Commentary on Numbers

IN the latter end of the former chapter, we saw the desperate folly of y ^e people, that albeit Moses made known unto them the heavy displeasure of God, that he had left them to themselves, and was no more among them, after they had so often played and dallied with his merciful sufferings, yet they would needs amend their former disobedience by a second contempt, making offer to enter into the land contrary to the direction of God and the advice of Moses. But what became of it? The swords of the enemies which God had hitherto bended and rebated, are left no less sharp then death it self, and are without mercy sheathed in their bowels. For the Amalekites and Canaanites being joined together, and watching their advantage, set upon them, put them to route, and slaughtered the greatest part of them: the Amalekites encoraging one another to be revenged of their former loss received at Rephidim, Exod. 17. the Canaanites seeking to prevent their own displantation & destruction threatened: after which slaughter they followed their victory, and pursued those broken and disbanded companies all the way of their flight even unto Hormah.

In this chapt. we have sundry ceremonial precepts, which seem to be delivered to them immediately after the former punishment executed upon the offenders: wherein God testifieth, that albeit the Israelites had justly deserved to have final destruction brought upon them, yet God would not utterly depart from them, and wholly leave them to thenselves, but continue his love and favor toward them, and be reconciled unto them, smelling the sweet savor of a sacrifice, and verifying the saying of the Apostle, Ro. 3, 3, 4. Observe here certain new additions propounded as appurtenances to the laws before delivered at large in the book of Leviticus. These are four in number: first, touching the sacrifices: secondly, touching the first fruits: thirdly, touching the cleansing of sins that are committed: lastly, touching the fringes they are commanded to make: all ceremonial, all temporal in regard of the letter, but all significant in regard of y ^e matter.

But before we come to handle these particulars, it shall not be amiss briefly to show the causes why these sacrifices were instituted in the Old Testament. First, to maintain the public assemblies of the faithful, and their meetings together to serve the Lord. For, if every man were left to himself, religion would quickly decay or corrupt. Secondly, that they might be shadows of good things to come, and as it were pictures set before their eyes, to put them in mind of Christ and his sacrifice, who is therefore fitly called the Lamb slain frō the beginning of the world, Reu. 13, 8. Thirdly, these sacrifices were also as the Sacraments of the church, and visible signs of invisible grace, & testimonies of God's infallible promise made to the fathers touching salvation in the Messiah to come. Fourthly, they served to be as an open confession of their faith, what God they served, & in whom they believed, and that they hated and detested the vanity and idolatry of the Gentiles. Fifthly, they were also a testification of their thankfulness for sundry benefits received that thereby they might be taught to acknowledge from whence they came. Lastly, they served for the maintenance of the Ministry, and consequently for the furtherance of y ^e worship of God, Deut. 18, 3, 4. 1 Cor. 9, 13. These were the chief ends for which they were ordained. Now let us retu • n back to the particular handling of the matters contained in this chap.

[Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them] The first point is touching the sacrifices, the sum whereof is to teach what oblations are to be used in every sacrifice, how much wine, how much oil, how much flower is to be taken and applied in every special sacrifice. The several sorts of sacrifices are set down in the book of Leviticus: [Doctrine.] but in what proportion these things should be added, is not there described, but here it is declared in this place. And these things thus performed according to the commandment of God, he is said to smell a sweet savor. This offereth diverse good uses unto us, albeit the things them selves be ceased and abrogated. [Use 1]

The Uses. First, the offering is said to be a sweet savor, or a savor of rest (often repeated verses. 3, 7, 10, 13, 14) which God accepteth, wherein he delighteth, and whereby he is appeased; such as he resteth in, & so ceaseth from his anger. This is a borrowed speech taken from sweet odors and perfumes, wherein he which smelleth a sweet savor, resteth & contenteth himself. If any ask the question, [Object.] whether God smell any savor or not? I answer, [Answer.] this must be understood figuratively or mystically. For if we speak properly, savor & smell is the object of the sense of smelling, which agreeth to sensible creatures, and not either to God who neither hath senses, nor is sensible; neither is a creature, or to any spirit. For as Christ saith, A spirit hath not flesh nor bones, so unto the same agree neither senses nor sensible things. And if it were true, that God were affected with smells, yet the fume and savor that cometh from the burning of the flesh, cannot it self be pleasant and delightful to the senses, but is rather noisome and unsavory, and therefore some other thing must be meant by it. How then cometh it to be a sweet savor? I answer, two ways; partly in regard of their willingness and obedience, w ^c God preferreth before all sacrifice that hath horn and hoof. Behold, to obey is better then sacrifice; and to hearken, then the fat of Rams: therefore where the external work was separated from the inward devotion & obedience, it was no sweet savor but it was hateful and abhominable to God: partly also and principally, because it was a type and figure of Christ, who was indeed an offering and a sweet savor to God, Eph. 5.2. He is the truth of all sacrifices, and his blood the accomplishment of all the blood shed in y ^e sacrifices. He hath performed all in his own person, & brought an end to them, they are no longer to be continued: he hath appeased the wrath of God, he hath taken away our sins, & thereby testified his abundant love toward us, for greater love hath no man then this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. This sacrifice was very acceptable to God the father, in it he resteth and requireth no further satisfaction at our hands, contrary to the doctrine of the popish church. The force of this sacrifice is very great, not so of any other. None of them were of & in them selves a sweet savor of rest, neither brought they pardon of sin, and therefore God testifieth y ^t he stood not in need of them: but they were a sweet savor as they were referred to the sacrifice of Christ, and were offered by faith in him, as Heb. 11, 4. by faith Abel offered, and thereby obtained witness that he was righteous. And now also none of our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God, but so far forth as they are offered by faith in Christ, 1 Pet. 2, 5. Al our sacrifices are acceptable through Christ. [Objection] If any ask, whence it cometh y ^t his sacrifice is so effectual and forcible? [Answ.] I answer, first from the dignity of his person, which offered himself for us, for he was true God equal to his Father, & therefore of infinite value, Acts 20, 28. John 6, 62, 63. Secondly, from the fullness of his obedience toward his Father, Phil. 2, 6, 7. & from his keeping of the law perfectly for us, Math. 5, 17. Gal. 4, 4. whence we see that he was tainted with no sin, 1 Pet. 2, 22. John 8, 46. that he should have need to offer first for himself, as the priests of Levi were constrained to do in the law, Heb. 7, 27. Hence it is, that the Apostle saith, He gave himself for us, not for himself who was without sin, Heb. 9, 13.

[Use 2] Secondly, the sacrifice of the burnt offering made by fire, had a meat-offering joined to it, verse. 4. of a tenth deal of flour, mingled with the fourth part of an Hin. This was a measure of moist or liquid things, as the Gomer & Epha were of dry and solid containing six pints, according to the computation of the Hebrews, which ought to have most knowledge in these things. But to leave this, we must consider, that to the burnt offering is joined a meat offering, this meat offering is no other then the flesh of Christ, which he should offer for the sins of the world, John 6, 53, 54, 55. 1 Cor. 10, 3. They did all eat of the same spiritual meat, and drank the same spiritual drink, that is, Christ Jesus. [Object.] If any ask how he is made meat for us, and drink for us? [Answer.] I answer, in that he was crucified, dead and buried: our life ariseth out of his death: our strength out of his weakness, & our salvation out of his condemnation. This is our meat offering, as indeed it was theirs also, and this we must eat by faith, if we desire to live forever. This must teach us to hunger after him; the nature of this hunger must be according to the nature of the meat; spiritual meat requireth spiritual hunger in our harts. As truly as we hunger after our meat, so truly should we hunger after this meat-offering. This made the Apostle count all things as dung, that he might win Christ, Phil. 3, 8. Nevertheless, great is the profaneness of the world: for we are for the most part like those Israelites that preferred the Onions and Garlic of Egypt, before Angels food, Numb. 11, 5, 6.

[Use 3] Lastly, the sacrifices offered up, must have Wine poured upon them, ver. 5. as also oil, of which we have spoken before chap. 6. Out of which we must learn to acknowledge, that for the faith and truths sake, for Christ and the Gospels sake, we must not account the best things we have, no not our own lives deer and precious unto us, but be ready to forsake brethren and sisters, house and lands, & to offer up our bodies, and to have our blood shed and poured out as a drink offering to God, 2 Cor. 4, 10. Gal. 6, 17. 2 Tim 4, 6. Phil. 2, 17. For as Christ offered himself for us, so should we be content to offer up our selves to him: & as he shed his blood for us, so should we be ready to give our lives for his truth. He that will save his life shall lose it; but he that loseth his life shall save it, Math. 16, 25 This have the faithful done: for they considered that in heaven they had an enduring substance, Heb. 10, 34. If they lost a temporal life, they found an eternal: & if they parted from any earthly treasure, they obtained heavenly: and therefore their gains were infinitely greater then their losses. It is not enough to profess the truth in prosperity, so long as it is fair weather, and the Sun shineth warm von us. Every hypocrite will go so far: but we must remember the pouring out of the wine upon the meat offering, as the faithful complain that their blood hath been shed like water round about Jerusalem, Psal. 80, 3. We must know that it is our duty to stand in a storm as well as in a calm, when the wind bloweth as well as when it bloweth not, and when persecution ariseth as well as in time of peace and plenty, Mat. 10, 32, 33. Think it not therefore strange when trouble appeareth, and the fiery trial cometh, which is to try us, 1 Pet. 4, 12. We must rejoice under the cross. All men can rejoice and be glad when they have a plentiful harvest, when they find great spoils, & when the riches of their house increase, Psa. 4, 7. but we must rejoice if the will of God be to prove us so far, when we suffer the spoiling of our goods, and are companions of them that are so used. To conclude, we have all need of patience, Heb. 10, 36. that we do not faint when we are rebuked. Let us therefore be always ready for affliction, & when we have suffered much, yet make preparation and provision for more, for we have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin, Heb. 12, 4. But we for the most part promise to our selves rest and ease, we are willing to hear of y ^e meat offering, but we care not for pouring wine upon it. We would have Christ, but we would not suffer for Christ. We are willing to have him our meat, but not our cross.

Moses having set down sundry rites and ceremonies, showeth in these words the persons to whom they belong, & of whom they must be practiced; they belong even to the strangers & soiourners among the Israelites as well as to the Israelites themselves, namely, if they were circumcised; as it is said before touching the eating of the Passover, chapt. 9. One law is appointed for the one and the other. The doctrine is this: The members of the church (of what place & people soever they are) are one entire body, and are to be ruled by the same laws, Exod. 12, 48, 49. Eph. 1, 22. and 3, 15. & 5▪ 21. Coloss. 1, 18. To this purpose it is called sometimes a body, sometimes a city, sometimes a temple, and sometimes a family. But it may be objected, if it be one body, one temple, one city, one family, how is it that we read of many Churches: as of the Romans, of the Corinthians, and of the seven churches of Asia? I answer, there is one Church, but it hath many particular parts: as the great Sea, though it be one, yet there are many parts according to the several coasts and countries by which they run, as the Britain, the French, the Spanish, the German seas, and yet all but one sea.

The reasons. First, the ruler thereof is one God and one Lord over all, who is blessed forever. This one God hath one church, & hath prepared for it one place and one salvation, Eph. 4, 5, 6. Secondly the body, tied as it were by joints and sinews in the same: the members are diverse, but they make but one body: there is one hope, one inheritance, one baptism, one faith, being united by means of the ministry, Ephes. 4, 12. They have the same Sacraments, they eat one bread, and they drink of the same cup. This inward means is one Spirit, by which they walk, 1 Cor. 12, 13. Thirdly, they are ruled by one head which coupleth them together. For, as one body can have but one head, so one head can have but one body: and though the members be many, yet the body is but one. Col. 1, 18.

[Use 1] The Uses. First, the toleration of diverse & contrary religions is not lawful. As the church is one body, so it is to be ruled by one law; one law is appointed for all. This toleration and dispensation is like the sowing of diverse seeds together in one field, or the mingling of linen and woolen together in one garment: as if a Painter should join to the head of a man the neck of an horse, & then add to the body sundry feathers of diverse sorts, and make the picture beneath to end like a fish, what a monster would this be? So this linsy-wolsy Religion, consisting of contrary parts, & not one agreeing to another, would make the church a very monster: and it is directly contrary to the first and second commandment, and the office of the Magistrate, appointed and ordained to maintain the pure worship of God. Ahab and his people are reproved for halting with God and wavering between his opinions. Solomon is reproved for this, 1 Ki. 11. and contrariwise the best Kings, Josiah, Hezekiah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat are commended for their constant profession and perseverance in the same truth. Secondly, all monuments of idolatry and superstition must be demolished and pulled down, and idolaters should be slain. Good king are reproved for suffering hill-altars and Groues, & not taking them away. Besides, it is a means to overthrow church and kingdom. 1 Ki. 11, 19. If a church be corrupt in the foundation of the doctrine, and the substance of God's worship, we ought to separate from it, & not join as a member with it of the same body. This unhappy toleration is accompanied with sundry mischiefs: it showeth a coldness in God's cause, and little or no zeal in defacing the monuments of idolatry, and no hatred of them at all, being content to give the glory of God to another, which he will not have to be given. It nourisheth a serpent in the bosom, and setteth up uncertainty of faith and religion; leaveth men in a mammering what to do, and to which side to join himself, maintaineth confusion in God's worship, fostereth schisms, troubles, seditions, and rebellions among subjects, breaketh the sweet & comfortable knot of the unity and amity of brethren, and lastly bringeth danger to Prince and State. It is directly against sincere profession, Joshua 24. verse 19. 2 John. 10, 1. The Samaritans served everyone the god of his country, and so served not God at all. The Apostle saith, There is one faith, Ephes. 4, 5. an house divided against it self cannot stand, Mat. 12, 25. Frō such separate, 1 Tim. 6, 3.

Now let us see what may be objected in defense of toleration. First, it is said, [Object.] it giveth to everyone contentment, [Answer.] and therefore it is a safety to a commonwealth. I answer, Contentment must be given by lawful means, otherwise discontentment is better: as just war to be preferred before unjust peace. Again, there is no true safety without God's blessing: and as the heathen Philosopher reasoneth against communion of all things, so we may against the toleration of all religions. He taught, That whatsoever is cared for of all, is cared for of none: so we may say, whatsoever giveth contentment to all, giveth indeed contentment to none. Hence it is, that there are so many iars and contentions, which indeed are the ruin of a kingdom, Neh. 2, 19, 20. from 1. ver. to the 16. This was the most devilish policy of Mahomet to patch up his Quran with shreds of all sorts of errors, schisms, and heresies, borrowed from Jews and Gentiles, that there might be somewhat to content all persons, that so some of all sects might be allured unto that superstition.

Secondly, [Object.] the Jews warranted by the word did suffer amongst them the idolatrous Gentiles, Deut. 14, 21. Exod. 12, 44. therefore we may do the like. I answer, [Answer.] private toleration in conversation, did not allow any open profession or practice of idolatry in those Nations, Deu. 12, 1, 2, 3. Again; though they by reason of their weak estate suffered many, Deut. 7, 22. yet afterward in a perfect state we find not any. Lastly, some things were tolerated contrary to moral laws, as we see in the case of divorce for trifling causes, and of usury to strangers, which we may not now tolerate.

[Object.] Thirdly, corrupt manners in well-ordered government have had open toleration, therefore the root from whence they spring may also, which is corrupt religion, as toleration of polygamy and of usury to strangers. [Answ.] I answer: first the sequel is false, for there is great difference between manners and false worship, yea between doctrines fundamental & otherwise, 1 Cor. 3, 11, 12, 13. Secondly, touching divorce and polygamy, there is no allowance, but a permission only, Math. 19, 8. and that of usury was particular for those nations, Deut. 23, 20. Exod. 21, 1.

[Object.] Fourthly, it doeth greatly manifest, commend, and extol true religion, 1 Cor. 11, 19. I answer no otherwise then as one contrary being set to another, [Answer.] doth make the same better to be seen: and thus doth sin serve to commend the grace and mercy of God, as Rom. 5, 20. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: howbeit this cometh to pass accidentally, not directly and properly.

[Object.] Fifthly, the conscience is not to be forced, therefore men should be left to themselves. I answer, [Answer.] it is lawful to force them to y ^e means. Luke 14, 23. Compel them to come in, that my house may be filled; that by the blessing of God upon the use of the means, they may afterward willingly yield, 2 Chron. 34, 33. Ezra 10, 8. The son that answered his father, that he would not work in his vineyard, afterward repented and went, Matth. 21, 29. And some have been forced in the beginning to come to the word, who afterward could hardly be forced and driven from it. There is an active violence and a passive. Many are hailed to the means by violence, and come to the church as a Bear to the stake, but afterward the violent take the kingdom of God, and lay hold on it by force.

[Objection] Sixthly, all manner of wicked men and wickedness are to be left unpunished, for the tares and the wheat in one field must be let grow together until the harvest, and then they shall be separated, Mat. 13, 30. the tares shall be burned, [Answ.] the wheat shall be preserved. I answer, the scope is only to show that both good and bad are by God's decree to remain til the end of the world, to uphold the godly against that temptation, as the application or reddition (the second part of the comparison) doeth show in the exposition of it by Christ himself, Mat. 13 36, 37. The godly must not be offended at the multitude and growth of the wicked, we must never look for perfection upon the earth. This parable doeth no way touch the authority of the Magistrate, nor the discipline of y ^e church, neither pleadeth pardon and impunity for malefactors, but warneth us that offenses shall never be wanting in the church to the end of the world, but it shall always be troubled with such abuses. There shall always be a mixture so long as the world standeth, and therefore we ought not to depart out of the church as schismatiks do, for the blots and blemishes that appear in it. Thus much of this parable.

Seventhly, [Objection.] every Christian Magistrate is not of power to suppress contrary religions without the ruin of his kingdom. I answer, [Answ.] we speak of such as God hath given power into their hands: whensoever God requireth it at their hands, he will enable them to perform it, and then they ought to set upon that as a special duty. Where there is no power, God accepteth the will for the deed: so that if they endeavor to restrain such and cannot, it is not their sin.

Hitherto we have spoken of false religions in general: now among all other false religions popery is one of the worst, and least of all to be tolerated in any State, or in any sort, as that which raceth the foundation of the Christian faith, and pulleth it up by the roots, as plainly appeareth by these particulars. First, it maintaineth inherent righteousness of their own, and justification by works done by themselves, & in themselves: and thereby make justification and sanctification all one, contrary to the Apostles doctrine, 1 Cor. 1, 30. & 2. Cor. 5, 21. It rejecteth and derideth the imputation of Christ's righteousness, whereby we stand righteous in the sight of God thorough his righteousness and merits imputed unto us. And hence it is, that they make his righteousness imperfect, and give a power to themselves to make satisfaction for sin by temporal punishment, and the sacrifice of the Mass. Secondly, they corrupt the worship of God in substance, by professing and practicing idolatry and worship of images, making the church an harlot, by forsaking her first husband, and bringing in more then heathenish idolatry by adoring Saints, angels, crucifixes, relics, & their breaden god, & by entertaining a mixture of Paganism and Judaism. Thirdly, the church of Rome is the church of Anti christ, therefore not of Christ: for to y ^e bysh. of Rome do all the notes and properties whereby Antichrist is described in holy Scripture, agree truly, fully, solely. This will not be hard to resolve if we consider the place where we are to seek him, and where we shall find him: the time when the church was to look for him: and lastly the qualities whereby he is to be known. The seat of Antichrist is mystical Babylon: & mystical Babylon is no other thē Rome itself. For the whore of Babylon is the great city, w ^c in the Apostlestime had rule and dominion over the kings of the earth, Reu. 17, 18. and this City is situated upon seven hills. Reu. 17, 9. the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth: which agreeth properly to Rome, and every historian, nay every Poet almost, cal it the city on seven hills. Secondly, touching the time of the revealing and manifestation of Antichrist, it was foretold by the Apostle, that he should come when the Emperors were removed and taken out of the way, and when once the Empire in the west should be dissolved, then should Antichrist succeed in y ^t seat, that is, in the government of Rome, 2 Thes. 2, 8. and this we see with our eyes to have long ago come to pass, that it needeth no farther inquiry. The Apostle had spokē plainly of this to the Thessalonians by word of mouth, & therefore forbeareth to set it down in writing, lest he should bring on his own head, and on the church the needless hatred of y ^e Roman monarchy; his own writing remaining as a strong evidence against himself and others. For when the Romans should read or hear that he had prophesied of the dissolution of the Roman Empire, they would soon raise persecution against him and the rest of the believers, as if they expected the ruin, & desired the downfall thereof. And this truth in all likelihood was well marked, and continued in the church from age to age, because it is generally understood of the Roman Empire and Emperor, by most of the Ancients.

Lastly, the conditions and qualities of Antichrist do bewray the same also. Now, he is plainly described by the Apostle, 2 Thess. 2, 4. yea so plainly, as if then he had been already come and revealed to the world. He is said to be an adversary opposed to Christ, yet not professed, but disguised: for under the mask and vizard of hypocrisy, he oppugneth Christ and his truth, and denieth the Lord Jesus to be that Christ, anointed to be the only King, the only Priest, and the only Prophet of the church; in all which the bishop of Rome will have a share, and communicateth them to others. This high priest is no better then an apostate, a star fallen from heaven; he lifteth up himself above all that is called God, that is, all to whom the name of God is communicated, and sitteth in the temple of God as god. Fourthly, a perfect papist, that is, such a one as acknowledgeth the Council of Trent, and is obedient to the doctrine of the Jesuits, cannot be a good subject, neither obey for conscience sake: for he believeth the Popes sentence in excommunication to be good, nay to be God's sentence: he obeys so long as pleaseth the pope and his instruments: he keepeth not promise or oath with heretics, he receiveth pardons to free from loyalty and allegiance, harboreth Seminaries, looketh for a golden day, practiseth the most devilish devices to establish popery; entertaineth conference with his Princes sworn enemies: and maintaineth that this proud prelate may depose Princes by his priestly power. Lastly, it is dangerous to Prince and State to permit them, forasmuch as hereby they have means to work and wreak their malice: Recusants will converse with Jesuits most freely, and Jesuits shall not be kept to any good terms and behavior: whereby the secrets of the land are disclosed, home-bred foes are increased, good subjects are discoraged, and means afforded to hollow-hearted enemies, to forecast and to fortify themselves.

[Use 2] Secondly, this serveth to reprove diverse sorts that err in practice, & offend against this rule. And first of all, such as seek revenge, and thereby show themselves far from true love. To revenge wrongs is proper to God; we must not intrude upon his office, neither usurp his right Deu. 32, 35. Ro. 12, 19. Heb. 10, 30. Psal. 94, 1. Pro. 14, 29. If we practice this we work wickedness against him, and provoke him to work revenge upon our selves. Is it a small offense for any subject to usurp the office of y ^e Prince? or of the Judge in giving sentence upon any? Such usurpers are such persons against GOD. Again, it serveth to rebuke such as will not forgive; how can such persuade themselves to be members of the church, and one body with their brethrē, while they refuse to be one with them? These do make an heavy law against themselves, Mat. 6, 14, 15. & 18, 22. & 5, 44. 1 Pet. 3, 8. Thirdly, such as have no feeling of the troubles & calamities of their brethren, Heb. 13, 3. much more such as add affliction to the afflicted. The captivate Jews complain against the insolency and cruelty of the Chaldeans, Ps. 137, 3. they required of them in scorn and derision to sing in their hearing one of the songs of Zion, and made themselves merry when they saw them heavy hearted. The enemies of God and his people are unmerciful & have no pity, Isaiah 47, 6. God reproveth for this, Psal. 102, 19.

Lastly, all members of the church should live [Use 3] in all love, peace, and concord one with another, Gen. 13. considering we are brethren; and avoid all dissention and discord. As in the natural body we see how one member is ready to aid & affect another, and stand for the good of another: so should it be in the mystical body, all should be united together. As the subjects of one Prince that belong to one kingdom, are subject to the same laws, & bound to maintain mutual peace one with another: so if God be our king, and rule in our harts by his word and Spirit: and if we belong to his kingdom, we must embrace one another in love, and endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We must do nothing through strife and vainglory, Phil. 2.3. We must all speak the same things, that there be no division among us. Hatred is a fruit of the flesh, Gal. 5, 20. On the other side, to walk in love, is to walk in the spirit, and it is a fruit of the gospel. If we have never so excellent gifts, all remain unprofitable without this. Now, the way to try whether this be in us toward the brethren, is to examine it by these four rules. First, Christian love must not begin for any worldly respects, nor end for worldly respects and considerations, but principally must be for and in God. Carnal love is begun for carnal respects, and therefore soon withereth away. We must love our brethren principally, because they are the sons of God, and members of Christ. They are his brethren, and he accounteth them so: and therefore if God be our Father and Christ our brother, they also must be our brethrē. This is expressed by the Apostle, 1 John 5, 1. Everyone that loveth him that begat, loveth him also which is begotten, that is, whosoever loveth God the Father, loveth also the sons of God. Secondly, true Christian love must not be outward in show only, but inward in the heart, 1 John 3, 18. To love in show, is the love of Cain toward Abel. Thirdly, we must love those that are our enemies and hate us: for if we love them only that love us, what singular thing do we? or what reward have we? Math. 5, 46, 47. Lastly, Christian love must not be only in time of prosperity, but is chiefly tried in adversity, when most need is. This rule is set down by the Apostle John, Whosoever hath this worlds goods, and seeth his Brother have need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1 John 3, 17. And Solomon showeth, that a friend loveth at all times, and a brother is borne for adversity, Prov. 17, 7. In time of peace and plenty, everyone will seem a friend, but not in misery: The poor is hated even of his own neighbor, but the rich hath many friends, Proverbs chap. 14. verse 20. howbeit in time of need is the true friend tried.

These rules must serve for our instruction: we must love all those that are the sons of God by grace and adoption: we must love all those y ^t are the brethren of Christ by faith & sanctification: we must love them inwardly in truth and in heart: we must love our enemies: and not only in their prosperity and flourishing estate, but in their greatest need, and then be assured that the love of God shall be our shield and protection.

Here is the law for the first of the dough to be offered to God. This is the same Law in effect with that often repeated touching the first fruits, Exod. 22, 29. & 23, 19. and 34, 26. Deut. 14, 23. The substance of these laws was to teach them to acknowledge from whence they enjoyed their Land, their Corn, their Wine, their Dough, and all their store that they possessed, to wit, by the mere gift and blessing of God. [Doctrine.] The doctrine from hence is this, The author and giver of all outward blessings whatsoever is God, and he alone. Whatsoever we possess, by the sole gift of God we do possess it, Isaiah 26, 12. and 45, 7. Job 21. Psal. 147, 14. James 1, 17. Ezek. 16, 17, 18, 19. Acts 17, 25.

The reasons. First, he hath made all things, and therefore they are his own by right of creation, Psal. 24, 1. & 50, 12 Rom. 12, 36. Secondly, all things are disposed by his providence being his own, for he doth all things in heaven and earth whatsoever he pleaseth, as at the first he made them, Psal. 113, 5, 6. Thirdly, we are sent unto him for our daily bread and for all temporal blessings, and are commanded to go to him in all our need, looking for them at his hands, Math. 6, 11.

This teacheth every man to be content [Use 1] with his portion whatsoever it be that God hath given to him, albeit we have less then others, yet we must consider it is GOD from whom we have it, and therefore we ought not to be discontented with it. Such as any way murmur when they have not their own mind fulfilled, are willful men and check the wisdom of God as if he were unrighteous, because he giveth not to everyone alike. This was the common sin of the Israelites, as we have often noted: we must not be like them, to murmur as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. This is the mother of unthankfulness, and robbeth him of the honor due unto him: who better knoweth what is good for us then we our selves, Phil. 4, 11.

Secondly, it is our duty whatsoever we have [Use 2] received, whether it be little or much, to use it well and employ it to good uses. The heathen man could say, We are not born for ourselves only: then much more ought we that are Christians to know and testify that we were not born for our selves, but for the church & people of God, and thereby made servants unto all. We must therefore take special care y ^t we do not abuse his gifts, or wrong any of his creatures which we enjoy, for which we must give an account: inasmuch as we in wronging of them do wrong God himself the giver of them; and then we may justly fear lest he take them away, who is as well able to take them away from us, as to give them to us, yea, and he will do it. Hence it is that Job joineth both together; The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, Job 1, 21. so that we should be careful to use them to the glory of God; it is not enough that we do not abuse them, we shall be called to a reckoning for a farther duty, because we must not only abstain from evil, but do that which is good.

Thirdly, if we would have these blessings [Use 3] continued unto us, we must keep in with God, seeing he is the author of them; let us labor to serve him in righteousness and true holiness all the days of our life, Mat. 6, 33. Seek his friendship, and prefer his love and favor above all things in this world. He did make the world for such as are his friends, and not for those that are his enemies. And albeit the enemies of God have gotten a very great share of these blessings, yet they are no better then usurpers.

[Use 4] Lastly, this offering of their first fruits, was an acknowledgement that they held all from God, and they brought the same as a testimony of their thankfulness, when GOD had brought them into the Land, that they entered into houses which they built not, & fields which they sowed not, he requireth of them to bring the first of all that they had tasted unto him. The practice hereof we see taught to the people when they should come into the Land, Deut. 26, 9, 10. they must confess the benefits which they have received of him, saying, I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou O Lord, hast given me: and thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God. If then we receive his blessings without the praise of his Name, we defile them, and we dishonor him, and his creatures become unclean unto us, 1 Tim. 4, 4, 5. Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Of whom shall we receive our food, if we seek it not at God's hand? If the child want food and raiment, to whom shall he go but to his father? He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young Ravens which cry, Psal. 147, 9, and 104, 27, 28. And as we have our meat from him, so we must eat and drink as in the presence of God, Deut. 14, 26. If this point were well printed in our minds, and grafted in our hearts, that God is present at the Table with us, that he sitteth down with us, and riseth with us, that he cometh with us, and departeth with us, it would teach us more sobriety & moderation then it commonly used among us. The very heathen had some knowledge of this, and were altogether ignorant of it, they called their Tables sacred, and thought that their gods were always attendant at their meats and meals. Thus by this light of the truth shining (though darkly) among thē, God left them altogether without excuse. Woe then to us that profess our selves Christians, if we do not learn that God is present with us at our Tables, & will take an account of us for all our words and deeds whatsoever. If a child be at the table with his father, and his father sitting at the upper end of the board have his eye evermore upon him, he will not dare to use such boldness as otherwise he would if he were absent: for then peradventure he would not stick to play his pranks, to throw his trencher under feet, and to dally as a wanton with his meat: but if he be at his fathers table, and sit at his elbow, and remain in his sight he will behave himself soberly and orderly, or else he shall be rebuked and chastised. So likewise it ought to be with us, if we did consider that God is with us in our eating and drinking, it would be of sufficient force to teach us to behave our selves reverently, and to take heed of all excess; but whether we consider it or not, we shall find in the end, that he is not far from everyone of us that abuse his creatures, to the dishonor of his Name, and to the danger of our own souls. If we do not praise God for our meats and drinks, we are no better then thieves and usurpers, (albeit otherwise they may be called our own) because God hath not wholly resigned up his right unto them, who hath created them.

Here we have a law set down touching the sacrifice for sins of ignorance. If the former laws were broken through error and ignorance, not willfully & of a settled purpose, the manner of cleansing the same is set down, whether it be done by the whole multitude, or by one private man. Where we see, that it may fall out, that the whole Church may err and go astray both in judgment and in practice.

Observe hereby, [Doctrine.] that the ignorance of the will and word of God, in whomsoever it be found, is a great and grievous sin against God, Levite. 4, 2. and 5, 17. Isaiah 1, 3, and 5, 13. and 27, 11. Ier. 10, 25. Luke 12, 48. The Prophet Hosea complaineth, that there was no knowledge of God in the Land, chap. 4, ver. 2. They were delivered out of Egypt, planted in a fruitful land, furnished with all commodities, he gave them his word and sacraments, he dealt not so with every Nation, Psal. 147, 20. yet they had no knowledge of his ways, nay they regarded not the knowledge of his ways. This is a foul sin to hate the light, and yet to live in darkness, and to love darkness more then the light, Ier. 4, 22. They were foolish and knew him not, they were foolish children and had no understanding, they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

The grounds of this doctrine are evident. [Reason 1] For first, all the corruption that befell us thorough the fall and disobedience of Adam, is sin: therefore ignorance and blindness of mind being a part of that corruption, must needs also be sin; the natural man knoweth not the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Corinth. 2, ver. 14.

Secondly, ignorance is contrary unto the [Reason 2] image of God, wherein at the first we were created, and therefore it must needs follow that it is sin. Now a part of God's image in man, was knowledge, Col. 3, 10. as well as holiness and righteousness, Eph. 4, 24. Ignorance therefore being contrary and opposite to this, must needs be sin.

[Reason 3] Thirdly, that for which Christ died to abolish and take away, must needs be sin, for wherefore died he, but for our sins? but he suffered even for our errors in life, & for our ignorances; which was represented by this, that every high Priest taken from among men, had compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity, Heb. 5, 2. and he entered into the holiest of all once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people, chap. 9, 7.

[Reason 4] Fourthly, as knowledge is the beginning and foundation of all piety and obedience: so ignorance is the mother and root of all error, evil, wickedness, and profaneness, Math. 22, 29. Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God: and therefore it cannot be but displeasing unto God, Psalm. 94, verse 10.

[Use 1] This teacheth the folly of many men in our times, who think that ignorance shall excuse them; they regard not to learn or know anything, and then think themselves excused, because they know not. These are willingly, nay willfully ignorant, 2 Pet. 3, 5. They know nothing, because they will know nothing, like to him that shutteth both his eyes, because he will not see the light. But this cannot shield and shelter them from the judgments of God and from his heavy wrath, 2, Thess. 1, 8. who will come to render vengeance in flames of fire unto such as have not known the Gospel. We have the word of God among us, and we hear the sound of it, yet few or none at all care to get knowledge and understanding by it. This is a most fearful kind of ignorance, and a great measure of sin. Ignorance is twofold, simple, and affected; and both condemned, and both shall receive vengeance and judgment. The simple, is when we have not the means, and so have not that knowledge which we ought to have: for he that sinneth without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law, Rom. 2, ver. 12. This is a fruit of our original corruption, & taketh hold upon all, and is sufficient to condemn the very Turks and Infidels: because, not only to be ignorant of that which we have means to know, but to be ignorant of that which we ought to know, is a sin. Some things we may be ignorant of, without sin: nay, Christ our Savior as he is man, knoweth not all things, Math. 24, 36. Mark. 13, 32. Secret things belong not unto us, but unto the Lord, Deut. 29, verse 29. But the things revealed belong to us and to our children to do them; and to be ignorant of any of these, is a sin in the sight of God. Affected ignorance is, when we have the light of the truth shining in our faces, but we shut our eyes against it, lest it should shine into our hearts: and this is our case. We have the word, we may read it or hear it read, we have it preached, and other means of knowledge offered unto us, therefore all such are left without excuse. It shall not excuse a subject when he hath broken some penal statute, to say, Alas, I knew not the law, I was utterly ignorant of it, I never heard in all my life of any such matter. For the law is passed, printed, and published, and thou must take knowledge of it. Every man at his own peril must look to it, and if he run in danger of it, it is his own fault: so we may say of the law of God. He hath set it forth to the view of all, and all must make enquiry after it at their uttermost peril.

If then the Turks and Sarazens, if the Infidels and Barbarians that want the means, shall not be excused at the day of judgment by their ignorance, how shall we think to escape that have had the means? And so doth the Lord tell them of Chorazin and Bethsaida, and denounceth a fearful woe against Capernaum, because they had much mercy shown unto them, & yet never regarded the same, and therefore telleth them, that it should be easier for Tyre and Sidon, yea for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, Math. 11, 21, 23, 24.

Secondly, woe to our times, woe to the age [Use 2] wherein we live: for little knowledge resteth in the hearts of the greatest part. They know nothing of God, of his nature, of his essential properties, of the Trinity, of the Law, of the Gospel, what faith is, what justification, or repentance. They are ignorant how to worship God, though they be often taught: they remain ever the same men, ever ignorant: ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. Two chief causes there are of this, the one in the mind, the other in the will. In the mind, impotency of understanding, they are dull to conceive the things of the Spirit. The wisdom of God is foolishness to them, as man's wisdom is foolishness to God, 1 Cor. 2. The other is in the will, they savor the things of the flesh wholly, they find no sweetness in the word, their hearts are put out of taste by worldly things. These, as they that are evil and blind by nature, so are they become worse by nurture and education, they are nuzled in ignorance all their youth, & for the most part a l their life: parents be generally ignorant themselves, and no care is in them to have them instructed. Solomon saith, Teach a child, or train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it, Prov. 22, 6. He will both sooner apprehend it, and better keep that which is taught him. If this time be passed over, it is harder to learn afterward; the eyes being blinded and filled with the dust of earthly things, can discern nothing; and when such come to age, they utterly despise the things that belong to a better life. It is with us as it was with the Land of Egypt, it was overspread with darkness, only a small part, where the children of Israel were, being excepted: so hath ignorance overspread y ^e greatest part of our land. For look upon very many places, they lie waste as a wilderness for want of builders, the harvest is great, but there is great want of Laborers to gather together the corn, Mat. 9, 37. They have blind guides set over them, that can do nothing to the sheep but fleece them, & they can say nothing to them, but Bring ye, or pay ye. If we cast our eyes upon such places as have able Teachers over them, having gifts sufficient to instruct them, yet many of them are idle without care and conscience of their duties: is it then to be wondered at, that the land is full of ignorance and empty of knowledge? Again, in such places where are able Ministers and willing to take any pains amongst the people according to the measure of grace afforded unto them, yet even there you shall find little or no knowledge at all; and where they have bread enough, they starve themselves and perish for hunger; and where they may have plenty they live in penury and misery, and want of all things. They have meat and drink offered unto them, but they will not reach out their hand to take the same, like to the sluggard, that hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again, Prov. 19, 24. Many there are, that do manifestly and openly oppose themselves against knowledge, and set themselves against seeking after it so far as they can or dare. This plainly showeth, that indeed they never had any true knowledge at all: and others albeit they do not directly oppose themselves against knowledge, yet in the mean season (which is all one) they have no love of it, neither any holy desire to come to knowledge. If we consider farther how empty our churches and seats are, it will appear that our ignorance must needs be very great. For how should such careless & rechlesse persons have knowledge? I am persuaded, if these were well and thoroughly examined, they would be found beyond all measure blind and sottish, old and ignorant, worse then infants and little children. Knowledge of God is not natural, it is not borne and bred in us and with us: neither is it to be gotten in our days by extraordinary means: seeing therefore they use not the ordinary, it followeth that they are destitute of knowledge.

Another reason why men are so drowned in the sea of ignorance, is because though they hear much, yet they digest little or nothing at all: like to him that seeth meat before him but tasteth none of it. In the body, he that eateth much and digesteth nothing, cannot have his health, nor prosper: so is it in the soul; it may be these will hear two or three times in a quarter, but they never make conscience to meditate on that which they have heard, but let that slip which they have learned, and so indeed are never bettered by that which they hear.

Another reason why so much ignorance is among men, is, because they want exercising of themselves in the Scriptures: they apply themselves to no constant reading of them, or reasoning and conferring about them; and therefore it is not possible for them to have any sound and well-grounded knowledge in them at all. The Ministers may wast thenselves like lights in the Tabernacle, yet these people will never attain to any knowledge. Some allege, that their callings are such as they give them no leisure to attend the Scriptures, or to spend any time in reading. But it seemeth strange to me, that men should find a time for all other business under the Sun, and yet not find any time to further their own salvation. How monstrous a thing is it, that they have time enough and enough for the body, but can find none at all for their souls? They can find time and leisure to provide wealth for themselves and their children, and yet carry poor starueling souls to the grave, suffering them from time to time to languish and to perish for want of nourishment. As these live in darkness and ignorance upon earth, so it shall be just with God to thrust them into utter darkness in hell.

But it may be objected, [Objection.] that the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 8, 2. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. I answer, [Answ.] the Apostle meaneth a false persuasion of knowledge, whereby a man thinketh he hath some great matter in him: & therefore he addeth in the next words, Verse 2. If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. If knowledge puff up any, the fault is in the person or vain persuasion of the person, not in the gift of God. We must know therefore that the Scriptures belong to all, and that the knowledge of them is necessary to all. And who may exempt themselves from them? or who shall say, they belong not unto him? Shall Kings and Princes, and such as sit in the throne? No, though they have a multitude of business waiting upon them; and are many ways disturbed and distracted by State affairs, yet they must have the law of God with them, & read in it all the days of their life, that they may learn to fear the Lord their God, Deut. 17.18.19. Shall Captains and Governors in war and peace? No, for was not Joshua such an one? yet the Book of the Law must not depart out of his mouth, but he must meditate therein day and night, &c. For that he might make his way prosperous, and have good success, Josh. 1.8. Shall Noblemen and Gentlemen exempt thenselves? No, not they neither: for the Eunuch a man of great authority under Candace Queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, while he was in his chariot, read the prophesy of Isaiah, to further himself thereby in knowledge, Acts 8, 27.28. and 17.11: also the Noblemen of Berca searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so which the Apostles preached. Who then may think themselves discharged? May the Ministers? No, they should be men of knowledge, and give attendance to reading above others, 1. Tim. 4, 13. May the people? No, it is a general precept given by Christ to them, to search the Scriptures, John 5, 39. and yet no doubt many among them were poor, and tradesmen: so Psal. 1, 2. Col. 3, 16. May such as are weak in judgment, and simple witted? No, the law of God was written to give wisdom to the simple, Psal. 19, 7: and the Proverbs were penned to give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man knowledge and discretion, Prov. 1, v. 4. May the young man defer the matter until age? No, he must season his young years with the knowledge of the Scriptures, Psal. 119, 9. 2 Tim. 3, 15. May they that are rich and wealthy be privileged from this? No, Abraham saith of the brethren of the rich man, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them, Lu. 16, 29. It is in vain to be rich in the world, and not to have the word also to dwell richly in them, that so they may be rich in God. May women be freed frō this duty? No, the grandmother & the mother of Timothy taught him & trained him up in the Scriptures of a child, which could not be, if themselves had been without knowledge, 2 Tim. 1, 5. So then we may conclude, that all which live in y ^e Church, and would be accounted members of the Church, whether they be Princes or subjects, Ministers or people, noble or unnoble, high or low, learned or unlearned, young or old, rich or poor, masters or servants, men or women, one or other, all I say, ought to be endued with the knowledge of the ways of God.

[Use 3] Thirdly, it teacheth everyone of us to examine himself and his own heart, how far he is guilty of this sin of ignorance. It is the first degree or step of knowledge, for a man to know and acknowledge his own ignorance. For till we come to this to find our selves to live in ignorance, and to mourn and lament for it, it is impossible for us ever to attain to sound and perfect knowledge. [Object.] But some will say, How shall we attain to this knowledge which you speak of? [Answer.] I answer, the way is to exercise our selves in the reading of the Scriptures. He that would have water, must draw it out of the well: and he that would have knowledge, must draw it out of the fountain of the Scriptures. This doth Christ often point unto, in the Evangelists, stirring up men to read, and reproving those that would not: as Math. 12, ver. 3. he said to the Pharisees, Have ye not read what David did? and verse 5. Have ye not read in the Law? and cha. 19, 4. likewise he said to the chief Priests & Scribes, Have ye never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise, Math. 21, 16. Psal. 8, 2. and verse 42. he said, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders refused, the same is become the head of the corner? and chap. 22, 3. he said to the Sadducees touching the resurrection from the dead, Have ye not read that which was spoken of God? So he speaketh to him that asked what he should do to inherit eternal life, Luk. 10, 26. What is written in the Law? how readest thou? And Abraham saith to the rich glutton, They have Moses & the Prophets, they have their writings among them. And speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, Who so readeth let him understand, Math. 24, 15. The contrary, when we do not and will not read and obey this commandment so often repeated and vehemently urged, is the cause of error and heresy, of evil, of discomfort, and of all profaneness, Acts 13, 27. Mark. 12, 24.

Secondly, such as would have the true and saving knowledge, must first of all lay before him the grounds and principles of Christian religion: otherwise whatsoever he knoweth, he shall know nothing as he ought to know, like him that would build without a foundation, Heb. 6, 1.

Thirdly, earnest prayer to God for the help of his holy Spirit to assist him, and to teach him how to profit aright by the reading of the Scriptures. For he that is the author of them, best knoweth how to give us understanding to edify our selves by them in our most holy faith. And hereby we shall learn more then such as only meddle with the Scriptures, and never practice this duty of prayer, neither crave a blessing of him upon their labors.

Lastly, conference with others, to minister help and comfort one to another. This did the two Disciples use going to Emmaus, who talked together of all those things which had happened touching Christ: they reasoned of his passion and suffering, and they are farther instructed in the truth of the matter, and in the understanding of the Scriptures. This was the blessing of God upon their practicing & performing of this duty. If we reason soberly & reverently, Christ Jesus will come among us, and be present with us by the grace of his Spirit, and by his blessing of our endeavors, which ought to be an encouragement to the same.

Hitherto we have spoken of the sin of ignorance: now of presumption and voluntary sins, which are said in the original to be committed with an high hand, that is, proudly, scornfully, arrogantly, despitefully, and desperately against God. And therefore it is said, that he reproacheth the Lord, and hath broken his covenant, such a one must be cut off from his people. This cutting off for iniquity, some understand of excommunication by the censure of the Church; others, of killing by the sword of the Magistrate: but which way soever it be taken, it showeth the greatness of this crime. And because there is no kind of sacrifice set down for the expiation of this sin, some do hold, that it figureth out the sin against the holy Ghost, which sin being unpardonable, Math. 12, 32. 1 John. 5, 16, there remaineth no sacrifice for it, but a certain looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries, Heb. 10, 26, 27. Howbeit, I rather think, that no sacrifice is expressed, because there is no new addition prescribed touching any sacrifice, as there is of the other, because this is already handled in the book of Leviticus, chap. 6, 2, &c. And this sin is opposed against the sin of ignorance: but all sins of presumption are not the sin against the holy Ghost. God forbid, we should so entangle men's consciences, and hold all presumptuous sins to be that unpardonable sin. Neither can I be of their opinion, that think God would have no sacrifice offered for such sins, lest the sacrifices should wax vile and contemptible, and men should thereby be encouraged to give themselves over to commit sin with greediness, and never regard whether they sin ignorantly or presumptuously. It is no encouragement to sin of ignorance, because the means is set down to be cleansed of it. And who will willingly wound himself, albeit he have a Physician that can cure it?

From hence we may gather a difference between sin and sin: all break the law and deserve eternal death, Ezek. 18, 4. Rom. 6, 23. Nevertheless some are greater and some are lesser. There are therefore of sins sundry sorts, Jude, verse 22, 23. Hence it is, that sin is divided diverse ways; either it is original, which we draw from our parents, and bring with us into the world: this is an hereditary sin, it is the inheritance that all parents bequeathe unto their children, as Psal. 51, 5. Ro. 5, 14. Or else it is actual, which is a fruit of the former; such are evil thoughts, words, and works, such as agree not with the law of God. This distinction is proved, Rom. 5, 14, and 7, 20. and 9.11. Again, there is a raging and reigning sin, when the sinner maketh no resistance by the grace of the Spirit, Rom. 6, 12, and 1 John 3, 8. He that committeth sin, to wit, of set purpose, and delighteth therein, is of the devil: it is so called, because we foster and cherish it, and become bondslaves unto it, and likewise because it hath rule over man, & carrieth him headlong to destruction. Such are all sins in the unregenerate, and so continue till there be a new birth; and some also in the regenerate in their slidings and fallings against their conscience: and there is also a sin not reigning, which the sinner repelleth and resisteth by the grace of the Spirit, & daily reneweth his repentance for them. Such are the sins of ignorance, omission, and infirmity which remain in the regenerate so long as they live, which they acknowledge, bewail, hate, and resist, and pray daily that they may be forgiven them, saying, Forgive us our debts, 1 John 1, 8. Rom. 7, 17, and 8, 1. Many other such differences of sins might be noted, but these are sufficient to show that there is difference between sin and sin.

And no marvel, because the commandments [Reason 1] of God are not alike, but some are greter and some lesser. The laws of the first Table are called, the first and great commandment, Math. 22, 38, and do concern the Lord himself. The laws of the second are inferior to these, as they that concern our brethren like to our selves.

Secondly, there is great difference in the [Reason 2] manner of sinning; some sin ignorantly, some wittingly, Psal. 19, 12, 13. 1 Tim. 1, 13. Some are principal and ringleaders in the sin, others are only accessories; some are only in thought, others in deed; some offend of malice, some offend of weakness; some commit sin; others, besides this, have pleasure in them that do them, Rom. 1, 32.

Thirdly, in respect of God himself, all sins [Reason 3] do not alike dishonor him, neither is his wrath kindled alike against all; some are desperate sinners that will not be reclaimed, and despite the Spirit of grace, with whom the Lord cannot but be more offended then with such as are humbled for their sin.

This difference serveth to condemn such [Use 1] as make all sins equal, none greater or lesser then others, none before or after other. True it is, the Church of Rome lay this error to our charge (as also they falsely do many other) as if we were of the sect of the Stoics, holding an absurd opinion touching y ^t absurd doctrine of the equality of all sins: which showeth that they are far spent and drawn dry, and cannot charge us with true crimes, when they are constrained to object against us such gross opinions as we detest and condemn, & have confuted more then they, both in Schools and Pulpets. What errors and heresies, think you, will these men be afraid to broch against us among their own disciples, that take up all things upon trust at the second hand? and what imputations will they not dare to lay upon us in their Sermons, which they know shall never come to be examined (forasmuch as their hearers are forbidden to read any of our writings) when they blush not, neither are ashamed to publish to the view of the whole world such open and manifest untruths?

[Object.] But they object, that we teach all sins to be mortal and to deserve death, even the least of them. [Answer.] I answer, we teach no other doctrine then the Scripture teacheth us, Rom. 6, 21, 23. I am. 2, 10. Nevertheless it followeth not by any good consequent, that though every sin in God's justice be adjudged worthy of eternal death, that therefore it doth equally deserve it. See more of this, chap. 19.

[Use 2] Secondly, from this doctrine received, it followeth, that the punishments of hell are diverse also, according to the different desert of sin, Luk. 12, 47, 48. Math. 23, 15, and 11, 22, 24. They that break the law and teach others to do the like, are twofold more the children of hell then others. They are the children of hell that transgress the law, but they that lay a stumbling block before others, and draw them out of the way, are guilty of a farther sin, and consequently of a greater punishment. Sodom shall be cast into hell, but Capernaum shall descend deeper and suffer more. This must we lay to our hearts, forasmuch as we are like to Capernaum not to Sodom. Every man must receive at the last day according to his evil works: but God's judgments should not be right, if he did judge sins to be equal, and punish sins equally. On the other side, we may conclude, that there are degrees of glory in the kingdom of heaven; which serveth to stir us up to labor to out-go and out-strip others, considering that we shall receive a greater reward. It is a point serving to animate and encourage all men in well-doing, to know that the Magistrate shall receive according to his care, the Minister according to his pains, and everyone according to his duty and obedience in the life to come.

[Use 3] Lastly, hence is a direction for Magistrates, seeing offenses are different, there ought to be a difference in punishment of malefactors. All laws should not be written with blood, neither all punishments take away life. But if lesser sins should be punished sharply, & great more remissly, it were against the rule of reason and the law of equity. Hence it is, that Christ teacheth, that among the Courts of the Jews, they always punished according to the quality of the offense, and did not make an equality among offenders, Mat. 5, verse 22.

[Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his covenant, &c.] Here is the description of this sin: whereby we see whereunto it tendeth being once entertained. [Doctrine.] We learn from hence, that men are come to the height of sin, when they commit sin boldly and boastingly, proudly, and presumptuously, Isaiah 3, 9. Numb. 25, 6. 1 Sam. 16, 22. Ier. 3, 3. Prov. 2, 14. The reasons.

[Reason 1] For this manner of sinning is without any sign of grace, & is done in contempt of God and his laws, as we see in this place.

[Reason 2] Secondly, this kind of sinning doth cry to heaven and calleth down judgment, so that he cannot but punish it severely, Gen. 18, ver. 20, 21.

This reproveth the sins of our times, for [Use 1] as we live in the light of grace, so we are come to the light of sin, because some maintain sin, and others brag & boast of those sins that they have committed, and greatly delight in them, Psal. 52, 3, 4. Isaiah 1, 23. 2 Pet. 2, 15. The sin of these men is so much the greater, because here we have the coupling and combining of two sins together, sin and the love of sin. Where there are two strong poisons mixed together, there the party is in great danger that drinketh of that potion: so it is in this case, two sins being joined in one, sin, & impudency in sinning, that person is much more guilty. This boldness and impudency is also accompanied with impenitency, for certainly, he that sinneth with an high hand and with a proud heart, cannot repent and leave his sin, he cannot be sorry for it and turn unto God, but lieth under a great measure and degree of evil.

Secondly, let such as are guilty of these bold [Use 2] and presumptuous sins, break them off by true repentance and by reforming such as are committed to their charge. For every sin must be repented off: but greater sins must have greater repentance for them: therefore we should labor to repent of all, whether they be moe or few, greater or less, once committed or often, that so God may pass by us whē his judgments run through the world. Take heed therefore of presumptuous sins. Some are suddenly overtaken, these sin, but not so greatly as they that run willfully and violently into evil. It is an evil to take the Name of God in vain, though it be in heat and in haste howsoever; but it is worse to swear and blaspheme in cold blood, in common talk, & that without remorse. The corrupt affection in these is worse then the action of sin. Such as once fall into drunkenness cannot be excused; but they sin doubly and trebly that delight in drunkenness, & haunt drunken houses, and keep drunken company, and nourish all occasions to bring themselves to commit sin upon sin. So it may be said, touching the breach of the Sabbath, he sinneth that pretendeth some necessity of some great business, and that he is unwilling to absent himself frō the house of God, and doth it seldom; but he that maketh a common practice of profaning the Lord's day, sometimes by saying at home in his chamber, sometimes by walking abroad in his fields, sometimes by lying in an alehouse, sometimes by sitting at tables & cards, do offend much more and come into the number of presumptuous sinners. [Object.] But some peradventure will ask the question, How may a man know whether he sin with an high hand, whether he be come to the height of sin, to sin presumptuously? To this I answer: [Answ.] it is no hard matter to discern thy estate by these notes.

First, whosoever disliketh and hateth the word of God, may justly fear and suspect himself. For he that cannot patiently endure to read it, or to hear it read or preached, because it layeth open his sin, and as a true glass maketh his corruptions manifestly to appear, he certainly is a bold and presumptuous sinner. So long as a man is content to submit himself to God's ordinance, and to be willing to hear his sins reproved, so long there is hope of such a sinner. Again, they sin purposely, and proudly, and presumptuously, that are offended either with the Minister or with a private friend that reproves him for his sins. These are lovers of their sins and are resolved to dwell in them, because they hate those that love them, and out of love admonish them of their evil ways. And if peradventure they have failed in the manner of their reproof, these by & by conceive that they have sinned more in reproving, then themselves in committing the act it self. Thirdly, they are passing apace to tht height of sin, that excuse and lessen their sins, or else defend them: such as say, it is no such great matter that they have done. Lastly, they are grievous sinners sapped in them, that make no use of the crosses and afflictions that God sendeth upon them: that are no whit bettered, or reformed, or humbled by his judgments.

[Use 3] Lastly, it is our duty to pray unto God that we may be kept and preserved from this high measure of sin, Psal. 19, 13. The Prophet prayeth to the Lord to keep him from presumptuous sins. This showeth to us, that we are ready to fall into them. And what do they but publish this as with a loud voice, that cry out that God is merciful, and thereupon take occasion to go forward, presuming of his mercy? We should be careful to beg from God his grace, that we may resist sin in the beginning, lest our hearts be hardened by it, Heb. 3, 13, and we thereby be drawn in the end to make no conscience of sin. If any ask how we may know, whether we be willing to leave sin and resist it in the beginning? I answer, we may examine our selves by the contrary rules to the former. If a man make the law of God his delight, and can therefore love it, & make much of it, because it maketh his sins manifest unto himself, he certainly is no lover of his sins. Thus it was with Hezekiah, when he had received an heavy threatening of an heavy judgment from the mouth of God, he submitted himself, and said to the Prophet, The word of the Lord is good, which thou hast spoken. Secondly, he loveth not his sins that loveth him that reproveth him for his sins. He that embraceth that Minister or that brother that telleth him of his corruptions, certainly he is not determined to embrace and entertain his sins. Thirdly, he that is so far from excusing of his sins, that he is ready to accuse himself; and he that is so far from defending and maintaining them, that he laboreth to reconcile himself to God, and to have a clear conscience toward God and man, he doubtless shall not need to fear to come to the height of sin. Lastly, he declareth that he is not besotted with the love of his sins, that loveth God that chastiseth him, even for his chastisements sake: who, so soon as any cross befalleth unto him, presently runneth home to his own heart, and condemneth his sin, and judgeth himself, and layeth all upon himself, as justly befallen him for his sins. If these things be found in us, we may rejoice and be glad, that albeit we cannot but commit the act of sin, yet we keep our hearts and souls from delighting in sin and the affecting thereof. Thus we may acquit our selves of a great deal of the guilt of sin, albeit not of the outward act it self, by seeking the asswaging and lessening of it.

Here followeth an example of God's judgment upon him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day. This is not to be considered in it self only, but as it dependeth upon the words immediately going before, as a reason or an example of that law, that whosoever doth anything presumptuously or with an high hand, shall die the death: and albeit it be set down after it, yet I take it to have been done before it. The Israelites had found out a man that had sinned, not of ignorance, or one that gathered sticks upon necessity, but they said to Moses, as the Pharisees did to Christ, touching the woman taken in adultery; We found her in the very act; so did they take this breaker of the Sabbath, in the very act of gathering sticks, who rushed desperately against the law, as a Ship that dasheth it self in pieces against a Rock, for he sinned in contempt of God and his ordinances. The Lord had delivered his law to all Israel, and repeated the same again, he had commanded it carefully to be kept, and none to go out of his place to gather Manna upon that day, Exod. 16, 29. The observation of this day was the establishing of the whole law, and the breach of it, a destroying of the whole worship of God. This did this wicked person know well enough, but he nevertheless would go out of his place. God hath said, they should not kindle a fire throughout their generations that day, neither could he be ignorant of it, yet he would kindle a fire to provoke God to anger against him. In this we see his sin, and the manner of it, he is brought to Moses, and is put in ward. Moses asketh counsel of God, what should be done with him: God appointeth him for examples sake, to be stoned to death, which is done accordingly. [Object.] But this may seem a small offense, he did not bear any great burden on the Sabbath, nor labor in the works of his calling, neither offend in any great matter, he did only gather a bundle of sticks and that (as it should seem) but once, he did not make any practice of it, [Answer.] I answer, we must consider, not only the deed done, but also the manner of doing; he did it to despise and despite God, a sin in whomsoever, worthy of no less punishment then death it self.

[Doctrine.] We learn from hence, that every sin is so much the greater, by how much less the thing is for which men sin. I say, the less the thing is for which a man will sin and transgress the law of God, the greater always is his sin. A man would think it nothing to pick up a few sticks, but the less it was, the greater was his contempt of God, that he would run into the breach of the law, and provoke the wrath of God for it. Thus we might speak of the sin of our first parents: God tried their obedience in abstaining from the fruit of one tree, & yet they would taste thereof, and thereby ruined themselves and all their posterity. The matter wherein they sinned, was small, but the sin thereby was made the greater. Esau is noted in holy Scripture for his profaneness, w ^c was shown in this, that for one mess of broth he sold his birthright, Gen. 25, 33. Heb. 12, 16. So is it spoken of Judas, that for thirty shekels he sold his Master, and betrayed the Lord of life into the hands of sinners, Mat. 26, 15. & 27, 5. A goodly price at which he (that is God of heaven and earth, & heir of all things) was valued, saith the Prophet Zacharias, ch. 11, 13. The less the reward was, the greater was his iniquity: for thereby he made it manifest at how vile, how base and small a price our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of the world was valued & esteemed by him. The like we might say of the sin of the Jews, when they denied the holy one and the just, & desired a murderer to be granted unto them at such time as Pilate was determined to let him go, Acts 3, 13, 14. They weighed him & Barabbas together in the balance, & they preferred him that was a thief & a robber, John 18, 40. a seditious fellow, Lu. 23, 25. who had also committed murder in the insurrection, Mar. 15, 6. Him I say, they preferred before the Lord Jesus. This might farther be proved out of other places, which I only point out, Prov. 28, 21. Ezek. 13, 19. Amos 2, 6. The reasons.

[Reason 1] First, this argueth plainly to their faces, that such persons are destitute of the fear of God and man, that they dare sin and dishonor God for so small and abject a thing. The smaller the thing is, the greater is the contempt. There are commonly two things that draw men to sin, either the fear of some evil that they would avoid, or else desire of some good that they would enjoy. Now doubtless there is but a small measure of the grace of GOD, whensoever men are drawn to transgress for such slight and slender occasions: Secondly, [Reason 2] it argueth a man's heart to be most corrupt, when he will not stick to sin and offend God for a small thing, and it warranteth others to judge the same man to be very wicked, and to presume he will much rather sin and much more offend for a greater thing, that is so easily brought to commit sin for every triffle of little or no value. He that will pervert justice for a few morsels of bread, will sooner do it for many pieces of gold: and they that will sell the poor for a pair of shoes, will make no bones to do it for a brace of angels. The uses follow.

This convinceth many, that they live under [Use 1] a greater guilt of sin then they are aware of, for they have an erroneous judgment of themselves; they think the less the matter is wherein they sin, the less is their sin, whereas indeed it is for the most part the quite contrary, for the less the thing is for which we choose to sin, the greater is our sin. He that will lie and face, swear & forswear for a small thing, and upon every occasion, certainly God will judge him more severely for it, then he will do those that have had some greater cause to do it, albeit no cause can excuse it wholly. So for a man to rob another, where are but small things to be had, he offendeth more thē others that rob for great store of gold and silver: and the reason is, because it argueth greater contempt of God, and lesser regard of his displeasure and of his law, it bewrayeth greater corruption of his heart, and less love of justice and righteousness: and besides, though he took but little, yet he would have takē more, if more had been to be taken, according to the saying of our Savior, He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much, Lu. 16, 10. Again, many a man doth abuse the Sabbath day (which is the point here in question) by walking abroad in the fields, or by following his base pleasures, perhaps he lieth asleep at home, or goeth to the alehouse, or sitteth at cards; such a one worketh not with his hands in his calling, he goeth not to plough, he doth not buy and sell, n •• ertheles he offendeth God more, and his heart is more corrupt then he that walketh and worketh in his calling for his necessity.

But it may be objected, [Object.] that then a man were as good offend and transgress for great things as for small. To this I answer, [Answ.] that it is an evil and false consequent: he that so reasoneth, declareth himself to be most corrupt & sinful: for whether a man sin for much or for little, he provoketh God against himself both ways, and therefore both are to be shunned. Everyone in his several place ought rather to reason thus, I may sin against God and offend him in a small thing as well as in a great, and oftentimes move him unto anger more in a smaller then in a greater, therefore I will make conscience of both, I will avoid all kind of evil, I will walk uprightly; and work righteousness in his sight. So shall we be sure to reap the benefit and comfort of it here after in the life to come.

[Use 2] Secondly, it admonisheth everyone of us that we should labor to have such good hearts so sanctified, that not the greatest provocations of pleasure, of profit, of honor, of sin, or anything whatsoever should provoke us to sin; if not the greatest, then not the less; and if not the less, then not the least of all. For as he that withstandeth the greatest evils, showeth himself to have the greatest measure of grace: so he that is persuaded and provoked by small things to sin, it argueth him to have the greater corruption and hardness of heart, and therefore though we cannot be without sin, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) yet we should labor to make our sins the less sinful, and our selves the less sinners: which we shall do, if we take heed we be not provoked to sin by small things of little value. Whosoever will sin for a little, he may despair with himself of any great matter, and may well think that he shall never be able to restrain himself to any purpose, but in short time he shall be brought to sin in far greater things. It is the policy of Satan to be content to draw men only to little sins, and to let them continue long in them: for he is that old and subtle serpent, that knoweth there is more danger for the most part in little sins then in greater sins. A mote is not perceived in the eye, whē a great beam cannot be hid: and though a mote be discerned, yet because it is little, it is let alone, the danger of it is thought to be little or nothing. Touching great sins, all men will readily acknowledge and confess them to be sins; whereas little sins make them think them to be no sins, or that they may safely suffer them to remain & continue in them without any danger. Hence it is, that men are so much given to flatter themselves and to think all is well with them, because they find others tainted with greater sins then themselves, as it was with the Pharisee, Luke 18, whereas an enemy neglected and contemned, doth oftentimes more hurt then such a one as we are more watchful over.

[Use 3] Lastly, it reproveth those that give scope and liberty to themselves to follow some sins, because they are little in their eyes. Hence it is, that Solomon bringeth in the sluggard, saying, A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, Prov. 6, 10. and 24, 33. So it is with every sinner, he crieth out, a little more sin, a little more evil; the young man, a little more daliance; the covetous person, a little more riches and care: the oppressor, a little more wrong: the blasphemer, one oath more: the drunkard crieth for a little more drink, one pot more is not so much: that is, they persuade themselves they may live in these sins because they are little, or they may add some little more to them without any great danger. But many a little maketh a great deal, every drop of rain helpeth to make the flood, and every corn to fill up the measure; and as a little spark kindleth much wood and maketh a great fire: so a little added to sin, and to that little a little more, maketh the sin to be exceeding sinful, and the sinner a great sinner before the LORD our GOD.

Moreover, we must understand that God forbiddeth the least sins as well as the greatest; and the Prophet reproveth the hypocrites of his time, who though they would not eat of polluted or unclean flesh, yet the broth thereof was found in their vessels, Isaiah 65, 4: and the Apostle delivereth this precept, Abstain from all appearance of evil, 1 Thess. 5, 22. If Satan can draw Cain to hate his brother, he will quickly draw him to kill him. If he can entice Achan to covet the silver and gold which he saw, it will not be long before he move him to take them away; and therefore in the confession of his sin he joineth them together, I coveted and conveyed them away. The Cockatrice eggs are venomous and hurtful, not only to eat, but to tread upon them, and to be sprinkled with them, Isaiah 59, 5. So the least meddling with evil is contagious and bringeth infection. Therefore the Apostle willeth to hate the very garment spotted with the flesh, Jude, ver. 23. The smallest sins are to be shunned. Our first parents were forbidden not only to eat of the forbidden fruit, but to touch it, as appeareth by the confession of the woman. It behooveth us therefore to labor for spiritual wisdom that we may be able to see his policy, and for spiritual strength to withstand his strength and provocations, and by these two helps we shall be sure to keep our selves free from the guilt of many sins. And that we may the better do so, two things are required of us most necessary for this purpose, the fear of God and the love of God. If we get into our hearts the fear of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell, we shall easily overcome all other fear of evil, the greater will prevail over the less; neither the smallest nor the greatest delights and desires of the world, shall cause us to offend him, nor provoke us or prevail with us to cause us to sin against him, because his fear doth keep and restrain us. But, where the fear of God is not, there is an easy lapse into all evil, Gen. 20, 11.

Again, we must have the love of God in us. This will cause us to love him better then our selves, and make us loath to offend him though we might get the greatest gain and commodity by it, much less for small and base things. We should account it, if we love him indeed, a more miserable thing then hell it self, to offend him.

Let us all therefore labor for these two, the fear and the love of God, to have them settled in our hearts; these are the strongest of all other passions.

We saw before the sin of him that brake the Sabbath: now we may behold how he is first put in ward until the will of God were farther known; then he is commanded to be stoned with stones, and by whom? by all the Congregation. This was an ordinary kind of punishment among the Jews, and also among some of the Gentiles. Neither had they any set persons appointed to be executioners and ministers of justice, as now is usual in our days, but it stood merely at the pleasure of Princes & Judges and others officers to name and assign sometimes one and sometimes another, and sometimes many; and it was done without any note of infamy. For it was no more reproach to execute a malefactor, then to condemn him. Neither were they of the baser, but of the better sort that were sometimes singled out for this purpose, Deut. 13, 9, 10.1, Sam. 22, 17, 18. Samuel himself hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord, 1 Sam. 15, 33.1, King. 2, 31, 34. Judge. 8, 20, 21. Exod. 32, 29. The like might be said of Phinehas that stood up and executed judgment, Psal. 106, 30. and of Elijah, who slew the Priests of Baal, 1 King. 18, 40. This was the order among the Hebrews: but now such persons deputed for executions are commonly evilly spoken off, & of base account; first, because the common sort that commonly offend, are commonly afraid at the sight of them, and their hearts arise against them, and therefore can hardly meet them in the streets, but they set themselves against them. And no man would willingly be punished for his offenses. Thus they hope, if there were no executioner, they should escape and not be executed. Now because the sight of such officers bringeth to their remembrance their own offenses, therefore they cannot abide them, as fearing that in the end they may also take their lives from them. Thus they hate his person more then their own evil: although it be not the person, but their own mischief & misdemeanor that taketh away their lives. Secondly, such persons are of evil note, because many of them lead a wicked & profane life, and are many times as evil as those whom they execute. The office doth not defile them, but rather they defile the office: it is they that make the office odious, not the office them.

But to pass this over, in the punishment executed upon this person that brake the Sabbath, [Doctrine] we learn that the Lord will punish wicked men, not only for sins of injustice, but for sins of ungodliness: not only for the breach of the second Table, but for breach also of the first Table, Exod. 20, 5, 7, and 31, 13, 14, and 32, 10. Ier. 10, 25. Ezek. 20, 13, 21. Neh. 13, 15, 18. Ier. 17, 29. Levite. 24, 11, 12, 14, 15. Deut. 13, 9, 10. This is farther to be strengthened with reason.

First, true godliness and religion have the [Reason 1] promises of the blessings of this life and of the life to come, 1 Tim. 4, 8. Deut. 28, 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. then it will follow on the contrary, that impiety and ungodliness have the curses & plagues both of the one and the other due unto them. For it were great injustice in God, if he should reward the works of piety and religion, and should not as well punish the works of impiety and profaneness.

Secondly, such works are committed directly [Reason 2] and immediately against the person of God himself, but the works of unrighteousness are against men. He is more severely punished that flieth in the Princes face & woundeth him, then he that hurteth any of his servants. Such as with an high hand break the first Table, do as it were fly in God's face and rebel against them; such as transgress the second, hurt some of his servants. So then, when we fall to practice against his own person or his honor, there is great reason to think he will visit for those especially, and therefore such laws are called, the first and great commandment, Math. 22, 36, 38.

Thirdly, such works of impiety are the causes [Reason 3] of wrong, injustice, hatred, and of all unrighteousness. The breach of the first Table procureth the breach of the second, Rom. 1, 21, 22, 23. Because they regarded not to know God, he gave them over to vile affections. When he gave them up to uncleanness, it was a punishment of their unthankfulness and not honoring of him.

The uses follow. Such are first of all reproved [Use 1] as are accounted civil honest men in the world and reputed unblameable among their neighbors. I do not mean that they are to be reproved for their civility and honesty, which are not to be condemned in themselves (for they are good,) but such as content themselves with an outward civil carriage among men, and to be praised of them, having no fear of God, or care of religion in them: but all their care and conscience is to deal justly with men, and in the mean season wholly neglect their duty to God; these are liable to God's judgments, as well as those that are altogether profane and wicked. These are they that have no care to sanctify the Sabbath, no delight in prayer, no hungering & thirsting after knowledge, but remain in blindness & ignorance, careless in frequenting the hearing of the word, and in receiving of the Sacraments. They will boast, they love the Church as well as any of their neighbors, but small fruits appear of their going thither, or of their coming from thence. They think all is well enough, if they be just in their outward dealings: they make account that they are not to be blamed, and they stand in fear of no judgments of God at all. So it was with the rich man, Math. 19, 20. he thought he had done all even from his youth, that he lacked nothing: but being tried by the first commandment, whether he did love God above all, he plainly descried that his civil honesty was mere hypocrisy, and his fulfilling of the law no better then a flattering of himself. In like manner do such men much deceive themselves, and are like to a subject whose whole care is to deal justly and uprightly with his fellows, but utterly neglecteth his duty to his Prince, and practiseth rebellion against him all his life. If such a man deal justly among other men, and will not commit adultery or murder by any means; tell me in reason, can all this his care help him, when he shall be convicted for high treason against his Prince? Certainly this just and upright carriage toward the people shall stand him in little stead. Likewise many men in all places do live continually in the practice of rebellion against the person of God himself, howsoever they seem very careful and conscionable of their duty toward men, yet God will find them out for the contempt of him. For they are grown to this profaneness, What need so much preaching? or so much hearing? and so they begin to scorn and scoff at those that live in the obedience of these holy duties. Let me tell these, though they be never so just in their conversation, doing no wrong, paying all mē, showing mercy to them that need, yet they lie open, notwithstanding all these, to God's judgments for want of the true power of religion. If thou shouldst see a man live in the gross sins of the second Table, in murder, adultery, robbery, drunkenness, false witness-bearing, and the like, wouldst y ^u not think him worthy to be plagued by the hand of God? why then should we think that such as live in y ^e breaches of the first Table (more gross thē these) which have the first place, are not liable to judgment, as well, or rather much more then the other?

[Use 2] Secondly, this teacheth all such as have any rule over others, to be careful to teach such as are under them in the ways of godliness, that they may know the Father to be true God, & him whom he hath sent Jesus Christ, John 17, 3. First, it is the duty of Princes and Magistrates to have a great care of true religion, that God be faithfully served by their people. It is not enough for them to provide that they may have a people faithful and loyal to thenselves, except they be also faithful to God. The godly kings are commended for their care in advancing the glory of God, and for their zeal in causing all the people committed to their charge to be instructed. It were easy to enlarge this by the examples of David, of Asa, of Jehoshaphat, of Hezekiah, and Josiah: they made a covenant with God to serve him themselves, and to cause him to be served of their people. Asa commanded Judah to serve the Lord of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandments, that whosoever would not seek the Lord, whether he were small or great, whether man or woman, should be put to death, 2 Chron 14, 4, and 15, 13. Deut. 17, 19. 2 Kings 23, 2, 3. 2 Chron. 19, 7, 8, 9. Thus it ought to be with all fathers and masters, they must teach their children & servants, that they may know the Lord, and set their hope in him, & not forget his works, but keep his comandements, Psal. 78, 6, 7, & 4, 9, and 11, 19, 21. Eph. 6, 4. Eli the Priest of the Lord is first threatened, and afterward punished for neglect of this duty, 1 Sam. 2, and 3. The example is written for our instruction, that we should beware of the like transgression.

Thirdly, see the fearful condition of many [Use 3] men of all sorts, for they live under a fearful judgment of God, and yet do not see it, because through the whole course of their lives, they practice the works of impiety, living in palpable ignorance, in contempt of the Word, Sabbath, and Sacraments. If a man should do nothing but practice treason and rebellion against the King, despising his word and contemning his Proclamations, in what a fearful condition would we account him to be? And when the King himself should appoint a day, wherein he would have his own person specially attended and wholly waited upon, if his household servants should refuse to give him any attendance, but wait worse upon him that day then any other, and give themselves wholly to attend upon their own pleasures, would he not think himself notably abused, and discharge such of his service? and were they not sure to run into his displeasure, and to procure judgment upon themselves? Notwithstanding, this is the state of many among us. God hath commanded us to reverence his Name, his Sanctuary, his Sabbath, his Word, his Ministry; if then we shall dare to swear & blaspheme openly, to reject the word of God, and to abuse the Sabbath by following after our pleasures and profits, our sports and recreations, and thereby practice after a sort against the person of GOD himself, do they not provoke me to my face, saith the Lord, and shall they go unpunished? No certainly, they shall not, his judgments shall overtake them for these things.

God hath ordained and enacted as by a solemn Proclamation, that all sorts that profess themselves his servants, should wait upon him on the Sabbath; he is then determined to set forth the greatness of his glorious Name, and the riches of his house, and y ^e might of his power, and the honor of his Majesty: it is his will and pleasure that men, women, & children should assemble together before him to give him attendance: shall we answer with Korah and his company in the next chapter, We will not come up? Numb. 16, 14. And albeit we be not so impudent and shameless to say so, yet it is little better, because we do not appear before him. Nay we serve our selves by walking in our own ways, and many serve Satan the enemy of God, by following his ways with greediness. If we give up our selves to our pleasures and profits, we serve our selves: when we give up our selves to our sins, and delight in drunkenness and such like wickedness upon that day, we serve the devil. And in truth, let any man mark it, he shall see that God is no day worse served of the common sort, then upon his own holy day, so that when he requireth all our service, he can get little or none at all at our hands.

[Use 4] Lastly, let no man flatter himself in performance of duties unto men, and think himself in good case because he liveth unblameably in the eyes of y ^e world. We must learn to deny not only worldly lusts, but all ungodliness: and we must live not only soberly & righteously, but also godly in this present world, Titus 2, 12. Christ gave himself for this purpose, to purge us from all iniquity, and to purify us to be a peculiar people unto himself, zealous of all good works. And indeed the sins of the first Table are the greatest & most heinous sins, and deserve the greatest plagues of God, and most fearful condemnation: he will reward with everlasting fire, not only such as know not their duties to men, but such as know not God, neither obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 2 Thess. 1, 8. And this is noted as a main cause of the destruction of the old world, to wit, disobedience to the word, 1 Pet. 3, 20. When the Israelitish woman's son whose father was an Egyptian, blasphemed the Name of the Lord, and as it were thrust him through with horrible curses, Levite. 24, 11. he is commanded to be put to death and stoned, verse 16, 23. These sins are everywhere little thought upon, and supposed to be either no sins at all, or very little ones. But man's judgment is corrupt in the matters of God, except we look upon sin with the light of the Scripture: and if we shall parallel the sins of the first Table with the sins of the second in equal degree, the greatest of the one with the grossest of the other, & both done in knowledge alike, and ignorance with ignorance, comparing deeds with deeds, words with words, & thoughts with thoughts; the breaches of the law being thus considered, are far greater against the first then against the second Table, because they are committed immediately against the person of the great God, as rebellion against the person of a Prince is greater thē the insurrection against another: the murthering of a Prince more thē of many others, 2 Sam. 18, 3. See then from hence, the woeful abuse of our sinful times & profane people. Such as would seem to make conscience of stealing, of whoring, of robbing, and false witnessing in judgment, and hold them unworthy to live upon the earth that commit these things: mark their ways in matters that concern the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; and you shall evidently perceive, they think it no evil or enormity to be ignorant of GOD and his word, to maintain superstition and set up human traditions, to abuse his Name by cursed oaths, to profane his Sabbath by cursed or corrupt works, to despise his Word, and to refuse his Sacraments. These are so ordinarily, so openly, so impudently committed with bold, nay with brazen faces, and defended also by those that do them, as if we would despite God to his face, and thrust him out of his kingdom and from the government of the world. I will tell you what I have observed by the common course of the world, that moe perish through ignorance and profaneness, then do by all the deeds of unrighteousness. Satan prevaileth more among the people by bringing them to a profane life, and keeping them in sottishness and blindness touching the will of God, then by murder, whoredom, and theft laid together. I know I speak this to many that have most wretched and swinish hearts, but no ears to hear: and therefore regard their own pleasures more then they do their salvation. These are the dangerous days spoken off by the Apostle, 2. Tim. 3, 1, 4, 5. God in his mercy amend them: if not, let them that be ignorant, be ignorant still, 1 Cor. 14, 38. and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still, Revel. 22, 11. that so they may fill up the measure of their sins, Math. 23, 32.

It may seem strange at the first, that they should consult with God what to do with this profane person: seeing the Law had appointed death for him that transgressed this commandment, Exod. 31, 14. and 35, 2. why then did they inquire, or wherefore did they put him in mind to know what should be done unto him? Some answer, that albeit God had decreed that such should be punished, yet he had not declared by any law the kind of punishment: and therefore they asked how he should be punished, as for example, whether he should be hanged on a tree, or burned with fire, or stoned with stones, or stricken with the sword. But this answer cannot satisfy me: for when death is appointed in the Law, and the particular kind not expressed, the Magistrate was left free to set down the same, as also when no punishment at all is mentioned. Deut. 25, 13.14. neither were the people bound to ask counsel at the mouth of God upon every occasion of execution of justice against evil doers, where the manner of punishment is not limited. It was the law of God, that witches should not live, Exod. 22, 18. Saul did well, and is commended by the Spirit of God, that he cut them off that had familiar spirits out of the land, & rooted out the wizards; yet he did not ask, neither was he bound to ask counsel now or which way they should be put to death, though God had not defined the particular, Levite. 20, 27. This then is left to the discretion of the Magistrate, when he hath the general, to decree the particular punishment as he thinketh good. In sundry places of the books of Moses, we find sundry laws set down inflicting death upon the offenders, & yet the manner of death is not named, Genesis 9. verse 6. Exod. chap. 22, 19, 20. Levite. chap. 20. verses 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18. Deut. chap. 20. verse 25. and 24, 17. All this were to no purpose, if the Magistrate might not proceed against them ex officio, without knowing the farther pleasure of God. For it had been all one as if no sentence of death had been set down, inasmuch as they might as easily and with as little labor know the punishment in particular as when no punishment at all is expressed. Neither did the Jews take thenselves to be bound in that case to inquire of God, Levite. 20, 10. Deut. 22, 22. John 8, 5. Wherefore, I rather think they consulted with God about the quality of the work, then the manner of the punishment. God had threatened, that whosoever did Work on the Sabbath should be put to death: but he had not followed his handy-work, nor labored in his calling: he had only gathered a few sticks. True it is, he had done it impudently, yet it was doubt full whether this fact were within the compass of that law or not: and therefore Moses would not call the life of this man in question without certain direction from the mouth of God. For life is precious, and blood being spilled, is as water poured upon the earth, y ^t cannot be gathered up again. So then they desired to know, whether this fact were worthy of death, not by what manner of death he should die. And as the Jews in other things are full of fables, so in this they have devised of their own brains, that this man was Zelophehad, of whom we read afterward in this Book, chapt. 27, 3. where it is said of him that he died not in the conspiracy of Korah, but in his own sin: thereby casting an aspersion upon him, and charging him with an imputation which the Scripture doeth not charge him withal, of which we shall speak more afterwards. But who it was, and what his name was, and whether he were one of the Israelites or of the strangers that came with them out of Egypt, or what his purpose was, it is uncertain; but whosoever it were, he is put to death for profaning of the Sabbath. We learn hereby, [Doctrine.] that the Sabbath day ought wholly to be spent in religious and holy exercises. It is the end why it was sanctified of God, that we should sanctify it, and spend it in holy uses from morning unto evening, Genesis chap. 2. verse 2, 3. Where we see, he blessed it and sanctified it in the Garded, or at least in the time of man's innocence, Exodus chap 16, 20. Isaiah 56, verse 2. & 58, 13. Exod. chap. 20. verse 4. This was the practice under the Law, continued also under the Gospel. It was the custom of Christ to preach the gospel in the Synagogues on that day, he did it not for once or twice, but it was his ordinary and usual manner. So the Disciples, Acts 20, 17. and 17, 1, 2. 1 Cor. 16, 1. Revelation. 1, 10. The doors of the Temple were kept shut the six days, but opened from morning until the evening upon the seventh day, Ezek, 46, 1, 2.

There are many reasons in the fourth commandment, [Reason 1] drawn from the equity and liberality of God in giving us six days, from the example of God's rest, and from the consideration of the end why it was appointed to be kept holy, all these are of great force, Exod. 20, 4, 5.

Secondly, this serveth to preserve men from [Reason 2] barbarism and Atheism, and all irreligions profaneness. We see notwithstanding this comfortable & profitable ordinance of God, how much impiety and looseness is in the world: but if every man were left unto himself to serve God as himself list, to his private devotions without this general observation: it is to be feared we should shortly have no knowledge, no faith, no church, no religion, no order: that the greatest part would scarfe think of God, from one week, nay from one year to another, or have any acquaintance with his word and Sacraments, or read the Scriptures, or pray unto him: nay they would scarce know whether there were any Scriptures or Sacraments, or not. Therefore the Lord saith, The Sabbath is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you, Exod. 31, 13 For when do the greatest part read, or hear, or confer, or meditate, or pray but upon the Sabbath? Take away therefore that day, you take away all these. Thirdly, [Reason 3] Christ Jesus vouchsafed to honor this day above the rest of the days of the week after his resurrection, and that by his special appe •• ings in it, as well as by his rising again upon it. If we observe and mark it, we shall see he shown himself to his disciples and followers upon that day especially. First, to Marie Magdalene early in the morning, John 20, 1. and 14. Secondly, to the other women, as they were going to communicate to the Apostles the certainty of his resurrection, which the Angels had declared unto them before at the sepulcher, Matth. 28, 9. Thirdly, to the two disciples going to Emmaus, which also was the same day, Luke 24, 21, For they said, it was y ^e third day since these things were done. Fourthly, the same day at night he appeared to his Disciples, John 20, 19. Fifthly, he appeared for the confirmation of the faith of Thomas in the matter of his resurrection upon this day, John 20. verse 26. Upon this day did the holy Ghost descend: and this was the first day of the creation.

[Use 1] The Uses follow. The sanctifying, separating, and keeping of the Lord's day, is a moral duty charged upon every soul, whatsoever & wheresoever we be, in what state and condition soever, in bondage and exile, upon the land or sea, in sickness or in health, at home or abroad, with our selves or with others, whether we be high or low, Prince or subject, master or servant, bond or free, male or female; all persons must know, that this day must be sanctified unto the holy worship of God, and be spent in the meditation of holy things. It is not as some profane persons have said, that favor of nothing but the world, that rich men may keep the Sabbath, but poor men cannot: for GOD will have the poor keep holy this day, as well as the rich. As with him is no respect of persons, so in giving his law he respecteth not persons: we have not one of the Commandments for the poor and another for the rich, but they belong to all, as he is God of all, and will be served of all. And if this be not a moral duty, then we should have but nine Commandments that bind perpetually, whereas they are often called the ten words, Exodus chap. 34, verse 28. Deut. 14.13. and 10, 4. and Christ showeth, he came not to destroy the Law, but to keep it and fulfill it, Math. 5, 17. Again he saith, He that shall break one of the least of the commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, verse 19. he shall be shut out of it, and have no place in it. But it may be objected, [Object.] we keep not the same day that the Jews did, they observed the seventh day from the creation, we the first day of the week. Why then was this day changed? and who changed it? and whether may it be changed again? [Answer.] I answer first, touching the first; the reasons of the change are to put a difference between the Jewish and Christian Sabbath, which could not be so fitly done but by change of the day. Secondly, to keep a memorial of the day of our redemption: for as the seventh day kept a memorial of the work of the creation, so doeth this first day of the week of our Redemption: as great a work, yea greater then the former, for it was more to redeem us out of hell, then to create us out of nothing, Isaiah 66, 24.

Thirdly, to free the church from the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Jews, and to take from it they yoke that lay as an heavy burden on the necks of those that lived in the time of the Law, Acts chap. 15. verse 10. which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear: for when this day was changed it was no more tied to the Jewish Sabbath, which was solemnized with many ceremonies belonging necessarily unto it. The Jews were tied to a strict and rigorous kind of rest, they might not kindle a fire throughout their habitations, Exod. chapt. 35. verse 3. It was also a figure of the everlasting rest of God's children in the kingdom of heaven, Isaiah 66, 23. Heb. 4, 9. It was observed in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt, which fell out that day, Deut. 5, 15. Exodus 11. It was tied precisely to the seventh day from the Creation, and celebrated with sundry set rites and ceremonies, Numbers 28. verses 9, 10. Nevertheless, there is a Sabbath moral and perpetual, a time to be set apart to the worship of God to the end of the world.

The next Question is, who altered it? I answer, Christ himself is the author of this change. The Apostles often teach, that whatsoever they taught, they received it from Christ: they learned it at his hand before, either by word of his mouth, or by revelation of his Spirit: but the Apostles enjoined the first day of the week to be kept as a Sabbath of rest, 1 Cor. 16, 1. The Church every first day of the week made a collection for the poor, which followed the hearing of the word, the offering up of prayers, and the receiving of the Sacraments, as a fruit of them, Acts 2. ver. 42. Wherein observe by the way, that the Sabbath was appointed for the benefit, good, and comfort of the poor, not for their hurt or hindrance; whereby as God is glorified, so the poor are encouraged to tender their service to God this day; and the mouths of those carnal men are stopped, that would have the rich keep the Sabbath, but not the poor. If any say collections for the poor were lawful, [Object.] and might be made any day as well as on a Sabbath: I answer, [Answ.] the Apostle doth not only say, that then collections were made, but this was made an Apostolical ordinance and institution to be done that day especially: for he commandeth the Corinthians to observe it that day, as he had ordained it in the Churches of Galatia. 1 Corinth. 16, 1, 2. So then, because he gave such order, we may conclude it to be an ordinance.

The Apostles also assembled themselves upon this day, for performance of divine duties, Acts 20. verse 7. They kept this day for a Sabbath: neither kept they orderly any other, saving when they came into the Synagogues of the Jews, who were so addicted unto the Law of Moses, that they would meet upon no other day. Besides, it is said of Christ, that after his resurrection, he taught his Disciples whatsoever belonged to the kingdom of God, as Acts 1. verse 3. but the alteration of the Sabbath belongeth to God's kingdom. The last questiō remaineth, whether it be in the liberty of the Church to change the day again? I answer, it is not. For as it was not at the first changed without the authority of Christ and his Apostles directed by Christ, who is Lord of the Sabbath, Math. 12, 8. so it can receive no farther change without him or them. But if the Church had this power, thē the Church might well be said to be Lord of the Sabbath. Again the times and seasons are in God's hand, Act. 1, 6. but they should be left to the Church as a treasure to dispense, if it might dispose & transpose the Sabbath at her pleasure. Again, one day to be kept in seven, is moral & perpetual, otherwise if once we depart from this simplicity, that we be not tied of necessity unto it, a mā may say, that one day in seuē weeks or in seven years is enough, and so at length it shall be said, we are not bound to meet together publicly, above one day in an hundred years. Therefore I set it down as an unchangeable rule, that the observation of one day in seven, not in five, or one in fifteen, but one in seven, neither more nor less is moral: but if it should ever be changed again, we could not keep the just number of one in seven, but at the first change the proportion and morality would be broken. If any ask, how then was it changed at the first? I answer, the Jews that believed, altered not the morality of one in seven, albeit they changed the day which was ceremonial. For in the first change they kept two Sabbaths together, to wit, the Jewish and the Christian, & yet without breach of the former proportion. The Jews kept the seventh day for the week past, we take the first day which is next to it, and so keep the Sabbath for the week to come: they observed that day in memorial of the work of creation which was past, we Christians keeping (as we have great cause) the remembrance of the work of redemption, begin our Sabbath at the resurrection of Christ for the time following. And thus was the day altered without breaking the morality of one day in seven, which is impossible ever to be so changed again. The Princes of Judah are charged to change the bounds and landmarkes, Hos. 5, 10. God hath set stakes and bounds as it were to compass and inclose his Sabbath, by appointing the time and limiting the season, therefore to remove this, is as great an offense to God, as to pull up the pales and hedges of the ground is a trespass to man. If then we take upon us to appoint another day of our own, it cannot be called the Lord's day, but man's day, or our own day, or the Churches day. And it may be said of us, as Isaiah 1, 12. Who required these things at your hands? To set up another day, is to appoint a strange day, like to Nadab and Abihu that offered strange fire: If any say, we may serve the Lord as well upon another day, I answer, so might Nadab and Abihu consume the sacrifice with strange fire, as well as by that preserved on the Altar, yet they were punished of God because they altered his institution, as we have seen before.

Secondly, this reproveth sundry sorts of persons [Use 2] that offend against this doctrine. Of all the commandments of God, none are more often urged, and yet not one is, or hath been more despised and transgressed. The breach of the Sabbath is the main sin of the world, a general evil spreading far and near, an iniquity abounding in every congregation, as if God had never spoken anything touching a Sabbath, or as if it were a mere ordinance of man. Nay, human inventions and traditions are ordinarily better observed and more regarded then this commandment of GOD. Now it reproveth especially three sorts. First, such as make the Lord's day, which should be the market day of the soul, a day of vain pleasures and carnal delights, a day of sports and recreations, thinking it enough if they follow not the works of their calling. For wherefore are the works of our ordinary vocations forbidden upon the Sabbath? and why are we restrained from them? not that they are unlawful in themselves, but because they take up the mind and suffer it not to be employed in God's business. The same may be said of our own pleasures much more, which naturally we follow with more greediness and earnestness. And it is well observed, that the multitude had rather go to Church then go to work, yet had rather go to play then to the Church. This is the disposition of the greatest part, especially of servants and of the younger sort, who commonly make no other reckoning of this day, then as of a day of riot and revelling, of gaming and drinking, never intending the worship of God, which ought then especially to be performed. Thus is the commandment turned upside down, and that day which should be kept holy to the Lord, is spent in the service of the devil. If they have been at the Church in the forenoon, they dispense with themselves to serve Satan in the afternoon. But as Christ telleth us, that none can serve God and Mammon, so no man can serve GOD and their pleasures on that day. Secondly, here are reproved such as seem more civil then the former, but yet take liberty to follow their own business & ordinary affairs. Such are they which go or ride about their worldly matters, to buy, to bargain, to sell, to talk with others, robbing God of his day to spare one of their own. God hath kept but one day in the week to himself, and even this also we take from him, and grudge at it to give it to him, like the rich thief that having many sheep of his own, yet killed his neighbors that had but one, 2 Sam. 12, 4. A third sort are reproved, who think it enough, if they observe so much as is enjoined by laws and in iunctions of men, if they be at morning and evening prayer, they think they give to y ^e Lord a large allowance, and justify themselves as if they were good observers & sanctifiers of the Sabbath. Such men take liberty all the rest of the day to do what they list pertaining to thenselves, whether to their profit or to their pleasure Thus they make it partly the Lord's day, and partly their own: howbeit there is no parting of stakes with him. We cannot properly call it the Lord's day, except we make it wholly to be his, and consecrate it wholly to his worship.

[Use 3] Lastly, it is our duty to remember this day before hand, that so we may every way fit our selves to the sanctifying of it, and therefore the Lord said, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Our nature is very forgetful of this performance of holy duties, and therefore we have need to think of them before hand. God hath given unto us sundry commandments, but he commendeth the Sabbath to us especially above all the rest: he dealeth with us like a master, that giveth many precepts to his servant, but willeth him to remember one above all the rest. So it is with the Lord, he saith; Thou shalt have no other God's before me, Exodus 20, 3. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image. verse 4. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them. verse 5. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, ver 7. But above all these, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. For indeed the right observation of all the rest consisteth in the due regard of this. How can we learn obedience to the rest, unless we be careful to keep this day? Or how should we be able to practice them, & to know what God requireth, except we give attendance at the posts of his house to hear his voice? We must evermore remember the precept of the Apostle, Col. 3, 2. Set your affections on things above, and not on things upon the earth: but this ought especially to be considered on this day. We must dispatch all worldly businesses before, that they do no way disturb us and distract us. And when the day of the Lord is come, we must assemble together, that so there may be an holy convocation, Levite. 23, verse 3.

It was the custom of the people to come together at such times, Luke chap. 4. verse 16. Paul showeth that at Antioch, He found the whole City assembled upon the Sabbath day, Acts 13, 43, 44. This assembly is called God's army, Psalm 110, 3. It was counted an happy thing to dwell in the Lord's house, Psal. 27, 4. and 84, 4. Then ought the word to be both read and preached; so was it in the time of the law, Acts 15, 21. And both of them did Christ himself perform ordinarily, Luke 4. ver. 17, 20. It is a part of the Ministers sanctifying of the Sabbath by doing the same. The idle ministry is a great cause of profaning the Lord's day, both in themselves and in others. It is the duty of the people to hear the word with all reverence and attention, to mark and lay up in their hearts what they have heard, to the end they might put it in practice. And when we are departed, we should spend the rest of the day in private duties, as Prayer, Reading, Meditation, and Conference; things not greatly regarded of the greatest sort. We are soon weary of the best things, and quickly loathe that we should chiefly love. The cause why we profit not by the public Ministry, is the want of the performance of these duties privately.

This is the law of making Fringes upon the four quarters of their vesture whereby they covered themselves, that they might look continually upon them, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them. Of this read Deut. 22, 12. These Fringes and Ribands served them for a monument, that they might consider they were a people consecrated unto God, not as Infidels to walk after their own fancies. For upon these were written some parcel of the Law. This was also the cause that the Jews were commanded to have the Law written upon the posts of their doors, and likewise that they should bear it about them evermore, & decke themselves with it, that it should be as a ring upon their fingers, as a bracelet upon their hand, & as a frontlet before their eyes, that is, always in sight and remembrance. To this end also it must be written upon the frontiers of the Land, upon the gates of the City, and upon the posts of every man's private house, Deut. 6, 8, 9: that they might have every day & every way occasion given unto them to talk and confer of the word of God, sitting, walking and lying, at home, or else abroad. This usage was afterwards abused by the pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, as Christ chargeth them, Matth. 23, 5. who because they would be thought to have a more special holiness then the common sort, had made long gardes, and sentences of Scripture written upon them that might be seen a far off. But for our selves, we must consider, that though this ceremony be no longer in use, and that these Fringes and Laces are shadows, which ended at the coming of Christ, yet an instruction remaineth to us, to exercise our selves in his law day and night, Psalm 1, 2.

Josephus reporteth of the Jews, that they knew the Scriptures as well as their own names, whereas many among us scarce know the names of the Scriptures. We learn from hence, That all sorts both young and old, of what condition soever, are enjoined to know the doctrine of the Scriptures, and the will of God revealed in them, Deut. 6, 6, 7. John. John 5, 39. Coloss. 3, 16. 2 Tim. 3, 15. Psal. 119, 9. The Reasons. First, because God hath appointed such as are governors over others, to be teachers of them that belong unto their charge. Such as are fathers and masters of Families are bound to instruct their children and servants, & therefore none ought to be without knowledge, Ephes. 6, 4. Gen. 18, 19. But how shall they be able to do this, except they have knowledge, whereby they may be able to perform this duty? Secondly, ignorance is the cause of all error, because the natural man perceiveth not the things that are of God, and the wisdom of God is foolishness to man. So then being of our selves blind, and wanting the light of the word, we must needs go astray. Hence it is, that Christ saith unto the Sadducees, Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures, Math. 22, 29. Thirdly, the want of knowledge is the cause of sundry fearful judgments, spiritual and temporal, Hosea 4, 6. inward and outward, Isaiah 1, 3, 7. So then as ignorance is the cause of sin, so it is the cause of judgment the reward of sin. If we care not to know him, but neglect and contemn the means of knowledge, no marvel if we be punished.

[Use 1] This reproveth the church of Rome of an horrible injury offered to the people of God. They teach that ignorance is the mother of devotion, and keep the Scriptures in the Latin tongue, as it were under lock and key. And albeit they have translated them, or the greatest part of them into English, yet they set out sharp edicts ratified under an horrible curse, that no Lay man (as they speak) shall presume to read them, unless they be specially licensed by their inquisitors and confessors: directly contrary to the end of the Scriptures, which were written that we should believe, and by believing have eternal life, John chapt. 20. verses 30, 31. They beat down ignorance, and teach that all ought to know the Lord from the highest to the lowest, Jeremiah 31, 30. and that God will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh, Joel chap. 2. ver, 28. Wheresoever he vouchsafeth great means he requireth a great measure of knowledge. This discovereth the bishop of Rome to be no better, and indeed no other then Antichrist, making laws contrary to God's laws, and yet binding the consciences of men unto them.

But it will be said, that the unlearned and unstable pervert them, 2 Pet. 3. and therefore it is dangerous to read them. I answer, be it that some do so, shall all therefore be forbidden the free use of them? All things, even the best are abused, meat, drink, apparel, the Sacraments, Christ himself, and what not? shall all be barred therefore from the heavenly Manna, which is sweeter then the honey and the honey comb? more to be desired then great heaps of riches? which is much more profitable then is the finding of great spoils? The Scripture is a notable part of our spiritual armor, Ephes. 6, 17. able to offend, and to wound our enemy. If a Captain should go into the field with his soldiers, and suffer them to carry with them no weapons but such as should serve to defend their own bodies, and forbid them such armor as should any way hurt their enemies; if he should permit them the shield but not the sword, or allow them a Corslet, but not the spear: would he not be thought, and that justly and worthily to betray thē into the enemies hand? But thus it is with the Popish captains that must or at least will be accounted the only masters of Israel; they allow to the people after a sort the girdle of truth, the breast plate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the rest to defend themselves; but touching the sword, The two edged sword of the word, Heb. 4, 12: wherewith Christ our Savior resisted, and we after his example must resist the devil, Matth. 4, 4. they forbid them to gird that about their loins; as if it were like Saul's armor, which David could not go withal, because he had not proved it: whereas indeed it is like David's sling, & the stone which he slang that smote the Philistine in the forehead, and caused him to fall upon his face to the earth, verse 49. and therefore what do they but treacherously betray the people of God, and lead them naked into the field to be utterly spoiled, and so to fall before their enemies?

Secondly, it confuteth those amongst our selves, that say what need so much teaching and preaching? There are some that think themselves to be wise men, much wiser then their fellows, that stick not to speak thus: but this their wisdom is no better then foolishness with God. 1 Cor. 1.23. The preaching of the cross I confess is accounted no better then foolishness, but it is to them that perish: whereas to them that are saved it is the power of God. It is accounted a state-policy nowadays, to defend little preaching and less hearing. But ignorance can uphold no kingdom. Religion and the knowledge of it is the pillar and stay of a State and Common-wealth: the want of it is the cause of tumults, rebellions, insurrections, and seditions. What was the cause of the rebellion in the North in y ^e days of our late Soueraign of blessed memory? was it any other then want of knowledge, and of Preachers to plant knowledge in the hearts of the people? but (blessed be God) they have since been better stored, and that hath brought better quietness in those parts. And what is the cause of the often risings, rebellions, and treasons in the kingdom of Ireland at this day, but because they remain either Atheists, or Popish, or sottish, wanting the means of knowledge to instruct and inform them better? True Religion is a bulwark and a Castle of defense to any kingdom, the very chariots and horsemen of Israel, 2 King. 2.12. and godliness hath the promises of this life, and of the life to come, 1 Tim. 4, 8. Wherefore, they are profane speeches of ignorant people, or of idle teachers going about to maintain their ignorance and idleness, who think that a sermon in a quarter is sufficient, either for y ^e Minister to preach, or the people to hear. If you mark or would examine what the people are that live under such, and for the most part you shall see they know nothing. But the Minister must preach in season and out of season: & the duller the scholar is, he should have his lesson the more often repeated. Such for the most part are the people, slow in hearing, dull in conceiving weak in remembering & bearing away what they have heard. Some there are, who not only are ignorant, but defend their ignorance, and think men need not have any knowledge in the Scriptures, nor trouble themselves any way about it. These do imagine that it belongeth only to the Ministers and other learned men to know the Scriptures. And it is fit he should have more knowledge then a private man, because he is appointed of God to teach the people, but this exempteth not the people from it. For take this as a certain principle, that the poorest & simplest person must have as much knowledge for matters of salvation as the Minister hath, or else he shall never be saved.

[Use 3] Lastly, let all men know, men and women, children and servants, that in their several places they are bound to exercise themselves in the Scriptures, and daily to meditate in them, that so thereby they may come to knowledge: for without knowledge in the word, it is impossible for any to be saved. The way for a man to get his living by his trade, is not to exercise himself in it once in a week, or to employ himself to it once in a quarter, but he must use it daily and diligently, or else he shall never live by it, or thrive in it. So may I say in this case; a man that hath a desire to be saved, and to live hereafter in a better life, it is not sufficient for him to read the Scriptures, and to meditate in them now and then, or when he hath nothing else to do, and to keep himself from idleness; but he must observe a constant and continual course in the searching and reading of them, that by them he may come to knowledge, by knowledge to faith, by faith to obedience, and by obedience to salvation. Ignorance shall excuse no man at the day of judgment, He that knoweth not his Masters will, shall be beaten, Luke 12, 48. Hosea 4, 1, 3. If we think to plead for our selves, and to allege in our defense, that we followed our callings to erne our livings, & to maintain our families, it shall not serve our turns, this will not be taken for currant payment. Our particular and our general calling agree well together: God hath not joined them in every man. Our particular calling is to follow our business; our general calling is to know the Scriptures: y ^e one doth not abrogate the other, inasmuch as God hath commanded them both, & what God hath coupled together, no man shall put asunder, Math. 19, 6.

CHAP. XVI.