lawgiuer himselfe gone before you in keeping this commaundement let me then exhort you as the Apostle doth Ephes 5. 1. Be you followers of God as deare children and walke as ye haue him for an example Now louing children will followe their parents then if you be children I say if louing children you wil follow him Now I know in generall that euery man will subscribe vnto this that they must follow God in keeping his Sabbath but yet come and presse them to yeeld obedience in the particular duties there you shal haue them as the young man in the Gospell they then depart sorrowfull that makes them to scratch where it doth not itch What must they doe nothing but heare pray meditate c. Nay if it had been onely to forbeare the doing of some worldly businesse which they greatly cared not for the doing of at any time they would haue forborne but now vpon this day to forgo their afternoone sports and playes and to sit as they terme it moping in a corner this is too hard Well but I say if you bee Gods children you will follow him yea and more than any sonne imitateth the father for the father begetteth his sonne but like vnto him in substance but God begetteth his children like vnto him in qualities They be holy as he is holy mercifull as he is mercifull and will imitate him in all his doings and therefore in this they will keepe the Sabbath as he kept it otherwise they are no children but bastards I say bastards on the mothers side but not on the fathers for were they his true children they would be also his deare children as in this place and would follow him § Sect. 2 Yea but will some man say what a stirre is here about following of God what would I haue them to doe and I thinke I would haue them assaile to make a new heauen and a new earth because God made them both Not so neither but I would haue them labour sixe daies and rest the seuenth as God did But that they may be the more fully answered the workes which God hath wrought are of three sorts Whereof the first are such as are miraculous as to giue sight vnto the blind to fast fourtie daies to walk vpon the waters to raise the dead c. Now these are to bee wondred at but not to be imitated because the gift of working miracles ceaseth in the Church and it is a note of Antichrist now to worke wonders 2. Thess 2. 9. The second sort of works are works of our redemption as the sonne of God to become the sonne of man to be borne of a virgin to beare our sinnes to die for vs to rise againe and to ascend into heauen Now these are works to be beleeued but not to be imitated vnlesse it bee in a certaine similitude or resemblance that as Christ was conceiued and borne so he should bee conceiued and borne in vs Gal. 4. 19. And as Christ died for sinne 1. Cor. 15. 3. so we should die to sinne Rom. 6. 2. As Christ in his flesh was crucified vpon the crosse so should we crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Galath 4. 24. As Christ being dead for our sinne was buried so wee being dead to sin should also be buried with him by baptisme Rom. 6. 4. As Christ being buried rose againe so must we being buried with him by baptisme rise again to walke in newnes of life vers 5. As Christ being risen did ascend so must we risen from the graue of sinne ascend by setting our affections on things aboue Coloss 3. 2. And hereupon grew that rule that whatsoeuer Christ did for vs the same he did in vs. Lastly the third sort of duties are morall duties commaunded in the law and these are the workes wherein he is to bee imitated by vs. Examples whereof he giueth vs Mat. 11. 29. Of meeknes Learne of me that I am humble and meeke In Iohn of loue and brotherly kindnes Ioh. 13. 15. I haue giuen you an example And in this place of working sixe daies and resting the seuenth Indeede hee could haue finished all his workes in one houre or with a word speaking but hee would worke about them sixe daies and rest the seuenth for our example And therefore as Christ said Haue you not read what Dauid did how when hee was an hungred c. So haue you not read what the Lord did how when he made the heauens and the earth he laboured sixe daies and rested the seuenth haue you not read it I say if you haue then againe I say as Christ in another case Goe and doe the like Luk. 10. 37. that is rest as he did For not the worke but the rest is that which is proposed vnto thee § Sect. 3 But here is one doubt more that may be moued in this place and that is how God can be said to rest that is a pure act in himself and alwaies worketh or how he can be said to worke that alwaies resteth in his action The answere is he alwaies worketh and alwaies resteth in himselfe but in this place he is said to rest or to worke in respect of his creatures To rest I say in that hee ceaseth to make any more creatures yet not to rest from preseruing them being made For God was not idle on the seuenth day but did sustaine and preserue the creatures which hee before had made otherwise they would haue come to nothing And therein wee are taught that though on the Sabbath it bee not lawfull to labour to increase that wee haue yet it is lawfull to saue and preserue that we haue and this he teacheth vs here by his owne example And so much touching the sense and force of these words § Sect. 4 Now the vse of these words is foure-fold First they serue to confute those that stand so much vpon the examples of others let a man demand of thē why they do so prophane the Lords day by their vnlawful games sports by their riding and running abroad in errands by their trudging and posting to Faires and Markets they will answere they doe but as others doe and they that are better men and haue more knowledge than they do so and if it were not lawfull they would not doe it would such a Iustice or such a Preacher bowle or banquet or ride about vpon the Sabbath if it were not lawfull And when they haue thus answered they thinke they haue spoken to the matter passing well But I wonder seeing they will bee lead by example why they doe not looke vnto God and follow his example which is the best of all for I am sure that there is none of those which they follow is worthie to bee named the same day with him none so learned none of such authoritie as he may not a man then returne this their answere vpon them when they shall say such and such that are learned and of authoritie do breake the
thou rather disobey God than chastise thy sonne Yea haddest thou rather let him stand vnder the heauie wrath of God which burneth vnto the bottome of hell for breaking his Sabbath than to correct him then woe worth the time may thy childe say that euer hee knew the that lettest him thus to die for want of correction And this much shortly concerning the duties of parents towards their children in compelling them to keepe the Sabbath § Sect. 3 The next dutie is of Masters towards their seruants who are so farre foorth bound to see The master must see that the seruant keep the Sabbath their seruants keepe the Sabbath as themselues For God will haue them his seruants aswell as theirs and to doe his businesse vpon the seuenth day aswell as their masters vpon the sixe daies And this in truth wee ought to doe if not in this regard that God commaundeth vs whose commaund should be of greatest authoritie with vs yet at least that we may shew our selues good gouernours and that we gouerne them as tendring their good ouer whom we are set and wherein can we more tender them than in bringing them vnto the knowledge of the chiefe good euen vnto the sauing knowledge of God in Iesus Christ And if we will not yet gouerne as tendring their good yet at least let vs doe it as tendring our owne for be yee well assured that he that is not faithfull to God will neuer be faithfull to thee and that hee that will not serue God truly will neuer ferue thee truly Well hee may serue thee so long as thine eye is vpon him but when thy backe is turned his seruice is ended But the seruant that feareth the Lord will be as faithfull vnto thee when thou lookest off as when thou lookest on for hee knowes well that a greater than thy selfe looketh vpon him to whom hee must answere for his seruice done to thee Let this therefore at least teach thee thy dutie to thy seruants Yea but will some Master say my seruants wil not thus be held in by you No will who holds them in then to their worke in the weeke daies If any shall then start aside from your businesse you will easily finde meanes to inforce him and can you finde no meanes to inforce him to Gods businesse Yea but they will not vpon the Sabbath bee held in but they will then haue their libertie Then let them haue it altogether and discharge them For wilt thou haue him that will not serue God to serue thee thou oughtest at least to be as carefull for Gods seruice as for thine owne Now thou wilt not keepe a seruant that will not faithfully doe thy businesse how much lesse then shouldest thou keepe one that will not serue the Lord Dauid would neuer haue done it for saith he a wicked person shall not dwell in my house Psal 101. Yea but how shall my worke bee done then Get thee such seruants as doe feare the Lord that was it that Dauid purposed first with himselfe Mine eyes saith he shall be vnto the faithfull of the land And He that walketh in a perfect heart he shall serue me vers 6. ibid. And they indeed bee the best seruants for they serue not with eye seruice but as the seruants of Christ as seruing the Lord in thy businesse and not thee Ephes 6. 6. Yea but wee cannot get such It may be so because you do not walke as Dauid did in the middest of your house with a perfect heart vers 2. Therefore they will not dwell with you which if you did you should not neede to seeke for seruants would seeke you fast enough Yea if you did so walke by Gods blessing though you did not finde them such yet you would make them such but this is the miserie of it our seruants must bee sent abroad euery Sabbath in errands and trifling businesses riding and running and posting as if it were for life as if it were on other daies in the weeke as if no commandement were from God to the contrarie So our owne turnes be serued wee care not how God be serued wee shew thereby that wee loue our selues more than God And our seruants seeing vs not to make conscience of Gods businesse they grow to make as little conscience of ours especially they being by this meanes depriued of the benefit of the word whereby they should bee taught better to discharge their duties towards their masters And thus much for that that the master ought to see that his seruant keepe the Sabbath And as this instructeth the master in his dutie to his seruant so also it containeth in it matter of comfort for the seruant For they may hence obserue the kindnes and loue of God towards him that notwithstanding their seruitude yet hee is mindfull of them they think poore wretches that because God hath laid this state of seruitude vpon them therefore hee regardeth them not no no it is not so but he thinkes vpon them and remembers them euery Sabbath vouchsafing as it were to looke downe from heauen vpon them in giuing them a rest promising them as it were in that rest that one day they shall thoroughly rest from their labours and rest with him in heauen where they shal be no more in seruitude but shall be the Lords free men Therefore you seruants thinke of this and learne to serue him on his Sabbath that hath not alone in his flesh serued you but will assuredly in that flesh saue you and giue you a perpetuall rest if you serue him And behold this he requires at your hands then doe it for you cannot serue a better master Lay aside then your foolish vanities your idle delights and impertinent sports be no more the seruants of sinne but as in the whole course of your liues so on this day especially bee yee the Lords seruants loe hee offers it Now who is it that would not serue his Prince if he might but their seruice is nothing to this for euen Princes themselues sue to bee Gods seruants as Dauid though it were but in a meane place as to bee a doore-keeper yet he would thinke himselfe happie let this therefore be your resolution to serue the Lord. You will say peraduenture you would but you cannot your masters lay such burthens vpō you And surely this I know many masters lay greater burthens vpon their seruants on the Sabbath than in any daies of the weeke besides they deale therein like Pharaoh when the people desired to go to serue the Lord then he laid more worke vpon them Exod. 5. 9 so when they should goe to heare the word of the Lord then they lay more businesse vpon them In this case what shal the poore seruant doe shall hee doe Gods businesse or his masters Surely whether it be better to obey God or man masters iudge you Act. 4. vers 19. Though neither herein doe I intend to exempt the seruant from being subiect to his master
by the name of the day precedent And so much for the day of rest THE SECOND BOOK TREATING OF THE DVTIES OF THE SABBATH CHAP. I. Of the preparation vnto the Sabbath by remembring it before hand Sect. 1. 2. The things to be remembred are to settle our affaires Sect. 3. And our affections Sect. 4. § Sect. 1 IN the former discourse we haue seene these foure things handled First that the Sabbath is perpetuall Secondly that the day is changed Thirdly that it cannot againe be changed And fourthly that the whole day must be kept holie All which things being discussed it remaineth that we proceede vnto the handling of the duties of the day And first I will speake of the preparation vnto the Sabbath which we are put in minde of when he wils vs to remember this day which words import so much as if hee should haue said Thou art by nature forgetfull and negligent in the performance of any holie dutie and therefore thou haddest neede to thinke vpon this day before hand and to remember it that thou Why the word remember is placed before the commandement maist bee prepared to keepe it holie And me thinkes God deales in this like a Master that giuing many things in charge vnto his seruants yet one thing in speciall aboue all saith he remember this So dealeth God in this case Thou shalt haue none other Gods Thou shalt not make any grauen image Thou shalt not take my name in vaine these commaundements thou shalt obserue but especially remember this to sanctifie my Sabbath And although this word remember bee placed but in the beginning yet it hath a reference vnto euery word in this commandement for he requireth not onely that we should remember the day when it is comming but also we must remember to rest vpon it when it is come Neither is it sufficient that we rest on that day but we must remember to sanctifie that rest and that thou must remember to do thy self and not that alone but that thy children and seruants also doe it Indeed were it not that wee were more negligent in this than in any other dutie God would not haue vsed this speciall remembrance but seeing in good things wee are like the Disciples that slept though thrice admonished when the Pharisies could wake well enough without any admonition at all God therfore willeth vs to remember the Sabbath thereby as it were stirring vs vp to the performance of our duties And as God willeth vs to remember in regard of our forgetfulnesse in good matters so doth he will vs much more to remember in regard of the easinesse that is in our nature to bee drawne away to that which is euill from Gods seruice When Balaam heard a messenger sent with that ambassage I will promote thee to great honour what haste made hee to bee gone to Balac though hee went vpon the point of a sword Numb 22. 21. The young man as soone as euer hee heard that Syren in the Prouerbs sing Come let vs take our fill of loue hee followes her straight way though as an oxe vnto the slaughter Pro. 7. 12. Which easinesse of ours to bee insnared and inticed God obseruing as a most louing friend willeth vs to be aduised and before hand to remember that we who by nature are so facill and easie be not abused § Sect. 2 But much more doth he will vs to remember in regard of our manifold lets and excuses which we pretend and to let passe those lets which one once sported himselfe merrily with as the couerlet the partlet the phillet and the frontlet which things many times bee le ts vnto vs as when wee lie too long in bed or stand a good part of the day in trimming yet they bee not the greatest lets How say you to those lets which kept those that were bidden vnto the wedding that they could not come as merchandise a farme fiue yoke of oxen a wife and such like Are not these things many times le ts vnto vs that we cannot keepe the Sabbath Now for the preuenting of all these God willeth vs to remember that it is his Sabbath thereby shewing vs that the very respect of the Sabbath must weigh downe all our worldly lets O but faith the master when hee should goe to Church I must needes goe talke with my seruants and tell them what they shall doe the next weeke Yea but thou must remember to goe to Church for God will talke with thee and tell thee what thou shalt doe the next weeke I but saith the seruant my master commaunded me and I must go do my masters businesse Yea but God saith thou must goe doe his businesse hee commaunds both thee and thy master too and therefore remember the Sabbath saith hee Yea but will some man say I must needs go doe a thing I forgot to doe the last weeke The more shame for thee for doth not God will thee to remember it Yea but I had forgotten it and therefore now I must goe doe it Indeed as if because through negligence thou going from home and leauing thy cloake behind if it should chance to raine and thou wanting thy cloake shouldest therefore meeting thy neighbour take away his were it therefore lawfull because thou haddest forgotten thine So wilt thou because through thy negligence thou forgettest thy businesse when thou shouldest haue done it wilt thou I say therefore take Gods time and imploy it about thy businesse Well I dispute not whether it be lawfull to doe it but this I am sure it is sinfull for thee to forget to doe it before for thou shouldest haue remembred it and indeede this doth nothing but argue thy vnto wardnes vnto good things for thou vsest not so to pleade in the weeke daies when thou shouldest goe about thy worldly businesse Sir I haue forgotten this day to pray with my familie to instruct them to reade some part of the Scripture c. Thou neuer remembrest this in the weeke or if thou doest thou presently dispensest with thy selfe for the omission of it but on the Sabbath thou easily remembrest any of thy worldly businesse and thou wilt not omit to do them though holinesse it selfe attend thee in the meane season Which easily sheweth what it is that runneth in our minds namely our worldly affaires for these we remember at euery turne and not onely so but we forecast all inconueniences before hand As for example is a man going to a market or faire before he goes he sits down first and forecasts what things he lackes where and of whom he may buy them at the best hand yea he remembers all his wants and rather than hee will forget any of them when he comes thither hee will set them downe in writing tables or binde a threed about his finger to put him in remembrance or else commaund some of his seruants to remember him when he cōmeth thither that he may be sure to dispatch all his
appeareth Coloss 3. 16. and Eph. 5. 19. To that end also were the Psalmes made to be sung at any time Amongst al others the 92. Psalme is called a Psalme for the Sabbath But in our congregations for the most part they sit as by the riuers of Babylon hanging vp their harpes and holding downe their heads as in the daies of mourning not caring to sing these songs of Sion though we are in the middest therof we are not affected with the goodnesse pleasantnes and comelines thereof but a wilde morris or a wanton ballad affect vs a thousand times more though neither good pleasant nor comely And this much for the third mixt dutie § Sect. 5 The next dutie is catechising a thing wondred at by many for so great is the neglect that dutie it 4. Catechisme selfe is a wonder yet in the word taught most plainly Hebr. 6. 1 the first principles of religion are called the foundation and the teaching of them the laying of the foundation and there he rehearseth vp certaine principles as repentance faith baptisme Now that to catechise is required both priuately and publiquely and that as at all other times so especially vpon the Sabbath I will make to appeare And first that it ought to be performed in priuate is euident because that all which haue vnderstanding are bound to teach others Heb. 5. 12. the Apostle blameth them for that when as concerning the time they ought to bee teachers they had neede themselues to be taught the first principles And 1. Pet. 4. 10. Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift minister one to another but yet more specially this is required at the Ministers hand in the congregation and at the parents and masters hand in the house That it behoueth the Minister to catechise appeareth in that he is not onely required to be diligent to know the state of his flocke Pro. 27. 23 but much more to feede it 1. Pet. 5. 1. and not alone to feede the sheepe Ioh. 21. 16. but first to feede the lambes ibid. vers 15. And that Christ requireth them to doe euen as they loue him vers 17. which made Paul to doe it openly and from house to house Act. 20. 20. And this hee did continually and therfore out of question vpon the Sabbath And to doe this is the Ministers dutie for the loue of Christ inforceth them 2. Pet. 1. 12 13. And that this dutie may take the better effect husbands and parents and masters must doe the same The husband must doe it therefore their wiues are sent to schoole vnto them they must learne of their husband at home 1. Corinth 14. 35 then their husbands must teach them Parents must doe it for they must bring vp their children in the nurtriture of the Lord Ephes 6. 4. And Deut. 6. 7. Thou shalt rehearse these words continually vnto thy children c. Continually for it must be precept vpon precept For children come not vnto grace at an instance but by degrees They are like narrow mouthed cups a man cannot powre in all at once into them but a man must teach them as Christ taught his followers as they were able to heare Mar. 4. 33 or as Iacob draue his cattell according vnto their pace And although I now said that wiues must learne of their husbands yet wiues must teach their children Tit. 2. 3. it is required of a woman that she be a teacher of good things And Prou. 31. it is said the law of grace is vnder her lips To what end I pray you if not to edifie and teach her children especially as Eunice taught Timothie 1. Tim. 1. 5. And the wisest childe that euer was onely Christ excepted was taught by a woman Prou. 31. 1. What my sonne c. Our children are models of our selues and we desire to leaue them good portions now what better portion than the Lord Kings reioyce in it The Lord is my portion saith Dauid Psal 119. Let vs therfore labour with them so soone as euer God hath giuen them for sonnes vnto vs to make them his sonnes and so soone as they are come into the world to take them again out of the world by instruction And what time can bee fitter therefore than the time appointed which is the Sabbath Neither are we to thinke our selues free if we performe this duty to our sonnes only or daughters but it must be done vnto our whole familie that saluation may not alone come vnto vs but vnto our whole houshold Luk. 19. 9 which made Iosua to vndertake for his houshold I and my household saith he will serue the Lord Ios 24. And Cornelius feared God with his houshold Act. 10. 2. It should seeme he had taken good paines amongst them in that they wanting the ministerie of the word for they were Gentiles yet were conuerted vnto the faith by his industrie and laboursome instruction And lastly this is the cause rendred by the holy Ghost why God would acquaint Abraham with the destruction of Sodom for that hee knew he would teach his houshold to walke c. Now are not these things written for our instruction that wee should doe the like Why then doe we it not Indeede there be many that are carefull to prouide meate and drinke for their houshold but what great thing is that which they doe Doe not the Publicanes the same Doe not the Infidels the same Nay doest thou not the same things for thine oxe and thine asse I speake it to the shame of many they better prouide for their dogs than their seruants And if this be all then as one said of Herod when he spared not his son that he might be sure to kill Christ he had rather be his swine than his sonne because his swine he did not kill but his sonne he did so if that be all they prouide for them better bee their dogges than their drudges or seruants because their dogges bee better prouided for than they But I now speake vnto you children and seruants and people Must the Minister Master and Parents teach and you not regard or learne that which is taught you I take it that he that said the Priests lips should preserue knowledge appointed the people to seeke the law at his mouth also Mal. 2. 7 and that not only to heare him but also to answere him For you must alwaies be ready to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you 1. Pet. 3. 15. It sufficeth not to answere sometimes when we please but we must alwaies doe it And that not to some speciall men whom we please to make choise of in our owne priuate affections but to euery man to giue a reason And lastly because hee knoweth our vntowardnesse vnto these things that we come vnto them as a Beare drawne and lead as it were by the nose vnto the stake he therefore addeth that we must be alwaies readie to doe this
as the Israelites kept a fast in Mispeh 1. Sam. 7. And Hest 4. 16. there is a fast kept of three daies long yea Daniel keepes a fast of three weekes of daies Dan. 10. 3. Neither in so doing is there any breach or alteration of Gods ordinance but rather an obseruation For as Christ brake not the commandement when he neglected his dutie to parents to performe his dutie to God so neither doe we breake this ordinance of God when wee on any of the sixe daies neglect our owne businesse to serue God the cause and necessitie so requiring for if necessitie may cause vs to breake the Sabbath for the good of man may not necessitie aswell dispense with our daies and cause vs to sanctifie a Sabbath for the good of man Nay further I take it that this commandement being a Synecdoche and but a part put for the whole as are all the other commaundements doth warrant yea and commaund such time conuenient in the weeke daies to be set apart vnto Gods seruice And we see that Christ and the Apostles preached on these daies as well as vpon the Sabbath which they would not haue done if it had been vnlawful for the people to heare And as I thinke that any of these daies may by the Church be set apart to Gods seruice the cause so requiring so also doe I perswade my selfe that some part of euery one of these daies should be set apart to holy exercises as morning and euening to pray with our families And of these wee see Isaac had one hee went out in the euening to pray Gen. 24. 63. Daniel had three for he prayed three times a day Dan. 6. 10. And Dauid prayed seuen times a day Psal 119. 164. And thus much as touching the second question and so consequently of the first reason to perswade to the keeping of the Sabbath for as for such things as be here obserued about the rest I haue handled them before in the discourse of the rest of the day CHAP. II. The second reason because it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Sect. 1. Holy daies are to bee consecrated onely to the Lord Sect. 2. § Sect. 1 THe second reason followeth and is drawne from the end and institution of the Sabbath contained in these words It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And it may be thus gathered If the Sabbath bee consecrate vnto the Lord and his worship then you must rest on it from your works but the former is true for it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and therfore it followeth that you must rest from your works And here marke with me first the workmanship of this reason how fitly it is framed for first least any man should bee so bold as to aske him for his commission as Exo. 2. one demaunded of Moses Who made thee a Iudge or as Mat. 22. 23. the Priests demanded of Christ By what authoritie doest thou these things Therefore he shewes his authoritie namely that he is authoritie it self and he may command for he is Lord and no man will say vnto him vnlesse he be a diuell What hast thou to doe with vs Matth. 8 for he hath to doe with vs for he is thy Lord and that diuers waies First hee is thy Creator hee made thee and therefore looke how the vessell is in the potters hand so art thou in his Rom. 9. This Dauid knew well enough when he said Come let vs fall downe before the Lord our maker Psal 95. 6. Secondly as he is thy Lord by creation so also is he by redemption He hath bought thee with a price 1. Cor. 6. 20. a price not of gold and siluer but with his most pretious bloud 1. Pet. 1. 18. And therefore this is rendred as a reason of his dying and rising again that he might be Lord ouer vs Rom. 14. 9. Thirdly as by his redemption so by his soueraigntie rule and authoritie in that he is absolute in his commaund and doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and in earth Psal 115. 3. No man can stay his hand neither dare any say vnto him what doest thou Dan. 4. 32. for he is Lord of Lords Rom. 17. 14. and his hests stand like the lawes of the Medes and Persians that cannot be recalled Dan. 6. 12. Yea a degree further he is the Lord of spirits Num. 16. 22. and therefore will commaund not as other Lords thy bodie onely but thy soule too Matth. 21. 37. Thou must serue him with all thy soule and if it please him he can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Mat. 10. 28. Now then if he be thy Lord and master in so full and so absolute a manner what then why then where is his feare Malac. 1. 6. He calles for that and good reason for if there bee no master but will haue some seruice shall God so great a Lord and master be without it No he will not and therfore he here requireth it of thee on this day to serue him Now there is one thing which the master oweth vnto the seruant and that is protection and euery man harpes vpon that string if he stands in need of his helpe then Master saue vs we perish Matth. 8. 25. But there is another thing that the seruant oweth to his master and that is obedience and there wee breake with him He saith goe and we goe not come and wee come not doe this and we doe it not wee keepe his commandements with notes as the Atheist beleene the Articles of faith But may it not be that there is cause as that he is a hard man or hee will not stand by his seruants to defend them or else he giues not so good wages as others Surely it is not so for first Dauid tels vs that he will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer Psal 103. 8. Yea if he see vs once to fall downe before him and to craue him to appease his anger he forgiues vs all Mat. 18. 27. then he is no hard master And as for defence he will suffer no man to doe vs wrong but wil reproue euē kings for our sakes Psal 105. 14. And as for his hire there is no seruice like vnto his no not the seruice of the King You cannot say of him as Saul said of Dauid will he giue euery one of you fields and vineyards will hee make you Captaines ouer thousands c Yea he will and more than that he makes all his seruants Kings Reu. 1. 6. and giues euery one of them a crowne of life 2. Tim. 4. yea an euerlasting kingdome that withereth not reserued in heauen 1. Pet. 1. 4. All this hee giueth and he giueth it liberally not reproching and casting men in the teeth with it as Saul did his followers why then what shall let vs to serue such a master Yet behold and wonder let a flattering diuell a little intice vs with a shew of any matter or