] MII aa fi . ii I F, 8 Chap. i 3. Of Obedience, and the contraries thereto. Ccm. i . facere ( for his Curfe and his I3lefiing are effectual and operative') is due efpccial I to the fin of difobedience : for it is a thing molt reproachful to God , for any to account his Commandments hard and unjult, as all difobedient Perfons do ; as the z4. evil Servant, that faidof his Matter. I knew thou waft a hard Man, Reapingwhe re thou Soweft not. A fign of Gods Curfe is the Rainbow , which not only minds us of theCovenant, but alfoof the genetal deluge, whereby God punifhed the difobedi- ence of the old World; but efpecially Death,that paffethupon all,is properly afcribed by the Apoftle , to this fin of difobedience. And as Saint Bernard obferves,our daily experience tells us as much , for .Quotidieexperimur, quetidie enimmorimur, we find it true every day, becaufe we dye daily. Betides, as God obfetvas a pro- portion in his punifhments, fo here in this fin; by that wherein we fin, by that 7.53 m_s . zo, we are punifhed : for aswe withdraw our obedience fromGod , fo the Creatures withdraw their obedience from us ; neither are we punifhed only by difobedience without us for this fin, but alfo by difobedience within us : the two Laws of the Members, and of the Mind , are oppofi,e , our affections will not be fubjedt to realen, becaufe we difobey our Creator, Thus we fee the nature of difobediencein generai. PCaI. 119.; z. Now for the kinds in particular , we know , that difobedience is compared to a Dest.5.32,. path in which we are to walk; not turning to the right-hand , or to the left , fo that Ecelef,1e.2. there is a righthand way and a way to the left-hand. The heart of a Wifeman is on his right-hand , but the heart ofa Fool is on his left -hand. From which places the Fathers make two kindsof difobedience, by turning to the right-hand, andto the left, which they expound thus, t. There is Probabilia inebedientia; a difobedience not without force probable pretence, as was Sault fin at Gilgal, his anfwer feemed teafonabie, but that we muff not make our own reafon, but Gods revealed will, the rule of our obedi- ence. This is turning to the right , and to this kind belong thofe oppofites, of which we fpoke, when we hearken to the voice of our own hearts, or of the World, or would mix them and joyn them with God ; All thefe lead ad dextram to the righthand. 2. There is a left-hand way, whereto they turn, that have no probabity of reb- a fon, or colour for their fin, fuch as the Apoftle calls et, s , wicked furd and unreafonable Men , whole .courfe of life is -. vthout any excufe, who fin wilfully, and prefuntp.uoufly, againft the clear will of God, and dìdtare of their Con- fciences. Andas difobedience is here forbidden, fo when Men obey, bu: not readily, Phil.s.14. not without murmurings, and difputings. Murmuring was always the fault ofthe lfraelites, they would rnakt. Dialogues withGod, and ask the reafoe ofevery thing, why this, rather than that, and why now, rather than at another time; fuch Men Luther calls the felt of the .Querita , they will go with a why in in. ferment. This alto muff be avoided; to which we may add the fault of thofe that excufe Mat.s2.5 their difobedience, Luke 14.18. The Angels yield no reafons why they fhould not obey, do not murmur, or excufe, but obey readily. Now for the degrees of Difobedience. Difobedience bath twodegrees. r. Neglect. a. Contempt. r. Neglect is defined to be anima torpor, quo quit minus diligent efi in exequendo quade.xequi debet , a dulnefs of the mind, which makes a Man lefs diligent in doing Mat.zz.na; that he fhould;& this was the fault ofhim that camewithout his Wedding Garment. a. Contempt is the extremity ofdifobedience. And this God threatens with a Levir.z6.1 ç. leyere punifhment. If you (hall defpife my Statutes,or ifyour Soul abhormy Judge - re. ments,ere. I will appoint over you,terrour,confun'PtiOfl,&'. And I will let my face bais, contemptuss ubiq a damnabilis, eglecI is blameable, but contempt damnable. 1pa. The means to compafs this Vertue , or rather the Motives to ftir us upto obedi- Heb. tr,24; ence, are divers. ea39. 1. The firft is, the obedience that hath been exhibited toGod from time to time by his Saints. As .Mofes had fair proffers and like! hoods ofpreferment, yet rather chofe to faker affliction, than to difobey God. 7o, ly in theE,: e of the Worldmight +.i
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