them p. 35. Wherefore is Nathaneel called an Israelite or child of Israel rather then the child of Jacob Joh. 1.47 p. 36. God never works a Miracle to witness or prove that which a man may know naturally But why then did he cause so many miracles to intervene at the publication of the Law seeing it is naturally known to men p. 38. The I. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt have no other gods c. A consideration of the times wherein Athisme and Superstition have generally reigned p. 41. By the Example of the Pharisees and Sadduces is shewed that God rather pardons the superstitious then the profane p. 42. The true Religion the easiest The folly of the Pagans affecting plurality of Gods p. 43. A consideration upon the worship of Angels p. 44. Touching a kinde of Idolatry very subtil and usual p. 45. Wherefore is it that a man that hath false gods leaves them not so easily as another forsaketh the true p. 47. The II. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image c. Who is more wicked he that adds to the Ordinances of God or he that detracts from them p. 49. Of the nature of painting that represents the History of the Bible p. 51. None ever made any image of God except God himself p. 52. VVhy was it that God who often appeared in a visible shape would not manifest himself after this manner when he published the Law p. 53. If we had the true pourtrait and very resemblance of our Saviour Christ taken from his own body what account ought we to make of it p. 55. A notable difference betwixt one of the figures which represented Christ and those that represented the Angels And a consideration upon the matter p. 56. VVhence is it that in the Apocalyps Iesus Christ being man is decypher'd only in parabolical Figures rather then in the natural form of his own body p. 57. VVhat 's the reason that amongst all the wonders that God hath wrought he never made an Image to speak p. 58. Two sorts of sinners at which God mocks p. 59. The admirable proportion that God holds in the despensation of his judgments p. 60. Of whom are descended those Nations that go naked p. 66. The number of Generations named in the Promise p. 67. Strange Examples of divers Subjects in which God hath manifested both his Mercy and Iustice p. 69. Why did God sometimes take such particular care of the Patriarchs and their children even of these that were wicked and at this day he makes no such addresses as he did then to them p. 71. Why God spent but six daies in Creating the World and empleyed seven to overthrow the walls of Jerico p. 73. The II. COMNANDMENT Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord c. Why God pronounceth the same word twice to the same purpose against idle oathes p. 75. Although in some things God hath dispensed with his law yet he hath never dispensed with faith also of the stability of Gods oathes p. 79. The IV. COMMANDMENT Remember the Sabbath day c. Why God never wrought any miracle on the Sabbath day before the coming of Christ p. 81. Seven Sabbath daies which Christ honored by his miracles p. 84. In what things our Saviour is to be immitated p. 86. Whence it is that in the History of the New Testament we do not read that ever the Sadduces appeared on the Sabbath day p. 87. Why the Law useth such an excellent subject viz. God's Rest as a reason for the beasts to rest p. 90. Why none of the dead have been raised on the Sabbath day p. 92. The V. COMMANDMENT Honour thy Father and Mother c. Whence comes it as they say commonly That Love and Affection useth to descend Difference between Faith Charity The words of Mal. 4.5 discussed p. 97. Why the Law expresseth the Childrens duty to Parents by the word Honour rather then by the word Love p. 99. Wherefore the Law commanded Children to fear those that brought them into the world namely the Mother before the Father p. 100. The Promise annexed to the fift Commandment Examples of that proportion which is found sometimes between good works and the recompence which they receive in this life p. 102. Why fifteen years were added to the life of Ezechias p. 104. The age of the Israelites when they passed out of the Wilderness into the Land of Promise p. 107. The measure and proportion of mans life from time to time since the first ages p. 109. None of the Kings of Juda exceeded the age of seventy years p. 111. Difference between the faithful of the Old Testament and those of the New concerning their desire of long life another difference about the reckoning of the yeas of their life p. 112. Three causes why men are loath to leave this life represented in him who died first p. 113. A moral observation upon the daies of Lazarus raised from the dead p. 114. The VI. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not kill Why God in his titles doeth rather call Himself our Buckler then our Sword p. 116. Since Moses there have been but three men who received power to kill any miraculously and the same who have miraculously inflicted death on the living have also given life to the dead Reasons of the one and the other p. 117. The plot of the Priests in consulting to put Lazarus to death John 12.10 p. 119. A question If the punishment of a criminal being interrupted by some extraordinary accident intervening after the execution is begun is it just to discharge him of the punishment to which he was condemmed p. 120. An allusion in the Apostles words who ordains that the Sun go not down upon our anger Ephes 4.26 p. 122. The VII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not commit Adultery Why God though he approves not Poligamy nor unlawful divorces which were freequent in the old Testament yet never forbad them but by the last of all the Prophets p. 124. VVhy men are more subject to be ashamed in the Act of any sin rather then in that of pride and why more in Luxury then in any other sin p. 127. What may be inferred upon this that the Holy Ghost describing under divers similitudes the spiritual beauty of the Church makes no mention of painting p. 128. A moral observation upon Sampson's loosing of his strength and sight and how he recovered the one but not the other p. 129. The VIII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not steal Why Christ used the example of theeves to induce us to search for the Kingdom of Heaven p. 132. An observation upon this that among Christ's Disciples there is but one noted for avarice but all are taxed for ambition p. 135. To one man onely God by divine means did shew the way to become rich p. 136. A conjecture upon the Jewish opinion touching the just price of things vendible p. 138. A Question if he that hath made restitution of the goods unjustly detained as
miracles If Moses or Eliah or any of the Prophets had done any miracle upon the Sabbath the Pharisees had not so boldly condemned the Son of God for violating the Sabbath seeing he wrought miracles on that day and he had not failed in this point to have produced examples if there had been any but he indeed was the first that ever did any miracle on the Sabbath This then that seemed to serve as a pretext for their reproof of Christ was rather a means to oblige them to admire him so much the more for this was an extraordinary miracle and a marke of dignity far surpassing that of all the Prophets by making that to be seen which none of them ever did viz. To produce miracles on the Sabbath day In a word this was one of the prerogatives which God had reserved for his Son and one of the works by which God would have it known that he was Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12.8 To this I will add the ensuing observation Seven Sabbath daies which Christ honored by his miracles I will not speak of that which is known to all namely that without reckoning the Sabbath of every seventh day there were besides seven daies yearly in divers seasons on which all servile work was forbid by the Law these were the first and last of the feast of unleavened bread that of the first fruits that of the feast of Trumpets the first and eighth of the feast of Tabernacles and that of Expiation all these universary daies are mentioned in the 23. chapters of Leviticus we know also that in the feasts of Easter and Pentecost there were seven daies of rest But as the actions and sufferings of Christ are the perfection of all those things which are contained in the Old Testament this seems to me worthy of admiration that among the Sabbath daies which our Saviour honoured whilest he conversed in this world the History of the Gospel hath marked out seven which Christ made famous by miracles I will set them down according to the order of time in which they fell out The first of these seven daies of Sabbath was sanctified by the cure of a Demoniac of St. Peter's mother in law and of some other infirm persons Mat. 1.21 Luke 4.31 The second by a wonderful cure of the Paralitic who had been diseased thirty eight years Joh. 5. The third by the healing of him who had a whithered hand Luke 6.6 The fourth by the curing of divers sick persons notwithstanding the incredulity of the Galileans Mark 6.1 The sift by an unheard of miracle til then a man born blind who received his sight John 9. The sixth by another strange miracle of a woman that was bowed downward eighteen years and cured of this infirmity Luke 13.10 The seventh by the cure of an Hydropic Luke 14.1 So in Christ we have the accomplishment of the Sabbath sanctified by those actions which before were never seen upon that day In what things our Saviour is to be immitated God doth binde us to the observation of the Sabbath by his own example because he rested himself on that day but must we immitate God in all his actions there be vertues in him which we cannot immitate without sin or madness to immitate his power were not a vertue but an insufferable pride as that of Salmonius or the King of Tyre Ezek. 28.2 They that endeavour to fast forty daies after the example of the Son of God ought to consider that this fast was one of the effects of his power which we ought to admire for we cannot imitate it and here let us observe that among all the perfections in God there is not any one of them proposed for our imitation but his goodness he never commanded us to follow his example but in this one vertue Be ye holy as I am holy Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Be perfect to wit in goodness as your Father is perfect Lev. 11. Luke 6. Matth. 5. and 6. So the sanctification of the Sabbath consisteth chiefly in the action of goodness and holiness Whence it is that in the History of the New Testament we do not read that ever the Sadduces appeared on the Sabbath day There is nothing more frequent in the Gospel then the proceedings of the Pharisees chiefly on the Sabbath daies for on that day they are seen in the Temple in the Synagogues even in the fields Mat. 12.1.2 on that day they are heard to censure the works of the Son of God Iohn 9.14.15 Luke 6.7 On that day they visited and feasted each other Luke 14.1 c. But for the Sadduces that other famous sect the sacred History makes no mention of them when it speaks of any thing that past on the Sabbath day it relates what they spoke or did in many occurrences upon divers daies but it never speaks of any appearance they made that day so that although sometimes the Pharisees and Sadduces have been found together in the same place yet this was never on the Sabbath for we do not read that upon this day they ever met nor that then the Sadduces disputed with Christ or censured â—is actions or that they came iâ—to the fields to calumniate them as iâ—compatible with the Sabbath which the Pharisees were wont to do and which is strange in the whole History of the Gospel we do not â—â—nde that the Sadduces were ever â—ounâ— in the Temple or Synâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Now to know the reason hereof we must presuppose that wâ—â—â—â— some have gathered out of the Rabbins that the Sadduces held among other of their errors this that it was not lawful to go out of their houses on the Sabbath day into any place whatsoever this opinion was grounded on a false exposition of that passage in the Law which ordained that none should go out of his house on the seventh day Exod. 16.29 The Sadduces inferred upon this that if any did but step out from the door of his house on that day he broke the Sabbath The Pharisees on the other side proved that upon the 7th day they were bound to repair to the Temple and Synagogues because God commanded that on the Sabbath day the people should assemble together Levit. 23.3 Yet notwithstanding the Sadduces upon that day would not go out of their houses whence it is that in all the sacred Story we do not finde that ever they shewed themselves on the Sabbath day In brief under pretence of observing punctually the Sabbath they profaned it impudently in an irreligious idleness and impious Hypocrisie Why the Law useth such an excellent subject viz. God's Rest as a reason for the beasts to rest The same reason why God will have man to rest on the seventh day obligeth him to suffer his ox and his asse and all his cattle to rest then viz. because upon that day God rested but why will Almighty God bring his own example as a reason for the rest of beasts a subject so mean
Indeed humanity may induce us to give rest to the poor beasts that travel for us but doeth this base subject of the beasts rest deserve so noble and excellent a reason as the rest of God himself We must observe here one threed of the Lawgivers wisdom The Law of God contains many points which would be contemptible because of their meanness if there were not some provision against this now to prevent this slighting of them God hath authorised them by the highest reasons that can be by the severest comminations against those that infringe them and by the richest promises to those that observe them this is the reason why such grievous punishments are set down against him that shall taste leavened bread within the seven daies of Easter this is the reason why that he who findes a birds nest must content himself with the young ones and let the dam fly away hath the promise of length of daies which is the same that is annexed to one of the great Commandments of the Law for those who honour their Father and Mother Deut. 22.6 7. This is the reason why God forbids the eating of the flesh of creeping things and backs this prohibition with a reason taken from his own example Be you 〈…〉 holy because I am holy Lev. 〈…〉 This is also the cause why â—e inteâ—poseth his own example in commanding the rest of beasts for this ordinance being made in the favor of so mean a subject is the more considerable in that it is annexed to such an high and excellent matter to wit the rest that God took after the Creation Why none of the dead have been raised on the Sabbath day In my observations on the Creed upon the Articles of Christs Resurrection I promised to handle this question I must first then verifie the Hypothesis I say that on the Sabbath day our Saviour cured many diseases but never upon that day raised any that were dead neither in the Old nor New Testament do we read of any such resuscitation upon that day Not the Sunaimtes son that was raised by Elisha for the History saith expresly that it was not the Sabbath day and the journey of Elisha and Gehazi which they made to raise the dead child was against the rest of this day 2 Kings 4.23 c. neither he who was laid in the grave of the same Prophet nor the sons of the Widow of Nain which were carrying to be buried for they raised them there when they went to inter them now the sanctity of the Sabbath debarred them from burying on that day 2 Kings 13.21 Luke 7.15 Not Lazarus of Bethany for when he was raised many Jews were come to his grave which the holiness of the Sabbath would not have permitted Those pious women who had prepared spices to embalm our Saviour's body being prevented by the Sabbath rested all that day and went not to the Sepulchre till the next morning which was the 3rd day after his death not that those were raised with Christ and appeared in the holy City for these miracles fell not out till the day after the Sabbath not the daughter of Iairus nor Tabitha for then they were raised when their Friends were performing their Funeral Ceremonies for them Now these actions such as are the burying of their dead the washing and embalming of them yea the entring into an house where a dead corps lay all these were prohibited on the Sabbath as being incompatible with its sanctity Matth. 92.3 c. Acts 9.37 Not the Widow of Sarepta's son whose resurrection is mentioned without naming the day which had not been omitted if it had been on the Sabbath not Eutychus who was raised by St. Paul for this was on the first day of the week the Sabbath being already past and here it is remarkable that this young man the last of those that were raised recovered life the same day that Christ returned from the dead viz. on the Sunday Now why God never raised any on the Sabbath day two reasons may be given The first is because Christ himself who is the first born among the dead and the chief of those that were raised was not resuscitated on the Sabbath but he suffered this day to pass before he would come out of his grave besides as I observed on the Creed Christ was not raised on the Sabbath to shew the union between him and others that were raised of all which none received life this day The other reason may be this viz. This life is a time of travel and the Sabbath was the time of rest the wisdom of God would not that on the day which was ordained for the repose and rest of the living the dead should be taken from their ease and called back again to travel The V. COMMANDMENT Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. Whence comes it as they say commonly That Love and Affection useth to descend Difference between Faith Charity The words of Mal. 4.5 discussed VVE know why God the Law-giver hath ordained the duties of Children towards their Fathers but hath not expressed the duty of Fathers towards their Children the reason is because the affections of Parents towards their Children is naturally greater and needs fewer incitements then that of Children towards their Parents this is the meaning of that common saying that the Parents affection descends towards the Children but the love of Children towards their Parents doth not so easily ascend Now we demand how comes it that love rather descends then ascends The reason is because Love had its beginning in Heaven God is the first that loved I say Love had its original in Heaven and came down into the Earth and in this it differs from Faith which had its beginning on Earth and terminates in Heaven By a secret instinct and natural affection which is found in paternity imitates that of God which is Father of all and who loved us before we loved him as in affection the Father prevents the Child so the Love of God towards us doth infinitely surpass that which we bear towards him The Prophet in that passage which I quoted speaking of the reuniting of disagreeing Families saith That the heart of the Fathers shall be converted towards their Children and the heart of the Children towards their Fathers In the order of these words the conversion of the Father towards the Child proceeds the conversion of the Child towards the Father for we must presuppose that as the Paternal affection is the first and strongest so the heart of the Father is more easily reconciled and sooner appeased then that of the Child Why the Law expresseth the Childrens duty to Parents by the word Honour rather then by the word Love Surely the Honour which is commanded to be rendred to them doeth not exclude the Love which is due to them But whereas unreasonable Creatures Love their little ones and are beloved of them The Lawgiver wills that this natural affection which ought
we add the twenty years of their life when God uttered this sentence to the thirty eight years of their wandring in the desart it will appear that all those who entred the Land of Canaan under the conduct of Caleb and Iosua were under sixty yeers so that there was none who was decrepit with age The measure and proportion of mans life from time to time since the first ages There are six degrees by which the life of man hath been altered since our first Parents First before the Flood the number of mans years was at most nine hundred or nine hundred and sixty as we may see in Iered and Methusala Gen. 5. Secondly After the Flood immediately God altered the third part of that age for Sem the most famous of Noah's Sons lived in all but six hundred years Thirdly In the first Generations of those who were born after the Flood the life of man was abridged one moiety for Arphaxad Scelas Heber lived but four hundred thirty eight or four hundred sixty four years whereas their first progenitors had lived twice as long Fourthly this half was cut in two about the time of the Tower of Babel so that mans life was abridged to the fourth part of the ordinary age of the first men for Peleg who was born at that time lived 239. year which was but the fourth part of the years of Jered and Methusala Fiftly afterwards the life of man was yet much more shortned and still declining through many generations reached but to the eighth part of the age of our first Parents This was in the time of Moses who lived one hundred and twenty years which is but the eighth part of nine hundred and sixty By the way we may observe that when God was to send the Flood he gave to men but the tearm of one hundred and twenty years which was the eighth part of the ordinary age of men in those times to which it seems answers the number of eight persons saved in the Ark. Sixtly and lastly the life of man grew every day shorter and shorter till it was reduced to the twelf part of the first measure for eighty years which is the age that few at this day do exceed is but the twelf part of nine hundred and sixty which was then the ordinary age before the Flood and that which was then their youthful age is now our greatest old age So then the life of man was first reduced to two thirds then to the half then to the fourth then to the eighth part and in the end to the twelfth None of the Kings of Juda exceeded the age of seventy years This is but an Historical observation yet remarkable that these very Kings which God had appointed over his people have been all short lived he that lived longest was David he was thirty years old when he was set on his throne and he raigned forty years and six months so that he did not much exceed seventy years but none of his successors from Salomon till Zedechias did ever attain to that age which may be easily proved by the sacred Chronology Difference between the faithful of the Old Testament and those of the New concerning their desire of long life another difference about the reckoning of the years of their life Under the Old Testament many of the faithful desired long life but since the coming of Christ we do not read of any who have desired it on the contrary when Simeon had seen Christ the Lord he was content to die after that the Author of eternal life appeared the faithful have not had such desire to stay long in this transitory life and so much the less in that our Saviour did not sojourn long in this world having continued but few years We may observe also that the Old Testament speaking of many of the faithful recites how many years they lived but since the coming of our Lord who conversed so short a time upon the Earth the sacred story makes no mention at all of the total sum of any mans years in all the New Testament the daughter of Iairus is the onely person whose age is observed when she died but this was because she was restored again to life the same day her departure having immediately followed upon her resurrection Three causes why men are loath to leave this life represented in him who died first The trouble that men have upon the apprehension of death is increased upon the concurrence of these causes First if one die young for he hath more reason to desire life then he who is full and satisfied with daies Secondly if he die a violent death for we are best content with that which is natural Thirdly if he die without issue for death should be more supportable to those who survive themselves in the persons of their children Now that we may in good time learn that neither the shortness of this life nor violent death nor want of posterity should make our departure grievous to us God would have these three accidents to meet in him who was both a just man and the first that died to wit Abel For first he died young in regard of the age of men in those daies Secondly he dies a violent death and which was most grievous by the hand of his own brother Thirdly he died without issue A moral observation upon the daies of Lazarus raised from the dead The number of daies makes not a long life many who think they are alive are dead in effect 1 Tim. 5.6 the daies we pass in ignorance or in malice should be abated from the count of our years The four daies of Lazarus his abode among the dead must not be reckoned among the daies of his life and whereas he was raised again he had reason to reckon from the day of his resurrection rather then from the day of his nativity The VI. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not kill Why God in his titles doeth rather call Himself our Buckler then our Sword VVHEN the Scripture expresseth Gods protection opposing his arms to our enemies it represents them rather defensive then offensive sometimes he is called the Rock and Tower of his people sometimes also our Buckler this was the first title that God assumed to himself after the first war we read was in the world Gen. 14. for thus he vouchsafes to speak to Abraham I am thy Buckler and afterward he hath been many times honoured by this title in that he would be called the Buckler of his people but he would never be named their sword but once and after that he was named their Buckler Deut 33.29 this is to shew that the children of God are not properly quarrellers and if at any time they take arms it is rather to defend then to hurt Since Moses there have been but three men who received power to kill any miraculously and the same who have miraculously inflicted death on the living have also given life to the dead Reasons