to the defence of that holde whiche being taken by the enimies he is assured to receiue continuall shame and dishonour The Lord will be honored by hauing his word obeyed if we doe not conspire to mainteine his honour that way we are guiltie of treason against his glorie when we suffer sathan to batter downe obedience in vs to God and man we are as well accessarie to the betraying of his glorie as those souldiers that are quiet within the castle while their enimies sacke the same without Let vs therfore goe carefully aboute these matters of his honour let our care and sounde dealing be a recorde vnto our hartes that we are not conspired with his enimies There can be no better argument that men do willingly consent with sathan then to see them carelesse of his assaultes then neuer to see them stande vpon their watche especially dealing with the enimie who hath professed that hee will neuer be at truce with them And because the Lord giueth so glorious a title to christianitie as to call it his glorie making so neere a bonde betweene our saluation his honour let vs not sleepe in so earnest matters neither bring a slender and bare affection where there is the assured hope of a double commoditie Nowe let vs pray vnto our heauenly Father that we may more be humbled that wee haue so long liued to so litle honour of his name not only that we may thereby truly acknowledge the mercy of Iesus Christe that hathe put vppe so great dishonour at our handes washing it away no otherwise than with his bloud but also that in the remembraunce of so long time wherein we haue dishonoured him we may bee whetted to bestirre vs this time that we haue to liue bothe to pull downe our affections that would dishonour him in the plaine contempte or carelesse regard of obedience also to bring forth that fruite of newe life that may open the mouthes of many to speake of his praise for it whose workmanship it is The fourth Lecture vpon the eighth verse 8 Remember the Sabbaoth day to keepe it holie 9 Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke 10 But the seuenth day is the Sabbaoth of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man seruaunt nor thy maide nor thy beast nor thy straunger that is within thy gates 11 For in sixe dayes the Lord made the heauen and the earthe the sea and al that in them is and rested the seuenth day therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbaoth day and halowed it THe rest from bodily laboures that was commaunded vpon the Sabbaoth day had in it this signification that Christianitie did consist in ceassing from sinne So doe the Prophets who are the true expositors of the law interpret it For thus we do read in the Prophet Esay Blessed is the man that doeth this and the Sonne of man that taketh holde on it he that keepeth the Sabbaoth and polluteth it not and keepeth his hand from dooeing any euill The Prophete doeth declare what it is to keepe the Sabbaoth by these wordes following And keepeth his hand from doeing any euil The euill that by this sabbaoth we are commaunded to rest and ceasse from is not a matter straunge and disagreeing from our disposition but rooted in our nature as nowe we haue it from Adam And therefore the same Prophet that here affirmeth the keeping of the Sabbaoth to consist in ceassing and resting from euill in an other place affirmeth it to be the ceassing from our owne wayes and workes declaring thereby this euill and iniquitie that we are commaunded to ceasse from to be no forrener or straunger but to keepe his house and home in our owne nature In that the Scripture termeth euil to be our own wayes and works according as it is written by the Prophete Isaie If thou consecrate the Sabbaoth as glorious vnto the Lorde and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor seeking thine owne will c. expounding the Not doing our owne ways nor seeking our owne will to be the consecrating of a glorious Sabbaoth vnto the lord The Sabbaoth then consisteth in keeping vs from doing euil so that necessarily we must conclude this euil to be in our owne wills and wayes This inwarde corruption wherewith bothe our wit and wil is poysoned was very fitly resembled in the outward obseruing of the Sabbaoth For vppon the Sabbaoth day the people were called from all their accustomed workes that they had beene occupied in the sixe dayes before So that a man comparing their doinges that day with those they were exercised in the other sixe dayes must of necessitie say they were cleane altered and chaunged in their doinges from that that vsually before they had beene and so diuerse as if they had not beene the same but other men A resemblance verie fitte and sitting to our spirituall Sabbaoth whiche consisteth in becomming newe men concerning our dooinges from that wee haue beene before wee knewe the Gospell The outward rest from bodily laboures whiche did shadowe out our true rest from sinne whiche is our accustomed way and worke was so strictely obserued among the Iewes that the neglect thereof in the least thinges as gathering sticks vpon the Sabbaoth day was punished with death as we do reade in the 15. of Numbers to declare some signification of greater thinges in it according as the Prophetes haue interpreted it The Sabbaoth then doth verie well point out the corruption that we haue receiued of Adam which ruleth and reigneth in the ways and wils of al them that are not borne againe and chaunged bothe in will and deede by the power of that his grace which only he bestoweth vppon his elect For thus it is written to the Ephesians Among whome speaking of the children of disobedience We also had our conuersation in time past in the lustes of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the fleshe and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath as wel as others We haue to marke here that speaking of his sinne he describeth it to haue beene done by following the wil of the minde whiche is the reasonable part as well as in following the will of the flesh which is the affection vnreasonable part And lest we shuld ascribe this only to his custome in sinne as if hee had not beene borne with this disease nor by nature inclined therevnto he putteth himselfe and others vnder the wrathe of God by nature saying We are by nature the children of wrath as well as others making it the common case of all men as naturally to be inclined to euill as they are to eate and drinke in their hunger or thirst It is worth the noting that he putteth himselfe in the number for he saith of him selfe to the Philippians that his life was not outwardly to be reproued no not before his calling
tempest or health doeth succeede sicknesse when deliuerance commeth after imprisonment or plentie after pouertie These are so often sene by experience to come one after an other that notwithstanding men haue in their distresse prayed for them yet hardly can they be brought to think that they are blessings graunted to faithful prayer but rather imagine that they are thinges cast heere and there vpon men at aduenture And therefore where men are in those or such like distresses they hardly or not at all conceiue any hope to he heard Seldome doe they make any sute vnto God in faith especially if those afflictions lay sore vpon them but the children of God knowing that they are promised to haue the Lorde neere vnto them in all that they shall call vnto him for and that they shal be heard for the thing of the day vpon his day as their occasion requireth so doe they seeke vnto the Lord beeing sure in continuance to finde comforte at his hands and why they knowe assuredly that the Lord will haue his mercie and power tryed and seene heere vppon the earth in hearing the requestes of his in their distresse that by that meanes hee may bee truely feared and honoured of them according as it is proued in the booke of Kinges and also that by his hearing of their petitions in those their distresses they may be confirmed in the persuasion that GOD fauoureth them remitteth their sinnes and beeing at one with them is fauourably inclined vnto them in all their needfull demaunds Whosoeuer shall diligently consider of the places of Scripture in the olde Testament applied by the Apostle to the forgiuenes of sinns shall easily perceiue that the godlie haue taken their deliueraunce from their distresses as pledges of the remission of their sinnes and assuraunces that God for Christe was at one with them For their temporall blessings were not receiued of them but as confirmations of his reconciliation with them whiche proueth that which was said before that the Lord heareth the prayer of his in their necessitie to strengthē their faith in the remission of sinnes and persuasion that GOD for Christ is beecome fatherly affected towardes them his promises being visibly confirmed to them In Deuteronomie there are promises made vnto them that do giue diligent heede vnto the law and commandements of God to obey them that they shal be blessed in the fruit of their body in the fruit of their cattel in their comming in and going out in all that they shall put their handes vnto in causing their enimies that rise against them to fall before their face and the cause is added in the tenth verse in these wordes Then all the people of the earth shall see that the name of the Lorde is called vppon ouer thee and they shall be affrayde of thee It is therfore moste assured that the Lord will be seene to bee the GOD of his and to haue a kingdome heere vppon earth by graunting them their requestes when they shall call vppon him in their distresse by leauing outwarde blessings as plaine confirmations of his inwarde heartie good will that he beareth towardes them And for this cause doe his people craue those temporall benefites euen that it may bee seene that he ruleth vppon earth standing by his as he hath promised Wherefore whensoeuer their enimies oppresse them or by the want of any his accustomed benefites they seeme not to bee regarded of the Lord they cōplaine vnto him not so much in the consideration of their necessitie as in regarde of his glorie vsing these such like kind of speeches Wherfore should the Heathen say Where is now their GOD As if their chiefe care were to haue the Lorde his glorie vpholden in the confirmation of his goodnesse promised vnto his whiche is called into doubt of the vngodlie while they see those that accounted thēselues for his in affliction and oppression necessitie and want as if they were not regarded of him wherby the vngodly are imboldened the more to oppresse the righteous by calling into question the trueth of his promises made vnto his confirmed the rather in the continuing of their disobedience Very fitly therefore is the hallowing of his name the comming of his kingdome and the doeing of his wil set before the request of outwarde necessities because wee should demaund them rather in respect of his glorie that he might therby haue a name and kingdome here in earth and his wil perfourmed rather then wee to haue therein our alone necessitie releeued The godly in like manner returne the whole praise vnto him euen whē those things are graunted vnto them that seeme to be moste casuall and to come at aduenture Therfore in that Psalme before mentioned they are willed to praise the Lord and to tel vnto others what he hath done for thē when those things which seeme to be meere casuall and comming by fortune and chaunce are obteyned which clause of praysing the Lord and telling vnto others what thinges he hath graunted at the requestes of their prayers is added in the psalme vnto the end of euery seuerall benefite graunted vnto thē But al men cōceiue not this doctrin they are his children alone who in hart are assured that these which cōmonly we cal casual things are disposed by him at the pleasure of his will graūted as pledges of his goodwill to those that in trueth call vpon him and therfore in the last verse of that psalme it is said Who is wise that he may obserue these things because they be onely his children that haue this wisdome to obserue this to mark it to knowe that he disposeth these outwarde things to the good of his as pledges of his fatherly goodnes towards them and therfore they onely call vpon him for them in faith and in receiuing them doe assuredly in their heart reckon them as benefites receiued of him confirming their faith therby in the assurance of his especiall goodwill towards them By this that hath bene said it doth appeare that when we are oppressed with anguish of heart or vexed with any calamitie either of bodie or minde wee haue to seke our remedie at the hands of the Lord by prayer in assured hope to receiue no smal comfort thereby if in faith and hope of his mercies we continue in calling vppon his name It is a very hard matter and the worke of faith alone when a man is sore distressed seeth no means to escape then to call vpon God with faith and hope of beeing heard and if help shall come it is as hard a matter to ascribe it vnto the mercies of God as the fruit of prayer and an assured token of his goodwil rendering from the ground of our hart the praise that is due vnto him for it and strengthening our faith therby in the persuasiō of his mercies towards vs The seruāt of God glorifieth God in these things acknowledging from his hearte that God is the giuer
in their neede and regardeth them in perfourming the trueth of his promise towardes them This acknowledging of the mercies of God by giueing of thanks helpeth forwarde the faith of other in persuasion of this tender care that hee beareth towardes his Wherefore the godly were accustomed to open vnto others the children of God the especiall benefites and mercie whiche they had receiued of the Lorde that they might not onely ioyne with them for the praise of his mercie but also receiue increase of faith in the visible experience of his goodnesse It is wel knowen that the people of God vnder the law had a solemne rite ceremonie in perfourming the vowes of thankesgiuing and peace offering when soeuer they had receiued any notable and singular benefite of the Lorde Whiche was a thing so well pleasing the Lorde that they present this their purpose to prayse the Lorde and to tell what he had done for them as a reason to persuade him to worke their deliuerance when they are distressed according as wee reade Saue me from the Lyons mouthe and aunswere me in sauing me from the hornes of the Vnicornes I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the congregation wil I prayse thee saying Praise the Lord ye that feare him magnifie him all yee seede of Iacob For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the poore but when he calleth vnto him he heard My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation my vowes wil I perfourme before them that feare him The pore shall eate and be satisfied they that seeke after the Lorde shall praise him This kinde of persuasion haue the seruants of God often vsed and therefore wee doe reade that the godly in their petitions haue vsed often these words Shut not vp ô Lord the mouthes of them that prayse thee open not the mouthes of the vngodly that they may praise the power of their idols and magnifie a fleashly king They were persuaded that the Lord did greatly esteme his owne glorie and honor that it was a speciall seruice and worship that he delighteth in as it is in deede For euen the end of our saluation is the praise of his free mercie and grace and he hath elected his to the prayse of the riches of his grace and the end of our temporall deliuerance is to acknowledge and magnifie that grace whiche we haue tryed to bee true had good experience of the same So doth the godlie king Ezechias confesse that the Lorde would not haue him swalowed vp of the pit without the taste of his mercie in deliueraunce because if he had so departed the Lorde should then haue wanted that seruice of thankes giuing for his deliuerance which is so acceptable vnto him For those that are so ouerwhelmed in their afflictiōs tast not of the mercies of deliuerance which openeth their mouth filleth it with the prayses of the lord It was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule sayth Ezechias from the pit of corruption for thou haste cast all my sinnes behinde thy back for the dead cannot prayse thee they that go downe into the pitt cannot hope for thy trueth but the liuing shall confesse thee as I doe this day The father to the children shall declare thy trueth the Lorde was ready to saue mee therefore wee will sing my songe all the dayes of our life in the house of the Lord. That he sayth The dead cannot prayse him wee haue to take it as the trueth is that when those that be his are not deliuered in their distresses hee wanteth that praise here in earth where his glorie is often oppressed whiche their deliueraunce would plentifully spread abroade And they doe moste thirste after the tryall of his goodnesse heere vppon earth where there bee so many enimies to his glorie that seeing the plaine proofe thereof they may be plentiful in his praise Therfore doeth Dauid in like manner require deliuerance that he be not ouerwhelmed in his afflliction and so the Lord wante the praise of his deliueraunce Returne O Lorde deliuer my life saue mee for thy mercies sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee The Scripture is plentifull in such proofes where the seruants of God haue greatly longed for deliuerance that they might praise his name and haue vrged it as a reason to persuade the Lord to heare their petitions because then they would offer vnto him that well pleasing sacrifice and seruice of thankesgiuing a sacrifice that doeth so greatly please the Lorde and therefore cannot but be well liked of all those that be his It was declared before that there was a solemne rite and ceremonie among the Iewes in their thanks giuing after sōe greate benefite receiued where the godlie mett together not only to giue praise but also to be confirmed and strengthened more more in their faith persuasion of his fatherly care and regarde that he hath towards those that be his This is made plaine vnto vs in the Psalme He hath brought me out of the horrible pit sayth the Prophet and hee hath put in my mouth a new song of prayse vnto our God. Many shall see it and feare and shall trust in the Lorde It cānot but be a singular worship of God that ascribeth this right of gouernement and care of his seruants vnto him that also hath in it such force to increase faith which is the founteine of all obedience How greate then is the sinne of vnthankfulnesse when men passe ouer the benefites of God and the assured pledges of his fauour without any thankfull remembraunce or comfortable assuraunce of the good will of GOD Surely the neglect of this duetie I meane of thanks giuing to God when we receiue any singular benefite as some notable deliuerance from daungers or happie out going frō our trouble denieth the Lord to be the disposer and gouernour of thinges here belowe fathereth them vpon fortune or chaunce How soeuer they denie it in wordes it denieth in deede any especiall care to be in God ouer his it maketh God to be nothing beside a bare name and vaine imagination it ouerthroweth faith whiche persuadeth vs of the speciall care and good will that God beareth vs in taking his benefites not as common thinges but as pledges of his peculiar fauour in that as common matters and no witnesses of any especiall good will by vnthankfulnesse they are passed ouer and lightly let slippe Moreouer the want of this dutie hindereth the profiting of others in that they denie this helpe of strengthening their faith which the Lord hath appointed and the seruauntes of God hath practised according as it was of late cited out of the Prophet that many shoulde see what the Lord had done and be drawne to put their trust in him Now let vs pray vnto our heauenly Father in the name of his sonne that we may so pray that we may obteine
can neuer be at league vnlesse we will be at one with euill Moreouer the bloud which is spilt in any land and the wickednesse that is committed therein cryeth to the Lord for vengeaunce against that land and people wherin it is committed and is sure to drawe out the sworde of the Lord against that people if the Magistrate who is the Lords Lieutenaunt shall not before drawe vppon it by executing deserued punishment against it Which thinge to be so the very Infidels haue perceiued and therefore in their greate afflictions haue proceeded by casting of lottes to knowe the malefactour that by his punishmente the euill might be remoued from them as wee reade the mariners dealte wih Ionas when the tempeste was moste vehement against them Therefore often times in the Scriptures after charge giuen to execute punishment against sinne these or such like wordes are added So shalt thou take euill away forth of the middest of thee And these also That the Lord may turne from the fiercenesse of his wrath and shewe thee mercie and haue compassion on thee Solomon charging Benaia as it appeereth in the booke of kinges to slay Ioab addeth these wordes That thou mayest take away the bloud which Ioab shed causelesse from me and from the house of my Father The Magistrate therefore as hee keepeth the bloudie hand of the vngodly from vs so is he our sanctuarie from their sinne that pursueth vs our land to destroy vs while he executeth iustice vppon it Miserable therefore are the Anabapistes and suche kinde of men who in denying Magistracie denie thereby those greate comfortes and blesinges whiche GOD by them hath graunted vnto his people The Magistrate also bindeth the benefite and helpe of all degrees of men and trades of life vnto vs so that in denying vs their lawfull ayde wee haue remedie of lawe against them whereby they stand bounde to employ them selues without deceipt or fraude to our good whether it bee in place of Iustice vnder the Prince chiefe Magistrate or in any trade or occupation for the maintenance of them selues while we haue so many lawes to correct the abuses in them that thereby they may bee vsed without guile or deceipt to our most profite But the chiefest benefite of all other is when they are the instruments of Gods glorie in bringing the Gospell to vs and maynteining it amongst vs whē they open the eyes of the seers and Prophets that they be no more shut cause the heart of the foolish to vnderstand knowledge and make the tongue of the stutter readie to speake distinctlie as it is spoken of all godlie magistrates vnder the person of Ezechias By which meanes of the Gospell euil is disclosed that it can no more lurk vnder the name of that it is not but appearing in his moste filthie face may the better be auoyded and good thinges are brought to their beautie and increase that they may be stronger to allure vnto them the heartes of all those that haue any loue of good things within them whiche are in the place aboue named recited as fruites that followe the receiuing of the Gospell By this wee haue some taste of those blessings of God whiche we doe receiue by meanes of magistrates how many they bee in number and how worthie in deseruing From this sight muste arise the true honouring of them for so doeth the Apostle teache vs to the Romanes who ▪ when firste hee hath taught that the magistrate is appointed for the terrour of the euill and prayse of the good he concludeth that therefore wee must be subiect vnto magistrates not onely for feare of their punishment but also for conscience of the good that they doe vnto vs least as sayeth Chrysostome vppon those wordes thou shouldest bee vnthankfull towarde a benefactour It were too longe to stand vpon the benefites that other inferiours receiue from those whome the Lorde hath set aboue them onelie this doe I require of all inferiours to enter into some diligent consideration thereof in so doeing I am sure that they shall finde them farre to exceede the opinion that before they had of them It is therefore verye meete and requisite that our dutie towardes them in all thinges should bee such as may well bee called a true honouring of them and a right regarde of so greate benefites as we doe receiue by them The opinion of those men who restraine honour onely to some ciuil outwarde gesture of the body is so friuolous and vaine as it doth scarce deserue the honour of an aunswere That honour is not onely seene in ciuil gestures of the bodie but also in outwarde dedes to be done as may appere in the first Epistle to Timothie where the holie Ghoste speaking of the mainteynaunce of them that labour in the worde calleth it Honour affirming that such doe deserue double honour And in the same Chapiter he admonisheth Timothie to honour widowes that haue no kinred to prouide for them meaning that he should se so good prouision to be made for suche as they mighte take them selues honoured therein And our Sauiour Christe reproued the Phariseies as contemners of the commaundement of God commaunding parentes to be honoured when they gaue counsell to their children to offer vp those thinges in the Temple whiche ought to haue beene bestowed towardes the reliefe of their poore parentes By these testimonies wee may cleerely see that such things as doe wittnesse our greate regarde and louing affections towards others are iustly called by the name of honour and they truely honoured therein ▪ There is a promise annexed to this commaundement that it shall go well with suche as honour their superiours and that their dayes shall be prolonged here vpon earth The promise in equitie is very well aunswearing to the thing it selfe that those who are thankful to the instrumentes of GOD wherby he hath either begunne continued or any way blessed their life should haue the blessing of manye good dayes and that they who are vnthankfull to those his instrumentes of life should in iustice be depriued of the benefite of liuing beeing so vnthankful and vnduetiful to the instruments thereof The transgression against this commaundemente threateneth the shortening of life vnto the rebellious and disobedient whiche punishment if it be not executed against his person will not faile to finde out his seede and posteritie in whom he is said after a manner to liue Contrarywise obedience to our Parentes continueth vs our posteritie according as it is written in Ieremie Because yee haue obeyed the commandement of Ionadab your father therefore thus sayth the Lord of hostes the GOD of Israel Ionadab the sonne of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for euer A greate blessing of God to haue a heyre male of our owne seed wherein our name may be cōtinued vnto many generations The Verbe that heere is translated of a Verbe Passiue hath vsually in the Scripture
this people at the time when they had made an end of the tything of their increase doth declare that they had in charge frō the Lord to relieue with their goodes the Leuite straunger fatherlesse and widowe For in Deuter. before the people should craue of God that hee would blesse their land they must protest in set words that they had giuen vnto the Leuites straunger fatherlesse and widowe accordingly as he had commaunded them and so proceede after declaration of this their obedience to his will to craue his blessing for the people and the lande thus vsing their goods to the commoditie of their brethren in lending and giuing according to Gods appointment they did giue apparaunt tokens of loue towardes their neighbours The Apostle Paule will not acquite him that hath stolne if he shall steale no more but chargeth him that he shall labour that he may haue some thing to giue to him that needeth that way to practise loue and the workes thereof vppon his needy brethren It is not onely therefore the dutie of rich-men to giue something towarde the reliefe of the needy but euen the poore must spare somewhat of their pouertie to the comfort of Christ in his needie members which be it neuer so litle that they offered of their pouertie if there go a willing and a faithfull minde withall is much more acceptable to God then great summes giuen from some wealthie men of their superfluitie onely without like faith or loue vnto the Lord as wee are taught in the parable of the widowe casting in her two mites into the treasurie which are iustified by our sauiour Christe to be more then all that the riche had cast in because theirs was of their superfluitie but hers of her pouertie If any ought to be dispensed withall from declaring their loue in this parte it is very reasonable that he who by reason of his long loitering in acquaintāce with stealing idlenes was become through custome whiche is an other nature vnapt for labour should be discharged vpon the maintenance of him selfe by some honest trade yet notwithstanding euen hee standeth charged from the Lorde to reserue some thing for the prouision of his needie members To encourage vs to duetie in this part of mercifull dealing and giuing to the needie the Lorde doeth promise that it shall bee paide vs againe in our greatest need For thus saith the Prophet Isay If thou refresh the hungry and troubled soule then shall thy light spring out in darknesse The Lord shall satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a spring of water whose waters fayle not A great blessing of God to be prouided for in drought a godly forcaste to lay vp in prosperitie that whiche we may be assured will not only come againe but also will be sure to watch that time when for our neede it shall be moste welcome vnto vs. Who would not be content to giue if he might be sure to haue it againe at his moste neede And beholde we haue letters patents from the Lorde vnder the broade seale of his bloude for the findeing of that wee haue laide out for him euen in our greatest neede How can we then be slack in the liberall laying out of some thing for an euil day according to the counsell of the holie Ghoste in Ecclesiastes Giue a portion sayth he to seuen and to eight for thou knowest not what euill shall be vpon the earth Moreouer the sentence of that great day proceedeth against the damned persons in this fourme Departe from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire whiche is prepared for the diuel and his angels for I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drink I was a straunger and ye lodged me not I was naked and yee cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Verilie I say vnto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me And if the promise cānot drawe vs the forme of sentence must necessarily prouoke vs to obedience heerein We learned before that negligent delaying whereby our neighboure is indaungered in his body or life was forbidden in this commaundement and then is speedy helpe and diligent vsing of the present occasion that is offered to doe our neighbour good giuen vs heere in commaundement Wee haue a singular example of this in the fourthe of Hester where Mardocai telleth the Queene that if she should let slip that present occasion then offered her to doe good vnto the Iewes shee and her fathers house shoulde perish and yet deliuerance would appeare vnto the Iewes from some other place In like manner Iob professeth that hee had not caused the eyes of the widowe to faile in longe looking and wayting before their request were graunted but had with all spede satisfied her desire acknowledging it for a greate offence if hee had bene but slack therein euen such as if he should haue bene guiltie therof might iustly haue brought a curse vpō him Our naturall inclination goeth wholy amisse in this commaundement as in the rest which notwithstanding it lye hid in some more cloasely then in other for all the it is not so cunningly couered in a ny but that it is disclosed and discerned when occasion is offered The man that is borne again vnto the hope of euerlasting life doth so cleerely perceiue his infectiō heerin that both in hart word he acknowledgeth the great necessitie benefite of a sauiour redemer being priuy vnto himself not only of many euil fruts the haue appeared in his life cōtrarie to this commaundement but also of a disposition within that is naturally prone inclined to offend heerein The hope that he hath in his mediatour and sauiour Christ Iesus doth not make him secure and carelesse in his sinne following the inclination of his owne heart but leadeth him to a continuall strife and debate with it because it is against the honour of his God and sauiour to whom he well perceiueth that he is onely beholding for his saluation and quickeneth him to all louing dealing which is so often commended and commaunded of his good and mercifull father The naturall man seeth not any such inclination in him selfe to wrath or dulnesse vnto louing dealing with his neighbours as through the grief therwith driueth him to make much of the alone Sauiour and redeemer Christe but when he is charged with his offences that burst foorth contrary to this commaundement hee maketh light of them and putteth them vp in a common bagge saying all men haue infirmities neuer so touched with it as hee can bee compelled to magnifie the grace brought by the alone mediatour Christ and much lesse is he driuen to any earnest warre with it or great care to profite in the works of loue that are contrarie to it To conclude this commaundement if