his glory As the Apostle And whatsoever we doe it must be to the glory of God and so to demeane our selves and order our actions and thoughts that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glor 〈◊〉 in us The taking of the name of God is an external act an act of the tongue which we know though it be but a little member as Saint James speaks yet if it be not well looked too it is of all the members the most unruly and breaks out to the dishonour of God but if it be rightly ordered then none more meet for his service as the same Apostle saith therwith we blesse God the father And indeed it 〈◊〉 the proper instrument for his praise his praise shall ever be in my mouth the mouth and tongue being one and the same in this act And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise My lips shall praise thee and when my mouth shall praise thee both in one Psalm and in divers other places And so of the tongue My tongue shall talk of thy praise all the day long And my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnes The manner how it is to be done Moses in his song of praise tells us Enuntiabo I will publish the name of the Lord there must be no whispering in this work but Gods praise must be sounded out and in this work one must report the excellency of God and they that hear are to give glory to him for glory as was touched before as the word is taken both in scripture and in humane writers imports more then either honour praise or worship for all these must be directed that the party on whom they are bestowed may be glorified so that glory is the end of those actions and the nature of glory hath some resemblance to claritas the brightnesse of glasse or other resplendent obects that are seen a far off so God is glorified when he is so praised or honored that is name may be seen and known afar off and therefore the psalmist exhorting men to praise God adds further make his praise glorious so that he may be seen and known to all the world and the several steps or degrees of doing this are these First by filling our mouthes with his praise and then secondly by filling other mens eares with it O praise our God yee people and make his praise to be 〈◊〉 And thirdly that not once but our mouths must daily speak of it ever more more And fourtly to them that are ready to hear of it which are they that fear God The Saints And 5. this is not in asmal assembly or meeting but in the great congregation And sixthly the greater the be ter let them give glory unto the Lord saith the prophet and declare his praise in the Islands nay he wishes that all the world may be filled with his praises and that he might be heard of all nations Psal. 71. 18. The sound must go out into all lands and the words of his praise into the ends of the world Seventhly and lastly this celebrating of Gods praise must continue to the end of the world His name saith the psalmist shall endure for ever so long as the Sun and Moon endureth And we will shew forth thy praise from generation to generation and he would have it continue so long as the world endureth Thus you see the scope and end of this Commandment is Gods glory and you see that it must not be restrained but it must have a large extent and that as large as may be for place and perpetuity You may see the reasons briefly that this is no voluntary act but a necessary duty 1. Man was created for this end and purpose as you have heard and Saint Chrysostom saith Animalia fecit Deus propter hominem hominem propter seipsum God made other creatures for man but man for himself that is for his own glory So saith S. Gregory Homo ad contemplandum laudandum creatorem suum conditus est man was made to contemplate and praise his maker Therefore it is observed that the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bara and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Barak creare benediccre are little differing because the end of creation is that God may be blessed or praised 2. Assoon as the world was made God sanctified a sabbath to be spent in his praise being a Type of what we must do hereafter Dies enim septinus not ipsi erimus 〈◊〉 ejus fuerimus benedictione sanetificatione pleni atque referti saith Saint Augustine And therefore our Saviour delivering us a forme of prayer though God requires his inward worship in the first place as in the first Commandment because it must be first in execution or performance yet because his praise and glory is the end and the end is first in intetion though last in execution therefore Christ puts it in the first petition wherein we desire his name may be hallowed or glorified 3. If we mean to do it hereafter in patria in heaven our countrey we must doe it here in via in the way thither on earth It will be our continual exercise there and by vsing it here we come to have a heaven upon earth 4. We being little lower then Angels must imitate them in this duty It is an exaltation of our nature while we are here in corruption to be made like the Angels They sing Hallelujahs salvation glory honour and power to God Let us do the like 5. If we do it not we shal be so much lower then the Angels and we shal be worse and more unthankful then the Heavens and firmament baser then the basest creatures for they do in their kinde 6. The Church militant doth it It is the work of the Temple and to be preferred before the works of other places as that is the place of all places or chief of places so is praise the work of all works the chiefest work to be done 7. Man ought to be delighted in that wherein God hath made him to excell all other creatures that is in the distinction of voice no creature but man having a tongue to speak the rest onely having a sound but no articulate voice whence man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his articulate voice 8. This gift is not onely proper to man but the parts exercised herein as the tongue lips and mouth are honoured much by being imployed in this service it it is more then necessary for him to use it to that end Saint James 3. 8. debaseth the tongue which is lewdly employed David extolleth it when it is well occupied It is the highest degree of glory to be thus imployed Awake my glory Psalm 57. 8. 9. It is not onely a good act but pleasant seemly and profitable David saith
his soul was filed with marrow whilest he praised God we shal get by it honorificantes honorificabo therefore necessary it is in respect of the reward 10. It being a more excellent thing to give then to receive dare quam accipere and to make then to be made facere quam fieri as in all other things we are made and we receive in this we are giving we give God glory and become makers we make him glorious and great by glorifying and magnifying of him 11. Though Christ command the contrary and will not have his name glorified as he seemed to the Leper the blinde man and others in the Gospel yet the necessity of this duty lies so hard upon us that as they so we must publish his fame for in this case no precept or prohibition will lie against this commandment 12. The wise man saith A man shal be satisfied with good things by the fruit of his mouth And our Saviour saith not that it is the work of the hands but the words of the mouth that a man shal be justified or condemned by The wel ordering of the tongue will either produce fruit to life and salvation or gall and wormwood to confusion It followeth then that a necessity lies upon us to vse the tongue well and in what better can it be vsed then in hallowing Gods name We see then what is here commanded the same which we desire in the first petition of the Lords prayer viz that Gods name may be hallowed 1. Inwardly by our intention making it the end and scope of all our actions 2. Outwardly by making it the matter of our speech and that herein our tongues must be the instruments of his praise and as the psalmist speaks like the pen of a ready writer and our mouth the trumpet to sound out his praises and not onely so but also 3. by our outward actions which must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that light which must shine before men to stir them up to glorifie God So that we see necessitas incumbit there is a necessity that our mouth and lips shew forth his praise that they be the pen of a ready writer to that end to utter the praises of the great king and our actions must shine that others may glorifie him too And lesse we cannot do then the heavens and firmament that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gloriae CHAP. II What is meant by Gods name The use of names 1. To distinguish 2. To dignifie Gods name in respect of his Essence Attributes and works and how they are to be reverenced What it is to take his name as glorious as necessary Glorifying his name inwardly outwardly by confessing desending it remembring it honourable mention of it threefold it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerable Applyed to our own actions by prayer and to others by blessing c. Of glorifying it it in our lives what it is to take gods name in vair in respect of 1. the end 2. agent 3. The work IN the Prohibition it self there are 3. things considerable 1. What is meant by the name of the Lord thy God 2. What is meant by Taking it 3. And lastly what by taking it in vain The Name of God The name being a word proper to the tongue the dutie of the tongue is commanded in it now a name according to the general definition is per quod cognoscimus cognoscimur that by which we know and are known invented to distinguish men and other things by There is a two fold use ofnames 1. Meerly for distinction that one may be known from another which is the most proper and first use 2. Names are used sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for dignities sake that men may not onely be distinguisht from others but reverenced above others now God makes use of names in both respects 1. For distinction so the name of God is diversly set down in Scripture to distinguish him from all other things as Jehovah the principal name of his existence El of his strength Lord of hosts Schuddai of his all-sufficiency in his covenant with Abraham and the like as Jerome hath it in an Epistle to Marcella But most fully in Exodies Now his names are of threesorts 1. In respect of his Essence as Jehovah 2. Of his Attributes which are of two sorts Affirmative as merciful gracious c. and Negative as infinite invisible c. by which Dionysius Areopag proceeds in his Theologia mystica as the best way to know God per viam negationis 3. in respect of his works Creatour Redeemer Sanctifier c. and to those three may be referred whatsoever we read of his name The very litteral names of God are to be reverently used and of every one of them it may be said as the Angel said to Manoah enquiring after his name Search not after my name for it is fearful yea much more fearful is the name of the Lord and not to be known as appears in Deuter. If thou wilt not do all the words written in this book that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name The Lord thy God the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful c. But that distinction of the Pharisees must be avoided That unlesse one did swear by the name Jehovah and take the very word in his mouth he was not guilty of the breach of this Commandment although he sware by Heaven or earth or Jerusalem for such oaths they made no account of when as our Saviour shews that to swear by them is to swear by God because his name and glory is seen in them 2. For as we said in the second place names are used to dignifie some above others and to shew thereby that some duty or honour is due to them which is not due to others so Gods name is seen in his attributes and in his works in Heaven and Earth as well as in those proper names of Jehovah Elohim c. This we use to call in English a good name which in private persons is called credit but in those of higher place is called glory majesty highnesse c. which is the Dialect of Prince whose aim is as the Prophet saith that they may have a name and praise and glory The phrase in the Hebrew is to call one of great credit a man of name that is a man of cred it and renown or a famous person Now if Gods proper and litteral name ought to be reverenced much more ought his other name his good name and fame ought to be dear to us for the good name of any ought to be honoured according to the glory and greatnesse of the person as the Author to the Hebrews reasoneth that Christ was so much above the Angels in glory by how much he hath attained a more excellent name then they
To have been mindfull of God in prosperity is a good ground for hope in adversity 2. The second is Saint Johns Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself keeps a pure conscience doth not as they which presume make their conscience a receptacle of corruption upon hope For as the fathers say Conscientia bona custos spei if it be kept clean our hope is true and right 3. The third is Davids Hope in the Lord and be doing good it must be active and doing good The heathen call labour the husband of hope There is hope the harlot and hope the married woman now hope the wife may be known from the harlot by this that she is alwayes with her husband accompanied with labour Sacrificate sacrificium justitiae et sperate in Domino offer to God the sacrifice of righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord. There must be travaile and strife to do good in a true hope 4. The last is Saint Pauls who makes good hope to hold 〈◊〉 in tribulation It is that which tries whether it will hold the touch or not In silentio et 〈◊〉 erit sortitudo vestra in quietnes and confidence shall be your strength saith the prophet Esa. 31. 15. If we faint in adversity it cannot be true The heathen call hope the blossom or bud of tribulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the bud be nipt nofruit can be expected it will be but 〈◊〉 bastard hope but if it blossome in tribulation it will bring forth fruit in due season The last of our rules is that we should not onely have this hope in our selves but provoke it in others also It was Davids desire many shall see it and fear and trust in the Lord. That all the people may trust in him That the house of Israel The house 〈◊〉 That al that fear the Lord might trust in him To the furtherance whereof he promiseth to teach the wicked and tells the fooles that they deal madly in setting up their horn that is in trusting to themselves And thus much for hope CHAP. II. The sixth duty is prayer The end of prayer Gods glory The necessity of it The power of prayer The parts of prayer 1. Deprecation 2. Petition why God denies somethings we ask 3. Intercession 4. Thanksgiving which consists of 1. 〈◊〉 2 Complacency 3. promulgation 4 Provocation of others The excellency of praising God The properties of true prayer The helps to prayer Signes of faithfull prayer Of causing others to pray Now concerning prayer VNto every affection there is an operation suteable and so every grace hath its proper 〈◊〉 and operations besides which one grace usually depends so upon another that one may be called the fruit and effect of another Thus the fruit of faith is hope and the fruit of hope is prayer Speioperatio oratio hope works by prayer And so the property of hope is to 〈◊〉 us up to prayer and the property of prayer is to be interpres spei that is to expresse the desires of our hope In which respect as the Articles of our faith are summa credendorum the summe of things to be beleeved and the Law summa agendorum the sum of things to be done so the Lords prayer is summa sperandorum the summe of things to be hoped For the soul of man by considering and beleeving the judgements of God being brought down dejected and humbled to the dust and as it were struck dead hath some life put into it again by conceiving hope in his mercy for which we must repair to God by prayer and nothing better beseemeth a suitor for it then prayer and supplication Saint Augustine saith Precibus non 〈◊〉 ad Deum The way to God is by prayer not paces Therefore that hope may be partaker of its object mercy we are to know that mercy is onely to be expected and obtained from God by prayer And therefore Saint Augustine saith ut descendat miseratio ascendat oratio let prayer ascend that mercy may descend and so there shall be a blessed entercourse between his mercy and our prayer while we speak of prayer lest we mistake we are to conceive that prayer consists not onely in that which we outwardly make in the congregation which the Prophet calls vitulum 〈◊〉 the calves or sacrifice of our lips but inwardly also in lifting up the heart as the Apostle speaks Orabo 〈◊〉 orabo mente I will pray with the spirit I will pray with the understanding which is when the spirit ascends to God which howsoever it be not heard by men how vehement it is yet we know it is powerfull with God We see the experience of it in Moses The Lord saith to him why criest thou to me though there be no mention of any word he 〈◊〉 and this is principally and truely prayer for without it the prayer of the lips prevaileth not Our Saviour seemeth to taxe the Scribes with resting in outward 〈◊〉 when he quoteth a speech out of the prophet This people draweth neer unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me And he tells his disciples in the sermon upon the mount that it is not the ingemination of Lord Lord that will gain the kingdom of heaven And therefore Saint Augustine saith Hoe negotium plus gemitibus constat quam sermonibus This work 〈◊〉 more in groans then words the spirit makes intercession for us with groanings unvtterable 1. Now the main end and scope of prayer is Gods honour and glory It pleaseth God by the prophet to account this as an especial honour done to him that even as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their masters and the eyes of an handmaid unto hand of her mistresse so our eyes wait on the Lord untill he have mercy upon us or as Saint Augustine Magna est gloria Dei ut nos simus mendici ejus It is Gods great honour that we are his beggars though it be of persons without the Church as in Cornelius whose prayer was accepted Act. 10. 2. or of persons within the Church yet out of Gods favour by their sinnes who call to God de prosundis out of the depth of misery Psal. 130. 1. though the person be an heathen yet his prayer inregard of the act it self is in some degree acceptable to God And this he accounts as an addition to his glory when we ackowledge that what we have we have not â—rom ourselves but from him Besides he takes it as a further honour to him as an homage we render him when we thank and glorifie him either for benefits or deliverances and to encourage us to this duty he addes a promise Call upon me saith he in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee but upon what condition and thou shalt glorifie me But this we may see set down most excellently by the Prophet where
of the friend that called up his neighbor at midnight by both telling us how much importunity prevails with God 4. A fourth is God though he gives not quod petimus what we ask yet he will give quod novit utilius what he knows to be more profitable for us as in the case of S. Paul My grace shall be sufficient for thee 5. Some things we pray for may be hurtful to us as knives for children so as that non accipiendo accepimus we are better by wanting then possessing them Chrysostome calls prayers for such things childish and aguish prayers as S. Aug. male usurus eo quod vnlt accipere Deo potius miserante non accepit God in compassion lets not him receive that which he meant to use ill And therefore sometime to misse that which we conceive to be a benefit is a blessing And therfore we will conclude this point with a saying of S. Aug. fideliter supplicans Deo pro necessitatibus hujus vitae 〈◊〉 auditur misecorditer non auditur quid enim infirmo sit utilius magis 〈◊〉 medicus quam aegrotus God in mercy hears and in mercy hears not a faithful suppliant for the necestities of this life for the Physitian knows what is profitable for the sick man better then himself These reasons are from the matter of our prayers others taken from the manner of our asking may be mentioned hereafter The third part of Invocation is Interpellation or Intercession which is prayer either for the prosperity or against the crosses of others The Fathers seldome quote the Fathers but in this S. Aug. cites S. Ambrose Frater mi si pro te rogas tantum pro te unus orabit si autem pro omnibus rogas omnes pro te rogabunt My brother if thou only pray for thy self one shall pray alone for thy self but if thou pray for all men all men will pray for thee And S. Gregory saith Quisquis pro aliis intercedere nititur sibi potius ex charitate suffragat pro semet ipso tanto citius audiri meretur quanto magis devote pro aliis intercedit whosoever prayes for others doth the rather pray for himself and by so much the sooner deserves to be heard for himself by how much the more devoutly he intercedes for others S. Chrysostome hath an excellent speech to this purpose Pro se orare necessitas cogit pro aliis charitas fraternitatis hortatur dulcior autem ante Deum est oratio non quam necessitas transmittit sed quam charitas fraternitatis commendat it is meere necessity that compels a man to pray for himself but it is a brotherly affection that draws a man to pray for others and that prayer is more acceptable to God which is caused by love then necessity This part of invocation hath divers branches As we are to pray for all men 1. For sinners that have not sinned unto death and there is a promise that prayer shall be heard In which respect there is a prayer in our Liturgie first for them that are without the Church for their conversion as Heathens Jews Turks Hereticks Schismaticks then for those that are in the Church which are with us and yet not of us but are still in blindnesse and ignorance or know but practise not 2. We are to pray for them that not onely are oppressed with outward afflictions but inward temptations and the 〈◊〉 of their sins 3. For those that stand that they fall not but persevere 4. For them that are our enemies and persecute us And for this we have not onely our Saviours percept but the practise of holy men Saint Gregory Hum. 27. in Evang. upon that place in Jeremiah 15. 1. where God saith though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my heart could not be towards this people c. asks the question why Moses and Samuel are especially named and gives this reason Because the prayers of such are most powerful with God who having received an injury can presently pray for those that wronged them Now such are Moses and Samuel For Moses when the people were ready to stone him presently prayeth for them Samuel though the people desired to cast off his government yet saith God forbid that I should cease to pray for you And of these prayers it is said that they shall return into our own bosome They are very effectuall for in these cases Qui pro aliis orat prose laborat he that prayes for others labours for himself 5. For Kings and Magistrates as the Apostle adviseth 6. Lastly but most especially for the peace and good of the Church O pray for the peace of Jerusalem saith the Psalmist who also wished that his tongue might cleave to the roof of his mouth if he forgate to pray for it The fourth branch of Invocation is Thanksgiving Invocation is for that we want and desire Thanksgiving is for that we have received So that whether we be answered before we call as the Prophet speaks when God gives before we ask or whether it be given us when we ask in both cases we have cause to enter into this consideration Quid retribuam Domino what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits And indeed the chief end of all should be the glory of God For for his glory all things that are made were created the seventh day when he had finished his work of creation was instituted for his praise and glory And for this purpose man was placed in Paradise to praise him and after his fall mankinde had perished and all things had been again reduced to nothing but that God might have some to glorifie him Now it is plain that God takes and accepts of thanks as a great part of his glory And therefore were the thank-offerings among other sacrifices for Gods service and glory instituted of old and he that offereth me thanks saith God by the Prophet giveth me glory and the Apostle All things are for your sakes that the aboundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God That which the Heathen said is true Gratus animus est meta benignitatis gratitude is the end of bounty And it is the condition of our obligation to God and of Gods to us Call upon me in i me of trouble and I will hear you there is Gods and thou shalt glorifie me there is ours The Hebrews make Thanksgiving to consist of four parts according to the four words used by thankful persons in Scripture 1. Confession or acknowledgement Confitebor I will confesse that we have nothing but that we have received from God That our help cometh from the hills from no inferiour creature from above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Father of lights Nor must we conceal what we have received Saint
Christ though he professed to love Christ. 4 The next signe is a care and anxiety to recover it when we have lost it not to give sleep to our eyes nor slumber to our eye-lids nor the temples of our heads to take any rest until we be in statu quo so did the spouse in the Canticles the like care is in worldly men to obtain what they love as in Balaam Numbers 23. who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse though God bid him not go and himself said verse 19. that God is not as man that he should repent yet he would go and try again whether God would let him curse Israel so careful was he to get a reward 5. Again when a man resolves though all the world forsake God yet he will adhere to him his liking is constant goeth not with other mens The Psalmist saith and complaineth that men forsake Gods law but what followeth Therefore I love thy commandments above gold and silver whatsoever other men esteemed of it yet his love was constant and firm 6. If we can love him cum cruce If our love be true water cannot quench it True love will abide tryal the fire cannot consume it It is not like false love of which the Heathen man said Falsus amor inde fugit unde probatur false love flyes from tryal But the other will endure the losse of all Love suffereth long saith the Apostle even to death And as our Saviour saith Greater love then this hath no man And now a little for the sixth rule as in the former As we must love God our selves so must we also be desirous to draw others to this love and in this there is a difference between amor mercenarius and gratuitus for in the first a man is loth that another should love that he loveth lest he be restrained in his liberty of enjoying and hence proceeds jealousie but in the other we wish not our own good onely but the good of him we love In the one quo quis vult bonum suum whereby a man seeks his own good the fewer that partake the better he thinks it is but in the other quo quis vult bonum alterius whereby he seeks the good of another the more that partake the better it is for Deus omnibus communis cuique totus God who is common to all is wholly possessed of every one Therefore the Prophet was of this minde and was desirous to draw all to the love of God and on the other side his zeal was so great that he hated all them that hated God and that with a perfect hatred and in another place who will rise with me against the wicked or who will take my part against the evil doers This argued the perfection of his love to God as he would rise against them himself so he laboured that others would joyn with him CHAP. XIII The proper effects of love 1. Obedience 2. Patience How obedience arises from the love of God It brings glory to God two wayes Is better then sacrifice in four respects Reasons why we should obaudire Deo There be three speakers 1. God who speaks 1. by his word 2. by his works 2. The world 3. Our selves These do obloqui gainsay what God sayes The measure and quality of Obedience Of Disobedience that it is a great sin The degrees of it 1. Neglect 2. Contempt Motives to obedience Signes of obedience Of Obedience THe two principal signes and proper effects of love are as we said before Obedience and Patience There is a saying of S. Gregory Probatio dilectionis exhibitio operis we shew our love by its work and it is a true signe indeed of love when it is operative when it worketh For the will being enflamed with love and having predominance over all the powers and parts of body and minde necessary it is that wheresoever desire taketh hold in the will it must elicere motum produce some action As if a man be given to love wine his love kindleth a desire in him to have it and desire doth elicere motum that he may work and earn so much money as will obtain it So is it in love Our Saviour saith if you love me keep my commandments And S. John saith that if a man obey not he is so far from the love that he hath not the knowledge of God if S. Peter love Christ he must feed his sheep We must know that where the parties are equal between whom love and mutual affection is there love is called amicitia but where one party is superiour then they are not properly called friends but this love in the inferiour is called observantia the natural act whereof is obedience for though a Prince will in speech or writing vouchsafe to call his inferiours friends yet are they but subjects And so though our Saviour was pleased to stile his Disciples and Apostles friends yea and by neerest names of consanguinity brethren c. yet S. Paul and the other Apostles presumed not upon these titles but acknowledged this observantia and in the beginning of their epistles and writings stiled themselves servants of Jesus Christ. And S. Paul shewing that this is infallible saith Know ye not to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are whom ye obey In the first petition of the Lords prayer we desire that Gods name may be glorified God being a King and bearing rule over us how can this kingdome and rule be established better then by fulfulfilling his commands and obeying him as the Angels do in heaven For in regard of the glory which God hath by our obedience Gods name is hallowed or glorified And therefore from the beginning in Paradise God commanded obedience to Adam in that estate that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge that in obedience to that precept his glory might be shewed Now by our obedience we bring glory to God two wayes 1. Directly by our selves as Psalm 50. 15. Call upon me in the time of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me 2. When we give occasion to stir up others to glorifie him therefore God is not content with the former but saith further Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matthew 5. 16. Thus God is glorified by our saith whereupon follows our first justification before God but then there must be a second justification also viz. before men and the world by our good works whereby God is glorified by others and so God will have glory of us both immediately by our selves and mediately by others Saint Augustine saith that nothing makes men good or evil but good or evill love and that Amor male inslammans timor male humilians that love which inflames but not aright and that fear which humbles but not aright are the
God Addition 11. Of the seat of faith Reasons why God should be feared Of 〈◊〉 and servile fear How Fear and Love may stand together The sins forbidden 1. Want of Fear 2. worldly fear Motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of fear CHAP. IX Page 128. The fourth inward vertue is humility The nature of it The properties of it Of Pride The nature and degrees of it Signes of Pride The punishments of Pride Of forced humility Of counterfeit humility The means of humility The signes of humilitie CHAP. X. Page 136. Of the fifth inward vertue Hope Hope and Fear come both from Faith The several uses of Hope The nature and exercise of Hope Of Presumption and Despair Reasons against both Means to strengthen Hope Signes of true Hope CHAP. XI Page 142. The sixth duty is prayer The end of prayer Gods Glory The necessity of it The power of prayer The parts of prayer 1. Deprecation 2. Petition Why God denies some things we ask 3. Intercession 4. Thanksgiving which consists of 1. Confession 2. Complacency 3. Promulgation 4. Provocation of others The excellency of praising God The properties of true prayer The helps to prayer Signes of faithful prayer Of causing others to pray CHAP. XII Page 154. The seventh vertue required is Love of God That God is to be loved Of mercenary and free Love The excellency of Love The measure of Love The opposites to the Love of God 1. Love of the world 2. Self-love 3. Stupidity 4. Loathing of God All the motives of Love are eminently in God 1. Beauty 2. 〈◊〉 3 Benefits bestowed Six signes of Love Of drawing others to love God CHAP. XIII Page 163. The proper effects of Love 1. Obedience 2. Patience How Obedience arises from the Love of God It brings glory to God two wayes Is better then sacrifice in four respects Reasons why we should obaudire Deo There be three speakers 1. God who speaks 1. By his Word 2. by his Works 2. The World 3. Our selves These do obloqui gainsay what God sayes The measure and quality of Obedience Of disobedience that it is a great sin The degrees of it 1. Neglect 2. Contempt Motives to obedience Signes of obedience CHAP. XIIII Page 170 Of Patience How it arises from the Love of God The necessity and excellency of patience Afflictions are either corrections or tryals Reasons of patience in both Of counterfeit patience in Hereticks and others Stupidity no true patience 〈◊〉 thereof Of fainting under the crosse Means of patience Signes of patience Of working patience in others CHAP. XV. Page 178. The second thing required in the first Commandment To have the true God for our God Reasons hereof Of true Religion this is the true pearl to be sought Three rules in seeking The extreams of Religion 1. Idolatry 2. Superstition 3. Profanenesse 4. Novelty of which three degrees 1. Schisme 2. Heresy 3. Apostacy The means of true Religion The signes of procuring it in others CHAP. XVI page 182 The third thing required in the first Commandement is to have onely the true God which includes sincerity Reasons hereof The contraries to sincerity Means of sincerity Signes of sincerity Of procuring it in others CHAP. XVII page 184 Of the last words in the first Commandement Coram me in which is implied Integritie Reasons for it Of Hypocrisie and reasons against it Signes of a sound heart An observation from the first words Non habebis They are in the Future tense and imply perseverance Reasons for it The extreams 1. Constancy in evil 2. Inconstancy in good Four reasons against Backsliding signes of perseverance Of procuring it in others The Exposition of the second Commandement CHAP. XI page 192 The general parts of this Commandement 1. The precept 2. The sanction The precept is negative forbids Idolatry and implies the affirmative 1. That God must be worshipped as he requires 2. That reverence must be shewed in the performance Reasons why this and the fourth Commandement are larger then the rest Reasons for the affirmative and negative part Addition 13. That the making of Images was absolutely forbidden the Jews and in that respect the precept was positive and reached onely unto them Addition 14. Whether all voluntary or free worship be forbidden under the name of will-worship CHAP. II. page 196 That God will not be worshipped by Images the several words whereby Image-worship is forbidden why God appointed the making of Cherubims and the brazen Serpent Reasons against worshipping of Images the original of Images four occasions of the use of Images some in times of persecution some in times of peace CHAP. III. page 202 What the Romanists alledge out of the Fathers ancient Liturgies and Councels for Images Add. 13. Of S. Chrysostomes Liturgy Add. 14. Of the second Nicene Councel The words mistaken in the capitular of Charls the great and in the Synod of Frankford and Paris Testimonies of the Fathers against Images CHAP. IV. page 204 The five Rules of extent for expounding this Commandement Of the affirmative part of it In Gods outward worship are two things 1. the substance 2. the ceremony The first consists of 1. Preaching Addition 15. How preaching is a part of Gods worship 2. Prayer 3. Sacraments Addition 16. The Eucharist considered as a Sacrament and a Sacrifice 4 Discipline CHAP. V. page 208 Of Ceremonies in Gods worship The use of them 4. Cautions to be observed abont them The means of preserving Gods worship The signes Addition 17. Concerning customs and traditions of the Church The 6. Rules of causing others to keep this Commandement CHAP. VI page 210 Of the manner of outward worship no reveronce nor worship to be performed to Images 1. The distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examined 2. That evasion that not the Image but God by the Image is worshipped taken away 3. That they are Lay-mens books examined 4. That Images are to put us in minde of the Saints examined Addition 20. About Images and pictures for memories sake CHAP. VII page 214 The affirmative part of this precept concerning the manner of outward worship 3. Reasons for outward bodily worship Outward honour consists 1. In the signe 2. In the act Of the signe by 1. Vncovering the head 2. Bowing the body Of the act or deed 1. By being at Gods command 2. By doing his work or service Of the gesture of Reverence 1. In publick and private prayer 2. At hearing the word 3. At the administration of Sacraments 4. At discipline The sins against these In publick worship must be 1. Vniformity 2. Fear 3. The heart must be present 4. Silence 5. Constancy to tarry till all be done The means of outward worship The signes CHAP. VIII page 221 Of the second part of this precept The sanction or penalty This is the first Commandment with a penalty Reasons of it The parts of this sanction 1. Gods stile 2. A commination 3. A promise 1. Gods stile
the City of Jerusalem or the Temple which they say should be no bigger then it was be able to contain all the Jews that ever were 7. Lastly they are by this position utterly injurious to the soules of the faithful to call them out of a heavenly paradise Abrahams bosome to an earthly Paradise Their second erroneous tenet is That Jesus is not that Messias 1. It is said in the prophecy of Jacob. The Sceptre shall not depart from Judea nor a Lawgiver from betwixt his feet untill Shilo come It is certain that before the captivity it was alwayes in Judah and in the captivity they had one of their brethren who was called Rex captivitatis the king of Captivity After the Captivity it continued till Arostobulus and Hyrcanus striving for it they were both dispossest and Herod an Idumean placed in their room in whose time Christ came according to the prophecy and then the Scepter departed quite from Judah The Jews denied Christ their king and ever since have bin subject to the Scepters of several Gentiles 2 If they object against this prophecy that the Maccabees were not of the Tribe of Judah but of the Tribe of Levi we answer that we must distinguish of the prophecy thus That either a king or a Lawgiver should be of the Tribe of Judah and it is apparantly manifest that there was a Lawgiver in that Tribe till Christ came For they confesse that Simon Justus whose Nune dimittis we have in our Liturgie was the last of them and that ever sincee the whole company of their Sanedrim was dispersed and the number never made up again 3. And if they understand or conceive that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie a Scepter but a Tribe and that it is meant that Judah should be and continue a Tribe till Shiloh come they assent to us Christians for the Tribe of Judah continued distinct and unconfounded till Christ the true Messias came so that our Saviour Jesus was known to be of the Tribe of Judah of the City of Bethleem and of the posterity of David Nor did the Jews ever in the Gospel cavil at this which they would have attempted had the confusion of this Tribe given them just occasion But not long after Christs death all the Tribes were confounded And the Emperours of Rome after they had heard that Ex Judea nasceretur Dominus orbis that in Judea the Lord of the world should be born presently laboured to root out the Tribe of Judah and forced them to confound their Genealogies and upon all miscariages and rebellions of the Jews slue many thousands of them and caused the rest to be dispersed into all coasts adjoyning or to live in miserable slavery in Palestine 4 The Prophet Daniel receiveth an Oracle from God by the Angel that from the time the Oracle was given there should be seven weeks and 62. weeks and one week in the latter half of which last week Christ the Messias preached and was slain and put an end to all sacrifices Now what these weeks are is shewed in the scripture that they should signifie so many weeks of years not of dayes so accounting every week for seven years it makes 49. years and so many years was the Temple in building for three years were spent in providing materials and gathering themselves together and 46. years in building as the Jews told our Saviour After the 〈◊〉 of the second Temple and the wals of Jerusalem there followed 62 sevens and one seven So that from that time to the Death of the Prince Messiah were 490 years or 70 times seven times 5 The prophet Haggai saith That the glory of the latter house shall be greater then the glory of the former Now in the first Temple were glorious things As the Ark of the Lord The Pot of manna Aarons rod the shew-bread c. And the second Temple had none of these and yet the prophet saith that the glory of the Latter should exceed the glory of the former how this prophecy should hold they will never shew unlesse in the time of Christ the Messias whose presence made it more glorious then the other things did the former for we know that 40 years after our Saviours death the Latter Temple was destroyed 6 Petrus Galatinus saith that the disciples of Rabbi Hillel considering these prophecies though they lived 50 years before Christs time hoped the Messiah should be born in the age that they lived being induced thereunto by the saying of Esay in the person of the Lord I the Lord will hasten it And especially by Daniels 〈◊〉 of the seventy sevens 7. That in Esa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 final was apprehended by them for a great mystery and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place signifieth 600. for 600 years between Esayes time and Christs 8. The Jews say further that the prophecy of the second Temple which was a still voice coming from the Lord should not cease and that the Temple should not open till the Messias came And they have confest that this voice ceased in Christs time and in Herods dayes and that the veile of the Temple rent in two pieces and never after came together 9. Besides these the continual sending to and fro by the Jews and John Baptist and the disciples questions to our Saviour argues that there was a 〈◊〉 expectation that the messiah should come at that time As also the speech of Simeon his waiting for the consolation of Israel And the speaking of Anua of the Messiah to all that Looked for redemption in Jerusalem and Lastly Joseph of Arimathea's looking for the kingdome of God to appeare shew that in those very times many religious men had great hope of comfort to be brought to them by their Messiah 10. Again there were at that time more then at any other many counterfeit and salse Messiah's either eight or ten as Josephus testifies As Herod from whom the Herodians Judas Theudas and others and among them Bar Cosba the younger who was in such estimation among them that all the Rabbins save one confest him to be the Messiah 11. Suidas reporteth that it was related to Justinian the Emperour by Philip a merchant of Constantinople who had the report from one Theodosius a Jew that in the Catalogue of the Jews Priests was found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus the Son of God and Mary and that he had been admitted into the society of the Priests also else he could not have been permitted to preach either at Nazareth or Capernaum being of the tribe of Judah 12. To these we may adde that which they hold that after Malachy in the second Temple they should have no Prophet till the Messiah and that the Temple should stand till he should come And we see that our Saviour prophesied of the destruction of the Temple which accordingly came to
this will appear more plainly by comparing the circumstances in the delivery of the Law with the day of judgement 1. That which is first mentioned is a thick and dark cloud And the Prophet speaking of the day of judgement saith The day of the Lord is darknesse and no light S. Jude cals it the blacknesse of darknesse And the Prophet Joel gives the reason because the Sun and Moon shall be darkned and the stars shall withdraw their light 2. The second there were thunder-claps And S. Peter saith that when the day of the Lord shall come the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with servent heat and the Earth shall be burnt up And no man doubts but these things are more terrible to the eye and the ear then the noise of a thunder-clap 3. The third is lightning or fire which then was but upon the mount of Sinai only but at the last day it shall be all over the Earth This fire was but as that in the Bush which was not consumed by it nor Sinai by this But our God is a consuming fire and such a fire as will torment for ever S. John saith the smoke of it shall ascend for ever and the fire shall never be quenched 4. The fourth is the sound of a trumpet that pierced the ears of the living onely but there shall be a more shrill trumpet that shall be heard not by the living onely but by the dead in their graves The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised saith S. Paul 5. Another thing which was an effect of the former was the shaking of the Earth there but one mountain quaked but at the last day it is said Yet once more I shake not the Earth but also Heaven This removed not the mountain but that shall remove both Heaven and Earth Thus we see the circumstances of both conferred now let us compare the effects of them The giving of the Law made onely Moses to shake and tremble but at requiring of an account of it there shall be like trembling of all the very just shall tremble too but the wicked they shall smite their knees together They shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth And as our Saviour quoting the words of the Prophet speaks They shall say to the mountains coverus and to the hils fall on us and that to hide them from the wrath of the angry Judge So that we see by these comparisons that the delivery did in some sort prefigure the requiring of it but the terriblenesse of that day cannot be expressed This sound may awake us now and therefore let us say as the people said here to Moses let us hear it by the ministery of man and as the Apostle saith let us have grace to serve God with reverence and fear For no doubt when Christ shall come from Heaven he will bring with him a fiery Law even fire and brimstone like to the Law mentioned and foretold by Moses So much for the circumstances and effects in the manner of delivering the Law CHAP XX. The end of the Law as given by Moses 1. It brings none to perfection and that by reason of mans corruption as appears 1. by the place a barren wildernesse a mountain which none might touch 2. By the mediatour Moses 3. By the breaking of the tables c. 2. It brings us to Christ because given by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour It was to be put into the ark Given fifty dayes after the Passeover Moses had a veyl The fiery Serpent Our use of the Law to know our debts as by a book of accounts then to drive us to seek a surety to pay the debt viz. Christ and to be thankful and take heed of running further into debt THere is yet one thing to be considered namely the use and end of the Law which we will collect from the words of the Author to the Hebrews It bringeth no man to perfection The Law that is the Mosaical Law or the Covenant of works but not the moral Law considered as it is a part of the Covenant of grace made nothing perfect but it was the bringing in of a better thing So that 1. It brings no man to perfection 2. It brings us to a better thing that is as it is in another place the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ but the principal end of the Law as it is delivered by Christ and become a part of the Gospel is to be a rule to direct us and the way to leade us by walking therein to life and salvation Mat. 5. 6. 7. 1. For the first end Though it be a Law which carrieth with it the character of the Lawgiver as those of Solon did which was mildenesle and of Draco which was cruelty So this of God holinesse justice goodnesse c. And though it be mandatum sanctum an holy Law in respect of the duties to God and justum 〈◊〉 in respect of the duties to men and bonum good in respect of our selves yet by occasion of our corruption and transgression it bringeth no perfection with it which appears by seven circumstances 1. The first is of the place where it was given That was a vast and barren Wildernesse yeelding no fruit to signifie that the Law should be so barren of fruits that it should not yeeld one soul unto God 2. The second is of the Mountain which was Sinai And this S. Paul acknowledgeth to have relation by way of allegory to Agar It is a mountain in Arabia and therefore holdeth of Ishmael the son of Agar the bondwoman and therefore to be cast out with her children and not to receive the inheritance with Isaac So they which think to bring forth fruit by their own righteousnesse are like Ishmael who was born by nature not by promise as Isaac was whose birth was supernatural therefore the children of the Law are to be cast out with their mother because they cannot be perfected by it 3. Thirdly none might go up to this mountain none might touch it And so concerning the Law none hath gone up to it none could so much as ever touch it as he should But the condition of grace the Gospel is otherwise We must ascend to Sion the hill of grace and that with boldnesse And many have gone up to it The Prophet speaking of the Gospel of grace saith Many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord c. 4. The fourth is of the person that was minister of it Moses And if any man should have received perfection by the Law no doubt but he that gave
is 〈◊〉 of time in respect of us yet in regard of Gods enduring for ever there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him he is without all time he is alwayes Ero. The eternity of his essence S. John describeth I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the same yesterday today and the same for ever And this takes away the hope of escaping his vengeance if we do amisse and not obey his commands For in that case a man may hope to avoid the justice of Princes by departing their kingdom or by outliving them But he lives for ever and his Angels pitch their tents about us He compasseth us in a circle first that we escape not Secondly though we could escape out of one place yet can we not so far as out of his Dominions for his Dominion is from one sea to the other and from the flood to the worlds end He can fetch us from any place So the Prophet Amos Though they dig to hell c. And he lives for ever to punish those that transgresse his laws we cannot outlive him his name is still Ero to all eternity 2. For his truth in effecting that which he promised God said to Moses that he appeared to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my Name of Jehovah appeared I not to them as if he had said by one that is as good as his word So in the Psalm He is mindful of his promise and yet it is plain that Abraham beleeved in the Lord in Jehovah and it was counted unto him for righteousnesse and God himself in the next verse saith I am the Lord Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees and yet God saith that the Patriarchs knew him not by the Name of Jehovah but by the Name Almighty To reconcile these two places we must understand that by Jehovah is meant here the bringing to effect this general promise of bringing his people into the land of Canaan So long as he maketh a promise he is Schaddaj or God but when he hath brought it to passe he is Jehovah So the 〈◊〉 knew him by the Name Jehovah in some particular promise as Abraham in the birth of Isaac Noah in the delivery from the deluge Lot in his delivery from Sodome but they never knew him by the Name of Jehovah in bringing to passe that great and general promise of Canaan And in this sense it is said that when God hath brought his judgement upon the people they shall know that I Jehovah have done it The Title of jurisdiction Deus 〈◊〉 Thy God To this title he hath claim in a double respect 1. Generall 2. Particular 1. In general he hath title of jurisdiction in respect of his being Creator and therefore as the Psalmist saith He spake the word and they were made c. He hath given them a law which shall not be broken that as all things are his Creatures he hath jurisdiction to govern them by such laws as he pleaseth All the Creatures have their rule from him And therefore the Lord complaineth against them for breach of it Hear O heavens and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me that is they have broken my laws And in Moses Song Give ear O ye heavens and I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth The Creatures are called to bear witnesse against Israel that they were breakers of Gods law 2. In particular The Law or his jurisdiction being infringed in general it gave occasion to the second that is the particular which is by covenant and that conditional God is our Jehovah by Covenant Hear O Israel the statutes and judgements which I speak in your ears this day that ye may learn them and keep and do them Audis Deus sum Non audis non sum Deus saith one doest thou hear then am I thy God hearest thou not then am I not thy God This shall be the Covenant faith God I will put my law in their inward parts c. and I will be their God and they shall be my people 〈◊〉 and tuus are relatives He is ours and we are his so long as we keep his commandments Moses telleth Israel a strange thing Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lords thy God the earth also with all that therein is yet hath he separated thee as a handful above all people to make a covenant with thee And this mercy of God is wonderfull that in describing himself he rejecteth all his other titles of glory drawn from other creatures as the God of heaven and earth and entitles not himselfe by them but onely claimes the Iurisdiction of us being so vile by nature and wicked by our works And is not ashamed as the scripture speaks to be called our God And as one saith well conjunxit 〈◊〉 tuam cum gloria sua nay he might have said conjunxit gloriam suam cum gloria tua insomuch as true are the words of the Psalmist Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Lastly His Title by Benefits And this he raiseth from the last act he did for them Which serveth also to confirme and prove his two former titles in two respects 1. Of the miserable estate and condition of the Israelites in thraldome and bondage 2. Of their mighty and wonderful deliverance from it 1 Their estate was miserable in Egypt For they were servants in the most servile work that could be being put to the furnace to make bricks c. They were in servitude under their most cruel enemies and that so hard as that they were daily punished never rewarded They were forced to work and yet no materials given them to work withal To gather straw and yet nothing abated of the tale of bricks which they made when straw was provided to their hands And lastly they had their children daily drowned before their eyes 2. Their great delivery from this servitude appears in that it was done with a mighty hand and an outstretched 〈◊〉 by shewing his power in the plagues of Egypt and drowning Pharaob and his host in the red sea The two former titles have ever stood the same but this last in respect of this act and upon divers acts of his hath bin altered As 1. After the Creation he was stiled God the Creator of heaven and earth 2. In the dayes of Abraham I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Caldees 3. in Moses time The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Exo. 3 6. fourthly And here I am the Lord that brought thee out of Egypt c. fiftly when God should deliver them from the
his own sinne and his own transgressions are ever before him and not busie himself with other mens faults whereas the proud mans thoughts are bona sua mala aliena the evil in others and the good that is in himself 3. Another signe is when a man is able to suffer the slander backbiting and reproches of ill tongues and not regard them as King David did As for me saith he I was like a deaf man and heard not and as one that is dumb and openeth not his mouth and in the next verse I became even as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth is no reproof Thus he shewed his humil ty when he bare patiently the railing of Shimei Christ being reviled reviled not 4. The fourth not to do any thing that may be against Gods glory though it be to a mans own reproach and suffering in this world when he is willing to suffer any thing himself rather then any dishonour should red ound to God or his Church by opening the mouths of the wicked Psal. 69. 6. Let not them that trust in thee be ashamed O Lord God of hosts for my cause let not those that seek thee be confounded through me c. 5. The last is not to rob God of his glory or to give it to another How can yee beleeve saith Christ that seek glory one of another The humble man as the Psalmist saith setteth not by himself but is lowly in his own eyes Psal. 15. 4. this is evidentissimum signum appropinguantis gloriae for before honour goes humility as a proud looke before a fall Pro. 33. CHAP. X. Of the fift inward vertue Hope Hope and fear come both from faith The several vses of hope The nature and exercise of hope Of presumption and despair Reasons against both Means to strengthen hope Signes of true hope Spes Hope AS the knowledge and belief of Gods justice worketh in us fear and humility of which we have spoken so from the knowledge and apprehension of his mercy ariseth hope and love After humility we come to the valley of Achor for a doore of hope as the Prophet speaks When we have been brought to the valley of mourning and have bin in fear and despaire then will God open to us a door of hope so that in stead of the first spirit the spirit of bondage unto fear we shall receive the spirit of adoption unto hope Now by conferring our strength and performances with the strict rule of Gods justice we finde it impossible that we should hope for salvation but by faith apprehending Gods mercy it may be possible it may be considered as attainable two wayes 1. either by our selves 2. or by some other 1. Now concerning the former if we look upon our selves the effect of faith is fear inasmuch as the object of it is Gods justce and so we can have little comfort in our selves for this shews that it is impossible to us as of our selves but as it is in the Apostle every mouth must be stopped and all the world must become guilty before God ther 's little hope that way 2. But we are not left alltogether to despair for though it be impossible to us of our selves yet if it be possible by another if another way may be found ther 's some hope Faith reasoneth as the Psalmist doth Hath God made all men for nought or in vain If he hath then why falleth not his wrath at once And searching further for the cause why we are not consumed we finde that his mercy is the cause It is of the Lords mercy saith the Prophet that we are not consumed for his compassions fail not and that the work of his creation is not in vain Then consequently a remnant there shall be and God will have a tenth alwayes preserved to himself and the holy seed shall be the substance thereof and as it is in the Gospell there shall be a little flock and we may hope that of that little flock we are If the Lord were sparing of his mercy that might be a great impediment to our hope but when we read that the Lord waiteth to be gracious to us it setteth our hope in a better forwardnesse Now because that out of the gate of mercy all our hope cometh we are to consider upon whom God vouchsafeth to bestow this mercy how they must be qualified The prophet saith he will thrust his face into the dust that is he will humble himself if peradventure he may have hope And hope is given to them that fear and are of a contrite spirit and that tremble at Gods word Spes timentibus Deum hope is a reward to them that fear God And as fear is requisite so faith much more God shews this kindnesse to them that put their trust in him and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute or forsaken And when we hear God himself say liberabo eum qui sperat in me when the act of hope shall have such a reward ther is good encouragement and we may surely expect it Now to hope is to trust in Gods mercy and so the psalmist saith My trust is in thy mercy for that is Porta spei the gate of hope there 's no entrance unto God but by this gate and no issue of good to us but by it for faith apprehending mercy hopeth and the rather because there is such plenty of mercy promised to them that hope in God that it will compasse them round Who so putteth his trust in the Lord mercy imbraceth him on every side But it may be demanded how faith can beget both fear and hope two contraries or how two contraries can stand in one subject To this may be answered first we should not question it in respect that the holy Ghost hath put them together so often The Psalmist saith The Lords delight is in them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy Again faith breedeth fear in us in respect of our weaknesse and it breeds hope in respect of the mercies of God so that they being contraries non secundum idem they may well stand together in the soule of a just man For distinction sake Fides credit promissis faith beleeveth the promise and spes expectat credita hope looketh for the things we beleeve Again a thing may be believed and yet not hoped for as no true Christian though he hopes not for hell yet he believes there is such a place So the general truth of God being the object of our faith and containing many threatnings bringeth forth fear and the mercy of God in his promises being likewise an object of our faith produceth hope And so we see they are distinguished ab objecto the one having Gods justice and the other his goodnesse for its object S. Bernard distinguisheth the three vertues of Faith Hope and Charity by presenting to
head this we may remember by these things but the especiall pains and torments which inwardly he suffered his being sorrowful unto death his anguish of heart for the Jews obstinacy and rejection the bitternesse of the cup which his not onely most perfect bodie was most sensible of and his holy soul apprehended and suffered these are forgotten these cannot be depicted so the greatest part of his passion is un expressible 4. The last evasion of theirs is that by Images we remember or are put in minde of the Angels and Saints To this in breif may be answered that Saints are no better then Angels and seeing that an Angel would not suffer John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship him it is not to be vsed to them Saint Augustine hath a zealous wish vtinam velletis discere ab Angelis tum enim disceretis eos non adorare I could wish you would learn of Angels for then you would learn not to worship them And Saint Pauls charge was Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels c. And thus much of the controversy betwixt the Papists and us as it had dependance upon the former part of this commandment concerning Images These reasons shew that there are other means better and more effectual then pictures to instruct men in the knowledge of Christ viz. The scripture and the preaching of the gospel but they are not meant to prove it unlawful to paint or make any pourtraiture of Christ in his humane nature as at his passion c. Provided no religious worship be given to it that which is of 〈◊〉 use is not therefore unlawful or of no use at all So the author in his answer to Porron cap 18. p. 17. To have a story painted for memories sake we hold not unlawful but that it might be well enough done if the church found it not inconvenient for her children CHAP. VII The affirmative part of this precept concerning the manner of outward worship 3. Reasons for outward bodily worship Outward honour consists 1. in the signe 2. in the 〈◊〉 Of the signe by 1. uncovering the 〈◊〉 2. bowing the body Of the act or deed 1. By being at Gods command 2. By doing his worke or service Of the gesture of Reverence 1. in publick and private prayer 2. At 〈◊〉 the word 3. At the administration of sacraments 4. At discpline The sins against these In publick worship must be 1. uniformity 2. Fear 3. The heart must be present 4. Silence 5. constancy to tarry till all be done The 〈◊〉 outward worship The signes VVE are now to take a view of the affirmative part of this precept that is how we are to behave our selves in the external worship of God The worship enjoyned in the first Commandment as hath bin said is internal this in the second is outward or external honour or worship Honour being a testimony of excellency given by outward signe or deed and praise by word The honour of the signe is expressed by the word 〈◊〉 in bowing down and of the deed by the word 〈◊〉 in serving For the first as the negative was thou shalt not bow down to them the affirmative is thou shalt bow down to me And for the other as in the Negative thou shalt not worship or serve them the affirmative is thou shalt serve me 1. For the outward worship first in general Christ tells us that a candle is not lighted to be put under a bushel upon which the fathers have raised this note or Maxime that Bono debetur manifestatio our good must be made manifest and therefore candles that have bonum lucis the goodnesse of light must not be thrust sub 〈◊〉 tenebrarum under the evil of darknesse So then if the candle of light be in our soules that is if we inwardly worship God we must set it upon a candlestick our inward religion must apear in our outward worship and it must not be onely in a Chamber as our private Religion a close godlinesse that cannot be seen 2. The next reason for this point the Apostle gives Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and spirit glory being nothing else but an effect of conspicucu nesse the fair spreading and enlarging of honour and praise and therefore containeth honour in it Now in conjunctions copulative the rule is In copulativis non sufficit alterum In things that are coupled one is not sufficient but vtrumque faciendum both are to be performed And the Apostles conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in body and spirit sheweth that this honour must be done in both The devil knoweth this that God requireth both and therefore asked of our Saviour but one a little glorifying of him but the bowing of the body because he knew that if God have not the copulative body and spirit both he will have neither God will have all or none The third thing is that seeing God every where almost through the Scripture hath put a distinction and difference between his house and private houses as being in more special manner there then in other places and that as the psalmist speaketh holines becometh Gods house for ever therefore he will not onely have a manifestation of our worship towards him and that to be in body as well as Spirit but he assignes his house for the place where he will have this honour exhibited to him You shall keep my sabbaths saith God and reverence my sanctuary And therefore it is that the preacher gives us this rule when thou goest into the house of God observa pedem vtrunque Look to thy foot and if God have a care how we serve him in our inferior members in that place no question but he hath much more how we imploy our eyes ears and hearts there our external worship must be apparent and it must not be by halves and it must be in the house of God in themidst of the congregation 1. The outward worship of God according to the former division consists 1. In Signe 2. In deed And this Honor signi is twofold which the Apostle setts down in the example of Christ 1. Exinanivit se. He emptied himself or made himself of no reputation 2. 〈◊〉 se. He humbled himself 1. The empting of ones self is that which is called deponere magnificentiam to lay a side all titles ofhonour which holy Job expounds and calls spoliavit me honore a stripping one of glory it is that which the Elders did cast down their crowns before God King David laid aside his robes and made himself vile before the Lord in his service The Apostle tels us there must be Nudatio capitis our heads must be uncovered The wearing of a cap pileo donari among the Romans was peculiar to free men onely and an Hieroglyphick of honour for once if a man cepisset
And when God would exalt Abraham from being father to the children of a bond woman Agar by whom he had Ismael to be the father of Isaac and the faithful and thereby to establish the Church in his house then because he was more glorious he gives him a more glorious name Thou shalt no more be called Abram but Abraham And the like we see in Jacob whose name was changed to Israel a name of more dignity when he had prevailed with God Now if a good name or good report be among private men so highly valued that as Solomon saith it is better then a precious ointment which was in great esteme for pleasure in those dayes yea then silver or gold or any precious treasure which was most esteemed for profit and if it be true which the Heathen said interesse famae est majus omni alio interesse that the weight and interest of a good name goeth 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 yea further as a Father saith Fama pari passu ambulat cum vita it goeth cheek by joul with life it self Of how pretious and high esteem ought the name of God to be and how highly ought we to reverence and esteem it seeing as the Psalmist saith God hath magnified his name and word above all things Therefore his glory and name is the chief thing we should look unto Thus we see what 's meant by the name of God The second is what is understood by taking the Name of God Non assumes c. The barrennesse of the English language makes the expression of the Original short for the word whence it comes signifies to take up and hath a double use to which may be referred whatsoever is borrowed in this sence 1. It is applyed to a standard or banner and hence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nose Armiger 2. To a heavy thing as a burden whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 massae pondus and these two kinde of things we take up or remove if a thing be glorious as a standard we take it and lift it up and if a thing be necessary and useful to us though it be heavy and weighty we take it up so that the one is in rebus gloriosis the other in rebus necessariis and if a thing be neither glorious nor necessary we let it lie the first includes the duties of praise in all that take Gods name upon them the second refers to the duty of swearing which is a weighty thing and under these two are comprehended all other takings of his name 1. It is in gloriosis as Moses called his Altar erected and set up Jehovah-nissi that is the Lord my banner or standard from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ness vexillum Or as the plate made for Aaron wherein was to be graven Sanctitas Jehovae Holinesse to the Lord was to be taken up and placed upon Aarons forehead visible as a thing glorious as the badge of a noble man is lifted up upon the shoulder of a servant to be seen This lifting or taking up of Gods name is a thing glorious As the taking of a name by a childe from a father is honourable It was an honour and a priviledge to Ephraim and 〈◊〉 to be called after their grand-father Jacobs name so is it an honor to a woman to have her husbands name It was all the ambition of the women in the Prophet that desired one husband to be called by his name And we see still that in marriage the woman taketh her husbands name and it is such a glory to her that she is content to loose her own name for his And it is our own glory that from Gentiles we are called Christians Of which Esay in sundry places foretold Every one shal be called by my name saith God for I have created him for my glory And Thou shalt be called by a new name And again And shall call his servants by another name All which was fulfilled in the primitive Church when the Disciples were first called Christians The glory of Christ was taken up by Christians when they were called by his name Now being Gods servants and servants taken up his banner or badg the duty commanded is that we must like good servants do all to his glory as the Apostle speaks God can receive no profit by us but glory we may give him and therefore all our actions must refer to it We must not be so ambitious as they were in the dayes of Peleg that sought by building Babels tower to get themselves a name for that is Gigantomachia which is bellare cum Deo to fight with God It is not good to contest with him in this kinde You may read the successe of their enterprise God overthrew their plot even by the confusion of that which should have gotten them their names the tongue Nor must we set a face or false colour upon our own evil acts under pretence of Gods glory as did Absalom If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem I will serve him here was a fair pretence when treason lay hid in heart against his own father So 〈◊〉 makes religion a 〈◊〉 proclaims a fast for the murder of Naboth These are so far from the glory of Gods name that they are wicked abuses of it Thus Gods name is to be glorified within us now for the outward duties 1. Having taken this name upon us we must not be ashamed of it nor afraid to confesse it Judah of whom came the name to the Jews was so called the word signifying praise because his mother said she would confesse or praise God so must we wear our name of Christians and Gods servants to the glory of God and Christ and not be ashamed of it The reason Christ himself giveth Whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my father And though the Church of Philadelphia was but of small strength and its works were not great yet because it had not denyed his name Christ promiseth to set open a door for it and other things as you may read But any that shall receive the name and mark of the beast wear any others livery he shall drink of the wrath of God and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 2. There is another degree beyond that of not denying his Masters name which every good servant is bound to and which his master expects from him that is standing for his name when it is blasphemed consessing and defending it to the death as the Martyrs have done Because there was none that offered to defend Gods name when judgement was turned backward and justice stood afarr of truth was fallen in the streets and equity could not enter therefore he thereatens terrible judgement he puts on the garments of vengeance saith the 〈◊〉 3. Lastly we must not forget Gods name but often make mention of it The Prophet David threatens a
Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all things men set most by their faith much more then is Gods faith and fidelity to be 〈◊〉 wherein we take sanctuary when all other people fail 2. An oath proceeds from faith it argues a great faith in God which is the ground of all honour given to any for in the former part of an oath which is contestation a calling God to witnes we professe with our tongues that God is every where present that we beleeve he is omniscient that he seeth even the secrets of the heart and will lighten all things that are done in secret and in regard of the second part calling God to avenge we professe that we beleeve that he is a just avenger that he will not suffer sinne to go unpunished that he may say mihi vindicta ego retribuam vengeance is mine and I will repay Thus we beleeve that he hath power to punish and to execute vengeance which is a part of his glory and thus we see that an oath brings glory to God in which regard God is content to lend us his name to swear by thereby to make an end of all our controversies Thus we see the nature of an oath with the meaning the parts and end thereof Now according to former method we are to see what is commanded and what is forbidden which is the first rule of of extention formerly mentioned and withall the Homogenea of the same according to the second rule The Affirmative part is that we take up his name to end our quarrels and controversies his name must be a sanctuary to flie to by which we must be acquitted or condemned that whereby we do enclose and hedge in our selves and satisfie the adverse party 1. Herein the first thing commanded is 〈◊〉 to swear this is flatly commanded It is set close to that which was the affirmative part of the second Commandment Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and searve him and swear by his name But more effectully and vehemently it is required in Esay I live and have sworne by my self that every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall swear by me therefore God hath not onely taken order that an oath should passe between parties at variance and that upon the oath of the party accused he shal be acquit as Exod. 22 11. which some call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary oath but also if the party be not willing there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oath of imposition an 〈◊〉 shall be laid upon him he shall be made 〈◊〉 to swear punctually and precisely to what is required of him 2 Chron. 6. 22. And if a man hear an oath between parties whereby truth might appear to Gods glory and do not utter it but conceal it it shall be accounted to him for a sin so that we see here Gods will and what he commands that in respect of these great ends of his own glory and mans necessity an oath is a thing subprecepto expressly Commanded in these cases For example the Psalmist saith 〈◊〉 omnes et laetabuntur every one that sweareth by him shall be praised and shall rejoyce And therefore all the Saints of God have part of this commendation in vsing it Besides men we have the example of God and his holy Angels God himself swears I have sworn by my self that because thou hast done this I will surely blesse thee And after God the heavenly spirits for the Angel lifted up his hand and swore by him that liveth for evermore In these two cases already mentioned of Gods glory and mans necessity we have diverse examples 1. First for Gods glory There was a famous oath taken by K. Asa and the people they sware with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets to seek the God of their fathers The like we read of Nehemiah and the people to keep the Law of God Si quis ea saith Origen quae vidit in proximi sui delicto vel non jndicat vel in testimonium vocatus non quae vera sunt dixerit peccaium quod commisit ille qui celat ipse suscipiet poena remissi revertitur ad conscium if any man doth not either reveal of himself or being called as a witnesse shall not speak the truth of that he knoweth concerning his neighbours offence he which concealeth it takes it upon himself and the punishment for the offence committed turns upon him that knows it As for Gods glory so for mans benefit and necessity as 1. For the publick good As first in the case of a league and confederacies as that between Abraham and Abimelech 2. In a publick conspiracy The men of Israel sware saying None of us shall give his daughter to the Benjamites to wife 3. For receiving or 〈◊〉 nation to nation as in that of 〈◊〉 the Princes and people of Israel with the Gibeonites the breach of which though it were surreptiously gotten yet was severely punished because it was confirmed by an oath 2. Or for reciprocal duties between Prince and people Of the Prince to the people that of 〈◊〉 in the behalf of the young King 〈◊〉 to the people And in the same Chapter of the people for their obedience to 〈◊〉 Of the Subject to the King that of David to King Saul And of the people for preservation of King Davids life And of the people in confirmation of Solomons succession to the Crown 3. Or lastly for the safety and benefit of our neighbour as in case of preservation of life and goods as was that of the Spies with Rahab the Harlot And for just and true dealing in mater of trust as was that of Abrahams servant to his Master And in deciding controversies between man and man for Meum Tuum The very word 〈◊〉 for an oath being derived from Law or right for indeed in case of controversie where each party for his own advantage to maintain that he hath gotten will conceal the truth from the Judge then by the mouths of two or three witnesses shall the matter be established and confirmed more sure it cannot be then by the oaths of such witnesses But though in these cases an oath be allowed by most yet diverse make doubt whether a man may be lawfully enforced to answer upon oath in matters that concern himself which we commonly call the oath ex officio which we called before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an 〈◊〉 of imposition such as that 2. Chronicles 6. 22. The lawfulnesse and necessity of it we shall see the better if we consider the reason whereupon it is grounded namely the removing of evil which ought to be the scope and end of all Courts of justice Interest Rei-publicae saith the Heathen man ut 〈◊〉 tollantur the Common-wealth should take care to cut off Malefactors It being
dung of our solemne feasts that is he will make them as odious to us as dung and we shall loath them Or as it is in another place he will punish it with fire unquenchable The next thing is the kinds of sanctification viz publick and private 1. It must be sanctified in the publick assembly there must be Sacra Synaxis a holy Convocation The heathen man could say that a good thing done and performed dy one is well but better if by many by a whole parish or City together publickly The reason is 1. in respect of God that he might haue the more glory when he is praised in the great congregation and publickly acknowledged before all the world which was the chief end of the 〈◊〉 institution of this day by such publick meetings the day is sanctified to God for to sanctifie a day and to call a solemn assembly are all one as we may see in Joel 1. 13 and 2. 15. 2. In respect the church that all may be known to professe the same faith and to be in one bond of obedience when they all meet in one place at the same time on the same day to glorifie God 2. That the means of sanctification as prayer may be the more effectual for vis 〈◊〉 fortior If the prayers of one just man be so effectual and prevalent with God much more when many meet together their prayers offer a holy violence to God and as it were besiege heaven 3. in respect of the common-wealth the heathen could 〈◊〉 that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meeting together in one place was the means of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it maintained amity And the refore they which bring in tyranny seek to divide and separate men and forbid all meetings and assemblies by that means to cause them to be disjoynted as it were in their affections But God in his service will have men to meet together because they shall be of one minde This 〈◊〉 sanctification There is also private sanctification From those publick meetings which are nundinae sprituales spiritual faires every man must carry away commeatum 〈◊〉 provision for his soul for the informing his understanding reforming his will and regulating his affections and in this we must do as men do at a market provide for our use all the week following And being thus stored and provided that great end will be gained that God may be sanctified that is that he may be magnified as the 〈◊〉 expounds it And as the chief end of this day is that God may be sanctified that is magnified so the subordinate end is that we may be sanctified by the duties which we must then performe The sabbath was a signe between God and his people that they might know that it was he that sanctified them That so they being sanctified might bring forth the fruits of sanctification as Christ saith that he sanctified himselfe for our sakes not for his own Job 17. 19. Now God sanctified it 1. By appointing it to a holy use as the 〈◊〉 was sanctified from the womb 2. By separating it from other dayes for things or persons sanctified are senered from common vse and 3. by giving a special blessing to the holy duties of his worship on that day performed And thus he makes it holy or sanctifies it And as God thus made the day holy we must sanctifie our selves and then sanctifie the day as Hezekias said to the Levites sanctifie your selves and then as it follows sanctifie the house of God what God hath sanctified or made holy that we may reap the benefit of it we must sanctify our selves we cannot make it holy but keep it holy it is our duty to keep holy for if a thing be destinated to an use and be not applied to it it is 〈◊〉 We must not then make that common which God hath sanctified we are to apply it to the end to which God hath destinated it and use that holily which God hath sanctified The destination is from God the application must be from our selves When the instruments of the tabernacle were sanctified whatsoever toucheth them must be holy so here God having sanctified this day all that touch it that live and breath in it that behold the sun or light that day must be holy Now for the means of sanctification it is plain that we are sanctified by the holy Ghost and this sanctifying hath a resemblance to that of the Levitical sanctifying where nothing could be sanctified but it must have unctionem be anoynted with oyle a figure of the spiritual unction which is nothing else but the spiritual working of the holy Ghost in our hearts so that we must first looke whether we have this unction in us that is whether we have the holy Ghost by 〈◊〉 we must be sanctified which as it is the gift of God we have it not of our selves so God denyes it not to those that ask it as our Saviour speaks we must be fitted to receive it As it is God that gives it so he gives it not to any but those that are prepared to receive it that we may understand this we may take notice how the Holy Ghost is compared to fire now the matter must be prepared and gathered by us but it is God that gives the spark and makes it burne and when God hath kindled the spark it must be our duty to blow the spark and look it go not out Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle God will not give the spark it we do not prepare matter and though we prepare matter yet it will not burn unlesse God kindle the fire so that the holy ghost and by consequence sanctification is not got by following the devises of our own brain ye shall not do that which is good in your own eyes saith God but according to the prescript method which God hath set down we must gather matter for this heavenly spark which the holy Ghost must set on fire and this is done by attending to the duties of publick worship on that day for if any shall wilfully keep at home on that day though he be never so well occupied having no just cause of his absence from God house and yet thinks he pleases God the fathers of that ancient councel of Gangra have pronounced an anathema against him For the means to sanctification the special duties and acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists no other directions can be given then what we formerly gave for the means to attain knowledge onely we premise that which Saint Augustine saith of iteration that a man may say Domine scis quia dixi Domine scis quia 〈◊〉 Domine scis quia 〈◊〉 sum Lord thou knowest I have sanctified thy name because I have preached it Lord thou knowest I have spoken of it again and again Lord thou knowest I have been
be made where is that judgment we look for And if wholly upon the godly we should be apt to say 〈◊〉 non respicit nos God regards us not his providence failes And therefore to let us see that his providence continues he will give to his children some good things here and to let us know that he hath judgement in store he imparts some of them to the wicked Nor will he bestow all upon the ungodly because then they would be 〈◊〉 to conceive that they were not at Gods dispose but would sacrifice to their own net and attribute all to outward means nor all upon his children lest the devil and his instruments say as he did concerning Job doth Job serve God for nought But how then shall we acquit God of injustice and how is his promise of long life to them that honour their superiours performed 1. The distinction of bene and male will acquit him A promise must carry a benefit with it if not it were better to be without it then to have it Now long life without that blessing of going well with a man is a displeasure It is the comfort and delight which we enjoy in our life which is here promised as a blessing For Saint Augustine saith non est vera vita ubi non seliciter vivitur that cannot be called a true life which brings not content and happines with it Eliah being persecuted by Jexebel thought his life not a benefit and therefore quits God of his promise Now O Lord take away my life And indeed long life may be no benefit in two respects 1. In regard of the evil times 〈◊〉 was a good king but the times began to be evil Jerusalem was 〈◊〉 long to be destroyed Therefore Huldah the prophetesse sends him word that God would gather him to his fathers and that he should go to his grave in peace and his eyes should not see the evil that God would bring upon that city God shortned his dayes to free him from a further evil he being but 39 years old when he died 2. In regard of himself lest he should be corrupted The righteous is taken away from the evil to come It is said that 〈◊〉 was raptus a facie malitiae taken away from seeing wickednes lest either he should have been infected or grieved at it and so the pleasure of his long life here would have been a displeasure to him by the danger of eternal death 2. The second answer is to that which is secondly objected that though God takes them out of this life in these respects yet the compensation is more then equivalent he makes them amends and that fully For as when 〈◊〉 promised 〈◊〉 half his kingdom if he had given her all it had been no breach of promise in him so 〈◊〉 God give to those that honour their parents vitam perpetuam everlasting life instead of 〈◊〉 a long life he performes his promise to the full so he that promises ten pieces of silver and gives ten pieces of gold and he that promiseth an hogshed of beer and giveth as much wine breaks not his promise 3. But the 〈◊〉 and most sufficient answer is this There is no temporal thing that doth cadere in promissum Dei come within Gods promise further then it shall be conducing to the life to come for this life is but via ad vitam the way to the other and better life And therefore whatsoever God promiseth in the way it is but as it furthereth to the end 〈◊〉 pars perfectae 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 foelicitas earthly felicity is no happines unlesse it dispose us to eternal felicity because as it was said before all things must 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 work together for good 〈◊〉 it a disponatur de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the lesse blessings may be so disposed that they may agree with the chief good or at least ne periculum fiat de maximo the greatest good may not be hazarded by it And in this respect it is certain that as it is not prejudicial to the life to come God keepeth his promise Therefore as one saith our lives may be ventured pro Rege lege grege for the King the law the flock 1. Pro Rege for the king Thus when David was in danger of being stain by 〈◊〉 Benob one of the sons of the Giants 〈◊〉 hazarded his own life to save Davids and so rescued David and slew the Philistim 2. Pro lege for religion For thy sake saith the prophet we are killed all the day long Contend earnestly for the common faith saith Saint Jude 3. Pro grege As the prophets were examples so must we In these cases if a man should be desirous of life he may live but this life will prove derogatory to the life to come But if in the same cases we shall lose our lives God doth not onely reward us with 〈◊〉 the life of glory in the other world but with vita memoriae we shall have an everlasting memory and honour in this world The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance saith the father and the memory of the just is blessed saith the son and men shall say Praised be the Lord that ever such a man was born and say 〈◊〉 mortuus est iste how bravely died such a man Now 〈◊〉 are some reasons also why God prolongeth the lives of the ungodly and though they cannot expect it by vertue of his promise as the godly may for no promise is made to the wicked 1. To give them time to repent that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil as the Apostle speaks And this we see in Saint Paul by his conversion and the not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Solomon when he had forsaken God and followed strange women and false Gods was the cause sine qua non of his returning to God 2. Secondly God hath thereby a respect to the progenie of the wicked If God had cut of 〈◊〉 while he had been yong good Josiah had not been born and if Ahaz had not been suffered to live 〈◊〉 had been lost 3. Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked 〈◊〉 to live that they may be rods and scouges for the exercise and 〈◊〉 of his Church The prophet in the person of God calls Ashur the rod of his anger 4. The last reason may serve as an universal 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 such men to live long to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long suffering by his patience and long suffering The Apostle 〈◊〉 the same when he saith what if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath But as the Prophet tells them God will not suffer them to escape for ever 1. The godly shall come out and look upon their carkasses and in the meane time they shall be but as condemned persons nay they shall condemn
Another is humility Jacob fell seven times to the ground before he came to his brother The Philosopher saith Timor contrahit non intendit fear shrinks up the heart it maks it not to swell The wiseman hath a good medicine against Pride Be not wise in thine own eyes but fear the Lord. 4. The surest signe of fear is the fear of sinne which is all one with the fear of God Come ye children saith King David and hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. And both these fears are joyned by holy Job of whom it was said Job was an upright man and one that feared God and eschewed evill and as it was his practise so was it his opinion The fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evill is understanding Timor est fugitivns fear bids us not resist but fly and he that fears cannot be armed sufficiently though he put never so much harnesse on his back A thief being pursued fear will make him demittere furtuns drop that which he hath stollen or at least not have it about him So if we fear God we will be sure not to have sinne found about us we will be afraid of that lest it condemne us And this is a sure signe 6. The last is given us by Moses And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in all his wayes to love him and to serve him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. And as we are to have this signe of fear in our selves so are we to wish with the Prophet that all the earth may have this fear Let all the earth fear the Lord stand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the world and it is a fault where this desire is wanting The want of this desire argues the contrary affection that is turning others from the fear of God which God condemns by the prophet and calls it strengthening the hands of the wicked Thus then we see that fear is the end of the Law CHAP. IX The fourth inward vertue is humility The nature of it The properties of it Of Pride The nature and degrees of it signes of pride The punishments of pride Of forced humility Of Counterfeit humility The means of humility The signes of humility IT is the property of him that feareth to shrink Humility ariseth out of fear Saint Peter hath a place which fits this well Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God upon which one of the fathers saith Tanquam sub securi vehementi loquitur the Apostle speaks as if Gods hand were lifted up with his Axe ready to strike us and we shrink down for fear And so should a man do cast himself down and be content with whatsoever it shall please God to lay upon him and such a dejection of our selves is the effect of fear And this as it humbleth us towards God My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements so the like effect it produced towards men even from good men when they were in fear of men Jacob bowed himself seven times before he came to his brother The like we read of the wicked Benhadad King of Syria and his nobles being stricken with the fear of Ahab girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes upon their heads and came to him and said Thy servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let thy servant live And if the fear of mans wrath work so upon us much more ought the terrour of Gods justice that by it we should be presently cast down until we can say with Prophet Adhesit anima mea pavimento pulveri my soul cleaveth to the ground yea to the dust We see also that the Patriarchs and Prophets have shewed this humiliation by putting on sackcloth as judging themselves not worthy to be better clothed and in throwing dust and ashes upon their heads thereby professing themselves fitter and worthier to be cast under the earth then to tread on the ground any longer We must have that in truth which they signified by those types and emblemes we must be even with the ground and as the Psalmist speaks lay all our honour in the dust When we are thus humbled and have given all glory to God and none to our selves then followes our exaltation for when God hath brought us to the nethermost pit and as it were to deaths and hels door when we are at the very bottom of humility and can go no lower then are we fit to begin a foundation to build upon We must first set our selves in the lowest room and the Master of the feast will bid us sit up higher And this should be the true Myrrour of every Christian the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self knowledge which is to be commended not in the sense the Heathen took it to know and see the excellency of himselfe and so be puffed up but to see the imperfections of our soules and know our wants Pride never gets footing of us but either for want of knowledge or upon a false knowledge And therefore the Heathen considering the excellency and nobility of man and having a false apprehension of Gods Justice it was that which made them fall into that proud conceit that the preaching of Christ was foolishnesse and for the same reason it became offence also to the Jews insomuch as when Christ came to exalt and heal them they were high and sound enough already And therefore S. Augustine saith Superbis Phariseis viluit Christus Christ seems vile to the proud Pharisees Their pride made them have a base esteem of him Not that we deny but that the nature of man is most excellent yet withal remembring that the more excellent a thing is the worse it is if it degenerates And therefore seeing our estate is so vile and that it hath pleased God to vouchsafe us Christians a better way we are to follow it And this is by the true knowledge of a man himself wherein there must be 1. Humilitas mentis humility in the minde or understanding which is when the minde apprehends the infinite excellency of God and our own basenesse and this belief of the minde will raise a sutable disposition in the heart for from hence follows the second 2. Humilitas cordis voluntatis affectuum the humbling of the heart and will c. whereby a man thinks himself not worthy of food apparrel or any comforts of this life but is abased in his own sight This restrains the appetite of pride which is to be measured by that which is in every man and makes him not to exalt himself seeing there is no excellency in him and to say with the Psalmist O Lord I am not high minded I have no proud looks c. We see then that the end and use of humility is to bring
a man out of conceit with himself and to cause him to resigne all his acts to the glory of God and upon this the foundation of the building is to be laid For as the Heathen man said well Superbus miser est indignus misericordia a proud wretch deserves no pity And in the Prophet God saith I have brought down the high tree and exalted the low I have dried up the green tree and have made the dry tree to flourish And for this cause it is that our Saviour saith Except men be humble and have no more pride in them then babes there will be no entrance for them into heaven Though God can afford other things to men yet gloriam meam alteri non dabo he will not give his glory to any we must be altogether emptied before his grace can fill us And thus much for the nature of Humility Now for the command and prohibition and first for the command the affirmative part The thing here commanded is the making our selves low in our own eyes and it is defined to be an opinion or conceit of a man proceeding out of true knowledge of himself whereby a man is vile in his own judgement And to be made thus low it hath this priviledge that we cannot fall lower Qui jacet in terris non habet unde cadat Rise it may but lower it cannot fall for their 's nothing under it A man that stands may fall Qui stat videat ne cadat he that stands let him take heed lest he fall but he that thus humbleth himself is out of this rule The usuall phrases of the Holy Ghost against the high minded are casting down hewing down cutting down but the humble that hath cast himself down already feareth not Gods casting him down for he hath done it already and his next hope is of exaltation and this is a further priviledge this humiliation hath that God hath made a promise of exaltation to this vertue He that humbleth himself shall be exalted As God in the beginning made all things of nothing so he keepeth that course still to make high the things that are low and humilitie the way to exaltation In this Humiliation there are three things included 1. It must not be onely a bare base conceit of our selves and our nature which goes no further then the brain the object whereof is the Majesty of God but there must be also humilitas cordis the humbling of the heart we must be Christs disciples in this meek and lowly in heart we must assume nothing to our selves nor desire any glory but that God may have all and say with the prodigal son that we are not worthy to be called sons the degree of a hired servant will be sufficient for us 2. Secondly our appetite must be subdued and restrained and be proportionable to the gifts which God hath endowed us withall And this is against the common practise of the world where men aspire and account themselves worthy of higher degrees then they deserve and as S Bernard saith quod adepti sunt nummis meritis attribuere what preferment they buy for money they ascribe to their deserts King David is a pattern for us in this point Domine non est exaltatum cor meum c. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes losty nor do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me But this is more proper to another place 3. The third is to think better of other mens abilities then our own and not vilifie that which we see in others and extol that which we think we have in our selves which is far from humility But we are to follow the Apostles counsel In lowlinesse of minde let all esteem of others better then themselves And this point also will fit another place better 1. Concerning the first of these which is proper to this commandment as our humility must be hearty not superficial so it must be of continuance as fear is the beginning and end of the commandments so there must be humility in the beginning and humility to perfect all For the first God used never to work any excellent thing by any but did first prepare him by humility As Joseph was first sold to the Ishmaelites and then to Potiphar before he came to his place of honour And Moses was fourty yeers in Egypt and fourty yeers after that in 〈◊〉 before those excellent things and wonders were wrought by him The like we read of David and others And this is a parte ante this goes before exaltation and deliverance both in this life and that to come to make us more sensible of our future condition and endear the mercy of God therein to us 2. The other is a parte post Our humility must continue to the end as fear is continual so must humility be else it will befal us as it did Noah who was by his fear preserved in the midst of a wicked generation from the general deluge but the flood ceasing and he growing careles and destitute of his former humility and fear fell so grossely that he was a scorn to his own son So Lot as long as he was in Sodom and hambled by danger he kept himself in the fear of the Lord but being high in minde in the mountain where he thought himself safe from danger he committed incest with both his daughters The like may be said of King David who being humbled by Sauls persecution kept himself in the fear of God but coming to the kingdom and living in his palace fell in a short time into two grievous sins Adultery and Murder And therefore S. Gregory saith Perit omne quod acquiritur si non humilitate custodiatur all the goodnesse a man gets is lost again if it be not kept with humility And our Saviour Christ well knowing this after he had taught to pray for remission of sins the next petition he adds is not to be led into temptation shewing thereby that in the greatest peace and safety lies most danger and therefore when our sins are forgiven we must be most careful not to fall into sin again Much more might have been said concerning this vertue of humility but this may suffice to have been spoken because of the affinity between these two kindes of humility and the two kindes of fear formerly handled And now we come to that which is forbidden the negative part As humility is commanded so pride the opposite to it is forbidden Pride and humility are thus considered let the offence be what it will which a man commits yet humility overweigheth it and obtaineth pardon for it On the other side let a man do never so many good works and yet pride weigheth them down and choaketh them and maketh them all of no value It is one and the chiefest of the four impediments to Gods service three of which are formerly spoken of 1.