this reason would not have such weight if the Plagues threatned to Parents were Eternal and to their Children but Temporal 4. This Threatning must put some Difference betwixt the Children of the Wicked and the Children of the Godly But Temporal Difficulties and Stroks will not clear up this Difference for often the Children of the Godly share most in these It must therefore be in Spiritual Things they differ mainly 5. What is threatned here must especially in the Event Light upon the Third and Fourth Generation And not ordinarily go beyond that Now ordinarily the Children of Wicked men in outward things thrive best unto the Third and Fourth Generation and after that come their Temporal Judgments therefore it cannot be that which is here only or Principally meaned 6. Consider Caein Ham c. upon whose Posterity this Curse was peculiarly derived and there you will find somewhat more than what is Temporal The Second thing to be cleared here is the Party threatned to be thus punished It is not the Fathers that are expressed but the Children after them as it is Jer. 32.18 All is fore-faulted the whole Stock and Family Concerning which let us take these Three Considerations along with us 1. That these Children punished are not Innocent in themselves but being guilty before the Lord by Original Corruption or by both it and Actual Sin making themselves liable to such Plagues they have no reason to say The Fathers have Eaten Sour Grapes and the Childrens Teeth are set on Edge For whether the Judgements be Temporal or Spiritual the Children have deserved them and cannot say they are wronged And this Consideration reconcileth this place with that of Ezekiel where God putteth them to it thus None Innocent are plagued but ye are plagued therefore saith he Read your own sin out of your Plagues 2. Consider that the Threatning against Children of such Parents is here limited to the Third or Fourth Generation all their Posterity is not cursed thereby 1. Because Gods kindness is such as to leave a Door open for Penitents All fell in Adam yet Mercy opened a Door of Hope to sinful Man And surely the Threatnings of this new Covenant are not so peremptorie as to shut the Door of Mercy upon Sinners 2. The Third and Fourth Generation are especially threatned because these are nearest the Parent and have most of his Nature in them he knoweth them best and often he may live to see these Therefore the Lord threatneth these that it may most affect Parents it being for the Second Third and Fourth Generation that they most ordinarily travel 3. Consider that in this Threatning as also in the Promise following God doth not give or lay down a constant Rule to which he will be tyed as if he could not do otherwise at any time For to say that were Derogatory to his Election and the Soveraignty of his Grace and therefore that is not the Scope But here he giveth a Declaration of what usually and ordinarily he doth and what men if he deal with them in Justice may expect from Him Yet it is still so to be understood as the Son of a Wicked Person may be found to be an Elect and the Son of a Godly Person Rejected that he may continue his Plagues longer than the Third or Fourth Generation or break them off sooner when he thinketh Good For though by this He would restrain Parents from Sin yet hath he a door open to many such children for mercy even as the contrary promise hath many exceptions as to the Children of Godly Parents that walk not in the paths of their Parents going before them as many known instances of both in Scripture do make out The third Question is How God doth execute this threatning or How he doth reach Children with eternal Plagues for their Parents sins Answ. 1. He doth it certainly and he doth it justly therefore the Children must not only be considered as guilty but as guilty of the sins of their Parents which we may thus conceive 1. As to the Child of a wicked Parent lying in natural Corruption God denyeth and with-holdeth his renewing and restraining Grace which he is not obliged to confer and the Lord in this may respect the Parents guilt justly 2. When grace is denyed then followeth the temptation of the Parents practise the Devil stirring up to the like sin and they furthering their Children to wickedness by their example advice authority c. So that it cometh to pass in Gods justice that they are given up to vent their natural corruption in these ways and so come as it is Psal. 49.13 to approve their Parents sayings 3. Upon this followeth God's casting the Child now guilty of his Parents faults into eternal Perdition with him and that this is the meaning of the threatning will appear by the examples of Gods justice in this matter when wicked Parents have Children that are not so much miserable in regard of temporal things as they are wicked cursed and plagued with Ungodliness so was Cains Children so were the Children of Cham and so were Esau's who were all for a long time prosperous in the world but following their Fathers sins a main part of their Curse God afterward visited them on them with sad temporal judgments also 4. If it be asked Why God thus plagueth and threatneth the Children of wicked Parents Answ. 1. God doth it to make sin hateful seeing it bringeth often a forfeiture of spiritual blessings yea of blessings of all sorts upon whole Generations and Families 2. To strike the more terrour into others who by this may be scared from sin and made to stand in awe of God who is so dreadful as to put a mark of Infamy on the race and posterity of his Enemies 3. The more to affect and weight the Sinner it is a part of his punishment to know that by his sin he has not only made himself miserable but all his Posterity And these may be the Reasons why as it were by the light of nature all Nations in some cases are led not only to punish the persons of some Malefactors but to fore-fault an â— put a note of Infamy on their Posterity for some kind of faults 4. This becometh Gods greatness that men may know how soveraign he is and how Treason against the most high is to be accounted of 5. It is to commend holiness and the necessity of it to God's people and to put them to enrich themselves and their Children in God and a good Conscience rather than in all temporal riches These same Questions and Answers may serve to clear what concerneth the Promise also they being sutably applyed to it It is further to be observed that the Lord expresseth wicked men under that notion Them that hate me to shew what indeed and on the matter Sin even the least sin amounteth unto its hatred of God as being done as it were in despight of him and preferring some lust to
to say so betwixt the carriage of Families in Religious worship and the carriage of the whole Land 5. The comparing of Jeremy 10. with Psal. 79. will not enervate any of the places but when put together they shew that the Holy Ghost doth mean both Families and Kingdomes and that what is implyed in the one place is expressed in the other to shew that God will have both publick-worship from whole Kingdoms and Family-worship from particular Families as parts of these Kingdoms 6. The ground whence the Curse is derived is because that such a Society neglecteth such a duty and therefore how-ever we expound the place and the word Family there it will hold of all Societies in general 4. I said that the having of Family-worship is looked upon as a special qualification and the want of it as a scandal and offence for 1. Who are to be admitted Elders or Deacons Is it not such who have this qualification of Ruling their own Houses well 1 Tim. 3. v. 4. Tit. 1.6 yea even Widows 1 Tim. 5.10 are to be tryed by this that they have brought up Children no doubt Christianly and Religiously which can very hardly if at all be without worshipping of God with them 2. If that qualification to wit Ruling their own House well be found to be wanting they are accounted to be unmeet to rule in Gods House 1 Tim. 3.5 Whence we may reason thus That which casteth a man as unmeet for bearing Rule in Christs House how-ever otherwise he be qualified is an offence and a scandal but the â—ant of Family-worship doth that therefore the want of it is a scandal In these places it is clear 1. That Ruling of their own House is meant not only in outward temporal things but also if not mainly in what concerneth the honour service and worship of worship of God for 1. it 's the Ruling of Servants Children together 1 Tim. 3. v. 4 5. Now it is clear that Children are to be brought up in the fear of the Lord. 2. It 's a Ruling that commendeth them as gracious which no Ruling in temporal things will do seeing many meere natural men are wiser in their own Generation that way than the Children of light 3. Many much less fit for Ruling in these things may yet be fit to Rule in Gods House as experience cleareth 4. These words having Children in subjection in all gravity speak out a Christian and Religious Rule and order to be kept in the House or Family in reference to a Religious end which cannot but take-in Family-worship yet it is also clear that he meaneth not simply of inability to rule but mainly of defectiveness in the improving the ability which God had given for Ruling therefore it is not said here He that cannot Rule his House though that be in part truth but he that doth not Rule and it is ranked with excessive drinking striking pride and other grosse ills it having that same effect that they had to wit to declare incapacity for such Offices Hence this is not to be the Rule of tryal if he can Rule his own house well as having gifts sitting him for it but supposing him to have these it 's to be inquired if he doth actually Rule it well which is the evidence of the right improving of his gifts therefore here Ruling in the mans own house and ruling in the Church or House of God are looked on as two degrees of one thing of the same nature because both take in not only gifts fitting for the discharge of the duty of this respective ruling it but conscience and faithfulness in the improving of them We shall not here to this purpose insist on the frequent mention that is made in the Scripture of Churches being in Families But shall proceed to add to what we have said Six or Seven Reasons or grounds that will further prove and clear the thing The first is drawn from nature which teacheth not only that the true God should be alone served and worshipped but that according to the Stations God hath put men in they should improve them with their gifts and parts for a higher end than their own behooff or advantage to wit His Glory And that as they have a peculiar fellowship given them by Him as his gift so He should have answerable and peculiar acknowledgement from them and therefore seeing the appointment of Families is Gods Ordinance and that it 's he that giveth to some Children and Servants which are with-held from others there ought in all reason a Tribute to be given to him resulting from that Society and fellowship hence it was that before the Law the Patriarchs had their worship specially in their Families yea Heathens beside their publick Idolatrous worship and Idolatrous Temples had their peculiar Penates or Houshold-Gods on whom for their particular Families delivery from Enemies and protection they depended 2. A second is drawn from the nature of Christian Communion amongst believers which as it requireth the performing of Christian duties according as we are in providence called to them so it requireth the making use of that tye of Family interest or relation super added to the former for furtherance and entertaining of that Communion because there is a special access ministred by such a Relation to the attaining of that end Hence it is we conceive as is said that some Christian Families are called Churches because so many Christians casten together lived in a Christian discharge of all Family-Ordinances so to speak 3. The Lord by His Covenant doth especially though not alway derive mercies to Families taking them in together and making promises to them and conferring priviledges on them So Abrahams whole Family was taken in Covenant Gen. 17. And in the New-Testament whole Families were at once Baptized which certainly calleth them to a peculiar way of being answerable to such priviledges and ingagements And is not this one special and very proper way of being answerable to them that they worship God together and joyn in blessing him for such mercies and in prayer to Him for grace to carry suitably to them 4. The mutual interest that usually is in the Condition of members of the same family calleth for joynt-seeking of God and worshipping of him as they are joyntly concerned in the same dangers the same sins often the same stroaks the same duties the same mercies for what is so to one is ordinarily some way so to all therefore ought they to joyn in confessing of sins acknowledging mercies deprecating dangers and stro â—ks and discharging of Duties 5. Private Worship is profitable to all the ends of a family It 's an acknowledging of God and honouring of him it helpeth the Master to keep his Authority and maketh every one in their Family to walk the more respectively towards the rest and it keepeth from many out-breakings when they are to meet so often together to seek and worship God hence in experience we often
though Civil or Religious being seldom speedily reclaimed from them This was also Examplified in that late English Gentle-Woman of good-rank Who spending much of her pretious Time in Attendance on Stage-Plays and falling at last into a Dangerous Sickness whereof she dyed Anno 1631. Friends i â— her Extremity sent for a Minister to prepare her for Death who beginning to Instruct and Exhort her to repent and call on God for Mercy she made him no Reply at all but cryed out Hieronimo Hieronimo O let me see Hieronimo Acted And so calling for a Play instead of calling on God for Mercy closed her Dying Eyes and had a Fearful End answerable to her Miserable Life And in these sevearl Persons who were distracted with th Visible Apparition of the Devil on the Stage at the Bell-Savage-Play-House in Queen Elizabeth's Dayes while they were there beholdidg the History of Faustus prophanly Acted To which might be added many other Lamentable Examples and Warnings of such who by little and little have made Desection from the Faith being allured hereto by the Dangerous custome of beholding such Plays wherein Tertullian saith They Communicate with the Devil Will any Man or Woman dare to appear before the Dreadful Tribunal of God to maintain and make out the warrantableness of allowing more t â—me to these and such other Practises several of which are excellently discoursed by the Author in the following Tractat and most of them with their Respective Authorities by Master Prinn in his Histrio Mastrix then to reading of this and other such Treatises If any will they must answer it I mind not through Grace to take part with them i â— so bold and desperate an Adventure Now Christian Reader without further Prefacing to bring thee in upon the Treasure of the Treatise it self If thou wilt read it seriously and consider it suitably I think I may humbly in the Name of the Lord bid thee a Defyance to come away from it without a Bosom-full of Convictions of much guilt and without crying out with the Lepper under the Law Unclean Unclean With Job Behold I am vile With David looking stedfastly on the Glasse of this Law brightly shined on by Gods Light and ref â—ecting a most clear Discovery of Innumerable Transgressions of it as so many Attoms in a clear Sun-shine Who can understand his Errours Cleanse thou me from secret faults With the Prophet Isaiah VVe are all as one Unclean thing as uncleanness it self in the Abstract most Vnclean and all our Righteousness are as Filthy Raggs With the Apostle James In many things we offend all And finally with the Apostle Paul VVe know that the Law is Spiritual but I am Carnal and sold under Sin O VVretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death That thou mayst also with the same Apostle bein â—ase to say and sing to the Commendation of his Grace I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord is the Cordial desire of Thy Servant in the Gospel for Christs sake Postscript Christian and Candid Reader THOU seest that in this Epistle which for the most part of it was written above two years ago I have spoken a word of Stage-playes prophane Interludes Comedies c. at that time and several years before much in use amongst us whereto I would now add a few words more and deduce a little their infamous idolatrous devilish and damnable Pedigree and Original and give thee a brief account of the judgment of the ancient Christian Church about them that the Actors in them with the Patrons and haunters of them may with the greater dissatisfaction reflect on their own by-past unsutable and disconform practise and that all others may for ever hereafter learn to fear and to do no more so unchristianly To which I am the rather induced that the worthy Author of this Treatise hath only in passing made mention of them as a breach of the Seventh Command they being then utterly in disswe â—tude with us and it having not so much as once entered into his thoughts that after so bright and glorious a Sun-shine of Gospel-light the Generation would ever let be so quickly have so far degenerated as to suffer themselves to be tempted to have any fellowship with such unfruitful works of darkness I say then that Stage-playes in their several sorts were prohibited reprobated and condemned and the Actors in them appointed to be excommunicated by the Canons of several more particular and of some general Councels which Canons I forbear for brevities sake to â—et down at length as namely by the fifth Canon of the first Councel at Arl â—s in France Ann. 314. in the time of Constanstine the Great by the twentieth Canon of the second Councel held there Ann. 126. or more probable 389 as Fr. Longus a Coriolano reckoneth in his sum of all the Councels by the fifty seventh sixty second and sixty seventh Canons of the Eliberine Councel in Spain Ann. 30 â— by the eleventh and thirty fifth Canons of the third to wit from Constantine's time as Spondanus reckoneth Councel of Carthage An. 397. the very same with the thirteenth and thirty fifth Canons of the Councel of Hippo in Africk held Ann. 393. as Longus a Corialono sheweth who sets down the sum of the Canons framed at Hippo at the close of the Canons made in this third Councel of Carthage by the twelth Canon of the African Councel held Ann. 408 whe â—â— Augustine was present the Canons of both which Councels suppose persons to have been excommunicated on this account and provide for their reconciliation to the Church in case of repentance and turning from these practises to the Lord and by the fifty first and sixty second Canons of the sixth general Councel called by some the fifth held a â— Const â—ntinople Ann. 680. the Canons w â—â—â—eof we â—e â—on â—w â—d in that Counc â—l held at Constantinople Ann. 692. which is called Qui â—isex â—um these two Canons are very express and â—â—eremptory in this thing And can any Christians warrantably and without sin recreate themselves with beholding such playes the Actors wher â—in deserve to be excommunicated what is there no bet â—er no more innoc â—n â— and inoffensive way or is this th â— only or the â—est way to recreate men to refine sharpen and polish their wits to pers â—ade and prevail with them to ha â—â— and flee vic â— and to love and follow vertue to acquaint â—â—â—em from History with to impress on them the remembrance and to ex â—ite them to the imi â—â—tion of the noble and truly â—â—itable actions of illus â—â—â—on â—â—â—e â—oes and other great men to breed them to a sutable confidence to make them eloquene and fine spokes-men and to help them to a becoming gest in all actions places and societies the grave Seers and great Lights of the Church did never see any such thing in them but on the contrary have with common
c. They reply â—d it was not those bodies which they worshipped but the gods which governed them So Augustine Psal. 113. nobis 115 concerning the Idols of the Gentiles and Augustine de Civitat Dei lib. 7. cap. 5. where he sheweth that Varro giveth that reason why the gods where rather pourtrayed in mans picture though they were invisible because saith he mans Soul is a spirit and cometh nearest them and the body is the vessel of the Soul and therefore is used to represent it See Chrysost. 1. Eph. Hom. 18. Andrews on 2. Command August in Psal. 96 nobis 97. And it may also 4. appear from this That the Heathen gods for the most part even those of them that were most commonly worshipped were some famous men after death supposed to be Deified to whom they made statues and Images and yet still the honour was intended to those to whom they appointed the Images though they supposed that their gods in an especial manner dwelt in these Images and answered from them In the second place this may be made to appear from the Command Deut. 12.31 where the Lord forbiddeth not onely the worshipping of Idols but of himself by Images Thou shalt not do so to the Lord thy God that is thou shalt not worship me by Images as the Heathen do their gods and therefore this is not only possible but is also and that most certainly a grievious guilt even though they pretended it was not Idols but God they worshipped yet it was not so they worshipped not him but the Idol 3. We shall clear it yet further That the true God may be worshipped by Idolaters as they pretend and yet in Gods account their worship is nothing but Idolatry committed with their Images We shall give four instances of this The first is from Exodus 32. where it is clear 1. That the image they set up was not it self acknowledged to be God but as something to represent the true God for 1. It cannot be thought their minds were so soon darkened as altogether to forget what God had done and to imagine that the thing which was new made with hands was God though they be charged with forgetting God because they were practical forgetters of him and their sin did speak it out indeed 2. The image is called Jehovah that brought them out of Egypt which was a mercy past before the Calf had a being and therefore the reason why they gave it this name must certainly be because they aimed by it to represent Jehovah 3. It is not likely that now they would have worshipped the gods of Egypt or that they would have attributed their delivery from Egypt to them seeing these gods were also plagued also that Aaron should do so is incredible who yet joyned with them in this transgression 4. Beside can it be thought that so soon they thought it to be God and yet so easily afterwards passed from it certainly the words That it may go before us that is not to Egypt but Canaan whether God called them do clearly imply that they looked on it only as a representation of Jehovah 2. It is clear that they sacrificed burnt Offerings and peace Offerings before this image and this was the same service which was due to the Lord and so it was proclaimed Exod. 32.5 and therefore it was to the Lord and not to the image for it self that they sacrificed 3. It is clear that they are charged for turning out of the way and that because of their making a molten image which seemeth to infer that their guilt was rather in the manner of worship and making of that image for worship â— than in quitting God altogether and thus they grosly failed in the manner of worshipping him by occ â—si â—n of Moses his absence for now they want that sign of Gods presence which formerly they had and have not such a visible commerce as it were with God it is that they complain of and this want of a visible sign and not of God simply do they intend to make up by this image 4. This may be further confirmed from Acts 7.40 41 42. where it is said that because of this si â— they were given up to gross idolatry which could not be had this been idolatry of the grosses â— sort The Second instance is from Judges 17. where you will find that that Idol which Micah made is not by him or his Mother accounted God but is made use of by them as they think for furthering them in Gods service as appeareth 1. From this that it getteth not the name of any strange god 2. That he seeketh a Levite for a Priest to it and promiseth to himself Gods blessing from that not that the Idol would bless him but Jehovah ver 13. 3. That it is said the Priest asked counsel of Jehovah for the Danites Judges 18.6 The Third instance is that of Jeroboam who did sin and made Israel to sin by the Calf he set up at Dan and Bethel that they were not intended to be worshipped as Idols for themselves but as means whereby they might be helped to worship the true God may appear 1. From Jeroboams motive which was not to divert the people from the true God at least as he supposed or to make them alter their God but to alter their manner of worship and to divert them from going up to Jerusalem to worship from which his fear of their revolt to Rehoboam arose hence the Calves are not provided to prevent worshipping of God but are put in place of their going up to Jerusalem as the colour of reason pretended by him for this alteration sheweth and so one service is put for another without changing their God and all the reproofs that his sins meeteth with from the Prophets run at this that he altered the manner of Gods worship in putting up new signs in new places and appointing new sacrifices and Priests 2. It appeareth from this that as it was distinct from that way of serving God which was in Judah so was it from the way of the Heathens yea from the way used by such idolatrous Kings as Achab who are said to do worse because they did set up strange gods which the Calves are not called and Baalim and Jehu when he destroyed the false Gods yet he retained this manner of Worship and there were no cause to discriminate Jeroboams sin from Achabs or to look upon it as any thing lesser if all the difference had been only in the change of worshipping the image of one Idol into the worshipping of the image of another but the difference was in this that the one worshipped the true God in these images the other Idols indeed 3. Hence there was still some knowledge of God in that land and Prophets sometimes sent them by the Lord yea when they were led captive and others sent into their place it is said 2 Kings 17.26 c. They learned the manner of the
of his Coming again c. proveth very sweet and corroborateth the Soul so much the more as that therein he trusteth often with the Believer and by it Communicateth himself to his Sense and Spiritual feeling 5 thly The Sacraments hold forth a Mutual Engaging betwixt God and his People God holdeth out the Contract the Covenant and Offer We by our partaking doe declare our acceptance of that Offer on those Terms and ingage accordingly that we shall make use of that righteousness therein held forth for our Justification and of that Wisdom and strength therein offered for our direction and Sanctification In this respect our taking of the Seal is called our Covenanting And Gen. 17. he was to be punished that wanted the Seal of God's Covenant Thus our accepting and receiving looketh to the Word holding forth the Terms and God s â—aleth and confirmeth on these Terms the particular Promises of righteousness and strength to the ends beforementioned that our Faith may be strengthened in making use of them These are the main and principal ends of the Sacraments though they serve also for outward Distinguishing of Gods People from all other societies and persons In Sum The Word offereth Christ and his Benefits the Hearer accepteth him on the Terms on which he is offered and consenteth both th â—se are supposed to precede the Sacraments though as we may see in the Jaylor Acts 16. and others it may be but for a very short time yet in the order of â—â—ture at least they are Prior and then come the Sacraments which have in them 1. a clear view of the bargain that we may clo â—e distinctly and know what we attain 2. A solemn Confirmation on Gods side of the Covenant and the particular offer â—he therein maketh 3. A furthering of us in part and helping us to believe and a conferring of something offered 4. A comforting of those upon whom the Blessings are conferred 5. The Receivers solemn and publick ingaging to God that he shall observe and make use of all these the Fifth may be looked upon as the Second in Order We may come now to consider the Faults we are guilty of in reference to the Sacraments And First in general then more particularly in reference to Baptism and the Lords Supper We shall not speak to those faults common to Papists and others which are more Doctrinal such as Errours about the persons who may Administer them as that Women may Administer Baptism c. But we shall speak to those that are incident to us in our practise And First in general we fail either when too much weight is laid on them or when too little First when too much â—s 1. When there is an absolute necessity supposed to be of them in order to Salvation 2. When they are thought to confer Grace of themselves by the very partaking of the outward Elements although without Faith 3. When they are rested on in the outward Receiving as if that made us some way acceptable to God 4. When there is a superstitious blind preferring of them to and with the prejudice of all other Ordinances so that one will neglect Preaching and Prayer long but must have Baptism and the Communion 5. When there is a preferring of the outward â—rdinance to Christ and the thing signifyed that is when men seek more to have the Baptism of Water than the Baptism of the Spirit and the External Communion more than the inward in which any Heaven that is to be found in the Ordinances lyeth and when men are more commoved for wanting the Sacrament once than for wanting Christ often and long 6. Coming unto and going from the External Ordinances neglecting him and without dependance upon him who giveth the blessing and thinking that then all is well enough seeing they were present at the Ordinance 7. Going far off for the partaking of a Sacrament to the prejudice of necessary Moral Duties called for at that time 8. Placeing more in them than in works of Mercy and Charity or doating on them to the neglect of those 9. When they are accounted so holy as if they might not be given where Christ alloweth them to be given or as if that wronged them when they are not Administrated in some consecrate place as if one place were now under the Gospel more holy than another 10. Adding to Christ's Institution in the way of Administration as if what he hath appointed because it is common and ordinary were base and too low for them Again they get too little esteem 1. When people use them as bare and empty signs without respect to their due ends 2. When there is not that Rever â—nce given to God in them as ought to be according to his command when we are about so holy and so solemn pieces of Worship 3. When men carnally and without preparation and observation can hazard on them as common things 4. When Gods Grace and Goodness in condescending in them to us is not admired and blessed 5. When they are not pondered and studied that we may know them and be affected in receiving them and when there is not Meditation on them 6. Want of delight in them 7. Carelessness of them whether we have them or want them 8. Corrupting the Lords Institution in our manner of going about them either adding to it or diminishing from it or changing it as if men might do so 9. Little zeal to keep them pure 10. Neglecting the occasions of them when we may have them with some little pains 11. Accounting them better when Administrated by one Minister than when by another or esteeming little of them because dispensed by some men though lawful Ministers as if men added any worth to the Ordinance of God 12. Never actually laying weight on any of them or drawing comfort from them or less than should have been done 13. Not wishing and praying that others may have good of them 14. Not fearing the wronging of them by multitudes who partake of them and not endeavouring to have abuses of that kind helped but making them common to all indifferently and promiscuously 15. When Folk fear not the breaking of their ingagements in them 16. VVhen men hang the Fruit of them on the Administerer's intention or on the grace of them that are Joynt-partakers with them 17. VVhen there is little Zeal against the Errours that wrong them as when they are denyed by Anabaptists and when they are corrupted as in the Masse To come particularly to Baptism we may consider 1. The sins of those who seek it for their Children 2. The sins of these who Administer it 3. The sins of on-lookers especially those who are called to be VVitnesses 4. The sins of those who are baptized The Parents or presenters of Children to Baptism fail before in the time and after the Administration of this Ordinance First before 1. By not serious minding that which is to be done 2. Not considering the Child's condition as needing Christ
and pressed The 1. is Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it or keep it holy For the opening up and winning at the clear meaning whereof we would consider three words The first is what it is to remember or as it is infinitively set down remembring to remember this is prefixed and would look rather like the inferring of something commanded already then the new instituting of a command and so indeed it seemeth to suppose a day formerly institute and set apart for God as was hinted before which by this Command his people are put to mind It doth beside import these four with a respect as it were to four times 1. A constant and continued Duty at all times and in all dayes that is that we would remember that God has set apart a seventh day for himself and therefore every day we would remember to cast our Affairs so as they may not be impediments to us in the sanctifying of that day and we would endeavour alwaies to keep our hearts in such a frame a â— we may not be discomposed when that day shall come and this affirmative part of this command bindeth semper or alway and its negative ad semper on other dayes as well as on the Sabbath 2. It importeth a timely preparing for the Sabbath when it is a coming or when it draweth near this remembring it calleth for something to be done in reference to it before it come a man by this is obliged to endeavour to have a frame of heart that he may be ready to meet the Sabbath and enter kindly to the Duties of it when it â—hall come otherwayes if it come on him while he is in his common or course frame and not fitted for it it will say he has not been remembring it before it came 3. Remembring importeth an intenseness and seriousness in going about the Duties of the day when it cometh and that it should be with all carefulness sanctified and that men should be mindful of the duties called for lest their hearts div â—rt from them or slacken bensil and grow formal in them whereby mens inclination to forget this duty or to be superficial in it is much hinted at this word we take to be moral being a mean â—or furthering the great Duty aimed at of sanctifying the Lords day or Sabbath coming 4. Remembring may import this that the Sabbath even when it is past should not be soon forgotten but that we should look on the Sabbath past to remember it lest by loosing the fruits of it vvhen it is by we make our selves guilty of prophaning it The next word is the day of the Sabbath By Sabbath here is meaned rest as it is exponed by the Apostle Heb 4. and that not every Rest but a Holy Rest from our own Works that there may be access to positive Sanctifying of that day for the Sanctifying of that day is the end and this is but a mean and necessary supposed help without which the day cannot be sanctifyed in Holy Duties holy Duties and our own Works being for the time inconsistent besides that Rest on this day is not only called for as ceasing from our ordinary affairs in the time of Worship is called for on any other day but more especially and solemnly in respect of the day it self for at other times our duties require a time for them and therefore that time cannot be employed in another ordinary Work and in Worship also but here the Lord requireth time and rest to be sanctified and therefore we are to perform holy Duties in that time because it is to be sanctified other times and rests are drawn after worship this time and rest draweth Worship necessarily after it hence it was that only the Jews feasts were called Sabbaths I mean religious Sabbaths not civil or politick as their years were because they included a rest upon Destination to an holy Use. That which is mainly questionable here is concerning the day expressed in this Command concerning which may be asked 1. What sort of day or the quamdiu 2. How often or the quoties 3. What day of the seven or the quando 4. When we are to reckon its beginning For Answer to the first we say There are two sorts of dayes mentioned in the Scripture one is Artificial of twelve hours so the Jews divided their day making their hours longer or shorter as the day was long or short but they kept up the number of their hours alway the other is a natural day which is a seventh part of the Week and containeth twenty four hours taking in so much time as interveneth betwixt the Suns begining to ascend after midnight the nocturnal Solstice till it pass the Meridional altitude which is the Suns Vertical point for that day till it come to that same very point of Midnight again which is the Suns natural course every twenty four hours comprehending both the artificial day which is from midnight to midday and the artificial night also which is from midday to midnight again The day mentioned here is the natural day because it 's a seventh day proportionable to each of the six dayes given unto us and they with the seventh making up the Week it must contain as many hours as any of the rest doth but the six dayes wherein God made Heaven and Earth c. are natural days therefore the seventh to wit the day of rest must be so also Let us only for further clearing and for directing our own Practise speak here a word or two more 1. We say it is a whole natural day that is as it 's usually employed by us on any of the six Dayes for our own Works that as we spend so much time in our ordinary Callings on other dayes so would we employ so much in Gods Worship secret private and publick on that day what proportion of time we use to give or may and should give ordinarily to our Callings on other dayes we would give as much to God and his Worship to our Souls and our spiritual state on the Lords day or Sabbath Therefore 2. there is not to be understood here a rigid pressing of all these hours to be spent in Duties of immediate Worship but our Working and Waking time having a respect to our infirmities and also to our Duties lest under pretext of infirmity we incroach upon Gods day and give him less then we give to our selves or should and may give him And so in Scripture they accompted what is betwixt rising and going to bed as still the Work of one day or one dayes Work for as God in conceding six dayes to us hath yet so done it as there may be a Reserve of particular times for Worship called for from us to him every day for keeping up our Communion with him so on the seventh day doth the Lord allow so much conveniency of sleep and other refreshing as may be subservient for the main end of the day these being Works
of mercy and necessity which Christ allowed on the Sabbath which was made for man and not man for the Sabbath 3. Yet care would be had lest under pretext of these we exceed and apply too much of what is the Lords unnecessarily for our selves and on our lusts and if we will wake for ordinary business and keep upon such and such a Dyet other Dayes yea if we might do it or others no more strong then we do it the pretence of infirmity will not excuse u â— especially seeing hardly it can be often instanced that timeousness at Gods Work in that day or earnestness and continuance in it hath proved hurtful which we may account as a part of Gods blessing on the seventh day that less meat and sleep may be as refreshful as more at another time thus much for the quamdiu or the Continuance of the day Secondly it may be inquired how often by vertue of this command that day doth recur if it be one of seven or if it be the very seventh And so if this day be to be taken definitely for the very seventh day after the Creation or indefinitely for one day of seven as the Lord should other wayes determine or had elsewhere determined astricting then to a day but not any particular day by vertue of this command but to such a day as was formerly described or prescribed from the beginning during the Jewish State and to such another day as God should after Christs coming reveal unto them and pitch upon for his service for taking it for granted that a Seventh day as moral is commanded it followeth to be inquired whether it be the Seventh in number that is one of seven or the seventh in order that is the Seventh day For answering this we would premit 1. That there is a great difference betwixt these two the one to wit that there be a Seventh doth concern the matter and substance of piety the other to wit which of these Seven it be is more circumstantial and is alike if it be appointed by God and have the blessing 2. That it is usual for God in his commands concerning worship not at first to express a particular definitely but to deliver it in the bosome of a general indefinitely mediately and by clear consequence as it were several Species under one Genus As for instance 1. when Deut. 12.5 he commandeth his people to offer their Sacrifices in the place which he should choose here there is a stinting or astricting of them to the place which God should reveal unto them this before the Temple was built tyed them to the Ark and sometimes to one place and sometimes to another as it was removed and placed till it was brought to Jerusalem but after the Temple was built and chosen for the place it astricted men to that yea when the Temple is destroyed and Christ come it astricteth men to no place by another but it obligeth men to worship God every where in spirit and truth It 's true this is a Ceremonial precept and will not hold in all things especially as to its abolition yet while it stood by a positive Authority or Precept it sheweth that God may command a particular as one day of seven and yet not instantly so determine but that one and the same command may inforce to diverse dayes at diverse times upon supposition o â— God 's manifesting his mind even as by one command men were astricted successively to diverse places 2. See it instanced in the second Command wherein God requireth such a worship as he himself should prescribe which is the moral affirmative part of it and dischargeth all worship by Images that is its moral negative part thereof by vertue whereof Believers were then tyed to offer Sacrifices to Circumcise to keep the Passover c. but now Believers are tyed to Baptize to celebrate the Lords Supper c. yet by vertue of one and the same command so here that command which requires the Seventh day from the Jews may require the First day from us Christians for the Sabbath because these particulars are not expresly directly and immediately called for by these commands but indirectly and by consequence yet this second command tyed the Jews to abstain from blood and to circumcise before the ceremonial Law was added to them because these commands were formerly revealed to them but it tyed them to these accidentally to say so and by consequence only even so we say of the fourth command as to the Seventh day it being instituted before consider for this Exod. 16.26 where six dayes for gathering of Manna and a seventh for rest are spoken of A third Instance is in Tithes which was the Lords requiring a part of their Means or Substance as this was a part of their time he there required the tenth part of their increase as here he doth the seventh part of their time yet God in proportioning their estates did not particularly limit to any exact and precise order but as to this proportion of their estates whatever they were so we say here had not the day been determined otherwayes then by this command it would not have implyed any particular definite day of the Seven 3. We premit that though the Seventh day be called moral as is expressed in the command or understood yet it is but moral-positive and so alterable at the will of the Law-giver and therefore the question would not be much different if acknowledging the Seventh day to be commanded to the Jews as well as one of seven we yet asserted the seventh to be discharged and one of seven to be still retained for so one of seven would be binding now and not the Seventh 4. Yet lest we should seem to admit somewhat changeable in the very command it self precisely considered we would put difference betwixt the commanding part of the Law and its explicatory part the command may be moral and indefinite although some things in reasons and motives were not so as in the preface which inforceth all the commands and in the promise annexed to the fifth there was somthing peculiar to that people yet cannot we cast off all because of that suppose there had no more been in this fourth command but remember the day of rest to keep it holy that would not have inferred the Seventh day though we think the Jews because of its former sanctification would have been obliged to keep that day by vertue of this command And suppose that in the explications or reasons there may be something added peculiar to that people which cannot be a Seventh day but at the most if any thing the Seventh day yet that which is in the commanding part will still stand moral to wit that the day of rest should be remembred and if it can be made out that it was determined to the Jews to sanctifie the Seventh day though it were in the reasons added and to us afterward to sanctifie the First day