before their children shall make euen with them and reuenge and quitte there parents wronges to the full by the like fauage dealing with them A second dutie of thankefulnesse is to pray for their parents As in Tim. 2. He commands that prayers be made for all in authoritie And if any must praye for those that be further of in common weale much more for those that are nearer in the familie Therefore this is a fault to bee greatly condemned in many that can see their parents faults and speake of them too much but cannot finde time to fall downe before God and beseech him to heale their nature and helpe them out of their sinnes Many haue liued a longe time with their parents yet cannot say that they sent vp an heartie prayer to heauen for their parents so vnnaturall and vnthankefull be they The vse of all these duties to those whose parents are not aliue is to looke that their sinnes be not aliue after their parents death And therefore to examine themselues whether they haue beene faultie in any of these things and if they do repent for it and desire pardon else they be lyable to two plagues First that their children should take their parents quarrell in hand and requite their wicked dealing in what euer dutie they haue fayled and haue not repented of it And secondly that as honouring parents brings a long and happie life so their dishonouring their parents should make them haue a short life and miserable or if a long life yet full of Gods curses for their vnrepented sonne Therfore let such as be now fatherlesse marke themselues and finding that their children are stubborne against them and vnthankfull and rebellions euerie way as many may see it openly and wofully let call themselues backe and see what kinde of children they were before how they behaued themselues to their parents whether they were not all together faultie in this point If it be so let them confesle that their owne sinnes haue found them out and are turned open let them acknowledge that God is iust and hath giuen the same measure into their bosomes their own euill is fallen vpon their owne heads they digged a pit in their youth and now in their age are fallen into it And thus much of the duties of children Now follow the duties of parents to their children For vnder the dutie of inferiour is comprehended also the dutie of the superiour And as God would haue inferiours to giue honour so he commaunds superiours to carrie themselues in that manner that they may deserue honour And doth bind them as straightly as the inferiours Now the duties of parents to their children are eyther in their tender yeares riper age The parents dutie to the children in their tender yeares and childhood is first to instruct them in religion to season them with the words of pietie or by little and little to drop in the grounds of holinesse into them euen so soone as they are able to speake and beginne to haue the least vse of vnderstanding So Prouerb Teach a childe in the trade of his youth and he will remember it afterwards Where the holy ghost exhorting men to teach their young children meetes with an obiection Alasse might one say teach such little ones what good will that doe we shall but loose our labour for they cannot vnderstand it nor conceiue the meaning of these things The holy ghost answeres Be it that for the time he cannot vnderstand the sense yet teach him the words and tearmes of goodnesse and though while he continues a child perhaps it seeme a fruitlesse thing yet you shall see afterwards it will not be in vaine for the crop of this seede that was soone in the childhood will appeare when he comes to age though for a time it lay hidden then he wil remember these things that to good vse which it seemed he got no good by when he was so young wanting vnderstanding Therefore let him haue the words taught him when he is able to heare and speake words and after when he is of more discretion he will conceiue remember the sense too And this dutie the holy ghost commaunds Ephes 6. 4. Bring them up in instruction and feare of the Lord. And this Timothies mother did put in practise For it is noted of her that she instructed Timothie in the scriptures from a child and that was the cause he was so holy a man she was a nurse to his soule as wel as to his bodie and gaue him milke out of the breasts of the scripture so soone as he had done sucking her owne breasts so that as he waxed strong in naturall strength of naturall life so he waxed strong in the knowledge of the life to come and therefore he grew so excellent a man and so worthy a preacher and member of the Church because his mother fedde his soule as well as his bodie The second dutie of parents to their children in their yonger yeares is to correct them to giue them correction which the holy ghost in the Prouerbs commaunds often and shews the fruit of it Correct him and thou shalt saue his soule chasten him and he will giue thee pleasure In the latter the rod of correction driues away folly this is the onely meanes to make a diuorse betwixt folishnesse and his heart which are so neerely wedded together But in correction these rules must be obserued First let it be seasonable and done in time passe it not ouer to long but begin early enough So Salomon saith Hee that loues him corrects him be time and doth not omit it till it be to late but takes the fittest opportunitie when he may with most ease and fewest stripes doe most good For indeed a small twig and a fewe blowes in time when he is yet a child not hardened in sinne will doe more good then many tods and abundance of stripes afterwards if this seaso be let slip for if the child be not mastred when he is young he will maister his parents when he growes elder Therefore let them not get an head for if they doe they will prooue like an young colt that hath gotten an ill tricke at the first he hath once cast his rider he was marred in the beginning and now you may sooner almost kill him then breake him and bring him in any good order againe Secondly it must be done with great compassion and mercie not in bitternesse to ease ones selfe with the paine of the child which is too barbarous crueltie For in truth commonly there is good cause why the father should be as much grieued or rather more then the child because for the most part he doth but correct his owne sinnes in his sonne for if the childe be curst and froward is it not because he hath seene the parents brawling and contentious if he lye hath not his father giuen him a patterne of dissembling and if he sweare being
well was verie seruiceable and by it painefull trauell brought in much profit vnto the master if he be diseased by some sore or sicknesse he will let him haue rest and looke carefully to him that he want nothing and take the counsell of some one that is skilfull in such matters for some drench or medecine that may helpe his horse or oxe restore his health Thus men will deale with a beast but what master almost can be found that doth not plainely proue that he loues a beast more for his commoditie sake then he doth a man for Gods sake for he that will be content to be at cost and charges and some trouble also with his diseased and sicke horse his sicke seruant may lie and die and he will neuer come at him nor seeke any remedie for him but rather encrease his paines by murmuring and grudging that he eates and he drinkes and doth nothing but spend and burthen the familie And when Gods hand hath restrained him from working and not his owne negligence and ofttimes when he gets his weakenesse by faithfull and painefull seruice done to him then some are so cruelly and miserably coueteous as that they will abate so much of their wages as the time of their sicknesse comes to And when he suffers paine and griefe enough by his sicknes then he that should looke to healing of him doth not onely neglect that but also gleanes from him and robs him of his wages which is a double sinne and iniurie So much for the duetie of masters to their seruants that dwell with them Now when they part the masters duty is to looke that he send not his seruant away emptie but doe something for him according to the blessing of God vpon him by his seruants labour according to his owne abilitie and looke how much longer time the seruant hath beene with him and howe much more faithfull seruice he hath done to him by so much more must he be franke and bountifull in respecting and beleeuing him Contrarie to this is the dealing of those shisters that must haue new seruants euerie yeare for that either they be so bad themselues as none will stay with them longer then needes they must or els they intertaine such vngodly persons into there familie as it is not sit that they should tarrie long in any place And those that take in such manner seruants as deserue noe recompence because they imploy their labour about such things as the familie hath no benefit by them but are fit only to serue their Maisters lust in vanitie and foolishnesse for such it is iust that though they dwell manie yeares in a place they should haue no reward giuen them because their labour hath brought no good to the familie no bodie hath beene a gayner or bettered by it but here was a great fault on both parts for both the Master was a foole to giue harbour to such vnprofitable companions and the seruant was a foole to spende his time and paines about such base seruice as could be benefit to no bodie and here it is iust that both should be loosers But when one hath had a seruant that hath beene with him a longe time and done him faithfull seruice so imploying his labour and spending both his daies and strength as that some profitte and commoditie redownds to the familie And the maisters estate hath beene better by his carefull diligence now by continuance of time and by this profitable societie they had the seruant should grow to be vnto him as a child and he if he will seeme to be one of a good nature vpō so long experience of his faithfull and louing cariage should put on the affection of father to him For indeede nature shewes that it is a shame for one to put away his old seruant that hath worne out his bodie in his seruice without bestowing his liberalitie vpon him in some measure according to his owne abilitie and his seruants labours But it is the custome of most men now a dayes so wretchedly couetous are they growne that they deale with their seruants as one would deale with an horse when he grows old and can doe nothing any longer that may bring profit euen pull his skinne ouer his eares and cast his bodie to the dogs and thus brutish are vnnaturall men to their seruants ofttimes toyle them while they can labour consume their strength and spend them out then age will come and the bones will growe weake and the bodie waxe feeble and faint one cannot be alwaies young and strong and what then Then turne them out of dores poore and helpelesse into the wide world to shift for themselues as they can and they must either beg or steale or sterue and thus it comes to passe that manie become theeues and vagrant beggers through the masters base niggardlinesse that would not doe his dutie in bestowing some proportionable and competent releefe vpon them So much for their duties that bee further of from equalitie in the familie as parents and childe Masters and seruants Now those that are more equall are the husband and wife whose duties are either common to both or more particuler to either of them The common duties are these First they must loue one an other with a pure heart feruently This dutie both husband and wife must performe naturally one to an other Which that they may the better striue for let vs consider of some excellent cōmodities that will proceede from this loue and wich indeede will shew in their practise whether their bee this loue or not First this benefit will certainly ensue where there is loue betweene man and wife they will be chast and true hearted so farre as they loue one the other truely they are garded from all strange lusts euen in heart that they will not allowe any vnchast desire much lesse any vnchast looke or action For so in Prouerbs 5. 19. 20. Delight in thy wife and reioyce in her loue for why shouldest thou goe after strange women As if he had said sure enough if thou doe not loue thy wife thou wilt follow a whoare or at the least art in daunger to doe it but if thou loue thy wife truely thou art strengthned against a stranger And so may it be saide of the woman concerning her husband For it is not the hauing of a wife that makes a man chast and keepes him from filthinesse but the louing of his wife that will keepe him and so it is not the hauing of an husband that makes a woman honest and preserues her from adulterers but it is the louing of her husband which will doe it For many married men and women liue filthilie and impurely but if they did loue one an other they were safe from that fault This then is one benefit it is a most sure defence of ones chastitie to loue each other An other benefit that constant loue will bring is that they shall be verie patient
Moses and Aron 88 Moses patience 12 his staffe and the power thereof 88 Mothers dutie to her children 8 Murther either secret or open 43 N NAture of man 20 Nature of the Storke 5 Nabuchadnezzar 88. 89. 32. Neighbours 97. they must be loued as our selues 44. Nehemiah commended 84 Night of the sabboth to bee spent holilie 72 Note of the feare of God is feare of his word 23 O OAth 36. 51. Oath lawfull 57 Obedience 17 Obedience to God must come from the hart 5 Obedience of children 3 Obedience of the wife 22 Offence in words 41 P PAtience 11 Papists care little for the sabboth 6 Papists superstitions 35 Parents 40. 2 Parents dutie to their children 7 Paule his feare 20 Perfit loue casteth out feare 19 Periurie 53 Peoples dutie 25 Peace a branch of meekenes 44 Praier 36. 67. 74. Praier for Parents 6 Preparation to the first commandement 1 Pride 50 Punishments for breaking the sabboth 71. 78 R REading the word 36 Receiuing of the sacrament ibid. Reason of the second commandement 37 Remembrance of the sabboth day 70 Reasons why to obey the sabboth 74 Reuerence of children 3 Repentance 67. 88 Rewards for keeping the sabboth 72 Riches improfitable 59 Rules to bee obserued in correction of seruants 17 S SAboth day why consecrated 90 Saboth day 61. 62. Instituted in Paradice 63. First the day of rest 65. Now the Lords day and why ibid. Sacraments 17. 82 Salomons dutie to his mother 3 Seruants 55. 11. Their seruice of God 13 Seruants more to bee regarded then goods 100 Sinne. 98 Speach 46 Spells 48 Spirit of God the spirit of truth 90 Subjects dutie 29 Superiors in gifts 32 Suretiship 67 Suspition 94 Superstition the hatred of God 39 Strange Gods 13 Strange apparell 57 Swearing 51. swearing wickedly 52 T THe law deliuered 1 The tables broken 2 The workes of the Trinitie 2 Thankfulnesse of children 3. it consists in two things 5 The feare of the three children in the furnace 24 The brasen Serpent 33 The Cherubines ibid. Theft 71. 72 Temperance in meat and drinke 53 To auoid idolatry is to auoid Idols 31 To honour what 1 Trust in God 26 Truth 96 V VAine swearing 52 Vaine iangling 46 Vineyard of God ibid. Visitation of the sicke a priuate worke of the sabboth 73 Vnreuerent speeches of Gods workes 51 Vncleanenesse two fold 56 Vowes when to be vsed 36 Vse of Gods words 47 W WAntonnesse 57 What God hates hating the world 78 What it is to feare God 20 What to bee done on the sabboth day 71 Wee must loue God 16 We must not bee discouraged wanting meanes 71 Why children should first feare their mother 3 Wherein children must obey their parents 4 Wicked impietie to make an image of Christ 32 Worshipping of Images 34 Word of God 47 Wonders in Aegipt 88 Worldly crosses 11 Z ZAcharies vprightnes 7 Ziphiâ—â— 84 FINIS AN EXPOSITION VPON THE TEN COMMANDEMENTS Exod. 20. 1. God spake these wordes and saide I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egipt out of the house of bondage THESE wordes containe a preparation to stirre vs vp to keepe the law of God partly in generall to all the keeping of all the commaundements Partly more specially to the keeping of the first That preparatiue which pertaines generally to all is in these words God spake It seeeth they haue God for the author of them therefore wee must settle our selues to obey them without gainsaying because God will not bee disputed withall The preparation to the first commandement more specially is drawne partly from the nature of God partly from his benefites His nature where hee saith I am Iehouah which signifieth the essence of God incommunicable to any creature From his benefits either generall in those words thy God i. One that haue bound my selfe in couenant with thee to bee thine and to do thee good in matters for this life and the life to come Or else speciall in the last wordes which haue brought thee out of the land of Egipt signifieng that hee had prooued and shewed himselfe to bee their God by drawing them out of that bondage and because the mercie of God might more appeare in their deliuerance hee shewes the grieuousnesse of the state out of the which hee deliuered them it was an house of bondage i. a place of most extreame slauerie Sith hee is thy God then and hath beene so kinde vnto thee thou must willingly acknowledge him and him onely to bee thy God God spake these words In that it bringeth the author of these wordes hee saith God spake them This doctrine ariseth to vs that God is after a speciall the author of the tenne commaundements they are his words more specially then any other And as all scripture is to be regarded as proceeding from God so more especially these tenne words because they bee after a more peculiar sort Gods words That this is so it is proued plainelie in Deuter. fiue verse two and twentie Where Moyses hauing repeated this law sets downe two priuiledges that it had aboue all other scripture to winne the more authoritie vnto it First hee saith these words the Lord spake vnto all your multitude noteing this vnto them that whereas the ceremoniall and indiciall lawes were deliuered by the ministery of Angels and the other scriptures by the meanes of the men of God the Prophets these wordes and these commaundements God himselfe as it were in his owne person full of Magestie and terrour accompanied with all his Angels in a flame of fire did pronounce so terribly in the bearing of them all as that they trembled and came to Moyses requesting him that they might no more heare God speaking on this manner for if they did assuredly they should die for feare wherefore in this first regard they must bee exceedingly reuerenced because Gods owne voice did speake them Secondly for the writing of them they were not written as other scriptures which Saint Peter saith holy men of God write according to the instinct of Gods holy spirit within them but God him selfe did write them as it were with his owne finger not vsing thereto either men or Angells as instruments Yea at the first hee made the Tables himselfe also that there might bee nothing seene wherein was not the immediate worke of God vvherein they were written but afterwardes when Moyses brake them before the Isralites that had made the goulden Calfe to shew that they by their idolatrie had broken the couenaunt and vvere vvorthie to be cast off then though God did bid Moyses make the second Tables yet himselfe write the law not vsing thereto the ministry of any of his creatures shewing that in this regarde they bee more specially GODS wordes and so more to bee regarded And besides this testimonie diuers reasons may bee vsed to shew that these are GODS owne inuention and wordes after an extraordinarie manner For first the wonderfull and perfect holinesse that
drawne as a beare to the stake let him make account that the preacher will bait him trouble his conscience for comfort hee can looke for none Therfore if we would haue a blessing by the sabboth let vs keepe it cherfullie knowing that God loues a cherfull giuer Secondlie one must labour to doe all the duties of the sabboth those that must bee done before the sermon and those that must be done after let no ordinance scape vndone vse meditation on Gods word and works heareing reading praying singing psalmes conference workes of mercie of euerie thing something so farre as we haue abilitie and opportunitie But if we will performe them scambling lie doe this and leaue that vndone either make no preparation before or no application after either no publique or no priuate then it may bee he shall finde some blessings but the fewer of these hee performeth the fewer blessings he shall haue he that doth the work of God by halfes shall and it is just he should find the comfort and benefit of them by halfes Thirdlie as one must doe all the duties and that with delight cherfullie so he must keepe the whole day he must doe all the duties and also spend all the time in these duties hee must continue from the beginning to the ending As in Psal 92. 2. To declare Gods louing kindnesse in the morning and his truth at night So that the sabboth must bee spent both morning night and all the daie in holie duties One must forbeare worldlie businesse yea worldlie thoughts the whole foure and twentie houres for if one giue his thoughts libertie to run after matters of the world in the night he breakes the sabboth in one part sleepe one may lawfullie but his sleepe must bee sweetned with holie exercises and so sanctified vnto him as in it hee must also keepe an holie rest And heere manie faile that out of the Church wil be talking with their neighbours musing with themselues about earthlie businesses affaires thinke they haue made a good hand if they spend the most part of the daie till after the euening exercises in workes of religion and then they make no question to take their recreation or to goe about their businesses if occation bee But hee that commands to keepe it in the church bids vs keepe it in the house as to heare him and speake to him in publique so to speake to him out of our harts in priuate not to giue our selues leaue to thinke the least thought of any worldlie businesse Now then wee if seeme to make conscience of the sabboth and yet doe want that blessing which we doe looke for let vs looke to our selues we shall see that wee are halting in some one of these either wee keepe the sabboth lumpishlie and heauilie that it seemes as a tedious burden vnto vs or else wee doe some one or two duties leaue the rest vndone or else if we doe all the duties to be done we want heere that we obserue not the whole day but keep some part of it from god to our selues accordinglie as any man comes short in any of these duties so hee commeth short of the fruit of the sabboth But if one labour with joy to doe all the duties of the sabboth the whole day hee shall finde in his owne soule that it is in truth a day of blessing and brings more joy and comfort yea and a greater blessing with it then all the weeke besides And so much for this fourth commandement of the sabboth and the reasons of it The summe of the fifth Commaundement is to shew what duties we owe one to another in respect of their and our place The persons in this commandement are eyther with authoritie eyther priuate eyther further from equalitie as parents and children masters and seruants nearer equalitie as husband and wife publike in Church Commonwealth without authoritie in age gifts Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy father and thy mother c. HEtherto the duties of pietie to God out of the first Table haue bin handled Now follow the commandements of the second table concerning the duties of righteousnes to our neighbours This is the first commandement of the second table vpō which al the rest do depend as in the first table the keeping of all the commaundements following did depend on the keeping of the first commandement of the table so heere if this first commandement be well obserued both of gouernours and inferiours there could be no disorder against any other of the commandements following For all disorders in the other commandements of the second Table doe flow from hence that eyther superiours are negligent in performing their dutie of gouerning or else inferiours are proud and stubborne and refuse to obey their superiours The words contayne a commaundement and the reason of it The commaundement in those words Honour thy father and mother The reason in the words following That thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Because the benefit of obedience is not so great to the superiours which are obeyed as to him that doth for conscience sake obey them they shall not be gainers so much as himselfe for he shall gaine to himselfe a long and happie life Honour To honour is to reuerence in heart and performe all outward duties Father That is all superiours in what place soeuer set aboue thee Thy father This is the first reason whereby God would moue inferiours to obey because he is thy father In that God makes this his reason why the childe should obey his father because he is his father We gather this doctrine That the chiefe motiue to obedience must be Gods ordinance If God haue made him the instrument of thy life and maintenance and haue set him ouer thee thou must for this cause performe all dutie of honour vnto him So in the Prouerbs Honour thy father that begat thee and thy mother that bare thee as if he had said honour thy parents and bee duetifull vnto them not because they be rich or in great place or for any other respect but this because they bee thy parents bee they father and mother how euer rich or poore thou must be duetifull vnto them So the Apostle speaketh to wiues Wiues obey your owne husbands Vsing this as a reason if they be your husbands If God hath set them ouer you as your head and gouernour you must submitte your selues to them for this cause and in obedience to Gods commaundement howsoeuer they be otherwise froward and foolish if they be yours then you must performe your duetie vnto them So for seruants the poynt is not whether hee bee a poore man or rich a simple man and ignorant or wise and discreete but is he a master hath God made him a gouernour then for the time that one is a seruant he stands in the place of Christ in his family and is to be obeyed as if hee
were the most honourable and wise in the world The vse of this is to consute those wretched and miserable children that take occasion to be vndutifull because their parents be poore and low and in disgrace and small account among men But be they so then the childe ought so much the more to honour them or else he addes afflication to afflication Therefore so farre should he be from contemning his parents because they be low and afflicted as that he should reuerence them and honour them the more that he may be a comfort and reliefe vnto them in their trouble For for the child to honour his parents when all the world honours them and hath them in account and to be dutifull then when they can eyther reward him if he be dutifull or punish him for his vndutifulnesse is no triall of his honestie and obedience to God For then it may be he doth it ether vpon constraint because he dare do no otherwise or of a base minde because he loues and gapes after his fathers wealth more then for conscience to Gods commaundement But then the obedience is most sound and acceptable to God when there be fewest worldly meanes to prouoke one vnto it So for the wife or seruant to say O had I an husband or master of such great account of such gifts and wisedome that could promote and reward me then I could frame to obedience Nay for he that is not faithfull in the least will not be faithfull in the most And God accounts not of that obediēnce or reuerence which proceeds not frō conscience of his commandement but from hope of some outward reward Therefore it is our dutie not so much to trouble our selues in enquiring what heads other haue as to labour to make best of our owne For this in the naturall bodie we see that if one haue an head full of infirmities and subiect to diseases he will not therefore knocke it against the walles and contemne it but he thinks this is my head that God hath giuen me and therfore I must not make it worse by ill vsage but striue to make it better by all means I can O but say they other children haue better parents that be more carefull of them But let such turne backe a little and looke to themselues and examine their owne stuffe other you say haue better parents true But looke to your selfe a little and thinke on the other side haue not other parents also better children more duetifull and obedient and more vertuous euerie way then you be Put these two together now and then the mouth will soone be stopped So the wife other husbandes are more kinde and louing and be better to their wiues But if you stand so much in examining his goodnesse by other mens you will driue him to trie your goodnesse with other women Be not there many wiues more subiect to their husbands more quiet and meeke and that goe farre beyond your selfe in many graces So that in such obiections let inferiours couch these two one with the other and looke to their owne faults as well as to anothers and they shall not finde great cause to complayne O but he sayles in doing his dutie to me but God failes not in commaunding you to doe your duetie to him This is the point be you a Christian or an hypocrite If you bee a Christian then GODS commaundement must be the rule of your obedience and not the dealing of others to you Therefore this doth iustly reprooue their audacious boldnesse and shamelesse impudence that if their parents growe olde or impotent or poore then they thinke they may take libertie to caff of the yoake of subiection and to grow stubborne as who should say that age and pouertie of such like things could cut of the nature of a parent and take away the authoritie of a superiour that outward things should haue the chiefe account and Gods commaundement be least of all regarded This likewise may serue for some comfort to these gouernours that are in a poorer or lower condition that God hath challenged vnto them as much honour in their place as to the greatest prince in the world For the poore mans wife is as much bound by God to honour her husband as the Queene to honour the king And the meanest parents and maisters are as much to be acounted of in their families as if they had all the welth and honour in the world Therefore they should beare their pouertie so much the more patiently Because no pouertie or lownesse of their estate can giue licence to the inferiours to account anie whit the worse of them and if the inferiours doe for this cause despise them they sinne against God doe iniurie vnto them and GOD will be reuenged of them accordingly So much for that God bids the inferiour to honour his superiour And the child his father howsoeuer matters stand in other respects Honour The duties of the naturall childe commanded in this word are comprehended vnder these three heades First reuerence Secondly obedience Thirdly thankefulnesse for the first For reuerence Children are commaunded to reuerence their parents Now this reuerence must be both inward and outward In the heart and behauiour of the bodie For if the outwarde begin not at the heart it is hypoctiticall and therefore not pleasing to God And if one pretende the inward reuerence and shew it not outwardly this is but dissembling and falsehood for it cannot be within but it will shew it selfe without So that it must be both inward in heart and outward in cariage of ones bodie The inward is commanded Leuit. 9. 19. 3. Yee shall feare euerie man his father and mother and keepe my Sabboths In those words GOD commandes the substance of the whole lawe both in the first and second table and for the second table he begins with the first cōmandemēt Feare euery man his mo ther. One would haue thought he should haue begun with the father but though more be due vnto him yet because it is a greater not of truth to performe it to the mother because her infirmities whereto shee is more subiect make her more subiect to contempt and for her indulgencie commonlie the mother doth lesse exact this at her childs hand therefore God doth beginne there where obedience is best tried and faith Feare thy Mother and thy father and then for the first table he sets downe the last commandement of it Keepe my sabboths and whosoeuer is carefull in the first table conscionablie to keepe the sabboth and for the second to keepe the fifth commandement in dutie to superiours he shall be sure to holde out in all the other cōmandements so that reuerence of the heart is required of children The second branch of reuerence is in the outward behauiour as in bowing to them in standing bare and putting of before them in an humble and lowly countenance and behauiour when one speakes vnto them And this the example of
discretion and in vsing them with a good conscience a good wise choice and a christian and honest vse Now for choosing the maine dutie and the chiefe thing to be regarded is that they get such vnder their roofe as be the seruants of God such as haue grace and vertue in their harts cary a good conscience with them This duty is confirmed by the example of Dauid Psal 101. where his example sets down a rule how euery one should order his family He shewes that for wicked persons teltales proud persons swaggerers such as haue great looks no grace he would haue none of them for his seruants but those that were religious vpright such should be his scruants And there is good reason why one should be carefull to take none into his familie but Christias for if they be not faithfull to God as sure as God liues they will neuer be faithfull to their master For all obedience and faithfulnesse flowes from the first table begins there but if a man neglect his dutie where he hath more hands to tie him to it he will be much more slacke where he hath fewer bands Secondly a wicked person is verie contagious and will infect the children with his lawdnesse and euill behauiour and indeed many can tell by experience that the ill example and the vilde perswasions of one vngodly will doe more harme to the children then all that many good seruants can do will do them good So that this is euen to bring a leprous person among the whole and a contagious man among the sound Thirdly a wicked person doth bring Gods curse vpon the family euen as a good seruant hath Gods blessing going with him as we see in Ioseph So when an vngodly sinfull fellow hath the fingring and and dealing in a matter the curse of God pursues and followes him for so it is said The curse of God is vpon the house of the swearer and vpon the house of the theese not onely vpon his owne heart but euen vpon the house and habitation where such an one is kept and maintained and countenanced But shall I be plagued and punished for my seruants sinnes yes and iustly too for he that will relieue and retaine such an one that he knowes is an enemie to God must needs open his doores to the curse of God So that if one would not haue the curse of God to rest vpon his house nor vnfaithfulnes in his seruants nor his house poysoned with that leprosie which onely the blood of Christ can heale let him take good aduice in chosing his seruants and in planting his family And thus wisely men can deale for other matters for he that purposeth to plant him a good orchard will not runne to euerie hedge and euerie groue and all the bramble bushes he can see and thence take him plants for his orchard but if he hope for any benefit by his orchard he will make prousion for the best graffes and sciences he can get and those will he set in his orchard and so he hopes it may hereafter turne him to good profit But if one would say why I hope and I looke to haue as fruitfull and commodious an orchard as any man in the parish but what doth he in the meane while what course takes he in planting it why heere 's a bryer there is a crabtree and there a thorne these be all the plants he lookes for and hence he cuts all his sciences why then it is plaine he doth but dissemble he is not in good earnest So for those that be sheepemasters and hope for commoditie that way they will enquire and marke out of what ground the sheepe they purpose to buy come where they were bred if they were bred in a rotten ground especially if they haue a rotten bleake too he will not put them in his fold nor let them come among the rest least they should be all infected Will one deale thus for his orchard and for his sheepe and should he not consider likewise in planting his family When he takes a seruant into his fold out of what pasture comes he hath he beene brought vp in a rotten ground In a place of disorder of riot of swearing of breaking the Sabboth and such like and hath he a rotten bleake will sweare will he lye wil he speak filthily doth he looke like a swaggerer and like a ruffian and will you venture on yet then you are a foolish master and loue neyther your selfe nor your house nor children if you take such vnto them that will eyther infect them if they be not verie good or if they be will vexe and molest them Therefore here many masters are to be reproued that scorne to be admonished of the minister but God will find them out that vse more care by farre in planting their orchards and chosing sheepe to breed then they doe in planting their family and chosing out seruants Such as may bring glorie to God and profit to the Church and be for their owne commoditie also And yet this folly raignes in them too that of all men they are the most readie to complaine of ill seruants and how neuer any was so troubled as they with vntrustie seruants that they must still be chaunging As if one should say neuer any man had so bad an orchard why what is the matter you see others haue peares and apples and plums and good fruit and I come to mine and find nothing but hips and hawes and sloes I pray you what did you plant there then did not you set thornes and brambles and can you looke for better commoditie of such wares Therefore euen thanke your selfe and your owne folly that could make no better a choice at the first so for these masters will they take seruants at all aduentures and then crie out they be not faithfull let them blame themselues then that would not at the first see they were religious afore they intertained them It is then a great and common fault amongst most masters that haue no regard of grace and religion but if he be such an one as will take a little wages and please him in euerie thing and serue his lust take him what euer he be papist atheist swaggerer theese drunkard or anything care not That is the least part of their thought But no man shall haue Gods blessing in his seruice vnlesse he will chuse such as will serue God The second point of the masters dutie is in vsing and that when they dwell together in part direction in recompence matters of religion matters of calling For direction in matters of religion and Gods seruice the master must looke that they come to the publike assemblies in due time and that they tarrie it out and sit in a conuenient place where they may heare learne and not in such by-corners and obscure odde places where they spend their time in prating or scoffing or sleeping or such like This is no
this disordred confusion as if the Pilot would both hold the sterne and hoyst vp the sayle and be vpon the hatches and sit vpon the neast and labour at the pumpe and od all himselfe it must needs goe ill with the ship and that is in continuall danger of sinking But those gifts that God hath giuen the wife the husband must see them employed and then she shal be a fellow-helper vnto him and bring a blessing vpon the family by her labour And so much for the duties of husband and wife which I doe not so speake as though is were in the power or nature of any man or woman to performe these duties nay by nature men be inclined to the contrarie The wife is naturally disobedient and stubborne prone to conteme and dispise her husband and he is prone to be wandring abroad and take more delight in any ones company then his owne wiues and if he be with her at any time he is so destitute of all true sauing knowledge as that he is readie alwaies to be eyther light or foolish or else sowre and churlish and to doe her hurt by his example and make her worse rather then better and both of them are destitute of all true and spirituall loue one of the other But God shewes these duties in his word to the end that we seeing our sinnes and our weaknes might bewaile our wants before God and beseech him that requires these things at our hands to worke these things in our hearts and as he hath giuen vs these good commandements to giue vs grace to make our hearts good to keepe the commandements And he that makes this vse of the law he profits by the doctrine But if any be so blinde and so vnacquainted with the wickednesse of his owne heart as that he dreame of some strength in himselfe to doe these duties it is certaine he neuer did performe any of thē in truth nor shall euer till he do lament his wants with vnfained griefe before God desire him to make him obedient as well to giue him a charge of obedience And thus much concerning the duties of priuate persons As namely of parents and children of masters and seruants of husband and wife The duties of publike persons follow Which are eyther in Church as Minister and People Commonweale as Magistrate and Subiect For the minister and people It is euident that the minister is a father It is plaine 1. Cor. 4. Where Paule though you haue many teachers yet I haue begotten you vnto Christ And Paule cals Timothie and Titus his children because as their naturall parents were instruments of God to beget them to a naturall life so he was Gods instrument to beget him to a spirituall life Now the duties of the minister and people are eyther common or speciall The common duties which mutually belong to them both are to pray one for another and to giue thanks one for another That the minister ought to pray for the people the continual example and practise of Paule almost in all his Epistles doth declare as to the Philip. Coloss Thess for whom he writes that he giues thanks to God and praies day and night for their encrease in all good graces By Paules example then ministers must learne to pray to God in secret for the flocke committed to their charge that God would pardon all their sinnes and heale their natures and make his doctrine effectuall to worke grace and saluation in their hearts And then if God haue heard his prayer and blessed his preaching to conuert the hearts of his people to saue their soules he must not let this slip but marke and obserue and returne thanks vnto God for it So 1. Sam. 12. 23. The people being affrighted with Gods fearefull signe and seeing their sinnes then they come vnto Samuel the prophet of God as commonly it is the practise of men in time of prosperitie to set light by the minister and not to regard him at all but in time of aduersitie where miserie pincheth it is often seene that men will send for him and be content to heare him and craue his direction so in affliction they come to Samuel and earnestly desired him to pray for them Then his answere is God forbid that I should sinne against God and cease praying for you shewing that it is a great sinne against God in the ministers if he be not frequent in prayer for his people So that though the minister studie diligently preach painefully and walke religiously in all good conscience yet if he doe not pray to God and beseech him earnestly to amend those faults that he sees in them and to conuert their soules vnto him and doe not also giue thanks when he perceiues any good thing wrought in them and pray for the continuance and encrease of it hee doth sinne against God and faile in a speciall dutie that he owes to his charge For all planting and watering is in vaine vnlesse God giue the encrease And how can he respect any blessing of God vnlesse he doe both often and earnestly seeke for it and render most heartie thanks for it as he findes it granted For the people that it is their dutie to pray to God and be thankfull for their minister it is plaine Heb. 13. 18. where this commaundement is giuen Pray for vs for we are assured that we haue a good conscience c. And Paule to Philemon saith That he hopes through their praiers to be giuen vnto thē and 2. Thes 3. 1. He wils them to pray for him that he may haue free passage and that he may be deliuered from vnreasonable men And to Timothie 2. 1. he wils that prayers be made for all in authoritie that as God hath set them ouer vs as gouernours so he will gouerne their hearts and order their proceedengs aright This confutes those people that a long time haue liued vnder a minstry but all that space cannot say that they haue once offered vp a true and hartie prayer to God for their pastor that he might be furnished with gifts for the faithfull discharge of so great and waightie an office neuer spoken to God in his behalfe to giue him a dore of vtterance to deliuer aright and deuide the word of truth to be with his meditations and direct his tongue that he might to their consciences and for their edifying And againe if at anie time God haue powred downe more plentifull grace vpon their minister that he hath beene better stird vp to teach them and hath spoken with more power and zeale then ordinarie more earnestly reprouing their sinnes and exhorting them to repentance yet they take it but as an ordinarie thing and let it passe without any notice as though it were not any mercie of God to prepare the ministers mouth to speake to their conscience And because they be thus slacke in desiring and negligent in thanksgiuing for so great a fauour God doth iustly depriue
while hee cannot with that spirit and courage pray to God for you and so powerfully and cheerefully preach the word of God vnto you This confutes them that bragge of there good dealing with the minister and thinkes they pay him all his dues as well as anie man and takes it as a wrong that the minister esteemes not of them as well as he doth of anie But doe they performe their dutie and what dutie is it they performe doe they obey the gospell which he preached and submit themselues to his doctrine this is the heart of dutie and where this is not there is no dutie done worth thankes least they they conuerted they do not pay the minister his due for a faithfull pastor and man of God regards not so much the tithes and lookes not to the fleece he comes as Christ saith to Peter to bee a fisher of men and if they will not be drawne out of their lusts and sinnes by his preaching it is no dutie for he that neglects obedience to the doctrine of the ministrie is an ill sheepe and vngodly person shew what kindnesse he will to the particular person of the minister The last dutie of the people to the minister is to performe maintainance vnto him both for his releefe and sustenance as also for his defence against the wronges of ill deposed persons For his releife and sustenance that is commanded Galat. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the worde make him that haih taught him partaker of all his goods bee not deceiued God is not mocked c. Where willing them that are taught to prouide for the maintainance of the minister he meetes with common corruption of men that thinke all is gotten that they can cousen and deceiue the minister of and therefore carnall men are neuer more wittie in anie thinge then in withholding his dues but he saith be not deceiued As if he had said you thinke to deceiue an other but indeed you ouer-reach your selfe your selues bee deceiued at the length for though this cunning dealing may happilie be hiddē from men and done so closely that it shall not bee knowne yet GOD will not be thus mocked hee sees and knowes mens fetches well enough t is noe colouring with him that searcheth the hearts For if you deale thus wrongfully make an account that as you sowed so you shall reape such as your seede time was such shall be your haruest this your corrupt and vniust dealing shall get but a sorrie reward and such as shall bring but small comfort to your selues and in an other place the Apostle saith if they giue sprituall thinges is it a great matter that they receiue calnall and those that serue at the altar liue by the altar So that it is the peoples dutie freely and without grudging to helpe the minister with sufficient allowance for matters of this life Lastly they must giue him maintenance against the wronges of bad men as it is noted of Aquila and Priscilla that they stood for Paule and that was not a thing that hee alone was bound to be thankefull to them for but in so doing they deserued thankes of the whole Church which receiued good by his ministrie And if this dutie were carefully performed persecuters would not be so bolde and audatious to molest and trouble the ministers and faithfull men of God as they be But it comes oft so to passe that though the minister be in all things faithfull to his power and beare such a loue vnto his people as that he would part with his bloud to doe them good yet let but some vilde person of a wicked and vngodly life as indeede the diuell neuer lackes such instruments to vexe Gods ministers let some but base limme of the diuell step forth to set him selfe against the minister and to persecute him manie in the congregation will be readie to ioyne with him and haue their hand in as deepe as any But others of the better sort haue no courage to stand for him and to defend his good cause many thinke they doe not breake the fifth commandement and yet know that God hath said that he that laboureth in doctrine is worthy of double honour Yet when will they speake well of the minister when will they open their mouth in his defence but are readie to say it was his indiscretion hee was to hastie and vnaduised he might haue kept himselfe quiet and thus either because they be dastardly and dare not or malicious and will not allmost none can be founde that will stande in the maintenance of their faithfull minister against the furie and malice of the Diuell and his limmes wicked persecutors But this is a most soule fault for if any had a good friend to whom he were much beholding and of whom he had receiued many benefites no man almost is so cowardly and base minded but if he heard one raile vpon him and abuse him he would take courage to speake for him and for his credite but who almost can be found of many in a parish that can afford a good word for the Minister nay are not most of this minde that if he be molested all is lost that fals beside Thus much for the dueties of the people the Ministers particular dueties followe The first is to be a good example and patterne vnto them in loue in faith in patience and in euery good duetie as 1. Tim. 4. 12. Let no man dispise thy youth I but might Timothy say can I keepe them from despising my youth I cannot hinder it yet Shew thy selfe an example to those that beleeue This then is commanded as a duetie that gaines the Minister great recompence and account in the heartes of his people and keepes him from contempt that the light of God shine forth in him and they may see the graces of the holy Ghost in his conuersation And therfore the Apostle sheweth how he must gouerne his seruants and order his children and his whole houshold els if he lay loade of doctrine vpon others and do nothing him selfe they may say Phisition heale thy self and pull out the beame out of thine owne eye thou hypocrite this will make all his preaching fruiteles vaine for he that cannot gouerne himselfe his owne family how is it possible he should order his flocke aright Therefore he must shew his first skill in gouerning him selfe and his familie and those that be neerest vnto him The next duetie of the Minister is to preach the pure word of God in season and out of season to feed the flocke diligently and faithfully to intend and take heede to such wholesome doctrine as may nourish the soules of his people to deuide the word of trueth aright to speak to the capacitie and conscience of his people in all diligence faithfulnes not making marchandise of the word and Gospel of Christ that so his people may be prepared as a fit and pure Virgin to marrie Christ and so farre
as he doth these things that in doctrine and example he goe before his flocke he may looke for duetie at their hand or if they performe it not yet he may say my reward is with God and my recompence with the most high Thus much for those superiours that haue authoritie in the Church and their inferiours The superiors and inferiors in the Common wealth follow and those are Magistrate and people The first duetie of the subiect is inward and outward submission in heart to reuerence and outwardly to obey the Magistate as is commaunded Rom. 13. Let euery soule be subiect to the highest powers He commands not onely a bodily subiection which may be in the most rebellious persons that resist authoritie and lie open to the curse of God for this sinne but a submission inward of the soule as vnto a sparke of Gods authoritie and an appointment or if this inward be not first the outward subiection will faile vpon euery light occasion There must be an outward subiection also in obeying their commands so farre as they command lawfull things As Titus 3. 1. Put them in remembrance that they be subiect to all in authoritie and obedient But if it so fall out that the Prince or any inferiour Magistrate command things vnlawfull against the commandement of God then indeed one must with Peter say It is better to obey God then man But yet so as one be content without murmuring or resistance to beare with euery punishment shall be layd vpon him euen to death As Daniel when the king made a wicked Edict would not yeelde vnto it but yet he was content to yeelde to the punishment with patience and neuer went about to gather a power in his owne defence against the king And the three Children would not preferre Nebuchadnezars commandements before Gods but yet they did not by rebellion seeke their owne deliuerance but quietly gaue vp themselues to death expecting helpe onely from God So that if the Magistrates command be lawfull the subiect must obey but if he command an vnlawfull thing he must not rebell but suffer the punishment without murmuring euen in heart as Eccle. 16. 20. Curse not the king no not in thine heart nor the rich in thy bed chamber for the foules of the ayre shall discrie it Though the king or any in authoritie vnder him doe thee wrong yet allowe noe mischeiuous and wicked thought against them for if thou doe God will bring it to light But if the king be vniust and wicked then wee must pray to God to conuert him as Paule commands Tim. that as our sinnes haue brought an ill gouernour ouer vs so our prayers may remoue him or better him This the first dutie then is subiection without gainsaying The second is to pay their due willingly and freely without grudging as Paule speakes tribute to whome tribute custome to whome custome and not euery paiments else are necessarie for the maintaynance of their state partly that they may be able to represse rebels and enemies and partly that hauing suffient maintainance from the peoples cost they may not be distracted but may bend their whole indeuour to good gouernment and protection of the people The duties of the magistrate follow for he hath his charge to and much is required of him to whome much is giuen First then his dutie is to looke to godlinesse that religion and pure worship of God be confirmed and maintained in his land as 1. Tim. 2. 2. Paule wills to pray for these in authoritie that we may liue a godly life vnder them And now that which we must pray to God for that they may doe is their dutie to doe First then a magistrate according to the authoritie of his place must haue a care of godlinesse and looke that the pure worship of God be set vp and all false and idolatrous worship suppressed And thus did the godly and christian kinge in time before As Iosiah and Hezekiah and others whose first and eagerest worke was to pull downe all idols and to exhort and command their people to practise the pure and holy worshippe of GOD according to his worde and where this is not doone the duties of the seconde Table must needes bee neglected The second dutie of the magistrate is to maintaine peace and quietnes to prouide for the vnity and concord of their subiects as in the same place of Timothie that we may liue a godly peaceable and a quiet life Nowe they may prouide for peace by pulling downe and repressing the wicked with their authoritie as also by maintaining and defending the innocent and rewarding the good for vnlesse the magistrate declare his strenght and shew his authoritie against sinners they will be practising and stirring against Gods children the Serpent will nibble at the Heele darkenesse will hate light and the dogs will be wurrying the sheepe the diuell driues them and needs they must be troublesome as he their captaine is for an ill conscience is feirce and hauing not the peace of God to quiet them they cannot be quiet what way must be taken then the Magistrate must make them quiet by shewing them the edge of the sworde he must hamper them and let them see that if they be troublesome it shall be to their owne cost they shall trouble themselues and this will some thinge bridle them that good men may haue some reasonable peace by them The third dutie of Magistrates is to procure honestie as in the same place of Timothie the Apostle speakes Nowe this they must doe by remouing all lewd practises and persons and those thinges that are occasions to them as stewes and houses of filthenesse as houses of gamning which are meanes to prouoke men to much lust and vnthriftinesse contrarie to ciuill honestie and good manners These things the Magistrates must reforme so farre as his authoritie will stretch or else hee is not faithfull in his place And this was commended in Asa that hee putte the Sodomites out of the land An other point of honestie is to take order about the poore in a good honest sort First for rogues and runnagates that being strong and lustie make begging and wandring their trade of life that they be seuerely punished and set to worke That no maintenance or allowance be giuen vnto them for as the Apostle saith He that will not worke let him not eate And what more dishonest thing in a Christian commonwealth then that such men should be permitted which pollute the ayre and fill the land with sinne making their whole life nothing else but a continuall practise of filthines theft and idlenes sonnes of Sodom that liue without a calling without a magistracie without a ministerie That neyther glorifie God nor serue the prince not profit the cōmonwealth but are an vnspeakable burden to the earth blot to the state as droanes liuing on other mens labours and the sweat of other mens browes These filthie persons this cursed and vngodly
good man and yet be neuer a whitte the better for it God hath giuen so many graces for their good and will they be better by none of them that is a soule faulte and it shewes that in truth their is no true reuerence for that which one esteemes and accounts of in an other he would bee very desirous to be partaker of it himselfe Superiours in gifts they must do this for all duties in this commandement are mutuall they must turne their gifts to the best good of others vse their wisdome to direct their knowledge to instruct their strength to beare burthens as the Apostle saith you that are strong What we must not lay burthens vpon the weake to suppresse them but beare the burthens of the weake to helpe them Vnlesse therefore hee to whom God hath giuen more graces then ordinarie doe vse that which he hath receiued to the glorie of him that gaue it and to the good of mankind for which he gaue it he is found an abuser of the Lords talents which gaue them him not that he should vaine gloriously set himselfe aboue others that want them and so tread his inferiours vnder foot or cruelly oppresse or craftily circumuent and deceiue those of meaner capacitie then himselfe but to the common good of the whole Church and the further edification of the weaker that as he hath receiued more then so according to the number of his talents he might bring forth a greater encrease But for one to grow proude and set himselfe aboue others that brings the curse of God vpon him and is the next way to make him despised and to loose his gifts which he can vse no better As it is seene by wofull experience in a greater number that God had furnished with many gifts both of bodie and minde so that there was great hope that they should haue much set forth the glorie of God and done much good to the Church of God When they began once to lift vp themselues and seeke their owne vaineglorie more then Gods glorie and so haue turned their giftes the wrong way themselues haue growne in contempt and those graces which they haue had haue rotted away and by little little came to nothing And iust it is with God that it should be so for that man which will not honour God with his gifts God will see that he shall haue no honour and better that they and their gifts should perish then they should haue them to doe no good but set vp themselues Thus much for superiours and inferiours in gifts These in age follow The dueties of younger persons to the ancient is to shew a reuerent opinion of them and to shew all reuerent and submissiue behauiour vnto them in respect that they carry vpon them as it were a print of Gods eternitie which is commaunded Leuit. 19. 32. to rise vp before the hoare head and honour the person of the aged I am the Lord. Where giuing this commaundement of honouring the aged he meets with yong conceited heads by this reason I am the Lord to whom thou owest obedience I will haue it thus and in this respect it were the best way for thee to yeeld obedience So Isay 3. 5. It is noted as a curse of God and a plague that comes with the subuersion of the commonwealth when such wofull confusion should take place as that young boyes and children of no discretion or gouernment should presume against and proud young youthes that haue no grace nor any thing to commend them that neuer did good that none can say that the world is the better for them it might haue done as well if they neuer had beene borne that such proud absurd persons should grow to that extremitie of impudencie and shamelesnesse as to presume against their betters and preferre themselues before their elders Which doth sharpely also reprooue the customable rudenesse of our youth that no whit regard their elders To shew any token of reuerence to them in rising before them or vncouering but go vse such behauiour with them as if it were with fellow boyes or playfellowes The dutie of the elder persons is to giue a good example For a grey head is a glorie if it be found in the way of grace if they be godly and holy and shew a graue wise and graue conuersation then eyther younger persons shall giue them their due reuerence or if they doe not the sinne lyes vpon their owne heads and they be blamelesse So Titus 2. 2. The elder must be sober honest discreet sound in the faith in loue and patience as their bodie decayes so their soules must encrease in all grauitie and sobernesse and for their vnsound limmes and weake they must get a strong and sound fayth that by the long continuance of time and often vse of the meanes of saluation they must get great soundnesse and power of faith which may worke aboundantly in them by the fruits of loue which alwaies accompanies true faith and this loue will make them patient not forward not pettish not easie to be offended but full of long suffering to be an example to others of meeknesse But contrarie it is in those whose sinnes of their youth haue stayned them so deeply and so filled their bodies as there is no grace to be seene in their olde age Their words are altogether vaine and light foolish nothing sauouring of grace so that no man can in reuerence eyther craue aduise from them or be silent to heare such foolish and vnsauerie talke as customably comes from them and their conuersation full of testinesse and vnaduised wrath and bloted with miserable and abiect couetousnesse and greedinesse that they are alwaies smelling earthward and pursuing the world swiftly when they can scarce go vp and downe in the world No grace no wisdome nor any vertue bewtifieth their grey haires these want and that iustly their honour because they haue the first steppe olde age but they want the vpshot and perfection to be found in the way of grace And thus much for the dueties of superiours and inferiours commaunded in this commaundement The reason is next That thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy god giueth thee This is taken from the good effect and commoditie that will follow to him that keepes this commaundement It shall be for his profit he shall haue the benefit of it himselfe So that hence we may learne this lesson that the way to get a prosperous and long life is to be obedient to parents and superiours and to honour them As in Ephes 6. 2. He saith this is a commaundement with promise namely with a speciall promise For indeed this stirs vp the heart of the parent to pray to God for his children that he would poure a blessing on them and that not in word onely but indeed and in the desire of his soule he will beg it earnestly at Gods hand for so the wordes in the originall runne
troublesome abundāce of the wicked for they may say the Lord our God hath giuen vs these thinges Therefore if God be true and iust if he be the Lord of heauen and earth if they cast themselues and their trust vpon him hee will cast all thinges good and necessarie vpon them in the due and fitte time or if they haue some outwarde wantes they shall bee recompenced with inwarde and better comforts And thus much for the eight commandement concerning the duties of all sortes of men in respect of their place superiour or inferiour The sixt commandement followes Thou shalt not kill And this commandement respects the person of our neighbour commands to procure his wellfare good safetie of his soule and bodie It bids vs to loue our neighbour as our selfe and forbides all kinde of crueltie and wante of loue The parts of it be Forbidding things in Omission to Bodie Soule commission Commanding What the thinges of omission be that are forbidden concerning the bodie it may appeare in Math. 15. Where Christ condemnes some as goates limmes of the diuell and firebrands of hell because they gaue not meate to hungrie and drinke to the thirstie and clothed not the naked and visited not the sicke and imprisoned and such like So that the omitting of these duties of mercie is an inditement stronge enough to bring such persons to hell And Luke 16. In the parable of Lazarus and Diues Diues is condemned for want of mercie that hee had enough to bestow on pride and vanitie and pompe to set out himselfe but nothing to giue to his poore and comfortlesse brother sheweing the doome of all such wretched persons such as Iohn saith which haue this worlds goods and yet let their Godly brethren want shutting vp the bowels of compassiō frō doing good the charge of crueltie and want of mercy lyes heauie vpon such for he that turnes his eare from the crie of the poore shall crie himselfe and not be heard An other thing of omission is when he neglects to pay the due wages and recompence for the worke of any poore man For if it be a miserable sinne not to doe good freely where neede requires it is much more abominable and damnable not to giue a due debt and reward of the worke So Deut. 24. 14. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant thou shalt giue him his wages for his day nor shall the sunne goe downe vpon it This is condemned as an vniust and vnmercifull thing that when one hath hired a seruant or any to doe his worke when the worke is done he should either giue him no wages or else giue it him in conuenient and due time but hee must seeke for it when he should haue vse of it for his releife and God saith there if such a one be pinched with necessitie and crie vnto God God will heare and reueng his wrong And Iob to proue himselfe no hypocrite vseth an imprecation concerning this sinne in chapter 31. that if he haue eaten the fruite of his land without siluer and hath not paid the wages to him that telled it and brought in his haruest or if the furrowes of his land haue cried together against him then let his grounde bee accursed as indeede he had beene an accursed person and broken this commandement in an high degree And if he had done so the verie earth would haue cried the furrowes would haue made a complaint against For two sinnes there be in the second table that makes the land crie to God that he can haue as it were no rest till he take vengeance the one Sodomie and the other oppression and crueltie against this commandement As afore in Deutrimonie and in Iames he saith Howle you rich men and why what miserie is neere why the crie of the poore oppressed by you is come vp in the eares of the Lord When one gets his good so ill and enricheth himselfe by withhoulding other mens dues though the man should be silent and say nothing yet his necessitie his bellie and his backe would make an hideous outcrie before God til he had executed his vengeance And for sinning in this branch of this commandement Iehoiachin was blamed Ierem. 22. 13. to 20. vers Which is so much the rather to be noted because most men thinke that the differences of persons may make some excuse for their sinne but it is not so For if any might vse the laboure of an other without recompence then might the Kinge who is the soueraigne Lord of all yet he being a King is reproued by God for this it is said he built his house without equitie how is that proued he vseth his neighbour without wages and giues him not for his worke and for this cause and his filthy couetousnesse God would not vouchsafe him the commō honour of men to be couered with earth whē he was dead but he should be buried as an asse his skinne puld ouer his eares stript of all hee had and then dragd without the Citie throwne out that his carcas might be food for beasts birds and what was his crime why this he did not reward the poore but serued himselfe vpon them And this commandement is broken in omission of thinges pertaining to the bodie as in not doing workes of mercie and in not paying wages and dues to those to whom they are due The omission of the dutie to the soule is either of superiours or inferiours Of superiours as first and cheifly of the minister if he doe not preach and admonish his people plainly and fathfully he is guiltie of murdering distroying their soules As in Ezek. 32. If hee tell not the people of their sinnes they shall die in them but the bloud shall be required at his hands and if hee doe tell them though they amend not he is free as Paule saith I am innocent of the bloude of you and why because I haue tolde you all the counsell of God and kept nothing backe And for other gouernours also as the parents and masters of families for euerie man is a bishop in his owne familie For so he saith in Deut. Thou O Israell shalt teach these thinges vnto thy children thou shalt talke of them c. Those then that haue no care to teach their children and seruants to know God or to come to the word of God wherby they may be sanctified and brought to saluation such embrue their hands with the bloud of their soules and are guiltie of crueltie because through their negligence they let those that are committed to their charge to run headlong into their owne distruction Such are those against whose soule this charge shall lye harde at the day of the Lord That neuer so much as will their inferiours to come to heare Gods worde and to such exercises as may encrease their knowledge but rather permitte yea encourage them to breake the Lords sabboth and spend it in foolish and wicked exercises either at hōe or else
abroad in mercie shall returne againe in goodnesse the more good any doth the more good he shall receiue and that certainely because God will restore it and there is nothing that is more effectuall to continue the good estate and prosperitie of any familie then that the gouernour of the family opens his hand abundantly with all plentie of good workes of mercie Now that one might doe this dutie of mercie rightly so as it may be pleasing vnto God and bring comfort vnto his owne soule these rules must be obserued First out of Micah 6. deale iustly and loue mercie Iustice in getting must be ioyned with mercie in bestowing that must be well goâ—ten that is liberally giuen or else it is but to rob one to giue to an other to take it from the right owner to whome God hath giuen it to bestow it on an other whome we thinke good To doe as Samuel saith of the ill kings that they would take away the peoples vinyards and oliues and feildes to giue them to his seruants and whom himselfe pleased now this is not mercie nor to be counted liberalitie neither doth it deserue any better then theft As many among vs care not howe vniustly they get whom they pinch whome they oppresse and whom they wrong but when the times come that they thinke to shewe their liberalitie and to let all the world haue a tast of bountie no man shall be put backe but euerie man shall haue his fill for a time and now they thinke they haue quit themselues Well and you must account them verie liberall bountifull gentlemen nay first let them be iust and then they may be mercifull but till then all is oppression and robberie and spoyling And may idle ministers that get many benefices into their hand and make themselues fat with the peoples bloud whom they sterue and care not for feeding their soules at any time but that they may get them a name of bountifull men once or twice in the yeare they will come to the people and feast them and great good cheere they must haue thus robbing their soules to feed their bodies and vnder pretence of hospitality neighbourhood to make a pray of the people But first they should doe as Zachaeus did first restore the ill gotten goods theÌ„ of the rest that is their own they might be merciful do good but it is no liberalitie to be lauish of another mans Secondly it must be done liberally without grudging and murmuring as 2. Cor. 9. God loues a cheerefull giuer it must not be wrested out of one but must come willingly and freely or else the thanks is lost So Prouerbs 3. 27. Withhold not the goods from the owner thereof e. He makes the Christian neighbour that is in necessitie an owner one that hath good right and title to our goods according to our abilitie for God hath giuen it to them and it is their due therefore he saith withhold it not but giue it readily put him not backe but let him see that thou art glad to doe him good and that it is a delight to thy soule to helpe him in his need So Christ saith that the poore widdowes halfe farthing was more in Gods account the all theÌ„ large offerings of the richer men for they did it most of them ambitiously and some Pharises meritoriously to binde God vnto them and make him beholding vnto them but she did not looke to credit for it was rather a discredit that when all the rest came with their great summes she comes me with a mite among the rest but she was not ashamed of that neither did she thinke to merit any thing of God but desiring to please God she gaue that she had though it was but a little verie freely and therfore God accounted it a very free gift Therefore we must looke that our gifts be freewill offerings and come voluntarie and then they are likely to be accepted Thirdly one must looke to doe good especially to the household of faith though a man should helpe all mankinde yet his speciall regarde should bee to Christians that where Gods kindnesse appeares most their kindnesse may bee most exercised and they may doe most good where GOD hath giuen most good For so Math. 25. that which they did to poore Christians was accounted as done to him and that he payd as a debt for his owne Which confutes these that if they doe any good and bestow any thing yet be sure Christians shall haue nothing but it is done hand ouer head without any regard to whom it is done and euerie one shall fare better with them then he that is best there is a certaine secret malice and hidden inueterate enemie to good men that they can bestowe nothing but on such that cannot pray for them but will abuse what euer they bestow vpon them And thus much for the things forbidden in this commandement and also commaunded that thou doe the one and auoid the other certaine things must be auoided which are occasions of the breach of it and hinder one from keeping it And the first of these is Pride for so much pride as there is in any so much matter is there of the braÌ„ch of this coÌ„mandement for so the holy ghost saith that onely from pride contention comes and he that is proud is alwaies readie to stirre vp strife for he will doe wrong to any but he will suffer wrong of none So secondly he so spends and ruinates his estate by seruing his proud lust that he hath nothing to bestow in works of mercy by setting vp himselfe too high he brings his estate so low that he cannot afford to doe any good he is alwaies in want need still shifting and cast behinde hand because he is too lauish in spending in needlesse things to serue himselfe As the Sodomites though they liued in the most rich and plentifull countrey vnder the sunne and that which was fruitefull of all encrease yet they could shew no worke of mercy no good that they could doe why because they were proud and thought all too little that went to themselues and for their own delight therefore can spare nothing to supply anothers need So it is seene that many poore men yet are able to doe more good haue more to lay out vpon mercie then many other that haue rich reuenues and why because these with their reuenues haue an other thing that is pride which drinks them drie so that they may truly say they haue nothing to giue they are driuen to wants and necessities that they can neuer get before hand they haue it not and how should they giue it But why haue they it not whose is the fault It is therefore because they haue fedde the wasting humor of pride and that eates vp all which they should bestow on Gods poore Saints Therfore who euer would keepe this commandement let him striue against pride for that will make him vnable to