rest a figure of the most strict spirituall rest from all sinne in thought word and deede required of cuery true beleeuer II. Againe in the Sabboth this was ceremoniall and temporarie that it was a speciall signe betweene God and his people of the blessings that were propounded promised in the Couenant Exod. 31. 13. And these were principally two First it was a signe of their sanctification to teach them that as the Lord had set apart a day of rest so he did and would sanctifie the obseruers thereof vnto himselfe by forgiuing their sinnes and receiuing them into his fauour in and by the Messias to come Secondly it was ordained by God to figure and signifie the euerlasting rest of Gods children in the kingdome of heauen Of this the Prophet Esay speakes when he saith that from moneth to moneth and from Sabboth to Sabboth all flesh shall come to worship before God Esa. 66. 23. And the author to the Hebrewes There remaineth therefore a Sabbatisme or rest to the people of God Heb. 4. 9. III. Furthermore this was temporarie in the Sabboth that it was to be obserued vpon a set day namely the seauenth from the Creation and that with set rites and ceremonies So saith Moses The seauenth day is the Sabboth Deut. 5. 14. Againe On the Sabboth day ye shall offer two lambes of a yeare old without spot and two tenth deales of fine flower for a meate offering mingled with oyle and the drinke offering thereof and the burnt offering of euery Sabboth beside the continuall burnt offering and the drinke offering thereof Numb 28. 9 10. IV. This also was Ceremoniall that it was to be obserued in remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt Remember that thou wast a seruant in the land of Egypt and the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to obserue the Sabboth day Deut. 5. 15. Sect. 2. Now as there were some things temporarie and Ceremoniall in the Sabboth so there are some things in it perpetuall Morall and those I take it are three especially First that there should be a day of rest in which man and beast might be refreshed after labour Secondly that this day should be sanctified that is set apart to the worship of God These two first are therefore morall because they are expressely mentioned in the Commandement touching the Sabboth Thirdly that a seauenth day should be sanctified to an holy rest and that this holy rest should be obserued in a seauenth day I say not in this or that seauenth day but in one of the seauen Now that this also is morall it appeares by these reasons First the Sabboth of the seauenth day was instituted and appointed by God in Paradise before the fall of man and the reuealing of Christ yea euen then when there was one condition of all men This is plainly set downe in Gen. 2. as also in the fourth Commandement And vpon this ground it is manifest that a Sabboth of a seauenth day cannot be a Ceremonie simply considering the ordination thereof was in time long before all Ceremonies If it be obiected that it was made a Ceremonie afterward I answer that the reason is naught For Matrimonie was ordained in Paradise and afterward made ceremoniall to signifie the spirituall vnion betweene Christ and his Church and yet Matrimonie is perpetuall and so is a Sabboth of a seauenth day If it be againe alleadged that God did then keepe a seuenth day in his owne person and afterward inioyned it to man by his commandement I answer that the institution of the Sabboth in Paradise consisted of two parts Blessing and Sanctification and the meaning of the Holy Ghost is that God did both blesse it in regard of himselfe because he kept it in his owne person and hallowed it also in regard of man by commanding it to be sanctified and kept in performance of holy duties Secondly the reasons of the fourth Commandement are generall and the equitie of them is perpetuall and they haue this ende to vrge the rest of a seauenth day Let them be considered in particular The first in these wordes Sixe daies shalt thou labour Which some take to be a permission as if God should haue said thus If I permit thee sixe thou shalt allow me a seauenth But they may be also taken for a commandement inioyning labour in the sixe daies first because they are propounded in cōmanding termes secondly because they are an exposition of the curse laid vpon Adam Thou shalt eate thy bread in the sweat of thy face namely in the sixe daies and thirdly because idlenes the spoile of mankind is there forbidden This beeing so there must needes be a seauenth day not onely of rest to ease them that labour in the sixe daies but also of an holy rest that God might be worshipped in it The second reason is taken from Gods example For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth c. That which the Lord himselfe hath done in person the same must man doe by his commandement But the Lord himselfe in sixe daies laboured and rested the seauenth Therefore man must doe the same This reason made by God to the creature must stand in force till he reuerse it which yet he hath not done nor doth If then these reasons doe not onely inforce a rest and an holy rest but a rest on the seauenth day then this lest on the seauenth day is a part of the fourth Commandement and consequently the Church can not alter it from the Sabboth day because they can not alter the substance of that Commandement which is eternall II. Reason The Sabboth day in the new Testament in all likelihood is tied to that which we call the Lords day and that as I take it by Christ himselfe The Reasons thereof are these I. The sabboth day of the new Testament is called the Lord daie Apoc. 1. 10. Now I suppose for in these points still wee must goe by likelyhoods its called the Lords day as the last Supper of Christ is called the Lords Supper for two causes First as God rested the seauenth day after the Creation so Christ hauing ended the worke of the new creation rested on this day from his worke of redemption Secondly as Christ did substitute the last supper in roome of the passeouer so he substituted the first day of the weeke in roome of the Iewes Sabboth to be a day set apart to his owne worship II. The Church of Corinth everie first day of the weeke made a collection for the poore as we may read 1. Cor. 16. 2. and this collection for the poore in the primitiue church followed the Preaching of the word Praier and the Sacraments as a fruite therof Act. 2. 42. For these be Sabboth exercises that went alwaies together in the Apostolicall Church But it will be saide that collecting for the Saints is a matter of
indifferencie and may be done vpon any day as well as vpon the Sabboth To this I answer that Paul cōmands the Corinths to doe it as he had ordained it in the Church of Galatia whereby he makes it to be an Apostolicall and therefore a diuine ordinance Yea that very text doth in some part manifest thus much that it is an ordinance and institution of Christ that the first day of the weeke should be the Lords daie For Paul commaundeth nothing but what he had from Christ. III. Christ and his Apostles kept the first day of the weeke as the Sabboth For Christ rose againe the first day of the weeke and appeared to his disciples Ioh. 20. 19. and eight daies after he appeared againe to Thomas ver 26. which was the next first day of the weeke And this hath beene the opinion of sundrie ancient diuines Cyrill vpon Iohn saies that this eight day was without doubt the Lordes daie and so ought to be kept because it is likely Christ himselfe kept it holy And the same is affirmed and taught by Augustine and Chrysostome Again the Apostles also kept it For when the Holy Ghost descended vpon them they were againe assembled vpon this day Act. 2. v. 1. which I prooue thus The day of Pentecost was the first day of the weeke for the Iewes were commanded to bring a sheafe of their first fruits the morrow after the Sabboth in the passeouer Levit. 23. 10. c. and betwixt that and Pentecost they were to reckon fiftie daies Hence it followeth that the day of Christs resurrection falling the morrow after the Iewes Sabboth which is the first daie of the weeke Pentecost must needes fall on that day and therefore the Apostles met that same day and not they onely but also the whole Church gathered themselues together and celebrated this day with preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments Act. 20. 7. And according to this institution of Christ and the examples of his Apostles hath beene the constant practise of the Church from their times vntill now IV. That which was prefigured in that it was prefigured was prescribed but the Lords day was prefigured in the eight day wherein the children of the Iewes were circumcised therefore it was prescribed to be kept the eight day Thus the ancient fathers by name Cyprian and Augustine haue reasoned and taught Againe the day of Christs resurrection was prefigured by that day wherein the stone which the builders refused was made the head of the corner Psalm 118. v. 24. and in that it was prefigured it was appointed by God For then it appeared to be true which Peter saith of Christ that god had made him both Lord and Christ Act. 2. 36. And the same may be said of the Sabboth of the new testament that it was in the figure preordained and therefore limited and determined by our Sauiour Christ vnto the Lords day Other reasons might be added but they are onely coniectures these be the principall III. Reason God is Lord of times and seasons and therefore in all equitie the altering and disposing therof is in his hands and belongs to him alone Act. 1. 10. Times seasons the father hath kept in his owne hand Againe Christ is called the Lord of the Sabboth And Autiochus Epiphanes is condemned by the Holy Ghost because he tooke vpon him to alter times Dan. 7. 25. Besides that Daniel saith that it is God alone that changeth times and seasons Dan. 2. 21. Now if it be proper vnto God as to create so to determine and dispose of times then he hath not left the same to the power of any creature And therfore as the knowledge thereof so the appointment and alteration of the same either in generall or particular belongs not to the Church but is reserued to him The Church then neither may nor can alter the Sabboth day And this is the first part of the answer Sect. 2. The Second is this If the Church had libertie to alter the Sabboth then this alteration must be made within the compasse of the weeke to the sixt or fift or fourth or second or third or first daie and not to the eight or ninth or tenth daies without the compasse of the weeke The reason is plaine The Church of the New Testament hath more knowledge and more grace then the people of the old Testament had and in that regard ought to haue more zeale and greater alacritie in the worship of God then they had that it may exceede the Iewes according to the measure of grace receiued And thus the first and principall question touching the Sabboth is answered and resolued Sect. 3. Now before I come to the next let vs in the meane while see and examine the Reasons that are brought against the answer presently made First therefore it is alleadged that in the new Testament there is no difference of daies For if we haue or make difference of daies we are in truth no better then Iewes That there is no distinction of daies they prooue out of two places The first is Col. 2. 16. where the Apostle saies Let no man condemne you in respect of an holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabboth day The second Gal. 4. 10. where the same Apostle reprooues the Galatians for obseruing daies and moneths and times and yeares To this I answere that both the places speake of the Feasts of the Iewes and of difference of daies that stands in force by the Iewish Ceremoniall law Paul to the Colossians warnes them to giue no occasision to others whereby they might iustly condemne them for obseruing of daies in superstitious manner vpon opinion of holines and necessitie as if mens consciences were bound to such obseruation And he reprooues the Galatians for obseruing daies as it is likely they did not onely in the Iewish but also in the Heathenish manner To which purpose Paul saith v. 11. He is afraid of them His meaning was because they placing their saluation in part in their Iewish obseruation of daies after they had beene informed touching their libertie in Christ did thereby mixe the Gospel with the Law and therefore he feared least by that meanes Christ should become vnto them vnprofitable and so his preaching to small or no purpose Againe they alleadge Rom. 14. 5. where Paul saith One man esteemes one day better then an other and an other man counteth euery day alike In which words the Apostle blameth not them which thinke all daies as one Ans. In the New Testament all daies be as one in regard of the aptnes thereof to the worship of God and yet there may be a difference of daies in regard of order and this Paul no where condemneth That we may the better conceiue this distinction we must consider a difference betweene the Iewes Sabboth and ours which is this That the Iewes Sabboth was both the time of the worship of God and also a part
of his worship But the Sabboth of the new Testament though it be a necessarie time of Gods worship yet it is not a part thereof If it be said that it is commanded therfore 〈◊〉 must needs be a part of Gods worship I answer It is commanded not as Gods worship for substance but in respect of the duties of the worship that are to be kept and performed in it And hence it is manifest that in regard of Gods worship there is no difference of daies in the new Testament but in regard of order Thirdly they obiect that Paul kept the Iewes Sabboth as well as the Lords day For he and Barnabas came to Antiochia and went into the Synagogue on the Sabboth day Act. 13. 14. And againe he and Timothie conuerted Lydia vpon the same day Act. 16. 13. Ans. The Apostle did this vpon very good ground not because he held the obseruation of it as necessarie as the other but in regard of the weaknes of the Gentiles and Iewes newly called For the Church that consisted of such persons in those daies was not yet fully perswaded and resolued of the abrogation of thâ—â—e wish Sabboth and therfore for the time he yeelded to their weaknes and obserued it as well as the other But afterward when they were confirmed in that point he forbare that libertie taught the full abolishment both of it and other Ceremonies Fourthly Act. 18. 3 4. Paul is said to come to Corinth to Aquila and Priscilla and to worke with them in their trade of tent-making and further it is said that he disputed in the Synagogue euery Sabboth day that is on the Iewes Sabboths and exherted the Iewes and Grecians Hence it is gathered by some that Paul did onely keepe the Sabboth of the Iewes and that both on the Lords day and on the weeke daies he wrought with Aquila and Priscilla Ans. First we must remember this Rule That Charitie and Necessitie doe dispense with the Sabboth and with Ceremonies If a Towne should be on fire or if a Citie or countrey should be presently assaulted by the enemie in the time of the word preached on the Sabboth day the preaching of the word in these cases must cease for a time till by conuenient helpe the fire be quenched and the enemie be taken or driuen backe Now whereas Paul in the ordinarie daies of the weeke made tents and on the seauenth too not obseruing it but the Iewes Sabboth we must know that he did it vpon necessitie for the saluation of the Iewes For Priscilla and Aquila were Iewes vnconuerted and Christ was not yet reuealed vnto them And if Paul had but once named Christ he could haue done no good among them Yet afterward when he saw better opportunitie at the comming of Silas and Timotheus from Macedonia then he could no longer containe himselfe but burned in the spirit and testified to the Iewes that Iesus was the Christ vers 5. Now if there was cause why he did not speake of Christ for the time then was there cause also why he did not make profession of a Sabboth Secondly I answer though Paul did not then openly sanctifie the Sabboth yet it is to be supposed that he kept it priuately by himselfe reseruing some speciall time for that purpose and the contrarie cannot be shewed The Second Question touching the Sabboth How the Sabboth of the New Testament is to be obserued Ans. In obseruing a Sabboth of the new Testament there are two things required a Rest and a Sanctification of the same rest to an holy vse This Answer is made out of the very substance of the fourth Commandement which is morall and hath nothing ceremoniall in it And the fourth Commandement for substance consists in a ceasing froÌ„ labour and a holy dedication of our rest to holy vse that is to the worship and seruice of God Sect. 1. Now touching the first point the Rest of the Sabboth there are three seuerall Opinions whereof two are contrarie and the third is a meane betweene both The first Opinion is that we are bound as strictly to keepe the outward rest of the Lords day as the Iewes were to keepe the Sabboth and sundrie men are of this minde But I take it this opinion is not warrantable For as we said before the Iewish manner of keeping the Sabboth in straitnes is a Ceremonie And if we be bound to keepe it as straitly as the Iewes did then Iudaisme must still remaine and the ceremoniall Law at least in some part must still be in force But in fauour of this opinion it is alleadged First that the fourth Commandement is a Law giuen as well to ChristiaÌ„s as to Iewes and therefore it binds both alike Ans. The fourth Commandement bindeth Christians to keepe a seauenth day for the Sabboth both in respect of Rest as also in regard of Sanctification thereof but that it bindeth them to the same strait manner of keeping the rest as it did the Iewes we vtterly denie Secondly That the reasons vsed to inforc the Commandement doe equally binde all therefore the Commandement it selfe Ans. It is true for the dutie commanded but not for the manner of performance Againe the reason alleadged doth not follow for sometimes the holy Ghost vseth a reason that is perpetuall to inforce a Ceremonie That Levi should haue no part nor inheritance amoÌ„g his brethren was a Ceremonie commanded by God and yet the Lord inforceth it with a reason that was perpetuall namely because himselfe was the part and inheritance of Levi among the children of Israel Numb 18. 20. Thirdly that the Sabboth is a signe to beleeuers in the new Testament that God is their God and they his people and the same it was to the Iewes therefore the bond is as strict to the one as to the other Ans. 1. Beleeuers vnder the Gospel haue two onely signes of the Couenant Baptisme and the Lords Supper and no more 2. The Scripture restraineth the Sabboth as a signe onely to the Iewes It is a signe betweene me and you in your generations Exod. 31. 13. Againe v. 16. the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabboth for an euerlasting couenant 3. The Sabboth was not a signe in the first institution in Paradise For the Couenant of grace was made after the fall of man and the signe thereof must needes be appointed after it considering that before the fall Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place And this is the first Opinion The second Opinion touching the Rest of the Sabboth is flat contrarie to the former namely that on the Sabboth day after the publike worship of God is ended and the Congregation dissolued men haue libertie either to giue themselues to labour or to honest pleasures and recreations This Opinion doth quite abolish one of the Commandements of the Decalogue For it presupposeth all daies to be alike this onely prouided that the publike worship of God be solemnly kept Now this may be done in any
presumptuous offence in which true religion is renounced and that of set purpose and resolued malice against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and Christ. Heb. 10. 29. Sect. 4. Now follow other Differences of sinne in regard of the obiect thereof which is the Law In respect of of the Law sin is two fold either of CommissioÌ„ or of Omission I say in respect of the Law because God hath reuealed in his Law two sorts of precepts the one wherein some good thing is commanded to be done as to loue God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selues the other wherin some euill is forbidden to be done as the making of a grauen Image the taking the name of God in vaine c. Now a sinne of CoÌ„mission is when a man doth any thing that is flatly forbidden in the Law and word of God as when one man kills another contrarie to the Law which saith Thou shalt not kill A sinne of Omission is when a man leaueth vnperformed some dutie which the Law requireth as for example the preseruing of his neighbours life or good estate when it lieth in his power so to doe These also are truly sinnes and by them as well as by the other men shall be tried in the last iudgement Sinnes of Omission haue three degrees First when a man doth nothing at all but omits the dutie commanded both in whole and in part as when hauing opportunitie abilitie he doth not mooue so much as one finger for the sauing of his neighbours life Secondly when a man performes the dutie inioyned but failes both in the manner measure therof Thus the Heathen failed in doing good workes in that the things which they did for substance and matter were good and commendable beeing done vpon ciuill and honest respects and referred to the coÌ„mon good yet in truth their actions were no better then sinnes of omission in as much as they issued from corrupted fountaines hearts voide of faith and aimed not at the maine end and scope of all humane actions the honour and glorie of God Thirdly when a man doth things in a right manner but faileth in the measure thereof And thus the children of God doe sinne in al the duties of the lawe For they doe the good things the law commaÌ„deth in louing God their neighbour but they cannot attaine to that measure of loue which the lawe requireth And thus the best men liuing doe sinne in euery good worke they doe so as if God should enter into iudgement deale with theÌ„ in the rigour of his iustice examine them by the strict rule of the Lawe he might iustly condemne them euen for their best actions And in this regard when we pray daily for the pardon of our sinnes the best workes we doe must come in the number of them because we faile if not in substance manner yet at the least in the measure of goodnesse that ought to bee in the doing of them We must also haue care to repent vs euen of these our sins of Omission as well as of the other of Commission because by leauing vndone our dutie we doe oftner offend then by sinnes committed and the least Omission is enough to condemne vs if it should be exacted at our hands Sect. 5. The next difference of Sinnes may be this Some are Crying sinnes some are sinnes of Toleration Crying sinnes I call those which are so hainous in their kind so grieuous that they hasten Gods iudgements and cal downe for speedie vengeance vpon the sinner Of this kind there are sundry examples in the Scriptures principally foure First Cains sinne in murthering his innocent brother Abell whereof it was saide The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the earth The next is the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrha which was pride fulnes of bread abundance of idlenesse vnmerciful dealing with the poore and all manner of vncleannesse Ezech. 16. of this The Lord said that the crie of Sodome and Gomorrha waâ— great and their sinnes exceeding grieuous The third is the sinne of Oppression indured by the Israelites in Egypt at the hand of Pharao and his task-masters The fourth is mercilesse Iniustice in wrongfull withholding and detaining the labourers hire Now they are called Crying sinnes for these causes First because they are now come to their full measure and height beyond which God will not suffer them to passe without due punishment Againe the Lord takes more notice and inquires further into them then into others by reason that they exceede and are most eminent where they be committed Thirdly they call for present helpe to the afflicted and wronged and consequently for speedie exequution of vengeance vpon the authors and committers of them And lastly because God is wont to giue â—are vnto the cryes of those that endure so heauie measure at the hands of others and accordingly to helpe them and reward the other with deserued punishment Next vnto these are sinnes of Toleration lesser then the former which though in theÌ„selues they deserue death yet God in his mercie shewes his patience long sufferaÌ„ce vpon the committers thereof either deferring the temporal punishment or pardoning both temporall and eternall to his Elect. Such a sinne was the ignorance of the Gentiles before Christs comming which God deferred to punish and as we say winked at it More especially there be three sorts of sinnes of ToleratioÌ„ the first is Originall sin or concupiscence in the regenerate after regeneration and the fruits thereof for it is not quite abolished by regeneration but remaines more or lesse molesting tempting a man till death And yet if we carrie a constant purpose not to sinne and indeauour our selues to resist all tentations this concupiscence of ours shall not be imputed vnto vs nor we condemned for it And to this purpose the holy Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Yet saith he not There is nothing worthie condemnation in them for Originall sinne remaines till death truly deseruing damnation though it be not imputed The second kind of sinnes of Toleration are secret vnknowne and hidden sinnes in the regenerate For who can tell how ofâ— he offendeth saith Dauid When a man that is the child of God shall examine his heart and humble himselfe euen for all his particular sinnes which he knoweth by himselfe there shall yet remaine some vnknowne sinnes of which he cannot haue a particular repentance and yet they are not imputed when there is repeÌ„tance for knowne sinnes As for example Dauid repents of his murther adulterie and yet afterwards erring in iudgement by reason of the corruption of the times he liued to his death in the sinne of polygamie without any particular repentance that we heare of In like manner did the Patriarkes who may not altogether be excused yet they were not coÌ„demned therof neither were they saued without repentance for
of Gods loue vnto vs is our loue of God For those whom God loueth in Christ to them he giues his grace to loue him againe And this louing of him againe is an euident token of that loue wherewith he loueth them So saith the Apostle We loue him beâ—ause he loued vs first 4. 19. If it be demaunded howe a man may be assured that he loueth God the answer is hee may knowe it by two things First by his conformitie to him in holines The child that loues his father will be willing to tread in the steps of his father and so in like manner he that loueth God will indeauour euen as hee is so to be in this world 4. 17. But howe is that not in equalitie and perfection but in similitude and conformitie striuing to be holy as he is holy and indeauouring to doe his will in all things Secondly by the weaning of his affection from the things of this world yea from all pleasures and delights of this present life so farre forth as they are seuered from the feare and loue of God Loue not this world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. Sect. 4. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an offence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be changed because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we know not so much of our selues Therefore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of al and euery sin in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Wherby he signifieth that those that can cal vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themseles they are the Lords Sect. 5. A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts First an exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him both it and all other things are vnchangeable but to ourselues in our owne hearts consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doeing the things before named in the 5. 6 and 7. verses and that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall Lawe there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall Law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God wherby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meat drinke attire By Patience is ment a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is an other vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue whereby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehersal of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation CHAP. VII Of the third maine Question touching distresse of minde and generally of all distresses and their remedies III. Question How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releeued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set downe that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand Sect. 1. DIstresse of minde which Salomon calls a broken or troubled spirit is when a man is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single Feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspence and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call Despaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kind of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily follow and so inseparably accompanie each the other that no distresse of what kinde soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therefore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the
offered First choise must be made of the most fitte and present remedie and that must be vsed in the first place Now the most fit and present remedie is to bring the partie troubled to the personall exercises of faith and repentance by and in himselfe For this ende he must examine his conscience most straightly and narrowly of all the sinnes of his heart and life Secondly he must humbly confesse against himselfe all his knowne sinnes and withall acknowledge the due condemnation that he thereby hath deserued Thirdly he must crie to heauen for mercie intreating the Lord most instantly for pardon and for the restraint of his wrath due vnto him for his sinne Dauid beeing in this distresse performed all these duties as we may read in the 6. Psalme and he saith further of himselfe that whilst he concealed his sinnes the hand of God was heauie vpon him but vpon his earnest confession and deprecation he receiued mercie And if we read the booke of Iob we shall finde that the principall scope thereof is this namely to shew vnto vs that Iob was throughly exercised with this temptation and that in the ende hauing beene rebuked both by his friends and by God himselfe his recouerie was made by humbling himselfe when he saith Behold I am vile againe now I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Some may here demand If it fall out that the person himselfe cannot performe any good dutie of himselfe by reason of his distraction in soule and bodie what must then be done Ans. If the partie can but sigh and sobbe vnto God for mercie and comfort it is no doubt a worke of Gods spirit and a practise both of faith and repentance We know not saith Saint Paul what to pray as we ought namely in our distresses but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and therein lies our comfort Thus Moses at the redde sea beeing in great distresse and not knowing what to say or doe sighed and groned inwardly in his soule vnto the Lord for helpe and protection and his very desire was in stead of a loud crie in the eares of the Lord. The second thing is that triall must be made whether the partie hath in him any tokens of grace or not These tokens are the small beginnings of grace which before I haue declared As for example a griefe because we cannot grieue for sinne as we should a serious will and desire to beleeue and repent a purpose to sin no more and such like If these be found in the partie then by them as by sure pledges he may bee assured of the fauour of God towards him and where any of these be found the saying of God to Saint Paul must be vrged My grace is sufficient for thee and therewith must the distressed partie stay his minde Yea we are to be content with any condition in this life be it neuer so miserable so long as we are in the fauour of God though he should lay vpon vs euen the paines of hell till the time of our death So did Dauid who when he was pursued by his owne sonne vttered these words vnto God Behold if I please thee not do with me what thou wilt And the like was the mind of Paul who being assured of the fauour of God was content for his glorie the saluation of the Israelits if it had beene possible to be separated 〈◊〉 Christ and to indure the very pangs of hell The third thing in this cure is to Applie to the said distressed partie such promises of God made vnto afflicted persons as are most large and comfortable For example that The Lord is neere to them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Psal. 34. 18. Againe I came not saith our Sauiour Christ but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Matth. 15. 24. He saies not to the straying sheepe but to such as are now in the pitte readie to be drowned or in the Lyons mouth readie to be deuoured Againe The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me therefore he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that is to such as are distressed in consciēce and poore in spirit he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues These many other such like promises are in this case to be vrged and the partie mooued to endeauour to beleeue them to hold to them and rest himselfe vpon them though he loose all things els Fourthly the partie must be brought to a serious consideration of his owne life past and of Gods mercifull dealing with him others in his case in former times and therwith is he to be comforted for the time present For if aforehand he hath receiued any tokens of the fauour and loue of God by them he is now to stay and to settle his minde The reason is plaine the gifts of god are without repentāce whom he loueth once he loueth to the ende whom he chooseth he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth and will also in time glorifie Dauid beeing in such affliction that he could hardly thinke vpon God yet he tooke this course praied to the Lord for comfort communed with his owne heart and called to remembrance how God had formerly dealt with him and with this meditation of the continuall course of Gods mercie in his preseruation he confirmed his faith and staied his heart in his greatest troubles Sect. 5. The fifth and last thing to be done is the remooueall of such reasons and doubts as the partie distressed vsually makes against himselfe for his owne ouerthrow For it is the manner of those that are troubled in minde to dispute against themselues and commōly they are woont to alleadge three things First beeing instructed how to humble themselues and to depend on Gods mercie they will graunt that all these indeede are good things but they belong not to them for they neither do nor can feele any thing but the tokens of Gods anger and that they are alreadie entred into some degrees of condemnation This obiection may be taken away by informing them of the manner of Gods dealing in all his workes For commonly he workes all things in his creatures in and by cōtraries if we could know the whole frame of them Thus in the Creation euery creature had his beeing of that which had no beeing and something was made not of something but of nothing After the flood the signe of Gods coueuant for the preseruation of the world from destruction by raine is the Rainbow which indeed is a naturall signe of raine When Elias was to prooue the Lord to be the onely true God against the Idolatrous priests of Baal and that by burnt offerings he powred water vpon the sacrifice fills a trench with water round about and in this contrarie
means was the sacrifice burnt vp Christ for the curing of a blind man teÌ„pers spittle and clay together which in all reason is a fitter meanes to put out the eyes then to cause the blind to see Thus in the worke of our Redemption Christ giues life not by life but by death and he sendes men to heauen by the gates and suburbs of hell he shewes his greatest power in the greatest weaknes nay his power is made perfect through weakenes He will not build vpon an old foundation but he pulls downe and destroies all that Man may haue no hope at all in himselfe but that all the hope he hath may be in God First he kils and then he makes aliue as Anna speaketh first he woundeth and then he healeth He makes man to sowe in teares that afterward he may reape in ioy And he that knowes Gods dealing to be this must herewith rest content and satisfied because in wrath God vseth to remember his mercy yea his mercie is neuer sweete vnto the palate of the soule vntill it be seasoned with some tast of his wrath The Paschall Lambe was eaten with sowre hearbs to signifie that we can feele no sweetenes in the blood of Christ till wee first feele the smart of our owne sinnes and corruptions Secondly these persons vse to alleadge against themselues that if they could feele any comfort at al then they would stay their minds and yeild to good perswasions and exhortations To this the answer is That there is a Rule of grace which we must follow gathered out of the word of God and the experience of Gods Children contrarie to the rule of nature and aboue the light of reason and it is this that in case of aâ—â—liction we must not liue by feeling but by faith This Rule is grounded vpon the speech of the Lord by the Prophet the iust maÌ„ shall liue by his faith When we haue neither sight nor sense nor any tast of Gods mercie but onely apprehend his wrath euen then we must labour to lay hold of mercie in his word and promise Sense feeling are not alwaies fit directioÌ„s for the time of this life For he may be the deare child of God that in present feeleth nothing but his wrath and indignation This indeede is the true triail of our faith when euen aboue and against reason we relie on the mercie of God in the apprehension of his anger So did Dauid Out of the deepe saith he that is beeing nowe deepely plunged into the pangs of a distressed conscience haue I called vpoÌ„ thee O Lord and Iob in the like case Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Abraham is commended by the holy Ghost amongst other things for this that he beleeued in God aboue hope that is against all matter of hope that might possibly be conceiued vpon the consideration of the strength of natural causes The thiefe vpon the crosse feeling nothing but woe and seeing nothing in Christ but misery and contempt yet he beleeued in Christ and was saued In a word Christ himselfe when he was sorsaken of all men and voide of all wordly comfort and felt nothing but the depth of the wrath God in his agony and passion yet by the faith of his manhood hestaied himselfe and said My God my God Thirdly they vse to plead that their case is desperate that neuer any was in such a state as they are neuer any touched with the like distresse of mind Answ. It is false For the holy Ghost hath penned three notable places of Scripture the booke of Iob and two Psalmes of Dauid wherein are propounded vnto vs the examples of Iob and Dauid Gods owne deare seruants who were in as great distresse as euer they or any other haue beene And they may not thinke that they euer could be able to indure greater paines then Christ who notwithstanding in the anguish of his soule vpon the Crosse cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And thus much touching the first kind of trouble of conscience called the diuine temptation CHAP. IX Of the second Speciall Distresse arisiâ—g from outward afflictions THe second kind of Distresse is that which ariseth from outward afflictions By Afflictions I vnderstand all manner of miseries and calamities in this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death Nowe the Question is howe the Trouble of minde arising by Afflictions may be remedied For the answer of which question two things are required of the partie distressed Practise and Meditation Sect. 1. The Practise is that which is to be vsed in all distresses of minde what soeuer And it is a diligent examination of the conscience in regard of sinne an earnest and heartie confession thereof vnto God and deprecation that is earnest praier vnto him for the pardon of the same These three things beeing done truly and vnfainedly from the heart are a present remedie against this trouble and bring with them much comfort Manasses the king of Iudah that had coÌ„mitted much wickednesse when he was carried captiue to Babel and there put in chaines he humbled himselfe acknowledged his sinnes and praied earnestly vnto the Lord and the issue was good for God was intreated of him and gaue him deliuerance Iob beeing long in outward affliction humbled himselfe in like manner and at length receiued comfort Daniel humbled himselfe before God for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of Gods people making request vnto God earnestly for them and euen when he was in the acte of praying the Lord sent his angel Gabriel to giue him notice of deliuerance Lastly the Church of God vnder the crosse performed the like dutie Let vs search and trie our waies and turne to the Lord and God in mercie gaue an eare vnto her mourning and lamentation By all these places it is apparent that there is no better remedie in the world for the minde of man grieued by meanes of outward afflictions then the practise of the duties before named Sect. 2. The next thing vnto Practise is the Meditation of the comfortable doctrines that are set downe in the word of God touching afflictions All which doctrines may be reduced to fiue principall and maine grounds of comfort and shall be laid downe in their order The first Ground is that All afflictions from the least to the greatest doe come to passe not by accident chaunce or fortune but by the speciall prouidence of God I explaine it thus In euery particular crosse and affliction there is the hand of Gods particular prouidence and that in three regards First because God decreeth and foreappointeth euery particular crosse Marke the words of Paul Whome God hath foreknowne them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto the image of his sâ—â—ne and what is this image nothing else but a conformitie vnto Christ in
afflictions for this life and in glorie for the life to come Now if God hath decreed that those whome he foreknew should be conformable vnto his Sonne in these respects then hath he also decreed the afflictions themselues Secondly God doth not onely barely permit afflictions to be but also he effecteth them and brings them into execution as they are crosses corrections trialls and punishments I make peace saith the Lord and I create euill that is not the euill of sinne but of punishment which is euill in our sense and feeling For things are tearmed euill two waies some are euill indeed some are euill not indeed but in regard of our sense apprehension and estimation and of this latter sort are afflictions which God is said to create And to this purpose is the saying of the Prophet Amos Shall there be euill in the citie and the Lord hath not done it Thirdly as God causeth afflictions so he ordereth and disposeth them that is he limiteth and appointeth the beginning the end the measure or quantitie and the continuance thereof Yea he also ordereth them to their right endes namely his owne glorie the good of his seruants and the benefit of his Church Thus God is saide to correct his people in iudgement that is so as he will haue the whole ordering of the correction in his owne hand Ioseph tells his brethren that when they intended euill against him in selling him to the Ishmaelites for siluer God disposed it for good When Shemei cursed Dauid he forbade his seruants so much as to meddle with him and why because saith he the Lord bade him to curse and who then dare say onto him Why hast thou done so And to this purpose the Prophet Dauid saith I held my peace and said nothing why because thou Lord hast done it Psal. 39. 9. Here some wil say if Afflictions did come onely from God it were somewhat but ofâ—entâ—â—es they come from men that beare vs no good will and therefore no maruell though we be impatient Answ. When crosses doe come from men God vseth them as instruments to execute his iudgements vpon vs and in this worke God is the chiefe doer and they are as tooles in the hand of the workman And the Lord inflicteth them vpon vs by men to trie our patience vnder the crosse Ioseph though he knew well the badde dealing of his brethren towards him yet he looked not to them alone but to an higher cause namely the Lord himselfe who executed his owne good will by them God faith he disposed it to good And againe God did send me before you into Egypt for your preseruation The Second ground is The commandement of God touching the crosse and obedience vnto him therein This commaundement is expressed Luk. 9. 23. where we are commanded to take vp our crosse euery day and follow Christ. Abraham was commanded with his owne hands to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac and to this commandement though otherwise a great crosse vnto him he addresseth himselfe to yeeld obedience And in the prophecie of Micah the Church saith Shee will boare the wrath of the Lord that is shee will performe obedience to him in the crosse because shee had sinned against him And Saint Peter saith that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble therefore humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God And this beeing the commaundement of God that we should yeeld obedience to him in euery affliction we ought to be no lesse carefull to obey it then any one commandement of the morall Law The Third ground is that God will be present with his seruants in their afflictions Vpon this ground Dauid comforts himselfe because God had promised to heare him to be with him in trouble and to deliuer him And in an other place Though I should walke in the shaddow of death I would feare none ill for thou art with me c. Now that we may the better vnderstand this doctrine we are to consider what be the Ends or Effects of Gods beeing with vs in affliction whereby he testifieth his presence and they are three The first is to worke our deliuerance from the crosse Call vpon me saith the Lord in the time of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee This promise must not be vnderstood simply but with an exception so farre forth as it shall be for our good For all promises of temporall deliuerance are conditionall and must be conceiued with this limitation of the crosse and chastisement if God please to impose it Some may say how if God will not deliuer vs but leaue vs in the affliction what coÌ„fort shall we then haue Answ. In the second place therefore we must remember that God will temper and moderate our afflictions so as we may be able to beare them Habbakuk praieth vnto God in the behalfe of the Church that he would in wrath remember mercie And Paul saith that the Lord will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare but will giue an issue with the temptation Thirdly put the case that God doth not moderate our afflictions but suffer them to remaine vpon vs not onely for some time of our life but to the very death yet then will he testifie his holy presence an other way namely by giuing the partie distressed power and strength to beare his affliction Vnto you it is giuen saith Paul for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake The Fourth ground of comfort in affliction is that euery affliction vpon the seruants of God hath some speciall goodnesse in it Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things worke together for good vnto them that loue God And in regard hereof the crosses which are indured by Gods children are so farre from beeing preiudiciall to their saluation that they are rather helps and furtherances of the same Now this Goodnes is perceiued two waies First by the fruit and effect of it and then by the qualitie and condition thereof In both which respects afflictions are good Touching the fruits of Afflictions because they are manifold I will reduce them to seauen principall heads I. Afflictions doe make men to see and consider their sinnes Iosephs brethren for twentie yeares together were little or not at all troubled for their wickednes in selling their brother yet vpon their affliction in Egypt they began to consider what they had done We haue say they verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Manasses in the time of his peace gaue himselfe to witchcraft and the worshipping of straunge gods but when he was captiue in Babylon then was he brought to the sight of his sinnes mooued to humble himselfe before God for them II.
for the Thessalonians that God would sanctifie them throughout and preserue their whole spirit soule and bodie Of which place amongst many this exposition may be giuen The Apostle speaking of men regenerate and sanctified makes three parts in them bodie soule and spirit and by spirit we are to vnderstand not the conscience but the gift of regeneration and sanctification which is the whole man bodie and soule opposed to the flesh which in a naturall man is called the olde man Rom. 7. And the praier which Paul makes in the behalfe of the Thessalonians teacheth vs in effect thus much that though corruption remaine in the regenerate after regeneration yet in respect of diuine acceptation he is accounted as righteous and so continueth his sinne by the mercie of God in Christ not beeing imputed to him to condemnation And so much for that point Now these Grounds of comfort and others of the like nature may serue to sustaine and vphold the hearts of the children of God when they shall be pressed and troubled in consideration of their estate in this life which cannot till death be fully freed from much weakenes and manifold imperfections CHAP. XII Of the fift Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne bodie THe fift and last kind of Temptation or Trouble of minde ariseth from a mans owne bodie Before I enter to speake thereof one Question in the meane time must be answered namely How the bodie beeing an earthly substance should trouble or annoie the minde considering that the minde is not bodily out spirituall for nothing can worke aboue it owne power and it is against reason that that which is bodily should either alter or trouble a spirit For answer hereunto these things must be considered Sect. 1. First of all the actions of man though they be sundrie yet they all proceede from one onely fountaine and common cause the soule and are done by the power thereof The bodie of it selfe is not an agent in any worke but as it were a dead instrument in and by which the soule produceth all actions and workes Secondly though all the actions of man come from the soule yet the most of them are such as be performed by the bodie and the parts thereof and by the spirits that are seated in the bodie as by instruments Indeede some actions of the soule and minde are done without the helpe of the bodie but I say that the most of them are wrought by the bodie and spirits therein contained And yet notwithstanding the Spirits in thēselues are no agents at all but the onely agent in any worke is the soule it selfe For example the vsing of the outward senses as of sight hearing tasting touching smelling as also of the inward as imagination memorie c. all this is done by the braine and the parts of the braine as proper instruments All affections both good and bad come from the soule but yet they are done and acted in and by meanes of the heart and vitall spirits So also the powers of life and nourishment proceede from the soule and yet they are done and wrought by the liuer and other inward parts as instruments whereby the soule nourisheth the bodie In a word there is no naturall action in man but for the effecting thereof the parts of the bodie are vsed as it were the hands and instruments of the soule and all this comes by reason of the vnion of the bodie with the soule whereby they make one person Hence it followeth that when the bodie is troubled the soule is also troubled Now the bodie affecteth and hurteth the soule and minde not by taking away or diminishing any part thereof for the soule is indivisible Nor by depriuing it of any power or facultie giuen it of God for as the soule it selfe and the parts thereof so also all the faculties of the same remaine whole and entire without abating or diminishing But by corrupting the action of the minde or more properly by corrupting the next instrument whereby the minde worketh and consequently the action it selfe This may be conceiued by a comparison A skilfull artificer in any science hauing an vnfit toole to worke withall though his skill be good and his abilitie sufficient yet his instrument wherewith he worketh being bad the worke which he doth must needes be an imperfect worke Howbeit the toole takes not away the skill of his workemanship nor his power of working onely it hinders him from shewing his skill and doing that well which otherwise he should and could doe well In like manner the bodie beeing corrupted hinders the worke of the soule not by taking away the worke of the soule or the abilitie of working but by making it to bring forth a corrupt worke because the instrument which it vseth is corrupt and faultie And thus we must conceiue of all the annoyances of the soule by the bodie The Temptation followeth The bodie causeth the trouble of minde two waies either by Melancholie or by some strange alterations in the parts of the bodie which oftentimes befall men in what sort we shall see afterwards For troubles of minde thus caused are more common and as noysome as the most of the former Sect. 2. Touching that which comes by Melancholy sundrie things are to be considered for our instruction and for the Remedie of that euill 1. And first of all if it be asked what Melancholy is I answer it is a kinde of earthie and blacke blood specially in the splene corrupted and distempered which when the splene is stopt conuaies it selfe to the heart and the braine and there partly by his corrupt substance and contagious qualitie and partly by corrupt spirits annoyeth both heart and braine beeing the seates and instruments of reason and affections 2. The second is what are the effects and operations of Melancholie Ans. They are strange and often fearefull There is no humour yea nothing in mans bodie that hath so straunge effects as this humour hath beeing once distempeted An auncient Diuine calls it the Deuills bait because the Deuill beeing well acquainted with the complexion and temperature of man by Gods iust permission conueies himselfe into this humour and worketh strange conceits It is recorded in Scripture that when the Lord tooke his good Spirit from Saul wherby he did carrie himselfe well in the gouernment of his people and an euill Spirit came vpon him he was in so fearfull a case that he would haue slaine him that was next vnto him how so surely because God in iustice withdrew his spirit from him and suffered Satan to enter into the humour of choler or melancholie or both and by this meanes caused him to offer violence to Dauid Now the effects therof in particular are of two sorts The first is in the braine and head For this humour being corrupted it sends vp noysome fumes as cloudes or mists which doe corrupt the imagination and makes the instrument of reason unfit for vnderstanding and
spirit He also that praies for the same to God the Holy Ghost must pray that he would assure vnto him the remission of his sinnes from the father by and for the merit of the Sonne CHAP. V. Of the second part of Religion touching the worship of God and first of the inward worship II. Question How God is to be worshipped and serued FOr the full answer hereof we must remember that the worship of God is twofold inward or outward Inward is the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections for man by all these ioyntly and seuerally performeth worship and seruice to his creator The outward is that worshippe whereby the inward is testified outwardly in the speach and actions The former of these two is the spirituall worship of the inward man and the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God for God is a spirit and therfore must be worshipped in spirit that is in the the minde conscience will and affections Indeede all the worshippe of God is spirituall euen that which we call outward yet not of it selfe but by vertue of the inward from which it proceedeth Sect. 1. The heades of Inward worship are two Adoration of God and cleaving to God For as they are two different actions of the heart so they may fitly be termed two distinct parts of Gods worship This distinction is in some part propounded by Moses where he exhorteth the Israelites to feare Iehovah their God to adore him to cleaue vnto him and to swear by his name Adoration is that part of Gods worship whereby a man vpon a vile and base estimation of himselfe as beeing but dust and ashes submits subiects his soule to the glorie and Maiestie of God This hath two principal groundes in the heart which if they be wanting there can be no true worship of God The first is Abnegation or deniall of our selues when we esteem our selues to be meerely nothing The second is exaltation or Advancemēt of Gods maiesty aboue all the things in the world Exāples of these we haue many in the scriptures as of Abraham who called God his Lord and himselfe dust and ashes of the Angels whome in a vision the Prophet sawe standing before God with one wing couering their feete which signified the abasing of themselues and with another couering their faces which betokened their adoration of the maiestie of God Of Daniel when he confesseth To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes it selfe but to vs shame and confusion of face Lastly of the woman of Canaan who calls Christ Lord and her selfe a dogge Now in Adoration there are foure Vertues Feare Obedience Patience Thankefulnesse Feare is a great part of the worship of God which I prooue by two places laid together Esa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8 9. wherein Feare and Worship are taken for one and the same thing for that which Esay calls Feare Matthew calls Worship Now in this feare there be two things that serue to distinguish it from all other feares First it is absolute for by it God is reuerenced absolutely Saint Paul exhorteth to yeelde tribute feare and honour to the Magistrate not for himselfe but for God whose minister he is And our Sauiour saith Feare ye not them which kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell As if he should say I allow and command you to feare men onely for God who hath set them ouer you but feare God for himselfe Secondly it makes a man first of all to feare the offence of God and then the punishment and iudgement For it is not a feare of the offence alone but of the offence and punishment together and of the offence in the first place Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Lord where is my feare And where it is saide in Matthew but rather feare him that is able to cast bodie and soule into hell fire there is commanded a feare of God in regard of his anger We feare the sword of man and that lawfully why then may we not feare the punishment of God If it be said this is a seruile feare to feare the punishment and agrees not to Gods children I answer slauish feare is when a man only fears the punishment not the offence of God or at least the punishment more then the offence The second vertue of Adoration is inward Obedience of the hidden man of the heart The Lord preferres this obedience before all sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. 22. This standeth in two things First in yeelding subiection of the Conscience to the commaundements threatnings and promises of God so as we are willing that it should become bound vnto them Secondly when the rest of the powers of the soule in their place and time performe obedience vnto God And by this meanes doe we bring into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 10. 5. The third vertue of Adoration is Patience which is when a man in his afflictions submitteth his will to the will of God and quieteth his heart therein because God sendeth afflictions This was Dauids counsell Be silent before the Lord and alwaies waite vpon his pleasure And his practise when in trouble he resigned himselfe into the hands of God and said Lord if I please thee not loe I am here doe with me as seemeth good in thine eyes This patience is a part of Gods worship because it is a kind of obedience The fourth vertue of Adoration is Thankfulnesse to God which shewes it selfe in two things First in an acknowledgement of the heart that our selues and whatsoeuer we haue is Gods and proceedeth from his blessing alone Secondly in a consecration of our bodies soules liues callings and labours to the honour and seruice of God Thus much of the first head of Inward worship or the first action of the heart standing in Adoration Sect. 2. The second Action of the heart in Inward worship or the second part thereof is Cleauing vnto God Now we cleaue vnto God by foure things by Faith Hope Loue and inward Inuocation By Faith I meane true iustifying faith whereby we rest vpon Gods mercie for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and life euerlasting and vpon his prouidence for the things of this life Thus Abraham beeing strengthened in this faith and relying by it vpon Gods promises made vnto him gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4. 20. This Sauing faith is the very roote and beginning of all true worship For Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law must come from it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The second is Hope which followes and dependes vpon faith and it is that grace of God whereby with patience we waite the Lords leisure for the performance of his promises especially touching redemption and life eternall If we hope saith Paul for that we haue not we
make a daily supplie by his grace Fourthly Satan seekes by all meanes to ouerthrow our soules continually and in that regard it behooueth vs alwaies and vpon euery occasion to lift vp our hearts to God for his mercifull protection Fiftly the gift of faith must grow and increase in vs day by day And the meanes whereby it groweth and thriueth in vs are the exercises of faith not seldome and rare but daily and continually vsed Now of all the exercises of faith none is more exceilent then Invocation and Thanksgiuing The Second kinde of prayer is set and solemne when a man sets himselfe apart to pray vnto God vsually and feruently or when men come reuerently and solemnely together into the congregation to call vpon the name of the Lord. The word of God appoints no set time for this kind but leaues it to the libertie wisdome and discretion of men And the ground of this Libertie is this There is now no difference betweene time and time in regard of Conscience for performing the worship of God and the duties of religion the Saboth onely excepted but the principall and onely difference is in regard of outward order and conueniencie whereby one time may be thought fitter then an other and that must be discerned by the wisdome of men In the New testament the distinction of daies and houres is taken away Paul was afraid of the Galatians because they made difference of daies times moneths and yeares in respect of holines and religion Gal. 4. By this doctrine we may see what to iudge of the Romane religion touching set times of prayer They prescribe certaine houres which they tearme Canonicall and they distinguish them in this manner The first they call the Matutine before the sunne rising The second the Prime from the first houre of the day to the third The third from thence to the sixt hower The fourth from the sixt to the ninth The fift from the ninth to the twelfth which they call the None The fixt is in the euening about the Sunne-setting The seuenth and last is after the Sunne-setting which they call the Completorie Now in these seauen prescribed howers by the doctrine deliuered I note three notable abuses First in that the Popish Church binds men in Conscience to obserue them vpon paine of mortall sinne Whereas in regarde of Conscience there is no difference of times Secondly they bind the Masse-priest the Deacon Subdeacon and the Beneficed man onely to Canonicall houres whereas those houres differ not from others in regard of performance of Gods worship neither are these men more bound to pray in them then others Thirdly that a man may say and read his Canonicall houres this day for the morrow and in the morning or after dinner for the whole day wherein we may see their grosse superstition IV. Question touching prayer is How their mindes are to be pacified which are troubled by sundry accidents that fall out in their praiers These Accidents are principally three First when they should pray they cannot frame or conceiue a forme of praier as other men doe For remoouing of which trouble let them remember this one thing That the vnfeigned desire of the touched heart is a praier in acceptance before God though knowledge memorie and vtterance to frame and conceiue a forme of prayer in words be waÌ„ting Ps. 10. 17. God heares the desire of the poore that is of humbled persons and them which are in distresse Psal. 145. 19. God will fulfill the desire of them that feare hiâ— he also will heare their cry and will saue them Rom. 8. 26. We know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit of God that is the spirit of adoption maketh requests for vs by grones sighes which cannot be vttered Where we may obserue that the prayer of the Holy Ghost which must needes be an excellent prayer is made by grones which cannot be vttered in words The second Accident is that they finde them selues full of heauines and deadnes of spirit and their minds full of by-thoughts and wandting imaginations This trouble may be remooued vpon this ground that the defects of our prayer shall neuer condemne vs if we be heartily displeased with our selues for the same and by prayer and other good meanes doe struggle and striue against them Rom. 8. 1. There is no coÌ„demnation to them that be in Christ. In which place it is not saide They doe nothing worthy of coÌ„demâ—ation but thus There is no condemnation to them being in Christ though they deserue it neuer so much The third accideÌ„t is that though they pray they receiue not the fruit of their praiers For the remooueall of this distresse we may consider these foure things I. The man that is thus troubled is to examine himselfe whether he hath made his praier to God aright or no For if he pray amisse he may pray long and neuer be heard Our Sauiour would not grant the request of the sonns of Zebedeus because they asked they knew not what Matt. 20. 22. Iam. 4. 3. Ye aske receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye might consume it on your lusts Paul prayed three times and had the repulse because he asked things inconuenient for him to receiue therefore answere was made My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Cor. 12. The man therefore that would make a praier aright must haue respect vnto the matter and forme thereof as also to the disposition of his owne heart If he faile in any of these then God will not heare or if he doth he heares in iustice II. Though men make lawfull praiers vnto God aske things that are to be asked and which God will grant yet God will sometime deserre the accomplishment of their praiers and not giue eare vnto them at the first Dauid prayed night and day and yet was not heard Psalm 22. 2. Againe his eies failed his throat was drie while he waited for his God by prayer Psal. 69. 3. The Angel Gabriel said to Zacharie Luk. 1. 13. Thy prayer is heard Now in all likelihood that prayer of Zacharie was made long before euen in his youth yet it was not granted him till he was olde The Lord deferres the graunt of our requests vpon good reason For hereby he stirreth vp the dulnes of our hearts and quickeneth our faith and hope Againe he makes vs when we enioy the blessings desired to haue them in higher estimation and to be more thankefull vnto him yea in the want thereof to striue the more earnestly with him by praier for them The woman of Canaan was repulsed and called a dogge by our Sauiour Christ not for that he intended to reiect her prayer but to stirre vp her faith to make her more earnest in asking as also more thankefull for the benefit when shee had receiued it III. The Lord vseth to graunt our petitions two manner of waies First by giuing the very thing we aske Secondly by giuing something answerable
abstaine then come vnprovided To whom it may be said that their vnfitnes in this and other respects ought to be a strong motiue to induce them at least to vse all holy indeauour to prepare themselues euery day rather then a meanes to keepe them backe For if a man should abstaine vpon euery occasion of variance discontentment and infirmitie he should neuer receiue and so consequently haue no benefit by this ordinance of God Daily preparation therefore is the more necessarie that when they be called and haue opportunitie they may come as welcome guestes vnto that heauenly banquet II. Question How may a man rightly vse the Lords Supper to his comfort and saluation Ans. Three things are required therevnto A right preparation a right Receiuing and a right Vse of it afterward Sect. 1. That Preparation is needefull the commandement of the Apostle plainely shewes which is directed to al Communicants without exception 1. Cor. 11. 28 Let a man that is let euery man examine himselfe Now that a man may be rightly prepared hee must bring with him foure severall things First Knowledge of the foundation of Religion specially of the vse of both the Sacraments That this is necessarie to Preparation it appeareth by that which Paul requireth in a good Communicant 1. Cor. 11. 26. to wit the shewing forth of Christs death which is done by confession and thanks giuing and these two cannot be performed without knowledge The second thing required is Faith For all Sacraments are seales of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4. 11. Now Faith is hereby discerned when the heart of the beleeuer contents it selfe onely with Christ in the matter of saluation and doth beleeue not onely that there is a remission of sinnes in generall but that his sinnes are forgiuen to him in particular The third is Repentance standing in a hearty sorrow for sinnes committed in a hatred and detestation of the same and in a resolued purpose of amendment and obedience for time to come Here we must remember that renewed Repentance for sinnes committed is principally required before the Sacrament For the Apostle chargeth the beleeuing Corinthes with vnworthie receiuing because they came in their sinnes without renouation of their repentance The fourth is Charitie towards man For this Sacrament is a Communion whereby all the receiuers ioyntly vnited together in loue doe participate of one and the same Christ. And therefore as no man in the old law might offer his Sacrifice without a forehand agreement with his brother so no Communicant may partake with others at this Table without reconciliation loue and charitie Now further touching Preparation there are three Cases of Conscience to be resolued I. Case What shall a man doe if after preparation he finds himselfe vnworthie Ans. There are two kinds of vnworthines of an euili conscience and of infirmitie Vnworthines of an euill conscience is when a man liues in any sinne against his conscience This we must especially take heede of For it is proper to the Reprobate and he that comes to the Table of the Lord vnworthily in this sense questionlesse he shall eate his owne iudgement if not condemnation The vnworthines of infirmitie is when a man truly repents and beleeues and makes conscience of euery good dutie but yet sees and feeles wants in them all and in regard hereof himselfe vnfit to the Supper Such vnworthines cannot iustly hinder a man from comming to this Sacrament neither is it a sufficient cause to make him to abstaine The reason is because the Lord requires not therein perfection of faith and repentance but the truth synceritie of them both though they be imperfect If it be demanded how the truth of faith and repentance may be knowne I answer by these notes I. If our faith be directed vpon the right obiect Christ alone II. If there be a hungring and thirsting after his bodie and blood III. If wee haue a constant and serious purpose not to sinne IV. If there follow a change in the life Thus we read that many of the Iewes in the daies of Hezekias came to Ierusalem and did eate the Passeouer which had not clensed themselues according to that which was written in the Law And yet for those among them that had prepared their whole hearts to seek the Lord the text saies that God heard the praier of Hezekias and healed the people though they were not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuarie 2. Chron. 30. 18 19 20. II. Case Whether it be requisite to preparation that a man should come fasting to this supper Ans. It is not necessarie For in the Primitiue Church Christians did first feast and at the ende of their feast receiued the Lords Supper And if receiuers bring with them attentiue mindes reuerent and sober hearts it matters not whether they come fasting or not The kingdome of God stands not in meates and drinkes as Paul saith Rom. 14. 17. III. Case Whether such persons as are at contention and goe to law one with an other may with good conscience come to the Lords table The reason of the Question is because men thinke when they goe to law that they doe not forgiue Ans. There be three kinds of forgiuenes of reuenge of the penaltie and of iudgement Ofreuenge when men are content to lay aside all hatred and requitall of euill Of penaltie when beeing wronged they are content to put the matter vp and not proceede to reuenge by inflicting punishment Of iudgement when a man is willing to esteeme and iudge things badly done as well done and to iudge a bad man no euill person nor an enemie though he be an enemie Of these three the first is alwaies necessarie A man is bound in conscience to forgiue the reuenge and leaue that to the Lord to whome Vengeance properly belongeth But to the forgiuenes of penaltie and iudgement we are not alway bound We must shunne and decline iniuries offered as much as possibly we can but when they be offered we may with good conscience seeke a remedie of them and vse any lawfull meanes to defend our selues Therefore I answer to the Question thus That if a man going to law with an other forgiues him in regard of reuenge when he comes to the Lords table he doth his dutie For doing that he is not bound to the other as hath beene said Sect. 2. The Second thing in the right vse of the Lords Supper is the right Receiuing of it Wherein there be two things required First the renewing of our Knowledge or Generall Faith And then secondly the renewing of our Speciall Faith in Christ. Let the reason of both be obserued This Sacrament cōtaines many particular Signes as not onely the bread and wine but the actions about the same The Signes may be thus distinguished Some of them are representing signes some are signes applying Representing signes are such as doe liuely set forth vnto vs Christ with his benefits as the bread and the wine
haue release from any creature Therefore our Sauiour Christs commandement is Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe thy oathes to whome to the Lord. Math. 5. 33. And the oath that passed betweene Dauid and Ionathan is called The Lords oath 2. Sam. 21. 7 and 1. Sam. 20. 8. God will haue the oath to binde as long as seemeth good vnto him yea and cease binding when it pleaseth him And that which himselfe bindeth or will haue to be bound no creature can loose The things which God hath coupled let no man separate Math. 19. 6. And herein the Pope shewes himselfe to be Antichrist in that he challengeth power to dispense with a lawfull oath made without error or deceit of things honest and possible Out of this answer another Question may be resolued namely when doth a man commit Periurie Ans. 1. When a man sweares that which he knowes to be false 2. When he sweares that which he meanes not to doe 3. When he swearing to doe a thing which he also meanes to doe yet afterwards doth it not In these three the not performing of an oath made it flat periurie That we may yet be informed concerning the sinne of Periurie one Question of moment is to be skanned In Societies Corporations there be Lawes and Orders to the keeping whereof euery one admitted to an office takes a corporall oath Afterward it falls out vpon occasion that he breakes some of the saide Statutes The Question is whether he be not in this case periured Ans. Statues are of two sorts Some are principall or fundamentall which serue to maintaine the state of that bodie or Corporation Others lesse principall or mixt that serue for order or decencie In the statutes principall the lawmaker intends obedience simply and therefore they are necessarie to be kept But in the lesse principall he exacts not obedience simply but either obedience or the penaltie because the penaltie is as much beneficiall to the state of that body as the other The breach of the former makes a man guilty of periurie but it is otherwise in the latter so be it the delinquent party be content to beare the mulct if it be imposed Thus students and others belonging to such societies may in some sort excuse themselues from the sinne of periurie though not from all fault in breaking some of the lesser locall statutes els few could liue in any societie without periurie Yet one more Question is propounded touching periurie whether a man may exact an oath of him whome he feares or knowes will forsweare himselfe Ans. A priuate man must not but a Magistrate may if the partie offer to take his oath not beeing vrged therto and be first admonished of the greivousnesse of the said sinne of periurie In the execution of Ciuil Iustice Magistrates must not stay vpon mens sinnes Moses expected not the Israelites repentance for their Idolatrie but presently proceeded vnto punishment Neither must the publicke good of the Common wealth bee hindred vpon the likelyhood or suspition of a mans periurie CHAP. XIIII Of Vowes THe Seuenth head of the Outward worship of God is concerning a vowe All the Questions whereof may be reduced to these foure I. Question What is a Vowe Ans. A Vowe is a promise made to God of things lawfull and possible I call it a promise to distinguish a vowe from a single purpose For a purpose may be chaunged but a vowe lawfully made cannot Againe there is great difference betweene these two for in a vowe there is first a purpose to doe a thing secondly a binding of our selues to doe that we pupose For this cause I tearme it a promise because it is a purpose with a bond without which there can be no vowe made In the next place I adde a promise made to God not to Saint Angel or Man The reasons are these First a vowe is properly the worke of the heart consisting in a purpose Now God alone knowes the heart and he alone is able to discerne of the purpose and intent of the same which no Angel Saint or other creature can possible doe Secondly when the vow is made none can punish and take revenge of the breach therof but God Thirdly in the old Testament the Iewes neuer vowed but to God because the vowe was a part of Gods worshippe Deut. 23. 21. When thou shalt vowe a vowe vnto the Lord thy God thou shalt not bestack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and so it should be sinne vnto thee Where by the way we may take notice of the superstition of the popish Church that maketh vowes to Saints and Angels which is in effect to make thē gods to worship thē as the Iewes worshipped God in the old Testament II. Question Whether a vowe be now in the newe Testament any part of Religion or Gods worship The answere is threefold First if a vowe be taken for a promise of morall obedience the answer is that a vowe is indeed the worship of God and so shal be to the ende of the world For as God for his part promiseth mercie in the couenant of grace so wee in Baptisme doe make a vowe and promise of obedience to him in all his commandements and therefore Peter calleth Baptisme a stipulation that is the promise of good conscience to God This promise once made in Baptisme is renewed so oft as we come to the Lords Supper and further continued in the daily spirituall exercises of Invocation and Repentance But it may be said we are already bound to the obedience of the Law by order of diuine Iustice therefore we cannot further binde our selues Ans. He that is bound by God may also bind himself Dauid though he was boūd by god in conscience to keepe the Law yet he binds himselfe freely by oath to helpe his own weaknes to keepe himselfe from falling when he saith I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal. 119. 106. And the same bond is no lesse necessary and behooffefull for vs if we consider how prone and readie we are to fall from the worshippe of God The second Answere If a vowe be taken for a promise of some ceremoniall dutie as of Sacrifices and Oblations or of giuing house lands and goods to the Temple then we must put a difference betweene the Olde Testament and the New In the Old Testament the vow of such duties was part of Gods worshippe but in the Newe it is not and that for these Reasons First The Iewish ceremonies were to the Iewes a part of Gods worshippe but to vs Gentiles they are not cōsidering they are all in Christ abolished and none of them doe now stand in force by Gods Law to vs. Thus the Passeover was a ceremonie or seruice appointed by God to be obserued of the Israelites and their posteritie Exod. 12. 24. 25. and therefore stood as a part of Gods worshippe to them
Religious Fast Ans. It is a voluntary and extraordinary abstinence taken vp for a religious end what this end is we shall see afterward First I call it voluntarie because the time and particular manner of Fasting is not imposed or determined but left free to our owne liberty Againe I tearme it extraordinary to distinguish it from ordinary fasting which stands in the practise of temperance and sobrietie whereby the appetite is restrained in the vse of meates and drinkes that it doe not exceede moderation Now this kinde of fast is to be vsed of all Christians at all times whereas the extraordinarie is not dayly and ordinarily to be practised but vpon speciall occasions and at speciall times in as much as it is a more strait and severe abstinence then the other II. Question How a Religious Fast is to be obserued Ans. For the obseruation of it three things are required I. A iust and weightie cause II. A right manner III. Right ends Sect. 1. Fasting is then to be vsed when a iust and weightie cause or occasion therof is offered There be two iust causes of a fast The First is when some iudgement of God hangs over our heads whether it be publicke as Famine Pestilence the Sword destruction c. or priuate The Prophet Ioel in the name of the Lord calls the Iewes to a strait and solemne fast and that vpon this iust occasion because the Lord had sent a great dearth vpon the land Ioel 2. 14 15 c. Hester and her companie fasted when shee had heard newes of the intended destruction of the Iewes Ester 4. 16. The people of Nineueh which were not Iewes but forreiners in regard of the Couenant when the Prophet came and denounced destruction vnto them for their sinnes they gaue themselues generally to fasting and praier Ion. 3. 5. 8. The second cause of fasting is when we are to sue seeke by prayer to God for some speciall blessing or for the supply of some great want Thus when Daniel desired to obtaine the deliuerance of the children of Israel out of captiuitie in Babylon he gaue himselfe to fasting Dan. 10. 3. Thus Christ fasted and spent the whole night in prayer vnto God before he chose his twelue Apostles Luk. 6. 12. And in like manner Paul and Silas when they were to found and plant Churches vsed praier and fasting Act. 14. 23. because in these matters of so great importance they looked for special direction from God himselfe Lastly Anna that shee might be more feruent in praier fasted night and day in the Temple Luc. 2. 37. Sect. 2. The second point is the Right manner of fasting which stands in three things The Frist is Abstinence from meate and drinke for therein consisteth the very nature of a fast and if that be wanting it is no fast at all Thus Ester commanding the Iewes to fast for her biddes them neither eate nor drinke for three daies Ester 4. 16. The Second is an abstinence from all delights which may any way cheare and refresh nature In this sort Daniel fasted three whole weekes of daies abstaining from all pleasant bread flesh wine and ointments Dan. 10. 3. So when Dauid fasted it is saide that he lay all the night vpon the earth that he neither washed nor annointed himselfe nor changed his apparell 2. Sam. 12. 16 20. In the solemne fast of the Iewes the bridegrome and bride must come out of their chambers Ioe 2. 15 16. By these places it is manifest that in a true fast there is required not onely abstinence from meate and drinke but from all delights recreations other things that might refresh the nature of man By this the Popish Fasting is iustly reprooued wherein though men are inioyned to abstaine from flesh yet there is giuen libertie to vse other delicates The Third thing in the manner of a Fast is so farre forth to abstaine from meate and other delights as the bodie may be thereby afflicted Ezra proclaimes a fast and he giues a reason thereof that himselfe and the people might afflict themselues Ezra 8. 2. This Afflicting of a mans selfe is expoūded by Paul 1. Cor. 9. 27. where he saith I beate downe my bodie and bring it in subiection Now though we must humble and afflict our bodies by fasting yet we ought not to weaken abolish or destroy nature or doe that whereby the strength of nature may be taken away For such afflicting is forbidden Coloss. 2. 23. And contrariwise we are commanded by Christ to pray for daily bread that is such food as is fitte to sustaine our substances and therefore we may by such exercises ouerthrow the same Yet for the better vnderstanding of the manner of Fasting three Questions are to be answered I. Question How long the fast must continue Ans. The beginning and ende of a Fast is left vnto our libertie But it is so long to be kept as the principall actions of the fast that is humiliation and prayer doe continue And though the beginning and ende thereof be free to vs yet it is most meete conuenient that solemne fasts should beginne in the Morning and last till the Euening This was the vsuall custome of the Church in the old Testament II. Question Whether in the day of a solemne fast a man may eate any thing or no and if he may what and how often Ans. We may eate and that if neede require once or twise Yet here we must take with vs two caueats First concerning the quantitie of our meate it must be lesse then ordinarie and onely that which is necessarie to proserue nature and no more for if it be otherwise we abolish our fast Secondly concerning the qualitie of that we eate it must not be daintie and pleasant but the meanest food and such as hath least delightsomnes and delicacie in it Thus Daniel fasted for three weekes of daies from morning to euening in which time he ate but a small quantitie of meate and that which was none of the daintiest Dan. 10. 3. These caueats obserued a man may lawfully take some sustenance euen in the time of a solemne fast For there is no kinde of meate but may then be eaten quantitie and qualitie beeing obserued In the old Testament no cleane beast was forbidden to be eaten in the day of a fast And in the New To the pure saith Paul Tit. 1. 15. all things are pure And the kingdome of God stands not in meates and drinkes but in righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. III. Quest. Whether all persons are bound to keepe the forme prescribed in the day of the solemne fast Ans. All that are able and can abstaine are bound Yet because Gods worshippe stands not in eating or not eating some persons are here exempted First all those that are weake as children aged persons and those that are sickely Secondly they that by reason of the constitution of their bodies doe find themselues vnfit to
pray and heare the word cheerefully when their stomacks are emptie These persons may eate in the day of a solemne fast so that they obserue the caueats before remembred It is not with vs in these countries as it was with the Iews They could fast one two or three daies together without any inconvenience we cannot doe the like And the reason is plaine Men that liue in those hotte countries haue colde stomackes and so may fast the longer but in colder climates such as ours is in respect of theirs men beeing of hotter stomackes are not able to continue fasting so long as they Sect. 3. The third point is concerning the Right endes of a religious fast and they are foure The first is to subdue the flesh that is to bring the body and so the bodily lusts into subiection to the will and word of God By eating and drinking the body is made heauie the heart oppressed the senses dull and the whole man vnfit for the duties of humiliation praier and hearing of the word Luk. 21. 24. That therfore this vnfitnesse may be taken away not onely the body it selfe but the vnruely lusts of the flesh are to be mortified and subdued by this exercise of fasting The second end is to stirre vp our deuotion and to confirme the attention of our mindes in hearing and in praier To this purpose in the Scripture fasting and prayer are for the most part if not alwaies ioyned togither because when the stomacke is full the body and minde are lesse able to doe any good dutie and contrariwise when abstinence is vsed the heart is lighter the affections in better order the whole man more quicke and liuely in the seruice of God For this very cause Anna is saide to worshippe God night and day with fasting and praier Luk. 2. 37. And the intent of the Holy Ghost there is to commend her for the feruencie of her praier which shee testified in that by such exercises shee stirred vp and increased the attention of her minde The third ende is to testifie the humilitie and contrition of our hearts that is to say our inward sorrow and griefe for sinne and our repentance and effectuall turning vnto God Without this ende the fast is but a vaine ceremonie And therefore the Prophet Ioel calls vpon the people to turne vnto the Lord with all their hearts with fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts and not their garments c. Ioel 2. 12 13. The Prophet Esay in like manner reprooveth the Iewes because when they fasted they would afflict their soules for a day and how downe their heads as a buâ—rush and lie downe in sackcloath and ashes But made no conscience to turne from their euill waies Esay 58. 5 6. Therefore their outward humiliation was but hypocrisie The fourth end of a fast is to admonish vs of our guiltines before the Lord and to put vs in mind of the acknowledgement of our sinnes wherby we become vnworthy of any blessing gift or mercie yea vnworthy to goe vpon the ground to breath in the aire to eate drinke sleepe or inioy any other benefit In a word that we haue deserued by our sinnes all the plagues and punishments threatued in the Law against sinners The Malefactor in the day of Assises cannot giue greater testimonie of the true confession of his guiltines then by comming before the Iudge with the rope about his neck neither can we bring a more notable signe of our true humiliation before God then by comming before him in the day of the solemne fast with open confession and Proclamation of our guiltinesse both of sinne and punishment Hence it was that in the fast of Nineueh not onely men but euen the beasts were forbidden to feede or drinke water for this very end that the Niuevites might acknowledge their sinnes to be so great and heinous in the sight of God that in regard therof not onely the reasonable creatures themselues but also the beasts of the field for their sakes were vnworthy of life and nourishment III. Question Whether Popish Fasts be lawfull and approoued of God Ans. They are wicked and therefore neither approoued of God nor to be obserued by man and that for three speciall causes First the patrons maintainers of them doe appoint set times of fasting which are necessarily to be kept vpon paine of mortall sinne And abstinence from flesh with them is made a matter of conscience Now to prescribe set times necessarily to be obserued is contrarie to that libertie which the Church of God and the gouernours thereof haue for this purpose onely vpon speciall occasion When the question was mooued to our Saviour by Iohns Disciples Why they and the Pharises fasted often whereas his fasted not Answer was giuen in this manner Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegrome is with them But the daies will come when the bridegrome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast Mat. 9. 15. From whence we may gather that times of fasting must be according to the times of mourning For Christ giues them to vnderstand that they were to fast as occasions of mourning were offered As therefore there can be appointed no set time for mourning no more can there be enioyned a set time for fasting but must be left to the libertie of the Church to be prescribed as God shall giue occasion Againe the Apostle reprooueth the Church of Galatia for obseruing set daies and moneths times and yeares in way of Religion Gal. 4. 10. Montanus the Hereticke is thought in Ecclesiasticall stories to haue beene the first that made lawes for set-fasting And the Churches of God in ancienter times fasted of their own accords freely not inforced by law or commandement but as time and occasion serued It is alleadged that this doctrine seemes to chalenge the Church of England of Heresie for it appointeth and obserueth set times of fast Ans. Nothing lesse For our Church inioyneth and approoueth these times not vpoÌ„ necessity or for religions sake but for ciuill and politicke respects whereas the Romish church holds it a mortal sinne to put off a set fast appointed so much as till the next day following The second reason They of the Church of Rome make a distinction of meates For they wholly forbid flesh to be eaten vpon daies of fast and allow whit-meates onely then to be vsed and that of necessitie Now this difference of meates is partly impious partly absurd and foolish Impious it is because they make it for Religions sake For since the coÌ„ming of Christ there is a libertie giuen to all men whatsoeuer to eate of all kindes of meates without any distinction commanding abstinence froÌ„ nothing which God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing It is true indeede we hold a difference betweene meate and meate but how not in way of religion but in regard of temperance health for ciuill and politike
any person II. That it withdraw not the mind of the worker or any other from sanctifying the Sabboth either publickely or priuately III. That it be not a worke of gaine but a worke of mercie or tend to a worke of mercie IV. That it serue for the immediate preseruation of life health or goods Of life thus Elias continued his flight from Iezabel many Sabboths together 1. King 19. 8. And the reason is good the Sabboth was made for man saith Christ that is not for the hurt but for the good of man Of health and thus our Sauiour Christ visited the sicke Ioh. 5. 3. and cured the blind man vpon the Sabboth Ioh. 9. 14. By whose example the Phisitian the Chirurgion may lawfully goe not onely to giue necessarie counsell but to minister necessarie phisicke and doe cures Lastly of goods which are in present danger of loosing Thus Christ would haue the oxe presently pulled out of the pit Luk. 14. 5. and the shippe on the shore full fraught with wares requires present helpe if it be in apparent danger of sinking Thus much concerning the first thing required in the observation of the Sabboth Sect. 2. The second thing required in the halowing of the Sabboth of the new testament is the Sanctification of rest which is nothing els but the dedicating of it to a religious vse that is to the practise of diuine worshippe This sanctification is either publicke or priuate The publike is the solemne performance of spirituall workes commanded in the second and third Commandements and tending to publike worship And this may be reduced to foure principall heads I. The reading or preaching of the word when the Minister publikely in the Congregation assembled doth faithfully deliuer vnto the people pure and sound doctrine and applies the same as necessitie requireth and occasion serueth to the edification and saluation of all and euery hearer in publicke audience and the people on the otherside do reuerently and attentiuely heare the same word read and preached II. The administration of the Sacraments according to Gods institutioÌ„ by the Ministers of the Church lawfully called III. Publike praier wherein the Minister calleth vpon the name of the Lord the whole congregation in feruent affection lift vp their hearts vnto him and in mind giue assent to the praiers made in the name and behalfe of them IV. Collection and giuing of almes for the reliefe of the poore whether they be captiues and strangers or those that dwell among vs the sicke the needie orphanes and widowes and such like Vpon these foure heads doth stand the whole publike worship of God For proofe and declaration hereof read these places Neh. 8. Act. 2. 42. Act. 13. 14. 15. Act. 16. 13. Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. c. Priuate sanctification which serueth to answer the second opinion stands in these things I. That euery man in the beginning of the Sabboth in the morning do priuatly prepare himselfe to the publicke seruice that followeth by priuate prayer by examination and humbling of himselfe before God in respect of his particular sinnes This the wiseman exhorteth vnto when he saith Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God Eccles. 4. 17. and his meaning is that before a man betakes himselfe to the publicke congregation there to perform seruice and worship vnto God he should looke into his heart and examine his affections and thoughts that he come not vnprepared which duty though it be alwaies to be done yet principally on the Sabbothday The childreÌ„ of Israel rose vp early in the morning on the Sabbothday to offer vp burnt offrings peace offerings to an Idol Exo. 32. 5. 6. much more ought wee c. And it is said of our Sauiour Christ that he arose very early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place to pray and the day following was the Sabboth when he preached in the Synagogues Mar. 1. 35 36. II. That when the congregation is dissolued we spend the rest of the Sabboth in meditation and conference of the word before preached and of the creatures Thus it is said of some that heard Paul preach that they receiued the word with all readines and searched the Scripture whether those things were so Act. 17. 11. And the whole 92. Psalme was penned that it might be a song of the Sabboth and it containes nothing but a meditation of the workes of God III. That men priuately exercise themselues in the workes of charitie and mercie as in visiting the sicke in making peace betweene those that are at discord in releeuing the poore in teaching and instructing the ignorant in coÌ„forting those that are distressed and comfortlesse Neh. 8. 12. Then all the people went to eate and to drinke and to send parâ— abroad to the poore and to make great ioy The Tthird Question touching the Sabboth When the Sabboth doth beginne To this some doe answer in the euening and some in the morning My answer is this that the Sabboth of the new Testament amongst vs is to beginne in the morning and so to continue tâ—l the next morrow not in the euening till the euening The reasons be these 1. The Sabboth is to beginne when other ordinarie daies begin according to the order and account of the Church wherein wee liue 2. It was the practise of Christ and the Apostles For Christ as it hath beene thought of auncient times consecrated the Sabboth in that he rose from the dead early in the morning when the first day of the weeke beganne to dawne Matth. 28. 1. and therfore it is fitte that the Sabboth day should then beginne when he rose for as much as it is kept in remembrance of his resurrection The same was the practise of the Apostles For Act. 20. 7. the first day of the weeke the Iewes came togither at Troas in the morning there Paul preached from that time till midnight beeing the next morning to depart hauing staid there as is plaine out of the 6. v. seuen daies In that text I noâ—e two things First that the night there mentioned was a part of the seuenth day of Pauls abode at Troas For if it were not so then he had staied at least a night longer and so more then seuen daies because he should haue staied part of another day Secondly that this night was a part of the Sabboth which they then kept For the Apostle keepes it in manner of a Sabboth in the exercises of pietie and diuine worshippe and namely in Preaching Yea further he continues there till the rest was fully ended He communed with them till the dawning of the day and so departed vers 11. Besides this text Dauid saith in his Psalme of the Sabboth that he will declare Gods louing kindnes in the morning and his truth in the night Psal. 92. 2. making the night following a part of the Sabboth Against this doctrine it is alleadged first that
First All Superiours must haue reuerence done vnto them whether they be Superiours in age in gifts in authoritie or howsoeuer and that because they are superiours The actions of Reuerence due to all superiours are principally sixe The first is to rise vp before the superiour Levit. 19. 32. Thou shalt rise vp before the boare head and honour the person of the old man The second when they are comming toward vs to goe and meete them Thus when Abraham saw the three Angels comming toward him he ranne to meete them from the tent doore Gen. 28. 2. And king Salomon when his mother Bathsheha came towards him to speak vnto him for Adoniah the text saith he rose vp to meete her 1. King 2. 19. The third to bow the knee before the superiour Thus wee read in the Gospell that a certaine man comming to Christ as he was going on the way kneeled vnto him Mark 10. 17. Thus Abraham ranne to meete the three Angels and bowed himselfe to the ground Gen. 28. 2. And the same Abraham els where bowed himselfe before the people of the Land of the Hittites Gen. 23. 7. The fourth to giue them the first and highest seat or place This our Sauiour Christ meaneth in the parable wherein he willeth those who are invited to a banquet to yeeld the chiefest place to them that are more honourable then themselues Luk. 14. 7. And it is set downe as a commendation of Iosephs brethren that they sate before him in order the eldest according to his age the youngest according to his youth Gen. 43. 33. Here we must remember that though in common practise among men the right hand is a note of superioritie yet in Scripture the practise is contrarie For in the article of our Creede Sitting at the right hand signifieth the inferioritie of the Mediator in respect of the father though it be a token of his superioritie in regard of the Church And so must the place be vnderstood 1. King 2. 19. where it is said that Bathsheba sate at the right hand of Salomon namely that it was an argument of Superioritie whereunto he preferred her before the people but it shewed her infirmitie in regard of Salomō himself And this custome is frequent both in the scriptures in humane writers The fift to giue libertie of speaking in the first place This was the practise of Elihu one of the friends of Iob who beeing the youngest in yeares dared not to shew his opinion till Iob and others who were his ancients had spoken But when they had left off their talke then he is said to haue answered in his turne Iob. 32. 6. 7. 17. The sixt to giue the titles of reverence to all superiours Sara according to this rule called Abraham Lord 1. Pet. 3. 9. The man in the Gospell comming to learne something of Christ cals him by this name Good Master Mar. 10. 17. And Anna rebuked by Eli answered him with reuerence and said nay my Lord. 1. Sam. 1. 15. The second Rule touching honour due to superiours is more speciall touching superiours in authoritie namely that they also must be honoured And this honour shewes it selfe in foure things The first is speciall reuerence which stands in the performance of two duties The former is to stand when our superiors doe sitte For thus Abraham after he had receiued the Angels into his tent and prepared meat for them serued himself by them vnder the tree giuing attendance while they did eate Gen. 18. 8. In like manner when Moses sate in iudgement the people are said to haue stood about him from morning vntill euening Exod 18. 13. The latter is not to speake but by leaue A dutie alwaies to be obserued but specially in the courts of Magistrates Example whereof we haue in Paul who beeing called before Foelix the gouernour did not speake a word vntill the gouernour had beckened vnto him giuē him leaue Act. 24. 10. The second thing is subiection which is no thing els but an inferioritie whereby we do as it were suspend our wills and reasons and withall cause them to depend in things lawfull and honest vpon the will of the superiour This subiectiō is yeelded to the authoritie of the superiour and is larger then obedience The third is obedience whereby wee keepe and performe the expresse commandement of our superior in all things lawfull and honest It standeth in sundry particulars as First it must be in the Lord and as to the Lord himselfe Whatsoeuer ye doe saith the Apostle doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men Col. 3. 23. Againe obedience must be performed euen to superiours that are euill Thus Peter exhorts seruants to be subiect to their Masters in all feare not onely to the good and courteous but also to the froward 1. Pet. 2. 18. Thirdly it must be done to Rulers in whome we see weaknesses For their infirmities ought not to hinder or stoppe our dutie of obedience considering that the commaundement of honouring the father and mother is generall without exceptiō Fourthly it is to be performed to them that are Deputies to Rulers yea which are deputies of deputies Submit your selues saith Peter vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour or vnto gouernours as vnto them who are sent of him c. 1. Pet. 2. 13 14. Fiftly though punishment be wrongfully and most vniustly imposed by Rulers yet it must be borne without resistance till we can haue our remedie For this is thankeworthie if a man for conscience toward God indure griefe suffering wrongfully 1. Pet. 2. 19. The practise of this we may see in Hagar the handmaid of Sara who is commanded by the Angel to returne againe to her dame and humble her selfe vnder her hands though shee had dealt very roughly with her Gen. 16. 9. The fourth thing due to Superiours in authoritie is Thankesgiuing in praising God for their paines authoritie and gifts principally Thus Paul exhorts that praiers intercessions and thankesgiuing be made for Kings and all that be in authoritie 1. Tim. 2. 1. The reason is because beeing ouer vs in authoritie we haue the benefit of their gifts and authoritie Gen. 45. 9. Sect. 2. In the second place commeth to be considered our honour due vnto our Equalls Concerning which there be two Rules I. Rule Equalls must esteeme better of others then of themselues Thus Paul exhorts all men in meekenes of minde without contention or vaine-glorie to esteeme others better then themselues Phil. 2. 3. II. Rule Equalls in giuing honour must goe one before another Rom. 12. 10. where the Apostle saith not in taking honour because the dutie by him prescribed concernes not all persons but those alone who are of a like or equall condition Sect. 3. A third sort to whome honour is to be yeelded are Inferiours And the honour due vnto them is without all contempt in meeknes of Spirit to