these Rules â— we would be found defective and faulty and what matter of humiliation and repentance we may have for what is past and what challenges we may have hereafter from this Law with what need of continual applications to the Blood of Sprinkling and of Washings in that open Fountain to the House of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness and what need of endeavours to have our steps ordered more exactly according to it Before we close the Preface I shall first add two distinctions more then two more Rules 3. Give you some Scriptures for your memories cause 4. Give some directions or helps to those who make conscience to study this Law 5. Answer and clear a special case 1 Then ye would distinguish betwixt this Law as given to Adam and as given to Israel for as given to him it was a Covenant of Works but as given to them it 's a Covenant of Grace and so from us now it calls for Gospel-duties as Faith in Christ 1 Tim. 1.5 Repentance Hope in God c. and although it call for legal duties yet in a Gospel-manner therefore we are in the first Commandment commanded to have God for our God which cannot be by sinners obeyed but in Christ Jesus the Covenant of Works being broken and the tye of Friendship thereby between God and Man made void so that now men as to that Covenant are without God in the world and without Christ and the Promises Ephes. 2.12 13. And so our having God for our God which is pointed at in the Preface to the Commandments and Christ for our Saviour and closing with his Righteousness and the Promises of the Covenant which are all Yea and Amen in him must go together 2 Distinguish betwixt the divers Administrations of the Covenant of Grace and of the Law in respect of Positives falling under the second Commandment for that Commandment tyed the Israelites before Christ to Circumcision Sacrifices the seventh day of the Week and other Ceremonies agreeable to the Administration of the Law and Covenant of Grace then but now it forbiddeth them to us and requireth other duties for the Priesthood being changed there is of necessity a change also of the Laws belonging thereto yet that Commandment as a part of the Moral Law doth perpetually oblige and tye to worship God and none other and that according to the manner which he prescribes Next unto the Rules already laid down for the better understanding of the Commandments we add two more The first is that the Commandments are so to be expounded as that none of them may contradict another that is there is nothing commanded in one that is forbidden in another or contrary one duty doth not justle with nor thrust out another but they differ only and then two duties coming together in that case one of them ceaseth to be a duty for that time as is said in that distinction of affirmative and negative Commands The second Rule is that all these Commandments bind and call for obedience from men according to their places and other qualifications and circumstances The fifth Commandment calleth for one thing from a Magistrate another from a Subject a Magistrate is to edifie one way a Minister another a private Christian another a Servant is one way to reprove his Fellow-servant a Master another way The Law requires more from a man of parts power and riches than from another as to exercise and improvement of these gifts The Law being just has in it a proportionableness to places parts c. and sets bounds to stations but alters them not nor confounds them 3 For the help of your memories and that ye may have these Rules more obvious ye may draw them all under these five Scriptures The first Scripture is Psal. 119. v. 96. Thy Commandment is exceeding broad which though it be more extensive in its meaning yet it doth certainly include this Law which in an especial way is the Commandment and in the sense and comprehensive meaning thereof is exceeding broad for it takes in the fulness and extent of the whole Law in its obligation as to all things persons and duties of all sorts The second Scripture is Rom. 7.14 which speaks to the Spirituality of the Law in the obedience which it calleth for the Law is Spiritual The third Scripture is Rom. 7.12 which speaks the perfection of its nature the Law is Just therefore fretting against what it commandeth or wishing it were otherwise is a breach thereof It is holy therefore to be disconformable unto it is to be unholy it 's good and therefore it ought to be loved and delighted in The fourth Scripture is 1 Tim. 1.5 and it speaketh the great end of the Law The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned which threefold End speaketh out the absolute purity and holiness called for in our love to God and others so as to have a good conscience in this before God all which must slow from unfeigned Faith without presumption resting on Jesus Christ who is in this sense the end of the Law The fifth Scripture is 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if a man use it lawfully and this guards against abusing of the Law and putteth us to the lawful use of it There are extreams in abusing the Law as 1. When it is used to seek Righteousness by it Again 2. When the Authority of it is pretended for something it Warrants not such as the Traditions of the Fathers Mat. 15. seeking of Salvation by the observation of Circumcision c. 3. When its Authority in practise is denied 4. When it is turned from practise to vain speculations and questions 5. When it is so used as it deters and scares from Christ 6. When it is so made use of as it oppresses and discourages a Believer for whose sake 1 T â—â— 1.19 it was never made or appointed as to its threatnings and condemning Power And lastly in a word when it is not used to the ends and in the manner expressed in the former Scriptures Fourthly Because the study of this Law is so singularly useful we not only press and commend it but add further some few directions whereby we may be helped rightly to use it and to guard against the abuse of it in our hearing and reading of it 1 The first direction is ye would look on it as God's Word and take it as if ye heard himself from Sinai pronounce it that so ye may tremble and be more affected with holy fear when ever ye read hear it or meditate upon it for so was the people affected when it was first promulgate 2 Be much in prayer for grace to take up its meaning David Psal. 119.18 c. prayed often for this and thought it not unbecoming a King yea a believing King and a Prophet to study this Law and pray much for opened eyes to understand the
regulated by charity and prudence directing so to assist our neighbour in his present exigence as we may also be sure of our after relief lest for the debts of others our own families be made to moan for want 2. We may consider a mans failing in reference to this Command as he wrongeth and stealeth from himself the free and comfortable use of his own estate of this man Solomon speaketh Eccles. 4.6 8. and 6.1 2. and he stewardeth not the world well when he hath it who cannot find in his heart to live on his own and who liveth heartlesly as if he had nothing at all in this respect a man wrongeth himself and particularly these wayes 1. By coveting too great a measure of riches so that he will not be content with enough but he will and must be rich this is avaritia or greed even though the means be lawful which he useth for acquiring of riches 2. By the vexing anxious manner of seeking after even what is necessary Thus a man may be diffidently and vexingly solicitous for his to morrows dinner and be vexed about it as it is Matth. 6.31 Caring for the morrow what he shall eat or drink or taking thought about it this is carking carefulness 3. There is a failing in keeping any thing of the world that we have gotten when we cannot bestow it cannot twin or part with it for charitable either publick or private uses nay not for honest uses this is niggardliness And when it is universal both in reference to our selves and others it is Durities or extream hardness 4. Some may spend on themselves liberally but they can part with nothing for charitable supply of others such a one was Nabal 1 Sam. 25. and this is churlishness 5. Some cannot even bestow on themselves what is sufficient either for meat drink or cloathing as we may see Eccles. 6.1 2. and chap. 4.8 that the man hath much and yet can neither sleep nor eat heartily because the comfortable use of creature enjoyments is Gods gift this is sordidness Over all these persons the world prevaileth it mastereth and overcometh them and they do not master and overcome it as Christians ought to do If we would come to consider in the next place how a man should profit better and improve his own estate it will be hard to speak so of it as to pitch upon particulars for certainly God alloweth parsimonie or sutable and due sparing and frugalitie as he disalloweth and discountenanceth the extreams in the defect and excess we would then consider the midst in quo stat virtus as they use to say and so speak of the positive part in these following questions 1. If a man may aim and endeavour to increase his estate how far by what means or how and for what ends 2. How we are to walk in merchandize and bargains 3. How to walk in charity alms and distributing to others 4. How to walk in managing of our estate as to the gathering keeping or preserving and using of it 5. What to judge of and how to carry in Vsury as it is called 6. What to account of the punishment of theft in the Court of men 7. How it came that the covetous have been so marked or noted in the primitive times 1 Cor. 6.10 and Ephes. 5.5 that they have been looked on as persons secluded from Heaven and not worthy of Church fellowship and what marks to know him by where we may touch a little on the ill of that sin and speak a word by way of disswasive from it For the first That one may lawfully increase his estate or goods cannot be denyed it being well qualified Jacob Gen. 30.30 found it necessary to provide for his family and 1 Tim. 5.8 it is a thing that nature it self teacheth a very Infidel The great matter is to qualifie it rightly 1. as to the end 2. the measure 3. the means 4. the way and the manner 1. For the end 1. The chief and last is Gods glory that we may be serviceable to him with our substance in our generation and may be kept from stealing and lying Prov. 30.8 9. 2. Others good that we may be helpful to them for men may and should work for this end although they had what were sufficient for themselves see Ephes. 4.28 3. Our selves are to be considered and we are to look here 1. to necessity 2. to convenience 3. to honesty There is a threefold necessity 1. of providing for our selves 2. for our family 1 Tim. 5.8 3. for our place and station such as Nehemiah cap. 5.14 c. was apprehensive of hence tribute is allowed to the Magistrate being in so publick and eminent a station and so useful for the people In all these we should live as far as may be on our own having an eye to that direction of the Wise man Prov. 5.15 2. Conveniencie requireth more then necessity and is to be provided for see Prov. 30.8 where Agur prayeth for that which is neither too much nor too little but convenient 3. There is honesty and this hath yet a farther reach then conveniency and thus we are to provide things honest in the sight of all men which may be lawfully aimed at to be honest then even before men is commendable honesty being no pride see Rom. 12.17 2 Cor. 8.21 2. As for the measure which is to be kept in the increasing of our goods it is hard to determine it yet sure folks are not left to gather as much as they may even by lawful means attain to having no bound set to their desires designs and indeavours but adding one thing to another till they be as it were alone in the earth which is reproved Isa. 5.8 Hab. 2.9 This boundlesness alas haunteth and attendeth too many and hath never satisfaction Agur found there was an excess in riches to be prayed against as vvell as poverty otherwayes he durst not so have prayed It is with riches as with meat and drink competencie is good but excess surfetteth and loadeth Luke 21.34 Hab. 2.6 We conceive these generals may be laid dovvn here 1. What may conduce for the ends aforesaid and is necessary convenient and honest that men may aim at and no further is needful 2. Riches not being promised but only vvhat is convenient and our endeavours being commanded only for things honest this indeed may be aimed at but a man should not intend to attain to any thing beyond vvhat he hath a promise or command for The promise is he shall not want any good thing Psal. 34.10 and 84.11 vvhich is indeed broad enough and may in some respect be extended even to the command for things honest vvhereof vve have spoken see Heb. 13.5 6. vvhere in the Greek to guard the hearts of the people of God against covetousness and to fortifie against all fears of vvanting vvhat is necessary and competent there is a five-fold negative in the promise I will not not leave thee
assertion Rom. 7.7 that he had not known this sin of Lust but by the Law maketh it evident that the Command speaketh of Lust not easily discernable yea that he himself discerned it not till he was renewed and so it spoke of such Lusts as after regeneration to his sense and feeling abounded most Now none can say there were either in him more resolutions to sin or more delight in them then before but a quicker sense of these sinful stirrings and irritations then he had formerly 3. We take in here morosa delectatio o â— the entertaining of extravagant Imaginations as of honour greatness lust pleasure c. with delight where the heart frameth such Romances and pleaseth it self with meditating and feeding on them which Eccles. 6.9 is called the wandring of the desire and in other places of Scripture the imaginations of the heart of man which even nature it self may teach to be sinful this properly cometh in as a legg to say so or member and degree of this sin and as an evidence of one ac â—â—ally discontented with his own lot contentedness wi â—â— which is the positive part of this Command and is a whoring of the heart after vanity in a palpable degree to satisfie it self in its phantasies and notions and this is not only when the heart runneth upon sinful objects but also vain objects which David hated Psal. 119.113 for this reilling proving of heart is ever upon some other mans portion at least upon what is not ours and tendeth ever to the imagining of some thing which is not as an addition to our good which supposeth discontent with what we have 4. We take in here such Concupiscence as though it approveth not unlawful means to prosecute its inordinate designs yet it is too eager in the pursuit and discontent when it falleth short as for instance when Achab would buy Naboths Vineyard and pay for it or a man would marry such a woman lawfully supposing she were free and there were consent of parties c. the one is not stealing nor the other adultery yet both of them suppose a discontent when the desire of having is too eager and when there is an inordinateness in the affection or desire after it as when one cometh thus peremptorily to desire to have such a thing or to wish that such a thing were I would fain have this or that O that this or that were even as David longed for a drink of the Well of Bethlehem In a word we take in all that is opposite to or inconsistent with satisfaction in our own lot and love to our Neighbour under which this Command as the rest is compreh â—nded Rom. 13.9 even the least risings of any thing tending that way or that inclineth to discontentment in our selves It is true every desire to have something added to our lot or amended in it is not to be condemned but when it is inordinate as 1. when the thing is not needful 2. when the desire is too eager 3. when the thing too much affecteth and even discontenteth till it be effected and done Now this being the scope and sum of this Command it may be gathered of how broad and vast extent the breaches of it are Is there one hour wherein there a â—e not multitudes of these evil thoughts flowing running and roving through the heart Ah! what discontents with providences grudgings vain wishings c. are there and although all these as they reflect on God are against the first Command yet as they imply discontentment in us with our lot or as they are risings of heart to evil though wrestled against and wherein the Spirit getteth the victory they are against this Command so that not only vain Imaginations that are formed with delight but even those that are scarce suffered to breath yet having once a being are against this Command and sinful For 1. they break a Law and are disconformed to that which we should be 2. In Paul Rom. 7. who yet gave not way to these they are called sin and the body of death 3. He wrestleth against them and cryeth out under them desiring to be quit of them verse 24. now if they were only penal such out-cries and complaints were not so like him whom a complication of sharpest afflictions could never make once to groan but this body of death made him to cry out 4. They lust against and oppose the Spirit Gal. 5.17 and so are against the Law of God Rom. 7. and tend to obedience to the Law of Sin and further the execution of its decrees 5. These are of the naâ—ure of Original sin and a branch growing of that â—oot and so what is born of the flesh is flesh the branch â—ust â—e of the nature of the root if the tree be corrupt the fruit must be so 6. These make way for other sins and keep the door open for temptations to grosser evils and give the Devil access to blow up the fire 7. They keep out many good motions and obstruct many duties and indispose for them 8. They marr communion with God who should have the all of the soul heart and mind and sure if he had his due there would be no place for these as there will be none for them among the spirits of the just men made perfect 9. These sinful risings in the heart are a great burthen to a tender walker who groaneth under that habitual lightness and vanity of his mind in the gaddings whorings and departings of it from God for because of it he cannot get his whole delight uninterruptedly set on him and though he delighteth in the Law of God after the inner man yet he cannot win up to full conformity to it in his practise or when he would and resolveth to do good yet ere he wit as it were ill is present with him and his heart is away and on the pursuit of one foolish toyl and vanity or another 10. Paul speaking of these lustful stirrings of the heart doth make it evident Rom. 7. throughout the Chapter that this Command speaketh of such Lusts which he had not known except the Law had said thou shalt not lust Now men naturally know that inward assent to sin even before it be acted is sinful yea Paul knew he had such things as these corrupt motions in him but he knew not that they were sinful but from the Law and that after its spiritual meaning was made known to him and from this it is that such who are regenerate see more sins in themselves then ever they did while unregenerate not simply because they have more but now having the spirit and a contrary principle within they discern that to be sinful which they took no notice of as such formerly 11. The frequency of this sin of inordinacy in the first stirrings and motions of the heart is no little aggravation of it for what hour of a mans life when waking yea even when asleep in dreaming a man
putteth beyond debate shall work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose where he hath to speak so with reverence to his Maiesty condescended some way to abridge his own Soveraignty and absolute Dominion ingaging himself by Covenant that though he may do what he will yet he shall will to do nothing but what shall be for his Peoples good so that in all his dispensations towards them his absolute Dominion and his good Will shall be commensurable and of equal extent the one of them never to be stretched one hairs breadth beyond the other and even in the most dark involved intricate obstruse and mysterious providences wherein they can read and take up least of his mind and wherein he seeming to walk either in the greatest absoluteness of his Dominion or in the sharpest severity of his Justice refuseth to give a particular account of his matters and motions hath wonde â—fully stooped and condescended to give this general sweetly-satisfactory Account That they shall work for good even their spiritual good and profit The purging of sin and their further participation of his Holiness O! that all the gradiously sincere Lovers of God and the effectually called according to his purpose might from the lively Faith of this be perswaded and prevailed with to set themselves down at the Receit of these Customs from the many Crosses and Afflictions that come their way with a fixed resolution to suffer none of them to pass without paying the Custom imposed by the King The faithful diligent close and constant following of this imployment would inspeakably inrich and more than make up all their Losses infinitly beyond what gathering in the Customs of the rarest and richest Commodities of both the Ind â—es could possibly do were they all ingrossed and monopolized to that most honourable Society of the Godly and would help them to bear out a great spiritual rank and port sutable to the state of the King and as it becometh them that are priviledged to be Collectors of such Customs under Him It is now Noble Madam a long time not far from towards 30. years what ever was before since your Ladyship was known by some to be helped through G â—a â—e seriously to sit down at the receit of these Customs from the cross and afflicting dispensation â— which then occurred to you whereby ye did observably improve better and increase your spiritual stock and state some-way to the admiration of Standers-by and since that time for most part of it you have been in the holy Providence of God tryed with a tract of Tribulations each of them more trying than another and some of them such that I think as once the blest Author of this Treatise on occasion of a sad and surprising stroak the removal of the desire of his eyes his gracious and faithful Wife after a whiles silence with much gravity and great composure of spirit said Who could perswade me to believe that this is good if God had not said it if all the world had said and sworn it they could very hardly if at all have perswaded you to believe that they were good But since God that cannot lye hath said it there is no room left to debate or doubt of it let be to deny it and if your Ladyship as I hope you have hath been all this while gathering up the Customs of spiritual good and gain imposed upon these many various and great tribulations wherewith the Lord no doubt on a blessed design of singular good to you hath thought fit to exercise you beyond most persons living at least of your so noble station and extraction O! what a va â—t Stock and Treasure of rich and soul-inriching precious experiences of the good and profit of all these Afflictions and Tribulations must you needs have lying by you What humility and soft-walking what contrition and tenderness of heart what frequency and fervency what seriousness and spirituality in Prayer what sitting alone and keeping silence because he hath done it what justifying of God and ascribing Righteousness to Him in all that he hath done what sweet Soli-loquies communings with the heart on the Bod self-searchings and examinations what delightsome meditations on God and on his Law what Mortification of Lusts what deadness and denyedness to and what weanedness from all Creature-comforts and delights of the sons of Men What solicitous securing of the grand Interest amid'st these shakings-loose of all other interests what coveting of and complacency in fellowship with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ while your other fellowship is made desolate what accounting of all things so much in account amongst men to be but loss dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledg of Jesus Christ the Lord what growing disconformity to the World by the renewing of your mind what transforming into the Image of God from Glory to Glo â—y as by the Spirit of the Lord what examplary holiness in all manner of conversation what postponing of all particular and self-interests to the publick interest of his Glory what waitings and longings for the Coming of his Kingdom what desires and designs faithfully to serve your Generation according to His Will and when that is done what groanings to be uncloathed and cloathed upon with your House from above and what lively longings with sweet submissions to his Will to be dissolved and to be with Jesus Christ which is best of all How much in the mean time of a Stranger 's Pilgrim's deportment with published practical plain declarations to the world that this is not your Country but that you are in expectation of one even a Heavenly Country so that God is not ashamed to be called your God finally What practical and experimental knowledge of and clear insight in that notable and none-such art of making out of God and making up in Him what is missing amongst the Creatures a little of whom can go far inconceivably far to fill up much empty and voyd room through the removal of many and most choice Creature-comforts What possibly loss or want is it that cannot be made up in him who is God all-sufficient and in whom what-ever is desirable and excellent amongst them all is to be found in an eminently transcendent and infinitely more excellent way and from whom as the inexhaustible full Fountain and incomprehensibly vast immense shoarless boundless and bottomless Ocean of all delightful desirable imaginable and possible perfections the small drops and little â—ivulets of seeming and painted perfections scattered amongst the Creatures issue forth O! beautiful and blest fruits of afflictions yet not brought forth by afflictions of themselves but by his own grace working together with and by them a part of whose Royal and Incommunicable Prerogative it is not communicate nor given out of his own hand to any dispenâ—ation whether of Ordinances or of Providences more smiling or more cross abstractly from his
of the breach thereof and therefore ye should consider that it is broken 1. In Doctrine or doctrinally 2. In practice 3. In both when the Doctrines vented and published against truth have external practices following on them as that doctrine of Image-worship hath which we have spoken to already and is the gross breach of this Command and the Lord instanceth it as being the greatest because where this is all sorts of Idolatry are for it supposeth Idolatry against the first Command and that some esteem and weight is laid upon that Creature we worship beyond what is its due as if there were in it some divinity or ability to help whereby it is thought worthy of such honour whereupon followeth that external worship which is given to it upon that account and so because Saints are thought able to hear and help men pray to them and because the Cross is thought holy men worship it c. and as this Idolatry is manifold among the Papists so it is palpable when Prayer is made to Saints Reliques Bread the Cross Images c. Now that we may further explain this consider that this Command is three ways broken doctrinally all which have a great influence upon mens breaking of it in their practice or the Service and Worship of God is three ways wronged by the doctrines of men 1. When some thing is added to his Service which he hath not commanded and this is superstition and will-worship largely so taken Of this kind are 1. The 5 Popish Sacraments added to those two the Lord appointed 2. Other and more Mediators than the One Mediator Christ. 3. More meritorious causes of Pardon and Justification than the blood and merits of Christ. 4. More Officers in his house than he hath appointed such as Bishops Cardinals c. 5. More Ceremonies in worship as Salt Spittle and Cream added in Baptism to VVater and Kneeling c. to the Lords Supper 6. More Holy-days then God hath instituted 7. Other things to be acknowledged for the Word of God than the Scripture as Traditions Apocrypha c. and many such things whereof for the most part Popery is made up 2ly It is broken when his Ordinances are diminished and any thing which he hath commanded is taken away from them as is clear from Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought there from and thus they break this Command by taking away the Cup from Laicks as they call them in the Lords Supper and the use of the Bible from the People in their own Language also it is broken by taking away Baptism from Infants and Discipline or Excommunication from the Church and by taking away the Sabbath day and publick singing of Psalms or such like not to speak of that Blasphemous and some-way Pagan-Her â—sie of Qunquerisme over-turning most if not all the Ordinances of God destructive to all true Religion and Christianity and introducing at least having a native tendency to introduce old Paganism and Barbarity 3dly This Command is broken by corrupting of Gods worship as when the Word is mis-interpreted and mis-applyed Prayers are used in a strange Tongue the Word is mixed with Errours and the Church both left without Discipline and abused in civil things which tendeth to the corrupting of Gods Service unqualified-men put into the Ministry and kept in i â— when Sacraments are rested on and worshipped even as the Brazen Serpent was abused and the Temple though appointed by God at first for good ends was afterward rested on and Idolized Again this Command is practically broken four ways First by gross prophanity and neglect of the practice of known duties of worship this way are guilty all prophane Contemners of Sacraments Word Discipline c. All Neglecters of them when they may have them and all these that set not themselves to go rightly about them in secret in Families or in Publick and wh â—re many opportunities of Gospel Ordinances are this sin is the more frequent and so all Atheists that contemne Religion and these that would only serve God with a good heart and intention as they pretend without any outward worship are condemned here and also those who for fear or advantage give not testimony to the Truth and Ordinances of Christ when such a testimony is called for 2. Men sin against this Command when they practise will-worship and superstition in servin â— God by duties he never required â—â— whether â— It be Will-worship in respect of the Service it self as when that is gone about as duty which is not in it s â—lf lawful as when such and such Pilgrimages and Penances are appointed by men to be done as Service to God Or 2. When worship or Service under the Gospel is astricted to such a place as if it were Holier to pray in one place than in another and that therefore God did hear Prayer there more willingly and easily than in another place Or 3. In respect of bodily posture as if there were more Religion in one posture than in another as in receiving the Lords-Supper Kneeling or Praying in such and such a posture except in so far as it is decent and otherwise rightly regulate by â—ules of Prudence and Natures light 4. When it is without a Divine Warrant tyed to such a time only as Christmass commonly called Yool Easter Pasche c. which is an Observing of times that God hath not appointed 5. When it is tyed to such an occasion or accident as to Pray when the Clock striketh or when on â— Neeseth which Plinius marked of Tiberius who was no Religious man yet could not abide one who lifted not his Hat when he Neesed and said not God bless and he observeth it among these things he can give no reason for the Prayer is good but the timing of it so and astricting it to that thing is superstitious so your lightwakes and Diriges as ye call them are upon this account to be condemned either as superstitious or as prophane or at the best as the reliques and causes or occasions of both For 1. Once in times of Popish darkness they were so used or rather abused 2. Why are your Visits stinted to such a time more than another It profiteth not the defunct and it hurteth the person you come unto a multitude not being â—it for comforting or instructing and yet it cannot be called a meer civil visit being trusted with such an occasion but certainly it suteth not nor is it a Christian carriage toward the Dead and after the Burial of the Dead to spend time together in such a way as is commonly used Beside it is superstitious when a thing without reason is astricted to such a time or occasion as giving and receiving of gifts on New-years-day too too common amongst Christians though a Heathenish custome which day as Gratian observes was dedicated to their Devil-god Janus He asserts likewise that such Christians as in his
5. How it is taken in vain in our conversation as others are occasioned or caused to Blaspheme God's Name by our carriage 6. Concerning Lots c. These we shall consider especially with respect to our practise In speaking of what concerneth Oaths we would 1. speak of an Oath 2. Of the Obligation of it for this Command both requireth Oaths and the keeping of them and it may be broken in reference to both We would in the entry distinguish betwixt these four 1. Oaths 2. Asseverations 3. Simple affirmations or Assertions 4. Imprecations or Curses 1. Oaths are such as directly invocate God by such like expressions as Be or By as By my holiness I have sworne Psal. 89. I swear by the Lord. 2. Asseverations called vehement Assertions are expressed thus As the Lord liveth As that Light shineth in Conscience Faith c. 3. Simple assertions are such as in truth truly indeed which but speak the thing simply and affirm that to be true or false that is asserted and so belongeth to the 9th Command only as such 4. Imprecations are either directed to ones self conditionally as if such a thing be truth then let me perish Shame befall me if I do not this or this or towards others especially in these Shame befall thee the Devil take thee a Vengeance on th â—e and other expressions abominable to mention Again in Oaths which are for confirmation let us distinguish betwixt assertory Oaths that do but confirm such a thing to be truth and promissory Oaths that ingage the person Swearing to the performance of such a thing for the time to come either absolutely or with qualifications For clearing the matter take this proposition that Oaths in both these cases being well qualified is a lawful piece of God's worship and may and should be made use of by his People this is a clear truth from these Scriptures Deut. 10.20 Deut. 6.13 Jer. 4.2 As for Anabaptists who deny the lawfulness of Oaths under the New Testament we are not now to meddle with them because there be few in these days that are in such an Errour We shall consider 1. What qualifications are requisite to right Swearing Then 2. Clear some practical questions 3. Shew wherein this Command is violate in respect of Swearing In an Oath consider 1. It s matter 2. It s form 3. It s rise or mens Call to it 4. The expressions its conceived in 5. Our manner of going about it 6. Our keeping of it which followeth after to be spoken to distinctly First for the matter of an Oath Assertory Oaths must be of things that are 1. True 2. Weighty 3. They must be such to our knowledge Again Promissory Oaths must be in things just and lawful possible profitable and in our power and which to our knowledge are such 2. The forme must be By the true God it being a peculiar part of his worship for we can swear by none whom we cannot invocate therefore Idols Creatures Graces c. are excluded here for none of these are God 3. It s rise must be Edification that is God's glory our own vindication or our Neighbours good or the call of a Magistrate putting us to it and it should be used for deciding of Controversies when no other mean of clearing or deciding such a thing is remaining hence we say juratus fuit he was Sworn passively and the Hebrews have no active word for expressing it to let us see men ought not to swear but to be sworne or by necessity pressed to it 4. As to the expressions in which it is conceived or the thing sworne it s required not only that it be truth to and in the mans meaning that sweareth but that the expressions be plain and intelligible to his meaning and understanding to whom the Oath is given otherwise it deludeth but doth not clear Hence these two rules are to be observed 1. That the meaning be so clear as may be and is most ordinarily and obviou â—â—y gathered from such words and expressions as are used 2. That the expressions be according as they are supposed to be understood by others especially him that exacteth the Oath for if he mean one thing and we another God's Name is prophaned and the end of an Oath frustrate much more equivocations in expressions and mental reservations are to be condemned here the first whereof taketh in Ambiguity in words the second a different sense in our thoughts from what seemeth to be meaned in our words 5. As to the right manner of Swearing these things ought to be noticed 1. That it be in judgment that we understand the thing we Swear and the nature of our Oath and him we swear by Jer. 4.2 2. Fear and Reverence in going about it as being in an especial way in God's own sight thus to fear an Oath is a good property and the heart would be filled with the apprehension of a present God 3. Singleness in the end that it be not to deceive any but to express the truth truly and faithfully called Righteousness Jer. 4.2 And for the most part these properties or qualifications may agree to Oaths Asseverations and Imprecations For the further clearing of this matter we would speak to some questions And the 1. Question is How then differ Oat â—s from Asseverations Answ. They should both be in Truth Judgment with fear and when called unto but in this they differ that in Oaths we are only to make mention of the true God and swear by him but Asseverations may be thus expressed As thy Soul liveth 2 King 2. v. 2.4 6. and yet we do not swear by the Soul of any A 2d Question is What may we judge of such Oathes as are By Angels Saints Mary Paul By other Creatures as Heaven Light the World by Soul Conscience c. Or by Graces as by Faith Answ. We need not use much Curiosity in Distinctions For we conceive them all to be simply unlawful 1. Because none of these are God and swearing is a Peculiar piece of his Worship Deut. 6.13 And swearing by any thing what ever it be which is not God is condemned Jer. 5.7 They have sworn by those who are not Gods 2. Because we cannot invocate any of these and therefore cannot swear by them seeing an Oath carryeth along with it an Invocation of him we swear by 3. Because they want these Properties due to such to whom this Worship belongeth As 1. Omniscience to try whether we mean as we have sworn or not 2. Omnipotency And 3. Justice to avenge if it be not so as we have sworn 4. Soveraignty to call the Swearers to a Reckoning 4. Because it would derogate from the Scope of this Command which giveth this to God alone as his due and implyeth that he alone hath all these Properties in him 5. Because such Oathes are expresly Prohibited by Christ Matth. 3.34 Swear not all neither by Heaven nor Earth For they stand in an Inferiour
12. Neither can there be any reason given Why the Breach of an Oath to man should be charged on a Person as a Sin and Infamy and the Breach of an Oath to God not be much more charged so Oh! Take notice then ye who sin willingly who Drink Swear omit Prayer Let your minds wander and study not Holiness in good earnest that your sins have these Aggravations to make them horrible infamous and inexcusable 1. There is manifest Perjury against the Oath of God which even according to the Pharisees Doctrine Matth. 15.33 was Abominable Thou shalt not say they Forswear thy self but shalt pay or perform thy Oath to the Lord. 2. There is unfaithful dealing and Abominable Treachery to break under trust and to keep no Ingagement to Him 3. There is not only Perjury and Treachery simply but towards God which is more and draweth a great deal deeper than towards any other It 's Dreadful to deal Unfaithfully Treacherously and Perjuriously with Him 4. All this is in things that are very equitable and much for your own good which maketh no small aggravation 5. This is done not only against promises but against many promises and many other bands 6. That it s often and in many things that you sin against these promises 7. That sin is little resented or laid to heart on this consideration and as so aggravated If it be said Then it is better to make no promises at all than to come under such aggravations of guilt by breaches of them for none keep them exactly and so men must needs be in great and continual disquietness and anxity while under them Were it not better then to be doing without promising Answ. 1. It is not free to us Not to make them more than it is To break them or not to keep them and when we are called to make such Promises and make them not it becometh sin to us as was said It s not free to us whether we shall be Baptised Communicate c. or not therefore whosoever would not so engage were to be censured and punished as utter despisers of the Lord's Covenant Gen. 17.14 Exod. 12. 2. They who refuse to take them lay themselves open to the temptation of being more easily prevailed with not to perform these duties or of being sooner insnared in such sins because they are not formally engaged by Vow against them and so they make themselves culpably accessary to the strengthning of tentation and weakning of resolution to the contrary whereof they are no doubt obliged 3. If you intend indeed to perform these duties then ye may ingage to do so but if ye will not so much as Promise and engage to do them it cannot be expected in reason that ye will Do them especially considering that even these who honestly promise and ingage do yet notwithstanding find a great difficulty to do and perform O take heed that you be not by your refusing to engage making a back-door for your selves to go out from your duty that so you may the more easily and with the less challenge shift it If it be yet said that the sin of simple omitting the duty is less than the omitting of it after engagements and vows to the contrary Answ. 1. It is not so to a Christian who is called to engage himself yea who by Baptisme is already ingaged for 1. The man that neither ingageth to do nor doth the duty faileth twice whereas he that ingageth and performeth not faileth but once though that once failing is by its being cross to his ingagement not a little aggravated so that in some respect each fault or failing exceedeth the other the one is a greater sin considered in it self but the other is greater considered complexly 2. The man that ingageth not is more accessary to his own falling in â—â—spect that he used not that Mean to prevent it yet the other when fallen is more guilty in respect of the breach of his ingagement 3. The man that will not ingage bringeth himself under a necessity of sinning for if he perform not he faileth twice as is said if he perform he faileth because he ingaged not when he was called to it so his performing is not the performing of a Vow to God who requireth promising in some cases at least as well as performing 4. The man that Promiseth and Voweth and also performeth what he Promised and Vowed his performing is so much the more acceptable as it proceedeth not only from the awe of a Command but from a spontaneous and free-will offering of it to God and so is both Obedience to a Command and the performance of a Vow for thus he chooseth obedience as it is Psal. 119.30 It is not so with the other whether he perform it or not though we think that God often letteth the man fall that will not ingage because he sayeth by his refusal that he trusteth not to God for the performance otherwise he would ingage and undertake on his account also he sayeth withal that he aymeth to perform only because he cannot eschew it And if he could shake off and be freed from that Obligation to Holiness that he would not out of respect to God or love to Holiness take on a new one 5. The man that ingageth not sinneth more unexcusably in that he will not do that which is the lesser and in his power The less and more easie a thing it be to promise and ingage as it is no doubt more easie than to perform the omission of it is the greater sin and more inexcusable The case is indeed as to Heathens otherwise who were never thus engaged nor called to engage themselves but unto Christians it will be no excuse If it be replyed that this is very hard for then no Christian will be free of Perjury nor have Peace Answ. 1. I grant the case is hard and the Strait great but it is such as sloweth from our own corruption in this as in other duties and parts of holiness for as the Law is holy just and good Rom. 7. and is not to be blamed as accessary to our sin so the Vow is holy just and good and is not to be blamed if in the circumstances right because of our breach 2. As I think it is hard to keep our selves free of sin even against light so I think it is a difficulty to be kept free of this aggravation of sin to wit of committing it against our engagements and therefore as the manner of the People of God is I think it safest to take with these aggravations of our sins as chief parts of them to speak so and to take them with the rest to Jesus Christ that we may obtain pardon of them through Him and to maintain our peace rather by often washing our selves from the silth of breaking than by pleading no breach at all 3. Yet may Christians even as in other duties of holiness in their Vows and Promises to God have
peace and say in a Gospel-sense We have not turned back from thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant as it is Psal. 44.17 18. which certainly implyeth not absolute holiness or exact performance of all the Articles of the Covenant but that 1. In the great and main Articles they were honest and did not put another God in his room to provoke him to Jealousie 2. That they intended truly the keeping of all and said nothing by their profession or engagements which they minded not to perform 3. That they had some testimony as to what was past that they had in some measure walked according to their engagements and had left nothing undone at least willingly and with approbation of themselves therein that might have furthered them in keeping Covenant but had stuck to Him in doing and suffering honestly a man sincerely and in the strength of grace studying this may attain to such a testimony from his own Conscience and to a good measure of peace yea a man that may have quietness in his performing duty upon the account of other tyes without engaging may also come to have quietness in his engaging to it If then there be a necessity to engage it may be asked How peace may be attained in it and how we may be helped to perform Answ. 1. We should endeavour to be clear and quiet as to the soundness of our by-past engagements and of these we presently enter in as to the motives grounds ends and manner of engaging that all be right there 2. If any thing be seen to be wrong it should be taken with and mended that we use not Vows mainly to put by a challenge for the time without any more of it 3. Ye should seriously mind these directions 1. Forget not your Vows and Engagements be minding them often and thinking of them so as they may never be forgotten Jer. 50.4 5. 2. Defer not to pay them Eccles. 5.4 Deut. 23.21 Delays make the impression of the weight of the Vow and of the dread of Him to whom it is made much to wear out and taking liberty to be slack in paying of it for but for this once or for a little while is a direct breach of it self and maketh way for more 3. Keep in mind and entertain such a frame of spirit as ye were in when they were at first made such humility tenderness awe of God c. We often alasse take on Vows in a good frame to be on the matter a sort of excuse for us in letting such a frame go or at least to ease us a little for the time as if engaging were performance which is not the least part of the deceit of our hearts 4. The performance of the thing would be followed as it is undertaken to wit in the strength of grace and by virtue of life derived from Jesus Christ quickning and strengthening us both as promising and performing 5. We should be often considering the fearfulness of the sin of Breaking and examining our selves about our keeping of them making breaches that are particularly observed the matter of confession to God and of serious repentance before him If we would suffer these things to sink down deep in us as in the sight of God this no doubt would make them have a quite other impression 6. We should still keep the knot fast and if one promise or resolution seem to be loosed we should forthwith cast another or if one obligation given seem to be weakned we should give another that there may be still some obligation standing over our heads and following engagements not formally but soberly and seriously renewed may be made use of to bind on the former upon us and to make th â—m more effectual so say they Jer. 50.4 5. going and weeping as they go Come let us joyn our selves unto the Lord in a perpetual Covenant 〈◊〉 to be forgotten This is to be understood mostly if not only of private engagements as for publick solemn Oaths and Covenants we neither find in Scripture that they have been frequent but on some great and very grave occasion neither could they well be so great multitudes engaging in them without diminishing from the weight of them and so without wronging of God's Name 7. We should by no means suffer breaches though never so small to lie long on but should get us to the Fountain with them as foul and loathsome lest they bring on more and greater Now then try Perjury and breach of Vows and Oaths to God 1. In Baptism which extendeth to engage professing Believers to the mortification of sin and to the study of holiness as to both Tables of the Law and to a conversation as becometh the Gospel 2. In and at Communions where the same Covenant is Sealed 3. In your Oaths solemnly taken in Covenants 4. In your more private engagements to God and for him to others Beside these which are common some come under particular Oaths and Engagements by vertue of their stations as Ministers Elders Magistrates for the faithful discharge of their respective duties some by their Relations Office and Place as Husbands and Wives each to other as Parents in reference to their Children to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and in his fear some by vertue of their common Trades and Callings have come under particular Oaths to such and such Incorporations Trades c. And some on more particular occasions have come under engagements O look well what you do and have done there will I fear many be found Perjured I do not here speak of every particular infirmity but certainly there is sin against God and Perjury before him which cannot easily if at all be interpreted so with men in which respect Mal. 2. the Lord condemned putting away an innocent Wife even though it seemed to have a permission by Law in these things when men do not what they may do or if there be yet more in their power than is done or if the obligation of the Oath on them awe them not or weight them not it cannot but be a prophaning of the Lords Oath Many alasse according to their several relations and stations are found guilty here who have little or no awe of God on them in these things In sum This Command is broken these three ways in reference to such engagements 1. In shunning to make them when we are called to it 2. In not making them rightly 3. In not performing of them when made and it bindeth 1. Absolutely to many things which cannot come within the compass of ordinary infirmity 2. To eschew all known sinful deeds as Swearing and what may be inductive to it Drunkenness unlawful Gaming needless Contentions c. 3. To do all outward duties as to Read Hear Pray c. 4. To do them as seriously as we may 5. Not to lye in any seen or known sin here forbidden nor to delay Repentance though for never so little a while it
Blasphemy in the way did These wayes of breaking this command spoken unto are more grosse and extraordinary we should now speak a word to such as are more common in our practice and these are of two sorts The 1. is more grosse when the name of God or any thing bearing the Name of God as his Ordinances Word Sacraments Prayer c. are prophaned out of Duty This is done 1. When these are mocked or scorned which is a high Degree of prophaning his Name 2. When the Scripture-phrases expressions or tearms are baffled to speak so to our sinful scoffing Jeibing and Geiring of others though we do not directly mock or geir at the Scripture it self 3. When in ordinary discourse and unnecessarily Gods Name is used though we intend not swearing neither think that we do swear 4. When ordinarily upon such and such occasions the Lords Name is used in irreverent and unwarrantable exclamations as O Lord O God what is this or that c I hope in God or trust in God to see such a thing c. And possibly sometimes in passion 5. When it is used in way of by-word or of certain irreverent prayers when a person is troubled and grieved and would express that passion at some thing that falleth out not desired God help me God save me what is that what mean ye God forgive me God bless me for Gods blessing do such a thing If God will in Gods strength and I trust in God c. I shall do such and such a thing for Gods sake do this or that c. 6. VVhen it is used in meer complements God keep you God be with you God bless you c. which with many are too ordinary Complements 7. VVhen it is used lightly in way of asseveration and indirect swearing God a bit God have me if it be so c. 8. VVhen it is used in a senseless and superstitious custome upon such and such particular occasions as when men say O God be blessed and God bless at sternutation or neesing which Plinius reporteth to have been used by Heathens and particularly by Tiberius who was none of the most Religious men God be here God be in this house when one entereth into a house or when the Clock striketh The 2. way which is less grosse but more ordinary whereby we fail in reference to this Command is in lawful and necessary duties of worship by sinful and unprofitable discharging of these whereby the Name of God is often taken in vain and his holiness which he loveth prophaned this fault and failing is two wayes fallen into 1. In respect of the manner of going about such ordinances or duties of worship 1. VVhen the Lord is not sanctified in them nor the rule and manner prescribed by Him kept this way sinned Nadab and Abihu Lev. 10. by their offering of strange fire The Lord complaineth of Israel as guilty of this Esay 29.13 compared with Matth. 15.8 9. VVhile they drew near with their lips and their hearts were far away they worshipt me in vain saith the Lord teaching for Doctrines the commandements of men 2. VVhen men use not such ordinances and perform not such duties profitably when prayer reading of the Scripture Sacrament Sermons c. want their native fruit then his Name is taken in vain and in that respect his ordinances frustrated and made as if they had not been used or performed so â— Cor. 6.1 To receive the Grace of God in vain is to miss or let go the benefit of it and to frustrate and disappoint our selves of the native end and use of it This is the first way in respect of which our duties are in vain as to God so as he will not regard them The second way is as to our selves and here again we may consider the taking of the Lords Name in vain in ordinances and duties two wayes either 1. Simply where there is no honesty at all in them nor fruit from them but meer Hypocrisie or at least Hypocrisie in such particular Acts. or 2. when it is Comparative that is though there may be some reality and fruit yet considering what it should be yea considering what means the person hath there is a great defect as to that which should and might have been thus were the Hebrews challenged Heb. 5.12 not that they were altogether fruitless but that they were not so fruitful as under and by such means they might have been and that therefore they had in a great part used them and received them in vain this may and often doth befall even those who have some measure of sincerity yet fall far short of what they might have attained of the knowledge of God and of other blessed fruits by the right improvement of the means they had VVe may add a third way how his Name is taken in vain and that in respect of it self or of the ordinance or duty what indeed it is and in respect of what it appeareth to be when the shew is much more than the substance and when the sincerity reality and inward Reverence and esteem of our heart in nameing God keepeth no just proportion with the words of our mouth and our large external profession thus did the Pharises and thus do all Hypocrits take and bear Gods name in vain not being at all answerable to what they seem to be this may be also in others comparatively in respect 1. of the Law 2. in respect of the means we have 3. in respect of our profession That our Conviction may be the clearer let us see what belongeth to the right going about of duty or to the suitable mentioning of the Lords Name the want whereof or any part thereof maketh us more or less guilty of taking it in vain 1. Then there is a necessity that we propose a good and right end and aim singly at it for if all things should be done to Gods glory this of the Naming of the Lord should be in a special manner so this is a mans call to Pray Preach Hear c. to wit the concernment of Gods Name that is 1. That God may be honoured 2. That we our selves or others may be edified 3. That a command may be obeyed in the Conscience of Duty Those then who adventure to profess or name God or to go about any ordinance seeking themselves and not the Lord as is supposed men may do 2 Cor. 4.5 2. out of envy as they did of whom Paul speaketh Phil. 1.15 16. 3. To be honoured of men as the Pharisees designed by their lo â—g prayers 4. For the fashion or out of meer custome 5. For making peace with God by mentioning his name so often in Ordinances mis-regarding and taking no notice of the Mediator in the mean time these I say and such like will meet with that sad word In vain do ye worship me 2. There is a necessity of a good principle in naming the Lord to speak so both of a Moral
and Physical principle the Moral is Conscience and not Custome which falleth in with the end the Physical is the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man calleth Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost 2. A renewed heart thus Duties must be done with the spirit as well as with the understanding 3. Sincerity as to the exercise even of the natural faculties Thus what ever unrenewed men speak in Duty without the Spirits influence and exercise of grace they make themselves guilty in it and when they say what in sincerity they think not 3. It is necessary that that principle act in the right manner that is 1. Sincerely Josh. 24.14 2. In fear and reverence Eccl. 5.1 2. 3. With faith and respect to Jesus Christ Heb. 11.6 4. With Judgment and understanding To speak of him not knowing what we say or to whom we speak wrongeth him thus ignorant passionate rash irreverent and inadvertent mentioning of God or medling with any Ordinance or Duty wrongeth him and is a bringing of vain oblations which he expresly forbiddeth Esa. 1.13 4. When ever we make mention of God we should study to be in case to mention him as ours as our God and Father in Christ in all ordinances and duties that is 1. Taking up our natural distance 2. Looking to Christ for removing of it 3. Resting on him and making use of him for that end 4. Delighting in the mentioning of God as ours 5. With thanksgiving and blessing when ever he is named as the Apostle often doth 5. It is required in respect of the use fruit and effect that something which is profitable may remain and stick with us according to the nature of the duty which is gone about or the way of mentioning God such as some conviction and testimony of the Conscience 1. That Gods honour 2. The edification of others in way of Instruction or Conviction or of Reproof or of comfort c. 3. My own edification and spiritual advantage or 4. My own exoneration and peace as to the performance of such a duty were in some measure of singleness aimed at and endeavoured and as there is a missing of any of these Repentance should be exercised and faith for pardon some fruit some sense some lesson some discoveries some convictions c. would be sought after to remain When these or any of these if all the rest of them can be altogether without one are wanting this command is simply broken if in part they be wanting it is comparatively more or less broken Let us then take a view in particulars 1. Look to our profession Oh! what emptiness is there much more appearance and shew than reality and substance yea what desiring to seem something rather than to be if our professions who are least in them were mett and measured by our reality O how lamentable vast a disproportion would be found the one would be quickly found much broader and longer than the other the outer-half much bagged as it were being a great deal larger than the inner even where there is most sincerity and reality 2. Look through publick duties if there be not much taking of Gods Name in vain in hearing praying praising using the Sacraments c. and if so O what a Libell might be drawn up against us from every Sabbath Prayer Sermon c. whereof we often cannot tell what fruit remaineth except it be sin guilt and hardness and therefore doubtless his Name is much taken in vain in them 3. Look through private duties in families Reading Praying Singing Conferring Catechising saying Grace or seeking a Blessing and giving thanks at Table how little regard is often had to the name of the Lord in these and how little care and pains is taken to walk by the former rules in them 4. Look through secret duties betwixt God and you how ye pray in secret before God ah often so as ye would be ashamed to pray before men how do ye Read Meditate c. in secret how do ye joyn in prayer with others which in some respect is secret God knoweth how poorly we acquit our selves in these ordinarily and how much we take his Name in vain in them 5. Look through occasional duties wherein ye have occasion to make mention of God with or to others as when upon any Emergent of providence we will say It is Gods will God hath done it God is good and merciful c. or in any particular duty of christian Communion in instructing comforting admonishing or convincing of others or debating with them how often when the Scripture and the name of God will be in our mouths in these and the matter of debate may fall to be some of his ordinances will there be but very little reverence and respect to God in our hearts 6. Consider how this sin of taking his Name in vain is fallen in by writing not only when Treatises are written but almost in every Epistle or Letter there will be found some prayer or wish for fashion-sake wherein there is but little Conscience made to have the heart joyning in it how much irreverent using of the Scripture and of Gods Name is there in writing of Letters particularly of Burial-Letters thus It h â—th pleased the Lord it hath seemed good to God it hath pleased God or the Almighty c. I am not condemning the thing simply but our way of abusing it 7. Look through accidental mentionings of God if we may say so in salutations God save you God be with you In prayers for Children evidencing rather our fondness on them thereby than our love and reverence to the Name of God for such as are in any present hazard God save for any favour curtesie or complement God bless these are good as the Apostle saith of the Law if used lawfully but they are often sinfully rashly ignorantly yea prophanely abused we having often more respect to them we speak unto than unto God I would not condemn the use of them being duties but exhort you to gard against the abuse and to use a grave reverent understanding and sensible way of expressing of them or of any thing like them 8. Consider narrations of Scripture-stories or other stories questions tales c. wherein the Name of God is mentioned and possibly when we tell them to make a sport of them and to make merry with them how often is his blessed Name taken in vain in them certainly the mentioning of his Name were often better forborn than so irreverently used 9. Consider the Usurping of Gods Attributes or of an interest in him rashly as when men confidently yet without all warrant assert God is mine I trust in his mercy sweet Christ my Saviour my Mediator Ah! how often is this which is the very Crown of grace to wit in Gods doing good and shewing mercy abused and prophaned most sinfully and shamefully There is one particular which yet remaineth to be spoken of on this Third Command which concerneth Lots Omens
the Master vvas free if the battlements vvere not he vvas guilty Murther is also either to be considered as committed after provocation or vvithout all provocation vvhich is a great aggravation of the sin though the provocation maketh it not cease to be a sin Further it may be considered as it is the murther of evil wicked men or of good and religious men and that on the account of their Religion vvhich is a most horrid aggravation of the murther Lastly this murther is either ordinary as of meer equals or inferiours or extraordinary aggredged by the quality of the person murthered vvhether he be a superiour as a Magistrate a Parent or vvhether he be of a near Relation as a Brother or Kinsman c. We come a little more particularly to consider the extent and nature of the sin forbidden here vvhich is not certainly to be understood of taking the life by publick Justice or in a lavvful or just War or in necessary and pure self-defence that vve may the better understand the contrary duty commanded It implyeth then a hurting vvhich vve may consider 1. as in the heart 2. as in the mouth or vvords 3. as in gestures 4. as in deeds for vve take it for granted that it reacheth further then the gross outvvard act as by Christs exposition of it in Matth. 5. is incontrovertibly clear The heart is the fountain spring and treasure of all evil in it breedeth all evil and from it proceedeth this murther Matth. 15 19. he that in heart hateth his brother is a murtherer 1 John 3.15 In a vvord vvhatever is opposite to love in the heart is a breach of this Command As 1. hatred vvhich is malitious and simply vvisheth ill to our Neighbour and only because vve love him not vvithout any other reason as one vvickedly said Non amo te Zabidi nec possum dicere quare Hoc tantum possum dicere non amo to So Cain hated his Brother vvithout cause 2. Anger that supponeth a pretended vvrong and is desirous of revenge because of ingratitude pretended injustice c. 3. Envy vvhereby vve are grieved vvith the good of another supposing though groundless that it obstructeth ours and therefore vve seek to overturn it Anger is cruel and wrath outragious but who can stand before Envy saith Solomon There is often secret hatred on this ground more irreconcileable then vvhere many and grave reasons can be given 4. Rage vvhich presseth revenge beyond vvhat is condign though it follovv it lavvfully as to outvvard means 5. Saevitia or Cruelty that delighteth in the hurt and prejudice of another all these and others of this kind go generally under the name of Hatred and Anger If any ask here Is there no anger lavvful Answ. Yes for there is somevvhat of it natural yea and sometimes it lavvfully immixeth it self in duty as in zeal vvhen God is dishonoured vvhich vvas in Moses Exod. 32. And no doubt Indignation at vvicked men in some cases is lavvful and also required But carnal Anger is forbidden vvhich 1. Is a desire of revenge vvhere there hath no vvrong been done to us 2. When the revenge desired is disproportioned to and greater then the vvrong 3. When it is preposterously desired vvithout intervening Justice 4. When it is not desired for the right end to wit the mans gaining but only for the satisfying of our carnal humour 5. When it is immoderate and corrupt in the manner of it so as the name of God is dishonoured by it This unlawful Anger when it is 1. against a Superiour it is called grudge 2. when against an Equal rancour 3. when against an Inferiour disdain and contempt these two last follow ordinarily upon the first 2. This Command is broken by injurious words as in that fifth Chapter of Matthew He that shall say to his brother thou fool is guilty O what guilt will there be found to have been in imprecations cursings wrathful wishes disdainful and passionate speeches when Christ will call men to an account for the breach of this Command 3. It is broken in gestures such as high looks fierce looks gnashing with the teeth Acts 7.54 foaming with the mouth and such like wherewith even our blessed Lord and his Servants have been followed and as there may be Adultery in looks so there is also murther in them such looks had Cain Gen. 4.5 4. It is broken in deeds even when death followeth not as in wounding smiting oppressing cruel withdrawing of the means of life extortion exaction byting injury litigious wrangling violent compulsion raising and racking of Land or House-rents beyond the just value and squeezing and exacting upon poor Labourers and Tenants without any due regard to them or their labours which last is a frequent sin but little regarded a crying sin but little cared for next it is broken by withholding what might be useful and refreshful as by neglecting the sick and distressed want of hospitality specially to the poor All these are sinful breaches whether directly or indirectly incurred neither is it sufficient that we simply abstain from committing some of these but we must also make conscience to practise all contrary duties The last thing proposed to be spoken to was the person thou where in a word we are to distinguish private men from publick men who are Magistrates and bear the Sword whom this Command doth not restrain from executing of Justice y â—t these may also sin in their passions and unjustly put forth their authority and be carnal in pu â—â—shing and passing sentence even when there is ground in Justice and thus Magistrates may become guilty though in the executing of Justice not simply but by reason of other con â—u â—â—â—â—g circumstances Thus much shortly on this Command THE SEVENTH COMMAND Exodus 20.14 Thou shalt not commit Adultery THE Lord having spoken of such sins as do more respect mans being simply in the former Command he cometh now to direct in those things that concern a man in his life in the ordering of his conversation and as it will be found one way or other that by our passion hatred and anger in one degree or other the former Command is broken often so this sin that in the very name of it is abominable is not so unfrequent even amongst Christians as might in all reason be supposed and expected The vile sin of inordinate Concupiscence and Lust entred into Mankind exceeding early after Adam's fall and in nothing the bitter fruit of Original sin and that pravity of our nature sooner kyeths and did kyth then in it Hence is it that Adams and Evahs nakedness and their being ashamed is spoken of in Scripture which implyeth a sinfulness and inordinateness in them which formerly they were not tainted with as also a shame or plague following upon it and this corrupt nature being still in man it is hard to speak of or to hear these things holily and therefore there is a necessity both of holiness
their most unnatural and cursed cutting their hair should every hour fear and tremble lest they bring it on their own heads and amongst us in this Kingdom It is also worthy the noticing that Tertullian hath to this purpose in his Book de cultu mul. cap. 7 where having expostulated with Christian women for their various vain dressings of the hair he bespeaks them thus Drive away this bondage of busking from a free head in vain do you labour to appear thus dressed in vain do ye make use of the most expert frizlers of hair God commands you to be covered and vailed I wish that I most miserable man may be priviledged to lift up my head if it were but amongst the feet of the people of God in that blessed day of Christians exalting gladness then will I see if ye will arise out of your Graves with that varnish and paint of white and red and with such a head-dress and if the Angels will carry you up so adorned and painted to meet Christ in the clouds And again cap. 13. These delights and toyes says he must be shaken off with the softness and loosness whereof the vertue and valour of faith may be weakned moreover I know not if these hands that are accustomed to be surrounded with rings and bracelets or such other ornaments will indure to be benummed and stupified with the hardness of a chain I know not if the legg after the use of such fine hose-garters will suffer it self to be streightned and pinched into fetters or a pair of stocks I am afraid that the neck accustomed to chains of Pearls and Emeralds will hardly admit of the two-handed Sword The â—efore O blessed women saith he let us meditate and dwell on the thoughts of hardship and we shall not feel it let us relinquish and abandon these delicacies and frolicks and we shall not desire them let us stand ready armed to incounter all violent assaults having nothing which we will be afraid to forego and part with These these are the stayes and ropes of the Anchor of our Hope Let your eyes be painted with shamef â—s â—â—ess and quietness of spirit fastning in your ears the Word of God and tying about your necks the yoke of Christ subject your head to your Husbands and so shall you be abundantly adorned and comly Let your hands be exercised with wool let your feet keep at home and be fixed in the house and they wi â—l please much more then if they were all in gold cloath your selves with the silk of goodness and vertue with the fine linning of holiness with the purpure of chastity and being after this fashion painted and adorned ye will have God to be your Lover Which notably agreeth with what the Astles say 1 Tim. 2. v. 9 10. In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly aray But which becometh women professing godliness with good works 1 Pet. 3.1 2 especially 3 4 5. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price For after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in subjection unto their own husbands See also Tit. 2. v. 4 5. Next to what hath been said of dressing the body somewhat may not inappositly be spoke to anent dressing and decking of houses and beds and anent houshold furniture or plenishing wherein there may be an evil concupiscence and lust and an inordinate affection our minds being often by a little thing kindled and set on fire See to this purpose Prov. 7.17 where that woman spoken of hath first the attire of an whore then he saith her bed is dressed her tapestry and curtains provided in â—ense and perfumes are in the chambers So also beds of Ivory are reproved Amos 6.4 which are all used for entertaining the great lust of uncleanness which ordinarily hath these alluring extravegancies attending and waiting upon it O! what provision do some make for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof and how careful Caterers are they this way for their corruptions And certainly Christians are not in their houses more then in their persons left to live at random and without bounds and folks no doubt may be unsutable to their stations as much in the one as in the other This excess may be also in the light and wanton manner of adorning houses and buildings with filthy and immodest paintings pictures and statues and such like which with other things is spoken of and condemned Ezek. 23.14 But withal in what we have spoken in these excesses so incident even to professours we would not have folks too rigidly to expone us for we know that there are lawful recreations nor are honesty and comliness in behaviour and apparel blameable but to be commended in their place neither would we have any think that we suppose all such who do the things above censured to be incited to them from this principle of lust but for clearing of the matter further it would be considered 1. That we speak of these things as they are abused and particularly condemned in this Church 2. We would consider the end of the things themselves as they have been at first sinfully introduced whatever may be the innocent intention of a particular user 3. We vvould respect others vvho may be offended and provoked to lust by vvhat an actor is not provoked vvith and also may be sinfully tempted to the like from that example or if not so yet may possibly be induced to judge them vain vvho vvalk so and so in apparel light vvho dance c. vvhich vve vvould prevent and guard against 4. We vvould not only abstain from evil but from all appearance of it novv certainly all these things vve have spoken of look like ill and may breed misconstructions in others even possibly beyond our ovvn mind and intention vve may also consider the mind of very Heathens in reference to these things as also of Fathers Councels and the Divines vvhich are cited by Rivet and Martyr on this Command The Councel Laod. Can. 53. apud Bals. hath these vvords Let Christians when they go to marriages abstain from dancing but dine or sup And another saith Nemo ferè saltat sobrius nisi forte insanit no man almost danceth that is sober unless perchance he be in a fit of distraction or madness Neither doth Davids or Miriams dancing being used by them as a part of vvorship in the occasions of extraordinary exultations say any thing for the dancing that is novv in use as their Songs of praise to God used in these their dancings abundantly shevv And beside
murther Prov. 1. from v. 10. to 20. 8. By spoiling the dead riffling Tomb â— taking off rings or linning â— c. 9. By carding dicing and Stage-playing and making conquest and gain by any other dishonest or crooked mean Thus we have hinted the first distribution of inordinateness in inquiring into rapine theft and unlawful or filthy gain Consider it again 1. As it wrongeth others only or as it profiteth us also 2. As being direct theft or as being under pretext of Law 3. As by acquiring donations or by mutual contracts or bargains 4. When it is in respect of our selves or others 5. When it is in attaining and then it is called avaritia avarice when in retaining then it is tenacitas tenacity niggardliness and sordid parcimony in not spending with such a sutable proportionableness as is requisite or not giving back what is unjustly purchased or taken from any man by false accusation or otherwayes called restitution whereof Zacheus speaketh Luke 19.8 6. When it is by an ill imployment as playing gaming c. or by the abuse of a lawful calling 7. As it profusely wasteth what we have and spoileth others of what we should bestow on them or as it holdeth in more then is meet and so spoileth our selves of that comfort we might have in our estates the one is by prodigality the other by sordid parcimony as we have said see Prov. 11.24 8. As the wrong may be done at first through ignorance or continued in after folks come to the knowledge of it in which case the thing is to be restored and the amends is to be made as is clear Lev. 5.15 16. And in Abimelechs dealing with Abrahams wife whom after he knew to be his wife he did restore again untouched O! how doth mens addictedness to creatures make them find out many inventions to satisfie their lust with them Hence is this Command so broad that it is difficult to speak of it in all its particulars In further prosecuting whereof we shall not astrict our selves to so precise a method but endeavour to lay down the direct breaches of it by which the positive part and these duties that are required will be the more easily discernable Consider then its breach 1. as it wrongeth others 2 as it wrongeth our selves 3. as it wrongfully seeketh to benefit our selves or better our own estate As to the first Consider it first in the quantity it is theft whether the matter be in little or much if so be it be a real wronging of others in that which is theirs even as a lye is a lye in any matter in great things as well as lesser and this theft in little or much will seclude from the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10 and as drunkenness may be in drink that is not the very greatest quantity of drink nor in the finest drink so may theft be in little or course things Consider 2. as it looketh not only to the hand but to the heart also even as adultery and murther do it is a piece of the evil treasure that Christ saith is in the heart Matth. 12.35 and 15.18 19. 3. It may be sometimes when he that committeth it knoweth it not but supponeth such a thing to be just and due to him as vvhen he useth not means to knovv and vvhen he knovveth doth not restore it 4. It is sometimes vvholly so carried as that he vvho is vvronged knovveth nothing of it as vvhen for instance such a right that vvould clear him in his business is to his prejudice kept up and he made to believe that he hath no such right although he quarrel it not yet it is theft before God 5. It is direct vvhen though one knovveth such a thing to be anothers yet he vvill needs have it 6. It is less or more as there is a seeming necessity or none at all in the person stealing for if the thing be indeed necessary for life it is not theft so also if the thing have a general and common allovvance among men for its vvarrant it is not theft thus the Disciples plucked the ears of corn vvhich vvas not theirs and yet vvere not thieves The sin is gross vvhen in holy things or publick things or vvhen things are taken vvith violence and hazard of life blood c. or vvhen there is great prejudice follovving it to our neighbour or vvhen it is more frequently gone about or vvhen it is under trust c. 7. It is in contracts or bargains to our neighbours prejudice as by too close sticking to clauses of Writs beyond it may be the intention of the makers and vvhen there is some pretext of Lavv this is against the end of Writs and Lavv. 8. It is in buying or selling and so 1. vve f â—ll in the end vvhen vve mind our ovvn good only vvithout any regard to our neighbours 2. In the matter vvhen the thing is not good that is soll as the refuse of vvheat that is spoken of Amos 8.6 so vvhen ye sell a thing for better then it is or in buying vvill needs make a thing vvorse then it is or pay the price in base money you are guilty of theft 3. When the measure or vveight is scarce and not so much as it should be see Amos 8.5 4. In the manner vvhen the buyer dispraiseth any thing belovv and the seller commendeth it beyond and above its vvorth Prov. 20.14 It is naught saith the buyer c. vvhich although in some degree it be inevitable yet no doubt vvhen on either hand it is vvittingly and designedly done it is a fault 9. It may be committed in the matter of just debts As 1. vvhen nothing is payed 2. vvhen a part is only payed 3. vvhen payment is made out of time vvhich prejudiceth them vve ovve to as much as if vve kept a part back 4. vvhen means are used to get vvhat vve ovve diminished 1. by dvvanging and constraining a man to quit some part of it 2. by dealing indirectly to get something dovvn of the sum vvhich vve ovve 10. It is committed vvhen advantage is taken of anothers necessity and so 1. vvhen they are constrained to sell cheaper then vvithout loss they can 2. when vve sell dearer to our neighbour because vve see he must have it 3. vvhen one is forced to unreasonable tearms because he must have money dealings of this nature are like to that to sell the poor for a pair of shooes vvhich is reproved Micah 8.5 6 7. and is a gross theft It is true in some cases as for instance vvhen others vvould not buy such things and we need them not our selves neither vvould buy them vvere it not for our neighbours good and if they be not so useful for us an abatement in such a case may be lavvfully sought 11. It may be by Law-suits even vvhen L â—vv seemeth to side vvith folks summum jus being often summa injuria as 1. by putting folks needlesly to sue for their ovvn
express it ambiguously or refuse to testifie or assert what is not true 4. By the Advocate by undertaking to defend or pursue what righteously he cannot or by hideing from his Clyent that which he knoweth will prejudge his c â—use or by denying it when he is asked about it or by not bringing the best defences he hath And as to the first point here about Advocat â—s it is to be regrated as a great Divine in the Neighbour-Church hath most pathetically according to his manner lately done as a sad matter that any known unrighteous Cause should have a professed Christian in the face of a Christian Judicatory to defend it but incomparably more sad that almost every unjust Cause should find a Patron and that no contentious malicious person should be more ready to do wrong then some Lawyers to defend him for a dear bought â—ee I speak not here of innocent mistakes in cases of great difficulty nor yet of excusing a cause bad in the main from unjust aggravations but sayes that great man when money will hire men to plead for injustice and to use their wits to defraud the righteous and to spoil his Cause and vex him with delayes for the advantage of their unrighteous Clyents I would not have the conscience of such for all their gains nor their account to make for all the world God is the great Patron of innocence and the pleader of every righteous Cause and he that will be so bold as to plead against him had need of a large fee to save him harmless 5. By the Accuser or Pursuer when unjustly he seeketh what doth not belong unto him or chargeth another with what he should not or justly cannot 6. By the Def â—nder when he denyeth what he knoweth or â—â—â—ceth it c. And by all of them when business is delayed and protracted through their respective accession to it as well as when justice is more manifestly wronged this is the end of Jethro's advice to Moses Exod. 18.23 that the people may return home being quickly and with all convenient diligence dispatched which to their great loss and prejudice many wayes the unnecessary lengthening of Processes obstructeth and maketh Law and Lawyers appointed for the ease and relief of the people to be a grievous and vexatious burthen to them for which men in these stations and capacities will have much to answer to God the righteous Judge of all the Earth when they shall be arraigned before his terrible Tribunal where there will be no need of leading witnesses to prove the guilt since every mans conscience will be in place of a thousand witnesses neither will the nimblest wit the eloquentest tongue the finest and smoothest pen of the most able Lawyer Judge Advocate Notary or Litigant that shall be found guilty there be able to fetch himself fair off O! then all the fig-leaves of their fairest and most flourishing but really frivolous pretences vvherevvith they palliate themselves vvill be instantly blovvn avvay by the breath of that Judges mouth and so be utterly unable to cover the shame of their nakedness in the manifold breaches of this Command then the greatest stretches of Wit and highest strains of Eloquence made use of to the prejudice of truth and justice vvill be found and pronounced to be poor silly and childish vviles yea very fooleries and bablings after vvhich they vvill not speak again but laying their hands on their mouths eternally keep silence It vvill therefore be the vvisdom and advantage of the guilty in time to take vvith it and resolving to do so no more to betake themselves for the pardon of it to that Advocate vvith the Father even Jesus the Righteous vvho throughly pleadeth and vvithout all peradventure or possibility of loosing it doth alvvayes carry the Cause he undertaketh to plead In sum that which in this Command in its positive part is levelled at as the scope thereof is the preserving and promoting of truth honest simplicity and ingenuity amongst men a sincerely and cordially loving regard to the repute and good name of one another and a sweet inward contentation joyful satisfaction and complacency of heart therein with a suitable love to and care for our own good name THE TENTH COMMAND Exodus 20.17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is thy neighbours UNTO all the other Commands the Lord hath subjoyned this for mans humbling and deep abasement in his sight and it reacheth further in then all of them being as the words bear not about any new object for it is concerning wife house c. but about a new way of acting in reference to that object and condemning directly a sin not so condemned in any other of the foregoing five Commandements so that it also seems to be added to the other as a full and more clear explication of that spiritual obedience that is required in all the rest In it we have to consider 1. the act 2. the object The act is not to cov â—t the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 7.7 Thou shalt not lust which implyeth an inordinateness in the heart as being dissatisfied with what it hath and so the positive part is contentment and satisfaction with a mans own lot Hebr. 13.5 L â—t your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have so that whatsoeve â— motion is inconsistent w â—th contentment and inordinately desireth or tendeth to a change of our condition falleth in as condemned here The object is instanced in some particulars generally set down such as our neighbours house his wife then his servants c. under which as the general following cleareth are comprehended all that concerneth him his place and credit or any thing that relateth to any of the former Commands Thou shalt not grieve that he is well nor aim at his hurt nor be discontent that thy own lot seemeth not so good And as for the reason why this Command is added its scope holdeth it forth which seemeth to be this I not only require you as if the Lord had said not to steal from him and not to let your mind ran loose in coveting what is his as in the eighth Command not only to abstain from Adultery or determined Lust in the heart as in the seventh Command and not only the abstaining from wronging of his life as in the sixth Command and of his name that way spoken of in the ninth Command or wronging of them that are in place and power by such heart lusts in us as are forbidden in the fifth Command but I require such holiness that there be not any inordinate lust or motion entertained nor having a being in the heart although it never get consent but on the contrary that in reference to all these Commands in your carriage towards your Neighbour there be in you a full conâ—entation
with the lot that God hath carved out â—o you without the least inordinate motion or inclination to the contrary which may either be inconsistent with love to him or with contentment and a right composure of spirit in your selves From this we may see that this Command is unreasonably and unjustly divided by Papists into two Commands the one relating to the Neighbours house th â— other to his wife and what followeth For 1. this concupiscence or lust looketh not only to the Seventh and Eighth but to the Fifth and Sixth and Ninth Commands there being an inordinate affection towards thy Neighbours life and honour or estimation also and it is instanced in these two because they are more discernible and common This then sheweth that God t â—keth in this inordinateness of the heart under one Command in reference to whatsomever object it be otherwayes we behoved to say that either the Commands are defective or that there is no such inordinateness to other objects of other Commands which is absurd or by the same reason we must multiply commands for them also which yet the adversaries themselves do not 2. The Apostle Rom. 7.7 comprehendeth all inordinateness of heart towards whatsomever object it be in that Command Thou shalt not lust which is as Thou shalt not desire his wife so nothing else what is thy Neighbours 3. The inverting the order which is here in Deut. 5.21 where the wife is put first not the house sheweth that the Command is one otherwayes what is Ninth in the one would be Tenth in the other and contrarily and so the order of these ten words as they are called by the Lord would be confounded But the great thing we are mainly to inquire into is the meaning of this Command in which Papists being loath to acknowledge corrupt natures case to be so desperate as it is and designing to maintain perfection of inherent righteousness and justification by works do make this sin of Lust forbidden in this Command a very general thing and all of us ordinarily are apt to think light of this sin We would therefore say 1. That we are to distinguish Concupiscence and consider it as it is 1. Spiritual in a renewed man for there are motions and stirrings called Lustings of the Spirit against the Flesh Gal. 5.17 2. As it is partly natural to man to have such stirrings in him as flow from the natural faculty and power of desiring so Christ as man desired meat and drink and this being natural was certainly in Adam before the fall and as the will and understanding a â—e not evil in themselves so is not this It is neither of these that this Command speaketh of 3. There is a sinful Concupiscence called evil Concupiscence Coloss. 3.5 and the lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit it is this that is here spoken of the inordinateness of that Lust or concupiscibleness or concupiscible power turning aside out of its natural line to that which is evil It is this which God forbiddeth in this Command and setteth bounds to the desiring or concupiscible faculty 2. We say there is a twofold consideration of this sinful Concupiscence 1. As it is in the sensual part only and the inferiour faculties of the soul as to meat drink uncleanness c. Or 2. we may consider it as it reacheth further and riseth higher having its seat in the heart and will and running through the whole affections yea even the whole man who in this respect is called Flesh in the Scripture Gal. 5.17 and there is Heresie and other evils attributed unto it v. 19 20 21. which will not agree to the former so Rom. 7.23 24 it is called the Law of the Members and the body of death and hath a wisdom Rom. 8.7 that is enmity against God corrupting all and inclining and byassing wrong in every thing so that a man because of it hath not the right use of any faculty within him This Concupiscence which is seated not only in the sensible but in the rational part of the soul is that which is intended here which is the fountain and head-spring of all other evils for from the heart proceed evil thoughts c. Matth. 15.19 it is the evil treasure of the heart Matth. 22.25 3. We may consider this Lust 1. As it is habitual and is even in young ones and in men when they are sleeping whereby there is not only an indisposition to good but an inclination to evil it lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 and is enmity to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 and lusteth to envy James 4.5 and conceiveth sin James 1.15 this is the sad fruit and consequent in all men by nature of Adams first sin and hath a disconformity to the Law of God and so is called the Flesh Rom. 7.5 and the law of sin and death â— Rom. 8.2 in the first respect this sin is a body and a person as it were an old man Rom. 6.6 and in the other it hath members in particular to which it giveth Laws requiring obedience 2. We may consider i â— as acting and stirring in its several degrees And 1. we may say it stirreth habitually like the raging sea Isa. 57. penult and as grace tendeth to good or as fire is of an heating nature so is this Lust still working as an habitual distortion crook or bending upon somewhat that should be straight or as a defect in a legg which possibly kytheth not but when one walketh yet there is still a defect or rather it is a venom which is still poysonous thus Rom. 7.5 it is called the motions of sin in the Flesh. 2. The more actual stirrings of it are to be considered either in their first risings when they are either not adverted into and without direct excitation or actual and formal approbation or as they are checked and rejected as Paul did his Rom. 7.15 and 2 Cor. 12.3 or as they are delighted in though there be not a formal consent yet such a thing in the very mind is someway complyed with as desirable and pursued after this is called morosa delectatio or as they are resolved on to be acted and when men seek means and wayes how to get the sin committed after that inwardly approving complacency and liking of the thing hath prevailed to engage the mind to conquish for instance such an estate unjustly or to compass and accomplish the act of filthiness with such a woman 3. It may be considered in general either as the thoughts are upon riches or covetousness or filthiness without respect to any particular thing or person or as they go out upon them in particulars 4. We say we would put a difference betwixt tentations objectively injected by the Devil as he did on our Lord Jesus Matth. 4.1 and Lusts rising from an internal principle which are most common see James 1.14 The first is not our sin of it self except it be 1. entertained some way or 2. not rejected
or 3. not weighting and grieving us for the ill scent it leaveth behind it for we having such combustible matter vvithin hardly cometh a tentation in even from vvithout but it fireth us or rather vve having the kindling vvithin the Devil cometh but to blovv on it and stirreth that vvhich is in us hence it cometh that seldom there is a temptation assaulting but some guiltiness remaineth because there is not a full abhorrence of these abominable strangers that come into the heart 5. This Lust may be considered either as it is in natural m â—n vvhere its shop is and so it is called reigning sin and the dominion of sin it is a yielding to sin to obey it in the Lust thereof to obey it vvillingly as a Servant doth his Master Rom. 6.12 13. or as it is in the renewed and regenerate so it is indwelling sin vvithout dominion and indeavoured to be expelled a law in the Members and that continually is acting but counteracted by a contrary lusting Rom. 7.23 24. Novv let us clear 1. vvhat Concupiscence falleth in under this Command and so 2. hovv this differeth from other Commands vvhich are spiritual and reach the heart also 3. vve may consider the sinfulness of this Lust and give some advertisements concerning it in its acting stirring c. 1. Under this Command vve take in habitual Lust even as it disposeth and inclineth to ill in the root of it though not principally yet consequently because its streams and branches that do flovv from and clear this to be the fountain and root are primarily understood and the reasons vvhy it must be taken in here are 1. Because habitual Lust in the root is sin for so it conceiveth sin James 1.14 15. and if it be sin it must be against some of these Commands vvhich are the substance and matter of the Covenant of Works vvhich prescribeth all duty and forbiddeth all sin 2. If this Lavv require absolute purity then that inclination must be condemned by it but it requireth absolute purity and exact holiness even according to Gods Image therefore that inclination inconsistent vvith it must be condemned here seeing in the other Commandements acts that are resolved and fully consented to in the heart are forbidden 3. If the rise of this habitual Lust was by this Command condemned and forbidden to Adam in looking to the fruit and in entertaining that motion or the indisposing of himself by it to vvalk with God or if this Command did forbid him his f â—ll and the bringing upon himself that Lust and vvhen it vvas in him if it vvas a breach of this Command then it is so to us also but certainly Adam vvas enjoyned by this Command to preserve himself free of the root of such â—â—â—ls if the fruits themselves be evil vvhich is undenyable 4. If this ill be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a transgression of or disconformity to the Lavv then it must belong to some Command reductively at least but the former is certain and it cannot so properly be reduced to any other Command as to th â—s therefore it is here condemned as sin 5. If it lyeth in th â— heart and giveth the first sinful rise to actual sins then it must be forbidden in this Command for as vve novv consider it it preventeth determination and may be vvhere actual sin is not but the former is truth that i â— conceiveth other actual sins as the mother of them as it is James 1.15 therefore it must be forbidden here 6. Add our blessed Lord Jesus in his utter vvant of and freedom from all corruption vvas conformed to the Lavv and it vvas a part of his conformity to it and to this Command rather then to any other that the Devil had nothing in him no not so much as a motus primo primus as they call it to sin nor any root from vvhich it should spring If it be objected 1. That this Lust is in men antecedently not only to any formal vvill of their ovvn but to all povver and ability to help it or so much as not to vvill it and so cannot be supposed to be forbidden to them Answ. 1. There are many things forbidden them vvhich novv after the fall is not in their povver to prevent 2. This Lavv is to be looked on as given to man in his innocency vvhich therefore required of him the keeping intire and undefaced the Image of God according to vvhich he vvas created and novv condemneth him for the vvant of it the scope of the Lavv being to point out perfect holiness vvithout respect to a mans ability or his present condition but to his duty for the performing of vvhich he got a povver from God at first but through voluntary transgression of the Lavv lost it and none vvill deny but if it be a sin to have such a polluted nature the Lavv must require it to be othervvayes But 2. if it be said that it is involuntary Answ. It is true it is not deliberate but voluntary it is as having its seat and rise in the will as well as in other faculties and therefore the will cannot be thought free 3. If it be said that this sin is greater then any sin forbidden in any other of the Commands therefore the Command forbidding it ought not to have been last Answ. In some respect it is greater to wit in it self yet in respect of its palpableness and obviousness it is less also this Command forbidding it presseth a further degree and step into all that goeth before and therefore is well subjoyned 2. We comprehend under this Command all first motions rising from that habitual Lust in reference to more compleat acts although they be instantly checked and choaked and that whether they be in reference to particular objects or whether they be vaging unsetled motions of any Lust in it self sinful and that whether there be a delectation or staying on that forbidden object or not or consenting to it or resolution to follow it or not as is evident in Paul Rom. 7. For 1. such motions are the births of a sinful mother habitual lust 2. They have sinful effects and tendencies they are incitements to sins 3. They are sinful in their nature as being disconformed to the holy Law of God and though they should presently be strangled yet it is supposed that once they were and if they were they were either good or ill if good they should not have been strangled if evil then they had this inordinateness here forbidden and that from our own hearts or inventions that gave them being and therefore they must leave a guilt behind them 4. Otherwayes these evils forbidden here would not differ from the spiritual ills forbidden in other Commands that forbid Lust with consent and delight 5. Our blessed Lord Jesus could be capable of none of these and therefore the having of them must be unsuitable to his Image who was like us in all things except sin 6. Paul's
may be gu â—lty of it as Rivet upon this Command acknowledgeth or half an hour is free of it Is ever the mind quiet and doth it not often yield consent to these motions and how few good purposes are often follovved forth Alass but seldome 12. The extent of it is great one may sin this vvay in reference to all the Commands yea to as many objects as his Neighbour or himself hath things of vvhich they have the possession yea to Imaginations about things that have no being nor it may be possibility of being but are meer Chimera's 13. The occasions of it and snares to it are rife and frequent nothing vve see but readily it doth as fire inflame this Lust so that vve have need continually as it vvere to cast vvater on it yea vvhat thing is there that is in it self lovely and desirable vve hear or read of that vve are not ready inordinately to be stirred tovvards the desiring of it 14. Its pretexts and cloaks to hide it self are many and sometimes specious so that men are seldom challenged for it if it come not to the length of being consented to or at least of a delectation Hovv often are there vvishes in our mouths and oftner in our hearts that break this Commandement vvhich vve observe not especially if they be for knovvledge or some good thing in another or some good thing done by another vvhich commendeth him for then O if we had it or O if we had done it 〈◊〉 often the language of the heart and so there is a secret discontent against our Neighbour which often runneth to envy or at least to a discontent that it is not so vvith us and that vve are behind in that but especially in spiritual things vve take liberty for these discontented vvishes also grudgings that another is free and vve are crossed come in under the sin here forbidden as also that vvhich is spoken of Eccles. 12.12 of much reading and making many books vvhen one is desirous inordinately either to have or to make many books to vent his knovvledge by especially vvhen it levelleth at vvhat others have done This inordinacie that is in the motions of the heart appeareth much 1. In the beginnings and stirrings of passions and discontent vvhich often never come abroad but yet are deep breaches of this Command either as marring that loving and kindly frame vvhich vve ought to carry tovvards others or as inconsistent vvith that invvard serenity and tranquility that vve should conserve in our selves that dumpishness vvhich is ordinarily to be seen in passionate and discontented persons often proceeding from or tending to one of these tvvo passion or discontent 2. It appeareth in bargains as vvhen vve hear of a good bargain or good marriage vvhich another hath gotten or some good event or issue he hath had in such or such an undertaking there is a secret grudge that vve have not got it or that vve have not had such success 3. That thoughtiness and anxious carefulness vvhich often is in bargains making hovv they may be sure and most for our advantage is vve conceive especially pointed at here there is a sutable carefulness vvhich simply and in it self is consistent vvith lavvful diligence but this anxiety sinfully accompanieth it through our inordinacie in it 4. It shevveth it self in those many ruings and repentings vvhich often are after things are done and vvishings they had not been done vvhich are not simply sinful vvhen there is reason for them but as they are carking and inordinate as for most part they are in us We ought to grieve vvith after-grief and sorrovvful sharp reflection for the sin of vvhat vve do in all these abovesaid and others such like but it 's repining against God and his infinitely vvise government to grudge at dispensations events and consequents vvhich are meer providences 5. This inordinacie of heart-motions doth much appear in the vexing after-thoughts of and reflections upon any thing vve have done not so much because of its sinfulness as because of its bringing shame upon us or because of its unsutableness to vvhat our humour aimed at and upon this account vve are discontented and have an inordinate and unsatisfied desire of having it othervvayes done and so discontent is the proof and evidence of this Lust discovering it vvhere it is for because our desire though possibly it be confused and for any good as it is Psal. 4.6 is not fulfilled therefore is heaviness and discontent vvhereas if it vvere satisfied there vvould be quietness So then we conceive this Command as to its positive part doth 1. Require love to our Neighbour and complacency in his prosperous condition and all such motions as are inconsistent with it are here forbidden though they never come to act and being such as we would not have any others entertaining towards us 2. Contentment so that discontent discouragement fainting heaviness anxiety disquietness and not resting satisfied with our own lot which is forbidden Heb. 13.5 are condemned here 3. A holy frame of heart a delight in the Law of God and conformity to it Rom. 7.22 Hence these motions are counted opposite to it which were in Paul although he wrestled against them as was said and are the Imaginations of mens hearts but the serenity and tranquil composure of the heart having every thing subject and subordinate to the Law of God is called for here 4. It requireth compleat conformity to the Law of God and exact and perfect love to and delight in him Thus this Command is broken when there is any stirring of heart inconsistent with perfect love to him and his Law But obedience is given to it when we put off the old man and put on the new man created after God c. Col. 3.9 10. and attain unto a stayed composed established and sixed heart so much commended in Scripture For the difference of this Command from the former Commands is not in the object but in the act lust for determinate lust for instance looketh to the seventh Command but here a sort of vaging unsetledness in the thought that cannot be called adultery as not partaking of that name yet really is Lust is forbidden and so also vain wanderings upon Ideas and notions come in here under the name of Lust and are sinful being inconsistent with a composed frame of heart To close up all let us consider a little these words Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust except the law had said thou shalt not covet I shall only premit this one word that it is something peculiar to this Command that men in nature come not the length of taking it up Paul before conversion knew that the consented-to desire of an unlawful thing was sin but he knew not this narrow bounding of men to be intended in this Command In the words then you may take up these three 1. That there is a great sinfulness and inordinacie in folks hearts even in the least things which oft-times