Gods dispensations towards them as in taking vengeance on the wicked Withall we must take notice that God hath an especiall aime to make it appear to the world that all his mercies which he bestows upon men are every way free Appears his free mercy even to his dear servants and that he is no debter to the best and most holy among the sons of men For which cause he hath left upon record the failings of such men as are most renouned and honoured in the Church Manifest by the failings of the best amongst men As the grosser slips of Noah into drunkennesse Gen. 9.21 of Lot into drunkennesse and incest Gen. 19.33 35. David into adultery and murder 2 Sam. 11.4.15 Yea the smaller errours of others though in sins not so scandalous as Abrahams twise failing in his faith manifested in concealing through fear that Sarah was his wife Gen. 12.12 chap. 20.2 11. and Moses his speaking unadvisedly with his lips in his passion Numb 20.10 Psal 106.32 though Abrahams faith was the grace for which he was most renowned who is therefore stiled Faithfull Abraham Gal. 3.9 and the father of the faithfull and one strong in faith Rom. 4.16 20. And Moses most eminent grace was meekness for which he is prefer'd above all others Numb 12.3 Examples which may indeed both support the hearts of such as find themselves subject to those infirmities from which the best are not free and move all men to walk in fear and trembling seeing they that stand may so easily fall and may besides easily clear this truth that in the sight of God no man living can be justified Psal 143.2 much lesse can challenge any thing at Gods hand but must acknowledge that if they be not condemned much more if they be rewarded it is out of free mercy and grace Again whereas God seems as it were To understand the justice of Gods administration in to suspend sometimes the execution of his justice against wicked men at least for a while notwithstanding their desperate and rebellious courses by which they provoke the eyes of his glory for the manifesting of his patience The prosperity of the wicked even towards the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction as the Apostle tels us Rom. 9.22 and the affliction of the godly And on the other side seems to set his face against his own children exercising them under his rods and withholding from them the comfort of his favour as in bitterness of spirit they complain Psal 77.7 8. That in these cases we may understand and judge aright of Gods waies and give him the honour of his justice and faithfulnesse we must take with us these two directions First look not on the beginning 1. Look not on the beginning but on the end of Gods work but on the end and issue of all Gods dispensations both towards the godly and the wicked thus are we advised Psal 37.37 38. Mark the perfect man for his end is peace but the end of the wicked shall be cut off This indeed was the means by which the Prophet David supported his heart when he was full of fretting and envy at wicked mens prosperity and as much discouraged at his own chastisements which lighted upon him every morning Psal 73.3 14 17. when by searching the Scriptures he found that how faire and glorious soever the present state of wicked men appeared to the outward view yet the end of them was sodaine and horrible destruction and his own end besides all the comfort of Gods counsell at present was advancement to glory Psal 73.19 24. The Second thing to be taken notice of in Gods patience 2. Observe the cause whence ' both arise The wickeds prosperity proceeds from wrath the Godlies afflictions from his love in bearing with wicked men for a time and in chastening his own children is the fountaine whence these dispensations both towards the one and the other proceed the forbearance of wicked men comes from his wrath and the chastising of his own from his love and faithfulnesse Psal 119.75 And this evidently appeares by the contrary effects wrought upon them both For wicked mens hearts by Gods patience towards them are the more hardned in sinne Eccl. 11.8 thereby treasuring unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 Encrease in pride opening their mouthes in blasphemy against Heaven Psal 73.8 9. and fill up their iniquity to the uttermost So that the Lord even then when be seemes to spare them outwardly notwithstanding executes his judgements upon them inwardly in a more secret but yet in a more fearfull way On the other side the Godly profit by their afflictions grow more humble-minded tender-hearted and more tractable to the will of God Psal 119.67 71. Ier. 31.18 so that Gods patience towards wicked men as it proceeds from wrath so by the just judgement God of it increaseth their condemnation by hardening their hearts as on the other side afflictions of the godly proceeding from his faithfulnesse and mercy worke together to their good Rom. 8.28 SECT II. Of the Laws given by God to his Church and Recorded in Scripture HItherto we have considered part of the subject matter which the Scriptures handle namely the Works and Acts of God How Gods honour is manifested in his Law recorded in Scripture which are therein recorded and have observed that the maine end which the Holy Ghost aimes at in registring them is to set out the glory of God manifested in them the wisdome power holinesse goodnesse justice and faithfulnesse of him that wrought them which easily appeare in those works if we search into them that those glorious Excellencies being made known to men they might honour him as God and cleaving unto him and serving him in holy feare might further their owne salvation We are in the next place to set before us the Laws that the Lord hath given unto his Church which being every way Perfect Psal 19.7 Right concerning all things Psal 119.128 very Pure ver 140. Wonderfull ver 129. Holy and good Rom. 7.12 Psal 119.39 manifest the perfection righteousnesse purity and goodnesse of that God that gave them as the Psalmist concludes God to be righteousnesse because all his judgments in which he includes his Laws are upright Psal 119.137 Especially seeing these Laws are given to men as rules of their practise according to which if they walke they please God 1 Thes 4.1 and are accepted of him which is a further argument that the Lord himselfe is Righteous and Holy who is pleased with nothing but righteousnesse and holiness and requires nothing else of those that serve him Under this name of the Law of God the Scriptures oftentimes comprehend not only the Commandements which are the Rules of our life and practise By which we meane not the whole Word of God as it is sometimes taken but besides the Principles and grounds of faith and generally the whole Word of God
made a curse for us hath taken off from us and redeemed us from this curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 and seeing this exact obedience which the strictnesse of the Law required is now made impossible unto us by reason of the weaknesse of our nature corrupted by Adams fall God through Christ hath been pleased to moderate unto us the rigour of the Law in respect of the obedience required therein and is pleased to accept our sincere constant and faithfull endeavours to performe to the uttermost of our power what we are able to doe although we come short of what the Law requires and are accepted where there is a willing mind according to that which we have and not according to that which we have not 2 Cor. 8.12 The Second benefit which we have by Christ in relation to the Law 2. And from exacting our obedience to Justification is that whereas the Law requires of us perfect obedience to every commandement thereof to be performed by us in our owne persons for the attaining of eternall life as our Saviour implies in his answer to the young man Mat. 19.19 Now Christ having in his own Person perfectly fulfilled the whole Law Mat. 3.15 his Righteousnesse apprehended by Faith is imputed to us and accounted ours as if we our selves had performed it is accepted by God for the justifying of us before him Phil. 3.9 Rom. 5.18 19. so that we have thereby a just title to eternall life which otherwise we could have laid no claime unto by any righteousnesse of our own which is so farre from justifying of us before God that the best of it before him is no better then filthy rags Jsa 64.6 rendring us abominable in his eyes which are purer then to behold evill So that in his sight no man living in himselfe can be justified Psal 143.2 Lastly 3. And from that ill effect of the Law to quicken our lusts by Christ we are freed from an ill effect which the Law wrought in us yet only occasionally not properly by it selfe for the Commandement is holy just and good Rom. 7.12 But sinne taking occasion by the Commandement slew us so that the Commandement which was ordained to life we find unto us to be unto death Rom. 7.10 11. because the Law laying a restraint upon our corrupt lusts but bringing with it no power of the Spirit to enable us to subdue and conquer them by making a barre against them caused them to swell the higher and to rage the more violently as waters doe when they are penned by a damme that is made against them which the Apostle calls the reviving of sinne when the Commandement came Rom. 7.9 But Christ bringing with him the Spirit of grace and Sanctification by which those corrupt lusts are in some measure mortified and subdued the Spirit of Christ taking away that enmity and contrariety of the flesh against the Law and working our hearts to a complyanie therewith By giving his Spirit to work us to a compliance with Law causeth it to work in us a quite contrary effect to that which it hath in naturall men an exceeding love unto Gods Testimonies Psal 119.167 an holy delight in them ver 77. Rom. 7.22 for the sweetnesse which we find in them Psal 119.103 so that our hearts incline to performe them alwaies even to the end v. 112. This gracious effect of the Spirit working with the Law in the hearts of the godly is part of that new Covenant which God promiseth to make with his people unlike the Covenant which he made with their fathers which they brake to write his Law in their inward parts Ier. 31.32 33. and 32 40. A DIGRESSION CONCERNING THE MORALITY OF THE Fourth Commandement BY Iohn White Master of Arts and Preacher of Gods word in Dorchester in the County of Dorset LONDON Printed for Richard Royston A Digression concerning the Morality of the Fourth Commandement SECT I. That the Law of the Sabbath in the fourth Commandement is Morall and therefore perpetuall FOr the evidencing of this truth The first Argument it was given to the whole nature of man in Adam our first Argument shall be drawn from the Institution of this day of holy Rest immediately upon mans creation recorded Gen. 2.3 which upon the examining thereof will appeare so strong and cleare in it selfe that it might be sufficient to convince any man that is not forestalled before-hand by too much prejudice And it may be thus framed What Law soever was given to our first Parents in the beginning without relation to their present state bindes all mankind to the worlds end But such was this Law of the Sabbath It is true that there happened upon the fall of our first Parents a change in the Law Two changes of the Law given to Adam occasioned by his fall which was given them by God in the beginning The First change happened to the whole Law in respect of the conditions and in part of the use of it For whereas of man in the state of innocency and perfection full and perfect obedience to the whole Law was required 1. In respect of the whole Law perfect obedience thereunto being then possible to be performed by him in his own Person whereunto he was sufficiently enabled by the perfection of his nature in which he was created but by the fall of Adam that ability was so farre weakned that such obedience was made impossible to him or any of his posterity after him But by his fall made now impossible the righteousnesse of Christ is accepted for us now in stead of our personall obedience the Righteousnesse of Christ who in our nature fulfilled the whole Law is imputed to us for our justification and our obedience is required only as a fruit of that faith by which we are justified This makes so great a change in the Covenants made betweene God and man before and since the Fall that they are usually esteemed to be two diverse Covenants the former before the Fall we call the Covenant of workes and this latter since the Fall we tearme the Covenant of Grace The Second change which happened in the Law 2. In respect of some Laws given Adam in respect of his condition rather then of his nature by occasion of Adams fall was in respect of some duties commanded in the Law the Sacramentall tree of life and the whole use thereof were of necessity taken away because the promise whereof that tree was the Seale was voide by Adams breach of the Covenant to which it was annexed And the charge of keeping and dressing Paradise was by like necessity utterly voide when man for his rebellion was cast out of that Garden Other commandements as those concerning mans labour and womens subjection to their husbands were made straighter then they were before but the substance of these Laws remained still And these changes happened only in such particulars as respected rather the state of mans
as the originall corruption and Propension of the heart thereunto with all the evill thoughts and motions of the minde that flow from thence are forbidden Thus our Saviour interprets murther to reach not only to the outward violence done to the person of our neighbour but to the hating of them inwardly in the heart yea even to rash and unadvised anger towards him And he extends adultery as far as the lusting after a woman in ones heart Mat. 5.22 28. In the Third place take speciall notice of the names which God gives unto every sinne forbidden in the Law 3. We must judge of sins as God in his Law judgeth of them anger is murther lust adultery c. by which we may easily judge both how God himselfe values it and how he would have us to value it As in the sixth Commandement where he forbids anger and malice he calls them murther In the seventh where he forbids lust and wantonnesse he calls them adultery In the eight where he forbids idlenesse fraud mercilesnesse to the poore he names them all theft Now God we know is the only impartiall Judge of all things and we are sure he speakes of things as he iudgeth of them and consequently seeing he calls the thoughts and motions to sinne by the names of the acts of it we learne so to judge of our sins not as the world judgeth of them but as they are weighed out unto us by the balance of the Sanctuary not small and scarce worthy the observation but foule and abominable Thus whereas men think vaine thoughts scarce worthy the least censure David hates them Psal 119.113 and whereas we take no notice of idle words our Saviour tells us we shall answer to God for them Mat. 12.36 This valuing and esteeming of sinne according to the foulnesse of it as it is just in it selfe so is it of singular use unto us as well to make sinne so hatefull unto us Which will move us 1. To tremble at motions to sinne that we may flie from it as from a Serpent trembling at every motion or allurement thereunto as also to bring us to an abhorring and loathing of our selves Ezek. 36.31 2. Loath our selves 3. To esteem and embrace Christ and lastly to raise up our hearts to an high esteem of Jesus Christ hungring and thirsting after him and admiring and adoring the riches of Gods mercy in giving him out of his free love to be a meanes of purchasing our peace and taking away from us the guilt of so many foule and abominable transgressions A Fourth direction for the making a right use of the Morall Law Rule 4 is to consider the force and weight of every Commandement thereof 1. In respect of the authority all Commandements are equall wherein we are to take speciall notice of three things First that in respect of the authority that commands all the Laws are equall as S. James tels us 2. In respect of the object the Commandements of the first Table are groatest James 2.11 upon which ground he infers in the same place that whosoever offends by transgressing of any one of these Laws is guilty of the breach of all the rest because he offends against that authority by which all those Laws are established In the second place in respect of the objects of the duties commanded in that Law the Commandements of the first Table are of grcatest importance according to our Saviours owne determination Mat. 22.38 because the services therein required are more immediately directed unto God and consequently his honour is more immediately concerned in them then in the duties of the second Table in the observing whereof although we honour and serve God yet our services therein are immediately directed to men Consequently infidelity love feare and dependence on the creature we are to abhorre as the sins of the highest nature by which above all others God is most dishonored although the world judge of them farre otherwise Lastly 3. The negative binds more strongly then the affirmative the negative Commandements bind us more strongly then the affirmative in this respect because the negative oblige us alwaies and to all times as a man is not to commit Idolatry to blaspheme Gods name c. at any time whereas the affirmative Commandements although they bind us alwaies yet they bind us not to all times as though one is still bound to pray heare c. yet he is not found to perform them at all times Fifthly Rule 5 although we find not the promises of rewards and mercy The promises and curses belong to every Law although they be not expressed and threatnings of wrath and vengeance expressed in every Commandement and annexed thereunto yet that which we find expresly set down in some of the Laws we must understand and conceive to belong to the rest of the Laws in which there is no such thing expressed even a curse denounced against every one that confirmes not all the words of the Law that is every Commandement and every duty required in any one of them to doe them And a blessing promised to the keeping and yeelding obedience to the whole Law Both which we must not limit as some doe to outward and temporary blessings And are not only temporary but spirituall and eternal and curses but must extend beyond them to those which are spirituall and eternall even the powring out of the full measure of the wrath of God upon the body and soule of every person who is a transgressour of the Law and that to all eternity and the rewarding of every man that yeelds sincere and constant obedience in every thing which the Law requires with all manner of blessings upon soule and body for evermore Sixthly Rule 6 all those premises of blessings and threats of curses Yet they must not be the ground of obedience be annexed to the whole Law yet our ground of yeelding obedience to that Law must not be so much either the hope of the one or feare of the other although by reason of the infirmity of the flesh both for the awing and quickening of our hearts we may make profitable use of both But subjection to the authority that commands with the Prophet David Psal 119.120 166. as the submitting of our selves to the righteous and holy will of God whose we are wholly and therefore owe unto him all that we can doe with our best abilities whence the Psalmist presents his earnest request unto God to teach him to doe his will Psal 143.10 that is both what God wills and because he wills it And the way to interest our selves in Gods Promises is as the Apostle tells us Heb. 10.36 The doing of his will Indeed as the Lord is our God by the strongest and justest of all titles both because we are his creatures and beyond that his redeemed ones so the manifesting of his will unto us either in his Law what he would have
represented to the Jews Christ to come as did their Passeover sacrifices scapegoat c. or they were outward shadows of inward sanctification such as were many of their washings separating and cleansing of leapers c. As for the former sort of these which under divers types point us out Christ to come we are more particularly to observe that they represent him as a sacrifice for sin a lamb slain from the beginning of the world the scape-goat sets out the fruit of his suffering the utter removing from us carrying away our sins into the wildernesse that they may never appear nor be remembred against us any more the like representations we have in many of the rest By which we learn that as from the beginning there was no other name by which men might be saved but only the name of Jesus Christ promised to our first Parents expected by the Patriarchs and both to them after they were formed into a state represented many ways although under figures and shadows so they were to expect salvation by him no other way but by his death nor any other salvation then by taking our sins upon him and thereby making our peace with God his Father This consideration is a great means to strengthen our faith when we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses testifying that truth which we believe in all ages from the beginning The second sort of ceremonies are such as are under the figures of washings 2. As under legall washing sanctification is shadowed we are taught to cleanse our selves in drawing neer unto God legall separations and purifications and the like represented to the Iews that inward purity and cleansing of the heart which God requires in all his people especially those that draw neer unto him in the performance of such duties of his worship as he hath commanded unto this the Psalmist alludes in that expression of his Psal 26.6 as likewise doth the Prophet Isa 1.16 Now although we are freed from those outward ceremonies the observation thereof notwithstanding seeing we are every way as much bound as the Iews ever were to labour after inward holinesse and the cleansing of our selves from all filthinesse both of the flesh and of the spirit and the keeping of our hearts and consciences pure and undefiled we may and ought by the reading of these laws to be stirred up to the practice of that inward duty of sanctification which those outward ceremonies represented especially when we draw neer unto God in those holy exercises of prayer that we may lift up holy hands as we are exhorted 1 Tim. 2.8 and in hearing purging out of all naught inesse and superfluity of malitiousnesse as we are warned Jam. 1.2 that we may receive the word with meeknesse into honest and good hearts Luk. 8.15 in which only it is fruitfull and so in other like duties In generall all those ceremonies of what kind soever 3. The burthensomnesse of those ceremonies may encourage us to more cheerfulnesse in our more easie services whether types of Christ or shadows of inward holinesse being every way so burthensome as Saint Peter affirms Act. 15.10 both in respect of toilsome labour and of the great charges and expence about them And when all was done being so dark and obscure that the Children of Israel could not look unto the end of that which is abolished as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3.13 that whole frame of service and worship wherein the Iews were exercised being compared with those ordinances which Christ hath left unto us so easie so cheap so few in number and yet so plain that now we behold as with open face the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.13 14. the reading of that law of ceremonies and the comparing of their manner of worship in them with ours may teach us two things Acknowledging thankfully the liberty purchased to us by Christ First to raise up our hearts to a thankfull acknowledgement of Gods great mercy to us who hath been pleased by Iesus Christ to take off that heavy yoke from our shoulders and to set us at liberty in comparison of them Galat. 5.1 which should be a great inducement unto us not only to bear but to take up that easie yoke as he himself calls it Matth. 11.29 and to be constant in the cheerfull use of those holy and quickening ordinances which Christ hath left unto his Church and that without any wearinesse at all or any murmuring at our condition Secondly seeing those laws had no more but shadows of good things to come And bewailing our blindnesse in this cleer sunshine of the Gospel but had not the things themselves as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10.1 and even those shadows too but in carnall ordinances as they are called Heb. 9.10 whereas we now have the things themselves and those also represented unto us in a more spirituall way Let it be in the reading of those ordinances and comparing them with the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles wherein both Christs himself and the things freely given us by God in him are so fully and cleerly set before us that he that runs may read them be an effectuall means to move us to reflect upon our selves that bewailing our blindnesse in so clear a light shining out unto us like the Sun in his strength and our deadnesse of heart in the use of these spirituall and quickning means which the Lord hath so gratiously afforded unto us May be stirred up to labour for more knowledge as having more effectuall means to obtain them we may with all earnestnesse and constancy labour to attain to a greater measure of knowledge faith and of every other grace and unto more fruitfulnesse in every good work especially unto more life and fervency of affection in the duties of Gods worship One thing more it may be fit for us to take into consideration in the reading of the ceremoniall law which is this 5. Though we use not the ceremonies themselves yet we may draw rules from them for our direction Howsoever those ceremonies be abolished yet wheresoever they are directed to an end which is common to us with them there though we observe not the ceremony it self yet we from them draw a rule which may be of use unto us in the duties of our worship As for example our Ordinances and the Jewish agree in this that as they are holy so they ought to be kept holy and free from pollution by excluding unclean persons from the use of them The care of this under the law was committed to the Priests who had the charge of the holy things and are therefore justly taxed for neglect of their duty in not keeping strangers and uncircumcised persons from the sanctuary from those holy things that were offered therein Ezek. 44.7 8. Now seeing our ordinances are in all respects as holy as those of the Iews were the charge of keeping their holy things undefiled