it still our furtum we are very bold theeves therefore it is a sure signe of feare when we take heed of this at least ne eapiamur de furto not to be taken in the very manner and act of sinning 6 Rule to be accessary 6 For the sixth and last rule Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule And Psal 33.8 we must wish with the Prophet there that all the Earth may feare the Lord Let all the earth feare the Lord stand in awe of him all yee that dwell in the world So asso a speciall regard must be had that we do not strengthen the arme of the wicked EZek. 13.22 Not to discourage him from his wickednesse but to embolden and make him stronger is there condemned Because with your lies yee have made the heart of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad and strengthened the hand of the wicked that he should not returne from his wicked wayes c. Therefore that sinne by us may be discouraged in others Thus then we see that feare is the end of the Law 2 It is the property of him that feareth to shrinke downe therefore Humility ariseth out of feare 1 Pet. 5.6 The Apostle writing that wee should humble our selves under the hand of God one of the Fathers saith Tanquam securi venienti loquitur the Apostle speaketh as if Gods hand were lift up with his axe ready and wee should shrinke downe such a casting downe of our selves is the first effect of that feare Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for feare of thee I am afraid of thy judgments So that is before by the example of Good men 1 Casting downe of our selves Iacob Gen. 33.3 bowed and humbled himselfe seaven times for feare of Esau So of the wicked 1 King 20.23 Then they girded sackcloth about their loynes and put ropes about their neckes c. Benhadad and his noble men were smitten with the feare of Ahab Such is the force of the feare of Gods justice that we should be by it humiles throwne down to the ground untill we can say with the Prophet Psal 119.25 adhaesit anima mea pavimento pulveri My soule cleaveth to the very dust and still remember that the Glory of God is the end of our Creation Redemption and we shall never make this our end untill man be cleane void of glory and made even to to the ground which is at the lowest that can be and it is that that David wisheth to be counted the basest thing of all that his honour might become as the most vile and contemptible things and no better then that that every man treads upon Psal 7.5 yea let him tread my life downe upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust So that when wee come to this case that in truth we have that which the Patriarchs and Prophets bad in resemblance and figure in forbearing meats and drinkes and putting on of sackcloth as judging themselves not worthy to be cloathed in throwing dust and ashâ—s on their heads thereby even condemning themselves and thinking so basely of themselves that they were worthy to be cast under the earth and not to tread on the ground when we are thus humbled and have given God all the glory and our selves none then our exaltation will assuredly follow Ad tangenda inferna God never leaveth us till hee have brought us to the pit of hell 2 The second point 1 Exaltation for when he hath brought us to the nethermost pit and as it were to deaths and hels doore that is at the very botrome of humility that we can goe no lower then wee are low enough for a foundation to build upon and wee may begin to build Luk. 14.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for whosoever exalteth himselfe shall be abased and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted And we shall cometruly to be humbled by truly fearing and truly humbling our selves not by comparing our selves to that wee have beene or with the Publicans about us but with the the Tables of Moses Gods justice this is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe-knowledg of every Christian as the rule is to be commended in a true sense so as the Heathen tooke it it could not be commendable for this was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a man should know the excellencie of his owne soule and so it served to puffe up but ours serveth for humility and to know our wants Pride never ariseth but either through want of knowledge or through false knowledge Therefore the considering of the nobility and excellencie of man in the heathen and a false consideration of Gods justice it was it that made them fall into that 1 Cor. 1.13 that the Preaching of Christ crucified became an offence to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentiles and it brought them to that case that when Christ came to exalt and to heale them they were high enough and sound enough therefore Aug. Superbis Pharisaeis viluit Christus the Pharisees pride made them vilely esteeme of Christ The true way to know our selves 1. there is humilitas memis and of the understanding part when a man in his minde considereth the infinite excellencie of God his own basenesse the belief in the minde must raise a quality in the heart the 2. therfore is humilitas cordis voluntatis affectuum c. that he imagines he is not worthy apparell not to be above the ground a base minde a base heart Therefore this appetite be restrained that seeing there is no excellencie in him he should not seeke for any excellencie Psal 131.1 O Lord I am not high minded I have no proud lookes c. It is necessary that the appetite of every man should be measured by that which is in him Not but that the nature of man is most excellent but remembring withall that which was said before The more excellent a thing is the mose base and vile it is if it degenerate therefore seeing our state and it hath pleased God to vouchsafe us a more wise way we are to take it and not to goe against our owne nature and so we come to our humiliation Then we see the end and use of humility to bring a man out of conceit with himselfe and make him resigne all his glory to God and so the building may beginne for as the Heathen man hath well said Superbus miser indignus est misericordia a proud wretch deserves no pity Ezek. 17.24 the course that God protesteth he will take Bring downe the high trees and exalt the low trees make dry the greene trees and make the dry trees to flourish for this cause Matth. 18.3 Christ saith except men be humble and have no more spirits of pride in them then babes there is no entrance for them into Heaven for if any
faith then of a perfect 4. A good faith estabisheth it selfe by the works of the law if it bee not a working faith it is cadaver fidei but the carcasse of faith But the fourth is that which is Rom. 3.31 a signe also of the faith of the Law a signe of a naughty faith if it make voyd the Law true faith doth establish the Law first if it be a faith that doth not strengthen it selfe 2. Pet. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things yee shall never fall For if it doe not then Jam. 2.26 it is putridum cadaver a rotten carcasse Faith is an action proper to the mind and not faith That which is Rom. 10.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that a man beleeveth with his heart wee know that it belongeth to the mind and so in Deut. 6.5 wee must love God with the mind but that is not proper to the mind If it bee once in the heart it will come out and shew it selfe it speech in actions c. but to the heart yet if it come not into the heart and kindle it also from whence Prov. 4.23 come the springs of life and all the actions and opinions of a man there shall be no action and consequently no true faith If the heart be once possessed then 2 Cor. 4.13 wee shall beleeve and therefore wee must needs speake Psal 116.10 I beleeved therefore will I speake and as it is Psal 35.10 not only the tongue shall speake but all the bones i.e. every member that wee have Psal 10. All my bones shall say Lord who is like thee The physitions have a saying that judicium à corde fit per brachium the hart will give a pulse to every part by the veines but it may be sensibly perceived by the arme and by that pulse they know the disease of the heart they use a remedy for the diseases of the heart so in the Gospell it hath a present remedie so if faith be once in the heart it will spread it selfe throughout the whole man but it doth especially declare it selfe by the arme id est in the operations and working of it and this is not by little and little or seven yeares after but as it is commonly said when any beleeved in Christ cadem horâ sanatus est he was made whole the same houre This faith must appeare in life and not in death only for so every man even the wicked will crust in God in death because he 〈◊〉 not otherwise choose Esa 66.8 Who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things shall the earth be brought forth in one day or shall a nation be borne at once for as soone as Sion travailed shee brought forth her children the Prophet he wondreth at it yet that is the signe of true faith therefore nothing like to them that have not the fruits of their faith seene till they die for then they must trust in God whether they will or no not all their life they will not but at their death but then there is no remedy yet it is not said in the Scriptures that justus moritur ex side but vivit ex fide the just man dieth but the just man lives by faith his faith must live and not die I will not pray with Balaam let my soule die with the righteous I will rather pray the contrary and it is the duty of a Christian so to pray Let my soule live with the faithfull For the sixt precept of the affirmative 6. Rule our aâ—â—na coÌ„muÌ„â—â—atio fide to coÌ„municate our faith to others There is no mercy to be shewed to any of these wee are willed to entangle others with the meanes and use them to others profit as well as to our owne this sixt precept of the affirmative the Apostle Paul observeth Rom. 1.11.12 he desireth though strong in faith that he might be strengthened and comforted by their faith as on the other side the contrary is not only forbidden but a punishment also injoyned Deut. 13. If any intice thee to follow strange Gods if he be a Prophet if he be thy brother if he be a dreamer of dreames if thine owne sonne or thy daughter or thy wife or thy friend thou art commanded not to consent to him nor pitie him nor shew mercy but shalt put them all to the sword and he that is seduced his hand shall be first on the seducer And doing thus in extending thus our faith to the good of others wee shall receive the end of our faith the salvation of our soules Credâ—ndo quod non videmus videbimus quod non videmuâ—-Timor Dei the feare of God Faith never accepted with God before it come into the heart it comes thither if we stirre up the affections Cor sedes affectionum the heart is the fear of the affections When it cometh into the heart it stirreth Species affectionum in cor de nostro the severall affections of the heart 1. Pet. 1.9 and shall receive this answer with the Centurion Mat. 8.13 Vade secundum fidem tuam fiet tibi goe thy way and as thou hast beleeved so be it done unto thee this Gods answer will be to us merces fidei est visio Dei the reward of faith is the vision of God for in rebus supra naturam idem est videre habere in supernaturall things to see and enjoy is all one so wee shall have him credendo quod non videmus videbimus quod credimus by beleeving what wee see not wee shall at length see what now wee beleeve And thus of the duty of the minde Now to the worship of the heart Rom. 10.10 it is said that faith must come into the heart and the heart must beleeve els there can be no righteousnesse For there must be a mutuall affection of the mind and the heart for if the heart love not the minde will not long beleeve and if the minde beleeve not the heart will not love long Now the heart is the place of affections and being the place of affections wee shall know that it commeth into the heart if it stirre up the affections that are in that part to the worship of God The affections are partly such as are agreeable to our nature and such as wee wish for partly such as wee wish to be farre from us of the former kind are love hope joy c. of the other seare griefe hatred Finis usus affectionum in corde the end and use of the affections in the heart God hath ordained them both to a double use for griefe hatred feare and those that are of the two sorts are first either reines to keepe us from evill or secondly after evill committed they are our tormentors to punish us So of the other three are two
place where I should smite thee and in Ier. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed thou hast consumed them c. and chap. 2.30 he had corrected their children but they sorrowed not There is no doubt but the same examples are among us and no doubt but God calleth before him and arresteth them with these his Sergeants but they are no whit called nearer to the Lord nor amended These men are usually compared to Simon of Cyren Luke 23. which was violently caught and was forced but to beare the Crosse whereupon not he but Christ should be crucified Now these men that carry a Crosse but are not crucified on it themselves they are in the same case that he was a Crosse they beare but profit not and the reason because they ascribe it to a cause beside God and that is it that the Divines call caecum tormentum or caecus dolor a blinde torment or griefe a griefe they have on the sudden and they are not able to say for this and this cause this heavinesse is come upon them Purblinde Christians that cannot looke up to the hand that striketh nor discerne the intended end of their chastisement 〈◊〉 if any alteration befall them they ascribe it not rori gratiae but humori naturae not to grace but nature and so consequently they get them terrenas consolatiunculas some poore earthly delight as Bernard saith pleasures and friends and so drive it away If the effect be not within them but come from without them then nothing is more common then this insurgere in instrumenium August to hack the staffe omittere percussorem to let God goe which is a great oversight by reason of two concurrences for we must note that affliction is just on Gods behalfe on the behalfe of the instrument injust as the calamities of Iob they were therefore just because they were of God cui nil nisi justum placet that delights in nothing but what is just More plaine Matth. 5.11 it is said that men shall be blessed when they shall be injuried of men persecuted and accused falsely so they shall receive injury from men but recompence from God The not distinguishing of these two breedeth a desire of revenge Psal 7.3 when David saith O Lord my God speaking in regard of the instrument of Saul and Doeg if I have done any such thing if there be any wickednesse in mine hands c. yet he ascribed this to God and though he ascribed it to God yet that thing argueth not but that he was injuriously dealt withall even as he doth ascribe that of Shimei to the same cause peradventure the Lord hath striken with his instrument As these two when we looke not high enough to the efficient cause so on the other side when we conceive not aright of the end that tribulation being of tribulus August Ideo mittitur aut ut detineat aut ut revocet which is sent to keep us in or to call us When they consider not this through these two they begin not to regard it and so get a numnesse of soule and consequently they gather a thick skinne 2. We come to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of it is most commonly from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fainting under the crosse either for want of due consideration of Gods justice or of his mercy that men cannot distinguish as 2 Cor. 4.8 betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene being shaken and cast downe the Apostle he could say they were often in trouble but never in perplexitie and cast downe When a man imagineth that God afflicteth him in his wrath and that he aimeth at nothing but his destruction whereas the chastisement of God is not to drive us to despaire but onely to bring us to a godly perplexity When a man cannot distinguish these then he falleth to have an heavinesse and that breedeth death Psal 42.6.9.11 he is cast downe and there is a question between him and his soule Why art thou so heavy O my soule c. but then we see he commeth to the other part Put thy trust in God for he is thy refuge he is the light of thy countenance and so standeth as Paul doth here which thing when it is not considered men first feele their courage die and as Prov. 18.14 fall into a wounded spirit which cannot be borne howsoever the spirit of an heathen man can sustain his infirmitie though the patience that appeared in the Heathen were great yet as the Prophet saith A wounded spirit who can beare Gen. 4.13 My punishment is greater than I can beare or if not into that then they fall to murmuring against Gods justice Gen. 4.13 Cains murmuring that they beare a greater punishment than they deserve as on the other side in regard of the mistaking of his justice they fall away so for want of a due consideration of his mercy they are of Sauls mind 1 Sam. 28.9 if God will not answer him neither by Dreames nor by Urim nor by Prophets then he will come to the witch if this fall not out then he will try by another way he falleth into another extreme he lyeth flat on the ground with a brutish kind of patience and is not moved These two they come either by a misconstruing of Gods justice or by a miscontruing of his mercy that because he correcteth like a Father he will condemne like a Judge The meanes in that it is truly said of Jerome that quot sunt causae for God Meanes common to us with the Heathen 3 the other proper to Christians ad puniendum looke how many causes he hath to punish us so many meanes are there to move us ad patiendum to suffer of the tryall of patience we have handled before It is sure that the examples of Scevola Rutilius Regulus c. among the Heathen they carried a shew of patience and we have their reasons if the heathen could say Sis asinus quemcunque asinum sors prospera fecit 1 The indignity to call downâ— a 〈◊〉 â—all man under any crosse whatsoever there ought to be in Christians a more heroicall courage seeing wee know the causes from whom and the end why and therefore this is one speciall reason that as in unreasonable creatures so much more in reasonable it is an ignominious thing and great shame to prostrate so excellent a vertue to these 2. That the 〈◊〉 of â—â—e mining of 〈◊〉 inâ—o a good â—â—â—â—ing if they could not amend it Seeing therefore we must needs do it let us do it with commendation 2. Againe this they saw that quicquid corrigere est nefas what cannot be amended it were best to make of the necessity of it some commendable action and turne it into a vertue as Act. 9.5 it was hard to kicke against the pricke that yeelding being necessarily laid even that that is laid upon us wee may do it with
consequently because this includeth both vanitatem finis the vanity of an end opposed to profit and opposed to soundnesse and stedfastnesse withall as he must know the time so a man must know what it is Psal 111.9 The Prophet sets downe holy and reverent is his name to holy is opposed pollute Levit. 22.32 Neither shall yee pollute my holy name And to make common Acts 10.15 Reverence that is Feare against that commonly is opposed Rashnesse whether it be of anger or griefe or an headdy affection outgoeth an oath Eccles 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth looke well to thy feet and they need lesse looking too these two offend in judicio in judgement If a man use it commonly if rashly in the case of necessity So Preach 8.2 I advertise you that yee have a due regard to the word of a King but much more to the Oath of God Out of the case of necessity we must not sweare a truth but we must have it in price and reverence Preach 5.2 A reason why rashnesse in swearing is condemned God is in Heaven and thou in the Earth and in the sixt of the same he sheweth commonnesse in swearing should be condemned and the times of necessity are not commonly sine judicio without judgement In publico juramento in the oath of imposition there is good order taken by taking order in regard of breaking judgement that nulli impuberes none under fourteene yeares of age should bee admitted to sweare that were not nor that had beene proved to forsweare himselfe before That men should not sweare for feare of the inconvenience crept into the Sacrament as 1. Cor. 11.21 men should not sweare after any meat taking lest that might haue overthrowne their discretion 4. Lastly that they should sweare vncovered and with an admonition before and the Booke of GOD laid before them onely to incite the inward deliberation or judgement concerning this fearfull action wee have in hand In the voluntarie oath there hath bene no order taken but rashly upon every vaine perturbation stirred up in us there commeth an oath herein we are so rash that we make Gods Name our parenthesis 1. Sam. 25.33 David moved with the affection and griefe of unkindnesse sweareth upon the sudden but after being let to see what an oath it was he blesseth God for sending Abigail to him on the other side 1. Sam. 14.28 Saul touched with a greater desire of the victorie then to the request of God sweareth that if any touched bread or drink till sunne downe he should die And we see the great evill successe that followed on it Every foole useth this in every foolish speech wee may speake of it with griefe For the commonnes of it and the doing of that to him that we would be loath to doe to any other i e every halfe houre and for every trifle calling him out of Heaven to confirme our quarrels and so one sayth Wee turne Gods Sanctuarie into a brothell house making the Name of God like an harlots house Aug. lib. 1. confessionum Cap. 16. touched with an holy griefe breaketh out into these words Vae tibi flumen moris humani cursed bee the streams of the customes of men quis resistet tibi quando non siccaberis quousque evolues Ecclesiae silios in mare magnum formidolosum quod vix transcendunt when will this dry up it carrieth them even as a strong streame into that fearfull lake that they which are in the Shippe can scarsly escape it Per te aguntur flagitia non putantur flagitia by this customary swearing detestable sinnes are committed which are not thought to be sinnes And as he saith Serm. 30. verbis Apostoli it is as the slipperinesse of the member quia lingua in udo posita est the tongue is seated in a moist place And therefore James Cap. 3. giveth great charge of it especially For the hand and foot not so much And saint Aug. counsell vpon that place is Quanto illa citius movetur facilius tanto tu adversus illam fixius ito domabis si vigilabis vigilabis autem si timebis timebis si te Christianum esse recorderis c. The more quick and nimble the tongue is be thou the more steddie and resolved against it thou shalt tame it if thou watch over it thou shalt watch over it if thou fearest it thou shalt feare it if thou remembrest that thou art a Christian Si cras factum non fuerit non fiat juramentum hodie pignus fiet cras cras non omnino triduo moritur pestis illa â die qua laboramus Sicut vigilabis sic vinces And of himselfe hee addeth Juravimus nos passim incidimus in istam teterrimam consuetudinem sed ex quo die DEO servire incepimus quantum malum sit vidimu◠timuimus vehementer veternosam consuetudinem timore excussimus I have bene a swearer my selfe I have had this custome very riefe and it would have brought me to death but since I fixed my heart to serve GOD and considered what great evill is in it I was set in a trembling Then for these voluntarie oaths privately taken upon us it may bee inquired whether they are not in cases lawfull we doubt they are Then as Augustine saith for private oaths quantum ad me attinet non juro sed quantum mihi videtur magna necessitate compulsus cum videam nisi sic faciam mihi non credi ei qui crederat magnum ei qui non crederet incommodum then hac perpensa ratione consideratione librata cum magno timore reverentia coram Deo dico novit Christus quod hoc est in animo meo For my owne part I sweare not yet I conceave were I necessarily thereunto compelled as when I see if I doe not sweare I shall not bee believed and that my word would bee profitable to him that would believe mee and prejudiciall to him that would not in this case this reason truely wayed and considered with what feare and reverence I use this forme of speach Before God or this Christ knowes I speake from my heart And after hee saith quod meum est est est quod amplius est praeter est non est jurantis sed non credentis For mine own part I would never wish to say but est est non non yea yea nay nay But it is the incredulitie of the other partie The fourth Rule is in the Psal 24.4 Et non juratus est dolose proximo suo and hath not sworne deceitfully unto his neighbour it must bee spirituall Our case must not bee juravi linguâ mentem injuratam gero my tongue swore but my minde never meant it it was so odious that the whole companie hissed at it Man must not take Gods Name in guile but meane it from his heart The heathen men saw it that lex est spiritualis that it must bee a spirituall
And we see plainely Gen. 9.3 whatsoever liveth and moveth they are given to man to bee food most plainely Lawfull to â—ilâ— Beasts 1 Cor. 10.25 Quicquid in macella c. Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles eate it And indeed reason it selfe in Law sheweth it plainely For where there is no Ius societatis a Law of society there is not societas juris a society in Law But they have no society with us because they want reason And secondly to use all things for the end they were ordained for is no sinne but the lesse perfect things are for the more perfect therefore herbs for beasts and beasts as being lesse perfect for man Onely in these two cases 2. Caveats the holy Ghost forbids to kill beasts first when it turneth to the detriment of our neighbour the sinne is not to kill the beast but to endammage him by it And secondly that we kill them not in the impotencie of our wrath exacting that power or understanding of him that is not in him Aug. he saith men are so foolishly bent they must have facilitatem motus things work to their mind If the poor Pen through their negligence and perversenesse did not write as they would have it capit collidit he taketh it and dasheth it So in beasts if they doe not as we would have them then we shew our impotencie Psal 36.6 Gods mercie he preserveth both man and beast and Prov. 12.10 man must be like to him in this point he shall be mercifull to the soule of the beast he rideth upon In this regard he shall not kill the beast The second division of man 2a Divisiâ— We will take him first as he is a member then as a head of a society There is a slaughter 1. Sui ipsius of a mans selfe 2. Alierius of another man of his neighbour Because we see the Heathen as we read of Lucretia Seneca and Cato that though they would never have beene brought to kill others A man may not kill himselfe yet they durst lay hands on themselves and were therefore highly thought of amongst the Heathen But Christian Religion teacheth us that it must not be so and that no man hath power of his life for these causes 1. We must needs understand Non occides thou shalt not kill so because as was said before the generall rule of the Law is Siâ—ut te ipsum as thy selfe Then non occides alium sicut non occides teipsum thou shalt not murther another even as thou shouldest not kill thy selfe So the proportion is against the Law of charity and nature Against the Law of nature it is we are so linked to our selves that nature first maketh alimentum individuum the nutriment to satisfie the stomack before she giveth propaginem speeiei supplement to the other members shewing that to every man belongeth a care how to preserve himselfe 2. Because that every man that liveth in a society or Common-wealth is a part thereof and so is not his owne but societatis or reipub the societies or Common-wealths therefore hee cannot injure or kill himselfe but he must needs bring detriment to the whole company whereof he is And consequently by the Law of the Heathens they forfeit the goods to the Exchequer as they doe by the the Law of the Christians though it be somewhat otherwise So the Common-wealth will take some revenge of him because in that action there doth concurre some dammage to her 3. Because our life is the gift of God 1. Sam. 2.6 so consequently it is God that giveth life and bringeth death therefore we must not dispose of the gift of God without the minde of the giver Rom. 12.4 rather because the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.23 he saith we are bought with a price we are his servants that bought us Then commeth that in Rom. 14.4 Quis tu qui jud cas servum alienum Who art thou that judgest another mans servant so Quis tu qui intersicis servum alienum Who art thou that killest another mans servant Matth. 8.32 It s said that the very swine would not have runne into the Sea but that they were carried of the Devill else they of themselves would not therefore as Aug. reproving the deed of Razis 2. Maccab. 14.37 and so consequently the authority of the writer that commendeth him for it in that place and the Papists dis-allow the thing So it is a fault to thinke that any man may kill himselfe whether he doe it that he may fugere molestias temporales hoc enim modo saith he incidunt in perpetuas to avoid temporall evils for by this meanes they fall into eternall neither ut evitet peccatum alienum ne incipiat habere gravissimum proprium to shun the sinne of another lest he become guilty of a most grievous one himselfe nor pro suo peccato for his owne sinne for there is time of repentance neither ne peccer lest he fall into sinne as the woman did in the Primitive Church sic enim incidit in peccatum certum ut evitaret incertum for so he commits a certaine sinne to avoid an uncertaine one And indeed he proveth out of Rom. 3. that we must not doe it for any cause 2. Come to the next in alium Manslaughter looking into mans nature we must not kill any other The reasons Man-slaughter besides the generall reason Quod tihi fieri non vis Matth. 7.12 c. Whatsoever ye would that men should not doe c. And besides the other of Gods Image no man must kill another Esa 58.7 he saith when thou seest a naked man cover him and despise not thine owne flesh because we are one flesh This Esa 9.20 is made a strange judgement that they should bee brought to such extremity that every man should eate the flesh of his owne arme But Gal. 5.15 this is done and if they bite one another and prey one upon another according to discords contentions and hatreds and so consume themselves unnaturall sinne Iohn 8.44 By this meanes we come to be primogeniti Diaboli Murtherers primâ—geâ—iti Diaboli Santans first begotten because he was the first murtherer Gen. 3.4 By this nequaquam moriemini yee shall not die he brought in a moriemini death and so brought them to it Gen. 4.10 It is said that the bloud of thy brother cryeth unto me because it is peccatum clamoris a crying sinne Bloud-shed that will cry and come up to Heaven and will not cease till God take revenge Other sins they may be as if he heard them not but his eares shall be open to this for this is somewhat more straight Deut. 21.8.9 A man found lying dead in the fields and no man knoweth who killed him God saith This order shall they take The Elders and Judges of Israel shall come forth and mete to the Cities that are round about him and the Elders of the next City shall take an Heifer out of the
the newes of Ioseph that he was alive his spirit revived It commeth three wayes according to the three benefits of the soule 1. joy 2. peace 3. love Exod. 1.14 against joy where it is said there the Egyptians brought them in amaritudinem spiritus to bitternesse of spirit and Exod. 6.9 against peace by breaking their hearts they brought them in anxietatem spiritus into an anguish of soule that they would hearken to Moses Prov. 22.25 that when a man falleth into hatred of all things when he hateth himselfe it killeth his heart None of al these must be to our brethren especially must not be to the good 2 Pet. 2.8 Lots soule is not to be grieved and so bring him by their wicked deeds to the first death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drowsinesse of spirit he began to loath to attempt any good and not to goe forward this is a great and grievous fault and is done Psal 95.8 by provocation and irritation So we must not provoke him by any manner of these meanes Thus much of the second point The third rule concerning the spirituall law Our Saviour Christ Matth. 5.22 nisi sanguis sequeretur unlesse bloud were shed they counted it no murther nor way to murther as Christ there teacheth them to goe further then the arme or blow that is given that whatsoever are outwardly committed and accompany murther are nothing else and are but fructus irae the fruits of anger and that is the roote of Wormwood Heb. 12.15 and that must be pluckt up For when these bitter fruits come by vertue of that which is in the heart Matth. 15.19 he boldly pronounceth that out of the heart proceed murthers and so those that lay plaisters onely to the armour and weapon shall never helpe the disease For it is noted further Deut. 19.16 this is Gods reason that murther is not capitall of it selfe if it be not that he hated his brother before therefore this is to be punished As in the begining it was said so now that as the beginning of pride was the fountaine of the breaches of this Commandement so is it that likewise from which this anger commeth The wise man Prov. 13.10 he saith thas Onely by pride contention and anger commeth and therefore the Apostle Gal. 5.26 saith Bee not desirous of vaine glory this is the roote that maketh one envious and provoketh one against another so that envies murthers came here for as it was said in the beginning every one setteth this downe with himselfe That he is good and whosoever loveth him doth his duty and so consequently he must be good as on the other side hurting him and envying him that man must necessarily be evill so hee must conceive an anger against him omnis ira sibi videTur justa each froward man accounts his anger just as before omnis iniquitas mentitur sibi therefore it is that it commeth to the second for anger is compounded of two things 1. The griefe for whatsoever in dignity is preferred to us The 2. a desire to require it The griefe is the boyling aestus irae actualis or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5.20 It is as Prov. 14.19 the inward fretting and from thence pride containing the party evill and as the Heathen saith there presently commeth to be mala mens an ill intent when his judgement will be corrupted Eph. 4.3 he doth reprehend that man that doth it sub malitia out of malice he maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malice to be that that corrupteth his understanding his affection 1 Pet. 4.15 he makes himselfe Bishop of other mens doings Then necessarily 1 Tim. 6.4 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill whisperings and Iam. 2.4 he is judex malarum cogitationum a judge of evill thoughts he draweth his thoughts to evill why he hath taken an opinion of him and then he thinketh he must be even with him Then followeth the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Luke 9.54 they would command fire from Heaven because they were not presently entertained Now then this anger or injurie if it be conceived to proceed from a superiour because Iam. 4.5 so there is a spirit in us that lusteth to envie and as Iob saith 5.2 that those same parvuli c. envie alwayes layeth hold on the inferiour hence it commeth to passe as the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.20 that there will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a swelling of the minde and either presently breake forth or if it lie long and be suppuratio an impostume as Cyprian calleth it it will prove rubigo animae the rust of the soule which is a fearefull thing and a great deale worse then anger Prov. 27.4 Anger is cruell and wrath rageth but envie goeth beyond them it bringeth to murther And as Matth. 27.18 Pilate saw that it was for very envie that the Jewes delivered Christ to him Now the occasion of it ariseth 1 Iohn 3.12 that there are some better then we because every one desireth his owne excellencie so if there be any better then he he thinketh he standeth in his light and therefore he seeketh to discredit him and to bring him low under-water and we will swimme above the water unlesse all swimme under Iohn 3.26 Iohns Disciples come to him and say He that was with thâ—e beyond Iordan now he hath got all the Disciples was an envious thing to them Luke 15.18 The elder brother came home from the field he saw his fathers entertainment of his younger brother hee would not goe in for envie the reason is because he thought himselfe better and consequently nothing can be done but envie will make it a matter for her to worke on But 1 Sam. 18.8 if it come once to ten thousand then vers 9. non potuit rectis oculis eum intueri he could not look right upon him as vers 10. on the morrow after there came an evill spirit on him And there is none that the Devill will sooner fasten upon then upon such Gen. 37.4 the making of a better coate for Ioseph and a little more love of Iacob to him then to the rest was a marvellous moate in their eye and vers 33. it is true that Iacob prophesieth though perhaps in another sense bestia pessima devoravit fil um meum an evill beast hath devoured him for envie was that cruell beast that devoured Ioseph The greatnesse of this sinne one saith Invidiae propier magnitudinem secleris futura poena non sufficit ergo hic plectitur so hainous is the sinne of envie that Hell alone is not a sufficient torment for it therefore is it punished here also and consequently Prov. 14.30 it is putrido ossium the rottennesse of the bones he that wished himselfe wholly an eye that wished himselfe an argus cannot wish himselfe a worse evill and torment The Saints Numb 11.29 were not envious in one envie as Moses that he would have none equall or like to him that was Pompeys envie and it is there
matrimony ferâ—â— 7. In matrimony cum uxore sua with his owne wife The saying of Sixtus a Philosopher is greatly used of Aug. Ambrose and other Fathers that adulter est uxoris suae amator ferventior too hot and fervent a love towards a mans owne wife is not free from the suspition of adultery that fervour Levit. 18.19 is forbidden and is punished not with death but with excommunication Levit. 20.18 no approaching permitted in mensibus no not to his wife therefore we are not left to our selves in matrimony but when in the 1. choice of wife in the 2. contract and 3. solemnization of marriage in the Church by the Minister Gods deputy Gods order hath beene kept then 4. doth fall out into this question in marriage to behave our selves 1 Co. 7.29 as if we had them not i. as he saith vers 5. being content to master his lusts so that for duties of christianity we may separate our selves then 5. as Christ Matth. 5.32 not departing nor willing to a divorce but onely in the case of adultery And lastly 1. Cor. 7. vers ult after we are delivered by the death of one party 1 Tim. 5.11 not quickly to waxe wanton againe and to fall to our lusts but to be contented to stay our lusts for a time till the body be resolved to earth whence it came These things being observed and kept the other controversies shall not greatly trouble us 8. If the woman be allied to us as either cognata or agnata Incest a kinsman by the fathers side or mothers it is Incest Lev. 18.6 forbidden and Lev. 20.17 punished with death And he taketh it for such a plaine case that he dealeth with it as with a principle as if the onely naming of mother and sister were cause sufficient in the light of nature to restrain us from them No man hotter then Plato in his Common-wealth against it as also 2 Thes 4.4 Possesse your vessels in holinesse and honour The honour we are to give to them of our owne flesh is that we doe not approach or come neare to them Other reasons 1. That the nearenesse of education which by consanguinity if the same had not beene removed even by occasion of nearenesse would have beene a great incentive and inticement of lust and of this sinne 2. Because not onely a family with it selfe but one with another should have friendship and familiarity which is procured by marriage which if it were made within the family every house would have beene as it were a Common-wealth within it selfe whereas now there is unity to one family with another and more made of one another therefore the difficulty of the consideration of Adams children maketh this somewhat hard to decide yet this is agreed upon by all in the right line Gen. 2.24 it hath not beene done but in the collaterall lines it hath beene done but there are that of this and more that makes doubt of it as divorcement and polygamie winked at for a time but God Levit. 20.23 saith that the Canaanites c. for this abomination the land spued them out therefore of its owne nature it is unlawfull and Gen. 49.4 Ruben is punished for Incest his forfeitures there before the Law 1. of the right of the Kingdome to Iudah 2. of the Priesthood to Levi and he became like water for his fact So for the collaterall line Iohn Baptist Marke 6.18 stood in it against Herod that he might not have his brothers wife and died in the quarrell Againe the sharpe course of the Apostle against the incestuous person 1 Cor. 5.1 and last Amos 2.7 Gods owne judgement that if the father and sonne goe in to one woman he will not spare them c. shew the unlawfulnesse of it though for necessity tolerated in the beginning 9. Next Adultery if the party be removed and espoused or married which is all one it is adultery and forbidden Levit. 18.20 10. Dent. 22.22 punished with death and vers 23.24 he saith plainely If a maid be betrothed c. and so sheweth plainely that the extension of it is not onely to be understood of the married but of the espoused too Now the reason why God continually likeneth adultery to this vice and there is no vice that he oftner setteth himselfe against then Incest and why it pleaseth him to name it in this Commandement wherein the hainousnesse thereof may the more easily be discovered therefore we are to consider it for howsoever politicke men have not punished it with death yet it is the joynt consent of all Divines that it is capitall We see in it the perverting of the whole estate of these two families of which the parties are members and so of every family For if it be not knowne which God will not suffer for howsoever he dealeth in all other yet he stayeth not in this for an accusation but in Numb 5.11 he giveth reine to the jealous man to put his wife to it though he cannot accuse her If it be kept close it is certaine that in the family of the woman there is notorious theft committed because the man nourisheth and bringeth up a child that is none of his and layeth up inheritance for him And in regard of the brethrenâ— because he hath inheritance among them and he counteth him among the brethren that is none of his If it be knowne God giveth them a plaine marke and taking away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naturall affection both from them to the parents and betweene them and the other children they all perish at last as Augustus to his bastards Medea to her children Absalom and Adoniah to David and Iephta and his brethren and betweene Abimelech and his brethren they had no naturall affection betweene them so he sinneth against his own children against the children in the other family and against that that is not he begetteth one that shall not be accounted of the congregation of the Lord he that is excluded out of the politicke and ecclesiasticall government Deut. 23.2 Now it is against the Common-wealth for it is a common hurt Levit. 18.17 that it polluteth the land and the pollution will spue out the inhabitants and the land cannot be rid of pollution but by bloudshed therefore it is certaine that adultery if it be not punished is a very ready way to bring downe Gods judgements upon the land rather then those things that are committed more against the popular estate murthers by poysonings punished with death Lex Iulia and the ground of this law that the adulterous woman thinke with the other she hath fitter occasion to mingle poyson with their meates and so every Common-wealth upon such grounds may resolve To make it capitall now we see not onely by that but also by plaine murther by David he falleth into murther Marke 6. Herodias Herods wife because Iohn was a reprehender of it a cause of murther But a good wife Prov. 31.10 she is a
an inheritance with wisdome Eccl. 7.11.12.4 The shadow of wisdome is good but the shadow of money will doe well Then succeedeth the Act. Now to the act of thoft reducing all these uses that we said were lawfull to these that are common among Lawyers 1. The attaining and getting of riches 2. The use of them In attaining is respect to justice in the use is respect to justice and charity For as was said before we have them given us not onely for our selves but as the Apostle 2 Cor. 9.11 for liberality and so we see Deut. 16.11.12 God taketh order that out of the substance both the Levit stranger widow and poore should have their portions Of the getting justly and of theft in getting committed Things from the beginning by the law of nature were first common and in extreme necessity by that direction Prov. 6.30 of the fault and by the order that God taketh Deut. 23.24 If he be hungry he may eat of his neighbours Grapes so that he put none into his vessell to carry away with him And so likewise in the profane law whereby properties are distinguished further then extreme necessity it holdeth not So a second right in those things that yet remaine common as fowles fishes and those things that we commonly finde on the Sea-shore as pearles and further after the distribution in prima occupatione in the first seising on a Countrey there was a propriety to every man and a part of possession of every Countrey allotted to remaine common for the benefit of the poore in that measure After for the proprieties by publike right we laid foure 1. Seising on a Countrey 2. those things that were left and forsaken Res derelictae given over 3. Prescription 4. The right by the bow and the sword by warre For private use by liberality and justice Illiberalis alienatio in these alienations before mentioned Injury in getting is wrought three wayes so is theft The first two be in Levit. 19. Non extorquebis neque fraudabis Thou shalt not extort that is rapina Rapina robbery Thou shalt not deceive this is furium theft And a third to these may be added as we shall shew afterwards The genus to these Habak 2.6 calleth congregare non sua to increase that which is not his owne and Mar. 10.19 the desire to be rich 1 Tim. 6.9 They fall into temptations and many hurtfull desires and as the Heathen man saith qui vult dives fieri vult cito fieri he that would be rich would be rich suddenly and Prov. 28.22 Surely a man cannot be innocent if he make haste to be rich then his desire cannot so soone be accomplished but he must needs be intangled with some of these species kinds following 1. They beginne with rashnesse that by force and extortion take away Prov. 11.24 he saith semper erunt in egestate they shall still be in want many times God bringeth this most upon them that it stayeth not and 2. Prov. 25.7 he saith that he bringeth a sudden death so that of deceitfull men Prov. 12.27 it is said That they get in hunting they shall never rosteâ— and Haba 2.8 Vae tibi qui spolias nam ipse spoliaberis woe bee to thee that spoylest others for thou shalt be spoyled thy selfe They be as the Heathen man saith as sponges and some tyrannous Prince seiseth upon them but howsoever it falleth out with them 1 Cor. 5.11 they are not to be accounted as brethren in the Church and 6.10 certainely they shall never inherit the Kingdome of God This is for the fault in generall It receiveth this division for there are some that set themselves to spoyle their neighbours in suum commodum for their owne profit but sometimes it is in damnum detrimentum proximi to doe their neighbour a mischiefe onely in which respect wee may consider incendiarios â—nâ—endiaâ—â—â— Sorcerers and Witches such as will set houses and barnes on fire so likewise Sorcerers that wreake themselves on their neighbours goods Exod. 22.5.6 God taketh order for this If any man set fire on stacks of corne or standing corne he shall make it good Now of those that doe it for their owne profit we may consider them thus either as they doe it under colour of authority or without If under colour of authority either as in peace or warre In warre after he is a souldier he spoyleth whomsoever he meeteth withall Praedo Praedo That Iohn speakes against ravening Luke 3.14 and Ezek. 38.10 and so forward In peace we come to consider them that Esay speaketh of c. 1.23 Principes tui sunt socii furum thy Princes are companions of theeves and so Ezek. 22.27 Their Princes were like wolves ravening for their prey yea to destroy soules for their covetous lucre and that is done either by usurpation if to a private family and therefore the children of Dan were accursed Iudg. 18.25 to a family vers 27. to a whole City for whether it be for smaller matters Gen. 25.25 there is a reproofe and objection of injury of Abraham to Abimelech for a Well And a third also Esa 22.15 that extorting of offices that which was the vice of Shebnah or if they be rightly seized on their places and be no usurpers and they be called by authority yet then another way Esa 10.1 Psal 94.10 that they enact grievous Statutes and doe ponere molestiam praeter statutum vexe and oppresse beyond law which no Statute will warrant And besides that Nehem. 5.13 such as their rulers were before he came both themselves and their under-officers And we speake not heare of Princes onely and Magistrates but of pety-lords Aug. that Regna magna great Kingdomes are nothing but magna latrooinia remota justitia great spoylers if justice be not duely administred and the answer of the Pirate to Alexander that he with a great armie did rob great Countries and he did it but with one Ship onely and with a small company And the Lawyers make this difference betwixt great theeves and little theeves that the one weareth a coller of iron and the other a chaine of gold so great and noble men and gentlemen to tenants Esa 3.14.15 The spoyle of the poore is in their houses or as Micah setteth it out more terrible but yet truely cap. 3.2.3 that they plucked off their skinnes brake their bones and chopt their flesh as for the pot which Esa 58.6 plainely expoundeth he meaneth those that binde the people in hard covenants taking more of them then either justice requireth or their state can beare and consequently they are under those having superiority by debt as the servant Matth. 18.28 met with one of his fellow servants that ought him money and tooke him by the throat and said Pay me that thou owest me there condemned And so Deut. 24.10.11 when any thing is lent hee will not have him that lent goe into the house as Lord of the house but hee shall stay
at another But whatsoever the heathen have spoken wisely we have farre more wisely uttered by the Holy Ghost in one place or other In Psal 17.14 this is set downe where there is mention made of a certaine hidden treasure wherewith mens bellies be filled and Hagg. 1.6 saith Men eate much yet have not enough drinke much but are not filled This is the first prerogative His second is he takes order as well for the quality as for the quantity course meates and fine are all one with him for the Israelites notwithstanding their Quayles and Manna dyed and Daniel and his fellowes that fed upon course meates looked better than all the children that were fed with the Kings owne dyet Dan. 1.15 Thirdly without meanes he worketh sometimes Therefore Asa had said little or nothing to the purpose 2 Chron. 14.11 If he had said God helpeth by many or few if he had not put in too and sometimes by none For there was light before any Sunne or Moone Gen. 1.3 though after verse 14. it pleased God to ordaine them as instruments And so Gen. 2.5 the earth was fertile when as then no raine had falne on the earth not any such ordinary meanes Let Moses be on the Mount and but heare God and hee needeth no bread The fourth is that he can bring his purpose to passe even by those meanes whose natures tend to contrary effects as to preserve by stones Colloquintida being ranke poyson in eating whereof is present death was by the Prophet made matter of nourishment 2 King 4.40 So Christ by those things which were fit to put out a seeing mans eyes as dust made a blinde man recover his sight John 9.6 And so doth hee make light to shine out of darkenesse 2 Cor. 4.6 One contrary out of another Thus we see the devill answered Now let us apply these things to our selves Christs answer doth import two words and so two mouthes and two breaths or spirits and these two be as two twinnes He that will be maintained by the one must seeke after the other The first word is the same decree whereby the course of nature is established according to Psal 147.15 He sendeth forth his commandement upon the earth and his word runneth very swiftly he giveth snow like wooll c. Secondly the other is that whereof James 1.18 speaketh to wit the word of truth wherewith of his owne will he begat us The one proceedeth from the mouth of Gods providence creating and governing all things Psal 33.6 He but spake the word and it was done The other proceedeth out of the mouth of Gods Prophets who are as it were his mouth Jer. 15.19 Thou standest before me as if thou wert my mouth From the first word all things have their beginning and being as when he sent forth his spirit or breath they were created and had their beginning So Psal 104.29 He teacheth us that so soone as God hides his face they are troubled And if he takes away their breath they dye and returne to dust The other spirit that is the sanctifying Spirit ministreth unto us supernaturall life Esay 56.21 Now therefore to set them together every man is thus to thinke with himselfe If I get my living contrary to Gods word that is by any unlawfull meanes surely Gods other word will not accompany such gotten goods That is these two words be twinnes if we get not our goods by the one word we shall want the blessing of the other word and than wee were as good eate stones it will be but gravell in our mouthes or Quailes We are then to use the meanes according to the second word Abraham we see went forth to sacrifice according to Gods appointment Gen. 22. the Word was his direction therefore when Isaac asked Where was the Sacrifice he might boldly answer God would provide one as we see even at the very pinch he did whereupon it came to be a proverbe that even In monte Jehova providebit The Israelites went out of Egypt by the warrant and appointment of Gods Word How then First they had a way made them where never was any before through the Red-sea Exod. 14.21 they had bread downeward out of the clouds whereas it useth to rise upwards out of the earth their garments in forty yeares never waxed old Deut. 8.3 4. they had water whence water useth not to come by striking the Rockes water gushed forth So that it is true which the Prophet David saith Psal 34.9 There is no want to them that feare God Though peradventure he will not use the same meanes he did for the Israelites yet the Children of God walking after his will shall have some way of reliefe alwayes And therefore Christ would not distrust the providence of God for hee knew he was in the worke and way of God For we read That he was led into the Wildernesse by the Spirit and therefore could not lacke as indeed he did not for the Angels came and ministred unto him as it followeth in the 11. verse of this Chapter So either the Crowes shall minister to our wants as they did to Elias or our enemies as the Egyptians did to the Israelites or else the Angels themselves as they did here But to grow to a conclusion Let us seeke the Kingdome of God and all other things shall be ministred unto us And in all like temptations we may learne a good answer out of Dan. 3.17 That God that we serve is able to relieve and deliver us even from the burning fire But if it should not be his will so to doe yet wee will not use unlawfull meanes or fall to Idolatry or turne stones into bread In this answer againe Christ would teach us heare to be resolute howsoever Gods blessing doth not concurre with our gettings as it doth not when we get them by indirect meanes contrary to Gods word To goods so gotten God will adde sorrow for The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he doth adde no sorrowes with it Prov. 10.22 When God gives riches he gives quietnesse withall but if God give them not we were as good be without them whether they be gotten by oppression or violence Prov. 4.17 or by fraud and deceit Prov. 20.17 For these two be the quick-silver and brimstone of the devils Alchymistry God will adde sorrow to them for though they be pleasant at the first Prov. 20.17 and money gotten by stinking meanes smels like other money as an Emperour said and bread so gotten tastes like other bread yet in the end a plaine conclusion and experiment will make it manifest that it was made of stones and had sorrow mingled or added to it And therefore it shall be either an occasion or matter of the disease called the Stone or it shall turne his meate in his bowels and fill him with the gall of Aspes Job 20.14 or as Asaes oppression by delicacy became an occasion of the dropsie or gout or else shall the executioner catch