c. Therefore the Lord denounceth plagues and punishments on euery side to fall vpon them Looke into the destruction of the old cities namely of the Egyptians of the Moabites of the Assyrians and of the Philistines and yee shall see how witcherie was the most especiall cause of their destruction So shall we thinke now that the feare of God doth touch their hearts who for losse of so small pelfe runne to wizards Well we are here to learne that as where the Lords feare doth so rule our hearts that we sanctifie the Lord therein we are free from the greatest temptations So where this reuerent feare of God is wanting there is no temptation though neuer so vile and grosse but we will yeeld vnto it The prouidence of the Lord being so rich and his hand so wide and large we must not be afraide of so small a losse of worldly goods Wee know that Zedechiah being a Prince Iere. 37. when the feare of God was gone from him feared that the very common people would mocke him so that he could not obey the Prophet Againe we know that Ieremiah being the Prophet hauing this reuerent feare of God seasoning his heart was nothing dismaid with all that either Zedechiah or any other of the kings could do vnto him Among many places excellent is that Iob. 31. where the man of God partly to stop the mouths of his aduersaries partly to comfort his own soule with the record of a good conscience and partly to shew the secret iudgements of God and that he did not suffer for his sinnes as he was accused but for som secret cause best known to the Lord he testifieth how free he was from fornication from adulterie from iniuries from vnmercifulnes from crueltie with his seruants and from oppression and sheweth the cause why all these things were in him because the Lord beheld all his wayes and told all his steps First for fornication he made a couenant with his eyes because there is no portion no inheritance from the Almightie to the wicked but destruction and strange punishments to the workers of iniquitie and as of fornication so also he speaketh how he was preserued by the feare of Gods iudgements from adulterie ' and afterward comming to shewe his innocencie in not cruelly dealing with his seruants he saith If I should contemne the iudgement of my seruant c â—hat then shall I doe when God standeth vp and when he shall visite mee what shall I answere Againe he professeth that the cause why he did not oppresse nor iniurie others was not that hee refrained for feare of men but for feare of God For saith he If I haue lift vp mine head against the fatherlesse c. I thinke my shoulder bones would goe out of their sockets Gods iudgements were fearfull vnto me I could not be deliuered from his Highnes c. And though he might by his great countenance which he did beare haue dealt roughly with men and might haue made afraide a great multitude Yet saith he the most contemptible of the families did not feare me Yea though the men were farre lesse then hee yet hee could not hide his sinne as Adam he could not conceale his iniquitie in his bosome Whosoeuer then wil be trulie religious and make a conscience of sinne in sinceritie he must thus walke in the feare of God and though he might so doe as no man could euer touch him for his outward conuersation though he did not run into the hand of the Magistrate and no man thogh he would could say Black is his eye he must submit himselfe to what perill soeuer and ouercome all feare of mans power with feare of Gods punishments And we must know that if there be some sin in vs on which the ciuill law can take no hold yet the fear of the law of God must be in stead vnto vs of all lawes knowing that though we escape the court of men we cannot escape the iudgements of God who will iudge vs not according to the law of man but according to his own law So that the children of God are so far off froÌ„ flattering themselues in these sinnes where mans lawes faile and which they doe not punish that they labour the more against them fearing that God will punish those sins more grieuously in the world to come which by the law of man in this world he doth not correct And because by mans punishing we are oft brought to repent of those sinnes wherein now oft times we die without any repentance So that we see how effectuall an instrument of God this feare of his law is against all kinds of sinne whatsoeuer For though in politike lawes there be no lawes against swearing breaking of the Sabbath or filthie speaking yet Gods children are not for that cause such as cast off all feare but such as by so much the rather feare and suspect such sinnes Now in that the man of God saith in awe of thy word see the man of God performeth that feare to Gods word which he oweth to God himselfe This is profitably to be considered of vs. If any deale now adaies with a prophane worldling in things concerning the true knowledge of God and the way of saluation he will answere What tell yee me of these things tell me what you can I am sure of this you can tell me no more than this Loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe and I trust I shall loue God as well as you or the best learned But here is their hypocrisie descried in that they haue so small loue to the word For our Sauiour Christ witnesseth Iohn 8. He that is of God heareth Gods word if ye were of God ye would loue his word so one may say to this effect if we feare God we stand in awe of his word Wherefore the man of God saith Oh how loue I thy law protesting that loue to the law which he had to God And as he saith O Lord thou art my portion so he saith also thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage Thus we must honour God in Christ and Christ in his word For looke what honour God would haue he would haue vs shew vnto Christ and looke what honour Christ would haue he would haue it done to his word Wherefore the Apostles not reuerencing our Sauiour Christ onely for his person but also for his word said Maister whither shall we goe from thee thou hast the word of spirit and life As this corrupt opinion of the feare of God is in the worldlings so also is it in heretikes and in the familie of loue who perswade themselues to loue God when they loue heresies more than the word but herein are those hypocrites and heretikes descried they will generally confesse they loue and feare God but examine them in any particular either of doctrine or of life and they will bewray their want of loue by heresie and their want of feare
serue Gods prouidence Rehearse the second Commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse c. What euill is expressely forbidden in this Commaundement I am forbidden to make any Image either to represent God or to worship him by What euill is generally forbidden I must auoide all inuentions and deuices of men in the outward worship of God which be contrarie or besides the written word of God Which be the speciall euills forbidden Chiefly all corruption in the substance of doctrine prayer Sacraments and discipline of the Church What occasions of euill be forbidden There be some which wee must necessarily auoyd vnlesse wee will fall into superstition and idolatrie and they be these 1. First to ioyne the false parts of worship with the true worship of God 2. Secondly to be present in bodie at idolatrous and superstitious seruice 3. Thirdly the reseruation of some speciall monument of superstition and idolatrie Which bee the lesser occasions forbidden and yet so wee haue the speciall groundes of Gods worship we must and may tolerate them when we cannot helpe them 1. First all vaine idle and superstitious Ceremonies 2. Secondly all keeping companie with false worshippers Is not the euill in heart also forbidden Yea so farre forth as I lust in my heart to haue any of them preuaile or be established What good is generally commaunded All the outward meanes of Gods worship which be agreeable to his written word What is specially commaunded I must vse such doctrine prayers Sacraments and discipline of the Church as bee agreeable to Gods word in the substance What occasions of good be here commaunded 1. First to haue and vse good bookes of the doctrine and history of the Church written according to Gods word 2. Secondly erecting and maintaining schooles of learning as nurseries of the ministerie 3. Thirdly sufficient prouision to be made for the Ministers of Gods word 4. Fourthly building and maintaining Churches and all things belonging thereunto 5. Fiâ—ly I must vâ—â—â—ll good ceremonies and orders agreeable to the word of God 6. Sixtly 〈◊〉 famiâ—â—â— company with the true worshippers of God What good in heart is commaunded I am commaunded to vse the meanes of Gods worship not onely outwardly but also in spirit and truth What is meâ—â—â— by these words For I the Lord thy God am a iealous God c That God will punish false worship in the false worshippers and in their posteritie vnto the â—â—â—rth generation What is meant by these wordâ— And will shew mercie vnto thousands c Thâ— God will blesse his true worship in the true worshippers and their posteritie vnto the thousand desâ—ent Wâ—â—t is â—â—â—â—â—â—â—f these The vse is to make false worshippe more vile and his true worship more pretious in our eyes 〈…〉 third Commaundement Thou â—â—â—â— not takethâ— Name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. What 〈…〉 forbidden 1. First 〈…〉 â—â—â—ning or â—ursing enchanting or coniuring 2. Secondly all 〈…〉 by false Gods or naming them with reuerence 3. Thirdly 〈…〉 swearing or speaking of GOD without reuerence 4. Fourthly to câ—use Gods Name to bee dishonoured by false Doctrine or vngodlie life 〈◊〉 in my â—â—â—â—â—r in others Wâ—at good is herein commaunded 1. First in matters concerning Gods glorie I must sweare by GOD onely in Iustice. Iudgement Truth 2. Secondly I must endeuour from my heart to growe vp in true knowledge and a godly life that so Gods Name may bee praised in my selfe and by mine example in others What is meant by these words For the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse c That God will certainely punish the dishonoring of his Name in any sort What is the vse of this The vse of this is to make vs more fearefull to dishonour him and more carefull to glorifie his Name Rekâ—â—â—â—â— the fourth Commandement Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holie c. What is here generally commaunded I am commanded to make it my whole delight to sanctifie the holie Sabbath of the Lord from morning to night What is 〈…〉 commaunded 1 First to vse â—ll the publike meanes of Gods worship in the congregation of Gods people 2. Secondlie to reioyce to vse all such priuate exercises as may make the publike meanes â—â—â—â—â—table to my selfe and to others W 〈…〉 bee those priuate exercises 1. First the examining of my sinnes and wants priuate prayer reading of the Scriptures singing of Psalmes conference with others and applying all things to my selfe with a care to profite others 2. Secondly relieuing the needle visiting the sicke and them that be in prison comforting them that bee in any miserie reconciling them that be at variance admonishing the vnruly and such like What is especially commanded The spirituall beholding of the Creatures of God thereby to prouoke my selfe and others to praise him What else is A diligent searching of my heart with a like care to finde it out and to reape some profite of the forenamed meanes so that I may be the better for and through them What is then particularly forbidden 2. All such labours and pleasures in thought worde and deede are forbidden as may hinder mee and others for vsing of or profiting by the same meanes 2. Secondly the leauing 〈…〉 of those publike meanes or priuate exercises What is here generally forbidden The vsing either of those publike or priuate meanes in ceremonie without some good fruite in my selfe or care of fruite in others Rehearse the fift Commaundement Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land c. Whom doe you vnderstand by father and mother By father and mother I doe not vnderstand onely my naturall parents but also those whom God hath set ouer me for my good as Magistrates Ministers Masters such like What duties doe children owe vnto their naturall parents Children ought reuerently and obediently to receiue the instructions commaundements and corrections of their parents to succour them and to pray for them What are they forbidden to doe To refuse or murmure at the instructions commandements and corrections of their parents or to neglect any dutie belonging to them How may they trie their loue by these duties They may trie whether their loue be right three wayes 1. First if they bee as desirous to doe all these duties to their parents as they would haue their parents to doe all duties vnto them What is the second 2. Secondly if they be as desirous to doe all duties to their parents as they would haue their children hereafter to honour them What is the third 3. Thirdly if they bee as willing to doe all these duties to their parents as they would receiue long life or any other blessing at the hands of God What duties doe parents owe to their children Parents ought to teach correct pray and prouide for their children How may they trie their loue by these duties They may
Lord but mediately from God to his people by the ministerie of Moses For it is said Deutero 5. 22. These words the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the middest of the fire the clouds and the darknesse with a great voyce and added no more thereto In which place the man of God speaketh of the tenne commaundements which a little before he had repeated as they were published generally to all by the Lord himselfe which therefore are prepetuall to all people nations and languages not onely to the Iewes but also to the Gentiles The ceremonies as we know were not vniuersall but beginning with the Iewes they ended with them neither were they perpetuall but in Christ his comming were abrogated This difference is yet more plainely set downe Deutero 4. 13. 14. Then the Lord declared vnto you his couenant which he commaunded you to doe euen the tenne Commaundements and wrote them vpon two tables of stone And the Lord commaunded me the same time that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which yee should obserue in the land whither ye goe to possesse it Where Moses maketh a flat difference of those lawes which God gaue in his owne person and them which were giuen by his ministerie By this word ordinances which is in this verse are signified as some affirme those lawes whereby the Iewes did differ from other people Thus we see how Moses was the minister of the ceremoniall law which was giuen but vnto some and lasted but for a season but the morall law which appertaineth to all men and is in vertue for euer the Lord himselfe did giue it forth Now as we answere the Papists in defending against them the second precept as morall and not ceremoniall so we likewise stand against them in this For looke what straying and vnstaied mindes were in the Iewes concerning the worship of God the same also is in vs by nature and what helpes soeuer they needed therein either to be put in minde of their creation or to the viewing of God his workes or sacrificing to the Lord the same are as needfull for vs to helpe vs in our sacrifices for we neede a perfect rule as well as the Iewes to preserue vs from idolatrie and heresie Againe seeing we haue as great neede of a solemne time for these things wherein we may giue our selues wholly to hearing praying and receiuing of the Sacraments as they had for their worship we are subiect to as great distractions of minde in our callings as they were and being with them of a finite nature can no more than they doe infinite things It is as requisite for vs as for them to haue a lawe as well for the time as for the manner of worship wherein laying aside our ordinarie workes we should chiefely and principally wholly giue our selues to those exercises of Religion and duties of loue which onely in part we did before and so more freely espie our sinnes past eschue our sinnes present and strengthen our selues against the sinnes to come Wherefore to shut vp this argument we affirme against the wicked heretikes of our time that so long as we stand in neede of corporall meanes as meate drinke apparell and sleepe for the continuing of our corporall estate so long we shall also neede the spirituall meanes as the word the Sacraments and prayer for the continuing of our soules And as it is not ceremoniall for these considerations to vse these meanes so it is morall to haue a time commaunded and obserued wherein these things should be practised It remaineth to speake of the fourth last reason drawne from the proportion of God his owne example as may appeare in these words Exod. 20. 11. For in sixe daies the Lord made the heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Wherein we haue thus much in effect as the Lord made the creatures in sixe daies so wee in sixe should haue a naturall vse of them And as he sanctified that is put a part the seuenth day to his owne worship and blessed it with a peculiar blessing giuen to his worship appointed so we also setting this day apart from the ordinarie workes of our calling should wholly and onely consecrate it to the worship of God So that as God made all things in sixe daies so wee may vse them sixe daies as Adam did in the garden and as the Lord rested from his workes of creation though not from his worke of prouidence and administration so must we set a part this day to looke for a speciall blessing and speciall benediction of God his worship because of his owne promise and institution Why did the Lord this to our first father he beheld the workes of euery day and blessed euery day We must note that he gaue a speciall blessing aboue the other daies vnto this day Now therefore admit that a man should graunt this much to an heretike that we should be as perfect as Adam in his innocencie which is a manifest heresie yet they must graunt that we stood in need of the word and Sacraments the vse whereof they deny seeing Adam had neede of the vse of all these things being yet without sinne We therefore oppose thus much vnto them that so long as they will acknowledge a neede of corporall helpes by calling for meate sleepe apparell so long their soules stand in need of spirituall meanes as of the word Sacraments and prayer because their soules must as well be preserued as their bodies nourished Our first father then had a Sabbath to be put in minde of the Creator and that without distraction he might the better be put in minde of the glorious kingdome to come that more freely he might giue himselfe to meditation and that he might the better glorifie God in sixe daies As the heretikes then denie the necessitie of the word prayer and Sacraments so we looke for a new heauen and a new earth and then we hope and acknowledge that we shall keepe a continuall Sabbath But in the meane time seeing the Sabbath which we now haue was before sinne we since sinne came into the world haue much more neede of it because that which was needfull to continue Adam in innocencie is also as needfull to recouer vs and to continue vs in our recouerie The Lord then hauing sanctified this day it is not our day but the Lord his owne day But some will say How is God better serued on the Sabbath than on any other day I answer not that we put religon in that day as it is a day more than in any other but that on that day we are freer from distractions and set at more libertie to the worshipping of God than we are on the other sixe daies wherein we are bound to our ordinarie and lawfull calling Wherefore as we put on holinesse in the
perill and may not I helpe this man being in such danger How beit we must here note that our Sauiour CHRIST in shewing how in this law is humanitie to creatures giueth â—o jot of libertie to worldly men who vnder pretence of this obedience seeke rather their owne priuate gaine in rescuing from perils the creatures then the glory of Almightie God which may redound to him by the more cheerfull comfortable seruice of the creature being thus redeemed Now if any shall here further inquire whether in seeding time or the haruest season when the times before haue been and still are like to be vnseasonable and vntemperate they may somewhat on the Sabbath giue themselues to sowing or gathering of their corne I answere No. For it is by speciall words expressely forbidden Exod. 34. 21. Sixe daies shalt thou worke and in the seuenth day thou shalt rest both in earing time and in the haruest thou shalt rest And surely of all times labouring in haruest seemeth most vnlawfull First if as God his benefits grow on vs we must grow in thankfulnes then reaping at that time we ought to render most thankes and not to thinke the worship of one day sufficient in seuen much lesse to cut it from the Lord in part or in whole Secondly seeing in the weeke going before wee haue euen wearied both our owne bodies by labour and much more the bodies of our beasts in traâ—â—â—le besides that in working on the Sabbath wee contemne the ordinance of God most vnthankefully which so well in his law in this case hath prouided for vs wee deale too vnnaturally with our selues and too iniuriously with our cattell Againe if wee on this day make no conscience of the worship of God contemned by this worldly labouring wee manifestly bewray our want of faith in Gods goodnes wisedome and prouidence as though hee either would not preserue that which hitherto he nourished out of the earth or that he hauing dealt so mercifully in many benefits before should now â—â— one faile vs which vndoubtedly hee would not doe did not our sinnes prouoke him thereunto Wherefore if so it come to passe for our sinnes we must rather in patience repentance and wisedome submit our selues to the punishment than prophanely and obstinately to seeke by such meanes to shake it off True it is as wee haue said before that workes of necessitie bee lawfull on the Sabbath but wee must vnderstand it of necessities present and not of perils which are imminent that is which are like to come but yet are not certaine to come For when the danger is preseÌ„t as an house is on fire bloodshed by reason of a fray is like speedily to bee committed if helpe bee not or in such like cases because the Lord hath as it were cast the remedie vpon vs and put vs in his owne stead for ministring of helpe then may we vse our libertie but wheÌ„ it is to come and it is still in the Lord his hand we must cast the whole remedie vpon him if the danger fâ—â—lâ— knowing that he in his prouidence and mercie will remoue the euill or else in sending it will punish our sinnes But to returne from this to that from which wee a little digressed the reason of Christ here vsed is yet pressed further Luk. 13. 15 where hee answereth the master of the Synagogue who had indignation at him for healing on the Sabbath Hypocrite doth not each one of you on the Sabbath day loose his oxe or his asse from the stall and leade him away to the water 16 And ought not this daughter of Abraham whom Sathan had bound for eighteene yeeres bee loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day That is will ye water your cattel on the Sabbath which thing your Rabbins thinke not vnlawfull and thinke ye that I breake the Sabbath for helping a faithfull beleeuer Is not this rather hypocrisie in you than any new doctrine in me But here some will obiect Christ might haue done this the day after to the woman who in so short a time would no more haue perished than the oxe if hee had not been led to the water vntill the day following To this I answere as the workes which wee doe to God his creatures do not fight with the keeping of the Sabbath because in respect that cattel by not attending on them would be made lesse profitable to their owner though thereby they should not vtterly perish so in respect that this womaÌ„ should haue remained more vnfit for God his glory the keeping of the Sabbath if she had not bin helped although it may be shee should not vtterly haue perished this worke of our Sauiour Christ was nothing against the Sabbath hee not seeking his owne glorie and profit but the glorie of his father and the profit of another Now followeth the fourth reason in the 8. verse The Sonne of man is Lord euen of the Sabbath That is God the Father making the Sabbath is the Lord of the same the Sonne of man is equall with the Father therefore the Sonne of man is also Lord of the Sabbath Againe as the Lord made a law for man but none for himselfe so ye are too presumptuous in the presence of the Lord to controll my disciples For if I beeing the law-maker giue a speciall priuiledge to my Disciples as indeede I may doe vrging the law where I list and dispensing in the law to some as I please is it then meete that you should censure them whom I doe priuiledge Wherefore seeing it is I that haue appointed the Sabbath and therefore best know who keepe it and who breake it I giue you to vnderstand that these men whom yee falsely accuse because ye know not the pure keeping nor breaking of the Sabbath haue not broken it Suffer me then I pray you being Lord of mine owne ordinance to dispose of it as best seemeth to me The fift argument may be borrowed from the second of Mark vers 27 the words whereof are these The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Many thinke this reason to make much for their purpose but they are deceiued in their owne ignoraÌ„ce For saith Christ this is the cause why my disciples haue not rested so much as yee thinke they should haue done the Sabbath that is the rest was made for mans good and comfort and not man for the rest alone but for the sanctifying of the Sabbath so that albeit they haue not for some good cause obserued the rest which must giue place to the profit commoditie of man yet haue they not brokeÌ„ the sanctification of the day which chiefly is required of them in that if they had not eaten this corne they had fainted and so haue beene made vnfit for the hallowing of the same We say meate was made for man that is for the reliefe sustenance and comfort of man not man for the meate to wit
to Agar and Sarah in which place he sheweth that as in Abrahams familie was the image both of the true Church and malignant Church the one persecuted of the other so like should be the estate of the Church continually euen vnto the end In like manner the author to the Hebrues vseth an allusion that as God rested the seuenth day from the workes of the creation so we also should rest from the workes not of sinne as these men would haue it but of our calling For this Adam should so haue done though he had not sinned and thereforâ— it is not meant of resting from sinne Thus we see where the Christian Bee gathereth honey there the heretical Spider sucketh poyson who affirmeth that in this life they rest from sinne and here they haue their heauen And thus much for those reasons which are out of the very words of the Scripture noâ— of those arguments which are drawne by consequence out of the Scripture Their maine reason is this which deceiueth many That which is grâ—ffed in mans nature whereof the Gentiles were not ignorant and which continueth to the kingdome of Christ at his second comming is morall and that which was not naturall vnknowne to the Genâ—iles anâ— lasted but vnto the first comming of Christ was ceremoniall but such was the Sabbath therefore the Sabbath is a ceremonie and not a morall precept I answere first that naturall and morall which they make all one must not be confounded True it is that our first parents had the law of God written in their hearts before it was promulgated in the mount whereunto as we said the ceremonies seruing as rudiments for a time and as appertinances of the law were adioyned And albeit the morall law be the explaining of the naturall law yet it doth not follow that that which is in the morall law is no more than that which is in the naturall law We know our first father Adam besides the law of nature had the Sabbath in expresse words giuen him and although he had the great bookes of Gods workes yet he had the Word and Sacraments also both which were without his nature and had them not in his owne nature So the things here spoken renew that which was giuen besides that which he had by the law of nature The Gentiles then can no more by the light of nature see the true Sabbath of the Lord and the time wherein he will be worshipped than the pure meanes and manner which the Lord hath appointed for his worship and therefore both Papists Heretikes Gentiles are as well deceiued by ignorance in this obseruation of the fourth Commandement as they be in the second Againe I may answere that in some manner both the second and fourth Commaundements are engraffed in mans nature For neuer any were found so prophane which would not grant that God ought to be worshipped and that not onely inwardly but outwardly also by meanes And the Gentiles by the instinct of nature would acknowledge that as there was a God to be worshipped so there should be some time which should be sequestred from other businesse and should be bestowed on matters concerning the worship of God But to discerne aright what these meanes be wherewith the Lord will be serued and what this time is which the Lord will haue for his honour the Heathen were so farre off that how many nations so many heads how many heads so many kindes of religion The Gentiles whose vaine traditions were but disordered imitations of Moses lawes which they had heard of had indeed their holie daies which not being vsed in faith by reason of their ignorance of the word could nothing please God Yea wee may reade how strictly and superstitiously the Gentiles kept their holie daies so that with all other they agreed after a sort in this generall point that there should be both appointed meanes and certaine set times for the worship of God Againe it is like that the Gentiles were not ignorant of the law of fasting as may appeare by the Niniuits but how to order it a right to the glorie of God they were altogether ignorant because they wanted the word Wherefore herein wee count the true glorie of Christians to consist that the Lord hath giuen vs the truth and hath not left vs to our own inuentions in the meanes of Gods worship and herein is Christian dignitie that as wee haue the manner of our religion prescribed of God himselfe so we haue also the time which he for that purpose hath himselfe sanctified It followeth not theÌ„ because the Sabbath is not ingrasfed in mans nature therefore the Sabbath is not morall because in trueth neither were the lawes of the meanes of Gods worship nor of fasting so ingrafted although in some maner they were Their reasons by consequence are either from the old Testament or from the new Their argument from the old Testament is this We reade not the law of the Sabbath was put in practise before the law was promulgated in mount Sâ—nai therefore it is not morall but ceremoniall This is no good reason we find it not written therefore it was not For so they may argue against â—asting and many other things which were vsed and yet the practise of them not left in writing Who can disallow of mariage and of spousals doe not the Gentiles the lawes ciuill and the Romane law approue them and yet what record haue we left concerning these things in writing before the law Look into the historie of the Kings and Iudges in the bookes of the Chronicles where you shall finde mention made but once of the Sabbath and wee haue it once commanded by precept Gen. 2. 2. and commmended by practise Exod. 16. 26. in which place the man of God speaketh in the preterperfect tence Behold how the Lord hath giuen you the Sabbath Their second reason is drawne from the streightnes of the law to be executed Exod. 35. 2. 3. on him that gathered sticks which they say must not be enioyned vs. Concerning this it maketh no more against the morall obseruation of this precept than the other ceremonies did against the other precepts whereunto they were ioyned The Iewes being in their nonage had rules peculiar to themselues with these wee are not intangled how beit they had other generall commandements which being common to vs with them appertaine still vnto vs. As for example to teach our children the coÌ„mandements of the Lord appertaineth to vs Deut. 6. 7. but to bind them vpon our hands for a signe as frontlets betweene our eyes appertaineth to the Iewes to burie the dead belongeth vnto vs but to enbalme them with spices who had not so cleere a testimonie of the resurrection belongeth to the Iewes Is not the law of murder as well enioy â—ed vs as to the Iewes yet we may eate blood which they could not We ought to be as temperate as they
away Thus much therefore we say that as we prescribed in the other callings so for milking of kine making of beds and dressing of meates as for trauailers Bakers and Brewers that their busines if it be necessarie must bee done either early in the morning or lately in the euening There are two kindes of calling of more difficultie the one by sea the other by land the one of Mariners the other of posts For men being on the Seas cannot come conueniētly to the publike places of religion and in ciuill matters there are often great necessities and vnknowne to priuate men Concerning the first we say they are either in necessary affaires or they are not if not they are to be counted as flat breakers of the Sabbath if they be in their lawfull and necessarie callings the times must bee so diuided that their bodies may be cased and their soules refreshed Howbeit if the present necessitie grow to be more violent then holds the generall rule of things that cannot be done before or after To this we adde that in some respect because the Mariners haue intermissions by reason of their oft changing there might be meanes appointed for the worship of God priuately For there be vicissitudes of labouring spent in quaffing drinking and sleeping which leisure they might haue as free for the worship of God priuately as any on the land Besides the proportion of sixe and seuen obserued that they may doe some one day in seuen which they should do on the Sabbath it selfe For then the Lord accepteth the equitie of the law when vpon necessitie we cannot obserue the prescript time of the law Furthermore when their ships lie at roade and at ancker when they either are staied by tempest or mend their tackling or waite long at hauens for their traffique then what time hath before been lost it is now to be redeemed if it be not at the set times yet as we saide at some times obseruing the proportion of the law Thirdly if they were as prudent in heauenly things as politike in earthly though they cannot so conueniently haue accesse to the publike meanes yet in the whole companie for feare of pirates they goe for stronger fence many together by a generall contribution they might allow a Minister among them Againe considering that the Mariners are either such as be of the richer fort or such as bee of a meaner condition we say that the richer and more wealthie Merchants swimme so in their gaines as if they haue but hearts to pay the tithe of their increase they may not onely conueniently finde a Minister in the ship but also liberally prouide for the worship of God on the land As for the poorer fort if they cannot offer an oxe let them offer a turtle doue if they cānot offer a doue let them offer a little fine wheate flower I meane if they cannot prouide a graue preacher yet at the least they may procure some good man to read the holy word of God vnto them to deliuer the plaine and pure sense of the Scriptures to them and to help them in prayer and other holy exercises of religion For if they can in their seuerall ships maintaine a guide skilfull in seafaring to conduct them in ther nauigations then by a generall purse they may farre more easilie sustaine the charges of a teacher who in great dangers may strengthen comfort them in all estates may guide and safegard them to the hauen of heauen Fiftly in respect that they haue greater blessings on the Seas receiue greater testimonies of Gods fauour taste more bountifully of Gods power in imminent and fearfull dangers and more liberally haue experience of his prouidence in their marueilous preseruation than their brethren on the land I thinke they ought not to be lesse zealous but more carefull of the worship of God than others on the land Though then the prescript forme of the law cannot alwaies be vsed and yet the proportion of the law may bee obserued and seeing God is the Lord of the seas as well as he is the gouernour of the land he is no lesse to be worshipped in the one than in the other yet the want of this his worship hath distinguished the seafaring men from others by their monstrous prophanenes and brutish irreligiousnes And yet in that this euill is not so generall but that euen in that calling there are some that feare the Lord it is manifest that the fault is not in the calling which in it selfe is lawfull but in the corruptions of the persons who are degenerated into an hellish atheisme Now concerning Posts thus much briefly Either the Posts trauaile on the Lords day vpon necessitie or without necessitie If they goe on the necessarie affaires of the land and such as by foreslacking would be more dangerous and the speedie dispatching of them would be more profitable to the whole bodie of the realme the libertie is permitted and is greater or lesser according to the grauitie and slendernes of their affaires but if they haue no necessitie the rule of God his lawes take hold on them Howbeit for the most part subiects are not so precisely to iudge of them because Princes matters are not knowne to all men but they are rather to pray that both the Princes heart may be right herein and that the Lord would moue them euermore to vse those waies which are most conuenient And thus much generally of the vsuall workes of our calling It remaineth to speake of those works which haue not the ordinary course of the weeke daies but are neuerthelesse vsed at certaine set times and seasons as Faires in certaine moneths and quarters of the yeere as the seeding in the winter and in the spring time and the haruest in summer in Autumne Hereunto we may adde speciall iourneies taken in hand not vsually but extraordinarily the gathering of Saffron at the time of the yeere Al which things haue their seuerall seasons and are vnnaturally thrust on the Lords owne times howsoeuer men haue pretended a necessitie flesh and blood hunting after liberty disputeth to the contrary First as for Faires and Markets which by politike wise and worldly men on the Lords daies are maintained it argueth the want of godly wisedome where they be vsed because without any preiudice to the worship of God they may not conueniently bee obserued For if no necessitie profit nor pleasure could cause the Papists to haue their Faires on their Christmas day Easter day holy Thursday and Corpus Christi day then it is a shame for vs that in truth and zeale ought to goe before them to defile the Lords day herewith yea I adde it is intollerable because a firme statute ciuill law enforceth a plaine inhibition of all such worldly conuents and assemblies on that day These faires are for the most part either solemne Marts and of greater continuance or petie Markets and of lesse
doe affirme that on that day it perisheth if it be vngathered on which day it commeth foorth then I do think that by the law of necessitie this thing happening it may be gathered on the Sabbath yet with these conditions that as many gather as can conueniently be gotten that no publike exercise of the worship of God be omitted that their mindes be holy and spiritually occupied that gather it Now if some will obiect that there is somewhat in the order of nature which fighteth with the ordinance of this law I answere for as much as this thing commeth on the Lords day but seldome times that therefore it is not a thing ordinarie but as a work of necessitie Now to fold vp this question we required in gathering that we should be spiritually minded which they may shewe in giuing it a marke of separation that is that they bestow it on the poorer if the be of they more wealthie sort if they be of meaner condition yet they may impart something to their more needie brethren as testifying thereby that they seeke not their gaine but the glorie of God It remaineth briefly and in a word to speake of trauailing which if it bee ordinarie and vsuall is in no case lawfull but if it be extraordinarie and necessarie as often it happeneth to Lawyers or Physitions the according to the necessitie it is more or lesse permitted We see that many Papists wil not stirre out on their Saints daies whereby is detected the want of our spirituall loue which make no conscience to cease on the Lords day And so the religion deuised by man findeth better entertainment a further practise than that which was ordained by God If any man obiect the losse of his liuing if he should not labour on this day I oppose against that the losse of God his glorie and that with his interrogatory whether the miserable pelfe of man should not giue roome to the immortal glorie of God And experience confirmeth the trueth of Gods word that in vaine men rise early and so late take their rest in vaine they build and take so great paines when the Lord denieth the blessing And what were it to bee rich by policie and poore by God his displeasure What though the bagge be heauie and their consciences troubled What if they be rich with men and poore with God Againe who is it that so disposed of his iournies and his affaires so as some making conscience of their Sabbath are in their iournies in one day better prospered in their affaires in one houre more furthered than many others contemning the ordinance of God are in many houres and in many dayes Who directeth men to bee prouident in their sales and bargainings Who besotteth and infatuateth others Who sendeth a man that not for a simple desire of gaine but for a single care to walke in his calling vseth the trade of buying and selling moe chapmen in one houre than another man hath in an whole day whose heart is inflamed whose eyes are inkindled with louing gaine and looking for profit howsoeuer it come by hooke or by crooke Men ascribe this to chance and so they oft by the iust iudgement of God receiue a blanke that is trusting to the blind world they receiue not so much gaine as will acquite their charges Can men trauaile day and night by sea and by land and that for a thing transitorie and will they reach out no houres for the defence of God his worship Doe they feare theeues if they inlarge their iourney for the keeping of a good conscience are they not afraid of theeues when for their worldly affections they can trauaile early and late Because herein the terror of their owne consciences will preach more forcibly to them than I can speake I will leaue them to that practise of the man of God which is vsed Nehem. 12 And thus hauing spoken of the workes of our callings now wee are to speake of the workes of our pleasures Concerning the lawfull recreations of this life which Christianity doth permit and not forbid for of vnlawfull pleasures being alwaies out of season and especially on the Sabbath we haue nothing to say whether they may haue place and time on the Lords day or no here is the question In this part of the treatise I say wee doe not speake of prophane idle pleasures but of them which bring some further vse after they be vsed which are permitted by the word of God so measure in them may be vsed and they be sanctified vnto vs by the word and by prayer And yet euen for these we dare not giue the time consecrated to God vnto playing and pleasures Neither are we curiously to frame any exquisite diuision in this matter but first we will consider of the feasts and bankets accustomed on this day and afterward of other recreations and exercises at that time frequented and vsed which though in their time place and persons they are not vnlawfull yet at this time on the Lords day we denie them to be lawfull As for feasts we may part them into Loue feasts Church feasts sumptuous feasts which carie with them some further expences and larger liberalitie as are those which are vsed at mariages at the admitting of men into their ciuill offices or else are taken vp for some speciall benefits receiued or some extraordinarie iudgements remoued or some other causes like vnto these as when men carying some port and countenance in the common wealth according to their degrees and callings at some times doe ordaine Touching these solemne and sumptuous feasts thus much we affirme briefly Such as on the Lords day institute such solemnities and stuffe euery office and bumbast euery corner of the house with men and women are to be admonished duly to consider of that which is reported of Dauid both in the historie of the Kings and in the booke of the Chronicles who hauing a vaine desire and superfluous appetite would not deferre but longed to taste of the water of the well of Bethlehem a well fenced citie and from whence water could not be conueied by hand without some ieopardie to them that fetcht it Wherfore three of his most worthie men haue this busines assigned them to the compassing whereof their liues were hazarded At their returne grace making his after fruites better than the former after better deliberation vsed he powred forth the water on the ground saying God forbid that I should drink the blood or the liues of these three men shewing thereby both his offence in sending them the free mercie of God in sauing them Wherefore for as much as these pompous preparations cannot cōueniently be vsed on the Sabbath without the hazard of mens soules though the Lord in mercie may saue their soules as in that diuers offices in great families require diuers persons to performe diuers duties and so that which is a day of rest is made a
day of toyling The equitie of the not kindling of a fire must binde Christians although the sanction doth not constraine them whereas the Israelites of an inch of libertie would take an ell for a childish instruction this thing was restrained them And although we haue a further libertie to kindle a fire for as much as we are in colder countries than the Israelites were yet the equitie of the law must teach vs that we ought not to turne this libertie to be seruant of our wanton desires or to foster carnall licentiousnes and hinder the worship of God If it be demaunded whether this day be fit for mariage or no I answere it is because on that day as it is a day of reioycing there is a more lawfull libertie of speech and a more liberall vse of cheerfull behauiour Howbeit let them not on that day if they marrie make their solemne cheere but seeing they may haue a conuenient companie some other day let them either both marrie and feast some other day or marrie on the Lords day feast another And if it be demanded whether Loue feasts may be kept on this day or no I an swere there is difference betweene loue-feasts and solemne feasts And if men were as wiseas they were in the times of Poperie they would be politike to finde out some meanes to prouide for the glorie of God and yet not altogether neglect the conuenient furniture for their table I am not to appoint neither doe I vndertake to prescribe how meate should be prepared or how offices should be deuided yet by experience I can giue testimonie of some who for their religion beare credit in the Church and for their authoritie carie some countenance in common wealth and yet on the Lords day haue their tables both Christianly and worshipfully furnished without any hinderance of the worship of God at all notwithstanding the number of their daily retinue ordinary familie is great It is one thing to prouide feasts of intertainement more than competent and another thing to vse loue-feasts nothing lesse than is conuenient the one oppressing and disabling vs to holy exercises the other refreshing and enabling vs to the duties of religion Now concerning the exercises pleasures of the body leauing all vaine pastimes at all times vnlawfull but most especially on the Sabbath and to speake of such recreations as in themselues are lawfull and may lawfully be vsed of the children of God in their time and place as those of shooting training vp of souldiers and such like all which their pleasures carie a profit either present or in time to come to the Church or common-wealth we denie not simplie then their places but thinke them conuenient and commendable with the testimonie of the holy Ghost 2. Sam. 1. where Ionathan is commended of Dauid for his shooting Howbeit the Sabbath day is no fitte time for these vses which we will shew briefly First we must know that the Lord hauing forbidden the workes of our ordinarie calling which carie with them a more speciall promise of profit and warrant of reward in their time forbiddeth also lawfull pleasures because if the vse of those be forbidden being lawfull and necessarie for the vpholding and maintaining of mans life then these things not so needfull though conuenient for recreation are much more inhibited And this we shall see more plainely if we remember that rest is so farre commanded as it is an helpe and furtherance to sanctification and labour so farre is forbidden as it is an impediment of the same In regard whereof if pleasures be no lesse lets and impediments to the hallowing of the Sabbath than bodily and ordinarie labours then pleasures haue no more libertie on the Lords day than our outward workes Furthermore we must be circumspect not to rest in any drowsie or sleepie securitie of the flesh but in what measure soeuer we detract from the ordinarie workes of our calling in that proportion must we adde to the sanctification of the day not much vnlike to good Christians who bestow on their soules whatsoeuer they take from their bodies Which wisedome and diligence though we vse most carefully yet for as much as we shall leaue as many duties vnperformed as we shall haue performed I see not what leisure we can lawfully lend to recreations If any carnall professor shall presse this thing more vehemently me thinketh he may blush at the defence of it seeing this kinde of keeping holy daies in pleasures and playing was vsed euen of the Heathen who sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play first balacing their bellies with feastes then refreshing themselues with play Wherefore as we now denie Church feasts as imitations of the Heathen so we denie holy-day playes as remnants of ancient prophanenesse But if it be here obiected that the Iewes had their solemne feasts musicall instruments and exercises of pleasure yet the men alwaies by themselues and the other sexe by themselues not with that monstrous mixture of men and women which is a chiefe sinne and arch-enemie to religion of our age and that with holy Psalmes made by Dauid and Moses not with vaine minstrelsie vsed of prophane Atheists I answere as Paul speaketh 1. Corinth 13. of his owne person that they being as children spake as children they vnderstood as children they thought as children being but in the rudiments but we becomming men must put away childish things Againe the superstition of the Papists checketh this abuse who would admit none outward exercises on their Easter Whitsontide and holy Thursday at what times they thought a bird would scarsely build her nest Did not the Papists breake their superstitious holidaies and shall we so prophanely pollute the Lord his Sabbath Our Easter day our Ascension day our Whitsontide is euery Lords day and therefore we ought to make a speciall care of sanctifying of this day What shall I say of the zeale of worldlings which may controll by contraries the securitie of our sinnes For all worldly men seeke neuer for pleasure whilest profit doth drop as we may see in them that liue on Faires and Markets as Chapmen and Inholders So long as they hope to gaine a penie how waite they how diligent are they how little play they how busie are they And why Forsooth it is their haruest it is their market which say they they must attend vpon whilest occasion lasteth Behold the policie painefulnesse of the world may teach vs what we ought to doe for our soules Is not the Sabbath the haruest time and market day for the soule wherein we should gather in whilest the Sunne shineth wherein we we should be very diligent whilest our gaine is promised wherin we must prouide for a liuing and maintenance and lay vp store laying all pleasure aside vntill the time to come And to returne to the Papists what posting Priests what mumbled masâ—es what hunting praiers what hastie seruice had
by his terming of them excellent ones such as are fit as well to doe good as to receiue good from others Wherfore the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 12. that he desired to receiue mutual comfort by theÌ„ Secondly this appeareth by the opposition of the verse following which is of the worship of God and therefore it cannot be restrained to outward things Againe in that verse he maketh mention of false worshippers as here he nameth excellent ones meaning that he would vse the benefit of them to waine himselfe from false worshippers as men will frequent the companie of the learned that desire learning and they that will haue their lips schooled by the law of grace will oft resort to the graue speeches of the wise And surely it is a speciall helpe to further our selues in the pure worship of God if we diuorce our selues from the crue of false worshippers and wholy espouse our selues to the fellowship of them that worship in spirit and in truth This reason also may appeare to be generall because it followeth in the order of our confession of our faith that we beleeue the holy and vniuersal congregation the communion of Saints and this communion is in receiuing as well as in giuing and therefore being vnderstood of such a mutuall participation of gifts from one to another it must followe as a particular part thereof that wee be readie to doe good And where he saith All my delight is in them that is in the Saints we must not thinke that he meant to take away ciuill dutie from them that were in authoritie for that must be giuen to them in outward things yet in our hearts and in our affections the graces of God his children must be most esteemed In respect whereof when Iames saith Iam. 1. 2. that the Iewes had their faith in respect of persons when they were wont to say to the rich Sit thou here in a good place and to the poore Stand there his meaning was to rebuke them for that they so highly despised the one and so vily esteemed the other Wherefore wee must learne alwaies to giue vnto Caesar that which belongeth to Caesar but God his children must alwaies bee neerest our heart And this was it that our Sauiour Christ saith that they which heard the word and did the same were his mother his brother and his sister not that he lightly regarded his mother for he was a patterne of obedience to all children yet he loued her more as she was the daughter of God than as shee was his mother Likewise we reade that hee answered the woman that cried vnto him Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps that gaue thee sucke His mother no doubt had as singular blessings as euer were giuen to woman in outward things in that she brought forth the Sauiour of all mankinde howbeit herein she was chiefly blessed in that she beleeued in him to bee her Redeemer That are in the earth See hee maketh mention of the Saints here on earth and speaketh no of the Saints which are in heauen from whom as we are seuered in body so are we also in the soule and wee haue no dealing with them either in soule or bodie Wherefore it is â—â—â—d of the Prophet Abraham knoweth not vs. True it is that the Lord maketh his Angels ministers vnto vs and therfore sending them to doe any thing he maketh it known vnto them Howbeit wee reade no such thing of the Saints that are dead who as they know nothing of vs or our estate which onely is knowne to the Lord and are not vsed as ministers of the Lord so they caÌ„not heare or helpe vs as some foolishly haue imagined The Saints which are dead may be in some respect remembred but in no case worshipped remeÌ„bred I say not for their power to be prayed vnto but for their vertues to bee imitated Wherefore in Heb. 11 the holy Ghost setteth downe a register catalogue of the Saints that seeing wee are compassed with so great a clowde of witnesses wee must cast away euery thing that presseth downe and sinne that hangeth so fast on that we may run with patience the race that is set before vs. Here wee see these are set before that wee might so farre followe them as they followe Christ and in this respect they are called witnesses but to honour them as God or to appoint holy daies vnto them or for them it is not lawfull But behold when it was painful to the belly gods of Rome to remember the good life of the Saints to follow them than which nothing is more grieuous to them the diuell to drawe them from this inuented a more easie way for flesh and blood and taught them an easier lesson by appointing in the stead of this holy and painfull imitation a carnall and voluptuous rabble of holidaies vnto the Saints and that as they said for the better remembrance of them and thus that transformed Angell of light knoweth how to transforme pure religion In like manner wheÌ„ it was an hard thing to preach Christ crucified because it would call them to a sight feeling and forsaking of their sinnes and so they were made more vnquiet the diuell found out an easier way and for sooth would haue Christ painted vpon the crosse in their Church windowes which was a thing more easie to behold being pleasant to the eye than it was to heare that sinne should bee crucified in them if euer they would hope for the fruite of Christ his death Againe when they could not away with bearing the crosse of losse of name of friends goods and life for Christs sake they thought it was good to professe it by wearing some crosse about them or by erecting in euery place a crosse of wood stone or such like thing But let vs learne to be prouoked by the graces of God in his Saints to follow them in goodnesse and labour to haue Christ crucified in our hearts by the ministerie of the word euer preparing our selues in truth to beare the crosse of Christ by preferring the pure profession of his Gospell before any thing in the whole world deare vnto vs. Besides we are here to learne that if our delight be in God his Saints on the earth wee must be farre from vsing them maliciously or speaking of them cruelly This delight then must bee to receiue some profit and benefit by these graces which they haue also to vse to the comfort of the childreÌ„ of God whatsoeuer good we haue receiued For as well the seruant which puts not out his talent with gaine was punished as those that contemned the talent Neither in truth haue we any right vse of the gifts which wee haue receiued of God vnlesse we put them out by imparting them to our brethren in loue and so the gaine may returne by holy reuenewes to the Lord himselfe neither haue we truly learned any thing vnlesse wee haue in some measure communicated it with others
and in an holy courage to be delighted in weldoing For the godly whose onely stayes in trouble are faith and a good conscience are brought by their affliction to a sight of their sin to a desire to haue them pardoned to a feeling of God his mercy in hearing their prayers to an hatred of their sinnes Thus if we can support our faith in Gods promises wee shall reioyce in trouble When heretikes suffer for their illusions and being taught of man they quickly shrinke but when Sathan deludeth them with strange fantasies they are ready to suffer much Doe we know that heretikes wil suffer for their illusions and shall not wee much rather suffer for the truth And yet we see the Lord maketh a distinction betweene their sufferings our martyrdomes For Christians through faith can sing Psalmes in the midst of the flame heretikes by their roring shewe they haue no such ioy It stands therefore vpon vs euen now to be iealous of our prosperitie to bestow the time which we haue in weldoing and striue against sinne For we shall breake the first wall by this and so come with ioy to the other And as the word is a comfort in trouble so is it a bridle from sinne in prosperitie For as it doth not let vs fall in trouble so also it bridleth vs from sin in prosperitie For to this end we read and heare the word that in prosperity it should subdue sin and in aduersitie it should minister comfort But what is the iudgement of God vpon them that know not the word If they bee in health they seeke for nothing but for pleasures for profit and for gaine and thinke whatsoeuer they do to be lawfull yea admonish a man of his couetousnes by the word yet will hee not repent vntill eyther theeues or fire or some other iudgement of God vtterly consume him but hee will obiect why should I not get riches why should I not maintaine my gaine Admonish a theefe at his libertie of his theft and it prevaileth no more then if ye should tel him a storie vntill wofull experience â—each him the truth of it by the prison or by the halter There is no hope to any profit to perswade the adulterer vntill some plague of God haue wrought vpon him So we see when fire is on our houses when we must goe to prison or yeeld to any other calamitie men wring their hands teare their haire and rent their clothes crying for woe to themselues and saying they cannot liue they wil not be seene in the world they are ashamed to looke their friends in the face and why because they haue no feeling of the ioyes of the life to come they haue no stay on Gods prouidence they feele no comfort in his promises but they curse they moyle and pine away with sorrow If we see then the great mercie of God in staying vs from sinne in time of prosperitie and in aduersitie telling vs that he doth not punish vs in wrath but in loue and as a father doth teach vs the contempt of this world the desire of the world to come faith in his promises patience and repentance let vs reuerently esteeme the word Verse 144. The righteousnes of thy testimonies is euerlasting graunt mee vnderstanding and I shall liue IN repeating the same againe which hee had saide before the man of God here vseth two words the righteousnes of thy testimonies whereas before he vseth this one word thy righteousnes so that he meaneth here nothing els but the righteousnes of God reuealed to vs in his word For they bee called testimonies both in respect that they bee records of Gods loue towards vs as also they are testimonials of our obedience towards God So the words may beare this sense true it is Lord that that part of thy word where in thou hast comforted vs with thy promises is euerlasting and that part of thy word wherein thou hast set downe our duties is also euerlasting And I shall liue That is what doe men desire but life that I may liue therefore in godly pleasure Lord teach me to vnderstand thy testimonies See the man of God doth rest his life in this vnderstanding of the word They then that are ignorant are dead in sin Ephes 2. They sit in the shadow of death Luk 1. they are bound in the chaines of â—â—â—â—â— as Paul witnesseth of the widowes that liue delicately For as we cal him a man of death on whom not the Iudge but the law or not the lawe but the fact hath already giuen iudgement so they are subiect to the spirituall death on whom not God but his word or not the word but the sinne hath pronounced guiltie What is then life surely this was life the estate wherein Adam liued before hee fell his other life afterward which now is common to vs is a death and wee in him are all dead For when there was no sinne there was no shame when there was no shame there was no trouble when no trouble no death Wherfore sinne bringeth in shame trouble and death and hath left vs dead spiritually by cutting vs off from God For as a ciuill life is when wee are obedient to the ciuill lawes so we liue in God when wee liue according to his lawe And as he is dead ciuilly that by transgressing the lawes of the realme hath cut off himselfe from the common people so we are spiritually dead when sinne hath cut vs off from God The Prophet Abacuk saith chap. 2. 4. Hee that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not right in him Where the Prophet sheweth that though a man for a time swel not hauing an vpright heart yet afterward he sodainely vanisheth away as a bubble of water for as a bladder with the wind is soone drawne out so the vngodly with conceit of his reason seemeth to bee puft vp but all is but inconstancie The iust man saith the Prophet shall liue by faith not by workes as some would dreame for all the shift of them that will be righteous in themselues will bee as a bubble of water but the iust man beleeuing the forgiuenes of sinne looking for euerlasting life staying himselfe on the promises and prouidence of God hath true soundnesse in him Hee shall liue saith the Prophet noting perpetuitie of time So the man of God his meaning is I shall liue i. perpetually and for euer Wee see then the great mercie of God that commeth by the knowledge of the Worde in that wee finde how hee deliuereth vs from wrath and taketh vs into his fauour he rescueth vs from sinne and clotheth vs with righteousnes he taketh from vs death and restoreth to vs life But marke who speaketh these words doth this man of God attaine to such an heroicall spirit as to crie graunt me vnderstanding and shall wee thinke ourselues sufficiently rich well sighted and that wee are so well clothed that wee neede no such prayer We are like the Laodiceans
by lying in some grosse sinne Here is then a touch stone for them that can say I trust I feare God if I feared not God how should I hope to prosper or how should I liue for if their feare be tried by the word and their feare of the word be tried by particular sins they will soone bewray themselues Againe many there be who will say they feare God whilest sicknesse pouertie or some crosse lieth vpon them but when affliction is past ouer and prosperitie commeth let the Lord strike vpon their hearts neuer so hardly and they will not feare Wherefore the Prophet Esay saith chap. 28. 15. Because ye haue said we haue made a couenant with death and with hell we are at agreement though a scourge runne ouer vs and passe thorow it shall not come at vs. And 18. The couenant with death shall be disanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stand when a scourge shall runne ouer you and passe thorow then shall you be troden vnder by it And though sometimes we feare with Pharaoh the present tokens of Gods wrath as the thunder the lightning the earthquake and such like yet we make them scarsely as the wonders that last nine daâ—es neither feare we the word of God In stead of all the plagues whereof we reade in the old Testament as of the opening of the earth of the ouerflowing with waters of fire comming down from heauen we heare but one named in the new Testament namely that they that doe such things for which those plagues did come shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen which one doth so terrifie Gods children that they had leauer beare all the afflictions of Iob and all the plagues of Egypt than that one for all those are but forerunners of this one iudgement and this is the full heape of all other threatnings In that he saith my heart standeth in awe he sheweth his feare was not couertly as in the vngodly For at one time or other the Lord may shake the vilest villaine in the world with feare of his iudgements and sometimes to feele terrour but this kinde of feare soone vanisheth away and sinketh not into the heart how much soeuer it be striken into the head For we see whilest God lyeth â—ore vpon vs by some terrible iudgement of thunder lightnings or earthquakes how euery prophane man can be content to pray and for the time will be very godly and religious so long as the plague lasteth but when that is once ouer their feare is also ouer The most desperate feare but it sitteth not it dwelleth not long vpon their hearts but as a flash of Lightning suddenly striketh the face and suddenly is gone So a flashing sight of Gods Maiestie striketh their hearts and suddenly is departed Wee must not then haue an ouer-hearing of Gods threatnings nor an ouer-fearing of his iudgements For many will like the word because they like it in iudgement or for that it increaseth their knowledge but few loue it in heart because it renueth their affections For though our iudgement hee wrought vpon yet the heart is not wrought on which is Gods place wherin if he by the ministerie of his word once take sure hold it wil forthwith go to the eye eare and hand the whole body and wil be effectuall Now what is a more effectuall bridle against sinne then still to thinke that we are in the presence of God For if all men in the world should bid a man do any thing contrary to the will of God though in doing he might be next the King or in not doing with Daniel haue his bodie giuen to the Lyons yet would he not doe any thing against Gods lawes Neither did Daniel suffer all this because hee would not be an Idolater but for that he would not denie the worship to the true God but professed the same openly in setting open his windowes and manifesting his true religion for the space of three dayes And why did he thus euen because the feare of God did so touch his heart that the feare of man did nothing dismay him so that neither the gaine nor promotion which hee might haue had by the King on the one side nor the danger and losse which was layd vnto him on the other side could make him at all to displease God And as the feare of God hath these effects in God his children that the poorest creature shall stand in great courage before the face of a King so where this feare of God is wanting the mightie Prince shall stand in awe of his poorest subiect 1. Sam. 15. When Saul had a flat commaundement from the Lord who from a meane stocke and base parentage was aduanced to the kingdome to destroy the King he contrarie to the Lords commaundement saueth Agag yea and a great while stoutly iustifieth his sinne before Samuel but when he had streightly charged his conscience hee added the feare of the people moued me to doe it as if he should haue said I was afraid that the people in â—o doing would haue gone from me and haue denied me the honour which they were wont to yeeld vnto me Thus we see a poore soule and with Gods feare feareth not a Prince and a mightie King without this feare feared the poore people This feare of God also keepeth the godly that in all their distresses they dare not open their mouthes to any foule speech or corrupt language When Iob was spoyled of all hee had and wicked men had taken it from him he saith in the humblenes of spirit and feare of his God the Lord giueth and the Lorde taketh blessed be the name of the Lord He durst not chase against the Chaldeans although he was in this miserable perplexitie for the feare of God so gaged his heart that he durst not nourish any euill thoughts or breake out into euill words to displease the Lorde Contrariwise where this feare is not wee shall see great murmuring and grudging because Leuit. 20. the Lord saith If any man turne after such as worke with spirits and after southsayers then will I set my face against that person Let him keepe his sinne as close as he will and hide it as much as he can yet I the Lord wil finde it out In vaine then wee see doe words flâ—e out brutishly from wordly men who say they feare and loue God when they neither belieue his promises nor feare his threatnings nor loue that which he commandeth noâ— hate that which he forbiddeth Well runne they in the last day whither they will yell they neuer so much to haue the rockes to couer them and the hills to hide them the word will iudge those worldlings heretikes and scorners But they will thus say wee aske not counsell of the diuell as you charge vs yea but God his word so saith that hee that goeth to witches and wizards goes to aske counsell of the diuell Againe as wee said before
and to giue a greater light vnto the same As we see in Moses who came to bring the Law vnto this people not a new Lawe nor contrarie to that which was before but hee renewed it confirming and making it more cleare and that which they had before deliuered from hand to hand that hee gaue in Tables and that which they afore had practised he giueth forth vnto them now in Precepts For by the whole story of Genesis it is soone perceiued that not onely the morall Lawe contained in the two Tables but eueÌ„ the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall law were knowne vnto Abraham and others that liued before the law it was neuer lawfull for them to haue any more gods but one only and true God and so consequently that his pure worship which was according to his will The Sabbath was obserued and kept not onely in Paradise but euen of the Israelites when they were in Aegypt before they came to the wildernes which they could not haue done had they not receiued it by traditions The duties also in the second Table were as common and as well knowne as any others were And when we reade in Genesis of Priests and Altars and sacrifices differences betweene cleane and vncleane beasts c. it doth easily appeare that the substance of the Ceremoniall law was long before Moses his time the death of adulterers and the punishment of murtherers doe plainely declare that they had the politicall Law before the dayes of Moses that he was not the first giuer therof vnto the people he taught therefore no new or strange doctrine nor yet contrary to that which was before He was only the means to confirme it and to make it more easily to be vnderstood for he deliuered it in plainer maÌ„ner than it was deliuered vnto the Fathers The Prophets did expound it more plainly then he and as euery Prophet was more nere the time of Christ so did he bring greater light to that which went before Iohn Baptist had cleere reuelations than any of the Prophets For our Sauiour doth prefer him before them not in respect of his person but in respect of his office and calling but the Lord Iesus euen our God and Sauiour our onely Prophet of al others hath brought most cleere light which hee hath reuealed and made knowne vnto the world both by himselfe and the Apostles whose Epistles and writings are by many degrees more plaine and manifest than the writings of the Prophets which were before them And do we not see that since the time that the Lord began to renue the light of the Gospell and to deliuer vs as it were from the darknes wherewith we were well neere oppressed Doe we not see I say that greater light doth more and more appeare that many things are now more manifest than they haue beene in former times and ages Moreouer the law had testimony from the couenaÌ„t made with Ahraham Isaac and Iacob The Prophets did proue their doctrine by the law and the couenants and our Sauiour hath his witnes out of the law and the Prophets and his Apostles did draw their proofe from all The law is in the Gospell and the Gospell in the law and therefore whosoeuer shall not make their doctrine agreeable to the law the Gospel they may nor ought not to be receiued but in the boldnesse of Gods good spirit we may say with S. Paul Let them be accursed For the Lord is not contrary nor vnlike to himselfe As the spirit spake in old time in the Patriarkes and Prophets so spake he in the Apostles of our Sauiour Christ and so will he speake in his true seruants and ministers to the ende of the world there is with him no variablenes nor shadow of change but hee abideth euer the same most like vnto himself and so doth his word which is of the same nature Whosoeuer then shall bâ—ing vnto vs any doctrine not warranted by Gods word or contrarie to that which before hath beene deliuered yea if he bring it in harder and more darke speeches than the word of God is or if hee deliuer it more strangely or obscurely and yet wil beare vs in hand and make vs beleeue that he hath cleerer reuelations we may then iustly suspect him of vntruth and vtterly refuse him further than by certaine grounds reasons out of Gods word he doth confirme his Doctrine And as we may rightly hold all the doctrines of men accursed when they speake or write any thing contrary to the holesome word of truth or else doe adde anything thereto So likewise if any shall take away from the word of God one iot or tittle we may in the feare of God and in the zeale of his truth pronounce against him that sentence wherewith God in great wisedome hath closed vp his holy Scriptures The Lord will take his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and out of those things which are written in this booke 2 Iohn saith the Spirit bloweth where it listeth so also as much as it listeth sometime breathing softly like the coole ayre and sometime like the whirle-winde for man is full of wandring thoughts and imaginations especially when he heareth the word but nothing is more dangerous than the yong mans heart which is in all places of the world at once if you speake not what he thinketh he doth not attend if hee be not astonished and for this cause doth the holy Ghost often offer galling concessions and pinching permissions as Eccl. 10. God seemeth in such speeches at the first to fauour sinne But as we lift vp a thing high to driue it the harder so God vseth such speeches to throw them to eternal destruction to breake them to fitters Yea we would thinke the Lord to be a proctor of euill if hee should not sometimes be very vehement The bitterest kind of deniall is to bid vs go yet so â—â—ine would God worke on our heart that he vseth such vehemencie 3 It is as farre from God his nature to deride any man as it is for him to repent but our sins are so great that if it were possible yee should make him a scoffer But as when saluation is wrought in the highest measure it is wrought in greatest compassion so the highest point of reuenge is derision Wee know the nature of God is full of pitie and vnlesse it be to very euill persons his speeches are full of compassion Speake my people saith he Micah 6. And Esay 5. What haue I not done that I could doe to thee And Oh that my people would haue heard Psal. 81. And when they would not heare he speaketh to the dumbe creatures Heare heauen and earth Esay 1. And Christ saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. These are good and royall speeches which are very sweete and sweetnes it selfe But when he speaketh to the desperate and wicked he changeth his
they differ The sins of the people moue God to punish them with euill gouernours c. How Christians should communicate good things Preparation to the hearing of the word All our power in prayer commeth from the word The life of faith very secret and often hardly discerned How we must haue not onely a knowledge by the last commandement of our naturall corruption but also an experience Prophaning of holy exercises Note well Sathans diligence We must be as diligent to serue the Prince of glorie as the 〈◊〉 are the Prince of darknes The 〈…〉 the light law Law â—â— Gospell in â—â—â— ages till Christ came No thriuing in sinne The feare of God the strong bridle of the faithfull The great power of Gods feare Thankesgiuing How feruent prayer preuailes with God A sweete consolation The heart whose it is by right A great mercie not to thriue in sinne Patience Hardnes of heart Simile To suspect our own wisedome in matters of saluation Diuers infirmities of men Admonition How can rebuke kindly A good counsell Iudgement To vse well the graces which God hath giueÌ„ vs. The generall promises of outward things 1. Tim. 4. 8 To learne to obserue inward corruption by the outward sense How some respect neither cursing nor blessing Sinne how terrible An experienced faith Gods prouidence The Church hath a mixture of good and bad Simile Our faith the same with the Fathers How the law and the Gospel is to be preached Of profiting by hearing of sermons Of Gods presence and how to present our selues before him in his worship Heb. 11. 26. 27 Differences of sinning in the godly and godlesse How some can correct the same sin in others which they like in themselues How many couer sinne by example What respect God hath to his children in the execution of his iudgements A good signe of Gods grace when Gods sweete blessings make vs more free in his seruice How God accepteth the will in some for the deede Of our happy communion with Christ how thereby wee haue an assurance of all his insearchable riches Iustification sanctification goe together If we respect Christ his Crosse wee may not continue in the filthines of our sinnes How sinne dwâ—lles in the godly How the diuell chuseth the best wits for his seruice How many sinnes may lie couered vnder one How to preserue a teÌ„der conscience to keepe our hearts from hardning How dangerous to reiect grace and light offered How coÌ„trary the iudgmeÌ„ts of the word worldare How sinne 〈…〉 the qualitie of the Serpent The iudgement day of Gods 〈…〉 day of 〈◊〉 redemption To sit 〈…〉 Note â—â— How profitable â—he crosse it Children and bastards how they differ Priuie pride Matth 4. The hearing of the word preached How corruption â—urneth grace into wantonnes How our own kindred may hinder vs with God How to entertaine and loue the Saints How to labour for contentation if we will profit in godlinesse How to attaine the measure of blessings which God hath appointed for vs. A good note of our loue to vertue Not to proceed rashly in iudgement against any man The ende of the wicked Prayer How to cure contention Prayer Selfe-loue selfe-will Pride Admonition Matrimonie Affliction Doctrine How troubled mindes feare threatnings How greatly God is pleased with faith on his prouidence Admonition How to put difference betweene persons The passions of Christ in his death Obserue well the heart in all things How the diuell malignes the best Memorie Wherefore the Lord bids vs flee Fornication but re sist the diuell The zeale of youth and of age The differeÌ„ce between our feelings in our first conuersion and afterwards Simile Prayer The end tries all To be faithfull in our owne busines Anger The godly mans peace Chaplaines Hardnes Iudgements To seeke first the kingdom of God The Diuels registers Sound profession How to hide our treasure How God rewardeth vs. Not to dwell in sinne To empty our selues of euery one Priuate examination and confession * Or spiritual Differences in sinne Children regenerate Affections Tithe Studies A liuely faith Vehement speeches Admonition Death The coÌ„tempt of the Gospell a signe of wrath How to respect aduisedly the workes of God A coÌ„solation to one afflicted Iob. 7. 15. Act. 16. 27. * The afflicted must flie idlenes Sinne. Mirth Griefe Vehement speeches A graue counsell to Ladies To a man of ciuill life much troubled in minde Teachers 2. Cor. 1. 3. Ioy griefe Sabbath How to â—â—rrie our selves in the temptation Few meanes vsed in truth better than many in ceremonie Faith and feeling How God blesseth and directeth the single and simple heart Isaac was blinde and so was Iacob Sinne. Heretikes To lie in any one sinne how dangerous To walke vprightly To thriue in sinne Deceitfulnes of sinne Iohn 3. 4 All must reade the Scriptures Act. 17. Heb. 3. 12. 1. Pet. 3. Reading the Scriptures in the Church Heb. 4. 2. Preaching Hearing the Word Law Gospell Amoâ— Dei amorem proximi geâ—eâ—at Generall obseruations concerning the Dâ—calogue Rules 1. Preâ—â—pt Euill forbidden Good commanded The second commandement Generall euils Speciall euils Occasions of the breach of the secoÌ„d law What wee must tolerate in a Church which lies not in our power to reforme General good Speciall good thing Occasions of good Sufficient prouision for Godâ— sâ—ruie 3. Precept 4. Precept Publike exercises Priuate exercises 5. Precept Triall of the loue of children to Parents Triall of the loue of Parents to children Triall of the loue of Seruants to their Maisters Triall of the loue of Maisters to Seruants The sixt Precept The seuenth Precept A man may commit adulterie with his owne wife Meanes of Chasti ie 8. Precept Idlenesse Restitution 9. Prccept False witnes Psal. 15. Suspâ—â—ion against any man without any iust cause a sinne against the ninth commandement 1. Cor. 13. Charitie suspecteth no euill 10. Precept Motions What motioÌ„s are forbiddeÌ„ in the tenth Commandement How wee be infected with the motions which come from Sathan the world Who is our Neighbour Ioh. 3. Ephès 2. 3. The Mediator described 1. Cor. 1. Faith defined What Creatiâ—â—â—â— Vse of the first article of the Crâ—eâ—e Christ verie GOD. Christ very Man Vse of holie Conception Vse of Christs Prophesie Vse of his Priesthood Vse of Christs kingdome Christs passion most grieuous in bodie and soule Vse of Christs buriall Phil. 3. 9. 13. Rom. 6. 12. Vse of the article of the Resurrection Iohn â— 14. Vse of Chrstes intercession 1. Thess. 4. 26. 1. Cor. 15. Phil. 3. 10. Rom. 12. 13. Church The holie Ghost alone giueth vs the assurance of the pardon of sinnes * By Faith wee come by degrees to feele to haue a comfortable experience of the pardon of sinnes The comfortable vse of all the articles of the Creede Faith onely iustifieth Rom. 3. 28. A reward to workes is promised of Gods free mercie and not for merit Workes Law and Gospell coÌ„demne sinners which
lonish garment will cost him his hart blood Farre otherwise is the condition of the soule than is of the bodie for where as wee haue neede of a table and sundrie meates to cherish our bodie and of many sundrie drinks to refresh it of clothes to wrap it in of medicines to salue it and of many other things to support and beare it vp to the soule to the soule there is but one thing necessarie euen faith in Christ this is to it the bread that came downe from heauen the riuers of water flowing to euerlasting life this is Esaues coate that smelleth so well in Isaacs nostrels this is the soueraigne plaister this is all in all Oh how much better is that that needeth but one thing By this faith we obtaine the reward promised vs. True it is wee must fight and ouercomming we shall haue the reward Howbeit God doth not onely set before vs the reward and intaileth it to vs but he giueth vs also to ouercome hee assisteth vs he encourageth hee smiteth for vs he doth all for vs he giueth vs the meanes onely this he requireth that if we feele our selues ouermatched we will but crie to him if our heart faile vs to say to him thou art our buckler Let vs therefore presse downe the flesh and exalt the spirit CHAP. LXVIII Of the Sabbath IN Exod. 16. 4. we may read how the Lord would trie the children of Israel whether they wold keep the Sabbath or no he applieth the same speech in particular for the keeping of that day which generally is set down for keeping the whole law to the end that as diligent as they would be to keepe all the law so diligent should they be to keepe his Sabbath and that they might doe this the better both in keeping it themselues and committing it to posteritie the mercy of God is commended herein that he would giue them double Manna for the Sabbath day The like mercy he gaue to this people when they were in daunger of warre that the enemies that day should not inuade them Now although the Lord deale not in the same maner with vs yet the same promise is made to vs to take away that too much carefulnes of prouision which we might excuse our selues by Then we should trust to this promise and equitie thereof as Paul alleageth it 1. Cor 8 that albeit the Lord vseth not the same meanes to defend vs and preserue vs yet we may be sure that he will euer defend vs and minister to our necessitie 2 The keeping of this commaundement is the keeping of all the rest as the breach of this is the breach of all the rest for so he saith Exod. 16. 28. That the Israelites had broken his commandements when this one was onely broken 3 The want of the true doctrine of the Sabbath hath bred two extremities First in Papistrie it brought so many holy-daies Secondly in the Gospell many controuersies about the ceremonies 4 Of the auncient Fathers some thought that this day was ceremoniall and therefore was appointed of the Church as other daies might also be appointed and haue beene as we see Other some said it was meere ceremoniall and now is ceased so that now there remaineth a continuall Sabbath others seeking libertie haue beene contented to vse it as their occasion serued 5 In Exod. 16. Moses speaketh of the Sabbaths as a thing that was in vse before and came not in with his ministery therfore no reason it should be abolished with the same 6 Whatsoeuer was requisite to Adam in his innocencie and to keepe him from sinne is now requisite in regeneration to helpe vs out of sinne if Adam being perfite had yet need of meanes then much more we whose regeneration is vnperfite 7 If Adam being cleane from sinne had yet need of meanes to keepe him there from much more we from whom the dominion of sinne is but only taken away yet the remnants of sinne be within vs. This kind of reasoning is good for we vse it against heretikes to proue the necessitie of the Word and Sacraments Adam had need of the Word and Sacraments hauing the word in his heart and in the outward Commaundement therefore haue we need of these as he had though we could come to the perfection of Adam which as yet we cannot contrarie to the Anabaptist They will say we are risen againe then let them not eate let them not marrie let them shew themselues void of all humane infirmitie which must needs be if we be risen againe for then should we be like Angels 8 The Commandement of the Sabbath is of such nature that it was giuen for our infirmitie as is manifest for to him all daies are alike therfore he blessed it to man Gen. 2. 1. In that he is said to sanctifie it he did it not for himselfe but for man as he is said to sanctifie or blesse the Creatures for mans vse A man must labour sixe daies and leade a life actiue and the seuenth day he must leade a life contemplatiue in hauing a spirituall vse of the Creatures Why would the Lord haue the garden dressed euen for that it might be more glorious for there was the Summer and Winter budding and falling of the leafe which the Lord wrought by meanes Euen as needful was it that the soule of Adam should be dressed that he might grow for although he was made in the Image of God yet so that he should grow vp therein And this Commandement is for our imitation it is plaine by this reason because that the same words that are here to perswade him to the obedience of this Commandement is vsed Exod. 20. to perswade all others to obey the same therefore as Adam for his infirmitie stood in neede of this helpe till hee were translated to the heauens to leade a continuall Sabbath so is to vs. 9 The end of Marriage in the beginning was to preserue man in obedience since his fall there came another end to raise him from his fall and to helpe him in his obedience so the end of the Sabbath was one before the fall and another since 10 The morall lawe was not giuen first by Moses but renewed because the Lord had tried them long by tradition and they profited not as is plaine in euery Commandement and therefore this law for the Sabbath was not then first giuen but renewed as the others were wherefore it is no more ceremoniall than the rest 11 In this that the Lord maketh expresse mention of the sixe daies and afterwards of the seuenth it appeareth that the order of continuing the sixe daies is here noted to be vsuall and the Sabbath to come after therefore it was not then first deliuered by Moses it was before though much abused 12 Yea the ceremoniall law was in substance before Moses because we reade of Altars and holy daies for the sacrifices to be offered in
though they were corrupted for the lord left not his people to worship as they list because Obedience was euer better than Sacrifice The Lord making Lawes respecteth not what any one man needeth but what most stand in neede of therefore seeing there is mention of Priestes Sacrifices Altars Holy-dayes and that the Gentiles which had these borrowed them of the Iewes it is manifest that the Lord neuer left his people to their owne gouernment in his worship 13 The Lord gaue the ten Commandements and spake them himselfe Exo. 20 Deu. 5. Yea Moses added many things hence we may gather that whatsoeues the Lord spake himselfe it belongeth to all that which Moses added was for the Iewes and so is ceremoniall 14 The Lord sanctifieth this day when hee commandeth it to holy vses the people sanctifie it when they so vse it 15 The Iewes were punished not for breaking the ceremonie but for contempt of Gods Commandement and for doing it with an high hand as appeareth there where he that gathered stickes is adiudged to die For first there is a description of the sin and then followeth that in practise which was in word or in precept This is also seene in the lawe of the Fast wherein no man must worke for who so wrought hee should die not for that he wrought but for that he contemned the meanes to be humbled so the like reason generally is for working on the Sabbath and the fasting daies that they were not punished for the ceremonie but for contempt of the ordinance of God so necessary The equirie is in that the Lord giueth sixe dayes to worke and but one to serue him if the first being a permission doth endure for euer then doth the other also remaine for euer And that this permission to worke on the sixe daies cannot be restrained for any religious vse it appeareth as in that Adam had the vse of the creatures the Apostle doth leaue all things free and therefore these dayes came not for any religious vses 16 But some may except the Lord made holy daies and fasting daies therfore we may doe so now Answere first exceptions do not take away a generall rule Secondly the Lord maketh Lawes for men and not for himselfe therefore they may not followe him vnlesse they haue the like reason as in the day of humbling for any singular benefit as in the Coronation of the Prince yet these daies are not taken vp of men but the Lord bloweth the Trumpet and in neglecting them it is sinne for God must haue this prerogatiue onely to make Lawes Seeing the equitie of the Commandement is to vs as well as to them therefore the Sabbath belongeth to vs as well as to them The Lord created all things and gaue them to all and all may haue vse of them therefore this is a sure proofe that the reason is common to vs with them and so this Commandement 17 The exposition of this Commandement sheweth the same for the worship of God is neuer commanded but this also is commanded and the corruption thereof neuer corrected but this also aboue all the rest as may appeare in all places of the Scriptures where mention is made of the Sabbath especially Numb 15. And is all this because of the pretermitting of a Ceremonie Would hee not be euer worshipped in spirit Neuer to delight in the Ceremonie Therefore this was because the meanes of Gods worship were contemned 18 That it should be changed once it was meet but neuer to be changed againe for as then the day of rest for the creation was most fit so now the day of our redemption is most fit seeing now the world is as if it were made new and therefore cannot be changed 19 Then they could not kindle fire which we doe therefore it was ceremoniall First some thinke that commandement was but for time of the wildernes Secondly the Iewes in euery commandement had something ceremoniall which wee haue not now being in CHRIST As in the second commandement we are to reade and teach the word of God it belongeth to vs as well as to them but to haue frontlets we are not bound So of singing we are bound to haue singing as well as the Iewes but yet not with Organes and such like So of burying the dead we are as staightly charged to do it as the Iewes yet not with ointments and such cost as they were at So in euery commaundement they had some thing pedagogicall which is taken away but the commandement it selfe is more streightly required of vs then of them because it is more cleerly set forth to vs then to them 20 Not onely they that spend the Lordes day on their pleasures are to be reproued as breakers of the Lords seruice but they also which worke vpon the same Amongst them those that are the children of God whose hearts God hath touched by his spirit shall see that the Lord will not let them prosper in the same sinne but what they take in hand shall goe slowly forward their bargaines shall bring but small gaine they shall haue but little vse of that which they buy on that day Nay sometimes they shall see that when they have broken the Lords Sabbath some iudgement or other doth light vpon them and their labours so that they will confesse that their Sabbath dayes labors stand them in small stead 21 Manie will obserue streightly their Easter day but wee must haue euerie weeke an Easter day to consider of the benefit of Christs Resurrection not that we must onely that day thinke thereupon For as our Father Adam euery day when hee dressed the Garden should thinke vpon the Creation yet on the Sabbath day he should wholly giue himselfe to obserue the same So must wee euery day consider of Christs Resurrection yet on that day we must doe it wholly that we may recompence the want of the former dayes 22 He that keepeth the Sabbath in truth and in conscience will continually walke vprightly in his calling all the weeke after and on the contrarie hee that is a carelesse prophaner of the Sabbath if his life be examined he shall be found to be a loose liuer if he lie not in some notorious sinne Therefore if any man desire to walke in the commandements of God let him labour in conscience to be a sanctifier of the holy Sabbath 23 Manie will be superstitious obseruers of their popish-holy-daies and streight keepers of their Easter-day and then shall all businesse be done quickly that all may goe to Church but the Lords day is of small account with them Yet must we make euery Sabbath day an Easter-day that is a day wherein we are to record the Resurrection of Christ and all other mercies which God through him hath shewed on vs on those dayes must we labour diligently to feele the fruite of them all 24 Playing should not be on the Lordes day because mans finite nature being