1. By forsaking and with-drawing his grace without which as a lame man going with stiltes falleth if they be taken from him so euery man falleth and is vnable to stand in the day of temptation 2. By leauing a man to his owne lustes by which as by a violent streame running downe a steepe hill hee is carried quite away 3. By deliuering ouer to Satan for the punishment of former notorious sinnes who hardeneth more and more in all wickednes as he did Pharaoh and King Saul But deliuer vs that is withdraw not thy grace from vs for the time to come leaue vs not to our owne lusts neither deliuer vs ouer to satan to be hardened as thou mightest iustly doe for our sinnes but when satan and our owne lusts conspire our destruction stand by vs that our faith may not faile as Christ promised to his Disciples saying Satan hath desired to win now you but I haue prayed that your faith may not faile From euill euill is twofold of sinne and of punishment vsually called Malum culpa and malum poena From both these wee pray to bee deliuered 3. For the scope of the petition because it is negatiue it is first to bee considered in the deprecation which is 1. Against spirituall desertion or forsaking of Gods Spirit What we pray against which if it be gone all power to stand and all spirituall comfort is gone also It is in vs the new life and spirit of the soule Gods fire sent from heauen to heat vs with good affections to inlighten vs with true vnderstanding and to ouercome whatsoeuer corruptions it meeteth withal in vs according to which the Apostle warneth quench not the Spirit 1. Thes 5.19 Wofull is their estate that are thus forsaken as we pray therefore against it so let vs prouide by willing entertaining the motions of the Spirit and auoyding all vnkind vsage thereof that wee may neuer be forsaken or left without the sweet consort and company of it 2. We pray against solicitations to sin either by the deuill world or flesh that satan may be chained vp not let loose against vs that the flesh may bee nourished and not continue so rebellious in the euill motions thereof and that we may auoide the outward flattering obiects in the world and company of wicked men alluring vnto sinne Against which things seeing that we pray what mock gods are those that are careles of offering themselues into temptations and prouocations to sinne yea delight so to doe by frequenting wicked company and giuing aduantage to Satan whilst they please themselues in deceitefull obiects of sinne 3. Wee pray against sinne euen when we are most solicited and tempted vnto it because it cannot be but wee ust needes meet with temptations as long as we haue eyes and hearts and eares in this world Wee pray therefore that though we be tempted yet wee may not be ouercome and made slaues to sinne as they are which commit sinne according to the Apostle to the Romans Rom. 6.16 He that committeth a sinne is the seruant of sinne To be preserued from sinne vse these remedies with thy eies euer behold God present with thy eares euer heare that terrible voyce sounding Arise yee dead and come to iudgement with thy hands bee euer exercising that which is good in thy heart euer hide the Word of God and with thy feet stand in the courts of Gods house 4. Against grieuous afflictions long continuing to make vs despaire of Gods mercy or hearing our prayers for these are the most forcible temptations in the world and therefore need of strong faith is there still to trust in God and patiently to indure that they may be turned of temptations to sin into purgations of sin that grace may more abound through meanes of them And otherwise wee doe not pray against them least we should be found such as would follow Christ but whilst we resist the crosse rather goe from him then take vp the crosse and follow him as he hath commanded 5. We pray against sudden death which is a great euill and therfore threatned against wicked worldlings of whom Dauid saith Psalm 73.19 How suddenly are they perished destroyed and horribly consumed yet we do not simply pray against sudden death out of a carnal desire of licentiousnes but that we may haue space to set our house in order to testifie our faith to the comfort of the Church and to repent of our renued trespasses into which we daily fall though we striue against them The fiery Serpents in the wildernesse destroyed the Israelites suddenly and so did the Angell suddenly in one night destroy 185000. of the Assyrians and all this was done in anger for sinne likewise the men of Bethshemesh perished and Vzzah and the old World and Sodome al being smitten in great indignation On the contrary side it is a fauour vsually done to such as feare God to giue them time at their death as to Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and to all whose deaths are described Which I speake not as censuring those that die suddenly but those that find fault with praying against this vncomfortable departure For whatsoeuer is ordinarily a signe of Gods anger and barreth his ordinary manifestation of his greatest loue in this life is to bee prayed against but such is sudden death ergo it is to be prayed against 6. Wee pray against obduration and hardning in sinne through a custome of sinning or through some notorious sins for which the Lord vsually giueth men ouer to sinne with a reprobate mind for a punishment as he did the Gentiles of whom the Apostle testifieth Rom. 1.24 Verse 26. Versse 28. He gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts and againe God gaue them vp for this cause to vile affections and againe God deliuered them vp to a reprobate mind Wee pray therefore that of all punishments the Lord would not lay this vpon vs or turne vs into Satans hands so that hee should take vs and worke his cursed will in vs at his pleasure which is the very entrance of hell and most terrible to the soule inlightned as experience sheweth If any set light by such a punishment let him know that hee is blinded by the god of this world and led as the Aramites by Elisha into the midst of deuils in the bottomlesse pit 7. We pray against eternal death and damnation the greatest euill of all other in regard of which all torments here are but flea-bites and to be despised We desire therefore that whatsoeuer our deserts be by reason of sin yet that the Lord would not punish vs accordingly but lay all the burthen of these too intollerable vpon the shoulders of our blessed Sauiour who hath submitted himselfe vnto death and all possible humiliation of dolours and terrors by the apprehension euen of Gods heauy wrath and indignation for vs that wee might escape 2. The supplication is for such things as are best for vs
sinfull course of life which they might haue amended in them by teaching charging reprouing and requiring better things at their hands and leading them on by a good example For this as hath been shewed is their dutie as it is to furnish them with things necessary for the bodily life and therefore as in the denying of these they which are vnder their gouernment perishing their blood shall be laid to their charge so is it when they deny them meanes necessary for their soules and much more if they giue them the poyson of bad counsell or bad example this murthering of soules shal be charged vpon them 3 Neighbours And lastly euery neighbour that giueth his neighbour drinke to make him drunken that stirreth vp one against another to sighting and quarrelling and generally if hee enticeth to any sinne or doth countenance and fauour and defend it to the heartning of a man on therein euery of these waies he is the cause of the destruction of his neighbour and shall answer as a soule-murtherer For this is taxed in Gods word as an high offence Habbac 2.15 Woe be to him that giueth his neighbour drinke that is to make him drunken and it is set downe as an height of sinne Rom. 1.31 Which not onely doe such things but fauour such as doe them And good reason seeing euery man is bound to keepe his neighbour as much as in him lieth from sinne otherwise he is censured as hating his brother For Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Leuit. 19.27 saith the Lord but rebuke him plainely â—nd not suffer him to sinne Oh then how shall hee answer it that prouoketh his brother to sinne without doubt hee shall be iudged as an hater yea a murtherer of his brother at the last day Quest 93. What is here commanded Answ Out of the loue that we beare to our neighbour as much as in vs lieth to preserue his life and health and specially the life of his soule by good counsell exhortations admonitions and the like Explan The duty here commanded ariseth from the consideration of the sinne forbidden for if it be forbidden to murther then it is commanded to saue life because he that saueth not life when it is in his power is guilty of murther Now as murther is either of a mans own self or of another man so the duty that we may be free from the guilt of any murther is to endeauour to saue both a mans owne life and the life of another man 1 To saue our owne life by flying in time of danger First then thou art here bound to preserue thine owne life by the vse of all lawfull meanes 1. In the time of danger flying from one place to another whether the danger bee by persecution as Dauid was indangered by Saul and therefore fled from him and as Athanasius an holy father of the Church hid himselfe a long time when he was sought for to the death by the Arians and as Eliah long before fled from Jezabel 1. King 19. or if the danger be by famine as Abraham Isaack Iacob Naomi and other holy persons haue commonly done or if there be danger by the plague the chiefe cure of which deuouring euill next to repentance is to change the aire and that speedily not in an opinion to be safe from Gods stroake but in obedience to his wil who would haue vs to preserue our liues by all lawfull meanes in the time of danger And a principall ground of all this is that commandement of our Sauiour Matth. 10.23 If they persecute you in one City flie into another and the speciall command vnto Eliiah in the time of famine 1. King 17. Gen 12. Gen. 20. and the Lords manifest approbation of Abrahams flying then comforting him and taking his part against Kings If it be demanded but may Ministers flie in the plague-time and leaue their people Answ That Ministers may flie in time of danger Without doubt they may if it bee Gods will to preserue themselues for the greater good of the Church whereas if they should harden themselues and stay amongst the infected there were apparant danger of being cut off and so to bee preuented of doing further good in the Church 2. By vsing lawful meane in times of sicknesse Esay 38.21 Secondly in the time of sicknes keeping thy selfe warme and taking such things as whereby thou mayest be freed from the matter of thy disease and by Gods blessing bee restored Thus Hezâ—chiah that was sick vnto the death is bidden to take a â—umpe of drie figs and lay it vpon the boile 3. To defend our selues with our best force Thirdly being set vpon by wicked men or by the enemy defending our selues with our best forces 4. By vsing lawfull recreation Fourthly by vsing lawfull recreation at lawfull times by some extraordinary motion of the body or otherwise chearing our minds and spirits with the vse of pleasant pastimes that are in themselues indifferent Such is shooting of which mâ—ntion is made in the holy Scriptures â— Sam. 1.18 He bad them teach the children of Israel to shoote as it is written in the booke of Jasher And Musicke Nehem. 7.67 Iudges 14 9. vnto which many were brought vp and propounding of riddles and the like But heere is no tolleration for gaming meerely for gaine which in stead of recreating distempereth the mind and body and is commonly accompanied with many foule sinnes To preserue another mans life 1. By almes-deeds Iob 3 9. For the life of another man This is preserued 1. By almes deeds where necessity doth require for thus Iob saith that hee had not seene any perish for want of cloathing c. and some there are in this danger continually vnlesse they be relieued and he that seeth it and hath wherewithall to helpe them but doth not if they perish is guilty of their death 2. To helpe in time of danger 1. King 18.13 2. By rescuing and helping a man in any danger as Obadiah hid the Prophets of the Lord in caues to saue them from Ahab and Iezabel in time of persecution 3 By patience and meâ—knes 3. By patience and meekenesse preuenting quarrels and bloudshed that doth otherwise often times follow The parts of this gentlenes and meekenes are 1. Soft answers when any meanes be vsed to prouoke vs Prou. 15.1 for a soft answer putteth away strife Dauids fury was calmed when Abigail came vnto him with gentle and pleasing words and without doubt seruants and children might escape many cruell blowes if they would frame their tongues to this soft answering 2. A stayed temper of affections whereby wee are not suddenly moued and for trifling matters neither doe wee keepe our anger as hath beene shewed already Be slow to anger and let not the sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath for thus is this dangerous sinne preuented which for want of this stayd temper many doe
people of these times who though in word they acknowledge the higher powers yet in practise they doe not seeing all their opinions and practises in matter of religion are still to disgrace authoritie and gouernment hereby established both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall I know that many of them are zealous persons but they are zealous as the Apostle saith to the Galathians amisse Oh that they would weigh that next vnto zeale towards God is zeale to Gods vicegerents and where they are ill spoken of and despised in the heart as it is where their wayes of gouernment are impugned there can hardly be right zeale towards God it being a marke of such as are ordained to damnation to despise gouernment Iude vers 8. and to speake euill of those that be in authority Acts 12. Secondly Superiours are ouer reuerenced by ascribing too much vnto them and extolling them too highly as the people are noted to haue done to Herod saying the voyce of God and not of man whereat the Lord was so displeased that hee strook him with an horrible death and as the Popes flatterers extoll him calling him alterum deum in terris another God vpon earth and Dominum Deum papam the Lord God the Pope with other the like blasphemous appellations 1. Cor. 11.1 Thirdly by making them absolute patterns to be followed in all things for it is no excuse for people liuing in sinne to say they follow their minister or for children to follow parents or subiects their Princes for examples of the greatest are no further to be followed but as they follow Christ as Paul speaketh of himselfe Follow mee as I follow Christ Iesus The blind guide and he that followeth him shall both fal into the ditch 4. By preposterous obseruance towards them in the Congregation which is when we rise vp to great persons being in the very act of Gods worship this is absurd as much as if wee should say by thy leaue Lord a little heere commeth a greater then thou for why else dost thou rise if he be greatest and most worthy whom thou dost now worship Wherefore looke not for nay suffer not this absurd honour to be done vnto you yee great persons parents and masters vnlesse ye would part stakes with God yea be better accounted of whilst men rise off their knees to God to bow vnto you 5. By our humble prostrating the body vnto them as vnto God Acts 10. Saint Peter forbad this vnto Coâ—nelius and the Angels raised vp Daniel and Saint John prohibiting this kind of reuerence to be done by one fellow-seruant to another This gesture where it proceedeth from religious humiliation and worship commeth very neare the brinkes of open Idolatrie and cannot but incurre that reprehension Take heed thou doest iâ— not But in ciuill worship performed to Kings I dare not condemne the lowest prostrations whereas I see in the Scripture that such gestures were vsually exhibited to the most pious Kings 2. Sam. 14.22 So Ioab to Dauid fell to the ground on his face and bowed himselfe Yet could I wish that Christian Princes in their piety and by their authoritie would enact a difference betweene the signes of reuerence yeeldable to the heauenly and the earthly Maiesty that there might bee some outward as well as inward adoring gesture appropriated to Gods worship vtterly vncommunicable to any mortall man though bearing the image of God and exercising a vice-gerency of his Soueraignty What is to be thought of childrens kneeling to their parents morning and euening to aske their blessing Answ Kneeling to aske blessing I take it that this custome is lawfull and grounded vpon this Commandement Honour thy father and mother that they may prolong thy daies that is by their blessing which in godly parents hath euer been accounted a sacred â—â—ing Therefore Isaac would giue his blessing to his sonne Esau before his death and Iacob to his children and the children of I seph which examples though they were extraordinary as farre as they were speciall prophesies yet they shew it to bee a very ancient and laudable custome and of excellent vse for children to aske and parents to giue their blessing vnto them because as their curse hath alwaies been ominous to wicked children and disobedient that is such as hath bin followed with Gods curse so their blessing hath been auspicious that is such as hath been followed with Gods blessing vpon good children and obedient And the like is to be thought of the blessing of spirituall parents that it hath vertue by Gods ordinance annexed vnto it and therefore is not to bee neglected but reuerently to be receiued before that wee depart the congregation For kneeling vnto parents and vnto Princes if it be but as vnto men it is as lawfull as any other low bowing vnto them for nothing can bee pressed against the one but it alike impugneth the other if it bee otherwise intended by way of religious adoration as some Heathen Emperours haue taken vpon them the honour of Gods it is Idolatrous The sinnes of Superiours And hitherto of the sinnes of inferiours Superiours sinne against this commandement by too much austerity and rigor or by too much remissenes Their sinne may be referred to these heads 1. Cruelty and threatning for this is most vniust and vnequall for the reuerence and seruice which seruants and children doe to their parents and masters wherefore it is forbidden Yee masters doe the same things to them Ephes 6.9 putting away threatning knowing that euen your master is in heauen and there is no respect of persons with him Thou doest rather represent the deuill who striketh feare into men and terror in thus doing then God whose Image thou shouldest beare 2. Denying them things conuenient meat drinke cloth resting time and recreation which may be sufficient Heere is Mammon serued indeed whilst to get wealth thou dealest so vnworthily with thy family euen wringing it out of their flesh and spirits which thou doest thus pinch and beate downe that they cannot be so seruiceable to Church or common-wealth They shall crie against thee to heauen and their crie shall bee heard if being weary of their liues through thy hard vsage they shall doe any mischiefe to themselues or others or runne head-long into any forlorne course through griefe and despaire thou art guiltie of their sinne because thou haste driuen them to it 3. Prodigally wasting all or most part of thy estate without any prouidence for posteritie or care to reward the extraordinary paines of thy houshold seruants 2. Tim. 5.8 If there bee any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell 4. Neglecting the good education of youth through the want of teaching or praying for them and inuring them to good duties and by leting passe grosse sinnes and disorder without due correction Heauy will their account be for this at