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A11818 The Christians daily walke in holy securitie and peace Being an answer to these questions, 1. How a man may doe each present dayes worke, with Christian chearefulnesse? 2. How to beare each present dayes crosse with Christian patience? Containing familiar directions; shewing 1. How to walke with God in the whole course of a mans life. 2. How to be upright in the said walking. 3. How to liue without taking care or thought any thing. 4. How to get and keepe true peace with God; wherein are manifold helpes to prevent and remove damnable presumption: also to quiet and to ease distressed consciences. First intended for private use; now (through importunity) published for the common good. By Henry Scudder, preacher of the word. Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Davenport, John, 1597-1670. 1631 (1631) STC 22117; ESTC S106698 278,031 844

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their Covenant with God Now unlesse wee doe joyne the inward with the outward we may fast but the Lord seeth it not wee may afflict our selves but hee taketh no notice wee may cry and boule but cannot make our voyce be heard on high But when God seeth the workes of them that fast that they turne from their evill way yea that they strive to turn and seek him with all their heart then hee will turne to them his bowels of compassion doth yerne towards them and I will have mercy on them saith the Lord. After the time of the Fast is ended eat and drinke but moderately For if you then shall glut your selfe it will put your body and soule much out of order Secondly your Fast being ended hold the strength which you not that day as much as you can keepe your interest and holy acquaintance which you have gotten with God and with the holy exercises of Religion Though you have givē over the exercises ●● the day yet unloose not the ●ent of your care and affections against sinne and for God It is a corruption of our nature and it ●● a policie of Satan to helpe it forward that like some unwise ●arriours when they have got the day of their enemies wee ●ow full of presumption and severity by which the enemy taketh advantage to recollect his forces and comming upon us ●● looked for giveth us the fosse not the overthrow we are too apt after a day of humiliation to fall into a kinde of remissenesse as if then we had gotten the mastry whereas if Satan fly from us if sinne be weakned in us it is but for a season and but in part and especially if we stand not upon our watch Satan will take occasion to returne and sin will revive in us I 〈…〉 few Cautions ●ou●… excellent but neglected duty ●● Fasting 〈…〉 body although it must be 〈…〉 downe yet it must not bu● destroyed with Fasting It mus● not be so weakened as to be disabled to performe the workes 〈…〉 your ordinary Calling In private Fasts you must 〈…〉 be open but as private as conveniently you may ●ever not the inward from 〈…〉 outward Thinke not to merit by yo●… Fasting a● Papists doe Presume not that presently up on the worke done God must grant your asking as Hypocrites doe that say to him we have fasted and thou dost not regard it You may and must expect a gracious hearing upon your unfained humiliation but as for when and how you must wait patiently faith secureth you of good successe but neither prescribeth unto God how nor yet doth it make hast but waiteth his leisure when in his wisedome hee shall judge it most seasonable CHAP. VI. Of the Sabbath IF it bee the Sabbath or Lords day you must remember to keep it holy according to the Commandement For this cause First put a difference betweene this and the other six dayes even as you put difference betweene the bread and wine in the Sacrament and that which is for common use And that because it is set apart for holy use by divine institution For as the Seventh day from the beginning of the Creation untill the day of Christs blessed Resurrection so our Lords Day which is the day of the Resurrection i● morall and by divine institution The Commandement to keepe an holy rest upon the Seventh day after six worke dayes which is the ●…stance of the fourth Commandement rem●●neth the same And Adam ●o doubt by the instinct of incorrupted nature which yeeldeth● time for Gods honour and ●o lemne worship he knowing tha● God finished the Creation in six da●es and rested on the seventh might by discourse of his reason have judged one day in seven the fittest time to bee dedicated to his service But certaine hee could not bee either that God would have one day in Seven or which of those dayes he would have set apart for rest and for holy use Wherefore it pleased the Lord of the Sabbath by a positive institution to determine that the Sabbath should bee one day in Seven and that from the beginning of the world unto the Resurrection of Christ it should be the Seventh from the Creation but as it shall appeare by the change of the day under the Gospell after the Resurrection hee appointed it to be kept the Seventh from thence by vertue whereof wee now keepe the Lords day a holy Sabbath to the Lord So that to keepe a day holy to the Lord and to keepe that day which the Lord should appoint is absolutely morall as all the other Commandements are according to the light and Law of nature And in particular the keeping the Seventh from the Creation till the Resurrection and the Seventh from the Resurrection ever since to the end of the world was to them and is to us a morall duty immediately binding the conscience and is no way alterable by man because it is set apart by Diuine institution That there was such an Institution I shall evidently prove For the Sabbath was sanctified by God and was to be observed by his people from the beginning of the world when there was no distinction of Iew and Gentile untill the writing of the morall Law I know some deny this but without good ground For wee haue reason to thinke that ever since the Creation Time hath beene divided by weeks whereof the seventh day is the boundary as well as by Moneths and Yeares And this reason of the Commandement He blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it importing the prime institution did concerne Adam and all before the Law as well as since This was a received opinion amongst the ancient Iewes that this Feast did belong to all Nations from the beginning of the world And the Fathers observed it before Moses And though there be no mention of the Saints observing of it before Israels going out of Aegypt yet where there is an Institution there it must in charitie be presupposed that it was observed of the godly except the Scripture deny it which it doth not but doth imply the contrary For the Sabbath day is spoken of before the re-delivering of it in the Mount as of a solemne day ordained before and wel known to the Iewes Tomorrow saith Moses is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. And againe he saith The seventh day which is the Sabbath Moreover the Apostle doth intimate that the rest of the Sabbath was kept from the beginning of the world This be said of the Sabbath before the pronouncing and writing of the Law And when it was written God wrote and placed it in the heart of the ten Commandements as that which by the holy exercise thereof and keeping it holy should give life to the keeping of all the rest The reasons of the fourth Commandement doe as well urge the observing of it to all men at
courteous behaviour requiting evil with good comforting the afflicted releeving the needy peace-making and by doing all other offices of love which might tend to my neighbours safetie or comfort Or have I not wished my selfe dead or neglected the meanes of my health Have I not impeached it by surfeits by excessive labour or sports by fretting and over-grieving or by any other meanes And have I not had thoughts of doing my selfe harme Have I not beene angry unadvisedly malicious and revengefull shewing surly gesture and behaviour as sowre lookes shaking the head or hand gnashing the teeth stamping staring mocking railing cursing quarrelling smiting poisoning hurting or taking away the life of man any way without Gods allowance Have I not been a sower of discord or some way or other been an occasion of the discomfort if not of the death of others The seventh Commandement concerneth Chastitie whereby God provideth for a pure propagation and conservation of mankinde forbidding all bodily pollution under the name of Adultery Have I beene modest sober shamefast possessing my body in chastitie shutting mine eyes and stopping mine eares and restraining my other senses from al objects and occasions of lust bridling my tongue from lustful motions and lascivious speeches forbearing all manner of daliance and wantonnes abstaining from selfe-pollution fornication or any other naturall or unnaturall defilement of my body either in deede or desire And being married was I wise in my choise and haue I kept the marriage-bed undefiled through a sanctified sober and seasonable use thereof Or Am I not guilty of manifold acts of uncleannesse at least of vncleane thoughts immodest eyes eares touches embraces of wanton speeches gesture apparrell and behaviour Have I not run into the manifold occasions of adultery uncleannes as by idlenes gluttony drunkennes choise of such meats drinkes perfumes or any other thing that will provoke lust effeminate dancing frequēting wanton company or places of uncleane provocations and of unseasonable conversing with the other sex alone The eight Commandement concerneth the preseruation of mans Goods the meanes of his comfortable maintenance in this life forbidding all wrong thereabout under the name of stealing Have I a good Title to the things which I possesse as by lawfull inheritance gift reward cōtract or any other way which God alloweth Have I beene industrious and faithful in my Calling frugall provident Have I done that for which I have receiued pay or maintenance from others and have I given to every man his owne whether tribute wages debts or any other dues Or have I not got my living by an unlawfull Calling or have I not impoverished my selfe and mine by idlenesse luxurious and unnecessary expences by gaming unadvised suretiship or otherwise Have I not with-held from my selfe or others through niggardice that which should have beene expended Have I not gotten or kept my neighbours goods by fraud oppression falshood or by force and made no restitution Have I not some way or other impaired my neighbours estate The ninth Commandement concerneth Truth of speech the meanes of entercourse betweene man and man and of preserving mens rights and of redressing of all disorder in humane societie forbidding all falshood of speech under the name of bearing false witnesse Have I at all times in all things spoken the truth from my heart giving testimony in publike or private by word or writing of things concerning mine owne or neighbours Name and credit life chastitie goods or in any other thing that hath beene matter of speech betweene me or others whether in affirming denying with oath or without oath or in bare reports or in promises or any other way Or am I not guiltie of telling lies jestingly officiously or perniciously Have I not raysed spread or received false reports of my neigbour Have I not spoken falsly in buying and selling also in commending by word or writing of unworthy persons and in dispraysing the good in boasting of my selfe or flattering of others Have I not given false evidence used equivocations or concealed the truth which I should have spoken or perverted it when I did speake it The tenth Commandement concerneth Contentation with a mans owne condition the foundation of all order and iustice amongst men forbidding the contrary namely Coveting that which is not his Am I contented with mine owne ●ōdition as with my place which ● hold in Family Church or ●ommon-wealth with mine ●wne yoke-fellow and estate Can I reioyce in it and also that ●t should bee well with others ●ay better than it is with my ●elfe Or have I not beene full of dis●ontent with my condition cove●ing after some thing or other which was my neighbours at ●ast by actuall concupiscence in multitude of evill thoughts ari●ing from the law of my mem●ers though my deliberate will ●ath gone against them Thus having by the Law found out your sinnes you must araigne and accuse your selfe as it were at the barre of Gods Tribunall representing your sinnes to your minde as they are in their hainousnesse and mischievousnesse according to their severall aggravations First consider sinne in it's nature it is a morall evill an anomy and irregularity in the soule and actions an enmitie to God the chiefe good It is the worst evill worse than the Devill and Satan he had not beene a Devill but for doing evill worse than Hell which as it is a torment is caused by Sinne but is onely contrary to the good of the Creature whereas sinne it selfe is contrary to the good of the Creator It is such a distēper of the soule that the Scripture calleth it wickednes of folly even foolishnes of madnesse Secondly consider from whence sinne in man had his originall even from the Devill who is the father of it It came and commeth from Hell therefore is earthly sensuall divelish Whensoever you sinne you doe the lusts of the Devill Thirdly consider the nature of the Law whereof sinne is a transgression A Law most perfect most holy equall and good which would have given eternall life to the doers of it had it not beene for this cursed Sinne. Fourthly consider the person against whom sinne is committed whom it highly offendeth and provoketh It is God to whom you owe your selfe and all that you have who made and doth preserve you and yours who albeit you have sinned desireth not your death nor afflicteth you willingly but had rather that you should humble your selfe Repent and live who that you might be saved gave his onely begotten sonne to death to ransome you who by us his Ministers maketh knowne his Word and good will towards you making Proclamation that if you will repent and beleeve you shall be saved yea by us he intreateth you to bee reconciled to him It is that GOD who is rich in goodnes forbearance and long-suffering waiting when you will turne that you may live who on the other side if you despise this his
all times as to the Iewes It was also reserved in the Arke with the other ten and is one of the Commandements mentioned in the new Testament as parcell of the Royall Law of which S. Iames saith Whosoever shall offend in one point hee is guiltie of all he meanes the ten Commandements hee understands the fourth Commandement for one else he would not say all Wherefore albeit there are some things that have particular reference to the Iewes in the written Law as the reason taken from bringing them out of the Land of Aegypt which concerneth us onely by Analogie and albeit the circumstance of time in respect of which day of the Seven was alterable but by the Lord of the Sabbath removing it from the seventh of the Creation to the day of Christs Resurrection yet there is not any of those tenne Commandements which is not morall and of morall equitie But some object The observing of the weekly Sabbath was a signe betweene God and the Iewes that they might know that the LORD did sanctifie them therfore was abrogated by Christ with other Ceremonies Answ I ●●●gh every Ceremony determinable in Christ was a signe yet every signe was not a ceremony to end at Christs death All signes and types of justification by Christ to come were nailed on the Crosse with him but signes of the worlds preservation also declarative and probative signes and arguments of sanctification together with the type of rest and glorie did not end at Christs death there being as much use of them to us now as was to any other before Obiect They object farther All Sabbath daies are abrogated by expresse termes Col. 2. 16. Answ Hee speaketh there of none but Leviticall Sabbaths for marke it he saith they were shadows of such things to come whereof Christ was the body verse 17. But the weekely Sabbath had no more shadow or reference to Christ than any other of the ten Commandements Obiect They yet object No man must esteeme one day above another for conscience sake Rom. 14. 5. Answ No such thing can be concluded thence For the Apostle warning both strong and weake Christians not to offend nor bee offended one with another would have each doe as they should be fully perswaded in their owne minde and not judge or despise each other but in what things in every thing no but onely in things in their owne nature indifferent or for the time tolerable be instancing in mea●s and dayes But I deny the fourth Commandement ever to have beene of the number of indifferent things If yet they say If the fourth Commandement be moral why doe you not keep the day which the Iewes did I answer Keeping holy a Sabbath or the Sabbath is absolutely morall and the principall intention of the fourth Commandement but the keeping it upon that day which is intimated in the Commandement or the keeping of this day practised now by us became a morall duty that to them this to us because by a Divine positive institution God had appointed that day to bee observed by them and since that he hath appointed this to bee observed by us Now sith that the Lord of the Sabbath hath ordained another day in so doing he hath caused though not an abolishing yet some change of the Law which hath caused the former to cease and bindeth us in conscience to observe this That it was the will of our Lord and Saviour Christ that we should since his Resurrection keepe for our Sabbath that first day of the weeke on which he arose it may easily appeare to any whose judgements are not corrupted with prophanenesse of heart or are not clouded with selfe-conceit and prejudice For in that he arose on that day and appeared divers times on this our Lords day to his Disciples before his Ascension and did on this day being the day of Pentecost fill his Disciples with the gifts of the holy Ghost they being assembled together this giveth a preeminence to this day and a probabilitie to the point The Apostles who followed Christ and delivered nothing but what they received from Christ and whose determinations were infallible did observe this Day as a Sabbath The Apostle Paul staying seven daies at Troas might haue chosen any of the other dayes for the people to assemble to heare the Word and receive the Sacrament but they assembled to receive the Sacrament and to heare the Word upon the first day of the weeke which is our Lords day Moreover the keeping holy of the Lords day hath constantly and universally from the Apostles downeward to vs beene observed amongst Christians in all places and in all ages Now the approved practice of the Apostles and of the Church with them recorded in Scripture carrieth with it the force of a precept and argueth divine institution Moreover the Spirit of GOD honoureth this day with the Title of Lords Day as he doth the Communion with the Title of the Supper of the Lord What doth this argue but as they both have reference to Christ so they are both appointed by Christ The Spirit of Christ knew the minde of Christ who thus named this day Secondly being cōvinced of the holines of this day the better to keepe it holy when it commeth you must on the weeke dayes before the Sabbath or Lords 〈…〉 remember it to the end that none of your worldly businesse be left undone or put off till then especially upon Saturday you must prepare for it Then you must put an end to the workes of your Calling doe whatsoever may be wel done before-hand to prevent bodily labour even in your necessary actions that when the day cōmeth you may have lesse occasion of worldly thoughts lesse incumbrance and distractions and may be more free both in body and minde for spirituall exercises Thirdly you your selfe and as much as in you lyeth all under your authority must rest upon this day even in earing time and in haruest the space of the whole day of foure twenty houres from all manner of workes except those which have true reference to the present dayes works of pietie mercy and true ●…ssity not doing your owne waies not ●●nding your owne pleasures nor speaking your owne words Obiect If you obiect that some understand this place of the day of Atonement and yeerely fast spoken of in the beginning of the Chapter Answ Many Interpreters understād it of the weekly Sabbath yet suppose it should be understood of the Sabbath of Atonement I urging it onely to prove the externall rest it serveth for my purpose for these two differed not in their externall rest except that in the day of Atonement they abstained from meat and drinke untill even Vpon all other Gods Sabbaths and holy feasts the children of Israel were forbidden not all worke but onely servile worke But neither on the weekly Sabbath nor on the day of Atonement might any manner