the Eares of Corne and eate Of the second you haue a Commandement Leuiticus 23. 22. When you reape the Haruest of your Land thou shalt not rid cleane the corners of thy Field when thou reapest neither shalt thou make any after-gathering of thy Haruest but shalt leaue them vnto the poore and to the stranger I am IEHOVAH your GOD. An Example you haue Ruth 2. 8. Then said BOAZ vnto RVTH Hearest thou my Daughter Goe to none other Field to gather neither goe from hence but abide here by my Maydens The contrarie whereof is y Ex. 22. 21 2â— vnmercifulnesse to the Stranger Fatherlesse Widdowes Poore Impotent c. As First In not paying the poore Labourer his wages that speedily Thou z Deut. 24. 14 15. shalt not oppresse the hired poore or needie one of thy Brethren or of the stranger that is in thy Land At his day shalt thou giue him his hyre the Sunne shall not goe downe before he haue it Behold a Iam. 5. 4. the hyre of the Workemen that haue reaped your Fields which is kept away by you cryeth and their cryes are come vp vnto the eares of the Lord of Hosts Secondly In not restoring the pledge of the poore whereof wee haue a Law Exod. 22. 26 27. If thou take to pledge thy Neighbours garment before the Sunne go downe thou shalt restore it to him Thirdly In keeping from them such commodities whereby their life should be sustayned He b Pro. 11. 26. that withdraweth Corne the people will curse him but a blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth his Corne. To forgiue offences Be c Ephes 4. 31. towards one another kinde not onely forgiuing offences full of compassion forgiuing one another as Christ also forgaue vs If d Mat. 6. 14. you forgiue men their offences so also will your heauenly Father forgiue you This is it which wee are taught in the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Thirdly To ouercome euill with good The contrarie but recompencing good for euill is Reuenge whereof Paul e Rom. 12. 19 20 21. saith Reuenge not your selues beloued but giue place to wrath for it is written Mine is vengeance I will repay saith the Lord. If therefore thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst giue him drinke for so doing thou shalt heape coles of fire on his head Be not ouercome of that which is euill but ouercome euill with good Not that by this Doctrine all going to Law is to bee condemned or that we are to find fault with the execution of Murderers and others or with Warre leauied by Princes against Tyrants abroad or Rebels at home No for to these purposes God hath erected the sacred and high estate of ciuill Magistrates as wee haue shewed before in the fift Commandement CHAP. XI Of the seuenth Commandement THE seuenth Commandement requireth Chastitie is of the duties that touch the purity of one person both soule and bodie and that aswell in single life as in the state of Marriage which God hath instituted for a remedie against vncleanenesse that wee bee chaste and pure in soule and bodie f 1. Thes 4. 3 4 5 Possessing our Vessell as the Apostle willeth vs in Holinesse and Honor what estate soeuer wee bee in whether single life or in the estate of holy Marriage I call the lawfull coniunction of a Anabaptists and Nicolaitanes that would haue wiues to be common man and woman into one flesh for out of this estate of Matrimonie there is no honest copulation nor g Mal. 2. 15. seed of God as the Prophet termeth it Holy Marriage I say First for that it is a holy remedie instituted of God for such as otherwise cannot containe to keepe their Vessell in honestie and honour it being h 1 Cor. 7. 9. better to marrie then to burne wherefore for i 1. Cor. 7. 2. auoyding of fornication let euery man haue his Wife and euery woman her husband saith the Apostle Againe k Heb. 13. 4. Marriage is honorable among all or in all things and the Bed vndefiled But Whoremongers and Adulterers God will iudge Secondly Because here especially that rule holdeth which wee are to obserue in all duties whatsoeuer That it be l 1. Cor. 7. 39. in the Lord. All sorts of men may The Papists that restrayne their Priests from Marriage which notwithstanding ridiculously they make a Sacrament indeed lawfully contract Matrimonie neither is there any state or condition of persons exempted from it for as the disease is generall so the remedie belongeth to them all Therefore we are told Marriage m Heb. 13. 4. is honourable among all and the Bed vndefiled For n 1. Cor. 7. 2. auoyding of Fornication let euery man haue his Wife and euery woman her Husband yet I adde in the third place Lawfull coniunction to shew that it must be betweene such persons as by no degree of Consanguinitie or Affinitie are prohibited to contract it which to doe is Incest Those degrees you haue all reckoned Leuit. 18. and are these that follow The o Leuit. 18. Verse 7 8. Sonne to marrie the Mother or the Stepmother The p 9. Brother the Sister of the whole or the halfe bloud whether borne in lawful wedlock or otherwise The q 10. Father his Sonnes Daughter or his Daughters Daughter the Sonne r 11. to marrie the Daughter of his Father borne by his Stepmother One Å¿ 12 13. to marrie his Aunt being his Father or his Mothers Sister or to t 14. marrie his Vncles Wife The Father u 15. to marrie his Sonnes Wife The x 16. Brother to marrie his Brothers Wife A y 17. Man to marrie his Wiues Daughter or his Wiues Sonnes Daughter or his Wiues Daughters Daughter All which degrees are in like sort and by the same analogie and proportion forbidden to the Woman and in the right line either ascending or descending the same prohibition reacheth in a manner infinitely All which Rules are perpetuall not for the Iewes onely confirmed by the Law of Nature for the breach of this common honestie is reckoned z Le. 18. 27 28 amongst those abominations for which the Land of Canaan did vomit vp her Inhabitants In the fourth place I say a man The defenders of Polygamie and a woman because Marriage is betweene two Euery a 1. Cor. 7. 2. man to haue his proper Wife and euery woman her proper Husband Two b Mat. 19. 5. saith our Sauiour shall be one flesh The contrarie whereof is Polygamie that is the hauing of moe Wiues then one at once which howsoeuer it pleased God for a time to tolerate in the Iewes and in the Patriarkes before them for the increase of the World but principally of his Church yet was alwayes a corruption of holy Marriage and vnlawfull without speciall
ISACK where indeed hee did but shew himselfe willing and readie to offer him and u Mat. 5. 6. Christ promiseth that they that hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse shall be satisfied To come to some other notes of Sanctification in the second place many parts of Holinesse are vndoubted signes of it First our intercourse with God by priuate and feruent Prayer of Faith is the most infallible signe of all the rest A singular fruit and testimonie to a mans conscience that hee is regenerate for this is the very marke which the Holy Ghost setteth vpon prophane men They x Psal 53. 5. call not vpon God and the reason is plaine and euident for either Prayer will make men to leaue sinne or sinne will make men to leaue to pray The wicked though they seeme to pray in secret doe it seldome or neuer with companie to fill vp the number and for their credit sake or for some worldly respect they can be content to make one But howsoeuer it bee their Prayers differ farre from the properties of true Prayer that are onely to bee found in Gods Children Which properties and wherein the wicked differ from them may all be gathered out of that most absolute Prayer both for matter and forme which our Sauiour himselfe hath taught vs and are these that follow First The faithfull man is furnished with the y Zach. 1â— â— Spirit of Prayer or Supplication that is an excellent Grace facultie or abilitie wrought in a man by the holy Spirit whereby he is made able willing and readie to pray vnto God for euery want as the present occasion doth require for as the z Rom. 8. 26. Apostle saith Of our selues we know not what to pray Therefore our Sauiour deliuers vnto vs in few wordes all the maine Graces wee can desire and maine wants we any way can stand in need of to aske at the hands of God which may serue for a Store-house continually to put words in our mouth But the carnall man though he can speake and tell a perswasiue Tale for worldly things he is vtterly ignorant how to aske heauenly Secondly That we may pray as we ought the a Rom. 8. 26 27 Spirit helpeth our infirmitie and teacheth vs to pray according vnto God with grones and sighes that cannot bee expressed But this the Worldling is farre from to whom such sighes and gronings of the Spirit are as strange and vnheard of as is the b Iohn 14. 17. Spirit it selfe the Authour of it Thirdly Gods Children in all their necessities addresse themselues to him and seeke for good things at the hands of their heauenly Father through Christ the wicked howsoeuer with c Numb 23. 14 Balaam they may breake forth into wishes and woulds Let my soule dye the death of the Righteous and my latter end be like to him haue neither the face nor the heart to goe to God by humble Prayer as Dauid in the like case did Psal 26. 9. Take not away my soule with sinners nor my life with bloudie men This diuersitie you may finde Psal 4. 7. Many say Who will shew vs good IEHOVAH lift vp vpon vs the light of thy countenance Fourthly The godly prepare themselues to Prayer by d Eccles 4. 13. meditating before-hand of the dutie they are to performe and of the arguments and reasons that may stirre them vp vnto it And so our Sauiour in that Prayer teacheth vs to doe by the vsing of a Preface The wicked neuer make conscience of their Prayers Fiftly True Prayer cannot be without Faith whereby wee apply particularly to our selues the loue of GOD in Christ to call him Our Father for how shall they call on him in whom they doe not beleeue Rom. 10. 14. but this the carnall man hath not Sixtly Gods Children come with boldnesse and confidence vnto him as a Child vnto his Father whereas the carnall man flyeth from him and is afraid of him as of a Iust and Righteous Iudge This difference in the point of Prayer the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. 15. Wee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage to feare any more but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Seuenthly Reuerence is in the true and faithfull Caller vpon of Gods Name e Eccles 5. 1. knowing that God is in Heauen and himselfe vpon Earth the carnall man rusheth without all reuerence into his presence Eightly Our Sauiour requireth of his Zeale and earnestnesse in Prayer that all our affections bee taken vp and wholly bent vpon it which the shortnesse of the Prayer teacheth and the concluding of it with this word Amen and the rather to kindle in vs a feruencie in Prayer he beateth vpon it with many words f Mat. 7. â— Aske Seeke Knocke c. For cold Suiters prooue cold Speeders But such as euen rent the Heauens with their Prayers and pull as it were by violence Gods Graces from him are those that hee delighteth in but this the carnall man is farre from whose minde is alwayes stragling and thinketh vpon his penny his businesse and worldly delights Ninthly In Gods Children there is a greater feruencie of Spirit in praying for the things that concerne Gods glorie then for those that concerne our owne good yea though it be the saluation of our soules and in those that concerne our owne good greater zeale and feruencie for heauenly things then for earthly that are sought but as additaments and appendances to the other all which the very order of petitioning in the Lords Prayer sheweth Contrariwise of these worldly things are altogether or at the least most sought after Tenthly The godly pray to set forth Gods glory as may be seene there The g Iames 4. 3. wicked aske to imploy it vpon their lusts Eleuenthly Gods Children in their prayers remember not themselues onely but the Church their brethren and fellow-members in a fellow-feeling and loue one of another Our Father Our bread Our trespasses Lead vs not Deliuer vs c. The wicked are euery one for himselfe Twelfthly The Elect pray with assurance of obtayning the things wee pray for earthly things with condition so farre as God hath appointed them for our good All other absolutely without condition which assurance is noted in the word Amen signifying that not only so we desire it may be but that so vndoubtedly it is and shall be whereunto wee are induced both by the consideration of the loue of God who is our Father and therefore willing and of his power which is in heauen and therefore able to doe vs good Which two his Goodnesse and his Greatnesse are the two maine pillars and props of our Faith And to this vertue in prayer our Sauiour doth exhort vs Mark 11. 24. All things whatsoeuer yee aske when yee pray beleeue yee shall receiue them and they shall be yours The wicked are as h Iames 1. 6. waues of the Sea tossed about with euery wind doubting and distrusting
and hath obtayned a Name aboue all names a Crowne of Glorie and a Kingdome whereof there shall not bee any end gouerning all things in Heauen and vpon the Earth vanquishing and subduing the proud Enemies and Rebels to his Kingdome and leading captiuitie captiue gathering out of the wicked World a holy Nation a peculiar people euen in respect of their outward calling to the prayse of his glorious Name opening their eyes to behold the vnsearchable riches of himselfe in whom are hidden all the treasures of Wisdome and Vnderstanding filling their hearts with manifold Graces and Blessings of his Spirit separating and choosing out from among them Pastors Teachers and other Officers for the well ordering and guiding of his House which is the Church of the liuing God and not onely reaching forth to manie of them from aboue a comfortable taste of the sweetnesse and excellencie that is in him but vpon such and so many as God the Father through him hath from euerlasting purposed vnto Glorie powring downe that most excellent and precious gift of Faith proper to the Elect whereby he giueth himselfe to be theirs and taketh them to bee his knitteth and vniteth them as members to that Mysticall Bodie whereof himselfe is the Head maketh them in a spirituall and vnspeakeable sort bone of his bone flesh of his flesh and one together with him and so becommeth vnto them that heauenly and supernaturall Bread whereby their soules are fed vnto euerlasting life Good Lord this m Mat. 6. 11. Day and euery n Luke 11. 3. Day giue this our bread vnto vs that we may so come vnto him as we may neuer hunger so beleeue in him as wee may neuer thirst so be regenerate and borne againe by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which liueth and abideth for euer that it may neuer dye within vs but confirmed still in our most holy Faith by the preaching of thy Gospell participation of thy Sacraments Prayer and other holy meanes wee may grow vp thorowly in him which is our Head till wee come to the full age of men growne in Christ by the ioyfull and blessed beholding of him in his Glorie The fift Petition And forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs is for Iustification through the Righteousnesse we haue in Christ forgiuenesse of sinnes which is but one part being put for the whole Pardon and forgiue vs all our sinnes by the death and sufferings of thy Sonne and so remooue both the guilt and punishment away from vs Clothe vs with all his sufficient and most absolute and perfect Holinesse and Obedience that being made the Righteousnesse of God in him we may appeare in thy presence not onely as no sinners but as perfectly iust in thy Sonne hauing that Righteousnesse that is able to abide the rigour of thy sentence so as thou thy selfe iustifying and absoluing none may bee able to accuse And looking vpon vs no otherwise then thou doest vpon thine onely Sonne wee may at the barre of thy Tribunall Seate and in thy most holy Iudgement bee freed from wrath and condemnation and declared worthie of euerlasting life The last Petition hath two branches One to bee deliuered from the euill of sinne the other from the euill of punishment In both the contrarie good is prayed for The Holinesse or Sanctification which wee haue from Christ in the one Blessednesse in the other The first branch And leade vs not into temptation Being now ingraffed into the noble stocke of the Bodie of thy Sonne and iustified through him sanctifie vs also by his Spirit dwelling in vs mortifying and subduing sinne that it beare not the sway in our mortall bodies that neither the Deuill the World nor the flesh or our owne corruption preuaile against vs to make vs to fulfill the lust thereof but goe forward with the worke of our new Birth quickening and renewing vs in our Memorie Iudgements Will Affections and in all the parts and powers of our Soule and Bodie from dead works to serue thee the true the liuing God that euen now in this life whilest here we struggle with those spirituall foes of ours wee may attayne to that measure of perfection which may be pleasing and acceptable in thy Sonne and that after this life ended and all our enemies subdued vnder vs wee may bee taken vp without spot or wrinkle to bee presented as a pure Virgin vnto Christ in the Day of our spirituall Marriage The second branch But deliuer vs from euill Together with the friut of Righteousnesse which is to be sanctified by the Spirit of thy Sonne giue vs also the free reward which thou hast promised to all that are found in him Hale and pull vs as a beast that sticketh in the myre out of the miserable condition whereinto sinne hath plunged vs the curse of the Law Hell Death and Condemnation and from him that hath the power of death that is to say the Deuill So make vs happie and blessed through the communion of the Blessednes which is in thee that euen now in some measure we may haue our part in all and so much as is able to fall into this life where the testimonie and assurance of thy loue and the hauing and inioying in and from thy loue of all the good things of this present life both for necessitie and Christian Delight Maintenance Health Credit Friends Comfort of Wife Children Seruants a Blessing vpon our Labours the fruit of Magistracie and of Gouernment and good order in the World together with the sanctifying of all things euen our very troubles and crosses of this life vnto our good so as thou in thy Mercie hast appointed for vs Peace of conscience and Ioy in the Holy Ghost doe excell and by these degrees as it were by so many steps and stayres make vs to climbe vp to that perfect and eternall Happinesse which is reserued for thy Saints in Heauen when Hell Satan sinne weaknesse shame trodden vnder foot we shall be all spirituall and glorious and raigne as Kings with thee for euermore Wherefore here is set before vs that in estimable benefit we receiue by Christ which comming last crowneth the rest and in the lauding o Reuel 5. 8 9. 10 11 12 13. and magnifying whereof all Eternitie shall bee spent the full and finall Redemption of our soules and bodies vnto the glorious Inheritance purchased for the sonnes of God Whereupon after the Petitions ended followeth Prayse and Thankesgiuing vnto God the Fountaine of all good in these words For thine is the Kingdome the power and the glorie for euer and euer that is to say all absolute and perfect Blessednesse both for thy might and Soueraigntie of commanding all things being all thy creatures and the worke of thy hands and for the power of effecting whatsoeuer thou wilt and doest command and lastly in regard of the infinite Graces that shine so gloriously in thy person and which thou