good direction in the master when he lets his seruants come into the Church to proclaime their owne shame and his disgrace Therefore first he must deale with them plainly you must serue God if yee serue me and be religious in Gods house if ye will haue any countenance in my house Secondly for the works and businesse of their calling the masters direction is necessarie and he must appoint the worke and set euerie one his place and dutie which he must doe else the house may be full of seruants and full of confusion and nothing be well done or in any good order And this is commended in the vertuous woman Prouerbs 31. that she giues her seruants their portion of meat and of worke the master therefore that the house may be well ordered must let euerie one know his place and calling and his taske that the weaker may haue the weaker worke and the stronger the stronger For the master must consider his worke and businesse that is to be done and what his seruants can do so that none of them may be oppressed nor any be idle for if eyther of these things come to passe that his seruants be eyther ouerburthened or else may loyter it is for want of good direction in the gouernour the house might be inriched euerie thing might be done in good order and would fall out in their iust and due compasse when euerie one were diligent in his place and set to doe that thing to which he was most sit For want of this it comes to passe that many foolish masters when they see things fall out amisse and there is not that good order that should be are readie to chafe and fret and then they crie out what disorder And so they may wel enough indeed for there is disorder and confusion but where begins it Is it not from the disordered gouernment and gouernour because he performes not his dutie well the others can doe no good Like as if a foolish pilot at the sterne should neuer giue anie direction to those in other offices about the ship when and what they should doe he might sweat and toyle himselfe but the ship might be dasht against euerie rocke and sinke well enough and all through his folly in want of good guiding But if the master be diligent in his place to direct his seruants and to appoint them what is to be done then if he see any fault and negligence he may and must let them heare of it And if admonition will not doe nor a rebuke serue the turne then chasticement and correction must follow for the rod is for the fooles backe But alwaies in correction these rules must be obserued First that it be not in passion to ease ones selfe by the seruants paine but with compassion to helpe him out of his sinne Secondly that it be ioyned with prayer or else it is not instruction but reuenge Thirdly that for ordinarie and lesser one take not notice of them but let them slip as in Ecclesiast 7. 23. he saith Giue not thine heart to all the words that men speake least thou heare thy seruant cursing thee for oftentimes thine heart knoweth that thou also hast cursed others Salomon would not haue one haue too quicke an eare to marke and take notice of the ill speeches of his seruants and he adds a good reason be cause no man is so good but his heart can tell him that he himselfe hath spoken as bad words against his gouernours and betters so that sith he himselfe hath beene iniurious to his superiours it should make him something to passe by the iniurie of his inferiours Thus much for direction The next part of the masters dutie to the seruant that dwelleth with him is in recompence as he must be diligent in setting him to worke and looke that he discharge the taske laid vpon him according to his strength so there must be recompence made first in wages and that proportionable to the measure of their worke which they doe and paid also in the time appointed The master must not put of his seruant from day to day to make him groane and sigh to God or else for need to theeue and steale from him It is a verie dishonest thing in the master not to pay his seruants due wages and that in due season keeping day and in good tearmes and willingly and cheerfully It is a most indigne and base thing that the seruant should see such a greedie couetousnesse in him as that he payes him with grudging and so vnwillingly that he must be constrayned to beg for it as if it were an almes And thus he diminisheth his authoritie and lessons his reuerence exceedingly when they can perceiue that he doth wholy serue himselfe and is willing enough to haue as much worke done as may be but is verie loth to part with any wages A second matter of recompence is in the diet and food of his seruants While they be well and in good health he must see that they haue wholsome sufficient food and that in due season and conuenient time For it is more then barbarous crueltie for one to ride his horse hard all day and at night rayne him vp without meat to repayre and sustaine his strength and he were worse then a beast that would deale so with a beast but much more to deale thus with a man that beares the image of God and is redeemed with the blood of Christ Iesus as well as the master to weare him out and spend his bodie and not allow him that nourishment that may keepe his strength in repayre is more then barbarous and sauge crueltie Therfore while the seruant is in health the master must see that he haue all things necessarie for health and sustenance such for qualitie as it be wholsome so much for quantity as it be sussiciēt that he be no way pinched or weakned Then if the seruant be sicke he must prouide to his power all good meanes for his health and recouerie and for the good looking to hime in time of his weakenes And this is noted as a matter of commendation in the Centurion that when his seruant was sick he went to Christ and tooke the best way he could deuice for his helpe and ease For the master in the sicknesse of his seruant is to looke to the hand of God that smiteth him and therby to be humbled for it is a chasticement laid vpon him that God by his owne hand immediately should turne those into a burthen and trouble to him that he did hire for helpes and for his profit and so hoped they should haue Therefore he must submit himselfe to God and as well in obedience to God as in a pitifull hart to his distressed be diligent both to pray to God for him and to vse all lawfull and good meanes for his ease and succour Thus men will deale with verie beasts If it be an horse or oxe that when he was
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
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
good meanes we can and he will prouide for the children of his seruants Therefore one should neither withhold himselfe from any works of mercy nor nigardly and pinchingly restrayne himselfe of any necessarie thing yea any comfortable delight for his childrens sake Lastly for disposing let this be the first and maine rule that those be vsed best which are best and those haue most goods giuen them that haue more grace in their hearts So Iacob had the blessing though Esau was the first borne and Ioseph had the double portion though he was the youngest but one of twelue For grace makes the younger to be the elder and sinne makes the elder the younger therefore he was indeede the right heyre for euerie one of the former ten had stayned themselues with some soule and grosse sinne which did put them out and therefore they were iustly disinherited So Solomon was not Dauids eldest sonne but hee was the sonne of his age yet he succeeded him in the kingdome because the other were proud and vndutifull and there was no hope that they would doe any good in Church or common weale This must be the first then that grace haue the first place vertue must make the heyre Secōdly the other also must haue their portiō proportionablie not one all and all the rest neuer a whit as is contrary to the cōmon practise that the eldest must goe away with the whole and the rest haue iust nothing as though he only were a lawfull child and the rest not legitimate and hence growes much hurt and much heart burning and emulation among brethren Now God saith parents must lay vp for their children not for one child only And others that if they haue no heyre male but all daughters the heritage must be put away from them and giuen to some other and why so forsooth because of the name sake that the name might continue but how know you that he shall continue to keepe vp your name or how know you that he may not liue so as that he shall be a blotte to your name and to your selfe rather then a credit why then should one for a foolish regarde of name breake both Gods law and the law of nature too For God hath appointed Numbers 27. That if there be no sonne the lande and heritage shal be deuided among the daughters And thus much for the duties both of parents and children So much for the duties of parents and children Now followeth the duties of seruants and Maisters First for the duties of seruants The first dutie is reuerence to their gouernour and that is both inward and outward The inwarde commanded in Ephes b. 5. Seruants be obedient with feare and trembling 1. Peter 2. 18. bee subiect to your Maisters with all feare 1. Tim 6. 1. let seruants count their Maisters worthy of all honour So that it is not enough for a seruant to performe all outward duties required at his hand vnlesse he begin with this first dutie to haue his master in an high account in his heart and to carrie a reuerend estimation of him in his heart he must account him worthie all honour Paule in that place speakes to christian seruants which had vnbeleeuing and infideli Maisters yet he would haue them count such worthy of all honour not that their insidelitie did deserue to be honoured but because they carried on them the authority of God standing in Christs place as his vicegerents in the familie Because of Gods ordinance thereof and his commandement laide vpon the seruant he must reuerence his maister though an insidell So that euerie christian seruant must set his firme conclusion with himselfe This is maister and gouernour that God hath appointed ouer me and that stands in Gods roome to mee therefore because of his place and the charge layde on me by God I will highly and reuerently esteeme of him Secondly this reuerence must appeare in the outwarde behauiour and cariadge of the body Else for one to pretende feare in the heart and not declare it by the outward gestures this is not sounde dealing but hipocrisie and falshood Therefore the inward account must shew it selfe in the bodie and in the actions of the bodie As first in not aunswering againe if they be at any time reproued for any thing done amisle they must not haue a gainsaying proude and vndutifull spirit but in all good speches and submissiue cariadge manifest their inward reuerence But contrarie to this is the vnteuerent behauiour of most seruants especially to poore men if the maister be poore and meane and of small account in the world the seruants take themselues for his companions and not as inferiours they thinke themselues not bounde to shew any dutie of subiection vnto him in standing bare in bowing to him and rising vp be fore him where as indeed the poore mans seruant is bounde to be as dutifull to him as if he were a Prince for Gods commandement respects not wealth and the outward things but only Gods ordinance Indeed if rich men did carrie the person of God vpon them and the poore the person of an Angell or some meaner creature then it were some thing their commssion hath all one seale and their authoritie in both is the selfe same and he that will seeme to reuerence a rich maister and not a poore is an hypocrite and shewes himselfe to be led by some carnall respect not by Gods commandement And for one to deale vndutifully with his poore master that beside the sinne is a double iniurie for this is to add affliction to affliction For if he be opprest with contempt abroad and be had in disgrace of others the seruant by his dutifull and reuerent dealing should comfort and refresh him and be a meanes to mitigate his greefe but to dispise him at home that is contemned of euerie one abroad this is to lay a greater burden vpon him that all readie sinkes vnder it Therefore if seruants reuerence their maisters they must not giue them frowarde speaches but euen outwardly shewe their inward account and the more base their maisters bee in the world the greater reward shall they haue from God and they shew the more truth and grace to be in their hearts For to reuerence a rich man that will not beare contempt but will take him downe and crush him this the veriest hipocrite may doe euen for his owne peace But here is sinceritie here is truth of heart and vprightnesse if when the master is poore and meane and of no reckoning in the world then the seruant can reckon him worthie of honour and serue him with reuerence and giue him his authoritie and full allowance in all good carriage how euer others doe debase and contemne him A second thing outward wherein inferiours and seruants must shew their reuerence to their masters is in hauing a care of their name not blazing outward their infirmities For this is a fault of many seruāts that being hired to doe
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
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
ofspring and vnprofitable generation this drosse of the land refuse and of scouring of the world must be purged away by the hand of the magistrate in whom hand there is power and to whom God hath for this entent committed the sword that they cut off or amend such rotten braunches And this the excellent and worthie example of Iob sufficiently confirmes who though he was aboundant in mercie and in all libertie to the poore and needie whose necessitie not idlenesse made them stand in need of his helpe so that he was an eye to the blind as euery good magistrate especially ought to be and a foot to the lame c. yet for these wicked persons he so hated their sonnes and so sharply punished their persons as that they had rather flie to the wildernesse and embrace the rockes lye among the bushes and eate the Iuniper rootes then be seene in that place where Iob had any thing to doe or come within the limits of his authoritie yea so infamous where they growen that men shouted at them as at a theefe and they were almost quite banished from the company of men And he giues this reason they were villaines and the sonnes of villaines more base and vilde then the earth which they tread vpon this sentence the holy Ghost giues of these yong and lustie roguing vagrants But one might say be they not men and beare Gods image Nay saith he they haue so defaced Gods Image as that they be not to be compared to the dogs of my flocke the dogs of the flock doe good in defending the sheepe but these are good for nothing but to dishonour God and staine and defile the land with all filthinesse and whordome Therefore those whom God hath made the head and hands of the commonwealth must ioyne their endeauour together to root out the race of vngodly and vilde persons Which some time agone was by wholesome and good lawes somthing well redressed among vs but now through the negligence of the inferiour magistrates and foolish pittie in not executing these lawes they begin to reuiue afresh and if the wiser care and diligence of magistrates in higher place be not will take head again to the shame of them the hurt of the whole commonwealth Therefore as they will haue a care to performe their owne duty and wipe away their owne shame and heale manifold euils of the commonwealth and hinder manifold foule sinnes amongst men and establish a chiefe point of honestie in and by their gouernment they must sweepe away this filth of the earth and so that no allowance or maintenance be giuen vnto them for the onely mercie to such is to helpe them out of their sinne by punishment and a great note of friendship and loue to God and the commonwealth is to amend or cut of those that be professed enemies to both Secondly for such as are impotent and by reason eyther of age or weaknesse or want of limmes cannot labour or else if they haue strength and vse of it cannot earne so much as to maintaine them and their family they must be helped by the prouident care of the magistrate and christian orders for that case that they be not constrained to beg their bread for it is a most dishonest and base thing to see men stand whining at the doore like dogs for bread and this corrupts their manners and is contrarie to all good nature and destroyes the seeds of any good disposition in them festring the minde with idlenesse and drawing a thicke skinne of impudence ouer their faces Therefore to preuent these euils and hurts the wise and mercifull diligence of the magistrate must take order for their timely and christian reliefe And thus much for superiours with authoritie The superiours without authoritie follow and their inferiours and those are eyther in Giftes Or Age. The duties of those that are inferiour to others in gifts is first to acknowledge it and reuerence them for their gifts If God bestowed vpon any one more godlinesse more wisedom more discretion or vnderstanding though he haue no authoritie yet he hath an excellencie superioritie aboue those which haue not equall gifts and this they must acknowledge to Gods glory and reuerence him that God hath honoured Else they clip the Lords coyne and deface his image if whom God hath graced with the spirit of wisedome and counsell with grace and power ouer their affections and such like they by obscuring them so farre as they can hinder the glorie of God and the good fruit that might come by them They must then with reuerence be acknowledged And thus the woman of Canaan that at first rested with Christ at length perceiuing his giftes acknowledgeth him to be a Prophet for so farre onely she saw then and deales more reuerently with him And Nabuchadnezar seeing that Daniel was endued with wisedome and knowledge from God to expound dreams more then he or any of his nobles doth confesse this and reuerence him for it But contrary is their practise which through enuy pride set themselues to depraue or to lessen other mens grace think no gifts worth looking after but their owne and iudge all men fooles besides themselues Yet they thinke it a dutie that other men should acknowledge their outward gifts as wealth and such like and reuerence them for it as indeed they ought with a ciuil reuerence for peace sake but no man is bound to thinke better of them for their wealth sake and why then do not they themselues confesse the inward gifts bestowed vpon others which are much more excellent The second dutie of inferiours in gifts is to make a good vse of the gifts that others haue beyond them imitating the godlinesse and patience that they see in them taking direction and crauing counsell at his wisedome and vnderstanding as to reuerence these graces in another so to labour for them in themselues as it were to light their candle at his and to draw some few drops from his ful bucket Thus the womā of Canaan so soone as she perceiued Christ to be an other maner of person then she thought she left of iesting and fell to aske him some questions of religion that she might be the better for meeting with a prophet And Pharo perceiuing Iosephs wisedome and prouident foresight put him in such place where his good might procure the common good And Nabuchadnezar seeing Daniels fitnesse for an high place of office preferd him where he might put his wisedome other graces to the proofe and practise And this effect will manifest that one doth acknowledge and reuerence the gifts of others else all shewe of accounting of them is but hypocriticall and shall yeelde no comfort to the soule afterwards This shames and reprooues them that one may speake many graue and godly speaches in their hearing before they learne any piece of one to follow it how manie examples of patience and holinesse and mortification may they see in a
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 to gad to other towns to commit sinne Inferiours also when they will not take instruction omit that dutie that should saue their soules As in the bodie that seruant that will not eate food when it is allowed him is a murtherer of his bodie so he that when he is taught and admonished and casts it of his blood shall be required at his owne hand and God will proceede against him as against a wicked person and cruell that hath done no good to his owne soule So much for things of omission Things of commission here forbidden are eyther Inward as Rash anger Enuie Outward in Gesture Word Deede to Hurting only Or Killing also of Another Onesselfe The first thing of commission that is forbidden heere is inward and that is hastie and vnaduised anger rash wrath and vniust as Math. 5. 22. Who euer saith Christ is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly is culpable of iudgement Guiltie of vengeance and wrath of God Now not all anger but inconsiderate and hastie anger doth offend in this place Now that is vnaduised and sinfull anger which eyther hindreth one from doing good to the person with whom he is angrie by praying for him or kinde admonishing him or else when it is conceiued without sufficient cause or exceeding eyther in the time or the measure As Paule Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath nor giue place to the diuell That which was for the suddaine and present passion is naturall but if it lie soking and lingring and sinke in deeper into the heart it growes then to be diuelish and so if ones anger be aboue that that the qualitie of the fault requires this is rash and comes not through the folly of the partie with whom he is angrie but through his folly that is angrie Therefore we must looke that we be neuer angrie without a iust cause And then that we proportion our anger to the sinne committed against God not to the iniurie done to vs for that proceeds from pride and is no better then reuenge and therefore must more be grieued at things breaking the first then the second table and alwaies that that doth most displease God and is most odious to him must doe the like to vs. And yet let not the sunne goe downe vpon it neither but let it quicken vs to prayer for the person and with a zeale of Gods glorie Now the meanes to keepe vs from this foolish passion of rash anger are these first often to meditate vpon our owne sinne and vilenesse As Titus 3. 2. he saith Shew all meekenesse to all men I but might some say I am of a verie cholericke and hot nature that I cannot but be angrie with them But you your selfe were in times past disobedient As if he had said thinke of this a little and consider how bad your selfe both haue beene and are still and that wil coole your choler and make you more meeke to others that offend so that he that oftenest remembers his own sinne will be most patient to an other and none are more eager and passionate against the slips of others then those that are most slacke and negligent to examine their owne great sinnes So that could we consider our owne sinnes how rebellious we haue beene against God how often iniurious to men this would make vs more quiet and to take more deliberation before we were so much offended it would asswage the laying and take away the edge of our rash anger against the weaknesses of others Secondly labour to get wisedome alwaies and in euerie thing to behold gods prouidence and to see his hand ruling euerie thing and to perswade our selues that all things come to passe by his purpose and direction and then we shall not so soone fret against men as Dauid when Shemei rayled vpon him and he looked to God and did not fixe his eyes downewarde onely to Shemei it was so farre from distempering him and ouerheating him that it quickned him to prayer and made him so much the more humble and earnest before God For he saw then and so may wee that though it be vniust in man yet it is iust with God and though we haue not deserued it of men and they wrong vs yet we haue deserued it at Gods hands and more to he doeth vs no wrong at all Thirdly auoid the occasions that will prouoke vs to it as men will keepe gunpowder and tow or such drie stuffe from the fire so let vs be as wise to preserue our soules from those sparkes that would fire it with anger as for the companie of froward persons whose words and vngracious dealing will much moue one to passion and anger from gamning and drunkennesse that make men light and readie to take vpon light occasion as the drunkard saith they haue stricken me but I will to it againe Fourthly It is good to marke and obserue those that be stird vp with passionate anger see their countenance how vnseemely and misfigured it is and how rude their actions how absurd their words how base and contemptible all their behaniour is and the light of this in an other will be some meanes to make one loath it himselfe Lastly consider what testimonie the word of God giues of this fiercenenesse and angrie raging mood and of froward and vnquiet persons Anger rests in the bosome of fooles Euerie time that one giues place to this vnruly passiō he makes an open proclamation to all that be by of his owne folly so much furie so much folly the more chafing the lesse wisedome hee that cannot rule himselfe but must breake out to his owne shame vpon euerie small and light occasion testifies to all that stand by that he hath no true knowledge of God no knowledge of himselfe no sound discretiō or setled order in his heart Let men excuse it how they will it is their nature you must giue them leaue then you must giue vs leaue to giue credit to Gods word if it be your nature it is a foolish nature and a proud nature and if you ouercome not this nature you shall neuer be but a foole in Gods account Oh but you must beare with vs and not thinke so hardly of vs for our infirmities well sometimes men may put vp their raging without words and beare their stormes with silence but it cannot be but such a man shall carrie the brand of a foole and in his heart he that sees him cannot but beare this opinion that he is a man without wisedome He cannot reuerence him in his heart he cannot but yeelde that the saying of the holy Ghost is true that a focle in a day is knowne by his wrath You can hardly find a fooles heart without some coales of fretting and anger And these be the means to kepe one from this first inward breach of this cōmandement Viz. carnall fleshly and sensuall anger that comes from the diuell hardens our brothers heart more and hinders our selues from