religion on those who succeeded Let the consideration of the frailty of our bodies teach us to consult for the good of our immortall soules We may observe many times it so falles out that our rational life is best when our vegetative is worst and we begin to grow in wisdome when we cease to grow in strength As it is with the rationall life so it should be with the spirituall when the life of the flesh is ready to dye the spiritual life should have so much the more spirit and vigour Quest 8. V. 24. It is said in this verse that Enoch was not for God tooke him now the question here may be whether Enoch was translated in soule and body or whether in soule only c Some thinke that Enoch was translated Resp in soule only and not in body and they say he died in the translation so as his soule only was taken up to heaven and his body slept in the earth I shall propound their arguments and give you the answers rendered thereunto No mortall body unglorified can enter Argu. 1 into heaven But there is no mention of his glorification Ergo. It is a slender kinde of arguing to say that Resp 1 a thing is not scriptural because it is not expressely mentioned in the Scripture The glorification of his body is plainly implied though not expressed for it is said he was translated that he should not see death Heb. 11.5 Now if his body saw not death it was made immortall which is a speciall part of glorification If the bodies of Enoch and Elias were translated Argu. 2 into heaven then it will follow that some ascended into heaven before Christ ascended thither But this seemes not to be allowed for heaven to us as Paradise to Adam was shut up till Christ opened it by hsme rits We readily grant that the opening of Resp 1 heaven the celestiall Paradise is to be ascribed to the merits of Christ We confidently deny that heaven was then only opened when Christ actually suffered or ascended up into heaven and we cannot but peremptorily assert that the force and efficacy of the merits of Christ extended to Old Testament-Saints long before Christs coming in the flesh for the Lord Jesus was a Lambe slain from the foundation of the world Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever and our Fathers under Old Testament-dispensations ate the same spiritual meat and drank the same spiritual drink as we do under the Gospel viz. the body of Christ crucified and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes and these things though they were future to hope yet they were present to faith which is the Substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene From Joh. 3.13 And no man hath ascended Arg. 3 up to heaven but he that came downe from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven By which words say some is signified that no man bodily ascended into heaven untill the time of Christs ascension This place is to be expounded Metaphorically Resp No man hath ascended into heaven so as to know the secrets of the Almighty and to lie in the bosome of the Father but onely Christ and indeed the context gives great light to this Exposition for the Lord Jesus would by this convince Nicodemus that he was more able to teach him heavenly mysteries then all the Doctors among the Jewes as you may perceive by vers 11. and 12. Verily I say unto thee We speak that we do know and â—estifie that we have seenâ— c. And besides Prov. 30. 4. Ascending up into heaven is made all one with the knowing of holy things From Heb. 6.20 Where Christ is called Arg. 4 the forerunner And Christ saith John 14. I go to prepare a place for you Therefore before Christs death and ascension a place was not prepared Christ might be called a forerunner Resp 1 in respect of those who died after his ascension Christ might be called the forerunner of his Saints under the Old Testament in regard of the effiâ—acy of his merits That a place was prepared for Old Testament-Saints by Christ but with respect to his future sufferings and merits and therefore though a place might be said to be prepared for Enoch and Elias yet it was necessary Christ should die and Christ should ascend From Col. 1.15 where Christ is called Arg. 5 the first-borne of every creature and verse 18. in all things to have the preeminence and Rom. 8.29 he is called the first-born among many brethren The primogeniture of Christ doth not Resp consist in this that no man either in regard of body or soul or both ascended into heaven before Christs coming in the flesh but in this that no man hath nor shall ever come thither but by the vertue and efficacy of his merits As Christ is called the first-fruits of them that sleep not because none arose 1 Cor. 15. â—0 before Jesus Christ but because he alone arose by his owne power and is the cause of the resurrection of all those that have or shall arise unto glory sâ— here Christ alone ascended into heaven by his owne power and is the cause of the ascension of his people unto glory To whom be glory for ever Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Directions FOR The right understanding Of the SCRIPTURES 1. Rule THere are tropes or figurative expressions which are made use of by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures which if not warâ—ly observed will occasion a misunderstanding of the text The Scriptures are adorned with various kinds of Elegancies and Rhetoricall expressions demulcere animos legentis Amongst many others I shall instance in two 1. The figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a figure whereby one thing is signified by two severall Noune substantives As The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon her assemblies a cloud aâ—d smoke by day viz. a smoaky cloud Isa 4. 5 So I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is Mat. 3.11 mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to beare he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire viz. with the holy Ghost as with fire Sad consequences may follow upon the literall Interpretation of this Scripture I have read that the Abyseni tooke this text literally and when they baptized their children they poured water upon them and then marked them with an hot iron 2. The figure called Ironia whereby we speak one thing and meane another but signifie our meaning either by our gesture or manner of speaking this manner of speech though it be often abused unto sinne as in deriding and scorning our brethren yet is in it selfe lawfull if rightly used and of this we have example in the Scriptures Such a speech was that of Michaiah to wicked Ahab Go up and prosper If this figure were not 1 King 22. 15 observed we might question the
even Moses sheweth when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham c. So Iohn 3.14 Ioh. 6.32 which cannot be said of the books called Apocryphal Quest 1. verse 1. What is meant by the heaven and the earth By the heaven I conceive we are to understand two things Resp The highest heaven the heaven of the blessed the dwelling place of glorified Saints and Angels called also the heaven of heavens 1 King 8.27 This heaven I conceive was made before the earth although I lay not any stresse upon the order of the words Repentance is not before Faith because sometimes set in the first place in the text nor was David before Abraham because David is set in the first place in the text Matth. 1. 1. By the heaven we are to understand Angels Iob 38. 7. Where wert thou saith God when I laid the foundations of the earth viz. when the first matter was made of which the world was composed for the earth to speak strictly is without foundations and hangeth upon nothing like a round ball in the aire when the morning starres viz. the Angels for the lights of heaven Sunne Moone and Starres were not yet created sang together c. To this purpose consider That all kinds of beings were created the first six dayes Angels are like the heaven in their spirituality and incorruptibility as also in their power over sublunary and earthly bodies and therefore may be so called The Saints are called heaven seven times in one Chapter as carnal and eathly-minded men are called earth verse 16. And the Rev. 12. earth helped the woman now if the Saints be called heaven in the Scripture why not the Angels From the consideration of the method that was taken by God in the Creation of man so soone as mans seat was perfected man was created It is probable that proportionably when those blessed invisible mansions were finished on the first day the Angels were created By the earth is meant that whole confused Chaos of earth and water which was yet without forme and void as is afterwards described in the second verse now this might be called the earth as when an house is in fieri we call it an house and say an house is a building Quest 2. verse 1. It is said God created the heaven and the earth and yet 2 Cor. 4. 4. Satan is called the God of this world God is the God of the world ratione Resp creationis in regard of creation Satan is the god of the world ratione cultûs in regard of service He rules in the children of disobedience Quest 3. verse 2. Why God should begin time with darknesse It is no greater a wonder then that the Resp Lord should begin a glorious world with a rude and confused Chaos the progresse of his Wisdome in making the world being for the most part from more imperfect things to perfect from a Chaos to beauty from the servants and furniture to man the Lord and Master of this great house Darknesse is a privation now the habit Object must alwayes actually go before the privation in the same subject This darknesse was rather a negation Resp 1 then a privation Take privation largely and so it may be first in subjecto capaci As silence may be before speech and blindnesse before sight in a man who is a subject capable of both so here darknesse might be before light because the subject of the first matter was capable of both Quest 4. verse 3. God said verse 3. Let there be light and yet Sun Moon and Stars not created till the fourth day That light which before the fourth day Resp was scattered up and down upon the earth was afterwards gathered together into the bodies of the Sun Moon and Stars Quest 5. verse 5. It is said The evening and the morning was the first day now how could there be morning or evening before the Sun was created Evening and Morning in this place is Resp 1 not to be taken according to their usual signification but Morning for all that time it was light Evening for all that time it was dark There is no argument from the present state of things since the Sun was created to the former state of things before the Sun was created morning is now caused one way by the rising of the Sun then caused another way by light scattered up and down upon the earth Quest 6. verse 11 12. Whether the World began with the Autumne Some have thought that it began in the Resp 1 Spring and that upon two grounds 1. Because the spring is the time of encrease as we fin de by experience in fish and fowle 2. Because Adam was thrust out of Paradise to till the ground and spring-time is aptest for tillage Others and I conceive more probably thiâ—k the world began in the Autumne for it is said expressely that the earth brought forth â—â—â—sse and herb yeelding seed after his â—workâ— the tree yeelding fruit whose seed 〈…〉 self after its kind so that as man 〈…〉 a childe but a perfect man so the trees and plants were created in their perfection and therefore when the Serpent tempted our first parents which was immediately after their creation the Tree of knowledge of good and evil had fruit fully ripe on it The woman saw that the tree Gen. 3. 6. was good for food and that it was pleasant for the eyes Quest 7. verse 14. Whether from those words let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and for years Astrological predictions be warrantable Neg. There are two sorts of predictions Resp lawful from the consideration of the position of the heavens 1. Praedictiones naturales natural predictions viz. when by the rising or setting of the heavenly luminaries by their opposition conjunction and various aspects we are able to foretel natural events viz. the Eclipse of the Sun and Moone c. 2. Praedictiones civiles civil predictions viz. when the husbandman by the course of the Sun Moone and Stars is able to say when it will be a commodious season for sowing setting ingraffing pruning c. So that we say with the Scriptures that the Stars are for signes viz. for signes and seasons and dayes and years And that they are not only ornamental but influential As trees and herbs were created not only to beautifie the earth but otherwise for the use of man and beast to feed them and to cure them so the Stars were created not only to beautifie the heavens but for the use and comfort of man Certainly if God hath given vertue to springs and fountains stones minerals plants every spire of grasse that growes upon the earth much more to the Stars of heaven But 3. Praedictiones Astrologicae Astrological Predictions when men from the consideration of the face of the heavens will take upon them to foretel contingent events which shal befal Kingdoms or Common-wealths or particular persons these are unlawful 1. They are Antiscriptural
when many neither labour nor sweat and yet have bread enough As for idle persons whilest they think Resp 1 to shake off that yoke that God hath put upon their necks they bind it faster and make it heavier To a person of any ingenuity idlenesse is a toyle nor is a man more weary then when he doth nothing We must distinguish of a three-fold labour 1. Labor Oeconomicus or mechanicus the labour of mechanicks as we call them or handicrafts-men of this the Apostle speaks Let him that stole steale no more Eph. 4.28 but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good 2. Labor Politicus the labour of Magistrates and Governours so the Apostle speaking of the Magistrate He is the Minister of God to thee for good but if thou do Rom. 13.4 that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the Minister of God c. 3. Labor Ecclesiasticus the labour of Ministers we may observe that whilest the world takes this to be an easie calling the Spirit of God in the Scripture frequently speaks of the labour and the work that doth attend it He that desires the office of a Bishop desires a good work And The workman is worthy of his hire And They that rule well are worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and doctrine Ministers are called Starres now the Starres are in continuall motion for the good of the Universe they are to cry aloud and to lift up their voice like a Isa 58.1 trumpet Durante pugnâ non cessat Tuba The trumpet must be sounding all the while the battell is fighting The Church of God is Gods husbandry and the Ministers are his husbandmen Redit agricolis labor actus in Orbem The husbandman hath never done his work but the end of one task is still the beginning of another so it fares with the Ministers of the Gospel sometimes they are instructing poor ignorant souls then they are like Starres that shine in a cold winters night another while convincing gain-sayers then they are like those Starres that fought in their course against Sisera every man must be accountable for his idle words and a Minister for his idle silence Qui claves habent Ecclesiae ostia suorum labiorum aperiant A Minister had better be worne out with whetting then with rusting A way then with the fanatick Spirits of our dayes who call upon Ministers to work with their hands as if there were no other labour but hand-labour Consider 1. They confound those things that God would have distingushed there is the labour of the head and brain as well as of the hand 2. They overthrow as much as in them lyes the well-being if not the being of Kingdomes States Common-wealths in which they live for we stand in as much need of the Magistrate and Minister as we do of the Husbandman and handy-craftsman 3. Aaron with his posterity were Priests Ioshua David Iosias were Magistrates yet it might be said of them that they are their bread in the sweat of their browes Quest 46 vers 19. It is said here In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread and yet our Saviour hath taught us to pray Give us this day our daily bread If we earne our bread with our labour how is it a gift We earne it of man but not of God from man it is a debt but from God it is a Resp 1 gift It is an act of free grace that we have bread for our labour God might have said that we should labour and sweat and after all we should eat husks with hogs as the Prodigall or grasse with the Oxe as Nebuchadnezzar that in the sweat of our brows we eat bread is a mercy As the Scripture speaks of bread so of the staffe and stay of bread For behold the Lord the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the Isay 3.1 stay and staffe the whole stay of bread And the truth is a man is strengthened more by the staffe that is in his body then by the staffe that is in his hand it is not the corne and floure but the staffe of bread which supports the life and that is not any thing that comes out of the earth but the blessing of God which comes down from heaven The creature cannot hold up it selfe much lesse contribute to the subsistence of other things unlesse God continue the influence of his blessing upon it It is the observation of a Learned Author As soone as ever Christ cursed the figge-tree it withered and dried Ma. 11.20 up from the roots to shew that it was not the root alone but the blessing of Christ which did support the figge-tree it is pronounced Hos 4. 10. as a curse They shall eat and not have enough and again Ye shall eat and not Lev. 26. 26. be satisfied when I have broken the staffe of your bread ye shall eat and not be satisfied As good take a mouthfull of gravel as a mouthfull of bread and as able it is to nourish without Gods blessing The means by which we live are without life If they be living creatures as sheep and oxen and beasts and birds and fishes they must lose their lives before they can come to be helpes to ours so true is that saying mortibus vivimus we live by deaths now reason tells us Nihil dat quod non habet nothing can give that which it hath not How should food of it selfe preserve and further life which in it self is void of life the death of the creatures sheweth that our life is not from them but from something else By all which we may perceive how these Scriptures may be reconciled of Eating our bread in the sweat of our browes and yet to pray according to the forme our Saviour hath prescribed us Give us this day our daily bread Quest. 47. vers 19. Whether from this Scripture we have a command from God to labour To eat our bread in the sweat of our browes I conceive we have though some think that this was laid upon man after his Resp transgression rather as a curse which he must indure then a duty which he should performe for the clearing of this consider 1. It is granted that this was a curse laid upon man for his transgression 1. As some of Gods curses are promises as well as curses to set out his goodnesse so some of Gods curses are precepts as well as curses to set forth hâ—s justice Some of Gods curses are promises as well as curses so I will put enmity between thee and the woman It is a curse on he Serpent and yet a promise of the Messiah Some of Gods curses areprecepts as well as curses so Thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee this is Gen. 3.16 a curse and yet it is a precept Let our
Angels hand Our Incense smells of our owne hand and it would stinke worse in Gods nostrils then the Onions and garlick of Egypt if it were not perfumed and presented by the hand of Christ Now faith sets Christ at work as Christ sets his people at work to do him service so faith sets Christ at work to do his people good Quest 9. vers 5. It is said That Cain was worth and his countenanee fell Difficile est animum non prodere vultu It seems therefore that God by some visible signe gave Testimony concerning the acceptation of Abels sacrifice and not Cains or else how came Cain to know it now the question is what this visible signe was It is very probable that it was by fire Resp from heaven burning up the sacrifice and we have severall instances to this purpose And Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle Lev. 9.23 24 of the Congregation and came out and blessed the people c. And there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the Altar the burnt-offering and the fat which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces So 1 Kin. 18. 38. What reason have we to believe that Object the acceptation of Abels sacrifice was confirmed by a miracle when we have no such thing in the Scripture Although we have it not in expresse Resp termes yet it is cleare by the context that God did manifest his acceptation of Abels sacrifice some extraordinary way which by other instances in Scripture of the same nature we conceive to be fire from heaven And if that be miraculous you see we have reason to look that way But this was a meat-offering now we do not find that meat-offerings were burnt Object with fire That this was a meat-offering is said not Resp 1 proved That suppose it be so we may find in Scripture meat-offerings to be burnt with fire thus you read concerning Gideons offering Judg. 6.19 21. the same we read concerning Manoahs offering Judg. 13. 19 20. Let this caution us against the sinne of envy Cain is sad because Abels sacrifice was accepted there are two sinnes which were Christs sorest enemies covetousness sold Christ and envy delivered him It is a Devillish sinne and cometh from Hell the Devil is called the envious man It is one of the torments of Hell There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when Luck 13. 28. ye shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of Heaven and you your selves shut out Envy opposeth the Providence of God grieving that God should dispose of his blessings as he doth It is a most unjust sinne for it is offended with nothing but that which is good and the more good it is the greater is the envy As the brighter the Sun shineth the more are weak and sore eyes offended Oh how contrary are good Angels and evill men they are ready to cry and burst for anger at that which makes musick in heaven The Angels rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner and they rejoyce when one sinnes who is converted An envious man is more unhappy then other sinners others are troubled for their own evils the envious man for other mens good Quest 10 verse 5. Why is it said The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering It is not said The Lord had respect unto Abels offering but unto Abel and his offering To teach us that God first had respect to Abel and then to his offering and that the Resp reason why he had respect to Abels offering was because he had respect to Abels person We prize the person because of the gift God prizes the gift because of the person The reason why wicked men are not accepted is because they bring unto God opus personae sed non personam They offer their duties unto the Lord but not themselves Quest. 11. vers 6. Why doth the Lord propound this question unto Cain Why art thou wroth and why is thy Countenance fallen Not for information God knew the Resp reason he needed not an intelligencer but 1. To teach us that when we are moved to passion we should think with our selves again and again why are we angry are we angry upon good grounds upon a righteous account We should endeavour in such a case to commune with our own hearts and indeed we had need to take some pains for selfe will hardly be spoken with To be angry is our duty in some cases If anger were an evil in it selfe considered it could no more be attributed unto God then envy c. But because it is an hard matter to be angry and not sinne it is said Be angry and sinne not and the Apostle Eph. 4. 26. addes Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath viz. Let it not lodge with you nor take up its Inne in your breasts I have read a story of two persons of eminency between whom anger had passed But at evening the one sent the other word the Sun was set upon which they were soone reconciled The Apostle adds Neither give place to the Devil He that keepeth anger in his bosome giveth place to the Devil and why should we make roome for him that will crowd in too fast of himselfe Men think to be a little angry is no such matter but marke the consequence you give place to the Devil have a care of the beginnings of sinne Saith Solomon The beginning of the words of a fooles mouth is Eccl. 10. 13. foolishnesse but the end of his talke is mischievous madnesse They that dwell by the Sea-bankes will not let a small breach lye unrepaired they know it will endanger the losing of much ground if not looked to in time Learn therefore to deale with thy sinne as the Apostle Paul did with false brethren He gave them no place no not for Gal. 2.5 an houre You may aske me what are the causes of an holy Anger I must not enlarge in this therefore in a few words Holy anger arises from our love unto God and our hatred against sin And herein appeared the exceeding sinfulnesse of Cains wrath that whereas he should have been angry with his brothers sin he was angry with his brothers righteousness And that his rage was great appeares by the text for it is said He was very wrath and his countenance fell One glosses upon it thus Ex ira vultus Caini demititur in terram nonne Deus tibi faciem rectam concessit cur pronam et similem bestiis deprimis Non miror Cainum similem animalibus iratus enim erat at iratus expers est omnis rationis It is said Cains countenance fell God gave him a face erect looking up towards heaven but now in his passion he seems to be void of reason and his countenance falls as if he were a beast Let this caution us against passion upon every turne let us enquire why we are
wroth He will make a strange combustion in his soul who at the landing of every Cock-boat upon every triviall occasion sets the Beacons on fire He that will be angry for every thing will be angry for nothing c. The Apostle gives us an exhortation Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the doy of redemption But Eph. 4. 30. what course must we take that we may not grieve the Spirit This followes in the next verse Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking vers 31. be put away from you with all malice The Spirit of God cannot endure an unquiet habitation It is observable how many times in the Scriptures the Spirit of God appeales to the reasons and understandings of men as here why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen Nothing more irrationall then irreligion when a man is intemperate unjust passionate he acts not onely against Scripture but against principles of reason and ingenuity If God had not commanded us to be sober just temperate in our affections it is for our interest so to be the commands of God like Benjamins sack have money in the mouth of them in the keeping the Commandements there is exceeing great reward wicked men are mad in a Scripture-sure-sense The Prodigall came to himselfe when he came to his Father 2. Another reason why God might propound this question to Cain might be this to note unto us that when wicked men are not accepted they are apt to cast the blame upon God why art thou wroth Thou seemest to be angry with thy brother whose sacrifice is accepted but indeed thou art angry with God who accepted the sacrifice Thou strikest at the Head and because thou canst not reach that thou woundest the Heele Proud daring sinners to lay the blame on God It is foolish to cast our sins altogether on Satan but it is blasphemous to cast them upon God Sin is a bastard-brood it is conceived and brought forth by man and yet if you lay it at his doore he will not father it It is the observation of a Learned Author man naturally hateth God and since he cannot rase out the sense of a Deity out of his soul he would destroy the dread and reverence of it 'T is a saying of Plutarch Malo de me dici nullum esse Plutarchum quà m malum esse Plutarchum Man cannot deny God therefore he debase him which is worse 'T is better not to be hen to be wicked 3. A third Reason may be ro teach us that God will call the wicked to an account for every evil work 1. For their sinnes of Omission I was an hungry will Christ say and you gave me no meat c. Such a time you had an Mat. 25.43 opportunity in the hands to get wisdom but you neglected it you had power and opportunity to appear for God and his glorious Gospel but you had no heart to it 2. For sinnes of commission Rejoyce Oh young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement For al these things these trifles these tricks of youth as the world accounts them Item for thy Oaths Item for thy Lyes Item for thy Cozening Item for thy drunkennesse Item for thy Hypocrisy for all these things God will bring thee to judgement As the Apostle saith We are the children of God but it doth not yet appeare what we shall be viz. there is more glory in heaven then the people of God are able to conceive so wicked men are now the children of wrath but it doth not appeare what they shall be viz. there shall be greater torment in Hell then the wicked are able to conceive And God shall bring thee to judgement viz. unexpectedly and for ought thou knowest speedily Death doth not alwayes knock at the doore but nany times breaks in and takes persons away in the prime of their age Oh that the Gallants of this age would think of this Scripture a Wicked youngster is like a thief that having stollen a gelding rideth away bravely mounted till such time as being overtaken with Hue and Cry is soon afterward sentenced and put to death Quest 12. verse 7. Why is it said If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and not if thou doest that which is good Because a man may do that which is Resp materially good and yet may not do well Cain did that which was good when he brought an offering to the Lord but he did not do well We use to say Ex quolibet defectu malum A work that is good as to the matter of it may by reason of a defect in the principle or end become starke naught therefore Luther used to say Of all workes take heed of your good workes Sordet in conspectu Judicis quod fulget in conspectu operantis That which is fair to men is abomination to God God rejected the swan for sacrifice some say because under a white feather it hath a black skinne Quest 13. verse 7. What is the meaning of that phrase sin lyeth at the doore By sinne in this place is meant the punishment of sinne and not sin it selfe and Resp the very phrase will give us light for the interpretation of it after this manner If thou doest not well sinne lyeth at the doore now sin when it is committed doth notly at the doore but is gotten into the House Then the meaning is this If thou doest not well sin lyeth at the doore though this punishment seeme to sleep for a while yet it lyes at the doore and it will not be long there before it be roused and then like a great Mastiffe it will be ready to pull out the throat of thy soul Let us remember if we do not well sinne lyeth at the doore the sinner shall not escape unpunished God is righteous by no meanes will cleare the guilty c. The Devil alwayes covers his hooke with a bait He never comes bluntly and rudely to a man and biddeth him simply transgresse Gods Commandments but alwayes useth some device or other to make his sinne please him when the Devil fished for Adam he baited his hook with hope of preferment that he should be as God To catch David he baiteth his Hook with pleasure to catch Achan Gehazi he baiteth his hook with profit but when the fish hath swallowed the hook had she not better have been without the bait The Devil promiseth pleasure but God knows it is deare bought there is never a dramme of sinne but it bringeth a pound of sorrow Quest 14. vers 8. What is the meaning of this phrase and Cain talked with Abel his brother Most Expositors carry it that he talked Resp with him in a brotherly manner dissembling his