this is the punishment of God upon Ministers that they shall fall into such a company that will not heare because they had dull eares themselves in hearing before and not onely that Pro. 28.9 but also to speake to a dull people The fifth Rule of signes The Commandemâ—nt it selfe is signum i. Mal. 1.14 a way to examine us God maketh there a very abject and as Augustine saith an unlawfull comparison to compare himselfe to a great King on earth and vers 8. he reasoneth If you should offer such a gift to your Prince would he accept thy person If we would heare him as we would heare a great Prince 1 Sam. 19.8 Jonathan to David To morrow is the day of the month you will be looked for for my Father will see your place empty And our place may be empty that is we may be absent for divers causes First 1 Sam. 19.14 sicknesse Lawfull causes of absence from Church for so Micholl answered to Saul for David Secondly 2 Sam. 20.28 the answer of Jonathan for David He went to Bethel for my family said he offereth a sacrifice to day so if a man be to offer a sacrifice himselfe he may be absent from Sauls sacrifice for it is best to be the principall agent in Gods service Thirdly Mat. 9.13 Misericordiam volo potius quam sacrisicium the workes of mercy to visit the sicke is lawfull c. because they be meanes ordained for the duty of charity therefore for such a duty we may depart and leave the other duty The second signe Judg. 9.7 the meditation of this talio Looke as you heare so you shall be heard Heare what I say and I will heare what you say It is a good signe if we can say Even as I heare even so heare me O Lord. The third signe Psalm 119.63 79. If we be companions of those that worship God and if those persons be more deare to us because they are reverent and zealous in Gods service and the other more odious because they be cold it is a good signe The sixth Rule Accessory to procure it in others Hierome on Numb 36.13 no man may be a curtaine in the Lords house unlesse he hath a hooke and a tache Quilibet verus Christianus est cortina patris to draw on another brother Psalm 42.4 Davids affection I remember it with joy John 1.41 45. of Andrew to his brother We have found that Messiah and of Philip to Nathaniel We have found him of whom Moses in the Law did speake c. 1 Cor. 11.33 the Rule spoken of before one to stay for another and one to bring another that they may by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same mind and one accord The contrary condemned and punished Acts 13.8 in Elymas for seeking to hinder the Deputy from receiving the Gospell he was stricken with bodily blindnesse c. Order is taken Com. 1. for the inward worship and Com. 2. for the outward now he proceeds to the Commination or Sanction which containeth a penalty on the breakers and a reward for the keepers of the Commandement Every Commandement sancitur praemo poena If it be asked why this Commandement is the first that hath this punishment set downe as the fifth Commandement is said to be the first with promise Ephes 6.2 We have three reasons for the justifying of Gods worke in it First because that as Deut. 25.2 the punishment must be proportionable to the fault and the sinne against the first Commandement is hidden and in the wombe in our hearts and bosomes that God onely can see it and view it therefore the punishment of it also is left to God and Acts 17.30 he is content to oversee it But this because it comes into the light of the Sunne and is to be seene of every body in this respect God hath more particularly pronounced a punishment against it 1 Tim. 5.20 that others may feare According to the rule of justice Malum ubi contingit ibi moriatur if the fault be open so shall the punishment also be if private so also And seeing this is committed in the sight of all therefore to be punished in the sight of all The second is that whereas every punishment is brought in Ut prohibeat impetum ad turpia and our impetus or inclination being marvellously whetted to the breach of this by profit and safety the best Oratours annexed to it I speake of that corruption wherein every head is full of new platformes that it will devise to it selfe and that we cannot be vile in our owne eyes as David was 2 Sam. 6.22 but of this that sometimes it falleth out as God foretold Revel 14.9 that the Beast getteth place and then he that will not receive the marke of the Beast in his forehead he shall neither buy nor sell and not that onely but hee shall be rent in pieces Here then is the motive that man can be content to leave God and bow downe to the Beast if they can be perswaded they may thereby enjoy temporall commodities and security of this life for come what Religion will they are ready for all And in regard of the comming with these reasons not onely of that the Devill counted a great thing Job 2. the saving of mens Skinnes but the Fleeces also peace and tranquillity so because this profit was annexed it was necessary there should be a punishment cohibere impetum hunc to stop our inclination Thirdly because we see Dan. 3.6 6.8 and Acts 4.18 Edicts and Commandements contrary given out i. for receiving of a false invented worship that men should at the sound of the Trumpet fall downe and worship the golden Image else to be cast into the middest of a hot fiery Furnace And that who so should pray to God within thirty dayes should be cast into the Lyons denne And an edict that the Apostles should speake no more in Christs name Therefore it was necessary that God should give a countermaund and a contrary edict And that as Princes say Qui secus faxit he that transgresseth shall forfeit this and this So God should say If you will not bow downe and give me this worship you shall forfeit you and your children after you and your childrens children shall be subject to mine indignation This for the reason why God hath made it a penall Statute The Sanction or establishment is divided into Commination visiting the iniquity c. Promise and shew mercy c. The preface was touched before in the beginning of the Law Of Jehovah thy God Now of fortis zelotes strong and zealous the two words that remaine they containe the certainty of bringing to passe that which he threatneth or promiseth here in this Commandement For mighty signifieth that there is no hinderance in performance of it He is able to doe it It falleth out that where men whose armes and hands are shortened conceive mighty wrath and indignation but there wanteth
of the holy Ghosts phrase i. idiome dialect or stile For the Holy Ghost useth divers idiomes that are not to be found in other writers as the crucifying of a mans flesh the mortifying of his concupiscence c. Therefore we must be perfect in these and as Heb. 5. v. last Habere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have our senses exercised that we may know the Holy Ghost when he speaketh Often we shall meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is being interpreted the Holy ghost in Greeke referreth us to the Holy ghost in Hebrew And these are the remedies for the right understanding of the words There are two others for whole sentences or Chapters 5. Is that the Fathers call Oculus ad scopum the eye to the marke As what was Gods intent in setting downe the Law in giving a prophecy in doing a miracle c. As Paul to Timothy against those that made an evill use of the Law reasoned from the end of the Law So saith Hilary E causis dictorum sumenda est intelligentia dictorum From the causes of things that are spoken the understanding of them is to be taken 6. That which the wise men of the Jewes say We must looke all about us before us behind us beside us c. i. the diligent weighing of the antecedentia consequentia antecedents and consequents and every other circumstance To these six circumstances may be referred the rules of Irenaeus lib. 2. ch 46,47 Aug. 2.2 3. ch That every one of these meanes serve not for every thing but to divers things divers instruments are applyed And here against Stapletons errours who taketh some one thing which would be resolved by some one of these and objecteth it to another of them whereby it cannot be resolved Because one of these are not necessary to such a thing therefore not necessary at all 2. That we attribute not the interpretation of the true sence to each one of these Naught not for that he thinketh them simply naught but insufficient but to all together Whereas Stapleton concludeth them all to be naught because sverally they will not suffice naught not for that he thinketh them simply naught but insufficient His second argument To every one of these there is a place left ad contradicendum for contradiction 2. Being used singularly they will not suffice But we know the first argument to be none And 2. that every one of these hath his peculiar office The meanes that Papists use to understand the Scriptures Now they beside Prayer set downe these meanes the interpretation of Fathers of Councels the practise of the Church the definitive sentence of the Pope They say all these are true infallible and sufficient For the assertions of the Fathers and Councels as a doubt may be found in the Scriptures so in their exposition upon the Scriptures For the practise of the Church and sentence of the Pope A question may be made whether the Church is the true Church and so there is yet place for doubting For the second inconvenience as we unfeinedly acknowledge that all their meanes are commendable as they include the use of our former meanes If ever they did well it was by using our meanes on the contrary If ever they erred they erred in one of these But take their meanes all together without the other they will misse For the Fathers They will have all the Fathers meet in one exposition of one place which is a vaine speculation of theirs For there is not one place of an hundred that all the Fathers expound 2. In expounding they keepe not lightly the literall sense except it be in the controversies that were in their times but in their Homilies and writings followed sensum Tropologicum the Tropologicall sense drawing out divers doctrines and applications necessary for manners So saith Augustine against Julian That in controversies that fell not in their time the Fathers loquebantur obscurè controversià nondum motą in caeteris loquebantuąr securè controversią nondum notą spake obscurely the controversie not yet moved in the rest they spake securely the controversie not yet knowne Basil epist 14. saith of Dionysius a Father multa loquebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spake many things controversally in his vehemency of disputation against the heretickes of his time quae non defenderet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he would not defend determinatively And in sundry things the Fathers must be taken to have spoken per modum contradicendi non docendi in way of contraedicting not of teaching But they themselves are at strife among themselves Cardinall Cajetan saith in the second Councell at Tent that if he knew a good and true exposition of any place in the Scripture and that might be drawne out of the place he would hold it contra torrentem against the current of all the Doctors and Bishops so also Andradius and they themselves use to deny Fathers in their schooles Non 〈◊〉 at honest dispensatio sed 〈◊〉 dissimulatio Hicron It was not a true dispensation but a dissimulation But now they leane to that which the most part doe say Augustin in epist II. There is a question betweene him and Jerome whether Paul in reproving Peter did meane sincerely i. reprooved him indeed or did dissemble Jerome holdeth that he did dissemble Augustine that he meant simply And though Jerome oppressed him with divers Fathers authority yet he regarded them not at all but thought that he reprehended him indeed ut ad Calat 2. and we know Augustines part carrieth it away And Jerome in the expounding of the Psalmes saith That he had set downe divers things that were not holden in those daies Augustine refuseth Cyprian an ancient Father his opinion and preferred Tironius a Donatists opinion upon a place of Scripture because he knew it was the sounder And he hath set seven rules out of him de doct Christiana against that of Stapleton that would have us to regard non quid dicatur sed quis dicat not what is spoken but who speaketh 2. In the exposition of these words Tu es Petrus suprahanc Petram thou art Peter and upon this Rocke almost every one of the Fathers at least most part of them and best expound it of Peters faith yet the Papists understand it Non de side sed de persons Petri not of the faith but of the person of Peter Here they disagree themselves from the Fathers And Stapleton saith it was lapsus humanus a humane failing In the division of the Law they goe cleane contrary to the greatest part of the Fathers for whereas the Fathers divide the Commandements as we doe the Papists make the two first one and the tenth two 2. They have no Father to countenance them in this but Augustin 2. For the practise of the Church great doubtfulnesse i. in the cause of the primacy all the Christians of the east-East-Church have refused it onely the West Churches held
the high mountaine that stands in Christs way and unlesse John Baptist take paines to remove it he cannot come to us I finde that this vice through the Fathers is called morbus Satanicus and it hath a resemblance to our diseases that have their names of the persons as Morbus Gallicus c. the French disease so this the Devils disease it is high-borne and so lightly taketh hold of them that are high-borne for it was first borne in Heaven and so no other can be concluded by the rules of Divinity by Esa 14.14 applying that to Satan Ero similis Altissimo I will be like the most High because he would have a part of Gods glory and be above his degree therefore this was the cause that made him fall The Devill hath knowledge and feare but not humility so the Devill tooke it first and Adam took it from him so we come to be heires of it and as he said to himselfe Ero I will be so in Gen. 3. he said to Adam and Eve Eritis sicut d. i i. similes Altissimo ye shall be as Gods i.e. ye shall bee like the most High not suffering them to be content with that honourable place that God had assigned them but perswading them to aspire to an higher Christ Luke 10.8 when the Apostles were come home joyfull and proud that the Devils were made subject to them in his name saith to them that that may be profitable in meditation to us Vidi Satanam cadentem sicut fulgur behold I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven but rejoyce not in this * * * because they rejoyced therein and gave not glory to God but rather that your names be written in Heaven for taking joy in that that we should not And that which Christ said of them may be fitly said of any that this pride taketh hold of This pride standeth specially in two things which both are in the speech of Nebuchadnezzar All the heads of glory may bee referred to these two 1. from our selves 2. to our owne glory Dan. 4.27 And the King spake and said Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty If we ascribe to our selves either of these that we doe any thing by the might of our owne power or for the glory of our owne Majesty i. either that it commeth from us or that we doe it for our glory this is pride More particularly as we say it is a desire to have that excellencie attributed to us that is not in us so 4. wayes it falleth out 1. For he must first thinke that he hath a greater good thing then he hath and often times that which he hath not at all as Revel 3.17 to the Angel of the Laodiceans Thou thoughtest thy selfe rich and wise and behold thou art blinde naked miserable and wretched and there was no such matter in thee and as 1 Tim. 3.6 none so subject to this as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 young novices that have greene shallow things in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devill of which Chrysostome writing saith if they be humble it is no commendation to them for if the servant submit himselfe to his Master he hath no commendation for it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if one have wherewithall to bee proud and yet is humble he is worthy of the commendation 2. When we have a little good to thinke that there is a greater good in us then we have indeed Ezek. 28.12 that men are given to seale up great summes above that that is in them 2 Cor. 10.14 of stretching and setting on the Tenter-hookes and the reason is because that where a man hath a little there is a stretching of that little by selfe-love and the Devill he drawes up a false light and shewing our selves to our selves in a myst or when he hath made us drunke with selfe-love maketh a little seeme very much and so we come to see gemina objecta geminos soles every thing will seeme double 3. It is more excellent for a man to have a thing of himselfe * * * And that is of two sorts 1. when he thinks he hath a thing growing from his own nature or when he attributes it to his owne desert then of another if we have it of our selves then our glory is the more This is a great way in pride to imagine that we are the causes of that good we have But 1 Cor. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who made thee to differ c. Name one thing that thou hast not received he abates that pride well 2. But another is Though a man have it not of himselfe yet if he deserve to have it and not upon curtesie of another it is somewhat worth and so commeth the 4. degree of pride but that is laid flat to the ground Gen. 32.10 If we will be heires to Israel we will say with him O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy servant so we are to thinke that God is the cause and that without any deserving of ours but of his owne free grace The Church of Rome is charged with these two degrees of pride in Nebuchadnezzar and we are so farre from thinking that any good commeth from our selves that wee know we have received all from the Father of lights but how true it is that we thinke so these two things will shrewdly try us 1. If any one of us mispending time or money riotously or any abuse of any gift of God to be found fault withall presently we forget that we have received it So in our practise we disallow that which we allow in our Theory and all into the bias of our owne nature and every one will be ready to say Why what tell you me of this Is it not mine owne In deed it should seeme by our spending that we deale with it as if it were our owne not as if we were Stewards of it 2. Another is this that which is not our owne but borrowed wee know we must be willing to render it at the owners call Let God visit us with a depriving of any of his gifts there is such murmuring such grudging at it as plainely sheweth that we are not willing to render freely as we have received it freely and it is hard for us to be perswaded that it is borrowed which is an argument that we account all as our own These are trials concerning our judgement and we commonly erre in these two 5. The last is on this ground though the gift in us be equall to others yet if we employ it better we thinke it more excellencie Luke 18.11 it is the Pharisees fault O God I thanke thee that I am not
which our humble men like very well of wherein he went very farre beyond them he a Kings sonne every one that came neare him and did him obeysance he put forth his hand tooke him and kissed him there was no outward signe of true humility but he had it low countenance curtesie c. yet we see he tooke a dangerous way for as it is in the next vers he stale the hearis of the Israclues to him from his father So many are humble in show to those that they will seeme to beare a good will or friendship to whereas in their hearts they have warre and privily shoote it out and God will severely punish it But the true signes are these 1 In speech Basils eschelica not delighting to talke of high matters of matters of State as Bernard noteth very well upon Gen. the reason of the writing of the Scriptures of base matters as of shepheards falling ouâ— about wells is to delude the vanity of men to shew us an example not to attempt high matters but that every man might have a mind affected according to his estate without thinking of a higher condition and yet of a lower this Phil. 4.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ieâ— 45.5 〈◊〉 seekest thou things for thy selfe seeke them not c. I both know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Ie. 45.5 this quaerere grandia seeking of great things as God misliketh it in Baruch Our sins must â—ver be before us conâ—eaâ—y with the proud If any evill come to any we are ready to draw a cause from their evill lite but wee never thinke of out own estate and we have no leasure They were Davids Juniper coales tacul Dâ—mire quia tu feâ—â—siâ— And it is of two sorts I when he hath ofâ—entded God to pray that thogh it please him privily to lay never so great a plague on him yet that it may not publikely redound to the dishonour of the Church 2 As if a man should stand thus resolute that though he cared not what became of him yet that his Church might speed well and no evill and hurt come unto it The seeking of glory at mens hands so it is a certaine argument of no true humility 2 From the commonest of mans thoughts a mans commonest mediation is either to consider of that evill that is in others or that good that he may do â—o others the prâ—uds mans meditation a wise mans object is â—omal ena mala sua illa ut aemuletur haec ut emendet atque corrigat The good that is in others and the evill that is in himselfe that he may emulate them and amend himselfe Psal 51.3 For I knowledge my fault and my sinne is ever before mee but it is a common fault among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving reasons of our brethren 3 An insallible signe posse tractare contumeliosum to be able to suffer obirectations and detrectations of sundry Psal 38.13 It is Davids argument As for mee I was like a deafe man and heard not and as one that is dumb which doth not open his mouth 14. I became even as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth there are no reproofes 2 Sam. 16.11 12. his humility at the malicious upbraiding of Shimei Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath biddem him It may be the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and do meâ— good for his cursing this day 1 Pet. 2.23 Christ when hee was reviled held his peace 4. The fourth is the surest when a man is thus affected if he being a sinner desireth God that his glory by him be not impeached and prayeth that that reproach that commeth by him may not redound to his Church nor to the opening of the mouth of the wicked Psal 69 6. Let not them that trust in thee O Lord God of Hosts be ashamed for my cause Let not those that seeke thee be confounded through mee O Lord God of Israel 2 But especially this that though a man were never so certaine of his owne damnation yet to wish well to the Church of God and that God may be glorified though we be firebrands of hell 5 Rule Ioh. 5.44 How can yee beleeve when yee seeke glory each of other c. Not to consent to any that seeketh to give glory one to another and to have it and to deprive God of his Glory And Psal 15.4 to be most abject and vile in his owne eyes and that the proud man be most contemptible in his eyes Therefore we are not to seek it of men but to looke for it froÌ„ God alone and to returne it to God alone and if not that yet that the man that is proud may be most contemptible in our eyes Where this is it is a necessary signe of grace approaching evidentissimum signum appropinquantis gratiae humilitas as it is Prov. 15.33 and beofre honour goeth humility and on the contrary side where there is pride there is a fall also presently at hand Hope NOw as out of knowledge apprehending Gods justice came feare and humility so out of it apprehending mercy commeth Hope for if we conferre that strength that is in us with the streight rule of Gods justice it will seeme impossible to us to attaine salvation by any performance of our owne Now after Humility it followeth as it is Hosea 2.15 That the valley of Achor shall be to us the gate of hope i. When we are first brought into the valley of mourning feare cometh and despaire then hee will open the gate of hope and so instead of the first i. the spirit of bondage to feare we shall receive in measures and degrees the spirit of adoption to hope and that after this manner 1 By conference of our owne strength with the streight rule of Gods righteousnesse we find our duties impossible to us to be performed in that measure that is required But our Faith knoweth that a thing may be possible to us two wayes 1. If we may attaine to it our selver 2 If we may have it by another And the former effect of faith i. â—eare having his object Gods justice serveth for nothing but to shew that it is impossible to us as of our selves that so as it is Rom. 3.19 every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be found culpable before the Lord. Yet we are not left cleane in despaire for though it be impossible to us of our selves if yet it be possible by another if he may be found there is hope For Faith thus reasoneth as the Psalmist doth Psal 89.47 Hath God made all men for nought If then why then falleth not his wrath all at once and why are we not in his wrath all at once swept away and searching further for the cause of this why we are not consumed and in a
creature of them all but if it breath it hath cause enough to praise him Amor Dei the love of God OF the love of God Amor Dei that that 's said Gal. 3.17 we see it verisied as the Law is said to have beene added for a time till the Seed came so here may likewise be affirmed that the other affections and actions were onely till our nature received triall till the love of God come Of which love the Fathers say that the having of that occupare amorem the being possessed of love drowneth all other affections For therefore we feare for a time that being delivered we may love and being humbled we may hope and pray that we may say Psalme 116.1 Dilexi quia audivit Dominus vocem orationis meae the coherence of prayer and love I have loved because the Lord hath heard the voyce of my prayer From the beginning it was said 1. that having of God is in knowing him albeit we have him naturally yet if we know him not we have him not 2. in esteeming of him this estimation is properly in this affection of love and those that went before feare and hope are for no other end but for this that when God hath bestowed it on us it may the better be esteemed of us when we have beene in feare and for this end it commeth that as cito data vilesount we commonly sleight that which we can but aske and have so these things that we have felt the want of so long having beene humbled when they come we may have more regard of them 〈…〉 Concerning the object thereof it is bonum good wherein the very naturall reason of man hath found two properties 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a communicative and an atractive property whatsoever is good it is such a thing as is desire us to communicate it selse to as many as will taâ—e it and are meete to take it as we see in the Sunne and other celestiall creatures and in the naturall elements and consequently there being a quality of desiring to communicate good in God which is his goodnesse no doubt it is in greater and excellenter manner and that was the cause in deed of the creation of all things that he might have a Church and shew his glory and mercie on it So the minde of man seeing this nature in good consequently desireth it and that desire goeth thus farre till it come to a conjunction and that conjunction to an union ita conjuagi ut uniamur Ratio because by the union of two good things there shall come good to the desirer that he had not before and so he is made better It hath bin said that the inferiour things if they be coupled united with things of more excellent nature they are made more noble as for a potsherd to be covered with gold as on the other side things excellent being joyned with viler things are made more abject as the minde of man with inferiour creatures and there can be no greater excellencie of it then by the conjunction of it with that that is all good and containeth in it all good things and so as it containeth them for evermore And so of this commeth the 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 the attractive force In every good there is a force and that allureth and therefore it is that faith and knowledge must necessarily goe before so when a good thing because we cannot take from it his good if that the force be not then as the Schoolemen say Bonum quod non amatur the good we love not it is a signe quod non cognoscitur that we know not for if it were the naturall desire of all being that it is to better us 〈…〉 we should love it to be bettered by it therefore it is well said that to good things there is no greater enemy then ignorance therefore it is the part of knowledge and faith to show us this good and that will stirre up love in us and so having stirred up that in us there will follow here unio affectus unio aâ—us and for sides visio This love is of two sorts 1. mercenarius 2. gratuitus that love that beginneth and that that is free not respecting reward they are distinguished When a man saith he loveth his meate and drinke and his friend and brother it is certaine that these are not all one the one is a desire to have it to turne it to his owne benefit for the present time not caring what become of it after but he loveth his friend to do him good and to wish him well so in the one he secketh his own good in the other to doe good to other and to him cui bene volumus whom we wish well unto The Philosopher distinguisheth them by unde quo whence and whither In the first love the question is made by quo in the other unde what good it hath in it though it be no benefit to us So the one hath the eye inward in it selfe the other outward to other for as we see sundry times the one is the beginning of the other and after those that have beene beneficiall to us wee fall to love them for themselves and not for their benefits The first love ariseth out of hope because the soule of man by feare being brought low to the ground then conceiving hope and consequently sending forth prayer and then receiving the fruit of it saith as it is Psal 116.1 I am well pleased or I have loved that the Lord hath heard the voyce of my prayer so Psal 20.7 Now I know that God hath heard his anoynied when he had received the fruit of it and so was stirred up to this first love so the first love of God is because he receiveth from him that which the Apostle applieth to that which he had in hand That which is spirituall is not first but that which is naturall or carnall August Basil Ambrose Bernard refeâ—re to saith and love shewing plainely that Caesars vertues were in greater account then and Catoes Caesars being curtesie affability clemencie liberality c. Catoes conscience and faithfulnesse and justice c. which were not to others commodity yet because in the other there was sui suum they were of better account for that which is naturall will be first i. to love that by which we receive commodity concupiscentia before cupiditas this love is the inchoation of the other for nemo repente fit summus no man comes to the height at first God hath taken order for it Chrysostome he marvelleth how men can slip themselves out of this love of God for if they will have amorem mercenarium that love which is mercenary he offereth more for it then any man for he biddeth the Kingdome of heaven but this is the state of this love as before in feare So the Fathers they have compared this love and the other to
a few dayes but there is a generall cry of the Israelites a little after they came out of Aegypt Fac nobis Deos visibiles make us gods that we may see to goe before us And this affection of mans nature to See was the beginning of all Paganisme and Idolatry So saith Lactant. Lib. 2. de Orig. Erroris Verentur they feare lest if they should not see what they worship they should be thought to worship nothing at all For Esa 36.7 such was the conceit of Rabshakeh touching Hezekiah and the people of Judah that they had no god at all because Hezekiah had taken away the Idols c. and there was no god to be seen The very same thing in Serapion They had a desire of visible gods Where are your gods You have no visible gods but onely bare Altars as you had in the beginning This desire of sense was the cause of all evill in the primitive Church Now then this was a speciall cause Secondly the other dependeth on the first Commandement For as in the first Commandement they had excesse worshipping what they should not so here in this Commandement they would not keepe a meane they thought they could never have Monitors enow to stirre them up to worship So they would not holde themselves to that meane that God himselfe had ordained viz. First verbum Scriptum the Scriptures Secondly Praedicatum the Preaching of the Word Thirdly the visible Word i. the Sacraments Fourthly the great Booke of the creatures of whom David saith Psal 19.1 Their sound is gone out into all Lands and their words unto the ends of the World These foure be Canori monitores Yet they would not content themselves with them thinking that there could be no Nimium in Religione cultu divino and consequently no superstition Thus they gave the honour due to God unto creatures which were not Divinae but Humanae Rom. 1.23 This is certaine that seeing God had such care of his people he would never have forbidden Images if they had been good for them to move them to the duties of worship it had been injury to them if they had been so good teachers no grosser people then they Let us ergo weigh this superstition against the Euchites and against the private Masse which came in by too much communicating and then they were weary of that and came to have it privately in their houses The writer of the Booke of Wisedome which hath as great authority as any of the Heathen Cap. 14. setteth downe the reasons how Idolatry grew before the comming of Christ one of them was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desire and love of sense insomuch as there was nothing excellent in sight but it was corrupted Rabbi Salomon of Labans Teraphim saith that they signifie nothing else but an Astrolobe or Mathematicall instruments of the Astronomers having the proportion of men as Dials c. And a Teraphim in the beginning signified nothing but an instrument used in Astronomy And the Syriake translation of it is a Mathematicall instrument Thus they were brought to turne them to Images So the Symbola amongst the Aegyptians are armes and Emblemes to distinguish countries as Isis a clod with grasse shewing that part of the country to be fertile and Ibis a dogge shewing the wooddy country and Images upon the tombes of the dead as the Statuae dedicated to Belus and Minos And the cause of it was because they too much addicted themselves to the senses as it is said in Wisedome Though there came an occasion that did helpe them forward in this viz. to please their Princes Belus for his vertues and Minos then living and then they came to be tyrannicall worshipping them at first of favour as Belus and Minos they were afterward by edicts of Princes constrained to worship them for necessity And this was before Christ about which we agree with them Now since the time of Christ they begin to straine a speciall thing in the controversie wherewith they thinke to dash us which is this Shew us say they when Images came up first And there is nothing more easie then to shew the beginning of Images For Ireneus who lived not long after the Apostles times the first two hundred yeares after Christ Lib. 1. Cap. 24.27 and Epiphanius 3.24 De haeresibus Haeresi 27. rehearsed a kind of Hereticks called Gnosticks one of whose errors is that they had Images of Christ Paul and Peter c. Which they said they received of Pilate and Ireneus saith that they had the Crosse which they faigned to have power against Devils and many operations and that the first founder of these was Carpocras commonly called Carpocrates and Ireneus Lib. 1. Cap. 1. against Valentine That the Valentinians were the first men that found out any divine vertues in the Crosse they attributed two vertues to it 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly Epiphanius lib. 3. Haeres 79. sheweth that the Collyridians Valentinians and others had Images of the Virgin Mary and he there speaketh against them that used to offer to her such outward gestures as were due to God and there hee speaketh against it very vehemently even as a man may doe And if they are able to shew more ancient Hereticks than these their Religion shall be true and ours false Thus were they at first There were foure occasions of the invention of them two came up in persecution the other two when the Church was in peace Aug. Lib. contra Adimantum Cap. 3. sheweth that both the forenamed Hereticks and also the Manichees had Images for a policy Aequiâ—res sunt simulachris ut misereantur They shew saith he themselves better friends to Images then we that they might make the Heathen idolaters in their persecutions more friends to them then they are to us So that it is a policy of them to gaine the more friendship of the persecutors and not be so cruelly handled as were the true Christians 2. After this that which is forbidden Levit. 19.28 that which is an especiall thing for the bringing in of Images It is forbidden also in the new Testament many men for the great love they bare to their dead friends to expresse their love and griefe and for remembrance would with hot Irons set markes in their face and other parts that it might continue as long as they lived which is forbidden by the Apostle 1 Thes 4.13 Yea some of them would set up Images to remember them Chrysostome saith that Milesius a Bishop of Constantinople very learned and godly dying was so beloved of the Citizens and Clergy as that when he was dead every man would get his picture in remembrance of him into their Parlors and Rings And so he first came into their Rings after into their Parlors but afterward as appeareth by the Epistle of Epiphanius ad Proepiscopos suos his Image was removed at last ad praetoria to the common places of judgement and the
Images of such men and from thence as appeareth by the fifth Canon of Carthage into the high wayes as Crosses in memory of such a one that dyed and from thence to the Church-yards then to the Chuch-walls then to the Church-porch and doore and so at last into the Church and to the Altar Here was magnum ex parvis sed ex pravis principiis And the like is to be feared of us for we have them in our Parlors already So we see the beginning and causes of Images in persecution first a desire to please secondly an inordinate mourning Now in the peace of the Church there fell out two other causes First because they would have their Church as rich as themselves For in the 2. Nicene Councell Sect. 4. is an Epistle of a Noble man of Syria that had built a Church for the Christians to one Nilus he had made the Wals white but not contented therewith thought thereupon to have all the creatures of God painted whâ—rein he desired his advice Who answered that his advice was there should be no such thing but that he would be contented with the simplenesse of the Christian Churches but if hee would needes paint he should write nothing but the story of the Bible and sentences of the Scripture For it is seemlyer then beasts c. So that one cause was by reason of their wealth they desired things pleasant to the eye Secondly another cause in the same place was that of Paulinus a Bishop of Nola in Campania that having occasion of a Journey into Syria and so into Aegypt and having none to preach to his people in his absence because he would his people to have some teacher in his absence thought good to paint on the wals the whole story of the Bible and did so that they might preach to them and so their Preachers and Schoole-masters were nothing else but painted wals But this is not any way to be commended in him and the effect was accordingly For it so came to passe that they grew to be ignorant and had no other teacher but the very wals And as Syrenus saith because their Pastors began to wax dumbe Images therefore their Images were their Pastors But it is certaine by the writings that to the dayes of Hierome there was none such So is the reason of the second Commandement A briefe recapitulation of what was said before The second Commandement was divided into first the charge secondly the penalty the charge of two sorts concerning the manner of Gods externall worship First Non facies c. Thou shalt not make Second Non adorabis c. Thou shalt not worship In the first is restrayned 1. Exemplum in these words Sculptile Imago 2. Exemplar or the patterne In things above or in earth or in the water c. The Exemplum of two sorts either particular and then most usuall Sculptile Yet so that whatsoever else there is of the same kind whether fusile or ductile or conflatile there are words in the Law for every one of them and therefore God was so manifold in setting downe all the words Or for taking away all quarrelling he hath set downe the common name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temunah and Col temunah all likenesse which condemneth the metaphysicall notions abstracted from all matter and in the matter all kind of likenesse whether Idols or Images true or phantasticall and all are comprehended in Temunah let Arias and Pagnine be their Judges For further exposition of this there was added out of Deut. 4.2 and John 4.23 the glosse of Moses and Christ concerning the generall restraint of this there were seven reasons remembred Now for the Exemplar we shewed it was necessary because there was nothing almost but the braine of Man had abused it which was declared by five things in Heaven sixe in the Earth and three in the waters Then we came to the particular question of Images handling these three points First what might be alleadged out of the Scriptures for them Secondly what reason there was for them Thirdly how at what time by whom and by what meanes they came into the Church For the first in their Rhemish Testament but one place found in all the New Testament Heb. 9.5 Vetus arca habebat Cherubim and that is taken out of the Old Exod. 25.18 and so confesse none to be in the New And in the Old that of the Cherubims and of the Serpent is all they can shew for them Unto which both our answer is ut ante chiefly that of Tertullian There were priviledges for them if they can shew the like priviledge for the Crucifixe or any other Image in the New Testament it is somewhat for them Generi per specieÌ„ non derogatur they have no expresse commandement for any Image Againe the ends of both are otherwise the Cherubim was not to represent God but to be a place out of the Church from whence God would give his answers Exod. 25.22 And the Brasen serpent being a point in Physick not in Divinity the end of it was health to the sting with serpents therefore they make nothing for the worshipping of Images But 2 Kings 18.4 when the Brasen serpent began pati abusum to be abused we see how he used it Which sheweth plainly how little affinity it had with this Commandement So the Cherubs should have been served if they had been abused by the people But God had taken order for them for none could come to them but the high Priests and that but once in the yeare Secondly for the reasons 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely in the Israelites but also in the Apostles and in Moses Exod. 33.18 he desired to see God and he had nothing shewed but his back-parts This being condemned 1 Cor. 3.3 and being not onely in regard of the people of God that this made them draw every thing to Idolatry but even in the heathen Aug. lib. 4. de Civit. Dei cap. 21. saith that Varro spyed it that it brought great inconveniences to Religion his reason quia facile contemaere divos in stoliditate simulachrorum It was also shewed 2. nimium is a broad way to superstition and it is a vaine assertion of theirs that there can be no nimium in Religion And Aug. in Psal 101. scorneth it and saith that if we doe so we may soone bring a rock into the Church because it did represent Christ too So for the time when and the Authors by whom Images began we have shewed out of Ireneus 1. that the Crosse came first from the Valentinians the Images of Christ and his Saints from the Gnosticks 1. Iren. 24. in Epiphan 27. heres Lib. 3. the Image of the Virgin Mary from the Collyridians August in his 13. Booke contr Adimant giveth foure reasons First the policy of Hereticks to claw the Heathen persecutors being themselves inclined to them Secondly too much mourning for the dead noted 1 Thes 4.14
servant Hee would not eate till his Masters worke was done and under this falleth the commandement of the service of the great worke Deut. 18.5 God saith he hath chosen the Tribe of Levi to serve him at the Altar so that service is the service of choyce howsoever some account of it That desire ought to be in every one The outward behaviour in the outward worship was in bowing downe and in service that is for gesture honor signi which we call a reverent behaviour it had two parts First the laying downe of whatsoever signe of excellency is in us secondly a drawing neare to the earth The other honor facti which is in service which is properly called devotion or devoutnesse that is the promptnesse and readinesse of our will and of our selves to serve God By the service of God we shewed what was meant by a division not given but yet approved of Christ first in going and comming when we are bidden Secondly in doing his businesse preferring it before our owne For the making of this more manifest and plaine and applying it to the former parts you shall understand that the Prophet in Psalm 95.6 which our Church hath used as an antepsalm or introduction to the service of God that there is placed first a comming secondly a worshipping thirdly a falling downe fourthly a kneeling whereby we may see that in the substantiall parts of the service of God first in Prayer secondly hearing the Word thirdly administration of the Sacraments fourthly in the execution of discipline but in the two former especially there is required a due gesture and manner of behaviour And first this as we have our direction according to the councell of James Cap. 5. vers 10. to take the Prophets for examples And 1 Pet. 3.6 that Women are to attire themselves as holy Women in old time Then laying downe this and it being the approved practice of the Church we shall finde that they never came without exhibiting some reverent externall behaviour both in accessu recessu both in comming and going For their comming together 2 Chron. 6.12 and 13. Salomon comming into the Temple of God and standing upon the Altar they all worshipped toward the Prince and he himselfe before all the Congregation kneeled on his knees and stretched out his hands towards heaven and prayed For their departure 2 Chron. 29.29 Hezekiah a devoute King and the people departing they all bowed to the earth and worshipped And so they went to the Lords Temple and returned Then this is the first there must bee a reverent behaviour in accesse and recesse Now in particular for our presence 1. in prayer seeing it commeth as was said partly from humility partly from hope the outward behaviour is to bee conformed to the inward affection therefore in prayer there is an outward signe and behaviour Behaviout in Prayer First for humility there must be depositio magnificientiae which is 1 Cor. 11.4 With uncovered heads in prayer and prophecying and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it came in this respect The other part in humiliation making our selves neare to the ground in kneeling at prayer Gen. 18.2 Abraham first did it to the three men and his servant Gen. 24.26 taught by him performed the like duty In the Law Exod. 12.27 the people bowed themselves and worshipped In the Prophets time Solomon and the people 1 Kings 8.58 the Prophets Dan. 6.10 Daniel kneeled three times a day and prayed After the second Temple Ezra 9.6 Ezra fell on his knees and spread out his hands to the Lord. Christ Luke 22.41 The Apostles Acts 9.40 Peter kneeling downe prayed Paul Ephes 3.14 For this cause I bow my knees Acts 20.36 When he had thus spoken he kneeled downe and prayed there the whole Church of Ephesus Acts 21.5 Wee kneeled downe on the shore and prayed So we see our patterne if we take the Patriarchs or Prophets or Christ or the Apostles or the whole Church and if we doe thus we see what our duty is The word in Hebrew signifieth service which is also in standing True it is that because not onely in kneeling but also in standing before another there is a phrase of servitude because they are both signes of service therefore in many places we reade that the gesture in prayer was standing and that some prayed standing we speake now of it as it is a part of service as Gehezi stood before Elisha and Samuel before the Lord and in no other respect Abraham Gen. 19.27 And Abrahams servant Gen. 24.13 Loe I stand by the Well of water Exod. 33.10 All the people rise up and worship every man in his Tent doore Numb 23.10 Balaam to Balak Stand by the burnt offerings and I will goe c. Psal 135.2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord and in the courts of the house of our God 2 Chron. 23.13 And when shee looked behold the King stood by his pillar at his entring c. These are commonly read for publick prayer In private prayer if he be so affected a man may prostrate himselfe before the Lord as did Moses and Aaron Num. 20.6 Deut. 9.18 and Christ Mat. 26.39 fell on his face and prayed but this to every man as he is affected inwardly Sitting at prayer time is not warranted by the word Balaam willed Balak to stand by his burnt offering Numb 23.15 and being set he willed him to rise up vers 18. Secondly for the signe that hope bringeth Oculus elevatus expectat manus elevata petit postulat a lift-up eye hopeth and expecteth and a lift-up hand beggeth and asketh therefore we lift up our eyes and hands The first is the effect of hope the second the effect of prayer therefore these two gestures are used in prayer and it is used in that part of prayer which is called Petition otherwise in deprecation for herein our eyes may be cast downe with the Publican Luke 18.13 Else when we are to aske or to give thanks Psal 123.1 Unto the Hills lift up mine eyes and of Christ John 11.41 and John 17.1 He lift up his eyes to heaven which shew that it was the usuall behaviour so to doe So for the hand Exod. 17.11 When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed Psal 141.2 Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice and 88.9 I call dayly upon thee I stretch out mine hands unto thee 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting up pure hands These examples are set downe for our instruction In this part there is an evill and corrupt custome come up in our Church Baalam would not suffer Balak to sit but to stand by his burnt offering To pray sitting and covered not warranted by any place or example in the Scriptures In regard of the Angels we should be reverent For outward behaviour at the ministery of the Word it is plaine that in the Old Testament Ezek. 33.31 my people sit before thee so in the New Mar. 3.32 the people
Synagogue which may necessarily be gathered to be the Sabbath day Then we see here Christ for the meanes of sanctification tooke order first beginning with Prayer For the exercise thereof that is Prayer it hath two parts either it is before or after Before either private as of the faithfull Psal 111.1 and Mark 6.46 of Christ Or publick Acts 16.13 that even the Heathen themselves went out to pray at the rivers side But especially by 1 Cor. 14.16 that to the prayers of the Congregation every one should joyne his owne Amen And secondly After Numb 6.24 because as before we be not fit to receive so after wee have received unlesse God cover his spirit which he hath given unto us the enemie will seeke power against us to take it away as Luke 8.12 except we desire the Lord that his word may remaine with us still and bring forth his worke 2. After that succeedeth the use of the word that is sanctified for sanctification Esay 42.21 more plainely Deut. 4.10 Gather me the people together for this end and I will cause them to heare my words Therefore the end is to heare the word The word in that day hath a double use First as it is read or heard read onely Secondly as it is Preached or heard preached 1. The first the Church in great wisedome alwayes thought best and most necessary that it should goe before that men might not be estranged when the word was read that the other should not be strange to them But it is a strange thing that we at the hearing thinke we have done enough if wee can apprehend it whereas if before we would meditate well of it when it is reade wee might make better use of it and at the hearing afterward might be confirmed in the same The ordinary course and time of reading the Scriptures among the Jewes was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preparation to the Sabbath at the ninth houre at rhree of the clock and was told them before that they might be acquainted with it the better 2. To come to the publick reading in the congregation it is warranted by Acts 13.17 and 15.21 by the Gospell 1 Thes 5.27 I charge you that this Epistle bee reade to all the Brethren the Saints Then for private reading after the congregation is broken up because Christ sheweth plainely that his witnesses be the Scriptures and therefore will have the Scriptures to be searched because they were Prophecies of him and Esay 8.20 for threatning and Esay 34.16 Seeke in the booke of the Lord and reade none of all these things shall faile none shall want her mate for his mouth hath commanded and his very spirit hath gathered them And for the examination of that that is taught Revel 3. a practise Acts 17.11 for the acquainting of the Berreans to examine the Apostles doctrine There are two more uses in reading Revel 1.3 There is a blessing pronounced to them that reade or heare the words of the Prophecie because it exciteth men to praise God Men seeing the Prophecies fulfilled and executed they may not doubt but consent to God For which cause these were monuments of the Church of the fulfilling of any promise or threatning yea they suffered in the old Church the Monuments of the Warres of God for the Israelites Num. 21.14 their liber bellorum Dei and their verba dierum of Nathan Gad Shemajah c. they suffered them privately in an holy use to be read that seeing his promises with the denouncing of his threatnings they might be excited to the greater praise and feare of God Another use is as they gather by the Analogie of Daniel 2.2 and Acts 8.28 Daniel was occupied in the exposition of the Prophet Jeremie so the Evnuch reading Esay asked the exposition of it of Philip and no doubt if Philip had written on that day he might have had use of his writing as of Preaching Therefore God hath ordained Expositors such as the booke of Iasher Ios 10.13 a commentor of the Law his workes being for this end to make knowne the hard texts of Scripture and expound them unto us The second part in the meanes of sanctification is the Word preached that is it that Rom. 10.15 the Apostle speakes of For Sanctification which is the ordinary meanes of Faith and Christ in his Prayer Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them in thy truth and thy word is truth Christ himselfe Luke 4.16 by his Preaching hath sanctified it and the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 hath pronounced not to receive any other alteration to the Worlds end 3. The third followeth the pondering of that that wee have heard read or preached as Luke 2.19 according to the example of David Psal 119.97 O how love I thy Law it is my meditation continually the occupying of our mindes and meditations to apply it hereafter and make fruit of it Beside the meditation of the word that wee shall heare read or preached the 92. Psalme which was a Psalme made for the Sabbath and is sung as on that day and if credit may be given to the Jewes traditions they tell us that the two first verses came from Adam and hee used to sing them in Paradise giveth three further points to consider First vers 4. which is indeed that which God here urgeth the consideration of the workes of his hands the making to our selves a contemplative use as we have made all the week long an active of them so wee should have a spirituall And the second is vers 7. a meditation of the judgements of God The third is vers 10. and 12. a meditation of the mercies of God of the mercies and visitations taking judgements for the genus to both These whether they extend to our owne persons or come on our Fathers house or the place wherein we live or the Church round about us there is none of these but they afford us an object of meditation and as we see the meditation of the creatures of God of the wild Asses Sparrow Crane Lillies c. they yeeld still meditation from tha lesse to the greater if they be thus thankfull how much more are wee bound to him So Rom. 2. he sets downe his judgements to move us to repentance and his mercy to move us to thankfulnesse and thus when we are wearied with prayer and reading and preaching is ceased our meditation remaineth to continue the whole day and stil findeth matter to worke upon 4. The fourth Which is not a beating within our selves in our counting house of any great calamitie but the examining of it betwixt us and others and that is done three manner of wayes 1. With them that have taught us as Luke 2.42 it appeareth plainly that after the solemnitie in the eight day the last of the feast it was the manner the teachers sate them downe at the Table and the Auditors propounded Doubts and Questions to bee resolved of them And so was CHRIST no doubt not an apposer but as in
sufficient There was city against city and that was the occasion of the Civill government And indeed this Ecclesiastica potestas the Ecclesiasticall government would have been sufficient to have governed the whole World but that as David saith Psal 32.9 there is in some another nature They are like the Horse and wild Mule that will runne upon men and offer violence and injury and consequently there must be another power to bridle those Now then the great reason of the Common-wealth why they would be under one man and of giving potestatem vitae necis The great reason of the Common-wealth power over life and death to one man their maxime is Praestat timere unum quam multos better to feare one Wolfe then to have every Wolfe to be his controller and to have his life continually in hazard Gen. 9.6 A magistracy and the sword was appointed by God and so consequently Gen. 14.18 Melchisedech whom the best writers agree to be Sem tooke upon him a Kingdome and tooke upon him a way to defend the Church and people of God The chiefe end of a Common-wealth is to serve God Praecipuus finis re publicae cultus De◠1 Tim. 2.2 Which Abraham not finding in Caldea where he was pars patriae one of the countrey chose rather to live solitarily by himselfe Exod. 5.13 the same end is noted Israel being under a strange King in Aegypt that knew not Jehovah desired to goe and serve the Lord in the Wildernesse out of the Land of Aegypt Psal 122. the Church and Countrey are both joyned together and 2 Chron. 11.13 14. the Levites ran from Jeroboam out of all the suburbs and possessions and came to Juda and Jerusalem For Jeroboam and his sons had cast them out from ministring in the Priests of sice before the Lord Deu. 17.18 as soon as the King is set in his throne he must get him a copie of the Law For this a man may forsake his Countrie if his end be gone that is the service of God 2. End peace After this end came in the other as the second end quietnesse That is in three points in this order Because Pastor is applyed to the Minister much adoe there is Pastor in the word more often applyed to the Magistrate then to the Minister in urging great and extraordinary diligence in them But it is strange that Pastor in the Scriptures being oftner attributed to the Magistrate no such diligence is required of him The first metaphor from that signification is given to the Magistrate Gen. 49.24 to Joseph and Psal 78.71 to David Secondly Num. 27.17 metaphorically So also provide a man over them that they be not as sheep without a shepheard Now that they might not stray as sheep because it is good for sheep to keep together for feare of the Wolves therefore it is first that they might be fedde And then for that there falleth dissension among them Ezek. 34.18 21. I will judge betweene sheep and shepheard vers 23. And I will set up a shepheard over them even my servant David c. There are the fat and the leane sheep and what doe they The fat sheep having fed and drunke trample the grasse and trouble the water that the leane sheep can eate and drinke nothing but such and vers 21. they will strike one another with their hornes c. Now for the keeping of the fat from the leane in the inside of the fold that they may feed quietly This is the second end 3. Now besides John 10.12 because there is a Wolfe without the fold an outward enemie that is forraigne invasion here is the third end to be quiet from forraigne invasion from the great Goats and Wolfe We see how the causes depend one of another The first end of Princes to be nutricii ecclesiae nourishers of the Church pascere nos non seipsos to feed not themselves but us The second is to be procurers of peace at home The third to keep off forraigne invasion plaine in exemplo regis non boni by an example of none of the best Kings Saul 1 Sam. 11.5 he lookes there ne quid sit populo quod fleat that the people have no occasion to weep they be not disquieted by Nahash the Ammonite c. so we see the end Now to the duties Usurpation An usurpation is here too as well as in Ecclesiasticall government Judges 18.7 In Laish men were quiet because there was no usurping Prov. 8.15 Per me reges regnant By me Kings raigne saith Salomon As hee is the doore Practises of usurpers so they that enter rightly enter by him but he saith contra Hosea 8.4 Regnaverunt sed non per me they have set up Kings but not by me So there bee some Usurpers of Magistracie Videlicet such as be not called as Hebrewes 5.4 but doe as Amos 6.13 Assumpserunt sibi cornua that is potestatem c. take unto themselves hornes by hornes is meant power We have an example in Abimelech Judges 9. Ambition is the usurper his meanes be verse 2. his friends But now they are growne more impudent they will say it themselves Abimelech had more blood in his face he desired his friends to say for him and he doth by humbling of himselfe seeke friendship and verse 4. When they had little better consideration of them he getteth him a few light brayned fellowes to ayde him verse 5. and 21. those that had right to it he drove away These are the three practises of Usurpers which Jotham verse 15. and 16. telleth them in a Tale and so sheweth them what manner of fellows they are c. The Magistrate being set in his charge rightly by God the division of 1 Pet. 2.13 14. commeth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under Officers as in Warre the Captaine in Peace the Judge The cause of under officers The reason of Under officers is Deut. 2.9 Moses confession Exod. 18.13 Jethro telleth him he is unable to beare the burthen of the whole government Numb 11.16 is Gods approbation Deut. 17.16 they have authority to make a King and Deut. 16.10 to make under Officers Here note that these under Officers are given to helpe the King Underofficers must not bee too many therefore that there be no more granted then will serve to help the King that the Realme be not clogged with too many Nehem. 5.15 They themselves handle them not hardly but their servants their under Officers oppressed the people Therefore that is gravamen reipublicae a burthen to the Common-wealth which the people cannot beare So it is against policie and against justice too for they must have their Fees to them Generall dutyes So the duties in generall of both What manner of men they should be What manner of men they should be And the first is this Whom God calleth All elections must be according to that rule Deut.
but for a greater good and hee permitteth this for patience no greater good in this life then patience A second thing Ephes 4.27 to see the Devill in it Chrysostome saith it is a foolish thing for the Dog to runne after the stone that is cast and bite it in his mouth and leave the man that cast it and when one hath beaten us well with a staffe to pray him to let us have the staffe and when we have it to hack it and not hurt the man that beate us with it So it is sure The wicked men of this world and whosoever are incited by the Devill are nothing but his staves and stones so then we must set against the Devill and we cannot scourge him worse then with patience Bona opera our good workes as before are flagella daemonum whips for the Devill If the first motion will not stay but it come into the griefe yet if it stay there it is well We said that it was mixt with griefe and revenge but if it be â—otus in fermento all in a fume and if he said Prov. 24.29 I will doe to him as he hath done to me the not saying as Christ said 1 Pet. 2.22 when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to God Deut 30.35 Mihi vindictam ego retribuam his is vengeance he will looke to it In the meane season as Prov. 24.27.28 when this revenge commeth we must be so farre from desiring it that we must not be glad when our enemy falleth lest the Lord seeing it turne his wrath from him to us Iob 31.29 If saith he I have rejoyced at his destruction that hated me when his servants would have beene at him and desired his flesh he would not doe so But the practise is 2 King 21. as the King of Israel did when the Syrians were brought under his hands by the Prophet he asked My Father shall I smite them so when they have one at advantage but 1 Sam. 24.9 Davids practise was better for wee know when he had Saul in the Cave he might have stricken him but did it not but cut off a peece of the skirts of his coate But if some had had him in this case they would have cut his skirts so neere that it is Chrysostomes saying effudissent è renibus ejus sanguinem they would have let out the best bloud in his body This must not be the desire of revenge and execution And the reason is for we marke in Gods creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is an Ants anger and a Flies anger and the least creatures are the most angry and women more then men and quo infirmiores eo magis iracundi the weaker they are the more subject towrath so on the other side he that is magnarum virium of great courage doth not sentire se percussum resent a blow thus to deale against the desire of revenge If it cannot be prevented it is to be sorrowed but ratio irae or suppuratio the measure or impostume of the anger must be met with he will now and then be angry but he must not requiescere in ira sleep in anger Ephes 4.26 Ne occidat Sol let not the Sunne goe downe upon your anger And the reason is because then we must offer our evening Sacrifice and Marke 11.25 before we open our mouth to pray we must forgive This in Matth. 6.14.15 is set downe both in the Affirmative and Negative This is a case of necessity It was shewed us before what we are to thinke Matth. 18.22 if we number our forgivenesse then our forgivenesse shall be delivered by taley if our forgivenesse be sine fine numero then our sinnes shall be forgiven sine numero This for Suppuratio now for foaming of it out Ecclus. 28. Hee that doth this is a trouble and scandalous to his friends and therefore men must thinke that they have to deale with men and such men Eccles 19.16 fall with their tongue though not with their will who is he that hath not offended whith his tongue And David Psal 116.10 when he was in his anger and haste he said all men were lyers 1 Sam. and all because God deferred his Kingdome therefore if a word passe sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing there is none but offendeth with the tongue the counsell of the Prophet David is good Psal 38.13 eram tanquam surdus to be not deafe but tanquam surdus it is the best and if not yet Ecclus. 28.12 when a man hath heard an evill word it is even like a coale of fire laid before him he may blow on it and it will kindle he may spit on it and it will out And indeed this did the Heathen consider by the light of nature If he without a cause be thus angry quid faciet irritatus so as the Philosopher when one reproached him he cast up dust into the aire and when the other asked him why he did so he answered Injicio pulverem vomitui tuo I throw dust to cover thy vomit and indeed it is nothing else but vomitus bilis a disgorging of choler Vomitus bilis Prov. 29.9 Solomon saith if one man contend with another if he be not wise whether you answer him in jest or in earnest you goe by the worst if he be wise you are wiser if you forbeare him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wiser for not returning word for word therefore Prov. 26.4 he would not have a fool answered because so we come to be like him and we shall as we see when a man in reproving a fault will oftertimes be gone so far as he wil commit as great nay a greater absurdity sometimes therefore of fooles words magnum remedium negligentia the best course is to neglect them and vers 5. he would have him answered at sometimes not at other sometimes A foole sometimes must be answered sometimes not lest hee make him è stulto insanum of a foole a mad-man But when he is among such a himselfe that thinke well of him then answer him lest he seeme wise If he be among wise then answer him not and they will regard rather quid tu taceas quam quid ille dicat thy wisedome in being silent then his folly in speaking but Prov. 25.9 there must be no secrets disclosed and Ecclus. 8.5 there must be no exprobration of benefits Come to the action it selfe Requiting They call it bringing a man to justice Acts 22.25 in some causes it may be We must not be as the Pope said of England that it was a good Asse to beare all It was the errour of Iulian persecuting the Primitive Church For if it be a case of Gods or the truths Ecclus. 4.28 strive for the truth to death but if it be a case of meum tuum then it maketh no great matter as Abraham Gen. 13.8 he would be contented to be ordered by Lot and to
hath a monstrous end or that it returneth to the naturall end Sâ—â—â—us râ—spectu Deâ— For the scope or aime that God the Law-giver had in this Commandement that after a mans chastity or purenesse which pertaineth to his Essence is principally his wealth And that as Iames the principall effect that he accounteth is his mercie and doing good And in this point Luke 6.35 that in respect of God himselfe the end is we should be like him in mercie and doing well and furthering the good of our neighbours â— Raueâ—â— Fâ—ctesiae Then secondly for the Church Because the end in regard of the Church 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothee serva depositum keepe that which is committed to thy trust unto the end Chrysost Not onely Timothy had a depositum but every man whether it be learning strength or art it is his depositum and is therefore put into his hands that he may employ it to the benefit of the whole body as 1 Cor. 12. The sight is not received for the eye alone but for all the body that there may be a communion of Saints For when goods are detained there is an interverting and defrauding So the communion of Gods Saints is the end of this depositum for this cause given of God to the Church For the Common-wealth 1 Cor. 6.6 It is not the peace thereof that keepeth men from bloudshed 3. Ratione â—eiâ—ablica but it is the other peace i. a peace whereby every man is willing to doe good to his neighbour and rato part from his right then to doe injurie whereby that the labourer might have his hire Matth. 10.10 that Caesar might have his right his tribute and custome Rom. 13.7 that they that sow spirituall things of duty should reape temporall things 4. Ratione cujusque privati Now for every private man it is the defence of his possessions and blessings that he hath Exod. 21.22.23 cap. So soone as he had done with the morall law he commeth to the politicke law For much suite is about that Come to the matter commanded and forbidden but yet because we are commanded to deale with right and propriety and with alienation we must first make this plaine Because indeed as we see res aliena nostra that other mens goods seised upon as if our owne and the unjust detaining and taking of them is the matter of this Commandement therefore we will first speake of the object of this Commandement of the object of this concupiscence Meum Tuum Meum Tuum Mine and Thine The civill Lawyers define * * * Definitie Furtâ— Justinianâ— mutiâ—ata a Pauâ—o Castâ—ensi â—ac est Furtum est contrectatio fraudulosa lucrifacienda gratia vel ipsius rei vel etiam usuâ— possessionisve quod lege naturali prehibitum est admiâ—â—ere Ray mundus de penna forti quam siquuntur Iurisperiti hoc mâ—do Furtum est coâ—tâ—estatio rei alienae moâ—â—lis â—eâ—pâ—â—ralis fraudulenta invito Domine gratia luerandi â—em â—psam â—el usum ejus vel possessionem veram Martinus Aâ—pilencâ—a Navat â—em 3. in hoc praec in Euchar. confess â—oenit hoc mâ—do Fuâ—â—um est dolosa connectatio rei alienae 〈◊〉 ito Dominâ— suo ad proprietatem ejus aut possessionem aut usum acquirendum Tho. Aquin secundae secundae Quaest 66. art 3. in hunâ— medum Fuâ—tum est occulta acceptio rei alienae At communiter Theologi furtum est occulia rei alienae acceptiâ— imito Dominâ— Furtum or furari theft or to steale to be Rem alienam contrectare the laying of hands closely upon other mens goods our Divines consentire contrectationi rei alienae to consent to the close laying of hands upon other mens goods In the which Commandement we shall shew that concupiscere reâ—â— alienam is furari to covet another mans goods is to steale So here how commeth it to passe that there is Res mea aliena How 〈◊〉 comâ—s that theâ—â— i◠〈◊〉 mea aliâ—â—â— a property of goods appertaining to me and to another this must first be knowne It is therefore plaine by Psal 24.1 he saith The earth is the Lords c. i. it is his he made it and so consequently he hath right to it alone After that he made it Psal 115.16 Coelum coeli Domino terram dedit filtis hominum the Heaven yea even the Heavens are the Lords but the Earth hath he given to the children of men And so there is a giving over of Gods right unto men And the warrant hereof we have Gen. 1.28 Fill the earth and dominamini have dominion there is the warrant for the possessing and subduing of the earth by man This in generall Particularly that if man had continued in innocencie there is none but in the state of innocencie would have beene contented with that that is sufficient we should not have beene troubled with our unruly appetites for the earth would have beene sufficient for all But after the entring in of sinne it was necessary there should be a division and so it pleased God For though the occasion hereof was evill for as good Lawes come out of an evill cause as it was Cains persecution of Abel that made Seth to gather together So that first inclosure or impropriation of a City Gen. 4.17 Caine chose out a plot and there he built a City and called it after his sonnes name This gave occasion to the Fathers and Patriarchs themselves seeing the usurping of Cains government and seeing the expediencie of it in regard of well ordering of private possessions it made them to doe the like This is it that Noah did presently after the floud so it beganne presently after the floud So it beganne jure primae occupationis by right of the first possessing or seising on it by the right of prima occupatio whether the allotting of Noah of the chiefe parts unto his three sonnes he gave Africa to Cham Asia to Sem and Europe to Iapheth or whether it were by consent and agreement among themselves the former Gen. 11.31 the other Gen. 13.9 10 11. It is said there that Abraham and Lot agreed to part the Countrey betweene them and Lot though he were the younger had the choyce So then we see how matters stood at the first Epictetus sheweth it by a familiar Simile Where a dish is brought to the table before it is cut up it is said to be common to all that sit at the table but after it is cut of that every man hath shared his part then quam quisque occupavit partem what part soever a man hath shared for himselfe it is no justice or civility to take it off his trencher So first all the earth was mankinds and then they divided it as Deut. 11.24 Omnem locum quem calcaverit pes vester every place whereon the soles of your feete shall tread I give it to you it is yours So it was pedis calcatio or
the Use of Duty for prayer is an offering The Prophet compareth it to Incense Psal 41. a Reasonable service Rom. 12. Our Spirituall sacrifice 1 Pet. 2. It is compared to Incense which giveth a sweete smell to all our workes words and thougths which otherwise would stinke and be offensive to the Majesty of God This use of prayer we have not onely for the supply of our wants in the time of adversity but at all times as Job saith Chap. 27. Thirdly there is the Use of Dignity when a man doth abstract himselfe from the earth and by often prayer doth grow into acquaintance and familiarity with God for this is a great Dignity that flesh and blood shall be exalted so much as to have continuall conference with God Now as Christ was the Sonne of God he had no cause to pray in any of these three respects but as he was Principium omnis creaturae Col. 1. as he was the head of the Church Eph. 1. he had use of prayer in these three respects as he was a creature he stood in need of those things which other creatures of God were wont to desire Againe as he was a creature though the chiefe of all creatures hee ought this duty of Invocation unto God his Creator and as hee called on God in these two respects so he was heard as Christ speakes I know thou hearest mee alwaies Joh. 11.41 But as he was in the state of a Creature the last use doth most of all concerne him for which cause having told Martha that one thing was needfull Luk. 10. because the obtaining of the same is not in our power hee presently withdraweth himselfe unto prayer in the beginning of this Chapter teaching us to do the like Before we come to the Petition these words ut cessavit are to be considered for there are some with Saul will call for the Arke and will presently cry Away with it 1 Sam. 14. that is will begin their prayers and will breake them off in the midst upon any occasion but the Spirit of God doth teach us to be of another mind when he willeth us to avoid whatsoever may be a meanes to interrupt our prayer 1 Pet. 3. The Disciples forbare to make their petitions to Christ till hee had done praying and therefore from their example we are to learne so to settle our selves to prayer as that nothing should cause us to breake off and so to regard others that are occupied in this duty as by no meanes to interrupt them In the Petition we are to consider first the thing that they desire secondly the reason why they make this Petition First whereas they make request that Christ would teach them how to pray they do by implication acknowledge as much as Saint Paul speaks of Rom. 8. that they know not what to aske not that they were without that generall institution which we have from nature that is to desire that which is good but because they know not how to limit their desire as in temporall things they know not whether it were good for them to be the Chiefe men in a Kingdome that was the ignorance of the sonnes of Zebedee Matth. 20. In spirituall matters they will be like Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. who thought it good for him to be saved from the temptation whereas God told him that his grace was sufficient for him and yet that the temptation should continue still As James and John made a request ignorantly for themselves Matth. 20. So they make another in the behalfe of Christ Luk. 9. Lord wilt thou that wee command that sire come downe from Heaven and therefore were reproved by Christ for it and as we see both by examples of Christs owne Disciples that we may pray amisse Jam. 4. So in the old Testament David saith We may pray so as prayer which is a part of Gods service shall be turned into sinne Psalm 109. For prayer is nothing else but an interpreter of our desire as one saith Ea petimus quae appetimus and as our desires are many times not onely vaine and unprositable but dangerous and hurtfull so it fals out likewise that our prayers are vaine and so are turned into sinne The Disciples therefore being privie to their owne infirmities in this case are stirred up by Gods Spirit to seeke for a perfect forme of prayer of Christ in whom all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid Col. 2. And this they do to the end they might not faile either in the matter or manner of their prayers and that having received a platforme of prayer from Christ they might use it as a patterne and complement of all their petitions The Pharisees were great prayers Mat. 6. but they under a pretence of long prayers did devour Widows houses Matth. 23. and therefore their prayers turned into sinne The Heathen used also to make long prayers Matth. 6.7 but they erred for they thonght that they should be heard for their long babling Therefore the Disciples that they might not pray amisse do make their request to our Saviour Lord teach us to pray which Petition was therefore acceptable to Christ because profitable for themselves for thus he professeth of himselfe Ego Dominus Deus tuus docens te utilia Esay 48.17 Not subtilia saith August So Saint Paul confirmeth that he with-held nothing from the Church that was profitable for them to know Act. 20. The world is full of curious questions The Pharisees move questions totching matrimony The Sadduces asked what should come to passe after the end of the world whether we shall know one another Matth. 22. These were unprofitable and curious the inventions of flesh and blood not those that proceeded from the holy Ghost The Disciples question is here how they may serve God and how they may performe that duty for which they came into the world Curious things are those abscondita which belong to God with which we may not meddle Deut. 29. we must enquire of things which concerne us Of the sons of Cain and Abell who were inventors of tents some devised to worke in brasse and copper others found out Musicke as they thought it most profitable for the publique-weale The trade that the sons of Seth used and professed at the same time that they thought to be most profitable was the calling upon the name of the Lord Gen. 4. and they were occupied therein as an Art no lesse profitable then the building of houses or making of armour and ever since howsoever the worldido addict themselves to other things that serve to make most for their private profit yet the Church and City of God are busie in studying how they may by prayer receive mercy and obtaine grace to help them in time of need Heb. 4. The reason whereby they urge their suit is as John taught his Disciples which reason in the judgement of flesh and blood might seeme of small efficacie for whereas John confessed himselfe unworthy to
him Get thee hence behinde me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serve Then the devill leaveth him and behold the Angels came and ministred unto him THe answering of this Temptation if some had had the answering of it would have beene facto by the doing of the thing that the devill required and not in words standing upon termes in disputation Insomuch as they would never have cared for a cushion to kneele on but have fallen down straight on their very faces and have thanked him too If Balaak should say unto one of them I will promote thee to great honor Numb 22.17 an Angel standing in the way should not hinder him from going The manner of flesh and blood is in cases of preferment to respect nothing that may bring them out of their conceived hope or desire thereof and therefore whatsoever it is that stands in their way be it never so holy downe it shall for haste to make the way nearest In regard of this one brother respects not another When Joseph had had a dreame of his brethren and told it them all brotherly affection was laid aside Gen. 37.5 The sonne and subject Absolon forgetteth his duty as to his father and allegeance as to his Prince seeking his life 2 Sam. 16.11 The mother of Ahaziah Athalia when she saw her sonne dead makes no more adoe but destroyes all the Kings seed 2 King 11.1 Jehu makes no bones nor is abashed at the sight of heapes of dead mens heads of Kings sonnes that he had caused to be slaine but addes more murthers to them 2 Kin. 10.8 What 's a basketfull of heads to a Kingdome And Herod stacke not to kill all the male-borne children in Bethlem Matth. 2.16 So that Gregory might well say Ambitio est vita cui etiam innocentes nocent such is the vehement desire of a Kingdome So that a great many would have made no scruple at the matter neither would they have counted it a temptation but good counsell Neither would so have cut up Peter as Christ did to bid him goe behinde him and turne their backes on him but they would rather have turn'd their backes to God and their faces after Satan Jer. 2.27 1 Tim. 5.15 And indeed it must needs be that either our Saviour was unwise in refusing so good an offer or else the World in these dayes is in a wrong byas Our Saviour we see doth not onely refuse the thing but also gives him hard words for making the offer and motion For he doth not onely confute him here by saying Scriptum est but he addes words of bitter reprehension saying Avoid Satan He might have given faire words as he did before but here he seemeth to have left his patience The reason why he was more hot in this than in the former is for that this toucheth the glory of God and the redemption of mankinde the former Temptations touched but himselfe in particular as the turning of stones into bread but for miracle and the casting himselfe downe was but to try God what care he had of him But this so much toucheth the glory of God as he can hold no longer Also his longing to redeeme man caused the same Neither did he onely answer the devill so but when his blessed Apostle who meant friendly to him moved him to the like matter he rebuked him sharpely Two causes there are wherein Christ is very earnest one in counsell ministred to him tending to the impairing of Gods glory the other in practises tending to the impairing of Gods Church Joh. 2.15 there he was not onely vehement in words but made a whip to scourge them out And so in the Old Testament it is said of Moses Numb 12.3 That he was a meeke man above all the men of the earth yet when he came to a case of Idolatry Exod. 32.19 it is said Hee threw the Tables out of his hands and brake them And so farre did he lose his naturall affection to his people and Countrymen that he caused a great number of them to be slaine And so in a case of the Church when Corah rebelled Numb 16.15 then Moses waxed very angry for Glory be to God on high and peace on earth is the Angels song and joy and the devils griefe as on the other side the dishonour of God and dissention of the Church is the devils joy and griefe of the Angels Now besides that he doth in words rebuke him sharpely he doth no lesse in gesture also as by turning his backe upon him as it is most like he did in saying Avoid Satan which is such a despitefull disgrace as if that one should offer us the like we would take it in very great disdaine Which is to us an instruction that as there is a time when we are to keepe the devill before us and to have our eye still upon him and his weapon or temptation for feare lest unawares he might doe us some hurt so is there a place a time and a sinne that we are to turne our backes on and not once to looke at his temptation In affliction patience is to be tryed there resist the devill stand to him and he will flye from ye Jam. 4.7 Here we are to set the devill before us But in a case of lust or filthy desire then doe ye flye from him 1 Cor. 6.18 So in 2 Tim. 2.22 we are exhorted to flye from the lusts of youth and to follow justice there is no standing to gaze backe on the devill and his temptations Now to the answer Scriptum est The disputing or deciding of the Devils Title that is whether the Kingdomes of the earth were his to give or no Christ stands not upon nor upon this whether the devill were a man of his word or no. Indeed it might well have beene doubted whether the devill be as good as his word his promises are not Yea and Amen as the promises of God are We may take example by Eve to whom he promised that if they did eate of the forbidden fruite that they should be like Gods but were they so indeed after they had eaten No but like the beasts that perish And as true it is that the Kingdomes are his If the Kingdome of Israel had beene at his disposition we may be sure David should never have beene King as well appeareth by the troubles he raised against him No nor Hezechias neither of all other he would never choose such We may see his good will in Job Chap. 2.7 he could not onely be content to spoile him of all that he had but also he must afflict his body and so upon the Gergasens hogges Matth. 8.30 The Kingdomes are none of his but they are committed to him in some sort to dispose as himselfe saith Luk. 4.6 He hath as it were an Advowson of them to present unto them but yet not as he there saith to give to whom he list but to