it no more Wee will now proceede to the second Commaundement The secoÌ„d commandement IF thou loue God as thou oughtest and as he requireth thou wilt make no Image of God for so runneth the commaundement Tbou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image And if thon mayest not make it much lesse mayst thou worship it no Commaundement Exe. 34 14 throughout the Scripture is more pressed than this thou shalt bow downe to no other God because the Lorde whose name is Iealous he is God This Commaundement was greatly violated in the dayes of Ieremy the prophet chargeth Iudah that according to the number of their Cityes were their gods they could say to a tree thou art my father and to a stone thou hast begotten me Remember saith Moses when God spake vnto you out of the fire you hard the voice Deu. 4. 12. of the wordes but saw no similitude saue a voyce only As we are forbidden in this commandement to make the Image of God so are we likewise charged not to make the Image of any other thing either to worship it or god sainct or angell by it for God will not bee worshipped after our owne fancies but as his word commaundeth God will be worshipped in spirit and truth according to the paterne of the word as Moses did all thinges according to the patterne he saw in the mount In vaine ye worship me teaching for doctrine Mark 7. 7. the precepts of men This controules the vaine and idle conceitednesse of ignorant people who being demaunded why they maintaine this or that superstition they answere no other thing but this our father 's held the same before vs and wee holde the same too by tradition from them as if religion came by discent so folishe are some and ignorant euen as an horse or mule which haue no vnderstanding Ambrose in his twenty ninth Epistle saith that the Iewes are the rather estranged from Christian religion because they find Images erected in the Papistes Synagogues The Iews smarted many times for their Idolatrous worship therfore now detesting it in themselues they abhor it in others also Osee telleth the Iewes that because they counsailed with their stocke and staffe and went a whoring from vnder their god therfore their daughters should be harlots and their spouses whores What sencelesnesse is it saith a learned diuine for the Image of God to fall downe before the Image of a man Danid painteth out the vanitie of superstitious worshippers when speaking of Idols he saith the Idolls of the heathen are siluer and gold euen the worke of mens hands they haue mouths and speake not they haue eies and see not they haue eares and heare not neither is there any breath in their mouth they that make them are like vnto them so are all they that put their trust in tâ—â—m Liclantius peremptorily giues out this censure there is no doubt saith he but that no pure religion can be there where any Image is receiued Againe if thou loue God thou wilt cary The third commandement such ar euerent estimatioÌ„ of him as that thou wilt not abuse so much as his name thou wilt both speak and think reuerently of him Thou dost violate this commaundement so often as thou dost blasphemously apply the name of God to inchauntment sorcery cursing and periury The iniquity of these times and the necessity of reforming the grosse abuses of men wilfully and wittingly incurring the breach of this commaundement would require whole volumes of inuectiues witchcraft forceries charming they are sinnes too commonly practized in this age If ones finger do but ake or any part of thy body be extraordinarily touched with any infirmity straight to the witch thou runnest or sendest and so for things that be lost or stolne for the which the wiseman or the wise woman must be consulted with alas beloued is God as Baal that he should not care for your abuse nor call you to an accouÌ„t for the breach of his commandements Or are you yet to be taught whether this be a sinne or not For so many shame not to answer when they are challenged for going to a wise man or woman why say they we hope we do well we find that good comes of it we get our health we recouer our goods that were lost and so they crosse S. Paul his rule Non facienda sunt mala vt veniant bona we may not do ill that good may come of it If thou hast not yet heard the Lord condemning this sinne heare it now and henceforth condemne it in thy selfe Let none be found among you that vseth Leuiti 20. witchcraft or that is a regarder of time or a sorcerer or a charmer or that councelleth with spirits for all that do such things are an abhomination to the Lorde The Canaanites for this cause were expelled Exo. 22. 18. from their good land let not a witch liue In the sift of the Gallathians it is reckoned among the sins of the flesh and condemned Wilt thou behold the terror of the Lords wrath vpon this sinfull generation and euer after beware of a witch looke vppon Saul whom God did not spare though he were a King for consulting with the witch at Endor he was vtterly forsaken his kingdome taken 1. Sa. 31. 4. 6 from him the next day folowing he and his three sonnes were slaine Will ye haue another president of Gods iustice vpon another who was a King too Achaziah being sicke of a bruze taken with a fall would needes send to Beelzebub 2. King â— of Ekron to know whether hee shoulde recouer or no but the Lorde by the mouth of Eliah sent backe the messenger before he could come to the witch and bade him returne this colde comfort to his master is there no God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire of Beelzebub wherefore thus saith the Lorde thou shalt not rise vp from the bed whereon thou art gone vp but shalt die the death If you or any other when you go to a witch should receiue this or the like sentence at the Lordes mouth I resolue you would be more warie I cannot part with this sinne because I would beate it downe and stamp it into hel from whence it came Oh would I could find that stone that might kill this Goliah I would throw it at him with al my might and make it sincke into the midst of his temples to returne glory to Israel and shame to the Philistins Most notable is that place in Ezech. where God pronounceth an heauy woe against these wise-mongers Woe vnto the women that sow pillowes Ezec. 13. 18 vnder euery arme-hole wil ye hunt the souls of my people wil ye pollute me among my people for handfulls of barley and for peeces of bread to stay the soules of them that should not die can you giue life to the soules that come vnto you why do ye hunt the soules of my people
like the restlesse doue till we flie to God as the doue to the arke by an vnfained repentance This made Peter go out and this was his consideration and the same must be ours too if we wil haue rest to our soules or peace to our consciences He went out c. The place from whence he went was the high priests hall the place of iudgement where Christ was arraigned where the scribes and people were gathered together against Christ none but wicked men assembled in that place and here was no place for Peter Therfore he went out Good men must not companie with the wicked at any time and if they happen to light in their societie â—ike Dauid among the Philistins they ought then to make speede to go out from them according to the counsell of Solomon turne Prou. 15. away from the wicked man The Lord will haue the righteous to out goe from the wicked as Lot went out of Sodom to dwell in Zoar. Peter sate in denying his maister but now being brought to the knowledge of his sin he bestirred himselfe and went out when we are most secure and at greatest ease resting our selues as it were in the chaire of securitie and drowsinesse then is Satan most vigilant and watchful to snare vs. As when Iobs children were feasting and thought least of any daunger towards themselues Iob. 1. 19 the diuell spied his opportunitie to destroy them by throwing the house vppon their heads When Belshazar was sitting at the table carowsing wine among his nobles in vessels Dan. 5. of siluer and vessels of gold then were the hideous fingers vpon the wall readie to pen his tragical end and the ruine of his kingdome Lot had no sooner betaken himself to ease Gen 19. 33 in Zoar but Satan preuailed against him to cause him committe incest with his twoo Gen. 9. 21 daughters he tempted Noah the preacher of righteousnes after he had planted himselfe a vine-yard to take so deepe a taste of the grape that he became drunke he became ouerflowed with wine as the old world with water and this was a worse deluge then the first He that preached to others but a little before could not preach to himselfe a lesson of sobrietie but lay vncouered in his tent and was a rebuke to his owne children If these mightie ones haue bin ouerthrown how shal the weaklings stand No maruaile if the low shrubs be rooted out and supplanted since the tall Cedars in Lebanon are thrown down This securitie was farre from Iob who as he shewed himselfe in other things to be patient shewed himselfe in this to be vigilant in that he sayth I feared al my waies If Peter had watched Satan as Satan watched him lâ—e had not bin snared but when he sate Saâ—â—n saw he was carelesse and therefore the more subiect to be tempted and to be ouercome We reade of the cranes that when they Plinie flocke together to feede one of them vseth to feede a farre off and that crane so singled from the rest still as he feedes lookes round about him and obserues if any daunger be towards them if he spie any bodie drawing nigh then he giueth warning to the rest and so they saue themselues shall this pollicie rest in vnreasonable birds and shall it not â— found in man If when Peter his body haâ— taken it rest his soule had wakened and obserued Satan casting a net about him to inâ— tangle him he had deceiued the deceiuer bâ— while he sate his enemy walked round abouâ— him and circumuented him so as he had nâ— power to escape Peter sate when he fell like a man in â— slumber that falles beside his chaire but now he standeth vp like a man newly wakened out of a dream and he goeth out The godly are euer for the most part noted either going walking or running The Prophet Ps 119. 33. Dauid desired the Lord to teach him to go the path of his commandements hauing Ps 119. 32. learned to go he had also learned to run the way of his commandements I will runne the way of thy coÌ„mandements One comes Luke 10. running to Christ desirous to know what he must do to obtain eternal life he thought he Mar. 10. 17 could not runne fast enough being in the way to eternall life Zacheus ranne to meete Christ a certaine blind man in running to Christ threw away his cloake to the end he might runne the faster And Peter held his station no longer but Luke 19. 4. besturd himselfe and made haste to go out when he felt the liuely soule-stirring motion of Gods spirit calling him to repentance Samuel could not sleepe when the Lord 1. Sam. 3. called nor Peter sit any longer when the spirit of God called vpon him by the crowing of a cocke Let vs learne of Peter to yeeld to the woorking of Gods spirite now the cocke croweth and as many as are watchfull may heare it now then let vs prepare our selues to repent like Peter And he wept bitterly Here is the third degree or step of his repentance testified by his teares Plinie writeth that the teares of the vine doe cure the leprozie of the skinne So the teares of the faithfull grafted into the true vine Christ Iesus do cure the leprozie of sin S. Aug. sayth when the Eagle waxeth old she plungeth her wings into a fountaine of cleere water and so renueth her strength So we must wash and bathe this whole body of sinne so shall we become lustie and yong as an Eagle S. Cyril vpon this weeping of Peter sayth Locum flendo recepit quem negando perdidit he found that in weeping which he lost by denying and though he denied him saith Nazaianzene God is more merciful than mâ— can be sinfull if man will be sorrowfull â— 2. King 2 Elisha threw salt into the waters to maâ— them sauory and sweet so must we season oâ— prayers with salt teares to make them sauoâ— vnto God Great cause had Peter to weepe considâ— ring 1. Sam. 1. 7 the greatnesse of his sinne for if Annâ— had cause to weep for her barrennesse muâ— more cause had Peter for his barrennesse â— faith If Rachel wept for her children becauâ— Iere. 31. 15 they were not much more cause had Petâ—â— to weep for his graces because they were noâ— If Agar wept being turned out of her masters house should not Peter mourne mucâ— rather for turning himselfe out of his masteâ— house and denying his coate If Thamar wept being deflowred of heâ— 2. Sam. 13 19. virginitie hath not Peter cause to weepe foâ— beeing depriued of his faith and constanciâ— If the Virgin Marie wept for the death oâ— her Son as if her soule had bin pearced thoâ— row with a sword hath not Peter cause tâ— weepe for denying him that died for him Many causes we see may procure teares buâ— sure to deny Christ as Peter did is a causâ— that
should eâ—en dissolue all eies into teares If the eie be drie at any time it ought in no case to be drie when we should weep for sin No teares are lost that fall from the eies of â—odly men for god catches them before they can fall to the ground and he treasureth them Psal 56 8 vp in his bottle If you will direct this watery humor to his due course and deriue this floud of affection to the right channell we must weepe for our sinnes like Peter Such weeping is both the salue and smart of sinne curing that which it chastneth with true remorce and preuenting neede of new Cure with detestation of the disease Teares tie the tongues of all accusers and soften the rigor of the seuerest iudge when they are most pittiful they are most powerfull and when they are most forsaken they are most victorious full of strength like to Samsons hairy lockes euen to foile whole armies Iud. 16. This heauenly dew of deuotion neuer falleth but the sunne of righteousnes drawes it vp and vpon whose face soeuer it droppes it makes the same most amiable and glorious like the face of Moses when he came downe Exo. 34 35 from the Mount Most sweetly was it vttered by a diuine of sweetest vtterance that repentant eies are â— cellars of Angells and penitent teares thâ— sweetest wines which the sauour of life pâ— fumeth the taste of grace sweetneth and tâ— purest colours of returning innocency higâ—ly beautifieth O that our hearts were such a limbeckâ— euermore distilling so pure a quintessencâ— drawen out from the weedes of our offencâ— by the fire of true contrition Heauen woulâ— mourne at the absence of so precious a water and earth lament the losse of so fruitfuâ— showres Sure till death close vp the fountaines the shall neuer faile running and then shall ouâ— soules be ferried in them to the hauen of life that as by them we were first transporteâ— from sinne to grace so in them wâ— may bâ— wafâ—ed from grace to glory And thus haue I deliuered vnto you the three degrees of Peters repentance which steps we must all pace if we will treade the way that leadeth to eternall life And nowe if I might be so priuileged 2. Chro. 1. 7 that I might receiue what I would at Gods hands like Solomon I would intreat no more but this of him that he would direct euery one of vs to keep these steps which his apostle S. Peter hath troaden out afore vs. There is none of vs but hath offended â—th Peter we haue denied Christ as he did â—hough not in the same manner yet sure in as â—â—eat a measure and had we liued to haue â—â—ne Christ in the flesh and had bin in like â—ort vrged as Peter was we would not haue â—icked to haue likewise offended But how many are among vs that though â—hey confesse Christ in name do not denie â—â—m in deedes and workes we professe the â—â—me of christians but liue like infidells haâ—ing a shew of godlinesse but denying the power of it We haue nothing from Christianity but the name like Labans Idols that were called gods and yet were but blockes What fruit hath the word wrought in vs what amendment of life what reformation euery man sound himselfe and descend into his owne conscience and he shal find himself now nothing better than he was many score yeares ago as prowd now as euer as couetous now as euer as vaine euery way now as euer as vnapt to serue God now as euer and what els is this then to denie Christ Although Christ is preached vnto vs euery Sabbaoth and we all in good measure acquainted with the will of God opened vnto vs in his word yet who careth to walke wâ— thy of his knowledge and to practise in a â—â—ly obedience that which we know and is â— this to deny Christ Wee heare how straightly God coâ—maunds vs to keep his Sabbaoth and yetâ— wilfully violate the same if we present oâ— selues in the beginning of the Sabbaoth offer vnto God the morning sacrifice weâ— not come in the afternoone to giue him â— euening incense But we reserue the beâ— part of the day to our selues and do bestâ— it vpon our lustes and is not this to dâ—â— Christ Peter after he had weighed the greatnesâ— his sinne was so offended with himselfe thâ— he had almost drowned himselfe in his owâ— teares Since we haue sinned with Peter vs repent with Peter â— who after this did sinâ— no more The same Peter after this tooâ— penance of himself for his Deniall and coâ— ragiously gaue vp his life for the testimony â— Iesus Christ Let euery one of vs theÌ„ go forth with Petâ—â— and weepe before the Lord like Ezechial that he may forgiue vs our misdeedes If wâ— had as many eyes in our heads as there bâ— grasse-piles vpon the ground yet we ougâ— â—o weepe them all out for our sinnes If euer there were a time for teares then â—â—is is the time wherein eye-streames ought â—o be most behoouefull for this is the time of our visitation this is a time that should be deuoted wholly to mourning meditations â—â—ke the Captiue Israelites vpon Babilons banckes Were Ieremie now aliue and saw the iniquity of these times and the vialls of Gods wrath already powred out vpon this land â—nd the inhabitants thereof for the sin thereâ—n committed hee would againe renue his tragicall ditty in the ninth of his prophecy O that my head were a well of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I may weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people The scarcity and streightnes wherewith we yet are and of long time haue bin afflicted should force vs to take vp a lamentation and to howle out with those husbandmen in Ioel his time for the wheat and for the barly because the fields are wasted and the haruest is perished Our Ephah is become small but the shekel great and God hath vtterly broken the staffe of our bread as Ezechiel speaketh and had we not need to weep bitterly with Peter aâ— with Dauid to water our couch with teareâ— Yet notwithstanding all this where is â—â— humiliation that is required who yet 〈◊〉 neth to the Lord nay we seeme to be haâ—â—ned in our sins and we haue mâ—de our haâ— like the adamant that the impression of Goâ— graces cannot enter Resembling herein wicked Pharaoh anâ— those senceles Aegyptians who were so frâ—zen in the dregges of their sins and their haâ— so stony that the ten plagues powred vpâ—â— them did no whit humble them or maâ—â— them to relent The like remorceles obduration we read Amos 4. of in the fourth of Amos there the Lorâ— checketh the people for their rebellious obstinacy in not reforming themselues accoâ—ding to his righteous iudgements I haue giuen you cleanesse of teeth in â— your citties and scarcenes of bread in all youâ— places yet you haue not returned vnto mâ— saith the