they be so easily prouoked to such foule and reprochfull tearmes must confesse before God that they bee miserable breakers of this commaundement For this though it be a drie blow yet it is a sowre blow and strikes to the heart and dries vp the bloud with sorrow and vexation But that we may be freed from this euill tongue set on fire on hell we must pray God first to set a watch before our tongues that we may not speake vnaduisedly And secondly to giue vs a good heart For according to the aboundance of the heart so the mouth speaks that is the guider of the tongue and as it were the warehouse to the mouth looke what stuffe good or bad is laid vp in the warehouse that you shall see stirring abroad in the shop The tongue no man can tame but God can tame it To him therefore we must runne that he will take away the euill of our hearts and set such a watch ouer vs as that we may speake good wholsome speaches profitable to Gods glory and the good of our brethren So this commaundement is broken in word Now it followes how it is broken indeede and that first when one strikes to the heart only without death This hurting of our neighbour in reueng God hath appointed to be punished of the Magistrate by inflicting the same hurt vpon him that he in his heart of reuenge hath done to another An eye for an eye an hand for hand foot for foot c. And that most iustly to that he should drinke of his owne cuppe He thinkes it a light matter in his passion to strike out ones eye therefore he shall feele himselfe how small a thing it is He makes no bones to cut of a leg or an arme well if he like it so well he shall make triall in himselfe how good it is which shewes also that God doth exceedingly hate this venturousnes and boldnes of men to run vpon their brother in reuenge And that we way the better see the foule vnlawfulnesse of this sin of reuenge consider what wrong it doth both vnto the partie and to God and to his owne selfe that would be reuenged For the person on whom he seekes reuenge he takes vpon to punish him without any calling or authoritie and therefore is iniurious Why but may not I doe to him as he did to me No God giues no such allowance therfore he goes beyond his calling and for this cause is iniurious Then to himselfe he doth iniurie that seekes reuenge For it imbitters his enemie more and makes him more madde against him And then he is not sure to speed better but he may get more hurt to himselfe or if he be to strong for the other yet he hates him more and watcheth him a mischiefe besides he strips himselfe of Gods protection he neither can pray for a blessing nor haue a blessing because he is out of Gods defence he promiseth no shelter nor his Angels watch not ouer him that is out of his waies therfore he is subiect eyther to hurt an other and so to imbitter him more or to be hurt and then he hath no comfort for he ranne into his owne daunger and sought his owne hurt Then he wrongs God most of all for he takes Gods office out of his hand for God hath said vengeance is mine and I will reuenge Who made you a Magistrate now to take Gods turne What commission haue you to lay hands on his image But if I suffer this he would alwaies be medling and saucie I should not haue any quiet by him But God saith I will reuenge Thinke you God hath left gouerning the world or is hee a sleepe trow you that he cannot see these troublesome persons or doth hee want iustice or power that hee cannot or will not punish them sufficiently but you must needs rush vpon the breach and passe sentence your selfe Nay you doe God great wrong he hath said he will doe and will you presume to step before him and say I will doe it my selfe But God is fittest to rewarde and reuenge iniuries for he is not partiall and he tries the hearts and sees all circumstances why he hated you how long and with what minde he did thus and thus to you and he also can and will proportion the punishment to the fault whereas commonly if men might carue to themselues here they would cut a greate deale to deepe or be to sparing the one But sith God can doe it in best time and best measure and manner and hath said he will doe it what should you doe medling with reueng vnlesse you will hurte your selfe wrong an other and shoulder God out of his place Now for murther That is either Secret or Open. Secret as by poyson or some cunning deuice such as was Ahabs deuice he would not openly murther Naboth but he lets Iesabell haue his ring and concents and conceales the matter of that cursed and bloudie fetch against Naboth Therefore the holy Ghost tearmes Ahab no better then a murderer In like case Dauid woulde not slaye Vriah with his owne hands nor by any of his owne subiects but he puts him a forlorne hope casting him in such perill that he could not escape and that with a desire of his death to and then by this plotte to couer all but God discouered both to himselfe and to the whole world to that Dauid was guiltie of murther But the grossest and most barbarous of all is when one with his owne hands openly doth take away the life of a man This was condemned Gen. 6. and a reason added Thou shalt not kill a man for he was made in the image of God This is therefore to deface Gods image and as it were to rase the princes picture and broad seale yea this thing is so hatefull vnto God that if a beast slay a man he must be slaine and his flesh must not be eaten Now if God will haue the beast stoned which hath slaine a man though he haue neither lawe nor reason to restraine him much more those worse thē beasts that hauing Gods cōmandement and reafō to hold them backe yet by al these bars cannot be kept in from violating the image of God and the soule of man Besides they haue seene how ill murderers haue sped as Caine what a curse what a brande did God set vpon him that he was alwaies a runnagate and vagabound and could find no rest vpon the earth And in Numb 35. It is said that the lande is polluted and cannot be made pure but by the death of him that was the murderer Now this is so much the more vilde by how much those bee nearer bounde in any lincke or bond to him that doth this wronge As a brother the brother the child the father the wife the husband or such like which makes the sinne a great deale more haynous and odious But most monstrous and most indigne of all is it for one
be at paines nor charges to ease them and deliuer the opprest but most men beare this mind that they would take more paines and be at more cost to pull one of their owne beastes out of the ditch then to pull a poore wronged Christian out of the pawes of the persecutor But Ionathan was not of this minde he ventured his owne life to saue Dauids and deliuered him out of the hands of Saule his father though it seemed Dauid only stood betwixt him and the crowne And Obadiah when he being the kings steward had as one would thinke need to looke that hee loose not the kings fauour and Ahab his master raised an hot and sharpe persecution and would haue slaine all the Prophets and he should haue scaped but ill in liklihood if his master had perceiued that he had beene a fauorite of them and aboue that the famine was so great in the land that no bread water almost could be gotten for money so that it was not only dangerous but exceeding chargeable to keepe an hundreth men now whom the king sought with all diligence to put to death yet notwithstanding all these impediments he stood faithfully for God and his Prophets and kept an hundreth of them with bread and water sufficiently in the heat of persecution and the midst of a great famine Rahab also so soone as she had any sparke of religion and the feare of the true God defended the spies and that with the hazard of her owne life for when the king would faine haue gotten them and he had a purpose to make them sure enough she hid them and saued their life and by that meanes also saued her selfe and all her household and had this priuiledge that after Christ Iesus came of her stock and posteritie But on the contrarie most cursed and hellish of all are these that be so farre from helping and succouring Gods afflicted saints as that they reioyce at their trouble recount it one to another as a verie ioyfull tidings that makes them merrie and they put an hand to it and to their power helpe it forward these be cruell wretches inspirde with the malice of the diuell and vnlesse they repent shall bee miserable wretches hereafter freed with the vengeance of God as a reward of their crueltie The third and last dutie heere commaunded is to shew mercie to the needie that want according to your abilitie and their necessitie This Christ commaunds Luke 12. 33. Sell that you haue and make you bags that waxe not olde Where Christ exhorting them to be mercifull meets with a common obiection Indeed I would willingly bestow something vpon Christ I owe him a good turne and could finde in my heart to pay him but alasse I haue nothing to giue yet haue you nothing to sell neuer a strike of corne neuer a peece of land no spare household stuffe that you can spare for Christ If you haue sold it and giue it to Christ for Christs sake euen as wicked a man will rather sell something to serue his lust then that he will haue it vnserued so do you rather sell something for Christs sake then let him goe vnserued shew that you loue him as well as they loue their lust O but if I should sell and giue thus I should be beggerd nay Christ wils no man to beggar himselfe but make you bags this is such a treasure as no other is like it you should get a more excellent encrease for no other treasure but it is of that nature that eyther of it selfe it wil corrupt the canker rust will set on bring it to naught or else the theefe may meet with it so that one is in cōtinuall daunger to loose it become poore But this is such a kinde of treasure as in it selfe it is eternall and it is so surely kept that no man can deptiue vs of it by force or craft and then another benefit is Where your treasure is there is your heart also This is a good effect that if you lay vp a treasure in heauen your hearts will follow also What is the reason that many men can come so hardly and with such difficultie to thinke or speake of heauen that we may as easily make a great milstone ascend vp into the skies as to draw their thoughts to heauenward it cannot be because their treasure is not their they haue sent nothing before them thether Worldly men can talke nimbly and readily of grounds mony and beasts because they haue laid vp their treasure in these things and let one goe whether he will from one end of the world to the other his heart will still be there where his treasure lies of this he will talke at his table in the field as he walkes as he lies euerie where and he is not weary The treasure drawes the hart vnto it But these haue neuer laid vp one pennie in heauen haue reposed nothing in Christes bosome therefore haue no mind to thinke of him and one may sooner pull their heart out of their bodies then put any heauenly and constant meditation of God and the life to come into them But if one would let his chiefe wealth be with God and lay vp his speciall good in heauen his chiefe thoughts and speciall desires and meditations would be of God and of heauen he would talke of it as willingly as nimbly readily as constantly and with as little tediousnesse as the most couetous man of his money and cattle and nothing should be so delightfull to him as to conferre and meditate of things pertayning to the life to come And in the Prouer. it is said He that is merciful to the poore rewards his own soule as if he had said Euerie man will yeeld that it is a good thing to be beneficiall to himselfe and to doe good to his soule But this is most certaine that nothing in the world no purpose no bargaine shall bring so much profit vnto the soule as a mercifull heart and a liberall hand to bestowe his goods upon poore christians the members of Christ Iesus so the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 9. He that sowes liberally shall also reape liberally It is otherwise in this matter then it is in other haruests for let a man sow neuer so good seede and vse all diligence in preparing and fitting the ground yet some casualtie may befal which will spoile the haruest and a man shall not haue the seede againe but heere it is certaine one shall haue a good haruest nothing shall marre his crop if owne sow but a cup of cold water for conscience and in loue it is sowne vpon Christ Iesus and he is the ground as in Matt. 25. I was hungrie and thiristie c. and ye fed and gaue drinke to me Therefore vnlesse wee thinke that Christ will be a barren ground it is most certaine that hee that scatters seed here shall find a large increase that which is cast
not that which God hates and therefore doth not loue God By these things then wee may examine our selues and finde whether we haue any true loue to god or not namely by his loue to the meanes of saluation and by his keeping Gods commandements by his seruent and harty loue to Gods people in wishing and also doing then good to his power by his desire to bee joyned to Christ Iesus and lastly by his hatred of those things which God hateth which though they doe often ouertake him yet he loues himselfe the lesse because hee can hate them no more and thinkes the worse of himselfe because hee loues them at all These things who so can finde in himselfe hee loues God and obeyes this commandement though not in perfection for no man can in his nature and indeede it is not needefull that any of vs should for Christ did it for vs yet in vprightnesse and in some good measure and he serues God with that which hee accounts a perfect hart So much of the loue of God a fruit of knowledge when knowing his goodnes his mercie his truth other his properties we giue him all our soule setting our affections on nothing in earth besides him delighting in him alone and in nothing but that which carries a stampe of his goodnesse The next dutie that is heere commanded is the feare of God a dutie proceeding from knowledge also for as the sight of Gods goodnesse and mercy and truth will inflame the hart with a loue of him So if one behold and consider his greatnesse and his power and his excellencie ouer all his creatures this will strike his hart with a wonderfull reuerence a great feare of his Majestie As also hee that knowes Gods power that he can doe what hee will and his mercy that hee will doe what is needefull for the good of his children this will make him trust wholy in God But for this feare an objection must first be answered For 1. Iohn 4. he saith Perfect loue casteth out feare And Luke 1. We are deliuered from all our enemies that we might serue him without feare To this wee answere that perfect loue casteth out feare namely a slauish feare and such as is in the diuels who tremble before God but so as they runne frō him such as is in wicked men when the threatnings of God arrests their euill conscience and summons their wicked harts and drawes them before Gods iudgement seat makes them therefore not loue Gods word and ministry but hate it cast off all care of Godlinesse and religion from them But it is true that whosoeuer loues God cannot chuse but in the same measure also feare him for the spirit of God that perswades them of his fauour and worketh loue will declare his power and greatnesse which will worke a feare and awe of him It casteth out the hellish feare that makes one flie from God but it causeth that holie feare that makes one more careful to come vnto him and to worship him Wee must then loue God with our whole harts and soules and mindes so that wee feare nothing but in him and for him and that with such a feare as must draw vs vnto him but terrifieng our harts from committing all euill It must be a feare mingled with loue and confidence that must be holy and crucifie and restraine all ill affections and desires This is commanded Isai 8. 13. Sanctifie the Lord in your harts and let him be your feare and your dread The occasion of this precept was this Before in the chap he shewes that there were stirres and rumours of warres in the land the people and King and all did quake as leaues shaken with wind by reason of the great feare which was in them Now then heere hee brings a medicine that will make them still and quiet for the cause of their false feares was because they were emptie of true feare and they were so exceedingly troubled with men because they could not looke vp vnto God But in the 12. ver the Prophet faith You that bee Gods children doe not you feare their feare Feare not you the feares of wicked men for they feare nothing but pouertie and outward disgrace and a temporall death all weather and hard casualties to themselues their goods these bee base feares and not worthie that the harts of Gods children should be taken vp with them being but trifles feare not these things then nor feare them that is not wicked men feare neither the feares which wicked men feare nor feare not wicked men themselues But now because the hart of man must feare something and least it be very well armed it is ready to feare man and the feares of man therefore he shewes a meanes how to keepe one from all infection of such foolish feares and that is to sanctifie God in our hart and to let him be our dread Sanctifie god in our hart j. giue him the praise of his power of his mercie of his trueth of all his attributs then he shal be our dread For he that giues god the praise of his power wil neuer stand in feare of a man for he knowes the power of god is greater thē the power of man He that giues him the praise of his mercie will not be dismaid though he see all wants an hard estate outwardly for he knows that gods mercie wil supply all he that giues him the praise of his trueth wil not be discouraged for any danger because god hath promised to stustain him in all and to deliuer him out of all This is then to feare God with all our harts to feare him onely and neither to feare wicked men nor the things which they feare for so far as we doe feare either of these we breake his commandement and our harts are voide of the true feare of God So Luke 12. 4. 5. Christ Iesus saith Feare not them that kill the bodie and after that are not able to doe any more But I will forewarne you whom you shall feare feare him that after he hath killed can cast into hell I say vnto you him feare Where he saith that can kill the bodie t is not to be vnderstoode as though any man had any power in himselfe to kill it but God giues them leaue some-times and by his permission for the humbling of his children they are able to kill them as if he had said This is the nature of men that if they see any grow powerfull great they are afrayd think how shall we escape how can any be free from daunger now such persōs be set vp but why should you be so troubled at their promotion or why should you be afrayd when they haue done their worst what can they doe the most is to trouble you a little and to send you from this house of clay to heauen they can go no further then to the killing of your bodie But if you
faithfull seruice they come as spies into the house and to spie out infirmities in the family and if they can but spie a fault and weakenesse in their gouernours then out it must to the disgracing and defaming of the Maister and to bring an euill report vpon him this proues that there is not that due account and estimation for it proceeds from a disloyall irreuerend heart when one cares not to speake ill of his gouernours But as reuerence must breed a good and lowly gesture and good words to the master so it must also bring forth good speaches of the maister and a concealement so much as may be of his wants And hauing these fruites it is proued to be true and vpright and not counterfeit and not dissembling The second dutie of seruants is to obey the Maister and Dame for as they be but one flesh so make but one gouernement So the holy Ghost saith seruants obey your maisters in all thinges That is to be vnderstood that are lawfull for if the master command to lie or sweare or breake the Sabboth that is not to be done but in such case it is better to obey God then man But in all indifferent and lawfull thinges the seruant is to submit himselfe and to obey This obedience consists both in doing things commanded cheerefully and willingly and faithfully as also in suffering rebuke and correction that shall bee laid vpon him not only to yeeld to the commandement but also to their chasticemēt and as to do the worke set vnto them so if the gouernour should administer correction vnto them to indure it with patiēce meekenes for the time of their seruice and continuance and not to make a brawling and contention 1. Peter 2. 18. Peter commands to feare the maister But what say you if he be froward and churlish yet reuerence him still I but hee corrects me vniustly though he doe beare it quietly submit thy selfe and by how much the lesse one hath deferued it the more reward shal he haue from God if with good and quiet heart he can be content to endure it till God release him of it for if one deseure sharpe correction and be content to haue it that is no thankes to him when the theese hath stolne and robd and is condemned to die then for him to be content that the rope be put about his necke and he cast of the ladder that is no thankes for he is worthy of it and hath deserued it and he shall haue it whether he will or no and euery man will put to his hand to helpe him to it but if one haue done all good seruice with a good conscience and discharge hsi dutie faithfully and yet not being kindly dealth with all but for kindnesse to receiue wrong and for a reward stripes then to subdue ones one pride to tame and maister his flesh and in patience to recommend his cause to God this is acceptable to God this shewes a great measure of grace and here the lesse reward the maister giues God will giue more and Christ will recompence his Maisters vnkindnesse with kindnesse from himselfe But contrarie to this is the dealing of such that may be bidden to doe manie thinges but will doe what they list and then if they be rebuked murmur if corrected straight seeke to reueng This is a beastly and rude thinge not to submitte himselfe to Gods yoake And those parents which haue children abroad and heare such thinges of them let them looke to it be time for certainely those that be stubborne abroad let them get a little more strength and they will rebell at home and he that will take the staffe by the end when his Maister or Dame come to correct him if the parents allow this they shall haue their heart full of woe and greife if euer themselues come to giue correction and this is their excuse commonly I deserue it not But if narture should not be giuen till most seruants confesse they deserue it it should neuer be giuen for as euery one is more damnably vilde more cursedly wicked and all together rooted in sinne so he is more proud and frowarde and will least yeeld himselfe to be faultie But deserue it or not euerie one hath deserued more at Gods hand by some other sin and that God should set him in such a place and God doth deserue that we should suffer a little for his sake that set his sonne to suffer so much for our sakes The third dutie of seruants is faithfulnesse as is commanded Tit. 2. 10. That they shew all good faithfulnesse How is that not pickers or stealers that is not faithfulnesse The seruant then must be faithfull in his Masters good and as thristie and diligent in doing the workes of his maisters familie as if it were the worke of his owne owne family and for himselfe Let him looke that no ill gotten goods cleaue to his hands for this is a foule treacherie when the maister giues him wages and meat and drinke and thinges due and fit to become a theese and rob him this is against the law of nature and of nations to deceiue him and bcome a soe to him that trusts one and puts cōfidence in him Therefore this serues to reproue such as will be prigging and filching and conuerting their masters goods to them selues If either they looke for sounde peace and comfort to their conscience they must make restitution of all such things This is one thing then to restraine one let him remember that how much soeuer he steales so much he must restore and the fifth part thereto or if he keepe it he keepes Gods curse with it and a woe to his owne conscience Therefore they sinne highly that care not what losse they bring to their maister if it be secret And also in an other kinde of vnfaithfulnesse is in riotous seruants that can rid of no worke but meat and drinke to carowse and drinke healths and drinke one an other vnder the table let them alone they be men of proofe for such matters but if it be to doe any thing of good seruice to the familie that the master should be the better for it yet cā doe nothing These be vnfaithfull for an idle person is a companion with the waister and such be theeues for they liue out of a calling they obey no law nor haue any warrant from God to vse any of his creatures A fourth dutie in seruants is to serue God in their calling For admitte one doe all the former that he reuerence his master in his heart and neuer giue him an ill word or shew a froward gesture neuer disobey him nor be vnfaithfull nor idle but so carefull that he would not rob his maister of the least matter in his greatest necessitie yet all this will afford no comfort vnlesse one haue done it for conscience and hath serued God in it This is the mayne dutie and pillar of the rest that one
to lay violent hands vpon himselfe to whom he is bound by all bands For though one be neere to father and mother c. yet his selfe his owne person is most deare to himselfe and he ought to haue most care of himselfe therefore to rende his owne soule and bodie a sunder is most horrible and breakes most bondes of God and nature And this no beast will doe Sometimes they will teare and goare one an other but no beast was euer in such extremitie of paine or in such miserie as that he woulde rage against himselfe and seeke to depriue himselfe of life And this is noted of haynous persons as of Iudas and Achitophel who were first violent and barbarous to others and then at length they turned the point of cruelty vpon themselues Therefore this should make vs pray to God especially from this highest degree of murther and most haynous execrable crueltie For the causes that a man growes to this beastly rage and crueltie against his owne bodie is first a monstrous pride that one will not be vnlesse he may be as he lust himselfe hee will not submitte his will to Gods will Secondly vnbeleefe that one hath no faith in God nor neuer lookes for a good issue out of troubles Thirdly from extreame crueltie to others as Saule when he had beene bloudily minded against the priests of God and Dauid he made his conscience so feirce as that it set vpon himselfe and wreeked his teene vpon his owne bowels And Achitophel was cruelly bent against Dauid and carried an earnest thirsting after his bloud and then at length he fell to be as ill minded to himselfe when he was once crost of his purpose and desire Now let vs labour to keepe our selues from enuie and hatred and take heede of reueng and God will keepe vs from murther he that makes conscience and prayes against the least shall keepe himselfe safe against falling into the greatest Thus much for the thinges forbidden in this commandement The thing commanded is generally to loue our neighbours soule and bodie as our owne And the particular duties that in it are giuen in charge are either inward or outward The inward are two Meekenesse and Compassion Meekenesse that is a milde and quiet and louing disposition of the heart and a kinde and curteous affection to our neighbours This is commanded Ephes 4. 32 Be ye curteous one to an other and tender hearted This curtesie he opposeth to anger and bitternesse of heart which he had named in the former verse as breaches of this comandement And reasons why one should carrie a tender and meeke affection towards his neighbour one may be that which is said in Is Wilt thou be cruell to thy owne flesh we haue one God one father and be as it were one bodie and must therefore be like affected one to an other as members of one bodie And an other reason is 1. Pet. 3. A woman of a meeke spirit is much set by of God and that which is particulerly applied to the woman is true Of the man that whosoeuer hath a meeke and quiet spirit he is in high account and fauour with God and his Angels as contrarie a froward and contentious person be he as conceited of himselfe as he will is base and contemptible in the eyes of God and of all Gods children And as Christ saith Matt. 5. Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherite the Earth Now the branches and parts of this meekenesse are First to forgiue one an other As in the place of the Ephes. before be yee curteous forgiuing one an other as God for Christs sake forgaue you Meeting with an obiection that might haue beene made why I meeke I am as geÌ„ttle affable and quiet as any man in the world can bee so long as you doe not crosse me nor wrong me nor disgrace me but indeede if you will doe me any iniurie or crosse me of my will a little then you must pardon me I am something passionate I cannot endure it Can you not endure it What can you endure then Surely no more then a Beare or a Lion or a beast can But a christian meekenesse will forgiue and forget iniuries and wronges it will not only be kinde to the kinde and shewe curtesie for curtesie for this the veriest reprobate and deepest dissembler in the world may doe but it will ouercome euill with good it will be kind to the vnkind and put vp wrongs and offences And as he lookes for pardon from God for farre greater matters So he will not sticke easily to giue pardon for these lesser thinges But he that cannot bring his heart to this to forgiue his enemie and to doe good to his enemie he hath not yet attained to the first step of the duties required in this commandement Thou shalt not kill and therefore can much lesse attaine to the latter and greater A second braunch and indeed an effect of this kindnes is to to construe all things in the best part to take things in the best sence and meaning we can not to be suspicious and misdeeming For this ill construction and wrong interpretation of things by haling and wresting theÌ„ to the worse sence wee can is a meanes to fill our owne hearts full of bitternesse and make vs readie vpon euerie occasion to fall to brawling and contention with other men When one shall be doubting perhaps he thinkes thus of me it may be he had this meaning or did it in this intent this will maruellouslly infect the heart and fill it full of hatred and malice and therefore Rom. 1. It is set downe as a note of a wicked person that he takes all thinges in the worst parte and this is a suâ—e brand of a wicked person But a curteous and meeeke man will be sure if a thing may be expounded one way better then an other to take it in the best sence and the best way he can A thirde braunche and effect of meekenesse is to seeke after peace to be a peace maker to studie to preserue and maintaine vnitie and loue as it is said in the Psal Seeke peace and follow it as if he had said peace is a Iewell most precious that if one laboure for it he may find but else he cannot I but will some one say how can I get it it flies from me I would faine be friends and he will not I offer peace and kindnesse but he is froward and I can finde no good entreatie at his hands well yet follow after though it runne from you for a while pursue still and at length you shall finde it and that to your great comfort Now then a man followes after peace when he avoids all things that might breede iarres and minister occasion of offence now manie men there be that would seeme to haue peace and haue men thinke well of them and deale kindly with them but they care not how they behaue themselues and what they doe
window vpon a time and sees how commodiously Naboths vinyard stoode to his pallace and thought the might make him a faire garden there and he might haue a gooly priuate walke as it were so close to his therfore he would faine haue it And so sends for Naboth offers him some consideration for it but Naboth knew that he might not alienate his possenssion from himselfe that God had giuen him therefore hee sayes him nay but his desire was so earnest and importunate that it would take no nay and therefore hee was euen sicke with greefe and desire of that which was none of his And then there was no way left but Naboth must be slane and by hooke and crooke Ahab must haue the vinyarde and so Naboths life and vinyarde were both taken away but so that Ahab destroyed his familie and posteritie by this euill couetousnesse The vse that we must make of this is that though we haue neuer done any man wrong in one pennie yet we must repent for the wrong of the heart and the secret desire of the soule or els before God we are culpable of the breach of this commandement and lyable to the plague of God for it Secondly wee must learne to restraine our desires and keepe in the wandring lusts of our heart for that which it is a sin to take before men it is a sinne to wish before God therefore we must binde our minds to the good abearance Now the way to expell this wicked and greedie couetousnes of wealth is to consider these two thinges First the small or noe good that riches can doe vnto them that haue them Secondly to consider the certaine hurt that the desire of them will bring For the ground of couetousnesse is this that men haue a false and foolish imagination that wealth will bring some happinesse and if they had riches in good store then they should be in good safetie and in an happie case but that riches can make ones estate no whitte the better it is proued in the Psalme 62. 10. 11. 12. If riches increase set not thine heart vpon them He would haue one let his heart be neuer a whit set to his wealth and deeme himselfe no whit the better for the increase of them what is not one better nor hath he not cause to be more glad when his purse is full of monie then if he had neuer a farthing no sure not one iot and hee giues three reasons First saith he God spake once or twice and I heard it power belongeth vnto God This is reason nothing hath any power to doe a man any good but God therefore if he haue all the wealth in the world his wealth cannot helpe him it cannot keepe away any iudgement it cannot free him from death nor from hell but one may as soone goe to hell from weale or woe Diues may passe into torment as well as the veriest begger aliue Nay it cannot beare of any one stroake of God vpō soule or vpon bodie in this life it cannot keepe away sickenesse not greefe then if they be such weake thinges he that hath them is neuer a whit the nearer any good nor further from any euill why should one either earnestly desire them or greatly reioyce when he hath them Secondly To thee O Lord belongeth mercie There is no mercie but in God nor kindenesse but from God and that a man is kindely entreated it is not from wealth but from God that puts loue into mens hearts for if ones ways be pleasing vnto God he will make his enemies to become his friends and contrarie if ones waies displease him he will make ones friends his foes and those that owe him most dutie and haue here tofore shewed most loue vnto him to be his most bitter enemies and seeke his ouerthrow As in Dauid when hee had sinned against God he raysed vp his sonne against him who not with standing his welth and kingdome sought his life and would haue killed him Thirdly thou O Lord rewardest euery man according to his workes That is an other reason because God lookes to workes not to wealth when he comes to iudgment as if he had said most men dreame that it shall goe with them according to their goods and riches that they haue heaped vp this were true indeede if their were no God or else an idle God as Epicures imagine that sits a sleepe in heauen and cares not how things goes with men in the world but if there be a God that gouernes the world that is awaken and hath the ordering of matters then the question shall not be with what a mā hath But what he hath done not what riches But what grace and goodnesse he possesseth for sinne shall haue shame and he that is godly and mercifull and humble hee shall haue glorie and he shall be saued Sith it is so that riches are so little profitable or availeable this must keepe out of our hearts this whorish desire of riches that cannot profit Secondly as riches are sure to doe vs noe good so we are sure that the desire of them will doe vs much hurt and as there is no helpe from the hauing so there is certaine danger from the coueting For in Timothie the Apostle cals it the root of all euill Where this is there is sinne enough no euill that a man will abstaine from if it may procure his filthy lucre he will forbeare nothing if it lye in his way to gaine neither will he doe any good that seemeth contrarie to his profit therefore the daunger is greate that accompanies couetousnesse namely the rushing into all kinde of mischeefe and wickednesse and the neglecting and omitting of euerie thing that is good For it hinders one from the cheefe meanes of saluation and hinders the working of these meanes in him How it keeps men from the word and sacrements Christ shewes in the parable Luk. 14. 18. Some had oxen could not come some had farmes and must be held excused in generall euerie couetous man hath some pulbacke from religion or if happily sometimes he doe ouercome that let by much a doe step into the Church dore and set him downe before the preacher yet the holy Ghost tels vs how he is occupied speaking to Ezekiel he sayes that they sat before him indeede but though he was a man of rare gifts and verie eloquent yet their hearts went after their couetousnesse So that a couetous mans heart is in continuall trauaile though his bodie sit still for sometime yet his meditations and thoughts are moyling and rotting into the earth so that he can giue no attention to the word nor marke nothing that is spoken But yeelde that sometimes a quame of attention come ouer him admit that he can frame to giue eare to that which is spoken vnto him yet all is fruitlesse he gets no good for these be the cares of this world that like thornes choake the good seede of the word
counsell of his word and of his seruants If you had taken this course which is the right course you had beene safe but now that you are falne the best way is not to lye crying and exclaiming against him that was an occasion of your fall but seeke how to rise vp againe take the right phisicke and goe to the right phisition God is the phisition true repentance and prayer for helpe is the right medicine and if one vse these meanes they shall find helpe the hurt is cured Thus much for wastfulnesse the next is niggardlinesse A base couetous needie and euill eye when one cannot finde in his heart to take his part of the things God hath bestowed vpon him but will serue and pinch himselfe and rob himselfe of the vse of that which he hath in his owne keeping this is as bad as if he should doe the same to an other all is one to bring pouertie vpon an other by wronging him and to bring a needlesse need vpon himselfe by wronging himselfe It is a most miserable and base thing for one to restraine himselfe of his lawfull libertie in meat drinke apparell and honest recreation where God hath not abridged him This sinne the wise man sets forth Eccles 2. 26. Where he speakes of two sorts of people the one which God loues and to those he giues not onely riches and aboundance of all things but also the right and ioyfull vse of the same that they shall be able with comfort to vse that which God hath giuen them But there is an other kind of people whom God hates and how shall they speed thus They shall haue payne to gather and heape vp wealth which must be bestowed vpon those that be holy and good in Gods sight God hath certaine enemies in the world vpon whom he purposeth to be auenged in this life and how will he plague them This shall be their curse he will appoint them to be slaues and drudges and lay vp wealth great store but they shall want a liberall and a good vse they shall toyle and moyle and tumble and tosse and carke and care and struggle and striue for earth a great deale more then Gods children can doe for heauen and when they haue beene at all this labour and spent themselues thus they shall see no good day nor haue one houre of comfort an other must enioy all Likewise in Eccles 6. 1. Salomon speakes of the same sinne he cals it an euill sicknesse a plague of the soule and a pestilence of the conscience And yet it is verie common among men that a man should haue good and wealth enough enough to serue the husband and wife to spend to their daies merily together and to suffice the parents to reioyce with their children and gouernours to liue quietly among and with their seruants if they had a heart to take their part but through the vnsatiablenesse of the mind there are such seares such cares such wishing such desiring such wrestling such wrangling with wife and chafing with seruants that it is a house of disquiet and vexation and in the midst of all outward meanes of comfort they liue all without comfort This is a sicke family this house is infected with the plague of God that vpon the soule this is a most miserable and grieuous disease Therefore we must all learne to beware of this basenesse which is ordinarie with men of most abilitie of all in the parish you shall haue them come seldomest to Church vpon the sabboth daies no more then needs they must but vpon the weeke day neuer at all not once in a twelue month and if you aske them why what is the reason you can finde no leisure to come to heare Gods word and to seeke the meanes your saluation vpon the weeke daies why alasse we haue such a deale of buisinesse so much rrouble as that we cannot dispatch it in anie time we must needs follow our calling and see to our household and thus commonly it is seene that those which haue most land liuing haue most paines and vexation all lies vpon them and all must come through their own hands they haue no seruants none to helpe themselues and they must needs looke to it but who puts them to all this trouble who laies such a burthen vpon them surely this it is that eyther they be so miserable and close fisted that ye will not lay out any thing to hire helpe or else if they doe entertaine a seruant they punish him so miserably in his diet deale so deceitfully with him in his wages or oppresse ouercharge him so cruelly with labour as that he that hath had experience of them one yeare will not be perswaded to liue with them the second and thus they trouble themselues with plaine nigardise and no necessitie that God hath imposed vpon them This men commonly call good husbandrie and thrift for a man to lay about him so and take on and doe all himselfe but it is plaine theft before God for one to spend himselfe pull a want vpon himselfe when he may liue in plenty Gods marks be found vpō him for a wicked man and a cursed sinner when he hath much but can vse nothing That he which hath a verie small portion may liue more comfortably sleepe more quietly pray more cheerefully and sing Psalmes with greater ioy then he that hath so much abundance as nothing hurts him but too much These therfore that be such miserable bondslaues to lucre and couetousnes as that they be as much at the command of gaine both for their bodie their sleepe and euerie thing as the saints of God be vnto Christ Iesus let them repent of there theeuerie and not bragge of their honestie say they will desie him that will call them theeues for then they must desie God for he will tell them they be theeues that will not thankefully vse his benefits but pinch and sterue themselues We would thinke that it were an ill member in the bodie that would not be content that any other member should haue any thing but would be scraping all to it selfe and nothing was well which was not bestowed vpon it For the bodie hath seuerall parts and euery one hath his proper vse that is fittest for it selfe and so in the mamilie the husband and wife haue both their duities and there is a place for seruants to and those that one for couetousnesse will weare himselfe and spend himselfe and spend his strength and spirits that all must goe through his hand and nothing can be well vnlesse it be of his owne doing this misdeeming of others and ouercharging of himselfe is a damnable sinne and vnlesse he repent for it God will proceed against him at the day of iudgement as against as base a theefe as any vnder heauen Thus much for theft in ones owne goods Now for theft of an other mans goods And first of that which is done with
and dutie as he was desirous kindly to grant it and offer it there should be no let but Dauid should without delay espouse his daughter and become his sonne in law therefore he willed all his seruants to commend his good will vnto Dauid and to shewe him howe highly he was in the Kings fauour when all this while GOD knowes and hath made the world to know that this was but to entrap him and bring him into a snare that by her means he might the sooner priuily dispatch him But when Dauid in modestie was vnwilling to take so high a place and therefore excused himselfe for his pouertie and inabilitie to giue a dowrie befitting the greatnesse of such a personage Saule verie glad of so good an occasion as he thought would not let it slip but as he made shew in great kindnesse tels him what is the dowry all that you stand vpon if that be all the impediment I will soone remoue this let and the matter shall bee effected Let not Dauid thinke but that his nature will afford a dowrie good enoughe for a princes daughter and let him not imagine that Saule is so farre in loue with mony as that he will looke for so great a summe of him whō he hopes to find a valiant couragious sonne no Dauid thy valure is a treasure and some of this courage is that which my soule desires and which shall fully accomplish this mariage we desire let mee but see heere 100. foreskins of the Philistines those enemies of God and Gods people by whose meanes we haue sustained much losse and daunger Doe then I say take reuenge of these my deadly foes which thy valure I know can doe without delay and these shall be to me in stead of so many masses of gold and siluer this shall be a price for which and in recompence whereof I will bestow my daughter vpon thee which I doe not aske doubting of thy valure and courage but that a further experience may more amply proue that of which we haue had continuall tryall in thy selfe that thou wilt be a valiant son vnto me This was a colourable speach pretēded great good will whē in the meane while all Sauls mind burned with malice and desire of Dauids death and he hoped by this meanes to make him fall by the hand of the Philistians Now Saule well knowing his owne falsehood and double dealing was hereby brought into a vehement but a most false and iniurious suspicion of Dauids infidelitie and treacherie towards him So those that haue poluted their owne soules and bodie with most filthy facts and are the most vncleannest and wicked persons in a countrie will soonest imagine and suspect an other to be most filthie and are readie to iudge all men sore where their sores runnes An other cause of this is hipocrisie when one neuer examineth his owne heart then he is most readie to prie into an other mans life and he that spares himselfe will lay load vpon an other Thus the Scribes and Pharises were dissembling hipocrites and neuer medled with their owne hearts to condemne any sinne there and therefore Christ and his disciples could haue no peace by them but they were continually misdeeming and suspecting and ready to censure hardly of them without a cause for if they would haue bestowed but some time in truth to haue entred vnto their owne soules and made a narrow search of themselues they would haue founde so much businesse there as other men might haue liued quietly enough by them So Saint Iames saith 3. Chap. 17. vers That true wisdome which is from aboue is without iudging without hipocrisie He shewes the cause why the best men be neuer the rashest iudgers neuer so hastie to passe sentence vpon other men because they hauing true hearts desiring to be as good as they seeme to be haue so much to doe in fighting and striuing with their owne corruptions as that they cannot spend so much time to be examining other mens dealings and marking what other men doe amisse So on the other side take me an hipocrite that cares for nothing but to make a shew before men that neuer labours to approue his heart to God and neuer striues against his owne secret sinnes you shall haue him so nimble and so quicke in searching out other men that he cannot see a fault where it is but he hath such sharpe sight that hee can see a fault where none is in an other because he cannot see a fault where it is in himselfe They thought that the cause why they could so quickly condemne other men was because they were more holy thē other men and therefore tooke a priuiledge to themselues to giue what verdit they thought good on euerie mans actions but Saint Iames tels them an other tale and brings the true cause indeede what made their hearts so readie to conceiue amisse and to thinke wrongfully of an other because they had not as yet learnd to thinke aright of themselues for more hipocrisie alwaies breedes more rash iudging and misprision Thus we see what be the causes of this euill suspicion namely at the lest foolishnesse and vncharitablenesse or else an ill conscience and deepe hipocrisie and the one of these is alwaies a cause Now the effects are euen as bad for if the heart bee infected thus it makes one apt and readie to speake do euill if one allow himselfe to thinke euill hee cannot withhold his tongue to speake it and his hand to practise ill if occasion serue for what euer is within in the thought that will shew it selfe opēly it will bewray it selfe in the mouth in the hand in all ones actiōs As appeares in Daniels enemies that hauing cōceiued an ill opinion of him that he kept them from honour did nothing else but practise and lay diuilish plots till they had brought him into danger of death and founde him within the compasse of a law All this malice arose from hence that they falsely suspected Daniel to forestall them of honour and to haue kept them from that high place that they thought themselues as worthye of and euery way as fitte for it as hee The vse of this is that if we would not be found culpable of the breach of this commandement and trangressing against the name and fame of our christian brother then must we not giue ourselues allowance to conceiue any ill opinion of them without sufficient warrant and due ground for the same for though the thing which we suspect be so indeede that is not the question if we haue no warrant nor noe good proofe and foundation for our suspicion we are guiltie of the hurting the fame of our neighbour for what though it may he so in matters of our neighbours credit we must not take such light coniectures as a sufficient cause to moue a suspicion we must doe as we would be done by and I pray you what man aliue almost is there that
of him or any thinge belonging to him but with desire of his good euery way to couet signifies to haue a motion of the heart without consent of will From this then that God forbids coueting we learne that the first motion and inclination of the heart to any sin though a mā neuer yeeld to it or plot and cast about how to bring it to passe is a sin And the reasons are plaine first because God hath forbidden it as in Rom 7. Paul saith he had not known lust to be a sin but that the law saith thou shalt not lust He knew and many heathen mē that neuer heard of Gods law did confesse that the inward thoughts ioyned with consent and full purpose to doe them if occasion serued were sins but for those that did but as it were passe through the hart and stayd not there had noe place of abode yeelded to them but were shut out so soone as they entered he could neuer be perswaded that these were faults prouoked Gods wrath but that by the law he knew God had said and then he beleeued it Secondly if one examine these by that generall rule doe as you would be done by he shall see that they agree not with it For no man would be willing to haue an other man conceiue the least flying conceit or thought that might hurt him though he neuer went about to put in practise therfore also must be driuen to cōfesse that it is a sin in him to haue such thoughts towards an other 3 if we cōsider the cause it will appeare what they be They are fruits of originall sinne and proceede from naturall corruption now who can drawe a cleane thing out of an vncleane thing who can pull good fruit out of a bad tree being then effects of our naturall pollution that we receiued from Adam for if we had continued in innocencie we should haue been perfect without any such motion of the inward heart they are naught for what euer coms from sin is sin Lastly if the effects be marked they shall appeare to be euill Now Saint Iames. 1. 14. sets downe the effects of these euill thoughts motions euery man saith he is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is inticed This Saint Iames shews that let one make as little accoūt of these thoughts as he please and count them small mattters yet the worke that they doe is not small for they draw on a side from beholding God they turne the heart from considering God to marking those things that he should not then when he is puld frō looking vnto God he fals to according and practising and then sin brings death So that these are like a little sparke of fire lighting vpon tinder or toe such like that if they be not quickly quēched will grow to a great flame So the danger is great that cōes from euery one of these that we so little regard for there is not the least but it hardens the hart and withdraws it frō God and maks it more vnfit to pray or heare or do any thing that is good but more easily to be drawn to any sin And therefore it is not slightly to be passed ouer So that because they breake Gods cōmandement are against the law of charitie and cāe from an euill cause bring with them such euill effects therfore the least imagination arising in the heart without any agreeing of the minde to put it in practise is sin and deserues death The vse that we should make of this is for our continuall humiliation that our nature the whole frame of our soule body is such as no minute almost goes ouer our head but some sin some euill and vaine motion or other goes through our hart ariseth frō the puddle of our flesh our nature is like some great fireband that if it be neuer so little stird sends forth many sparkes on euery side Therefore we must learne in this regard to deny ourselues to fal down before god beseeching him to heale our nature to wash and clense it more more by his holy spirit Then one hath made one good vse of the law when he is so touched with the sight of his sins as that he goes quite out of himselfe when the law hath so stopt his mouth as that he can alledg nothing in himselfe wherfore he should not be dāned but relies and casts himselfe only on the mercies of God in the merits of Christ Againe this teacheth to vse all good meanes to keepe our heart from these ill motions and hinder this firebrand from sparking First make a cournanant with our eyes to looke vpon nothing our eares to heare nothing and all our sences to admit nothing into the heart that may stirre vp and prouoke the naughtines of it Secondly take downe the flesh oftē by fasting and prayer hearing and such spirituall exercises for this is the cause why it growes so strong because we doe not set ourselues to resist it and fight against it For if we would beseech God to giue a blessing and vse all the good means that he hath appointed to kill and crucifie it it would be a good helpe to vs and we should preuaile more against it Thirdly learne to set our minde on worke alwaies with some good meditation and holy desires and thoughts for mans heart is restlesse like the watch of a clocke that while the poyses hang at it if it be not set right will goe wrong so while we liue if we doe not by grace set our heart aright towardes God and man corruption will drawe it wrong Therefore it is that many are so troubled with ill motions and continuall boyling of ill thoughts because the heart is not busied and taken vp with some good thing for if grace cease working corruption wil streight be doing Thus much for that that the barethoughts are condemned if the consenting be euill the conceiuing is so to if the proceeding were wicked the beginning is wicked also House The house is put in the first place not because the house is more deere and neere then the wife but because this iniurie in desiring the house extendeth it selfe to the husband to the wife to the children and seruants yea to the beasts also and cattle euerie one hath a part in it it is more generall then the rest in hurting therefore it is placed in the first place In that this breach is set in the first place that is hurtfull to more Wee learne that those sinnes which are iniurious to more men are more hurtfull to ones selfe and most hated of God and for this cause coueting other mens houses is set in the first ranke and in the chiefe place of it and most abhorde So in Esay the Lord pronounceth an especiall woe and curse against those that ioyne house to house that they may dwell alone in the land So in Iob. 20. he shewes