stand and as Chrysostome If darknesse be upon the tops of the mountains there must needs be mist in the valleys Before we leave this vertue of knowledge it will be needful to adde a little concerning 1. The Object of this knowledge and 2. Such Rules as are to be observed in the use of means to attain it 1. The Object is God and his Son Christ Jesus Of God the Father we read That no man hath ever seen him and Moses could see but his back parts and when he did see them he hid his face and was afraid It is sufficient then for us to know him as he is revealed to us in his word and in his works and because our knowledge is to be referred to his worship and obedience therefore so much is necessary for us as that without which we cannot worship and obey him more particularly we are to know him in the unity of his Essence and Trinity of person as also what he is to us by creation providence redemption and what he requires of us to be done Therefore it is said They shall know that I am the Lord their God which brought them forth of the land of Egypt that I may dwell amongst them And in another place God proclaims himself by his Attributes The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands c. Besides which knowledge of God in his nature and attributes actions and relations to us we are to know what we are to do for him namely we must have the knowledge of his will both in regard of the general duties what all are to do and in respect of every one of us in a particular calling what every one of us is to do in our several rancks and callings 2. Now concerning the rules to be observed if we would come to this knowledge it is well said of the Heathen Ponenti 〈◊〉 ponenda sunt media means are to be appointed to him that hath pitcht upon his end In the use of which means the order stands thus 1. Impediments must be removed 2. The rules of direction must be observed 1. The Impediments to be removed The first is according to the Wise mans rule To 〈◊〉 from evil company and to keep our feet from the paths of those whose feet run to evil such as do lactare homines entice men to evil and therefore as he speaketh in another place Cease to hear their instruction that cause to erre from the words of knowledge And the Instructions that cause us to erre or the impediments in that kinde that are to be removed are two fold 1. In our selves 2. Without us 1. Within us besides diverse others is our own reason which must be rectified else it will much hinder us we must not do according to that which is set down in Deuteronomie The doing of every man that is right in his own eyes and as the Apostle Walking in the vanity of our own mindes And in this case we must cast down our imaginations all our strong holds and high mountains of carnall and corrupt reason and bring them into captivity and obedience as in the mysterie of the Trinity and the other high mysteries of faith 2. The impediments without us are 1. Taking religion from our fathers onely by tradition by inheritance as left to us by our Elders Such things as our fathers taught us we will do Our rule in this must be Scrutamini Scripturas search the Scriptures and receive nothing by tradition where we finde it contrary to this rule 2. It is said of Jehoshaphat that he sought the Lord of his fathers and walked in his commandments and not after the trade or doings of Israel The custom or fashion of the place or times is an impediment without us which must be removed except it agree with our rule for there are evil times as the Prophet speaks and what fashions the people then used he shews the verse before You shall not go haughtily faith another for the times are evil And there are perilous times as the Apostle calls them where evil examples and fashions by many are followed but these we must leave The rules of direction in the use of means follow next in order of which because the means have been formerly handled we will speak the lesse And 1. for them that desire to attain to this knowledge this is a rule They are to have a firm perswasion that this knowledge is absolutely necessary That it is the unum necessarium which our Saviour tells Martha of 2. That as Christ also said first seek the kingdom of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all other things shall be added so this knowledge is to be sought after in the first place for we have no warrant that our other studies shall be sanctified or other knowledge prosper without this but if we look after this first sanctification of the other will follow Vacate according to Saint Jeromes translation et videte quoniam ego sum Deus saith the 〈◊〉 Be at leasure spend some time to know that I am God we must finde a time and that time must be our first it may be at other times this knowledge will not be found Saint Paul gives counsel to man and wife not to come together for a time that they may give themselves to fasting and prayer If then we must abstain for a time from indifferent things then a majore from things not indifferent but evil when we spend our time not onely aliud agendo but male agendo as 〈◊〉 saith not onely in things impertinent but evil The Athenians what other busines soever thy had yet they spent some time to tell or hear novelties And it were a shame to us if we should not do more then they in a thing so necessary Diligence in attaining it is also to be used that we loose not this time Saint Augustine gives a rule though a favorable one which may serve till a better come Satis reputatur quis facere cum tantum facit pro Deo quantum facit pro mundo If a man spend but as much pains for God as he doth for the world it is sufficient And I wish we would do that bestow but as much diligence in Gods Laws as on the poenall Laws of a prince For all the statuts of Omri are kept saith the Prophet and all the works of the house of Ahab and ye walk in their counsels we might attain to some knowledge if we would take that pains to study Gods Law which we take to do evil If any of you want wisdome saith the Apostle let him ask of God And Solomon the wisest among the sons of men saith that it is a point of wisdome to know whose gift it was how to attain to it and therefore in the
So much for the Preparation THE EXPOSITION OF THE First Commandement CHAP. I. Of the Preface to the Decalogue Two things required in a Lawgiver 1. Wisdom 2. Authority Both appear here Gods authority declared 1. By his name Jehovah which implyes 1. that being himself and that all other things come from him 2. His absolute dominion over all the creatures From which flow two attributes 1. His Eternity 2. His veracity or truth 2. By his jurisdiction thy God by creation and by covenant 3. By a late benefit Their deliverance out of Egypt How all this belongs to us THe Lord spake c. From the second to the eighteenth verse of this Chapter the words which inded are the body of the Law contain in them two things 1. The Stile I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage 2. The Charge Thou 〈◊〉 have no other gods before me c. To the perfect enabling of every Law-giver to make Laws is required 1. Wisdom 2. Authority 1. For the wisdom of God it appears in the Laws themselves Moses justifieth it and challengeth all the Nations of the earth to match them What Nation saith he is there so great that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this Law And the wisdom of a Law is best seen in the equity of it But a little before to shew more plainly his wisdom he tels them that it was their wisdom to keep them for the Nations which should see that they were kept would presently conclude and say Surely this Nation is a wise and understanding people which they would never do if they had not conceived wisdom in the framing of them So that certainly we must needs confesse with the Prophet that it came from the Lord who is wonderfull in counsel 2. For his Authority which is rerum agendarum telum it is plainly demonstrated by God himself in the second verse and manifested by the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt by strong hand In every Edict and Law proclaimed the beginning is with the stile of the Prince intimating thereby his Prerogative Royal to make Laws and to publish and see them obeyed And therefore his authority is annexed as to the Law in general so to those particular Laws which have a reason annexed As to the second For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God c. To the third For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse c. To the fourth For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. and it is the Sabbath of the Lord. Now if it be true that men expect no reason to perswade them to lay hold of a benefit then there needs none to make them observe the Law because it is a benefit for the Psalmist so accounts it He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither have the Heathen knowledge of his Laws Yet it pleased God to adde his reason from his own person though indeed profit be a sufficient Orator And thus doth God in divers places as Levit. 21. 8. 12. 15. 23. As also S. Paul mentioneth it for the New Testament As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God which words are taken out of the Prophet In this stile or authority are three points according to the titles 1. Of name Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt 2. Of jurisdiction Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt 3. Of benefit Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt And such Prefaces do earthly Princes use in their writings 1. Of Name as Caius Caesar. 2. Of jurisdiction Imperator 3. Of the last benefit Caesar Germanicus for conquering Germany the last triumph obscuring the former 1. For the title of his Name it is I Jehovah not I am Jehovah which argueth 1. His Nature 2. His Power 1. That it is the name of his Nature it cannot be denied They shall know saith the Psalmist that thou whose name is Jehovah art onely the most highest over all the Earth Concerning the word Jehovah which is Tetragrammaton consisting of four letters much hath been written and many speculations have been gathered from it As namely that there are three distinct letters according to the number of persons in the Trinity and of these three the first signifieth power the proper adjunct of the Father the second wisdom and knowledge proper to the Son and the third love the proper adjunct of the Holy Ghost And that the second letter is doubled to denote the two natures of the second Person But this may be sufficient for us that it is a name from being or a name of existence and that he is of himself and from none 〈◊〉 but that all things are through and from him Omnia beneficio illius ipse beneficio nullius Bern. And as it 〈◊〉 his being of himself so his absolute dominion and power over all and therefore we translate it Lord following the Septuagint who render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. And as there is no exception in his title as to be commanded of or by any other All earthly Princes derive their power from him as his Delegates by commission As our Prince hath in his title Dei gratia Angliae By the grace of God King of England c. and is ab aliq from another viz. from God Onely God rules without commission from any but is within and of himself a supream head commandeth simply and absolutely hath no dependance upon any other either of being or power but all things depend on him as their essence powers or faculties and operations This the Prophet sheweth forcibly that streams proceed from him to every creature which being stopped they perish When thou hidest thy face saith he they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they dye and are turned again to their dust And in the next verse he saith that he is the onely breath of the world his breath giveth life When thou lettest thy breath go forth they shall be made Now if we did conceive that any man in the world had our life at such an advantage that with his very countenance he could make or destroy us certainly we would be marvellously cautelous to offend him and very obsequious to please and observe him Yet such is our dependance upon God The word Jehovah as it hath these two significations so hath it two consectaries that follow thereupon in Scripture 1. The eternity of God 2. The truth of God in giving a being to his promises by his performance of them 1. For his Eternity he calleth himself I am Say I am Ero hath sent thee unto them and howsoever there
greater disgrace to God then to say he is a Lyar. therefore S. Bernard upon that place Impossibile est sine fide placere Deo it is impossible to please God without faith saith Quomodo potest placere Deo cui non placet Deus how can that man please God who is not pleased with God and such is every one that believes him not And thus much for the necessity of faith Now we come to our Rules 1. As we have seen the affirmative and what is commanded so we must see the negative and what is forbidden that is unbelief It is a note of the reprobate to be children of unbelief whether it be by the lifting up of a mans soul as the Prophet calleth it by a proud imagination and conceit of our own reason or by contempt or any other kinde of wretchednesse or carelessenesse when we come to hold Machiavels position Non curandum quid boni credat sed quid faciat And in this case they must be punished with that the Apostle tells us God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie for rejecting the truth Quia Christum non crediderunt in nomine Patris venientem veniet alius nomine suo praevalebit eique credent because they beleeved not Christ coming in the Fathers Name there shall another come in his own name and prevail him they shall beleeve so shall it happen to those that will not cleave to the truth they shall be given over to the untruths of this world and in the world to come that punishment shall befall them as it did to the Lord on whose hand the King leaned that would not believe Elisba that prophesied plenty Videbis non gustabis thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof for when he had seen that come to passe which the Prophet foretold he was troden to death before he could eat or taste of that plenty So shall they that are incredulous see the glory of others but not communicate of it in the life to come S. Ambrose compareth such men to a coal covered with ashes Infidelitas non potest claram narrationem habere nam sicut carbo cinere suo coopertus obcaecatur It a hi erroris tenebris circundati luce carebunt unbelief cannot have a glorious narration for as a coal covered with ashes is obscure so the unbelievers shall want light being covered with the darknesse of their errour 2. And as unbelief is forbidden so is also resting in a small measure of faith The Apostle mentioneth a full measure of faith and if we want that or labour not to attain it at least we are not of the number of the faithful which our Saviour speaks of I have not sound such faith no not in Israel and in another place O woman great is thy faith There is a great faith And that of S. Peters was a little faith when for want of it he began to sink a faith mingled with many doubts Therefore we are to pray with him in the Gospel Domine credo adjuva 〈◊〉 meam Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief and secondly when it is setled that it may be brought to a good measure we are to pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Our faith must be in a full measure we must endeavour for full assurance Interpreters think that it is a metaphor taken from a ship under full sails The holy Ghost resembles man in this life to a Champion and therefore for his better defence advising him what weapons to furnish himself withall puts faith instead of all weapons As Scutum fidei the shield of faith a special safegard against the Devil and his fiery darts And against the world he saith This is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith Lastly against the flesh he willeth us to be sober and put on the breastplate of faith And no marvel for the Author to the Hebrews attributeth all the great atchievements of the Saints to faith Besides we see that S. Peters faith made his body so light that he walked on the sea and sunk not and on the other side our Saviours hands were restrained so that he could work no more miracles among the Jews because of their unbelief So that it appears by this that by Gods own ordinance he will have helps of our faith or else he will do nothing among us not but that he can work miracles without it but that he hath so ordered and disposed it And this proveth the necessity of the concurrence of our faith with the mercy of God If thou 〈◊〉 beleeve all things are possible to him that believeth The want of faith hindred the working of the Apostles for whereas Christ had given them power to cast out Devils yet they could not dispossesse the mans son and asking the reason of our Saviour he tells them it was because of their unbelief And this is more strange seeing that in the case of the woman with the issue of blood we do not finde that Christ spake a word but her faith cured her as if it had been against his will she conceiving that if she could but touch the hem of his garment she should presently be cured and Christ not aware of it her faith as Origen saith Vim 〈◊〉 Christo got her cure by force from him And the same Father compares faith to the Loadstone that by a hidden quality and vertue attracteth iron to it Neither is this to be marvelled at for it prevaileth also even with God himself for the Angel when he perceived that Jacobs faith was so prevalent that he would not let him go nor he could prevail against him told him that his name should be no more Jacob but Israel because he had power with God and men Now if we be Jacobs and prevail with God thus we shall also prevail with men We see that the woman of Syrophoen gave our Saviour the foyl and he was forced to say O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt for indeed faith is so wonderfull a thing that it became wonderful to him to whom nothing else is wonderful Christ himself wondred at the Centurions faith To avoid errour we are to know that Divines make three kindes or degrees rather of faith 1. General 2. Legal 3. Evangelical And all these are necessary in their place and order 1. The general stands in beleeving that God is c. He that cometh to God must 1. beleeve that God is and 2. that he is a rewarder of them that seek him and that he will finde means to bring them to felicity And this was the faith of Adam in paradise and is supposed in the other two as the foundation of all Religion 2. The Legal stands upon the Law and the belief of the promises and
God and held his hands Quis tenet te Domine saith one Lord who holds thee that thou sayest let me alone Moses his prayer did in a manner binde the hands of God There is an almighty power in prayer because it overcomes him that is almighty But it may be objected that how dare miserable men dust and ashes presume to speak to God being so excellent and omnipotent and as Jacob confessed now being lesse then the least of his blessings This is answered thus by one non presumptione tua sed promissione et permissione sua God not onely permitteth it but addeth a promise to them that use it and commands us to call upon him In the Psalm before alledged call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear thee And Saint Peter and Saint Paul both confirm the truth of this when they quote this of the Prophet Joel whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved And the joyning of two places in the Gospels will make us call on God with great confidence Every one that asketh saith Saint Matthew receiveth and that in Saint John whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you There can be no more said then that every one that asketh shall have and whatsoever you aske you shall have whereas on the contrary Gods sury will be powred upon them that call not upon his name And as God is ready to promise so is he also to perform yea so ready is he on his part that he saith before they call I will hear To testifie this he erected a mercy seat in the Tabernacle and when the temple was built he gives it a name from this duty of prayer The House of prayer to shew how ready he would be to hear the prayers there put up and that not onely by his own people but even by strangers too for whom Solomon prayed at the consecration of the Temple and this was acknowledged by the Persian King who calls it the house of the God of Heaven Herein was the mercy seat placed and the first part of the service was incense which as we shewed before is often interpreted to signifie prayer and so it is intimated in the Gospel when we read that the people were without praying while the Priest was within at the typical worship burning of incense And as God had a seat of mercy then on earth so hath he now erected a throne of grace in Heaven from whence si ascendat 〈◊〉 descendet gratia if prayer ascend grace descends And because that we cannot have accesse by our selves by reason of our sins therefore order is taken that we may have accesse per alium by another even by Christ who to assure us the more of the efficacie of our prayers not onely in his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears but still makes intercession for us and therefore in the Revelation he is figured by an Angel that receives the prayers of the Saints in golden censures mingles them with incense to make them acceptable and so offers them up to his Father So that as he prayeth for us himself so he makes our prayers acceptable and therefore he makes us Priests to God to offer this spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praises and as it was promised to pour upon us the spirit of grace and supplication so it is performed by Gods sending the spirit of his Son into our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father which spirit helpeth our infirmities and when we know not how to pray makes intercession for us with sighes and groans that cannot be expressed So that we have no reason to doubt of the 〈◊〉 of our prayers with God but to rest assured that God is highly pleased with them and is ready and willing to hear us and to grant what we ask according to his will Thus we see all is performed on Gods part Now for the duty it self This duty of Invocation here commanded contains in it two things 1. A lifting up of our soul a fixing of the minde upon God as the Authour and giver of all good 2. A pouring out of our soul a full declaration of our desires and meditations or what it is we require of God Invocation or prayer is divided into 1. Petition and that either for ourselves which also is subdivided into Deprecation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the removal of some evil Precation for the obtaining of some good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for others which we call Intercession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Thanksgiving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The first part of Petition is Deprecation that evil felt or feared may be removed and this is most properly and usually the matter of our prayer Is any man afflicted saith S. James let him pray and though hope apprehends nothing but good yet the removal of evil hath rationem boni and so may be the object of hope and the subject of prayer And this consists in three points 1. Vt malum avertatur that evil may be turned away before it come I beseech thee O Lord saith the Prophet let thine anger and fury be turned away That Gods wrath may be turned away before it come upon us 2. Vt malum anferatur that evil may be taken away after it hath seized upon us Deliver Israel O Lord out of all his troubles 〈◊〉 being in trouble we may be delivered out of it and this is called 〈◊〉 deliverance 3. Vt malum minuatur that evil may be 〈◊〉 Let thine anger cease from us saith the Psalmist mitiga iram tuam when we pray for a diminution that so we may be able to bear it But as a necessary preparative to this the Saints have ever used Confession and acknowledgment of sins The Prophet in sundry Psalms runneth first over all his sins sins of omission and commission of thought word and deed against God his brethren or himself by instigation of others or of his own accord For Prov. 28. 13. He that covereth his sins shal not prosper that 's a dangerous saying and in Psal. 32. 3 4. 〈◊〉 dangerous example till he had 〈◊〉 his sins his bones consumed and his moysture was turned into the drought of summer So likewise did Daniel make confession before he comes to petition 1. The chief thing to be prayed against maxime deprecandum is to be kept from falling into sin by temptation That we may not be winnowed by Sathan Not to wish as commonly we do I would I were out of the world but as our Saviours prayer for his Disciples I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil And we desiring but thus certainly Gods promise will not be unperformed for he is faithful who will not
alone can search the heart therefore he delights in it and requires our obedience to be coram facie mea as in his sight Therefore it is that the Wise man counselleth a man to keep his heart with all diligence He gives a double reason for it is the principal member and therefore gives God the chief glory and further it is the fountain of all our actions by none of which is God honoured if they come from a corrupt fountain nay they are so far from being accepted that they are abominable and therefore according to the disposition of the heart life or death proceeds if we worship God with a right heart then we shall reap life if that be unsound death eternall follows And therefore necessitas incumbit we had need to keep that member right For all those glorious duties before spoken of if they want integrity or a good heart they are so far from Gods acceptation that they become abomination For if we believe our faith must come from the heart if we love it must be not in word but in truth which comes from the heart Our obedience also must proceed from the heart To conclude this whatsoever we do we must do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men That which is here commanded is called virtus integritatis by the Fathers inward soundnesse against hollownesse and sincerity against mixture And they ground it upon Gods charge to Abraham when he made the covenant of Circumcision Ambula coram me what that is God explained in the next words esto integer walk before me and be upright or perfect without hypocrisie It is commonly joyned in Scripture with another word Job was an upright and just man the words signifie properly straight and sound upright and pure in another place and an honest and good heart in another The nature of the word integer is taken from timber it must be straight without and sound within straight that it be not crooked coram facie humana and sound that it be not hollow coram facie divina before God Therefore the Ark was overlaid with gold without and within and in this respect it was that the Psalmist distinguished the Church the Kings daughter from other Kings daughters her outward beauty might be parraleld but she was all glorious within It is the inward beauty which is required chiefly That which is forbidden is hypocrisie Our Saviour taxed it in the Pharisees by telling them they had a care to make clean the outside of the cup and platter but had no regard to that which was intus within This is the sin of seven woes more then we read that any other sin had Of which S. Chrysostome saith Pharisaeorum justitia erat in ostentatione operis non in rectitudine intentionis the righteousnesse of the Pharisees consisted in ostentation of their works not in the uprightnesse of their intents The other extream is that the Prophet taxes in Ephraim whom he calld a silly dove without heart this is simplicity without wisdom when there is as our Saviour intimates Columba sine serpente the dove without the serpent Of such speaks Solomon when he saith that a fool uttereth all his minde he poures out his spirit without any manner of wisdom and discretion before every man our integrity therefore must be preserved with wisdom 1. The way to keep our selves in this integrity First Seneca's councel to Lucillus who desired this vertue was when he took any thing in hand to imagine that Cato Scipio or some other of the ancient Romans renowned for vertue stood before him But it is a better way for us to do as the Psalmist did to set God alwayes before our eyes conceiving and that truely that whatsoever we do is in his presence If that will not work with us then to set God not absolutely but as he will sit when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed at the day of judgment The day as the Apostle speaks when God shall judge the secrets of all men for as the Preacher saith God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing 2. Another motive and that a forceable one to perswade us will be that God requires an exact and sincere service of us to himself because he commandeth singlenesse of heart from servants to their Masters even with fear and trembling If this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service will not be allowed by God as current towards men much lesse will he allow it to himself 3. Lastly if we consider the integrity of Christs heart to us of whom we read that it was pierced and that he spent his very heart blood for us if we consider that it will stir us up to have a reciprocal heart to him and say with S. Bernard juste cor nostrum vindicat qui cor suum pro nostro dedit he may justly challenge our hearts that gave his for ours When he had offered his hands feet and other members for us yet thought it not sufficient but gave his heart for us also It is not our tongue hands or feet that can requite it our hearts will be too little if we give them also up to him 1. And we shall know whether our hearts be upright or no first by the Heathen mans rule Nil conscire sibi nulla pallescere culpa hic murns 〈◊〉 us 〈◊〉 A sound heart is like a wall of brasse and is so full of courage that it can say with the Apostle 〈◊〉 perminimum est ut a vobis judicer it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you It is the soundnesse of the heart that will make it bold if we be not 〈◊〉 mali to our selves that we know no evil in our selves This made John Baptists heart to be above King Herodes power the want of it made Peter afraid at a silly Damsels speech charging him to be of Christs company 2. Another mark like to this is if we be firm and upright under the crosse If afflictions alter us not for troubles and crosses will dishonour the integrity of our hearts Look how we stand affected in them if firm then no doubt but we are right If we can say with King Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart this upheld him when he was sick even unto death but e contra if the heart be not sound then in any crosse it melts within us like wax as the Psalmist speaks Psalm 22. 14. 3. If we derest sin in our selves and punish it no lesse in our selves then others Judah at the first in the case of Thamar cried Bring her away let her be burnt but upon further consideration when it came to be his own case there was a sudden alteration she was more righteous then I. This is much like that the Heathen man
Lastly we have a set form of prayer composed by our Saviour upon the petition of the disciples 2. The other Thanksgiving We see it vsed also before the flood by Abrahams servant when he had finished his busines successefully And we finde this duty commanded by God himself afterwards Moses had a set form of thanksgiving after the deliverance of the people from the Egyptians And King David in many places commends this part of prayer highly and penned a set form of it in a psalm which he entituleth a 〈◊〉 or song for the sabbath day Solomon his son in the time of the first Temple practized it and so did the people vsing one of King Davids psalms the burden whereof as we may so speak was for his mercy endureth for ever Ezra also vsed it after the building of the second Temple together with the priests and people So did our Saviour I thank thee o father c. In the time of the Gospel they sung a psalm Lastly it was not onely practized by the Apostle as you may see in many places I thank God through Jesus Christ and thanks be to God c. but commended by him to others speak to your selves in psalms and Hymns c. as unto the Philippians where he joyns both 〈◊〉 of this duty in one verse in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God And to omit many others in the Epistle to the Hebrews giving thanks i called the sacrifice of praise 3. As the word is Gods speech to us and Invocation ours to him so the sacraments are the Covenants between God and us Such are the type of circumcision instead whereof Baptism succeded and the type of the Passeover instead whereof we have the Lords supper And these two only we receive as sacraments generally necessarily for all But for our justification in thispoint S. Augustine saith upon the words of Saint John cited out of the institution of the Passeover A bone of him shall not be broken vnus emilitibus c. A souldier with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came out of it water and blood which are the two Sacraments of the church our mother And in another place Quedam pauca pro multis c. The Lord and Apostilical doctrine hath left to us a few in stead of many and those easy to be kept most excellent to the understanding and most pious to be observed the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the body and blood of the Lord. 1. The first Baptisme is so necessary a Badg for a Christian that he cannot be without it Saint Augustine saith sic accipiendum est c. That which the Apostle saith is thus to be understood that by the lavacre of 〈◊〉 and the word of sanctificational former sinns of the regenerate are cleansed and healed and not onely all sinns are remitted in Baptisme but those also which are afterward contracted by humane ignorance and infirmity and in another place Dimittitur eis regeneratione spirituli quod traxerunt ut 〈◊〉 dixi ex adami generatione carnali By this spiritual regeneration as I have often said whatsoever they have drawn from Adams carnal generation is forgiven them And this Sacrament is a service of faith For though children baptized cannot be properly said to beleeve of themselves by reason of their minority yet are they beleevers by their fidejussores or Godfathers and Godmothers and parents who present them and desire to have them baptized in the faith of Christ and received into the Church as were the Jews children by circumcision Inter credentes saith Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 populos baptizatos 〈◊〉 nec judicare aliter ullo modo audebis si nonvis esse apertus haereticus Thou art to repute little children that are Christened among beleevers nor must thou dare to judge otherwise if thou wilt not be an open heretick And in the same place Absit ut dicam non credentes infantes c. God forbid that I should call Infants unbeleevers I have disputed it before They beleeved by another and offended by another It is said They beleeve and it is enough to make them of the number of the faithful that are baptized This hath the authority of the Church and the Canon founded upon the truth obtained 2. The other the Lords supper is a substantial part of our servicetoo For in it is a whole Oblation of our selves souls and bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively sacrifice to God as we acknowledge in our liturgy In it we acknowledge confesse bewaile and repent us of our sinnes which cost our Saviour his most precious blood to make attonement for them And in it we professe that we are in love with God and our Neighbours which is the fulfilling of the Law Herein is a commemoration of that sacrifice which Christ offered for us upon the Crosse in which respect it may be called a sacrifice for as our reverend author else where speaks The Eucharist ever was and by us is considered both as a sacrament and a sacrifice A sacrifice is onely proper and appliable to 〈◊〉 worship c. In a word we hold with Saint Augustine de Civit. lib. 17. Chap. 20. Hujus sacrificii caro et sanguis ante adventum Christi per victimas similitudine promittebatur in passione Christi per ipsam veritatem reddebatur post adventum Christi per sacramentum memoriae celebratur Answer to Card. Perron p. 6. 7. And lastly by it we offer a most acceptable sacrifice and service to God of thanksgiving this Sacrament being called Eucharistia which signifies so much for bestowing so great a blessing upon u whereby every faithful Communicant is strengthened in the faith of Christ. Therefore Accedens debet esse plenus sanctitate he that comes to it ought to be as holy as he may for all our services to God are to be done in purity which is true internal worship and with decency which is external and both these make that compleat holinesse which becometh Gods house 4. The last part of the substance in the external wórship of God is Discipline by which men are regulated in the fear and service of God This we finde commanded Mat. 18. 15. 16. c. John 20. 22. Executed extraordinarily Act. 5. 4. By Saint Peter ordnarily 1 Cor. 5. 3. By S. Paul and Rules set down for the ordering of it 1 Tim. 5. It is as Barnard saith the yoke to keep us within the bounds of Order and as Cyprian Custos spei et retinaculnm fidei a preserver of hope and stay of faith Saint Augustine affirmes that it brings delinquents to repentance whereby they recover that which they had lost by their 〈◊〉 For it is sure enough that the Church of God hath in it of all sorts
that are unlearned are ready to wrest Christ was long among his Disciples yet they were to seck in some things And therefore I say as the Prophet in another case they ought not to go out in haste but remain at their studies till by the help of their Guides their own industry and Gods blessing they be able to teach others and have approved themselves workmen that need not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth and then sacri sunto let such in the name of God be ordained and go boldly about the Lords work Now as there must be Schools of learning to fit men for this sacred calling so there ought to be maintenance provided for them for the Apostle saith that as the Priests that served at the Altar lived of the Altar so they that now preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel And this by special ordinance of Christ who hath so appointed and the Apostles reason taken from the maintenance of the Priests that served at the Altar shewes that the same proportion of a tenth part which was paid then to the Levites and Priests under the Law is still due to the Priesthood and Ministery of the Gospel and the Commandement for tythes extends to both besides the Apostle reasoneth that he which labours for others ought to eat the fruit of his labours and be maintained by them who reap the benefit of his labours He proves it from the bruit creatures the mouth of the ox must not be muzled that treadeth out the corn he proves further from men of secular callings whether in time of war or peace The souldier goes not to warfare at his own charge nor doth the husbandman feed his flock or plant or sowe but in hope to reap the fruit of his pains from whence he infers that the spiritual husbandman that soweth spiritual things to others ought to partake of their harvest in temporall things for whose good he labours Now this maintenance if any ask what it is I answer that now as alwayes heretofore from the beginning it consisted of something certain and something free and voluntary The certain maintenance is tythes The voluntary oblations we finde in Nehemiah when they entred into a vow and Covenant to keep the law after their return from captivity that both these were part of that Covenant viz. Tenths and oblations which they bound themselves to pay for the service of Gods house For tythes as the seventh part of our time so at least the tenth part of our increase is due to God Reasons 1. From the annexing of tythes to the Priesthood of Christ typified by Melchizedech to whom Abraham paid tythes after his victory over the kings Gen. 14. 20. This Melchizedech was a type of Christ as the Author to the Hebrews shews for he is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech and from Melchizedechs receiving tythes of Abraham the Apostle infers the excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Levitical both because Abraham himself from whom Levi 〈◊〉 paid him tythes and was blessed by him and because the Levitical Priests that received tythes were subject to death but here a high Priest receives tythes who lives for ever In all which discourse it is supposed and taken for granted that tythes are annexed to Christs Priesthood otherwise the whole reasoning were impertinent and to no purpose Now if they be due to our high Priest who lives for ever no question but the Priests and ministers of the Gospel whom he hath made his Stewards and whom he hath sent as his father sent him ought in his right to receive and to them the people ought to pay their tythes as to Christ to whom they belong for Christ having ordained a maintenance for the Ministers of the Gospel and no other certain maintenance being specified it can be no other then this of tythes 2. Jacobs promise long before the law to give tythes to God of all he possest compared with Abrahams practise before and the Apostles rule that the labourer is worthy of his wages with the perpetual practise of the Church the best expositor of the Law shew this duty to be moral and perpetual 3. The chief and principal reason why God reserved the tenth for himself and gave it to those that served at the Altar is moral and perpetual For he reserved the tenth to himself in signum universalis Dominii as an acknowledgement of that all we have is his and he gave it to the Priests and Levites for their service in the Tabernacle Now God is no lesse Lord of the world now then 〈◊〉 and he hath a service and worship to be performed and maintained still and therefore that proportion which God himself thought 〈◊〉 in his wisdom ought to continue still especially there being nothing in it peculiar to the Jews nor any typical ceremonie in that number which should make it void by the coming of Christ. 4. Lastly by Christs speech to the Scribes and Pharisees about tything mint and cummin and leaving the weightier matters of the Law when he tells them The first ought to be done and the other not left undone And the Apostles rule that he which is taught in the word must communicate unto him that teacheth him in all good things it may appear it was not Christs intent to abrogate tythes or the Apostles meaning to abridge the Ministers maintenance but that at least a tenth should be paid As I said before of the time of publick worship that it is probable the seventh day was appointed by God from the beginning by ageneral positive Law obliging all mankinde and that the day was altered by the Apostles herein authorized by Christ so likewise I say concerning tythes it is the more probable opinion that God appointed this proportion for himself from the beginning that as by observing the day so by paying the tenth all men might acknowledge God to be Creatour and Lord of all and whatsoever they enjoy is his free gift and therefore this precept not being given onely to the Jews and the reason of the Command being moral and perpetual and no abrogation of it made by Christ or his Apostles but ratl es many things found in the new Testament which seem to confirm it is of force still and obligeth all Christians under the Gospel we finde it not onely practised before by the Patriarchs but some reliques of it among the Heathen The Greeks Carthaginians and Romanes gave the tenth to Apollo to Hercules to Jupiter c. The like Theophanus reports of the Egyptians and Herodotus of the Persians Plutarch of others which practise came no doubt from the universal tradition derived from the beginning not wholly obliterated though much corrupted as all divine institutions which were positive and not meerly flowing from the light of nature were among them For as was said before of the time so it
wait as servants use to do on their masters we acknowledge there by a superiority and excellency in that party Thus far for honour which is due to excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. But now when the second thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power is added to excellency then there is another duty required in inferiours viz fear for as our Saviour speaks there is no power but from God it must be given from above and therefore by consequence there is due to them that have power from God part of that fear which we owe to men The honour given in this respect consists of the duty of fear This is a reverent awe and standing in fear of them that are placed in power over us Ye shall fear every man his mother and father saith God there is for our parents and Saint Paul commandeth servants to obey their masters with fear and trembling and Saint Peter servants be subject to your masters with all fear this is for masters Job saith that the people stood in such awe of him that when they saw him come forth they would convey themselves out of his presence as if they had done something not beseeming them the young men saw me and hid themselves This fear also is due to the king The people of Israel feared king Solomon and the same king gives the reason because his wrath is as a messenger of death 3. The third thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 government to which besides the former duties of honour and fear a third duty belongs viz. Obedience which the Apostle expresses by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be under a yoke That is when governours command this or that to be done except in things evidently contrary to the will of God we be content without disputing to put our necks under the yoak of their commands Saint Bernard saith verus obediens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quale sit quod 〈◊〉 hoc solo contentus quia praecipitur He that is truly obedient regardeth not what is commanded being content onely with this that it is commanded In the case of parents the Apostle gives this rule children obey your parents 〈◊〉 the Lord his reason for this is right As the Apostle used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjection to those more excellent then our selves as was shewe before Col. 3. 18. 1. Peter 2. 13. So here he vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be subject to set forth the obedience due to governours The like he gives to servants servants obey your masters c. And he commands Titus to put subjects in minde to obey magistrates The like charge of obedience he gives to Bishops and Governours in the Church obey them that have the rule 〈◊〉 you We have examples of dutiful children in this duty Of Isaac that obeyed his father even to the death Of the Rechabits in obeying their fathers commandment to drink no wine which act God himself by the prophet commendeth of our Saviour himself in the flesh And of servants we have the example of 〈◊〉 towards 〈◊〉 Lastly concerning subjects we have the example of the people of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 All that thou commandest us we will do Now for the protestation of our obedience wherein we expresse the truth of it order is taken for giving honour to our governours by imparting our substance by way of grateful retaliation for their care and pains for our good Honour the Lord saith the Wise man with thy substance and goods c. and so by consequent this kinde of honour is due to those to whom God hath given the government over us we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Stork and our Saviour makes this a part of the honour due to father and mother when he reproves those that taught the people that by consecrating their goods to the Temple they were free from the obligation of this law of maintaining and relieving father and mother Therefore the Apostle requires that we render to higher powers their dues tribute and custome to shew that our selves are not onely ready in our persons but our goods too at their commands The last part of obedience is to the other part of the Law for the Law hath two parts the one directive and the other coercive or corrective so that if we deny our obedience we must submit to correction and yet with reverence as the Apostle speaks we must honour the Magistrate though we be corrected Thus far for the act commanded now for the manner of 〈◊〉 The second thing to be considered is the manner how all these duties must be performed and this consists in three things 1. They must be done in conscience and from the heart not with eye-service as unto men but with singlenesse of heart as fearing God as the Apostle speaks 2. They must be done alacriter cheerfully and readily not with grudging murmuring and repining whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not as to men 3. They must be done perseveranter with continuance and perseverance yea though we suffer unjustly by them for this saith S. Peter is thank worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he endure and hold out though he suffer wrongfully And because we are not naturally given to perform these duties of obedience and subjection especially in this manner therefore expositors yield 6 reasons drawn from the duty as it is expressed and inforced in Scripture to induce men thereunto 1. Because God hath placed this Commandment before that of our goods yea and of our life to shew that the maintaining of authority ought to be dearer to us then goods or life it self 2. Because the name of father and mother is full of love and reverence insomuch as some unreasonable beasts perform this duty more exactly then many men Therefore God includes all superiours here as Kings Lords Masters c. under these amiable names of father and mother 3. In regard of the long life annexed to the true performance of this dutie long life being a thing desirable and death a thing most repugnant to the nature of man To live long and to prosper is all that men desire upon earth Therefore the Apostle urges this Commandment from the promise specially annexed to it above the rest That it may be well with thee and that thou mayst live long on the earth 4. Because as the Apostle tells us it is a thing good and acceptable to God and in another place it is well pleasing to God he is especially delighted and highly pleased in it It is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acceptable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well pleasing unto God What can we desire more then to be good acceptable and well pleasing to God in our actions 5. The Apostle goes further and saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Speak every man the truth to his Neighbour First to make plain the words and the meaning of them This Commandement is not delivered in one word as some of the others but consists of divers words which rendred according to the Hebrew run thus Non respondebis testimonium falsum super vicinum tuum thou shalt not answer a false testimony concerning thy Neighbour The words non respondebis thou 〈◊〉 not answer must be understood according to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 in which to answer is to speak whether there be any question asked or no. So the Evangelists often begin a story thus Jesus answered and said though no man spake to him nor demanded any thing of him So that by answering is not meant onely speaking the truth when it is demanded but also to speak truth 〈◊〉 we speak though no question be asked of us For the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 〈◊〉 to speak or utter ones minde and therefore we finde it used to expresse singing as in Exod. 32. 18. where Moses saith he heard vocem cantantium the voice of them that sung 〈◊〉 the same word is used so that it signifies to speak either by way of question or answer or otherwise Although it be true the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie generally to speak and so is often rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respondeo and though all contained under the general signification may be reduced hither yet it is more probable that literally and properly in this place the word is strictly taken for answering because the custome was among the Jews that the Judges did adjure the witnesses by the name of God to speak the truth to which the witnesses made answer and therefore whereas we reade Levit. 5. 1. If a soul sin and hear the voyce of swearing and be a witnesse c The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred by the Greck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 the voyce of one adjuring c. as referring to the adjuration of the Judge to which the 〈◊〉 was to answer So also guilty persons or such as were accused were wont 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 as we see in the example of Achan adjured by Joshua and of our Saviour adjured by the High Priest The form of such adjurations was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give glory to God as in that place of Josh. and John 9. 24. or in other words equivalent as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I adjure thee to speak the truth to me in the name of the Lord 1 Kings 22. 16. The next word is witnesse Thou shalt not bear false witnesse c. which we 〈◊〉 applyed four wayes in Scripture 1. To the great and chief witnesse God himself When 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 accused by his friends he appeals to this 〈◊〉 Ecce testis meus est in Coel. s 〈◊〉 my witnesse is in heaven and S. John saith There are three that bear witnesse in heaven the 〈◊〉 the Word and the Spirit every person in the Deity is a 〈◊〉 of the truth and 〈◊〉 witnesses we have of our thoughts words and 〈◊〉 whether they be 〈◊〉 or evil These are true and faithful 〈◊〉 God is often stiled the God of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 is called that true and faithful witnesse yea truth it 〈◊〉 and the Holy Ghost is Spiritus veritatis the Spirit of truth These are the witnesses with whose testimony we must 〈◊〉 our selves This must be our comfort 〈◊〉 our praise is not of men but of God who onely can judge of the sincerity 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men may often be applauded by the wicked when a good man shall be slighted 〈◊〉 such 〈◊〉 shall not stand a man in stead it is not the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 that makes one praise worthy nay it 〈◊〉 a great judgement to be well spoken of and 〈◊〉 by wicked men Wo be to you saith Christ when all men shall 〈◊〉 well of you Qui laudatur ab hominibus vituperante Deo 〈◊〉 salvabitur ab hominibus damnante 〈◊〉 He that is praised by men when God abhors him shall not be saved by men when God condemns him He is not a Jew that is one out wardly but he that is one inwardly whose praise is not of 〈◊〉 but of God Therefore the Apostle when the 〈◊〉 past rash judgement upon him tels them 〈◊〉 pro minimo 〈◊〉 c. It is a small matter for me to be judged of you 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 me is the Lord. 2. Now 〈◊〉 this great witnesse in the second place cometh 〈◊〉 witnesse which the Apostle 〈◊〉 of Rom. 2. 15. Attestante ipsis conscientia Their conscience bearing them witnesse and Rom. 9. 1. I 〈◊〉 the truth in Christ my conscience also bearing me 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 the Heathen man said that it is 〈◊〉 testis as a thousand witnesses because it is the knowledge of our selves and of our own 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 him Miserum miserable Qui contemnit 〈◊〉 testem that despiseth this witnesse For 〈◊〉 that regards not the testimony of his own conscience will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Commandement in bearing 〈◊〉 witnesse against his brother and when men 〈◊〉 not to the voice of their conscience it is the beginning of all apostasie both in faith and practice and therefore the Apostle saith that the wrath of God is 〈◊〉 from Heaven against all such as suppresse or smother the truth in unrightcousnesse 〈◊〉 when men have a wicked affection or inclination to any sinful act and though their consciences speak unto them and tell them this they ought not to do and they will not hearken unto it then they detain the truth in unrighteousnesse for they suppresse and keep down the truth as a prisoner which would shine forth in their hearts For 〈◊〉 the Heathen man said the foundation of Gods justice begins here when he speaks in the hearts and consciences of men and they will notwithstanding do the contrary for this moves God to leave them to themselves and as s. Paul saith to give them over to strong delusions that they may believe lies And though this witnesse be great yet God is greater then our consciences as s. Paul and s. John say and therefore S. Paul saith that though our hearts acquit us yet are we not thereby justified Men do often dream strange things of themselves and are deceived in their judgement and purposes for the heart of man as the Prophet speaks is deceitful above all things and therefore when our consciences come to be 〈◊〉 up coram magno judice before that great Judge it will appear that in many things we have been mistaken which made S. Paul say That though he knew nothing by himself yet was he not thereby justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he that judgeth me saith he is the Lord.