it is not to be understood by that we have said that God doth 〈◊〉 utterly extinguish our love to parents he is so sar from that that he doth 〈◊〉 ordain and command children to love them also as he said But this bond or vnion hath this priviledge and prerogative that if it fall out that we cannot do both then there is no portion for us in our fathers house and we must doe as Michal did who displeased her father to save her husband 1. The reasons are because this 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 conjunction conjux qute 〈◊〉 that of the wife was before that of the father So that the parent is in the degree of love with and of our neighbour the wife in that degree of love wherewith we love our selves individually 2. And children are aliquid 〈◊〉 some 〈◊〉 of a mans self the Apostle makes the wife 〈◊〉 himself he that loveth his wife saith the Apostle loveth himself Thirdly children are of seed and blood and will be flesh and bone but are not The wife is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh 〈◊〉 4. They are of the loynes and womb she of the side neerer his heart So much of 〈◊〉 now of adhaerebit 2. Adhaerebit he shall cleave c. Relinquet to leave is one degree and associabit to live and keep company with her is another but adhaerebit to cleave to her is the neerest conjunction that can be Relinquet is animi consensus the consent of the minde Adhaerebit is animi corporis copula the conjunction of the minde and body flesh of my flesh This is that gluton amoris that glew or soder of love which cannot be loosened Shechems soul clave unto Dinah This surpasseth the strongest friendship that is even Jonathans to David whose soul was knit to him And the effects are 1. In 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 living together sine 〈◊〉 without severing 〈◊〉 inseparabilis an unseparable sticking to 3. In reciprocatione 〈◊〉 mutual acts of love 2. In fidelitate in true 〈◊〉 each to other keeping the bed 〈◊〉 4. In perpetuitate not departing from each other till God severs them and that 1. Either by death 2. Or else by divorce which must not be pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every trifle but first either pro adulterio for adultery secondly or pro inquietatione for unquietnes If otherwise it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rending of one piece of flesh from another and an act of the devil and his imps For conjugium a Deo divorttum a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God makes mariages and the devil divorces upon the part of the offender God onely permits the not offended party to seek a divorce upon just and lawful occasion To avoyd therefore this unsodering two things are to be observed First to be cautelous in our choyce before it come to 〈◊〉 Secondly to observe and performe the duties mutually belonging to each of them when they come to be in 〈◊〉 1. The cautions are many Negative and affirmative First for the negative part we are not to desire more then one not two as 〈◊〉 Polygamy is prohibited at least under the Gospel for if this priviledge might have been granted to any Adam of all others had most reason to have claimed it and he was but one to one not plures in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many in one flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fecit unam 〈◊〉 one rib made but one flesh Let every man have his own wife and every woman her own husband saith the Apostle 2. We must not desire another mans wife she must be a rib from our own 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a breach of a covenant 〈◊〉 carnes due corpora is flat adultery 3. We must not desire a wife of our own kindred not 〈◊〉 patris neither in the line ascending or descending that 's plain Incest Non e lumbis sed e 〈◊〉 not out of the loynes but the side It must be a godly seed 4. Seeing mariage is 〈◊〉 divini of Gods institution and that oeconomia is propter 〈◊〉 the dome 〈◊〉 society is for the Church we must not match with those that are irreligious or wanton but in the Lord. Not the seed of Canaan nor as Samson though difference in religion do not make a nullity of the marriage yet there is a great incongruity in it 5. Nor must we marry to satisfie our lust that is Deus ventris and it provoked God to wrath nor for greedinesse of dowry that is Deus mundi 6. There must be no disparity either in condition nature or yeares The Heathen man could give a rule for this tuae sortis uxorem ducito marry a 〈◊〉 of thy own condition 7. Nor must we marry hastily God said not 〈◊〉 let it be done hand over head but faciam I will make man a help upon deliberation Adam must sleep upon it before it be done 8. Nor must it be done without consent 1. Of parents Abrahams approbation must go along with 〈◊〉 and Hagars with Ishmaels We must not take wives of our selves as they did that seeing the women fair took them without consent this is not Gods faciamus but sacit ipse sibi Adam did not so nor Eve for though they were neer enough to each other and one might easily have found the other yet Adam stayed 〈◊〉 ipse assumpsit sed Deus adduxit he took her not but God brought her 2. The children are to give consent too Laban and Bethuel told Abrahams servant that they would know Rebeccas minde and have her consent The woman must be pleased to dwell with him else it is not adduxit but pertraxit to force her 9 〈◊〉 this work must not be attempted without prayer we must not trust our own election without Gods Approbation which is best attained by prayer Abraham and Isaac durst not enter upon it without this We have seen the negative cautions what to avoid in our choice now see what in the affirmative we are to take The best rule is in the general to follow Gods course he brought Adam a meet one Now there are but three allurements to perswade with a man in the choyce of a wise 1. Pleasure in regard of beauty 2. Profit in respect of dowry 3. Vertue in relation to good qualities of which the last is the chief howsoever it is made the least now adayes Such a one and so endowed was Ruth she was known by all the people to be a vertuous woman This is that above all other will make her a meet one Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised saith Solomon The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is of great price in the sight of God saith Peter She that openeth her mouth with wisdom and in whose tongue is the law of
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
need threats and rewards so resractory is our nature And now we come to that which is commanded by the first rule which is love whether it be 1. amore naturali the natural affection which is from God and consequently is by nature due to God for to love him a quo potentiam habemus amandi is but equitable Whether it be 2. amore delectus with a love of election for when we have summed up all the objects in the world together we shall finde nothing to be beloved so much as God Or whether it be 3. amore infuso he it is that hath shed this love into our hearts and it is fit that he which hath scattered should gather that which he hath scattered The wicked servant can tell us so much Now this love and the measure thereof as it proceedeth freely is branched into 1. Desiderium 2. Gaudium 3. Zelus desire and joy and Zeale 1. A desire of God while we feel not the assurance of his spirit in us and then we complain with the Prophet like as the hart desireth the water-brooks so longeth my soul c. 2. The other of joy remaineth when this desire is fulfilled cum 〈◊〉 desiderium posuit gaudium this desire wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost produceth those fruits mentioned Galat. 5. 22. Joy peace c. And when our desire is hindred that it cannot be obtained then cometh 3. Zeale Jra est vindex laesi 〈◊〉 anger is the revenger of desire not satisfied and this is called sacra 〈◊〉 an holy boyling of grief and anger incensed against all impediments and it is one of the signes of love for quinon Zelat non amat he that is not zealous loveth not He that can discern the impediments to Gods glory and not be desirous and earnest to remove them hath no love in him The measure of this love must extend to this height as to be ready to hate parents those that depend upon us yea our own souls if they could come in competition with it as Saint Luke hath it but Saint Matthew in more gentle termes he that loveth father or mother son or daughter more then God is not worthy of him that is when their commands contradict Gods they must reject them The law saith that we must love the Lord with all our heart with all our mind with all our strength and with all our soul. As the heart is said improperly to beleeve so is the minde said no lesse improperly to love yet here love is ascribed to all parts and faculties which must all concur to the love of God either directly or by consequence either per actum olicitum or imperatum as the Schools speak Saint Bernard hath this meditation Quia fecisti me ideo me tibi debeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum renovasti quantum Dicto me fecisti sed renovasti me multis dictis factis passis The remaking cost more then the making and with this second making came the gift of God himself Nisi dedisset se saith the same father non reddidisset te Si me solum mihi reddidisset potui me illi denuo at cumse mihi quid illi reddam If he had given me to my self I could have given my self to him again but giving himself to me if I would give my self to him a thousand times it were not sufficient recompence for such a gift Yet this is to our comfort which he addes Etiam si non possum amare ultra quod possum si possim velim et si minus reddo quia minor sum quia tamen tota anima diligit 〈◊〉 deest ubi totum est Although I could not love beyond my ability yet if I could I would and if I render lesse because I am lesse yet because I love with all my soul I want nothing which is all that God requireth and we must labour to attain to Now for the negative part 1. The first thing forbiden is Dilectie inordinata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Basil calleth it a disordered love whereas God should stand highest in our love and ought to have the first place and nothing should be loved extra Deum and yet we love other things more then God or not with subordination to God then our love is out of order It hath been said that not onely the committing of evil but desertio meliorum the leaving of that which is best is sinne so is it in the love of God if we leave the better and make choice of the worse it is sin whether it be to make our belly our god or earthly things or to bestow the honour due to God upon our selves primatum gerere to usurpe a primacie above God in these cases our love is out of order For pro deo colitur quicquid praecaeteris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amor meus Deus meus whatsoever is loved above other things is worshipped as God for what we love best that is our God Every man hath something that he preferres before all other and that is indeed his Idoll rather then his God This exorbitant and irregular love is of two sorts Amor mundi or Amor sui love of the world and love of a mans self 1. For the love of the world S. Augustine saith Si possimus homines excitare et cum 〈◊〉 pariter excitari ut possemus esse amatores vitae permanentis quales quotidie videmus vitae fugientis his wish is that we were as forward to love the world to come as we are to affect this present transitory world The Philosophers say that the soul of man is placed in loco medio inter Deume 〈◊〉 creatur as hath a middle place between God and the creatures And that which stands in the midst of two things cannot move to both but motibus contrariis by contrarie motions Certainly this is the case of the soul it standeth so in regard of God and the world and cannot move to both but by contrary motions Now because through the corruption of original sinne the soul is a based it apprehendeth worldly things best because they are neer et illis nos ingurgitamiss we fill our selves so with them that we have no tast of heavenly things according to that of the wiseman Anima saturata calcabit 〈◊〉 the full fed despiseth the hony comb And therefore to correct this humour we must jejunare fast and weane our selves from the world for if we glut and cram our souls with worldly pleasures we can have no tast of God and so come to despise or neglect him 2. Besides this there is amor sui self love and this is harder to represse then the other and it is that wherewith men are wilfully infected and till a great measure of the spirit poslesse their hearts they will not be able to rid themselves of it and therefore it is that Prosper saith Amantes donantur sibi these men that over love themselves are given up to themselves
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
God and man Tho. 2. 2. q. 23. c. Saint Augustine exemplifieth it by the love and care a man beareth to the ungratious children of his friend for though they many times are not to be loved for themselves yet for the love he beareth his frend either alive or dead for his sake he overcometh that conceit and beareth affection to them aud thus in respect of similitude we are to love God for himself and man for God And for this we have received a Commandment from God That as we love God for himself so we love man for God the Commandment lieth upon us in both respects 2. And further this second is like the former because the love of our neighbour commanded in the second is a signe of our love of God commanded in the first table and therefore Saint John saith expresly that if any 〈◊〉 say that he loves God and hates his brother he is a lyer for how can he love God whom he 〈◊〉 not seen that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen and hence it is that Saint 〈◊〉 and Saint James say that all the law is fulfilled in this one Commandment thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self not properly and formally but ratione 〈◊〉 as the signe or effect argues the 〈◊〉 because the love of our brother is a signe of our love to God which is the cause of our obedience to all the other commandments for Saint Johns argument stands thus Things that are seen may sooner be beloved then those that are not seen If then our brethren cannot finde such favour at our hands as to beloved having seen them how shall we love God whom we never saw For as it is true downward whosoever loveth God must love his worke and the best of his work and therefore man so upward too it is necessary Whosoever loveth man of whom he oft times receives injuries must needs love God from whom he receiveth nothing but benefits Saint Gregory puts them both together Per 〈◊〉 Dei amor proximi gignitur per 〈◊〉 proximi amor Dei 〈◊〉 The love of a man to his neighbour is begotten by mans love to God and the love of man to God is nourished by his love to his neighbour and Amor Dei amorem proximi generat amorproximi cale facit amorem Dei which is all one with the other in effect and with that of Saint Augustine Diligendo proximum purgas oculum ad videndu 〈◊〉 Deum by loving thy neighbour thou makest thy sight the clearer to see God 3. Again this similitude holds in regard of the punishment or reward for keeping or neglecting of this second which is no lesse then for that of the first Inasmuch as ye did it not faith our Saviour to one of these ye did it not to me and econtra where we see the reward or punishment there mentioned to be given will be not for any duty done or omitted to God himself but as he cometh to be considered in the person of an afflicted brother for it is expressed both affirmatively v. 34 35. c. that what was done to them was done to Christ himself and negatively v. 42. 43 c. that what was denyed to them was denied to Christ. And thus we see the reason why Christ saith the second Commandment or second table is like the unto the first and withal the first end or scope of it viz. That God might be loved not onely in and for himself but also in our brother who is to be loved for his sake Another end of the second table is that as the first is the foundation and ground of all religious society as we are the Church of God and is therefore called the great Commandment so in the second should be laid the ground and foundation of all Common-wealths and Civil societies of men as the first doth perducere nos ad Deum as S. Augustine saith unite and bring us to God so the second unites one man to another by the matual duties they owe one to another this is a second end of this table and it is gathered from the creation of man at the first Gen. 2. 18. Where it is said that it is not good for man to be alone and therefore he must have a helper This second table therefore respects the perfecting of Gods purpose in the work of his creation that one man be an helpe to another The words Love thy neighbour as thy self contain three things 1. The duty or act Commanded Love 2. The object of this Love Thy neighbour 3. The manner of this Love 〈◊〉 diligendi As thy self In the duty Commanded which is the sum of the second table we must know first what is the sence of the words As there are in Latine so in Greek and Hebrew 〈◊〉 words that signifie to us the affection of love 1. The general word is Amor in latine it 〈◊〉 an affection that extends it self aswel to things unreasonable as reasonable whether it be Amor concupiscentiae or Amor amicitiae howsoever it be it comes under amor And in this respect we love al the creatures of God that is we desire to have them preserved which is to be in the state wherein God created them and thus we love not the Devil as Saint Augustine saith and his Angels but 〈◊〉 Dei judicium in 〈◊〉 his just judgement upon them in placing them in that estate and that they should continue in it 2. The second word to expresse love is benevolentia good will whereby we desire and seek the good of him we love and this is onely in reasonable creatures whereas that of 〈◊〉 may be in all creatures yet this is many times rash and accompanied with errour and not grounded upon sound judgement 3. The third is Dilectio which is without errour grounded upon judgement and upon a good and sufficient cause and that is when we love another in and for God for this distinguishes Christian love from all other love Saint Augustine saith that he that will be vetus amator a true lover must be verus 〈◊〉 astimator one that hath and can give a true estimate of things 〈◊〉 as Saint Ambrose saith quando errat judicium perit 〈◊〉 every good act is out of square and indeed is lost when our judgement 〈◊〉 Now in Christian love God is the ground for our love will decay if it be not propter Deum for Gods sake This makes our love extends even to our enemies whom we ought to love for God for though we be hated of those we love yet are we in no other case then Christ himself was who yet loved his enemies even Judas who betrayed him Therefore it pleased God to recommend unto us under the name of proximus neighbour all mankinde even strangers and enemies as our Saviour shewes in the parable of the Samaritan and the man that fell among
lovest thy self or for the same cause And thou lovest thy self because thou lovest God and so consequently all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei that are Gods because thou thy self art aliquid Dei something of God therefore thou lovest thy self and so consequently thou must love they neighbour propter 〈◊〉 for God and 〈◊〉 for this cause thou lovest thy brother thou 〈◊〉 him as thy self in respect of the end So also and in this 〈◊〉 thou must love thy brother 2. The second is the 〈◊〉 the applying this love to that end And that is that in asmuch as I love my self I wish my self good and that not in my 〈◊〉 but best part which is my reasonable soul and therefore I wish more especially the chiefest good of it 〈◊〉 bonum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is eternal blessednes and this is it which I must look to in my brother If I love him as my self I must love him ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partis for the good of his better part and that is the good of the inward man of which the Apostle speaks whereas the most love onely the outward man now the chiefest good of the inward man consists in 〈◊〉 Dei in the sight and fruition of God But because none can come to this except the impediments be removed which is sinne Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligit proximum hoc cum 〈◊〉 debet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipse 〈◊〉 toto corde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that truly 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 must work upon him so 〈◊〉 he also love God with all his heart Take care to remove his sinnes and as for a mans self 〈◊〉 his will do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to some sin non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it would hinder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 good so ought he to love his neghbour as not to consent to the evil will of his neighbour in any bad action because that would hinder his chief good The Scripture speaks of things not alwayes as they are but as they ought to be and so requiring us to love others as our selves it is not meant of our self love 〈◊〉 it is corrupt but as we ought to love our selves specimen naturae capiendum ex optima natura a pattern in nature must be taken from nature pure and 〈◊〉 in its integrity so that a man ought not to love his neighbour as he doth himself but as he should love himself For Saint Augustine saith when I love my self either I love my self because I am or should be blessed the very same rule we should observe in our brother I must love him aut quia est 〈◊〉 ut sit either because he is or because he should be good Which I cannot do unlesse I win him ab impedimentis from the impediments and set him in via in 〈◊〉 right way for as Saint Augustine saith Non 〈◊〉 proximum tanquam seipsum si non ad id 〈◊〉 ad quod ipse tendis adducis Thou lovest not thy neighbour as thy self if thou 〈◊〉 him not to that good to which thou thy self tendest And he saith in another place 〈◊〉 est regula 〈◊〉 it is the onely rule of love ut 〈◊〉 sibi 〈◊〉 bona pervenire illi velit that he would have the same good come to his neighbour that he wisheth to himself 3. The third is the manner In loving any thing that is good there are two motives first Either it is for the sole and alone good of him that loves it or 2. Secondly for the good of the thing it self that is loved He that loves any thing not for it self but for himself doth not love it as himself this is not diligere 〈◊〉 seipsum but propter seipsum this is not ut faciat bonum sed ut potiatur quis bono not to seek his good whom we love but to make use of what good is in him for our selves as men love their instruments meerly for the use they have of them and not otherwise thus a man loves his shooing horn to make use of it to serve his turn in the morning and casts it away all the day after but our love to our neighbour should be gratuitus without hope of recompence and that he that we love may have the sole good by it Otherwise if we love him not as our selves for no man loves himself ut se potiatur that he may make use of himself as he loves meat drink c. and therefore must he love his neighbour not to make use of him for his own ends but propter seipsum for himself seeking and desiring his good 4. The last is the order It is sicut teipsum not sicut 〈◊〉 as our selves not as we love God we must beware of loving him so for we must love our selves infra Deum in a pitch below God and by consequence we must love our neighbour infra Deum after God Therefore we must not 〈◊〉 the will of any man be he of never so great excellency before the will of God Gods will must not give place to ours God is not so unwise as to bring in the second Table to overthrow the first but his scope in it was that it should be a table to direct and help us in performing the duties of the first 1. So that if our love to our neighbour in the first place be for God alone then it is Sancta dilectio 2. If it be to bring him to that end we aim at our 〈◊〉 then it is amor justus a just love 3. If it be meerly for our neighbours without respect to our selves then it is verus amor true love 4. and lastly if we prefer the love of God in the first place then it is ordinata dilectio well ordered love Now God in both these tables proceedeth further then earthly priuces he taketh order for the regulating of the heart and soul even for restraint of concupisence that there be no entertainment of sin within us and that we conceive no delight in it And this is the internal obedience of the second table to entertain no concupiscence prejudicial to our neighbour and it is the sum or substance of the tenth Commandment which God hath placed last not first that those two the first Commandment and the last the one concerning the inward worship of God the other the inward love and duty to our neighbour might be the bounds of his law Thus far for the second table in general Now for the fift Commandment being the first of the second table CHAP. II. The division of the commandments of the second table Why this is set here between the first and second table The parts of it 1. A precept 2. A promise In the precept 1. The duty Honour 2. The obiect father and mother The ground of 〈◊〉 1. Excellency 2. Conjunction The order of honouring differs from that of love Why God did not make all men excellent and fit to be superiours All paternity is originally and properly in God In man onely instrumentally
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 〈◊〉 1. by not declaring all the truth when 〈◊〉 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 THE Act of this sin consists specially in words which are as our Saviour speaks according to the treasure of our hearts Now there is not onely an evil treasure of the heart out of which a man brings 〈◊〉 evil things but also an idle treasure out of which a man brings forth idle things viz. idle words for which a man must give an account Under these two heads we may comprehend the branches of this sin which may admit this division of 1. false words and 2. vain or idle words 1. False words are either when our words disagree from the truth and essence of things or when they disagree from our own minde And both may be considered either as they concern our selves or our brethren for whatsoever speech is either prejudicial to ourselves or our neighbour is condemned as against the rule of charity And though it be neither hurtful to us nor to our brethren yet if it contain falshood it is against the truth of God and therein we are as the Apostle speaks found false witnesses against God False doctrine is here included as opposite to true doctrine but not as it is in the third Commandment for there it is forbidden as contrary to Gods glory here as hurtful to our brethren and their spiritual good We must not adde to his word nor take from it nor change it by making any other way of salvation as those false teachers did among the Galatians that preached another gospel which as the Apostle saith is to preach alium Jesum another Jesus This was toucht before and therefore we shall say the lesse 〈◊〉 Onely this we adde that it is a good rule given by S. Basil not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely all lies and falshoods but also all turnings and wrestings of Scripture are condemned as among others he specially instances in one viz. the making of the litteral sence typical or turning the Scripture into allegories and from thence inferring doctrines which the Holy Ghost never intended This gives occasion to all Heresies when men choose what opinions they themselves please and make the Scripture a nose of wax to patronize them As to make Adam the reasonable part of the soul and Eve the seniual and thereupon to infer this as a positive doctrine That if reason command sense we shall avoid the temptation of the serpent but if the sensual part prevail against reason we shall be overcome by the Tempter as Adam was by hearkning to Eve this is to pervert the Scripture we may indeed 〈◊〉 to such things in Scripture as the Apostle doth to Sarah and Hagar but to say this or that is meant by such texts is to make the Scripture like a 〈◊〉 mans hose or Cothurnum a 〈◊〉 that will serve either leg and makes all Religion uncertain Ezekiel makes it an 〈◊〉 to God to say In obscuris 〈◊〉 I have written to you in dark or doubtful speeches but by this means all is made doubtful so that people shall be doubtful what to hold in any point We come now to false speaking in particular and here we must consider 1. false testimony which is given in judgement and 2 falshood uttered out of judgement This distinction is intimated by Solomon Proverbs 19. 5. where he saith A false witnesse shall not be unpunished and he that speaketh lies shall not escape where we see he make this division that some are false witnesses viz. such as speak falshood from judgement and others speak lies at other times that is out of judgement and the very same we finde by him repeated in the ninth verse The same may be inferd in the words of this Commandment for when it is said Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour that is in judgement this 〈◊〉 that there may be also falsum testimonium false witnesse that is not contra proximum against our Neighbour Before we speak of these in particular we shall onely say this briefly in general concernig all lies That all lyes are from the Devil who was a lyar from the beginning for the first word that ever he spake was a lye those then that utter lyes belong to him The Psalmist makes it the proper mark of wicked men whom he describes by this they speak lies from the very womb And that this is no small sin appears by that fea ful threatning against lyars Perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacia 〈◊〉 shalt destroy all 〈◊〉 that speak lies All lies whether they concern our selves our Neighbours or none make us false witnesses to God And therefore we finde in the Revel that in the place of torment shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one that loveth or maketh a lye he that either loves to hear it or that speak it so that lies are condemned both actively and passively if we make them or love to hear them Come we now to him that speaks false in judgement And for this false witnesse Solomon gives us a good comparison for he saith A man that beareth false witnesse is a hammer a sword and a sharp arrow Now thus he is compared partly because his face is hardned so that he blushes at nothing be it never so false for having once lost his 〈◊〉 he comes to have frontem meretricium as the Prophet speaks a whores forehead and 〈◊〉 known to the one party viz. to him that hired him to be a Knave he grows impudent and testifies any thing and so strikes like a hammer or a sword or whatsoever doth wound the deepest he sticks at no mischef he can do to the party against whom he speaks and partly because that as S. Bernard speaks there are three parties who are 〈◊〉 by him at once by one and the same tongue 1. Judici est Malleus He is a hammer or maul to the Judge whose judgement and understanding he 〈◊〉 so that like a man astonisht by a blow on the head he knows not how to determine aright 2. To the party that hired him he is gladius a sword for though he speak for him yet 〈◊〉 is a sword to destroy his soul. He makes him beleeve that by his purse he hath prevailed against the truth and having done so once he may do so at other times and so he 〈◊〉 him in this evil course 3. He is a sharp arrow to him against whom he witnesseth though he hath
God Addition 11. Of the seat of faith Reasons why God should be feared Of 〈◊〉 and servile fear How Fear and Love may stand together The sins forbidden 1. Want of Fear 2. worldly fear Motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of fear CHAP. IX Page 128. The fourth inward vertue is humility The nature of it The properties of it Of Pride The nature and degrees of it Signes of Pride The punishments of Pride Of forced humility Of counterfeit humility The means of humility The signes of humilitie CHAP. X. Page 136. Of the fifth inward vertue Hope Hope and Fear come both from Faith The several uses of Hope The nature and exercise of Hope Of Presumption and Despair Reasons against both Means to strengthen Hope Signes of true Hope CHAP. XI Page 142. The sixth duty is prayer The end of prayer Gods Glory The necessity of it The power of prayer The parts of prayer 1. Deprecation 2. Petition Why God denies some things we ask 3. Intercession 4. Thanksgiving which consists of 1. Confession 2. Complacency 3. Promulgation 4. Provocation of others The excellency of praising God The properties of true prayer The helps to prayer Signes of faithful prayer Of causing others to pray CHAP. XII Page 154. The seventh vertue required is Love of God That God is to be loved Of mercenary and free Love The excellency of Love The measure of Love The opposites to the Love of God 1. Love of the world 2. Self-love 3. Stupidity 4. Loathing of God All the motives of Love are eminently in God 1. Beauty 2. 〈◊〉 3 Benefits bestowed Six signes of Love Of drawing others to love God CHAP. XIII Page 163. The proper effects of Love 1. Obedience 2. Patience How Obedience arises from the Love of God It brings glory to God two wayes Is better then sacrifice in four respects Reasons why we should obaudire Deo There be three speakers 1. God who speaks 1. By his Word 2. by his Works 2. The World 3. Our selves These do obloqui gainsay what God sayes The measure and quality of Obedience Of disobedience that it is a great sin The degrees of it 1. Neglect 2. Contempt Motives to obedience Signes of obedience CHAP. XIIII Page 170 Of Patience How it arises from the Love of God The necessity and excellency of patience Afflictions are either corrections or tryals Reasons of patience in both Of counterfeit patience in Hereticks and others Stupidity no true patience 〈◊〉 thereof Of fainting under the crosse Means of patience Signes of patience Of working patience in others CHAP. XV. Page 178. The second thing required in the first Commandment To have the true God for our God Reasons hereof Of true Religion this is the true pearl to be sought Three rules in seeking The extreams of Religion 1. Idolatry 2. Superstition 3. Profanenesse 4. Novelty of which three degrees 1. Schisme 2. Heresy 3. Apostacy The means of true Religion The signes of procuring it in others CHAP. XVI page 182 The third thing required in the first Commandement is to have onely the true God which includes sincerity Reasons hereof The contraries to sincerity Means of sincerity Signes of sincerity Of procuring it in others CHAP. XVII page 184 Of the last words in the first Commandement Coram me in which is implied Integritie Reasons for it Of Hypocrisie and reasons against it Signes of a sound heart An observation from the first words Non habebis They are in the Future tense and imply perseverance Reasons for it The extreams 1. Constancy in evil 2. Inconstancy in good Four reasons against Backsliding signes of perseverance Of procuring it in others The Exposition of the second Commandement CHAP. XI page 192 The general parts of this Commandement 1. The precept 2. The sanction The precept is negative forbids Idolatry and implies the affirmative 1. That God must be worshipped as he requires 2. That reverence must be shewed in the performance Reasons why this and the fourth Commandement are larger then the rest Reasons for the affirmative and negative part Addition 13. That the making of Images was absolutely forbidden the Jews and in that respect the precept was positive and reached onely unto them Addition 14. Whether all voluntary or free worship be forbidden under the name of will-worship CHAP. II. page 196 That God will not be worshipped by Images the several words whereby Image-worship is forbidden why God appointed the making of Cherubims and the brazen Serpent Reasons against worshipping of Images the original of Images four occasions of the use of Images some in times of persecution some in times of peace CHAP. III. page 202 What the Romanists alledge out of the Fathers ancient Liturgies and Councels for Images Add. 13. Of S. Chrysostomes Liturgy Add. 14. Of the second Nicene Councel The words mistaken in the capitular of Charls the great and in the Synod of Frankford and Paris Testimonies of the Fathers against Images CHAP. IV. page 204 The five Rules of extent for expounding this Commandement Of the affirmative part of it In Gods outward worship are two things 1. the substance 2. the ceremony The first consists of 1. Preaching Addition 15. How preaching is a part of Gods worship 2. Prayer 3. Sacraments Addition 16. The Eucharist considered as a Sacrament and a Sacrifice 4 Discipline CHAP. V. page 208 Of Ceremonies in Gods worship The use of them 4. Cautions to be observed abont them The means of preserving Gods worship The signes Addition 17. Concerning customs and traditions of the Church The 6. Rules of causing others to keep this Commandement CHAP. VI page 210 Of the manner of outward worship no reveronce nor worship to be performed to Images 1. The distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examined 2. That evasion that not the Image but God by the Image is worshipped taken away 3. That they are Lay-mens books examined 4. That Images are to put us in minde of the Saints examined Addition 20. About Images and pictures for memories sake CHAP. VII page 214 The affirmative part of this precept concerning the manner of outward worship 3. Reasons for outward bodily worship Outward honour consists 1. In the signe 2. In the act Of the signe by 1. Vncovering the head 2. Bowing the body Of the act or deed 1. By being at Gods command 2. By doing his work or service Of the gesture of Reverence 1. In publick and private prayer 2. At hearing the word 3. At the administration of Sacraments 4. At discipline The sins against these In publick worship must be 1. Vniformity 2. Fear 3. The heart must be present 4. Silence 5. Constancy to tarry till all be done The means of outward worship The signes CHAP. VIII page 221 Of the second part of this precept The sanction or penalty This is the first Commandment with a penalty Reasons of it The parts of this sanction 1. Gods stile 2. A commination 3. A promise 1. Gods stile
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 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
c. Evil men commend many things truly and reprove many things as justly but by what rules do they so whence have they it that men ought to live so seeing they live not so themselves why these rules are right and good though their minds be not so the rules are unchangeable though their mindes be mutable c. Yea he concludes that they finde them in libro lucis in the book of light and truth howsoever they are blinde and as S. John the light shone in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not which truth being in God as a seal makes the same impression in the minde of man yet keeps it self whole and where this print or impression is fet it can never be wiped out And thus we see that all men ever had and have the effect of the Law in them And this we will prove from the performing the duties required in the law before it was given this may appear before the written law in all the ten Commandements 1. For the first Commandement Though it be not very plain that Terah with Abraham Lot and Sarah departed out of Vr of the Chaldees into Canaan because of the idolatry of the inhabitants yet soon after there is a very plain place for it Jacob commanded his houshold to put away their strange gods 2. For the second Jacob buried the idols under an Oak and in that Rachel hid the images under the Camels litter in a godly zeal as some think 3. For the third Abraham caused his Steward to put his hand under his thigh and swear by the Lord of Heaven and Earth that he should not take a wife for his son of the daughters of the Canaanites And we may see a solemn oath taken between Jacob and Laban 4. For the fourth We may see the observation of it plainer before the giving of the Law in Exodus in speech about gathering a double portion of Manna of the Sabbaths Eve 5. For the fifth we may finde in one place how Esau cryed for his fathers blessing and in another how he stood in awe of his father though he were otherwise prophane for he would not kill his brother Jacob while his father was alive 6. For the sixth we see a plain precept Whosoever sheddeth mans blood by 〈◊〉 shall his blood be shed 7. For the seventh Judah would have burned Thamar for playing the whore and Shechem was slain for ravishing Dinah and the whole city spoiled by her brethren For their answer to their father Jacob was should he deale with our sister as with a harlot 8. For the eighth The putting of Josephs cup into the mouth of the sack was enough though among the Egyptians to clap his brethren in prison and God forbid 〈◊〉 they we should doe this that is steale 9. For the ninth Because Judah had promised to send a kid he performed it though as he thought to a harlot 10. For the tenth There was no act nor purpose of heart in Abimelech against Sara as appeareth yet the sinne of concupiscence was punished in him by God Behold thou art buta dead man because of the woman which thou hast taken Notwithstanding Abimilech had not yet come neer her So Pharaoh was plagued for her in the same case By this we see that there was a Law before the written Law The summe of the Law is this Ambula mecum walk with me or before me and the means to do this is Love Can two walk together saith the Prophet and not be agreed if they love they will not part So that love must be the ground and to love Christ is to keep his Commandements Now there is no Love but between likes so that we must be integrl perfect both in body and soule not outwardly alone but inwardly too The Law consists in two Duties 1 In avoiding or not doing Evill 2 Jn doing that which is good Both put together by the Prophet Cease to do evill learn to do good And by the Psalmist Eschew evil and do good The sinne against the first of these is called Peecatum Commissionis sinne of commission and the sinne against the second is called Peccatum Omissionis sinne of omission In regard of the first we are called 〈◊〉 Dei Gods souldiers against his enemies Sine and Satan and therefore are we said to be the Church Militant In respect of the second we are stiled Operarii Dei Gods labourers In regard of the first we are called innocentes guiltlesse And of the latter Boni et justi good and 〈◊〉 or viri bororum Operum men of good works But in any good work these two 〈◊〉 go together For the Jews were very observant in offering Sacrifices to God but because they burned in Lust and every one neighed after his neighbours wife their sacrifices were not accepted and it was in this respect that God to'd them he was full of their Libamina their sacrifices On the other side be we never so innocent yet if we doe not to our power pascere vestire feed and cloth do good works we sinne et 〈◊〉 bonum sit non secisse malum tamen malum est 〈◊〉 fecisse bonum as it is good not to do evil so is it evil not to do good For in keeping of the Law facere abstinere must concur Yet if we could keep the second we should not so greatly offend in the first Saint Paul in his directions to Titus giveth these rules that as we must deny ungodlinesse there 's the abstinere so we must facere too live soberly justly and Godly that is 1. Pie Godly towards God 2. juste justly towards our neighbours 3. Sobrie soberly towards our selves And for these three Saint Augustine hath three rules or natural principles 1. Deterius subiiciendum prestantiori quod commune habes cum Angelis subde Deo Let man subject himself to God and his Angel-like reason to God his best director This is pie 2 Quod commune habes cum brutis hoc subde rationi Let mens faculties common to them and brute beasts submit to reason And this is to live sobrie 3. Fac quod vis pati let every man do as he would be done by And this is juste And the corruption of these is by three contrary rules 1. The first as the Satan said to Eve Dii eritis ye shall be as Gods Be not subject 2. The second as the Tempter said to the sons of men videte nubite quod libet licet voluntas lex esto see and marry do what liketh you Let your will stand for a Law 3. The third Machiavels principle Quod potes fac bonum prestantioris bonum communitatis Do what you can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod potes that you can do is lawful So much of the first thing in the Law The Action or work 2. The second
as none can be partakers of true happinesse by his own guidance or conduct as other creatures attain in some sort and therefor the heathen confesse with us that there is a maime and a main defect in mans nature But we our selves were the cause of it as appears by the History of the Bible namely by dealing with the tree in being our own choosers And therefore this choosing of ours this making Laws to our selves must be left we must leave and submit our selves to the will and choyce of a superiour nature that knoweth what is best for us 2. Of the second the reason is evident that seeing a God we are to have we ought in all reason to desire a true God No man would willingly erre even they that bend themselves to deceive others cannot endure to be deceived themselves And no man desires to think that to be which is not nor that not to be which is The reason of the third is That there be sundry things that a man cannot have but he must have them alone without partner or competitor Of which number a master is one And God is our Master he is pleased to call himself so And our Saviour saith Nemo potest duobus Dominis servire no man can serve two masters the service to a master must be to him a lone else not And the prophet in the person of God faith I will 〈◊〉 thee unto me for ever and the Apostle I have espoused you unto one husband that is Christ now a husband also comes within the number and is to be had alone and the condition of having God is like to that of a husband one and a lone or not at all 4. Another reason may be added The joyning of God with any other thing must needs be much to his dishonour and derogation for he 〈◊〉 the most transcendent nature in the world 〈◊〉 no inferiour thing but being joyned with him doth much abase him and he will endure no dishonour his honour he is very jealous of and thereof his worship must be kept pure without intermingling it with the worship of any other for if any thing of a nobler nature be joyned with some thing of a viler substance the nobler nature is thereby adulterated and corrupted therefor Gods worship must be pure and not mixt or sophisticated CHAP. VI. In the 1. proposition of having a God is included 1. Knowledge of God wherein 1. The excellency 2. the necessity 3. how it is attained The contrary forbidden is 1. Ignorance 2. light knowledge What we are to know of God Impediments of knowledge to be remooved Rules of direction to be followed For the 1. consideration of the proposition S. Pavl saith that an Idol is nothing we know it and that ther is no other God but one And therefore it may seem strange that in respect that Idols nor ought elie be Gods he should command us to haue no other Gods We say though a man take armes against his Prince yet he is his Prince still and he hath no other and this having is onely true inrespect of the superiour yet the rebellious subject hath him not for his Prince or atleast will not have him because he accompts him not his Prince the like is between God and us He is our God and his law is lex ferrea it will hold us and have us whether we will or no. Yet in regard we rebel against him and endeauor to exempt our selves from his service and obedience in breaking his laws we have him not for our God It is the course of the holy Ghost to use this phrase They had Baal and Ashteroth not that they were Gods but that they in their accounts had them for Gods 2. Again as the Philosopher a thing is said to be had when it is known to be had for if a man have 〈◊〉 under his ground and knows not of it he hath it not Besides a man cannot be properly said to have that which he makes no account of as if he have rushes or cobwebs in his house and caring not for them he cannot be said to have them Therefore a man cannot be said to have that which he knoweth not of or knowing he hath them regards them not And so he that will be said to have God must both know and regard him and this is that which is meant by having a God It hath been formerly said that the spritual worship and having of God was the end and scope of this commandment The worship of the spirit is divided as the soul. The principall parts of the soul as God himself makes them are two 1. Reason or understanding called the spirit in a strict sence and sometimes the soul or mind 2. Affection or will called the heart Now as we know the parts of the minde so we must know that these parts have their order Vires annimae sunt ordinatae the powers of the soul are set in order saith the Philospher and the order is first to know then to regard and love that we know for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Saint Austine saith Invisa 〈◊〉 cupere ignota nequaquam we may desire things we have not seen but never those things that we have never heard of Therefore as they say well If two things be to be done in order whereof the second depends upon the first if the first be taken away the second can not be fulfilled So if we be ignorant of God we shall never desire or Love him and so we shall not have him at all God must first be known then Loved 1. Knowledge lieth in the understanding part The minde 2. Love is in the affection The heart 1. Cocerning knowledge the obect thereof is God and he cannot be known a priori therfore we must seek to know him a posteriori and that must be either by his Attributes ascribed to him in his word or by his effects and works His Attributes 〈◊〉 ten Exod. 34. 6. 7 Majesty Truth Vnchangeablenesse Will Justice Mercy Knowledge Power Vbiquity Eternity other things are attributed to God in scripture but they may be reduced to some of these as love patience c. may be referred to mercy anger or wrath to Justice c. Of these Justice and mercy are the two principal and concerne us most the other eight have influance upon these two parts to make them the fitter objects of our faith fear love and hope c. To work upon our knowledge or faith apprehending 1. Gods Justice 2. his mercy and beleeving them both if you adde the other attributes to his Justice 1. that he is infinite in majesty 2. infallible in his truth 3. without change c. and they make his Justice more perfect and consequently more fearfull In the second place adde the same also to his mercy that he which loveth us is 1. A King of eternal majestie and life 2. Infallible 3. Unchangable and the rest it makes his mercy more
fiery furnace without hurt either to their bodies or garments was so terrified and astonied that he repealed his former decree and published another and that a sharp one against them that should 〈◊〉 Gods Name The like did Darius upon the supernatural and powerful preservation of Daniel in the Lions den And so we read that the people were astonied at the mighty works of our Saviour Power breeds terrour then 3. The last is his omniscience No sin that we commit but he takes notice of them My sinnes saith king David are not hid from thee When Moses saw no man by he was bold to kill the Egyptian But when he perceived that some were privy to it he feared and said surely this thing is known There is no creature but is manifest in his sight for all things are naked and open before him In respect therefore that he knoweth our transgressions our fear is to be fixed on him And this putteth a difference between the fear of God and the fear of man which they call malum diuturnitatis custodem an ill keeper of continuance for the fear of God is bonus diuturnitatis custos a good keeper of it And now according to the first rule for exposition of the Decalogue we are to see in this what is commanded and what forbidden 1. Here are commanded both the fears servile and filial 1. The first the School-men call timorem servorum servile fear such fear as servants shew to Masters a fear of punishment and this is a good fear though it be ignorantly condemned by some True it is that the Apostle saith that the sons of God have not received the spirit of bondage to fear but the spirit of adoption whereby they cry Abba Father the spirit of bondage is inferiour to the spirit of adoption yet that spirit is better then the spirit of Belial or that of slumber of which the Prophet speaks whereby mens eyes are closed It is a maxime that actio perfecta non recipitur nisi imperfecte primo there is no perfect action but at first it is imperfect and is perfected by degrees It is a good thing to be a son yet it is better to be a servant a door-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of ungodlinesse better to be a hired servant then a prodigal son It is good to be in Canaan in the land of promise but in the mean time it is better to be in the wildernesse then in Egypt So fear and spare not fac saith S. Augustine si nondum potes amore justitiae at timore poenae do it if not for love of goodnesse yet for fear of punishment and his ground is out of a place in Deuteronomie cap. 5. Nothing brought the Jews to the love of God but the terrour they conceived out of the strange sights before them yet God wisheth that they might have such a heart in them alwayes that they would fear him yet this was but a servile fear procured by the strange sights at the deliverie of the Law 2. The second they call timorem filiorum filial fear This they illustrate by an example from the son of a poor man that hath a reverend fear not to offend his father though he be assured that he can do him neither good nor hurt And these two fears are distinct and different The first ariseth from the fear of punishment and this from love and may be called reverence This is the fear which the Psalmist calleth clean and endureth for ever and thus we perfect or work out our salvation with fear and trembling The reason why though we may and ought to obey God out of love yet it hath pleased him to command fear is threefold 1. To overthrow the vain sp culation of some erroneous people that dream of an absolute perfection in this life The Wise man saith Beatus qui semper pavit happy is the man that feareth alway And either there is no perfection in this life or else fear is superfluous he that cannot fall need not fear But because in this life there be degrees of perfection and though we have obtained perfection of parts that is all vertues and graces required in a Christian yet there are several degrees of perfection wherein we must still be growing for a childe though it have all the parts of a perfect man yet it hath them not in that degree of perfection which one of yeers hath attained to therefore this fear is alwayes necessary None stands so fast but he may fall and therefore must alwayes fear 2. Inasmuch as the children of God often feel in themselves a feeblenesse in faith a doubt in hope coldnesse in prayers slownesse in repentance and a debility in all other pious duties in some more in others lesse according to the measure of the Spirit communicated to them as it was in King David therefore fear is necessary to recover themselves and he that looseth it not his heart shall never be hardened nor fall into mischief as the Wise man intimates in the place before cited Fear is a good preservative for the heart though all other duties fail yet if fear continue we shall never need to despair Saint Bernard saith I know it for a truth that for the keeping continuing and 〈◊〉 of the vertues and duties which God hath commanded there is nothing more profitable and available then fear when the grace of God is with us and when it is departed so that ther 's nothing left but fear yet this fear wil never leave us or let us rest till we have made our selves fit to receive it again si deficit timor deficis et tu if fear decay thou decayest with it c. when we have recovered the grace that was lost fear will preserve it for fear of a relapse will make us more circumspect Saint Jerome calls it Custodem omnium virtutum 3. Because the excellent duty of love the effect of feare might not fail and grow carles In the Canticles the Spouse fell asleep with her beloved in her arms when she awoke her beloved was gone in her bed she sought him but found him not so that if there be not a mixture of fear with love it will grow secure and fall a sleep and lose her beloved Therefore that we may be sure to keep our love awake when we think we have Christ in our armes there must be a mixture of fear with it So for these three reasons fear is necessary even for them that think themselves in a perfect estate And withall Solomon tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom so did his father before him And the same Solomon concludes his book of the preacher with fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the end of all and the whole duty of man And in another place he saith it is fons vitae The
a man have a taste of Gods mercy in the remission of his sins The Prophet David being before cast down presently saith Verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer S. Augustine asketh how David knew this and answereth himself habuit gustum aliquem divinorum he had some taste that God had forgiven him his sins 3. The third is when a man continueth in a patient waiting of Gods leisure as King David did 〈◊〉 till God came to him he would walk in a perfect heart and take no wicked thing in hand O when wilt thou come unto me saith he I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 1. The signes of true thankfulnesse likewise are diverse The first is when a man feeleth himself filled with marrow and fatnesse as rapt with consideration of Gods favours and benefits 2. When a man is jealous of his own ingratitude that after his cleansing he wallow no more in sin and lest he make himself uncapable of Gods hearing his prayer for any more mercies 3. When beneficia become veneficia when his benefits charm us and make us withstand strong temptations as Joseph did though his Mistris tempted him very strongly yet he answered her My Master hath done this and this for me how can I then do this great wickednesse and sin against God This is a great signe that a man is truely thankful unto God that when God hath bestowed his benefits upon him he is the more careful thereby not to break his law 4. The last signe is when we defer not our thanks A type of this was in the law The sacrifice of thanksgiving was to be eaten the same day not kept longer No procrastination of thanks Nihil citius senescit gratia nothing grows old sooner then thanks Now concerning the sixth rule as in the former we are to procure this duty to be performed by others 1. Saul when he should have betaken himself to prayer thought the enemies came too fast and not only layed away the ephod himself but willed the Priest to withdraw his hand it is noted by the holy Ghost to Sauls infamy Therefore as we are to avoid all impediments to our selves so are we not to discourage others with them in Job Who is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray to him One of the Fathers maketh this answer Beneficium projicitur ingrato collocatur grato a good turn is cast away upon an unthankful man but bestowed upon a thankful person He is kinde unto the unthankful and evil 2. And as we must not hinder others so for the affirmative part the invitation we have Davids and it is in the beginning of our Liturgie O come let us sing unto the Lord. O come let us worship and fall down And O praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his name together But especially in the hundred fourty eighth Psalm he is not contented onely to the company of men in this duty but dragons snow fire and all creatures not that they could praise the Lord but that there is not the basest creature of them all that had not cause enough to praise the Lord if they could And thus much for prayer CHAP. XII The seventh vertue required is Love of God That God is to be loved Of mercenary and free Love The excellency of Love The measure of Love The opposites to the Love of God 1. Love of the world 2 Self-love 3 Stupidity 4. Loathing of God All the motives of Love are eminently in God 1. Beauty 2. Propinquity 3. Benefits bestowed Six signes of Love Of drawing others to Love God THe next duty is Love The same which the Apostle saith of the Law to have been for a time till the promised seed came may be said concerning the other affections and their actions that they were onely till the love of God came of which the Fathers say that occupare amorem to have love in us drowneth all other affections For we have fear first and being delivered from that we feared we love and being heard in what we hope and pray for we love God and say with the Prophet dilexi quia audivit c. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice There is a coherence between love and prayer We have formerly said that to enjoy and have a thing we are first to know it and the knowledge of it breeds in us a true estimate of it and the estimate of a thing makes us love it so habere Deum est scire to possesse God is to know him and this knowledge breeds a true estimate of God whereupon we love him for according to our estimation our love is more or lesse to that we have These affections of fear and hope are for this end that when God hath bestowed on us the things we either fear to lose or hope to enjoy we may the better esteem of them For as cito data vilescunt we sleight those things which are easily got when we can but ask and have so the things we have felt the want of so long and for which we have been humbled when they come we will the better regard them and love him the better for them The object of love is bonum in which the very natural reason of man hath found two properties viz. that it is 1. Communicative 2. Attractive 1. Every good is desirous to communicate it self to as many as are willing and meet to partake of it As we see in the Sun and other celestial bodies in the natural elements so there is in God a quality of desiring to communicate his goodnesse and indeed it was the cause why he created all things to have a church and to shew his glory and mercy on it So that the minde of man seeing this nature in God consequently hath a desire to it and that desire goeth so far till it come to a conjunction and that to an union ita conjungi 〈◊〉 uniantur because by the union of two good things there will come good to the desirer which he had not before and whereby he is made better 2. Secondly it hath vim attractivam It hath been said that if inferiour things be coupled and united with things of more excellent nature they are thereby made more noble As a potsheard being covered with gold As on the other side things which are excellent being joyned with viler are made more abject as the minde of man with inferiour creatures And there can be nothing which can make the minde more transcendent then the conjunction of it with that which in it self is all good and containeth all good things and that for ever and from hence ariseth this attractive property and force for in every good there is that force which allureth And therefore to shew us this good it is nececessary that faith and knowledge precede
Bonum non amatur as the School-men say quod non cognoscitur the good that is not known cannot be loved For if it were known it being the natural desire of all to be better we should love it to be the better by it It is therefore well said That good things have no greater enemy then ignorance Knowledge and faith then as is said shewing us this good love will be stirred up in us and then follows unio affectus the union of the affection all that we can have here and in the life to come instead of this fruition by faith fruition by cleer vision There are two sorts of love 1. Amor mercenarius a mercenary love 2. Amor gratuitus a free love They are distinguished thus when a man loves his meat and drink and when he loves his friend or brother it is certain these loves are not all one in the one there is a desire to have the thing loved that he may make use of it for his own benefit for the present not caring what becomes of it after but his love to his friend is to do him good for himself or for his own sake and it includes in it bene velle bene facere to wish him good and to do him good in the former á man looks at himself and his own good onely in the other at his good whom he loves the first is amor concupiscentiae the other amor amicitiae The Philosopher distinguishes them by Vnde Quo whence and whither In the first love the question is made by Quo in the other by Vnde In the first we ask what good comes to us by it in the other what good it hath in it self though it be no benefit to us The one hath an eye that looks inward on our selves the other outward upon others Yet these two though they may be distinguished yet are not alwayes divided for the one oft-times is the beginning of the other both in our loves to God and man for those that have been beneficial to us though we love them at first for the benefits we receive by them yet afterwards we come to love them for themselves 1. The first ariseth from hope Because a man being cast down by fear conceives hope upon Gods promises then sending forth prayer receiveth fruit and saith Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voice of my humble petition And thou hast given me my hearts desire which fruit stirreth up the first love and this amor concupiscentiae the love of concupiscence which goes before 〈◊〉 gratuitum free love for as the Apostle saith that is not first which is spiritual but that which is natural or carnal and then that which is spiritual so free love of God for himself is not first but first we love him for his benefits and then for himself and this is true love Therefore it is said that 〈◊〉 vertues of clemency affability liberality c. were greater then Cato's of justice and fidelity in his dealings because the former looked at the good of others these reflected upon himself and his own good That which is natural will be first 〈◊〉 before amicitia or benevolentia and this is the inchoation of the other Perfect love is not attained at first for nemo repente fit summus now S. Chrysostome wondreth how men can slip themselves out of this love for if they will love any for his benefits none bids fairer for this amor mercenarius then God for he offereth for it the kingdom of heaven The Fathers compare fear to the wildernesse and these two degrees of love to the land of promise this mercenary love to that part of it which lay beyond Jordan and the other to that part upon which Sion and Jerusalem stood For amor gratuitus which looks not at reward Saint Bernard saith that Deus nunquam sine praemio diligitur our love to God is never unrewarded though sine intuitu praemii diligendus est he ought to be loved without looking at the reward The Apostle respected his own commodity so little that he wished himself accursed that the glory of God might shine in the salvation of Israel It is lawful to love God for his benefits for God uses them as motives to stir us up to love him and the best of Gods servants have so practised Moses looked at the recompence Hebrews 11. but we must not rest there nor love him onely or chiefly for them but for himself otherwise we love not him but our selves ratio diligendi est Deus ipse modus sine modo the cause of our love must be God himself and the measure without measure saith S. Bernard Some divide love into Quoniam Tametsi Because and Although 1. The first is that which is called mercenarius I love the Lord saith the Psalmist and why He is my defence Psalm 18. 1. And in another place Because he heard my voice yet seeing David did not love God onely or chiefly for his benefits his love was not properly mercenary but true though not perfect To shew the excellency of love S. Paul hath a whole chapter wherein he prefers it above all other vertues and saith in effect If a man for his knowledge and elocution might be compared with Angels and by his faith were able to remove mountains and by his liberality had relieved the poor with all his estate and for his constancy had suffered martyrdome yet were all these vertues little worth except they were joyned with the love of God And in the end of the Chapter after this general commendation of love he prefers it in particular above Faith and Hope 1. If we take the dimension of it it is greatest both in breadth and length of all other For whereas Faith and Hope are restrained within the bounds of mens persons and to singulars this dilateth it self and extendeth both to God and man in general to our selves our friends yea to our enemies S. Augustine saith Beatus qui amat te amicum in te inimicum propter te blessed is he that loves thee and his friend in thee and his enemy for thee And this is the latitude 2. In longitude also For whereas the other are but in us in the nature of a lease but for terme of life the gift of love shall be as a free hold and continue for ever in heaven Our Saviour maketh both the Law and Prophets to consist of one Commandment namely Love And the Apostle reduceth all to one head and if there were any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this of love And it is our Saviours mandatum novum admit that all the old Commandments were cancelcelled yet this new commandment ties us to the duties of all And indeed S. John saith commending this duty Brethren I write no new commandment unto you but an old Commandment for both the old and new are all one There is both in the
old and the new a Diliges thou shalt love But that which is beyond all these and imposeth a necessity upon us to observe it is that whereasnone of the other vertues are mutual or reciprocal nor indeed are properly said to be in God at all as faith hope c. this is here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he reprove us we must not reprove him if he promise and threaten we cannot promise or threaten again but if God love us we must love him again S. Gregory saith Magnum est vinculum charitatis quo ipse Deus se ligari voluit the bond of love is great with which even God himself was content to be bound And S. Bernard saith of it that solus triumphat de Deo it onely triumphs over God and addes Nescis quid majus dici debeat in laudem tuam O charitas deduxit Deum de Coelo hominem invexit in Coelum hominem Deo reconciliasti Deum homini placasti thou knowest not O love what may be more said in thy praise it brought God from heaven and carried man thither thou didst reconcile man to God and pacifiedst God with man And therefore as on the one side we are to consider how willing God is that his affection should grow in us so are we to weigh what God on his part hath done to stir us up to it The heathen could say magnes amoris amor the Loadstone of love is love nothing is more effectual to attract love then love And in that God hath not failed on his part S. Bernard expresseth to the full in these six points Quod prior dilexit nos tantus tantillos tales tantum gratis that he loved us first being so great we so little such kinde of creatures so much and without any respect to himself 1. Prior. S. John proves this point Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us It was not our love first to him that caused him to send his Son to be a propitiation for our sins but his first to us S. Augustine saith Nulla major est ad amorem 〈◊〉 quam praevenire amando nimis durus est animus qui se 〈◊〉 nolebat impendere nolit rependere there is no greater alluring to love then to anticipate by loving and that heart is too hard which will not requite though not love first 2. Tantus Of Gods tantus we may rest our selves upon S. Augustine and go no further Tantus ut non liceat conari exprimere quantus so great that it is not lawful to endeavour to expresse his greatnesse it transcends all the learning and witt of man to expresse his greatnesse and yet he condiscends so low as to love us 3. Tantillos Worms and no men This we see in Job and in the Prophet David and being but worms he loved us Nay further as the Apostle speaks cum nondum essemus being not yet born we cannot be lesse then not to be at all and yet even then he loved us when we were not 4. Tales when we had estranged cur selves from him and served his enemies then he loved us nay when we were our selves his enemies 5. Tantum Saint Chrysostame upon that of Saint John God so loved the world In comparison of Gods love with others all adverbs may be left out no sicut to this sic The Apostle may well call it great love He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all This for Gods tantum 2. God the Son hath his tantum too For our sakes he left heaven the Society of God the Father Angels and Saints and endured upon earth 1. Infamy 2. Poverty 3. Sicknes 4. Enmity 5. death The Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five fearefull things 1. He had ignominy and reproch and that not onely while he lived as the Pharisees slandered him to deale in sorcery to cast out Devils in the Devils name but when he was dead too The same Pharisees told Pilate that he was an impostor and deceiver He was despised saith the Prophet 2. For the want of necessaries you may take his own word that he was in worse case then souls and beasts Foxes have holes and birds of the aire have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head 3. For his infirmities The Prophet Esay describes them at large long before his suffering them He was wounded for us and by his stripes we are healed c. 4. He was hated above all others as we may read in the whole story of his life Though he did much good and many miracles among them yet they so persecuted him that ost times they were ready to stone him and never left him till they brought him to the last part of the five which he suffered upon earth 5. And that was death This also he suffered for love of us And greater love then this hath no man then to lay down his life for his friend yet Christ suffered a shameful death for us that hated him and were his enemies and as the Apostle saith hereby if all other signes of his love move us not perceive we his love because he laid down his life for us And in this particular is that in the Canticles confirmed love is as strong as death such love is perfect love 3. The holy Ghost is not without his Tantum For after the Passion of our Saviour when Christ was ascended he vouchsafed to come and dwell among us and among other his graces to shed his love abroad in our hearts and to make his residence with us to the worlds end And here we may judge between God and our selves God may refer it to us whether he hath left any thing undone that he might have done to testifie his love to us 6. Gratis he loved us without expectancy of any reward from us we have nothing that can better him nothing at all Our goods or ought else are nothing to him The Prophet demands what reward shall I give unto the Lord nothing but love for love Saint Bernard upon that Psalm is of the same opinion non est melius nec decentius quam per dilectionem rependere quodper dilectionem datum est there is no better or more decent thing then to repay that which is given lovingly by love For as S. Augustine saith Quid est home quod amaxi vis ab 〈◊〉 et si non amet te minavis ingentem poenam Annon panasatis magna est non amare te what is man that thou desirest to be loved by him and that thou shouldest threaten to punish ' him for not loving thee Is it not punishment enough not to love thee There needs no punishment to sorce us to love our meat and drink and other natural things and yet we see that to bring us to the love of that which is supernatural we
so that thy loosethe love of God And this humour hath two degrees 1. when we think better of our selves then we are and so loue our selves better then we should 2. when we prefer our selves in our love before God The first is a degree to the second for when man have tasted worldly things though base then nothing wil have any relish with them but those and so many come to say of God with him in Plautus Malo me ista mulier plus amet quam 〈◊〉 so brutish are many in their hearts and in their doings proclaime it that they had rather have the favour of this man or woman then of God Saint 〈◊〉 defines this to be inordinatum 〈◊〉 motum quo aliquis excellentiam propriam admiratur This is a disordered motion of the minde whereby a man admires his own excellency 2. The second thing here forbidden is that which is apposed to zeale commonly called stupor stupidity when we account of all things alike as if there were no difference between good and ill God and Baal and we can be content to tolerate both Saint Augustine saith that this stupor is pejus omnibus vitiis the worst of all sinne this God punisheth with other grievous sins for it is an especial prejudice to the love of God 3. The third is that which the Fathers call nauseam spiritus which we may call a loathing of God when the thought of God is a burthen to them The case of such men is desperate and it is the very extremity of evil to which men may come in this life and though it be more rare yet it is found in some Now all these negatives and affirmatives may be thus examined and known by the contempt or approbation of Gods laws not of God himsely for every man will say he loves God with all his heart but of his laws For the case is alike as between an earthly Prince and us so between God and us 〈◊〉 diligit Regem diligit legem he that loves the King loves his law and so Qui diligit Deum diligit verbum He that loves God loves his word And this was King Davids touchstone O how do I love thy Law saith David and I have therefore loved thy commandments for they are the very joy of my heart We will adde something concerning the means and they are three 1. Pulcbrum 2. 〈◊〉 3. vtile beauty neernesse and profit or benefit Men are moved to love by these or some of these inducements and all these are eminently in God 1. Beauty There is 〈◊〉 a visible and 2. an invisible beauty The visible is that which attracteth our eyes one of the Heathen calls it radium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beame of divine essence and another florem divini seminis the flower of the divine seed This beauty is not that which ought to move us much it quickly fades one of the Heathen said Da mihi solem 〈◊〉 the summers sunne will parch it Da mihi ventum vernum the march winde wil spoil it or Duc unguem trausversum 〈◊〉 but with thy naile and it is marred But the beauty of God if a man had a glorified ye to see it passeth all these The prophet saith that he saw the likenes of God put in a vision and it filled him 2. The invisible Beauty Saint Augustine tells us how to finde It may be saith he that thou lovest a man because he is thy friend may it not be also that he is an old man And what lovest thou then in him His head is white his body crooked and his face wrinkled but thou wilt say fidelis homo est he is a faithful man well saith he quibus oculis videtur fidei iisdem videtur Deus with what eyes is that seen of faith Why with the same God is seen God is seen with the eyes of faith by nothing more And in God we have perfect rest but set thine eye or heart upon any other countenance or on any earthly pleasure thou shalt finde no rest in it but quicquid est quo 〈◊〉 occurritur whatsoever meets with wearines the same thing in s tigationem vertitur turneth to wearinesse it wearieth us if we fix our eyes but a while upon it 2. Fropinquity or neern sse Name any name of neernes not that of Dominus and servus excepted and there this love is and that is a great priviledge of ours that the Angels are not our Lords but fellow servants 2. But the name of friend is of greater propinquity Our Saviour saith I call you not servants but friends and such a friend as notwithstanding his glorious estate made him not think scorn to be our friend and in the pinch of our adversity did most of all shew his love to us 〈◊〉 The name of brother is yet neerer yet we see he vouchsafed to call us so Go tell my brethren c. And whereas naturally if there be many brethren it qualifieth the affection of Parents as Jacob loved Joseph more then all his children here it is otherwise Besides brethren according to the flesh are a means that the inheritance continueth not whole But this brother is so far from withholding any of the inheritance from us as that having two rights he was content to part with one to entitle us with the same 3. Besides this he is our father Deut. 32. 6. and not as a father after the flesh that begets them harly to a benefit it may be to a curse 4. He is an husband married to us Cant. a jealous God 5. But yet further there is one propinquity more he was not neer enough when the Apostle said It behoved him in all things to be like us but he took upon him our nature the seed of Abraham and that is to be like us indeed in all things sinne onely excepted which made us unlike to him that there might be perfectus a mor ubi perfect a similitudo a perfect love where there is a perfect likenes 3. The last motive is benefit Set up a Crib and put provender in it and the Oxe and the Asse will know you for it so it is in the case of benefit between man and man they that have more given or forgiven them are apt to love more Love increaseth and decreaseth according to benefits received And this the Heathen man could confesse to be but justice Hoc certe justitiae convenit suam cuique reddere benificio gratiam certainly this is consonant to justice to render thanks for every ones benefit Now what benefits doth God confer that we are facti et refecti made and renewed is from his goodnesse our own tables will instruct us how bountiful he is in serving up the creatures for our use so promotion riches honour they come not from men but from God Ipse est qui inclinavit corda eorum whatsoever benefit we receive from men we are accountable to God for all If then we
are to love for every benefit then are we not tied to love him that dedit filium gave his Son for a price et spiritum and his spirit for a pledge et servat se tantum in praemium and reserved himself onely for a crown or reward of the love we shall afford him If we know not his crio let the Oxe and the Asse reach us Now the proper signes of love are patience and obedience which are also the proper effects of love of which we shall speak afterwards Others handle them more particularly and distinguish them by six several signes 1. The first is if the heart be well affected towards God by often thinking of him for our Saviour tells us where our treasure is or that which we love there wil be our hearts also By our hearts our love will be known and by the thoughts of our heart we may know what we love what we think of most We have an example of this in Saint Mark Our Saviour taught his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees now because their thoughts ran upon bread which they had forgotten to take into the ship they conceived that Christ warned them from bread for if a mans minde be set upon any thing above other he thinketh that is meant when ought is spoken that may be taken that way So then it is a signe of our love to God when we think upon him Thoughts are of three sorts 1. A deep thought 2. A long thought 3. A thought often repeated Cogitatio profunda continuata crebra 1. Profunda cogitatio This deep thought was especially in those saints of God when it was so deep that in recounting the mercies of God the matter of their love they seemed to be in an extasie 2. Continuata cogitatio As in secular matters old age is continually thinking upon wealth youth upon pastime and the like so if our thoughts be continued upon God though they be not deep yet they are a good signe of love 3. When a man hath neither long nor deep thoughts yet if his thoughts be crebrae often though they be not extaticall nor continual but with some intermission they signifie that the love of God hath taken root in us 2. A second signe is if we esteem well of the pledges of that party to whom we seem to bear affection if we account of those earnests which he hath left us as King David I love thy Law When a man loves the very pledges that he leaves as the Word Sacraments and prayer as it is on the contrary an ill token to neglect them It was accounted a great pledge of Gods favour to have primo-genituram and Esau is called by the Apostle a profane person or one that loved not God for setting his love so upon his brothers pottage to love his belly so much as to neglect the pledge of birthright and sell it 3. When we earnestly desire the presence of him we love for as the Heathen said ubi amor ibi oculus where the heart is there will the eye be and if we cannot see the party yet if we have his picture our eye will not be of it Now because we walk here by faith and not by sight it is a sign of our love to God to desire his presence and to behold him in his Ordinances the Word and Sacraments to behold his picture as in all the creatures so especially in his servants in whom his image is renewed Davids delight was in those that excel'd in vertue 4. Where there is love we will readily forgo what is dear to us to enjoy what we desire Thus Esau did part with his right of primogeniture the best thing he had the pledge of Gods favour for Jacobs pottage Genesis 25. 30. so well did he love his belly If we then can accept of any condition be it never so hard which may set or keep us in Gods favour it is a good signe we love him 5. The fifth signe as the former falls into desiderium which is a grief for Gods absence from us for the desire of that we love not being accomplished turns to grief and makes us break out into passion with the Prophet When shall I come to appear before the presence of God Saint Gregory saith it is inauditus amor a love unheard of for a man to love one and not to desire his company So that he which desireth to live here and not to be dissolved with the Apostle hath no love These are signes of that part of love which is called desiderium desire now follow the signes of that part of love which is gaudium joy 1. The first is alacritas cheerfulnesse in doing or suffering for the party we love an especial signe of love when a man hath gladnesse in his heart no lesse joy for encrease of spirituall things then the worldly man hath of a good harvest When Jacob had served Laban seven yeers for Rachel they seemed but a few dayes for the love he had to her If we can do thus in the service of God it is a signe we love him But if a man count Gods service a burden and be weary of it thinking one hour three which is spent in it surely he hath no joy nor delight in God and by consequence no love 2. When the affection of love is truely setled the Philosopher saith Quod cupis habere times perdere cuicunque cupis conjungi ab eo times separari thou art afraid to lose that thou desirest to have and art afraid to be severed from him that thou desirest to be joyned with Now if a mans heart bear him witnesse that he is fearful of sin as that which may separate him from God it is a good signe of love On the other side when with Pilate we have a good minde to save Christ but fearing the disfavour of Caesar for so doing he did it not it is a signe of his want of true love to Christ. Timor occupat omnes affectiones fear runs through all the affections Pilates fear of offendig Caesar shewed he loved his favour before Christs for all the affections discover love Demetrius the Silver-smith was afraid that the craft he loved for the benefit he reaped by it should be put down he raised a sedition and so preferred his gain before the safety of the state thereby discovering what he loved best 3. It is much you would think that grief should be another signe of joy but so it is in the case of Gods love as fear of loosing his favour so grief when we have lost the sense of it If we be grieved when we perceive sensibly a defect of our former comfort and vigor of spirit in the love of God it is a sign that we loved him The young man in the Gospel Luke 18. 23. was grieved to part with his possessions for Christ which shewed that he loved them before
Christ though he professed to love Christ. 4 The next signe is a care and anxiety to recover it when we have lost it not to give sleep to our eyes nor slumber to our eye-lids nor the temples of our heads to take any rest until we be in statu quo so did the spouse in the Canticles the like care is in worldly men to obtain what they love as in Balaam Numbers 23. who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse though God bid him not go and himself said verse 19. that God is not as man that he should repent yet he would go and try again whether God would let him curse Israel so careful was he to get a reward 5. Again when a man resolves though all the world forsake God yet he will adhere to him his liking is constant goeth not with other mens The Psalmist saith and complaineth that men forsake Gods law but what followeth Therefore I love thy commandments above gold and silver whatsoever other men esteemed of it yet his love was constant and firm 6. If we can love him cum cruce If our love be true water cannot quench it True love will abide tryal the fire cannot consume it It is not like false love of which the Heathen man said Falsus amor inde fugit unde probatur false love flyes from tryal But the other will endure the losse of all Love suffereth long saith the Apostle even to death And as our Saviour saith Greater love then this hath no man And now a little for the sixth rule as in the former As we must love God our selves so must we also be desirous to draw others to this love and in this there is a difference between amor mercenarius and gratuitus for in the first a man is loth that another should love that he loveth lest he be restrained in his liberty of enjoying and hence proceeds jealousie but in the other we wish not our own good onely but the good of him we love In the one quo quis vult bonum suum whereby a man seeks his own good the fewer that partake the better he thinks it is but in the other quo quis vult bonum alterius whereby he seeks the good of another the more that partake the better it is for Deus omnibus communis cuique totus God who is common to all is wholly possessed of every one Therefore the Prophet was of this minde and was desirous to draw all to the love of God and on the other side his zeal was so great that he hated all them that hated God and that with a perfect hatred and in another place who will rise with me against the wicked or who will take my part against the evil doers This argued the perfection of his love to God as he would rise against them himself so he laboured that others would joyn with him CHAP. XIII The proper effects of love 1. Obedience 2. Patience How obedience arises from the love of God It brings glory to God two wayes Is better then sacrifice in four respects Reasons why we should obaudire Deo There be three speakers 1. God who speaks 1. by his word 2. by his works 2. The world 3. Our selves These do obloqui gainsay what God sayes The measure and quality of Obedience Of Disobedience that it is a great sin The degrees of it 1. Neglect 2. Contempt Motives to obedience Signes of obedience Of Obedience THe two principal signes and proper effects of love are as we said before Obedience and Patience There is a saying of S. Gregory Probatio dilectionis exhibitio operis we shew our love by its work and it is a true signe indeed of love when it is operative when it worketh For the will being enflamed with love and having predominance over all the powers and parts of body and minde necessary it is that wheresoever desire taketh hold in the will it must elicere motum produce some action As if a man be given to love wine his love kindleth a desire in him to have it and desire doth elicere motum that he may work and earn so much money as will obtain it So is it in love Our Saviour saith if you love me keep my commandments And S. John saith that if a man obey not he is so far from the love that he hath not the knowledge of God if S. Peter love Christ he must feed his sheep We must know that where the parties are equal between whom love and mutual affection is there love is called amicitia but where one party is superiour then they are not properly called friends but this love in the inferiour is called observantia the natural act whereof is obedience for though a Prince will in speech or writing vouchsafe to call his inferiours friends yet are they but subjects And so though our Saviour was pleased to stile his Disciples and Apostles friends yea and by neerest names of consanguinity brethren c. yet S. Paul and the other Apostles presumed not upon these titles but acknowledged this observantia and in the beginning of their epistles and writings stiled themselves servants of Jesus Christ. And S. Paul shewing that this is infallible saith Know ye not to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are whom ye obey In the first petition of the Lords prayer we desire that Gods name may be glorified God being a King and bearing rule over us how can this kingdome and rule be established better then by fulfulfilling his commands and obeying him as the Angels do in heaven For in regard of the glory which God hath by our obedience Gods name is hallowed or glorified And therefore from the beginning in Paradise God commanded obedience to Adam in that estate that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge that in obedience to that precept his glory might be shewed Now by our obedience we bring glory to God two wayes 1. Directly by our selves as Psalm 50. 15. Call upon me in the time of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me 2. When we give occasion to stir up others to glorifie him therefore God is not content with the former but saith further Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matthew 5. 16. Thus God is glorified by our saith whereupon follows our first justification before God but then there must be a second justification also viz. before men and the world by our good works whereby God is glorified by others and so God will have glory of us both immediately by our selves and mediately by others Saint Augustine saith that nothing makes men good or evil but good or evill love and that Amor male inslammans timor male humilians that love which inflames but not aright and that fear which humbles but not aright are the
who was his Master and whom he followed before they parted The sixth rule for procuring obedience in others is done per edificationem as the Apostle speaks by edifying one another and by avoyding that which they call scandalum let no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way CHAP. XIIII Of patience How it arises from Love of God The necessity and excellency of patience Afflictions are either corrections or tryals Reasons of patience in both Of counterfeit patience in Hereticks and others Stupidity no true patience Cause thereof Of fainting under the crosse Means of patience Signes of patience Of working patience in others THe second principal signe or property of Love is Patience and it might be comprehended under obedience for they use to call it obedientiam crucis It is a fruit of Love charitas patiens est saith the Apostle for if it be active it produces obedience if passive patience The Heathen man hath a strange speech to this purpose Non amo quenquam nisi offendat I love no man but he that offends me the reason is because bearing and sorbearing is an argument of love he that loveth will bear much if not he loveth not Qui desinit sustinere desinit amare saith S. Augustine leave of to forbear and leave of to love and S. Gregory Patientia vera ipsum amat quem portat true patience loves him who is a burden to him In respect of our selves being natural nothing can be trulier said then durum pati It goeth against flesh and blood to suffer and the object of patience is evil But the spiritual man glories in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience and why because patience worketh experience and that hope So that patience never bears evil propter se sed propter mag is bonum for it self but for a greater good The evil we suffer by it will be recompensed with the greater good Labour is durum a hard thing and ease good but if a better thing as learning may be attained by the privation of that good we will take pains and endure labour So the suffering of want trouble and the like conducing to a greater good puts a will into us to endure them Ardor desideriorum saith S. Gregory facit tolerantiam laborum the earnestnesse of our desires causeth us to endure labor This greater good is the glory of God and that as we said of obedience both directly by our selves when we glorifie him by our sufferings and also by others who take occasion by our patience in suffering to glorify God Though the Devil afflicted Job with sundry crosses yet he continued firm and endured them patiently and by his servants patience was God glorified even over the Devil God triumphs over the Devil by the patience of Job 〈◊〉 thou not saith God my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth c. Beatus Job quot voces patientiae in laudem Dei percussus reddidit quasi tot in adversarii pectore jacula intorsit et acriora multa quam sustinuit inflixit blessed Job by his often expressions of patience to the honour of God in his afflictions castas it were so many darts into the bosome of his adversary and inflicted much more upon him then he endured himself The Author to the Hebrews tells us that we need this vertue and our Saviour gives us the reason We cannot possesse our souls without it How Thus if any crosse befall us either it is too great for us to bear and so we fall into exceeding great worldly sorrow which worketh death as it hapned with Achitophel a wise man or else without this gift of patience we set our selves against that partie in passion that we conceive did offer us the injury and so fall to hatred and then to injurious dealing or if it be from Gods hand to murmuring and impatient reoining and so loose your souls But if with patience we bear the afflictions of this life and thereby overcome the last enemy which is death 1 Corinthians 15. 26. then we are sure to save our souls In consideration whereof as we said that in the Christian structure faith was fundamentum the foundation of all vertues so patience is tectum the roof or covering of all vertues to keep and defend them from the storms of afflictions without which storms would beat and rain would descend into the building and rot it And this may well be warranted by that of our Saviour in the Gospel where he saith describing the spirituall harvest that they brought forth fruit with patience The fruit is after the bud and blossome the fruit must come through both But more plainly in the Apostle that therefore patience must have her perfect work that we may be perfect and want nothing and the building be consummate And S. Paul joyns faith the foundation and patience the roof together To you it is given not onely to believe but also to suffer and in another place in side patientia by faith and patience we inherit the promise the first and last the beginning and the ending So that when we have this vertue and the roof be covered we may have good cause to rejoyce as S. Paul did He rejoyced in patience in suffering infirmities reproaches necessities persecutions distresses for Christs sake And patience working experience he then had spem solidiorem more solid hope and thence grew so valiant as to throw down gantlet and chalenge any thing that could separate him from the love of God and beginneth with the least first as tribulations ascending to the most potent as death Angels principalities c. Patience is distinguished according to the object which is affliction and that is of two sorts for it is either for punishment called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for tryal called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be patience in both and the reason is for that in every Law there is a directive and a corrective force if one misse the other will take hold Aut faciendum quod oportet aut patiendum quod oportet either we must do or suffer what we should we must be either active or passive 1. We submit our selves to the corrective force in respect of our deserts knowing the Law to be just for two reasons both which are mentioned by S. Peter It is the will of God of his secret will we cannot enquire the cause but when he hath revealed the reasons we may be bold to take notice of them for confirmation of our faith 1. The first is He will have all the world know that sin shall not be unpunished This is plain The waters of Meribah cost Moses his life his wavering because the waters came not at the first was his forfeiture of entring into the land of promise Numbers 20. 12. Many more instances might be brought but they are all obscured by
use of his punishment and know that all things worke together for good to them that love God And to this we may apply the speech of the Heathen man Patior ne patiar I suffer now that I may not suffer hereafter That Abraham make not that argument against us which he did to the rich man Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things therefore now thou sufferest pains but Lazarus who suffered pain shall for his patience have his reward That this conclusion may not be here we must suffer those pains that may be ended mitigated endured with patience and have hope of an end that we may not hereafter suffer those pains in which there is no patience in bearing no hope to be delivered no mitigation to be expected but the end will be without end And indeed this continuus cursus temporalium to have no misfortune or trouble nor to be plagued as other men is a dangerous signe of Gods disfavour to us And these for the corrective part The motives for patience in that affliction which is explorativa or probativa are 1. To consider before hand what troubles and crosses are incident to a Christian life Our Saviour upon this hath two comparisons of a builder and a king going to war both whom it behoveth to cast their accounts before hand what charge they may be at For the want of forecast of them that intend to live a Godly life what troubles what temptations they must go through makes them unprepared and unresolved when the crosse cometh and so they give over 2. The Apostle though it may be equally applied to other vertues tells us that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope that is in this point of patience we may see in scriptures what the Saints of God have endured and by considering their afflictions and sufferings what it cost them and what they suffered we may see what it will cost us and what we must endure and so we may be the better armed against the like and especially if we consider our Captain as the Apostle calls him and what he suffered Recogitate illum consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds This is a good preparative to patience Si paessio Christi saith Saint Gregory in memoriam revocetur nihil tam arduum quod non aequo animo toleretur if we would but call Christs passion to remembrance there 's nothing so difficult but we would willingly endure it He suffered so much in all parts of soul and body that its impossible for us to endure the like 3. Martyres 〈◊〉 flamma esse possumus si in anima patientiam retineamus we may be martyrs without fire if we endure Gods crosse with patience And to endure them we shall be enabled by Gods own promise in the words of the Apostle God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but with the temptation will also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it He will not trie us above our patience but either give us sufficient strength to suffer great afflictions or lesson our trials as our patience shall decrease And the consideration of this is also a great motive to continue in this vertue 4. Lastly The hope of the reward laid up for those that suffer in this world is a principal means to stir us to this duty Saint Paul saith I reckon not the sufferings of this present time worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us And he gives the reason in another place For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Here is a gradation of so many steps that a man cannot reach to the top of it The glory great the affliction light the glory exceeding the affliction for a moment nay the glory far more exceeding with an eternal weight added to it Here is Hyperbole upon Hyperbole and yet no Hyperbole can fully expresse it The Apostle could not expresse it and we cannot conceive it So much of the means The signes of patience are these 1. Tolerantia Crucis When a man findes upon examination that he is able and willing according to the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide under the crosse it is a good signe When a man is so affected to the Crosse that if it please God to take away his sinne the cause of punishment he is willing to beare the punishment Let me onely be assured of forgivenesse and let the Crosse lie on me still 2. The second is when we can Tolerare et amare beare and love too When our suffering turns not to murmuring or disobedience but so affecteth us that notwithstanding our chastisment we can love God with his chastisment and for it say with Job Blessed be the name of the Lord. When it is Benedictus Dominus in donis suis blessed be God in his gifts Jobs wife can say grace aswell as he but when it cometh in ablationibus suis blessed be God who takes away a true note ariseth of difference between true and counterfeit patience It is in this as in the affections when they arise from contrary objects they are true and not counterfeit as when justice which properly stirs up fear works love in us and when we can fear him for his mercy which properly stirs up love Wicked men may fear God for his justice and love him for his mercy but the true note of difference is if we love him for his justice and can say with David There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared So that when a man can love God as we count it post injuriam this is true love and is a signe of true patience The Heathen man said that 's true love cum amare possis post injuriam when one can love him that hath injured him 3. The third is when we finde our selves humble in our sufferings which is a distinction between true Christian patience and heretical The Fathers in the primitive Church had much to do to make the people observe the difference of patience between a true Christian and a Donatist and were forced to use these two notes of distinction 1. That in the suffering of a Donatist which is to be observed in our dayes they should finde a spirit of pride and vanity whereas true patience is humble And this humility appeared in the Martyrs sufferings which was without disputation with God about the cause or murmuring at the torments tolerabunt non gemuerunt or else respondent pro Deo they either bear them and mourn in silence or if they reply it is on Gods behalf like Job of whom the Holy
Tranquilla justitia a peaceable and quiet justice 3. We are to conceive that God speaks thus for mans capacity as the Apostle saith after the manner of men or as in another case not to us as spritual but as carnal in our own termes as in the case of man and wife some think they love not their wives enough except some jealousy be mixt that they participate their love with other men and God in his service here is as jealous as a man for breach of wedlock and therefore representeth himself in that manner and under the like affection 4. Fourthly Quia nos non promovemur ad nomen justitiae introducitur zelotypus We are so dull of spirit that the attribute of Gods justice alone moves us not and therefore he takes a terme from an affection that falls not into him as it is in men to the end we may be quickened and made fearfull to offend 5. Lastly as Tertullian saith vtitur spiritus hoc vocabulo ad exaggeranda ejus generis scelera The Holy Ghost vseth this terme to shew how odious this sinne of Idolatry is to God that if it might be it would make God be that which he cannot be The vse of all is that which the Apostle maketh God professeth himself jealous here that we our selves might be jealous of our own salvation For if we would redire ad corda enter into our own hearts and consider first what God is and then what vile creatures we are we should wonder at the excesse of Gods love to usward that he should be any way jealous of us and not rather let us take our own courses to our own ruine and take no further regard of us But chiefly that we should rather so love him as to be jealous of his anger and the losse of his love lest he should bestow it somewhere else And so much of the Preface of the Sanction CHAP. IX Of the Commination wherein 1. The censure of the sinne 2. The punishment 1. In the censure The sinne viz of Idolatry Is called 1. Hatred of God How God can be hated 2. Iniquity The punishment Visitation upon the children The grievousnesse of this punishment by 1. The greatnesse 2. The multiplicity 3. The continuance Of Gods justice in punishing the sinnes of the fathers upon the children That it is not unjust in respect of the father nor 2. Of the son The use of all THe next thing is the Commination Which containeth in it two things 1. The Censure of the offence 2. And secondly the punishment for it 1. The Censure is in two things 1. First that it calls it hatred of God 2. Secondly that he calls it The iniquity 〈◊〉 Perverssenes 1. If love be a means to make us keep the Commandments then it is hatred that makes us break them But is there any man that can hate God Certainly his Essence is good even goodnesse it self which cannot be the object of hatred Again there are sundry effects of his goodnesse and love and such as the wicked themselves cannot but love them and him for them as that he bestoweth on all men and so on them their being moving and life sense c. But there are another sort of effects which proceed also from his love by which he would have us preserved which are his Commandments yet because they restrain us of our liberty and will not suffer our inordinate affections to bear the sway therefore preferring our own wills before his we hate him so when a man is linkt to his own will and possessed with zeal of himself he hates the Commandments of God because they are contrary to his will and affections and so men come to hate God by too much love of themselves I loved Jacob saith God by the Prophet and hated Esau which the Apostle sheweth to be nothing else but that he chose not him but preferred Jacob before him and in this respect we are said to hate God when in a case between his will and ours we choose not his but prefer our own Hoc est odisse Deum non eligere we hate God when we choose him not For God loving us so exceedingly it is his will that we should love him alone which love is vinculum conjugale a marriage bond and therefore our love to God should be amor conjugalis the love of a man to his wife which hath no third thing in it aut amat aut odit he either loves or hates there is no medium in it 2 The second thing in the Censure is that God calls this sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnavon Iniquity or perversenesse and peevishnesse And this is to meet with the opinion of men who think it perversenesse if men will not do as they would have them by yeelding to false worship as Nebuchadnezzar thought of the three children It is of purpose O Shadrach c. they were called perverse and disordered fellows for not transgressing this commandment and so God to meet with them sheweth that the breakers of this Commandment are in truth the disordered and perverse persons therefore we must not do evil either cum magnis aut multis with the great ones or the multitude lest we fall into this sin of perversenesse But the vote of the world is clean contrary and the fathers resemble it to a pond full of Crabs the Hieroglyphique of frowardnesse into which if you put fish of another kinde it will be charged to swim out of course because it swimmeth not backward as the Crabs do But Jerome gives us a good lesson against this Nequaquam consideres quid alii mali faciunt sed quid boni tu facere debeas consider not by any means what evil others commit but what good thou oughtest to do nor be thou led to evil because of the multitude of transgressours Of the Punishment And visit the sins c. After the Censure of the sin comes the Punishment And though it be true that if there were no other punishment to man it were enough to be found among the haters of God that were sufficient Yet Gods addes further that he will have a visitation What the meaning of this word is we may gather out of the book of Samuel where it is said of him that he went yearly in circuit to such and such places and judged Israel and it is like that which we call the Judges Circuit as also out of the Acts where the Apostles went from City to City to visit the brethren which s like to the B shops visitation which presupposeth an absence before So God intermitteth his judgements for a time and though some stick not to say that he is long in coming and others that he will not come at all that God will never visit He hideth his face and will never see it becaufe as the Wise man speaketh sentence is not executed against an evil work speedily
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 Commandments How they must be kept The benefit they will keep and preserve us THe Commination or Punishment we see in the Psalm Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed which do erre from thy Commandements The Curse In this last part which is the Promise of Reward the Apostle tells us that exceeding great and precious promises are given to us whereby we are partakers of the divine nature Under this promise of mercy are contained all the benefits and blessings of God all other promises are included in this this is the fountain of all the rest if we partake of his mercy we shall want nothing that 's good for us The commination was like the smoking upon mount Sinai terrible and dreadfull this like the dew descending upon mount Sion brings blessing and everlasting life blessed and comfortable This promise is mercy for under this name he propoundeth the reward Now God hath a reward for evilas well as for good For the first Samuel tells Saul Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord therefore the Lord hath rejected thee There was his reward for evill And for the last a cup of cold water given out of a pious and charitable intent hath also its reward A reward of good And it is well worth the noting under what word and by what name this Reward is promised which is under the name of mercy for without it we were in an 〈◊〉 case even the best of us they that doe his work best We are unprofitable servants all we can do is not worth so much as thanks so that he promiseth meerly in mercy and though his visitation be in justice yet his reward is gratuita ex misericordia non merito free without any respect but his own mercy not our merit merces ex 〈◊〉 non ex merito and therefore not to be pleaded in any court of justice There 's nothing ascribed to our merit Sowe saith God by the Prophet to your selves in righteousnesse reap not in justice but in mercy So the Apostle Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me He 〈◊〉 it to be of Gods gift It is Gods mercy then and in this one thing are comprehended all rewards privative and positive His mercy is great towards us in delivering our soules from the nethermost hell And it is of his mercy that we are not consumed All rivers flow from this It is fundatrix nostra it layes our foundation of happines in blessings preventing as also in blessings following And it is Coronatrix nostra for he crowneth us with loving kindnes and tender mercies He could have said in this as in the Commination visitans visiting the Prophet David prayed for no more Behold and visit this vine And old Zachary took it for a great blessing that God had visited his people But God is so good to us that he thinks it not enough It is justice onely that is a visitation an act intermitted 1. His mercy is a continual work to shew that there 's no intermission in his work of mercy but he continues every day doing good to us which is the first degree of it 2. The second degree of it is that the stripes of his justice are but 3. or 4. which in it self is mercy his justice is restrained to the fourth generation but his mercy is a thousand fold it is extended to the thousandth generation so that the proportion of his mercy exceeds that of his justice 250. times to shew that his delight is more in exercising the works of mercy then of justice his mercy rejoyceth or triumpheth over judgement The one being Opus proprium his own work the other Opus alienum a worke that is strange to him He wil save Sodome if but ten righteous men may be found in it and Jerusalem for one Davids sake Nay he bids them run through that City and if they can finde but one just man in it he will save it But to whom is this mercy promised even to them that love God and to none other And this love must have some proportion with Gods love It must be regulated by his Now the manner of Gods love is set forth to us under the name of jealousy And he makes it no little part of punishment when he withdraws his jealousy from a people Therefore this mercy is promised to them that are jealous for him He is jealous for us we should be jealous for him We should say with Elias 〈◊〉 zelatus sum I have been very jealous for the Lord zelantes potius quam amantes Our zeal for him should even consume us with the kingly Prophet Now there is a fained and a true love and therefore the Apostle directs us to it which is the true and gives a mark of it Not in word but in deed and truth what the deed is to be we finde by our Saviours speech If ye love me keep my Commandments even the same which God speaks here The affection of this love is seen by the effects God lets us see his mercy by the effects of it which is faciens by performing it So must our love be discovered by keeping his Law Saint Ambrose saith est zelus ad vitam et est zelus ad mortem ad vitam zelus est divina praecepta servare et amore nominis ejus custodire mandata There is a zeal to life and a zeal to death that to life is when we observe Gods laws and for the loue of his name keep his Commandments A true keeper is he which preserveth things carefully which are committed to his charge God needs not our keeping as we do need his he is able to keep himselfe but our love must be shewed in keeping 1. mandata his Commandments 2. minimos istos his little ones what we doe to one of them he wil account it as done to himself Mat. 25. 45. And 3. we must esteem them worth the keeping as David did Psal. 119. 10. 72. The office of a keeper is to preserve what is committed to him that it be not lost or cast away or broken but kept sound till his coming that gave it in charge There 's a heavy sentence in the Gospel against the breakers of them They must not be contemned or cast behinde us nor may we lose or forget them we may see Gods judgement against Ahab for the losse of them Now we shall keep them the better if we make a true estimate of them And King David tells us they are worth the having They are more to be desired then gold saith he yea then much fine gold and in
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
theevs and this is to love with judgement when though there is no other motive of love in the party yet we love him propter 〈◊〉 for God for when a man loveth a friend he loveth him propter aliud quam Deum for some other cause then for God alone but when he loveth his enemy there is no other cause but propter Deum for God onely Again when our love is ad 〈◊〉 onely to our friend it is debilis 〈◊〉 weak and slight work for as Christ saith if we love them that love us what great matis this the Heathnes and publicans do the like therefore God would have our love to be like his stretcht out usque ad 〈◊〉 to those that are fardest from us to our very enemies as he doth when he causes the sun to shine and the raine to fall upon the good and bad And this is no such hard matter as flesh and blood would make it Saint Augustine saith Dices non possum vigilare non possum jejunare numquid dices non possum 〈◊〉 perhaps thou wilt say I cannot watch nor I cannot fast but wilt thou say I cannot love And this indeed is a point of special consideration because it makes a difference betwixt the love of Christians and the love of Heathen for our love to men must flow from the fountain of our love to God Take away propter Deum and then as Saint 〈◊〉 saith our Christian vertues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common and vulgar such as were in the Heathen our fortitude nothing but the fortitude of Socrates and so of other vertues wherin ours and theirs differ in nothing but in this propter Deum for God And therefore our 〈◊〉 rule must be according to Saint Gregories excellent direction 〈◊〉 rinus justitiae 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 pietatis The river of our righteousnesse towards men must have 〈◊〉 original from the fountain of piety to God that is that our love to our brother must arise from our love to God and though we see how our love must be guided by our judgement in the cause or ground of it propter Deum for God And as our judgement must be rectified that we are not in the cause so consequently our affection which followes the understanding must be right and herein though we are not tyed to that high measure which was in Saint Paul who wished himself 〈◊〉 from Christ for his brethrens sake viz. for the salvation of the Jews yet thus far we are bound as to desire their salvation with our own and to will the same good to them that we will to our selves and to nill the same evill to them which we nill to our selves and consequently there must be those works or fruits of love mentioned by the Apostle which as they refer to our neighbour are especialy three 1. The first is Joy That as we wish our neighbours good so when any good hath befallen him we be glad and rejoyce at it yea after Saint Barnards rule gandere in bono alieno magno magis quam in proprio parvo rejoyce 〈◊〉 in the greater good of our neighbour then in the lesser good of our own Opposite to this is if either we repine that any should come to the participation of the same good which we possesse which is one part of envy and was the fault of the unfaithful 〈◊〉 in the Gospel that did not occupy his masters talent or if we stand thus affected that if we have it not our selves we will not be content that any other should have it And of this part of envy is it that Saint Chrsostom speaks thus 〈◊〉 pestiferum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in diabali conditionem in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per 〈◊〉 venit in mundum propter ipsam Abal est interemptus c. Envy is a most pestilent evil it turnes and transformes a man into the nature of a most cruel devil By it came 〈◊〉 into the world for it was Abel stain It was the envy of 〈◊〉 toman which made him seek 〈◊〉 fall because he would have 〈◊〉 in better estate then himself And in this respect it is that S. Augustine said Invidia vitium Diabolicum quo solo Diabolus reus est inexpiabiliter reus Non 〈◊〉 Diabolo dicitur 〈◊〉 damnetur adulterium commisisti furtum fecisti villam alienam rapuisti sed homini stanti invidisti Envy is a Devillish vice of which onely the Devil is guilty and 〈◊〉 without expiation for it is not said to the Devils damnation Thou 〈◊〉 committed adultery or thou hast stollen or thou hast violently seized on anothers possessions but this is objected to him Thou hast envied man in his Innocency 2. The next is Peace a desire of agreement with our Neighbour plainly prescribed by the Apostle Have peace with all men And if at any time there happen a breach we should not pertinaciter aggredi obstinately set upon one another for this is the badge of Sathans Disciples as S. Gregory saith Si Dei 〈◊〉 filii qui pacem faciunt procul dubio Satanae sunt silii qui pacem confundunt If they which are the Authors of peace be called the sons of God without question they are the Devils children which disturb it When Christ came into the world the Angels sung at his birth Glory to God and peace on earth and yet himself saith I came not to send peace but a sword To reconcile which places we must conceive it to be discordia in 〈◊〉 war against that which is evil which Christ speaks of in that place for as Nazianzen well saith Melior est talis pugna quae Deo proximum facit quam pax illa quae separat a Deo that dissention is better which makes a man come 〈◊〉 to God then that peace which separates him from God Therefore as a Father saith As there is nothing more to be wished for then concordia in bono agreement in that which is good and nothing more to be laboured against then discordia in bono disagreement in the 〈◊〉 so nothing more to be desired then disagreement in evil and nothing more abominable then agreement in that which is bad And as our Saviour pronounceth them blessed that are Peace-makers in good so are they no lesse blessed that are Peace-breakers in evil that make discord in evil and they are no less the children of God then the other and threfore peace with hereticks and Schismaticks must not be held though in lesser matters which trench not upon the foundations of faith worship or government difference of opinions may be allowed For there may be a 〈◊〉 or disagreement allowable in questions and disputations that touch not upon those foundations and so that it go not so far as to trouble the peace of the Church but that the unity of the spirit be kept in the bond of peace For as S. Gregory
kindred or cohabitation but Mercy that 〈◊〉 a man to be a Neighbour and seeing every man even an enemy may be an object of mercy therefore every man even an enemy is a Neighbour And it is not Christs exposition onely but the Law saith the very same in the case of a stray ox or asse If thy brothers ox or asse go astray c. which brother in another place is said to be even an enemy for there is in the same Law 〈◊〉 23. 4 5. where it is said If thy enemies ox or asse go astray c. He that is the object of our love is expressed in Scripture by three words which are distinguisht in the Hebrew as well as in the Latine 1. Amicus a friend or fellow 2. Proximus a neighbour 3. Frater a brother which is used by S. John constantly in his first Epistle In all which are motives and grounds of love For 1. In brethren there is identitas naturae c. identity of nature which makes all creatures love one another one beast delighting in another of the same kinde and little children delighting in their image in the glasse shew this 2. Now as this similitude is a 〈◊〉 of love so is identitas originis identity of beginning therefore it is a natural thing for brethren born to love one another because they have the same original and nothing so unnatural as one brother not to love another 2. Between Friends love is the cause of love for it will be mutual and reciprocal 〈◊〉 amoris magnes love is a loadstone to love Our Saviour knew this well and therefore in the Commandment of love he expresseth it is thus That ye love one another it must be amor mutuus mutual love Another ground of love among friends is societas periculi 〈◊〉 when men partake of the same danger or deliverance as Captives under the Turk delivered by the same ransom This ground of love we have who being all in danger of hell and become captives of Sathan are delivered by the same ransome by Christ. This makes friendship and causeth love in men that never saw one another before 3. Now for proximus it is defined ab usn of the use and benefit that one hath by another God hath not given to any man such gifts but that he needeth the gifts of his brother God hath not given all his gifts to any one and therefore there is none but hath need of another and therefore 〈◊〉 utilitas use and utility are the grounds of propinquity and make men become proximi neighbours 4. Lastly there is 〈◊〉 instituti both amongst 〈◊〉 friends and neighbours all do tendere ad idem tend to one and the same end that is to be partakers of the blessednesse which the angels of God enjoy for this is institutum 〈◊〉 proximi 〈◊〉 amici nostrum omnium the end and scope of my brother neighbour friend and my self and of all of us These then are the reasons of Gods using those words and the reasons also of our love Now in this object of our love proximus our neighbour there are two things to be 〈◊〉 1. That we must beware we take not the sin of our neighbour for our neighbour for that which hath interposed it self and indeed is not de 〈◊〉 is sin and 〈◊〉 proximus a sinner It is sure that Omnis peccator quatenus peccator odio habendus est every sinner as he is a sinner is to be hated and omnis 〈◊〉 quatenus 〈◊〉 diligendus every man as he is a man is to be beloved Therefore Sic homines diligendi ut non errores diligamus diligendi quia facti sunt non quia fecerunt we are to love men so as not to love their errours and so to love them that are made as that we love not that they do so to love that which God made them as not to love what by sin they made themselves The reason is because we have all one 〈◊〉 or end we do therefore love one another because we shall be partakers of the same soveraign good of eternal happinesse and sin being an hindrance or obstacle to that end how can we love that which hindreth from that whereto we tend He that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul. And so we may say he that loveth the sin of his brother hateth his soul. 2. We must know that in proximitate neighbourhood there are degrees of neernesse whereby one is neerer then another In which respect that affection which causeth us to remember some before others in our prayers is not from any corruption of our nature because omission of duty to one is a greater sin then to another for the duty to a father is greater then to a stranger But as in natural things there is major 〈◊〉 a stronger motion where there is major 〈◊〉 a stronger inclination so where there is a greater duty owing there God will have a greater affection Because the earth is to come 〈◊〉 to the Center then the water therefore it hath majorem gravitatem a greater degree of 〈◊〉 to draw it thither and so where the greater actions or duties are required there greater affections or a greater measure of love which is a weight pressing to the 〈◊〉 is necessary not onely charitas but also ordo charitatis cadit sub 〈◊〉 as the 〈◊〉 determine As therefore the affection of love is required so our love must be ordered as the Schools speak The demonstration standeth thus If wheresoever there is principium a beginning there whatsoever is 〈◊〉 principio 〈◊〉 to it is 〈◊〉 first and so consequently there is an order and so every thing as it is 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 off must first or latter be intended Now there are two causes or principles of Love God and our selves and therefore the neerer any are to these principles as some men are neerer to our selves as Fathers Mothers c. so are neerer to God by grace the more they are to be loved Let us see then this order in our charity that it may be ordinata charitas charity well ordered To which purpose it must stand thus 1. God 2. Our own souls 3. Our brothers soul. 4. Our bodies 5 The body of our neighbour or brother 1. God is to be loved especially and in the first place because he is that chiefest good by the communication whereof we are all made good So saith S. Augustine 〈◊〉 vera summa vita in quo a quo per quem bona sunt omnia 〈◊〉 bona sunt God is the true and chief life in from and by whom are all good things And as another Cum 〈◊〉 Deum 〈◊〉 in ipso 〈◊〉 by loving God we finde all things God is the universal nature to whom all things give place He must have the first place in our love as in policie the publick good is preferred before all private respects and therefore a good Citizen will be
content to lose his own goods thereby to redeem peace to the publick We see in nature that heavy things will move upwards contrary to their own particular nature propter salutem universi for the good of the universe as that ne detur 〈◊〉 so in Religion God and our love to him 〈◊〉 dilectionis in 〈◊〉 doth overcome and drown all other loves to our selves or any other particular object as wesee it did in S. Paul who out of his love to God that he might be glorified in the salvation of the Jews 〈◊〉 to be separated from Christ if it had been possible and not incompatible with his love to God which was as a motion against a particular nature for the good of the general or universe 2. The next is our selves and our selves before our brethren The reason is because in the one there is an unity in the other at the most is but an union and major 〈◊〉 habenda est unitatis quam 〈◊〉 there is a greater regard to be had of the 〈◊〉 then of the latter And again seeing it is not lawful for any to commit a sin to prevent his brother 〈◊〉 sinning nay not to save the whole world it shews plainly we are to prefer the love of our selves before our brother and in our selves our own souls before our brothers soul. Now in the case between the health or good of our own body and of our brothers soul it thus stands There can come no participation of the glory of God to our bodies nisi per redundantiam as it were by an overflowing when the soul being full communicates it to the body But the soul of our brother is capable of divine glory and the universal good immediately by it self and therefore ought to be preferred before the body of any which participates onely per redundantiam by the overflowing of the soul and so at the second hand as it were besides one soul is worth all bodily creatures in the world a man therefore may endanger his body for the saving his brothers soul. 3. Then in the next place we are to seek the good of our neighbours body and of neighbours 1. 〈◊〉 est omnibus we are generally to love and succour all that need any whomsoever if they be in extrema necessitate in extream necessity 2. And in the next place of those that be in need maxime 〈◊〉 especially we are to do good to them that are of the houshold of faith as the Apostle directs that are of the same Religion with us we are to relieve such before others if we cannot relieve both beleevers before infidels 3. And thirdly among the faithful to them that are of our own countrey before the children of strangers 4. Fourthly among those of our own countrey 〈◊〉 to our own to those that have some relation to us for he that regardeth not his own saith the Apostle is worse then an 〈◊〉 5. Fiftly of our own to them that are of our own house or kindred 6. Sixthly in the house to the wife on 〈◊〉 rather then to father mother or children for a man must leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and that the husband ought to be preferred before children appears by 〈◊〉 speech to 〈◊〉 am not I better to thee then many sons And therefore the children are not to lay up for the 〈◊〉 but the fathers for the children as the Apostle saith yet every one should have respect both upwards and downwards Now for strangers or those that are not nostri ours either they be rich or poor of which the poor are rather to be regarded then the rich and for the rich they are either such as we have received benefits from or to whom we have done good and because 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 maximum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work is the chief 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of any thing and bestowing of good is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which makes 〈◊〉 vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 visible and in that respect it is that a man is apt to love his own work or his own creature as we say yet we ought to prefer him of whom we have received benefits before him on whom we have bestowed any because a benefactor is more like a 〈◊〉 to us then the other like a son T 〈◊〉 2. 2. q. 26. a. 12 Ex. Arist. 9. Eth. But if as Saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it there are two persons who in all respects are equal and we have something that would help either of them and that it cannot be divided What is then to be done there being nothing in the one why I should pleasure him more then the other quid 〈◊〉 sorte eligerim nothing but to chose one by lot the same may be the case of every man that is to do good to another who in 〈◊〉 all are of finite nature and therefore are not able to do good to all or to satisfie all therefore when we are joyned in the like relation to us or the degree of 〈◊〉 or propinquity if we must help both there remains nothing but 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 it by 〈◊〉 Further we are to know that in love there is a double respect 1. Of the object or party loved 2. of the subject or party that loves 1. 〈◊〉 dilecti in 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 loved we are to respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to love him more in whom the more excellent gifts ofgrace appear so as to take more complacency in him and to wish him the more excellent good as the greater degree of glory because the more excellent any thing is the neerer it comes to God and if he be better we ought to wish him better Thus spiritual conjunction or neernesse is to be preferred 〈◊〉 objecti in respect of the object 2. Ratione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 loving and here natural and 〈◊〉 propinquity or conjunction may be preferred before spiritual as founded in nature and therefore more firme and immutable and hence it is that in temporal things a man may prefer one that is neerer by nature before one that is onely conjoyned with us by grace Thus if a man have money or estate to give he is not bound to bestow it upon the best man in the world but may prefer one that 's neerer in nature though not so excellent in grace And thus far de ordine 〈◊〉 of the order of our love The third general proposed is The 〈◊〉 of this love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As thyself This is ficut te as thy self not 〈◊〉 te as 〈◊〉 as thy self it signifieth a respect but not a quantity The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 as Job 12. 3. for as we said before every man ought to have a greater regard to his own soul then to his brothers Now this 〈◊〉 or manner of love must appear in four things 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order 1. The first in 〈◊〉 te 〈◊〉 is in respect of the end for which thou
such as keep order though the Superiour do not 2. Because every step hath a certain breadth or latitude set and lmited by bounds on both sides then he transcends the nature of a Superiour that prescribes any thing beyond those bounds as if the Prince of this land shall command any thing to be done in those countreys where he hath nothing to do Or if I be bound to obey a man whose power is onely in spiritual things I am not by the same reason to obey him in temporals whereof he hath no cognizance he is not to command out of his series he must not recedere a principio But if a king or ruler observe these two points of order that he do not leave his series nor recedere a principio we are absolutely to obey him It is said in the Gospel No man can serve two masters God and Mammon because their commands are contrary but the case here may be thus reconciled Dominus servus God and the Prince his minister are but one Agent because there is a subordination In this case there is but one master till the Prince break the order himself and be a master against order and do erigere altare contra altare erect one altar against another For it is in order as it is in nature The Prince is the chief mover and Commander others command under him Now in nature heavy things descend and if on any occasion ad conservationem universi they do break their natural course and ascend this is out of order yet is requisite for a greater good of the universe So is it in matters of the Commonwealth If the inferiour Magistrate command one thing I must not obey him if a superiour Magistrate command another for a greater good of the whole land Some are of more honourable estate then other and the higher place any one hath the more honour he hath and in that respect the greater duty belongs to him Festus was honourable yet Nero more honourable and if S. Paul fear that Festus will break order he will appeal to Nero. And we see if a man be before a Judge of an inferiour place of judicature he is free from him if a 〈◊〉 come from a superiour Judge to take the matter into his hands And so when the first mover of all God and his word or command cometh it gives a supersedeas to all other commands and appeal is to be made to him Our Saviour in another place saith Be not afraid of them that kill the body In which place it is plain that his meaning is that though we should not break off our obedience from those that have that power as long they keep within their series yet if once they break order then fear them not but him that after the body is killed hath power to cast the body into hell which is God otherwise the caveat were needlesse And the conclusion in this point is to say with S. Peter and S. John when the Priests commanded them to preach no more in the name of Jesus Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken to you more then unto God judge ye And when they would not take this for an answer but urged them as before they plainly told them Deo potius 〈◊〉 hominibus we ought to obey God rather then men The reason of this standeth thus God hath taken order for the inaugurating of every son of his into his politia or government for our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our conversation must be in heaven as the Apostle speaks and in another place we should be fellow Citizens withthe saints A childe is no sooner born but fertur ad baptismum he is carried to baptism so that he is no sooner in the world but he is presently sent out again for there he renounceth the world and giveth it over and consequently he is to receive his laws from heaven his first oath being sacramentum militare to fight against the world flesh and Devil And in this respect it is that men cannot recede or go backward from their first vow If therefore a superiour command extra seriem suam out of his order we must remember our first vow and disobey him but in regard of that which hath been said that God and he are but one Agent in whatsoever lawfully he commands we must give him chief and especial honour and obedience Let him command out of his line then God and he are two Masters and God of the two is to be preferred We have examples in this kinde For the first Commandment which requires the love of God before and above all others if father or mother or any superiour command any thing contrary to our love we owe to God we are not to obey for our Saviour saith He that cometh to me and hateth not father and mother is not worthy of me He expounds himselfe elsewhere by plusquam me he that 〈◊〉 father or mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above me c. they are to be loved but lesse then Christ for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lesser evil is called good in respect of a greater so minor dilectio a lesser love is called hatred in respect of major dilectio a greater love for bonum quod impedit majus bonum in 〈◊〉 minus est diligendum that good which hinders a greater good is lesse to be loved and so is superiours prove a hindrance to keep us from God our love to them must give place to our love to God 2. For the second Commandment God the great superiour took order men should not bow to any image Nebuchadonozor a superiour a Prince commandeth the contrary and his command is out of order for he commanded that every man should fall down before the golden image at the sound of the trumpet There was a disobedience to his command which was no disobedience at all for disobedience is not but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order when things are commanded in order and Nebuchaednezzar had transgressed that order Darius also signed a decree out of order For God commands that prayer should be made to him and Darius commands that no prayer be made to God for thirty dayes space Daniel contrary to the kings decree prayeth to God the king brake order and Daniel did not This was not disobedience in Daniel but obedience to the second commandment the disobedience was in Darius 3. In the case of the third Commandment The Gibeonites obtain though craftily a league with Joshua confirmed by solemn oath and he and the Israelites preferred the religion of their oath before their oversight to the time of Saul who made the Israelites to break it but this was unlawful and irregular obedience and therefore the people were punished for breaking this order with three yeers 〈◊〉 and seven of Sauls sons were put to death for it 4. For the fourth
Commandment God commanded the Jews to sanctifie the sabbath Antiochus commandeth the prophaning of it 〈◊〉 and others disobey his command and prospered but Antiochus died miserably So God gives command for honour and maintenance of the Priests Ahab commandeth them to be slain but Obadiah obeyeth him not but hid them in caves by fifty and fifty and he thought himself not disobedient 5. This fifth Commandment enjoyns honouring of father and mother yet we see because Maacha mother of Asa had gone out of her order usurping the crown which of right did not belong to her he taking occasion from her idolatry deposed her from her dignity without disobedience to this Commandment The Scribes and Pharisees notwithstanding this Commandment go out of order and say that though a man honour not father or mother if he offer to the Corban he shall be excused but our Saviour condemns their breach of Gods law herein 6. In the sixth Commandment God saith Thou shal s not kill The 〈◊〉 of Egypt commands the midwives to kill They disobey and are rewarded by God 〈◊〉 commands the people to cast their males into the river but Moses parents keep him by faith and hid him three moneths and were rewarded for it And Saul commanded his servants to kill the Priests but they refused and their refusal justified Here the Superiours went out of the line and therefore no obedience due to them in these particulars But on the other side in obeying them out of order we see that 〈◊〉 is condemned for 〈◊〉 Vriah in the front of the battel to be 〈◊〉 though it were upon the receipt of King Davids letters So are the souldiers for putting the children to death at Herods command And the minister of Ananias for smiting S. Paul contrary to justice at the command of Ananias 7. To the seventh Commandment David having gotten 〈◊〉 with childe commanded Vriah to have gone to her that he might have been thought to be father of the childe but he would not obey On the contrary Absalom went in to the Concubines of David 8. In the case of the eigth we see no blame or imputation laid upon Naboth for denying his vineyard to 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 is threatned by Eliah the Prophet 9. In the ninth it is plainly recorded to posterity for a grievous sin in the Elders and Nobles that obeyed 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 case in bearing false witnesse or procuring some to do it against him And in those that at the command of the high Priest bare false witnesse against our Saviour We will add one example more We see may the practise of 〈◊〉 God before Parents in our Saviour who most perfectly fulfilled the Law And that in two answers of his The first to father and mother when his mother at her return finding him in a manner reprehended him saying Why hast thou so 〈◊〉 with us His answer was Wote you not that I must be about my fathers businesse not meaning 〈◊〉 but Gods he was to prefer his first and then theirs Vbi 〈◊〉 impediunt ibi conveniens est sed quando impediunt cave ne c. when our earthly fathers and governours be not our hindrance in executing Gods commands then it is but meet and convenient to do theirs but when they shall hinder us from doing them take heed how you neglect one to do the other In this case obedience is disobedience His second answer was to his mother alone when he being with her at a marriage and she telling him there wanted wine answered Woman what have I to do with thee which as S. Augustine saith at the first sight may seem to be harsh but making this objection to himself 〈◊〉 venerat ad nuptias 〈◊〉 doceret matres contemnere Did our Saviour come to the wedding to teach children to despise their mothers He answers himself by another question What did Christ take of his mother Marie wherein was he 〈◊〉 to her he took from her his flesh and she would have him do a miracle could he have wrought a miracle by his humane nature No but as he addeth Miraculum facturus non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum infirmitatem 〈◊〉 sed secundum majestatem divinam being to work a miracle he could not do it according to the infirmity of his humane nature but according to his divine majestie and that was out of her latitude And therefore goeth on quod in me tu genuisti non potest facere 〈◊〉 a miracle could not be done by vertue of any thing I had from thee yet afterwards when he suffered on the crosse he acknowledged her to be his mother as he was man and so provides for her To conclude this point out of that which hath been said We must submit to our Superious as S. Peter saith how for the Lords sake and in that which is right and just We must not prefer our honour or duty to them before religion to God S. 〈◊〉 saith upon the words of our Saviour He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me Ne quis 〈◊〉 Religioni 〈◊〉 c. lest any man should prefer love before religion Christ addeth He that loveth father c. Order is necessary in all our affections After God love thy father thy mother thy children But if there comes a necessity that the love of parents or children come in competition with the love God and both cannot be observed we are to prefer the love of God before the rest and concludes Honorandus generator sed praeponendus Creator our parents are to be honoured but our Creator is to be preferred c. But withall lest we go too far on the one side it is very necessary that we search not too narrowly or inquire too precisely into the commands of our Superiours but rather if it be in our power obey We see 〈◊〉 being commanded by the King to number the people disliked it at the first as seeing no reason to do it yet because it was a thing indifferent he did it And in doubtful matters or indifferent this is the rule rather to obey then oppose Again in matters unjustly commanded if they be not expressely against the will of God there may be a just obedience We see it in our Saviours own case The tribute gatherers demand tribute of him though of the linage of David and in that respect exempted He asketh Peter Do they use to receive tribute of strangers or of their own children when Peter had answered him that they used to receive it of strangers Christ replyed then are we free but lest we offend them go and cast thy angle c. and pay for thee and me So when men will take from us it is better to yield and to redeem our peace as he did with yielding just obedience to an unjust command Vt illum reum faciat saith S. Augustine iniquitas imperandi me
the fig-leaves were sowed together The cause is that after they had sinned the inferiour parts as the appetite grew to be irregular and unruly Whereupon as the Apostle speaks the devil takes occasion to tempt to 〈◊〉 and therefore he advises that to avoyd fornication every man have his own wife and every woman her own husband that so they may have Thorum immaculatum the bed undefiled This Solomon calls the avoyding of a strange woman which he accounts a special part of wisdom and so this end includes that duty of fidelity which the one owes to the other for unlesse fornication be avoyded there can be no mutual fidelity Therefore the Apostle saith that the one of the married persons hath not power over their own body but the other the third end then of this Nuptiae is to avoyd fornication So that the three general ends of this duty are first Mutuum auxilium mutual help denoted by conjugium secondly Proles yssue signified by Matrimonium thirdly The avoyding of 〈◊〉 implied in Nuptiae which includes fides 〈◊〉 to each other specified by Nuptiae This for the general ends Now for the particular duties of man and wife 1. Now for the particular duties the first duty of the husband to the wife is expressed in these word by Saint Peter to live with her according to knowledge he must know how to govern her Because as we see in the case of the first wife she was beguiled by the serpent and seduced her husband therefore in the sixteenth verse of that chapter God told her that her desire should be subject to her husband and that he should have the government and rule over her therefore she must never follow her own will hereafter but must be subiect to her husband His duty therefore is to govern her yet so that he must 〈◊〉 with her being the weaker vessel and not to be bitter to her as being heire with him of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindred and that thereby he may enjoy his own peace for who would trouble his own flesh That he may rule and govern he must be able to instruct her for when the Apostle saith that if the wives would learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home it is to be taken for granted that they must be able to teach them lest such as creep into houses and beguile silly women 2 Tim. 3. 6. Intrap the wife And if she shall be carried away with blinde zeale or affection or otherwise go astray he must be able by wise exhortations to rectify her We have an example for this of Elkanah when Hannah his wife murmured and took on for her barrennes he pacified her with this wise speech Am not I better to thee then ten sons withal he must so strengthen himself that he be not seduced as Adam was by Eve nor be too credulous of her reports as Potiphar was when he put Joseph in prison upon a false accusation of his wife nor omit any necessary duty required by God though she be offended at it as Zipporah the wife of Moses was at the 〈◊〉 of her son Nor hearken to her in a bad cause as 〈◊〉 did to Jezebel Or if she be like 〈◊〉 that scoffed at David for his zeal in dancing before the 〈◊〉 of God he must by his knowledge and wisdom be able to instruct and reform her in the spirit of meekenes And as in the first place government with knowledge is required in the 〈◊〉 so submission consequently belongeth to the wife not to stand upon her own wil or wit but to submit her self to her husband For seeing by her own confession she was not wife enough to resist the serpent but was first in the transgression therefore justly was it laid upon her that she should not stand upon her own will hereafter but should be subject to her husband and be governed and advised by him This the Apostle Saint Peter calls subjection and Saint Paul submission which must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Lord and in the same chapter he calls it fear let the wife fear or reverence her husband which shews that as he hath the government so he hath power and authority which she must fear and this Saint Peter vrgeth by the example of Sarah who obeyed Abraham and called him Lord. And this reason is given because as God is head of Christ and Christ the head of the man so man is the head of the wife Whereupon Saint Augustine saith that as the sense of seeing is by the head so a woman ought to seeby her husband who is her head yet withal he is to remember that as she was not taken out of his head because she must not be above him as his master so neither out of his feet because she is not to be his servant but out of his side a latere that she might be semper illi a latere as his fellow and companion almost his equal The Heathen king Ahasuerus and his counsellers saw this duty of wives by the light of nature when for 〈◊〉 disobedience they decreed that she should be put from her royal estate and see the kings face no more and that her 〈◊〉 should be given to another and that no woman should presume to do the like al this should be published by a royal decree and that every man should beare rule in his own house c. This for the first duty 2. The second duty though it concur with the general affection of love and be in effect nothing else yet it hath a peculiar respect whereby it differeth from all other love and therfore is to be specially mentioned It is described in Gen. by three things 1. That this conjugal love must make one abandon and leave those to whom he is most bound or which are otherwise most neer and dear to him viz comparatively for this cause shall a man leave father and mother 2. That as they must leave all others so they must constantly cleave and adhere to one another as is expressed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aahasit conglutinatus est to cleave or be glued together 3. This adhering must be such a neare union as makes them one yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one flesh of two so that the love and affection appropriate to this conjunction must exceed all other In all love there is a kinde of union but all other union must give way to this none so neer as this Neither must this love be onley carnal and outward of which Solomon speaks Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ever ravisht with her love but also spiritual according to the Apostles rule to love her as Christ loved the Church whose love as it resembled
〈◊〉 Such a one was Abigail one that by her wisdom builded her house and was like a marchants ship a good huswife and provident If to these she be like a polished corner of the temple it makes her a meet one Such a one being found we must not presently adhinnire 〈◊〉 after her like Jeremies fedd horses there must not be conjunxit before adduxit which was Shechems case we must tarry till adduxit and that in Gods house Jesus must be at the mariage God must give her as parent and joyn both as priest by the hand of him that he hath appointed in his place And it must be in Gods house not clandestine and then they shall receive a blessing Now for the duties general and mutual between them they consist in two things 1. In fidelity and loyalty They must possesse their vessels in holines and purity and not defraud one another but keep the mariage bed undefiled They must draw both one way and beare each others burden 2. Love She was made of a bone meet to the heart and that was coupled with a fellow therefore their love must be hearty He must love her as a part of himself and she him as wounded for her Again she must love him as her head and he her as his crown He must be better to her then ten sonnes And she embrace him and his love tanquam 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 as a vine and not ivy 1. Now severally concerning their duties The man must dwell with the woman with knowledge to direct her Provide and take care for his house and family He must cherish her he must delight in her rejoyce with the wife of his youth Isaac sported with Rebekah Suffer and bear with her infirmities and not be bitter to her To end this he must love her fervently cooperate with her willingly provide all things carefully and though he be the nobler part not despise the lesse noble give good counsel seasonably admonish her opportunely and defend her faithfully 2. The woman in respect that she was not made first but Adam and that she was taken elatere out of his side therefore her duty is to submit and be subject to her husband and do her duty at all times to please him She is also to be adjutrix a help to him She is a bone part of a coupling or rafter in a building she must gird her loyns with strength she must not be trouble some for it were better for her husband to dwell in the wildernesse then with her if she be a contentious woman Nor must she undo him nor 〈◊〉 out his goods Not prove as Jobs wife curst but like to Abigail gracious and milde Not like Michal Davids wife a 〈◊〉 or taunter but like the Shunamite charitable and vertuous Not like Jezabel haughty and cruel but like the woman of Tekoah humble Finally she must love her husband ardently serve him obediently bear and educate her children carefully not oppose his government scornfully So much for the cause or thing upon which this Commandment was grounded Now to the Commandment it self CHAP. II. The dependance of this commandment upon the former The ends for wich it was given The object of this Commandment concupiscence or lust of the flesh The several branches and degrees of the sin here forbidden Diverse reasons against the sin of uncleannesse Non Maechaberis THis Precept is as the former in words very brief and under the name of Adultery forbids all degrees of uncleannesse and all those acts that dispose thereto thereby to shew what reckoning God makes of lust and all those acts that tend to Adultery and of all the lesser degrees of this sin viz. that they are all 〈◊〉 in his sight as rash and unjust anger is murder before him as we shewed in the last Now Adultery implies not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncleannesse but injustice too and that in a high degree by communicating that to many which is proper to one for the husband hath not power over his own body but the wife and econtra and therefore it is injustice to give that to another which is not in our power but is already given to another by marriage Thus we see by the word here used what account God makes of all those vices which are subordinate to Adultery The Commandment itself is expounded Leviticus 20. 10. in the law and in the Gospel by Christ in the fifth of S. Matthew vers 27 28. c. And by the Apostle 1 Corinthians 5. and 6. 15. and throughout the whole seventh chapter of the same Epistle The order and dependance is this The principal cause why murder was prohibited was because man is the image of God now the image of God consists especially in purenesse and chastity as one of the Heathen Poets could tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is a pure minde and therefore fitly doth this Commandment wherein purity of soul and body is commanded follow 〈◊〉 that wherein the defacing of Gods image is forbidden The truth of this may plainly be gathered by the contrary assoon as our first parents eys were opened they saw themselves naked being ashamed to see their nakednesse they got figleaves to cover their shame which argued that the purenesse of this image was lost and that they were ashamed of those irregular motions which began to arise in shew The ends of this Commandment are four 1. In respect of God who is of purer eyes then to behold evil therefore we must not 〈◊〉 be pure in heart if we will see him or have him to see us but we must possesse our bodies also our vessels in holinesse and sanctification not in the lusts of 〈◊〉 as the Heathen that know not God 2. In respect of the Church and the good of it God by the Prophet saith that he took order that one man should be joyned to one woman why that he might have a holy seed That the Church might be kept pure undefiled and unspotted for as the Apostle saith our bodies are the members of Christ and not our own And therfore he 〈◊〉 against Christ the head and the Church his body Who takes the members of Christ and makes them the members of a harlot 3. For the good of the Common-wealth wedlock being 〈◊〉 parens the Parent of the Common-wealth the 〈◊〉 of cities and kingdoms And in that respect it is that the Wise man in diverse places counselleth us to refrain from strange women Abimelech charged his people upon pain of death not to touch Abrahams wife And 〈◊〉 sentence upon his daughter in Law was no lesse when he heard that she had played the harlot So in the Law it was no lesse then death to offend in this kinde And God charged Moses
is to provide for himself food apparel house room and such necessaries to sustain nature 2. Necessitas personae personal necessity which extends not onely to our selves but to those also of our houshold for which if a man provide not the Apostle saith he is worse then an Infidel 3. The third is necessitas status conditionis When besides the former we would have wherewithal to live according to our state and condition and this consists not in indivisibili in an indivisible point but admits a great latitude according to the several ranks callings and conditions of men Thus if a man have 300 l. he hath as much as will serve him in his condition and yet if another hath 3000 l. he hath no more then will serve him in another condition Now when a man hath what is necessary in the two 〈◊〉 respects then he must prefer the necessities of the poor before his own in the third respect for then that precept of Christ takes place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give almes as much as yeu are able That is when the two first necessities are served for if there be necessity either of our nature or person we are not then bound to give but of the surplusage which we have over and above unlesse it be in case of extream necessity of our brother or of the publick necessities of the Church our own necessity not being present or extream as those Corinths commended by the Apostle who though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in deep poverty yet they gave to their power yea and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond their ability Chrysostome gives this reason why we should part with cur money in works of mercy because else saith he we do not love it For though covetousnesse be the love of money 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they which are most covetous have the most close bowels and are most loth to part with it yet he proves that they do not love it aright for the true love of a thing is not amor concupiscentiae to desire a thing for our own use as a man loves meats and drinks but amor benevolentiae when we love a thing for it self desiring its good for the true act of love is Velle ejus bonum quod vel quem amamus to wish the good of that thing or person which we love and therefore if a man love his money he wishes well to it Vt bene sit ei Now the well-being of every thing is when it is so as God hath appointed for the bene esse the well being of every thing in the world is Ita esse ut Deus ordinavit Therefore if any man do wish an esse to his money in that order which God hath ordained then he wisheth the good of it and consequently loves it otherwise he wisheth the evil of it and consequently loves it not Now Gods ordinance is that every thing that is good should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sui diffusivum of a communicative nature diffusive of itself and the end of money in special is to be communicated and so if we communicate it in a right manner it attains the end for which it was ordained and so we 〈◊〉 that we love it 〈◊〉 a miserable case were we in if the Sun should not communicate his heat and light to us but should keep it to it self or if the Earth should keep in her fruits and not yeeld the same to us we should say this were contrary to their nature and to the end for which they were made and contrary to their well-being as well as ours and so it is contrary to the nature and end of money to keep it to our selves and not to communicate it to others Among many notes and signes of the Church it hath pleased God to make choice of this one as an infallible signe that we are true members of it If we communicate to the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle communicating to the necessities of the Saints Here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowship and communion Again this vertue is called liberality by the Apostle because that when we are Liberales liberal and 〈◊〉 we do liberare animam a vitiis free our selves from vices It is also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ministry because it is a service we owe to the Saints a debt or a rent we must pay to them Again he cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a free gift because it must be freely and readily given Now a dayes men give nothing freely rather do ut des or do ut facias is in use men give to those that shall give to them or they give to them that shall do something for them but this is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a free gift which the Apostle requires and 〈◊〉 he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a blessing because by doing thus this fruit shall come the poor shall blesse us and God also shall blesse us Thus by all those several expressions of the Apostle it appears that the use of riches is to have them communicated and therefore if any do appropriate that to himself which God would have common he perverts the use of it Again this use of communicating to others appears in that good works are compared to seed and doing good to sowing He that sows to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting saith the Apostle And sow in righteousnesse and reap in mercy saith the prophet 〈◊〉 parce seminat parce metet qui seminat in multis benedictionibus metet in multis benedictionibus He that sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully A man may so love his seed that for pure love he lets it lye in his Barn till Worms breed in it and consume it and then he doth amando perdere by loving lose it Therefore he doth truly love his seed that doth projicere semen cast his seed into the ground which returns him fruit an hundred fold this is truly amare semen to love his seed Thus we see if the temporal blessings of God be seed as in truth they are there must be a casting of them away and a scattering of them that we may receive them again with increase And yet in this casting them we do not lose them nor our right and interest in them for when a man hath sowen an Acre of ground if one ask him whose is that seed he will not say it is the grounds but his that sowed it so if a man could be brought to this perswasion that semen est serentis non recipientis that what is sowen in works of mercy is his that sowes it and not the grounds on which he sowes it he would not sowe sparingly Thus we see the true state of riches they are seed which must be sowen Now as the Husbandman doth credere
Canticles describes such an one well Vide magna praemitti suspiria you shall have him send forth great and deep sighs before and he will speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum quadam tarditate dimissis superciliis voce plangenti c. sic egreditur maledictio as if he were confounded and ashamed and then with an affected slownesse casting down his countenance with a whining voice and then cometh out the cursed venome of his heart you would think it were rather done dolenti animo quam malitioso with a mourning rather then a malitious mind he saith vehementer doleo quia vehementer diligo I am heartily sorrow for him because I heartily love him and then he saith compertus jam est it is now known otherwise I would never have spoken of it but seeing it is known I must needs say it is so and thus he breaks out his cursed speeches This is one extream CHAP. V. 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 THe other extream opposite to slandering and detraction is flattery of which before we speak we shall premise somewhat of the affirmative duties opposite to it which is Fraterna correptio fraternal admonition or brotherly reproof opposed to flattery and secondly the giving a true report opposed to detraction Because we are joyned together by the law of love or charity and for that as S. James saith In many things we offend all therefore God took order in his law that as we should not slander or speak evil of our brother so we should admonish and reprove him when he 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin to rest upon him This is as much to say that as the Heathen man said we should cum opus est contristari amicum when there is occasion even to make sad the heart of our friend by reproof If any be disordered by a bare admonition if the offence be small and without aggravating circumstances then to reprove him in the spirit of meeknesse but if it be otherwise to reprove him sharply and roundly if it be an open fault then openly and before all if secret then privately in the ear with this caveat except it redound to the damage and detriment of another for then it must be declared to the party whom it concerns So we see as S. Augustine saith that there is a double truth 1. Dulcis quae fovet a sweet truth which cherishes when we do well 2. Amara quae curat a truth which is bitter yet cures us when we have done amisse And therefore the Apostle writes to the Corinths Though I made you sory yet I repent it not though the example of the person punisht made you sorry for a 〈◊〉 Rather I do now rejoyce not for the act of punishment inflicted upon the offendor as for your amendment by that act Thus we see reproof is a way to bring men to repentance and therefore we are to perform this duty that thereby we may bring men to repentance and so having performed it we shall never repent us of it And this is the reason of that speech Non amo quenquam nisi 〈◊〉 I love not any till I have made him sad which is to be thus understood that by making him sad we bring him to repentance and so we testifie our love to him There are some such as the Philosopher saith who having done evil if a man come to deal with them he must either 〈◊〉 veritatem or prodere amicitiam betray the truth or lose their friendship they cannot abide this 〈◊〉 But though they be such yet we must not fear openly to rebuke them for as Solomon saith Open rebuke is better then secret love and vulnera diligentis the wounds of a friend are better then oscula blandientis the kisses of a flatterer as in Physick we know Amarum salubre a bitter thing whlosome is better then perniciosum dulce an un wholsome thing though sweet This duty must not be neglected though we shall be sure to meet with such as the Prophet Amos mentions who will hate him that reproves them For this was seen by the Heathen as appears by that speech Veritas odium parit truth brings forth hatred There are tres optimae matres trium filiarum pessimarum three very good Mothers which have three most wicked Daughters the first of which mothers is Truth quae parit odium which brings forth Hatred so there is mater optima filia pessima an exceeding good mother and a most naughty daughter Neverthelesse we must resolve to speak truth to our friend though we make him sad as Demaratus in Herodotus who speaking to Xerxes the King began thus Shall I speak truth or what will please you If I speak truth you will not like it and yet Non poteris uti me amico adulatore I cannot be both a friend and a flatterer therefore I will speak truth for though it be not to your liking yet it may be for your good The vice opposite to this duty of fraternal reproof is flattery which Hierom calls Natale malum our native evil for natali ducimur malo philantiae we are all transported with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and inbred evil of self-love and hence it is as Plutarch observed that every one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own chief and greatest flatterer And because we love our selves therefore we think we are good and that he that loves us doth his duty and is therefore good ipso facto in so doing And therefore he that speaketh in commendation of what we do we thereupon think him to be a good man 〈◊〉 that he doth but his duty and for this cause we love him On the contrary he that grieveth us we think him to be evil and consequently hate him This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this native evil and that good 〈◊〉 which we have of our selves makes us 〈◊〉 we do cito nobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 please our selves if any good be spoken of us as if any will say we are 〈◊〉 presently we believe him and willingly hear him for ubi propitia mens est where the minde is favourable propitiae aures the ears will stand wide open to receive any thing that is said Nay further as 〈◊〉 saith when men will deny what the flatterer saith and say it is not so with them they deserve no such praise yet etiam blanditiae cum excluduntur placent flatteries do please men though they be not believed or received And hence it is that a man having this good perswasion of himself is 〈◊〉 to say as those in Esay Prophecy not to us true things but prophecy pleasing things such things as we do love and like and
like those in Micah of whom he saith He that would prophecy of such things as they delighted in as of wine or strong drink should be Prophet for that people And hence it is that as S. Hierom saith Qui nescit adulari he that cannot 〈◊〉 nor apply himself to the humours of others is thought to be either superbus or invidus proud or envious all which ariseth from this that men like those that do sooth them up Now this vice of flattery is two fold for it is either in things uncertain or certain 1. In things uncertain as when we commend a man before we be certain he deserves it this is 〈◊〉 laus 〈◊〉 praise when a man is praised at first sight or when he begins to do well for some will then so highly commend him as to make him think he hath done enough and answered all expectation whereas it is not the puting on of the armour but the putting of it off which shews what praise a man deserves It is not stadium a part of the race well run but the whole race that deserves the Garland Praeclarum stadium sed metno dolichum the entrance of the race is excellent and I like it well but I am afraid of the length and continuance of it many begin well who fall short and faint before they come to the goal Therefore whilest things are uncertain we ought not to be liberal in commending nor prodigal in our 〈◊〉 2. In things certain and those either evil or good 1. In evil things which are by God condemned Laudatur male qui 〈◊〉 ob malum or de malo it is a very sorry commendation to be praised or cried up in evil or for evil He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse nations shall 〈◊〉 him And the Psalmist speaking of a wicked man saith That he speaketh well of the covetous whom God 〈◊〉 The Prophet Esay denounceth a woe against all such as call evill good or good evill that call light darknesse and darknesse light 〈◊〉 writes of Cambyses that he having a minde to an incestuous mariage moved the question to those about him 〈◊〉 he might marry such an one they told him that they could not well answer in general for that the action seemed not good but they found this in particular that whatsoever the King would do he might do it This 〈◊〉 was abominable and to be hated of all good men The Prophet compares such to those that build a wall with 〈◊〉 morter which cannot therefore stand For as it followes when the wall is fallen it shall be said unto them where is the daubing where with ye have daubed it These are Caementarii 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 daubers And therefore at the 18 verse there is a woe denounced against those that sow pillows under mens elbows for he would have men that are asleep in sin to sleep with as little ease as may be without pillows or curtains that so they may wake the sooner but flatterers by sowing pillows 〈◊〉 them make them sleep the more secure 2. In good things one may be guilty of flattery by praising them above measure 〈◊〉 brings men into an errour of thinking otherwise then it is whereas the Apostle 〈◊〉 not have any to think of him above that which was in him Thus praise above a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 sine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond proportion this breeds in men a better 〈◊〉 of themselves then they deserve and whereas they ought to strive and endeavour to go on and to attain more perfection they stand still and rest in what they have attained Such flatterers though they pretend great love yet usually there is no such affection in their heart and therefore Solomon saith of 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 his friend with a loud voice rising early in the morning it shall be counted a 〈◊〉 to him Yea it may be sometime he hath a 〈◊〉 affection he hates him whom he slatters and therefore the same Solomon saith Though he 〈◊〉 favourably believe him not for there are seven 〈◊〉 in his heart 〈◊〉 such men did truly love those they praise they would speak no more then truth of them for love 〈◊〉 in truth as truth ought to be in love If the one be without the other if either love be without truth or truth without love the law is broken Thus whether it be upon uncertainties that we praise men or if upon 〈◊〉 yet in evil things or if in good things yet if it be too much or too high or without affection or love it is flattery in them all and here 〈◊〉 The lips that utter such flatteries the Psalmist 〈◊〉 and wishes that such men might be liplesse and that they might be rooted 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 they might not utter with their 〈◊〉 that venenum quod habet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Heathen man said that poyson which is conveyed 〈◊〉 smooth words It is true there is a pleasing of men which is lawful sin being set aside and the truth preserved and the heart first wrought upon truly to affect them and desire their good Thus s. Paul laboured to become all things to all men but without these conditions whosoever he be that sets himself to please men cannot be the servant of Christ. To avoid this plague of flattery we must not countenance such persons nor open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them lest we be like those spoken off by the Prophet that make falsehood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and love to be well spoken off rather then to deserve well Or 〈◊〉 that of Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he that flatters most shall fare best when as the Prophet speaks they bend their tongue 〈◊〉 a bow for lies and take pains to do wickedly we must rather pray with the Psalmist Ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caput meum that his head may not be 〈◊〉 with the oyl of wicked men that is with their words which are smooth as oyl that his senses may not be so bewitched with their flatteries that his heart might be perverted And as we must not suffer our selves to be flattered so we must not flatter others but reprove them rather for we may be assured that if he 〈◊〉 wise whom we reprove he will make use of it 〈◊〉 a wise man and he will love thee If he do not the fault is his we have done our duty And though for the present he seem to be offended yet as the Wiseman saith He that rebuketh a man shall at last finde more favour then he that flattereth with his lips We have done with flattery as it 〈◊〉 others we come now to that which they call actum reflexum when a man by reflecting upon himself doth praise himself This is Jactantia boasting or vaunting of ones self As in the former Commandement a man may sin against himself as we shewed so here he may break
motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of feare VVE have seen out of the Apostle that saith must be in the heart and the heart must beleeve else there can be no righteousnesse there must be a mutual affection of the minde and heart for if the heart love not the minde will not long beleeve and if the minde beleeve not the heart will not love long Faith in regard of the actus elicitus assent is an act of the minde but in respect of the actus imperati as the Schools speak which flow from assent and belief as love fear obedience c. So it is in the heart and whole man so that the duty of a Christian may be called the work of faith because it is commanded and produced by faith though belief be the formal and onely proper immediate act of it Now the heart is the seat of the affections and the affections are about such objects as are partly agreable to our nature and such as we wish for and imbrace and partly such as we desire not but turn from Of the former sort are love hope joy and of the other are fear grief hate And God hath 〈◊〉 both of them to a double use as those of the second sort to restrain us from evil or after we have committed evil to torment and punish us So of the former either they are provocations to good or after we have done well to cherish and comfort us for so doing It is the work and office of faith to stir up these 〈◊〉 in us the first of which is fear towards God and the reason is because the word of God being the object of faith whether we take it in whole or in grosse the five books of Moses or the four Gospels in all we finde punishments 〈◊〉 to such as should transgresse which threatnings being 〈◊〉 by faith must needs work fear to 〈◊〉 and so they restrain from sin or fear of the punishment in those that have offended and so they stir up to repentance for in the very beginning we see faith had a word of threatning to apprehend In what day soever Adam should eat of the fruit of the tree he should die and this was before the promise that The seed of the woman should bruise the serpent head Now faith apprehended Gods justice which with his other attributes made it seem more fearful and the conscience telling that an offence was committed by eating fear must needs arise out of the consideration of it And this is it which was remembred before in our Saviours speach to the Jews If ye had believed Moses ye would also have believed me First Moses was to be believed then Christ first the Law then the Gospel The first is a faith in Gods justice There is a manifest example of this in the Ninevites Crediderunt Deo timuerunt they believed God and feared which is Moses fear a faith in Gods justice Among many motives to fear given by writers the chief is 〈◊〉 legis the knowledge of the Law and this works contritionem a grinding to powder by fear of that which the Law brings into their hearts And of this the Psalmist speaks telling us what is the true object of fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements This is the effect of faith upon the knowledge of Gods Justice The reason why it pleased God to set justice and fear in the first place is because before any thing can be effected the impediment and that which hindereth must be taken away We cannot possesse God and the reason is because as the Prophet tells us there is a separation between him and us our sins do separate between God and us a partition wall as the Apostle calls it Now seeing there is a necessity to have God and that this partition wall keeps us asunder in the first place we must not build this wall higher but we must cease to build sin upon sin and look for Christ to beat down that which is already built That which causeth us to cease from sin is the fear of God Expulsor peccati timor Domini saith the Wise man we must not say shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle And this is the reason why God commandeth fear because it maketh us to leave sin Besides fear there are two other affections which cause men to live well though it pleased God here to make choice of fear as 1. Shame 2. Pain and grief Make their faces ashamed O Lord saith the Psalmist that they may seek thy Name and for the other Vexatio dat intellectum affliction brings understanding If a man smart for any thing experience will give him understanding But we see that in the multitude of offenders there is no place for shame and for pain we have terrenas consolatiunculas poor worldly comforts at least if not to drive it away yet to season it and therefore God foresaw that neither of these would strike so deep as fear But fear which it pleaseth God to set before us and to require at our hands is that affection which toucheth us neerest and when other fail fails not Examples we have of it in offenders Adam being naked and clothed onely with fig-leaves might have been ashamed yet he walked up and down Paradise confidently and his humbling came not till he heard the voice of the Lord and then he was afraid Felix was a corrupt governour and made no conscience of it yet hearing Saint Paul discourse of Justice and Temperance and especially of Gods Judgements he fell into a trembling And this affection is not onely in men but predominant in beasts also and in those beasts which are most stupid and brutish 〈◊〉 asse fearing the angel of the Lord notwithstanding all his Masters beating fell down flat and would not stir a foot to run into danger Nay further the Devils which fear nothing else yet in respect of God S. James tells us Demones credunt contremiscunt the Devils believe and tremble And therefore this must needs be a prevalent means and that man is far gone and in a fearful case that feareth not But it may be objected That since God speaketh so much of love why should we not be brought to obedience by love rather then by fear It cannot be denied but that were a more acceptable way but our case is so that love will not prevail with us for he that loveth a good thing must have knowledge of it and that comes by a taste of it Now if his 〈◊〉 be corrupt as theirs is that are feavorish nothing can please him but that wich pleaseth the corrupt taste wholsome things are distasteful to him yet though they love not those things that are good for their disease this reason will prevail against their liking that if they take it not their fit
will be sharper or their life shorter so fear in them worketh more then love And so is it with men whose first taste in spiritualibus is corrupted If love could cause us to taste spiritual joyes fear were super fluous But vain delights in earthly pleasures ease and evil company have so cloyed and corrupted our tastes that we are not able to desire that which is truely to be desired and that which is hurtful to us we desire And therefore there is nothing can alter our taste but that if we continue in taking those earthly pleasures and not take that which is spiritual our fits will be sharper and our life shorter this fear is necessary to be set before us To this may be added that to this love we are brought by fear for Odium peccandi the hate of sin cometh from fear for fear causeth us to abstain from sin this abstinence bringeth a good life and that a good conscience being possest with that we shall be without fear and have peace of conscience which breedeth love to God and godlinesse A timore bona vita a bona vita bona conscientia a bona conscientia amor And love and fear in this respect are compared by Saint Augustine to a needle and threed the needle tarrieth not but bringeth the threed after it first we must fear and that will bring love after it Discat timere qui non vult timere discat ad tempus esse solicitus qui vult esse semper securus let him learn to fear that would not fear let him be solicitous for a time that will be secure for ever So we see that the use of fear is to restrain us from evil and to procure love in us The Common definition of fear is Expectatio mati the expectation of evil upon which may arise a doubt to them that are not well versed in Divinity How a man may be said to fear God seeing there is no evil in him for he being wholly goodnesse it self and the fountain of all goodnesse therefore should not be said to be feared But it is soon resolved For God is not to be feared as he is God and goodnesse and no evill in him but ab effectis in respect of his Judgements the effects of his Justice they are first to be feared and God secondarily The 〈◊〉 why the effects of his justice are to be feared are because in Gods judgements concurre all the causes and motives that can by any means move fear his judgement is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malum formidabile an object altogether fearfull And it is in a three fold respect for it is 1. Futurum to come 2. Propinquum neer 3. Vires excedens exceeding our strength 1. An evil past is not the object of fear but an evil to come and the greater it is ' the greater the fear is and therefore after our Saviour had reckoned up to his Disciples many calamities that should happen he addeth but the end is not yet the greatest is behinde though we suffer many things in this world yet there shall somewhat befall us after worse then those 2. It is propinquum because the armies of God are ever round about us wheresoever we are God is present and in the midst of his host and all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do And therefore if we do ill he is ready and 〈◊〉 to see it and his armies ready to execute vengeance upon them that do evil 3. It is vires excedens It must be a great matter of difficulty that must exceed our power and strength but this doth and such a thing takes a deep impression it terrifies us when we can make no resistance And this the Psalmist by a question makes to appear plainly If thou O Lord shouldest be extreme to mark what is done amisse who may abide it that is none can And therefore S. Paul saith Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger then he No our strength to him is but as stubble not as the strength of stones nor is our flesh of brasse as Job speaketh This makes it malum arduum hard and difficult which is aggravated by these four degrees 1. First it is a punishment malum poenae and there is a bar erected and an inditement framed We must all appear as the Apostle tells us before the judgement 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 c. 2. This punishment will be fearful and strange insolitum without example fiery indignation Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viventis it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God 3. It will be malum subitum repentinum sudden and unexpected sudden destruction as travail upon a woman with childe especially upon such as harden themselves He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy which is the last No redemption till the utmost farthing be paid that is never after this life for as God shews the uttermost of his 〈◊〉 in providing rewards for his 〈◊〉 so he will shew his infinite power in punishments for those that will not fear Besides all this we say in Philosophy Timetur is qui malum potest infligere he is to be feared that can bring evil upon us Now that God is able appears by three things considerable in a party to be feared 1. The first is authority Though a childe be a King or a woman bear rule over 〈◊〉 who in respect of themselves are but weak yet in regard of their authority they become terrible to us And the Lord is king over all the earth let all the earth therefore fear him saith the 〈◊〉 And why An earthly kings wrath is as 〈◊〉 of death and as the roaring of a lyon then what is the wrath of the King of kings And besides by best right he may challenge this fear for being King of kings his authority is highest and above all others And he is not onely a king but such a king as to whom all the celestial powers and principalities lay down their crowns and fall on their faces before him And therefore it was the song of them that overcame the beast Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name 2 The second is power A man if he have a mighty adversary though he have no authority yet he is to be feared Might is to be feared and therefore we are counselled to be at peace and have good correspondence and in no case to strive with a mighty man If the mighty men upon earth are to be feared how much more the mighty God whose power as it exceedeth all other powers so it hath compelled them that were mighty on earth to fear him Nebuchadnezzar when he perceived the power of God working beyond the course of nature that three men should walk in a