saith that then shall be blacknesse of darknesse and that because as it is in Joel 3.15 The Sunne and the Moone shall be darkned and the Starres shall loose their light For the third namely 3. Thunder-claps Thunderclaps 2. Pet. 3.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the day of the Lord will come as a Thiefe in the night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up The beames of the earth shall cracke in pieces And no doubt the noyse of the Heavens passing away of the elements melting of the earth burning must needs be greater then a thunderclap That spectacle both to the eye and eare must needs be much more fearefull then this The effect of this last day not temporall for the other 4. Fire they had a remedy but for this they had none at all 4. For fire It was then but on one simple mountaine Sinai but here it shall be on all the earth this fire was but as the fire in the bush the bush was not a whit consumed by it no more was Sinai by it But our God Heb. 12. v. last is himselfe a consuming fire and such Revel 19.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And her smoke rose up for ever and ever As it shall inflict on us paines for ever so the smoke of it shall ascend forever 5. Earthquake and the flame never be quenched 5. For the shaking of the earth this shall passe that there one mountaine quaked but here both Heaven Earth shall shake Heb. 12.26 27. Whose voice then shooke the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven c. So as that there shall be a manifest moving of them Hag. 2.7 Yet a little while I will shake the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and dry Land Whereas this hill standeth stil as it did before 6. Sound of Trumpet in the wildernesse 6. For the sound of the Trumpet that pierced the eares of the living this shall raise up the dead also Here shall be the Trump of the Archangell That removed not the mount nor the wildernesse but here shall be such a sound that it shal raise the dead And as we compare the circumstances of both so may we compare the effects of both The giving made Moses to shake and tremble but at the requiring againe of it as it is 1 Pet. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare There shall be a like trembling of all For Justus vix servabitur the righteous scarce shall be saved And as for the unjust they shall smite their knees together and shall cry to the mountaines though in vaine for they cannot be heard to fall on them and to cover them from the face of the just judge Apoc. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they said to the mountaines and rockes fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe So that thus we see by way of comparison that the delivery did in some part answer the requiring of it but the terriblenesse of that day cannot be expressed Let us therefore say as the people to Moses Lord let us heare the ministerie of man Hebr. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore we receiving a Kingdome which cannot be moved Let us have grace whereby we may serve God with reverence and godlinesse for Deut. 33.2 The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them and appeared clearely from mount Paran and he came with 10000. of Saints and at his right hand a fiery law for them No doubt when Christ commeth from Heaven he shall bring with him a fiery law executed with fire and brimstone And thus much for the preparation The use and end of the Law 4. Circumstance THere is yet one thing to be considered namely the use or end of the law which shall be explained out of the circumstances of a proposition of the giving of the law The proposition is Heb. 7.19 Heb. 7.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh unto God The end of the law bringeth two uses 1. It bringeth us to know perfection it selfe 2. It leadeth us to a better thing it is our schoolemaster to Christ 1. For the first though it be a law that carrieth with it the marke of the Law-giver as Solons lawes a marke of their giver to wit mildnesse and Dracoes lawes cruelty and stubbornnesse And that it is Mandatum sanctum a holy commandement in respect of the duties to God Justum just in respect of the duties to other men bonum good in respect of our selves Rom. 7.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandement holy and just and good yet by occasion of transgression and infection it bringeth no perfection with it as may be shewed out of the circumstances 1. Of the place a waste and barren Wildernesse that yeelded no fruit which signifieth that the law should be so barren that it should not yeeld so much as one soule to God Legem non perficere è circumstantiis legis cum traderetur 1. á loco That the law bringeth no perfection appeares from the circumstances of the law when it was delivered 1. From the place Secondly this Agar Galat. 4.25 standeth in Arabia therefore it holdeth of Ishmael the sonne of Agar the bond-woman And the effect and right of bond-men is to be cast out with their children and not to receive the inheritance due to Isaac so those that thinke to bring forth fruit of their owne righteousnesse they are as Ishmael which was borne by nature and not by promise not as Isaac whose birth was supernaturall not consisting in the likenesse of the parents but in the promise and the inheritance is by promise therefore the children of the law because they cannot be perfected by it are to be cast out with their mother Those that seeke to bring forth fruit by their owne nature must be cast forth for the inheritance is not by nature but by promise 3. Againe this mountaine namely Sinai none might ascend into none might touch it but the condition of the Gospell is contrary Sion the hill of grace must be gone up to and many have ascended it Esay 2.3 And many people shall goe and say come and let us goe up into the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach us his waies and we will walke in his paths For the law shall goe forth of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Salvation is from Sion the Law unperfect before it was perfectly delivered 2. A
of the Rocke so they had also the signes of the Gospell Their being under the Cloud and passing through the Sea like to our baptisme Manna to Christ his body the water out of the rocke to his blood The order of the uses of the law Opoâ—tet vocare ad calculum We must câ—ll to an account 1. Vse of the law Yet two necessary points That where there is no perfection in the law through the imperfection of nature yet it is â—aedagogus ad Christum a schoolmaster to Christ To make this more plaine Christs wise dome must be ours That a man must often call himselfe to accounts how he hath used his talent Matth. 25.14 God is compared to a Housholder that will take account of his servants of those talents that he delivered to them at his departure We must vocare talenta nostra ad calculum call our talents to account and not doe as the wicked and foolish servant that is noted of great folly for hiding his talent in the ground Then for the first use of the law it is our Tabula supputationum table of accounts It containeth our credita debita what things are owen to thee and what thou owest it s the table that we must cast our accounts by it sheweth us where we are and telleth us our accounts est remedium ignorantiae a remedy of ignorance Now because it sheweth us that our debt is much greater then we are able to pay and that it sheweth us the strength of sinne 1 Cor. 15.56 that it is so strong that it bringeth us to that Revel 2.5 Memor esto unde excideris remember whence thou art fallen shewing us our miserable estate the image of God from whence we are fallen and hell into which we shall fall whereof the one will worke in us a griefe the other a horrour the law is that if our debt be greater then we are able to pay our goods children and our selves must be sold and payment made 4. When it hath once gotten us to this that we may be condemned in the whole summe Secundus legis usuâ— ducit nos ad Christum ducit nos ad aeneum serpentem 2. Vse of the law leads us to the brasen serpent Christ The covenant of faith being entered into us then have we this use of the law 1. It puts us in mind of the great deliverance of Christ from the law 2. It granteth grace in that measure that is required in this life The law sheweth the finne and the remedy Exod. 20.1 c. when sinne and we have reckoned it hath her minister and Scrivener the conscience to subscribe and set seale to this great debt And thus will the 3. use of the Law come that it will be humiliator an humbler And so as it is Gal. 3.23 It shutteth us up in the dungeon and imprisoneth us and this is a remedium superâ—iae a remedie of pride Then commeth in the second use of the law That forasmuch as we see our condemnation is just and that we can never discharge so great an account it maketh us seeke for a surety to defray the whole summe for us It doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drive us to thinke of a surety namely to the brazen Serpent as Moses did the Jewes that is Christ And of these two uses two other uses will follow 1. It serveth us as an Arrow shot into us to put us in remembrance of our great deliverance and guideth us over the billes of accounts that we seeing that much is forgiven us might love much The other Psal 119.59 to teach Quid retribuam Domino What shall I render to the Lord to turne our selves into his pathes and to draw no more debt upon Christ then needs The preface of the Law ANd God spake all these words and said c. till the 18. verse The summe of all these words and in effect the body of the law containes two parts The style verse 2. I am the Lord thy God c. 2. The charge which receiveth the whole ten precepts In every law according to the positions in mans law is required 1. Wisedome 2. Authority For the wisdome of God Deut. 4.8 And what Nation is so great a Nation that hath Ordinances and Lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day Moses challengeth all the lawes and the Nations of the World The wisdome of a law is best seene and tryed by the sufficiency of it For his authority it is rerum agendarum telum This is alwaies the preface of every law and is here in the second verse In every edict and Proclamation the beginning is with the stile of the Prince whereby he challengeth by his prerogative Royall to doe what he list For this authority is the common reason of the whole charge of the law and is annexed to every Commandement that hath a reason as to the 2 Where there is a reason given it is from hâ—s authority 3 4. For I the Lord thy God c. For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse For in six daies the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. And if it be true that men need not a reason to perswade them to a benefit then surely not to this because it is a benefit and a priviledge as Psal 147. v. last He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither have the Heathen knowledge of his lawes Yet it pleaseth God to adde his reason from his owne person though indeed profit be a sufficient Orator Chap. 19 v. 2 3 4 10 12 14 16 18 25 28 30 31 32 34 37. Chap. 20. v. 7 24 26. Chap. 21. of Leviticus v. 8 12 15 23. The reason of the new Testament annexed Rom. 14.11 Phil. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow unto me of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth and every tongue shall confesse to God The parts of the preface In this stile or authority are three parts according to three titles The first title of his Name Jehovah Secondly the title of his jurisdiction Thy God Thirdly the title of that notable act he did last Which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. Such prefaces in their Edicts and Statutes doe earthly Princes use 1. Is the name of the Prince Caius Caesar 2. The jurisdiction Emperour or King of such a Countrey 3. The last noble act he did as when the Romans had overcome Germany every Caesar was called Germanicus or when they had overcome Affrica Scipio Affricanus Scipio the conquerour of Affrica And alwaies the last triumph did drive out all the former For the Name first Jehovah I Jehovah not I am Jehovah It argueth his nature power and benefits Thou art Lord. The name of his nature it cannot be denied Psal 83.18 That they may know that thou whose Name is Jehovah it is communicable to no
Lord have spoken it in my zeale when I have accomplished my wrath in them Thou shalt bring thy judgement upon them and they shall know that thou art Iehovah 2. Title Thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy God This is the title of his jurisdiction to which title he hath claime in a double respect 1. Generall 2. Particular Generall Psal 148.5 6. For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created He hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken So this jurisdiction is over every thing as it is a creature The creatures as they have their law so we see 2 Pet. 3. vers last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him be glory both now and for ever All the creatures have their rule from him Esay 1.2 Heare O Heavens and hearken O Earth for the Lord hath said I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me Deut. 32.1 Hearken O Heavens and I will speake and let the Earth heare my words The creatures of the Lord are called to beare witnesse against Israel that they were breakers of the Law of God But that law or jurisdiction being broken it gave occasion to the second namely the particular which is conditionall 1. God is our Iehovah by covenant Deut. 5. Heare O Israel the Lawes and Ordinances which I propose to you this day that you may learne them and take heed to observe them Audis sum Deus non audis non sum Deus hearest thou I am God hearest thou not I am not God Hereupon saith a Father Audias Deus sum ne audias Deus non sum If thou hearest I am God Ierem. 31.33 if thou dost not heare I am not God Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people Meum and tuum are relatives But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people He is ours and we are his so long as we keepe his Commandements Deut. 10.14 Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy Gods and the Earth with all that therein is 15. Yet the Lord hath set his delight in thy fathers to love them and did choose their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day In which words Moses telleth the children of Israel a strange thing Behold saith he the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens is the Lords and the Earth with all therein and yet hath he separated thee from the rest even an handfull for so is the Church to make a covenant with thee And this is a marvellous strange mercy of God that when he will be described he will condescend to come into our description He rejecteth all his excellent titles that he might have of his most excellent creatures as the God of Heaven of Earth c. onely to have this his jurisdiction being so vile in nature and so wicked in our workes which is a great argument of his goodnesse to us ward Heb. 11.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now they desire a better Countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City God was not ashamed to be called their God And as one saith very well Conjunxit utilitatem tuam cum gloria sua He hath joyned thy commodity with his own glory So he might better have said Conjunxit gloriam suam cum gloria tua He hath joyned his owne glory with thy glory So will that be verified Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 3. Which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt 3. Title c. A title from the last act he did but yet it serveth for a proofe of both the former in two points 1. By their estate in the house of thraldome Their estate was miserable they were servants in the servilest worke that could be they were put to the Furnace to make Bricke Exod. 5. They were in servitude unto their enemies yea to cruell enemies yea in servitude not to be rewarded but to be punished daily They were compelled to worke and yet they had no instrument provided for them for their worke they were faine also to gather their owne straw By his contemptible creatures that the delivery might be more strange and yet nothing of their tale of Bricke that they made before when they had their straw gathered them was diminished They had their children drowned before their eyes every day 2. The delivery with a mighty hand and stretched-out arme out of Egypt most strange in drowning Pharaoh and all his host by a most contemptible creature in the red Sea His two first titles have alwaies stood this last in respect of his last noble act it hath alwaies beene altered First after the worke of his creation he was called God the Creator of Heaven and Earth Secondly after the flood he was called Iah paean i. as was among the heathen Io paean Dominus dispersor aquarum The Lord that scatereth about commandeth the waters To the daies of Abraham 3. Genes 15.7 I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to the time of Moses In his time Exod. 3.6 The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob till the delivery out of Egypt here The Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Ierem. 16.14 When God should deliver them from the captivity of the North it is said that the other title should perish and it should be said The Lord that delivered us out of the captivity of Babylon and this lasted till the daies of Christ The last is prophecied of Ierem. c. 23. v. 6. Jehovah justitia nostra God our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 For Christ is become to us righteousnesse Gal. 1.8 The Father of Christ Now this great benefit being not full six weekes before the delivery of the law it must needs sticke greatly in their minds and now they being in the wildernesse where they were wholy to depend on the safegard of God so that in regard of Memoria recentis beneficii spe◠jamjam futuri the memory of a new received mercy and the hope of a future as also the place where they could rest nothing on themselves that was both a fit time and place to give the law in So that seeing the Law could not well be given in Egypt for they had evill will to goe thence nor in Canaan for there they murmured against God it was most fitly given here For their delivery was not that they should be
munda mundis holy things to them that are holy and cleane things to them that are cleane so here Sanctis sancta To them that are holy holy things Therefore we must sanctifie our selves or else we are not capable the reasons are 1. The receiving of a cleane thing into an uncleane maketh the cleane uncleane 2. Out of Luke 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man putteth new Wine into old Bottles else the new wine will burst the Bottels and be spilled and the Bottles shall perish Keepe not a proportion betweene the Bottles and Wine they will both be lost so if there be not a proportion betweene the hearer and the thing that is heard it shall be both the condemnation of the hearer and frustration of the word Every man is not able though willing unlesse he be prepared every bottle is not for new Wine Tempus praeparationis The time of praeparation The time to prepare here is two daies Sanctifie them to day and to morrow that they may be ready the third day 1 Sam. 14.18 And Saul said to Ahiah bring hither the Arke of God for the Arke of God at that time was with the children of Israel and while Saul talked with the Priest the noise that was in the host of the Philistins spread further abroad and increased therefore Saul said to the Priest withdraw thine hand Saul here being to encounter with his enemies tooke the Ephod and would fall to prayers before the battell but vers 19. hearing that his enemies were at hand straight layd aside the Ephod left off praying and fell to set his people in aray fearing least he should lose time in praying so his preparation was in vaine But it appeared afterward that he played the foole for doing so For that time that is bestowed in prayer is never lost yea it is the best time that can be bestowed And this care must be in us alwaies so it is Gods will we should doe Deut. 5.29 O that there were such a heart in them to feare me and keepe all my Commandements alwaies that it might goe well with them and with their children for ever The Lords wish is that the people had such an heart alwaies to feare him c. This sanctification here to them was in a ceremony 1 Cor. 10.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come And there is no ceremonie but it hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equity to the which we are all bound The garments of the old Testament or Law were Vestimentum stola id est the inward garment and the outward To this seemeth John to have an allusion Revel 7.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe And Paul 2 Cor. 7.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit We must make us cleane both in the flesh and in the spirit We shall best see how to make our selves cleane by knowing how we came foule that when we are once washed we may keepe our selves cleane still And the meanes be two The first principall Secondly an under meanes As in a garment there is either the internall pollution namely the moth or the externall namely spots aspersiones and besprinklings so in us 1. If a man touch a dead body or any one that hath an issue by the very touch he is uncleane Levit. 15. Wholy of that matter de pollutione as de intrinseca Levit. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propria Levit. 15. Haec est pollutio carnis externa ab extrinseco à societate aliorum This is that pollution we receive of the world of evill example of evill company pollution externall Levit. 13.2 If a man hath an issue of his owne flesh Haec est pollutio Spiritus interna à fluxu proprio This is that uncleannesse that is within us that is concupiscence The knowledge being blind and leading the will to corruption had need of washing both defile us 2 Cor. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sumus templa Spiritus We are the temples of the spirit Augustine on that place saith Quisque Christianus Templum est in Templo templum in domo templum domi foris ubique semper templum ambulans Every Christian is a Temple in a Temple a Temple in the house a Temple at home a Temple abroad in every place at all times a walking Temple And Revel 21.27 Nihil inquinatum ingredietur in illud c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written in the Lambs booke of life Therefore we must make us cleane that other things may be cleane unto us Sic munda sed mundis So things are cleane but to the cleane But if we be once cleane we must take heed least we after touch pitch againe Syrach He that washeth himselfe after he hath touched a dead course and toucheth it againe is defiled We must not be like the dogge that returneth to his vomit nor the Sow that walloweth againe in the mire Modus purgandi The manner of purging 1. By the blood of Christ Therefore we must be continuall clensers of our selves But how may we wash our selves Mundamur primo per baptismum flaminis we are cleansed first by the baptisme of fire that is the spirit August Balneum autem nobis erectum balneum sanguinis sui Now a bath is prepared for us even the bath of his blood We are bathed in the blood of Christ And this is that whereby our aspersions and blemishes are washed away of this bath the water in Baptisme is a representation And not onely that but baptismus flaminis the baptisme of fire goeth with it Baptismus aquae flaminis that will purge cleere i. the Spirit of God which remaineth with us to the Worlds end Baptisme of water of fire and wherewith we are every day baptised So doth the Spirit of God abridge our concupiscences daily There is another meanes set down yet all one with this for you may purge either with Nitre or with the Fullers earth Iohn 15.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mundi estis propter sermonem quem audivistis 2. By the word Now ye are cleane through the word which I have spoken unto you The daily hearing of God by the mouth of man If we will compare it with water it is like the Fullers earth wherewith the Spirit scoureth us correcting us and comforting us By the outward washing they meane the washing of the body and he that cleanseth not that is not onely beneath a Scribe or Pharisee for he maketh cleane the outside of the Platter but is worse
is that he bringeth in that thy man servant and thy mayde may rest as well as thou Another is added Deut. 5.15 the estate of servants Gods care of the Common-wealth and we know that in the Spartane and other Common-wealthes there hath beene Insurrection by reason of overburthening of servants therefore is this put in a preservation of the Common-wealth Gods providence is great in providing of this 4. So likewise of the next member of Beasts Psal 36.6 his mercy and providence is extended to the beasts so Prov. 12.10 to the soule of the beast that is he will take order that the beasts be not tired because the earth shall have her Sabbath One end of Gods providence for them is the restrayning of our covetous humour who rather then we will omit any little gaine we will put our land and cattell to the uttermost and wee care not to what paines Againe another that by beholding the beasts doing their duties we might be the more moved to the doing of ours We must therefore note that God commands not their rest as delighted therewith even as Jonah 3.5 the beasts commanded to fast not that God was delighted with their abstinence or was acceptable to him but onely this that as the Ninivites seeing their beasts pyned before them they might consider of it and be moved the more so here seeing the beasts to keepe Sabbath they might remember to keep it 5. The last is the stranger within thy gates The Gates of an House or a Citie in Scripture signifieth Jurisdiction or Defenced protection That as then he is in his Gates so he is in his Jurisdiction so whosoever commeth under anothers Gates as he cometh for protection if he be be injured so he must confesse that hee must be under his Jurisdiction that for any godly duty hee may command him and Gen. 19. Lots intercession for the Angels Therefore came they under my roofe that they might receive no harme and as he had a care that they might receive no injury so ought we have a care of their soules As Nehem. 13.19 the men of Tyrus and Ashdod so long as he had any hope to reclaime them he suffered them to bring in their Wares but after hee saw they would bring in their Wares for all his warnings and threatnings he tooke order that the Gates of Jerusalem should be shut against them in the end of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or preparation of the Sabbath And so we see both for Workes and for Persons in severall and particuler The maine reason is vers 11. For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven c. As wee said before that a rule for discerning precepts is Ratio immutabilis praecepti facit praeceptum immutabile if the reason of a Commandement be immutable it maketh the commandement to be immutable and so consequently because the reason is to sanctifie Gods name when we shall be glorified in Heaven we shall there doe it we shall there onely intend it untill we come thither we have but finite soules and canot intend it wholly this reason being immutable that it shall there be done of us in the state of glory when we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One to One So may we likewise say of this it being a reason abexemplo from Gods owne example For concerning that this axiome The Creatour is to be followed of the Creature in that he commandeth it is an immutable reason for as much as it is the example of God nor can receive any time of exception because I have rested I propound the same to thee Therefore it pleased God to use this reason as most forcible He maketh use of others besides this Exod. 23. and Deut. 5.15 those he useth as proper to the Jewes this reason of the benefit of the Creation is here forced being greatest as well for the use as the duties which God that day cals for to be performed by us in an especiall manner the consideration of his goodnesse wisedome power and eternitie So also for the meditation of it in that day as the 92. Psalme was made for that day As for the continuance of the memorie of the Creation and keeping men from Paganisme for if it had been duly kept then that great doubt that troubled all the Philosophers so much Whether the World had a beginning had beene taken away And therefore this day being one especiall meanes that men might not fall into Atheisme is therefore sanctified of God to be a day of Rest Augustine on Genesis intreating of the Creation saith That it is true that it might have pleased God to have said Fiat totus Mundus let all the World bee made in one moment as Fiat lux let there be light in the first it had beene all one to his Omnipotencie to have made it as well in a moment as in six dayes his inquisition is What then should move God and hee findeth no reason but this that men might proceed in the musing of and meditation of the Creation in the same order that God hath taken in the Creation else they should have been in a maze Therefore Psal 104. David when he entreth a discourse of the Works of God he useth an order and Basil and Ambrose have written bookes of it that men might begin to thinke and give themselves to necessary thoughts and wholesome cogitations And this is thought to be the course that was in the Primitive Church For the substance of the reason it selfe generally to move all to doe as God hath done nothing moveth a man so as a notable example as Christ John 13.16 Exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example When he saw his Disciples given to pride and would have them brought to Humility What way taketh he He taketh up a bason of water and a towell and putting off his upper garment washeth their feet and when he had done vers 15. he saith Wott yee what I have done Exemplum dedi vobis Yee call me Lord and ye doe well for I am so If I that am your Lord wash your feet how much more ought you to wash one anothers feet And in the 1 Cor. 11. Paul propoundeth a marveilous example Be yee followers of me as I am of Christ And therefore he himselfe may doe that I have done my selfe and because I that needed not have rested therefore must thou rest that needest it The last reason of the three Therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day he did not onely rest himselfe but he hath consecrated it also and besides his example hee hath annexed a solemne Institution So that it shall be to us a Mercatura animae the market day of our soule both for amendment of the weeke that went before and for a better life in the weeke to come But this is not the reason the force of the reason is in this because God hath blessed and hallowed it therefore this is a marveilous strange kinde of opposition Seeing
our selves with honour and long life Secondly the convenient proportion of the promises and that it is most just for that it is said of the Heathen Si reddideris benesicium gratis tuere tu beneficium if he become thankfull orna quantum potes In our birth we received a benefit from our Parents that is life being thankfull to them this benefit shall be preserved Therefore God will have life to be preserved of them of whom we had it 1 Tim. 4.8 Piety one of the speciall parts wherof this is hath promises of this life and of that to come The Heathen man saith if all the Adverbs were linked together and bene male well and ill were out it were to no purpose Therefore God Deut. 5.16 addeth an explication of this That thy dayes may be long And that it may goe well with thee Augustine ut non solum vita longa sed laeta that thy life may be not onely long but chearefull Now the means he saith shall be our Parents that by their blessing they may prolong our dayes he hath annexed his blessing to the blessing of the Parent For this blessing of life in the Scripture came from Noah the blessing first was to Sem of the life to come and to Japheth of this life God shall perswade Japheth c. shewing that the Parents giving it from the soule and Faith Heb. 11.20 21. making it a fruit of faith By faith Isaac blessed Jacob concerning things to come c. It will worke miracles Sem and his seed had a great priviledge for the World to come Japheth for this life and a curse to Cham both for this life and the life to come his seed hath alwayes beene in subjection and they have had small light of Religion and small sparkes of the Gospell Againe in the blessing from Isaac on Jacob legatur locus perpendantur circumstantiae Gen. 27.7 c. He blessed him with c. and he was blessed He loved Esau more and so no doubt the blessing had been his but that by Gods providence it was carryed to Jacob Gen. 48.20 A strange blessing for the manner and mighty for effect was that of Jacob on Josephs sonnes and Gen. 49. He to Joseph because he had fed his Father blesseth him with the blessing of the Heaven the Ayre the Deepe and that Tribe continued longest in prosperity Psal 115.15 Vos estis benedicti Domini ye are the blessed of the Lord and so consequently the blessing being of the Lord of which Parents be instruments it is instrumentally to be ascribed to the blessing of the Parents because it is they that have made it by their blessing All this is to provoke the prayer of the Superiours Whether is this promise fulfilled Quest A busie nature may supply many objections and our experience will shew us the contrary obedient and dutifull Inferiours have dyed betimes disobedient stubborne and contumacious children have prospered and lived long Therefore it is certaine that the wise man saith Eccles 9.2 3. that all thing in this World be alike to all men the reason is this Gen. 27. God shall give thee of the fatnesse of the earth Isaac he could give it to Jacob and after he giveth it vers 39. to Esau so God shall give to thee as to thy Brother Pro. 13.16 they are distinguished Immortality length of dayes are the gifts of the right hand Glory riches and preferment are the gifts of the left hand and prosperity is common to both and the reason is Ne homines cupide prosequantur Sol. 1 lest men should be set too eagarly upon getting And adversitie is common to both Ne illa turpiter effugiatur For why should a man sweat if he thought he might not get out of adversitie More reasons There is common adversitie Why God giveth to some of his adversitie and not to some of the wicked because if he should give to all the wicked 2 Pet. 1.3 4. there would be no judgement contra if he should give all adversitie to his children then Psal 11.12 certe Deus non respicit nos Gods providence should not be in this World therefore that he may shew that he hath a providence he will give to some of his these good things And that he may shew that he hath a Judgement he will give them to some of the wicked He would not have these good things to be altogether in the wicked because then they would thinke that God had not the disposition of them And as Habak 1.16 they would sacrifice to their Not and to their Yarne and contra if good men should have all and the Devill none then the Devill would say as he did Job 1.19 Nunquid servit Deo gratis Doth Job serve God for nought How then First bene male must come in it is not so much long life as the comfort and delight which we enjoy in our life which is here promised as a blessing Wherefore 1 Kings 19.4 Elias he quits God with his promise I pray thee take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers and Deut. 5.16 it is expounded They shall prolong your dayes so long as you can live prosperously and well It must be a benefit if a man have a promise of a long life if it come to be a displeasure it were better not to have it Life may be a displeasure in two respects Now in two respects life may be a displeasure First in regard of the evill time 2 Kings 22.20 Huldah saith Josiah was a good King but there were evill times over the Land therefore shee saith That to take him away from this evill time God would shorten his dayes Secondly Esay 55.1 In regard of himselfe lest he should be corrupted The time shall not greive him but shall corrupt him Raptus est ê facie maliciae Enoch Enoch was taken away from the earth because else he would happely have been corrupted or contra would have fallen into a marveilous griefe of minde And this is one answer Another answer they say Sol. 2. is this That although he take them away upon this condition yet it is not a sufficient compensation But as out of Mark 6.23 When Herod had promised halfe his Kingdome it is certaine if he had given her his whole Kingdome it had beene no breach And so if God promise vitam prolongatam a prolonged life and give for it vitam perpâ—tuatam eternall life here is more then halfe in all As he that promiseth twelve peeces of silver and giveth twelve peeces of gold or he that promiseth to give a Vessell of Beere and giveth a Vessell of Wine breaketh not his promise But the last and most sufficient answer is this Sol. 3. There is no temporall thing of this life that doth cadere in promissum Dei fall under a promise of God but onely as it shall helpe and further the next life This life is but via ad vitam the way