that though by the common Canon-law all festivals are from evening to evening Cap. 1. 2. de Feriis 〈◊〉 cap. 13. n. 5. Covar in 4. variar resol cap. 19. n. 9. yet where the custom is to observe them from midnight to midnight or from morning to morning such custom ought to be kept if there be lawful prescription for it as Panorm resolves 7. Before we conclude this observation about the Sabbath it may be fit to consider why it was so long observed after our Saviour together with the Lords day for we finde that for many years after the Apostles times the Sabbath was kept as well as the Lords day until the Councel of Laodicea which was not long before the Councel of Nice and that it is still observed among the Abyssines and that Balsam saith that the holy Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did in a manner equall the Sabbath with the Lords day Gregory Nyssen calls those two dayes fratres brethren Clem. constit l. 7. cap. 24. Diem Sabbati Diem Dominicam festas habete quoniam illa creationis altera resurrectionis memoria dicata est observe those two festivals the sabbath and the Lords day the one in memory of the creation the other of the resurrection hence was that old Custome of not fasting upon the sabbath or Saturday because it was a day of rejoycing and therefore those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 festival dayes in the 53 Canon of the Apostles are expounded by Zonaras to be the Sabbath or Saturday and the Lords day and in the 65 Canon it is prohibited to fast either on the Sabbath or Lords day 〈◊〉 onely the Sabbath before Easter Ignatius in Epist. ad Philadelph saith If any fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords day or on the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is a murderer of Christ. Tertul de jejuniis saith Sabbatum nunquam nisi in Pascha jejunandum est none must fast on the Sabbath or Saturday save before Easter And from this cause it was that Constantine whose Edict we may read in Eusebius for the free exercise of Christian Religion forbids that they should be impleaded on the Sabbath or Saturday as well as on the Sunday because both dayes were observed with publick meetings And in the Synod of Laodicea it was appointed that besides the Law which was anciently read upon the Saturdayes the Gospel should be also read on that day By all which it may seem that the Jewish Sabbath and the Lords day are both to be kept and by some learned men it is hence urged that the sunday doth not succeed the 〈◊〉 but wassuperadded to the sabbath But to this I answer 1. That the sabbath was for some time used as a thing indifferent as were some other legal rites in favour of the Jews and that they might be the lesse offended and more easily gained to the Christian Church as S. Paul circumcised timothy and S. Peter abstained from some meats c. not as things necessary but 〈◊〉 2. That though the legal rites were void at 〈◊〉 death and then expired yet as S. Augustine saith some time was required for their decent burial 3. That though holy duties were performed in public on the Saturday for many years yet the symbolical and typical rest which was proper to the Jewish sabbath was not allowed or practised in the Church and therefore when some began to 〈◊〉 on the Saturday by resting on that day it was forbid by several Councels as that of Laodicea cap. 29. the Councel of Lyons in cap. 1. de consecr d. 3. and the Sabbatarians were generally condemned for Hereticks And therfore the observing of Saturday as a half holy day as it is still in a manner kept in many places with us was not with reference to the Jewish sabbath but for the more honour of the Lords day as a preparative to that great festival and therefore though the Church did allow some publick meetings on that day in the Church yet we never finde that the symbolical rest which is the proper and characteristical difference of the Jewish sabbath from Christian festivals was ever allowed but generally condemned And thus I have done with these observations and positions which I conceived necessary to insert concerning the 〈◊〉 to give some light if possible to this so much agitated question submitting all to the judgement of my superiours in the Church and ready to yield to what any judicious and learned man shall upon better reasons propound CHAP. IIII. Reasons of this Commandment 1. Gods liberality in allowing 〈◊〉 six dayes and requiring but one for himself 2 The seventh is his own proper day Who are comprehended in the prohibition 1. The Master of the family 2. Children 3. Servants 4. Cattel 5 Srangers The general reasons of this precept 1. Gods rest from the creation Addition 22. Moral reasons sometimes given of a ceremonial precept The reason why a rest and why on this day are different things out of Maimon Abenezra 2. Reason the benefit coming to mankinde by the creation 3. Reason God blessed the seventh day IN the three next verses namely the ninth tenth and eleventh God first explaineth his meaning or gives an explication or further exposition of this Commandment verse 9. 10. and then gives a reason of the Commandment verse 11 why they should yield obedience to it In the explication there is order taken as well concerning works as persons First for works Six dayes shalt thou labour c. verse 9. Secondly for persons Thou and thy son c. verse 10. And again in the same verses there is 1. An Affirmative Six dayes thou shalt labour c. verse 9. and 2. secondly A Negative Thou shalt do no manner of work c. verse 10. Again there is 1. a Permission Six dayes God hath given thee wherein thou mayest labour and do all that thou hast to do 2. And secondly an Opposition or Antithesis But the seventh day he hath reserved to himself Six dayes are thine but the seventh his He hath bestowed six dayes on thee but the seventh he hath reserved to himself In the six dayes thou shalt do all but on the seventh no manner of work Now in the opposition there are two by-reasons included for the main reason is in the 11. verse for in six dayes c. The first is That because God hath dealt so liberally with us as to give us six dayes for our selves and to reserve onely one to himself therefore we should be the more ready to give him that day for by right of Creation we and all ours are the Lords for he made us of nothing and in that regard he might justly challenge 〈◊〉 and our service all our dayes and we being but his Creatures could not justly challenge to our selves one day In so much as if it had pleased God to have given us but one day and reserved the other six to himself we should
by 1. his power 2. his jealousie How jealousie is ascribed to God Why humane affections are ascribed to God CHAP. IX page 224 Of the Commination wherein 1. The censure of the sin 2. The punishment 1. In the censure The sin viz. of Idolatry Is called 1. Hatred of God How God can be hated 2. Iniquity The punishment visitation upon the children The 〈◊〉 of this punishment by 1. The greatnesse 2. The multiplicity 3. The continuance Of Gods justice in punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children That it is not unjust in respect of the father nor 2. of the sin The use of all CHAP. X. page 228 The third part of the sanction a promise of mercy Gods rewards proceed from mercy which is the fountain of all our happinesse His mercy is promised to the 1000 generation the threatning extends onely to the third and fourth The object of his mercy such as love him Our love must be manifested by keeping his Commandements How they must be kept The benefit they will keep and preserve us The Exposition of the third Commandement CHAP. I. page 231 The general scope of the third Commandement Of glorifying the name of God by praise The manner how it must be done Several motives to stir men up to the duty CHAP. II. page 234 What is meant by Gods name The use of names 1. To distinguish 2. To dignifie Gods name in respect of his Essence Attributes and works and how they are to be reverenced What it is to take his Name as glorious as necessary Glorifying his Name inwardly outwardly by confessing defending it remembring it honourable mention of it threefold it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerable Applyed to our own actions by prayer and to others by blessing c. Of glorifying it in our lives What it is to take Gods Name in vain in respect of 1. the end 2. agent 3. the work CHAP. III. page 239 Of taking Gods Name by an oath The causes and grounds of an oath The parts of it Contestation Execration How God is glorified by an oath What is here commanded 1. To swear In what cases For Gods glory Mans necessity For the publick good The Oath Ex Officio whether lawful or no. Of private and voluntary oathes 2. To swear by God not by Idols or Creatures 3. Not to take his Name in vain but to swear in 1. Truth in oathes assertorie promissorie 2. Judgement 3. Justice Against voluntary oathes whether lawful Of swearing from the heart The means to be used against vain swearing The signes of keeping this Commandement Of drawing others to keep it CHAP. IV. page 250 What a vow is Whether a bare purpose without a promise Whether a thing commanded may be the matter of a vow The necessity and use of vows in respect of God of our selves What things a man may vow se suos sua Vows in the times of the Gospel Of performing vows Qualifications in a vow for the person the matter The time of vowing Of paying our vows CHAP. V. page 255 Of glorifying Gods Name from the heart The means of glorifying it The signes Of causing others to glorifie it The second part of this precept the Commination Reasons why such a threatning is here denounced Gods punishing the breach of this Commandment by visible judgements God is jealous of his Name The Exposition of the Fourth Commandement CHAP. I. page 259 The excellent order of the Commandements Why God himself appointed a set time for publick worship Why this Commandement is larger then the rest Six special things to be observed in this Commandement which are not in the rest The general parts of it 1. The precept 2. The reasons In the precept 1. The affirmative part what is meant by Sabbath what by sanctifying How things sanctified differ from other things God sanctified it not for himself but for us We must sanctifie it 1. In our estimation of it 2. In our use of it CHAP. II. page 262 What is commanded here 1. A rest 2. Sanctification Rest is required not for it self but for the duties of sanctification Reasons that the Sabbath is not wholly nor principally remonial Addition 21. out of the Authors other works declaring his meaning in two things 1. That the Lords day is Jure Divino 2. That the Jewish Sabbath is abolisht by Christs death proved by him at large out of Scriptures and Antiquity in his Speech against Trask in Star-Chamber CHAP. III. page 268 Additional considerations upon the doctrine of the Sabbath laid down in seven conclusions 1. It is certain some time is to be set apart for publick worship proved by Schoolmen Canonists and Reasons 2. Certain that the law of Nature doth not dictate the proportion of seven or any other in particular 3. It is most probable that the seventh day was appointed by God from the beginning as a day of publick worship in memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely This proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick Declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some Schoolmen late Divines 5. The fourth Commandement is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the jewish-Iewish-sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expired How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of the Sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the Sabbath 7. The Sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Councel of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner CHAP. IV. page 276 Reasons of this Commandement 1. Gods liberality in allowing us six dayes and requiring but one for himself 2. The seventh is his own proper day Who are comprehended in the prohibition 1. The Master of the family 2. Children 3. Servants 4. Cattel 5. Strangers The general reasons of this precept 1. Gods rest from the creation Addition 22. Moral reasons sometimes given of a ceremonial precept The reason why a rest and why on this day are different things out of Maimon Abenezra 2. Reason the benefit coming to mankinde by the creation 3. Reason God blessed the seventh day CHAP. V. page 280 How far this rest is to be kept Why this word remember is prefixed Such work to be forborn which may be done before or after Necessity of a vacation from other works that we may attend holy duties Mans opposition to God when
means 4. Observe the rules for getting and using of riches CHAP. X. page 488 Rules to be observed 1. in just getting 1. By Donation 2. By Industry 3. By Contracts wherein must be considered 1. The need we have of the thing sold. 2. The use Three degrees of a just price 1. Pium. 2. Moderatum 3. Rigidum 2. In just using wherein are rules 1. Concerning our selves 1. For preserving our estate 2. For laying it out 2. Concerning others giving 1. to God from whom we receive all 2. to the poor Rules for the measure and manner of giving Motives to stir us up to give to the poor Of procuring the keeping of this Commandment by others The Exposition of the Ninth Commandment CHAP. I. Page 493 The words expounded What is mean tby Non respondebis in the Original Addition 34. about the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respondere What is meant by witnesse Four witnesses 1. God 2. The Conscience 3. Men and Angels 4. The Creatures What is meant by false what by contra against what by Proximum Neighbour The coherence and dependance of this Commandment The scope and use of it 1. In respect of God 2. Of the Church 3. Of the Common-wealth 4. Of private persons CHAP. II. Page 498 The necessity of a good name The sin forbidden in general Wherein 1. The root of it 2. The suppuration or rankling of it 〈◊〉 by false surmises and suspitions 3. The fitting of the soyl by readinesse to hear false reports 4. The watering of the soyl by busying our selves in other ones affairs CHAP. III. Page 501 The outward act of which two branches 1. False words 2. Idle and vain words Of false speaking in general this is two fold 1. In judgement 2. Out of judgement In judgement by false witnesse Of lyes in general Six persons in every judgement who may be guilty of false witnessing 1. The Judge 1. By cherishing Law suits 2. By deferring justice 3. If his judgement be 1. usurped 2. rash 3. perverse 2. The Register by making false records 3. The Accuser 1. by accusing falsly 2. upon uncertain grounds 3. by prevaricating 4. The defendant 1. by not confessing the truth 2. by appealing without cause 3. by not submitting to the sentence 5. The Witnesse 1. by not declaring all the truth when he is lawfully called 2. by not delivering the innocent though he be not called 3. by delivering the wicked by false testimony 6. The Advocate 1. by undertaking an evil cause 2. by perverting the Law Of giving false testimony in Elections CHAP. IIII. Page 507 Of false witnessing out of judgement Four things to which the tongue may do harme The branches of this kinde of false witnessing 1. Contumelious speaking 2. Taunting 3. Backbiting which is 1. By words 2. By letters 3. By deeds 4. In all these a may be false witnesse though he speak the truth CHAP. V. Page 509 Of reproof or fraternal correption the vertue opposite to flattery Of flattery which is 1. In things uncertain 2. In things certain and those either good or evil Of boasting and vaunting a mans self and its extream CHAP. VI. Page 512 Of a rash lie an officious lye a merry lye Four cases wherein a man seems to speak contrary to the truth but doth not Of Mendacium Facti the real lye by 〈◊〉 CHAP. VII Page 514 The second general branch of the sin forbidden viz. Vain speech Three ends of speech 1. Edification 2. Profit 3. Grace and delight Of the means whereby this Commandment may be kept Of suspition Rules about it 1. For the manner The Exposition of the Tenth Commandment CHAP. I. Page 521 Reasons against the dividing of this Commandment into two The dependance of it The scope and end of it CHAP. II. Page 523 The thing prohibited Concupiscence which is two fold 1. Arising from our selves 2. From the spirit of God The first is either 1. from nature or 2. from corruption of nature Corrupt desires of two sorts 1. vain and foolish 2. hurtful or noisome The danger of being given up to a mans own lusts CHAP. III. Page 525 How a man comes to be given up to his own desires Thoughts of two sorts 1. Ascending from our own hearts 2. Injected by the Devil The manner how we come to be infected Six degrees in sin 1. The receiving of the seed 2. The retaining of it 3. The conception 4. The forming of the parts 5. The quickning 6. The travel or birth CHAP. IV. Page 528 The wayes whereby a man is tempted of his own lust 1. There is a bait 2. A hook The same wayes used by the Devil and the World The affirmative part of this precept Renewing the heart and minde The necessity of this Renovation The meanes of Renovation A Table of the Supplements or Additions Wherein the sence of the Author is cleered in some places where it was obscure or doubtful and some things are handled more fully which were omitted or but briefly touched c. Introduct CHAP. XIII 1. Concerning points cleer and controverted p 52 2. Of peoples submitting to the judgement of the Church p 55 3. Of the Churches power to interpret the Scriptures p 57 CHAP. XIV 4. That the Moral Law is an essential part of the Gospel or second Covenant p 58 CHAP. XVII 5. About mans ability to keep the Law of Christ by his Grace p 71 Com. 1. CHAP. I. 6. That the 4 fundamental articles of all Religion are implyed in the four first Precepts p 88 CHAP. III. 7. Of the force of Church Customs p 95 CHAP. IIII. 8. About the distinction of inward and outward worship p 100 CHAP. VII 9. Concerning the evidence of faith and freedom of assent p 111 10. Concerning the nature of Faith p 115 CHAP. VIII 11. Of the seat of faith p 121 Com. 2. CHAP. I. 12. That the making of Images was absolutely forbidden the Jews and in that respect that the precept was partly positive and reached onely to them p 193 13. Whether all voluntary and free worship be forbidden under the name of will-worship p 194 CHAP. III. 14. Of S. Chrysostomes Liturgie p 202 15. Of the second Councel of Nice p 203 CHAP. IV. 16. How preaching is a part of Gods worship p 205 17. About the Eucharist whether it may be called a Sacrifice p 207 CHAP. V. 18. Concerning customs and traditions of the Church p 210 19. Of Images for memories sake p 214 Com. 3. CHAP. I. 20. What is litterally meant by taking Gods Name in vain p 231 CHAP. IV. 21. Concerning the nature of a vow p 250 Com. 4. CHAP. II. 22 The Jewish sabbath ceremonial the Lords day unchangeable p. 263 23 Of ceremonies p. 265 CHAP. III. 24 The whole doctrine of the Sabbath and Lords day largly handled in seven conclusions p. 268 CHAP. IIII. 25 That moral reasons are sometimes given of ceremonial precepts p. 279 CHAP. IX 26 Of adorning Churches p. 299 27 Of
in the 12 and 21 Verses which was to set bounds and marks about the mountain which the Israelites were not to passe And the repeating of it must needs cause us to conceive that there is some weighty thing in it of which we are to take notice For the Scripture hath nothing vain or needlesse but as Joseph said of Pharaohs dreams that the doubling of them did shew the certainty so the doubling here shews the danger if this command be not kept And the command is to keep the Israelites within their bounds for as the first part was to make them willing and the second to make them able so because a man may be overwilling or rather curious and may run too far here he is abridged this third means to preparation sets limits and bounds to our curiosity that we passe not the marks which God hath set in knowledge of him and his will but content our selves with the knowledge of such things as are needful for us and revealed to us And here we may take notice of a foolish affection that we naturally have in hazarding necessary things by our curiosity in those that are needlesse and not onely in adventuring things necessary for those which are unnecessary but with too greedy a desire of them to break Gods Commandements So we see in the beginning Gods prohibition gave the Devil occasion to tempt Eve to be over-curious to know that she should not And afterwards a little before the Law given Moses commanded that none should reserve Manna till the morning and yet some of them itched to try conclusions and saved it so it stank And they were charged not to go forth on the Sabbath day to gather it for they should finde none yet some would needs go out but they were deceived The men of Bethshemesh would needs be prying into the Ark of the Lord but they paid for it for fifty thousand and threescore and ten of them died for their foolish curiosity And therefore in this place God commanded that on pain of death nor man nor beast should passe their bounds God prohibited the people because they had murmured not to go into Canaan yet they would needs go up to the hill too and were discomfited It was no necessary thing to go up yet go they would and here they were not it seems so hasty to hear and to know as to gaze it was not the Law they desired to know but the place and the Mount and to be idlely occupied and therefore God gave the charge three times for curiosity is an odious thing to God And we see that this very affection of curiosity reigned afterwards in the sons of Adam in moving curious questions concerning Heaven and Hell how and where they be omitting many needful things in the mean time like the Athenians that gave themselves to nothing but to tell or hear new things The Apostles must needs be asking our Saviour Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom and tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the signe of thy coming and of the end of the world But as Christ answered them It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power So here Moses Non est vestrum ascendere montem It is not for you to come near the Mount or to see what is done there it belongeth not to you This then must be our wisdom to be content with the knowledge of that which God hath revealed to us and not to be too curious in prying after those things which he hath reserved to himself Secreta Deo aperta revelata nobis filiis nostris as Moses said secret things belong to God our Lord but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children And this is the same which the Apostle counselleth us to do to keep within the limits which the Holy Ghost hath set us Not to think of our selves more highly then we ought to think but to think soberly to be wise to sobriety This curious enquiring and searching after needlesse matters hath been the decay of learning And the Apostle saith that such curious inquisitors shall languish and be sick with foolish questions ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Qui inventa veritate saith S. Augustine aliud quaerit 〈◊〉 invenerit He that finding the truth seeketh further shall finde a lye We have a fearful example of it in Solomon I gave my heart saith he to know wisdom and to know madnesse and folly his too great curiosity made him stray too far and by degrees to connive at most grosse idolatry Qui scrutator est divinae majestatis opprimetur a gloria they which are too inquisitive in seeking out things too high for them shall perish in their folly Therefore it is best for us to know our bars and keep our distance And thus much for the several means of Preparation CHAP. XIX The manner of delivering the Law 1. With thick clouds 2. With thunder and lightning 3. With sound of a trumpet The terrible delivering of the Law compared with the terrour of the last judgement when we must give account for the keeping of it The comparison in all the particulars The use of this THere is added also by the learned another point not a point of Preparation but a necessary observation in the delivery of the Law fit for meditation and it is gathered from the manner of the delivery of it in the before mentioned Chapter of Exodus upon which the Apostle seems to Comment For whatsoever might seem terrible to man God made it to concur with the delivery of the Law The particulars are these 1. The Lord told Moses he would come in a thick cloud 2. With thundering with lightning with the sound of a trumpet Now all these as they are fearful sights and objects so was it done purposely by God that his Law might be received with the more reverence And we see it took effect and wrought upon them For upon the quaking of the Mount and those terrible sights the people removed and stood afar off and said to Moses Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak withus lest we dye Nay the sight of these things was so terrible that it wrought upon Moses himself for there we read that Moses said I exceedingly quake and fear These sights and sounds affect us not because they are past but yet the Apostles argument may affect us If the delivery of the Law was so terrible how dreadful shall the account be how it is kept And if the Law being delivered by the ministery of Angels as S. Stephen said were thus terrible how dreadful shall it be when God in the power of his Majesty shall come to require account of it Now
So much for the Preparation THE EXPOSITION OF THE First Commandement CHAP. I. Of the Preface to the Decalogue Two things required in a Lawgiver 1. Wisdom 2. Authority Both appear here Gods authority declared 1. By his name Jehovah which implyes 1. that being himself and that all other things come from him 2. His absolute dominion over all the creatures From which flow two attributes 1. His Eternity 2. His veracity or truth 2. By his jurisdiction thy God by creation and by covenant 3. By a late benefit Their deliverance out of Egypt How all this belongs to us THe Lord spake c. From the second to the eighteenth verse of this Chapter the words which inded are the body of the Law contain in them two things 1. The Stile I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage 2. The Charge Thou 〈◊〉 have no other gods before me c. To the perfect enabling of every Law-giver to make Laws is required 1. Wisdom 2. Authority 1. For the wisdom of God it appears in the Laws themselves Moses justifieth it and challengeth all the Nations of the earth to match them What Nation saith he is there so great that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this Law And the wisdom of a Law is best seen in the equity of it But a little before to shew more plainly his wisdom he tels them that it was their wisdom to keep them for the Nations which should see that they were kept would presently conclude and say Surely this Nation is a wise and understanding people which they would never do if they had not conceived wisdom in the framing of them So that certainly we must needs confesse with the Prophet that it came from the Lord who is wonderfull in counsel 2. For his Authority which is rerum agendarum telum it is plainly demonstrated by God himself in the second verse and manifested by the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt by strong hand In every Edict and Law proclaimed the beginning is with the stile of the Prince intimating thereby his Prerogative Royal to make Laws and to publish and see them obeyed And therefore his authority is annexed as to the Law in general so to those particular Laws which have a reason annexed As to the second For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God c. To the third For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse c. To the fourth For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. and it is the Sabbath of the Lord. Now if it be true that men expect no reason to perswade them to lay hold of a benefit then there needs none to make them observe the Law because it is a benefit for the Psalmist so accounts it He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither have the Heathen knowledge of his Laws Yet it pleased God to adde his reason from his own person though indeed profit be a sufficient Orator And thus doth God in divers places as Levit. 21. 8. 12. 15. 23. As also S. Paul mentioneth it for the New Testament As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God which words are taken out of the Prophet In this stile or authority are three points according to the titles 1. Of name Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt 2. Of jurisdiction Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt 3. Of benefit Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt And such Prefaces do earthly Princes use in their writings 1. Of Name as Caius Caesar. 2. Of jurisdiction Imperator 3. Of the last benefit Caesar Germanicus for conquering Germany the last triumph obscuring the former 1. For the title of his Name it is I Jehovah not I am Jehovah which argueth 1. His Nature 2. His Power 1. That it is the name of his Nature it cannot be denied They shall know saith the Psalmist that thou whose name is Jehovah art onely the most highest over all the Earth Concerning the word Jehovah which is Tetragrammaton consisting of four letters much hath been written and many speculations have been gathered from it As namely that there are three distinct letters according to the number of persons in the Trinity and of these three the first signifieth power the proper adjunct of the Father the second wisdom and knowledge proper to the Son and the third love the proper adjunct of the Holy Ghost And that the second letter is doubled to denote the two natures of the second Person But this may be sufficient for us that it is a name from being or a name of existence and that he is of himself and from none 〈◊〉 but that all things are through and from him Omnia beneficio illius ipse beneficio nullius Bern. And as it 〈◊〉 his being of himself so his absolute dominion and power over all and therefore we translate it Lord following the Septuagint who render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. And as there is no exception in his title as to be commanded of or by any other All earthly Princes derive their power from him as his Delegates by commission As our Prince hath in his title Dei gratia Angliae By the grace of God King of England c. and is ab aliq from another viz. from God Onely God rules without commission from any but is within and of himself a supream head commandeth simply and absolutely hath no dependance upon any other either of being or power but all things depend on him as their essence powers or faculties and operations This the Prophet sheweth forcibly that streams proceed from him to every creature which being stopped they perish When thou hidest thy face saith he they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they dye and are turned again to their dust And in the next verse he saith that he is the onely breath of the world his breath giveth life When thou lettest thy breath go forth they shall be made Now if we did conceive that any man in the world had our life at such an advantage that with his very countenance he could make or destroy us certainly we would be marvellously cautelous to offend him and very obsequious to please and observe him Yet such is our dependance upon God The word Jehovah as it hath these two significations so hath it two consectaries that follow thereupon in Scripture 1. The eternity of God 2. The truth of God in giving a being to his promises by his performance of them 1. For his Eternity he calleth himself I am Say I am Ero hath sent thee unto them and howsoever there
sabbath is jure divino in which point learned men do differ and of which we shall speak something hereafter yet that the 〈◊〉 sabbath which as it concerned the jews in a perculiar manner is litterally injoyned by the fourth Commandment is abolisht by the death of Christ is his opinion clearly expressed elswhere Of the 〈◊〉 he speaks in one of his sermons of the resurrection on 1 Cor. 11. 16. where labouring to prove the feast of Easter to be as ancient as the Apostles among other arguments he brings one from the Lords day in these words But we have a more sure ground then all these The Lords day hath testimony in Scripture I insist upon that that Easter day must needs be as ancient as it For how came it to be the Lords day but that as it is in the Psalm The Lord made it And why made he it but because the stone cast aside that is Christ was made the head of the corner that is because then the Lord rose because his resurrection fell upon it Where he plainly affirmes the Lords day to be so made by the Lord himself and that because Christ rose upon that day Now for the other point that the jews sabbath was ceremonial and abrogated by Christs death is proved at large by his speech in star-chamber against Trask published inter opera posthuma where among other things he speaks 〈◊〉 The Apostle inter alia reckoning up diverse others concludes with the sabbath and immediately upon it addes Which all are but shadows of things to come Sabbath and all but the body is Christ. The body had the shadow to vanish that which was to come when it is come to what end any figure of it it ceaseth too That to hold the shadow of the Sabbath is to continue is to hold Christ the bodie is not yet come It hath been ever the Churches doctrine That Christ made an end of all Sabbaths by his Sabbath in the grave That Sabbath was the last of them and that the Lords day came presently in place of it Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione declaratus est Christianis ex illo caepit habere festivitatem suam saith Augustine The Lords day was by the resurrection of Christ declared to be the Christians day and from that very time of Christs resurrection it began to be celebrated as the Christian mans festival For the Sabbath had reference to the old creation but in Christ we are a new Creature a new creation by him and so to have a new Sabbath and vetera transierunt no reference to the old We. By whom he made the world saith the Apostle of Christ. So two worlds there were The first that ended at Christs Passion saith Athanasius And therefore then the Sun without any eclypse went out of it self The second which began with Christs resurrection and that day initium novae creaturae the beginning and so the feast of them that are in Christ a new creature It is diduced plainly The Gospels keep one word all four and tell us Christ arose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 una sabbatorum that is after the Hebrew phrase the first day of the week The Apostles they kept their meetings on that day and S. Luke keeps the very same word exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to exclude all errour on that day they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is held their synaxes their solemn assemblies to preach to pray to break bread to celebrate the Lords supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords supper on the Lords day for these two onely the day and the supper have the Epithet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominicum in the scriptures to shew that Dominicum is alike to be taken in both This for the practise then If you will have it in precept The Apostle gives it and in the same word still that against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of their assembly every one should lay apart what God should move him to offer to the collection of the Saints and then offer it which was so ever in use that the day of oblations so have we it in practise and 〈◊〉 both even till Socrates time who keeps the same word still 〈◊〉 5. cap. 22. This day this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came to have the name of Dies Dominicus in the Apostles times and is so expressely called then by Saint John in the Revelation Revel 1. 10. And that name from that day to this hath holden still which continuance of it from the Apostles age may be deduced down from father to father even to the Council of Nice and lower I trust we need not to follow it no doubt is made of it since then by any that hath read any thing I should hold you to long too cite them in particular I avow it on my credit there is not any ecclesiastical writer in whom it is not to be found Ignatius whom I would not name but that I finde his words in Nazianzen Justin. Martyr Dion sius Bishop of Corinth in Euseb. lib. 4. Irenaeus Clemens Alexandr Tertull Origen Cyprian every one And that we may put it past all question Justine Martyr who lived in the very next age to the Apostles and Tertullian who lived the next age to him both say directly 〈◊〉 solemn assemblies of the Christians were that day ever on Sunday 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justine die solis saith 〈◊〉 and leave the 〈◊〉 to their Saturn either in their Apologies offered by them to the Emperours Justine made two in his second Tertullian but one the sixteenth chapter of his that of the true day there can be no manner of doubt A thing so 〈◊〉 so well known even to the Heathen themselves as it was in the Acts of the Martyrs ever an usual question of theirs even of course in their examining What Dominicum servasti Hold you the Sunday and their answer known they all aver it Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot intermit it not the Lords day in any wise These are examples enough I will adde but an authority and a censure and so end The authority I will refer you to is of the great Athanasius great for his learning for his vertue for his labour and for his sufferings but above all great for his Creed Tertullian had written a book de cibis Judaicis which we have so another de 〈◊〉 Judaico which we have lost but it is supplied by Athanasius his book de sabbato circumcisione for he puts them and so they must go together Circumcision and the Sabbath In which he is so clear and so full for the abolishing of the 〈◊〉 day and the succeeding of the Lords day in place of it as no man can wish more and the treatise is no long one neither Now as in the other of meats so in this will I end with censure It is
of the Councel of Laodicea more ancient then the first of Nice and of so special account as we finde it cited by S. Basil nay as we finde four of the Canons made in this Council taken out of it and transferd and made four of the Canons of the great Council of Nice such was the Authority it was had in It is in the twenty ninth Canon and of the authentical great book acknowledged in that of 〈◊〉 the 133. Thus it is That Christen men may not 〈◊〉 or grow 〈◊〉 that is not make the Sabbath or Saturday their day of rest but they are to work that day this comes home giving their honour of celebration to the Lords day And if any in this point be found to 〈◊〉 let them be Anathema a Deo christo to God and Christ both Thus far this learned 〈◊〉 by which discourse made and penned in his latter years it appears fully what his opinion was in this point of the Sabbath and how his meaning is to be expounded in this point of the morality of the day See more of this subject in the third Chapter per totum There is here besides in the Commandment another word Remember which because it is properly of a thing past it referreth us to some time or place before and there is no mention of the sabbath but in two places before the one of them is in Exodus but that is not the place here meant for God in the end of the Commandment adding God 〈◊〉 it c. referreth us to that other place where those words are namely to Genesis 2. 3. And by this occasion falleth in that first question about the morality of the day many think the sabbath is meerly a ceremony and are perswaded that it is so and therefore hold that men are not bound to sanctifie it since Christs time it being abrogated by him In answer whereto we are to follow our Saviours rule who in the case of Polygamie bids us inquire how it was ab initio from the beginning to call it to the first institution for the first institution is that which will inform our judgements best and the first end which appears by the institution is the true end A thing is not said to be meerly ceremonial if a ceremonial use or end be annexed to it for then scarce any of the ten Commandments but should be ceremonial for they have many of them some ceremony annexed to them But that is to be accounted ceremonial whose first and principal end is to be a ceremony and to type out something which this day of rest cannot be said to do The reason is because Paradise and mans perfection cannot consist with ceremonies a ceremony cannot agree to the state of mans innocency This is to be understood of such Ceremonies as had reference to Christ as a Redeemer and so the ensuing words expound these for otherwise ceremonies which have a moral signification or were instituted for other ends might stand with mans estate in Paradise for what was the tree of life but a ceremony And the reason of that is because that before there was a Saviour there could not be a type of a Saviour as ceremonies were and before there was sin there needed no Saviour and so consequently needing no Saviour there needed no ceremony and needing no Saviour nor ceremony it could not be ceremonial But this was it that Adam having in the six dayes a natural use in his body of the creatures should for the glory of God on the seventh day have a spiritual use and consideration of them in a more special manner And although there might be a worship performed to God on other dayes yet that it might be more solemn publick and universal and the heart of man more free from distraction and wordly avocations God therefore would have a speciall day dedicated to his honour and service wherein the Creature should solemnly performe his homage to the Creator and this was the first generall end though other ends were after added as in Deuteronomie it pleased God to adde this reason that the People should remember their Delivery out of Egypt but this was but finis posterior a particular and after end and accessory And it were well if we might adde to our dayes of rest the memory of benefits received And in Exodus God yieldeth a reason taken from a politick end that our family and cattel may rest and return more fresh to their labour And if any will say that besides these ends there was prefigured by this rest that rest we shall have from sin It s true but yet that is but an accessory end As in the Sacraments of Circumcision and Passeover besides the general ends of their institution which were to seal and signify Gods preventing and following grace there were other ends typical and accessory as that of Circumcision did signifie the Circumcision of the heart and the Passover the sacrifice of Christ offered upon the cross In which respects though those two Sacraments are abolisht yet the Sacrament of initiation and another of our confirmation in grace are still continued to wit Baptism and the Lords supper according to the general ends of the two former Sacraments which ends do still remain So though the Sabbath or seventh day from the Creation be ceased yet there is another day still remaining because the end of keeping a day is immutable from the beginning to wit that God might be honoured by a solemne and publick worship This reason of it self is so forcible and plain that without bringing in a manifest absurdity it cannot be denyed and avoided When they see these ends carry us to the Institution and that in Paradise where no type or Ceremony was they seek to avoid it by saying It s true that God sanctified it in Paradise but Adam never kept it neither was it kept till immediately before the Law was given which may seem to be a very absurd thing that God should sanctifie a thing two thousand years before it was to be put in practise This is like to that assertion of those Hereticks that held the materia prima to be made by God many years before the world it self and that it abode by him till the world was made But they are confuted by the Fathers thus That no wise man will make any thing to be many years by him before he shall have occasion to put it to any use And therefore much lesse would God bless this day before there should be any use of it to make rem ante usum 1. We must understand that God in Deuteronomy seemeth to make a distinction between Ceremonies and the Moral Law Deuteronomy 4. 13 14. as that the one proceeded from himself immediately the other by the ministery of Moses so also Deuteronomie 5. 31. 2. Again it breeds confusion and breaks order a thing which God misliketh if any thing meerly ceremonial and not in some sort moral should
be placed among the ten Commandments One of the Fathers upon the words Nunquid Saul 〈◊〉 inter Prophetas Is Saul also among the Prophets saith that Saul being no Prophet by profession est heterogeneus of another kinde and an irregular person among the Prophets so it will fall out to be against order for a meer ceremonial Precept to stand in the midst of moral Commandments For every ceremony or type of the Law is as it was a foretelling of something in the Gospel so it must be referred to the Gospel as the shadow to the body And indeed no typical ceremonies are in their own nature for the type or ceremony is to cease when the substance comes as the shadow when the body appears But this Commandment for the substance of it continues in the time of the Gospel 3. Thirdly this being a principle that the Law of Moses expressed in the Decalogue is nothing but the Law of nature revived and the Law of nature being a resemblance of Gods image If we say this precept is in its substance ceremonial then we must also say that in the image of God something is ceremonial not to abide but for a time onely but all things in him and in his image are eternal according to his Nature 4. In the Law of grace Christ delivering the sum of the ten Commandments to the Scribes and Pharisees Thou shalt love the Lord c. there 's no question but that it is the sum of the Decalogue and therefore therein is included the religious observation of the Sabbath and so it will be for the substance moral as the love of God is in which it is contained or else our Saviour had delivered an imperfect sum 5. Again it is dangerous to hold that any precept in the Decalogue is ceremonial for by this the Papists as Parisius and Politianus will bring another of them to be so and will say that the second Commandment concerning images is ceremonial and then why not three as well as two and so four and five and all The best way therefore to hold the duties eternall and to keep them without blemish is to deny that any of these ten precepts is ceremonial in the substance or nature of the Commandment but that they are plainly moral 6. To come to the time of the Gospel We hold that all typical ceremonies of the law are ended and abrogated by Christs death Then if the day of rest be not abrogated by his death it is not a meer Ceremony or ceremonial And that it is not is plain by our Saviour himself for his denouncing the destruction of Jerusalem bids them pray that their calamity fall not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed many years after Christs death when all ceremonies were ended Therefore if Christ knew that the Sabbath as a ceremony should be wholly abrogated by his death his counsel might well have bin spared that they should pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day Matth. 24. 20. which if it had been quite abolished should have been no day Again in things meerly ceremonia ' there is not commutatio a change but abrogatio an abrogating of them wholly but we see in this matter of the Sabbath there is commutatio not abrogatio the Lords day is appointed instead of the Sabbath but no total abrogation of the Sabbath Thus the seals of the Covenant though they had something typical yet being in their general nature moral therefore they are changed but not quite abrogated whereas in things meerly typical there 's no maner of commutation but they are clean taken away for Christ having broken down the partition wall Ephes. 2. 14 15. hath wholly taken away the law of ordinances c. But it is manifest that instead of the Jews seventh day another seventh day was ordained in the Apostles dayes therefore as the ministery and seals of the Covenant and the chief place of it to wit the Temple were not abolished but changed as having a moral 〈◊〉 in them so also was the day of the Covenant for we read Acts 20. 7. that the 〈◊〉 and Disciples came together on the first day of the week to hear the word and to break bread and in 1 Corin. 16. 2. the Apostle wills them in their meetings on the first day of the week to lay aside for the poor and Revel 1. 10. it is plainly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day So that we see in the whole time of the Apostles it was not taken away but changed by them and therefore cannot be a meere ceremonie nor of the nature of the types of the Law But when the old Covenant ceased then ceased the Ministery thereof the Priesthood of Levi was changed and given to choice men of all Tribes and instead of it is our Ministery And as the seals of the Covenant ceased as of Circumcision and the Paschal lamb and in place thereof came our Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords supper so the day of the old Covenant is taken away and instead thereof is put the Lords day none of them in the first end being ceremonial but having a continual use and to last as long as the Church militant The reasons which might seem to have moved the Apostles to change this day may be fitly taken from the Institution of the Sabbath in the time of the law For as then nothing was more memorable then the day of the creation so when it pleased God that old things should cease and that there should be a new creation and that there was a benefit that did overshadow the former the benefit of redemption therefore when that was accomplished by Christs resurrection from that day we celebrate the memorial of it on the first day of the week and whereas that other great work of the sending the holy Ghost which was fifty dayes after concurd on the same day whereby that inestimable benefit of sanctification and speaking with strange tongues was conferred upon the Church and because the memory of the benefit of the creation may also be kept on the first day of the week as well as on the last Hence we may see upon what great reasons this day is establisht wherein do concur the three special works and benefits of the three persons to be for ever thankfully remembred viz. that of Creation by the Father Redemption by the Son and Sanctification by the holy Ghost And so much for the clearing of that point ¶ CHAP. III. Additionall considerations upon the doctrine of the Sabbath laid down in seven conclusions 1. It is certain some time is to be set apart for publick worship 〈◊〉 by School-men Canonists and reasons 2. Certain that the law of nature doth not dictate the proportion of seven or any other in particular 3. It is most probable that the seventh day was appointed by God from the beginning as a day of publick worship in
memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely this proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some School-men late Divines 5 The fourth Commandment is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the Jewish sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expir'd How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of Iewish sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the sabbath 7. The sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Council of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner The whole doctrine of the sabbath and Lords day handled in seven conclusions FOr the more cleare understanding of this point of the sabbath and of the reasons which are here produced and of this discourse upon that subject I shall briefly lay down that which I conceive most agreeable to the truth in certain propositions or conclusions distinguishing things certain from such as are onely probable and submitting all to the iudicious and learned reader 1. It is certain that some time ought to be set apart for publick worship and that this is required by the law of nature which dictates to every one that as God ought to be worshipped so some special time must be set apart for that imployment and therefore as when God created the world he is said to have concreated time with it so when he commands a publick worship he commands withall some time for that use without which it cannot be performed and therefore it is confessed by all divines ancient and modern and by men of all professions except familists and such fanatick spirits that some time ought to be set apart for holy duties as due by the immutable law of nature morale est quantum ad hoc quod homo 〈◊〉 aliquod tempus ad vacandum divinis c. saith Aquinas secunda secundae q. 112. It is moral that every man depute some time for religious duties and with him joyntly agree all the rest of the Schoolmen modern divines and others The very law of nature saith our learned Hooker requires no lesse the sanctification of times then of places persons and things for which cause it hath plased God heretofore as of the rest so of times likewise to exact some part by way of perpetual homage And so we finde the Heathen which had no other then the law of nature to direct them had their solemne feasts and set dayes appointed for the worship of their supposed deities This therefore I lay down as certain because questionedby none 2. I conceive it to be likewise certain that the law of nature doth not in particular dictate what day or time ought to be set apart for publick worship but that the determination of the time or dayes in special is from positive laws either of God or men and therefore that the limitation of a seventh day or the 7 th day from the creation or any other particular proportion cannot be deduced necessarily from any natural principle but must be referrd to some positive law either divine or humane This appears in that there can no natural reason be given why one day more then another or why a seventh rather then a sixth or eighth should necessarily be consecrated to God all dayes being in themselves alike and none in themselves more excellent then others those things which are natural and simply or purely moral are evident to all by the light of nature or may by necessary consequence be deduced from some principle which is evident such laws concern things good or evil in themselves and therefore do immutably binde all persons in all places alike but the limitation of a special day is not it is neither a principle evident in it self nor can by necessary consequence be derived from any such principle and therefore cannot be referred to any natural law or dictate of reason Therefore not only the schoolmen generally nemine contradicente with the Casuists and Canonists but the most modern divines some few excepted do generally agree in this as well as in the former conclusion and though some make the observation of the Lords day under the Gospel to be unchangable and so in some sort moral as the sabbath was under the law yet this they ground not upon any natural law but upon positive divine Law and those that seem to make it a dictate of nature mean nothing else but that there is a congruity in reason and that this time being fixt by Christ is unalterable by any humane power The reason given by some why a memento is prefixed before the fourth Commmandement and none else is because that Nature doth not dictate any particular day and therefore men need to be put in minde of the day appointed by God Filencius tract 27. cap. 1. n. 4. Ex Thom. 1. 2. q. 100. a. 7. 2. 2. q. 122. a. 4. ad 3. Bonavent Richard aliis in 3. Sent. Dist. 37. and before them S. Chrysost. saith that the Sabbath is a precept not made known to us by our Consciences as the other precepts are and that God therefore gives reasons of this as because he rested the seventh day and because they were servants in Egypt c. whereas in those that are purely moral as Thou shalt do no murther c. he gives the Precept barely without any reason at all and that because our consciences had taught us this before and because he speaks to those that knew reason sufficient Tom. 6. p. 542. Edit Savil. 3. It is probable that the seventh day was appointed by positive divine law from the begining as the day for publick worship to praise God for the creation of the world c. and so did oblige all mankinde though as a Sabbath or day of symbolical rest it was afterward particularly given to the Jews by Moses For it is the opinion not only of some Jewish Doctors but of learned men among our selves that in the 4 h Commandment the sanctifying of the seventh day and the rest then commanded are several distinct things and that the first refer to the creation of the world as the cause the other to the Egyptian bondage out of which they were delivered and that therefore the one belonged to all men the other onely to the Jews for which cause the Sabbath is said to be a signe between God and
them Exod. 31. 13. of which opinion seem to be Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 30. and Euseb. hist. 1. cap 4. And thus that of Genesis 2. of Gods blessing and sanctifying the seventh day may be expounded cleerly and litterally without any forced interpretation that God did then sanctifie and appoint that day to be kept holy by a joyful remembrance of the creation and by other holy duties solemnly to be performed to him as Creator of all that being the birth day of the world which God the Lord of all would have observed as Princes who appoint the birth-day of their sons to be kept by their subjects For though I know diverse learned men both ancient and modern do otherwise expound the words either of Gods sanctifying the day in himself by a rest or cessation from those emanations of his power and goodnesse or by destinating the day to be observed afterwards or that the words are spoken by anticipation viz. that Moses writing that history after the Sabbath was given saith that Gods resting on the seventh day was the cause why afterwards viz. when the Law was given he sanctified that day yet the other exposition seems to be more cleer and genuine that the sanctification by holy duties was commanded then and that the rest from all labours was one of the ceremonies given afterwards to the Jews And to this those words of Moses Deuter. 5. 12. seem to relate when after the Commandment of sanctifying the Sabbath day he addes As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to wit long before from the beginning of the world and in Exod. 20. 10 I take the same to be the meaning of the words the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God that is the day consecrated to God from the beginning Therefore 〈◊〉 collects from those words in Job 38. 4. 7. where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth when the morning stars sung together and all the sons of God shouted for joy that upon the seventh day when the world was finisht the Angels who who are stiled the sons of God kept the sabbath And though I will not peremptorily affirme that the Angels kept it yet I take it to be very probable that the people of God the Patriarches and other holy men as they had publick sacrifices and forms of worship so they had some set times for the ordinary performance thereof which is most likely to have been on this day it is hardly credible that in the time of Enoch men should separate themselves from the sons of Cain by calling upon the name of the Lord that is by some publick worship and as learned Drusius thinks by some publick forms or liturgies without some set and solemn time for the performance thereof And Calvin himself though far from the sabbatarian errors yet thinks that the frequent sacrifices performed by Abraham and the other Patriarches were usually upon this day and therefore concludes it probable that the sanctification of it was before the Law And seeing there never was any nation in the world but had some certain and set dayes for their religious exercises can it be imagined that the people of God for those many hundred years before the flood and after even when they were grown into great multitudes in Egypt when they lived for divers hundred years should all that time be without any certain time when to worship God that they should have their sacrifices their priests viz the eldest of the family their altars and consecrated places their tithes which was Gods portion appointed by divine positive law from the beginning as may be elswhere proved and yet have no certain dayes for solemne worship this seemes to me altogether incredible especially if we consider that it is morally impossible that religion should long continue and be preserved among any people without some certain time for the publick exercise thereof And therefore though there be no expresse mention of any such dayes yet I make no question but they observed some and if any then surely this day Besides the ceasing of the manna to fall upon the seventh day for some time before the Law was given is an argument that the sabbath was known before as a day sacred to God though it begun then first to be kept as a day of rest which was afterwards prescribed by a law And hence it was that some relicks of this day were found among the Heathen though much obliterated because not written in their hearts by nature and a high esteeme they had of the seventh day as appears by Clem. Strom. 5. Euseb. praepar l. 13. c. 12. who out of Hesiod mencions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lux septuma sancta 10 Septius Adv. Appi. l. 2. circa finem Philo de die septimo shew that there was no nation so barbarous but that they honoured the seventh day and that it was the holy day not for one nation but for all the world The same is gathered from Homer and Callimachus by Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. The like we finde in Theophilus Ant. lib. 2. ad Autolicum Suetonius in Tiberio 32. Philostratus l. 3. c. 13. Dion Carthus l. 33. Lucian Tibullus and others And wheras Iustine Martyr Tertullian and others of the fathers say often that before the law holy men pleased God without keeping the sabbath they understand by sabbatizing not the publick praise and worship of God but the Jewish rest upon the sabbath which its true was proper to them and symbolical and was not observed by the Patriarchs And that they mean this may gathered from Tertull. l. 4. contra Marcion Hoc priviliigium donatum sabbato a primordio quo dies ipse compertus est veniam jeiunii dico where we see he derives the sabbath as a day of rejoycing from the beginning of the world and thereupon grounds the custom of not fasting on that day and yet the same man denies that the Patriarchs kept the sabbath that is the Jewish symbolical 〈◊〉 4. The fourth conclusion which I shall propound likewise as probable at least is that the Lords day which the Christian Church observes instead of the sabbath is of divine institution that as the seventh day from the Creation was instituted by God himself by a positive law obliging all the world so the Lords day is by positive Law obliging all Christians to the end of all the world instituted by authority from Christ who changed the day by his resurrection from the seventh to the first day of the week and that the Apostles published and ordained it not as ordinary rulers and gouernours of the Church but as speciall extraordinary legates of Christ by order from him and therefore the Church now hath no power to alter this day This assertion follows upon the former for if the sabbath was instituted by God before the Law and did oblige all mankinde as we have shewed already for
the essential part of it as a day of publick worship and praise to the honour of the Creator and that the ceremonial and symbolical part by a typicall rest from labour was that ' which properly concerned the Jews then it wil necessarily follow that the sabbath onely in this latter respect expired at the death of Christ and that the other part which was the observation of the seventh day as a day of publick praise in honour of the Creatour of all having no reference to Christ for wherein did the observation of a certain day for divine worship typifie Christ or his benefits but being grounded upon moral reasons and not given onely to the Jews ought to continue still unlesse it were altered by the same authority to wit divine and therefore the day being altered de facto as appears by the perpetual practise of the Christian Church to the first day of the week it will clearly follow that this could be done by no lesse then divine authority and so the observation of the Lords day may be truely said to be Jure divino as enjoyned by him who is Lord of the sabbath and therefore had power to alter the day which he did by his Apostles Neither is it needful which some vrge that a cleere precept of Christ should be brought for this out of the new testament It is sufficient if by necessary consequence it can be deduced from scripture and though in matters of faith which are of absolute necessity to salvation for all to know it may be granted that they are all expressed in scripture yet for other matters that concern the discipline order and government of the Church it was not necessary to have them expressed in writing though many of them be occasionally mentioned it was sufficient that they might be known by the daily practise of the Church wherein every one might read them written in large and Capital letters which universal practise and traditio of the Church in these matters he that shall denie or question may by the like reason question the authors and number of the books of Canonical scripture and whether they were written by men divinely inspired and so by consequence may question the authority of the scripture it self which is conveyed to us no otherwise then by the universal and Catholick tradition of the Church Besides how dangerous it is that the publick exercise of Christian religion should depend upon so week a foundation as authority humane wch may alter its own constitutions is subject to manifold errours I leave to the prudent and judicious Christian to consider The Lords day then I conceive to be grounded upon divine authority not onely in regard that all authority is from God and so divine for so all humane laws might be said to be by divine authority for it is true which learned Breerewood saith there may be divine authority for humane decrees and as Molina saith well Licet quae a regia aliis legitimis inferioribus potestatibus rite praecipiuntur sunt de jure positivo quod tamen illis post quam it a constitutae sunt pareatur est de jure divino cum legitime omnes potestates a Deo sunt Deique vices suo ordine tenent dumque illis obedimus earumque precepta servamus Deo pariter in illis paremus Deique praeceptum voluntatem exequimur though the commands of Kings and other inferiour lawful powers are onely by positive law yet that their constitutions be obeyed is by divine law for all lawful powers are from God and are his Deputies in their order so that when we obey them and keep their Commandments we do also obey God in them and fulfill his will and Commandment But I mean by divine authority that which is immediately divine in regard of the subject God or Christ himself who ordained and appointed this day though it were publisht to the world by the Apostles as the messengers of Christ as they publisht the Gospel and those things for which they had commission from Christ. It is true that the Apostles instituted other things as ordinary governours of the Church which are in themselves changeable as cannot be denied as their orders about widows saluting with a holy kisse and the like which are now antiquated But that the Lords day was not of this latter sort but of the former besides the former reasons which are stronger then any I have seen to the contrary may be likewise evinced by the testimony of the Church and of the most learned and eminent Doctors of it in several ages whose testimony in matters of fact and things of this nature is the best way that I know to prove what is not cleerely and evidently set down in scriptures and that wherein the conscience may most safely rest That text of Psal. 118 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made let us reioyce and beglad in it is generally by the fathers applied to the Lords day as made or instituted by the Lord so among others Athanasius Ambrose Chrysostom Augustine expound it Justin Martyr in 2 Aponl Antonim saith Apostolus a Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 celebritatem accepisse That the Apostles received from Christ himself the celebrity of this day Athanasius saith 〈◊〉 sabbati Dominus in diem Dominicum transtulit that the Lord himself hath transferred the solemnity of the sabbath to the Lords day Hom. de semente and in the forementioned Hom. upon these words all things are delivered to me by my father Infers the Lords day to be of divine institution Cyrill l. 12 in John Cap. 58. speaking of the apparitions of Christ upon this day saith that Christ thereby sanctified this day for solemne assemblies Chrysostom on Gen. 2. 3. saith here God from the beginning intimates this doctrine to us to lay aside and separate one day in every week for spiritual exercises Saint Augustine Epist. 119. seems to say the same that the Lords day was declared by the resurrection of Christ ab illo not ab illa caepit habere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from him that is from Christ it began to be made a festival Lactantius and others tell us that the primitive Christians expected Christs returne to judgement on that day by general tradition which shews they thought it unalterable and so no humane constitution Besides particular testimonies we have the publick testimony of the Church in her canons generally received in the the Christian world Cap. 〈◊〉 Feriis where it is said tam veteris quam 〈◊〉 testamenti pagina septimum diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both the old and new Testament have appointed the seventh day for mans rest In that famous constitution of Leo the Emperor 〈◊〉 54. for the keeping of the Lords day it is said we ought not to encroach upon that one day which God hath chosen for his own honour Among the canonists some of the chief are expressly for the divine right
of the Lords day as Abbas Panormit in c. 3 de Feriis Anchor and others and of the latter canonists 〈◊〉 at large proves the festivtiy of the Lords day ab Apostolis divina institutione edoctis 〈◊〉 fuisse that it was appointed by the 〈◊〉 instructed therein by divine institution Variar 〈◊〉 l. 4. c. 19. n. 5. and that to make it a humane institution were nimis indecorum wch he makes to be the opinion of some men and not generally received And though most of the Schoolmen following Aquinas herein make it onely an ecclesiastical constitution of the Apostles which they do upon this ground that Christ gave no special precepts but onely about faith and the sacraments which if it could be here insisted upon might ealsiy be proved false yet even of them some are for the divine right as Augr. l de verbo Feri e. ss 3. and Sylvest verb. Dominica who affirmes it to be the common opinon in his time and for the rest who are for the jus ecclesiasticum diverse of them say that though the day be absolutely alterable yet morally and practically it is immutable because this change can never be put in practise as Suarez saith and that it is so fixed and deeply rooted and so agreeable to right reason that it can never be changed ob defectum causae because there be no such cause to change it as there was to fix it on this day and that therfore the holy Ghost would never permit the Church to change it because such a change could not be for edification so Fileucius tract ' 3. cap. 2. n. 16. 17. and Ballarmine saith 〈◊〉 divinum requirebat ut 〈◊〉 dies Hebdomadis dicaretur cultui divino that by divine right one day of the week ought to be consecrated to divine worship Decultu sanct lib. 3. cap. 11. de die Dominico If we come lower down divers eminent divines of the reformed Churches go this way though its true that both of Luthers and Calvins followers some seeme to encline to the other opinion as Peter Martyr loco citato Junius in his notes upon 〈◊〉 in cap. 16. Apol. And in his lectures on Gen 23. Piscator in Apoc. 1. 10. Tylnus syntag loc 44. p. 276. to whom diverse others may be added If we come to our own church The homily of the time and place of prayer is full and copious expressely affirming and that often that God hath commanded the observation of the Sunday or Lords day which being the publike voice of the Church ought in points doubtful to have so much weight with every son of the Church as to turn the scale when it hangs in aequilibrio to which we may adde our learned Author that great light of this Church in the places forequoted and that judicious and 〈◊〉 Hooker that Malleus Schismatieorum who is very peremptory in the point as having studied it throughly Eccles. Polit. lib. 5. n. 17. to whom may be added Doctor Fullk on Revelation 1. Doctor Hackwell 〈◊〉 with many others of great learning and judgement not to mention that Rabble of our disaffected Clergie whose Schismatical and factious practises together with that ignorance and pride which is generally seen in most of them and their Jewish principles which they go upon may justly render their judgements suspected so that their authority can be of little weight with judicious pious and peaceable men and therefore I should suspect this opinion if it were not 〈◊〉 by better reasons and authority then these men bring Now to these reasons and testimonies if we adde How Christ honoured that day with his resurrection his apparitions to his Disciples after and sending the Holy Ghost on that day the practise of the Apostles and the first Christians having their religious meetings on that day the title of the Lords day which it had given in S. Johns time together with those high titles and encomiums of the day given by Ignatius Chrysostome Athanasius 〈◊〉 S. Augustine Leo and others of the Fathers calling it the Queen and Princesse of dayes the Royal day the most holy Festival the first and chief of all dayes the venerable day c. we may well conclude both that it was the will of Christ that day should be kept holy to him and that the Church esteemed it no lesse then divine not a humane constitution 5. Fiftly concerning the fourth Commandment whether it be in force or what we are tied to by vertue of the fourth Commandment I answer 1. It is certain there is a moral equity in the fourth Commandment which extends to us under the Gospel viz. that some time be set apart for publick worship and that not lesse then a seventh part for if God thought it fit in his wisdom to require a seventh part before Christs coming in all reason we that live now after his coming ought to give him as much at least we having received greater benefits then they that lived before Christ by Christ now exhibited and having better and clearer promises with a greater measure of the 〈◊〉 now ordinarily given so that a greater measure of mortification to the world is now required and therefore we ought as little or rather far lesse then they to minde worldly affairs and to have our thoughts more raised up to heavenly things In regard of which moral equity this precept extends to all times and persons and is therefore put among the other Commandements which are purely moral and so retaines its power of obligation and therefore the Church hath just cause to retain it in the Liturgie and by that usuall Antiphona at the end of this Commandment as well as of the rest to pray Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law 2. Secondly in regard of the particular day litterally enjoyned by this Commandment it is certain it doth not oblige any since Christ for the special day here required is the seventh from the Creation not a seventh day in general as some without any ground affirme but that seventh day in special which was then observed which was no other then the seventh from the Creation for though the first part of the Commandement specifies not the day but requires onely to sanctifie the Sabbath yet the reason added doth plainly limit the day to the seventh day from the Creation and cannot be extended to the Lords day without manifest absurdity for who would not think this reason ridiculous God made heaven and earth in six dayes and rested on the seventh therefore we ought in imitation of him to rest on the first day when he began to work besides that the text saith expressely that the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it that is not a seventh day but that seventh day viz. the seventh from the Creation And therefore those who would ground the Lords day upon the letter of the fourth Commandment must of necessity fall into Judaisme and observe the Saturday Sabbath which was the errour
of Brabourn and 〈◊〉 who were censured the one in the high Commission the other in Star-chamber and were learnedly confuted by two learned Bishops of Winchester and Eli the one in a speech in Star-Chamber now extant the other in a full tract of this subject But though the day be altered from the last to the first day of the week yet I do not therefore say that the seventh day from the Creation was ceremonial or expired as a ceremony at Christs death as is commonly said by some Divines for wherein could the keeping of a seventh day typifie Christ or his benefits but it was observed as a positive Law yet of divine institution and being no natural Law but depending upon Gods will and pleasure might therefore by the same authority when the new creation was finished by Christs resurrection which overshadowed the first creation be altered to another day in memory of that greater benefit and so accordingly it was 6. Concerning the rest observed by the Jews it is certain t was partly moral and partly ceremonial moral in regard that the duties of publick worship cannot be performed without a cessation from other labours and ceremonial as it looked backward and forward backward as a signe of Gods rest after the creation and of their deliverance out of the Egyptian servitude forward as a type of Christs rest in the grave Hebrews 4. of our rest from the servile works of sin in the time of grace as S. Augustine faith and of the eternal rest in heaven 〈◊〉 4. Besides all which it was also a signe to distinguish them from other people Exodus 20. 12. Now for the rest required of us on the Lords day it is not the same with that of the Iews but differs 1. Because rest is now required onely in reference to the holy duties which cannot otherwise be performed not for it self as if it were pleasing to God or the works of mens callings unlawfull but that they might give way to works of a higher nature to sacred duties which if they be not performed the rest is a meere mockery Sabbatum asinorum whereas the rest of the Iewish Sabbath was required for it self they were to rest in their rest and hence it was that the Iewish sabbath is reckoned by S. Paul among the shadows that vanisht at Christs coming and the Fathers generally make the Commandment of the sabbath ceremonial which if any should now observe he should thereby revive Judaisme and in effect deny that Christ the body is come as S. Augustine in the place alledged and elsewhere Quisquis diem illum 〈◊〉 observat 〈◊〉 litera sonat carnaliter sapit whosoever observes that day according to the flesh is carnally wise and hence it is that generally the Fathers 〈◊〉 to call the Lords day by the the name of sabbath for we shall hardly finde in any ancient writers the Lords day called the sabbath till some of late in our Church sprung up who usually stile it by that name against all antiquity and reason whom some others of learning have 〈◊〉 followed being carried by the stream and not foreseeing the evils that have since followed and were then intended by those men 2. Another difference which follows from the former is that because the rest now is not required for it self but as it may further holy duties therefore it is not so strictly required of us as of them They might not do some works which were neither against 〈◊〉 or charity they might not kindle a fire or dresse meat or bury the dead on that day which no doubt are now lawful and the reason is because their rest was symbolical and figurative and therefore that it might the more exactly answer to the thing figured must be the more exact for as Bellar. saith Figurae 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 alioquin non bone significant figures must be exact else they do not well represent the thing signified Now if any shall ask what labours and works we must abstain from and how long seeing to rest onely in the time of publick worship may seem to be enough in reference to the performance of holy duties I conceive it the most probable answer that herein we must be directed in particular by the Laws Canons and Customes of the Church wherein we live and that by divine Law as the sanctifying of the day is required in general so the resting from our ordinary labours in reference to that end is onely required in general by the Law of God but the particular determination of what works and how long and in what manner with 〈◊〉 circumstances of which no general Law could be so fitly given is left to the Bishops and Pastors of the Church for as God hath commanded publique worship by prayer and praises c in general but the modification of it for form order time and manner of performance hath been left to the Church who hath alwayes ordered these things and altered them as there was occasion so for the abstinence from labours what rest may be necessary not onely in the time of publick duties but before and after as preparatives thereto and means of better profiting thereby by meditations and other exercises and for the more solemnity of the day for these and the like I do not finde that Christ hath given any particular rules but that every one is herein to submit to the Canons and orders of the Church and to conform himself thereto and that this conformity in obedience to God who requires us to hear the Church and obey our Pastors is acceptable to God and therefore those that will not rest herein but look for particular directions out of Scripture for every thing which indeed they cannot finde by writing what ever they finde about the Sabbath and applying it to the Lords day do unawares sall into Judaisme and perplex mens consciences into inextricable Laborynths as daily experience shews whereas the constant practise of the Church of Christ in all ages shews that in these things she did use that authority which Christ hath given her as appears by the several constitutions both Ecclesiastical and Civil sometimes enlarging and sometimes restraining the liberty of people in these matters And hence it is that though the Fathers usually say that all the glory of the Sabbath is transferred to the Lords day and though it be commonly said that the Lords day succeeds the Sabbath yet the truth is that it succeeds not properly as the Heir doth his Father at least it is not Heres ex asse as Civilians speak but as the light follows darknes and the substance the shadow in regard that the rest of the Jews Sabbath as it was symbolical is expired and onely what was grounded upon moral equity in it is continued in the Lords day in which for the particular manner of observing we must look to the canons and customs of the Church which are of such force in these things
have had no just cause of complaint if he had given us day for day we could not onely have no iust cause of murmuring but also ought to have opened our mouthes to praise him for it But seeing he hath dealt so liberally with us in granting us six dayes for our own 〈◊〉 and to do our work and reserving but one to himself we must acknowledge it to be a liberal proportion and so it is 〈◊〉 judice and therefore if we be not clean void of good nature it cannot but content us and keep us from 〈◊〉 We see in Adams case that when God had finished the Creation and put him in Paradise notwithstanding Gods bounty to him in granting him all the trees in the garden one onely excepted yet the devil was presently upon him and upbraided God with his niggardlines in that he had not given him freedom to eat of all the trees in the garden and no doubt but the same devil useth the same pollicy with us still in this 〈◊〉 May you not doe what you will with all the dayes of the week Now the consideration of Gods bounty to us should answer all such suggestions for we cannot say but that we are well dealt withall he having granted us two times and a time to his one time six dayes to one and therefore how careful should we be to give him that one This should draw from us an answer like to that of Joseph to his Mistris My Master hath kept nothing from me but thee how then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God All the dayes of the week hath God granted me onely one hath he reserved to himself how can I then be so unkinde and unthankfull as 〈◊〉 deny him that Let not David in this be our patterne who having many sheep of his own would notwithstanding pluck the one and onely sheep out of the poor mans bosom for if we having many dayes of our own take from God his one day and pluck that one sheep out of Gods bosom and make it common for our selves by doing in it our opus servile servile work we are worthy to 〈◊〉 1000. deathes and God being so liberal and dealing with us in so unequal proportion to himself as 6. to us for one to him taking of us but one for six if we do not his work on that day we are to be taxed of extream injustice and ingratitude This is the meaning of those words and do all thy worke that whereas God might have imployed us in his worke and musing on his will all the dayes of our life but he is content to forbeare and spare us the rest of the week that in that time all our own affaires might be dispatched and none left undone or to be done on this day God might say to us as Nathan said to David All this have I given thee and more I would have given thee if that had not been enough but certain it is that he saw in his wisdom that these six dayes were sufficient and therefore willeth us to remember and still be so carefull to order our affaires on these dayes that against his seventh day comes we may be at leasure to sanctifie it 2. The second reason implyed is in these words But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God which contain the second opposition and intimate to us that the seventh day is Gods own proper day with which we have nothing to do to imploy it as we please and that it is plain theft and sacriledge to rob God of this part of time which he hath reserved to himself For if God had thought fit to have given us the seventh day too then might we have wrought on that day also but seeing he hath reserved it to himself we cannot without plain theft or robbery breake in upon this day to which we have no right by doing our own worke upon it Render therefore unto God that which is Gods for it cannot be withheld from him without sacriledge It is as if a man should say you may wear those clothes which are your own and bought with your mony but this garment which is bought with mine you cannot without violence take from me so likewise because of Gods bounty to us we cannot without ingratitude and manifest injury to him take this day from him because it is his he will have it wholly to himself In it thou shalt do no manner of worke Those who are comprehended within the Prohibition stand in five ranks 1. Thou secondly Thy son and thy daughter thirdly Thy man 〈◊〉 and maid-servant 4. Thy cattel 5. The stranger that is within thy gates 1. First for the Paterfamilias the master of the family It is reputed to be an especial preferment to be set over the family by the Lord of the family And as it is honos an honour so it is onus too a charge for Cui plus datur ab eo plus petetur to whom much is given of him shall be much required and therefore the first charge is laid here upon him that is the chief For as long as man is in the condition of a son or a servant so long he may say Ego serviam I will serve but if once he come to have the charge of a family then he must say with Joshua Ego domus 〈◊〉 I and my house will serve the Lord. In reference whereto when Christ had converted Zacheus he said This day is salvation come to this house why because this man who is chief of the family is the son of Abraham and Abraham instructed his family He must say to his family as Christ did to his Apostles exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example For if Peter or whosoever is principal fall away then others yea Barnabas himself will be drawn away too So though he discharge the duty himself yet if he take not care that others under him discharge it also he is a debtor That is he ought to 〈◊〉 so far from giving occasion himself or suffering others to violate that day by working or setting them that are under him to servile worke that he together with them must see the day sanctified and take care that all joyn in those holy duties which are requisite to the sanctification of the day 2. The second is concerning children Saint Augustines argument is good upon that in Deut. 20. Where if a man had new built an house the manner was to consecrate it That if a man that hath built a house be carefull to consecrate it being but the fruit of his hands then much more lieth the care upon him of consecrateing the fruit of his loins We see this careful affection in Abraham that he would command his sons to keep the way of the Lord for where the greatest love is there is also the greatest desire of conjunction
as well in spirit as in body and in grace and holines and the means thereof the service of God as in nature even natural love if it be true and rightly guided teaches man curare 〈◊〉 to take care for their childrens good as well as their own and that for their souls as well as their bodies 3. In the third place Servants are prohibited from work on that day We see in the place before quoted that Abraham was commended by God for the care 〈◊〉 took for his household to do his service And the Apostle saith that in the service of God God takes no notice of the difference of 〈◊〉 from others in Christ is no difference of bond or free thy servants must rest as well as thy self And God elsewhere gives another reason for it Remember thou wast a servant where thou wast opprest with labour God hath a care of them and charity and humanity requires that we weare not out our family with too much toyle lest the Common-wealth be endangered by their hard vsage We read that in the Spartan and other common-wealths diverse insurrections have troubled the states by overburdening of servants therefore God for the preservation of commonwealths provides here that they may have a day of rest and refreshment 4. So likewise of 〈◊〉 Gods mercy care and providence extends likewise to them Thou Lord saith the psalmist shalt save both man and beast how excellent is thy mercy O God it extendeth to the bodies and lives of them for A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast saith Solomon God therefore here takes order that the beast be not overtired He hath also charged that the earth shall have its sabbath if it have not it will cry against us and the furrows there of will complain as holy Job speaks for Quod caret alterna requie durabile non est neither land nor cattel if they rest not sometimes cannot hold out one end of Gods providence herein is to restrain our covetous humour and desire which is such that rather then lose the least gain we will put our land and cattle to the utmost therefore by this clause God takes order to restrain it Another end is that by beholding the beasts to rest we might be the more stirred up and moved to sanctifie a rest our selves not that the rest of beasts is acceptable to God or required for it self but that we may be affected therewith and put in minde of our duties we read that in the fast of Nineveh command was given let neither man nor beast herd nor flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water not that God tooke any delight in the fasting of beasts nor that it was acceptable to him but that the 〈◊〉 seeing their beasts pined before them 〈◊〉 be moved the more to repent and humble themselves for their sinnes so here 〈◊〉 Jews seeing their beasts to keep a kinde of sabbath might the better 〈◊〉 to keep it themselves 5. The last is the stranger within thy gates Now the gates of a house or of a city 〈◊〉 scripture signifie a jurisdiction or protection He that is within anothers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under his jurisdiction and as he enjoys thereby protection against injuries by coming within anothers gates so also he must be subiect to his jurisdiction when God told Abraham that his seed should possesse the gates of his enemies his meaning was they should conquer and be Lords of their cities And when Lot told the 〈◊〉 that the Angels came under his roof he signified that they came thither to be under his protection So that if a stranger come to remain within our 〈◊〉 or under our roof he is to be under our government as well as he enjoys our protection and therefore is to be under our care in point of religious duties 〈◊〉 case of jurisdiction Nehemiah as long as he had hope to reclaime the men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Ashdod 〈◊〉 them to come within the gates of Jerusalem with their 〈◊〉 ut when he found that notwithstanding his threats they would come in and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 markets upon the sabbath he shut the gates against them at the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or preparation of the sabbath And thus we see the meaning of 〈◊〉 Commandment for works and persons in general and particular Now there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasons for it 〈◊〉 first which is the general and main reason is for in six dayes the Lord 〈◊〉 heaven and earth c. the rule as we said before of 〈◊〉 precepts is 〈◊〉 be observed that a moral reason is often given of a ceremonial precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ceremonies there is a general moral equity 〈◊〉 instances may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law but when a reason is given as a ful and adequate cause of such a precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the immediate and essential cause of 〈◊〉 it is true that if such a reason be moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there the precept is so too Besides it is observed by Maimonides and others that the cause why a rest is enjoyned and the cause why it was upon this day are two different things The first 〈◊〉 was the true and original cause of the rest is expressed Deut. 5. because of their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage to keep a memorial of it The other is expressed here for whereas any other day might have been chosen for this rest yet God thought fit to pitch upon this day because it had been consecrated for a day of joy and praise from the beginning by a greatful remembrance of 〈◊〉 creation and because on that day God gave over and finished his work So Aben-Ezra presat in Decal Isaac Arania and others and hence it was called the sabbath But yet though it were granted that Gods rest from the creation was the principal and immediate reason of this precept yet this makes it not so simply moral or immutable as 〈◊〉 law of nature for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still a positive precept jure divino positivo which may be changed by the same authority that made it and soits certain that the day is de facto changed and 〈◊〉 it was by divine authority is most probable as is formerly proved in the 〈◊〉 observations 〈◊〉 immutabilis precepti facit preceptum immutabile If the reason of the commandment be immutable as this is then it makes the commandment unchangeable for the substance of it Because I have rested saith God therefore shalt thou rest in honour of me Creator imitandus a creatura the Creator is to be imitated by the creature is a firme reason and immutable 2. Another reason may be gathered out of the same words namely the benefit that 〈◊〉 to mankinde by that which the Lord did in these six 〈◊〉 Other reasons elsewhere God vseth as proper and peculiar onely to the Jews but this benefit by the creation being general is most fit for all and may be a
means to imploy and exercise us in the meditation of Gods works and in his praise for it as the 92. Psalm shews us which psalm was made especially for the sabbath day As also to the continuing of the memory of the Creation to keep us from Paganisme for if the duty of the memorial of the creation had been duly and successively kept from the beginning and so continued that great doubt which troubled all the Philosophers so much whether the world had a beginning had been taken away And therefore this day being one especial means to keep men from Atheisme was therefore sanctified by God to be a day of rest This was one reason why the not keeping this law was so severely punisht by the Mosaical Law as appeares by the man that gathered sticks upon that day and was therefore put to death which was not onely because the law of the sabbath was then newly made to wit for the ceremonial and typical part which consisted in rest and therefore required the severer punishment but also because the not observing of that day was in effect a denial that God created the world Augustine treating upon the Creation saith it is true that God might have been pleased to have said as well fiat mundus totus let all the world be made in a moment as fiat lux let there be light in the first day it had been all one to his omnipotency to have done it at once as in six 〈◊〉 and enquiring further into the cause why he did not so could finde no other reason but that God by creating one thing after another would teach us that we should proceed in the musing and meditation upon the works of creation severally and in order as God made them So did king David and so did Basile and Ambrose who wrote some books of it And this course of meditation was much in use in the primitive Church 3. The last reason is Because the Lord blessed the seventh day He did not onely rest on that day but he consecrated it also Besides exemplum his example there is institutio he hath solemnly instituted it So that it shall be to us 〈◊〉 animae the Market day of the soul for our amendment in that we 〈◊〉 amisse in the foregoing week and for the regulating of us in the week following But this is not all the force of this last reason is in this God saith because have blessed and hallowed it seeing I have appointed it see you do not resist me butsubmit your selves to my ordinance He that keepeth it not and resisteth Gods ordinance resisteth God himself and they that do so receive to themselves damnation Therfore that which God hath hallowed we must not pollute We see the reasons why this rest is to be kept let us now see how far it is to be kept and what is required to the sanctification of it CHAP. V. How far this rest is to be kept Why this word Remember is prefixed Such works to be fortorn which may be done before or after Necessity of a vacation from other works that we may attend Holy duties Mans opposition to God when he bids rest then we labour 〈◊〉 contra six works in particular forbidenthe Jews Whether the same 〈◊〉 absolutely now forbidden the Christians Rest necessary onely for the means of sanctification or the practise of it as in works of mercy or necessity sabbatum boum Asinorum Sabbatum aurei vituli Sabbatum 〈◊〉 Sabbatum Satane THe substance of this fourth Commandment consisteth especially in these two things 1. In the outward rest of the body otium 2. In the holy duties which are the end to sanctifie it Sanctificatio 1. As before we are willed to remember it both in the week before the day come partly because in the day it self we are to yield an account to God of the former fix dayes work in singultu scrupulo cordis with trouble and sorrow of heart partly also as Augustine speaketh ne quid operis rejiciatur in diem festum that no work that might be done in the former dayes be put of to the holy day so when it is come we must avoid two things which as Saint Gregory observes may cause us to forget to sanctifie it 1. The one is aliorum exempla other mens ill examples 2. The other is Ludorum spectaculorum studia the practise and desires we have to unlawful sports and sights to which men are more naturally addicted then to the sanctifying of the day And in as much as we are to esteem of the sabbath as Deliciae Domini the delight of the Lord and that these two things are main obstacles and impediments to such estimation of it we must not onely remember it before hand but when it cometh also That which we are to remember is A day of rest and to sanctifie it Augustine comprehends them both in two words otium sanctum a holy rest 1. A ceasing from labour and if we ask from what labour It is as an ancient Canon of the Church sheweth Ab eo quod antea fieri poterat aut quod postea fieri poterit from that which might have been done before and from that which may be done afterward And whatsoever is meant by the labour and work of the week day that must be forborn on this day with this proviso That Ab eo quod nec antea fieri poterat nec postea poterit non est abstinendum such works of necessity which cannot be de done either before or after are not to be forborn The grounds are laid by Augustine and Jerome thus There is nothing as the Preacher saith but must have its time As we destinate a set time for our bodies repast sleep and the like in 〈◊〉 time we usually take order that we be not interrupted or disturbed by any other occasions And so in other temporal things the more serious they are we go about the more care we take that we be not hindred in them but that we may wholly minde them hoc agere So in the case of spirituals there ought to be a set time for the building up of the soul and procuring holinesse to it and exercising holinesse by it wherein we are to use no lesse care being a matter of greatest importance but that in the promoting of it all impediments may be removed that may hinder us in it ut promptiores simus ad divinum cultum cum non habemus impedimentum saith S. Augustine that we may be more ready for divine worship when we have no lets or impediments to hinder us And this is so plain as that we see even the Councel of Trent taking order for observing of holy dayes hath set down concerning the holy duties which are to be performed on those dayes that they are such Quae ab his qui ab humanarum occupationum negotio detinentur omnino praestari non
possunt which cannot be performed by those that are busied with worldly or secular affairs So many of the Fathers that write upon this place vacate videte quia ego sum Dominus Be still and know that I am God shew that by the rule of natural wisdom the Philosophers held Postulandum esse secessum ut melius intendamus a vacation from worldly affairs is necessary that we may the better intend contemplate on heavenly things Our heads must not be occupied with worldly thoughts when we are about the affairs of the soul not that the works of the other six dayes are evil in themselves but because they are apt to distract the minde from that which is proper to this day Now Otium Rest being the first part it is a very strange thing that the nature of man should be altogether so averse from Gods will that when the Precept is difficult and laborious requiring some pains and travail then they will be idle and where this precept is not laborious but easy as this to rest they will rather then not break the Commandment take pains that is they will even against their nature make themselvs businesse and pick out that day of all the dayes of the week that he hath chosen so that it shall be a kinde of policy to make advantage of that day and to finde out some labour on that day on which he hath forbid us to labour And so much for the easinesse of the Commandment and the perversenesse of man We finde in Scripture six several kindes of prohibitions from working on this day 1. Before the Law given when the people departed from Elim and came to the wildernesse of Sin there was a prohibition from gathering Manna there was better food to gather of which he that eateth shall live for ever The Lord is to be tasted 2. A second is As there must be no gathering of Manna nor going out to gather it that day so there must be no buying of it though it should be brought to us So Nehemiah protested against buying and selling which sheweth the unlawfulnesse of it because on that day is Mercatura animae it is the market day of the soul buying and selling on that day is forbidden 3. A third is that which the Prophet Jerem. mentions that is the carrying of burthens on that day and the better to dissuade the people from that kinde of work the Prophet promiseth in the person of God great blessings to them if they forbear and threatneth great plagues upon them if they did not for if they made that their day of 〈◊〉 God would send upon them a burden which they should sink under viz. Captivity and desolation by the Enemy he would kindle a fire in Jerusalem and burn up the gates and palaces thereof verse ult 4. Another thing prohibited by the Law is working in harvest time because the inning of harvest and gathering of grapes might seem to be a matter of great necessity Six dayes shalt thou work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing time and in harvest time thou shalt rest so that the provision for the whole common-wealth must give place unto the rest of this day 5. A fifth thing prohibited is Travailing or Journeying on the Sabbath day Cras erit Sabbatum jehovae maneat quisque in loco suo neque egrediatur quisquam die septimo to morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord Abide ye every man in his place let no man go out of his place the seventh day 6. The last is above the rest For whereas God in the three Chapters before had given Moses a platform for the building of a Tabernacle and taken order that he should go presently in hand with it yet in the 31 Chapter he saith notwithstanding Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep whosever worketh on that day the same person shall be surely put to death Which is as much as if he had said Though that work may seem most lawful and tending most to my glory of all other yet ye shall not break the Sabbath to do it and so verse 15 he gives an universal restraint whosoever doth any manner of work on that day shall be put to death any manner of work an universal prohibition and the penalty threatned was accordingly executed upon him that gathered sticks Numb 6. 15. 35. he was stoned to death by Gods special appointment And the Lord tells the people that if they pollute the Sabbath by bearing burdens he would kindle such a fire in the gates of Jerusalem that should devour the palaces of it and not be quenched The Prophets generally urge the observation of this Commandment above the rest And we may observe that there hath seldom been any strange visitation by fire but where there hath some notorious prophanation of the Sabbath gone before So that when it shall please God to visit us with the like judgement we may conjecture what hath been the cause of it Concerning the rest now required on the Lords day and the difference thereof from the Jewish symbolical rest which was therefore more strict see the former Additional observation observation 6. Therefore to conclude this point let them that go out to gather Manna carry burdens buy and sell gather harvest journey and travail up and down or do any the most lawful work not think these things to be otium sanctum or Sabbatum Jehovae a holy rest or the Sabbath of the Lord but as Leo saith Sabbatum Tyri the Sabbath of Tyre The Councel of Mentz held in the time of Charlemain Anno Dom. 813 hath this Canon Omnes 〈◊〉 Dominicos cum omni veneratione decrevimus observari a servili opere abstineri ut 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 minime sit nec placitum ubi aliquis ad mortem vel poenam judicetur we have decreed that all the Lords dayes be observed with all reverence and that servile labour shall be forborne and that no market be kept on those dayes nor that any Courts be kept either to condemn men to death or punish them Those that offend are to be deprived of the communion for three years And the Council of Tyburis Anno 895. in the time of the Emperor Arnulph hath one Canon to the like purpose as well for the observation of other holy dayes as the Lords day In the second Council of Mascon held anno 582 severe punishments were to be inflicted upon those that should not observe the Lords day and that toto die all the day long As it was larger for the fault so it was milder for the punishment for they suspended those that violated this Canon from the Communion but for half a year so strict were they for the sanctifying of this day and that as one saith because God requires the rest not for the rest it self sed quia hoc die Deo tantummodo vacandum because we must this
an exemption the Lord hath resigned his right into our hands but not upon an imminent peril or necessity which may be prevented or avoided On the other side we are to observe another Proviso We must be careful that because God seeth the heart and we are to deal with him we be sure the danger could not be prevented nor the work be deferred but that present danger and necessity enforceth us to it For we must not draw a necessity upon our selves or pretend a necessity when there is none because God will not be mocked though we may delude the eyes of men This is to be remembred because of the practise of some who Inne their harvest on the Sunday pretending that it is not Gods will that any of his creatures should perish which is true and might lessen the offence if they did it onely for preserving the creature and not for their own gain and profit which if they pretend let them know that God sees their hearts and knows their intentions Therefore for tryal of men in this case it were good if to put a dfference between their works on that day and upon other dayes they would do as they did 1 Cor. 16. 2. lay up on the first day of the week whatsoever they gain or save by their work on that day and give it to the poor by this means it would appear with what hearts they wrought on this day whether onely to save the Creature or out of a desire of lucre and gain Thus we see what rest is commanded and how these cases may be resolved 3. But here ariseth another question When we have rested is that all we are to do Surely no. It is not sufficient that we rest if we do not sanctifie too Leo said of the people of his time that on this day their care was bene vestiri nibil agere keep holy day by wearing gay clothes and doing nothing Now as S. Paul said of bodily labour that it profitteth little so we may say of bodily rest that it profiteth lesse This rest is to holinesse and not to idlenesse We must not be 〈◊〉 on that day of rest To keep a Sabbath therefore and not be able to give accompt of some good thing done by us in it is that which the Fathers call Sabbatum boum asinorum the oxen and asses keep as good a sabbath as such do Besides these Idle sabbath keepers there are two other sorts of people that are neither idle nor well imployed 1. Of the first sort Augustine speaks and they were either 1. such as did vacare 〈◊〉 theatris spectaculis choreis spend their time in pastimes shewes stage-playes and dancing or else those that 2. gave themselves on the Sabbath venationi to hunting To which Leo addes such as did vacare chartis rationibus commessationibus passed the day in playing at Cards and in revelling and so addicted were they to these things as that they were not at al occupied in any work ofsanctification These mens Sabbath as Augustine well observeth is like that of the people in Exodus Cras observabimus 〈◊〉 Jebovae To morrow shall be a sabbath to the Lord they would keep a sabbath to him but it should be as in the next verse to eat and drink and play this sabbath I say was kept to the Calf and therefore he calleth it Sabbatum vituli 〈◊〉 the sabbath of the golden Calf For as we may not keep open markets go to plough or to Law on that day so neither should we spend the time in hunting nor yet in dancing and sporting Nor spend our time ordained for sanctification in beholding sights stageplaies and the like Not because these are in themselves evil or unlawful but in that they hinder our sanctification against such prophanation of this day severe order was taken by diverse councels as Concil Gangr 5. Can. 8. Concil Agath 38. Can. 1. Some christians in the primitive times were so far from this that they would sit in the oratory all the Lords day praying and hearing without eating or drinking insomuch as by their long fasting diverse diseases grew among them wherupon the same council of Gangra in Paphlagonia held 〈◊〉 Dom. 327. Was forced to make a Canon with an Anathema annexed to it against those who thenceforward should fast upon the Lords day But though we shall not need to fear such zeal in our times yet it sheweth to us the great and excellent examples of abstinence used in the Primitive Church to make them more fit for the service of God 1. The other sort are they that spend their time this day in gluttony Lust drunkennesse and such like vices which ought not at any time much lesse on that day be practised For if the affaires of our calling or the sports lawful on another day must not be used on this day much lesse any vice which is unlawful at any time for hereby a double iniquity is committed 1. first because the commandment is violated and this day seemes to be picked and singled out of all other dayes despitefully against the Majesty of God 2. Secondly because it is an abuse of the Creatures of God and a breach of other commandments And therefore as the other was Sabbatum Tyri so these do celebrare sabbatum 〈◊〉 keep a sabbath to the devil CHAP. VI. The second thing commanded is sanctification which is the end of the 〈◊〉 The kindes of sanctification publick and private How the holy Ghost works in 〈◊〉 sanctification The special acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists 1. prayer 2. The word read and preached 3. Meditation of what we have heard and upon the works of God out of Psal. 92. 4. Conference 5. Praise 6. Sacraments and discipline at special times The end of these means our sanctification and Gods glory TO what end then must this rest be why to holines we must apply it to that end to which God hath appointed it and use that holily which God hath sanctified The right sabbath is called Deliciae 〈◊〉 the delight of the Lord wherein he taketh pleasure and that is truly observed when we not onely cease from our own work as those of our calling but of those of our corrupt nature and will by ceasing from that which is pleasant in our own eyes this is to keep Sabbatum 〈◊〉 a sabbath the delight of the Lord to make it a day honour God and to learn Gods wil and having learnt it to practise it whereby he may blesse us and bring us to the inheritance of our heavenly rest Whereas on the contrary if the high-wayes of Sion complain that none come to her sanctuary or that if we come we so behave our selves in it that the adversary mock at her sabbaths Then God himself will take acourse as the prophet speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostrarum he will cast dong upun our faces even the
witnes of the truth Sain Paul attributeth sanctification of every thing to prayer premised and therefore it is termed the preparative to all the duties of a Christian more plainly Our Saviour very early before day went out into a solitary place and there prayed and afterward came and preached in the Synagogue which is very probable to have been on the sabbath day whereby we may observe that Christ himself took prayer to be the first means of sanctification 1. Now for the times of this exercise of prayer on the Lords day they are two 1. Before the other publick duties and 2 After 1. That before is either private as of a master and his family 2. Or else in the congregation which is publick Both which the psalmist comprehendeth in one verse I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithful there 's the first And in the congregation there 's the last 1. Concerning the first we see in the place before quoted that our Saviour went out into a solitary place as also elsewhere As soon as he had sent the multitude away he departed into a mountain to pray 2. For the other we may gather out of that place in the Acts that amongst the very Heathen the religious Hellinists which were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were a kinde of proselytes that worshipped the God of Israel vsed to assemble themselves to pray by a rivers side But more plainly the Apostle saith that to the prayers of the congregation every one should joyn his own Amen Again prayer is to be vsed after For as we are not fit to receive any spiritual grace before without it so neither to keep it after the devil will take the word out of our hearts after we have heard it unlesse we desire of God that it may remain with us and seek his blessing that the seed may fructify And this was in the law to come from the Priests mouth The Lord blesse thee and keep thee By vertue whereof the devil wil lose his power in taking the word out of our hearts but it shall continue with us and fructifie in us 2. The second is the word which is magnified or sanctified by God for our sanctification for as the prophet saith God hath magnified the law that is his word and made it honorable and else where plainly the hearing of the word is made one end of publick assemblyes gather me the people together saith God and I will makethem hear my words Now the word upon the sabbath hath a double use 1. First as it is read and heard read onely 2. And secondly as it preached or heard preached 1. For the first the Church in great wisdome alwayes thought it most convenient and necessary that reading should precede preaching that when it should be preached it might not seem strange to them that heard it But as that is thought a thing fit by the Church so would it be no lesse expedient that before we come to church we would meditate on it yet such is our wretchlessenesse in matters spiritual that we think we have done enough if we can apprehend it when it is read whereas if we would meditate on it before hand we might make the better 〈◊〉 of it when it is read and be the better confirmed in what we hear preached The Jews had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preparation to the sabbath and about the ninth houre of it which is our three of the clock in the after-noon they usually met and spent their time in reading of the scriptures that they might be the better fitted against the sabbath The publick reading of the word in the congregation on the sabbath day is warranted by diverse passages in holy writ as by that in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that when Paul and his company came into the synagogue at Antioch on the sabbath day the rulers of the Synagogue after the 〈◊〉 of the Law and the Prophets sent to them saying ye men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation say on And by another passage in the same Chapter where it is said that the Prophets were read every sabbath day And by another a little after which saith thus that Moses that is the law was read in the Synagogue every sabbath day And lastly Saint Paul gives a special charge by the Lord to the Thessalonians thathis Epistle to them be read unto all the holy brethren There is a vse also of private reading and that of great consequence for Christ saith plainly that his witnesses be the Scriptures and therefore will he have them searched because they testified and prophecied of him That this exercise is profitable the prophet maketh plain by a question Should not a people enquire at their God which he explains in the next verse by seeking To the law and to the Testimony And again Seek in the book of the Law and read And therefore we see that the Bereans were much commended and storied for wiser and nobler 〈◊〉 other people why because they searched the Scriptures daily to confirm their faith in the points preached to them There are other vses also in reading In the Revelation there is a blessing pronounced to those that read or heare the words of that prophecy because it might excite men to praise God when they see all fulfilled Man seeing the prophecies fulfilled may thereby give him praise And for this cause there were anciently Monuments kept in Churches which preserved and set forth the accomplishing of Gods promises or threatnings As the memorials of the warres of God on the behalf of the Israelites which was called liber bellorum Dei the book of the battels of the Lord and their verba 〈◊〉 or Chronicl es of Nathan Gad Shemaiah c. these they permitted in a holy use to be privately read that seeing his promises and his threatning denounced in them to have been fulfilled men might the better be stirred up to the praise and fear of God 2. Another use was the understanding of hard places in the Scripture It is recorded of Daniel that while hs was reading the book of 〈◊〉 about the accomplishment of the number of the 70 years captivity mentioned by the same prophet God sent an Angel to him to informe him in that great 〈◊〉 about the time of Christs sufferings So the Eunuch while he was reading in the book of Esay had the exposition of Christs sufferings from the Apostle Philip sent for that purpose by God and because God doth not now by such extraordinary means informe us in the true sence of Scriptures therefore we are to read such as have written 〈◊〉 upon such places and so no doubt but if Philip had written any thing at that time upon Esay that the Eunuch would have read it and made use of
it with the timber and stones of it But if they be reserved to the right use then a blessing follows God gives good encouragement and his promises never fail Bring ye al the tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it CHAP. XII The two last rules 1. The signes of keeping the day 2. Of procuring the observation by others The Conclusion THus much for the fourth rule concerning the means of keeping this Commandment There are two things more which are required by the two last Rules 1. The signes that the Sabbath hath been rightly kept 2. The procuring of the obsertion of it in others of which very briefly 1. Of the signes we need say little having already shewed in what duties the sanctifying of the day consists the performance of which are signes that this Commandment is kept In general these two signes manifest the same 1. Our careful frequenting the house of God that day for publick service and worship this we finde in Esay 66. 23. from moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come and worship before me saith the Lord. 2. Our private sanctifying the day in holy duties if every city be like mount Sion every house 〈◊〉 templi like a Temple and every man instar 〈◊〉 like a priest offering up the spiritual sacrifice of 〈◊〉 and praises to God 2. The last rule is for procuring the keeping of the sabbath by others This is Plainly expressed in the letter of the commandment Thou and thy son and they daughter c. And the stranger that is within thy gates Where we see the charge is given to the master of the family not to let the day be prophaned by any within his 〈◊〉 Examples we have for a family in Job who sanctified his sons and offered sacrifices for them For a publick person in the Commonwealth in Nehemiah who caused the gates of Jerusalem to be shut and would not suffer the Merchants to come in and sell their wares upon the sabbath day That which the father is to the family that is the Magistrate to the City as the one should command those of his houshold so the other is to look to them that are within his jurisdiction that they neglect not their duties in this point Nehemiah testified against the people for breaking the sabbath God makes the magistrate Custodem utriusque 〈◊〉 an overseer that men breake no commandment either of the first or second table And he is to take care aswell for the keeping of the sabbath as the maintenance of the Minister He is to call to account those that are under him if the sabbath be broken What evil thing is this that you do and profane the sabbath day Nehemiah commanded his servants and the Levits that no burdens should be brought into the City on the sabbath day and a strict charge is given to the kings and Princes of Judah concerning the observing of the day with a severe threatening if they sufferd it to be prophaned Jer. 17. 18. 19 20. c. Now to conclude when a man hath observed all these rules concerning the sabbath by his own practise and his care over them that belong to him he may in humble manner with Nehemiah after his care herein say to God Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatnes of thy Mercy Remember saith God in the beginning of this Commandment Remember saith Nehemiah in the end So should we end the sabbath and all our actions think of me O my God for good according to all I have done That I have with my family observed the sabbath that all we have been present before God to hear all things that are commanded by him that I and my house have served the Lord. Lord remember me in this Yet let us not be proud of that we have done for at the best we are but unprofitable servants And we have our tenebrosa intervalla fits of darknes too the best of us And in this case as we may say Lord remember us so also we are to say with the same Nehemiah and spare us according to thy great mercy It will be well with us if we can be able to say remember me in hoc in this thing if we have done well but withal we must say spare me in this and that offence committed by me and in the defects that are in my best performances spare me in thy goodnes spare me in the greatnes of thy mercy spare me for the merits of our Saviour That which is here added in the former edition concerning some sins forbidden in this precept is 〈◊〉 here inserted contrary to the Authors method and the same things are formerly handled more fully in their proper places according to the first rule of extension that the negative is included in the affirmative Finis precepti quarti THE EXPOSITION OF THE Fifth Commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. CHAP. I. Of the sum of the second table The love of our neighbour How the second table is like the first 1. Of the Act love How christian love differs from other love The fruits of it The parts of it 2. The obiect our neighbour Who is our neighbour Degrees of proximity and order in love 3. The manner of love as thy self This must appear in 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order THis fifth Commandement beginneth the second Table It is called by some the Table of justice As the other taught us the love and duty of man to God so this the love and duty of one man to another which gives us a Testimony of Gods love towards us that he made man after his own image like to himself and allows him a Table for his good and that with more precepts then that of his own The sum or contents of this Table is delivered Mat. 22. 39 out of Levit 19. 18. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self In which place of Saint Mat. Our Saviour saith that the second is like the first for indeed when we come to the second Table we depart not from the love and honour of God it being no lesse in the second then in the first nay rather somewhat more The similitude mentioned by our Saviour consisteth in this that whereas he hath taken order for his 〈◊〉 love in the first so he hath taken order for the love of man for 〈◊〉 in the second and though it come not so directly to God yet indirectly it doth for our love to man must be grounded uponour love of God we must love him in and for God therefore the Schoolmen make but one Theological vertue of love to
Moses upon mount Sinai he gave him two Tables of Testimony Tables of Stone written with his own finger which had a signe and resemblance and indeed contained summarily the Law of nature But after they were broken in pieces by Moses moved to wrath against the Israelites for their idolatry to the Molten Calf then were two Tables made again by Moses but the Law was written in them by God this Law was called Moses Law because it was delivered to the Israelites by his ministery ever since it hath been delivered to succeeding ages by the ministery of Man Now it was necessary that this Law should be given at this time in these respects 1. Because now not onely the Gentiles walked in the vanity of their own hearts but the Israelites the seed of Abraham to whom God had bound himself by promise were addicted to the Idol-worship of Egypt and having lived long in Egypt had almost lost the knowledge of sacrificing to and tru ly worshipping of of God So that had not God at this time taken his people apart from other Nations into the wildernesse and there as it were schooled them apart and taught them his Law and given it to them written to be preserved for posterity the whole world in probability would have been if dim before stark blinde at length and wholly ignorant of Gods Law 2. Nor did God give his Law to all the world at once nor write it in the manifold and different tongues of the Nations but first imparted it to Moses and Aaron and the Elders of the Jews that by them it might be communicated to the whole body of that people in the ancient tongue kept ever since Adams time by the Patriarchs as is commonly thought And then did God make this his people so famous in regard of the wonderful miracles wrought amongst them his admirable dealings with them his temple and worship granted to them that the world before Christs coming could not plead ignorance Besides whereas the Gentiles had departed from God yet such was his mercy that he left the way open for the Israelites to call them again to the truth and for their reentrance into the true Church and becoming Pr selytes Now then come we to shew that in this written Law of Moses are all the four properties which are in all Laws 1. Preceptum a rule for our actions 2. Modus the manner how to observe that Rule 3. 4. Praemium poena The reward for keeping and the punishment for breaking it 1. First that it is a Rule and precept for our Actions The Psalmist saith The Law of the Lord is a perfect Law c. Every Law else is unperfect 2 For the Manner It requireth that Toti we be whole observers of the Law it commands that we do it with our whole soul and body For we consist but of those two parts And the soul likewise hath two parts the Minde and the Heart Now God must be perfectus mentis scopus the mark at which the minde must wholly ayme the end of all our actions there must be plena intentio 〈◊〉 Deum look wholly to God in them And the heart which is the will must be tota inflammata wholly inflamed As for the Body every Member of it must be vsed and all the strength of it to perform the Law and be instruments of Righteousnesse toto corde totis viribns all our heart and all our strength must be imployed therein For 〈◊〉 all the Law Its Gods own wish concerning the people O that there were such a heart in them that they would keep all my commandments alwayes and it were very absurd to except any For whereas God is perfectly wise if some of his precepts were needlesse then might he be taxed with folly in not leaving out them which were superfluous And as none of Gods Laws must be left unkept so none but his or what is grounded upon them or not repugnant to them and imposed by lawful authority derived from him must be kept for then his wisdom would be likewise impeached if any thing thing besides his Law or without subordination to his were to be kept and the Law it self would be imperfect but it is neither defective nor hath any thing superfluous in it and therefore God saith Whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto or diminish from it Nothing must be commanded in Gods name as immediately from him but what he hath prescribed For the Continuance Tota in vita est 〈◊〉 It is to be kept alwayes all the dayes of our life The place before quoted sheweth by the word alwayes that to continue all our lives in his obedience is a part of the Law And the same in effect he commandeth elsewhere Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God and keep his charge and his statutes and his judgements and his commandments alway And in all places too for though the place includeth not the time yet the time includeth the place and therefore the house of Rimmon is not nor can be excepted Thirdly for reward If the Law be kept there is promise of reward This Saint Paul confirms Godlinesse saith he is profitable to all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come And our Saviour saith that they that have done good shall come forth of the grave to the resurrection of life Saint Paul testifieth before Agrippa that the twelve Tribes do rest in hope of a Resurrection And the opinion of the Sadduces that held the contrary was ever odious to the best Jews Fourthly for punishment If the Law be not kept after this manner first wholly but in a double heart then comes the Curse which the prophet denounceth Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently And for the Totum He that keepeth not the whole Law is accursed Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the law to do them and all the people shall say Amen which very words Saint Paul reciteth to the Galatians 〈◊〉 he hath in stead of confirmeth not continueth not and that is for the Semper or Toto tempore the keeping them alwayes all our life And these being Gods Curses they are sure for as when he said fiat lux let there be light and it was so so if he say Cursed it will be so too And as there is a fulnesse of blessing to them that can keep this Law so there is a fulnesse of his wrath to them that break it a Curse without a blessing for the one and a blessing without a Curse for the other Curses for these in this life Si non obedietis c. If ye will not harken to do all these commandments all these Curses shall come upon thee As they follow there And for the life to come Their
all the nations of the world be blessed with diverse other of the like nature He also fulfilled the ceremonialls of the Law while he being Priest offered himself as a sacrifice Besides he spiritually circumciseth beleevers by substituting Baptisme instead of Circumcision He is our Passeover and appointed the Eucharist instead of the Paschal Lambe and indeed he is the full complement and perfection of the Law and the Prophets 2. Christ fulfilled the Law by satisfying in most absolute manner the will of God being the holy of holies without spot or sin at all for in him is the love of God most perfect and righteousnesse most absolute And this in regard of the merit and satisfaction thereof he communicates gratis freely to us most imperfect to us I say if we beleeve God was in Christ saith Saint Paul reconciling the world to him not imputing their trespasses to them for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So Abraham beleeved and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse For by faith we rely upon Christ whom we beleeve to have made satisfaction most fully to God for us and that God is so pleased with us in Christ that he accepts us as now become the Sons of God 3. But this faith by which we beleeve in Christ is not by our nature or merits but is wrought in us by Gods grace through the Spirit given into our hearts And this abiding there enflames them with love of Gods Law and desire to expresse the same by good works which though we do not perform as we ought by reason of the infirmity of our flesh yet God allowes our endeavours in Christ. Nor did ever any of the Saints though he strove and resolved to keep the Law as far as he could trust or rely upon his own merits but upon Christ. Saint Paul did not for he complained Who shall deliver me out of this body of death and presently addeth I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that is I thank him that he hath redeemed me from death by Jesus Christ. And it follows There 's now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus c. So that a faithful man moved by Gods Spirit to do that which is good as far as he is able and as the second covenant requires and that out of love of God and not onely for fear of the Curies threatned in the Law may be said to fulfill the Law in such manner that God in Christ accepts of him So much in answer to the first question To the second why God would promise life to them that should keep the Law seeing no man can keep it in a legal and exact manner we answer 1. First besides that it may be doubted whether God doth offer or promise life now otherwise then upon the conditions of the Gospel which may be kept some do further answer that God sheweth hereby that he abides the same and the Law still the same though we be changed from what he made us 2. Secondly Hereby man seeth his own weaknesse and is driven out of himself to seek Christ. For as the Apostle saith if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all men under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve 3. Because Christ took on him our nature and dying for us hath purchased the promised inheritance to be communicated to us by faith and new obedience or sanctification 4. Lastly Though man cannot keep the Law exactly yet upon his faith in Christ and his resolution and indeavour to keep the Law and actual keeping of it by the assistance of Gods grace so as is above declared God accepteth of him in Christ and takes the will for the deed in some things and accounts him righteous and makes good the promise unto him CHAP. XVIII Of the preparation before the giving of the Law 1. To make them willing by consideration of 1. his benefits 2. Gods right as Lord 3. Their relation as Creatures 〈◊〉 4. that they are his people His benefits past and promised Three 〈◊〉 to love 1. Beauty 2. Neernesse 3. Benefits all in God 2 To make them able by sanctifying and cleansing themselves That ceremonial washing signifyed our spiritual cleansing How we came to be polluted How we must be cleansed Why they were not to come at their wives Of the danger and abuse of things lawful 3. That they might not run too far bounds were set Of curiosity about things unnecessary Now concerning the Preparation to the hearing of the Law THough in the Preface something hath been said concerning the preparation of the Catechumeni upon the words venite auscultate yet before we come to the particular explication of the Law we shall further adde some thing in this place about our preparation to the hearing of it For we can receive no benefit at Gods hands if we be not prepared for it God himself commanded the people to prepare themselves before the hearing of the Law and so of the Gospel also Prepare ye the way of the Lord saith the Baptist And to these adde that the primitive Church appointed Vesperas diei Dominici Vespers of the Lords day and so they had for other holy dayes and solemn feasts and to the solemnest Sunday Easter day they prepared fourty dayes before And forasmuch as the Sacrament is an appendix of the word and the seal of it surely we cannot be excused if we prepare our selves for the one and not for the other The Preacher gives this advise Keep thy foot look to thy self when thou goest into the house of the Lord. And again we ought to know that preparation is as necessarily required of the Hearer as of the Speaker Now this preparation consists of three things or means The first means to preparation is to make the people willing to hear the Law and that is grounded upon the speech of God to the Israelites in Exodus Ye have seen saith he what I have done unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings And a little after Go to the people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloathes And let them be ready against the third day And Thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about the Mount saying Take heed unto your selves c. In which words there are three things prescribed and the fourth is implyed by circumstance 1. The will in every action is to precede the people were to be made willing to hear and receive the message that was to be delivered And therefore to make them willing God in the first place gives them a catalogue of his Benefits and goodnesse So that one way to stir us and our will
this will appear more plainly by comparing the circumstances in the delivery of the Law with the day of judgement 1. That which is first mentioned is a thick and dark cloud And the Prophet speaking of the day of judgement saith The day of the Lord is darknesse and no light S. Jude cals it the blacknesse of darknesse And the Prophet Joel gives the reason because the Sun and Moon shall be darkned and the stars shall withdraw their light 2. The second there were thunder-claps And S. Peter saith that when the day of the Lord shall come the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with servent heat and the Earth shall be burnt up And no man doubts but these things are more terrible to the eye and the ear then the noise of a thunder-clap 3. The third is lightning or fire which then was but upon the mount of Sinai only but at the last day it shall be all over the Earth This fire was but as that in the Bush which was not consumed by it nor Sinai by this But our God is a consuming fire and such a fire as will torment for ever S. John saith the smoke of it shall ascend for ever and the fire shall never be quenched 4. The fourth is the sound of a trumpet that pierced the ears of the living onely but there shall be a more shrill trumpet that shall be heard not by the living onely but by the dead in their graves The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised saith S. Paul 5. Another thing which was an effect of the former was the shaking of the Earth there but one mountain quaked but at the last day it is said Yet once more I shake not the Earth but also Heaven This removed not the mountain but that shall remove both Heaven and Earth Thus we see the circumstances of both conferred now let us compare the effects of them The giving of the Law made onely Moses to shake and tremble but at requiring of an account of it there shall be like trembling of all the very just shall tremble too but the wicked they shall smite their knees together They shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth And as our Saviour quoting the words of the Prophet speaks They shall say to the mountains coverus and to the hils fall on us and that to hide them from the wrath of the angry Judge So that we see by these comparisons that the delivery did in some sort prefigure the requiring of it but the terriblenesse of that day cannot be expressed This sound may awake us now and therefore let us say as the people said here to Moses let us hear it by the ministery of man and as the Apostle saith let us have grace to serve God with reverence and fear For no doubt when Christ shall come from Heaven he will bring with him a fiery Law even fire and brimstone like to the Law mentioned and foretold by Moses So much for the circumstances and effects in the manner of delivering the Law CHAP XX. The end of the Law as given by Moses 1. It brings none to perfection and that by reason of mans corruption as appears 1. by the place a barren wildernesse a mountain which none might touch 2. By the mediatour Moses 3. By the breaking of the tables c. 2. It brings us to Christ because given by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour It was to be put into the ark Given fifty dayes after the Passeover Moses had a veyl The fiery Serpent Our use of the Law to know our debts as by a book of accounts then to drive us to seek a surety to pay the debt viz. Christ and to be thankful and take heed of running further into debt THere is yet one thing to be considered namely the use and end of the Law which we will collect from the words of the Author to the Hebrews It bringeth no man to perfection The Law that is the Mosaical Law or the Covenant of works but not the moral Law considered as it is a part of the Covenant of grace made nothing perfect but it was the bringing in of a better thing So that 1. It brings no man to perfection 2. It brings us to a better thing that is as it is in another place the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ but the principal end of the Law as it is delivered by Christ and become a part of the Gospel is to be a rule to direct us and the way to leade us by walking therein to life and salvation Mat. 5. 6. 7. 1. For the first end Though it be a Law which carrieth with it the character of the Lawgiver as those of Solon did which was mildenesle and of Draco which was cruelty So this of God holinesse justice goodnesse c. And though it be mandatum sanctum an holy Law in respect of the duties to God and justum 〈◊〉 in respect of the duties to men and bonum good in respect of our selves yet by occasion of our corruption and transgression it bringeth no perfection with it which appears by seven circumstances 1. The first is of the place where it was given That was a vast and barren Wildernesse yeelding no fruit to signifie that the Law should be so barren of fruits that it should not yeeld one soul unto God 2. The second is of the Mountain which was Sinai And this S. Paul acknowledgeth to have relation by way of allegory to Agar It is a mountain in Arabia and therefore holdeth of Ishmael the son of Agar the bondwoman and therefore to be cast out with her children and not to receive the inheritance with Isaac So they which think to bring forth fruit by their own righteousnesse are like Ishmael who was born by nature not by promise as Isaac was whose birth was supernatural therefore the children of the Law are to be cast out with their mother because they cannot be perfected by it 3. Thirdly none might go up to this mountain none might touch it And so concerning the Law none hath gone up to it none could so much as ever touch it as he should But the condition of grace the Gospel is otherwise We must ascend to Sion the hill of grace and that with boldnesse And many have gone up to it The Prophet speaking of the Gospel of grace saith Many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord c. 4. The fourth is of the person that was minister of it Moses And if any man should have received perfection by the Law no doubt but he that gave
is 〈◊〉 of time in respect of us yet in regard of Gods enduring for ever there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him he is without all time he is alwayes Ero. The eternity of his essence S. John describeth I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the same yesterday today and the same for ever And this takes away the hope of escaping his vengeance if we do amisse and not obey his commands For in that case a man may hope to avoid the justice of Princes by departing their kingdom or by outliving them But he lives for ever and his Angels pitch their tents about us He compasseth us in a circle first that we escape not Secondly though we could escape out of one place yet can we not so far as out of his Dominions for his Dominion is from one sea to the other and from the flood to the worlds end He can fetch us from any place So the Prophet Amos Though they dig to hell c. And he lives for ever to punish those that transgresse his laws we cannot outlive him his name is still Ero to all eternity 2. For his truth in effecting that which he promised God said to Moses that he appeared to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my Name of Jehovah appeared I not to them as if he had said by one that is as good as his word So in the Psalm He is mindful of his promise and yet it is plain that Abraham beleeved in the Lord in Jehovah and it was counted unto him for righteousnesse and God himself in the next verse saith I am the Lord Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees and yet God saith that the Patriarchs knew him not by the Name of Jehovah but by the Name Almighty To reconcile these two places we must understand that by Jehovah is meant here the bringing to effect this general promise of bringing his people into the land of Canaan So long as he maketh a promise he is Schaddaj or God but when he hath brought it to passe he is Jehovah So the 〈◊〉 knew him by the Name Jehovah in some particular promise as Abraham in the birth of Isaac Noah in the delivery from the deluge Lot in his delivery from Sodome but they never knew him by the Name of Jehovah in bringing to passe that great and general promise of Canaan And in this sense it is said that when God hath brought his judgement upon the people they shall know that I Jehovah have done it The Title of jurisdiction Deus 〈◊〉 Thy God To this title he hath claim in a double respect 1. Generall 2. Particular 1. In general he hath title of jurisdiction in respect of his being Creator and therefore as the Psalmist saith He spake the word and they were made c. He hath given them a law which shall not be broken that as all things are his Creatures he hath jurisdiction to govern them by such laws as he pleaseth All the Creatures have their rule from him And therefore the Lord complaineth against them for breach of it Hear O heavens and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me that is they have broken my laws And in Moses Song Give ear O ye heavens and I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth The Creatures are called to bear witnesse against Israel that they were breakers of Gods law 2. In particular The Law or his jurisdiction being infringed in general it gave occasion to the second that is the particular which is by covenant and that conditional God is our Jehovah by Covenant Hear O Israel the statutes and judgements which I speak in your ears this day that ye may learn them and keep and do them Audis Deus sum Non audis non sum Deus saith one doest thou hear then am I thy God hearest thou not then am I not thy God This shall be the Covenant faith God I will put my law in their inward parts c. and I will be their God and they shall be my people 〈◊〉 and tuus are relatives He is ours and we are his so long as we keep his commandments Moses telleth Israel a strange thing Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lords thy God the earth also with all that therein is yet hath he separated thee as a handful above all people to make a covenant with thee And this mercy of God is wonderfull that in describing himself he rejecteth all his other titles of glory drawn from other creatures as the God of heaven and earth and entitles not himselfe by them but onely claimes the Iurisdiction of us being so vile by nature and wicked by our works And is not ashamed as the scripture speaks to be called our God And as one saith well conjunxit 〈◊〉 tuam cum gloria sua nay he might have said conjunxit gloriam suam cum gloria tua insomuch as true are the words of the Psalmist Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Lastly His Title by Benefits And this he raiseth from the last act he did for them Which serveth also to confirme and prove his two former titles in two respects 1. Of the miserable estate and condition of the Israelites in thraldome and bondage 2. Of their mighty and wonderful deliverance from it 1 Their estate was miserable in Egypt For they were servants in the most servile work that could be being put to the furnace to make bricks c. They were in servitude under their most cruel enemies and that so hard as that they were daily punished never rewarded They were forced to work and yet no materials given them to work withal To gather straw and yet nothing abated of the tale of bricks which they made when straw was provided to their hands And lastly they had their children daily drowned before their eyes 2. Their great delivery from this servitude appears in that it was done with a mighty hand and an outstretched 〈◊〉 by shewing his power in the plagues of Egypt and drowning Pharaob and his host in the red sea The two former titles have ever stood the same but this last in respect of this act and upon divers acts of his hath bin altered As 1. After the Creation he was stiled God the Creator of heaven and earth 2. In the dayes of Abraham I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Caldees 3. in Moses time The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Exo. 3 6. fourthly And here I am the Lord that brought thee out of Egypt c. fiftly when God should deliver them from the
Captivity of the North it is said The dayes come saith the Lord that it shall be no more said the Lord liveth that brought up the children out of the land of Egypt But the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North. And this title lasted to the time of Christ. sixtly The last is prophecied by Jer. Jehovah justitia nostra the Lord our Righteousnes and so by the Apostle Christus justitia nostra Christ our righteousnesse and God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now this great benefit being not fully six weeks before the Law delivered it must needs stick close to their memory and being in the wildernesse where they were wholly to depend upon God and his protection so that as well in regard of the remembrance of the late benefits and the hope of future assistance as of the place where they could not depend at all upon themselves it was both a fit time and place to give them a Law and then they were more fit to receive it in as much as it could not well be given in Egypt for thence they were unwilling to go nor in Canaan for there they murmured against God it was most fit it should be given here for their delivery was not that they should be Masters but Servants And all these pertain to us for though it be true Non obligamur Legi propter Sinai sed propter paradisum when it was first given to all the sons of Adam and though God gave this Law to one Nation to stir up others to emulation as the Gentiles were taken into Covenant afterwards to provoke the Jews to jealousie yet this is also true that there are none of those his titles but much more appertain to us who have means of better performance as having received greater benefits and our faith grounded upon better promises 1. Jehovah The excellency of this Name to us is in respect of the ordination of a new Covenant the Gospel which as the Scripture speaks is the better Covenant because it was established upon better promises for Insemine tuo benedicentur omnes nationes terrae in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed is a better promise then Semini tuo dabo terram Canaan to thy seed will I give the land of Canaan We have clearer promises of eternal life and a greater measure of sanctification of the spirit then they had 2. Deus tuus thy God As we are included with them in the first so in the second title we have part and interest in them both for he is our God by Covenant as well as theirs by a Covenant of mercy and grace 3. Qui eduxi c. which brought thee c. For this third how far greater dangers are we delivered from then they From the sting of Conscience fom sin from death how much do the Devil and his Angels passe the power and malice of Pharaoh and his task-masters Hell and Gehenna the Lime-kills the torments of Hell without number the bricks with number and as much as these everlasting pains passe those temporal so much doth our deliverance exceed theirs The Apostle saith that God hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and from the wrath to come And in another place that he hath abolished death In this world he hath freed us from errours which the most part of the world fall into He hath delivered us 1. from the justice of God 2. from the terrour of the Law 3. from the sting of Conscience 4. from sin 5. from death 6. from Hell 7. from the Devil and his Angels 8. from the Spiritual Egypt 9. from the Egypt of this world c. Now as God hath titles so have we He Jehovah we vile Creatures He our God we his servants He which hath delivered us we which have been delivered by him from sin c. from a thousand dangers Audi Israel hear O Is ael saith he Speak Lord for thy servants hear must we say and not onely be his Auditors but his servants least we be made servants to sin Sathan and the world and so be made to know the difference between his service and the service of other Masters CHAP. II. The division of the Decalogue How divided by the Jews 〈◊〉 Christians Addition 6. That the four fundamental articles of all Religion are implyed in the four first precepts Of rules for expounding the Decalogue Six rules of extent 1. The affirmative implies the negative and e contrà 2When any thing is commanded or forbidden all of the same nature are included 3 The inward act of the soul is forbidden or commanded by the outward 4. The means conducing are included in every precept 5. The consequents and signes 6 We must not onely observe the precept our selves but cause it to be kept by others least we partake of other mens sins which is 1. Jubendo by commanding 2 Permittendo by tolleration 3. 〈◊〉 by provocation 4 Suadendo by perswasion 5 〈◊〉 by consenting 6. Defendendo by maintaining 7. Scandalum praebendo by giving scandal VVE divided the Law into a stile and a Charge the first hath been handled The charge remains whereof we will now speak And this is contained in the ten words which we commonly call the ten commandments So doth Moses as well to deter men from presuming to adde any more in which respect God wrote both sides of the Tables full to prevent the adding to them as also to take from man the excuse of being so many that his memory could not bear them They being but few whereas those of the heathen are infinite These ten for better order and memory sake receive a division from the subject and are divided according to the two Tables which our Saviour in his answer to the Lawyer divideth according to the objects God and Man And this is not his own division onely we finde it in the time of the Law Our duty towards God is set down in Deuteronomy Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy hea t and with al thy soul and with all thy might Our duty towards man in Leviticus Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self From both which places this division of of our Saviour hath its ground Now because love is so often repeated S. Paul makes the end of the Law to be love And in another place after he hath recapitulated the Law he reduceth it to this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self for our love proceeding and ascending up to God when we descend and come to our Neighbour it is but a reverberation of the love we have to God and every reverberation or reflexion presupposeth a direct beam so that every man that loves his Neighbour hath God first in his direct motion as the immediate and direct object of his love and then his Neighbour in
this would make us to number our days and lavbor to spend our time well therefore Moses prayed that God would teach men to number their dayes that they might apply their hearts to wisdom 2. Terror Judicii the terrour of Gods jndgement after death and what account we are able to give when as the Apostle speake We shall appear before the judgement seat of God which judgement seat cannot but be terrible 1. If we consider the Authority of the Judge from whose sentence there lies no appeale it is sententia definitiva a definitive sentence 2. In regard of his wisdom and knowledge of all our offences Omnia nuda all things are naked in his sight neither will he leave any of our acts indiscussed I know your manifold transgressions saith God And he judgeth not as man for man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart He searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the immaginations of the thoughs 3. In respect of his omnipotency He is God of all power and might power belongs to him saith the Psalmist If he whet his glittering sword and his hand take hold on judgement he will render vengeance to his enemies At his reproofe all the pillars of the earth tremble saith Job 4. In regard of his justice He hateth all workers of iniquity ther 's no corrupting of this judge Riches profit not in the day of wrath but he will do that which is just he will reward every man according to his works 5. In consideration of the fearfull signes which will go before this judgement which will be so strange and terrible that as the Prophet speaks All the inhabitants of the world shall tremble when the day of the Lord shall come Our Saviour describes them in the Gospel And Saint Gregory saith vltima tribulatio multis tribulationibus pervenitur et per crebra mala quae perveniunt judicantur mala perpeta quae sequantur there are many tribulations which precede the last and by those foregoing we may conceive of them which are to come 6. Lastly in regard of the accsers God himself and Christ will be both Judge and witnesse I will be a swift witnes saith God The Angels Devils our own Consciences our works for they will follow us The Creatures which we have abused and the wounds of Christ caused by our sinnes 3. The third Consideration is Terror poenarum the terrour of punishments which is commonly divided into Poena sensus Poena Damni the pain of sense and losse The pain and grief we have in that we feel or in that we forgo 1. In that we feel Christs fan is in his hand and he will thorowly purrge his floor and gather his wheat into his garner but will burne up the chaff with unquenchable fire The grievousnesse of these pains we shall finde if we consider particularly what they are 1. The sharpnes of them there shall be fire And as in this particular so in the rest we may truly say that the least of hell pains are greater then all the pains of this world put together this fire shall far exceed that in the fornace heated seven times at the command of Nebuchadnezzar It is a lake burning with fire and brimstone 2. There shall be darknesse worse then that of Egypt Job calls it a land of darknesse were the light is as darknesse Saint Gregory saith Ignis infernalis concremationem habet lumen non habet flanima illa comburit sed tenebras non expellit The fire of hell hath burning but no light the flame of it burns but expells no darknes 3. There shall be noisome stench And so much the materialls of this fire may intimate to us wich is brimstone as bad a smell as may be besides as the bodies of the Godly shall be a sweet smelling Savour so shall the bodies of the wicked yeild and send forth a noisome stench 4 There shall be hunger and thirst never to be satisfied For the first our Saviour denounceth this judgement upon the wicked wo unto you that are ful for ye shal hunger for the other the rich man mentioned by our Saviour found the want of as much water as would lie upon the tip of Lazarus finger And for them both the Prophet saith My servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry and my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty 5. If you adde the company which the wicked shall enjoy notwithstanding there shall be many other miseries it will make the Paena sensus full enough to cause fear in us And they be the Divills which torment them and the wicked tormented whose the cruelty and ghastly looks of the first sort and the howlinglamentations and gnashings of teeth of the other will make disconsolate enough their sense of hearing For Paena damni this instead of much may be said That as it is the chiefest good of man and the height of his felicity to enjoy the infinite goodnes of God and his beatificall vision so is it his greatest misery to be deprived of it And though the wicked and reprobate love not God nor desire to be united to him in respect to do him honour yet desire they to be in heaven in regard it would be to their profit to enjoy eternal happines The last consideration of the pains of hell which is not the least and hath reference both to poena sensus Damni is the eternity of their misery for as they shall never enjoy the comfortable presence of Allmighty God so shall they never be freed from their miserable torments And that this shall be eternal we may see by the words of our Saviour taken out of Esay where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And no doubt our Saviour repeated it not five several times in one Chapter but to confirm the truth of it against all that should gainsay it The signes of fear are these 1. The first signe of fear is If we give credit to that which is taught by them that have authority and knowledge for timor est credulus as the heathen man said fear is credulous or easy of belief and if we be not desirous to busie our selves in questions and frivolous distinctions for this questioning of what we hear is a signe we fear it not but do as they did and said to Moses Goe thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak to thee and we will do it and hear it 2. The next is diligence negligence is an ill signe Qui timent Dominum nihil negligunt fear is very diligent Jacob being in fear of his brother could not rest all night but was either praying to God or sending messengers to his brother or ordering his family 3.
his glory As the Apostle And whatsoever we doe it must be to the glory of God and so to demeane our selves and order our actions and thoughts that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glor 〈◊〉 in us The taking of the name of God is an external act an act of the tongue which we know though it be but a little member as Saint James speaks yet if it be not well looked too it is of all the members the most unruly and breaks out to the dishonour of God but if it be rightly ordered then none more meet for his service as the same Apostle saith therwith we blesse God the father And indeed it 〈◊〉 the proper instrument for his praise his praise shall ever be in my mouth the mouth and tongue being one and the same in this act And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise My lips shall praise thee and when my mouth shall praise thee both in one Psalm and in divers other places And so of the tongue My tongue shall talk of thy praise all the day long And my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnes The manner how it is to be done Moses in his song of praise tells us Enuntiabo I will publish the name of the Lord there must be no whispering in this work but Gods praise must be sounded out and in this work one must report the excellency of God and they that hear are to give glory to him for glory as was touched before as the word is taken both in scripture and in humane writers imports more then either honour praise or worship for all these must be directed that the party on whom they are bestowed may be glorified so that glory is the end of those actions and the nature of glory hath some resemblance to claritas the brightnesse of glasse or other resplendent obects that are seen a far off so God is glorified when he is so praised or honored that is name may be seen and known afar off and therefore the psalmist exhorting men to praise God adds further make his praise glorious so that he may be seen and known to all the world and the several steps or degrees of doing this are these First by filling our mouthes with his praise and then secondly by filling other mens eares with it O praise our God yee people and make his praise to be 〈◊〉 And thirdly that not once but our mouths must daily speak of it ever more more And fourtly to them that are ready to hear of it which are they that fear God The Saints And 5. this is not in asmal assembly or meeting but in the great congregation And sixthly the greater the be ter let them give glory unto the Lord saith the prophet and declare his praise in the Islands nay he wishes that all the world may be filled with his praises and that he might be heard of all nations Psal. 71. 18. The sound must go out into all lands and the words of his praise into the ends of the world Seventhly and lastly this celebrating of Gods praise must continue to the end of the world His name saith the psalmist shall endure for ever so long as the Sun and Moon endureth And we will shew forth thy praise from generation to generation and he would have it continue so long as the world endureth Thus you see the scope and end of this Commandment is Gods glory and you see that it must not be restrained but it must have a large extent and that as large as may be for place and perpetuity You may see the reasons briefly that this is no voluntary act but a necessary duty 1. Man was created for this end and purpose as you have heard and Saint Chrysostom saith Animalia fecit Deus propter hominem hominem propter seipsum God made other creatures for man but man for himself that is for his own glory So saith S. Gregory Homo ad contemplandum laudandum creatorem suum conditus est man was made to contemplate and praise his maker Therefore it is observed that the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bara and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Barak creare benediccre are little differing because the end of creation is that God may be blessed or praised 2. Assoon as the world was made God sanctified a sabbath to be spent in his praise being a Type of what we must do hereafter Dies enim septinus not ipsi erimus 〈◊〉 ejus fuerimus benedictione sanetificatione pleni atque referti saith Saint Augustine And therefore our Saviour delivering us a forme of prayer though God requires his inward worship in the first place as in the first Commandment because it must be first in execution or performance yet because his praise and glory is the end and the end is first in intetion though last in execution therefore Christ puts it in the first petition wherein we desire his name may be hallowed or glorified 3. If we mean to do it hereafter in patria in heaven our countrey we must doe it here in via in the way thither on earth It will be our continual exercise there and by vsing it here we come to have a heaven upon earth 4. We being little lower then Angels must imitate them in this duty It is an exaltation of our nature while we are here in corruption to be made like the Angels They sing Hallelujahs salvation glory honour and power to God Let us do the like 5. If we do it not we shal be so much lower then the Angels and we shal be worse and more unthankful then the Heavens and firmament baser then the basest creatures for they do in their kinde 6. The Church militant doth it It is the work of the Temple and to be preferred before the works of other places as that is the place of all places or chief of places so is praise the work of all works the chiefest work to be done 7. Man ought to be delighted in that wherein God hath made him to excell all other creatures that is in the distinction of voice no creature but man having a tongue to speak the rest onely having a sound but no articulate voice whence man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his articulate voice 8. This gift is not onely proper to man but the parts exercised herein as the tongue lips and mouth are honoured much by being imployed in this service it it is more then necessary for him to use it to that end Saint James 3. 8. debaseth the tongue which is lewdly employed David extolleth it when it is well occupied It is the highest degree of glory to be thus imployed Awake my glory Psalm 57. 8. 9. It is not onely a good act but pleasant seemly and profitable David saith
terrible punishment to such The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the people that forget God Take heed saith Moses that you forget not the Lord. Deut. 4. 9. A man would think it were impossible that any should forget him but Saint Jerome tells us how a man may forget him if we behave our selves so in our speech that nothing comes from us that savoureth of God then we may be truly said to forget him A man is said to forget Gods name when he breaketh the first Commandment as it is in Jeremy Their fathers have forgoten my name for Baal and so for the rest And therefore they that truly take up this banner meditate day and night how they may do that which shall be to their masters glory They speak as king David did of his glorious honour and majesty Solomon saith that a just mans mouth doth 〈◊〉 sapientiam speak of wisdom he speaks something which may redound to the glory of Gods name and therefore he calls the tongue of the wise man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsam salutem a vein of life and health it self out of which comes glory to God and health to himself but we may now say Rarum est nomen 〈◊〉 the reverend mention of Gods name is 〈◊〉 in some mens mouths they seldome speak of him unlesse it be to dishonour him by prophane swearing and cursing Or else they do like Solomons fools ebullire 〈◊〉 belch out folly or babble and some out vanity The p actise of king David was to shew forth Gods righteousnes and make mention of it and of it onely And in the Prophet Esays song ye shall finde We will make mention onely of thy Name God would execute his Judgements upon Pharoah that he might get him a name or that his name might be declared or spoken of through all the world This mention this honorifica mentio is of three sorts 1. In speaking often of it of which hath been formerly spoken 2. In speaking well of his Name 3. In speaking reverently of it 1. We must speak often of it his name must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often and much to be talked of this is the end of all his great wonders to have his name famous and spoken of in the world as is already shewed 2. His name must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed or well spoken of The speaking well or blessing of Gods name we have a pattern from the 〈◊〉 and Saints of God It was their Epiphonema or close after mercies and judgements They shall say alway saith the Psalmist The Lord be praised as himself saith elsewhere Blessed be his glorious name for ever 〈◊〉 for the deliverance of Moses and the Israelites from 〈◊〉 Blessed be the Lord who hath delivered you c. And of King David Blessed be the Lord that hath not given us over for a prey So for Gods favour as the women to Naomi Blessed be the Lord which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman So was Davids thankfulnesse Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications and blessed be the Lord from everlasting And Nehemiah and the people Blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise As also for his preservation from sinning as David being prevented by Abigail from shedding Nabals blood Blessed be the Lord God of Israel And lastly for Gods chastisements and crosses as Job The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. This speaking well of God and converting his blessings and judgements into an honourable mention of his name is commanded Contrary to this it is when a man receiving some mercy thinks it not great enough and therefore grudges and is unthankful or being under some affliction or judgement thinks it too great and so murmurs and complains and converts all to the dispraise of God 3. His name must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reverend and venerable We must speak reverently of Gods name not make it common as if we did account of it no better then a stone in the street and of his service as that of a common person Ye shall not prophane my holy name saith God that is not use it commonly for to the sanctifying of his name is opposite the prophaning of it or making it common Thus when men speak of Gods nature of his decrees and judgements and of the great mysteries of Religion without fear and rerevence as if they were discoursing of ordinary matters they do not reverence his name much lesse when it is abused and prophaned as Witches do in sorcery and evil arts or as blasphemers that use it irreverently or by way of execration when men ascribe to God what is contrary to his nature as to make him unjust cruel the author of sin c. Besides these there is another way of applying Gods name to our actions and that both to our own and other mens 1. To our own for this we have a precept Whatsoever ye do saith the Apostle in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord and how is that by calling upon his name for a blessing when we say with the Psalmist our help standeth in the name of the Lord. 2. To others thus God commanded the Levites to put his name upon the people and blesse them How that is the Psalmist sheweth by wishing them good luck in the name of the Lord. The contrary to this is to curse when with the same tongue as S. James saith we blesse God the Father and curse men This is a terrible abuse to use the name of God as a curse to our selves or others which is given for a blessing onely as when men wish that God would confound them and so as S. Augustine saith faciunt Deum carnificem suum they make God their own executioner whereas God hath given his name for a strong tower of defence Thus much for sanctifying his name in our words now for our actions We must make his name glorious in our actions which is 1. when our actions are such that men seeing our good works may glorify our father which is in heaven Therefore the Apostles precept is Let every one that calleth upon the name of the Lord depart from iniquity Gods name is polluted and prophaned by the wickednesse of them that professe it The wickednesse of the childe pollutes the father The Law saith If the daughter of a Priest commit fornication she polluteth her father Now God is our Father when we take his name upon us and if we do not glorifie him in our actions nor depart from iniquity we do what we can to make him polluted Therefore God threatens those that take his law into their mouths and yet hate to be reformed that he will set their sins in order
was in trouble And of the Israelites in their distresse And this kinde of vow we see is allowable for God delivered David out of all his trouble and it is said in the text concerning the Israelites that the Lord heard the voice of Israel allowed of their vow Of the other a vow of thankfullnes we have in the Marriners who after the storm was over offered sacrifices and vowed vows so that in a storm and in a calm both in prosperity and adversity vows may be made the one is a kind of prayer obtaining help the other a part of thankfullnes for help obtained 6. As before we shewed the vow must be performed so it must be performed presently without delay The vouendum must be with a reddendum solvendum for as we vow so we must be careful to perform with God what we vow Saint Bernard saith Juste exigitur ad solvendum qui non cogitur ad vovendum Vovete saith the Prophet David but what then is that all to vow with hope to be relieved onely no 〈◊〉 too be as willing to perform what thou hast vowed Pay thy vows saith he in another place it is a due debt and by as strong a tie and bond as thou canst enter into Hoc exigitur hoc 〈◊〉 saith Saint Augustine It is and will be exacted for it is due debt And pay it at the day When thou hast vowed a vow unto the Lord defer not to pay it saith the Preacher The flesh of the peace offering must be eaten the same day that it is offered nothing must be left till the morrow and in the Nazarites vow if any were defiled during the time of his separation the priest must offer a sinne offering and a peace offering and he must hallow his head the same day It is better thou shouldest not vow then that thou shouldest vow and not pay it The reason he gives is for God delighteth not in the sacrifice of fooles pay therefore that thou hast vowed You see still it is a payment not a gift and it is such a folly not to pay as a mounts to a grosse abuse of Gods name and a scoffing at his most blessed and sacred majesty Saint Augustine shall end this point Sunt quaedam quae etiam non voventes debemus qnaedam etiam quae nisi voverimus non debemus sed postquam ea Domino promisimus 〈◊〉 reddere constringimur I will onely adde one thing we must not come short in our payment God wil take no composition in this kinde we must not so much as vary in our payment not alter nor change a good for a bad we must rather adde then detract if we mean to have our bond our vow cancelled So much for vows CHAP. V. Of glorifying Gods name from the heart The means of glorifying it The signes Of causing others to glorifie it The second part of this precept the Commination Reasons why such a threatening is here denounced Gods punishing the breach of this Commandment by visible judgements God is jealous of his name VVE come now from the things commanded and forbidden in this precept and the Homogeneall duties which are included in the first and second rule of expounding the Law 〈◊〉 the other rules which here also take place For the third rule that the Law is spiritually to be understood so this Law of hallowing Gods name must be expounded we must do all from the heart Though the name be the object of speech yet all our vsing of Gods name by swearing vowing praising or speaking of it must come from the heart otherwise we are all in the number of those that draw neer to God with their lips but their hearts are far off by this means perverting the order in Gods worship where the heart must come first and the lips attend it Saint Augustine in his confessions saith Flete mecum fratres flete pro me weep with me brethren and weep for me Now what was it for which he desires them to weep in the same place he declares that in singing Psalms in the Church Animus magis erat ad cantum quam adid quod 〈◊〉 his minde was more upon the tune then upon the matter which he confesleth to be a great sinne For holy exercises performed to God with the mouth and without the heart when there is nothing but a noise are but as the crackling of thorns under a pot which make a noise but heat little neverthelesse he approved not this infirmity in himself for as he saith further it a saepe facio non sentiens sed postquam feci sentio I do so often and perceive it not but after I have done it I perceive and feel it And it were to be wished that we could have the like feeling and sence of our failings in this kinde this would be a good step to amendment According to the fourth rule the means are to be considered of glorifying the name of God whether by praying God swearing by him or vowing to him The means or motives to make us glorify his name are 1. To consider how God hath magnified our names by registring them in the book of life and not onely this to make our names glorious in the life to come but even in this world we are called by his name and he by ours we are his and he is ours He is not a shamed to be called Deus noster our God to take our name upon him that we should not be ashamed of his name thus he exalts and honours our name therefore we should exalt and honour his 2. A second means is to keep a catalogue of the famous acts of God both of judgments and mercies whereby we may be stirred up to glorifie his name Those that were done before our times we either doubt of them or think they belong not to us or that God had glory and praise enough in those dayes and that they are of little use to us Therefore the counsel of devout men hath been that is the men of God of old Nathan Gad and other children of the Prophets every one had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verba dierum their Chronicles or Annals or Diaries from the beginning of their times wherein for their own remembrance they kept catalogues of the visible judgements of God upon his enemies and of his mercies towards his children that so they might the morereverence him so should we keep memorials of the remarkable passages of his providence to our selves and others of his judgments and mercies thereby to stir us up to glorifie his name the better and that by comparing one with another one shall not be an impediment to another neither those that were before us shall seem incredible when we see the like done in our dayes nor those in our dayes seem strange because the like was done before 3. A third is to use thatart and dexterity which was in Christ and his servants
other Imperat suadet it both commands and intreats 4. And whereas the reasons of the former Commandments are terrible fearful and threatning in this they are easy and reasonable the main reason of this being that no more is required to be done by us then was done by God himself we ought to do it because God hath done it 5. Whereas none of the rest have above one reason to perswade and move us to the duty this hath besides one principal tria statumina three other props or reasons so that it exceeds them all in the multitude of reasons to perswade us to the observance of it 6. Lastly to move and stir up our regard to this Commandment in a more especial manner and that it might not be thought a light matter either to break or keep it as we are apt to think God hath in the very 〈◊〉 of it set notas non leves no slight notes Recordare remember and observa keep it We must have a special care of the keeping of it and to that end we must remember it The Commandment hath two parts 1. A Precept 2. The Aetimologie that is the Reasons or the perswasions to keep it The Precept contains in it an affirmative part and a negative The affirmative in the eighth verse Remember the sabbath day to keep it 〈◊〉 The Negative in the ninth and tenth verses in it thou shalt do no manner c. For the first that we may understand it the better we must know what is meant by sabbath and what by sanctifying 1. Sabbath in the original signifieth rest and such a rest which some labour hath gone before a rest after labour 〈◊〉 a ceasing or intermission from labour Such a rest is described in the law When the land had been laboured and tilled six years before God gave the people charge that it should lie fallow and rest the seaventh year and this was a politick law So after the labour of six dayes God requireth here a cessation from work the seventh day let that be a day set apart rest on that day 2. The word Sanctifie is twice used in this commandment in the beginning and in the end and is applied to two 1. To God in the end verse 11. The Lord blessed and sanctified it 2. To man vers 8. remember the sabbath to sanctifie it Now it is a rule in divinity that when any word is given to God and man both it is to be applied in a different respect and so here this word ascribed to God is to be understood sub modo destinandi by way of appointing it so to be and to man sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of applying it to that it was appointed So when God appointeth any thing to an holy vse he is said to sanctifie it and when man applieth it to the use to which God hath so appointed it he is said also to sanctifie it As it is sure that by nature all men are alike before God and differ not by nature so may it be said of bread water wine dayes c. by nature all are alike and one is not more holy then another Yet in the law saith God concerning the Israelites I have separated you from other people that you should be mine When God setteth man a part that he should be his either as a minister in the Church or as a Magistrate in the commonwealth then this his separation or putting a part is the beginning of his sanctifying So water which is separated from common uses and destinated to 〈◊〉 and the Creatures of Bread and wine in the administration of the Lords supper there is naturally no more in them then in the other of the like kinde till they be so separated and set apart from the other and appropriated to God and holy vses So may we likewise say of dayes naturally there is no more holines in one then in another onely Gods ordinance by separating one day from another for himself makes it to be more holy then the rest Now it is the nature of such things whether it be man or beast so separated from common vse and thereby sanctified to the Lord that they must continue so and be neither bought nor sold nor other wayes alienated Therefore we finde that under the Law the Tabernacle and whatsoever was vsed in it about the service of God must be put to no other use the fire-pans flesh-hooks 〈◊〉 made for the sacrifice yea the basest instruments to stir the fire and the meat in the caldron whereof a libamen or offering was to be should not be put into any other nor the pots on no other fire nor the snuffers to any other lamp but to these in the Tabernacle So this is the nature of a thing sanctified and it therein differeth from other things that what is sanctified or separate for God must not be converted or applied to any other use and so for dayes such as are sanctified or set apart for God must be applied to no other use unlesse God himself or his church by authority from him and that upon grounds warranted by God dispence therein in some special cases Other things may bedone in part upon other dayes but not upon this The Psalmist as before saith he will meditate every day and night and every day he wil praise God and give thanks to him and in the evening morning and at noon day thrice a day he will pray Nay seven times a day he will praise God yet all these are but on part of the day for in the six dayes other things may be joyntly done with those holy exercises and may lawfully take up a part of the day but this day being a most holy day as separated to Gods use and service must be sanctified not in part or joyntly with other imployments but must solely be kept to his service and use Now a question may arise whether God sanctified this day to himself or to us Certainly the Apostle tells us that omnia munda mundis all things are cleane to the clean and God is most pure and holy and therefore needs nothing to be sanctified to him therefore this sanctifying must needs be for us And the same Apostle 〈◊〉 this is the will of God even your not his sanctification for without holines none shall see God and therefore to the end that we might be holy did he sanctifie this day his word and other things c. And so by the second part of sanctification by annexing a blessing to this day he blessed it and made it holy as in the Sacrament of the Eucharist he blessed the bread and his dicere is facere he gave it power to increase holines in us And as to the bread there so to this day here he hath annexed a special blessing whereby it is sanctified to us and that in a twofold respect 1. Relative as applied to the means of holines
his writeing as he did of his verbal exposition Therefore hath God ordeyned expositions such as the book Jasher which as some think was a commentary upon the law written for this end to explicate the hard Texts of Scriptures and 〈◊〉 them 2. Another Means to sanctification is the word preached of which the Apostle speaks to the Romans how shall they hear without a preacher and this is one of the ordinary means of faith and so of sanctification The Apostle in that placeq uoteth out of two of the Prophets this text How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things And our Saviour Christ in his prayer before his passion for his Apostles who were to be such preachers saith sanctifie them with thy truth and thy word is truth and by his own practise in preaching he sanctified this means of preaching And the Apostle tells us that the wisdom of God hath appointed by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve this way of saving men the wisdom of God hath pitcht upon which is not to be altered but to continue to th end of the world For though reading of the word be a necessary means to sanctification yet are not all men capable to understand what they read The 〈◊〉 Custome therefore of the Church was and so continued in the Apostles times that after the reading the of Law and the Prophets some that were learned in Gods Law and sent by him to that purpose stood up and expounded to the people some text of that which was read We may see this plainly in the book of Nehemiah that after Ezra and others had read in the book of the Law to the people in the congregation they gave the sence and caused them to understand the reading And the Apostle S. James puts the Jews in minde that Moses was preached in the Synagogues on the Sabbath day This practise continued as I said even in the Apostles time For we see in the place before mentioned that the Rulers of the Synagogue at Antioch entreated the Apostles to bestow 〈◊〉 words of exhortation upon them after the reading of the Law and the Prophets The Eunuch no doubt but was a man of as great capacity as many who now adayes take upon them the exposition and preaching both of Law and Gospel yet had not he met with S. Philip he would have been to seek in that place of the Prophet which the Apostle found him reading 3. A third duty is the pondering of that which we have heard read or preached This we read that Mary did who pondered all the 〈◊〉 of Christ in her heart And so did David when he said Oh how I love thy Law it is my 〈◊〉 continually Besides the meditation of the Word that we shall hear read or preached the 92 Psalm which was a Psalm peculiarly made for the Sabbath and was usually sung on that day the two first verses whereof if credit may be given to the Jews traditions came from Adam who used to sing them in Paradise giveth us three further points to consider 1. The first is in the fourth verse which indeed is that which God here expressely urgeth in this Commandment the Consideration of the works of his hands the raising to our selves a Contemplative use of the Creatures that as all the week before we have had a naturall use of them so on this day we should make a spiritual Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works and I will rejoyce in giving praise for the operation of thy hands 2. A second is in the seventh verse a meditation of the judgements of God when the ungodly are green as the grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish then shall they be destroyed for ever And this meditation is most necessary to keep men within the bounds of obedience for upon the Consideration of the severe judgements which God inflicts upon Malefactors men are held in as with a bridle from swerving from his Commandments 3. The third is at the tenth and twelfth verses a Meditation of Gods benefits and Mercies or of his mercies towards them that love him as well as his visitations upon their enemies both which may be included in the Hebrew word taking judgements for the genus of them both Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of the house of our God c. These whether they extend to our own persons or concerne our fathers house or the place wherein we live or the Church round about us every one of these affoord us an object of Meditation And as we see the other Creatures of God as the wilde asses sparrows cranes lilies pismires c. yield matter of Meditation thereby to stir us up to praise the Creator Upon which we may frame an argument a minore ad majus from the lesse to the greater If God have made them thus how much more are we bound to be thankful to him for whom he hath done infinitely more So the Apostle setteth forth Gods judgements to provoke us to repentance and his mercy to move and stir us up to thankfulnesse And thus when we are wearied with prayer and that reading and preaching of the word is ended meditation still remaineth wherein to exercise our selves and in this dutie we may continue the rest of the day and be furnished with matter sufficient to work upon 4. The fourth duty of this day is not to be contented onely with meditating upon these things in our Closets privately but there must be conference also between our selves and others about what we have heard And this is done two manner of waye s. 1. The first is with them that have taught us if we doubt of any thing we are to confer with the Priest The prophet tells us that the Priests lips should keep knowledge and we are to seek the Law at his mouth we read that it was our Saviours practise For it was a custom of old that after the solemnity on the eighth day the last of the feast that the Teachers sate down at the Table and the Auditors standing about them propounded 〈◊〉 and questions that they might be resolved in them And so no doubt was Christ at twelves years old not as an Opposer but in the state of a Learner though he discovered a great guift that way above his years And if points of doctrine fail then others concerning practise are to be resolved such as the souldiers and Publicans put to John and the people to the Apostles Now because there are now adayes no doubts no putting of questions it is a signe that fear of God is utterly extinguisht in mens hearts and if there be any doubts at all they are not propounded with that heart which they did it that said
were some then as there are now that having given Almes on the Sunday would recover it the other dayes of the week either by oppressing and dealing hardly with the poor or by undermining those they dealt with Therefore the last caution must be out of the Prophet The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment the holy Ghost shall be sanctified in justice that is a mans mercy must not make him unrighteous So that the conclusion of this point is if a man doe dare rem suam Deo se peccato aut daemoni give his substance to God and himself to sin or the devil and thereby give quod minus est Creatori quod majus inimico the lesse to his Creatour and the greater to his Enemy he is far from keeping the sabbath aright in the point of performing the works of Mercy Now concerning the spiritual part of the works of mercy which is to be done to the Spirit of him that needs it S. Augustine saith Est quaedam charitas quae de sacculo non erogatur there is a charity which is not taken out of the bag or purse such mercies are called Spirituales Elemozynae or misericordiae spiritual Almes which are so much more excellent then the other as they do mederi miseriae principalioris partis take order for the relief of the more principal part of man the soul. And there are seven of this kinde 1. The first concernes the good which is to be performed to draw him to it and it consists of three branches 1. The instruction of the young and others that are ignorant the Prophet describes the reward of such They that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the stars for ever 2. The second branch is the giving of good and christian advice to him that is in doubt hearty counsel by a friend is by Solomon compared to oyntment and perfume that reioyce the heart 3. The last is the exhorting him that is slack in some good duty so did the prophet David And this was one of the instructions Saint Paul gave to Timothy to charge rich men to do good and be rich in good works c. 2. Another is Comforting them that are in distresse Saint Paul calleth this comforting them which are in trouble and supporting the weak and flere cum flentibus weeping with them that weep 3. A third is that work of spiritual mercy which our Saviour made a part of Church discipline reproving of our brother privately for his fault and the Apostle biddeth us to warne them that are unruly A 〈◊〉 is the pardoning of those that offend us according to our Saviours Rule we must first be reconciled to our brother before we offer our gift at the AlAltar and if he will not be reconciled then pray for him It was aswell Christs practise as his counsel Father forgive them So did the Proto-martyr Stephen Gregory saith Qui dat et non dimittit he that giveth and forgiveth not doth a work that is not acceptable to God sed si dimittet 〈◊〉 non det but he that forgiveth though he give not shall be forgiven of God as oft as he forgiveth others si tu ponas limitem Deus tibi ponet limitem If thou settest bounds to thy forgiving God will do the like to thee but if thou for givest without limit nor puttest bounds to thy brothers offence by pardo ning it God will put no limit to his pardonnig of thy sinne 5. Another is in Rom. 15. 1. we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Alter alterius onera portate beare ye one anothers burden Gal. 6. 2. 1 Thess. 5. 14. 6. The sixth is taken out of Saint James Praying for one another even for our enemies it was Christs counsel Matthew 5. 44. and his practise Luk. 23. 34. And this is reputed for a work of mercy Augustine saith Causaberis 〈◊〉 te non possedocere you may perhaps cavil and say thou canst not teach some are as forward to advise you as you them and that you have not the gift of comforting or if you rebuke them for their faults they will despise you But for this and the two last works of mercy there can be no excuse nunquid dices non possum dimittere 〈◊〉 to forgive one that hath offended thee to bear with him to pray for him these things may be alwayes done ut malitia ignoscatur nulla excellentia nulla sapientia nullis divitiis opus est To pardon wrong done to us and so to beare with the weak and to pray for any there is neither excellency nor wisdom nor riches requisite or necessary 7. The last is the reconciling of them that be at variance or the making peace between man and man By this act as our Saviour tells us we shew our selves to be the children of God and as he further saith there will a blessing follow peace makers But here falleth in an obiection what if they will not be reconciled Augustine answereth it If thou hast done thy good will pacificus es thou art a peace maker And these are the seven fruits of mercy spiritual Besides these whatsoever is a work according to the Law of God is also acceptable but especially these CHAP. VIII The second rule of homogenea Fasting reduced hither Commanded under the Gospel 1. Publick fasts for averting of evil of punishment which is either malum grastans or impendens or of sinne for procureing of good 2. Private fasts and the 〈◊〉 of them The parts of a fast 1. External abstinence from meat sleep costly apparrel pleasure servile work almes then to be given Secondly internal humiliation for sinne promise of reformation The third rule our fast and observation of the Lords day must be spiritual Thus far we have proceeded according to the first rule of extension that where any thing is commanded the contrary is forbidden and e contra Come we now as in the former to the rule of Homogenea that is where any thing is Commanded there all things are commanded that are of the same kinde which is the second rule And we finde in the law that the day of humiliation or fasting is called a sabbath and so may be reduced hither as homogeneal Saint Augustine said well that if the state of Innocency had continued then had there 〈◊〉 one day only to have bin observed by Christians and that to have been spent onely in the duty of prayse and thanksgiving But since the fall of Adam there are such defects and wants in our souls that God is not onely to be glorified sacrificio Eucharistiae by the sacrifice of Praise but also sacrificio spiritus contribulati 〈◊〉 by the sacrifice of a troubled and humbled spirit his reason is 〈◊〉 bonum perfecte ut volumns non possumus because we cannot performe
our fast is such as God accepts And thus much concerning the second rule for expounding the Commandments extending to Homogenea The third rule tells us according to our former method that the love of God is spiritual and so aswell the fast as the observation of the festival ought to be spiritual as hath been partly handled already The Prophet Esay knew the necessity hereof and therefore urges both in one Chapter Esay 58. he reprooves their fast because they rested in outward abstinence neglecting the spiritual duties without which it is of no value verse 3 4 c. and ver 13. he tells them they must not do their pleasure on Gods holy day but call it a delight not doing their own wayes nor finding their own pleasure c. Thus we must sanctifie the Lord in our hearts as S. Peter requires 1 Pet. 3. 15 and so we shall sanctifie the day to him in an acceptable manner CHAP. IX The fourth rule of the means and helps to keep this Commandment viz. 1. Places 2. Persons 3. Maintenance 1 Of publick places for divine worship The place as well as the time holy and both to be reverenced Add. 25. out of the Authors other works concerning the Adorning of Gods house and against sacriledge in prophaning it Addition 26. Further Additions concerning Churches or places of Gods worship set places used from the beginning the necessity of them from natural instinct Their dedication and the use of it God is sole proprietor as of places so of all the Churches patrimony All humane propriety extinct by dedication the Clergy have onely usum ac fructum no fee-simple by the Law Civil or municipal in any man but a quasi feudum onely IN the next place according to the former rules of exposition we are to proceed to those things which help and conduce to the keeping of this Commandment which we usually call the means for where the end is commanded there those things are also Commanded without which the end cannot be attained Now whereas the solemn duties of this day cannot be performed in a publick manner without a place set apart and persons enabled to perform such high and sacred actions and because those persons must be trained up that they may be fit for such great and weighty imployments and not taken up ex 〈◊〉 grege out of the common rout which cannot be without cost and charge Therefore both places and persons sanctified to these purposes and maintenance also for the persons and for the universities and schools of learning when they are to be prepared for the work are commanded by God and included in this precept and so of these we are to speak in the next place viz of 1. Places 2. Persons 3. Maintenance 1. For the place we finde it joyned with the day in several places Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuarie Where the observation of the day is joyned with the reverence of the place in one verse making them thereby to be of one Nature This should be observed by those men among us who are so strict and punctual about the day urging it even to Jewish superstition and yet are 〈◊〉 negligent of the place and prophane it most of all when as it is most certain that the time and 〈◊〉 do pari passu ambulare and that there is no more ceremony in the one then in the other but that both are of the like moral use and both alike capable of sanctification and the place the more capable of the two as a thing permanent whereas the time is transient The day is the day of rest and when we hallow it it is called the Lords rest and the same name is given by God himself to the place when it is consecrated to him This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have a delight therein saith God of Sion concerning which as the Apostles took order that the exteriour part of Gods worship should be performed decently and in order so also that the place of worship should not be prophaned but decently kept and reverently esteemed and therefore the Apostle reproves the Corinthians for their irreverent carriage in the place whereby they despised the Church of God Have ye not houses to eat and drink in or despise 〈◊〉 the Church of God But if he had lived in these times what would he have said to see the 〈◊〉 of God and places of worship so highly prophaned and abused and so homely and poorly kept that the Table of the Lord where as S. Chrysostome saith Tremenda Dei mysteria the dreadful mysteries of God are celebrated looks more like an oyster board or a table to eat oysters on then the holy Table fit for Gods Sanctuary This is so far from Pompa outward pomp which is the extream that some men pretend to be against that it comes far short of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that decency which is required in Gods house This is a thing to be thought on and though it may seem to some not to be inter graviora legis yet I am sure it is not to be neglected as we see it is now adayes for as by travelling working c. we shew that we esteem not the day so the very walls and windows and other parts neglected shew we esteem not Gods sanctuary Concerning the adorning of the house of God the Author as here briefly so more fully in other places expresseth himself Serm. on Mark 14 4 5 6. page 295. If oyntment might be spent on Aarons head under the Law seeing a greater then Aaron is here why not on his too I finde that neither under the Law he liked of their motion What should the Temple do with Cedar neither under the Gospel of theirs What should Christs head do with Nardus but that to his praise it is recorded in the old Testament that said Shall I dwell in my cieled house and the Ark of God remain under goats skins and she in the new that thought not her best ointment too good for Christs head Surely they in Egypt had their service of God it may be in a barn or in some other corner of an house yet when Moses moved a costly Tabernacle no man was found that once said our Fathers served God well enough without one ut quid perditio haec After that many Prophets and righteous men were well when they might worship before the Ark yet when Solomon moved a stately Temple never was any found that would grudge and say Why the Ark is enough I pray God we serve God no worse then they that knew nothing but a tent Ut quid perditio haec Onely in the dayes of the Gospel which of all others least should there steps up Judas and dareth to lay that against Christs Church that no man durst ever either against Moses Tent or Solomons Temple c. In the same sermon a
that are unlearned are ready to wrest Christ was long among his Disciples yet they were to seck in some things And therefore I say as the Prophet in another case they ought not to go out in haste but remain at their studies till by the help of their Guides their own industry and Gods blessing they be able to teach others and have approved themselves workmen that need not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth and then sacri sunto let such in the name of God be ordained and go boldly about the Lords work Now as there must be Schools of learning to fit men for this sacred calling so there ought to be maintenance provided for them for the Apostle saith that as the Priests that served at the Altar lived of the Altar so they that now preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel And this by special ordinance of Christ who hath so appointed and the Apostles reason taken from the maintenance of the Priests that served at the Altar shewes that the same proportion of a tenth part which was paid then to the Levites and Priests under the Law is still due to the Priesthood and Ministery of the Gospel and the Commandement for tythes extends to both besides the Apostle reasoneth that he which labours for others ought to eat the fruit of his labours and be maintained by them who reap the benefit of his labours He proves it from the bruit creatures the mouth of the ox must not be muzled that treadeth out the corn he proves further from men of secular callings whether in time of war or peace The souldier goes not to warfare at his own charge nor doth the husbandman feed his flock or plant or sowe but in hope to reap the fruit of his pains from whence he infers that the spiritual husbandman that soweth spiritual things to others ought to partake of their harvest in temporall things for whose good he labours Now this maintenance if any ask what it is I answer that now as alwayes heretofore from the beginning it consisted of something certain and something free and voluntary The certain maintenance is tythes The voluntary oblations we finde in Nehemiah when they entred into a vow and Covenant to keep the law after their return from captivity that both these were part of that Covenant viz. Tenths and oblations which they bound themselves to pay for the service of Gods house For tythes as the seventh part of our time so at least the tenth part of our increase is due to God Reasons 1. From the annexing of tythes to the Priesthood of Christ typified by Melchizedech to whom Abraham paid tythes after his victory over the kings Gen. 14. 20. This Melchizedech was a type of Christ as the Author to the Hebrews shews for he is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech and from Melchizedechs receiving tythes of Abraham the Apostle infers the excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Levitical both because Abraham himself from whom Levi 〈◊〉 paid him tythes and was blessed by him and because the Levitical Priests that received tythes were subject to death but here a high Priest receives tythes who lives for ever In all which discourse it is supposed and taken for granted that tythes are annexed to Christs Priesthood otherwise the whole reasoning were impertinent and to no purpose Now if they be due to our high Priest who lives for ever no question but the Priests and ministers of the Gospel whom he hath made his Stewards and whom he hath sent as his father sent him ought in his right to receive and to them the people ought to pay their tythes as to Christ to whom they belong for Christ having ordained a maintenance for the Ministers of the Gospel and no other certain maintenance being specified it can be no other then this of tythes 2. Jacobs promise long before the law to give tythes to God of all he possest compared with Abrahams practise before and the Apostles rule that the labourer is worthy of his wages with the perpetual practise of the Church the best expositor of the Law shew this duty to be moral and perpetual 3. The chief and principal reason why God reserved the tenth for himself and gave it to those that served at the Altar is moral and perpetual For he reserved the tenth to himself in signum universalis Dominii as an acknowledgement of that all we have is his and he gave it to the Priests and Levites for their service in the Tabernacle Now God is no lesse Lord of the world now then 〈◊〉 and he hath a service and worship to be performed and maintained still and therefore that proportion which God himself thought 〈◊〉 in his wisdom ought to continue still especially there being nothing in it peculiar to the Jews nor any typical ceremonie in that number which should make it void by the coming of Christ. 4. Lastly by Christs speech to the Scribes and Pharisees about tything mint and cummin and leaving the weightier matters of the Law when he tells them The first ought to be done and the other not left undone And the Apostles rule that he which is taught in the word must communicate unto him that teacheth him in all good things it may appear it was not Christs intent to abrogate tythes or the Apostles meaning to abridge the Ministers maintenance but that at least a tenth should be paid As I said before of the time of publick worship that it is probable the seventh day was appointed by God from the beginning by ageneral positive Law obliging all mankinde and that the day was altered by the Apostles herein authorized by Christ so likewise I say concerning tythes it is the more probable opinion that God appointed this proportion for himself from the beginning that as by observing the day so by paying the tenth all men might acknowledge God to be Creatour and Lord of all and whatsoever they enjoy is his free gift and therefore this precept not being given onely to the Jews and the reason of the Command being moral and perpetual and no abrogation of it made by Christ or his Apostles but ratl es many things found in the new Testament which seem to confirm it is of force still and obligeth all Christians under the Gospel we finde it not onely practised before by the Patriarchs but some reliques of it among the Heathen The Greeks Carthaginians and Romanes gave the tenth to Apollo to Hercules to Jupiter c. The like Theophanus reports of the Egyptians and Herodotus of the Persians Plutarch of others which practise came no doubt from the universal tradition derived from the beginning not wholly obliterated though much corrupted as all divine institutions which were positive and not meerly flowing from the light of nature were among them For as was said before of the time so it
one another 〈◊〉 condemnes Zimri had Zimri peace which slew his Master And Absolom though he were rebellious to his father yet he could condemne Hushai for leaving David is this thy kindnes to thy friend 2. As the Prophet Esay hath it in the forenamed verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 their worm shall not die Conscientia ipsorum paena their very conscience shall be a punishment to them So that their life may be 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 long but without delight or joy 3. The third is out of the same verse ignis 〈◊〉 non extinguetur Their fire shal never be quenched Their misery shall never have end 4. And lastly there too they shall be an abhorring to all flesh They shall be odious to every good man Their name shall be forgotten God will root out the remembrance of them from the earth The name of the wicked shall rot And though God take away the righteous betimes yet in the way of righteousnes is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death as the wiseman speaks And to conclude with the words of the Preacher though the dayes of the wicked be prolonged yet it shall go well with them that fear the Lord But it shall not go 〈◊〉 with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he 〈◊〉 not before God THE EXPOSITION OF THE Sixth Commandement CHAP. I. Why 〈◊〉 commandment is placed in this order How it coheres with the rest Of unjust anger the first step to 〈◊〉 how it differs from other affections Of lawful anger unlawful anger how prohibited The degrees and fruits of it The affirmative part of the precept to preserve the life of 〈◊〉 The life of the body and the degrees of it The life of the soul and the sinnes against it The scope of this commandment Non occides Thou shalt do no murther or Thou shalt not kill WE have seen that whatsoever duty was between men as Superiours and Inferiours pertained to the fift Commandment which hath been handled at large Now the duties that are called 〈◊〉 which are common to all follow in the four next commandments This sixth concerneth the life of man and the preservation thereof The seventh respects chastity and the preservation of it in wedlock and out of wedlock The eighth takes care of meum tunm the goods propriety and estates of men And the ninth concernes the reputation and good name of a man This commandment conducing so much to publick and private peace is rightly and in its due order placed next to the 〈◊〉 whereby authority and government is established with due respect and honour And the lawgiver considering the frailty of mans memory hath in his infinite wisdom under one word murder comprehended a whole catalogue of sinnes and made choice of this word which signifies the highest degree of sinnes of this nature to shew how odious the other degrees are and that those affections of unjust anger hatred c. Are murder in his sight which otherwise would not perhaps have seemed so haynous to man if they had not been expressed by that word This commandment is expounded in the law by Moses where not onely murder itself is forbidden but all the degrees and causes 〈◊〉 men come to it as 〈◊〉 bearing standing against the blood of our neighbour hatred not rebuking a neighbour for his sin revenge grudges c. And as in the law so in the Gospel by our Saviour himself there is a large comment upon this law from the two and twentieth verse of the fift of Saint Matthew to the 27. And from the 38. verse to the end of the chapter where rash anger and malice is made murther in the heart and revenge even against enemies is severely forbidden The like is in Saint Johns Epistles almost throughout them all but especially in one place most plainly and especially whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer By which God sheweth that God rather gives his laws to the heart the fountain of the affections to the affections then to the actions as men do their laws And when we have well weighed these places we shall finde that to be true which the Apostle saith that Anger and hatred 〈◊〉 the gate of the 〈◊〉 whereby he enters into the soul Be angry and sinne not neither give place to the Devil for hereby is way made for strife and debate the proper work of the Devil as S. James speaks For the order and dependance of this Commandment upon the former it is very exact For 1. First the fifth was concerning parents the beginners and Authors of our life therefore no object cometh better to be treated on in the next place then life it self which floweth as an effect from the former and every man ought to prize and esteem it both in himself and others And as it ought to follow the fifth so ought it to go before the rest for we must first have life and being before we can partake of wedlock goods or good name 〈◊〉 do all depend upon life and therefore the Commandment for preserving of it ought to stand before these 2. The ground of the fifth Commandment was self conceit to restrain that conceit which men have of their own excellency whereby they assume honour to themselves and are unwilling to give honour to whom it is due Hence men are apt to hate those that are better and more honoured then themselves for omnis iniquitas mentitur sibi all iniquity deceives it self and we may observe that the first murder came from this Cain hated his brother because he was accepted and preferred before him and the text saith plainly that he slew his brother because he was better then himself for his brothers works were good and his own evil So was Esau's anger kindled against Jacob because of his prerogative of birth-right which he had bought and for the blessing which he stole from Esau. The like was in the Patriarchs against Joseph so that in both cases had they not been prevented they had proceeded even to murder when they hated them All this I say grows upon the conceit that we are not honored so much and others in our opinion are honoured more then they should be Thus then we being thwarted and crossed do as Ahab did fall into anger and revenge and to obtain our desires into murder And therefore in the placing of this Commandment before those that follow there is very good order observed It is true as diverse have well observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fervour of spirit or animosity proceedeth from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire and our affections are hence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violent and earnest We see in natural things fire whose natural place is to be above desireth to be there and therefore it hath the quality of lightnesse given to it whereby it is apt to
receive onely Corporal blessings but by this means he shall abrumpere peccata break off his sins For when a man findes his bowels open to the poor it is a good signe and symptome of Gods mercy and forgivenesse to him When Cornelius gave alms his calling was neer Our Saviour saith Give alms and all things shall be clean 〈◊〉 you speaking of Ceremonial cleannesse under the Law and S. James saith this is a part of that moral purity required under the Gospel for pure religion and undefiled before God is to visit the fatherlesse and widows in adversity c. Besides all this we shall hereby as the Apostle saith lay up a good foundation against the time to come when we shall be called to give an account of our stewardship for this is that which will come in rationem to be accounted for at the last day the relieving or not relieving of Christ in his members I was hungry and ye fed me or fed me not saith Christ. In the 〈◊〉 of the talents the Lord asks the unprofitable servant why he gave not his money to the exchangers S. Ambrose on that place asks who be those 〈◊〉 those money changers and he findes at last that Pauperes are Campsores the poor be those money changers And therefore he saith If a man be to go into another countrey where he shall need money if he be in danger of thieves and robbers by the way or if his money will not be currant in the place whither he is to go he goes to the exchanger delivers him his money and takes a bill of his hand which he carries with him and so he fears neither robbers by the way who he is sure will not rob him of a piece of paper nor that he shall want currant money in the place he goes to so saith he is the case of every man in this life he is travelling to his heavenly Countrey and therefore he should do like a Traveller who will neither load himself with that which may endanger his life nor will passe for currant in the place to which he goes but will so lay it out here that he may receive it there Now as Job speaks We came naked out of our mothers womb and as the Apostle saith We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out of it for if we would we are sure to be stript of all as we go The proud are robbed saith the Psalmist they have slept their sleep and when they awake in the morning they finde nothing in their hands And then secondly if a man could carry any thing in his hand yet it is not gold and silver that will serve there it will not be currant in an other world Therefore the best couse is in our passage hence to make friends of the temporal Mammon to deliver it here that we may receive the worth of it there And this is as Ambrose speaks to be dives in libro sigillato rich in the sealed book as 〈◊〉 was whose alms came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Gods book of remembrance This is the committing of our wealth here to Christs factors and exchangers the poor for whom he himself is surety what ye do to them saith Christ ye do to me I will make it good he gives us his bill for it which is the very gospel the word of God which cannot fail wherein he hath promised that not a cup of cold water but shall be returned This is our warrant for delivering here and receiving it there The Heathen man said that works of mercy do swim out with us and the Scripture saith that the just when they rest from their labours opera eorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their works shall follow them for when as others are like him that dreams of a great dinner but when awakes he is hungry they that are rich in these works shall be surely rewarded their works shall be accounted to them to them shall be said Come ye blessed of my father c. 〈◊〉 conclude he that follows after righteousnesse by just dealing both in getting and restoring and after mercy in using of his 〈◊〉 He shall finde life and righteousnesse and honour and 〈◊〉 hereafter in the world to come The last thing to be touched is according to the sixth rule to procure the keeping of this precept in others the Psalmist makes it a sin not onely furare to steal but currere cumfure to run with a thief and Solomon saith That he that is partner with a thief destroyeth his own soul therefore we must not communicate with others in this sin And not onely must we observe this in the Negative part but also in the Affirmative we must draw others from the breach of the precept as the Psalmist who exhorts others not to trust in oppression and robbery and if riches increase that they set not their hearts upon them The like doth Solomon when he saith that bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterward his mouth is filled with gravel and therefore he warneth every one not to let mercy and truth forsake him so he shall have favour in the sight of God and man Thus to avoid this sin of theft both in themselves and others hath been the practise and endeavour of the Saints in all Ages THE EXPOSITION OF THE Ninth Commandement CHAP. I. The words expounded What is meant by Non respondebis in the Original Addit about the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respondere What by witnesse Four witnesses 1. God 2. The conscience 3. Men and Angels 4. The Creatures What is meant by false what by contra against what by proximum Neighbour The coherence and dependance of this Commandement The scope and use of it 1. In respect of God 2. Of the Church 3. Of the Common wealth 4. Of private persons Exod. 20. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy Neighbour FOr the exposition of this Commandement we must have recourse to those places of Scripture where the sin here forbidden is prohibited and the duties here implyed are commanded as in the Old Testament to Levit. 19. 11. 16 17. Ye shall not lye one to another and Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale bearer among thy people And Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart c. And to Zach. 8. 16 17. Speak ye every man the truth to his Neighbour And Love no false oath And in the New Testament to Matth. 12. 34 35 36. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh for a good man out of the good treasures of his heart bringeth forth good things c. and to Ephes. 4. 25. where we have both parts of this Commandement The Negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cast off lying and then in the next words the Affirmative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c.
he said Woman I know not the man and Man I know him not but in S. Marks Gospel which was thought by the Primitive Church to be writtten by S. Peter he saith that he began to curse and swear that he knew him not Thus he spares not his own credit in speaking of himself 2. For hearing such as speak evil of others 〈◊〉 we must give them an angry look for an angry 〈◊〉 drives away a slanderer as the North-winde doth rain And secondly a deaf ear we must stop our ears against them It were a happy thing as S. 〈◊〉 saith if good men would be to the wicked as the wicked are to them when they come to them they shew no liking to them either by their words or countenance neither ought the other to shew any to them but our unhappinesse is that we want that constancy and courage in good which they have in evil and our ears are open to the Charmer 3. We must not in our reports of any augere rem make the matter greater then it is as 〈◊〉 when but a dozen of bread was given to David by Abimelech he reports that Abimelech gave him 〈◊〉 as if he had been furnished with a great deal And the Spies that disheartned the people by reporting the Canaanites to be far stronger then they were and not to be conquered whereas the other Spies told them the truth the land was strong indeed but yet they should not fear 〈◊〉 4. Against flattery this mellea stranguratio this sweet and pleasant choaking the rule is we shall avoid it our selves if we forsake not the Law of God for they that forsake the Law praise the wicked c. And against flattery by others that we be not strangled with it we must say contrary to Abab He hated Michaiah because he did not prophecie good to him he did not please him by flatteries But we must say we hate the flatterer because he speaks onely placentia pleasing things And again if we would judge our selves as the Apostle exhorts we should not hearken to flatterers when we see our own defects we would say as he did Vatem me quoque dicunt pastores sed non ego credulus illis they would make me this and that but I believe them not 5. How to behave our selves in reproaches The Prophet directs us Fear not their reproaches nor be afraid of their rebukes We must esteem the witnesse within us more then the outward witnesse of the world and the witnesse above us more then both But if reproach be fallen upon us then we must remember these rules 1. Sometimes a man is reproached with a matter known and of which he is convicted here 1. he must take heed of frons meretricia a whorish forehead If the word of God and the censures of the Church will not prevail it is not their civil censures that will work any thing and 2. he must not onely have the shame in his countenance but also confusion inwardly that he may be able to say This shame I willingly bear onely I wish that I may amend my fault and recover the favour of God and be in credit with his servants 2. Sometimes a man is reproached for a thing not known nor is he convicted of it yet he knows himself to be guilty here he is not bound retegere peccatum to uncover his sin nisi sine peccato tegere non potest except without sin he cannot keep it close yet he must confesse it to God and say with David Tibi soli peccavi against thee have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight thou knowest of it though I cannot be convicted of it before men Now in this case either a man hath given some occasion by carrying himself so as may give some suspition of such a sin though he never acted it and then because he hath offended in not avoiding all appearance of evil he must know God hath by this means dealt lovingly with him to make him more wary to avoid all appearance of evil for the future and to keep him from wandring and pleasing imaginations of the sin in his heart for it is sure sin cannot be long in the heart before it will come into action 3. Sometimes a man is charged with that which he ever 〈◊〉 in his heart yet in this case he may make use of an unjust reproach for by this means he may be stirred up to prayer to be still kept from that sin which he may fall into afterwards though as yet he be free from it for many have fallen so there he should take this as a warning from God to take heed that he fall not into the just reproach as Solomon advises Vereri opera sua be afraid and jealous of himself for blessed is the man that seareth alwayes And in this case it is the advise of the Fathers and Doctors that when a man falleth into unjust reproach by lyes and slanders he should examine himself whether he have not lyed unto God and so deserved this lying report from men whether he have not made many promises of amendment to God in the day of his affliction which afterwards he hath forgotten like the Israelites in distresse who prayed the Lord that he would but deliver them that day and then he should do as it should please him or as those in Hosea that cried not with their hearts when they howled upon their beds but were like them in the Psalm that lyed with their mouths and dissembled with him in their hearts This lying to God when men make fair promises in their sicknesse or other distresse which they have no care to perform may justly cause God to give them over to the lying tongues of men and for this cause it is as with them in Hosea that vinea mentitur nobis the floor and the winepresse fails us we shall have fair and forward springs but God sends such weather as shall deceive our hopes And as it is said that the house of Achshib should be a lie to the kings of Israel so those that trust in men for whose favour they are contented to lie and do evil hoping those men shall be pillars to support them they shall finde that those they trusted in shall prove a lye to them they shall deceive them and finde there is no help in them And thus much for the means and rules for observing this Commandment The last rule according to our former method requires that we procure the keeping of it by others and herein we have Davids example whose eyes were upon veraces terrae the faithful in the land so effectually would he work that no deceitful person nor any that telleth lies should tarry in his sight The one should be his Companions but the other should not come neer him And thus much for this ninth Commandment THE EXPOSITION OF THE Tenth Commandement Exod.
through diverse hands already crept forth in Print to the great wrong both of the Living and the Dead and that the same is about to be reprinted it was therefore thought necessary in vindication of the Author and to disabuse the Reader to publish this Copy there being no other way to prevent the further mischiefs of that Edition then by another more perfect for though I deny not but that there are many good Materials in that indigested Chaos which is already set forth which an expert Builder may make good use of yet the Reader will finde the whole to be nothing else but a heap of broken rubbish the rudera of those stately structures which that skilful Architect had made which have been so mangled and defaced so scattered and dismembred like Medeas Absyrtus that they appear scarce shadows of themselves so that had the learned Author lived to see those partus ingenii those divine Issues of his brain so deformed he might well have called them not Benjamins sons of his right hand but Benonies sons of sorrow for I am confident there hath not been exposed to publick view a work of that bulk stuffed with so much nonsence so many Tautologies contradictions absurdities and incoherences since Printing was in use there is not a Page scarce a Paragraph seldome many lines together in the whole Book which contain perfect sence the Method quite lost in most places the whole Discourse like a body whose members are dislocated or out of joynt as if it had been tortured upon the rack or wheel so that the parts cohere like the Hammonian sands sometimes whole Paragraphs whole pages yea diverse sheets together are wanting as in the tenth Commandment where the one half is left out and half of the ninth is added to supply that defect and the whole work so corrupted mangled disjoynted falsified interpolated and the sence of the Author so perverted that the Author might well say of the Publisher with the Poet Quem recitas mens est c. At male dum recitas incipit esse tuus the Book was his at first but by this strange Metamorphosis the Publisher hath made his own That the world therefore may not be longer abused by a shadow obtruded for the substance here is presented the Authors own Copy revised and compared with diverse other manuscripts which though it were not perfected by himself nor intended for publick use yet being the onely Copy he had as is acknowledged under his hand in the beginning of the Book and containing many Marginal Notes and alterations throughout the whole made by himself in his latter years as it seems it may well be thought to contain the minde and sence of the Author more fully then any of those Copies in other hands This coming into the hands of one of those to whom the perusal of his papers were committed who was informed of the wrong done by that other Edition and that a more perfect one was intended and desired out of his love to the memory of the deceased Author and his eminent zeal for the publick good considering of how great use the work might be he was easily induced to part with it for so good a purpose whereupon by an able industrious and worthy Gentleman who hath otherwise deserved well of the publick and had some relation to the Author whilst he lived the work was taken in hand and revised the sence in many places restored defects supplied and the whole discourse brought into a far better form then that wherein it had formerly appeared But considering that to purge this Augaean stable and to restore a work so much corrupted and whose best Copies were imperfect was no easy work and that it contained such variety of all kinde of Learning both Divine and Humane that he who would revise it must not be a stranger to any and that many Eyes may see more then one such was his Ingenuity and Modesty that he was willing and desirous to have the whole again revised and brought to the touch by some other who as he conceived might have more leizure and abilities then himself whereupon it was again resumed and after much labor travail was at length brought to this form wherin it now appears wherein that the Reader may know what is performed in this Edition he shall finde 1. The true sence and meaning of the Author the chief thing to be looked after in the publishing of other mens works restored in many thousand places which were corrupted mistaken whereby the Author was made to speak contrary to what he thought as if he had seen some vision after his death to make him change his Judgement in his life time This as it was a work of much difficulty requiring both time and study by diligent comparing of places weighing of Antecedents and Consequents viewing several Copies and consulting with the Authors quoted c. so the Reader will finde no small benefit thereby arising from this Edition 2. The Method is here cleered which was in a manner quite lost in the former Edition and without which the Reader must needs be in a Maze or Labyrinth This being the chief help to memory conducing much to the understanding of the matter 3. Many Tautologies and needlesse Repetitions of the same thing are here cut off and those many great defects wherein diverse Paragraphs Pages and whole sheets were formerly wanting are supplyed and added 4. Whereas in some passages the sence of the Author might seem obscure or doubtful and not to agree so well with his iudgment expressed in his other works composed in his latter and riper years his meaning therefore is cleared and vindicated by adding his latter thoughts upon the same points which are either collected out of his other works which were perfected by himself or the Reader referred to those other places where he may be more fully satisfied And where some things are omitted or but briefly touched a supplement is made out of his other works or where it could not be had out of them there is added what was needful to be supplied without prejudice to the Author and what is conceived agreable to the declared Doctrine of the Catholike Church of Christ and of this Church in special which that the Reader may distinguish it from the words of the Author is put in a different Character save where by mistake the same letter is used And here as in some other points so in particular about the Sabbath wherein the Author might be mistaken by many of both sides out of his other works compared with this here is declared what his Opinion was in that Controversie and that it was no other then which I conceive to come neerest to the truth that as the symbolical rest proper to that Nation is abolisht so the substance of the Precept is moral and that the seventh day was hallowed by God for a time of publick worship from the beginning in memory of the
Creation by positive Divine Law obliging all mankinde Instead whereof the Lords day is set apart for the day of publick worship by the Apostles as extraordinary Legats of Christ in memory of the Resurrection which is to continue unchangeable to the end of the World This as it is shewed out of the Authors other writings so for the more full clearing of all questions upon this subject there is added a large discourse containing the whole Doctrine of the Sabbath and Lords day laid down in seven Conclusions Chap. 7. in Com. 4. wherein I conceive there is some thing offered which may givc some satisfaction to those that are moderate of both sides 5. For the better help of the Reader every Commandment is divided into Chapters and the Sum or Contents of each Chapter with the method how they stand are prefixt to every Chapter or Section All which Contents together with the Supplements or Additions are set together at the beginning of the Book that so the Reader may at once have a general Idaea of the whole Book and of what is handled in each Precept and so may the more easily finde any thing he desires to read without much Labour or enquiry Thus the Reader may in part conceive what is done to render this work the more useful to him And if the stile be not so accurate and exact as in the Authors other sermons he must consider that as it was not polisht by the Author nor fitted by him for the Presse and that in the revising thereof there was more regard had to the matter then to words so having passed through diverse hands it cannot seem strange if some incongruities of speech do still remain Errours we know of one concoction are not easily corrected in an other and waters will contract some tincture from the Minerals through which they passe besides that the errours and mistakes of the Printer which could not easily be prevented may in many places obscure or pervert the sence Let this therefore be taken in good part which is intended for the publick good and what shall be found needful to be corrected as who can walk in so rough a path and never stumble shall God willing be rectified in the next Edition in the mean time make use of this and if it shall contribute any thing to promote the practise of Religion which is the scope of the work the Publisher hath the fruit of his Indeavours and ends of his Desires who desires further the benefit of their Prayers that shall reap any benefit by his Labours AN INTRODVCTION To the Exposition Of the DECALOGUE Containing certain Generall pracognita about Catechizing Religion the Law c. CHAP. I. 1 That Children are to be taught and instructed in Religion proved out of Heathen Philosophers out of the Law the Gospel 2 That this instruction ought to be by way of Catechism What catechizing is How it differs from Preaching Reasons for abridgements or 〈◊〉 of Religion Catechizing used in all ages Before the flood After the flood Vnder the Law Vnder the Gospel After the Apostles In the Primitive Church Reasons for this custome of Catechizing BEfore we proceed to the ensuing Catechism we will first premise something concerning the necessity of Catechizing Youth and the duties of the catechised by way of preface And for this we have sufficient warrant not onely humane but divine also Clemens Alexandrinus Tutor to Origen intending to write his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or three books of Pedagogy or instruction of Children prefixed before it his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or admonitory Oration And Cyrill Bishop of Jerusalem writing twenty four several Catechisms in the front of them hath a preface which maketh up the twenty fift which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Introduction or Preface And both these are built upon the example of King David who being at one time among others determined to catechize Children calls them to him saying Come ye children and hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord a plain preface before catechizing The like introduction did his Son make Hear O ye children the Instruction of a father and give ear to learn understanding So that you see our warrant for an introduction or preface Now out of these texts three points naturally arise 1. That it is a thing not onely pleasing to the Lord but also commanded by him that children be instructed in the fear of God 2. That their teaching must be by way of catechizing 3. What is required of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the catechized that the catechizing may be fruitful and not in vaine viz. to come and hearken or giue eare There have been some of opinion as may be seen as well in the writings of the Heathen as in the story of the Bible that Religion should not descend so low as to children but that they are to be brought up licentiously and allowed liberty while they are young and not to be instructed before they come to riper years and then they should be instructed in Religion 1. The heathen tell us of that 〈◊〉 is in the beginning of the Philosophers moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a young man is not a proper and fit Auditor of Moral Philosophy And it was the Orators opinion in his defence of Caelius Dandum est aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deferbuerit Liberty is to be given to Youth till its heat be abated And one of their Poets Qui deos voluptuarios contempsit juvenis is aut amabit aut 〈◊〉 senex He that despiseth pleasure while he is young will either dote or be mad when he comes to be old To answer this we say that if there were any weight or moment in the authority of the Heathen the whole consent and practise of them in general were to be preferred before some few mens opinions And for their practise it is certain that catechism or instruction of youth was ever in use among the Gentiles for we finde in Porphiries questions upon Homer this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things we understand by the instruction of our childehood And Salons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacred admonitions learn't by Eschines shewed that it was usual in Athens for youth to be taught The history also of the Heathen makes it plain that their children were instructed and so dealt with for it was a custome among them not to poll their childrens heads till they were instructed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sacred admonitions from which time they were allowed to carry tapers in their shows and festival solemnities then were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Torch or Taper-bearers Phocylides also saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is necessary to teach a childe while he is young to doe well And 〈◊〉 in his golden verses and Plutarch in his booke of the education of youth and Plato in Euthym. are all of the same opinion
Locusts that devour all where they come and the Fathers term them unprofitable and superfluous Creatures The Apostle alluding to this saith Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour 4. In regard of the breach of the sixth Commandment forbidding 〈◊〉 For idlenesse is the mother of many diseases For as there are none of Gods creatures but putrifie without motion as the air and water stagnantes 〈◊〉 stantes aque nec dulces nec salubres 〈◊〉 Seneca standing waters are neither sweet nor wholsom so ease in the body bringeth forth 〈◊〉 the gout and other diseases Computrescit in stercore saith the Prophet the seed rots under the clod And it were to be wisht that not onely the losse of time wasting the creatures and the hurt of the body were all the prejudice that came by idlenesse so that the soul might be kept untainted by it but that also is subject to detriment by it for from nihil agere doing nothing comes male agere doing ill Idlenesse teacheth much evil saith the son of Syrach and by this comes the disease which S. Basil calls podagram animi the gowt of the soul. Now idlenesse consists in two things Either 1. in too much sleep or 2. in not being exercised when we are awake in the works of our calling 1. For the first of too much sleeping After the Apostle had told the Romans it was high time to awake out of sleep he gives them a caveat to walk honestly as in the day not in gluttony vnd drunkennesse nor in chambering and wantonnesse after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drunkennesse then he comes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate 〈◊〉 but it is properly lying long in bed and there is joyned with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wantonnesse the companion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beginning of concupiscence The Prophet 〈◊〉 those of his time with stretching themselves upon their beds and not without cause for another Prophet tells us that by it men begin 〈◊〉 nequam to devise iniquity to have wicked thoughts We see the experience of it in David who after his sleep was disposed to take the air in his Turret and by that means was made fit for the impression of this vice upon the sight of a tempting object for which cause Solomon gives good counsel 〈◊〉 this purpose Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes and thou 〈◊〉 be satisfied with bread for having spoken verse 11. of young men that by their actions they may be known whether their work be pure and whether it be right and in the 12. verse that they may be known by this whether they apply their ears and eyes to knowledge as God created them he 〈◊〉 in the 13. verse that otherwise if they love sleep these effects of it shall come upon them For remedy hereof two things are to be observed in sleep 1. The Quantitie 2. The manner 1. For the quantitie Our sleep must not be too long Vsque quo dormis How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard ultra horam beyond the hour there is an hour when to arise Hora est jam saith the Apostle the hour is at hand or as we read it it is now high time to awake out of sleep but the sluggard when the hour cometh when he should arise lies still in his bed and is as a dore which turneth alwayes upon the hinges and yet remains in the 〈◊〉 place 2. For the manner of our sleep It must not be like that of Ionah who was in a dead sleep in a time of danger It must not be as S. Jerome calls it sepultura suffocati as the burial of one without breath but requies lassi the rest of one that is weary The Prophet threatens it as a great plague from God to be given up to the spirit of slumber which is true of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drowsinesse of the body as well as the soul. And as Ionah was in the midst of the tempest when he slept soundly so these are under Gods visitation who are possest with this spirit of slumber 2. The second point of idlenesse is when we are not exercised in the duties of our calling but give our selves to ease Desidiae est somnium vigilantis sloth is the dream of him that is awake and by want of labour and exercise and giving our selves to ease we come to the hanging down of the hands and the feeble knees of which the Apostle speaks and so become fit for no good thing For as all other creatures of God by standing still grow corrupt as we see in standing water which putrifies and being putrified ingenders toads and such venemous creatures so in man ease brings discases both in body and soul it produces in the body podagram the gout and it brings forth the like indisposition in the soul which made S. Basil call it podagram animi the gout of the soul. And therefore S. Ambrose calls idle persons creaturas Dei superfluas superfluous creatures of God which do no way profit the body politick where they live but are as the Heathen man saith of the 〈◊〉 such qui animam pro sale habent who have their souls instead of salt to keep their bodies sweet S. Paul measureth not idlenesse onely by doing nothing but also by not doing the duties of a mans place As he that is placed in the Vniversity and studies not though he hawk hunt or dance or uses other exercises that are laborious yet because he doth not that which he ought to do he is to be accounted an idle fellow If men be as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not working at all then they become busie bodies and if women be idle then wil they be pratlers or tatlers upon which cometh tale-carrying lying 〈◊〉 and forging whereby they disquiet others And not onely so but they are busie bodies medling out of their callings where they have nothing to do These are to be restrained And because hereby groweth a disposition from the body for evil motions in the soul therefore S. Peter enjoyns the vertue of abstinence and commands us to abstain from such fleshly lusts as do militare contra animam 〈◊〉 against the soul. The remedy against sleep is that which the Apostle calleth sobriety properly watchfulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sober be vigilant saith he in another place for sleep and drunkennesse are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 works of the night and we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children of light and of the day our desires therefore ought to be after the works of the light and of the day and we must walk accordingly 2. The remedie against idlenesse the Apostle gives us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set our selves to do our own businesse and the works of our calling And blessed shall
he be whom the Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing We said before that in this sin there is suppuratio the festering of it within and after that there is subactum solum the soyl fitted by feeding the evil 〈◊〉 by gluttony and idlenesse of which we have now spoken CHAP. V. The fourth 〈◊〉 Irrigatio soli the watering of the soyl by incentives and allurements to this sin which are either 1. In or about our selves or 2. In others Of the first sort are 1. Painting 2. Strange wanton apparel 3. Lascivious gestures Of the second sort are 1 Lewd company and obscene books 2. Obscene pictures and wanton dancings Of modesty the vertue opposite THe next thing is irrigatio soli watering of the soyl of which we are to beware For as we must keep our selves from being meet or fit ground for the Devil to cast in this seed of lust or evil concupiscence by meats of provocation drinks and dyet or idle living so must we also take heed of such objects and allurements as may irrigare solum water the ground foment and dispose the soul to this sin And these allurements or 〈◊〉 we consider as they are in our selves or as in others Those in or about our selves are diverse 1. As the using of 〈◊〉 painting the face which was the sin of Iezabel she painted her face and tyred her head Of this one saith that it is not facies but larva they have not a face but a vizard But the Prophet tells such In vain shalt thou 〈◊〉 thy self fair for thy lovers shall despise thee thou that rentest thy face or eyes with painting alluding to the custom of women then of 〈◊〉 their eye brows with stibium or 〈◊〉 as some learned think 2. The strange 〈◊〉 our selves in apparel which is condemned even in women who are rather to be tolerated herein then men because it is mundus muliebris the adorning of women Saint Gregory saith what a deformity is it in men when it is found fault with in women The places before quoted condemne 〈◊〉 as vsed in a wanton lascivious manner and for unchast ends 1. The platting and wreathing of the haire 2. The adding of gold and silver to adorne them 3. Rare and strange or costly apparel such as our Saviour implicitely taxes in the rich glatton who was clothed with purple and fine linnen This affectation of such vanity and cost in apparel with so much industry and care while the adorning of the inner man is neglected is here forbidden For of this we may say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in studio vestium 〈◊〉 deesse let no man conceive or 〈◊〉 himself that he can be free from sinne that takes too much care about apparel As for vestitus peregrinus strange apparel God by the Prophet threatens to punish such as are clothed with strange apparel Saint Pauls reason against such care to adorne the body is because it becomes not those that professe the 〈◊〉 of God And Saint Peter hath two reasons against it 1. Because the chief care should be about the hidden man of the heart for as Cato once said 〈◊〉 corporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magna mentis incuria where there is great care of the body there is usually greatest neglect of the mind therfore not the outward but the inward man is to be adorned 2. The Saints in old time did not thus apparel themselves not Sarah c. Therefore follow their examples 3. Another allurement is the gesture a proud allureing gate God threatens that he will devise evil against such as go haughtily Esay describes the particulars and tells us the manner of their proud walking 1. They are haughty going on 〈◊〉 2. They have erectum guttar stretched out necks 3. They have 〈◊〉 antes oculos rowling and wanton eyes looking wantonly 4. minutos passus a mincing or tripping gate they go as if they were 〈◊〉 shackled And the Prophet for these thundereth against the daughters of Sion but much more would he have done against the sons of Sion gestum natura dedit sed gratia 〈◊〉 There is a generation saith Agur whose eyes are haughty some have proud gates naturally but though nature hath given it yet grace can amend it Now we come to the watering of our lust by those provcations and incentives which are without us 1. The kingly Prophet tells us of some which have consortium cum adulteris are partakers or keep company with adulterers The wiseman speaking of a yong man that had entered into the company and communication with a harlot saith he goeth after her as an oxe to the slaughter or a fool to the stocks or a bird to the pitfall and feeles it not till the dart strike through his liver And indeed lewd company is very dangerous for this sinne as we see by that the Apostle tells us modicum fermenti corrumpit totam massam a little leaven 〈◊〉 the whole lump Which though it may be applyed to any vice yet Saint Paul there applyeth it particularly to this shewing that this vice hath an especial quality in it to infect and leaven others The holy Ghost bids us beware of evil company and not onely of those that are notoriously evil but of suspicious company and 〈◊〉 times The young man in the Proverbs went to a suspected house and at a suspected time in the twilight when it was now dark and these two disposed to this vice 1. Haunting suspicious places 2. At suspicious times We are not onely to refrain from evil but from the shew of evil and we must provide for things honest not onely coram Deo before God but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before men as the Apostle exhorts Vnder bad company come bad books that speak broadly of filthy and obscene matters The heathen man called his books comites his companions Though he were solus alone yet as long as he had his books to beare him company he was nunquamminus solus quam cum solus never lesse alone then when he was alone Evil books containe many evil words and evil words corrupt good manners as the Apostle tells out of Menander speaking of the sayings of the Epicures and evil words are like stolen waters which are sweet and as bread eaten in secret which is pleasant 2. To ill company and bad books may be added such things as by the eye and the eare make the same impression in the soul as namely imagines obscaenae obscene and filthy pictures such as that of Baal-Peor which they carried about for publike view to stir up lustful thoughts 〈◊〉 longed to look on it and as it is in the psalme they joyned themselves to Baal-Peor and eat the offerings of the dead It was the counsel of Balaam to bring them to see the image and offer to it and then to draw them to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab and therefore the Apostles advise is
illud quod non 〈◊〉 beleeve that which he sees not that when he casts in one grain and sees it rot and though many showres and suns do fall upon it yet at last he beleeves an Autumn will come and that he shall reap an ear for a 〈◊〉 so if God enlighten our eyes and give us hearts credere quod non videmus to beleeve what we do not yet see we shall reap the fruit thereof which shall be videre quod credimus to see and enjoy what we beleeved and so we shall finde that this seed of good works though at present it seem to be lost and cast away yet it is serentis it belongs still to the sower and that an Autumn or harvest will come when it will return an hundred fold And thus we see the wayes of just getting by lawful means without deceit or violence and when things are unjustly got the necessity of restitution We have seen also the right use of riches both in regard of our selves against prodigality and covetousnesse the two extreams and also in respect of others by bounty and liberality and so we see what is forbidden or commanded in this Commandment CHAP. IX That this Commandment is spiritual Of Covetousnesse diverse reasons against it The means to keep this Commandment 1. Contentation 2. To walk in our wayes which that we may do 1. We must have a lawful calling 2. We must be perswaded that riches are Gods gift 3. We must live according to our means 4. Observe the rules for getting and using of riches ACcording to our former method we must now show as the third rule of extent requires that this Commandment is spiritual and looks at the heart Christ saith that thefts covetousnesse deceits c. come from the heart and so all unjust gettings being of affinity with them come from the same fountain which fountain must be stopt or damd up if we will be observers of this Commandment and therefore the Apostle mentions the corruption of the minde first and then covetousnesse after when men account gain godlinesse If man had continued in the state of innocency his desires both natural and oeconomical would have been ruled and guided by reason but by the losse of that estate the minde or rational part which should be guide of his actions is corrupted whereupon his desires are irregular and immoderate so that he comes appetere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to desire fulnesse and 〈◊〉 The belly hath an appetite beyond that wich is sufficient for it and so by the corruption of the minde the appetite is unruly whereby we are disquieted by continual craving This within us like the daughters of the Horseleech cryes still give give bring bring c. Against which there must be one within us that saith there is enough to which end there must be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-sufficiency or contentednesse of minde for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 luxury or excesse is the corruption of our nature so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or contentednesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the riches of our nature But now where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covetousnesse or a desire of more the Apostle shews us how the case stands which such a heart 1. That such men will be rich this they resolve upon and because it holds especially in evil things that quod volumus valde volumus whatsoever we desire we do earnestly desire and long after it in so much that as Solomon observed even the slothful covet greedily all the day long and what they desire they will get as quickly as they can therefore such men will berich as soon as they can and then as the Wise man saith He that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent and an heritage though it be quickly got at the beginning yet the end of it is not blessed 2. That because of this greedy desire they fall into diverse temptations the Devil sets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a temptation some round sum or great gain which he offers them and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a snare wherein they are caught He requires some small thing of them nothing but a false asseveration a few words or a false oath or with the unjust steward onely a dash of a pen to set down 50 for 80 thus the bait is laid to draw them into the snare 3. That God seeing them thus resolved and willing to be catcht he 〈◊〉 them fall into the snare in his just judgement as a punishment of their inordinate desire of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 inflicts further punishments as that of the Preacher He that loves money shall not be satisfied with it the reason whereof is because the minde cannot be satisfied with any thing but God And then from many desires vers 10. the covetous man falls into many cares for when goods increase they are increased that eat them and what good comes to the owners thereof but the beholding of it with their eyes so that as his desires encrease so do his cares as we see in the rich fool Quid edam quid bibam quid induam What shall I eat What shall I 〈◊〉 what shall I put on Or if he be rich then his care is quid faciam what shall I do I have not barns enough rich but not rich to use it 4. Besides this he adds that being thus distracted with worldly cares such men shall erre from the faith not onely by falling into damnable errours but by not beleeving nor regarding either the promises or threatnings or the Commandments of God This was the punishment of Judas who because he was covetous and defrauded his Master for fur erat loculos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a thief and bore the bag therefore as we 〈◊〉 afterwards he came to make so little account of Christ or of the doctrine which he preacht that to shew he beleeved it not he sold his 〈◊〉 for thirty pieces 5. And from this which is very heavy such men fall further 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into destruction and perdition 1. Into destruction of the substance they have got The Prophet Zachary speaks of a flying book wherein were written the curses of God which should enter into the house of the thief and the swearer that swears falsly and should consume the Houses with the timber and stones thereof so that no good 〈◊〉 shall come of what is unjustly gotten And therefore the 〈◊〉 man could say If you would have your chest full of 〈◊〉 and would have them to continue with you see that you get them well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is unjustly brought into the house hath no safety or sure footing either God will take it from them and as Zophar saith they shall vomit it up again or else he will take them from it by shortening their dayes Non dimidiabunt dies suos they shall not live out half their dayes Dies
Deiveniet tanquam fur nulli autem it a 〈◊〉 fur ut furi the 〈◊〉 of the Lord will come suddenly as a thief but to none so like a thief as to the thief But this is not all for 2. they shall fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into perdition of the soul too At the last day they must hear that sentence Go ye cursed into everlasting 〈◊〉 c. such as have 〈◊〉 taken any thing from others non controvertitur de iis there shall be no question of them but they must go into perdition and therefore they are not mentioned nor is there any plea or excuse for them As for those that have not given to others they plead for themselves and their plea is answered non dedist is you have not given to me saith Christ because you gave not to my brethren but for 〈◊〉 such as taken from others by fraud or violence there is no question made of them 〈◊〉 they shall 〈◊〉 that true which the Prophet speaks They have 〈◊〉 themselves for an 〈◊〉 of barley and a piece of bread they have gained a handful of 〈◊〉 and have lost the kingdom of heaven they will then finde that it will advantage them nothing to win the whole world and to lose their souls And because the 〈◊〉 man compare the 〈◊〉 mans desires to hell as if they were insatiable and would hold as much as hell and as if there were an affinity and just adequation between them and Hell therefore like must go to like Hell is the place prepared for them for the Apostle 〈◊〉 down this conclusion that no thief nor covetous man nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the kingdom of God We come now according to the fourth rule to the means and helps we must use for the 〈◊〉 this Commandment And because Covetousnesse which is the root of all is in the heart therefore to 〈◊〉 it and pluck it up by the roots 1. We must labour for a contented minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let your conversation be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how is that in the next words it follows and be content with those things you have that is when a man for his personal and natural necessity hath that which is sufficient he must rest and be contented therewith and for the supply of what is necessary for his estate and degree which admits a great deal of latitude and hath not his medium in indivisibili consists not in an indivisible point he must 〈◊〉 trouble himself with anxious cares but must cast himself upon God yet he may lawfully take what God in his ordinary providence shall cast upon him by lawful means but if he have not this if he have what is necessary in the former respects he must be content When a man is not contented there comes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dividing and disquieting of the soul and then he distrusts the Providence of God whereas S. Peter out of the Psalm tells us that the righteous cast their care upon him because he careth for them they have this perswasion that God will not let them want they using lawful means and relying upon him yea that the very lions shall rather want then they It is true Paul allows men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providence and industry for procuring necessaries for their nature and person and they that want this care he saith are worse then infidels and have denied the faith But there is a difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anxious care for the one doth not possesse and take up the soul but leaves the heart wholly to God and may consist with prayer to him but the other takes up all or most of the heart so that one cannot attend to prayer and other duties of Gods worship as we see in Ezekiels hearers who when worldly cares took up their hearts regarded not the exercises of Religion as the word preached to them insomuch that the Prophet taxes them that with their mouths they made feasts but their heart ran after covetousnesse so that do what he could he could not draw them from it The Prophet Hosea saith of such that cor eorum 〈◊〉 est their heart 〈◊〉 divided viz. between God and the world so that through their worldly desires and cares joyned with distrust of God when they come to present themselves before God he cannot have it whole and entire nay many times the world takes it up wholly so that God can have no part therefore to prevent and avoid this Contentednesse resting upon Gods providence not excluding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first thing 2. The second thing is laid down by the Psalmist Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes This is when a man so looks up to God that he also uses lawful means and walks in those wayes which God allows and this includes in it diverse things 1. He must set himself in a lawful calling he must eat his bread either in the care and study of the minde or in the sweat of his brows either jure manus or jure oculi by the labour of his hands in bodily works or of his eyes by reading and study S. Paul saith that those that live idlely live altogether out of order and such he would have to be avoided and therefore this is certain that every man must keep himself in an honest calling 2. Being setled in a lawful calling he must stand thus resolved first he must 〈◊〉 not to be chargeable to others and secondly not onely so but also to be helpful and beneficial to others if God please to enable him Now to attain this he must be perswaded that as God will have some to be poor so it is he that maketh rich and that whosoever would have divitias sine verme riches without cares and sorrows as S. Augustine saith must be perswaded that riches are the gift of God and that whomsoever God would have to be rich he would have them use onely lawful and direct means for the attaining of them that is to do nothing but according to the strict rule of Gods will for the attaining of them Those that keep to this rule we shall finde that God hath extraordinarily blest them we may see it in Isaac God blest him strangely so that he made him feared of the Philistims and so it s said of Jacob that his rightcousnesse in his service to Laban would answer for him vers 33. and that he increased exceedingly in cattel and servants c. and although as himself confessed with his staff he came over Jordan yet when he went back God had increased him to two great bands c. Thus God will have some rich and these are Divites Dei Gods rich men rich indeed such as use onely lawful means And