speaking evil of him if the good be not true and here cometh in 1. excessive and rash praising and commending of one 1. beyond what is due 2. beyond what we do to others of as much worth this is respect of persons 3. beyond what discretion alloweth as when it may be hurtful to awaken envy in others or pride in them who are thus praised 2. praising inordinately that is before a mans self or to gain his affection and that possibly more then when he is absent and heareth not much more is it to be blamed when spoken groundlesly this is flattery a most base evil which is exceedingly hurtful and prejudicial to human Societies yet exceeding delightful to the flattered 3. we fail in this extremity when our neighbour is justified or defended or excused by us in more or less when it should not be 12. Under this sin forbidden in the Command cometh in all beguiling speeches whether it be by equivocation when the thing is doubtfully and ambiguously expressed or by mental reservation a trick whereby the grossest lyes may be justified and which is plainly aversive of all truth in speaking when the sentence is but half expressed as suppose one should ask a Romish Priest Art thou a Priest and he should answer I am no Priest reserving this in his mind I am no Priest of Baal for by giving or expressing the answer so an untruth and cheat is left upon the asker and the answer so conceived doth not quadrat with the question as it ought to do if a man would evite lying 13 This falshood may be considered with reference to things we speak of as in buying or selling when we call a thing better or worse then it is indeed or then we think it to be ah how much lying is there every day this way with many 14 Under this sin forbidden in this Command are comprehended 1. railing 2. whispering 3. tale-bearing spoken of before 4. the tatling of busie bodies that know not how to insinuate themselves with others or pass time with them but by telling some ill tale of another 5. praevarication which is the sin of persons who are unconstant whose words goe not all a like saying and unsaying saying now this way and then another way of the same thing their words clashing together and they not consisting with themselves 15. Consider falshood or false-witness bearing as it inferreth breach of promise which is forbidden Psal 15. 4. when on performeth not what he promiseth or promiseth that which he intendeth not to perform which is deceit and falshood 16. As we may sin in speaking against others so we may in respect of our selves many wayes 1. When we give occasion to others to speak evil of us 1. Cor. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 3. 2. When we are not careful to entertain and maintain a good-name and by suitable wayes to wipe away what may mâ—â—t the same It is generally observed that while men have a good name they are desirous and careful to keep it and when they have lost it they grow careless of it we ought not to be prodigal of our names more then of our lives or estates for the loss of them incapacitateth us much to edifie others 3. When we vainly boast of our selves and set forth our own praise that is as if a man should eat too much honey Prov. 25 27. 4. When we will not confess a fault but either deny excuse or extenuate it this Joshua exhorteth Achan to eschew 5. When we say that things are worse with us then indeed they are and deny it may be even in reference to our spiritual condition somewhat of Gods goodness to us and so lye against the Holy Ghost 6. When we are too ready to entertain good reports of our selves and to be flattered there is if to any thing an open door to this in us and as the Heathen Seneca said Blanditiâ— cum excluduâ—tâ—r placent so may it be ordinarily seen that men will seemingly reject what they delight should be insisted in there is in us so much self-love that we think some way that men in commending us do what is their duty therefore we often think them good folk because they do so and men that do not commend us we respect them not oâ— but little or at least less then we do others because we think they are behind in a duty by not doing so and which is very sad and much to be lamented few things do lead us to love or hate commend or discommend and that as we think not without ground more then this that men do love and commend or not love and commend us 17. We also may by with holding a testimony to the truth by not clearing of another when it is in our power to do it be guilty of this sin But especially is forbidden here publick lying and wronging of another â—udicially either in his person name or estate and that 1. By the Judge when he passeth sentence either rashly before he heareth the matterâ— and searcheth it out which Job disclaimeth asserting the contrary of himself Jâ—â— 19. 16. or ignorantly or perversly for corrupt ends as being bribed to it or otherwayes 2. By the Recorder writing grievous things Isa 10. 1. or making a clause in a decree sentence or write more favourable to one and more prejudicial to another then was intended 2. By the Witnessâ—s who either conceal truth or express it ambiguously or refuse to testifie or assert what is not true 4. By the Advocat by undertaking to defend or pursue what righteously he cannot or by hideing from his Clyent that which he knoweth will prejudge his cause or by denying it when he is asked about it or by not bringing the best defences he hath And as to the first point here about Advocates it is to be regrated as a great Divine in the neighbour-Neighbour-Church hath most pathetically according to his manner lately done as a sad matter that any known unrighteous Câ—â—â—e should have a professed Christian in the face of a Christian Judicatory to defend it but incomparably more sad that almost everâ— unjust Cause should find a Patron and that no conâ—enâ—â—ous malicious person should be more râ—â—dy to do wrong then some Lawyers to defend him for a dear bought see I speak not here of innocent mistakes in cases of great difficulty nor yet of excusing a cause bad in the main from unjust 〈◊〉 bâ—t 〈◊〉 that great man when money willhire mâ—â— to plead for injustice and â—o use the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the righteous aâ—d â—o spoâ—l his Cause â—and vex him with delayes for the advantage of their unrighteous Clyents I would not have the conscience of such for all their gains not their account to make for all the World God is the great Patron of innocence and the pleader of every righteous Cause and he that will be so bold as to plead against him had need of a large fee to save him harmless 5. By the
by Titus Livius lib. 7. In the Consulship of C. Sulpitius Petieus and C. Lucinius Stole Anno ab urb cond 390. in the time of the great and raging pestilence wherein Furius Camillus Dictator and Deliverer of Rome from the Gaules died wherein for procuring the mercy of the Gods there was a lectisterne but when by no device of man nor help of the Gods the violence of the plague could be asswaged their minds were so possest with superstition that the Stage-playes were as men say first invented that is belike Playes in that pompous ludicrous effeminate and luxurious mode on the Stage which had never before been used in the City for several Playes they had ere this time a strange device for a martial people who before time for most part at least accustomed to behold games of activity and strength in the great lift called Circus and from this small beginning sayes he in a second and wholsome State this folly grew to such a height of madness as is untolerable to the most opulent States and Empires and yet these Playes so brought in and set forth called by Florus in his Breviary on that Book new and strange Religions imployed about a religious business did neither rid mens minds of scruple and superstition nor ease their bodies Thus they are condemned as superstition and an innovation of their old Religion by these two famous Heathen Historians The fourth may be that which is made mention of by Tit. Livius also towards the end of his 40-Book concerning Fulvius Flaccus fellow-Consul with his own German-brother L. Manlius Occidinus Ann. ab urb cond 575. Who declared that before he would meddle with his Office he would discharge both himself and the City of duty towards the Gods in paying the Vows that he had made on that same day that he had his last battel with the Celtiberians anent the celebraeting Playes to the honour of the most mighty and gracious God Jupiter and to build a Temple to Fortuna Aequestris and accordingly levied a great Tax for that end which behoved to be retrenched because of the exorbitancy of it The fifth and last shall be that which is touched by Pol. Virg. ubi prius pag. 377. concerning the Romans their taking care for Apollo his Playes which were first dedicated to him in the time of the second punick War for obtaining Victory from him to drive Hannibal out of Italy To these may be added what Spondanus in his Eccles Annal. pag. 263. reports from Zozimus concerning Constantine the Great when he returned victorious over the Germans to Millan That he quite neglected and contemned such Playes to the great grief of the Heathens who alledged that these Playes were instituted by the Gods for the cure of the pestilence and other diseases and for averting of wars From all which it is manifest that the original of these Stage-playes and such others was from the Devil and celebrated by the Heathens to the honour and worship of their Devil-Gods in way of religious Sacrifices to them either as pacificatory or gratificatory with whom in their Idolatries and superstitions the Scriptures forbid all symbolizing and fellowship Let us hear now in the next place some more of these Fathers speak their own and the Churches thoughts a little more particularly of Stage-playes with respect to such grounds having heard some of them already Clem. Alex. orat adhort adv Gentes calls Stage-playes Comedies and amorous Poems teachers of Adultery and defilers of mens ears with Fornications and sayes That not onely the use the sight the hearing but the very memory of Stage-playes should be abolished And else-where for I do here purposely forbear very particular citations because ordinary Readers will not much if at all search after them and the Learned that have a mind to it will easily find them out tells Christian youths That their Paedagogues must not lead them to Playes or Theaters that may not unfitly be called the chairs of Pestilence because these Conventicles where men and women meet together promiscuously to behold one another are the occasion of leudness and there they give or plot wicked counsel Cyprian de spect stiles Theaters the stewes of publick Chastity the mastership of obscenity which teach these sins in publick that men may more usually and easily commit them in private he learneth to commit who accustometh himself to behold the theatrical representations of uncleanness It is not lawful for faithful Christians yea it is altogether unlawful to be present at these Playes And elsewhere he saith She that perchance came a chast Matron to the Playes goes away a Strumpet from the Play-house We may here notice what the Satyrical Poet Juvenal sayes to this purpose Sat. 6. That a man in his time could not pick one chast woman whom he might safely love as his wife out of the whole Play-house and that all women who frequent Stage-playes are infamous and forfeit their good names It were good that our women who love and haunt such Playes would consider this as also what is reported of Sempronius Sophus a noble Roman who divorced from his Wife for this alone cause that she frequented Stage-playes without his knowledge which might make her an Adulteress which Divorce the whole Roman Senate did approve though it was the very first they did approve as being a mean to keep women chaste So great an enemy to chastity were these Playes judged to be which is touched by Rhodiginus amongst others in his Antique Lections lib. 28. cap. 16. Tertullian calls the Play-house the Chappel of Venery the House of Letchery the Consistory of uncleanness And in his Apol. adv Gent. We renounce your Spectacles and Stage-playes even as we reject their original which we know to have had their conception from Superstition we have nothing at all to do with the fury of your Circus with the dishonesty of the Theater we come not at all to your Playes Origen in Epist ad Rom. sayes That Christians must not lift up their eyes to Stage-playes the pleasurable delights of polluted eyes lest their lusts be inflamed by them Lactantius de vero cultu sayes That these Interludes with which men are delighted and whereat they are willingly present because they are the greatest instigations to Vice and the most powerful instrument to corrupt mens minds are wholly to be abolished from amongst us Greg. Naz. de rect educ calls Stage-players the Servants of lewdness and Stage-playes the dishonest unseemly instructions of lascivious men who repute nothing filthy but modesty and Play-houses the Lascivious chops of all filthiness and impurity Ambrose in Psal 118. stiles Stage-playes spectacles of vanity by which the Devil conveys incentives of pleasure to mens hearts Let us therefore sayes he turn away our eyes from these vanities and Stage-playes Hierom. Epist ad Salvinam Have nothing to do with Stage-playes because they are the pleasing incendiaries of mens lusts Augustine de Civ Dei brands Stage-playes with this black mark
what is displeasing to him that may know sin and how to eschew it and may be stirred up to repentance when they have fallen into it this being the Laws property that thereby is the knowledge of sin Rom. 7. 7. and so likewise the knowledge of duty therefore it is summed in so few words that it may be the more easily brought into and retained in the memories and hearts of his people For which cause also of old and late has it always been recommended both in the Word Deut. 5. 1. and in all Catechisms to be learned as a Rule of mens walking and yet so comprehensive is it that without pains and diligence to come to the understanding thereof men cannot but come short of the great scop thereof The third is the great ignorance that is amongst not a few of the meaning of the useful and excellent Scripture and especially in this secure time many not knowing they break the Commandments when they break them at least in many material things and this draweth with it these sad effects 1. That there are few convictions of sin 2. Little repentance for sin 3. Much security presumption confidence in self-righteousness and the like upon which the ignorance of this Scripture hath great influence even as amongst the Jews the ignorance of its Spiritually made many neglect the chief part of holiness and proudly settle on self-righteousness and slight Christ the Mediator as we may see in Pauls example Rom. 7. 9. and this was one reason why our Lord expounded it that by it sinners might see more the necessity of a Mediator who is the end of the Law for righteousness to all that believe Rom. 10. 4. And as these effects are palpable at this time so we conceive it useful to follow the same remedy this evil being not only amongest the prophane but amongst the most formal and civil who stumble at this stone yea many believers are often so much taken with cases and light in Doctrinal truths that they heed not snfficiently the meaning of the Law whereby their convictions of sin tenderness in practise constant exercise of repentance and daily fresh applications to the Blood of Sprinkling are much impeded And although it may seem not so to suit the nature of this exercise for it would be noticed that the Author delievered this Doctrine of the Law in several Lectures on the Sabbath-morning before Sermon in which time he formerly used to read and expound a Chapter of the Holy Scriptures or a considerable portion thereof which Lectures are not now distinguished because of the close connection of the purposes yet considering the foresaid reasons and the nature of this excellent Scripture which cannot hastily be passed through it having much in few words and therefore requiring some convenient time for explication consideriing the weight of it and its usefulness for all sorts of hearers we are confident it will agree well with the end of this Eexercise which is the end of opening all Scripture to wit peoples instruction and edification to insist a little thereon Our purpose is not to aim at any great accuracy nor to multiply questions and digressions nor to insist in application and use but plainly and shortly as we are able to give you the meaning of the Law of God 1. By holding forth the Native Duties required every Commandment 2. The sins which properly oppose and contradict each Commandment that by these we may have some direction and help in duty and some spur to repentance at least a furtherance in the work of Conviction that so by it we may be led to Christ Jesus who is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that belives Rom. 104. which is the principal intent of this Law as it was given to Israel To make way for the Exposition we shall 1. Lay down some Conclusions which arise from the Preface 2. Give you some ordinary distinctions 3. Clear and confirm some Rules or Observations useful for understanding of the whole Law The first Conclusion that we take for granted is that this Law as 't is Moral doth tye even Christians and Believers now as well as of old which appears from this that he who is God the Law-giver here Acts 7. 38. is the Angel Christ and 't is his Word as is clear vers 30. 31. as also the matter of it being connatural to Adam it did bind before the Law was given and that obligatory force cannot be seprated from its nature though the exercise of Right Reason in Nature be much obliterate since the Fall therefore Christ was so far from destroying this Law in its Authority and Paul so far from making it void by the Doctrine of Faith that our Lord tells he came to fulfill it Matt. 5. 17. and Paul shews that his preaching of Faith was to establish it Rom. 3. 31. which truth being confirmed by them both in their Practise and Doctrine sheweth that the breach of the holy Law of God is no less sinful to us now then it was to them before us The second Conclusion is that though this Law and obedience thereto lye on Christians and be called for from them yet it is not laid on them as a Covenant of Works or that by which they are to seek or expect Justification no but on the contrary to overturn self-righteousness by this Doctrine which manifesteth sin and of it self worketh wrath which is also clear in that he is here called Our God which he cannot be to sinners but by Grace And also it appears from the Lords owning of this sinful people as his and his adjoyning to this Law so many Ceremonies and Sacrifices which point out and lead to Christ and from his adding the Law on Mount Sinai as a help to the Covenant made with Abraham Genes 17. which was a Covenant of Grace and was never altered as to its substance in which the people of Israel as his Seed was comprehended therefore it appears that this was never the Lords intent in covenanting thus with his people that they should expect righteousness and life by the adjoyned Law but only that it should be useful in the Hand of Grace to mak the former Covenant with Abraham effectual So then though we be bound to obey the Law we are not to seek righteousness or life by the duties therein enjoyned The third Conclusion is that both Ministers in preaching and people in practising of this Law would carry with subordination to Christ and that the duties called for here are to be performed as a part of the Covenant of Grace and of the obligation that lyeth upon us thereby so all our obedience to God ought still to run in that Channel If we ask how these two differ to wit the performing the duties of the Law as running in the Channel of the Covenant of Grace and the performing of them as running in the Channel of the Covenant of Works or how we are to go
on such a day particularly that comes to pass by vertue of his positive Command the first cannot be altered the second by the Lord may but till he alter it the Authority lies still on all and it is equally sin to sin against any of them though without the positive Sanction there is no obligation naturaly requiring obedience in some of them 6. The sixth distinction is of the Moral Law in two Tables first and second The first contains our immediate worship and service and obedience to God himself and is comprehended in the first four Commandments the second contains our mediate obedience to God in all the duties we owe to other in the last six they were at first so divided by the Lord himself for there are Ten in all Dent. 4. 13 From this distinction take notice 1. That all the Commandments of the second Table are of like Authority with the first God spake all these words yea as it appears from Acts 7. 38. it was our Lord Jesus 2. The sins immediately against the first Table are greater then those against the second for this cause Matth. 22. 38. the first is called the First and Great Commandment Therefore 3. In Morals if they be things of the same nature the duties of the second Table cede and give place to the duties of the first Table when they cannot stand together as in the case of love to God and the exercise of love to our Father and Neighbour Luke 14. 26. Matth. â—0 37. when obedience to God and obedience to our superiours cannot consist we are to obey God rather then man Acts 4. 19. and we are to lore the Lord and hate Father and Mother Luke 14. 6. 4. Yet take notice that Ceremonials or positives of the first Table for a time cede and give place to Morals in the second as for relieving or preserving our Neighbours life in hazard we may travel on the Sabbath day according to that Scripture I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice and the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath c. 7. The seventh distinction which is ordinary is of the Commandments into affirmative and negative as ye see all the Commandments in the first Table are negatively set down forbidding sin directly Thou shalt not have an other gods c. only the fourth is both negative and affirmative forbidding sin and commanding duty directly as also the fifth only which is the first of the second Table is affirmative all the rest are negative This distinction is not so to be understood as if nothing were commanded or injoyned in negative Precepts or as if nothing were forbidden in affirmative Precepts for what ever be expressed as forbidden the contrary is alwayes in plyed as commanded and whatsoever is expresly commanded the contrary is alwayes implyed as forbidden but the distinction is taken from the manner of setting them down concerning which take these Rules or general Observations for your better understanding many whereof are in the larger Catechism 1. However the Commandments be expressed affirmatively or negatively every one of them hath two parts one affirmative implyed in negative Precepts requiring the duties that are contray to the sins forbidden another negative implyed in the affirmative Precepts forbidding the sins that are contrary to the duties commanded as for example the third Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain it implies a Command reverently to use his Name So to remember to keep Holy the Satbbath day implies a Prohibition of prophaning it in which sense all the Commandments may in some respect be called negative and so a part of the fourth Commandment is negatively expressed Thou shalt dâ—no work or affirmative in which respect Christ comprehendeth all the negatives under these two great affirmative Commandments of love to God and our Neighbour for every Commandment doth both enjoyn and forbid the like may be said of promises and threatnings there being in every promise a threatning and in every threatning a promise conditionally implyed And this may be a reason why some Commandments are negatively expressed some positively to show us that both are compredended 2. Though the positive Commandment or the positive part of the Commandment be of alike force and Authority with the negative as to the obligation it layeth on us to duty yet it doth not tye us to all occasions and times as negatives do Hence is that common Maxime that affirmative Commands tye and oblige semper ever that is they never want their Authority and we are never absolved from their obedience but they do not oblige and tye ad semper that is in all differences of time we are not tyed to the exercise of the duties enjoyned negatives again oblige both somper and ad semper that is alwayes and in all differences of time For instance in the third Commandment the affirmative part is to use the Lords Name and Ordinances holily and reverently in prayer reading and hearing c. So in the fourth Commandment we are required to sanctifie the Sabbath by wating on Ordinances c. This makes these still duties so as to pray hear c. are still duties but we are not to be and should not be alwayes exercised in these duties for we must abound in other duties also of necessity and mercy we must eat and sleep c. and when we sleep we can neither act love nor sear Again the negative part is not to prophane the Lords Name in his Ordinances this may not be done at any time The reason of the difference is this because in affirmatives we are not alwayes tyed to the acts of Duties and Graces but to the Disposition and Habit. Habits are a Spiritual Quality a Vis or Power sitting and enabling for bringing forth these acts and for the bringing them forth in the due time and season when they shall be called for but in sinful things we are prohibited not only the habits but the acts also the one is alwayes and ever a sin but the other is not alwayes called for as duty If any desire Rules to know when a duty is called for as for instance when we are to pray hear c. it is hardly possible to be particular in this yet we may try it by these Generals 1 Any affirmative Precept binds to present practise when the duty required tends to Gods glory unto which every thing should be done as 1 Corinth 10. 31. and when the omission of the duty may dishonour him 2. When it tends to others edification and omitting will some way stumble and offend 3. When some special Providences meet and concur to give opportunity for such a duty as for instance the giving of Aims when we have it and some indigent person offers whose necessity calls for it Gal. 6. 10. So when secrecy for prayer is offered and no other more necessary duty at that time is called for which we are to watch unto
ground upon this ground because they are not then in a capacity to use and exercise their reason but that they are in this case as mad distracted oâ— frantick men I desire to be sober in speaking to this yet I shall adventure to speak my mind a little about it with the reasons of it And 1. we say there is a great difference betwixt sleeping dreaming men and mad-men 1. Because madness is wholly in it self penal and is a disease following sinful man as other diseases but so it cannot be said of such dreaming for as sleep was natural there being before Adams Fall a Day and a Night as well as now and there being an instance then of Adams sleeping so must dreaming be being procured by the restlesness of the Fancy and the roving of the Imaginations which is some way natural but that men dream of such subjects or that their dreams are of such a nature as filthy or prophaine seems clearly to follow sin which dreaming simply doth not and therefore man is not so passive in this as in madness 2. Because in dreams men have more use of Reason then in madness though as the School-men say that use be imperfect yet as they grant and Experience confirmeth it and Augustine lib. 10. Confessâ— acknowledgeth it in himself their may reason and debate in sleep yea sometimes reject some motions and though dreaming yet not give consent unto them and that upon reasons which at other times possibly they will imbrace Hence is it that there is a sort of sutableness and likeness betwixt mens dreamings and their rational actings when walking children and mad men or men in a distemper having more foolishnese and less reason in dreams then these who have more use of reason but wise men in a distraction and natural fools have no such difference then Beside we conceive that dreaming is more proper to reasonable men then Beasts and to men that have exercise of reason then to children but madness may be in all 3. Because a mans former carriage in moral things hath much more influence on his dreams when he has clear use of reason then it can be said to have upon him when in madness as to the things committed by him in it 4. Neither is it without some weight that under the Law Levit. 15. Deut. 23. 10. Sacrifices and Washing were appointed for some sins committed in sleep and dreaming whatever they be in themselves which were not appointed for the sins of such as were frantick All which put together and duly considered we cannot look upon sins I mean things otherwise unlawful in dreaming and sins in distraction as equal Yet secondly there be some things that we willingly grant in this matter As 1. That we do not comprehend under these sinful dreams every passing transient thought or motion in sleep which has meerly an idleness and unprofitableness with it which though it might possibly be siuful in men waking when they should aim in the least thought at something edifying yet we think dreams that are meerly so to say negative that is not sinful on the matter are not to be accounted sins nay not yet sins historically as it were objected to the fancy or only objectively proposed I say they are not sinful because mans fancy at such a time is open to such Representations and cannot hold them out especially seeing they may possibly be carried in by the Devil who certainly waits these times but there are other sinful dreams such as that spoken of Levit. 15. through occasion of which there is effusion of seed rising in passion delighting in revenge it may be as we have heard to the committing of some act such have as it were a more diliberate consent with them and sometimes delight yea sometimes external motion of the body endeavouring the accomplishments of its desires in all which it seems hard to say that a man is passive only and when the subject of the dreams are such things as a natural Conscience will scare and tremble at it is of these we speak 2. We conceive there is a great difference as to degrees of sinfulness betwixt such sinful motions desires delectations c. that are in a waking man and the same in one a sleep the guilt is much less by many degrees in the one then in the other 3. A difference is to be made betwixt gross sins objectively represented to the fancy in sleep and the same sins which are not only sorepresented but also have more setled motions following thereon 4. There is a difference also betwixt distempered men in their dreams of this kind and men who are sober and well at themselves yet we cannot but incline to think that there is some guilty that may and ought to be repented of in such dreams and so that men may in their sleep sin against these holy Commandments seeing that in many dreams as in many words there are divers even sinful vanities Eccles 5. 7. This Truth is something clear from the grounds already laid down but we shall for further clearing and confirming of it and these following Arguments The first is this 1. That tickling delight as an evil against the Law of God is a fruit of original sin which sin infects all our imaginations and make them evil Genes 6. 5. yea they are the flowings out of habitual lust which is now natural to us and if they be a Fruit of that Tree or a Daughter of that Mother must they not be of the same nature and so sinful and that they must flow from Original sin may thus be made out That none can imagine such dreams to have been incident to Adam in the state of Innocency while all was pure even though sleep and dreams were natural to him And this may be confirmed from that one Maxime of the School-men that Adams Innocency was capable of no deception nor of any thing which might make him sad either sleeping or waking but such dreams certainly imply both If it be said such dreams may be from an external cause as the Devils objecting such and such things to men in sleep I answer I grant in part it may be so but 1. Though he object them to us sleeping as well as waking yet it is we that entertain these objected Representations it is we that delight in them and move by them though tempted thereto by him we may say he is Father and as it is Acts 5. 3. he filleth the heart and furnisheth fewel but we are the Mother I say it is our corruption that bringeth forth and can any say that if there were no corruption within us that these would be so entertained 2. Though they come from him as an external cause yet considering that our nature is inclined to such things so that Powder or Flax taketh no sooner with Fire cast into them then our corrupt nature doth with these temptations Is it possible to imagine that a Dart of temptation should be thrown in
contentment is oft-times a great Idol and it is so when a man is so addicted to his ease as he cannot abide to be troubled Thus was it with that man Luke 12. 19. Soul take thee rest His Ease was his Idol and he rested on it and made it the end of all his buildings and laying up of goods but his riches were his Idol as he grounded his expectation of rest upon that which he possessed So many idle men who frame their life so as they may not be troubled though they be no wayes profitable but spend what they have making this the drift of all they do that they may have an easie life when this overswayeth them as their last end though otherwise if they were not wedded to their case might be more profitable and often with abstaining from and neglecting of many necessary duties that they may eschew trouble it is a prevailing Idol A tenth is wandering fancies and Chimera's the mind pleasing it self with them and delighting to entertain them and pursuing them from a design to find satisfaction in them even in such things as never had nor it may be can have a being except in their own imagination and fancy such are called by Solomon Eccles 6. 9. The wanderings of the desire opposed to the sight of the eyes which others delight in as when men spend their wits and inventions on penning Romances Love-passions Stage-playes Comedies Masks Balls c. or which is more subtil yet much practised when the minds of men frame imaginary and fictitious revenge delight eminency c. to themselves The means and second causes Physitians Armies Ministers Stars and Natural Causes by which God useth to work by some called Nature are oft-times so trusted and leaned to as they are made mens Idols nay by many in these dayes Judiciary Astrology Palmestry c. are much studied and doted on and the Scriptures antiquated and laid aside in a great measure Next if it be asked what Idols are most subtil Answ 1. An Idol is then most subtil when it lurketh in the heart and scateth it self principally in mens mind aim and inward contentment and they inwardly ascribe too much to such a thing and yet it may be in their external practise there is not much to discover this 2. Then are Idols most subtil when they lye in such things to which somewhat of fear love delight c. is allowable as in lawful things which may in some measure be lawfully loved feared and sought for 3. When they are in negatives as in Omissions Ease c. then they are more subtil then when they lye in something men positively seek after or in the Commission of something forbidden 4. When they pass under a lawful name as when Pride goeth under the name of Honesty Anxiety under the name of Lawful Care c. then they are hardly discovered 5. When sticking to one Idol the man rejecteth all others as he conceiveth out of respect to God as may be instanced in the cases of a Monastick liâ—e regular obedience some singular opinion so much stuck to and laid weight on by many 6. When it is in means that have been used or are allowed by God for attaining such an end as it is hard to keep bounds in this case so it is hard to discover the Idolatry of the heart in it In all which it is to be advertised that Idolatry in these things consisteth mostly in the inordinateness of the heart and affections to them and that it lyeth not so much in our actions about them as in the manner of our acting and the circumstances accompanying us and our actions anxiety estimation excessive care love c. For clearing the difference betwixt this idolatrous love fear service and true love fear c. take these Rules 1. When our love to Creatures drowneth our love to God and maketh us to cast off duties we owe to him as in Demas 2. When in part it marreth us in the performance of duties to God as in Eli. 3. When it so taketh us up in our practise throughout the day that we give not necessary time to the Worship of God in praying reading hearing c. 4. When it indisposeth for these so that when we are praying or hearing the heart is carried away after Creatures and the mind is taken up with some other thing then God as Ezekiel 33. 31. 5. When they too much and very unnecessarily haunt the heart in meditation or when we lye down or rise and at such times when our thinking on such imployments contributeth not to the furtherance of them it sheweth that they have too much of the heart when they possess it alwayes and when it is seldom taken up actually with better things but these steal in easily and at all times It may appear now 1. How common this sin of Idolatry is 2. How great guilt and hazard men are lying under thereby because 1. Few are convinced of it 2. Many years Idolatry lyeth together upon the Consciences of many 3. There is little repentance for it though many ways one may insensibly slide into it It is not so very useful or needful here particularly to enquire what Idol is predominant and hath chief room if these three things be granted 1. That there may be and are many Idols often at once as Legions distracting the man and swarming in his heart 2. That successively they may be changed according to mens tentations and conditions 3. That men should study the mortification of all and the giving God his due so as none be spared for if any one be spared none at all are mortified slain It would become Believers and it would be their advantage to think much upon such Scriptures as these Isaiah 30. 22. And ye shall be my People and I will he your God Luke 14. 8. VVhen thou art bidden of any man to a wedding sit not down in the highest room l st a more honourable man then thou be bidden of him 1 Corinth 10. from vers 5. to vers 15. And that they would study conformity to them and learn to abhor Idols yea all Creatures in so far as they become Idols to them We are now further to prosecute the Branches of this Commandment which is a Key to all the rest and because Gods Soveraignity is holden forth here there is no sin that may not be reduced to it as being a disobedience to this Soveraign God We shall first permit some general wayes whereby it is broken then insist in some particulars More generally it is broken three wayes as hath been said already 1. By derogating from God that which is his due so all contempt of him disobedience to him wronging his infinite Attributes as if he were not Omnipotent Omniscient Infinite c. denying of his Providence in less or more are breaches of this Commandment Thus he is wronged when he getteth not everyway that which is his due 2. By attributing to God what