as hauing the light of it shining more cleerely within vs for the preseruation of the societie of mankinde in Common-wealths as Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale c. yet in the first table in which we are as blind as beetles euery Commandement hath some reason annexed vnto it As in the first The first Commandement hath one reâ—son ioyned to it I the Lord am thy God which brought thee out of c. Where because of that mercifull Couenant that he hath made with vs to blesse vs in all things eternally which as he first made it in Christ so he confirmed it in our miraculous Redemption wrought by him whereof the deliuerance out of Egypt was a type and figure therefore he requireth that wee should serue him with all that wee haue and none but him and so that we should take him only to be our God And the third Commandement one In the third Commandement there is one reason vsed namely that the Lord will most assuredly and seuerely punish all them that do dishonor his name and therefore we are charged not at any time to empaire his credit but rather most highly to aduance it as the very end wherefore we were first created Yet the second Commandement is more fortified The seconde CommandemeÌ„t hath two and hath as it were a double barre I meane tvvo reasons as against the which the vanitie of our reason and crookednes of our heart hath yet more appeared in so cunningly deuising and willingly embracing so many kinds of false religion neither conceiuing nor liking that true manner of Gods seruice which he hath prescribed in his holie word And therefore as he requireth that neither in an Image nor in any thing els deuised by vs we should serue him but according to his owne wisedome and wil made knowne vnto vs in his written word so he first wil plentifully reward in mercie euen to the thousand generation them that shall in loue thus serue him according to his Commandement and secondarily howsoeuer passing ouer many other sinnes yet as a louing and iealous husband will prosecute to the full the punishment of that spirituall adulterie whereby the hatred vnto God appeareth in that the heart is stolen away from him by a false worship But yet in this fourth Commandement the Lord goeth beyond all that hath been spoken The 4. Commandement hath three and bindeth vs vp with a threefold cord that can hardly be broken For he setteth downe three reasons not onely to commend vnto vs the excellencie and to shew the necessitie of keeping of it but also to giue vs to vnderstand how rebellious and corrupt our nature is here especially As it is indeed for many are not perswaded that there should be any day at all kept others doe not agree vpon the day which it should be some preferre other daies before it or make them equall with it they that are otherwise minded yet are not established in the precise resting and straight ceasing from so many things as God requireth much lesse doe men agree vpon the publike and priuate manner of sanctifying and keeping it holie Therefore the Lord doth not onely command it but also first sheweth vs the equitie of it in that he hath giuen vs sixe daies to be occupied in for our selues and therefore it is good reason that we should rest vpon the seuenth to attend vpon his busines as it were Secondarily we should doe it so much the rather because he hath gone before vs in his owne example who therefore rested vpon the seuenth day when he had created the whole world in sixe that wee thereby might the rather be allured vnto that order which he was purposed to establish namely that wee should rest vpon the 7. day from our owne works as God did from his and so be like vnto our Creator Thirdly and most especially that we should doe thus because God hath bestowed an especiall blessing vpon this day distinct from the rest euen the blessing of sanctification and therefore it is not lawfull for vs to vse it to any other end but to this holie sanctified end for which God in the beginning created it The fourth difference of this commandement from all the rest Last of all whereas all the other Commandements are giuen forth in such manner of words as binde onely our selues Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vaine Thou shalt not steale c. though I grant that more is implyed and they not only binde vs thus to looke to our selues but to so many also as bee committed to our â—â—arge the Lord hauing giuen vs authoritie ouerthem â—â—at we might see them practise all the lawes of both Taâ—â—les so much as lyeth in vs yet I say much is not exâ—ressed in the deliuerie of them but in this Commandement in expresse words God speaketh to vs and chargeth vs with the care not onely of our selues but others â—lso saying Thou and thy son thy daughter thy manseruaÌ„t thy maidseruaÌ„t thy cattell the stranger that is within thy gates Thus we see how many waies this CoÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t is charged vpon vs by the Lord how straightly he requireth it at our haÌ„ds how in the very giuing of it al things are ioyned vnto it by God himself that might commend â—â—t vnto vs with greatest credite and care of obedience It remaineth that wee should see That the Sabbath ought to be continued what are the speciall things contained in it but first of all it is needfull to proue vnto you that the Sabbath ought still to be continued with vs because without this perswasion all doctrine or exhortation tending to the true manner of sanctifying it falleth to the ground and is vnfruitfull First of all therefore it appeareth in the storie of Genesis that it was from the beginning Gen. 2.3 and that the seuenth day was sanctified at the first so soone as it was made in so much that Adam and his posteritie if they had continued in their first righteous estate should haue kept that day holie aboue the rest seeing the Lord sanctified it for their sakes and though it be so indeede that they should haue been occupied in some honest calling and work vpon the sixe daies according as it is sayd to Adam that the Lord put the man into the garden of Eden Gen. 2.16 that he might dresse it and â—eepe it yet notwithstanding vpon the seuenth day they â—hould haue ceased from all wordly labour and giuen â—hemselues to the meditation of Gods glorious workes and haue been occupied in some more immediate parts of his seruice according to the former Commandement And that we might vnderstand indeede that the law of sanctifying the Sabbath is so ancient the Prophet Moses in Genesis doth of purpose vse the same words which the Lord God himselfe doth in pronouncing it as it is set downe in Exodus namely
his fauor more assured of his promises and made more fit to serue him Euen as in the scriptures The seruants of God haue greatly profited in faith obedience by the consideratiō of his creatures we may see many times how the spirit of God sendeth vs to the creatures to bee confirmed by them in the things that are spoken of God in the word and the seruants of God haue by them strengthened their faith in the promises which they had learned out of Gods word before The Prophet Esay chap. 40. propoūding vnto the people most excellent promises whereof they should bee made partakers in the time of the Gospell which hee doth in the former part of the chapter frō the 12. verse he beginneth to confirme them in the certaine trueth of the same by the consideration of Gods omnipotent power whereby hee made all things at the first in such a wonderfull order that thereby they might bee assured that nothing should bee able to hinder him from bringing that to passe which he haid promised to his Church but that they should looke most certainly for it saying Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and waighed the mountaines in a waight and the hils in a ballance So likewise the Prophet Ieremie in his 33. chapter promising mising vnto the church deliuerance out of their trouble doth perswade them of the infallible truth of Gods word herein by setting before their eyes the immutable course of nature in the continuall interchange of the day and night Thus sayth the Lord Iere. 33.20 if you can breake tny couenant of the day and my couenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season 21. then may my couenant bee broken with Dauid my seruant that he should not haue a sonne to raigne vpon his throne and with the Leuits and Priests my ministers 22. As the armie of heauen cannot be numbred neither the sand of the sea measured so will I multiplie the seede of Dauid my seruant and the Leuits that minister vnto me The Psalmes most of all are full of this matter and as it is a booke of practise especially so it is plentifull in these meditations and the treatise would be long if I should but in order reckon vp the principall places there tending to this purpose yet the waightines of the matter will not suffer me to passe ouer them all It is most apparant how Dauid in the 8. Psalme stirreth vp himselfe and all mankinde to praise the Lord for his great liberalitie towards them appearing in this that as he made him at the first Lord and ruler ouer all his creatures in heauen and earth so he hath restored him into the same dignitie by Christ when he had iustly lost it before because of his sinne when he thus beginneth and endeth the Psalme O Lord our gouernour Psal 8.19 how excellent is thy name in all the world And in another Psalme the Prophet complaineth of the greatnes of his affliction and being almost discouraged because the Lord deferred his helpe so long that he might not vtterly sink down vnder the heauie waight of his grieuous tentation Psal 77.10 strengtheneth his faith by remembring Gods former works that he might haue hope of his mercie towards himselfe I remembred the yeares of the rtght hande of the most high 11. I remembred the workes of the Lord certainly I remembred thy wonders of old 12. I did also meditate of all thy workes and did deuise of thine acts So likewise in the 22. Psalme the man of God being in such extremitie that he was almost past all hope beginneth with this heauie complaint Et. 21.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and art so farre from my health and from the voyce of my roring But afterwards commeth to this verse 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliuer them 5. They called vpon thee and were deliuered they trusted in thee and were not confounded And then he sayth vers 10. I was cast vpon thee euen from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers bellie Where we see he getteth hope at the last of being heard and deliuered by the consideration of Gods workes both generally done to his seruants in times past and particularly shewed to himselfe heretofore And there is great reason of this for the Lord is alwaies like himselfe and Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for euer and therefore will doe as he hath done for there is no respect either of persons Psal 25.10 or times with him but all the wayes of God are mercie and trueth not only mercie in the beginning but trueth in the midst and ending For this cause the seruant of God thus praieth in the Psalme 119. Et. 119.132 Looke vpon me and be mercifull vnto me as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy name And vers 149. Heare my voyce according to thy louing kindnes O Lord quicken me according to thy custome In both which places we see how he prayeth to God that he would shewe him that mercie which he was wont to shew to him himselfe others in the like case heretofore so by the former works of God strengtheneth himselfe in prayer Thus wee may easilie vnderstand what profit we might get by the earnest meditation and wise conference about the works of God which are done in great wisedome thereby to confirme vs in the trueth of those things that are written in the word and to draw vs to those dueties that are required of vs in the same and so generally to further vs in all godlinesse and therefore a thing not to bee neglected at any time but most of all to bee practised vpon the Lords day that we might leaue nothing vndone which might make all Gods worship most profitable vnto vs and make vs fitter vnto all other dueties which is the end why the Sabbath was ordained In the 104. Psalme the Prophet speaking of the wonderfull workes of God and the marueilous gouerning preseruing of them beginneth thus Et 104.1 My soule praise thou the Lord and towards the midst breaketh forth into this speech O Lord how manifold are thy workes vers 24. in wisedome hast thou made them all And in the end concludeth with Glorie be to the Lord for euer And 33. I will sing vnto the Lord all my life I will praise my God while I liue Hereby declaring what ought to bee wrought in all men by the reuerent cōsidering of Gods works and that we should not muse or speake of them vnprofitably but with that glorie vnto God and comfort to our selues which he requireth of vs and no doubt many of his children doe But that I might drawe to an ende one word of that which as it is most plaine so it is most comfortable
so I conclude with P. Martyr Of euery seuen daies one must be reserued to God P. Martyr in Gen. 2. he meaneth one whole day not a peece of it Therefore there must needes be certaine other holie dueties and parts of Gods worship which wee must walke in the rest of the day when the congregation is dissolued and when wee are alone by our selues which are the priuate religious exercises of a Christian man in which he sanctifieth the rest of the Sabbath and they are all such parts of Gods seruice which a man can doe by himselfe alone or with others of his houshold or neighbours whereby he might prepare himselfe or them for the publike ministerie which is the chiefest or afterwards make it most profitable to himselfe or them Vnto which it seemeth Master Bucer had respect whē as he speaking of such things as are to be done vpon the Sabbath and hauing named those that are publike Bucer in Matth. 12.11 as to heare the word to receiue the Sacraments to prouide for the poore vnto them addeth In the first part of the day wee ought to prepare our selues for the publike assemblies Instituere ad pietatem familiam to instruct a mans houshold vnto goldines In the former part of the day therefore euery one must prepare himselfe for the Church that hee might come thither with profite for if in all worldly things that bee of any moment we doe prepare our selues then much more ought we to doe it in heauenly whereunto wee are most vnfit as they in themselues are the greatest especially when the benefit of them is so great if we be prepared and the daunger is so perilous if we be vnprepared for the preaching of the word is the sauour of life vnto life 2. Cor. 2.15 or the sauour of death vnto death And in the Sacramēt is offered vnto vs the bodie and bloud of Christ 1. Cor. 11.24 to nourish vs vp vnto euerlasting life but if we eate and drinke vnworthily we procure Gods iudgement against our selues 29 The Lord in speaking to his people from heauen in an extraordinarie manner Exod. 19. did command them to be prepared extraordinarily by which practise of his he declared that in the ordinarie ministerie of the word there ought to bee some ordinarie preparation if wee will bee partakers of it with profite The ground is prepared for the seede the stomacke for meate the whole bodie for phisicke this is the immortall seed 1. Pet. 1.23 whereby we are begotten into an assured hope of a farre better life This is the food and phisick of our soules whereby our life is preserued and we kept from eternall death therefore we must bee prepared for it The want of which preparation is the cause that the word is so vnprofitablie heard of a great many And this is so much the more diligently to be marked because it is so little known lesse practised in the world For if the daye were as long againe as the longest in the middest of Sommer a great many would spend away the time I know not how and neither at home nor in the way nor at the Church thinke to prepare themselues one whitte And if they haue made a few prayers at their first comming in then if seruice bee not begunne they are as ready to talke of any worldly matter with any that will giue them the hearing as euer they were if it were halfe an hower together yea though the minister be there vntil he begin the first word for want of which preparation either they can receiue nothing or it dooth them no good which is the very chiefe cause of so much fruitlesse hearing of so many good sermons as is euery where that they which otherwise haue good wits and great affections here are both senselesse and without feeling so that they sit more be like stockes then men conceiuing no more then the very stooles they sit vpon carrying away no more then they brought with them And if it be not so what is the cause that many reasonable men hearing one man at one time speaking one and the same worde of God so plainly that if it were possible young children might vnderstand it some shal so greatly profit by it Matth. 11.19 that wisedome should be iustified of her children others shall so meerely not conceiue one word as though they had been deaffe a sleepe or in a trance or starke dead all the while And that it is so indeed let the intolerable ignorance of men euery where after this long preaching of the word Vnder the most happie raigne of her gracious Maiestie whome God still long preserue to that ende and ad as many happie yeares vnto he raigne as may be speake for it and see whether wee complaine before wee haue cause Nay let mens owne wofull experience tell themselues that when they haue most prepared themselues they haue most profited by the publicke ministerie and contrariwise then haue they been most vnprofitable at it when they haue come most vnreuerently and vprepared to it In so much that a man of meaner giftes shall some times bee more profitable to them when they are thus prepared then another that hath more excellent graces at whom they may well wonder but receiue no profit by him when they be not propared for it I know the Lord is mercifull and he doth not alwayes deale with men according to their deserts therefore many times when they come vnprepared he blesseth his owne ordinance vnto thē Matth. 28.20 that he might performe the trueth of that promise which hee hath annexed vnto it and his mercie is aboue al our sinnes but how can men looke for any such thing ordinarilie And doth he not it vnto them to teach them that he would bestow vpon thē greater mercie by these meanes if they would prepare themselues for it How wee out to prepare our selues before wee come to the Church But how shall men prepare themselues Surely first of all let them bee perswaded that they ought to prepare themselues and this is the beginning of their preparation then let them examine themselues not onely how they haue spent the weeke past and euery daye in it calling themselues to an account before God what sinnes they haue committed day or night to bee humbled for them what benefites receiued that they might bee thankefull and what dueties they haue done that they might bee comforted therein all which though they bee shortlie spoken they are not so soone done here is not so much neede of a good capacitie to conceiue as a good conscience to practise but also generally what is their estate what graces they want what bee their sinnes past what their infirmities present and because the Lorde hath appoynted his worship to comfort vs ouer these let vs pray vnto God before hand that the prayers of the Church might be directed the Minister of the word so
worke altogether impertinent to that daye he doth iustifie it and sheweth that it is most proper vnto it because it is the day of shewing mercy and therefore if men do nay ought to loose the oxe to the water much more might he loose the daughter of God from her infirmitie of soule and bodie And hee doth not so much dispute what he might do as shew what euery one ought to doe For if it were a breach of the Sabbath to neglect any duty to the other creatures then much more to withdraw our hand from our brethren when they doe stande in neede of our helpe And in the Chapter immediatlie following when hee had healed a man of the dropsie vpon the Sabbath daye he proueth the lawfulnes of the fact by the like reason It came to passe that when Iesus was entered into the house of one of the chiefe Pharisies vpon the Sabbath day to eate bread Luke 14.1 they watched him 2. And behold there was a certaine man before him which had the dropsie 3. Then Iesus answering spake vnto the expounders of the law and Pharisies saying is it lawfull to heale vppon the Sabbath daye 4. And they held their peace Then he tooke him and healed him and let him goe 5. And answered them saying which of you shall haue an oxe or an asse fallen into a pitte and will not straight way pull him out on the Sabbath daye 6. And they could not answer him againe to these things But the time would not serue to stand vpon all the places which shew that this is a peculiar work of the Sabbath to helpe the helpelesse to strengthen the weake succour them that are in necessitie thereby to shew that wee are well perswaded of the loue of our heauenly father when wee are so readie to shew our loue to the rest of his children our brethren I will therefore conclude with that which is set downe by Mathew That Iesus went into a synagogue 10. Matth. 12.10 And beholde there was a man which had his hand dryed vp and they asked him saying Is it lawful to heale vpon the Sabbath day That they might accuse him 11. And he answered them and sayd what man shall there be among you that shall haue a sheepe and if it fall on the Sabbath daye into a pitte will not he take it and lift it out 12. How much more then is a man better then a sheepe Therefore it is lawfull to doe wel on the Sabbath day 13. Then said he to the man stretch forth thy hand and hee stretched it forth and it was made whole as the other In all which places we may note that it is alwaies precisely noted that Christ Iesus did all these mercifull deeds vpon the Sabbath thereby to declare how parte of sanctifying the day consisteth in them and also how the men of this worlde did finde faulte with them which sheweth how farre they are from dooing any such things themselues and that the Lord Christ doth replie vpon them with such reasons as generally concerne all men to the ende that they might knowe that they were not things properlie belonging to himselfe but generally to be followed of all men Vnto this may bee referred the making of peace betweene man and man especiallie that wee should seeke peace our selues and take it when it is offered Whereunto it seemeth the lawes of the Emperours had respect when they commande not onlie that the courtes should be shut vp but also Respirent à controuersijs litigantes Le. finali C. de ferijs Let the parties leaue of all controuersies and haue a time of peace Ad sese simul veniant Let them come one to another let them be sorrie and repent one to another let them make peace and agreement and speake of compounding the matter among themselues And in thus doing they should shew great pitie to others and to themselues whereas otherwise by endlesse suites they many times most cruelly begger one another Therefore in fewe wordes this is the thing that we haue to remember in this place that we ought to be ready to helpe all that bee in need according to our habilitie and their necessitie and by our presence and other helpes to bee as comfortable to them as may bee inlarging the bowels of compassion towards them and putting the same affection vpon vs which is in them euen for the Lordes sake who hath shewed mercie vnto vs and whose creatures they be and so make it the Lord his work Which that we might do so much the rather We ought to visite them that be in miserie it is profitable for vs to goe vnto them which cannot come to vs to looke vpon them which cannot see vs and to heare them speake that many times crie haue none to heare them that the lamentable spectacle of their miserie might mooue our hard hearts to pittie them and in pittie to helpe them so much the more willinglie for though the things that wee heare may touch vs greatlie yet nothing in comparison of that which wee see that is the sense of mouing especially in so much that though we may partlie gesse of our selues what is the great extremitie of others and partlie vnderstand it by the true reporte of them that haue seene it and so bee moued to helpe yet nothing so much as when wee haue been at them our selues and seene the ruines of their houses and the nakednes of their bodies the hardnes of their lodging the thinnesse of their dyet and hard fare when wee haue beheld these with our eyes and touched the colde irons of the prisoners and marked the vneasie stockes that they are locked vnto and the lothsome dungeons that they lye in and haue been eyewitnesses of their extreame torments and grieuous diseases then if our hearts be not as hard as flint and if wee haue not put off all brotherlie kindnes and forgotten that we be men our bowels may begin to yearne vpon them and that which was in vs but a sparckle of loue before shal breake out into a great flame the heate whereof shall comfort them and that one droppe of compassion which was before in vs shall multiplie it selfe into a great riuer the streame whereof shall refresh the heauie heart and dryed soule of our brother M. Bucer speaking of the works of this day amongst other saith Visitare infirmos to visite the sicke Bucer in Matth. 12.11 For as beggers when they would haue men to pitie them lay open their sores because that though things be neuer so great in themselues yet til they bee seen we wil hardly beleeue them therefore we doe the poore wrong manie times in iudging their estate to bee better then it is so therby is shewed what is the nature of all that if we will shew mercy to others so cheerefullie as we should we must visite them in their necessitie and not turne our eyes away from beholding their neede And
the ignorant to admonish the vnruly to bring home them that goe astray to bind vp the broken hearted to strengthen the feeble to encourage theÌ„ that be occupied in well doing and in one worde so to helpe them in the lesse that the chiefe and principall bee not neglected wherein true loue especially doth consist and wherein the Lord is serued of vs most of all And this is that which is spoken of our Sauiour Christ in the place aboue mentioned that hee not onely healed the woman vpon the Sabbath of her bodily disease Luk. 13.16 but deliuered her from the chaynes of the diuell with which she had beene long held For it is euident in the Gospell that besides the infirmitie of her body there was an extraordinary worke of Sathan wherby as she was strangely possessed so it wrought in her many strong passions from all which she being deliuered by Christ Iesus receiued euen in that especialy the most mercy at his hands Therefore among al the works of God we must be persuaded that this is none of the least to shewe mercie vnto the distressed soules of our brethren for this is the mercy of the most mercifull euen Christ Iesus himselfe from whom as we haue receiued many great mercies so none to this that he hath redeemed our soules from eternall destruction and when we were sunke downe into the bottomlesse pit of all misery hee came thither in vnspeakable loue to fetch vs out and reconciled vs to his Father and hath made vs heires of euerlasting life And let vs be so much more mindfull of this duetie by how much the fewest in the worlde doe thinke of it no not they that otherwise are mindfull to shewe mercy in all outward things And thus wee see that none can bee exempted from these dueties for though euery one cannot goe into the houses of the poore neither is it meete that some should because of their personages and calling yet they may make enquirie of them and send vnto them and exhort others to do the like and pray for them and may with their equals haue such profitable conferences that they may shewe great mercy to their soules by drawing them neerer to the kingdome of heauen and drawing them further off from the pit of hell And they that be poore and therfore it may be imagined they can shew no mercy at all for they haue not wherewith must first of all consider Mark 12.43 the poore widowe that gaue but two mytes how it was accepted and that the Lord accepteth of euery one not according to his deedes but according to his good will and secondarily that if they will instruct admonish comfort their brethren and pray for them they shall shewe the greatest mercy vnto them that may bee and doe that worke which is most acceptable vnto God and therefore most peculiar to the Sabbath So then that we might be persuaded of the excellency of this duty aboue all others let vs coâ—sider of that which the spirite of God speaketh of it Iam. 5.19 Brethren if any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him knowe that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes And indeede all our profession is nothing and the shew of religion that we make is vaine except it bring forth these fruites in vs as the same Apostle witnesseth Chap. 1 27. Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widowe in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Not that there is no religion but this but that by these fruits it shall appeare whether our religion be good or no and whether we be profitably occupied therein or no euen when all the publike and priuate exercises of the same doe prepare vs to shew mercy vnto our brethren and make vs more fitte thereunto Therefore whereas wee haue seene in the former part of this treatise that notwithstanding the precise commandement of resting such dueties were permitted as the preseâ—t necessitie of any creature did require now wee doe furâ—her vnderstand that they be by the commandement of God necessarily laid vpon vs that they are in the number of those works of God which that we might wholly doe we are commanded to rest from our owne All superiours ought to be carefull that their inferiours do keepe holy the day as well as themselues Now the Lord would not onely haue vs to keepe holy the Sabbath our selues in all the partes of his worshippe publike and priuate which wee haue seene heretofore but also that euery one shoud in his seueral place and roome carefully take order that so many as bee committed to his charge should sanctifie the daye as well as himselfe which though it be true in all other commandements namely that whatsoeuer we are bound to do our selues we must bee meanes to further other in doing the same because the loue of God and of our neighbours spreadeth it selfe ouer all the commaundements and therefore though it be not expressed it is necessarily vnderstood yet in this commaundement it is so much the more required because besides the analogie and proportion betweene it and the other commandements doth inforce it the very words themselues doe bind vs thereunto For when it is said Thou and thy sonne thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maide though he speaketh by name onely of resting vpon the Sabbath yet because the ende of that is that the day might be sanctified looke howe many reasons we haue seene before binding the inferiours to rest and the superiours to prouide that they doe so indeed so many are there compelling them to sanctifie the day in their own persons and in so manie as belong vnto them Therefore when first of all it is generally sayde in the commandement Remember the Sabbath daye to keepe it holy and afterwards The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is which must bee dedicated vnto his seruice and in the end you must therefore rest that you might serue him in it as hee requireth and then nameth the seuerall parties that should rest his meaning is to declare vnto them the right ende of their resting and so speaking by name to the gouernours saying Thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maid the stranger that is within thy gates to shewe vnto them that it is not sufficient for them to looke that they vnder their gouernement should rest vnlesse they sanctifie the day of rest also which they must be so much carefull of by how much the sanctification of the day is greater theÌ„ the ceasing to worke vpon it as the end whereunto this is but referred and therefore if it bee a sinne in them at any time not to haue a sufficient regard vnto them that they do not worke then
disposed and euery thing in the Church so gouerned and so blessed vnto vs by his spirit as might make not onely for our good in generall and the good of others but in these speciall things that we stand in most neede of 2. There is great cause to pray before we come to the Ministerie of the word And so let vs pray for our selues and others and that we might be holpen by them but especially let vs praye for the Minister of Gods word that to it might bee ioyned the ministerie of his spirit which when we doe the Lorde that heareth our prayers that knoweth our wants will cause vs to heare that which we most of all desired and that which is spoken generally the spirit will applie vnto vs particularlie euen as many eating of one meate receiue sundrie kindes of nourishments from it and he will cause the steward of his house to giue vnto vs that meat which he most of all knoweth wee stand in neede and then we shall heare him speake as though he were in our bosome 1. Cor. 14.22 and the secrets of our hearts shall bee made manifest not that he knoweth what is within vs but the Lord knoweth whose minister he is for our good and the holy Ghost dooth which accompanieth Gods ordinance and in the word doth which is preached Heb. 4.12.13 For the word of God is liuelie and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sworde and entereth thorough euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of he ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open vnto is eyes with whom we haue to doe And that we might the rather be perswaded that wee ought thus in the feeling of our wants praye vnto God wee must remember that wee cannot so much as vnderstand the word vnlesse Gods spirit doe teach vs Ephes 5.8 For wee are darkenes it selfe And the naturall man perceiueth not things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can he know them because they are spirituallie discerned and besides the word of God is high and there are many mysteries contained in it and a wisedome that is hid which many princes of this world doe not know Vers 7.8 as it in the same chapter and all the articles of our faith are aboue our reason nay we account them foolishnes Therefore both in the inward seeing of our own blindnes and in a reuerent estimation of Gods holy word we had neede pray for the inlightening of his holy spirit which searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God Vers 10.11 and no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God as it is most liuely set forth vnto vs in this very chapter And so let vs praye with the Prophet in the 119. Psalme in a great many places O Lord teach me thy statutes and open mine eyes that I might see the wonders of thy law and make me to vnderstand the way of thy precepts and teach mee good iudgement and knowledge and giue me vnderstanding that I may learne thy commandements 16. and deale with thy seruant according to thy mercie and teach me thy statutes And when wee doe vnderstand thorow the blessing of God obtained by prayer we must pray further that our affections might be framed according to our knowledge which we had need to doe so much the more because it is harder then the other and yet our affections doe more ouercome vs then our knowledge in so much that wee doe not many times that we know to be best but which wee like best and so at some other time fo the daye wee must praye that these things might be called into our remēbrance and that we might be transformed into not onely the knowledge but obedience of them which is the end of all and generallie that the fruite of all things might appeare in our liues to our owne vnspeakeable comfort the benefite of others and Gods glorie most of all which without the especiall assistance of his holie spirite wee cannot obtaine by the most excellent giftes and most painefull endeauors of his best seruants 2 Cor. 3.5 For who is Paul and who is Apollo but the ministers by whom yee beleeued and as the Lord gaue to euery man I haue planted Appolos watered but God gaue the increase so then neither is hee that planteth any thing neither hee that watereth but God that giueth the increase saith the Apostle Therefore as the Ministers pray much for his people if euer hee will doe any to them euen as it is said of the prince of pastours Luke 21.37 Marc. 14.23 that in the day time hee taught in the temple and at night went vp into the mountaine to praye so the people must pray much more for the ministers and themselues both before and after both that they might bee prepared obtaine and continue in that good which they haue gotten Many doe wrongfully complaine that their minister is vnprofitable vnto them hee dooth them no good they cannot conceaue him I doe not say but that the complaintes of some are iust yet let them consider whether some great part of the fault be not in themsleues We ought to read the Scriptures priuatly at home namely the want of prayer before and their negligence afterward vnto priuat prayer must be adioyned priuat reading of the Scriptures at such times of the daye as they shall finde it most conuenient both that they might generally bee acquainted with the bodie of the Scripture and also that they might haue some more speciall vse of certaine partes as they shall stand in neede either to bee confirmed in any poynte of doctrine publikely taught or might thereby receiue any speciall comfort humiliation or increase of such graces as they labour most for or might be quickened vp vnto prayer And hereunto may bee referred that saying of Theophylacte Theoph. in Marc. 1.21 The lawe hath commanded men to rest vpon the Sabbath vt lectioni vacent homines that men might attend vpon reading which is true not onely of the publike reading in the Church especially but also of priuate reading at home For so it is that in most places the people doe heare the scriptures seldome in the Church and then but certaine portions of them and not the whole worde reade ouer whereby it commeth to passe that they are vtterlie ignorant in and neuer so much as haue hard before of many textes that are alleaged in the sermons for proofe of any doctrine whereby they are not onely not furthered but hindered wondering at such strange and seldome hard things so the thing is more obscure vnto them thē it was before being proued by that which they vnderstand not Nay the cōmon stories of the bible they are