of Brabourn and 〈◊〉 who were censured the one in the high Commission the other in Star-chamber and were learnedly confuted by two learned Bishops of Winchester and Eli the one in a speech in Star-Chamber now extant the other in a full tract of this subject But though the day be altered from the last to the first day of the week yet I do not therefore say that the seventh day from the Creation was ceremonial or expired as a ceremony at Christs death as is commonly said by some Divines for wherein could the keeping of a seventh day typifie Christ or his benefits but it was observed as a positive Law yet of divine institution and being no natural Law but depending upon Gods will and pleasure might therefore by the same authority when the new creation was finished by Christs resurrection which overshadowed the first creation be altered to another day in memory of that greater benefit and so accordingly it was 6. Concerning the rest observed by the Jews it is certain t was partly moral and partly ceremonial moral in regard that the duties of publick worship cannot be performed without a cessation from other labours and ceremonial as it looked backward and forward backward as a signe of Gods rest after the creation and of their deliverance out of the Egyptian servitude forward as a type of Christs rest in the grave Hebrews 4. of our rest from the servile works of sin in the time of grace as S. Augustine faith and of the eternal rest in heaven 〈◊〉 4. Besides all which it was also a signe to distinguish them from other people Exodus 20. 12. Now for the rest required of us on the Lords day it is not the same with that of the Iews but differs 1. Because rest is now required onely in reference to the holy duties which cannot otherwise be performed not for it self as if it were pleasing to God or the works of mens callings unlawfull but that they might give way to works of a higher nature to sacred duties which if they be not performed the rest is a meere mockery Sabbatum asinorum whereas the rest of the Iewish Sabbath was required for it self they were to rest in their rest and hence it was that the Iewish sabbath is reckoned by S. Paul among the shadows that vanisht at Christs coming and the Fathers generally make the Commandment of the sabbath ceremonial which if any should now observe he should thereby revive Judaisme and in effect deny that Christ the body is come as S. Augustine in the place alledged and elsewhere Quisquis diem illum 〈◊〉 observat 〈◊〉 litera sonat carnaliter sapit whosoever observes that day according to the flesh is carnally wise and hence it is that generally the Fathers 〈◊〉 to call the Lords day by the the name of sabbath for we shall hardly finde in any ancient writers the Lords day called the sabbath till some of late in our Church sprung up who usually stile it by that name against all antiquity and reason whom some others of learning have 〈◊〉 followed being carried by the stream and not foreseeing the evils that have since followed and were then intended by those men 2. Another difference which follows from the former is that because the rest now is not required for it self but as it may further holy duties therefore it is not so strictly required of us as of them They might not do some works which were neither against 〈◊〉 or charity they might not kindle a fire or dresse meat or bury the dead on that day which no doubt are now lawful and the reason is because their rest was symbolical and figurative and therefore that it might the more exactly answer to the thing figured must be the more exact for as Bellar. saith Figurae 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 alioquin non bone significant figures must be exact else they do not well represent the thing signified Now if any shall ask what labours and works we must abstain from and how long seeing to rest onely in the time of publick worship may seem to be enough in reference to the performance of holy duties I conceive it the most probable answer that herein we must be directed in particular by the Laws Canons and Customes of the Church wherein we live and that by divine Law as the sanctifying of the day is required in general so the resting from our ordinary labours in reference to that end is onely required in general by the Law of God but the particular determination of what works and how long and in what manner with 〈◊〉 circumstances of which no general Law could be so fitly given is left to the Bishops and Pastors of the Church for as God hath commanded publique worship by prayer and praises c in general but the modification of it for form order time and manner of performance hath been left to the Church who hath alwayes ordered these things and altered them as there was occasion so for the abstinence from labours what rest may be necessary not onely in the time of publick duties but before and after as preparatives thereto and means of better profiting thereby by meditations and other exercises and for the more solemnity of the day for these and the like I do not finde that Christ hath given any particular rules but that every one is herein to submit to the Canons and orders of the Church and to conform himself thereto and that this conformity in obedience to God who requires us to hear the Church and obey our Pastors is acceptable to God and therefore those that will not rest herein but look for particular directions out of Scripture for every thing which indeed they cannot finde by writing what ever they finde about the Sabbath and applying it to the Lords day do unawares sall into Judaisme and perplex mens consciences into inextricable Laborynths as daily experience shews whereas the constant practise of the Church of Christ in all ages shews that in these things she did use that authority which Christ hath given her as appears by the several constitutions both Ecclesiastical and Civil sometimes enlarging and sometimes restraining the liberty of people in these matters And hence it is that though the Fathers usually say that all the glory of the Sabbath is transferred to the Lords day and though it be commonly said that the Lords day succeeds the Sabbath yet the truth is that it succeeds not properly as the Heir doth his Father at least it is not Heres ex asse as Civilians speak but as the light follows darknes and the substance the shadow in regard that the rest of the Jews Sabbath as it was symbolical is expired and onely what was grounded upon moral equity in it is continued in the Lords day in which for the particular manner of observing we must look to the canons and customs of the Church which are of such force in these things
any good thing so well as we would And he alledgeth that place of Saint Paul I do not the good things that I would That tie that 〈◊〉 upon us in the other sabbath cannot be so well performed by us as it ought to be and therefore multo 〈◊〉 frequentius 〈◊〉 oportet we have cause to glorify God oftner by this sacrifice of humiliation for attonement then by the other So that as the other tendeth to initiation of the joyes to come for praise is the exercise of the Saints and Angels and herein have a heaven upon earth so this to mortification of our earthly members in this life and it is the ordinance of God that each of these sacrifices should have its day And though some doubt of the morality of the sabbath yet that 〈◊〉 is a moral duty there can be no doubt The reason is because whatsoever was a meer ceremony might not be vsed at any other time or in any other place or order then was prescribed by God in the book of Ceremonies but this of fasting hath been otherwise for upon extraordinary occasions they had special fasts as in the fist and seventh and tenth moneth none of which were prescribed by the law and had not bin lawful if fasting were a ceremony for ceremonies in the time of the law were tyed to certain times and places Again though our Saviour gave a reason why his disciples should not then fast yet he shewed plainly that after the Bridegroom should be taken away from them after his taking up into Glory they should fast and that this duty should continue And we see it was the practise of the Church at the sending forth of Paul and Barnabas And Saint Paul himself had his private fastings in multis jejuniis in fasting often And his advise was to married people to sever themselves for a time to give themselves to fasting and prayer which sheweth plainly that it was accounted a necessary duty and therefore practised Now for the other times of the Primitive church the books of the fathers are exceeding full in praise of fasting and they themselves were so addicted to it and did therewith so consume themselves that they might well say with David Their knees were made weak with fasting and their flesh had lost all their fatnes The day of humiliation or day of fast receiveth a division of publick and private 1. For the first it was lawful to blow the Trumpet at it And secondly for the second it was to be kept as privately as might be none must know of it but the ends and parts of both were alike Now the reasons of the publick fast were these 1. Either for the averting of some evil 2. Or for procuring some good And because malum est aut poenae aut culpae evil is either of punishment or of sinne this duty was performed against both these but especially against punishment either of our selves or others And in both it is either present which is Malum grassans or hanging over heads which is impendens 1. A present evill is when the Church or commonwealth hath any of the Lords arrows or shafts sticking in their sides as Chrysostom saith well on Jos. 7. 6. As when the men of Ai had discomfited the children of Israel Josuah and the People humbled themselves before God by a publick fast And upon the overthrow given them by the Benjamites the people likewise besought the Lord in a publick fast So in the time of their captivity under the Philistims the prophet Samuel proclaimed a publick fast And the like upon a dearth in the time of Joel 2. When as yet the judgement of God was not come upon them but was onely imminent a fast was proclaimed by Jehosaphat upon the Ammonites and Moabites coming against him He feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah Also upon Hamans decreegotten against the Jews before it was 〈◊〉 in execution Esther caused a general fast to be 〈◊〉 among the Jews And when Niniveh was threatened with destruction to come upon it within 40 days the king caused a publick fast to be held So when this punishment lieth not upon our selves but upon the Churches about us the like duty is to be performed We have an example in this 〈◊〉 for the Jews dispersed through Babylon and Chaldea in the Prophet Zachary 2. To come to malum culpae the evil of sinne In regard of our offences against God and that they deserve to be punished we are to performe this duty obtain pardon and to pacifie his wrath We see that the Jews having offended God by taking wives of the Gentiles though there was yet no visitation 〈◊〉 them yet Esra and those that feared God assembled and humbled themselves by fasting and Jesabells pretence for a fast was fair if it had been true viz. that God and the king had been blasphemed by Naboth 2. As it is a dutie necessary to the averting of evil so is it for the procuring of some good For which purpose we finde several fasts kept in the Apostles times One at the sending forth of two of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas and the other at the ordination of elders to desire of God to make such as were ordained painful and fruitfull labourers in the work to which they were called Now in this duty of fasting if we looke at the punishments and visitation of God onely which are variously sent it is hard to make Jejunium statum to observe any set and fixed time of 〈◊〉 but as the occasion is special and extraordinary so must the fast be but if we look at the sins we daily fall into and our own backwardnes to any thing that is good and consider that fasting is a great help in the dayly progresse of mortification and sanctification As under the law they had their set dayes of expiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein they did afflict their souls expiare 〈◊〉 sua jejunio and expiate their sinnes with fasting so no question 〈◊〉 that now we having the like daily occasions of fasting set times of fasting may be appointed by the Church and that it is very expedient it should be so and that every true member of the Church ought to observe the same And as upon these publick causes and calamities the whole people ought to make a solemne day of fasting wherein every one is to beare a part so when the same causes concern any private person he ought to keep a private fast and humiliation which brings in the second part of a fast Namely the private 2. The causes of a private fast are the same with those of the publick 1. Either for Malumpoenae the evil of punishment or secondly Malum culpae the evil of sin And the first in respect of our selves when we are either under Gods
by 1. his power 2. his jealousie How jealousie is ascribed to God Why humane affections are ascribed to God CHAP. IX page 224 Of the Commination wherein 1. The censure of the sin 2. The punishment 1. In the censure The sin viz. of Idolatry Is called 1. Hatred of God How God can be hated 2. Iniquity The punishment visitation upon the children The 〈◊〉 of this punishment by 1. The greatnesse 2. The multiplicity 3. The continuance Of Gods justice in punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children That it is not unjust in respect of the father nor 2. of the sin The use of all CHAP. X. page 228 The third part of the sanction a promise of mercy Gods rewards proceed from mercy which is the fountain of all our happinesse His mercy is promised to the 1000 generation the threatning extends onely to the third and fourth The object of his mercy such as love him Our love must be manifested by keeping his Commandements How they must be kept The benefit they will keep and preserve us The Exposition of the third Commandement CHAP. I. page 231 The general scope of the third Commandement Of glorifying the name of God by praise The manner how it must be done Several motives to stir men up to the duty CHAP. II. page 234 What is meant by Gods name The use of names 1. To distinguish 2. To dignifie Gods name in respect of his Essence Attributes and works and how they are to be reverenced What it is to take his Name as glorious as necessary Glorifying his Name inwardly outwardly by confessing defending it remembring it honourable mention of it threefold it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerable Applyed to our own actions by prayer and to others by blessing c. Of glorifying it in our lives What it is to take Gods Name in vain in respect of 1. the end 2. agent 3. the work CHAP. III. page 239 Of taking Gods Name by an oath The causes and grounds of an oath The parts of it Contestation Execration How God is glorified by an oath What is here commanded 1. To swear In what cases For Gods glory Mans necessity For the publick good The Oath Ex Officio whether lawful or no. Of private and voluntary oathes 2. To swear by God not by Idols or Creatures 3. Not to take his Name in vain but to swear in 1. Truth in oathes assertorie promissorie 2. Judgement 3. Justice Against voluntary oathes whether lawful Of swearing from the heart The means to be used against vain swearing The signes of keeping this Commandement Of drawing others to keep it CHAP. IV. page 250 What a vow is Whether a bare purpose without a promise Whether a thing commanded may be the matter of a vow The necessity and use of vows in respect of God of our selves What things a man may vow se suos sua Vows in the times of the Gospel Of performing vows Qualifications in a vow for the person the matter The time of vowing Of paying our vows CHAP. V. page 255 Of glorifying Gods Name from the heart The means of glorifying it The signes Of causing others to glorifie it The second part of this precept the Commination Reasons why such a threatning is here denounced Gods punishing the breach of this Commandment by visible judgements God is jealous of his Name The Exposition of the Fourth Commandement CHAP. I. page 259 The excellent order of the Commandements Why God himself appointed a set time for publick worship Why this Commandement is larger then the rest Six special things to be observed in this Commandement which are not in the rest The general parts of it 1. The precept 2. The reasons In the precept 1. The affirmative part what is meant by Sabbath what by sanctifying How things sanctified differ from other things God sanctified it not for himself but for us We must sanctifie it 1. In our estimation of it 2. In our use of it CHAP. II. page 262 What is commanded here 1. A rest 2. Sanctification Rest is required not for it self but for the duties of sanctification Reasons that the Sabbath is not wholly nor principally remonial Addition 21. out of the Authors other works declaring his meaning in two things 1. That the Lords day is Jure Divino 2. That the Jewish Sabbath is abolisht by Christs death proved by him at large out of Scriptures and Antiquity in his Speech against Trask in Star-Chamber CHAP. III. page 268 Additional considerations upon the doctrine of the Sabbath laid down in seven conclusions 1. It is certain some time is to be set apart for publick worship proved by Schoolmen Canonists and Reasons 2. Certain that the law of Nature doth not dictate the proportion of seven or any other in particular 3. It is most probable that the seventh day was appointed by God from the beginning as a day of publick worship in memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely This proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick Declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some Schoolmen late Divines 5. The fourth Commandement is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the Iewish-sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expired How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of the Sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the Sabbath 7. The Sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Councel of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner CHAP. IV. page 276 Reasons of this Commandement 1. Gods liberality in allowing us six dayes and requiring but one for himself 2. The seventh is his own proper day Who are comprehended in the prohibition 1. The Master of the family 2. Children 3. Servants 4. Cattel 5. Strangers The general reasons of this precept 1. Gods rest from the creation Addition 22. Moral reasons sometimes given of a ceremonial precept The reason why a rest and why on this day are different things out of Maimon Abenezra 2. Reason the benefit coming to mankinde by the creation 3. Reason God blessed the seventh day CHAP. V. page 280 How far this rest is to be kept Why this word remember is prefixed Such work to be forborn which may be done before or after Necessity of a vacation from other works that we may attend holy duties Mans opposition to God when
prayer word c. As a thing may be said to be holy as the place where Moses stood as also all that belonged to the Tabernacle because they were applied to the means of holines 2. Effective in regard of the fruit of holines which is wrought in us on that day and practized in our selves Sanctificamini et sancti estote Be sanctified and be holy So that all which hath bin said amounteth to thus much God hath set apart or sanctified this day to the end that it may be applied wholly either to the means of sanctification as hearing the word prayer meditation and other religious duties or to the practize of sanctification by these means wrought in us And he sanctified it or gave it a blessing that what means we use this day of sanctification shall be two fold blessed and of more effect and force to us then what we do upon another day not sanctified and set apart as this is Now seeing God hath so sanctified it it is our duties that as he hath sanctified it with is blessing we must do the like and sanctifie it too which consists in two things 1. In our estimation and accompt of it which is for our judgement 2. Secondly in the use of it which is for our Practize 1. We must account of it in our judgement as a day holy unto God not as a common day but as a Prince is sacred among men so this is to be reputed holy among dayes a day of dayes that of God to S. Peter must be our Rule What God hath sanctified make not thou common 2. For use that we so use it This use is well set down by the Prophet We must not do our own work No common thoughts are to exercise our brains and as our thoughts must be taken up with common affairs so neither must our communication be of such things nor our practise but our thoughts words and actions must be sanctified and such as tend to the practise of holinesse For according to that of the Prophet If that which is sanctified touch that which is common it imparteth not holines to the thing prophane or common but the common polluteth the thing which is sanctified so that the touching or dealing in any unholy action that day is a polluting of the day This we must take heed of else as our Saviour saith in another case A woman may be chast yet adultery may be committed if a wicked eye look upon her to lust after her so though holy things remain holy in themselves yet we may pollute them and make them unholy as much as in us lieth by our polluted actions CHAP. II. What is commanded here 1. A rest 2. Sanctification Rest is required not for it self but for the duties of sanctification Reasons that the Sabbath is not wholly nor principally ceremonial Addition 21. out of the Authors other works declaring his meaning in two things 1. That the Lords day is jure divino 2. That the 〈◊〉 Sabbath is abolisht by Christs death proved by him at large out of Scriptures and Antiquity in his speech against Trask in Star-Chamber NOw here are two things and both commanded but not alike or equally but the one for the other 1. The first is Sanctification which is the last end and drift of God in this commandment and that which is required for it self 2. The other which is the means subordinate to it is Rest without which sanctification of the day cannot be had as God requireth To make it plain The heathen by the light of nature could see that every thing is then best ordered when it hath but one Office and is ordained to do but one thing at once for whatsoever would be throughly done would be done alone the reason is because we are res 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creatures and if two things be done at once and together one will be done imperfectly because our thoughts will be distracted between both for part of our thoughts will be taken of when they are set upon several objects so that we cannot wholly intend two things at once It was Adams case in the state of Inno cency for he having a natural soul and finite was not able to intend the dressing of the garden commanded him and the sanctification of the sabbath together and therefore God would have him imploy six dayes upon the first and blessed the seventh day to be bestowed in his worship And this was the end why God instituted blessed and sanctified the seventh day for a remedy against distraction especially in the solemne worship of God which is enough to take up the whole man and ought to be without all distractions and therefore permitteth none to be intent to any other thing during the performance of it Now if Adam in that estate could not be free from distraction much more have we need of remedy against it And therefore is this rest and ceasing from servile work commanded to free us from it and to further our sanctification and thus cometh in this rest because this total sanctification cannot be performed without ceasing from labour and doing our own works for without rest we cannot sanctifie and if our rest should hinder our sanctification it ought to be taken away and omitted And indeed our Saviour Christ acknowledgeth that man was not made for the rest but for sanctification Sanctification was his end and man was created and made for that Rest is but a subordinate end and man was not made for it but rather rest was made for man Rest is but the means to attain to sanctification which is mans end and that for which he was made For as the Apostle saith of bodily exercise it profiteth 〈◊〉 so it may be said of bodily rest that bodily rest profiteth little or indeed nothing at all except it be applied to sanctification which is the end nor doth God approve of it without this but wholly disliketh it The scope of this reverend Author is not here to prove that the command of the sabbath is wholly Moral and in no part ceremonial but to prove against the Anabaptists Familists aud other sectaries who denie all distinction of dayes under the Gospel that it is not wholly or principally ceremonial as his reasons do plainly shew for that it is so in part is confessed afterwards where the Author saith that the strict rest enjoyned the jews of not 〈◊〉 a fire nor dressing meat on the sabbath was ceremonial and obliged onely the jews Nor can it be imagined but that he know very well that as the sabbath was a type of Christs rest in the grave of our daily rest from sinne and of our eternal rest Heb. 4. And as it signified a rest from the Egyptian servitude Deut. 5. That in these respects it was ceremonial and is abolisht And although his opinion seems to be that the Lords day which we observe instead of the
them Exod. 31. 13. of which opinion seem to be Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 30. and Euseb. hist. 1. cap 4. And thus that of Genesis 2. of Gods blessing and sanctifying the seventh day may be expounded cleerly and litterally without any forced interpretation that God did then sanctifie and appoint that day to be kept holy by a joyful remembrance of the creation and by other holy duties solemnly to be performed to him as Creator of all that being the birth day of the world which God the Lord of all would have observed as Princes who appoint the birth-day of their sons to be kept by their subjects For though I know diverse learned men both ancient and modern do otherwise expound the words either of Gods sanctifying the day in himself by a rest or cessation from those emanations of his power and goodnesse or by destinating the day to be observed afterwards or that the words are spoken by anticipation viz. that Moses writing that history after the Sabbath was given saith that Gods resting on the seventh day was the cause why afterwards viz. when the Law was given he sanctified that day yet the other exposition seems to be more cleer and genuine that the sanctification by holy duties was commanded then and that the rest from all labours was one of the ceremonies given afterwards to the Jews And to this those words of Moses Deuter. 5. 12. seem to relate when after the Commandment of sanctifying the Sabbath day he addes As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to wit long before from the beginning of the world and in Exod. 20. 10 I take the same to be the meaning of the words the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God that is the day consecrated to God from the beginning Therefore 〈◊〉 collects from those words in Job 38. 4. 7. where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth when the morning stars sung together and all the sons of God shouted for joy that upon the seventh day when the world was finisht the Angels who who are stiled the sons of God kept the sabbath And though I will not peremptorily affirme that the Angels kept it yet I take it to be very probable that the people of God the Patriarches and other holy men as they had publick sacrifices and forms of worship so they had some set times for the ordinary performance thereof which is most likely to have been on this day it is hardly credible that in the time of Enoch men should separate themselves from the sons of Cain by calling upon the name of the Lord that is by some publick worship and as learned Drusius thinks by some publick forms or liturgies without some set and solemn time for the performance thereof And Calvin himself though far from the sabbatarian errors yet thinks that the frequent sacrifices performed by Abraham and the other Patriarches were usually upon this day and therefore concludes it probable that the sanctification of it was before the Law And seeing there never was any nation in the world but had some certain and set dayes for their religious exercises can it be imagined that the people of God for those many hundred years before the flood and after even when they were grown into great multitudes in Egypt when they lived for divers hundred years should all that time be without any certain time when to worship God that they should have their sacrifices their priests viz the eldest of the family their altars and consecrated places their tithes which was Gods portion appointed by divine positive law from the beginning as may be elswhere proved and yet have no certain dayes for solemne worship this seemes to me altogether incredible especially if we consider that it is morally impossible that religion should long continue and be preserved among any people without some certain time for the publick exercise thereof And therefore though there be no expresse mention of any such dayes yet I make no question but they observed some and if any then surely this day Besides the ceasing of the manna to fall upon the seventh day for some time before the Law was given is an argument that the sabbath was known before as a day sacred to God though it begun then first to be kept as a day of rest which was afterwards prescribed by a law And hence it was that some relicks of this day were found among the Heathen though much obliterated because not written in their hearts by nature and a high esteeme they had of the seventh day as appears by Clem. Strom. 5. Euseb. praepar l. 13. c. 12. who out of Hesiod mencions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lux septuma sancta 10 Septius Adv. Appi. l. 2. circa finem Philo de die septimo shew that there was no nation so barbarous but that they honoured the seventh day and that it was the holy day not for one nation but for all the world The same is gathered from Homer and Callimachus by Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. The like we finde in Theophilus Ant. lib. 2. ad Autolicum Suetonius in Tiberio 32. Philostratus l. 3. c. 13. Dion Carthus l. 33. Lucian Tibullus and others And wheras Iustine Martyr Tertullian and others of the fathers say often that before the law holy men pleased God without keeping the sabbath they understand by sabbatizing not the publick praise and worship of God but the Jewish rest upon the sabbath which its true was proper to them and symbolical and was not observed by the Patriarchs And that they mean this may gathered from Tertull. l. 4. contra Marcion Hoc priviliigium donatum sabbato a primordio quo dies ipse compertus est veniam jeiunii dico where we see he derives the sabbath as a day of rejoycing from the beginning of the world and thereupon grounds the custom of not fasting on that day and yet the same man denies that the Patriarchs kept the sabbath that is the Jewish symbolical 〈◊〉 4. The fourth conclusion which I shall propound likewise as probable at least is that the Lords day which the Christian Church observes instead of the sabbath is of divine institution that as the seventh day from the Creation was instituted by God himself by a positive law obliging all the world so the Lords day is by positive Law obliging all Christians to the end of all the world instituted by authority from Christ who changed the day by his resurrection from the seventh to the first day of the week and that the Apostles published and ordained it not as ordinary rulers and gouernours of the Church but as speciall extraordinary legates of Christ by order from him and therefore the Church now hath no power to alter this day This assertion follows upon the former for if the sabbath was instituted by God before the Law and did oblige all mankinde as we have shewed already for
dung of our solemne feasts that is he will make them as odious to us as dung and we shall loath them Or as it is in another place he will punish it with fire unquenchable The next thing is the kinds of sanctification viz publick and private 1. It must be sanctified in the publick assembly there must be Sacra Synaxis a holy Convocation The heathen man could say that a good thing done and performed dy one is well but better if by many by a whole parish or City together publickly The reason is 1. in respect of God that he might haue the more glory when he is praised in the great congregation and publickly acknowledged before all the world which was the chief end of the 〈◊〉 institution of this day by such publick meetings the day is sanctified to God for to sanctifie a day and to call a solemn assembly are all one as we may see in Joel 1. 13 and 2. 15. 2. In respect the church that all may be known to professe the same faith and to be in one bond of obedience when they all meet in one place at the same time on the same day to glorifie God 2. That the means of sanctification as prayer may be the more effectual for vis 〈◊〉 fortior If the prayers of one just man be so effectual and prevalent with God much more when many meet together their prayers offer a holy violence to God and as it were besiege heaven 3. in respect of the common-wealth the heathen could 〈◊〉 that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meeting together in one place was the means of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it maintained amity And the refore they which bring in tyranny seek to divide and separate men and forbid all meetings and assemblies by that means to cause them to be disjoynted as it were in their affections But God in his service will have men to meet together because they shall be of one minde This 〈◊〉 sanctification There is also private sanctification From those publick meetings which are nundinae sprituales spiritual faires every man must carry away commeatum 〈◊〉 provision for his soul for the informing his understanding reforming his will and regulating his affections and in this we must do as men do at a market provide for our use all the week following And being thus stored and provided that great end will be gained that God may be sanctified that is that he may be magnified as the 〈◊〉 expounds it And as the chief end of this day is that God may be sanctified that is magnified so the subordinate end is that we may be sanctified by the duties which we must then performe The sabbath was a signe between God and his people that they might know that it was he that sanctified them That so they being sanctified might bring forth the fruits of sanctification as Christ saith that he sanctified himselfe for our sakes not for his own Job 17. 19. Now God sanctified it 1. By appointing it to a holy use as the 〈◊〉 was sanctified from the womb 2. By separating it from other dayes for things or persons sanctified are senered from common vse and 3. by giving a special blessing to the holy duties of his worship on that day performed And thus he makes it holy or sanctifies it And as God thus made the day holy we must sanctifie our selves and then sanctifie the day as Hezekias said to the Levites sanctifie your selves and then as it follows sanctifie the house of God what God hath sanctified or made holy that we may reap the benefit of it we must sanctify our selves we cannot make it holy but keep it holy it is our duty to keep holy for if a thing be destinated to an use and be not applied to it it is 〈◊〉 We must not then make that common which God hath sanctified we are to apply it to the end to which God hath destinated it and use that holily which God hath sanctified The destination is from God the application must be from our selves When the instruments of the tabernacle were sanctified whatsoever toucheth them must be holy so here God having sanctified this day all that touch it that live and breath in it that behold the sun or light that day must be holy Now for the means of sanctification it is plain that we are sanctified by the holy Ghost and this sanctifying hath a resemblance to that of the Levitical sanctifying where nothing could be sanctified but it must have unctionem be anoynted with oyle a figure of the spiritual unction which is nothing else but the spiritual working of the holy Ghost in our hearts so that we must first looke whether we have this unction in us that is whether we have the holy Ghost by 〈◊〉 we must be sanctified which as it is the gift of God we have it not of our selves so God denyes it not to those that ask it as our Saviour speaks we must be fitted to receive it As it is God that gives it so he gives it not to any but those that are prepared to receive it that we may understand this we may take notice how the Holy Ghost is compared to fire now the matter must be prepared and gathered by us but it is God that gives the spark and makes it burne and when God hath kindled the spark it must be our duty to blow the spark and look it go not out Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle God will not give the spark it we do not prepare matter and though we prepare matter yet it will not burn unlesse God kindle the fire so that the holy ghost and by consequence sanctification is not got by following the devises of our own brain ye shall not do that which is good in your own eyes saith God but according to the prescript method which God hath set down we must gather matter for this heavenly spark which the holy Ghost must set on fire and this is done by attending to the duties of publick worship on that day for if any shall wilfully keep at home on that day though he be never so well occupied having no just cause of his absence from God house and yet thinks he pleases God the fathers of that ancient councel of Gangra have pronounced an anathema against him For the means to sanctification the special duties and acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists no other directions can be given then what we formerly gave for the means to attain knowledge onely we premise that which Saint Augustine saith of iteration that a man may say Domine scis quia dixi Domine scis quia 〈◊〉 Domine scis quia 〈◊〉 sum Lord thou knowest I have sanctified thy name because I have preached it Lord thou knowest I have spoken of it again and again Lord thou knowest I have been
witnes of the truth Sain Paul attributeth sanctification of every thing to prayer premised and therefore it is termed the preparative to all the duties of a Christian more plainly Our Saviour very early before day went out into a solitary place and there prayed and afterward came and preached in the Synagogue which is very probable to have been on the sabbath day whereby we may observe that Christ himself took prayer to be the first means of sanctification 1. Now for the times of this exercise of prayer on the Lords day they are two 1. Before the other publick duties and 2 After 1. That before is either private as of a master and his family 2. Or else in the congregation which is publick Both which the psalmist comprehendeth in one verse I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithful there 's the first And in the congregation there 's the last 1. Concerning the first we see in the place before quoted that our Saviour went out into a solitary place as also elsewhere As soon as he had sent the multitude away he departed into a mountain to pray 2. For the other we may gather out of that place in the Acts that amongst the very Heathen the religious Hellinists which were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were a kinde of proselytes that worshipped the God of Israel vsed to assemble themselves to pray by a rivers side But more plainly the Apostle saith that to the prayers of the congregation every one should joyn his own Amen Again prayer is to be vsed after For as we are not fit to receive any spiritual grace before without it so neither to keep it after the devil will take the word out of our hearts after we have heard it unlesse we desire of God that it may remain with us and seek his blessing that the seed may fructify And this was in the law to come from the Priests mouth The Lord blesse thee and keep thee By vertue whereof the devil wil lose his power in taking the word out of our hearts but it shall continue with us and fructifie in us 2. The second is the word which is magnified or sanctified by God for our sanctification for as the prophet saith God hath magnified the law that is his word and made it honorable and else where plainly the hearing of the word is made one end of publick assemblyes gather me the people together saith God and I will makethem hear my words Now the word upon the sabbath hath a double use 1. First as it is read and heard read onely 2. And secondly as it preached or heard preached 1. For the first the Church in great wisdome alwayes thought it most convenient and necessary that reading should precede preaching that when it should be preached it might not seem strange to them that heard it But as that is thought a thing fit by the Church so would it be no lesse expedient that before we come to church we would meditate on it yet such is our wretchlessenesse in matters spiritual that we think we have done enough if we can apprehend it when it is read whereas if we would meditate on it before hand we might make the better 〈◊〉 of it when it is read and be the better confirmed in what we hear preached The Jews had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preparation to the sabbath and about the ninth houre of it which is our three of the clock in the after-noon they usually met and spent their time in reading of the scriptures that they might be the better fitted against the sabbath The publick reading of the word in the congregation on the sabbath day is warranted by diverse passages in holy writ as by that in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that when Paul and his company came into the synagogue at Antioch on the sabbath day the rulers of the Synagogue after the 〈◊〉 of the Law and the Prophets sent to them saying ye men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation say on And by another passage in the same Chapter where it is said that the Prophets were read every sabbath day And by another a little after which saith thus that Moses that is the law was read in the Synagogue every sabbath day And lastly Saint Paul gives a special charge by the Lord to the Thessalonians thathis Epistle to them be read unto all the holy brethren There is a vse also of private reading and that of great consequence for Christ saith plainly that his witnesses be the Scriptures and therefore will he have them searched because they testified and prophecied of him That this exercise is profitable the prophet maketh plain by a question Should not a people enquire at their God which he explains in the next verse by seeking To the law and to the Testimony And again Seek in the book of the Law and read And therefore we see that the Bereans were much commended and storied for wiser and nobler 〈◊〉 other people why because they searched the Scriptures daily to confirm their faith in the points preached to them There are other vses also in reading In the Revelation there is a blessing pronounced to those that read or heare the words of that prophecy because it might excite men to praise God when they see all fulfilled Man seeing the prophecies fulfilled may thereby give him praise And for this cause there were anciently Monuments kept in Churches which preserved and set forth the accomplishing of Gods promises or threatnings As the memorials of the warres of God on the behalf of the Israelites which was called liber bellorum Dei the book of the battels of the Lord and their verba 〈◊〉 or Chronicl es of Nathan Gad Shemaiah c. these they permitted in a holy use to be privately read that seeing his promises and his threatning denounced in them to have been fulfilled men might the better be stirred up to the praise and fear of God 2. Another use was the understanding of hard places in the Scripture It is recorded of Daniel that while hs was reading the book of 〈◊〉 about the accomplishment of the number of the 70 years captivity mentioned by the same prophet God sent an Angel to him to informe him in that great 〈◊〉 about the time of Christs sufferings So the Eunuch while he was reading in the book of Esay had the exposition of Christs sufferings from the Apostle Philip sent for that purpose by God and because God doth not now by such extraordinary means informe us in the true sence of Scriptures therefore we are to read such as have written 〈◊〉 upon such places and so no doubt but if Philip had written any thing at that time upon Esay that the Eunuch would have read it and made use of
Men and brethren what shall we do or what shall we leave undone but onely for some sinister ends 2. The second is between the hearers themselves and that 1. either among equalls as S. Paul with S. Peter and Elias and Elizens who communed together and the two Disciples with whom Christ made a third And it was the old Custom as it is in the Prophet that they that feared the Lord spake every one to his neighbour c. to which a special blessing is promised That God would keep a book of remembrance for such men and that he would spare them c. By this means a more general benefit may be reaped of what is heard when many shall lay together what they have observed as in a symbolum or common shot whereby some that had no benefit by the word when they first heard it may receive some good by it afterwards and by mutual conference men may lay open their infirmities and imperfections which hinder them in hearing and applying the word and may receive directions from others whose case hath been the same how they were holpen and freed from the like 2. Or else between superiours and inferiours as the Master and his family And this was Gods Commandement to the Israelites concerning his Law they were to teach their children and to whet it upon them as the word imports Thou shalt talk of it when thou sittest in thine 〈◊〉 and when thoulyest down and when thou risest up c. 5. The fift and last duty for sanctifying the day not to be passed over is praise and thanksgiving Augustine accompteth it to be totum opus Sabbati the whole work of the Sabbath as if the day were made for nothing else And to this end as hath been said before the ninety second Psalm was penned to be sung as a Hymne or song to praise God Now praise and thanksgiving may be either for general or particular benefits For general benefits we have the ninety first sixty eight and hundred and third Psalms For particular benefits as for fair weather after rain or rain after too much drought c. we have the sixty fift Psalm For these we must with David praise God in the great Congregation Especially seeing thanksgiving is accounted by David to be a debt due unto God in respect of his goodnesse in hearing our prayers and it is the very reason the Psalmist gives for it Praise watcheth for thee in Sion or as others read it Tibi debetur Hymnus a hymn is due to thee from Sion the reason is expressed in the next words because thou art a God that hearest prayers Besides all these mentioned the Sacraments and Discipline are parts of the sanctification of the day but are not for every day but to be performed on speciall dayes and by some speciall persons whereas the other duties of the day pertain generally to all and ought to be continually performed So that no man ought to conceive that he hath done enough in performing them once Qui sanctificatus est sanctificetur adhuc he that is holy let him be holy still There is a necessity of continuing in these means of sanctification every sabbath day For as our knowledge is but in part and our prophesying but in part as the Apostle speaks so our sanctification is but in part there will still remain a necessity of that exhortation Scrutamini Scripturas search the Scriptures We are continually to wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb that is we must still come neerer and neerer to cleannesse until by continuing in these holy exercises we may at last save our selves And thus much for the several duties wherein the sanctifying of the day consists Now the means are for the end which is the fruit of them Nemo mediis utitur propter media no man ever useth means onely for the means but for some end And therefore he that planteth a vineyard and he that tilleth and soweth his ground hoc est ultimum fructus that which he aimeth at is the fruit and harvest This is the fruit that God expects the great end of this Commandment that his Name may be sanctified in and by us We have the very phrase of speech in the book of Numbers Because ye beleeved me not to sanctifie me in the presence of the Children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring the Congregation into the land which I have given them this was Gods speech to Moses and Aaron And in another place the like Sanctificate sancti estote sanctifie your selves and be ye holy Such words in respect of the two fold glory that redoundeth to God have a double sence God is glorified 1. Either by us directly or 2. from us by other indirectly as it is in the Gospel when men seeing our good works are stirred up also to glorifie him And therefore it is that these words Sanctification Glorification c. have a double sense 1. First to signifie a making holy c. and that by means in which respect sanctification is a making holy 2. in regard of others a declaring of this sanctification so made By the first according to S. Peter we make sure to our selves our calling and election And by the second we declare it to others that as we glorifie God our selves so God may be glorified by others also Shew me thy faith by thy works saith S. James Whereby it falleth out that because good works have this operation to stir up others to glorifie God that our Saviour saith That a good work is lawful on the Sabbath day such works discover our regeneration and if we be purged and sanctified we shall be as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prepared or made fit for every good work So that when God hath used the means we must bring forth the fruit CHAP. VII Works of Mercy proper for the Lords day They are of two sorts 1. First Corporeal feeding the hungry c. Burying of the dead a work of mercy Such works proper for a festival Objections answered 2. Spirituals 1. To Instruct Counsel and exhort 2. Comfort 3. Reproofe 4. Forgiving 5. Bearing with the weak 6. Prayer 7. Reconciling those that are at odds BUt because the day was chiefly instituted for a memorial of Gods great mercies as 1. For making us when we were nothing 2. Secondly for redeeming us when we were worse then nothing 3. And lastly For the beginning of our sanctification therefore in regard of these three great mercies it is that no work doth so well agree with the day nor that God is so much delighted in as the works of mercy when we shew our thankfulnesse for those great mercies which we celebrate on that day by exercising mercy towards others whose necessity requires our assistance And in this regard it is that there is a special affinity between
it with the timber and stones of it But if they be reserved to the right use then a blessing follows God gives good encouragement and his promises never fail Bring ye al the tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it CHAP. XII The two last rules 1. The signes of keeping the day 2. Of procuring the observation by others The Conclusion THus much for the fourth rule concerning the means of keeping this Commandment There are two things more which are required by the two last Rules 1. The signes that the Sabbath hath been rightly kept 2. The procuring of the obsertion of it in others of which very briefly 1. Of the signes we need say little having already shewed in what duties the sanctifying of the day consists the performance of which are signes that this Commandment is kept In general these two signes manifest the same 1. Our careful frequenting the house of God that day for publick service and worship this we finde in Esay 66. 23. from moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come and worship before me saith the Lord. 2. Our private sanctifying the day in holy duties if every city be like mount Sion every house 〈◊〉 templi like a Temple and every man instar 〈◊〉 like a priest offering up the spiritual sacrifice of 〈◊〉 and praises to God 2. The last rule is for procuring the keeping of the sabbath by others This is Plainly expressed in the letter of the commandment Thou and thy son and they daughter c. And the stranger that is within thy gates Where we see the charge is given to the master of the family not to let the day be prophaned by any within his 〈◊〉 Examples we have for a family in Job who sanctified his sons and offered sacrifices for them For a publick person in the Commonwealth in Nehemiah who caused the gates of Jerusalem to be shut and would not suffer the Merchants to come in and sell their wares upon the sabbath day That which the father is to the family that is the Magistrate to the City as the one should command those of his houshold so the other is to look to them that are within his jurisdiction that they neglect not their duties in this point Nehemiah testified against the people for breaking the sabbath God makes the magistrate Custodem utriusque 〈◊〉 an overseer that men breake no commandment either of the first or second table And he is to take care aswell for the keeping of the sabbath as the maintenance of the Minister He is to call to account those that are under him if the sabbath be broken What evil thing is this that you do and profane the sabbath day Nehemiah commanded his servants and the Levits that no burdens should be brought into the City on the sabbath day and a strict charge is given to the kings and Princes of Judah concerning the observing of the day with a severe threatening if they sufferd it to be prophaned Jer. 17. 18. 19 20. c. Now to conclude when a man hath observed all these rules concerning the sabbath by his own practise and his care over them that belong to him he may in humble manner with Nehemiah after his care herein say to God Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatnes of thy Mercy Remember saith God in the beginning of this Commandment Remember saith Nehemiah in the end So should we end the sabbath and all our actions think of me O my God for good according to all I have done That I have with my family observed the sabbath that all we have been present before God to hear all things that are commanded by him that I and my house have served the Lord. Lord remember me in this Yet let us not be proud of that we have done for at the best we are but unprofitable servants And we have our tenebrosa intervalla fits of darknes too the best of us And in this case as we may say Lord remember us so also we are to say with the same Nehemiah and spare us according to thy great mercy It will be well with us if we can be able to say remember me in hoc in this thing if we have done well but withal we must say spare me in this and that offence committed by me and in the defects that are in my best performances spare me in thy goodnes spare me in the greatnes of thy mercy spare me for the merits of our Saviour That which is here added in the former edition concerning some sins forbidden in this precept is 〈◊〉 here inserted contrary to the Authors method and the same things are formerly handled more fully in their proper places according to the first rule of extension that the negative is included in the affirmative Finis precepti quarti THE EXPOSITION OF THE Fifth Commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. CHAP. I. Of the sum of the second table The love of our neighbour How the second table is like the first 1. Of the Act love How christian love differs from other love The fruits of it The parts of it 2. The obiect our neighbour Who is our neighbour Degrees of proximity and order in love 3. The manner of love as thy self This must appear in 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order THis fifth Commandement beginneth the second Table It is called by some the Table of justice As the other taught us the love and duty of man to God so this the love and duty of one man to another which gives us a Testimony of Gods love towards us that he made man after his own image like to himself and allows him a Table for his good and that with more precepts then that of his own The sum or contents of this Table is delivered Mat. 22. 39 out of Levit 19. 18. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self In which place of Saint Mat. Our Saviour saith that the second is like the first for indeed when we come to the second Table we depart not from the love and honour of God it being no lesse in the second then in the first nay rather somewhat more The similitude mentioned by our Saviour consisteth in this that whereas he hath taken order for his 〈◊〉 love in the first so he hath taken order for the love of man for 〈◊〉 in the second and though it come not so directly to God yet indirectly it doth for our love to man must be grounded uponour love of God we must love him in and for God therefore the Schoolmen make but one Theological vertue of love to
Concerning that which Aristotle hath in his morals it must be acknowledged that he meant de 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod fieri debuit else he is to be called back to his de Rep. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is expedient for little children to be drawn from evil speeches and sights which may hinder their proceedings in vertue and it is his rule further that it is necessary to teach them assoon as may be all things that are good Lastly against the Orator standing at the bar and pleading for his fee to excuse a lewd young man his own serious 〈◊〉 are to be alledged Refrenanda 〈◊〉 est c. maxime haec aetas a libidinibus voluptatibus arcenda est This age meaning youth is most 〈◊〉 to be kept from lusts 〈◊〉 pleasures And in another place he is of a flat contrary opinion to his first Qui adolescentum 〈◊〉 ignosciputant 〈◊〉 falluntur propterea quod aetas illa non est impedimento 〈◊〉 studiis They are much 〈◊〉 that think way should be given to the licentiousnesse of young men because that age is no let or hinderance to good learning In the Scriptures there are two places that discover some to be of the same opinion 1. Pharaoh being requested by Moses that the Israelites might go with their children to worship the Lord makes a scoffe at the motion and saith Not so go ye now that are men as though religion pertained not to children 2. In the Gospel when children were brought to Christ to blesse them the disciples not onely forbade them but rebuked them that brought them as if Christ and children had nothing to do with each other For the first we see that Moses stands stiffely to his proposition and 〈◊〉 not accept of Pharaohs offer for the elder except the younger might go also For the second our Saviour opposeth his disciples and commandeth them not to hinder but to suffer and further their coming to him telling them that the kingdom of heaven belonged aswell to them as to elder people pronouncing those accursed that should keep them from him or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lay a stumbling block before them by ill example That instruction is most necessary for children may be proved out of the Law 1. The Law was not onely given in respect of those of riper years but to the younger sort and that to cleanse their wayes as the Prophet David speaks 2. The Jews observe that there is mencion made of children three times in the Decalogue and of these three places two of them are directly set down for 〈◊〉 children in duties of Religion as in the observation of the Sabbath and honouring Parents one in each Table 3. Again God in the same Law gave commandment to Parents to inform and 〈◊〉 their children why the Passeover and other religious ordinances were commanded Yea though children shall not ask of their Parents yet God layeth a charge upon them to see their children instructed in his Laws And whereas many hold it not material or to be regarded what children do and that they are not to be examined and censured for their childish acts though wanton and wicked the Holy Ghost confutes such people by the Wise man who saith 〈◊〉 semi is suis as some translation hath it even a childe is known by his doings whether his work be pure and whether it be right 2. And as God would have 〈◊〉 instructed in his Laws so if when they are taught 〈◊〉 admonished they refuse good counsel it will fall out that such as are evil affected and obstinate he means to destroy as in the case of Elies sons who hearkned not to the voice of their father because God would 〈◊〉 them and of the fourty two children of the city of Bethel who were devoured by Bears for mocking the Prophet Elisha Whereas on the other side God gives a blessing to such children as are willing to be instructed in his fear and the wayes or his commandments 3 To this the Hebrew proverb may be added There are to be seen in 〈◊〉 souls of all sizes that is death the reward of sin seizeth upon the young as well as upon the old and the young as the old shall be judged by their works I saw the dead saith saint John small and great stand before God and they were judged according to their works 4. Again from the gospel Exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example saith our Saviour of whom the Divines rule is Omnis actio Christi 〈◊〉 nostra est Every action of Christ is for our instruction And he hath left an example and president for children in that at twelve yeers of age he was found in the Temple with the Doctors both hearing and asking them questions and so submitting himself to Catechizing 5. When the chief Priests and Scribes were sore displeased at the children that cryed Hosanna to our Saviour he approved of their song of praise and quoted a text for their justification out of the Psalms Out of the mouth of babes and 〈◊〉 hast thou perfected praise and upon that act of theirs one saith Non minus placet Hosanna puerorum quam Hallelujah virorum The Hosanna of children pleased Christ no lesse then the Hallelujah of men 6. In the gospel Christs charge to saint Peter was not to feed his sheep onely but his lambs also and his lambs in the first place because the increase of the flock depends chiefly upon the forwardnesse and thriving of the lambs for they being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and looked to lesse pains will be taken with them when they come to be sheep 7. When thou vowest a vow saith the Preacher defer not to to pay it All stipulations and solemn promises must be performed assoon as we can But in our Baptism we made a vow to learn the fear of God therefore we are to perform it in the prime of our youth and the rather because whereas by the direction of our Saviour the disciples were to teach and baptize yet in singular favour to the children of the faithful this priviledge is given that they first may be baptized and then taught 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because God hath set it in the second place do not thou set it in no place It should be first therefore as soon as may be Saint Augustin saith Quare 〈◊〉 Magister extrinsecus 〈◊〉 sit intus To what purpose is it to have an instructer or teacher outwardly if he be not within also And 〈◊〉 when we come to age there is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a casting off and rejecting of government but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change of the governor Seeing then that children must have teachers and governors within them before they be freed from Tutors and governours without them it is necessary that we begin to teach them betimes
great fault If I have made gold my hope or have said to the fine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great or because my hand had gotten much Or if our trust be in great men as the Prophet who denounceth a curse against him that trusteth in man or maketh flesh his arm And not onely in great personages but in Common-wealths and the strength of them and their chariots and horses Or in wisdom Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom Or in outward priviledges Trust not in lying words saith the Prophet saying the Temple of the Lord c. Or as Ezekiel in ordinary coming to sermons as the people did to his and so to rest doing no good works and reaping no fruit by them But to use these things well not trusting in them which may be done 1. By a right judgement of them 2. By a right use of them 1. For the first Moses saith It is not bread that man liveth by onely but by the word of God his will and decree In nature bread should nourish but it is withall if God give the staffe of bread with it His blessing gives a nutritive vertue to bread and this is the staffe The Psalmist look'd upon his bow and his sword and yet could not be confident in them I will not trust in my bow saith he it is not my sword that shall help me And except the Lord build with us and watch with us our building and watching will be to no purpose It is the Lord that must give the staff of building watching nourishing c. else all our means will be used in vain nothing can prosper without his blessing Every thing depends upon God both in esse and in operari as the Schools say and no second cause can work without the influence of the first cause and this must be our judgement concerning the means 2. The right use is the second and this because the means are of no force without a blessing annexed we are to seek for some thing further that may adde vigor and strength to them which as the Apostle saith is thanksgiving and prayer to sanctifie the means And this thanksgiving and prayer are not to be formall It was that which Job feared in his sons for he knew by his good education of them that they omitted not thanksgiving nor prayer every day but feared that they performed not those duties as they ought and therefore every morning he offered burnt offerings according to the number of them And in doing thus we shall make the right use of the means and be in the number of the Saints whose practise we shall finde in scriptures to be the same Jacob in reconciling himself to his brother used all the means that could be as in sending messengers before he met him thereby to feele his affection towards him not forgetting presents to make his way the better and withal instructing his servants to separate his wives and children and droves in several stations that if his brother should set upon one the other might escape yet for all this we see that in the first place he giveth himself to prayer thinking that all the means he used could be of little force except God blessed the means So in Exodus we finde that in the war with the Amalekites all things were provided Iosua made Captain and the battle set in order but knowing that all this was not available without Gods blessing Moses went up to the top of the mount with Aaron and Hur to pray and we see that no longer then Moses listed up his hands no longer did the Isralites prevail We finde in the fathers two several wayes whereby a man may know and certifie himself whether his trust be more in the means then in God the author and giver 1. Quid primum in mente venit cogitandum what first comes into a mans thoughts 2. Quid postremum what last 1. For the first say they when thou goest about any thing cometh thy wealth first into thy minde or thy mony or thy charriot or thy horse or thy arm of flesh or cometh he that hath the prerogative of all these the first that first offereth it self to thy minde trieth it and tieth it to it self and all other are but secondary means If there be first a calling to minde of God it is probable that he is the ground of thy confidence 2. And secondly what we set down in our minds as our last refuge and this is too commonly seen to be the means The wiseman saith The rich mans wealth is his strong city which the fathers expound thus when the Justice and goodnesse of his cause when God and good men and all else forsake him then will that stick to him as he conceives and help him at a pinch and he is perswaded that argento respondent omnia pecuniae omnia obediunt when we are like to them against whom the Prophet denounceth a woe that devise iniquity and worke evill upon their beds and when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hand And indeed our nature is such that as long as means prevail so long we trust in them But when a man in the plenty of his means can say I will do nothing against the truth but for the truth notwithstanding all my means wisdome freinds c. I will do nothing against a good cause if the event conduce not to the Glory of God non est faciendum I will not go about it when a rich man shall be poor to do evill and so a wise man foolish and ignorant in evill then he hath a good warrant that flesh is not his arme and that his trust is not in his meanes 〈◊〉 God though his means be many Nay when we can trust in God though means be wanting The Greeks have a proverb while the pot seetheth their love seetheth and so we can be content to hold out so long as our means hold out and no longer And this is the cause that provoketh God in his just judgement to give the means without the blessing as also to bring many things to passe without means For as where the blessing of God is there it falls out that mens bellies are filled with Gods hidden treasure there is thriving and growing no man can tell by what means So where he 〈◊〉 the means it fares with them as with those in the Prophet ye have sowen much and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough ye drink but ye are not filled with drink ye cloth you but ye are not warme and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes whatsoever means they use it prospers not And the experience of this we see in king Asa albeit Physick be the ordinary means to recover health yet
a man have a taste of Gods mercy in the remission of his sins The Prophet David being before cast down presently saith Verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer S. Augustine asketh how David knew this and answereth himself habuit gustum aliquem divinorum he had some taste that God had forgiven him his sins 3. The third is when a man continueth in a patient waiting of Gods leisure as King David did 〈◊〉 till God came to him he would walk in a perfect heart and take no wicked thing in hand O when wilt thou come unto me saith he I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 1. The signes of true thankfulnesse likewise are diverse The first is when a man feeleth himself filled with marrow and fatnesse as rapt with consideration of Gods favours and benefits 2. When a man is jealous of his own ingratitude that after his cleansing he wallow no more in sin and lest he make himself uncapable of Gods hearing his prayer for any more mercies 3. When beneficia become veneficia when his benefits charm us and make us withstand strong temptations as Joseph did though his Mistris tempted him very strongly yet he answered her My Master hath done this and this for me how can I then do this great wickednesse and sin against God This is a great signe that a man is truely thankful unto God that when God hath bestowed his benefits upon him he is the more careful thereby not to break his law 4. The last signe is when we defer not our thanks A type of this was in the law The sacrifice of thanksgiving was to be eaten the same day not kept longer No procrastination of thanks Nihil citius senescit gratia nothing grows old sooner then thanks Now concerning the sixth rule as in the former we are to procure this duty to be performed by others 1. Saul when he should have betaken himself to prayer thought the enemies came too fast and not only layed away the ephod himself but willed the Priest to withdraw his hand it is noted by the holy Ghost to Sauls infamy Therefore as we are to avoid all impediments to our selves so are we not to discourage others with them in Job Who is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray to him One of the Fathers maketh this answer Beneficium projicitur ingrato collocatur grato a good turn is cast away upon an unthankful man but bestowed upon a thankful person He is kinde unto the unthankful and evil 2. And as we must not hinder others so for the affirmative part the invitation we have Davids and it is in the beginning of our Liturgie O come let us sing unto the Lord. O come let us worship and fall down And O praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his name together But especially in the hundred fourty eighth Psalm he is not contented onely to the company of men in this duty but dragons snow fire and all creatures not that they could praise the Lord but that there is not the basest creature of them all that had not cause enough to praise the Lord if they could And thus much for prayer CHAP. XII The seventh vertue required is Love of God That God is to be loved Of mercenary and free Love The excellency of Love The measure of Love The opposites to the Love of God 1. Love of the world 2 Self-love 3 Stupidity 4. Loathing of God All the motives of Love are eminently in God 1. Beauty 2. Propinquity 3. Benefits bestowed Six signes of Love Of drawing others to Love God THe next duty is Love The same which the Apostle saith of the Law to have been for a time till the promised seed came may be said concerning the other affections and their actions that they were onely till the love of God came of which the Fathers say that occupare amorem to have love in us drowneth all other affections For we have fear first and being delivered from that we feared we love and being heard in what we hope and pray for we love God and say with the Prophet dilexi quia audivit c. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice There is a coherence between love and prayer We have formerly said that to enjoy and have a thing we are first to know it and the knowledge of it breeds in us a true estimate of it and the estimate of a thing makes us love it so habere Deum est scire to possesse God is to know him and this knowledge breeds a true estimate of God whereupon we love him for according to our estimation our love is more or lesse to that we have These affections of fear and hope are for this end that when God hath bestowed on us the things we either fear to lose or hope to enjoy we may the better esteem of them For as cito data vilescunt we sleight those things which are easily got when we can but ask and have so the things we have felt the want of so long and for which we have been humbled when they come we will the better regard them and love him the better for them The object of love is bonum in which the very natural reason of man hath found two properties viz. that it is 1. Communicative 2. Attractive 1. Every good is desirous to communicate it self to as many as are willing and meet to partake of it As we see in the Sun and other celestial bodies in the natural elements so there is in God a quality of desiring to communicate his goodnesse and indeed it was the cause why he created all things to have a church and to shew his glory and mercy on it So that the minde of man seeing this nature in God consequently hath a desire to it and that desire goeth so far till it come to a conjunction and that to an union ita conjungi 〈◊〉 uniantur because by the union of two good things there will come good to the desirer which he had not before and whereby he is made better 2. Secondly it hath vim attractivam It hath been said that if inferiour things be coupled and united with things of more excellent nature they are thereby made more noble As a potsheard being covered with gold As on the other side things which are excellent being joyned with viler are made more abject as the minde of man with inferiour creatures And there can be nothing which can make the minde more transcendent then the conjunction of it with that which in it self is all good and containeth all good things and that for ever and from hence ariseth this attractive property and force for in every good there is that force which allureth And therefore to shew us this good it is nececessary that faith and knowledge precede
that though by the common Canon-law all festivals are from evening to evening Cap. 1. 2. de Feriis 〈◊〉 cap. 13. n. 5. Covar in 4. variar resol cap. 19. n. 9. yet where the custom is to observe them from midnight to midnight or from morning to morning such custom ought to be kept if there be lawful prescription for it as Panorm resolves 7. Before we conclude this observation about the Sabbath it may be fit to consider why it was so long observed after our Saviour together with the Lords day for we finde that for many years after the Apostles times the Sabbath was kept as well as the Lords day until the Councel of Laodicea which was not long before the Councel of Nice and that it is still observed among the Abyssines and that Balsam saith that the holy Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did in a manner equall the Sabbath with the Lords day Gregory Nyssen calls those two dayes fratres brethren Clem. constit l. 7. cap. 24. Diem Sabbati Diem Dominicam festas habete quoniam illa creationis altera resurrectionis memoria dicata est observe those two festivals the sabbath and the Lords day the one in memory of the creation the other of the resurrection hence was that old Custome of not fasting upon the sabbath or Saturday because it was a day of rejoycing and therefore those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 festival dayes in the 53 Canon of the Apostles are expounded by Zonaras to be the Sabbath or Saturday and the Lords day and in the 65 Canon it is prohibited to fast either on the Sabbath or Lords day 〈◊〉 onely the Sabbath before Easter Ignatius in Epist. ad Philadelph saith If any fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords day or on the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is a murderer of Christ. Tertul de jejuniis saith Sabbatum nunquam nisi in Pascha jejunandum est none must fast on the Sabbath or Saturday save before Easter And from this cause it was that Constantine whose Edict we may read in Eusebius for the free exercise of Christian Religion forbids that they should be impleaded on the Sabbath or Saturday as well as on the Sunday because both dayes were observed with publick meetings And in the Synod of Laodicea it was appointed that besides the Law which was anciently read upon the Saturdayes the Gospel should be also read on that day By all which it may seem that the Jewish Sabbath and the Lords day are both to be kept and by some learned men it is hence urged that the sunday doth not succeed the 〈◊〉 but wassuperadded to the sabbath But to this I answer 1. That the sabbath was for some time used as a thing indifferent as were some other legal rites in favour of the Jews and that they might be the lesse offended and more easily gained to the Christian Church as S. Paul circumcised timothy and S. Peter abstained from some meats c. not as things necessary but 〈◊〉 2. That though the legal rites were void at 〈◊〉 death and then expired yet as S. Augustine saith some time was required for their decent burial 3. That though holy duties were performed in public on the Saturday for many years yet the symbolical and typical rest which was proper to the Jewish sabbath was not allowed or practised in the Church and therefore when some began to 〈◊〉 on the Saturday by resting on that day it was forbid by several Councels as that of Laodicea cap. 29. the Councel of Lyons in cap. 1. de consecr d. 3. and the Sabbatarians were generally condemned for Hereticks And therfore the observing of Saturday as a half holy day as it is still in a manner kept in many places with us was not with reference to the Jewish sabbath but for the more honour of the Lords day as a preparative to that great festival and therefore though the Church did allow some publick meetings on that day in the Church yet we never finde that the symbolical rest which is the proper and characteristical difference of the Jewish sabbath from Christian festivals was ever allowed but generally condemned And thus I have done with these observations and positions which I conceived necessary to insert concerning the 〈◊〉 to give some light if possible to this so much agitated question submitting all to the judgement of my superiours in the Church and ready to yield to what any judicious and learned man shall upon better reasons propound CHAP. IIII. Reasons of this Commandment 1. Gods liberality in allowing 〈◊〉 six dayes and requiring but one for himself 2 The seventh is his own proper day Who are comprehended in the prohibition 1. The Master of the family 2. Children 3. Servants 4. Cattel 5 Srangers The general reasons of this precept 1. Gods rest from the creation Addition 22. Moral reasons sometimes given of a ceremonial precept The reason why a rest and why on this day are different things out of Maimon Abenezra 2. Reason the benefit coming to mankinde by the creation 3. Reason God blessed the seventh day IN the three next verses namely the ninth tenth and eleventh God first explaineth his meaning or gives an explication or further exposition of this Commandment verse 9. 10. and then gives a reason of the Commandment verse 11 why they should yield obedience to it In the explication there is order taken as well concerning works as persons First for works Six dayes shalt thou labour c. verse 9. Secondly for persons Thou and thy son c. verse 10. And again in the same verses there is 1. An Affirmative Six dayes thou shalt labour c. verse 9. and 2. secondly A Negative Thou shalt do no manner of work c. verse 10. Again there is 1. a Permission Six dayes God hath given thee wherein thou mayest labour and do all that thou hast to do 2. And secondly an Opposition or Antithesis But the seventh day he hath reserved to himself Six dayes are thine but the seventh his He hath bestowed six dayes on thee but the seventh he hath reserved to himself In the six dayes thou shalt do all but on the seventh no manner of work Now in the opposition there are two by-reasons included for the main reason is in the 11. verse for in six dayes c. The first is That because God hath dealt so liberally with us as to give us six dayes for our selves and to reserve onely one to himself therefore we should be the more ready to give him that day for by right of Creation we and all ours are the Lords for he made us of nothing and in that regard he might justly challenge 〈◊〉 and our service all our dayes and we being but his Creatures could not justly challenge to our selves one day In so much as if it had pleased God to have given us but one day and reserved the other six to himself we should
have had no just cause of complaint if he had given us day for day we could not onely have no iust cause of murmuring but also ought to have opened our mouthes to praise him for it But seeing he hath dealt so liberally with us in granting us six dayes for our own 〈◊〉 and to do our work and reserving but one to himself we must acknowledge it to be a liberal proportion and so it is 〈◊〉 judice and therefore if we be not clean void of good nature it cannot but content us and keep us from 〈◊〉 We see in Adams case that when God had finished the Creation and put him in Paradise notwithstanding Gods bounty to him in granting him all the trees in the garden one onely excepted yet the devil was presently upon him and upbraided God with his niggardlines in that he had not given him freedom to eat of all the trees in the garden and no doubt but the same devil useth the same pollicy with us still in this 〈◊〉 May you not doe what you will with all the dayes of the week Now the consideration of Gods bounty to us should answer all such suggestions for we cannot say but that we are well dealt withall he having granted us two times and a time to his one time six dayes to one and therefore how careful should we be to give him that one This should draw from us an answer like to that of Joseph to his Mistris My Master hath kept nothing from me but thee how then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God All the dayes of the week hath God granted me onely one hath he reserved to himself how can I then be so unkinde and unthankfull as 〈◊〉 deny him that Let not David in this be our patterne who having many sheep of his own would notwithstanding pluck the one and onely sheep out of the poor mans bosom for if we having many dayes of our own take from God his one day and pluck that one sheep out of Gods bosom and make it common for our selves by doing in it our opus servile servile work we are worthy to 〈◊〉 1000. deathes and God being so liberal and dealing with us in so unequal proportion to himself as 6. to us for one to him taking of us but one for six if we do not his work on that day we are to be taxed of extream injustice and ingratitude This is the meaning of those words and do all thy worke that whereas God might have imployed us in his worke and musing on his will all the dayes of our life but he is content to forbeare and spare us the rest of the week that in that time all our own affaires might be dispatched and none left undone or to be done on this day God might say to us as Nathan said to David All this have I given thee and more I would have given thee if that had not been enough but certain it is that he saw in his wisdom that these six dayes were sufficient and therefore willeth us to remember and still be so carefull to order our affaires on these dayes that against his seventh day comes we may be at leasure to sanctifie it 2. The second reason implyed is in these words But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God which contain the second opposition and intimate to us that the seventh day is Gods own proper day with which we have nothing to do to imploy it as we please and that it is plain theft and sacriledge to rob God of this part of time which he hath reserved to himself For if God had thought fit to have given us the seventh day too then might we have wrought on that day also but seeing he hath reserved it to himself we cannot without plain theft or robbery breake in upon this day to which we have no right by doing our own worke upon it Render therefore unto God that which is Gods for it cannot be withheld from him without sacriledge It is as if a man should say you may wear those clothes which are your own and bought with your mony but this garment which is bought with mine you cannot without violence take from me so likewise because of Gods bounty to us we cannot without ingratitude and manifest injury to him take this day from him because it is his he will have it wholly to himself In it thou shalt do no manner of worke Those who are comprehended within the Prohibition stand in five ranks 1. Thou secondly Thy son and thy daughter thirdly Thy man 〈◊〉 and maid-servant 4. Thy cattel 5. The stranger that is within thy gates 1. First for the Paterfamilias the master of the family It is reputed to be an especial preferment to be set over the family by the Lord of the family And as it is honos an honour so it is onus too a charge for Cui plus datur ab eo plus petetur to whom much is given of him shall be much required and therefore the first charge is laid here upon him that is the chief For as long as man is in the condition of a son or a servant so long he may say Ego serviam I will serve but if once he come to have the charge of a family then he must say with Joshua Ego domus 〈◊〉 I and my house will serve the Lord. In reference whereto when Christ had converted Zacheus he said This day is salvation come to this house why because this man who is chief of the family is the son of Abraham and Abraham instructed his family He must say to his family as Christ did to his Apostles exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example For if Peter or whosoever is principal fall away then others yea Barnabas himself will be drawn away too So though he discharge the duty himself yet if he take not care that others under him discharge it also he is a debtor That is he ought to 〈◊〉 so far from giving occasion himself or suffering others to violate that day by working or setting them that are under him to servile worke that he together with them must see the day sanctified and take care that all joyn in those holy duties which are requisite to the sanctification of the day 2. The second is concerning children Saint Augustines argument is good upon that in Deut. 20. Where if a man had new built an house the manner was to consecrate it That if a man that hath built a house be carefull to consecrate it being but the fruit of his hands then much more lieth the care upon him of consecrateing the fruit of his loins We see this careful affection in Abraham that he would command his sons to keep the way of the Lord for where the greatest love is there is also the greatest desire of conjunction
as well in spirit as in body and in grace and holines and the means thereof the service of God as in nature even natural love if it be true and rightly guided teaches man curare 〈◊〉 to take care for their childrens good as well as their own and that for their souls as well as their bodies 3. In the third place Servants are prohibited from work on that day We see in the place before quoted that Abraham was commended by God for the care 〈◊〉 took for his household to do his service And the Apostle saith that in the service of God God takes no notice of the difference of 〈◊〉 from others in Christ is no difference of bond or free thy servants must rest as well as thy self And God elsewhere gives another reason for it Remember thou wast a servant where thou wast opprest with labour God hath a care of them and charity and humanity requires that we weare not out our family with too much toyle lest the Common-wealth be endangered by their hard vsage We read that in the Spartan and other common-wealths diverse insurrections have troubled the states by overburdening of servants therefore God for the preservation of commonwealths provides here that they may have a day of rest and refreshment 4. So likewise of 〈◊〉 Gods mercy care and providence extends likewise to them Thou Lord saith the psalmist shalt save both man and beast how excellent is thy mercy O God it extendeth to the bodies and lives of them for A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast saith Solomon God therefore here takes order that the beast be not overtired He hath also charged that the earth shall have its sabbath if it have not it will cry against us and the furrows there of will complain as holy Job speaks for Quod caret alterna requie durabile non est neither land nor cattel if they rest not sometimes cannot hold out one end of Gods providence herein is to restrain our covetous humour and desire which is such that rather then lose the least gain we will put our land and cattle to the utmost therefore by this clause God takes order to restrain it Another end is that by beholding the beasts to rest we might be the more stirred up and moved to sanctifie a rest our selves not that the rest of beasts is acceptable to God or required for it self but that we may be affected therewith and put in minde of our duties we read that in the fast of Nineveh command was given let neither man nor beast herd nor flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water not that God tooke any delight in the fasting of beasts nor that it was acceptable to him but that the 〈◊〉 seeing their beasts pined before them 〈◊〉 be moved the more to repent and humble themselves for their sinnes so here 〈◊〉 Jews seeing their beasts to keep a kinde of sabbath might the better 〈◊〉 to keep it themselves 5. The last is the stranger within thy gates Now the gates of a house or of a city 〈◊〉 scripture signifie a jurisdiction or protection He that is within anothers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under his jurisdiction and as he enjoys thereby protection against injuries by coming within anothers gates so also he must be subiect to his jurisdiction when God told Abraham that his seed should possesse the gates of his enemies his meaning was they should conquer and be Lords of their cities And when Lot told the 〈◊〉 that the Angels came under his roof he signified that they came thither to be under his protection So that if a stranger come to remain within our 〈◊〉 or under our roof he is to be under our government as well as he enjoys our protection and therefore is to be under our care in point of religious duties 〈◊〉 case of jurisdiction Nehemiah as long as he had hope to reclaime the men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Ashdod 〈◊〉 them to come within the gates of Jerusalem with their 〈◊〉 ut when he found that notwithstanding his threats they would come in and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 markets upon the sabbath he shut the gates against them at the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or preparation of the sabbath And thus we see the meaning of 〈◊〉 Commandment for works and persons in general and particular Now there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasons for it 〈◊〉 first which is the general and main reason is for in six dayes the Lord 〈◊〉 heaven and earth c. the rule as we said before of 〈◊〉 precepts is 〈◊〉 be observed that a moral reason is often given of a ceremonial precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ceremonies there is a general moral equity 〈◊〉 instances may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law but when a reason is given as a ful and adequate cause of such a precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the immediate and essential cause of 〈◊〉 it is true that if such a reason be moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there the precept is so too Besides it is observed by Maimonides and others that the cause why a rest is enjoyned and the cause why it was upon this day are two different things The first 〈◊〉 was the true and original cause of the rest is expressed Deut. 5. because of their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage to keep a memorial of it The other is expressed here for whereas any other day might have been chosen for this rest yet God thought fit to pitch upon this day because it had been consecrated for a day of joy and praise from the beginning by a greatful remembrance of 〈◊〉 creation and because on that day God gave over and finished his work So Aben-Ezra presat in Decal Isaac Arania and others and hence it was called the sabbath But yet though it were granted that Gods rest from the creation was the principal and immediate reason of this precept yet this makes it not so simply moral or immutable as 〈◊〉 law of nature for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still a positive precept jure divino positivo which may be changed by the same authority that made it and soits certain that the day is de facto changed and 〈◊〉 it was by divine authority is most probable as is formerly proved in the 〈◊〉 observations 〈◊〉 immutabilis precepti facit preceptum immutabile If the reason of the commandment be immutable as this is then it makes the commandment unchangeable for the substance of it Because I have rested saith God therefore shalt thou rest in honour of me Creator imitandus a creatura the Creator is to be imitated by the creature is a firme reason and immutable 2. Another reason may be gathered out of the same words namely the benefit that 〈◊〉 to mankinde by that which the Lord did in these six 〈◊〉 Other reasons elsewhere God vseth as proper and peculiar onely to the Jews but this benefit by the creation being general is most fit for all and may be a
means to imploy and exercise us in the meditation of Gods works and in his praise for it as the 92. Psalm shews us which psalm was made especially for the sabbath day As also to the continuing of the memory of the Creation to keep us from Paganisme for if the duty of the memorial of the creation had been duly and successively kept from the beginning and so continued that great doubt which troubled all the Philosophers so much whether the world had a beginning had been taken away And therefore this day being one especial means to keep men from Atheisme was therefore sanctified by God to be a day of rest This was one reason why the not keeping this law was so severely punisht by the Mosaical Law as appeares by the man that gathered sticks upon that day and was therefore put to death which was not onely because the law of the sabbath was then newly made to wit for the ceremonial and typical part which consisted in rest and therefore required the severer punishment but also because the not observing of that day was in effect a denial that God created the world Augustine treating upon the Creation saith it is true that God might have been pleased to have said as well fiat mundus totus let all the world be made in a moment as fiat lux let there be light in the first day it had been all one to his omnipotency to have done it at once as in six 〈◊〉 and enquiring further into the cause why he did not so could finde no other reason but that God by creating one thing after another would teach us that we should proceed in the musing and meditation upon the works of creation severally and in order as God made them So did king David and so did Basile and Ambrose who wrote some books of it And this course of meditation was much in use in the primitive Church 3. The last reason is Because the Lord blessed the seventh day He did not onely rest on that day but he consecrated it also Besides exemplum his example there is institutio he hath solemnly instituted it So that it shall be to us 〈◊〉 animae the Market day of the soul for our amendment in that we 〈◊〉 amisse in the foregoing week and for the regulating of us in the week following But this is not all the force of this last reason is in this God saith because have blessed and hallowed it seeing I have appointed it see you do not resist me butsubmit your selves to my ordinance He that keepeth it not and resisteth Gods ordinance resisteth God himself and they that do so receive to themselves damnation Therfore that which God hath hallowed we must not pollute We see the reasons why this rest is to be kept let us now see how far it is to be kept and what is required to the sanctification of it CHAP. V. How far this rest is to be kept Why this word Remember is prefixed Such works to be fortorn which may be done before or after Necessity of a vacation from other works that we may attend Holy duties Mans opposition to God when he bids rest then we labour 〈◊〉 contra six works in particular forbidenthe Jews Whether the same 〈◊〉 absolutely now forbidden the Christians Rest necessary onely for the means of sanctification or the practise of it as in works of mercy or necessity sabbatum boum Asinorum Sabbatum aurei vituli Sabbatum 〈◊〉 Sabbatum Satane THe substance of this fourth Commandment consisteth especially in these two things 1. In the outward rest of the body otium 2. In the holy duties which are the end to sanctifie it Sanctificatio 1. As before we are willed to remember it both in the week before the day come partly because in the day it self we are to yield an account to God of the former fix dayes work in singultu scrupulo cordis with trouble and sorrow of heart partly also as Augustine speaketh ne quid operis rejiciatur in diem festum that no work that might be done in the former dayes be put of to the holy day so when it is come we must avoid two things which as Saint Gregory observes may cause us to forget to sanctifie it 1. The one is aliorum exempla other mens ill examples 2. The other is Ludorum spectaculorum studia the practise and desires we have to unlawful sports and sights to which men are more naturally addicted then to the sanctifying of the day And in as much as we are to esteem of the sabbath as Deliciae Domini the delight of the Lord and that these two things are main obstacles and impediments to such estimation of it we must not onely remember it before hand but when it cometh also That which we are to remember is A day of rest and to sanctifie it Augustine comprehends them both in two words otium sanctum a holy rest 1. A ceasing from labour and if we ask from what labour It is as an ancient Canon of the Church sheweth Ab eo quod antea fieri poterat aut quod postea fieri poterit from that which might have been done before and from that which may be done afterward And whatsoever is meant by the labour and work of the week day that must be forborn on this day with this proviso That Ab eo quod nec antea fieri poterat nec postea poterit non est abstinendum such works of necessity which cannot be de done either before or after are not to be forborn The grounds are laid by Augustine and Jerome thus There is nothing as the Preacher saith but must have its time As we destinate a set time for our bodies repast sleep and the like in 〈◊〉 time we usually take order that we be not interrupted or disturbed by any other occasions And so in other temporal things the more serious they are we go about the more care we take that we be not hindred in them but that we may wholly minde them hoc agere So in the case of spirituals there ought to be a set time for the building up of the soul and procuring holinesse to it and exercising holinesse by it wherein we are to use no lesse care being a matter of greatest importance but that in the promoting of it all impediments may be removed that may hinder us in it ut promptiores simus ad divinum cultum cum non habemus impedimentum saith S. Augustine that we may be more ready for divine worship when we have no lets or impediments to hinder us And this is so plain as that we see even the Councel of Trent taking order for observing of holy dayes hath set down concerning the holy duties which are to be performed on those dayes that they are such Quae ab his qui ab humanarum occupationum negotio detinentur omnino praestari non
his writeing as he did of his verbal exposition Therefore hath God ordeyned expositions such as the book Jasher which as some think was a commentary upon the law written for this end to explicate the hard Texts of Scriptures and 〈◊〉 them 2. Another Means to sanctification is the word preached of which the Apostle speaks to the Romans how shall they hear without a preacher and this is one of the ordinary means of faith and so of sanctification The Apostle in that placeq uoteth out of two of the Prophets this text How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things And our Saviour Christ in his prayer before his passion for his Apostles who were to be such preachers saith sanctifie them with thy truth and thy word is truth and by his own practise in preaching he sanctified this means of preaching And the Apostle tells us that the wisdom of God hath appointed by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve this way of saving men the wisdom of God hath pitcht upon which is not to be altered but to continue to th end of the world For though reading of the word be a necessary means to sanctification yet are not all men capable to understand what they read The 〈◊〉 Custome therefore of the Church was and so continued in the Apostles times that after the reading the of Law and the Prophets some that were learned in Gods Law and sent by him to that purpose stood up and expounded to the people some text of that which was read We may see this plainly in the book of Nehemiah that after Ezra and others had read in the book of the Law to the people in the congregation they gave the sence and caused them to understand the reading And the Apostle S. James puts the Jews in minde that Moses was preached in the Synagogues on the Sabbath day This practise continued as I said even in the Apostles time For we see in the place before mentioned that the Rulers of the Synagogue at Antioch entreated the Apostles to bestow 〈◊〉 words of exhortation upon them after the reading of the Law and the Prophets The Eunuch no doubt but was a man of as great capacity as many who now adayes take upon them the exposition and preaching both of Law and Gospel yet had not he met with S. Philip he would have been to seek in that place of the Prophet which the Apostle found him reading 3. A third duty is the pondering of that which we have heard read or preached This we read that Mary did who pondered all the 〈◊〉 of Christ in her heart And so did David when he said Oh how I love thy Law it is my 〈◊〉 continually Besides the meditation of the Word that we shall hear read or preached the 92 Psalm which was a Psalm peculiarly made for the Sabbath and was usually sung on that day the two first verses whereof if credit may be given to the Jews traditions came from Adam who used to sing them in Paradise giveth us three further points to consider 1. The first is in the fourth verse which indeed is that which God here expressely urgeth in this Commandment the Consideration of the works of his hands the raising to our selves a Contemplative use of the Creatures that as all the week before we have had a naturall use of them so on this day we should make a spiritual Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works and I will rejoyce in giving praise for the operation of thy hands 2. A second is in the seventh verse a meditation of the judgements of God when the ungodly are green as the grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish then shall they be destroyed for ever And this meditation is most necessary to keep men within the bounds of obedience for upon the Consideration of the severe judgements which God inflicts upon Malefactors men are held in as with a bridle from swerving from his Commandments 3. The third is at the tenth and twelfth verses a Meditation of Gods benefits and Mercies or of his mercies towards them that love him as well as his visitations upon their enemies both which may be included in the Hebrew word taking judgements for the genus of them both Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of the house of our God c. These whether they extend to our own persons or concerne our fathers house or the place wherein we live or the Church round about us every one of these affoord us an object of Meditation And as we see the other Creatures of God as the wilde asses sparrows cranes lilies pismires c. yield matter of Meditation thereby to stir us up to praise the Creator Upon which we may frame an argument a minore ad majus from the lesse to the greater If God have made them thus how much more are we bound to be thankful to him for whom he hath done infinitely more So the Apostle setteth forth Gods judgements to provoke us to repentance and his mercy to move and stir us up to thankfulnesse And thus when we are wearied with prayer and that reading and preaching of the word is ended meditation still remaineth wherein to exercise our selves and in this dutie we may continue the rest of the day and be furnished with matter sufficient to work upon 4. The fourth duty of this day is not to be contented onely with meditating upon these things in our Closets privately but there must be conference also between our selves and others about what we have heard And this is done two manner of waye s. 1. The first is with them that have taught us if we doubt of any thing we are to confer with the Priest The prophet tells us that the Priests lips should keep knowledge and we are to seek the Law at his mouth we read that it was our Saviours practise For it was a custom of old that after the solemnity on the eighth day the last of the feast that the Teachers sate down at the Table and the Auditors standing about them propounded 〈◊〉 and questions that they might be resolved in them And so no doubt was Christ at twelves years old not as an Opposer but in the state of a Learner though he discovered a great guift that way above his years And if points of doctrine fail then others concerning practise are to be resolved such as the souldiers and Publicans put to John and the people to the Apostles Now because there are now adayes no doubts no putting of questions it is a signe that fear of God is utterly extinguisht in mens hearts and if there be any doubts at all they are not propounded with that heart which they did it that said
were some then as there are now that having given Almes on the Sunday would recover it the other dayes of the week either by oppressing and dealing hardly with the poor or by undermining those they dealt with Therefore the last caution must be out of the Prophet The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment the holy Ghost shall be sanctified in justice that is a mans mercy must not make him unrighteous So that the conclusion of this point is if a man doe dare rem suam Deo se peccato aut daemoni give his substance to God and himself to sin or the devil and thereby give quod minus est Creatori quod majus inimico the lesse to his Creatour and the greater to his Enemy he is far from keeping the sabbath aright in the point of performing the works of Mercy Now concerning the spiritual part of the works of mercy which is to be done to the Spirit of him that needs it S. Augustine saith Est quaedam charitas quae de sacculo non erogatur there is a charity which is not taken out of the bag or purse such mercies are called Spirituales Elemozynae or misericordiae spiritual Almes which are so much more excellent then the other as they do mederi miseriae principalioris partis take order for the relief of the more principal part of man the soul. And there are seven of this kinde 1. The first concernes the good which is to be performed to draw him to it and it consists of three branches 1. The instruction of the young and others that are ignorant the Prophet describes the reward of such They that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the stars for ever 2. The second branch is the giving of good and christian advice to him that is in doubt hearty counsel by a friend is by Solomon compared to oyntment and perfume that reioyce the heart 3. The last is the exhorting him that is slack in some good duty so did the prophet David And this was one of the instructions Saint Paul gave to Timothy to charge rich men to do good and be rich in good works c. 2. Another is Comforting them that are in distresse Saint Paul calleth this comforting them which are in trouble and supporting the weak and flere cum flentibus weeping with them that weep 3. A third is that work of spiritual mercy which our Saviour made a part of Church discipline reproving of our brother privately for his fault and the Apostle biddeth us to warne them that are unruly A 〈◊〉 is the pardoning of those that offend us according to our Saviours Rule we must first be reconciled to our brother before we offer our gift at the AlAltar and if he will not be reconciled then pray for him It was aswell Christs practise as his counsel Father forgive them So did the Proto-martyr Stephen Gregory saith Qui dat et non dimittit he that giveth and forgiveth not doth a work that is not acceptable to God sed si dimittet 〈◊〉 non det but he that forgiveth though he give not shall be forgiven of God as oft as he forgiveth others si tu ponas limitem Deus tibi ponet limitem If thou settest bounds to thy forgiving God will do the like to thee but if thou for givest without limit nor puttest bounds to thy brothers offence by pardo ning it God will put no limit to his pardonnig of thy sinne 5. Another is in Rom. 15. 1. we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Alter alterius onera portate beare ye one anothers burden Gal. 6. 2. 1 Thess. 5. 14. 6. The sixth is taken out of Saint James Praying for one another even for our enemies it was Christs counsel Matthew 5. 44. and his practise Luk. 23. 34. And this is reputed for a work of mercy Augustine saith Causaberis 〈◊〉 te non possedocere you may perhaps cavil and say thou canst not teach some are as forward to advise you as you them and that you have not the gift of comforting or if you rebuke them for their faults they will despise you But for this and the two last works of mercy there can be no excuse nunquid dices non possum dimittere 〈◊〉 to forgive one that hath offended thee to bear with him to pray for him these things may be alwayes done ut malitia ignoscatur nulla excellentia nulla sapientia nullis divitiis opus est To pardon wrong done to us and so to beare with the weak and to pray for any there is neither excellency nor wisdom nor riches requisite or necessary 7. The last is the reconciling of them that be at variance or the making peace between man and man By this act as our Saviour tells us we shew our selves to be the children of God and as he further saith there will a blessing follow peace makers But here falleth in an obiection what if they will not be reconciled Augustine answereth it If thou hast done thy good will pacificus es thou art a peace maker And these are the seven fruits of mercy spiritual Besides these whatsoever is a work according to the Law of God is also acceptable but especially these CHAP. VIII The second rule of homogenea Fasting reduced hither Commanded under the Gospel 1. Publick fasts for averting of evil of punishment which is either malum grastans or impendens or of sinne for procureing of good 2. Private fasts and the 〈◊〉 of them The parts of a fast 1. External abstinence from meat sleep costly apparrel pleasure servile work almes then to be given Secondly internal humiliation for sinne promise of reformation The third rule our fast and observation of the Lords day must be spiritual Thus far we have proceeded according to the first rule of extension that where any thing is commanded the contrary is forbidden and e contra Come we now as in the former to the rule of Homogenea that is where any thing is Commanded there all things are commanded that are of the same kinde which is the second rule And we finde in the law that the day of humiliation or fasting is called a sabbath and so may be reduced hither as homogeneal Saint Augustine said well that if the state of Innocency had continued then had there 〈◊〉 one day only to have bin observed by Christians and that to have been spent onely in the duty of prayse and thanksgiving But since the fall of Adam there are such defects and wants in our souls that God is not onely to be glorified sacrificio Eucharistiae by the sacrifice of Praise but also sacrificio spiritus contribulati 〈◊〉 by the sacrifice of a troubled and humbled spirit his reason is 〈◊〉 bonum perfecte ut volumns non possumus because we cannot performe
and temporal Preservers of kingdoms Humane laws and policies not sufficient without a teaching priest c. examples in diverse monarchies and kingdoms COncerning whom we know that God hath said of him that he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts he is appointed by God to stand between God and man and Saint Paul saith of himself and other ministers of God that they are the Ambassadors of Christ to deliver Gods message to men of all sorts aswell to the highest Prince as to the lowest of the people They are sent with a commission they come not of themselves mittam te I will send thee saith God to Moses and vade ad populum go to the people saith God to Esay And this custome of sending by commission was continued by Christ and his Apostles and by their successors in all ages of the Church As my Father sent me so send I you saith Christ to his Apostles And though God by the Prophet calleth these 〈◊〉 thus sent his own mouth and that the message they deliver to us is not 〈◊〉 own but Gods yet it falleth out with them oft times as with the day and 〈◊〉 they are disesteemed and neglected 〈◊〉 as in former times wicked Princes thought meanly of them as that to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing but to burn in cense and make ready sacrifices and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appointed to their office the lowest of the people such as would fill their hands insomuch as the Priests office grew into contempt in like 〈◊〉 there are now some that think the office of a minister of God to be nothing but the reading of a few prayers and going up into a pulpit and speaking there an hour which some do without sence or reason and without any reverence or regard to the dignity of the worke and high place to which they are called Therefore God himself takes order for procuring the more honour to the calling and that for the peoples good that they shall not onely teach and instruct the people set Jacob to school and learn Israel his lesson but they shall teach even kings and princes themselves they must give Joshua his charge and the highest on earth must not 〈◊〉 to be directed and instructed by them in things concerning God and their own salvation Princes have need of such to assist them as in other acts of government so especially in matters of religion and in particular for sanctifying the Lords day They may by their statutes and penall laws enjoyne the external rest on that day but the works of sanctification wherein the celebration of the day chiefly consists are the proper work of the priest he it is that must teach the Laws of God which reach to the soul and inward man It is the duty of Princes who are custodes utriusque tabulae keepers of both tables 〈◊〉 they cannot perform the work of sanctification themselves to take care that fit persons be provided and encouraged in this work It s true if a Prince were onely as the Heathen man said Tanquam subulcus like a herdsman that keepeth cattel to take care of mens bodies and of their outward estate onely and that they wrong not one another by fraud or force and had no charge of mens souls nor of Religion he might neglect this work but seeing it is otherwise and that the care of the Church is committed to him and that the soul is the principal part therefore it his duty to see that fit and able persons be provided for this work such as may be Doctores Gentium Teachers of the Nations Therefore God would not have such as were to do his work to be chosen ex tumultuario grege out of the common people hand over head but out of those that had been trained up in the knowledge of the Law for which purpose they had their several Schools or Universities as at * Kirjath-Sepher ‖ Ramoth-Sophim and †Naioth Nor were they to do Gods work till they were well studied and able to give reasons for that they did or said by Gods own order they were under the law to be from thirty years old and upward to do the work in the Tabernacle of the congregation And as good care was to be taken in the choice of them so ought there be as great in the cherishing and esteem of them To esteem them very highly in love for their worke sake As Saint Paul speaketh We should receive them as Angels of God as the Galatians did Saint Paul and cleave to them as his Auditours did to him and use them as honorably and as with as much respect as Princes receive and entertain forreign Ambassadors otherwise they will neither profit us we shall receive no benefit by them nor they be encouraged to go on cheerfully in their calling Besides which is worst of all if we disesteem of them and despise them God will take it as an affront done to himself He that despiseth you saith Christ despiseth me It is a despight done to God not to the minister onely and God will take it to heart and avenge his own quarrel Corah and the rest that murmured against Gods servants felt his heavy indignation for it Miriam Moses own sister was made a Leper for the like offence we see what became of them that scorned Elisha though their age might have pleaded some excuse for them And not to trouble you with many presidents it is said of the Jews that they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words how long until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy But it is objected what if the minister be of bad life and conversation we finde that those that were polluted were put from the Priesthood To this we answer many times it falls out that either for a small cause or sometime upon no just one the Minister may be accounted scandalous If the offence be given really and that without hope of the parties reclaiming that gives it there is a legal course yet with charity to be taken against him the censures of the Church must be exercised against him but in the mean time we must carry a fair respect to them for his sake by whom they are sent for the word we hear of them is not the word of men but of God Health is not refused though it come to us by the prescription of a sick man Elias refused not his food though brought to him by Ravens Nor was Christs almes one jote the worse though distributed by the hands of Judas Indeed it cannot be 〈◊〉 that Gods intent was to have them all lights all holy for he brought them neer to himself and therefore are called men of God they should be like the Baptist burning and shining lights and if we well consider the work they are to undergo we shall finde
The Hebrue and Greek words translated Honour what they properly 〈◊〉 The necessity and original of Honouring superiours government a divine ordinance Power Principality and excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how they differ Honour due to them all To natural parents 〈◊〉 the Country where we live To Princes To spiritual fathers To Magistrates In respect of excellnecy of gifts honour due First in respect of years Secondly of the gifts of the minde Thirdly of outward estate Fourthly of benefits received HOnour thy father and mother The last commandment is the fountain from whence all the rest of the second table do proceed as streames from the conduite head for as the first commandment contains the inward love and worship of God from whence all the other duties of the second table arise so the last contains the inward love and dutie of the heart which we ow to our neighbour from whence all other duties to our neighbour do spring so that the tenth commandement is the fountain and the other five are the streams And the streams receive a second division thus for either they do equally and alike concern al men in general as the 6. 7. 8. 9. Or else they have special respect to some as the fifth The general duties in the 6. 7. 8. and 9. Commandments are subdivided into such as either concerne our neighbour in his person or in the exteriour gifts of wealth credit and good name c. And those which respect 〈◊〉 person are either as he is considered in himself in regard of his essence in the sixth commandment or as he is in neer 〈◊〉 with another by marriage which makes of two one flesh in the seventh commandment Those that concerne him in his exteriour gifts respect either his substance or estate which is provided for in the eight or his credit and good name in the ninth commandment Or if we take them all four together There is a restraint in them all In the sixth a restraint of wrath malice c. and the effects thereof for the preservation of the lives of the members of the commonwealth and in respect of God for the preserveing of his Images which is defaced by murder In the seventh a restraint 〈◊〉 lust concupiscentia carnis which is prejudicial to the good of wedlock in the civil body and in respect of God is a defiling of the body which is the temple of the holy Ghost and a member of Christ and therfore ought to be kept holy and chast In the eighth a restraint of covetousnes which is concupiscentia oculorum the lust of the eyes which in respect of man is an offence against the politick state by doing wrong to another in his goods and in respect of God perverts the rule of justice prescribed by him In the ninth a restraint of the spirit of lying and detraction which our nature lusteth after whereas the provision of the good name of our brother is required and in respect of God here is order taken for the preserving of truth As the other commandements respect all men in general so the fifth respects some in special viz. inferiours and superiours and other mutual duties This fifth commandment being placed in the front of the second table hath an eye also to the first commandment of the first table The one commanded the honour of God the other of his vicegerents It containeth a precept and a promise 1. The precept is Honour thy father and thy mother 2. The promise that thy dayes may be long c. Some think the first words contain the duty of the inferiour and the last words that thy dayes c. contain the duty of the superiour because it is the duty of parents by providing for their children and praying for them to 〈◊〉 their dayes and so they are joyned Deut. 5. 16. But because Saint Paul makes it a promise Ephesians 6. 1. and a precept and a promise are two different things therefore it is better to divide the words into a precept and a promise As God in his infinite wisdom disposeth all things in due order so here he 〈◊〉 his wisdom more particularly known to us in the disposition of these commandments for by setting this in the first place of the second table he would have us take notice that after he hath taken order for his own honour in the first table his principall and first care is for honour to parents from whom next under himself we receive our being and therefore Philo saith the honour due to parents is set before all other duties we owe to men and placed as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confinio in the confines of a mortal and eternal nature it is set in the middle betweenh the duties to God and man because this commandment is the preserver bot of the first and second table for take away honour and obedience to superiours and all duties to God and man are neglected and fal to the ground Besides we may observe that God delighteth in his charge to us to knit up whatsoever he especially commandeth in a short and narrow compasse pressing more especially in every commandment some one more remarkable word in the commandments negative he maketh choice of the most ugly and deformed word of that sinne which he 〈◊〉 to terrifie us even from the very handmayds and dependants of it And in this affimative commandment he makes choice of the best words he can as father and mother for the object and of honour to set out the duty unto us Now as we said before of the love of our neighbour so here we may say concerning honour there are two grounds of either 1. Excellency and neernes of the person in respect of God 2. Conjunction or 〈◊〉 to our selves In the ordering of our love we shewed how that we are to respect the conjunction by nature or grace in the duties of love which we freely performe and that we owe not so much to those persons with whom we have no such conjunction thus we should prefer a faithful man before an infidel because in the one there is onely the image of God by nature it is both by creation and regeneration and as Saint Ambrose saith with the faithful semper futuri sumus we shall live for ever And among the faithful we should rather do good to those of our own country 〈◊〉 to strangers because beside the bonds of religion there is also a second bond of proximityan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And among them to our acquaintance before those that are unknown to us because we have an 〈◊〉 entrance unto them to do them good by perswasion c. And among such to our kindred and alliance before others not 〈◊〉 because we are joyned and bound together as soon as we are born and this bond cannot be dissolved as long as we live And among strangers we should respect rather the poor then the rich c. This we shewed was the order of love
him a father to Pharoah and Lord of all his house Hence Deborah is called a mother in Israel Neither is this title and honour due to the supreme governour onely but also to the subordinate so Saint Peter commands to submit as to the king who is supreame so unto governours as those that are sent by him c. So that by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general of the army may be called the father of the Camp and whosoever hath any authority in any society derived from the king is thereby become a father and all honour belongs to him 5. Lastly if we come to that which we called excellency of gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when this is alone without the other two though there be neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principality nor power yet there is an honour due and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or excellency is of four sorts 1. Ratione 〈◊〉 in regard of years or age and an honour is due in this respect rebuke not an elder saith the Apostle but intreate him as a father the elder women as mothers 2. In regard of the gifts of the minde as wisdom and counsel whereby one is able to direct and advise others or to invent some things needful and conducing to the publick good thus Jabal is called the father of such as dwell in 〈◊〉 and of such as have cattle and Jubal the father of such as 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and the organ 3. In respect of outward estate and wealth for money is nervus politiae the sinnew of the commonwealth therefore rich and wealthy men are esteemed in a common-wealth and called to publick assemblies before others because if it be in need they are most able to help Thus Nabal though a man of no other gifts yet because God had enriched him David doth implicitey call him father by 〈◊〉 himself his son give I pray thee whatsoever cometh to thy hand to thy servants and to thy son 〈◊〉 And this honour given to rich men for their wealth must be given no otherwise then in a civil respect otherwise it is condemned by Saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respecting of persons 4. In respect of benefits which any have 〈◊〉 upon us Thus Job by shewing mercy to the poor had the title of father I was a father to the poor and the cause 〈◊〉 I knew not I searched out And thus for the meaning of these words Honour thy father and mother We come now to the duties here required under this word Honour Honour thy father and Mother CHAP. III. The mutual or reciprocal duties of superiours and inferiours 1 Loue. 2. To wish well and pray for one another The duties of inferiours 1. Honour Inward and 〈◊〉 2. fear 3. subjection and obedience active and passive 4. The protestation of our subjection by honouring them with our estates The manner how this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be performed THese duties are to be handled 1. In general which concerne all superiours and inferiours And secondly in special such as concern special ranks and orders of superiours and inferiours as in the family the Church and the common-wealth Every duty consists in two things 1. The action and 2. The manner of performance and both are to be handled And because there are some duties reciprocal which are mutually to be performed both by superiours and inferiours towards each other to avoyd needlesse repetition it shall be good to speak of them generally in the first place The duties which are reciprocal or mutual are 1. First love but in an higher degree then ordinary which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 affection of a higher degree then that which we owe to every one such as either ascends from the son to the father or descends from the father to the son and it is either naturaland proper between natural parents and their children or by analogie and proportion between others to whom the names of fathers and children are communicated as spiritual fathers in the Church and those that are begotten by them unto Christ of whom the Apostle speaking expresses the special love due to such fathers by a special emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have such in reputation or highly honour them Phil. 2. 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esteem them very highly in love for their works sake there is a particular love which we beare to our friends and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aboundant love but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superabundant and extraordinary in a more special and high degree the want of this natural affection is imputed as a great crime a signe of men given up to a reprobate sense Rom. 1. 29. And it is a prophecie of the end of the world when men shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without natural affection 2. The second mutual duty followes from the first and is the chief property of love to wish well to him we love and because Christianum votum est 〈◊〉 prayer is the Christians wish therefore it is that we comprehend prayer among the mutual duties of inferiours and superiours it must both ascend and descend for we are exhorted by the Apostle to pray for superiours The like for our countrey by the Prophet this is ascending Now downwards we have the example of King David for his people as also for Solomon his son And of holy Job who prayed for his sons and daughters every day So much for the duties reciprocal Come we now to the several duties of inferiours and superiours and first we shall speak of Honour which is the dutie of inferiours to their superiours In the strict sense whereof if we take it as our Saviour said of father there is but one father which is in heaven so may it as truly be said of honouer if we speak exactly and properly that as the Apostle saith it belongeth onely to God But God himself hath been pleased to communicate part of it to some men as the same Apostle he created some vessels to honour and consequently he calls some men from among the rest to be honorable for as the author to the Hebrews speaks no man takes this honour upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron Now God calls men when he bestows some gifts upon them whereby they excel their fellows for God dispenses his gifts variously as appears by the parable where the master called his servants and gave to some more talents then to others The scripture as was shewed before vseth three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excellency power and principalitie Now unto excellency honour properly belongeth and that is of two sorts Inward and outward Inward honour is when we have honestam opinionem a good opinion of a man in regard of some 〈◊〉 he hath above us for this good opinion is
them as their own flesh as Moses who carried the people in his bosom as a nurse and made their welfare his scope and as our Saviour snews the example of an hen who gathereth her chickens under her wings to defend them from ravening and strong fowls And this loving nourishing and defending are special ends why superiours were ordained And therefore the reason is added to the Commandment in Exodus 20. and enlarged in Deuter. 5. 16. That thy dayes may be prolonged c. and that it may go well with thee which as was mentioned before is expounded by some not as a promise but as the duty and end of superiours viz. That they under God prolong mens dayes and are or ought to be means that it may go well with them This is one end of their superiority They are not set over the people colligere auream messem to scrape gold and silver for themselves their own profit and ease is not the end of their authority though many times rulers look at nothing else It was the sin of the Princes in Ezekiels time They accounted the city as a cauldron and the people the flesh to be sod in Evil Rulers take their own ease and security while the profit of the people and inferiours is no whit regarded Therefore not without cause are the two heads before named of defending and nourishing inferiours special duties of superiours towards them This which is commonly affirmed that the end of government is the good of the inferiours must be understood cum grano salis for from this principle misunderstood some have collected that because the end is above the means and more noble therefore subjects are above their governours and so may call them to account for their misgovernment and judge or punish them and remove them if they see cause from which false collections made by seditious and turbulent persons infinite troubles confusions rebellions and desolations have followed We must know therefore 1. That to procure the good of inferiours is indeed the duty of superiours and one end why God committed the people to them but not the sole or principal end of their authority for princes receive their power onely from God and are by him constituted and intrusted with government of others chiefly for his own glory and honour as his Deputies and Vicegerents upon earth for they are his Ministers Rom. 13. so that the principal end of their government is the advancement of Gods honour who is the supream King and Lord of all the world and therefore if they fail in performance of this trust they are accountable onely to him who intrusted them and not to the people whom he hath put under them and whom he never authorized to call them to account but to appeal onely to him 2. It is not generally true that all government is onely for the benefit of those that are governed for some government there is meerly for the benefit of the superiour as that of a Lord or Master over his servant for the profit of the servant is herein meerely extrinsicall and advantitious some governments are for mutual good of both as that of a husband over his wife and so some kingdoms may be for the benefit of kings as when they are obtained by a just conquest which are not to be accounted tyrannical because they are just for their may be a just title by conquest when the war is upon just grounds whereas all tyranny is essentially unjust and some kingdoms may respect the profit both of Prince and people as when a people not able to defend themselves commit themselves to a potent prince for protection and safety against potent enemies and so become his subjects 3. Although it be true that in some kingdoms especially elective the benefit of the people is principally regarded and as Cicero saith Fruendae justitiae causa Reges conftituti that kings are appointed for administring of justice yet it follows not hence that the people are above their king for the Tutor or Guardian is for the good of the Pupil and yet the Guardian or Tutor hath power and authority over the Pupil and if any say that the Guardian may be removed if he fail in his trust and therefore the same may be done in Princes L answer that this holds in Guardians because they have some above them but in kingdoms because there cannot be a progresse in infinitum there must of necessity be a stop in some who because they have no superior must if they offend be lest only to God who will either punish them if he see it needful or else suffer them for the punishment and tryal of his people for as Tacitus saith as we bear with the barrennes of the earth or intemperate seasons and the like natural accidents which cannot be avoyded so must they bear with the avarice and lust of rulers Vitia erunt donec homines sed nec haec continua meliorum interventu pensantur there will be faults in government so long as there are men but they are not alwayes nor lasting and besides they are ballanced by the change of good 〈◊〉 intervening And therefore M. Aurelius said that as Magistrates are to judge of private persons so are Princes to judge of Magistrates and God alone of Princes To which purpose is that speech of a French Bishop to their King mentioned in Greg. Turon Si quis de nobis O Rex justitiae tramites transcendere voluerit a te corripi potest si tu vero excesseris quis te corripiet loquimur enim tili sed si volueris audis si autem nolueris quis te damnabit nisi quise pronunciavit esse justitiam If any of us offend O King thou mayest correct us but if thou shalt exceed who shall correct thee we may speak unto thee and if thou wilt thou mayst hear us but if thou wilt not none can condemn thee but he who is justice it self And that of 〈◊〉 is as excellent as common Cujus jussu nascuntur homines hujus jussu Reges 〈◊〉 by whose command or appointment they are born men by his appointment are Kings constituted Nor doth it make against this that the people are sometimes punished for the sins of their Princes as 1 Kings 4. 16. 2 Kings 10. 17. for this was not because the people did not punish or restrain the exorbitances of their Kings but because by tacite consent or otherwise they did communicate in their sins and besides God having supream dominion over the lives of all may make use of it thereby to punish Kings by taking away their Subjects 3. Because God hath made by his Commandment a distinction and 〈◊〉 of degrees as some to be parents some children some superiours and some inferiours Superiours must take heed that none 〈◊〉 this order nor suffer a parity or equality or to submit to those whom God hath placed in a lower rank But why did not
to the Disciples that he was to suffer the Evangelist saith that he began with Moses and the Prophets and so deduced the Prophecies in order to his time to confirm his doctrine and the same Evang. himself makes this protestation in the preamble of his Gospel that he intended to write all things as they fell out in order So the Apostles observed an order in teaching the Gospel they first taught the principles and laid the foundation of faith and repentance and then proceeded by steps and degrees to other doctrines 3. The third thing is proportio to proportion the doctrine to the capacity of the hearer which requires judgement and discretion in the Teacher Thus we may observe this in Christ who having taught his Disciples many things and yet had many more to teach them yet he forbare because they were not able to bear them These three are good rules for a Teacher 1. To help the lumen infusum by sensible things 2. In a good method and order 3. and that in a good proportion with discretion and wisdom And whereas there be four wayes as we toucht before by which a man may be taught 1. By precept Doce me mandata tua teach me thy statutes saith David Thou hast made and fashioned me to what end that I might learn thy Commandments 2. By example Exemplo didici 〈◊〉 I looked on it saith the Wise man and received instruction and I have given you an example saith our Saviour that ye should do as I have done 3. By experience Experimento didici were the words of Laban to Jacob I have learned by experience c. 4. By discipline Christ himself learned Obedience saith the Apostle by the things which he sufferd and it is a common saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 correction gives instruction The teacher must instruct by all these wayes as Christ the perfect pattern of a teacher did 1. By precept it is said that Christ did never teach any thing by parable in publick but he expounded it afterwards to his Disciples 2. By example Christ saith Exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example how you should do That in all things they should do as he had done before them There was no exercise to be done no way to be followed but he had set them a patern for it 3. By praectise Christ after he had taught examined and questioned his Disciples and he exercised them as in baptizing and in casting out unclean spirits so in dispuring in preaching First he sent out the 12 and afterwards the 72 whom he preferred after to higher places And the difference between the 72 and the 12 the Apostle distinguisheth The chief were Apostles they were the Architects or chief builders and the 72 did build upon their foundation which they had laid And these were to make or give account how they discharged their callings as the Disciples did to Christ. 4. For teaching by discipline we shall finde that Christ was not defective in this neither but that by reproof he taught his Disciples many things In S. Matth. Gospel he reproves them for non-proficiency that having been so often taught they were not able to understand And in another place he reproveth them for not understanding what he meant by the leaven of the Pharisees And soon after he giveth S. Peter a bitter check saying Get thee behinde me Sathan for dissuading him from his passion telling him that he savoured not the things that were of God but of men As also when his Disciples could not cast out the Devil he calls them a faithlesse and perverse generation Lastly when they would not suffer little children to come to him he was offended with them So the saying of the Wise man was verified in them Reproof entreth more into a wise man then an hundred stripes into a fool And our Saviour knew what flagellum meant too when the house of God was turned into a den of theeves So is it with those that mispend their friends maintenance and their time which ought to be spent in studie at the Universities These are a kinde of theeves too for there is a theft in time and in studie in not labouring as well as in not paying and Colledges and houses erected for learning are houses of God also And certainly if Christ were again here on earth he would scourge and whip these loyterers and theeves out of these houses So much for the Teacher We will now come to the duties of them that are to be taught The Wise man giveth a Tuigitur to the Hearer I have made known to thee this day thou therefore and there endeth the original and leaves the rest to be supplied that is take heed that you observe it is your part to give regard to it The duty of a scholar may best be learned of Christ who when he was in the state of a scholar loved to hear what others said he would not let one wise sentence escape him and was ever asking questions He was 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to hear and to ask questions which two qualities are to be in every learner 1. For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the opposite to this is dulnesse in hearing either not to hear at all or having heard not to regard what they have heard he effect of this is that which Christ taxed his Disciples with O amentes tardi corde O fools and slow of heart Therefore the learner must be studious in hearing that so what he hears may come into his heart according to that of the Wise man Inclina aurem tuam oppone cor tuum encline thine ear and lay it to heart It must come in at the ear and down to the heart And when it hath 〈◊〉 there it must come to the lips to expresse it in our speech that thereby we may be able to shew that it is setled in the heart And because the memory of man is brittle it must be supplyed by writing the greatest scholars were called scribae scribes They must first write what they hear in Tables and then by often reading and meditation bring it into the tables of their heart 2. And for enquiring or asking questions it hath been a perpetual practise In the Law children were to ask their fathers and they to answer about the observation of the Passeover So also concerning other Laws and statutes And it is Gods command that they do so Ask thy father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell 〈◊〉 And this was Jobs counsel to ask of their fathers and enquire of the former age We 〈◊〉 see it also under the Gospel The Disciples not understanding Christs speech intended to ask him the meaning of that he had spoken to them And
hoc decipit qui ante tempus sapientes videri volunt ut jam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod non sunt quid sunt erubescere saith one many are deceived by this that they would willingly be accounted wise before their time and begin to counterfeit what they are not and are ashamed of what they are The conclusion of this point is that because as the Preacher tells us There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak and in that he placeth silence before speaking every one is to be a learner before he be a teacher We may see it in our Saviours example who was in the Temple among the Doctors how hearing first and then asking questions and both before he taught himself He that doth not take this course will in the end be forced to take up this complaint How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me 3. A third duty of the teacher is Tueri to defend his pupils according to the sense of the word their name Tutores 〈◊〉 being derived from tueri It was our Saviours practise as in the case of his Disciples not fasting when Johns disciples and the Pharisees fasted And in their plucking of ears of corn on the Sabbath day As also for their not washing their hands when they did eat In all which cases Christ made their defence thereby shewing he would be ready to defend them in all matters wherein they did not 〈◊〉 1. The first duty of the Scholar answerable to this is according to the law of the Nazarite He must bring his offering as 〈◊〉 is able So did Hannah when she dedicated her son Samuel that he might not be 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 When Saul sent his servant to the Prophet he made shift to finde the fourth 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 to give him Shall we come to the Prophet and bring him 〈◊〉 And Levi made a feast for our Saviour In a Council the Fratricelli were condemned for holding one opinion among the rest that our Saviour lived by begging and not of his own for he had of his own as we may gather by Judas bearing his bag 2. Another duty is to minister to his 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 Samuel did to Eli. And we read that Elisha though the eldest scholar yet poured water on Elias hands We 〈◊〉 that John Baptist sent two of his Disciples on an 〈◊〉 to Christ. And our Saviour himself sent his Disciples to make ready the passeover At another time he commanded his Disciples to provide a ship for him He also sent two of his Disciples when he was to ride into Jerusalem to provide an asse for him Lastly he sent them to provide victuals to eat So that the duty of ministring belongs to a Scholar 3. The last is 〈◊〉 officium Our Saviour being towards his end giveth charge to one of his Disciples that he knew was able to maintain his mother And not onely so but after his death some of them brought odours to embalm him Some bestowed a Tombe upon him and some buried his body So did the Disciples of John Baptist They buried his body And yet here ended not this 〈◊〉 officium for after Christs burial the Apostle forgate not his memory but spuke honourably of him Jesus of Nazareth was a Prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people shewing that death takes not this duty away from the Scholar to his Tutor he ought to speak honourably of him after death Besides all this there is a duty which all Scholars owe to Teachers though they be not under their charge If they be of that calling they are to honour them Sauls servant counted Samuel an honourable man and Gamaliel was honourable among all the people He was a Teacher of the Law and not onely those under his charge but all the people honoured him These things being performed that will come to passe which the Apostle aims at we shall have men faithful such as shall be able to teach others and the Universitie shall breed such as shall be fit to serve the Church and Common-wealth And indeed this was the end of the erection of schools and universities 1. To bring forth men able to teach in the Church 2. Men fit to govern the Common-wealth Of which we are now to speak CHAP. VII Of honouring spiritual fathers in the Church The excellency and necessity of their calling Four sorts of ministers in the Church 1. The thief 2. The 〈◊〉 3. The wolfe 4. The good shepherd whose duties are 1. To be an example to his 〈◊〉 1. In himself 2. In his family The peoples duty answerable to this 2. To use his talent for their good Rules for doctrine and conversation The peoples duty 1. To know their own shepherd 2. To obey and follow him 3. To give him double 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 2. of maintenante ANd first of those that are to instruct and govern the Church These are called fathers The Apostle calleth himself a father And so they are called not onely by the Church of Christ but by Mitah an Idolater He hired a Levite to be a father and a priest The Idolatrous Tribe of Dan use the very same words they bid the Levite to come and be their father And because as was said before all paternity is originally in God and from him communicated to Christ whose fatherhood towards the Church is no other but as he is the onely priest and prophet of the new Testament and because God is fons omnis boni the fountain of all good therefore he must needs have this property of goodnes to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicative that others may partake of his goodnes and therefore he made the world by creating it at the first and not onely so but by a second creation renewed and restored all by Christ into whom they that are mystically incorporated are admitted to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that coestial city or corporation where they shall be partakers of all that goodnes and glory which is in God And God having purposed to create the world for their purpose made it with three divisions or distinct places 1. Heaven to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or place of reward 2. Earth to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worke house And thirdly Hell his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prison To the end that men exercising themselves here in this world which is the worke house according to the grace received and the talent given them might either be rewarded with eternal felitity in Heaven or punisht with eternal misery in Hell So that the earth being made for a place of exercise and Heaven for a place of reward the world was made for the Church and consequently all those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural to
his duty to be Typus gregis a pattern to the flock it is the flocks duty to be antitypus pastoris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pastors antitype by following his good example as the iron that gives the stamp and the coyn stamped have the same figure They must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 become imitators of them as the Apostle adviseth Remember them that have the rule over you Whose faith follow c. Have an eye to them that teach and imitate their example ut domus presbyteri sit Magistra disciplinae publicae that the house of the Priest be the rule of publick discipline 2. The next duty of the Minister is the employing his talent or the use of those gifts which he hath gotten in the schools for Nemo accipit dona propter se no man hath any gifts for himself onely but to use them as 〈◊〉 by the Parable of the talents 1. He must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to teach others now it is well observed that the Verb docere to teach governeth two accusative cases as in the Prophet Quem doccbit scientiam Whom shall he teach knowledge There is a quem whom they shall teach and a quid what they shall teach For there are many in these times that have the quem a people to teach but not scientiam many are Teachers but want the knowledge to teach these were never sent by God It is strange what hatred God did beare to the Asse He would have the 〈◊〉 born of all creatures to be offered but the foal of the asse might not come within the Sanctuary but the neck of it was to be broken Hesychius and others interpret the asse to be illiteratum the illiterate man and surely he that is such ought not to come into the Lords Sanctuary The Prophet saith in the person of God to such Because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me And Moses saith of the Levites They shall teach Jacob thy judgements and Israel thy Law And the Prophet saith the Priests lips should preserve knowledge that is he should have ability to teach Aquinas and some of the latter Schoolmen handling the question what is meant by ability to teach distinguish between competentem eminentem scientiam competent and eminent knowledge and resolve that a Pastor must have competentem scientiam at least though not eminentem Now what this competens scientia is the Apostle determines in one place Tit. 1. 9. viz. He must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to hold fast the true doctrine when any Heretick shall seek to take it from him and this he must do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by learning 2. He must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to exhort and comfort 3 He must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to confute and convince all gain-sayers and opposers of the truth and this is the Comment on that place as I take it Now unto this is opposite a Novice He must not be a Novice that enters into this Ministery but as the Apostle elswhere saith he must be nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine and after his ordination he must not rest there but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proficere study more and more and stir up his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till they burn brighter stir up the gift of God which is in him And the practise of this is that which getteth him honour for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that labour are worthy of double honour by putting their gifts to use He must preach the word in season and out of season and that upon necessity as the Apostle tells us for vae mihi nisi evangelizavero woe unto me if 1 preach not the Gospel yet we must know that the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be instant in season and out of season is not meant as people would have it as if a Minister must preach continually or when soever the people will but as in season is upon ordinary dayes and occasions so out of season is upon extraordinary occasions when the necessity of the Church requires when either some great calamity oraflliction or benefit calls upon us not as some would have it to make the duty of the Pastor infinite for it is one thing to be instant and another thing to preach a man may be instant and yet not preach alwayes 2. Concerning the manner of doctrine there were three faults mentioned by the Apostle crept into the Church 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desire of novelties or fables which ariseth out of a fulnesse in men that they cannot abide to hear a thing often but must have novelties another Jesus must be preached to them 2. The next is curiosity about questions of no profit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will have high points or unprofitable handled in which they are so intangled that they cannot get out and neglect practical points 3. The last is pruritus aurium itching ears a desire to hear a declamation out of a Pulpit to hear a sermon with fine phrase pleasing the ear but doing the soul no good Against all these the Apostle prescribeth a form 1. That they teach sound doctrine that cannot be condemned It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and sincere not corrupt with fables or false doctrine and they must not strive about things that profit not 2. Against the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he prescribes that as his doctrine must be sound and true so he must teach those things Qua sunt bona utilia hominibus good and profitable unto men 3. Against the third though he must not affect the pleasing of itching ears by too much nicenesse about words yet 1. his matter must be such as that he need not to give place in regard of the stuffe to any and that the expression be grave and decent not light nor neglected The Apostle saith that 〈◊〉 he were rude in speech yet not in knowledge 2 And for keeping of his Auditors together 〈◊〉 must have vetera nova both new and old not new doctrine but new wayes of expression the doctrine may be al one yet the manner of delivery may be diverse he must have new parables new arguments 3. He must have a perspicuous and methodical way an orderly delivery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a cunning workman rightly dividing the word which as the Apostle saith is like a two edged sword Preaching must have two edges for it was a fault complained of by S. Augustine against Preachers of his time their preaching had but one edge and the back did as much harm as the edge did good they meet not with two extreams as when they speak of obedience they so speak of it as that they would have a man never to disobey and when they speak of
To have been mindfull of God in prosperity is a good ground for hope in adversity 2. The second is Saint Johns Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself keeps a pure conscience doth not as they which presume make their conscience a receptacle of corruption upon hope For as the fathers say Conscientia bona custos spei if it be kept clean our hope is true and right 3. The third is Davids Hope in the Lord and be doing good it must be active and doing good The heathen call labour the husband of hope There is hope the harlot and hope the married woman now hope the wife may be known from the harlot by this that she is alwayes with her husband accompanied with labour Sacrificate sacrificium justitiae et sperate in Domino offer to God the sacrifice of righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord. There must be travaile and strife to do good in a true hope 4. The last is Saint Pauls who makes good hope to hold 〈◊〉 in tribulation It is that which tries whether it will hold the touch or not In silentio et 〈◊〉 erit sortitudo vestra in quietnes and confidence shall be your strength saith the prophet Esa. 31. 15. If we faint in adversity it cannot be true The heathen call hope the blossom or bud of tribulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the bud be nipt nofruit can be expected it will be but 〈◊〉 bastard hope but if it blossome in tribulation it will bring forth fruit in due season The last of our rules is that we should not onely have this hope in our selves but provoke it in others also It was Davids desire many shall see it and fear and trust in the Lord. That all the people may trust in him That the house of Israel The house 〈◊〉 That al that fear the Lord might trust in him To the furtherance whereof he promiseth to teach the wicked and tells the fooles that they deal madly in setting up their horn that is in trusting to themselves And thus much for hope CHAP. II. The sixth duty is prayer The end of prayer Gods glory The necessity of it The power of prayer The parts of prayer 1. Deprecation 2. Petition why God denies somethings we ask 3. Intercession 4. Thanksgiving which consists of 1. 〈◊〉 2 Complacency 3. promulgation 4 Provocation of others The excellency of praising God The properties of true prayer The helps to prayer Signes of faithfull prayer Of causing others to pray Now concerning prayer VNto every affection there is an operation suteable and so every grace hath its proper 〈◊〉 and operations besides which one grace usually depends so upon another that one may be called the fruit and effect of another Thus the fruit of faith is hope and the fruit of hope is prayer Speioperatio oratio hope works by prayer And so the property of hope is to 〈◊〉 us up to prayer and the property of prayer is to be interpres spei that is to expresse the desires of our hope In which respect as the Articles of our faith are summa credendorum the summe of things to be beleeved and the Law summa agendorum the sum of things to be done so the Lords prayer is summa sperandorum the summe of things to be hoped For the soul of man by considering and beleeving the judgements of God being brought down dejected and humbled to the dust and as it were struck dead hath some life put into it again by conceiving hope in his mercy for which we must repair to God by prayer and nothing better beseemeth a suitor for it then prayer and supplication Saint Augustine saith Precibus non 〈◊〉 ad Deum The way to God is by prayer not paces Therefore that hope may be partaker of its object mercy we are to know that mercy is onely to be expected and obtained from God by prayer And therefore Saint Augustine saith ut descendat miseratio ascendat oratio let prayer ascend that mercy may descend and so there shall be a blessed entercourse between his mercy and our prayer while we speak of prayer lest we mistake we are to conceive that prayer consists not onely in that which we outwardly make in the congregation which the Prophet calls vitulum 〈◊〉 the calves or sacrifice of our lips but inwardly also in lifting up the heart as the Apostle speaks Orabo 〈◊〉 orabo mente I will pray with the spirit I will pray with the understanding which is when the spirit ascends to God which howsoever it be not heard by men how vehement it is yet we know it is powerfull with God We see the experience of it in Moses The Lord saith to him why criest thou to me though there be no mention of any word he 〈◊〉 and this is principally and truely prayer for without it the prayer of the lips prevaileth not Our Saviour seemeth to taxe the Scribes with resting in outward 〈◊〉 when he quoteth a speech out of the prophet This people draweth neer unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me And he tells his disciples in the sermon upon the mount that it is not the ingemination of Lord Lord that will gain the kingdom of heaven And therefore Saint Augustine saith Hoe negotium plus gemitibus constat quam sermonibus This work 〈◊〉 more in groans then words the spirit makes intercession for us with groanings unvtterable 1. Now the main end and scope of prayer is Gods honour and glory It pleaseth God by the prophet to account this as an especial honour done to him that even as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their masters and the eyes of an handmaid unto hand of her mistresse so our eyes wait on the Lord untill he have mercy upon us or as Saint Augustine Magna est gloria Dei ut nos simus mendici ejus It is Gods great honour that we are his beggars though it be of persons without the Church as in Cornelius whose prayer was accepted Act. 10. 2. or of persons within the Church yet out of Gods favour by their sinnes who call to God de prosundis out of the depth of misery Psal. 130. 1. though the person be an heathen yet his prayer inregard of the act it self is in some degree acceptable to God And this he accounts as an addition to his glory when we ackowledge that what we have we have not â—rom ourselves but from him Besides he takes it as a further honour to him as an homage we render him when we thank and glorifie him either for benefits or deliverances and to encourage us to this duty he addes a promise Call upon me saith he in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee but upon what condition and thou shalt glorifie me But this we may see set down most excellently by the Prophet where
he particularly exacts the dutie from five severall sorts of men in one Psalm that are there mentioned as more especially bound to God 1. They that wander in the wildernesse and are harborlesse and in distresse and want and are relieved 2. They that are at the point of death and are restored to life and health 3. They that are in prison and are delivered 4. They that are delivered from shipwrack 5. They that are preserved from the hands of their enemies These several sorts of men as he there speaketh when they cry unto the Lord he delivereth them out of their distresse and therefore he often reiterates this and saith Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnes and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men And this deliverance by prayer hath three effects whereby God is glorified 1. When an humble minded man upon his prayer finds this deliverance he is thankful and glad 2. By this sinners seeing Gods goodnesse in hearing the prayers of his servants shall be converted 3 The mouth of all wickednes shall be stopped By all these wayes prayer brings glory to God If then prayer bring such glory to God and that without it God is like to be defrauded of a great part of his honour 2. It concerns us necessarily to practise it and that not onely in respect of God but of our selves too Our Saviour sheweth this by the parable of the widdow and the unjust judge where her importunity prevailing with a wicked judge shewes a majori how powerful prayer is with God a father of tender mercies and that we ought to pray allwayes and not faint And therefore having a care that we should know how to pray he himself who never did any superfluous act and who is our advocate and daily intercessor with God set down a form to our hands to instruct how to pray daily In the use whereof that comes to minde which Chrysostom observes in his first book de orando Deum out of Dan. 6. 10. where bodily death being set before Daniel if he prayed during thirty dayes on the other side tanquam si as if the forbearance for that time would be the death of his soul he chose rather to hazard his life then to neglect his daily custome In the Law besides the observation of the Sabbath there was a morning and an evening sacrifice Which was a type and is explained by the Psalmist to be prayer Prayer as incense in the morning and lifting up of hands which is nothing else but prayer for the evening sacrifice The fathers have for the most part written largely upon the necessity of this duty and call it Clavem diei et seram noctis the key to open the day and the bar to shut in the night Saint Chrysostom calls it signaculum diei the seal of the day out of the Apostle who saith that the creatures are good being sanctified by prayer else not and so it is a seal to confirme a blessing of the Creatures for the day following And in this respect it is said that our Saviour blessed the loaves by looking up to heaven that is by praying as also the meat at supper by blessing it be fore and singing an hymne of thanksgiving after And this is no new thing but a custome as ancient as Abraham as the Jews record who continue it still the chief of the family first takes bread and blesses it by prayer and then breaks it and the last thing is to take the cup and then to give a second blessing this being so holy a practise the whole Church of the Jews to our Saviours time observed it as a thing most necessary from which custome Christ translated the use of it to his own supper The Apostle fits all the rest of the spirituall armour to some speciall part as to the head the breast the feet but specifies no part for prayer because it is to cover all over and to make all the other armour useful Therefore the fathers upon that place of Epes 6. 13. call it Armaturam 〈◊〉 the armour of all other most necessary as if all the other were of no more strength then if we were naked if we put not on this And they stile it also flagellum demonum the Devils scourg Athanasius is confident that the bare but faithful recital of this ejaculation Exurgat 〈◊〉 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered will make all the devils in hell to quake And Maximus another father affirms that he ever found this verse hast thee O God to deliver me make hast to help me O Lord effectual to deliver him from any temptation And Saint James prescribes no other remedy for afflictions then this Is any among you afflict d Let him pray even when humane hope fails yet 〈◊〉 for that which is impossible by our selves is possibile per alium possible by God to whom we pray And indeed it hath been ever of such power that it hath wrought miracles 1. In the ayre By it Elias the Prophet shut up the middle region that no rain could come down for three years and six moneths and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain c. 2. If we desire to see the like in other elements we may in Fire by the same Prophet for he by prayer brought down fire which consumed the captain and his fifty men 3. In the Earth At the prayer of Moses the earth opened and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram with their company 4. In the water At the prayer of Moses the red sea divided it self and the waters were a wall to the children of Israel and returned and covered the host of the Egyptians 5. And this efficacie it hath wrought not onely in the elements but in heaven also At the prayer of Josuah the Sun and Moon stood still 6. In putting to flight earthly powers also At the prayer of Moses when he lift up his hands Israel prevailed David stayed the plague By it Hannah of a barren womb became fruitfull The Ninevits escaped the severe judgements of God examples are infinite but these seem lesse because it hath power over spiritual powers death and hell and sathan 7. It hath power over death Ezechias having received a message of death by prayer obtained fifteen years addition to his life I have heard thy prayer and seen thy tears c. 8. Over hell and the devill Our Saviour tells his Apostles that by prayer and fasting the devills were to be cast out 9. And lastly which is the most remarkable it overcometh God himself we read that Moses used no other means but onely Prayer yet God saith Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot as though while Moses prayed God himself could do nothing against the Isrealites or as if Moses by prayer had offered violence to