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
excellent meanes to auoyde stealth Let x Ephes 4. 28. him that stole steale no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good So 2. Thess 3. 11 12. hee saith Wee heare that there are some which walke among you inordinately that worke not at all but are busie-bodies Therefore them that are such we warne and exhort you by our Lord Iesus Christ that they worke with quietnesse and eat their owne bread And 1. Tim. 5. 13. he blameth the Widdowes for being idle and going vp and downe houses Thirdly Honest recreation a thing that fitteth vs for the seruice of God and of euery good dutie as Shooting Musike putting forth of Riddles and the like for these the Word of God doth by name speake of So Dauid 2. Sam. 1. 18. to teach the children of Iudah to handle the Bow vttered that Lamentation which is there extant of Saul and Ionathan And himselfe by the sweetnesse of his Musike refreshed the troubled heart of Saul 1. Sam. 16. 24. Of the other wee haue an Example in the Riddle put forth by SAMSON Iudges 14. 14. Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnesse The contrarie whereof is first the dulling of our selues by a continuall wearying of the minde and bodie without intermission Secondly An excessiue vse of lawfull pleasures and delights without referring them to the right end The y Esay 5. 12. Harpe and Violl Timbrell and Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts but they regard not the worke of IEHOVAH neither consider the worke of his hands who z Amos 6. 5 6. play vpon the Violl as DAVID they inuent Instruments of Musike and drinke in Basons of Wine and anoynt themselues with the chiefe of Oyntments but are not grieued for the affliction of IOSEPH I a Eccles 2. 2. said of Laughter Thou art mad and of ioy What is that thou doest Woe b Luke 6. 25. be to you that now laugh for ye shall waile and weepe Fourthly Imitation of good Examples first and principally of God himselfe Be c Ephes 5. 1. yee followers of God as beloued children And to the beholding of this Example of God our Sauiour doth lift vs vp when he saith Ye d Mat. 5. 48. shall therefore be perfect as your Father which is in Heauen is perfect Be e Luke 6. 63. ye mercifull euen as your Father is mercifull The Lord also himselfe taketh vs forth that Lesson saying Be f Leu. 11. 44. ye holy for I am holy And g 1. Ioh. 33. Iohn maketh it that perpetuall strife and indeuour of GODS Children Whosoeuer hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe as he is also pure And againe h 1. Ioh. 4. 17. As he is such also are we in this World for therefore saith the i Heb. 12. 10. Apostle God chastiseth vs for our profit that we might partake his holinesse Next is the example of Christ our Sauiour God manifested in the flesh For k 1. Pet. 2. 21. Christ also suffered for vs leauing vnto vs a prescript that yee might walke in his steps Then of the holy Angels as our Sauiour teacheth vs to pray Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Likewise of Adam in his innocencie vnto whose Image the Apostle l Colos 3. 10. Ephes 4. 24. euery where willeth vs to bee renewed Lastly of good and holy men that beholding the issue of their conuersation we may follow their faith as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 13. 7. And againe Heb. 6. 12. That ye be not Bastards but followers of them that through faith and long sufferance inherit the promises 1. Cor. 4. 16. hee saith I beseech you be followers of me Wherein notwithstanding wee must take heed because in the best men much corruption is to bee found that wee follow them no m 1. Cor. 11 1. further then they follow Christ The contrarie whereof is the following of euill and wicked examples n Iob 31. 33. If I haue hid my sin as ADAM or after the manner of men especially of the Deuill the father of Lyes for which our Sauiour taketh vp the Iewes Iohn 8. 44. Fiftly Societie and companie with the good for such as ones companie is such lightly is ones selfe I o Psal 119. 63. am companion to all them that feare thee and keepe thy Commandements The contrarie whereof is First Leauing and lothing the companie of the good forsake p Heb. 10. 25. not your assembling together c. Secondly Societie with the wicked for which the good King Iehosaphat is reprooued by the Prophet What q 2. Chro. 19. 2. thou to helpe the wicked one and to loue the haters of IEHOVAH But for these thngs is hot displeasure towards thee from IEHOVAH Ill r 1. Cor. 15. 33. companie corrupts good manners To this purpose Salomon in his Prouerbs hath many excellent sayings Make no Å¿ Pro. 22. 24 25. friendship with an angrie man nor companie with a furious man lest thou learne his wayes and get a snare for thy selfe Hee t Pro. 28. 7. that keepeth the Law is an vnderstanding childe but hee that associateth himselfe to Gluttons shameth his father Where opposing companie-keeping with Gluttons to the keeping of the Law hee sheweth how forcible a meanes ill example is to leade vs into sinne Of this kind especially is the contracting of our selues in marriage with the vngodly for which the same Kings sonne Iehoram is taxed He u 2. Kings 1. 18 walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel as the house of AHAB did for AHABS Daughter was his Wife and he did euill in the eyes of IEHOVAH yea this is noted as the prime sinne that corrupted the olde World and brought the floud vpon them for that the x Gen. 6. 1 2. sonnes of God the professors of Pietie and true Religion of the Posteritie of Sheth and ENOSH seeing the Daughters of men who made no conscience of seruing God to bee beautifull tooke them from any indifferently without respect of what Religion they were of wiues such as they chose Therefore were the Children of Israel precisely forbidden y Deut. 7. 3. to ioyne affinitie with those Nations of the Land of Canaan to giue their daughters to any of their sonnes or to take any of their daughters for their sonnes for saith the Lord They will certainly draw your sonnes away from following me to serue other gods The second part of watchfulnesse is that which vseth all diligence in that which is good Continue z Rom. 12. 12. Coloss 4. 2. in Prayer or lye at it continually a Ephes 6. 18. Watch thereunto with all assiduitie The contrary whereof is negligence and slacknesse In b Rom. 12. 11. doing seruice be not slacke Hitherto of watchfulnesse whereunto we are to couple in the fourth and last place continuance and perseuerance in wel-doing the crowne and
Therefore by Faith So he saith Gala. 3. 17. For if the inheritance be by the Lawe then is it not any more by promise making it impossible and absurd that both should concurre together in the act of Iustification That wee might be the more in loue with the Couenant of Grace it is gloriously commended and set forth aboue the other Couenant many wayes First by the excellencie of the matter as is before declared Then by the nature of the thing beeing an z Esay 55. 3. and elsewhere euerlasting Couenant safe and sure that neuer can be altered more fixed in his Sonne than the Sunne and the Moone are fixed in the Heauens Thirdly by the solemnitie of the Couenant for First it is vttered in forme of Lawe Indenturewise betweene him on the one part and his Church on the other part a Ier. 31. 33. This is the Couenant which I will make with the House of Israel the speech of Iehoua Secondly it is registred and inrolled in the Records of the Court of Heauen as a perpetuall monument to indure for all eternitie Thirdly to put vs out of all danger and feare of losing it we haue a Duplicate left vnto vs Heb. 8. 8. c. as Lawyers speake an Exemplification or a Constat Fourthly b Psal 79. 4. Heb. 5. 13. he hath bound himselfe both by word and oath to make it good That by c Heb. 5. 21. two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye wee might haue strong consolation Fiftly Not content with all this as knowing well our incredulitie and hardnesse of heart he fetcheth instances and confirmation from d Gen. 15. 5. Psal 79. 3. Heauen aboue and from the Earth beneath and all the Hoast of both from the e Ier. 31. 35 36 Sunne and Moone and Starres from the courses of the day and night from things present and things f Esay 66. 22. to come from the g Ier. 31. 37. height and from the Deepe of all which we cannot now stand particularly to discourse Lastly it is sealed with the great Seale of the bloud of and ratified by the death of him that made it hath also the name of a Testamēt his onely Sonne A Seale that hee neuer set vpon any other Letters Patents whereupon ratified by the death of him that made it it hath also the name of a h Heb. 9. 15 16 17. Testament This Couenant or Testament was alwayes one and the same from the beginning Heresies and Errors Being alwayes one and the same in substance as Iesus Christ the substance thereof was i Heb. 13. 8. yesterday and to day the same and for euer Wherefore Reu. 1◠8. he is said to be the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the World The power of whose death is not to be measured by the time of his suffering as if it were auaileable onely for those that should come after but all the faithfull from the beginning are alike saued by the vertue of it aswell before as since his comming for Abraham saith hee reioyced to see my day he saw it and was glad Iohn 8. 56. Howbeit according to the difference of the times it it is neuerthelesse distinguished or distinctly to bee considered in the Old and the New Testament The Old Testament was the Couenant through Christ to come The New Testament is the Couenant through Christ already come Iesus the Son of Marie hath a diuers name giuen vnto it Before the comming of Christ in the flesh the Couenant being through Christ to come of the Seed of a Virgin when hee was once come Iesus the blessed Seed of Mary Iudaisme that acknowledgeth not Iesus the Sonne of Mary to bee the promised Messias nor the Messias to be yet come the Couenant then was through CHRIST alreadie come Whereby the former being k Heb 8. 13. abrogated and done away this that succeeded was called l Ier. 31. 32. 33 34. the New Testament In regard whereof the other hath the name of the Old Testament But had the Fathers that liued before his comming as full a participation of Christ and all his benefits as wee haue I they had the very same in substance for they dranke of the Spirituall Rocke which is Christ 1. Cor. 10. 4. And to them also were the promises made Genesis 17. 7. I will be the God of thee and of thy Seed after thee And Acts 15. 11. By the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ they did beleeue to bee saued in the same manner as wee doe Onely the dispensation of the times did differ CHAP. II. Of the Priesthood of Christ THere be m Psal 1 10. Ier. 33. 17 18. Zach. 6. 13. Heb. 7. 23. two parts of the Mediation Of the Office of Mediation there be two parts Priesthood and Kingdome Priesthood is in the things which he doth to God for those Elect. of Christ Priesthood and Kingdome being both together fully complete and perfect for the whole worke of our Redemption for in the one is comprehended all sufficiencie of matter for our Regeneration Righteousnes and the blessednes belonging to it in the other all power to effect and worke it the one is in Humilitie the other in Glorie one in all things betweene God and him that should be our Mediator the other in all things that from God are through him conueyed downe vnto vs. To conclude the Priesthood of Christ purchaseth our Redemption his Kingdome doth apply it The things generally spoken before of his whole Office of Mediation may here be considered in his Priestly Function whereunto it pleaseth the Holy Ghost for our comfort more specially to apply them all differing from the Leuiticall Priesthood which was vnder the Law First His calling hauing two properties n Heb. 7. 16. one that it was by the Law of the power of life whereas the Priests of Leui were appointed by the Law of the fleshly commandement The other o Heb. 7. 20 21 22. that where they were made Priests without another he was appointed by his Father by an oath to shew that he is the suretie of a better Testament Secōdly The p Heb. 7. 21 23. 24 52. eternitie of his Priesthood that q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot passe from one to another eyther by succession or discent as theirs did but is personall and euerlastingly abideth in himselfe Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of MELCHISEDECH whereas in the Leuiticall Priesthood both the persons dyed and the Priesthood it selfe changed being translated to the Tribe of Iuda whence our Lord sprang Thirdly That this is The Popish Priesthood whose verie institution is to offer sacrifice for the quicke and the dead r Heb. 7. 28. proper vnto Christ and that there bee no Priests now vnder the Gospell to offer any propipitiatorie Sacrifice Indeed the name of Priest is often vsed in the New Testament but