dignitie and degree of countenaunce in their apparell that most lawfully they might otherwise clayme For therefore it is called temperaunce bycause it restraineth a man of his libertie But in this our age when almost all goe as farre as they may and the most part both of men and women a great deale beyond their compasse where is this temperance and sobrietie which is so highly commended in the Scriptures the verie walles of pure life and barres of chast conuersation This may be bewayled of all men but the disease is so vniuersall as it is impossible to be cured if the lord shall not put to his mightie hand from heauen It will be sayde that it is hard to measure these indifferent things but the trueth is otherwise for the holy Ghost hath sent vs a measure and meteyard euen sham efastnesse and temperance so that when there is no moderation or temperance but that by euerie indifferent iudgement they bee as farre as their estate can giue them leaue when there is no shamefastnesse but that they dare bee bolde to goe without blushing as farre as their place or abilitie can leade them maye wee not boldely say that they haue left the Lorde his measure and therefore their attire and behauiour must of necessitie be deformed in his eyes how wel soeuer it be pleasing vnto them selues This temperaunce is to be taught the yonger sort not onely from the mouth of the elder but frō their life and conuersation that they may be kept in those means which do vphold chast behauiour and therefore the Apostle Paule chargeth Titus that he stirre vp the elder both men and women to season yong yeares therewith Although this be the dutie generally of all elder people yet is it the speciall dutie of parentes to their children by their teaching and example of life thus to instruct thē And therefore in Deuteronomie it appeareth that the woman that had offended in her fathers house the matter not beeing knowne before marriage must be stoned to death at the doore of her fathers house But and if her husband should wrongfully charge her that he found her not a mayde after triall made to the contrarie he must pay an hundred sickles of siluer to the father of the mayde The reward of her innocencie as well as the punishment of her wickednesse reaching vnto the father for she must be stoned at his doore telleth vs what dutie belongeth vnto the parents in as muche as they had their parr as well in the dishonour as honour that followed the good education of their childrē The Lorde in forbidding vs adulterie telleth vs that our nature is inclined therevnto For what neede wee to be forewarned of that which we are in no daunger of It is required that we peruse diligētly the course of our life with due consideration how our intemperancie hath vttered it selfe in any of those things which we haue nowe learned to be forbidden vs and also in diligent consideration howe prone and tickle our affections be therevnto that we may in truth come from the opinion of our selues to betake vs wholy to that perfect obedience of Iesus Christ to rest in it as that onely which can abide the iustice of the righteous God then in thankful regard of those his mercies manfully to set vpon our in temperat desires for the mortifying therof that the Lord may haue the honour of our moderate and chast conuersation Which that it may so come to passe let vs call vppon our heauenly father saying The eighth Lecture vpon the fifteenth verse Thou shalt not steale IT hath bene shewed before that our neighbour is not to be considered in his person alone but in what so euer thing is deare vnto him as goods good name and suche like and therefore that the loue which we must beare towards him may not be towardes his body alone but also towardes his goods that our dealing with them may be so vpright as may declare in deede that we doe loue the man For if any thing of his passing through out handes shall not finde fidelitie and faythfull dealing but deceitfull conueyaunce of it or some parte thereof to oure selues can it bee truely sayde wee loue the man there is no man that can so iudge of it that can I say persuade him selfe that hee is beloued of those men when nothing of his goodes commeth to their handes but it is sure to be fleeced and to pay toll before it shall depart The Lord therefore commaunding safe passage and louing dealing towardes our neighboures goodes when so euer according to the manifold necessities of euerie man to deale and communicate with an other in buying and selling or otherwise they haue occasion to passe through our handes hath forbidden stealing and all vnfaithfulnesse in their goods condemning it of want of charitie and loue towardes them selues whose goods are diminished by vs when so euer we shal haue dealing with thē And bicause we goe so closely to work and are so cunning to deceiue our selues imagining that wee loue our neighbours when in deede there is no such affection in vs the holy Ghoste is compelled as it were to trace vs and by such vnfaithful footesteps as these be to descrie vs For when we are so often taken with vntrustie dealing and vnfaythfulnesse in our neighbours goods good name and such like is there not iust cause to arest vs for not discharging this duetie of loue which is so due vnto them This vnfaythfull dealing with the goodes of our neighbour howe greatly it did displease the Lorde and with what lawes he did restraine his people of Israel from the same the statutes and orders of that gouernement can best declare from whence it shall not be amisse to take some helpe in the interpretation of this commaundement In Exodus we doe reade that if any man should steale a sheepe and kill it or sell it he should restore for that one sheepe foure but if any man should steale an oxe and after kill it or sell it hee should restore fiue oxen for that oxe The reason why he must pay more for the oxe then for the sheepe was for that his neighbours losse was greater in the want of the one then of the other as bringing more profite to the owner thereof But if they were found with the theefe aliue not solde nor killed then must hee restore but the double of the oxe asse or shepe for that his obstinacie in this euil did not appeare so greate as when hee should make sale of them and turne them into gaine For it might be while they were aliue that he being touched with repentaunce woulde restore them againe but when they were solde or killed the theefe gaue greater token of his impudencie and confirmed obstinacie and the owner also was one degree further from any likelyhoode to come by them againe If the theefe be nothing worth and so not able to make restitution then as it
of them But when it pleaseth God to pull any out of their corruption and to begin Christianitie in them hee doeth let them see with assurance of his mercie towarde them but so as notwithstanding he bringeth them not onely to the sight and bewailing of that rebellion which they feele in their affections against his wil but also to the mortifying and subduing thereof The man therefore that will truely examine him selfe hath to consider what resisting of his affections hath beene in his life so shall hee soone perceiue what neede he hath to betake him selfe vnto the mediatour CHRISTE IESVS while his conscience shall wittnesse either of no profiting at all herein or at the least so little as shall sufficiently conuict him and force him to lay holde vpon the righteousnesse of Christe as his only refuge yet so as his care to suppresse his affections be no lesse because hee vnderstandeth what mercie is in Christe but so much the more increased as he perceiueth that trauaile to please the Lord euen as the best thankfulnesse that wee can performe for the great benefite of our redemption Now let vs pray that we may beare such an enimies heart against our owne corrupt affections as may not spare to treade vppon them when soeuer they shall ryse vp against the Lord. ¶ The fifte Lecture vpon the twelfth vearse 12 Honour thy Father and thy mother that thy dayes may be prolonged vpon the land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee THe former commaundementes doe perfectly instructe vs in all the dueties that apperteine directly to god These following doe giue vs rules and preceptes for the dueties that wee doe owe vnto men The Lord our God being perfect in all happinesse by him selfe alone hath no neede of our seruice yet will he haue tryall of the loue that wee beare vnto him not onely by deedes done immediatly vnto him selfe but also by deedes done for his cause vnto men He therefore meaning to make a tryall of our loue towardes him hath commaunded vs that we should not be altogether our owne men closed vp within our owne profites and pleasures onely regarding and procuring them and wholy taken vp of them but that we should go out of our selues at his commaundement to the good of our brethren witnessing our thankfulnesse vnto God in giuing for his sake this seruice vnto men The dueties vnto GOD going in order before these vnto men do admonish vs of this doctrine that all our doeings towardes men are nothing where Gods glorie doth not go before as it is written in the Epistle of Sainct Iohn In this wee knowe that wee loue the children of GOD when wee loue God and keepe his commaundementes And like as our dealing with men is nothing when the true seruice of God is either not knowen or not regarded so that seruice that is giuen vnto GOD is not accepted when our brethren are neglected of vs. Therefore doeth our Sauiour Christ in Matthew charge vs that when our neighbour hath any thing against vs wee should not presume to offer any gift vnto God before we be reconciled so greatly doeth the Lorde esteeme of this louing conuersation with men that the holie Ghoste maketh it the proofe of our blessed estate as it is written in Iohn Wee knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Concerning that which we do owe vnto men the honourtng of father and mother hath the firste place By Father and mother are all those vnderstoode who are the instruments of GOD in any of his speciall goodnesse towardes vs whome because hee hath vouchsafed to be his meanes in the conueying of that grace that we doe inioy by them he cannot abide that they should be without honour at our handes By honour whiche is required to be giuen vnto them wee are taught so to behaue our selues towardes them in all our dealinge as may wittnesse that in heart wee doe honour them and therefore this honour doeth not so much exact any one seuerall thing as it putteth a qualitie and condition vppon all our behauiour towards them that it should be such as it may be a wittnesse of our hearte howe highlie it doeth reuerence and regarde them If it be demaunded why the Lorde by Father and mother should vnderstand all the instrumentes of his goodnesse towards vs whereas hee maketh mention but of one sorte it may be required of them againe why the Lorde forbidding all kinde of violence should make mention onely of murther For as by murther beeing the chiefe he comprehendeth all of that kinde so by one instrument of his speciall goodnesse hee leadeth vs to the consideration of all the like Moreouer we must reuerence the wisedome of the onely wise GOD heerein who by the moste grosse euils laboureth to worke the loath-thing of all the like and by benefites and good thinges in them selues moste amiable to further the cause of all the rest setting the ouglyest shape he possiblie can vppon euils to terrifie vs withall and giuing to good thinges the countenaunce that may best commend them Our trauaile therefore muste bee to searche into these good thinges which wee receiue by others that when we shall haue founde them wee may as by dutie apperteyneth honour the owners of them Nature may preuaile with them that bee of any consideration for the conceiuing of those benefites whiche they inioye by meanes of theire Parentes so that the trauaile neede not to be muche heerein Reason may persuade euen the moste simple that if wee haue any good thinge in this life or any blessing following it they who haue brought vs into life may iustely clayme a parte therein The matter of Magistrates is not so plaine what good wee receiue by them therefore it craueth more time to be giuē vnto it The Magistrate is the instrument of GOD to preserue that life whiche the Lorde in mercie hath giuen vnto vs For by the administration of iustice and execution of good lawes the outrage of the wicked with whome the worlde is alwayes pestered is restrained from laying violent handes vppon the good which otherwise would at all times burst foorth because the occasion which is the good workes of the one and the euill of the other can neuer bee separate from their liues And that this is the occasion may be proued out of the Epistle of S. Iohn where after inquirie had what it was that moued Caine to slay Abel he answeareth Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers good And least wee should note some extraordinarie thing in Caine hee putteth all the wicked in the ranke with him making it the common disposition of them all and therefore saying We may not bee as Caine which was of the wicked and slew his brother It is therefore no small blessinge and benefite of God that keepeth the sword of the vngodly from our throte whiche is euery houre drawen out and shakē at vs with whom we
life to come And as it appeareth in Genesis all the mercies that Abraham receiued were conteined vnder these wordes which are the wordes of the couenaunt I will be God to thee and to thy seede after thee The benifite that here is set downe of bringing thē out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage is an experience whiche they had of this goodnesse of God wherin he did apparauntly declare him selfe to be their God and so likewise it is in other places brought in as a confirmation of the couenaunt Because the Lorde loued you sayth the holy ghost and because he would keep the othe which he had sworn to your fathers the Lord hath brought you out by a mightie hand and deliuered you out of the house of bondage from the hand of Pharao king of Egypt that thou mayest knowe that the Lorde thy God hee is GOD the faithfull God whiche keepeth couenaunt and mercie vnto them that loue him and keepe his commaundements This experience of God his goodnesse towardes them and the triall that hee is become their GOD maketh much to bring an obedience and therefore is placed with the couenaunt For when we haue tryall in deed that the Lord hath speciall good wil towards vs it hath greate force in it to bring vs willingly vnder his obedience Therefore we are taught by this alwayes to haue in memorie those benefits of God that haue in them the note and marke of speciall good will and lyking such as he beareth vnto his Children For the remembraunce of those will draw dueties from vs that shall proceed from a frank and free hart Let vs therefore haue a register of his greatest benefites done vnto vs Let vs call to minde what a speciall benefite this is if we had none other that when we were as is the disposition of all Adams children following the lusts and affections of our owne hart in that brode way that leadeth vnto death which so many followe it hath pleased him to pick vs out of so many to giue vs mysliking of that course of life whiche by nature we are so addict and inclyned vnto the earnest hungring and thirsting after that righteousnes that is approued by his worde His benefites may not be ouer passed without consideration they cary with them strong persuasion vnto obedience the faithful doe vse this helpe to further obedience vnto god In the last chapter of Iosua there is mention made of the seuerall benefites of God bestowed vpon his people and all for this end to reclayme them from sinne and to stirre them to free and willing seruice of the lord And the people in the same Chapter alledge his benefites receiued as a reason why they neither may nor wil refuse obedience vnto him God forbid say the people that we should forsake the Lord to serue other Goddes For the Lorde brought vs and our fathers out of the land of Aegypt from the house of bondage and he did those greate myracles in our sight and preserued vs in all the way that we went and among all the people through whome we came and the Lord did cast out all the people euen the Amorites which dwelt in the land therfore will we serue the Lord for hee is our GOD. They gather by these benefites that he is their God and conclude therfore that they wil serue the Lord because he is their God and hath beene so singulerly good beneficiall vnto them And in very deede this persuasion that hee is our God and so tenderly affected towardes vs is the mother of all true obedience the founteine from whence floweth all true worship and seruice of God the note that discerneth betweene the workes of a true Christian and the deedes of an Infidel or heathen man The Christian worketh his obedience hauing this persuasion that God is already his GOD The Infidel and vnbeleeuer hath no suche persuasion and therefore his doinges come not franckly and freely from him to honour the Lorde but slauishly and seruilely to serue himselfe and after that manner as it were to get within the Lorde and to earne his saluation of him selfe It is this faith which made the difference betweene the sacryfice of Abell and the sacrifice of Cayne as the Scripture doeth declare It is this faith that maketh the difference betwene the continencie that we haue reade to haue beene in Infidelles and Paganes and that whiche is in Christians betweene the mercie and almes that procedeth oftentimes from ciuil men and that merciful reliefe that commeth from Christians It is this persuasion of his goodnesse that iustifieth the one whereas the other wanting this is odious hateful in his sight It is this persuasion that God is so rich in goodnesse as to accept of vs which sendeth vs to the true seruice of him The Lord is not only contented to say that he is their GOD but also to bring good euidence for the same in putting thē in mind of that singular benefite of their deliuerance from Egypt which he had bestowed vpon them Wee learne then in this Commaundemente which chargeth vs that we take the Lorde for our God that he hath taken vpon him selfe the prouision to stoare vs with graces and blessings bothe for this life and for the life to come and will haue the honour and glorie of it him self alone because he will declare the riches of his graces towards his faithfull people and by his dealing with them bee knowen to be their god Therefore he bindeth vs to seeke for all good things at his hands alone and in like manner when we haue receiued any thing by humble thanksgiuing to returne the whole praise therof vnto him again Now that we know the meaning of this cōmaundemēt it behoueth vs to apply it to our profit wherein we must first vnderstand that by the meanes of sin which is in euery man by nature man his wit vnderstanding hath receiued such a blindnesse as it cannot conceiue the trueth of this cōmaundement also his wil affection is so poysoned as it cannot take any ioy or lyking in it the tryall wherof may be had in this manner when the man that is not borne againe and receiued into mercie whome the scripture calleth the naturall man because all are such by nature whē he I say is in any streight or necessitie either because he wanteth necessary foode for this life or for that he is in dāger to loose welth credit or life seeth not the ordinarie meanes by which it is likely hee should escape the danger Let it thē be tolde him that God is his God hath a loue towards him and a care ouer him wil in his time by lawful meanes prouide for him yet notwithstanding his wit neither cōceueth this persuation nor his wil affection is any thing made ioyful or comforted therby as one that desirously enclyneth after the hope thereof which is declared by this that
the signification of a Verbe Transitiue and therefore thus it may very well be translated That they meaning thy Parents may prolong thy dayes making the continuaunce of our life as it were the gifte of Parentes approuing the honour that their Children giue vnto them and so it is here attributed vnto Ionadab as his blessing and benefite that he shall not want a man to stand before GOD for euer notwithstanding the obedience were in his Children Whereby wee are taught so to walke duetifully and thankfully towardes our superiours as they may be compelled to approue it and so to blesse it with many good dayes For the Lorde to get this honoure of inferiours to their superiours hath as it were put this benefite of longe dayes into their handes and maketh it to followe their approuing of that thankfulnesse whiche they receiue from their inferiours This threatening of the Lord may not onely bring a terrour vnto rebellious subiectes and disobedient children whiche liue in the displeasure of their superiours iustly conceiued against them but also vnto those who notwithstanding they haue committed nothing that iustly may displease them yet haue not done any thing that may iustly chalenge approbation and lyking from them This curse of cutting off the length of their liues either in their owne person or in their posteritie moste iustly falleth vpon such as greatly regarde not the consent of their parentes in that weightie matter of marriage Parentes haue heere to learne the bringing vp of their children in all obedience and reuerence towards them selues lest by their too much lenitie they bring such an infection into their children as will not departe from them before it hath broughte them all vnto the graue that there bee not one man of their seede lefte to continue their name This blessing of many good dayes promised to obedient inferiours is so farr foorth perfourmed as it may be a blessing vnto them For sometime God in mercie taketh away obedient children in their young yeeres that they should not taste of the afflictions that he meaneth to bring vpon the land or lest the iniquities of those dayes should peruert them In Deuteronomie vnto the promise of long life are added these wordes That it may be well with thee promising them benefite of longe life no longer then it shall be for their weale to inioy it So likewise it may come to passe that a disobedient childe may liue long to taste of the griefe of disobedience in his owne Children to suffer exile and banishment or some one greate punishment or other or else that his wickednesse may growe yet riper to reuengement so that it be no longer a blessing to inioy such dayes Wee must remember that all this which hath beene spoken of obedience and the blessing thereof must be limitted so as in obeying them we do not disobey God and go contrarie vnto his word This commaundemente also bindeth superiours vnto their inferiours For those gifes of God that come with speciall direction to be employed vnto certein persons as do the gifts of inferiours cannot in equitie but haue some speciall consideration from them againe vppon whome they are thus especially employed Heerevpon aryseth the particular callings that bee when by reason of particular benefites and blessinges whiche wee receiue of particular persons wee become indebted vnto them againe for seuerall dueties more and aboue those generall dueties which we owe vnto all men This commaundement comprehendeth all particular callings of what cōdition soeuer they shal be For the lawe beeing a perfecte rule of righteousnesse cannot content it selfe with generall duties alone When this duetie from superiours is not giuen to them that be vnder them it commeth often to passe by the iust iudgement of God and yet with the inferiours their great sinne heynous offence that they become vnthankeful vndutiful rebellious againste those that be set ouer them armed by the iust iudgement of God to denie duetie vnto them from whom they haue receiued none Maisters complaine of the vnfaithfulnesse of seruants and yet was there neuer any time when seruaunts had iuster cause to complaine of vndutifull maisters For where are those masters to be found that haue any iust regard of the swette of their seruants which is their bloud bestowed in their seruice How slenderly are they recompenced when they haue spent their young yeares the flower of their life vpon them yet euen reason would that seeing the Lorde hathe laide the maintenance of their life vpon their labour and trauell which their maisters haue eaten vp they should not be so cruelly vnkinde as after their long seruice to sende them away with an emptie hand I omit to speake how litle the care is of bringing them vp in the feare of god The number of those parentes which carefully perfourme this dutie towards their children to make them learned in the lawe of their God is as small And where shall we finde any number of suche Magistrates as employ them selues to terrifie wickednesse and wicked men and to incourage the good in their goodnesse These thinges are as wel due from them as the other duties before recited belong vnto them There is also generally required of all superiors that louing dealing and behauiour towardes their inferiours which may witnes that they are not vnthankfull for those special benefits which they do receiue from them For if loue whiche hathe in it speciall good will and liking be commanded towardes all men in generall there must of necessitie be a greater measure of it betwene those that are more particularly employed the one vpon the other This louing regard of them outwardly declared in deed and behauiour must come in as a supplie to helpe to beare and susteine the weight of labour subiection whiche the nature of man otherwise can hardly digest as in a mans bodie more labour or cost is bestowed about those parts that haue the lest beautie and forme in themselues in so muche that those parts which as they are of themselues dare least abide the eye are set forth with more beautie to the eye thereby after a manner hauing recompence of their want in the bodie so in the bodie of the common wealth and in the societie of man tender regarde of superiours and amiable affection towards those that be vnder them should beare vp a part of that heauie burthen of subiection and seruice The gyftes and graces of God in others craue also honour from vs For being fellowe-members of one bodie we haue our benefite and fare the better for the seuerall gyftes of others For the Lorde hathe made suche a diuision of his gyftes as that he hath laide a necessarie part of the welfare of euerie man out of himselfe in some other the lack wherof maketh him maymed in him selfe therfore forceth him to seeke vnto others for his perfecte forme iust proportion These gyfts of God wee are not only bound to see and behold but also to