all the nations of the world be blessed with diverse other of the like nature He also fulfilled the ceremonialls of the Law while he being Priest offered himself as a sacrifice Besides he spiritually circumciseth beleevers by substituting Baptisme instead of Circumcision He is our Passeover and appointed the Eucharist instead of the Paschal Lambe and indeed he is the full complement and perfection of the Law and the Prophets 2. Christ fulfilled the Law by satisfying in most absolute manner the will of God being the holy of holies without spot or sin at all for in him is the love of God most perfect and righteousnesse most absolute And this in regard of the merit and satisfaction thereof he communicates gratis freely to us most imperfect to us I say if we beleeve God was in Christ saith Saint Paul reconciling the world to him not imputing their trespasses to them for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So Abraham beleeved and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse For by faith we rely upon Christ whom we beleeve to have made satisfaction most fully to God for us and that God is so pleased with us in Christ that he accepts us as now become the Sons of God 3. But this faith by which we beleeve in Christ is not by our nature or merits but is wrought in us by Gods grace through the Spirit given into our hearts And this abiding there enflames them with love of Gods Law and desire to expresse the same by good works which though we do not perform as we ought by reason of the infirmity of our flesh yet God allowes our endeavours in Christ. Nor did ever any of the Saints though he strove and resolved to keep the Law as far as he could trust or rely upon his own merits but upon Christ. Saint Paul did not for he complained Who shall deliver me out of this body of death and presently addeth I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that is I thank him that he hath redeemed me from death by Jesus Christ. And it follows There 's now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus c. So that a faithful man moved by Gods Spirit to do that which is good as far as he is able and as the second covenant requires and that out of love of God and not onely for fear of the Curies threatned in the Law may be said to fulfill the Law in such manner that God in Christ accepts of him So much in answer to the first question To the second why God would promise life to them that should keep the Law seeing no man can keep it in a legal and exact manner we answer 1. First besides that it may be doubted whether God doth offer or promise life now otherwise then upon the conditions of the Gospel which may be kept some do further answer that God sheweth hereby that he abides the same and the Law still the same though we be changed from what he made us 2. Secondly Hereby man seeth his own weaknesse and is driven out of himself to seek Christ. For as the Apostle saith if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all men under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve 3. Because Christ took on him our nature and dying for us hath purchased the promised inheritance to be communicated to us by faith and new obedience or sanctification 4. Lastly Though man cannot keep the Law exactly yet upon his faith in Christ and his resolution and indeavour to keep the Law and actual keeping of it by the assistance of Gods grace so as is above declared God accepteth of him in Christ and takes the will for the deed in some things and accounts him righteous and makes good the promise unto him CHAP. XVIII Of the preparation before the giving of the Law 1. To make them willing by consideration of 1. his benefits 2. Gods right as Lord 3. Their relation as Creatures 〈◊〉 4. that they are his people His benefits past and promised Three 〈◊〉 to love 1. Beauty 2. Neernesse 3. Benefits all in God 2 To make them able by sanctifying and cleansing themselves That ceremonial washing signifyed our spiritual cleansing How we came to be polluted How we must be cleansed Why they were not to come at their wives Of the danger and abuse of things lawful 3. That they might not run too far bounds were set Of curiosity about things unnecessary Now concerning the Preparation to the hearing of the Law THough in the Preface something hath been said concerning the preparation of the Catechumeni upon the words venite auscultate yet before we come to the particular explication of the Law we shall further adde some thing in this place about our preparation to the hearing of it For we can receive no benefit at Gods hands if we be not prepared for it God himself commanded the people to prepare themselves before the hearing of the Law and so of the Gospel also Prepare ye the way of the Lord saith the Baptist And to these adde that the primitive Church appointed Vesperas diei Dominici Vespers of the Lords day and so they had for other holy dayes and solemn feasts and to the solemnest Sunday Easter day they prepared fourty dayes before And forasmuch as the Sacrament is an appendix of the word and the seal of it surely we cannot be excused if we prepare our selves for the one and not for the other The Preacher gives this advise Keep thy foot look to thy self when thou goest into the house of the Lord. And again we ought to know that preparation is as necessarily required of the Hearer as of the Speaker Now this preparation consists of three things or means The first means to preparation is to make the people willing to hear the Law and that is grounded upon the speech of God to the Israelites in Exodus Ye have seen saith he what I have done unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings And a little after Go to the people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloathes And let them be ready against the third day And Thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about the Mount saying Take heed unto your selves c. In which words there are three things prescribed and the fourth is implyed by circumstance 1. The will in every action is to precede the people were to be made willing to hear and receive the message that was to be delivered And therefore to make them willing God in the first place gives them a catalogue of his Benefits and goodnesse So that one way to stir us and our will
that after we have beleeved we may search after a reason that we may be able and ready as the Apostle bids us alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in us For grace doth not annihilate and make nature voyd faith is aboue and not contrary to right reason it is as a greater light to the lesse yea religio est summa ratio it is the quintessence of reason or reason exalted or elevated But we are to use reason as the hand-maid to faith for faith must bring the understanding of man into captivity to the obedience of Christ as Saint Paul saith and we must expect from the holy Ghost the teaching of these things which our nature neither can nor is able to conceive Now faith differs from science thus In science there is first an enquiry after the reasons and causes and then the assent follows But in faith there is first the assent and then the understanding of that to which we have assented Auditu 〈◊〉 by the hearing follows Assoon as they heare of me they shall obey me saith God It is conceptus cum assensu because the object of our faith is not propounded with such evidence to the understanding as to constrain us to beleeve but the will holdeth the understanding prisoner and keepeth it captive Thus faith becoms a free act an act of obedience whereas if things were propounded with that evidence that we could not distrust there could be 〈◊〉 place for freedom of obedience in beleeving God hath so ordered it that matters of faith are propounded as summe credibilia highly credible such that in prudence we may safely assent unto yet not with that evidence which necessitates assent for then there could be no trial of obedience in beleeving nor any pretence left for reward to beleevers or punishment to unbeleevers See the Schoolmen generally and master Hookers 〈◊〉 Of the certainty of saith added to his Eccles-politic With the heart man beleeveth faith the Apostle belief being an act of the understanding it should come first a mente but he saith there we must corde 〈◊〉 for the will hath an especial act in it Now the reason why it pleased God thus to order the matter in production of faith is because if reason of it self could have attained to the things pertaining to God little or no glory at all had come to God by it Again seeing matters of faith cannot be attained by reason this shews the vanity of the wisdom of the flesh and we may see how God doth confound and abase it For in Religion the ground is contrary to that in Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to beleeve is the way of Philosophy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beleeve of divinity at which Lucian scoffed For the warrant of beleeving or assenting before we know something hath been said before we will adde a little more in this place Saint Cyrill in his fift 〈◊〉 Cyprian Chrysostome and other of the ancient fathers prove against Philosophers that Quic quid fit fide fit whatsoever is done is done by faith This appeares in all civill affaires wherein men go upon a civill faith without certain knowledge of the things and therefore much more in matters of religion which are supernatural may we live by faith Thus we see the husbandman who though he sees the weather unkindly c. yet fits himself to till and sow his ground and bestows his cost though he have no demonstrative knowledge whether he shall reape any profit or no. And so the Merchants though their goods and ships are subject to storms pyrats c. yet they run the hazard and adventure upon this Civill faith So in marriage though some may be barren yet they marry in hope to have children and so in warfare though the victory be uncertain yet the souldier goes one to battel c. The Schoolmen after the fathers goe a subtiller way to work and hold that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fide scitur that we beleeve even those things we know for by our senses and understanding we know many things and herein they are our witnesses which we beleeve yet all confesse that these witnesses are very doubtfull in many things For the eye which is the most certain and chiefe of all the outward senses because it apprehendeth more differences and apprehends its object after a more special and spiritual manner yet they which are skilful in the Optiques reckon up 20 wayes how it may be deceived and what greatimperfections are in it And for our reason or understanding we see how uncertain it is in our younger yeers and how we correct former errours as we grow in years when we are children we speak as children reason as children and conceive as they do but when we are men we put away childish things Ploughmen cannot reason of the formall causes of things because they cannot see them but tell them of labour that they can conceive and so in respect of a more sublime understanding they come far short And therfore we also may be deceived in things that are above us and therefore the third way of knowledge that is by relation is necessary The certainty of faith is grounded upon the condition and qualitie of the relaters and hath onely two exceptions 1. Either against the authors that they want skill and are ignorant of the things they relate 2. Or else that they are such upon whose fidelity we cannot rely Now in either of these cases if the party relating want skill and cannot relate the truth or is not honest and will not his testimony is not to be taken So then there is no more certaine way then this that whereas the knowledge of faith and grounds of Religion are to be built upon such witnesses as want neither skill nor fidelity but for their skill can and for their faithfulnesse will deliver the truth we are to embrace what they deliver as certain truths The Apostle saith not I beleeve whom I know but scio cuicredo I know whom I beleeve We know that whom we beleeve is Amen just and true That cannot lie a faithful witnes it is a thing impossible for him so to do And for the manner of giving his testimony The termes in Scripture are 1. Dictum Jehovaeh and Dixit 〈◊〉 the word of the Lord and thus saith the Lord. And because mans stipulation and promise is more certain then his bare affirmation therefore God hath made promises to us and his promises are precious as the Apostle saith 3. And for our greater comfort and assurance hath confirmed his promise with an oath 4. Again because if we have a mans handwriting we give greater credit to that then toan oath we have his own handwriting written with his own finger 5. And for confirmation of that he hath put to his feal 6. And lastly beyond which no
Credidit he beleeved But among all the rest there was one exception which might have tried one that had been very faithful and that was the long time he had been without a childe before and in his younger dayes and therefore there was little hope for him in his old age And therefore he might have concluded with them in the Prophet It is in vain to serve God what profit is it to trust in him I will beleeve no longer But this is against that rule of Esay Qui crediderit ne festinet hast and impatiency are no fit companions of faith he that will see the event in hast his faith is in vain Therefore our faith must not waver if we see not the fruit of it speedily but we must wrestle as Jacob did with the Angel and not let God go till we get a blessing from him as was said before We see that the woman af Canaan weake by sex and an alien from the promise though she received three repulses from our Saviour yet by not making hast she confirmed her faith to be true and received the reward of a true faith by obtaining what she desired 2. The second signe is our freedom from worldly cares and thoughts the ground of this is taken out of the great Scripture of faith when we run not a madding after worldly preferment the scraping together of wealth and seeking to have a portion in this life is an argument that we are born citizens of this world not as the Saints and Godly men that shewed themselves pilgrims in this world and that they sought another country a heavenly country and so God was not ashamed to be called their God But a more particular and special example is that there of Moses who being in great possibility to be a Prince for he should have been the onely son to Pharaohs daughter yet we see his coldnes to the world and to the preferment thereof was such that he waved it and chose rather to suffer affliction with his brethren the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a time for so he accounted the preferment of the world 3. The third signe is taken out of the 11. to the Hebrews from the definition of faith which is there called Hypostasis or a substance and thereupon the faithfull are called Hypostatici now we know that a thing which hath substance is able to receive a great waight without shrinking or crushing And such are the Saints of God David was hypostaticus he would not fear though the earth be moved and the hills caried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof rage and swell and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same yet the Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge as he concludeth that psalm And in another psalm he sheweth the true 〈◊〉 of a true beleever he shall never be moved he will not be afraid and his heart is stablished But the condition of him that wanteth faith is otherwise If there come but a gale of wind Saint Peter sinks when holy Job on the other side in the fullnesse of this substance of faith can say Etiamsi occiderit tamen sperabo in illum Though he kill me yet I will put my trust in him Though God should punish him in his wrath yet he would not leave his hold 4. The fourth signe of a true faith is to establish the Law as the Apostle speaks and it is a plain signe and demonstration of an ill faith to make void the Law it must be a working faith if not it is but like putridum 〈◊〉 a body without the spirit dead for as Saint Paul saith with the heart a man beleeveth unto righteousnesse The heart must kindle it from the heart saith the wiseman come the issues and springs of life and all the actions and operations of a man and if no action there can be no true faith If the heart be once possessed with this belief then as the Apostle speaketh I beleeved therefore have I spoken then it will come into the tongue and not onely so but as the Psalmist All our bones will speak every member will make profession of it for as it is said before according to the Physicians rule Judicium a corde fit per brachium the heart makes the pulse beat and that not by little and little or in a long time but presently and so is faith when it is in the heart it hath its effects presently eadem hora sanatus he that beleeved was healed the same hour The prophet saith who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things shall the earth be made to bring forth in a day or shall a nation be born at once for assoon as Zion travelled she brought forth her children The Prophet wonders at it yet it is a signe of true faith Therefore what is their faith that is not seen till they die 〈◊〉 then they must trust in God whether they will or no all their life they will not at their death ther 's no remedy But it is not said that the just shall die but live by his faith And I shall not pray with Balaam let my soul die the death of the righteous but let my soule live the life of the righteous 6. The sixth rule for exposition teaches us that we 〈◊〉 seek to strengthen the faith of others Saint Paul though strong in faith yet desires to be strengthened and 〈◊〉 by the faith of the Romans And the contrary which is seducing others is not onely forbidden but a punishment is also laid upon seducers As we may see in Deut. where we are commanded not to consent to such and not onely so but to be the first actors in his punishment And thus if we labour to grow in faith our selves and to confirm others then as Saint Peter saith we shall receive the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls and have this answer Vade secundum fidem tibi erit as thou hast beleeved so be it done unto thee This will be Gods answer to us and merces fidei est visio dei the reward of faith is the vision of God for in in rebus supra naturam idem est habere videre in supernatural things its all one to have and to see We shall enjoy it Credendo quod non vidimus videbimus quod credimus by beleeving that we have not seen we shall see that we have beleeved And thus much for the duties of the minde Now for the duties of the heart CHAP. VIII The third inward vertue is fear of God Addition 11. of the seat of faith Reasons why God should be feared Of 〈◊〉 and seruile feare how fear and love may stand ' together The sinns 〈◊〉 1. want of fear 2. worldly fear
motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of feare VVE have seen out of the Apostle that saith must be in the heart and the heart must beleeve else there can be no righteousnesse there must be a mutual affection of the minde and heart for if the heart love not the minde will not long beleeve and if the minde beleeve not the heart will not love long Faith in regard of the actus elicitus assent is an act of the minde but in respect of the actus imperati as the Schools speak which flow from assent and belief as love fear obedience c. So it is in the heart and whole man so that the duty of a Christian may be called the work of faith because it is commanded and produced by faith though belief be the formal and onely proper immediate act of it Now the heart is the seat of the affections and the affections are about such objects as are partly agreable to our nature and such as we wish for and imbrace and partly such as we desire not but turn from Of the former sort are love hope joy and of the other are fear grief hate And God hath 〈◊〉 both of them to a double use as those of the second sort to restrain us from evil or after we have committed evil to torment and punish us So of the former either they are provocations to good or after we have done well to cherish and comfort us for so doing It is the work and office of faith to stir up these 〈◊〉 in us the first of which is fear towards God and the reason is because the word of God being the object of faith whether we take it in whole or in grosse the five books of Moses or the four Gospels in all we finde punishments 〈◊〉 to such as should transgresse which threatnings being 〈◊〉 by faith must needs work fear to 〈◊〉 and so they restrain from sin or fear of the punishment in those that have offended and so they stir up to repentance for in the very beginning we see faith had a word of threatning to apprehend In what day soever Adam should eat of the fruit of the tree he should die and this was before the promise that The seed of the woman should bruise the serpent head Now faith apprehended Gods justice which with his other attributes made it seem more fearful and the conscience telling that an offence was committed by eating fear must needs arise out of the consideration of it And this is it which was remembred before in our Saviours speach to the Jews If ye had believed Moses ye would also have believed me First Moses was to be believed then Christ first the Law then the Gospel The first is a faith in Gods justice There is a manifest example of this in the Ninevites Crediderunt Deo timuerunt they believed God and feared which is Moses fear a faith in Gods justice Among many motives to fear given by writers the chief is 〈◊〉 legis the knowledge of the Law and this works contritionem a grinding to powder by fear of that which the Law brings into their hearts And of this the Psalmist speaks telling us what is the true object of fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements This is the effect of faith upon the knowledge of Gods Justice The reason why it pleased God to set justice and fear in the first place is because before any thing can be effected the impediment and that which hindereth must be taken away We cannot possesse God and the reason is because as the Prophet tells us there is a separation between him and us our sins do separate between God and us a partition wall as the Apostle calls it Now seeing there is a necessity to have God and that this partition wall keeps us asunder in the first place we must not build this wall higher but we must cease to build sin upon sin and look for Christ to beat down that which is already built That which causeth us to cease from sin is the fear of God Expulsor peccati timor Domini saith the Wise man we must not say shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle And this is the reason why God commandeth fear because it maketh us to leave sin Besides fear there are two other affections which cause men to live well though it pleased God here to make choice of fear as 1. Shame 2. Pain and grief Make their faces ashamed O Lord saith the Psalmist that they may seek thy Name and for the other Vexatio dat intellectum affliction brings understanding If a man smart for any thing experience will give him understanding But we see that in the multitude of offenders there is no place for shame and for pain we have terrenas consolatiunculas poor worldly comforts at least if not to drive it away yet to season it and therefore God foresaw that neither of these would strike so deep as fear But fear which it pleaseth God to set before us and to require at our hands is that affection which toucheth us neerest and when other fail fails not Examples we have of it in offenders Adam being naked and clothed onely with fig-leaves might have been ashamed yet he walked up and down Paradise confidently and his humbling came not till he heard the voice of the Lord and then he was afraid Felix was a corrupt governour and made no conscience of it yet hearing Saint Paul discourse of Justice and Temperance and especially of Gods Judgements he fell into a trembling And this affection is not onely in men but predominant in beasts also and in those beasts which are most stupid and brutish 〈◊〉 asse fearing the angel of the Lord notwithstanding all his Masters beating fell down flat and would not stir a foot to run into danger Nay further the Devils which fear nothing else yet in respect of God S. James tells us Demones credunt contremiscunt the Devils believe and tremble And therefore this must needs be a prevalent means and that man is far gone and in a fearful case that feareth not But it may be objected That since God speaketh so much of love why should we not be brought to obedience by love rather then by fear It cannot be denied but that were a more acceptable way but our case is so that love will not prevail with us for he that loveth a good thing must have knowledge of it and that comes by a taste of it Now if his 〈◊〉 be corrupt as theirs is that are feavorish nothing can please him but that wich pleaseth the corrupt taste wholsome things are distasteful to him yet though they love not those things that are good for their disease this reason will prevail against their liking that if they take it not their fit
alone can search the heart therefore he delights in it and requires our obedience to be coram facie mea as in his sight Therefore it is that the Wise man counselleth a man to keep his heart with all diligence He gives a double reason for it is the principal member and therefore gives God the chief glory and further it is the fountain of all our actions by none of which is God honoured if they come from a corrupt fountain nay they are so far from being accepted that they are abominable and therefore according to the disposition of the heart life or death proceeds if we worship God with a right heart then we shall reap life if that be unsound death eternall follows And therefore necessitas incumbit we had need to keep that member right For all those glorious duties before spoken of if they want integrity or a good heart they are so far from Gods acceptation that they become abomination For if we believe our faith must come from the heart if we love it must be not in word but in truth which comes from the heart Our obedience also must proceed from the heart To conclude this whatsoever we do we must do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men That which is here commanded is called virtus integritatis by the Fathers inward soundnesse against hollownesse and sincerity against mixture And they ground it upon Gods charge to Abraham when he made the covenant of Circumcision Ambula coram me what that is God explained in the next words esto integer walk before me and be upright or perfect without hypocrisie It is commonly joyned in Scripture with another word Job was an upright and just man the words signifie properly straight and sound upright and pure in another place and an honest and good heart in another The nature of the word integer is taken from timber it must be straight without and sound within straight that it be not crooked coram facie humana and sound that it be not hollow coram facie divina before God Therefore the Ark was overlaid with gold without and within and in this respect it was that the Psalmist distinguished the Church the Kings daughter from other Kings daughters her outward beauty might be parraleld but she was all glorious within It is the inward beauty which is required chiefly That which is forbidden is hypocrisie Our Saviour taxed it in the Pharisees by telling them they had a care to make clean the outside of the cup and platter but had no regard to that which was intus within This is the sin of seven woes more then we read that any other sin had Of which S. Chrysostome saith Pharisaeorum justitia erat in ostentatione operis non in rectitudine intentionis the righteousnesse of the Pharisees consisted in ostentation of their works not in the uprightnesse of their intents The other extream is that the Prophet taxes in Ephraim whom he calld a silly dove without heart this is simplicity without wisdom when there is as our Saviour intimates Columba sine serpente the dove without the serpent Of such speaks Solomon when he saith that a fool uttereth all his minde he poures out his spirit without any manner of wisdom and discretion before every man our integrity therefore must be preserved with wisdom 1. The way to keep our selves in this integrity First Seneca's councel to Lucillus who desired this vertue was when he took any thing in hand to imagine that Cato Scipio or some other of the ancient Romans renowned for vertue stood before him But it is a better way for us to do as the Psalmist did to set God alwayes before our eyes conceiving and that truely that whatsoever we do is in his presence If that will not work with us then to set God not absolutely but as he will sit when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed at the day of judgment The day as the Apostle speaks when God shall judge the secrets of all men for as the Preacher saith God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing 2. Another motive and that a forceable one to perswade us will be that God requires an exact and sincere service of us to himself because he commandeth singlenesse of heart from servants to their Masters even with fear and trembling If this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service will not be allowed by God as current towards men much lesse will he allow it to himself 3. Lastly if we consider the integrity of Christs heart to us of whom we read that it was pierced and that he spent his very heart blood for us if we consider that it will stir us up to have a reciprocal heart to him and say with S. Bernard juste cor nostrum vindicat qui cor suum pro nostro dedit he may justly challenge our hearts that gave his for ours When he had offered his hands feet and other members for us yet thought it not sufficient but gave his heart for us also It is not our tongue hands or feet that can requite it our hearts will be too little if we give them also up to him 1. And we shall know whether our hearts be upright or no first by the Heathen mans rule Nil conscire sibi nulla pallescere culpa hic murns 〈◊〉 us 〈◊〉 A sound heart is like a wall of brasse and is so full of courage that it can say with the Apostle 〈◊〉 perminimum est ut a vobis judicer it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you It is the soundnesse of the heart that will make it bold if we be not 〈◊〉 mali to our selves that we know no evil in our selves This made John Baptists heart to be above King Herodes power the want of it made Peter afraid at a silly Damsels speech charging him to be of Christs company 2. Another mark like to this is if we be firm and upright under the crosse If afflictions alter us not for troubles and crosses will dishonour the integrity of our hearts Look how we stand affected in them if firm then no doubt but we are right If we can say with King Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart this upheld him when he was sick even unto death but e contra if the heart be not sound then in any crosse it melts within us like wax as the Psalmist speaks Psalm 22. 14. 3. If we derest sin in our selves and punish it no lesse in our selves then others Judah at the first in the case of Thamar cried Bring her away let her be burnt but upon further consideration when it came to be his own case there was a sudden alteration she was more righteous then I. This is much like that the Heathen man
inexcusable having all the parts of the Law within them written in their hearts to accuse or excuse them CHAP. XVII Questions about the Law 1. Why it was written by Moses seeing it was written before in mens hearts How the light of Nature became Divine three causes of it it was deserved in three respects Why the Law was given at this time Why onely to the Jews All the four parts of a Law are in the Law written 1. The Act. 2. The Manner 3. The Rewards 4. Punishments 2. Whether any can keep the Law How God is just in requiring that which we cannot perform An addition about power of keeping the Law Evangelical Adam lost his ability not efficienter but meritorie God alwayes gives or is ready to give power to do what he requires if we be not wanting to our selves How Christ hath fulfilled the Law how we keep it by faith 3. Why God promises life to the keeping of the Law if we cannot keep it NOw here a question may be made If the law of Moses were thus written in their hearts before to what end was it given them or what needed God afterwards to have written it in Tables of stone We answer the reason was because the former law though it were whole in Paradise yet afterwards by Adams fall it was broken into shards and fragments all to pieces and afterward every piece was broken smaller and smaller so as the light of Nature thereby grew dimmer and dimmer And therefore lest it should be clean put out because the writing in the heart would not be sufficient but daily decayed it was necessary that it should be written in tables of stone and set before the eyes of all that by daily viewing it it might be brought again into their hearts If it be questioned again how it came to passe that these laws of Nature were blotted out and how the light thereof came to be dimmer and dimmer we answer that the reasons are three 1. Because men did what they could to blot it out themselves 〈◊〉 intelligere men would not understand and the reason why they would be so ignorant was because when they had done ill and communed with their own hearts they found presently an accuser in them so that not daring to look into themselves when they had done ill they would not be checked and as S. Augustine saith facti sunt fugitivi a cordibus suis they became fugitives from their own hearts Therefore to cure this evil it was expedient when they had put it out of their hearts that the law should be written to be ever in their sight that thereby it might be brought back again into their hearts unde fūgerunt from whence they had driven it 2. Because as Christ said there came a Super seminator another Sower the Devil who sowed tares false principles in their hearts as Eritis dii cognoscentes 〈◊〉 malum ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bonum est quod prodest that is to be counted good that doth us good and the like Now thesetares overgrowing and overmastering the good wheat it was fit that the good seed should be sowen again and that it might not be corrupted again it was necessary that the Law should be delivered in Tables of stone to remain ever to be looked upon and not forgotten 3. Thirdly God inflicted the punishment of blindnesse upon them as S. Augustine saith Lege infatigabili spargit 〈◊〉 paenales caecitates super illicitas cupiditates when men went after their own lusts and neglected the light of nature which God had written in their hearts and would not cherish it it pleased God to send upon them the spirit of slumber and giddinesse And thus having spoken of their knowledge let us now see their practise And by this they deserved the losse of the light of Nature three wayes 1. In respect of God Because whatsoever things or Arts they invented or whatsoever else they understood they attributed not to God but to their own industry sacrificing to their own nets as the Prophet And as S. Paul professing themselves to be wise and therefore as he saith they became fools and had the reward of their folly God gave them up 2. Again whereas the goodnesse of every action should be for the end all their actions were either for a wrong end or none at all As the Epicures end was for pleasure The Platonists ob praxim politicam for policy The Stoicks for the action it 〈◊〉 Officium propter 〈◊〉 or propter virtutem doing their dutie for their duties 〈◊〉 vertues own sake none for the glory of God But we know that Officium est propter quiddam altius officio for something more excellent then then the duty it self that is for the glory of God For he saith My glory will I not give to another But they robbed God of this glory 3. Lastly whereas God is no 〈◊〉 offended yea more for the breach of the 〈◊〉 Table then of the second and in the second Table more with Adultery then Theft they go another way and set down great punishments for Thefts and such things as are committed against themselves or concern them but when they come to blasphemy and other sins that are injurious and derogatory to Gods honour they regard not them nor set any or at least little punishment upon them as if they concerned not them at all In respect of Men. Take the second Table in which is contained the duty of Parents and Children They were so unnatural that they did sacrifice their own sons and daughters to Devils And for Children though they were undutiful to Parents and releeved them not yet they had their Corban for it a child might neglect his duty towards his Parents if he vowed to bestow a gift on the Temple For stealth and robbery that was accounted no sin their Law bare them out as in Sparta it was but Tu quoque fac simile do thou the like And for Adultery they allowed their nagas libidines extravagant lusts their abominable feasts to Venus and their Stewes to maintain them In respect of themselves They practised and delighted in Gluttony and Drunkennesse which was accounted no sin but a vertue and used after their sacrifices insomuch as Saint Augustine saith of them they did mensuras bibere sine mensura drink measures without measure and it was accounted a commendable thing among them No marveil then if in these respects all those things considered that God plagued them with blindnesse and darknesse for such intollerable abuse of that light they had Thus mans heart being an ill Custos or keeper of the Law and ignorantia ignorance being made poena ignorantiae the punishment of ignorance and so the Law being almost blotted out it was necessary it should be written so as it might abide for ever When God had made an end of communing with
Another is humility Jacob fell seven times to the ground before he came to his brother The Philosopher saith Timor contrahit non intendit fear shrinks up the heart it maks it not to swell The wiseman hath a good medicine against Pride Be not wise in thine own eyes but fear the Lord. 4. The surest signe of fear is the fear of sinne which is all one with the fear of God Come ye children saith King David and hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. And both these fears are joyned by holy Job of whom it was said Job was an upright man and one that feared God and eschewed evill and as it was his practise so was it his opinion The fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evill is understanding Timor est fugitivns fear bids us not resist but fly and he that fears cannot be armed sufficiently though he put never so much harnesse on his back A thief being pursued fear will make him demittere furtuns drop that which he hath stollen or at least not have it about him So if we fear God we will be sure not to have sinne found about us we will be afraid of that lest it condemne us And this is a sure signe 6. The last is given us by Moses And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in all his wayes to love him and to serve him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. And as we are to have this signe of fear in our selves so are we to wish with the Prophet that all the earth may have this fear Let all the earth fear the Lord stand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the world and it is a fault where this desire is wanting The want of this desire argues the contrary affection that is turning others from the fear of God which God condemns by the prophet and calls it strengthening the hands of the wicked Thus then we see that fear is the end of the Law CHAP. IX The fourth inward vertue is humility The nature of it The properties of it Of Pride The nature and degrees of it signes of pride The punishments of pride Of forced humility Of Counterfeit humility The means of humility The signes of humility IT is the property of him that feareth to shrink Humility ariseth out of fear Saint Peter hath a place which fits this well Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God upon which one of the fathers saith Tanquam sub securi vehementi loquitur the Apostle speaks as if Gods hand were lifted up with his Axe ready to strike us and we shrink down for fear And so should a man do cast himself down and be content with whatsoever it shall please God to lay upon him and such a dejection of our selves is the effect of fear And this as it humbleth us towards God My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements so the like effect it produced towards men even from good men when they were in fear of men Jacob bowed himself seven times before he came to his brother The like we read of the wicked Benhadad King of Syria and his nobles being stricken with the fear of Ahab girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes upon their heads and came to him and said Thy servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let thy servant live And if the fear of mans wrath work so upon us much more ought the terrour of Gods justice that by it we should be presently cast down until we can say with Prophet Adhesit anima mea pavimento pulveri my soul cleaveth to the ground yea to the dust We see also that the Patriarchs and Prophets have shewed this humiliation by putting on sackcloth as judging themselves not worthy to be better clothed and in throwing dust and ashes upon their heads thereby professing themselves fitter and worthier to be cast under the earth then to tread on the ground any longer We must have that in truth which they signified by those types and emblemes we must be even with the ground and as the Psalmist speaks lay all our honour in the dust When we are thus humbled and have given all glory to God and none to our selves then followes our exaltation for when God hath brought us to the nethermost pit and as it were to deaths and hels door when we are at the very bottom of humility and can go no lower then are we fit to begin a foundation to build upon We must first set our selves in the lowest room and the Master of the feast will bid us sit up higher And this should be the true Myrrour of every Christian the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self knowledge which is to be commended not in the sense the Heathen took it to know and see the excellency of himselfe and so be puffed up but to see the imperfections of our soules and know our wants Pride never gets footing of us but either for want of knowledge or upon a false knowledge And therefore the Heathen considering the excellency and nobility of man and having a false apprehension of Gods Justice it was that which made them fall into that proud conceit that the preaching of Christ was foolishnesse and for the same reason it became offence also to the Jews insomuch as when Christ came to exalt and heal them they were high and sound enough already And therefore S. Augustine saith Superbis Phariseis viluit Christus Christ seems vile to the proud Pharisees Their pride made them have a base esteem of him Not that we deny but that the nature of man is most excellent yet withal remembring that the more excellent a thing is the worse it is if it degenerates And therefore seeing our estate is so vile and that it hath pleased God to vouchsafe us Christians a better way we are to follow it And this is by the true knowledge of a man himself wherein there must be 1. Humilitas mentis humility in the minde or understanding which is when the minde apprehends the infinite excellency of God and our own basenesse and this belief of the minde will raise a sutable disposition in the heart for from hence follows the second 2. Humilitas cordis voluntatis affectuum the humbling of the heart and will c. whereby a man thinks himself not worthy of food apparrel or any comforts of this life but is abased in his own sight This restrains the appetite of pride which is to be measured by that which is in every man and makes him not to exalt himself seeing there is no excellency in him and to say with the Psalmist O Lord I am not high minded I have no proud looks c. We see then that the end and use of humility is to bring
proper to God and yet in our practise nothing is more common then to ascribe infallibility to our selves and others whom we admire and thus that pride which we tax in them we practise our selves So likewise it is usual among great men They will speak in Gods phrase and as God saith I will be gratious to whom I will be gratious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy So they will prefer whom they will prefer and whereas God hath appointed to prefer whom he will without gifts they will prefer without gifts and lastly whereas there are no merits with God but all is ex gratia out of favour they will have no merits but all favour and so in all things they behave themselves not as men but Gods and that comes because our hearts are lifted up as the Prophet there speaks Come we to the common sort and in them we shall finde S. Bernards seven notes or signes of pride two whereof are in the soul. 1. Pursuing our own counsel 2. Following our own will and pleasure Two in the mouth 1. Grudging against our betters 2. Disdaining and vilifying our inferiours And three in outward things 1. Superbia habitus pride of apparel 2. Superbia habitus pride in our table and 3. Superbia supellectilis pride in our furniture In the means of grace which God gives us to beget in us humility and other graces we shew much pride as when we take a pride in praying hearing c. and do herein affect the praise and applause of men but an higher degree is when men reject those means of grace especially when they resist the good motions wrought in them and quench those sparkles which are kindled by the word when it comes home to their hearts as if they could have the motions of Gods spirit when they please whereas they know not whether God will ever offer them the like again and so this may be the last offer of grace Nay not onely in the means of grace but even in the graces themselves will pride appeare and whereas the objects of other sins are base and vile even the best things and most excellent graces are made the object or matter of pride Cineres 〈◊〉 peccatorum fomes superbia when other 〈◊〉 are consumed to ashes even out of those ashes will pride spring up yea we are apt to be proud even of our humility There is a pride in the crosse when we are humbled under Gods hand we may be proud in that we are not proud or not so proud as other men or as we have been before Thus the greater our gifts are the more secure we grow and the lesse jealous and suspicious of our selves and so are overtaken as 〈◊〉 David 〈◊〉 and others Therefore where the greatest gifts are there is greatest danger and therefore the greater watch ought to be kept and where the richest prize is there the devil will use his greatest power and subtilty to rob us of it Therefore the more any man hath received the more ought he to humble himself and watch that he be not overtaken with pride 1. We will adde a little to that we have said and that shall be concerning the punishment of this sinne Gods glory as one well saith is fiscus regalis his chief treasure and exchequer into which the proud man breaks robbing God by extenuating his glory and taking it as much as he can to himself But as the wise man speaks the Lord will destroy the house of the proud as he did Pharoah Haman Herod and many others who were taken away even when they magnified themselves most of all 2. Or else God punisheth him by depriving him of the guist which was the cause of his pride His tongue shall cleave to the roof of his mouth or his right hand shall forget her cunning 3. Or when he thinks he hath gotten strength enough that he is able to leane upon his own staff God suffers him to fall under every small temptation because he seeks not to God for supply of his spirit whereas by humility he might have withstood the greatest assaults Thus some of great parts when they will be singular as vnicorns that will have no match they break the net of humility which should bring men unto God by pride and so God leaving them to themselves they become the authors of heresies and errors 4. Or though it pleaseth God to let the gift remain whereof they are proud yet he gives not a blessing to it but leaves it fruitlesse Some have been endued with excellent graces but without fruit they haue made no returne to God of his Talents not a soul gained unto him by them whereas a man of mean endowments joyned with humility hath gained more then the golden tongue of an eloquent Tertullus 5. Or Lastly which is the greatest punishment there is in the minde as ost times in the body as towards the end of a mans dayes a Palsy or an Appoplexy a certain stupidity or numnesse so that neither threats can terrifie them nor perswasions allure them to repentance but passe out of this world without the fear of God or sense of his judgements so that they die and perish like beasts And God punisheth their pride with this dulnesse lest they should feel as Saint Paul did a thorn in the flesh which as the best interpreters expound it was a wrestling against pride 1. Another thing forbidden is forced humility coacta humilitas And such was that of Pharoah So long as Gods hand was upon him and his people and that he was sensible of the plagues sent by him so long he humbled himself and promised to let the people go but when he perceived that the plagues ceased he and his servants hardened their hearts and grew to that height that he said who is the Lord that he should let his people go Saint Bernard describeth these kind of humble men thus vidimus multos humiliates sed non humiles we see many humbled few humble 2. Counterfeit or bastard humility spuria humilitas for in every vertue besides the two extreams there is that which hath the likelihood of vertue which they call spuriam virtutem wherewith many are deceived Thus some are naturally of a low servile disposition which some take for humility though it be nor neither is it true humility to give in Gods cause and not to be stout in maintaining it for detrimentum veritatis non est ornamentum humilitatis that which brings detriment to the truth can be no ornament of humility So to deny the gifts or graces of God in our selves is not true humility Saint Paul would have the Ephes. understand his knowledge in the mysterie of Chist Ephes. 3. 4. 5. and preferres the Jews of which himself was one before the Gentiles Gal. 2. 15. and all this without pride In every one there is somewhat of God somewhat of nature somewhat of sinne now it s true every man
of two sorts 1. The first is the Epicurean despair And it was the Israelites fault He smote said they the stony rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people S. Gregory giveth us a note Because the Israelites ex luxuria were not fed with Quails as their lust came upon them presently desperaverunt they despired of Gods omnipotency or of his care in protecting them and providing for them And when a man conceiveth that either the thing promised will be alwayes futurum to come or if it hath no taste at all with him or that it is a thing not much to be esteemed he giveth himself to sensuality as S. Augustine said Quia non possum habere quae spero because I cannot have what I hope for at my own will I will have those things which are contra spem that is those things which I can have in this life which being present cannot be the object of hope according to the Epicures rule Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas eat drink play for there is no pleasure after death to be hoped for 2. 〈◊〉 second is more to be pitied but no lesse dangerous then the other which is despair in Gods mercy The Apostle was afraid lest the incestuous person should have been swallowed with this This errour ariseth upon an imagination that there may proceed such evil from the Creature as God cannot master whereas it is most certain that Gods mercies exceed all sin And this was Cains case and 〈◊〉 My iniquity is greater then can be forgiven S. Ambrose writing upon that place saith Mentiris Cain Cain thou lyest for if it were possible or lawful to think that any one attribute of 〈◊〉 had larger dimensions then another it must needs be mercy that would be most transcendent because it is an attribute which reacheth unto the heavens whereas his righteousnesse standeth like the strong mountains and his judgements like the great deep Therefore the School-men disputing the case of Judas whether his betraying of Christ or despair of Gods mercy was the greater sin they resolve that his despair was the greater because it rejected the medicine of Gods mercy and Christs merits by which the other sin might have been cured and so it was simply incureable Despair not therefore nor let the Devil perswade thee that 〈◊〉 is poor in mercy and onely can forgive small sins for his mercy is over all his works The means to attain and preserve hope are these First to consider the end of our hope which extends it self beyond this life The Wise man saith when a wicked man dieth his expectation shall perish and the hope of unjust men perisheth but the just hath hope in 〈◊〉 The consideration of our end raiseth our hope higher then this life And in another place he tells us that surely there will be an end and our hope shall not be cut off it ends not with our life and therefore S. Peter quoting a place in the Psalms saith Our heart shall be glad and our flesh shall rest in hope So that death doth not put an end to our hope 2. To consider the examples of others That the Patriarchs and Fathers lost not the fruit of their hope Our Fathers saith the Psalmist hoped in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them They called upon thee and were holpen they put their trust in thee and were not confounded And by these examples we should be quickened in our hope For it is the Devils policy to lay despair as an engine to entrap us perswading us that there were never such sinners as we are and therefore never were any in the like case with us But if we look back into the Scriptures we shall finde him to be but a seducer in this 3. A third is our own experience of Gods strengthening us against former temptations and of our own former deliverances from sin and danger which may make us say with David The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lyon and out of the paw of the bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine this is drawn from our experience then which nothing vseth to be more prevalent with us 4. But the chiefe means is that which is formerly alledged the consideration of the promise of God and withall that the promise is sure because he is faithfull that hath promised And whatsoever is written concerning these promises aforetime were written for our instruction that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope And this hath been the especial ayme of the holy Ghost to strengthen our hope in mentioning it so often in Scripture And it is onely God whose 〈◊〉 is factum est whose word and work go together therefore his promise is so sure that he speaks of things to come in the preter tense as if they were already done de futuris in preterito Therefore Nathan said to King David transtulit non transfert God hath taken away or put away thy sinne not God will put it away So Saint Paul that he hath already raised us and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus because though it be not yet 〈◊〉 yet is it as certain in respect of the promise as if it were already come Now seeing God is good and faithfull we may safely hope in him There is one thing remarkable and true in the blasphemous speech of 〈◊〉 Thou trustest in Egypt upon the staff of a bruised reed on which if a man leane it will go into his hand so fareth it with men that trust in other things besides God The wise man saith confidence in an 〈◊〉 man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of ioynt in either of which there is little help a waking dream as the heathen said Our hope therefore is called 〈◊〉 viva a lively hope for the worldlings hope is mortua dead hath no life in it or at least spes mortalis a mortal hope if we trust to it it will fail us and either wound us or make us ashamed as they in Job Job 6. 20. whereas true hope never makes ashamed Rom. 5. 3 And then we may boldly say with the Prophet why art thou so vexed O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in God for he is the health of my countenance and my God There are certain signes whereby we may know whether our hope be right for there is fleeting hope when a man thinks he hopes but doth not as a man may think he beleeves but doth not 1. The first is the signe which appeared in Ezechias in his sicknes saith he I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart
said of 〈◊〉 and his fellow that they did odisse tyrannum but not tyrannidem they hated the tyrant but not the tyranny whereas a sound heart hates sin most of all in it self even the least sin as we see in the Apostle when he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 4. The last is somewhat hard If we can with confidence say those two last verses of the pialmist Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead mein the way everlasting If any dare take this upon him and can speak it truely not deceiving himself his heart is upright in him but a gentler tryal then this is if a man can say in four particular cases as he in another place if there be any wickednesse in my hands c. let the enemy persecute my soul c. And when we with communing with our own hearts privately can say as my heart hath been upright with thee so I desire in my last gasp to be comforted by thee O Lord and to be holpen in my greatest need In these cases a man may perceive whether his heart be sound or not And this according to the sixth rule stayeth not in our selves but desires to have it in others also with S. Paul who prayed for the Philippians that they might be sincere And so did the friends of Job though they took a wrong course in their comforts yet they were right in this that they had a desire to make Jobs heart upright Thus far of integrity One point more rests to be handled within the last general Proposition and that is Non habebis Thou shalt not have The observation is that it is set down in the future tense which implies perseverance and this is the knitting up of all It standeth first in the text non habebis and non erunt thou shalt not have and there shall not be but in order of handling it hath the last place because it is the shutting up of all The words Non habebis must not be answered with non habeo or non habui but with non habebo I will have no other gods and this is perseverance This is a greater matter then many do imagine fui sum and ero are distinctions of the three times 1. For fui it is certain that whosoever shall consider what he hath been will be brought into a melancholick and sad passion S. Bernard saith Recordare praeterita erubesce it will confound a man to remember what he hath done 2. For sum Peradventure there my be some comfort inregard that we endeavour and strive to obtain 3. But howsoever it stands with us for the present our comfort depends chiefly upon ero what we shall be and if we persevere not in good ero must needs be terrible for a man to consider in what case he may be hereafter and considerare novissima to think upon his end whether God may not forsake him if he be not careful to persevere on his part as he hath done others that have been for the present in as good and peradventure better case then he is but were not careful to endeavour and to use the means required on their part to persevere and therefore were left of God and returned with the dog to their vomit therefore non habebis is a sharp and strict command and to be looked to In the common conveyances at Law there is Habendum tenendum to have and to hold we have formerly seen Quid habendum what we were to have now we are to see Quid tenendum what we must hold and keep It falls naturally into the last place by due order 1. First because as the Heathen say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisdom or knowledge is the beginning of vertue but constancy and perseverance is virtutis apex the pitch and perfection of vertue and as S. Bernard Perseverantia est unica filia summi Reg is finis virtutum earumque consummatio perseverance is the onely daughter of the great King the end and consummation of all vertues 2. Secondly because all other vertues are preserved by this or to use the Apostles phrase seasoned with this salt As God set David over Israel by a covenant of salt that is by an everlasting covenant and no sacrifice was under the Law without salt to shew that as the covenant is perpetual on Gods part so ought the condition to be on ours by perseverance and thereby is known the truth of our obedience without which an hypocrite may go for a true Christian. S. Bernard calleth it totius boni repositorium virtus the place where all good is preserved and kept and the strength and vertue of all other 3. Because as there is in every vertue a resemblance or conformity in us to some attribute of God as in our knowledge to his wisdom in our belief to his truth in our fear to his justice in our love to his mercy in our integrity to his ubiquity so in this of perseverance to his eternity 4. Because God is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end which is his book of perseverance So must we persevere according to our quandiu that is till we die usque ad mortem and not onely to natural but even to violent death The Apostle hath another usque usque ad sanguinem unto blood and so his own resolution was not onely usque advincula not to be bound onely but usque ad mortem to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus This must be our Omega Wheresoever our Alpha is placed this must be our Omega our eternity Otherwise as S. Bern. saith Quid levitate cum aeternitate there is no fellowship between God and man without perseverance Inconstancy hath no congruity with eternity On the other side backsliding is condemned Our nature is so corrupt that as in the last affection we spake of Sincerity we have a desire to seem rather then to be because it is easier and we naturally love ease so here we have a desire of falling away or starting back like a bow like a deceitful bow to which the Prophet resembles the Israelites We are naturally like a bow which being almost bent and let go never so little starts back Or as the Apostle no lesse excellently we are apt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 segnescere or to feel a grudging in our bones all the while we are doing good and are soon weary of welldoing 1. How necessary this vertue is is plain by diverse reasons First all the good we have formerly done is lost without it Incassum bonum agitur saith S. Gregory si ante vitae terminum deseratur quia frustra velociter currit qui priusquam ad met as venerit deficit all the good we do is in vain if we leave doing good before
Tranquilla justitia a peaceable and quiet justice 3. We are to conceive that God speaks thus for mans capacity as the Apostle saith after the manner of men or as in another case not to us as spritual but as carnal in our own termes as in the case of man and wife some think they love not their wives enough except some jealousy be mixt that they participate their love with other men and God in his service here is as jealous as a man for breach of wedlock and therefore representeth himself in that manner and under the like affection 4. Fourthly Quia nos non promovemur ad nomen justitiae introducitur zelotypus We are so dull of spirit that the attribute of Gods justice alone moves us not and therefore he takes a terme from an affection that falls not into him as it is in men to the end we may be quickened and made fearfull to offend 5. Lastly as Tertullian saith vtitur spiritus hoc vocabulo ad exaggeranda ejus generis scelera The Holy Ghost vseth this terme to shew how odious this sinne of Idolatry is to God that if it might be it would make God be that which he cannot be The vse of all is that which the Apostle maketh God professeth himself jealous here that we our selves might be jealous of our own salvation For if we would redire ad corda enter into our own hearts and consider first what God is and then what vile creatures we are we should wonder at the excesse of Gods love to usward that he should be any way jealous of us and not rather let us take our own courses to our own ruine and take no further regard of us But chiefly that we should rather so love him as to be jealous of his anger and the losse of his love lest he should bestow it somewhere else And so much of the Preface of the Sanction CHAP. IX Of the Commination wherein 1. The censure of the sinne 2. The punishment 1. In the censure The sinne viz of Idolatry Is called 1. Hatred of God How God can be hated 2. Iniquity The punishment Visitation upon the children The grievousnesse of this punishment by 1. The greatnesse 2. The multiplicity 3. The continuance Of Gods justice in punishing the sinnes of the fathers upon the children That it is not unjust in respect of the father nor 2. Of the son The use of all THe next thing is the Commination Which containeth in it two things 1. The Censure of the offence 2. And secondly the punishment for it 1. The Censure is in two things 1. First that it calls it hatred of God 2. Secondly that he calls it The iniquity 〈◊〉 Perverssenes 1. If love be a means to make us keep the Commandments then it is hatred that makes us break them But is there any man that can hate God Certainly his Essence is good even goodnesse it self which cannot be the object of hatred Again there are sundry effects of his goodnesse and love and such as the wicked themselves cannot but love them and him for them as that he bestoweth on all men and so on them their being moving and life sense c. But there are another sort of effects which proceed also from his love by which he would have us preserved which are his Commandments yet because they restrain us of our liberty and will not suffer our inordinate affections to bear the sway therefore preferring our own wills before his we hate him so when a man is linkt to his own will and possessed with zeal of himself he hates the Commandments of God because they are contrary to his will and affections and so men come to hate God by too much love of themselves I loved Jacob saith God by the Prophet and hated Esau which the Apostle sheweth to be nothing else but that he chose not him but preferred Jacob before him and in this respect we are said to hate God when in a case between his will and ours we choose not his but prefer our own Hoc est odisse Deum non eligere we hate God when we choose him not For God loving us so exceedingly it is his will that we should love him alone which love is vinculum conjugale a marriage bond and therefore our love to God should be amor conjugalis the love of a man to his wife which hath no third thing in it aut amat aut odit he either loves or hates there is no medium in it 2 The second thing in the Censure is that God calls this sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnavon Iniquity or perversenesse and peevishnesse And this is to meet with the opinion of men who think it perversenesse if men will not do as they would have them by yeelding to false worship as Nebuchadnezzar thought of the three children It is of purpose O Shadrach c. they were called perverse and disordered fellows for not transgressing this commandment and so God to meet with them sheweth that the breakers of this Commandment are in truth the disordered and perverse persons therefore we must not do evil either cum magnis aut multis with the great ones or the multitude lest we fall into this sin of perversenesse But the vote of the world is clean contrary and the fathers resemble it to a pond full of Crabs the Hieroglyphique of frowardnesse into which if you put fish of another kinde it will be charged to swim out of course because it swimmeth not backward as the Crabs do But Jerome gives us a good lesson against this Nequaquam consideres quid alii mali faciunt sed quid boni tu facere debeas consider not by any means what evil others commit but what good thou oughtest to do nor be thou led to evil because of the multitude of transgressours Of the Punishment And visit the sins c. After the Censure of the sin comes the Punishment And though it be true that if there were no other punishment to man it were enough to be found among the haters of God that were sufficient Yet Gods addes further that he will have a visitation What the meaning of this word is we may gather out of the book of Samuel where it is said of him that he went yearly in circuit to such and such places and judged Israel and it is like that which we call the Judges Circuit as also out of the Acts where the Apostles went from City to City to visit the brethren which s like to the B shops visitation which presupposeth an absence before So God intermitteth his judgements for a time and though some stick not to say that he is long in coming and others that he will not come at all that God will never visit He hideth his face and will never see it becaufe as the Wise man speaketh sentence is not executed against an evil work speedily
Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all things men set most by their faith much more then is Gods faith and fidelity to be 〈◊〉 wherein we take sanctuary when all other people fail 2. An oath proceeds from faith it argues a great faith in God which is the ground of all honour given to any for in the former part of an oath which is contestation a calling God to witnes we professe with our tongues that God is every where present that we beleeve he is omniscient that he seeth even the secrets of the heart and will lighten all things that are done in secret and in regard of the second part calling God to avenge we professe that we beleeve that he is a just avenger that he will not suffer sinne to go unpunished that he may say mihi vindicta ego retribuam vengeance is mine and I will repay Thus we beleeve that he hath power to punish and to execute vengeance which is a part of his glory and thus we see that an oath brings glory to God in which regard God is content to lend us his name to swear by thereby to make an end of all our controversies Thus we see the nature of an oath with the meaning the parts and end thereof Now according to former method we are to see what is commanded and what is forbidden which is the first rule of of extention formerly mentioned and withall the Homogenea of the same according to the second rule The Affirmative part is that we take up his name to end our quarrels and controversies his name must be a sanctuary to flie to by which we must be acquitted or condemned that whereby we do enclose and hedge in our selves and satisfie the adverse party 1. Herein the first thing commanded is 〈◊〉 to swear this is flatly commanded It is set close to that which was the affirmative part of the second Commandment Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and searve him and swear by his name But more effectully and vehemently it is required in Esay I live and have sworne by my self that every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall swear by me therefore God hath not onely taken order that an oath should passe between parties at variance and that upon the oath of the party accused he shal be acquit as Exod. 22 11. which some call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary oath but also if the party be not willing there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oath of imposition an 〈◊〉 shall be laid upon him he shall be made 〈◊〉 to swear punctually and precisely to what is required of him 2 Chron. 6. 22. And if a man hear an oath between parties whereby truth might appear to Gods glory and do not utter it but conceal it it shall be accounted to him for a sin so that we see here Gods will and what he commands that in respect of these great ends of his own glory and mans necessity an oath is a thing subprecepto expressly Commanded in these cases For example the Psalmist saith 〈◊〉 omnes et laetabuntur every one that sweareth by him shall be praised and shall rejoyce And therefore all the Saints of God have part of this commendation in vsing it Besides men we have the example of God and his holy Angels God himself swears I have sworn by my self that because thou hast done this I will surely blesse thee And after God the heavenly spirits for the Angel lifted up his hand and swore by him that liveth for evermore In these two cases already mentioned of Gods glory and mans necessity we have diverse examples 1. First for Gods glory There was a famous oath taken by K. Asa and the people they sware with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets to seek the God of their fathers The like we read of Nehemiah and the people to keep the Law of God Si quis ea saith Origen quae vidit in proximi sui delicto vel non jndicat vel in testimonium vocatus non quae vera sunt dixerit peccaium quod commisit ille qui celat ipse suscipiet poena remissi revertitur ad conscium if any man doth not either reveal of himself or being called as a witnesse shall not speak the truth of that he knoweth concerning his neighbours offence he which concealeth it takes it upon himself and the punishment for the offence committed turns upon him that knows it As for Gods glory so for mans benefit and necessity as 1. For the publick good As first in the case of a league and confederacies as that between Abraham and Abimelech 2. In a publick conspiracy The men of Israel sware saying None of us shall give his daughter to the Benjamites to wife 3. For receiving or 〈◊〉 nation to nation as in that of 〈◊〉 the Princes and people of Israel with the Gibeonites the breach of which though it were surreptiously gotten yet was severely punished because it was confirmed by an oath 2. Or for reciprocal duties between Prince and people Of the Prince to the people that of 〈◊〉 in the behalf of the young King 〈◊〉 to the people And in the same Chapter of the people for their obedience to 〈◊〉 Of the Subject to the King that of David to King Saul And of the people for preservation of King Davids life And of the people in confirmation of Solomons succession to the Crown 3. Or lastly for the safety and benefit of our neighbour as in case of preservation of life and goods as was that of the Spies with Rahab the Harlot And for just and true dealing in mater of trust as was that of Abrahams servant to his Master And in deciding controversies between man and man for Meum Tuum The very word 〈◊〉 for an oath being derived from Law or right for indeed in case of controversie where each party for his own advantage to maintain that he hath gotten will conceal the truth from the Judge then by the mouths of two or three witnesses shall the matter be established and confirmed more sure it cannot be then by the oaths of such witnesses But though in these cases an oath be allowed by most yet diverse make doubt whether a man may be lawfully enforced to answer upon oath in matters that concern himself which we commonly call the oath ex officio which we called before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an 〈◊〉 of imposition such as that 2. Chronicles 6. 22. The lawfulnesse and necessity of it we shall see the better if we consider the reason whereupon it is grounded namely the removing of evil which ought to be the scope and end of all Courts of justice Interest Rei-publicae saith the Heathen man ut 〈◊〉 tollantur the Common-wealth should take care to cut off Malefactors It being
if it be impossible we are not to swear to it at all And therefore Abrahams servant put a good caution into his oath what if the woman will not come with me And the tenor of the Heathens oath was thus de quibus sciam poteroque what I shall know and be able to do 2. It must be in honestis elicitis too For that which is unhonest is unjust and therefore not to be sworn to And in this case the Jews in Ezra put in a caution in their covenant let it be done according to law When Saul sought to the witch at Endor he swore by the Lord that she should not be punisht which was dishonest and therfore unlawful And therefore the Jews took an unjust oath against Saint Paul that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed him If a thing be possible but not honest to swear to do it is not jus if it be not possible it is not jurandum and so jusjurandum an oath cannot be taken in these cases But here we must know that a thing may be unlawful or impossible either 1. a principio at the first taking an oath or 2. There may be emergens illicitum or imposibile the unlawfulnes or impossibility may arise after it is taken in the first ease it is unlawful to take an oath in the second it is unlawful to perform or keep it though there were no sinne at the first taking of it Saint Augustine upon Herods oath saith that of it self it was lawful and not simply evil to promise half of his kingdom but upon Herodias asking S. John Baptists head there was emergens illicitum for there is no 〈◊〉 but it doth 〈◊〉 draw out or suppose these two conditions possibile and licitum How can I do this saith Joseph to his Mistris that is do it honestly or lawfully Therefore in malis promissis we must 〈◊〉 fidem unlawful oaths are better broken then kept they binde to nothing but 〈◊〉 The reason is because otherwise there is not exitus sine 〈◊〉 no winding our selves out but a falling into a third sinne for when an oath is past beside the sinne past which cannot be recalled though it may be repented of one falls into two other sinnes as in the case already mentioned 1. Murder 2. Superstition Into superstition when he thinks it is not to be broken and into murder if he keep it And according to these three limitations must every oath be regulated else it is not a lawfull oath but a taking of Gods name in vain Now concerning voluntary oaths not judicially taken there is no order taken by men but rashly upon every vain perturbation an oath flies out wherein men are so rash and frequent that Gods name is made a Parenthesis in their speech David being moved with anger and grief for Nabals unkindnesse makes a rash oath against Nabal but when he considered better of it he blessed God for sending Abigail to keep him from executing what he had rashly sworn on the other side Saul touched with a greater desire of victory then with reverence to the name of God swears that if any did eat or drink before the Sun went down he should die and we 〈◊〉 what the successe was how the life of his son 〈◊〉 was endangred thereby Thus Gods name is commonly vsed in every foolish speech and we may speak it with grief men herein do that to God which they would be loth to do to any ordinary person In every half hour or oftner they call him from heaven to confirm their quarrels and so by the common vsage of Gods name as one saith his name which should be asylum a sanctuary is turned into a brothel house This made Saint 〈◊〉 touched with a holy grief to break out into these words 〈◊〉 flumen moris humani cursed be the streames of the customes of men quis resistet tibi quando non siccavaris quovsque evolves 〈◊〉 filios in mare magnum formidolosum quod vix transcendunt c. When will this dry up it carrieth men even as a strong stream into that fearful lake that they which are in the ship can hardly escape it Per te aguntur flagitia non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this customary swearing 〈◊〉 sins are committed which are not thought to be sins And in another place he saith it is because of the slipperinesse of the member because in udo posita est lingua it is in a most slippery place and therefore S. James gives a more special charge of it then either of the hand or foot James 3. Wherefore his counsel is Quanto citius illa movetur facilius tanto tu adversus illam fixius ito domabis si vigilabis vigilabis autem si timebis timebis si te Christianum esse recorderis nomen Chrsti esse si cras factum non fuerit non fiat juramentum hodie pignus fiet cras cras non omnino triduo moritur pestis illa a die qua laboramus sicut vigilabis sic vinces by how much the tongue is quickly and easily moved by so much the more be thou fixed c. thou shalt tame it by watching it and thou shalt be watchful if thou fear and thou shalt fear if thou remember thy self to be a Christian c. And concerning himself he saith Juravimus nos passim cadimus in istam deterrimam consuetudinem sed ex quo Deo servire incepimus timuimus vehementer veternosam consuetudinem timore excussimus I have been a swearer my self c. but after I began to serve God c. to see the greatnesse of the sin I feared greatly and so shook off that evil custome c. Then for these last voluntary oaths privately taken up and not imposed upon us it may be questioned whether they be lawful in some cases which doubt the same Father resolves thus Quantum ad me attinet non juro sed quantum mihi videtur magna necessitate compulsus cum videam nisi sic faciam mihi non credi ei qui crederet magnum ei qui non crederet incommodum c. and then he addes hac perpensa ratione consideratione librata cum magno timore reverentia coram Deo dico novit Christus quod hoc est in animo meo for my own part I swear not except compelled by necessity as when I see that I shall not otherwise be believed and that it will be profitable to him that believes me and prejudicial if I be not believed upon this reason and consideration duely weighed with great fear and reverence I use this form I speak before God or Christ knows that I speak from my heart And after he saith quod meum est est est quod amplius est praeter est non est jurantis sed non credentis for my own part I would never say but yea yea nay nay
in the choice of the sons of Zebedee he considered their fervent and hot disposition whereupon they were named sons of Thunder upon which Chrysostom observed that those whom Christ chose were like pretious stones which that skilful lapidary knew how to discerne and though they were then unpolisht yet by his instruction and discipline he polisht them afterwards So that we see disciples fit for those callings are not to be promiscuously taken but a choice must be made with judgement especially he that must be fit for the sacred calling must be unus inter mille one of a thousand As there must be a choice in the teacher so the duty lies upon him that offers himself to be taught if he know himself naturally unfit he ought not to offer himself for those high callings nor aspire to them when he is naturally fitted onely for inferiour employments The Prophet saith that though in his time many that were unfit would needs be Prophets yet in the times of the Gospel he foretells they should acknowledge their infirmities and say I am no prophet but an husbandman and therein have 〈◊〉 brought up from a youth intimating that such as were fitted and brought up for other callings should not seek to be prophets c. The wiseman asketh the question why fools should have a price in their hands to get wisdom seeing they have no heart to it It is but time and mony spent in vain And in another place he compareth a parable in a fooles mouth to a man with lame legges set him on his feet and he falleth down And as no doctrine will enter into him so nei her will any discipline work upon him for as he sheweth further if he be silver the fining if gold the fornace will do him good if there be any mettal in him he is like to prove well but if he be a fool or unfit bray him in a 〈◊〉 and it will be to no purpose And the prophet complaines of those that he had to do with they were 〈◊〉 or iron refuse mettal insomuch as he had burnt his bellowes and wearied his armes to no purpose Therefore Plato insists upon this that those that are to be trained up in learning must have gold in them or silver at least they must not be plumbeia ingenia leaden heavy wits And Esay asketh the question Quem docebit 〈◊〉 whom shall he teach knowledge It is not those that must be continually sucking that must have precept upon precept line upon line tell it now and tell'it again to morrow but such as are weaned and can take meale after meale and are apt to take instruction which is strong meate As the teacher then must examine the disposition of the schollers so the schollers must interrogare seipsos ask themselves whether they be able to uudertake this and if not to take another course of life It was the opinion of the fathers of the primitive Church that in making this choice of men in their schooles that were annexed to their principal Churches that a man ought rather to be too strict then too loose and their reason was It were 〈◊〉 that a wiseman should be in a calling without the Church then a foole within it better to spare the one then to take the other The neglect of this by taking into the Church all commers was the cause that as the Prophet complained the Sun was gone down upon their Prophets that they were stich ignorant sots Bardi such stupid blinde guids which caused the people to erre and brought such darknes into the Church that as the Prophets 〈◊〉 and Michab complained in their time before the captivity and destruction of the city The people perished because prophecy failed As the first and fundamental duty must be performed by making a fit choice so the particular vertues and qualifications which teachers must look to in their choice are three Solertia Docilitas diligentia The wiseman speaking of the Ant besides her industry saith that she hath a natural quality that without guide overseer or governour she provideth her meat in summer and in hearvest for winter and this is the first endowment Solertia naturalis a natural 〈◊〉 or ability of nature which ought to be in them that are intended to be leaders of others And this ability is by the active part of the understanding the intellectus agens whereby they are apt to dilate and enlarge what they heare and to work upon what they are taught and thereby become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to learn of themselves by improving those principles they have received from others This appeared in Saint Augustine Erasmus and others who in many things were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and without help of teachers in those things became excellent 2. Then they are to have possibilem intellectum ability to conceive what is taught which is that we call 〈◊〉 and is termed in holy writ cor latum a large heart such a one as God gave to king Solomon whereby the active part of the understanding by that Solertia we spake of may have matter to worke upon and to deduce one thing from another which was termed forecast in the duty of servants 3. To these the wiseman addeth a third they must instanter operari by working diligently and instantly Saint Paul by labouring more abundantly then the other Apostles became most fruitful to the church And where it pleaseth God to bestow this solertiam naturalem n. tural understanding and possibilitatem intellectus a large heart to conceive and lastly 〈◊〉 operari diligent working to sowe in the morning at noon and in the evening as the preacher speaks and never to let the hand rest there is hope of such persons that they may prove profitable instruments in the Church or Common-wealth and therefore such persons and so qualified are principally to be chosen Thus it must be presupposed that the choice is rightly made els difficultas 〈◊〉 argeet errorem 〈◊〉 anitio the hardnes in proceeding between Master and Scholler will argue that there was a fault in choosing at the first and then no instruction will amend it as in physick if there be a fault in the first concoction the second cannot help it 2. Now the choice being rightly made in the second place we come to the instruction it self of which we are to conceive that as we see in other things diverse things are effected by an exteriour agent as things artificial and some things must have interius principium a foundation within as things natural have their principle within them and in some things there must be both as in Physick For though in a body ill affected sometimes the strength of nature alone of it self is able to concoct the humour and make digestion and so many times it falleth out that some become extraordinarily learned without paines taking as 〈◊〉 yet in some bodies to
have more respect to his own life then the life of another 2. Another division is here to be considered a man may be slain either ex 〈◊〉 or praeter 〈◊〉 either of purpose or besides it In natural things we do not 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 to nature which is onely per 〈◊〉 by accident and not per se. Now answerable to this distinction of per se and per accidens in things 〈◊〉 is that of ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeter 〈◊〉 in things Moral and therefore if blood be shed praeter 〈◊〉 without any purpose of shedding it this is not to be accounted murder For God himself appointed Sanctuaries to be built for them to fly unto that shed blood praeter 〈◊〉 and God would not build Sanctuaries for any sin If one be hewing a tree in the wood and his hatchet fall and by chance kills his Neighbour he having no such intent or purpose the 〈◊〉 must deliver him from the avenger of blood and restore him to the city of refuge S. Augustine goes further and proves that the intention is so necessary in murder that if we take what is praeter intentionem for murder then we must cease to have or use any thing that may be an occasion of hurt a man must not have 〈◊〉 instruments of husbandry as spades axes c. because with these a man may be killed nor must one have trees in his orchard or 〈◊〉 to plow withal because a man may hang himself on one of the trees or the ox may gore nor have any windows in his house because one may be cast 〈◊〉 of a window and be slain thus by this means a man must have nothing because almost every thing may be used praeter intentionem besides his intention But absit as he saith God 〈◊〉 when they are kept for another end Yet to make a man innocent in this case that kills 〈◊〉 praeter 〈◊〉 besides his intention there must be two qualifications 1. He must have been imployed in re licita in a lawful businesse otherwise he is not to be excused If men strive saith the law and hurt a woman with childe that she die then life for life must be paid This in case of contention which is res 〈◊〉 an unlawful act The like may be 〈◊〉 in gaming 〈◊〉 and the like 2. There must be debit a 〈◊〉 a due and just care taken to have 〈◊〉 his death as in casting timber stone or tile from a house to give warning the case is set down in Exodus of a man opening or digging a pit and not covering it again as he might have done CHAP. IIII. The extent of this commandment Murther committed 1. Directly 2. Indirectly A man may be accessory to anothers death six 〈◊〉 A man may be accessory to his own death diverse wayes Of preserving life THus much for the restraint of the Commandment and in what cases the death of a man comes not within the compasse of murther Now for the extent of it There are diverse cases wherein a man is guilty of wilful murder and that either 1. Directly 2. or Indirectly A man may commit this sin 1. Directly as Joab killed Abner and Amasa If one man smite another with any instrument of 〈◊〉 stone wood c. whereby he kills him he is a murtherer saith the law and 〈◊〉 die for it 2. Indirectly and this is of three sorts 1. When it is not openly 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some colourable way as 1. by poyson as they in Jeremy Mittamus lignum in panem ejus let us put some poysoned wood into 〈◊〉 meat 2. By 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under the Law 3. By killing children in the womb by medicamenta 〈◊〉 a grievous murther 〈◊〉 by two Councils If a woman take strong purgations 〈◊〉 partum 〈◊〉 cause abortion she is 〈◊〉 a Murtheresse 4. If a man be Cooperator Accessorie as 1. Judas was accessory to Christs death by betraying him with a kisse he coloured the 〈◊〉 with a kisse So did Joab when he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Amasa He tooke Amasa by the beard and kissed him and then smote him under the fist 〈◊〉 2. By bringing one into danger as 〈◊〉 did David who made him captain against the Philistims to what end my 〈◊〉 shall not be upon him but the hand of the 〈◊〉 shall be upon him As Saul dealt with David so did David with 〈◊〉 when he wrote letters to Joab to set 〈◊〉 in the forefront for though the enemies slew him yet it was Davias murther 〈◊〉 hast 〈◊〉 Vriah the Hittite saith Nathan 3. By bearing false witnesse as those that testified against Naboth 4. By advising the death of the innocent thus 〈◊〉 was guilty 5. By exhorting and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up others the Scribes and High Priests did not put Christ to death yet they stirred up the people and perswaded Pilate c. And therefore were murtherers of Christ. 6. By consenting to the death of another as 〈◊〉 did to the death of Steven 7. By not hindring when a man is in authority and may and ought to hinder it Pilats washing his hands would not acquit him The not punishing of 〈◊〉 for the blood he unjustly shed troubled David when he was neere death and therefore he gave order to 〈◊〉 to take a time to punish him 2. A man is indirectly guilty by unnecessary exposing himself to danger when he may by ordinay means prevent it in this case he that doth the first an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last is accessory to his own death Qui amat periculum periculo 〈◊〉 saith the wise man Our Saviour would not thrust himself into it we must not tumble down when there are staires to go down For prevention of danger we see God prescribeth a law to prevent infection of leprosie The Leprous man was to be shut up and if any would go to him and endanger himself this was presumption and And Saint Paul though he had Gods promise to come 〈◊〉 to land yet he commanded the Centurion to use the means when he was in a storm to avoyd the danger by lightening the ship c. 3. By neglecting the means which God hath given for the preservation of life as Diet Physick moderate labour and recreation When a man is sick the Son of 〈◊〉 gives good counsel In thy sicknes be not negligent why what must a sick man do but in the first place send for the physitian No he prescribes a rule contrary to the practize of the world first pray unto the Lord leave off from sinne order thy hands aright and cleanse thy heart from all wickednes here is prayer and repentance first then give place to the physitian for the Lord hath created him let him not go from thee there is his place not the physitian of the body first and of the soul last And we see that in the case of
infirmities with himself 2. It is expedient not to joyne friendship with an angry man such an one as Nabal was if he have vesparum examen a swarme of waspes about him as the heathen said as such have who have shrewd memories to requite ill turnes he must be avoyded so also a scorner must be shunned who makes more account of his iest then of his friend and had rather 〈◊〉 quam dicteriam perdere lose his friend then his jest such must be cast out and then Contention wil cease 3. Reject the tale-bearer For where no wood is the fire goes out and where there is no tale-bearer strife ceaseth And therefore the wise man saith further though he speak fair yet beleeve him not for if he be beleeved he will utter the gall of Aspes there are abominations in his heart which he will not forbeare to vent 4. Strive not with a man without cause it he have done thee no harme saith Solomon and meddle not with contentions that belong not to thee except it be to reconcile brethren that are at variance as Moses did when he saw the two Israelites strive otherwise we may provoke anger and bring upon our selves the fruits of anger These are things which the Apostles Prophets and other holy men of God have exhorted unto before the affection be risen But now after it is risen we must take care to keep it in that it break not out a wise man will defer his anger for as Solomon saith the spirit of a man will beare his infirmity and more plainly The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe over a transgression He must not let it gush out but suspend his affections as one adviseth the Athenians to do in another case If Alexander be dead to day he will be dead to morrow and the next day and therefore do not make bone fires too soon This affection of anger must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed pedissequa rationis it must not out run but wait upon reason Therefore S. James exhorts us to be tardi ad iram slow to wrath and he gives a very good reason of it because this supersluity of mans wrath doth never operari 〈◊〉 Dei work the 〈◊〉 of God For as the Wise man saith the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water As when one cuts a bank it is easie to stop the water at 〈◊〉 but after it hath got way it carries all before it Now this anger of which we speak must be understood either of our selves towards others or of others towards us Of the first we have hitherto spoken and of our anger against others and the rule in general was Resistite resist it Of the other we are to speak when others are angry with us and here 1. The first rule is Cede Give place It is the Apostles counsel Give place unto wrath It was Abigails wisdom not to tell Nabal of his faults in the midst of his cups but to tarry till the next day for anger is momentane a insania a momentany madnesle And this may be done if we think not too much of it for cogitatio iram auget anger increases the more we think of it and therefore the Philosophers rule was that this affection must be smothered with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of joy fear or the like But there is another rule which the holy Ghost gives which is in our anger to see 1. God 2. The Devil Job ascribeth the taking away of his goods to God though the 〈◊〉 and Sabeans 〈◊〉 him yet he looked higher he saw further he saw Gods hand in it and therefore he bare all with patience because he knew God would never permit it but for his good So David when Shimei railed upon him said to his servants Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him So also the Devil may be seen in our anger as the Apostle intimates in that speech Be angry and sin not neither give place to the Devil because wicked men when they provoke us are but the Devils instruments herein Therefore Chrysostome saith It is a foolish thing in a dog to run after the stone that is cast at him and to bite that leaving him that threw it or when one is soundly beaten with a 〈◊〉 to demand that to break it and not turn upon him that gave the blow and it is sure that wicked men are nothing else but the Devils stones and staves our part therefore is to oppose the Devil and we cannot scourge him worse then by this vertue of patience for this is one of those bona opera good works which as we said before are flagella Daemonum whips for the Devil Thus much for repressing the inward motion of this passion either by keeping it from rising or after it hath risen to keep it from breaking out Now for the outward act which consists in revenge whereby we think to do to our adversarie as he hath done to us we must labour to restrain it by considering our Saviours example who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him that judgeth righteously and look to God that saith Vengeance is mine and I will repay We must be so far from assuming this to our selves that we must not rejoyce when our enemy falleth nor must our heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turn his wrath from him to us Job gives us a pattern for this He rejoyced not at the destruction of him that hated him But the most are here like the king of Israel who when the Syrians were brought into Samaria by the Prophet so that he had them at an advantage he asks the Prophet My father shall I smite them So if we have an advantage of our enemy we are readie to smite them But Davids practise was better which we should the rather follow when he had Saul at an advantage in the Cave so that he might have smitten him yet he did it not but onely cut off the lappe of his garment whereas if some had had him in this case they would have cut his skirts so neere that it is Chrysostomes saying efudissent e renibus ejus 〈◊〉 they would have let out the best blood in his body This should be far from us for we may observe that this desire of revenge is most incident to the weakest creatures we see the least are soonest angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habet musca splenem there is the Ants anger and the Flies anger and women more angry then men and among men those that are old sick and weak quo infirmiores 〈◊〉 is iracundi the weaker the more angry ever but he that is magnarum virium the ablest is least
Whereby they are more wedded to the world and more distracted in their devotions and easilier drawn from God and from Christ. For these reasons chastity of single life is chiefly to be desired But if we cannot attain to the first to castitas coelibatus then we must flie to the second which is castitas conjugalis conjugal chastity which is the remedy provided against concupiscence Now the means of preserving our selves from this sin of concupiscence we thus consider 1. To know that it is not tentari to be tempted but uri to burne that the Apostle speaks against Not to be tempted but to be set into a heate and inflamed His meaning is not that the gift of continency includes within it naturalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privationem 〈◊〉 privation of natural sense but the motions of the flesh he shall have do what he can The inward boyling 〈◊〉 a man may examine thus 1. Whether it be in him as a punishment for sinne or onely as a temptation for it is certain that adultery and uncleane lusts are oftentimes a punishment of pride The spirit of whoredom is in the midst of them saith the Prophet and in the next verse follows the reason The pride of Israel doth testifie to his face And whosoever can accuse himself of pride he may well fear that the spirit offornication is in him Saint Paul observes that when the heathen Romans grew so proud as to think themselves wise then God gave them over to uncleannes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 affections we see also in Adam that when he would needs be quasi Deus as God the first punishment that came upon him for this pride was his need of fig-leaves to cover the shame of his nakednes God punishing thereby contumeliam spiritus with contumelia carnis the contempt of the spirit with the reproach of the flesh 2. Again there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sadnes or heavinesse in man concerning spiritual things an unlusttines to good exercises He must first sleep and then 〈◊〉 and so he comes just to Davids case when he lusted after Bathsheba A man must have pleasure in some thing or other and because he hath it not in the spirit he will have it in the body and when he once feeleth it in him then beginneth his minde evagari circa illicita to wander about unlawful things and so by degrees there come in first importunitas mentis an importunity of the minde then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opportunity then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petulantia then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 final destruction 2. If it be a Tentation onely it proceeds from a cause either withour or within Without 1. Company If a mans eyes or hands offend him he must pluck them out and cut them off much more must he refrain the society of evil men though they be as dear to us as our eyes and our hands Be not among evil persons For Modicum fermentum A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump A man must forsake the company of riotous persons 2. Pleasing Objects as the allurements of the eye In this case the Wise man adviseth what is to be done Come not neer the door of her house we must do as Job did Make a covenant with our eyes Impera Evae cave serpentem tutus eris sed tutior si lignum non aspexeris Command Eve and take heed of the Serpent and you shall be safe but more safe you shall be if you come not neer the tree to look upon it By the eye men begin to love what they see and that love which at first is pretended to be chaste and lawful proves afterward lust such begin in the spirit but end in the flesh Therefore the Apostle exhorts to admonish the elder women as mothers the younger as sisters In omni castitate in all chastity and S. Peter would have love to be cum omni puritate with purity and so love as far as you will But a man must watch over himself vereri omnia opera sua be jealous of all his works because it is most certain that naturally we are subactum solum fit soyle to receive the seeds of this sin Within Either from the Body or the Soul 1. For the body as by the eye first for by this member concupiscence receives its greatest watering S. John calls it it the lust of the eyes And our Saviour saith Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already S. Peter tells us that there are eyes full of adultery So also we see that by the eyes men have fomented this sin It is laid as a fault that C ham looked upon his fathers nakednesse Wo to him saith the Prophet that giveth his neighbour drink to look upon his nakednesse The Devil when he would work mankinde a mischief used this argument to our first parents to transgresse Gods commandment that their eyes should be opened But our Saviours counsel is ut claudantur to close them up because that whatsoever passeth the eye affecteth the heart It is the broker of lust and therfore let no man say Quid nocet vidisse what harm doth it to see or as they did in the Psalm concerning their tongues so here we are Domini oculorum our eyes are our own who shall 〈◊〉 us for the eyes of a fool as the Wise man tells us will be ranging and Whatsoever saith Solomon mine eyes desired I kept not from them Qui innocens aspicit aspectu fit nocens though a man be innocent when he looks upon an ill object it is rare if he become not an offendour by it And non libet inspicere quod non licet concupiscere it is not lawful to look on that which is not lawful to desire But we ought rather to pray with David Averte oculos turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and with holy Job make a Covenant with our eyes Can a man take fire in his bosome and not be burnt And as we ought to keep our own eyes from this sinful looking upon others so are we also not to draw the eyes of others to such unlawful looking upon our selves For it is Ejusdem libidinis videri videre to see and to be seen proceed from the same lusts It is all one Emittere suos and admittere alienos To glance with our own eyes or draw others to look upon us Now by the Rules of Logick if the eyes are to be restrained no lesse are the other parts of the body as the hands feet mouth Touch not taste not handle not saith the Apostle For as Christ said If thine eye offend pluck it out So in the Law The hand that offended in touching the secret parts was to be cut off It was with the
illud quod non 〈◊〉 beleeve that which he sees not that when he casts in one grain and sees it rot and though many showres and suns do fall upon it yet at last he beleeves an Autumn will come and that he shall reap an ear for a 〈◊〉 so if God enlighten our eyes and give us hearts credere quod non videmus to beleeve what we do not yet see we shall reap the fruit thereof which shall be videre quod credimus to see and enjoy what we beleeved and so we shall finde that this seed of good works though at present it seem to be lost and cast away yet it is serentis it belongs still to the sower and that an Autumn or harvest will come when it will return an hundred fold And thus we see the wayes of just getting by lawful means without deceit or violence and when things are unjustly got the necessity of restitution We have seen also the right use of riches both in regard of our selves against prodigality and covetousnesse the two extreams and also in respect of others by bounty and liberality and so we see what is forbidden or commanded in this Commandment CHAP. IX That this Commandment is spiritual Of Covetousnesse diverse reasons against it The means to keep this Commandment 1. Contentation 2. To walk in our wayes which that we may do 1. We must have a lawful calling 2. We must be perswaded that riches are Gods gift 3. We must live according to our means 4. Observe the rules for getting and using of riches ACcording to our former method we must now show as the third rule of extent requires that this Commandment is spiritual and looks at the heart Christ saith that thefts covetousnesse deceits c. come from the heart and so all unjust gettings being of affinity with them come from the same fountain which fountain must be stopt or damd up if we will be observers of this Commandment and therefore the Apostle mentions the corruption of the minde first and then covetousnesse after when men account gain godlinesse If man had continued in the state of innocency his desires both natural and oeconomical would have been ruled and guided by reason but by the losse of that estate the minde or rational part which should be guide of his actions is corrupted whereupon his desires are irregular and immoderate so that he comes appetere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to desire fulnesse and 〈◊〉 The belly hath an appetite beyond that wich is sufficient for it and so by the corruption of the minde the appetite is unruly whereby we are disquieted by continual craving This within us like the daughters of the Horseleech cryes still give give bring bring c. Against which there must be one within us that saith there is enough to which end there must be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-sufficiency or contentednesse of minde for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 luxury or excesse is the corruption of our nature so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or contentednesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the riches of our nature But now where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covetousnesse or a desire of more the Apostle shews us how the case stands which such a heart 1. That such men will be rich this they resolve upon and because it holds especially in evil things that quod volumus valde volumus whatsoever we desire we do earnestly desire and long after it in so much that as Solomon observed even the slothful covet greedily all the day long and what they desire they will get as quickly as they can therefore such men will berich as soon as they can and then as the Wise man saith He that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent and an heritage though it be quickly got at the beginning yet the end of it is not blessed 2. That because of this greedy desire they fall into diverse temptations the Devil sets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a temptation some round sum or great gain which he offers them and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a snare wherein they are caught He requires some small thing of them nothing but a false asseveration a few words or a false oath or with the unjust steward onely a dash of a pen to set down 50 for 80 thus the bait is laid to draw them into the snare 3. That God seeing them thus resolved and willing to be catcht he 〈◊〉 them fall into the snare in his just judgement as a punishment of their inordinate desire of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 inflicts further punishments as that of the Preacher He that loves money shall not be satisfied with it the reason whereof is because the minde cannot be satisfied with any thing but God And then from many desires vers 10. the covetous man falls into many cares for when goods increase they are increased that eat them and what good comes to the owners thereof but the beholding of it with their eyes so that as his desires encrease so do his cares as we see in the rich fool Quid edam quid bibam quid induam What shall I eat What shall I 〈◊〉 what shall I put on Or if he be rich then his care is quid faciam what shall I do I have not barns enough rich but not rich to use it 4. Besides this he adds that being thus distracted with worldly cares such men shall erre from the faith not onely by falling into damnable errours but by not beleeving nor regarding either the promises or threatnings or the Commandments of God This was the punishment of Judas who because he was covetous and defrauded his Master for fur erat loculos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a thief and bore the bag therefore as we 〈◊〉 afterwards he came to make so little account of Christ or of the doctrine which he preacht that to shew he beleeved it not he sold his 〈◊〉 for thirty pieces 5. And from this which is very heavy such men fall further 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into destruction and perdition 1. Into destruction of the substance they have got The Prophet Zachary speaks of a flying book wherein were written the curses of God which should enter into the house of the thief and the swearer that swears falsly and should consume the Houses with the timber and stones thereof so that no good 〈◊〉 shall come of what is unjustly gotten And therefore the 〈◊〉 man could say If you would have your chest full of 〈◊〉 and would have them to continue with you see that you get them well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is unjustly brought into the house hath no safety or sure footing either God will take it from them and as Zophar saith they shall vomit it up again or else he will take them from it by shortening their dayes Non dimidiabunt dies suos they shall not live out half their dayes Dies
Deiveniet tanquam fur nulli autem it a 〈◊〉 fur ut furi the 〈◊〉 of the Lord will come suddenly as a thief but to none so like a thief as to the thief But this is not all for 2. they shall fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into perdition of the soul too At the last day they must hear that sentence Go ye cursed into everlasting 〈◊〉 c. such as have 〈◊〉 taken any thing from others non controvertitur de iis there shall be no question of them but they must go into perdition and therefore they are not mentioned nor is there any plea or excuse for them As for those that have not given to others they plead for themselves and their plea is answered non dedist is you have not given to me saith Christ because you gave not to my brethren but for 〈◊〉 such as taken from others by fraud or violence there is no question made of them 〈◊〉 they shall 〈◊〉 that true which the Prophet speaks They have 〈◊〉 themselves for an 〈◊〉 of barley and a piece of bread they have gained a handful of 〈◊〉 and have lost the kingdom of heaven they will then finde that it will advantage them nothing to win the whole world and to lose their souls And because the 〈◊〉 man compare the 〈◊〉 mans desires to hell as if they were insatiable and would hold as much as hell and as if there were an affinity and just adequation between them and Hell therefore like must go to like Hell is the place prepared for them for the Apostle 〈◊〉 down this conclusion that no thief nor covetous man nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the kingdom of God We come now according to the fourth rule to the means and helps we must use for the 〈◊〉 this Commandment And because Covetousnesse which is the root of all is in the heart therefore to 〈◊〉 it and pluck it up by the roots 1. We must labour for a contented minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let your conversation be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how is that in the next words it follows and be content with those things you have that is when a man for his personal and natural necessity hath that which is sufficient he must rest and be contented therewith and for the supply of what is necessary for his estate and degree which admits a great deal of latitude and hath not his medium in indivisibili consists not in an indivisible point he must 〈◊〉 trouble himself with anxious cares but must cast himself upon God yet he may lawfully take what God in his ordinary providence shall cast upon him by lawful means but if he have not this if he have what is necessary in the former respects he must be content When a man is not contented there comes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dividing and disquieting of the soul and then he distrusts the Providence of God whereas S. Peter out of the Psalm tells us that the righteous cast their care upon him because he careth for them they have this perswasion that God will not let them want they using lawful means and relying upon him yea that the very lions shall rather want then they It is true Paul allows men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providence and industry for procuring necessaries for their nature and person and they that want this care he saith are worse then infidels and have denied the faith But there is a difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anxious care for the one doth not possesse and take up the soul but leaves the heart wholly to God and may consist with prayer to him but the other takes up all or most of the heart so that one cannot attend to prayer and other duties of Gods worship as we see in Ezekiels hearers who when worldly cares took up their hearts regarded not the exercises of Religion as the word preached to them insomuch that the Prophet taxes them that with their mouths they made feasts but their heart ran after covetousnesse so that do what he could he could not draw them from it The Prophet Hosea saith of such that cor eorum 〈◊〉 est their heart 〈◊〉 divided viz. between God and the world so that through their worldly desires and cares joyned with distrust of God when they come to present themselves before God he cannot have it whole and entire nay many times the world takes it up wholly so that God can have no part therefore to prevent and avoid this Contentednesse resting upon Gods providence not excluding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first thing 2. The second thing is laid down by the Psalmist Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes This is when a man so looks up to God that he also uses lawful means and walks in those wayes which God allows and this includes in it diverse things 1. He must set himself in a lawful calling he must eat his bread either in the care and study of the minde or in the sweat of his brows either jure manus or jure oculi by the labour of his hands in bodily works or of his eyes by reading and study S. Paul saith that those that live idlely live altogether out of order and such he would have to be avoided and therefore this is certain that every man must keep himself in an honest calling 2. Being setled in a lawful calling he must stand thus resolved first he must 〈◊〉 not to be chargeable to others and secondly not onely so but also to be helpful and beneficial to others if God please to enable him Now to attain this he must be perswaded that as God will have some to be poor so it is he that maketh rich and that whosoever would have divitias sine verme riches without cares and sorrows as S. Augustine saith must be perswaded that riches are the gift of God and that whomsoever God would have to be rich he would have them use onely lawful and direct means for the attaining of them that is to do nothing but according to the strict rule of Gods will for the attaining of them Those that keep to this rule we shall finde that God hath extraordinarily blest them we may see it in Isaac God blest him strangely so that he made him feared of the Philistims and so it s said of Jacob that his rightcousnesse in his service to Laban would answer for him vers 33. and that he increased exceedingly in cattel and servants c. and although as himself confessed with his staff he came over Jordan yet when he went back God had increased him to two great bands c. Thus God will have some rich and these are Divites Dei Gods rich men rich indeed such as use onely lawful means And
receive onely Corporal blessings but by this means he shall abrumpere peccata break off his sins For when a man findes his bowels open to the poor it is a good signe and symptome of Gods mercy and forgivenesse to him When Cornelius gave alms his calling was neer Our Saviour saith Give alms and all things shall be clean 〈◊〉 you speaking of Ceremonial cleannesse under the Law and S. James saith this is a part of that moral purity required under the Gospel for pure religion and undefiled before God is to visit the fatherlesse and widows in adversity c. Besides all this we shall hereby as the Apostle saith lay up a good foundation against the time to come when we shall be called to give an account of our stewardship for this is that which will come in rationem to be accounted for at the last day the relieving or not relieving of Christ in his members I was hungry and ye fed me or fed me not saith Christ. In the 〈◊〉 of the talents the Lord asks the unprofitable servant why he gave not his money to the exchangers S. Ambrose on that place asks who be those 〈◊〉 those money changers and he findes at last that Pauperes are Campsores the poor be those money changers And therefore he saith If a man be to go into another countrey where he shall need money if he be in danger of thieves and robbers by the way or if his money will not be currant in the place whither he is to go he goes to the exchanger delivers him his money and takes a bill of his hand which he carries with him and so he fears neither robbers by the way who he is sure will not rob him of a piece of paper nor that he shall want currant money in the place he goes to so saith he is the case of every man in this life he is travelling to his heavenly Countrey and therefore he should do like a Traveller who will neither load himself with that which may endanger his life nor will passe for currant in the place to which he goes but will so lay it out here that he may receive it there Now as Job speaks We came naked out of our mothers womb and as the Apostle saith We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out of it for if we would we are sure to be stript of all as we go The proud are robbed saith the Psalmist they have slept their sleep and when they awake in the morning they finde nothing in their hands And then secondly if a man could carry any thing in his hand yet it is not gold and silver that will serve there it will not be currant in an other world Therefore the best couse is in our passage hence to make friends of the temporal Mammon to deliver it here that we may receive the worth of it there And this is as Ambrose speaks to be dives in libro sigillato rich in the sealed book as 〈◊〉 was whose alms came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Gods book of remembrance This is the committing of our wealth here to Christs factors and exchangers the poor for whom he himself is surety what ye do to them saith Christ ye do to me I will make it good he gives us his bill for it which is the very gospel the word of God which cannot fail wherein he hath promised that not a cup of cold water but shall be returned This is our warrant for delivering here and receiving it there The Heathen man said that works of mercy do swim out with us and the Scripture saith that the just when they rest from their labours opera eorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their works shall follow them for when as others are like him that dreams of a great dinner but when awakes he is hungry they that are rich in these works shall be surely rewarded their works shall be accounted to them to them shall be said Come ye blessed of my father c. 〈◊〉 conclude he that follows after righteousnesse by just dealing both in getting and restoring and after mercy in using of his 〈◊〉 He shall finde life and righteousnesse and honour and 〈◊〉 hereafter in the world to come The last thing to be touched is according to the sixth rule to procure the keeping of this precept in others the Psalmist makes it a sin not onely furare to steal but currere cumfure to run with a thief and Solomon saith That he that is partner with a thief destroyeth his own soul therefore we must not communicate with others in this sin And not onely must we observe this in the Negative part but also in the Affirmative we must draw others from the breach of the precept as the Psalmist who exhorts others not to trust in oppression and robbery and if riches increase that they set not their hearts upon them The like doth Solomon when he saith that bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterward his mouth is filled with gravel and therefore he warneth every one not to let mercy and truth forsake him so he shall have favour in the sight of God and man Thus to avoid this sin of theft both in themselves and others hath been the practise and endeavour of the Saints in all Ages THE EXPOSITION OF THE Ninth Commandement CHAP. I. The words expounded What is meant by Non respondebis in the Original Addit about the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respondere What by witnesse Four witnesses 1. God 2. The conscience 3. Men and Angels 4. The Creatures What is meant by false what by contra against what by proximum Neighbour The coherence and dependance of this Commandement The scope and use of it 1. In respect of God 2. Of the Church 3. Of the Common wealth 4. Of private persons Exod. 20. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy Neighbour FOr the exposition of this Commandement we must have recourse to those places of Scripture where the sin here forbidden is prohibited and the duties here implyed are commanded as in the Old Testament to Levit. 19. 11. 16 17. Ye shall not lye one to another and Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale bearer among thy people And Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart c. And to Zach. 8. 16 17. Speak ye every man the truth to his Neighbour And Love no false oath And in the New Testament to Matth. 12. 34 35 36. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh for a good man out of the good treasures of his heart bringeth forth good things c. and to Ephes. 4. 25. where we have both parts of this Commandement The Negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cast off lying and then in the next words the Affirmative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c.
Speak every man the truth to his Neighbour First to make plain the words and the meaning of them This Commandement is not delivered in one word as some of the others but consists of divers words which rendred according to the Hebrew run thus Non respondebis testimonium falsum super vicinum tuum thou shalt not answer a false testimony concerning thy Neighbour The words non respondebis thou 〈◊〉 not answer must be understood according to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 in which to answer is to speak whether there be any question asked or no. So the Evangelists often begin a story thus Jesus answered and said though no man spake to him nor demanded any thing of him So that by answering is not meant onely speaking the truth when it is demanded but also to speak truth 〈◊〉 we speak though no question be asked of us For the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 〈◊〉 to speak or utter ones minde and therefore we finde it used to expresse singing as in Exod. 32. 18. where Moses saith he heard vocem cantantium the voice of them that sung 〈◊〉 the same word is used so that it signifies to speak either by way of question or answer or otherwise Although it be true the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie generally to speak and so is often rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respondeo and though all contained under the general signification may be reduced hither yet it is more probable that literally and properly in this place the word is strictly taken for answering because the custome was among the Jews that the Judges did adjure the witnesses by the name of God to speak the truth to which the witnesses made answer and therefore whereas we reade Levit. 5. 1. If a soul sin and hear the voyce of swearing and be a witnesse c The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred by the Greck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 the voyce of one adjuring c. as referring to the adjuration of the Judge to which the 〈◊〉 was to answer So also guilty persons or such as were accused were wont 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 as we see in the example of Achan adjured by Joshua and of our Saviour adjured by the High Priest The form of such adjurations was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give glory to God as in that place of Josh. and John 9. 24. or in other words equivalent as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I adjure thee to speak the truth to me in the name of the Lord 1 Kings 22. 16. The next word is witnesse Thou shalt not bear false witnesse c. which we 〈◊〉 applyed four wayes in Scripture 1. To the great and chief witnesse God himself When 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 accused by his friends he appeals to this 〈◊〉 Ecce testis meus est in Coel. s 〈◊〉 my witnesse is in heaven and S. John saith There are three that bear witnesse in heaven the 〈◊〉 the Word and the Spirit every person in the Deity is a 〈◊〉 of the truth and 〈◊〉 witnesses we have of our thoughts words and 〈◊〉 whether they be 〈◊〉 or evil These are true and faithful 〈◊〉 God is often stiled the God of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 is called that true and faithful witnesse yea truth it 〈◊〉 and the Holy Ghost is Spiritus veritatis the Spirit of truth These are the witnesses with whose testimony we must 〈◊〉 our selves This must be our comfort 〈◊〉 our praise is not of men but of God who onely can judge of the sincerity 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men may often be applauded by the wicked when a good man shall be slighted 〈◊〉 such 〈◊〉 shall not stand a man in stead it is not the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 that makes one praise worthy nay it 〈◊〉 a great judgement to be well spoken of and 〈◊〉 by wicked men Wo be to you saith Christ when all men shall 〈◊〉 well of you Qui laudatur ab hominibus vituperante Deo 〈◊〉 salvabitur ab hominibus damnante 〈◊〉 He that is praised by men when God abhors him shall not be saved by men when God condemns him He is not a Jew that is one out wardly but he that is one inwardly whose praise is not of 〈◊〉 but of God Therefore the Apostle when the 〈◊〉 past rash judgement upon him tels them 〈◊〉 pro minimo 〈◊〉 c. It is a small matter for me to be judged of you 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 me is the Lord. 2. Now 〈◊〉 this great witnesse in the second place cometh 〈◊〉 witnesse which the Apostle 〈◊〉 of Rom. 2. 15. Attestante ipsis conscientia Their conscience bearing them witnesse and Rom. 9. 1. I 〈◊〉 the truth in Christ my conscience also bearing me 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 the Heathen man said that it is 〈◊〉 testis as a thousand witnesses because it is the knowledge of our selves and of our own 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 him Miserum miserable Qui contemnit 〈◊〉 testem that despiseth this witnesse For 〈◊〉 that regards not the testimony of his own conscience will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Commandement in bearing 〈◊〉 witnesse against his brother and when men 〈◊〉 not to the voice of their conscience it is the beginning of all apostasie both in faith and practice and therefore the Apostle saith that the wrath of God is 〈◊〉 from Heaven against all such as suppresse or smother the truth in unrightcousnesse 〈◊〉 when men have a wicked affection or inclination to any sinful act and though their consciences speak unto them and tell them this they ought not to do and they will not hearken unto it then they detain the truth in unrighteousnesse for they suppresse and keep down the truth as a prisoner which would shine forth in their hearts For 〈◊〉 the Heathen man said the foundation of Gods justice begins here when he speaks in the hearts and consciences of men and they will notwithstanding do the contrary for this moves God to leave them to themselves and as s. Paul saith to give them over to strong delusions that they may believe lies And though this witnesse be great yet God is greater then our consciences as s. Paul and s. John say and therefore S. Paul saith that though our hearts acquit us yet are we not thereby justified Men do often dream strange things of themselves and are deceived in their judgement and purposes for the heart of man as the Prophet speaks is deceitful above all things and therefore when our consciences come to be 〈◊〉 up coram magno judice before that great Judge it will appear that in many things we have been mistaken which made S. Paul say That though he knew nothing by himself yet was he not thereby justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he that judgeth me saith he is the Lord.
like those in Micah of whom he saith He that would prophecy of such things as they delighted in as of wine or strong drink should be Prophet for that people And hence it is that as S. Hierom saith Qui nescit adulari he that cannot 〈◊〉 nor apply himself to the humours of others is thought to be either superbus or invidus proud or envious all which ariseth from this that men like those that do sooth them up Now this vice of flattery is two fold for it is either in things uncertain or certain 1. In things uncertain as when we commend a man before we be certain he deserves it this is 〈◊〉 laus 〈◊〉 praise when a man is praised at first sight or when he begins to do well for some will then so highly commend him as to make him think he hath done enough and answered all expectation whereas it is not the puting on of the armour but the putting of it off which shews what praise a man deserves It is not stadium a part of the race well run but the whole race that deserves the Garland Praeclarum stadium sed metno dolichum the entrance of the race is excellent and I like it well but I am afraid of the length and continuance of it many begin well who fall short and faint before they come to the goal Therefore whilest things are uncertain we ought not to be liberal in commending nor prodigal in our 〈◊〉 2. In things certain and those either evil or good 1. In evil things which are by God condemned Laudatur male qui 〈◊〉 ob malum or de malo it is a very sorry commendation to be praised or cried up in evil or for evil He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse nations shall 〈◊〉 him And the Psalmist speaking of a wicked man saith That he speaketh well of the covetous whom God 〈◊〉 The Prophet Esay denounceth a woe against all such as call evill good or good evill that call light darknesse and darknesse light 〈◊〉 writes of Cambyses that he having a minde to an incestuous mariage moved the question to those about him 〈◊〉 he might marry such an one they told him that they could not well answer in general for that the action seemed not good but they found this in particular that whatsoever the King would do he might do it This 〈◊〉 was abominable and to be hated of all good men The Prophet compares such to those that build a wall with 〈◊〉 morter which cannot therefore stand For as it followes when the wall is fallen it shall be said unto them where is the daubing where with ye have daubed it These are Caementarii 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 daubers And therefore at the 18 verse there is a woe denounced against those that sow pillows under mens elbows for he would have men that are asleep in sin to sleep with as little ease as may be without pillows or curtains that so they may wake the sooner but flatterers by sowing pillows 〈◊〉 them make them sleep the more secure 2. In good things one may be guilty of flattery by praising them above measure 〈◊〉 brings men into an errour of thinking otherwise then it is whereas the Apostle 〈◊〉 not have any to think of him above that which was in him Thus praise above a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 sine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond proportion this breeds in men a better 〈◊〉 of themselves then they deserve and whereas they ought to strive and endeavour to go on and to attain more perfection they stand still and rest in what they have attained Such flatterers though they pretend great love yet usually there is no such affection in their heart and therefore Solomon saith of 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 his friend with a loud voice rising early in the morning it shall be counted a 〈◊〉 to him Yea it may be sometime he hath a 〈◊〉 affection he hates him whom he slatters and therefore the same Solomon saith Though he 〈◊〉 favourably believe him not for there are seven 〈◊〉 in his heart 〈◊〉 such men did truly love those they praise they would speak no more then truth of them for love 〈◊〉 in truth as truth ought to be in love If the one be without the other if either love be without truth or truth without love the law is broken Thus whether it be upon uncertainties that we praise men or if upon 〈◊〉 yet in evil things or if in good things yet if it be too much or too high or without affection or love it is flattery in them all and here 〈◊〉 The lips that utter such flatteries the Psalmist 〈◊〉 and wishes that such men might be liplesse and that they might be rooted 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 they might not utter with their 〈◊〉 that venenum quod habet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Heathen man said that poyson which is conveyed 〈◊〉 smooth words It is true there is a pleasing of men which is lawful sin being set aside and the truth preserved and the heart first wrought upon truly to affect them and desire their good Thus s. Paul laboured to become all things to all men but without these conditions whosoever he be that sets himself to please men cannot be the servant of Christ. To avoid this plague of flattery we must not countenance such persons nor open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them lest we be like those spoken off by the Prophet that make falsehood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and love to be well spoken off rather then to deserve well Or 〈◊〉 that of Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he that flatters most shall fare best when as the Prophet speaks they bend their tongue 〈◊〉 a bow for lies and take pains to do wickedly we must rather pray with the Psalmist Ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caput meum that his head may not be 〈◊〉 with the oyl of wicked men that is with their words which are smooth as oyl that his senses may not be so bewitched with their flatteries that his heart might be perverted And as we must not suffer our selves to be flattered so we must not flatter others but reprove them rather for we may be assured that if he 〈◊〉 wise whom we reprove he will make use of it 〈◊〉 a wise man and he will love thee If he do not the fault is his we have done our duty And though for the present he seem to be offended yet as the Wiseman saith He that rebuketh a man shall at last finde more favour then he that flattereth with his lips We have done with flattery as it 〈◊〉 others we come now to that which they call actum reflexum when a man by reflecting upon himself doth praise himself This is Jactantia boasting or vaunting of ones self As in the former Commandement a man may sin against himself as we shewed so here he may break
as the Apostle speaks but as we are careful to quench fire or stop a breach of water at the first lest if they break out it be too late so we must stop sinful motions at the first before they gather strength and so we be not able to resist them 5. The word of God hath a specifical vertue to cleanse the heart Let the word of Christ saith the Apostle dwell in you plentifully or richly The word of the Lord saith the Psalmist is clean and therefore he asks the question wherewith shall a young man cleanse his wayes and answers by taking 〈◊〉 according to thy word 6. The heart must be weaned from the pleasures and delights of the world there must be 〈◊〉 mentis that we may say with David I have behaved my self as one that is weaned from his mothers breast This must be by meditating of the vanity shortnesse and insufficiency of all earthly pleasures that as Abner said to Joab they bring bitternesse at the last Extrema gaudii luctus occupat these sweet waters end in the salt brackish sea these short momentany pleasures will be rewarded with endlesse torments The rich man received in his life time good things and Lazarus evil but now saith Abraham Lazarus is comforted and thou art tormented 7. We must with the Apostle keep the body under and bring it into subjection He that besieges an enemy will cut off provision from him Those fleshly lusts which as S. Peter saith do war 〈◊〉 the soul will not be vanquished if we pamper the body for by this means they are strengthened Therefore we must avoid all excesse in meat or drink and whatsoever may be a provocation or encitement to our Concupiscence Fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse were the sins of Sodom and Solomon gives counsel not to tarry at the wine his reason is thy eyes will behold strange women we must take heed then of pampering the body if we would not have those lusts to grow in our heart And if we have any way neglected our duty herein we must with the Apostle take revenge upon our selves for our 〈◊〉 by some penal exercises as fasting watching prayer c. both to shew our true repentance for our exorbitancy and to keep the body the better in subjection for the future And though this seem to be durus sermo a hard thing to flesh and blood yet by 〈◊〉 power of Christ and his spirit we shall be able to perform it Thus if we keep our hearts with all diligence as Solomon exhorts and labour for purity of heart we shall be fitted for communion with God who is a God of pure eyes by faith here and by cleer 〈◊〉 hereafter Blessed are the pure in heart saith Christ for they shall see God FINIS Addition Anno 15. 85 Exod. 32. 16. 31. ult Ecc'es 12. 13 Jer. 36. 23. See the fourth Addition Introd c. 14 p. 58 Rom. 2. 1 2. Psal. 119. 126. Apollod de Orig deor l 3. p. 57. Is. 33. 22. Ja. 4. 12. 2. 8. P. 28. in Eu. Bas. in psal 10 Ori. cont Cels. l. 5. p. 259. Chryso to 3. p. 93. ed-savil Ter. l. 3. contr Marcion c. 16 4. contr Marc. p. 524. Aug. To. 4 de ser. doi in monte l. 1. Tert. Clemen Hill Epiph. Basil. Chryso Ambros. Hier. Theoph. Euthym. * Luk. 9. 8. 19. Acts 15. 7. 21. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 2 Pet. 2. 5. Rev. 12. 9. 20. 2. See the Hom. of faith c. 〈◊〉 21. 〈◊〉 Aug. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 23 Gal. 5. 6. Ja. 2. 22. Ro. 1. 28. Ps. 95. 10. Heb 9. 7. 〈◊〉 in proem in Sent. q. 3. conclus 〈◊〉 Sent. q. 4. p. 14 col 3. Durand in 1. Sent. Dist. 1. q. 5. sol 10. col 1. John 7. 17. Psal. 25. 14. Thess. 2. 10. 12. In this Preface Page 3. line 17. read asserting l. 33. r. Laws l. 38. r. wallows p. 4. l. 11. r. they p. 5. l. 10. r. Basilides l. 21. for four r. some p. 6. l. 10. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. l. 15. r. where l. 34. d. first p. 7. l. 19. r. truer In the ensuing Page del Exposition of the. Psalm 34. 11. Pro. 4. 1. Cic. pro M. Caelio 〈◊〉 Lib. 7. cap. 17. de divinat 4 Offic. l 1. Ad Herenn 4 Exo. 10. 9. Mat. 19 13. 〈◊〉 18. 15. Maa 15. 9. Psalm 119. 9. Exod. 12. 27. 〈◊〉 6. 21. 7 Prov. 20. 11. 1 Sam. 2. 25. 2 Reg. 2. 24. Rev. 20. 12. John 13. 〈◊〉 Luk. 2. 46. mat 21. 15 16 Psalm 8. 2. John 21. 15. 〈◊〉 5. 4. Math. 28. 〈◊〉 In ep 〈◊〉 tract 3. 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 34. 11. The Etymology The 〈◊〉 Clemens Matth. 22. 〈◊〉 John 〈◊〉 16. 〈◊〉 12. 13. Acts 20. 21. Hebr. 6. 1. 2. Tim. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 6. 17. 12. 6. 〈◊〉 22. 37. 2. Pet. 3. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 14. 20. Eph. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 John 5. 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 Gen. 18. 17. 19. 17. 1. 18. 18. 22. 18. Gen. 24. 63. 12. 27. 33. 〈◊〉 14. 〈◊〉 6. 〈◊〉 Deut. 6. 8. 9. Psal. 34. 11. Pro. 4. 3. 4. 1 Chro. 28. 9. 2. Reg. 12. 2. Susan 3. L. 1. Antiq. Rom. 2. 18. Eph. 6. 4. 1. Cor. 14. 19. Luk. 1. 3 7 8. Act. 18. 24. 25. 2. Tim. 3. 15. Gal. 6. 6. Mat. 36. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 15. 1 Jon. 4 1. 1 Cor. 11. 28 2. 13. 5. Ro. 15. 14. Eph. 6. 14. Ro. 12. 1. John 17. 3. Deut. 11. 21. 〈◊〉 6. 21. 1 Cor. 15. 4. Gal. 2. 2. 2 Cor. 6. 1. Jer. 6. 29. Esa. 55. 10. 11. Esa. 49. 4. Luk. 10. 6. 2 Cor. 2. 15. Mat. 13. 23. in 〈◊〉 The Duty of the Catechized psalm 122. 1. Esa. 2. 3. psalm 84. 10. Esay 29. 13. 11 Mar. 8. 2. Act. 20. 7. psal 105. 31. Act. 17. 22. Luk. 23. 8. Act. 2. 46. Pro. 8. 34. Ephes. 5. 16. Mat. 22. 5. Gen. 25. 7. Exo. 32. 6. Leo. Hier ad Demetr Esa. 29. 10. Mat. 22. 13. 2 Chr. 29. 34. 1 Chr 29. 17. Mat. 3. 3. 〈◊〉 12. 47. Amos. 4. 12 Act. 11. 23. Psalm 119. 9. Luke 12. 1. 1. Cor. 5. 6. Deut. 29. 18. 〈◊〉 5. 1. Gen. 28. 17. Psalm 2. 11. 5 7 Proverbs 1. 7. 19. 23 psalm 85. 9. pro. 23. 17 Psa. 〈◊〉 1. King 8. 9. Dan. 9 3. 20. 1 King 3. 9. 10 Act. 10. 9. 11. in Math. 1 Pet. 3. 12. Psa. 119. 18. 37. 25. Rev. 3. 〈◊〉 Ro. 12. 11. Gal. 4. 18. Psa. 119. 40. 131. in psalm in Ezekiel Ps. 107. 9. Psal. 24. 4. 5. 19. 8. 2. Cor. 6. 15. Hug. de 〈◊〉 Mar. 9. 23. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11. 6. Ab. 2. 4. Ro. 5. 2. 9. 32. Psalm 81. 3. 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 5. 42. 〈◊〉 in serm 24. 〈◊〉 14. 35. Ex. 29. 13. Psal. 40. 6. Esa. 32. 3. Exod. 5. 17. 〈◊〉 8. 18. de singularitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in psalm 45. Deut. 17. 13. Act. 2. 43. Heb. 17. 28. Col. 〈◊〉