and brought low enough But God will deliuer them let one get righteousnesse and faith and the spirit of prayer though they vvere in an iron furnace vnder Paraohs tyrannie in an house of bondage let them but cry and from thence God will deliuer them So in Hesters time a wonderfull affliction it was that the day of execution was appointed when all the godly should be put to sword not one seruant of God should be left aliue But now when they could crye vnto God and had none else to goe vnto but him and him they would goe vnto and trust vpon him knowing that he could help them if he would and would also for his promise sake deliuer them Then wee see the day that was appointed to their sorrow turned to their ioy that which was thought to bring destruction vpon them brought destruction vpon their enemies and the day of their most extreame captiuitie proued to be the day of their most ioyful deliuerance that euer they had And it must needs be so for els God should loose the end of his corrections for he corrects them to make them pertakers of his holinesse But if hee should suffer them to pine away and to eat vp their hart with griefe this would not make them more holy but more sinful and therefore he saith he will not let the rod of the wicked alwayes lie on the righteous least he put forth his hand to euill noting that if the Godly should be too much afflicted they could not hold in but would turne a side to sin by courses but God will none of that for then he should misse of his intent So he speakes in another place Isa 57. 16. That he will not alwaies chide least the spirit should faile before him shewing that if he should not moderate the crosses of his Saints they would faint perish vtterly then he should be the looser As if when one goes to tame his colt for his vse he should break his backe by some meanes spoile him the master should loose by that it were no profit for him to do so So when God comes to his owne elect which are before their calling as Iob speaks wilde asse coltes vntamed vnruly he will master them and crush them make thē stoupe but he wil not breake them destroy thē and consume them for then the damage were his for he should crosse his owne purpose which is to bring them to life Therefore Gods children may be assured of comfort an happie end shall follow an vncomfortable beginning an happy deliuery shall come insteade of an vnhappy seruitude The vse of this is to teach vs neuer to faint vnder our crosses and troubles be they what they will be neuer be discouraged God is Iehouah that can help though men will not yea though all were against vs as Pharaoh the Egiptians against Israell and none would moue the hand to help yet his help is sufficient to gainesay them all For hath God deliuered vs from spirituall enemies which is the greatest miserie this is the great and hard slauery to be vnder the diuels yoke to bee in bondage to filthie lusts now hath God set vs at libertie from the yoake of the Diuell shall hee not giue ease from those men that presse our flesh hath hee remooued the tyrannie of sinne which would haue damned our soules and cannot hee giue vs refreshing from the misery of our body If God deliuer from sin death hell neuer faint as though hee could not deliuer from outward afflictions if he haue ouercome the greater the lesser shall not withstand him God did giue freedome from those that be simply euill as sinne is simply euill and the cause of all ill then t is easier to succour against those which are not in themselues and simply euill but often are turned into blessings Hath Christ washed vs from our sinne the worst and hardest enemie for all the world cannot wash away one sinne then neuer feare these lesser matters O but this makes me doubt whether I am Gods childe or not because I haue such long and fiery troubles if God loued me would he afflict me thus why then looke to these people heare they were the best nation vnder the Sunne and none so good as Israell euen then when they were thus threshed vnder Pharaos cruelty All other people were but as thornes they were the rose and other were but harlots they the Lordes spouse yet they were afflicted indeede to keepe them from running after Idolatry and so to damnation So that outward ease is no signe of Gods fauour else none should be in Gods fauour but the Sodomits and the Cananits for they had all the ease and wealth and outward prosperitie and the credit and worship of the world And before the floud Kaines children had all the beautie of the world on their side They found out Musicke and keeping of Cattle and all must bee beholding to them But that is no matter let vs keepe Gods fauour let vs feare him and pray vnto him and then our long and strong crosses shall bring long and strong comforts Secondly let vs hence learne to prepare for crosses since gods children may bee sorely afflicted else little doe wee know how they will sting vs when they doe come It is our best course therefore to get wisedome while the price is in our hands labour to get patience and to acquaint our selues with God that we may seeke to him waite for deliuerance at his hand For that makes crosses so tedious and grieuous when they hit vs on the bare whereas if wee had patience to beare them and faith to emptie our harts by prayer in Gods bosome they would be easie Nothing makes crosses burdensome but when they meete with an heart in which remaines some sinne vnrepented or some passion vnsubdued But if with faith and patience yeeld our selues vnto Gods will wee should be as quiet as lambes as Christ was as a sheepe before her shearer dumbe answered not a word So Paul in the Acts when they perswaded him not to goe to Ierusalem what doe you weping and greeuing mine hart I am readie to dye for Christs sake at Ierusalem he could be content to giue his skinne to be whipt and his bodie to be imprisoned yea and his life also to be kild for Christs sake nothing could be to deare or to much to bestow on him Prepare therefore for crosses and we shall be able to beare them But if wee goe on in a fooles paradice and think indeed this world is a vale of teares to others but to mee it shal be a place of pleasure they must haue trouble but I must haue ease then when insteed of ioy we finde griefe that wee looked not for and we dreamed of creadit but there comes nothing but contempt wee imagined that God should lift vs vp higher and higher and he casts vs downe lower and lower this casts one into
with idolaters for this is to joyne our selues to those that hate god And for this Iehosaphat was reproued what saith the prophet wouldest thou loue those that hate God help them what hadst thou to do to be so friendly familiar with Gods enimies Yet if one had come to Ahab and tould him that he had hated God he would haue defied him and said that he had loued God as well as the best but that is no matter what Ahab would say so long as God accounts him an enimy Iehoshaphat should haue had no society nor freindship with him so that they are much to be condemned that will seeme to haue some care of religion them selues and to looke to their owne waies that they be good but yet they can be familiar make friendship with Idolaters and professed superstitious persons why but is not this an hatred of God and are not you then subiect to that reproofe of Iehoshaphat what wouldst thou loue them that hate me No man will be known to be a familiar friend to an open traytor that the King counsell hath proclaimed a traytor for feare least he should be tainted with some suspicion of treason And in deede he that will be so conuersant and so well acquainted with such as God hath proclaimed traytors those that haue any spirituall wisdome and true loue of God may not without just cause vehemently suspect him as one that him selfe beares no great good will to God and his pure religion And shewes mercie to thowsands of them that c. IN that that God promiseth to shew mercie to thousands of them that loue him keepe his commandements we learne that the best way for any man to do good to his childrē is to be godly him selfe as the verie words of the commaundements doe carrie it So Psal 37. 21. ver A good man is mercifull and lendeth his seede enioyes the blessing c. After 29. The righteous shall inherite the land and dwell in it for euer Not this in his owne person for that were no blessing for a good man to liue still in this world but in his seede hee meanes One would thinke the contrary what is hee alwaies lending still doing good why alas how shall his poore children doe how shall they do nay they be rich children shall do well enough they haue a rich legacy left them for they shall haue Gods blessing for when he saith the blessing it is more then if one had said the whole earth and all the world for so one might haue and yet bee vnder the curse and liue and die a miserable man but he shall haue the blessing all things necessarie for soule bodie heauen and earth for so much the blessing containes So 112. Psal The generation of the righteous shall be blessed If then the blessing of God be the cause of all prosperitie and happinesse and contrarie the curse of God the beginning ground of all miserie then so farre as we are good or ill so farre doe we doe good or ill to our stock For in Leuit. God threatens that if one be disobedient to God and his commaundements he shall be cursed in his soule and bodie in his wife children and all that he puts his hand vnto but on the otherside if one be vpright with a perfect hart set him selfe to follow Gods commaundements then he shall be blessed in soule and body in wife and children and all that he shall put his hand vnto so that the blessing of God shall meet him at euerie turne Sith then God is so mercifull to all those that loue him and shew it in keeping this commaundement This serues for the comfort of all such that be good children of good parents though perhaps their parents can leaue no great matter for outward things yet if they haue laide vp many praiers for them in heauen and leaue them Gods fauour for their possession they haue a good parentage for they haue Gods blessing to trust vnto better be the childe of a godly then of a wealthy parent for he that him selfe is a good man and hath proceeded of good parents is now possessed of a double blessing for his fathers prayers and for his owne prayers for his fathers mercie and for his owne mercie to This likewise serues for the comfort of gods children that haue many children and little wealth little goods to leaue them but that is not the question what goods they haue but if they be good and labour also to haue their childen good if they were thowsands of them they haue the blessing of God and that shall maintaine them well enough those that be blessed of god shall not want for signes of his blessing Sometimes indeede the godlyest parents haue wicked and vngodly children as Iacob had but yet God will either couuert them as he did Iacobs sonnes so that those which at the first he saw to be as prophane as any hee liued to see conuerted verie holy men and pillers of the church or else if all be not good yet God giues grace that some one of them at the least shal be holy as Abraham had vngodly Ismael but yet he had godly Isaac and Isaac had prophane Esau but he had holy Iacob to and Dauid had wicked Absalon incestious Ammon but yet with all he had godly Solomon Nathan or if none of the next of-spring be good yet some of them that follow shall bee holy the godlinesse of the parent will shew it selfe in the bud sooner or later as in Hezekiah though Manasseh that succeeded him was at first a wicked idolater yet good Iosiah was in the next generation a good holy man or if that good men at any time bee barren yet his owne soule and bodie shall feele the blessing Those that loue him and keepe his commandements THat is those which haue such a true loue to him as doth shew itselfe by the faithfull vsing of his pure worship and by keeping not the duties of flesh and bloud but his commandements So that heere God sets down this as a note of louing him to keepe his commaundements whence this lesson ariseth that the loue of God consists in keeping his commaundements but afore the doctrine be further declared an objectiō must be remoued for one may say what doe you say that none loue god but those that keepe his commandements then I pray you where can you find one that loueth God and who is this that is able perfectlie to keepe and fulfill the law of God But for the absoluing of this doubt knowe that there is a great difference betwixt these two to keepe Gods commandements to fulfill Gods commandements for keeping noteth a truth fulfilling a perfection this perfection Christ onely had but this truth euerie christian must haue for euerie christian man may so farre keepe Gods law as that he shal be both accepted and also rewarded though not for the merits
and dutie as he was desirous kindly to grant it and offer it there should be no let but Dauid should without delay espouse his daughter and become his sonne in law therefore he willed all his seruants to commend his good will vnto Dauid and to shewe him howe highly he was in the Kings fauour when all this while GOD knowes and hath made the world to know that this was but to entrap him and bring him into a snare that by her means he might the sooner priuily dispatch him But when Dauid in modestie was vnwilling to take so high a place and therefore excused himselfe for his pouertie and inabilitie to giue a dowrie befitting the greatnesse of such a personage Saule verie glad of so good an occasion as he thought would not let it slip but as he made shew in great kindnesse tels him what is the dowry all that you stand vpon if that be all the impediment I will soone remoue this let and the matter shall bee effected Let not Dauid thinke but that his nature will afford a dowrie good enoughe for a princes daughter and let him not imagine that Saule is so farre in loue with mony as that he will looke for so great a summe of him whō he hopes to find a valiant couragious sonne no Dauid thy valure is a treasure and some of this courage is that which my soule desires and which shall fully accomplish this mariage we desire let mee but see heere 100. foreskins of the Philistines those enemies of God and Gods people by whose meanes we haue sustained much losse and daunger Doe then I say take reuenge of these my deadly foes which thy valure I know can doe without delay and these shall be to me in stead of so many masses of gold and siluer this shall be a price for which and in recompence whereof I will bestow my daughter vpon thee which I doe not aske doubting of thy valure and courage but that a further experience may more amply proue that of which we haue had continuall tryall in thy selfe that thou wilt be a valiant son vnto me This was a colourable speach pretēded great good will whē in the meane while all Sauls mind burned with malice and desire of Dauids death and he hoped by this meanes to make him fall by the hand of the Philistians Now Saule well knowing his owne falsehood and double dealing was hereby brought into a vehement but a most false and iniurious suspicion of Dauids infidelitie and treacherie towards him So those that haue poluted their owne soules and bodie with most filthy facts and are the most vncleannest and wicked persons in a countrie will soonest imagine and suspect an other to be most filthie and are readie to iudge all men sore where their sores runnes An other cause of this is hipocrisie when one neuer examineth his owne heart then he is most readie to prie into an other mans life and he that spares himselfe will lay load vpon an other Thus the Scribes and Pharises were dissembling hipocrites and neuer medled with their owne hearts to condemne any sinne there and therefore Christ and his disciples could haue no peace by them but they were continually misdeeming and suspecting and ready to censure hardly of them without a cause for if they would haue bestowed but some time in truth to haue entred vnto their owne soules and made a narrow search of themselues they would haue founde so much businesse there as other men might haue liued quietly enough by them So Saint Iames saith 3. Chap. 17. vers That true wisdome which is from aboue is without iudging without hipocrisie He shewes the cause why the best men be neuer the rashest iudgers neuer so hastie to passe sentence vpon other men because they hauing true hearts desiring to be as good as they seeme to be haue so much to doe in fighting and striuing with their owne corruptions as that they cannot spend so much time to be examining other mens dealings and marking what other men doe amisse So on the other side take me an hipocrite that cares for nothing but to make a shew before men that neuer labours to approue his heart to God and neuer striues against his owne secret sinnes you shall haue him so nimble and so quicke in searching out other men that he cannot see a fault where it is but he hath such sharpe sight that hee can see a fault where none is in an other because he cannot see a fault where it is in himselfe They thought that the cause why they could so quickly condemne other men was because they were more holy thē other men and therefore tooke a priuiledge to themselues to giue what verdit they thought good on euerie mans actions but Saint Iames tels them an other tale and brings the true cause indeede what made their hearts so readie to conceiue amisse and to thinke wrongfully of an other because they had not as yet learnd to thinke aright of themselues for more hipocrisie alwaies breedes more rash iudging and misprision Thus we see what be the causes of this euill suspicion namely at the lest foolishnesse and vncharitablenesse or else an ill conscience and deepe hipocrisie and the one of these is alwaies a cause Now the effects are euen as bad for if the heart bee infected thus it makes one apt and readie to speake do euill if one allow himselfe to thinke euill hee cannot withhold his tongue to speake it and his hand to practise ill if occasion serue for what euer is within in the thought that will shew it selfe opēly it will bewray it selfe in the mouth in the hand in all ones actiōs As appeares in Daniels enemies that hauing cōceiued an ill opinion of him that he kept them from honour did nothing else but practise and lay diuilish plots till they had brought him into danger of death and founde him within the compasse of a law All this malice arose from hence that they falsely suspected Daniel to forestall them of honour and to haue kept them from that high place that they thought themselues as worthye of and euery way as fitte for it as hee The vse of this is that if we would not be found culpable of the breach of this commandement and trangressing against the name and fame of our christian brother then must we not giue ourselues allowance to conceiue any ill opinion of them without sufficient warrant and due ground for the same for though the thing which we suspect be so indeede that is not the question if we haue no warrant nor noe good proofe and foundation for our suspicion we are guiltie of the hurting the fame of our neighbour for what though it may he so in matters of our neighbours credit we must not take such light coniectures as a sufficient cause to moue a suspicion we must doe as we would be done by and I pray you what man aliue almost is there that
come in by heapes and so when all was gone hee had soone made his accounts God hath giuen God hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord when I had them I was not the better I did not trust in them and therfore now they are gone I am not much vexed it was no part of my greatest happinesse to haue them nor is no part of my greatest sorrow that I haue so suddenly lost them But this our discouragement and whining and murmuring when we want the meanes shewes that we trust not in God but in them for if we liue at Gods finding who must prouide for vs no mans life consisteth in his riches saith Christ if God bee our father and he must find vs why are we not content with his promise what though he keepe thinges in his owne hand because we know not how to vse them But this is the matter we would be our owne gods as it were be at our own finding in this matter we be farre more foolish then our owne children for they keepe no stirre and doe not trouble them selues to think how shall I doe to bring the yeare about how shall I get prouision for the next yeare or what if ill weather come and so many doubts but they are merry and fresh and thinke not of these matters but make account that their fathers will see them prouided for and will not suffer them to want any thing and therfore when they neede they goe to them and make account that all is well they shall haue it And why should not we do so to God if we did in truth as we say we doe account that hee is our father and trust vppon him and giue but so much credit to him as our children doe to vs why should not wee thinke our selues sufficiently prouided for if wee haue his promise if wee could indeede come to make him our trust thus we should vnloade our harts of much discontentment and disquietnesse and liue farre more cheerfully then now by reason of our vnbeleefe and distrust wee doe or can doe The last signe to know whether we trust in God or not is to examine whether we seeke his loue and fauour for that vvhich any man makes his trust that he doth most labour to obtaine What doth any man speake of most in the day and thinke of most in the night and seeke after most in all his life If it be lucre then hee trustes in his lucre So that man that placeth his happinesse and seekes his felicitie onelie in pleasure he will most seeke and striue to get his pleasure and is most vexed if it be taken from him But if one trust in God then he would most labour to get the loue fauour of God because he knowes he can haue nothing from him selfe or any other but onely from god as in Ps 62. 11. 12. Hee sets downe two causes why we must not trust in man nor riches that is in any outward thing for power belongs vnto God mercie belonges vnto God All the men in the world and all the riches in thee world haue no power to helpe vs vnlesse god put it in them for all power is his owne and so for mercie there is no kindnesse in any man or angell which they haue not from God no man nor angell can shew vs any kindnesse vnlesse God giue them that kindnesse and if they doe wee must confesse that it comes from him Since then all power is reached from Gods hand and all mercie is deriued from him that nothing either can help vs or if it could yet would help vs but so far as he puts both the power and will into it therefore those that beleeue this cannot choose but seeke Gods fauour for then they are assured that nothing can be able to hurt them yea God can make all things so far as it is profitable willing and readie to doe them good So much concerning the first commandemēt which shewes vs whom we must worship namely God and wherin this worship consisteth namely in a sound knowledge of him from this knowledge in louing and fearing and trusting in him with all our hart and soule Now followes the second commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen c. IN all which commandement is shewed by what outward meanes we must worship God namely not after the inuentions of flesh and bloud but after the commandement of his holy word The commandement containes a prohibition in these words Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth thou shalt not bow to them nor worship them These words containe the prohibition forbidding vs to haue any Images to represent God or to help vs in his worship or to haue any superstitious or will worship therby to please him the better The reasons ratifieng the prohibition are two one drawne from the vengeance of God against Idolaters and superstitious persons in these words For I the Lord thy God am a Iealous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee Shewing Gods power in that he is Iehouah and a strong God as the word signifieth and his will that he is a jealous God the similitude is taken from a jealous husband that can abide no light behauiour of his wife but he will be reuenged on it So God cannot endure that any one that is his should once looke to Images or superstition for if any doe as by reason of his strength he is able so he is willing also to reuenge it on the sonnes and sonnes sonnes to the fourth generation of such as doe it The second reason is taken from the reward that God will bestow vpon all such as worship him purely hating Idolatrie and false worship that he will not onely blesse them but theirs to a thousands Neuer forgeting to shew mercy vnto those that worship him purely so that all their posteritie shall fare the better for them Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue First in that God doth set downe so largely and so plainely in so many words this commandement he shewes how exceeding readie vve are to fall into the breach of it Hence then we may gather this doctrine that our nature is wonderfull prone to Idolatrie and we are verie apt and readie to worship God falsely and superstitiously for if it were not so then why vvould not God content himselfe to be as short here as he is in most of the rest but we see for this and the saboth how largely he sets them downe how he mounds and fenceth them on euerie side with strong reasons vvhich doth declare that he knows vs verie willing on any
that with a true hart is willing to be taught and to confound also and condemne and leaue without excuse before Gods judgement seat such as will not yeeld to playne and strong reasons drawne out of the word of God but continue obstinate in their false conceits But because the point may be more plaine and manifest it is good to answere some of their objections whereby they would ouerturne this plaine truth Now the grand obiection is because we keep not the same sabboth that the Iewes did but the day is altered therefore they say we must keepe none This is their argument of so great waight but how foolish it shall appeare easily if we examine it a little more narrowly For though we keepe not the selfe same day that they did yet we haue the same commandement authoritie for our day that that they had for theirs Therfore this day that we keepe is called the Lords day in Reuel 1. Where Iohn saith He was in the spirit vpon the Lords day Afore it was called the day of rest because God rested on it from the work of creation but now it is called the Lords day because Christ Jesus instituted it as a speciall memoriall of his resurrection perfecting of the work of our redemption For the Apostles by the authoritie of that spirit which alwaies assisted them in their ministeriall office did alter the day themselues kept ordained it to be kept in all the churches As may appeare 1. Cor. 16. 1. Where he saith The first day of the weeke when yee meet together c. Where the Apostle shewes that the congregations of Christ were wont on the first day of the weeke to meet together for the performance of all holy duties of the number whereof collection for the poore was one because of the manifold persecutions wherwith in the primatiue church they were more afflicted and had neede of continuall reliefe This was the first day of the Iewish weeke our Lords day So also in the Acts. Paul himself kept this day which he spent in preaching till midnight and after administred the sacramēt in which two exercises he cōtinued till the dawning of the day So that the keeping of this day was instituted by God in the ministrie of the Apostles and kept by them and the churches in their time therfore as strongly commands vs as the Iewes and is of no lesse force now then before Then secondly the reason of the chaunge and of our keeping this day is no lesse then of their keeping that day For when the creation of the world was the greatest work that euer was done then the memoriall of that was chiefely to be regarded But now that a greater more excellent work was done namely the redemption of the world it was reason that the greatest work should carry the credit of the day They rested the seauenth day because on that God rested from the work of creation wee this eight day because in it Christ rise againe from the work of our redemption which being a greater work caused a chaunge of the day Sith then the day was not chaūged without good warrant and strong reason that alteration and varying of the day detracts nothing from the truth and force of the commandement And wheras they say that the church may at their pleasure alter it that is not so for ther can neuer be an authority greter then the authority of the Apostles nor a cause greater then the resurrection of Christ and the redemption of the church and therefore neither can the day be chaunged for to make a new day where no such warrant did allow nor no cause occasion it were to take more vpon them then is fit For if the Iewes in former times were bound to keepe it holy hauing onely the creation of the world to think vpon and to remēber by the celebrating of their seauenth day then how much more are we bound to this reuerence and a greater sith besids this benefit of our making we haue a greater of our redeeming by the bloud and death of Christ added vnto it so that any one of the two ought to sanctifie it more rather then to cast it of all together and to be so much the more carefull to giue this day wholy to God by how much he hath shewed a greate mercie to vs so that we should neuer speake or think of this chaunge but we should also call to minde this great benefit which was the cause of it If Adam had cause to spend a day in praysing God for his creation then wee haue greater cause seeth besides that we haue also the redemption to bee thankefull for And if this bee a good argument wee keepe not the selfe same day that the Iewes did therefore the dutie is abollished and wee are bound to keepe none then by the same reason one might conclude thus you see wee haue not the same sacraments for the outward seales that the Iewes had for they had circumcision and they had the pascall Lambe what tell you mee of the consecrate water and of the bread and wine hallowed the Iewes had no such matter sith these signes be altered I think it was but a ceremonie and wee neede not regard baptisme the supper this were no good argument in this case for though the shadowes bee other yet the substance bee the same Christ Iesus is signified by our bread and wine as well as by their Lambe and our baptisme is the sacrament of regeneration as well as their circumcision Therefore wee should not despise them but so much the more bee carefull to prepare our selues for them because the seruice is more easie the promises more lightsome If then it will not hold that we haue no sacraments because the outward seales bee altered then it is as weake a consequence that wee haue no seauenth day to bee sanctified because the day is altered and wee keepe not the same that they did So that no proofe can be gathered from the varying of the daie that the dutie is abolished because the authoritie is as strong the reason as good and the same reason doth not hold in other things Againe they object that to a christian euery day is a sabboth day and therefore wee should not restraine it to one day more then another but the answere to this is that it is most false for God doth not require neither is a christian able to keep euery day a sabboth day so long as they remain on earth indeede in heauen hee shall keepe a continuall sabboth vnto the Lord but now so long as wee liue there is as much difference betwixt the sabboth day and otheir daies as betwixt the consecrate bread wee receiue at the Lords table and the common bread wee receiue at our owne table This is true that euery one must serue God on the sixe daies and all his life long but on the seauenth day wee must not onely serue God
commandements are lightsome the spirituall hart feedes vpon the spirituall law and delights and rejoyceth in it This must serue therefore to cut off those dangers that men cast to themselues in keeping of this commandement as though God had ouershot himselfe in making such an vnjust law as no man can keepe it but hee must bee vndone by it as though hee knew not what hee did when hee bad them rest the sabboth day It is a meruailous impudencie in many that no man durst speake so hardly and presumptuouslie against any positiue law of the prince as euerie base person will speake against this law of God Oh it is impossible to keepe it such losses it brings and these damages it brings that hee must needes come to beggerie that will obserue it what did God seeke the impouerishing and the spoile of men when hee bad them serue him nay he appointed it as a day of blessing and it seemes so hard and vnjust to them because they bee carnall and fleshly and not hauing faith in Gods promises nor any desire to obey him they will still haue shifts and something to say against it the hart is dead and wicked or else the law would bring comfort Oh how should one doe for recreation say some is it not a recreation for a christian to heare the voice of a christian and for a sheepe of Christ to feede in his pastures is it not a recreation for a person condemned to come where hee may get his pardon sealed to him is it not a recreation for a man subject to death to heare a direction that will leade him to life therefore if wee were not altogether sencelesse and blockish in respect of spirituall sence and life it would bee as great a joy for vs to feede at his table and in his house vpon the bread of life as in our owne houses vpon corruptible bread And againe could Christ finde in his hart for our sakes willingly to bestow his soule body and giue his bodie to death and his soule to suffer the wrath of God and shall wee account it a burden to bestow one day in seauen vpon him to be made pertakers especiallie of such benefits And God hath willinglie giuen vs sixe for our calling and may wee not well afford the seauenth to our soules but wee haue such businesse wee cannot doe it But for matter of businesse God shewes two things that if one would obserue should easilie preuent these businesses first sixe daies shalt thou doe all thy work Where hee shewes that if one would labour faithfullie and conscionablie in their calling vpon sixe daies they might well dispatch their businesse but indeede this makes men so loath to giue a seauenth day to God because hauing beene idle and vnthriftie on the sixe they haue neglected some businesse that now lies vpon them the seauenth day and then it is a great burden indeede and impossible for such to keepe it but they must loose by it but Gods commandement brings no such losse their owne sinne is the cause of it and if this bee not the cause then the other is men take more vpon them then their owne work for if one take nothing but his worke hee may dispatch all well in sixe daies if one serue God in his calling his calling will not hinder him from keeping Gods commandements but if one serue couetousnesse and filthie lucre then indeed hee can finde no time to serue God When men in hast to bee rich and eager desire of wealth will take more in their hands then they can mannage this is their fault and all this is not their worke but the worke of their lust this is to bee a busie bodie but let any man bee faithfull in his calling on the sixe daies and not through greedinesse encomber himselfe with more then is needefull and hee shall see hee may easily keepe this seauenth to God there is no cause of such complaining against it And indeede to a spirituall hart that hath any grace measure of Gods spirit how euer it seeme to carnall men it is most just and equall yea most sweet and comfortable so that they can with all their harts thanke God that he hath giuen them one day wherein they may lighten their harts of all worldly cares and throw of all griefes thoughts of debts or such like to giue them selues wholy to seeke comfort in him that will prouide for them in due time and hath prouided this sabboth as an ease vnto them that they should not trouble them selues wtih any such thoughts on that day And thus much to proue that the keeping of a seauenth day and spending it in holy dutie is a morall law and perpetuall and belongs vnto vs as well as to the Iews and so much the more vnto vs because we hauing more excellent meanes a greater perfection is required of vs. As also to shew that euery one must make a preparation for the sabboth Both by dispatching his businesse as nothing may bee left vndone till the sabboth and by behauing himselfe so in the businesse as his affections may not bee to much tied vnto them for the former will hinder the rest of the sabboth and the latter the holynesse of it Therfore that we may keep an holie rest he must doe all that hee hath to doe vpon the sixe daies and if hee take more vpon him then he can finish in the space of sixe daies it is more then God laies vpon him and he doth not labour for conscience sake but for couetousnesse sake and this is not his worke but the worke of his corruption and then secondly a man must draw his hart from the loue of the world worldly things and then neither worldlie losses will fill his hart full of worldlie greife nor commodities with worldlie delight which two things would hinder him from delighting in spirituall exercises so that he that will empty his hands of all worldlie businesse and his hart of worldlie affections shal be able with comfort to keepe a rest and an holie rest vnto God And for the first reason drawne from the equitie of Gods commandements that hauing giuen vs the large allowance of sixe daies and taken the small pittance of one daie vnto himselfe hath dealt in great equitie with vs so that one must not goe about to make hipocriticall shifts and excuses for if he doe it is not from the hardnesse of the law but the hardnesse of his hart not from difficultie in the thing but want of loue in the person for nothing is so easie but a worldlie hart that loues not God will be shifting and haue some odd reasons against it Now we must speake of the second reason It is the sabboth of the Lord thy God IN which God lets vs know that he which is our God and the mightie strong God hath impropriated this to himselfe as his owne possession set a part for his owne seruice therfore wee must willinglie
abundance of loue breeds aboundance of patience for loue hopes all thinges and suffer all thinges And loue is not prouoked but where there is little loue their is little bearing and little hoping and there they be quickly prouoked vpon euerie light and small defect or fault they grow to chasing and brawles and then who euer was troubled with such a husband or such a wife Nay they might rather say who euer had such an vnloving and vnkind heart as I for if there were that loue that should be and in that measure that there is that loue they would beare with patience and meakenesse such infirmities and would not be so quickely prouoked nay not by greater matters As the mother that in good earnest and without dissembling loues her little childe though it crie all night and be vnquiet and breake her sleepe and disquiet her verie much yet shee will not fling it out of doores nor lay it at further end of the house furthest from her but shee vseth it kindly and will doe what shee can to still it and when it cries shee will sing and in the morning they be as good friends as euer before and shee feeds it and tends it neuer a whit the lesse for all the nights trouble One that were not acquainted and knew not the loue of the mother would wonder why did it not disquiet your rest all night and can you be so merrie with it now Yes shee can for shee loued it and shee hath forgotten all that in the morning And so indeed could the husband and wife loue one an other with such a pure and christian loue they would beare much and endure much and yet loue neuer a whit the lesse For loue is all waies a brestplate against impatience A third profit that springes from loue is that loue edifies and loue seekes not it owne thinges therefore if they loue one an other they will in all thinges seeke the good one of another and then if he see a fault in his wife he will tell her of it meekly and gently and labour to bring her to amendment then if he see any fault of his part shee will with all reuerence and humilitie admonish him of it But on the contrarie where there is not loue they will regard their owne ease more then the saluation one of an other Then if the husband see his wife in any fault he thinkes indeede it is a sinne but if I come to tell her of it she will streight be in a passion and chafe and so the wife I confesse this sinne is dangerous to my husbands soule but if I should goe about to admonish him he is so hiddie that he would be bitter furious against me presētly But now here is a great want of loue in eyther partie For what though your wife will be in a passion he that loues his wife would rather shee should be in passion against him for a litle time then God with her for euer And the wife that loues her husband would more willingly suffer her husbands anger and futie for a while for well doing thē he should suffer Gods wrath eternally for ill doing Whereas they not louing one an other put it of with silēce dare not speake A fourth fruit of loue is that it armes one against iealousie the poyson of all dutie for loue will neither bee suspicious in matters of goods nor iealous in matters of the bodie For all iealousie and suspicion I speake of euill iealousie and suspicion for if their be euident and apparant causes and reasons then it is iust and no fault but all ill iealousie causlesse suspicion ariseth of one of these two points First either that one is or hath beene wicked himselfe and hauing beene faultie and naught himselfe he is readie to iudge others by himselfe and to measure all with his owne measure or else from a doting affection that one makes a God of this or that thing this is not true loue So when the wife doats foolishly vpon her husband and makes an idoll of him then is shee quickely readie to be iealous wheras a true and sound loue would worke the contrarie effect in her So for matters of goods he that trusts in them will trust no bodie with them but is alwaies suspitious and misdemeaning and will neither trust wife nor seruants nor children nor any not because they would not deale faithfully enough but because he makes that his God And therefore is immoderatly afraid to loose it but where there is a pure and seruent loue that will cut of all needlesse and misdeemings both in goods and bodie This is the first dutie that is common both to husbande and wife The second followes and that is faithfulnesse That both bende their wits and all their endeuours to the helpe each of other and to the common good of the familie The husband must not follow his priuate pleasure and delight nor the wife her owne ease pride but though by nature they could both be content to seeke themselues Yet they must striue both to build vp the house and to doe good one to an other and not hurt Because they stand in the place of Christ to those that are committed vnto them both for their soules and bodies First then the husband and wife must be faithfull in their bodies one to an other else they breake the couenant of God For mariage is not a couenant of man but a couenant of God where in the parties binde themselues to God and they be in recognisance in heauen to keepe themselues pure and chast one to an other Then for other matters there must be one purse and one heart and hand for the good of the familie and each of other But now if the wife be wastfull and idle then she like a foolish woman puls downe her house And if the husband be an vnthrift and consume and spende that idly and vainely to serue his lust or pride or anie sinne that might helpe his wife and children and be a meanes to make them liue plentifully and cheerefully whereas now they are pinched with want and necessitie this lauishing is a great vnfaithfulnesse and comes accompanied with manie inconueniences So much for the generall duties belonging both to husbande and wife The particular follow And first the wife must feare her husband as is commanded in Ephes 5. 33. Let the wife see that shee feare her husband and 1. Peter 3. 2. The Apostle requires a conuersatiō with feare So that if euer the wife will be comfortable and profitable to the husband and doe anie good in the family shee must haue a care of her heart and looke that shee carrie an inwarde feare to her husbande for the husband is the wiues head euen as Christ is the head of the Church and euen as the Church must feare Christ Iesus so must the women also feare their husbands And this inward feare must be shewed by an outward
of commendations and a testimonie of his humble and louing heart that where he came he was verie curteous to all men euen infidels men of a false religion and did carrie himselfe in all good sort vnto them who euer As when he had to doe with the Hittits First he bowes himselfe in all curteous sort and then his words were gentle and nothing sauouring of a proud commanding but with all milde and kind perswasions and intreatie and then when they wilde him to burie the deade in any of their sepulchres giues them heartie thankes and with the like curtesie and good speeches as a fore propounds his request And this gentle dealing did so winne the hearts of these heathen people and made him so well account and esteemed amongst them as they say to him thou art a prince of God amongs vs and would denie him nothing And so when he met the Angels which he tooke for no other but for comon trauailers he saluted them bowing his bodie in all dutifull sort and gaue them good tearmes and called them Lords and intreated them to eate a morsell with him And by this affability and kinde vsage of himselfe he did not only get fauour and good account amonge those with whome he liued but hath gotten credit till this day and shall to the worlds ende that being a man of such worth and good desert so well graced and of such place and wealth all this did not make him sowre carelesse or disdainfull but hee shewed him kinde and amiable euen to the meanest For indeede proud lookes hawtie lookes and a scornefull and a disdainfull eye that is such a thing as God abhorres he doth abhorre an hautie eye and arrogant lookes As he saith in the Prouerbs But we see this is such a thing as many doe it for their credit and thinke to get credit by this looking on high Those among vs that be men of no worth that haue no good qualitie or propertie nothing commendable or worth esteeme inward or outward no grace to praise them no wealth to set them out no parentage to make them had in account swaggerers ruffins prophane beasts filthie drunken swine that make their belly their God These abiect base persons the scumme and froth of the whole earth rude in behauiour wicked in heart and carelesse in life thinke if they can looke big and carrie a proud and disdainfull face and ouercrow euery man and care for no man scorne their betters and prefer themselues before all then forsooth they be men of some name they shal be accounted of they be worthy to be looked after that thinke to get credit by contemning euery bodie and to be had in account by making no account of any one this is theis courage this is their valure and they haue nothing to grace themselues but this kinde of rudenesse But in truth this disgraceth this discrediteth this proclaimes their shame and shewes that they be light empty of all goodnes and if they had many other good parts yet this would hurie all and make them contemned in euerie mans heart and eye to be so scorneful contemptuous to euery one This was Ismaels kinde of life his hand was against euerie man he regarded none nor cared for none but set them all at defiance and at naught therefore euerie mans hand was against him they made as light of him and these also haue a iust Ismaels reward euerie one is their foe euerie man speakes of their shame and what haue they gotten now For they that will be honoured must honour he that will be kindly dealt withall must deale kindly with others and he that lookes for an amiable behauiour from others must shew an amiable behauiour to others The second outward dutie is to defend the oppressed and succour those that suffer wrong and ill entreatie a thing much commended in Iob that hee pulde the pray out of the Lions mouth and sought out the cause of the poore he was a father to the fatherlesse husband to the widow And this did comfort him in time of his trouble more then all wealth in the world This is commanded Prouerbs 24. 11. Deliuer them that are drawne to death and wilt thou not deliuer them that are lead to be slaine If thou say behold I know it not He that pondereth the harts doth not he vnderstand it And he that keepes the soule knowes he not will he not also recompence euerie man according to his workes He shewes that if one see those that be vnrighteously puld to death and oppressed one must not stand by and say alasse what a world is this who euer saw such dealing but one must put his hand to and labour to his power and as farre as he can to rescue him and deliuer him for saith he wilt not thou preserue him as if he had said art thou so mercilesse that thou wilt not helpe the oppressed But then he meets with our excuses that men are readie to speake in such cases alas I knew not that he had such need of my helpe and if I should meddle I might bring an olde house vpon mine own head and trouble my selfe when I needed not But he cuts of all saying doth not God see thee and know thy heart as if he had said Well these excuses may dazell mens eyes and make a faire shew with thē that can see nothing but shewes but God he lookes not so much to the tongue and what one can say for himselfe but he ponders the heart doth not see it lightly but considers knowes euery particular thing and circumstance and therefore it is no shifting and doubling when he comes to take a triall of vs and he knowes that all these excuses come from selfeloue and loue of lucre and commoditie that one would spare cost and liue at case and rather see an other oppressed with wrong then stirre himselfe a little to helpe him And last of all he saith you that be so loth to suffer a little trouble and at a little charges to helpe an other man in his miserie know you not that God recompenceth men according to their works that he causeth them to reape like for like and may not you come to the like miserie your selfe and then because you had no heart not will to helpe an other you shall see others sit as quietly by you and not venture to giue you any helpe But now men are come to that selfeloue and want of other mens wrongs as it were a thing done in a farre countrey and in an other age as though it nothing pertained to them they haue nothing to doe with it But those that be of the better sort will onely haue a little idle pittie and mercie of the mouth in a few words alasse I am sorie and it is pittie that honest men should be thus wronged but neuer put to an hand to helpe nor stirre a finger to doe any good to their reliefe neither
doe good and make him drie to minister matter for euerie contention Secondly beware of couetousnesse For a couetous man cannot but be cruell so Solomon saith in Prouerb 1. This is the way of all those that be greadie of gaine they will take away the life from the owners thereof He cares not what mischeefe an other hath so he may haue lucre Who euer stands in the way twixt him and his landes hee wisheth his death vnfainedly If it be a father he could reioyce to see him laid in his graue that he might haue his lands if a brother so he may gaine by his death you can bring him no more welcome newes then that his brother his dead Alwaies coueteousnes drawes after it a long tayle of craft and crueltie Lastly take heede of riotousnesse and drunkennes for when drinke is in the wit is out and grace is out to then a man is such light stuffe that the diuell may tosse him about at his pleasure So in Prouerbs 23. 29. To whome is woe to whome is sorrow and stripes without cause c. First it hurts the bodie it selfe Secōdly it breedes strife and contention murmuring brawling and wounds without cause for when they went good friendes if drunkards can be good friends to their pots all on the sudden vpon a madde humor no bodie knowes they fall together by the eares and are readie to stab and mischeife one an other and two or three houres after aske them why and then they cannot tell but t was a mad humor of theirs Thirdly they so spend themselues this way and drinke vp all their wealth as that they haue no abilitie to doe any worke of mercie Therefore pride couetousnesse drunkennesse must be shund of all those that will keepe this commandement thou shalt not kill Thus much for the sixt commandement concerning the safety of our neighbours person and what duties we doe owe vnto him Now followes the seuenth commandement concerning his chastity and how we should that way behaue our selues in these words Thou shalt not commmit adulterie THe summe of it is that we should auoyd all vncleanenes in our selues and others and vse all meanes to preserue our owne and our neighbours chasiitie The things forbidden eyther Inward in all vncleane lusts Outward 1. Adulterie 2. Fornicatiō Vnnaturall with others selfe naturall in mariage eyther entring without parents consent c. vsing out of season and immoderatly 3. Vncleanenesse eyther Wantonnes In the Things parteyning to bodie as apparrell food sleepe bodie parts hand eye and foot whole in dauncing FIrst for filthie lusts and desires of the heart consented vnto Though they be kept in neither breake forth in word nor deede yet this verie lust and desire it selfe makes one a breaker of this commandement before God As our Sauiour Christ the lawe maker and therefore also the best expositer of it doth testifie Math. 5. 27. I say vnto you hee that looketh vpon a woman to lust after hee hath committed adulthrie with her all readie in his heart They of olde afore hee saith meaning the Pharises had said thou shalt not commit adulterie extending the commandement no further then the grosse act and that they would not haue men commit because it would bringe reproch vpon their name and death vnto their bodie but Christ makes a more narrow meaning and shewes that the adulterie of the heart is odious to God as well as that of the bodie and that men cannot more easily see and perceiue that outward filthinesse then he doth the inwarde for hee hath pure eyes that can abide none iniquitie and hee searcheth the heart and reynes An vncleane heart therefore wishing foule thinges and meditating vpon vile matters is most hatefull to God The vse of this is to condemne those that when they heare Gods curse against the breakers of this commandement concerning adulterie that thinke if they haue not broken forth into the outward action they are free and out of gunshot it pertaines not vnto them But let them know that if they haue an ill heart though men cannot charge them with the euill act yet God can charge them with the euill thought and that they are lyable to Gods curse as well as those that offend outwardly Indeede there be degrees and the increase of sinne bringes an increase of iudgement and grosser sinnes shall haue more greeuous plagues but the least thought is sufficient to condemne them And those that will not humble themselues nor care not for inward motions will if occasion be offered easily be drawne to the outward practise For if lust haue conceiued it bringes forth sinne and he that will not refraine it in the conception shall not be able to hinder it in the birth therfore he that would not haue sin borne must not let lust cōceiue but labour earnestly to kill it in the wombe as it were for howsoeuer thought be free in respect of the sight and law of men yet it is not free from Gods nor from his law which was not only giuen only to reforme and rule the outward manners but the soule also and the affections Secondly this serueth for the instruction of those which haue thus offended that they must repent and craue pardon at Gods hands and intreat him of his mercie to kill this lust and to wash away the filthinesse of their heart that they may not only be freed from the iudgement of God due to the sinne but also may hinder the birth of so filthy a monster as will proceede of this so ill a conception in either conception it is a foule fault after the conception to take any thing that may disable the encrease and birth of it but in this conception it is the greatest vertue and safest way to take such a receite as shall quite kill it that it may neuer come forth to light and this conceite is only to repent and craue pardon for else God will bring their secret sinne to open shame and their inward filthie desire to outward publique disgrace Now the meanes to purge ones heart and to make it cleane and pure from such filthie affections is first to pray to God often and earnestly to punish the heart and to sanctifie it by his holy spirit Then secondly to be faithfull and diligent in some honest and lawfull calling that may busie the heart vpon some thing lawfull and profitable for idlenesse is the mother of foule lusts As a standing poole not hauing any course of running growes filthie of it selfe and full of toades and neuts and filthie vermine so the heart that is not taken vp in some good and honest calling is a fit place for the diuell to breede and engender all monstrous and filthie lusts idlenesse procures lust nothing more as what was the reasō why the Sodomits grew so filthie vncleane that no people euer were so filthy and beastly but because hauing the most fruitfull and abundant contrrie in the world for it was like