelihood haue growne to great extremitie The same was the practise of the Apostles in their times who yeelded to beare with the vse of Circumcision for a time when they could not otherwise vtterly cut it off II. Question Whether a man may lawfully and with good conscience vse Pollicie in the affaires of this life Ans. There be foure principall Caueats which beeing obserued Policie may be vsed and is not against Christian religion I. Nothing must in policie be said done or intended to preiudice the truth specially the truth of the Gospell II. Nothing is to be said done or intended against the honour and glorie of God either in word in deede or in shew III. Nothing must be wrought or contriued against iustice that is due to man IV. All actions of policie must be such as pertain to our calling and be within the limits and bonds thereof For if any action whatsoeuer be done out of that calling wherein God hath placed vs or at least be not answerable thereunto though it be plotted and attempted in neuer so great wisedome and policie it is vnlawfull and not warrantable These Caueats obserued it is not vnlawful to vse that which we commonly call Policie And the reason is this when any busines is to be done we must make a twofold inquirie First into the thing to be done whether it be good or badde lawfull or not lawfull commanded or forbidden Secondly into our selues whether the worke in hand be agreable to the calling of the doer or answerable to that dutie which he oweth to God and man Now because both these are grounded vpon the former cautions therfore we conclude that whatsoeuer busines is taken in hand and not suted vnto them it hath not good warrant and so cannot be done with good conscience Yet for better clearing of this answer let vs a little consider the Scriptures and the examples there recorded touching this policie In Iosh. 8. 5. we shall finde that Ioshua vseth Martiall policie in the besieging of Ai placing one part of his armie in an ambush and causing the other part to flie for by that meanes the men of Ai comming out of the citie and pursuing those that fled the souldiors that lay in ambush tooke the citie and destroied it In 2. Sam. 5. 23. Dauid beeing to make warre against the Philistims asketh counsell of God and God teacheth him policie he therefore in his owne example allowes policie and more especially those wise and prudent shifts in warre which we call Stratagâ—ms or policies of the field We haue also the example of Paul for this purpose who Act. 21. 26. faines himselfe to haue made a vowe to be a Nazarite that he might yeelde somewhat to the weakenes of the Iewes who were not sufficiently informed in the doctrine of Christian libertie This practise was warrantable neither was it a sinne in Paul for he did it by the counsell of the Church at Ierusalem v. 20 24. And Paul himselfe neuer made mention of this as of a sinne which he would vndoubtedly haue done had it beene sinne Againe Act. 23. 6. when he was brought before Ananias the Priest and the councell at Ierusalem beeing in some danger he vseth policie for he pretended that he was a Pharisie and by that meanes raised a dissension between the Pharisies and the Sadduces And this was no sinne in Paul for
into the sea did not befall him by lotte but by his owne voluntarie resignation of himselfe into the hands of God willingly vndergoing it as a iust punishment of the neglect of his calling which himselfe confessed in these words For I acknowledge that for my sake the great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1. 12. Sixtly Moses and the Egyptian fought a combate and Moses slew him Ans. Moses took vpoÌ„ him publike revenge in this action as a Magistrate and not priuate as a priuate man For though as yet his calling was not fully manifested to his brethreÌ„ yet the truth is God had called him to be their deliuerer out of the hands of the Egyptians and this very action was a signe of their deliuerance which was to come to passe afterward It was I say a signe thus As he defended his brother and avenged his quarrell vpon the Egyptian so in time to come the Lord would by his hand giue them full freedome and deliuerance from the tyranny of Pharaoh and all his and their enemies Act. 7. 25. Beeing then a publicke person his example can prooue nothing for this purpose II. Question When Anger is a vertue and so good and lawfull and wheÌ„ it is a vice consequeÌ„tly euill and vnlawfull This Question hath two distinct parts of which I will speake in their order Sect. 1. The first part is when Anger is a vertue lawfull For Answer hereof we must vnderstand that in iust and lawfull Anger there be three things a right Beginning or motiue a right Obiect and a right Manner of beeing angry To the right Beginning of anger three things are required First that the occasion of anger be iust and weightie as namely a manifest offence of God Take an exaÌ„ple or two Moses in sundry places is said to be angrie the occasions of his anger were great as appeares in the particulars First because some of the Israelits against Gods commandement had reserued Manna till the next day Exod. 16. 20. Again he was angrie because the Israelites had tempted God in worshipping the golden calfe Exod. 32. 19. In Numb 16. 15. Moses againe is wroth because Coreh Dathan and Abiram rebelled against him and in him against God Phinees Numb 25. 8. 11. is said to haue beene zealous that is angry for God the occasion was because the Israelites committed fornication with Heathenish women Dauid in like manner 2. Sam. 13. 20 21. was angrie vpon this occasion because Ammon his sonne had deffoured his sister Thamar Elias is angry 1. King 19. v. 14. and why because the Israelites forsooke the conenant of God cast downe his altars and had slaine his prophets with the sword Nehemias Chap. 6. ver 5. is very angrie because the Israelites oppressed one another with vsurie and other kinds of exactions Ieremic also Chap. 6. 11. was angrie for this because the Israelites were of vncircumcised hearts eares and the word of the Lord was vnto them as a reproch they tooke no delight therein Secondly it is required that anger be conceiued vpon counsell and deliberation Pro. 20. 18. Establish thy thoughts by counsell If thoughts must be established by counsell then the affections so our anger also And the Apostle saith Iam. 1. 19. Be slow to wrath Now the reason is plaine Counsell ought to be the foundation of all our actions and therfore much more of our affections which are the beginnings of our actions Thirdly iust and lawful anger must be kindled and stirred vp by good and holy affections as namely by desire to maintaine the honour and praise of God by the loue of iustice and vertue by hatred and detestation of vice and of all that is evill One saith well to this purpose that anger must attend vpon vertue and be stirred vp by it against sinne as the dogge attends vpon the sheepeheard and waites vpon his eie and hand when to follow him and when to pursue the wolfe The Second thing in good anger is a fitte Obiect or Matter to worke vpon touching which two thing must be remembred First we must put a difference betweene the person and the offence or sinne of the person The sinne of the person is the proper obiect of anger and not the person but only by reason of the sinne Thus Dauid saies of himselfe that he was consumed with anger not because the men with whome he was angrie were his enemies but because they kept not Gods law Psal. 119. 139. Thus Moses was angrie at the Idolatrie of the Israelites wherewith they had sinned against God fourtie daies togither yet he praies earnestly vnto God for their persons as we read Exod. 32. But it is alleadged to the contrarie that Dauid directs his anger against the persons of his enemies especially in Psal. 109. Answ. First Prophets as hath beene saide heretofore were endued with a speciall measure of zeale and their zeale was a pure zeale taken vp specially for the glorie and honour of God but our zeale against our enemies is commonly mixt with hatred enuy and selfe-loue therefore we must not nay we cannot follow their examples Secondly imprecations vsed by Dauid were predictions rather then praiers for he rather foretold in them what should come to passe then prayed that it might come to passe Thirdly Dauid in his imprecations accurseth not his owne priuate enemies but the enemies of God and not al them but such onely as were incurable for by the spirit of prophecie he knew the state of those against whome he did pray so doe not we Secondly we must put a difference betweene the cause and offence of God and the cause and offence of manâ— Now iust anger must be directed against persons for the offence of God properly and not for priuate offence but onely so farre forth as it tendeth to the offence of God Thus Miâ—iam and Aaron murmured against Moses because he had married a woman of Aethiopia But this was onely a priuate offence and therefore Moses behaued himselfe meekely towardes them Numb 12. 3. The Third thing in good anger is the Right Manner of conceiuing it Wherein these Cautions are to be obserued First that our anger be mixed and tempered with charitie and loue It is the propertie of God himselfe in wrath to remember mercie Hab. 3. 2. and herein we must be like vnto him This was Moses his practise who out of his loue praied for those with whome he was angrie Exod. 32. Secondly anger against any offence must be mixed with sorrow for the same offence Thus Christ was angrie with the Iewes but withall he sorrowed for the hardnes of their hearts Mark 3. 5. The reason hereof is this In any societie whatsoeuer it be if one member sinneth the sinne of that one member is the punishment of the rest that be in that societie euen as it is in the bodie if one part be affected and ill at ease the rest will be distempered Paul saies of himselfe that he was
and contēpt of God so to prophanes in the vse of our meates and drinkes as the Israelites did which sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Now besides these Reasons we haue also the Examples of holy men This blessing of the meat was so knowne a thing of auncient times that the poore maides of Ramath-zophim could tell Saul that the people would not eate their meate before the prophet came and blessed the sacrifice 1. Sam. 9. 13. Christ in his owne family would not eate of the fiue loaues and two fishes till he had looked vp to heauen and geuen thankes Mar. 6. 41. Paul tooke bread in the shippe and gaue thanks in the presence of all that were with him Act. 17. 35. The Vse of the first point is I. By this doctrine all persons are taught but specially gouerners of others as Masters of families Parents neuer to vse either meates or drinkes or any other blessing that they receiue at the hands of God but with praise thanksgiuing For this which is said of meates and drinkes must be inlarged also to the vse of any benefite blessing or ordinance that we take in hand to vse or inioy II. Though we doe not simply condemne but allow of Hallowing of Creatures yet we detest Popish consecration of salt creame ashes and such like First because Papists halow them for wrong endes as to procure by them remission of sinnes to driue away deuills c. Secondly because they sanctifie creatures without the word yea though they doe it by praier yet it is praier without the word which giueth no warrant thus to vse the creatures or to these endes and therefore of the same nature with magical inchantments Thirdly if the creature must be sanctified for our vse before we can vse it then we our selues must be sanctified both in soule and bodie before we can be sitte for the vse and seruice of God Looke as the creature by the hand and prouidence of God is presented before vs to serue vs so must we beeing strengthned and nourished by the same giue vp our-selues soules and bodies to serue and honour him Yea our sanctifying of the creature to our holy vse should put vs in minde of sanctifying our selues to his glorie So soone as the Prophet Esay was sanctified by God vnto his office then he addressed himselfe and not before and said Lord I am here Esa. 6. 8. and so we our selues before we can performe any acceptable dutie vnto God must be purged and clensed The sonnes of Aaron would not doe this honour vnto God by sanctifying his name before the people and therefore God glorified himselfe in their death and temporall destruction Leuit. 10. 2. And when Moses the seruant of God failed in the sanctification of his name by the circumcision of his sonne Gods hand was vpon him to haue destroied him This point is duely to be obserued of all but principally of such as are appointed to any publike office if they will serue God therein with comfort and incouragement they must first labour to be sanctified before him both in their soules and bodies §ect 2. I come now to the second thing required for the right and lawfull Vse of meates and drinkes namely a Christian behauiour while we are in vsing them For the better vnderstanding whereof we are to consider two points First what we may doe and then what we must doe in vsing the creatures I. Touching the former We may vse these gifts of God with Christian libertie and how is that not sparingly alone and for meere necessitie to the satisfying of our hunger and quenching of our thirst but also freely and liberally for Christian delight and pleasure For this is that libertie which God hath graunted to all beleeuers Thus we read that Ioseph and his brethren with him did eate and drinke together of the best that is liberally Gen. 43. 34. And to this purpose Dauid saith that God giueth wine to make glad the heart of man and oyle to make the face to shine as well as bread to strengthen the bodie Psal. 104. 15. And the Lord threatneth to bring a punishment vpon his people Agg. 1. 6. in that he would giue them his creatures indeede but such a portion of the as should onely supplie their present necessities and no more Ye shall eate saith he but ye shall not haue enough ye shall drinke but ye shall not be filled Againe we read that Levi the Publican made our Sauiour Christ a great feast in his owne house Luk. 5. 29. At the marriage in Caua a towne of Galile where Christ was present the guests are said according to the manner of these countries to haue drunke liberally Ioh. 2. 10. And at an other place in supper time Marie is saide to haue taken a boxe of pretious and costly oyntment and to haue annointed his feete there with so as the whole house was filled with the sauour of the ointment Ioh. 12. 3. Iudas indeede thought that expense which shee had made superstuous but Christ approoues of her act and commendeth her for it I adde further that by reason of this libertie purchased vnto vs by Christ we may vse these and the like creatures of God with Ioy and reioycing This is the profit that redoundeth vnto man in the vse of them that he eate and drinke and delight his soule with the profit of his labours Eccles. 2. 24. The practise hereof we haue in the Acts ch 2. v. 46. where they of that Church that beleeued are saide to eate their meate together with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart And yet this reioycing in the creatures must be limited with this clause that it be in the Lord that is to say a hurtlesse and harmelesse ioy tending to the glorie of God and the good of our neighbour This condemneth the common practise of the world who solace and delight themselues in the vse of Gods creatures but so as with their ioy is ioyned the ordinarie traducing of the Magistrate Minister and those that feare God and will not run with them to the same excesse of riot 1. Pet. 4. 4. II. The second point is what we must doe when we take the benefit of Gods creatures a matter of great consequent in the liues of men And it is this that we vse our libertie in the Lord and whether we eate or eate not we must doe both to the Lord. Rom. 14. 6. This is done by labouring both in eating and in abstinence to approoue the same vnto God vnto his Saints and vnto our own consciēces Wherein appeareth a manifest differēce between the wicked the godly man For the one when he eateth or drinketh he doth it in the Lord and to the Lord the other doth it not to the Lord but to himselfe that is to the satisfaction contentment of his owne carnall delight and pleasure That a man may eate to the Lord there are foure things
giue vs abilitie to haue and maintaine more we must thankefully receiue it and become good stewards of the same for the good of men But some will say It seemes that we ought not to keepe abundance when God giues it because we may not haue aboue one coate For Iohn giues this rule Luk. 3. 11. Let him that hath two coates giue to him that hath none Ans. Iohns meaning must needes be this He that hath not onely necessarie rayments but more then necessarie he must giue of his abundance to them that want For otherwise his rule should not agree with Christs own practise who had himselfe two coates an inner and an vpper garment which he kept and wore Nor with S. Pauls who had both a cloke and a coate This Rule discouers the common sinnefull practise of many men in the world The greater sort of men are exceedingly carefull by all meanes and waies to follow the fashion and to take vp euery new fangled attire whensoeuer it comes abroad A course flat contrarie to Christs doctrine which commandeth an honest care onely for necessarie ornaments and condemneth the contrarie and that vpon speciall reason because this inordinate and affected care is commonly a great picke-purse It fills mens heades and hearts with vaine and foolish thoughts it makes them wastfully to abuse the blessings of God giuen vnto them whereby they are disabled from helping others that are in neede Whereas the first and principall care ought to be for the adorning of the soule with grace and putting on the Lord Iesus and this is it which will yeeld more comfort to the minde and conscience then any externall formalitie to the outward state of man II. Rule All apparell must be fitted to the bodie in a comely and decent manner such as becommeth holinesse Tit. 2. 3. If it be here demanded How we should thus frame and fashion our attire The answer is by obseruing the Rules of decencie and comelinesse which are in number seauen First that it be according to the sexe for men must prepare apparell for men weomen for weomen This rule is not Ceremoniall but grounded vpon the Law of nature and common honestie Deut. 22. 5. The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth vnto the man neither shall a man put on womans raiment for all that doe so are abomination to the Lord thy God Secondly our apparell must be made according to our office that is such as may be fit and conuenient for vs in respect of our calling that it may not hinder or disable vs in the performance of the duties thereof Whereupon comes iustly to be condemned the kinde of apparell specially of women that is vsed in this age For it makes them like to an image in a frame set bolt vpright whereby it comes to passe that they can not goe well and with ease or conueniencie about any good busines but must of necessitie either sit or stand still Thirdly our attire must be according to our abilitie and maintenance either in lands or in goods and substance We must as the common prouerbe is shape our coate according to our cloath that so we may not be in want but haue sufficient wherewith to maintaine our families and to releeue the poore Which also serueth to condemne the sinne of many persons who lay vpon their backes whatsoeuer they can scrape and gather together in the meane while neglecting the honest maintenance of their own estates for time to come and the necessarie releefe of them that are in distresse and want Fourthly it must be answerable to our estate and dignitie for distinction of order and degree in the societies of men This vse of attire stands by the very ordinance of God who as he hath not sorted all men to al places so he will haue men to fitte themselues and their attire to the qualitie of their proper places to put a difference between themselues and others Thus we read that Ioseph being by Phaaroh set ouer all the land of Egypt was arayed with garments of sine linnen and had a golden chaine put vpon his necke to put a difference betweene him and the inferiour princes of Pharaoh Gen. 41. 42. Thus in auncient times the captaines and cheife of the armies did weare fine garments of diuers colours of needle worke to distinguish them from others Iud. 5. 30. Thus in Kings courts they went in soft rayment and the poorer people in baser and rougher attire Matt. 11. 8. By which it appeares that many in these daies do greatly offend For men keepe not themselues within their owne order but the Artificer commonly goes clad like the Yeoman the Yeoman like the Gentleman the Gentleman as the Nobleman the Nobleman as the Prince which bringeth great confusion and vtterly ouerturneth the order which God hath set in the states and condions of men Fiftly mens attire is to be framed and prepared according to the ancient and receiued custome of the countrey wherein they are brought vp and dwell Touching this Rule it is demanded whether if a man see a fashion vsed in other coūtries he may not take it vp here and vse it Ans. He may not For God hath threatned to visite all such as are cloathed with strange apparell Zeph. 1. 9. And Paul taxeth it as a great disorder in the Church of Corinth and euen against nature that men went in long haire and women went vncouered 1. Cor. 11. 13. 14. And if this be so then what a disorder is that when men of one country frame themselues to the fashions and attires both of men and women of other nations This one sinne is so common among vs that it hath branded our English people with the blacke marke of the vainest and most new-fangled people vnder heauen If a stranger comes into our land he keepes his ancient customeable attire without varying or alteration We on the contrary cā see no fashion vsed either by the French Italian or Spanish but we take it vp and vse it as our owne Sixtly the garments that we make to couer our bodies must be such as may expresse the vertues of our mindes specially the vertues of Modestie Frugalitie Shamefastnes They should be as a booke written with text letters wherein at the first any man may read the graces that be in the hart Thus Paul exhorteth weomen that they aray themselues with comely apparell in shamefastnesse and modesty not with broidered haire c. but as becommeth weomen that professe the feare of God with good workes 1. Tim. 2. 9. 10. And our Sauiour commandeth that the light of our conuersation euen in outward things should so shine vnto mē that they seeing our good works may glorifie the father which is in heauen Mat. 5. 16. Seuenthly it must be framed to the example not of the lighter and vainer sort but of the grauest and the most sober of our order and place both of men weomen We haue no expresse rule in Scripture touching
that as they are not to be coÌ„mended so they are not simply to be condemned and if they be vsed they must be vsed very sparingly Yet there be others that hold these mixt games to be vnlawfull and iudge the very dealing of the cards to be a lotte because it is a meere casuall action But as I take it the bare dealing of the cards is no more a lotte then the dealing of an almes when the Princes Almner puts his hand into his pocket and giues for example to one man sixe pence to another twelue pence to another two pence what comes forth without any choice Now this casuall distribution is not a lot but onely a casuall action And in a lot there must be two things The first is a casuall act the second the applying of the foresaid act to the determination of some particular and vncertaine euent Now the dealing of the cards is a casuall act but the determination of the vncertaine victorie is not from the dealing of the cardes in mixed games but from the wit and skill at least from the will of the players But in things that are of the nature of a lot the wit and will of man hath no stroke at all Neuerthelesse though the dealing of the cardes and mixed games be no lots yet it is farre saffer and better to abstaine from them then to vse them and where they are abolished they are not to be restored againe because in common experience many abuses and inconueniences attend vpon them and things vnnecessarie when they are much abused because they are abused they must not be vsed but rather remooued as the brasen serpent was 2. king 18. 4. III. Question How are we to vse recreations For answer whereof we must remember these foure speciall rules I. Rule We are to make choice of Recreations that are of least offence and of the best report Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoeuer things are of good report thinke of them The reason is because in all recreations we must take heede of occasions of sinne both in our selues and others And this mooued Iob while his sonnes were a feasting to offer daily burnt offerings according to the number of them all because he thought it may be my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts Iob 1. 5. And not onely that but I adde further we must take heede of occasions of offence in others Vpon this ground Paul saies that rather then his eating should offend his brother he would eate no meate while the world indured 1. Cor. 8. 13. In this regard it were to be wished that games of wit should be vsed onely and not games of hazard because they are more scandalous then the other Lastly in things that are lawfull in themselues we are to remember Paules rule All things are Lawfull but all things are not expedient 1. Cor. 6. 12. II. Rule Our Recreations must be profitable to our selues and others and they must tendâ— also to the glorie of God Our Sauiour Christ saies that of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue an account at the day of iudgement Matth. 12. 36. Where by idle words he meaneth such as bring no profit to men nor honour to God And if for idle words then also for idle recreations must we be accountable to him Againe S. Paul teacheth that whether we eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we doe we must doe all to the glorie of God 〈◊〉 Cor. 10. 31. Therefore the scope and ende of all recreations is that God may be honoured in and by them III. Rule The ende of our Recreation must be to refresh our bodies and mindes It is then an abuse of recreation when it is vsed to winne other mens money The gaine that comes that way is worse then vsurie yea it is flat theft For by the law we may recouer things stolne but there is no law to recouer things wonne And yet if play be for a small matter the losse whereof is no hurt to him that looseth it and if it be applied to a common good it is lawfull otherwise not IV. Rule Recreation must be moderate and sparing euen as the vse of meat and drinke and rest Whence it followeth that they which spende their whole life in gaming as Players doe haue much to answer for And the like is to be saide of them that haue lands and possessions and spend their time in pleasures and sports as is the fashion of many gentlemen in these daies Now Recreation must be sparing two waies First in regard of time For we must redeeme the time that is take time while time lasteth for the procuring of life euerlasting Eph. 5. 16. This condemneth the wicked practise of many men that follow this game and that to driue away time wheras they should employ all the time that they can to doe Gods will And indeede it is all to little to doe that which we are commanded and therfore while it is called to day let vs make all the hast we can to repent and be reconciled vnto God Secondly Recreation must be sparing in regard of our affection For we may not set our hearts vpon sports but our affection must be tempered and alaied with the feare of God Thus Salomon saies that laughter is madnes Eccles. 2. 2. so farre-forth as it hath not the feare and reuerence of the name of God to restraine it This was the sinne of the Iewes reprooued by the Prophet that they gaue themselues to all manner of pleasure and did not consider the worke of the Lord that is his iudgements and corrections Esa. 5. 12. And thus if Sports and Recreations be not ordered and guided according to this and the other Rules we shall make them all not onely vnprofitable vnto vs but vtterly vnlawfull And so much of the vertue of Temperance CHAP. V. Of Liberalitie HItherto we haue treated of the first sort of Vertues that are seated in the will which doe respect a mans owne selfe namely of Clemencie which standeth in the moderation of the mind in respect of anger and Temperance which consisteth in the moderation of our appetite in respect of riches apparell meate and drinke pleasures and recreations Now we come to the second sort which respect others beside our selâ—es And these belong to the practise either of Courtesie and kindnes or Equitie and right Of the first kind is Liberalltie of the second is Iustice in shewing or giuing Equitie or Fortitude in maintaining the same Of these in order Liberalitie is a vertue seated in the will whereby we shew or practise courtesie and kindnes to others The principall Questions touching this Vertue may be referred to that text of Scripture which is written Luk. 11. 41. Therefore giue almes of those things which ye haue and behold all things shall be cleane vnto you The words are a rule or Counsell deliuered by Christ to the Pharisies and the true and proper sense of them is this You Pharisies giue