sanctification of the day and works of mercy The Prophet tells us that God refuseth all sacrifice and requireth Mercy so that sacrifice without Mercy was rejected Let us compare this with the Ritual sanctification in the Law As anoynting was the first part of typical sanctifying of which we spake formerly so was there also a second If it were a Person his hand was filled by Aaron Implevit manus ejus Aaron If it were an Altar then was there some what offered on it So that Oblation or filling the hand was the second way of legal sanctifying In the Law there was a charge to Aaron that whensoever men came to appear before the Lord none should appear empty And therefore in another place there is mention made of a basket of sanctification at the door of the Tabernacle in which was reserved the bread offered by the people which the Priests were to eat with the flesh of the sacrifices And the very same order was taken in the time of the Gospel that on the Lords day there should be collections for the poor But there is no place that setteth this out more plainly then the 26 Chapter of Deuteronomy the whole Chapter throughout where the manner is particularly set down how the people were to bring their baskets of first fruits to the tabernacle and offer them there to the Lord in token of thankfulnesse and as an acknowledgement that they received all from God And likewise every third yeer besides the ordinary tythes they were to bring the tythe of the remainder to the Tabernacle for the use of the Levite the poor the fatherlesse and stranger that they might rejoyce together c. Now mercy as misery is two fold 1. Corporeal and 2. Spiritual Either outward and such as are for the good of the body of him that is in misery or inward and such as concerne his soul or spirit 1. For the first of these our Saviour himself mentions six works of mercy in 2 verses of one Chapter which as sure as he is Christ he will acknowledge and take special notice of when he comes to judge the world and as he will pronounce those happy and blessed that have exercised them so he will denounce a curse upon those that have neglected them three of them are in the first of the two 1. Feeding the hungry 2. Giving drink to the thirsty 3. Merciful dealing with and entertaining the stranger And the other three are in the next verse 1. Clothing the naked 2. Visiting the sick 3. And succouring them that be in prison To which may be added a seventh which is the care of the dead we see that King David pronounceth a blessing from God to the men of Jabesh Gilead because they had buried the body of Saul And our Saviour commendeth the work of Mary in her anointing him as having relation to the day of his burial We finde also Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus recommended to posterity for their work of mercy in this kinde the one for begging the body of Jesus to bury it and the other for assisting him in the charge of interring it Augustine gives a reason why the burial of the dead ought to be accounted a work of mercy It is done saith he Ne pateat miseria that this misery of rotting being both lothsome to the eye and nose should not appear to every man As also because every one loveth his own flesh so well that he would have it after his death well and honestly used and therefore this is a benefit done to him when he cannot help himself And in these respects it is a work of mercy That the works of mercy are most requisite and especially upon our feasts appears by that which is related of David who upon his sacrifice on a festival day dealt to everyman and woman the poorer sort no doubt a loaf of bread and a good piece of flesh and a flagon of drink And by that which is storied of Nehemiah who upon the Sabbath day after the law read and expounded commanded the better sort to eat the fat and drink the sweet and to send portions to them for whom nothing was prepared And certainly there is a blessing or sanctifying proper to them and their actions that shall be mindefull of the poor and shew mercy to them S. Paul tells the Milesians that it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive especially seeing God so accepteth works of mercy as that he imputeth not sin to the truly charitable Therefore it was that Daniel gave that counsel to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 iniquity by mercy to the poor And our Saviour gave the like in his sermon Give Alms of such things as you have and all things are clean to you Whereas he that stoppeth his ears at the cry of the Poor he also shall cry himself and not be heard But it is an easy matter for flesh and blood to finde objections against performing these works of mercy As how know I whether a man be hungry or not I see none go naked and so of the rest To this we answer with the fathers potius est occurrere necessitati quam succurvere It is better to prevent or keep a man from misery then to help him out of misery And for the practise of that they 〈◊〉 taught the monuments of their charity which they have left behinde them shew that they were more frequent in works of mercy then we And their rule was In die domini ne extende manus ad 〈◊〉 nisi extendas ad pauperem if you stretch not your hands to the poor on the Lords day it will be in vain to stretch out your hands to God And indeed when God requireth thy Almes to the poore he asketh but his own and that which he gave thee and but that which thou canst not keep long He requireth but pauxillum a very little from thee for them meaning to repay thee Centuplum a hundred fold for it He asketh of thee but Caducum that which is fraile and transitory to reward thee in aternum eternally 2. And as there were in their time some so are there now more that plead their inability to releeve the poor Our answer to this must be as theirs was si 〈◊〉 non sufficient restuae ad 〈◊〉 Christianos parcendum est ut tu sufficias illis if thou hast not sufficient for pious uses be the better husband that thou mayest be enabled to do some good though never so little for God regardeth not the quantum how much thou givest 〈◊〉 ex quanto out of what thou hast to give The widowes mites were more accepted by God then the gifts the rich men cast into the Treasury why Quia multum obtulit quae parum sibi reliquit she offered much that left but little to her self Lastly there
God and not to any Creature whatsoever Therefore the learneder sort among them having studied the tongues better seeing the absurdity of these conclusions found out another shift and say that they neither do adorare nor colere imagines neither bow down to nor worship the images themselves but Christ and the Saints by the Images This distinction doth little avail them the records of Antiquity can tell them that this was the shift of the Heathen Idolaters of old even in the Primitive Church Lactantius taxeth those of his time for it Quae igitur amentia est c. what madnesse is it saith he to answer that you worship not the Idol sed Numen aliquod cui Idolum fabricatur but some God to which the Idol was was made and Chrysostome Adoratis simulachra non simulachra sed Venerem Martem per simulachra Veneris Martis you adore images and not images but Venus and Mars by their images lastly S. Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis disputator c. there starts up I know not what disputer and he seems to thee to be a learned man and sayes I worship not that stone nor that senselesse Image I know like a subtill Prophet that it can neither speak nor see but I serve that Deity which I see not I worship not that Image but I adore what I see and serve him that I see not And what is that why a certain invisible Deity To which the Father answering saith Hoc modo reddendo rationem de Idolis optime factum putant c. by this means they think they do well by rendring a reason for their Idols And in another place he saith of another sort videntur sibi purgatioris esse religionis qui dicunt nec simulachrum nec 〈◊〉 colo sed per 〈◊〉 corporalem ejus rei signum intueor quam colere debeo but they seem to be 〈◊〉 a more refined Religion that say I neither worship the Image nor the Devil in it but by that corporeal shape I behold the representation of that which I should worship But what saith he to this Itaque Apostoli una sententia poenam c. one sentence of the Apostle testifles their punishment and damnation for such kinde of acts God gave them up c. But indeed this error is as ancient as the Calf in the wildernesse and if we examine it well we shall finde this of their's all one with that of the Israelites for they did not think the Calfe to be a God for these reasons 1. For first they desired a God to go 〈◊〉 them and their reason was because they could not tell what was become of Moses who formerly had bin a visible representation to them of God and not a God himself therefore they would have somewhat made instead of him and this must hold for one reason or else we must say that they took Moses for their God before 2. The assent of Aaron for if he had not had somewhat in his minde besides flat Idolatry in consenting and complying with them he had not bin favoured as he was but destroyed with the rest And therefore it cannot be understood that they conceived the calf as a visible Representation onely but that in that calf God might be worshipped for Aaron said to them that they should keep a feast to the Lord therfore they intended that the Calf should represent God in their solemnity Exo. 32. 5. And it is likely that it was so because that while they were in Egypt they knew no other God then Apis an Oxe And it is recorded that Aaron upon these words of the people These be thy Gods 〈◊〉 that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt took hold of them and built an altar and proclaimed a fast to 〈◊〉 which they must needs know could not be ascribed to the Calf So that this was the Elench that deceived him that they might worship God in the Calf though Moses could not be deceived so for he brake it in pieces and burnt it to ashes 3. The third evasion of the Papists is That these Images are not erected either to adore or worship them or God by them but that ignorant people might have something to put them in minde of God and therefore Images are called by them libri laicorum the books of lay-men This is no new device but vsed of the old Idolaters as we may see by the 〈◊〉 of Symmachus There must be something to put the ignorant in minde of God Which Ambrose and Prudentius answer thus Omnia Deo plena all things have God to manifest him and put us in remembrance of him And by Arnobius These that stand so for Images saith he vse to say that they made no account of the Image but onely in respect of the ignorant sort of people that are put in minde of God by it And 〈◊〉 in an oration saith Istiusmodi 〈◊〉 esse pro libris quae dum legunt cognitionem dei dediscunt c. That while they read these books of Images in stead of learning God they loose the knowledge of him and therefore calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moralizing upon 〈◊〉 not teaching true divinity So that we see there is nothing said in this canse that was not said before Now if we aske the Papists that if the people must be put in minde of what it must be Not of the deity for they themselves are weary of maintaining that and though they were wont often and in many places do still to represent God and the Trinity in humane shapes yet Hosius now confesseth that such things came in Dormientibus 〈◊〉 praepositis while the gouernors of the Church were a sleep 2. Not of Christ as he is God for his attributes are 〈◊〉 but as he is man onely and in so doing in representing him by picture as man and not God seeing that person in the deity cannot be delineated they imitate Nestorius who did divide the natures of Christ and so consequently may seem to run into the Anathema of the council of Ephesus because in some sort they divide in their picture the manhood from the Godhead which they cannot expresse therewith 2. Not of Christ as man and now glorified for against this the saying of Eusebius may serve well that the glory of Christ in heaven is now far greater then it was when he was 〈◊〉 in the mount where the disciples could not look upon him and therefore cannotbe pourtrayed by any pensil 3. Nor of Christ as he was in the flesh for that were as the Prophet speaks to teach us lies and rather to forget then to remember what he suffered for us for in his picture as in that upon the crosse for example we can be put in minde we see no more then the piercing of his hands and feet a wound in his side by a spear and the thorns on his
And when God would exalt Abraham from being father to the children of a bond woman Agar by whom he had Ismael to be the father of Isaac and the faithful and thereby to establish the Church in his house then because he was more glorious he gives him a more glorious name Thou shalt no more be called Abram but Abraham And the like we see in Jacob whose name was changed to Israel a name of more dignity when he had prevailed with God Now if a good name or good report be among private men so highly valued that as Solomon saith it is better then a precious ointment which was in great esteme for pleasure in those dayes yea then silver or gold or any precious treasure which was most esteemed for profit and if it be true which the Heathen said interesse famae est majus omni alio interesse that the weight and interest of a good name goeth 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 yea further as a Father saith Fama pari passu ambulat cum vita it goeth cheek by joul with life it self Of how pretious and high esteem ought the name of God to be and how highly ought we to reverence and esteem it seeing as the Psalmist saith God hath magnified his name and word above all things Therefore his glory and name is the chief thing we should look unto Thus we see what 's meant by the name of God The second is what is understood by taking the Name of God Non assumes c. The barrennesse of the English language makes the expression of the Original short for the word whence it comes signifies to take up and hath a double use to which may be referred whatsoever is borrowed in this sence 1. It is applyed to a standard or banner and hence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nose Armiger 2. To a heavy thing as a burden whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 massae pondus and these two kinde of things we take up or remove if a thing be glorious as a standard we take it and lift it up and if a thing be necessary and useful to us though it be heavy and weighty we take it up so that the one is in rebus gloriosis the other in rebus necessariis and if a thing be neither glorious nor necessary we let it lie the first includes the duties of praise in all that take Gods name upon them the second refers to the duty of swearing which is a weighty thing and under these two are comprehended all other takings of his name 1. It is in gloriosis as Moses called his Altar erected and set up Jehovah-nissi that is the Lord my banner or standard from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ness vexillum Or as the plate made for Aaron wherein was to be graven Sanctitas Jehovae Holinesse to the Lord was to be taken up and placed upon Aarons forehead visible as a thing glorious as the badge of a noble man is lifted up upon the shoulder of a servant to be seen This lifting or taking up of Gods name is a thing glorious As the taking of a name by a childe from a father is honourable It was an honour and a priviledge to Ephraim and 〈◊〉 to be called after their grand-father Jacobs name so is it an honor to a woman to have her husbands name It was all the ambition of the women in the Prophet that desired one husband to be called by his name And we see still that in marriage the woman taketh her husbands name and it is such a glory to her that she is content to loose her own name for his And it is our own glory that from Gentiles we are called Christians Of which Esay in sundry places foretold Every one shal be called by my name saith God for I have created him for my glory And Thou shalt be called by a new name And again And shall call his servants by another name All which was fulfilled in the primitive Church when the Disciples were first called Christians The glory of Christ was taken up by Christians when they were called by his name Now being Gods servants and servants taken up his banner or badg the duty commanded is that we must like good servants do all to his glory as the Apostle speaks God can receive no profit by us but glory we may give him and therefore all our actions must refer to it We must not be so ambitious as they were in the dayes of Peleg that sought by building Babels tower to get themselves a name for that is Gigantomachia which is bellare cum Deo to fight with God It is not good to contest with him in this kinde You may read the successe of their enterprise God overthrew their plot even by the confusion of that which should have gotten them their names the tongue Nor must we set a face or false colour upon our own evil acts under pretence of Gods glory as did Absalom If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem I will serve him here was a fair pretence when treason lay hid in heart against his own father So 〈◊〉 makes religion a 〈◊〉 proclaims a fast for the murder of Naboth These are so far from the glory of Gods name that they are wicked abuses of it Thus Gods name is to be glorified within us now for the outward duties 1. Having taken this name upon us we must not be ashamed of it nor afraid to confesse it Judah of whom came the name to the Jews was so called the word signifying praise because his mother said she would confesse or praise God so must we wear our name of Christians and Gods servants to the glory of God and Christ and not be ashamed of it The reason Christ himself giveth Whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my father And though the Church of Philadelphia was but of small strength and its works were not great yet because it had not denyed his name Christ promiseth to set open a door for it and other things as you may read But any that shall receive the name and mark of the beast wear any others livery he shall drink of the wrath of God and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 2. There is another degree beyond that of not denying his Masters name which every good servant is bound to and which his master expects from him that is standing for his name when it is blasphemed consessing and defending it to the death as the Martyrs have done Because there was none that offered to defend Gods name when judgement was turned backward and justice stood afarr of truth was fallen in the streets and equity could not enter therefore he thereatens terrible judgement he puts on the garments of vengeance saith the 〈◊〉 3. Lastly we must not forget Gods name but often make mention of it The Prophet David threatens a
before them such do wound the name of God by their evil coversation and cause others to sin 2. We make his name glorious by free and voluntary vows made and performed so the Psalmist Accept I beseech thee the free-offerings of my mouth and teach me thy judgements and what he practised himself he exhorts others to perform Vow and pay unto the Lord. Seeing God doth freely bestow so many things upon us we should glorifie him not onely in the duties commanded but in vowing and making frec-will offerings of something in our power The contrary to this when men will give nothing to God but what necessity of law or eminent danger sorces from them Like those in the psalm that when God slew them they sought him and like the marriners in Jonas they prayed and made vows but it was not till they were in a storm The third thing in the prohibition is what it is to take Gods name in vain In every action three things are considerable The end The Agent The work These three duly weighed we shall soon see what it is to take Gods name in vain 1. That which hath no end proposed or is done to no end may truly be said to be done in vain As the sowing of seed without reaping the fruit the planting a vineyard without a vintage or feeding a flock without eating the milk of it These are labours in vain So he that taketh the name of God to no end neither to Gods glory nor the private or publick good taketh it in vain Cui bono is a good question in all undertakings If to no good as good and better not undertaken at all it is to no end it is in vain If a man have well fashioned legs and they be lame frustra pulchras 〈◊〉 tibias claudus the lame man hath them in vain The chief end therefore of taking this name must be 1. the glory of God otherwise we open our mouthes in vain as it is in Job God is willing to impart all his blessings to us and requires nothing of us again but Glory which if we returne not he may say as David did of Nabal for whom he had done many good turns in securing his shepherds and slocks c. And when he desired nothing but a 〈◊〉 meat for the young men he denied it All that I have done for this fellow is in vain in vain have I kept all he hath So God having done so much for us and expecting nothing but the glory of his name if we be defective herein he may well say all that he hath done for us is in vain 2. Next to Gods glory is the good of our selves and others and so to take God name without reference to this end if we neither promote our own good nor the good of others it is in vain ex privatione finis because it wants a right end therefore Saint Paul rejoyced having by his preaching laboured the saving of souls I rejoyce saith he that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain 2. In the Agent the heart and soul is to be considered which in the person acting is the chief mover If the soul be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rachah vain and light as when we take Gods name without due advise and reverence though we propound a right end yet we take his name in vain therefore the Wise man advises not to be rash with our mouth and the Psalmist professeth that his heart was fixed when he praised God the heart ought to be fixed and stablisht by a due consideration of Gods greatnesse when we speak of him This is opposed to rashnesse inconstancy and lightnesse such as are in chasse and smoak which are apt to be carried away with every blast and such as are so qualified do take Gods name in vain 3. In the work it self may be a two fold vanity which must be avoided 1. Falshood 2. Injustice 1. If it be false then is it also vain as theirs in Esay We have made falshood our refuge and under vanity are we hid And this is that actio erroris work of error of which Jeremy speaketh Vanitas opponitur veritati vanity is opposed to verity and truth therfore a thing is said to be vain when it is false or erroneous They are vanity the work of errours saith the Prophet and as there is truth in natural things so is there a truth in moral things which if it be wanting our speech is vain 2. If unjust it is vain too If I be wicked why then labour I in vain saith holy Job and the very hope of unjust men perish saith the Wise man and they walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain shadow and disquiet themselves in vain If justice be 〈◊〉 in our actions 〈◊〉 truth in our assertions and promises they are vain and to use Gods name in either is to take his name in vain So that if either we take the name of God to no end but make it common and take it up as a 〈◊〉 till it come to a habit not for any good end or if our hearts be not stable and fixed but light and inconstant when we take it or if we take 〈◊〉 colour or bolster out any fashood or any unjust act we take it in vain and break this Commandment CHAP. III. Of taking Gods name by an oath The causes and grounds of an oath The parts of it Contention Execration How God is glorified by an oath What is here commanded 1. To swear In what cases For Gods glory Mans necessity For the publique good The oath ex officio whether lawful or no. Of private and voluntary oaths 2. To swear by God not by Idols or creatures 3. Not to take his name in vain but to swear in 1. Truth in oaths assertory promissory 2. Judgement 3. Justice Against voluntary oaths whether lawful Of swearing from the heart The means to be used against vain swearing The signes of keeping this Commandment Of drawing others to keep it Of the taking Gods name by an Oath VVE said before that the word which we translate taking the name of God signified in the original to take up and that in a double use 1. In gloriosis as a banner with which we have now done The other use is in necessariis as a burden of which now If there be any thing which we stand in need of for the use though it be heavy and weighty yet we will take it up So did Jacob the great stone before the well when upon the coming together of the flock necessity urged him to it Now as the first use in gloriosis was solely to the glory and praise of God by taking up his name as a standard or banner by praise so this in necessariis the taking his name up as onus a burden by lawful swearing or taking an oath looks also at mans benefit to end controversies for an oath for confirmation to men is an end of
Testimonium excellentiae a testimony of that excellency which we acknowledge in him above our selves of this Solomon speaks when 〈◊〉 adviseth not to meddle with a strang woman lest we lose our honour that is lest we lose the good reputation and esteeme we have in the 〈◊〉 of others and in another case he tells us that a peaceable man shall have honour and good respect with men for by a good opinion of men we testifie there is an excellency in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have some what more then we have and both the Apostles 〈◊〉 Paul and Saint Peter expresse this duty by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjection or submission to be subject as we see Christ was subject to this father and mother in respect of his manhood acknowledging himself to be a child and so consequently thought some thing to be in them to receive this honour which was not in himself The 〈◊〉 will make this more plain In the case of Corah and his company they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron they would not give them honour God calls it afterwards a dishonouring of him and their 〈◊〉 was They were not more excellent then others all the congregation was holy and the Lord was amongst them Their thesis was All men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Lord and therefore Moses and Aaron had no more excellency then the rest of the congregation But we see how God by a special miracle confuted their position for the example of all that in future times should exalt themselves against their superiours The contrary to this sinne of theirs is when men do acknowledge and confesse that there is not an equality but that some do excel them and that this excellency above them is not as the Poet speaks by chance but by the appointment of God that as in creation and generation he is the special father that gives us being so for our well by government that he is our special governour and that those above us are his instruments appointed for our preservation when we acknowledge this exellency in others and that it comes from God who hath imparted his gifts to them This is the first and the inward part of honour But now as God told Samuel concerning 〈◊〉 God and man look several waves for God looks on the 〈◊〉 which man cannot see it is onely the excellency which outwardly apears which we can take notice of and honour and so likewise the inward honour of the heart of which we have spoken is seen onely by God man cannot behold it and therefore besides the inward esteeme or estimate of anothers excellency there must be also some exteriour signe or testimony whereby we acknowledge it to be others and this makes the second part of honour 〈◊〉 honour Such was that which 〈◊〉 desired of Samuel though the kingdom were taken from him as Samuel well knew yet honour me saith he before the Elders of the people and before 〈◊〉 c. And such was that which the 〈◊〉 looked after viz. The 〈◊〉 places at 〈◊〉 the uppermost 〈◊〉 and greeting in the market place This is the second part of honour What this exteriour honour is and after what manner it is to be exhibited in particular is best known by the manner of the countrey where men live because it is not alike in all places every countrey hath not the same signes of honour Holy men in scripture have exhibited outward honour by several gestures or ceremonies which may be reduced to these seven heads 1. To rise up when a person of excellency which either by nature or analogie and proportion is our 〈◊〉 in presence Job accounted it as an honour done to him when the aged arose and stood up when he was in presence And Solomon a king thought fit to expresse his duty to his mother Bathsheba by rising up to her when she came before him 2. The uncovering or making the head bear was accounted a token of honour in use with the Saints and a dishonour to keep it covered as we may gather by the words of the Apostle 3. The bowing of the knee or all or part of the body When 〈◊〉 would have 〈◊〉 honoured he thought no way better for the people to expresse it then by bowing their 〈◊〉 to him He caused them to 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 Abrech that is bow the knee King 〈◊〉 in the place before quoted to adde the greater honour 〈◊〉 his mother bowed himself to her Jacob meeting his brother Esau bowed himself 〈◊〉 times to the ground a great expression of this duty And Ruth no doubt thought she honoured 〈◊〉 when she bowed her self to the ground before him So for the bowing of the head it is mentioned in diverse places in scripture to set forth this duty The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 when they came before him bowed their heads and made obeysance These were signes of honour at the first meeting or salutation 4. A fourth expression is standing up not onely to rise before them we prefer in excellency but to stand up too we see the practize of it in the people of Israel Moses 〈◊〉 as a judge among 〈◊〉 but it is said that the people stood by him from morning till evening And 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 mayd when she went to attend upon king David was to stand before him The like did 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 And indeed it is the common expression of service 5. The next is to be silent in the presence of them we account our betters Job tells us that when he was in prosperity the Princes refrained talking in his presence and laid their hand upon their mouth Ths Nobles held their peace c. And in the same Chapter he saith unto me men gave eare and waited and kept 〈◊〉 at my counsel 6. The sixth is that when of necessity we are to speak we use words of submission It is Saint Peters note of Sarah her submissive speech to her husband she called him Lord. And the speech of Rachel to her father 〈◊〉 is a president of this kind for children to their parents 〈◊〉 it not displease my Lord that I cannot rise up before thee And of Josephs brethren for inferiours to men in authority Thy servant our father is in good health 7. The last is dispersed throughout the scriptures and comprehended under the word ministrare to minister and wait Luc. 17. 7. And it comprehendeth all such other duties of outward honour as are to be vsed by servants to their masters As our Saviour expresseth one in the masters command to his servant to make ready that he may sup And the maid waited on Naamans ' wife And so king Davids Generals are said to wait on him And Job in the place before mentioned saith that men waited on him in token of reverence and service to him so that when we
conjugal love in the three particulars before mentioned in forsaking what was dear to him father and mother c. In cleaving constantly to his Church and uniting himself with it so as his Church is the body and he the head so this love of his was spiritual towards the Church By which he made it without spot or wrinckle and so the husbands chief care ought to be to keep his wife sine macula ruga without spot or sinne in the sight of God And as this is required on the mans part so the woman to make her self amiable ought to resemble her that the wiseman speaks of Many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all for favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised This commendation had Lydia whom the Apostle sets forth for a pattern to other women that she was one that feared and worshipped God whose heart God opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul This makes a woman truly amiable for as there must be love in the husband so there must be Amibilitas amiablenes on her part thereby to draw love which consists in modesty and other vertues for as Salomon saith A gracious or as some read it a modest woman obtaineth honour for beauty or favour without grace and fear of the Lord is but as a ring of gold in a swines snowt And therefore immodest outward allurements ought to be far from them according to the Apostles rule they ought to adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastnes and sobriety not with broydered haire or gold or pearles or costly array but which becometh women professing godlines with good works And S. Peter requires that their adorning be not in plaiting the haire or wearing gold c. but in 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 And the Apostle Paul in another place commands that young married women beare children guide the house and give no occasion of offence And lastly Saint Peter would have them be of such conversation that even without the word the adversaries beholding them may be won and converted So much for the second duty 3. The third duty of the husband or Paterfamilias is oeconomical To provide for his wife and them of his family which if he do not he is worse then an infidel as the Apostle saith There must be in him an honest care by just and true dealing per 〈◊〉 oeconomicam by oeconomical prudence to provide sufficient maintenance for his wife and family It was the Patriarch Jacobs care as we may see in his conference with Laban for when Laban vrged him to tarry still with him his answer was that he had done sufficiently for him already he had by Gods blessing encreased his estate from a little to a great deale and if he should still follow his busines when should he provide for his own house It is the Apostles counsel that men should labour for that which is good that they may have not onely for themselves but also to give to others and so rather to be beneficial to others then chargeable And the wiseman in a Metaphorical way adviseth the like He would not have a man to come alwayes to his neighbours well when he is dry but to drink waters out of his own cisterne fontes 〈◊〉 deriventur foras let thy 〈◊〉 be aisper sed abroad and to this end in the next chapter he urgeth the example of the Auts wisdome in laying up against the hard winter to whom he sendeth the sluggard for a pattern and calleth him wise that gathereth in Summer that is while he hath time We have an example of it allowed by God and rewarded by man in the Patriarch Joseph who laid up against a dearth while the years of plenty lasted What a man obtains this way by his honest labour and industry is accompanied with a blessing from God even this blessing that he hath true peace of conscience in what he enjoyes his conscience shall not trouble him for unlawful gains according to that of Solomon The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it viz. no inward grief of 〈◊〉 but rather peace and comfort And for the wives duty it is answerable to that of the husband The Apostle saith that he would have her guide the house not so much to provide for the house which is chiefly the husbands part but to order and dispose well of what is brought into the house which is in effect the same with that which Christ commanded the Apostles to gather up that which remaineth that nothing be lost And this is a good quality in a woman for though our Saviour reprehendeth Martha for being too much addicted to worldly cares yet it is said by another Evangelist that he loved her well And it is well said by a Father Foelixest domus ubi de Martha Maria conqueritur sed none converso ubi Martha de Maria that house is happy where Marie complains of Martha but it is not so on the other side where Martha findes fault with Maric The Wise man at large describeth the several duties in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to qualifie a woman in this kinde and saith that he that shall finde such a vertuous woman is happy for her price is far above rubies And to the same purpose doth the Apostle advise women and in the midst of his lessons to them as a special means to observe the rest he bids them to be as snails 〈◊〉 domi-portae kcepers at home In this point following the example of Sarah of whom we read that she was for the most part either in the tent or at the tent door 4. The last thing is There must be from each of these duties officia resultantia duties resulting and arising to be performed to others viz. to each others kinred for by reason of this conjunction between the parties themselvs there is mutual love and honour to be given to each others kinred We see the example on the mans part for this duty in the man of God Moses who when his wives father Jethro came to him went out to meet him and made obeysance to him and entertained him and Aaron and all the Elders of Israel And at another time we finde what kindnesse he offered to Hobab his wives brother that if he would go with him into the land of promise be should partake of what good soever the Lord should do to him Come with us and we will do thee good And for the womans part we have an excellent example in Ruth toward her mother in law Naomi that by no means would be perswaded to leave her but would accompany her into her countrey
he be for his belly as the first or degenerate to a wolf as the last they are both distinguished from the good shepherd Yet they are to be obeyed as pastors because they come in the right way obediendum est male an evil man must be obeyed though not ad malum in that which is ill of which before in the Magistrate But the end of these is wosul acording to the prophet wo unto the shepherds that feed themselves Ye 〈◊〉 the fat and cloth you 〈◊〉 the wooll yee kill them that are fed but yea feed not the flock 4. The good shepherd is the last sort who as he comes in the right way Math. 22. 12. So he is not to abuse his place after he is entred as the evil shepherd doth but to perform the duties of it which duties are 1. To shew his flock a good example 2. To employ his talent for their good 3. To converse with them as he ought 1 He must be an example He must lead the flock as our Saviour expresseth it after the manner of the Easterne countries who drave not their sheep before them but the sheep followed them The Apostle describeth it more plainly by the word Typus he must be Typus as the iron that gives a forme to the mony by making an impression on it As the iron hath the same forme in it which it stampes on the coyne so must the minister by his example represent what by his doctrine he would have the 〈◊〉 to be The same word is vsed in other places it is used by Saint Peter bidding such men to be ensamples to the flock It was Moses his order in the first place the priest was to have 〈◊〉 integrity of life and then Vrim light or learning And it pleased God to make it a signe of Aarons cal ling to the Priesthood That his rod was virga 〈◊〉 a fruit bearing rod to shew that the priest when he uses the pastoral rod for government and discipline must not be unfruitful himself but must be an example in holy life and good works which are the fruits of the spirit So was it in Christ our Prototype as Saint Luke speaks Cepit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docere 〈◊〉 began both to do and to teach to do first and to teach after The like Saint Paul when he handleth this point ex professo tells both 〈◊〉 and Titus that a minister must be blamelesse by his example without spot and unreproveable So then he must be ex mplam or dux gregis he must be typus a pattern or example he must do and then teach This example he may be two wayes 1. In himself which is as you see before in S. Pauls direction to Timothy and Titus to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spot which hath relation to that in the law No man that bath a blemish or is mishapen in his body of the seed of Aaron the Priest was to come nigh to offer the Lords offering This was required under the Law to preserve the outward honour and dignity of the Priesthood the better and though in that regard it may be of moral use yet withal hereby was typified that innocency and freedom from all spiritual blemishes of sin which should be in the Ministers of the gospel They should be free from all spot because no offence should be given that no scandal should be given to the weak brother within nor to the adversary without This made the Apostle so careful to avoid not onely scandal but all occasion of scandal that when alms were sent to poor brethren by the care of the Apostles he would not carry it alone but would have one go with him that there might be no suspicion of fraud that so he might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 provide things honest not onely in the sight of God but before men also and that the adversarie might have no occasion to speak evil Therefore the Disciples marvelled when they found Christ talking with a woman alone because it was not his custom to do any thing which might cause slander or suspicion Thus much for the ge 〈◊〉 We will now set the four vertues which the Apostle requires to be in him and the four spots which are opposit 1. The first is that he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temperans or continens temperate and chast whether in a married or single estate The opposite to this is in Tim. 3. 2. not to be content with one Wife so continency or single life is the vertue incontinency or polygamie the thing forbidden 2. The second is that he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vigilant or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not given to wine The opposite is in the next verse one given to wine transiens ad vinum a tavernhunter for the lust of the body and the pleasure of the taste must both be qualified in him 3. The next is he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sober which Chrysostome distinguishes from the former and is opposite not to the inordinate desires of meat and drink but to the passions of the soul which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irascible it moderates the passion of anger The vertue required is mentioned 2 Tim. 2. 24. mildenesse he must be no striker not furious but one that will bear injuries and labour with meeknesse to reclaim those that erre 4. Lastly he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grave and modest of good behaviour which the Councils refer to habitum his apparel gestum his gesture incessum his gate he must not be light in his behaviour The opposite to which is not to fly youthful lusts and light carriage To these four we must adde that which the Apostle mentions he must so carry himself that he may have a good report of them that that are Without for it is not enough to be commended by those of his own profession or religion by birds of his own feather but so that his very enemies may say He is a man fit for this sacred calling and may be converted by his example 2. He must be an example in his houshold by his example for according to S. Paul he must rulewell his own house which must be in 3 points 1. They must be brought up by him in the true faith 2. He must keep them in subjection that they be not unruly but obedient for if he be not able to keep his own under but that they will be refractory it argueth that he is either negligent or remisse and fainthearted and therefore unfit to rule the Church 3. Lastly he must make them examples of reverence gravity sobriety and modesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they be not accused of riot surfet and excesse And in these two respects the Pastor must be exemplum gregis The duty of the people must be conformable and answerable to that of the Pastor If it be