most quiet then that that is superiour is most hindered When a man hath a vehement appetite he sets his whole minde to it Chrysostome Dedit Deus corpus animae ut illud in coelum eveheret dedit animam corpori ut illam in terram deprimeret God gave the body to the soule that this might carry that to Heaven and he gave the soule to the body that this might keepe that on earth therefore the intent of God was thus As we should have this for the maintaining of life and for propagation so we should use it and no further then this necessity will permit us This is puritas that is called purum that hath nihil alienum immixtum nothing else mixed with it wee must needs have some mixture in this life Esa 1.22 there is water mingled with wine but we must see that this mixture be not so that there be but a drop of wine in a vessell of water Psal 49. last Man was in honour and glory but certainely he is growne out of understanding he is like the beast that perisheth Here is to be considered 1. The inclination of the minde 2. The meanes Divisiopartium hujus mandati 1. By Gal. 5.19 we see and by Christ Marke 7.21 his interpretation that all adulteries and all evill thoughts and workes prooceed from the heart And they are there considered either as they are in veneno naturae nostrae in the poyson of our nature 1 Iohn 2.16 concupiscentiam carnis the lust of the flesh he calleth it or suppuratio an inward festering of this desire or inward boyling of the pot as Ezek. compareth it cap. 24.6 with the scumme in it Then after these the first thing in regard of the meanes is subactum solum to make our selves meete to receive this vine desire The Physitians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when a man is disposed to an evill humour to diseases Those that are given to be plethorike have their bodies still fed with that humour And that is done by two meanes 1. By the sinne which is gula and that is of two parts 1. Crapula a surcharging of us with meates 2. Vinolentia the same in drinke Secondly with gula is excesse of idlenesse partly of Excesse of sleepe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flying of exercise Now then secondly after this subactum solum there is another thing in the meanes that is called irrigatio concupiscentiae the warring of the seed in subacto solo And because we stand upon diseases it is as when a man is sicke and notwithstanding will give himselfe to those things that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incliners to wickednesse as he that is sick of an ague will give himselfe to drinke wine or he that is troubled with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ptissick to sharp things or he that is troubled with collicke to eate hony Such a thing is in the concupiscence Solomon Prov. 7.21 calleth it illicebra concupiscentiae an inticement to lust and it bringeth forth the sin lascivia wantonnesse or immodestia immodesty It is either in the body it selfe making our selves birds bending our selves to those by whom allurements onely come 2. For without if it be of our body there is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the plaiting of the haire and fucus the colour of the countenance Or else it is in apparell and gesture The first is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 garments vestments Gesture is either commonly a common gate or a second kind of gate or gesture which they terme peculiarly for this purpose as dansing Chorea 2. From without and it is either corrupt company of men or we fall into the fault of them by reading lascivious bookes lasciviously And besides that which is an affection by beholding pictures i. imagines obscoenas as Cherea in Terence And secondly such playes and spectacles as containe matters of foolish love and are able to breed this in us And correspondent to them is the hearing of them wicked reports or bookes read or songs sung that nourish our disease This for the meanes Now for the signes we will use no other then before The jaundis of it is in the eyes too and so it hath his some in sermone obscoen◠baudy speeches And not onely that but in doing and frequenting such places actions and times as indeed sometimes are not onely cause of suspition but may justly be suspected Now to the outward part and there we have first a disposition to it They are called in Physicke grudgings against an ague as it were such as were in the other Commandement bloudshed and battery before the act of murther such as are there here like to the signes Levit. 13.4 of the leprosie before it came In this kinde are incesta oscula whorish kisses and embracing of the bosome of a stranger and lastly the going about to procure it whether it bee by waiting at the dore for opportunity or by sorcery or bloudshed c. The act it selfe may be taken both wayes Aug. whether it be instinctu proprio or consensu alieno of their owne motion or another perswasion that is all one that is generally Then afterward it is practised in effect either with a mans selfe corpus suum secum which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollicies impuritas effeminatenesse uncleannesse or with other And if with other either it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an abomination not to be named with a beast and is called Buggery or with mankinde And so it is done willingly or unwillingly respectu patientis in respect of the sufferer if unwillingly it is Raptus a Rape if by consent either of male or female for there is Rape done to both male and so it is the sinne of Sodome female and so it is with one or moe With more if there be a pretext of marriage it is Polygamie if without any such pretense it is called scortatio whoredome Where it is done with one and because we speak not only of adultery but whatsoever either it is in wedlock and that is fervor for we shall after shew that there is a fault even in matrimony committed or it is out of matrimony and then either as the party is allied to us then it is incest or as a stranger and removed and then we consider her either as she is nupta married or soluta free If she be married or desponsata betrothed all is one and so it is adultery whether she be espoused or married and that is of three kinds 1. Where both parties are married and that is worst 2. The woman onely espoused and the man single The man married onely and the woman single And the second is lesse evill then the third because in this is corruptio prolis an adulterating of the issue begotten Now in the free and not married either we retaine one peculiar to our selves and it is called concubinatus peccatum to keepe a
Should they abuse our sister as a whore For the eighth Genes 44.7 The putting of the cup into the Sacke was enough to clap them into prison For the ninth Gen. 38.23 Because Iudah promised to send the whore a Kid he was as good as his promise For the tenth Gen. 20.3 There was no act no purpose of Abimelech against Sarah yet he was punished by God No punishment preventeth a fault The Law what it was and how it consisted This is the first principle in nature dictum est is spoken The summe is Ambula mecum walke with me or before me The meanes to doe this Amos 3.3 Can two walke together if they be not in love Now to love Christ Iohn 14.15 is to keepe his Commandements Therefore we must be integri perfect both in body and soule There is no love but betweene likes The summe of the Law containeth two things 1. Flying from evill 2. Doing of good Psal 34.13 Esay 1.16 Take away the evils of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe evill learne to doe good In flying the evill against the law which is peccatum commissionis sinne of commission in respect of the other is peccatum omissionis sinne of omission In respect of the first we are said militare Deo to warre for God In respect of the second we are called his operarii labourers Of the first we are called innocentes innocents Of the second boni justi good and just both goe together In good workes both facere abstinere to doe and abstaine must concurre if we could keepe the second we should not so much offend in the first For the Jewes were very diligent in offering sacrifice to God yet because they burned in lust and every one neighed after his neighbours wife their Sacrifices were not accepted with God Contra If we be never so innocent yet because we doe not pascere feed nor vestire clothes we sinne Doing good is set downe Titus 2.12 In living Pie godly towards God Iuste erga proximum righteously towards our neighbours Sobrie soberly toward our selves For these three Augustine setteth downe two naturall principles 1. Deterius subjiciendum praestantiori the worser is to be postposed to the more excellent For Pie godly Subde Deo quod habes commune cum Angelis Subject to God what thou hast commune with the Angels For sobrie soberly Subde rationi quod habes commune cum brutis Subject to reason what thou hast common with brutes For juste righteously Fac quod vis pati doe what thou wouldest suffer The corruption of these is the corruption and transgression of the whole Law The corruption of the first Ipse cognoscito bonum malum 2. Quod libet licet Know thou good and evill The corruption of the second what liketh is lawfull The temper to the sonnes of men Videte nubite see and cover Let your lust be your law The corruption of the third is that principle of Machiavel Bonum praestantioris bonum communitatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod potes exige The benefit of the superiour is the quietnesse of society the good of him that is more excellent is just Exact what thou canst Of the foure things required in the law the second is the means to this This manner is by learned men wonderfully dilated To the means three things 1. Toti 2. Totum 3. Toto tempore 1. That all doe it 2. That we do the whole 3. And that at all times 3. Poena the punishment To this are required three things For we must doe it 1. Toti all of us 2. Totum all the whole That we with whole soule and body commit our selves to the observation of it 2. Totum Gen. 7.5 Noah did according to all that God had commanded him 3. Toto tempore at all times That we continue in it all the daies of our life Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just and upright man in his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abrahams old age like his youth 3. For the reward of punishment it standeth on this ground that it is impossible though a man breake one part of the law he should escape the whole Therefore God hath taken order for this that though they over-reach the law in one part in contemning of it yet on the other part punishment shall over-reach them This was knowne before the giving of the law Exod. 9.27 That God was righteous but his people wicked So saith Augustine Aut faciendum quod debemus aut patiendum quod debemus Either we must doe what we ought or we must suffer what we ought Both in Gen. 4.7 God to Cain If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted if thou doe ill sinne lieth at thy doore like a wild Beare or like a Mastife dogge so long as thou art within doores i. ut Patres exponunt as the Fathers expound it so long as thou art in this life thou mayest haply escape punishment for thy sinne but when thou departest vae woe c. more distinctly this reward is to them that doe well 1. temporall benefits Gen. 39.3 of Ioseph Genes 39.3 And his Master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hands That the commandements were knowne of the Gentiles because he trusted in God all prospered under his hand that his Master committed to him Here felicity in this life 2. For felicity and eternall benefits Gen. 5.24 Enoch for walking with God was translated Here everlasting life 2. In the law of nature to them that do evill temporall punishment consequently in the estate of Adam Cain and Eve Josephs punishment but especially the confession of Pharao Exod. 9.27 I have now sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are sinners For the punishment in the life to come 1 Pet. 3.19 to the spirits of unbeliefe and are now kept in chaines and to the sinners that refused the voice of Noah And thus we see that this law hath all those that any other law hath But the heathen which were before the comming of Christ which did not use these because they are not mentioned in the Bible thinke themselves not to be included herein To shew therefore these foure points in them and first for the ten Commandements Though they had not the inward part of the law yet they had the outward For 6. it is very plaine 3 5 6 7 8 9. for the other foure namely 1 2 4 10. they are somewhat darke in the writings of the Gentiles For the third Diodorus Siculus saith that it was death among the Egyptians Perjurii poena capite plectuntur fustibus caeduntur The punishment of perjury they lose the life they are beate with cudgels So 12. Tab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sweare not rashly For the fifth Homer Il. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brevi tempore durans erat vita quia parentibus nutritionis praemia non retribuit his life was short
ever had never wanted that he ascribes to himselfe of common things we have the like thoughts Later it could not conveniently have beene given for then it could not have beene over the World before the comming of Christ and then men might have pleaded ignorance being no time for the divulging of it To shew that in this written law of Moses be those foure parts that are in all lawes 1. Psal 19.7 The Law of God is a perfect rule for all duties and actions vers 11. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisedome unto the simple 2. The manners 1. that we may be whole observers of it 1. Toti All the whole of all men we must doe it with all our whole soule and body For we consist but of two parts of a soule and body The soule hath but two partes mind and heart God must be scopus perfectus metae the perfect scope we aime at There must be plena intentio Dei a full intention of God The heart the will must be tota inflammata wholly inflamed For the body with all the strength every member must be an instrument of righteousnesse Deut. 6.5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God 2. Totum The whole Law with all thy heart soule and might 2. For all the law it is the wish of God Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them to feare me and to keepe all my Commandements alwaies that it might goe well with them and with their children for ever And the contrary were very absurd for whereas God is perfectly wise if some of his precepts were needlesse then might God be arraigned of folly in not leaving out that which is superfluous as also Gods wisedome is impeached if any thing beside the law were to be kept then that added to the law would make the whole which we should doe and the law it selfe should be but part of our Agenda things to be done and so imperfect and the Lord should be an unwise Law-giver but this is impossible Therefore doth the Lord justly say Whatsoever I command you take heed you doe it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought there-from 3. Toti tempore at all times Deut. 12.32 3. For continuance totâ vitâ alwaies all the daies of our life Deut. 12.32 And though the place includeth not the time yet the time includeth the place alwaies without dispensation If this law be perfect 3. Pramium The reward 〈◊〉 it carrieth with it a reward 1. Tim. 4.8 There are two rewards of this life and that to come Deut. 28. à vers 3. to 9. in the soule from the 9. to the 11. Levit. 26. à vers 3 For the life to come Levit. 26.3 expounded Dan. 12. some to everlasting life c. Christ Iohn 5.29 saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall come forth that have done good to the resurrection of life but they that have done evill unto the resurrection of condemnation Acts 26.6 7. Paul answered before Agrippa that he rested in the expectation of the just and the opinion of the Sadduces was very odious among the Jewes 4. Pâ—na The punishment Againe on the contrary if they be not kept or not after this manner 1. Toti not wholly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a double heart Jer. 48.10 Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and that keepeth backe his sword from blood And so for the whole law Deut. 27.26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them and all the people shall say Amen For the other that continueth not in every part of the law he is cursed This curse of the Lord was pronounced by the Priest and all the people said Amen These curses are Gods curses and when he saith benè well it will be well indeed And there is a full blessing to them that can keepe it so the fulnesse of his wrath is to the breakers of it A curse without blessing and a blessing without curse In this life Deut. 28.15 But if thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord to keepe and to doe all his Commandâ—ments and Ordinances which I command thee this day then all those curses shall light on thee and overtake thee Levit. 26.14 But if ye will not obey me nor doe all these Commandements c. In the life to come Psal 21.9 Their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not on them Esay 66.24 For their worme shall not die nor their fire be quenched and they shall be an abomination to all flesh So that this law of Moses in summe agreeth with that of nature And as the Proconsull said in the Acts so say we This law is open the good universall and without end whereof the one taketh away feare the other filleth the desire The law is open any man that will may lay claime to it But Paul Gods Atturney from Rom. 1.18 to Rom. 7.13 laieth his accusation 1. To the Gentiles 2. To the Jewes proveth both to have forfeited after he excludeth the regenerate and withall himselfe for though the spirit were willing yet the law of his members was disobedient children guilty by reason of originall sinne as cockatrise egs All men guilty of prevarication and doing against their owne knowledge But Pauls owne argument is sufficient because the stipend of sinne hath taken hold on all and the stipend of sinne is death God being just therefore sinne also must needs take hold on all David confessed this Delict a quis intelligit Who can understand his faults Salomon confessed he could lay no clame to it What then If all offend it should seeme God commanded an impossible thing to be kept It is sure that God is just Therefore we must thinke that there is no injustice in the dealings of God though the matter be never so untoward yet the rule must be streight not as a Lesbian leaden rule 2. It cannot be otherwise for God being perfectly just his rule also must be perfectly just Why then were we not made to it Adam received strength to fulfill it in that perfection that was required but he was like the evill servant who receiving money of his master to accomplish his businesse spendeth it and so maketh his excuse that he hath no money to lay out or being sent about his masters businesse in the way is drunken and so is not able to discharge that businesse that is justly required at his hands And thus of the law generally A preparation to the exposition of the Law PSalm 119.144 The Law of the Lord is from everlasting Genes 1.26 Let us make man according to our Image and likenesse Colos 3.10 The likenesse of God is said to be in all knowledge And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him A preparation
brother from sinne Sed corpus non praeferendum but the body is not to be preferred We must hazzard this life for our brothers soule This being set downe we see the end of the first Table being Gods glory the second the health of our selves and our brethren here is an order we are more bound to the first then to the second Table but that as Augustine saith in the love of God this poyson of the love of temporall commodity and feare of temporall displeasure blinds our eyes so many times the conflict of the first Commandement and the fifth Obey God and obey your Rulers When this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conflict of the lawes fals out its easie to determine it The second precept obedience which is nothing else but to be moved at the commandement of a superiour and common sense may tell us that if a stronger arme hold me then that which should raise or remove me I shall never rise nor be removed But Gods authority whose Proconsuls on earth are Magistrates is more then their authority His arme is stronger to hold me in his obedience This is a rule in reason Modus impeditur ubi fortior vis detinet Motion is hindred when a stronger force holds us backe And this is one case wherein superiours are not to be obeyed Another is whereas nothing is to move ultra speciem suam beyond his owne bonds as if a fire be made to heate onely it must not drie too so quando excedunt regulā dominationis suae when they exceed the limits of their authority as if a Captaine should send forth his souldiers out of the Campe into the field to feed sheep it s more then he can doe and the souldier is not bound to do it God hath limitted their authority he hath shortned their arme therefore there needs to be no perplexity in this There is a maxim in our Common Law Iuris interpretatio non debet laedere jus regium The interpretation of the Law ought not to wrong the Royall right the Kings prerogative And if there be not a restraint of Obedite praeposit is vestris Obey those that are set over you we shall prejudice Gods authority royall and what is this else but laedere jus regium to wrong royall authority For they are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servants and Ministers Base termes goe not Papinian an heathen man but one which for the testimony of justice was content to leave his life his grave may beseeme Christians his rule was whereby he interpreted all his lawes Potior semper sit ea ratio quae pro religione facit let that reason ever be preferred which makes for religion Now after that we have compared both the Tables and shewed the conflict betweene them we are to shew the conflict in both severally In the first Table three Commandements are perpetuall one temporall cedat temporale aeterno let the temporall give place to the eternall Therefore the fourth in the first if it come in comparison with any of the other it may be violated the rest of the Sabbath may be broken that Gods Name may be sanctified In the second Table Non occides Thou shalt not kill Therefore that being the Table of justice and we know that the nature of justice is Vt cuivis detur debitum nulli fiat indebitum that due be given to every one what is not due be done to none An innocent man may not be slaine but he that deserveth it Si non lingua demittat voluntatem peccandi amittat potestatem If the tongue let not go the will to sin let it lose the power Either he is to fulfill the Law faciendo quod debet or patiendo quod debet by doing what he ought or by suffering what he ought Or the Magistrate in Gods right is to punish him If any of the other come in comparison with the fift Commandement it s to give place because that is de communi bono of the common good the other de privato of the private and commune privato praeferendum common is to be preferred before private generall before particular Order in the first Table 1. Commandement est cultu◠animae 2. Totius corporis 3. Partis praecipuae is of the worship of the soule The second of the whole body The third of the chiefe part Order in the second Table that which is common before that which is private in the state of a damage damage of life before damage of chastity in chastity before in goods in goods before fame For goods a real thing but fame nothing else but a depravation of the opinion of other men grounded on a naturall reason Cujus finis superior illud praeferatur Whose end is superiour let that be preferred We are more restrained in actions then in word and in word more then in thought life is more precious then chastity chastity then substance substance then fame there can be no better order then that which God hath set downe Ordinavit Deus charitatem God hath appointed love There remaineth a third case and that is this A Commandement is doubtfull either by obscurity in the chiefe sentence or by a word of ambiguity that may beare two senses or more or by controversie when there is an hearing on both sides so that men cannot agree for it pleased certaine wits to bring in controversies that need not We must have a direction for this Augustine writing on Rom. 14. In nullo debet opinio vacillare Opinion ought to waver in nothing He saith if that be true how shall many doe that though in words they be very resolute yet inwardly may vacillare waver and no man seeth but God seeth and consequently no man restraineth them There is no other way saith he then tene rectum dimitte incertum hold the right let goe the doubtfull the counsell is good whatsoever a man doth let him doe it with full confidence How shall we doe it quicquid non est cum rectâ ratione poenale est whatsoever is not done with a full setled perswasion is sinne 1. Obscurity 1. Obscurity when both parts confesse that they cannot tell what to make of such a word or phrase in the sentence or of such a place In those places that are mysticall and have allegories the safest way is that men be not too bold but rather to take of the lesse then of the more A rule In obscuris minimum That is if we be not certaine how much he meant it is best to take it with the lowest for if he meant the most sure it is that he meant the least not on the contrary We must be as sober as we may in mysteries 2. Ambiguity 2. Ambiguity Where there is a word that wil beare two senses Christian wisdome will do best if we include both senses least happily the Holy Ghosts sense be not that which we leane to Example of it 1 Pet. 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feed the
of our hope without wavering for he is faithfull that hath promised and all these are necessarily in the hope of God commanded Another thing commanded is in the Isaac hope as it was in Abraham as God Luke 16.10 exerciseth our faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly things by a faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in earthly things so doth he in the exercise of our hope And as it is said he that will not understand earthly things how much lesse heavenly so that man that will not hope for earthly things will not hope for heavenly he that will not hope for that which is lesse will not hope for that which is more Matth. 6.25 Christ argueth 1. from the greater to the lesse 2. then from the lesse to the greater God having given as a soule and providing us foode to maintaine our life how much more will he provide us raiment for our bodies If we are bound to put him in trust with our soules how much more for our bodies how much more for apparell If the Sunne shine on the wicked and the raine fall on the ungodly shall it not much more on the godly Qui pascit contemnentes non pascet colentes Then he commeth to the beasts birds and sheweth for food that the Lord provideth for them for rayment even the Lilies of the field that have no other end but to be seene yet that they passe Solomon for all his royalty Shall not man trust in him for earthly things will he neglect him for whom all things were made therefore we must first cast our selves and our hope upon him and not as Psal 40.4 5. to turne our selves to the proud and to such as goe about with les or as Esa 28.25 casting our selves upon his policie that what religion soever come we will be at a league with it wee will meddle with no true religion wee will fall at an agreement with Hell Devill c. but as a Father saith as Terrena bene curantur nil male agendo contra illa so bene contemnuntur nil male agendo propter illa as we are sufficiently carefull for the things of this life if we doe not waste them so they are sufficiently contemned by us if we use no ill meanes to get them out common disease in these dayes Objectum spei Bonum futurum possibile We come to that which is forbidden The object of hope is bonum good not every bonum but futurum the future good Rom. 8.24 Spes quae videtur non est spes hope which is seen is not hope but yet that is the hope of the wiseman of this world yet they may see that that they hope for whereas our promises are not in present things but in things to come 2. Beside that of futurum because all that we have in the Creed is remission of sinnes it must be also bonum possibile the good it must be possible to attaine it and yet that possibility must not be got with ease but with some difficulty else we shall contemne it and indeed if we could get it at the first we needed not hope for it Extrema spei extremes of hope Presumption Out of these two there arise the two extremes of hope for whereas a man thinketh thus that this good i. eternall life is possible arduum tamen and yet difficult to get there is in our minde an affection called presumption and it apprehends it as possible and easie and so labours and runnes after it accordingly But as it is Psal 147.11 there must be a feare in regard of the hardnesse ne forte reprobi fiamus lest we become reprobate as Paul after that he had beene taken up into the third heaven yet he feared lest he should afterward have become a reprobate c. As there must be a hope and comfort in regard of the possibility so presumption is forbidden whether it be of our selves for in us there is no good thing or of others there is a preventing grace to beginne and a following grace to continue the preventing grace i. divinum auxilium divine ayde The Papists they say of the preventing or first grace that there is no preparation to it but that it is freely given but deny that the following grace is given freely but that we have it of our selves Seeing we must not onely be prevented Psal 59.10 but also followed Psal 23.6 it is a signe that we are not then to presume of our selves And as not of our selves so not of others Esa 63.16 not of Abraham nor of Israel Iob 15.15 the Saints are not cleane in his sight and there is none that can resist his strength but God and therefore saith Austin solus fiduciam homini praestat apud Deum Deus hâ—mo It is he alone that makes man confident of the mercies of God that is both God and man Christ Jesus Psal 18.30 he is clypeus sperantibus in eum our Buckler God hath his Axe in his hand to strike us no creature is able to beare off his blow but God if he put his Shield over us and set himselfe betweene us and the Axe he may beare off the blow As a man may presume 1. of himselfe or 2. of others so there is also a presumption of God for as hope is the Isaac of faith which is the Abraham so hope is the Isaac of hope And Hope is the Isaac of faith faith of the promise this of the word so doth necessarily poynt us to the promises and these are not to be found but in the word so that nothing is hoped for but that which is beleeved and nothing beleeved but that which is promised and that which is promised is onely in his word so that there must be no hope conceived of God but that which is in his word so Psal 119.49 secundum verbum tuum in quo spem dedisti mihi remember the word unto thy servant unto which thou hast caused me to hope therefore that man that hath no warrant to continue in his sinne without repentance and hope for mercie and that is where there is no promise his hope in God is presumption which ariseth of a false knowledge or ignorance and of a great and intolerable pride thinking that we are such trim things that God will spare us though we continue never so much in sinne The other extreme commeth by another way Desperation contrary to that that hope conceiveth for whereas it conceiveth that it is hard yet possible there is desperation that thinketh it to be so hard that it is not possible Despaire is made of two sorts 1. The first is Psal 78.21 he smote the stony rocke indeede that the waters gushed out and the streames flowed withall but can be give bread also or provide flesh for his people Greg. in the 31. of his Morals giveth us a note of observation because he did see it proved alwayes ex luxuria because of their lust as
suspensum oculum hanging of the eyes and high looke Now then besides these two it commeth into the worke into execution to the hands and feete and then it is lepra peccati Lepra peccati the leprosie of sinne They called it Rixam fighting warres bloudshed and from this lepra there commeth not onely this but an infection to others as Ier. 18.18 Come let us smite him with our tongues let us not hearken to any thing that he saith These are murthers cousins This is a briefe declaration of that that shall hereafter be set forth at large But because it was said in the beginning There are in the Commandements of God not onely negations but also affirmations there is not onely somewhat forbidden as murder and his kindred but there is also somewhat commanded in generall as that we should study to preserve the life of our neighbour We must be â—ginum citae to our neighbors The Hebrewes called it esse lignum vitae proximo to be a tree of life to our neighbour What it is to be lignum vitae to him we see in Prov. 11.30 that fructus justi is lignum vitae to deale justly with him and offer him no wrong Prov. 13.12 There is another lignum vitae desiderium expletum that is the vertue of beneficence A wholsome tongue is a tree of life but the frowardnesse thereof breaketh the minde these be ligna vitae and Prov. 15.4 lingua placabilis that is lignum vitae too a gentle tongue by giving of gentle speeches and by fulfilling his desire and Prov. 14.30 We shall make him if we doe these cor sanum a joyfull heart that is indeed the true lignum vitae For this life otherwise is as the Heathen saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a comfortlesse life without this For a foolish opinion is of some that thinke their body and their senses is the best thing that they have and so consequently they imagine murther to be onely of the body But it is of the soule also and the murther of the soule is referred to two lives 1. To this life 2. To that to come As indeed the word in the Common Law counteth it murther if the body or the good estate of the body to endammaged The good estate of the body is Incolumitas is incolumity which is in threethings Incelumitas in 3. things 1. In interigty besides the life if a man lose an arme there may be an action for it 2. In incolumitate sensus in the safety of the sense when we are at ease as on the other side if any man strike us it is made a battery 3. There must be libertas metus a freedome from feare as on the other side to binde one or to shut him up this is prejudiciall to incolumity and commeth under murther and there may be an action for these Now as not onely the body but also the incolumity of the body is not to receive dammage so likewise there is such a thing in the soule which may not be hurt and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tranquillity The incolumity of the soule also standeth in three things 1. Dilectio The incolumity of the soule lovingnesse and here against this commeth in odium hatred with all his crue and retinue 2. Gaudium joy against this commeth that when a man is so dealt with that he falleth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in torporem animae into a drowsinesse of the soule that he taketh no delight in any good thing or if hee fall into envie 3. Peace Gal. 5.22 and that either 1. Within himselfe his thoughts against that commeth scandalum scandals 2. Outward betweene him and other and there commeth desire and contention So as was said in the beginning he is not onely an offendor that commeth against the body or the incolumity thereof but also he that commeth contra animam against the soule so he that commeth contra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animi against the tranquillity of the soule Gen. 27.46 whereas Esau matcheth himselfe against the consent of his Parents Rebecca saith taedet me vitae I am weary of my life because of the disquietnesse and vexation with the Hittites This doth Iob call amaritudo animae the bitternesse of the soule Iob 10.1 But there is no place plainer for this then Gen. 45.27 for there Iacobs soule being dead by Iosephs death and Simeons keeping in prison and Benjamins departure it is said that when as newes came that Ioseph was alive the spirit of Iacob revived within him as if before by torments it had beene dead The Hebrewes know what it is percutere animam we know not but doe commonly expresse for it percussit animam when any griefe commeth to one we call it the killing of the soule And it commeth somewhat neer to it Prov. 17.22 this spiritus exiccat ossa a broken spirit dryeth the bones and indeed it is the very diminishing of the naturall heate and shortning of this life Then this is it that we say Latitudo husu praecepti what soever is contrary to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life or the welbeing of life God meant it here The scope of the Law as before It is not one private thing Why God would have none killed but the good of all that God in this Law commandeth 1. In regard of himselfe Gen. 9.6 hee would have none killed why his reason he will not have his Image destroyed and defaced It is counted treason to earthly Princes to deface their Image 2. In regard of the Church 1 Cor. 12.13 27. he saith there that how many soever are Christs they are become one body and that in one unanimity and so consequently that man that shall take any part of this he maketh a rupture into the mysticall body of Christ 3. In regard of the Common-wealth Levit. 26.6 he saith It shall be a great blessing he will give that man shall doe his businesse without feare and shall have peace and sleepe without terrour Now for every private man Psal 36.9 For with thee is the Well of life That he hath given to every man a life and nobilem rationis usum the noble use of reason whereby he may perceive himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 setled in minde and by this he hath fenced him Now to consider it particularly First in the fault A man may kill as the Fathers and Aug. say and it is the highest division one can come unto either a man or a beast 1a Dâ—visâ—â— And he maketh this division against the Manichees for this is one thing that they hold they thought that a man might not pull up any herb of the field nor slip the branch of a tree for the ttees they lived too A fond opinion for Gen. 1.29 God saith there before the flood came he gave all greene things not only the herbs but also the trees to man and beasts
is one indirect meanes To the second and that is committing our selves as the wise man saith Prov. 3.17 to danger Qui amat periculum peribit in periculo when a man will put himselfe into danger and need not and when he useth not the meanes of escaping danger he is accessory to his owne death Matth. 4.6 We know what Christ did we must walke in the way not tumble downe when there is a paire of staires Acts 27.31 Paul was very carefull of the Mariners that they should not forsake him though he had Gods promise and Levit. 13.4 a Leaprous man shall be shut up that no man shall goe to him but if any man will goe to him and take the Leprosie of him that is againe presumption And the third meanes by our owne negligence 1 Tim. 5.23 the Apostle saith there I would have you drinke no more water because your stomacke is over weake but drinke a little wine that is the meanes that God hath given to strengthen nature I will have you to use it else you will weaken your nature And no doubt if he had not followed the Apostles counsell he had fallen into the breach of this Commandement Now as Timothy was to drinke a little for the strengthening of nature lest neglecting the meanes nature should have perished so Luke 21.34 when men with too much surfetting and glutiony die they kill themselves so that a man must use or reframe or temper himselfe so as that he use them to preserve his life and the image of God so 1 Tim. 6.8 meate and appatell though not so much Rom. 13.14 as to fulfill the lusts of the flesh but those that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for rest Marke 6.31 Col. 2.23 Psal 27.2 for due exercise and due release due study and due recreation not too much exercise nor too much rest for both with too much tristitia mâ—ndâ— care of the world 2 Cor. 7.10 destroyeth and Prov. 17.22 dryeth the bones and too much pigritia slothfulnesse robbeth a man therfore in these things that the Philosophers call non naturalia not naturall a man must use them carefully that he hasten not his end Now this neglect as it must not be in our selves so it must not be towards our brethren Deut. 22.8 There is the prescription of battlements that the workeman may not fall Exod. 21.29 If the Oxe be wont to push c. the Oxe and he both shall die and vers 33. if they stop not the Well at night and a man fall in and die hee shall die also for his negligence By the equity whereof Prev 3.27 and 24.12 there is extension made Contrariwise a Commandement as Ambrose saith Pasce ovem morientem Non pavisti occidisti feede that Sheepe which is ready to perish if thou feedâ—st it not thou killest it Ierem. 8.22 Is there no Balme in Gilead is there no Physitian that the people be not healed and Ezek. 47.12 that God hath ordained plants for bruises and sores and Exod. 21.9 hee saith that the party that shall afferre alii injuriam wound his neighbour he shall pay for his healing this is likewise a meanes to preserve our lives And on the other side Marke 5.25 he saith the woman with the bloudy issue had received many medicines of divers Physitians and had spent all her goods and was never the better but rather the worse The practise of Physitians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their shame be it spoken in all examples it is a sinne to them and Ecclesiasticus 38.15 it is a punishment to the party Now come to a disposition hereunto For it is not onely the life of the body but incolumitas for we see that if the hurt be of any one part if you have hurt the least part of the whole consequently the whole counteth it selfe hurt and saith Quare me Why smitest thou me As not the whole so not any part must be hurt Levit. 24.19 there shall not be any blemish upon our neighbour Exod. 21.25 a wound and a stripe is forbidden if a rupture or ustulation with fire it is an injury we shall have the like our selfe Levit. 24.20 And as this vulnus is contra incolumitatem plaga contra sensum so contra motum wound impaireth the safety of the body and causeth smart so hindreth its motion 2 Sam. 3.34 binding restraint and Gen. 42.17 Deut. 32.36 imprisonment these are accounted as impediments and as punishments these things are not to be inflicted without consent of Magistrate Not any private man must doe it because therein there is a disposition ad totum yet one of the priviledges Eccles 6.3 if a man live not to his owne contentation he hath not lived at all so to bring a man into that estate to make his life odious commeth within the compasse of this Commandement Come to the soule the murther whereof is so much the more grievous as Gods Image is in the soule rather then in the body and certaine it is à comparatis that if the bodily bloud of Abel crie for vengeance Heb. 12.24 then the bloud of the soule much more especially because there is two lives of the soule one here another in the life to come if it be set in worse estate concerning the life to come if he that hath charge of soules Revel 2.14 Mal. 2.8 vos scandalizastis eos in lege yee have caused them to stumble at the Law or teaching them as Balaam taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel or whether it be indirectly by negligence Ezek. 33.6 If you watch not and the sword come upon any he is taken away for his sinne but his bloud will I require at thine hands So likewise though it be not he that hath the charge but a brother privately one private man against another if he gave counsell dicto or facto by word or example as Peter Matth. 16.22 was a scandall to Christ he had prevented Christ if he would have beene prevented and so have hindered the great worke of redemption Or whether it be the example Gal. 2.13 the same Peter by his example misled the other Jewes and Barnabas and Paul 1 Cor. 8.12 that the weake brethren were emboldned by the example of those that had knowledge to eate those things that were offered unto Idols wounding thereby the weake conscience of others yet they brought guilt on themselves for every example in deeds and Matth. 18.6 shall come upon them and woe bee to them it were better that a milstone c. then that he should minister this offence to take away the life of the soule of the least of his brethren Concerning this wee spake before Come to the second life of the soule Eccles 6.3 Col. 3.21 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a man beginneth to loath the benefit of his life it is certaine his soule is killed and as in Gen. the missing of Ioseph and Simeon and Benjamin killed Iacobs heart and at
wills are faine to do it Therefore our rule in this behalfe is that we do Gods will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 9. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. not grudgingly but cheerfully from the heart accounting it our meat to do the will of our heavenly Father Joh. 4. Secondly for the Elevation it is true that the qualification is signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our prayer is that we may do Gods will as it is done in heaven but not as much with like readinesse of mind but not in like measure for that is impossible for earthly men wee desire to fulfill Gods will in the manner but not in the same degree of obedience which may be expressed by the words Image and likenesse Gen. 1. Our obedience may be the likenesse of the Angels but not the Image The Character or Stampe of the Angels obedience is that which is equall in proportion but such obedience is not to be found there may be a beame of it answerable in likenesse and quality not in quantity so in likenesse we are Conformes imagine Christi Rom. 8. and beare the image of the heavenly Man 1 Cor. 15. as endeavouring thereunto but yet we cannot attaine to it But albeit it is hard for flesh and blood which our Saviour required Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. yet there is an use of such precepts first ut feramur ad perfectionem that we may be led on to perfection Heb. 6.1 Secondly we must have an Heroicall and free spirit Psal 51. which may stirre us up to wish that wee could do more then we can which consists of Aspiration and Suspiration We must aspire to the greatest perfection with David Concupivit anima mea My soule hath lusted to keepe thy righteous judgements for ever Psal 119.20 And O that my waies were so directed Psal 119.5 This is an Angelicall perfection which we cannot attaine unto in this life therefore we must suspirare when we consider that the Law saith Thou shalt not lust and yet find that wee do lust we are to sigh and say with the Apostle Who shall deliver us from this body of death Rom. 7. If we find that we cannot love our God with all our heart and soule as we ought then to say with the Prophet Vae mihi quia prolongatus est incolatus meus in terra Wo is me that my dwelling is prolonged in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 We must desire to do more then we can and grieve that we cannot do so much as we ought that as we do what we can so what we cannot do we should supply it Voto desiderio animo with our hearty wish desire and mind Thirdly the supplication is of two sorts Reall and personall Touching the first as the grace of God is multiformis gratia 1 Pet. 4. So the will of God being one is of many sorts and containeth divers particulars therefore as we generally pray that the will of God may be done so when by the word of God wee understand what is the will of God in particular we are to desire no lesse that it may be performed This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thess 4. Therefore our desire must be that this will of his may be done and fulfilled in us This is a speciall remedy against the tēptations of the flesh which oppose themselves against Gods will There is another will of God for patience for he would have us suffer for Christs sake without murmuring that so wee may stop the mouthes of ignorant men 1 Pet. 2.6 Therefore we are to pray that this will of God also may be done in us As Joseph was carefull to do Gods will touching sanctification and Job to obey Gods will in suffering patiently both which are now Saints in Heaven so must wee after their examples be both holy and carefull and patient It may be we are willing to obey Gods will in particular but we will say Nondum venit hora it is not yet time Therefore we must learne to practise the Prophets resolution I made hast and prolonged not the time to keepe thy Law Psal 119. When God revealeth his will to us we must presently put it in practise and as Saul did Act. 9. and not counsell with flesh and blood and this is the reall application The persons to whom the doing of Gods will is to be applyed are not onely the whole earth which is also to be wished as the Prophet sheweth Set up thy selfe O God above the heaven and thy glory above all the earth Psal 57. But the earth or land wherein we dwell as the Prophet speakes that glory may dwell interra nostra in our land Ps 85. So we pray that Gods will may be done in all lands but especially in our land and country that so he may bestow his blessings upon it but yet we are every one of us particularly to apply to our selves for to man it was said by God Terra es Gen. 3. To man it was said Earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord Jer. 22. So we desire that Gods will may especially be done and fulfilled in that part of the earth whereof God hath made us that is that in these our earthly vessels which we carry about with us we may be carefull to do that which God requireth at our hands THE THIRTEENTH SERMON Give us this day our daily bread OUt of the words of our Saviour in the sixth of Matth. vers 33. wee have elsewhere set downe the order of these three Petitions which concerne our selves for the first is the Petition of Glory and of Gods Kingdome which our Saviour willeth us to seeke in the first place The second is the Petition of Grace and of Gods righteousnesse wherein we pray that Gods will may be done The third Petition tendeth to this end that as the Prophet speakes God would not with-hold any temporall blessing needfull for this life but that he would give us all things that are necessary for us The things pertaining to Glory for which wee pray in the first place are Eternall those that concerne grace are Spirituall and the blessings of this life which we desire may not be with-held from us are naturall and temporall This is Natures prayer for not onely we but all creatures above and beneath make the same suit to God by the voyce of Nature the ravens of the aire call upon God that he would feed them Ps 147. The Lyons beneath roaring for their prey do seeke their meat at God Psal 104.21 and therefore no marvell that wee in as much as we are creatures do seeke to God who is the God of Nature to supply the defects of nature that we find in our selves as other creatures and yet there is a difference betwixt us and them for they call upon God onely for corporall food that their bellies may be filled but
LANCEL ANDRE EPISCOPê° ELYENSIS Eâ— REVERENDISSIMUS ET DOCTISS DOMINâ— These LINEAMENTS of Art haue well set forth Some outward features though no inward worth But to these LINES his WRITINGS added cann Make vp the faire resemblance of a MAN For as the BODIE' 's forme is figurd here So there the beautyes of his SOULE appeare WHICH I had praised but that in THIS place To praise THEM were to praise Him to his FACE Ge Wi THE MORALL LAW EXPOVNDED 1. Largely 2. Learnedly 3. Orthodoxly THAT IS The long-expected and much-desired Worke of Bishop ANDREVVES upon THE TEN COMMANDEMENTS Being his Lectures many yeares since in Pembroch-Hall Chappell in Cambridge which have ever since passed from hand to hand in Manuscripts and beene accounted one of the greatest Treasures of private Libraries but never before this published in Print Whereunto is annexed nineteene Sermons of His upon Prayer in Generall and upon the Lords Prayer in Particular Also seven Sermons upon our Saviours Tentations in the WILDERNESSE Both which Two latter Treatises though before Printed yet being much worne out of Presse were thought fit for divers reasons to be added to this Worke. LONDON Printed for Michael Sparke Robert Milbourne Richard Cotes and Andrew Crooke 1642. TO THE HIGH COURT OF PARLIAMENT BOTH LORDS AND COMMONS More particularly to the Worthy Speakers of both Houses The Right Honourable Edward Lord Littleton Lord Keeper of the Great-Seale of England and the Right Worshipfull William Lenthall Esquire My Lords and Gentlemen TO aske whether Light be pleasant is a blind mans question and whether knowledge be sweet is an ignorant mans question and whether Divine Light and knowledge in regard of which all other is but as a Glow-worme of the Braine be most pleasant and most sweet is a prophane mans question This Booke challengeth an eminent Dedication of it selfe both ex congruo condigno in diverse regards For first the origirall Theame which beares the burthen of the whole Discourse and Tractate is the ten Commandements of Almighty God which are the ten Predicaments of all those vertues and vices which render men either acceptable or odious to their Maker the Scripture of Scripture as being prerogatived above the whole Bible in this respect that in issuing them forth to the sonnes of men God was pleased to become his owne Amanuensis The whole Scripture is * 2 Tim. 3.16 inspired by God but onely * 1. Pet. 1.21 holy men of God spake and wrote them as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost but here God both indited and spake and wrote not onely the mind and mouth but the * Exod. 8.19 Finger of God was here Secondly the Author of this Booke is enough praised in naming of him it was Dr. Andrewes the late Bishop of Winchester a man both at home and abroad of great fame for his Clerk ship and of a good fame for his regular and strict life of whom the lesse is said the more is said for that to fetch lustre to his name from a meane stile or tongue is to goe Northward for heat Thirdly the worke it selfe is such as in those dayes when it was Preached he was scarce reputed a pretender to learning and piety then in Cambridge who made not himselfe a disciple of Mr. Andrewes by diligent resorting to his Lectures nor he a pretender to the study of Divinity who did not transcribe his notes and ever since they have in many hundreds of Copies passed from hand to hand and have beene esteemed a very Library to young Divines and an Oracle to consult at to Laureat and grave Divines in all which severall regards they are more fit to sweeten and even to sanctifie the Presse from the pollutions and prophanations of it which of late it hath beene defiled withall by those many lying and scandalous pamphlets which have beene Printed to the dishonour of God the shame of ours and just distaste of other Nations to the prejudice of truth and charity and to the particular wrong of that excellent Art of Printing which being rightly used is of such availe to all Christian both Churches and Commonwealths And that the publisher hereof makes such a bold and ambitious accesse unto your Honours as to Nuncupate and present it to so high and eminent persons this is to be said that as the worke in it selfe is so worthy as it may justly be thought to merit the wing and patronage of the greatest Christian Prince in the world so can it now no where be laid so properly as at the feete of the Parliament First because hereby the Law of God which is both the best rule of making humane Lawes and the best enforcement to yeeld obedience unto them being made is in you virtually and by way of representation expounded to the whole Nation Nextly not onely Kings but according to their Latitude all Magistrates and Civill powers ordayned of God whereof yours is the chiefe are Custodes utriusque tabulae And also because here are two strong and sinewy Tractates the one about Idolatry in handling the second Commandement and the other about observation of the Sabbath under the fourth which will both notably redargue the late heterodox insinuations of both doctrine and practice in some anent those things and concurre with you in propugning the Orthodox tenets of both those points Lastly because Preachers are publique Oratours and like winds upon seas have great influence upon the people therefore here they have presidented before them that which in due time will fall under your Considerations to call them unto to wit the right Art of Sermoning and salvificall Preaching which consists not in State invectives or popular declamations to sway multitudes and tumults either one way or other wherein they Preach themselves and not Christ but in revealing the whole Counsell of God and shewing their auditors how to decline the infortunate Jslands of sin and hell and to thrust into the faire havens of grace and glory God Almighty of his great mercy so blesse your Counsels as that truth may empire over errour in the Church Peace triumph over division in the Common-wealth Plenty over famine in the Countrey Riches over poverty in the City Learning over barbarisme in the Vniversities c. To which end this Worke is most humbly Dedicated to your Honours both for protection and direction by Your Honours most humble and most faithfull Servant in the things of God and of Christ JOHN JACKSON A PREFACE Concerning Catechisme CLemens Alexandrinus writing of instruction or Catechising in his three Bookes entituled his Paedagogus hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exhortatory Introduction Cyrill Bishop of Ierusalem before his twenty foure Catechismes hath another Booke which maketh up the twenty five called of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an enterance to the Catechisme Both ground themselves upon the example of David who being to comprise Religion into a short sum maketh his entrance 〈◊〉
great company of men 2 Into celestiall bodies 3. Into those beasts that did any good to the Egyptians 1. canes ibides crocodiles dogges snypes crocodiles and so brought in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plurality of Gods after they came to worship as Juvenal Quorum nascuntur in hortis Numina their Garden-gods or those things that grew in their gardens for Gods 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheisme Then 3. was it an easie matter to bring in a doubt whether there was a God And this was the cause as some thinke why Diagoras Theodorus brought in this doubt 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antitheisine Omnes diaboli actiones ed tendunt ut ipse colatur tanquam Deus at que adeò ut persuadeat hominibus se Deum esse All the divels actions tend to this that he may be worshipped as God so may perswade men that he i◠God Examples of Antichrist these esteeme the worship of the devill the rule of their life The second point wherein foure things whether there were a God and by a soolish argument they brought in that there was no God 4. When the Divell had brought them to Atheisme it was impossible that they should stay long time in it therefore commeth in fresh upon them shewing them some of his lying wonders and prophecies and strange signes and so brings them againe to religion and so by these wonderfull signes bringing himselfe into admiration with them maketh them to follow his religion and to worship him as God Apollonius Thyanaeus Iamblichus Julian the Apostata first they were of no religion after they fell to worship the divell and proved necromancers conjurers sorcerers The same succession in the East-Indies to whom the Gospell was preached by Thomas after falling into contentions about religion they grewat the length to the worshipping of his ugly image and worship him till this day The second point the confutation of their opinion that held with Atheisme 1. The causes of it 2. Their reasons that they were led by to it 3. That those things that were put for Gods were not Gods viz. that nature fortune c. is not governour of the world 4. Ipsa quaestio the question it selfe For he that will come to God must beleeve that there is a God In generall of those five false opinions and orders of them how they hang one on the other 1. That there was a time when there was no society among men but were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 companions of beasts and wandred like beasts 2. By the devise of some excellent man they were brought into one politicall body 3. Cum non possent homines in suis contineri officiis when men could not be conteined in their duties they began to enact lawes 4. When lawes were not able to bridle them but that in secret they would not sticke to commit great offences as murder c. When this would not serve then wise men intended this to worke this perswasion in mens minds that there was another oculus eye and invisible essence that did see also these things that they did in secret and would punish them for their sinnes if not in this life yet in the life to come and that most severely both in body and soule This they say and prove nothing yet are these they that will beleeve nothing unlesse great proofes be alledged for it therefore they condemne themselves by their owne Cities came of inhabaed tamilies not of wandring wild-men seeing they can neither alledge reason nor authority but all their ground false 1 If there were first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wild men it was degenerando non generando by degenerating not by generating For either they were outlawed or sequestred themselves from company for committing of some notable offence 2. That they came into a society è Nomadibus beastly savages it is manifestly false homo enim a primo instituto est animal politicum for man even from the first institution is a politicke creature For these politicall societies came first of houses familiae in vicos excreverunt vici in civitates fa milies grew up into streets or Villages and these into Cities 3. Lawes were after religion Vt poetae testantur Ethniet as the Heathen Poets testifie No Lawes in Homers time yet religion the stories of the Heathen doe testifie that lawes began almost a thousand yeeres after religion It s impossible that religion is a devise of man Reasons hereof 1. The universality of religion For when religion was too weake because men became so brutish lawes were made to be as it were snaffles and bridles for such Horses and Mules The universality of the perswasion of the worship of God not only written in the heart of every man but also in the consent of all Nations therefore impossible to be a devise of man Within these hundred yeeres the Spaniards and Portugals found out Nations in the Antarticke part of the World both in the South and West parts that had no dealing with any other Nation because they were with out apparrell marriage c. that had no lawes no governments that were most necessary things yet were they not without religion and they had some things which they called their Gods and worshipped them as God indeed Therefore seeing there is no Nation without religion yet some have beene knowne to have no dealing with other Nations it cannot be a devise of man or a devise of propagation But religion is not of propagation Object Solu 2. The diversity of religions without any analogy of the one to the other But if it be objected that those Nations had it of their borderers This may be another argument against them for they are so farre from taking religion one of another that there is as great a variety herein as may be possible without any proportion of one religion to another Diversitas simillimarum gentium the diversity of like Nations but all devises that come of any devise will have some analogie with it For some as the Jewes worship an invisible thing i. God himselfe all the Gentiles visible as Heavens Starres Planets Elements Birds Beasts Snailes Plants as Garlicke and Onions some a peece of red cloth hanged upon a pole some the first thing that they met that they worshipped as God all that day manifestum ergo religionem è propagatione non esse ortam adeoque neque ab humano instituto It is manifest therefore that religion came not of propagation and therefore neither of humane institution 3. Falshood can claime no kindred but of time for onely truth is without all time Opinionum commenta delet dies naturae judicium confirmat time vanquishes the inventions of opinions but confirmes the judgement of nature Therefore every thing besides truth brought in by mans inventions or by any other thing whatsoever weareth out but religion was and shall be perpetually religion weareth not there is no antiquity but religion is beyond it
no posterity but it is in it If they object that the necessity maketh it continue so long Obj. Sol. it may be a fourth argument against them for falshood and truth can never agree And they dare not say that policy is fained thing 4. The necessity of religion Religion standeth very well with policy nay it is the backbone of policy nor the common wealth Therefore in saying thus they say that a thing of truth is upholden by a thing of falshood The Gentiles call Religion the backbone of the common wealth therefore religion can be no devise because it agreeth with truth 2. Because it upholdeth truth Quorum neutrum falsitati competit neither of which appertaineth to falshood for truth needeth not falshood to sustaine it That religion upholdeth the common wealth it may appeare by these three things 1. If faith were taken from the dealings of men one would not trust another neither should there be any dealings at all 2. It no preaching of the word there would be no outward restrainer of the concupiscence of man to bridle it then would not so many be poore so few ritch 3. Without religion there would be no submission to government A whole country would not obey one Prince But for Atheisme we can shew the persons Atheisme began 3701. or 3702. yeeres agoe time and place of forging it It began in Egypt of Cham the youngest sonne of Noe whom the Gentiles call Cambyses Cato in his Origines Cameses Berosus Agosthenes c. C ham as it is in Iosephus in the yeere of the world 1950. being cursed of God and his father If Atheisme were a truth it were impossible it should worke to the destruction of a truth and so out of the favour of them both 1. out of a stomacke against then both began to teach that men were not beholding to God but one to another Being by this curse deprived of all joyes in the world to come whiles he lived in this world gave himselfe to all brutish pleasures and at length taught that there was no God and fell to worshipping the divell hence was he called Zoroastes the great Magitian Therefore we see in him both the causes of Atheisme 1. stomacke desire of revenge 2. sensuality Which two are from the two filthy parts of the mind 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. a stout stomacke 2. a desire of revenge For stomacke we may see in Diagoras which was on this occasion as Diodorus Siculus affirms having made a booke in verse that pleased him well either by negligence lost it or by subtilty of another had it stolne from him before he could set it forth in print This person that had it being brought before the Senate of Athens about it sware that he had it not and so by this oth was set free After the same partie set them out in print and got all the commendation of the worke Now because Diagoras saw that this wickednesse was not punished presently with a thunderbolt froÌ„ Heaven but that he prospered got all the praise he on a stomack affirmed that there was no religion no God The reasons of his book are very frivolous and such as in that great confuting world none would vouchsafe to answer his booke For thus he reasoned Iupiter Saturne c. were no Gods therefore there were no Gods As if one should say many who seem to be good Schollers are not therefore there are none As in Diagoras so Nicephorus testifieth of Porphyrie and Lucian who first were Christians after receiving injuries one of words Porphyrie the greatest enemy the Church had for writing the other of blowes in the Church when they saw that they that wronged them had not punishment of the Church to their mind to doe the Church a spite on a stomacke became plaine Atheists though they termed themselves but Apostataes Epicurus and his followers fell first into Atheisme affirming there was no God 2. For sensuality the Epicure and his followers as Lucretius say that they have an excellent and great benefit to become brutish in their pleasures and at first held Diagoras his opinion that there was no God This came of that that they thought they should not live after this world and the soule of man was not immortall but the very Heathen at that time confuted them sufficiently 2. Into semi-Atheisme affirming God had no care of man The best foundation of sensuality to have care of things present 1. In things that together are corrupted corruption taketh hold of both at once but in senectute in old age when the body is most weake the soule is most strong 2. The perfection of the soule is the abstracting it from the body the more it is abstracted from the body the perfecter it is 3. Augustine saith that the soule is the subject of truth but no subject of truth decayeth else should truth decay but truth is immortall 4. Corruption is by contraries and nothing is corrupted but where there is a contrary but the soule wheÌ„ it heareth an evil thing turneth it to good and a good thing to good or evill and receiveth contrary things and yet receiveth no harme Therefore Then they fell to the denying of Gods providence over man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give me this day take to morrow to thy selfe after they tooke the easiest way they could for their pleasures and as Arcesilas the chiefe of the Academickes seeing with what difficulty men came to knowledge and with what great paines they attained to small learning tooke a very short course to himselfe and held that there was no knowledge at all so the Epicures seeing a restrayning of Religion and that circumstances limited every action they brought in a short course and held that there was no God the rather for that they saw it was a hard thing to live godly and as the thiefe desireth to have the Candle put out that he might be in the darke that his trechery may not be seene least if he were in the light every one might checke him So they having a light in them that would not suffer them to walke in the darknesse of their brutish pleasures would have this light put out that their conscience might no more checke them And because conscience will not checke them without religion and knowledge of God therefore they extinguished all light forgetting that there was any God and putting away the byting of their conscience by little and little as Marius having a convulsion in his thigh had every day a cicuta a kind of Hemlocke put to his legge and a piece of flesh puld from him at length fell into Atheisme Quamdiu in nobis insunt conscientiae stimuli non patientur nos corporis obvolutare voluptatibus so long as tâ—e prickes of conscience are in us they will not suffer us to wallow in the pleasures of the body The point it selfe that God is Now the
passe Both Philosophie and humane reason shew that there is a singular providence 3. Now that this providence reacheth it selfe to every singular man this by Philosophy and mans reason proved Yea Philosophy making providence a part of prudence and prudence a practicall vertue and practicall vertues having their objects in singularibus in particulars Therefore secondly it is sure that the power of God reacheth to every thing Quia virtutis est maximae pertingere vel remotissima for supreme vertue can reach things most remote But his goodnesse and will to doe good is no shorter then his power all good qualities and of equall longitude and latitude where there is power and providence there can be no hinderance 3. There are none but will confesse that it is a more commendation to provide for every particular thing then for the whole in generall Mithridates is highly commended for that having many thousands in his Armie could speake familiarly to every one and call him by his name Then si quod melius non agatur if that which is better be not done it is of some defect in the doer but in God there is no defect Now from the rest of creatures to man ut Christus If God hath a care of Heaven which hath no use of his owne light or motion but is onely to make the inferiour things fruitfull and Cattell have the use of greene things and man of Cattell and all other things and the Philosopher telling that that which hath the use of all things is principall of all man having the use of all things must needs be principall Si sit providentia Dei in reliquas creaturas in principalem se extendat necesse est If Gods providence reach to the other creatures then much more must it extend it selfe to the principall Psal 8. David considereth the great glory of the Heavens then the eternity of them and he wondreth how God could passe by them a most glorious body and put the soule of man a most excellent creature into a vile lumpe of clay and earth 3. Man was the inteded end of all other creatures for they know not their owne gifts Equus si vires suas nosceret non reciperet sessorem suum The Horse if he knew his owne strength would not receive his Rider Therefore this occultation of the gift from that that hath it and the manifestation of it to man that hath it not is an argument that man is Gods County Palantine of the whole world This is that that Chrysostome in a godly anger being displeased with mankind saith Appende te homo ponder thy selfe O man art thou not better then all other creatures yet is Gods providence over the basest of them And as from all other creatures to man so from men to good men For if he have a providence of those who have onely the Image of God in them by nature then where there are two Images of God 1. of Nature 2. of grace through Christ multo magis much more The Philosophers similitude is magnes amoris amor love is the loadstone of love If he care for all mankind then much more for them that hate themselves to love him that lose themselves to finde him that perish The third station that God will be sought to live with him There are yet two things 1. That God will be sought 2. That he will reward them that seeke him 1. Facientis finis est ipsemet the end of the doer is himselfe Therefore bringing this to God and by 2. necessity because God hath no end quia finis est supra efficientem the end is above the efficient and God having nothing above himselfe ipse sui finis therefore he himselfe is his owne end And being his owne end it must needs be that he created all things either for his owne profit pleasure or honour But neither for profit for no profit can redound from us to him nor for pleasure therefore for honour and this honour is the seeking of God 2. Where there are two relatives there is grounded a mutuall duty betweene them betweene a father and a sonne obedience betweene a servant and a master service betweene the husband and the wife mutuall love betweene the creature and the Creator cultus i. The fourth station God is the rewarder honour 1. Therefore he being sought for sure it is that though we be but vernae Domini the Lords bondmen and that possit esse Dei diplomata condere God may make Charters or Letters Pattents as of Kings that give Lawes and yet give no rewards to the keepers of them but punishe the breakers of them yet he will reward both the keepers and breakers of his lawes And that he will reward there can be no better argument then that he rewardeth some and he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will give unto this last even as unto thee Matth. 20.14 But in the eyes of the world we see that he rewardeth some and it cannot stand with the justice of God that he should reward some and not othersome therefore there shall be a place where these all shall be rewarded And if we see not the multitude of rewards as we would let us ascribe it to this that God is not sought for as he should be small service for doctrine in examining controversies for life in examining our actions This to this end that religion being divided into these two parts into Christianity and in Christianity The body of christianity which is the true part having such little seeking of God there being no doubting in doctrine none in mens actions he so seldome rewarding After the Counsell of Trent when the league was made by mutuall marriage of the Emperour King of Spaine King of France having then taken their oath for the rooting out of us and our religion the Lord at that time disappointed them by the death of their corpses and within halfe a yeere they fell together by the eares 2. The wounding of the Spaniard Ieroego who was shot thorough the head and no faculty hurt In the delivery of Rochel when the King of Spaine withall his power laid siege to it and famind it There was a great multitude of shell-fishes brought to the City that never was seene before nor never after and by that meanes was the City saved In the siege of Harlam by Duke de Alva the reward of them that seeke not God Reward of them that seeke not God Examples The King of Sweveland deposed of his owne subjects for incest For murther the last King of France died miserably the blood gushing out of as many places of his body as could come forth and that presently upon that great slaughter of the Saints Deut. 28.1 Levit. 26.3 For breach of faith The Venetians making league against the Turke and after joyning themselves with the Turke were punished by the losse of the best I le in all their Country Cyprus In
thing to seeke for prima the first things So being in any prima especially to seeke ante omnia primum that which was first before all Flato in his Epistles to Dionysius signifieth unto him that those Epistles that containe sound matters and that he would have him beleeve he beginneth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God or with Gods helpe in the singular those that he would not have him to beleeve and that containe doubtfull matter with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods or with the helpe of the gods in the plurall making God the note of truth Seneca Varro Cic. de nat deorum and gods the note of falshood Zeno would say to his schollers Dicite plures discite unum say many learne one Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the truths there is one God Thus among themselves they muttered the truth howsoever for feare of punishment or because they would not trouble the Common-wealth they thought this errour of the multitude of gods very expedient to be suffered But because as Aug. 24. de civit Dei 4. in the latter daies in the Primitive Church the Philosophers were ashamed of the multitude of their gods and therefore said that they in the old time would never be so absurd as to worship divers gods but that those names were given in respect of the divers powers therefore we must goe farther with these Porphyrie No similitude can be made which can represent God 1. The Heathen did appoint diversity of gods 2. That they commanded the images to be made like to themselves if they shewed their images then they were circumscript therefore no Gods but men For God is infinite neither can be resembled by images Secondly Aug. the whole course of the religion of the Heathen seeketh no farther then the eye can lead them striketh no further then the skinne i. onely to the outward action They could not search into the raines no remedy they had for the restraining of the heart and mind as hypocrisie But nothing is more familiar in ours then the forbidding of concupiscence and restrayning of the heart 4. There is not one of them but doth require honour to be done unto him onely in respect of every particular benefit Origen cont Câ—llum But is content to have his honour in respect of some particular benefit Deus autem universale bonum but God is an universall good as the Scriptures themselves testisie whereas none of their gods can doe so much to him Againe whereas Cyrill against Iulian which made him almost stagger whereas the Heathen also confesse that by the sinne of the body the soule also is polluted at que adeo together to be punished there must needs be something to purge the soule as well as to cure the body the heart and mind is first to be purged then the â—ody and that religion that taketh away the pollution of the soule is not found in their religion for it cannot be purged by any expiation in all their liturgies Purgatio non potest perspici nisi per principium not by Frankincense for purging cannot be plainely understood but by the beginning nothing polluted before it be purged can recover its first happinesse It is demanded If then their Gods were no Gods it would be known what they were I ans 1. They were men 2. Wicked and beastly men That they were men Heathen gods but men There is none of their gods but his father and mother may be assigned and his kindred in Poets as in Hesiods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pedegree of the gods In Philosophy as Tullie de nat deorum Cyrill against Iulian Aug. de Civ Dei Euseb de prepar Evang. but best by Euemerus Missenius Cypr. de vanitate idolorum of the vanity of Idols Cyprian out of Haecataeus Alex. the great entering in private conference with Leo High Priest of Egypt received of him thus much as a great secret That the gods of the Grecians and other Nations came out of Egypt and all the Grecians gods and their religion came by Cecrops that brought all things he had from Egypt and by Cadmus a Phenician Phaenices autem Aegypti is omnia sua dona accepta referunt the Phenicians acknowledge to have received all their gifts from the Egyptians The Romanes had all theirs from the Grecians by Numa Pompilius he from Dardâ—nus and Aeneas Aeneas out of Syria and the gods of the Egyptians were but men and that they of those daies could assigne their progenies Vt Hermes Trismegistus to Aesclepius had his pedegree from Vranus and Mercurius his great grandfather which was accounted one of the Heathen gods Heathens gods wicked men That they were wicked men For religion is nothing else but a faculty to make us one perfectly in the life to come and in this life to frame our selves to Gods action in similitude But their Gods were full of rapes adulteries c. Concerning this matter you may read Euseb de praepa Evangel Cyrillus Josephus cont Appian Athanasius Origen Tertullian in apologetico Lactantius in his two first bookes If they were men how came they to be worshipped divinis honoribus How the Heathen gods being but men came to be worshipped with divine honors with divine honours at all How came the beasts to be worshipped as Gods The waies are many but they may be reduced to these three two of the deifying of men one of beasts After the flood a generall revolting from religion and that that did them good they worshipped as God Now by reason of the slymes and mud there grew many Serpents and many monsters at the last the beasts greatly multiplyed And thirdly there increased a sort of beastly men given to Epicurisine Against these three those that opposed themselves both in regard of the good received by them and to stirre up others to doe the like they worshipped them with divine honours Another way was this Porphyrie saith that Ninus in honour of Belus his father having obtained the Monarchy erected an Image for his love of the dead This Image because he would have it no lesse esteemed of others then of himselfe made it a sanctuary so that if any malefactor or any that was in debt had fled to it he was safe and freed from his debt So by this divers having received benefit partly to be thankefull for their benefit received partly to doe Ninus a pleasure then living and bearing rule they solemnized it with hymnes and with feasts instituted certaine daies for the solemnising of it hanged it about with garlands baecque virtutis ergô facta sunt celebrandae illustrium hominum mortuorum incitandae posterorum these things were done for vertues sake to extoll famous men dead and to the encouragement of the posterity After the cause of this celebration being forgot they began to make prayers unto it first in verse accounting it a light thing to sing Hymnes unto it in verse after in prose And this was
that Bel in the Scriptures which the broader dialect of the Hebrewes call Baal Deifying of beasts how it came first For the deifying of beasts Plutarch in his Isis Osyris saith that Osiris King of Egypt whom Porphyrie proveth to be the Bacchus of the Gentiles dividing his Kingdome into certaine Provinces and to every Province giving a certaine signe or cognisance agreeable to the nature of that that most abounded in that Province as to the part most arable an Oxe that had most woods a dogge to the part most full of medowes a clod with a little greene grasse on the top of it where most waters were a Crocodile the posterity comming after him not knowing his purpose conceived of them as of some divine natures and every one worshipped that by which he had his living most especially as they that lived by tillage the Oxe calling it Apis they which followed their hunting the Dogge calling it Anubito they that lived by their medowes their Clod i. Isis and this was the beginning of idolatry How miracles and Oracles came among the Heathen Difference betweene good and bad miracles 3. How then came their miracles and Oracles For their miracles 1. This is the difference betweene a good miracle and a bad miracle The good tendeth to the profit of mankind as the raising from the dead the curing of incurable diseases the feeding of many thousands with a few Loaves and Fishes c. The other have but a shew of vanity altogether frivolous as it is reported of Simon Magus that he made an hill seeme to move Accius Manius did cut a Whetstone with a Razor And it is sure that Apollonius Thyanaeus had done as great miracles as all the Oracles at Delos they being but witches and sorcerers he was but three or foure degrees from Mercurius 2. The Christian miracles are not expressible by Magicke For the Oracles the Heathen themselves against them Auguslin out of Porphyrie concerning the vanity of idols shewes 1. The ambiguity 2. The vanity 3. The contrariety of oracles 4. That most part came not to proofe For their Oracles Porphyry saies of the Oracles of the Gentiles that as great things were done by the Magitians in his time as by any of them Hermes to Asclepius professed that he through his magicke brought certaine spirits to possesse the image of his grandfather and others Suidas at the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phylis reporteth that the chiefe idoll of the Egyptians being asked what he was answered that he was an under-spirit and that his name was Serapion i. in the holy tongue an Angell Zoroastes Cham and the ancient Fathers are of opinion that the divell fell out of the company of Angels called Seraphim Iamblychus declareth how the divels would be allured to come into images by annointing the image with wormwood at the length that they came most willingly though they would seeme to be forced with outward meanes Euseb lib. 4. de praepar Evang his confession of the Oracles is that commonly they were ambiguous vaine and frivolous 2. And sometime contrary one to another 3. and most came not to proofe 4. and if they came to proofe they might either have beene done by Astronomy or by some wise and politicke man And it is most certaine that they delighted to have men sacrificed to them whereas God made man his speciall workmanship 1. Therefore if they were Gods they would rather seeke to preserve man Herodotus Livius then to seeke his utter ruine whereas they did covet their blood-shedding and that afterward of good men of virgins babes and young men c. as the Carthaginians 2. The same Gods when they were more gentle they tooke this course When they delivered them from any warre or from any other danger Improved by Scipio Nasica Scevola they required the institutions of Stage-plaies and spectacles of Fencers and by that meanes also was killing as also kinds of Circenses Aug. 8. de Civit. Dei If their gods did so highly accept of Stage-plaies then should the Stage-players be in most price among the Heathen as the especiall servants of their gods but the Common-wealths of Greece and and Rome banished them made no account of them yea they made a decree that they should die intestate Ita dum tollunt pestem corporum inducunt pestem animorum so while they take away the plague of the body they bring in the plague of soules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Styx the terrour of the gods 3 Lastly for the proofe of this it is common not onely in Homer and Virgil but also in the Philos concerning their gods if they named but Styx and Cocytus c. they would tremble and be afraid the images would be all on a sweate Iuratote per Stygem deorum terrorem sweare ye by Styx the terrour of the gods But we know that no Prince would be afraid of his owne prison much lesse God of his prison for these causes though they misliked the whole course of their religion yet not being able to come to a greater perfection Rather looking to quietnesse then to tâ—uth Socraâ—es in apolog in his stâ—terunt they persisted in these But one went beyond them all i. that said that one might as well sweare by an Onion or a Leeke as by Jupiter and was wont to sweare by the basest and vilest things and inveighed much against the Athenian gods and said that they were no gods and for these and such articles was arraigned But as Lacrtius testifieth not long after his death there happened such a plague as was never the like before or ever since Prytancâ—m was the place where those that had well deserved of the Common-wealth were kept 1 Cor. 8.5 6. and asking counsell of the Oracle they had no other answer then that it was for the death of the innocent so afterward then erected him an image in Prytanco so in ascribing honour to him that dishonoured their Gods they condemned both themselves and their gods The concession being twofold 1. That there is one God to us 2. That there is one Christ The controversie betweene these of the heathen in religion was concerning the first part The state of the Jewes and Saracens is concerning the second part As the Jewes utterly deny Christ to be the Messiah and that he is not yet come so the Turkes substitute another in his place Betweene the Jewes and us The opinions of the Jewes concerning the Messia the wise man Affirmations and negations change not the natures of things They acknowledge the old Testament as well as we therefore the proofes shall be from it and the authours of most account among them The positions that they hold are three First that the Messias shall have an earthly Kingdome and his seate shall be at Jerusalem Secondly that our Christ is not the Messiah Thirdly that he is yet to come The first If they would give credit to their
because he returned not food and nourishment to his parents So saith one to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic ut satis sit vives thou shalt live long Among Charondas his lawe◠there was one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summum esto scelus senum contemptus let it be accounted an hainous crime the neglect of venerable old men For the sixt it is a canon of the common law homicida quod fecit expectet the murtherer what he hath done let him expect For the seventh Stephan out of Nicostratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whosoever would live in this City and not be fleyed let the very name of Adultery be feared For theft Demosthenes against Timocrates repeateth Solons law very close joyned with the words in this law For the ninth tab 12. Qui falsum testimonium dixerit Tarpeio sane dejiciatur whosoever shall give a false testimony let him be throwne downe from Tarpeius a great high rocke in Rome For the other foure which are now more darke with them For the first though we finde them for the most part speaking in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship the Gods or to feare the Gods yet the thing was notoriously well knowne to the Philosophers and especially to Pythagoras If any man say he is a God beside one that made all things let him make another World c. So Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his truth there is one God and they could dispute in their schooles that there was but one God For the second that which Socrates in Platonis repub he would have us worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he himselfe thinketh best And so the Heathen altogether thought it meete and this is the very ground of the second Commandement But for the thing it selfe Augustine 8. de civitate Dei cap. 31. ex Varrone That Varro's allowance of the Jewish religion was great because it excluded Images and saith that if all had used it it had beene a great meanes to have taken away much trifling For the fourth but very little to be found yet they had this common among them that numerus septenarius est numerus quietis the number of seven is the number of rest and that 7. betokeneth rest and that numerus septenarius est Deo gratissimus the number of seven is most acceptable to God Out of these they might have gathered a conclusion that God would have his rest on that day c. The practise of this in the finishing of their exequiae burials seven daies after the birth in many funerals seven daies after any mans death So did they allow Saturne Jupiter and Apollo c. the seventh day One of the Pythagoreans mysteries was in numero Septenario in the number of seven For the ten Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Divine covet not at any time so much as another mans needle They must not desire so much as another mans Pinne or Button as some say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to covet another mans is the top and pitch of justice And indeed though in their lawes they never touched this yet the very scope of their lawes though they thought no such thing did drive them to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to covet therefore we may conclude with Paul Rom 1.20 that they were inexcusable Now to shew that they had the grounds and the rules of these lawes They had written on the doore of Apollo's Temple at Delphos in the uppermost place the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if to signifie that if any one would aske counsell at that Oracle if God once say it he should doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the rule of godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know thy selfe the rule of sobernesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing too much a rule of justice And that was Subde Deo quod habes commune cum Angelis subdue to God what thou hast commune with Angels Under the one leafe of the doore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know thy selfe that a man should acknowledge how farre he is better then the beasts and the mind then the body and so by this knowledge should Subdere appetitum rationi quod habet commune cum brutis corpus animae c. To subdue the appetite which he hath commune with bruites to reason and the body to the soule On the other leafe was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. fac quod vis pati nothing too much that is doe that which thou wouldest suffer Covetousnesse the root of all evill Sobriety the ground of justice That no man should desire more then he should against covetousnesse And though they had not had this yet they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aequale repensum due recompence Nemo facit injuriam quin velit idem sibi fieri no man doth an injury who would the same to be done to him As soone as ever Severus the Emperour heard this sentence he ever after used it in every punishment Quod tibi fieri non vis alieri ne feceris that which thou wouldest not to be done to thy selfe see that thou doe it not to another 2. Modus the manner and caused it to be graven in his plate And thus they had rules for actions and for the substance of obedience 2. The manner 1. for doing it toti totis viribus animi corporis the whole man with the whole strength of soule and body they had this among them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either all or not at all We must doe with all our mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either we must eate sea snailes whole or not eate of them with all our scope affection strength heart or not at all Plutarch compareth our duties to a kind of fish if we eate niggardly of it it will doe us no good and withall will be troublesome to us but if we eate it whole it is not onely wholesome but also medicinable 2. For doing the whole duty totum They found fault with Euripides the Philosopher and Caesar that used this sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The summe is We must keepe justice in all but onely in the way to obtaine a Kingdome So the adulterer And man must keepe justice onely for pleasure he may breake it c. Therefore justice must not be broken for any thing 3. Toto tempore and the daies of our life continually there must be in a good man the resemblance of a tetragonisme on all sides alike as a die Alway like himselfe never like a Camaeleon sometime good sometime bad For reward and punishment we see what they hold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiters parchment that god Iupiter had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sheet or parchment made of the skinne of the Goat that nourished him wherein he wrote all mens deeds what they had done in this life and that those that had done well he had the 3.
himselfe after he had set his house in order The meanes of the wise men brought to nought More plaine in Esay 19.11 the meanes of the wisemen are brought to nought the wise counsellors of Aegypt the Lord in fatuavit eos the Lord hath made them give foolish counsell and Psalm 20.7 8. Some put their trust in Charriots and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God They have stumbled and are fallen but we are risen and stand upright And as here are cursed by God the ordinary meanes as cloth food Physick wisedome c. So God to shew how little he dependeth on his secondary causes doth oft times bring his purpose to passe without meanes There is no defect of vertue in the Lord though there be a defect of meanes in nature Yea and sometimes contrary to the nature of the meanes as Iosh 6.20 in the fall of the Walls of Jericho it is attributed to the blast of Rammes hornes The like is Judg. 3.13 by the tale of a dreame of a Barly loafe tumbling from above into the host of Madian and overthrowing one of the Tents and the exposition thereof Gedeon with three hundred men with Trumpets in their hands and empty pitchers and lamps within their pitchers very unfit weapons for the warres put to flight all the Madianites and made them to runne upon themselves so 2 Kings 7.6 the whole host of the King of Syria was put to flight none pursuing them but a pannicus terror a pannick terrour came upon them on the sudden which was by a certaine imagination that they thought they heard a noyse of Chariots and Horses and a noyse of a great army that the Hittites and the Aegyptians came against them to helpe Israel And seing then God giveth meanes when he will and worketh without them when he will wee must trust in him whether wee have the meanes or no A Protestation of the Prophet David and therefore that wee should be like affected as David was Psal 3.6 though he were in the midst of 10000. men of warre compassed about with them on every side yet he would not feare but as it is in the end of the 4. Psal lay him downe and sleepe trusting in the safety of the Lord How the children of God ar◠to stand affected when they have no meanes and as Exod. 14.13 Moses counselleth the children of Israel when the Aegyptians pursued them with their Chariots though their enemies were behind them and the Red sea on the one side and the Wildernesse on the other that there was no way for them to escape yet to stand still and to put their trust in the Lord and they should see the power of the Lord as they did So Rom. 4.19.20.21 the Apostle being to shew a patterne of true faith setteth downe before us Abraham that had no meanes either in his wife or in himselfe his wife was barren 1. by nature and 2. by age himselfe 100. yeares old past the age of getting children yet neither considering the deadnesse of Sarahs Wombe nor of his owne body held fast by faith the promise of God nothing doubting of the same which God tooke not from him therefore he received the blessing in Isaac The naturall man if once his meanes begin to faile either he falleth into despaire or else flyeth to indirect and evill meanes And as wee must thus trust in God when wee see no meanes so must wee be sure to be farre from the way of the wicked Who if God once faile then do they not only lose their hope they have in his meanes but cast him away too and berake themselves to his enemie and his evill meanes Such meanes are of those who in despaire of their health leave God and his lawfull meanes and flye to Sorcerers c. Esa 8.19 it is shewed there There is a restraint for seeking meanes at sorcerers hands that it is condemned 1. Chron. 10.13 the casting away of Saul out of his kingdome and out of the favour of God and his damnation both in body and soule is ascribed to that that he sought and asked counsell of a Familiar Beside these if any do that which Esay saith Esa 29.15 of them that turne Devises and digge deepe their counsells that men may not see them but they know that it is but a turne and a wrong Devise and therefore Woe is pronounced against them and God knoweth the deepe fetches of policie of such men as thinke they deceive God as they deceive men Over reachers in bargaining this is common so Esa 8.12 there is another meanes confederacie a suppressing of those that have gifts and that is their strength for bringing to passe of lewd things an unlawfull meanes and condemned Another to make vantage of a mans oversight as the money that many can get by that meanes when they have once got it it is their owne wee must rather harken to his counsell 1. Thes 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man go beyond and desraud his brother in any matter to be able to circumvent a man in dealing it is condemned And when none of these meanes will serve then our last refuge is that Jer. 18.18 come this Jeremie troubleth us wee must have a devise against him and that is this let us smite him with our tongues that is let us raise up some slanderous reports of him let us slander him and so he shall not be better thought off then wee and so none will give eare to his words But there is a bitter prayer of the Prophet against them which God no doubt heard vers 19. to the end of the Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beleife in healy things If in compassing of earthly things we can beare we shall also beare in the compassing of heavenly things whether the means be with us or not with us Wee returne now to that wee said in the beginning hereby wee shall know if it please God to blesse us with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith in heavenly matters i.e. if in the compassing of earthly things and in our earthly dealings wee can put our trust in the Lord wee must not be Leo in villa Prov. 22.13 and think that our hornes can cast downe much and so consequently that wee need not meanes but if the meanes be with us wee can trust in the Lord so if wee have them not yet to put our trust in God Another thing is they can be without them themselves in respect of themselves they are very confident but if it once come to semen nostrum either flesh or profit there is a distrust and it is to be feared that many that might have beene saved in the state of single life have fallen from God and hazarded their owne salvation by mistrusting that God will not as well provide for their children Many for their children have brought themselves into hazzard of their salvation as
is in no man else and in another there is that good and such a gift as is not in me and so I to honour it So is the place to the Philip. understood or in regard of the great masse of corruption in me may say with the Apostle Quorum ego maximus of whom I am chiefe But to submit the better to the worse as the gift of grace in me to the gift of nature in another or the good gift of nature in me to the evill gift of nature in another that is not Gods minde Meanes to Humility There is no grace in us that God might not have put in any other creature The meanes are manifold but they may be reduced to these 1. From the state of our bodies grounded upon good reason Basil in his Hexemeron saith that mans life is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Schoolehouse of humility his ground is out of Psal 8.4 where the Prophet comparing his body with the body of the heavens and the spheres falleth into an admiration why God chose his body rather to put a reasonable soule into it then any of the celestiall bodies and out of Gen. 18.27 I have begunne to speake to my Lord and am but dust and ashes * * * Our nature is but an heap of dust and ashes and therefore Augustin cryeth out Good Lord what should move thee to give such an excellent soule to my body which is but a peece of clay passing over the glorious body of the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and all the celestiall spheres and to bestow it upon a pottle of choler and fleame and the Philosopher saith O homo si considerares quid per os quid per nares per reliquas corporis partes exiret nunquam tam turpe sterquilinium reperires O man consider but what filthinesse comes forth from thy mouth what from thy nostrils and what from the other parts of thy body and thou wilt easily see that there is no such dunghill as thy selfe 2. From the state of our soules Luke 18.13 Lord have mercie on me a sinner and as a Father well mendeth it mihi peccato that am nothing else but sinne for so it is with many of us and such sinners as that Rom. 7.14 we are sold for slaves to sinne and that as it is in the 18. vers in us i. in our flesh as of nature dwelleth no good thing in so much as we cannot once thinke a good thought of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 And not onely this but if we consider that we have so multiplied our transgressions as that they be more in number then the haires of our head and as it is Psal 38.4 beside the number Psal 40.15 David the flower of our nature had both infinite sinnes for the number and intolerable for the weight that they are such a weighty burden to us as is intolerable The consideration of these will humble us if the Devill carry us up into our owne mountaine and shew us any good thing in us we must resist him with these and that we have no one good thing but we have received and that not of merit in us but to confesse with Jacob Gen. 32.10 that we are not worthy the least of his mercies nor of all the truth that he hath shewed us and if we use the gifts that we have received never so well yet to say as it is Luke 17.10 we are unprofitable servants that no gaine can come to him from us then shall we come to pray with Daniel chap. 9. v. 7. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth unto thee and to us open shame and confusion and say with the Prophet Psal 115.1 Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thine owne name give the praise for thy loving mercie and truths sake Even in the wicked a kindâ— of humility A blessing to a blaze of humility in Ahab Adversity no great enemy to humility 3. Beside these when we consider the crosses of God which he hath or may bring upon us 1 King 21.29 the crosse falling on the wicked 〈◊〉 Ahab it brought a blaze of humility into him and that was not unrewarded of God Our conceit concerning adversity must be not that it is an enemy to us not to be humble for the Prophet Psal 119.71 confesseth that it was good for him that he was in trouble because he thereby learned the Statutes of the Lord when it pleaseth God to send his grace with it it driveth us to seeke comfort by the word and by prayer and to be willing to go to the houses of mourning and to them that have had a perplexity and to be a discipline to our selves in this want of it and to speake to others to tell them of their sinnes But the chiefe and best example is the example of Christ when he had many good things no doubt to be learned yet this especially and above all he would have us to learne of him humility Discite à me quia ego mitis sum humilis corde For his order and manner of preaching John 8.50 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I seek not mine own glory there is one that seeketh judgeth for his miracles Matth. 8.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he chargeth the Keeper to tell it no man he would all the glory should redound to his Fathers praise and glory humble in his practise but especially that action was to commend humility to them John 13.15 after he had washed his Disciples feete he said Exemplum vobis dedi ut sicut ego vobis feci vos invicem faciatis I have given you an example that ye should doe as I have done to you His birth was humble his life * * * Luke 2.51 be obeyed his Patents in all things His first beatitude beati sunt pauâ—â—â—es spiritu humble but his death more humble as humble as could be even at hell gates inso much that he was faine to cry a little before his death Quare dereliquisti me Why hast thou sorsaken me so Matth. 5.3 his first Theame in his first Sermon is Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven the marke of his Church Zeph. 3.12 Then will I leave in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord and it is the marke of his Apostles 1 Cor. 4. An ancient Father saith Ne contemnerent homines humilitatem placuit Deo plura largiri in humilitate sua For in his Majesty hee made the world and in his humility he remade it redeemed it quam in Majestate qui veretur humiliare se veretur ea facere quae Deus fecit Let no man lightly esteeme of Humility seeing it pleased God to effect more in Humility then in Majesty and he that feares to humble himselfe feares to doe that which God hath done The signes I dare not put Absaloms signes 2 Sam. 15.5
moment swept away with the besome of destruction we find Lament 3.22 that it is the mercy of God that we are non consumed And that the worke of the creation is not in vaine and then consequently as it is Esa 6.13 that a remnant there shall be and God will have a tenth part alwayes reserved to himselfe yet playner Luk. 12.32 That there shall be a little flocke pusillus grex but yet that our hope is that of those few we are If the Lord were sparing and pinching of his mercy there were a great impediment to our hope but when we read Esa 30.18 Expectat Dominus ut misereatur vestri the Lord waiteth that he may have mercy upon you this setteth our hope in better forwardnesse and so because that out of the gate of mercy all our hope commeth Faith is set on worke to consider the persons upon whom God will vouchsafe to bestow this hope Lament 3.29 he saith He will even thrust his face into the dust i. humble his soule If peradventure he may have hope Esay 66.2 Hope is given to them that 1. heare and rest not in ignorance and unbeliefe and 2 tremble at his words wherein feare is included and that are 3 poore in spirit wherein humility is forced of such God hath a care and so consequently the faith of the Law and the spirit of humility and feare having wrought this in the speciall promise in us we then come to be of the number of the hopers But much more when our faith findeth Psalm 17.7 the promise of God Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse thou that art the saviour of them which put their trust in thee from such as resist thy right hand And Psal 34.21 Not one of them that trust in him shall perish or be destitute And Psal 91.14 when we heare him speake in his owne person Liberaho cum quia speravit in me I will deliver him because he hath hoped in mee When as the very act of hope shall have such a reward there is good incouragement to it there may be great expectation if it Now what it is to hope in God the Prophet sheweth it Psal 13.5 to hope in God it is to hope in his mercy for that is porta spoi Sperare in Deo quid the gate of hope There is no entrance to God but by it there is no issue of any good from him to us but by it so faith apprehending mercy hopeth and the rather because there is such plenty of mercie promised Psal 32.11 he that hopeth in the Lord shall have such plenty of mercy is that he shall be compassed about with it Object Quomodo fides precreate in nobis possit timorem spem own adversentur sibi Now if one demand how Faith begetteth in us both feare and hope two Contraries and doubt that it cannot belong to one man both to feare and hope in God But seeing the Holy Ghost hath so neerly kâ—â—t them together in divers places wee are not to doubt of it as Psalm 147.11 31.19 33.17 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him and upon them that put their trust in his mercy Sol. Ps 147.11 But the Lords delight is in them that feare him and put their trust in his mercie So neither is the reason farre to seeke because faith breedeth feare in us in regard of our owne weaknesse Hope in regard of the mercy of God So they being non secundum idem are not contraries and may be both together in one subject in one soule of a just man For distinguishing between faith hope because there may seeme to be no difference betweene them though much might be said Reason yet this is sufficient that it is faith that beleeveth the promises The difference betwixt faith and hope and hope that expectat credita looketh for that that is beleeved the meaning is this A thing may be beleeved and not hoped for as hell it s a thing that every man beleeveth but none will hope for it and a thing may be hoped for and not beleeved So the gener all truth of God being the object of our Faith and that containing terrours bringeth forth feare and the matter of love and mercy in his promises bringeth forth hope so we see they are dislinguished ab objecto for one hath Gods truth for his object and the other his goodnesse The three vertues Faith Hope and Charity Bernard very well divideth them by attributing to each her speech faith saith reposita suâ—t bona good things there are that passe the conceit of mans heart Hope saith mihi illa servantur those good things are reserved for mee and Charitie saith curro ad illa and I do so runne to them that I may attaine them Thus out of the faith of the Gospell hope ariseth as feare out of the faith of the law and therefore hope is called of the Fathers the Izhaak of faith Thus we see the nature of hope Uses it hath two Vâ—us 1. Is in Heb. 6.19 when a man with feare of the wrath of God and the conscience bewraying his owne unworthinesse and in soule his crosses and terrors feeling them in some part to light on him in this life being tost up and downe Hopâ— our Anchor hope commeth to be his anker that when the ship of faith being tossed to and fro as Acts 27.29 the Apostles ship when it was bereft of her loading tacklings and all the ship being yet tossed of the waves when all else was gone they cast out the anker Hope our interim It is also called by some of the Fathers our Interim i. that which stayeth us in the meane time till the performance come when we are tost in humility and feare that that we first draw breath by is hope and giveth a certaine binding i. religion This anker must bee fastened in the inside of the vaile which is Christ and we tied to it by religion and thither we shall come being fastened there The 2. Use is not so much to stay us as toretaine Christ so they call it in their common precept Hope custâ—â— Christs that which retaineth Christ Custodi spem custodem Christi custodem dei that Heb. 10.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering we have a charge given us to take fast hold of it and as when we are in danger as when we are under the hands and wrath of God we are in the case of them that are ready to be drowned or to fall into a pit wee cast away gold and whatsoever we have in our hands and that that commeth first to hand yea if it be a bramble bush wee take fast hold of it which otherwise we could never touch such an use hath hope to us Let us therefore keepe fast as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it be not gotten from us
head so there is a fleeting hope when a man thinkes he hopeth and doth not it may be tried thus 1. The first is Hezekiah his signe 2 King 20.3 when he was in the time of his sicknesse he prayed Remember Lord I pray thee how in my prosperity I have walked with an upright heart c. this is a signe that our hope is good this maketh us cheerefull that in the time of affliction and danger we may say that we have beene mindfull of him in our prosperity 2. The second is Saint Iohns signe 1 Iohn 3.3 it is a purger not like the presumers hope which is a very sinke to receive and maintaine whatsoever corruption our hands our eyes our hearts or any other member hath But it must be resident in the conscience So the Fathers say that conscientia est custos spei conscience is the preserver of hope and if that be cleane kept then our hope is true if not then there is no true hope 3. The third is of David Psal 37.3 hope thou in the Lord and be doing good The Heathen call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labour the husband of hope there is hope the harlot and hope the married woman we shall know hope the wife from hope the harlot by her husband for she is alwayes with her husband Psal 4.5 sacrificate sacrificium justitiae sperate in Domino offer the Sacrifice of righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord there must be a travelling and striving to doe good 4. The fourth is Rom. 5.3 And not so onely but we rejoyce in our afflictions knowing that affliction worketh patience and Esa 33.15 there must be tribulation to bring a proofe of our hope in sileâ—tio spe erit fortitudo vestra in quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength Such as we are in adversity such we are in deed such as our hope was in adversity such it is if you faint in adversity thy hope is fainting and thererefore the heathen call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tribulation the bud or blossome of hope which you must passe through if that be not nipt there will be fruit of it otherwise if it bring forth no fruit it is spurium vitulamen a bastard joy The 6. rule for the provoking of it in others Rule â— not onely to have it in our selves but as Psal 40.3 that many may see it and feare and trust in the Lord and as it is Psal 62.8 that all the nations may put their trust in him so farre as it is possible and Psal 115.9 that the house of Israel 10. the house of Aaron 11. and all that feare the Lord may trust in him An encouragement endeavour thereto Ps 51.13 Davids promise to the wicked to sinners that he would teach them to hope and Ps 75.5 to the presumers that he would plainly tell them that they should not be so foolish so mad and set up their horne Invocation The necessity and use of prayer VNto every affection there is an action as the action of faith is hope so the action of hope is prayer spei operatio oratio so to come backe againe as the fruit of faith is hope and of hope prayer and as the property of hope is prayer Interpres spei oratiâ— so the property of prayer is to be interpres spei to make plaine the desire of the hope conceived In which respect as the Articles of our faith are summa credendorum the summe of our beliefe and the Law summa agendorum the summe of our actions so the Lords prayer is summa sperandorum the summe of our hope for the soule of man by considering and beleeving the judgments of God being humble and brought downe to the dust and as it were dead and buried by it hath some life againe put into it by conceiving an hope in his mercy for which mercy wee must goe to God and Prayer becommeth suiter for it Aug. Precibus non passibus itur ad Deum therefore that hope may be made pertaker of her object â— mercy we must know that Psal 13.5 mercy is of God And not onely prayer of words with the lips but it must be from the heart that it may ascend Austin writes on the 66. Psal ut descendat miseratio ascendat oratio that mercy may descend prayer must ascend and so there shall be a blessed exchange betweene our prayer and his mercy When we speake of prayer lest there should be an errour it is not to be conceived that the intreaty is made concerning that prayer in the Congregation which with lips and outward gesture we deliver such prayer Hosea 14.3 calleth vitulum labiorum the sacrifice of our lips that commeth not into the compasse of the first Commandement which is only inward but in the 1 Cor. 14.15 Orabo spiritu orabo mente I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also * * * The growing of the inward man when the spirit commeth to God which howsoever it be not heard of men by the outward eare how vehement it is yet we know it hath its effect with God for so Exod. 14.15 we read that Moses made so fervent intercession to God though there be no mention nor signe of any word he spake yet the Lord saith Why cryest thou thus unto mee So that this being the especiall part and the soule of every prayer to God without this inward prayer the lips prevaile not as Matth. 15.8 there is a drawing neere with the lippes Matth. 7.21 a doubling of Lord Lord it prevaileth nothing neither will it gaine him the Kingdome of Heaven And therefore Aug. Hoc negotium plus gemitibus constat quam sermonibus the worke of prayer consists more in grievance than words And Rom. 8.26 The spirit groaneth for us with sighs inenarrable as Esay 38.3 And so conceiving of it as of an inward oblation or speech of soule to God then whether it be of persons without the Church as Act. 10.2 of Cornelius or of those that are within the Church and have cast themselves out of Gods favour by their sinnes and so as Psal 130.1 be in the depth whether it be of an Heathen or of a sinner it is no lesse acceptable to God in substance though not in degree then the prayer of a just and righteous man Now the applying of this to Hope to the maine scope and end of it i. Gods glory as Psal 123.2 it pleaseth God by the Prophet to account it a speciall honour done to him that even as the servants eyes are alwaies on the hands of his Master and the eyes of the handmaiden are on the hands of her Mistresse so that our eyes should wait upon the Lord till he have mercy on us Or as Austin in his fifth Sermon de verbis Domini Magna est gloria Dei ut nos simus mendici God accounts it great glory done unto him when we become beggers
and suiters unto him And not only this glory but also a double glory returneth to God by it so the action is so much the more to be commended to us and so much the more to be esteemed of us for both this when we acknowledge that we have it not from our selves but from him this is great magnifying of Gods bounty as also when we have received thanksgiving i. that homage that we do to him that is a thing that he maketh most account of Psal 50.15 when he hath given commandement to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath made promise that he will heare So I will heare thee and thou shalt praise mee But more excellently in Psal 107. it is five times repeated and it is the keep of the song he entreating of five sorts of men that are especially bound to God 1. those that goe astray in the wildernesse out of the way and find no City to dwell in 2. Those that are at the point of death and escape 3. Those that are delivered from prison and from the sentence of death 4. Those that be saved from the raging of the tempest 5. Those that are delivered from the enemy he saith v. 6. So they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble then commeth performance of promise and he delivered them from their distresse and then last O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men For when as the prayer of the poore afflicted is heard then seeing both the humble mind by the having of his request granted is raised up and beginneth to be glad Psal 34.3 and secondly forasmuch as sinners when they see the fulfilling of their prayers and forgivenesse of sins granted them Ps 51.13 are converted and thirdly Psal 107.42 that the mouth of sin may be stopped all these three waies there doth still glory returne to God Then if it be so necessary and God without it is defrauded of much honour it imposeth on us a necessity diligently to consider of it and to practise it in regard of Gods glory so in regard of our selves thus Luk. 18.1 Christ being in exhortation sheweth his Apostles by a parable that they ought to pray alwaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not to faint for the which end he that never did any superfluous thing being as the Apostles call him our Advocate 1 Joh. 2.2 it is said Luk. 11.2 hee hath indited us a forme of prayer In the use whereof that commeth first to mind that Chrysostome hath in his 1. booke de orando Deum out of Dan. 6.10 that death of hody being set before his eyes on this onely condition to abstaine from prayer 30. dayes tanquam si as if the forbearing from it for that time could be the death of the soule so he was content rather to hazzard his life then not to performe his daily custome As in that respect in Numb 28.3 8. there is set downe by way of figure that God requireth of the Israelites as a necessary thing beside the hallowing of the Sabbath a morning and evening Sacrifice What this in truth is it is expounded Ps 141.2 the lifting up of his hands he compareth to the morning and evening sacrifice as the first is burning of incense so the morning prayer is nothing else but as an incense that goeth up into the nostrils of God the lifting up of his hands in the evening is the true evening sacrifice of the Christians If a man should read what the fathers have written in this point as Cyprian on the Lords prayer Gregory in his booke of Prayer Austin ad Probam c. he shal rather see them spent in perswading the necessity then in teaching the manner to performe it that being an especiall meanes to performe it to thinke it so necessary They call it Clavim diei et seram noctis the key that openeth the day and the barre that shutteth in the night Chysostome calleth it signaculum diei the seale of the day Out of 1 Tim. 4.5 where the use of the creatures be noysome without blessing by prayer and thanksgiving and out of Mat. 14.19 and out of Mat. 26.26 Christs prayer before supper and Mat. 26.30 his last seale and the end of his supper was hymno dicto after an hymne it having beene no new thing but the outward practise having continued so from the dayes of Abraham as the Jewes record their manner remaining that the chiefe of the family taketh first the bread and with that delivereth prayer and then breaketh it as the last thing he taketh is the cup and then he delivereth the second blessing this being so holy an use as that it was used generally in the whole Church from this generall custome of the Church Christ translated it to his owne supper In Eph. 6.18 for the necessity of it as head foot breast were armed before by the Apostle there being no place to put it in yet in all cases and times he recommendeth it unto us Prayer goeth through out all things which the Fathers call armaturam armaturae the very armour of armour without which all the armour we put on beside is of no greater strength then if we were naked as in regard of the necessity of the spirituall enemies they call it flag ellum Daemonum a scourge for the Devills Athanasius standeth very stiffe on this assertion that at the bare Psal 68.1 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered c. but hearty recitall of the 68. Psal v. 1. it is a verse that makes all the devils of hell to quake and as Maximus another of the Fathers commendeth the 1. v. of the 70. Psal to be that which as an instrument or meanes he found alwayes effectuall to deliver him from any temptation Jam. 5.13 when he will commend it he taketh no other course to shew the great strength that it hath for as in hope it saw nothing of it selfe to be performed but that which was impossible to us was possible per alium by another so there being the same in Prayer It hath its force in miracles it is the more to be esteemed That in Jam. 5.17 is nothing but a certaine miracle wrought in the aire by prayer that the Prophet Elias shut up the middle region that no raine could come downe for three yeares and an halfe If we desire to see it in other elements we may see it in fire by the same Elias 2 King 1.10 at his call fire descended from heaven and devoured the Captaine with his 50. men and in the earth Psal 106.17 at the prayer of Moses the earth opened and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram with their Companies In Water Exod. 14.16 the division of the red sea And we see the performance of it from Gods behalfe not in elements onely but also as Josh 10.12 it hath an efficacle on the heaven it selfe at the prayer of
Naaman the Syrian had received a benefit by the Prophet he would be thankfull but you must pardon him in this when the King his Master should come into the house of Rymmon c. he will not hazard his place in Court nor the Kings disfavour a cold thanksgiving that a man should sacrifice to his net for God 1 Chron. 21.4 and that of Ioah in a case of numbring the people yet must be thankfull and fals to it 1 Chron. 10.5.6 When his Armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead he fell likewise upon the swordand died The meanes Prayer it selfe is a meanes and the meanes of all means therefore it hath meanes The Meanes i. helpes none to beginne it but to helpe it and they are these 1. Psal 42.14 A consideration of the state of our soule as of our body and so he hath a table before him wherein he seeth what those evill things be that he is most inclinable to and what those good things are that he wants his soule brought a thirst upon him it grew into heavinesse Nothing more fit then to have a perfect and true sense of our wants 2. And on the other side to have a Register of the benefits of God David received great benefits and there is not one of them but wee have a Psalme for it This is his course Psal 40.3 Now when hee had a new benefit he would have a new song many times he wanted some singular benefit and then he comes to reck on up meane benefits for his new house he wrote the 30. Psal for his deliverance from the hands of Achish the 34. Psal Augustin calleth it colligere fragmenta the collecting of fragments When he came colligere fragmenta and make great account of them and as Matth. 15.27 the woman of Canaan counteth of the crummes so to be thankfull for a small benefit is meanes sometimes when he had no new benefits then 38. and 70. Psal he takes an old benefit and makes of it a new song for the remembrance of it and rather then hee would bee idle hee maketh Psalmes and especially the 139. Psal to give God thankes that he had framed him in his mothers womb and when he wanteth all these occasions then he hath meditations of the whole world Psal 8. 19. 104. he is thankfull for all the earth and for the wilde Asses that they have water in the wildernesse to quench their thirst 2. The second meanes is that which the Fathers call alae orationis the wings of prayer that is 1. fasting as 1 Cor. 7.5 Defraud not each other unlesse it be for a time with mutuall consent that you may give your selves to fasting and prayer and August upon that place Iejunium orationis robur oratio jejunium sanctificat fasting strengthneth prayer and prayer sanctifieth fasting 2. The second is almes whereof Daniel was a Preacher cap. 4. v. 24. to Nabuchadonoser 3. The third is out of Matth. 18.20 and Lames 5.15 Si oratio tua fulminet that it may come up into Heaven then ora solus pray apart by thy selfe otherwise esto gutia in imbre grandinis thy prayer is but as a single drop in a shower when our owne prayer is weake then we are to desire the prayer of more and the prayer of the Church 4. Last if none of all these helpe yet there is oratio fidei as oratio sensus though I cannot have the prayer of feeling yet I may have the prayer of faith for these spirituall duties are likened to the seed there commeth not harvest at the first but they being laid up in the bosome of the Lord will in time fructifie Now for the signes of Prayer 1. The earnestnesse of the soule The signes of Prayer Rom. 8.26 when it sendeth forth groans and sighes that cannot be expressed by the tongue plus gemitibus plerunque constat hoc negotium quam sermonibus prayer is often better exprest by groanes then words 2. The second is that in Psal 6.9 where David being before cast downe presently after saith that God heard his prayer and hee answereth habuit aliquem gustum divinorum that he had some taste that God lâ—vd forgiven him his sinnes so if we feele a detestation of our sinnes it is a good signe 3. The third signe is for the fourth meanes it is a patient waiting upon God as the Psalmist saith Psal 101.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till thou comest yet will I walke in no evill thing The signes of thanksgiving 1. Psal 63.5 he saith he feeleth his soule filled with marrow and satnesse the children of God have beene rapt when they have fallen into the consideration of Gods benefits 2. The second signe Psal 66.18 when it breedeth in us a jealeusie that if I walke in sinne hereafter God will heare me no more 3. The third signe Psal 58.5 beneficia be veneficia enchanters when his benefits charme us like a strong charmer as in Gen. 39.9 Iosesh answereth his Masters wife My Master hath bestowed these and these things upon mee and how then can I doe him this dishonesty so it is a signe that we are rightly thankfull to God if we can say God hath bestowed these and thus great benefits upon us how then can wee breake his Law 4. The fourth Levit. 7.15 is not to deferre thanksgiving which is gathered out of the type of thanksgiving where the people were commanded that the flesh of the peace-offerings for thanksgiving should be eaten the same day and nothing left till the morning Nihil citius senescit gratia we must not deferre thanksgiving Rule 6. Now for the sixth Rule the procuring of it in others 1 Sam. 14.19 Saul when he should fall to prayer thought the enemies came too fast and laid away the Ephâ—d and wilied the Priest to withdraw his hand and we see what a censure the holy Ghost giveth of him for it therefore we are to see that as we are not impediments to our selves so not to other Iob 21.15 not of those that discourage others and say Who is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should wee have if we had prayed to him One of the Fathers maketh this answer that whereas a benefit projicitur ingrato collecatur grato is cast away upon the unthankfull and evill as well as conferd upon the thankfull and good God doth hereby provoke us to the like to be beneficiall unto all by his example and so to be made sonnes of the Highest Luke 6.35 And for the affirmative part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the invitation of others to the same Psal 95.1 the beginning of our Liturgy O come let us sing unto the Lord let us c. and Psal 34.3 Come let us pray let us magnifie his name together but especially Psal 148. he is not content to have men onely for company but Dragons Snow and all creatures not that they could praise the Lord but this that there is not the basest
through to which affliction is resembled The reason of the resemblance If you be a true Israelue you shall goe through the Red-Sea if an Egyptian you passe not The last is the confusion of the Devill himselfe to confound him that he may not say Doe they serve thee for nought as in Iob 2. This is an especiall end of patience to stop his mouth God often rewards not at all nay he often sends malam mercedem an ill reward to shew that we serve grataito freely The manner there were in the Primitive Church a sort called Câ—rcumcelliones a sect of the Donatists When it is not a senslesse thing but mixt of sensus doloris in the soule and oppressio doloris in the body and it hath voluntatem liberandi sui voluntatem patiendiâ—tui that hearing patience to be so much commended for such an excellent thing they presently conceived of it as of the Stoicks doctrine to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore they whipped themselves and acquainted themselves so much with it that they could beare any thing We see Pauls disputation with Epicures and Stoicks therefore we must understand that Christian Religion as it is not Epicurisme so it is not any doctrine of the Stoicks Christian patience is not a Stoicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we see in Iob David Christ though they were patient yet they gave notable signes that they felt that which they suffered But this is patience when a man feeleth it and would be ridde of it and yet doth abide it to the pleasure of God It is not to have a will onely to be punished patience is not a monothelite as Christ saith Luke 22.42 his will was to be ridde of the Cup but yet he prayed that not his will but that Gods will might be done and 1 Pet. 4.19 because it was the will of God he should drink the Cup therefore he conformed himselfe to it August in his book de patientia chap. 7. sheweth the distinction betweene the Heathens patience and the true the Heathens patience and the Hereticks c. was not for a good cause nor for a right end but possible it was that they used themselves to it and felt it not this is as he saith stupor morbi potius quam rebur sanitatis so miranda est duritia quae magna est sed neganda patientia quae nulla est an unsensiblenesse of disease rather then soundnesse of health admire their hardinesse you may which is great but deny their patience you must for it is none at all The Negative part Want of due regard of the Crosse and the fainting under it The first concemeth all the regard is after the Crosse this they call patientia panica The second degree for awhile we regard it the Prophets compare it to the morning dew or the clouds That which is forbidden is in Heb. 12.5 comprised under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the small regard and despising of the chastisement of the Lord and a fainting under his correction for the one is the one extreme and the other is the other 1. For the first it is sure that as we see Exod. 9.28 and as Chrysost upon that place noteth there is not in the wicked no regard but a small and short regard we see a momentany regard of the plagues of Egypt in Pharao a reprobate he regarded it no longer then he was under it and it is no other in Ieroboam 1 King 13.6 there was in Ieroboam a present humiliation till his hand was restored But the common resemblance to that effect which the chastisement of the Lord bringeth upon the wicked is of the horror that is in Beares and Wolves at the sound of a Drumme or Trumpet they are as it were clean beside themselves and are in a horror which for a time continueth so long as they heare the sound or as they that are tost on the Sea and being not used to it fall sicke but when they come to shore they have no sooner footing on the land but they are well againe and returne to their former health and that present forgetfulnesse is the first step Ier. 12.13 he sheweth a kinde of them they were sicke and profited not by it making it as a marke of wickednesse in them Now by this and other degrees we come to that which in the ancient Fathers is called stupor morbi duritia non robur sanitatis a numbnesse of soule and hardnesse not comming from the strength of health in one word they call it animi paralysin the Palsie of the soule it is one thing to thrust in him that is in health and another in dead flesh this is of two sorts the one ye shall finde Prov. 23.35 he speaketh there of a person given to excesse of eating and drinking Stupor contractus is of drunkennesse that are drunken ebrietate They have smitten me but I was not sicke they have beaten me but I know not when I awoke Their life is like to theirs that sleepe in the toppe of a maste their ship is broken but yet they continue and so they come to a kinde of drunkennesse Now this drunkennesse which is spoken of in Esa 51.21 Ebrii sunt Contractus is that that troubleth the world sed non vino they are drunke but not with wine it falleth out also even in other vices as when a man is bewitched with any finne he is smitten but feeleth not 2. The other is such as we read 1 King 18.28 for it is said there of the Prophets of Baal when their god would not heare them that they cut themselves with knives and launces Immissus stupor whether the Devill possesse us in soule of actually in body and so they might seeme patient this is not stupor contractus but stupor immissus not an acquired but an insensiblenes infused by the Devill as we see in Mar. 5.5 in the man that could breake chaines and cut his owne flesh with sharpe stones very pitifully For in the Circumcellions the Manichees and Donatists and whosoever they were that did as Aug. saith pati malum ut facerent malum sufferevill the better to doe evill we may see that this manlinesse or rather hardnesse was in the soule of them all it is a thing to be regarded The reason of both these either because they consider not the true efficient or the true end of afflictions We returne to the former first stupor contractus we come to that by two meanes 1. Is a not considering of the cause from whence 2. A not considering of the end whereunto 1. When the afflicted doth not consider the cause from whence their affliction cometh as Ier. 5.3 2.30 Esa 1.5 you shall see what he saith Esa 1.5 God saith Why should you be smitten any more c. from the soale of the foot to the head there is nothing whole but wounds c. Where is there any
commendation not like to those that have no hope The 3. is this that which the heathen saith Quantum mercator pro lucro quantum venator pro ludo tantum ego nondum passus sum pro virtute which was indeed nothing else but his ambition 3 The compatison of that we suffer with the suffering of that that is much lesse weighty so much as the Merchant for his gaine and the hunter for his gaine so much had not he suffered for his honour or rather ambition To this we may adde Quantum Mercator prolucro quantum venator pro ludo quantum Ethnicus pro vano honore or pro ambitione tantum ego nondum passus sum pro Christo meo So much as the merchant for his gaine and the hunter for his game and the Heathen for vaine honour and ambition so much have not I suffered for my Christ But on the other side if we consider our selves Those that are more proper to us as we are Christians and are afficted with them tanquam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or proved with these tanquam per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have these meanes to be patient For the first Luk. 23.41 for punishment 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we see what the lesse unhonest theefe of the two said before he was converted to Christ It is no reason that we that are in the same condemnation with this man should condemne him seeing we suffer justly and according to our deserts he wrongfully i. Whatsoever it is that we suffer it is deserved it is just punishment it is not so much as we deserve but this man hoth done nothing amisse this course will take from us impatience A second is Ps 119 75. he saith that God of faithfulnesse hath thus afflicted him that as the punishment is just so if he afflict us to ascribe it to God of very faithsulnesse Psal 89.32 if he visit our offences with the rod and our sinnes with the scourges yet that his mercy may not utterly be taken from us nor his truth faile this is sent that we may be retained or recalled and so because fearing God and making use of his punishment we are sure of his promise Rom. 8.28 we are sure that within the compasse of that promise all shall at length worke with them for their good and hereof it is that the Heathen man saith patior ne patiar I suffer here Wee have strength here to endure it wee have hope to be delivered or the end will weare it that I may not suffer hereafter that Abraham Luk. 16.25 make not that argument of me that he made of the rich man Now therefore he enjoyeth pleasure and thou sufferest pains Now therefore that this conclusion may not be and that here we may suffer those pains that may be bidden mitigated ended and have patience and hope for the end that we may not suffer those paines that have no patience to abide them no hope to be delivered from them no mitigation of them the end without end And indeed one of them calleth it a sea continuus cursus temporalium as of those Psal 73. that are said not to come into misfortune with other men There is none more dangerous signe of the purpose of God and there is none more certaine then the contrary Now for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for triall a meanes for that Christ commendeth unto us Luk. 14.28 that before we build or goe forth to warre we sit downe and cast our accounts before what it will cost us and with what losse we shall bring our matters to passe for want of this fore-casting because they do not sit downe before they enter into a godly life what troubles and temptations they may fall into promising to themselves rest therefore they are unprepared when the crosse commeth and give over Therefore before-hand we must set downe what it will come to 2. Another that we shall know we have set downe Rom. 15. 4. and no doubt it is equally to be understood of other vertues but there it is onely to be attributed to patience that whatsoever is written is written that through patience and comfort we may have hopo i. that we may see what it hath cost the Saints of God and what they have endured and so by considering their cost and their suffering we may see what it will cost us and what we shall endure in which we may include the sufferings of Christ but the especiall Heb. 12.3 1 Pet. 4.1 recogitate illum consider him that for your sakes hath endured such gainsaying of wicked sinners that you be not wearied and faint in your hearts Gregory St passio Christi in memoriam revocetur nihil tam arduum est quod non aequo animo toleretur do but seriously contemplate the passion of Christ what he suffered for thee and there will no sufferings seeme grievous to thee For his heart hands seete body soule c. suffered so much for us as it is impossible for us to equall him in his sufferings 3. The third 1 Cor. 10.13 that being in the fire burning Martyres sine flamma esse possumus In regard of the infinite reward the greater the reward the greater the means he calls it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the consideration of the infinite reward that cannot be expressed The reward the greatest meanes that no figure in the world is able to expresse si in anima patientiam retineamus there it is promised that God will give us an issue our triall shall not be above our patience either he will give us more patience to suffer greater afflictions or as our patience decreaseth so shall our triall be lesse 4. Lastly 2 Cor. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us a far more excellent eternal weight of glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is that that will by and by be calme this is that that layeth up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it rewards us with an everlasting huge masse of glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from hyperbole to hyperbole that no hyperbole in the world can suffer it cannot be expressed by all hyperboles Rom. 8.18 he saith there that he counted all that man could suffer and he knew that it was not worthy to be mentioned in regard of the glory that shall be revealed to the Saints of God The Signes thus he shall be able to examine by having an eye to the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That so the sin that it is sent for may be taken away he can be conâ—â—nt to beare the punishment a very effectuall and a good signe this is when a man is thus affected to the Crosse so that it please God to take away his sinne the cause of punishment that he is
the Prophet Psal 4.2 maketh his complaint that there is a generation of men that turne the glory of the true God into dishonour i. are not carefull to deliver unto him his true honour And therefore 1 Tim. 6.20 to have scientiam falsi nominis i. to follow vanity and lies and come to have the fruit as Hosea they shall eat the fruit of lies i. Griefe of mind smart of body confusion of soule therefore to have it is not sufficient but we must also have the truth And indeed that which the heathen man Plato saith of this is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every man if he will have a thing he will have it according to the truth Every soule if it have not the truth it is not because it is not desirous of the truth but if it find not out the truth it is against the will of it unlesse it goe against nature Gen. 20.9 When as Abraham had made answer to Abimelech not in truth as he thought Every mâ—n for knowledge is desirous to have the truth Abimelech being an heathen could tell him that he had done those things that he should not so these men can say that see meerly by the eye of reason that truth is it which wee all seeke after But that which is yet more strange Gen. 3.1 the Devill begins there Yea is it true indeed hath God said indeed Ye shall not eate of every tree of the garden so that he himselfe being the author of lies Now when â—t commeth to practise Aug. distinction bonum dulce bonum amabile wee will first seeke after yet this is his desire that the woman should make him a true answer So we see the mighty force of truth that howsoever it is not sought in practise yet in judgement not onely good men but also the wicked the Heathen yea and the devils themselves would not willingly be beguiled but witnesse to it This Commandement is because of our triall and our triall is because it â—s precious in Gods eyes and that is because it is the course of nature The end and scope of the Law and the Lord the Lawgiver it is in respect of triall which before was named 1 Pet. 1.7 this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the triall of our faith is more precious to the Lord than all the riches and goods in the world This triall of us hath bin the cause why God hath permitted doth permit so many errours heresies and false worships Deu. 15.11 We may say in a fit coÌ„parison that albeit God hath plenty and abundance of all things that he could have made all rich yet for the triall of a liberall and a compassionable mind in the rich he would suffer the poore alwaies to be So it may be said of truth it had beene an easie matter for him to have taken order for every one to have had the true profession but onely for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our triall 1 Cor. 11.19 Ideo oportet esse haereses inter vos therefore there must be heresies among you that there may be a triall and that they may be knowne that are sound and true He said fiat lux facta est let there be light and there was light As easie had it been for him to have said fiat veritas let there be truth let there be great plenty of truth there should have bin nothing else but truth only He hath given a cause and a reason why he suffereth errour that they may be tried that seeke after the truth The meaning is this Psal 138. â— that forasmuch as it being set downe that God hath magnified his word and truth above all i. that it is the highest thing that he maketh account of and most highly esteemeth it therefore he would have it diligently to be sought of us that we should shew our estimation conformable to his and that we likewise should esteeme it and magnifie it above all things and this is Pauls counsell and this is the end and he would thus have his glory sought For the necessity of it we need not speake much of it for it hath partly beene handled heretofore And for as much as truth and true religion is a way and is called so 2 Pet. 2.2 and that way must bring us unto the right end then necessary it is we find it if we find it not aliquis erit terminus eunti in via but error immensus est if a man keepe the right way he shall at length come to the end of his journey Jam. 1.8 but errour hath no end Therefore it is requisite By the spirit of truth and the way of truth we shall come into the truth The thing commanded is Religion or true religion veri nominis religio which Christ Mat. 13.35 under the name of the Kingdome of heaven likeneth to a pearle and him that sought after it to a Merchant that sought many pearles and at the last found one of inestimable value and when he had found it he sold all that ever he had and bought it Herein are three things 1. that we seeke the truth 2. that when we have found it we rest in it 3. that it be to us a girdle Then this desire is first an earnest studie and applying of the mind to find out the truth among errours and falshood in the world ought to be in us Whereas the common manner is this every man in that religion he is borne in he will grow up in it and die in it and we presuppose our selves to have found the pearle before we seeke it and so when our studies begin to ripen we only sticke to some learned mans institutions Deut. 4.32 Moses seemeth to be of another mind it is not onely an exhortation but commeth in the way of a commandement that the Israelites they should enquire into all antiquities and in all parts and ends of the world whether there were any such religion as theirs and that they had nothing but truth it selfe and wisedome it selfe So that this is the first thing As there is inquisitio dubii so there is examinatio veri Esa 65.1 Rom. 10.20 that no man do suppose that he hath found the truth before he hath sought it and Mat. 7.7 he that seeketh for it he hath a promise that he shall find it The promise of the calling of the Gentiles that God would be found of them that sought him not is not a patterne for us in this case but as we are to enquire into all doubts so are we to examine all truths among the pearles that sundry shew us and promise us that they have worthy stuffe for us we must take that course that we can distinguish that all those are not such pearls as that a man should sell all that he hath for them but that we indeed have the inestimable pearle that the Merchant found and bought with all that hee had Hereditary religion religion upon offence
the living God yet God condemneth Sauls act 1 Chron 10.13 and the cause of his death is attributed to the seeking and asking counsell of a familiar spirit and Act. 16. Paul rebuketh the spirit that spake in her and made him to come forth And Deut. 13.2 there is a commandement though a Prophet foretell a truth and say Let us have another God he must not be followed but he shall be stoned The other i. Quantum non oportet when we give more honour then is required is commonly referred to superstition but rather it is in idolatrie as the other in prophanesse it lightly doth end in Atheisme Superstitiâ— Quantum non as it appeareth by the second Councell of Nice they that brought up Images their principall reason among all is this because God cannot be too much remembred and therefore that it were good to have images that we may have God alwaies in our mind which is no argument for then there should be no superstition Tully shewing the first beginning of superstition he saith that certaine of the old Romans did nothing but pray day and night that their children might be superstites and survive them and upon that occasion these men were called superstitiosi and after it went to other things In this respect also we condemne the Euchites It is true as the Fathers say that for quantitas absoluta Râ—â—◠〈…〉 quanâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—dum araâ—◠〈…〉 We must 〈◊〉 so that we 〈◊〉 continue Nâ—n cut nâ—â— quantum if we were as the Angels there were no nimium no excesse but for as much as in an earthly man there is but quantitas ad proportionem that he may still go forward in the worshipping of God and so how an absolutenesse exconduione he is but weake and therefore not to consume himselfe in one day but so that he may continue this maketh that there is a nimium in religion and so consequently a superstition For the other extreme parum the defect they call it commonly prophanenesse and it was a punishment in the beginning that a man should be such a one that he should not be suffered to come within the Church intra fanum but to stand extra fanum without the Church but now in these dayes there are many that account it no punishment nay it is to be feared that it hath a reward and they are better thought of which be such We come to the second point to non acquiescere that proceedeth from a corrupt veine in us a desire of new and strange things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore that God might make them more odious unto us he hath made it a name for those things that he hateth most of all Num. 18.7 he calleth him externum ministrum the stranger that offereth Levit. 10.1 Nadab and Abihu are said to have offered strange fire to the Lord ignis alienus Prov. 2.16 an Harlot is called aliena mulier the strange woman Gen. 35.5 alieni or peregrini dii and to follow strange Gods Deut. 31.16 is called fornicari post deos alienos And thus we come to that That Witch being our 〈◊〉 wiâ—â— Gal. 3.1 to be bewitched by this Witch and desire of novelty being the Witch This putting to new devises is that that hath changed the pure doctrine in the Primitive Church and it hath made our religion so as it is Acts 17.21 these Attica ingenia Academick wits are lightly given to it In both these there be three degrees according to our exceedings and defects 1. Schisme in superstition and in the way to superstition and so in the way to prophanenesse and to have such a conceit that he should not or not that that he should 2. Haeresis 3. Apostasia 1. A Schisme is when a man upon indifferent things and for trifles will make a rent in the whole body 1 Cor. 1.10 Heb. 10.25 2. But when it commeth to a point of doctrine then it is an Heresie as 1 Cor. 11.19 Acts 5.17 haeresis Sadducaeorum 3. But if all be given over Apostasie a denying of all the points of religion Heb. 6.14 The meanes for finding out the truth and true religion They be fourâ— * The Fathers derive religion a religande but Cicero Varro a relegende of often reading and the Prophet Daniel seemeth to be of the same minde chap. 12. v. 12. we see what they be in the state of them that are Heathens 1. in the Eunuch Acts 8.28 his meanes was that he read the Prophet Esay 2. Acts 10.2 in an Heathen Cornelius a Centurion his meanes were prayers and almes and fasting and that which is somewhat strange before he was called he was said to be a man that feared God but that the Fathers have well resolved it that say he was called so quia non detinuit veritatem naturae suae in injustitia by holding as contra Rom. 1.18 that truth of nature which God hath given him and not abusing it to licentiousnesse but exercising it with good and godly exercises therefore God bestowed a further light upon him i. his feare and such is the feare of God that is in men before they are called so then if we use Cornelrus his meanes and if we shall feare God thus much that that light and truth we have we doe not presse it nor detaine it in unrighteousnesse 3. The third is in Acts. 18.24 the meanes of Apollos that in that he knew he was ready to speake fervently and teach diligently the things of the Lord i. in the Baptisme of Iohn that we be ready and willing to speake for the confirmation of that we know till more come These are the principall meanes the rest may be taken from the wayes of increasing knowledge Signa 1. Antiquitas 2 Puâ—gati â—â—â—nae 3. Pâ—â—gâ—eâ—ius 4. Exemplum morum The signes of true religion twenty and more we spake before of them and therefore we neede not to repeate them here but onely this we say that of them 1. the antiquity 2. the purgation of the soule 3. the beginning and growing up of religion and 4. the examples of excellent vertues in the professors these foure Aug. de civit dei accounteth to be the especiall For longer life he moveth his pâ—tition for this end The sixth rule for the promoting of it in other Psal 30.10 Davids desire there is that he may not yet die because the dust shall not declare his truth and Iohn 18.37 Christ saith that he was borne and came into the world to this end to beare witnesse of the truth On the other side as it is Rom. 16.17 whosoever cause strife and offences we are bidden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to avoyd them The third part if we have him it is not enough but we must have him alone the Chaldee he addeth Barmin so have the 70. Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but me Matth. 4.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve
this maketh the full affirmative of this and is all one with that Deut. 6.4 or Deut. 10.20 onely there is not there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him onely but by him is supplied and all by the same spirit The reasons were before touched the reasons why and the scope that we may say Soli Deo God onely can deliver us from evill only give us good therefore his alone is the glory honor et gloria glory be unto God alone as the Apostles and other holy men did in the end of their Epistles and Writings as in the end of the Epistle to the Romans of the second of Peter and the last of Iude and the reason Esa 42.8 because he will give his glory to none other his glory is indivisible If any will adde another he shall see the conditions 1 Sam. 7.3 If you seeke me onely then will I helpe you then you shall have helpe both of body and soule by me if others then as it is Iudg. 10.14 let them whom ye serve helpe you 2. Another is this that the name wherewith God is intituled of a Father and of a Master Mal. 1.6 of a King Psal 5.2 Hearken thou unto the voyce of my calling my King and my God of an Husband Hoseah 2.20 all these can be but one there is one Master one King one Father one Husband unlesse it be an adulterous wife Luke 16.13 you cannot serve God and Mammon to this Et you as one noteth very well may joyne any thing Matth. 6.24 it is impossible for any to serve two Masters so the same estate being of God were see the precept standeth on good ground that there must be no other God In a conjunction of two things 3. The third was touched before Esa 1.22 if you joyne any with him that is worse then he as he must needs be worse whosoever hee be then you abase him if there were any matchable with him then it were no abasing and therefore you shall see a continuall course in Scriptures Gen. 35.2 by the light of nature if you goe to Bethel and make an Altar to Iehovah you must put away other and strange Gods In the Law by the way of a Commandement Deut. 4.10 and by way of figure Deut. 22.9 there are all mixtures forbidden 1 King 18.21 there is a reconciling humour in us the Israelites they would halt betweene two opinions and please both God and Baal 2 King 17.41 against the Samaritans So these Nations served the Lord and served their Images also So did their children and their childrens childrenias did their fathers so doe they to this day and Zeph. 1.5 against them that would sweare by Iehovah and by Malchom with one breath Luke 16.13 No servant can serve two Masters for either he shall hate the one Sincere religion sincere affection and love the other or else he shall leane to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon 2 Cor. 6.14 there is a perpetuall enmity of this mixture of religion That thing that is commanded Mandatum 2 Cor. 1.12 1 Cor. 5.8 2 Cor. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that in simplicity and godly sincerity and not with fleshly wisdome c. he alludeth to a figure that we must keepe our Passeover in azymis with unleavened bread that figure of bread he applieth to immixtion of religion there must be no mixture and there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is here commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth a judging of such wares as have counterfeit with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 synceritas favi mel syncerum and carrying of them into the Sunne and the Sunne-light must judge whether they be counterfeit or no. God saith he will seeke us with Lanternes This is synceritas mellis when there is nothing but pure hony and no waxe mingled with it such an affection in religion is called synceritas religionis This is in two respects 1. for the matter Luke 5.36 a joyning of old patches with new garments or putting new wine into old bottles making a corrupt religion to be an incorrupt and true religion Revel 18.6 the Whore of Babylon is said to have a mixt cup of a perfect mixture and in the Turkes religion there is a mixture of all paganisme for they worship Iupiter Minerva c. and they have a Temple dedicated to Minerva and of the Nestorians and of the Iewes and beside he hath added devises of his owne this for the matter We must be carefull to preserve our affection sincere 2. Now for the mixture of our affections that as our religion ought to be sincere so that we come sincerely to it that in regard of the quality that commeth of the mixture of hot and cold water which is luke warme Esa 28.20 reason of it the heart to a strait bed as Revel 3.16 they that are affected with this quality the Lord will cast them out i. such men as come unto him with a narrow heart that will not serve him in the full Latitude of religion but will be sharers for themselves apart though they be not wholly like them in Iohn 6.26 yet as he saith Esa 36.16 and Esa 28.15 Because ye have said we have made a covenant with death and with hell we are at agreement they are at league with death and hell if persecution come they will not shrinke if Iosiahs Statutes go down and if Omries come they are ready to receive them also Iam. 4.8 he calleth them homines duplici corde men of a double heart and Iam. 1.8 he giveth a reason because their affection is not sincere because of their inconstancie The other extreme is the defect you shall finde it Prov. 30.39 we must not be so affected as he that will blow till there come bloud Qui mungit nimium sanguinem elicit he that will have his nose too clean maketh it bleede that we must not desire purity in the Church so and in so much measure that while we seeke to make it too clean we make it bleed at the nose The meanes 1. There is no better thing then that Revel 3.15 of luke-warme Gods wish there is that we would resolve with our selves to be either hot or cold So we shall come to the cera syncera or mel syncerum that resolution must be for men stand wavering How much hee esteemeth it how long hee will esteeme it 2. When we are resolved and we say we will be hot then that wee come to our price Iob 28.13 if it be the truth it is said there is no price of it nor that it is to be found in the land of the living i. though we give our selves and all that we have yet we must set no price The Simile is taken from Merchants that at the end of their clothes and wares will set a marke of the lowest price that they will
to a third point that they will have a remembrance of the Sacraments this is a new question that is for the Sacraments themselves we must come to this they are no better then the Angels therefore since the Angels have refused as the Angel Revel 22.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore it must be restrained from men And Augustine on Psal 96. saith of this very well Si audirent angelos discerent ab illis non adorare angelos And we must remember the second signes of feigned worship Col. 2.18 they have Speciem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shew of lowlinesse but will at length beguile us of our reward Thus much of the continuance of it with the other and for the delivery of it from error The affirmative part The latter part of Exodus after that Moses went up into the Mount containeth the first part of this Commandement that is the manner of Gods outward worship And Leviticus containeth the second part that is how we ought to behave our selves in this worship And as the first Commandement must have Internum honorem internam laudem so this second Commandement must have Externum honorem and the third Externam laudem in word So that Honour whether it be signo or facto is the thing commanded The honour of the signe in Tishtacaveh in bowing downe of the deed in the word Servies Mat. 5.15 A candle is not lighted to be put under a bushell the maxime the Fathers have gathered thence is this Bono debetur manifestatio for candles that have bonum lucis are not to be thrust sub malo tenebrarum so that our candle must be put on a candlestick to bee made knowne This is Gods will that if we have the candle light in our soule and heart that is the internall worship we must set it on a candlestick that is we must bring it forth and shew it by outward worship it must not be a chamber godlinesse 2. We know that in copulativis utrumque faciendum est therefore we must next joyne that 1 Cor. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must glorifie him also with our bodies glory being nothing else but a conspicuousnesse and enlarging of honour and praise as to glorifie is to honour and praise externally therefore it containeth honour in it Then this is requred that God be honoured both outwardly and inwardly therefore he must be honoured as well with our bodyes as with our soules and the Devill knowing that God requireth both doth therefore require the one but the bowing of the body of Christ Matthew 4. because hee knew that if God have not the Copulative body and spirit hee will have neither of both The third is Levit. 26.28 and Eccles 4.17 or as it is in some Bookes 5.1 in his Sanctuary in times and places of religious exercises wee must observe Utrumque pedem if wee must have a care of our lowest parts much more of our eares and hearts This externus honor is either signi or sacti For Tishtakebeh the signes be two as the Apostle proveth Christs humility by these two signes Phil. 2.7 8. the first is to empty our selves and deponere magnificientam nostram as it is called in the wisedome of men so he being equall to God made himselfe empty of that magnificence and gave the whole honour to God For the magnificence of our selves is in reason and will now if we can be content though our reason shew us good reason yet to submit it to the reason of God and our will to his will so outward worship and magnificence Job 19.9 he hath spoyled me of mine honour and taken the crowne away from my head then to take our crownes the best things that we have and our glory and to cast it at his feet with the Elders Reve. 4.10 is this signum So did David put off his Robes 2 Sam. 6.22 and tooke the Ephod and was contemptible in the sight of Michall but hee said it was his duty to be vile in the service of God So nudatio capitis 1 Cor. 11.14 For pileo donari was a signe of honour and peculiar to Free-men It was the magnificence of the head for ever after si cepisset pileum he became free Which signe if he laid aside he was said deponere magnificentiam and it is the signe of a servant when he honoureth his Master and it is that the Apostle urgeth men should use at Prayers and Prophecying Secondly the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humiliare to make us neare to the ground First into this falleth Tishtacaveh when we make that that is highest in us nearer to the ground this humiliation did the Devill require of Christ God makes it a signe of his true worship 1 Kings 19.18 in the seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal outwardly And Esay 2.9 this is his quarrell against them because there was a carved Image and a man bowed himselfe to it so the contrary is condemned and plagued 2. For honour facti that is service wee have two parts set downe Mat. 8.9 in the Centurions servant and commended of Christ First I say to one Goe and he goeth Come and he commeth that is to be at commandement The second is Doe this and he doth it that is to doe his worke In these two respects Christ will say to some in the day of judgement Nescio vos But how can or shall he say so but as a Master to his servants or a King to his Subjects but onely as they come into his jurisdiction and then this Nescio vos shall be pronounced either to those which never came to his house of Prayer or come of evill will not to doe his worke and so either they have nothing enjoyned them or hearing of him he is not made knowne to them nor have any part with him The one is of not being present the other not doing the Masters businesse Gen. 22.1 God calling Abraham he presently answereth Ecce ego This is that that God requireth we must be present at his assemblies David Psal 84.4 setteth downe his affection in himselfe that before he was called he had a great longing to goe into the Lords house When he is called then you know what Christ saith of himselfe Psal 40.7 Then said I Loe I come the same readinesse ought to be in us Wisedome Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and yee refused therefore I will take pleasure in your destruction So they that refuse to come being invited Mat. 22.8 are pronounced unworthy The manner of comming Pro. 8.17 it must be mature and vers 34. quotidie earely and dayly to waite at his doore and so shew our selves desirous to be called For service Luke 17.8 the property of a servant is to doe his Masters worke and so as he preferreth his Masters worke before his owne that is his Masters worke shall be done first and then his owne And Gen. 24. we see the practice of it in Abrahams
sate about him Luke 5.17 and 10.39 Mary sate at Jesus feet hearing his preaching and Acts 20.9 there sate in a Window a certaine young man c. that it was lawfull for them to sit as also standing Nehem. 8.5 When he opened it all the people stood c. But this hath been a thing alwayes indifferently used and permitted to all estates at the preaching of the Word to stand or sit Thirdly for the administration of the Sacraments the very action sheweth plainely it selfe what behaviour ought to bee used Fourthly for Discipline and the executing of it it is plaine the judge is to sit the other to stand and so it is manifest by the course of the judgements of the Law It pleaseth God to set downe these things for us one end may be taken out of 1 Cor. 6.20 that we might glorify God with our bodies And a second end Psalm 16.7 that our outward gesture might stirre up our soule and that our hearts might learne the duty of our outward parts And a third out of 1 Cor. 14.25 and Tit. 2.10 not onely to stirre up our selves but also for the moving of others that they seeing our reverent behaviour may fall downe with us and be moved to doe that which at any time they shall see in us So we have gone through two parts of the Commandement Now the negative is nothing else but the opposite of this that hath been taught and delivered As if a man come with a proud eye and behave himselfe proudly in his service as it is Pro. 6. â—â— a proud eye is the first and chiefest of the seven things that God hateth And if hee hate it at all times much more at that time To the second is stiffenesse When wee are not willing to fall downe and worship and to give him the honour and reverence of our eye head and knee In the other part of service for not comming Chrysostome saith Ludus jubet facis vocat venis cultus dei jubet non facis vocat non venis and whose servant art thou now The Centurion will teach thee whose servant thou art even his that saith to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goe and come and thou goest and commest For the doing of the worke and in the first place for the chiefe part of his ministery is of purpose declined because it hath beene long time in controversie and is as yet to the service of our worke and behaviour in the same worke five points are considerable First the service of God in the Liturgie i. whether it be not the will of God as his rule is 1 Cor. 11.33 to stay one for another that inward unanimity and outward uniformity be not a delight to God Matth. 22.12 he without the wedding garment when he was found unlike his fellowes and not uniforme in his apparrell therefore he was separated from them and condemned to be cast into utter darknesse So at that time that the Church doth pray or sing when any one doth not pray or sing with the rest it is a separation and breach Psal 122.2 3. Jerusalem is a City compact in it selfe and the spirituall compacting no doubt is an especiall commendation of the Church and it is that that is so often set downe in the Acts. Together with one accord Acts 2.1 They were all with one accord in one place When they heard they did it together when they sung they sung altogether Psalm 34.3 and let us magnifie his name together in idem As if the whole Church were one person and had but one lippe The separation of tongues and lippes a curse of God and the earth was blessed in this respect when it was said to be Unius labii that it had but one lippe as this was a curse So that in Revel 14.2 And it shall be an especial blessing of the heavenly Jerusalem that the Elders and all that stand before the throne shall lift up their voice together and with one consent sing This is a thing that the Fathers in their ages have much beate upon Wee see how highly it is extolled by Chrysostome That it smiteth upon Heaven and the Lord as a showre of Hailestones and Augustine concerning the singing of praise saith that it soundeth in the Lord eares tanquam resonantia Maris even as the Sea And hee seemeth to take it out of Revelations 14.2 and I heard a voyce from Heaven as the sound of many waters c. Then this is the first thing The second that whereas the service of men therefore much more the service of God ought to be as the Apostle saith Eph. 6.5 in singlenesse of heart 1 Peter 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all feare and Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with feare and trembling even to men But in our exteriour service of God there is so little feare or rather such want of feare that commonly we see that thing which is contrary to feare namely sleepe which cannot concurre with feare and our service cannot keepe us from it like the Apostles which could not hold up their eyes being with their Master in Horto But Jacob which feared his brother Esau slept not all the night The example of the Apostle was remembred as a speciall thing in the primitive Church Acts 20. that the Christians watched and heard Pauls Sermon media nocte Of which Chrysostome saith Ad hoc commemoravit eos qui vigilabant media nocte ut condemnet eos qui dormiunt medio die and that we may know how farre we are from them whose seed we follow Now the actions of a naturall man being first cibus secondly potus thirdly somnus meat drinke and sleepe sleepe condemned by the same reason of the Apostle by which he condemneth the other two 1 Cor. 11.22 because we have houses and chambers to sleepe in His reason there is The Church is not appointed to that use that is in private houses therefore ye ought not to eate and drinke in the Church Have yee not houses to eate and drinke in What contemne yee the Congregation Apply it to sleepe we have our chambers and our houses to that end to sleepe in Despise yee the Church of God And as from the place so wee may reason also against it from the time 1 Thes 5.7 he exhorteth to wake Nam qui dormiunt noctu dormiunt but wee say and see Qui dormiunt die dormiunt Naturall reason telleth us that Actio vestita indebitis circumstantiis mis-circumstanced actions are unlawfull Esay 5.27 there the Prophet as his manner is after the denouncing of a curse on a carelesse people falleth into a blessing of the new Church Non dormiet quisquam nec dormitabit Marke 13.36 Take heed that the Lord when hee commeth take you not sleeping As also we may see what losse the Church hath by sleepe Cantic 3.1 shee slept and awoke and found not her Beloved and wee know not whether God will forsake us utterly in
strength and therefore are not feared as 2 Sam. 16.13 great malice and hatred in Shimei yet it was nothing but an handfull of dust and because he wanted might it was faine to end in words onely Whereas if hee had beene mighty his anger would more have prevayled So the want of might is many times the hinderance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mighty so in Esay 31.3 and in other places of the Scriptures it pleaseth God when he opposeth himselfe to men Aegypt is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is such strength in God that mans weaknesse is not able to match it In Hebrew there be two words given to God that comprehend the whole nature of strength first * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnoz the second * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cayl The first is that we call Robur internall strength the other externall strength either of Weapons or Armes c. 1. For the first as when it pleaseth the H. G. to debase the strength of man 1 Cor. 1.25 that the weaknesse of God is stronger then the strength of men so Exod. 8.19 when he speaketh of Gods strength and the mighty wonders which he wrought in Aegypt he compareth it to the finger of God Which finger Psal 144.5 if it doe but touch the Mountaines it will make them smoake and not onely his finger but more the puffe the winde of a mans mouth is the least thing and weakest and yet he saith At the proceeding of it out of his nostrills the foundations of the Hills were discovered and the ground removed Psalm 18.15 This is positive and not onely this but also privative Psalm 104.29 If he doe but hold in his breath all things perish or he cast his eye aside the World comes to an end in a moment Secondly for fortitudo strength or munitions without him albeit this is sufficient to move us yet that Jer. 23.29 Is not my Word even like a fire saith the Lord and like an Hammer that breaketh the stone And Psal 7.13 Except a man returne he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready For the other his powers and Legions of Angels Psalm 68.17 twenty thousand but in Dan. 7.10 they are said to be more Thousand thousands and tenne thousand thousands of heavenly souldiers Luke 2.13 Legions of heavenly souldiers Besides in the 8 9 10. of Exodus Armies of the basest creatures Lice Frogs Caterpillers Grashoppers c. By which he brought mighty things to passe against the great princes as Psal 105. 2. Zelotes Jealousie that seemeth to import thus much It might be thought all one for God whether we did afford him this outward worship or not and that he careth not nor regardeth this outward manner and therefore conceiveth no anger against the breach of it therefore he to take away all such doubt setteth this downe that he is a regarder and a jealous regarder of this Psalm 10.13 he ascribeth to the wicked this speech Tush God he regardeth it not The other possibly will make us regard yet there are but few that make regard whether he can therefore he hath taken upon him that that implyeth the speciallest regard that can be and betokeneth such an affection as is in them that have a regard Jealousie is the excesse of love whereby every man regardeth a thing so as Numbers 5. that he cannot abide it to be common to any with him as he that is Impatiens consortis and cannot abide to have any one part common but he must have it whole himselfe 1. For the first Impatiens consortis when he will have no fellow 2 Cor. 11.2 the Apostle saith he was jealous over them with the zeale of the Lord that he might present them a pure Virgin to Christ onely 2. For the second that he must have the whole Psalm 69.9 The zeale of thine house hath even devoured me and Christ hath applyed it to himselfe It is an affection that it must devoure the whole man and eate him up cleane and separate him so that he have no fellowship with any other such regard then hath God to his outward worship This affection in it selfe is good else God Numb 5.14 would not have given that Commandement allowing the spirit of jealousie Yet by reason of hitting or missing in us it is joyned and mingled sometimes with other affections and when we misse of our purpose wholly then it is Zelus amarus ex laesa concupiscentia as James calleth it Quia extra non sentit quod jutus concupiscit and this griefe stirreth up another Vindicem laesae concupiscentiae Nahum 1.23 such anger as will have revenge and further then that Prov. 6.34 35. a raging and universall revenge Now then if this fall into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it proveth not to be like a sparke in a stack of Straw or falling into an heape of Chaffe which maketh a flame and vanisheth away but like a sparke of fire falling into a barrell of Gunne-powder bearing up all before it According to mans strength is his anger The Kings anger is death and the eternall Kings eternall death of body and soule Luke 12.5 For avoyding error touching this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is affirmed of God what is to be thought of it and what profit we may have of this affirmation Whether there fall any affection of man into God It is certaine it doth not if a man speake properly if he speake not by a metaphor And to them which say Indignum est haec de Deo dici we must answer with Augustine Indignum certe est si quid quod de eo diceretur inveniretur dignum but we cannot for our great and glorious titles of Majesty magnificence glory are nothing to his glory Magis congrua accommoda sunt humanae imbecillitati quam divinae majestati so this is spoken for mans infirmity The applying of it to the Scriptures 1. Whereas it is said in many places God is not as man that he should repent him and in other places that it repented him that he made man c. For reconciling of such places his rule is Cum negantur istae affectiones de Deo significari immutabilitatem cum dicuntur de Deo efficaciam that he will worke effectually So that these affections here shew that God will doe as men doe which have the like affections not that he hath these affections but that he produceth these actions that they doe which have those affections Secondly also as Augustine saith that those things are affirmed of God and man eodem verbo sed non eodem modo For jealousie in man may be light and for no cause but in God with knowledge and wisedome mans jealousie knoweth no order it is disordered and raging in God it is tranquilla justitia Thirdly to these two we may add the end that it is convenient to the same nature these two being observed that
one thing that is whatsoever is done it must throughly be done it must be alonely done the reason is because we are res integra finita finite creatures and if two things be done at once one part of our thoughts will be taken from the other we cannot wholly intend two things at once this is our case But it was the case of our Father Adam in innocency because he had a naturall soule and finite therefore he was not able wholly to intend the dressing of the Garden in six dayes and to intend the whole sanctification of the day of rest commanded Gen. 2.3 now because of this God would have a solemne profession of body and soule and therefore this was the end why God instituted blessed and sanctified the seventh day so that it commeth for a remedy against distraction to be intended to any other use especially in the solemne worship of the Lord that takes up the whole man and necessarily suffereth no distraction therefore it doth not suffer him to be intended to any other use Now if being then in that case he could not we that have more impediments to withdraw us we had need of a remedy against our distraction And thus cometh the rest in because that this totall solemne sanctification cannot be performed without ceasing from the rest of our workes and labour because unlesse we doe rest we cannot sanctifie Therefore is it that this is commanded with our sanctification a day of rest otherwise whereas our resting hindreth our sanctification it must bee taken away And indeed Christ doth acknowledge Mark 2.27 that man was not made for the rest but for sanctification Sanctification was his end and man was made for it rest is a subordinate end and man was not made for it but rather that for man and as it is 1. Tim. 4.8 a mans bodily labour so his bodily rest profiteth nothing but to this end applyed God liketh it not There is beside in the commandement another word Remember and because that is properly of a thing past therefore it referreth to some place or time before and there is mention of the Sabbath but in two places before one is Exod. 16.23.24.25 but that is not it for God in the end adding God blessed it referreth us to that place where the same words are Gen. 2.3 and so we know that we are referred thither And by this occasion falleth in that first question that many thinke it is a Ceremony and sundry are so perswaded and hold that men are not bound to sanctifie it since Christ Our Saviour in the case of difference and resolution of Polygamie hath taken a good course and order hee goeth to the beginning how it was ab initio non sic ab initio from the beginning it was not so to call it to the first institution for that is it that giveth the best judgement and the last first end is the true end A thing is not said to be ceremoniall if a ceremoniall use or end be annexed to it for then not one of the tenne morall Commandements but it should bee ceremoniall for they have some ceremonie annexed to them but that is a ceremony whose first and principall end is a ceremonie which this day of rest cannot be The reason because Paradise and mans perfection and a ceremony cannot agree in the state of a mans innocencie The reason is because that before there was a Saviour there could not be a type of a Saviour and before there was sin there needed no Saviour So consequently needing no Saviour needed no ceremony and needing no Saviour nor ceremonie it could not be ceremoniall But that was it that Adam having in the six dayes a naturall use in his body of the creatures should for the glory of God on the seventh day have a spirituall use and consideration So that this remedy against Distraction is the first and principall and generall end though other ends were after added as Deut. 5.15 it pleased God to add this reason that they might remember the benefit of the deliverance out of Aegypt but this was but finis posterior a particular and after end and necessary So it were well if we might add to our dayes of rest the memory of our benefits And Exod. 23.12 God yeeldeth a politique end the ceasing of beasts and men that they may returne more fresh to their labour there is moreover no better nor certainer way to keepe off our enemies those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6.12 those spirituall wickednesses the preaching of the Law then is a meane to enable us to withstand the crafty and subtile suggestions of sin and Satan And if any will say that beside these ends there was figured by this rest that rest we shall have from sinne by Christs death True but yet it is an accessorie end in the Sacrament of Circumcision Circumcision is ceased and the Passover so is the Sabbath but the Sacrament of initiation is not ceased there were two ends of it 1. The first was to seale us to his preventing or following Grace 2. The other to bee a figure of the circumcision of the Heart of the Sacrifice of the world this is ceased So the seventh day is ceased but there is another day there is a day remaining because the end of it was immutable from the beginning The reason of it selfe is so forceable and plaine that without bringing in a manifest absurditie it cannot bee avoided when they see these endes to carry us to the Institution and that in Paradise But you will say Adam never kept it neither was it kept till Exod. 16. Which should in the very misliking seeme an absurd thing that GOD two thousand yeares before a thing should bee put in use should consecrate that thing to Sanctification and all that while it should bee to no End And indeed the sort of the Heretikes that held that materia prima was so made of GOD a great many yeares before the world and it abode by him till the world was made They are confounded by the Fathers by this that no man of wisdome doth make any thing to stand by him many yeares before it can bee put to any use Therefore GOD useth not so to doe but when hee shall have use of any thing then to blesse it This prooveth that this day resteth on the consciences of men and that the institution riseth from GOD immediately even in Adams innocencie Wee must understand that Deut. 4.13 GOD maketh there a plaine distinction betweene Ceremonies and the morall law by this manner That the one proceedeth from him immediatelie the other by the ministerie of Moses and that very same is Deuterenom 5.31 Againe beside the Confusion and breach of Order a thing which GOD misliketh one of the Fathers on these words saith Nunquid Saul est inter Prophetas What is Saul amongst the Prophets Not a Prophet by profession they wondred at it that hee should bee amongst the Prophets one saith
is that he bringeth in that thy man servant and thy mayde may rest as well as thou Another is added Deut. 5.15 the estate of servants Gods care of the Common-wealth and we know that in the Spartane and other Common-wealthes there hath beene Insurrection by reason of overburthening of servants therefore is this put in a preservation of the Common-wealth Gods providence is great in providing of this 4. So likewise of the next member of Beasts Psal 36.6 his mercy and providence is extended to the beasts so Prov. 12.10 to the soule of the beast that is he will take order that the beasts be not tired because the earth shall have her Sabbath One end of Gods providence for them is the restrayning of our covetous humour who rather then we will omit any little gaine we will put our land and cattell to the uttermost and wee care not to what paines Againe another that by beholding the beasts doing their duties we might be the more moved to the doing of ours We must therefore note that God commands not their rest as delighted therewith even as Jonah 3.5 the beasts commanded to fast not that God was delighted with their abstinence or was acceptable to him but onely this that as the Ninivites seeing their beasts pyned before them they might consider of it and be moved the more so here seeing the beasts to keepe Sabbath they might remember to keep it 5. The last is the stranger within thy gates The Gates of an House or a Citie in Scripture signifieth Jurisdiction or Defenced protection That as then he is in his Gates so he is in his Jurisdiction so whosoever commeth under anothers Gates as he cometh for protection if he be be injured so he must confesse that hee must be under his Jurisdiction that for any godly duty hee may command him and Gen. 19. Lots intercession for the Angels Therefore came they under my roofe that they might receive no harme and as he had a care that they might receive no injury so ought we have a care of their soules As Nehem. 13.19 the men of Tyrus and Ashdod so long as he had any hope to reclaime them he suffered them to bring in their Wares but after hee saw they would bring in their Wares for all his warnings and threatnings he tooke order that the Gates of Jerusalem should be shut against them in the end of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or preparation of the Sabbath And so we see both for Workes and for Persons in severall and particuler The maine reason is vers 11. For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven c. As wee said before that a rule for discerning precepts is Ratio immutabilis praecepti facit praeceptum immutabile if the reason of a Commandement be immutable it maketh the commandement to be immutable and so consequently because the reason is to sanctifie Gods name when we shall be glorified in Heaven we shall there doe it we shall there onely intend it untill we come thither we have but finite soules and canot intend it wholly this reason being immutable that it shall there be done of us in the state of glory when we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One to One So may we likewise say of this it being a reason abexemplo from Gods owne example For concerning that this axiome The Creatour is to be followed of the Creature in that he commandeth it is an immutable reason for as much as it is the example of God nor can receive any time of exception because I have rested I propound the same to thee Therefore it pleased God to use this reason as most forcible He maketh use of others besides this Exod. 23. and Deut. 5.15 those he useth as proper to the Jewes this reason of the benefit of the Creation is here forced being greatest as well for the use as the duties which God that day cals for to be performed by us in an especiall manner the consideration of his goodnesse wisedome power and eternitie So also for the meditation of it in that day as the 92. Psalme was made for that day As for the continuance of the memorie of the Creation and keeping men from Paganisme for if it had been duly kept then that great doubt that troubled all the Philosophers so much Whether the World had a beginning had beene taken away And therefore this day being one especiall meanes that men might not fall into Atheisme is therefore sanctified of God to be a day of Rest Augustine on Genesis intreating of the Creation saith That it is true that it might have pleased God to have said Fiat totus Mundus let all the World bee made in one moment as Fiat lux let there be light in the first it had beene all one to his Omnipotencie to have made it as well in a moment as in six dayes his inquisition is What then should move God and hee findeth no reason but this that men might proceed in the musing of and meditation of the Creation in the same order that God hath taken in the Creation else they should have been in a maze Therefore Psal 104. David when he entreth a discourse of the Works of God he useth an order and Basil and Ambrose have written bookes of it that men might begin to thinke and give themselves to necessary thoughts and wholesome cogitations And this is thought to be the course that was in the Primitive Church For the substance of the reason it selfe generally to move all to doe as God hath done nothing moveth a man so as a notable example as Christ John 13.16 Exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example When he saw his Disciples given to pride and would have them brought to Humility What way taketh he He taketh up a bason of water and a towell and putting off his upper garment washeth their feet and when he had done vers 15. he saith Wott yee what I have done Exemplum dedi vobis Yee call me Lord and ye doe well for I am so If I that am your Lord wash your feet how much more ought you to wash one anothers feet And in the 1 Cor. 11. Paul propoundeth a marveilous example Be yee followers of me as I am of Christ And therefore he himselfe may doe that I have done my selfe and because I that needed not have rested therefore must thou rest that needest it The last reason of the three Therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day he did not onely rest himselfe but he hath consecrated it also and besides his example hee hath annexed a solemne Institution So that it shall be to us a Mercatura animae the market day of our soule both for amendment of the weeke that went before and for a better life in the weeke to come But this is not the reason the force of the reason is in this because God hath blessed and hallowed it therefore this is a marveilous strange kinde of opposition Seeing
I have done it see you doe not resist me but see yee submit you selves to my ordinance that is God is resisted if his Ordinance be resisted and Rom. 13.2 he that despiseth his ordinance despiseth him therefore that God hath hallowed we must not pollute We see then how farre this rest is to be kept and what is required to the sanctification The substance of the fourth Commandement consisteth especially in these two things 1. in the outward rest of the body 2. the other the End to Sanctifie it As before we must Remember it both in the weeke before the day come partly because then we are to yeeld account of the former dayes workes to God In singultu scrupulo cordis with sorrow and trouble of heart partly also as Augustine saith Ne quid operis rejiciatur in diem festum that we put not off any businesse untill the Sabbath and when it is come as Gregorie 11. Mor. 3d. Epist because there are two things the one Aliorum exempla the example of others will make us forget duely to sanctifie it The other Ludorum spectaculorum studia the desire we have after sports and pastimes wee are therefore then the rather to sanctifie it for Esay 58.13 Delicatum Domini Sabbatum the Sabbath of the Lord is a delicate thing Because these two therefore engender a forgetfulnesse we must both remember it aforehand add then also when it commeth The thing that we are to remember is a day of rest to sanctifie it Augustine in two words comprehendeth it well Otium sanctum a Holy Rest or returning from labour And if we aske A returning from what labour the words following shew from what workes A Canon of the Church sheweth it Quod ante fieri poterat quod post fieri poterit What might have beene done before and what may be done afterward must be rested from And whatsoever is meant by the labours and works of the weeke dayes that must be ceased from of us on the contrary Ab eo quod nec ante fieri poterat nec postea poterit non est ita avertendum that which could not be done before and that which cannot be done afterward may on that day be done by us The reason why it must be thus Aug. Epist 157. ad Optatum and Jerome upon Ezek. 20. concerning that the distinction of the bodily rest is for sanctification For out of Eccl. 3. they take this for a ground that there is nothing but must have his time and consequently that we appoint certaine times for our bodies for repast as of sleepe c. in which time we take such order as that we be not let by any thing and as he saith there the more serious a thing we are to deale with the more we seeke that nothing be done with it but that onely and wholly The cheifest care to be had of the soule that nothing trouble it frō his whole meditation but to this end it is meet wee be even solitarie as Augustine saith and we thinke we take a good order in it so So in the Law of Nature there is a time for the soule and the building of the same for procuring holinesse to it for declaring holinesse in it and so consequently that wee are because it is a serious matter to use no lesse diligence in the cases thereof then that there may be no other thing to hinder us And it is a matter so plaine that we see even the councell of Trent taking order for keeping of holy dayes hath set downe Quae abhis qui humanarum occupationum negotio detinentur omnino praestare non possent that this body entermeddle not it selfe with worldly affaires So many of the Fathers as write upon that Psal 46.10 Vacate videte quod ego sum Dominus be still and know that I am God shew by the course of wisedome the same that the Philosophers require that Postulandum secessum ut melius intendamus a full Vacation from cares that a mans head be not occupied with thoughts in worldly matters but that his soule might wholly intend this day and the body might be at command with the soule therefore the forbidding of workes in this Commandement is not therefore because the workes of themselves are evill but onely because they would distract the minde and would not suffer the whole man wholly to intend the workes of the Sabbath The substance of this Commandement I sayd consisteth of these two parts Rest and Sanctification The Rest is the first part otium It is a very strange thing that the nature of man is so altogether given to be contrary to Gods will and wisedome so that it falleth out on both sides contrary Where the precepts are laborious Nota. and of travell and paine there they will be idle and where the precepts are not laborious and of no paine there rather then they will not breake the Commandement they will take paines and wee will even against our natures make our selves businesse and we will pick out that day of all dayes of the weeke that he hath chosen so that we make it a kind of pollicie to make advantage of that day and to find labour in that day which hee hath denyed us to labour in This for the easinesse of the Commandement and perversenesse of man Concerning this rest there are six Countermands The first thing that wee finde Countermanded here is Exod. 16.26 there God taketh order in Elim before the Law was given that from their very necessary labour from gathering Manna they should cease the reason is because it is mercatura animae the soules Market there is a better thing then Manna John 6.58 and 1 Pet. 2.3 speaking there of the heavenly food of that day doth preferre it before Manna 2. A second forbidding in Nehem. 13.15 not onely the gathering of Manna or the going out to gather but though it bee brought us yet a plaine countermand and execution upon it sheweth that it is unlawfull So we are forbidden as from gathering of Manna so from buying of Manna To this belongeth Buying and Selling all Markets and Faires on that day forbidden 3. From carrying burthens Jer. 17.21 22. there is a great commination against those that carryed burthens on that day that made it their carriage day that hee would bring a plague upon them and that such as is there mentioned that is Captivity So we must not carry on that day except we will that God give us a burthen that is Captivitie 4. A fourth thing forbidden Exod. 34.21 because this carriage and inninge of harvest and grapes might seeme to be a matter of great necessity therefore he saith that both in Seed-time and Harvest and Vintage his Sabbaths should be kept that is so as that the provision of the whole Common-wealth must give place to the Rest of the Lord. And that is for carriage 5. For journeying and travelling on the Sabbath day Exod. 16.29 Cras erit
Sabbathum Jehovae maneat unusquisque in loco suo neque egrediatur quispiam to morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord abide ye every man in his place and let no man go out on the seventh day Which is a great abuse with us 6. In Exod. 31.13 there is a matter that goeth beyond all these neither may the contrary course be taken for there in the Chapters precedent in the 28 29 30. God having set downe this platforme for the building up of his Tabernacle and willed Moses presently to goe in hand with it yet he saith in that thirteenth verse Notwithstanding I will have my Sabbath kept which is as much to say that in that worke that might have best shew and might seeme the best and lawfullest and make most to his glory yet he would have his Sabbath kept and not broken for it because in other matters ye may refraine in this ye may not And so vers 15. he taketh order for the universall day Whosoever he be that doth any manner of worke on the Sabbath day is judged worthy of death Nomanner of worke the universall terme And Numb 15.35 it is executed upon one that brake the Sabbath Jer. 17.27 he there protesteth for polluting the places of his rest that he will visit them with a plague of fire and such a one as should burne up the Pallaces of Jerusalem and should not be quenched The Prophets are great urgers of this Commandement above all other Commandements and where this plague of fire is threatned there goeth before a prophaning of the Sabbath and we may observe that there hath not beene any strange visitation by fire but some notable profanation of this day hath gone before and it is usuall among us also So when it shall please God to visit us with the like judgement wee know where to have the cause of it Therefore to conclude this place those that goe out to gather Manna that carry burthens that buy or sell that gather in harvest or vintage that journey and travell up and downe and to speake as it is Exod. 31. generally let not them thinke it is otium or Sabbatum Jebovae that it is the keeping of the Sabbath Augusline 3. Serm. de quadrages non sabbathum Domini est sed sabbatum Tyri The 37. Canon of the councell of Ments tempore Caroli The 35. Canon of the first councell of Triburia The 1. Canon of the second councell of Mascon injoyne a holy observation of this day In the 37. Canon of Ments there is a deprivation of the Communion for three yeares against that party that goeth to pleade causes or keepe Markets belike it was their custome in those dayes to pleade causes on the Sabbath So in the councell of Triburia the like order was taken and likewise Concil matisconense it was larger for the fault milder for the punishment for it was but for halfe a yeare And as one saith God commanded the rest not for the rest it selfe but onely Quia toto die hoc Deo tantummodo vacandum and to give over himselfe body and soule to God Here then falleth in the question concerning the strict observation of the Sabbath Quest 1. which was injoyned the Jewes and whether the same also doth lye upon the Christians Unto this Commandement Resâ—l as to every Commandement there were ceremonies Two the one for not dressing their meate the other for not building their fire on the Sabbath day Exod. 35.3 which are both ceremoniall The reason for there is no externall duty of the Law but it may be performed of any man of any Nation throughout the World But it is well knowne that those that are under the Poles they cannot live one day without fire and to let their fire goe out it were the utter destruction of them all and therefore because it is such an externall action it is certaine it is not morall The like may be said concerning the provision of meate for they that are under the hot Zone under the Equinoctiall their provision will not last them but one day therefore these Acts cannot be kept in the whole World therefore ceremoniall So the Christian is released not but that they could be performed of the Jewes and therefore a peculiar precept to the Iewes because they had no hinderances To make yet a further question Quest 2. Whether all those six rests are absolutely to be holden or not and whether on the Sabbath all of those before mentioned as to gather Manna to travell c. be simply unlawfull We answer to this No no further then the precept Eth hasshabbath c. for that our rest must be a sanctification the outward rest is Destinatum sanctificationi ideo quiescimus ut sanctificemus So whereas our quies is not destinata sanctificationi where the sanctification can be cum quiete with Rest there it is lawfull where it cannot bee there it is unlawfull Certaine it is that a man may rest and not sanctifie and so he may sanctifie and not rest and therefore it is said there are many resters and few sanctifiers In these cases the sanctification standeth thus either upon the meanes of our sanctification or else in the declaring of our sanctification that is in the practice of it Whereas a mans rest cannot agree with both these the rest because it is not destinated to them may be left the rest being a subordinate end And the rule is in Logick Tantum destinati sumendum est quantum ad finem prodest so much of any thing appointed is to be taken as conduces to the end wherefore it is taken as if you will take a purge you must take so much as will serve to purge and where his end riseth there must also the destinate arise Mat. 12. for the meanes of sanctification Christ defending his Disciples against the Jewes which indeed were altogether urgers of the bodily rest he sheweth that the rest in regard of the sanctification may be broken as of the Priests in sacrificing and indeed it is the most laborious time for the Minister but hereby they are blamelesse because they are in opere cultus Domini exercised about divine worship And so shall you reade Acts 1.12 mention made of a Sabbath dayes journey out of 2 Kings 4.23 for there the Shunamite comming to het husband for her Asse he saith to her Why should you goe to him to day it is neither the Sabbath day nor the new Moone The meaning is this that the Shunamite was wont to goe out to heare the Prophet and because she had not meanes shee would ride forth Therefore where the meanes of sanctification are wanting a man may take a sabbath dayes journey he may goe where they are used to be gotten Thus for the first part of sanctification Now of this first part of sanctification the meanes is lesse acceptable to God then the second part thereof which is the practice of the worke of
therefore we must not give any scandala but if any be given bring help Levit. 19.17 18 c. In this dilection we must marke two things First to hurt no man Levit. 19.13 Secondly Rom. 12.14 Matth. 5.44 not to recompense evill Three particular actions of this Love 1. To succour the needy and hungry Prov. 22.12 Matth. 25.44 1 Joh. 3.17 If any man have this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Which are defined to be those which we give out of the abundance of sufficiencie 2. To pray Rom. 12.14 Matth. 7.14 to pray for all This is radius charitatis the beames of Charity 3. To performe our vocation as the Lawyer to give good counsell Luk. 6.27 28 29. To part with our clothes c. is a thing to Gods glory and the health of our neighbour 2. Objectum Thy neighbour 2. Proximum They take this word strictly for their friends only Matth. 5.43 but Luk. 10.37 Christ maketh the Scribe confesse that it reacheth to the Samaritanes their greatest enemies which would not entertaine Christ because his face was toward Jerusalem Seeing that he is Proximus a Neighbour that hath mercie and proximus is proximi proximus therefore he is a neighbour that can receive mercy So that misericordia non loci differentia facit proximum a worke of mercy not difference of place maketh a neighbour And the Law confirmeth it Deut. 22.5 If thy brothers oxe c. which brother Exod. 23.4 5. is said to be our enemie This hath for it three words 1. That which is here fellow or friend Amicus 2. That which Christ calleth it and that is plainly a neighbour Proximus 3. Johns word in his Epistle brother frater Reasons why we should love all these are strong and of like force so that the words are all one 1. Frater naturae identitas as beasts of the same kind do love and children their faces in a glasse originis identitas all of one blood 2. Proximus 1. Usus one hath need of another 2. Unitas propositi all tend to one end to be partakers of the reward 3. Amicus or Socius 1. by precept of love Amor amoris magnes love is the loadstone of love 2. Societas ejusdem periculi per eundem liberati And we had all one perill hell delivered by one Christ 2 Tim. 1.6 So we may use any of these words In this proximo neighbour be two things to be had 1. We must beware that we take not the sinne of our neighbour for our neighbour for Omnis peccator quatenus peccator odio habendus omnis homo quatenus homo diligendus sic homines ut non errorcs quia facti sunt non quia fecerunt Every sinner as a sinner is to be hated every man as a man is to be loved we must so love the men that we love not their sinnes love them we must because they are made men not because they have done this or that The reason is for that I shall therefore love him because he shall be partaker with mee of the good but how then should I love that that hindereth him from this that is his sinne Proverb 29.24 He that loveth evill company hateth his owne soule for he loveth those things that are against his soule 2. For degrees whether alius be alio propinquior Whether one be nearer to mee then an other That there be degrees it is plaine because omission of duties to parents is worse then to strangers so that there must needs be a greater duty to one of these then to the other As in naturall things where the greatest action is there is the greatest inclination so here must be with the greater dutie the greater affection and so a greater love Where all be not alike there is some primum and that which is nearest is prius so there is ordo which ordo is such 1. God for he is that bonum that good by participation of which all other are bona said to be good and the universall nature to which all the other give place as in policie bonum publicum 2. Our selves for we are unitas with our selves which can be but united with our brethren 3. The soules of our brethren before our owne bodies For any soule can directly participate the universall good but no body except by the soule therefore every soule to be preferred before the body 4. Our owne bodies 5. Then the bodies of our neighbours And of our neighbours first we must looke whether they have need if not we are detained from doing this good for them If they have need before others we must do it familiae fidei to the houshold of faith Galat 6.10 And of those to our Country-men Psalm 122.8 of these to those which are nostri 1 Tim. 4.8 of these our houshold and kindred and first the wife Gen. 2.24 1 Sam. 1.8 Am not I worth tenne sonnes And of strangers to the poore before the rich And if there be two equall every way and the thing cannot be divided cast lots quem sorte Deus elegerit August whom God shall choose take him For the manner There be three respects in this love 1. Dilecti of the thing beloved Excellentia bona those things that are excellent and good must be most neere unto us in a case of justice done by law or precept 2. Diligentis of the partie loving propinquitas in gratuitis quae sunt judicio nostro he may have respect to propinquity of kindred c. 3. As thy selfe non quantum sed sicut not as extensively but as sincerely And that in foure things 1. The end sicut te i. propter quod amas teipsum as thy selfe i. e. for that that thou lovest thy selfe that must be quia Deum amas ideoque omnia quae sunt Dei ob hanc causam dilige fratrem because thou lovest God therefore thou must love all that are of God and for this cause thy brother 2. Meanes application to this end ad quod teipsum chiefly to his soule so we must tollere impedimenta remove those impediments which do hinder our soules from this goodnesse and so non consentire ejus voluntati in malo not to consent to him in evill So that as August saith aut ama me quia sum Dei aut ut sim Dei either love mee because I do pertaine to God or that I may pertaine to him and so we must love our brother 3. Manner not for the use of him or because we hope to have a good turne of him but gratuito freely 4. Order first God for the second Table must helpe the first and not cancell it And thus must our love be ex fonte pietatis justus verus ordinatus it must flow from piety in justice truth and order This is the summe of the second Table The V. Commandement Honour thy Father and Mother c. THe last
Commandement is the fountaine whence all of the second Table doe come as a streame beginning at the Conduit-head This fifth Commandement hath all those properties which are due to any man with respect And in those two things which must be seene in love 1. In respect of God the excellencie 2. In respect of us conjunction or nearenesse Whereas in conjunction we must rather love the faithfull our countreymen and kinsfolke here in the case of excellencie it is not so For sometimes wee must give more honour to an infidell as Acts 25. Paul to Nero and Dan. 6.3 to a stranger as they did to Daniel and Gen. 41.40 as Pharaoh did to Ioseph And to give this to men indued with gifts is in regard of their nearenesse to God for by his benefits they are neerer his end so as for this cause they are to be preferred and made nearer to us also And they are also nearer to us in respect of the greater profit we shall receive of them according to that of the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He as God for God setteth as much by that which is his his owne as by himselfe so that being nearer our profit we may love them and being nearer to God we must performe all other duties unto them Why are not all men excellent alike Quest Sol. Gods wisdome wonderfully appeareth in this For seeing Gen. 2.18 the occasion of the Woman was that she should helpe because that though it were good yet not the best that Man should be alone for he being finite and therefore of a finite power might with helpe performe better services unto God Now seeing they were plures more then one the question is whether they must be one body or not And if there be one body then must there be diversity of members 1 Cor. 12.21 But if it be said there should not be one that is confuted here Also God being most excellent and having all other things under him would in his creatures have a patterne of that excellencie and subjection so that for that cause 1 Cor. 15.41 he made every star differ from other inglory So also that they might be those divers vessels 2 Tim. 2.20 And by this Commandement doth all power stand And hence it is that he hath called them Gods Psal 82.6 And therfore this Commandement possesseth this place as in medio in the midst as Philo Iudaeus saith because God would have him first to looke to his worship and then to his owne honour in the second Table Gen. 17.9 This Commandement hath two parts 1. precept Honour c. 2. Reason that thy dayes c. This division proved Ephes 6.2.3 The precept containeth the duty of Inferiours Honour Superiours to be Fathers and Mothers For God includeth in one word the most especiall things And because as Chrysostome saith first they must be before they can be honoured therefore first What is meant by Father What is here ment by Father 1. That is true Matth. 23.9 We have but one Father for all others as the Heathen said be but instruments Whensoever therefore any thing is attributed to God and man God is the first Ephes 3.17 so he is the first Father Psal 27. which tooke us out of the wombe and the last Father Psal 82. which taketh us up when all other have forsaken us So that seeing to be a Father commeth from God and our superiours are made partakers with God as his instruments they must also have their duties from him The word Father signifieth him that hath a care or desire to doe good for which Iob cap. 25. was called a Father so that he is a Father by whom others are in better case and estate 2. Mother This hath the name of a faithfull keeper as we may see by the end of her making which was to helpe And the same word was so used Iob 12.20 Ruth 4.4 And the Heathen themselves know this that a good governour differeth nothing from a good Father 3. Honora honour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth aggravare so where excellencie is added to the thing it is of weight and in precious things the heaviest is the best So that addere pretium is addere pondus and so by translation honorem honour for when a man hath received the person of God it is more to be esteemed It was a miracle among the Heathen that so many Kings should give their heads to one sometimes to a Woman sometimes to a child which argueth plainely that they knew a divine power therein that might not be resisted i. Gods ordinance and so worketh a reverence in our hearts And as in the former word so for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour Solon in his Lawes and Plato and the Romanes doe make choyce of this word and other that write of Lawes and that matter 1. Now what the estate of them is this is to be set downe as 2 Cor. 4.13 All things are for your sakes i. for the Churches sake Politia est propter Ecclesiam set downe 1 Tim. 2.2 For there the Apostle goeth thus to worke God would have all men saved that they might be saved he would have them live in all godlinesse and honesty that they may doe thus he would have them taught the knowledge of God this necessarily requireth a rest for in the warres there is nothing rightly ministred That men might intend thus to live it is said vers 2. it is expedient they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leade a peaceable life in regard of outward invasions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiet in regard of minde and inward tumult and troubles Now if the naturall Father and Mother could have performed this as a while they did to Gen. 9. there had needed no other But Gen. 10.8 9. there comes one Nimrod with a company of hounds at his taile the same metaphor it pleaseth the holy Ghost to use i. sons of Belial and he taketh upon him to be an hunter i. a chaser of men to disturbe So because the naturall Father cannot performe it and because we cannot in deede doe fully the duty of our soules therefore there is a Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi a spirituall Father in the Apostles and their successors For this cause Heb. 13.17 to soules and bodies 1 Tim. 2.2 was it that God first allowed and after instituted that men should have government both for resisting of outward foes and quieting of inward strises Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every soule be subject c. There it is said that this binding of men into one society this power is of God and so to be accounted of us for vers 4. he saith God hath delivered him a sword to the end that he should be vindex malorum against the evill and disturber of this quietnesse by which men might intend the former rest and consequently that he should be a comforter and cherisher of good men and those that love to live
our selves with honour and long life Secondly the convenient proportion of the promises and that it is most just for that it is said of the Heathen Si reddideris benesicium gratis tuere tu beneficium if he become thankfull orna quantum potes In our birth we received a benefit from our Parents that is life being thankfull to them this benefit shall be preserved Therefore God will have life to be preserved of them of whom we had it 1 Tim. 4.8 Piety one of the speciall parts wherof this is hath promises of this life and of that to come The Heathen man saith if all the Adverbs were linked together and bene male well and ill were out it were to no purpose Therefore God Deut. 5.16 addeth an explication of this That thy dayes may be long And that it may goe well with thee Augustine ut non solum vita longa sed laeta that thy life may be not onely long but chearefull Now the means he saith shall be our Parents that by their blessing they may prolong our dayes he hath annexed his blessing to the blessing of the Parent For this blessing of life in the Scripture came from Noah the blessing first was to Sem of the life to come and to Japheth of this life God shall perswade Japheth c. shewing that the Parents giving it from the soule and Faith Heb. 11.20 21. making it a fruit of faith By faith Isaac blessed Jacob concerning things to come c. It will worke miracles Sem and his seed had a great priviledge for the World to come Japheth for this life and a curse to Cham both for this life and the life to come his seed hath alwayes beene in subjection and they have had small light of Religion and small sparkes of the Gospell Againe in the blessing from Isaac on Jacob legatur locus perpendantur circumstantiae Gen. 27.7 c. He blessed him with c. and he was blessed He loved Esau more and so no doubt the blessing had been his but that by Gods providence it was carryed to Jacob Gen. 48.20 A strange blessing for the manner and mighty for effect was that of Jacob on Josephs sonnes and Gen. 49. He to Joseph because he had fed his Father blesseth him with the blessing of the Heaven the Ayre the Deepe and that Tribe continued longest in prosperity Psal 115.15 Vos estis benedicti Domini ye are the blessed of the Lord and so consequently the blessing being of the Lord of which Parents be instruments it is instrumentally to be ascribed to the blessing of the Parents because it is they that have made it by their blessing All this is to provoke the prayer of the Superiours Whether is this promise fulfilled Quest A busie nature may supply many objections and our experience will shew us the contrary obedient and dutifull Inferiours have dyed betimes disobedient stubborne and contumacious children have prospered and lived long Therefore it is certaine that the wise man saith Eccles 9.2 3. that all thing in this World be alike to all men the reason is this Gen. 27. God shall give thee of the fatnesse of the earth Isaac he could give it to Jacob and after he giveth it vers 39. to Esau so God shall give to thee as to thy Brother Pro. 13.16 they are distinguished Immortality length of dayes are the gifts of the right hand Glory riches and preferment are the gifts of the left hand and prosperity is common to both and the reason is Ne homines cupide prosequantur Sol. 1 lest men should be set too eagarly upon getting And adversitie is common to both Ne illa turpiter effugiatur For why should a man sweat if he thought he might not get out of adversitie More reasons There is common adversitie Why God giveth to some of his adversitie and not to some of the wicked because if he should give to all the wicked 2 Pet. 1.3 4. there would be no judgement contra if he should give all adversitie to his children then Psal 11.12 certe Deus non respicit nos Gods providence should not be in this World therefore that he may shew that he hath a providence he will give to some of his these good things And that he may shew that he hath a Judgement he will give them to some of the wicked He would not have these good things to be altogether in the wicked because then they would thinke that God had not the disposition of them And as Habak 1.16 they would sacrifice to their Not and to their Yarne and contra if good men should have all and the Devill none then the Devill would say as he did Job 1.19 Nunquid servit Deo gratis Doth Job serve God for nought How then First bene male must come in it is not so much long life as the comfort and delight which we enjoy in our life which is here promised as a blessing Wherefore 1 Kings 19.4 Elias he quits God with his promise I pray thee take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers and Deut. 5.16 it is expounded They shall prolong your dayes so long as you can live prosperously and well It must be a benefit if a man have a promise of a long life if it come to be a displeasure it were better not to have it Life may be a displeasure in two respects Now in two respects life may be a displeasure First in regard of the evill time 2 Kings 22.20 Huldah saith Josiah was a good King but there were evill times over the Land therefore shee saith That to take him away from this evill time God would shorten his dayes Secondly Esay 55.1 In regard of himselfe lest he should be corrupted The time shall not greive him but shall corrupt him Raptus est ê facie maliciae Enoch Enoch was taken away from the earth because else he would happely have been corrupted or contra would have fallen into a marveilous griefe of minde And this is one answer Another answer they say Sol. 2. is this That although he take them away upon this condition yet it is not a sufficient compensation But as out of Mark 6.23 When Herod had promised halfe his Kingdome it is certaine if he had given her his whole Kingdome it had beene no breach And so if God promise vitam prolongatam a prolonged life and give for it vitam perpâ—tuatam eternall life here is more then halfe in all As he that promiseth twelve peeces of silver and giveth twelve peeces of gold or he that promiseth to give a Vessell of Beere and giveth a Vessell of Wine breaketh not his promise But the last and most sufficient answer is this Sol. 3. There is no temporall thing of this life that doth cadere in promissum Dei fall under a promise of God but onely as it shall helpe and further the next life This life is but via ad vitam the way
no cruelty to cut it off Because as was said in the beginning and it is a most true rule Melius est us periat unus quam unitas it is better that one perish then unity should be broken And as we see in a common fire that a house that hath taken fire so long as there is hope that it may be saved they deale with water but when there is no hope and it bringeth danger to the next houses about they pull it down extinguit incendium ruina that the fall thereof may quench the fire thus we see it in the naturall body so likewise in the civill Deut. 19.10 20. 13.11 In the 10. he will have them tollere homicidam ut malum tollatur ab Israele to cut off the man-slayer that evill may be taken away from Israel and that a double malum a double evill there is the wrath of God upon the whole land because if any part shed innocent bloud and the land that is the whole looke not to it Impunity magna venefica to make other do the like And a second malum a 2. evill vers 10. is the multiplying of it 1. Impunity because it is magna venefica a great Witch to make other men doe the like therefore Deut. 19.20 13.11 that men may see and heare and feare and the like evill may be no more committed They shall not onely avoide his wrath and multiplying of murther tollere malum ex Israele but take away evill also from Israel So consequently if bloud be shed in this respect as Moses saith Exod. 32.29 it is not a polluting but a consecrating of the hands Ps 101. vers ult the Prophet David saith his common morning exercise after prayer should be this that he would cut off all the wicked from the Lords City Prov. 20.26 There is the wise Kings study or this shall bee his study how to scatter the wicked or to make the wheele goe over them For as it was found in the establishing of the Magistrate that it was Caines City that made Seth to make himselfe a City and not only that but there were also sundry of Caines spirit that came in among the seed of Seth therefore heed was to be had to them as Ezek. 34.18.21 to the Hee Goates to the Rammes and to the fat sheepe for they would push at the leane sheepe with their hornes and as the Heathen man saith Tam necesse est it is as needfull that there should be qui arceant homines such as may restraine men from outward invasion quā necessariae sunt palpebrae oculis as the eye-lids are needfull for the eyes for they keepe out outward injuries and that that would hurt the eyes and the sight from hurting it self for else it would disperse it self too much therefore expedient it is that prius sanguis funderetur ne plus sanguinis funderetur that bloud be first shed lest more bloud afterwards should be shed How this may bee done it is manifest that bloud may be shed Gen. 9.6 and Matth. 26.52 Qui gladium acceperit gladio peribit he that taketh the sword shall perish with the sword and the sword Rom. 13.4 is given to one who is there called Gods Minister and to the Magistrate to whom he hath delivered it not to bear it in vain and consequently in deed in effect no man sheddeth any bloud if it be lawfully shed For as we say it is not the sword that killeth and sheddeth mans bloud so neither doth the Magistrate the Minister of it nor the Judge but the chiefe cause doth it for quod est organum utenti id est minister jubenti what the toole is to him that useth it such is the Officer to him that commandeth him Now Iubens est Deus the Commander is God for we blame not the sword neither must we the minister but we must have recourse to God The Magistrates Writ Now then for the Magistrates use of it as we say that the Sheriffes and under-Officers rule is they must doe nothing but ex praescripto by a Writ and when it doth come downe for execution then they must doe it and not else so certainely the Prince he must have a Writ too from God else he is not to execute Now Gods Writ or Prescript in this behalfe we have Exod. 23.7 for there is said there is a Countermand that no innocent man should have his bloud shed If any doe it I will not spare the wicked man saith the Lord. And Abigail 1 Sam. 25.29 doth well set it out The soule of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God and the soule of thine enemies shall the Lord cast out Whoso is a man of bloud and liveth to the disquieting of the society that hee should maintaine his soule shall be throwne our as out of a sling And 1 King 1.52 he saith there according to his Writ If he will bee a worthy man and a faithfull subject there shall not a haire fall from his head but if he will be seditious he shall surely die So then wee see that a Prince may not execute the innocent and when he doth so 1 King 21.8.13 Naboth an innocent man is put to death by the King then the King is a murtherer he is Rex homicida for he is so called by the Prophet Elisha 2 King 6.32 See I pray you this murtherers sonne and 2 Chron. 24.25 when Ioas fell violently on Zachariah an innocent Prophet for telling him the truth it is said that God revenged this murther and stirred up his owne servants against him to kill him And for this cause because he had murthered the children of Ichoidah the Priest As on this behalfe we must not execute the innocent so on the other side Deut. 19.13 non miseraberis non parcet oculus tuus thou shalt not have mercie upon him neither shall thine eye pitie him there is an irrevocable Writ that whosoever is a murtherer must die Then the question Whether any one that is a murtherer may be any way afterwards executed And therein there are three points necessary to be considered The first wee call Iudicium perversum unrighteous judgement That those that are innocent are put to death and those that are nocent are spared But a just man must not be killed and an unjust man must not be spared The second Iudicium usurpatum judgement usurped Every man must be kept in his limits Rom. 14.4 Quis i◠es qui judicas alienum servum Who art thou that judgest another mans servant Others subjects that pertaine not to our Prince If further then jus gentium against the law of armes any be executed it is usurped The third we finde Deut. 19.18 Diligentissimè inquisiveris thou shalt make diligent inquisition without triall he must be sons damna tus condemned against law Acts 23.35 Claudius Lysias would have Pauls accusers come before him And Iohn 18.27 the wicked
making of the soile fit and so to gula and in it to crapula feeding too much It is well said that gula is vestibulum luxuriae the gallery that letchery goeth thorow and that by reason the faculties stand so for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is officina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuâ—ritiva is officina generativae the nutritive faculty is the shop of the generative and so if it be well looked into there is good hope that wee shall the better deale with it Gal. 5.21 Whereas he saith there that one of the fruits of the flesh is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncleannesse hee addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 banâ—uetting as another Ezek. 16 49. The Prophet there saith that one of the especiall motives of the Sodomits was fulnesse of bread that mâ—de them fit for destruction And Ierom upon that place saith nunquam ego edacem hominem castum putabam pro qualitate ciborum est ordo membrorum for venter bene pastus cito despumat ad libidinem I ever thought a great eater to be unchast for according to the quality of the meates is the order of the members a well fed belly will soone waxe wanton There commeth to this Ingluvies gluttony besides that as Iohn 6.12 it is injurious to God in destroying Gods creatures Luke 15.13 a wasting of Gods creatures in vaine It is fruges male consumere Idlely to spend graine Prov. 23.20 21. And it will at last begger a man Siracides cap. 18. vers ult sheweth how he must make banquets although he borrow for them and so come in debt The Heathen man foed ssimum patrimoniorum exitium culina They cannot be worse spent then upon the kitchin And besides as Numb 11.34 there are graves of lusts i. surfettings that hasten a mans death It is our gentile vitium nationall sinne There is an infinite sort of graves of lusts in our Countrey When they are sicke they call for sanitas and when they have it they become afterwards to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betrayers of their health with surfetting Besides these effects in the body Againe in the soule Luke 8.17 It maketh Sermons and whatsoever exercise of godlinesse unfruitfull it is a speciall meanes to choake it Luke 21.34 It maketh our heart so heavie and our braines so unapt by reason of the fuming of the meate and drinke that riseth up to the head that a man is not fit for any thing but to sleepe Amos 6. Greg. saith ad ineptam laetitiam scurrile mirth Besides this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lust there is first hebetudo mentis durities cordis a dulnesse of the minde and hardnesse of the heart Amos 6.6 They drinke their wine in bowles and they had no compassion on Iosephs affliction c. There is no sympathy with these and them that want and it is a great preparative to the vice After when as Deut. 32.15 Moses in his song my fatling well fedde recalcitravit kicked and so will the body Prov. 27.2 Bring up your servant wantonly and he will prove stubborne feede him delicately and he will be check-mate with you Eccles 30.8 Equus indomitus a horse not broken becommeth head-strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be wilfull a wanton childe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the flesh proveth stubborne if it be like didectus impinguatus Iesurum waxed fat 1 Pet. 2.11 These desideria carnis these concupiscences militant adversus animam They make the enemies warfare stronger against the soule And what a folly is it to strengthen the enemy Then in this behalfe for avoyding of these concupiscences Pauls counsell 1 Cor. 9.27 Castigatio corporis to keepe under the body and one manner of castigation is per damnum by taking away some commodity as castigatio jumentorum the keeping under of labouring beasts is by taking away their provender This in effect is that we use Temperance which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Butler of all vertues Naturally this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temperance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosophers call her the voyce of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let me not be hungry thirsty cold c. Esau when he was hungry called Iacobs pottage lenticulum a little Lentill it was it seemes then savory Sitis non quaerit aurea pocula thirst cares not for drinking in gold But it is this Non resistere ulli desiderio quod habet umbram naturae when we yeeld to any desire that pleaseth nature that maketh us wanton he will not have it in this dish and he will not eate it if it be thus drest and so then venter the belly commeth to be molestus cliens a trouble some client We must necessarily have recourse to Temperance which consisteth in modo in the meane and that modus est in medio and that meane is in the middle and that is knowne per regulam by the rule Therefore the rule of Temperance is 1. Necessitas vitae Rule of temperance things necessary for life 1 Tim. 6.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having food and raiment let us be therewith content 2. Necessitas officii things necessary for our duty and calling 1 Cor. 9.25 he that is athleia a wrestler must not have so much meat so if he fast he detracteth or he that will be contemplative and a student detracteth a husband-man addeth 3. Voluptas quae neutrum horum impedit seu impediat things necessary for delight which neither doe or may hinder either of the former two If it be against duty or against life it is peccatum a sinne According to these rules we must bridle our desires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee must make temperance our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Coach-man and give her the bridle that she may constringere relaxare Temperamia fraenos gutiuris constrimgit relaxat both keepe us in and let us out for temperance both gives the reines to and takes them away from the appetite Aug. The Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Venus waites on plenty And for temperance Eâ—â—â—â—â—d if the first part be well looked unto the other will be easie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first regulate the belly The rule of five branches for governing himselfe in this 1. Concerning the substance if ye respect not the substance Luk. 16.19 the rich glutton must fare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—lendide delicately every day Numb 11.6 They were weary of Manna and they must have Quailes For certaine it is Dan. 1.12 if a man have moratum ventrem no dainty palate his Pulse will serve It is that that served Daniel and his companions and yet they looked never a whit the worse Else as 1 Sam. 2.16 Elies sonnes they must have roste they cannot eate sodden meate when a man breaketh not himselfe as for the substance of the meate it is not to be dainty nor course so he be injurious to the Adverbe lauie costly And last of all 1 King 17.6 by Elias his
may be publike gratulation civilly or ecclesiastically for that was the third part of temperance And whatsoever was not a hinderer of any of these it was a day of publike joy There the people were ready to mourne therefore he saith they should goe home and he willed them to testifie by the use of the creatures the joy of the benefit which God had vouchsafed to his Church But out of these three cases it must not be used And contrary to these Esa 22.13 Even as in the time when there was occasion that they should rather mourne they fell to joy and gladnesse when they should rather have fasted they fel to feasting both those are contrary to this precept And a third thing whereas the Apostle reckoneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wine they straight take hold of it but where he joyneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little they take no hold of it There must not be redundantia superfluity Amos 6.6 it is counted an especiall fault of the Princes of Israel that they dranke wine in bowles c. whereas wine and ointments are to be used no otherwise then will serve for medicines of nature or duty or testifying their joy or pleasure for blessings received if it be not used for some one of these we have no warrant for it and it disposeth us to this sinne And you may apply the five rules to the right governing your selfe so both these vices are salved by a vertue called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temperance that is here commended Gal. 5.23 where it is made an especiall fruit of the spirit and Tit. 2.6 where Titus is called especially to preach it and exhort young men to it and 2 Pet. 1.6 it is commanded that vertue shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in knowledge and to that is joyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temperance unto young men and to those that bend themselves to knowledge and in scientia abstinentia in knowledge is Temperance 2. The second thing is Idlenesse Idlenesse The light of nature answering to him that asked what was luxuria that it was nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passion of idlenesse Ezek. 16.49 lusting after strange flesh it came of Idlenesse Idlenesse highly displeaseth God as well in regard of the next Commandement as in regard of losse of time which is to be carefully employed Gal. 6.10 and Ephes 5.16 when we have over-seene our selves in losse of time we must be carefull to redeeme it It commeth also under this Commandement making us applyable and like soft wax for concupiscence Idlenesse is in two things Being 1. Given to sleepe 2. Awaked and not exercised in our callings The first in Rom. 13.13 when he hath beene in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 banquetings and then in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drunkennesse thirdly he commeth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee translate it chambering but is properly lying in bed And there is joyned with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wantonnesse the companion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chambering and beginning of concupiscence Amos 6.4 he speaketh there and upbraideth them as with an offence And they lay and stretched themselves on their beds and Mich. 2.1 that by thus stretching themselves they began to cogitare nequam and to have wicked thoughts And we our selves see 2 Sam. 11.2 that David after his sleepe he was disposed to take the aire in his Turret and so was made a fit matter to receive the impression of the sight For which cause Solomon Pro. 20.13 meete for this purpose after that he had sain vers 11. Those that are young a man may know them by their actions whether their words be aright And then vers 12. thus you shall know whether they apply their eares and eyes to knowledge as God created them otherwise as vers 13. if they love sleepe the effects of it shall come upon them 2. The quantity of it Prov. 6.9 Vsque quo dormis ultra horam how long wilt thou sleepe O sluggard Rom. 13.11 when the houre commeth then to be on his bed as the dore on the hinge so hee that is slothfull will never prove good 3. The manner as we see in Ionas cap. 1.5 It is said there that he was dead asleepe when the danger hung over him and being for his cause Ierome on that place Some sleepe doth not seeme to be requies lassi but sepultura suffocatt the repose of the wearied but the burying of the dead Esa 29.10 The sleepe of slumber is a certaine plague of God and as it standeth there is to be understood as well of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the drowsinesse of the soule as of the sleepe of the body wherein a man is often iterating of it It is a signe that as Ionas in the thickest of the tempest slept deepely the visitation of God being upon him In these regards we come to be faulty in our naturall desires Aâ—oâ—ia not labouring in our callings As on the other side with wanting labour and giving our selves to ease we come to have Heb. 12.12 hanging heads and loose knees that are fit for no good thing And consequently as there is none of the creatures of God whether it be naturall or artificiall but standing still it groweth to be corrupt as water for it most properly standing doth putrifie and being putrified once engendreth Toades and other such venemous creatures so ease in the body bringeth forth podagram the gout and in the minde the disease of it Basill calleth podagram anima the gout of the soule Ambrose calleth them creaturas Domin superfluas superfluous creatures of God which doe no way profit the body wherein they live But as the Heathen man saith of the Hogge that hath animam pro sale Salt instead of a soule they should not else be sweete 2. Thes 3.11 Idlenesse there not measured by doing nothing but by not doing the duties of their places They that are placed here and doe not study if they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working not at all then if they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busie bodies 1 Tim. 5.13 he saith there they be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle and not onely that but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle pratlers And upon these commeth tale-carrying lying faining c. forging and they disquiet other and not onely that but they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busie bodies medling out of their calling These be here restrained In each of these as there groweth a disposition to make the body fit for the evill motions of the soule so the vertue 1 Pet. 2.11 Abstinence and fighting against such concupiscences as doe militare conira animam fight against the soule 1. For the first against sleepe 1 Pet. 1.13 he hath that which hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sobriety properly watchfulnesse 1 Thes 5.6 the Apostle hath the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sober and watch drunkennesse and sleepe are in the night these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
workes of darknesse but we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the light and therefore our desires must be of the workes of light that we may walke accordingly 2. For the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 4.11 A desire to set our selves to doe our owne workes and to doe it c. Irrigatio concupiscentiae After this the next is called irrigatio concupiscentiae the medling with noysome meates which are provocations to this sinne As in bodily Physicke there be many bodies changed by the diet coveting some one dish that much breedeth one disease though they be not naturally given to it yet at the length they come to it So it is in the soule As we must keepe the state of it from being a meete mould or a fat ground for the Devill to cast in his seed so we must take heede of these meates and outward objects and allurements that may dispose the soule to this sinne We consider these as they are in our selves and as they are in others and as they are in the body and about it As namely First if any man doe adhibere fucum use painting it was one of Iezebels vices 2 King 9.30 It is said she paimed her face tyred her haire and looked out at a window And not onely a thing in one person but in many persons for setting a wrong colour on their eyebrowes Ier. 4.30 And then Prov. 9.14 Solomon testifieth of the Harlot she setteth her down to be an allurement to men These be things condemned by the word of God yet this is not so usuall as the second that is the strange disguising of our selves in apparell 1 Tim. 2.9 1 Pet. 3.3 It is reprehended even in women which are rather to be allowed in it because it is mundus muliebris the ornament of women Greg. Thinke with your selves what a deformity it is in you seeing it is found fault withall in women First they finde fault with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wreathing of the haire and the second is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the adding of gold or pearles to apparell And the third they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rare apparell strange and costly Luke 16.19 It is called fine linnen and silke The reason in Paul because these become not the professors of the feare of God Peter hath two reasons 1. v. 4. not the utter but the inner man to be garnished Caro where is magna corporis cura there plerunque is magna mentis incuria where the body is too much decked there it is to be feared the minde for the most part is neglected for this is care with modesty 2. vers 5. ab exemplo sanctorum from the example of the Saints Did the Saints use apparell thus did Sarah did Abraham A third thing Gesture Mich. 2.3 God saith 3. Gesiuâ— he will be a swift revenger against such as goe proudly in gate Esa 3.16 telleth what he meaneth by it 1. they goe on tiptoe 2. they have exerium gutiur stretched forth necks 2. nutantes oculos the rolling of the eyes casting them scornfully on the one side first and then on the other and 4. they have minutos passus a mincing gate they goe as if they were compedui shackled And he thundereth as pathetically as he can even in the daughters of Sion much more would he in the sonnes of Sion Ambr. Gesta naturam dedit sed gratia emendat Aug. Prov. 30.13 some have proud gates of nature sed gratiam emendat grace must amend all Then after these there are other incentives and provocations from without us Psal 50.18 consortium cum adulieris Provocation ab exira and Prov. 7.22 meeting and conferences with Harlots carrying a man as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes or a bird to the pitfall c. 1 Cor. 5.6 fermentum modicum totam massam Company c. a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump It is common to all vices but he applieth it there to this sinne This vice hath an especiall vertue to leaven the company Company not only notorious but also suspitious is to be avoyded Prov. 7.8.9 he saith one of his observations was that looking out of his window he saw a young man would needs goe by a suspitious place and he did it in the twilight in the evening at a suspitious time and so among the rest you shall see these two plainely that prepare them to this 1. Thes 5.20.22 It is not onely malum evill but species also mali apparence of evill that must be avoyded And not onely coram Deo before God 2 Cor. 8.21 but all evill suspitions before men This for company Now another thing is which the Heathen man calleth his comites his companions that he was solus alone and yet had his comites nunquam minus solus quam cum solus companions never lesse alone then when alone he had a booke or two about him so that under company come evill bookes that speake broadly and grossely of this sinne and bring a man to have both knowledge and affection 1 Cor. 15.33 Paul speaking of the sayings of Epicurisme alledgeth out of Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Evill words or evill deeds spoken or written corrupt good manners Evill words be as Prov. 9.17 stollen waters c. or as Prov. 7.18 let us take our pleasure in dalliance c. by colouring of a filthy act with good words So for company There are annexed hereto such two things as by the eye and eare worke the same impression in the soule 1. Pictures imagines obscoenae as of Baal-Peor Numb 25.18 Hose 9.10 they longed to looke on it and Psal 106.28 they joyned themselves to Baal Peor and eate the offerings of the dead It was Balaams counsell Numb 31.16 1 Cor. 10.8 Ne scortemur c. To bring them to see the Image in the Temple We know what he saith in Eunuchus The parlers were hanged with the pictures of Danae and Iupiters comming to her you see his conclusion So Prov. 7.16 the Harlots chamber hanged with tapestry very like to be these So whatsoever stirreth up the minde by the eye or eare by analogy as Marke 6.22 choreae lascivae or ludi theatrici i. concil * Agathense Châ—â—â—ae lasâ—iâ—ae Ludi thâ—aâ—â—iâ—i 〈◊〉 Câ—ncil Agaâ—â—ens in Cauâ—anz can 28. In Câ—â—iâ— Edition can nâ—â— 39. nâ—n Câ—nâ—â—l let 30. â—an 23. in Editiâ—n Câ—ais can 5. that pertaine to this point of foolish places The reasons as the Councels alleadge them are very good and to be liked And one is Psal 119.37 Averte oculos nevideani vanitatem turne away thine eyes lest they behold vanity And besides these there is losse of time Prov. 6.27 28. he hath Rubens fault Gen. 49.4 as light as water Prov. 6.27 Where this affection is he shall take fire in his bosome and he shall goe upon coales and therefore the danger can hardly be fled Item whatsoever may
from God in our devotions and wed us to the world besides that of the Apostle vers 33. experience verifies Vegetius minus malum metuit qui minus delicias gustavit the lesse evill he tasteth the lesse evill he feareth so in regard of this he will be willinger to die or to follow Christ he commeth to the first and if not that then to the second conjugall chastity Meanes of preserving us â— The manner of behaving our selves to preserve us that wee may be found unblameable against this sinne of concupiscence 1. knowing that it is not tentari but uri to be set into a heate to be enflamed that the Apostle speakes against for his meaning is not that the gift of continencie bringeth with it naturalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privationem sensus naturall insensibility or privation of sense The inward boyling a man may examine thus whether it be in him a punishment for sinne It is certaine that adultery and uncleane lusts are a punishment for pride Enoch It is plaine Ose 5.5 the spirit of fornication is among them ratio because the pride of Israel testifieth to his face he that can accuse himselfe of pride may feare that the spirit of fornication is upon him as contra if he be assailed with the spirit of fornication he must looke backe and see if it be not the punishment of pride Rom. 1.22 he noteth that they thought themselves wise c. therefore God gave them over unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vile affections which appeared first Gen. 3.7 quasi Deus to be as God was the first punishment that came upon him for his pride he had first neede of Fig-leaves to cover the shame of his nakednesse as if he punished contumeliam spiritus with contumelia carnis the contumely of the spirit with the shame of the flesh 2. Another 2 Sam. 11.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sadnesse or heavinesse that a man hath in spirituall things altogether unlusty to good exercises he must sleepe and then walke c. so he shall be sure to come to Davids tale therefore because man must have pleasure if he have it not in the spirit he will have it in the body and so when he feeleth it in him then beginneth his minde evagari circa illicita to rove and further there comes in importunitas mentis importunity of the minde whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anger then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 injuries then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finall destruction If we finde us guilty in these it is not the way to strive with this sin but as with the former and repent If it be a tentation onely to sin its proceeding either from a cause Without Within From a cause without in two respects 1. Company Matth. 5.29 a man shall have evill eyes that offend him and hands he must cut them off and refraine their company Prov. 23.20 1 Cor. 5.6 modicum fermentum c. 1. Pet. 4.4 a man must forsake such company and be content to beare their outrages 2. And secondly in regard of some object Prov. 5.8 and that is the offending eye If the occasion grow by a party keepe farre from thence goe not nigh the dore of the house it must be by eschewing therefore Iob 31.1 he made a covenant with his eyes c. The counsell of Paradise you shall imperare Evae command Eve cavere Serpentem and avoide the Serpent and then you shall be safe if you come not to see the tree Gal. 3.3 Many mens love and affection beginnes in the spirit and after growing to a carnall delight ends in the flesh therefore he saith 1 Tim. 5.2 Comfort the elder women as mothers the younger as sisters in omni castuate in all chastity and 1. Pet. 1.21 cum omni puritate love with all purenesse as farre as you will but a man must vereri omnia opera sua be jealous of all his actions for most certaine it is that naturally we are subactum solum 2. From within us either from the body or soule 1. From the body if it be too much cherished Impinguatus dilectus our beloved waxed fat therefore Paul saith we must castigare corpus chastise the body to make it chaste 1 Cor. 9.27 that we keep it down and physicke for it 2 Cor. 11.28 in wearinesse and painfulnesse in hunger and thirst in watching and fasting in cold and nakednesse i. by avoyding excesse in dyet and apparell and as ease so also of sleepe so must the body be kept downe 2. If it be in the soule for anger and mistrusting but for this 1 Cor. 6.18 flie from fornication 1 Tim. 2.22 flie the lusts of youth Ambrose vide ne ingrediaris conflictum stand not resisting it with combate but flie and committing himselfe from solitude to good company and together with this because it hath pleased God to warrant his word as a tree of life and the leaves of his word are as medicines that the reading hereof shall be profitable unto us in this behalfe the seeking of such places as doe ex diametro pugnare fight against it cannot but be very profitable for us as Gen. 18.20 that he accounts it a very exceeding grievous sinne and that it is therefore so grievous because 1 Cor. 7.2 he hath appointed a remedy for it and Prov. 22.14 that in his anger he will suffer a man to fall into it that it is an infamous sinne that when it is knowne it maketh him as one of the fooles of Israel 2 Sam. 13.13 It bereaveth a man of his gifts Ephes 4. Hose 4. that it is a brutish sinne and makes a man brutish and such as Ierom saith delectat in momenium cruciat in aeternum the delight whereof is momentany but the paine eternall And the generall remedy here withall is prayer because Prov. 21.6 6.14 7. the latter end 19.18 it fhall be a marvellous priviledge of wisedome to keepe a mans selfe from a strange woman Eccl. 1. there is a speciall remedy for this tentation so Iames 1.5 that wisedome is Gods gift Wisd 8.21 when he saw that wisdome would not come except God gave it therefore he conformed himselfe to prayer for it Iames 3.17 the first thing it maketh a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chaste therefore aske it of God Where these prevaile not Gen. 20.17 as Abraham prayed for Aâ—imelec so if our owne prayers will not helpe we must seeke for other mens prayers and we must make them knowne to them therefore we are to take Simon Magus his way Acts 8.24 Pray ye for me c. Exo. 9.28 Pharaoh to Moses c. Pray you for me Ecclus. 4.9 Vae soli nunquam autem magis quam in hoc vitio Woe to him that is alone and most of all in the conflict of this vice And if this will not helpe but there is ustulatio burning 1 Cor. 7.9 there is a remedy appointed for it he is to take on him the estate
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If it be personall then either in warre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obsides Predes Vades Fidejussores Ex promisse and they are hostages Obsides or for a publike condemning of a Common-wealth and they are Predes or in a criminall cause Vades or else in a matter of money of debt fidejussores If he enter a band if there be but his bare word they call it ex promisso They adde to this the contract of Depositum and that they call Fiduciare while a man liveth Fiduciare or when he dieth But I cannot see how Depositum can be a contract Now to the appētite it selfe how that stands affected in regard of this object and then as it falleth either in his order or in his manner and measure In his order thus that whereas there be two things that a mans desire is carried unto 1. The enjoying of the end it selfe 2. Of those meanes quae tendunt ad finem which conduce to the attaining of that end There must be as Aristotle a division out of the faculty a double desire duplex amor and double love and double concupiscence because there be two things and one is greater then another 1. wherewith we desire the last fruition and another whereby we seeme appetere to long after that that doth further us to the end Then whereas the end is greater so the love of it must be prior major both timelier and greater then the other love of which the object of this is one Then this is that which we hold first that as in the ministring of medicine to the body there is a certaine quantity and measure which if it faile it purgeth not all the humour if it be more it purgeth all the humour and somewhat else that it should not purge So in the affections and appetites of the soule there is in some a desire of these things yet mixed with some defect neglect then is no regard c. And in other some there is such an excessive desire that either they are affected to worldly things more then they should be or so that they can be content to forget their duty as Heb. 12.16 hee saith hee would not have one to be as Esau to forget his birthright his blessing that God bestowed on him for a messe of pottage or meate therefore it is expedient that we take the measure it selfe first and that we must beginne after this order 1 Tim. 6.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And having foode and rtiment let us be therewith content A contented minde that if it please God to bestow no more on us then these yet we stand contented The reason is because wee see that God hath created poore men and rich as having plenty of spirit so plenty of wealth he might have made all rich the reason that hindered this was as Ambrose saith that as the rich might have praemium benignitatis the recompence of their bounty so that he might crowne the poore man cum mercede patientiae So saith Sol. Prov. 22.2 And therefore every man is to stand contented if he will to call him higher adding no cares which may breed noysome lusts thus must he stand because it is Gods good will and pleasure and then 2 Cor. 8.15 out of Exod. 16.18 he that gathereth much hath nothing over and he that gathereth a little hath nothing lesse when he dieth therefore making this the first part of measure not to seeke to rise otherwise then God will And then secondly that it is lawfull Prov. 6.8 to gather in Summer for the time that is to come by honest meanes and with a sober minde And then thirdly that he seeth his houshold increase as when Iacob saw the Patriarchs increased in his house Gen. 30.30 we see what care he tooke for them When shall I travell for mine owne house c. So this desire and care he may have of them that pertaine to him being alwayes limited with the former conditions Prov. 5.15 that he may drinke out of his owne Cisterns i. that he may have of his owne 2 Cor. 12.13 that he may not be chargeable to others and as Sol. ut habeat fonies qui deriventur foras us tamen juste Dominus eorum sit the meaning is that he may be liberall to others and yet have to suffice himselfe that he may have to pay his ditrachma Exod. 30.12 to helpe the Church and Matth. 22.29 the Common-wealth and 2 Cor. 8.12 that he may have whereby to do good to poore Saints as Eph. 4.28 to have for himselfe and to give to them that need Thus far if the meanes be kept and a sober minde the measure is kept Now if he goe beyond this 1 Tim. 6.10 then beginneth the roote of this 1. he murmureth at another in regard that he hath a better condition Exod. 16.3 They would have tarried in Egypt still We will go to Egypt againe They preferred the life in Egypt before the life in deserto in the Wildernesse First the life by the flesh-pots before Gods service And secondly a disquietnesse also after that Mat. 6.31 Quid comedam quid bibam quid induam what shall I eate what shall I drink wherewithall shall I be cloathed And that carefulnesse the rich have Luke 12.17 the rich man reasoneth with himselfe and so the third out of these it breedeth a neast of horse-leaches a worme with lingua bisulca a forked tongue crying Affer affer unde habeas nihil resert sed oportet habere bring bring it is no matter how or whence you have it for have it you must upon these three standeth this suppuratio concupiscentiae the Impostume of lust Now for the making of subactum solum of the ground and soile meete as Tit. 2. the taking of an estate above our proportion hee that will beare a bigger saile then he is able to carry cui plus opus est then he needeth then he falleth unto unlawfull practises then is hee a fit soile for the Devill to cast in his seed and he moveth him to stealth and the provocation and allurement Luke 15.13 he setteth downe that the prodigall sonne fell upon a riotous company of wasters sic dissipavit suum patrimonium and so wasted his substance If a man follow such company it will set him supra analogiam above his allowance He must spend lawfully and orderly and then as Prov. 1.12 he will speake as they speake 1. The breaking forth of this is in icterum into a Jaundise we have examples 2 King 21.2 of Ahabs eye because he saw a thing that served for his turne though hee had enough he could never be well till he had it and when he could not by right he got it by wrong and by the bloud of an innocent man And the foamings out at the mouth there be many set downe by the Heathen man and Menander is full to that purpose out of the booke of the Preacher and of Wisdome If a man had
inâ—â—â—rem cogitationem nostram secundo inter cogitationem signa quae sunt vel verba vâ—l facta Now seeing that the truth is aequalitas an equality this aequalitas equality is first betwixt the thing and our thought and secondly betwixt the thought and the signe of it and that is either verba or facta words or deeds And that this factum deed or fact is a signe it is plaine out of Matth. 7.20 that we shall know by the fruit as by the signe So Matth. 12.38 they would have a signe i. some miraculous worke As also for that by example offence commeth as well as by words If this factum worke or fact be not equall to the thought it is simulation We need not shew all our deeds yet as in words we neede not utter all our minde Esa 3.9 so we neede not shew here all our deeds for Ios 8.3.4 God himselfe is the author of an ambush so that we may either openly or privily oppresse the enemies of God So Christ himselfe Luke 24.28 made as though he would have given back and had it in his purpose if they had not compelled him So Paul Gal. 4.20 wisheth to be with them in another voice that he might trie them A principall part of this simulation is hypocrisie resembling holinesse when there is no such in the heart but of this before Vanity breeds â—â—s idlenesse and superfluity breed theft Here is also besides this that of Psal 26.4 vaine persons that leade us into this vice and therefore is forbidden For as idlenesse and superfluity bring stealth so vanity bringeth lies Christ maketh this vanity or foolishnesse Mar. 7.22 to be one of the three vices of this Command pride slander being the other two And therefore having spoken of this Commandement Matth. 12.36 he concludeth that they must give account for every idle word so that this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolish talking which they call falsely urbanitas urbanity but Christ calleth it idle words Esa 5.18 Woe to them that draw iniquity with a string Such a string is this that bringeth all idle words after it Then seeing that this vanity Psal 144.4 is an essentiall marke of the wicked and that it commeth so farre as to corrupt judgement Esa 59.4 and Psal 26.4 David professeth to slay those men and that Prov. 21.6 they tosse vanity to and fro with vaine questions and vaine answers and Iob. 31.5 he taketh it for a comfort that he hath not used any such therefore it is good to forbeare it For as Chrysostome saith there is no man that keepeth any instrument but he knoweth some use of it at some time and how much more in this arte unimarum Art of soules arte artium the Art of Arts A good rule therefore he concludeth with that which we make a generall rule Quicquid est ociosum est criminosum whatsoever is idle is sinfull else should Pauls argument be naught which he maketh Tit. 3.9 to withdraw him from questions c. for the major proposition that is that all vanity must be shunned must needs be true Also because that as Iob 11. we are as Onagri wild Asses and 1 Pet. 1.18 having a vaine conversation this would be no use seeing that A forge of vanity in us Iob 13.4 in us there is a forge of vanities i. idle thoughts whence proceedeth idle words therefore we must take heede that we walke not as the Heathen doe Ephes 4.17 that is Psal 24.4 when any vanity is shewed us to lift up our hearts after it But Ephes 4.29 our conversation must be either ad aedificationem ad necessitatem or ad gratiam to edification to necessity and use or to grace 1. For that of edification for their soules all his examples stand most of c. 2. For use as that which is not for edification 1 Tim. 5.23 to drinke some wine 2 Tim. 4.13 for his cloke c. 3. For Grace if it cannot be neither for edification nor ad justam necessitatem for our just necessity and use yet to engender some love c. which are his salutations for these neither edifie neither are they necessary for he leaveth them out often Urbanity and mentioneth no such thing And that powdred speech Col. 4.6 this is urbanity not with sale nitro salt nitre or gall but mercurio that is not to vexe them as the Heathen but wittily to stirre them as 2 Cor. 12.13 by craving pardon that he had not troubled them he meaneth that he had nothing to thanke them for And yet this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratia Grace may stand very well with edification as most wisely he joyneth them together Phil. 3. â— Rom. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not to thinke of themselves more highly then they ought to thinke And so sharply when they would be of the Circumcision he calleth it Concision And the error of all these three are opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thanksgiving Ephes 5.19.20 where the Hereticks would at every word whether good or bad cry Laudate Christum praise Christ but the ancient Church will have it in no other things then which are worthy of praise And of all these three that ad aedificationem to edification is the best yet in respect of the weaker the other are both lawfull and sometimes necessary Now for the meanes to obey this precept First Meanâ— we must marke that Psal 62.9 where he saith that we are deceitfull upon the weights that is are light and this lightnesse is the first thing that taketh advantage of us here therefore 1 Cor. 15.58 we must be so stedfast that we must not be easily moved for else every vanity will breede suspition This suspition is a fruit of our corrupt concupiscences The use of it as for a mans selfe to be at safety for his soule and life And here that is true A good caveat that melius est nimium timidus esse quam parum prudens it is a great deale better to be a little too much fearefull then a great deale too little provident This did Paul practise Act. 27. fearing that the master of the ship should have fled But when we make this prejudiciall to others we abuse it And though at some time it will arise in every man as indeed in the Disciples of that of Iohn 13.27 Quod facis fac cito what thou doest doe speedily yet in good men these are primitivae suspiciones primitive suspitions as Gal. 4.11 a divination not the setting downe of a conclusion and they come not into that positivam suspicionem to set downe a flat affirmative or Negative but though they doe sometimes admitiere admit it yet they cherish it not but the wicked straight make a flat judicium judgement of it and some goe to the action of this suspition Then to keepe our selves from this judgement and action from the judgement first we must know Iob
these are not unlawfull but expedient and likewise necessary And thus much of the actuall offences of this Commandement For the obedience hereunto how we are to behave our selves toward our selves we are to learne these few precepts 1. That we may learne out of Psal 62.9 the Prophet saith there The children of men are deceitfull upon the weights that is they are too light This is that beginning indeed For it is vanity by which he hath the first vantage upon a man and therefore he must learne and labour to be stedfast 1 Cor. 15.5.8 he must be so grounded that every little suspition will not put him out of tune for if he want this every vanity in respect of himselfe and every affection toward his neighbour will set him out of the way For suspition is one of the fruits of concupiscence and the rising of it is a thing that cannot be resisted but the principium beginning of it must be suppressed 1 Tim. 6.4 The first use of this suspition was to procure our safety and to preserve our soules therefore for the safegard of our owne lives and soules it is better to be nimium timidus quam parum prudens it is better to be solicitously fearfull then securely improvident We have the example and practise of it in Paul he suspected the worst and yet the truth Acts 27.30 Now when these things given us for helpe of our selves and others are turned to the hurt and detriment of our selves and others this must be a great sinne wherewithall even the Godly may bee attainted but there is a difference For though the they arise as Iohn 13.19 when Christ said to Iudas quod facis fac cito what thou doest doe speedily there was suspition in the hearts of the Apostles some thought he bade him buy such things as he stood in need of against the feast other that he should give something to â—lepâ—oâ—e but these were privative suspitions they doe not prevaile c. Gal. 4.11 These suspitions prevailed so fame in the Galatians even beyond positive suspition that he said metuo ne srustra laboraverim I am afraid least I have laboured in vaine They prevailed to diminish his opinion of them and yet possessivam suspicionem a positive or possessive suspition had the Apostle of them that his paines were not so fruitfull as they might have been An argument of the Pharisee to prove Christ a sinner Luke 7.39 If hee had not beene a sinner he would have knowne who and what manner woman c. but he answered quickly and he was reproved So we see what difference is betwixt the highest and the lowest the suspition of the best goeth not into judgement they doe suppresse it and doe not lay sticks upon it to encrease it The lowest have a diminution of their good opinion that they had conceived and cherish the evill conceived opinion not suspending their judgements But in those that are evill they grow to say he is a sinner they make judicium ex saspâ—cione trabem ex festuca a judgement upon their suspition and out of a sprig a beame and some also proceede to action To keepe himselfe from judgement he must abstaine from two things 1. that is in Iob he enterpreteth every thing after his way stulti omnes sibi similes esse putant fooles thinke all men like themselves so are other men if they be evill they cannot keepe themselves from suspition 2. The other is as every man is affected so he judgeth and every small thing will encrease this affection in him As if he have concealed a jealousie of any thing every small action will augment An example we have Mar. 8.16 their minde ranne upon leaven c. If the other Gen. 37.8 after they had conceived an ill affection of Ioseph even his dreame made them to hare him If we doe not remove evill and avoid suspitions every thing will cause us to make this conclusion that the Barbarians did of Paul Surely he is a murderer Six things to be noted in the conclusions they reduce them to foure heads 1. That it is most naturall to suspition to arise upon a slender ground In good part as that If I will that he tarry till I come c. For the evill Mar. 14.6 7. the maid reasoned Thou art of Galilee thou srâ—ly art one of them When an affection hath possessed the heart the being of Galile will make him a Disciple of Christ But let every man when he is tried with a suspition trie the ground From this they come to the object sundry things pertaine to God which men will scanne and make conclusions of it whereas Solomon saith God onely knoweth the secret of thoughts 2 Chron. 6.30 Yet we must be concluding that men thought thus and thus even of their meaning Chrysostome saith that that Rom. 14.4 is most fitly applied to this Quis in es qui servum judicas alâ—enum Who art thou that judgest another mans servant our suspitions must not go into mens thoughts which are no mens servants but onely ought to be judged of God The second thing the condition in which men live in whom wee will be judging of the secret judgements and predestination of God so that if we see any man fall into sicknesse or any other calamity wee straight conclude that he is a wicked man a murderer with the Barbarians although the Preacher 9.2 saith All things come alike to all c. In those kindes of suspitions ye have one thing not to doe not to suspect Iohn 9.2 For neither was it the father of him that was borne blinde that had sinned neither yet he that was borne blinde This was a conclusion of Christs Disciples That either hee or his father must needs be a sinner whereas indeed the judgements of God are abyssus a great deep and cannot be searched Or else we enter into the secret counsell of God saying as Mal. 3.14 vanus est qui servit Domino it is in vaine to serve the Lord because Iohn Baptist and others have lost their lives for serving of God The third is concerning things to come They will affirme if a man be cast downe once and forsaken of God he can never recover againe Whereas we ought 2 Tim. 2.25 to enstruct them with the spirit of meekenesse And then so we come to give oftentimes foolish rash and preposterous judgements of good men not knowing that multi sunt intus Lupi multi etiam sunt Oves soris c. many Wolves are within and many Sheepe also without And these are Gods matters and are to be judged by him and not of us for his hand is long enough The fourth thing is in matters pertaining to men Sometime we judge of an 1. Act. 2. Thing it selfe 3. Person When de re we judge of the thing it selfe then if we judge amisse we hurt not the thing which cannot be allowed by our judgement or opinion but our selves So that in what thing
good is not in us for as the Wiseman saith A man may well purpose a thing in his heart but the answer of the tongue commeth from the Lord Prov. 16.1 Whereof we have often experience They that have the office of teaching in the Church albeit they do before-hand prepare what to say yet when it comes to the point are not able to deliver their mind in such sort as they had purposed as on the other side when God doth assist them with his spirit they are inabled on a sudden to deliver that which they had not intended to speake Fifthly as the ability of effecting was attributed to God so is the will Phil. 2.14 Sixthly for understanding the Apostle saith The naturall man perceiveth not the things that are of the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. For the wisedome of the flesh is enmity with God Rom. 8.7 Seventhly the power of thinking the thing that is pleasing to God is not in us so farre are we from understanding or desiring it as the Apostle in this place testifieth And therefore where the Prophet speaketh generally of all men Psal 94. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are but vaine the Apostle affirmeth that to be true of the wise men of the world that are endued onely with the wisedome of the world and the flesh that their thoughts are vaine also 1 Cor. 3.19 20. Secondly that we should not thinke that the want of abilitie standeth onely in matters of difficulty and weight the Apostle saith not we are unable to thinke any weighty thing but even that without the speciall grace of Gods spirit we cannot thinke any thing So Augustine understandeth Christs words Joh. 15. where he saith not Nihil magnum difficile but sine me nihil potestis facere This is true in naturall things for we are not able to prolong our owne life one moment the actions of our life are not of our selves but from God in whom we live move and have our beeing Act. 17. Therefore upon those words of Christs Ego à meipso non possum facere quicquam nisi quod video Patrem I of my selfe can do nothing but what I see my Father doe c. Joh. 5.9 Augustine saith Ei tribuit quicquid fecit à quo est ipse qui facit But the insufficiencie of which the Apostle speaketh is not in things naturall but in the ministration of the Spirit So he saith that God of his speciall grace hath made them able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit his meaning is that no endeavour of men can endue us with the grace of repentance with faith hope and Christian charity except the inward working of Gods spirit As the Apostle speakes of the gift of tongues of the understanding of secrets and of all knowledge without charity Nihil miht prodest 1 Cor. 14. So all our endeavours are unprofitable to us unlesse God by his spirit do co-operate with us for He that â—abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Joh. 15.5 that is the fruit of righteousnesse the end whereof is eternall life Rom. 6.22 Thirdly the persons whom he chargeth with this want of ability are not the common sort of naturall men that are not yet regenerate by Gods spirit 1 Cor. 2. but he speakes of himselfe and his fellow-Apostles So these words are an answer to that question 2 Cor. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto these things who is sufficient he answereth himselfe Not we for we are not able of our selves to think a good thought much lesse are we fit of our selves to be meanes by whom God should manifest the favour of his knowledge in every place So that which Christ spake Joh. 15. he spake it to his Disciples who albeit they were more excellent persons then the rest of the people yet he telleth them Sine me nihil potestis facere The negative being generall we may make a very good use of it If the Apostles of Christ were unable how much more are we If Jacob say I am unworthy of the least of thy blessings Gen. 32. If John Baptist say I am not worthy Mat. 3. If S. Paul confesse I am not worthy to be called an Apostle 1 Cor. 15. much more may we say with the Prodigall sonne that had spent all I am not worthy to be called thy sonne Luk. 15. and with the Centurion I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roofe Mat. 8. The reason of this want of ability is for that the nature of men cannot performe that which the Apostle speakes of neither as it is in an estate decayed through the fall of Adam and that generall corruption that he hath brought into the whole race of mankind nor as it is restored to the highest degree of perfection that the first man had at the beginning Adam himselfe when he was yet perfect could not attaine to this for he was but a living soule the second Adam was a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15. And it is not in the power of nature to elevate and lift it selfe up to conceive hope of being partakers of the blessednesse of the life to come to hope to be made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. and of the heavenly substance if men hope for any such thing it is the spirit of God that raiseth them up to it As the water can rise no higher then nature will give it leave and as the fire giveth heat onely within a certaine compasse so the Perfection which Adam had was in certaine compasse the light of nature that he had did not reach so high as to stirre him up to the hope of the blessednesse to come that was without the compasse of nature and comes by the supernaturall working of grace As we are corrupt it never commeth into our minds to hope for the felicity of the life to come for all the thoughts of mans heart are onely evill and that all the day long Gen. 6. That is true which the Apostle witnesseth of the Gentiles Rom. 2.13 That they by nature do the things of the Law if we understand it of morall duties for the very light of nature doth guide us to the doing of them But as the Prophet saith Ps 16.2 My goodnesse doth not extend to thee So whatsoever good thing we doe by the direction of naturall reason it is without all respect of God except he enlighten us before Therefore in our regeneration not onely the corruption of our will is healed but a certaine divine sparke of fire and zeale of Gods Spirit is infused into us by which we are holpen to do those duties of piety which otherwise naturally we have no power to do Now followes the qualification of this generall negative sentence For where the Apostle hath said We are not able to thinke any thing of our selves the Scripture recordeth divers good purposes that came into the hearts of Gods servants The Lord
towards our heavenly countrey such as Iob speakes of Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit Iob 1.21 By gift he meaneth the felicity that is reserved for us after this life the Kingdome of Heaven that whereof our Saviour saith to Martha Luke 10. Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her That which is a stay to us in this life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard all which are reserved for them that love God 1 Cor. 2. these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as well the one as the other come from God So much we are taught by the adjectives that are joyned to these words Givings are called good and the Gifts of God are called perfect In which words the Apostles purpose is to teach us that not onely the great benefits of the life to come such as are perfect are of him but that even that good which we have in this life though it be yet imperfect and may be made better is received from him and not else where Who doth despise little things saith the Prophet Zach. 4.10 God is the Author both of perfect and good things as the Image of the Prince is to be seene as well in a small peece of coine as in a peece of greater value so we are to consider the goodnes of God as well in the things of this life as in the graces that concerne the life to come yea even in this To thinke that which is good 2 Cor. 3. Of him are the small things as well as the great Therefore out Saviour teacheth us to pray not onely for that perfect gift ut advenia Regnum but even for these lesser good things which are but his givings namely that he would give us our daily bread Under Good is contained all gifis both naturall or temporall Those givings which are naturall as to live to move and have understanding are good for of them it is said God saw all that he made and lo all was good Gen. 1. Of gifts temporall the Heathen have doubted whether they were good to wit riches honour c. but the Christians are resolved that they are good 1 Iohn 3. So our Saviour teacheth us to esteeme them when speaking of fish and bread he saith If you which are evill can give your children good things Luke 11. And the Apostle saith Hee that hath this worlds good 1 Iohn 3. For as Augustine saith That is not onely good quod facit bonum sed de quo fit bonum that is not onely good that makes good but whereof is made good so albeit riches do not make a man good alwaies yet because he may do good with them they are good The gift which the Apostle cals perfect is grace and glory whereof there is in this life the beginning of perfection the other in the life to come is the end and constancie of our perfection whereof the Prophet speaks Psal 84.12 The Lord will give grace and glory The Apostle saith Nihil perfectum adduxit Lex The Law brought nothing to perfection Heb. 7. that is by reason of the imperfection of our nature and the weaknesse of our flesh Rom. 8.3 To supply the defect that is in nature grace is added that grace might make that perfect which is imperfect The person that giveth us this grace is Jesus Christ by whom grace and truth came Iohn 1. And therefore he saith Estote perfecti sicut Pater vester coelestis perfectus est Matth. 5. And by this grace not only our sinnes are taken away but our soules are endued with inherent vertues and receive grace and ability from God to proceed from one degree of perfection to another all our life time even till the time of our death which is the beginning and accomplishment of our perfection as our Saviour speakes of his death Luke 13.32 In the latter part of the proposition we are to consider the place from whence and the person from whom we receive these gifts the one is supernè the other à Patre luminum Now he instructeth us to beware of a third errour that we looke not either on the right hand or on the left hand that we regard not the persons of great men which are but instruments of God if we have any good from them all the good we have it is de sursum the thoughts of our hearts that arise in them if they tend to good are not of our selves but infused into us by the divine power of Gods spirit and so is whatsoever good thought word or worke proceeding from us This is one of the first parts of divinity Iobn Baptist taught A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above Iohn 3.27 This was the cause of Christ ascending into Heaven Psal 68. He went up on high and dedit dona hominibus and the Evangelist faith the holy Ghost which is the most perfect gift that can come to men was not yet given because Christ was not yet ascended Iohn 7.39 Therefore if we possesse any blessing or receive any benefit we must not looke to earthly meanes but to Heaven The thing which is here mentioned excludeth the fourth errour we thinke that things come to us by fortune or customably he saies not that good things fall downe from above but they descend qui descendit proposito descendit Our instruction from hence is that they descend from a cause intelligent even from God himselfe who in his counsell and provision bestoweth his blessings as seemeth best to himselfe for as the Heathen man speakes God hath sinum facilem but not perforatum that is a lappe easie to receive and yeeld but not bored through to let things fall through without discretion When the Prophet saith Tu aper is manum Psal 145.15 he doth not say that God lets his blessings droppe out of his fingers Christ when he promised to his Disciples to send the Comforter saith Ego mittameum advos Iohn 16.7 Whereby he giveth them to understand that it is not by casualty or chance that the holy Ghost shall come upon them but by the deliberate counsell of God so the Apostle postle speaks Of his owne will begat he us by the word of truth The person from whom is the Father of lights The Heathens found this to be true that all good things come from above but they thought that the lights in Heaven are the causes of all good things therefore is it that they worship the Sunne Moone and Starres Iames saith Be not deceived all good things come not from the lights but from the Father of lights The naturall lights were made in ministerium cunctis gentibus Deut. 4. and the Angels that are the intellectuall lights are appointed to do service unto the Elect. Heb. 1.13 It is the Father of lights that giveth us all good things therefore he onely is to be worshipped and not the lights which he hath made to
our use God is called the Father of lights First in opposition to the lights themselves to teach us that the lights are not the causes of good things but he that said fiat lux Gen. 1. Secondly in regard of the emanation whether we respect the Sunne-beames called radii shining in at a little hole or the great beame of the Sun called Iubar he is author of both and so is the cause of all the light of understanding whether it be in small or great measure Thirdly to shew the nature of God nothing hath so great alliance with God as light The light maketh all things manifest Ephes 5. and the wicked hate the light because their workes are evill Iohn 3. But God is the Father of lights because as out of light commeth nothing but light so God is the cause of that which is good Prov. 13. Againe light is the cause of goodnesse to those things that are good of themselves It is a pleasant thing to behold the light Eccles 11. On the other side howsoever good things are in themselves yet they afford small pleasure or delight to him that is shut up in a dark dungeon where he is deprived of the benefit of light So God is the Father of lights for that not onely all things have their goodnesse from him but because he makes them good also Light is the first good thing that God created for man fiat lux Gen. 1. But God is the Father of lights to shew that he is the first cause of any good thing that can come to us Againe because he is that onely cause of the visible light which at the first he created and also of that spirituall light whereby he shineth into our hearts by the light of the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. the Apostle saith of the whole Trinity Deus lux est 1 Iohn 1.5 More particularly Christ saith of himselfe Ego sum lux mundi Iohn 8. The holy Ghost is called light where he is represented by the fiery tongues Act. 2.3 The Angels are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.7 David also as a civill Magistrate was called the light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17 Ecclesiasticall Ministers are called light Vos estis lux mundi Matth. 5. And not onely they but the people that are of good conversation are said to shine tanquam luminaria in mundo Phil. 2. All these lights have their being from God and for this cause he is worthily called lux mundi and the Father of lights A againe this name is opposed unto darknesse God is light and in him there is no darknesse 1 Iohn 5.5 Therefore the ignorance of our minds is not to be imputed unto him He is the light that lightneth every one Iohn 1.9 and cannot be comprehended of darknesse Therefore it is not long of him that we through ignorance are said to sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death this comes of the Devill the Prince of darknesse who blindeth mens eyes 2 Cor. 4. God is the Father of lights Secondly he is so called to distinguish him from heat The lights which we make for these private uses doe not onely give light but heat also but God giveth light without heat wherefore such as are of a fiery spirit as the Disciples that said Shall we command that fire come downe from Heaven and consume them are not like God Christ is called the day-starre not the dog-starre 2 Pet. 1. God is said to have walked in the coole of the day not in the heat of the day Gen. 3.8 When God would speake to Eliah he shewed himselfe neither in the strong wind nor in earth-quake nor in fire but in a small still voyce 1 Reg. 19.12 To teach men that if they will be like God they must be of a meeke and quiet spirit He is said to dwell in the light 1 Tim. 6. not that he is of a hot fiery nature as our lights are but because he giveth us the light of knowledge In respect of the number he is not called the Father of one light but Pater luminum It was an imperfection in Iacob that he had but one blessing Gen. 27. God is not the cause of some one good thing but as there are divers starres and one starre differeth from another in glory 1 Cor. 15. so as we receive many good things and of them some are greater then others so they all come from God who is the Author and fountaine of them all Our manifold imperfections are noted by the word tenebrae which is a word of the plurall number and in regard thereof it is needfull that God in whom we have perfection shall not be Pater luminis but Pater luminum Our miseries are many therefore that he may deliver us quite out of miseries there is with the Lord Copiosa redemptio Psal 130. The sinnes which we commit against God are many therefore he is the Father not of one mercie but Pater misericordiarum 2 Cor. 1. The Apostle Peter tels us that the mercie of God is multiformis gratia 1 Pet. 4. So that whether we commit small sinnes or great we may be bold to call upon God for mercie According to the multitude of thy mercies have mercie upon me Psal 51. For as our sinnes doe abound so the mercie of God whereby he pardoneth and is inclined to pardon us is exuberans gratia Rom. 5. The darknes that we are subject to is manifold there is darknesse inward not only in the understanding Eph. 4. where the Gentiles are said to have their cogitations darkned but in the heart whereof the Apostle speaketh He that hateth his brother is in darknesse 1 Iohn 2. There is the darknesse of tribulation and affliction whereof the Prophet speaketh Thou shall make my darknesse to be light Psal 18. and the misery which the wicked suffer in the world to come which our Saviour calleth utter darknesse Matth. 22. God doth helpe us and give us light in all these darknesses and therefore is called the Father of lights As the Sunne giveth light to the body so God hath provided light for the soule and that is first the light of nature which teacheth us that this is a just thing ne alii facias quod tibi fieri non vis from this light we have this knowledge that we are not of our selves but of another and of this light the Wiseman saith The soule of man is the candle of the Lord. Prov. 20.27 They that resist this light of nature are called rebelles Lumini Iob 24. With this light every one that commeth into this world is inlightned Iohn 1.9 Howbeit this light hath caught a fall as Mephibosheth did and thereupon it halteth notwithstanding because it is of the bloud royall it is worthy to be made of Next God kindleth a light of grace by his word which is lux pedibus Psal 119. and lux oculis Psal 19. and that we may be capable of this outward light he lightneth us with his
2.37 By prayer the Apostles performed that service to the Lord which the Apostle cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13.1 Therefore so oft as we resort to the house of God to put up our petitions to God then we doe him service properly and nâ—t onely when wee are present at a Sermon for then God rather serveth us and attends us and entreates us by his Ministers to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. As prayer is a part of Gods worship so the neglect of prayer is a sinne as one saith peccatum non orandi Therefore the Prophet among other sinnes wherewith he chargeth the wicked reckoneth this to be one that they call not on the Lord Psal 14.9 The neglect of this duty was the beginning of Sauls fall as all the Fathers interpret that place 1 Sam. 14.19 where it is said that Saul commanded the Priest to with-draw his hand from the Arke For this hath beene commanded ever from the beginning that we should pray unto God not onely in the law of nature Iob. 8.5 But also in the law of Moses Deut. 10.12 In the time of the law a speciall part of the service which the people performed to God was the offering up of incense and therefore the Prophet compareth prayer to incense Psal 141.2 And it is most fitly resembled to incense for the use of incense was to sweeten those places which are unsavory Even so the wicked imaginations and unchast thoughts of our hearts which yeeld a stinking smell in the nostrils of God are sweetned by no other meanes then by prayer and therefore to shew how the one is resembled by the other it is said that while the incense was a burning the people were without upon their knees in prayer Luke 1.10 neither was it a thing usuall in the law onely but also in the Prophets Call upon me Psal 50. aperi os tuum implebo Psal 81. Touching the effect and fruit whereof it is said Whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved Ioel 2. Secondly albeit God have little Commandements as Christ speakes Matth. 5. Hee that breakes one of these little Commandements Yet this touching the duty of prayer is not a slight Commandement but of great instance and so much we are to gather from hence that Christ is not content once to say Aske but repeates it in three severall termes aske seeke knock which as Augustine saith sheweth instantissimam necessitatem From the vehemencie of this Commandement we are to consider these three things first it lets us see our want and neede in that wee are willed to aske secondly by seeking Christ doth intimate thus much to us that we have lost our selves thirdly in that he would have us to knocke he would have us to learne that we are as men shut out of the presence of God and his Kingdome where is the fulnesse of joy and pleasure for ever The first sheweth man what is the misery of his estate in regard whereof he is called Enoch secondly his blindnesse which is so great that when he doth pray he asketh he knowes not what Matth. 20. If hee would pray he knowes not how to pray for which cause the Disciples desire Christ to teach them Luke 11. Their blindnesse is such as they know not the way to come to the Father as Thomas confesseth Iohn 14.5 Thirdly it sheweth our slothfulnesse in seeking our owne good which appeareth herein that we have neede to have a Commandement given us to stirre us up to pray to God The third thing in the precept is the dependance of these three word petite quaerite pulsate For there is no idle word in Gods book Therefore as they that have to doe with Gold will make no waste at all but gather together the least paring so we must esteeme preciously of Gods word which is more precious then Gold We must be gone hence and there is a place whither we desire all to come which wee cannot doe except we knocke and because we know not at what dore to knocke therefore we must seeke the dore But we have no will nor desire to seeke therefore Christ willeth in the first place that we aske it and the thing that we must aske is the spirit of grace and of prayer and if we aske it then shall we have ability and power not only to seeke the dore but when we have found it to knock at it Fourthly as these words depend one upon another so they are to be distinguished one from another they that are suitors for any earthly benefit doe occupie not onely their tongue in speaking but their legges in resorting to great persons they that seeke doe occupie not onely their legges in going up and downe but their eyes to looke in every place and they that knock as they use other members so especially they use their hands But when our Saviour enjoyneth us the use of prayer he expresseth it not in one word but in three severall termes to teach us that when we come to pray to God the whole man must be occupied and all the members of the body imployed in the service of God for Christ will not have pearls cast unto swine and we may not looke to have the gifts of God cast into our mouthes but if we will obtaine we must first open our mouthes to aske it Psal 81. Secondly they are not so easily found as that we shall stumble upon them but we must seeke diligently with the lifting up of our eyes Psal 1.20 And to God that dwels in the Heavens Psal 123. Thirdly because the dore is shut and locked up therefore we must knock for which end we are willed To lift up our hands with our hearts to God which is in Heaven Lam. 3. The lifting up of our hand is that which the people call the Evening sacrifice Psal 141. As the body so also the soule may not bee idle but occupied with these three vertues first it must petere which noteth confidence and trust secondly quaerere which signifies diligence thirdly pulsare which implyeth perseverance If we joyne these three vertues to our prayer doubtlesse we shall be heard As the second cause of our life here is sudor vultus for we live arando ac serendo by plowing and sowing so the second cause of our living is another sudor vultus which consisteth in asking seeking knocking As in the sweate of our browes we eate the bread that feeds our bodies so by these spirituall paines and endeavours we come to the bread of life which feedeth our soules eternally Now if we aske that question that is made Iob 21.15 What profit shall we have if we pray unto him It is certaine that God having created us may justly command us but he doth not onely constraine us to pray by his commandement but allure us thereunto by his promise he saith if we aske the life of grace we shall obtaine it if we seeke it we shall finde it
of Timothy that he had Crebras infirmitates 1 Tim. 5. So the soule also hath certaine infirmities and that is the infirinity whereof the Apostle speaketh for albeit our soule be the stronger part as our Saviour speaketh when he saith The spirit indeed is strong Matth. 26. yet it is subject to many infirmities and weaknesses when it doubteth of Gods mercies saying Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever hath God forgotten to be gracious which the Prophet acknowledgeth to be signes of his infirmities Psal 77.10 And as the spirit is weake so there is a weaknesse of conscience 1 Cor. 8.7 and no marvel if there be such infirmities in the bodies also for life it selfe is but weake in regard whereof it is said of God that hereby hee is content to spare us for that hee remembreth that wee are but dust Psal 103. and considereth that we are but even as the wind that passeth away Psal 78. The difference is that as Christ saith Haec infirmitas non est ad mortem Joh. 11. and the dropsie palsie and such like diseases and infirmities of body are not mortall The second thing which the Apostle teacheth is that howsoever we be as the Apostle speaketh compassed with infirmities Heb. 5.5 yet they are not past cure for the Spirit helpeth our infirmitie◠so that albeit we are subject to fall through weaknesse yet there is hope concerning this thing Esay 10.2 and our errour may be healed Dan. 4. For there is balme in Gilead Jer. 8. which serveth to cure all our spirituall diseases Now the cure of the infirmities of our soule is not performed by any strength of our owne nor by our owne spirit but by the Spirit of God for so long as our infirmities are but bodily the spirit of man will sustaine them and there is helpe to be found but when the spirit it selfe is wounded then who can help it Prov. 18. The spirit of man must have helpe from a higher thing then it selfe as from the Spirit of God which onely is able to minister helpe The Apostle ascribeth to the Spirit of God two benefits first in regard of the life to come secondly in respect of this present life For the one as he is the Spirit of Adoption assures us of our estate in the life to come namely that as God hath adopted us to be his children so we shall be fellow-heires with his owne Sonne of his heavenly kingdome Touching the other because we are subject in this life to fall through infirmitie we have this benefit from him that he stayes and upholds us and therefore is called spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As our infirmities are manifold whether we respect the body o◠the soule so the weaknesse and defects of our souls appeareth not onely in good things which wee cannot do because the flesh ever lusteth against the spirit so that we cannot do the things that we would Gal. 5. but in evill things which we should beare and are not able The evill things that we should beare are not onely afflictions and the crosses which we are subject to which the Apostle proveth to be more tolerable because they are not worthy of the glory to come but dilatio boni wherein we need the vertue of magnanimity because it is a great crosse as the Wiseman saith Spes quae differtur affligit animam◠Prov. 13. Touching which affliction and crosses because in this life we cannot obtaine that which the Prophet wisheth namely to fly away as it were with the wings of a dove that sowe might be at rest Psal 55. therefore we must betake our selves to the mourning of the Dove Esay 38. waiting patiently when God will give us time to escape The meanes and wayes whereby the Spirit doth helpe us are many but he onely meaneth prayer to teach us that howsoever it be not esteemed as it ought yet it is the chiefe prop and principall pillar which the holy Ghost useth to strengthen our weaknesse Therefore when the Apostle willeth that first of all prayers and supplications should be made for Kings and all in authority 1 Tim. 2. the reason is as Augustine noteth because both mans salvation the honesty of life knowledge of the truth quietnesse of kingdomes duties of Kings and whatsoever tendeth to the publique benefit commeth by and from Prayer So that not onely the Church and spirituall matters but the common-wealth and temporall things are stayed upon the pillar of Prayer Wherefore as prayer is aspeciall helpe so we are not onely exhorted by religion to use it but nature it selfe binds us unto it for so long as we can either devise any help of our selves or receive it from any other so long we leane upon our owne staffe but when all help failes then we flie to prayer as our last refuge and therefore when God is said to feed the ravens that call upon him Psal 147. that cry of theirs is the voyce of nature so that albeit men for a time leane to their staies and help yet there is a day when all flesh shall be made to come unto him who onely it is that heareth prayer Psal 65. that is when they lye howling upon their beds Hos 7. then they shall be faine to call upon God for help so howsoever Pharaoh in the pride of his heart say Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce Exod. 5. Yet he made him come to him when he plagued him with thundring and raine and haile which made him send to Moses and Aaron that they might pray unto God for him Exod. 9.28 But here the Apostle meaneth the prayer of the spirit which alwaies reckons prayer to be the first and chiefest help in all trouble and not the last as the prayer of the flesh doth Therefore as we must discerne simulacra virtutum from vertues themselves and that which is naturall from that which is of grace so we must distinguish the prayer of the spirit from the carnall prayer and be sure that the vertues which we have if they be any are not naturall as those in many of the Heathen but that they proceed from grace and the working of Gods Spirit To the right framing of our prayer it is required that we do not onely orare mente spiritu 1 Cor. 14. but as the Psalmist saith of the praising of God so we pray to God with understanding Ps 47. Both our heart our understanding our affection must concurre in making intercession to God For a second point if prayer be a stay to us in our infirmities then we must be carefull that our prayers be not faint and weake but that they proceed from the fervencie and vehemencie of the spirit for as Christ saith If the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse Matth. 6. If our prayer be nothing else but infirmity as it is for the most part how great is our infirinity But the Apostle sheweth our weaknesse in prayer in
wee meete with some great house we conjecture that some person of account dwells there and therefore Job saith that the basenesse of man in respect of the Angels is great for that he dwels in the houses of clay whose foundation is of the dust Job 4.19 But here our Saviour tells us that God our Father hath his dwelling in the stately Tabernacle of Heaven whereby we may gather what is the greatnesse of his power But before we come to these things which are particularly to be considered in these words First we are to take heed that wee run not into their errour which so confine and compasse God in Heaven as if he had nothing to do in earth such as they who say How should God know can be judge through the darke cloud the clouds cover him that hee cannot see Job 22.14 For when he is said to have his beeing in heaven the Holy Ghost thereby doth not expresse his presence but his power therefore we are to know that God is not so in heaven that he is not in earth also for so doth the old Testament witnesse of him Coelum terram ego impleo Jer. 23. Behold the heaven and heavens and the heaven of all heavens are not able to comprehend thee 1 Reg. 8.27 and the Prophet David saith If I goe up to heaven thou art there if I go downe to hell thou art there also Psal 139. Whereby it appeareth that we may not limit Gods power and presence to any one place who is every where present for when God is said to be in heaven we learne thereby what his excellencie is which doth especially shew it selfe there for as the glory Majesty of earthly Princes doth chiefly appeare in their thrones so the glory and Majesty of God doth especially shew it self in heaven which is his Throne Esay 66. Matth. 5.34 He hath not his denomination from earth a place of wormes and corruption but from heaven a place of eternall glory and happinesse Secondly the use of this is to temper our confidence in God for albeit we love him as he is our Father yet withall we must feare him for as much as he dwelleth in heaven as we may in regard of his goodnes pray unto him with confidence so withall considering his power we must pray with due devotion and reverence unto his Majewy for he is not as an earthly father that dwelleth in houses clay but his dwelling is in heaven and therefore as he is a Father and consequently will be honoured so because he is our Lord he requires feare at our hands Mal. 1.6 With thee is mercy that thou mayest be feared Psal 130.4 Whereby the Prophet would have us so to esteeme of Gods mercy that withall we be bound to feare him and that we be not like those that contemne the riches of Gods mercy the more that he laboureth with his bountifulnesse and goodnesse to bring us to repentance Rom. 2. for as sweet things have an obstructive power to stop the passages which are in our bodies and on the other side sowre and bitter things do fret and consume and so open the veines So it fareth with the soule for it is stopped when we consider nothing but the mercy of God and contrariwise when we cast our eyes too much upon the Majesty and power of God the force thereof casts us into an astonishment and brings to desperation and therefore that we neither have Nimiam trepidationem nor Nimiam ostentationem too much terrour nor too much security we must know that God is so in heaven as that yet he is a Father and as he is a Father so not an earthly but an heavenly Father and we cannot but feare and reverence God if we in humility consider our basenesse in respect of him for though he be our Father yet so long as we be on earth we are strangers and exiles from him and howsoever it please him to account us sonnes yet as it fared with Absalon we cannot see our Fathers face 2 Sam. 14. untill he take us hence that we may be at home with him in his kingdome of Glory Thirdly these words lead us also to a confidence in God and serve to raise up our faith There is Paternitas both in heaven and earth Ephes 3.16 There are Fathers of the flesh and Fathers of the spirit Heb. 12. But when the Holy Ghost saith that God our Father hath his being in heaven we are thereby to distinguish him from other fathers If he be an heavenly Father he is of a more excellent nature then other fathers that are earthly and carnall for they are mortall as they live on earth so by death they shall be brought sub terris and do forsake us but our heavenly Father is immortall his yeares change not Psal 102. and though our Fathers and mothers forsake us yet the Lord will take us up and succour us Psal 27. Secondly though earthly fathers were immortall yet they are not able and their affections are turned away either by meanes of some lewd parts in the children or for that they beare not that naturall affection towards their children which they ought But God is immutable in his love so that although Jacob will not acknowledge us and Abraham will not know us yet God will be our Father Esay 63.16 The Apostle saith There are wicked parents that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without all naturall affection Rom. 1. And it falleth out that sometime a woman will deale cruelly with her owne child but though she forget it yet God our heavenly Father will not forget his children nor turne his fatherly affection from them Esay 49. and therefore Tertullian saith Nullus pater tam pater no father so fatherly Thirdly though they wish us never so well yet many times they cannot do us that good they would for want of ability yea though they be never so able yet they cannot deliver from sicknesse and death for the sonnes of Princes die daily they can give us bread and fish Luk. 11. they have a care to provide and lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12.14 but it is such treasure as the moth and rust will corrupt Matth. 6.19 But God our heavenly Father can deliver us from all evill he can give us not onely bread and fish and other things necessary for this life but his holy Spirit if wee aske it Luk. 11. The treasure that God layeth up for us is not earthly but an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 1. such things as neither eie hath seene nor eare hath heard Esay 64. 1 Cor. 1. For God is not onely carefull in this life for our well doing the knowledge of that is spes mortua but his care extendeth to the life to come and therefore the Holy Ghost saith not Pater in coelo sed in coelis in the heavens whereby he hath begotten us unto a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Quaecunque optant vel timent homines
manducanti 2 Cor. 9.10 We are destitute of the meanest blessings that are it is God onely from whom wee receive all things therefore to him we pray acknowledging our owne want Da nobis panem Secondly we must consider the word Da as it is set in opposition to Veniat or habeam panem it must not content us that we have bread but labour that we may have it of Gods gift Esau said of things temporall which he enjoyed I have enough Gen. 33. not acknowledging from whom Balaam cared not how he came by promotion so he had it and therefore he is said to have loved the wages of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.15 but we must labour not so much to have good things as to have them from God and Pilate is to acknowledge that the power which he hath was given him from above Joh. 19. and not to vaunt of any usurped power It is said of God Tu aperis manum tuam Psal 104. Thou openest the doores of heaven Psal 78. So we are not so much to labour for temporall things by our owne endeavour as that we may have them from God Thirdly Da opposed to rendring teacheth us that it is not of our owne endeavour but it is of Gods free bounty and liberality that we have bread and other things which while wee seeke for of Gods gift we confesse that to be true which Salomon saith Non est panis sapientis Be a man never so wise yet he hath not alwayes to supply his need Eccles 9.11 As he that is highest gets not alwaies the goale nor the strongest man the victory so saith our Saviour Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature Matth. 6. All our endeavours for the things of this life are unprofitable without Gods blessing It is in vaine to rise up early and to go to bed late Psal 127. And when he blesseth our labour then he is said to give us bread and therefore we are to confesse with David that whatsoever we have received we have received it at his hands 1 Chron. 29.14 Now the meanes of Gods giving is of foure sorts First God giveth bread when hee blesseth the earth with plenty when hee gives force to the heaven When the heaven heareth the earth the earth heareth the Corne the Wine the Oyle and they heare man Hos 2.21 Secondly he gives when hee sets us in some honest trade of life and vouchsafeth his blessing to our endeavours therein that we may get our living and eate the labour of our hands Psal 128. without which the first giving will do us no good Thirdly he gives us bread not onely in his blessing the earth with increase and by blessing our honest paines in our vocation but when he gives us Baculum panis the staffe of bread for at his pleasure he useth to breake the staffe of bread Levit. 26. and to make it of no power to nourish us then are they but beggerly elements When we eat and have not enough Hag. 1. Therefore our prayer is that he would cause the earth to yeeld us bread so that to the bread he would infuse a force to strengthen mans heart for which end it is ordained Psal 104. Fourthly because Moses saies Man lives not by bread onely but by the Word of God therefore we pray that as our bread by his blessing is made to us panis salubris so it may be panis sanctus Deut. 8. that he will give us grace to use his creatures to the end that wee may the better serve him otherwise howsoever they nourish our bodies yet they will prove poyson to our soules God performeth these three former givings to the Heathen so that their bellies are full with bread but withall hee sendeth leannesse into their soules Psal 106. But Christian men have not onely the earth to yeeld her fruit Gods blessing being upon their labours and a blessing upon the creature it selfe that it is not in vaine but nourisheth but also it is sanctified to them and that bread is properly theirs because they are Gods children Et panis est filiorum it is the childrens bread Secondly the thing we desire to be given is Bread concerning which because the decayes and defects of our nature are many so as it were infinite to expresse then severally therefore our Saviour Christ doth here comprehend them all under the terme of Bread using the same figure which God himselfe useth in the law where under one word many things are contained Howsoever our wants be many yet the heathen bring them all to these two Pabulum latibulum food and covering and as they do so doth not onely Moses in the Law where all that pertaine to this life is referred to victum and amictum Deut. 10.18 but also Saint Paul in the Epistle 1 Tim. 6.8 Hebentes victum amictum his contenti sumus So then under this petition is contained not onely that God would give us bread by causing the earth to bring forth corne and all good seasons for that purpose but that withall he will give us health of body and not plague us with sicknesse as hee did the Israelites Psal 31. Then that we may have peace without which these outward blessings will afford us no comfort and that as he fills our bellies with food so he will give us Laetitiam cordis Act. 14.17 that is all manner of contentment in this life Howbeit this petition stayeth not here for the prayer of Christian men must differ from the Lyons roaring and the Ravens crying the end of their praying is that their bellies may be filled but we must have as great a care for the food of our soules therefore where we call it panem nostrum we do not meane panem communem such bread as is common to us with other creatures but that Spirituall bread which is proper to men which consists not only of body but of soule and body which must be both fed and where we pray that God would give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we aske such bread as is apt and meete for our sustenance that is not onely Earthly but Heavenly Bread because we consist not onely of a terrestriall but also of a celestiall substance so then our desire is that God would give us not onely panem jumentorum but panem Angelorum Psal 78. The bread of Angels and our suit is as well for panis coeli Joh. 6. as for earthly bread The bread of the soule is Gods word which hath a great reference to earthly bread and therefore speaking of the sweetnesse of that bread Job saith I esteemed of the words of his mouth more than my appointed food Job 23. and David saith Thy word is sweeter then hony and the hony combe Psalm 19.10 In the New Testament the Apostle to shew the nourishing force of Gods word saith that Timothy was enutritus verbis fidei 1 Tim. 4.6 To shew the taste or relish that it hath as well as
naturall food saith Gustaverit bonum Deiverbum hath tasted the good word of God Heb. 6. So the food of the soule is to be desired at Gods hands as well as the bodily food There is a Famin as well of Gods word as of bread Amos 8. There is an hungring thirsting after righteousnesse Matth. 5. therefore wee are to pray that God would supply the wants not onely of the body but of the soule likewise But there is a Spirituall food both for Body and Soule that which our Saviour promiseth Joh. 6. He that commeth to mee shall not hunger and he that beleeveth in mee shall never thirst that is the hidden Manna that God hath promised for us in heaven whereof it was said Blessed is he that eateth bread in the Kingdome of God Luk. 14. Thus by how much the leannesse of the soule is worse then bodily famine so much the more earnestly are we to pray for the spirituall food then for the food of the body Thirdly for the first attribute we pray not simply for Bread but for our Bread The word Our hath respect not onely to Use but to Property and right This right or property is double First that which was appointed in the beginning In sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum Our request to God is for that food which is gotten by honest paines taken in our calling whereunto God hath made a promise Thou shalt eate the labour of thy hands Psalm 128. And without which we have no right to this bodily food For 2 Thess 3. Qui non laborat non manducet He that laboureth not let him not eate Now we would have God supply our wants with bread by right and this right is generall to all adventurers Secondly as we would have it made Ours by the labour of our vocation so by the duty of invocation that this corporall food which is common to other creatures may be proper to us by calling upon God for his blessing upon it which if we do we have a promise it shall be truly ours Open thy mouth I will fill it Psal 81.11 For the creatures of God are sanctified to us by the Word of God and prayer 1 Tim. 4. This puts a difference betwixt the Christian mans bread and that which the prophane man eates for first those slouthfull persons whom the Apostle calls slow-bellies Tit. 1.12 cannot say this prayer as they ought for they are nothing but idle upon the earth and Fruges consumere nati borne to eate and drinke they labour not for their living but eate panem alienum not suum which the Apostle requires 2 Thess 3.12 Secondly those that eate the bread of violence Prov. 4.17 and feed upon bread that is gotten by deceit Prov. 20.17 do not eate panem suum but subdititium they eate not panem datum à Deo but a Daemone Thirdly Esau having filled his belly rose without giving God thankes after he had eate as without calling upon God for his blessing before Gen. 25. For the which also he is said to be prophane Heb. 12. So are all those that eate of Gods creatures without praying to him for his blessing and for a sanctified use of them which thing if they refuse to do as Atheists and prophane persons their bread may be panis salubris but not sanctus it may be able to nourish their bodies but it shall bring leannesse to their soules Fourthly the other attribute of bread is Daily concerning which we must consider foure things First from the Latine word quotidianum which hath relation to the time by which word as we acknowledge our daily want and Gods continuall care and providence for the supply thereof of whom it is said Thou givest meat in due season Psal 104. So Christ teacheth us daily to praise and magnifie Gods care daily extended towards us and to use that Psalme of thanksgiving wherein the Church confesseth Gods goodnesse in that behalfe Psal 145. Secondly for the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth bread apt and meete for our substance Now for as much as man consists of Body and Soule his prayer to God must not be onely for such meat as is meete to nourish the Body but also for the food which agreeth with the Soule for it is in vaine to have food except it be nutritive and convenient for us Thirdly the Syriack word used by our Saviour signifieth panem necessitatis meae which hath relation to the quaility of the bread teaching us not to pray for Dainty meat but such as is fit to relieve our hunger Tribue victui meo necessaria not meat which is above my estate Da panem necessitatis non lasciviae bread of necessity not wantonnesse The Israelites lusted after the Flesh-pots of Egypt and therefore God gave them quailes from heaven but which was the heavie judgement of God upon them they perished while the meat was in their mouthes Psal 78. The Apostle willeth us therefore not to set our minds upon supenfluity but contrarily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Food and Rayment let us therewith be content Fourthly the Hebrew word used Prov. 30. hath relation to the quantity for it signifieth panem dimensi mei non gulae and it teacheth us not to seeke abundance but to desire of God to measure us out so much as he knoweth to be meet for us and as Christ speaketh to give us our portion of meat in due season Luk. 12.22 For the Scripture telleth us what inconvenience commeth of abundance of meat Dilectus meus impinguatus recalcitravit Deut. 32.15 My beloved when he waxed fat spurned with his heele and the sinne of Sodome was fulnesse of bread Ezek. 16. and the people by excessive eating and drinking of wine made themselves sicke Hos 7.5 Therefore Christ diligently warneth his disciples to take heed of surfetting and drunkennesse for this cause Ne graventur corda That your hearts waxe not heavie Fifthly in the word Nobis we must consider two things First a Reason secondly a Limitation For the first we desire that this bread should be given us First because we are Gods creatures he refuseth not to heare the Lyons and Ravens in this behalfe when they cry to him And our Saviour saith that our heavenly Father feedeth the fowles of the aire Matth. 6.26 And therefore wee in regard we are his creatures as well as they we may by right make this prayer to him Secondly in as much as we are men we may be bold to crave that favour at his hands which he sheweth indifferently to all men for he suffereth the Sunne to shine on the evill and on the good Matth. 5. And as David saith Oculi omnium suspiciunt in te The eyes of all wait and looke up to thee Psal 145. Therefore we are to pray that God will give bread not onely nobis animalibus but nobis hominibus not onely as to living creatures but as to Men. Thirdly the Gentiles and Heathen people
which onely seeke after these things Matth. 6. do obtaine them at Gods hands much more will God grant them to us which professe our selves Christians and his Children Secondly for the Limitation it is not mihi non meum but give us and give our the reason is that as Salomon sayes Prov. 5.6 Our wels may flow out abroad and that there may be rivers of waters in the streetes and that not only we may not be burdensome to others but that we may have to give to them that have need Eph. 4. Sixthly for the word Hodie our Saviour teacheth us to pray Give us bread this day and as the Apostle speakes Heb. 3. Dum dicitur hodie the reason is because life is but onely dies not seculum And the Wise man saith Talke not of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth We may not say to our soule Soule thou hast store of goods laid up for many yeares We see by his example what may fall out Luk. 12. For as much as the continuance of our life is uncertaine our desire must be that God would give us sufficient for our present want Howbeit this makes not for them that are carelesse for the time to come for such are sent to learne wisedome of the Ant Prov. 30. which provides for Winter and not onely the Saints at all times have beene carefull and provident for outward things as Joseph who counselled Paraoh before hand to lay up corne to feed him for seven yeares space during the famine Gen. 41. But our Saviour himselfe gives charge that that which remaineth should be saved and nothing lost Joh. 6. And it was his pleasure that Judas should beare the bagge for his and their provision to teach us that he alloweth provident care for things earthly But by this word daily our Saviour condemneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or immoderate care for worldly things whereby the soule is rent and divided and not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5. which is required of every man for his owne houshold and is both lawfull and honest Here ariseth an objection how a man having filled his belly or being ready to leave this world may say this prayer The answer is first Multi dormierunt divites qui surrexerunt pauperes therefore our desire is that as we have enough now so we may be preserved in this estate and that God would not change plenty into poverty Againe though wee have bread and it continue with us yet it is nothing without that beata pax therefore though we have the thing it selfe yet we are to desire that which is the life of bread which is a power to nourish then that God will give us the sanctified bread which is the heavenly Manna and grace that as we worke for bread in our vocations so we remember to sanctifie it by invocation for else it is usurped bread THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON And forgive us our Debts AUgustine interpreting our Saviours words of the shutting of Heaven in Elias time Luke 4.23 compared prayer to a key that hath power to open Heaven from whence all blessings descend unto us and to shut the bottomlesse pit of Hell from whence all evils proceede Prayer is a meanes not onely to draw all grace from God Prov. 12.2 but it is obex mali flagellum daemonis as the name of Christ is Oleum effusum Cant. 1. because by it we receive all good so the name of the Lord is Turris fortissima Prov. 18. for that it saves and defends us from all evill As these are both truely affirmed of Gods name so by the Invocation of the name of God we have this double benefit that wee doe not onely receive all good by it but also are delivered from all evill In the three former Petitions our Saviour hath taught us to draw grace from God in these three latter we are taught to use that kinde of prayer that concernes the removing of all evill called Tekinah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and deprecation The evill is of three sorts of sinnes past and to come and of the evill of punishment In the first of these three Petitions we pray against the guilt of sinnes past that God would not charge us with them in the second against the running issue of sinne to come that God would not suffer us to sinne hereafter in the third that God would turne away from us all those plagues that our sinnes deserve both in this life and in the life to come and these three Petitions are fitly opposed to the three former To the Kingdome of glory we oppose our sinnes to the doing of Gods will temptation to naturall good things the evill of the world to come and the miseries of this life from both which we desire to be delivered when we say deliver us from evill The Petition consists of debts and forgivenesse but before we handle them we are to speake first of the necessity of this Petition secondly of the goodnesse of God that penneth the Petition for us What need we have to pray to God for remission of our sinnes appeares hereby because our sinnes do make a partition betweene God and us Esa 59. the effect whereof is that our mis-deeds doe turne Gods blessings from us and doe keepe good things from us Ier. 5.25 Now having already desired at Gods hands the glory of Gods Kingdome the good of grace for the doing of his will and all outward good things necessary for this life we are of necessity to pray that God will forgive us our sinnes which otherwise will hinder us of these good things and as our sinnes doe hinder Gods graces that they cannot come to us so they hinder our prayers that they cannot come to God for our sinnes are as it were a cloud to hide God so that our prayers cannot goe through Lam. 3.44 So that except we desire the forgivenesse of our sinnes we shall in vaine pray for the three former good things Besides our sinnes are a plaine hinderance to Gods Kingdome for none shall come thither but such as are uncorrupt and voide of sinnes in the whole course of their life Psal 15. Et nihil impurum ingreditur illâ—c no uncleane thing shall enter thither Revel 21. Therefore the Prophet saith hic est omnis fructus auferantur peccata Isa 27.9 Secondly the goodnesse of God appeareth herein that he hath endited us a prayer to aske remission telling us that it is possible to obtaine remission of sinne It is true that by our sinnes wee have made our selves uncapable of all good things but yet we see the goodnesse of God that as we have still dona so he teacheth us to say condona Where he teacheth all men to pray for good things we learne that we are all mendici Dei but in that we are taught to aske forgivenesse of sinne we see that we are malefici Dei the malefactors of God such as have need of pardon and
rod eate up the inchanters rods that yet he hardened his heart Exod. 7.13 After Exod. 8. when the Sorcerers told him Digitus Dei hic est this is the singer of God yet he hardened his owne heart and then God seeing his obstinacie Induravit corejus hardened his heart Exod. 12. So when Ahab had first sold himselfe to worke wickednesse 1 King 19.20 then it pleased God to deliver him to the lying spirit to deceive him that he might fall 1 King 22. Because Ephraim would have many Altars to serve God gave them many Altars Hos 8.11 That we be not led into tentation the meanes that we are to use is that we put from before our face the stumbling blocks of iniquity Ezek. 14. that we restraine our eyes and mouthes from beholding or speaking that which is evill that we restraine our feete as the Wiseman saith Keepe thy way farre from her and come not into the doore of her house Prov. 5.8 For can a man take fire in his bosome and his clothes not be burnt Prov. 6. Therefore if we will not be led into tentation we must not lead our selves nor tempt our selves nor grope for sinne for the Devils tentation cannot hurt us it shall be a meanes to grace us if we withstand it but if we will be drawne away of our owne lusts then wee cannot but be led As we must forbeare the occasion of sinne so must wee use the meanes that may keepe us from it that is prayer We must make a covenant with our eyes Iob 31. so we shall not bee tempted As we prayed that Gods will touching sanctification 1 Thes 4. and suffering may be done of us so we are to pray not generally to be delivered from the temptations of sinne but particularly from the temptation of any severall sin whereunto we are inclined if to worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 that he would keepe us from them If to the lusts of the flesh 1 Pet. 2. that he will not suffer us to be tempted of them neither that as our tentation increaseth so his strength may increase and if not increase then that he will cause his tentation to decrease THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON MATTH 6.13 But deliver us from evill THis last Petition concerneth the last of those three evills which we desire to have removed from us under which we comprehend all miseries and calamities of this life for that is it which our Saviour understandeth by the evill of the day in the last verse of this Chapter So there is a plaine opposition betwixt this Petition and the fourth As there by daily bread wee understood all things necessary for this present life so when we say Deliver us from evill we seeke to be delivered from all such things as are laborious and troublesome to us in the same There are that make but sixe Petitions of this Prayer saying that the two last are but one but they have no warrant for it The ancient Church hath alwaies divided it into seven and this division they grounded upon the motive which caused our Saviour Christ to pen this prayer which was the avoyding of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Heathen Matth. 6. v. 7. into which they cannot chuse but fall which affirme that these two last Petitions containe but one thing wherein they are deceived for temptation and evill are not of one scantling Every evill is not tentation neither is every temptation evill Some things are evill in their owne kind as wolves and Kites other things are not onely evill in themselves but bring forth evill effects for our sinnes are not onely evill but the calamities and miseries which our sinnes bring upon us are also evill and therefore we are to pray no lesse against the one then against the other Touching the misery of this life we are to pray as the Prophet wils us for the deliverance from them Psal 50. Call upon mee in the day of thy trouble That this and the former cannot be one Petition appeareth for where we pray that we be not led into temptation we desire that we may do no evill when we pray that we may be delivered from evill our desire is that we may suffer no evill In the first we pray against malum culpae in the second against malum poenae The first is an evill of our owne doing the other of Gods doing as the Prophet speakes Amos 3. Non est malum in Civitate quod non facit Dominus As before sinne committed wee desired non induci so here when we have committed sinne our desire is that God would not deliver us to our Ghostly enemy that he may afflict us in this life with temporall plagues nor in the life to come keepe us in eternall torments When we desire that God will deliver us from the miseries of this life and of the life to come we have these things to consider first that the case of Christian men is not like the state of the Heathens for they had Joves white gods from whom they received good things and blacke gods whom they called depulsores malorum but Christians have but one God to flie to whom they acknowledge to be both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God that doth not onely give us good things but takes from us those that are evill so God testifieth of himselfe to Abraham that he is not onely his exceeding great reward but also his shield Gen. 15. both which we are to consider in this that in Scripture he is compared to a rocke Secondly that the devill hath a desire to carry us away into sinne and transgression to the end he may endanger our soules and if he cannot hurt us that way then he will labour to do us some outward mischiefe if he cannot prevaile as a tempter yet that he may hurt us as a tormenter So he dealt with Job who for that he was a just and perfect man so as Satan could not tempt him to sinne against God therefore his desire was that he might touch his body and torment him with outward losses for his delight is evermore in doing of mischiefe if he can no longer vexe the soule of man yet he will crave this leave that he may torment the poore hogges Luk. 8.32 Thirdly that we have two kind of helpes against this evill first that precaution which our Saviour tells us of in the former Petition that before we commit sin we pray non induci that neither temptation come at us nor we at it Secondly that albeit wee by sin are fallen into evill yet there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or salving to be looked for of God who will deliver us after that we are delivered into the hands of our adversarie as in the first Petition we pray that we may not fall into evill by yeelding to temptation so here if wee be fallen yet God would deliver us out of it Both these helpes are ascribed to God Of the
a Lyon but Christ who is the power of God is able to free us from evils to save us from him 1 Cor. 1.29 2 Pet. 2.9 The meanes and wayes whereby the Sonne of God who is his wisedome and power doth free us from evill is first non inducendo that is not to suffer us to be tempted at all for so we should be freed both from the evill of sinne and from the evill of punishment which is the effect of sinne but for as much as there is none upon whom the devill hath not at least laid his nailes and as it were scratched with his clawes by outward afflictions we are not to looke for that meanes of deliverance the Apostles themselves had not this priviledge for Saint Paul that was a chosen vessell had the messenger of Sathan to buffet him even the corruption of his flesh which did still tempt him to sinne 2 Cor. 12. And for outward affliction it is the case of all Christians generally All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. So that the godly may not looke for their paradise on earth Christ hath fore-told In the world you shall have trouble Joh. 16. as for their joyes and comfort it is elsewhere to be had Merces vestra magna est in coelis Mat. 5. But if they be without tribulation in this life if they be in the state of those that come into no misfortune like others Ps 73. it is an evill signe and they little differ from the world which have their portion in this life whereas the troubles and miseries of this world are to the godly a pledge of the joyes that are to come and yet sometimes he giveth them a taste of his future mercie by blessing them on earth I have set before thee an open doore because thou hast a little strength Rev. 3.8 But we pray here for a deliverance after wee are fallen into evill and this deliverance is performed foure waies First when God doth quickly take the evill from us and not suffer it to continue to our utter over-throw Such a deliverance is that when hee suffereth his wrath to indure but a little season when though he send heavinesse over night yet he causeth joy to come in the morning Psal 30. It was a great cause of griefe to the Apostles that Christ speaking of his departure from them said A little while and yee shall not see mee but he delivered them out of this griefe by comforting them with the hope of his speedy returne when he said And yet a while and yee shall see mee againe Joh. 16. and as Saint Paul saith This is a great means to deliver us out of our afflictions when we know that it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tribulation that as it is but light in it selfe so it is but momentany 2 Cor. 4.17 Secondly God doth deliver us from evill when he doth mixe some cōfort with our affliction that may make us to beare it the better Such comfort it pleased God to mixe with Josephs trouble who was first sold to be a slave by his owne brethren after cast into prison by means of his wicked Mistresse but in the midst of his affliction God did not only bring him out of prison but brought him into favour with Pharaoh which made him forget all his labour travell Wherefore he called his first son Manasseh of forgetting Gen. 41.51 Thus God tempered the afflictions of David as himselfe confesseth In the multitude of the sorrowes of my heart thy comforts have refreshed my soule Psalm 94. And the Apostle saith Blessed be God for hee giveth us comfort in all our tribulation so as we are able to comfort others with the same comfort that he ministred to us 2 Cor. 1.4 Thirdly when he gives us patience to endure our affliction which is a greater benefit then the former for if we suffer wrong and take it patiently then there is thankes with God and we follow the example of Christ who suffered for us though he had done no sinne 1 Pet. 2.20 and as it is a thing thank-worthy with God so the Prophet saith Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest O Lord that thou mayest give him patience in the time of adversitie Psal 94.13 Wherefore the Apostle exhorteth Let patience have its perfect worke that we may be perfect and intire lacking nothing Jam. 1.4 Christ was for a time forsaken of his Father that he might comfort himselfe with patience and so it is required of us that in our afflictions we possesse our soules with patience Luk. 21.19 for so we shall apply our selves to be found in Faith and the love of God and to be lacking in no duty which God requireth at our hands Fourthly when out of evill he brings good and turnes the evils that are come upon us to our greater good for to this end God afflicteth his children and therefore Christ saith not deliver us from calamity or tribulation but from evill for God in his wisdome doth so dispose of the afflictions of the godly that they shall have cause to rejoyce and glory in tribulations Rom. 5.3 2 Cor. 11. Now they have cause to rejoyce in their tribulations in two respects First quando crux liberat à cruciatu when the crosse delivereth from anguish or vexation for so the Apostle saith that God doth chasten his children in this life that they should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. Secondly quando crux convertitur in coronam when their crosse is turned into their crowne for so Saint Paul saith That the afflictions of the godly which they suffer here are but light and momentany and yet procure unto us a surpassing and everlasting weight of glory such as cannot be expressed 2 Cor. 4.17 And the same Apostle Rom. 8.18 saith I have made my reckoning and now find that the afflictions of this life are not worthy or comparable to the glory that shall be revealed in the world to come Now we may not limit God to any one of these wayes of deliverance but our desire must be that he will deliver us from Evill that way which seemeth best unto him Lastly seeing it is Gods will that we shall undergoe the crosse in this life our prayer to God must be that of the crosses that were on mount Calvary Luk. 23.33 ours may be like to Christs crosse that we may suffer innocently for the name of Christ For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure griefe and suffer wrong undeserved 1 Pet. 2.19 Secondly if not innocently yet that our suffering may be like the good theefe that confessed he suffered worthily for hee repented of his sinne and by faith conceived comfort that albeit his body were crucified yet his soule should be received with Christ into glory but in any waies our desire must be that we suffer not like the wicked and reprobate theefe that blasphemed Christ and dyed without
worth the sight in this respect onely to behold how these Champions behave themselves that so we may be warned before-hand by seeing the strength of our Adversary and that also seeing the manner of his fight and of our Saviours defence we may be instructed how to arme our selves and how to ward accordingly For let us be sure that since the Devill spared not to tempt our Saviour he will be much more bold with us If he have done this to the greene tree what will become of the dry Luk. 23.31 If hee have sought our overthrow in Christ how much more will he doe it in our selves If our dayes here be but as the dayes of an hireling Job 7.1 and our whole life be but as a continuall warfare 2 Tim. 2.4 then is it behoovefull for us to have some intelligence of our enemies forces and drifts It is said his darts are fiery Eph. 6.16 Here we may see the manner of his casting them that so Sathan should not circumvent us 2 Cor. 2.11 Let us marke how our Saviour wardeth and defendeth himselfe that so we may be armed with the same minde 1 Pet. 4.1 Let us therefore goe out into the Wildernesse to see it Then Jesus This is the description of the entry into the temptation and it containeth as a weighty History many circumstances importing great matters which may be reduced to seven branches or heads First the two Champions first Christ and Secondly Sathan Thirdly the leader of Jesus into the lists who is said to be the Holy Ghost Fourthly the end which was the conflict it selfe that is to be tempted Fifthly the day of the battell expressed under the word Then Sixthly the lists themselves that is the Wildernesse Seventhly Christ his preparation to it that is his fasting I. First for the party defendant Christ who as God giveth food to every living creature Psal 136.25 and as God and man with five loaves and two fishes fed 5000. men besides women and children Matth. 14.21 He that is said to be the very meat it selfe whereby we live eternally John 6. is here said to be hungry He before whom thousand thousands are said to minister and ten thousand thousands are said to stand before him Dan. 7.10 hath here for his companions the wilde beasts for so saith Marke Chap. 1.13 He to whom the Angels minister verse 11. is here assayled with devils which offer unto him matter of great indignity and the indignity which he suffered leads us to the consideration of the grievousnesse of our sinnes and of the greatnesse of his love both which are measured by the greatnesse of those things he suffered for us as that he was cast out from among the company of Angels for so Marke chap. 1. ver 12. hath it into the Desert to be a companion of beasts and so led forth to be tempted where he suffered in his body hunger in his soule temptation what is it else but a proclaiming of his great love towards us As if he should exulting say What is it that shall separate me from the love of men Shall temptation shall solitarinesse shall hunger shall wearisome labour and travell shall watching shall anguish of minde and bloody sweat shall mockes shall whippes shall nayles shall speares shall principalities That wee also might use the same challenge which Paul doth in the 8. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans the 35. verse What shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation shall anguish or persecution These two profitable points grow out of the consideration of the person of the defendant II. Secondly the party assaylant is the Devill who is so called by reason of his foule mouth in defaming for so doth the word Diabolus import where by we have occasion to detest the sinne of infamy and it sheweth what name they deserve and how to be esteemed of in whom that quality is found Saint Paul 2 Tim. 3.3 foretold that in the latter dayes there should be men devills foule-mouthed men evill speakers and 1 Tim. 3.11 he speaketh of women devils because of their calumnious speeches In the tongue wherein Christ spake these words namely the Syriacke the fittest word that he could finde to signifie the devils name is a word that signifies Divulgator so that a publisher of infamous reports is good Syriacke for the devill as when a man lightly conceives a reptoach either forging it himselfe by misconstruction or credulously receiving it upon the report of others and then is not sorry for his brothers ill Mat. 5.22 but rather insulteth not considering that he himselfe may fall into the like temptations Gal. 6.1 and so becomes puffed up 1 Cor. 5.2 and at last fals a blazing his brothers imperfections 3 Joh. 10. These come right to the devils quality they take upon them the abetting of the devils quarrell It is the devils occupation to defame us first with God as he did Job as if he had beene an hypocrite and had served God onely for gaine Job 1.9 and so stands he continually accusing us Apoc. 12.10 and he also defameth God with us as if he were a God that did envy our good Gen. 3.1 and so he here defameth God to Christ as if he were carelesse in providing for him in suffering him to be hungry And from these two defamations proceeds all evill whatsoever aswell that which the Divines call Malum poenae as Job 1.12 accusing Job that he would curse God if he handled him roughly and so got power over his goods as that which they call Malum culpae For his defaming God with us was the cause of all sinne and every where still we see he laboureth to perswade us that God is an unkinde God that so we may burst forth into those termes This good did I get at Gods hand 2 King 6.33 to wit hunger To this doth he tempt Christ verse 3. And as to desperation so sometimes to the contrary presumption as verse 6. Cast thy selfe downe c. by bringing us to have a base conceit of God defaming him as if he were a God of cloutes not to be reckoned of as if he were a man to waite upon us and to take us up as oft as we list to throw our selves downe that we may say in our hearts as they that were frozen in their dregs did Sophon 1.2 He neither doth good nor hurt it is all one to serve him and not to serve him He tels us as ver 9. that he will give us all this if we will fall downe and worship him as though he were very liberall in rewards and as though God were unkinde or ungratefull not once regarding us for all our service but suffers us even to starve which brought men to that passe as to say Mal. 3.14 that It is but in vaine to serve God what gaine is in his service If he cannot prevaile this way against us then he will try another way for when seeing that this temptation succeeded
storehouse and Armory of the people It is the policy Christ tels us of in the 11. of Lukes Gospell ver 22. A strong man puts the strong armed man out of his house and takes away his armour from him then he needs not feare him The like policy we read of 1 Sam. 13.19 when the Philistims had taken away all Smiths and Armour then they thought they were safe So in the time of darkenesse the devill might let them doe their good workes and what they list and yet have them still under his lure that he might offend them at his pleasure that had no armour to resist him All the Children of God had a right and property in the Law of God as appeareth by Christs words John 10.34 he answered them that is the common people Is it not written in your Law As though hee should say the Scripture is yours To the young man in the tenth Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell and 26. verse that asked Christ what he should doe to be saved Christ answereth What is written in the Law how readest thou Whereunto to answer that we cannot read or that the booke is sealed up Esay 29.11 is as the devill would have it Then hath he a fit time to offer us stones to make bread of But this answer with our Saviour Christ will not be allowed of Now come we to the speciall point of Christs answer It is written Man lives not by bread onely c. Deut. 8.3 There is no better kinde of reasoning than that when one grants all that hath beene said by his adversary and proveth it to make on his part and upon a new conceit avoyds all that his adversary said Here our Saviour might confesse all that the devill objected as that he is the Son of God and admit the stones were made bread and that bread were of absolute necessity and that it were so to be come by which is untrue were we then in good case This indeed is the devils position wherewith he would perswade all those that have animam triticeam as the Fathers call it that those externall things are necessary to be had and that if they have enough thereof they are well enough as we see it to be the minde of the rich man Luke 12.19 This man having a wheaten soule having corne enough bade his soule take rest and live merrily for many yeares But Christ goeth further and saith Though the stones be made bread it will not availe except it please God by the blessing of his word to give vertue and as it were life unto the bread there is no difference between it and a stone It is not the plenty or quality of victuals howsoever some dote upon such externall meanes as they did which sacrificed to their net and burnt incense to their yerne Habak 1.16 because by them their portion was fat and their meates plenteous For what saith Job 31.27 If I had rejoyced because my substance was great this had beene an iniquity So that our life is not mainetained by bread onely descended out of the mould of the earth The nature of bread and stones are not much unlike they come both out of one belly that is to say the earth Job 28.5 6. and of themselves the one of them hath no more power than the other unto life for we know that the Israelites dyed even while the flesh of Quailes was in their mouthes Numb 11.33 and Manna heavenly fare being farre better than our bread It is the devils crafty policy to bury a mans life under a loafe of bread and as it were to fetter the grace of God to the outward meanes wheras they of themselves are of no more efficacy without the operation and grace of the word than a hammer and a saw without a hand able to employ them David saith Psal 104.28 The eyes of all things waite on God for their meate in due season and thou fillest them With what with bread No but with thy blessing and goodnesse Our hearts must be stablished with grace not with meats Heb. 13.9 It is Gods prerogative that as all things had their beginning from him Colos 1.17 so he supporteth and sustaineth them Heb. 1.3 This is a further point than all Philosophy teacheth us For they having laid downe the foure elements bare and simple essences tanquam materiam by compounding and tempering of them they bring forth a certaine quintessence or balme full of vertue But Divinity leadeth so to a quintessence without which all the quintessences and balmes in the world can doe us no good To the question that Jeremie propoundeth Jer. 8.22 Is there no balme at Gilead Is there no Physitian there The answer may bee Mans health is not recovered by balme or physicke onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God if we weigh Christs argument aright For we may see 2 Chron. 16.12 Asa dyed for all his Physitians that were about him So if it be asked Are there no horses nor chariots in Gilead We may answer warlike victory consisteth not in warlike furniture onely but in remembring the name of the Lord God Psal 20.7 A horse is a vaine thing to save without the power of this word And so when a man thrives not or prospers not in his actions it is not often for want of labour or care Psal 127.1 tels him Except the Lord build the house c. Augustine adviseth his Auditory to beleeve it in time lest by wofull experience they finde it to be true when as they shall have such a consumption that no meate shall doe them any good or such a dropsie that no drinke shall availe them The power and vertue of this word is called The staffe of bread Levit. 26.26 and it is meant of a chiefe staffe such a one as is set in the middest to beare up all the Tent. The plainest similitude I can use to make you understand the force thereof is this When we goe to Physicke for any disease we are bidden feeth such herbes in running water and then to drinke the water we know it is not the water which helpeth but the decoction of infusion So it is not the bread considered barely in it selfe that nourisheth us but the vertue and grace of the word infused into it We are not therefore to sticke to the meanes like the Glutton Luk. 12.19 but to pray for this blessing And to this end God in the establishing of nature hath thereout reserved foure speciall prerogatives to his Word As first with a very little of the meanes to goe farre in operation 1 Reg. 17.14 with a little oyle and a little wheate he fed Elias the poore widdow and her sonne a great while And Matth. 17.14 Christ made five loaves and two fishes serve five thousand persons The heathen man thought no certaine proportion was to be set downe for a family because when a heavenly hunger commeth on men they eate more at one time than
leape straight into Heaven from Predestination we leape straight to Glorification it is no matter for Mortification there be no such meane degrees But Saint Paul tels us it is so high that we had need of a ladder in which be many steps insomuch as he puts a How shall to every steppe Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on God on whom they have not beleeved c. There must be calling on God beleeving on him hearing his word There must be ordinary meanes and there is a ladder of practise aswell as of speculation or contemplation 2 Pet. 1.5 6. Joyne vertue with your Faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and so patience godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and love If these things be in you you shall not be idle and fruitelesse in the knowledge of Christ for he that hath not these things is blinde he goeth blindfold to the wood and may chance hap beside heaven or steppe besides the ladder A great many say as Balaam did O let my Soule dye the death of the Righteous but they care not for living the life of the Righteous He went but blindfold he knew not the Angell that stood with a sword drawne in the way but would have gone upon it if his Asse had beene so foolish A great many thinke that presumption in being secure of their salvation is good Divinity Balaam thought he went well when he went on the point of a naked sword So one entised by the flattery of a harlot thinkes he goes to a place of great pleasure but he goeth as one that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes Prov. 7.22 Those whom it pleaseth God to have partakers of his Kingdome he puts them in minde To remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth before the evill dayes come He giveth the grace of timely Repentance and suffereth them not to deferre it till the last cast and then to thinke that with the turning of a pin as it were they shall with a trice be in heaven with Elias in a whirle winde Augustine saith We may in some cases advise men to have great hope that they shall be saved but in no case give them warrant of security So in Ephes 5.6 This wee know that no whoremonger nor uncleane person hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Heaven Let no man deceive you through vaine words he that doth righteousnesse is righteous and he that doth unrighteousnesse is of the devill Joh. 3.7 Now therefore to neglect the hearing of the Word or when he commeth to heare it to clap downe in his place without desire or minde to beare it away thereby to be bettered in his life and without purpose after by meditating on it to chew it and so to kindle a fire within himselfe whereby it may be digested and turned into the substance of the minde this is to tempt God So also to beare a greater countenance and make more shew of holinesse than indeed is in one is to lay a greater yoke on himselfe than he need as Act. 15.10 is a tempting of God Againe he that sinneth must looke for evill to follow Psal 91.10 He therefore that sinneth and yet thinketh to escape punishment tempteth God They that by often experience have found that such and such things have beene to them occasions of sinning and yet will presume to use the same againe tempts God And those which set up their Idols in their heart and put the stumbling blocke of iniquity before their face EZech. 14.3 and thinke not they sinne such tempt God He that comes to aske forgivenesse of God and will not performe the condition of the Lords Prayer that is Forgive others tempts God Generally he that seeketh for good of God and will not performe that which he is to doe or doth evill thinking to escape scot-free without endevouring to avoyd or resist it both these tempt God and to these two may all other be referred IV. The fourth is we must not at all tempt God at no hand we must not thinke but God is able to bring water even out of a Rocke Numb 20.11 when there is nothing but rockes and stones but when we may hope to finde it we must digge for it So when the soyle will beare Corne we must Till it When Elisha was in a little village not able to defend him from the Assyrians he had chariots and horses of fire to defend him 2 King 6.17 but when he was in Samaria a strong walled City then when the King of Israel sent to fetch his head he said to those which were with him Shut the doore ver 32. Christ in the Wildernesse miraculously fed many in the City he sent his Disciples to buy meate as John 4.8 In the beginning when the Gospell was published there wanted sufficient men for the purpose the Apostles had the power as appeareth Acts 8.29 that on whomsoever they laid hands he received the holy Ghost and was straight able and meete to Preach the Gospell but after every man to his study 1 Tim. 4.5 These things exercise c. We see that notwithstanding Paul was told by an Angell that there should be no losse of any mans life in the ship yet he caused the Mariners to cut the ropes and to cast Anchor Act. 27.23 24.29 30 31 32. Nay when some would have gone out by boate he would not let them so here Christ answereth that howsoever Angels attend on him he may not tempt God V. Now follow the reasons why we may not tempt God There be two sorts of tempting the one by ignorance the other by unbeliefe It is the manner of Chirurgions when they are to dresse a wound and know not how farre nor which way it goeth to tent it In the same manner is God after the manner of men said to tempt us sometimes to prove what is in our hearts and whether we will keepe his Commandements Deut. 6.2 as he did the Israelites forty yeares To this end he both made them hungry and fed them with Manna We sometimes tempt God as if the arme of his power had received a wound or his eye a hurt as if he could not helpe or discerne our wants as well as before because he brings us not water out of the Rocke Numb 20.10 but such miracles now are not agreeing with his will which content us He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.19 And we must not despise the riches of his bounteousnesse and patience and long-suffering which leadeth to Repentance Rom. 2.4 The Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save nor his eare heavy that it cannot heare because he doth not reprove us we thinke him like us Psal 50.19 When God holds his peace we thinke his tongue is cut But I will not alwayes hold my peace saith God Mal. ult But how shall I know this say men now adayes as Zacharias knew his wife was with childe Luk. 1.18 who
but Gods will is the rule of all justice there can be no danger in his dispensations This is their rule Quod licitum est mutatur exsuperveniente causa what is lawfull is changed by the accession of a new cause So in some cases God hath restrained his law but very seldome dispensed such a thing is in the Law of God though not so common The warrant of this is either first by his word the image of the brazen serpent against the second Commandement Or secondly by ratifying by signes blessing them by extraordinary gifts above the cours of mankind For these dispensations or exemptions from the common law because they be priviledges they are to be restrained to the persons to whom they were granted as in the doings of the Prophets these warrants now cease Quae exorbitant à jure communi non sunt trahenda in consequentiam vel argumento argumenti vel exemplo This is a maxim These things which swerve from common right are not to be drawne into consequence either for proofe of an argument or for example Though we be willing to make many restraints yet there are but few and if we make more great injury is done to God It s a commendation of a law to have fewest priviledges for where there are fewest dispensations there is most equity as he said of Rome that all the good Emperours might be graven on the one side of a penny and therefore great injury done to God in it granting they were Therefore in Gods they should be are fewest The slaughter of Phineas the marriage of Oseah the robbery of the Egyptians are not restraints for this is certaine that though they were yet they are not for us they are not for our times neither have we the signe of the voice of God for them And it may be proved substantially that many things in the old Testament which are thought to be restraints were not but kept to the uttermost This is to stop the mouth of vaine persons that cannot uphold themselves but with the distinction of ordinary and extraordinary and indeed all the stirre now adaies is about the limiting of ordinary and extraordinary The conclusion is we have but little use of this rule 2. Rule Natura praecepti The nature of the precept 2. Rule By the nature of a precept that in sundry cases it giveth a restraint the nature of the fift Commandement to honour superiours Princes having none upon earth are exempted The nature of the fourth Commandement one day in seven And this restraint troubleth them that fancy a perfecter righteousnesse The continuall practice of an affirmative is part of a precept The rule of the affirmative precept Semper tenemur bonum facere sed non tenemur bonum facere semper Affirmat tenet semper negat tenet semper ad semper We are bound alwaies to do good but we are not bound to worke alwaies The affirmative precept must needs be restrained the negative not so Some thinke themselves bound to thinke on nothing but God The negative indeed holdeth at all times the affirmative doth not Augustine Miro modo homo etiam ex amore Dei â—on cogitat de Deo After an unspeakable manner a man even from the love of God thinketh not of God Even as a man from the use of reason ceaseth from the use of reason this is plaine by a familiar example as in sleepe So in abstaining from a good worke he doth a good worke Quemadmodum homo ex usu rationis caret vel cessat ab usu rationis sic ex amore Dei abstinet ab amore Dei The reason is the nature of doing a good thing well standeth thus that there must be a concurring of all due cases and circumstances belonging thereto Malum ex singularium defectu oritur bonum è causa integra Evill ariseth from the defect of any one cause but good springs from a whole and intire cause Now all these circumstances cannot alwaies concurre and so consequently cannot alwaies be kept Therefore in respect of the affirmative part we are exempted by the nature of it And secondly the ardour of affection that is required in doing good sheweth that it cannot continue in a perpetuity This also is not of so great use The third rule is of greatest use â— Rule This by sundry occasions receiveth sundry judgements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A conflict of lawes and yet they may be reduced to one rule The case is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conflict of two lawes The Jewes say when two Commandements make one another a lyer till a third commeth and maketh them agree by restraining one of them This therefore is for a rule Nemo unquam ita perplexus est inter duo peccata quin illi pateat exitus sine tertio No man is so perplexed betwixt two sinnes but that a way out lyeth open without a third And if it were not so it should argue a great want of knowledge in God 2. How we shall be able to rid our selves out of both sine tertio peccato without a third sinne Either the 2. precepts may be compounded and reconciled or not reconciled If they may be agreed upon then there is no necessity that a third come but we may dimittere erroneam opinionem let goe the erroneous opinion As in Herod If he had let go his oath his perpetuity had been none After his promises and oath he was in such a perplexity that he imagined that he must either breake his oath or put John Baptist to death he should let goe his opinion and let Iohn Baptists head stand still For if he had let goe his oath he had committed no more sinne then before If they cannot be agreed upon Tum agat id ad quod est magis obligatus then let him doe that to which he is more bound Whose end is superiour Cantic 2. Dominus or dinavit in nobis charitatem his banner over us was love He hath set one law above another all must not come together The rule in reason and judgement Vbi est principium ibi digerendae sunt res ad illud principium Where a principle is there things are to be directed to that principle The chiefe end is Gods glory 2. The soule and health of man the health of every man 3. The like care of our brethren In respect of the glory of God the health of man must fall to the ground Vt misericordia pateat that mercy may be manifested That God might have the glory and he purchace to himselfe mercy But that the justice of God may have his glory salvation must be denied to other our health before our brethren we may not commit sinne to deliver them from sinne Therefore a man must have speciall regard of himselfe The first Table doth bind more then the second The health of our owne soules to be preferred before our brethrens The reason is because none can deliver his
reward concerning which reward Gen. 15.1 it is an exceeding great reward or as the Fathers say upon that place merces magna nimis too great for all the obedience we can performe and such as that one of them saith that the Saints of God they repent themselves that their obedience was so strait and no more upon earth and wish that they might come hither againe to doe more good workes and performe more exact obedience The signes Signa 1. For the first part 1. for audire Hearing the signes before would be sufficient if we could once be perswaded that we doe it not ex opere operato but our practise doth so commend it and confirme it as that we thinke our bare hearing pleaseth God for after we have heard what care we have to gather and summe up our estates how is our thoughts wholly taken up with the world what griefe we have if we doe thereby by neglect our profit againe how easily we frame our selves reasons to absent us from thence it is a signe that we are not aright whereas that businesse we would leave at the call of man but if we heare with fruit and profit and doe it carefully if in particular application wee apply it and study to profit it is a true signe of right Hearing For the other i. obedire obedience as it fals out we have a very good triall of it for in the dissolutenesse of this time the onely benefit in our want of discipline is this that as there be divers punished that would annoy the civill body so those that they thinke the civill state will beare are left which should not be as the Primitive Church but then sundry would obey as to the precepts having correctivam vim rather then directivam a correcting rather then a directing power wheras now it is seene who doth it for conscience sake when God gives us a rule of obedience and the lawes inflict not any penalty for the breach of it there our obedience is free and voluntary when Gods forbidding and mans concurâ—e not if we be obedient in as great measure as if they doe concurre then it is a good signe of the truth and soundnesse of our obedience 2. The other and the best when there fals out a question wherein our nature taketh one part and the Commandement another as Gen. 22. in Abraham Nature bade him net sacrifice his sonne God commanded him to sacrifice his son then we may know to whom we are obedient if God have the victory and commanâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—come and the flesh goe downe then we know that ouâ— obedience is right on the other side if God give place the oblocutoâ— gets the victory then we know what becomes of our obedience so or the world when that and the fashion take one part and God and the Commandement the other looke what we follow there is our obedience Aug. Si Dominus sit si Domini amicus while they two walke together wee cannot know the Dogs Master but he that it followeth when they are parted is his Master 6. For the sixth rule for procuring of obedience in other the two words aedificatio scandalum edification and scandall must be it For Edification Rom. 14.19 for Scandall Rom. â—4 13 that which is lawfull is not lawfull as it is both in the first and second Epistle to Timothy except it edifie or if it be scandalous Patience But we make â—t an especiall effect of love as when love is active obedience passive patience Qui amat tâ—lerat si desistis â—â—lerare desistis amare NOw we come to Patience it may be comprehended under obedience they use to call it obedientiam crucis the obedience of the Crosse it is a fruit of love and the first of all very necessary 1. Cor. 13.4 Charitas patiens est Charity suffereâ—h â—ong the Heathen man hath a strange saying Non amo quenquam nisi offendero I love no man but whom I offend the reason is because â—eaâ—ing and forbearing is a great signe of love he that loveth will beare much but if not he loveth not so that we see patience commeth with obedâ—ence for thus it is This Telerare must necessarily have relation to evill i. malum poenae Of our nature as we are naturall it cannot be said â—ruer than that it is durum pati loath to suffer especially evill the object of it Amos 3.6 non est malum in civitate there is no evill in a City but it commeth of God Rom. 5.3 if we suffer sicknesse poverty c. in the being ridde of it we put our felicity then this may be truly said that that which is evill is never patiently borne propter se for it selfe but thus if the good we shall get by suffering be greater then the evill learning is a good thing so is ease now without labour learning cannot be attained to if any thinke that forbearing of ease is better then the want of learning and he know that the privation of ease will so affect him that he shall come to be learned he taketh paines and consequently proveth learned and so on the other side that is the judgement of the reason that saith thus I will doe this because it is good but I will doe that rather because though I be deprived of a good yet by the privation of that good I shall get a greater good so is the judgement of patience The wants and troubles in this life are lesse then the pleasing of God Gregory saith well Ardor desideriorum facit tolerantiam laborum the ardencie of desire provoketh unto labour The end of Patience For the end or applying of it to the scope it falleth into the same that obedience not glorifying God from our selves but from others Another He will have glory over the Devils by us and it is a meanes whereby God useth to quell their malice by us therefore is patience commanded Iob 2.3 See the triumph of God above the Devill in Iobs patience though Satan afflicted him with sundry plagues yet he continued and so God was glorified in his servant above the malice of the wicked adversary The necessity of it Heb. 10.36 is too plaine you must labour after patience for ye had neede of patience a reason Christ bringeth Luke 21.19 for there hee saith we cannot possesse our soules without it How thus if any crosse come upon us either it is too great for us to beare and we fall into exceeding great worldly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the sorrow of the world worketh death and consequently that sorrow will deprive us of our soules as Ahitophell a wise man as any worldly man or else if wee have not patience we shall fall to set our selves against that party that wee thinke offered us injury in anger 1 Cor 15.26 and so wee come to hatred and then to injurious dealing and so we lose our soule Then in this respect that we
see when we have gone through the faire promises of the gaine-sayer we are to deale with other enemies as anguishes of this life c. then with the last enemies and then we are to make account that when wee deale with the last enemy i. death if wee escape him we shall be sure to keepe our soules Patience the roofe of godâ—â—nesse tectum In consideration whereof as we said in faith that it is fundamentum virtutum the foundation of other vertues so patience is tectum virtutum omnium the roofe to keepe them from the stormes of afflictions without which showres would fall into the building and rot it And this may well be warranted Luke 8.15 our Saviour describing the spirituall harvest saith that they brought fruit in patience the fruit is the last thing in the other the bud and the blossome the fruit that must come through the blade more plaine I am 1.4 that therefore patience must be that we may be perfect and want nothing i. that perfection may be added Phil. 1.29 he joynes them both together to beleeve and to suffer Vnto you it is given not onely to beleeve in him but also to suffer for him Heb. 6.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye be not slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises faith and patience the first and the last the beginning and the ending Sure it is that when this vertue is come and covered the roofe we have good cause to rejoyce in so much as the Apostle 2 Cor. 12 10. he will rejoyce in his patience that he had suffered reproaches infirmities persecutions and anguishes for Christs sake Which patience Rom. 5.4 working experience then hee hath spem solidiorem more sure and solid hope then he comes to that Rom. 8.35 that he throweth downe his Gauntlet to any thing that can separate him from the love of God and he beginneth with the stoutest enemies speaking by experience as the worke being perfect in him If â—n punishment it brings forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the precept what is commanded that is patience but we will distinguish it according to this object to affliction that is of two sorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precept for direction punishment for correction and accordingly on both sides there is a diverse patience It is said that in every law there is a directive and corrective force if the first escape the second will take hold aut faciendum quod oporter aut patiendum quod oporiet either we must doe what is due or suffer what is due we must be either Active or Passive 1. The first patience this whereby when we see that we are under the rod we submit our selves to the corrective law knowing it to be just for our deserts The reasons be two but one for suffering 1 Pet. 4.19 the maine reason of both these because it is the will of God Of his Will we enquire not the cause but the reason it is revealed therefore we are bold for the confirmation of our faith one this he will have the whole world know The manifestation of his own justice that sinne shall not be unpunished partly plaine Numb 20.12 the waters of Meribah cost Moses his life his wavering that waters came not at the first was the forfeiture of entrance into the land of promise and many more may be brought but they are all darkened by Christ his punishment for sinne may shew how well God liketh it Now albeit the maine punishment fell on Christ the Son of God and this passio Christi his Passion was the greatest sign of the love that he bare to us so must it be reciproce though that fell on him yet so it fell that there should still be a visitation of his Church though it was promised in the beginning God makes a covenant with us and to this end that his mercy may not be withdrawne from us yet Psal 89.31.32 But if his children forsake my law then I will visit their transgression with the rod c. So it is a part of the league betweene him and us that we shall endure the fatherly correction 1 Pet. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time is that justice shall beginne at the house of God an argument if justice beginne at the house of God if God shew his justice in punishing those which he hath a speciall favour and love unto therefore it doth argue that he will punish the unbeleevers more grievously Luke 23.31 It in me that am a greene tree what shall become of a dry tree therefore the green shall downe too Ier. 25.29 If mine owne house where my name is called upon offend I will beginne to plague it and shall you go scotfree therefore there is a not sparing of the house of God This would be very unpleasant unto us but that if we suffer not this a worse thing to be left would follow Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Revel 3.19 God doth castigare omnem silium quem recipit he scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth so herein is our choyce whether we will be disinherited or chastened Aug. Si hoc tibi magis malum videtur exhaeredari quam non casligari ist hoc elige So that if a man will be of the company of the wicked then Psal 73. he may share prosperity with them if not then Ier. 12. he shall be of the afflicted heritage and if our inheritance be magis bonum a good rather then the other we must passe under this 2. The procuring of out own benefit either by calling us backe when we are gone or retaining us in the state we 〈◊〉 in 2. Another reason of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 correction as the first was the declaration of Gods judgements so this for our owne benefit 1. Esa 28.19 vexatio dat intellectum vexation gives understanding Psal 119.14 it was good for David that he was in trouble i. many men cannot be without it Aug. saith of himselfe that when he did follow with a full streame worddly pleasures pectoris dolâ—r a griefe in his chest was the first visitation that recall'd him by Pauls unhorsing and smiting blinde was his entrance and so many have beene recovered to God and unlesse we be thus smitten and awaked the naturall folly and the world ringing in our eares will make us that we shall not heare So in our continuance of sundry Hase 2.6 Sepiam viam tuam spinis I will hedge up thy way with thornes if thou wilt out of the way a thorne shall pricke thee and bring thee in againe Basil is said that being a man much subject to infirmity and sicknesse once in his sicknesse was very earnest with God for the recovery of his health and when he had obtained it he remembred that he had left out a condition that when he requested of the Lord that he might recover his health he
knew not what Luke 9.32 we cannot receive the truth But if as Moses speakes we seeke the Lord with all our heart Deut. 4.29 If we doe with Paul orare spiritu orare mente 1 Cor. 14. then we may conceive hope to be heard for the commandement to aske is given Cordi non pulmoni to the heart not to the lungs Id quod cor non facit non fit that which the heart doth not is not done Secondly touching the manner as with fervencie so we must pray with reverence not having our heads covered as we see many doe which behaviour how rude and unbeseeming it is we may easily discerne as the Prophet speakes Offer this kinde of behaviour to thy Lord or Master and see whether he will accept it Mal. 1. If thou having a suite to an earthly Prince darest not speake but upon thy knees with all submission how much more ought we to reverence the Lord God in comparison of whom all the Princes in the earth are but Crickets and Grashoppers Esa 40. Therefore the manner of our prayer to God must be in all reverence Solomon prayed upon his knees 2 Chron. 6. Daniel fell downe upon his knees Dan. 6. So did Saint Peter Acts 9. So Paul Ephes 3.14 And not onely men upon earth but the glorious spirits in Heaven cast themselves and their crownes downe before him that sits upon the Throne Apoc. 4. Yea Jesus Christ the Sonne of God fell downe upon his knees and prayed to his Father Luke 22. exauditus propter reverentiam Heb. 5. So did Paul serve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20.19 Secondly If we would obtaine any thing at Gods hand we must not onely aske it but seeke for it He that having prayed sits still without adding his endeavour shall not receive the thing he prayes for for he must not onely orare but lahorare pro quibus enim orandum pro eis laborandum est to this end the Apostle would have us to pull up our faint hands and weake knees Heb. 12. And when we have asked grace we must be carefull that we our selves be not wanting unto grace as well as we were carefull that grace should not be wanting unto us This diligence is noted in the word petite which as it is used in the first place so also it signifieth to goe to or to hit and knocke so that it containeth all the three vertues that are required unto prayer but for our instruction our Saviour hath expressed them in three severall termes Thirdly having found the way we may not rest there there is a dore whereby we must enter and that shall not stand open for us against we come we must knocke at it It pleaseth God to entreate us 2 Cor. 5. to seeke and finde us when we are lost Luke 15. He stands and knockes at our dore Apoc. 3. Therefore as Moses speakes in Deut. We are to consider what he doth require at our hands The service that we owe him is likewise to entreate him to seeke for grace at him to knocke continually till he open the gate of his mercie If God heare us not so soone as we aske we may not cease to knocke as Saul did who because that God answered him not neither by dreames nor by Urim nor Prophet asked counsell of a Witch 1 Sam. 28. Importunity as our Saviour speakes Luke 11. is a meanes whereby often times men obtaine their suites The unjust Judge will be content to heare the Widowes cause at length even because he would bee rid of cumber if she be earnest with him she shall at last obtaine her suite by importunity So howsoever God be not inclined to doe us good and have his eares open to our prayers yet he is much delighted with our importunate suites If the unjust Judge that neither feared God nor reverenced man may be overcome with importunate suite much more will God revenge them which give not over their suites but cry to him night and day Luke 18. Let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not These conditions being performed that we seek in the desire of our heart and in humility secondly that we be not wanting to grace but worke with it thirdly if we doe it with continuance not giving over then we shall finde it true which Christ saith Omnis qui petit accipit The summe is as when God said Seek ye my face David answered Thy face O Lord I will seeke Psal 27. So when Christ saith to us aske our answer must be we will at least dispose our selves thereunto especially seeing he doth not onely praeire exemplo but dicere ut petas seeing he doth not onely by his commandement permitiere but praecipere ut petas Lastly seeing by his promise he doth not onely allure them ut petani but doth minari si non petas threaten if thou aske not for if we aske of any but from him he is angry as he was with the King of Israel that required of Baal-zebub when he should recover 2 Reg. 1. Is there not a God in Israel And Christ was offended with his Disciples for the neglect of this duty Hitherio ye have asked nothing Iohn 16. And when we come to aske of God we must not cease our suite if he grant us not our suite at the first but say with Iacob Non dimittam te Gen. 32. We must be instant as the Canaanite was Mat. 15. We must be earnest as he that came at midnight to borrow bread Luke 11. and importunate as the Widow with the Iudge Luke 18. and then we may assure our selves of a comfortable effect of prayers THE FOVRTH SERMON ROM 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for us with sighs which cannot be uttered OUt of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 3. we may see first that of our selves we are not sufficient at all to do good and that all good comes from the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 and that in that regard we must aske and receive at his hands from whom it comes Matth. 7.7 Now the Apostle meeteth with another difficulty which is how we may pray for as we cannot performe any good thing of our selves unlesse God minister power so we know not how to aske this grace at his hands Therefore to answer that question of the Disciples which desired that Christ should teach them how to pray Luk. 11. the Apostle saith that because we know not what to pray for as we ought therefore the Spirit doth helpe our infirmities The Apostle begins at our infirmities which he laies downe in such sort as wee may plainly see that our defects and wants are many for as there are infirmities of the body which the Scripture calls the infirmities of Egypt Deut. 7.15 Whereunto the Saints of God are subject as well as other as the Apostle speakes
Whatsoever things men either with for or are affrayd of all things come from heaven whether it be raine drought or contagion or plague and from the first heaven Ubi vultures coeli Matth. 6. From this heaven Saint Paul tels the heathen that God sends us raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 14. And when Job saith that God sends raine and frosts and snow and thundreth and worketh marvellous things c. Job 37. that is done in Primo coelo But in the second heaven are the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone there he workes in the signes of heaven He binds the seven starres together Job 38.31 whatsoever wonders are wrought there it is God that worketh them and therefore he saith to his sonnes Nolite timere à signis coeli Jer. 10. he is in the second heaven and will not suffer any thing to hurt them The third heaven is that whereunto the Saints of God shall be received in the life to come where Saint Paul heard things that were not lawfull to be uttered 2 Cor. 12. So that as God will not suffer the first or second heaven to do us hurt so hee will bring us to the happinesse of the third heaven for he is Pater noster in coelis whereby we have hope and comfort not in this life onely which is but a dead hope but a lively hope touching the life to come For Christ doth not expresse Gods power by an action saying Our Father which madest heaven and earth Psal 121. nor which ridest upon the heavens Psal 68. But by a locall word to shew that as God is in heaven so we have an interest in the same place and that he will at the length bring us to the same place where he is Fourthly this word Heaven serveth to prepare us to prayer to the end that we should lift up our hearts and affections from earth to heaven seeing we speake not to an earthly father but to one that is in heaven and this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sursum corda Touching which thing one saith Aquilarum est hoc negotium this businesse belongs to Eagles which as they flie highest so they look most stedfastly upon the Sunne non Talparum not belonging to moules nor of such as are blind and will not open their eyes nec Milvorvm neither of Kites which albeit they flye aloft yet cast their eyes still downeward to the dunghill wee must wish with the Prophet O that I had the wings of a Dove Psal 55. and labour more and more to flye up with the Eagle into heaven into the presence of God the Father and his Sonne who sitteth at the right hand bodily for ubi cadaver ibi congregantur aquilae Luk. 17. As the consideration of Gods Majesty who is in heaven doth bring us downe and make us bow our knees before God our Father Eph. 3. So it must cause us levare manus corda Lam. 3. and to lift up our eyes to the hills Psal 121. and to have such a continuall meditation of his power that we may say with David Providebam Dominum in conspeclu meo semper I have set the Lord alwayes before mee Fifthly this word doth admonish us what things we should sue unto God for he is a heavenly Father therefore we must aske of him heavenly things his answer to the sons of Zebedeus was Matth. 20. Ye aske yee know not what honour and wealth are not things proportionable to him that is in heaven and an earthly Prince will count it a disgrace if a man aske at his hands meane things such as may be had of every man The gifts we are to aske of our heavenly Father are the eternall salvation of our soules this gift of the holy Ghost which he hath promised to them that aske it Luk. 11. and all spirituall blessings in heavenly places Eph. 1.3 God is a Father as Abraham was and as he had moveable goods which he gave to the sonnes of Keturah so he bestowed the inherinance which was immoveable upon his sonne Isaas Gen. 25. So we that are the children of the promise as Isaac was Gal. 4. must seeke for the inheritance of Isaac and not content our selves with that portion which was given to the sonnes of Keturah Salomon saith not amisse Two things have I desired of the Lord Prov. 30. But David saith better Unam perii à Domino I have sought one thing of the Lord Psal 27. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord that I may be partaker of Grace in this life and may be received into glory in the life to come Unto Martha that was troubled about many things our Saviour said Unum est necessarium Luk. 10. and this is the reason why it is not said qui es in terris For God sheweth himselfe a Father rather in heaven then in earth Deus pater est in coelis he is in heaven by assuring us of Gods heavenly blessings for they are the signes of Gods fatherly bounty to such as are his heires by promise as for earthly things he sheweth himselfe in them rather to the sonnes of Keturah then to Isaac and in respect of this world Martha is said to have chosen the better part Luk. 10. Sixthly as it teacheth us what we must pray for so also we learn hereby what wee are to judge of our selves and how we are to dispose of our minds when we come to pray if God our Father be in heaven then because we are yet on earth we must esteeme of our selves as strangers and pilgrims This did all the Fathers acknowledge I am a stranger and sojourner upon earth as all my Fathers were Psal 39. and therefore having a longing to be in our City Wo is mee that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech Psal 120. The Apostles Peter and Paul confessed the same the one writing to the Church of God calleth them Pilgrims and strangers 1 Pet. 2. the others reporteth of the Fathers that they confessed themselves strangers and Pilgrims upon earth and in saying these things they shew that they sought a country not the land of Canaan from whence they came for they had time to returne thither if they had beene mindfull of it but they sought a better that is an Heavenly City Heb. 11.13 and we have no abiding City here but do looke for one to come Heb. 12.13 These shew us that albeit we have our dwelling in earth and be subject to many calamities yet for this our exile we do genus de coelo ducere we take our pedegree from heaven When therefore as the Poet saith os homini sublime dedit it is a shame for us to have our hearts downeward we must remember that we are of a more excellent nature then other creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are his kindred Act. 17. we have received from God a soule and spirit indued with many heavenly qualities which beeing dissolved from the body returneth to God that gave
it Eccles 12. During this our exile and pilgrimage we are not onely to consider that we looke upwards with our faces which moved the Heathen to meditate on heaven but chiefly that in our soules wee have the Image of God imprinted ought to move the people to thinke of God and to set our minds onthings above Col. 3. Albeit we be here in a farre country farre from our fathers dwelling yet we must not forget our fathers dwelling house Luk. 15. The poition is in heaven which our Father will give us and that we seeke to be acquainted with the lawes of that country where our inheritance lyeth that we may guide our lives according to the same lest being rebellious we deprive ourselves of our right and be disinherited Secondly seeing we know that we are not in our owne country we must say as Absolon did Why am I come hither if I may not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. He being an ungratious sonne was desirous to see his father then it shall be a shame for us that are all the Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. if we have not a longing desire to come before the presence of God our Father Psal 42. and except we have a desire to enter into the Courts of the Lord Psal 84. except that with the Apostle we desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1. the first begotten of many brethren and if with our Father God we lay up our treasure in heaven and count it our chiefe felicitie to be there then would we thinke upon heaven more then we doe For where our treasure is there must our hearts be also Matth. 6. But because we altogether set our hearts on earthly things therefore it falls out that our heart is as a heavy clodde of earth and unable to lift it selfe up to heavenly meditation Thirdly as wee desire to be in heaven in our Fathers house so our conversation must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. we must not live by the lawes of earthly Princes and Acts of Parliaments but by an heavenly law though we be strangers on earth yet we are Citizens of heaven and must carry our selves according to the lawes of our country being alwayes desirous to do that which pleaseth our heavenly Father though there were no humane law to compell us thereunto and whereas naturall men have for the end of their civill actions bonum commune a common utility we that are spirituall must make bonum coeleste the heavenly good our end we must do well because God will behold our well-doing favourably and the Angels of heaven will be glad of it Luk. 15. Christ who is the Lord from heaven did subject himselfe to the will of God his Father Not my will but thy will be done and as hee that is heavenly so must they that will be heavenly as we now beare the Image of the earthly so shall we port are imaginem coolestis 1 Col. 15. He while he lived on earth did guide himselfe by an heavenly law and we that remaine on earth must expresse his image by the imitation of his obedience It is true which both our Saviour Christ and John Baptist said That that is borne of the flesh is flesh and so that that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth Job 3. But there must be an imitation and we must set our selves forward towards our heavenly country But because it is not in our power to doe this of our selves for that as Christ sayes No man can come to mee except the Father draw him Joh. 6. therefore wee must pray with the Church in the Canticles Cant. 1.4 Trabe me and to this end doth the holy exercise of fasting and mortification serve greatly that wee may as it were with Doves wings flye up into Heaven As the word Father doth shew us not onely our dignity but our duty also so the word Heavenly doth not onely give us a hope of heaven but also teacheth us that seeing our Father is heavenly wee must live by the lawes of Heaven As we are carefull to be made partakers of the inheritance which God hath prepared for us so we must be as carefull to please him and to do those things which are agreeable to his will We must not onely know Quid sperandum what is to be hoped for but Quid praestandum what is to be performed of us If we pray not onely with confidence because God doth take us for his sonnes but also with invocation with devotion and reverence knowing that our Father hath his dwelling in heaven and we are pilgrims in earth Thus shall we be veri adoratores Joh. 4. true worshippers As we know we shall have our part in heaven so we must begin our heaven here on earth and this shall be done if we adde our endeavour to those things which we pray for at the hands of God as August prayeth Da Domine ut pro quibus oramus pro iis laboremus Grant Lord that the things we pray for and crave of thee for them we may also labour THE NINTH SERMON Hallowed be thy Name HAving ended the first part of this prayer which we called Invocation consisting upon the power and goodnesse of God we come to the petitions themselves which are seven of which the first concerneth God the other concerne our selves or they may be divided as the dayes of the weeke whereof as one falleth out to Gods portion the other to be imployed in our owne affaires So of these petitions the first doth immediately concerne the glory of God the other sixe the supply of our owne necessities in the beginning we heard that it is expedient to know not onely what we are to aske but in what order what first and what second touching which point we are taught by this forme of prayer that that petition which concerneth the sanctification of Gods name is Caput votorum and that all other things that we either desire or pray for in our owne behalfe ought to stand after it and that wee must both desire and pray for the sanctification of Gods name before any thing that we desire either for our selves or for our brethren whether it be for the removing of evill or for the obtaining of good for as before we learned what his love is to us in that he vouchsafed to be our Father so hereby we shall expresse our love againe to him if when we come to pray to him for our necessities we be carried away with such a desire of the glory of our heavenly Father that we forget our owne selves and desire onely that his name may be sanctified which duty Christ doth by his owne example commend unto us In this forme of prayer we are put in mind of that which before was required in the law of works for as there vve learned that God is not honoured aright except he be loved above all things because he