36 Queíllons and Anlwers 3. Command. and care vpon this, how thou maiefl keepe my law es and flatutes. Whereby we fir& fee excluded all fiined and careleffe walking in the waies of the Lord ,and that the Lord regardeth him thattrembleth at his wordes. Sccondly,wee fee by it not onely Athei(ls, but euen every one that is not touched with a great defire by their good life to glorifie God, to be guilty of this lawe. Arid therefore we may heerehy ceafeto maruell at the aff taions of thole men in whole hues we haue (pied no great outward offence. For albeit they haue not greatly to mans e.ye offended, yet ifthey haue not obferued to keepehis flatutes, that is, carefully feared and fled euen from very little breaches,the Lord bath iufl occaI on to punifh their coldneffe. Lail of all, the neb le& ofthofe mcanes that G O D hath appointed for welfare either of body or foule, is abreach of this (awe. For the wordes and workes of his wifedome may not bee refufedas needleffe, which were to detra& from his wifedome , but with all thanke- fulneffe and readineffe imbraced , that in fo dooing his wifedome may be honoured. And thus doe you fee in fame part, the bredth of this Commaundement. Qefl, what then remainethyet to confider ? 11ní. Their wordes ( thy God ) are not tobe paired ouerwithoutfomeprofiteto vs : and very well may we fee in them that our obedience ought cum in this Com- mandement al fo to proceed of loue, and loue ought to make vs moll careful! to pleafe the Lord. Then are we to weigh the reafon anuexed,namely, that the Lord will not hold him guildes that taketh his name in vaine, which is as great a threatning as may bee. For all our helpe flandeth in this, that the Lord in Chrifl pardoned) vs and will not charge vs with our faultes,which disc will not doe,but enter into judgementwith vs, needs mull we dye, and abide eternal( woe. Therefore howe fhould this reafon moue vs all and euer to a reuerent regard of his name? Luefl. 2' nv then I pray you, as in the former, flewmee how Imay fruitfully vfathe cogitation of this d fcourfe? Anf. In the examination ofour felucs by this Commaundement,what fhould we doe, but curt) lay before vs, as with one fight we may fee then fully the feuerall bran- ches now repeated niche fame, carefullywaying in what cafe we (land, if we fhould be judged according tothem. And firflto heginwith falfe and vainefwearing,where Shearing. is that man or woman that can escute tIvemfelues in it ? Hach there neuer paffed an oath from mein all my lifc,but before theMaieflrate when 1 was lawfully called ther- unto ? Yes yes, God knowcth both often and gricuoufly hath my finne appeared in this behalfe. My fpeach hath not been yea,yea,and nay,nay, as it fhould haue beene, but bitterly and vehemently, carueully, and vngodly bath this tongue ofmine added more. Yea (which was madneffe now I fee) I haue fought to get and keepe my cre- dit with mortal( manby fwearing, and to loofe it with my God by fo offending. But O curled creddit fo gotten , where were mine eyes,. where was my vnderflanding ? Whether is it better for the prefent time of men to be beleeued and of the Lord for euermore abhorred, with light vngratious people, with whomoathes be onely truth, to abide a little denial(, and ofGod my God euerfor my obedience to be loved ? Yet haue I wileffe wretch made choife of the former many a time and negleeted the lat- ter. For, fworneI haue often tobebeleeucd ,w hen I fisould haue abllained,of God to be loued. Ifany rebuked mee,it was vnfeafonable, it was vnfauory, lure I am,I lik- ed not ofit, and lure I am Ì amended not by it. Nay,haue I not either eácufedoathes to bee no oathes, but affirmations, or openly euill fpoken of fo good admonition, or at leaf( fecretly in my heart difdained with fcone, and judged it foolifh and precife curiofity ? What hath any man to doewith mee ? Let euery veffell (landvpon his ownebottome,ifi finne it is worfe for mee,amend your feilt &earke not for others. Thefe haue beene our fpeaches and fuchlike, I feare me, in the impaciency andiguo- rance of our brutes, and therefore offwearing to fay no more, finned wee haue and excufeweewante, the Lord graunt pardon to our trefpaffe. If I looke at the reft, am I able to fay Iamnotguiltie,inthem ? No,no, not I, nor any fief!) lining, I am lure of it, but that the Lord for finne will not let YS fee our finne, weigh our finne, nor graver vs judgement to difcouer our gullet. For what man or woman
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