Moses and Aron 88 Moses patience 12 his staffe and the power thereof 88 Mothers dutie to her children 8 Murther either secret or open 43 N NAture of man 20 Nature of the Storke 5 Nabuchadnezzar 88. 89. 32. Neighbours 97. they must be loued as our selues 44. Nehemiah commended 84 Night of the sabboth to bee spent holilie 72 Note of the feare of God is feare of his word 23 O OAth 36. 51. Oath lawfull 57 Obedience 17 Obedience to God must come from the hart 5 Obedience of children 3 Obedience of the wife 22 Offence in words 41 P PAtience 11 Papists care little for the sabboth 6 Papists superstitions 35 Parents 40. 2 Parents dutie to their children 7 Paule his feare 20 Perfit loue casteth out feare 19 Periurie 53 Peoples dutie 25 Peace a branch of meekenes 44 Praier 36. 67. 74. Praier for Parents 6 Preparation to the first commandement 1 Pride 50 Punishments for breaking the sabboth 71. 78 R REading the word 36 Receiuing of the sacrament ibid. Reason of the second commandement 37 Remembrance of the sabboth day 70 Reasons why to obey the sabboth 74 Reuerence of children 3 Repentance 67. 88 Rewards for keeping the sabboth 72 Riches improfitable 59 Rules to bee obserued in correction of seruants 17 S SAboth day why consecrated 90 Saboth day 61. 62. Instituted in Paradice 63. First the day of rest 65. Now the Lords day and why ibid. Sacraments 17. 82 Salomons dutie to his mother 3 Seruants 55. 11. Their seruice of God 13 Seruants more to bee regarded then goods 100 Sinne. 98 Speach 46 Spells 48 Spirit of God the spirit of truth 90 Subjects dutie 29 Superiors in gifts 32 Suretiship 67 Suspition 94 Superstition the hatred of God 39 Strange Gods 13 Strange apparell 57 Swearing 51. swearing wickedly 52 T THe law deliuered 1 The tables broken 2 The workes of the Trinitie 2 Thankfulnesse of children 3. it consists in two things 5 The feare of the three children in the furnace 24 The brasen Serpent 33 The Cherubines ibid. Theft 71. 72 Temperance in meat and drinke 53 To auoid idolatry is to auoid Idols 31 To honour what 1 Trust in God 26 Truth 96 V VAine swearing 52 Vaine iangling 46 Vineyard of God ibid. Visitation of the sicke a priuate worke of the sabboth 73 Vnreuerent speeches of Gods workes 51 Vncleanenesse two fold 56 Vowes when to be vsed 36 Vse of Gods words 47 W WAntonnesse 57 What God hates hating the world 78 What it is to feare God 20 What to bee done on the sabboth day 71 Wee must loue God 16 We must not bee discouraged wanting meanes 71 Why children should first feare their mother 3 Wherein children must obey their parents 4 Wicked impietie to make an image of Christ 32 Worshipping of Images 34 Word of God 47 Wonders in Aegipt 88 Worldly crosses 11 Z ZAcharies vprightnes 7 Ziphiâ—â— 84 FINIS AN EXPOSITION VPON THE TEN COMMANDEMENTS Exod. 20. 1. God spake these wordes and saide I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egipt out of the house of bondage THESE wordes containe a preparation to stirre vs vp to keepe the law of God partly in generall to all the keeping of all the commaundements Partly more specially to the keeping of the first That preparatiue which pertaines generally to all is in these words God spake It seeeth they haue God for the author of them therefore wee must settle our selues to obey them without gainsaying because God will not bee disputed withall The preparation to the first commandement more specially is drawne partly from the nature of God partly from his benefites His nature where hee saith I am Iehouah which signifieth the essence of God incommunicable to any creature From his benefits either generall in those words thy God i. One that haue bound my selfe in couenant with thee to bee thine and to do thee good in matters for this life and the life to come Or else speciall in the last wordes which haue brought thee out of the land of Egipt signifieng that hee had prooued and shewed himselfe to bee their God by drawing them out of that bondage and because the mercie of God might more appeare in their deliuerance hee shewes the grieuousnesse of the state out of the which hee deliuered them it was an house of bondage i. a place of most extreame slauerie Sith hee is thy God then and hath beene so kinde vnto thee thou must willingly acknowledge him and him onely to bee thy God God spake these words In that it bringeth the author of these wordes hee saith God spake them This doctrine ariseth to vs that God is after a speciall the author of the tenne commaundements they are his words more specially then any other And as all scripture is to be regarded as proceeding from God so more especially these tenne words because they bee after a more peculiar sort Gods words That this is so it is proued plainelie in Deuter. fiue verse two and twentie Where Moyses hauing repeated this law sets downe two priuiledges that it had aboue all other scripture to winne the more authoritie vnto it First hee saith these words the Lord spake vnto all your multitude noteing this vnto them that whereas the ceremoniall and indiciall lawes were deliuered by the ministery of Angels and the other scriptures by the meanes of the men of God the Prophets these wordes and these commaundements God himselfe as it were in his owne person full of Magestie and terrour accompanied with all his Angels in a flame of fire did pronounce so terribly in the bearing of them all as that they trembled and came to Moyses requesting him that they might no more heare God speaking on this manner for if they did assuredly they should die for feare wherefore in this first regard they must bee exceedingly reuerenced because Gods owne voice did speake them Secondly for the writing of them they were not written as other scriptures which Saint Peter saith holy men of God write according to the instinct of Gods holy spirit within them but God him selfe did write them as it were with his owne finger not vsing thereto either men or Angells as instruments Yea at the first hee made the Tables himselfe also that there might bee nothing seene wherein was not the immediate worke of God vvherein they were written but afterwardes when Moyses brake them before the Isralites that had made the goulden Calfe to shew that they by their idolatrie had broken the couenaunt and vvere vvorthie to be cast off then though God did bid Moyses make the second Tables yet himselfe write the law not vsing thereto the ministry of any of his creatures shewing that in this regarde they bee more specially GODS wordes and so more to bee regarded And besides this testimonie diuers reasons may bee vsed to shew that these are GODS owne inuention and wordes after an extraordinarie manner For first the wonderfull and perfect holinesse that
that with a true hart is willing to be taught and to confound also and condemne and leaue without excuse before Gods judgement seat such as will not yeeld to playne and strong reasons drawne out of the word of God but continue obstinate in their false conceits But because the point may be more plaine and manifest it is good to answere some of their objections whereby they would ouerturne this plaine truth Now the grand obiection is because we keep not the same sabboth that the Iewes did but the day is altered therefore they say we must keepe none This is their argument of so great waight but how foolish it shall appeare easily if we examine it a little more narrowly For though we keepe not the selfe same day that they did yet we haue the same commandement authoritie for our day that that they had for theirs Therfore this day that we keepe is called the Lords day in Reuel 1. Where Iohn saith He was in the spirit vpon the Lords day Afore it was called the day of rest because God rested on it from the work of creation but now it is called the Lords day because Christ Jesus instituted it as a speciall memoriall of his resurrection perfecting of the work of our redemption For the Apostles by the authoritie of that spirit which alwaies assisted them in their ministeriall office did alter the day themselues kept ordained it to be kept in all the churches As may appeare 1. Cor. 16. 1. Where he saith The first day of the weeke when yee meet together c. Where the Apostle shewes that the congregations of Christ were wont on the first day of the weeke to meet together for the performance of all holy duties of the number whereof collection for the poore was one because of the manifold persecutions wherwith in the primatiue church they were more afflicted and had neede of continuall reliefe This was the first day of the Iewish weeke our Lords day So also in the Acts. Paul himself kept this day which he spent in preaching till midnight and after administred the sacramēt in which two exercises he cōtinued till the dawning of the day So that the keeping of this day was instituted by God in the ministrie of the Apostles and kept by them and the churches in their time therfore as strongly commands vs as the Iewes and is of no lesse force now then before Then secondly the reason of the chaunge and of our keeping this day is no lesse then of their keeping that day For when the creation of the world was the greatest work that euer was done then the memoriall of that was chiefely to be regarded But now that a greater more excellent work was done namely the redemption of the world it was reason that the greatest work should carry the credit of the day They rested the seauenth day because on that God rested from the work of creation wee this eight day because in it Christ rise againe from the work of our redemption which being a greater work caused a chaunge of the day Sith then the day was not chaūged without good warrant and strong reason that alteration and varying of the day detracts nothing from the truth and force of the commandement And wheras they say that the church may at their pleasure alter it that is not so for ther can neuer be an authority greter then the authority of the Apostles nor a cause greater then the resurrection of Christ and the redemption of the church and therefore neither can the day be chaunged for to make a new day where no such warrant did allow nor no cause occasion it were to take more vpon them then is fit For if the Iewes in former times were bound to keepe it holy hauing onely the creation of the world to think vpon and to remēber by the celebrating of their seauenth day then how much more are we bound to this reuerence and a greater sith besids this benefit of our making we haue a greater of our redeeming by the bloud and death of Christ added vnto it so that any one of the two ought to sanctifie it more rather then to cast it of all together and to be so much the more carefull to giue this day wholy to God by how much he hath shewed a greate mercie to vs so that we should neuer speake or think of this chaunge but we should also call to minde this great benefit which was the cause of it If Adam had cause to spend a day in praysing God for his creation then wee haue greater cause seeth besides that we haue also the redemption to bee thankefull for And if this bee a good argument wee keepe not the selfe same day that the Iewes did therefore the dutie is abollished and wee are bound to keepe none then by the same reason one might conclude thus you see wee haue not the same sacraments for the outward seales that the Iewes had for they had circumcision and they had the pascall Lambe what tell you mee of the consecrate water and of the bread and wine hallowed the Iewes had no such matter sith these signes be altered I think it was but a ceremonie and wee neede not regard baptisme the supper this were no good argument in this case for though the shadowes bee other yet the substance bee the same Christ Iesus is signified by our bread and wine as well as by their Lambe and our baptisme is the sacrament of regeneration as well as their circumcision Therefore wee should not despise them but so much the more bee carefull to prepare our selues for them because the seruice is more easie the promises more lightsome If then it will not hold that we haue no sacraments because the outward seales bee altered then it is as weake a consequence that wee haue no seauenth day to bee sanctified because the day is altered and wee keepe not the same that they did So that no proofe can be gathered from the varying of the daie that the dutie is abolished because the authoritie is as strong the reason as good and the same reason doth not hold in other things Againe they object that to a christian euery day is a sabboth day and therefore wee should not restraine it to one day more then another but the answere to this is that it is most false for God doth not require neither is a christian able to keep euery day a sabboth day so long as they remain on earth indeede in heauen hee shall keepe a continuall sabboth vnto the Lord but now so long as wee liue there is as much difference betwixt the sabboth day and otheir daies as betwixt the consecrate bread wee receiue at the Lords table and the common bread wee receiue at our owne table This is true that euery one must serue God on the sixe daies and all his life long but on the seauenth day wee must not onely serue God
words Wherefore the Lord blessed the seauenth day and hallowed it HEere God shewes that if none of the former reasons will preuaile yet wee should bee moued for our owne benefit to regard it for nothing is more auaileable to bring a blessing on soule bodie then the religious keeping of the sabboth for God hath appointed it to the end that hee might haue occasion to communicate his goodnesse to the diligent obseruers of it So that from this reason that he saith God sanctified the day j. set it a-part for his vse and blessed it that is appointed it for a meanes of blessing to the obedient for the day it selfe is no more blessed then other daies From hence I say wee may learne that the way to get all blessing is to keepe holy the sabboth this is the most direct and sure meanes to get all comfortable prosperitie to keepe an holy rest to God vpon his day One reason is because God hath sanctified it to this end as for inward benefits is shewed Isaiah 56. 4. 7. Where the Lord shewes that for inward blessings if any of what estate so euer will keepe Gods sabboth hee shall haue his hart filled full of spirituall joy God will giue him the spirit of praier and heare his praiers God will giue him abilitie to serue him and accept and reward his seruice And Isai 58. 13. 14 If one will keepe himselfe from polluting Gods holy sabboth and keepe it carefullie then he shall delight in the Lord that is God shall so shew his fauour and loue to his soule as hee shall bee joyfull in God so blesse his hart and conscience as that he shall feele that God is his God loues him and cares for him so that hee shall exult and rejoyce in this and finde Gods blessing both for heauen and for earth so that the mouth of God hath spoken it what euer flesh and bloud will obiect we haue the sure promise of God and it shall bee found true and faithfull So for things of this life Iere. 17. 24. The Prophet hauing foretold the destruction of Ierusalem prescribes a preseruatiue to thē which if they would take as yet their case was curable and that would help all namely to forbeare their worldly businesse on the sabboth and so doe the works of the Lord and then they shall enjoy their cittie and their houses and their wealth withal prosperitie and aboundance So that we see for soule and bodie Gods promise is that the sanctifying of the sabboth will bring happinesse and comfort to both The vse then of this is first for the terrifying of all sabboth breakers for if the keeping of a sabboth be the way to blessing as the truth of God hath sayd it then on the contrary side the contempt and neglect of it leades to all curses and wretchednesse For God hath shewed that this will kindle a fire vpon their houses but they hope to quench it no they shall not it cannot be quenched one may as well quench hell fire as the fire of Gods curse in this life if they continue still in this sinne And in truth experience shewes it that there is a wild fire most continually set vpon such mens goods that they come to naught and if they get mony yet they put it in a broken bag the canker of Gods vengeance eates all vp and they come to neede and want where shall one finde one in twentie that be common sabboth breakers as carriers and such like but they come to misery or if they doe thriue in the world and whord vp outward riches the curse of God seises more violently on their soules and this is the greatest plague of all for now it shewes that God hath no purpose to doe them good for those whom hee loues he corrects and this is the sorest miserie that can bee for a sinner to thriue in his sinne this hardens his hart and makes him runne with full course to hell as no such men is seene they be the most wicked and disordered persons that can bee they profit nothing by reading Gods word hearing worketh not in them they haue no affection in prayer but euen as dead stones no spirituall thing can worke vpon them for their good but euerie wicked and worldly thing hath strength and power enough to worke on them for their greater hurt So that in truth God shewes how hee likes of their course and this should terrifie them from this so daungerous and miserable a course of liuing Secondlie sith God doth promise a blessing vpon those that sanctifie his sabboth that they shall thriue in the Lords house and in religion and in other worldlie matters so farre as may stand with true prosperitie sith he hath spoken this that must stand which goes out of his mouth therefore it is for their comfort that the blessing of God shall attend vpon them whether they haue little or much If they haue abundance the abundance shall bee for their good to be more abundant in good and if they haue but from hand to mouth God will so prouide that yet they shall not want necessarie things but he that brings the day will bring foode and maintainance for the daie so that he neede not care for to morrow but cast his care vpon God whose truth it concernes to care for him and this they are sure off they shall haue a soft hart and a quiet conscience and shall receiue comfort from Gods promises and if one thriue in Gods house he neede not care carkinglie and distrustfullie how he shall doe in his owne house One may know how he shall speede at home by looking how hee serues God in the Church If hee keepe an holie rest with an holie hart holylie he shall haue rest to his soule peace joy to his conscience and bee set in so sure an outward estate as that nothing shall befall him for his hurt But then if one will haue this blessing he must keepe these three rules First let him make it a delight to keepe the sabboth and his joy to doe the workes of the sabboth let him long for it before it comes and bee glad of it when it comes because it frees him from all worldlie cares and thoughts and then hee hath a commandement more especiallie to cast his care vpon God and not to trouble himselfe a whit with them And so he saith in Isay call it a delight to consecrate it to the Lord take as much pleasure in doing the exercises of religion as the workes of your calling And more to indeede for they bee more easie and comfortable by farre wee must come as hungrie to the house of God and with as good an appetit as to our dinner or supper at home for in deede God keepes the best house hee makes the best cheere if wee can bring a good stomacke to the bread of life that hee breaketh vnto vs. But if one bee loth to come and must be
oppressed he will not suffer that his sacred name shal be thus wickedly abused to be made a shelter for lies and slaunders but when the good time comes he will let the world see how vildly and shamefully they dealt and though now whilst God holdeth his peace they flatter themselues and care not a jot to prophane his name so they may effect their malicious purpose and matters goe on their side yet God will haue a care that their wickednesse shall returne and fall vpon their owne heads their owne shame shall couer their faces and the wrong done both to his name and to his seruants shal be fully discouered and auenged Thus much concerning the third commandement for the glorifieng of Gods name Now followes the fourth In these words following Remember that thou keepe holy the sabboth day sixe daies shalt thou labour do all that thou hast to doe but the seauenth day is the sabboth of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy man seruant thy maide seruant thy cattell and the stranger that is within thy gates c. THe summe of this fourth commandement is to command the setting a part of the seauenth day from all worldlie busines and affaires to the exercises of religion and mercie and in the night that our sleepe also be seasoned with the word and the exercise of which we haue bene pertakers The parts are two The one sets downe the duties to be performed the other the reasons to moue vs to performe them The duties two fold shewing what we should doe and from what we should decline The things to be done is keeping it holie celebrating an holie rest vnto God The things to be forborne are all body lie works and to see that those which be vnder our gouernment as children seruants and all inferiours doe the like and that our beasts be not put to any ciuill labour yea that the stranger when hee comes amongst vs doe not openly prophane the same though wee cannot inforce him to come to the publik exercises yet those that are in superioritie must restraine him from publik violating of it by open working and must lay the authoritie so farre vpon him as that they suffer him not among their people and in their jurisdiction in the face of the congregation openlie to breake the commandement of God The reasons are diuerse first drawne from the equitie and righteousnesse of it in these words sixe daies shalt thou labour q. d. I haue giuen thee six daies for thy businesse and haue taken but one for my selfe therfore thou must be verie well contented to yeeld to me in this so reasonable and equall a commandement If I had taken sixe to my seruice giuen thee but one for the works of thy caling yet thou shouldest in dutie haue obeyed me but now that I am so liberall to thee and scant to my selfe hauing so large allowance there is no reason why thou shouldest refuse The second reason is taken from the authoritie and right of God in these words The seauenth day is the sabboth of the Lord thy God q. d. I haue taken it to my selfe I haue challenged it to my selfe to bee imployed in my seruice it is my day not thine therfore vnlesse thou will bee accounted a sacrilegious theefe to take holie things for vnholie vses vnlesse thou wilt deuoue things that bee sanctified to thine owne destruction see that thou meddle not with it it is a part of the church treasurie thou shalt be no better then a church robber if thou conuert it to thine owne vses The third reason is taken from Gods example in these words For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seauenth daie q. d. if thou wilt follow example and bee led by others then follow the example of the best now what better example can there be then the example of God himselfe now God himselfe when he went to make the world and all the things in the world contriued all his works so as that he finished them within the compasse of sixe dayes and on the seuenth day did rest from all his works of creation onely preseruing those things which before he had made therefore from his example learne thou so to dispatch all thy businesse on the sixe daies as that on the seauenth day ceasing from labour in thy calling thou maist wholy giue thy selfe to the duties of sanctification and to meditate on Gods power and greatnesse in his sixe dayes work for which end as one speciall thing to bee done in it he hath appointed this resting of the seuenth day The last reason is taken from the end of the sabboth in these words Wherfore the Lord blessed the sabboth day and hallowed it q. d. If neither the equitie of the commandement nor the authoritie and right of God nor yet his example will preuaile with thee to perswade thine hart to keepe this commandement yet in regard of thine owne profit and the benefit thou shalt reape to thy selfe yeld to keepe it holy for God hath not taken this to himselfe for any commoditie that he shall haue by it but euen for thy good for he hath appointed it for holy vses that it might be a meanes of blessing not vpon the soule onely but euen vppon the body and estate of those that obserue it there is no readier way to bring Gods blessing vpon any man then the sanctifying of it nor no more present meanes to pull downe a curse then the neglecting and breaking of it Therefore if thou loue thy selfe and wouldest haue prosperitie on thy soule and bodie yeld so much obedience to God as to sanctifie his sabboth Thus much concerning the summe and exposition of this commandement Now because there be many that doe disagree in this doctrine of the sabboth and account the keeping holy of the seuenth day in the number of those ceremonies which be abrogated by Christ and reached onely to the Iewes therefore it is requisite that we approue and confirme by some sound reasons out of Gods word that this commandement is morall and perpetuall and as carefully to be kept vnder the gosple as vnder the law and to continue in force so long as any of the commandements euen so long as there is this world and a Church militant vpon earth The first reason to confirme this may be drawne from those reasons which God vseth for the confirmation of it in the text the reasons are all of them perpetuall and none of them ceremoniall and euery one as much belongs vnto vs as vnto them and therefore it is without reason to make the commandement it selfe of lesse scope and binding fewer to keepe it then those reasons which are brought to confirme it For goe through the whole commandement what one word in all of it hath any note of ceremony what reasō sauours of any
part the breach of his commandements and casting his feare behind our backs in trifling things or in matters that seeme to carrie more sway with them But heere seemes to come in an objection may one doe no businesse may not one looke to their cattle serue their sheepe or their horses and order them on the sabboth yes a christian man on the sabboth day must serue his beast but alwaies prouided that hee doe it not as businesse of his owne but as a worke of mercie to the beast not seeking or respecting his owne commoditie as the creatures necessitie and doing it thus for conscience sake to help the poore creature it is a work of the sabboth and in it place pleaseth God for God himselfe commands to bee mercifull euen to the beasts therefore one must see that hee doe it with a mercifull hart in compassion to the creature so that the end must differ from the end in the working daies Secondly his affection and meditation must be diuers from that hee may haue at other times for this worke must raise him vp to some godly and spirituall meditations for his edification as for example when one goes on the sabboth to serue and order the dumbe creature hee may make this vse of it why I can in obedience to God and compassion to the creature care for it and bring it things necessatie though it cannot call vpon mee yet the verie neede of it cries loud that I cannot but help though I bough it for monie what care then must I perswade my selfe God that is a sea of mercie of which I haue but one drop will haue to mee whom hee hath bought with the bloud of his Sonne and which cease not to call vpon him and make continuall supplication for things needefull vnto him so strengthen ones faith or else such a meditation I see the poore dumbe beast that hath done mee painefull seruice all the weeke when I come to serue it is contented to bee serued at my pleasure if I giue it more it is content if lesse it doth not fret against me if it bee better prouision it takes it in good part if courser it doth not murmer and take on why then should not I bee content to liue at Gods finding and take in good part that which hee giues mee bee it more or lesse sith it is my portion from God especially sith I haue often rebelled against God as the poore beast neuer did against mee and it hath done mee more faithfull seruice then euer I did God These and the like meditations ones heart must bee seasoned withall one the sabboth day more then necesitie is imposed vpon him other times If then our end bee mercie and our affections bee holy in doing these things to the cattle they be sabboth dayes works because mercie is a work pleasing to God on that day But if one feede his cattle not because their want craues this at his hand but because his desire of gaine moues him they will be in better liking and I may sell them to more profit or they will be better in hart more able to doe my work after and then his hart be carried after the gaine he may haue by these cattle and his meditations taken vp with thinking how he may sell them for most gaine he breakes the sabboth he serues not God but himselfe and though man cannot indite him for the very action yet God will finde him out and plague him for the ill affection And so much for the things that must be done on the sabboth and those that must not be done and two reasons taken one from the equitie of the commandement the other from the right and title of God to the day Now heere he comes after to a declaration of the persons seuerally comprehended vnder this commandement naming first the gouernours and then charging them with the inferiours which are either continuall as those of the family or for some time comming vnder their jurisdiction as strangers in the gate to which the publique magistrate must looke First he saith Thou BY this is ment you which are master or mistres in a family for both are comprehended because heads thy sonne and thy daughter Now the sonne and daughter pertaine equally to both the parents I might one say I will keepe it holy and rest but my children may work nay saith he thy sonne nor daughter Naming them first because parents through naturall affection are readie to wink at them to let it slip though they prophane Gods sabboth by seeking their pleasure and they think why alasse youth must haue a swing we must let them alone a little Not so saith the Lord how euer you beare with them for others yet you must looke to them carefully for that day and not let them breake the sabboth Then he names the man and mayde because commonly some lucre is gotten by their labour and some commoditie seemes to follow if they follow their worldly businesse men are slack to cause them to serue God but would be content they should serue them God saith also looke to them if any seruāt would be so wicked as to labour yet thou must not suffer him receiue not this gaine for it is the gaine of wicknesse and therefore accursed better bee without it then haue it I but I hope I may let my cattle bee imploied nay saith the Lord thy oxe nor thine Asse nor thy cattle not because the dumbe creatures can sanctifie the sabboth but because their labour cannot bee vsed but some man must attend vpon them and looke to them and therefore God would preuent all occasions of hindering mans rest wherein also God vnderstands all such other liuelesse things which cannot bee set a worke without the hand of man bee joyned to them as a mill or a boat or such like Then he adds the stranger meeting one of an other nation and country and religion wich though wee cannot compell to come to the church yet the magistrate may and must forbid him to breake and pollute the sabboth by any publique labour if hee come in such places where he hath authouritie Here then wee see that God chargeth the maister of the family with all in the family hee saith not you seruants and you children see that you breake not the sabboth but you maisters labour not you selues nor breake the sabboth nor suffer your children or seruants so to doe Hence wee may gather this instruction that it belongs to all gouernours to see that their seruants inferiours what euer keepe the sabboth And this testimony God himselfe giues of Abraham I know him that hee will command his seruants and children to keepe my commandements God knew Abrahams minde that if the case stood so that either some work of his must be neglected or some seruice of God vndone Abraham had rather that all his businesse should waite then one part of Gods seruice be omitted And great reason why a christian
sabboth day when he comes home either his master or dame allow him in it or else they bee mute and say nothing to him or if they doe begin to reprooue him it is done so coldly so careleslie with so little vehemencie that the seruant may well perceiue it comes from the teeth outward his master is not greatlie sorrie within it neuer vexeth his hart for the matter and therefore hee cares not for such chiding hee will to it the next sabboth againe Then secondly this serues for the instruction of all householders that desire to bee indeede as well as to bee accounted christians that they should haue an eie to their seruants in the keeping of the sabboth Euen as one the weeke day they will call them vp and see that they bee readie to their businesse so on the sabboth cal them vp in the morning see that they be readie for the worke of God especially sith the works of their calling bee such as they may doe without any great preparation A man may rise out of his bed and goe straight and hold the plow or driue the cart as well as if hee had an houres consideration but vnlesse one haue sometime to disburden his hart of worldly thoughts and to fit himselfe by prayer holie meditations to heare the word hee can neuer doe it well nor so as the word will bee profitable vnto him therefore they must bee stirred vp that they may haue time to make readie their harts that they come before God with a quiet an emptie minde Now in this dutie many of Gods children faile that euen themselues and their whole family take libertie to sleep out a great part of the morning and thinke it inough to rise and goe to church not regarding any time of preparation and hence it is that the exercises be so vncomfortable and vnprofitable to them And then secondlie the maister must bee careful to haue his family come with him in good due season to the house of God with the whole congregation not as many doe that are so negligent as much is past before they come The wife comes at the second lesson he drops in at the end of praier and the seruants follow when halfe is done They would not doe thus to haruest worke but he would make them get all things readie that they goe together to get in his corne and not come dropping one now and another anone why should not one therfore be as carefull for the foode of his soule and to eate of the bread of life in the house of god to come joyfullie himselfe and his wife and bring their familie with them that they may be at the beginning and tarrie out till the ending that they may haue the whole fruit and not as some doe bee gone before the sermon end or at least runne away before the praier be made for a blessing and the blessing pronounced by the minister which shewes they neuer felt the goodnesse of the blessing they are so loth to tarrie the ministers prayer because they want the spirit of prayer themselues and cannot tell the benefit of a faithfull prayer for if the sweetnesse of gods blessing had distild vpon their soules or they had neuer felt the comfors that follows a prayer made in the holy ghost they would be more desirous of these things then they be and not hast so from them as if it were a curse not a blessing and some things tending to their hurt not a supplication to God for their good And as they must call them vp in the morning so an other dutie is to examine them after and call them to account how they haue profited as if mens seruants be sent to the market they will not let them goe without takeing account how they haue done their businesse and what markets they haue made so when they come from the church they come from the market of their soules they should question with them to see what good bargaines they haue made for their soules what profit they haue had by comming to Gods ordinances and thus laying their store together to help one another This serues also for the instruction of seruants that sith God hath layde such a charge vpon their superiours to looke that they keepe his sabboth therefore they should willingly be ruled and suffer themselues to be guided by them in this point and as well obey them in the sabboth to be diligent in the works of God as in the weeke daies to obey them for matters of their owne calling They must not say as many prophane seruants will if they call them and will instruct them in religion they will none of that but you hired me say they to doe your work and take my wages and there an ende what needes all this doe about keeping the sabboth and comming to the sermon let mee looke to that my selfe Nay but if they be Gods seruants and you Gods seruants your masters hired you to doe Gods work and in the Lord to doe their work therfore this is a prophane answere and these be ill seruants But much more vilde are they that will runne abroad to wickednesse to dauncing to swilling to wantonnesse c. making that their sabboth daies work which is vnlawfull at any time to plow and to cart be things lawfull and profitable in fit time but to daunce and follow wantonnesse is naught euery day but much more vilde and abhominable vpon the sabboth day Therfore such seruants must by force be constrained not to violate Gods sabboth or if no meanes will serue a christian master must not haue his house pestered with such open rebells against God Thus much God shewes the duties of christian housholders that they must themselues and see that their seruants abstaine from all the works of their calling and doe onely works of pietie and mercie which works of mercie they must not doe vpon the Lords day in loue to their owne commoditie but in obedience to God and compassion of the creature Now the Lord goes further to shew what course must be taken with men of an other religion saying Nor the stranger that is within thy gates HEere hee shewes that if a stranger come within our iurisdiction that are christians though we cannot command him to come to the exercises of religion yet the magistrate must not suffer him to doe any seruile worke to pollute the sabboth for by the gates heere the Lord meanes authoritie and jurisdiction because in former time the place of judgement and where authoritie was exercised was in the gates Hence then in that the magistrate must looke to forreyners this generall doctrine may bee gathered that it is our dutie being christians not onely to keepe the sabboth our selues and to looke to those that are belonging to vs but so farre as we can euen to strangers or to any other And this is that which is commended in Nehemiah that when the men of Sidon that
troublesome abundāce of the wicked for they may say the Lord our God hath giuen vs these thinges Therefore if God be true and iust if he be the Lord of heauen and earth if they cast themselues and their trust vpon him hee will cast all thinges good and necessarie vpon them in the due and fitte time or if they haue some outwarde wantes they shall bee recompenced with inwarde and better comforts And thus much for the eight commandement concerning the duties of all sortes of men in respect of their place superiour or inferiour The sixt commandement followes Thou shalt not kill And this commandement respects the person of our neighbour commands to procure his wellfare good safetie of his soule and bodie It bids vs to loue our neighbour as our selfe and forbides all kinde of crueltie and wante of loue The parts of it be Forbidding things in Omission to Bodie Soule commission Commanding What the thinges of omission be that are forbidden concerning the bodie it may appeare in Math. 15. Where Christ condemnes some as goates limmes of the diuell and firebrands of hell because they gaue not meate to hungrie and drinke to the thirstie and clothed not the naked and visited not the sicke and imprisoned and such like So that the omitting of these duties of mercie is an inditement stronge enough to bring such persons to hell And Luke 16. In the parable of Lazarus and Diues Diues is condemned for want of mercie that hee had enough to bestow on pride and vanitie and pompe to set out himselfe but nothing to giue to his poore and comfortlesse brother sheweing the doome of all such wretched persons such as Iohn saith which haue this worlds goods and yet let their Godly brethren want shutting vp the bowels of compassiō frō doing good the charge of crueltie and want of mercy lyes heauie vpon such for he that turnes his eare from the crie of the poore shall crie himselfe and not be heard An other thing of omission is when he neglects to pay the due wages and recompence for the worke of any poore man For if it be a miserable sinne not to doe good freely where neede requires it is much more abominable and damnable not to giue a due debt and reward of the worke So Deut. 24. 14. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant thou shalt giue him his wages for his day nor shall the sunne goe downe vpon it This is condemned as an vniust and vnmercifull thing that when one hath hired a seruant or any to doe his worke when the worke is done he should either giue him no wages or else giue it him in conuenient and due time but hee must seeke for it when he should haue vse of it for his releife and God saith there if such a one be pinched with necessitie and crie vnto God God will heare and reueng his wrong And Iob to proue himselfe no hypocrite vseth an imprecation concerning this sinne in chapter 31. that if he haue eaten the fruite of his land without siluer and hath not paid the wages to him that telled it and brought in his haruest or if the furrowes of his land haue cried together against him then let his grounde bee accursed as indeede he had beene an accursed person and broken this commandement in an high degree And if he had done so the verie earth would haue cried the furrowes would haue made a complaint against For two sinnes there be in the second table that makes the land crie to God that he can haue as it were no rest till he take vengeance the one Sodomie and the other oppression and crueltie against this commandement As afore in Deutrimonie and in Iames he saith Howle you rich men and why what miserie is neere why the crie of the poore oppressed by you is come vp in the eares of the Lord When one gets his good so ill and enricheth himselfe by withhoulding other mens dues though the man should be silent and say nothing yet his necessitie his bellie and his backe would make an hideous outcrie before God til he had executed his vengeance And for sinning in this branch of this commandement Iehoiachin was blamed Ierem. 22. 13. to 20. vers Which is so much the rather to be noted because most men thinke that the differences of persons may make some excuse for their sinne but it is not so For if any might vse the laboure of an other without recompence then might the Kinge who is the soueraigne Lord of all yet he being a King is reproued by God for this it is said he built his house without equitie how is that proued he vseth his neighbour without wages and giues him not for his worke and for this cause and his filthy couetousnesse God would not vouchsafe him the commō honour of men to be couered with earth whē he was dead but he should be buried as an asse his skinne puld ouer his eares stript of all hee had and then dragd without the Citie throwne out that his carcas might be food for beasts birds and what was his crime why this he did not reward the poore but serued himselfe vpon them And this commandement is broken in omission of thinges pertaining to the bodie as in not doing workes of mercie and in not paying wages and dues to those to whom they are due The omission of the dutie to the soule is either of superiours or inferiours Of superiours as first and cheifly of the minister if he doe not preach and admonish his people plainly and fathfully he is guiltie of murdering distroying their soules As in Ezek. 32. If hee tell not the people of their sinnes they shall die in them but the bloud shall be required at his hands and if hee doe tell them though they amend not he is free as Paule saith I am innocent of the bloude of you and why because I haue tolde you all the counsell of God and kept nothing backe And for other gouernours also as the parents and masters of families for euerie man is a bishop in his owne familie For so he saith in Deut. Thou O Israell shalt teach these thinges vnto thy children thou shalt talke of them c. Those then that haue no care to teach their children and seruants to know God or to come to the word of God wherby they may be sanctified and brought to saluation such embrue their hands with the bloud of their soules and are guiltie of crueltie because through their negligence they let those that are committed to their charge to run headlong into their owne distruction Such are those against whose soule this charge shall lye harde at the day of the Lord That neuer so much as will their inferiours to come to heare Gods worde and to such exercises as may encrease their knowledge but rather permitte yea encourage them to breake the Lords sabboth and spend it in foolish and wicked exercises either at hōe or else
haue and in what manner hee must be serued and all his attendance and prouision but much more absurd and injurious it is that we will let flesh and bloud beare the sway in his worship for these doe joyne with the diuell and are enmitie to God And if wee will haue this preheminence in our house and that our seruants must do that which we bid them not what they themselues thinke good for hee is a good seruant that doth his masters will not his owne then why should not we thinke it right that god must be lord in his house and we must doe his seruice after his appointment and not our owne This serues to condemne the Papists that are most guiltie in this point and haue defiled the whole worship of God with their owne inuentions and superstition as in prayer by praying to the dead and for the dead and by making other mediators then Christ in all which God may and will say vnto them who required these things at your hands So likewise in the sacraments for the Lords supper the bread must be conjured and crossed and likewise the wine or else they thinke it is not sufficiently sanctified but where hath Gods word commanded any of these things If they be so needefull then they condemne God for want of wisedome that could not see it or if they were not needefull how dare they bee so bold as to adde them to Gods ordinance So in baptisme they haue added spittle salt and creame and such trompery all which is wicked and abhominable and comes vnder this who required these things at your hands So for the ministrie how haue they corrupted it by Popes Cardinals Abbots Monkes Friers the rest of that crue and then they haue appointed their Priest to offer a sacrifice propitiatorie for quicke and dead whereof there is no mention in the scripture of God and therfore there can bee no blessing vpon them for they proceede from the flesh and not from the spirit sprang from out of the earth did not come downe from heauen Therefore also we are to be exceeding thankfull vnto God that hath freed vs from all these things and that wee are taught to worship God aright taught to pray in the holy Ghost and haue the word purelie and soundly deliuered vnto vs hauing such a teaching as God hath commanded and to which he hath also annexed a blessing and so for the sacraments that leauing these toyes they are administred in that sort that God hath commanded So much for the things forbidden in this commandement namely idolatrie and superstition Now as this false worship is forbidden in this commandement so the contrary namely the pure and holy worship of God is enjoyned and wee are commanded heere to stand for and to practise all the good meanes whereby God hath commanded himselfe to bee worshipped These are either more ordinary as prayer hearing reading the word and receiuing of the sacraments and discipline The lesse ordinary are fasting which is to be vsed to the intent that we may the more soundly humble our soules before God and be reconciled vnto him and is then specially to be practised when that we would be freed from some iudgement of God that we either feele or feare or else when wee would obtaine some special blessing that we doe earnestly desire It was commanded in the law once a yeere that they might be acquainted with it and haue a perfect reconciliation with God A second lesse ordinarie meanes of Gods worship is vowes which are to be vsed on speciall occasions when to strēgthen our selues against some sinne or in performing some dutie vve doe binde our conscience to auoide all occasions that may draw vs into the one and to vse all good meanes that may further vs in the other The third is lots which is apart of gods worship to bee vsed in matters of waight to the deciding of controuersies to the ending of strife and contention an example of which we haue in the Acts. 1. Where being to choose an Apostle in Iudas stead and not knowing the fittest they committed the matter to Gods speciall piouidence in casting lots So in choosing of a King which was a matter of great importance because no strife and contention should arise of any tribe towards other therefore they cast lots and so chose him whom God pointed out as it were by the finger And the like they did in deuiding the land of Canaan least any emulation or enuie should arise among them they vsed Gods owne hand as it were in giuing euery tribe his inheritance In such matters of waight and moment then these lots must bee vsed for these ends as a good seruice of God The last lesse ordinary part of Gods worship is an oath which is in like matters of waight to be vsed Sith these things are as stricktly commanded as the other are forbidden this condemnes the corruption and loosenesse of our times Many thinke that if they bee free from idolatrie and superstition then they haue kept this commandement and haue not broken this Thou shalt make to thy selfe no grauen image This is not so for one may bee a damnable breaker of this commandement for all this for God commands as well as forbids and we must turne from dumbe idols to serue the liuing God or else there is no true conuersion Many can say that they do not pray superstitiously but do they euer pray religiously they spend no time in vaine repetitions but do they spend any time in faithfull and holy petitions praying in the holy Ghost they reade no Popish bookes but doe they read the booke of God they come not at Masse but do they reuerently receiue the Lords supper they haue left off Popish fasts like inough for we are falne from Poperie to plaine impietie but doe they fast a christian fast as they did it sinfully doe they doe it conscionably in casting downe themselues and celebrating a sabboth vnto God to confesse their sinnes and craue pardon for the same But for want of these things many want the blessing of God which they might haue and are breakers of this commandement because they bee not so dilligent in vsing the good meanes of their saluation as they were in vsing the ill meanes of their destruction and are not as carefull to plant in the holy worship of God as to pull vp the superstitious so that such are as well guiltie of the breach of this commandement as idolaters they for doing that they should not we for not doing that we should they for vsing false worship we for not vsing the true worship of God but then we shall bee true worshippers of God when we shun and hate all false worship and put in practise all the parts of this true worship of the true God So much of the commandement forbidding all kinde of false worship and commanding the contrary viz. with all reuerence and conscience to performe loue stand
special thing to the Iewes that the commandement should be tyed onely to them for god commands them to keep the seuenth because it is most equal being that he hath permitted sixe dayes for their businesse Why and hath he not giuen vs libertie to labour sixe dayes in our calling and is not the equitie altogether as forceable to vs in euery age as it was to them in their ages If God haue taken from vs none of the sixe daies which he gaue to them what reason haue we to take away more of the seuenth or any of the seuenth more then they Then secondly it is the Lords therefore the Iewes may not dare to imploy it any other wayes then according to his will and doth not this reason hold as strongly now haue we any priuiledge graunted to lay theeuish hands vpon those holy things which are Gods more then in old time the Iewes had for the example of God that he ceased from creating doth it not reach to all ages a like are not we as much bound to follow Gods example as euer any Lastly it is a day blessed to them that keepe it and to this ende consecrated that it may bring a blessing hath time worne out the force of this argument is God lesse able to blesse vs or should we lesse desire or doe we lesse stand in need of his blessing then they We see then that all the reasons are firme and strong the length of time cannot abrogate the truth and strength of the reasons therefore neither can it disanul the commandement For where God giues a ceremoniall cōmandement which he would haue the Iewes onely to obserue there he frames his reason thereafter from some thing that specially toucheth the Iewes hath no such affinitie and agreement to other nations as for the passeouer he commands the Iewes to keepe that why because the Angell passed ouer their houses when he destroyed the Egiptians and they must giue the first borne to God why because God did not smite their first borne in the slaughter of the Egiptians and so many other ceremonies haue reasons annexed vnto them which being peculiar to the Iewes shewed that they did onely binde the Iewes vnder the law but of all the reasons heere alleadged we see that none is ceremoniall peculiar or proper to the Iewes but euery one common to all and as large as all the world therefore those that cannot exempt themselues from the arguments confirming the commandement may not pull their necks out of the commandement Secondly from the time when this commandement was first giuen and the keeping holy of a sabboth day instituted we may easily perceiue that the cōmandement is no more ceremoniall then all the rest For it was giuen in mans innocencie when Adam was perfect and needed no ceremonie to leade him to Christ because he did not neede to beleeue in Christ being himselfe perfect and holding his happie estate not by faith in Christ but by faith in Gods word and his owne obedience vnto Gods word For this commandement was not first made at Mount Sinah no more then any of the other 10. but equally with them bound the conscience of Adam the first man and is of like antiquitie The first seuenth day that euer was was as much to be sanctified as any that followed as may appeare in the second of Gen. last verse where it is said that God after the creation in the sixe dayes rested from creating the seuenth and therefore he hallowed the seuenth day and blessed it Now then sith it was first instituted in Paradice afore there either was a ceremonie or neede of a ceremonie it may not be reputed among the Iewish ceremonies And this reason is to be noted because it shewes the foolishnesse of that friuolous reason which some men bring against the sabboth day Oh say the Iewes they were children in Christ and weaklings and therefore they had neede of a sabboth But we are past babes we are men growne haue more knowledge we are stronger then they Are you stronger then the Iewes be it Though if it were tryed many of these that brag of their strength aboue the Iewes would be found inferiour to many of the Iewes But be it for the time graunt them this yet are they strōger then Adam in his innocencie haue they greater knowledge and more grace then he had beefore his fall Why but God saw it needfull for Adam to haue a sabboth and if it were needfull that was without sinne himselfe had no clog of corruption to hinder him no sinner to infect no ill example to seduce yet I say if he had neede of this as God in his wisdom judgeth because his calling though followed without tediousnesse would yet partly haue withdrawne his hart that he could not so freely wholy haue giuen himselfe to praising of God and considering of his power wisdome and mercie therfore was to set one day apart from all works of his calling to imploy it wholy in praysing and magnifying God and such like duties that he might with greater libertie comfort doe them then what neede haue we and how far is our necessitie greater which are burdened with many corruptions of our owne and haue much temptation from many ill presidents many allurements of the world to pull our harts from the worship of God which are men of polluted lips our selues and diuells amongst people of polluted lips which cannot without far greater distructiō wearinesse also follow our callings If Adam had neede of a sabboth when hee had no let within nor without how much haue we that both within and without are beset and one euery side compassed with such strong impediments from our selues and from others that when wee haue a sabboth to bestow wholy and onely on Godlinesse and religion can yet hardly and with much adoe keepe our harts from wandring after the world and earthly things Therfore most fond is this objection if Adams strength must bee helped by a sabboth then no man in this world hath so much strength as that hee for that cause may exempt himselfe from keeping a sabboth it was giuen to strengthen and help the Iewes and they needed it and it is giuen to vs to make vs stronger yea it was giuen to Adam and hee needed it that hee might more freely serue God and more comfortablie rejoyce in him and for this reason also is perpetuall and no ceremonie Thirdly the manner of deliuerie confirmes the perpetuitie of it shewes that it is still of as great force as any of the rest for this was written by the finger of God in the table of stone with the other to shew the durable continuance of the same and therefore this is not exempted Deut. 40. 4. That reason which Moyses brings to confirme the authoritie of all is not taken from this that God first spake it with the rest after wrote it also in tables of stone God
did giue the ceremoniall law by Moyses hand and vsed him as an instrument to write them but for the greater reuerence of these ten hee would not vse the help of Moyses hand and pen but with his owne finger wrote them not in paper with inke but in stone to shevv the strength and continuance of them and commanded Moyses to put them in the arke to shew that no man could fulfill perfectly obey them but onely Christ If these ten were all written by God and no exception made whereby the sabboth should bee inferiour to the rest but altogether put into the Arke then a man may euen as well rend any of the other ten away as this yea and with more warrant to for none of them all is more fenced with reasons and mounded about with more strong arguments to keepe out the cauils and objections of men then this so that where God hath as it were of set purpose giuen more strength for a man to impute more weakenesse to this thing is a note either of great folly or else of singular impudencie and impietie The fourth reason is drawen from the persons vpon whom it lieth and vnto whom it is giuen for wee know that the ceremonies did lie onely vpon the Iewes the Gentiles were not bound to obserue them but now this commandement sayth not onely thou thy sonne thy daughter thy man thy maide which containes all the whole commonwealth but it goes further saith thy stranger which is within thy gates so that if an heathen man of another countrie and religion had come amongst them the magistrate was bound to looke to it that he doe not openly and publikely violate the sabboth but of force should celebrate an outward though to perform duties of religion that lay not in mans hand to constraine them Now the ceremonies were as a partition wall betwixt the Iewes Gentiles to seperate the church of the Iewes and the seede of Abraham from all other congregations vntill after this partition was broken downe by Christ and both brought into one fold for when Christs death did teare asunder the vale of the temple then hee tare all ceremonies in twaine that they could no longer binde the conscience either of Iew or Gentill but for the sabboth euen the Gentils must keepe it and because they would not themselues when they came among the seruants of God they were to be constrayned as in Nehemias time when the men of Tyrus came to sell wares on the sabboth day in Ierusalem hee would not suffer them but threatens to lay hands vpon them if they did any more come after that manner If God had heere commanded onely to looke to the Iewes and not to strangers it had beene some appearance but sith God will haue strangers of the Gentils bound to the keeping of it so farre as men can if they come within the walke and reach of Christians now the matter is put quite out of doubt that this is no ceremonie Lastly Christ Iesus himselfe the Lord of the Sabboth confirmes the sabboth most strongly Mat. 24. 20. Where speaking of the destruction of Ierusalem by Vespasian and speaking to the faithfull of the church and true Christians whose prayers shall surely preuaile he bids them pray that their flight bee not vpon the sabboth day or in the winter Fortie yeeres after a fearefull destruction was to come vpon Ierusalem and this was decreed so that it might not bee altered yet Christ bids his seruants pray that it might bee mittigated to them in some measure and therefore that they might not bee enforced to flie for their liues in the winter for that would bee grieuous to the bodie because of the shortnesse of the daies and the durtinesse of the waies would bee very tedious to them nor vpon the sabboth because this would bee as grieuous to their soules if they must bee constrained to spend that day in taking paines to preserue their bodies which God had appointed to be spent in those things that should help forward the saluation of their soules What will some say is it not lawfull to flye for ones lyfe on the sabboth yes and Christ allowes it But he knew full well what griefe it would bring to a christian soule to think Alasse I was wont as this day to sit quietly in the church and among Gods Saints to heare the sweet comforts of his word deliuered vnto my soule and with praise to sing Psalmes of thanks vnto God and to aske those things with the rest of Gods people which we stoode in neede of where I receaued such strength comfort that I walked in the strength of these exercises the whole weeke after but now the paine of my bodie and the feare of my soule so distract me take me vp that haue neither leasure nor abilitie to doe so but I must want all these comforts Christ knew that this would be as bitter as death to a Christian soule and therefore he wils them to pray to God to preuent it that no such necessitie be layd vpon them Now if this commandement and this day had bene ceremoniall they might haue fled with as little care as any other for it had bene abolished long afore by Christs death and no such regard had bene to be made of it In that Christ doth allow this conscience and regard of flying on the sabboth day more then any other of the weeke he shewes planly that the force of the sabboth was to abide after him for fortie yeres and therfore no ceremony for then Christ had not done well to put a needlesse feare into their harts of flying on the sabboth if God required no keeping of the sabboth and then he should rather haue bid them pray to God that they might haue had all respect of it being a ceremonie taken from them and told them that they neede not to regard it for it had bene a great sinne to haue made such conscience of keeping a ceremonie so long after the abolishing of them then if one should not willingly and not without griefe fly to saue his naturall lyfe when he should be seeking to strengthen his spirituall life as Christ words doe plainly proue then how much lesse should he doe any other outward businesse of far lesse necessitie So that these reasons doe most effectually confirme to the harts of Gods children that the keeping of the sabboth day holy is a moral law and bindeth vs and shall all to the ende of the world as much as the Iewes at any time before Christ But for those wicked persons that will cauill against euery thing that crosseth their corrupt lust as the keeping of a sabboth doth exceedingly we must not greatly be moued what they object for of them t is most true that Solomon saith Bray a foole in a morter as wheat is brayed with a pestell and hee will not forsake his folly But this may suffice to confirme and establish and instruct a christian
but we must serue him in the duties of religion and mercy onely As for example Gods children will not eat meat at their owne table without crauing Gods blessing vpon them but when they are to come to the table of the Lord they vse a greater and more solemne preparation because they expect a greater and more excellent blessing so likewise a christian in all the workes of his calling hath a regard to serue and glorifie God but in a more speciall manner vpon the seauenth day because hee then lookes for a more plentifull and liberall benediction both vpon his soule and bodie and these men that among vs keepe such a prating that euery day must bee a sabboth and wee must rest from sinne marke them whether they rest from sinne at all and obserue if there bee any families so bade as theirs that commonly if one would rake hell as wee say hee could not meete with more prophane and irreligious persons that speake of keeping euery day holy but in truth keepe euery day vnholy but others that in conscience of Gods commandement doe binde themselues to keeping of the sabboth which God hath instituted goe farre beyond them in all vertue and holinesse if they could shew any good effect in themselues of this their euerie day sabboth we might giue some credit to them for God doth alwaies giue a blessing to his owne ordinance but for such vilde and vnholy persons that in all their life neuer kept a sabboth holy to make a talke of keeping euery day as a sabboth it is most palpable and damnable hipocrisie The last objection of which wee will speake is taken out of 1. Colos 2. 16. Let no man condemne you in respect of an holiday or of a new moone or of the sabboth daies So that the Apostle say they puts the sabboth among other ceremonies which are to bee abrogated but for the answering of this we must know that the Apostle speakes of such sabboths as are in the same ranke with the meates and drinkes whereof hee speaks before of which sort were the first day of euery month and the first and last day of euery one of their solemne feasts of these hee speakes in the plurall number and not of the sabboth day the Lords day in the singular number which hath a singuler excellencie and how euer times chaunge neuer changeth then Easter and Penticost and the other feasts of like kinde are indeede abrogated as being ceremonies not written in the tables of stone as this was And thus much for the proouing of this that this sabboth is morrall and perpetuall which sith it is so the vse is for the confutation of such as sharpen their tongues and wits and open their mouthes to speake against it not content to take libertie themselues but would make a gap for others to breake out also It is a vilde and notorious sinne to bee prophane in ones owne person and to practise the breach of any of Gods commandements but to draw others to impietie and as much as they can to breake the yoke wherewith God hath yoked them this is much more intollerable This is just the diuell himselfe when hee had fallen from his vprightnesse and rebelled against God the next worke hee tooke in hand was to allure Adam to sinne and make him as verie a rebell against God as himselfe so these wicked men limmes of the diuell that themselues are corrupted and lie vnder the curse of God will take so much paines about nothing as to peruert others and being stark naught themselues to make all men if it might bee like them This also is for our instruction that wee must so rest vpon Gods reasons and so stand for his worship as that euery blast and objection of a prophane person may not blow vs away and weaken our reuerence to Gods ordinance It is a great fault that wee are no better confirmed in the truth but that euerie breath of an heretique will put vs downe and set vs to the wall as it were that wee stand in a mammering and know not whether wee goe right or wrong it is an euident token that men bee ladenwith sinnes and carried away of their lust when the often preaching of the truth cannot so establish them it as that they can say we are so resolued in our harts that this is the truth of God as that by Gods mercie we had rather forsake our liues then forsake it but none can attaine to such knowledge but such as haue a pure and an vpright hart And this that men be so quickly moued from the truth is not because of the strength of the arguments made against it but by reason of their owne weaknesse which haue not the spirit of truth to leade them into the truth and to confirme and shew them errors and heresies and make them lothsome vnto them and giue them power against them Therfore we must labour for this spirit of truth which may so settle and ground vs in the truth as that euerie storme of a false opinion from the mouth of some fantasticall and vaine person that hath no godlinesse nor learning to commend him that neuer did any thing nor suffered any thing for Christs sake may not weaken our hold and shake our foundation and cast vs downe from the truth that we should be seduced by them Nay we should be so far from yeelding to the false dreames of such as that when they grow obstinate we should not shew the least token of allowance or any countenance to them we should not entertaine them or receaue them to house or bid them God speed for he that doth so as Saint Iohn saith is pertaker of his euill deedes because in so doing he confirmes them in their sinne brings himselfe in certaine daunger to be infected by them And thus much for that that this keeping of a seauenth day holy by setting it apart to the duties of religion onely mercie is a morall and perpetuall dutie to continue while the world continues Now let vs come more perticulerly to the words of the commandement First for that word Remember IN that God prefixed in speciall termes as it were of set purpose to meet with mens forgetfulnesse a memorandum heere more then in any other of the commandements we may hence learne that who euer will faithfully and conscionablie keepe the sabboth when it is come must before hand haue a special care a forecast to preuēt those things that may hinder them in the keeping of it A reason of this caueat which God giues and of the dilligence that wee must haue in thus remembring and preparing for the sabboth may bee drawne from our owne infirmitie that vnlesse wee bee very circumspect and cast about with care indeede wee are readie easily to let slip some businesse and leaue something vndone which will then distract vs and draw our minds and bodies to from gods seruice some money to pay or to receiue some
journey to take some odd thing or other that beeing forgotten in time will rush in vpon vs now and must bee done now because it was omitted before and cannot tarry till after sith then wee are so subject to distruction and so soone to forget things that if wee had had a care before might haue beene done well without any trouble in the sabboth but now through our negligence comes vpon vs on that day this must teach vs to haue a heauenly foresight that wee prouide against all such lets and cut off by our godly care all such incombrances That pollicie and care which wee see in naturall men about the market of their bodies we must learne for this market of our soule they will bee prouiding and thinking before what they must buy at the market and what they must carrie to the market and will not haue the things to bee in doing when they should haue them ready to carry with them but looke that the things they purpose to sell be prepared that so they may not be hindred but be there in good time to make their markets for their best aduantage So if euer we will make good markets for our soules we must all the weeke before be preparing our harts and setting all things straight that our harts may be burdened with no sinne nor no worldly care thē which should carry away the force of our meditations thoughts from the exercises of religion for they be spirituall and we be carnall and a little thing God knowes will make a great stirre in our fleshly harts to draw them from heauenly things and therfore vnlesse wee take great heede to examine our harts and watch ouer our selues that we walke purely holily all the sixe daies long and to cast out and discharge all affaires of this life on the one side the sinne committed on the other side the businesse omitted will hale and pull our thoughts that no attention can be giuen to matters of religion no constant or setled meditation of any heauenly thing can take place we must therefore stop out all distractions and encombrances rayse vp our harts against deadnesse and dulnesse which will make vs heauie and dull and slow to any good thing by a wise managing and finishing our outward affaires and a godly and religious ordring and preparing our harts if euer we will comfortably profitably spend the Lords day in the Lords work Then againe besids these needlesse lets which through our owne weaknesse we pul vpon our owne heads therbe hindrances enough on euery side which doe wee what wee can with all the industrie in the world we shall neuer be able wholy to preuent but they will set vpon vs. As in what family shall one come but he shall see idlenesse and slepinesse and foolishnesse manyfold wayes who that knowes himselfe any whit at all doth not feele that he is readier to follow ill example be led by ill company then to be led by Gods commandement especially when no positiue law will take hold vpon him for the breach of Gods commandement And then we haue the diuel as a Lion continually seeking to deuoure our soules to hinder vs in all things he can from religion and in the best there be such strong lusts such a loue of the pleasure and commoditie of this world that vnlesse we be strongly garded and defended will breake in vpon our harts and disorder the rank of our affections As come to a professour that is giuen to couetousnesse and ouer to whome the world beares to great an hand though he haue a true hart to God and some sound graces of the spirit of God wrought in him doe but vp some couetous talke that tends toward gaine and filthie lucre see if he will not be quite gone and forgetting God and the sabboth and himselfe and all giue his hart and tongue and all to be imployd about worldly things vnlesse he mound and fence his hart about diligently with these thoughts what though I doe hath not god bidden me remember the sabboth hath he not set a speciall mark vpon it that I should in no hand forget thus by earnest striuing shake of these vntimely words thoughts And then we shall haue the world be objecting and putting in it carnall reasons to make vs negligent why what neede you be so strict this is to much nicenesse you are more precise then wise and such like which will certainly carry one away vnlesse he striue to confirme himselfe by thinking on Gods commandement and so shut out these objections what hath not God bid mee remember and shall I suffer men to make me forget it hath not he giuen me two reasons to keep it the one stronger then the Iewes had and shall I be more negligent in keeping it then they which had but one they had weaker meanes of comfort the bloud of buls and goates the sprinkling of water and an earthly tabernacle and high priest and yet they were with reuerence to vse these and shall we that haue more excellent meanes as Christ Iesus offered vp for a sacrifice offered vp once for all and the sprinkling of his bloud to purifie our soules and the heauenly tabernacle opened for vs by him our heauenly high priest and continuall mediator shall we I say that haue all these meanes more plaine excellent then theirs be negligent to keepe this sabboth especially sith God hath giuen vs this as a meanes to draw vs from earth to heauen and to make vs grow in a spirituall life Hauing then all these impediments vnlesse we doe arme our selues in the weeke daye and strengthen our faith by remembring Gods commandement reasons by a wise cutting of those distractions which by diligence may be cut of we cannot with any comfort or cherefully celebrate a sabboth vnto the Lord. Lastly if wee reade the scriptures of God and see how often God vrgeth this point how earnestly he presseth it this will make vs labour often and continually to call to minde that which he so often hath repeated vnto vs because if it were a necessarie dutie God will not so many times in so many places require it at our hāds So that euery one must labour by searching his conscience watching ouer his soule to rouse himselfe from that lumpishnesse and drousinesse which is within him and by prouidence and forecast of outward businesse to put away all outward encombrances and distractions This then serues first to confute those that make this kinde of objections against the sabboth Oh we cannot keepe it we should bee vndone if wee should rest vpon the sabboth day for these losses and damages would ensue these hurts would come such businesses would bee left vndone but I pray you whence come all these losses what is the cause of these damages is it not because you forget the verie first word of the commandement Remember the sabboth day Then this is no
warrant for vs to breake Gods commandement because wee had forgot that which God bids vs remember this is euen as if a man should forget his purse behind him when hee went to the market and when hee came to buy things wanting mony of his owne should goe and cut another bodies purse and then if one come and tell him this is not honest dealing it is plaine theft and why would you bee so bold to cut your neighbours purse why alas neighbour I hope I was in no fault necessitie drew mee to it for I had left my purse at home and I knew not how to doe for mony to buy my things and to haue gone backe againe would haue beene to much paines Why but doth this make it lawfull to cut your neighbours because you had forgotten your owne nay who should haue remembred it and not come to make such shifts and euen so men deale with God oh they cannot chuse but breake the sabboth they are driuen to it of force necessitie compels them and what necessitie why such things lie to bee done that will bee spoiled else why but why did you forget them before now shal your former forgetfulnesse bee a warrant for you to steale Gods holy time and abuse it to vnholy things Some hath a bonde to pay that will bee forfaited else and why did you not remember before to make your condition with such an exception vnlesse it were on the sabboth and then to defer it for some reasonable time after or some such like condition and so I haue this and this thing that must bee done and why did not you thinke of this before to preuent it as it is sure you might if you did serue God in your calling and not couetousnesse so others say it is so tedious and irksome to spend that day holy that they cannot endure it and why is it tedious to you is it not because you prepared not your soule to keepe it you let sinne keepe dominion in your hart all the weeke and then it must needes bee dull and dead to all goodnesse on the seauenth day but those that doe labour to walke vprightlie purely before God sixe daies finde such comfort thereby as no outward pleasure can bring nor anie thing in this world but onely the ordinances of God can afford Secondly this teacheth vs to lay as a dutie euery one vpon his owne conscience to remember this day in all our affaires to haue this in our minde that wee entangle not our selues by any businesse which might hinder vs from keeping of it first because wee haue so direct an item as wee call it to remember this day secondly because whereas God contented himselfe in all the other commandements to set them downe either onely affirmatiuely or onely negatiuelie hee hath not done so in this commandement but to set the deeper impression in our harts hath set it downe both affirmatiuelie and negatiuely keepe it holy saith hee and as though that were not inough doe no manner of worke in it and then wheras other of the commandements for the most part haue no reasons annexed to them in the decalogue though in the scripture else where they haue this and the second commandement haue diuers reasons added vnto them that men might haue a greater regard vnto it Therefore if wee will doe any thing for Gods sake then doe this for his sake if a friend should come to vs and say I haue some ten errands which I would haue you doe for mee and I will recompence you throughly for your paines but of all the ten there is one amongst the rest which I would haue you especiallie to remember and of all loues see that you forget it not would not one thinke him verie negligent and vnmindfull of his friend that would forget this of which he had such a speciall charge especially if his friend should in most of the other giue but the bare commandement and thing set downe without any more words but should insist vpon that and giue him reason vpon reason why hee should haue a speciall care of it but so God saith to vs hee giues vs warning before shewing that wee are ready to forget it but hee would haue vs striue against this forgetfulnesse and then because wee should not forget but doe it hee vrgeth it with many reasons now then to forget this is it not a plaine contempt and neglect It followes To keepe it holy NOw the Lord shewes what is to bee done on the sabboth day namely wee must keepe it holy it is not inough to forbeare our owne worke and so to keepe it idly but wee must bee as carefull to doe Gods worke and so to keepe it holy Hence then wee learne this doctrine that the sabboth must bee imployed in holy exercises it must not bee a bare rest but a sanctified rest so ceasing from worldly things as that we be taken vp in heauenly things for idlenes is a sin euery day but much more on the sabboth No man hath alowance in gods word to spend any time idly but it is a damnable sin in the weeke daies much lesse are we warranted to spend Gods time vnprofitablie and idly of the twaine it were better leaue ones owne worke vndone vpon ones owne daies permitted for his labour then Gods worke on Gods daie appointed for his seruice Now the reasons why this must bee spent onely in holie exercises are taken from the ill effects that will follow if wee doe not spend it in these workes These ill effects wee shall see in Exod. 31. 12. Where God commands them that they should abstaine from all workes and keepe it an holy for if they doe worke euen in making garments and things for the temple which seemed to pertaine to god much more in things of their owne these two euils will follow first they shall die the death their life shall bee taken away they must die a naturall death and then secondly they must bee cut off from their people j. bee subject to the curse of God and bee cast off from the people of God by solemne excommunication These bee the punishments of polluting the Sabboth no small punishments and these God doth execute daily euen among vs for though the law of the land takes not hold on such persons to put them to death yet God giues them ouer to commit some sinne which mans law punisheth with death and the first cause of all and that at which God strikes and which their owne soule feeles most heauie as appeares by the daily complaints when they bee brought to execution is that they neuer regarded the sabboth had no care to heare Gods word to spend the day in duties of religion in prayer but followed after vanitie and their owne lust and therfore God meets with them And though the minister cannot by law excommunicate them and cast them out of the congregation yet God excommunicates them that in the
harts of Gods people they be as heathen men their soules are cut of from the church they haue no lyfe of grace no fruit or working of the word and sacraments more then of any idle tale and prophane storie no grace wrought by it no death of sinne no hope nor desire of heauen but liue as beasts no recourse to God in Christ Iesus nor no vertue that they draw from Christ so that indeede they doe not liue in Christ but are dead in their spirit while they liue in their bodies They may say indeed say true that they can see no good by the exercises of the sabboth they be vnpleasant to them and vnprofitable so that they haue no benefit by it and why is this not because Gods ordinances want their force vertue but because they want reuerence of them and being wicked contemne them therfore their souls be cut of their harts hardened they haue forfaited their saluation Then an other ill effect is as in Ierem. 17. where he saith If they pollute his sabboth hee will kindle a fire in their houses that shall not be quenched For their outward estate they be no gayners that breake the sabboth for God sends a curse which like a violent flame deuoures more then they can get So that if we would not be guiltie of death and haue our soules cut of from communion with Christ and his church and our goods also cōsumed brought to nothing by the vengeance of God Then let vs keepe his holy sabboth holy and bestow it vpon holy exercises But on the contrary side to sanctifie it and spend in those duties that God commandeth brings all comfortable blessing and happinesse As in Isai 56. 2. If the gentils that be conuerted will keepe the sabboth of God holy he promiseth that they shal haue a better name more reuerence then the Iewes that professe the religion of God but regard not his sabboth and at large there he showes how he wil blesse them and good reason to for he that keeps the sabboth aright exerciseth the whole bodie of religion for this brings in practise the whole law and teacheth one his dutie to God and to man builds him vp in euerie grace And so in Is 58. 13. If thou turne away c. Where he shewes that if any man will on Gods day forsake his owne work and leaue of vaine words and delight in the work of God and his seruice then God will giue them God will set them on high and giue them the inheritance of Iacob for indeed then they be Gods sheepe and the flock of Christ when they delight to follow him and to heare his voice for then they shall haue accesse to him and he shall haue opportunitie to blesse them and dwell in them by his spirit So that if we would auoid the curse of God on our soule and bodie and gaine the blessing of God vpon both Let vs yeld to this his commandement and with as great joye serue God in the duties of religion his worship on that day as we doe our selues in our owne affaires on the sixe dayes yea with a greater delight to because we haue a promise and may looke for a greater blessing The vse of this is to reproue those that thinke if they abstaine from worke of their calling that they take no paines in outward toyling about affaires of this world then they keepe the sabboth verie well and if no man can accuse them of going to plow or cart or such workes then they thinke they haue not broken the fourth commandement But idlenesse is a sin of Adam naught euerie day as we said before but much more naught vpon that day that should bee spent in Gods exercises But much more wicked are they that bee euill occupied in dauncing and dallying in swilling and brawling and so make it the diuels day insteede of Gods and doe more dishonour to God and hurt to their owne soules then any day in the weeke else Many also are to bee reprooued that will come to the church for the time of the day will bee content to heare the word and doe such exercises but at euen when darkenesse comes then comes the works of darkenesse and when they be in their bed then they bee plodding and casting about for worldly affaires and their heads be as busie as full of earthly matters as any night in the weeke else But wee are to know that the sabboth containes foure and twentie houres as well as any other day and therefore the night must bee spent in an holy rest to else one shall hurt himselfe more and displease God more by these vaine thoughts in the night then he could please God and benefit himselfe by keeping himselfe in good companie and good actions in the day and therefore they want the blessing because they performe not all the dutie and that which they did was in hipocrisie because they doe not care to remember that which they heard nor examine with what hart and with what profit they haue performed the duties of the day not but that a man may haue sleepe but his sleepe is to bee seasoned with the sweetnesse of the former exercises his dreames haue some tast of religion more then at other times and when they wake their thoughts meditations must bee carried after holy things because Gods eies are as fast fixed on them in their bed as in the church and hee sees and knowes their thoughts in the darke as well as their behauiour and carriage in the midst of the congregation Now God bids vs keepe the whole seauenth daye for he would haue vs giue as long a day to him as hee hath giuen vnto vs and if day containe day and night when he saith sixe dayes shalt thou labour and we vpon that permission and allowance of Gods take it for graunted that in the night we may doe what businesse we haue to doe when we be in bed may spend the time in ordering our priuate affaires and pondering how to deale in such things as we haue to deale in by reason of our calling I say if we doe this and think as indeede it is true that he giues vs the night and day both for our callings why is it not so in the sabboth then that he takes the seauenth day night to himselfe as well as he giues sixe to vs. Therefore we must know that the Lords day must containe xxiiij houres and for want of this we depriue our selues of those blessings which else we might haue because we vndoe that in the night that we did in the day we did Gods work one part of his day and that was well but we take the remainder to our selues that is a fault Thirdly this teacheth vs to doe the duties of the Lords day vpon his day Now this sanctifying and keeping of it holy consists in doing things either priuate or publique The priuate are these
let him haue it and not intrude our selues vpon his inheritance sith god hath laid claime to it it is no wisdome for man to goe about to wrong him that will not bee wronged Hence then we learne this generall doctrine that those things which God hath set apart for himselfe man must not set vpon that which he hath sanctified for his proper vse worship man must not abuse to his profit or pleasure If any man be so bould to enter vpon Gods seuerals hee may know before hand what successe hee shall haue namelie hee shall rush vpon his owne destruction for so the holy ghost saith by Saloman Prouer. 20. 25. It is a destruction for one to deuoure holy things and after the vow to enquire If one will fill himselfe with that which God hath made and appointed for his seruice let him take leaue but withall let him know that it shall bee no holesome meat vnto him hee shall bee poysoned and destroyed by it And was not this true in Achan God had taken the whole pray of Iericho for his part and that was a consecrate thing so he knew well enough but yet he thought there was enough for God and for him to and therefore he would be so bold as to take a little thinking to haue benefited himselfe and his children by it But what got he by it was there not an hooke in the bayte that puld him into a fearefull and miserable ende Now if so fearefull a punishment befell him for deuouring of siluer or gold for which God had not giuen so strict a charge nor backed his commandement with so much strength of reason how much more then shall it bring in deuouring of holy time which God hath more strongly confirmed and commanded And so in Malac. 3. 8. 9. God complaines that they had spoyled him in tithes and offerings in conuerting these things that he had consecrated for his vse to their owne vses But what came vpon it Therefore saith he you are cursed with a curse I but we doe but as euery body doth all the countrie doth so why therfore saith he you be all accursed euen this whole nation if you will doe as euery bodie doth this is all the help they shall speed as euery bodie doth they shal be accursed for company if they sinne for company We know also in Iohn 3. That Christ cries out against those which bought and solde in the Temple and saith they made it a den of theeues Why but is it theft to buy and sell for their mony to giue wares in exchange honestly for siluer did they rob men because they let them haue good ware for their lawfull coyn No this was not the matter they did not rob men but they robbed God for they did conuert that to prophane common vses which he had ordained onely for religious and holy vses Now if men rob God which abuse the temple being but a ceremony and then shortly to haue an ende much more those that abuse his sabboth which is morall to continue to the worlds end This serues then to confute those that will be bold and ventrous to doe the workes of their calling vpon the Lords daye and then if they be reproued for it The answere is why what neede you make such a stirre I hope I am neither whore nor theefe yes they be theeues and cursed theeues and theeues that rob God for the sabboth day is his in as much right and propertie as any of our goods is ours many would be ashamed if their sonne or daughter should be found pilfering or priging from their neighbour and it is well they should doe this but these men are neuer a whit ashamed that their sonne or daughter should rob God of his daye runne abroade to vanitie and dauncing and wantonnesse vpon his sabboth That is youth and it must be borne withall nay it is theft and must not be suffered for he that will deale thus vnfaithfully with God if occasion serue will deale worse with men and he that is not holy in the first table can neuer be truely righteous in the second Then this serues for the instruction of those that haue this waies dealt vnfaithfully with God seruing their lust when they should haue serued him they must repent for this and purpose hereafter to keepe it faithfully and be as much afrayd to steale Gods time as mens goods and to take away any part of the sabboth as the communion cup or any such like things pertaining to the church for neither hath God taken that to himselfe by so speciall a commandement neither is the taking away of that so dishonourable to God and hurtfull to others and our selues as of the sabboth But men will be objecting what shal men haue no recreation shall our selues be still toyling moyling No God forbid for a christians life is full of joy delight and cannot want comfort But if one will allow their seruants recreation let them allow part of their owne time and be liberal in that which is theirs not in that which god hath giuen them no such warrant to giue to their seruants This is a most shamefull excuse children and seruants must haue recreation therfore they must needes dishonour God and rob him of his sabboth How wicked this excuse is will appeare by the like If ones children or seruants should rob and steale other mens mony and goods and they come to the househoulder and say vnto him why will you suffer your children to do such wrong to your neighbours why alas you must beare with them yong men must haue maintenance they cannot haue meat drinke for nothing they must needes get mony I hope you will not so much condemne them for this they doe it but for maintenance would you haue them starue no nor I would not haue them steale neither but sith they must haue meat and maintenance it is fit you should allow it and giue it them of your owne and then they neede not steale nay sure you must pardon mee I cannot spare so much monie I had rather they steale it then I giue it what man would not thinke this mans excuse very foolish and ridiculous But now men deale as madly or more madly with God children and seruants must haue recreation and what of that therefore wee will not spare it them from our owne seruice in the weeke but they shall take Gods day for their delight if they will haue anie this is a cursed shift for if wee hire a day labourer and giue him wages hee couenant to do our work for that day and after an houre or two should leaue off all goe to follow his pleasure and say hee must haue recreation wee would count him little better then a theefe or cousener but God hath couenanted with vs to reward vs and wee with him to obey him and what is it but theft to doe thus to take away part of his day and the
should bee of this mind for if he do as he professeth indeede loue god aboue all ought he not to be more carefull of Gods glory then of his owne commodity more see to gods seruice then his own gaine now we know that masters suffer not their seruants to be idle on the weeke days therfore if he loue god he shuld be so much more diligent ouer them that they neglect not the word of God on his day by how much the glory of God is more deare and precious to him then his priuate commoditie For as he that is a true subiect to the prince loues him indeed wil not keepe such a man in his house that will not bee subiect to his lawes so hee that is himselfe rightly affected to God and his glory will not suffer such a prophane person vnder his roofe that will dishonour him openly and not care to obserue his sabboth Secondly if one beare any loue to his seruants or children euen for their owne sakes hee must see to them that they breake not the sabboth but that they come to such exercises where they may receiue the spirit of God and the chiefe good to their soules alwaies a good gouernour must gouerne for the good of those that bee vnder him now what greater good can hee doe to them then to vse those meanes whereby they may know God in Christ Iesus and bee brought to saluation So that if one will not shew a disloyall hart against God and vnlouing and vnfaithfull hart to his people that hee cares not for their saluation hee must see that they keepe the sabboth so farre as it belongs to him namely by being outwardly present at the workes of religion Thirdly in regard of our owne good to such as be masters must bee carefull ouer their seruants in this regard for take this for a generall rule hee that will not bee faithfull to God will neuer bee faithfull to man hee that hath no care to serue God in duties of religion will haue lesse care to serue his master in the duties of his calling as indeede they haue for if the honour of God and their owne saluation will not moue them why should they bee moued for their masters profit or businesse but hee that serues God with a good conscience will serue his master with a good conscience and though his master bee not present to rebuke him his owne conscience will checke him and when the feare of his master will not keepe from idlenesse and vntrustinesse the feare of God will keepe him and the commandement of God will restraine him else either they will doe nothing or what they doe is all for eie seruice to bee seene of men and when the masters eie is off then by idlenesse or wastfulnesse or pilfering they will hurt one more then the faithfull keeping of the sabboth can hinder them for that will not hinder them at all but bee a meanes to bring the blessing of God on their labours in the weeke day As Iacob a faithfull seruant to God was blessed in all Labans businesse and Ioseph a true worshipper of the Lord had prosperitie to follow him and accompanie him in all his trauailes Therfore if wee will shew our loue to God and to them and desire that they bee faithfull to vs and God should blesse their labours in our affaires bring them to the seruice of God and exercises of religion on the sabboth and haue a care that they breake not the holy day of the Lord. This serues for the reproofe of those men which beare this minde toward their seruants that so their owne worke be performed they care not how Gods worke is neglected let their seruants bee carefull to doe their businesse on the sixe daies let them bee as carelesse as they list of Gods on the seauenth day let them spend it euen how they will they haue free libertie from the masters This shewes men to bee louers of themselues more then louers of God and proues that they loue filthie lucre and gaine of the world more then the glorie of God for if Gods glorie were but as deere to them as their monie they would bee as impatient at his dishonour by their seruants negligence as at losses that come to themselues by their seruants negligence Oh but they say they be rude youthes and will break out from vs we cannot keepe them in Be not these deepe dissemblers is not this grosse hipocrisie can you not keepe them in Who keepes them in on the sixe dayes can you make them tarry at home then can you set them to their businesse and not suffer them to be gadding yet that is for sixe dayes space this is but for one that labour which then they doe is far more toylesome to the bodie can you make them will they nill they spend sixe whole dayes in more painefull tedious work can you not constraine them to keepe at home and doe more easie works in respect of bodily labour and that but for one whole day this is miserable shifting plaine halting these excuses will not holde before God he will shew you that you had made as much account of seruing his honour and glory and obeying his commandement as you doe of seruing your owne filthie couetous lust and obeying the diuell if his name had bene as deere to you as gayne you might with as much ease cause your seruants to spend the seauenth day in his seruice to his glory as sixe before it in your owne seruice to your profit But what is the cause that youth is so rude is it not because they haue learnt it of age Why be inferiours so prophane but because they follow the patterne and tread in the steps of their superiours how come the branches to bring such ill fruit but that the root hath no better sap for if the seruants might but see so much loue of God and care of keeping gods commandements appeare in the conuersation of their masters and dames as they see of the world and eagernesse after lucre they would at least for outward shew be better But now that they see their masters and know his disposition they frame themselues thereafter to serue him in his couetous lust rob God of his honour If the seruant should but leaue his businesse one or two houres in the weake and runne hoyting about some sports and vanities when hee comes home his master will bee vpon his backe his dame would haue a saying to him hee should be so bayted with rebukes and chiding as if it were a beare with dogs so that though hee had a good minde to bee abroad and had no great hart to stand sweating at his businesse yet miserable feare would make him tarrie at home rather then he would endure the sharp sauce that must come after and bee chidden thus againe hee will keepe within doores but let him be where hee will and doe what hee will vpon the
knew not God nor cared not for the sabboth came with wares to Ierusalem on the sabboth hee shut the gates against them and tolde them that if they did so any more hee would laie hands vpon them And there is great reason why one should bee carefull of those of other congregations and of other places for if wee haue the true loue of God in vs it will grieue vs to the hart to see gods name dishonoured and his lawes broken of any one whosoeuer and therefore so much as in him lies hee stop all such practises who euer they bee that doe them Also euerie man is bound to loue his enemie yea his enemies beast and if hee see his enemies beast vnder his burden hee must help him vp if one must help a mans oxe or asse if hee bee burdened much more his soule that is burdened with the sinne that will kill it if it bee not taken off No man is so sauage that if hee see a blinde man running into a well wherein hee may bee drowned will say let him goe I care not hee is none of my family nor of my friends though hee bee not mercie is to bee shewed to all and nature in such a case will teach one to runne and call to him and hinder him by what meanes he can So for the soule much more if wee see a person who is in truth blinded through ignorance and knowes not the danger about to cast himselfe into the pit of hell mercie will moue him that hath any true mercie to seeke to reclaime him And then in regard of the good of the whole congregation one must hinder strangers from giuing such ill examples for though it seeme at first a small thing to suffer a stranger let him doe what hee list it pertaines not to vs yet it is dangerous for our nature is so subiect to infection and we so easilie drawne to euill that if one suffer a stranger at length his children and seruants will learne and come after to doe the same things so that for our owne sakes wee must be diligent to cut of occasions and warilie preuent danger for one house on fire may burne the whole towne and if a stranger would buy an house in the towne and then be so foolish to set it on fire men would not let him alone for feare it should also catch their houses and so in truth if the fire of sinne kindle in the heart practise of a stranger we seeke not to quench suppresse it it will not tarrie there long it will catch some in the congregation and set them a burning to Therfore in loue to Gods glorie to our brothers soule and to our selues and those that bee neere vnto vs we must labour by what meanes wee can to hinder euen a stranger from breaking the sabboth now if one must hinder strangers how much more such as bee borne and dwell in the same place our neighbours children or seruants if wee see such prophaning the sabboth we should much more hinder them by admonition and reproofe but especiallie if we see them run to things that be simply euill and in their owne nature at all times vnlawfull therefore for men that be of some account note in a congregation in a towne to come among headdie youths and see them violenly carried to dauncing to gaming or any such lewdenesse on the sabboth especially and let them goe on without any rebuke or exhortation neuer tell them of it neuer dehort them from it this shewes that there is but a little loue of God in none of the parties soules and that they haue little regard of themselues and their owne families But in truth this is the cause that makes wickednesse grow so fast and sinne get vp with an high hand and youth grow to such impudent and shamelesse boldnesse because the minister fights alone against sinne None else will open his mouth to speake against it or discountenance it he that would not stand by and see the Oxe fall into the ditch but he would help him out will looke on while the children runne headlong towards hell and say not a word to reclaime them This remisenesse of men that are of some estimatiō in the town makes proud youthes oft times so audacious to set themselues openly against the ministers doctrine and as it were by their practise in the heat of lust to contrary him euen when he is reprouing any sinne when the doctrine is yet hot and the sound of his voice is scarce gone out of their eares then to runne openly to gainesay that which was taught in the church so soone as they come out of the church This strength of impietie proceedes hence I say that the minister hath no help none hath a zeale of Gods glory so that he is grieued at his dishonour none hath so much charitie and compassion ouer their neighbours as that they seeke to pull them out of the daunger of hell fire for if but two or three or some more of the auncient men that haue some authoritie and sway in the congregation would ioyne their hands with the minister and set in with their priuate rebukes and reprofes to make his publique reprofes forcible younger people would be more ashamed of sinne and learne to behaue themselues more soberly then in publique as it were to bid battaile to the publique doctrine of the minister Therfore this slacknesse and coldnesse is much to be reproued Then secondly this is for the encouragement of such as doe desire to help others out of this or any other sinne they may boldly with a good hart and conscience rebuke a sabboth breaker wheras they will object why what is that to you if I sinne my selfe I must perish my selfe what haue you to doe to meddle yes they haue to doe to meddle they haue to loue thē they haue to loue the congregation and to loue Gods glory therfore as much as they can to disgrace sinne for though sinners begin to set sinne a foote yet if some godly wise man will encounter it with a sound admonition and sharp rebuke that will dash and disgrace it as much as the practise of sinners will support it so that it cannot get an head so soone Therefore because they be men that sinne and it is Gods law that is broken and the whole congregation that is infected poysoned he that hath that affection he should to any of these hath to doe to vse a preseruatiue against this poison and to stand for Gods commandements and the saluation of man let wicked sinners while they will accuse them to be busie bodies that is no matter better displease man by good then God by euill It followes For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth the sea c. and rested the seauenth day BEcause this commandement is much oppugned by the examples of great men because almost all men breake it therefore it is confirmed from the
so if we say Christ is our head but we goe a quite contrary way to that in which he went it is altogether false and a lye as Saint Iohn saith but if Christ be our head let vs walke in the light wherein he walked let vs treade in his steps of meekenesse of denying the world and of placing our joy in heauen and those vertues that shined in him let them appeare in vs though not in the same measure yet in the same manner and truth for the like measure is impossible to vs but the like truth and vprightnesse is not onely possible but so necessarie that without it we can haue no assurance that we are in him This serues likewise for the encouragement and comfort of Gods children that liue in such prophane places where they can haue no patterne of godlinesse in man nor none that will joyne with them in any holy thing as it often times falls out Then the diuell is readie to object against them and to hinder them with this objection froÌ„ going on what will you be singuler will you be one alone without any example No they are not without example but they follow the best exaÌ„ple euen the example of God and it is far better to bee lead by his example to heauen though foolish men mock them then by the example men to be drawne to hell and haue God to plague them his one example should more encourage and strengthen vs then all their contrary practises discourage or feare vs. O will you keep the sabboth so strictly that you will not play among your neighbours do as euery body doth they will mock you and hate you and count you more precise then wise Well if they doe yet a christian may beare off all with this I know God will loue and allow mee for it he commands to do as he did he created all things in sixe dayes and one day the sabboth onely preserued therefore I must cease from works of my calling doe those works whereby I may preserue mine owne soule or others therefore let the world goe which way it will wee will walke in the waies of our God and follow his example In sixe dayes the Lord created the heauen and earth IN this example which God hath proposed we may consider something of the power of God in the creation and in that he spent no longer time then sixe dayes in creating the whole world we must vnderstand by this doctrine that God is able to bring to passe great matters in a short time and by small meanes The making of the world one would think needed some good time for the thing it selfe and some thing also for the preparation of so long a building but when God would be the workman and take in hand so great a matter what time tooke he to finish it he began and ended it and all within the compasse of sixe dayes and left not the least creature vnmade till the seauenth he tooke so long time not because he needed such a space for he could haue done it with as much ease in an houre yea in a minute as in these sixe dayes but he hath deuided the whole into sixe dayes work because we might haue a fitter occasion and be better moued to consider of euery one for if he had folded vp altogether as it were in the compasse of an houre then it had not bene so fit and easie for our meditation In this then we generally see what wonderfull works great things God can bring to passe in a verie small time and with very small meanes if the power of them bee judged according to humane reason for he spake as the Psal saith and it was done he willed it and without any more adoe it was effected This we see likewise by other examples in scriptures as Nebucadnezar the mightie prince and monarch of the world when he was walking in his princely pallace in that great cittie of Babell which was the seate of his kingdome yet how quickly was stript from all how soone depriued of his kingdome so that he had not so much as an house yea a poore cottage to put his head into nay not one rag to couer his nakednesse not a dish to drink in not a morsell of the courcest bread to eate but of a King became more miserable then the basest beggar vnder the Skye yea as miserable as a beast so that from the highest top of prosperitie he was cast downe to the extremitie of miserie And then when he was at worst his wit and reason gon his forme and beautie departed and he a mishapen creature his haire being growne like Eagles feathers and his nayles like birds clawes altogether deformed not like a man now and his kingdome possessed by an other for seauen yeares space yet so soone as he looked vp into heauen his wit and discretion was restored his beautie and fashion renewed and he plast in his kingdome with as full power and authoritie as euer before Both these wonderfull alterations in how little a time were they wrought when God tooke in hand to work them So in Aegipt God tooke in hand to deliuer his people from cruell Pharaohs tyranny what army had he for that conquest and who should be the captaine Moses and Aron two old men the one eightie the other eightie three these must goe themselues alone But how were they furnisht against Pharaohs resistance and to take the Israelits perforce from his seruitude Aron must haue nothing but hee must speake what Moses bad him And Moses he must carry his shepherds staffe weake men and weake meanes one would think to make an encounter vpon so great a King If a carnall man had seene these two going against Pharaoh and thinking to set the Israelites at libertie perforce whether he would or no he would haue judged that they should haue bene slaues till this day vnlesse they had seene some bâ—tter store of prouision then an old man with a shepheards staffe in his hand But God taking in hand to work by these meanes we see of what force and power that staffe was that when Moses but held it vp it brought such plagues vpon Pharaoh and all Egipt that all the kings in the world could not haue vexed and troubled him more with all their power he neuer shooke his staffe in vaine but still some notable plague followed that deuoured the whole land With this staffe he stroke the waters they were turned into bloud He stroke the dust with this staffe and it turned into lice He held vp his staffe towards heauen there came grassehoppers flies thunder scabs when he had made any of these wounds he could cure them in as litte space One word vnto God by Moses made all whole againe So for our redemption a poore maydens sonne that himselfe seemed a poore base fellow of no reckoning or note that had no wealth nor authoritie in the world nay had not so much
drawne as a beare to the stake let him make account that the preacher will bait him trouble his conscience for comfort hee can looke for none Therfore if we would haue a blessing by the sabboth let vs keepe it cherfullie knowing that God loues a cherfull giuer Secondlie one must labour to doe all the duties of the sabboth those that must bee done before the sermon and those that must be done after let no ordinance scape vndone vse meditation on Gods word and works heareing reading praying singing psalmes conference workes of mercie of euerie thing something so farre as we haue abilitie and opportunitie But if we will performe them scambling lie doe this and leaue that vndone either make no preparation before or no application after either no publique or no priuate then it may bee he shall finde some blessings but the fewer of these hee performeth the fewer blessings he shall haue he that doth the work of God by halfes shall and it is just he should find the comfort and benefit of them by halfes Thirdlie as one must doe all the duties and that with delight cherfullie so he must keepe the whole day he must doe all the duties and also spend all the time in these duties hee must continue from the beginning to the ending As in Psal 92. 2. To declare Gods louing kindnesse in the morning and his truth at night So that the sabboth must bee spent both morning night and all the daie in holie duties One must forbeare worldlie businesse yea worldlie thoughts the whole foure and twentie houres for if one giue his thoughts libertie to run after matters of the world in the night he breakes the sabboth in one part sleepe one may lawfullie but his sleepe must bee sweetned with holie exercises and so sanctified vnto him as in it hee must also keepe an holie rest And heere manie faile that out of the Church wil be talking with their neighbours musing with themselues about earthlie businesses affaires thinke they haue made a good hand if they spend the most part of the daie till after the euening exercises in workes of religion and then they make no question to take their recreation or to goe about their businesses if occation bee But hee that commands to keepe it in the church bids vs keepe it in the house as to heare him and speake to him in publique so to speake to him out of our harts in priuate not to giue our selues leaue to thinke the least thought of any worldlie businesse Now then wee if seeme to make conscience of the sabboth and yet doe want that blessing which we doe looke for let vs looke to our selues we shall see that wee are halting in some one of these either wee keepe the sabboth lumpishlie and heauilie that it seemes as a tedious burden vnto vs or else wee doe some one or two duties leaue the rest vndone or else if we doe all the duties to be done we want heere that we obserue not the whole day but keep some part of it from god to our selues accordinglie as any man comes short in any of these duties so hee commeth short of the fruit of the sabboth But if one labour with joy to doe all the duties of the sabboth the whole day hee shall finde in his owne soule that it is in truth a day of blessing and brings more joy and comfort yea and a greater blessing with it then all the weeke besides And so much for this fourth commandement of the sabboth and the reasons of it The summe of the fifth Commaundement is to shew what duties we owe one to another in respect of their and our place The persons in this commandement are eyther with authoritie eyther priuate eyther further from equalitie as parents and children masters and seruants nearer equalitie as husband and wife publike in Church Commonwealth without authoritie in age gifts Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy father and thy mother c. HEtherto the duties of pietie to God out of the first Table haue bin handled Now follow the commandements of the second table concerning the duties of righteousnes to our neighbours This is the first commandement of the second table vpō which al the rest do depend as in the first table the keeping of all the commaundements following did depend on the keeping of the first commandement of the table so heere if this first commandement be well obserued both of gouernours and inferiours there could be no disorder against any other of the commandements following For all disorders in the other commandements of the second Table doe flow from hence that eyther superiours are negligent in performing their dutie of gouerning or else inferiours are proud and stubborne and refuse to obey their superiours The words contayne a commaundement and the reason of it The commaundement in those words Honour thy father and mother The reason in the words following That thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Because the benefit of obedience is not so great to the superiours which are obeyed as to him that doth for conscience sake obey them they shall not be gainers so much as himselfe for he shall gaine to himselfe a long and happie life Honour To honour is to reuerence in heart and performe all outward duties Father That is all superiours in what place soeuer set aboue thee Thy father This is the first reason whereby God would moue inferiours to obey because he is thy father In that God makes this his reason why the childe should obey his father because he is his father We gather this doctrine That the chiefe motiue to obedience must be Gods ordinance If God haue made him the instrument of thy life and maintenance and haue set him ouer thee thou must for this cause performe all dutie of honour vnto him So in the Prouerbs Honour thy father that begat thee and thy mother that bare thee as if he had said honour thy parents and bee duetifull vnto them not because they be rich or in great place or for any other respect but this because they bee thy parents bee they father and mother how euer rich or poore thou must be duetifull vnto them So the Apostle speaketh to wiues Wiues obey your owne husbands Vsing this as a reason if they be your husbands If God hath set them ouer you as your head and gouernour you must submitte your selues to them for this cause and in obedience to Gods commaundement howsoeuer they be otherwise froward and foolish if they be yours then you must performe your duetie vnto them So for seruants the poynt is not whether hee bee a poore man or rich a simple man and ignorant or wise and discreete but is he a master hath God made him a gouernour then for the time that one is a seruant he stands in the place of Christ in his family and is to be obeyed as if hee
good man and yet be neuer a whitte the better for it God hath giuen so many graces for their good and will they be better by none of them that is a soule faulte and it shewes that in truth their is no true reuerence for that which one esteemes and accounts of in an other he would bee very desirous to be partaker of it himselfe Superiours in gifts they must do this for all duties in this commandement are mutuall they must turne their gifts to the best good of others vse their wisdome to direct their knowledge to instruct their strength to beare burthens as the Apostle saith you that are strong What we must not lay burthens vpon the weake to suppresse them but beare the burthens of the weake to helpe them Vnlesse therefore hee to whom God hath giuen more graces then ordinarie doe vse that which he hath receiued to the glorie of him that gaue it and to the good of mankind for which he gaue it he is found an abuser of the Lords talents which gaue them him not that he should vaine gloriously set himselfe aboue others that want them and so tread his inferiours vnder foot or cruelly oppresse or craftily circumuent and deceiue those of meaner capacitie then himselfe but to the common good of the whole Church and the further edification of the weaker that as he hath receiued more then so according to the number of his talents he might bring forth a greater encrease But for one to grow proude and set himselfe aboue others that brings the curse of God vpon him and is the next way to make him despised and to loose his gifts which he can vse no better As it is seene by wofull experience in a greater number that God had furnished with many gifts both of bodie and minde so that there was great hope that they should haue much set forth the glorie of God and done much good to the Church of God When they began once to lift vp themselues and seeke their owne vaineglorie more then Gods glorie and so haue turned their giftes the wrong way themselues haue growne in contempt and those graces which they haue had haue rotted away and by little little came to nothing And iust it is with God that it should be so for that man which will not honour God with his gifts God will see that he shall haue no honour and better that they and their gifts should perish then they should haue them to doe no good but set vp themselues Thus much for superiours and inferiours in gifts These in age follow The dueties of younger persons to the ancient is to shew a reuerent opinion of them and to shew all reuerent and submissiue behauiour vnto them in respect that they carry vpon them as it were a print of Gods eternitie which is commaunded Leuit. 19. 32. to rise vp before the hoare head and honour the person of the aged I am the Lord. Where giuing this commaundement of honouring the aged he meets with yong conceited heads by this reason I am the Lord to whom thou owest obedience I will haue it thus and in this respect it were the best way for thee to yeeld obedience So Isay 3. 5. It is noted as a curse of God and a plague that comes with the subuersion of the commonwealth when such wofull confusion should take place as that young boyes and children of no discretion or gouernment should presume against and proud young youthes that haue no grace nor any thing to commend them that neuer did good that none can say that the world is the better for them it might haue done as well if they neuer had beene borne that such proud absurd persons should grow to that extremitie of impudencie and shamelesnesse as to presume against their betters and preferre themselues before their elders Which doth sharpely also reprooue the customable rudenesse of our youth that no whit regard their elders To shew any token of reuerence to them in rising before them or vncouering but go vse such behauiour with them as if it were with fellow boyes or playfellowes The dutie of the elder persons is to giue a good example For a grey head is a glorie if it be found in the way of grace if they be godly and holy and shew a graue wise and graue conuersation then eyther younger persons shall giue them their due reuerence or if they doe not the sinne lyes vpon their owne heads and they be blamelesse So Titus 2. 2. The elder must be sober honest discreet sound in the faith in loue and patience as their bodie decayes so their soules must encrease in all grauitie and sobernesse and for their vnsound limmes and weake they must get a strong and sound fayth that by the long continuance of time and often vse of the meanes of saluation they must get great soundnesse and power of faith which may worke aboundantly in them by the fruits of loue which alwaies accompanies true faith and this loue will make them patient not forward not pettish not easie to be offended but full of long suffering to be an example to others of meeknesse But contrarie it is in those whose sinnes of their youth haue stayned them so deeply and so filled their bodies as there is no grace to be seene in their olde age Their words are altogether vaine and light foolish nothing sauouring of grace so that no man can in reuerence eyther craue aduise from them or be silent to heare such foolish and vnsauerie talke as customably comes from them and their conuersation full of testinesse and vnaduised wrath and bloted with miserable and abiect couetousnesse and greedinesse that they are alwaies smelling earthward and pursuing the world swiftly when they can scarce go vp and downe in the world No grace no wisdome nor any vertue bewtifieth their grey haires these want and that iustly their honour because they haue the first steppe olde age but they want the vpshot and perfection to be found in the way of grace And thus much for the dueties of superiours and inferiours commaunded in this commaundement The reason is next That thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy god giueth thee This is taken from the good effect and commoditie that will follow to him that keepes this commaundement It shall be for his profit he shall haue the benefit of it himselfe So that hence we may learne this lesson that the way to get a prosperous and long life is to be obedient to parents and superiours and to honour them As in Ephes 6. 2. He saith this is a commaundement with promise namely with a speciall promise For indeed this stirs vp the heart of the parent to pray to God for his children that he would poure a blessing on them and that not in word onely but indeed and in the desire of his soule he will beg it earnestly at Gods hand for so the wordes in the originall runne
to come As the one good sonne of Ieroboam died younge to the intent that hee might not be infected with the foule sinnes of his fathers house if hee should haue beene longer among them and also that he might not be afflicted with the fight of those fearefull iudgements that were to fall vpon his fathers house And this is no ill bargaine to bee taken from earth to heauen from the battaile to the victory frō man to God and the companie of his Angels and Saints That the Lord thy God giueth thee In that he saith God giues them this land This we learne that all good thinges are the gifts of God as the people of god say in the Psalme the sword and bowe did not bring them into the land of Canaan but the word of God and his promise made to Abraham to giue that land to him and his seede for euer So that God giues possessions and inheritances not wit nor nature As Deut. 2. God saith he gaue the Edomits Ammonites and the Moabites their possession and he did cast out greate giants they thought it had beene their valure but God saith it was his gift for else they could not haue stood before those huge and wast gyants And he saith they shall haue it still So that God both puts and keepes men in possession For he gaue them power and then giants could not keepe them out So in the Psal The earth is the Lords and he giues a reason he hath made it and founded it on the waters all men in the world can make nothing and when is it made they haue no power to preserue it because therefore God only can create and make these thinges he is the only true honour of them And though he sometime put man in possession yet he neuer puts himsefe out but he will haue the disposing of all No man hath the fee simple of his life the best tenure is tenant at will and if god call the soule it must not take day with him Sith then the earth is the Lords and he is the right owner of it this vse we must make of it thankefully to acknowledge whence wee receiue all these thinges that we enioy And men will say why Who is so simple but he knowes and confesseth that God giues him all thinges In word it is true all most none but will say so yet indeede and in practise how many be there which denie it and say the contrarie For where there is a true heartie perswasion that God doth freely bestow all things and we haue them of his gift These two thinges will alwaies followe First such a one so far as he is thus perswaded will neuer be proud for he can say to himself what hast thou that thou hast not receiued and then he will be the more humble rather when he knowes that he is more indebted to God and hath a greater reckoning to giue For all swelling proceedes from hence that a man thinkes that he is behoulding to no body but himselfe Secondly he that in truth of heart confesseth hee hath it from God will vse that he hath to Gods glorie Else if one will say Why I know that what neede you tell me that I haue my wealth frō God I know it well enough But how doe you vse it to serue your owne lust so that you thinke it nothing to bestow twentie pound vpon your filthie lust but cannot afford a pennie to a poore christian to Christ Iesus then you are a deepe dissembling hipocrite For why doth God giue you so large wages but that you should doe him the better seruice and why hath the steward his masters mony but to lay it out for his masters profit else if a stewarde should say I haue the keeping of an hundreth or two of pounds but it is all my masters and not mine but yet he will spende it frankely in gamning or riotousnesse then he is eitheir a dissembler and thinkes not that it is his masters though he say so or else he is a theefe that will lauish his masters goods so vnthriftily But in truth the ill vse of goods shewes that most men in their hearts say of their goods as the Atheists in the 12. Psalm say of their tongues our tongues are ours and wee will speake And they say our wealth is ours and wee will doe with it what our lust But it is not yours when did you purchase it of God when paide you any price to him for it Where was the bargaine sealed What is God shut vp within the clouds and cooped in heauen that he hath nothing to doe with the earth Nay but time will come that they shall know to their greefe that the earth is the Lords though he for a while hath permitted the vse of it to the sonnes of men Therefore let them learne to vse God as a landlord let not their lust be the master of the lords goods This serues also for the terror of those that abuse the good benefits of God to his dishonour God will certainly turne thē out Or if he doe keepe them in it shall be but as in a prison They shall not haue the vse of these things by the vertue of the couenant that they may say as it is heere said the Lord thy God hath giuen thee these and these things but thus they may say the Lord thine enemie hath permitted thee to haue these and these things Iudas could not say the lord my God hath giuen me this monie But the Lord mine enemie hee permitted me to haue it And so it is with all such as abuse Gods benefits they come not in mercie as blessings as fauours out of Sion but they come as curses to harden the heart to make them proud or couetous and more strong to follow their lust Lastly this serues for the comfort of Gods true children and faithfull seruants That sith God giues all thinges therefore surely they shall want nothing that is good for them for hee himselfe saith it is not good to giue the chlidrens breade to dogges and shall we thinke then that he will doe it Doth God feede the swine and will he starue his children And therefore that which oftētimes they take as a discouragemēt that vile Atheists prophane blasphemers and filthie drunken swaggerers haue mony to spare and carrie a sway when they be in miserie pinched with want and necessitie This should be a great encouragment and strengthning to their faith For be the dogs kept thus fatte and well liking sure then the children though they haue not thinges superfluous to make them wanton yet shall not be debard of thinges necessarie to driue them into want Therfore the Lord is our habitation the Lord is food and apparell c. And these things they haue by vertue of Gods couenāt as testimonies of Gods loue therefore though they be not altogether so large yet a little thing that the righteous hath is better then the
would not in his heart iudge this an vncharitable thing that because his neighbour should see I know not what weak probability or rather surmises that had no probabilitie in them of some fault therefore he should presently thinke and conclude that it was euen so and beare such an opinion of him as of a trangressor in that kind what euer fault it be and so giue his name such a wound in his conscience by this deeming as could hardly be healed againe no man would count this good dealing to himselfe and therefore euerie man must looke to himselfe that he doe not build a suspicion against his neighbour vpon weake and idle props neuer thinke ill of one till he hath deserued and giuen sufficient cause of it But now this must be known by the way that though loue wil not allow suspicion yet it doth not thrust out discretion it iudgeth not rashly but it iudgeth iustly it is not so sharpe sighted as to see a little moath where none is nor so purblind but it can discerne a beame therefore rashnesse must be condemned and auoyded but there is an holy wisdome to be had as not to misdeeme without sufficient warrant so when there is euident proofe and plaine appearance of a sinne to take notice of it to which must be obserued against many men that by this doctrine and indeede wresting it as euill men doe all scripture take occasion to thrust admonition out of dores and thinke all men should be blinde because God will haue all men charitable For so when they haue broken forth openly into grosse signes of wickednesse and all their life shewes them to be prophane vngodly couetous and deceitfull and without the feare of God come now and admonish that certainly they be wicked persons and haue no true faith nor repentance presently you shall haue this first defence Oh GOD knowes myne heart you must not iudge you must not scearch into a mans heart But a christian must iudge wisely though not rashly he may iudge by the fruit though not by the sap if ones wickednesse be hidden then God would not haue men censure but if it breake forth he would haue men take heede and reproue also As for example if one see a man that delights in ill companie is neuer wel and as he would be but when he is among drunkards and swearers and blasphemers and such like vermine one may iustly and vpon good ground without any sinne suspect such an one and say suerely this man is a bad fellowe such as his mates are such is he for surely good men would be glad of the societie of good men and lambs will reioyce to be with lambes and now he that doth take all his pleasure to be among vngodly persons he hath pronounced sentēce against himselfe like company like man that keepes the companie So if one heare any vomite out filthie and vnchast speeches his tongue be full of vncleannesse his mouth is neuer emptie of lewd and lustfull words now this is an infallible note and sure brand of a filthie vnchast vncleane person for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speakes looke what ware comes into the shop such is surely kept in the warehouse and he that thinks thus of such a person doth him no wrong at all So others haue a good hope and a good faith they hope to be saued as well as the best if one will beleeue them and if you will not beleeue them they take as a great iniurie done to them But what reason can they giue of their hope what sound cause can they alledge why they should be saued rather then Iudas not goe to hell as well as Cayne surely for a reason they can yeeld no reason of their faith they be not learned but they haue a good heart and a good hope that God will saue them Nay they neither haue good heart nor good hope for a good hope is alwaies vpheld by good reasons and a strong faith by strong grounds out of Gods word else a man may talke of hope and faith and a good heart and be farre enough from any least he can shew vpon what ground he builds his hope it is but presumption and when sinne and death shall encounter such an one he shall fall away without any strength at all So for the Sacrament it is common custome of men a day or two before they come to the communion to wrap vp many reckonings and foule matters among themselues and to rake vp the coles of their malice vnder the ashes so closely as that one would hope there were no sparke left to kindle contention againe But a day or two after they be as craftie as brawling as full of cousening deceitfulnesse as euer before then one may boldly say you haue polluted the holy Sacrament you haue defiled the table of the lord you came to it without faith or repentance oh but you must not iudge Yes now the case is so cleare a mā may iudge for certainly if one come with repentance to the Sacrament he shall go with repentance from the Sacrament if one come a good man thether it will make him better then he was for God will alwaies keepe his promise and if one come as he commaunds he shall finde his sinne killed and he would not haue falne to his olde course so soone again nor returned to his filthie vomit if he had fed of the holy and pure bread of life Iesus Christ with an heart purged by faith and repentance And therefore though no man must suspect without good ground yet a man where there is iust cause ought to pronounce iust iudgement Thus much for the first which is the most secrete and inwarde breach of this commaundement Now the outward followes which is eyther without speech or with speech Without speech eyther by gesture or silence By gesture when one carries himselfe reprochfully to his brother and vseth such a kinde of behauiour as tends to vilifie mocke and disgrace him This Psalme 22. is condemned by a prophecie of Christ Iesus That they nodded their heads at him and made mowes as indeed they did after and this was as great an indignitie and doth oft times as much disgrace one and make him contemptible in the eyes of the beholders as if one should rayle vpon him with vilde and slaundrous words This then is a wrong to ones name though one doe not slaunder and rayle yet if he vse his hand or his tongue or heade or any part of his bodie in such a cariage and gesture as doth tende to mocke his neighbour he sinnes against his name and credit The next kind is by silence when one houlds his peace when he heares his neighbour slaundred he stands by and can testifie of his own knowledge that the thinges spoken be false and lying and yet either in flatterie or feare of displeasing lets all alone and doth not speake that he knowes to defend