of some trifleing worke that he doeth persuade him selfe that hee is so farre from chargeing his father that hee is become very helpfull vnto him bringing in a greate portion of that whereby the whole familie is mainteined wherevppon the father setteth him to some worke promising to giue him wages for it as he doeth vnto day-labouring-men that the ouerplus of his charges maye redounde to his owne profite alone When the foolishe impotent childe seeth by good experience that hee is not able to doe any thing to the maintenaunce of his liueing then hee is forced to acknowledge his fathers liberalitie and to confesse his vndeserued goodnesse towards him whiche before hee made no reckoning of pleasing him selfe in the foolishe persuasion of his owne earning vntill by good tryall it hath beene proued vnto him to bee nothing In like manner the Lorde our GOD willing that wee should take our selues as wee are in deede beholden to his mercie and onely cleaue to that is constrayned to bring vs from this folishe persuasion of our deseruings and earninges by our owne workes the persuasion whereof keepeth vs from magnifying of his mercies as wee are bounde and to set vs to worke for wages appoynting vs hyre for laboure and wages for a certeine number of workes wherein when wee shall haue taken tryall of our owne insufficiencie to mainteine our selues we shall be forced to lay holde of his alone mercies and in true humilitie acknowledge the benefite thereof whiche was a principall end that the LORD did looke at in loading vs with that so greate laboure of the lawe and exactinge a continuaunce in euery woorke thereof so streightly at our handes For the promise to bee receiued to mercie in the merites of Christe alone was made foure hundreth yeeres and more before the lawe whiche came in to driue vs by due experience of our selues to sticke wholy vnto the bountie of that his mercie whiche thing to be so he Apostle proueth by the nature of the lawe that was giuen For suche a lawe was giuen as by meanes of our weakenesse coulde not giue life And therefore sure it is that the LORD ment not that wee should looke for happinesse from the lawe and the obedience thereof but wholy from the mercies of God in Christe If there had beene a lawe giuen sayeth the Apostle whiche coulde haue giuen life surely righteousnesse should haue beene by the lawe But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of IESVS CHRISTE should be giuen to them that beleeue Wherefore the lawe was our Schoole-maister to bring vs to CHRISTE that we might bee made righteous by faith The Apostle sayeth that if there had beene giuen suche a lawe as coulde haue giuen life righteousnesse should haue come by the lawe Sure it is that the want which was in the lawe to giue life was not in it selfe for it did promise life vnto them that kepte it whiche promise made by the LORD to the keepers of the Lawe it were blasphemie once to imagine that hee woulde not or coulde not perfourme Therfore the want that was in the law to giue life commeth wholy of our infirmitie by reason of the weakenesse that is in fleashe and bloud as it is written to the Romanes That that which was impossible to the lawe in as muche as it was weake because of the fleash GOD sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleash and for sinne condemned sinne in the fleash Greate is the opinion that fleashe and bloud hath of it selfe when the Lorde is constrained to bring a looking-glasse of his lawe for vs before we can bee brought to iudge rightly of our selues Great is the credit of our owne deseruing and earning by our well doeing when the Lorde to pull vs from it is forced to putt vs to the tryall of an impossible work Hardly are we brought from the opinion of our owne wealthie estate when the Lorde cannot be beleeued of vs telling vs the contrarie before hee hath layde before vs in his accounting booke our seuerall parcels of debte A Christian therefore is taughte by the ende that GOD had in giuing of this lawe to learne how harde a thinge it is to lay downe all lyking of him selfe and opinion of wel deseruing for his deedes in as much as the Lord is driuen to reckon with vs particularly proue vnto vs by plaine euidence that we are worse then nothing before wee can be made to let go the opinion that we haue once cōceiued of our owne good estate Therfore whosoeuer meaneth to depend truely vpon God must by the often sight of him selfe in the lawe be weyned from the opinion of his owne doeings while that in seeing his deformities so muche in euery parte by meanes of the sundrie and seuerall dueties that are commaunded hee be compelled by good tryall to acknowledge the benefite of his bloud whereby they are wyped away For it is the true tryall of our selues that maketh Christe to be of any reckoning with vs It is the true misliking of our selues that causeth vs to like of him How necessarie then is it for vs not onely to acknowledge a kinde of debte but to see the seuerall parcels thereof in euery commaundement growing to such a greate summe as should offer iuste occasion to thinke highely of him who hath brought vs a free discharge for these so many and sundrie billes of debte Let vs learne then often to go vnto the counting booke of our God to see in euerie commaundement the great debt that we are drawen into that wee may haue occasion knowen to our selues to be very greate why we should wholy beetake vs to the mercyes of our god It falleth out oftentimes that a manne who is deepely in debte for want of earnest consideration had of the seuerall sūmes parcels of the same may take it to be no greate benefite to be discharged thereof but when the particulars be summoned and brought in and in the whole thereof appeareth to be a great matter to discharge hee beginneth to chaunge his minde and to take him for a speciall friend that would offer to aunswere it euen so it commeth to passe with vs while in generall words of course we confesse our selues to bee sinners and therefore indebted vnto GOD but yet neuer truely consider by true tryall of our selues in euery commaundement what the particulars are whereof the generall ariseth so great Wee make no greate account of the mercies brought by Christe for the discharge thereof because the greatenesse of the debt and daunger for wante of summing the particulars is not truely knowen nor rightly considered of which is the thing that maketh a right reckoning bothe of our owne wante and also of his worthinesse in releasing vs from so greate daunger and debte By this we may clearely perceiue that so many as shall not often looke to their liues by the lawe doe neither knowe what wretchednesse is in them selues
can not otherwise be compassed And where is that man then that seeing what duties are to be perfourmed bothe to the Lord and to his brethren and in what manner of affection and loue for it is the end of Christe his death and the purchase of his passion to haue a number not only giuen but zelously giuen vnto good workes remembring withall what an enimie he hath at home of his owne nature if there be any feare of God in him that shall not be occasioned hereby more plentifully to practise the meanes of his saluation especially knowing that those who are ingrafted into the body of Christe must dye vnto sinne and rise vp in to these fruites of righteousnes Moreouer the knowledge and meditation of the lawe and commaundements doe helpe vs forward vnto true and sincere Christianitie For a great number deceiue them selues in a generall good meaning whiche they haue to serue the Lord taking that to be the true seruice of him and in the meane time are nothing carefull to keepe a good conscience in the seuerall dueties of the lawe nor any thing traueyling to traine vp their affections to delight therin as if in Christianitie we were to roue vncerteinely aboute good motions and good meanings and had no certeine marks of seuerall dueties set before vs to shoote at that we might so iudge of our selues as we see vs come shorte or wide of them whereas the true Christian in very deede profiteth in drawing neerer and neerer vnto the Lord in making his life and conuersation more conformable vnto the seuerall duties set downe in the commaundementes beeing likewise carefull to approue his doings by the lawes statutes made for the same as in ciuil dealings and traffique a man wil feare to offende against the lawes and statutes prouided in that behalfe And as a wise man that hath much dealing in the worlde wil haue some abstract of the statutes that as occasion requireth he may turne to them and so deale without danger of lawe so it standeth well with the policie of a Christian to be skilfull in the statutes of his God that when he hath to deale with the name of his brother lookeing in this abstract he may see the cautions to be obserued in the same that he offend not against the lawes and statutes of the Highest when soeuer he hath to deale with his goodes he may turne in like maner to that statute that hath prouided for wel dealing therin so auoide the dangers that otherwise he should fall into The like is to be done when there are dealings immediately betwene vs the Lord that we should often loke into this briefe abstract of the statutes of our God to see alwayes what is the prouiso that is made for his glorie and the suppressing of our owne corruption Our corrupte nature doeth aske all this of vs and the man that feareth God giueth no lesse vnto it For the blessed man is saide to meditate in the lawe of his God day and night Nay we see that the only wise God who knoweth better then we our selues what nede we haue hath appointed vs yet more meanes and therfore we must thinke that there is more vntowardnes in vs then we could of our selues suspect For he hath left it a perpetuall order for the education of his children that there should be men of special giftes both for learning and aptnesse to teach also for good life who by teaching exhorting and reprouing should as it were whet the word to make it enter It must of necessitie bee an hard matter that requireth such instruments such workemen for both the instrument and the workmen are from aboue The wisedome of the world could not perfourme this and therefore the Gospell which is the arme and power of God vnto saluation was sent from the bosome of the father and for the workemen we are not at our choyse to take where it seemeth good vnto vs but they are appointed to our hād by the holy Ghost who hath set downe such notes of good learning good life to discerne them by who are of his sending and fit for so weightie a worke as that they giue forth a plaine testimonie vnto vs that they come from Heauen framed and prepared of the Lord him self vnto this work As the goodnesse of our God could not deny vs any thing necessarie so his wisedome would not that we should be loaden with any thing superfluous and vnnecessarie which must force vs to conclude against our selues that we are not knowen vnto our selues vnlesse we see matter within vs necessarily requiring to be pricked forward with the liuely preaching and sounding ministerie of the word and that we tempt the Lord if we content our selues with our priuate readings and meditations and despise the preaching of the worde which the Lord hath seene to be so necessarie that hee hath appointed it not for one sorte of men but vnto all of what condition soeuer neither vnto age alone but perpetuall for all ages and times The labours therefore of them that doe write are not taken in hand that men standing vpon them should contemne or lesse frequent the publique ministerie of the Church but to bring them into greater loue and liking with the same that receiuing some fruite that way they might looke for a greate deale more by that which is appoynted by the Lorde to present vs perfect in Christe Iesus Concerning these Lectures I am to craue generally of all men to whose handes they shall come that in what point so euer they shall thinke their admonition may doe mee good they woulde not denie mee that Christian and Brotherly helpe and likewise if they shall in any thing finde themselues holpen by my trauell that as they are to returne the whole praise vnto GOD to whome onely it is due so they woulde not denie the comfort of their prayers vnto him whom the Lord in mercie hath vouchsafed to make an instrument though most vnworthie of some goodnesse vnto them And of your honour my verie good Ladie I am most humblie to require that this dutie how slenderly soeuer performed may according to your accustomed clemencie be well accepted of that what want soeuer be in the work either of that you desire or that I were in duetie to perfourme may finde a supplie herein for that it proceedeth from a minde moste willing to answer your desire and moste vnwilling if abilitie did serue to be behinde with the leaste parte of that that duetie may in any respect demaunde And as al good Christians should rather be desirous to lerne howe to go forwarde then to heare what good beginnings they haue made so I doubt not Madame but a fewe wordes vttered to that ende especially from me that haue great cause to be thankeful vnto God for that he hath already wrought in you shall finde better interteinement with your honour then much speeche directed to an other purpose howe good
and iust soeuer the cause be that might prouoke me thervnto It was a saying sometime of Asia that it was no prayse neuer to haue seene it but to haue liued temperately in Asia was praise worthie so many were the allurements so great was the intemperancie thereof I thinke we may nowe altering the words reteine the trueth of the matter if we should say it were no great matter neuer to haue seene the Courtes of Princes but to haue liued Christianly in those Courtes were a special work of Christ in his And therefore Madame as sometimes I spake in the hearing of your honour so nowe I say againe that where the assault of the aduersarie lyeth sorest against any there wisedome would that the instruments to beare off and to beate backe the same should be more in number and stronger in effect And for this cause we do reade that in the Courte of Israel the Prince himselfe who for the number and weight of affaires was as may be thought by some iust title to be priuileged aboue the rest might not be exempted from keeping this diligent watch and warde in his owne person by reading all the dayes of his life in the lawes of his God against the dangers that by reason of that place he was in great danger of diuers wherof after they are recited in Deuteronomie immediately the holy Ghost giueth the medicine for them whiche is to be occupied in the lawes of his God all the dayes of his life If any by daily meditation in the lawe of God shall thus exalt wisdome that is the word of God by making it the chief delighte of their heart beside the auoyding of these daungers and suche like there is a promise passed from the Lord that wisedome shall exalt them If they shall sett her in place and estimation aboue all other things she will requite it againe by aduauncing their honour and estate aboue the condition of others but if they shall make no more of her but as a common thing she wil answer them in like measure againe to leaue thē in place estimation with the common worst sort of men The honour therfore of aduauncement which all men are giuen to haue so great lyking of commeth neither from the East nor frō the West but from the Lord him self this true honour wayteth vpon all of them whom imploy them selues their countenance and their credite to honour and aduaunce this wisedome which is the worde of god Which thing that it may abound in you Madame daily more and more and in his honour to whome the Lorde hath ioyned you and that by the meanes thereof you may so continue your life as that you shall not feare to dye as in dutie I am for many benefites receiued moste bounden so I doe moste humbly craue it of our mercifull GOD to whose fatherly prouidence ceassing to adde any thing further and remayning to perfourme all duties from time to time that I shall bee enabled vnto I do most humbly committee your Honour ¿ ¿ Your honors moste humble to commaund in the Lorde Iohn Knewstub ⧠THE LECTVRES of Iohn Knewstub vpon the twentith chapter of Exodus and certeine other places of Scripture The first Lecture vpon the firste and seconde verse of the same Chapter THEN God spake al these words saying I am the Lord thy God 2 Which haue brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt out of the house of bondage IT hath alwayes beene and now is a frutefull trauaile of men to drawe arts and sciences plentifully laide out into briefe heads and some few general rules and principles not onely for memorie whiche in many and long discourses becommeth so intangled as it can hardly with any fruit get out but also for practise whiche of necessitie muste be so much the later as it shall be longer before we learne the matters to be practised and the slower we are in perusing matters to be done the slacker must we be in the performance therof But yet all this notwithstanding aswell reason as the practise of the learned might easily be auoided bicause all is but the reason and practise of man if the onely wise God had not leafte vnto vs the whole doctrine of Christianitie comprehended in verie fewe words examples whereof we haue diuerse bothe in the olde and newe Testamente whiche may be a sufficient warrant for enterprising thus briefly to comprehend Christianitie If any shall take exception against the preaching and opening of the lawe in this cleare lighte of the gospell calling it as it is called in the seconde Epistle to the Corinthes the ministerie of death the killing letter let him vnderstand that the holie ghost in the same place speaketh of the lawe without Christe what it worketh in our infirmitie whereas otherwise of the law being considered in the couenant that is in Christ it is truely saide by the Prophet in the Psalme The lawe of the Lorde is perfect conuerting the soule the statues of the Lorde reioyce the heart c. At the publishing of this lawe of God there was great terrour feare on euery side For as appeareth in this former chapter the mount Synai was all on smoke and the Lorde came downe vpon it in fier and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a fornace and all the mount trembled excedingly The people hearing the thunders and lightnings and the sounde of the trumpet seeing the mounteine smoking and feeling such terrible trembling and shaking of the earth fled and stoode a farre off making earnest suite vnto Moses that he would speake vnto them and that they might not heare the Lorde least they died so great was their feare and so woonderfully were they amased at the matter It was very requisite and necessarie that this maiestie of the lord should come in with the entrance of his worde For we are giuen to make small reckoning of it lightly to reiect the authoritie thereof For doe not thousands imagine that they sufficiently reuerence the maiestie of the Lord when notwithstanding they liue without all awe feare and reuerence of his word Nedeful therefore was it nay most necessary that the maiestie of the Lord should visibly come forth after a glorious maner at the deliuery of the word that men might vnderstand that the neglect of the worde is the contempt of the maiestie and honor of the Lorde For the Lorde hath coupled his honor and glorie to his word so that they can not neglect the one but that they must in so doing cōtemne and despise the other Those plentifull testimonies that are recited to the Hebrues to aduaunce the dignitie of Christe prouing his diuinitie and giuing him superioritie aboue the Angels are in the seconde chapter applied by way of exhortation to the reuerencing of his worde telling them that if the worde spoken by angels was ratified and that euery disobedience receiued a iust recompence of rewarde how could they
think once to escape neglecting so great saluation which at the first begoon to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was cōfirmed by them that heard him God bringing testimony and authoritie thervnto both with signes and woonders and diuers myracles and giftes of the holie Ghost Well did the Lorde vnderstand that words are but winde with men and therefore it was the good pleasure of his will that neither his law nor Gospel should come naked and bare into the world but with the credit of his owne glorie and countenaunce of his owne maiestie For the gospell as now we haue heard was not only preached by the Lorde Iesus but also confirmed by the ministerie of those that heard him with signes woonders and myracles so that to neglect the gouernemēt of the word is to tread vnder feete the maiestie of the Lorde Hauing made this entrance I doe proceede vnto the texte where I am enforced to speake a little of the nature of the wordes because they bring great light to the true vnderstanding and meaning of the cōmaundement The word IEHOVAH which is here englished Lorde is a name of God giuing vnto him his true nature and essence which is so to haue his beginning and being of him selfe as in him by him all thinges that are haue their beeing and therfore it is vsually set before the promises and couenants of the Lorde in the scripture that we shoulde not doubt of the perfourmance thereof seeing it is the couenant promise of that God that hath his beginning and beeing of him self and procureth the beeing and perfourmance of all things vnto them in so much that the Lorde denieth in Exodus that he was knowne to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah bicause he had not perfourmed in their time the promises made for their deliuerance out of Egypt and for their possession of the lande of Canaan The verbe is not vsually expressed of the Hebrues in the like phrases where the sense is apparant and therefore of some is sette downe before the word Lorde and read thus I am the Lorde thy GOD of other some nexte after the word Lorde and then it is read thus I the Lorde am thy GOD wherin although in sense there be no difference but that both affirme one and the selfe same thinge yet bicause there is more cleare vnderstanding of that one and the same thinge by placing the verbe next after the worde Lorde I see no cause why the practise of some should be preiudiciall in this matter but that it may be said I the Lorde am thy GOD. In affirming that he is their God he assureth them of all mercy and happinesse from him selfe alone both in this life and in the life to come making a league with thē to make himselfe knowne to be their God by the mercies he had to bestowe vpon them and that he would haue the care and charge of their welfare reserued to himselfe alone It remaineth to be proued by the scripture that this manner of speaking to be their God conteyneth promisses in it for this life and for the life to come In the psalme the Prophete hauing made mention of sundry outward blessings in children in increase of corne and cattel peace and freedome from enimies concludeth thus Blessed are the people that bee so blessed are the people whose GOD is the Lorde making these outwarde blessinges to bee conteyned vnder the benefite of hauing the Lord to be their god In Exodus promising their deliueraunce from Aegypt he saith that he wil be their God conteyning that outward deliueraunce within this mercie of being their god And as for the spirituall and inward blessings as writing his lawe in our harts pardoning our sinnes and not remembring them anie more that they are conteyned within this couenant of beeing our God may appeare in the Epistle to the Hebrues After those dayes sayth the Lord I wil put my lawes in their minds and in their hartes I will write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people For I will be mercifull vnto their vnrighteousnesse their sinnes their iniquities I wil remember no more And in Ezechiel we may cleerly see that the renuing of our stonie hartes the receiuing vs to mercie after we haue transgressed the causing vs to walke in his statutes and lawes are streames that flowe from this free founteine of grace that the Lorde is become our god A newe hart saith the Lorde by his Prophet will I giue you and a newe spirite will I put within you and I will take away the stonie harte out of your body and will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirite within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iudgementes and doe them and yee shall dwell in the lande that I gaue to your Fathers and you shall be my people and I will bee your GOD Where these benefites receiued are made the fruites that followe of hauing him to be their God whiche is all done freely and vndeseruedly as the Lorde plainely professeth in the same chapiter in these wordes Bee it knowen vnto you that I doe not these thinges for your sake sayth the Lorde therefore O ye house of Israel he ashamed and confounded for your owne wayes Neither doeth this mercy of hauing the Lorde to bee our God conteyne it selfe within the compasse of this life but reacheth vnto the blessinges of the life to come as appeareth in the Gospell after Saincte Luke where our Sauiour Christe proueth that it must needes be well with Abraham and that hee muste rise againe bycause it is written The Lorde is the God of Abraham for he is not the GOD of the dead sayeth our Sauiour Christe but of them that liue In the Epistle to the Hebrues Abraham and others the children of God are reported to haue bene straungers in the land of promise and not to haue sene the promises fulfilled in their time whiche might seeme to make againste this that I haue sayd concerning the blessing of them to whom the Lord is become God but it is answered there that he was not ashamed to bee called their God for he had prepared for them a citie as if that whiche seemed to be wanting in this life were so sufficiently recompēced in that ioye that did abide for them as that the Lord neded not to be ashamed to be called their God so rich was his mercie towardes them By this we learne that the first commaundement conteyneth in it the promises of the Gospel as it is well noted by M. Peeter Martyr contrarie to this damnable opinion of certeine who holde that the fathers of the olde Testament had no promises sauing of the lande of Canaan and temporall thinges We see that the Lorde made promise to be their God which as we haue heard hath promises bothe of this life and of the
children vpon the third generation and vpon the fourth of them that hate me 6 And shewing mercie vnto thousandes to them that loue me and keepe my commaundements ALbeit the time would nor permit me to speake the laste day of the third verse but forced me to reserue it vnto this day and to ioyne it with this matter that now you haue heard of not making to our selues any grauen image yet that whiche time hath nowe knitte together is by the iudgement of diuerse godlie and learned men not to be sundered at all For they take that of hauing the Lord our God which hath already beene declared to be the firste commaundement and this Scripture that now I haue read conteyned in these foure verses to be the seconde Of this iudgement was that learned Father Peter Martyr whose wordes are these in his Commentarie vppon the Romanes I suppose the firste commaundement to be that which is sett before the reste in steade of a proheme I am the Lorde thy GOD whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt For in these wordes are we commaunded to accompt him for the true God and that we shoulde not thinke that he is to bee worshipped together with other Gods straight way is added the second precepte wherein wee are prohibited to worship straunge Gods and grauen thinges and images and if a man will more narrowly consider the thing he shall see that together with this first comaundemente is offered vnto vs the Gospell for in it GOD promiseth that he will be our god These are the wordes of Peter Martyr Of this iudgement in like manner was that learned and godlie man M. Bucer as appeareth in his exposition vpon 24. Psalme where hee hath these wordes The first thing of all in the matter of our saluation is to beleeue in one Lorde our GOD from whome as the fathers had their deliuerance from Aegypt and all other blessinges beside so wee all receiue the good things that we haue whiche is taught in the firste of the ten commaundementes that is to say in this I the Lord am thy GOD whiche brought thee out of the land of Aegypt The seconde cōmaundement is to ioyne no feigned God with the true GOD which mans madnesse is alwayes accustomed to do neither were these men alone of this iudgement but followed in it the opinion of some of the best learned among the interpreters of the Hebrue who doe thus diuide these two commaundements taking that of making grauen images to be a braunch of the second cōmaundement which forbiddeth vs either to ioyne any false God to the only true Lord or to worship the true God with any false worship deuised of our selues not cōmanded frō him For as it followeth in that place whiche now I cited out of M. Bucer the blindenes of man is accustomed to giue so much to his own deuises in ioyning some in worship with God or to that which he hath deuised for the worship of god that he wil not depend vpon the mere goodnes of God alone And for the moste parte saith he they seke by such ceremonies to pacifie the lord whom they do perceiue to be offended with their wicked life which thing hath greater blasphemie in it then we can conceiue of It is most sure that when once man dare aduenture to put others in the honour of worship with the Lorde whiche thing he hath forbidē he wil not be afraid to bring vpon him an other worship then he hath commaunded these bothe come from one corrupte beginning as shall God willing heereafter more plentifully appeere We are in this commaundement forbidden to worship any together with him or to admitt any worship of him besides his owne whiche he hath lefte vs in his worde the Lorde therefore woulde haue vs to seeke al good things at his hands alone and cannot abide that we should haue other Gods before his face or vppon his face for this interpretation will bothe the wordes and the meaning beare very well as if he should say In as muche as I haue taken vpon me to care for you and to honour my selfe by shewing foorth the treasures of my grace vpon you it shall not be lawfull for to darken the light of my goodnesse by seking to obteine that at the hands of any other the gift wherof I haue reserued to my selfe alone for the glorie and praise of the riches of my grace For I doe you to vnderstand that when soeuer you seeke to any other then me for any parte of your welfare you doe as it were drawe a corteine ouer my face that I cannot be seene in the full shewe of my mercie howe I am affected towardes you while they by stepping betweene conuey some praise of the gifte and mercie to them selues Heere we see all passages to the virgine Marie Angels or Saintes whatsoeuer to be stopped vpp and the way to GOD opened vnto all in their necessities to run thyther with an assured hope of comforte by reason of the promise When Sathan would haue obteyned of our sauiour Christe a parte in the honour of worship he telleth him it was written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him alone shalt thou serue the answere of our sauiour Christ being according to the question and demaund telleth vs that Sathan would not haue refused to haue had the Lord worshipped so that he might haue obteyned to haue beene partaker with him in it It declareth also that not only the Lord refuseth to haue Sathan but also any other whosoeuer to be worshipped with him for it is written Him alone shalt thou serue Inuocation therefore and prayer beeing a worship that the Lord preferreth aboue sacryfice may not be giuen to any Sainct or Virgin but muste be reserued vnto the Lord alone who will not haue his grace darckened or his glorie parted with any Neither can he suffer that the virgin Marie or any saint or angel should cōe into any opinion of mercy either aboue him or equall with him whiche must be graūted if this be cōfessed that it is lawful to call vpon thē For why should we come in prayer vnto them if he who is of greater power to perfourme our request be also of more mercie to incline fauourably to our demaunds This resorting therefore vnto them by prayer hath in it a plaine profession that they are more redily inclined vnto compassion then the Lord which in deed denieth him to be god For he is not the true God if any do exceede him in mercie and compassion It cannot be that the Lord should be God if any be found his superiour or match in mercie wherein consisteth his chiefe glorie But of this God willing more shall be spoken when I come to speake of prayer And yet it may not be forgotten that in dying for vs when we were enimyes vnto him he lefte that patterne of mercie behinde him the like whereof hath not beene hearde or seene in
any which cannot but leade vs in beliefe to hope for more mercy from him then from any other If any thinke that prayer is not suche worship of God wherewith he is so delighted but that he can bee content that others as Sainctes or Angels should also haue that honour let them peruse the 50. Psalme and they shall finde that the Lorde preferreth this seruice of his to bee called vppon in necessitie aboue all sacrifice and outwarde worship The Churche of Rome will not giue out licence to offer sacrifice vnto Saintes that bee departed from this life and yet the Lord setteth prayer in dignitie aboue sacrifice making it a seruice that doth more honour him then doth that other For what greater honour can he haue then to bee magnified in this greatnesse of his mercie that hee shoulde bee the onely sanctuarie for the distressed in their calamitie The Angels themselues haue refused to bee worshipped of men knowing that the Lorde wil not haue his glorie parted vnto others In the Reuelatiō Iohn professeth that he fell down to worshipp before the feete of the Angel and that the Angel saide vnto him Se thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruant and the fellow seruaunt of thy brethren the prophets and of them which keepe the words of this book Worship god The Angel refuseth worshippe placeth himselfe as a seruaunt among them that serue the Lord after his worde and chargeth him to worship god Let vs learne to bridle this affection that seeketh to be approued vnder the title of a good intent for it is a strong persuasion to the fleashe that the Lorde cannot refuse but well like of whatsoeuer worshipp wee offer so it bee to no other thē those that are beloued of him of whom he hath declared his likeing by graces and gyftes graunted vnto them in greater measure then vnto the common sort of his seruauntes We may well suspect our infirmitie when the Euangelist Iohn was almost carried away with his weaknesse in this parte For the infirmitie of the flesh reasoneth thus Can it be any offence to honour aduance them whome God himselfe hath honoured Hath not God himself declared by his graces giuen vnto them what reckoning he maketh of them Can we make too much of them whome God so tenderly loueth These are the pathes of good intents wandering without the worde Nay they proceede further If wee shall be approued of the Lorde wee must creepe into fauour with those that are deere vnto him and the next way to haue fauour with him is to growe into the fauour of those that are neere aboute him according as the practise is to get the good lykings of men that are of greate calling heere in earth by growing into the lyking of those their seruantes that can doe moste of all with them But we are taught of the Lord himselfe that his wayes differ from oures as farre as Heauen differeth from the earth and that the Heauens are not so farre in height aboue the Earth as are his thoughts aboue oures So that wee offer exceeding wronge vnto his maiestie while we thinke to bring him vnder the condition of mans infirmitie whose good countenance cannot be obteyned vnlesse in the persons of those whome hee especially lyketh of by brybing or flattering of them he him selfe may seeme to be honoured and the holde of his fauour craftily vndermined The word of the Lord shaketh off all such follies telling vs that it is the hearing of his worde keeping of the same that getteth credite with him that maketh vs allied vnto him euen to become truely the mother sister or brother of him as wee read in the gospell after S. Luke in the which place he doeth so commend this kinred as I may call it of his worde that he maketh no reckoning of any other but in respect of that Wherein hee doeth notably reproue the foolishe fancie of fleashe and bloud which imagine that they can offer nothing vnto the virgin Marie wherin they shall not binde him vnto them the Lord therefore is constrained to signifie that those naturall respects preuaile not with him as with weake men but that the hearing of his worde and doeing of the same is all in all with him and the onely worship that pleaseth him which when it is wāting he accepteth of no seruice haue it neuer so greate shewe of mans reason for it As wee may not take vpon vs to worship any besides the Lorde no more is it lawfull for vs to giue any worship to the Lord but onely that whiche is allowed in his word and therefore hath he forbidden vs to make any grauen image imagining that way to please him and to doe a worke that is acceptable vnto him For those that bow vnto grauen Images thincke and say that the Lorde is serued therein and that they doe it not vnto the Image but vnto the Lorde represented vnto them in the Image but the Lorde in this commaundement forbiddeth as well the false worship of the true GOD as the giuinge of any parte of his true worship vnto a false God I meane vnto any besides the onely true god It commeth all from one founteine to dare be bolde to giue vnto him any worship beside that which he hath cōmanded and to worship any other besides himselfe which thinge he hath in many places plainely forbidden therefore in this cōmaundemente he represseth this intollerable boldnesse of man that in his owne deuotion will presume to please the Lorde either in the worshipping of others or in any other maner of worshipping him than he himselfe hath opened in his worde In this seconde parte concerninge grauen Images there are certeine wordes which beeing layde open will make the better entrance to the true sense and meaning of the whole in consideration whereof it shall not be vnprofitable briefely and in a worde to touch them It is saide here that he is A ielous God which signifieth that he can not suffer vs to ioyne any with him in the cause care of our welfare A kinde of speach borrowed from husbandes who can not abide to see the mindes affectiōs of their wiues entangled with any other men but require to haue them kepte pure and chaste to them selues alone The pursuing of his displeasure whiche is heere recited towarde the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate him seeming to maintaine vnrighteousnes in the Lord is to be vnderstoode of such children as treade in the same stepps of iniquitie with their fathers For otherwise that of the Prophet Ezechiel is true The godly sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of his vngodly father These thinges beeing now made plaine vnto vs let vs goe forwarde with the matter that wee haue in hand The Lorde God in forbidding the worshipping of images and so vnder that all other kinde of worship inuented by man addeth this reason to disuade vs from it because hee is become our God who
obediēce vnder the shadowe of good intent deuotiō occupying it selfe in trifling outwarde thinges and neuer drawing neere vnto the Lord in the dueties laide vpon him by the word he must labour diligently to finde out the wil of God in his word for no other end but that hee may be a doer and follower of the same his profiting how greate so euer it bee is not without infirmitie and therefore hee is not without humilitie in his best doings his offending at any time cannot bee without griefe for hee seeth in it the dishonour of his merciful father whose free mercie is his stay Let vs learne brethren to take heed in seruing the Lord in a deuotiō that agreeth not with his word What will it auayle to say We do it of loue and good meaning towards him when the Lord hath said that all such are haters of him Shall our mening condemne the trueth of his saying Or shall that be good meaning when we come to true reckoning which the Lorde hath pronounced to be hateing Let man be afraid to beare hatred against the Lord and therefore let him feare to serue him with good intents besides his worde If man should bee so obstinate in euill that he feareth no punishment in respect of himselfe imagining his life to make an end of all his affliction yet let him fear the punishmente of this sinne that will not leaue him in the graue but set the marke of his iniquitie vppon his children and posteritie vnto many generations I neede not greatly to speake vnto the moste that be heere that they should leaue those foolish works of deuotion and good meaning as going on Pilgrimage setting vp of shrynes and such like things receiued amongst the Papistes His name be praysed that madnesse is descryed and a great number of them selues begin now to blush at it but the outwarde ceremonies of Religion as resorting to common prayer hearing of Sermons or suche other these haue obteyned now the title of the true seruice of GOD and shut out the obedience vnto the dueties commaunded by the word These hold men now from care of dueties appointed by the word as deuised deuotion kept them in Poperie from true religion These are the good intentes of Gospellers at this day and as the Lorde spake of his sacrifices commaunded in his worde when mē were holden in those without any care of good life He that killeth a Bullock is as if he slue a man they haue chosen out their owne wayes therefore wil I choose out their delusions and bring their feare vpon them So may it truely be said of a greate number that the Lorde hateth their resorting to prayer and sermons they are now become their owne wayes whiche they haue chosen because they are sundred from Christian conuersation and amendment of life for the which they were ordayned The meanes to auoid the dangers of our deuises in the seruice of GOD and to haue disclosed vnto vs the subtilties and snares thereof is to delight in the wisdome of the worde to be much exercised therein according as it is declared in the booke of Prouerbes That when wisdome entreth into the hearte and knowledge delighteth the soule then shall it deliuer vs from the euill way and from the straunge woman whiche forsaketh the guide of her youth Now let vs pray vnto our heauenly father that we may so see our vntowardnesse vnto his true worshippe that we may magnifie his mercies that hath pardoned our transgressions and that wee may receiue strength from the power of his death to shake off all those shadowes of seruing the Lorde beeing truely humbled to serue him in spirite and truethe according to the direction of his worde ¶ The thirde Lecture vpon the seuenthe verse 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lord wil not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine IT is manifeste in the Scriptures that by the name of GOD is ment the lawe and commaundement of god For the Lorde wil be honoured and get a name among his people by transforming their affections and deedes into the obedience of his lawe In Leuiticus it is thus written Yee shall keepe my commaundementes and doe them for I am the Lorde Neither shall ye pollute my holie name declaring that his name is prophaned taken in vaine and polluted when his commaundementes are not regarded It is also to bee seene in the Epistle to Timothie that the name of GOD is taken for the doctrine and woorde of god Let Seruants sayth the Apostle account their maisters worthy of all honour that the name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken of ioyning the name and doctrine of God together as wordes that importe all one matter For the name of GOD cannot but be dishonoured and euil spoken of through vs when suche lawes as all men knowe he hath appointed for vs to walke in are without regarde neglected and contemned of vs. If it bee required why the Lorde speaking of his lawe giueth it the title of his name wee must vnderstand the reason of his so doeing to be very good forceable to procure obedience For what can be more deare vnto vs than the name and glorie of our GOD Or what can binde our obedience vnto more dutifulnesse than when we vnderstand he hath committed his owne name and honour into our handes beeing content to abide without all name and glorie heere in earth if hee may not haue it of his by their obedience to his lawe And therefore as the loue of GOD muste cause vs to begin all dueties so the end wee looke at in all of them must bee by the doeing thereof to get honour and glorie to our God. For it is written to the Corinthes Whether yee eate or drinke or what soeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of GOD. Heerevppon it commeth that workes commaunded are reiected of the Lorde when they are done to be seene of men for the prayse of our selues and not with a carefull heart to glorifie the Lorde and procure his prayse thereby Take heede saith our Sauiour Christ that ye giue not your almes before men to be seene of them or else yee shall haue no rewarde of your father whiche is in heauen The Lorde him selfe often vseth the credite and glorie of his name not onely in commaunding but also in forbidding things to be done as in Leuiticus 19. almost through the whole chapter when he forbiddeth any thing he addeth these wordes immediatly I am the Lord thy God because the contempt and breach of his commaundement doth reach to the stayning polluting of his name For he hath entred couenant with vs to be our God in causing vs to walke in his wayes that he thereby may be magnified and aduanced as it is written in Deuteronomie Thou haste set vp the Lord this day to be thy God and to walke in
of them But when it pleaseth God to pull any out of their corruption and to begin Christianitie in them hee doeth let them see with assurance of his mercie towarde them but so as notwithstanding he bringeth them not onely to the sight and bewailing of that rebellion which they feele in their affections against his wil but also to the mortifying and subduing thereof The man therefore that will truely examine him selfe hath to consider what resisting of his affections hath beene in his life so shall hee soone perceiue what neede he hath to betake him selfe vnto the mediatour CHRISTE IESVS while his conscience shall wittnesse either of no profiting at all herein or at the least so little as shall sufficiently conuict him and force him to lay holde vpon the righteousnesse of Christe as his only refuge yet so as his care to suppresse his affections be no lesse because hee vnderstandeth what mercie is in Christe but so much the more increased as he perceiueth that trauaile to please the Lord euen as the best thankfulnesse that wee can performe for the great benefite of our redemption Now let vs pray that we may beare such an enimies heart against our owne corrupt affections as may not spare to treade vppon them when soeuer they shall ryse vp against the Lord. ¶ The fifte Lecture vpon the twelfth vearse 12 Honour thy Father and thy mother that thy dayes may be prolonged vpon the land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee THe former commaundementes doe perfectly instructe vs in all the dueties that apperteine directly to god These following doe giue vs rules and preceptes for the dueties that wee doe owe vnto men The Lord our God being perfect in all happinesse by him selfe alone hath no neede of our seruice yet will he haue tryall of the loue that wee beare vnto him not onely by deedes done immediatly vnto him selfe but also by deedes done for his cause vnto men He therefore meaning to make a tryall of our loue towardes him hath commaunded vs that we should not be altogether our owne men closed vp within our owne profites and pleasures onely regarding and procuring them and wholy taken vp of them but that we should go out of our selues at his commaundement to the good of our brethren witnessing our thankfulnesse vnto God in giuing for his sake this seruice vnto men The dueties vnto GOD going in order before these vnto men do admonish vs of this doctrine that all our doeings towardes men are nothing where Gods glorie doth not go before as it is written in the Epistle of Sainct Iohn In this wee knowe that wee loue the children of GOD when wee loue God and keepe his commaundementes And like as our dealing with men is nothing when the true seruice of God is either not knowen or not regarded so that seruice that is giuen vnto GOD is not accepted when our brethren are neglected of vs. Therefore doeth our Sauiour Christ in Matthew charge vs that when our neighbour hath any thing against vs wee should not presume to offer any gift vnto God before we be reconciled so greatly doeth the Lorde esteeme of this louing conuersation with men that the holie Ghoste maketh it the proofe of our blessed estate as it is written in Iohn Wee knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Concerning that which we do owe vnto men the honourtng of father and mother hath the firste place By Father and mother are all those vnderstoode who are the instruments of GOD in any of his speciall goodnesse towardes vs whome because hee hath vouchsafed to be his meanes in the conueying of that grace that we doe inioy by them he cannot abide that they should be without honour at our handes By honour whiche is required to be giuen vnto them wee are taught so to behaue our selues towardes them in all our dealinge as may wittnesse that in heart wee doe honour them and therefore this honour doeth not so much exact any one seuerall thing as it putteth a qualitie and condition vppon all our behauiour towards them that it should be such as it may be a wittnesse of our hearte howe highlie it doeth reuerence and regarde them If it be demaunded why the Lorde by Father and mother should vnderstand all the instrumentes of his goodnesse towards vs whereas hee maketh mention but of one sorte it may be required of them againe why the Lorde forbidding all kinde of violence should make mention onely of murther For as by murther beeing the chiefe he comprehendeth all of that kinde so by one instrument of his speciall goodnesse hee leadeth vs to the consideration of all the like Moreouer we must reuerence the wisedome of the onely wise GOD heerein who by the moste grosse euils laboureth to worke the loath-thing of all the like and by benefites and good thinges in them selues moste amiable to further the cause of all the rest setting the ouglyest shape he possiblie can vppon euils to terrifie vs withall and giuing to good thinges the countenaunce that may best commend them Our trauaile therefore muste bee to searche into these good thinges which wee receiue by others that when we shall haue founde them wee may as by dutie apperteyneth honour the owners of them Nature may preuaile with them that bee of any consideration for the conceiuing of those benefites whiche they inioye by meanes of theire Parentes so that the trauaile neede not to be muche heerein Reason may persuade euen the moste simple that if wee haue any good thinge in this life or any blessing following it they who haue brought vs into life may iustely clayme a parte therein The matter of Magistrates is not so plaine what good wee receiue by them therefore it craueth more time to be giuē vnto it The Magistrate is the instrument of GOD to preserue that life whiche the Lorde in mercie hath giuen vnto vs For by the administration of iustice and execution of good lawes the outrage of the wicked with whome the worlde is alwayes pestered is restrained from laying violent handes vppon the good which otherwise would at all times burst foorth because the occasion which is the good workes of the one and the euill of the other can neuer bee separate from their liues And that this is the occasion may be proued out of the Epistle of S. Iohn where after inquirie had what it was that moued Caine to slay Abel he answeareth Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers good And least wee should note some extraordinarie thing in Caine hee putteth all the wicked in the ranke with him making it the common disposition of them all and therefore saying We may not bee as Caine which was of the wicked and slew his brother It is therefore no small blessinge and benefite of God that keepeth the sword of the vngodly from our throte whiche is euery houre drawen out and shakē at vs with whom we
the signification of a Verbe Transitiue and therefore thus it may very well be translated That they meaning thy Parents may prolong thy dayes making the continuaunce of our life as it were the gifte of Parentes approuing the honour that their Children giue vnto them and so it is here attributed vnto Ionadab as his blessing and benefite that he shall not want a man to stand before GOD for euer notwithstanding the obedience were in his Children Whereby wee are taught so to walke duetifully and thankfully towardes our superiours as they may be compelled to approue it and so to blesse it with many good dayes For the Lorde to get this honoure of inferiours to their superiours hath as it were put this benefite of longe dayes into their handes and maketh it to followe their approuing of that thankfulnesse whiche they receiue from their inferiours This threatening of the Lord may not onely bring a terrour vnto rebellious subiectes and disobedient children whiche liue in the displeasure of their superiours iustly conceiued against them but also vnto those who notwithstanding they haue committed nothing that iustly may displease them yet haue not done any thing that may iustly chalenge approbation and lyking from them This curse of cutting off the length of their liues either in their owne person or in their posteritie moste iustly falleth vpon such as greatly regarde not the consent of their parentes in that weightie matter of marriage Parentes haue heere to learne the bringing vp of their children in all obedience and reuerence towards them selues lest by their too much lenitie they bring such an infection into their children as will not departe from them before it hath broughte them all vnto the graue that there bee not one man of their seede lefte to continue their name This blessing of many good dayes promised to obedient inferiours is so farr foorth perfourmed as it may be a blessing vnto them For sometime God in mercie taketh away obedient children in their young yeeres that they should not taste of the afflictions that he meaneth to bring vpon the land or lest the iniquities of those dayes should peruert them In Deuteronomie vnto the promise of long life are added these wordes That it may be well with thee promising them benefite of longe life no longer then it shall be for their weale to inioy it So likewise it may come to passe that a disobedient childe may liue long to taste of the griefe of disobedience in his owne Children to suffer exile and banishment or some one greate punishment or other or else that his wickednesse may growe yet riper to reuengement so that it be no longer a blessing to inioy such dayes Wee must remember that all this which hath beene spoken of obedience and the blessing thereof must be limitted so as in obeying them we do not disobey God and go contrarie vnto his word This commaundemente also bindeth superiours vnto their inferiours For those gifes of God that come with speciall direction to be employed vnto certein persons as do the gifts of inferiours cannot in equitie but haue some speciall consideration from them againe vppon whome they are thus especially employed Heerevpon aryseth the particular callings that bee when by reason of particular benefites and blessinges whiche wee receiue of particular persons wee become indebted vnto them againe for seuerall dueties more and aboue those generall dueties which we owe vnto all men This commaundement comprehendeth all particular callings of what cōdition soeuer they shal be For the lawe beeing a perfecte rule of righteousnesse cannot content it selfe with generall duties alone When this duetie from superiours is not giuen to them that be vnder them it commeth often to passe by the iust iudgement of God and yet with the inferiours their great sinne heynous offence that they become vnthankeful vndutiful rebellious againste those that be set ouer them armed by the iust iudgement of God to denie duetie vnto them from whom they haue receiued none Maisters complaine of the vnfaithfulnesse of seruants and yet was there neuer any time when seruaunts had iuster cause to complaine of vndutifull maisters For where are those masters to be found that haue any iust regard of the swette of their seruants which is their bloud bestowed in their seruice How slenderly are they recompenced when they haue spent their young yeares the flower of their life vpon them yet euen reason would that seeing the Lorde hathe laide the maintenance of their life vpon their labour and trauell which their maisters haue eaten vp they should not be so cruelly vnkinde as after their long seruice to sende them away with an emptie hand I omit to speake how litle the care is of bringing them vp in the feare of god The number of those parentes which carefully perfourme this dutie towards their children to make them learned in the lawe of their God is as small And where shall we finde any number of suche Magistrates as employ them selues to terrifie wickednesse and wicked men and to incourage the good in their goodnesse These thinges are as wel due from them as the other duties before recited belong vnto them There is also generally required of all superiors that louing dealing and behauiour towardes their inferiours which may witnes that they are not vnthankfull for those special benefits which they do receiue from them For if loue whiche hathe in it speciall good will and liking be commanded towardes all men in generall there must of necessitie be a greater measure of it betwene those that are more particularly employed the one vpon the other This louing regard of them outwardly declared in deed and behauiour must come in as a supplie to helpe to beare and susteine the weight of labour subiection whiche the nature of man otherwise can hardly digest as in a mans bodie more labour or cost is bestowed about those parts that haue the lest beautie and forme in themselues in so muche that those parts which as they are of themselues dare least abide the eye are set forth with more beautie to the eye thereby after a manner hauing recompence of their want in the bodie so in the bodie of the common wealth and in the societie of man tender regarde of superiours and amiable affection towards those that be vnder them should beare vp a part of that heauie burthen of subiection and seruice The gyftes and graces of God in others craue also honour from vs For being fellowe-members of one bodie we haue our benefite and fare the better for the seuerall gyftes of others For the Lorde hathe made suche a diuision of his gyftes as that he hath laide a necessarie part of the welfare of euerie man out of himselfe in some other the lack wherof maketh him maymed in him selfe therfore forceth him to seeke vnto others for his perfecte forme iust proportion These gyfts of God wee are not only bound to see and behold but also to
subiect our selues in modestie vnto them euen he that hath more vnto him that hath lesse as it is written to the Philippians In meekenesse of minde let euerie man esteeme another better then himselfe And to the Romanes In giuing of honour let one go before another There is as great a cause why the aged shuld be honoured in his knowledge long time experienced in good thinges as the young man for the ripenesse of his witte and therefore men must mutually reuerence the gyfts of their fellow brethren if loue and liking shall be any longe time mutuallie vpholden That is the cause why in the same verse when the Apostle had persuaded vs to brotherly loue immediately hath these wordes In giuing of honour go one before another as if the one would not long continue where there were not the other There is no one thing that our nature can lesse like of then to be vnder contempt and that nothing should be espied in vs for the whiche men woulde regarde vs wherefore it standeth all vpon to trauell so in finding out the goodnesse of the gyftes and graces of GOD in other as their hartes may in vnfeignednesse yelde reuerence therevnto and also thereby to make a defence against infirmities whiche wil be in flesh and bloud that there may be bearing and forbearing one of another by loue reuerent regarde had to the gyftes of Gods grace in them Our nature is no better inclined in dueties towardes men then it is as before we haue learned in dueties towardes god For we are giuen to seeke to haue our selues honoured in our calling or gyft whatsoeuer but litle to regard nay euen to enuie the honour of others whiche we shall then discerne when any shal be compared with vs and made either superiours or else equals vnto vs And therefore when it pleaseth God to call any of his vnto the hope of his kingdome he letteth them see their corruption euen in this commandement so as they are forced by the sense and feeling thereof to giue ouer the claime of saluation in the title of their workes whiche haue no promise if they doe not perfourme the whole lawe and euerie worke thereof throughout the whole course of their life For it is written in Deuteronomie Cursed is hee that confirmeth not all the wordes of this lawe to do them And I would willingly learne what man there is that can truely say that he hath neither done nor yet left vndone any thing either to his superiour or inferiour to men of greater gyfts or lesse thē him selfe which did bewray want of honouring of them from his hart The lord also causeth those whom he calleth both carefully to stand in watch against their infirmitie lest it should burste forthe to the dishonour of God likewise more hartily to require a readie and willing affection to procure the honour of his name by walking duetifully in this commandement And if the outward work of this commaundemēt should be attended vpon of any neuer so diligently yet Gods glorie not sought therein it would profite vs nothing For if we giue men their due and in the meane time deny the Lorde his what auayleth it vs Therefore those former foure pointes wherein his glorie consisteth conteyned in the former commaundements must of necessitie be ioyned with all duties vnto men which are First that we acknowledging all our welfare to come from the Lorde alone doe depend wholy and only vpon him Secondly that in loue of him for his mercyes wee begin to obey him after his word Thirdly that his glorie beeing the marke we shoot at make vs carefull in all our works so to do them as he may haue honour by them Fourthly and last of all that in true acknowledging and trauaile in subduing of our owne corruptions whiche will not altogether bee sundred from our wayes and workes we humble our selues in our best obedience that the Lord may alwayes reteine the praise of the free and vndeserued working of his grace Now let vs pray vnto our heauenly father that we may truely see and bewaile the little reuerence and regarde that we haue had bothe to superiours and inferiours becomming thereby not onely vnthankfull vnto them but also vnto the Lord who hath placed such graces for our benefite in them and let vs craue of him that we may not onely obteine more power to suppresse the same but also may be inabled from him to send abroade suche fruites of true reuerence and honour as may come to the sight hearing of many to the great praise of his name The sixte Lecture vpon the thirteenth verse 13 Thou shal not kill THe former commandement hath giuen forth instruction for particular callinges from whiche by reason of more particular imploying of benefites mutualy one vpon another there ariseth more particular duetie of the one vnto the other then that which euerie common man may claime vnto himselfe Nowe we are to be instructed in those dueties that generally we doe owe vnto all men amongst whiche this cōmandement of not killing hath the first place wherein we are forbidden to do any violence iniurie or wrong to the bodie life of our neighbour and commanded to defend mainteine and cherish the same It is to be obserued that the Lorde bidding vs shewe foorth loue vnto our neighbours hath not left it vnto vs to deuise wherein to pleasure them but hath set downe what things are most deare vnto them that by our helpe giuen for the preseruation of those thinges safe vnto them and in benefiting them therin they may haue true triall of the loue and affection that we beare vnto them Our neighbour therefore in this consideration is not shut vp in the alone fleshe bloud of the man but the duties of neighbourhode reache vnto the life and bodie wife goodes and good name of the man Neither is loue the not hating or not hurting of a man but the helping and furthering of him to receiue more comfort in those thinges aboue recited ouer the whiche euerie man is so tender that beeing in any of those annoyed he can no longer account him selfe as a man loued or regarded of the authours therof For he himselfe is vpholden in life and liking by the comfort of them The Lorde in forbidding murder forbiddith also all violence crueltie and wrath towardes our neighbour labouring in the detestation of this greatest euill to worke in vs a hatred towardes all that be of any affinitie with it and therefore not letting vs see them but in that fourme which may most feare vs from them putting vpon them al that feareful fourme of murder The punishment of the offences against this commandement wil help vs to iudge the greatnes of the same Touching the murderer it is said in Leuiticus He that killeth any man he shal be put to death Violence bursting foorth into extremities of dealing in the olde lawe was punished with the like of that
that was done what kinde soeuer it was according as it is written in Leuiticus If a man cause any blemish in his neighbour as he hathe done so shal it be done to him breache for breache eye for eye toothe for toothe suche a blemishe as he hath made in any such shal be repaid to him wherby the offender was drawn to the better consideration of that griefe whiche he had brought vpon another in feeling the displeasure thereof within him selfe and also feared the more from offending being wel assured before that he could offer no great wrong vnto his neighbour whiche selfe same in so doing he should not bring vpon his owne head This punishment doth not only declare the vnlawfulnesse of violence whiche here is forbiden but also by that punishment whiche the iust Lord did appoint for it we see howe great the offence is which hath had suche a punishment appointed for it from the iustice of God that more account may be made of suche iniuries then commonly there is in any place In this commandement is forbidden all crueltie and therfore in the punishment of certeine offences there was a number of stripes appointed whiche in punishing they might not passe as we reade in Deut. So doeth the Lorde abhorre crueltie that he would not haue it couered no not vnder the cloake of iustice zeale against sinne whiche vnder that pretence might be shadowed if in any respect at al it were to be mainteyned This lawe was so religiously obserued amongest the Iewes that they would alwayes giue one stripe lesse vnto the offendour whosoeuer And therefore fourtie beeing the number of strypes whiche they might not passe the vsuall punishment was to giue fourtie saue one whiche number they did not exceede no not in punishing of Paule towardes whom they beare so deadly hatred as he testifieth of himselfe to the Corinthes Of the Iewes saith he in that place fiue times receiued I fourtie stripes saue one Thus woulde the Iewes giue out some signification howe they did abhorre crueltie being verie vnwilling to be publiquely noted of that crime how bloudie soeuer their harts were no not at that time when as they might haue had some shadowe in pretending the zeale of iustice for their facte But Christians must abhorre that in deede whiche these in shewe would be thought to be farre from Crueltie was restrained in that whiche we read of in the nineteenth of Leuiticus of not putting a stumbling blocke before the blinde nor reuiling the deafe for suche wantes gette compassion amongest all those in whome there is any humanitie or pitifull inclination Those therefore must of necessitie be cruel and sauage that are so farre from any touch therwith as that they can abide to increase it by insulting vppon them and adding more torment vnto them To represse cruel dealing it was forbidden them to withholde the hyre of the poore and needie hyred seruant as it is written in Deuteronomie Thou shalt giue him his hyre for his day neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it for he is poore and therewith susteineth his life least he crie against thee vnto the Lorde and it bee sinne vnto thee To the same ende was the commandement giuen in Exodus for not vexing nor oppressing the straungers widowes and fatherlesse children with this threat If thou vexe or trouble suche and so he call and crie vnto me I will surely heare his crie Then shal my wrath be kindled and I wil kil you with the swoorde and your wiues shal be widowes and your children fatherlesse For the same cause in the same chapter they are cōmanded to restore the garment taken to pledge before the sunne go downe This is his garment for his skinne saith the Lord Wherein shal he sleepe therefore when he crieth vnto me I will heare him for I am merciful The commandement that was giuen in Leuiticus concerning those that were impouerished fallen into decay to relieue them but in no case to take vsurie or aduantage of them had in it the same purpose and ende to meete with crueltie and vnmercifulnesse For euerie suche condition hath in it matter to moue vs to pitie compassion which occasion is taken of the good as offered them from the Lord to declare whose children they are by being mercifull euen as their heauenly father is mercifull But when men are so farre from compassion and mercie as beeing prouoked by present and visible occasion offered they doe not onely shut vppe the bowels of compassion against them but euen make a pray spoile of them most cruelly increasing their miserie it is a plaine proofe that there is no droppe of humanitie and muche lesse of Christianitie within them To conclude this speeche of crueltie that whiche is written in Deuteronomie of the mouseling the mouthe of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne and is applied by Saint Paule to the Corinthes to proue that the labourer may not bee denied his hyre and wages for his paines maketh plainely against crueltie battereth downe all the walles of vnmercifulnesse that are so strongly vpholden by the general practise of so many now a-dayes For what man almost is there of any worshippe or wealth who thinketh not that he may lawfully vse his tenaunt or poore neighbour without any wages yet the prophet Ieremie pronounceth woe againste this kinde of crueltie in these wordes Woe vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers without equitie he vseth his neighbour without wages and giueth him not for his worke It is nothing so cruell a facte to robbe a straunger whome thou knowest not as to sucke out by his labour the bloude of thy friende and neighbour and after to sende him away without wages If suche buildinges stande vpon vnrighteousnesse as sayth the prophete it is to be feared that many a faire house in this land hathe suche a ruinous foundation as threateneth the destruction of the owner This kinde of crueltie howe heynous it was in the sight of God and what plague it might bring in iustice vppon the things that were in suche vnrighteousnesse accomplished did Iob verie well vnderstande and therefore saith If I haue eaten the fruites of my lande without siluer or haue grieued the soules of the maisters thereof let thistles growe in steede of wheate and cockle in steed of barley A righteous man saith the holy Ghost regardeth the life of his beast but the mercies of the wicked are cruell If hee neglecte not his beastes but giueth them foode in due time muche lesse will he neglecte his familie or seruantes in defrauding them of that either in meate or wages that is conuenient These examples that nowe I haue alledged as they spring from an vnmercifull heart and tende to the vniust griefe and molestation of the bodie and life of our brother so are they directly againste this commandement Notwithstanding as they bring damage
vnto him by deteyning that whiche is his due they are against this commandement also Thou shalt not steale so that it is not vnpossible for one kinde of action to be guiltie both of murder and theft The negligence of man whereby his neighbour receiueth either losse of life or hurt of bodie is forbidden in this commandement The reason is verie good For if the Lord hathe lawfully and in equitie laide vpon vs the care of our neighbour his life by good right may he require at our handes the wilfull neglecte thereof The punishment of suche wilfull negligence towardes the life or bodie of their brethren was moste sharpe and seuere in the olde lawe as we may see in Exodus where the man 's owne life must answere for the life of his brother who perished by his negligence according as the example is sett downe there of a man not keeping vppe his oxe whiche he knewe was woonte to pushe If the oxe were woont to pushe in times past sayeth the holy Ghost and it hathe beene tolde his Maister and hee hathe not kepte him and after he killeth a man or woman the Oxe shal be stoned and the owner shall die also In this offence of negligence are all those transgressours against this commaundement who by delaying to take vppe matters in controuersie or suites of lawe with all possible speede that may be doe by their negligence giue occasion to the fraile nature of man to committe murder or some other mischiefe against him with whome he is in controuersie And if carelesse negligence be thus daungerous howe harde a matter will it be to reckon with the Lorde for deliberate purpose to kepe men at variance and debate that their gaine may grow thereby It wil be a harde matter to answere before the Almightie if wee haue giuen occasion whereby our neighbour hathe receiued losse of life Dauids carefulnesse herein is woorthily commended to all posteritie who when his men breaking through the hoast of the Philistins with the daunger of their liues had brought him water to drinke whiche he so greatly thirsted after and wished for immediately powred it out for an oblation vnto the Lorde and saide Let not my God suffer me to doe this shoulde I drinke the bloud of these mens liues for they haue brought it with the ieopardie of their liues therefore he would not drinke it A notable example to feare vs for being occasiō to any though seruant or inferiour rashly to hazard his life either for our profite or pleasure In this commandement the Lorde is not onely careful to haue obedience from our handes but also from our hearts and tongues so that bothe thoughtes and wordes must come vnder subiection vnto him that neither of them be infected with malice whiche the Lorde so hateth and abhorreth For we must interpret the Lawe according to the nature of the Lord who is the lawe-giuer Man by reason that he onely seeth the deede and cannot discerne of the heart maketh lawes for the outward doeings and punisheth them alone without proceeding further but the Lorde who searcheth the heart and reines maketh lawes for it and punisheth euen the consent of the heart goeing against his lawe in asmuch as the Lord hateth the euil it selfe he cannot but abhorre it wheresoeuer he shall finde it whether in heart hand or tongue It is written in the Epistle of S. Iohn That whosoeuer hateth his brother is a manslear We see then that not onely grosse euils come into reckoning before the Lord but euen hatred settled in the heart although the hand hath neuer beene stretched foorth to execute the same neither commeth it before him as some trifling thing whiche doeth not greatly displease him but appeareth monstrous hauing none other shape vpon it nor other accounte made of it then of murder Thus must we thinke of hatred consented vnto in the heart that it hath a bloudie face in the sight of the Lorde and therefore is to be abhorred and loathed as the crueltie of murder This was the cause why the Lord forbidding hatefull malicious thoughts in this cōmandemēt would giue it none other name thē murder teaching vs that howsoeuer we nurish such thoughts make smal account of them yet his iudgment is plaine that they be no better then murder when the hart is settled in them In the Gospel after S. Matth. we see how the Lorde hateth words proceeding from malice and anger Whosoeuer shall say Foole vnto his brother saith our sauiour Christ shal be worthie to be punished in hell fire Hatred towardes our brethren is so grieuous in his sight that it staineth and defileth whatsoeuer it toucheth be it word or thoght and maketh it so heauie that the Lord can no longer beare it And bycause wordes bewray that which lurketh in the heart and bringeth it to light that otherwise would not so easily be espied we must keepe some good watche ouer them that from thence we may be ledde to the priuie chamber of the heart to see how al thinges go there for of the aboundance of the heart the mouthe speaketh so that there is no outward thing that can bring vs sooner to the sight and speeche of the heart then can the tongue it selfe whiche if it bee infected with hatred or disdaine sure it is that all thinges are not well at home in the heart and therefore all men must obserue the inclination of the heart by the vsage of the tongue that when it commeth abroade casting forth hatred wrath and debate we may with speede returne to the founteine that is the heart to purge and cleanse the same because we are sure that from thence the tongue receiueth all poyson If we shall preuaile muche in suppressing hatred both in our heart tongue and hand yet is not that all whiche is here commanded For the Lorde in forbidding murder meant not to stay there but in remouing hatred his purpose was to make way passage for merciful dealing towards the life of others And necessarie it was that he should giue vs warning of that stumbling blocke whiche lieth in the way lest we suspecting no such matter should haue imagined that there would haue bene true care for the life of our brother where there was no victorie before ouer our own dispositiō which is altogether otherwise giuen inclined The true profe wherof we shal then haue when our affections shal be stired vp by any dealing which shal mislike vs For then we shal well perceiue wrath to be mightily working in vs which before because it had peraduenture no great matter to worke vpon we thought that we had bene altogether voide of or at the lest not greatly infected therwith But now in this manner of speaking vsed by the holy Ghost who battereth downe hatred when his purpose is to builde vp loue we see that there will be no passage to any louing dealing in trueth but by treading down of our contrarie
affections which are noted to bee in vs by the fourme of speaking For to what ende should the holy Ghoste will vs to doe no murder if there were no disposition in vs thervnto This is the cause why the holy Ghost dealeth so plainely with vs in telling vs what we are that our care may be great to reforme it And when we shal haue profited any thing herein it may be acknowledged from whence we had that whiche we are assured was not to be founde in our nature The holy Ghost therefore in this place detecteth our nature of want of loue nay of hatred crueltie whiche otherwise we should not haue marked no nor suspected our selues of it if we had not had warning from the almightie that our nature is poysoned therewithall For if a man not fearing God yet otherwise of good vnderstanding to cōceiue the trueth of things be demaunded what his opinion is of himself whether he be prone bent to hatred whether he findeth his nature greatly inclining thereto or no he will with great protestation constantly affirme that in him he thanketh God there is no suche matter abiuring it with admiration and woondring how any man should be brought to think so of him thus in the not vnderstanding his owne corruption he seeth not what neede he hath of a sauiour redeemer and therefore whatsoeuer hee sayeth is in deede and trueth vnthanckfull for that benefite while in finding no great thing amisse in himselfe he cannot see what way he should so greatly be beholding to a sauiour that would answer for his transgressions which in his owne opinion is no greate matter to doe they being either fewe and so borne out in the number of those good thinges which he hathe done or else none at all Moreouer if wee shall haue done something or diuerse thinges that may be thought louing and friendly yet if the inclination to wrath which is by nature in vs be either not knowen or being knowen the strength thereof shall not bee subdued and the sting pulled out that it reigne no more within vs we shall neuer be prouoked by any euill dealing of others but that foorthwith letting the reyne go to our heart we shall dishonour his name in following the rage of our minde contrarie to the lawe of our god So might it come to passe that a man hauing some good opinion of him selfe for some outwarde things but neuer tryed with iniurious dealing of another might take it to go well with him when notwithstanding this corrupt nature of his standeth whole in her full force and strength beeing neuer a whit subdued vnto the spirite as hee well perceiueth when that any great occasion shal be offered to try him with all We see then how iust cause there is that the Lord should admonish vs of this corruption of hatred which is within vs not onely that we should see the benefite of our Sauiour and mediatour but also that subduing it and treading downe the strength of it we might finde free passage to doe and not to be remoued from doeing the workes of mercie and loue whiche are heere cōmaunded euen the contrarie of those that as we haue heard were forbidden vs We are commaunded to haue care of the body and life of our brother to mainteine it as his necessitie shal require and our abilitie can perfourme remembring that the Lord hath commited that care vnto vs. The Iewes were commanded to make places of refuge and defence where the guiltlesse persons might haue protection against the rage of them who pursued them vnto death that as it is written in Deuter. innocent bloud be not shedd within their land and least bloud should be vpon them for these are the very wordes of the texte in that place signifying that the not regarding and prouiding for the safetie of their life were matter sufficient inough to make them their land guiltie of their bloud that thereby they might well vnderstand that the care of their brethrens life was commended vnto them not without greate danger if there were to be found any negligence therein Mercifull dealing is heere commaunded towardes all but especially towards inferiours widowes fatherlesse children and those that be in any greate extremitie A notable practise we haue of this in the person of Iob suffering his seruauntes to pleade their right and to maynteine their good cause before him not vsing his authoritie to oppresse them and crueltie to execute his rage without regarding the equitie of their cause only standing vpon his owne authoritie ouer them If I did contemne the iudgement of my seruaunt and of my maide sayeth Iob when they did contend with me what then shall I doe when GOD standeth vp and when hee shall visite me what shall I answere he that hath made me in the wombe hath he not made him Here is the true tryall of a mercifull man for it is no commendation not to offer wrong vnto those who are our equals and able to match vs but then haue we true tryall of our affections that there is some mercie in trueth within vs when we shall shewe pittie and compassion towardes those whome for our authoritie or place that we bee in wee might easily oppresse when we shal be kept from fleshing our affections vpon those that lay open vnto vs hauing no fence of power or credite that is sufficiently able to holde vs His example of compassion is no lesse commendable towardes all of them that were in any greate want or extremitie as the holie Ghoste vnder his person witnesseth in these wordes I deliuered the poore that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to help him The blessing of him that was ready to perish came vpon me and I caused the widowes heart to reioyce The Iewes were bound to declare their compassion towardes their brethren by that lawe which commaunded them to lend their brother that was needie amongst them sufficient for his neede taking for assurance a pledge whiche hee might forbeare as appeareth in Deuteronomie where they haue a streight charge that when the yeere of Iubilie should approche at what time all men were charged to relese their debts they should not at that time shut vp their compassiō from him that would borrowe for his nede but frankly giue vnto him notwithstanding the yeere when all debts must be released be euen at hand There is a promise added to incourage them that for so doeing the Lord would blesse them in all that they should put their hand vnto They were charged also to relieue their brother or the straunger that dwelte with them who was fallen into decay forbidding them in expresse wordes to take any vsurie or increase of suche either of money or meate as appeareth in Leuiticus vsing their goodes to suche comforte of their brethren as might wel witnesse the loue that they had vnto them The lawe and commaundement that was giuen to
kinde of sinne shall haue a godly wife whome the Lord shall preserue from this euill to yeeld vnto the wickednesse of others yet is his faulte neuer a deale the lesse heerein then if he should haue fallen into that extremitie of sinne because his deseruing hath called for that punishment from the Lorde which the Lorde in mercie towardes her hath withholden And in asmuch as the adulterer depriueth a man of the true comforte of his true and naturall seede and posteritie can we imagine otherwise of the Lorde but that hee will drawe one swoorde or other vppon some of his children that shall neuer ceasse to pursue them before it hath driuen them in at the dores of death Iob speaking of this sinne of adulterie sayeth that it is a fire that deuoureth all to destruction So that by this testimonie the house of the whooremonger must be consumed and there is a secret fier flaming there that threateneth to deuoure before it hath done and made a finall end which men might easily se by sundrie experiences in the world if there were no word of God to leade vs therevnto The hope to hide this sinne which bewitcheth the vngodly leadeth them into this fire of God his wrath must of necessitie be vaine because the Lorde him selfe hath taken vpon him to be reuenged of those that shall dare to breake that bond of wedlock which he hath made In the olde testamēt the Lord did by a special law made for the purpose take vpon him not only the knowledge reuealing and punishing of this sinne euen when it should be most secretly done without witnes of any other man yea or certeine knowledge frō the husbād him self but also the defence and clearing of the guiltlesse woman oppressed vexed with the vniust ielousie of her husbād who might presēt his wife whether she were guiltie in deed or onely in his ielous minde was thought to be so before the priest vnto that tryall which God had appointed established for the end After which matter solemnized with all the circumstances therof as it was appointed in the boke of Num. if the woman were defiled in deed then should her belly swel and her thighe rot if she were not defiled then should she not only be free from this punishmēt but also be blessed with fruitfulnesse as appeareth in the same place We see how greatly the lord doth abhorre adulterie taking vpon him to bewray the closest dealing in the wickednesse that can be and also what a care he hath of the vniting of their mindes who are become one by mariage in ordeyning a law to cure ielousie and so taking vppon him also the defence of the innocent partie That law is now ceased but that same God doth yet remaine bearing the same hatred to that sinne that he did before hath the like loue to innocencie that before he hath had So that there is small hope to be had when God is become the searcher him selfe when he who knoweth it is an vtter enimie vnto it and hath professed the reuealing of it yea and that more is the iust and deserued punishing thereof It would greatly feare the theefe if it were noysed that that man would searche him whome he doeth wel remember to haue passed by and behelde him while he was hiding of that whiche before hee had stolne Wee doe not reade through the whole testament the like solemnitie in the searching out of any sinne neither yet that in any other sinne the partie suspected was compelled to subscribe vnto certeine words of execration and calling for euil against himselfe if he had offended saue onely in this tryall of adulterie whiche may both teach vs in what place of sin to set this crime of adulterie and what measure of punishment to looke for after trespasse and transgression made in this parte The punishment whiche in the olde Testament was appointed to be executed againste it by the ciuil Magistrate was death according as it is written in Leuiticus The man that committeth adulterie with another mans wife because hoe hath committed adulterie with his neighbours wife the adulterer and adulteresse shall dye the death In this commaundement is not onely adultery forbidden which is when one of the offenders is ioyned or betrouthed to another in marriage but also fornication when bothe the offenders are single persons We haue learned before that it is vsuall in the commaundements vnder one kinde of euill to forbid all that bee of affinitie with it and like in wickednesse vnto the same Fornication is forbidden in expresse wordes in Deutero There shall be no whoore of the daughters of Israel neither shall there be any whoorekeeper of the sonnes of Israel The punishment of this sinne of fornication whiche was so fearefull among the people of Israel is brought in of the Apostle Paule to bring all men to suche feare of God as may restraine them from it Neither let vs commit fornication sayeth the Apostle as some of them cōmitted fornication and sell in one day twentie three thousand The life of man beeing so precious vnto our mercifull father as it is it can be no small sinne that prouoketh the Lord to procede in iudgemēt euen to the death of twentie three thousand And therefore is this notable punishment notwithout great reason ioyned to fornication which was the cause thereof For commonly this sinne is made as nothing hauing naturall infirmitie set beside it in the vsuall speech of men to hide it withall But the holy Ghoste doeth not so matche it in his speeche he doeth not set it before our eyes in a cloake of natural infirmitie whereby we should the lesse feare it but putteth vppon it the garment that in deede belongeth vnto it euen a cloake bathed with the bloud of xxiii thousand men There is great diuersitie betweene these two cloakes the one is farre vnlike the other in the eyes of the holy Ghoste this sinne is fearefully stayned with much bloud in the sight of fornicatours there is nothing in it whiche is not naturall and kindely so diuerse are their iudgements and so great is their disagreement of their opinions The Apostle Paule reasoneth against fornicatours by the worthines of our bodies whiche are the members of Christ howe great is that abasing and howe miserable to be diuorced from Christ and coupled to an harlot d ee ye not knowe sayeth the Apostle that hee whiche coupleth himselfe with an harlot is one bodie for two saith he shal be one fleshe Moste certeine it is that the bodie of an harlot can be no member of Iesus Christe And the fornicatour by the testimonie of the apostle is become one bodie with her hauing the same coniunction with her in wickednes that the husbande hathe with his lawful wife in holinesse and by the appointment of the Lorde There is great cause therefore why the holy Ghost shoulde so earnestly persuade vs to flie fornication making
did ouerflowe the worlde in the dayes of Noe according as it is written in Genesis Then the sonnes of God sawe the daughters of men that they were faire they toke them wiues of all that they liked Therefore the Lord said My spirite shal not alwayes striue with man because he is but fleshe c. Here vppon we see the euill beginning and the iust punishment of suche as pollute marriage whiche shoulde be kept in all obedience and holinesse For marriage is the nourcerie of Christianitie Nowe if the nource be a drie nource not hauing any true feare and seruice of God shal she not be guiltie of those that sterue vnder her hand Or shal their cruel carelesnesse be vnpunished that dare commit heires of so great an inheritance vnto such nources destitute altogether of any nourishment fitte and conuenient for them The learned giue this reason why in the books of kinges there is so continuall mention made of their mothers who were Kings that the children are by nature giuen to followe muche the inclination of their mothers and that education whiche they receiue from them and therefore that diligent care should be had to make suche choice as were likely to bring the benefite of Christian education to their children and posteritie This is the first thing whiche is required to make a godly and chaste life in marriage Euen to marrie in the Lorde As this choice is the beginning of a godly and chaste life so loue and heartie good affection is the thing that doth continue it For the increasing whereof it was prouided in the olde Testament that the newe married man should not go on warfare neither be charged with any publique businesse but be free at home one yeare reioyce with the wife whiche he had taken to the ende there might be suche vniting of mindes as afterwardes were not easily to be fundered This also had the Lorde respect vnto in that lawe which as we haue heard before was made to cure the iealous affection of the man. This loue shall then be surely continued when either partie shall perfourme that which the Lord hath laide vpon them humbling themselues vnder the burden of obedience which he hath charged thē withal which is for the man as we are taught by the Apostle Peter that he giue honour vnto the woman as the weaker vessel making a supplie of her weakenesse and that want whiche by nature shee hathe of many gyftes graunted vnto man by his loue and hartie good affection declared vnto her euen as in the bodie of man the stronger members giue diligent care and support vnto the weaker alwayes taking heede that he suffer no contempte to abide in his heart much lesse in his dede towards her who is fellowe heire with him of the grace of life as the Apostle witnesseth in the same place therfore may not haue her life made by contempt or outragious dealing so bitter and grieuous as it may rather be called a curse then a grace and mercifull gyft of God. But the chiefe cause whiche shoulde moue a christian moste is left their prayers and seruice of God be reiected whiche cannot be acceptable vnto him while there abideth wrathe and displeasure in the hart towards any but especially if there be iarring and dissention with those with whome we should be moste at one For prayer is the lifting vppe of pure handes without wrathe as the Apostle testifieth to Timothie The man behauing himselfe thus according to the commandement of God shall do the duetie which to him belongeth to continue a chast and godly life For the wife it is required by the apostle in the same place that she be of a meeke gentle and quiet spirit whiche the holy ghost requireth her to be apparelled withall setting it in the place of all outward vaine attyring of them selues as that which is precious before God and most able to allure the heartes of good men affirming this to haue beene the attire of holy womē in times past which trusted in god who for that they trusted in him committed them felues to the ornamentes prescribed by him not fearing contempt but assuredly beleeuing that in that his way he both coulde and woulde giue fauour vnto them in the eyes of their husbandes It is worthy the noting that hee maketh it the attyre of them that trusted in God for therein he plainely giueth foorth that the outwarde vaine setting out of them selues sauoureth of mistrust and feare of contempt whatsoeuer be pretended and that if they trust in God they shall not neede to feare that their meeknesse and quietnesse can bring any contempt with it but that it shall be rewarded with liking from the lord It is also required that they be reuerently subiect vnto their husbandes in all things as was Sarai who vsed such speach of reuerence calling him syr as did witnesse of the heart that it did honour him which if it be refused neither is that benefite graunted vnto their weaknesse of a head and guide acknowledged whiche is great vnthankfulnesse both vnto God and to their husbande neither yet that gouernement obeyed which the Lord hath put them vnder which is intollerable disobedience The place therefore that they are in must be acknowledged with all humilitie and the duties laide vpon them by the Lorde perfourmed that there may bee continuance of their godly and chaste loue Thus no occasion must be giuen vnto sathan by either of them thorough alienation of minde and breach of loue in not perfourming their seuerall dueties to make any way or passage to the vngodly and vnchast liking or vsing of any other Yong men shall then giue them selues to the dueties of this commaundement when they shall haue learned sobrietie temperaunce a gifte that brideleth their affections in pleasures as eating drinking and vaine setting forth of them selues in apparel not suffering them to haue all that they require herein but cutting thē short of that they wold yea of some part and of that also which honestly they might haue alwayes being short rather than in any respect beyond that the is conuenient for men of their degree so that they neede not to feare the iudgement of any indifferent men being alwayes a good deale within the compasse of their state and calling but neuer without giuing foorth testimonie by that meanes to al men of their modest temperate and sober minde which the holy Ghoste calleth the ornament of young men And the Apostle Paule warneth Titus to exhorte them vnto this gifte and grace of young yeares a verie profitable meane to driue away vnchast conuersation Women also are exhorted vnto this temperance and sobrietie and vnto modestie and shamefastnesse which is the roote and beginning of it by the Apostle Paule to Timothie who willeth in that place that their apparell may speake and declare the shamefastnesse of their minde which dare not put foorth it selfe vnto all that
dignitie and degree of countenaunce in their apparell that most lawfully they might otherwise clayme For therefore it is called temperaunce bycause it restraineth a man of his libertie But in this our age when almost all goe as farre as they may and the most part both of men and women a great deale beyond their compasse where is this temperance and sobrietie which is so highly commended in the Scriptures the verie walles of pure life and barres of chast conuersation This may be bewayled of all men but the disease is so vniuersall as it is impossible to be cured if the lord shall not put to his mightie hand from heauen It will be sayde that it is hard to measure these indifferent things but the trueth is otherwise for the holy Ghost hath sent vs a measure and meteyard euen sham efastnesse and temperance so that when there is no moderation or temperance but that by euerie indifferent iudgement they bee as farre as their estate can giue them leaue when there is no shamefastnesse but that they dare bee bolde to goe without blushing as farre as their place or abilitie can leade them maye wee not boldely say that they haue left the Lorde his measure and therefore their attire and behauiour must of necessitie be deformed in his eyes how wel soeuer it be pleasing vnto them selues This temperaunce is to be taught the yonger sort not onely from the mouth of the elder but frō their life and conuersation that they may be kept in those means which do vphold chast behauiour and therefore the Apostle Paule chargeth Titus that he stirre vp the elder both men and women to season yong yeares therewith Although this be the dutie generally of all elder people yet is it the speciall dutie of parentes to their children by their teaching and example of life thus to instruct thē And therefore in Deuteronomie it appeareth that the woman that had offended in her fathers house the matter not beeing knowne before marriage must be stoned to death at the doore of her fathers house But and if her husband should wrongfully charge her that he found her not a mayde after triall made to the contrarie he must pay an hundred sickles of siluer to the father of the mayde The reward of her innocencie as well as the punishment of her wickednesse reaching vnto the father for she must be stoned at his doore telleth vs what dutie belongeth vnto the parents in as muche as they had their parr as well in the dishonour as honour that followed the good education of their childrē The Lorde in forbidding vs adulterie telleth vs that our nature is inclined therevnto For what neede wee to be forewarned of that which we are in no daunger of It is required that we peruse diligētly the course of our life with due consideration how our intemperancie hath vttered it selfe in any of those things which we haue nowe learned to be forbidden vs and also in diligent consideration howe prone and tickle our affections be therevnto that we may in truth come from the opinion of our selues to betake vs wholy to that perfect obedience of Iesus Christ to rest in it as that onely which can abide the iustice of the righteous God then in thankful regard of those his mercies manfully to set vpon our in temperat desires for the mortifying therof that the Lord may haue the honour of our moderate and chast conuersation Which that it may so come to passe let vs call vppon our heauenly father saying The eighth Lecture vpon the fifteenth verse Thou shalt not steale IT hath bene shewed before that our neighbour is not to be considered in his person alone but in what so euer thing is deare vnto him as goods good name and suche like and therefore that the loue which we must beare towards him may not be towardes his body alone but also towardes his goods that our dealing with them may be so vpright as may declare in deede that we doe loue the man For if any thing of his passing through out handes shall not finde fidelitie and faythfull dealing but deceitfull conueyaunce of it or some parte thereof to oure selues can it bee truely sayde wee loue the man there is no man that can so iudge of it that can I say persuade him selfe that hee is beloued of those men when nothing of his goodes commeth to their handes but it is sure to be fleeced and to pay toll before it shall depart The Lord therefore commaunding safe passage and louing dealing towardes our neighboures goodes when so euer according to the manifold necessities of euerie man to deale and communicate with an other in buying and selling or otherwise they haue occasion to passe through our handes hath forbidden stealing and all vnfaithfulnesse in their goods condemning it of want of charitie and loue towardes them selues whose goods are diminished by vs when so euer we shal haue dealing with thē And bicause we goe so closely to work and are so cunning to deceiue our selues imagining that wee loue our neighbours when in deede there is no such affection in vs the holy Ghoste is compelled as it were to trace vs and by such vnfaithful footesteps as these be to descrie vs For when we are so often taken with vntrustie dealing and vnfaythfulnesse in our neighbours goods good name and such like is there not iust cause to arest vs for not discharging this duetie of loue which is so due vnto them This vnfaythfull dealing with the goodes of our neighbour howe greatly it did displease the Lorde and with what lawes he did restraine his people of Israel from the same the statutes and orders of that gouernement can best declare from whence it shall not be amisse to take some helpe in the interpretation of this commaundement In Exodus we doe reade that if any man should steale a sheepe and kill it or sell it he should restore for that one sheepe foure but if any man should steale an oxe and after kill it or sell it hee should restore fiue oxen for that oxe The reason why he must pay more for the oxe then for the sheepe was for that his neighbours losse was greater in the want of the one then of the other as bringing more profite to the owner thereof But if they were found with the theefe aliue not solde nor killed then must hee restore but the double of the oxe asse or shepe for that his obstinacie in this euil did not appeare so greate as when hee should make sale of them and turne them into gaine For it might be while they were aliue that he being touched with repentaunce woulde restore them againe but when they were solde or killed the theefe gaue greater token of his impudencie and confirmed obstinacie and the owner also was one degree further from any likelyhoode to come by them againe If the theefe be nothing worth and so not able to make restitution then as it
naked that thou couer him c. Thus must he not onely leaue oppressing but also take vp mercifull dealing with the needie We see howe by this whiche hitherto hathe beene said the Lorde hath fenced our neighbour his goods and howe contrarie it is to the loue of our neighbour to hurte or hinder him any way in them and how agreeable to the wil of the Lord that we should be meanes that he might inioye the commodities thereof Therefore was there a lawe among the children of Israel made to shewe their loue towardes their neighbour who had planted a vineyard but not tasted of the fruite therof wherin it was prouided that the officer should make proclamation at their going to warfare against their enimies that if there were any who had not eaten of the fruite of their labours they shuld returne home and take comfort and vse of their owne This lawe of loue might not be dispensed withall no not in the heate and vrgent necessitie of warres A notable testimonie to shewe howe well it liketh the Lord that men should take comfort of their own As doth that Lawe also which was giuen in Deuteronomie of not remouing the lande-marke which they of olde time haue set And therefore we are commanded to shewe them this kindenesse and loue to reserue vnto them the comfort of their commodities without impayring of them whensoeuer we shal either borrowe keepe or finde any thing of theirs or in buying and selling exchange with them For we please God shew loue vnto them whensoeuer we shall deale truely with their goodes according as we heard before that God maketh trial of our hart toward our neighbour by our handes as they are wont to deale with them in their commodities It is an vndoubted truth therefore that God is greatly pleased when for obedience vnto him we deale thus faithfully louingly with thē in that which is theirs it is a true fruite of loue and a faithful obedience vnto this cōmandement And because of that whēsoeuer it is done for obedience sake vnto God who doth comaund it and of good wil vnto them who receiue the fruite of it euen this fidelitie in his goodes that we borrowe finde or be trusted withal either else receiue by way of exchange in buying selling is a good worke in deede and an humble obedience to the charge of God giuen vs in this commaundement There are two thinges without the whiche wee shall neuer be able to perfourme any acceptable obedience to God in this commandement The first is an assured faith in Gods promises that he will prouide for vs in the thinges necessarie as well for the bodie as the soule and that he hathe charged himselfe as well with the care and prouision for the one as for the other This faith if it were true woulde consume many feares and cares of our minde for worldly matters and works that followe the same So might we employ our selues vppon the care of better thinges This did the holie Ghoste knowe verie well and therefore meaning to cure couetousnes he maketh the plaster of faithe saying Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse for he hath saide I wil not leaue thee nor forsake thee When our hearts shal be fully persuaded that the Lorde will not leaue vs nor forsake vs we cannot be so greatly tormented with the care to liue and obteine necessarie thinges for vs hauing so strong assuraunce for it as his promise who hathe made all thinges of nothing with his worde And therefore in the former place exhorting them to conscience in buying and selling he sendeth them to the couenant saying I am thy God which wordes as we haue learned in the first commandement conteine promises for al things nedefull for this present life If this be stedfastly beleeued that the Lord wil not leaue vs nor forsake vs there wil be no doubt of our euill dealinges with the goodes of our neighbour whether we buy or sell borrowe or keepe the thinges that be his The seconde thing is to finde a contented minde with that which we haue alreadie and therefore to stay in it as in a riche portion with great thankfulnesse of heart to our God for it bearing our port and countenance in all our doinges accordingly without any exceeding whatsoeuer For if once our affections shall ouerflowe the bankes of our owne condition so that in minde we burne with the desire of a better our dooinges can neuer be persuaded that they must so nerely be loked at but that they may borrowe a litle of conscience equitie to make the prouision according as the desire directeth This doth the Apostle confirme in plaine speeche to Timothe where after persuasion to be content with that we haue because the gayne of godlinesse is great he telleth vs plainly that they who wil be riche fall into many tentations snares and many noysome lustes this is the danger of them that are fallen so farre into friendshippe and loue with a better estate that they wil be rich This being once set downe and determined not onely conscience is constrained to depart but also thankefulnesse to God for our present estate doeth in like manner forsake vs. Let vs learne by this commaundemente to knowe our corrupt inclination toward the goodes of our neighbours and so to viewe our deceiptes that haue beene in vs at any time either in buying or selling borrowing or keeping any thing of his together with our corrupte inclination therevnto that the remedie of redemption broughte vs by Iesus Christe may truely be taken holde of and that wee being made comfortable in his mercie may with courage goe about the obedience of his will in this commaundement so that still we may be more and more freed of all manner of deceipte and more and more inabled to glorifie him in all louing and faithful dealing with the goodes of others Whiche that it may be perfourmed let vs call vppon our heauenly Father in the name of his Sonne that it would please him in the multitude of his mercie to holde vs vp by the hope of his promises that we standing assured of his help may not be drawen by any necessitie to do contrarie to his blessed will and also that we hauing a contentted minde may not be tormented with the hungrie desire of a better estate which being once entred vniust dearling cannot long be kept out The tenth Lecture vpon the 16. verse Thoy shalt not beare false Witnesese c. THis commandement taketh care for the good pame credite honour and estimation of our brethren that we should not bring any blotte or blemishe unto that but by loue mainteine and vphold it For herein the Lord will haue tryall of our loue towards them as wel as in their bodie and goodes and therefore chargeth vs no lesse herein with duetie then before he hathe done in other thinges that are deare and precious vnto them Neither is there any late cause why we
should stande charged towards his crate good name then towardes his goodes For as the holy Ghoste witnesseth in the Prouerbes good name is better then great richesse and the louing fauour of men whiche doeth followe it is aboue siluer and aboue golde This must cause vs to become carefull lest we should annoy him in so great a benefite and treasure of his as credits and good name is by good right accounted of by the holy Ghoste The togue therfore is here inioyned not to caste foorth by want of loue any suche speech as might leave behinde it the stayne and soyle of infamie reproche vpon his neighbour That the hurt and annoyance of the tongue may rightly be considered vpon it shal be good to proceede to the danger and damage of it particularly The first is when in open place of iustice iudgement any man shal of malice and will will testifie or depose that whiche is vntrue against his neighbour Which howe heynous a thing it is before God may appeare by the punishment that the Lord did appoint for the transgressours herein whiche was to haue the same punishment that he should haue had whō they did falsely accuse if the accusation had beene proued true As it is writen in Deuteronomie And the Iudges shal make diligent inquisition and if the witnesse be found false c then shall ye doe vnto him as hee had thought to do vnto his brother so thou shalt take euill away froth of the middlest of thee and the rest shall heare this and feare and shall from henceforth commit no more an such wickednesse among you Therefore thine eye shall haue no compassion but life for life eye for eye toothe for toothe hande for hande foote for foote The false witnesse therfore in the judgement of God is as great an offender as if he had done that in deed himself whiche vntruly he doth charge another withal therefore must he reckon with the Lord for committing that sinne himselfe howe heynous soeuer it shal be that by his testimonie and speeche an other is wrongfully blamed for As for example if he shall wrongfully accuse a man of murder he is in the same fault before God as if he should haue cutte any mans throate for false witnesse maketh them doers of that which vntruly by wordes they put upon others And because of the daunger that might grow herein the Iudges were charged not to receiue testimonie of one alone against his neghbour but at the lest two should testifie in euerie matter before any judgment should go against the man. For when the testimonie of two or three is thoroughly examined the falsehode if there be any may soone be found out whiche might ham better couert vnder one mans testimonie alone This may teache vs howe carefull the Lorde is to preserue the credite Of man from the malice hatred and venome of a false witnesse The Lorde also hathe charged the judge moste strictly that he hurt not the right and cause of any man with his tongue and sentence so carefull is the Lorde to keepe vs harmelesse from this member that is so tickle vnto euil Therefore Iudges and those that be in place of iustice are charged in Exodus not to ouerthrowe the right of the poore in his suite but to keepe them farre from a false matter either to pronounce it or to admitte of it because as it is there saide the Lord wil not fie a wicked man They are forbid there to receiue giftes because those wil blinde the eyes of the wise These are the charges that be giuē vnto them that sitte in place of iustice For the Lord meaning to make an harborowe againste all the winde weather of an euill tongue woulde neuer leaue the parte vncouered where the weather were likes to bring the greatest daunger And if the Lorde so mislike false witnesse that he would haue no place to be a sanctuarie for it he can neuer abide that wrong to be offered vnto him that his owne sacred seate of iustice should become the throne thereof It is no small matter before the Lorde to dare defile his seate with a false sentence And notwithstanding it seeme no one matter to pronounce a false sentence and to beare out an euill man or euill matter yet is it amongest the euils of the tongue the greatest to ouerthrowe the right of the righteous and to iustifie the wicked and so muche the more because that throne of the Lord place of iustice execution for the wicked is by that meanes made a denne of theeues and wickednesse Can there be a more monstruous sinne then this of the tongue to adiudge him the garland and crowne of a cleare and iust man who hath deserued the hyre and punishment of reproche euen from the seate of the Lord And whiche more is to make the Lorde to put the crowne vpon the head of the wicked and the halter about the necke of a iust man whyle sitting in his place and seate as it were in his name and for him they doe it iustifying by their sentence a wicked man or wicked matter whome the Lorde abhorreth and condemning the iust whom he approueth The Lorde doth threaten them that sitting in place of iustice and iudgement do bolster euill men and euill matters with those punishments and that in this life that of all others they doe moste mislike euen to be in contempt reproche and inwarde misliking of the people according as we are taught by the holy Ghoste in the Prouerbes It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shal the people curse and the multitude shal abhorre him but to them that rebuke him shal be fauour and vppon them shal come the blessing of goodnesse It is feared lest if men should set them selues in that place against euil men causes it were the way to make them subiecte to displeasure and losse of fauour with many without any gaine of good report but the holy ghost saith in that place that the blessing of good liking shal be vpō such wher as the other labouring by vpholding euil matters either to keepe friendship or otherwise to make all stand in awe of their displeasure so to speake of their greate authoritie with admiration of it shall finde the contrarie euen the secret misliking of al howsoeuer for a time feare may keepe it in that outwardly there be no exclamation outcrie against it In the word of God not onely those are charged with this sinne of false witnesse that first sett on foote and erecte a false tale to the discredite of their neighbour but those also that by their approuing of it and eares willingly opened vnto it do vphold the same For notwithstanding it were set vp yet must it of necessitie fall downe againe if it should finde none that would by the receyuing and approuing there of
pronounce him to be accurssed who shall holde that the lawe doth lay any impossible thing vpon vs. The Apostle doth take it to bee so plaine that no man can kepe the lawe that he will not bestow any paines in the proofe thereof The Churche of Rome taketh it to bee so playne that a man may keepe the lawe that they do accursse him whosoeuer shall holde the contrarie But it behoueth vs to rest in the doctrine of the holie Ghoste which therefore holdeth all men accurssed that sticke vnto the righteousnesse of woorkes bycause no man can do all those workes to the which righteousnes and life is promised And righteousnesse is promised not vnto him that shall doe some fewe works but vnto him that shal haue done all that are written in the booke of the law Neyther yet vnto him that for a great time shall haue done all but vnto him that shall haue continued from the beginning vnto the ende of his life in doing all the workes that are commaunded in the lawe Whereby it appeareth that that man who shall offend but in one thing forbidden in the lawe is in so doing shut out from all hold and hope of righteousnesse therby For he is holden accurssed by the lawe that cōtinueth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them For the lawe doth offer vs wages for our worke but so that it refuseth to pay any penie but vnto him that shall bring all his worke finished and done bycause the couenaunt was so and the lawe dealeth by Indenture and couenaunt and not otherwise Hee shall not want hyre for his labour that shall haue done his whole taske and all that was set appointed him for to do For the Lorde did couenant with vs for accomplishment of those works that were agreed vpon and set downe in the lawe that when wee should haue perfourmed that obedience it might be lawfull for vs to clayme our wages which is that he that doth them shall liue in them But if wee should come with our worke halfe done and halfe vndone or any euen the least part vndone the lawe sendeth vs away without wages letting vs see the condition of the obligation whiche is that he standeth accurssed without all hope of hire from the lawe that shall not continue to doe all things that are commaunded For the law wil not goe one iote from couenaunt In deede it will keepe couenaunt with vs if we keepe couenaunt with it and bring our whole worke accomplished according to the Indenture If a man shoulde for tenne twentie or fourtie yeare or if it were possible that from his infancie vnto his dying day hee should haue bene a painefull workman to the law doing all the workes thereof truely and without blame and yet slippe in one thing if but in one thought euen vpon his dying day he doth therein forfeit his obligation wherein he standeth bound for continuing in al the works of the law vnto the end Curssed is he sayth the lawe that continueth not And as was sayd before the lawe dealeth not but by Indenture and therefore looketh for and will haue the benefite of the obligation and the forfeiture of the bond at our hands If it shall bee sayde that the good workes that we haue done shall discharge vs of the euill that we haue done that aunswere will not bee taken there is no reason in it nor lawe for it For when we are bound to doe those woorkes which we say will discharge vs from the euill woorkes that wee haue done and more then they be for wee are bound to doe all and it is due debt of our part howe commeth it to passe by what right or reason that parte of payment of one summe whiche is due debt from vs shoulde not onely discharge that whole debt it beeing but a parte thereof but also shoulde discharge vs of an other bond wherein wee stande bounde for the payment of an other summe of monie Wee stande bound not onely to doe well but also to absteine from doing euill The discharge of one bonde if it were fully discharged coulde doe no more but free vs from the daunger of that it can not acquite vs of the other bond wherein wee stande other wayes charged To apply it to our purpose the bond wherein wee stand charged for doing well being in some part aunswered can not cancel the other obligation wherein we stand bound to absteine from euill There is no man that hath an other bound vnto him in two seuerall obligations for two seuerall summes of monie that will by and by after that one is discharged take the other by that payment to bee as good as cancelled there is in it neyther lawe right nor reason Much lesse will any man be so foolish as when but some parte of the one shall bee payde to imagine that then hee must giue ouer not onely the clayme of the other parte yet behinde but also the whole debt of the other bond which in no parte hath bene discharged These things being considered we shall be forced to say with the Apostle So many as sticke vnto the woorkes of the lawe are vnder the cursse For it is written Curssed is euerie man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them If any man shall thinke with him selfe that this reason is not sufficient to proue all accurssed bycause euerie one that dothe not continue is accurssed imagining that a man may continue in all thinges let him examine him selfe by euerie commaundement in euerie seuerall dutie thereof adding therevnto the properties of loue and considering whether his affection may be proued by those effectes to beare loue vnto the lawe and the dueties of the lawe or otherwise ioyning with all his continuaunce in euerie thing euen in the thoughtes of his heart and then no doubt it will bee manifest vnto him selfe that hee is farre from that righteousnesse whiche the lawe requireth and hee by it is bound to perfourme it Hee shall then see that hee him selfe is farre shorte of that number of workes which haue promise of life made vnto the workers therof when they shall haue accōplished those workes in that number of deeds that louing maner of doing which the lord requireth especially if that prouiso be remembred that there must be continuance without interruption both in the deedes and manner of doing euen vnto the end Moreouer the punishments in this world whiche the godlyest that euer liued haue not beene altogether free from declare that no man kepeth the lawe For the lawe doth not onely promise freedome from punishments but also plentie of al maner of blessings in the frut of our body in the fruit of our ground in the increase of our kyne cattle flockes of sheepe in our comming in in our going out in all that we take in hand in causing all that rise vp against vs to fal before
our face c. But the godliest man that euer liued was neuer free from all those punishments that there are appointed for the transgressours of the lawe nor yet blessed with all those blessings in all thinges which are promised to them that keepe the lawe and therevppon we may safely conclude that the godliest man that euer liued did neuer fulfill the lawe For then surely the Lorde woulde haue stoode stedfast to his promise both to haue procured all these blessings promised vnto him and also to haue kept euerie part of those punishments from him whiche are appoynted for the transgressours of the commaundements of God. In this manner dothe the Apostle proue that righteousnesse commeth by the mercies of GOD taken holde on by faythe bycause the wrath of GOD is reuealed from heauen againste all vnrighteousnesse and vngodlinesse of men withholding the truth in vnrighteousnesse proceeding to the punishment of the Gentiles ▪ to declare what did befall them declaring also as concerning the Iewes that the name of GOD was euill spoken of for them that calamitie was in their wayes and that they had not knowne the way of peace taking his ground from the punishments that light vpon them to proue that they did holde the truth in vnrighteousnesse that their obedience did not aunswere vnto their knowledge whiche they had of GOD that they coulde clayme nothing in respect of their deedes whiche the Lorde from heauen had reproued by punishmentes brought in vppon them And therefore hee doth strengthen his former affirmation that the iust man shall liue by faythe which was his purpose to proue vnto them and vnto the whiche ende he directeth all his speache in those foure chapters In like manner the Apostle proueth to the Romanes that all men had sinne euen children that did neuer committe any actuall offence bycause death which is the punishment of sinne did take holde vpon all This one punishment therefore if there were no other may suffice to proue that no man euer did keepe the lawe bycause death whiche is a punishment for transgressing the lawe dothe seaze vpon all men of what estate degree or yeares so euer It is the reason of the Apostle in that place that bycause all had sinned therefore death came vpon all prouiding by the dealing of GOD against man in punishing of him that man had dealt against GOD in transgressing of his lawe and commaundements nay prouiding which is yet more that bicause GOD punished al men therefore euerie man hathe offended against him in transgressing his lawes and commaundementes so that there is no man that can say hee hath or doth fulfill the lawe For if it might in trueth be vttered of any man that hee were able to fulfill the lawe it might in like manner as truely bee affirmed and hoped for that the same man should neuer dye or chaunge this corruptible estate Wherefore then serueth the lawe May it stande with the righteousnesse of GOD to commaund any thing that we can not doe Or to make promises of lyfe for the keeping and obseruing of that which hee knewe assuredly wee coulde not perfourme Firste that the Lorde might righteouslye require that kynde of obedience at our handes though it were not possible for vs to perfourme it may bee proued heereby bycause we should haue had power to haue perfourmed it if wee had continued in that estate that he had lefte vs in Oure sinne therefore and weakenesse by the meane of sinne whiche is our owne offence can not nowe make that vnrighteous in GOD whiche before was righteous Our vnrighteousnesse and sinne can not make vs lesse indebted vnto GOD then before we were Is it not blasphemie to say that bycause we had offended more therefore the iustice of GOD should bee lesse then before it had beene Wee confesse it was iust before the fall of man to require all these duties at our hands bycause he had giuē vs power and abilitie to be able to performe them And can our sinne so pull in the iustice of GOD that nowe it shall no longer bee lawfull for him to keepe the same rule of equitie which he did obserue before Moreouer who can lett the Lorde who is indebted vnto no man to promise eternally lyfe vnder what deedes or couenauntes so euer seeme good vnto him Shall it be vnlawfull for a man who hath some portion of lande to sell to saye vnto a poore man who is not able to gyue halfe so muche as hee dothe offer to sell it for and as it is woorth in deede Thus muche I meane to haue for it of him who so euer shall inioy it Is it vnlawfull thus to price it bycause the pore man is not woorth so muche as will purchase it Dothe his pouertie make the lande of lesse value eyther else make it vnlawfull for him to require any thing like as the goodnesse of the ground doth deserue No man will thinke this to haue any equitie or right in it No more surely hath this other that our pouertie and want shoulde make it vnlawfull for the Lorde to esteeme the treasures of his kingdome aboue all the obedience that wee can perfourme and to set them at a greater price then this pouertie and want that wee are in shall euer bee able to reach vnto If it bee further demaunded what meaning the Lorde had in promising lyfe vnto vs for doing of that which hee knewe wee neuer coulde perfourme and bring to passe it is to bee aunswered that the Lorde did it to let vs who are so well persuaded by the nature of our owne abilitie see clearely into our pouertie and wante howe great it is that wee might haue true triall within our selues howe greatly wee are beholden vnto the free mercies of GOD in Iesus Christe When wee shall haue seene plainely by the lawe howe vnable wee are to perfourme that there is required to bee done of so many as hope for wages by reason of their woorke and that if wee will lay clayme to the mercyes of GOD for our woorkes wee remaine accurssed for euerie sinne and offence against the law committed by vs bycause it is the written sentence of the lawe that Hee is curssed that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the law to do them Then not from the bare speeche of our mouth but from the true tryall of our heart wee are sente to the mercies of GOD alone to stick wholy vnto them acknowledging all our goodnesse to proceede from thence alone and are compelled by the sense and feeling of our owne wantes made knowen vnto vs by the law to let passe all that opinion of our owne workes which we before were so well persuaded of As if some impotent and lame childe that were in deede able to doe nothing towardes the earning of his liueing beeing chargeable to his father not onely for him selfe but also for one that should giue attendaunce vnto him should in the foolish persuasion
vppon vs to let goe the care of that and there to keepe watche and warde where there is no assault made against vs As if sathan should sore assault vs with couetousnesse and labour to enter there breakinge downe the walles of sobrietie and temperaunce in these earthly profites whiche we should vse so soberly and temperantly as if we vsed them not and wee doubting no harme from thence should conuert all our munition and defence to vpholde the walles of gentlenesse loue and meekenesse when as in deede we are not assaulted with wrathe or displeasure Were not this a wofull kinde of warre to lay open where we are assaulted and to bee fenced on those partes where we are not once attempted Were not that a slender victorie for that man to bragge that he hath not one wound vpon his legges whose heade and shoulders haue borne off all It cannot be denied but many that goe for Christians boast themselues greatly of such kinde of victorie that their legges are safe because some grosse euils as reuengement or plaine oppression hathe not preuailed against them when notwithstanding their head is yet bleeding with the strokes of ignorance in GODS worde or carelesnesse of his glorie and their shoulders full of the scarres of couetousnesse or suche other like grieuous woundes This mischiefe is redressed by the lawe by the light whereof we clearely perceiue where the force of the aduersarie lieth soarest vpon vs that we may turne our prayers and all spirituall armour to that part especially So shall our prayers not bee cast off without care at aduenture and by custome but beeing bothe warned of great daunger which without the alarme of the law we would not haue feared and also hauing warning to what place the aduersarie directeth his power our prayers may carefully and directly stande against it Nowe let vs praye vnto our Heauenlie Father that we may learne by the Lawe bothe to bee humbled vnder his mercies and also to be directed vnto his owne good pleasure will to the praise of his name and our owne euerlasting comfort c. The fourteenth Lecture vpon the thirde Chapter of S. Iohn verse 16. So God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perishe but haue euerlasting life AFter the knowledge of the Lawe and the vse thereof it is necessarie to speake of Christe who is the ende of the lawe howe by faith he is receiued bothe to iustifie vs from the curse and rigour of the lawe and also to sanctifie our hearts to such a liking of those duties that there are appointed to be done as bringeth with it the careful attending vppon the doing thereof This doctrine hath bene somewhat touched in the lawe but a more plentifull discourse thereof is yet required where the mater may be laide open more at large then hitherto we haue heard of For the perfourmance wherof this portion of Scripture that now I haue read vnto you promiseth verie muche Wherein we may vnderstande that the firste spring and founteine of our saluation is the loue of god That is the first cause the principal ground and chiefe beginning of all our happinesse and therfore it is set down here as the cause why Christ was giuen for our sinnes So God loued the worlde sayth the texte that he gaue his onely beegotten sonne The tender affection and loue of God towards vs is placed before that great gift to commend the goodnesse of it For not so muche the gifte as the minde of the giuer is wont to be considered This is noted by the holy Ghost with a speciall note of cōmendation in these wordes Herein is that loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to bee a reconciliation for our sinnes Likewise in the Epistle to the Romanes There is set against the single transgression of Adam as an ouer matche the grace of God and the gifte in grace or by grace The benefite and medicine of Christe his obedience was sufficient for the wounde of Adam his transgression to make it whole withall then remaineth as an aduantage or ouerplus the grace and goodwill of the Father wherin this medicine was lapped and closed vp which is the cause why he maketh a special note of the grace of God and of the gifte in grace or by grace These thinges are diligently to be obserued for they are the groundes of muche good doctrine that is established strongly hereby When we consider what that was that first turned the fauour of God towards vs we may not begin at ourselues as if it had come of our works preparing ourselues for him addressing ourselues towards his obedience we may not beginne at our merites nay we may not beginne at the worke of our redemption and the merite of Christe to make that the first thing that euer turned his heart towardes vs For here it is affirmed by the holie Ghost that he loued vs and therefore gaue his onely begotten sonne for vs When we come to the meriting of Christe we must not looke vpon the vertue of it without the good will and fauour of God wherein it was founded and from whence it hathe the worthinesse and merite that it hath So farre off then are our owne works from bringing their deserte with them and opening by themselues the gates of his goodnesse that the good will of God the father prepareth the way euen for the merite of Christe his passion Our owne woorkes come shorte of beeing the first that hath commended vs vnto God when bothe the good will of God the Father and the merite also of Iesus Christe haue beene there before them in our behalfe Let men therefore ceasse to say or imagine that their owne woorkes were the firste that euer spake one good worde for them when it is so assured by the word of God that they haue had friendes in that courte that haue done for them when al the credit of their owne doeings was vtterly reiected and coulde not be heard Whensoeuer therefore we seeke out the chiefe cause and the first spring of our blessednesse let vs come to the loue of God. For it is saide that God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. Let vs take heede of beginning at our selues and our owne doinges For as hath beene saide it was the loue of God that did begin all our blessednesse yea and that euen then when we were enimies vnto him and therefore farre from deseruing any good thing at his hands which thing cōmendeth his loue aboue all the loue and affection that is to be found in the worlde For who hath euer beene knowen the Sonne of God excepted to giue his life for his enimies Therefore doth the holy Ghoste vppon iust cause affirme that the loue of God towards vs is herein sette out and commended aboue all loue and affection that we haue heard of because
chaunged and renued by Christe from that he was before and come to that perfection that euer any man hath attained vnto This wil appeare most plainely in the consideration of those seuerall cōmodities whiche as we lerned before ar brought with Christ We that be Christs do receiue wisdome from Christ yet is there want of wisedome in the childe of God that hath receiued the greatest portion thereof according as it is written to the Corinthes Now we se in a glasse darckly but then shall we see face to face Now I knowe in parte but then shall I knowe euen as I am knowen We that be Christes do receiue righteousnes from him by faith but we haue such wantes in our faith while we be here that this is the prayer of the Church and euery member therof so long as they liue Lord increase our faith I beleeue Lorde helpe mine vnbeliefe We receiue sanctification and holinesse of life from Christe but in that measure that it is the continuall prayer of the church vnto the ende Forgiue vs our trespasses as we do forgiue them that trespasse against vs. The faithful that haue bene deliuered from many dangers already by Christe who is their redēption haue yet for all that many dangers troubles abiding for them insomuch that it is thus written of the estate of them For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are accoūted as sheepe for the slaughter And if they should escape all other yet death will surely haue to doe with them al at the last and wil not resigne her right vnto any These are plain proofes that the faithfull neuer stande satisfied with any thing in them selues as beeing perfect in it but alwayes returne vnto their mediatour and redeemer Christe where is the perfection of that whiche in small measure abideth in them selues who hath these thinges so perfect in him selfe not for him selfe but for vs and therefore the holy Ghost doth not say which notwithstāding in truth he might that Christ hath made vs wise righteous and holie but he sayth that Christ is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnes and holines adding the cause thereof in these wordes folowing That he that will glorie may glorie in the Lorde For faithe refuseth to glorie of any thing in it selfe finding wante in all things that it may glorie in the Lord alone For it is no praise worthie of him if hee be but fellowe with vs in the worke but when we are truely taken as we are in deede for nothing and that that commeth from vs as no sufficient payment then receiueth the Lord the whole right of his glorie which otherwise is cleane darckened when it is made to patch vp that which we had begunne Let vs therefore neuer forget this that we doe magnifie faith aboue all that which doth come from vs not simply because it fasteneth harde vppon Christe but because it so taketh holde vpon him that it letteth go all the holde that it hath of any thing in it selfe We may not therefore onely consider whether we haue any stay in Christ but whether we haue such a stay that acknowledgeth vs vnstayed in our selues and therefore to be vpholden by him alone For faith ioyneth riches to pouertie bringeth plentie vnto the emptie man. Nowe let vs pray vnto our heauenlie father that his true faith may be increased in vs c. Amen ¶ The xv Lecture vppon the Gospel of S. Matthew the 6. Chapter the 9. and 10. verses Our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come c. WE haue learned already what faith is and therfore order doth require to speake somewhat of prayer beeing suche a fruite and effect therof as cannot be parted from it For as faith is weake or strong so are prayers colde or carefull sparing or plentifull because true prayer receiueth life from faith which without it is dead nothing worth And because faith quickneth prayers we may truly iudge of faith by our praiers cold prayers colde faith few prayers little faith they increase and decay together they arise and spring vp both at one time In this treatise of prayer before I shall expound the petitions that is what things are to bee asked it shal be very profitable to speake somwhat before necessarie for the preparing of vs thervnto Heerein the firste thing to bee considered is the vse and end of prayer whiche is to bring vs to suche tryall and experience of Gods goodnesse towardes vs as may force vs in trueth to honour and praise him For we cannot hartily honour praise him of whose goodnesse toward vs we haue no certeine knowledge And how shall we haue certeine knowledge and true tryall of his goodnesse towardes vs but by receiuing and tasteing thereof and how can we stand better assured what we haue receiued then by finding that giuen vs which we knowe and well remember that we haue asked and begged before at his hands in prayer So that prayer leadeth vs to this certeine and assured knowledge of God his good meaning towards vs which is the founteine of all true seruice and praise of God while prayer goeth in euery necessitie to trie for it selfe the goodnesse of God promised in his word and bringeth with it a true certificate and good experience thereof in that his sute is graunted and he in his prayer is comforted And this assurāce of God his particular regard and fauour towards vs bringeth with it a seruing and honouring of God in trueth And therefore Solomon rendereth this reason why he wold haue the Lord to graunt the petition that his seruants shuld pray for That saith he they may feare thee as long as they liue It is his reason also why he would haue the straunger which was not of the people of Israel heard in all that he called for that all the people of the earth might know his name serue him as did his people Israel For it is this assured knowledge of a speciall good will of God towards vs that inclineth our hartes to the true worshipping of him All men knowe that God is good but all men knowe not that he is good vnto them All beleeue that he is good but all beleeue not that hee is good vnto them yet is that the true faithe and therefore is prayer a true fruit of faith that confirmeth vs therin according as the Prophet Dauid testifieth of him selfe that he loued the Lord because he had heard his prayers Our faithe hath neede of all the helpes that can bee to strengthen it withall in temptations and therefore this tryall of it when wee receiue comforte of our prayers hauing his good will brought home vnto vs and therefore by so good experience assured vs that we can shew good euidence for it is not to be neglected but highlie to be accounted of If God haue made vs many promises to help vs in our necessities and wee shall not once haue
lawe to be found in like manner within his heart that prayeth in trueth vnto the Lorde For if the keeping of the lawe be vnto any his delighte the transgressing of the lawe in like manner must bee his griefe It is plaine then that true prayer must not onely be directed by the lawe and commandement of God but also must ioyne in desire and affection with the same The glorie of God is coupled to his word and therfore must praiers being the desire of the heart goe in desire after the same according as we haue the example and practise of the Prophet Dauid at large in the Psalmes where it is apparanr that hee placeth all the honour of God in his word sometimes praying to haue his petitions graunted that he might keepe his commandementes some times taking comfort assuring himselfe that he should he heard because he had a loue vnto his law plainly affirming as appeareth in that Psalme that saluation is far from the vngodly because they seeke not his statutes wherein his glorie consisteth as we may learne if we goe no further for profe therof then vnto the Lords prayer it selfe For after mention made of hallowing of his name comming of his kingdome there followeth the request of doing his will here in earthe because his honour glorie and dominion is seene in the obedience to his will reuealed in his worde Herein we may clearely see sentence giuen against all such prayers as proceeding from a heart ignorant of the word of God go after their owne good deuotion whiche is the honouring of them selues and not after his good will reuealed in his word which they are vtterly ignorant of Where we may clearely see what account is to be made of Popishe prayers where the woorde of God is not knowen of the moste and not regarded of the rest holding it for a sure principle that ignorance is the mother of deuotion To all suche prayers the Lorde doth answere according as it is written in the Prouerbes They shal call vpon me but I will not answer they shal seeke me early but they shal not finde me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. A iust recōpence of reward not to be heard when they in their distresse shal by prayer speake vnto the Lord because they refused to heare the Lorde speaking to them in his word Here also are the prayers of all suche reproued notwithstanding they haue knowlege of the word and followe not their good intents in praying vnto the Lorde as haue no affection ioye delite nor good liking to see the lawe and the dueties thereof perfourmed in their life nor yet any vexation or griefe in themselues for transgressing the same For prayer is a desire of the minde and therefore most desirously affected after that which it seketh whiche is the lawe and commaundement of the Lorde Whereby it appeareth also how fruitelesse those prayers are that come but from the lippes alone the heart being altogether holden with other matters and occupied wholy about other delightes The thirde thing that is required to prayer is that it proceede from an emptie heart whiche findeth want in it selfe of those thinges that it beggeth For if a man feele no want of that which he asketh he can neuer be earnest in asking The daunger heereof is then moste to be feared when we pray for those thinges the meanes wherof we haue at home as when a man prayeth for successe in a matter hauing either such wisedome in him selfe such wealth or such friendes that it is likely their nede to be no doubt made of the successe It is hard in such like causes to come to God with an emptie heart to begg it as earnestly of him as if we wanted all such helpes And yet is all our prayers but a dallying with God when wee shall nourish a secure opinion in our harts that we haue that helpe within vs for the which in wordes we are become sutors vnto him in our prayers Whē a wise man goeth aboute matters that vsually are compassed by wisedome or a rich-man about that that commonly we see compassed by riches a learned man about that which is perfourmed by learning and the like is to be thought of all such like matters cōmonly there are either no prayers at all to God for the accomplishing of suche matters or if there be any they are so colde and fainte as bewraieth this secret opinion to be nouseled within that they shall not do greately amisse though there come no helpe by their prayers For surely if the help at home were in truth doubted not to be sufficient the sute for relief abroad would be earnest The importunate sutor is hee that speedeth of his sute as we reade in Luke and he that is pinched with want wil spare no speech for his relief but he that feeleth no want is to learne as yet how to beg The prayers therefore of such as seldome or neuer examine themselues by the lawe and commandementes of God are greatly to be feared nay are plainely to be charged with dallying in their petitions with the lord For there is the sight of all our pouertie plaine and euident and all the sight that we haue of it otherwise is but a false light had in the shoppe of sathan to vtter counterfet wares withal The fourth thing required to praier is that we haue an assured hope of helpe from the Lorde a sure beliefe to obteine that which we doe aske for therefore is prayer an acceptable worship to God because it ascribeth vnto him that honor of mercie to be helpful to our miserie whē he is called vpon neither tying his mercie to good deseruing nor yet his power to secōd causes as if where they had no deseruing he had no mercy or where they had no instrumēts of helping he had no hand or power to helpe God is not truely honoured of the wicked where either he is taken to be but a vaine name dead thing in whom there is neither mercie nor power to be found in our necessitie as the Epicures bellie-gods think whatsoeuer they say or else suche weakenesse and imperfection in bothe as cannot goe but by holdes and helpes from vs. Our sinne then may not weaken our faith be it neuer so greate when there is true repentaunce for it For that should darken the praise of his mercie nor yet the want of all those meanes that haue any likelihoode to helpe the matter must driue vs to despaire for that were to abridge and diminishe his power The praier therfore that is ioyned with faith cannot but be acceptable vnto him giuing him the honour that is due vnto his name and because of that being an acceptable seruice and sacrifice vnto the lord But prayer without faith despayring to be heard dishonoureth the Lorde and is returned without any comforte or hope of helpe according as it is saide by the Apostle
Iames that he that doubteth and wauereth is like a waue of the sea tost of the winde carried away which shall not receiue any thing of the lord Yet herein we are to be admonished that we doe not take either that anguish and feare of the fleshe in daunger and trouble or yet the weakenesse and feeblenesse of faithe to be that wandering that the Apostle speaketh of For feare and anguishe in trouble weakenesse also in faith are euer to be founde in fleshe and wil not be vtterly remoued so long as we abide in this mortal life That prayer that by faith holdeth out and continueth notwithstanding this feare of the fleshe and feeblenesse of faith to sollicite the Lorde is sure to speede of her purpose at the last For patience wil bring experience of his goodnesse and experience bringeth hope for by continuing our prayers to the Lorde in the time of trouble we are sure to finde suche mitigation thereof as not onely maketh it so tollerable that it may be borne but also leadeth vs to a further hope in that experience of mitigation alreadie had whiche thing is better learned with vse then it can be made plaine by any rule Onely we haue to take heede lest we should let goe the experience of his goodnesse towardes vs either in hauing taken away trouble at our request or else in hauing asuaged the rage thereof for experience strongly vpholdeth hope and mightily battereth downe despaire And nowe to incourage vs to prayer we haue not onely a commaundement for it whiche maketh our obedience herein better then a sacrifice offered vnto God our contempt and neglecte of prayer sinne and rebellion against God but also most plentiful and louing promises to allure vs with assured hope of rewarde as it is written in Matthewe Aske and it shal be giuen you Knocke and it shal be opened Seeke and ye shall finde What man is there among you whiche if his sonne aske him bread would giue him a stone If ye then which are euil can giue to your children good giftes howe muche more shall your Father whiche is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him These promises whiche are grounded in the mercies of God haue made the godlie conceiue hope to pray vnto him and not their owne worthinesse nay they haue turned away their eyes from the feare of their owne sinnes after the hope of these promises made in mercie vnto his A notable example wherof we haue in Genesis where Iacob after he confessed that he was not worthie the least of those benefites whiche he had alreadie receiued yet notwithstanding is imboldened to pray for other benefites because God had promised The promises of God are founded in his mercie and therefore perfourmed because of his mercie These promises made al the godly that euer were in any age bolde to pray We therefore hauing the same promises haue also the same hope and holde of his mercies that they had and the same cōmendation of our cause and suites whatsoeuer For all their hope did hang and depend vppon the goodnesse of God promised in his word therefore let vs not be guiltie of so greate sinne againste our owne soules as to be disobedient by our neglect of prayer to the lawe and commandement of our God neither yet so iniurious vnto the Lord as through infidelitie and mistrust to call into question the veritie of his worde and trueth of his promises which are perfourmed vnto vs in our mediatour and redeemer Christ Iesus in whom all the promises are fulfilled When the question is then of our vnwoorthinesse let vs call to minde that there was neuer any man vpon the earth no Saint or seruaunt of God howe holie or blessed so euer that was heard for himselfe or had the promises perfourmed vnto him in respect of his owne worthinesse but onely in and for Christe to whome the promises were made who is the heire of all things as it is written to the Hebrues and therefore no man hathe true title to any promise of blessednes but in his name and for him because he is a part and member of Christ who is Lord of all hath true title therevnto Our hope ariseth in the right of Christe our clayme is good in his title our comfort commeth by his interest We beeing therefore members partes of him haue lawfull title in his name who is the true and lawfull heire of all the inheritaunce notwithstanding that in any title that we can shewe for our selues as from our selues we remaine without hope of any help or comfort by suite to recouer any thing at all a deede of gifte being before made vnto the Lord Iesus of that inheritance and all that belongeth therevnto Euerie gifte and graunt that is made passeth in his name and whatsoeuer suite is recouered apperteining to our happie estate it is entred likewise in the title right of him and is giuen vnto vs because we are members of him The firste Chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians maketh plaine proofe hereof that we haue no spirituall blessing but in Christe because we are his and in him whom the father hath appointed the lawful inheritour of all thinges It is in plaine wordes affirmed by the Apostle to the Corinthes that the faithfull are by the appointment of God the Father in Iesus Christe who is made vnto them as before wee haue heard wisedome righteousnes holinesse redemption that he who will glorie may glorie in the Lord. Those therefore that enter their suites and petitions to God the Father in the title and right of any Saint Angel or Apostle whatsoeuer whether they passe in their names alone or in Christe his name and theirs together they enter their suite amisse and therefore shall neuer profite by it They take vpō them to frustrate that graunt made from God the Father to Iesus Christ alone making an alienation thereof vnto others at their owne will and pleasure cancelling that deed of gifte and forging a newe wherein the virgine Marie and others are made parteners with him affirming that the suites and petitions must proceede in their name also as well as his That blasphemous prayer of theirs is not vnknowen vnto any Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit Thou Christ for that bloud whiche Thomas for thee did spend make vs clyme thether whither Thomas did ascende If they woulde qualifie their speeche their owne practise will condemne them For they haue prayed to bee accepted in the title right and deseruing of the Sainctes making mediatours to him who is for vs alreadie and our alone mediatour in deede making him as a straunger or enimie rather to be appeased by others when as in verie deede hee is our best and deerest friende appointed our mediatour and standing on our part to appease other Whose affection that it standeth better towardes
what wickednesse and contempt of the grace of God That man therfore that learneth not to abate the care for outward daungers and necessities to come can neuer in trueth pray vnto the Lord that he would giue him this day his daily breade For these wordes of daily bread and this day doe cutt off the care and torment of times farre off By the promise whiche in this petition we doe trust and depende vppon the holie Ghost to the Hebrues cureth couetousnesse willing them to be content with that they haue to see that their conuersation be without couetousnesse because the Lorde hath saide I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee This promise of the Lord that he will not forsake his in the day of their necessitie is set as a bulworke to beate backe their feare of want and carefull coueting that ariseth therevpon that they may hold them wel content and apaide with their present state and condition The holie Ghoste maketh a great diuersitie betwene the godlie and wicked touching these earthly thinges for they come to the godlie as it were sleeping for so doeth he tearme their quiet laboure that wayte assuredly for the successe frō the Lord in respect of the careful toile that the vngodly are tormented with as if their liuing lay onely in their trauels There is a secrete blessing of the Lorde which must be sought for at his handes by faithfull prayes without the which all care and trauel that can be taken wil not auaile It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh riche sayeth the holie Ghost There is more in that then our fleshly and mistrustfull heart can easily be persuaded of Let vs therefore learne to lessen our mistrustfull care that we may testifie to the worlde the increase of our faith in the persuasion of his mercie towardes vs according as this petition doeth admonishe vs For in praying vnto him for these outward commodities we doe acknowledge that they be at his disposing and that all the labour in the worlde will not fetche them vnlesse it please him to giue successe Wherefore we may plainely see that when we haue trauelled or vsed those outward meanes wherby commonly benefits are procured we haue but accomplished one part and the least part of that that bringeth the benefite in deed Prayer must also be vsed and the Lorde he is to be intreated and this is not the least but the chiefe parte The godly tempt not the Lord by refusing his meanes but euen then when they doe vse those meanes they are muche in prayer for the successe and going forward of them whether it be labour counsell or friendshippe that they they vse to compasse their matter by For the want of this we see it fall out in common experience that the wisest men haue had suche successe with their deuises as the most foolish man that is could not haue made a madder matche then often times falleth out euen there where their care and counsell hath beene the greatest whiche teacheth vs to giue the Lorde his due to acknowlege him the Lord and gouernour of those temporall commodities to begge them at his handes by true and vnfeigned prayer and by faith to depend vpon him and not vpon our trauel no not where it is the greatest and promiseth the moste vnto vs. Worldly men that depend wholy in the persuasion of their heart vpon the help of their hands their wisdome or their wealth or friendship do dissemble with the Lorde in this request For they seeke that at him as his gift whiche their heart telleth them that they haue alreadie at home Couetous men that wold gather faster then he will giue how can they in trueth seeke it at his hands when they are not at any time content with that measure or portion that he doth giue neither rest in his distribution hauing such a hungrie desire as would prescribe the Lord and not be limited or prescribed by the Lord The oppresser hard cruel dealer that pretendeth to beg his bread temporal cōmodity of the Lord in the meane time is the purueyer and prouider for him selfe by suche oppressing and vnmercifull meanes as the Lorde abhorreth doeth dallie with the Lorde deceiue him selfe and maketh his praier a curse vnto his owne soule and a witnesse in the day of iudgment against his own conscience in that he hath professed in this prayer that to be the Lords gift whiche he sought of sathan by suche wayes and meanes as he approueth but the Lord abhorreth them We pray here for others aswell as for our selues he therfore that professeth to pray for others their good estate concerning temporall thinges and yet conueyeth that whiche is others or withholdeth it eyther by violence or deceipte with what conscience doeth he offer this petition to the Lord The children of God haue their faith declaring it selfe by outward thinges while they doe depende vppon him for them wherein the vngodly bewray their wante howsoeuer they boast of their inward persuasion of his goodnesse For if the Lord speede them not to their contentation they will not sticke to prouide for themselues by suche either open or secrete oppression as he hathe plainely forbidden as if he were onely the God of the soule and not of the bodie also whole man to prouide for both according to the good pleasure of his will and wee by faith to depende and wayte for a speciall blessing from him euen in outward thinges which the vngodly cannot see into For they binde the Lord so vnto the instrumentes whereby hee worketh his will that in truth they haue the glorie and he is altogether depriued thereof They be only his children that in truth acknowledge him the giuer of these outwarde benefites therfore wil vse no meanes besides those which he hathe approued The other in seeking helpe by meanes forbidden of him doe plainely speake in those their doings that they haue no faith nor cōfidēce in him we may in faith good hope aske those thinges because they make for the glorie of God who doth reigne and rule in earth by giuing vnto his their wantes euen in these outward and temporal things according as we may learne in the Psalm Where after many words declaring that God executeth iustice for the oppressed giueth bread to the hungrie loseth the prisoners kepeth the strangers relieueth the fatherlesse ouerthroweth the way of the wicked immediately it followeth The Lord shal reigne for euer ô Sion As if the Lord should not be known to reigne if he should fayle his seruants calling and depending vpon him in their distresses For we may not think that he faileth his seruants when he giueth them better benefites then those which they doe aske As if they craue deliuerance out of present daunger and he by taking them in mercie out of this life worketh a final riddaunce out of all daunger shall we say that the Lord hath not heard them Likewise if their
we haue so often heard of before when he prayeth that the people of God may haue their punishmentes remoued when they call vppon him there is alwayes added the condition of turning from their sinne either in expresse wordes or else in wordes that necessarily importe the same As to take one example for many in that Chapiter hee hath these wordes When Heauen shall be shutt vpp and there shall be no rayne because they haue sinned against thee and they shall pray in this place confesse thy name and turne from their sinn when thou doest afflict them then heare thou in Heauen and pardon the sinne of thy seruauntes and of thy people Israel when thou haste taught them the good way wherein they may walke so that the turning from sinne is necessarily required of them that doe looke for the forgiuenesse of sinne And then especially when the Lorde shall testifie against vs from Heauen by punishments laide vppon vs wee haue to call to minde our former sinnes and ceasse to be carelesse and secure therein For when the Lord forgiueth sinne hee also cureth sinne not suffering vs any longer to sleepe in the same beeing snared with the baytes and allurementes thereof but begetteth in vs a new care to shake it off and a new watchfulnesse ouer it There is added to the end of this petition For thine is the kingdome the power the glorie for euer which doeth admonish vs of sundrie profitable instructiōs for by it we are taught what shuld be the end of our petitions why we would haue thē graunted euen that his kingdome power glorie may be aduāced For as we haue learned before while that the Lord frameth his to the obedience of his wil giueth good things vnto thē remoueth euil thinges from them his name is halowed his kingdome cōmeth his wil is done here in earth for by dealing thus with his seruaunts he will be knowen to rule and reigne here vpon earth be glorified in the same This desire therefore to haue him glorified should bee bothe at the beginning and end of our prayers whether our suit be for spirituall graces or for tēporall blessings By this also our faith is strengthened in the hope to obteine our petitions because the Lorde cannot neglect the glorie of his name and the honour of his kingdome whiche dependeth vpon the perfourmaunce of his mercies towardes his seruauntes that call vpon him therfore our hope cannot deceiue vs beeing ioyned so neere vnto the glorie of our God. Moreouer in this we are admonished that it is not the worthynesse of our selues nor yet of any other but the honour of his name that commendeth our suites and petitions vnto the lord Finally heerein we are admonished of a speciall worshippe and seruice which is thanks giuing vnto GOD when soeuer wee receiue any benefite of what kinde soeuer For we acknowledging in our prayers not onely that hee hath the disposing of these benefites but also that his kingdome glorie honour consisteth in the rewarding of his with the same shall be found traytors to the crowne of his kingdome if after benefites receiued wee doe not by thanks giuing confesse and acknoweledge the same This giuing of thanks is a speciall worshipp and seruice of God in somuch that the Lorde reiecting sacrifice placeth his honour in thanksgiuing Will I eate the fleash of Bulles or drinke the bloude of Goates sayth the Lord by his Ptophet Offer vnto God praise and pay the vowes vnto the moste high and call vppon mee in the day of thy trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And in the laste verse of that psalme it is said that he who offereth praise vnto the Lord doth glorifie him Whereby it appeareth that the Lord esteemeth thanksgiuing as a speciall worship and seruice of him whiche may well bee perceiued in sundrie places of the Scripture but especially in the booke of the Psalmes It is in deede a seruice of God peculiar and proper vnto the children of god For the wicked are not acquainted with it they see not the Lord his arme in their deliuerances they see not through the instruments that God vseth to helpe thē by into the especiall goodwill and fauour of GOD from whence the godly take those healpes to come as a plaine profe therof Therfore doth the Prophet say The voice of ioy and deliuerance shal be in the tabernacles of the righteous saying the right hand of the Lorde hath done valiauntly Hee maketh it the peculiar worke of the righteous to reioyce in the Lorde and in heart to prayse him For notwithstanding all people taste liberally of his benefits yet the feeling of his fatherly goodnesse whiche procureth giuing of thanks in deed is proper onely vnto the children of God. It is a singular priuiledge that he doth vouchsafe his elect alone when he giueth such a sweete taste vnto his benefites as driueth their heartes to reioycing and giuing of thankes not onely in the comfort of the present benefite but also in that hauing receiued an assured token of his fauour they peaceably passe ouer the course of their life assuring them selues that they are had in especiall reckoning and account with the lord Therefore the Prophete is bolde to haue this speech of them Blessed is the people that reioyce in thee they shall walke in the light of thy countenaunce O Lorde they shall reioyce continually in thy name and in thy righteousnesse shal they exalt them selues He maketh it no common matter to reioyce in the Lord but matter belonging onely to the electe and blessed people of God how greatly it pleaseth the Lorde The Apostle wittnesseth in the Epistle to the Corinthes where hee requireth the prayer of the church of God for him in his affliction that when his deliueraunce is obteyned by the prayers of many many persons may giue thanks vnto god Which notably declareth how acceptable a seruice it is to giue thanks vnto God when the afflictions of the children of God serue therevnto and are beecome a speciall ende of the same As wittnesseth in like manner the Prophet The Lorde hath looked downe from the height of his Sanctuarie that hee might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death that they may declare the name of the Lorde in Hierusalem and his praise in Sion Now if it be demaunded why the sacrifice of thanks giuing is so acceptable a worship and seruice of the Lord The answere is ready because it ascribeth the gouernment and distribution of all benefites vnto the Lord denying them to come by casualtie or chaunce as doe the vngodly whatsoeuer they say in that they are neither comforted truely in them nor yet thankfull for them Moreouer it acknowledgeth God not to be a dead thing and bare name that regardeth not men that serue him in the obedience of his will but that in trueth hee hath a care of his Church helpeth
in their neede and regardeth them in perfourming the trueth of his promise towardes them This acknowledging of the mercies of God by giueing of thanks helpeth forwarde the faith of other in persuasion of this tender care that hee beareth towardes his Wherefore the godly were accustomed to open vnto others the children of God the especiall benefites and mercie whiche they had receiued of the Lorde that they might not onely ioyne with them for the praise of his mercie but also receiue increase of faith in the visible experience of his goodnesse It is wel knowen that the people of God vnder the law had a solemne rite ceremonie in perfourming the vowes of thankesgiuing and peace offering when soeuer they had receiued any notable and singular benefite of the Lorde Whiche was a thing so well pleasing the Lorde that they present this their purpose to prayse the Lorde and to tell what he had done for them as a reason to persuade him to worke their deliuerance when they are distressed according as wee reade Saue me from the Lyons mouthe and aunswere me in sauing me from the hornes of the Vnicornes I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the congregation wil I prayse thee saying Praise the Lord ye that feare him magnifie him all yee seede of Iacob For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the poore but when he calleth vnto him he heard My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation my vowes wil I perfourme before them that feare him The pore shall eate and be satisfied they that seeke after the Lorde shall praise him This kinde of persuasion haue the seruants of God often vsed and therefore wee doe reade that the godly in their petitions haue vsed often these words Shut not vp ô Lord the mouthes of them that prayse thee open not the mouthes of the vngodly that they may praise the power of their idols and magnifie a fleashly king They were persuaded that the Lord did greatly esteme his owne glorie and honor that it was a speciall seruice and worship that he delighteth in as it is in deede For euen the end of our saluation is the praise of his free mercie and grace and he hath elected his to the prayse of the riches of his grace and the end of our temporall deliuerance is to acknowledge and magnifie that grace whiche we haue tryed to bee true had good experience of the same So doth the godlie king Ezechias confesse that the Lorde would not haue him swalowed vp of the pit without the taste of his mercie in deliueraunce because if he had so departed the Lorde should then haue wanted that seruice of thankes giuing for his deliuerance which is so acceptable vnto him For those that are so ouerwhelmed in their afflictiōs tast not of the mercies of deliuerance which openeth their mouth filleth it with the prayses of the lord It was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule sayth Ezechias from the pit of corruption for thou haste cast all my sinnes behinde thy back for the dead cannot prayse thee they that go downe into the pitt cannot hope for thy trueth but the liuing shall confesse thee as I doe this day The father to the children shall declare thy trueth the Lorde was ready to saue mee therefore wee will sing my songe all the dayes of our life in the house of the Lord. That he sayth The dead cannot prayse him wee haue to take it as the trueth is that when those that be his are not deliuered in their distresses hee wanteth that praise here in earth where his glorie is often oppressed whiche their deliueraunce would plentifully spread abroade And they doe moste thirste after the tryall of his goodnesse heere vppon earth where there bee so many enimies to his glorie that seeing the plaine proofe thereof they may be plentiful in his praise Therfore doeth Dauid in like manner require deliuerance that he be not ouerwhelmed in his afflliction and so the Lord wante the praise of his deliueraunce Returne O Lorde deliuer my life saue mee for thy mercies sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee The Scripture is plentifull in such proofes where the seruants of God haue greatly longed for deliuerance that they might praise his name and haue vrged it as a reason to persuade the Lord to heare their petitions because then they would offer vnto him that well pleasing sacrifice and seruice of thankesgiuing a sacrifice that doeth so greatly please the Lorde and therefore cannot but be well liked of all those that be his It was declared before that there was a solemne rite and ceremonie among the Iewes in their thanks giuing after sōe greate benefite receiued where the godlie mett together not only to giue praise but also to be confirmed and strengthened more more in their faith persuasion of his fatherly care and regarde that he hath towards those that be his This is made plaine vnto vs in the Psalme He hath brought me out of the horrible pit sayth the Prophet and hee hath put in my mouth a new song of prayse vnto our God. Many shall see it and feare and shall trust in the Lorde It cānot but be a singular worship of God that ascribeth this right of gouernement and care of his seruants vnto him that also hath in it such force to increase faith which is the founteine of all obedience How greate then is the sinne of vnthankfulnesse when men passe ouer the benefites of God and the assured pledges of his fauour without any thankfull remembraunce or comfortable assuraunce of the good will of GOD Surely the neglect of this duetie I meane of thanks giuing to God when we receiue any singular benefite as some notable deliuerance from daungers or happie out going frō our trouble denieth the Lord to be the disposer and gouernour of thinges here belowe fathereth them vpon fortune or chaunce How soeuer they denie it in wordes it denieth in deede any especiall care to be in God ouer his it maketh God to be nothing beside a bare name and vaine imagination it ouerthroweth faith whiche persuadeth vs of the speciall care and good will that God beareth vs in taking his benefites not as common thinges but as pledges of his peculiar fauour in that as common matters and no witnesses of any especiall good will by vnthankfulnesse they are passed ouer and lightly let slippe Moreouer the want of this dutie hindereth the profiting of others in that they denie this helpe of strengthening their faith which the Lord hath appointed and the seruauntes of God hath practised according as it was of late cited out of the Prophet that many shoulde see what the Lord had done and be drawne to put their trust in him Now let vs pray vnto our heauenly Father in the name of his sonne that we may so pray that we may obteine
nor yet what mercie is in Christe For beeing ignoraunt of the seuerall parcels they doe iudge amisse of the whole and therefore of the greatnesse of that benefite that hath discharged all Those men that are not acquainted with the often sighte of their seuerall sinnes by the lawe and commaundementes may fitly bee compared to a man that hath some sore in his body which he discerneth by some little hole appearing in the skinne yet so as he maketh nothing of it neither thinketh to be any greate benefite to be cured thereof for it appeareth to him to bee verye little by reason of the small quantitie of skinne that is broken but after that it beeing searched and lanced there is knowen to be so muche dead fleashe about it as beeing taken out maketh the hole tenne times greater then before then hee beginneth to thinke what daunger hee is in for the decay of his whole bodie if that parte bee not well healed and therefore taketh it for a greate and singular benefite to be cured thereof whiche before he did nothing at all esteeme No lesse necessarie is it for vs by searching into our seuerall corruptions by euery commaundemente to cutt away the dead fleashe of carelessenesse and good lyking of our estate or at the leaste of findeing no greate lacke in it whiche hindereth the true enterteyning of the free mercies of Christe For it is the burthen that wee feele of sinne by the lawe whiche maketh grace sweete and acceptable vnto vs and they that be loaden with the weight of sinne bee those whome the Lorde hath promised to ease as it is written in Matthew Come vnto mee all yee that are wearie and loaden and I will ease you For what are they that doe not well perceiue in what a miserable condition they should bee without him can neuer rightly esteeme of him One contrarie maketh an other better knowen Libertie is neuer so swete as when it commeth immediately after bondage One day of libertie is more made of while the burthen of bondage is fresh in memorie then two dayes are after when there is no remembrance lefte of the former condition It is miserie that maketh a right account of mercie It is miserie that maketh mercie to be mercie The lawe must let vs see our miserie that we may haue right regarde of mercie If it were so expedient for Paule to haue the messinger of Sathan to buffet him lest he should be exalted out of measure for the abundaunce of Gods giftes that praying often that it might departe from him he could not be heard to haue it taken cleane away as appeareth to the Corinth how necessarie is it for vs that are in much more daunger then he to bee exalted with the liking of our selues to be kept humble with the continuall sight of our infirmities in the lawe that we exalte not our selues against the free grace of our God In the booke of Iob it appeareth that the Lord to hyde the pride of man vsually bringeth them into some one great affliction or other and that sundrie times For there it is saide that GOD will worke thus twise or thrise with a man that he may turne back his soule from the pit For these are the wordes of the text in that place This doctrine vtterly ouerthroweth them that rest in their workes looking for righteousnes and iustification from their owne deseruings good deedes because they haue kept the lawe of God in their owne opinion and therefore may iustly lay clayme to eternall life for those their good deedes This doctrine also condemneth all secure men that haue no sense of sinne For the lawe should so lay open vnto vs the soares of our sinnes that the verie sight thereof might sende vs to Christe For the ende of it is so to charge vs with our owne woful estate that we may be driuen to giue ouer the strongest holde that we haue whiche is the opinion of our selues and fortifie our selues in Christ in his mercies alone It is the greatest worke of the Lorde to win this hold at our hands yet if we remaine in it we are but dead men and caste away euerie one of vs The Lord therefore meaning to hyde vs in his mercies and there to make a sure safe harboroughe for vs doeth shoote off this warning peece of the lawe so to shake this ruinous holde of our owne good deedes that we seeing in deede the weakenesse thereof may take vs to his mercies alone a holde that will holde in deede The practise of sathan by the Lawe is in extremities for either he woulde driue vs to despaire thereby or else touch vs not at all therewith But we are learned out of the worde of God that the office of the lawe is to ioyne vs to Christe and to keepe vs from bothe these rockes of securitie and despaire whiche are two daungerous rockes and therefore needefull for all men to take heede of in this voyage of Christianitie For either of them bothe doeth threat to make shipwracke of our saluation Let vs therefore require of the Lawe to do that which vnto it apperteineth that it would so let vs see our selues that we be no longer carelesse of our estate which must needes be vntill that warning peece haue awakened vs and scared vs out of our selues But if it shal presume to deal further with vs to driue vs to despaire remēber that that is more then it hath in cōmission for the law is charged with no more saue this so to humble vs that Christ may receiue vs For as an euill bodie must be prepared before the physicke that shal do good must be ministred so must the lawe by true humbling of vs and purging these hautie humours that we be full of make way for the medicine of his mercie to worke well vpon vs This doctrine giueth God his true mercie for to giue vnto them that be vnworthie is a thing worthie and beseeming God Dare indignis res magè digna Deo. It giueth vnto him true iustice for it ascribeth vnto him suche iustice and righteousnesse as no righteousnesse that is found in man is able to stande with all but muste yelde and giue ouer But the doctrine of the Churche of Rome offendeth bothe against his mercie and iustice ascribing neither perfect mercie nor righteousnesse vnto God. For it is no mercie to helpe him that hathe deserte in him selfe to be holpen that is iustice Neither is that iustice perfect and beseeming GOD that mans can matche withall and stande without checke before it That lifteth man too high abaseth God too lowe The law then teacheth vs true humilitie letteth vs see that it was the free and vndeserued goodnesse of God that hath begone whatsoeuer holinesse and righteousnesse of life is in vs Moreouer when we shal be assured that we haue verie well profited in Christianitie it is also necessarie for vs to beholde our selues often in the
lawe and commandements of God thereby to see what infirmities are still in vs that the Lord may haue the praise of his vndeserued mercie as wel for continuing his graces vndeseruedly as for beginning thē without any our desert For when we shal perceiue by true tryal in our selues what iust occasion the lord hath offered him on our part to stay or rather vtterly to giue ouer his merciful dealing towards vs we must acknowledge euen from our heart that the Lord hath taken the occasion to continue his graces towardes vs as well as to beginne them in vs from his free mercies alone and so from an humbled heart yeelde vnto him no lesse prayses for continuing then for beginning true holinesse in our heartes that he may haue whiche by good right doeth apperteine vnto him the whole glorie of our newe birth and regeneration What horrible wickednesse were it with the Chuche of Rome to part the praise of our Christian conuersation betweene God and vs whiche is wholy due vnto his vndeserued grace according as it is written in the Epistle to the Philippians It is God that worketh in you bothe the will and deede euen of his good pleasure This is spoken vnto them that had begone and continued also some good time in Christianitie that they should continue in feare and humilitie because God wrought in them euen of his owne good pleasure and not at the deserte of their obedience whiche may soone be perceiued to be true if we shall examine our selues by the Lawe and commaundementes of our God whiche thundereth out curses against him that shall not continue in all manner of obedience vnto the ende The lawe beeing looked truely vppon will let vs see muche required and commaunded and yet vnperfourmed of vs muche forbidden yet for all that done of vs and therfore many curses due vnto vs by our own deseruinges so that we shal be forced to confesse the greatnesse of his kindenesse that continueth through so great vnkindenesse of oures We may conclude then that in those who haue begone in simplicitie and singlenesse of heart to serue the Lorde the lawe hathe great vse and the often sight of themselues therein is verie necessarie not onely to be humbled vnder the freenesse and vndeseruednesse of his grace but also vnder the greatnesse of his goodnesse whiche is so muche knowen to be the more as our deserte is knowne and perceiued in our selues to be the lesse so muche the more tried to be mightie as it is well perceiued not to haue beene beaten backe by so great force of our sinne as we are well priuie vnto by tryall had of our selues in the lawe to haue stoode in the way against it Therefore to conclude this part the lawe and commandements of God truely beholden and considered do teache vs to giue vnto God the honour that is due vnto him as well for the free vndeserued beginning as for the free and vndeserued continuing of his mercies towardes vs that he that will glorie may glorie in the Lorde Moreouer this vse we haue of the lawe of God that by it we are truely directed into the way of life which of our selues we could neuer haue learned and so forewarned of these by-wayes of our owne deuising and deuotion whiche leade vnto destruction For it can neuer be lawfull that the rule to serue and please a maister by should come from his seruaunt who is to please and not from the maister himselfe who is to be pleased And therefore miserable should our estate haue beene if we should haue imagined that the rule for vs to serue and please God by were to be taken from our good intent and well meaning and not from the Lord our maister his good pleasure and liking If a maister should not haue prescribed his seruant what to doe or to leaue vndone there were more to be saide for his good meaning although it did goe from the good liking of his maister whiche was not vttered vnto him but when the maister shal make knowen his will and pleasure by his woorde there is no excuse lefte vnto good intent or good meaning when his pleasure made knowen and declared vnto the seruaunte from his owne mouthe shal be neglected and not accomplished by him The lawe therefore being the will of our maisster vttered from his owne mouthe teacheth vs truely and safely to serue him and stoppeth vppe that daungerous pitte of our good intente deuotion and good meaning a daungerous pitte to fall into at any time but nowe moste daungerous when we haue learned what is good deuotion and good meaning euen from the Lords owne mouthe There is also an other singular benefite whiche we haue by the lawe and seueral commandements of God which doeth remedie a mischiefe that is ouer rife in these dayes Many not of the worste sort of men content themselues generally to haue a liking of the word of God and a general good meaning towarde his commaundementes but neuer trauell to approue their heartes before GOD by profiting and goeing forwarde in the seuerall dueties of euerie seuerall commaundement whiche is well prouided for in the lawe where wee are charged with seuerall dueties vnto GOD and also vnto man so as the neglecte of any duetie sett foorth by the lawe redoundeth to the contempt of the Lord who is the lawgiuer The often perusing therfore of the seueral commandements doe bring vs from christianitie pretended in generall profession and meaning vnto Christianitie approued in particular practise of seuerall dueties drawing that vaine generall profession and liking vnto particular and seuerall well doeing It were a lewde practise of a seruaunt to pretend good liking of any thing that his maister should commaunde yet neuer to put his hande painefully to the executing of his seuerall charge There is nothing so common among many professours of the worde as to vpholde the credite of professing the Gospel and fauouring it not with careful following after the thinges giuen by name and particularly in charge vnto them but onely with their general liking or rather their not misliking therof as if this were good seruice to giue our maister leaue to commaunde as seemed good vnto him so wee might be at libertie to practise and doe as muche as like vs It is a Christians profession to vpholde Gods honour in what thing soeuer it is assaulted there specially where it is most assaulted in any he most weak to resist which kind of warfare as it is the best so is it well mainteyned by this light of the law For there we se by often true examination which of the walls of Gods glorie are moste battered in vs beat vpon by the aduersaries power whereby if there shal be any care in vs we shal be prouoked to bring all the helpe that we haue or can come by to that parte to strengthen it withall For to what purpose were it for vs the enimies entring in at one parte of the house