to the hearing of the Law grounded on Exod. 19. and for the hearing of the Gospell Iohn 3. Two daies a preparation to Christs passion And albeit Iohn 1.5 darknesse could not comprehend light yet the light shone in darknesse Now the exposition of the law But before the particular exposition of the law there must be a preparation There is no benefit of God to be received of us before we are prepared for it Exod. 19. A preparation of the people before the receiving of the law The hearing of the Gospell no lesse plaine by John the Baptist Parate vias Domini c. Prepare ye the ways of the Lord. Proportionable to these prepared the Church her Vespera Sabbathi the evening of the Sabbath and for their holy daies and also for there solemne feast daies at the first instituted for a good end after there grew a superstition of it and was abused Observe two things First forasmuch as the Sacrament is but appendix verbi a dependent of the word and the seale of it surely we cannot be justified for our doings that prepare our selves for the one and not to the other Secondly that we may know that a preparation is required necessarily of the hearer as of the speaker according to that Preach 4.17 Take heed to thy foote when thou enterest into the house of God and be more neere to heare then to give the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they doe evill The preparation of the law hath his ground in Exod. 19.4 Ye have seene what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on Eagles wings and brought you to me 10. More over the Lord said to Moses goe to the people and sanctifie them to morrow and let them wash their clothes 12. And thou shalt set markes to the people round about saying Take heed to your selves that ye goe not up to the Mount nor touch the border of it whosoever toucheth the mount shall surely die Three meanes are set downe by God directly to be practised three daies before the publishing of the law and the fourth may be added drawne out of a circumstance i. Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel in every action 1. Voluntatem promovere To move forward the will A man must as well number as value the benefits of God innumerable the will is to goe first the first therefore is to make the Israelites willing to heare and receive the message that should come Therefore first he maketh a Catalogue of the benefits and goodnesse of God So that the ordinary meanes to stirre up a will in us to embrace the Law of God is that we enter into a mediation with our selves concerning the benefits that our countrey parents friends kinsfolkes have received that either respect us or them that touch us The Lord by that right interest he hath in us by vertue of creation that we are as pots in his hands to be either made or broken as he will and that we are as sons and as born subjects he may command us to doe this and need not to reward the doers of it as Dan. 3. Nebuchadnezzar his subjects had nothing for doing his commandement but if they did it not the Oven should be heated seven times hotter yea we are Deivernae Gods bond-men and as the Poet saith A fourefold consideration of the mercies of God Quis praemia vernae who gives a reward to his slave We are bought In the law nothing so humbleth No matter that a man may sooner fall into then the consideration of the Lords benefits This is a large and great sea and first if we consider our selves as we are creatures Psal 148. the dragons winds stormes snow haile c. are bound to praise him so that if it pleased the Lord to make us wind or hailestones yet in that respect also we ought to praise the Lord. How much more then for giving us a living soule 2. For the use of naturall functions for the use of all our members if we were bereft of the use of an arme or an eye or any one member how exceedingly beholden would we thinke our selves to be to those that could restore the use of this member by reason of the grievousnesse of the want of the use thereof Much more ought we to be thankefull to him that hath given us the use of all 3. But when we consider that he hath given us a reasonable soule that being a third degree of thankfulnesse and Augustine saith Quisque optat cum sanâ mente perpetuò lamentari quà m cum insanâ ridere each man had rather be in perpetuall sorrow with a sound mind then in joy with an outragious But the fourth swalloweth up all the rest namely if we consider the goodnesse and glory of all things though the earth be the Lords and all that therein is yet that he hath chosen us above all to be of his Church and to pertaine to him All the other be extreme miseries without this And this we shall learne thus to valew If we consider the Saints of God that were wiser then the sonnes of men how they have chosen him with infinite calamities and have refused places of great preferment rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season as Moses to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to be called Pharaohs daughters sonne Now afterward he divideth his benefits into 1. Past 2. To come The benefits past are either the taking away of evill or giving of good Those that are past he subdivideth into 1. Deliverance 2. Eagles wings In the deliverance it is either generall to us with many more in this is the spirituall deliverance besides a temporall in this generall either of the Common-wealth or of the Church Particular to every one either in regard of himselfe or of those that be neere him by the bond of blood or of duty or of love or of league or friendship For deliverance we need to take no other argument then that which God here useth You have seene what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried c. And going to the Egypt spirituall how we are delivered from the Kingdome of sinne and of Satan from the shadow of death from Gods judgements which doe incomparably passe Pharaoh and his servants Psal 91.3 Surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome pestilence by the day c. And though the hunter did set a snare yet the Lord hath delivered us from all his snares à terrore nocturno liberavit à sagitta diurna He hath delivered us from the terrour by night and from the arrow that flieth by day On our right hand thousands have fallen and on our left ten thousands and yet the danger never came neere us Multi undiquaque ceciderunt nos autem stamus many have fallen on each side but we stand Eagles wings Revel 12.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Synagogue which may necessarily be gathered to be the Sabbath day Then we see here Christ for the meanes of sanctification tooke order first beginning with Prayer For the exercise thereof that is Prayer it hath two parts either it is before or after Before either private as of the faithfull Psal 111.1 and Mark 6.46 of Christ Or publick Acts 16.13 that even the Heathen themselves went out to pray at the rivers side But especially by 1 Cor. 14.16 that to the prayers of the Congregation every one should joyne his owne Amen And secondly After Numb 6.24 because as before we be not fit to receive so after wee have received unlesse God cover his spirit which he hath given unto us the enemie will seeke power against us to take it away as Luke 8.12 except we desire the Lord that his word may remaine with us still and bring forth his worke 2. After that succeedeth the use of the word that is sanctified for sanctification Esay 42.21 more plainely Deut. 4.10 Gather me the people together for this end and I will cause them to heare my words Therefore the end is to heare the word The word in that day hath a double use First as it is read or heard read onely Secondly as it is Preached or heard preached 1. The first the Church in great wisedome alwayes thought best and most necessary that it should goe before that men might not be estranged when the word was read that the other should not be strange to them But it is a strange thing that we at the hearing thinke we have done enough if wee can apprehend it whereas if before we would meditate well of it when it is reade wee might make better use of it and at the hearing afterward might be confirmed in the same The ordinary course and time of reading the Scriptures among the Jewes was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preparation to the Sabbath at the ninth houre at rhree of the clock and was told them before that they might be acquainted with it the better 2. To come to the publick reading in the congregation it is warranted by Acts 13.17 and 15.21 by the Gospell 1 Thes 5.27 I charge you that this Epistle bee reade to all the Brethren the Saints Then for private reading after the congregation is broken up because Christ sheweth plainely that his witnesses be the Scriptures and therefore will have the Scriptures to be searched because they were Prophecies of him and Esay 8.20 for threatning and Esay 34.16 Seeke in the booke of the Lord and reade none of all these things shall faile none shall want her mate for his mouth hath commanded and his very spirit hath gathered them And for the examination of that that is taught Revel 3. a practise Acts 17.11 for the acquainting of the Berreans to examine the Apostles doctrine There are two more uses in reading Revel 1.3 There is a blessing pronounced to them that reade or heare the words of the Prophecie because it exciteth men to praise God Men seeing the Prophecies fulfilled and executed they may not doubt but consent to God For which cause these were monuments of the Church of the fulfilling of any promise or threatning yea they suffered in the old Church the Monuments of the Warres of God for the Israelites Num. 21.14 their liber bellorum Dei and their verba dierum of Nathan Gad Shemajah c. they suffered them privately in an holy use to be read that seeing his promises with the denouncing of his threatnings they might be excited to the greater praise and feare of God Another use is as they gather by the Analogie of Daniel 2.2 and Acts 8.28 Daniel was occupied in the exposition of the Prophet Jeremie so the Evnuch reading Esay asked the exposition of it of Philip and no doubt if Philip had written on that day he might have had use of his writing as of Preaching Therefore God hath ordained Expositors such as the booke of Iasher Ios 10.13 a commentor of the Law his workes being for this end to make knowne the hard texts of Scripture and expound them unto us The second part in the meanes of sanctification is the Word preached that is it that Rom. 10.15 the Apostle speakes of For Sanctification which is the ordinary meanes of Faith and Christ in his Prayer Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them in thy truth and thy word is truth Christ himselfe Luke 4.16 by his Preaching hath sanctified it and the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 hath pronounced not to receive any other alteration to the Worlds end 3. The third followeth the pondering of that that wee have heard read or preached as Luke 2.19 according to the example of David Psal 119.97 O how love I thy Law it is my meditation continually the occupying of our mindes and meditations to apply it hereafter and make fruit of it Beside the meditation of the word that wee shall heare read or preached the 92. Psalme which was a Psalme made for the Sabbath and is sung as on that day and if credit may be given to the Jewes traditions they tell us that the two first verses came from Adam and hee used to sing them in Paradise giveth three further points to consider First vers 4. which is indeed that which God here urgeth the consideration of the workes of his hands the making to our selves a contemplative use as we have made all the week long an active of them so wee should have a spirituall And the second is vers 7. a meditation of the judgements of God The third is vers 10. and 12. a meditation of the mercies of God of the mercies and visitations taking judgements for the genus to both These whether they extend to our owne persons or come on our Fathers house or the place wherein we live or the Church round about us there is none of these but they afford us an object of meditation and as we see the meditation of the creatures of God of the wild Asses Sparrow Crane Lillies c. they yeeld still meditation from tha lesse to the greater if they be thus thankfull how much more are wee bound to him So Rom. 2. he sets downe his judgements to move us to repentance and his mercy to move us to thankfulnesse and thus when we are wearied with prayer and reading and preaching is ceased our meditation remaineth to continue the whole day and stil findeth matter to worke upon 4. The fourth Which is not a beating within our selves in our counting house of any great calamitie but the examining of it betwixt us and others and that is done three manner of wayes 1. With them that have taught us as Luke 2.42 it appeareth plainly that after the solemnitie in the eight day the last of the feast it was the manner the teachers sate them downe at the Table and the Auditors propounded Doubts and Questions to bee resolved of them And so was CHRIST no doubt not an apposer but as in
Reddes rationem that of Christ Thou shalt give an account and every one will give morâ—â—ttention to that which he knoweth he shall after give account for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Because we are all bound to give account of our faith 1 Pet. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ready alwaies to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you Oportet reddere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non stultam vanam inanem opinionem you must render a reason not a foolish and vaine opinion Therefore it is best to render a reason before Agrippa our Countreyman before we come to Caesar Forasmuch as Christ is become not onely our King and Priest We must be Prophets Our prophecying in foure things but also our Prophet we must become Prophets Our prophecying must stand in these foure things 1. In examining the doctrine that we heare 1 Iohn 4. 2. In examining our selves before the word and Sacraments 1 Cor. 11.28 2 Cor. 13.5 3. In admonishing our brethren which we cannot doe without catechising Rom. 15.14 and able to admonish one another 4. Forasmuch as when we are children we doe imbibere errores drinke in errors We must learne to put them off while we are children and have truth in their place The fruit of the first that knowing that judgement waiteth for us we may be carefull of our duties and so to practise them Of the second Forasmuch as we see of the Church in all ages that it is a thing especially commanded of the Lord we must know that those houres which we bestow on this exercise we bâ—stow them on a thing most pleasing to God Veniendum ergo alacriter cum venerimus ita nos gerere oportet ut decet scilicet ut arrectis auribus intentis animis auscultemus We must therefore come cheerfully and when we come so behave our selves as it becometh namely we must heare with attentive eares and earnest hearts Paul asketh the Romans some fruit of their former life Paul Rom. 6.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed and secondly in the 22 verse he setteth the fruit downe to be holinesse of life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto holinesse And the heathen wisheth us in all our actions to aske this question Cui bono to what good admonishing us to enquire what good commeth to us by our exercises Even that which Paul setteth downe 1 Tim. 4.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come In this life the fruit length of daies as Deut. 11.21 In the life to come John 17.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eternall life Having seene the fruit we are to take care that those houres which we spend in this exercise we mispend not least we be deprived thereof For as in naturall philosophy it is a great absurdity ut quid frustrafiat that any thing be in vaine and in morall ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vaine desire In divine things much more Ne frustra audiamus Let us not heare in vaine 1 Cor. 15.14 Paul useth no other argument to prove that Christ is risen then that else his preaching and their hearing should be in vaine Gal. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that Gospell which I preach among the Gentiles but severally to them which were of reputation Ratio the reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest by any meanes I should run or had runne in vaine 2 Cor. 6.1 as he desired the Corinthians that they received not the grace of God in vaine so wee are to looke that we heare nothing in vaine least we be like those Ier. 6.29 that let the bellowes burne and the lead consume in the fire and the founder melt in vaine The word of God not in vaine in respect of it selfe The word of the Lord is not in vaine either in respect 1. of it selfe 2. Preacher 3. hearer In respect of it selfe it cannot be in vaine Esa 55.10 11. As the raine and snow commeth from Heaven and returneth not againe but watereth the Earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth 11. So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne to me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I will and shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it therefore by every hearing we are either bettered or hardened 2. Neither in regard of the preacher And as the word in respect of it selfe cannot be in vaine so neither in regard of the preacher Esay 49.4 I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nothing but my judgement and worke is with the Lord. It is also warranted Luke 10.6 If the sonne of peace be there your peace shall be upon him if not it shall returne to you againe More plaine 2 Cor. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish Great care then is to be taken how we behave our selves in hearing 3. Pars. The third part Venite auscultate come and hearken It s the manner of the holy Ghost to comprise many things in one word In the first required presence to come the beginning of Christs obedience Psal 40.7 8. Then said I loe I come c. The action Psal 122.1 I rejoyced when they said unto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. Esay 2.2 3. And many people shall say come let us goe up to the house of the Lord c. And the Hebrew proverbe is Blessed is he that dusteth himselfe with the dust of the temple alledging the Psal 84.10 For a day in thy Courts is better then 1000 otherwhere The cause of our comming Because it is to be feared lest wee concurre with those Esay 29.23 that came rather for feare of disfavour or mulct then for any godly respect to such the Word shall be as a sealed booke that shall not be opened Therefore though all mens censure were removed and it were free for us to come or not to come yet are we so to be affected seeing the Lord hath said venite come in respect of God The Centurion Matth. 8.9 saith that they which were under him when hee called them came c. Therefore it is but a small service which we doe to the Lord in comming The people made three daies journey after Christ into the wildernesse Act. 20. Paul prolonged his speech till midnight but our comming and attention is but small to these Psal 105.31 34. Grashoppers Flies Lice Caterpillers come at the commandement of the Lord therefore if we come behind these unreasonable creatures we shall not need
Lord have spoken it in my zeale when I have accomplished my wrath in them Thou shalt bring thy judgement upon them and they shall know that thou art Iehovah 2. Title Thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy God This is the title of his jurisdiction to which title he hath claime in a double respect 1. Generall 2. Particular Generall Psal 148.5 6. For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created He hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken So this jurisdiction is over every thing as it is a creature The creatures as they have their law so we see 2 Pet. 3. vers last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him be glory both now and for ever All the creatures have their rule from him Esay 1.2 Heare O Heavens and hearken O Earth for the Lord hath said I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me Deut. 32.1 Hearken O Heavens and I will speake and let the Earth heare my words The creatures of the Lord are called to beare witnesse against Israel that they were breakers of the Law of God But that law or jurisdiction being broken it gave occasion to the second namely the particular which is conditionall 1. God is our Iehovah by covenant Deut. 5. Heare O Israel the Lawes and Ordinances which I propose to you this day that you may learne them and take heed to observe them Audis sum Deus non audis non sum Deus hearest thou I am God hearest thou not I am not God Hereupon saith a Father Audias Deus sum ne audias Deus non sum If thou hearest I am God Ierem. 31.33 if thou dost not heare I am not God Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people Meum and tuum are relatives But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people He is ours and we are his so long as we keepe his Commandements Deut. 10.14 Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy Gods and the Earth with all that therein is 15. Yet the Lord hath set his delight in thy fathers to love them and did choose their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day In which words Moses telleth the children of Israel a strange thing Behold saith he the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens is the Lords and the Earth with all therein and yet hath he separated thee from the rest even an handfull for so is the Church to make a covenant with thee And this is a marvellous strange mercy of God that when he will be described he will condescend to come into our description He rejecteth all his excellent titles that he might have of his most excellent creatures as the God of Heaven of Earth c. onely to have this his jurisdiction being so vile in nature and so wicked in our workes which is a great argument of his goodnesse to us ward Heb. 11.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now they desire a better Countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City God was not ashamed to be called their God And as one saith very well Conjunxit utilitatem tuam cum gloria sua He hath joyned thy commodity with his own glory So he might better have said Conjunxit gloriam suam cum gloria tua He hath joyned his owne glory with thy glory So will that be verified Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 3. Which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt 3. Title c. A title from the last act he did but yet it serveth for a proofe of both the former in two points 1. By their estate in the house of thraldome Their estate was miserable they were servants in the servilest worke that could be they were put to the Furnace to make Bricke Exod. 5. They were in servitude unto their enemies yea to cruell enemies yea in servitude not to be rewarded but to be punished daily They were compelled to worke and yet they had no instrument provided for them for their worke they were faine also to gather their owne straw By his contemptible creatures that the delivery might be more strange and yet nothing of their tale of Bricke that they made before when they had their straw gathered them was diminished They had their children drowned before their eyes every day 2. The delivery with a mighty hand and stretched-out arme out of Egypt most strange in drowning Pharaoh and all his host by a most contemptible creature in the red Sea His two first titles have alwaies stood this last in respect of his last noble act it hath alwaies beene altered First after the worke of his creation he was called God the Creator of Heaven and Earth Secondly after the flood he was called Iah paean i. as was among the heathen Io paean Dominus dispersor aquarum The Lord that scatereth about commandeth the waters To the daies of Abraham 3. Genes 15.7 I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to the time of Moses In his time Exod. 3.6 The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob till the delivery out of Egypt here The Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Ierem. 16.14 When God should deliver them from the captivity of the North it is said that the other title should perish and it should be said The Lord that delivered us out of the captivity of Babylon and this lasted till the daies of Christ The last is prophecied of Ierem. c. 23. v. 6. Jehovah justitia nostra God our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 For Christ is become to us righteousnesse Gal. 1.8 The Father of Christ Now this great benefit being not full six weekes before the delivery of the law it must needs sticke greatly in their minds and now they being in the wildernesse where they were wholy to depend on the safegard of God so that in regard of Memoria recentis beneficii spe◠jamjam futuri the memory of a new received mercy and the hope of a future as also the place where they could rest nothing on themselves that was both a fit time and place to give the law in So that seeing the Law could not well be given in Egypt for they had evill will to goe thence nor in Canaan for there they murmured against God it was most fitly given here For their delivery was not that they should be
is 1 Ioh. 2.27 that God will supply the inward annointing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the anoynting which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you in all things and is truth and is no lie So there shall be no defect on his part we must looke to our owne duty whether we be willing or no and it appeareth by the Commandement laid upon us that we are not willing for a good man that 's willing is a law to himselfe but we have a Commandement to provoke us to knowledge In which as in every Commandement we consider 1. That that 's commanded 2. That that 's forbidden The affirmative and the negative The affirmative there is first cōmanded knowledge and not every knowledge Quia hic praecipiatur What here commanded but that which is Col. 3.16 a plentifull and rich knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A rich measure so great as we can attaine unto for our vocation Non solùm scire sedetiam bene scire Not onely to know but to know well Neg. 2. things forbidden The rule in divinity is Peccatum est non tantùm appetitus malorum sedetiam desertio meliorum Sin is not only a desire of evill things but also a forsaking of better Ignorantia Ignorance The common accusation of the papists is Ignorance is the mother of devotion Rationes contra ignorantiam Reasons against ignorance So where fulnesse is commanded we must not only not be empty but full also not only emptinesse is forbidden but also scarsity Therefore 1. ignorance is forbidden 2. A light knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fleeting knowledge a superficiall skill For ignorance the Church of Rome is charged for justifying of it though it cannot be found that they are patrons of ignorance but only faulty in the 2. part If any thinke ignorance justifiable let this perswade him to the contrary 1. A sinne it must needs be else as it is Levit. 4.2 there should not have beene a sacrifice for it yet there if any had offended through ignorance a sacrifice was cōmanded to be made for him And Psal 79.6 If it had been a light offence David had made a very uncharitable prayer to God that he would powre out his vengeance on them that know not his Name Powre out thine indignation on the heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdomes that have not called on thy Name It s not only sin but also the cause of sin cause of punishment for sin 1. It s cause of sin as Hose 4.1 he saith that the Lord had a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land for that there was no mercy and the reason of that was because there was no true dealing and the reason of both these was because there was no knowledge of God And streight after he telleth them of their destruction for it So Ro. 3.17 when he had shewed all the enormities of the heathen his conclusion is because the way of peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have not known 2. It s the cause of punishment for sin as Esa 5.13 he saith that the captivity of Babylon was because they wanted the knowledge of God And it s not the cause of punishment but as its the cause of sin and that is set forth to us in Pro. 14.22 Do not they erre that imagine evill There is no sin but there is an error therefore planting of perfect knowledge would be a cutting away of many sins and Aug. saith Non erratur nisi ignorantia There is no sinning but through ignorance Doth not Salomon say Do they not all erre that work wickednes Therfore that sin may be diminished knowledge must needs be planted Ignorance is by the learned made threefold 1. That which they excuse Ignorantia 3◠Ignorance threefold and think God regardeth it not Act. 17.30 That God did wink at the times of ignorance i. marked them not They use to call it an invincible ignorance and its first in children before they have the use of reason And 2. in those that want the use of reason that are borne and continue so And 3. in those that by disease or any such thing are bereft of the use of it and that ignorance they say is not imputed to them They adde a fourth also i. where the means cannot be had But if a man having the love of God in the heart set himselfe to seeke he shall be sure to find them God hath even by revelations made them known even to those men that have made a conscience of keeping the rules of nature The other kinds are faulty 2. The 2. is affected ignorance David saith Ps 36.3 Noluerunt intelligere ut bene agerent They would not understand that they might doe good And it s in those specially that are skilfull that know that they are in a sin and are not willing to come out of it They doe quasi nectere sibi quaestiones they draw one question in the necke of another that they do not know a definition of it Aug. saith well of them Vbi non est dolus in inquisitione ibi non est peccatum in inventione Where there is no deceit in the inquisition there is there no fault in the invention Many would come to him and aske him many questions and tell him that they could not finde any reason in that that he affirmed to have no darknes at all nor hardnes in it and he would say dolose quaerebas dolose inveniebas you did inquire deceitfully ye did find deceitfully This is the conclusion when a thing is made plain unto us and we will not have it plaine and so not see it we fall into this kind of ignorance The 3. they call supina ignorantia retchlesse and carelesse ignorance the cōmon fault in these daies This is when a man habet à quo discat non vult discere hath from whom he may learn and will not learn And as in these times when almost the whole Land are guilty of it if they be ignorant so if it be in the springs of knowledge it is most retchlesse ignorance It s in those that either through negligence or slothfulnesse to know or through shamefastnes to enquire will not know And this for ignorance 2. The other is light knowledge Light knowledge which is full now in our daies contrary to that rule of the Apostle Ro. 12.3 God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith And that measure of faith is expressed Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome Not only the whole absence but the absence of the measure of faith is condemned When a thing is commended to us in a measure not only the not having of it at all but also the not having of the measure is a fault And not only that but it s also required that according to our yeeres our
be thus zealous and so if it be for the name of our Father or any of those that we receive benefit by wee will thinke ill of our selves if we take not the quarrell upon us God is not to be accused to punish those that take his name in vaine To conclude as it is most certaine that Gods name is glorious in it selfe Psal 8.1 How glorious is thy name in all the World So it must be in every one of us If thou wilt it shall be glorified by thee willingly if thou wilt not in spite of thy teeth whether thou wilt or no he will be glorified Exod. 14.4 And I will harden Pharaohs heart so I will get me honour upon Pharaoh and upon all his Host Deut. 14.2 Thou art an holy people unto the Lord. We must be as the Israelites or wee shall be as Pharaoh Hee that will not glorifie Gods name with the Israelites shall glorifie it with Pharaoh that is by suffering Gods punishing hand For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse The end of the third Commandement The IV. Commandement Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day c. THE outward worship was divided into the generall or state and temporall worship The reason is this because whereas God commandeth the inward worship of the Soule in the first Commandement both of knowledge and will and in the second hee would have manifest and knowne outwardly the submitting of our knowledge wisedome and reason by reverence a worship the submitting of our affections or will by yeelding reverence of gesture and for this outward gestnre because it could be performed onely to him he would not have it done then onely but when wee were dealing with others and to others that the glory of his name might be magnified in speech and therefore the duties of the third Commandement are injoyned and these three perpetuall and generall besides these three in the fourth Commandement he taketh order that there be not onely a generall profession but also a set day a solemne profession wherein there should be a publique profession of these duties and those and wherein they should all be brought to â—ight Levit. 23.2 3. The feasts of the Lord which ye shall call the holy assemblies even those are my feasts Six dayes shall worke be done but the seventh shall bee the Sabbath of rest an holy convocation ye shall doe no worke therein It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings The end of the Sabbath A great and holy assembly for this end either that they might be sanctified and all taught or that they might practice them to his glory in the great congregation It is true and that the Heathen man saw well Publicorum cura minor the common care is not the best care But that that is looked to of all is cared for of none and cometh to be regarded of none and so no doubt would men have dealt with God had not he provided a particuler day for himselfe and setled it by a Commandement and that in very particuler manner By that continuall and generall Sabbath they have no day of rest The drift of God in adding this Commandement shall be seene For the Commandement it selfe generally it is full out as long and longer then the second Commandement of many words and therefore moveth us to a due and no lesse consideration of it We see for the duties of the second Table foure of them are ended in a word because common honesty and writers as Philosophers politick and civill Lawes have taken order for them as in manslaughter whoredome and theft c but the fifth because God seeth there is an humour in us that will not willingly yeeld to subjection therefore it was necessary that God should fence it with a reason So likewise in the tenth there is a great particularity used in it because men thinke that their thoughts are free and not to come into judgement and therefore they may have their Concupiscence and Will free But now in the first Table every Commandement hath his reason but above them all in particular this Commandement it includeth six respects that are not found in any of the rest 1. That where the rest runne either barely affirmative as the fifth or barely negative as the rest in this both parts are expressed Affirmative in these words Remember thou keepe holy c. Negative In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke c. So that our desire and inclination to the breach of this Commandement is both wayes met withall 2. That not onely to our selves but to all others that pertaine to us which in a full ennumeration and a wonderfull kind of particularity God proceedeth here to reckon them up that with us or by us may be violators of this Commandement 3. In the other we see how the case standeth they all are imperative and they runne peremptorily the word here used though it be of the Imperative Moode yet it is rather a word of intreaty Remember and may be a note of separation from the rest this Commandement therefore imperat persuadet doth both command and perswade in the word Remember 4. Againe beside the Commandement it yeeldeth a reason and perswadeth but not with one reason as the other but with one maine reason indeed and three others so that this exceedeth all by the multitude of perswasions 5. Another is this that we see in the former Commandement the reason is fearefull so it is in the second Commandement In this it is a farre more easie and reasonable for the great and maine reason is this that we should doe no more then God hath done 6. That as we see by the preface annexed Recordare Remember when we know it is that word that we expresse an especiall charge by because we thinke that it maketh no matter that it is but a trifle whether a duty be broken or kept and therefore he wileth and chargeth us to have an especiall regard of it and not forget him The Commandement as it standeth is divided into the 1. Precept and 2. Aetiologie that is the reason or perswasion First the Precept Remember that thou sandine a day unto me a day of rest to the Lord. For the understanding of it wee must know what is meant first by day of rest or Sabbath secondly what by sanctifying A day of rest or Sabbath properly in the Originall tongue betokeneth such a rest as there hath a worke gone before it Cessaâ—iâ— such a rest is plainely set downe Levit. 25. When the Land hath beene laboured and tilled six yeares he chargeth it to be suffered to rest the seventh yeare and lye fallow a politick Law So that after a labour of six dayes this is it that God requireth that there should be a day of ceasing Sanctifying is here attributed to two in this Commandement in the end that the Lord sanctifyed the Sabbath here in the beginning that wee must remember to sanctifie it The
rule in Divinity is that where any word is given to God and to Man that to God is applyed Sub modo destinandi to Man Sub modo applicandi When God doth appoint a thing to an holy use he is said to sanctifie it when a man applyeth it to that end whereunto God hath appointed it he is said to sanctifie it It is sure that by nature all are alike before God and men differ not by nature and so may it be said of Water Bread Wine and Dayes c. by nature all are alike and of it selfe one is not more holy then another but Levit. 20.26 the first action God saith I have put you apart from all people that you should bee mine When God putteth a man apart that he should be his whether his in the common wealth or in the Church to doe it there either Magistrate or Minister then this separation is the beginning of a sanctifying So of that Water that is separated to Baptisme and in the creatures of Bread and Wine there is no more in them naturally then in others till they be put apart from the rest of the Water and Bread and Wine and made Gods that is appointed to an use in his Church And so likewise of dayes naturally there is not more holinesse in one of them then in another onely it is the Ordinance of God that maketh the separation of it from the other to become his The common use that a man doth separate to the Lord of all that he hath whether it be man or beast may neither be sold nor redeemed for every thing separate from the common use is most holy to the Lord. Now the nature of such things is as Levit. 27.28 Every thing that is separate from common use is most holy to the Lord and it must neither be sold nor redeemed therefore we see that Exod. 28 29 30. Chap. For his Tabernacle the fireforks pothooks fleshooks made for the Sacrifice and the basest instruments made for the fire to stirre it up and the meate in the Caldrons whereof a libamen or offering should not be put in any other fire and the Snuffers to no other Lamps but those of the Tabernacle all onely to this So this is the nature of a thing sanctified and how it differeth from other things Other things may serve if they be done in part this it must not be done in part but onely and wholly Psal 1.2 Meditation every day and every night doth well Psal 145.2 Every day he will praise God and Psal 55.17 he will do it thrice a day in the Evening Morning and Noone and Psal 119.164 he will doe it seven times a day because of his righteous judgements Yet all these are but in part for in these dayes other things may be done joyntly with it and they may take also a part of the day lawfully but here is the difference This day the most holy day and separated to Gods use this it must be done onely and wholly not in part nor joyntly with any other exercise Now the question is wherefore it pleased God to deale thus with that day to sanctifie it as we see it was before any sinne came into the World as Gen. 2.3 whether it be for himselfe Tit. 1.25 To the cleane all things are cleane to the holy all things are holy God is most holy and needeth nothing to be sanctified to him if not for him therefore for us 1 Thes 4.3 Our sanctification is the will and pleasure of God And consequently to the end we might be made holy he hath hallowed the day his Word c. So by the second way or part of sanctification by annexing a blessing to them he blessed it and in the Bread of the Sacrament as Mat. 26.26 he blest the bread and his dicere is facere that is he gave it a power of doing good As to his bread so to his day and hath it in two sorts of holinesse First for whereas the place is said to be holy as the place whereon Moses stood and all that belonged to the Tabernacle because they were meanes unto holinesse Secondly so the fruit is another use when as holinesse is wrought and brought forth in practice Sanctificamini sancti estote then it commeth to thus much God hath put apart this day to the end that it might bee applyed wholly either to the meanes of sanctification or to the practice of his sanctification begotten in us Christ Mark 2. did a good Sabbath dayes worke and he hath given it a blessing that is that what meanes of sanctification we use in it the meditation that wee have in it it shall be of more effect and force to us then it should be on any other day not sanctified Then if we see how God hath sanctified it wee must see how we must doe i. e. As he by his blessing sanctifieth it so we must sanctifie it by our obedience In two parts first in estimation or account that is for our judgement secondly in our use that is for our practice First we must account of it as a day holy to God Acts 10.15 we must not count it common What God hath cleansed that must not be counted common our judgement must be of it that it be not common but as a Magistrate is among men so that must be a day of dayes Secondly our use that we so use it The use is excellently set downe Esay 58.13 that wee doe not our owne businesse that thinking of common thoughts take not up our braines nor common communication and that our behaviour be sanctified tending to the practice of holinesse Hag. 2.14 It is plaine that if that that is sanctified touch that that is common it imputeth not holinesse to that that is common but it receiveth unholinesse from it So that the touching of an unholy action in our life that day is a polluting of the day of the Lord. This wee must take heed to as much as in us lyeth else Mat. 5.25 as our Saviour there sheweth a woman may be chaste and yet adultery may be committed if a wicked eye looke on her to lust after her there is adultery though the party remaine chaste so in respect of holy things they remaine holy yet we doe pollute them when as by touching profane things we labour as much as in us lyeth to make them unholy Here are two things and both commanded but not equally but the one for the other for sanctification is the last end and drift of God and the meanes and practice of it onely and wholly is his chiefe end and is the end of the other Now the other the rest is a subordinate end because without it this matter will not be brought to passe in that order that God requireth To the making it plaine thus much that the Heathen men by the light of nature have seene that every thing is then best ordered when it hath but one office and is ordained to doe but
one thing that is whatsoever is done it must throughly be done it must be alonely done the reason is because we are res integra finita finite creatures and if two things be done at once one part of our thoughts will be taken from the other we cannot wholly intend two things at once this is our case But it was the case of our Father Adam in innocency because he had a naturall soule and finite therefore he was not able wholly to intend the dressing of the Garden in six dayes and to intend the whole sanctification of the day of rest commanded Gen. 2.3 now because of this God would have a solemne profession of body and soule and therefore this was the end why God instituted blessed and sanctified the seventh day so that it commeth for a remedy against distraction to be intended to any other use especially in the solemne worship of the Lord that takes up the whole man and necessarily suffereth no distraction therefore it doth not suffer him to be intended to any other use Now if being then in that case he could not we that have more impediments to withdraw us we had need of a remedy against our distraction And thus cometh the rest in because that this totall solemne sanctification cannot be performed without ceasing from the rest of our workes and labour because unlesse we doe rest we cannot sanctifie Therefore is it that this is commanded with our sanctification a day of rest otherwise whereas our resting hindreth our sanctification it must bee taken away And indeed Christ doth acknowledge Mark 2.27 that man was not made for the rest but for sanctification Sanctification was his end and man was made for it rest is a subordinate end and man was not made for it but rather that for man and as it is 1. Tim. 4.8 a mans bodily labour so his bodily rest profiteth nothing but to this end applyed God liketh it not There is beside in the commandement another word Remember and because that is properly of a thing past therefore it referreth to some place or time before and there is mention of the Sabbath but in two places before one is Exod. 16.23.24.25 but that is not it for God in the end adding God blessed it referreth us to that place where the same words are Gen. 2.3 and so we know that we are referred thither And by this occasion falleth in that first question that many thinke it is a Ceremony and sundry are so perswaded and hold that men are not bound to sanctifie it since Christ Our Saviour in the case of difference and resolution of Polygamie hath taken a good course and order hee goeth to the beginning how it was ab initio non sic ab initio from the beginning it was not so to call it to the first institution for that is it that giveth the best judgement and the last first end is the true end A thing is not said to be ceremoniall if a ceremoniall use or end be annexed to it for then not one of the tenne morall Commandements but it should bee ceremoniall for they have some ceremonie annexed to them but that is a ceremony whose first and principall end is a ceremonie which this day of rest cannot be The reason because Paradise and mans perfection and a ceremony cannot agree in the state of a mans innocencie The reason is because that before there was a Saviour there could not be a type of a Saviour and before there was sin there needed no Saviour So consequently needing no Saviour needed no ceremony and needing no Saviour nor ceremonie it could not be ceremoniall But that was it that Adam having in the six dayes a naturall use in his body of the creatures should for the glory of God on the seventh day have a spirituall use and consideration So that this remedy against Distraction is the first and principall and generall end though other ends were after added as Deut. 5.15 it pleased God to add this reason that they might remember the benefit of the deliverance out of Aegypt but this was but finis posterior a particular and after end and necessary So it were well if we might add to our dayes of rest the memory of our benefits And Exod. 23.12 God yeeldeth a politique end the ceasing of beasts and men that they may returne more fresh to their labour there is moreover no better nor certainer way to keepe off our enemies those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6.12 those spirituall wickednesses the preaching of the Law then is a meane to enable us to withstand the crafty and subtile suggestions of sin and Satan And if any will say that beside these ends there was figured by this rest that rest we shall have from sinne by Christs death True but yet it is an accessorie end in the Sacrament of Circumcision Circumcision is ceased and the Passover so is the Sabbath but the Sacrament of initiation is not ceased there were two ends of it 1. The first was to seale us to his preventing or following Grace 2. The other to bee a figure of the circumcision of the Heart of the Sacrifice of the world this is ceased So the seventh day is ceased but there is another day there is a day remaining because the end of it was immutable from the beginning The reason of it selfe is so forceable and plaine that without bringing in a manifest absurditie it cannot bee avoided when they see these endes to carry us to the Institution and that in Paradise But you will say Adam never kept it neither was it kept till Exod. 16. Which should in the very misliking seeme an absurd thing that GOD two thousand yeares before a thing should bee put in use should consecrate that thing to Sanctification and all that while it should bee to no End And indeed the sort of the Heretikes that held that materia prima was so made of GOD a great many yeares before the world and it abode by him till the world was made They are confounded by the Fathers by this that no man of wisdome doth make any thing to stand by him many yeares before it can bee put to any use Therefore GOD useth not so to doe but when hee shall have use of any thing then to blesse it This prooveth that this day resteth on the consciences of men and that the institution riseth from GOD immediately even in Adams innocencie Wee must understand that Deut. 4.13 GOD maketh there a plaine distinction betweene Ceremonies and the morall law by this manner That the one proceedeth from him immediatelie the other by the ministerie of Moses and that very same is Deuterenom 5.31 Againe beside the Confusion and breach of Order a thing which GOD misliketh one of the Fathers on these words saith Nunquid Saul est inter Prophetas What is Saul amongst the Prophets Not a Prophet by profession they wondred at it that hee should bee amongst the Prophets one saith
that Saul is heterogeneum amongst the Prophets it will fall against order for a Ceremoniall precept to stand in the middest amongst morall commandements For every Ceremonie or Type because it was a foretelling of the Gospell therefore must bee referred to the Gospell as the shadow to the bodie for indeed Ceremonies are Evangelicall So there is not onely this but also a Confession of the Law and the Gospell in the Decalogue Againe this being helde as a principle that the Law of Moses is nothing else but the Law of Nature revived and that a resemblance of GODs Image if that wee say that this Precept is Ceremoniall then must wee say that in the Image of GOD some thing is Ceremoniall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to abide but for a time But all things in him and in his image are eternall according to his nature And so consequently in the Law of Grace Againe when CHRIST delivereth to the Scribes the summe of the ten Commandements Thou shalt love the LORD c. It is no question but it is a summe of the Commandements Then in that part of the summe Thou shalt love the LORD c. Wee must finde the religious observation of the Sabbath and so Morall the love of GOD in which it is contained else our Saviour had delivered an imperfect summe Lastly a dangerous way is taken for bringing in one Ceremonie and the Papists as Parosius and Politian◠they will bring in another for they will have the second Commandement also to bee ceremoniall and there is no reason why there may not bee as well three as two and so foure and five and so all Therefore the best institution the best way for upholding the duties Eternall and to keepe them without blemish is to hold that part of the ten Commandements to deny all Ceremonies in the law as comming of the nature of the Commandement but they are plainly Morall 6. To come to the time of the Gospel Eph. 2.15 wee hold that all ceremonies are ended and abrogated by CHRISTS death but the Sabbath is not which is plaine by Matth. 24.20 for there CHRIST denouncing the overthrow of Jerusalem bids them pray that their calamitie befall not in the winter or on the Sabbath day Wee know this destruction fell out long and many years after CHRISTS death when all ceremonies were ended the Vaile rent c. Now then if hee should have prayed that their flight might not bee on the Sabbath and that were abrogated as a Ceremonie hee should have prayed that it might not have beene on that day which indeed should have beene no day Therefore it is necessarie that it bee counted no Ceremonie 7. Another is that to chop and change one day for another is not abrogatio but commutatio Judaismi 2. So the Seales of the Covenant of their owne nature are thinges morall though in regard of some other respect they bee ceremoniall Yet in the other that are meere typicall there is no manner of commutation but they are cleane taken away for if wee grant that the waxe candles the copes c. are not the Jewes but changed where as Judaisme is not to bee but as it is Eph. 2.15 Hee hath broken downe the wall hee hath taken away c. It is manifest that in stead of the Jewes seventh day in the Apostles dayes another seventh day was ordained Therefore it was not as the Ceremonies but as the Ministerie of the Covenant and Seales of the Covenant and the Day of the Covenant For wee see Act. 20.7 where as the Apostles called together the Disciples in the first day of the weeke which is our Sabbath now to heare the Word and breake bread And 1. Cor. 16.2 hee willeth them in their meetinges they should every one in the first day of the weeke put aside by him and lay up as GOD had prospered him that there might not bee gatheringes when hee came And Revel 1.10 it is plainelie called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The LORDS Day So then we see plainly in the whole time the Apostles lived it being changed by them and not taken away Therefore not of the nature of the Types of the Law But when the old Covenant ceased then ceased the Ministerie of the old Covenant The Priesthood of Levi was changed and given to all Tribes and in stead of it is our Ministerie And as the Seales of the Covenant ceased the Ceremonies of the Covenant as Circumcision and the Paschall Lambe and in their place our Sacraments Baptisme and the LORDS Supper so the Day of the Covenant is taken away and in place of it is put the LORDS Day None of them being in his first end ceremoniall but as having a continuall use the Sabbath lasteth as long as the Church militant The reason which might seeme to have moved the Apostles to change this day De ratioue mutationis Sabbath may bee fitly taken from the institution of the Sabbath in the time of the Law For as then nothing was more memorable then the day of his Creation so when it pleased GOD that old thinges should cease there was a benefit that did overshadow the former Therefore from that day wee now celebrate the memoriall of CHRISTS Resurrection and became of the other worke also concurring fifty dayes after the great and inestimable benefit of Sanctification and the people by speaking with strange tongues and the memorie of the benefit of creation being as well shewed in the first day of the weeke as in the last and so have wee it by great reason established of the Creation Redemption Sanctification of the three speciall benefites wrought by the three Persons And so much for the clearing of that place The three Verses that follow 9.10.11 they are thus divided First they give light to the Commandement thus the 9. and 10. is nothing els but an expounding what the LORD meaneth And secondly at the eleventh Verse There is a reason yeelded why they should yeeld obedience to this And in the first there is an order taken as well concerning Works as concerning Persons For works sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thou hast to doe For persons thou thy sonne c. Againe in the first part there is an affirmative six dayes shalt thou labour c. and a negative In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke c. 2. There is a permission sixe dayes thou shalt worke and doe all c. Sixe dayes hath GOD bestowed on thee but the seventh day hee hath kept to himselfe hee hath bestowed sixe dayes on thee the seventh is GODS Now in these two oppositions there are two by-reasons included for the maine reason is in the 11. Verse 1. By right of Creation we are GODS and all ours for he made us of nothing and so might challenge us and our dayes so that standing in this case we could not challenge one day to our selves insomuch as if it had pleased GOD but to give us but one
I have done it see you doe not resist me but see yee submit you selves to my ordinance that is God is resisted if his Ordinance be resisted and Rom. 13.2 he that despiseth his ordinance despiseth him therefore that God hath hallowed we must not pollute We see then how farre this rest is to be kept and what is required to the sanctification The substance of the fourth Commandement consisteth especially in these two things 1. in the outward rest of the body 2. the other the End to Sanctifie it As before we must Remember it both in the weeke before the day come partly because then we are to yeeld account of the former dayes workes to God In singultu scrupulo cordis with sorrow and trouble of heart partly also as Augustine saith Ne quid operis rejiciatur in diem festum that we put not off any businesse untill the Sabbath and when it is come as Gregorie 11. Mor. 3d. Epist because there are two things the one Aliorum exempla the example of others will make us forget duely to sanctifie it The other Ludorum spectaculorum studia the desire we have after sports and pastimes wee are therefore then the rather to sanctifie it for Esay 58.13 Delicatum Domini Sabbatum the Sabbath of the Lord is a delicate thing Because these two therefore engender a forgetfulnesse we must both remember it aforehand add then also when it commeth The thing that we are to remember is a day of rest to sanctifie it Augustine in two words comprehendeth it well Otium sanctum a Holy Rest or returning from labour And if we aske A returning from what labour the words following shew from what workes A Canon of the Church sheweth it Quod ante fieri poterat quod post fieri poterit What might have beene done before and what may be done afterward must be rested from And whatsoever is meant by the labours and works of the weeke dayes that must be ceased from of us on the contrary Ab eo quod nec ante fieri poterat nec postea poterit non est ita avertendum that which could not be done before and that which cannot be done afterward may on that day be done by us The reason why it must be thus Aug. Epist 157. ad Optatum and Jerome upon Ezek. 20. concerning that the distinction of the bodily rest is for sanctification For out of Eccl. 3. they take this for a ground that there is nothing but must have his time and consequently that we appoint certaine times for our bodies for repast as of sleepe c. in which time we take such order as that we be not let by any thing and as he saith there the more serious a thing we are to deale with the more we seeke that nothing be done with it but that onely and wholly The cheifest care to be had of the soule that nothing trouble it frō his whole meditation but to this end it is meet wee be even solitarie as Augustine saith and we thinke we take a good order in it so So in the Law of Nature there is a time for the soule and the building of the same for procuring holinesse to it for declaring holinesse in it and so consequently that wee are because it is a serious matter to use no lesse diligence in the cases thereof then that there may be no other thing to hinder us And it is a matter so plaine that we see even the councell of Trent taking order for keeping of holy dayes hath set downe Quae abhis qui humanarum occupationum negotio detinentur omnino praestare non possent that this body entermeddle not it selfe with worldly affaires So many of the Fathers as write upon that Psal 46.10 Vacate videte quod ego sum Dominus be still and know that I am God shew by the course of wisedome the same that the Philosophers require that Postulandum secessum ut melius intendamus a full Vacation from cares that a mans head be not occupied with thoughts in worldly matters but that his soule might wholly intend this day and the body might be at command with the soule therefore the forbidding of workes in this Commandement is not therefore because the workes of themselves are evill but onely because they would distract the minde and would not suffer the whole man wholly to intend the workes of the Sabbath The substance of this Commandement I sayd consisteth of these two parts Rest and Sanctification The Rest is the first part otium It is a very strange thing that the nature of man is so altogether given to be contrary to Gods will and wisedome so that it falleth out on both sides contrary Where the precepts are laborious Nota. and of travell and paine there they will be idle and where the precepts are not laborious and of no paine there rather then they will not breake the Commandement they will take paines and wee will even against our natures make our selves businesse and we will pick out that day of all dayes of the weeke that he hath chosen so that we make it a kind of pollicie to make advantage of that day and to find labour in that day which hee hath denyed us to labour in This for the easinesse of the Commandement and perversenesse of man Concerning this rest there are six Countermands The first thing that wee finde Countermanded here is Exod. 16.26 there God taketh order in Elim before the Law was given that from their very necessary labour from gathering Manna they should cease the reason is because it is mercatura animae the soules Market there is a better thing then Manna John 6.58 and 1 Pet. 2.3 speaking there of the heavenly food of that day doth preferre it before Manna 2. A second forbidding in Nehem. 13.15 not onely the gathering of Manna or the going out to gather but though it bee brought us yet a plaine countermand and execution upon it sheweth that it is unlawfull So we are forbidden as from gathering of Manna so from buying of Manna To this belongeth Buying and Selling all Markets and Faires on that day forbidden 3. From carrying burthens Jer. 17.21 22. there is a great commination against those that carryed burthens on that day that made it their carriage day that hee would bring a plague upon them and that such as is there mentioned that is Captivity So we must not carry on that day except we will that God give us a burthen that is Captivitie 4. A fourth thing forbidden Exod. 34.21 because this carriage and inninge of harvest and grapes might seeme to be a matter of great necessity therefore he saith that both in Seed-time and Harvest and Vintage his Sabbaths should be kept that is so as that the provision of the whole Common-wealth must give place to the Rest of the Lord. And that is for carriage 5. For journeying and travelling on the Sabbath day Exod. 16.29 Cras erit
the the state of a Learner and yet shewed a great gift that way above his yeares And if points of doctrine faile Luke 3.10 and Act. 2.37 what other points were to bee resolved of as there were divers questions moved by some how they might live accordingly id est by the Souldiours and by the Publicanes Now because there are no doubts it is a signe that feare is cleane extinguished out of mens hearts and if there bee any it is not of doing or leaving undone but of detracting 2. Betweene equalls Gal. 2.2 2. Kings 2.11 Luke 24.17 Mal. 3.16 When as hearers or two of like calling whether they bee Teachers as in the two first places as Elias and Eliseus went talking The word in the originall beareth a further signification and as Paul with Peter and the disciples in Luke with CHRISTS approbation and in Malachie it is accompanied with a blessing id est because that thing in the preaching of the Word doth good to one which doth not to the other by the laying together as it were a symbolum in a common shot they receive a more generall benefit As on the other side those imperfections and infirmities that hinder mee happly the same may fall into the minde of my brother and I may shew him how his case and how I was delivered out of it The third is Deuter. 11.19 Where it is sayd Of the exercise of the Law there shall bee an examination in families and the father or chiefe thereof hee shall question with the younger and that shall enter and whet them more and make it sticke faster So these three make a full member 4. Concerning the fourth and last It is not to bee passed over Aug. lib. 10. de Civit. DEI accompteth it totum opus Sabbathi as if the Sabbath was made for nothing else But onely for thanksgiving and prayse For this ende was as is aforesayd penned Psal 92. for that ende appointed Howbeit they have drawne Psalmes generally to these three points That the Church of GOD publikely that every man particularly may make use Either of those that containe generall matter or of some particular custome For generall instruction Psal 91. the generall Psal 103. of some particular benefit as Psal 68. When as wee have had too much raine and pray for faire weather or when there is too much drought the latter part of Psal 65. Then for these particular benefites particular Thanksgiving or as Psal 35.18 the neglect of which is a blemish in our Church Hee desireth deliverance and promiseth that beeing heard hee will sing His Praise in the Congregation So Psal 65.1 the very word there is due There is due to thee an Hymne The reason is because thou hast heard our prayers Tibi debetur Hymnus à SION These actions are so generall as that they may serve for every action of the Sabbath In wicked exercises wee can never bee frequent enough God requires that wee should bee as faithfull in his worke The celebration of the Sacraments Exod. 12.16 and performing of the discipline of the Church It is the Sabbath dayes worke The order doth pertaine to all and it so pertaineth to all that least any man should thinke it is enough to doe it once Revel 22.11 Qui sanctisicatus est sanctisicetur adhuc Hee that is holy let him bee holy still There is still a necessitie every Sabbath day wee must continue 1. Cor. 13.9 Our knowledge is but in part and our prophecying but in part There shall still remaine scrutamini scripturas search the Scripture Revel 7.14 That wee should still wash our Robes in the bloud of the Lambe id est Come still nearer and nearer to cleannesse so farre forth as 1. Tim. 4. If wee continue there in wee shall save our selves This for the Meanes The Meanes are for the Fruit and therefore hee that planteth a Vineyard hoc est vltimum fructus ejus Though hee hope when it is yet aframing yet last is the Fruit. This is the fruit that GOD looketh for the great ende of the Commandement that His Name may be sanctified in us We must not use the Meanes only For the Meanes the phrase is set downe Numb 20.12 Because ye beleeved mee not to sanctifie mee in the presence of the children c. Levit. 20.7 Sanctificate sancti estote Sanctifie your selves and bee yee holy Such wordes because of the two folde glorie that redoundeth to GOD have a double use GOD is glorified 1. either by us directly or 2. from us by others indirectly Matth. 5.16 That they seeing our good workes might glorifie Him Therefore commeth it to passe that these wordes as sanctification and justification c. have a double sense First it signifieth a making holy When wee are indeed made holy and that is by Meanes for this cause sanctification is a making holy Second in regard of the other a declaring of this made sanctification And of our selves The first beeing 2. Pet. 1.10 And second shewing it to all other men to bee so and so wee may glorifie GOD our selves and GOD may bee glorified in others Whereby it falleth out that because good workes make this Therefore CHRIST Matth. 12.12 sayth That a good worke is lawfull on the Sabbath day What worke soever sheweth Regeneration is lawfull 2. Tim. 2.21 for there the Apostle sayth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Prepared or made fit to every good worke But because that the day is specially instituted for the remembrance of his great Mercies as 1. Making us when wee were nothing 2. Redeeming us when wee were in a worse case and 3. The beginning of Sanctification for these three great Mercies Therefore it is that no worke doth so well agree as Thanksgiving for these Mercies Hee is so delighted in no worke as in the worke of Mercie And therefore commeth it that there is an especiall affinitie betwixt sanctification and workes of mercie Ose 6.6 When hee had sacrifice without this hee abjecteth all Therefore to compare this with the rituall sanctification of the law As you had annointing so you had the second part every thing was sanctified by two meanes First If hee were a person his hand was filled by Aaron implevit manum ejus Aaron And if it were an Altar then there was somewhat offered on it So oblation or filling the hand is the second Deut. 16.16 There is a charge to Aaron that whensoever they came to appeare before the LORD none of them should appeare emptie Therefore Levit. 8.31 There is mention made of a Basket of sanctification in which were reserved those thinges that afterward they would consecrate to the LORD The very same order was taken 1. Cor. 16.1.2 On the LORDS Day there should bee collection for the poore There is nothing that so setteth out the matter as Deut. 26. wholly The workes are either outward and performed to the bodie or inward and performed to the spirit of man For the first Matth. 25.
Commandement is the fountaine whence all of the second Table doe come as a streame beginning at the Conduit-head This fifth Commandement hath all those properties which are due to any man with respect And in those two things which must be seene in love 1. In respect of God the excellencie 2. In respect of us conjunction or nearenesse Whereas in conjunction we must rather love the faithfull our countreymen and kinsfolke here in the case of excellencie it is not so For sometimes wee must give more honour to an infidell as Acts 25. Paul to Nero and Dan. 6.3 to a stranger as they did to Daniel and Gen. 41.40 as Pharaoh did to Ioseph And to give this to men indued with gifts is in regard of their nearenesse to God for by his benefits they are neerer his end so as for this cause they are to be preferred and made nearer to us also And they are also nearer to us in respect of the greater profit we shall receive of them according to that of the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He as God for God setteth as much by that which is his his owne as by himselfe so that being nearer our profit we may love them and being nearer to God we must performe all other duties unto them Why are not all men excellent alike Quest Sol. Gods wisdome wonderfully appeareth in this For seeing Gen. 2.18 the occasion of the Woman was that she should helpe because that though it were good yet not the best that Man should be alone for he being finite and therefore of a finite power might with helpe performe better services unto God Now seeing they were plures more then one the question is whether they must be one body or not And if there be one body then must there be diversity of members 1 Cor. 12.21 But if it be said there should not be one that is confuted here Also God being most excellent and having all other things under him would in his creatures have a patterne of that excellencie and subjection so that for that cause 1 Cor. 15.41 he made every star differ from other inglory So also that they might be those divers vessels 2 Tim. 2.20 And by this Commandement doth all power stand And hence it is that he hath called them Gods Psal 82.6 And therfore this Commandement possesseth this place as in medio in the midst as Philo Iudaeus saith because God would have him first to looke to his worship and then to his owne honour in the second Table Gen. 17.9 This Commandement hath two parts 1. precept Honour c. 2. Reason that thy dayes c. This division proved Ephes 6.2.3 The precept containeth the duty of Inferiours Honour Superiours to be Fathers and Mothers For God includeth in one word the most especiall things And because as Chrysostome saith first they must be before they can be honoured therefore first What is meant by Father What is here ment by Father 1. That is true Matth. 23.9 We have but one Father for all others as the Heathen said be but instruments Whensoever therefore any thing is attributed to God and man God is the first Ephes 3.17 so he is the first Father Psal 27. which tooke us out of the wombe and the last Father Psal 82. which taketh us up when all other have forsaken us So that seeing to be a Father commeth from God and our superiours are made partakers with God as his instruments they must also have their duties from him The word Father signifieth him that hath a care or desire to doe good for which Iob cap. 25. was called a Father so that he is a Father by whom others are in better case and estate 2. Mother This hath the name of a faithfull keeper as we may see by the end of her making which was to helpe And the same word was so used Iob 12.20 Ruth 4.4 And the Heathen themselves know this that a good governour differeth nothing from a good Father 3. Honora honour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth aggravare so where excellencie is added to the thing it is of weight and in precious things the heaviest is the best So that addere pretium is addere pondus and so by translation honorem honour for when a man hath received the person of God it is more to be esteemed It was a miracle among the Heathen that so many Kings should give their heads to one sometimes to a Woman sometimes to a child which argueth plainely that they knew a divine power therein that might not be resisted i. Gods ordinance and so worketh a reverence in our hearts And as in the former word so for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour Solon in his Lawes and Plato and the Romanes doe make choyce of this word and other that write of Lawes and that matter 1. Now what the estate of them is this is to be set downe as 2 Cor. 4.13 All things are for your sakes i. for the Churches sake Politia est propter Ecclesiam set downe 1 Tim. 2.2 For there the Apostle goeth thus to worke God would have all men saved that they might be saved he would have them live in all godlinesse and honesty that they may doe thus he would have them taught the knowledge of God this necessarily requireth a rest for in the warres there is nothing rightly ministred That men might intend thus to live it is said vers 2. it is expedient they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leade a peaceable life in regard of outward invasions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiet in regard of minde and inward tumult and troubles Now if the naturall Father and Mother could have performed this as a while they did to Gen. 9. there had needed no other But Gen. 10.8 9. there comes one Nimrod with a company of hounds at his taile the same metaphor it pleaseth the holy Ghost to use i. sons of Belial and he taketh upon him to be an hunter i. a chaser of men to disturbe So because the naturall Father cannot performe it and because we cannot in deede doe fully the duty of our soules therefore there is a Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi a spirituall Father in the Apostles and their successors For this cause Heb. 13.17 to soules and bodies 1 Tim. 2.2 was it that God first allowed and after instituted that men should have government both for resisting of outward foes and quieting of inward strises Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every soule be subject c. There it is said that this binding of men into one society this power is of God and so to be accounted of us for vers 4. he saith God hath delivered him a sword to the end that he should be vindex malorum against the evill and disturber of this quietnesse by which men might intend the former rest and consequently that he should be a comforter and cherisher of good men and those that love to live
wills are faine to do it Therefore our rule in this behalfe is that we do Gods will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 9. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. not grudgingly but cheerfully from the heart accounting it our meat to do the will of our heavenly Father Joh. 4. Secondly for the Elevation it is true that the qualification is signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our prayer is that we may do Gods will as it is done in heaven but not as much with like readinesse of mind but not in like measure for that is impossible for earthly men wee desire to fulfill Gods will in the manner but not in the same degree of obedience which may be expressed by the words Image and likenesse Gen. 1. Our obedience may be the likenesse of the Angels but not the Image The Character or Stampe of the Angels obedience is that which is equall in proportion but such obedience is not to be found there may be a beame of it answerable in likenesse and quality not in quantity so in likenesse we are Conformes imagine Christi Rom. 8. and beare the image of the heavenly Man 1 Cor. 15. as endeavouring thereunto but yet we cannot attaine to it But albeit it is hard for flesh and blood which our Saviour required Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. yet there is an use of such precepts first ut feramur ad perfectionem that we may be led on to perfection Heb. 6.1 Secondly we must have an Heroicall and free spirit Psal 51. which may stirre us up to wish that wee could do more then we can which consists of Aspiration and Suspiration We must aspire to the greatest perfection with David Concupivit anima mea My soule hath lusted to keepe thy righteous judgements for ever Psal 119.20 And O that my waies were so directed Psal 119.5 This is an Angelicall perfection which we cannot attaine unto in this life therefore we must suspirare when we consider that the Law saith Thou shalt not lust and yet find that wee do lust we are to sigh and say with the Apostle Who shall deliver us from this body of death Rom. 7. If we find that we cannot love our God with all our heart and soule as we ought then to say with the Prophet Vae mihi quia prolongatus est incolatus meus in terra Wo is me that my dwelling is prolonged in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 We must desire to do more then we can and grieve that we cannot do so much as we ought that as we do what we can so what we cannot do we should supply it Voto desiderio animo with our hearty wish desire and mind Thirdly the supplication is of two sorts Reall and personall Touching the first as the grace of God is multiformis gratia 1 Pet. 4. So the will of God being one is of many sorts and containeth divers particulars therefore as we generally pray that the will of God may be done so when by the word of God wee understand what is the will of God in particular we are to desire no lesse that it may be performed This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thess 4. Therefore our desire must be that this will of his may be done and fulfilled in us This is a speciall remedy against the tēptations of the flesh which oppose themselves against Gods will There is another will of God for patience for he would have us suffer for Christs sake without murmuring that so wee may stop the mouthes of ignorant men 1 Pet. 2.6 Therefore we are to pray that this will of God also may be done in us As Joseph was carefull to do Gods will touching sanctification and Job to obey Gods will in suffering patiently both which are now Saints in Heaven so must wee after their examples be both holy and carefull and patient It may be we are willing to obey Gods will in particular but we will say Nondum venit hora it is not yet time Therefore we must learne to practise the Prophets resolution I made hast and prolonged not the time to keepe thy Law Psal 119. When God revealeth his will to us we must presently put it in practise and as Saul did Act. 9. and not counsell with flesh and blood and this is the reall application The persons to whom the doing of Gods will is to be applyed are not onely the whole earth which is also to be wished as the Prophet sheweth Set up thy selfe O God above the heaven and thy glory above all the earth Psal 57. But the earth or land wherein we dwell as the Prophet speakes that glory may dwell interra nostra in our land Ps 85. So we pray that Gods will may be done in all lands but especially in our land and country that so he may bestow his blessings upon it but yet we are every one of us particularly to apply to our selves for to man it was said by God Terra es Gen. 3. To man it was said Earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord Jer. 22. So we desire that Gods will may especially be done and fulfilled in that part of the earth whereof God hath made us that is that in these our earthly vessels which we carry about with us we may be carefull to do that which God requireth at our hands THE THIRTEENTH SERMON Give us this day our daily bread OUt of the words of our Saviour in the sixth of Matth. vers 33. wee have elsewhere set downe the order of these three Petitions which concerne our selves for the first is the Petition of Glory and of Gods Kingdome which our Saviour willeth us to seeke in the first place The second is the Petition of Grace and of Gods righteousnesse wherein we pray that Gods will may be done The third Petition tendeth to this end that as the Prophet speakes God would not with-hold any temporall blessing needfull for this life but that he would give us all things that are necessary for us The things pertaining to Glory for which wee pray in the first place are Eternall those that concerne grace are Spirituall and the blessings of this life which we desire may not be with-held from us are naturall and temporall This is Natures prayer for not onely we but all creatures above and beneath make the same suit to God by the voyce of Nature the ravens of the aire call upon God that he would feed them Ps 147. The Lyons beneath roaring for their prey do seeke their meat at God Psal 104.21 and therefore no marvell that wee in as much as we are creatures do seeke to God who is the God of Nature to supply the defects of nature that we find in our selves as other creatures and yet there is a difference betwixt us and them for they call upon God onely for corporall food that their bellies may be filled but
worth the sight in this respect onely to behold how these Champions behave themselves that so we may be warned before-hand by seeing the strength of our Adversary and that also seeing the manner of his fight and of our Saviours defence we may be instructed how to arme our selves and how to ward accordingly For let us be sure that since the Devill spared not to tempt our Saviour he will be much more bold with us If he have done this to the greene tree what will become of the dry Luk. 23.31 If hee have sought our overthrow in Christ how much more will he doe it in our selves If our dayes here be but as the dayes of an hireling Job 7.1 and our whole life be but as a continuall warfare 2 Tim. 2.4 then is it behoovefull for us to have some intelligence of our enemies forces and drifts It is said his darts are fiery Eph. 6.16 Here we may see the manner of his casting them that so Sathan should not circumvent us 2 Cor. 2.11 Let us marke how our Saviour wardeth and defendeth himselfe that so we may be armed with the same minde 1 Pet. 4.1 Let us therefore goe out into the Wildernesse to see it Then Jesus This is the description of the entry into the temptation and it containeth as a weighty History many circumstances importing great matters which may be reduced to seven branches or heads First the two Champions first Christ and Secondly Sathan Thirdly the leader of Jesus into the lists who is said to be the Holy Ghost Fourthly the end which was the conflict it selfe that is to be tempted Fifthly the day of the battell expressed under the word Then Sixthly the lists themselves that is the Wildernesse Seventhly Christ his preparation to it that is his fasting I. First for the party defendant Christ who as God giveth food to every living creature Psal 136.25 and as God and man with five loaves and two fishes fed 5000. men besides women and children Matth. 14.21 He that is said to be the very meat it selfe whereby we live eternally John 6. is here said to be hungry He before whom thousand thousands are said to minister and ten thousand thousands are said to stand before him Dan. 7.10 hath here for his companions the wilde beasts for so saith Marke Chap. 1.13 He to whom the Angels minister verse 11. is here assayled with devils which offer unto him matter of great indignity and the indignity which he suffered leads us to the consideration of the grievousnesse of our sinnes and of the greatnesse of his love both which are measured by the greatnesse of those things he suffered for us as that he was cast out from among the company of Angels for so Marke chap. 1. ver 12. hath it into the Desert to be a companion of beasts and so led forth to be tempted where he suffered in his body hunger in his soule temptation what is it else but a proclaiming of his great love towards us As if he should exulting say What is it that shall separate me from the love of men Shall temptation shall solitarinesse shall hunger shall wearisome labour and travell shall watching shall anguish of minde and bloody sweat shall mockes shall whippes shall nayles shall speares shall principalities That wee also might use the same challenge which Paul doth in the 8. Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans the 35. verse What shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation shall anguish or persecution These two profitable points grow out of the consideration of the person of the defendant II. Secondly the party assaylant is the Devill who is so called by reason of his foule mouth in defaming for so doth the word Diabolus import where by we have occasion to detest the sinne of infamy and it sheweth what name they deserve and how to be esteemed of in whom that quality is found Saint Paul 2 Tim. 3.3 foretold that in the latter dayes there should be men devills foule-mouthed men evill speakers and 1 Tim. 3.11 he speaketh of women devils because of their calumnious speeches In the tongue wherein Christ spake these words namely the Syriacke the fittest word that he could finde to signifie the devils name is a word that signifies Divulgator so that a publisher of infamous reports is good Syriacke for the devill as when a man lightly conceives a reptoach either forging it himselfe by misconstruction or credulously receiving it upon the report of others and then is not sorry for his brothers ill Mat. 5.22 but rather insulteth not considering that he himselfe may fall into the like temptations Gal. 6.1 and so becomes puffed up 1 Cor. 5.2 and at last fals a blazing his brothers imperfections 3 Joh. 10. These come right to the devils quality they take upon them the abetting of the devils quarrell It is the devils occupation to defame us first with God as he did Job as if he had beene an hypocrite and had served God onely for gaine Job 1.9 and so stands he continually accusing us Apoc. 12.10 and he also defameth God with us as if he were a God that did envy our good Gen. 3.1 and so he here defameth God to Christ as if he were carelesse in providing for him in suffering him to be hungry And from these two defamations proceeds all evill whatsoever aswell that which the Divines call Malum poenae as Job 1.12 accusing Job that he would curse God if he handled him roughly and so got power over his goods as that which they call Malum culpae For his defaming God with us was the cause of all sinne and every where still we see he laboureth to perswade us that God is an unkinde God that so we may burst forth into those termes This good did I get at Gods hand 2 King 6.33 to wit hunger To this doth he tempt Christ verse 3. And as to desperation so sometimes to the contrary presumption as verse 6. Cast thy selfe downe c. by bringing us to have a base conceit of God defaming him as if he were a God of cloutes not to be reckoned of as if he were a man to waite upon us and to take us up as oft as we list to throw our selves downe that we may say in our hearts as they that were frozen in their dregs did Sophon 1.2 He neither doth good nor hurt it is all one to serve him and not to serve him He tels us as ver 9. that he will give us all this if we will fall downe and worship him as though he were very liberall in rewards and as though God were unkinde or ungratefull not once regarding us for all our service but suffers us even to starve which brought men to that passe as to say Mal. 3.14 that It is but in vaine to serve God what gaine is in his service If he cannot prevaile this way against us then he will try another way for when seeing that this temptation succeeded
that he is now nothing so strong as he was to cast his darts Also the head of his darts are blunted 1 Cor. 15.55 Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory For as his death and resurrection had a mortifying force against the old man and a quickning force toward the new man so hath his temptation a dulling force to the devill and a strengthning force to us For our life and imitation there are also two First Compassion for Christ knowing in what sort we were tempted as having felt by experience both how strong the assaylant was Psal 118.13 who thrust sore at him that he might fall and how feeble our nature is to make resistance being nothing but dust Psal 103.14 He is moved thereby to lay away severity and to put on the bowels of compassion So that Now we have not a high Priest which cannot bee tempted with our infirmities but was tempted in like sort Heb. 4.15 So we which were before stony Judges and too rough for Physitians ought in like sort having beene tempted our selves to looke upon others defects with a more passionate regard The second thing we are to imitate Christ is our fellow-helper in all our necessities and temptations who as he sheweth us his sleights and darts Ephes 4.14 so he teacheth us how to avoyd them This is no small comfort to us when we consider that he is with us and will be till the end of the world Matth. 28.20 who hath overcome the world Joh. 16.33 and the devill if any temptation happen that he will beare us out we may be of good cheere This was it that did so animate Job Doe thou but take my part and who shall touch me Job 17.3 When as both Christ and we draw together in one yoke Matth. 11.29 what can hurt us Yet if we be afraid for that we see the enemy comming let us call for the helpe of our assistant and as it is said in Psal 68.1 we shall see God will arise and his enemies shall bee scattered they shall vanish like smoke and melt like waxe When they are ready to attache us let us say Save me O God for the waters are entred even into my soule Psal 69.1 When we are feeble then let us say with Ezekiel O Lord it hath oppressed me comfort me Ezek. 38.14 Or though they have wounded us let us say with David Bring out thy speare and stop the way against them that persecute me Psal 35.3 Say yet to my Soule I am thy Salvation So that we have not onely an example but a comfort too V. The fifth point is the day and time when this was done in which we are to note two things The word Then relateth as well to the end of the Chapter next going before as to the present instant First then when as Christ was but newly come out of the water of Baptisme and immediately after the heavens had opened unto him and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the likenesse of a Dove and while he was yet full of the Holy Ghost did the devill set upon him When as the voyce from Heaven had pronounced This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased the devill straight addeth in whom I am ill pleased and so addresseth himselfe against him And it is Gods property to looke for much at his hands to whom he hath given much When he gives a man a large measure of grace he gives the devill withall a large patent Our Saviour had great gifts and the devill is like a theefe that will venter most for the greatest booty Secondly in regard of the present we are to note that in thirty yeares the devill did nothing to our Saviour but now when hee goes about to gird himselfe with our salvation according to Psal 45.3 then doth the devill gird on his sword also that is as much to say as the better the worke is the more resistance it shall have Ten repulses did the Israelites suffer before they could get possession of the promised Land of Canaan and as many did David endure before he was invested in the promised Kingdome Many lets came before the Temple was re-edifyed as is to be seene in Esdras and Nehemiah Yea saith the devill Hath God annoynted him with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes I will see if I can annoynt him with the oyle of sadnesse above his fellowes Hath he beene baptized of water and the Holy Ghost I will provide another Baptisme for him namely of fire Hath God sent downe the Holy Ghost upon him in likenesse of a Dove I will cause tribulation and a crowne of thornes to light upon his head Hath a voyce come downe from Heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne I will provide a voyce for him that shall ascend from the foote that shall say If thou be the Son of God come downe from the Crosse VI. The sixtâ—s the place the Lysts to wit the Wildernesse that so hee might be alone and that there might be no fellow-worker with him in the matter of our salvation that he alone might have the treading of the Wine-presse Esay 63.3 So in the Transfiguration in the Mount he was found alone Luke 9.36 So in the garden in his great agony he was in effect alone for his Disciples slept all the while Matth. 26.40 that unto him might be ascribed all the praise Secondly wee will note heare that there is no place priviledged from temptations As there be some that thinke there be certaine places to be exempt from Gods presence as was noted in the dreame of Jacob so the Monkes and Hermites thought that by avoyding company they should be free from temptations which is not so For although Christ were alone in the Wildernesse and fasting too yet was he tempted we see And yet it is true that hee that will live well must shunne the company of the wicked Gen. 19.7 When the Angels had brought Lot and his family out of the doores they charged them not to tarry nor to stand still nor once to looke backe So after the Cocke had crowed and put Peter in minde of his fall he went out of the doores and wept bitterly Matth. 26.75 his solitarinesse was a cause to make his repentance the more earnest and helped to increase his teares and company is commonly an hinderance to the receiving of any good grace and to the exercising and confirming us in any good purpose But as true it is that temptations are and may as well be in the deserts as in publique places not onely in the valleyes but in the mountaines ver 8. and not onely in the countrey but even in the holy City ver 5. yea and sometimes full and sometimes fasting yea in Paradise and in Heaven it selfe for thither doth the devill come and accuse us before God we are therefore alwayes to stand upon our guard For in Luk. 11.24 he is said to walke through dry places lest happily some
him Get thee hence behinde me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serve Then the devill leaveth him and behold the Angels came and ministred unto him THe answering of this Temptation if some had had the answering of it would have beene facto by the doing of the thing that the devill required and not in words standing upon termes in disputation Insomuch as they would never have cared for a cushion to kneele on but have fallen down straight on their very faces and have thanked him too If Balaak should say unto one of them I will promote thee to great honor Numb 22.17 an Angel standing in the way should not hinder him from going The manner of flesh and blood is in cases of preferment to respect nothing that may bring them out of their conceived hope or desire thereof and therefore whatsoever it is that stands in their way be it never so holy downe it shall for haste to make the way nearest In regard of this one brother respects not another When Joseph had had a dreame of his brethren and told it them all brotherly affection was laid aside Gen. 37.5 The sonne and subject Absolon forgetteth his duty as to his father and allegeance as to his Prince seeking his life 2 Sam. 16.11 The mother of Ahaziah Athalia when she saw her sonne dead makes no more adoe but destroyes all the Kings seed 2 King 11.1 Jehu makes no bones nor is abashed at the sight of heapes of dead mens heads of Kings sonnes that he had caused to be slaine but addes more murthers to them 2 Kin. 10.8 What 's a basketfull of heads to a Kingdome And Herod stacke not to kill all the male-borne children in Bethlem Matth. 2.16 So that Gregory might well say Ambitio est vita cui etiam innocentes nocent such is the vehement desire of a Kingdome So that a great many would have made no scruple at the matter neither would they have counted it a temptation but good counsell Neither would so have cut up Peter as Christ did to bid him goe behinde him and turne their backes on him but they would rather have turn'd their backes to God and their faces after Satan Jer. 2.27 1 Tim. 5.15 And indeed it must needs be that either our Saviour was unwise in refusing so good an offer or else the World in these dayes is in a wrong byas Our Saviour we see doth not onely refuse the thing but also gives him hard words for making the offer and motion For he doth not onely confute him here by saying Scriptum est but he addes words of bitter reprehension saying Avoid Satan He might have given faire words as he did before but here he seemeth to have left his patience The reason why he was more hot in this than in the former is for that this toucheth the glory of God and the redemption of mankinde the former Temptations touched but himselfe in particular as the turning of stones into bread but for miracle and the casting himselfe downe was but to try God what care he had of him But this so much toucheth the glory of God as he can hold no longer Also his longing to redeeme man caused the same Neither did he onely answer the devill so but when his blessed Apostle who meant friendly to him moved him to the like matter he rebuked him sharpely Two causes there are wherein Christ is very earnest one in counsell ministred to him tending to the impairing of Gods glory the other in practises tending to the impairing of Gods Church Joh. 2.15 there he was not onely vehement in words but made a whip to scourge them out And so in the Old Testament it is said of Moses Numb 12.3 That he was a meeke man above all the men of the earth yet when he came to a case of Idolatry Exod. 32.19 it is said Hee threw the Tables out of his hands and brake them And so farre did he lose his naturall affection to his people and Countrymen that he caused a great number of them to be slaine And so in a case of the Church when Corah rebelled Numb 16.15 then Moses waxed very angry for Glory be to God on high and peace on earth is the Angels song and joy and the devils griefe as on the other side the dishonour of God and dissention of the Church is the devils joy and griefe of the Angels Now besides that he doth in words rebuke him sharpely he doth no lesse in gesture also as by turning his backe upon him as it is most like he did in saying Avoid Satan which is such a despitefull disgrace as if that one should offer us the like we would take it in very great disdaine Which is to us an instruction that as there is a time when we are to keepe the devill before us and to have our eye still upon him and his weapon or temptation for feare lest unawares he might doe us some hurt so is there a place a time and a sinne that we are to turne our backes on and not once to looke at his temptation In affliction patience is to be tryed there resist the devill stand to him and he will flye from ye Jam. 4.7 Here we are to set the devill before us But in a case of lust or filthy desire then doe ye flye from him 1 Cor. 6.18 So in 2 Tim. 2.22 we are exhorted to flye from the lusts of youth and to follow justice there is no standing to gaze backe on the devill and his temptations Now to the answer Scriptum est The disputing or deciding of the Devils Title that is whether the Kingdomes of the earth were his to give or no Christ stands not upon nor upon this whether the devill were a man of his word or no. Indeed it might well have beene doubted whether the devill be as good as his word his promises are not Yea and Amen as the promises of God are We may take example by Eve to whom he promised that if they did eate of the forbidden fruite that they should be like Gods but were they so indeed after they had eaten No but like the beasts that perish And as true it is that the Kingdomes are his If the Kingdome of Israel had beene at his disposition we may be sure David should never have beene King as well appeareth by the troubles he raised against him No nor Hezechias neither of all other he would never choose such We may see his good will in Job Chap. 2.7 he could not onely be content to spoile him of all that he had but also he must afflict his body and so upon the Gergasens hogges Matth. 8.30 The Kingdomes are none of his but they are committed to him in some sort to dispose as himselfe saith Luk. 4.6 He hath as it were an Advowson of them to present unto them but yet not as he there saith to give to whom he list but to