Essence and Being from everlasting to everlasting thou art GOD †Psal 90.2 His Infinitenesse in his Attributes viz Wisdom Knowledge Power Mercy Justice That He is the Only Wise GOD Omniscient Omnipresent Omnipotent That God doth at Once and Alway Know all See all Hear all That he is in every Place and can doe whatever he Please in Heaven and Earth and Hell Second Doc 2. Of Crea tion Teach them to know God to be the Wonderfull Creatour of the Whole Creation viz Heaven Earth Sea Hell And of every creature in them And all for his Pleasure †Rev. 4.11 And that God upholds the Whole Creation by his Uncreated Power And provides for Men Beasts Birds Fishes Fouls Flies And learn your Children to remember GOD as a Creatour not as a Father in a State of Nature And themselves as Creatures not Children of God before they be Born of God Third Doc 3. Of Mans First State Teach them to know the Holy and Happy Condition God made Man in at First And the Covenant God made with man And how Man was to continue in that Condition by vertue of his Obedidience to that Covenant And how all Man-kind were to Stand and Fall In and With ADAM Fourth Doc 4. Mans Fall Teach them to know Mans Fall 1 INTO Original Sin by Satans Subtilty And his Fall 2 BY Original Sin From a Paradise a Palace a Pure State into a Dungeon and Deluge of Wo. The Principal Effects of which Fall are Filth Guilt The Filth of Sin hath spoiled Man of the Image of GOD Impressed the Image of the DEVILL upon him And deprived Man of his Interest in GOD. He was With God in Paradise but being Drove out he is Without God in the World * Eph. 2.12 It hath Debased him He was made but little lower than the ANGELS Sin hath debased Man to a Hog a Dog a DEVIL Sad effects of Sin Sin hath so Darkned mans Soul that GOD only who is light can Illuminate it It hath so Deadned and Killed him that none but the Living GOD can Quicken him It hath so Defiled him that neither Fire nor Water can Cleanse him The Flood of Water that washt away a World of Sinners washt not away One Sin The Fire that shall burn up a World of Sinners and burn them down to Hell and burn them there for Ever shall Never burn away One Sin 2 Guilt Adam's Guilt is imputed to All. All guilty of Eternal Death by One mans Sin Simile As when the Head of a mans body plots Treason the whole Body Hangs for it So of Adam the Head and his posterity the Body if Pardon prevent not Fift Teach them to know Actual Sin viz. To know what IS Sin Doc 5. Actual Sin And to know what Sin IS 1 The tranSgression of the Law that IS Sin †1 Jo. 3.4 Transgression is a going beyond the Bounds of the Law Or doing any thing Contrary to the Command in Deed Word or Thought This is Sin Here note the danger of Smal sins Little sins lead to Greater Smal Sin dangerous The thief Little thought his Thest would by degrees bring him to the Gallows when he began with a Pin a Point and a Peny As little do men think such Small Sins will bring them to Hell Not only the Measure of sin but the Nature of sin is Damnable if the Measure be Never so Small the Soul that sinneth shall Dic †Ezek. 18.4 If so what doe Thousands and Millions amount to A Fly is a Smal Creature yet Swarms destroyed Egypt * Ex. 8.24 A drop of Water is a Smal Matter but drops enough Drowned the World A threed is a Smal Thing yet enough twisted together will Bind the Strongest Giant or Hang the Heaviest man on Earth Quid levius penna What is Lighter than a Feather yet enough of these Packed up together will break the Porters Back 2. What Sin IS To the Law and to the Testimony for Titles for it Six Titles of Sin Sin hath Six Titles to make men Flee from it 1 A Mire †2 Pet. 2.22 that makes a Soul like a Swine so wallowing 2 A Fire that consumes to Destruction * Job 31.12 of Goods Good Name Body Soul and all 3 A Sepulchre full of dead mens Bones and All uncleanness †Mat. 23.27 4 The Dogs Vomit * 2 Pet. 2.22 i e stinking Carrion that the Stomach of a Dog cannot endure 5 The Poyson of Asps †Ro. 3.13 Tell your Children an Oath a Lie a Wicked Word in the Mouth is worse than a Toad under the Tongue And Sin in the Heart is worse than Poyson in the Heart for that can but kill the Body 6 The Plague of the Heart * 1 K. 8.38 a Dreadful Disease If the Plague be in London a Year we think it a Long Time for such a Dismal Disease to Last and Wast But this Plague of SIn hath been in the World between five and six Thousand years A strange disease Few are ever Sick of it yet SO many Die of it that all the World cannot Sum up one Weekly Bill of Mortality Sin is Worse than Sorrow Some sorrow Kills Sin but Sin if not killed Kills the Soul Sin is worse than the DEVIL Sin can destroy a Soul without SATAN but Satan cannot destroy a Soul without Sin Sin is worse than Hell Hell is an Affliction and Contradiction to the Will of Man but Sin is a Contradiction to the Will of GOD. And a Burden which God sigheth under saying AH I will ease me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be comforted †Isa 1.24 implying a Grieving burden And a bitter burden Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with bitterness * Ho. 12.14 A pressing burden Behold I am Pressed under you †Am. 2.13 A breaking burden I am broken under your whorish heart * Ezek. 6.9 Which argues NO weakness in GOD but the Weight and Strength of Sin I know your Mighty Sins †Am. 5.12 Thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the Mighty one of Israel AH I will ease me * Isa 1 24. N B. The Mighty One complains of the pressure of Sin Well may God say to Man Can Thy heart indure or can thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee †Ezek. 22.14 i e for Sin Seeing Sin is SO weighty Use and the Soul SO filthy Let noue be Proud of a beautiful Body Let not your Children be Proud if Pretty Take heed you doe not make their Hearts proud with proud Habits as some Professing Parents Prophanely doe lest God send the Smal Pocks or the Great Plague to pull Pride down to the Dust Beauty that is but Skin Deep will Soon be Blasted Fair Skins and Foul Souls are Frequently found together Many Hell black Souls dwell in Shining Shels but if
of Mercy for the Wicked * Rev. 14.10 It 's a mixture of Mercy and Judgment for the Godly And it is to be feared God will come Down with his Cup and give England a Vomit to make it Spew out its Inhabitants for their Abominations viz This Smoking Sin Drunkenness Adultery Fornication Theft Covetousness Cursing Swearing Lying Whoring Sabbath-breaking Sodomy Buggery Blasphemy Perjury Pride Deceit Malice Envy Hypocrisie Treachery Tyranny Idolatry Popery False Oaths by Baal and Malcham †Jer. 12.16 Zeph. 1.5 Covenant breaking Contempt of God his Word and Wayes Formality without Efficacy in Christianity Against All which I Testifie for GOD He that Heareth let him Hear and he that Forbeareth let him Forbear * Ezek. 3.27 Fath. I perceive you have done with Tabacco Object 14 and I will try if I can bid it Adiev But what do you say of Poor Parents who do not thus consume their Time Yet want time to Educate their Children because Bodily businesse spends it all I have heard T A say All his time is too Little to get a living for his childrens Bodies though he Never spend any of his time about their Souls Min. As to your repeated Plea for the Poor I say Parents Poverty is an Argument for Industry for the Soul and Diligence not for Negligence q d We are poor among Men and so we are like to Live and Die Come let us labour that We and our Poor Children may be Rich toward GOD. Thus Earthly Poverty should provoke Parents to procure Heavenly Riches Christs Precept should Drive them to it Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Promise should Draw them to it these things shall be added †Mat 6.33 Simile As the Seller gives in the Paper when the Parcel is Purchased Let them make Sure of Heaven and trust God for Earth in a way of Duty and Industry Godlinesse hath the promise of This life 1 Tim 4.8 and before the Godly shall want Mercies GOD will work Miracles If this will not Do I would say to T A Thou Wretch who art thou Born and bound to obey God or the Devil Let them who are so full of Bodily businesse that they are necessitated to neglect the Soul A sinfull necssity Consider 1 Is not necessity Voluntary do not I Choose to overcharge my self with businesse am not I carried into it by a Covetous Mind after Much Gain If SO let them expect it to End as the Act of Esops covetous Dog Esop's fable of the Dog who swimming over a River by Moon-shine catched at the Shadow of the meat in his own Mouth and So lost ALL. But 2 If necessity be Providential and a man be Very Poor or unavoidably involved in abundance of businesse let him be Humbled under it and lay it to Heart as a Sad Case and Pray and Implore God about it q d OH Good Lord what a Judgment am I under shall I be under a Necessity to neglect the One thing Necessary A Sad necessity shall I and mine be under a necessity So to Labour for our Bodies as to Lose our Souls LORD Help or Behold we Die we Die Eternally †Nu. 17.12 And who knows how Prevalent prayer may be for Liberty from such a Necessity and Misery Fath. I perceive you slight All Objections against the Education of Children and so I shall adde no more Min. I do so Utterly And shall do so whosoever be the Opposer All Ob rejected viz Parent Professor Preacher Apostle or Angel And do count them All as Dirt not deserving a Word in Answer And I did think to have given No other answer to All yours Nor would I but to clear your Way to this Good Work Fath. Now it seems our discourse is at End Min. No if So it will not end well Fath. Sit you Silent then go on to the end Min. To what end or purpose except what is Past took more Place Fath. Solomon saith He that observeth the Wind shall not Sowe * Ecl. 11.4 Min. Well said Then I will Sowe On. But if you receive not the Seed into good Ground and bring not forth fruit well it will be Worse for you and Yours too Yea Wo to you if counsel be Well given To you and Ill taken By you Fath. I will take it as well as I can Min. Seeing you promise so Fair Advice Civil Secular I will proceed to give you some Advice of a Civil Secular Temporal concern This is implyed In and a part Of Education proposed to be spoken unto as the Subject and Sum of our discourse Fath. Pray do so I much desire to hear that Min. This will have some respect to Spirituals as Spiritual advice hath respect to Temporals For by reason of the Union of Soul and Body Good advice for the Soul respects the Good of the Body and Good advice for the Body respects the Good of the Soul This advice I shall deliver in these 12 Documents First Docu 1. Learning Give your children Learning Let them that Can take Cato's Counsel Instrue praeceptis animum nec discere cesses Nam sine doctrinâ vita est quasi mortis imago With learning store thy mind cease not to learn Without it none can life from death discern ¶ At least learn them to read their Own Language Well Some Persons by their Parents negligence can look on a Bible to No more Purpose then to look on a Blank or a Block A sad case The Bible is a Sealed Book when it layes Open before their Eyes It 's as in an Unknown Tongue in their Own Language It 's translated into English and some English men can No more read it then if it was Still in Hebrew and Greek The Blessed Bible contains a Thousand Letters of Gods good will and mind to Man And though all of Infinite concern yet Some men Never read one of them All while they live They that can be content with This their Sleep is Deep and their Hearts are Dead yea Harder then either Flint Adamant or the nether Milstone Second As soon as children are Capable of it Docu 2. Employment Let them be some way well Employed Idlenesse is the hour of Temptation to Destruction While the little Bird is in action Embleme hopping from Bush to Bush it is Safe but when it sits Still it is soon Shot to Death Idlenesse is a time of Temptation to evil Action And because children are not well Employed they Give and Take much Mischief All persons Poor and Rich are to be well set a Work That the Poor must work I need not tell you But Great Augusstus great Augustus Caesar set his daughters to Spin and Card and ware no Garments but what They made him Rich Rebekah it seems was a Rare Cook †Gen. 27. 9 And her mother Sarah * Gen. 18.6 And Tamar the Kings Daughter †2 Sam. 13.6 They had
Bowels Let Parents N B. The first murder in the World recorded in Scripture was between two Brothers because One was respected not the Other Because God countenances Abel Cain kills him * Gen. 4. God may Love one brother and Hate another but this is no Rule for Father or Mother And these are Ancient Things †1 Ch. 4.22 Docu 10. To take heed of Smooth Tongues Tenth Teach them to take heed of being Deceived Learn them to be Very Wary of fair false Pretences and Promises and Satanical Subtilties of Smooth Tongues e g Your Servant Sir at your Command and a Thousand Gingles When your Servant seeks to serve Himself and to Swallow up Him Cursed Complements and his Substance whom he thus Cursedly complements Caution your children to be Very Wary of the Wicked Wits of the world What sayth the Scripture of these Subtil Serpents Their belly Prepareth deceit * Job 15.35 The man's mind is a Shop of deceit where it 's Framed as by an Artificer and Tools It 's a Work-house and a Store-house for he he Layeth up deceit within him †Pro. 26.24 He hath it Ready for an Opportunity and then what the Mind hath prepared the Tongue utters and the Hands act His mouth is Full of deceit * Psal 10.7 If one pretence will not take he hath another And if Specious Pretences and Audacious Promises will not prevail he will shew Sorrow that there is so much Deceit in the world and Fear that it will fare the worse with Honest men for Knaves He will tell you he would not have you Trust him if you do at All suspect him For though your Goods or Money be Never so safe in his hand it may cause Fear and Disquiet which he would by No means occasion And this is Very Effectual Bread of deceit is Sweet †Pro. 20.17 Secret sin is the Devil's Inn. this entices him to his Trade But when he eats the Sweet in Secret the Devil is at Inn in his Heart And let him not think to Dine with the DEVIL and Sup with a Saint and an Angel for afterward his mouth shall be Filled with gravel to trouble the Teeth till they Gnash and torment the Conscience to Eternity David deprecates a deceitfull tongue prayes for deliverance From it and is at a losse for a Plague Bad enough For it What shall be given to thee or what shall be done to thee thou false tongue Sharp arrows of the mighty Deeply piercing and wounding Coals of Juniper * Psal 120.2 3 4. i e Fierce and long lasting Fire In the mean time True Men suffer by False Tongues viz in Goods Good-name Life and all for Death and Life are in the power of the Tongue †Pro. 18.21 Death by pleading Against a man as them two sons of Belial against Naboth * 1 K. 21.13 Life by pleading For a man as Israel for Jonathan †1 Sa. 14.45 Death in a mans Own Tongue as Adonijah who spake against his Own Life * 1 K. 2.23 And sometime by words drawn out by an Enemy in Policy Take heed say some thy Own Tongue do not cut thy Own Throat In a word Arabick Proverb there is World of deceit in the world Sir it concerns you Seriously to consider it and to teach them to be as wise as Serpents who must have to do with Devils Such a one was one Squire a Papist sent from Spain to Poyson Q Elizabeth who when to that End he was secretly poysoning the Pummel of her Sadle A white Devil prayed Aloud saying GOD SAVE THE QUEEN Eleventh Get good Trades Docu 11. Good Trades or wayes of Lively-hood for your children that they may be Substantial and not need to be Supported by others Friends are apt to Fail trust not in them †Mica 7.5 Brittle mettal Use them as Venice-glasses i e Very warily and lean on them Very lightly Nothing costs Dearer then Some mens Gifts The donours Geese are such Swan he knows not When he is Satisfied Free-hearted Hiram who was ever a lover of David * 1 K. 5.1 supplies Solomon with Wood for Building †ver 10. for which Solomon gives him 20 Cities * Chap. 9.11 and who would have thought of a word of Discord between them two Hiram comes to see them he is Displeased †Ver. 12. What Cities are these thou hast given me my brother * Ver. 13. q d Here be Cities indeed and he called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cabul Displeasing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fetters They were too Straight to fill his Heart it would hold 20 more His heart was so much Larger than his Liberty that he was as Fettered and Prisoned in his Palaces And so they were Displeasing Cabul to this Day they Never pleased him Fath. What Trades do you commend to me for my children Min. I have not skill to choose Trades for children but I will give you a Caution Caution Take heed how you judge of the Goodnesse of a Trade by the Greatnesse or Gain of a Trade To make the Greatnesse or Gain of a trade an argument for the Goodnesse of a trade may be Antiscriptural and Heathenish Demetrius the Silver-smith had a Trade of No smal Gain it was not therefore Good †Act. 19.24 The godly must eye Gods Glory more than their own Gain And the Publick good of Church and State A good Trade That is a Good Trade by which the body Lives and with which the soul Thrives and grows Rich and by which the Times are in some measure Mended and the Devil Troubled His servants Sanbalat and Tobiah were Grieved that there was a man come to seek the Welfare of Israel * Neh. 2.10 A good ground of Bad grief It 's better to be a grief to such Sanbalats because we do Good and grow Good than to be a grief to them because we grow Great Tell your children they are not the Richest who have most of the World in their Possessions Purses and Houses but they who have most of the Word Spirit and Golden Grace of God in their Hearts And they are not the Wisest who are Ever seeking that which will Never satisfie if Never so much be obtained but they who seek that which will Sweetly Satisfie and Eternally Content Fath. But I hope there is no Hurt in Riches though they be not a Heaven upon Earth to afford full satisfaction Min. No HURT wise Solomon was not of your opinion There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun viz Riches kept For the owners thereof to their Hurt †Ecl. 5.13 It 's a Wonder if the worldling charge not the wise man with Folly or the Printer with Error saying Surely it is to be read kept From them to their Hurt For this is all his Fear to have them kept For him is all his Care though it be
alike in Christ none in the Christian N B A mans own personal righteousnesse for Justification is to be rejected and abhorred by Mr A's rule righteousnesse for Sanctification of heart and Holinesse of life is to be abhorred too Desperate Doctrine and not a Dram of grace suffered to be in the Soul What then is an Antinomian better than a Babylonian who is the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hatefull bird †Rev. 18.2 The next time you see Mr A pray give him this short Sentence viz He that hath Justification without Sanctification shall surely have it without Salvation Fath. I told Mr A of his loose life and he said Faith was greater than Holinesse Min. Greater or lesser they are linked together the one is not without the other Faith without works is no more alive than the Body is alive without the Soul * Ja. 2.26 What does Mr A think to be saved by faith without fruit faith with froth and filth faith that makes void the Law weigh such faith and the faith of Devils together and you will soon see which is the lighter That faith which hath not obedience to the Law for its fruit I deny That gospel which is without Law a Lawlesse gospel I disown as another gospel the preacher of which I count accursed though he comes as an Angel from Heaven †Gal. 1.8 Fath. If I plead with Mr A for a holy life he tells me Faith can do that for me which Holinesse cannot do for me Min. And Holinesse can do that for you which Faith cannot do for you e g Suppose you have faith and fall into some sin what shall be your defence from the word of reproof and reproach which is as an arrow shot out * Ps 64.3 Jer. 9.8 will you say I have faith I believe in Christ your faith and you will be abhorred together But if you live holy and be faisely accused you have a Breast-plate of righteousnesse to defend you from these Darts †Eph. 6.14 N B. As faith justifies before God which works cannot do so works justifie before men which Faith cannot do Fath. If Mr A heard you he would count you ignorant of Christ and the Gospel Min. Mr A and Mr B too have their liberty to come and try whether they or I can produce and declare 1 The greatest sense of Sin Gods wrath Hell and Eternity 2 The clearest sight of the emptinesse of Self-righteousness 3 The greatest and sweetest comfort and assurance of Salvation by Christ Or 4 The greatest love to the Lord Jesus to his Person now in Heaven Fath. It seems you have not got Gospel-Notions without Convictions as Mr A hath But some Ministers which are not called Antinomians preach nothing but the Doctrine of Justification by believing I wonder at them Min. That you wonder at such is no wonder for such are Pieces of preachers if I saw a piece of a man in a pulpit I should wonder with you It seems by such that there are hundreds of Texts in the holy Scriptures which stand for Cyphers If a Minister tell men only what God hath done for them and not what they must do for God their neighbour and themselves how does he declare the whole councel of God * Act. 20 27. Is a man born to do nothing but believe what strange trade is this whether such workmen do half their work is a hard Question Such preachers and hearers are like to have their work to do in the grave where it will never be done †Ecl. 9.10 And how much Blood such Ministers will go Off under the guilt of God only knows for their not informing men of the C W which they are under by nature under the Gospel will I doubt not occasion the damnation of Thousands of Souls in this City Fath. They say The grace of God teacheth men to deny ungodlinesse * Tit. 2.12 Min. True it 's therefore a sign their single way of preaching the Gospel is not blessed for the reception of that grace seeing their hearers deny not ungodlinesse Fath. What may be the Reason why such Ministers do not preach the Law Min. 1 A foolish fond affection for the Title of a N T Minister Gospel Minister 1 R. Preacher of Free grace They are afraid of the Title Legal as if the word Law which God hath magnified and made so honourable would dishonour them ¶ 2 A man-pleasing spirit 2 R. loth to displease love of the praise of men more than the praise of God * Joh. 12.43 Men will praise them that please them with fine stories of Gods favour concealing his displeasure instead of shewing them their foul faces in the clear glasse of God's Law They like not to give occasion for this Reflection viz. What have I to do with thee O thou man of God art thou come to call my Sin to remembrance †1 Kin. 17.18 ¶ 9 Ignorance of the necessity of preaching Gospel Duty to the godly 3 R. Such preachers see not the Duty of the gospel as necessary to be preached as the Doctrine of the gospel They fill the Head with gospel Notions but doth Heart and Hand are empty of good Operations Some write whole Volumes of Notions to Blaze abroad their Notion which Occasionally will but treasure up wrath for Writer and Reader if Practice prevent not ALAS Alas the lamentable neglect of Duty and barrennesse of Life is not laid to Heart To inform Christians of their duty to direct excite provoke them to it is no small part of the work of a preacher by the want of which Christians are almost in all evil in the midst of the Congregation * Pro. 5.14 ¶ 4. Ignorance of the necessity of a Law-ministry to awaken sleepy Sinners 4 R. and make them sound Saints by warning them to flee from the curse of the Law to Christ Such gospel Ministers understand not how many of their Hearers are asleep in their Sins under their gospel Sermons with all their Notions and what to be warned with Thunder and Lightning to flee from Hell whither they are hasting with a lie in their right hand †Isa 44.20 Fath. It seems by these Reasons the effects of neglect of preaching the Law are Sad. Min. SAD yes and very sinfull as for instance in each of the ten commandments It s because the First commandment is not preached that there is so much monstrous Idolatry among men Men make gods of Devils of Men of Beasts of Houses of Lands of Friends of Enemies of Themselves of their Bellies * Phil. 3.19 of their Wits of their Works of their Worship †Hab. 1.16 To which I may adde mens denying the very Being of God e g This last Sturbridge Fair Anno 1681 a Cambridge Scholar in discourse said I had it of him that heard it I do not
sayings in a Literal sense is absurd foolish agrees not with faith or good life N B Blessed are your eyes †Mat. 13.16 take this literally and its ridiculous to think their eyes were Blessed and all the body and soul beside Cursed but this is by your figure Synechdoche when a Part is put for the Whole or è contra but the whole 3 dayes and 3 nights are not put for parts bits and moments as you imagine ¶ If your Qu be An let us come towards a Close I have given you a true account of the Day of Jesus's death of the Time of his burial of the Time he lay dead of the Time of his resurrection But you neither tell when Jesus Died or how long he lay Dead or when he Rose for you have nothing in the Bible to prove your opinion by 1 The day of Jesus's death is not said to be the 6 day 2 The Sabbath ensuing is not said to be the 7 day 3 The first day is not said to be the morrow after That Sabbath but when it s spoken of it s thus phrased viz the first day of the week * Joh. 20.1 When the Sabbath was past †Mar. 16.1 i e the moral Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of the Sabbaths * Mat. 28.1 i e Ceremonial and Moral N B This moral Sabbath fell in between two Ceremonial Sabbaths viz the first and last dayes of unleavened bread and after the 16 of Nisan Such a Sabbath we read of called the second Sabbath after the first †Lu. 6.1 Mat. 12.1 idem so called because it followed the first i e the Passeover Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Second first Sabbath so called because it fell after the first and before the second Ceremonial Sabbath Scaliger de emend temp It was the next Moral Sabbath after the 16 of Nisan which day was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deutera or second day of the 7 the Wave-day from whence they counted the Pentecost The Disciples rubbing the cars of Corn * Lu. 6.1 tell us it was at this time of year which we are treating of i e at beginning of Harvest which began the 16 of Nisan the first of the 50 dayes Hence the name of the month 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abib which signifies an ear of corn this is in March †Buxtorf Heb LEX Pag 1. The fiftieth day was at end of Harvest in April or May. Fath. Well! you go quite crosse to the common account of the Church for Ages and to Christians and learned Ministers now living I fear this will be offensive if I should make it known Min. And as crosse to my self you would say if you knew how much its against the hair with me to displease men I design not to displease or please men farther than for their profit My main design is to please God and my Conscience if in so doing I do accidentally displease men I must harden my self in that sorrow †Job 6.10 And may I but engage God and my Conscience to stand by me I have enough were all the world to rise up in arms against me As for mens Hearts they are in Gods Hand and with him I leave it to turn them To or Fro me as he please I have learned to know I am not to live by mens Smiles nor to die by their Frowns ¶ Sir Concession you are at liberty to tell your Authors what I have told you but counsel them not to Back-bite me for that is uncomely If they have any thing to reply more than your Self desire them to do it to my Face But let them know their Replication must come from holy Scripture else it will be lost labour It will be in vain to tell me I oppose the opinion of the Church for So many ages or I am opposite to the Church that now is National or Congregational †I mean all in separation from the National and so in Pag 213. or to this or that learned Minister or Dr. The Question with me concerning an opinion is not Whose is it but What is it If they bring any thing out of Philo Josephus Manasse Ben Israel or any of the Talmudical Doctors or Jewish Rabbies that will give light to a Dark Text I will embrace it but if it comes to darken a Clear Text or to disprove a Plain Text I shall utterly reject it and therefore to convince me it will be in vain to produce it Fath. I presume you have not been long of this perswasion Did you never speak of the time of Christs resurrection in Preaching pray what account did you give the people of it Min. Sir I shall deal ingeniously with you The Author's way in his Work I have sometime preached a Sermon for the observation of the Sabbath day For a beginning I directed to the morning supposing it to be the time of Jesus's rising But I secretly thought I wanted a bottom for I could not tell what time in the morning Jesus rose and was as if my heart did not stand by me in it I marvel now in what Mist I was groping at Noon day for the time of Jesus's rising in the morning for that was not at all to be expected Nor need the time of his resurrection be expressed when the time of his Burial viz Even and the time of continuance in the Grave viz 3 dayes and 3 nights are both expressed The shame of this Bottomlesse counsel for a beginning of the Sabbath I am willing to bear but I knew no better yet my ignorance will not excuse my negligence I should have made better Search But I was never concerned about it till you and I had talked under the Tree since that I have been much perswaded that the Common count for the day of Christs death was not True but that he lay longer dead And because I had never discoursed any man concerning it I searched some Expositors of Texts relating to it and found them all opposite to me so I see if I went on I must go against the Stream And seeing I could find nothing For me I sought to find all I could Against me and to know the Full strength of this Stream This being found I laid these learned Authors By and fell to work by the search of the Scriptures and Prayer for I could not give it over And though many a time after Much study and Little hope I have been Crushed as if I should give up the ghost yet I could Not give it over but continued in prayer to God viz that if the Common count of the day of Christs death was true he would cause me to acquiesce in it but if my perswasion was true that he would be pleased to help me to understand it and make it out to You and not leave me to erre in it To this purpose I did implore God with many prayers and
many t to say no more he knows the way I take * Job 23.10 Prayer and Professors are Strangers Prayer is another thing than many imagine and many times I think I never prayed yet but if ever I prayed it was for this And praised be his holy name he hath heard me and helped me through this intricate work which was the hardest knot to untie that ever I took in hand in my Time I gave up my self to the Conduct of God As I was never for on work by any mans Word Letter or Print or ever had the least hint of this Opinion from man so I never asked any creature any one Question concerning it in all the time I have been upon the search of it This I tell you to this end viz If you think I erre you may blame no man but my self and if you think I am right you may give God and not man the praise ¶ Sir Parent Cautioned here is a Providence which you may not lightly passe over viz This concern of the Sabbath falling on me so soon after our Conference under the Tree which seems to be for your Sake I thought not of it in our First Dialogue I was concerned with it in our Second Dialogue though not being ready for it I did not tell you of it but I am no sooner prepared for this Third Dialogue but you are driven out by Yesterdayes opposition to draw me to it And let me tell you In all this labour I have had you in my eye much desiring your Sound settlement for the Sabbath Here is a voice of God speaking to you which I desire you may hear And I pray consider seriously with your self what account you will give at the Great Day if you will not hear Gods voice so Audible nor see his word so Visible but will bottom your Sabbatical opinion on mans Tradition which hath no ground in Gods word Fath. I am shattered and unsettled like a troubled Sea after a Storm by this New sudden assault of my Old opinion but when there comes a Calm and my mind Quiet I suppose I shall settle upon your foundation so you may freely speak what you have farther to say as if I was already of your mind Min. I counsel you to pray God to settle you on a sure foundation Parent Counselled as day and night I have done and by which means I am at length come to the desired Haven towards which I have been long rowing And though by the way I have had many a fall down into the deep yet I ever rose upon this Text * MAT. XII XL And my Antagonists being Answered upon this even firm sound ground I Stand * MAT. XII XL and from this Opinion I shall Never depart while I Live except Christ comes from Heaven and declares me deceived ¶ Having set the Sabbath upon its own Base or rather shewed you where GOD hath set it Praest at pauca avidè discere quam multa cum taedio devorare Erasmus and on what Foundation he hath Bottomed its Beginning and as I hope settled you upon that Foundation I shall for your profitable practice Drop a few Directions for the Sabbath Day and so dismisse you ¶ 1 Remember the Sabbath day before it comes to Prepare for it 1 Direct Memento and let none of yours remember it to Prophane it If you forget or neglect the Sabbath you lose it and let it fall If the Sabbath falls Sin and Satan too rises to your Ruine REMEMBEâ— is a word of THUNDER Remember the Sabbath is Never to be forgot while the World stands A Popish Opinion Popish writers say There was no Sabbath before Sinai but the Sabbath came in with the First man and must go out with the Last man REMEMBER Prepare Simile If a great man was to come to your House you would make great preparation REMEMBER the Great GOD is to come this day to your Heart Lift up your heads O ye Gates c. and the King of Glory shall come in †Ps 24.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag The Septuagint Title of this Psalm shews it to be A psalm for a Sabbath ¶ 2 Begin the Sabbath when the Sabbath begins i e at Even 2 Direct End the work of the precèdent day when the day ends i e at Even If you care not when you Begin the Sabbath peradventure God will not care when you End it nor how unprofitably you Spend it ¶ 3 Rise early in the morning 3 Direct Sleep not away the Sabbath so you may sleep away Salvation and the Soul Be not Sleeping when you should be Praying Pray him to give Blessing to the Sabbath who gave Being to the Sabbath Let the body be early Up and the heart early Ope. Before you rise count Christ is calling as to Zacheus viz Make hast and come down UP for to day I must abdie at thy house * Lu. 19.5 ¶ 4 Be not slothfull in duty on the Sabbath day 4 Direct The sluggard is Satans Cushen Simile Come not to a Sermon to be a Seat for Satan to sit on Satan entered Jâ—â—â—s Simile at Supper-time into idle souls at Sermon time The Sabbath is a day of Merchandise for the Soul †Better than of Silver and Gold Idlenesse is Never good nor Ever so had as on Sabbath-dayes Some had rather sweat their browes Six dayes for the Body than their brains One day for the Soul Do your duty on this day or you do nothing and do every duty in Season You cry O the Times we must hear comfortable Doctrine to strengthen our Faith In vain is comfortable Doctrine without conformable Life A Christian weakens his Faith more by a Sin than a Minister can strengthen it by a Sermon ¶ 5 Be spiritual in every duty on the Sabbath day 5 Direct In order to This be spiritual on Other dayes He that is carnal Six dayes is not like to be spiritual One day Be not content with outward expressions and actions without inward affections not with the Body of duty without the Soul of duty not with the Gift without the Grace of duty ¶ 6 Beware of your own Works 6 Direct Do nothing but of necessity viz what you cannot do the day before nor forbear till the day following e g To quench Fire To stop Water †Sea-bank breaches To save the life of Man or Beast To move Malt To gather and save Saffron In such case we break the Sabbath except we break it But do these Spiritually and with Speedy dispatch ¶ 7 Beware of your own Words 7 Direct What may not be Done may not be Said or talked of Talk not of News except necessary This discourse eats as a Canker Simile and hath eat out the Life of Religion long ago We talk much of the Papal Plot as if we were well acquainted with it but this Part of the Plot we are ignorant of viz Satans design to make us talk away our Time till we talk our selves down the Stream Simlie like the Fool whose lips swallow up himself †Eccless 10.12 If men were acquainted with their ignorance of God they would think all their time too little to talk of God ¶ 8 Take heed of your own Thoughts 8 Direct By them many break the Sabbath and few know it What men do Openly or speak Audibly is seen and heard by men but a man may think Ang thing Every thing and all men know Nothing but God knows all The body tongue or hand may be bound up from sin and the heart Bent for it against God Such secret Sabbath breakers are reserved in Store for the day of Wrath. ¶ 9 Be sorry for the sins of Sabbath dayes Sigh and Cry 9 Direct for all the abominations that abound on Sabbath dayes God groans under them if you are at ease while God is pressed God will take no pleasure in your Rest ¶ 10 Be acquainted with the emptinesse of Religion 10 Direct without a due observation of the Sabbath day The 4. command for a Sabbath is called Gustos primae tabulae keeper of the first table the 5 command for honour of Parents is called Custos secundae tabulae keeper of the second table He that keeps not the 4 command is locked out of the First table and is like to do GOD no Service he that keeps not the 5 command is shut out of the Second table and is like to do Man none well but to be Abominable and Disobedient and to Every good work Reprobate * Tit. 1.16 That these Drops may Water Epilogue c make Better LORD put Life to every Line and Letter Fath. That his may be as you do Say I will go hasten home and Pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ERRATA Pag 13 lin 25 for bitternesse read bitternesses Pag 19 lin 22 for Low read Law Pag 37 lin 24 for plentitudinem read plenitudinem Pag 136 lin 17 for full Horrour read full of Horrour
no New Heart Soul and Body will shortly be in Hell and Both Black in Everlasting Burnings Mans Sins are Debts of which God keeps account Sinner canst Tell to what thy Debts amount Thy Debts thou art encreasing Every hour Into his Vials God doth also pour Pain for thy Pleasure though thou wilt not Stop As certain as thy Death there 's Drop for Drop God's Cup is almost Full as well as Thine When both are Full OH then the Dreadfull Time Sixt. Doc. 6. Teach them to KInow and cause them to be Well acquainted with the Ten Commandments Of the Ten Commands for they are the Pure Precious Precepts of the Holy Lord God And with the rest Remember Well the Sabbath Day I hope I need not forbid You to convert the Commands into Prayers for your Children according to the Course of Carnal Ignorant People Learn them to know they are Gods Laws to Rule mans Life And that they are to be Obey'd in Deed Word and Thought And whatever is contrary to any one of these Commands that is Sin against GOD. Learn them to know the Necessity of these Laws being written in their Hearts according to the Promise And let your Tongue be the Pen in gods Hand to write them There if the Lord Please Seventh Doc 7. Of Mans Obedience Teach them to know the Utter IOnsufficiency of Mans Obedience to the Law to Save And that the most Excellent Moralist hath as Absolute a Necessity of Jesus Christs Righteousness to Justifie him and that without it he will as Certainly be Damned as the most Prophane Person that ever pissed against a wall in the Whole World Eight Doc 8. Of the Gospel Teach them to know the Gospel The knowledge of the Law is in Order to the Acceptation of the Gospel By the Law is the knowledge of Sin †Ro. 3.20 without which Who will regard the Gospel What cares a Person for a Pardon who knows not that he is Condemned In this Lesson eye three things ¶ 1 The Declaration of the Gospel viz That GOD hath chosen an innumerable company of Mankind And hath given them to CHRIST And sent him into the World to Redeem them from the Curse of the Law by fulfilling the Law N B. He was GOD and Man in One Person Man to Suffer and Die God cannot Die GOD to Satisfie in bearing Wrath Infinitely which Man could not do This GOD-man did Personate Man and in Mans Stead for Man did Actively and Passively obey the Law Perfectly And so hath procured Eternal Life And this is Freely offered to all Dead Sinners by the Declaration of the Gospel And Christs desire that Sinnersshould obtain this Eternal Life is expressed with Longing Sighing Sweating Weeping and Dying ¶ 2 The Condition of the Gospel on our part by which Eternal life is made Ours by which we have Right to the Tree of Life That is FAITH Men are Dead God hath made a Law viz He that Believes shall Live He that believes Not shall Never Live but Die for Ever A Condemned Sinner is to be Justified by Faith Without the deeds of the Law †Ro. 3.27 28. by the Law of a Just GOD who thus Justifies the Vngodly * Ch. 5.4 By which Law of Faith without Works boasting in Works is excluded Isa 55. Come buy Wine Christ is bought by Believing Buy without Money i e Part with Something worth Nothing i e Sin Self Righteousness Self and all Sin as to the Practice and Pleasure of it Self Righteousness as to any Confidence in it Self by giving up Body and Soul to Christ †1 Cor. 6.20 ¶ 3 The Duties of the Gospel viz Good Works as fruits of Faith Faith which alone Justifies before GOD accompanied with such a Holy Conversation as will Justifie before Men That is the Conversation which becomes the Gospel BUT let Justification by Faith without Works be kept Clear e g. Suppose a Man Famous for Wickednesse who never did any thing else but serve Satan by Whole Sale should come under a Sermon And be convinced of his Sin Sick of Sin Sick for a Saviour and Believe on Jesus Christ H E is Justified Christs Perfect Righteousness is Imputed And if he should drop down Dead where he Stands before he have any time to Pray or do any good Work He is Certainly Saved Now Sir A Caution for the Mother though your Wife does not Object but learn in Silence * 1 Tim. 2.11 as best becomes her with an intent to ask her Husband at home †1 cor 14.35 Yet least she say in her Heart What is it the part of a Mother to play the Preacher I will give her an Instance of one who taught her Son both Law and Gospel The words of King Lemuel * Pro. 31.1 Lemuels Lesson Bathsheba's Catechism Lemuel she calls him because God owned him I will be his Father and he shall be my Son †2 Sa. 7.14 Lemuel God with him The Prophesie that his Mother taught him The word Prophesie in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A burden of the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To bear the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Englished A burden * Na 1.1 This shews what a heavy charge lyes upon Mothers which she Thus discharges What my SON and what the Son of my WOMB and what the Son of my VOWS †Ver. 2. Give not thy strength to Women * Ver. 3. Here she teaches him Law viz Thou shalt not commit Adultery It is not for KINGS O Lemuel it is not for KINGS to drink Wine †Ver. 4. Lest they drink and forget the LAW * Ver. 5. See how she Schools him N B. The King of Israel was to keep the Law †Deu. 17.19 King Solomon who was in twenty things a Type of Christ was in his Obedience to the Law a Type of Christs Fulfilling the Law to free us from the Curse from whence comes the Comfort of the Gospel Give strong drink to him that is ready to Perish * ver 6. Parallel The great Trumpet shall be blown and they which are ready to Perish shall come †Isa 27.13 And Wine to those that be of heavy Heart Parallel Come buy wine without Mony * Isa 55. Open thy mouth for the Dumb †Ver. 8. This Phrase respects Solomon as a Type of Christ in his Intercession who is to Pray for Them that cannot Pray for Themselves Who are swallowed up in Silence and Shame under a Sight and Sence of Sin At or After convertion Or can say Nothing For but All Against themselves Christ Will speak a Good Word for such which Shall be answer'd with Good and Comfortable Words †Zech. 1.13 Thus as Bathsheba teaches her Son Solomon to officiate as a Type of Christ she teaches him both Law and Gospel And see how Solomon approves of the Mothers Ministry as well as
Honourable They have a High Father Abram And GOD is their Father who is Higher than the Highest Isaac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laughter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To laugh Sarah said God hath made me Laugh so that all that hear will Laught with me †Gen 21.6 Isaac was the promised Son but both Father and Mother must be Dead before the Son is Born N B. If God once Promise if Never so great a Death fall in before the Performance Never fear it * Ver. 7. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah should have given Children suck for I q d OLD Sarah have born him a Son in his OLD Age. Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peaceable †Mic. 5.5 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To compleat Peace A Type of Christ the Great peace-maker and our Peace * Eph. 2.19 Delilah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poverty a consumer of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To draw out As Delilah to Samson so Sin Delilah a beloved lust will Impoverish Consume and Conquer a Samson like Soul for Strength Ishi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My husband of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A husband Thou shalt call me Ishi Ho. 2.16 To shew the Sweet Affection and Near Relation of God to a Christian truly betrothed to Christ Amos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A burden of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To load The land is not able to bear all his words †Am. 7.10 Thus is a faithful Prophet to the Prophane Zerubabel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repugnant to or a dispersion of confusion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To scatter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confusion He was to lay the foundation and to finish God hath had his Zerubabels Magistrates and Ministers called Saviours Magistrates to save the Body Ministers to save the Soul These were but Instruments and the best but a Type of Christ THE Saviour Alpha and Omega of the Work of Redemption Author and Finisher from the Foot to the Head Stone with Shouting Grace grace to it †Zech. 4.7 ¶ 2 Proper names of Places and Cities Babel Babilon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confusion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To confound Let us go down and there confound their language * Gen. 11.7 So the Lord scattered them Therefore is the name of it called Babel †They cry of Babilon against Jerusalem is Rase Rase it even to the Foundation of it But God will Confound all Babilons Cries and Consultations Rehoboth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Room of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To enlarge Isaac called the well Rehoboth for which the Philistins strove not for Now saith he the Lord hath made Room for us * Gen. 26.22 Considering how Contentious Philistins and Heathens are Christians should call Every quiet place for Meeting and Dwelling Rehoboth Bethel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The house of God so Jacob called the Place where God appeared to him †Gen. 28.17 So precious is Gods appearance that it makes the place to Spangle and that place must have a memorable Title And precious is the Humble Person To whom God appears I dwell with him that is humble * Isa 57.15 He is Gods House in what place soever he be its Bethel Bochim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weeping of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To weep The people lift up their voice and wept And they called the name of that place Bochim †Jud. 2.4 5. God will mark the place of Mourning and put the tears into his Bottle Achor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trouble of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To trouble Achor is a name Joshua gave to a Valley where they met with much Trouble * Jos 7.26 I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak Comfortably 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon her Heart †Ho. 2.14 N B. If God do bring into the Wilderness that leads to the land of Canaan he will bring Safe Out to the Desired Haven And turn Sorrow into Joy yea give Joy in Sorrow and Life at the Point of Death at the Dead Sea For saith God I will give her the Valley of Achor for a Door of Hope and she shall sing THERE * Hos 2.15 Capernaum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A field of Repentance i e where the Seed of it is Sown and not Received Upon which account Christ does utter that Dreadful Thunder Thou Capernaum which art exalted to Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell †Mat. 11.23 Bethesda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The house of Mercy of effusion i e Pouring forth plentifully It 's the name of a Pool at Jerusalem which cured Any Disease whatever †Job 5.2 A type of Christ who hath for Every Disease an Infallible Remedy and calls the Sick to come and buy All without Mony ¶ I will add no more of these Instances left I Weary you But again I desire you to Search the Scriptures which to do one had need out-live the Dayes of Methuselah Tertullian hath this Expression Adoro plentitudinem Scripturarum I adore the fulnesse of the Scriptures Let me say There is a Mountain of Sense in a Sentence of Scripture Into which let not the Least refuse to Look for the Lamb may Wade though the Elephant Swim Learn your Lambs to wade into the Scriptures by a Daily course of Reading Chapters And by a Custom of asking you Scriptural Questions When your Children shall ask in time to come Heb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To morrow What means these Stones Then ye shall Answer them * Jos 4.6 and with a Blessing God will Answer both ¶ To all which Instruction by Doctrine I adde this Exhortation Take your Children with you to hear Sermons Stick not at a little trouble but bring thy Sons in Arms and thy Daughters upon Shoulders †Isa 49.22 Simile And what you hear preached Improve for their Profit As from a Garden Orchard Banquet Parents bring home Flowers Cherries Biskets for their childrens Bodies So do you from Sermons in Spirituals for your Childrens Souls And as a Compassionate Parent will give a Part to a Child that stands By having no Parent present to Pity it So I pray do You to Any Child as you have Opportunity But especially to Those under your Roof Care and Conduct whose Parents are Absent out of the World or at a Distance Give them even the Same Instruction with your Own And let not Such a One be as a Sheep that NO Man takes up * Isa 13.14 Caution And do not Deceive your self by thinking you are only Drawn to this Duty or deed of Charity by my Desire but See your self Solemnly bound to it by Christs Command As ye would that men should do to You do you Even So to them †Mat. 7.12 Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy Self * Ch. 22.39 Dread to be like the Dragon which saith My River is My Own I have made
Children or else you do nothing Some parents think if they whip a way their Own Anger though not the Childs Humour the work is Done There is a little Pleasure for the parents Passion performed Read and the poor child Put into a Passion †Eph. 6.4 in both which some Service for SATAN is done and That is all So much for this Rank of Directions Now If you have any Objections against Rod Correction bring them Forth Fath. I perceive by these two Last Directions Object 1 against Rod Correction if my Children commit Great Faults they must be Sorely Whipt But I have such a tender Love and Pitie to my Children that I cannot sind in my heart so to whip them I know not what miserie they may endure when I am Dead and I do not intend to Torment them while I Live Min. I like not such Love I am not pleased with such Pitie Love Pitie do you call it Fath. Yes What else should I call it Min. Hatred and Cruelty Fath. That is Very Strange Min. And it is Very True Fath. I believe not Such Truth Min. Will you refer it to the GOD of Truth and believe Him Fath. God forbid I should refuse that Min. Then hear the Answer of GOD. Jehovah He that spareth the Rod Hateth his Son but he that Loveth him chasteneth him Betimes †Pro. 13.24 Min. So now I hope you will believe it's Truth Fath. I dare not deny it but I understand not how it's hatred and Cruetly Min. The Proverb will partly prove it viz Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child Foolish Pitie spoils the Citie By sparing the Rod you choose rather to have your Child howl for ever in Hell under Gods Wrath than to cry a little under a mans Rod. This pitiful Pity to the Body is Cruelty both to Body and Soul And it makes a Man rather a Paricide than a Parent Fath. But may not I forbear when my child cryes Grievously Object 2 and Grieves me Min. No no Let not thy soul spare for his Crying * Pro. 19.19 The Rod signifies Nothing without Smart Your love is such that you would fain deal ill with your Child and ill requite your Father also N B God did not spare his Only Son for his Strong Crying and Tears viz O my Father if it be Possible let this cup passe from me †Mat. 26.39 Father Save me from this hour * Joh. 12.27 From which he delivered him Not but delivered him Up to the Crused Death of the Crosse for your sake And you will not Whip Your Son with a Rod that cuts not Skin Deep for his sake They that will not Correct a son at Gods Command are very unlike to Kill a son at Gods Command †Gen. 22. as Abraham offer'd to do his Son his Only Son Isaac whom he loved Fath. When I go to whip my child for a fault he Cries and Begs Object 3 and Promises to do so no More and then I think I do well to spare him Min. And does he keep his promises Fath. I consesse he fails me in that Min. Why do you trust him then Fath. Because I hope he will be better next Time Min. Now you turn Child This is a very Cheat. And what a Shame is it for a Man to be Cheated by a Child and by his Own whom he Knows hath Deceived him This will encourage a child to do Any thing for he will think it's but Crying a little when the Rod comes and promising to do so no More and my Father will Spare me and I shall come off Clear And this will learn a Child to set Light by his Father and So will he come under that Curse †Deu. 27.16 Faith If I whip my Children Object 4 it makes them take Gods name in Vain by crying O Lord Lord O God so I think I had better let them alone Min. That Cry is an Accident and not your Intent And you leave Off because they give you cause to go On for they are to be whipt for that Cry And it is a sign they want good government But take heed you do not pretend Piety when you intend foolish Pity or pretend Conscience when you intend Negligence Faith But one of my children hath such Passions Object 5 and Fits when Crossed or Whipt that I fear it will die Quite away Min. Fear not its Dying in doing your Duty But let us hear the Answer of GOD to this Critical Case Jehovah Withhold not Correction from the Child for if thou beat him with the Rod he shall not Die * Pro. 23.13 Min. So I hope That fear is removed Fath. But how may I understand this he shall not die Min. Thus. 1 He shall not die under the Rod Correction shall not Kill 2 He shall not die as a Malefactor by the hand of the Magistrate For want of the Parents Rod some come to the Magistrates Sword i e the Gallows 3 He shall not die an Eternal Death Thou shalt beat him with the Rod and shalt deliver his Soul from Hell †Pro. 23.14 Through Gods blessing Correction shall Issue in the Childs Conversion Fath. A man cannot Convert a child by all the Instruction Object 6 and Correction in the World Min. By the same Argument all Ministers Living may leave Preaching But who would be thus deceive by SATAN To make men Proud he will suggest great matters by Doing To make men neglect their Duty Satans deceit he will suggest their Doing will come All to Nothing All the Education in the World cannot Save a child But when by Neglect a child is Lost the same Satan will suggest if the Parents Duty had been Performed the Child had been Savewd 2 Though You cannot Convert your children GOD can Convert them By you And make you Instruments in their Regeneration as well as in their Generation In their Second Birth as well as in the First If you Will not be Instruments in Gods hand Tell him so If you Will Do your Part and leave God to do His. The endeavour and Care belongs to You the Cure belongs to GOD. 3 Though you cannot Convert vert them you can Restrain them For want of This god threatned to Judge Eli's house for Ever 4 this Restraint will prevent much Trouble if God convert them by Other means Trouble for Sin at Conversion from it accords with the Measure of-Sin in the Commission of it The Greater sin Before conversion the Greater sorrow At and After conversion the Parent blames the Preacher for the Childs Terrour when the fault is in the Father and Mother 5 If your Children should Never be Converted but for Ever Damned this Restraint will prevent much Torment 6 And God will be Glorified by your Service You will be Instruments of his glory And shall be Rewarded though Israel be not Gathered * Isa 49.3 4 5. Fath. But I see no good Object 7 whipping and
spend their Time in Foming out Fume to smoke the Air where they Sit Walk Ride or lay in Bed As if men were Born to take Tabacco Should it please God to raise a man from the Dead who died Anno 1580 and say Come I will send thee to see the Exercise of England the man would Wonder what men are Doing This Smoking Trade at Every Turn would be as great a Wonder to Him as his Rising from the Dead would be to Them It 's bewitching ¶ 3 It is a Venity which hath a bewitching Faculty It works on the Will and makes men Willing to be bewitched with it It takes away appetite from Bread the Staffe of Life and begets an impetuous appetite after it Self And so brings a man under it's power which Paul in All Points resolve against All things are Lawful but all things are not Expedient all things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the Power of any †1 Cor. 6.12 ¶ 4 It 's an Epidemical Infectious Contagious Vice where is it's like under the Sun Both Sexes Men and Women All Degrees of Men from the DUKE to the Dray-man on the Dung-hill All Sects in point of profession of Religion In a word All Men some few excepted are more or lesse Vitiously addicted to it ¶ 5 This bewitching weed this Indian Henbane Hot Henbane is Hot and Dry in a High Degree It Dries away the Juice and Moisture of the Body till it be like a Bottle in the Smoke It inflames the Blood It distempers and intoxicates the Brain And doth the whole Man much hurt Physical ¶ 6 It 's strongly Physical therefore not fit for Food nor Fashion Too much of the Best Food will Soon fit a man for the Worms Too much of the Best Physick will Send a man to the Same Place Tabacco is a Physical Herb. To take Physick at every turn both Full and Fasting At every meals meat in Conclusion a Potion Another in Bed As oft as men Meet on Any Occasion to take a Potion And abroad in the Cold Air to open the Veins and Pores of the Body to let in Death This is a MAD TRADE An ill master ¶ 7 Where Tabacco hath got the Mastery it is a great Enemy And the more a man Loves it and keeps it Company as if it were a Friend The more it is an Enemy And he that is under this Slavery is not at Liberty to order either Body or Soul as he should Nor does he seem to Care what becomes of one or the other Let such beware lest they lose Both by the Love of Tabacco Let such take heed they do not So smoke away their Time as to smoke to Eternity in the sulpherous smoke of Fire and Brimstone which ascends up for Ever and Ever †Rev. 14.10 11. Caution And let them that Preach Down any one Vice in their Pulpits take heed they do not Set Up this unparallel'd Vice for another in their Practice And the same I say of All Professors of godliness ¶ 8 The time may come when if they Had it and that would Do Prodigal Parents would give Rivers of Oyl and Sack-fulls of Silver and Gold for the Golden hours they suffer to Swim Down these Two Streams and will not use them for the Education of their poor perishing children Job was very Officious for his Children he Sent to them he Sanctified them he Sacrificed for them he rose up Early to do it he did it according to the number of them All i e he did his duty to Every one for Job said It May be my sons have Sinned * Job 1.5 How many do know Certainly their sons have sinned Notoriously and yet let it passe unpardoned Thus did Job continually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the dayes †Ver. 5. as long as they lived And yet when Dead what a Doleful Ditie doth he makes with his Elegie * Ch. 29.2 5. If So how may Carelesse Parents Howl if by Sudden death their Children Fall Fath. Pray did you never take Tabacco Min. Take it Yes truly and that took Me too into Custody and Slavery But having got Liberty it shall Never take me more nor I That by the help of God in whose Fear I forsook it Fath. I will never take Tabacco again as I have done Two Pipes a day shall be All. The good lawfull convenient use of it you allow Min. True but that respects him that can So use it Who can have Himself and It at Command make it his Servant not his Master Take it and Leave it as he List which Few can do In these three words Good Lawfull Convenient are implyed two more viz UndersTanding Thanksgiving What you take of this Physick you must Understand to be Proper for your Distemper and take no more than does you Good and for which you may with Boldness and Acceptance to God give Thanks †1 Tim. 4.4 Far be it from you to take it for Fashion-sake Or to p lease the Palate Or to shew that piece of Breeding so called which every Clown hath so long since learn'd And as to your Two Pipes because I doubt you cannot Command it I conclude it 's your Safest way to cast it Quite off For if it be not a Servant in Subjection it will be a Mast er in Dominion It 's like an encroaching Parasite give him an Inch he will take an Ell. It 's like the Pope of Rome Simile He must Up or Down now in England And if with you all England would Expell this Vanity as I pray they may do Popery it would be a Thousand times better for where it does a Grain of Good it does a Masse of Mischief Were Englands Wealth well Ordered England would live Well If what the Rich Wast in this bewitching Weed was given to the Poor provided they leave Wasting it would make them all Rich. And the Rich not the Poorer but the Richer i e with the Reward they shall receive of the Lord who lend to Him by relieving the Poor * Pro. 19.17 But if men have Smoked away their Senses it 's in vain to say Lo how Black is this Crow or how White is this Snow Well So or So it gives me some Content that I have thus far cast Contempt upon the Abominable Abuse of this Honourable Creature Tabacco which hath almost England at Command beside Other Countries And whether I call this a Testimony for God against this Vanity of Vanities or No yet Take it SO. ¶ Sir in pleading against Sin Vanity Carnality I plead for GOD against whom it is Enmity And whether You or Others will Hear or Forbear †Ezek. 3.11 yet I will endeavour to deliver my Soul * Ver. 19. For Gods hand is taking hold of Judgment In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup it is full of mixture †Psal 75.8 i e of Judgments without mixture
Double destruction Body and Soul both at once An evil Counseller As evil as the Devil will speak Death in at the Ear as the DEVIL at first did Evil Counsel is enough to bring the KING of a Nation to Confusion and Destruction I have read of a king A Kings Confession who confessed at his Execution that such Evil Instruments brought him to the Block Evil discourse Infects How oft is Death Blown into Souls by an Infectious Breath Seventh Docu 7. Restraint Take heed of allowing them too much Liberty to wander abroad upon Pleasure Dinah must go Gadding to see the daughters of the Land and she comes home Deslowed †Gen. 34.1 And much more mischief follows Simeon and Levi in their cursed anger Kill their Confederates whom they had Coozened into a Covenant * Ver. 25. And it was a wonder that Damsels walk did not end in the Destruction of Jacob and his House as he feared †Ver. 30. I may say to you as Paul bid the Colossians say to Archippus viz Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it * Col. 4.17 Every parent is an Archippus who hath received a Ministry of the Lord in Charge for children Archippus is a Greek word which signifies A governour of horses Children are Wild Colts †Job 11.12 who when grown Head-strong will not regard the crying of the driver * Job 39.7 ¶ Sir you should seriously consider what a Roaring Lyon the Devil is †1 Pet. 5.8 and how diligently he deviseth to Devour your children And that it 's not your Own conversion that will prove their preservation from Temporal or Eternal destruction but Their godly education God hath sworn that Noah Daniel and Job shall deliver neither Son nor Daughter by their Own righteousnesse * Ezek. 14.20 It 's not parents imputative righteousnesse for Justification nor inherent righteousnesse for Sanctification that will Save their children But it 's their righteousnesse in Conversation viz Godly Education by which they must become their Saviours It 's not the Conversion of a Father nor of an Emperour that can secure a poor child from Satan the Devourer And therefore a Child was he who cryed out for joy at the Emperours conversion O! the Emperour is a Christian q d Emperour Now we shall have Halcion dayes a Heaven upon Earth To whom a wiser person thus replyed But the DEVIL is not a Christian yet And so long as he is not Converted nor Confined to the bottomlesse pit Christians must look for No lesse mischief then he can do Them and Theirs too He will go to the End of his Bounds to a Hairs Breadth 〈◊〉 And here let me adde this Caution Caution 〈◊〉 â—hen your children are under Convictions enquire into Satans Temptations For if once the children be come to the Birth it will be on the Devils part a day of Rebuke and Blasphemy †2 Kin. 19.3 Rebuke to Conviction Convertion Faith Hope Prayer q d It 's too Soon thou art too Young or too Good to need such a Change Or it s too Late thou art too Old and too Wicked to be saved Blasphemy by such suggestions from SATAN against GOD CHRIST the Spirit of grace that the foul may think Unpardonable The Sum of all which is 1 to make a soul Secure and Presume on salvation Without conversion or 2 to drive a soul to Despair of salvation With conversion Eight Docu 8. Examination Take an Acount of your childrens Practices Purposes Pretences Even a Child is known by his Doings whether his work be pure and whether it be right * Pto. 20.11 The neglect of this Duty had like to lost David's Life Absalom intends Rebellion and he pretends Religion I pray thee let me go and pay my Vow which I Vowed to the Lord in Hebron †2 Sam. 15.7 And the King said Go in peace * Ver. 9. Poor David Ah pitifull reply David should have Sifted the businesse about q d How now what Vow a Vow to the Lord and defer to pay it for 40 Years †Ver. 7. what fiery Fit is this you are fallen into how comes it to passe you are Now so conscionable who have been So long carelesse Had David been Considerate Absaloms design had been Frusâ—â—â—â—â— But David makes No more to do Go in peace q d Absalom is in a Very good mind I hope he will Now be a Comfort to me A way goes Absalom to make War with his father This turns David's Tune his Harp into mourning * Job 30.31 Behold my Son which came forth of my bowels seeks my Life †2 Sam. 16 11. And besides Absalom's Death and David's Dolorous Grief this causes a Slaughter of Twenty Thousand men That Phrase hath Too much foundation In nomine Domini incipit omne malum Ninth Docu 9. Partiality Take heed of fond Partiality It 's of evil Consequence It sets that Root which bears Gall * Deu. 29.18 And sets children together by the Ears And makes them Murder one another e g Isaac loved Esau but Rebekah loved Jacob †Gen. 29.28 Isaac called Esau HIS son * Ch. 27.1 and Rebekah spake to Jacob HER son †Ver. 6. Esau was Isaacs boy Jacob was Rebekahs boy What is the fruit of this parental partiality even Esau's Partiality and Enmity to his Father Mother and Brother Esau hated Jacob q d He hath All my mothers heart she hath None for Me and I will have as little for Her The dayes of mourning for my father are at hand then will I Slay my brother Jacob * Ver. 41. q d Not while my loving Father lives to grieve him but when he is Dead and my mother under Dolour I will Double it by my brothers Murder She thinks Birth-right and Blessing and All too little for him but he shall not Long enjoy it nor She him At Esau's threat Jacob flees for his Life yet takes not Warning but loves Joseph more than All his children †Gen. 37.3 For which Love his brethren Hate him conspire to Slay him and Sell him into Egypt to his fathers Sorrow And Gods Providence in this will not justifie Jacobs inordinate Affection nor his sons evil Action N B. Children can quarrell Too soon of their own Heads though parents set them not together by the Ears e g. Two Brothers walked abroad in a Star-light night Said A A Sad Story Would I had a Pasture as large as this Element Said B. Would I had as many Oxen as there be Stars Said A Mr Jer Burroughs and Camerarius Where would you feed them all Said B In your Pasture A What whether I will or no B Yes whether you will or no. A What in Spight of me B Yes in Spight of you And thus from Words to Blows till they Sheathed their Swords in each others
is Shame It 's unlike clothes they Cover nakednesse shame Discovers it for ever What shall I say if Shame be your Sin take heed Shame be not your Sorrow The Sin of shame and the Sorrow of shame are Both unspeakable It 's written of Ajax the great Grecian warriour Ajax's dying saying of Shame that he Died with Shame and cryed No death like it And Christs enemies who are ashamed of him at last are like to cry No damnation like it ¶ Sir I must tell you though you deferve not to be told that you are ashamed of your Glory Grace makes a man glorious Within and godlinesse makes a man glorious Without Your Duty is your Dignity Do it and God will Dignifie you For it Them that honour me I will-honour * 1 Sa. 2.30 If any man serve me him will my Father honour †Joh. 12.26 You count it an Honour to serve an Emperour what is it then to be served By an Emperour yet all this is Drosse to the Service of God To be a Servant of the great God is a greater Honour than to be a Master of all the men in the world And yet is not this All for he that serves God him will God serve God will shut the Door after his servant Noah * Gen. 7.16 God will make the Bed †Psal 41.3 and he will wash the Feet * Jo. 13.5 He that will wait on God on him will God wait †Isa 30.18 Even GOD who is King of Christans King of Nations King of Kings King of Heaven and King of Glory At whose Splendor Angels Wonder and each one covers his Face with two wings as with a double Vail * Isa 6.2 Fath. I will object no more against prayer Min. Then I will direct more For prayer ¶ Pray with your children not only in your Family but sometimes do You Pray with children in Closet sometime let their Mother sometime let both father and mother take their children into their Closet and pray with them There 1 In this way you may the more Freely confesse their bad Herts and Faults to God bewail their Condition and speak to God for them 2 This way will make it manifest to GOD that you are in good Earnest for their Good 3 It will make it manifest to your Children that you have more than a common care of them as in Common among your Servants for it will shew them you have a Special respect for them 4 And it will have a Good Effect upon them If the heart of the fathers be to their children the heart of the children will be to their fathers †Mal. 4.6 Your Children will see the difference of this duty and You will see it for it Will work and it will NOT be so well without it ¶ Teach your children a right way to pray for themselves To teach Children to pray Teach them not to call God Father in a state of Nature as some parents do who teach their children to Lie to the Lord and speak Blasphemy against God But put them into Such a way to pray as Such may use viz To pray for the life of their Parents And for their Own life And for mercies to maintain life as meat drink clothing protection from danger And to pray for life for their Souls For a Sight and Sense of Sin For a Saviour For Pardon For grace in the Heart For a new Birth That they may be the children of GOD. And be saved from the power of Sin and SATAN and Hell Fire And may go to Heaven and be happy both in Body and Soul for Ever Fath. If children be wicked they may not pray Object for the praying of the wicked is Sin Min. So is the Plowing of the wicked sin too * Pro. 21.4 By your argument the wicked must not Plough i e follow a Calling for a Living but Beg Steal or Starve 2 I grant whether the wicked Plough or Play or Pray they sin yet they must Plogh and Pray too or do worse for the Neglect is worse than the Act. If to pray is Sin not to pray is a Worse sin And of two evils it 's best to choose the Least and refuse the Greatest 3 The wicked are Created to pray †Act. 17.26 27. 4 The wicked are Commanded to pray * Act. 8.22 5 Prayer is put up and recorded for Wrath to be poured out upon them because they Do not pray †Jer. 10.25 6 A precept for parents to teach children to Pray is Certainly implyed in these expresses for Education viz Train up a child in the way he should go * Pro. 22.6 Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord †Eph. 6.4 Fath. I have head a Professor say To teach children to Pray is the way to make them Hypocrites Min. He is not so sure of That as I am of This viz To let them go Prayerlesse is the way to harden them for Hell Fire OH what a Cutting Cry will this be One-day in Hell I am Damned because my parents did not teach me to Pray to be Saved He that forbids the wicked to Pray if he is not a wicked Man yet his is a wicked Act. And whatsoever be his Condition he is in that Point under Delusion Let such men say what they will I say teach your children to Pray And again I say Do it if in Dooms-day God do Blame you for it Caution Black Art I will be bound to bear it ¶ But Let not your children learn that Black Art of boldnesse by prayer viz To sin the more securely Like that Religious Beast I have paid my Vows therefore came I forth to meet thee come let us take our Fill of love * Pro. 7.14 15 18. Mr Tho Shephard Or like that London Monster who haunted Taverns Theatres Whore-houses all day but Durst not go out in the morning without prayer and Then so bold he durst bid the Devil do his Worst Or like such who serve God on the Sabbath day for a Licence to live licentiously all the Week after For if the Sacrifice of the wicked be Sin how much more when he brings it with a wicked mind †Pro. 21.27 Procure prayer ¶ Last Procure the prayers of Praying Persons for your children as much as may be and esteem of such Persons as Precious Had I an opportunity of Preaching to all the praying persons in England at Once I would exhort and beseech them All in general and Every One in particular to pray for ALL the children of the children of God Some have Observed and Asserted That the children of Many Prayers do Seldom miscarry So much concerning Prayer I shall come to a conclusion with Ten considerable Corollaries Te Corol. to quicken you to your Whole Duty contained in this Conference First 1. Coroll Fathers Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ab. The very Name of
all the Ten to signifie that Faith and a New Heart are necessary Antedecents for both Negative and Positive obedience to follow for a man must Be good before he can Do good Eight Note 8. Negatives include Positives Every Negative command includes a Positive command i e when God forbiddeth evil Expressely he biddeth good Implicitly e g Thou shalt have no other gods before me †Exo. 20.3 there is the evil of idolatry forbid Expressely thou shalt have Me for thy God there is the good of choosing God commanded Implicitly Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain * Ver. 7. this is the evil forbid thou shalt talk Vertuously and Graciously of thy God this is the good commanded Thou shalt not Kill commit Adultery Steal c †Ver. 13 14 15. these are evils expressely Forbid thou shalt Prevent murder adultery theft in Others by good counsel if thou canst this is good implicitly Commanded Positives include Negatives And Positive commands include Negative commands e g Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy * Ver. 8. there is good expressely Commanded remember it not to Prophane it with thy Own works words thoughts there is evil implicitly Forbid Honour thy father and thy mother †Ver. 12. is good Commanded dishonour them not is the evil Forbid Ninth Note 9. A negative includes negatives A Negative command includes Many negative commands The sin forbid is forbid in Act Word and Thought and the Occasion of it and whatsoever hath a Tendency to it And these Inclusive commands are Expressed as they are Branched out in the Bible e g Thou shalt have no other gods before me q d No National god imaginable no Personal or private god of wood to worship in thy House no god of Gold in thy Heart thy Self Wife Child House Land Friend Goods Gold shall not be thy gods as they will Be if loved more than Me. And see with what Caution the Occasion of idolatry is forbid in these Texts * Deu. 12.30 Thou shalt not Kill not with Hand Ch. 13.1 3. Mouth murder nor with Tongue to be a Mouth-murderer as some call a Slanderer and so we may call an evil Counceller Not with Heart to be a Heart-murderer he that hates his brother is a murderer †1 Joh. 3.15 Kill not by evil Counsel or bad Example neither Do nor Say any thing that may Tend to or Occasion thy neighbours death in Body or Soul Thou shalt not kill thy Self Not with violent Hands nor with Words spoken against thy own life nor by Carelesnesse of deaths and dangers nor by ill Diet not by Drunkennesse nor by Gluttony Plures periere Gula quam Gladio more die by the Board than by the Sword Thou shalt not commit adultery Not in Act nor in Heart whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his Heart * Mat. 5.28 Christ calleth a Thought an Act to signifie that Smal sin in Mans sight is Great sin in GOD's sight Thou shalt not occasion it by unclean Cogitations and Contemplations nor by adulterous Discourses with Delilahs Remove thy way F AR from her and come not nigh the door of her house †Pro. 5.8 Simile As he that carrieth Gun powder about him had need keep far from Fire so he that carrieth Corruption had need keep far from Temptation As when children meet a Horse Simile Cart or Cow they will if timerous run Ten times farther out of the way than need so let men learn to flee from Sin Keep thee Far from a false matter * Exo. 23.7 Avoid it passe not by it turn from it and passe away †Pro. 4.15 The law is Spiritual * Ro. 7.14 it forbids the Least evil motion and First carnal conception it commands our Spirits and Hearts to be holy it condemneth for the most Secret sin in the Soul It is called the Royal law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingly law †Jam. 2.8 it is the law of the King of Kings No earthly Kings law can condemn a man for a secret thought against the King Dissimile but this Divine Law of the King of Heaven can and doth it condemneth a man for the most Secret thought against the Law-giver Tenth Note 10. A positive includes positives A Positive command includes Many positive commands e g Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy q d Remember it to Prepare for it to begin it Early to spend it in holy duties in holy discourses in holy meditations to be in the Spirit to cause all under you to keep it holy Honour thy Father and thy Mother Honour them in Deed in Word in Thought in their Presence in their Absence in their Old Age when tempted by the Devil and by the disobedient to dishonour them when they Please thee when they Displease thee Rebuke and Correct thee N B A Negative command inclusively commands All lawfull means to avoid the evil forbid and a Positive command inclusively commands All lawfull means to perform the good commanded On these things I have but Harped and Touched for One of these Ten Words is a great Text and to shew what is contained in a Commandment would make a long Sermon for thy commandment is Exceeding Broad †Psal 119.96 ¶ This tenth Note having some respect to the Sabbath A lesson for the Lords day leads me to leave this Lesson with you viz Fail not to learn your children to Reverence the Sabbath day FAR be it from you to follow our English Heathens Hatefull Heathens who let their children Loose to serve Satan on the Sabbath day Tell them of the Sore judgments God hath sent upon Sabbath-breakers for which Search the Scriptures and See the Practice of Piety Practice of Piety preferred one of the Best Books but one that ever was written and is like to rise up in judgment against many N B God delivered no other commandment as he delivered this for the Sabbath e g. 1 It hath a Memento presixt viz Remember 2 It is amplified with Arguments more than all the rest except the Second 3 It is delivered Positively keep it holy and Negatively thou shalt not do any work and so is no other commandment delivered FAIL not in this for the Fear of God this Glorious and Fearfull name THE LORD THY GOD * Deu. 28.58 Eleventh Note 11. Heaven and Earth made in Six dayes The GREAT GOD that was but Six dayes in making Heaven and Earth was twice Forty dayes and Forty nights in writing and delivering these Ten Words †Ex. 24.18 to remain a Law and Rule for mans life And Moses was as long waiting Ch. 34.28 prostrate on his Face fasting to receive them * Deu. 9.9 10 11 18. he did neither eat bread nor drink water but did uncessantly attend this Heavenly
ministry of God And these Ten words were written with the Finger of God upon two Tables of Stone †Ex. 31.18 and put into an Ark of Shittim-wood * Deu. 10.3 5. very Durable and counted incorruptible There was nothing in the Arksave the two Tables †2 Chro. 5.10 for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy Name * Ps 138.2 God will magnifie the Law and make it Honourable If the Ark set forward the enemy must Flee before it †Nu. 10.35 If the Ark go through Jordan the waters must make way * Jos 3.15 16 If the Ark be set up by Dagon then Dagon must Down †1 Sa. 5.2 3 If Dagon will try the other fall he shall lose his Head and Hands and have nothing left but his Stump * Ver. 4. which can neither Invent nor Act as head and hands do If the law of God be in the Heart the reproach of men is not to be feared for the Worm shall eat them like Wool †Isa 51.7 The Ark containing the two Tables was a Sacred Symbole of Gods presence God will be with his Law and with the Lovers of it God will keep them as the Apple of his Eye who keep his Law as the apple of Their eye as he hath commanded * Ps 17.8 Pro. 7.2 The ark a triple Type And the Ark was a type of Christ who is the End of the law 1 It was made for him to Keep 2 He was made to keep That 3 He keepeth it for Our use Ark-like N B As Jesus obeyed the law for our justification Perfectly in love to GOD and to the Law A sweet Simile and to Us so we are to obey the law in our conversation Sincerely in love to GOD and to the Law and to the Lord Jesus Was the onely wise God twice 40 dayes and 40 nights engraving Ten Words upon Two Tables of Stone and will vain man make them Void it is easier for Heaven and Earth to passe than One Tittle of the Law to fail †Lu. 16.17 Twelfth and Last Note 12. A deep Decalogue The ten commandments are a Vast Continent The M L is the fountain of all laws viz Moral Ceremonial Judicial and Evangelical They all belong to it it is the Root they are the Branches they are contained in it and may be reduced to it on these two commandments i e the ten hang all the Law and the Prophets * Mat. 22.40 Here if we consider man in his three-fold State viz of Innocency of Sin and of Grace we may see the M L containeth mans duty in every State ¶ First in Innocency Adam being capable of receiving it Ten in One. Break one break all God gave him the ten commandments in One commandment this is clearly implyed in Adam's breaking them All by breaking that One. As the Sanction of the law is Disjunctive viz Do or die and the Injunction of the law Copulative viz Do this and that and all so is the law it self Copulative i e so linked together that in breaking one he brake all This M L then contained Adam's duty in innocency e g in the first commandment thou shalt have no other gods before me that Negative implyeth this Positive thou shalt have me for thy God i e by thy obedience to my M L for no other was in use yet all other Laws were Conditionally contained in it ¶ Second Consider man in his Fallen State and there other laws fall in as usefull they being conditionally and providentially prepared thereunto 1 The judicial law cometh and killeth him Adam's Death Adam's Soul died i e he was as disable to recover his Fall by a C W or any other way as a Dead man is to live And death of Body followed and death of Soul and Body passed upon all men †Ro. 5.12 2 Man being fallen the law of faith falleth in for his Recovery for this implicit Positive precept is still in force viz thou shalt have me for thy God This must of Necessity imply thou shalt beleeve on my SON q d For having Lost me thou hast No other way left to Find me to be thy God Thus the law for Faith appears to be implyed in the first Commandment as I fore-told you 3 Man being fallen Ceremonial Sacrifices fall in as usefull from Adam's Fall to Christs Death at which time they ceased And since Christs death Moral Judicial and Evangelical laws are contained in the M L for mans use in a Fallen State ¶ Third Consider man in a State of Grace and the same laws are contained in the M L for his use viz Moral Judicial Evangelical laws The first commandment containeth many Evangelical laws this implicit Positive precept thou shalt have me for thy God implyeth thou shalt Beleeve in me and in my Son for faith in Christ is a Christians daily duty And Repentance Love Humility Hope Fear are implyed in this first precept thou shalt have me for thy God It is q d If I be thy God thou shalt Repent of thy Sins against me thou shalt Love me thou shalt walk Humbly with thy God and Hope in thy God and Fear thy God e g Beleeve in the Lord your God * 2 Chro. 20.20 Repent and turn from your Idols †Ezek. 14.6 thou shalt Love the Lord thy God * Deu. 6.5 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord †Ja. 4.10 Let Israel Hope in the Lord * Ps 130.7 thou shalt Fear thy God †Lev. 25.17 these and the like are Branches of the first commandment The second commandment containeth Laws against Idolatry Will-worship of mans invention worshipping of Images Pictures the Sun Moon or Stars * Deu. 4.19 and laws for the True worship of God The third commandment containeth Laws for Prayer Praise giving of Thanks for godly Discourse in Private and Publick which includeth Preaching And laws against Swearing Cursing Blaspheming and Murmuring against God and speaking of God vainly idlely formally unprofitably proudly The fourth commandment containeth Laws for the Sanctification of the Sabbath day and Laws against the Prophaning of it This commandment is called Custos primae tabulae and this first Table containeth all mans duty to God The fift commandment containeth Laws for honouring of Parents and Ministers and Magistrats godly Governours and pious Princes called in Scripture Fathers †Isa 49.23 and Laws against dishonouring them and for Correction for disobedient children The sixt commandment containeth Laws against all kinds of Murder unjust Battels Quarrels Blows with hand or heart to hurt in any part The seventh commandment containeth Laws against Adultery of every degree Fornication Incest Sodomy Buggery all uncleannesse wantonnesse wearing of apparel contrary to the Sex whether Male or Female * Deut. 22.5 The eight commandment containeth Laws against all kinds of Thefts Robberies Rapines Sacriledge antiscriptural Usury †Ex. 22.25
they shall be a Sign between Me and You that ye may know that I am the Lord your God Ezek. 20.20 Blessed is the Man that doth this and the Son of man that layeth bold on it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it Isa 56.2 Also the sons of the Stranger that Joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him Every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it even them will I bring to my hold Mountain and make them joyfull in my House of Prayer Ver. 6 7. And he saw that Rest was Good and the Land that it was Pleasant and bowed his shoulder to bear and became a Servant unto tribute Gen. 49.15 LONDON Printed by J A for the Author 1681. The General Contents of the Third Dialogue THE Parents complaint of himselfe The Parents complaint of Mr S Mr A Mr L. Mr A with his Every day Sabbath confuted Mr L with his Never a day Sabbath confuted The change of the Sabbath for Mr S's conviction The beginning of the Sabbath the times contended for descoursed viz Morning Noon Even Midnight Six Objections against the true time Answered The time of Christs Resurrection occasionally discoursed The day of Adams fall occasionally discoursed Satans old enmity against the Sabbath Noted The month-day and week-day of Christs death discoursed The next day no Sabbath proved The Jews various division of the day into hours Of the Passeover Wave-day Seven-weeks Pentecost The Jews custom in Translating the Passeover The opinion of Pentecost on the first day disproved Of the Disciples meeting on the Pentecost Of Gods countenancing the Pentecost Of Jesus's exact observation of the Passeover and Sabbaths Moral and Ceremonial and the whole Law The day of Jesus's death declared and proved Divers Questions arising thereupon Answered An account of the Authors way in this work The Parent Cautioned and Counselled Ten Directions dropped for the Sabbath day Wherein we have an account Of The Day of Adams fall The day of Jesus's death Of The Sabbath ensuing the Wave-day the Pentecost Of The time of Jesus's burial The time Jesus lay dead Of The time of Jesus's Resurrection The beginning of the Sabbath All contrary to the Common Account A THIRD DIALOGUE Concerning the SABBATH-DAY Min. BEN BEN BEN Ben. Where what who calls me before I can see Min. O! Sleepy-head hear you not low hastily some one knocks at the door Pray rise and know the matter Ben. Sir I have been down to know his name and his businesse and he tells me it s he that sat so long with you under the Tree and he desires to speak with you Presently Min. Strike a light and let him in and tell him I will rise Fath. God Save you Sir I am compelled to come and visit you at an unseasonable time I hope you will hold me excused Min. Sir you are welcome to me but I wonder to see you in Town so Soon and am surprized to see you look so Sad. Pray what is the matter is all well at home Fath. All in health praised be God Parents complaint of Self but I am under Grief upon Grief It hath been a Sad time with me since we sat under the Tree though I concealed it from you in our last conference SAD I have Reason to be Sad indeed to think how sadly I have neglected my poor children Souls O to think how many times we have walked by the way and not a word of God! to think how many times they have been twatling about me in the house and not a word how many times they have been packed to bed and pulled out and not a Word of God have I spoken for their good O it hath cut me to the quick and put me upon prayer for pardon space and grace to do my duty And I did addict my self to it and began to find peace in it But yesterday after the afternoon Sermon as I was instructing my children about the Sabbath Parents complaint of Mr S Mr A Mr L. in came Mr S in anger and told me I kept the wrong day and said I should keep the Seventh day first appointed and never reprealed When he was gone Mr A came in and Laughed at me and my practice as a low thing viz to keep One day in a week and told me I should keep Every day as He did When he was gone Mr L came in and told me I should keep Never a day Sabbath for that command for a Sabbath was Ceremonial and long since ceased at Christ's death And my Children listened to this last with delight and now they slight the Sabbath and whatever I say for it and tell me Mr L is counted a wise man And under this Sorrow upon Sorrow I am so disquieted I am almost distracted In your last conference at end of the Tenth Note when you pressed it upon me to learn my Children to reverence the Sabbath I had a mind to ask you what Scripture proof we have for the change of the Day but I was loth to interrupt you but now being driven out in distresse I pray let me hear your reply to all these Opinions but chiefly for the change of the Sabbath Day Min. Did they use to be thus Opposite Fath. A little by the By when other businesse brought us together but now they came on Purpose and assaulted me as Never before Min. Just now as soon as you are set upon a Solemn work when the good seed is sown then comes the Devil †Lu. 8.12 Indeed you are to be pitied and so are they but I fear some of them will be plagued As for your former Sorrow it s Alway better than laughter * Ecl. 7.3 Sometimes better than joy there is sorrow that Dries the spirit this will Water it and so I praise God for it and passe it But this Last is the Pest that carries the Poyson in it for which I must provide some Antidote to expell it As for my reply to these persons Mr A who keeps every day Sabbath and Mr L who keeps never a day Sabbath Every day Never a day you may put them together for he that keeps Every day keeps Never a day and so look on them as two persons possessed by Satan above the dominion of God and under the dominiof the Devil But let us take them asunder again and speak to them apart ¶ 1 This Every day Sabbath is none of God's ordinance Mr A consuted for God's command is Six dayes shalt thou labour †Exo. 20.9 it must therefore be the Devils ordinance and to him it s observed as the Priests which God did not appoint are said to be ordained for the Devils * 2 Chro. 11 15. Mr A is blown up into the Air with a blast from the bottomlesse pit and puft up with Pride a Sabbath day a week is a weak thing with him he is a 7-fold Saint or under a 7-fold Deceit in the border of Heaven whence he is like
to fall into the belly of Hell ¶ 2) Mr L consuted Mr L who keeps Never a day Sabbath but slights the Sabbath as Ceremonial is to consider 1 The Sabbath was not given first to the Jews or seed of Abram as Ceremonies were Sabbath was made for Man but it was given to Adam as a Publick person for him and his posterity to be obeyed whether man stood or fell and this in Innocency before Ceremonies were in use And though Adam was not subject to wearinesse before sin yet a Sabbath was suitable for him as a Sacred cessation from his calling So God gave Adam a Sabbath and Blessed it i e to make it a blessing to him that kept it and Sanctified it †Gen. 2.3 i e he set it apart for holy use 2 The Sabbath was Certainly observed from Adam to the Law on Sinai though not much expressed in Genesis which is but a very short Epitomy of 2000 years Acts in which time many excellent acts were done which are omitted and not recorded Abrahams observation of the Sabbath day is without dispute because he is so commended for keeping Gods commandments * Ch. 26.5 And that the Sabbath was known to Israel before Sinai you may See †Exo. 16.23 the breach of which command is counted as the breach of all * Ver. 28. 3 This command for a Sabbath is one of the Ten delivered on Sinai before Ceremonies Josephus's Sabbatical river that runs six dayes and rests one will rise up in judgement with Mr L and Mr A. and wrote on two tables of Stone and put into the Ark as no Ceremony ever was Mr L playes the Papist who takes away one and leaves but nine 4 Christs precept for Prayer to prevent flight on the Sabbath which flight was to be 40 years after Ceremonies ceased proves the Sabbath no Ceremony Pray that your flight be not in the Winter q d that will wrong your Bodies neither on the Sabbath †Mat. 24.20 q d that will wrong your Souls Mr A and Mr L are brethren both under a 7-fold deceit to undeceive them let us put them together again to consider viz God in wisdom did so order the change of the Day that though it occasioned two Sabbaths to come together yet there was not Two in a week nor a week without One to signifie there must be nor more nor lesse than One Sabbath in One Week Fath. What say you of Mr S and of the change of the Sabbath Day Min. As for Mr S who denies the change of the Day The chang of the Sabbath I say Though the Change of the Sabbath be not founded out with a Trumpet on Sinai as the Command of the Sabbath was yet have we so much in Scripture as may Satisfie concerning it They that say Give me a plain precept for a practice or I will not regard it may mean Honestly but they speak Ignorantly For if from a Text we can draw a direct sound Inference to prove a practice that being the Sense of Scripture is to be regarded as Scripture it self The sense of Scripture we are to seek as Silver and if this be not to be regarded its vain to use any Scriptural Reason or Argument in discourse as Paul used to do * Act. 17.2 Ch. 18.4 19. Ch. 24.25 or to Study and expound the Scripture by preaching Then put a Boy into a pulpit to read a Chapter for what other Sermon can an able Minister make if nothing but the very words of Scripture must be delivered But let us see some Scriptural proof for this practice ¶ 1 The stone the builders refused O T proof i e for a foundation for Faith and Practice is become the head †Ps 118.22 of the work of Redemption he hath laid the foundation and finished it by his Resurrection This is the day the Lord hath made i e the day of the week on which Jesus rose we will rejoyce and be glad in it * Ver. 24. i e to foresee it by Faith if we live not to see it by Sight Yet prayes pathetically and speedily for it Save now I beseech the O Lord †Ver. 25. God is the Lord which hath shewed us light * Ver. 27. i e to foresse this Day ¶ 2 Thus saith the Lord my salvation is near to come †Isa 56.1 i e Actually it was come before Virtually Blessed is the man that doth This and the son of man that layeth Hold on it that keepth the Sabbath * Ver. 2. i e a Sabbath in remembrance of Christ's Actual redemption ¶ 3 When these 7 dayes are expired i e Eight is a Sabbatical and Vital Number by the death and Resurrectiof Jesus it i e the Sabbath shall be upon the Eight day and so forward the first day added to seven is the eight day and I will accept you saith the Lord God †Ezek. 43.27 ¶ 1 After Jesus's resurrection he said to his Disciples All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth * Mat. 28.18 which implies power to change the Sabbath And Christ gave them Commission to teach the Nations to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them †Ver. 19 20. i e nor more nor lesse N B If Jesus did not ordain the first day Sabbath the Disciples by their practice have taught England and other Nations to observe a New Sabbath of their Own invention ¶ 2 The Disciples assembled on the first day and shut the doors for fear of the Jews i e because it was in opposition to their seventh day Sabbath and Christ came and Sealed their New Sabbath with his sweet presence * Joh. 20.19 20. ¶ 2 Jesus was seen of the Apostles 40 dayes speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God †Act. 1.3 of which the Sabbath is One and none of the least ¶ 4 The Disciples came together to break bread upon the first day of the week * Chap. 20.7 in remembrance of Jesus for whose sake they observed that day ¶ 5 The congregation and Collection of the Churches of Galatia and Corinth upon the first day of the week was by the Apostles order †1 Cor. 16.1 2. to these at Corinth by writing and saith he the things which I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord * Ch. 14.37 ¶ 6 John being in Patmos said I was in the spirit on the Lords day †Rev. 1.10 A desert Island in the Aegean Sea He does not give the day this name but the day on which he was in the spirit he Signifies by its name so well know to the Churches to whom he wrote i e the Lords day so called upon the same account as the Supper is called the Lords Supper viz because Jesus who is Lord of all did institute both to be kept in remembrance of him ¶ 7. The first day is
called Sabbath in several Scriptures e g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of the Sabbath * Mar. 16.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First of the Sabbaths †Joh. 20.1 Cardinal for the Ordinal i e the New Sabbaths Paul went into the Synagogue on the Jews Sabbath day * Act. 13.14 and preached Jesus and when the Jews were gone out of the Synagogue the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sabbath between †Ver. 42. See his Sermon from Ver 15 to Ver 42. i e between two Jewish Sabbaths which Sabbath was the first day and that was the Reason the Gentiles durst not name it till the Jews were gone out Thus far for Scripture Proof now for some Scripture Paralle ¶ 1 The seventh-day was kept in remembrance of God's Creation Scripture Parallel the first day is kept in remembrance of a New Creation by Christs Redemption As soon as man sinned there was Virtually a dissolution he and the world was at an end with him So as Christ was Virtually slain from the foundation of the world there was Virtually a New creation by prevention of a dissolution of the Old for by him all things consist * Col. 1.17 This new creation was called the world to come †Heb. 2.5 2 Paral. ¶ 2 The seventh day was kept in remembrance of Gods rest from his work of Creation the first day in remembrance of Christ's rest from his work of Redemption that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father * Joh. 5.23 As from the conclusion of the Creation men were to honour the Father with a day in remembrance of That so from the conclusion of Redemption are men to honour the Son with a day in remembrance of That When God had actually finished his work of Creation at end of the Sixth day he instituted a Sabbath the Seventh day so when Jesus had actually finished his work of Redemption at end of the Seventh day he instituted a Sabbath on the First day ¶ 3 The seventh day was kept in remembrance of a Delivery from Slavery †Deu. 5.15 3 Paral. so is the first day to be kept And though all men are not free indeed by Christs redemption so as to obtain Salvation yet is he in a sense the Saviour of all men * 1 Tim. 4.10 and may command all men to keep this day in remembrance of him N B When the seventh day Sabbath was in use it was said the government Shall be upon his shoulder †Isa 9.6 the government is not Now in the hand of God as Creatour but in the hand of Jesus as Redeemer for the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand * Joh. 3.35 which he will deliver to the Father at last day †1 Cor. 15.24 Judgments of God ¶ The Judgments of God which on the first day have befallen the prophaners of it will One day be a Witnesse for it though at present the plague of Pharoh be so upon the hearts of prophane and professing people that they are not moved at them viz 1 Gods judgments on mens houses and goods by fire e g Teverton Chesterton London though in this last Hell-born bloody Sinners were the Instrumental cause yet the inhabitants Sin was the Meritorious cause 2 On Sabbath-breakers Bodies who by the formidable hand of God have been struck Dead on this day in the very Act. 3 On Sabbath-breakers Souls who have proudly pretended to keep every day such have been and are commonly Cursed and Blasted and with all their Blaze brought to nought To which 1 adde 2 Queries for consideration and one Assertion for full satisfaction ¶ 1 Was not the Fourth command for a Sabbath Day placed among and one of the Ten 1 Q. to signifie it is Originally and Essentially Moral and Perpetual and sometimes put among Ceremonial Sabbaths * Lev. 23.2 3 4 5 6 7. to signifie that in respect of that circumstance of Time it was Typical and subject to change viz with respect to the Day ¶ 2 Did not Adam fall on the Sabbath Day 2 Q. and so break the first Sabbath that ever was made and if so did not that signifie the day was mutable as the fall and breach of the Tables containing the C W with Adam signified the mutation of that Covenant and the making of a New C from the beginning ¶ A first day Sabbath is in a Sense of as great Antiquity Assertion as the first Sabbath ordained for Adam in Innocency Though that was at the end of Gods Works it was at the beginning of mans Life God Ended his week with a Sabbath but man Began his week with a Sabbath It seems he was made at end of the Sixth day to begin his life on the Seventh day which was his First day though he was made a moment before the day began Adam was a Type of Jesus who began his New Life at his Resurrection with a Sabbath the first day of the week And so must we begin our week with a Sabbath a day for God First which is Certainly more acceptable to God than to serve our selves Six dayes first and then put off God blessed for ever with an Od day at last So much for the change of the Sabbath Day Fath. I am satisfied in the change of the Sabbath but I am at a losse to know when the Sabbath begins but I think it s not much matter for that so that a man keeps a day Min. HOW keep a Sabbath and not know when it begins nor ends nor Care to know consequently you will not care to know when Christ rose from the dead for his resurrection gives beginning to the Sabbath Nor will you care to know how long he lay dead What grown like Gallio †Act. 18.17 Simile Sir I am sorry to hear such an ungracious speech fall from your lips Suppose your self taken by cruel Turks a most loving friend to rescue you falls into their hands himselfe in which Skirmish you escape But for your sake he is cruelly used wounded mangled imprisoned in a dismal dungeon So many dayes Then escapes acquaints you with it and desires you for his sake to keep a day in remembrance of his deliverance beginning at the time when it was What would you not care to know when to begin nor End nor how long your friend lay bound truely you deserve to be retaken by the Turks without remedy Fath. I perceive by this you hold Jesus went to Hell but that many Divines deny and so do I for its contrary to Christs words upon the Crosse viz To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise * Lu. 23.43 If Christ went to Heaven how could he go to Hell Min. If he went to Both it s not so great a mystery as the Trinity God is
for his Author I leave it with you to look That Jesus was virtually slain as soon as Adam sinned Ideny not no doubt he undertook for man before man was †Pro. 8.23 Rev. 3.14 but that Jesus's death which was 4000 years after mans fall must needs be on that day and hour of the week on which man fell I reject as ridiculous If such had said Jesus Rose on the week day and hour that Adam Fell it had carried a fairer colour If men must search as far as the foundation of the world for a foundation to falsifie the day of Christs death it is pity they are not better busied But if Adam's fall on the Sixth day be a proof for Christs death on the Sixth day let us lay aside the day of Christs death a little and begin with Adams fall ¶ 1 Adam was a glorious piece of Gods creation Adam's Fall his Soul and Body was an Epitomy of Heaven and Earth and an house for God to inhabit To say Adam fell on the Sixth day is to liken God his Maker to a foolish Builder who lets the house fall under his hand before he can finish it ¶ 2 It seems by Sacred Scripture that neither Adam nor Angels fell on the Sixth day for in the conclusion of the Creation at the Close of the Sixth day God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good and the evening and the morning were the Sixth day * Gen. 1.31 There is the Close up of the whole Creation complete ¶ 3 As it seems by Scripture Adam fell not on the Sixth day so it seems by Scripture he fell on the Seventh day and that is my perswasion And I will produce no other proof for it than the same Scripture your Author brings to prove Adam fell on the Sixth day viz that Hebrew Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adam in honour did not abide a night †Ps 49.12 It seems he fell that first night which was on the first Sabbath day natural which began at Even ¶ Note Satans old enmity against the Sabbath Satans enmity at the Sabbath 1 He mystically murdered Adam and all his posterity on the first Sabbath that ever was 2 The first Bodily murder we know of in the world Satan acted by the hand of his servant Cain on the Sabbath day and for a Sabbath dayes service as I suppose by this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of dayes * Gen. 4.3 the Seventh day was the end of dayes for there never was more than 7 dayes 3 Satan sets his Servants a work many wayes to break the Sabbath And this enmity is not onely against Gods Sabbath but also against mans Soul In indignation against both this great governour drives on as if he would drive all before him into Hell fire At his command they curse swear whore pot pipe prate sport work play walk at pleasure all which paths lead to the Lake of fire The Sabbath is spent as if it was the Devils day and not Gods day It is the Devils great Trading day for Hell and the wickeds great Treasuring day for Wrath for sin on Other dayes does not fill the Vials of Gods wrath so fast as it doth on This day Adde to all Satans provoking his servants to persecute Saints on Sabbath dayes for the Service of God disturbing them in their meetings haling them to Prisions for using the liberty Christ hath given them 4 Satan is very busie with Saints on Sabbath dayes He tempts them to work and buy and sell when the Sabbath is begun in the Evening To lay in Bed in the morning To trifle away time when they are Up. To talk of controversies Saints both sleep and wake to Satan and impertineneies to absent from Sermons to Sleep to him at Sermons to Wake to him at Sermons by wandring thoughts a thousands wayes Here you may see by what spirit they are acted that are opposite to the Sabbath day Mr A and Mr L did not tell you they came with a message from the Devil yesterday to disturb you in your duty But let us proceed to the day of Christs death ¶ Here let me premise a few Cautions Cautions premised 1 Do not reflect on any thing that seems improbable for it may be True though at first it seem false Nor any thing that seems impertinent q d to what purpose is this prove the Point for it may be to some purpose though it presently appear not 2 This being an intricate point for its clearing some Scriptures must be opened and some reconciled which cannot be done with few words in which I must crosse my Self for I affect to contract things in few words 3 It being new and contrary to the commmon Creed you will Object your All against it your Objections you must hear orderly answered or it will be in vain to offer them 4 Be very punctual in observing the day of the month I shall have occasion to speak of with its beginning and ending else I speak into the Air. If I digresse or go forward or back ward from any Day or Thing before I have done with it care not to carry it in your head for I shall bring you to it again In a word before I proceed resolve to hear all or none at all Fath. I will hear what you have to say Min. To introduce the day of Christs death Of the day of Christs Death I must begin with its lively Type viz The Lords Passe-over This from its first institution was on the 14 day of the first month Abib or Nisan according to that Sacred account from the time of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt †Ex. 12.2 The Paschal lamb was to be taken up on the 10 day * Ver. 3. and kept till the 14 day †Ver. 6. probably that the sight of it might occasion Soul preparation And it was to be killed in the Evening * Ver. 6. Heb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between the two Evenings i e say some Sun-set and Dark night Short work though they eat it in hast I do not think they prepared it in Post-hast Fath. What 2 Evens else had they Min. The division of the day by hours was not used when the Passeover was commanded the word hour except in Daniel is not in the O T. But they divided the day into 3 parts called Morning Noon Even †Ps 55.17 from 6 to 10 was Morning from 10 to 2 was Noon from 2 to 6 at night was Even The beginning and end of this last part were the two Evens between which the Lamb was killed and it was eat at night * Ex. 12.8 Our Lord Jesus who came to fulfill the Law kept this Passeover according to Law he commanded his Disciples to kill and prepare it upon the 14 day and he eat it with them at Night when the 15 day began †Mat. 26.17
People under a C G. This covenant God made with Abraham viz To be a God to Him and his Seed †Gen. 17.7 And renewed it with Them Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with YOV * EXO 24.8 The blood of the C W is a saying of a Strange Sound except you mean the blood of the Breach of that covenant i e the blood of the Offender which is Execution not Salvation I will commune with thee from above the Mercy Seat from between the two Cherubims of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel †Exo. 25.22 The faces of the Cherubims looked toward the Mercy Seat * Ver. 20. to signifie the desire of Angels to look into this mystery of Grace and Life for man †1 Pet. 1.12 after God that cannot Lie had said Man must die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This covenant Verbally was made with all Abraham's seed Indefinitely but Virtually and Efficaciously so as to secure life Eternally it respected a Secret Distinction and Vein of Election for they are not all Israel which are of Israel * Rom. 9.6 but the children of the Promise are counted for the Seed †Ver. 8. God is LORD of ALL * Mat. 11.25 but to These he is a GOD God is not the GOD of the Dead but of the Living †Ch. 22.32 They that did Beleeve were not under a C W and Cured but under a C G and Blessed with faithfull Abraham * Gal. 3.9 And the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was 430 years after cannot disanull †Ver. 17. To our purpose is the Preface to the Ten commandments viz I am the Lord thy God which cannot Be by a C W. It is not Do this and I will be thy God but I am thy God therefore Do this * Deu. 5.15 Fath. God saith If ye keep my Covenant Object 1 then ye shall be a Peculiar treasure unto me †Exo. 19.5 Min. So Jesus saith He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father * Joh. 14.21 In such sayings God speaks as a Father to children to draw to Duty q d Do So and I will Love thee The childs love is not the Cause but the Effect not the Root but the Fruit of the fathers love to the child we love Him because he first loved Vs †1 Joh. 4.19 To a people under a C G the Law on Mount Sinai was delivered as on Mount Sion in the hand of a Mediatour * Gal. 3.19 without whom God had nothing to speak to man but Death N B. From his Right hand i e where Christ sitteth and Then virtually sat went a fiery law Heb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fire of law For them not Against them and how Formidable and Fiery soever yet it was a fruit of Gods love yea he Loved the people †Deu. 33.2 3. Fath. Not against them say you Object 2 Paul saith it was against them and so took out of the way by Christ * Col. 2.14 Min. He speaks of the C L which to disobey was death †Lev. 23.29 30. The M L as a C W is against all men under it as well since Christ's death as before And as a C W it was taken away Before Christ's death as well as Since for them that beleeve And as a rule of life it never was against any man since nor before It was and is against Sin but it 's For man if God be for him Fath. You say the law on Mount Sinai was delivered as on Mount Sion Object 3 Paul opposeth them one to the other and speaketh of one as Dreadfull of the other as Comfortable * Heb. 12.18 22. Min. Paul sheweth what you See not viz that the ministry of the Gospel on Mount Sion is attended with more terrour than the Law on Mount Sinai was e g. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God 〈◊〉 * Ver. 15. lest there be any fornicatour or prophane person as Esau c †Ver. 16. why so for ye are not come to the mount that might be touched c * Ver. 18. which was very terrible but ye are come to Mount Sion c †Ver. 22. what then See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him who speaketh from Heaven * Ver. 25. Whose voice then shook the Earth but now he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth onely but also Heaven †Ver. 26. He that despised Moses law died without mercy of how much Sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God * Heb. 10.28 29. The Gospel is glad tidings it 's Season is a day of Salvation but yet attended with a day of Vengeance for disobedience †Isa 61.2 without which what dread is in the Law Fath. Surely the Law was delivered to the Jews Object 4 as a C W. Min. The Ten Commandments contain the Matter and Words of the C W. And they were to acquaint Them and are to acquaint Us with the C W that All by Nature are Under that men may know what it is and not trust to Death for Life The Jews had been so long in Egyptian darknesse that Religion was almost rooted out of Heart and Life †Jos 24.14 and so needed to have a Rowsing Lecture read in their Ears But that ever God did since mans fall deliver the Law as a C W for man to be Saved by it is Quite besides the Book contrary to the Gospel a Weaknesse and a Shame for a man who hath a Bible in his house once to Imagine Fath. God saith Object 5 Keep my Statutes which if a man Do he shall live in them * Lev. 18.5 Min. For one to think from any such Text that Ever man was saved by Works savours of Grosse ignorance of the C W. This covenant requires a man to be as perfectly Righteous as Jesus himself was and if a man Once sin though he Never sin more there is no More to be said he can Never be saved by that covenant If then Eternal life be in this Text intended †Lev. 18.5 the law of Faith is included by which a person must be justified to live Eternally And then by Evangelical obedience to the Law he shall live 1 Temporally for Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is * 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Spiritually for the Righteous shall flourish †Psal 92.12 as the Body by it's Food for God deals out his Heavenly bread in a way of Duty But by defect in Duty some die Temporally in Body * 1 Cor. 11.30 and many
die Spiritually in Soul who do not die Eternally in both Fath. That Israel were under a C W is hard to beat out of my Head Object 6 Min. A covenant between God and man is not Made except GOD require and Man consent 1 God did not Require it is contrary to his purpose of Salvation by Grace and if by Grace then is it no more of Works †Rom. 11.6 2 Man did not Consent If in saying All that the Lord hath spoken we will do †Exo. 19.8 they counted to comply with a C W they said they knew not what nor are they Commended for it But when they said to Moses Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die †Ch. 20.19 then said Moses Fear not * Ver. 20. and said God They have Well said †Den. 5.28 i e to desire a Mediatour these are no signs of a C W. Nor did they Consent to a C W when they said Amen to the curses pronounced against him that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them †Deu. 27.26 but did acquiesce in the pronunciation of the Curse for him to whom it did belong Nor did Paul in saying As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse * Gal. 3.10 say They were all so Nor doth Moses in describing the righteousnesse of the Law viz The man which doth those things shall live by them * Rom. 10 5. say They were so to live or that it was Possible for them The man that Doth shall Live is q d The man that emptieth the Ocean with a Spoon shall go into the depth of it and not be Drowned for to fulfill the Law and to empty the Sea are Parallel impossibilities Fath. But God speaks of a New Covenant Object 7 †Jer. 31.31 and this at Sinai is called Old * Heb. 8.13 so that it seems Not to be a C G as you call it nor that they were saved Before Christs death as we are since Min. There is some Circumstantial difference 1 The Old as it 's called comprehended the Promise of Canaan containing many Temporal blessings 2 The Jews were by it Obliged to Ceremonial service 3 Some few excepted it was confined to the Jews only 4 It was Sealed with the blood of Sacrifices Typical of Christ to Come These things being Transitory it is said to wax Old and vanish away †Heb. 8.13 yet the covenant is One and the Same in Substance AT Christ's death it was Sealed by his own blood Actively Before it was Sealed by his blood Virtually Since Christ's death it is Signified by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which is Permanent till Christ come so was the Ceremonial Sacrifice till he came to Die the blood of which signified Christ's blood Was to be shed as well as the Element of Wine signifieth it Is shed N B. Covenants are Certainly the Same if they accord in these 3 Substantials Subject End Condition Jesus Christ as Head of the Elect is the Subject Salvation is the End Faith is the Condition of Both and so is the way of Salvation the Same Before Christ's death the Jews were said to be under a yoke they were not able to bear †Act. 15.10 what then but we beleeve that by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved Even as they * Ver. 11. Identity or the Samenesse of Salvation We Jews even as they Gentiles for Christ and Salvation and the Way to it are the Same Jew and Gentile saved the Same way Before and After Christs death Before it they were under the Gospel clouded with the Law Since we are under the Gospel more clearly dispensed They that God taught saw it Then no more see it Now and from the Rest it is hid Fath. If the law was not delivered as a C W what signified the dreadfull delivery of it with Thunder and Lightning Object 8 and breaking the Tables when Israel Sinned Min. God by delivering the Law on Mount Sinai at first with his own mouth did signifie he had made a C W with Adam and in him with all Men and what he might justly require of men The thunder signified the dreadfull effects of the breach of that Covenant It 's being written on Tables signified it was written on Adam's Heart I will give thee Tables of stone and a Law which I have written †Exo. 24.12 they were the work of God without Moses i e without a Mediatour 2 The tables being broken when Israel sinned signified the C W was broken when Adam sinned and was never to be made with Man more God doth not say Moses mend the Tables thou hast broken but Hew thee two new Tables * Ch. 34.1 3 The law written on the Tables a second time signified or was an Embleme of the law written on the Heart of Christians according to the C G. 4 God by proclaiming his gracious name on Mount Sinai and giving the law there the second time to Moses alone †Ver. 3.5 6 signified he had made a C G with Christ for Christians and had given the law by Christ by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour N B This M L thus written not as a C W The Law the Rule but as it is the law of Christ IS a Christians rule of Life The Saviour is the Law-giver and Ruler * Isa 33.22 the Decalogue is the Sum it 's branched through the Bible for a rule of righteousnesse and Gospel obedience for all Christians in all Nations throughout all Generations Fath. But some say Object 9 The law as written in the Bible is not a Christians rule of life but as it is written in the Heart they act from a principle of Love are led by the Spirit of God and delight to do his Will Min. That a true Christian hath the law written in his Heart acts from a principle of Love is led by the Spirit of God delights to do his Will is True but the law as written in the Bible is not a Christians rule of life is not only False but Prefixt to the Rest makes all to be a piece of ridiculous Non-sense Pestilent Opinion This pestilent opinion hath 5 parts 1 The law as written in the Bible is not a Christians rule of life A. As the Gospel teacheth how to Beleeve and is a rule of Faith so the Law teacheth how to Live and is a rule of Life As the Gospel is an everlasting rule for Faith so is the Law an everlasting rule for Life As the Civil law is a rule of Civil life so is Gods Divine law a rule of Godly life Simile The law is as a Touch-stone Simile to try if gold be Good The law is as a Line to shew what is Straight and what is Crooked Simile A good work-man will have his Rule