16o efttreatifeof the Sabbath. the law-giuer, wherebythe Lord vrgeth our obedience, and is expreffed in theftwords, 3 thefeteenthdayis the Sabbathofthe Lord thyGod. The third is inferred oftheequine ofthis law : wherein the Lorddealeth with menasit wereby conference,anddifpdtethby plaine reafon,that iuftly wee cannotdeny him the feuenthfor his owne glorie,who bath notde- nied vs fixe dayes to trauaile in our owne affaires. And this is gathered when beefayth, 4 Sixe dayes fhalt than labourand doeall thy worle : but the feuenth day,cyc. The fourth and Taft reafon is borrowedfromproportion ofthe Lords owne example,that as in fixedayes heemadeall things, and in the feuenthceafed fromcreating,thoughnotfrompreferuing them : fo in fixe dayes wemay haue a naturali vfe of thecreatures ofGod, but on thele- s uenthdaywe oughtto hauea fpirituall vfe ofthem. Vnder theft may be couched ano- ther reafon deemedfrom thetime,wherein the Lord firftcommanded the Sabboth,which was inmans innocencie: fothat if before tranfgreffron it was an effeauall meaner to keepe out finne,thenafter mans fall it mull needesbe offorce towithfland finne. It may feemethe bellway to fome,firft tointreate ofthe commandementit felfe, andthen of the reafons. Howbeie,becaufe the Lordhis wifedoine fometimeprefixeth thereafon, as in the firft commandement, and feeingit is a thingoffinall effea tovrge thevfe to themwho nalirineto is- arenotgroundedonthe dodtrine, and it is hard to ouennatch theaffeaion vntilliudgc- formetbe ment be conuinced : weewill firft anne thematter with reafons,and then Thewboth how judgement this lawiskept,and howit is broken.Thisorderis commendedvinovs bythe holyGhoft, temfigaebefore z .r. and forwant of this order, many excellent Sermons hauelittle effe6t :and exhortation whereiud ement b the trueth is not conumced there many exhortations fall to the moueaffelüñr, g e y e ground:for whichcaufealto theholy vfeof the Sabboth fo littlepreuailethwithmany,in that they are notgrounded with judgement inthe true knowledgeof thefame. But beforeweecome tothe particulardifcourfe ofthereafons,generally let vsconfider Mat jsgene- whythis commandement is inwords larger,inreafons fuller, thanany othercoimnande- ?eytobeeb. ment. Ifwetake a viewofthewhole law, wee may obferue how theLordbath fet dowse fermedinthis fixeprecepts in many words,and fours nakedlyin bare words, as the6.theq.the 8:and commande- theg. whythen are thefiat luecommandments foapparrelled withreafons, and thelaft meet. fodilated bya fpeciall amplification: the otherfoure being fobriefe andfo naked ? Cer- tainly theLord and law-giuer forefaw, thatvnto tilde, menwould eafily bee brought to yeeld : andwe feebowthe very Heathen haue freelygranted them, thePhilofophers bane fruitfully writtenofthem, allmill righteousmen doe earneftly maintaine them : and to be briefe,common honeflie countethhim noman thatwill murther, bee is thought beaft- likethatdefileth his bodie, outwardciuilitie condetnneth a theefe, and the common fort ofmen millikea backbiter and Ilanderer. Againe,heknew inhis eternal' wifedome, hoiv theywould neither inreafon fo foone beadnutted,nor in affe6iionto eafily embraced: and thereforeto mettewith the fubtiltie of mans nature, and corruptionofmans heart, they are let downmorepearcingly. This wee Ihallfee inthe firft anddaft commandements of the fecondtable. In the firfl,when the Lord had commanded, honourto bee giuento pa- 5.LiW. rents, bee enforceth his commandement with annexingaproinifeof long life, andwhy men iudgementherein is much corrupted. Formany there are whogranting theinton- ueniencieand vilenes ofmutther,adulterie,and falte witneffe bearing, yet denythe necef- fitieand theexcetlencieof Magiftracie. Yea, and albeit in judgement manymenyeeld to the reafonthereof: yetis not theequitie thereof fo foone in affeétion embraced:forexpe- rienceof all ages proueth, that the corrupt nature ofman is molt hardlybrought to boa fubiea, and tiefe laftmiferable daiescanwitneffethe fame moreefpecially, wherein men areBrowne to bee without naturall affefgion. Notwithout caufetherefore is thisprecept fenced with reafon. ro.Precepr.- In thelaft(whereGod laieth a more preciferule and ftreighter charge to the conftience ofman,than flethand bloodwouldwillingly beare,becaufe men thinke it tomerigorous dealing tohaue their leaft affeótions arraigned, and their ferret thoughts condemned, aswilling to hauetheir thoughts notto bee called into any court,to hold vp their hand atthe barreofiudgement)he isconftrained as it wereby particular branches and feuerall articles tofet dowse the law,thatwe might notfinde fome ftarcing holes to creepe out atj and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=