est sua peccata patriae suorum quantum fiori potest tegere all of nothing So for a man to come to this that he wil not conceale his fathers mothers or friends faults to speake against his owne country and countrymen yea against himselfe is against the nature of man cannot be wrought in man but by a supernaturall cause This we see the holy men in the Scriptures did It is naturall to every man so farre as he can to cover his owne faults and the faults of his Countrey and friends Moses when no necessity bound him confessed that he came of a cursed stocke spared not his brother Aarons fault in making the Calfe but committed it to writing spared not his sister Miriam in the cause of murmuring no not his owne fault in murmuring against the Lord at the waters of strife Numb 11.11 dispossessed his owne children and would not have them to succeed him in the Magistracy a very unnaturall thing but preferred Ioshua yea he put by his owne Tribe and the Tribe of Iuda and preferred Ephraim This is not able to agree with the naturall man but must come from an higher cause Therefore the writers of these bookes must be inspired by God 10. Whereas the whole drift of the greatest Philosophers and most learned men was to teach how Kings should enlarge their Kingdomes and to be in credit with Princes and great men this teacheth that life is the contempt of life It teacheth the contempt of the world and worldly honours The Prophets they never sought to be in favour with Princes but were so farre from that that they answered them not so much to that they asked as to that they should have asked therefore this is supernaturall Therefore the true way and from God not from man Against the Iewes The next point as God is a Spirit so must his worship be spirituall so we finde in the Scriptures not onely forbidding of images and shadowes but also a flat negative And as in the case of Gods unity though false religion may agree with the true in the first point yet not in the second so in this regard howsoever they exclude images yet they fault in this that all their worship is ceremoniall bodily and rituall consisting in matters of ablution and outward types And though there be types in the old Testament yet he proclaymeth every where that he abhorreth them for he will have a contrite heart and onely the circumcision of the heart Therefore as man is bodily and his notions fall into the compasse of the body so as that worship that commeth from him is bodily whereas the worship that commeth from God is spirituall 2. To this may be added that of Miracles and Oracles to confirme this religion as the other did in confirming their religion They were not done in corners but in the sight of Pharao in the middest of all his servants 2. Againe they were not frivolous but they that have felt them have got good by them 3. They are not imitable nor expressible by the art of man as the dividing of the red Sea the causing the Sunne to stand still in Ioshuahs time the making of Ahaz Diall to goe backe 10. degrees both which Areopageta saith are in the Persian Oracles The raining of Manna from Heaven Iannes and Iambres were not able to imitate Moses For Oracles of the Gentiles they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 philippise Oracles speake as King Philip would have them and that they were very ambiguous and needed Delio natatore the Swimmer the Interpreter Apollo to expound them Therefore Porphyry said that their Oracles commonly had Posticum a backe-dore These doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 philippise are not doubtfull need no Delius natator the Swimmer the Interpreter Apollo Last most of the heathens Oracles came not to passe but in the Scriptures they came all to passe some three hundred yeeres before some 500. some a thousand some three thousand as the dilatation of Iapheth which happened not before the calling of the Gentiles And this for confirmation both of the old and new Testament common to the Jewes aswell as to us those that follow are proper to Christian religion 1. Aug. 23. de eivitate Dei out of Porphyrie de regressu animae of the regresse of the soule the greatest enemy that ever the Church had That it is no true religion that doth not yeeld a sufficient purgation to the soule of man Moreover he addeth there that the Platonists received from the Chaldees that the purgation of the soule of man cannot be nisi per principia but by the principles we know that Plato his principles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the father the mind love an enignaticall speech of our Trinity But this i. the purgation of the soule of man no religion teacheth but ours for it teacheth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word tooke upon him sinfull flesh to purge away the sins of man therefore ours the true all the rest are meerely bodily for all their exorcismes and sacrifices are bodily and not spirituall and so withall the God of the Christians is not like to the heathen gods for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who loveth man i. he delighteth not in cutting mens throats or burning them to afhes as their divels had virgins babes old men young men good men offered up to them And the sacrifices of beasts in the old law were onely used for two respects 1. That they might be types of those things that are in the Gospell 2. To be an admonition to men to shew them that they have deserved to be thus killed and sacrificed God was so farre from having men to be sacrificed to him that he himselfe came downe to give himselfe a Sacrifice for our sinnes And what greater love can be then for a man to give his life for that he loveth for his friend therefore no greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love to man then this In a witnesse two things required 1. Skill 2. Honesty 1. Ioh. 1.1 Now for the Gospell 1. For the witnesses In a witnesse two things required 1. Skill 2. Honesty First for the skill There is never a one of them but can say we write and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which we have heard which we have seene with our eyes which we have looked upon and which our hands have handled Not as Homer Plato and the rest that had their things from other and by report And withall the writers of the Scriptures writing them when the world bare greatest hatred against them and yet never any durst write any booke against Moses in his time or against the Gospell in these daies And de probitate testis concerning the honesty of a witnesse The honesty of a witnesse there can be no better reason given then that Tacitus giveth That they testifie best quibus nullum est mendacii pretium that have nothing for their labour
Filâ—â— Sp. Sancti Tantum How great Rom. 8.32 it was so great that he spared not his owne Sonne and that for God the Fathers tantum and on Christs behalfe his tantum was that for our sakes being such wretches he was content to leave the society of the Angels and Saints and to come downe here to endure such things he suffered all Aristotles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five fearfull things 1. ignominy 2. neede 3. sicknesse 4. enmity 5. death 1. for the first i. ignominy and reproach he had it while he lived and as it is Matth. 27.63 he was not free from it after he was dead for they call him causâ—ner and deceiver We remember that this cousener and deceiver said while c. 2. And for his neede his owne mouth may witnesse Luke 9.58 that he was in poorer case then the fowles and beasts 3. For his infirmities Esa 53.4.5 he suffered wounds and blew wounds liâ—ores for our sakes 4. For his enmity Iohn 15.18 he saith that the world hated him while he was in it 5. But that which is the infallible signe of his love and the greatnesse thereof towards us Iohn 15.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there can be no greater love then to die for a mans friend but Christ suffered a most shamefull death for us that hated him and were his enemies and as Cantic 8.6 the love that is as strong as death is perfect love that he tooke upon him too For the holy Ghosts tantum is this that in stead of Christ he descended and Rom. 5 5. shed this gift of the grace of God and all other good gifts among us and is content to make his residence with us to the worlds end And now we may judge betweene God and our selves as Esa 5.4 Whether a man may not justly demand whether there bee any thing that he hath not done and suffered for us Now for the last 6. Gratis i. gratis the freenesse of it as Psal 16.2 he is like to have no reward of us for we cannot helpe him nor reward him nothing but onely this amorem pro amore Our love for His and nihil est decenâ—â—â— nothing is more feemely their that all these which God hath bestowed upon us per amorem by his love should bee requited amore with love againe 11. Wiseman 27. the Wiseman calleth to God and that most justly and truely all these wayes having testified this his affection to us and he enjoyning us nothing but this to love him againe Aug. Quid est homo quod aâ—arâ— vis ab eo si non anat â—e minaris ingeniem poenam annon poena satis mag na est non amareâ—e What is man that thou commandest him to love thee O God and if he love thee nor thou threatnest to punish him can there be a greater punishment then not to love thee For our naturall love of meate and drinke there neede no threatning nor reward but this love that is supernatural and should make us supernatural must have threatnings and rewards so untoward we are This for that that God performeth on his behalfe Love commanded Now we come to that which is commanded and that is love whether it be naturall and consequently by nature due to God that we should amare cum a quo habemus potentiam anandi bestow that affection of love upon him that gave it us equity it is or whether it be amor delectus a love of choyce For when we have made a summe of all our thoughts we cannot finde that is more to be loved then God or whether it be amore infuso Rom. 5.5 he hath shed this love into our hearts and it is reason that he that hath scattered should gather that which he hath scattered for so the wicked and unjust servant can tell us This love and the measure therof is considered in it selfe first either as it is hindered or not hindered As it proceedeth freely Denre it hath two parts 1. desiderium 2. gaud um Desire and Joy Desire so long as we seele not the certifying of Gods spirit in our hearts as the Prophet David he had Psal 42.1 and joy when God giveth it cum sustulit gaudium posuit gaudium the Devils have a desire unto that good which they know they want and shall never enjoy which makes them breake out into malice and blasphemy but the desire which is wrought in our hearts by the worke of the holy Ghost produceth the effects which the Apostle speakes of Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace longsuffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith When it is hindered and resisted that it cannot get a desire Zelus ex ira delore then commeth zelus zeale ira est vindex laesi desiderii it is called sacra ebullitio a boyling of griefe and anger incensed against all impediments and it is one of the signes of love for qui non zelas non amat there is no love when there is no zeale he that can see impediments to the glory of God if he have not an earnest desire for the removing of them hee hath no love Modus amoris the measure of love For the measure it must proceede thus high as that we be ready to hate Father and Mother Wife Children Brother and our owne soule for it i. as it is somewhat more gently set downe Matth. 10.37 that they must not be loved more then God nor come in comparision with him but when their Commandement commeth against Gods Commandement that must yeeld to this and God alone must come to have our love The royall law saith that we must love him with all our soule withall the minde with all the heart and with all the strength As the heart is said improperly to beleeve so the minde is said no lesse improperly to love but it must be so forced in us as that all the powers of the body and minde must yeeld to it and shew forth their actions else we come short Quia fecisti me because thou hast created me therefore I owe my selfe to thee si tantum pro facto quantum pro refecto if so much for making thee then how much more for making thee a new saith Bernard For it is harder to make againe then for to make All things at the first were made with a word but when it came to the remaking there was not dixis facta sunt He spake and they were made but there were many things spoken Christ was faine mulia dicere mulia facere gravia perpeti etiam indigne perpeti to speake much and to doe much yea and to suffer much even cruell and unworthy things before we could be restored and with the second making there came the gift of God himselfe nisi dedisset se non reddidisset te He had not restored thee unlesse he had given himselfe for thee Benard upon Datus est nobis filius Nam etsi millies pâ—ssem rependere
and of liberality against covetousnesse so here in this Commandement the one is reproving against flattery and the other giving a true charitable report against detraction There are such as the Philosopher saith as when they come to doe evill a man dealing with them must either prodere veritatem or amicitiam betray the truth or friendship there are such as cannot abide this contristation And though there be such yet we must retaine open rebuke Prov. 27.5.6 he saith there An open rebuke is better then close love vulnera diligentis the wounds of a friend are better then oscula blandientis the kisses of a flatterer that is in Physicke amarum dulce a bitter sweete is better then perniciosum dulce a pernicious sweete Now there is no doubt but we shall meete with such as Amos 5.10 If a man reprove they will hate him And there is nothing in this point but is seene to the Heathen Veritas odium parit truth bringeth forth hatred There are tres optimae matres trium filiarum pessimarum three very good mothers Matâ—is optimae pessima filia which have three most wicked daughters and among the three the first is Truth which parit odium bringeth forth hatred there is mater optima filia pessima an exceeding good mother but a most naughty daughter therefore beginne with Demaratus his Oration in Herodotus And if it shall please your Majesty if I had spoken the truth I should not have spoken that that liked your Majesty yet because non potest uti me amico adulatore I cannot be both your friend and your flatterer therefore I may speake to make you sadde to amendment Now on the other side Fâ—atteâ—y for the vice opposed i. flattery that that Ierome calleth natale malum our native evill natali ducimur malo philautiae we are transported with native evill of self-selfe-love And it is as Plutarch maketh it that every one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his owne chiefe and greatest flatterer and because we love our selves we thinke we are good and he that loveth us doth his duty and is therefore good ipso facto in so doing So he that speaketh in commendation of that we doe we thinke him to be a good man and that he doth but his duty and we love him And on the contrary because hee grieveth us we thinke he is evill and we consequently hate him This naturale malum our native evill and good opinion that we have of our selves maketh that we doe cito nobis placere easily please our selves and if any be found that will say we be learned presently we beleeve him and ubi propitia mens est where the minde is favourable Psal 5.9 propitiae aures erunt the eares will stand wide open Nay that which is farther as Seneca saith when they will deny that and say it is not so ut enim blanditiae cum excluduntur placent faire and smoothing speeches please us even then when we seeme averse to them that very urging we like This maketh Esa 3.10 that when a man is thus perswaded of himselfe that he saith inwardly to those that are about him Prophesie to us no true things but speake flattering things prophesie unto us such things as we doe love and like and as the Prophet said Mich. 2 1â— that he should be the Prophet unto the people that would prophesie of the things that they were delighted in as of wine and strong drinke And so Ierome saith Qui nescit adulari he that cannot flatter with himselfe to the humours of others is said either to be superbus or invidus proud or envious Thus it commeth that they doe like them that sooth them up Now this vice consisteth of two kinds for either it is of things uncertaine as many men This is the hastie commendation upon the very first beginning and at the very first sight when any thing is well done presently they so greatly commend him that they make the party thinke that he hath done enough and answered all expectation 1 King 20.11 at the putting on of harnesse they goe with great applause but it is the putting off of the armour that is commended It is not stadium a part of the race well runne but the dolichus The word Dâ—lichus properly signifies 16. fur longs the whole race praeclarum stadium sed metuo dolichum the entrance of the race is excellent and I like it well but I am afraid of the length and continuance of it many men at the beginning at the very first pitch c. therefore while things are uncertaine there ought no praises to goe out so prodigally nor we so liberall in commending If in certaine things either in evill things plainely condemned laudatur male qui laudatur ob malum or de malo it is a sory commendation to be cried up for ill first as Solomon saith Prov. 24.24 they say to an unrighteous man What you do is right and good and justly done you doe not evill and Psal 10.3 laudare peccatorem in desideriis animae suae to praise the wicked while he boasteth his hearts desire And when it is done Esa 5.20 they will call darknesse light first that which is naught they will say it is well done Vae vobis qui dicitis malum bonum bonum malum Woe be to you that call evill good or good evill Herodotus writeth of Cambyses Cambyses his flatterers that his minde standing to an incestuous marriage he moved a question The question was whether hee might so doe or no They told him that they could not tell in generall for the action and that it seemed not good but this they found in particular that whatsoever the King would that he might doe This flattery is abominable and to be hated of all good men that they will further and set a man forward in that wicked enterprise Ezech. 13.10.11 he saith there are naughty men in Israel they will needs build a wall which God will destroy afterwards therefore it is of no good substance and he saith There are some that build with untempered mortar which for a time will hold out a falshood he calleth these daubers diaboli cementarios the Devils daubers that use plaistered words but say unto them that the wall shall fall i. that his wicked enterprises shall come to a wicked end When the unrighteous matter was in hand they upheld it but when it commeth to an evill end they shrinke away But they must be put in minde of their dawbing of the wicked and of their ungratious speeches uttered in the beginning vers 18. the Prophet seemeth to import thus much when a man is asleepe in a sinne till he be sober againe he would have a man sleepe with as much disease as may be without pillowes and curtaines for he threatneth out a woe to those that sow pillowes under mens elbowes and hang curtaines to those that slept in sinne also in good make
the land of promise this to that part of the land that is beyond Iorden and the other to that on this side where Ierusalem and Sion stood And for amor gratuitus the love that aimes not at reward as Bernard saith though it be gratuitus yet Deus nunquam sine praemio diligitur tametsi sit sine intuitu praemii diligendus Our love to God shal not be unrewarded though we should love withoutâ— respect to the reward and so they beginne I love because I have received But Rom. 9.3 there is a strange end of it where the Apostle respected his owne commodity so little that he wished himselfe accursed that the glory of God might shine to the salvation of Israel This distinction is profitable that we may know we are not in the state of reprobates though we love not God propter se meerely for himselfe Vsius ameris the use of this love Now we come to the use of this love there is a chap. 1 Cor. 13. to end where he plainely sheweth the necessity of it he setteth it down thus If a man for his knowledge were an Angel and for his Faith were able to remove mountaines and for his liberality had given away all that he had and had left himselfe nothing and for his constancie had endured Martyrdom yet they should not prevaile they should bee nothing except he had the love of God with him and in the end of the same chap. there is a singular commendation of it though not to shew the necessity of it yet it may be a great motive to love Faith hope and love it is the greatest of the three if we take it in quantity it is the greatest both for the breadth and for the length for whereas faith and hope consist in the bounds of mans person and in singular men this spreadeth abroad and reacheth to God and man and in man to our selves and to others and in others to our friends and even to our enemies Austin Beaâ—us qui te amat amicum in te inimicum properte Blessed is he that loveth thee O Lord and his friend in thee and his enemy for thee And this for the breadth Now for the length whereas the other are in us but in the forme of a lease but for the term of our life the gift of charity shall be even as a freehold and continue for ever in Heaven In these respects and of that honourable place that Christ and God vouchsafe it is that of our Saviour Matth. 22.40 saying all the Law and the Prophets make two heads and both these are love and Saint Paul Rom. 13.9 11. maketh but one head of all and calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling and abtidgment of all and that in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt love thy neighbour c. Iohn 13.34 it is called mandatum novum a new Commandement admitting that though all the old Commandements were cancelled yet we have it in the new Commandement and 1 Iohn 2.7 it is but the old Commandement for both the old and the new are all one there is in the old and the new Diliges thou shalt love But that which goeth beyond these and which imposeth a necessity in this that whereas all other before spoken as faith hope c. or that shall be spoken as patience c. none of them are mutuall nay they are not in God at all and when as he dealeth in them we are not to answer him as hee dealeth with us if he promise or threaten we must not likewise promise or threaten but here in this there is muâ—ua vicissitudo a mutuall vicissitude if God love us we must love him againe and therefore most necessary Gregory saith Magnum est vinculum charitatis que ipse Deus ligari se voluit strong is the bond of love seeing God himselfe will be bound with it this affection saith Bernard Solus triumphat de Deo doth onely get the victory over God and as he also saith Nescio quid magis dici debeat in laude tua O charitas I know not what can be spoken more in thy praise divine love then that thou hast brought God out of heaven into earth and hast lift up man from earth into heaven hominem Deo reconciliasti Deum homini pacasti Therefore as on this side we are to consider how willing God is that this should grow in us so now we must consider what is on Gods behalfe performed to stirre us up unto it The Heathen say magnes amorisamor nothing is more effectual to move love then to love and therfore that is it that continually is first set down on Gods part i. where the love of God is beaten on that on Gods part is set first which how great it is it appeareth by nothing more then that of Bernard he in his booke de diligendo Deo sets it down in these six quod nos 1. prius dilexit 2. tantus 3. tantillos 4. tales 5. tantum 6. gratis For the first the Priority 1 Iohn 4.10 herein is that love Prior. Prius not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes and vers 19. We love him because he lved us first for our prior it was his love because he loved us first Aug. Nulla est major ad amorem invitatiâ— quam praevenire amando nimis enim est darus animus qui etsi noluit impendere noluit rependere no more kindly atractive in love then in loving to prevent for exceeding stony is that heart which though it like not to love first will not love againe neither neither first nor second For the second â— Tantus tantus the greatnesse of his love and the consideration thereof Aug. saith in the same place tantus ut non liceat conaridicere quantus it is so great that it is not possible to say how great For the third 3. Tantillos tantillos for our estate he loved us when wee were wormes our smalnesse is set downe Rom. 9.11 applied to Iacob and Esan and to all that are elect Cum nondum essemus when as yet we were not we cannot be smaller then so not to be at all and yet he loved us even before we were For the fourth 4. Tales Tales what we were Rom. 5.10 he loved us when we were his enemies we estranged our selves so farre from him that we served his very enemy For the fifth 5. Tantum Tantum i. for the exceedingnesse of it we may say as we said before but yet we have great light in the Scriptures God being not willing that it should be buried The Fathers upon Iohn 3.13 Sic Deus dilexit mundum c. So God loved the world to that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So saith Chrysostome a man may put all the adverbs that will set up a comparison in the highest degree Patru
me tamen quid sum ego ad illum If he had but given me unto my selfe I could have given my selfe to him againe but when it commeth to this that I must recompence him for giving himselfe though I could give my selfe a thousand times yet what am I to make amends for that gift yet this is to our comfort that followeth there quod etiamsi non possum quantum debeo tamen non possum ulira quam possum sed si possem ulierius vellem and if I were able to render more I would be willing to doe it etsi minus reddo quia minor sum tamen quia tota anima ex se dilegit nihil deest ubi totum est although he can give but little that hath but little yet seeing it is the utmost power of the whole soule that is imployed in this love where the whole is there is nothing wanting and that is all that God desireth and we must labour to come unto it Now we come to that that is forbidden The Negative part 1. For the first Basil calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a disordered loveri whereas God should stand highest and nothing should be loved extra Deum beyond God when it is not so but we love other things more then God then our love is out of order and putteth all out of order It was said before that not onely the doing of evill but desertiâ— mediorum est peccatum the passing by of better duties is a sinne so here especially in the love of God it must be dilectio and that with a choyce and to make choyce of the abased creatures whether we doe as they that make their belly their God Phil. 3.19 or money Ephes 5.5 or 3. Epist Iohn 9. primatum gerere i. to bestow the first honour due to God upon himselfe here our love is out of order Pro Deo colitur quicquid prae caeteriâ— diligitur quia amoâ— meus Deus meus We make that our God on which we in a speciall manner place our affections Every man hath somewhat that he esteemeth above all and that is his Idol rather then his God and they are all of two sorts amor mundi or sui the love of the world or the love of himselfe August saith O si possemus excitare homines cum illis ipsi pariter excitari ut possemus esse amatores vitae permanentis quales quotidie videmus vitae fugientis O that we could stirre up the hearts of men and with theirs our owne to be as deeply in love with the things that concerne eternall life as we are with those which concerne that which is but transient and momentany There are Philosophers which say that the soule of man est in medio loco inter Deum creaturas hath a middle place betweene God and the creatures and a thing that standeth in the middest betweene two things cannot move to both but motibus contrariis by contrary motions certainely the soule standeth so in regard of the world and God and it cannot move to both but by contrary motions and because it is through the basenesse of originall sinne abased it liketh well of bodily things and because worldly things are neere at hand therefore we take them illis nos ingurgitamus and fill cur selves with them and so have no taste of heavenly things and as it is Prov. 27.7 Anima saturata calcabit favum the soule filled despiseth an hony-combe so when we crambe our soule with worldly pleasures we come to have no taste of God and consequently despise him therefore we must first jejunare and weane our selves from these And beside this amor mundi there is amor sui the love of ones selfe it is harder represt then the other and it is it that men are wilfully given to and till a great measure of the Spirit come into their hearts they will not ridde themselves and therefore as Prosper saith se amanies donantur sibi because they love themselves and lose Gods love and reward too Yet not so but that in this disobedience of our affection there be degrees the degrees they bee two 1. When a thing is loved more and above that it should 2. When it is preferred above God The first is a degree to the second for when men have tasted worldly things and are acquainted with baser things then nothing will have any taste with them but onely those and so many come to say with him in Plauius Malo me mulier ista plus amet quam dri so brutish are many in their heart and their doings proclaime it that they had rather have the favour of this man or this woman then of God 2. The second thing here forbidden is opposed to zeale commonly called stupor i. when we account of all alike as if there were no difference betweene good dealing and evill dealing God and Baal and we can beare both Aug. saith that this stupor To beare with sinners to beare with evill things is pejor omnibus vitiis of all vices the worst this God punisheth with other grievous sinnes for it is a speciall prejudice against the love of God 3. The third is more rare but yet in some which the Fathers call nauseam spiritus we may call it the hatred of God when thinking of God is a burden to them and dealers in good causes are odious to them and they are glad when they have not successe The case of these men is very perilous and it is the extremity of mischiefe that a man can come to in his life All these both of sirmative and negative are to be examined per contemptum non apsius by the contempt not of God himselfe for every man will say be is content to love God for his part but per contemptum legis ipsius by the contempt of the Law of God The state of God is as of an eâ—rthly Prince as in earthly Kingdomes qui diligit regem diligit lâ—gem so qui dilâ—git Deum diligit â—eâ—bum he that loves the King loves his lawes so â—e that loves God loves the word of God this was Davidâ— touchstone Psal 119.97 O how love I thy Law and ideo mandata tua dilexâ— qua â—xultatio cordis mei sunt therefoâ—e have I lov'd thy Commandements because they aâ—e the delight of my heart M◠〈…〉 Mâ—â—◠〈◊〉 love Now we will adde something of the Meanes What meanes soever there are that move men to love they are all reduced to these three 1. pâ—lchrum beauty 2. conjunctâ—m neerenesse 3. utile benefits 1. Beauty is of it selfe a meanes promâ—seuum argumentum it moveth love till we finde a deformed guest in a same house 2. Vbi ego meum illa trutina necesse est praepondeâ—et that must needs be the better end of the ballances that holds both me and mine 3. He is good because he doth us good and so consequently ipso facto he is good because we thinke that what
Now for the third when a man hath neither deep nor long thoughts yet if those that he hath may be crebrae often repeated if any man is thus affected to God Crebra it is a good signe that the love of God hath taken deepe roote in him though they are not extaticall nor continuall yet at times with some intermission 2. The second signe of love is this if we esteeme the pledges of that party to whom we beare love 2 Looke what estimation wee give to them we give to God if wee account of those earnests which he hath left us as David Psal 119 97. saith he loveth the Law of the Lord. Looke what estimation a man beareth to his word and Sacraments and outward meanes of prayer the same he beareth to God if he love him as on the contrary Gen. 25.30 and it is afterward urged Heb. 12.16 that whereas the primogenitura the birth-right was a pledge of Gods favour Esau is called a prophane man and one that loved not God and his reason is because hee did forgoe that pledge 3 If wee forgoe that that is most deare unto us it is a signe of love We have the picture of God in his creatures Vbi amor ibi oculus 3. So out of Gen. 25.30 that forasmuch as we cannot see him and as the Heathen saith ubi amor ibi oculus we love the party that if wee have his picture our eye will not be off it yet so if we have an eye to his creatures So this third also was in that profane Esau we see his love to his brothers pottage was so great as that hee cared not what he did forgoe for that which he liked the best thing that hee had scil the title of the eldership among his brethren the pledge of God it was not deere unto him so great a care had he of his belly This may be for an instruction to us when we can accept of any condition though it be never so hard that may set us into Gods favour that may be to us a good and perfect signe 4 Desiderium an earnest desire that thinks the time thing till it come to the fruition of that it loveth 4. Psal 12.5 all these fall indesiderium if as we have a desire so if we can have a griefe for the absence of God as for the deferring of that we love and for not being able to enjoy it such is the saying of David Psal 42.2 When shall I come to appeare before the presence of the Lord Gregory saith inaudituâ— est hic amor an unheard of love that a man should love one and not desire his presence so he that desireth to live here and never to be dissolved hath no love These are signes of that part of love that is called desiderium or desire Now follow the signes of the second part Joy A generall rule for those things that we love if we be greatly joyful when we have obtained when we feese in our selves that which the Prophet Psal 4.7 protesteth 1 When a mans affection is occupied in that thing that hee loves he thinks the time short so long as he is occupied about it The second part is joy an especiall effect and part of love and a signe of it as Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace- c as Psal 4.8 when a man hath no lesse joy for the increase of spirituall things then the worldly man hath that he hath a good seede time or a good harvest Of this love there are sundry signes 1. Gen. 29.20 To thinke the time that we spend in his affaires that we love a short time though it be many yeeres as Iacob served Laban seven yeeres for Rachel yet because he loved her they seemed to him but a few dayes this if we can doe in Gods affaires it is a signe we love him as on the contrary if a man thinke one houre three in doing good surely he hath no joy no delight and so his love is not stable 2. Againe in the the true affection of love when there is joy it is shewed thus the Philosopher saith Quicquid cupis habere times perdere cuicunnque cupis conjungi ab eo times separari 2 In regard of feare whatsoever a man loveth he is afraid to lose Whatsoever a man desireth to keepe he feareth to lose and to whomsoever we desire to be united from them we feare to be separated Now if any mans heart can beare him witnesse that he can tremble at sin and those operations are marvellous fearfull to him that he should be separated by from God it is a good signe All affections discover love as on the other side feare umor occupat omnes affectiones Iobn 19.3 Pilat had a good minde to Christ but his love came to be touched when notwithstanding all the innocencie he found in him he would deliver him up to the people to be crucified and all was by reason of the feare he had of forgoing that that he best esteemed namely Caesars favour and so that feare was a signe that he loved that best So Acts 19.25 the Silver Smith being afraid that his Craft whereunto his love was should downe he stirres up sedition preferring his owne gaine before the disquietnesse of all the people 3 That that we love most we will forgoe any thing for it so if we be overtaken that we have lost it to be in continuall griefe til we recover it 3. And as for feare so griefe when we have lost it for if we bee grieved when we feele not the ancient comfort and vigor of the spirit that we were wont to have it is a signe that we loved it as Luke 18.23 there was a good minde in that young man that came to Christ and our Saviour Christ was well affected towards him but when he came to be touched in his love he was grieved more to part from his possessions then from Christ so griefe will be a way to love 4 If wee take great care for the recovery of what we lost it is a signe that we tooke joy in it 4. Againe the care that we take for the recovery to be marvellous carefull to recover it Psal 132.4 When a man will not suffer his eyes to sleep nor his eye-lids to slumber nor the temples of his head to take any rest untill he had recovered it and in the songs of Solomon This care is in worldly men Numb 23. the care of Balaam loving the wages of unrighteousnesse though God said he should not goe and albeit he himselfe had said vers 19. God would not lie as a man nor change as the sonne of man yet he would trie againe whether God would change his minde so carefull was he to obtaine it 5 If we stiâ—k last to God when all â—lse forsake him 〈◊〉 a signe of love 5. Againe in Psal 119. vers 127. a certaine signe it is a
a few dayes but there is a generall cry of the Israelites a little after they came out of Aegypt Fac nobis Deos visibiles make us gods that we may see to goe before us And this affection of mans nature to See was the beginning of all Paganisme and Idolatry So saith Lactant. Lib. 2. de Orig. Erroris Verentur they feare lest if they should not see what they worship they should be thought to worship nothing at all For Esa 36.7 such was the conceit of Rabshakeh touching Hezekiah and the people of Judah that they had no god at all because Hezekiah had taken away the Idols c. and there was no god to be seen The very same thing in Serapion They had a desire of visible gods Where are your gods You have no visible gods but onely bare Altars as you had in the beginning This desire of sense was the cause of all evill in the primitive Church Now then this was a speciall cause Secondly the other dependeth on the first Commandement For as in the first Commandement they had excesse worshipping what they should not so here in this Commandement they would not keepe a meane they thought they could never have Monitors enow to stirre them up to worship So they would not holde themselves to that meane that God himselfe had ordained viz. First verbum Scriptum the Scriptures Secondly Praedicatum the Preaching of the Word Thirdly the visible Word i. the Sacraments Fourthly the great Booke of the creatures of whom David saith Psal 19.1 Their sound is gone out into all Lands and their words unto the ends of the World These foure be Canori monitores Yet they would not content themselves with them thinking that there could be no Nimium in Religione cultu divino and consequently no superstition Thus they gave the honour due to God unto creatures which were not Divinae but Humanae Rom. 1.23 This is certaine that seeing God had such care of his people he would never have forbidden Images if they had been good for them to move them to the duties of worship it had been injury to them if they had been so good teachers no grosser people then they Let us ergo weigh this superstition against the Euchites and against the private Masse which came in by too much communicating and then they were weary of that and came to have it privately in their houses The writer of the Booke of Wisedome which hath as great authority as any of the Heathen Cap. 14. setteth downe the reasons how Idolatry grew before the comming of Christ one of them was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desire and love of sense insomuch as there was nothing excellent in sight but it was corrupted Rabbi Salomon of Labans Teraphim saith that they signifie nothing else but an Astrolobe or Mathematicall instruments of the Astronomers having the proportion of men as Dials c. And a Teraphim in the beginning signified nothing but an instrument used in Astronomy And the Syriake translation of it is a Mathematicall instrument Thus they were brought to turne them to Images So the Symbola amongst the Aegyptians are armes and Emblemes to distinguish countries as Isis a clod with grasse shewing that part of the country to be fertile and Ibis a dogge shewing the wooddy country and Images upon the tombes of the dead as the Statuae dedicated to Belus and Minos And the cause of it was because they too much addicted themselves to the senses as it is said in Wisedome Though there came an occasion that did helpe them forward in this viz. to please their Princes Belus for his vertues and Minos then living and then they came to be tyrannicall worshipping them at first of favour as Belus and Minos they were afterward by edicts of Princes constrained to worship them for necessity And this was before Christ about which we agree with them Now since the time of Christ they begin to straine a speciall thing in the controversie wherewith they thinke to dash us which is this Shew us say they when Images came up first And there is nothing more easie then to shew the beginning of Images For Ireneus who lived not long after the Apostles times the first two hundred yeares after Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 24.27 and Epiphanius 3.24 De haeresibus Haeresi 27. rehearsed a kind of Hereticks called Gnosticks one of whose errors is that they had Images of Christ Paul and Peter c. Which they said they received of Pilate and Ireneus saith that they had the Crosse which they faigned to have power against Devils and many operations and that the first founder of these was Carpocras commonly called Carpocrates and Ireneus Lib. 1. Cap. 1. against Valentine That the Valentinians were the first men that found out any divine vertues in the Crosse they attributed two vertues to it 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly Epiphanius lib. 3. Haeres 79. sheweth that the Collyridians Valentinians and others had Images of the Virgin Mary and he there speaketh against them that used to offer to her such outward gestures as were due to God and there hee speaketh against it very vehemently even as a man may doe And if they are able to shew more ancient Hereticks than these their Religion shall be true and ours false Thus were they at first There were foure occasions of the invention of them two came up in persecution the other two when the Church was in peace Aug. Lib. contra Adimantum Cap. 3. sheweth that both the forenamed Hereticks and also the Manichees had Images for a policy Aequiâ—res sunt simulachris ut misereantur They shew saith he themselves better friends to Images then we that they might make the Heathen idolaters in their persecutions more friends to them then they are to us So that it is a policy of them to gaine the more friendship of the persecutors and not be so cruelly handled as were the true Christians 2. After this that which is forbidden Levit. 19.28 that which is an especiall thing for the bringing in of Images It is forbidden also in the new Testament many men for the great love they bare to their dead friends to expresse their love and griefe and for remembrance would with hot Irons set markes in their face and other parts that it might continue as long as they lived which is forbidden by the Apostle 1 Thes 4.13 Yea some of them would set up Images to remember them Chrysostome saith that Milesius a Bishop of Constantinople very learned and godly dying was so beloved of the Citizens and Clergy as that when he was dead every man would get his picture in remembrance of him into their Parlors and Rings And so he first came into their Rings after into their Parlors but afterward as appeareth by the Epistle of Epiphanius ad Proepiscopos suos his Image was removed at last ad praetoria to the common places of judgement and the
doing wholly and onely according to Ezek. 28. Hag. 2. So for fasting 1. the negative Matth. 24.38 if we eat or drinkâ— c. or Amos 6.6 they never fasted but drinke wine in boules and annoint themselves with chiefe oyntment Contrary to those Ezek. 9.4 The Papists fast faulty Nâ—â—â— to shew therefore in how many points the glorious fasters erre in six points 1. Levit. 23.31 The right fast is from even to even theirs is but till noone 2. Ezra 10.6 In a true fast an abstinence from all that is to be eaten and drunken they abstaine onely from flesh and that that comes of flesh 3. Levit. 23.27 That it should be an holy Convocation if the fast be publike they make none 4. We should do no weekes worke on that day they do 5. It is without any prayer or humiliation contrary to Levit. 23.27 6. It must be secret if it be private Luk. 18.12 They tell it to God and thinke they merit by it and they tell it to men and are like the Pharisees i. contemne others that are not so exercised as they Luk. 5.33 For maintenance of Schooles c. 2. transgressors 1. One which by corrupt manners and lewd behaviour turne them to Schooles and Colledges of Libertines Act. 6.9 2. The other of Ahabs crew that drive the Prophets to bread and water 1 King 18.13 They are in fault that spoyle the decimae of the Lord Mal. 3.8 or that convert them to Civill uses as 1 Sam. 8.15 And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give it to his Eunuches and to his servants For plaine oblations Psal 83.12 those that said Let us take the houses of God for our owne possessions Last against procuring Jer. 17. from 20. to the end against the Princes and chiefe of the families So much of the first Table THE SVMME OF THE SECOND TABLE THe Summe of the second Table is Matth. 22.39 out of Levit. 19.18 Love thy neighbour as thy selfe It is like the former for in this we depart not from the love of God but rather love him more The similitude is in three respects 1. As first he commanded his owne love so here the love of man that he thereby might be the more loved August De doctrina Christiana saith It is as if we should love the child of our friend though wicked even for our friends sake So we may love the children of God though we see little in them to be loved This respect is 1 Joh. 4.21 This commandement we have of the Father that he which loveth God should love his brother also Brotherly love necessarily implyeth the love of God 2. As Gal. 5.14 1 Joh. 4.20 this is a signe of him that loveth God Rom. 13.9 Jam. 2.8.10 All the law therefore is contained in this as by reason of effect or signe For if we love not him whom we see how shall we love him that is invisible And if we love man that giveth often occasion of hate how should we not love God which is alwaies doing good 3. Quia similis est necessitas in praemiis poenis earum so that he that breaketh the second Table doth also breake the first The scope of this Table is 1. that God may be loved more by our love to other And the second scope is that mans society may be kept according to policie the ground whereof depends on Gen. 2. Man cannot be without an helper so that one must love another and so love invicem Three things are here to be observed 1. The Commandement Love 2. The Object thy neighbour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The Manner as thy selfe For these in this summe there be three words Thou shalt love c. There be three words in Hebrew Greeke and Latin that signifie love 1. The generall Latin word Amor which is in all 1. Amor. extending it selfe to all Gods creatures with a desire that they may remaine in the course that God hath set them yea and justum Dei judicium by the just judgement of God in the devils themselves 2. Benevolentia 2 Benevolentia in reasonable things onely it is rash and may be with errour 3. Dilectio with consideration 3 Dilectio and without all errour August De doctrina Christiana verus amator debet esse verus aestimator he that loveth aright must estimate aright Ambr. Ne erret judicium ne pereat beneficium Though we do good and be hated for it yet we must remember we are in no other case then Christ in the deceit of Judas And that our love might be strong it was best to begin so that our love might reach to them that are furthest from us as our enemies Luk. 6.5 Matth. 5. And here as Aug. saith then we might say Non possum vigilare I cannot watch we cannot say Non possuÌ„ amare I cannot love And this maketh difference betweene all the duties of the Heathen and Christians for take away amare alios propter Deum to love others and to love them for Gods sake and then the Heathen be as good as we Gregory therefore doth well set downe the first duty of the second Table first thing in our love ut rivus justitiae ducatur à fonte pietatis That every duty of the second Table come from the first And consequently as we must looke to the soundnesse of our understanding that we erre not in that so that our affections be right And though Rom. 9.3 be an high measure as August saith yet we may come so farre as to wish that others may be saved with us and to desire that to every man which is to his salvation and wish away the hindering evill In Gal. 5.22 be three workes of that love 1. To rejoyce when good commeth to our brother Rom. 12.15 not to be envious to hinder others from the partaking of our good the fault of the servant that hid his masters talent Matth. 25.26 And if we have not the talent we must not envie that others have it for this is the devils fault and the cause of the first temptation that would not have any better then himselfe 2. To procure peace Rom. 12.18 Agreement with all yet seeing the Angell saith Luk. 2.14 that peace was come and Christ Mat. 10.34 saith the contrary This must be distinguished thus In bonis nil optabilius pace nil odiosius discordia in malis nil optabilius discordia nil odiosius pace with good men nothing is more desirable then peace nothing more odious then discord with ill men nothing more desirable then discord nothing more odious then peace And peace-makers according to this order are blessed Matth. 5.9 And as August contra Donatist Aliter sapere quam res habent non est contra pacem hanc but rather like to that Prov. 27.27 for the searching out of the truth 3. To have a care one of another Levit. 19.16 Matth. 18.17 and
passe Both Philosophie and humane reason shew that there is a singular providence 3. Now that this providence reacheth it selfe to every singular man this by Philosophy and mans reason proved Yea Philosophy making providence a part of prudence and prudence a practicall vertue and practicall vertues having their objects in singularibus in particulars Therefore secondly it is sure that the power of God reacheth to every thing Quia virtutis est maximae pertingere vel remotissima for supreme vertue can reach things most remote But his goodnesse and will to doe good is no shorter then his power all good qualities and of equall longitude and latitude where there is power and providence there can be no hinderance 3. There are none but will confesse that it is a more commendation to provide for every particular thing then for the whole in generall Mithridates is highly commended for that having many thousands in his Armie could speake familiarly to every one and call him by his name Then si quod melius non agatur if that which is better be not done it is of some defect in the doer but in God there is no defect Now from the rest of creatures to man ut Christus If God hath a care of Heaven which hath no use of his owne light or motion but is onely to make the inferiour things fruitfull and Cattell have the use of greene things and man of Cattell and all other things and the Philosopher telling that that which hath the use of all things is principall of all man having the use of all things must needs be principall Si sit providentia Dei in reliquas creaturas in principalem se extendat necesse est If Gods providence reach to the other creatures then much more must it extend it selfe to the principall Psal 8. David considereth the great glory of the Heavens then the eternity of them and he wondreth how God could passe by them a most glorious body and put the soule of man a most excellent creature into a vile lumpe of clay and earth 3. Man was the inteded end of all other creatures for they know not their owne gifts Equus si vires suas nosceret non reciperet sessorem suum The Horse if he knew his owne strength would not receive his Rider Therefore this occultation of the gift from that that hath it and the manifestation of it to man that hath it not is an argument that man is Gods County Palantine of the whole world This is that that Chrysostome in a godly anger being displeased with mankind saith Appende te homo ponder thy selfe O man art thou not better then all other creatures yet is Gods providence over the basest of them And as from all other creatures to man so from men to good men For if he have a providence of those who have onely the Image of God in them by nature then where there are two Images of God 1. of Nature 2. of grace through Christ multo magis much more The Philosophers similitude is magnes amoris amor love is the loadstone of love If he care for all mankind then much more for them that hate themselves to love him that lose themselves to finde him that perish The third station that God will be sought to live with him There are yet two things 1. That God will be sought 2. That he will reward them that seeke him 1. Facientis finis est ipsemet the end of the doer is himselfe Therefore bringing this to God and by 2. necessity because God hath no end quia finis est supra efficientem the end is above the efficient and God having nothing above himselfe ipse sui finis therefore he himselfe is his owne end And being his owne end it must needs be that he created all things either for his owne profit pleasure or honour But neither for profit for no profit can redound from us to him nor for pleasure therefore for honour and this honour is the seeking of God 2. Where there are two relatives there is grounded a mutuall duty betweene them betweene a father and a sonne obedience betweene a servant and a master service betweene the husband and the wife mutuall love betweene the creature and the Creator cultus i. The fourth station God is the rewarder honour 1. Therefore he being sought for sure it is that though we be but vernae Domini the Lords bondmen and that possit esse Dei diplomata condere God may make Charters or Letters Pattents as of Kings that give Lawes and yet give no rewards to the keepers of them but punishe the breakers of them yet he will reward both the keepers and breakers of his lawes And that he will reward there can be no better argument then that he rewardeth some and he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will give unto this last even as unto thee Matth. 20.14 But in the eyes of the world we see that he rewardeth some and it cannot stand with the justice of God that he should reward some and not othersome therefore there shall be a place where these all shall be rewarded And if we see not the multitude of rewards as we would let us ascribe it to this that God is not sought for as he should be small service for doctrine in examining controversies for life in examining our actions This to this end that religion being divided into these two parts into Christianity and in Christianity The body of christianity which is the true part having such little seeking of God there being no doubting in doctrine none in mens actions he so seldome rewarding After the Counsell of Trent when the league was made by mutuall marriage of the Emperour King of Spaine King of France having then taken their oath for the rooting out of us and our religion the Lord at that time disappointed them by the death of their corpses and within halfe a yeere they fell together by the eares 2. The wounding of the Spaniard Ieroego who was shot thorough the head and no faculty hurt In the delivery of Rochel when the King of Spaine withall his power laid siege to it and famind it There was a great multitude of shell-fishes brought to the City that never was seene before nor never after and by that meanes was the City saved In the siege of Harlam by Duke de Alva the reward of them that seeke not God Reward of them that seeke not God Examples The King of Sweveland deposed of his owne subjects for incest For murther the last King of France died miserably the blood gushing out of as many places of his body as could come forth and that presently upon that great slaughter of the Saints Deut. 28.1 Levit. 26.3 For breach of faith The Venetians making league against the Turke and after joyning themselves with the Turke were punished by the losse of the best I le in all their Country Cyprus In
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle c. God saith to the woman that is the Church that he will give her two wings even the wings of a great Eagle These two wings by the interpretation of the learned are 1. the providence of God 2. His especiall grace Dei providentia in hoc seculo ala una gratia Deispecialis ala Ecclesiae altera The providence of God in this world is the one wing his speciall grace the other wing of the Church As in a wing there is an infinite number of feathers so in each of Gods wings infinite number of particular benefits but especially these three 1. Gods care over us whereby he abaseth himselfe to number the haires of our head to our dough bread c. 2. The use of all his creatures both for necessity and pleasure 3. The gard of his Angels for us base matter wormes compassed about with sinne His providence is thus considered He being a God infinite and eternall yet he considereth to looke upon every particular little thing of ours Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. to our dough our bread Psalm 41. to the turning and making of our bed In the Gospell the number of the haires of our head which we never doe Last of all he hath allotted to us poore wormes an handfull the most excellent guard of his Angels Heb. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation He hath commanded them to waite on us Yea he hath made this goodly Theater and all creatures and hath given them for our use Adeo ut sit inexhaustus fons divinae bonitatis so that the fountaine of the goodnesse of God is inexhaustible For his speciall grace in vouchsafing his sonne to redeeme the world by his death 2. A measure of sanctification and vertue to doe well 3. The outward ministery of his Word and Sacraments are as seales of his promises 4. Revel 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man will heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will suppe with him and he with me Pulsationes spiritus good motions to doe well Generall grace is first preventing 2. Following God bestoweth his benefits on us before we looke for them they are acceptable and accepted by the following The use of his meanes his Word Sacraments and motions of the Spirit the judgements of God Particular grace In particular the good gifts of nature of grace of those among whom we live of whom we have benefit Beside these if we come in particular to weigh every man by himselfe Gods particular graces 1. by bond of nature 2. of charge 3. of friendship in these graces particular we are to consider 1. that God seeing he hath done thus much for us must needs love us 2. That loving us he will command us no other thing then that which is good and profitable for us But adde to those benefits that are promised the promises that are to come Prae his illa nihil sunt in comparison of these those are nothing namely beneficia futura in futuro seculo benefits to come in the World to come The Prophet Esay 64.4 valueth them by the eye eare heart and he denieth that eye hath seene or eare hath heard or that it hath entred into the heart of man to understand those joyes that are for them which seeke him For since the beginning of the World they have not heard nor understood with the eares neither hath the eye seene another God beside thee which doth so to him that waiteth for him The eye may see much for Christ saw all the world 1. Cor. 2.9 The place of Esay recited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The eare can heare many things but the heart can conceive infinite things Therefore the joyes of the World to come must passe infinite being compassed about with the flesh when as yet it was never seene heard nor conceived of any And this is that name which is said Revel 2.17 No man knoweth it but he that receiveth it Revel 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna and will give him a new name written which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it No knowledge of it till we receive it But for some taste of it whereas this Earth and this Heaven is too good for us yet he promiseth that he will make a new Heaven and indeed the uttermost of his power will he shew in heaping joyes and creating anew for those that seeke him so it is proved by manifest demonstration that he will shew the uttermost of his power in increasing our pleasures Therefore this is it that we conceive of it that it is more then we can conceive So that this shall be more then excellent or over-excellent because we are not able to conceive it All this tendeth to this end to stirre up in us a love and if that come we shall finde ease and delight these will diligence and continuance follow And there are but three things to move us to love 1. Pulchritudo the beauty of that we are to love 2. Consanguinitas neerenesse of kindred 3. Beneficentia benefits these make the most savage beasts to love For the excellency of the beauty of the Lord and his house his creatures and the sparkes we have by nature will sufficiently shew us 2. For the neerenesse what greater can be then betweene creature and Creator and then by the second bond of adoption we shall be his sons 1 Sam. 18.18 What am I and what is my life that I should be sonne in law to the King David maketh it a wonderfull great matter to be sonne in law to the King much more to God 3. For Benefits The Asse knoweth the Masters Cribbe and the Oxe the Stall he hath not onely bestowed on those that were before rehearsed but his love was such to mankind that he was faine to have his onely begotten sonne to come downe and die for us And if this move us not then let Jeremies saying take place Obstupescat coelum terra let Heaven and Earth be astonished And thus much to make us willing The second point is in the 10. vers Moreover the Lord said to Moses 2. Point goe to the people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their clothes and let them be ready on the third day For the third day the Lord will come downe in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai As the first was to make us willing so the second is to make us able and giveth us ability Before in the preface was said Sacta sanctis
masters but that they should serve The former two and indeed the third they all pertaine to us For though it be true that Non obligamur legi propter Sinai sed propter Paradisum We are not tied to the law for Sinai but for Paradise and so to all the sonnes of Adam And though God gave Rom. 11.11 to one Nation his law to provoke all other Nations to emulate them as also the Jewes themselves to emulation yet this also is true that there is not one of these titles but in farre more deepe title pertaineth to us which have a better performance Tituli in prâ—â—â—io legis ad nos pertinent The titles in the Preface of the Law belong to us and therefore are grounded on a better promise First Iehovah As the excellency of his Name is in respect of the performance of a new covenant So Heb. 8.6 The Gospell i. the new covenant saith Paul is the better covenant because it hath better promises and it is better to say In semine tuo benedicentur omnes gentes in thy seed all Nations shall be blessed then to say semini tuo dabo omnem terram Canaan unto thy seed will I give all the Land of Canaan Ours is farre better then theirs namely the covenant of obedience sanctification and glory For the second Thy God We are included with them in the first and in the second also we have a part but the third perfecter the Covenant in mercy and redemption They had but two creation and obedience Thirdly for the deliverance How many more dangers we are delivered from then they from the sting of conscience from sinne from death how much more the divell and all his Angels passe Pharaoh and his Taâ—k-masters Hell and Gehenna the Lime-kils the torments without number passe the tale of Brickes with number so much our deliverance passeth theirs Colos 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of the sonne of his love 2 Tim. 1.10 In this world from errours that most part of the world fall into in the world to come 1. 1. Thou Iehovah we vile creatures From the justice of God 2. From the law 3. From the sting of conscience 4. From sinne 5. From death 6. From Hell 7 From the divell and his angels 2. I thy God we thy servants 8. From the spirituall Egypt 9. From the Egypt of the world i. Antichrist Now as God hath his titles so are we to have ours 3. Which have delivered thee we delivered c. 1. We most vile creatures 2. We thy miserable servants 3. We that have beene delivered from sinne c. from a thousand dangers Audi Israel Heare Israel Speake Lord thy servants heare thee Let us therefore heare him and be his servants least we be hiâ— servants that are spoken of 2 Chron. 12.8 Servants to our worldly desires Neverthelesse they shall be his servants so shall they know my service and the service of the Kingdomes of the earth The law being divided into the stile in Exod. 20.2 that hath been handled and into the charge Now of the charge which is nothing else but the ten words commonly called the ten Commandements The number is set downe Deut. 10.4 as well to take away mans presumption of adding any thing in which respect Exod. 32.15 God wrote both the sides of the Tables full that nothing might be added to them 2. As also to take away excuse from man for that they may be easily kept in memory because they are so few whereas those of the heathen are infinite These for better order and memory receive a division from the subject First Deut. 6.4 divided according to the two Tables which Christ Matth. 22.40 Marke 12.30 warranteth speaking to a Scribe he divideth them according to two objects 1. God 2. Man And this is not his owne but it is warranted in the Scriptures of the law The duty toward God Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soule might Duty to man Love thy Neighbour as thy selfe Levit. 19.18 from whence Christ hath it So that this division according to the tables and contents of them is Christs division 1 Tim. 1.5 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love is so often repeated in the Law Paul maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the summe and end of the Law to be love Ro. 13.9 The whole law is recapitulated into this summe Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy selfe For our love proceeding and ascending up to God when we descend and come to our neighbour it is but a reverberation of the love we have towards God and every reverberation praesupposeth a direct beame so that every man hath God first in his direct motion The division of the ten Commandements into two Tables NOw these ten precepts must be sorted into these two Tables of God and in the sorting of them there may arise some doubt The first is betweene the Jewes and the Christians the second betweene the Christians themselves 1. Doubt The Jewes make an even division five in one Table and five in the other Their warrant as they thinke is Psal 82.6 I have said ye are Gods therefore the fifth Commandement to be referred to the first Table Answer Solution But because in the Commandement are also included inferiours and they are no Gods we must seclude it out of the first Table because it pertaineth not to God directly but to man Secondly betweene the Christians themselves The Church of Rome they make the two first one and the last Commandement they stretch and make two of it Wherein they follow not the greatest number of Fathers as they say they doe in their interpretations but divide this Commandement into non concupisces vitam non concupisces famam Thou shalt not covet the life thou shalt not covet the name That it cannot be theirs 1. The desire Non concupisces vitam proximi tui thou shalt not covet the life of thy neighbour which is the desire of the 6. Commandement and non concupises famam proximi tui thou shalt not covet the name of thy neighbour which is the desire of the ninth might as well make two Commandements as these two and better too But common sense telleth us that to make lawes of particulars is the greatest folly that may be Much lesse Gods law which is exceedingly generall And we see that of concupiscence set downe here in generall there are two branches of it and when they interpret of it in their comments they say they finde some little difference betweene them and indeed they finde such inconvenience that commonly they include them both into one 2. No wise man would imagine that a Law-giver that would give ten Commandements could give two of them at one breath at one period yea in one verse and the other in distinct periods 3. A greater
divided and that also falleth into the division of having The parts of the soule as God maketh them Deut. 6.5 are reason or understanding called the soule 2. The affection or will called the Heart Therefore they are foolish schoolemen that expound by the heart the body of man So the duety of the mind being to know as is abovesaid in the treatise of the heart and appetite to regard love falleth right to this But under the division for the well expounding of the parts we must labour for the true sense of this Therefore as we know the parts of the mind so we must know that these parts have their order Vires animae sunt ordinatae the powers of the soule are set in order saith the Philosopher The order is this that we must know it before we can regard it and love it For ignoti nulla cupido there is no love of that we know not the Philosopher That invisa possumus cupere incognita nequaquam we may covet things unseene but never things unknown Augustin Therefore they say well where two things be in order if the first be taken away the second shall never be fulfilled So if ignorance be brought in God shal never be desired nor loved and so not had The first kowledge He must be knowne and that standeth first the duty of the mind and understanding part 2. Love he must be loved esteemed the duty of the second part the heart or will Now the end of knowledge is but the fulnesse of perswasion a setled beliefe which we call faith both the meanes and end of knowledge And therefore comprehended in the first part as the fulnesse of regard and love is nothing else but obedience But to make it more plaine let the mind begin that we may first know God knowledge must have its object and that is God He cannot be knowne à priore in himselfe therefore we must seeke to know him à posteriore and that is by his attributes and effects For his Attributes they are those ten set downe Exod. 34.6 7. His Majesty Truth Vnchangeablenesse Will Justice Mercy Knowledge Power Vbiquity Eternity Of these two especially are called principall and concerne us most his Justice and Mercy the other 8. are called communiter ad dno common to two because they fall into these two alike So knowledge in fulnesse 1. proceeding to faith apprehendeth 1. the Justice of God 2. his Mercy and beleeveth them both Adde the other 8. to his Iustice that he is of infinite majesty infallibly true c. and they make it more perfect and consequently more fearefull adde them also to his Mercy that he that loveth us is King of eternall life c. and it maketh his Mercy more and consequently farre more to be beloved Out of this faith or knowledge proceeding of his justice there proceedeth feare and out of it humility These out of Justice the first part and out of the knowledge and faith of mercy with the other 8. proceed two duties more one hope who would not hope 2. Fructus spei invocatio precatio est interpres spei The fruit of hope invocation prayer is the interpreter of hope By prayer or thankesgiving i. to acknowledge from whom we have received it Love hath his effect and fruit Love is full in obedience which is a conforming of our selves and our will to the Will of God Or a bearing willingly of whatsoever it pleaseth God to lay on us for not conforming our selves to him in this life and that is called patience obedientia crucis the obedience of the Crosse In these the having of God doth wholly consist and there can be no other duety added to them We must understand this that it pleaseth the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures by the figure Synecdoche for shortnesse of speech sundry times to name one of these and thereby to meane and comprehend the whole worship of God As Iohn 17.3 all is given to knowledge This is life eternall that they know thee c. In another place all to feare And in another place all to hope c. In the rest under the name of one synecdochicall to comprehend all the other Virtutes 2. 3. proposâ—tionis Vertues of the second and thâ—rd propositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not be must be perpetuall And not without good reason for they have a very good dependance one of the other Now to these we must adde the duty of the second proposition 1. true religion and out of the third proposition pure religion against joyning it with other worship And beside these out of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be which is the future tense to consent to it in our life till this non erit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not be devoure our erit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be It includeth the verture of perseverance through all the Commandements And coram facie mea before my face includeth sincerity and singlenes of heart for our heart is as well before his eyes as our other parts contrariwise condemneth hypocrisie These make up the manner of his worship In the resolution of the first Commandement the first thing in it Knowledge is knowledge of which in regard of the excellency and dignity of it Iohn writeth thus ch 17. v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This is eternall life that they know thee In the handling of these severall vertues as before in the explication of the Commandement we must follow those rules that we have set downe Vsus necessitas cognitionis Dei The use and necessity of the knowledge of God The first thing concerning knowledge is the use of it and thence the necessity of it The necessity out of this place that knowing we must attaine everlasting life And forasmuch as life everlasting is so much worth to us and without this knowledge we lost it but we are dull by our owne nature therefore we are to seeke a further provocation We must therefore adde that Ier. 9.24 where God plucketh from us all our Peacock feathers as gifts of nature as wisdome gentry riches strength c. and chargeth not to rejoyce in them but in that we know God But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me And herein only must we glory But as we said it is not the excellency that can so strike into us our dull hearts but they cannot desire to be excellent But because we cannot be without it when we come to shew that we must needs have it that is ferrea ratio a hard reason If he finde us ignorant that we cannot doe agendum i. the law being our agend and no action can be without moving and no moving without the will and no will without desire and no desire without a thing knowne therefore take away knowledge and take away all and so nothing shall be done and consequently we shall become idle Not but that
uses also for first either they are spurres and provocations to do good and secondly if wee doe good to be our comforters to cherish the thoughts of the heart so there is a beginning of blisse here The first of them is Feare toward God the reason because the word of God being the object of faith Timor inter affectiones prima the prime affection is feare Because the affections have their prius posterius their first and last Looke what object is first that affection is first according to this conclude because Gods justice was first proclaymed therefore feare first to be handled There is a faith in Moses i. e. the knowledge of Gods justice 1. Moses his feare And these 2. are properly attributed to feare Why God set justice first to be apprehended Whether wee take it whole and in grosse or the five books of Moses before the foure Gospells or in the very beginning wee see our faith apprehendeth in the order of the word that in what day soever thou shalt eat of the fruit of the tree thou shalt die before the other the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head So the Justice of God offereth it selfe first to be handled which justice the knowledge that is by faith apprehending armed with the other eight attributes to make it seeme more fearefull considering it with them and the conscience telling us that man hath taken of the forbidden fruit necessary it is that feare come out of this consideration and consequently be in us for our transgressions It is that which before was said Joh. 3. â—6 si crederetis Moysi crederetis mihi if yee beleeved Moses yee would beleeve mee first Moses must be beleeved and then Christ The first is a faith in Gods justice There is a most manifest example of this Jonah 3.5 crediderunt Deo timuerunt they beleeved God and feared which is nothing else but a faith in Gods justice They of the later writers giving to faith 6. motives make the two first and especiall these 2. contritionem a grinding to powder by feare by that knowledge the law being apprehended Psal 119.120 the Prophet telleth us what is the true object of feare My flesh trembleth for feare of the O Lord I am humbly afraid of thy judgments this effect is of faith in the justice of God The reason why it pleased God to set justice first to be apprehended and feare is that before any matter be brought to passe that that hindreth must be taken away Have God wee cannot because Esa 59.2 there is a separation betweene him and us and as it is said Ephes 2.14 there is a great partition wall betwixt therefore wee cannot have him Causae prohiâ—entes expellentes pâ—â—catum The causes which hinder the growth of sinne are 1. Timor feare Now as wee should looke for him that should breake downe so if wee will have it broken downe it is expedient that wee should not build it higher therefore wee must cease to heape sinne upon sinne and looke for Christ to breake downe that which is already built That that causeth us to cease from sinne is the feare of God Prov. â— 13 expulsor peccati timor domini the feare of the Lord teacheth us to hate evill not saying as it is Rom. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound therefore this is the reason why God commandeth feare because it makes to leave sinne There are besides this two other reasons and two other affections but it pleased God to make choyce of this here for not onely feare but shame and griefe or paine cause men to leave an evill thing but they that are moved neither with shame nor griefe with feare are moved For shame Psal 83.16 the Prophets prayer is Fill their faces O Lord with shame 2. Pudor shame that they may seeke thy name for griefe Esa 28.19 vexatio dabit intellectum if a man smart for it experience will teach him understanding 3. Dolor griefe Puder tollitur multitudine peccantium dolorem tollit aut certe mitigat volupâ—â— terrena But wee know that in multitude of offenders there is no place for shame therefore that cannot prevaile seeing the world is full of offenders and for paine we have terrenas consolatiunculas some few worldly pleasures to beate it out or at the least to season it but feare which it pleaseth God here to require at our hands is that when these faile it faileth not as we see it hath prevailed in evill men yea in beasts Gen. 3.10 Adam walked up and downe in Paradise with comfort enough though he had Fig-leaves and was naked his humbling came not to any perfection till he heard the voyce of the Lord comming toward him Acts 24.25 Felix the Deputy being a very ill man and an Heathen we see he fell into a trembling on a discourse of Pauls concerning justice and temperance and other vertues and especially of the judgements of God This were somewhat but that it moveth beasts also and that beast in which there is most brutishnesse Numb 22.23.25 27. Balaams Asse being in feare of the Angel of the Lord that stood in the way while there was roome enough on both sides ranne aside out of the way when there was no roome 〈◊〉 that one might passe by another he rubs the Prophets foote against the wall and when there was no way at all to escape the Angel of the Lord he falleth downe flat under him and though he were sore beaten yet he could not be made to runne upon the Angels sword no stripes can drive an Asse where he seeth danger to be to runne into that danger but he will be sooner killed with stripes then move Yet beyond these as that Iam. 2.19 that howsoever all other things are not brought forth out of the Devils yet feare commeth of their faith Daemones credunt contremiscunt the Devils beleeve and tremble therefore this must needs bee a most forcible meanes and he is far gone and in a very fearfull case that feareth not You will happily say but God speaketh much of love that were a better way to be brought by love to obedience and beliefe Objection Responded It is true It is a farre better way but the case is so that love will not prevaile with us for he that doth love a good thing Solution must have a knowledge of it and by his knowledge a taste of it and if his taste be infected as in a Fever they that are troubled with it are delighted with nothing but that which seemeth good to the corrupted state and if wholsome meate be offered them yet they love it not If the love be infected there is no love of that which is profitable unlesse it agree with their corrupted taste and consequently cannot be brought by love to taste of the wholsome meate yet this reason will be
forcible enough to perswade them to take it that if they take it not their fit will be sharp or their life shorter so feare workes in them in whom love prevaileth not In the same state are naturall men spirituall joyes if they could be tasted We have such a disease of sin that let one talk of the joyes of the Saints that they have in heaven an evill tast cannot taâ—â— it and consequently cannot love it feare were superfluous but we with vaine delights of earthly pleasures and ease and evill company have cloyed our selves and brought our soules to an evill taste so that we are come to that that we cannot desire that which is to be desired and that which is not to be desired we desire onely now because we see that course that we have taken it wil bring us into sharper fits or bereave us of our spirituall life the feare of losing this that may prevaile with us therefore necessary it is that feare should be Yet we may adde this that to this love we are brought by feare An Heathen man saith odium peccandi oportet facias non metum man should hate By feare we abstaine from evill not feare sinne and this odium peccandi hatred of sinne commeth from feare For feare maketh us to abstaine from sinne abstinence from sinne bringeth a good life having a good life we beginne to have a good conscience beginning to have a good conscience we shall be without feare and have peace of conscience and then it beginneth to love and to taste of God and godlinesse A timore bona vita a bona vita bona conscientia a bona conscientia amor therefore love and feare in this respect are compared to a needle and a thread the needle that is not to tarry but to bring the thread through so feare comes not to stay in the heart but to bring mutuall love therefore we must feare first before we can come to love Discat timere qui non vult timere discat ad tempus esse solicitus Finis usus timeris the end and use of fear Time ne timeas feare that thou mayst not fear qui vult esse securus Let him learne to feare that would live without feare let him learne to be solicitous for a time here that would be secure for ever hereafter So the use of feare is restraint of evill and causing of love Now to the Objection The common definition of feare is Expectatio mali an expectation of evill Quomodo Deus summe bonus timeri potest how can God be said to be feared which is the chiefest good here now may be some doubt to them that have not the deeper skill in Divinity how one can be said to feare God seeing in him there is no evill for he is wholly goodnesse it selfe and the Fountaine of all goodnesse and consequently there is no evill in him and therefore cannot be said to be feared To this we say that God is not first and principally to be feared but as before hath beene said his judgements Deus ut objectum timoris How God is the object of feare that is the effect of Gods justice that is first feared and God secundarily the reason why it is principally feared because in it concurre all the affections and qualities that can by any meanes move feare which the Philosopher calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things full of feare and that is indeed objectum formidabile an object altogether fearfull in three respects malum futurum propinquum vires excedens First it is an evill which is not yet past Secondly it is nigh at hand Thirdly it is unsupportable 1. It is to come malum futurum therefore Christ Matth. 24.6 after he had reckoned up many calamities that should happen he addeth But the end commeth not yet the greatest is behinde Whatsoever we shall suffer in this world yet the end is to come Nearenesse in two respects 1. in respect that all things are his 2. wheresoever we come there he is also Deus ubique God is every where 2. It is propinquum neare at hand the armies of God are alwayes round about us wheresoever we are God is with us and we are in the middest of his hoste as was said before all his creatures be armed to the destruction of the wicked 3. It must be a matter of great difficulty that it may exceede our power which is the naturall course of feare that there be defectus potentiae a defect of power to resist this also is necessarily included in Gods judgements Psal 130.3 If thou wilt be extreme O Lord to marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it 1 Cor. 10.22 Doe we provoke the Lord to anger are we stronger then he i. our strength is as stubble before him nothing to resist and we are not as Job saith of brasse or stone In this arduum or difficulty are comprehended foure degrees of encrease 1. that it be a punishment malum poenae there is a barre erected and an arraignment 2 Cor. 5.10 for we must all appeare before the tribunall c. Abel is elected and Caine rejected 2. It must be insolitum strange without example Heb. 10.31 horrendum est incidere in manus Dei it is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of God 3. It must be malum subitum or repentinum 1 Thes 5.3 it shall come alway suddenly upon them that feare not Prov. 29.1 A man that hardneth his necke when he is rebuked shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured 4. If it be without remedy incurable and that is in two respects as before was shewed so is the judgement of God especially in the life to come for as God will shew the uttermost of his power in providing rewards for his chosen When God comes to bee considered sub ratione personae as a person he comes to bee considered under those person that arâ— most â—crâ—ible to us God compareth himselfe to a King and therfore hee challengeth this fear to him In eo qui timetur tria consideranda consider there are three things considerable in him whom we fear 1. Authoritas his authority so he will surely shew it to the uttermost in providing punishments for them that will not feare and the wicked So this is the object of feare and this is it that faith must looke for Now secondly as it is said in Philosophy etiam timetur ille qui potest malum infligere we are said to feare him properly who is able to punish us and so come to say God is feared In the party that is to be feared there are three things to be considered 1. Authority though a child be a King and a woman beare rule over us which of themselves are weake yet in regard of their authority they become very terrible unto us Mal. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father c. If I be a father where is mine honour if I be your
creature of them all but if it breath it hath cause enough to praise him Amor Dei the love of God OF the love of God Amor Dei that that 's said Gal. 3.17 we see it verisied as the Law is said to have beene added for a time till the Seed came so here may likewise be affirmed that the other affections and actions were onely till our nature received triall till the love of God come Of which love the Fathers say that the having of that occupare amorem the being possessed of love drowneth all other affections For therefore we feare for a time that being delivered we may love and being humbled we may hope and pray that we may say Psalme 116.1 Dilexi quia audivit Dominus vocem orationis meae the coherence of prayer and love I have loved because the Lord hath heard the voyce of my prayer From the beginning it was said 1. that having of God is in knowing him albeit we have him naturally yet if we know him not we have him not 2. in esteeming of him this estimation is properly in this affection of love and those that went before feare and hope are for no other end but for this that when God hath bestowed it on us it may the better be esteemed of us when we have beene in feare and for this end it commeth that as cito data vilesount we commonly sleight that which we can but aske and have so these things that we have felt the want of so long having beene humbled when they come we may have more regard of them 〈…〉 Concerning the object thereof it is bonum good wherein the very naturall reason of man hath found two properties 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a communicative and an atractive property whatsoever is good it is such a thing as is desire us to communicate it selse to as many as will taâ—e it and are meete to take it as we see in the Sunne and other celestiall creatures and in the naturall elements and consequently there being a quality of desiring to communicate good in God which is his goodnesse no doubt it is in greater and excellenter manner and that was the cause in deed of the creation of all things that he might have a Church and shew his glory and mercie on it So the minde of man seeing this nature in good consequently desireth it and that desire goeth thus farre till it come to a conjunction and that conjunction to an union ita conjuagi ut uniamur Ratio because by the union of two good things there shall come good to the desirer that he had not before and so he is made better It hath bin said that the inferiour things if they be coupled united with things of more excellent nature they are made more noble as for a potsherd to be covered with gold as on the other side things excellent being joyned with viler things are made more abject as the minde of man with inferiour creatures and there can be no greater excellencie of it then by the conjunction of it with that that is all good and containeth in it all good things and so as it containeth them for evermore And so of this commeth the 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 the attractive force In every good there is a force and that allureth and therefore it is that faith and knowledge must necessarily goe before so when a good thing because we cannot take from it his good if that the force be not then as the Schoolemen say Bonum quod non amatur the good we love not it is a signe quod non cognoscitur that we know not for if it were the naturall desire of all being that it is to better us 〈…〉 we should love it to be bettered by it therefore it is well said that to good things there is no greater enemy then ignorance therefore it is the part of knowledge and faith to show us this good and that will stirre up love in us and so having stirred up that in us there will follow here unio affectus unio aâ—us and for sides visio This love is of two sorts 1. mercenarius 2. gratuitus that love that beginneth and that that is free not respecting reward they are distinguished When a man saith he loveth his meate and drinke and his friend and brother it is certaine that these are not all one the one is a desire to have it to turne it to his owne benefit for the present time not caring what become of it after but he loveth his friend to do him good and to wish him well so in the one he secketh his own good in the other to doe good to other and to him cui bene volumus whom we wish well unto The Philosopher distinguisheth them by unde quo whence and whither In the first love the question is made by quo in the other unde what good it hath in it though it be no benefit to us So the one hath the eye inward in it selfe the other outward to other for as we see sundry times the one is the beginning of the other and after those that have beene beneficiall to us wee fall to love them for themselves and not for their benefits The first love ariseth out of hope because the soule of man by feare being brought low to the ground then conceiving hope and consequently sending forth prayer and then receiving the fruit of it saith as it is Psal 116.1 I am well pleased or I have loved that the Lord hath heard the voyce of my prayer so Psal 20.7 Now I know that God hath heard his anoynied when he had received the fruit of it and so was stirred up to this first love so the first love of God is because he receiveth from him that which the Apostle applieth to that which he had in hand That which is spirituall is not first but that which is naturall or carnall August Basil Ambrose Bernard refeâ—re to saith and love shewing plainely that Caesars vertues were in greater account then and Catoes Caesars being curtesie affability clemencie liberality c. Catoes conscience and faithfulnesse and justice c. which were not to others commodity yet because in the other there was sui suum they were of better account for that which is naturall will be first i. to love that by which we receive commodity concupiscentia before cupiditas this love is the inchoation of the other for nemo repente fit summus no man comes to the height at first God hath taken order for it Chrysostome he marvelleth how men can slip themselves out of this love of God for if they will have amorem mercenarium that love which is mercenary he offereth more for it then any man for he biddeth the Kingdome of heaven but this is the state of this love as before in feare So the Fathers they have compared this love and the other to
good soever we have it comes from him Visible beauty 〈…〉 1. Beauty there is a visible and invisible beauty The visible is such as our eyes are drawne to one of the Heathen calleth it radium divinae essentiae a beame of the divine essence another florem divini seminis a flower sprung up of a divine seede This visible beauty is not such as should move us much One of the Heathen saith Damihi solem aestâ—vum bring it but into the summers sun it is done da mihi ventum vernum or to the March winde it will marre it duc unguem transversum scratch it but with thy naile it is clean spoyled or let all alone yet it is soloccidens a declining sun it will set of it selfe yeeres and sicknesse will abridge it The beauty of God if a man had a glorified eye farre passeth all these streames Psal 16. last v. the Prophet saith that hee saw the likenesse of God but in a vision and it filled him continually For the invisible beauty Augustin sheweth a good way to finde it It may happily be that thou lovest a man because he is thy friend may it not also be that he is an old man and what lovest thou then in him his head is white his body is crooked his face wrinkled O thou wilt say fidelis homo est he is a faithfull honest man Well saith he quibus oculis videtur fides iisdem videtur Deus God is seene by those eyes by which thou discernest thy friends fidelity This motive is no where greater in God we shall have most perfect rest otherwise set thine eye or heart on any countenance or pleasure in the earth thou shalt finde no rest But quicquid est per quod satigationi occurritur whatsoever we take paines about that same thing in fatigationem vertitur it wearieth us if it be but awhile 2. For the other i. for neerenesse propinquitas name any name of neerenesse not the mention of Dominus servus of Lord and servant but there it is and that is a great priviledge that we have that the Angels are not our Lords but our fellow-servants but the name of a friend is greater nearenesse Iohn 15.15 I will call you my friends and that such a friend as we see that his glorious estate made him not thinke scorne of us and in the pitch of our adversity he did most love us Brother Iohn 20.17 Goe tell my brethren c. and whereas in a naturall thing it is that if there be many it diminisheth as the affection of Parents when they have many children Gen. 37.3 this otherwise Luke 12.13 Brethren according to the flesh they are a meanes that the inheritance commeth not whole but this brother is so farre from keeping any portion of the inheritance from us as that having two rights he was content to part with one right and to entitle us wholly with it Father Deut. 32.6 Dealest thou so with the Lord is not he thy Father that bought thee c. not as thy father after the flesh that hath begot thee happily to a benefit peradventure to a curse if thy other Father take no better order for thee then thy father after the flesh especially the Spouse through the whole booke of the Cantic Deus zelotypus he is jealous over us And that that goeth beyond all these because hee was not neere enough Heb. 2.17 that in all things he might be like unto us he tooke upon him our nature and made himselfe like unto us in all things only sin excepted which made us unlike him that there might be perfectus amor ubi perfecta similitudo perfect love where there was perfect likenesse 3. Benefits that motive is used Esa 1.3 hang up a crib and see thou put provender into it and the Oxe and the Asse will know you for it So is the state of benefits among men Luke 7.47 he to whom is more forgiven or given to loveth more and his love it waxeth and waneth according to the benefit For benefits that we are facti refecti our owne particular Table will instruct us how bountifull he is in serving up all the creatures to our use so promotion riches and honour they come not from men but God ipse est qui inclinavit corda corum what benefit soever we receive of men we are accountable to him for all and then considering that dedit filium he hath given us his sonne Deus Filius pretium Spiritus pignus Pater praemium for a price Spiritum Sanctum the holy Ghost for a pledge and earnest servat se tantum in praemium and hath reserv'd himselfe for a crowne and reward of that love that we shall afford him therefore if we know not his crib then let the Oxe teach us to know our Masters crib and he is nothing comparable to God The signes of love The proper signes are obedience and patience which are the proper effects of love but others are to be recounted Signa amoris the signes of love and they are particularly to be handled 1. The first is in Matth. 6.21 Christ saith wee shall know where our treasure is i. our love by the heart i. by the thoughts of our heart The bending of a mans thoughts upon any thing so that a man may know that which he loveth most if he can know the thing that he doth oftenest thinke of we have example of it Mar. 8.14 if there be any thing that a man setteth his minde upon he thinketh it is mentioned when ought is spoken that may be taken that way as it is said that when our Saviour Christ beganne to teach them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisces and of Herod their minde was on bread and they thought Christ spake to them to warne them of bread when he spake the Parable of Leaven so then that is a signe of the love of God if our thoughts be upon him Thoughts are of three sorts either a thought Deepe Long Often repeated Cogitatio Profunda Prolixa Crebra The deepe thought is that which in the Saints of God is especially to shew forth it self Cogitatio profunda so that sundry seemed to be in an exiasie in recounting the mercie of God the matter of their love and it is a signe of great love in them The other a long continued thought continuae cogitationes though not profundae * * * When the minde runneth upon a thing continually though it cannot thinke of it seriously Prolixa Ezek. 33.31 their minde ranne so much upon worldly affaires as it is the manner of age to thinke of wealth and covetousnesse so of youth to thinke of pastime that in the meane while they thought not of the word of God So these continued thoughts shewed what they loved so then if our thoughts upon God may be continued though they be not very deepe yet they are a good signe of love
conclusion to set downe that when all the world have forsaken God therefore to love God the more this is the nature of the worldly man while there is a liking his liking goeth with other mens liking but when a man can continue his affection so that his love is when others mislike and the more a thing is hated the more he will love it this is a good signe 6 If we can say as the Church saâ—â—h Câ—nt 8 7. Mâ—ch water cannot quench love neither can the flouds drowne it if a man should give al the substance of his hâ—use for love they would greatly contemne it that it is strâ—nger then death i. when any affliction commeth it is stronger then it He that loveth for his owne commodity feareth â—est the quantity of that he loveth be diminâ—shed In concuâ—iscence quo quis vult lâ—men suuâ—n there the fewer the better but in bâ—no â—â—â—â—â—lâ—niiae in quo vult vâ—lle attâ—â—tus there we wish that all had him Deus omnibus eo inunis cuique tâ—tus 6. The last signe is out of Cant. 8.7.8 that the true love can abide triall and false love cannot abide it the Heathen man saith falsus amor inde fugit unde probatur false love will not stand the triall but when water cannot quench it nor fire consume it and we can bee contented to foregoe all and our jealousie can wrestle with death and the grave and overcommeth them then we may say as Christ saith Iohn 15.13 greater love then this cannot be The sixth precept As we must our selves love God so likewise we must be desirous to bring others to his love and here appeareth the difference betweene amor mercenarius gratuitus that love which is mercenary and that which is free for in the former because a man seeketh his own profit he is loth that another should love that that he loveth and have any part with him lest by the communicating of that thing to other it should be restrained to himselfe thereof commeth jealousie but in the other where our owne commodity is not sought where we wish not our owne good but good to him whom we love for himselfe there is a desire to communicate all the good things we have so as that all men may have them in commune so they that love God would bring all men to love that they love for it selfe and yet all in whole Ps 31.24 the Prophet shewing his good mind in this point i. he desired to draw all to the love of God Ps 31.26 O love the Lord all ye his Saints c. As on the contrary Psal 139.21 that is also a signe of love Lord doe not I haue them that hate thee Yea I hate them with a perfect haired as though they were mine enemies and had done me injury Psal 94.16 he to draw all men into the hatred of the Lords enemies there his challenge is Who will rise up with me against the wicked or who will take my part against the evill doers and as he would take part himselfe against them so he laboured that others would joyne with him The second principall signes as proper effects of love are obedienâ—â— patience Obedientia Obedience there is no saying of all the Fathers of greater use then that of Gregory Probatio dâ—lectionis exhibitio est operis and that indeede is a true signe of love when it worketh for the Will being inflamed with this affection and having the government of all the parts and powers of the body and minde necessary it is that wheresoever desire in the Will taketh hold it must elicere motum cause motion as if a man be given to the love of wine that love kindleth in him a desire to have it and that desire doth elicere motum that he may work and earne so much money and after still he worketh to get a vessell or bottle till he may have that too This active part doth depend thus of love Iohn 14.15 If you love me as Christ said to Peter Lovest thou me Feede my sheepe shew it by your obedience keepe my Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 if a man obey not he is so farre from love that he doth not know God Obedience the proper effect of love among them that are unequall but not equall We must understand that where the parties are equall betweene whom love is that mutuall affection is called amicitia friendship but where one party is superiour there they are not called friends though the Prince on her part and good will call other so but they properly call it observantiam observance the very naturall actus wherof is obedience Iohn 15.15 Christ calleth us his friends and by the nearest names of consanguinity Matth. 12.49 yet Paul and the rest of the Apostles presumed not upon those titles but acknowledged this observantia and in the beginning of their Epistles and writings entitled themselves the servants of God and of Jesus Christ Rom. 6.16 Paul saith Looke whom ye obey his servants ye are so of this duty this is the perfect signe of obedience The order of the petitions sheweth the end of the Commandements and so consequently in regard of this glory that God hath by our obedience Now the applying of obedience to the end of the Commandement in our petitions that is first that Gods name may be hallowed and glorified How if he be a King and if he beare rule over us how shall this Kingdome and rule be established if we fulfill his will here in Earth as his Angels doe in Heaven and so is his name glorified And it is so necessary as that Gen. 2.17 God for his glory appointed in Paradise the obedience of Adam when he was in that state and therefore ordained a Commandement that he should not eate of the tree of knowledge that in the obedience of that prescript his glory might be shewed The manners of the gâ—ory of God two The glory of God commeth either directly from us to him or by others from us Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me this is for every one that is for the first glorifying But being not content with this Matth. 5.16 God will have glory of us both mediately and immediatly Jam. 2. So let your light shine that other men seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father for your sakes there is that by other he may be glorified for us which is the second justification the first is to him by faith alone but the other before men by such workes as God may be glorified by them and so other by them reconciled to God this glory commeth to God Now for manners Augustin Si mores Christianorum sint amabiles neque quicquam facit bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores for amor male inflammans timor male humilians If the manners of Christians be any way amiable we must
reward concerning which reward Gen. 15.1 it is an exceeding great reward or as the Fathers say upon that place merces magna nimis too great for all the obedience we can performe and such as that one of them saith that the Saints of God they repent themselves that their obedience was so strait and no more upon earth and wish that they might come hither againe to doe more good workes and performe more exact obedience The signes Signa 1. For the first part 1. for audire Hearing the signes before would be sufficient if we could once be perswaded that we doe it not ex opere operato but our practise doth so commend it and confirme it as that we thinke our bare hearing pleaseth God for after we have heard what care we have to gather and summe up our estates how is our thoughts wholly taken up with the world what griefe we have if we doe thereby by neglect our profit againe how easily we frame our selves reasons to absent us from thence it is a signe that we are not aright whereas that businesse we would leave at the call of man but if we heare with fruit and profit and doe it carefully if in particular application wee apply it and study to profit it is a true signe of right Hearing For the other i. obedire obedience as it fals out we have a very good triall of it for in the dissolutenesse of this time the onely benefit in our want of discipline is this that as there be divers punished that would annoy the civill body so those that they thinke the civill state will beare are left which should not be as the Primitive Church but then sundry would obey as to the precepts having correctivam vim rather then directivam a correcting rather then a directing power wheras now it is seene who doth it for conscience sake when God gives us a rule of obedience and the lawes inflict not any penalty for the breach of it there our obedience is free and voluntary when Gods forbidding and mans concurâ—e not if we be obedient in as great measure as if they doe concurre then it is a good signe of the truth and soundnesse of our obedience 2. The other and the best when there fals out a question wherein our nature taketh one part and the Commandement another as Gen. 22. in Abraham Nature bade him net sacrifice his sonne God commanded him to sacrifice his son then we may know to whom we are obedient if God have the victory and commanâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—come and the flesh goe downe then we know that ouâ— obedience is right on the other side if God give place the oblocutoâ— gets the victory then we know what becomes of our obedience so or the world when that and the fashion take one part and God and the Commandement the other looke what we follow there is our obedience Aug. Si Dominus sit si Domini amicus while they two walke together wee cannot know the Dogs Master but he that it followeth when they are parted is his Master 6. For the sixth rule for procuring of obedience in other the two words aedificatio scandalum edification and scandall must be it For Edification Rom. 14.19 for Scandall Rom. â—4 13 that which is lawfull is not lawfull as it is both in the first and second Epistle to Timothy except it edifie or if it be scandalous Patience But we make â—t an especiall effect of love as when love is active obedience passive patience Qui amat tâ—lerat si desistis â—â—lerare desistis amare NOw we come to Patience it may be comprehended under obedience they use to call it obedientiam crucis the obedience of the Crosse it is a fruit of love and the first of all very necessary 1. Cor. 13.4 Charitas patiens est Charity suffereâ—h â—ong the Heathen man hath a strange saying Non amo quenquam nisi offendero I love no man but whom I offend the reason is because â—eaâ—ing and forbearing is a great signe of love he that loveth will beare much but if not he loveth not so that we see patience commeth with obedâ—ence for thus it is This Telerare must necessarily have relation to evill i. malum poenae Of our nature as we are naturall it cannot be said â—ruer than that it is durum pati loath to suffer especially evill the object of it Amos 3.6 non est malum in civitate there is no evill in a City but it commeth of God Rom. 5.3 if we suffer sicknesse poverty c. in the being ridde of it we put our felicity then this may be truly said that that which is evill is never patiently borne propter se for it selfe but thus if the good we shall get by suffering be greater then the evill learning is a good thing so is ease now without labour learning cannot be attained to if any thinke that forbearing of ease is better then the want of learning and he know that the privation of ease will so affect him that he shall come to be learned he taketh paines and consequently proveth learned and so on the other side that is the judgement of the reason that saith thus I will doe this because it is good but I will doe that rather because though I be deprived of a good yet by the privation of that good I shall get a greater good so is the judgement of patience The wants and troubles in this life are lesse then the pleasing of God Gregory saith well Ardor desideriorum facit tolerantiam laborum the ardencie of desire provoketh unto labour The end of Patience For the end or applying of it to the scope it falleth into the same that obedience not glorifying God from our selves but from others Another He will have glory over the Devils by us and it is a meanes whereby God useth to quell their malice by us therefore is patience commanded Iob 2.3 See the triumph of God above the Devill in Iobs patience though Satan afflicted him with sundry plagues yet he continued and so God was glorified in his servant above the malice of the wicked adversary The necessity of it Heb. 10.36 is too plaine you must labour after patience for ye had neede of patience a reason Christ bringeth Luke 21.19 for there hee saith we cannot possesse our soules without it How thus if any crosse come upon us either it is too great for us to beare and we fall into exceeding great worldly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the sorrow of the world worketh death and consequently that sorrow will deprive us of our soules as Ahitophell a wise man as any worldly man or else if wee have not patience we shall fall to set our selves against that party that wee thinke offered us injury in anger 1 Cor 15.26 and so wee come to hatred and then to injurious dealing and so we lose our soule Then in this respect that we
he will worke the like effect as men doe for the breach of Wedlocke Out of these we have three commodities First we learne that we are of dull spirits not feared with Gods proper names of justice c. but he must take other of raging men so jealousie we feare but when we heare that God is just we heare it without any great motion Secondly that of Tertullian Lib. 2. contra Marcion Utitur Spiritus hoc vocabulo ad exaggeranda ejus scelera that sinne is so odious a thing and so vile that if it were possible would make God angry and to be that he cannot be Thirdly it is the Apostles use that he maketh of the justice of God as we see in 1 Cor. 11.29 he protesteth himselfe to be jealous that we our selves might be jealous that is that every man enter into his owne heart and consider what God is and say thus What saith God that he is jealous let us consider what God is and againe what we are how excellent hee is and how vile and wretched creatures we are Why then it should appeare that this should pertaine to us and not to him and rather of our selves and our owne salvation there is nothing worthy in us that he should be jealous of And this for the entry to the thing Now to the thing it selfe Visiting the finnes c. This commination hath two things 1. The censure of the sinne 2. The punishment The censure is by two names First by hatred for if it bee love that maketh us to keepe the Commandements then it must be hatred that maketh us to breake them But can any thing hate God The nature of God is essentially good Solut. nay goodnesse it selfe which can no way come to be the object of hatred Againe sundry of his effects come from his love and they are such as the very wicked love them and him for them because he bestoweth on them their being life sense moving But there is another kind of effects that proceed indeed from his love by which he would have us preserved and so consequently he giveth us Commandements Cohibentia voluntatem inordinatam that bridle our licentious will and these are they that make him to be hated of us For when a man is given to his owne will and is drowned with the zeale of himselfe then he must needs hate those Commandements because they are adversaries and contrary to his will and affection and indeed God commeth to be hated by too much love of our selves For it would have all our desires to be free to our selves and any that doth oppose it selfe it hateth it So then as God saith Mal. 1.5 Your eyes shall see it and you shall say The Lord will be magnified upon the borders of Israel Secondly I have loved you saith the Lord And ye say Wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacobs brother yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and made his Mountaines wast c. Expounded Rom. 9.13 to be nothing else but that he did not choose Esau Then are we said to hate God when there standeth a case betweene his will and an inordinate affection of ours when his will is not chosen but our inordinate affection is preferred and our minde Hoc est odisse deum deum non eligere For God loving us it is the will of God that when the question commeth his loving being so exceeding good to us as that it challengeth us wholly and that love is Vinculum conjugale and therefore the love of the Lord should be Amor conjugalis which hath no third thing but aut amat aut odit non est medium Mat. 6.24 either he must love or hate Deut. 22.16 the Maids father shall say to the Elders I gave my Daughter to this man to Wife and he hateth her c. and chap. 24.3 And if the latter husband hate her and write her a bill of divorcement c. treating there of love betweene married persons he saith If a man marry a wife and hate her that is cease to love her and begin to be weary of her If shee be not onely and wholly loved she is hated because these duties are joyned to one alone there can be no third thing 2. The other name which God calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquity perversnesse peevish and perverse the having of it is to meete with the opinion and censures of men as Dan. 3.14 Nebuchadnezzar to the three Children What disorder is this in you that you will not serve my god nor worship the golden Image that I have set up For the observing and not transgressing of this Second Commandement they were called perverse fellowes and disordered Subjects because they obeyed not the Kings decree Therefore God sheweth the truth who are disordered even those that are breakers of this Commandement and so it shall be found at the judgement of judgements at the last day of judgement God saith Exod. 23.2 A man must not follow a multitude to doe evill his reason is because in doing so he shall become perverse But the voice and judgement of the world is cleane contrary But the resemblance of it that is commonly made of the Fathers is of a pond full of Crabs a perverse swimming fish for she swimming backwards and a fish that were cast into the pond should swimme right they would charge her of not swimming right because she swimmeth not backward as the rest But God Christ the Prophets and Evangelists the Apostles tell us it is not so but that they are disordered that breake this Commandement And this for the censure 2. Now for the punishment It were enough to be found among the hated of God but God moreover addeth here a visitation the meaning of it we haue 1. Sam. 7.16 the word betokeneth the Circuit of a Judge as Samuel went his Circuit year by yeare to Bethel Gilgal and Mispeh and judged Israel And out of our owne practise or as we our selves terme it the Visitation of a Bishop And because visitare is to goe to see it presupposeth absence and so an intermission and it doth very fitly resemble the judgements of God For the forbearing of them as it is Luke 19.44 Dominus requiret de manibus vestris he will require it at our hands to know the time of our visitation As there be some that say the Lord is long a comming so there be some that say he will not come at all That say Non requiret Dominus as Ps 10.12 therefore for the patient waiting of the just for the judgement and glory of God that they may know that it 's a sure thing that he will come as a Judge and though he be long a comming yet at the last he commeth and then he taketh order so certaine we should be of the requiring of our sinnes at our hands though he seeme as though he would not come at all The visitation of God we find to be fitly resembled to this his
visitation is for justice so here should have beene merces and not misericordia not Mercy but wages but our reward doth argue non mercedem but gratuitum amorem not wages but mercy Now that it is called a work operans misericordiam and the other i.e. his justice but a visitation i. e. a thing intermitted that is also a speciall thing to bee observed the nature of his justice is restrayned to the fourth generation and his mercy is extended to thousands so here is a proportion the one containing the other two hundred and fifty times not that the mercy of God is greater then his justice but because he is more delighted in the action of the one then of the other The reward is promised to them that love him the manner of love is according to the love of God because he is jealous for us that wee might bee jealous for him that wee may say as 1 King 19.20 Elias zelo zelatus sum I have beene very jealous for the Lord God of hosts sake zelantes potiùs quà m amantes The triall of this love consisteth in keeping the commandements i. e. that if it be not a commandement it is not from him and therefore whatsoever was without them was not from love Another it is very certaine that the righteousnesse of speech and the true signe of loving him had beene the keeping of him but he saith not so but the keeping of my commandements the reason is because he is able to keepe himselfe and needeth not our keeping therefore he hath set our love to bee tryed by two things First by mandata or praecepta mea his commandements Secondly minimos istos his little ones for the commandements it is said Wee keepe him in his parâ—â—â—â—â— and his love in mandata Hosea 4.10 that they kept them not 2. for the other Mat. 25.45 quandiu uni ex istis minimis non fecistis neque mihi c. in as much as yee did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to mee And the third thing is this that our estimation of them must be such that wee thinke them worth the keeping as Psal 19.10 David accounteth of them as dearly as of much fine Gold of Ophir and Psal 119.72 Thy law is dearer to mee then thousands of gold and silver For keeping by this word Keeper wee must understand that God hath made us keepers of his commandement Now the property and charge of a Keeper is to preserve that thing that he keepeth as from himselfe so from others and to see and have regard that it be neither lost by negligence nor cast away nor broken nor hurt but kept sound till his comming that gave them to him in charge For the losse of Gods commandements 1. King 20.40 For the breaking of them Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall breake the least of these commandements c. shall be called the least in the kingdome of God but a contemptuous threatning is Psal 50.17 Now that they may be safely kept and as it is Prov. 4.21 it is best to lay them up in that place that is surest even in the middest of our heart For the keeping in regard of others wee must not say as Cain of Abel sumne ego custos c. am I my brothers keeper for as Caine should have beene keeper of his Brother that others kill him not so wee should be keepers of Gods commandements that others breake them not Wee must have the commandements of God not only observanda but also consenvanda not only observe but conserve them And if wee performe this duty wee shall doe as they doe Prov. 16.17 he that keepeth them keepeth his owne soule by them So much of the 2d Commandement The III. Commandement Thou shalt not take the c. THe object of this commandement is the Name of god or his glory The thing commanded is a reverent taking of his Name comprehended in this word praise And the proper place of Gods glory is in this commandement by reason of the object which is his name by the which he is glorified And this his glory is such as for it Esa 43.7 he created all things For mine owne glory I created them and for this that which was before his Creation his predestination Ephes 1.6 unto which wee must joyne our praise Now if they must be made like to their creator if the worke must be according to the minde of the maker it is well therefore that end which moved him to make us must be our end and therefore all our actions and thoughts must come to this to be as it is 2. Thes 1.12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you In the second Commandement be these two respects First that the honour exhibited in outward behaviour is exhibited to one that is present Secondly that the honour exhibited is given to the party himselfe for to him alone it must be done Now the worship of the Tongue which wee call Praise goeth beyond these and is most excellent for it is of him that is absent and to others and not to himselfe Though God be present every where yet when wee in our actions and speeches speake of him to others there is praise and so it goeth to him And yet there commeth a further portion of glory So that it is not only true Luk. 14.8 that honour is given to the person but also to his Name Psal 29.2 Give to God the glory due unto his name which giving of glory is properly called praise for the worship of God is made an especiall glorification of God Psal 50. vers last he that offereth me praise glorifieth mee which sheweth that it is allone to give glory to God and to give him praise Now this praise hath his proper place in our mouth Psal 34.1 With my mouth will I praise thee the instrument chiefe in this office is the Tongue and by performance of this our tongues are made glorious Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will be talking of wisdome and his tongue will speake of judgment The manner how this praysing is to be performed is set downe in Moses Deut. 32.3 I will publish with my mouth give yee glory to God i. e. one must report and they that heare must give glory to God Now as was said before in the word Glory accordingly as it is taken both in divinity and out of divinity there is more then either in honour praise or worship because all these are directed that the party on whom they are bestowed might be glorified And the matter of glory hath proportion to Claritas the brightnesse in glasse and in other such visible things that as they are seene a farre off so that party to whom such honour is given it is in such sort that he might have a name a farre off and knowne Therefore for this cause in Psal 66.2 the Prophet having exhorted men to praise he goeth further and
therefore we must not give any scandala but if any be given bring help Levit. 19.17 18 c. In this dilection we must marke two things First to hurt no man Levit. 19.13 Secondly Rom. 12.14 Matth. 5.44 not to recompense evill Three particular actions of this Love 1. To succour the needy and hungry Prov. 22.12 Matth. 25.44 1 Joh. 3.17 If any man have this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Which are defined to be those which we give out of the abundance of sufficiencie 2. To pray Rom. 12.14 Matth. 7.14 to pray for all This is radius charitatis the beames of Charity 3. To performe our vocation as the Lawyer to give good counsell Luk. 6.27 28 29. To part with our clothes c. is a thing to Gods glory and the health of our neighbour 2. Objectum Thy neighbour 2. Proximum They take this word strictly for their friends only Matth. 5.43 but Luk. 10.37 Christ maketh the Scribe confesse that it reacheth to the Samaritanes their greatest enemies which would not entertaine Christ because his face was toward Jerusalem Seeing that he is Proximus a Neighbour that hath mercie and proximus is proximi proximus therefore he is a neighbour that can receive mercy So that misericordia non loci differentia facit proximum a worke of mercy not difference of place maketh a neighbour And the Law confirmeth it Deut. 22.5 If thy brothers oxe c. which brother Exod. 23.4 5. is said to be our enemie This hath for it three words 1. That which is here fellow or friend Amicus 2. That which Christ calleth it and that is plainly a neighbour Proximus 3. Johns word in his Epistle brother frater Reasons why we should love all these are strong and of like force so that the words are all one 1. Frater naturae identitas as beasts of the same kind do love and children their faces in a glasse originis identitas all of one blood 2. Proximus 1. Usus one hath need of another 2. Unitas propositi all tend to one end to be partakers of the reward 3. Amicus or Socius 1. by precept of love Amor amoris magnes love is the loadstone of love 2. Societas ejusdem periculi per eundem liberati And we had all one perill hell delivered by one Christ 2 Tim. 1.6 So we may use any of these words In this proximo neighbour be two things to be had 1. We must beware that we take not the sinne of our neighbour for our neighbour for Omnis peccator quatenus peccator odio habendus omnis homo quatenus homo diligendus sic homines ut non errorcs quia facti sunt non quia fecerunt Every sinner as a sinner is to be hated every man as a man is to be loved we must so love the men that we love not their sinnes love them we must because they are made men not because they have done this or that The reason is for that I shall therefore love him because he shall be partaker with mee of the good but how then should I love that that hindereth him from this that is his sinne Proverb 29.24 He that loveth evill company hateth his owne soule for he loveth those things that are against his soule 2. For degrees whether alius be alio propinquior Whether one be nearer to mee then an other That there be degrees it is plaine because omission of duties to parents is worse then to strangers so that there must needs be a greater duty to one of these then to the other As in naturall things where the greatest action is there is the greatest inclination so here must be with the greater dutie the greater affection and so a greater love Where all be not alike there is some primum and that which is nearest is prius so there is ordo which ordo is such 1. God for he is that bonum that good by participation of which all other are bona said to be good and the universall nature to which all the other give place as in policie bonum publicum 2. Our selves for we are unitas with our selves which can be but united with our brethren 3. The soules of our brethren before our owne bodies For any soule can directly participate the universall good but no body except by the soule therefore every soule to be preferred before the body 4. Our owne bodies 5. Then the bodies of our neighbours And of our neighbours first we must looke whether they have need if not we are detained from doing this good for them If they have need before others we must do it familiae fidei to the houshold of faith Galat 6.10 And of those to our Country-men Psalm 122.8 of these to those which are nostri 1 Tim. 4.8 of these our houshold and kindred and first the wife Gen. 2.24 1 Sam. 1.8 Am not I worth tenne sonnes And of strangers to the poore before the rich And if there be two equall every way and the thing cannot be divided cast lots quem sorte Deus elegerit August whom God shall choose take him For the manner There be three respects in this love 1. Dilecti of the thing beloved Excellentia bona those things that are excellent and good must be most neere unto us in a case of justice done by law or precept 2. Diligentis of the partie loving propinquitas in gratuitis quae sunt judicio nostro he may have respect to propinquity of kindred c. 3. As thy selfe non quantum sed sicut not as extensively but as sincerely And that in foure things 1. The end sicut te i. propter quod amas teipsum as thy selfe i. e. for that that thou lovest thy selfe that must be quia Deum amas ideoque omnia quae sunt Dei ob hanc causam dilige fratrem because thou lovest God therefore thou must love all that are of God and for this cause thy brother 2. Meanes application to this end ad quod teipsum chiefly to his soule so we must tollere impedimenta remove those impediments which do hinder our soules from this goodnesse and so non consentire ejus voluntati in malo not to consent to him in evill So that as August saith aut ama me quia sum Dei aut ut sim Dei either love mee because I do pertaine to God or that I may pertaine to him and so we must love our brother 3. Manner not for the use of him or because we hope to have a good turne of him but gratuito freely 4. Order first God for the second Table must helpe the first and not cancell it And thus must our love be ex fonte pietatis justus verus ordinatus it must flow from piety in justice truth and order This is the summe of the second Table The V. Commandement Honour thy Father and Mother c. THe last
Commandement is the fountaine whence all of the second Table doe come as a streame beginning at the Conduit-head This fifth Commandement hath all those properties which are due to any man with respect And in those two things which must be seene in love 1. In respect of God the excellencie 2. In respect of us conjunction or nearenesse Whereas in conjunction we must rather love the faithfull our countreymen and kinsfolke here in the case of excellencie it is not so For sometimes wee must give more honour to an infidell as Acts 25. Paul to Nero and Dan. 6.3 to a stranger as they did to Daniel and Gen. 41.40 as Pharaoh did to Ioseph And to give this to men indued with gifts is in regard of their nearenesse to God for by his benefits they are neerer his end so as for this cause they are to be preferred and made nearer to us also And they are also nearer to us in respect of the greater profit we shall receive of them according to that of the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He as God for God setteth as much by that which is his his owne as by himselfe so that being nearer our profit we may love them and being nearer to God we must performe all other duties unto them Why are not all men excellent alike Quest Sol. Gods wisdome wonderfully appeareth in this For seeing Gen. 2.18 the occasion of the Woman was that she should helpe because that though it were good yet not the best that Man should be alone for he being finite and therefore of a finite power might with helpe performe better services unto God Now seeing they were plures more then one the question is whether they must be one body or not And if there be one body then must there be diversity of members 1 Cor. 12.21 But if it be said there should not be one that is confuted here Also God being most excellent and having all other things under him would in his creatures have a patterne of that excellencie and subjection so that for that cause 1 Cor. 15.41 he made every star differ from other inglory So also that they might be those divers vessels 2 Tim. 2.20 And by this Commandement doth all power stand And hence it is that he hath called them Gods Psal 82.6 And therfore this Commandement possesseth this place as in medio in the midst as Philo Iudaeus saith because God would have him first to looke to his worship and then to his owne honour in the second Table Gen. 17.9 This Commandement hath two parts 1. precept Honour c. 2. Reason that thy dayes c. This division proved Ephes 6.2.3 The precept containeth the duty of Inferiours Honour Superiours to be Fathers and Mothers For God includeth in one word the most especiall things And because as Chrysostome saith first they must be before they can be honoured therefore first What is meant by Father What is here ment by Father 1. That is true Matth. 23.9 We have but one Father for all others as the Heathen said be but instruments Whensoever therefore any thing is attributed to God and man God is the first Ephes 3.17 so he is the first Father Psal 27. which tooke us out of the wombe and the last Father Psal 82. which taketh us up when all other have forsaken us So that seeing to be a Father commeth from God and our superiours are made partakers with God as his instruments they must also have their duties from him The word Father signifieth him that hath a care or desire to doe good for which Iob cap. 25. was called a Father so that he is a Father by whom others are in better case and estate 2. Mother This hath the name of a faithfull keeper as we may see by the end of her making which was to helpe And the same word was so used Iob 12.20 Ruth 4.4 And the Heathen themselves know this that a good governour differeth nothing from a good Father 3. Honora honour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth aggravare so where excellencie is added to the thing it is of weight and in precious things the heaviest is the best So that addere pretium is addere pondus and so by translation honorem honour for when a man hath received the person of God it is more to be esteemed It was a miracle among the Heathen that so many Kings should give their heads to one sometimes to a Woman sometimes to a child which argueth plainely that they knew a divine power therein that might not be resisted i. Gods ordinance and so worketh a reverence in our hearts And as in the former word so for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour Solon in his Lawes and Plato and the Romanes doe make choyce of this word and other that write of Lawes and that matter 1. Now what the estate of them is this is to be set downe as 2 Cor. 4.13 All things are for your sakes i. for the Churches sake Politia est propter Ecclesiam set downe 1 Tim. 2.2 For there the Apostle goeth thus to worke God would have all men saved that they might be saved he would have them live in all godlinesse and honesty that they may doe thus he would have them taught the knowledge of God this necessarily requireth a rest for in the warres there is nothing rightly ministred That men might intend thus to live it is said vers 2. it is expedient they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leade a peaceable life in regard of outward invasions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiet in regard of minde and inward tumult and troubles Now if the naturall Father and Mother could have performed this as a while they did to Gen. 9. there had needed no other But Gen. 10.8 9. there comes one Nimrod with a company of hounds at his taile the same metaphor it pleaseth the holy Ghost to use i. sons of Belial and he taketh upon him to be an hunter i. a chaser of men to disturbe So because the naturall Father cannot performe it and because we cannot in deede doe fully the duty of our soules therefore there is a Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi a spirituall Father in the Apostles and their successors For this cause Heb. 13.17 to soules and bodies 1 Tim. 2.2 was it that God first allowed and after instituted that men should have government both for resisting of outward foes and quieting of inward strises Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every soule be subject c. There it is said that this binding of men into one society this power is of God and so to be accounted of us for vers 4. he saith God hath delivered him a sword to the end that he should be vindex malorum against the evill and disturber of this quietnesse by which men might intend the former rest and consequently that he should be a comforter and cherisher of good men and those that love to live
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without naturall affection 2. The second is the property of love to wish well to him whom we love and because Christianum vorum est oratio a Christians mans wish is his prayer therefore in this respect we bring it to prayer which is a mutuall unity or affection of love betweene the Father and Sonne 1 Tim. 2.2 a Commandement that prayer be made for Superiours The like Ier. 29.7 for Babylon the Countrey and backward and downward 1 Cor. 29.18 19. David prayed for the people and for his sonne Solomon and Iob. cap. 1.5 was wont to pray daily for his Sonnes So for the duty reciprocall Come to Honour which is the duty due from Inferiours to Superiours what it is in particular As there is a Father Matth. 23.9 So we have exactly but one Father viz. God so as truely is it said of honour 1 Tim. 1.17 honour exactly belongeth onely to God But that he himselfe hath vouchsafed to resigne part of it to some men 2 Tim. 2.20 he created some vessels to honour c. and consequently Heb. 5.4 out of the generation of mankinde he calleth some to be honourable and as Matth. 25.24 his calling is knowne by his gifts for he giveth them parcels and portions of his goods whereby they excell their fellowes It was said that the Scripture useth three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excellencie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principality unto this Excellencie honour properly belongeth and it is twofold 1. outward 2. inward 1. Inward honour as Prov. 5.9 Meddle not with a strange woman c. so Prov. 20.3 for he shall lose his honour Inward honour that good opinion that men have of him And opinio honesla and honest and good opinion is defined to be testimonium excellentiae whereby wee witnesse that there is in this man a certaine excellencie above us or somewhat above us by nature Paul Col. 3.18 1 Pet. 2.13 expressed this by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjection to be subject as Luke 2.51 Christ went c. and was subject to them i. in respect of his manhood he acknowledged himselfe a childe and so consequently somewhat more to be in them then in him The contrary will make it more plaine Numb 16.3 Corah and his company his thesis was The Lord was among them all holy to the Lord and equall therefore Moses should not be so excellent The contrary of this is when men doe not onely confesse that there is not any equality but that some excell and that not by chance nor as the Poet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by Gods appointment and this is the first and inward part of honour But 1 Sam. 16.7 God and man looke not one way God looketh on the heart which man cannot therefore he cannot see this inward excellencie And this maketh the exteriour honour as it is taken Honour externall 1 Sam. 15.30 where Saul saith Yet honour me before the elders c. Matth. 23.67 the desire of the chiefest place chiefe roomes greetings c. the honour that the Pharisees longed for What the exteriour honour is what kinde is to be exhibited and due it is better determined and knowne by the manner of the Countrey because all are not alike in fashion For our selves they may be reduced to these seven heads Every one hath a warrant from the practise of the godly 1. To rise up when the person of excellencie which either by nature analogie or property is our Father is in presence done to Iob cap. 29.8 and a greater by Solomon to Bathsheba his mother 1 King 2. he rose up and met her 2. Nudare caput to uncover the head which was ad honorem in token of honour in use with the Saints as 1 Cor. 14. 3. Genuflexio the bowing of the knee practised Gen. 41.43 the cry of Pharaoh made to be proclaimed before Ioseph Abrech i. bow the knee And thus farre proceed the first salutations 4. Afterward it pertaineth to exterior honour to Stande Exod. 18.13 Moses quia Iudex because Judge sate the people stood 2 King 5.21 Gehezi stood before Elisha and indeed it is the common expressing of service 5. Silence to give eare when he speaketh Iob. 29.9 10.11 so they did to Iob when he was in presence 6. When we are by necessary occasion to speake to use words of Submission as 1 Pet. 3.6 Sarah called Abraham my Lord or Sir Gen. 31.35 43.28 See it in Iosephs brethren Thy servant our Father c. And they bowed downe and made obeysance Gen. 31.25 So Rachel to Laban Let not my Lord be angry that I cannot rise up and give testimony of honour because it is with me after the manner of women 7. The last is dispersed throughout the Scriptures and is comprehended under the word ministrare Luke 17.8 when we waite upon and when we performe any duty which mens servants use by that action whatsoever it be we testifie a supâ—râ—ority and excellencie in that party It comprehendeth many duties And thus farre goeth honour For when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poweâ— To Power belongeth feare power is added then another thing viz. feare doth belong to it as Ioh. 19.11 power it is not but from above from God and so consequently commeth there unto them that have power part of that feare that we owe to God To this belongeth an awe a standing in awe a reverent feare Levit. 19.3 Every one shall feare his Father and Mother Ephes 6.5 With feare and trembling to our Masters secundum carnem after the flesh Prov. 16.14 A great feare belongeth to the King because his anger is the messenger of death and Iob. 29.8 that the people stood in such awe of him that they when he came forth conveyed them out of the way as if they had done some unseemely thing c. And this properly belongeth to the Superiour in regard of his power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prinâ—ipality To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is due obedience 3. In respect of his government unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is due 1 Tim. 6.1 obedience expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe under a yoke that is when they bid us doe this or that we be contented to put our neckes under their commandement Prov. 23.22 Ephes 6.10 plainely Obey thy Father and Mother c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both set forth this obedience examples of which we have Gen. 22.9 of a Sonne to his Father Isaak even to the death obeyed c. of a Servant to his Master Gen. 31.6 Iacob served Laban with all his might and Iosh 1.6 Ioshua by Gods commandement is made servant to a Kingdome Now for the protestation of this obedience and for the expressing of it order was taken for a second government as Prov. 3.9 he willeth men to honour God with their substance and goods It is the wanting of 〈◊〉
needed So for quietnesse must we part with our goods Augustine Ut illum reum facit iniquitas imperandi ita me innocentem facit ordo parendi as the injustice of his command maketh him guilty so throughthy obedience art thou made innocent Particular duties are betweene 1. Husband and Wife 2. Father and Childe Particular duties 3. Master and Servant First Husband and Wife because first ordained and a nearer bond betweene them Of this duty there be two ends 2. Ends of marriage First in respect of God Gen. 1.28 that all be blessed in his seed Secondly in regard of the Church 1 Tim. 2.4 to shew a care to bring one another to godlinesse First then of the mutuall duties of these to be seen in three words used herein 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimonium 3. Nuptiae 1. Conjugium is the fellowship of a Yoke that they might be better then if they were alone But we may 1 Cor. 7.1 by diverse circumstances in these dayes of corruption be alone better Gen. 2.24 is the greatnesse of this conjunction in our departure from our dearest things to be united in this conjugio which conjunction is a covenant Mal. 2.14 not to be broken of man Mat. 10.16 And in this respect is made an helpe therefore are all such conjugia condemned as be a hindrance to Gods Religion or contrary thereto and those that be unequall not bearing the same yoke and are not in Domino they marry not in the Lord 1 Cor. 7.39 2. Matrimonium ut fiat mater This was before sinne the first end whereof Gen. 1.18 is propagation not as of other things but Mal. 2.15 of the holy seed of Gods Church for though Woman was the instrument of sinne yet as 1 Tim. 2.15 if the children be faithfull there shall be a meane to save her So these children must be proles sancta a holy offpring to build his Church 3. Nuptiae after sinne So as Ambrose saith Nubo signifieth first to cover as we may see by the compound of it obnubo Therefore as Augustine saith aliquid sit celandum by this some thing is done which ought to be concealed For so it is said they were naked which was because of their sinne which sinne made their appetite irregular and by that the Devill taketh occasion of temptation 1 Cor. 7.3 for by it we are made opposite to that Heb. 13.4 Lectum immaculatum undefiled bed and to that 1 Cor. 7.7 avoyding of fornication and to that Prov. 20. avoyding of strange Women and to that 1 Cor. 7.14 that they should be as though they had none In particular 1 Pet. 3.7 the husbands duty is set downe 1. Ossic viri to dwell with them as men of knowledge seeing that Gen. 3.6 she was deceived by the serpent as she confessed Gen. 3.12 he beguiled me c. and therefore Gen. 3.16 she must never follow her owne will hereafter but be Subject So that his duty is to governe her but so as to beare with her Col. 3.19 for she is coheire with him and also for his own quietnesse for who troubleth his own flesh So that hee 1 Cor. 14.35 because shee must aske him must bee able to answer her her inquisition enquiry of instruction and must not be carried away with her affection but exhort her wisely as Elie his sons 1 Sam. 2.23 and Ioh his Wife Cap. 2.10 not to be over credulous as Potiphar Gen. 39.9 Moses his Wife also stomached against the Sacrament Exod. 4.15 So Iezebell 1 Kings 23. 2 Sam. 6.2 Davids Wife also found fault with him So that the Husband must be able to rule his affections and not yeeld to them And here the duty of the Woman is 1. Offic. uxoris submission She must not stand to her owne will therefore subject which subjection must be Ephes 5.25 as to the Lord and that with feare shewing that they have authority 2 Pet. 2.10 1 Cor. 11.4 Man is the Womans head And because the sense of seeing is there she must see by him So also as Augustin Non ê pedibus neque ê capite facta est sed ê latere ut fere sit aequalis the Woman was not made out of the head nor feet but the side of Adam to shew that she is almost equall with him The Heathen could see this to be absurd that Women should not be subject Hest 1. The second duty of the Husband agreeth with the generall duty 〈…〉 Love yet in a particular and speciall respect as it appeareth by Gen. 2. we are to forsake that that is deerest to us for this And as this love taketh hold in outward things Prov. 5.18 so specially in inward things Ephes 5.29 to be such as Christ to his Church to forsake all and unite himselfe to it and spiritually to make it without spot so that our love being such must not be fleshly but in the spirit to care that they be fellow heires with us in Christ And for the Woman Prov. 31.29 30. she is above all that is timens Iehovae if she be one that feareth the Lord therfore is Lidia set for a pattern of this Acts 16.14 So in outward things that she have an amability to be modest with humility Prov. 11.16 1 Tim. 2.9 1. Pet. 3.3 And all these to that end 1 Tim. 5.4 to give no offence but to convert the very enemy 1 Pet. 3.1 1 Tim. 3.8 To provide for his family an honest care for him and his that is meat and cloths such was Iacobs care Gen. 30.30 When shall I provide for mine owne house This is that desire Ephes 4.28 to be chargeable to none but rather to helpe other Set downe metaphorically Prov. 5.15 To drink water of his owne Cisterne so he sends the sluggard to learne of the Ant Pro. 6.8 and calleth him a sonne of blessing that gathereth in Summer Pro. 10.10 Thus did Ioseph lay up Gen. 41.40 And this blessing must be onely to them which provide thus without any grudging of conscience Pro. 10.2 And the Woman 2. Offi◠uxoris 1 Tim. 5.4 must look to this and preserve it Iohn 6.12 Gather up that nothing be lost This is commendable for though Christ rebuked Martha Lu. 10.40 yet Iohn 11.5 he loved her and those houses are happy where Martha complaineth of Mary This duty of the wife is set down particularly Pro. 31.27 She overseeth the waies of her houshold and eateth not the bread of idlenesse That they must keep at home carry their houses on their backs Tit. 2.5 A patterne of this we have in Sarah Gen. 18.6 4. There must be officia resultantia in regard of this marriage knot there must certain duties result from both parties to each the others friends and parentage an honor love of their friends mutually Of the Man we have example of Moses towards his Father-in-law Exod. 18.7 c. Numb 10.29 And for the Woman very excellently Ruth 1.16 Mutua parentum
A riotous eater and an hunter of Tavernes if any have such a sonne and he will not heare his Fathers counsell let him be stoned So the Heathen would have the Father Dicere sententiam to give sentence against his owne sonne Solon thinketh and saith he hath proved by experience them to be Bastards that will not obey And so every of them had their Eridnis as the Heathen said So not much unlike is that 1 Sam. 2.25 Elies sons could not obey for God was purposed to slay them wherefore he hated their disobedience He that will not obey his Father and Mother shall once obey the Hangman or worse as the Poet saith The duty of children towardâ— their Fathâ—â—â—kindred c. This duty must yet reach further on both sides Levit. 25.29 to his Brother his Fathers brother and his Fathers brothers Sonne Numb 35.51 he that is next of the kinne is alwayes called vindex sauguinis the revenger of blood This of Father or Superiour to his Inferiour we fee in Abraham to Lot Gen. 13.11 in Mordecai to Hester Cap. 2.15 so that in this respect is the precept of the Widdow Deut. 26. and the fatherlesse 1 Tim. 5.4 that first they looke to their owne house to helpe such And for children though Caine be wicked yet as the Elder he is to be honoured of his brother Gen. 4.7 Acts 10. Cornelius sent for all his friends to be partakers with him of Gods word So we have Judg. 4.11 a deed of love in Israel Of Kinsefolke Luke 1. â—9 Mary to Elizabeth So 1 Tim. 5. the Inferiours must looke to their Superiours as Prov. 27.10 Thine owne friends and thy Fathers friends forsake not but as 1 Sam. 15. Bee friendly even to the friend of thy friend Dominii origo The Masters power over the Servant 3. The third duty is of Master and Servant This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a humane ordinance but the approbation of it was from God and it depends on 2 Kings 5.13 where Naamans servants call him Father Dominii finis The end of that power and government The end of this is first Luke 19.9 that the regeneration of Zacheus should be the regeneration of the whole house And secondly Eccles 8.9 Dominari in bono The mutuall good one of another Seâ—itutis orâ—gonalis The institution of the Servants duty For the institution of this As if man had continued in innocency we should have had no servants so wee read of none till Gen. 9.25 and afterwards of Esau Now after this curse came that which the Fathers call Depressio intellectus Darknesse of the understanding Whereby men became more fit to be ruled then to rule And Prov. 11.29 Solomon there sheweth that by nature insipiens the foole shall be Servus sapientis Servant to the wise So did Jacob prophecie of Issacar Gen. 49.14 that he should have this Depressionem imellectus this darknesse of understanding as also God hath shewed in making the body sit to beare rather then to governe So we see how naturall servitude and service came in Then Gen. 13.38 and 10.18 after this plague of God though it were under all began first to bring men under subjection so that Nimrod and his crue oppresseth the Kings of Sodom and the Pentapolis about them Gen. 14.4 And thus came Servitus ex necessitate servitude forc't through necessity Necessitas enim dat legem legi From this necessity came servus pacti a servant by Covenant for men would willingly make a covenant and bind themselves that they might be free from those their oppressors And hence it was that Abraham had so many servants as the Jewes note 318. Because they seeing his equity were glad to be with him And Gen. 17.29 it turned to their great good receiving thereby Circumcision the freedome of their soules and for this cause none of Israel might be servant for God by their service might gaine the more of the Heathen Yet after other respects drew even the Saints of God to be servants Gen. 27.29 Jacob served Laban twenty yeares so that in this respect where poverty is that a man may be made rich Where ignorance is that a man may learne knowledge he may be servant Deut. 13.12 And thus came this service by Gods goodnesse turning the punishment into a blessing to his So that when we can have no freedome it is generally for all 1 Cor. 7.17 and particularly for every one verse 20. and 21. to abide service And 1 Tim. 6.2 though they were Heathen yet obey them So Paul sends the servant againe to Philemon to teach him with his knowledge and to be willing to impart to him of his riches so then is service eopacto permitted by the Gospell So must servants respect two ends 1. Gods glory 1 Tim. 6.1 2. The Masters profit Phil. 11. So did all things prosper under Josephs hands Particular duties 1. Duty of the Master 1. For the Master ars imperandi knowledge to enjoyne them their worke and herein there must be foure things 1. That it be lawfull else it will displease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy Master according to the spirit and though we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Master after the flesh Yet Praeponendus est Dominus secundum spiritum the Master after the spirit must alwayes be preferred before him so did Joseph set God before his Mistresse Gen. 39.9 Therefore we must walke integre uprightly Psal 101. and therefore command them nothing but what is lawfull 2. It must be Possible For a thing may be lawfull and not possible And therefore Abrahams servant puts the doubt Gen. 24.5 What if she will not come and is in that case set free 3. It must be profitable David sheweth 2 Sam. 13.17 by not drinking the water that it was an unprofitable commandement and might as well have been left undone 4. It must be proportionable to person time and other circumstances Pharaoh Exod. 5.7 went above all proportion and this is the Masters duty 2. The Servants duty answering this is set downe 1. Duty of the Servant Mat. 24.45 Faithfulnesse and Discretion 1. For Faithfulnesse the Heathen can say that servus is totus alterius a servant is wholly another mans therefore Mat. 6.24 he can serve but one Master and the reason is because his duty is infinite he cannot set downe any time when he shall have done but must worke all the day Luke 17.7 and at night too till his Master set him free Yea he must spare from his owne meate to doe his Masters businesse as Abrahams servant Gen. 24.33 Opposite to this faithfulnesse Opposites of faithfulnesse 1. Wasters is First when they will doe some thing beside or let some thing stick in their fingers Tit. 2.10 Filchers Luke 16. Wasters such as spend in vile company Mat. 24.49 Secondly lying 2 Sam. 16.3 such was Ziba 2. Lying 2 Kings 5.22 Gehezi was grievously punished for this Thirdly slothfulnesse 3. Sloth when
the poore Psal 41.1 he saith Blessed is the man that judgeth wisely of the poore Our common fancie is that they concerne us not that judgement must be as God judgeth and that shall never be reversed How is that even as he saith Deut. 15.11 God saith there that he hath taken this order that there shall be ever some poore in the land and therefore I command thee it is strange thou shall open thy hand to the needy and to the poore so some poore are appropriated unto us they are made nostri ours we cannot shake off this affixum hanger on us and so consequently vers 3. we shall be bound to doe this Non obfirmabis cor heard heart neque claudes manum close hand and vers 9. he saith Take heede there be not a wicked thought in thy heart that it grieve thee to looke on him And if he crie out unto the Lord against thee it will be sinne unto thee And the reward of sinne is death therefore he sheweth what he ought not to doe therefore vers 8. he saith if his hand be but weakned open thy hand and lend him and vers 10. if lending will doe no good thou shalt give him For there is a double estate of the poore some if it be lent them cannot employ it so that they can live and pay it againe other be so impotent that lending cannot helpe them therefore God hath taken order for a free gift for them Matth. 5.43 they are both joyned together by Christ Now this is a second thing August counsell is not to let thornes grow among seed but to compasse the seed with an hedge of thornes that is the proper use of them or else if that will not be then we must inserere verbum spinis as to graft on thorne stickes here is a science Thou shalt open thy hand and lend him and if that will not serve thou shalt give him graft that and it shall bring forth fruits of mercie therefore this we must doe Christ Luke 19.13 as before he saith there that he hath given us our talents with this condition Negotiamini dum venio trade till I come for his advantage and he saith Matth. 25.24 that this occupying if we will deale with him for a reward must be by improving our talent and then laying it out to the use of the hungry naked and sick this is the best way of increase and the surest to binde him to reward us yet is he not content to goe thus farre only but he hath made a new promise in the Gospel that that which is done to the least of them he will account it as done to him Those that the wise man Prov. 20.10 speaketh of viscera impiorum crudelia cruell bowels or else as the Apostle saith Phil. 2.1 nulla viscera no bowels or 1 Iohn 3.17 clauserit viscera close bowels shut up and no fruit of mercie commeth from them the law of God abideth not in them In Exod. 23.11 to meete with this vice there is a peculiar order taken sixe yeares the land shall be ploughed and sowen and whatsoever commeth of it those sixe yeares thou shalt gather in for thy selfe but in the seventh yeare thou shalt let it lie and let the poore gather of it so likewise shalt thou doe in thy Vine-yards and Olive-trees Levit. 19.9.10 When a man reapeth his field whatsoever he leaveth unreaped he shall not goe over the field twice and he shall have a corner that is for the poore and Deut. 25.19 if a man have left sheaves in the field he shall not returne to take them but let the poore stranger have them And by an argument a comparatis Deut. 22.1 he saith If any see the Asse of his brother goe astray or any harme befall him thou shalt not passe by but help the Asse therefore much more thy brother if any weaknesse befall him thou shalt help him Now for the point it selfe necessitas uiplex there is a three-fold necessity in Divinity 1. Necessitas naturae the necessity of nature every man is to provide for inward food meat drinke tegumenium apparell house-roome 2. Necessitas personae personall necessity 1 Tim. 5.8 he is bound to provide for them of his owne house Luke 11.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they likewise give almes of what they have 3. Necessitas status conditionis to have wherewith to live according to our state and condition This last commeth not unto this neither doth respect it Aug. if a man have three hundred pounds hee hath no more then will serve him and if a man have three thousand pounds he hath no more then will serve him But Christ saith after the two first be served then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather give almes of such things as you have give almes for during particular necessities to our selves of nature or person a man is not bound to give except 2 Cor. 8.3 it be for the common helpe and good of the Church but if there be any surplus he is bound also even those that were in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise The reason of this Châ—ysostome giveth for saith he if you doe not this you love not your money and yet covetousnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of money The covetâ—u loveth not his money and yet they which are covetous have most close bowels he proveth that they love it not very soundly for saith he that true love is not amor concupiscentiae to desire meate to eate but the other velle ejus bonum quod quem amamus to wish the good of that thing and of that person whom we love If we love our money we wish ut bene fit ei good to it now of all things in the world here bene esse is iâ—a esse ut Deus ordinavu the welbeing of a thing is so to be as God hath appointed it Now then if any man doe ordaine an esse to his money in that order that God hath ordained it then he wisheth the good of it and consequently he loveth it else he wisheth the evill of it and so loveth it not if we speake of the right love Gods ordinance is as we see in every thing that is good that it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sociable or willing to communicate and to make it an infallible signe of the Church that there is communicatio Sanctorum the communion of the Saints Rom. 12.13 communicantes Sanctorum necessitatibus communicating to others necessities Now we become liberales liberall and free that is liberare animam à vitiis to free our soules from vices this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowship 2 Cor. 9.13 and there likewise to shew that we are to account of it it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distribution 2 Cor. 9.1 it is a service or ministery a rent to be paid This is that men must thinke of it and he
calleth it likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a free gift 2 Cor. 8.19 it must be done gratis freely Now there is nothing but do ut des or do ut facias I give to thee that thou mayest give to me againe or I give to thee that thou mayest doe something for me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is free and is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a blessing 2 Cor. 9.3 So doing this 4. fruit shall come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poore shall blesse us and God too God hath ordained that if a man doth appropriate that to his flesh that he will have common he taketh away his use Another use Gal. 6..8 this sowing it must be feede sowe in the spirit and reape life everlasting and so Hose 10.12 sowe righteousnesse and reape afterward 2 Cor. 9.6 Qui parcè seminat pareè metet qui seminat in multis benedictionibus metet in multis benediction ibus He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully Now a man may love his feede foolishly so that for very pure love he may set it lie in his barne but then we know that wormes will breed in it and consume it and so he doth amando perdere by loving it lose it therefore a man is so to love his seede as that he doth projicâ—re semen cast his seede into the ground and that is amare semen to love his seede And so if the temporall blessings of God be as seede as they are then there must be a casting and scattering of them And yet in this casting when a man hath so sowen an acre of ground and one aske Whose is this seed we say not it is the grounds but his that sowed it So if a man could be brought to this perswasion to thinke that semen is serentis and not recipientis the seede belongs to him that sowed and not to the ground that receives it he would sowe And that is the state of riches whensoever they are so bestowed c. And therefore as the husbandmen doe credere illud quod nonvident beleeve that which they see not so that they cast in one graine and see it rot and beleeve that howsoever showrs and snow fall yet at the last an Autumne will come and then they shall reape an eare for one come so if God enlighten our hearts and give us faith credendi ejus quod non videmus ejuis fructus est videre quod credimus to beleeve that which we see not we shall reape the fruit of seeing and enjoying that which we beleeve And so we shall see and feele that semen the seede it is serentis belongs to the sower and it will give an hundred fold â—ncrease For the comming to wealth it was said it stood in two things To come to wealth 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simplicity against deceit 2. Justice against violence or rapine And whether to those that are by lawfull contract or to those that are indirectly possessed restitution belongeth and in sundry other matters of depositum things committed to our trust and things found lent let debt and by vertue of restitution supplieth the other part of justice And then for the use to our selves against prodigality and thereby neglect of houshold and against the part of prodigality that consisteth in the neglect of a mans houshold and against too great nearenesse in scraping frugality it answereth temperance in the former Commandement And for the use that we have toward other against bottomlesse largition and against the shutting up or closenesse of bowels the vertue of liberality So in effect in these three vertues and in the vices opposed to them is all that is forbidden and commanded in this Commandement The spirituall paâ—t the heart Now according to the former course how every man may be an observer of this Commandement which may best be done in this manner As in the former Commandement so in this Christ saith Marke 1.22 that thefts and extortions and deceit and evill gettings of a mans goods which are of affinity they proceed from the heart and therefore in them the fountaine of them must needs be damned And so 1 Tim. 6.3 first they have the corruption of the minde before they come to covetousnesse 1. If we had continued in the state of innocencie mans desires both naturall and oeconomicall should by no other have beene willed but by reason since which losse the corruption of the minde is this appetere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to covet a fulnesse a satiety The belly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath an appetite beyond that that is sufficient for it so likewise in the corruption of this unruly appetite we are disquieted with a continuall craving Prov. 30.15 there is one in the minde that saith Have have bring bring Now against this there must be one that saith there is enough that is there must be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a selfe-sufficiencie or contentednesse for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the excesse is become the corruption of our wealth so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wealth of nature is selfe-sufficiencie which is contentednesse But now there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covetousnesse Now we see how the case standeth with the heart 1 Tim. 6.9 because that men will be rich and because it holdeth in all evill things quod volumus valde volumus and whatsoever we desire that we earnestly desire and long after in so much as Prov. 21.25 if a man be never so slow yet if he desire any thing he will have it quickly he will be rich as soone as he can then Prov. 28.20 he that maketh haste shall not be innocent and Prov. 20.21 of an heritage that is soone gotten there never commeth a good end But to come to the heart by occasion of this your unclinablenesse 1 Tim. 6 9. he setteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a temptation a good round gaine and summe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the snare nought but a false asseveration a few words a false oath or Luke 16. a dash with a pen 50. for 80. If you will come into this snare you shall have this baite and then Gods judgements when a man setteth himselfe to it he suffereth him to fall into it as Eccl. 5.9 he shall love it and not be satisfied and the reason is for the minde as hath beene said cannot bee satisfied with any thing but with God And from many desires a it is vers to he shall have a great many cares and as his desires shall encrease his cares shall encrease as that that Christ saith Quid edam quid bibam quid induam What shall I eate what shall I drink or wherewith shall I be cloaâ—hed if he be not rich and when he is rich Quid saciaâ— I have not barnes enough Rich and not rich have it And then beside these he saith they shall being thus distracted erre even from the
devotion and reverence for both must be joyned together neither feare without the consideration of his goodnesse nor bold confidence that is not tempered with a dutifull regard of his power is acceptable to him So that which we learned in lege credendi that God is the Father Almighty is here taught againe in lege supplicandi where wee are instructed in our prayers to ascribe both these unto God first that hee is our Father secondly our heavenly Father The consideration of these two are the pillars of our faith and there is no petition wherein we doe not desire that God will either shew us his goodnesse or assist us with his power and no Psalme or Hymne that is not occupied in setting forth one of these The titles which expresse Gods goodnesse have two words the one a word of faith the other a word of hope and charity Of both these words of Pater and noster Basil saith that here Lex supplicandi non modo credendi sed operandi Legem statuit The Law of prayer doth not onely establish and confirme the Law of beliefe but of working also For where in the word Father is expressed the love of God to us it comprehendeth withall the love wee beare to him Where we call God our Father and not my Father therein is contained our love to our neighbour whom we are to love no lesse then our selves Vpon these two hang the Law and the Prophets Matth. 22. Againe the word Father is a word of faith and our a word of charity and the thing required of us in the new Testament is Fides per charitatem operans Faith which worketh by charity Gal. 5. So that in these words Our Father we have a summe both of the Law and the Gospel Christ might have devised many more magnificent and excellent termes for God but none were apt and fit for us to assure us of Gods favour Our Saviour saith Luke 11.13 That earthly fathers which many times are evill men have notwithstanding this care for their children that if they aske them bread they will not give them a stone much more shall our heavenly Father give us the holy Spirit if we aske it Wherefore Christ teaching us to call God by the name of Father hath made choyce of that word which might serve most to stirre us up unto hope for it is Magnum nomen sub quo nemini desperandum a great name under which no man can despaire There may seeme an opposition to be betwixt these words Father and Our if we consider first the Majesty of God before whom the hils doe tremble and the Angels in Heaven cover their faces Secondly our owne uncleannesse and basenesse both in respect of the mould whereof we be made which made Abraham confesse himselfe unworthy to speake unto God being but dust and ashes Gen. 18. And also in regard of our pollution of sinne in which regard we are called The slaves of sinne and children of the Devill Iohn 8. Herein we finde a great distance between God and us and so are we farre from challenging this honour to bee the sonnes of God in regard of our selves Who durst saith Cyprian pray to God by the name of Father if Christ our Advocate did not put these words in our mouthes He knoweth how God standeth affected towards us for all our unworthinesse and therefore seeing he hath framed this patition for us we may boldly as he commandeth say thus Our Faâ—her Therefore albeit of our selves we cannot conceive hope that God is our Father yet we may call him Father by the authority of Christ and say with Augustine Agnosce Domine stilum advocati Filâ—iâ—ui Lord take notice of the stile of our Advocate thy Sonne Wee know not Gods affection towards us but by Christ wee take notice of him for hee hath declared him unto us Iohn 1.18 and being taught that God in Christ vouchsafeth to admit us for his children Wee doe with boldnesse come to the throne of grace Heb. 4. Therefore we have thankfully to consider unto what dignity wee that live under the Gospel are exalted not onely above the Patriarches in the time of the Law but above the heavenly Spirits Before the Law was given Abraham saith Shall I speake to the Lord Gen. 18. In the Law Christ saith Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus Exod. 20. then he was not called Father But if we aske that question which the Apostle makes To which of the Angels said he Thou art my Sonne Heb. 1.5 It will appeare that God hath honoured us in a degree above Angels for that he giveth us leave to call him Father Thus we see what preheminence we have from God above as well the Saints on earth in time of the Law as the heavenly Angels that we may not only pray but pray thus Our Father In the word Father we are further to note not onely that God is the cause of all things for that he bringeth forth all things but also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or naturall affection to those things that are produced Gods Paternity is first generally to be considered in all creatures which for that they have their being from God he is said to be their Father So Iob called God Pater pluviae The Father of the raine Iob 38. Also he is called Pater Luminum Iam. 1.17 and this is a motive sufficient to move God to be favourable to our prayer if there were no more that we are his creatures so David spake Despise nâ—t the work of thine owne hands Psal 138. But men have another use of Gods paternity for whereas of other things God said Producat terra Ger. 1. When man was to be created he said Let us make man giving us to understand that how soever other creatures had their being from God immediately God himselfe would be his Father and frame him immediately with his owne hand Secondly when God created man according to his owne Image he breathed into him life immortall he gave him the sparkes of knowledge and indued his soule with reason and understanding in which regard it is called the candle of the Lord Prov. 21. Thirdly when man was fallen from his first estate God opened to him a doore of repentance which favour hee hath not vouchsafed to the Angels that fell and so wee may crave Gods favour not onely as we are the workes of Gods hands but as we are his owne Image Fourthly God is our Father as we are Christians that which Moses saith Is he not thy Father Deut. 33. and Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63. is to be understood of our generation but we have a second birth called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Regeneration which setteth us in a degree above mankinde and makes us not onely men but Christians which if we be then we are the sons of God not as the raine or lights or they that are created to the Image of God but for that we are borne of God
he prevents us with his grace by giving us both a will and a power so he must still follow us with his grace that we may goe forward in doing of his will for our case is compared to the state of the Israelites which in their fight with Amalek did prevaile as long as Moses held up his hand but when he let is downe they were put to the worse Exod. 17. we may see it in the case of Saint Peter who was able to walk upon the water while Christ held him up but when hee was left to himselfe he sunke Matth. 1.4 therefore we must have not onely a preventing but also an accomplishing grace that may still follow us in our workes ne cessent in effectum that they faile not in the upshot whereof the Evangelist makes mention that from him who is full of grace We must receive grace for grace Iohn 1.14 It was not the grace of God onely that wrought in Saint Paul stirring him up to ho linesse but also gratia Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The grace of God with me 1 Cor. 15. And when the Angels say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Toward men good vvill Luke 2. they doe not onely wish that God vvill shew good vvill tovvards men but that he vvould accomplish it in them by infusing grace into their hearts Our desire therefore is that the vvill of God may be done and sulfilled in us but yet by his grace and the assistance both of his preventing and follovving grace And as for sanctifying of Gods name our desire vvas that it may be sanctified of us but if not yet that it may ut fiat quovis modo that it be done hovvscever that it may be done in others but especially in our ovvne behalfe that vvhen vve are either unvvilling or unable to doe his revealed vvill it may please him to give us the knovvledge of it and to put into us the obedience of it that being assured in our consciences that vve have done the vvill of God vvee may have that peace and joy of the holy Ghost vvherein the Kingdome of grace standeth vvhich may be to us a pledge of the Kingdome of glory vvhereunto vve shall be exalted after this life if vve be carefull both to submit our vvils to Gods secret vvill and to frame our vvili and the actions of our life to that declared and open vvill of God vvhich for our direction he hath revealed in his vvord THE TWELFTH SERMON In Earth as it is in Heaven WHich words are an appendix to the three first Petitions for though it be added to the third which concerneth the doing of his will yet the ancient Fathers referre it also to the two former So that we are to pray no lesse that Gods name may be sanctified in earth as it is in heaven that his Kingdome may be consummate in earth as iâ— is in heaven then that his will be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven Wherefore we may observe by this complement of the three first Petitions that God respects not onely the doing of that which he requireth but chiesly the manner of it for it sufficeth not simply to do Gods will as others do on earth but we must do it as it is done in heaven for adverbes please God better then verbes and he respecteth more in the doing of his will the manner of the doing of it then our doing it selfe The Greekes distinguish the will of God by both the words of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we do Gods will without any regard how so it be done that is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when Gods will is done with a sicut and in such fort as he requireth that is his good pleasure and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods will was done of the people when they sacrificed any beast whatsoever but if they chose out the fittest then the sacrifice was the more acceptable so in this prayer we do not onely desire to do Gods will utcunque without regard how whether with willingnesse and cheerfulnesse or against our wills but wee desire to do it in the best manner as it is done in Heaven wherein we offer that sacrifice or service to God which is as the fat of Rams for the sanctifying of his Name The Apostle saith that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow both of things in heaven in earth and things under the earth Phil. 2.10 But our desire is so to reverence the Name of Jesus as the things in heaven reverence it Of Gods Kingdome it is said that Christ is Ruler both in the midst of his enemies and also that in the day of his power the people shall as friends offer free-will offerings with an holy worship Psal 110.2 But we pray that Gods Kingdome may come among us not as among his enemies but that we may willingly submit our selves to his will and government Lastly for the doing of his will the Prophet said Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did hee in heaven in earth and in the Sea Psal 135.6 We desire that his will may be performed in us not as in the deepe places but as in heaven for this prayer containes two Sicuts the one pertaines to God teaching us how to love him the other concernes our neighbour where we pray so to be forgiven as wee forgive our debters so that as heretofore we have noted lege operandi lex statuitur supplicandi though there were no law to require the love of God and our neighbour yet this forme of prayer doth teach us how to love God and what perfect love wee owe to our neighbour In the thing it selfe we are to observe three points first a qualification secondly an Elevation of the soule thirdly an application In the qualification we are to enquire what is meant by heaven and earth either tanquam continentia or else we may understand them as things contained therein then how Gods will is done therein Howsoâ—ver our tongue or dialect speakes of heaven singularly yet both Greeke and Latine imply a plurality of heavens for there are three heavens first the aire where the birds flye whence they are called volucres coeli Matth. 6. Secondly the heaven of heavens where the Sun Moone and Starres are set to give light thirdly that which the Apostle cals the third heaven whereunto he was taken up which is the place of blessednesse where Gods Majesty is especially resident 2 Cor. 12. In all these heavens which containe other bodies in them wee shall find that Gods will is done Of the lower heaven the Prophet saith that it is obedient to Gods will and fulfills his word by sending downe snow and fire and wind Psal 148. In the second heaven which Salomon calls the heaven of heavens 1 Reg. 8.27 Gods will is done for there at Gods Commandement the Sunne and Moone stood still contrary to their usuall course till the people of God avenged themselves