I would not have them to look to their own and let Gods House lye waste What as the Tribes said concerning their Brother Benjamin I say with sorrow for these separating Brethren O Lord how comes it to passe that one Tribe this day is wanting in Israel How comes it to passe that one Tribe one Family one Person is this day wanting in thy Temple It was David's joy and let it be ours to go up to the Temple of the Lord but admit we come to the Sanctuary Satan hath yet more baits to catch simple souls into his drag-net Abraham he prepares to sacrifice but Fowles lights upon it we prepare to sacrifice but Satan hath Fowles ready to fall upon it when the heart is unprepared when the affections are indisposed suspect a Fowl upon the sacrifice God commands Nehemiah to build up the wall that there may be no breaches but Satan wants not a Sanballet to send an errand to obstruct the work Come let us meet together let the work alone Nehem. 6.3 Nehemiah knew it to be a temptation replyes like a Prophet I am doing of a great work I cannot come down why shall I leave the work and let it cease whilst I come down to you It is the observation of an ancient Writer that Satan doth especially busie himself at these times In principio bonae actionis ne sit Hugo Car. In medio ut obsit In fine bonae actionis ne prosit That this is Divinity Christ his temptations will attest it and I think our own experience will confirm it What Saint Paul sayes of Afflictions Christ and Christians may say of Temptations me manent They wait for me Christ though formerly in the world is but entered into the work of our Redemption publickly appearing to the world for our welfares newly baptized into obedience and acting what God had sent him for David had a security in the sheep-coats though his flocks yet himself was not assaulted but when he was sent by his father to visit his brethren he meets with the insolencies of a great Goliah he is in the publick Court entertains the Challenge hearing the promise made That whosoever killeth the Philistine the King will enrich him will give him his Daughter and make his Fathers house free in Israel 1 Sam. 17.25 He is now not only tempted but his weakness is contemned a youth a stripling our better David in his privacy and retirement we find not to be tempted but now that he is sent out to gather his lost bâ—ethren now that he appears openly and hath received an assurance that he that overcomes the spiritual Goliah the King will enrich him giving him his Daughter the Church making his Kindred free which noteth our freedome through Christ our Conquerour â—he is unprovidedly assaulted by a strong Phiâ—â—stine and in the beginning of his work when want is upon him is tempted by him whose weapons threaten ruine and promise victory to the owner Thus came the Tempter c. Secondly Though he be disappointed in the first design he mâ—y withdraw but he will not wholly desist the enterprise he leaves him for a season Luke 4.13 he set upon him without meat and he will endeavour to find him without ministration to come upon him when the Angel is gone from him and this ut obsit Christs life was said and truly to be continuata passio as well it may be templatio for in the midst of this work his Disciple Peter sâ—â—oâ—â—eth of Satan and would withdraw his Master from his business had the Son of God gone ten degrees backward he had spo led all had he stood still Non progredi est regredi he had hindered the work of our restoration but he rejoyced to run his course and therefore speaks a defiance to all delay rebukes Peter Get thee behind me Satan Thirdâ—â— To câ—â—th him in his words was the Pharisees design and at last to catch him in their hands in the end of his work Ne prosit At his end how strongly is he tempted betrayed by his Disciple apprehended by the multitude forsaken by his followers arraigned accused exclaimed against mocked struck blindfolded and derided in the Tempters language If thou be the Christ prophesie who is this that smote thee either must he chuse to submit to their temptation or it must passe pro confessâ— he was not the chosen of God Miracles he did in the time of his trouble his enemies fall backward and yet can these blinded Jews go forward to condemn him he heals Malchus his eat and yet they kill their Physitian Nay his temptation is yet stronger one of the Malefactors in the same condemnation with him raileth on him with an If the language of the Tempter If thou be Christ save thy self and us O blessed Jesu if thou at the instance of thy Tempters hadst saved thy self from temporal how hadst thou saved us from eternal death We must not forget his Agony where those grumae sanguinis that bloody sweat that exceeding fear that parching thirst but that bitter cup that sense of his Fathers desertion was upon him which made him with his precious blood to pour out cryes and prayers and all this doth not express a tythe of his temptations whilst this work was a finishing Thus in the beginning progress and perfecting the work of our reconcilement the Tempter came unto him If Satan be thus busie at our holy works we must likewise expect him on Gods holy Day set apart for performance of holy duties The last Lords day afforded us a sad example whilst we were tendering of an Evening-sacrifice our sacrifice was mingled with blood The Word of God read and the work of Satan under the same roof our eyes and ears were witnesses and when the occasion of this dismal act was required what return could we expect Was it blood that might have required blood Was it the murdering of another which provoked â—â—m to his own murder No but it was a due denyed to God the breach of his Sabbath turning his Grace into lewdness the day of prayer and devotion into playing and drunkenness this he did against God on his day and this doth the Devil against him on the Lords day this was the day when he should have drawn near to God but withdrawing himself from God Satan draws near to him into him and he that could not keep a Sabbath cannot have a rest but must attempt to be his own mâ—rderer This example should serve to imprint the first line of this Commandement in all our hearts Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day And in the performance of the duties relating to the Sabbath let not thy services be cold coldness and luke warmness are not relishing be zealous is Gods expectance yet let thy â—eal have knowledge otherwise it will but be madness and let thy knowledge have zeal otherwise it will be deadness let thy service be entire God loves not a half service
temptation behind him and having the fear of God before his eyes he fasted but answers for that sin in fasting which was committed by eating This Tempter like a cunning Broaker will not that his Customer shall want any Commodity his store-house must furnish at the leâ—st promise him what he most desireth he wants not his Factors and active Agents to drive on his design and bring the deceâ—â—ful heart within his books if thou art low he hath a way to promise riches and wants not a Ballade to promote thee unto â—â—noâ—r if poor he will tender thee a supply and though he can challenge nothing but torments as his due yet Omnia haâ— dubitibi is as ready with him to offer as with our depraved natures to accept God tells thee Thou shalt have no other Gods if thou beest weary of thy subjection unto him Satan hâ—â— a Serpent can â—â—ll thee how to be exempted from thy obedience instead of thy submission to his Commands Eritis sicâ—t dâ—i you shall be as gods Gâ—d sayes Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image but the Tempter tells thee of a greater liberty If God from abâ—ve do not condescend to thy desires attend thy expectations if Moses stâ—y but in the Mount Satan hath his season in the Valley Vp let us make our selves Gods which shall go before us we know not what is become of Moses Exod. 32. let us make gâ—ds will go with us Thus Satan frames gods according to their minds and their minds according to their gods God sayes Exod. 5.2 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain but Satan can afford thee a release of this severity the Tempter wanteth not his Pharaohs Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and what is his Name that I should reverence it He wants not his Rabâ—hakeh to belch out ugly language What is the Lord Isai 36.4 or what is this confidence wheâ—â—in thou trustest This Tempter will suggest unto thee to take his Name in thy mouth so do those servants who draw near to God with their lips but their hearts are far from him and Satan hath other servants who have his Name toâ—â—â—ten in their mouths because it is to make up their vanity his Name is used not to call upon him for a blessing but is used in cursing such Oaths as the horridness thereof commands me to rebuke though modesty forbids me to mention madness of men nay monsters rather Was it Thomas his weakness that he must have his fingers in his Wounds and must it be the sinful wickedness of these wretches that they must have his Wounds in their mouths let them beware that Fountain which was opened for uncleanness may that upon their filthiness God sayes Swear not at all let your communication be yea yea and nay nay that is make not an use of Oathes in your discourse mingle not your conference with them swear not unless where and when controversies are to be decided and right to be evidenced and vindicated by your solemn Oaths but Satan will not have his gallants to be thus tongue-tyed their Tongues are their own who shall controul them yea and nay are syllables which serve not their turns such morsel of words will not fit their mouths tearing of his Heart renewing of his Wounds piercing of his Soul pâ—ophâ—â—ing of his Majesty engaging of confusion calling dawn damanâ—â—â—n and it Gods Justice were ready to answer our desires and deserts confirming it are only such terms as do them service their curses must be like their clothes Alamode and east in the latest mold this temptation hath been too taking under which the Land mourneth every parish nay this place where I forbear to personate any but should I forbear to rebuke all the stones would speak doth grievously lye under this temptation the Lord reform them and cast out these Devils of drunkenness and swearing by fasting and by prayer for Hoc genus Damomi c. these kind of Devils is not otherwise to be ejected God commands thee to remember the Sabbath in keeping it holy but the Tempter will release thee from the severity of this Precept some he tempts them to so much superstition that they will not do good nor have good done on that day if Christ cure on that day the people murmure and that which is the perfection of the Gospel must be accounted the breach of the Law It is not lawfull to beal on the Sabbath-day nay such superstitious observers may be very well observed to be derived from the family of Salomon that Anglo Judamy who falling into a ditch on the Sabbath refused to 〈◊〉 taken out Sabbata nostra colo de â—â—er â—re surgere nolo which occasioned the Christian that came by on the Sunday to answer him in his own kind Sabbata nostra quidem Salâ—â—on celibrabis ibidem Thus some will not heal others nâ—â— be healed on the Sabbath so let the superstitious perish In our times we are more under the temptation of prophaness then superstitious observation God commands holy Duties and commends them Satan inâ—inuates what doth it avail to walk mournfully all the day long and what profit have ye that ye have served the Lord thus 〈◊〉 the Tempter God requires that yoâ— shall account his Sabbath a delight Satan tempts you to repuâ—e it a burden God requires that in it you will call for a blessing on your weeks-work Satan he tempts you to account this work a weâ—riness this service a hinderance When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set fâ—rth â—heat God would have you to observe it as a rest from your laâ—our from your sin Satan he tells you it is a ceasing from you lucre and in it tempts you to sin This is noâ— all God would have you to his Church the Devil would keep you in his Chappel because it is a day of rest from the labour of the body he must have it a rest from the service of the soul Thou shalt keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary A holy time the Sabbath Levit. 26.2 and a holy place the Sanctuary and holy duties reverence to be used Satan tempts thee against the time Every day is a Sabbath but never a day is kept holy against the place he wants not Factors of Jeroboam's family It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem to the publick place of worship behold nearer gods 1 King 12.28 and he set the one in Dan and the other in Bethel Why should we go to Gods place let God come to our place What Corah said of the persons Satan sayes of the places You take too much upon you seeing all the places are holy I speak not against private duties prayer in families but I would not have Martha to justle out Mary many cumbers and troubles and inventions to take place of the one thing which David desired of that better part which Mary chose
a half heart is no heart Aut totum honora aut totum abjice God loves not a sleepy service N. 〈◊〉 z. Awake thou that sleepest and call upon thy God God loves not an unmannerly service he is not proud he delights that thou shouldst walk with him but let not condiscension lift up thy heart for he requires thou shouldst walk humbly with him Mâ—â— God would not have his Spouse to be gawâ—y gaâ—ish and painted but he loves to have her decent not in a new â—aâ—hion but in a Matron-like and ancient order He that will have her glorious within will not have her sluttish without 〈◊〉 â—6 14 She shall be brought to the King in a rayment of needle-work not masked as to externals but one part of decency joyned and woven with another How dreadful is thy dwelling-place O God how carefully must we enter thy presence Chamber How must we long to hear thy Will imparted to us How must we fear to impart our wants unto thee If our Petition be rude how can we expect a gracious reference How shall not we deport our selves with reverence when we have to deal with a holy God in a holy place on a holy day to do a holy duty knowing that iâ— these duties the Tempter comes unto us c. God sayes Honour thy Father and thy Mother but 〈◊〉 Tempter ran from the mouth of Christ quote Scripture and acquit thee from this obligation Mary in the mouth of her Son is no more then Woman and that not with obedience but objurgation What have I to do with thee Jo. 2.4 What say we to this bait doth he who teacheth this Commandment disdain his Mother The giver of the Precept is he a president for the breach Let Reverend Bishop Hall answer this Objection Bish Hall In all bodily actions his stile was Mother in spiritual and heavenly Woman she was the Mother of his flesh his Deity was eternal that part which he took from her shall observe her she must observe that nature which was above her as that nature made him a Son and Man so that nature made her both a Woman and a Mother God as thy heavenly Father calls for fear the King as Pater patriae calls for honour Fear God and bonour the King the Conjunction couples them Whom God hath put together let no man put asunder The spiritual Fathers so sayes Saint Paul Vos genui in Evangelio I have begotten you in the Gospel claim an honour let them have a double portion of the spirit of your honour Thy natural Father calls or obedience Can the Mother forget her affection Shall the Child forget his duty Can the Parent forget his care Shall the Child not crave a blessing Blesseme even me also my Father And now am I come to that great temptation which hath been and is too common in our bloody dayes God sayes Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not shed the blood of thy brother under the Gospel who might not eat the blood of the beast under the Law The Tempter comes yea hath God said so and hath no small store of provocations and pretences to the breach of this Commandement The first and most unfortunate quarrel was the Tempters when in Paradise he prevailed with our first Parents to rebel against God this quarrel from the mouth of God that sharp-edged sword did produce no lesse then death Morte morieris in this Duel Man being instigated by the Tempter lost the field and in this rebellion was the whole posterity tainted and without the satisfaction of that blessed and powerful second Adam wholly and finally destroyed and as if tâ—ls had not been a too sufficient witness of his malice against man The Tempter starteth another quarell betwixt two brothers when there was none to rescue Here was the first â—nhappy field wherein Cain spills the blood of his brother Abel provoked by this grand murderer because his brothers sacrifice was better accepted he cannot rest till the innocent blood of his brother be sacrificed to his malice Cain made himself drunk with revenge and now that deadly draught doth so distract him that he proceedeth to dispair and now his guilt as clamorous as the act makes him cry out My sin is greater then can be pardoned passing from the â—in against a finite creature to sinne against the inexhausted mercy of an infinite and eternal Majesty Thus hell tempting him â—o this hainous act bequeaths its horror to him which whatsoever way he looks still stands before him And still this Tempter as if blood were his business continueth his course he hath now charactered Cain in the chequered colours red and black blood and despaire his next piece must be to set a difference betwixt Jacob and Esau these struggling in the womb must not be quiet in the world That the Devil therefore may become a perfect dueller he without doubt appoints the place in Cain the field now the time in Esau The day of mourning for his Father to be the day of murdering his Brother which purposed and heart-murder being prevented by a great providence as if the Tempter were ingaged to prosecute in the defence of his servant Esau he sowes a dissent betwixt the children of Jacob and patches a conspiracy amongst the brethren to kill Joseph still more blood what pretence can this furious fiend have for his acting horrid enemy how coulâ—st thou design a duel betwixt God and man the Potter and the â—lay How durst thou attempt this affront against the Maker of mankind How canst thou glosâ—e or any way excuse the lifting up Cains hand against his brother Esaus heart against Jacob and all the brethrens voices against Joseph 〈◊〉 thou â—â—â—st out rebellion and interlines reasons thou blâ—â—â—â—â— out diâ—obedience towards God and settest down advanâ—â— into man Eat says God and thou shalt die Eat saies Sâ—â— and thou shalt be as Gods which do not die Thou blotâ—â—â— murder and writest in Cains neare a copy of discretion justice and of policy There 's none stands in comperition with the onely Abel what obstruction to the acceptance of my offering why dost thou not remove him and then thy tender will be received Besotted Cain couldst thou be tempted to believe that the blood in the field smelled sweeter then the fruit of the ground Thou blottest out murder in Esau and tells him it is justice Has not Jacob supplanted thee in thy birth right and in thy blessing what 's thy life unto thee if he lives he will again dissemble is it not justice to stop his breath who stole thy blessing how can it be counted murd nor revenge or construed cruelty to put a period to his dayes who hath supplanted thee in thy enjoyments Thou bloâ—test out murder in the false brethren and though in Letters of blood thou writest Reason great cause why Joseph should be slain first he is a telâ—ale Gen. 37. he pries into our actions and gives an