66 An Expojition upon the VI. God, who is not himfelf hi~ own Man? Is not he guilty of Idolatry, who makes BacchUJ his Deity, giving him the Libations of his Vomits, and falling proftrate be.. fore him? Can he forbear taking the Nameof God in vain, who-hath taken the Creatures of God to his bane; whofe Tongue is fet afloat with his exccffivc Cups, and whofe Mouth the Devil Taps to let his Blafphemies, and Oaths, and Curfes, and fear.. ful Execrations run out the more fluently? Can he keep holy the Sabbath-day, whofe laft Night's Drunkennefs and Excefs, rocks him aOeep either in his own Houfe, or in the Houfe of God? Is he fit to honour his Parents, who difhonoureth his own Body? Can he abfrain from Murther; who firfr takes the ready way to defrroy his own Body, and damn his own Soul; and then, through the rage of Wine, is ready upon every flight provocation to mingle his Vomit with the Blood of others? Can he keep himfelf from filthy Uncleannefs, whofe riotous Table doth but prepare him for a polluted Bed? Shall not he affever that whichisfalfe, whofeRcafon is fo blinded by the fumes of his Intcinperance, that he knows no longer the diffurence between Truth and Fallb.ood? And finally, what bounds can be fet to his Concupifcence, who by thus blinding the eyes of his Reafon, hath only left him Fancy and Appetite,both which the Devil rules and governs ? . Thus you fee there arc fome Sins, which though they are not expre£1y forbidden in the Decalogue, yet are virtually and reduCHvely forbidden, as being the foams aQ.d the occafions of others; and among thefe, Drunkennefs, efpecially, which fl:rikes at every Law that Gcxl. hath in joined us, theGuiltwhcreof is Univerfal, as well as the Sin Epidemical. Sixthly, Another Rule for the underfranding of the Decalogue is this, Th.:tt the Commands of the Firft Table are not to be kept for the fake of the Second ; but the Commands of the Second are to be kept for the fake of the Firfr. The firfr Table commands us thofe Duties which immediately refpetl: the Service and Worfuip of God; the Second thofe which refpect our Demeanour towardsMen: Now the War.. ihip and Service of Gcxl. is not to be performed out of refpect to Men; but our Duty towards Men, is to be obferved out of refpea to God. For he that worlhips God that he might thereby recommend himfelf to Men, is but an Hypocrite and For.. rnalifi:; and he that performs his Duty towards Men, without refpeB:ing God . in it, is but a meer civil Moral Ut. The firft Table commands us not to worfhip Jdo{s; not to fwear; not to prophane the Sabbath. The Laws of the Magifi:ratccommands the very fame; and thofe who are guilty of the breach of them, are ·liable to Humane Punifhments; But if we therefore abfi:ain from thefe Sins, becaufe they will expofe us to Ihame, or fufrering among Men; if therefore only we worfuip God, that Men may refpea and ven.erate us, all the pomp ·and oftentation of our Religion is but Hypocrifie; and as fuch fuall have its Reward : for God rcquireth to be ferved not fo.r Man's fake, but for His own. The fccond Table prefcribes the right Ordering of our Converfation towards Men; that we fhould be dutiful and obedient to our Superiours; loving and kind to our Equals; charitable and beneficial to our Inferiours; and juft and righteous towards all. Thefc Duties are not to be done only for Man's fake, but for God's; and thofe who perform them without refpcB:ing Him in them, lofe both their Acceptanceand Reward. And therefore our Saviour condemns that love and beneficence which proceeds meerly upon Humane and Prudential Accounts, Matth. 5· ¥· If you /(YfJe them only which love you, what reward have you ? Do not even the Publicans the fame ? And Luke 6. 33, 34· .([you do good to them which do good to you, what thanks have you ? for f!nners alfo do the fame. .And if you lend to th~m ofwhom you hope to receive, what thanks have you? {or finners lend to finners, to receive tU much again. Blit we ought not therefore to ferve Gcxl. for Man's fake; but we ought to love Man for God's fake; and to perform the Duties of the fecond Table out of confcience and refpeB: to God; and that refpeB: is threefold : Firfl, Obedience to his Authority; for then what we do for Men is an acceptable Work and Service, when we do it out of a fincere Principle of obeying the Will and Command ofGod. Swmdty,
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