couetousnesse if no good speach proceed out of his mouth but onely froward and filthie and vaine speaches if it be so will wee say that we loue God No the loue of God breeds obedience vnto God If one should say that hee loued the King as well as any subject in England yet he would alwaies be practising inuenting treason and rebellion against him who could beleeue him So if we will speake foolishly and vainely breake Gods saboths blaspheme his name and doe such other wickednesses doe we loue God Nay so far as any allowes himselfe to doe these things so far he hates God as he that allowes himselfe in rebellion hatas the prince so he that maintaines any sinne whatsoeuer in himselfe he hates God So that by these two things wee may examine our loue of God first in the meanes of saluation what good affection we beare vnto them Secondly how we keepe Gods commandements For saith Christ He that hath my commandements keepes them he loues mee Frst we must haue his commandements in our vnderstanding to know the meaning of them and in our memory that we may remember them and then in our hart to work on our affections and lastly in our practise we must keepe them and in what degree we doe this thing in that degree doe we loue God A third mark That we obserue and note our affection to Gods children For this is a sound note that we loue God if we loue his children As in Iohn 5. He that loues him that begets will loue him that is begotten If then we finde in our harts a good affection vnto christians beecause they are christians how beneficiall or not beneficiall to vs that is nothing whether they take notice of vs or passe by vs that is not the matter but if they be such that loue Gods word and haue the vertues of Christ shining forth in their harts if loue and patience and temperance meekenesse such like doe appeare in them if we loue these this is an vndoubted testimonie of our true loue to God The fourth mark of our loue to God wherby we shall in deed make triall of our loue to him is how we loue his comming How we desire the appearance of Christ to judge the quick and dead And how we desire to be dissolued be with Christ What desire we haue either to goe vnto him or to haue him come to vs. For if our hart be set truly vpon any thing that thing we cannot chuse but desire and be willing to haue it with vs. Loue drawes the minde to that which is loued So Paull when the loue of God waxed warme in his hart he desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ So in the Reuelation the spirit and the Church and the bride and all say Come Lord come quickly and in the naturall marriage in which the loue is much more weake and slender yet this is manifest for if the wife loue her husband when hee is gone farre off she will be desirous of his returne and will bee glad to haue his company if this be so in the naturall marriage where there be many infirmities and crosses yet they doe wish for the company one of another how much more in the spirituall marriage where there is such perfection now in the one partie as he is full of loue and mercy and also shall free the other partie from all miseries and wants and infirmities when they shall be joyned fully together and fill them full of all vertues and graces in this marriage I say how can one choose but long after this perfect and happie meeting how can he stay himselfe that hath any loue assurance of these things but hee shall be readie to flie vp into heauen the flame of his desire will burne aboue the cloudes to wish that God would come and dwell with vs. If the wife should say I loue mine husband as well as any woman in the world O but how say you your husband hath beene from you a long time but at such a time hee will returne O I pray you speake not of that you will make mee sicke if you talke of it indeede I loue him but I care not how far of from me he be who would not perceiue that this were meere dessembling no true loue indeed can a woman loue her husband and not desire his companie So if we will beare others in hand that we loue God aboue all and no man loues God better then wee yet we neuer desire to come at him or to haue him come at vs what a loue is this a very weake loue it is sure or none We must pray therefore and endeauour that we may long for and wish for the comming of Christ for God hath giuen this to other of his children that were as weake as wee that when they did thinke of their good estate and freedome from all miserie and sinne and that the loue of God was shed abroad in their harts this did so inflame their harts as they desired his comming by which they should be deliuered from all sinne and miserie more then any woman could desire the comming of her husband The fift and last note wherby we shall finde out in trueth how wee loue God is to consider how wee stand affected to that which he hates One indeed may loue a man truely and yet not hate all that he hates because his hatred may be vnjust or else he may exceede in the measure of hatred But for God we know that he is perfect hates nothing but that which is hatefull abhorres none but those which deserue to be abhorred Therfore try and see how we stand affected to the wolrd God saith that hee hates the worlde by the world is ment as Saint Iohn expoundes it the lust of the eies the lust of the hart and the pride of life we must hate these thinges for the loue of the world is enmitie to God He that loues it then is an enemie for hee that loues Gods enemies makes himselfe an enemie as he that hates that which God loues hates God so hee that loues that which God hates hates God also Also we must see how we hate couetousnesse mallice pride filthinesse falshoode and such like for all these things God hates But if one be so far from abhorring lying as that he himself will lie so far frō hating flatterie as he himselfe will flatter speake faire before ones face but ill inough behind his backe if one be so far from hating vnthriftinesse as that he will be a gamster spend those things idly and foolishly which God gaue him for a better end and will take an account of him also how he spent them because God bestowed them for better ends and he bestowes them proudly vainely and vnthriftely to no glory to God or good to men he that will doe these or any such thinges it is plaine that hee hates
so that it should neuer haue ben takē from him and his ofspring but was it so or not nay this ouerthrew him and his house this was the bane of all his for because hee made Israell to sinne therefore God swept away him and his stocke as dung from the face of the earth that none remayned of them as one would doe with an vncleane and filthie beast which if he abide long in a place will defile the house with his dung and the place cannot be cleane and sweet till both the beast bee remoued and his dung swept out so was Ieroboams ofspring as excrements of an vnpure beast that did so polute the land as it could not bee cleane vntill they were all scoured away And so Chams posteritie for many generations bare the curse vpon them for their fathers sinnefull dealing This serues to confute those parents that thinke and goe about by oppression by wrongfull and iniurious dealing and such wicked courses to better the estate of their children and hope by these meanes to make their seede great vpon the earth after them Nay this is the way to bring the curse of God and consequently destruction vpon their familie If men did but giue credit vnto the word of God that such vilde practises would ouerthrow and not build vp their houses and that they did by these things pull downe the plague of God from heauen vpon them and theirs it would keepe them from enriching themselues by wicked wayes and make them take heede how they filled their houses with the riches of iniquitie for feare least they should fill them also vvith the reward of iniquitie the vengeance of God For these sinnes as Iames sayth doe crie vp to heauen they make an exclamation in Gods eares and hee vseth not to repell this crie with a deafe eare but hee heares it to the ruine of those against whom the crie commeth for after this crie of their iniquitie followes their crie and howling for miserie As Gods daiely Iudgement vpon enclosers and oppressors in our owne land shewes it for when they begin to molest poore men to vnpeople townes to seeke how they may dwell alone in the land this inclosing doth but exclude them and theirs so that if men would but marke and obserue it they should see before their faces how God plagues their sinnes in them selues and their howses This must teach vs likewise to be humbled and to craue pardon for the sinnes of our forefathers because they doe send an ill breath of Gods curse vnto vs to And so we see in Daniell 9. he doth not onely confesse his owne sinnes and the wickednesse of the people then aliue but he is wonderfully cast downe and grieued for the sinnes of their ancestors and predecessours and of the Kings Preists and Prophets that went before them And then there is a promise Ezekiel 18. 14. that he that sees his fathers sinnes feareth being humbled for them doth not the like he shall not smart for his fathers sinnes nor beare the punishment of them howsoeuer hee bee lyable to the punishments of such yet if hee see them and forsake them and bee sorrie then God will see his sorrow and bee mercifull to him and remoue the punishment for indeed this is a true note that one doth not justifie and defend his fathers euill waies when that he is grieued and forsakes them But he that sees his fathers euill way and will either justifie them defend them in word or else by his practise mantaine them hee makes vp the measure of his fathers sinnes that both may bee layd together and bring a double plague vpon their heades Of them that hate mee IN that God cals Idolatrie and superstition hatred of him this doctrine may bee learned from thence that all false loue is hatred for Idolaters pretend that they loue God aboue all and more then all why they can finde in their harts to bestow their sonnes and daughters vpon him and is not this zeale No false loue is true hatred and in that they doe those things that God hates and forbids what euer their pretence bee they are haters of God So Pro. 13. Hee shewes that a fond parent that spareth the rod hateth his childe why but they doe loue them and are so tender ouer them as that they cannot finde in their harts to giue them due and fit correction why but this is hatred So in Leuit. Hee commands to admonish our brother and not to hate him in our hart shewing that if one be so carnally affected to any man that he cannot tell him of his sinne hee is loath to grieue him by a sharp reproofe and to reprehend him so as that he might be brought to repentance he that is so tender harted hath an hard hart against his friend this is the worst hatred that may be This then serues to confute such people as will say of papists oh they bee good honest men and though they haue not so strickt a regard of his worship as he commands yet I hope they loue God and haue a good hart to him nay they bee not honest persons neither doe they loue God but they hate God For this is as if a wife should say indeede in mine husbands absence I must haue another man to keepe mee companie and to lie with mee and to bee familier with mee but yet I loue mine husband the husband nor any man else would account finally of this loue yea they would thinke the wife hated rather then loued her husband And so those that must looke one idols to help them in their deuotion they must haue some image to gaze on that they may bee put in minde of God they doe it that they may remember God but God will giue them but a small reward for this loue yea they shall bee accounted of him as professed enemies of his name So for those parents that are so kinde to their children and loue them so deerely that they cannot bring them vp in nurture and in correction and in the feare of God they cannot crosse them nor goe against them in their ill course such a parent is a most mortall foe as often the children feele afterwards and accordingly doe recompence for they hated them with a false loue but the children reward it with a true hatred so hee that will not offende his friend nor trouble him with telling him of his faults but rather smooth vp all and flatter him and speake faire words hee is a grieuous enemie and yet who is there almost that doth not delight in such enemies and makes more of thē and esteemes them more welcome then a true faithfull friend that seekes his soules health and will not suffer him to fling himselfe headlong into destruction but we must learne to abhor all carnall loue to God and men as that which is the most pernicious hatred This must also teach vs not to joyne our selues in societie or in marriage
well was verie seruiceable and by it painefull trauell brought in much profit vnto the master if he be diseased by some sore or sicknesse he will let him haue rest and looke carefully to him that he want nothing and take the counsell of some one that is skilfull in such matters for some drench or medecine that may helpe his horse or oxe restore his health Thus men will deale with a beast but what master almost can be found that doth not plainely proue that he loues a beast more for his commoditie sake then he doth a man for Gods sake for he that will be content to be at cost and charges and some trouble also with his diseased and sicke horse his sicke seruant may lie and die and he will neuer come at him nor seeke any remedie for him but rather encrease his paines by murmuring and grudging that he eates and he drinkes and doth nothing but spend and burthen the familie And when Gods hand hath restrained him from working and not his owne negligence and ofttimes when he gets his weakenesse by faithfull and painefull seruice done to him then some are so cruelly and miserably coueteous as that they will abate so much of their wages as the time of their sicknesse comes to And when he suffers paine and griefe enough by his sicknes then he that should looke to healing of him doth not onely neglect that but also gleanes from him and robs him of his wages which is a double sinne and iniurie So much for the duetie of masters to their seruants that dwell with them Now when they part the masters duty is to looke that he send not his seruant away emptie but doe something for him according to the blessing of God vpon him by his seruants labour according to his owne abilitie and looke how much longer time the seruant hath beene with him and howe much more faithfull seruice he hath done to him by so much more must he be franke and bountifull in respecting and beleeuing him Contrarie to this is the dealing of those shisters that must haue new seruants euerie yeare for that either they be so bad themselues as none will stay with them longer then needes they must or els they intertaine such vngodly persons into there familie as it is not sit that they should tarrie long in any place And those that take in such manner seruants as deserue noe recompence because they imploy their labour about such things as the familie hath no benefit by them but are fit only to serue their Maisters lust in vanitie and foolishnesse for such it is iust that though they dwell manie yeares in a place they should haue no reward giuen them because their labour hath brought no good to the familie no bodie hath beene a gayner or bettered by it but here was a great fault on both parts for both the Master was a foole to giue harbour to such vnprofitable companions and the seruant was a foole to spende his time and paines about such base seruice as could be benefit to no bodie and here it is iust that both should be loosers But when one hath had a seruant that hath beene with him a longe time and done him faithfull seruice so imploying his labour and spending both his daies and strength as that some profitte and commoditie redownds to the familie And the maisters estate hath beene better by his carefull diligence now by continuance of time and by this profitable societie they had the seruant should grow to be vnto him as a child and he if he will seeme to be one of a good nature vpō so long experience of his faithfull and louing cariage should put on the affection of father to him For indeede nature shewes that it is a shame for one to put away his old seruant that hath worne out his bodie in his seruice without bestowing his liberalitie vpon him in some measure according to his owne abilitie and his seruants labours But it is the custome of most men now a dayes so wretchedly couetous are they growne that they deale with their seruants as one would deale with an horse when he grows old and can doe nothing any longer that may bring profit euen pull his skinne ouer his eares and cast his bodie to the dogs and thus brutish are vnnaturall men to their seruants ofttimes toyle them while they can labour consume their strength and spend them out then age will come and the bones will growe weake and the bodie waxe feeble and faint one cannot be alwaies young and strong and what then Then turne them out of dores poore and helpelesse into the wide world to shift for themselues as they can and they must either beg or steale or sterue and thus it comes to passe that manie become theeues and vagrant beggers through the masters base niggardlinesse that would not doe his dutie in bestowing some proportionable and competent releefe vpon them So much for their duties that bee further of from equalitie in the familie as parents and childe Masters and seruants Now those that are more equall are the husband and wife whose duties are either common to both or more particuler to either of them The common duties are these First they must loue one an other with a pure heart feruently This dutie both husband and wife must performe naturally one to an other Which that they may the better striue for let vs consider of some excellent cōmodities that will proceede from this loue and wich indeede will shew in their practise whether their bee this loue or not First this benefit will certainly ensue where there is loue betweene man and wife they will be chast and true hearted so farre as they loue one the other truely they are garded from all strange lusts euen in heart that they will not allowe any vnchast desire much lesse any vnchast looke or action For so in Prouerbs 5. 19. 20. Delight in thy wife and reioyce in her loue for why shouldest thou goe after strange women As if he had said sure enough if thou doe not loue thy wife thou wilt follow a whoare or at the least art in daunger to doe it but if thou loue thy wife truely thou art strengthned against a stranger And so may it be saide of the woman concerning her husband For it is not the hauing of a wife that makes a man chast and keepes him from filthinesse but the louing of his wife that will keepe him and so it is not the hauing of an husband that makes a woman honest and preserues her from adulterers but it is the louing of her husband which will doe it For many married men and women liue filthilie and impurely but if they did loue one an other they were safe from that fault This then is one benefit it is a most sure defence of ones chastitie to loue each other An other benefit that constant loue will bring is that they shall be verie patient
iudgements may be readie to serue God and wee may also presse to doe his will For whosoeuer sets himselfe wholly to root and dig in the earth and to seeke earthly matters his hart will be so occupied forestalled with those things as that if he be called to any seruice of God he must be faine to say I haue married a wife I cannot come my farme and myne Oxen will not let mee come and all this while he sets vp a strange God But then shall we attaine a sincere though not a perfect obedience to this commandement if we can come to vse the world as though wee vsed it not and neuer to trust on these things when wee haue them for the aboundance of thē cannot help vs without gods blessing and not to be discouraged and cast downe though they be all taken away because the want of them shall not hurt vs if God be with vs for we liue by his blessing therfore wee must set our selues onely to rest on him and not to leane to any creature Before my face BEcause this is the most spirituall commandement doth most presse vpon the hart and we are most readie in this matter to dissemble with men and with our owne harts therfore God sets a narrower scantling of it saith before mee Hence wee are taught that it is not enough for vs to behaue our selues as that no impietie breake forth from vs into the face of men but we must looke to our harts and see that none come in Gods sight For a man may be preaching and exhorting others to the loue of God yet if he doe this for his owne vaine glory not for Gods glory to get promotion to himselfe and not saluation vnto Gods people he at that very time sets vp an Idoll in his hart for God searcheth the hart as Dauid saith to Salomon see that thou serue God with an vpright hart or else for all thine outward obedience thou shalt doe as good as nothing for God hath a special regard of the hart and doth as well see and discerne the most secret things of the soule as any man doth the outward actions of the bodie So Ieremie 17. ver 10. I the Lord search the hart God doth not looke on the outside onely but on the inside also shewes cannot deceiue him If wee say and sweare and protest neuer so much that wee loue him and feare him and this be not in our soule t is not before his face but in his fight there is nothing but hipocrisie dissimulation For men first must looke to the outward and hence descend to iudge of the hart but God first approueth the hart and then the outward action if wee see good things outwardly wee are bound in conscience to think well of that man but God will first see vprightnesse and then he will account well of the practises that we doe outwardly This then confutes them that think if they can carry themselues that men cannot blame them then all is well But it is nothing for God saith wash thine hart from iniquitie O Ierusalem no washing of the outward can doe any good vnlesse the hart be first well and throughly scoured Secondly this teacheth vs to carry our selues watchfully warily and to feare as well secret as open sinnes because all secrets are open to God and euery hidden thing is light before his face This meditation helped Iob that he would not allow so much as a wanton looke and by thought for he knew that God beheld his wayes and told all his steps and he could not be deliuered from his highnesse If God had seene them onely and not taken any great heede or notice of them it had not bene so much but as he saw them so he did keep them in a reckoning regard them so as that according to these Iob should receue his reward In this regard he made a couenant with his eyes and did walke in feare circumspectly and would suffer no vanitie or filthinesse once to enter into his hart But the want of this perswasion that God lookes alwaies full vpon vs his holy and pure eyes that are like a flame of fire are alwaies fast'ned vpon our waies and doings is the cause that men haue so many couetous and craftie and cruell and filthie thoughts and are come almost to that point of Atheisme that thought is free But they shall finde that though it be free from men yet it is not free from God and that they shal be lyable to the sentence of condemnation and culpable of euerlasting death before Gods Iudgement seat vnlesse they haue as great a care to haue holy and good thoughts and to purge their hart in the sight of God as to haue honest and ciuill actions and walke well before men So much of the negatiue part of this commandement The affirmatiue followeth In this commandement we are commanded foure especiall things viz. To know God to loue God to feare him and to trust in him These things if we haue in our harts then God beares the sway there and he is the commander of our soules and bodies And first of knowledge This commandement enjoynes euerie man to know God according as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word in essence and his persons in his properties actions according to this knowledge we must order our selues As in Iohn 17 ver 3. This is saith Christ life eternall to know thee and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ He that knowes God in Christ hath the lyfe of grace in him which is called life eternall because it hath the beginnings of life eternall which shall neuer dye but encrease till they come to the perfection of this lyfe For if any one doe thus know God how can he chuse but loue him and trust in him feare him and doe euery thing that he commaunds As Psal 9. Those that know thee will trust in thee Some trust in God some doe not what is the cause of this Because some know Gods power and his trueth and his justice and sufficiencie and these will neuer trust in any lawfull meanes nor fall to any vnlawfull but for others that doe not know him they make no account of trusting in him So Dauid saith to Salomon 1. Chro. 26. My sonne know thou the God of thy fathers and serue him with an vpright hart and a perfect minde This is the foundation of true religion and the ground-work of all vpright worship to know God when we know him then we shall serue him till wee know him there can be no seruing But if wee know that he is such a God as in whose eyes all things are naked and that he searcheth and pryeth into the harts and secret imaginations of the soule this will make one take heed of dissembling and striue to get an vpright hart and so he will serue him with a willing minde that doth know him for why doe men so
willingly serue great personages and are readie to employ them selues in their businesses but because they think that hence they shall haue honour and credit and come to credit as a rewarde of their seruices but now if we know that God doth giue such excellent wages as no man can giue the like for what doth he not bestow on those that feare him he giues them his sonne he giues them his holy Spirit and grace in their harts he giues them his feare and his blessing in this life and life eternall in the world to come if one know this then he will sure serue God with a willing minde But on the contrary the cause and fountaine of all rebellion and disobedience against God is because there is no right knowledge of God as he complaines in Hosea 2. That they lye they steale they commit adultery bloud toucheth bloud But what was the cause of all this confusion why because there was no knowledge of God in the land and where men know not God what should be looked for else for then they cannot loue him nor feare him nor trust in him nor seeke nor doe any dutie if there be no knowledge This serues to confute all ignorant persons that doe not know God they cannot tell how many persons there bee or if they doe they cannot tell what any of them did for them they are not acquainted with the properties of God nor with his actions they neuer thought on his name nor pondered on his trueth his justice his power his mercie and such like things These may brag of loue and faith and hope and confidence and patience but they haue none of them it cannot be for all good things flow from this that we doe know God Therefore Paule saith 2. Thess 1. 8. ver That God will come with thousands of his Angells in flaming fire rendring vengeance to all those that know not him nor obey not his gospel these things follow close doth not one know God then t is cleere he doth not obey his gospel he makes no conscience of that Therefore an ignorant hart is alwaies a sinfull hart a man without knowledge is a man without grace and this ignorance is so foule a sinne as that it shal be sufficient to bring gods vengeance vppon one how euer light account men make of it God will damne them for this because they haue not knowne and then t is to to sure they could not nor would haue regard to his commandements And on the other side this must stirre vs vp to call for wisdome and to cry for vnderstanding to seeke for it and to dig for it as for gold or precious stones We must often reade Gods word confer of it and meditate on it which if we do it will giue vs vnderstanding then we shall see gods properties and see his goodnesse his loue and how able and willing hee is to help vs and then we cannot chuse but trust in him And indeede this often meditating and thinking on Gods word is the next way to make vs like God and to renue and repaire the image of God in vs. For by seeing Christ in the gosple wee are chaunged from glory to glory and the more wee know him the more wee encrease in being like to him so long as we know in part we are like in part but when we shall haue perfect knowledge then shall we be perfect in holinesse and perfect in righteousnesse perfect and holy as he is perfect As 1. Iohn he saith Now it appeareth not what we shall bee but when he shall appeare wee shall bee like him and why like him because we shall know him as he is so that the perfection of knowledge will bring the perfection of holinesse the more we increase in knowledge the more all good vertues will increase and if this were perfect we should be perfect without all weakenesse and infirmitie But the more we meditate in Gods word the more our knowledge will grow and therefore also the image of God will grow more liuely till we bee made perfect and absolute in the life to come The next dutie is Loue. That wee must loue God withall our harts and all our soules as is commanded Luke 10. The reason is because he is that Iehouah in whom we liue we moue and haue our being he is our God that giues vs all good things and can onely free vs from all sinne and miserie therefore wee are bound to loue him And indeede this is the chiefe dutie and the best fruit of knowledge but because it is so plaine a dutie as that no man will denie it it is best for vs leauing to vse more words in prouing the dutie to shew some markes of loue of God that we doe not deceiue our selues whereby we may see in what measure wee keepe this first and chiefe commandement The first marke may be how we delight to meet God in those meanes wherin he hath appointed to meet vs for in what measure we can offer our selues to God in those things wherein hee offers himselfe to vs in that measure wee loue him If we be willing to aske all good things and seeke comfort at his hand by prayer and to lay open our wants to him and as it were to conferre with God If we be desirous to come to heare his word spoken vnto vs wherein we may see his wisdome for our direction his mercie for our comfort his povver for our defence and for the subduing of our sinnes and his riches to make vs rich and supply all our wants then we doe indeede loue God and the more we can reioyce in these things the more we loue God and the lesse the lesse we loue him So for the sacraments in them Christ Iesus offers himselfe vnto vs and to make vs partakers of his bodie and blould would we then try how we loue God vve may doe it by examining what desire we haue to these things would we rather come to this banquet of the heauenly King to eate the body and bloud of his sonne that is set before vs rather then to the table of an earthly king to tast such good cheere as hee can make vs is there such an affection to vs then indeede we loue God for then we haue a delight to come wher he is For in these meanes God doth bestow himselfe vpon vs and comes to dwel in vs as Christ saith that he will dwell in vs and his father the holy ghost will come into our harts The second note whereby we may try our loue to God is obedience as Christ saith Iohn 14. 20. He that loues me keepes my commandements He then that keepes Gods commandements best he loues God best But if any will say that he loues God as well as the best yet he will breake the saboth and lye and dissemble and be a miser wholy rooting on the earth and setting himselfe and all his hart after his
not that which God hates and therefore doth not loue God By these things then wee may examine our selues and finde whether we haue any true loue to god or not namely by his loue to the meanes of saluation and by his keeping Gods commandements by his seruent and harty loue to Gods people in wishing and also doing then good to his power by his desire to bee joyned to Christ Iesus and lastly by his hatred of those things which God hateth which though they doe often ouertake him yet he loues himselfe the lesse because hee can hate them no more and thinkes the worse of himselfe because hee loues them at all These things who so can finde in himselfe hee loues God and obeyes this commandement though not in perfection for no man can in his nature and indeede it is not needefull that any of vs should for Christ did it for vs yet in vprightnesse and in some good measure and he serues God with that which hee accounts a perfect hart So much of the loue of God a fruit of knowledge when knowing his goodnes his mercie his truth other his properties we giue him all our soule setting our affections on nothing in earth besides him delighting in him alone and in nothing but that which carries a stampe of his goodnesse The next dutie that is heere commanded is the feare of God a dutie proceeding from knowledge also for as the sight of Gods goodnesse and mercy and truth will inflame the hart with a loue of him So if one behold and consider his greatnesse and his power and his excellencie ouer all his creatures this will strike his hart with a wonderfull reuerence a great feare of his Majestie As also hee that knowes Gods power that he can doe what hee will and his mercy that hee will doe what is needefull for the good of his children this will make him trust wholy in God But for this feare an objection must first be answered For 1. Iohn 4. he saith Perfect loue casteth out feare And Luke 1. We are deliuered from all our enemies that we might serue him without feare To this wee answere that perfect loue casteth out feare namely a slauish feare and such as is in the diuels who tremble before God but so as they runne frō him such as is in wicked men when the threatnings of God arrests their euill conscience and summons their wicked harts and drawes them before Gods iudgement seat makes them therefore not loue Gods word and ministry but hate it cast off all care of Godlinesse and religion from them But it is true that whosoeuer loues God cannot chuse but in the same measure also feare him for the spirit of God that perswades them of his fauour and worketh loue will declare his power and greatnesse which will worke a feare and awe of him It casteth out the hellish feare that makes one flie from God but it causeth that holie feare that makes one more careful to come vnto him and to worship him Wee must then loue God with our whole harts and soules and mindes so that wee feare nothing but in him and for him and that with such a feare as must draw vs vnto him but terrifieng our harts from committing all euill It must be a feare mingled with loue and confidence that must be holy and crucifie and restraine all ill affections and desires This is commanded Isai 8. 13. Sanctifie the Lord in your harts and let him be your feare and your dread The occasion of this precept was this Before in the chap he shewes that there were stirres and rumours of warres in the land the people and King and all did quake as leaues shaken with wind by reason of the great feare which was in them Now then heere hee brings a medicine that will make them still and quiet for the cause of their false feares was because they were emptie of true feare and they were so exceedingly troubled with men because they could not looke vp vnto God But in the 12. ver the Prophet faith You that bee Gods children doe not you feare their feare Feare not you the feares of wicked men for they feare nothing but pouertie and outward disgrace and a temporall death all weather and hard casualties to themselues their goods these bee base feares and not worthie that the harts of Gods children should be taken vp with them being but trifles feare not these things then nor feare them that is not wicked men feare neither the feares which wicked men feare nor feare not wicked men themselues But now because the hart of man must feare something and least it be very well armed it is ready to feare man and the feares of man therefore he shewes a meanes how to keepe one from all infection of such foolish feares and that is to sanctifie God in our hart and to let him be our dread Sanctifie god in our hart j. giue him the praise of his power of his mercie of his trueth of all his attributs then he shal be our dread For he that giues god the praise of his power wil neuer stand in feare of a man for he knowes the power of god is greater thē the power of man He that giues him the praise of his mercie will not be dismaid though he see all wants an hard estate outwardly for he knows that gods mercie wil supply all he that giues him the praise of his trueth wil not be discouraged for any danger because god hath promised to stustain him in all and to deliuer him out of all This is then to feare God with all our harts to feare him onely and neither to feare wicked men nor the things which they feare for so far as we doe feare either of these we breake his commandement and our harts are voide of the true feare of God So Luke 12. 4. 5. Christ Iesus saith Feare not them that kill the bodie and after that are not able to doe any more But I will forewarne you whom you shall feare feare him that after he hath killed can cast into hell I say vnto you him feare Where he saith that can kill the bodie t is not to be vnderstoode as though any man had any power in himselfe to kill it but God giues them leaue some-times and by his permission for the humbling of his children they are able to kill them as if he had said This is the nature of men that if they see any grow powerfull great they are afrayd think how shall we escape how can any be free from daunger now such persōs be set vp but why should you be so troubled at their promotion or why should you be afrayd when they haue done their worst what can they doe the most is to trouble you a little and to send you from this house of clay to heauen they can go no further then to the killing of your bodie But if you
come in by heapes and so when all was gone hee had soone made his accounts God hath giuen God hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord when I had them I was not the better I did not trust in them and therfore now they are gone I am not much vexed it was no part of my greatest happinesse to haue them nor is no part of my greatest sorrow that I haue so suddenly lost them But this our discouragement and whining and murmuring when we want the meanes shewes that we trust not in God but in them for if we liue at Gods finding who must prouide for vs no mans life consisteth in his riches saith Christ if God bee our father and he must find vs why are we not content with his promise what though he keepe thinges in his owne hand because we know not how to vse them But this is the matter we would be our owne gods as it were be at our own finding in this matter we be farre more foolish then our owne children for they keepe no stirre and doe not trouble them selues to think how shall I doe to bring the yeare about how shall I get prouision for the next yeare or what if ill weather come and so many doubts but they are merry and fresh and thinke not of these matters but make account that their fathers will see them prouided for and will not suffer them to want any thing and therfore when they neede they goe to them and make account that all is well they shall haue it And why should not we do so to God if we did in truth as we say we doe account that hee is our father and trust vppon him and giue but so much credit to him as our children doe to vs why should not wee thinke our selues sufficiently prouided for if wee haue his promise if wee could indeede come to make him our trust thus we should vnloade our harts of much discontentment and disquietnesse and liue farre more cheerfully then now by reason of our vnbeleefe and distrust wee doe or can doe The last signe to know whether we trust in God or not is to examine whether we seeke his loue and fauour for that vvhich any man makes his trust that he doth most labour to obtaine What doth any man speake of most in the day and thinke of most in the night and seeke after most in all his life If it be lucre then hee trustes in his lucre So that man that placeth his happinesse and seekes his felicitie onelie in pleasure he will most seeke and striue to get his pleasure and is most vexed if it be taken from him But if one trust in God then he would most labour to get the loue fauour of God because he knowes he can haue nothing from him selfe or any other but onely from god as in Ps 62. 11. 12. Hee sets downe two causes why we must not trust in man nor riches that is in any outward thing for power belongs vnto God mercie belonges vnto God All the men in the world and all the riches in thee world haue no power to helpe vs vnlesse god put it in them for all power is his owne and so for mercie there is no kindnesse in any man or angell which they haue not from God no man nor angell can shew vs any kindnesse vnlesse God giue them that kindnesse and if they doe wee must confesse that it comes from him Since then all power is reached from Gods hand and all mercie is deriued from him that nothing either can help vs or if it could yet would help vs but so far as he puts both the power and will into it therefore those that beleeue this cannot choose but seeke Gods fauour for then they are assured that nothing can be able to hurt them yea God can make all things so far as it is profitable willing and readie to doe them good So much concerning the first commandemēt which shewes vs whom we must worship namely God and wherin this worship consisteth namely in a sound knowledge of him from this knowledge in louing and fearing and trusting in him with all our hart and soule Now followes the second commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen c. IN all which commandement is shewed by what outward meanes we must worship God namely not after the inuentions of flesh and bloud but after the commandement of his holy word The commandement containes a prohibition in these words Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth thou shalt not bow to them nor worship them These words containe the prohibition forbidding vs to haue any Images to represent God or to help vs in his worship or to haue any superstitious or will worship therby to please him the better The reasons ratifieng the prohibition are two one drawne from the vengeance of God against Idolaters and superstitious persons in these words For I the Lord thy God am a Iealous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee Shewing Gods power in that he is Iehouah and a strong God as the word signifieth and his will that he is a jealous God the similitude is taken from a jealous husband that can abide no light behauiour of his wife but he will be reuenged on it So God cannot endure that any one that is his should once looke to Images or superstition for if any doe as by reason of his strength he is able so he is willing also to reuenge it on the sonnes and sonnes sonnes to the fourth generation of such as doe it The second reason is taken from the reward that God will bestow vpon all such as worship him purely hating Idolatrie and false worship that he will not onely blesse them but theirs to a thousands Neuer forgeting to shew mercy vnto those that worship him purely so that all their posteritie shall fare the better for them Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue First in that God doth set downe so largely and so plainely in so many words this commandement he shewes how exceeding readie vve are to fall into the breach of it Hence then we may gather this doctrine that our nature is wonderfull prone to Idolatrie and we are verie apt and readie to worship God falsely and superstitiously for if it were not so then why vvould not God content himselfe to be as short here as he is in most of the rest but we see for this and the saboth how largely he sets them downe how he mounds and fenceth them on euerie side with strong reasons vvhich doth declare that he knows vs verie willing on any
of the worke yet for the mercie of him that accepts the worke But this true keeping must be knowne by these notes first in keeping one must aime at all ther must be a full purpose and true desire to keepe all for if one lie in any sin breake any wilfullie then the wilfull known breach of one makes him guiltie of all Secondly the obedience must be done willinglie with a free cheerefull hart as Dauid bids Solomon serue the Lord with a willing minde Thirdly the end of our actions must be good to shew our loyaltie to God to approue our harts to him in obedience to his commandements that wee may bee blessed of him and not for any other ende or intent of our owne as to bee magnified of men and to merit by them or such like He that hath all these things keepeth the law of God indeede no man can fulfill it neither is it required of Gods children that they should because they be vnder grace and not vnder the law for the rigour of it But for those that bee out of Christ this condition is proposed to them winne it and weare it keepe the law in full perfection haue happinesse in full perfection but breake it in the least title loose your saluation those which are not in Christ are thus bound but those which are his members that are made one with him by faith are vnder grace there is a more fauourable obedience required of them not to fulfill the law in the extremitie of it but to keepe the law in the vprightnesse of their harts and to doe so much as Gods spirit that is bestowed on them giues them power to doe But now to returne to the doctrine it selfe whosoeuer loues God must in this manner as hath beene spoken keepe the lavv of God This is proued 1. Iohn 5. 3. 4. This is the loue of God that wee keepe his commandements Is it so may one say then that is a verie hard peece of worke few can doe that nay saith he his commandements are not grieuous for all that is borne of God ouer commeth the world hee shewes that a christian so farre as hee is regenerate hee hath conquered the world and then Gods commaundements cease to bee burdensome for the things that make Gods commaundements heauie vnto vs is our worldlinesse and fleshlie lusts which striue against the spirit but when Gods spirit which regenerateth vs hath set downe and ouer come those lusts in that measure Gods commandements are verie easie lightsome we shall with as much comfort and quietnesse obey them as Adam in his innocencie when wee are once trulie conuerted according to the measure of our conuersion It is a most tedious thing to a christian hart to obey the diuells commandement but it is most joyous to follow Gods As if it were permitted to a christian man for the while to steale to lie to commit adultrie and to breake the sabboth or such like why his soule would abhorre it and hee would rather die then doe these things it would bee such a vexation vnto him but now to heare the word to pray to confer to doe workes of mercie and the rest of this kinde it is euen a recreation and delightfull sport for him to doe them for Gods commaundements are pure and holie and doe delight the hart so farre as it is pure and holy So Iohn 14. 15. If yee loue me keepe my commaundements and I will pray the father and hee shall send you another comforter As if hee should say hee that loueth mee best and keepes my commandements most shall haue trouble and miserie but let not that trouble him for hee shall haue my spirit which will comfort him and sustaine him in all his miseries But I doe keepe Gods commaundements and haue a care to bee obedient vnto Christ then Christ sayth verse 21. Hee that hath my commaundements and keepes them one must first haue them afore hee can keepe them haue them in knowledge and vnderstanding haue them in memorie haue them in Iudgement and affection and then fall to keepe them in action doe this and then indeede you loue Christ but many talke of louing Christ and what good freinds they bee to Christ but try them a little by their workes and you shall see that they neither haue Gods commaundements nor keepe them and so farre as they faile in these things so far they faile in the loue of god and prouoke God also not to loue them This serues to confute those disordered persons in whom one can see nothing but open rebellion against Gods law open breach of the sabboth and manifest contempt of Gods word and yet tell them of it and come to aske them if they bee not ashamed thus in the face of the worlde to proclame enmitie against God then first they fall to shifting and cloaking but if you come with so good proofe and ferret them out so soundlie that they cannot denie it but are conuinced to their faces why then this is next what are you without sinne haue you no fault doe you keepe all Gods Commaundements yes miserable man there are faults in the best But this is blockishnesse for is there no difference betwixt falling by frailtie and through infirmitie and liuing and lying in a sinne and allowing ones selfe in the committing of it that frailtie is in Gods elect children but this wilfull disobedience and maintayning is in hipocrits that God puts away and regards not this hee will neuer put away vnlesse there be an amendement and greater soundnesse for such persons loue not God and it is just if he plague them and pursue them as his enemies This likewise serues for the great comfort of Gods children that doe their best endeauour to keepe all Gods commandements and that with a vvilling hart and good intent and minde not thinking to merit any thing by them for they know God must still shew mercie euen to those that loue him and keepe his commandements This I say comforts all them for when hee hath done all hee can hee comes short and faileth but yet God will shew mercie this word may reioyce them for hee will shew mercie as if hee had saide though you come farre short of that you should and would yet so long as your hart is true God will shew mercie for hee requires not fulfilling but keeping if one will stand to himselfe then hee must haue either perfection or confusion but if hee trust to Christ then hee is vnder grace there is mercie in Christ pittying and rewarding rewarding all their good and pittying and passing by their infirmities Thus much for the second commandement now followes the third in these words following Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his name in vaine THE summe of this third commandement is to teach vs that wee should not profane the name
touch him a little with a rebuke for his wringing and oppression shew him that the loue of the world is enmitie to God and that couetousnesse is idolatrie then comes in this place of scripture which must salue all what hath not God commanded a man to labour in his calling doth not God say hee is worse then an infidell that prouides not for his familie and so all must goe vnder the name of good husbandrie and thrift and prouiding for his familie But consider thou that standest thus for thy labour God will haue thee labour but not to serue the diuell in thy labour take paines in thy calling but hurt not thy neighbour by it prouide for thy children lay vp but lay vp a treasure in heauen prouide to bring them vp in the feare of God and in some christian vocation first prouide that they may be christians and then one hath well prouided for them store vp mercifull workes then the righteous is mercifull and lendeth his seede injoyes the blessing Thus God will haue one labour with godlynesse and prouide so for his children as hee prouides for his owne soule So come to angrie and passionate persons they can haue some thing to say for their sinne to and that out of Gods word when they haue broke out into foolish and vnaduised passions tell them this is naught anger rests in the bosome of fooles and the wrath of man fulfills not the law of God oh but I pray you doth not S. Paul say be angrie and sinne not It is true hipocrite but if thou wilt be angrie without sinne bee angrie first with thine owne sinne begin at home condemne the follie that is in thine owne soule or else thine anger is not holie spirituall but diuellish fleshlie and carnall So al-most in all other sinnes there is scarce any other sinne so bad but vngodlie persons will stand in defence of it and if they can snatch a few words out of scripture and teare them violentlie from the true sence thereof vnto their owne lust they count this a matter of great wittinesse but in truth it is a matter of great horrible wickednesse and a damnable prophaning of the name of god when one can wrest hale together manie places and say much for his sinne it is not a note of more wit but of more acquaintance with the diuell for their tongue is set on fire of hell it is tipped with hell fire blowne by the stinking breath of Satan when they haue said all they can they haue made their sinne more grieuous their hart more hard and them selues more cursed in that they haue done no thing all the while but dishonoured God to make him a patrone of wickednesse and his word a sword for the diuell Fourthlie the word of God is abused profaned by turning it to charmes and spels all kinde of sorcerie to cure such persons as be mispoken as they tearme it and ayr'd as such foolish tearmes they haue and to say the Lords praier or some place of scripture to find things that be lost with many such wicked thinges this a sinfull peruerting of Gods word And wheras men commonlie excuse themselues for this sin because the words be not ill yet let them know that when one abuseth good words to a wrong end they be euill words to him and if the word of God be peruerted to such an end as he hath not appointed they be the diuells words to him that thus peruerts them and Satan is no lesse daungerous an enemie when hee comes like an angell of light then if he appeared in his coulours and this charming God himselfe condemnes in the law saith that he will finde out such persons So that both these charmers and those that goe vnto them be wicked abusers of Gods name and either they shall haue no successe in the thing they sought for or if they haue it is a greater plague for now they prosper in their sinne and their hart is made more hard incureable And thus the word of God is abused Now the remedie against this abuse is that we labour to apply Gods word to the right ends that he hath appointed and if we will know these ends we may see them 2. Tim. 3. 16. The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct and instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works Heere hee shewes how we must imploy the scriptures of God and first generally he saith they be profitable shewing in generall that the word of God must neuer be medled withall but for some profit in all conferences wherin we bring in the word of God and in all maner of vsing Gods word this must be the closing and shutting vp of all that there be some good done that some body be the better for that some fruit be reaped where profit is not the end Gods word is not rightly applyed Then perticulerly he shewes wherin this profit consists first to teach j. to enlighten the vnderstanding that one may get more knowledge and his minde is thus bettered Secondly to conuince that is to refute and beat downe heresies false opinions afore to teach the truth now to pul vp heresies that the judgement may be sound Thirdly to correct j. to reforme amend the offenders to cōuince ill opinions to correct ill conuersations Fourthly to instruct j. to shew how one should amend his ill manners and how he should doe good as well as that he must forsake that that is ill how to liue well and how to haue such a good conuersation that one may haue comfort in his lyfe and death These are those ends of the scripture to which whosoeuer imployes it shall not dishonour Gods name and hurt his soule but glorifie God himselfe be made absolute perfect and readie to euerie good work Thus much for taking Gods name in vaine by speach without an oath but in vaine speaking and other abusing Gods word Secondly Gods name is thus taken in vaine by abusing his tytles as God Iehouah Iesus Lord and such other And that either in admiration as when one in the hearing of any odd matter or strange report shall breake forth into such vaine wandring speaches good Lord O Iesus O Christ Lord haue mercie vpon vs what a thing was that wherein one names Gods titles without any conscience and reuerence of him Therefore those which haue done so must repent So likewise we abuse Gods titles in rash petitions and imprecations as Sarah in a fuming chafe comes to Abraham and saith she the Lord be judge betwixt mee and thee and thus she must needs haue a purchased sessions and God must come downe from heauen in all the hast none else would serue the turne to redresse some wrong that she thought she had what was the matter vvhy Hagar had dealt something
journey to take some odd thing or other that beeing forgotten in time will rush in vpon vs now and must bee done now because it was omitted before and cannot tarry till after sith then wee are so subject to distruction and so soone to forget things that if wee had had a care before might haue beene done well without any trouble in the sabboth but now through our negligence comes vpon vs on that day this must teach vs to haue a heauenly foresight that wee prouide against all such lets and cut off by our godly care all such incombrances That pollicie and care which wee see in naturall men about the market of their bodies we must learne for this market of our soule they will bee prouiding and thinking before what they must buy at the market and what they must carrie to the market and will not haue the things to bee in doing when they should haue them ready to carry with them but looke that the things they purpose to sell be prepared that so they may not be hindred but be there in good time to make their markets for their best aduantage So if euer we will make good markets for our soules we must all the weeke before be preparing our harts and setting all things straight that our harts may be burdened with no sinne nor no worldly care thē which should carry away the force of our meditations thoughts from the exercises of religion for they be spirituall and we be carnall and a little thing God knowes will make a great stirre in our fleshly harts to draw them from heauenly things and therfore vnlesse wee take great heede to examine our harts and watch ouer our selues that we walke purely holily all the sixe daies long and to cast out and discharge all affaires of this life on the one side the sinne committed on the other side the businesse omitted will hale and pull our thoughts that no attention can be giuen to matters of religion no constant or setled meditation of any heauenly thing can take place we must therefore stop out all distractions and encombrances rayse vp our harts against deadnesse and dulnesse which will make vs heauie and dull and slow to any good thing by a wise managing and finishing our outward affaires and a godly and religious ordring and preparing our harts if euer we will comfortably profitably spend the Lords day in the Lords work Then againe besids these needlesse lets which through our owne weaknesse we pul vpon our owne heads therbe hindrances enough on euery side which doe wee what wee can with all the industrie in the world we shall neuer be able wholy to preuent but they will set vpon vs. As in what family shall one come but he shall see idlenesse and slepinesse and foolishnesse manyfold wayes who that knowes himselfe any whit at all doth not feele that he is readier to follow ill example be led by ill company then to be led by Gods commandement especially when no positiue law will take hold vpon him for the breach of Gods commandement And then we haue the diuel as a Lion continually seeking to deuoure our soules to hinder vs in all things he can from religion and in the best there be such strong lusts such a loue of the pleasure and commoditie of this world that vnlesse we be strongly garded and defended will breake in vpon our harts and disorder the rank of our affections As come to a professour that is giuen to couetousnesse and ouer to whome the world beares to great an hand though he haue a true hart to God and some sound graces of the spirit of God wrought in him doe but vp some couetous talke that tends toward gaine and filthie lucre see if he will not be quite gone and forgetting God and the sabboth and himselfe and all giue his hart and tongue and all to be imployd about worldly things vnlesse he mound and fence his hart about diligently with these thoughts what though I doe hath not god bidden me remember the sabboth hath he not set a speciall mark vpon it that I should in no hand forget thus by earnest striuing shake of these vntimely words thoughts And then we shall haue the world be objecting and putting in it carnall reasons to make vs negligent why what neede you be so strict this is to much nicenesse you are more precise then wise and such like which will certainly carry one away vnlesse he striue to confirme himselfe by thinking on Gods commandement and so shut out these objections what hath not God bid mee remember and shall I suffer men to make me forget it hath not he giuen me two reasons to keep it the one stronger then the Iewes had and shall I be more negligent in keeping it then they which had but one they had weaker meanes of comfort the bloud of buls and goates the sprinkling of water and an earthly tabernacle and high priest and yet they were with reuerence to vse these and shall we that haue more excellent meanes as Christ Iesus offered vp for a sacrifice offered vp once for all and the sprinkling of his bloud to purifie our soules and the heauenly tabernacle opened for vs by him our heauenly high priest and continuall mediator shall we I say that haue all these meanes more plaine excellent then theirs be negligent to keepe this sabboth especially sith God hath giuen vs this as a meanes to draw vs from earth to heauen and to make vs grow in a spirituall life Hauing then all these impediments vnlesse we doe arme our selues in the weeke daye and strengthen our faith by remembring Gods commandement reasons by a wise cutting of those distractions which by diligence may be cut of we cannot with any comfort or cherefully celebrate a sabboth vnto the Lord. Lastly if wee reade the scriptures of God and see how often God vrgeth this point how earnestly he presseth it this will make vs labour often and continually to call to minde that which he so often hath repeated vnto vs because if it were a necessarie dutie God will not so many times in so many places require it at our hāds So that euery one must labour by searching his conscience watching ouer his soule to rouse himselfe from that lumpishnesse and drousinesse which is within him and by prouidence and forecast of outward businesse to put away all outward encombrances and distractions This then serues first to confute those that make this kinde of objections against the sabboth Oh we cannot keepe it we should bee vndone if wee should rest vpon the sabboth day for these losses and damages would ensue these hurts would come such businesses would bee left vndone but I pray you whence come all these losses what is the cause of these damages is it not because you forget the verie first word of the commandement Remember the sabboth day Then this is no
commandements are lightsome the spirituall hart feedes vpon the spirituall law and delights and rejoyceth in it This must serue therefore to cut off those dangers that men cast to themselues in keeping of this commandement as though God had ouershot himselfe in making such an vnjust law as no man can keepe it but hee must bee vndone by it as though hee knew not what hee did when hee bad them rest the sabboth day It is a meruailous impudencie in many that no man durst speake so hardly and presumptuouslie against any positiue law of the prince as euerie base person will speake against this law of God Oh it is impossible to keepe it such losses it brings and these damages it brings that hee must needes come to beggerie that will obserue it what did God seeke the impouerishing and the spoile of men when hee bad them serue him nay he appointed it as a day of blessing and it seemes so hard and vnjust to them because they bee carnall and fleshly and not hauing faith in Gods promises nor any desire to obey him they will still haue shifts and something to say against it the hart is dead and wicked or else the law would bring comfort Oh how should one doe for recreation say some is it not a recreation for a christian to heare the voice of a christian and for a sheepe of Christ to feede in his pastures is it not a recreation for a person condemned to come where hee may get his pardon sealed to him is it not a recreation for a man subject to death to heare a direction that will leade him to life therefore if wee were not altogether sencelesse and blockish in respect of spirituall sence and life it would bee as great a joy for vs to feede at his table and in his house vpon the bread of life as in our owne houses vpon corruptible bread And againe could Christ finde in his hart for our sakes willingly to bestow his soule body and giue his bodie to death and his soule to suffer the wrath of God and shall wee account it a burden to bestow one day in seauen vpon him to be made pertakers especiallie of such benefits And God hath willinglie giuen vs sixe for our calling and may wee not well afford the seauenth to our soules but wee haue such businesse wee cannot doe it But for matter of businesse God shewes two things that if one would obserue should easilie preuent these businesses first sixe daies shalt thou doe all thy work Where hee shewes that if one would labour faithfullie and conscionablie in their calling vpon sixe daies they might well dispatch their businesse but indeede this makes men so loath to giue a seauenth day to God because hauing beene idle and vnthriftie on the sixe they haue neglected some businesse that now lies vpon them the seauenth day and then it is a great burden indeede and impossible for such to keepe it but they must loose by it but Gods commandement brings no such losse their owne sinne is the cause of it and if this bee not the cause then the other is men take more vpon them then their owne work for if one take nothing but his worke hee may dispatch all well in sixe daies if one serue God in his calling his calling will not hinder him from keeping Gods commandements but if one serue couetousnesse and filthie lucre then indeed hee can finde no time to serue God When men in hast to bee rich and eager desire of wealth will take more in their hands then they can mannage this is their fault and all this is not their worke but the worke of their lust this is to bee a busie bodie but let any man bee faithfull in his calling on the sixe daies and not through greedinesse encomber himselfe with more then is needefull and hee shall see hee may easily keepe this seauenth to God there is no cause of such complaining against it And indeede to a spirituall hart that hath any grace measure of Gods spirit how euer it seeme to carnall men it is most just and equall yea most sweet and comfortable so that they can with all their harts thanke God that he hath giuen them one day wherein they may lighten their harts of all worldly cares and throw of all griefes thoughts of debts or such like to giue them selues wholy to seeke comfort in him that will prouide for them in due time and hath prouided this sabboth as an ease vnto them that they should not trouble them selues wtih any such thoughts on that day And thus much to proue that the keeping of a seauenth day and spending it in holy dutie is a morall law and perpetuall and belongs vnto vs as well as to the Iews and so much the more vnto vs because we hauing more excellent meanes a greater perfection is required of vs. As also to shew that euery one must make a preparation for the sabboth Both by dispatching his businesse as nothing may bee left vndone till the sabboth and by behauing himselfe so in the businesse as his affections may not bee to much tied vnto them for the former will hinder the rest of the sabboth and the latter the holynesse of it Therfore that we may keep an holie rest he must doe all that hee hath to doe vpon the sixe daies and if hee take more vpon him then he can finish in the space of sixe daies it is more then God laies vpon him and he doth not labour for conscience sake but for couetousnesse sake and this is not his worke but the worke of his corruption and then secondly a man must draw his hart from the loue of the world worldly things and then neither worldlie losses will fill his hart full of worldlie greife nor commodities with worldlie delight which two things would hinder him from delighting in spirituall exercises so that he that will empty his hands of all worldlie businesse and his hart of worldlie affections shal be able with comfort to keepe a rest and an holie rest vnto God And for the first reason drawne from the equitie of Gods commandements that hauing giuen vs the large allowance of sixe daies and taken the small pittance of one daie vnto himselfe hath dealt in great equitie with vs so that one must not goe about to make hipocriticall shifts and excuses for if he doe it is not from the hardnesse of the law but the hardnesse of his hart not from difficultie in the thing but want of loue in the person for nothing is so easie but a worldlie hart that loues not God will be shifting and haue some odd reasons against it Now we must speake of the second reason It is the sabboth of the Lord thy God IN which God lets vs know that he which is our God and the mightie strong God hath impropriated this to himselfe as his owne possession set a part for his owne seruice therfore wee must willinglie
should bee of this mind for if he do as he professeth indeede loue god aboue all ought he not to be more carefull of Gods glory then of his owne commodity more see to gods seruice then his own gaine now we know that masters suffer not their seruants to be idle on the weeke days therfore if he loue god he shuld be so much more diligent ouer them that they neglect not the word of God on his day by how much the glory of God is more deare and precious to him then his priuate commoditie For as he that is a true subiect to the prince loues him indeed wil not keepe such a man in his house that will not bee subiect to his lawes so hee that is himselfe rightly affected to God and his glory will not suffer such a prophane person vnder his roofe that will dishonour him openly and not care to obserue his sabboth Secondly if one beare any loue to his seruants or children euen for their owne sakes hee must see to them that they breake not the sabboth but that they come to such exercises where they may receiue the spirit of God and the chiefe good to their soules alwaies a good gouernour must gouerne for the good of those that bee vnder him now what greater good can hee doe to them then to vse those meanes whereby they may know God in Christ Iesus and bee brought to saluation So that if one will not shew a disloyall hart against God and vnlouing and vnfaithfull hart to his people that hee cares not for their saluation hee must see that they keepe the sabboth so farre as it belongs to him namely by being outwardly present at the workes of religion Thirdly in regard of our owne good to such as be masters must bee carefull ouer their seruants in this regard for take this for a generall rule hee that will not bee faithfull to God will neuer bee faithfull to man hee that hath no care to serue God in duties of religion will haue lesse care to serue his master in the duties of his calling as indeede they haue for if the honour of God and their owne saluation will not moue them why should they bee moued for their masters profit or businesse but hee that serues God with a good conscience will serue his master with a good conscience and though his master bee not present to rebuke him his owne conscience will checke him and when the feare of his master will not keepe from idlenesse and vntrustinesse the feare of God will keepe him and the commandement of God will restraine him else either they will doe nothing or what they doe is all for eie seruice to bee seene of men and when the masters eie is off then by idlenesse or wastfulnesse or pilfering they will hurt one more then the faithfull keeping of the sabboth can hinder them for that will not hinder them at all but bee a meanes to bring the blessing of God on their labours in the weeke day As Iacob a faithfull seruant to God was blessed in all Labans businesse and Ioseph a true worshipper of the Lord had prosperitie to follow him and accompanie him in all his trauailes Therfore if wee will shew our loue to God and to them and desire that they bee faithfull to vs and God should blesse their labours in our affaires bring them to the seruice of God and exercises of religion on the sabboth and haue a care that they breake not the holy day of the Lord. This serues for the reproofe of those men which beare this minde toward their seruants that so their owne worke be performed they care not how Gods worke is neglected let their seruants bee carefull to doe their businesse on the sixe daies let them bee as carelesse as they list of Gods on the seauenth day let them spend it euen how they will they haue free libertie from the masters This shewes men to bee louers of themselues more then louers of God and proues that they loue filthie lucre and gaine of the world more then the glorie of God for if Gods glorie were but as deere to them as their monie they would bee as impatient at his dishonour by their seruants negligence as at losses that come to themselues by their seruants negligence Oh but they say they be rude youthes and will break out from vs we cannot keepe them in Be not these deepe dissemblers is not this grosse hipocrisie can you not keepe them in Who keepes them in on the sixe dayes can you make them tarry at home then can you set them to their businesse and not suffer them to be gadding yet that is for sixe dayes space this is but for one that labour which then they doe is far more toylesome to the bodie can you make them will they nill they spend sixe whole dayes in more painefull tedious work can you not constraine them to keepe at home and doe more easie works in respect of bodily labour and that but for one whole day this is miserable shifting plaine halting these excuses will not holde before God he will shew you that you had made as much account of seruing his honour and glory and obeying his commandement as you doe of seruing your owne filthie couetous lust and obeying the diuell if his name had bene as deere to you as gayne you might with as much ease cause your seruants to spend the seauenth day in his seruice to his glory as sixe before it in your owne seruice to your profit But what is the cause that youth is so rude is it not because they haue learnt it of age Why be inferiours so prophane but because they follow the patterne and tread in the steps of their superiours how come the branches to bring such ill fruit but that the root hath no better sap for if the seruants might but see so much loue of God and care of keeping gods commandements appeare in the conuersation of their masters and dames as they see of the world and eagernesse after lucre they would at least for outward shew be better But now that they see their masters and know his disposition they frame themselues thereafter to serue him in his couetous lust rob God of his honour If the seruant should but leaue his businesse one or two houres in the weake and runne hoyting about some sports and vanities when hee comes home his master will bee vpon his backe his dame would haue a saying to him hee should be so bayted with rebukes and chiding as if it were a beare with dogs so that though hee had a good minde to bee abroad and had no great hart to stand sweating at his businesse yet miserable feare would make him tarrie at home rather then he would endure the sharp sauce that must come after and bee chidden thus againe hee will keepe within doores but let him be where hee will and doe what hee will vpon the
knew not God nor cared not for the sabboth came with wares to Ierusalem on the sabboth hee shut the gates against them and tolde them that if they did so any more hee would laie hands vpon them And there is great reason why one should bee carefull of those of other congregations and of other places for if wee haue the true loue of God in vs it will grieue vs to the hart to see gods name dishonoured and his lawes broken of any one whosoeuer and therefore so much as in him lies hee stop all such practises who euer they bee that doe them Also euerie man is bound to loue his enemie yea his enemies beast and if hee see his enemies beast vnder his burden hee must help him vp if one must help a mans oxe or asse if hee bee burdened much more his soule that is burdened with the sinne that will kill it if it bee not taken off No man is so sauage that if hee see a blinde man running into a well wherein hee may bee drowned will say let him goe I care not hee is none of my family nor of my friends though hee bee not mercie is to bee shewed to all and nature in such a case will teach one to runne and call to him and hinder him by what meanes he can So for the soule much more if wee see a person who is in truth blinded through ignorance and knowes not the danger about to cast himselfe into the pit of hell mercie will moue him that hath any true mercie to seeke to reclaime him And then in regard of the good of the whole congregation one must hinder strangers from giuing such ill examples for though it seeme at first a small thing to suffer a stranger let him doe what hee list it pertaines not to vs yet it is dangerous for our nature is so subiect to infection and we so easilie drawne to euill that if one suffer a stranger at length his children and seruants will learne and come after to doe the same things so that for our owne sakes wee must be diligent to cut of occasions and warilie preuent danger for one house on fire may burne the whole towne and if a stranger would buy an house in the towne and then be so foolish to set it on fire men would not let him alone for feare it should also catch their houses and so in truth if the fire of sinne kindle in the heart practise of a stranger we seeke not to quench suppresse it it will not tarrie there long it will catch some in the congregation and set them a burning to Therfore in loue to Gods glorie to our brothers soule and to our selues and those that bee neere vnto vs we must labour by what meanes wee can to hinder euen a stranger from breaking the sabboth now if one must hinder strangers how much more such as bee borne and dwell in the same place our neighbours children or seruants if wee see such prophaning the sabboth we should much more hinder them by admonition and reproofe but especiallie if we see them run to things that be simply euill and in their owne nature at all times vnlawfull therefore for men that be of some account note in a congregation in a towne to come among headdie youths and see them violenly carried to dauncing to gaming or any such lewdenesse on the sabboth especially and let them goe on without any rebuke or exhortation neuer tell them of it neuer dehort them from it this shewes that there is but a little loue of God in none of the parties soules and that they haue little regard of themselues and their owne families But in truth this is the cause that makes wickednesse grow so fast and sinne get vp with an high hand and youth grow to such impudent and shamelesse boldnesse because the minister fights alone against sinne None else will open his mouth to speake against it or discountenance it he that would not stand by and see the Oxe fall into the ditch but he would help him out will looke on while the children runne headlong towards hell and say not a word to reclaime them This remisenesse of men that are of some estimatiō in the town makes proud youthes oft times so audacious to set themselues openly against the ministers doctrine and as it were by their practise in the heat of lust to contrary him euen when he is reprouing any sinne when the doctrine is yet hot and the sound of his voice is scarce gone out of their eares then to runne openly to gainesay that which was taught in the church so soone as they come out of the church This strength of impietie proceedes hence I say that the minister hath no help none hath a zeale of Gods glory so that he is grieued at his dishonour none hath so much charitie and compassion ouer their neighbours as that they seeke to pull them out of the daunger of hell fire for if but two or three or some more of the auncient men that haue some authoritie and sway in the congregation would ioyne their hands with the minister and set in with their priuate rebukes and reprofes to make his publique reprofes forcible younger people would be more ashamed of sinne and learne to behaue themselues more soberly then in publique as it were to bid battaile to the publique doctrine of the minister Therfore this slacknesse and coldnesse is much to be reproued Then secondly this is for the encouragement of such as doe desire to help others out of this or any other sinne they may boldly with a good hart and conscience rebuke a sabboth breaker wheras they will object why what is that to you if I sinne my selfe I must perish my selfe what haue you to doe to meddle yes they haue to doe to meddle they haue to loue thē they haue to loue the congregation and to loue Gods glory therfore as much as they can to disgrace sinne for though sinners begin to set sinne a foote yet if some godly wise man will encounter it with a sound admonition and sharp rebuke that will dash and disgrace it as much as the practise of sinners will support it so that it cannot get an head so soone Therefore because they be men that sinne and it is Gods law that is broken and the whole congregation that is infected poysoned he that hath that affection he should to any of these hath to doe to vse a preseruatiue against this poison and to stand for Gods commandements and the saluation of man let wicked sinners while they will accuse them to be busie bodies that is no matter better displease man by good then God by euill It followes For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth the sea c. and rested the seauenth day BEcause this commandement is much oppugned by the examples of great men because almost all men breake it therefore it is confirmed from the
matters lesse weightie so especially to take their counsell and be directed by them in this great matter that so neerely concerns their estate A second thinge wherein children must obey their parents is in bearing their admonitions and corrections As it is often said in the prouerbs Despise not the correction of thy father nor contemne not the admonition of thy mother Set not light by them but weigh them and consider well of them in thine heart Nowe the childe is bound to obey his father as in doing the thinges commanded so in suffering his rebukes and chasticement Because it is a dutie lying vpon the soule of the father and commanded vnto him from God and secondly because it is a testimonie of his fathers loue to him for hee that spareth the rod hates the childe but he that loues him corrects him betime And then correction is a meanes of their saluation and keepes them from hell for foolishnesse is bound to the heart of the childe it is tyed there as with a corde or rather chayned so that nothing will make a seperation but the rod of correction that will part them and he that is not corrected is a foole and so shall continue still Because then it is the fathers dutie and a token of his loue and a meanes of the good of the childe he must suffer it patiently and humbly and not only so but hee must see that hee profit by it and make a good vse of it for else he makes his father take much paines and vndergoe a great deale of greese in vaine and to no purpose and therefore not profiting by correction is guiltie of contemning Gods ordinance This serues for the reproofe of such children as are soure and angrie at the admonition or correction of their parents that although they be fonde and light headed and haue neither experience nor knowledg yet thinke they can tell how to carrie themselues well enough and scorne to bee admonished or told of a fault but of such that is verified that the wise men faith afoole is wiser in his owne conceite then ten men that render a reason But for these parsons that pout and swell thus at an admonition the best course that can be taken with the is to beat out that pride by sharpe correction For this makes them so audacious when wordes are giuen vnto them because they haue not beene soundly and throughly corrected The third dutie of Children is thankefulnesse to their parents and consisteth especially in two things First in releiuing their parents when they shall be in want if the parent be blinde the child must be an eye vnto him if he be lame he must be a staffe vnto him if he stand in neede of any thing the childe must to his power helpe and succour him And this dutie indeed the verie law of nature doth require for the father hath paide for it before hand and it is but a due debt for when the child was borne naked without any friends and could not helpe himselfe nor put one morsell of meate into his owne mouth nor hang a ragge on his own bodie to keepe him warme who pittied him who releiued him were not the parents then insteede of all limmes vnto him and had much care and feare for his sake afore he came to this estate wherein he is now were it not then a shamefull ingratitude in him and were he not worse then a beast if he would not haue care to recompence all these kindnesses and to pay so due a debt So the holy Ghost commands children To be like the stroke Now the manner of the stroke is this that when the olde one is growne weake and cannot flye a broade for himselfe the young storkes will helpe him and the old stroke fares as well is as largly prouided for by the trauaile of the young as when he was in his full and perfect strength So Ioseph dealt with Iacob when Iacob was in want and his sonne had plentie when his father sent mony to buy corne the sonne would not take it but gaue him corne freely and whereas siue yeares of famine were behinde he sent for him and had great care to bring him thether and hauing brought him thether was so carefull to prouide for him and to administer to him whatsoeuer hee had neede of as that Iacob did neuer fare better and with more ease in all the time of greatest plentie then he did when the whole world was affamished for want of bread for before he sent to the market for it and there he must buy it for his money but now that he was come to Ioseph in dearth he needes not be at so great paines or cost for it is sayd He did put meat into his mouth that is he was a good tēder hearted nurce to his father and his fathers familie and as carefull that nothing should be lacking to them as the mother for the childe that will euen put her teat into the childs mouth So Ruth though she was but Naomies daughter in law yet now that Naomies yeares and strenght were spent shee being young tooke paines and trauelled for both and when beside that which shee had gotten with her paine and labour Boaz being a mercifull man gaue her some victuals shee would not deuoure all her selfe but euen spared it from her owne bellie for her mother only shee tooke so much as was needfull to refresh her bodie and to strengthen her in her trauaile the rest shee reserued for her old mother in law and knew well that it was better young folkes should bee pinched then their old parents lacke anything Therefore we see how God honoured her with the mariage of a Prince and great man in Israell and gaue the sonne of God Christ Iesus to be borne of her seede This serues for the sharpe reproofe of the swinish and vnnaturall disposition of many vngratious children that so long as the parents haue anie thing to giue and something may be be gotten by them all that while they will be so kinde and so louing and there is such striuing and catching that well is he that can get the old one but when their parents are drawne drie and they haue sucked all from him and left nothing once then he is neglected of all then euerie day is an yeare till he be deade then he is a burden and a clogge and he must be eating and drinking then he doth nothing but spende he gets nothing such foule and currish speaches shal be hearde oft times from the mouthes of wicked and vnnaturall children This is the fowlest dishonour that can be not to releeue and helpe the weake and distressed parents As Christ faith Matt. 15. 6. such honour not their parents those that pretende by bestowing it an other way to bee freed from releeuing their parents these doe not honour there parents And for these churlish and beastly people let them looke for it if God cast them not into hell
abundance of loue breeds aboundance of patience for loue hopes all thinges and suffer all thinges And loue is not prouoked but where there is little loue their is little bearing and little hoping and there they be quickly prouoked vpon euerie light and small defect or fault they grow to chasing and brawles and then who euer was troubled with such a husband or such a wife Nay they might rather say who euer had such an vnloving and vnkind heart as I for if there were that loue that should be and in that measure that there is that loue they would beare with patience and meakenesse such infirmities and would not be so quickely prouoked nay not by greater matters As the mother that in good earnest and without dissembling loues her little childe though it crie all night and be vnquiet and breake her sleepe and disquiet her verie much yet shee will not fling it out of doores nor lay it at further end of the house furthest from her but shee vseth it kindly and will doe what shee can to still it and when it cries shee will sing and in the morning they be as good friends as euer before and shee feeds it and tends it neuer a whit the lesse for all the nights trouble One that were not acquainted and knew not the loue of the mother would wonder why did it not disquiet your rest all night and can you be so merrie with it now Yes shee can for shee loued it and shee hath forgotten all that in the morning And so indeed could the husband and wife loue one an other with such a pure and christian loue they would beare much and endure much and yet loue neuer a whit the lesse For loue is all waies a brestplate against impatience A third profit that springes from loue is that loue edifies and loue seekes not it owne thinges therefore if they loue one an other they will in all thinges seeke the good one of another and then if he see a fault in his wife he will tell her of it meekly and gently and labour to bring her to amendment then if he see any fault of his part shee will with all reuerence and humilitie admonish him of it But on the contrarie where there is not loue they will regard their owne ease more then the saluation one of an other Then if the husband see his wife in any fault he thinkes indeede it is a sinne but if I come to tell her of it she will streight be in a passion and chafe and so the wife I confesse this sinne is dangerous to my husbands soule but if I should goe about to admonish him he is so hiddie that he would be bitter furious against me presētly But now here is a great want of loue in eyther partie For what though your wife will be in a passion he that loues his wife would rather shee should be in passion against him for a litle time then God with her for euer And the wife that loues her husband would more willingly suffer her husbands anger and futie for a while for well doing thē he should suffer Gods wrath eternally for ill doing Whereas they not louing one an other put it of with silēce dare not speake A fourth fruit of loue is that it armes one against iealousie the poyson of all dutie for loue will neither bee suspicious in matters of goods nor iealous in matters of the bodie For all iealousie and suspicion I speake of euill iealousie and suspicion for if their be euident and apparant causes and reasons then it is iust and no fault but all ill iealousie causlesse suspicion ariseth of one of these two points First either that one is or hath beene wicked himselfe and hauing beene faultie and naught himselfe he is readie to iudge others by himselfe and to measure all with his owne measure or else from a doting affection that one makes a God of this or that thing this is not true loue So when the wife doats foolishly vpon her husband and makes an idoll of him then is shee quickely readie to be iealous wheras a true and sound loue would worke the contrarie effect in her So for matters of goods he that trusts in them will trust no bodie with them but is alwaies suspitious and misdemeaning and will neither trust wife nor seruants nor children nor any not because they would not deale faithfully enough but because he makes that his God And therefore is immoderatly afraid to loose it but where there is a pure and seruent loue that will cut of all needlesse and misdeemings both in goods and bodie This is the first dutie that is common both to husbande and wife The second followes and that is faithfulnesse That both bende their wits and all their endeuours to the helpe each of other and to the common good of the familie The husband must not follow his priuate pleasure and delight nor the wife her owne ease pride but though by nature they could both be content to seeke themselues Yet they must striue both to build vp the house and to doe good one to an other and not hurt Because they stand in the place of Christ to those that are committed vnto them both for their soules and bodies First then the husband and wife must be faithfull in their bodies one to an other else they breake the couenant of God For mariage is not a couenant of man but a couenant of God where in the parties binde themselues to God and they be in recognisance in heauen to keepe themselues pure and chast one to an other Then for other matters there must be one purse and one heart and hand for the good of the familie and each of other But now if the wife be wastfull and idle then she like a foolish woman puls downe her house And if the husband be an vnthrift and consume and spende that idly and vainely to serue his lust or pride or anie sinne that might helpe his wife and children and be a meanes to make them liue plentifully and cheerefully whereas now they are pinched with want and necessitie this lauishing is a great vnfaithfulnesse and comes accompanied with manie inconueniences So much for the generall duties belonging both to husbande and wife The particular follow And first the wife must feare her husband as is commanded in Ephes 5. 33. Let the wife see that shee feare her husband and 1. Peter 3. 2. The Apostle requires a conuersatiō with feare So that if euer the wife will be comfortable and profitable to the husband and doe anie good in the family shee must haue a care of her heart and looke that shee carrie an inwarde feare to her husbande for the husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is the head of the Church and euen as the Church must feare Christ Iesus so must the women also feare their husbands And this inward feare must be shewed by an outward
them of a great part of the blessing that haue carelesly omitted a great part of their dutie So for the ministers of the word many be there that can say they haue preached many sermons and deliuered many doctrines and admonitions to their parisioners giuen them many good exhortations But who of many can say as Ierome did My soule shall weepe for you in secret if publike preaching will not preuaile I will trie what priuate weeping can doe and if I cannot mooue them by speaking to them to amend I will mooue God with many teares in secret to conuert them And thus much for the common duties of both The particular follow And first of the people The first thing that the people must performe to their minister is to haue a tender and reuerent account of them And this is commaunded 1. Thess 5. 12. where the Apostle giues this in charge Now I beseech you brethren know them that labor among you and that are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that you haue them in singuler loue for their works sake as if he said I speake not this so much for the ministers sake for whether ye loue him or account of him or not so long as God accounts and esteemes highly of him he is well but I desire you euen for your own good that for those faithfull men of God which labour amongst you to whom God hath giuen the spirit of grace and admonition and whom God hath set to watch ouer your soules let not them be forgotten and neglected amongst you but take knowledge of them and obserue them and that for their works sake For in truth they of all men deserue most to be regarded and accounted of in regard of the profit that they bring and the worke they performe which howsoeuer it be not outward and commonly brings no money to the purse Yet it is inward and brings peace vnto the soule For vnto them is committed the word of reconciliation and life and they are made disposers of the treasures of God that bring comfort and reioycing to the heart If then they be meanes to giue Christ Iesus vnto you if they helpe you to heauen if they purge the soule and build you vp in grace if they beat downe sinne and ouerthrow the power of Sathan in you ought you not then to loue them and that for their worke and your profits sake But many there be that make no such account of him why Because they feele no such neede of him they see no necessitie of his labour but that they may well spare him they can see no good he doth and no wonder they can see none to whom nothing is good but that which serues their flesh For as they account of him so they profit by him and iust it is from God that as they despise his minister so he should them and make them fruitlesse hearers of that word which to better men wants not a most excellent fruit according as Christ hath said He that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that dispiseth me dispiseth him that sent me If they dispise God how can they reuerence the men of God And hence it is that young vpstart boyes and girles in many places are growne to that top of impudencie and shamelessenesse in sinning and standing for sinne as that they dare set thēselues against the minister of God and oppose their life of purpose against his doctrine and stand as stiffly for the dishonouring of God and the breach of the law of God as he can stande for his law whose life is nothing but a disgracing of their minister that in publique and veiw of all the world they might gainsay that in practise which he taught publiquely and euen in the heat of the sermon when the reproofe is yet fresh and scarcely ended then in the heat of their raging lust to fall to the thinge that was forbidden by God and by his minister reproued But why comes foolish youth and boies to be thus impudent But that they are animated by the froward example of elder persons As those young children that mocked Elisha the Prophet how could they speake so basely and contumeliously of the reuerende man of God but that they heard such thinges at home by their gouernours and must needes vtter them when they come abroad But was not this their boldenesse met with Did not God paye them home though they were but children for two beares came out of the woode and slew 40. of them For when they dare professe themselues to be aduersaries to the man of God and to the law of god they must needes faile in euery other dutie despising the person they must needes neglect the doctrine and not reuerencing the preacher they cannot take good by his preaching The minister of god then ought to be esteemed not according to his coats and wealth which is the thing that foolish men doe only doat vppon but according to the singular worke and calling in which God hath sette him and which he will haue respected The second dutie of the people is to obey the doctrine of the minister else they be no faithfull keepers of the eight commandement vnlesse they make conscience to yeelde obedience to the doctrine of their minister taught truely out of the word of God This is commanded Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues c. He wils them to obey their ministers namely in doctrine and he addes the reason because they watch for your soule sith ye stand vpon their guarde to defend your soules from distruction therfore submit your selues and obey not so much the men as the doctrine and instruction deliuered out of Gods word in their calling And secondly if you doe not this you shall be so farre from giuing ioy to the heart of your minister which good people should doe as that you shall peirce his soule with sorrow and be a meanes to eate vp his heattwith for what greater anguish can come to the ministers soule then this that when he exhorts his people to holines they be vnholy he teacheth them to be spiritually minded and they be set altogether on the world he shewes them that they must rule themselues and families after the law of God and follow their owne lust this of all afflictions doth most wound breake the heart of a godly and faithfull minister that in loue to his flocke preacheth Gods word sincerelie vnto them I but would some say what neede we care for his being agreeued Nay this is it that many desire and wish nothing more then that they knew how to vexe the minister But saith he make not so light account of greeuing the minister for that is not profitable for you he hath the sorrow of it but you the losse he is driuen to runne oftner vnto God by your ill intreatie and to seeke for the loue of god when men doe neglect them but in the meane
to offend and greiue euery one and to stirre them vppe against them but kindnesse will doe euery thing that may winne peace and auoide all thinges that may hinder it or breede strife yea he that is truly meete will rather in matters belonging to himselfe part with his right in some part and be content to want some thing that is due vnto him then he will raise vp contentiō and strife And he that doth not thus is not truly curteous and therefore also not much set by of God The second inward dutie is compassion and pittie the former belongs and is to be performed to all men in time of their greatest posteritie but this is proper to these that are in some affliction and miserie now this compassion and mercie is to haue a fellow feeling of the griefes and afflictions of other men to weepe with thē that weepe to mourne with them that mourne to beare the burdens of those that be weake and so fullfill the law of Christ This is commanded Coloss 3. 13. Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued putte on the bowels of mercie He wisheth them as they would be sure of their election and haue a sounde not of their holinesse and that God loued them then let them put one the bowels of mercie let the miserie of other men enter into their hearts and make their bowels yearne euen as if their owne Now this compassion and feeling must bee both to the soules and bodies As for the soules we haue an example of Christ Iesus that seeing the people as sheepe without a sheapheard in an hard case for matter of their soules he had compassion and mourned in his soule for them and so hee wept ouer Ierusalem when he saw them so stubborne and so to resist the grace of God and the good meanes of their peace And Paule saith to the Corinthians that when he heard of the incestuous man he writt vnto them in many teares sorrow as if all most the sinne had beene his owne But contrarie vnto this is the mercilesse and pitilesse heart and behauiour of such that are so farre from weeping and mourning for the sinnes of other men and from hauing any pittie vppon them as that they despise them and contemne and make a iesting talke of it to their disgrace rather then pray for them or greiue for them to their helpe and amendment yea and worse many be so diuelishly minded and so resembling the diuell their father as that nothing reioyceth them more then to heare of an other mans fall especially if he haue beene a professour and stood for religion then if he fall it is such good newes and makes them as glade as if they had gotten a great bootie But little doe they know how they sinne against their owne soule and prouoke God to let them fall into the same sinnes and to giue them vp vnto worse offences that after they may finde the same entreatie and others should reioyce and mocke at their fall as they haue done at the fall of an other and indeede a pitilesse heart and dealing towards an other mans slip is the next way both to make themselues fall into the like sin shut vp the hearts of men frō shewing any cōpassion vnto them Also for matttes of the bodie we must be touched with the greefes of other .. as Heb. 13. 3. Remember those that are afflicted as if ye were also afflicted And we must be as mēbers of one bodie now we know that the members be all pertakers of the greefe paine if any one yea but the meanest suffer any thing and so if we haue that loue that ought to be in the hearts of christians we cannot chuse but we shall feele in some part the afflictions of christians and see that they shall in some parte also pertaine vnto vs. And this the example of Iobs frends Iob. 2. 11. shewes it is said that hauing heard of the miserie whereinto Iob was suddenly cast they came to him What to doe not as common custome is to bid him be of good cheere and we hope he shall doe well and such shittle comforts for noe man can giue sounde wordes of consolation vntill himselfe haue a true spitit of consolation but they came to lament with him they wept with him rent their cloths and sat down with him mourning They hearing their freends woe would let him know that they were touched with it and therefore they shew it by crying and sitting on the dust making his case theirs so neere as might be And if one be thus sensibly affected with other mens sorrowes this good effect will follow that they will be very readie and willing to releeue them and shew workes of mercie vnto them As if one part be troubled with a kinge paine you neede not make a long oration to stirre vp the other parts to vse the best meanes they can to ease and helpe it for they are pertakers of the greefe But for want of these bowels of mercy it comes to passe that men be so hardly drawne and hailed to any worke of mercie that it must be puld from them by maine strenght and so many arguments so many reasons so many inducements must constraine them to it before they will yeelde and then when all this is done they droppe out with a thing of nothing nothing to the purpose and those that be bountifull and liberall enough in matters of vanitie and lust be so holdfast and sparing for workes of mercie that one can hardly wring a pennie from them by all the perswasions hee can make and what is the matter they be so slow and vnwilling because they haue not nor will not haue any sence of other mens miserie but putte away all consideration and regard of these thinges and giue themselues holy to pleasure And therefore in these matters they will cost them many teares and bring thē noe good hereafter but much sorrow they care not how farre they runne and what charges and expences they bee at but for worke of mercie and dutie of compassion that will further their reckoning and comfort their soules and doe good to the Church and Saints of God it comes so slowlie so heauily as though it were all lost that is that way bestowed And the cause is because they haue a heart mercilesse and voide of compassion Now the outward duties follow And these are three in number especially to be regarded The first is an amiable and louing behauiour of ones selfe towards others for as a sowre looke an auster contēptuous gesture breakes this commandement in that it alienates mens hearts from vs and is a preparatiue to hatred so it is a fruite of loue and a part of keeping this commandemēt that one should by all good and gentle cariage of himselfe shew his loue and willingnesse to doe good so neere as he can to all And this is a thing noted in Abraham as a matter
of commendations and a testimonie of his humble and louing heart that where he came he was verie curteous to all men euen infidels men of a false religion and did carrie himselfe in all good sort vnto them who euer As when he had to doe with the Hittits First he bowes himselfe in all curteous sort and then his words were gentle and nothing sauouring of a proud commanding but with all milde and kind perswasions and intreatie and then when they wilde him to burie the deade in any of their sepulchres giues them heartie thankes and with the like curtesie and good speeches as a fore propounds his request And this gentle dealing did so winne the hearts of these heathen people and made him so well account and esteemed amongst them as they say to him thou art a prince of God amongs vs and would denie him nothing And so when he met the Angels which he tooke for no other but for comon trauailers he saluted them bowing his bodie in all dutifull sort and gaue them good tearmes and called them Lords and intreated them to eate a morsell with him And by this affability and kinde vsage of himselfe he did not only get fauour and good account amonge those with whome he liued but hath gotten credit till this day and shall to the worlds ende that being a man of such worth and good desert so well graced and of such place and wealth all this did not make him sowre carelesse or disdainfull but hee shewed him kinde and amiable euen to the meanest For indeede proud lookes hawtie lookes and a scornefull and a disdainfull eye that is such a thing as God abhorres he doth abhorre an hautie eye and arrogant lookes As he saith in the Prouerbs But we see this is such a thing as many doe it for their credit and thinke to get credit by this looking on high Those among vs that be men of no worth that haue no good qualitie or propertie nothing commendable or worth esteeme inward or outward no grace to praise them no wealth to set them out no parentage to make them had in account swaggerers ruffins prophane beasts filthie drunken swine that make their belly their God These abiect base persons the scumme and froth of the whole earth rude in behauiour wicked in heart and carelesse in life thinke if they can looke big and carrie a proud and disdainfull face and ouercrow euery man and care for no man scorne their betters and prefer themselues before all then forsooth they be men of some name they shal be accounted of they be worthy to be looked after that thinke to get credit by contemning euery bodie and to be had in account by making no account of any one this is theis courage this is their valure and they haue nothing to grace themselues but this kinde of rudenesse But in truth this disgraceth this discrediteth this proclaimes their shame and shewes that they be light empty of all goodnes and if they had many other good parts yet this would hurie all and make them contemned in euerie mans heart and eye to be so scorneful contemptuous to euery one This was Ismaels kinde of life his hand was against euerie man he regarded none nor cared for none but set them all at defiance and at naught therefore euerie mans hand was against him they made as light of him and these also haue a iust Ismaels reward euerie one is their foe euerie man speakes of their shame and what haue they gotten now For they that will be honoured must honour he that will be kindly dealt withall must deale kindly with others and he that lookes for an amiable behauiour from others must shew an amiable behauiour to others The second outward dutie is to defend the oppressed and succour those that suffer wrong and ill entreatie a thing much commended in Iob that hee pulde the pray out of the Lions mouth and sought out the cause of the poore he was a father to the fatherlesse husband to the widow And this did comfort him in time of his trouble more then all wealth in the world This is commanded Prouerbs 24. 11. Deliuer them that are drawne to death and wilt thou not deliuer them that are lead to be slaine If thou say behold I know it not He that pondereth the harts doth not he vnderstand it And he that keepes the soule knowes he not will he not also recompence euerie man according to his workes He shewes that if one see those that be vnrighteously puld to death and oppressed one must not stand by and say alasse what a world is this who euer saw such dealing but one must put his hand to and labour to his power and as farre as he can to rescue him and deliuer him for saith he wilt not thou preserue him as if he had said art thou so mercilesse that thou wilt not helpe the oppressed But then he meets with our excuses that men are readie to speake in such cases alas I knew not that he had such need of my helpe and if I should meddle I might bring an olde house vpon mine own head and trouble my selfe when I needed not But he cuts of all saying doth not God see thee and know thy heart as if he had said Well these excuses may dazell mens eyes and make a faire shew with thē that can see nothing but shewes but God he lookes not so much to the tongue and what one can say for himselfe but he ponders the heart doth not see it lightly but considers knowes euery particular thing and circumstance and therefore it is no shifting and doubling when he comes to take a triall of vs and he knowes that all these excuses come from selfeloue and loue of lucre and commoditie that one would spare cost and liue at case and rather see an other oppressed with wrong then stirre himselfe a little to helpe him And last of all he saith you that be so loth to suffer a little trouble and at a little charges to helpe an other man in his miserie know you not that God recompenceth men according to their works that he causeth them to reape like for like and may not you come to the like miserie your selfe and then because you had no heart not will to helpe an other you shall see others sit as quietly by you and not venture to giue you any helpe But now men are come to that selfeloue and want of other mens wrongs as it were a thing done in a farre countrey and in an other age as though it nothing pertained to them they haue nothing to doe with it But those that be of the better sort will onely haue a little idle pittie and mercie of the mouth in a few words alasse I am sorie and it is pittie that honest men should be thus wronged but neuer put to an hand to helpe nor stirre a finger to doe any good to their reliefe neither
window vpon a time and sees how commodiously Naboths vinyard stoode to his pallace and thought the might make him a faire garden there and he might haue a gooly priuate walke as it were so close to his therfore he would faine haue it And so sends for Naboth offers him some consideration for it but Naboth knew that he might not alienate his possenssion from himselfe that God had giuen him therefore hee sayes him nay but his desire was so earnest and importunate that it would take no nay and therefore hee was euen sicke with greefe and desire of that which was none of his And then there was no way left but Naboth must be slane and by hooke and crooke Ahab must haue the vinyarde and so Naboths life and vinyarde were both taken away but so that Ahab destroyed his familie and posteritie by this euill couetousnesse The vse that we must make of this is that though we haue neuer done any man wrong in one pennie yet we must repent for the wrong of the heart and the secret desire of the soule or els before God we are culpable of the breach of this commandement and lyable to the plague of God for it Secondly wee must learne to restraine our desires and keepe in the wandring lusts of our heart for that which it is a sin to take before men it is a sinne to wish before God therefore we must binde our minds to the good abearance Now the way to expell this wicked and greedie couetousnes of wealth is to consider these two thinges First the small or noe good that riches can doe vnto them that haue them Secondly to consider the certaine hurt that the desire of them will bring For the ground of couetousnesse is this that men haue a false and foolish imagination that wealth will bring some happinesse and if they had riches in good store then they should be in good safetie and in an happie case but that riches can make ones estate no whitte the better it is proued in the Psalme 62. 10. 11. 12. If riches increase set not thine heart vpon them He would haue one let his heart be neuer a whit set to his wealth and deeme himselfe no whit the better for the increase of them what is not one better nor hath he not cause to be more glad when his purse is full of monie then if he had neuer a farthing no sure not one iot and hee giues three reasons First saith he God spake once or twice and I heard it power belongeth vnto God This is reason nothing hath any power to doe a man any good but God therefore if he haue all the wealth in the world his wealth cannot helpe him it cannot keepe away any iudgement it cannot free him from death nor from hell but one may as soone goe to hell from weale or woe Diues may passe into torment as well as the veriest begger aliue Nay it cannot beare of any one stroake of God vpō soule or vpon bodie in this life it cannot keepe away sickenesse not greefe then if they be such weake thinges he that hath them is neuer a whit the nearer any good nor further from any euill why should one either earnestly desire them or greatly reioyce when he hath them Secondly To thee O Lord belongeth mercie There is no mercie but in God nor kindenesse but from God and that a man is kindely entreated it is not from wealth but from God that puts loue into mens hearts for if ones ways be pleasing vnto God he will make his enemies to become his friends and contrarie if ones waies displease him he will make ones friends his foes and those that owe him most dutie and haue here tofore shewed most loue vnto him to be his most bitter enemies and seeke his ouerthrow As in Dauid when hee had sinned against God he raysed vp his sonne against him who not with standing his welth and kingdome sought his life and would haue killed him Thirdly thou O Lord rewardest euery man according to his workes That is an other reason because God lookes to workes not to wealth when he comes to iudgment as if he had said most men dreame that it shall goe with them according to their goods and riches that they haue heaped vp this were true indeede if their were no God or else an idle God as Epicures imagine that sits a sleepe in heauen and cares not how things goes with men in the world but if there be a God that gouernes the world that is awaken and hath the ordering of matters then the question shall not be with what a mā hath But what he hath done not what riches But what grace and goodnesse he possesseth for sinne shall haue shame and he that is godly and mercifull and humble hee shall haue glorie and he shall be saued Sith it is so that riches are so little profitable or availeable this must keepe out of our hearts this whorish desire of riches that cannot profit Secondly as riches are sure to doe vs noe good so we are sure that the desire of them will doe vs much hurt and as there is no helpe from the hauing so there is certaine danger from the coueting For in Timothie the Apostle cals it the root of all euill Where this is there is sinne enough no euill that a man will abstaine from if it may procure his filthy lucre he will forbeare nothing if it lye in his way to gaine neither will he doe any good that seemeth contrarie to his profit therefore the daunger is greate that accompanies couetousnesse namely the rushing into all kinde of mischeefe and wickednesse and the neglecting and omitting of euerie thing that is good For it hinders one from the cheefe meanes of saluation and hinders the working of these meanes in him How it keeps men from the word and sacrements Christ shewes in the parable Luk. 14. 18. Some had oxen could not come some had farmes and must be held excused in generall euerie couetous man hath some pulbacke from religion or if happily sometimes he doe ouercome that let by much a doe step into the Church dore and set him downe before the preacher yet the holy Ghost tels vs how he is occupied speaking to Ezekiel he sayes that they sat before him indeede but though he was a man of rare gifts and verie eloquent yet their hearts went after their couetousnesse So that a couetous mans heart is in continuall trauaile though his bodie sit still for sometime yet his meditations and thoughts are moyling and rotting into the earth so that he can giue no attention to the word nor marke nothing that is spoken But yeelde that sometimes a quame of attention come ouer him admit that he can frame to giue eare to that which is spoken vnto him yet all is fruitlesse he gets no good for these be the cares of this world that like thornes choake the good seede of the word
gaue now and then a penny to Christ this is to giue the bread to the dogs and crummes to the children as in truth most men doe The full streame and freenesse of their liberalitie runs to seruing of their lust but the sparing gifts and pinching bountie that God must haue And all these rob and cousen themselues and though they imagine to get mountaines of pleasure yet the end shall be paine he that loues wine and oyle and he that loues pastime what is his verdit and what sentence hath God set downe He shal be a needly fellow and liue in want pouertie is the best ende and easiest punishment of this wastfullnesse for want of moderation in meat drinke apparaile and pastime An other kind of wastfullnesse is in idlenesse An idle person is a theefe he puts his hand into his bosome and eates vp his owne flesh He consumes himselfe and is a waster of himselfe and an idle person shall be clothed with rags If one should haue such a companion as when he came to him should find him sufficiently furnished with reasonable store of goods to maintaine himselfe but by that time they parted company should strip him out of all leaue him nothing make him goe in a ragged coat and leaue nothing behind him but want and miserie would not one thnke this was but a cousening companion and a theeuish fellowe But so it stands with idlenesse if that it keepe one companie a while and he will intertaine this guest into his heart it will make a speedie riddance of all set him bare in apparell and base in account and fill an house full of distresse and calamitie that is founde full of wealth And in truth experience shewes this among vs daily that if a man be left well and be of sufficient wealth to maintaine himselfe in good sort let him but giue harbour to idlenesse and all flies away it goes to wracke and by little little like a moath it moolters away his great wealth makes him no better then a begger afore it haue done with him vnlesse he shake it of betime And true it is that Salomon saith His pouertie comes like an armed man Idle persons be pouerties prisoners if they haue no calling to settle thēselues in pouertie hath a calling to arrest thē and if they can take vp themselues in no lawfull businesse pouertie comes with a commission to take vp them and will not be put backe neither it comes armed it will preuaile So that an idle man is a theefe to himselfe he does that to himselfe that if another should doe it all men would take heed of him for a notorious cousener And besides 2. Thess 3. he condemnes such as walke inordinately and bids them labour with their hands and not be idle that they may eate their owne bread as if he had said he that doth nothing hath right to nothing he hath no bread of his owne to eate he puts stolne meat into his mouth euerie bit he eates he cannot say Lord giue me this day my daily bread for it is none of his because he neuer earned it God will haue him doe something afore he haue any thing God indeed allowes recreation he will haue it to fit vs for our calling not to hinder vs from it And why doe we account any man a theefe but because he is a naughtie fellow he takes his neighbours meat and paies not for it he takes his cloathes and giues him nothing in recompence and why then is not an idle man a theefe for he takes his meat and his apparrell and what euer he hath from an other without allowance without doing any thing for them they be Gods and God hath made no such bargaine that he shall haue them without doing seruice to him but when he leaues his calling he looseth his right and title he liues of an others goods shall answere for it as a theefe A third thing wherein one plaies the theefe in his own goods is by suretiship For Salomon names idlenesse and suretiship as two sinnes that men make little account of but God doth marke them and esteemes them as foule faults For this suretiship how euer men thinke it comes from a kinde nature and a louing disposition that they would be willing to doe good to any but it is nothing so it proceeds from an vnwise heart and a great measure of foolishnesse for true kindnesse at home and loue if it be true loue will doe most where it owes most but this is a foolish crueltie when one vnder the shew of mercie to an other will vndoe himselfe and his wife and children I speake not this but that a man may and ought to be suretie and this is a dutie to be performed to a good man with a good calling and according to ones abilitie that he breakes not his owne backe with bearing an other mans burthen Therefore in suretiship keepe these two rules first looke what a kinde of man he is that you would paune your credit for a man must not do his hand ouer his head for euerie one that will aske but onely for such as he is bound vnto by some bond of dutie eyther for religion and charitie or else for some knot of friendship or of kindred else if one be so carelesse to be suretie for he cares not who Salomon takes his coat pittie him not let him feele the smart of his foolish and sinfull rashnes Secondly for whom euer it be goe not aboue your abilitie promise not for so much as might hurt your familie and impayre your estate if it must be taken from you for when one is suretie he bindes himselfe to pay if the principall doe not and if hee doe not meane to doe it or cannot doe this is a meere dissembling and plaine cousenage of him to whom he makes the bond and how can it be counted better then a lye when he promiseth to doe that which he neither can performe though he would nor purposeth to performe though he could If any one therefore haue offended this way let him know and confesse that it was his rashnesse and folly and then his best way is to repent and craue pardon of God and beseech him to make a supplie of his wants But so long as one continues these speeches O I was deceiued and I meant well and I did it of good will and he hath dealt ill with me so long I say as one laies the fault vpon another thus postes it of from himfelfe so long he is farre enough from repentance and shall be farre enough from comfort the crosse and curse doe both remayne vpon as yet that is not the way to lay it vpon another it was long of his vnfaithfulnesse and ill dealing with me nay it was long of your owne vnfaithfulnes and ill dealing with your family it was long of your wisedome that you did not aduise vpon the matter craue assistance at Gods hands and aske
so farre hee is well content with that which he hath and he that doth not thinke his owne enough for himselfe it is sure hee is couetous after an other mans I but how is it possible that one can bee contented I haue so many wants can see no meanes to supply them how would you haue one contente now and hath not enough maintenance nor cannot tell how to get it Nay if one be a christian he hath enough to maintaine him for hee hath the promise of God not to leaue him nor forsake him and is Gods promise nothing is not his word sufficient assurance of all thinges needefull if God haue bid one be content and giuen him cause to be content why should not he be content is not his truth pawne good enough what is to be beleeued whereupon may one depend if not vpon the word and promise of God For mans life cōsisteth not in the greatnesse of his portion or the multitude of his wealth but in the blessing of god which will make a little goe farre doe more good then a great deale with out it and he that hath this what euer outward wants seeme to be he is well Indeede if the promise were your welth shall not faile and friends shall not forsake you this were no great cause of cōfort here a mā could not but feare when his saftie consisted in the constancie of such vnconstant thinges But if God hath promised to be with vs what should we feare what any creature can doe against vs So Paule speakes of himselfe that he had learnd in all thinges to be content Philip. 4. This is a point of great learning and he is a good scholler in Christs schole that hath gone so farre as that he can like well of Gods doinges whatsoeuer This is a thing that only Gods spirit can teach one to be so well apaide with his owne as that he doe neither enuie at this that an other hath more nor repine and grudge that himselfe hath lesse But if this be such a point of learning howe should man come to it That Paule shewes in 1. Tim. 6. Godlinesse is great gain if he a mā be contēted with that he hath First because it makes man contented with that he hath So farre as any man is godly so farre is he content with his outward estate though hee haue but a little he is not much troubled for he knowes Gods hand is not shortned and if he had nothing he would not be out of heart dismaid because he perswades himselfe Gods blessing can sustaine him as well without means as with means And this was that that made Paule so quiet and setled in all cases For before Godlinesse had calmed his heart hee was as vnquiet as the sea and troubled all the world with his raging and discontendnesse none more boystrous then But so soone as hee grewe godly all these stormes were quieted none more quiet and contented then hee if they imprisoned him if they whipt him if they stond him hunger cold nakednesse what euer came all is one to him it was no great trouble to him he knew all came from God and for his good and therefore he neuer stormd nor tooke on for the matter but possessed his soule in patience and knew how to beare all thinges quietly Therefore whoeuer would be patient let him labour to get godlinesse into his heart many there bee that be willing and will take paines enough to store their purses and their grounds and their houses but fewe there bee that will take paines where it were most behouefull to store there hearts with godlinesse which would bring contentednesse and a sufficiency to for we haue the promise of God that if wee seeke the kingdome of God we shall haue all other things cast vpon vs as a vantage And the cause why God doth restraine vs is not because he wants loue and cannot finde in his heart to bestow them but because they would be ill for vs and we could not them beare he would haue vs bee good within before vve seeke good vvithout and know how to vse riches afore vve haue them to abuse Therefore as vve vvould not be counted theeues and breakers of this commandement so let vs be content to liue at Gods finding and to rest vpon him so good a God that though we haue but a little yet he hath enough and though he giue vs nothing before hande yet hee loues vs before hand and will giue vs comfort in all distresses and these outwarde thinges so farre as we haue neede and can digest Thus much for the inward obedience nowe the outward followes and this is the right vse of our owne and the righteous dealing towards others The right vse of our owne is seene in frugalitie and liberalitie Frugalitie that stands in getting and keeping getting things must be by some faithfull labour in an honest calling and by honest dealing in the calling As Ephes 4. 28. Let him that stole steale no more but labour with his hands that thing that is good To theeuerie which is a breach of this commandement and idlenesse which is a kinde of theft he opposeth labour and the keeping of the commaundement but then he shewes what kinde of labour it must be namely in the thing good in some lawfull and christian calling For many labour all day and all night but that is in dicing and carding and gamning and vnthriftinesse which will neither make them haue an heart to doe good nor abilitie to doe good but brings a curse vpon heart and estate the one is wicked and the other commonly weake as is to be seene in stage players and such like that drawe the people away to vanitie which take paines indeed but is is no profitable paines and therefore it brings no profit eyther to their soule or bodie but brings them an hard heart and a wicked hand and a miserable estate that of all men they are the most prophane and lewde Therefore as a man must not be idle for an idle man cannot be an honest man so this must alwaies be prouided that he labour in an honest and lawful thing else one may toyle and spend his bodie in toyling and be neuer a whit the honester man if he serue not God but serue his lust and filthie flesh Esau could take paines and that eagerly till he was almost dead with labour but it was in hunting in following his foolish sport in this he would spend himselfe for he saith I am almost dead and he was so faint that he would sell his birth right for a messe of pottage to refresh him all this while he was as bad as idle because he was ill occupied and and this was a cursed labour For God would haue one labour in such a calling as should humble his flesh and pull downe and tame his pride and make him fit for death and as would bring some encrease vnto his outward estate and
his neighbours innocencie and credit he comes within the compasse of bearing false witnesse and by silence makes himselfe guilty of the slaunder For he suffers his neighbours innocence to be suppressed and his name defamde when it lay in his power to defend him And euen the law of nature will confute such a man and strike him downe dead that he shall haue nothing to say for himselfe For doth not nature teach vs that this is equall to doe as we would be done by And which of vs is there that if one should be in company where he were charged with false accusations that his neighbour knew well enough but yet would not stirre his tongue to cleare him or shew the truth of the matter and speake in his neighbours defence whom he knew to be farre from all such ill practises euery owne would that this silence were a betraying of his neighbour and a great wrong as indeede it were Then if we thinke others should not be silent when our name is wronged let vs measure and open our mouthes to maintaine our neighbours puritie and good credit against any slaunderers which if we doe we shall keepe this commaundement in some measure and God will stirre vp others that in the like case shall defend vs and speake boldly to cleare our innocencie And thus this commaundement is broken without speach Now by speach it is broken either by giuing or receiuing By giuing out speach either true or false for one may be an enemie and as much breake this commandement in speaking nothing but the truth in some cases as in other cases if he speake false and lying things and this truth if it be put in the other end of the ballance of Gods iudgement will weigh as heauie as falshood If one speake the truth without discretion vnseasonable out of time and out of place if his words be true but his end false and wicked and his purpose naught he is as cruell and malitious an enemie to the name and credit of his neighbour and as vilde a slaunder in the sight of God as if he spoke that which were false This was the fault of Doeg that cursed enemie of Dauid When he sees Saul haue an ill opinion of Dauid and all his freinds and comes in a chafe to his men saying what will none of you tell me that my sonne and my seruant haue conspired against me And Doeg knew full well by Sauls behauiour that his end was mischieuous and he would make a dispatch of all Dauids friēds he steps me out now in this vnseasonable time and there shewes what he had seene that the priest had giuen Dauid bread and a sword and counselled with God for him This was so indeed as he said but this was a most diuellish and wicked part and a foule fault for hence arose that cruell persecution and the murdering of so many innocent seruants of God So in the enemies of Daniel they did indeede catch him as busie at prayer as before and it was true that he had broken the kings edict but in the meane space they were most wicked and vilde persons that would bring this accusation against Daniel with such a malitious purpose and hence they bewrayed all their former malice in inuenting such an vngodly decree because they knew Daniel could be caught in nothing but in matters of God and religion And there he would not yeeld an inch to them but sooner leaue his life then his God in the least thing So the Ziphims Dauid had done them great good and defended them against the Philistines but now because they saw this was only the way to carrie fauor in the court to bring some tales concerning Dauid therefore they come to Saul and tell him Dauid is in such a place this was no lie But it was most slaunderously and wickedly done to blab out the truth to such an ill end and with so little discretion when so ill a thing must needs insue vpon it as at the least the persecution if not the destruction of an harmelesse man So now a daies some men there be that if they know any priuate fault or particular and secret sinne by any man then without any regard of time and place they proclaime their neihgbours infirmities to the wide world care not before what company among what persons they blaze out ones weakenesse and then if they be reprooued they exult and say this is true I tell no lie and I will not be ashamed of the truth yet a wise man would be ashamed to speak the truth foolishly and vnwisely when it should doe harme and no good and he would consider that a man might often sinne more in foolish and vntimely powring out these things that he knowes to be true with an ill entent then if through infirmity they should speake an vntruth with desire and purpose to God As the Ziphims and Doeg were greater breakers of this commanndement and more foule and shamelesse lyars then Rahab that told an vntruth to saue the spies because her end was good though she fayled in the manner of it but their ende was altogether naught and sinfull Those then are heere to be confuted that will not doe as God commaunds them tell their neighbour plainely of his fault and not hate him in their hearts but if they know a fault by him be farre enough of from telling him of it plainely vvhich vvere a dutie and an argument of loue But streight set him on the stage make him knowne to all men never leaue talking of it which shewes plainly that in truth they hate their neighbor for if they vvould as God bids tell the partie this vvould heale the soule and couer his sinne and make him amend But now to clamour in this wise and raise vp an euill report and brute can doe no good but much mischiefe Oh but I speake the truth I but a foole speakes all that he knowes a wise man vvill keepe it in till afterward Let a vvise man heare of a thing he vvill consider the time and place and persons and temper his speech in vvisedome according to these circumstances but let a foole get a thing by the end once and it must al out he cannot keepe it he is with childe and in paine till he be deliuered what euer dishonour come to God or discredit to his neighbour or hurt to his owne soule Therfore one must not onely be carefull that he speake no lying thing but he must looke that hee speake not the truth also to an ill end after an ill manner when it may may doe more hurt then good So much for that breach now followes the next in speaking that which is false eyther concerning himselfe or an other Concerning himselfe first in boasting and bragging which is a most base and abiect thing contrarie to that which the holy Ghost saith Let an other praise thee and not thine owne mouth as in Rom. 1. among the rabble of
disposition also in himselfe for Prouerbs 17. 4. The wicked giueth heede to false lips and a lyar hearkens to the naughtie tongue Here the holy Ghost noteth a tale-receiuer with two wofull brands he cals him a wicked person and a lyar to that is glad to here false tales of other men he is a naughtie person himselfe and he himselfe hath a false and a lying heart for if he had not hee would neuer intertaine and approue and hearken vnto lies and in the Psalm 15. The holy Ghost sets down this as a differeÌ„ce betwixt an hipocrite that is hollow-hearted and a true and sounde saint of God that an vpright man will not receiue a false report of his neighbour Many bad men that haue no goodnes in them will not for their owne credit sake and to saue their honestie as we say inuent slaunders and be the first makers and brochers of lyes But if some vilde and impudent person will but come buzze in their eares some odde tale against professors they will streight imbrace it it goes for a warrant tell it as confidently as if nothing could be more sure and are as glad of it as if it were some verie gainefull and profitable thing vnto them this man now though he will carrie the name of honest man is a wicked person and if the holy Ghost speakes true a lyer So in Reuel 22. he saith that without are all those that make and loues lies There he notes two kinds of lyars that must both goe to hell There be two broods as it were two litters of these moÌ„strous lyars Some be so shamlesse and so gracelesse and so impudent and the diuell hath taken so farre possessioÌ„ in their hearts as they delight to be coyning lies and busie their heads in inuenting and beginning slaunders Others be not so rude and so grosse as that they will be the authors of a lye but if an other man will bring it to them they will not stande to entertaine it and approue it It shall haue there good wordes and liking So the Pharises and high priests would not themselues come before Pilate and forsweare themselues and beare false witnesse against our Sauiour their faces were not so hardned yet they had not so farre cast of all feare of men and regard of their owne estimatioÌ„ But if they could meet with on that had so bold a face so wicked a mind if they could get him for loue or monie by hiring and intreating or flattering they were very well content and reioyced they had found men so fit for their purpose that would father a lye in the face of the world and they be abetters of it to So Ahab and Iesabel would not so much debase themselues as to sweare falsely against Naboth but if they could get any lewd fellows that would become periurd for the matter they would not refuse the offer but tooke the aduantage against Naboth to put him to death This serues to confute such as haue open eares and will let in any lie that comes from the tale bearers mouth and giue it harbour to and if occation serue sette it forth againe and rehearse it to others vpon so bare a proofe making noe other triall of it But come to them and tell them of it why would you speake so false a thinge to difâ—ame your brother this is the answere presently why I did not bring it vp I am not the first that spoake it I hearde it t was tolde me and I had reason to beleeue it and I thought it to be true Did you heare it did you beleeue it vpon the bare hearing then you shewe what you are such an one of whom Salomon speakes A foole beleeueth euerie thing First euerie ill thing for so it must be vnderstood else of all men they are most hard of beleefe Tell him of that will doe him good that will saue his soule and helpe him against his sinne he will not beleeue it one must keepe such a stirre in perswading and bring reason vpon reason and neuer the neere you can by no meanes perswade him but bring foolish ware to a foole such as hurts his owne soule and his brothers name and dishonours God and makes himselfe a lyar this is fit for him this bargaine is made without many words he is verie easily brought to credit such matters and why because he is a wicked foole lyes are a bait for a foole and laye these in his way and hee is taken without doubting For as the spirit of God is a spirit of truth and those that haue it it leads them into all truth and they are easily brought to giue eare to the truth so the diuell is a lying spirit he is the father of lies those that he possesseth he will make theÌ„ beleeue euerie lye And therefore this excuse will not hold out I was tolde so and how can I tell but it is true it may be it is so and it may be it is not so if the ground of your beliefe be no stronger it is a foolish beleefe Verie nature will conuince such persons of want of charitie for would any man be content that an other should take euery flying report and vncertaine rumor that went about the countrie concerning him and giue credit to it and such credit as he would thinke ill and speake ill of him vpon this alone foundation would one thinke he had wrong you should haue tried out the matter before you had beene caried away with it you should haue searched whether it were so or no talked and conferd with those that could tell you the certaintie of it afore you had so farre trusted it as to rehearse it and report it your selfe Why is an other bound to deale so with you and is it not your dutie to doe so to others Must not we doe as we would be done by and haue that care of an others name and credit that we desire an other should haue of ours Therefore this is plainely iniurious and wrongfull dealing and those that haue this way falne must repent for it and aske pardon Secondly hence we learne to driue away such as be such reporters of other mens dealings such tale-tellers as the holy ghost speaked As the North winde driues away raine so doth an angrie countenance a slaundering tongue When the aire is thick the clouds looke blacke and there is a shew as if they fill the countrie with raine the North winde it riseth and purgeth the ayre makes the coast cleere and dispels the clouds and all vanisheth so must a wise man beare such grauitie in his face as that he may blow away flattring slanderers wheÌ„ they come full fraught with lies he must dispell them by his verie lookes and not suffer them to vnload their naughtie and lying stuffe in his eares Therefore if the master perceiue any of his seruants to delight in secret telling tales in whispering against others and bringing newes to