is believed that they perished as well as the Ark in which they were inclosed Now from the time that they were given by Moses untill that time they ceased that is to say the destruction of the Temple pass'd nine hundred yeers and something above Certain Chronologers reckon therein nine hundred and six others nine hundred and fifteen others nine hundred twenty seven others go to nine hundred and thirty Whereupon we may note that according to the exactest supputations the durance of the Tables of the Law past not the number of Adams yeers who having first received the Law written in the tables of his heart lived the age of nine hundred and thirty yeers At the least it is certain and seems very worthy of note That neither the durance of the Tables of the Law nor the life of any man have never attained the age of a thousand yeers The Law said Whosoever fulfilled it should live for ever but for want of fulfilling it the life of man never reach'd a thousand yeers And God in like manner would not that the Tables wherein he had renewed this Law that offered life should last a thousand yeers The reason why the Scripture shews which is the greatest Commandement and never which is the least Although there be a difference of degrees weight between the Commandements and that the Law-giver hath mark'd that which is the chiefest yea and the second likewise to which all the other are referred yet would hee never say which was the least of them all in the one or other Table His will is notwithstanding the inequality which is betwixt them that we consider them all as great seeing that in the Law there is nothing that is not great in effect Besides it is necessary to know which is the greatest Commandement in each of the two Tables because all the other are as it were inchaff'd into the greater But to know which is the least is in no wise necessary How one may judge of two diverse Commandements to know which is greater then the other Those that concern God and touch him nearest or that render man most like God those are the greatest Greater for example is that Commandment which immediately respects the service of God then that which hath other ends although subordinate So Mary had chosen the better part Greater is the spirituall service of God then the externall because it hath more correspondence with God who is a Spirit Charity is greater then Faith or Hope because Love is in God yea God himself is Love but neither Faith nor Hope can be in him For what should God either beleeve or hope for Greater is his work that saves a mans life then his that buries him dead because the living bears the image of God Upon this last example I will make a Digression yet not far from the matter Why by the Law it was pollution to touch the dead corps of a godly man that had been murdered and neverthelesse it was not pollution to touch the living Murderer We know that whosoever touched a dead body even for to bury it the Law declared him defiled So a godly man being slain all that touched him after his death fell into this ceremoniall irregularity But if they touched the murtherer though his hands as yet all gored in his bloud they endangered no uncleannesse This Law is strange and it seems hard to finde a reason of it We may answer notwithstanding That as there were divers causes of pollution that of a dead mans body proceeded from that he had lost the image of God the lineaments of which consist properly in the soul Now a living man though a murtherer carries notwithstanding in regard of the substance of his reasonable soul this image which the dead man hath no longer The Preface of the Decalogue Hearken Israel c. Degrees amongst Nations in regard of the love or hate that God bare to them TWo Nations have of old been famous for two contrary reasons One as being the most beloved of God to wit Israel the other the most hated viz. Amalek Amongst the people that God held in hatred the Idumean and Egyptian were lesse hated then the Moabite and Ammonite and these lesse then the Amalekite The Idumean and Egyptian were excluded the Congregation of the Lord to the third generation the Moabite and Ammonite entered not in thither till the tenth the Amalekite was not onely shut out thence for ever but also condemned to be totally rooted out from under heaven 'T is that onely Nation against whom God hath denounced immortall War that alone that ever he commanded wholly to suppresse The causes of the difference that God put between these infidel people are touched in Deuteronomie chap. 23. v. 1. c. and 25. v. 17 c. Wherefore is Nathaneel called an Israelite or childe of Israel rather then the childe of Jacob Joh. 1.47 'T is known that Israel and Jacob was but the same man and that his Posterity are sometimes called the children of Jacob and sometime of Israel Not that it is indifferent to call them by the one or the other name For there be reasons and circumstances for which they ought to be called rather by the one then the other name But passing over what the Learned have heretofore observed therupon I have one observation to produce hence The high Prophet speaking of Nathaneel saith that hee was verily an Israelite in whom there was no guile This man then is praised as sincere and that knew not what it was to circumvent any man In this quality he was none of Jacob's childe that had supplanted his brother stealing away his blessing by a false supposition Jacob had sometime been fraudulent but Israel was always sound For being as yet but Jacob he deceives both brother and father too but after he was honoured with the name of Israel his actions were ever without deceit On good reason then the name of Israelite is rather given to Nathaneel then the name of a childe of Jacob. And here as through the whole Scripture is seen the admirable stile of the Divine Wisdom to whom only it belongs to appropriate names unto their true natures God never works a Miracle to witnesse or prove that which a man may know naturally But why then did he cause so many Miracles to intervene at the publication of the Law seeing it is naturlaly known to men God doth nothing superfluous that 's the reason he never raised up Prophet or sent Angel to foretell Eclipses or other events that may be foreseen by ordinary wayes Was it necessary then that God should come down from heaven to earth with such a miraculous demonstration of his glory to come tell men that they must honour Father and Mother to give them to understand that they must not kill nor bear false witnesse I forbear to say that this Law that was published in Sinai contains points which a man cannot understand but by supernaturall
then one of the preheminences of love in that it is found in God yea God himself is called Love 1 Iohn 4.16 and in this respect it is greater then Faith and Hope Whether it is a greater defect to want Faith or Charity This question depends upon another viz. which of these two is the most difficult to wit Faith or Charity For though both the one and the other be the gifts of God yet the one may be more hard and difficult to us then the other Now though these two vertues are still together seeing it is impossible for the one to be without the other yet they are not alwaies equal and in the same degree the more common act of these two is charity for we see more examples of love then of faith many Christians love God earnestly who notwithstanding have much difficulty to assure themselves of his promises One cause that makes the motions of love more easie then those of faith is for that the objects of love are more intelligible and perceptible to our understanding for love hath for its object the goodness of God but faith hath for its object his truth now it is more easie for us to conceive that God is good then to understand how he is true in all points which appear not to us and yet we are commanded to beleeve As then the motion of faith is more difficult then that of love so he that wants the acts of charity is more blameable then he who is deficient in the acts of faith In all the History of that time which was before the law the love of God was never mentioned in express termes but onely the fear of God From the Creation till the Law are reckoned twenty five thousand years in which great interval of ages were many Patriarchs and other persons famous for piety to whom God spake many times and in divers manners The sacred storie marks out their vertues and names the fear of God as the most excellent amongst them but never expresseth their love towards God its true that this fear or reverence was not without a true divine love yet they are distinct qualities the one of which is named but we never read of the other Abraham being in Palestin said That in that place the fear of God was not Gen. 20.11 Jacob swore by the fear of Isaac his father that is to say by the name of the same God whom Isaac feared Gen. 31.53 Joseph confessed he feared God Gen. 42.18 the midwives of Egypt are commended for fearing God Exodus 1.17.21 In brief before the Law was published Religion and Piety was expressed by the name of the Fear of God and not by that of the Love of God and it is observable that the action of Abraham in offering his son for a burnt sacrifice whereby he did so highly witness his love to God this action I say is ascribed to his fear of God without mentioning the love which he had shewed to him Genesis 22.12 the first time that ever the Scripture did express this phrase of the Love of God was after the repetition of the Law Deut. 6.5 Now why the name of this great vertue was not uttered but after a long time and frequent mention of the fear of God Seems to proceed from this that among the perfections of God the first which he manifested to man as I observed upon the Creed was his power and greatness Romans 1.20 So when our understanding desires to know what the Divinity is by this word it conceives a power eminent above all others this is the first thought we have of this subject whence it followeth that the first impression it makes in man after he hath begun to know God is the fear which this supreme power gives to the soul and because this fear is the first motive by which man is induced to submit himself to God hence it is that in the holy song all religious affections have been comprised under the name of the fear of God and for this cause this Fear was for a long time named without mentioning expresly or particularly the Love of God but when the wisdom of God had given large instructions under the Law it afterward expressed the commandment of loving God distinguishing the same Love from Fear Deuteronomy 10.12 What is it that the Lord thy God requireth but that thou Fear him and Love him Of them who excuse their faults on this That God hath not given them more understanding and judgement These men willing to excuse themselves accuse God as if their faults were to be imputed to him whereas on the contrary the whole fault is in themselves the Law wils that we love God with all our mind thou alledgeth thou hast but little minde but how little soever it be hast thou imployed it all in the service and love of God Truly there is no man that hath lived according to the measure and proportion of that understanding and judgment God hath given him In brief if a fool excuse himself on this that God hath not given him more understanding a wicked man will excuse himself on this that God hath not given him more goodness for this is a gift of God as well as understanding In the duties of man towards God forgetfullness is more culpable then ignorance When we speak of divine things many complain that they cannot retain them in their memory the defect whereof they accuse but they think not how forgetfullness is a sin seeing the love of God requires a concurrence of all the faculties of our souls among which memory is one the defect of which is not a simple infirmity as the vulgar people useth to qualifie it but such a defect as should be reckoned among the sins of omission then when it imports a remembrance of a considerable point though it be not necessary nor possible to retain all the syllables in which it hath been pronounced or written As he who forgets God is more criminal then he that never knew God even so he who looseth a lesson which hath been taught him is more culpable then he that never learned it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Whence comes it that contrary to all other affections this which man carries to himself hath no bounds and why this never faileth nor is subject to diminution In the affections we have towards another we feel and know even to what degree we love him more or less but no man can tell to what hight he loves himself for this love hath no bounds but runs in infinitum Moreover the affection that one bears to another may be lessened or interrupted or quite annihilated yet turned into hatred but the love he bears to himself is never blotted out nor is it diminished though never so little Among the reasons of this diversity we may produce this between every one of us and another there are differences of proximity our affections move within these intervals which have their
them p. 35. Wherefore is Nathaneel called an Israelite or child of Israel rather then the child of Jacob Joh. 1.47 p. 36. God never works a Miracle to witness or prove that which a man may know naturally But why then did he cause so many miracles to intervene at the publication of the Law seeing it is naturally known to men p. 38. The I. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt have no other gods c. A consideration of the times wherein Athisme and Superstition have generally reigned p. 41. By the Example of the Pharisees and Sadduces is shewed that God rather pardons the superstitious then the profane p. 42. The true Religion the easiest The folly of the Pagans affecting plurality of Gods p. 43. A consideration upon the worship of Angels p. 44. Touching a kinde of Idolatry very subtil and usual p. 45. Wherefore is it that a man that hath false gods leaves them not so easily as another forsaketh the true p. 47. The II. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image c. Who is more wicked he that adds to the Ordinances of God or he that detracts from them p. 49. Of the nature of painting that represents the History of the Bible p. 51. None ever made any image of God except God himself p. 52. VVhy was it that God who often appeared in a visible shape would not manifest himself after this manner when he published the Law p. 53. If we had the true pourtrait and very resemblance of our Saviour Christ taken from his own body what account ought we to make of it p. 55. A notable difference betwixt one of the figures which represented Christ and those that represented the Angels And a consideration upon the matter p. 56. VVhence is it that in the Apocalyps Iesus Christ being man is decypher'd only in parabolical Figures rather then in the natural form of his own body p. 57. VVhat 's the reason that amongst all the wonders that God hath wrought he never made an Image to speak p. 58. Two sorts of sinners at which God mocks p. 59. The admirable proportion that God holds in the despensation of his judgments p. 60. Of whom are descended those Nations that go naked p. 66. The number of Generations named in the Promise p. 67. Strange Examples of divers Subjects in which God hath manifested both his Mercy and Iustice p. 69. Why did God sometimes take such particular care of the Patriarchs and their children even of these that were wicked and at this day he makes no such addresses as he did then to them p. 71. Why God spent but six daies in Creating the World and empleyed seven to overthrow the walls of Jerico p. 73. The II. COMNANDMENT Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord c. Why God pronounceth the same word twice to the same purpose against idle oathes p. 75. Although in some things God hath dispensed with his law yet he hath never dispensed with faith also of the stability of Gods oathes p. 79. The IV. COMMANDMENT Remember the Sabbath day c. Why God never wrought any miracle on the Sabbath day before the coming of Christ p. 81. Seven Sabbath daies which Christ honored by his miracles p. 84. In what things our Saviour is to be immitated p. 86. Whence it is that in the History of the New Testament we do not read that ever the Sadduces appeared on the Sabbath day p. 87. Why the Law useth such an excellent subject viz. God's Rest as a reason for the beasts to rest p. 90. Why none of the dead have been raised on the Sabbath day p. 92. The V. COMMANDMENT Honour thy Father and Mother c. Whence comes it as they say commonly That Love and Affection useth to descend Difference between Faith Charity The words of Mal. 4.5 discussed p. 97. Why the Law expresseth the Childrens duty to Parents by the word Honour rather then by the word Love p. 99. Wherefore the Law commanded Children to fear those that brought them into the world namely the Mother before the Father p. 100. The Promise annexed to the fift Commandment Examples of that proportion which is found sometimes between good works and the recompence which they receive in this life p. 102. Why fifteen years were added to the life of Ezechias p. 104. The age of the Israelites when they passed out of the Wilderness into the Land of Promise p. 107. The measure and proportion of mans life from time to time since the first ages p. 109. None of the Kings of Juda exceeded the age of seventy years p. 111. Difference between the faithful of the Old Testament and those of the New concerning their desire of long life another difference about the reckoning of the yeas of their life p. 112. Three causes why men are loath to leave this life represented in him who died first p. 113. A moral observation upon the daies of Lazarus raised from the dead p. 114. The VI. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not kill Why God in his titles doeth rather call Himself our Buckler then our Sword p. 116. Since Moses there have been but three men who received power to kill any miraculously and the same who have miraculously inflicted death on the living have also given life to the dead Reasons of the one and the other p. 117. The plot of the Priests in consulting to put Lazarus to death John 12.10 p. 119. A question If the punishment of a criminal being interrupted by some extraordinary accident intervening after the execution is begun is it just to discharge him of the punishment to which he was condemmed p. 120. An allusion in the Apostles words who ordains that the Sun go not down upon our anger Ephes 4.26 p. 122. The VII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not commit Adultery Why God though he approves not Poligamy nor unlawful divorces which were freequent in the old Testament yet never forbad them but by the last of all the Prophets p. 124. VVhy men are more subject to be ashamed in the Act of any sin rather then in that of pride and why more in Luxury then in any other sin p. 127. What may be inferred upon this that the Holy Ghost describing under divers similitudes the spiritual beauty of the Church makes no mention of painting p. 128. A moral observation upon Sampson's loosing of his strength and sight and how he recovered the one but not the other p. 129. The VIII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not steal Why Christ used the example of theeves to induce us to search for the Kingdom of Heaven p. 132. An observation upon this that among Christ's Disciples there is but one noted for avarice but all are taxed for ambition p. 135. To one man onely God by divine means did shew the way to become rich p. 136. A conjecture upon the Jewish opinion touching the just price of things vendible p. 138. A Question if he that hath made restitution of the goods unjustly detained as
also of all the profits and interests and recompenced all the losses hath he sufficiently discharged his conscience p. 140. Sacriledge the first crime committed in the Church of Israel after they entred into Canaan And the first in the Christian Church p. 142. The IX COMMADMENT Thou shalt not bear false witness c. Whether it be more injurious to call our neighbour fool or knave And why a man glorieth rather to be esteemed good then wise p. 144. An Oservation upon this That in the Scripture God is oftner angry with mans wickedness then he useth to laugh at their folly p. 146. Is it lawful to divulge false news if it may serve for the publick good p. 148. VVhy it is lawful sometimes to make shew of evil but never lawful to make shew of good p. 149. VVe may know a wicked man but it is impossible to know a good man p. 151. When the Scripture speaks of any man in Hell it never names the man and when it doth name him it never expresseth the name of Hell an observation upon this matter p. 152. The X. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not covet c. A sin committed by rule and order is more enormous then that which is done in disorder and confusion p. 55. The diversity of conflicts in man against himself p. 156. Why some see more easily the defects of the memory and of other faculties of the soul then the defects of their judgment p. 159. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. The correspondency that is between the two Tables of the Law p. 161. There is love in God but not Faith and Hope p. 162. Whether it is a greater defect to want Faith or Charity p. 163. In all the History of that time which was before the law the love of God was never mentioned in express termes but onely the fear of God p. 165. Of them who excuse their faults on this That God hath not given them more understanding and judgement p. 168. In the duties of man towards God forgetfullness is more culpable then ignorance p. 169. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Whence comes it that contrary to all other affections this which man carries to himself hath no bounds and why this never faileth nor is subject to diminution p. 171. Why the older we grow the more we love our selves p. 173. VVhy we do not envy another mans goodness p. 175. Divers Duties of the Law A Conclusion of this Treatise Why Moses who wrought so great and many miracles never raised any from the dead p. 167. The Law continued from Moses who had an impediment in his speech till John the son of Zachary which Zachary was speechless Luke 16.16 p 168. Why God in speaking to man useth more words then when he is represented speaking to the creatures which want understanding and why he useth so many words and repetitions to effect mans conversation seeing he can convert him with one word onely p. 170. VVhy the Scripture speaking of Vertue and Vice doth command or prohibit one oftner then another p. 172. THE NATURAL MAN and HIS QUALITIES Divers sorts of good men in the World's opinion and but onely one indeed MAny men are honest Either for fear of men aw'd by the severitie of the laws Or for the good that may come to them of it as hee that is right and square that he may keep his dealings afoot Or for reputation as it may fall out that the onely desire of glory may carry a man to give all he has to the poor yea to expose his body to the flames 1 Cor. 13.3 Or for the apprehension of hell For many would be out of measure wicked wâ—eâ—e it not that this fear holds them in Or for the joyes of heaven as he that asked of our Saviour what he should do to have eternal life Or to satisfie their own conscience that presseth and soliciteth them to some vertuous action Or out of a meer desire they have to vertue it self as there are generous dispositions that seem to go with no other spring Now in very deed of all these sorts of good men there is none that is truly so This assertion generally taken may seem to be very unjust For one will haply grant that hee who is not godly but out of fear or some interest hee pretends either in this world or that to come hath no reall goodnesse but that hee hath a servile or mercenary soul But you 'l think it strange to say that he that works not but out of conscience and the sole love he hath to vertue should not be a good man for what is it to be an honest man if this be not and what is further needfull to have this quality It seems true that our actions cannot have a nobler principle then this viz. to satisfie conscience and to love Vertue for its own sake Yet this is not enough to be a right honest man Wee must then presuppose that to speak properly and according to the language of God There is no good work but that which is done in consideration and out of love of the soveraign Good which is God himself For is it beleevable that God may approve of a work in which himself is no way considered Or that hee may take him for good that neglecteth or is ignorant of the chief Goodness and hath no affection to it This granted it is evident why the onely love of Conscience or of Vertue makes not an honest man for neither Conscience nor Vertue are God they are amiable by reason of him that is the highest Goodnesse but whosoever loveth them without him knoweth not so much as what good is Such was the goodnesse of many the Pagans and even such is the goodnesse of many now adays Wherefore God was pleas'd that the Heathen should outgo the Saints in many vertuous actions It is certain that in the Heathen Histories we have more examples of Heroick Vertues then what are read in the Bible it self Let 's mention but some of them Wee praise the continencie of Joseph but that of Alexander and Scipio came not short of it We talk of the Midwives which refused to obey Pharaohs command by which they were enjoyned to stifle the Hebrew male-children as soon as born but among infidels there have been slaves that rather chose to be wrack'd in pieces then to let fall word that might have prejudiced their Masters We commend the faithful amity that was between David and Jonathan But how many examples of Pagans that would have died for their friends Wee have in esteem the zeal of Phineas that punished the Adultery of the Israelite with the Madianitish woman but is this act comparable to the justice of that Prince who had rather that one of his own eyes should be put out and another of his own son that had committed that Adultery then to baffle the Law that ordained to put out both the eyes of him
mentioneth none of them by name On the other side when it names any that is dead in perdition yet it never saith punctually that he is in Hell after Iudas the Traitor had hanged himself the Holy Ghost who inspired the Apostles was not ignorant where the soul of that wicked wretch was yet he saith nothing else but that he was gone into his place Acts 1.25 Now if God himself who knows the names of those which are in Hell doth still forbear to utter them how much more careful should we be to refrain our selves in our verdicts when we speak of the state and condition of those who are dead although that his end may in some sort induce us to judge sinistrously How rash then are they who dare insert into a Catalogue the names of those who are damned The X. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not covet c. A sin committed by rule and order is more enormous then that which is done in disorder and confusion A Sin that is committed with judgment order and formality is so much the more detestible He that kills in cold blood at leisure and with Ceremony is more blamable then he that kills raishly and without formality the reason is because in the one the understanding which is mans Counsellor acteth with complacency but in him who is transported with passion it hath small power as then man is not man without understanding so it seems that he who offendeth without the concurrence of the intellect should not have his offence in so high a degree imputed to him hence it is that we excuse mad men when in their frantick fits they commit any outrage Briefly the more understanding there is in any crime the more enormous it is and a sin done orderly is the more irregular The diversity of conflicts in man against himself That which I am to speak here is known sufficiently touching the divers conflicts that be within man but after the descriptions which have been given by divers and will be material to reduce them into a brief summary now the chief combats we are to speak of be these Between one Passion and another as sometimes fear is opposite to covetousness and so one vice is encountred by another as ambition is sometimes restrained by avarice or pleasure Between reason and the passions as we have a thousand examples for this Between reason and natural sence so some will be content to lose an arm for the preservation of the whole body so David abstained from drinking the water of Bethlem although he was pinched with great heat and thurst 2 Sam. 23.16 17. Between the conscience and the will as oftentimes the one of these two resists the other Between the memory and the will as sometimes we remember that which troubles us and which we would willingly forget Between reason and reason it self that is one reason against another as St. Paul was inclosed on both sides having causes which obliged him to desire a continuance of his life and other reasons which made him willing to forsake the world and to be dissolved Phil 1.22 c. Between sense and faith as David having judged of things according to appearance concluded that in vain he had wasted his heart but faith made him retract his words and use a language quite contrary Psal 73.13 c. Between natural sense and godliness as the Martyrs which naturally abhor death yet they received it with much alacrity and as our Saviour expressing this reluctancy saith to St. Peter They will lead thee whither thou wouldst not John 21.18 Between the conscience and faith the one casts us down by setting our sins before us the other raiseth us up by the consideration of Gods mercy And lastly between the flesh and the spirit that is between corrupted nature and grace which do strive against each other in all the faculties of the soul as truth and falsehood justice and injustice purity and impurity This this is that intestine war which sets at variance the understanding will and affections and indeed the whole man against himself Rom. 7.15 c. Why some see more easily the defects of the memory and of other faculties of the soul then the defects of their judgment All unlawful desire presupposeth a corruption of judgment if reason which is the eye of the soul were clear all the other faculties would be pure Matthew 6.22 but its hard for man to know when his judgment destroys him or when it is deceived if our memory fail in any point we presently take notice of this defect and likewise if our affections be faulty but if our judgment miscarry it is a hard matter to find it The reason of this difference is because it is with the judgment as with the eye which seeeth all things except it self our judgment judgeth of the defects which be in the other faculties of the soul this is it which seeth and discerneth them but it seeth not its own defects except by a kinde of reflection which is very weak and feeble so that it can with facility judge of the other powers and qualities which are with it in man but it can hardly judge of it self whence it comes that a fool seeth not his folly though he seeth the other faults that are in him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. The correspondency that is between the two Tables of the Law THE first begins with the honour due to God from whom we have our being The second begins at the honour due to our parents by whom God hath given us being The first forbids to make any image of God The second forbids to deface the image of God that is to kill men The first prohibits spiritual adultry saying that God is jealous The second inhibits corporal adultery The first forbids to take Gods name in vain The second to bear false witness The first commands us to labour six daies that we may live onely upon our own The second prohibits to take the goods of another The first commands a Sabbath or corporal rest for our selves servants and cattle The second commands a rest and contentment of spirit forbidding us to covet our neighbours house servants and cattle And lastly the scope of the first is that we love God Of the second that we love our neighbour All these correspondencies proceed from that which is between God and man whence arise those relations resemblances which we finde between the Commandments of the first and second Tables There is love in God but not Faith and Hope Amongst the Prerogatives of love above these other two the Logical vertues this is considerable that God loveth but he doth not beleeve nor hope for to beleeve is an act of Faith which is of things unseen But what is ther that God seeth not and besides what can be wanting to him that he should stand in need of hope these two vertues are imcompatible with an infinite perfection This is