exhortationum The Lawe had his roote in Paradise his branches in the Desart his fruit in Christ the rootes bitter to Adam the braunches heauy to the Israelites the fruites death to Christ because he died to fulfill the lawe This lawe is a Schoolemaister sending vs to Christ This lawe is like a glasse wherein we may beholde two kindes of sights wee may beholde our owne imperfections and also we may see the absolute perfection of Christ Iesus When the yron fell into the water Elizeus 2. Kings 6 tooke a peece of woodde and threw it in and the yron came to the toppe of the wate We were as yron suncke vnto the bottome of the waters of desperation and our heauenly Elizens Christ Iesus with a peece of wood that is suffering for our sinnes vpon a woodden Crosse raised vs vp and caused vs to swimme vppon the toppes of the waters of despaire But before wee proceede to a particular view of the Commaundements I will briefly acquaint you with the substance of them which is this They comprehend the duety of man towards God and the duety of man towards man the duety of one man towards another Our dueties towardes God are deliuered in the foure first Commandements first table our dueties towards man in the six last being the second table Wilt thou knowe howe thou maiest performe all this that God requireth of thee in these his Commandements why loue God and loue thy neighbour and thou hast done all Do this and thou shalt be as free from the â—reach of these commandements or anie of them as Naaman was free from his leprosie when he had washed in Iordan The whole fulfilling of the lawe consists but in one word but in this word Loue it is â—ut a sillable But thou must knowe that this loue is more than a bare loue a naked loue a colde loue for the wickedest and loosest liuer in the world will say he loues God he loues his neighbour too But thou must loue God entirely and purely and as he will be loued thou must loue him with these circumstâ—â—ces viz. with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength and then thou must loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Thou must loue God aboue al thou must loue him more than thy selfe more than thy father that begate thee or thy mother that bare thee or thy brother the son of thy mother or thy wife that lieth in thy bosome he Mat. 10. 37 that loueth father or mother sister or brother wife or children or kinsfolks morethan me is not worthy to be my disciple Wee come short of this loue when wee loue the world like Demas or our pleasures like Belshazar or our riches like the young man in the Gospell who before he questioned with Christ thought hâ— had had this loue we now speake of for he iustified him Mat. 19. 22. selfe saying All these haue I kept from my youth vppe But Christ knew â—ee loued his riches and possessions and his landes better and therefore he bade him goe and sell all hee had and giue it to the poore and hee shoulde haue treasure in Heauen but he went away sorrowing not sorrowing for that hee came short of this loue wee speake of but for that he must part with his goods if he would inherite lift for the text saith he was very rich If ye loue the world the loue of GOD dwelleth not in you but when yee begin to loue the Lord in the sinceritie of your harts then and neuer till then will the loue of the world fall from you with the vanities thereof as the white scales fell fro Tobias eyes Loue euen this pure loue whereof wee speake is the first lincke that in an holie vnion dooth ioyne GOD and vs together and this one lincke drawes twoo others with it feare and obedience loue looks vppon Gods mercie feare lookes vpon his iustice the one stayeth vs from presumption the other keepes vs from desperation These two support our faith as the twoo Lions supported Solomons throne and to what soule soeuer these two shall haue recourse euen thither shall obedience comc also These three are better welcome vnto God than the three presents offered by the wise men vnto Christ These three graces loue feare and obedience are like those robes of righteousnes to couer and beautifie the Saintes of God which Saint Iohn extolleth with a threefold commendation they were pure fine and shining This loue holdes me to it like an adamant and yet I may not part with it till I haue planted it in you for if I teache you this one lesson I teach you all which is to loue God aboue all We must loue him for that he is mercifull in making vs when wee were not in protecting vs being made but most of all for sauing vs when we had lost our selues as Adam lost himselfe among the figge trees for giuing vs the ayre to breathe with the Sunne to giue vs light the raine to fructifie the earth the fire to warme vs the beastes and foules and fishes to feede vs all that is within and without our bodies This world and the goodly frame thereof This ought to make vs loue god and in our loue to exclaime like Dauid O Lorde what is man that thou so gratiously visitest him but looking vpon our selues and our ingratitude that doe not loue god for all this we haue cause to crie out vpon our selues to say O man what is god that thou so lightly regardest him O Lord saith Augustin in Soliloquijs if thou for this vile body giue so innumerable benefits from the firmament from the ayre from the earth from the sea by light and by darkenesse by heat and shadow by dewes and showers by wind and raine by birds fishes by beasts and trees by multitude of of hearbs and variety of plants and by the ministery of all thy creatures O sweete Lord what gratitude what loue and thankefulnesse should we owe thee for all this how should we honour thee as thou deseruest All the creatures of God do call vpon vs to loue God and yet are we short of this loue we praise him not we thanke him not for his benefits we honour him not for his goodnesse so beyond al measure vngratefull are we like those nine lepers that being clensed forgat him that clensed them Alas what meane we to forget to be thankfull to so gracious a God what meane we now after so many blessings that God stil powreth vpon vs in a plentifull measure we haue not yet learned to loue him This is the A B C of religion and fiâ—st Catechising Principle for them to learne that will be trained in the schoole o Christ and we haue not learned so much such trowanting schollers are we In this loue is all the whole duty of man consisting and wilt not thou learne this one thing which teacheth thee all things O but you will say if all
the new testament wherin we are washed with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to signifie that we are receiued to grace by the vertue of Christs death that by bloud wee are clensed from our sinnes and are regenerate by his spirit and therin are bound to testifie a newnesse of life after our new birth This baptisine conteineth three things The signe water the ceremonie the sprinkling of the water and the things themselues viz. the sprinkling of Christs blood and the imputation of his righteousnes This other of the Supper of the Lord representeth likewise Christ crucified and assureth vs that by his death we are freelie saued from the malediction of the lawe assuring our selues that as our mouthes receiue the bread and wine so our soules receyue Christ and his righteousnes These Sacraments are as conduits to conueigh Gods graces vnto vs the one is to purge our soules from sinne the other is to feede vs after we be purged The first is a bath made of Christ his owne blood to wash and bathe our wounds therein thesecond is amost comfortable and rich garment to couer our soules after they bee washed In the first Christ hath substituted in his place his spouse the Church to pronounce in his name remission of sinnes In the second he hath left himselfe and his owne flesh and blood sacramentally to be a precious food to cherish her withall I purpose onely at this time to shewe you the comfort and edification that we receiue by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For my text doth leade me thereunto In the night that he was betrayed Heere is set downe the verie Institution of this Sacrament with circumstances thereunto belonging The Lord Iesus There is the author of it In the night There is the time He tooke bread There is the signe He gaue thanks That is the first action in the sacrament Hee brake it There is the ceremonie Hee gaue it There is the vse of it Saying Take eate this is my body There is the fruit of it Do it in remembrance of mee There is the charge of it When Christ died the law ended and the Gospel reuiued after his death circumcision was abolished and the Pascal lamb no more vsed for that the law and ceremonies thereof were now to haue an end In steed wherof he instituted these two sacraments Baptisme for circumcision and for the Pascall lambe his last Supper so called for that it was instituted in the night that hee was betrayed Much neede not bee spoken concerning the Author of this institution onely wee are here called vppon for a most dutifull reuerence in the celebration thereof since it is heere noted by the Apostle to proceed immediatly from Christ If it had pleased God to haue vsed the ministery of an angel or of maÌ„â—in the deliuering forth of this sacrament we had notwithstanding beene pressed to a carefull obseruation thereof But to the end he might stamp in this holy mysterie a greater impression of excellencie in regard of the singular comfort lapt vp in the same therefore hee hath conueyed it vnto vs imediatly from himselfe It ought therefore to be more highly reckoned euen for his sake that was the authour of it For if the woord spoken by Angells was Heb. 2. 2. stedfast and euery transgression receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which first was preached by the Lord himselfe and was afterwardes confirmed by them that heard him The people of Israel did not omit to obserue the Passeouer throughout their generations because Moses the seruaunt of God had so commanded them Much more carefull ought we to be in the retaining of this Sacrament since not Moses but Christ himselfe hath coÌ„manded vs to obserue the same for euer throughout our generations For this man is counted more worthy of glorie than Moses inasmuch as he is more excellent then the Angells being the brightnes of the glorie and the ingraued forme of Heb. 1. 3. his person as we reade in the author to the Hebrewes In the night that he was betrayd at his betraying he ordained this sacrament comfort was reuealed vnto vs when christ was discoÌ„forted When he was in greatest heauines he prepared for vs a solemne feast euen a more sumptuous banquet then that of Ahaâ—uerus for whoso eateth of this bread shall liue for euer A better and more nourishing meate is here presented vnto vs than Sampson found in the dead lion Iudas and the scribes were this night deuising how to betray Christ how to destroy him that should haue saued them But Christ was deuising how to finish the worke of our redemption and to fulfill his fathers will Iudas was deuising how to take away his masters life but Christ was deuising how to giue them life who were dead in the life of grace Iudas as he was wont to carry the bagge so Ioh. 12. 6. he thought to mend the bagge as Gehezi thought to inrich himselfe with Naamans 2. Kin. 5. 22. gold He sold Christ in that night for mony but Christ bought vs with a deerer price than sâ—luer or gold for it cost him his heart bloud all this amplifieth the greatnesse of the loue wherewith he loued vs. In the night when he was betrayed It was a bitter night an heauy night vnto Christ as the history of his Passion declareth a night of sorrow and anguish a night of perplexity and feare a night wherein all the sorowes of death gate hold vpon him What a night was it to see his owne disciples forsake him how grieuously was he troubled in Gethsemaneh himselfe testified â—is exceeding sorow when he said my soule â—s heauy vnto the death Looke the twenty sixt of Mathew twise he repeateth his passionate prayer O lette this cuppe passe from me What a terror was it vnto him to see his owne Disciple Iudas come and betray him with a kisse a great multitude following him with swords and staues to take him And when they had takeÌ„ him what iniury did they not vnto him how was he mocked spitted at and beaten with fists Such a bitter night was it vnto Christ but it was to vs a night more comfortable than the day of our birth a night brighter than the brightest day â—a night more comfortable vnto vs then that night of deliuerance was to Exod. 12. the Israelites when they went out of Aegypt from Pharaoh and from the Aegyptians for in this night was the mystery of our redemption begun He tooke breade Now we are come to the institution As there is no substance with out his shadow so there is no Sacrament without his signe And the signe in this Sacrament is the bread and wine God in these familiar matters shrowdetâ— instruction of greater mysterie We are best acquainted with the vse oâ— bread and we well know what strength our bodies receiue by it the same and more is
shall be woorthy of iudgement but he that saith thou foole shall be worthy to be punished with hel-fire these are the handmaides of murther and are all here condemned But if thou shalt being ouer ruled by thine own corrupt wil and Satan his suggestion at any time fall out with thy neighbor to quarrel with him and to hate him in thine heart oh beware yet how thou proceede to shead his bloud for then thou fallest into the extreamity of the breach of this commaundement Destroy not him whom God hath made and for whom Christ hath died for he that sheadeth mans bloud by man shal his bloud be shead Gain proued not a wanderer til he became a murtherer he neuer despaired of Gods Gene. 4. 14 mercy til he had slaine his brother but when his brothers bloud begâ—nne to crie out for vengeance to the Lord then he began to cry out also against himselfe mine iniquitie is greater than Gods mercy Let this wanderer be a warning to al them that carry bloudy mindes that hate their neighbours in their hearts and by his iudgement let vs grow wise let vs learne not to destroy life for God chargeth thee to preserue life Christ commaunds vs to loue euen our Mat. 5. 44. enemies The seueth commandement Againe if thou loue thy neighbour thou wilt not corrupt thy neighbour thou wilt not tempt him or her to any vncleannesse which is the matter of the seauenth commaundement for God wil haue vs glorifie him in our bodies and in our soules God requireth vs to be so prouident and careful in guiding our selues as that we suffer not so much as an vnpure thought or lust to passe from vs. In this commaundement all vnchaste demeanor loose cariage of our selues al idle talke foolish and scurrilous ieasting wanton songs garish or gaudy apparrel and al lewd pastimes inusing to such vncleanes are here forbidden For our bodies are the temples of the holieghost and God requireth vs to be holy as â—e is holy Know ye not saith Paul that your bodies are the temples of the holieghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and you are not your owne foâ— ye are dearly bought therefore glorifie God in your bodies in your soules for you are gods Behold the vialles of Gods wrath vppon transgressors of this commandement and by their falls learne to stand we reade that Phineas in his zeale slewe Zimry and Cosby for this sinne of adulterie Fiue and twenty thousands of the Beniamites Iud. 20. were slayne for the forcing of the Leuites wife The Sodomites for this sin among others were consumed with fire He that committeth adultery is voide of Pro. 6. vnderstanding he that doth it destroyeth his owne soule In the eight commaundement all stealing The eight commandement and robbing all violent wrongs fraudes and al desire of other mens goods are prohibited so we reade in Leu. 19. 11. Eph. 5. 9. 1. Thes 4. 6. The contrary to this is commanded viz. to be content with the portion that God hath giuen vs in labouring for our owne liuings and being helpefull to them that neede To proceede yet further if thou loue thy The ninth commandement neighbour thou wilt not accuse thy neighbor falsly in any matter by bearing false witnesse against him God is a God of truth and he requireth truth in his seruants If at any time thou shalt testifie against him looâ—â—e thy testimony be true All lying flattering and dissembling are here forbidden also all back-biting and slandering This commaundement hath many branches it impeacheth the iudge if hee giue false iudgement it impeacheth the counsailor if he carry himselfe to his clyent otherwise than he ought it impleades the recorder if he falsifie the record most of al it concernes him for the record being searched if it be false an hundred yeares after it may do harme it reacheth to the iurors if they giue not a true verdict according to euidence if these circumstances were duly considered there would be lesse swearing and forswearing than commonly is vsed To instruct you yet a little further in this commandement you must note there bee three sorts of testimonies Suggesti Fori Colloquij of the Pulpit of the Court of Conference False witnesse of the Pulpit is when the peacher deliuereth false doctrine if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vaine and 1. Cor. 15 14 15 Acts 5. we are counted false witnesses of God False witnesse-bearing in the Court is when one man shall falsely accuse an other before the iudge as Tertullus accused Paul calling him a pestilent fellow Act. 24â— or when the iudge himselfe shall giue corrupt iudgement as Pilat pronounced sentence against Christ thogh no crime could be produced against him Testimony of conference is when in priuat matters one accuseth another falsly by way of slaunder Alas if false witnesse may be committed so many waies who of vs is not a false witnesse We cannot certainely cleare our selues from the breach of this commandement no more than those lewes could cleare themselues when they accused the adulterous woman to Christ If thou hast but told a lie or hast flattered or hast slaundered thy neighbour thou hast violated this commaundement but how grossely do they trangresse and how haynous is their sin that in the face of a Court in the sight of God of Angells and of mens being produced to try the truth in matters of controuersie betweene neighbour and neighbour will dare most grossely and irreligiously to sweare an vntruth vppon their book-oathes Most daungerous and full of honour is the state of such a prophane wretch for it is a sinne in the next degree to blasphemie Wouldest thou but consider what an oath were and what a burden or clogge this is vnto thy conscience euen a more grieuous burthen to thy soule than the leprozie of Naaman was vnto Gehezie thou shouldst bee better aduised in laying thine hand vpon a booke and bearing false witnes against thy neighbor if after so many oaths thou hast not yet learned what an oath is learne it now and bee ashamed of thine ignoraunce as Adam was of his nakednesse What an oath is Iuramentum est contestatio diuini numinis cum oppigneratione boni imprâ—catione mali It is the calling of God the father God the sonne and God the holy ghost to witnesse with putting our saluation in gage that our witnes is true and wishing our condemnation if it be false Out of this definition may wee spell the substaunce of an oathe and the daunger of it if thou sweare truely thou hast saued thy gage saluation was the pledge or paine of thine oathes trial but if thou swearest falsely thy pawne thou thy selfe art forfeited not vnto God whom thou hast denied in denying his truth but to him who is the father of lies that tempted thee to lie against thine owne soule as he tempted Ananiab and Saphira that is the diuell and I
Lord. I haue also with holden the raine from â—oâ— when there were yet three moneths to the haruest and yet you haue not retourned vnto me I haue smitten your fieldes with blasting and mildew your great gardens and vineyards I haue sent the pestilence amoÌ„g you to deuoure you and still concludeth euery plague with this bitter complaint and yet you haue not returned vnto me sayth the Lord. There are none of the aforesayd plagues â—ut haue bin inflicted vpon vs yet we shew no reformation It is not long since God strooke vs with the rod of pestilence being a generall plague that did spreade it selfe ouer all the land and almost ouer euery particular congregation and yet that did not humble vs. What heart can think of the sorrows of that time without compunction or what eye can looke back to the ruines of those times without compassion Was any sorrow since that time like the sorrowes then when the fattest and welthiest of vs were compelled to seeke our bread with sighes and to giue our pleasant things for mâ—ate to refresh our soules What a time of sorrow and perplexity was it to see all our friends and neighbours to stand a farre off disdaining to approach nere vs how the destroyer did besâ—â—rre himselfe in taking away the strong man the graues do yet witnes that shrowd so many corpses They who this day carried the dead bâ— dies to their graues were themselues on tâ— morrow carried by others into their grauâ— The parents mourned for the death of thâ— children and the children mourned as fâ— for the death of their parents This was the time of our visitation who now regardeth it it is al now forgottâ— like a wonder that dureth but nine daies â— that time the Lorde tooke from vs oâ— markets and faires the greatest stay of â— common wealth and not for a Sabboathâ— weekes but for many weekes many Sabbâ—oths euen a Iubile of Sabbaoths During the time of that humiliation euâ— one seemed to turne vnto the Lord and tâ— Lord turned from his fierce wrath and so tâ— plague ceased But all that is now gone from vs likâ— dreame and we haue since returned like tâ— dog to the vomite and like the filthie sow our old wallowiug in the mire And therfore a second plague hath ouâ— taken vs this plague of famine being indeeâ— so great as the like hath not bin seene in tâ— memory of any man now liuing or of our â— ther 's afore vs. This is a time wherein that proclamatioâ— â—â—ereof we reade in Ioel might wel be pubâ—shed in our streetes Heare O elders hearken O ye ancients â—hether any such thing hath bin in your Ioel 1. 2. â—ies or in the daies of your fathers tell your â—hildren these things and let your children â—â— their children and their children againe â—nother generation And we must yet looke for the coÌ„tinuance â—f this plague for till we leaue our sins God â—ill not leaue off to punish vs. I do not see any meane of reconcilement â—r pacification of this great wrath but euen nightie and strong crying vnto the Lord â—nd a generall forsaking of sinne We must â—â—ke a couenant of our selues that we will no â—ore transgres as the people did in the time â—f Iosuah When Niniueh was but threatned it speeâ—ly Ionah 3. repented the King himselfe and all the â—eople beleeued God and proclaimed a â—ast and put on sackcloth from the greatest â—â— the least of them and they cried mightily â—nto the Lord and turned from the euil way â—nd from the wickednesse that was in their â—ands and as they repented God repented â—f the euill that he determined to do vnto â—hem and he did it not Let vs humble our selues like these Niâ—uites by turning to the Lord with fastinâ— weeping and mourning for the Lord is gâ—â—cious slow to anger and of great kindnesâ— and such a one as is sory for our afflictions If we thus vnfeinedlie turne vnto the loâ—â— he will yet be iealous ouer vs to spare vs aâ— to remoue these iudgements He will yet open the windowes of heâ—uen and insteed of curses powre vpon â— twise so many blessings as he doubled to â—â— his goods insteed of scarcitie wee shall â—â— haue plentie for the mouth of the Lord haâ— spoken it I will yet send you corne and wine an oyle and you shall be satisfied the pasturâ— shall yet be greene and the fields shal reioyâ— for the haruest I will giue you the raine of righteousneâ— Ioel 2. 23. I will cause to come downe for you the firâ— and the later raine and the barnes shal be fâ— of wheat and I wil render vnto you the yeaâ— that the cankerworme hath eaten and thâ— yeares that the caterpiller hath deuoured anâ— we shall yet reioyce before the Lord eueâ— man vnder his owne vine and vnder hiâ— owâ—e figge tree Sic paucis lachrimis gaudia magna dabit foâ— a few short teares he will giue infinite ioyes such ioyes as neither eie hath seene nor eare â—ath heard nor hath it entered into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that loue him For the accomplishing of which ioyes and finishing of these dayes of sinne O thou whom my soule loueth make haste like the Roe vpon the mountaines Amen FINIS Christ his last Supper The Lord Iesus in the same night that hee was betrayed tooke bread and when hee had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue it to his Disciples saying Take eate this is my bodie which is giuen for you doe this as oft as you do it in remembrance of me 1. Cor. 11. 23. ALL the volume of Gods booke dooth most plentifully lay out the vnspeakable loue of God towards vs in creating vs in holines protecting vs in security froÌ„ millions of daungers which else would swallow vs vppe in gouerning vs with the scepter of his word in sanctifying vs with his comfortable spirit in illuminating vs with his knowledge but most of all for sauing vs when we had lost our selues being now redeemed not with siluer and gold but with the death of his beloued sonne Christ Iesus who humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse and susteined all contumely shame reproch yea the very paines of hell for our sakes al for vs. All being infallible testimonies of the superabounding loue of God in giuing vs his Sonne to die for vs that so many as beleeued on him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And this loue of God is made manifest vnto vs by twoo speciall pledges or tokensâ— that is by the two sacraments that of Baptisine and this of the Supper of the Lorde Reue. 13. 8 both like Iohn Baptist doe poynt at Christ the lambe of God the slaine lambe from the beginning whom they that know not abide in wrath Both declare and shew forth Iesus Christ crucified and that wee haue remission of our sinnes in his bloud onely Baptisine is that holy institution of Christ in