A brief exposition of the Lord's prayer and the Decalogue to which is added the doctrine of the sacraments / by Isaac Barrow ... Barrow, Isaac, 1630-1677. 1681 Approx. 244 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 136 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A31058 Wing B928 ESTC R20292 12733944 ocm 12733944 66525 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A31058) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 66525) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 374:14) A brief exposition of the Lord's prayer and the Decalogue to which is added the doctrine of the sacraments / by Isaac Barrow ... Barrow, Isaac, 1630-1677. [6], 333-459, [1] p. : port. Printed by M. Flesher for Brabazon Aylmer ..., London : 1681. Advertisement on p. [1]. Reproduction of original in Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Marginal notes. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Lord's prayer -- Early works to 1800. Ten commandments -- Early works to 1800. Sacraments. 2004-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-05 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-06 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-06 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Brief EXPOSITION OF THE Lord's Prayer AND THE Decalogue . To which is added The DOCTRINE of the Sacraments . By ISAAC BARROW , D. D. And late Master of Trinity College in Cambridge . LONDON , Printed by M. Flesher , for Brabazon Aylmer , at the Three Pigeons , over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill . 1681. ISAACUS BARROW S.T.P. REG. MA. A SACRIS COLL S. S. TRINI . CANTAB PRAEFEC . NEC NON ACAD . EIUSDEM PROCANC : 1676 portrait TO The Right Honourable HENEAGE EARL of NOTTINGHAM , Lord High CHANCELLOUR OF ENGLAND , AND One of the Lords of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council ; THOMAS BARROW , the Authour's Father , Humbly Dedicateth these DISCOURSES . The Publisher to the Reader . AMong the Remains of this pious and learned Authour , fit to be communicated to the publick , none more likely to be of general use and advantage than this Explication of the Lord's Prayer , the Decalogue , and the Doctrine of the Sacraments ; whether we regard the brevity and plainness , or the admirable weight and fulness of it . And therefore I thought fit to publish it in a small Manual by it self , and not to join it with other Discourses of the Authour , that so this little Treatise , which is so necessary and usefull to all , might be had upon the easiest terms . It were to be wish'd , that the Creed also had been explain'd by him in the same manner ; but that he hath handled in a larger way , in a great many excellent Sermons upon the several Articles of it , wherein he hath not onely explain'd and confirm'd the great Doctrines of our Religion , but likewise shewn what influence every Article of our Faith ought to have upon our practice . These Discourses will make a very considerable Treatise , which will in due time be made publick . In the mean time enjoy and make use of this . Jo. Tillotson . AN EXPOSITION OF THE Lord's Prayer . Orat. Domin . Si per omnia precationum sanctarum verba discurras , quantum existimo nihil invenies , quod non ista Dominica contineat & concludat oratio : unde liberum est aliis atque aliis verbis , eadem tamen in orando dicere , sed non debet esse liberum alia dicere . Aug. ad Probam Epist. CXXI . AN EXPOSITION OF The Lord's Prayer . AMong all the Duties , prescribed to us by our Religion , the rendring due Worship to God is in nature , and for consequence the principal ; God thereby being most directly honoured , and served , we from it immediately deriving most ample , and high benefits ; to the performance of which duty we are furnished with excellent direction , and assistance from that Prayer , which our Lord ( at several times , and upon several occasions ) dictated , and recommended to his Disciples , both as a pattern , according to which they should regulate their devotions ( Pray thus , or in this manner , saith he in Saint Matthew ) and as a form , in which they should express them ( When you pray , say ; that is , say this or in these words ; so he injoins them in Saint Luke ) : unto it therefore we should carefully attend as to our best rule ; and we should frequently use it as our best matter of devotion ; to the well performing of both which duties , it is requisite that we should distinctly understand the particulars contained therein , in order to which purpose we shall endeavour to explain them ; but first let us premise a few words in general about Prayer . Prayer in its latitude of acception doth comprehend all devotion , or worship immediately addressed unto Almighty God ; consisting of praise , which we render to God in regard to his most excellent perfections , and glorious works ; of submissive gratulation , declaring our satisfaction in all the dispensations of his most wise and just providence ; of thanksgiving , for the numberless great benefits we have received from him ; of acknowledging our total dependence on him , and our subjection to him ; of professing faith in him , and vowing service to him ; of confessing the sins we have committed against him , with the guilt and aggravation of them ; of deprecating the wrath and punishment due to us for our offences ; of petition for all things needfull and convenient for us ; of intercession for others , whose good we according to duty or charity are concerned to desire and promote : Prayer , I say ( although according to its most restrained sense it onely doth signifie one of these particulars , namely the petition of what is needfull or expedient for us , yet ) in its larger acception , as it commonly is used , it doth comprize them all ; and so we may well take it here ; this form , although so very brief , being with so admirable wisedom contrived , as without straining the words beyond their natural importance , we may , applying a moderate attention , discern them all , as to their main substance , couched therein ; so that we may indeed reasonably regard this Prayer as a compleat directory , and a full exercise of all our devotion toward God : of devotion , I say , the which ( to engage , excite , and encourage us to the carefull and constant practise thereof ) we may consider injoin'd us as a necessary duty , commended to us as a requisite means of good , and a special instrument of all piety , and as a high privilege granted to us by God. 1. It is a natural duty and debt we owe to God ( both in correspondence to the design of our being made and endowed with rational capacities agreeable to our relations ; and in requital for our being , and for all the good we have , and do continually receive from him ) as most highly to love and reverence him in our hearts ; so to declare our esteem of his excellencies , and our sense of his bounty toward us : to avow the dependence we have upon his will and providence ; the obligations we are under to his mercy and goodness ; to yield our due homage of respect , submission and obedience to him : if we do acknowledge a God , our Maker , our Lord , our continual Benefactour to be , we must consequently acknowledge these performances in reason , justice and gratitude due to him ; and God accordingly requires , and positively injoins them : He is the Lord our God , whom we must worship and serve ; the God , whom praise waiteth for ; who heareth prayers , and to whom therefore all flesh must come : the Scripture is very frequent in commanding the duty . 2. It is a most usefull means , or a condition requisite for the procurement of benefits , and blessings upon us . God hath declared that he doth accept , he hath promised that he will reward all devotions with an honest intention , and pure mind offered up unto him ; that he is nigh unto all them that call upon him in truth ; that he will be found of them who seek him with all their heart ; that he will fulfill the desire of them that fear him ; he will hear their cry , and will save them ; that they who seek him shall not want any good thing ; that , whatever we ask in prayer believing we shall receive ; that if we ask , it shall be given us , if we seek , we shall find ; if we knock , it shall be opened to us . Prayer is also a means of procuring a blessing upon all our undertakings ; it sanctifieth every performance , &c. There is no good thing so great and precious , so high above the reach of common power ; so strange to expect or difficult to compass , which we may not easily and surely by this means obtain ; relief in all distresses both of our outward and inward estate ; supplies of all our needs both corporal and spiritual ; comfort in all our sorrows and sadnesses ; satisfaction in all our doubts and darknesses of mind ; help and strength against all our temptations we may be confident to obtain , if we duly seek them from the Almighty dispenser of all good gifts : sure promises there are , and obvious examples hereof , too many to be now recited : as on the other hand ; they that will neglect this duty , that will not vouchsafe to seek help and remedy of God , may be sure to want it ; shall certainly suffer for their proud contempt , profane diffidence , or foolish sloth : you will not ( saith our Saviour ) come to me , that ye may have life ; no wonder then if they do not receive it , if they will not go thither for it , where onely it is to be had . All good things are in God's hand , and we shall never by any force or policy get them thence without his will , moved by intreaty ; all good gifts come from heaven , and thence we shall never fetch them down , without ascending thither in our hearts and affections , spiritual goods especially are so high above us , that we can never reach them otherwise , than by God's help by humble supplication obtained . 3. It is not onely a means by impetration acquiring for us , but it is an effectual instrument working in us all true good ; It is the channel , by which God conveyeth spiritual light into our minds , and spiritual vigour into our hearts . It is both the seed and the food of spiritual life ; by which all holy dispositions of soul , and all honest resolutions of practice are bred , are nourished , are augmented and strengthened in us . It exciteth , it quickneth , it maintaineth all pious affections ; the love of God can no otherwise than by it be kindled , fomented or kept in life ( without it we certainly shall have an enstrangement , and an aversation from him ) it alone can maintain a constant reverence and awe of God , keeping him in our thoughts , and making us to live as in his presence ; it chiefly enliveneth and exerciseth our faith and our hope in God : it is that which begetteth in our hearts a savoury relish of divine things ; which sweetneth and endeareth to our souls the practice of piety ; which onely can enable us with delight and alacrity to obey God's commandments : It alone can raise our minds from the cares and concernments of this world to a sense and desire of heavenly things . By it God imparteth strength to subdue bad inclinations , to restrain sensual appetites , to compress irregular passions ; to evade the allurements to evil , and the discouragements from good , which this world always presenteth ; to support also with patience and equanimity the many crosses and troubles we must surely meet with therein . It is , in short , the onely strong bulwark against temptation and sin ; the onely sure guard of piety and a good conscience : no man indeed can be a faithfull servant to God , a real friend to goodness , a serious practicer of duty without a constant tenour of devotion . 4. It is a most high privilege and advantage to us , that we are allowed to pray and address our devotions to God. To have a free access to the presence and audience of an earthly Prince ( to the effect of receiving from him all that we could desire ) would be deemed a matter of great honour , and much advantage ; how much more is it so to us , that we are admitted to the presence and ear of the great King of all the world ; so mighty in power , so large in bounty , so full of goodness and pity ; so thoroughly able , so exceedingly willing to grant and perform our requests ? How sweet a thing , of what comfort and benefit is it , to have the liberty of pouring out our souls and our hearts ( as the Psalmist speaks ) before God ; of disburthening our minds of all their cares , their desires , their doubts , their griefs and anxieties into the breast of so kind a friend , so wise a counseller , so able a helper ; who alone indeed can afford relief , ease , satisfaction and comfort to us ? Considering which things we shall appear not onely very disobedient to God , and highly ingratefull toward him ( who so infinitely condescends in vouchsafing to us dust and ashes ( vile and unworthy creatures ) leave to speak and converse with him ) but very injurious and unfaithfull to our selves , and to our own good ; if we neglect this duty commanded , or slight this privilege indulged to us : In the due performance of which we are directed and assisted by this Form of Prayer , composed and dictated for that purpose by him , who best knew what we ought to pray for , and how we ought to pray ; what matter of desire , what manner of address ; what disposition of mind would be most pleasing and acceptable to his Father , would most become and befit us in our approaches to him . We might consequently observe many things concerning those particulars , discernible in this Form : the sublimity , the gravity , the necessity , the singular choiceness of the matter ; together with the fit order , and just disposition thereof ; according to the natural precedence of things in dignity or necessity ; the full brevity , the deep plainness , the comely simplicity of expression ; the lowly reverence signified therein accompanied with due faith and confidence : these , and the like vertues directive of our devotion we might observe running generally through the whole contexture of this venerable Form ; but we shall rather chuse to take notice of them as they shall offer themselves in their particular places , to the consideration of which in order we now do apply our selves . Our Father which art in Heaven . Our Father ; upon this title , or manner of compellation , we may first observe , that although our Saviour prescribeth this Form as a pattern , and an exercise of private prayer to be performed in the Closet ( and alone in secret as is expressed in the Gospel ) yet he directeth us to make our addresses to God in a style of plurality , saying , not my Father , but our Father ; thereby , it seems , implying ; 1. That we should in our prayers consider and acknowledge the Universality of God's power and goodness . 2. That we should not in our conceit proudly and vainly appropriate or engross the regard of God unto our selves ; but remember that our brethren have an equal share with us therein . 3. That in all our devotions we should be mindfull of those common bands which knit us together as Men and as Christians ( the band of nature and humanity ; the more strict tyes of common faith and hope ; of manifold relations unto God that made us , and our Saviour that redeemed us , and the Holy Spirit who animateth and quickneth us , and combineth us in spiritual union . ) 4. That we should bear such hearty good-will , and charitable affection toward others , as not onely to seek and desire our own particular and private good , but that of all men ; especially of all good Christians ; who in a peculiar manner are God's children and our brethren ; He did not bid us say my Father , but our Father , who art in Heaven ; that being taught that we have a common Father , we might shew a brotherly good-will one toward another , saith S. Chrysostome . As for the appellation Father ; it doth mind us of our relation to God , who upon many grounds , and in divers high respects is our Father ( by nature , for that he gave us our being , and made us after his own image ; by providence , for that he continually preserveth and maintaineth us ; by grace , for that he reneweth us to his image in righteousness and holiness ; by adoption , for that he alloweth us the benefit and privilege of his children , assigning an eternal inheritance to us ) of this relation , which as Creatures , as Men , as Christians , we bear to God it mindeth us , and consequently how we ought in correspondence thereto to behave our selves ; yielding to him all respect , affection and observance ; demeaning our selves in all things as becomes such a relation , and rank : This indeed of all God's Names , Titles and Attributes is chosen as most sutable to the nature of the present duty ; as most encouraging to the performance thereof , as most fully implying the dispositions required in us , when we apply our selves thereto . Our Saviour used to compare Prayer to a Son 's asking nourishment of his Father ; arguing thence what success , and benefit we may expect from it : we come therein to God , not ( directly ) as to a Lord or Master , to receive commands ; but rather as to a Father to request from him the sustenance of our life , and supply of our needs ; to render withall unto him our thankfull acknowledgments , for having continuedly done those things for us ; and to demonstrate our dutifull respect , and affection toward him . It is natural for children in any danger , streight , or want to fly to their parents for shelter , relief and succour ; and it is so likewise for us to have recourse unto God , in all those cases , wherein no visible means of help appear from elsewhere : And to doe so the title of Father doth encourage us , signifying not onely power and authority over us , but affection and dearness toward us : The name God , importing his excellent perfections ; the name Lord , minding us of his power , and empire over us , with the like titles declarative of his supereminent Majesty , might deter us , being conscious of our meanness and unworthiness , from approaching to him ; but the word Father is attractive and emboldning ; thinking on that we shall be apt to conceive hope , that how mean , how unworthy soever , yet being his children , he will not reject , or refuse us : If men being evil do give good gifts unto their children ; how much more will our Father , which is in heaven , give good things to them that ask him ? It also plainly intimates how qualified and disposed in mind we should come to God ; namely , with high reverence , with humble affection , with hearty gratitude ; as to the Authour of our being , to him that hath continually preserved and brought us up ; from whose care and providence we have received all the good we have ever enjoyed ; from whose mercy and favour we can onely expect any good for the future . By calling God Father , we avow our selves obliged to honour and love him incomparably beyond all things ; We also declare our faith , and hope in God ; that we believe him well affected toward us , and willing to doe us good ; and that we thence hope to receive the good desirable from him ( the which are dispositions necessary to the due performance of this duty . ) It also implyeth , that we should come thereto with purity of mind and good conscience , which is also requisite to the same intent : for if we are conscious of undutifull and disobedient carriage toward God , how can we call him Father ? with what heart , or face can we assume to our selves the title of children ? If ( saith S. Peter ) ye call upon him as Father , who impartially judges according to every man's work , ( that is , who onely esteemeth them for his children , who truly behave themselves as becometh children ) pass the time of your pilgrimage in fear ( or in reverence toward God ) . We may add , that we also hereby may be supposed to express our charity toward our brethren ; who bear unto God , the Father of all men , the same common relation . But I proceed : Which art in Heaven . God Almighty is substantially present every where ; but he doth not every where in effects discover himself alike , nor with equal splendour in all places display the beams of his glorious Majesty . The Scripture frequently mentioneth a place of his special residence ( seated in regions of inaccessible light , above the reach not onely of our sense , but of our fancy and conception ) where his royal Court , his presence Chamber , his imperial Throne are ; where he is more immediately attended upon by the glorious Angels , and blessed Saints ; which place is called Heaven , the highest heavens ; the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the highest places ; by his presence wherein God is described here , as for distinction from all other parents here on earth , so to encrease reverence in us toward him ( while we reflect upon his supereminent glory and majesty ) and to raise our hearts from these inferiour things unto desire , and hope , and love of heavenly things ; withdrawing ( saith S. Chrysostome ) him that prays from earth , and fastning him to the places on high , and to the mansions above . But so much for the Title . The first Sentence of our Prayer is , Hallowed ( or sanctified ) be thy Name . Let us first ( with S. Chrysostome ) observe the direction we hence receive in all our prayers to have a prime , and principal regard to the glory of God ; not seeking any thing concerning our own good before his praise ; that for the order . As to the substance of this particular we may consider , that sanctity implying a discrimination , a distance , an exaltment in nature or use of the thing , which is denominated thereby ; and God's name signifying himself with all that we can know of him ; himself , as however discovered or declared , with all that relates to him , and bears his inscription ; we do here accordingly express our due acknowledgments and desires ; for by a rare complication this Sentence doth involve both praise and petition ; doth express both our acknowledgment of what is , and our desire of what should be : we do I say hereby partly acknowledge , and praise the supereminent perfections of God above all things , in all kind of excellency , joining in that seraphical Doxology ( which to utter is the continual employment of the blessed Spirits above ) who incessantly day and night cry out , Holy , Holy , Holy ; confessing with the heavenly host in the Apocalypse , that he is worthy of all honour , glory and power ; we do also partly declare our hearty wishes , that God may be every where had in highest veneration ; that all things relating to him may receive their due regard ; that all honour and praise , all duty and service may in a peculiar manner be rendred unto him by all men , by all creatures , by our selves especially : that all minds may entertain good and worthy opinions of him ; all tongues speak well of him , celebrate and bless him ; all creatures yield adoration to his name , and obedience to his will : that he be worshipped in truth and sincerity , with zeal and fervency ; this particularly in the Prophet Esay , and by S. Peter is called sanctifying God's Name in opposition to idolatrous and profane Religion ( Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself , and let him be your fear , let him be your dread , saith the Prophet ; and , Fear not their fear , nor be troubled ; but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts , saith the Apostle . ) Thus do we here pray and wish in respect to all men , and to all creatures capable of thus sanctifying God's Name ; but more particularly we pray for our selves , that God would grant to us , that we by our religious and righteous conversation may bring honour to his name ; so that men seeing our good works may glorifie our Father , which is in Heaven . ( Vouchsafe , saith he , that we may live so purely , that all men by us may glorifie thee : so descants S. Chrysostome . ) Thy Kingdom come . This Petition , or devout wish , being subordinate to the former , as expressing a main particular of that , which is there generally desired ( we here to the glory of God desiring a successfull and speedy propagation of true Religion ) seems in its direct , and immediate sense to respect the state of things in that time , more especially befitting our Lord's Disciples then , when the Kingdom of God ( that is , the state of Religion under the Evangelical Dispensation ) was coming and approaching ; ( according to that of our Saviour in S. Luke : I say unto you of a truth , there be some of you standing here that shall not taste death , till they see the Kingdom of God ) whence it did become them in zeal to God's glory , and charity for mens salvation , to desire that Christianity might soon effectually be propagated over the world , being generally entertained by men with due faith and obedience : that is , that all men willingly might acknowledge God as their Lord and Maker , worshipping and serving him in truth ; that they might receive his blessed Son Jesus Christ as their King and Saviour , heartily embracing his doctrine , and humbly submitting to his laws ; to which purpose our Lord injoins his Disciples to pray , that the Lord of the harvest would send labourers into his harvest ; and S. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to pray , that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified . And in parity of reason , upon the same grounds , we are concerned , and obliged to desire , that Christian Religion may be settled and confirmed ; may grow and be encreased ; may prosper and flourish in the world ; that God's authority may to the largest extension of place , to the highest intention of degree , universally and perfectly , be maintained and promoted , both in external profession and real effect ; the minds of all men being subdued to the obedience of faith ; and avowing the subjection due to him ; and truly yielding obedience to all his most just and holy laws . Thus should we pray that God's Kingdom may come ; particularly desiring that it may so come into our own hearts ; humbli●● imploring his grace , that he thereby would rule in our hearts , quelling in them all exorbitant passions , and vicious desires ; protecting them from all spiritual enemies , disposing them to an entire subjection to his will , and a willing compliance with all his commandments : for this is the Kingdom of God , which ( as our Lord telleth us ) is within us ; the which doth not ( as S. Paul teacheth us ) consist in meat and drink ( in any outward formal performances ) but in righteousness , and peace , and joy in the Holy Ghost ; that is , in obedience to God's will , and in the comfortable consequences thereof : this is the Kingdome of God , which we are enjoined , before any worldly accommodations , first to seek . Thy will be done in earth , as it is in heaven . This Sentence is likewise complicated of praise , good desire , and petition : for we thereby first do acknowledge the wisedom , justice , and goodness of God in all resolutions of his will , and dispensations of his providence : 1. We profess our approbation of all God's counsels , our complacence and satisfaction in all his proceedings ; our cheerfull submission and consent to all his pleasure ; joining our suffrage , and saying in harmony with that blessed Choire in the Revelation : Great , and wonderfull are thy works , O Lord God Almighty ; just and true are thy ways , O thou King of Saints . We disclaim our own judgments and conceits ; we renounce our own desires and designs , so far as they appear inconsistent with the determinations of Gods wisedom , or discordant with his pleasure ; saying after our Lord , Let not my will , but thine be done . 2. We do also express our desire , that as in heaven all things with a free , and undisturbed course do pass according to God's will , and good liking ; every intimation of his pleasure finding there a most entire and ready compliance , from those perfectly loyal and pious spirits ( those ministers of his , that do his pleasure , as the Psalmist calls them ) so that here on earth the gracious designs of God may be accomplished without opposition or rub ; that none should presume , as the Pharisees and Lawyers are said to doe , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to disappoint or defeat God's counsel ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to thrust away or repulse God's word , as the Jews did in the Acts ; to resist , provoke , or defie God by obstinate disobedience ; as many are said to do in the Scriptures ; but that every where a free , humble , hearty , and full obedience be rendred to his commands . 3. We do also pray , that God would grant us the grace willingly to perform , whatever he requires of us , ( perfecting us , as the Apostle speaketh , in every good work to do his will , and working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight ) contentedly to bear whatever he layeth upon us ; that God would bestow upon us a perfect resignation of our wills unto his will ; a cheerfull acquiescence in that state and station wherein he hath placed us ; a submiss patience in all adversities , whereinto he disposeth us to fall ; a constant readiness with satisfaction and thankfulness ( without reluctancy or repining ) to receive whatever cometh from his will , whether gratefull or distastefull to our present sense ; acknowledging his wisedom , his goodness , his justice in all his dealings toward us ; heartily saying with good Eli , It is the Lord , let him do what seemeth him good ; with Hezekiah ; Good is the word of the Lord , which thou hast spoken , with David ; Behold here I am , let him do to me , as seemeth good to him ; with Job ; Shall we receive good at the hand of God , and shall we not receive evil ? and , The Lord gave , and the Lord hath taken away , blessed be the name of the Lord : Yea it were well , if we could after the Heathen Philosopher , upon all occasions with our hearts say , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If God will have it so , so let be : if we could observe those rules and precepts , which even the Philosophers so much inculcate ; to commit all our affairs to God , to love and embrace ( hugg ) all events ; to follow , and to accompany God ; to yield , deliver , and resign our selves up to him . ( Deo se praebere , dedere , tradere , &c. ) and the like . Give us this day our daily bread . I shall not stand to criticise upon the hard word here used , translated daily ; I onely say , that of two senses offering themselves , both are probable , and by good authority countenanced ; both are proper and sutable to the matter , or nature of the thing : according to one we pray for the bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of the time to come , or of that future life , which it shall please God to allow us ; according to the other , we request bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is necessary for our being , and the preservation of our lives ; joining both together ( which is more sure and safe ) we pray for a competent provision toward the maintenance of our life hereafter , during our appointed time : that for the sense ; upon the Petition it self we observe : 1. That after we have rendred our due tribute of praise , and respect unto God , we are allowed , and directed to request of him good things for our selves ; beginning , as nature prompteth , with the preservation of our beings , and lives ; whereby we become capable of receiving and enjoying other good things ; 2. By doing which we also do imply the sense we have of our total dependence upon God ; avowing our selves to subsist by his care and bounty ; disclaiming consequently all confidence in any other means to maintain or support us ; in any store we have laid up , or estate we pretend to ; in any contrivance or industry we can use ; in any succour of friends or relations ; for that notwithstanding all these , we do need our daily bread to be dealt to us by God , and must continually beg it as a gift from his hands . 3. We are by that word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , this day , taught our duty ( signifying withall our performance thereof ) of being willing continually to rely upon God ; not affecting to ever be so much before hand , as not to need God's constant assistance : we ask not , that God would give us at once , what may serve us for ever , and may put us out of any fear to want hereafter ; we ask not for that which may suffice for a long time , for many years , many months , many days ; but that God would give us to day , or rather day by day ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as it is expressed in S. Luke ) that is , that he would continually dispense to us , what is needfull for us : we should not therefore desire to have an estate settled upon us ; to live by our selves , or on our own incomes ; to be set out of God's house , or immediate protection and care ; this in it self cannot be ( for God cannot alienate his goods from himself , nor can we subsist out of his hand ) nor must we desire it should be ; 't is a part of Atheism , of Infidelity , of Heathenish profaneness and folly to desire it ( these things , saith our Lord , do the Gentiles seek ; that is , they are covetous of wealth , and carefull for provisions to live without dependence upon God ) but we must esteem God's providence our surest estate , God's bounty our best treasure , God's fatherly care our most certain , and most comfortable support ; casting all our care on him , as being assured that he careth for us ; will not leave nor forsake us ; will not withhold , what is necessary for our comfortable sustenance . 4. It is here intimated , how sober , and moderate our appetites should be , in regard both to the quality and quantity of the things we use : we are directed to ask 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as S. Chrysostome says ) necessary food , not luxurious plenty , or delicacy : it is bread ( the most simple , homely , and common diet ) that is , such accommodations as are necessary to maintain our lives , and satisfie our natural desires ; not superfluities , serving to please our wanton appetites , or humour our curious fancies ; 't is not variety , daintiness , elegancy , or splendour we should affect to enjoy , but be content to have our necessities supplied , with the coursest diet , and the meanest apparel , if our condition requireth it , or God's providence in an honest way allotteth no other to us : we may soberly and thankfully enjoy what God sends ; but we should not presume to ask for , or desire other than this . And for the measure , we learn to ask onely for so much as shall be fit to maintain us ; not for rich , or plentifull store ; not for full barns , or for heaps of treasure ; not for wherewith to glut , or pamper our selves ; but for daily bread , a moderate provision then to be dealt to us , when we need it . It follows , And forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them that trespass against us ( our trespasses , 't is our debts ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) in S. Matthew ; our sins ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) in S. Luke ; and they who trespass against us are in both Evangelists called our debtors : for he that injures another is obnoxious and in debt to him ; owing him satisfaction , either by making reparation , or undergoing punishment . ) After the preservation of our beings ( the foundation of enjoying other good things ) our first care , we see , ought to be concerning the welfare of our better part , and state ; which chiefly consists in the terms , whereon we stand , toward God , upon whose favour all our happiness dependeth , and from whose displeasure all our misery must proceed : since therefore we all do stand obnoxious to God's wrath and justice ; having omitted many duties , which we own to him , having committed manifold offences against him ; it is therefore most expedient , that we first endeavour to get him reconciled to us , by the forgiveness of our debts and offences ; concerning which remission , upon what account it is necessary , upon what terms it is granted , by what means it is obtained , in what manner it is dispensed by God , I have otherwhere touched , and it is not seasonable now farther to insist thereon : onely it may be pertinent here to observe , 1. That this being the first of Petitions ( formally such , and ) purely spiritual ; we are hereby admonished to lay the foundation of our devotions in humility ; that we are obliged , before we presume to ask any thing of God concerning our chief happiness , and well-being , to reflect upon , acknowledge , and confess our unworthiness ( not coming to our prayers as the Pharisee did , doting upon our worthy qualities , and good deeds ; but like the poor Publican , with a sense of our infirmities and miscarriages ; so as to be ready to acknowledge our selves , as indeed we all are , guilty of many , and great sins ) this is here implyed ; for in requesting pardon for our sins , we confess our selves to be sinners , and to need God's mercy . 2. We may hence learn the necessity , and the excellency of that benefit we here beg . When the Psalmist applied himself to praise God for his benefits , this he set in the first place , as most needfull and considerable to him : Bless the Lord , O my Soul ( said he ) and forget not all his benefits ( or rather , not any of his benefits ) who forgiveth all thine iniquities , who healeth all thy diseases ; and answerably , it is the first particular benefit we pray for . 3. We must take notice , that we are obliged to go to our devotions with universal charity , and good-will toward others ; to lift up ( as S. Paul injoineth ) holy hands without wrath , and doubting ( or without wrath , and dissension ) to depose all enmity ( as our Lord adviseth ) before we bring our oblation to the altar of God ; reserving no spight , or grudge toward any man , but having a heart clear of all ill-will , and desire of revenge ; being in affection of mind toward others as we do wish , and hope , and pray that God would be toward us : such in all reason , equity , and ingenuity should our disposition be ; and such God requires it to be ; and such we do assert , and promise it to be ; implying also a compact with God , no otherwise to desire , or expect his favour , and mercy toward us , than as we resemble him in kind and mercifull intentions toward our brethren : It is implyed on God's part , that he vouchsafes pardon onely upon these terms ; yea more , that he doth truly promise pardon upon our performing this condition ; so our Saviour , purposely reflecting on this Petition , doth afterward expound it : for , saith he , if you forgive to men their trespasses , your heavenly Father will also forgive you ; it also implies a consent on our parts , and submission to this condition , as most equal and reasonable ; so that if we break it , if we do retain any uncharitable inclinations , we deal , falsely with God ; we forfeit all pretence to favour , and mercy from him ; we are neither qualified for mercy , nor shall obtain it from God. Lead us not into temptation . Temptation is sometime taken in a middle , and indifferent sense for any occasion , by which the moral quality of persons ( their vertue , or vice ) is examined , and discovered : so God is said to have tempted Abraham , when he propounded to him the offering up of his Son ; so he tempted the Israelites , by leading them in that long journey through the wilderness , that he might know what was in their heart , whether they would keep his commandments , or no : so he likewise tempted them by permitting Seducers to do wonderfull things , that he might know , whether they did love the Lord with all their heart , and with all their soul : And because affliction is of such a nature , as to try the temper , disposition , and intentions of men , therefore temptation often is used for affliction . It seemeth also sometimes put in a good sense , for an occasion designed to exercise , or to improve , or to declare the vertues of a person ; so the inconveniencies , and crosses incident to our nature , and condition here , the which our Lord did undergo , are by S. Luke , and others of the Apostles styled temptations ; so the fiery trial in S. Peter was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to exercise and refine them , that ( saith he ) the trial of their faith might be to praise , and honour , and glory ; so S. James biddeth Christians to rejoice , when they fall into divers temptations ; that is when they meet with opportunities of exercising their faith , and patience ; and so we may understand that place in Deuteronomy : Who ( 't is said ) sed thee with Manna , that he might humble , and prove thee ( or tempt thee , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , say the LXX . ) to do thee good at the latter end ; that he might tempt thee , that is , that he might render thee approved ; might exercise , and improve thy dependence on God , thy patience , thy obedience . But the word is commonly taken in a worse sense , for an occasion presented with ill purpose , or naturally tending and not easily avoided , of falling into sin ; a stumbling block , a snare ; as when S. Paul saith , that they who will be rich , do fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , into temptation , and a snare ; thus S. James assureth us , that God tempteth no man ; that is , doth not intend to seduce , or inveagle any man into sin . Yet because nothing in the world , either good or bad , doth happen without God's permission , and governance ; and the Devil himself must obtain licence from God , before he can tempt any man , or do any mischief ( as we see in Job's case , and in the history of Ahab ) since God seeth whatever is done , and with greatest ease could hinder it ; and doth not otherwise than for some good end suffer any evill to be designed , or atchieved , it is the style of Scripture to attribute such things in some sense to him ; as when God is said to send Joseph into Egypt to preserve life ; when as in truth his brethren out of envy , and ill-will did sell him thither ; and , God is said to move David to number the people ; when as indeed Satan ( as it is otherwhere affirmed ) provoked him to number them ; and that horrid Tragedy acted by the Jews upon our Blessed Saviour is said to be brought to pass by the hand and definite counsel of God ; because God foreseeing the temptations , which those men should incurr of committing such acts , and their inclinations to perform them , did resolve not to interpose his power in hindrance of them , but suffering them to proceed , would turn their mischievous practices to an excellently good end , and use them as instruments of his just , holy , and gracious purposes : Thus then whereas by temptation here is meant any occasion alluring , or provoking to sin , or withdrawing from duty , with a violence , all things considered , exceeding our strength to resist or avoid ; ( or however such an one , that is apt to overthrow us ) God may be said to bring them into it , whom in justice he permits to be exposed thereto ; although he do no otherwise intermeddle , or concur therein , than by not affording , or by withdrawing his especial direction , and assistance ; leaving them without check blindly or wilfully to follow the sway of their own tempers , the instinct of their vain minds , the bent of their corrupt wills ; the violence of their unruly passions , and appetites ; letting them to fall into the manifold snares of false opinion , evil custom , and contagious example , which the World sets before them ; ( the World , which by its fair promises , and pleasing flatteries enticeth to sin , or by its angry frowns , & fierce threats discourageth from goodness ) permitting the Devil , without controll or impediment , by his wiles to delude and seduce them ; which kind of proceeding of God with men is clearly represented in the 81 Psalm ; where , of the Israelites God says , that having signally declared his pleasure to them , and by promise of great benefits invited them to observe it ; upon their wilfull neglect , he dealth thus with them : But ( says God there ) my people would not hearken to my voice , and Israel would none of me ; So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts ; and they walked in their own counsels . In such manner , if God , provoked thereto by our heinous miscarriages , doth justly bring us into , or doth let us enter into temptation ( as our Lord otherwhere expresseth it , Pray , saith he , that ye enter not into temptation ) we shall infallibly run into many grievous sins , and desperate mischiefs ; no less surely , than we shall wander , and stumble in the dark , than we shall slide , and fall in the most slippery places ; and sometimes be entangled , when we do walk in the midst of snares , surrounded with traps innumerable , most cunningly laid to catch us : It is not ( saith the Prophet ) in man to direct his steps ; so as to go streight , and upright ; 't is not in him to see his duty , to bend his inclinations to compliance therewith ; to restrain his appetites , when sensible objects forcibly press on them ; to govern his passions , when they are vehemently stirr'd to disorderly motion : we do continually need God's instruction to guide us , God's hand to uphold us , God's care , and help to guard us : when therefore , I say , our condition and circumstances do minister dangerous occasions of sin ; when our vain and weak tempers do incline , or betray us thereto ; when the world would smile , or frown us into it ; when the Devil violently solicits , or thrusts on toward it ; thus to be destitute of God's grace , thus to be left to our selves , is the most horrible judgment , that can be . In such cases and seasons God's interposal is necessary either to remove those temptations , or to support , and defend us from the prevalence of them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , keeping us from stumbling and falling ( as S. Jude speaks ) not suffering us ( as S. Paul expresseth it ) to be tempted above what we are able , but making with the temptation also a way to escape , so that we shall be able to sustain it . That God would please to do this for us , we do here pray ; and in pursuance of this Petition we subjoin that , which in part may pass for an illustration thereof ; ( implying an antithesis serving to that purpose : for delivering from evil importeth the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , being rescued from temptation , in S. Peter ; The Lord , saith he , knoweth how to rescue the godly out of temptation , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to preserve from the time of temptation , in the Revelation ; which are opposed to bringing into temptation ) partly it may be supposed an improvement thereof ; delivering from evil signifying perhaps somewhat more , than not permitting us to incur occasions strongly inviting us to evil ; even the effectual keeping us from being overborn , or complying with it ; but let us consider that Petition it self . But deliver us from evil . From evil , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; S. Chrysostome takes it for the Devil ; who is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Evil one , the tempter ; who seduceth us to evil : but we shall take it , according to the more common acception : from evil , that is principally from sin , or evil moral and spiritual ; the onely evil , simply and in its own nature such ; and the root of all other evil ; from that , and consequently from all mischief ( evil natural , and temporal ; or evil penal , and afflictive ) which may grow upon , or sprout from thence . As for such evils as these , the want of things necessary , or convenient for us , bodily disease , and pain , disappointment in our designs and ill success in our undertakings , disgrace and reproach upon our good names , dangers , difficulties and distresses concerning our outward estate , distractions , vexations , and troubles of mind about temporal matters , with the like evils , ( in some sense , in some degree evils , or appearing such to our natural sense and fancy ) we may indeed deprecate them ( as even our Lord himself did ) with submission ( as he did ) to the wisedom and will of God , in case it pleaseth him , and he thinketh fit to remove them ; but all these things , being but names and empty sounds in comparison to spiritual and eternal evils ( such as are vicious distempers of mind , indispositions to serve God , ill progress in our spiritual affairs , dissatisfaction concerning our state in respect to God ; actual transgression of God's holy will and law ; incurring God's displeasure and disfavour ; being deprived of his grace and assistence ; wanting the communion and comfort of his Holy spirit ; remorse of conscience , and anguish of spirit for having violated or neglected our duty ; blindness of mind , hardness of heart ; want of love , reverence , devotion toward God , of charity and good-will toward our neighbour ; of sobriety , humility , regularity of passion , and calmness of temper in respect to our selves and the inward frame of our souls ; these , I say , and such like evils ) we should absolutely request of God , that he in mercy would deliver and free us from them ; they being irreconcileably repugnant to his will and glory ; and inconsistent with our eternal welfare . Yet even these , and all other things we do request onely in general terms , leaving the distinct matter , and manner and measure , according to which they should be dispensed , to the wisedom , and goodness of God ; who doth ( as our Lord telleth us ) know what things we need before we ask him ; and is not onely able ( as S. Paul says , but willing also ) to do for us superabundantly above what we can ask , or think . We are hereby ( it seems ) taught this point of good manners in our devotion , not to be tediously punctual and particular in our prayers , as if God needed our information , or were apt to neglect the particulars concerning our good . We shut up all with a Doxology , most sutable to the nature of devotion , signifying our due faith , our affection , and our reverence toward God : For thine is the kingdom , the power , and the glory , for ever , and ever . Amen . That is , For thou hast a perpetual and unmoveable authority whereby justly to dispose of all things ; thou hast an indefectible , and irresistible power , whereby thou canst effect whatever seems just and good to thee ; wherefore we profess onely to rely upon , and seek help from thee ; with hope and confidence we address our selves to thee for the supply of our needs ; thine is the glory ; all honour and reverence , all love and thankfulness are due unto thee , therefore we render our adorations and acknowledgments to thee . Even so to thee , God the Father , God the Son , and God the Holy Ghost be for ever ascribed all glory and praise . Amen . AN EXPOSITION OF The Decalogue . ALthough this Systeme of Precepts may seem to have been in its design rather political , than moral ; to regard publick , and external , rather than private , and interiour action ; that great branch of morality , which respecteth our selves in our private retirements , or in our particular conversation , Sobriety of mind and manners , being scarce touched herein , at least not openly and plainly expressed ; as also devotion toward God ( in any of its kinds , of praise , thanksgiving , confession of sin , prayer and intercession ) that great part of natural Religion , being not explicitly , and positively injoined : Although also ( as by the introduction thereto , and some passages therein , especially as it is delivered in Deuteronomy , may appear ) it seemeth particularly to concern the Jewish Nation ; a People called , and chosen by God out of all Nations , to be governed in a more special , and immediate manner by God himself , obliged to him by peculiar benefits and favours , designed by him to a separate manner of living ; being also perhaps in temper and disposition as well as in condition and circumstances of life different from other People ; whence Laws convenient , ( or in a manner necessary ) for them , might not so well sute to all others ; upon which accompts as other of their Laws , so perchance some passages in this notable part of them may not unreasonably be deemed peculiarly to concern them ; Although however this Systeme doth more directly and immediately oblige that People , all being formally , and in style of Law directed onely to them , promulged in their ears , expressed in their language , inserted into the body of their Laws as a principal member of them ; it being also expresly called a Covenant with that People ( He declared unto you , says the text , his covenant , which he commanded you to perform , even ten commandments ) and accordingly was reposed in the Ark , hence it seems named the Ark of the Covenant , the which , when all Nations should be converted to God , and admitted into the Church , was ( as the Prophet Jeremy foretold ) to be utterly discarded and laid aside . ( In those days , saith God in him , they shall say no more the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord ; neither shall it come to mind , neither shall they remember it , neither shall they visit it ; neither shall that be done any more . ) Hence although some passages herein , according to their primary , strict , and literal meaning might never have been intended universally and perpetually to oblige ; Yet notwithstanding these exceptions , if we consider , 1. The manner of its delivery ; with what extraordinary solemnity it was proclaimed ; how it was dictated immediately from God's own mouth ; and written with his finger ; on 2. The matter of it , containing the prime dictates of natural reason , the chief rules of piety toward God , and equity toward our neighbour ( whence those elogies conferr'd on it , in Nehemiah : Thou camest also down upon mount Sinai , and gavest them right judgments , and true laws , good statutes and commandments ; and by Saint Paul : The law is holy ; the commandment holy , just and good ; ( for that commendation doth I suppose especially respect this part of the Jewish Law ; out of which he takes his instance , Thou shalt not covet ) if we also consider , 3. The end and design of these Precepts , which was to ground them in true notions of Religion , and to dispose them to the practice of righteousness ; to render them loyal and acceptable subjects to God ; to promote God's glory , and their own good ; which being expressed in general concerning their Law , doth more especially agree to this Systeme ; being as the base and platform , the heart and quintessence of all their other Laws ; the which seem added as superstructures on it , or fences thereof : 4. If we also consider , that our Saviour did not derogate from this Law , but declared his intention onely to expound it , or to ampliate , and extend it ( they are the words of Tertullian and Irenaeus ) and how the Apostles do sometimes allege some passages in it , as retaining some authority , and force to oblige . 5. Considering also farther , that there is no commandment herein ( howsoever , according to its immediate and direct sense seeming peculiar to that People ) which may not in a larger , or in a mysterious and spiritual meaning ; which at least may not according to good analogy , or parity of reason concern us ; obliging us , if not by direct authority in punctual manner to the very same thing , yet , as a signification of God's pleasure and approbation , to somewhat answerable and like thereto ; 6. Lastly , If we consider that all , or the greatest part of , the main duties concerning us are either plainly expressed , or closely insinuated in them ; or may at least be conveniently reduced to them ; our Saviour himself having gone before , directing us in the matter and manner of doing it ; Considering , I say , these things , we have no small reason to yield great veneration to this ancient Systeme of Precepts ; and to acknowledge the great use thereof in order to the guidance of our life , and practice : we accordingly shall so descant thereon , as by considering the main drift , intrinsick reason , and spiritual intention of each particular , to reduce the chief Precepts of Christian Doctrine , which oblige us , thereto . Premising thus much I address my discourse to the particulars ; omitting all controverted niceties concerning the division thereof ; and all circumstantial questions ; touching onely such things , as shall appear substantial , and usefull . God spake all these words , saying : This is a title , or superscription like the Par de le Roy , ( by the King ) at the head of a Proclamation declaring from whom , and in what manner , that which follows doth come ; and therefore implying what it is , and how it should be received . God spake ; It comes from God as Authour ; and that most immediately , as it were from his own mouth ; and hath consequently the nature and force of a Law , obliging to highest regard and obedience ; as that which proceedeth from the most sovereign , unquestionable , and uncontrollable authority ; which is promulged in a way most evident , and most direct : every signification of God's purpose , or pleasure is usually called God's Word ; for God ( as the Apostle says ) in divers kinds , and manners did speak unto the Fathers ; and to every such Word our ear should be attentive , our heart should be submissive , our hand should be obedient ; but especially they should be so , when God himself immediately declares his mind and will ; as he did notoriously in this case , by a great voice , distinctly audible and intelligible , miraculously formed by himself : Behold , say the People , the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory , and his greatness , and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire ; we have seen this day , that God doth talk with man , and he liveth : and if whatever is in God's name ( by message of Angels , by inspiration of men , or by any other ways ) revealed must be entertained with all submiss respect , what regard is due to that Word , which God is pleased , not by his Ministers and instruments , but himself in person , as it were , to pronounce ? These words : that is these speeches , or sentences ; ( for so a Word in Scripture style signifieth ) or these things , and matters ( for the Hebrew word debarim , as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , signifieth both words and things : they are several times in the Pentateuch called the ten words , or ten things ; whence the Systeme of them is named the Decalogue . All these words : all , without distinction or exception , did proceed from the same authority , and in the same manner ; and all therefore do require the like regard , and observance to be yielded to them : I am the Lord ; or , I am Jehovah , thy God , which brought thee out of the land of Egypt : These words are by some taken for a Precept ; injoining the acknowledgment , and acceptance of God , answerable to what is here implyed ; and consequently all the positive duties of Religion , deducible hence ; but we see the style is declarative , and assertive , not directly imperative ; and so it may pass rather as a Preface farther enforcing obligation to obedience ; wherein are expressed , or intimated the chief reasons , upon which it is grounded ; every word containing in it somewhat of remarkable emphasis : I am Jehovah ; or that very same God , who under this appellation discovered my self to thy forefathers ; who enacted a special Covenant with them ; who received homage , worship , and engagements to service from them ; who promised especial protection and favour to them , and to their seed ; that Jehovah , who indeed am , what this name importeth , the onely true and real God ; eternal , independent , and indefectible in essence ; true and infallible in word ; constant and immutable in purpose ; firm and faithfull in performance of whatever I promise , or threaten : that same Jehovah I am ; to whose words therefore , upon all accompts of reason , of duty , of interest thou particularly dost owe most submissive attention , and obedience . Thy God : that supereminent being , and power , to whom thou peculiarly dost owe worship and honour , love and affection , duty , and service : who although he be indeed the Lord of all the World , yet beareth a special relation unto thee ; as having chosen , and avouched thee to be a special People to himself , above all the People , that are upon the face of the earth ; having promised thee to make thee high above all Nations , which he hath made , in praise , and in name , and in honour ; and having by many signal demonstrations of favour and mercy confirmed to thee the performance of his covenant , and promise ; thou also reciprocally having avowed me to be thy God , to walk in my ways , to keep my statutes , my commandments , my judgments , and to hearken to my voice . Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt ; out of the house of bondage : This is a particular , and most remarkable instance , by which it appeareth what God it is , that doth thus impose law upon them ; and how they are obliged to entertain it : that God it is , who in pursuance of his singular favour toward thee , and of his Covenant made with thee , hath particularly obliged thee by so eminent a benefit , in a manner so full of wonder in it self , so full of grace toward thee , delivering thee from saddest oppression and slavery , bringing thee into a desirable state of present liberty , and of sure tendency ( not otherwise than by thy fault to be frustrated ) toward enjoyment of rest , of plenty , of all joy and comfort in the promised Land ; declaring hereby , as his glorious and divine perfections of wisedom , and power , so his exceeding goodness toward thee , his faithfull care over thee , his readiness and sufficiency in all thy needs and exigencies to protect , preserve , and deliver thee : I then being such , Jehovah , the onely true God ; thy God , by particular engagement , and endearment ; thy gracious and bountifull benefactour not in will onely , but in deed ; do thus propound my will unto thee ; and upon all accompts of general and special duty ; of reason , of justice , of gratitude require thy regard , and observance of what follows . Now what God in a direct , and literal sense thus speaketh to the Jewish People , may according to likeness of case , and parity of reason ( especially in a mystical and spiritual way ) upon more considerable , and effectual accompts be applied unto us : The Lord Jehovah is such no less to us than to them : He is the same yesterday , to day , and for ever ; to him , as to the onely , true , eternal , and Almighty God , the essential Authour , Lord , and Governour of all things , our highest respect , and observance are due ; He also , in a stricter relation , founded on higher grounds , is our God , having chosen us , and consecrated us more especially to himself ; having received us into a closer confederacy ( a new and better covenant , as the Apostle calls it , established upon better promises ) having obliged us by granting nobler privileges , and dispensing more excellent benefits to us : who likewise hath brought us up out of a spiritual Egypt , and state of infinitely more wretched bondage ; hath rescued us from the tyrannical dominion of Satan ( a far more intolerably cruel and hard Master , than any Pharaoh ) hath freed us from serving sin in our souls and bodies , a far harder service , than making bricks , or any bodily toil can be ; who hath conducted us in the way , and conferr'd on us an assured hope ( if we be not wanting to our selves , and our duty ) of entring into the heavenly Canaan , a place of perfect rest , and unconceivable bliss : who ( as S. Paul expresseth it ) hath delivered us from the power of darkness , and translated us into the kingdom of his most beloved Son : who therefore here , according to spiritual intent , may be understood to speak in a higher strain to us ; justly exacting a more punctual and accurate obedience to his commandments . But so much for that part , which seems introductory . I. Commandment . Thou shalt have no other God's before me . 'T is in the Hebrew ; there shall be to thee no other Gods ( or no strange Gods ; for alii some render it , some alieni ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( al-panai ) to my face , or at my face ; that is in comparison , or competition with me ; so as to be confronted to me ; or together and in consort with me : I am He ( saith God otherwhere ) and there is no God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( immadhi ) with me ; or beside me ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the LXX render it ; and so the phrase commonly importeth ; as in that saying of the Scribe , answering to this : There is one God , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and there is no other God beside him : but we need not criticize on the words , the sense being plain ; as containing a prohibition of assuming any other into partnership with the one true God ; acknowledging in mind , or in outward expression any other for God. The Precept , as most of the rest , is in form negative , and prohibitive , but supposeth and implyeth somewhat affirmative and positive ; as the rest also may be conceived to do . It implies this affirmative Precept , thou shalt have me for thy God : Now to have for our God , signifies as to internal disposition of mind a most high esteem , honour , dread , and love of that Being , as endued with attributes , and perfections superlatively excellent ; the admiring all his works , approving all his actions , acquiescing in all his proceedings and dealings with us ; the reposing our hope and trust in him as most able and willing to help us , and do us good ; in outward expression to acknowledge , praise , and bless him as such ; to yield all sitting demonstrations of respect to his name , and to whatever is specially related to him ; patiently to submit to his will , and readily to obey his commandments : these principally and the like acts of internal devotion , and external piety are comprized in the words , having him for our God ; and we are to understand them here injoined to us ; the same , which is in Scripture called the fearing , the serving , the worshipping , the loving God with all our heart , and all our soul , and all our mind , and all our might . This is implied ; and it is expresly prohibited us to yield to any other , beside him , the like esteem , acknowledgment , or service : That there is in truth but one such Being , to whom eminently those acts are due , nature , ancient tradition , general consent , and especially divine Revelation do assure us ; whereupon is consequent , that yielding them ( yielding , I say , those opinions , estimations , and affections of our mind , or those acknowledgments and expressions in word , or those performances in deed or work , which we before specified ) to any other Being whatever , whether really existent in the world , or meerly formed by our imagination , is highly unreasonable , unbeseeming us , and unjust toward him . 1. It is highly unreasonable , as false and groundless in it self ; as vain and unprofitable to us ; as productive of many bad effects . It is from errour in a matter of the highest nature , and mainest consequence ; and so beyond any other mistake hurtfull to us , as reasonable and intelligent creatures ; the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; the transmuting the truth of God into a lye , S. Paul calls it ; reckoning it for a grievous folly , and crime . It is a vanity of all most lamentable ; a pursuance of shadows , an embracing of clouds ; a building in air , or meer vacuity ; a leaning upon that , which hath no substance , or no strength to support us ; a dreaming and doting upon meer nothing ; whence those false Deities well in Scripture are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , vanities , for that as they have no truth , or substance , or efficacy considerable in them , so all our thoughts , affections , expectations , and labours are idly misemployed , and unprofitably mispent upon them . 2. It is also a thing most unbeseeming us men , ( whom God hath placed in so high a rank of worth and dignity , among his creatures ; who are in our original so near of kin , so like in nature , so dear in relation , and regard unto God himself ) to admire , and worship , to place our choice affections upon , to afford lowly submissions unto , to rest our hope and confidence in any other , but him , who alone truly so far excels us , and can worthily challenge such respects from us ; all flattery is base and unworthy , but this of all is the worst and most unbecoming . 3. To do so , is also most unjust and injurious to God ; to whom as to the Authour of our being , and of all our good received since , we do ow all that our mind can yield of reverence , all that our heart can hold of affection , all that our tongue can utter of praise , all that our utmost might can perform of service ; and since the exhibiting to any other thing part of these must needs not onely by that communication debase , and derogate from their worth , but also withdraw them in great measure from him , so diminishing and embezilling his due ( for we cannot , as our Saviour teacheth us , together adhere unto , or serve divers Masters ) therefore having any other God , but the true one , is a high indignity , and a heinous injury to him . This command therefore is most reasonable upon many accompts ; which as it hath been in grossest manner violated by those , who have not acknowledged , or worshipped any God at all , and by those who have acknowledged and adored many Gods ( by all Atheists and Polytheists ) from which transgressions thereof we Christians may seem totally exempt , who in formal profession and practice have but one God ( the Maker and Lord of all things , infinitely perfect , and glorious ) yet there are many subtle , and perchance no less mischievous transgressions thereof , of which even we may be very guilty , and to which we are very obnoxious . If we do not with all our hearts reverence , and love the most wise and powerfull , the most just and holy , the most good and gracious God ; if we do not trust and hope in him as the fountain of all our good ; if we do not diligently worship and praise him ; if we do not humbly submit to his will , and obey his Laws , we break the positive intent of this Law , not having him for our God ; being indeed like those , of whom S. Paul speaketh , who profess to know God ( that is , who in words and outward pretence acknowledge him ) but in works deny him , being abominable , and disobedient , and to every good work reprobate . Likewise if we frame in our fancy an Idea untrue , disagreeable unto , or unworthy of that one most excellent Being , and to such a phantasm of our own creation do yield our highest respects , and best affections , we break this Law , and have another God to our selves . If upon any creature ( whether our selves , or any other thing ) we impart our chief esteem , or affection ; or employ our most earnest care and endeavour ; or chiefly rely upon it , or most delight in it , that thing we make a God unto us , and are guilty of breaking this Law ; hence Saint Paul more than once calls the covetous ( or wrongfull ) person an Idolater ; and our Lord calls the ●mmoderate pursuit of riches , the serving ( or worshipping ) of Mammon ; and Saint Paul speaketh of some persons , who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , lovers of pleasures , rather than lovers of God ; of whom otherwhere he says , that their God was their belly : we meet with those in the Scripture , who put their trusts in their horses , and their chariots ; with those , who sacrifice to their net , and burn incense to their drag ; with them who trust in man , and make flesh their arm ( men of Mezentius his faith ; ready to say with him , Dextra mihi Deus est , & telum quod missile libro ) with those , whose heart is lifted up ( as the Prince of Tyre in Ezekiel ) and who say they are Gods ; these , and whoever practise in like manner , are so many transgressours of this Covenant : In short , whoever chiefly regards and affects , seeks and pursues , confides and delights in wealth , or honour , or pleasure ; wit , wisedom , strength , or beauty ; himself , friends , or any other creature , he hath another God , against the design , and meaning of this Holy Law. II. Commandment . Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image , &c. The first Commandment determined the final object of our Religion ; this doth limit the manner of exercising and expressing it ; as to the chief intent of it , interdicting that mode , which in the practice of ancient times had so generally prevailed , of representing the Deities ( apprehended so ) in some corporeal shape , and thereto yielding such expressions of respect , as they conceived sutable and acceptable to such Deities . I cannot stand to declare the rise , and progress of such a practice ; how the Devil's malice , and some mens fraud conspiring with other mens superstitious ignorance and fondness , prevailed so far to impose upon mankind ; I shall onely observe , that men naturally are very prone to comply with suggestions to such guises of Religion : for as the sense of want , and pain , and manifold inconvenience , not to be removed or remedied by any present sensible means , doth prompt men to wish , and seek for help from otherwhere ; and this disposes them to entertain any hopes propounded to them ( with how little soever ground of probability ) of receiving it from any absent , or invisible power ; as it also consequently engageth them to undertake any conditions required by those , who propound such hopes , as needfull for obtaining thereof ; whence the ordinary sort of men are very apt to embrace any way of Religion suggested to them , especially by persons of credit , and authority for knowledge ; so also , when the proposition thereof doth come attended with circumstantial appearances , and shews gratifying their senses , or humouring their passions , or delightfully amusing their fancies , it most easily allures , and takes them ; as likewise on the other side , when abstraction of mind , and restraint of passion are required , and sense or fancy are little entertained thereby , men are somewhat averse from such proposals of Religion , and are not so easily brought heartily to like , or earnestly to embrace them ; wherefore since the propounding of images and sensible representations ( relating to somewhat not immediately discerned , from whence men are promised the supply of their needs , or relief from the inconveniencies , which they endure ) by their magnificency , beauty , curiosity , strangeness , or even by their sensibility it self , do make so facile , and pleasant impressions upon the dull and low conceits of men , it is the less wonderfull , that men commonly have been so easily inveagled into such idolatrous superstitions ; so unreasonable in themselves , and of so mischievous consequence . For what can be more senseless , than to imagine , that that Being , which in wisedom and power is sufficient to over-rule nature , and thereby to afford us the assistance we need may be resembled by any of these corporeal things , the best of which we cannot , without debasing our selves , esteem superiour to our selves ? how unreasonable is it to conceit thus , how unworthy is it , and unsutable to the dignity of our nature , derived from heaven , to crouch unto such mean representations ? it is S. Paul's discourse : Being ( saith he ) the off-spring of God , we ought not to think , that the Godhead is like unto gold , or silver , or stone graven by art , and man's device . How injurious also to that most excellent nature must it be to frame , and expose to view such not onely homely and mean , but in respect of the divine nature , most foul and ugly portaictures of him , which cannot but tend to vilifie him in men's conceit ? * He that should form the image of a serpent , or a toad , and exhibit it as the similitude of a King , would surely derogate much from his Majesty , and beget very mean and unbeseeming conceits of his person in their minds , whom he should perswade to take it for such ; and infinitely more must he detract from the dignity , and diminish the reverence due to that immense , almighty , alwise , most pure and perfect being , who shall presume to present any sensible , any finite , any corruptible thing as a resemblance of him ; changing ( as S. Paul expresseth it ) the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man , and to birds , and fourfooted beasts , and creeping things ; as the Israelites are said to have changed their glory ( that is , their glorious God ) into the similitude of an ox , that eateth grass : No wonder it was , that they , who used such expressions of their Religion , had so low opinions concerning those supposed Deities whom they worshipped ; that they supposed them liable to such passions , fathered such actions upon them , described them as vile in their dispositions and their doings , as they represented them in their shape : Most reasonable therefore is this prohibition of making any resemblance of what kind soever ( by picture , sculpture , or fusion ) in order to religious adoration ; and yielding to them any such signification of respect , which the custom or consent of men hath appropriated to Religion ; as bowing , falling down , lying prostrate before them , or the like : most reasonable I say , for since there is but one proper , and allowable object of our worship , as the first Commandment declares and enacts , the making an image of any other existent in nature , or devised by our own fancy in order to the worship thereof , is but a pursuance of that unreasonable , unhandsome , and unjust superstition there forbidden ; adding some absurdity in the manner to the pravity in the substance of such worship . And as for that one true object of our devotion , the eternal , immense , and all perfect God ; the glorious excellency of whose nature doth infinitely transcend our comprehension , and consequently of whom we cannot devise any resemblance not infinitely beneath him , unlike to him , unworthy of him ( whereby we shall not disparage him , and expose him to irreverent apprehensions , especially with the gross Vulgar ; whereby indeed we shall not cloud his true inimitable perfections , and affix imperfections to him ; blending inexpressible truth with apparent falshood ) it must be therefore a profane folly to pretend the representing him by any image ; and the doing of it is upon such accompts in many places of Scripture forbidden ; and that it is so here , according to the intent of this Precept is plain by that place in Deuteronomy , where Moses reports the ground of this prohibition : Take ye therefore ( saith he ) good heed unto your selves ; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day , that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb , out of the midst of the fire , lest you corrupt , and make you a graven image : No shape representing God did appear at his utterance of these Laws , to prevent their framing any resemblance of God , and taking occasion to practise this sort of worship ; thereby implyed to be unreasonable . And the Prophet Esay having in sublime language and discourse set out the incomparable greatness , power , and majesty of God ( who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand , and meted out heaven with a span , and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure , and weighed the mountains in scales , and the hills in a ballance ; before whom the nations are as a drop of a bucket , and are counted as the small dust of a balance — yea before whom all nations are as nothing , and are counted to him less than nothing and vanity : who sitteth upon the circle of the earth ; and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers ; who stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain , and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in ) having , I say , in this , and more such language endeavoured to describe the might , and majesty of God , he infers : To whom then will ye liken God ; or what likeness will ye compare unto him ? and thereupon he proceeds to discourse against making images for religious use . Like whereto is the discourse of S. Paul to the Athenians : God ( saith he ) who made the world , and all things that are therein , being Lord of heaven and earth , dwelleth not in temples made with hands ; nor is worshipped by the hands of men , — we therefore being the off-spring of God , ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold , or silver , or stone , the engravement of art , and man's device ; in which place , as the forming any image to represent divine things is manifestly prohibited ; so the reasons which we touched against such practice , are discernibly enough insinuated . Neither should we omit , that this Law is confirmed in the New Testament , and there made a part of God's new Law : for we are therein often commanded to flee idols , not to be idolaters , to shun idolatry as a most heinous crime , of the highest rank , proceeding from fleshly pravity , inconsistent with good conscience , and exposing to damnation : for the meaning and notion of Idolatry in which places , why should we understand it otherwise , than according to the plain sense of the word , which is the worship of images , or resemblances ? why should we take it otherwise , than as opposite to God's Law , then in force ? why shold we otherwise expound it , than according to the common notion and acceptance of God's People at that time ? The word Idolatry was unknown to other people than the Jews ; among the Jews it signified the violation of the second Commandment ; wherefore the observance of that Commandment is established and enforced by the Apostles . The Jews detested the worshipping any images ; their detestation was grounded on this Law ; they therefore , who earnestly exhort them to continue in detestation thereof , do confirm , and enforce the obligation of this Law ; nor can we reasonably suppose any distinction , or reservation for any Idolatry ( or any worshipping of images ) as lawfull , or allowable to Christians ; since the Apostles as they found it universally prohibited to the Jews , so they continued to charge Christians against it . This discourse hath more force , considering that the same reason , upon which this Law was enacted , doth still apparently continue ; men still unmeasurably affecting this fancifull way of Religion , being apt in the exercise thereof ( if not curb'd by a Law ) to dote upon sensible representations ; being averse from raising up their minds to the onely true object of worship , as endued with intelligible , and spiritual perfections : this the experience of mens wild eagerness for images , reliques , and other such foolish trinkets , which had almost quite oppressed our Religion ( as in many ages the best and wisest men did observe and complain ) doth plainly evince . We may add , that if the common tradition and consent of the ancient Church is in any case a ground of perswasion , or rule of practice to us , we are thence obliged to disapprove , and decline the worshipping images ; for nothing can be more evident than that all such worship was not onely carefully eschewed , but zealously detested by the primitive Christians : This is manifest from most express words of the Fathers generally impugning and condemning all worship of images ; which are as applicable to that worship , which hath been practised among Christians , as to that of the Heathens ; their expressions do not signifie , nor their arguments prove any thing , if any worship of images be allowable , if they do not as well condemn and confute the modern , as the ancient Romans ; They could not with any reason , or modesty have used such words , or urged such reasons , if their practice had been like that , which afterward crept into the Church ; their darts then against Pagan Idolatry easily might , surely would have been , retorted on themselves ; which is so far from having been done , that the Pagans accused them for having no Images * ( Celsus objecteth , † saith Origen , that we shun making altars , statues , and shrines , thinking this to be a faithfull pledge ( or mark ) of our secret communion together : this Origen answers by confessing the matter of fact ; but defending the right ; not for your reason , saith he , we shun these things , but * because we , by the doctrine of Jesus , having found the true manner of piety toward God , do eschew those things , which in conceit or appearance of piety do make men impious — and the images of Christians are ( saith he ) their vertues , whereby they resemble God ; and truly worship him ; and every good Christian , carefully imitating God , is his best statue . Yea the Fathers were so far from practising worship of Images that some of them condemn the simple making of them ; calling the art of doing it a fallacious art , introduced by the Devil and forbidden by God ; expounding this Commandment so , as that in it not onely the worshipping , but the forming any similitude is forbidden : * ( Moses , saith Clem ▪ Alex . did of old expresly give law , that no carved , or fusile , or plaistered , or painted portraicture , or imagery should be made ; that we should not attend to sensible things , but pass to things intelligible : and † Tertullian in several places saith the same . Whether their exposition ( concurring it seems with the common opinion of the Jews in their time ) were true , I shall not now discuss ; that making any similitudes in order to worship is prohibited , is most evident . In fine , divers of the Fathers say , that all the commands in the Decalogue , excepting the Sabbath , do continue in Force , as naturally obligatory , and as confirmed by the Christian Law : for instance S. Augustin in his 119 Epistle speaketh thus : The other precepts ( excepting the Sabbath ) there ( in the Decalogue ) we do observe properly as they are commanded without any figurate observation ; for we have manifestly learnt , not to worship idols , and not to take the name of the Lord our God in vain , to honour father and mother , &c. do not figurately pretend one thing and mystically signifie another thing , but are so observed as they sound . But so much for the prohibition : I shall add , that we may conceive this positive Precept implied , and intended here , that in our devotions and religious services of God we should raise our mind above gross sense and fancy ; that we should entertain high and worthy conceptions of God ; that we should apprehend him incomparably superiour to all things , which we do see or know ; that we direct our minds unto him as to a being transcendently perfect in goodness , justice , wisedom and power , above what we can comprehend and think ; that which our Saviour calls worshipping God in spirit and truth ; which is ( as I take it ) the special positive duty of this Commandment . I need not farther to urge , how presumptuous and dangerous the practices of those men are , who ( to the great danger , and scandal of Christianity among Jews , and Mahometans , and men of other Religions ) notwithstanding these commandments of God , backed with others , of the same import , frequently occurring in the Holy Scripture , ( never that we find any intimation of , repealed or relaxed ) particularly against that signal one made use or by our Saviour , Thou shalt worship the Lord , thy God , and him onely shalt thou serve ; without any ancient good authority , or example , without any necessity or good reason inducing , do not onely yield themselves , but violently force others to yield unto angels , and unto the souls of dead men ( men of dubious state in reference to God , not having past the last trial and judgment , the result whereof 't is a profane temerity in us peremptorily to anticipate ) all kinds of worship , both internal ( reposing trust and hope in them of obtaining benefits from them ; attributing unto them in their esteem the knowledge and power , which for all that we can know are incommunicably proper unto God himself ) and external , of prayer and invocation , of praise and thanksgiving ; and not onely thus as to the substance imparting a kind of divine worship to them , but as to the manner , erecting images of them , even in the places devoted to God's own service , and affording to them the same expressions of reverence and respect , that we do or can present unto God himself ( with great solemnity dedicating such Images to them , with huge care and cost decking them , with great semblance of devotion saluting them ; and casting themselves down before them ; carrying them in procession , exposing them to the people , and making long pilgrimages to them ; ) so that instead of the spiritual worship of God himself , peculiarly required of Christians , and to which our Religion is perfectly suted , a Religion chiefly employing sense , and fancy , and for the greatest part directed unto the representations of creatures is substituted , in despight , as it were , and in defiance of these Commandments : the plain force of which they endeavour to elude and evade by slender pretences , and subtle distinctions , by the like to which there is no Law , which may not as easily be rendred insignificant , and invalid ; never in the mean time considering , that these laws were not given to employ the wits of Sophisters and Schoolmen ; but to direct the practice of rude and plain people ; to which purpose no law , after such artists have had the handling of it , can signifie any thing : nothing being so clear which by their cavillations and quirks they cannot confound ; nothing so smooth wherein they cannot find or make knots . There is subjoined to these two Commandments ( as we reckon them ; others * have accounted them but one ; and their opinion is somewhat countenanced , by what is added here seeming to bear a common respect to both , there is I say subjoined ) a reason , or rather a contexture of reasons strongly pressing and encouraging to obedience , deterring and discouraging from disobedience to them ; or indeed generally to all God's Commandments , but especially unto these , most immediately relating to Him : For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. ( am El kanah , fortis zelotes , as the Vulg. Latine reads it : it may seem to have been a name of God , implying , as all the other names of God do , some attribute of God ; for it is in the 34th . of Exodus , said : Thou shalt worship no other God , for the Lord , whose Name is Jealous , or Kana , is a jealous God ; ) I am a jealous God , that is , a God very tender of my honour , and of my right ; who am impatient of any mate , or competitour in respect to those duties , which properly and incommunicably belong unto me ; I am ( saith God in the Prophet Esay ) the Lord , that is my name , and my glory I will not give to another , nor my praise to graven images : this Jealousie doth contain in it not onely a strong dislike , but a fierce displeasure , against the infringers of these Laws : For the Lord thy God ( saith Moses in Deuteronomy , pressing the observance of this same Precept , concerning the worship of images ) is a consuming fire , he is a jealous God : And if God be thus jealous , so easily provoked to indignation by our detracting his due honour , and imparting it to any other , we have great reason to be afraid of incurring the guilt of either ; for who can stand in his sight , when he is angry ? who can support the effects of his displeasure ? Uisiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children , unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me . Visiting the iniquities of fathers upon the children ; God doth not onely punish those persons themselves , who commit notorious and heinous sins ( such as these of idolatry and profaneness , whereby he is publickly wrong'd and dishonoured ) but the more to deter men ( who naturally bear much regard to their posterity , and are afraid to be , ashamed to appear the causes of ruine and calamity to their family ) he declareth that in respect to their doings it shall go ill with their posterity ; they shall therefore be more strictly and severely dealt with ; they shall upon this score be capable of less favour and mercy from God , than otherwise they might have been : for we must not hereby understand , that God will arbitrarily inflict undeserved pains upon the children of bad men for the faults of their ancestours ( God doth expresly disclaim such kind of proceeding ; The Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father ; the soul that sinneth it shall die ; saith he in the Prophet : and , Every one shall die for his own iniquity ; every man that eateth the sowre grape , his teeth shall be set on edge ) but that he will upon that accompt withdraw his free favours from them 〈…〉 that measure of grace and indulgence , which otherwise the son of such a person ( had he not been a great Traitour against God ) might according to the general course of God's goodness have received , the which might have more effectually restrained him from sin , and consequently have prevented his guilt and his punishment , God may well ( in consistence with his justice and goodness , to manifest his detestation of heinous wickedness ) withhold from him . Such a son , if he do fall into personal offences ( for that also is to be understood ; otherwise such is the goodness of God , that he hath declared , if a son seeing his fathers sins , and considering doth not the like , he shall not die for the iniquity of his father , but shall surely live ; if I say he falleth into personal sins ) God will visit ; that is , will use a close inspection and animadversion upon him , will severely punish and avenge his sin ; not onely upon his own , but on his father's accompt ; examples of which proceeding do in the divine histories frequently occurr ; in Solomon , in Jeroboam , in Baasha , in Ahab , in Jehu , and in others . Of them that hate me . We may observe that in the Scripture style the transgressours of God's Laws are termed haters , and enemies of God ; because their actions signifie a disposition of mind in them repugnant to the mind of God ; and because by them they resist , and oppose God's will ; no wonder then if God deal thus severely with them . But God not onely deters from disobedience by threatning a train of punishments , but he encourageth to obedience by a declaration of his intention ( or promise ) graciously to reward not onely upon the obedient persons themselves , but upon their posterity for ever ( in a manner ) unto thousands , that is unto a thousand descents : Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me , and keep my commandments . Shewing mercy ; God doth not absolutely promise , that he will forbear to punish the posterity of good men , in case they offend , but that he will shew mercy , and deal the more favourably with them in that respect : his meaning and method in these cases are plainly represented in those words concerning David : If his children forsake my law , and walk not in my judgments , if they break my statutes , and keep not my commandments ; then will I visit their transgression with the rod , and their iniquity with stripes ; nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him — : God declares he will punish the offending children of very good men , yet so that their misdeeds shall not interrupt his kindness toward the rest of their posterity , or abolish his remembrance of their goodness : so we may see God dealt with Abraham , and the Patriarchs , passing by ( in memory of their love and reverence to him ; and their faithfull obedience to his will ) the manifold provocations of their posterity ; so that he did not for a long tract of time , and after many generations past suffer them ( according as their personal demeanour highly deserved ) to incurr ruine ; upon this consideration he brought them out of Egypt , he settled them in Canaan , he frequently delivered them from their enemies , he restored them from oppressions , and captivities ; as is often expressed , and insinuated in Scripture . So also it is frequently mentioned , that for David's sake , his posterity , although highly provoking God by their miscarriages , was protected and preserved ; I cannot stand to mention places : I shall onely farther note that which is very obvious , and most remarkable here ; the difference between God's proceeding in way of severity , and in way of favour ; by a vast proportion the expressions of God's mercy do exceed those of justice , although both insisting upon like , or correspondent grounds : he visiteth the iniquities of disobedient fathers unto the third or fourth generation , but he sheweth mercy to a thousand generations of those that love and obey him ; he soon forgetteth the wrongs done , but he long retaineth in memory the services performed to him ; which consideration should work upon our ingenuity , and engage us willingly to obey so gracious a Lord. It is also observable , that as disobedience is styled hatred of God , so loving God and keeping his commandments are conjoined as terms equivalent : they are indeed inseparably connected , love being a certain cause of obedience , obedience an infallible sign of love : He that hath my commandments , and observeth them , he it is ( saith our Saviour ) that loveth me : and , If any man loveth me , he will keep my word . But I pass forward to the next , III. Commandment . Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain , for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain . It consisteth we see of a Precept , and of a reason deterring from disobedience thereto , by declaring or threatning the mischief ensuing thereon . The Precept is : Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : it might be rendred , Thou shalt not bring the name of the Lord thy God to a vanity ( or to a lye , for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , shaveh , frequently importeth ) that is ( as it seems interpreted in a parallel place , where most of these Laws are repeated , inculcated , and fenced by additional injunctions ) Thou shalt not swear in my name to a falshood ; and in the 24th . Psalm , to lift up one's soul to vanity , is explained by swearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( lemirmah ) to deceit , or falshood . Josephus expresseth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , To adjure God to no bad matter ( or to no false matter , as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly in good Writers is taken . ) And our Lord himself in his Sermon on the Mount seemeth to respect this Law , when he says ; Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ye shall not forswear , but shall render to the Lord your oaths ; For he doth immediately before cite other passages out of the Decalogue ( thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not commit adultery ) with intention to explain or extend them ; and therefore probably he proceeds respecting this Law , the most conspicuous of all those , which relate to this matter ; and if this Law be ( as some conceive ) supposed to signifie more strictly , it had been more sutable to his purpose to cite it , than any other of more lax importance ; his drift being plainly to extend in matter ; and to streighten in obligation even the fullest , and strictest of ancient Laws , at least as they were then commonly expounded , and understood ; yea even in this case our Lord seemeth to affirm that the ancients had no Law strict and perfect enough for Evangelical practice : considering which things , it is probable , that the prime intent of this Law is to prohibit that great sin of Perjury , that is of invoking God's attestation to a lie ; thereupon appealing to him as witness , and judge , that what we assert is true ; as a surety , that what we promise we do stedfastly resolve and shall faithfully endeavour to perform ; implying also , that we do expect a curse , and vengeance from him upon us , if we be found knowingly to falsifie in our affirmation , or wilfully to violate our promise . Swearing is in its own nature immediately an act of Religion , and as such was injoined by God ( Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God , and serve him , and shalt swear by his name ; ) It expresseth the pious persuasion we have concerning God's chief attributes and prerogatives ; of his omnipresence and omniscience ( extending to the knowledge of our most inward thoughts , and secret purposes ) of his watchfull providence over what we do , of his justice , and fidelity in maintaining truth and right ; in avenging iniquity and falshood : the reason of using it , was derived from , or grounded upon a persuasion , about God , which hath ever been common among men , that God the Governour and Judge of the world , the Protectour and Patron of right , is always ready upon our invocation and reference unto him to undertake the cognizance of matters in debate and controversie between men , for the protection of truth , the maintenance of right , and preservation of peace among them ( An oath , saith the Apostle , for confirmation is to men an end of all strife ) so that the use thereof becometh a main instrument of promoting those purposes , the strongest tye of fidelity , the surest ground to proceed upon in administration of justice , the most sacred band of all society ; which therefore he that shall presume to violate , doth not onely most unworthily wrong this or that person , this or that society of men , but doth what in him lies to subvert the foundations of all publick justice and peace ; withall most impiously abusing , and affronting God Almighty himself ; profaning his most sacred ordinance , making his name instrumental to the compassing his deceitfull and base purposes , despising his judgment , and defying his vengeance . This seems to be the first , and direct meaning of this Law ; but it may by parity of reason well be extended farther , so as we may hereby understand all light and vain swearing , all wanton and irreverent use of God's holy name : and hitherto our Lord hath plainly extended it , forbidding us to swear at all , and charging us in our conversation to use onely the simple and plain manner of assertion , or promise , saying onely yea , yea , or nay , nay ; without presuming upon any slight occasion to introduce the Holy Name of God ; which indeed we should not without extreme awe of spirit ever think upon , nor without high veneration dare to mention : 't is an instance of the most sottish folly , 't is an argument of most horrible impiety that can be thus ( without any cause , or temptation thereto , without any profit or pleasure thence ) to trifle with the divine Majesty ; to abuse his glorious Name , and provoke his dreadfull vengeance ; who will no wise hold him guiltless , that taketh his name in vain . IV. Commandment . Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy , &c. The Decalogue is in several places of Scripture ( as we before noted ) called a Covenant with the Jewish People , and the observation of this Law is likewise so called in a particular and special manner : It is expressed to have been appointed as a sign , or characteristical note , whereby their peculiar relation to God might be discerned , and they distinguished from all other People . As Circumcision was a seal of the Covenant made with Abraham and his posterity ; so keeping the Sabbath did obsignate the Covenant made with the Children of Israel after their delivery out of Egypt : The children of Israel ( saith the text ) shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath , throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant , it is a sign between me , and the Children of Israel for ever : and , I gave them ( saith God in Ezekiel ) my statutes , and shewed them my judgments , which if a man do , he shall live in them ; moreover I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me , and them , that they might know , that I am the Lord , who sanctifies them : and , Thou camest down from mount Sinai ( say the Levites in Nehemiah ) and spakest with them from heaven , and gavest them right judgments , and true laws , good statutes , and commandments ; and madest known unto them thy holy Sabbaths : where making known to them the Sabbaths , as also otherwhere giving them the Sabbath are expressions ( together with the special ends of the Sabbath's appointment , which are mentioned in those places ) confirming the judgment of the ancient Christians , Justin M. Irenaeus , Tertullian , &c. who refer the first institution of the Sabbath to Moses , affirming ( that which indeed the history by its total silence concerning the Sabbath before him sufficiently doth seem to confirm ) that the Patriarchs were not obliged thereto , nor did practise it . And we may observe , that the Law concerning the Sabbath , is mentioned and insisted upon separately from the body of their Laws , as being in nature different from the rest , and enacted upon a special design ; as from the forecited passages appeareth ; and farther may appear from considering how the condition of Proselytes ( those of the stricter sort , called Proselytes of Righteousness ) is described in Esay The sons of the strangers , ( saith God in that Prophet ) that join themselves to the Lord , to serve him , and to love the name of the Lord , to be his servants , every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it , and taketh hold of my Covenant ; even them will I bring to my holy mountain , and make them joyfull in my house of prayer : where to undertake the observance of the Sabbath , and to lay hold of the Jewish Covenant are signified to be coincident , or especially coherent . All the other Precepts indeed ( one passage in the Second Commandment as it may be understood to prohibit absolutely the making of any similitude , being liable to exception ) are immediately grounded in the reason of the thing , and have a necessary obligation even visible to natural light ; they consequently have been acknowledged as reasonable , and obliging by the general consent of men ; or might be so propounded and asserted by argument , as easily to extort such consent : but this Command , ( although as to its general and remote matter it is most evidently reasonable , and requireth that , which no man can deny to be matter of necessary duty , yet ) as to the more immediate matter , as to the determinate measure , and manner of performing those general duties , no reason can discern an obligation distinct from , or antecedent to the Law givers will , to practise according thereto : that we should frequently with gratefull and joyfull sense reflect upon the glorious works of God ( especially that grand and fundamental one , wherein God's wonderfull excellencies of goodness , wisedom , and power were so illustriously displayed ; the creation of the world , wherein so great accommodations , and benefits were generally dispensed to all the creatures , and to us eminently among them ; remembring with deepest respect , and most hearty thankfulness our bountifull Maker ; ) that we should be unmindfull of the special favours by God's gracious providence vouchsafed to our country , our relations , our selves ( especially such very signal ones , as was that of the delivery from Egyptian slavery in a manner so remarkable and miraculous ) ; that we should not spend our selves , and our time in perpetually carking and labouring about affairs touching our body , and this present life , but should assign some competent time both for the relaxation of our mind , and for attendance to the concernments of our soul : that also we should allow fitting time of respite , and refreshment to those of our brethren , whom divine Providence hath disposed into a meaner condition , and relation of servants to us ; that their lives may not by incessant care , and toil be rendred over burthensome , and grievous to them ; but so that they may with some comfort serve us ; that also they be not destituted of leasure and opportunity to serve God , our common Master ; and to regard the welfare of their souls , no less precious than our own : that also we should shew some kindness , and mercy even toward our beasts , allowing them some ease from their painfull drudgeries in our behalf ; these are all of them things , which reason evidently dictates ; which common sense must needs admit , as duties of piety , justice , and humanity : and to secure the performance of them both as to the substance , due measure , and fit manner of them , common prudence would suggest , that set times should be appointed ; in which they should be solemnly and notoriously discharged , under the publick testimony and cognizance : and accordingly we find , that in all wise and civil Societies some provision ever hath been made , by appointing Festival times , for the practice of such duties , in some kind or degree : The founders of Laws ( saith Seneca ) did institute festival days , that men should publickly be constrained to cheerfulness ; interposing as necessary a temperament of their pains ; Plato with a more admirable sagacity refers the invention , or first institution of such times unto God himself ; The Gods ( saith he ; that is , the divine providence administring affairs here by the ministery of inferiour invisible powers , according to his notion and manner of speaking ) pitying mankind , born to painfull labour , appointed for an ease and cessation from their toils the recourses of festival seasons observed to the Gods. Thus ( I say ) reason acknowledges the substance of these duties , and approves the securing their performance , as a good end , or fit matter of Law both divine and humane . But as to the circumstantial determination of measure and manner ; that a Seventh day precisely should be assigned , that a total cessation from labour for man and beast should be prescribed ; this is above reason to discern a necessity of ; or a conveniency in comparison with other limitations in those respects deviseable and practicable : nor can we assuredly resolve the obligation thereto into any other ground , than the pleasure of 〈◊〉 most wise Author of this Law ; who did see what was most fit to be prescribed to those , whom this Law concerned . Here is indeed mentioned a reason , why God specially did choose this day to bless , and sanctifie it in this manner to such purposes ; namely , his resting upon the Seventh day from his works of Creation ; the which yet doth not certainly import a natural conveniency , toward accomplishing those purposes , of this precise quantity of time , or in this way of observing it , in preference to any other , that might have been appointed ; it onely seemeth to imply a fitness of these determinations , as containing somewhat of profitable significancy ; that such a correspondency in circumstance of time , and manner of practice might admonish us concerning the substance of our duty , or a principal part thereof peculiarly designed in the Sanction of this Law , the gratefull Commemoration of God's most glorious work ( the foundation as it were of all other his acts of beneficence ) the Creation of the World : for thus in all ceremonial Institutions we may observe , that some significant circumstance is selected , on purpose to instruct or excite us to practice , by representing to our fancy the nature and intention of the main duty required , as in Circumcision , in the Passover , in Baptism , and other ritual Constitutions it is not hard to perceive : so it being God's design to enforce the performance of that excellent duty , by appropriating a time thereto , we may conceive that he therefore especially selected that day , as most apt to mind them , to whom this Law was given , of the history of the Creation ; the reflecting upon and celebrating which was the main duty intended : Seeing therefore the observation of the Sabbath is expressed to have a peculiar respect to the children of Israel , as a sign of the Covenant made with them , when he led them out of Egypt ; seeing in its own nature it differeth from the rest of the ten Laws , the obligation thereto being not , discernibly to natural light , grounded in the reason of the thing , we can no wise be assured , that an universal and perpetual obligation thereto was intended , or that its obligation did extend farther than to the Jews , to whom it was as a formal Law delivered , and upon special considerations severely inculcated ; to whose humour , condition , and circumstances it might also perhaps be particularly suted : Justin M. was of opinion that this Law , as many others was given to the Jews , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for their iniquity , and hardness of heart , by way of concession and indulgence ; for , because they by their natural disposition were apt to forget their maker ; to neglect the state of their soul , being wholly intent on worldly affairs ; to exact intolerable pains from their brethren , who served them ; to use cruelly the poor beasts , employed in tilling their ground , or bearing their burthens ; therefore God ( considering this incorrigible temper of theirs ) did indulge six days to them for the prosecution of those affairs , to which they were so devoted , contenting himself to exact from them no more , than this part of time for his own service , for the benefit of servants , and ease of beasts ; if he had required more of them they could it seems or would hardly have endured it ; the command would perhaps not onely have been disobeyed it self , but the dislike thereof might have rendred them averse from all Religion , and service of God ; as it happeneth , when commands very rigorous , and exceeding mens strength are enjoined ; for we see the Prophets complain of them , that they could hardly be induced to go thus far , or to afford God this so moderate share of time ; but were impatient even for this one day in seven to abstain from their secular business , to relax themselves , or their servants , or their cattel from their daily labours : they impeach them for polluting , profaning , hiding their eyes from ( that is , wholly overlooking , neglecting and disregarding ) the Sabbath ; for doing their own pleasure , and exacting their own labours upon it , for not delighting therein , or not willingly observing it : Hear this ( saith the Prophet Amos ) O ye that swallow up the needy , even to make the poor of the land to fail , saying , when will the new-moon be gone , that we may sell corn , and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat ? this being the disposition of that People , not bearing a greater strictness , they not being able to preserve within their hearts a perpetual remembrance of God's works and favours ; not to moderate their pursuits of temporal good things ; not to bear a due regard and tenderness toward their brethren , and their fellow-creatures ( the performing which things in a constant uninterrupted tenour the said Holy Father , and Blessed Martyr supposeth to be the Sabbatism , which Christians are bound to observe ) therefore God considering their infirmity and incapacity to comply with higher injunctions , did use ( as in the cases of Divorce , Revenge , and the like ) an indulgence toward them , permitting them on the other days to do their pleasure ( as the Prophet speaks ) , reserving onely this day for a punctual and solemn performance of the duties specified : thus discourses that good Ancient in his Dialogue with the Jew . However , that this Law ( as to its circumstantial parts ) was not intended to oblige generally and perpetually , we have a most forcible ground to suppose ; S. Paul himself his express discharging Christians from the observation thereof ; yea his earnest reprehension of some persons for rigorously insisting thereon , deeming themselves and urging it upon others as a necessary duty to observe it ; his conjoining it with other Ceremonial Observances , whose nature was meerly symbolical , and whose design was to continue no longer , than till the real substance of that , which they represented , came into full force and practice : Let no man ( saith he to the Colossians ) judge you for meat , or drink , or upon account of a festival day , or new moon , * or sabbath , which things are the shadow of future things , but the body is of Christ ( that is , they did onely prefigure , and presignifie ; the real substance intended , and represented by them is somewhat in the Law , and Doctrine of Christ ; which coming immediately to appear , and to oblige , that shadow vanisheth , and ceaseth to have any regard due thereto ) again more sharply to the Galatians , whom some Judaizing Dogmatists had reduced , or were reducing to the practice of legal Rites , under conceit of needfull obligation to them ; How saith he , do ye return again to those weak , and beggerly elements , to which back again you are pleased to be enslaved : ye observe days , and months , and years ; which words , that they relate generally to the Jewish Festivals , the context doth plainly enough shew , and there is good reason to think , that they chiefly respect the Sabbath we treat on , for which probably these men had the greatest respect , and zeal ; Again in the 14th . to the Romans the same great Patron and Champion of Christian Liberty , not obscurely declareth his mind , that Christians of strength in judgment did regard no day above another , but esteemed all days ( he excepteth none ) alike , as to any special obligation , grounded upon divine Law and Right ; in subordination to which Doctrine we may add , that this appears with great evidence to have been the common opinion of the wisest , and most orthodox Christians in the Primitive Church ; the most constant and strict adherents to Catholick Tradition ( who from the Apostles instruction best understood the purport and limits of the liberty purchased by Christ ) that this Law , † as it was not known or practised before Moses , so it ceased to oblige after Christ ; being one of the shadows which the Evangelical light dispelled ; one of the burthens , which this Law of liberty did take off us † Now although upon these accompts we cannot press the strict observation of this Law in all its parts , according to its literal , and direct intention , yet we may learn much of our duty , much of God's will from it : all God's laws , spiritually and wisely , understood did tend to the promoting of piety and vertue ; and abstracting from the special circumstances of that People , to whom they were consigned , may ( so far as our case is like theirs , and wherein a common reason doth appear ) pass for fit patterns for us to imitate , suggesting proper means of exercising , nourishing , encreasing those qualities in us ; and so from this Law we may learn these duties : 1. That we should frequently call to mind , and consider the great and glorious works of God , performed for the general good of his creatures , and specially for mankind : The Creation of the World , the Redemption of mankind ; the Nativity , Passion , Resurrection , and Exaltation of our Lord and Saviour , and the like , no less now considerable to us , both in respect of glory due to God , and of benefit accruing to us , then was the Creation formerly to the Jews . 2. That we are bound to restrain our selves in the prosecution of worldly business ; not distracting our minds with care , not exhausting our bodies with toil about them , but allowing our mind convenient and seasonable freedom , affording our soul sufficient leisure with vigour and alacrity to enjoy its nobler entertainments , and to pursue its higher interests . 3. That we are obliged to use the same indulgence toward those , whom divine providence hath disposed to be under our power , care , or governance : to allow our children , our subjects , our servants a competent measure of rest , and refreshment from their ordinary labours , sufficient time and leisure undistractedly to serve God , and quietly to mind their spiritual welfare : we must so charitably tender their good , as to permit and procure , that their life may be easie and comfortable here ; and that also they may have means to obtain for themselves a happy immortality hereafter ; not being in these respects either harsh to their outward man , or uncharitable to their souls . 4. That we must no be unmercifull to any creature , not onely abstaining from inflicting , in wantonness of humour , needless vexation upon them , but also from wearying and grieving them too much for our emolument or convenience : the advantage and preeminency bestowed upon us by God over them should be managed with moderation , and clemency ; we should be gentle masters to them , not cruel tyrants over them : we should consider , that God did make them , as to help and serve us , so to enjoy somewhat themselves of delight and satisfaction in their being ; which if we go to deprive them of , rendring their condition intolerable and worse than if they had no being , as we do abuse and injure them , transgressing the bounds of our right over them , so we encroach upon , disappoint , and wrong their maker , and cannot therein but displease him ; doing thus is a point of injustice not enough considered by them , who commit it : they consider not how beastly they are themselves , when they misuse poor beasts . 5. We may hence farther learn , that it is fit certain times should be allotted for the publick , and solemn performance of the forenamed duties : common reason prompteth , that God ( upon whose protection , and disposal the publick good depends ) should be publickly honoured , and his benefits frequently acknowledged ; also that care should be taken in every society , that all states of men should lead their lives in some competent degree of content ; that all objects of grievous pity should be removed from publick view ; also common sense will inform us , that these things cannot effectually be executed , without constituting definite periods of time , and limiting circumstances , according to which they shall be practised under publick inspection , and censure : And these dictates of ordinary prudence the divine wisedom hath ratified by his exemplary order ; the which in cases , wherein he hath not interposed his direct authority by way of precept may serve for a good direction to Governours , what they may with safety , what they should in wisedom establish ; what provision they should make for the promotion of piety and vertue : such a precedent requires greatest veneration , and respect , cannot but appear of high moment in consultation about matters of this nature . It is indeed particularly observable , that in this command there is not an express order concerning the natural or moral service of God ( by prayer , or hearing God's Law ) to be publickly performed on this day ; but the Jews were themselves so wise as to understand these duties couched in the sanctification of the day prescribed to them ; and accordingly they practised ; they in all places of their habitation did settle Synagogues , and Oratories ; to them upon this day they resorted ; in them then they did offer devotions to God ; ( as the names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did import ) the Scribes did reade the Law , and expound it to the People : Moses ( saith Josephus ) did command the people to assemble for hearing of the law , not once or twice , or many times , but every seventh day , laying aside their works ; and exactly to learn it ; whence , addeth he , the people became so skilfull in the laws , that if one asked any of them concerning them , he would more easily tell them all than his own name ; whence also an admirable concord in mind , and uniformity in practice did ( as he farther observes ) arise : and The custom ( saith Philo ) was always as occasion gave leave , especially upon the seventh days , to philosophate , &c. in consideration of which practice it was , that Jews so highly valued this Precept , that it was a saying among them , The Sabbath weigheth against all the Commandments ; as procuring them all to be known , and observed : And if that blind people could pick these duties out of this Law , much more should we see our selves obliged , according to analogy thereof , to appoint set times for ensuring the practice of them . 6. Again , We may hence also learn our obligation to submit obediently to the constitution of Governours relating to this matter ; that we readily should observe all solemn times of festivity and rest , which the Rulers of Church , or State do appoint for the securing or the promoting those purposes of piety , or charity , according to the measure and manner prescribed by them : for Reason approving the thing as good and usefull ; and divine order more clearly and fully confirming it to be so , and it not appearing that God hath made express determinations about it , it remains , that it is left wholly to them , to whose care God hath entrusted the publick welfare , and hath committed to their judgments the providing means conducible thereto ; having also consequently injoined us in all lawfull things to follow their guidance and appointment in order thereto . God decreed death to be inflicted on those , who violated his command concerning the Sabbath ; which sheweth how great a fault it is to offend in this particular ; and we may reasonably esteem that command to be his , which proceedeth from his Ministers by authority from himself , and in conformity to his own pattern . 7. We add , that whereas God required of the Jews such a portion of time to be solemnly dedicated to Religion , and mercy , we to whom he hath vouchsafed higher benefits , and proposed greater encouragements , cannot reasonably but deem our selves obliged to sequester and consecrate as much or more time to the same intents : we should indeed be content to withdraw our selves more frequently from pursuance of our own profits and pleasures to the service of God , to the remembrance and celebration of his favours : we should willingly allow greater relaxation to our dependents : and should the publick be deficient in exacting a performance of such duties from us , it would become us to supply such defects by our private devoting fit and frequent seasons thereto : that in some proportion we may exceed the Jews in gratefull piety , as we surpass them in the matter , and causes thereof ; that we may appear in some degree more charitable than they , as we have much greater reason and obligation to be so then they . So much for this ; I proceed briefly to consider the remaining Commandments , the which immediately concern another Object : those foregoing did chiefly serve to regulate our religious practice in yielding due reverence toward God ; these following ( which are supposed to have made up the second of those Tables , which written by God's hand were delivered to Moses , and preserved in the Ark of the Testimony ) do guide our conversation and carriage toward our Neighbour ; in the front of which worthily is placed that which obligeth to dutifulness toward our Parents ; unto whom after God , and his supreme Vice-gerents we owe the highest respect , gratitude and duty . V. Commandment . Honour thy father , and thy mother . Honour ; the word signifies to have in weighty regard , and aptly serves to denote those particular acts of duty , which are otherwhere expressed in Scripture ; fear and reverence ( ye shall fear every man his father and his mother ) observance and obedience ( children obey your parents in all things , for this is well pleasing to God ) gratitude and retribution ( Let children learn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to be pious toward their own family ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to render sutable returns , or to requite their parents , for this is good , and acceptable before God. ) regarding their instruction and advice ( My son hear the instruction of thy father , and forsake not the law of thy mother ) it also comprehendeth a prohibition of the contrary acts , contemning , cursing , offering violence or contumely unto , disobedience and contumacy toward parents , the which are forbidden under capital penalties , and dreadfull comminations : Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or mother : and , The eye that mocketh at his father , and despiseth to obey his mother , the ravens of the valley shall pick it out , and the young eagles shall eat it ( that is , God in a fearfull and strange manner will avenge that wickedness upon him ) and in the Law it is ordained that the rebellious and stubborn son , who will not obey the voice of his father , or the voice of his mother ; and that when they have chastned him , will not hearken unto them , shall be stoned by all the men of his City , and put to death in that manner . Whence we may learn the nature of the duty here enjoined , and what rank it beareth among other duties ; what high obligation belongs thereto , of what consideration it is with God , and how grievous a crime the violation thereof is ; that , briefly , we are obliged to yield our parents high affection of heart , great expressions of respect and observance in word and deed ; that the neglect of these duties is , next to that of profaneness and undutifulness toward God himself , the greatest disorder we can be guilty of : this all civil Nations have consented to be our duty ; and if we consider the grounds , upon which it is built , we shall find that reason , justice , and necessity do require it : S. Paul presseth his precept of observance to parents with , a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for this is just and equal : for if we look upon the disposition of parents in their mind toward children , we may presume them always full of tender affection , and good will toward them , full of desire , and care for their good , full of pity and compassion toward them ; in the highest and most especial degree beyond what they bear to others ; which dispositions in reason and equity do require answerable dispositions in those , upon whom they are placed , and who from them do receive inestimable benefits : for if we do regard the effects proceeding from them we shall discern , that 1. From parents children do receive being and life ; that good which nature inclineth so highly to value and tender , as the foundation of all the good , happiness , and comfort we are capable of . 2. They are obliged to their parents for the preservation , maintenance , and protection of their life : it is a long time before we came to be able ( such is the particular condition of man among all living creatures , so ordered on purpose , as it were , to beget this obligation and endearment ) any-wise to provide for , or to defend our selves ; and the doing thereof , in that senseless and helpless state , relies upon the care , pain , and solicitous vigilance of our parents ; the which they are not onely always obliged , but are commonly disposed with admirable willingness to spend on their children . 3. Parents not onely thus at first undergo such care and trouble to maintain their children , but by expensive education ( often with much inconvenience and incommodity to themselves ) they provide means for their future support , and subsistence , during life . 4. Children are so strictly tied to their parents , as by their willing concession to partake in all the comforts of their state , and ornaments of their fortune . 5. The goods acquired by the parents industry do usually devolve upon their children by inheritance and succession ; whence that children live handsomely and comfortably , is the reward of their parents merit , comes from the store , that they have carefully provided , and laid up for them . 6. To which we may add , that not onely the provision for our temporal necessities and conveniencies dependeth upon our parents , but the care of our souls , and our spiritual welfare is incumbent on them : they are obliged to instruct us in the fear of God , and to set us in the way toward eternal happiness . 7. We may consider also , that all this they do most frankly and out of pure kindness ; without regard to any merit antecedent , or benefit consequent to themselves : as they received nothing to oblige and move them to such performances , so they can seldom hope for answerable returns : it is abundant satisfaction to them if they see their children do well ; their chief delight and contentment is in their childrens good absolutely and abstractedly , without indirect regards to their own advantage . Upon these , and the like accompts it appeareth , that as parents have the affections most resembling those of God toward us , as they perform toward us the actions most like to his , as they are the principal instruments of divine providence and bounty ( by which God's blessings are conveyed and conferred upon us ) so they may be deemed in a sort to represent God , and as his most lively images have an especial veneration due to them . God himself , to endear and render himself amiable , or in the most kindly way venerable to us , to engage us to a more ready obedience of him , to declare the nature of our duty toward him , assumes the title of Father ; and all Nations have agreed to style him so ; Reciprocally also , whereas the duties toward other men are termed justice , or charity , or courtesie , or liberality , or gratitude , those toward parents in every Language ( I suppose ) are styled piety , implying somewhat divine in the object of those duties ; 't is more than injustice to wrong a parent ; 't is more than uncharitableness to refuse them succour , or relief ; 't is more than discourtesie to be unkind to them ; 't is more than sordid avarice to be in their need illiberal to them ; 't is rather high impiety to offend in any of these kinds . He that returns not love in answer to their tender affection ; that doth not ( as occasion requires , and his ability permits ) requite the benefits received from them , doth not defer to them an especial reverence , in regard to that sacred name and character they bear , thereby intimates , that he would in like manner be unjust , ungratefull , and disingenuous toward God , from whom he hath received the like benefits ; the beginning and continuance of his being ; the preservation , maintenance , and protection of his life : if he will not honour his earthly Parents , whom he hath seen , how will he reverence his heavenly Father , whom he hath not seen ? so we may according to S. John argue . I might subjoin , that as justice , and ingenuity do enforce this duty , so for the good of the world there is a necessity that it should be observed : If parents are not onely by natural instinct disposed , but by divine command obliged , and by humane Law ( the preservation of the world so requiring ) constrained to undergo such hardships for the maintenance , and education of their children , it is fit and necessary they should be supported and encouraged in the bearing them by reciprocal obligations in children to return them dutifull respect , observance , and requital ; the world could not well subsist without children being engaged to these duties : there were no reason to exact , there were no ground to expect , that parents should cheerfully and faithfully discharge their part , upon other terms . To this Precept there is added a Promise ( and it is , as S. Paul observeth , the first precept , that hath a promise formally annexed ; whereby he enforceth his exhortation to the observance thereof . ) That thy days may be long upon the land , which the Lord thy God giveth thee . So God expresly promiseth to bless dutifull children with a long life in the comfortable possession of those good things , which he should bestow upon them ; this was the most of reward , explicitly covenanted to the Jews , in regard to their obedience : there is also implyed a commination of a contrary curse from God upon the infringers of this Law , that they should either be immaturely cut off from life ( as Abimelech and Absalom were upon this score ) or should draw on a wretched life in banishment from the contents thereof ; by which things respectively are intimated to us the rewards of piety in this kind , or the punishments of impiety in the future state , whereof the land here mentioned was a shadow , or figure : what length of days in Canaan was to them , that to us is immortal life in heaven ; what being excluded thence was then , that now is everlasting death , or banishment into the regions of misery . I might also note the congruity of the reward propounded , that they who are gratefull to those from whom , in subordination to God , they received life , shall by God's dispensation enjoy that life long and well ; and that they who neglect the authours of their life , shall soon be deprived of it , or of its comforts . But I find the same reward assigned to the diligent observers of other duties ; particularly to them , who are just in their dealings ; to them who are charitable to the poor ; to them who are meek and patient ; to them who confide in God ; and to all good men that obey God's commandments . I shall onely add farther , that we may , according to analogy and like ground of reason , reduce unto this Commandment the obligation we have to honour all those , who perform toward us beneficial offices like unto those , which we receive from our parents ; those who preserve our life by relief , protection or defence ; those who afford us maintenance , or education ; those who watch over us for the good of our body , or of our soul ; those who instruct us , or advise us : such are our Governours and Magistrates either Political or Ecclesiastical ; our Benefactours and Patrons ; our Schoolmasters , and Tutours ; our especial faithfull Friends ; and the like ; But I pass forward . In the subsequent Precepts are contained the prime rules of justice toward our neighbour ; the observation of which is not onely most equal and reasonable in it self , but necessary for the preservation of civil society , and publick peace among men ; for the procurement of our safe , and pleasant living and conversing in the World ; men thereby being secured in the quiet enjoyment of God's gifts , and the fruits of their industry , and of whatever is dear and precious to them ; of their lives first ; then of the comforts of their conjugal state ; of their possessions ; of their reputations ; the laws respecting these being here disposed in order , according to the value of their respective objects , in the nature of things , or in the opinion of men , or in regard to the consequences arising from them . VI. Commandment . Thou shalt not kill . Of all good gifts conferr'd upon us none ( according to the natural and common esteem of men ) is more precious than life it self , the foundation of enjoying the rest . God hath therefore reserved the disposal of it entirely to himself , as his special prerogative : neither he that hath it , nor any other person having absolutely any just power or right over it ; No man can take away any man's life , but by commission or licence from God , reasonably presumed to be granted by him : So may God ( the absolute King of the World ) be supposed to have committed to lawfull Magistrates , as his Vice-gerents and Officers , in his name and behalf , upon reasonable cause , for preservation of publick justice , peace , and order , in a lawfull course of justice , to dispose of mens lives , who have forfeited them to the Law : ( The Magistrate , as S. Paul saith , beareth not the sword in vain ; for he is the minister of God ; an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil . ) He hath not forbidden Sovereigns ( in case of necessity , and when amicable means will not prevail ) to maintain the safety or welfare of the Societies entrusted to their care , even by armed violence , against such as wrongfully invade them , or any wise harm them , and will not otherwise be induced to forbear doing so ; in which case the resolution of such differences ( insomuch as they cannot be tried at any other bar , or composed by other means ) is referred to God's arbitrement ; who is the Lord of Hosts , the Sovereign Protectour of right , and dispenser of success ; the Souldier in a just cause being then his Minister , and carrying a tacit commission from him . God also may be supposed together with life , with a natural love to it , with means to preserve it , to have imparted to every man a right to defend his life , with its necessary supports , against unjust , extreme , and inevitable violence upon it , or them : the slaughter therefore , which may happen in these cases ( or in the like , wherein God hath plainly by a general order , or by special command , or by permission reasonably supposed , conferred on any person a power over his neighbour's lise , in the maintenance of God's own honour , or in subserviency to publick good ) is not concerned in the design , or meaning of this Precept : for he that kills another , in a way not irregular , as a Minister of justice , or in a lawfull War as a Souldier authorized by a Sovereign power here under God , or for his own just and necessary defence , doth not , according to the intent of this Law , kill ; but rather God himself , the Lord of life and death , doth then kill ; the authority of killing so being derived from him , and his work being done thereby : Vengeance is his , and he so ( by his instruments ) repays it . But here is forbidden all other voluntary taking away our neighbour's life , when a man acts as a private person ; without just and necessary cause , in any illegal or irregular way ; upon what motive , principle , or end soever ( whether it be out of hatred , spight , envy , revenge ; for our presumed safety , or pretended reparation of honour ; for promoting what interest , or procuring what satisfaction soever to our selves ) by what means soever , either by direct violence , or by fraudulent contrivance ; in an open , or clandestine manner ; immediately by our selves , or by means of others ; by advising , encouraging , any wise becoming instrumental , or accessory thereto . This is the crime expresly prohibited ; but a positive duty should also be understood ; that we are obliged , so far as we are able , to preserve our neighbour's life ; by relieving him in extreme need , by succouring him in extreme danger ; by admonishing him of any destructive mischief , when he appears tending unawares thereinto ; the neglect of which things argueth a murtherous disposition toward our neighbour , is in reasonable esteem , and in God's sight a killing of him ; for we mistake , if we think with Cain , that we are not our brother's keepers , or are not bound when we are able to preserve his life . The violation of which Commandment is certainly the most heinous sin , that can be committed of all those ▪ which are not immediately directed against God himself , or the persons which peculiarly represent him ; and a sin which never can escape vengeance and due punishment from him . It is the greatest wrong to God ; it is the extremest injury to our neighbour ; it is the highest sort of uncharitableness ; it is a principal offence against publick society . 1. It is an exceeding wrong and affront done unto God ; in assuming the disposal of his gifts ; in dispossessing him of his rights , by robbing him of a creature , of his child , his servant , his subject ( one whose life is precious to him , and toward whom he beareth a tender regard ) an usurping in a high way his Sovereign Authority , his Throne of Majesty , his Tribunal of Justice , his Sword of Vengeance ; to omit the sacrilege ( as Philo speaks ) committed herein by violating God's own Image , which every man doth bear . 2. It is also an extreme injury to the person , who is thereby deprived of an unvaluable good , which can no wise be repaired , or compensated : he that loses his life , doth therewith lose all the good he possesseth , or is capable of here , without any possibility of recovering it again : the taking therefore of life can be no sutable revenge , no reasonable satisfaction for any injury or damage received ; it infinitely , in a manner , surpasseth all the evil , which any man can sustain from another in his estate , or fame , or welfare of any kind ; for those things have their measure , and may be capable of some reparation , but this is altogether extreme and irreparable ; and therefore doth include greatest iniquity : add hereto , that not onely all temporal good is hereby at once ravished from a man , but the soul also of the person may incur the greatest damage or hazard in respect to its future estate by being thus snatched away : the slayer not onely robbeth his brother of his temporal life , but of his time of repentance , and opportunity of making peace with God. 3. It is also the highest uncharitableness to deal thus with our neighbour ; arguing that nothing of good will , of pity , of humanity toward him is left in us : to hate his brother to the death is the utmost pitch of hatred . If in imitation of our Saviour , and out of respect to him we ought ( as S. John instructeth us ) to be willing to lay down our lives for our brethren ; how enormous a crime , how opposite to Christian charity is it to take away our brother's life ? 4. It is likewise a main offence against the publick ; not onely by unlawfully bereaving it of a member and subject , but to its prejudice and dishonour ( yea so far as lies in us to its subversion and dissolution ) assuming to our selves , pulling away from it its rights , and prerogatives of judgment . Such briefly is the direct intent , and importance of this Law ; but our Saviour in his comment hereon hath explained and extended it farther , so as to interdict all , that any wise approaches in nature , or in effect tends unto this heinous evil : he means to obstruct all the springs , and extirpate all the roots thereof ; such as are rash , causeless , outragious , inveterate anger , contumelious and despightfull language , reserving grudges , or spight in our heart , not endeavouring speedily to reconcile our selves to them , who have done us injury or displeasure ; for these things as they commonly do produce the act of murther , so they argue inclinations thereto ( which if fear and self-respect did not restrain , would produce it ) , and consequently in moral accompt , which regardeth not so much the act as the will , are of the same quality therewith ; however they arise from the same bitter root of great uncharitableness ; upon which score S. John telleth us , that He that hateth his brother is a murtherer ; and consequently in effect all malice , and spight , envy , hatred , malignity , rancour , immoderate , and pertinacious anger , and animosity are here prohibited . VII . Commandment . Thou shalt not commit adultery . After life ( if after that , for this command in the Greek Translation of Exodus ( though not in Deuteronomy ) in some places of the New Testament , and in sundry ancient Writers is placed before that against murther ) nothing commonly is more dear to men , than the comforts of their conjugal estate ; the enjoyment of that special affection , and friendship , together with those instances of benevolence , which by divine institution and mutual contract , ratified by most sacred and solemn promises of fidelity , are reserved peculiar to that state : which enclosures therefore of his neighbour whoever shall invade , or trespass upon , who shall any wise loose or slacken those holy bands , who shall attempt the affection , or chastity of his neighbour's wife , doth most grievously offend God , and committeth ( as Joseph , when he was tempted thereto , did call it ) a great evil against God , against his neighbour , against himself , against the common society of men . He violateth an institution , to which God hath affixed especial marks of respect , and sanctity ; he wounds his neighbour's honour , and interest in the most tender part , wherein the content of his mind and comfort of his life are most deeply concerned : he as much ( or rather more ) dishonoureth and abuseth himself , not onely by committing a fact of so high injustice , but by making himself accessory to the basest perfidiousness that can be . [ Whoso committeth adultery , lacketh understanding ; he that doth it , destroyeth his own soul ; a wound and dishonour shall he get , and his reproach shall not be wiped away ; for jealousie is the rage of a man , therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance ; he will not regard any ransome , neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts . ] He also offendeth against the publick quiet , and welfare , breeding inextricable confusions , and implacable dissensions in families , so that hardly from any other cause such tragical events have issued as from this : in fine this crime is , as Philo calls it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a loathsome unrighteousness , most odious to God ; and a fire ( as Job representeth it ) that consurneth to destruction . But we must further also consider , that acts of this kind contain also in them another evil ; that persons committing them do not onely so highly wrong their neighbour , but defile themselves also by the foulest turpitude ; in which respect the prohibition of all unlawfull and irregular satisfactions to lustfull appetite ; all compliance with that great enemy of our souls , the flesh ; all kinds of impurity and lasciviousness , not in act onely , but in thought , in speech , in gesture may be reduced to this Law : Our Lord himself doth so interpret it , as to make it include a forbidding of all unchast desires ; and Christianity doth in a most strict and special manner oblige us to all kinds of sobriety and modesty , of chastity and purity in body and spirit ; injoining us to abstain from all fleshly lusts , as enemies to our souls , to mortifie our fleshly members ; to possess our vessels ( or bodies ) in sanctity and honour ; not to have any impurity , or filthiness so much as named among us ; nor to suffer a foul word to proceed out of our mouth ; not to defile our bodies , consecrated unto to God , and made temples of the Holy Spirit ; excluding persons guilty of such things from any title , or capacity of entring into God's Kingdom ; in fine representing all such practices as most dishonourable to us , most displeasing to God , most grievous to God's Holy Spirit ( the fountain of all vertue and goodness ) most contrary to the nature and design of our Religion , and most destructive of our souls . VIII . Commandment . Thou shalt not steal . That every man should quietly enjoy those supports and those conveniencies of life , which in any honest manner ( by God's bounty immediately dispensing it , or by God's blessing upon his industry ) he hath acquired the possession of , or right unto , as all reason and equity do require , so it must be acknowledged absolutely necessary for the preservation of common peace , and the maintenance of civil society among men : to secure which purposes , and to encourage honest industry , this Law prohibiteth all invasion , or usurpation by any means whatever ( either by open violence , and extortion ; or by clandestine fraud , and surreption ) of our neighbour's proper goods and rights : He that in any way , against his neighbour's knowledge or will , getteth into his power , or detaineth therein what doth in equity belong to his neighbour , and which he can restore to him , doth transgress against the intent of this Law ; as we see it interpreted in Leviticus ; where it is thus expressed : Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour , nor rob him : defrauding by cunning practice , is no less forbidden , than robbing by violent force . Any wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( that is , to deprive our neighbour of his due ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to purloin , or ( by subtle and sly conveyance ) to separate any part of our neighbour's substance from him ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to exact , or extort any thing more than ones due , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to go beyond , or over-reach our neighbour in dealing ; to delude and cozen him by false speeches , or fallacious pretences , are acts in S. Paul's expression , to be referred hither ; as so many special acts of theft . I cannot stand to reckon up all the sorts of unrighteousness included here , or reducible to this matter ( such as , beside down-right rapine and cheating , are , fould dealing in bargains and contracts ; using false weights , and measures , withholding the pledge , detaining the labourer's wages from him ; the exercising vexatious , biting , and devouring usuries ; removing bounds of possession , oppressing by undue , or rigorous exaction , corrupting justice for reward or favour , raising gain by unlawfull and shamefull arts , or practices ; consenting , or sharing with , advising , or instigating to these , and the like acts ; these I shall not particularly insist upon ) but shall onely say , that God expresseth great indignation against , and threatneth most severely to punish all acts of this kind : For all ( saith he ) that do such things ( such as use deceitfull measures in trade ) , and all that do unrighteousness are an abomination unto the Lord , thy God : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , God ( saith S. Paul , speaking against the circumventing , and defrauding our neighbour ) is an avenger for all these kinds of things : Nor indeed is the Gospel more severe in denunciation of punishment against any crime than this : Know ye not , that unjust persons ( saith S. Paul , meaning this sort of unjust persons , so most properly and strictly called ) shall not inherit the kingdom of God ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , thieves , exactors ( or cheaters ) and rapacious persons make a good party in the catalogue of those , who shall be excluded from eternal bliss . I should add the positive duties , here to be understood , and referr'd to this matter , the which are commended to us in Scripture ; such are , diligence and industry in our calling , whereby with God's blessing we may support our selves , preventing the need , and escaping the temptation of encroachment upon our neighbour's property ; ( whereby we may , as Saint Paul speaketh , have need of nothing , may eat our own bread , may even have wherewith to impart to the needs of others ) contentment in that estate , wherein God hath placed us , how mean soever ; trusting in God , and relying upon his providence ; casting our burthen and care upon him ; who hath promised to sustain us ; who hath said , that he will never leave , or forsake us ; lastly , charitable relief of our neighbour in his need ; for in such a case our neighbour hath a title to the goods we possess ; derived from the appointment and donation of God , who is the absolute proprietor of all we have , we being onely his stewards , and dispensers thereof according to the rules he hath declared ; so that if we do not according to his order , supply our poor neighbour , we are in just estimation , we shall in God's judgment appear to be thieves , both in respect to God himself , and to our neighbour ; for that we thereby detain from God what by original right is his , and bereave our neighbour of what God hath bestowed on him . IX . Commandment . Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour . 'T is in the Hebrew , Thou shalt not answer ( to wit being examined , or adjured in judgment ) against thy neighbour as a false witness ; so that primarily , it seems , bearing false testimony against our neighbour ( especially in matters of capital , or of high concernment to him ) is prohibited : yet that not onely this great crime , but that all injurious ( even extrajudicial ) prejudicing our neighbour's reputation , and consequently of his safety , or his welfare in any sort , is forbidden , we may collect from that explication of this Law , or that parallel Law , which we have in Leviticus : Thou shalt not ( 't is there said ) go up and down as a talebearer among thy people ; neither shalt thou stand against the bloud of thy neighbour : as a talebearer , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , a merchant , or trader in ill reports and stories concerning our neighbour , to his prejudice ; defaming him , or detracting from him , or breeding in the minds of men an ill opinion of him ; which vile and mischievous practice is otherwhere under several names condemned and reproved ; such are muttering : ( The words of a mutterer , saith the Wise man , are as wounds , going into the innermost parts of the belly ) : whispering , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have often in the Son of Sirach , and in S. Paul mentioned with a bad character , or with prohibition , and reproof : supplanting ; ( so in the good man's description , Psal. 15. 't is said , He supplants not with his tongue , so the word signifies ) detraction or backbiting ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is so often in the Apostolical Writings forbidden , and reprehended ; slander , or calumny , and sycophantry ; that is , oppressing , abusing , or any way harming men by false tales , suggestions , or pretences ; which sort of practices how base they are in themselves ( nothing being more unworthy of an honest and ingenuous mind , nothing more ugly to the judgment of them , who have any sense of goodness ) how contrary they are to justice , which doth not permit us to wrong our neighbour , as well in his credit and good name , as in his other goods ( for they perhaps may be as much valued by him , may really be of as much consequence to him , as any thing that he hath ) which bindeth us to abstain from hurting him as well in word , as in deed ; how opposite they are to charity , which obligeth us to think the best of our neighbour , and to endeavour that others also may do so ; to conceal his real faults and blemishes ; much more not to devise , and affix false ones to him ; not to gather and disperse ill reports to his prejudice ; of how mischievous consequence also they are , breeding ill will , and sowing strife in all Societies both publick , and private ( even separating chief friends , as the Wise man telleth us ) common sense , and experience do shew : they consequently must be very odious in the sight of God , who loveth the peace and welfare of men ; and very offensive to men , who do the mischiefs springing from them . To this Law may be reduced our obligations to be candid in our opinions , and discourses concerning others ( according to Saint Paul's excellent description of charity : ) to forbear all rash and harsh censure , as you know our Saviour in his most divine Sermon on the Mount chargeth us ; to be veracious , sincere and faithfull in all our conversation ; which duties are so often taught and pressed in both Testaments : Ye shall not ( saith the Law ) steal , nor deal falsely , nor lye one to another ; and , To walk uprightly , and work righteousness , and speak the truth from his heart , are the first lineaments in the good man's character drawn by the Psalmist : and , These are the things ye shall do ( saith God in the Prophet ) speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour ; execute the judgment of truth , and peace in your gates : And in the New Testament , To lay aside lying , to speak the truth every man with his neighbour ; to lay aside all malice , all guile , all hypocrisies , envyings and backbitings are Apostolical commands . X. Commandment . Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house ; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife ; nor his man-servant , nor his maid-servant , nor his oxe , nor his ass , nor any thing that is thy neighbour's . This Law is comprehensive , and recapitulatory ( as it were ) of the rest concerning our neighbour , prescribing universal justice toward him ( whence S. Mark it seems meaneth to render it in one word , by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , deprive not , or bereave not your neighbour of any thing ) and this not onely in outward deed , and dealing , but in inward thought , and desire , the spring , whence they do issue forth ( for , from the heart , as our Saviour teacheth , do proceed evil thoughts , murthers , adulteries , fornications , thefts , false witness , blasphemies ) we are obliged to be so far from depriving our neighbour of any good thing belonging to him ; that we are not so much as to wish , or desire it ; not onely to abstain from injurious action , but to repress covetous inclinations : wherein is also implyed , that we should have a delight and complacence in our neighbour's good ; not envying him any enjoyment ; being in our minds content with the portion God pleaseth to vouchsafe us ; and entirely trusting in him , that he will supply us with what is needfull or befitting to us , without the damage of our neighbour . Thus God's Law is as Saint Paul observed ) spiritual ; not onely restraining exteriour acts , but regulating our inmost thoughts , quelling all inordinate appetites and affections of heart within us ; the which may be extended so as to respect not onely matters of justice toward our neighbour , but all objects whatever of our practice ; so as to import that , which in the Christian Law is so frequently injoined us , as the life of our Religion , circumcising our hearts , crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires , mortifying our earthly members , putting to death by the spirit the deeds of the body , putting off the old man , which is corrupted according to deceitfull lusts : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , thou shalt not unlawfully or irregularly desire doth , according to the spiritual intent , import all this . I have done ; and shall onely add , that the sum and end of these , and all other good Laws , of all Religion , and all our Duty is ( as we often are taught in the New Testament ) comprized in those two Rules , of Loving God with all our heart , and , Loving our neighbour as our selves ; seriously and honestly attending unto which we can hardly fail of knowing what in any case our duty is ; It remains that we employ our best care and endeavour on the conscientious practice thereof ; imploring therewith the assistance of God's grace , and that good Spirit , which God hath most graciously promised to those , who duly ask it , by which alone we can be enabled to keep God's Commandments : To him be all glory and praise . Amen . THE DOCTRINE OF THE Sacraments . THE DOCTRINE OF The Sacraments . IT is a peculiar excellency of our Religion , that it doth not much employ mens care , pains , and time , about matters of ceremonial observance ; but doth chiefly ( and in a manner wholly ) exercise them in works of substantial duty , agreeable to reason , perfective of man's nature , productive of true glory to God , and solid benefit to men . It s design is not to amuse our fancies with empty shews , nor to take up our endeavours in fruitless performances , but to render us truly good , and like unto God ; first in interior disposition of mind , then in exterior practice ; full of hearty love and reverence to God , of tender charity and good will toward men , of moderation and purity in the enjoyment of these things ; of all true piety and vertue ; whereby we may become qualified for that life of bliss which it tendereth and promiseth ; for conversation in that holy Society above , to which it designeth and calleth us . Yet because Fancy is naturally a medium , and an effectual instrument of action ; and because sensible objects are apt strongly to affect our minds ; it hath pleased the divine Wisdom to apply them , in fit measure , and to sanctify them to those good purposes , by appointing some few solemn and significant Rites to be observed by us , being in their own nature proper and useful , and by God designed to declare his mind , and gracious intents to us ; to consign and convey his Grace into our Souls , to confirm our Faith in him , to raise our devotion toward him , to quicken our resolutions of obeying his Will ; to enable and excite us to the practice of those great Duties which he requireth of us : * Our Lord Jesus Christ , saith S. Austin , hath subjected us to his gentle yoke , and light burthen ; whence with Sacraments most few in number , most easy for observance , most excellent in signification he bound together the society of new people . And , The mercy of God ( saith he again ) would have Religion free , by the celebration of a most few , and most clear Sacraments . Of these there appear two ( and S. Austin in the place cited could instance in no more ) of general and principal use , instituted by our Lord hismelf ; which , because they represent to us somewhat not subject to sense , and have a secret influence upon us ; because what is intended by them , is not immediately discernible by what is done , without some explication , ( their significancy being not wholly grounded in the nature , but depending upon arbitrary institution , as that of words , which is of kin to them ; whence S. Austin calls a Sacrament , Verbum visibile ) have usually been called Mysteries , ( that is , actions of a close and occult importance , of deeper meaning and design , than is obvious to ordinary perception ) and thence are also called Sacraments , for no other reason , I conceive , then because the ancientest translators of the Bible into Latin , did usually render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Sacramentum ; whence every thing containing under it somewhat of abstruse meaning , is by ancient Writers termed a Sacrament . ( So Tertullian calls all Christianity the Sacrament of Christian Religion ; and * Elisha's Ax he calls the Sacrament of Wood ; and S. Austin speaks of the Sacrament of Bread , of Fish , of Numbers , of the Rock , &c. In short , he says of all Signs , That when they belong to divine things , they are called Sacraments † ; which shews to how small purpose the disputes are , yea on what small grounds the decrees are , concerning the number , general nature , and efficacy of Sacraments ; for where a name or form of a Sacrament is of so large , ambiguous , and indeterminate signification , there can be nothing but confusion in the disputes about it ) But those which chiefly at least , and in way of eminency have obtained this name , are those two instituted by our Lord , Baptism , and the Lord's Supper ; of which I shall in order discourse ; and so of each , as very briefly to consider the occasion of their institution , the actions injoined in them ; the nature of them , or wherein their mystery doth consist , the ends for which they were intended , and the effects they produce ; together with the dispositions and duties ( antecedent , concomitant , and consequent ) required of us in the use and practice of them . And first , Of Baptism . THere were , ( as the Apostle to the Hebrews telleth us ) in sacred use among the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , several kinds of Baptisms . The learned in their Laws and Customs teach , that they never did receive any person into their Covenant , whether that which was more strict ( to which natural Jews , and Proselytes of Righteousness were tyed ) or that which was more lax , with which Strangers and Proselytes of the gate did comply , without a Baptism . And that Priests and Levites entring into their Office , were to be sanctifyed by washing with water , we see plainly prescribed in their Law ; likewise that all persons , who had contracted any kind of defilement , were purified by the like Ceremony , particularly Children new-born , is expressed there . Moreover , that it was in use for Persons , who were conscious to themselves of having trangressed God's Law , being in God's Name invited by some person of eminent authority ( a Prophet , or like a Prophet , one commissionated by God ) unto repentance , and amendment of life , to be washed by him , in testimony of their stedfast purpose to amend ; and in hope to obtain pardon from God of their past offences , and to be reinstated in his favour , appears probable by S. John the Baptist his undertaking , and the success thereof . For if the manner of his proceeding had been altogether unusual , and unknown , so many it seems would not so readily ( without any stir or obstacle ) have complyed therewith ; especially among the Scribes and Pharisees , those zealous adherents to traditionary practice , who to maintain their credit and interest with the people , were so averse from all appearance of novelty . This practice then of washing in so many cases , and to so many purposes customary among God's people , to signify mens entring into a new state or course of life , being withal most apt and proper for his design , our Blessed Saviour , who never favoured needless innovations , was pleased to assume and impose upon the Disciples and followers of his Religion , accommodating it to those holy purposes , which we shall now endeavour to declare . What the action it self enjoined is , what the manner and form thereof , is apparent by the words of our Lord's institution ; Going forth therefore , ( saith he ) teach ( or disciple ) all Nations , baptizing them in the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost , teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you . The Action is baptizing , or immersing in water ; the Object thereof , those Persons of any Nation , whom his Ministers can by their instruction and perswasion render Disciples , that is , such as do sincerely believe the truth of his Doctrine , and seriously resolve to obey his Commandments . It is performed in the Name ; that is , it is ministred by the authority , and bears special relation unto the Persons of the Blessed Trinity , as the chief Objects of the Faith professed , and the sole Objects of the obedience undertaken therein ; as exhibiting gracious favours unto the person baptized , and as receiving special obligations from him . Such is the Action it self declared to be ; the mystery thereof consists in its being a notable sign to represent , and an authentick Seal to ratify the collation then made of certain great benefits to us ; and our undertaking correspondent duties toward God. The Benefits which God then signifies , and ( upon due terms ) engageth to confer on us , are these : 1. The purgation or absolution of us from the guilt of past offences , by a free and full remission of them , ( the which washing by Water , cleansing from all stains , doth most appositely represent ) and consequently God's being reconciled unto us , his receiving us into a state of grace and favour , his freely justifying us , ( that is , looking upon us , or treating us as just and innocent Persons , although before we stood guilty of heinous sins , and thereupon lyable to grievous punishments ) that these benefits are conferred in Baptism , many places of Scripture plainly shew ; [ and the Primitive Church , with most firm and unanimous consent , did believe * . ] And now ( said Ananias to S. Paul ) Why dost thou tarry ? Arise and be baptized , and wash away thy sins . And , Repent ( saith S. Peter , preaching to the Jews ) and let every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins . And , Christ ( saith S. Paul again to the Ephesians ) loved his Church , and delivered himself for it , that he might sanctify it , purging it by the washing of water , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( that is , he effectually in Baptism consigned to the members of his Church , that mercy and remission of sins , which he purchased and merited by his passion ) . And again , Such ( saith he to the Corinthians ) were some of you , ( that is , ye were persons guilty of heinous sins ) but ye have been washed , ye have been sanctifyed , ye have been justified in the name of our Lord , and by the spirit of our God ; where , having been washed in Christ's name , doth ( in congruity with what is said in other places ) denote Baptism in his name ; being sanctified and justified , do express the first benefits accompanying that Baptism . And indeed , where-ever a general remission of sins , or a full sanctification , or consecration , and justification , or consecration , and justification of mens persons in God's sight , are mentioned ; that remission of sins , that separation , or dedication unto God's Service , that reception into Grace , which are consigned in Baptism , are ( I conceive ) understood ; there being no other season or occasion , wherein ordinarily and visibly God doth exhibit those Benefits . It may be demanded , How Children , by reason of their innocent age , are capable of these Benefits ; how they can be pardoned , who never had offended , how they can be justified , who never were capable of being unjust ? I briefly answer , That because they come from that race , which by sin had forfeited God's favour , and had alienated it self from him ; because also they have in them those seeds of pravity from which afterward certainly , life continuing , ( without God's restraining Grace ) will sprout forth innumerable evil actions ; therefore that God overlooking all the defects of their nature , both relative , and absolute , or personal , doth assume them into his special favour , is no small benefit to them , answerable to the remission of actual sin , and restitution from the state consequent thereon in others . 2. In Baptism , the Gift of God's Holy Spirit is conferred , qualifying us for the state into which we then come , and enabling us to perform the duties we then undertake , which otherwise we should be unable to perform ; for purification of our hearts from vitious inclinations , and desires ; for begetting holy dispositions , and affections in our Souls ; for to guide and instruct us , to sustain and strengthen us , to encourage and comfort us in all the course of Christian piety : The which effects are well also figured by water , which purifieth things both from inherent and adherent filth . That this benefit is annexed to Baptism , the Scripture also teacheth us : Be baptized ( saith S. Peter ) in the Name of Christ to the remission of sins , and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , We being baptized in one body , are made to drink of one spirit , saith S. Paul : And with the * Laver of Regeneration , S. Paul again joineth the renovation of the Holy Ghost : And it is represented as an advantage of our Saviour's Baptism above that of John , that our Lord not only baptized with water to repentance , but with the Holy Ghost , and Fire . Some preventing operations of the Holy Ghost ( whereby God freely draweth Men to Christianity , persuading their minds to assent thereto , inspiring their hearts with resolutions to comply with it ) do precede Baptism ; but a more full communication thereof ( due by compact , assured by promise ) for the confirming , and maintaining us in the firm belief , and constant practice of Christianity , is consequent thereon ; After ye had believed , ye were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise , saith S. Paul : To signify which benefit then conferr'd , the ancient Christians did to Baptism annex the Chrism , or holy Unction , signifying the collation of that healing and chearing Spirit to the baptized person ; that which S. Paul may seem to respect , when he saith , He that establisheth ( or confirmeth ) us with you into Christ , and who hath anointed us , is God ; who also hath sealed us , and hath given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts . 3. With those gifts is connected the benefit of Regeneration , implying our entrance into a new state and course of life ; being endowed with new faculties , dispositions , and capacities of Souls , becoming new Creatures , and new Men , as it were , renewed after the likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness , our being sanctified in our hearts and lives ; being mortified to fleshly lusts , and worldly affections ; being quickned to a spiritual life , and heavenly conversation : in short , becoming in relation and in disposition of mind , the children of God. This the matter , and the action of Baptism doth set out ; for as children new born , ( for cleansing them from impurities adherent from the Womb ) both among the Jews and other people , were wont to be washed ; so are we in Baptism , signifying our purification from natural and worldly defilements : The mersion also in Water , and the emersion thence , doth figure our death to the former , and receiving to a new life . Whence Baptism is by S. Paul called the laver of Regeneration ; and our Lord saith , that , If a man be not born again of Water and the Spirit , he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God ; that is , every one becoming a Christian , is by Baptism regenerated , or put into a new state of Life , getteth new dispositions of Soul , and new relations to God. Ye are all ( saith S. Paul ) the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus ; that is , by embracing his Doctrine , and submitting to his Law professedly in Baptism . And , We ( saith S. Paul again ) are buried with Christ through Baptism unto death ; that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father , so also we should walk in newness of life . 4. With these Benefits is conjoined that of being inserted into God's Church , his family , the number of his chosen people , the mystical body of Christ , whereby we become entitled to the privileges and immunities of that heavenly Corporation . We ( saith S. Paul ) have been all baptized in one spirit into one body , the mystical body of Christ : And , so many of you ( saith he again ) as have been baptized into Christ , ( into Christ mystical , or the Church ) have put on Christ , and ye are ( adds he ) all one in Christ Jesus . As Proselytes among the Jews by Baptism were admitted unto the Communion , and privileges of the Jewish ; so thereby are we received into the like Communion and privileges of the Christian , far more excellent , Society . 5. In consequence of these things , there is with Baptism conferred a capacity of , a title unto , an assurance ( under condition of persevering in faith and obedience to our Lord ) of eternal life and salvation . We are therein , in S. Peter's words , regenerated unto a lively hope of an incorruptible inheritance , by that resurrection of Christ , which is represented to us in this action ; and so therein applied , as to beget in us a title and a hope to rise again in like manner to a blissful life ; whence we are said therein to rise with him : Being , saith S. Paul , buried with him in Baptism , wherein also we were raised again : whence by the two great Apostles , Baptism is said to save us : Baptism ( saith S. Peter ) the antitype of the delivery in the flood , doth save us , that is , admitteth us into the Ark , putteth us into the sure way of Salvation ; and , God ( saith S. Paul ) according to his mercy saved us , by the laver of regeneration ; and , He that shall believe , and shall be baptized , shall be saved , is our Saviour's own word and promise ; shall be saved , that is , shall be put into a state and way of salvation , continuing in which state , proceeding in which way he assuredly shall be saved : for Faith there denoteth perseverance in Faith , and Baptism implyeth performance of the conditions therein undertaken ; which next is to be considered . For as this Holy Rite signifieth , and sealeth God's collation of so many great benefits on us ; so it also implyeth , and on our part ratifieth our Obligation , then in an especial manner commencing , to several most important duties toward him . It implyeth , that we are in mind fully persuaded concerning the truth of that Doctrine , which God the Father revealed by his blessed Son , and confirmed by the miraculous operation of the Holy Ghost ; we therein profess our humble and thankful embracing the overtures of Mercy and Grace , purchased for us by our Saviour's meritorious undertaking and performances , the which are then exhibited and tendred to us ; we therein declare our hearty resolution to forsake all wicked courses of life , repugnant to the Doctrine and Law of Christ ; fully to conform our lives to his Will , living thereafter in all piety , righteousness , and sobriety , as loyal Subjects , faithful Servants , and dutiful Children to God ; in brief , we therein are bound , renouncing all erroneous principles , all vitious inclinations , and all other engagements whatever , entirely to devote our selves to the Faith and Obedience of God the Father , our glorious and good Maker ; of God the Son our gracious Redeemer ; of God the Holy Ghost our blessed Guide , Assistant , Advocate , and Comforter : These are the duties antecedent unto , and concomitant of our Baptism ( immediately and formally required of those , who are capable of performing them , mediately and virtually of them who are not ) the which are signified by our being baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity . These duties the Scripture commonly expresseth by the Word , Faith and Repentance ; sometimes singly , sometimes conjunctly : If ( said Philip to the Eunuch ) thou believest with thy heart it is lawful ( for thee to be baptized ) ; Faith was an indispensible condition prerequisite thereto ; and , Repent ( saith S. Peter ) and let every of you be baptized ; Repentance also was necessary to precede it ; indeed both these ( as they are meant in this case ) do in effect signify the same ; each importeth a being renewed in Mind , in Judgment , in Will , in Affection ; a serious embracing of Christ's Doctrine , and a stedfast resolution to adhere thereto in practice . Hence are those effects , or consequences attributed to Faith ; justifying us , reconciling and bringing us near to God , saying us ; because it is the necessary condition required by God , and by him accepted , that we may be capable of these benefits conferred in Baptism ; the same being also referr'd to that repentance , or change of mind , which must accompany our entrance into Christianity ; that good Conscience , with which we stipulate a perpetual devotion and obedience to God , the which therefore doth ( as S. Peter telleth us ) save us ; it contributing to our Salvation , as a duty necessarily required in order thereto . This is that death to sin , and resurrection to righteousness , that being buried with Christ , and rising again with him , so as to walk in newness of life , which the baptismal action signifies , and which we then really undertake to perform . And as such are the duties preceding or accompanying Baptism ; so making good the engagements they contain , constantly persisting in them , maintaining and improving them , are duties necessarily consequent thereupon . Having ( saith the Apostle ) had our bodies washed with pure water , let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering . We should indeed continually remember , frequently and seriously consider , what in so solemn a manner we ( upon so valuable considerations ) did then undertake , promise , and vow to God , diligently striving to perform it ; for violating our part of the Covenant , and stipulation then made , by apostacy in profession or practice from God and goodness , we certainly must forfeit those inestimable benefits , which God otherwise hath tied himself to bestow ; the pardon of our sins , the favour of God , the being members of Christ , the grace , guidance , assistance , and comfort of the Holy Spirit ; the right unto , and hope of Salvation . We so doing , shall not only simply disobey , and offend God ; but add the highest breach of fidelity to our disobedience , together with the most heinous ingratitude , abusing the greatest grace that could be vouchsafed us : If we wilfully sin , after we have taken the acknowledgment of the truth , ( saith the Apostle , meaning that solmen profession of our Faith in Baptism ) we trample under foot the Son of God ; we profane the blood of the Covenant ; we do despite unto the Spirit of Grace ; and incurring so deep guilt , we must expect sutable punishment . But I proceed to the other Sacrament , The Eucharist . AMong the wonderful works of Power , and Grace performed by God Almighty , in favour of the Children of Israel , and in order to their delivery from the Egyptian slavery , a most signal one , was the smiting the first-born in every house of the Egyptians , and passing over the houses of the Children of Israel ; wherein God declared his just wrath against their cruel Oppressors , depriving them in a sudden and dreadful manner of what was nearest and dearest to them ; and his gracious mercy toward them , in preserving what was alike dear to them from so woful a calamity ; thus ( as the Text expresseth it ) putting a difference between the Egyptians and the Children of Israel . Now that the memory of so remarkable a Mercy might be preserved , that their affections might be raised to a strong sense of God's goodness , and their Faith in them confirmed , so as in the like need to hope for the same favourable help and protection , by the consideration of so notable an experiment , it pleased God to appoint a Sacrament , or mysterious Rite to be annually celebrated , representing and recalling to mind , that Act of God , wherein his special kindness was so eminently demonstrated toward his People : The same also ( as did other Rites and Sacrifices , instituted by God among that people ) looking directly forward upon that other great delivery from Sin and Hell , which God in mercy designed toward mankind , to be atchieved by our Saviour ; prefiguring , that the Souls of them who should be willing to forsake the spiritual bondage of sin , should be saved from the ruin coming upon them who would abide therein ; God regarding the blood of our Saviour ( that immaculate Lamb , sacrificed for them ) sprinkled upon the doors of their houses , that is , by hearty Faith and Repentance , applyed to their Consciences . The occasion of celebrating which Holy Rite , our Saviour we see did improve to the institution of this Sacrament , most agreeing therewith in design , as representative and commemorative of the greatest blessing and mercy that we are capable of having vouchsafed to us ; some part of that ancient Rite , or Sacrifice ( which was most suitable to the special purposes of this Institution , and most conformable to the general constitution of the Christian Religion , whereby all bloody Sacrifices are abolished ) being retained in this . The Action it self ( or rather the whole Rite , consisting of divers actions ) we see plainly described in the Gospels , and in the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians ; distinguishable into these chief parts . 1. The Benediction and Consecration ( by Prayer and Thanksgiving ) of Bread and Wine . 2. The breaking of Bread , and handling the Cup. 3. The delivery and distribution of them to the persons present . 4. The declaration accompanying that delivery , that those symbolical things and actions did represent our Saviour's Body given and broken , our Saviour's Blood shed and poured out for us , in sanction of the new Covenant . 5. The actual partaking of those Symbols , by eating the Bread , and drinking the Wine , done by all present . These things we find done at the first institution and exemplary practice of this holy Ceremony ; the which our Saviour obliged us to imitate , saying , Do this in remembrance of me . There followeth , in S. Matthew and S. Mark , presently after the narration concerning these particulars , — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , And having sung a Hymn , they went to the Mount of Olives : Which action was indeed in it self proper to conclude the practice of this holy Rite , yet what reference it hath thereto , cannot thence be determined ; However with these the Church hath always joined several acts of Devotion ( Confessions , Prayers , Praises , Thanksgivings , Intercessions , Vows ) suitable to the nature and design of the Sacrament , apt to glorify God , and edify the Faithful in the celebration thereof . Such is the practice it self instituted and injoined by our Saviour ; the mysterious importance thereof , as we find it explained in Holy Scripture , ( the only solid and sure ground , upon which we can build the explication of supernatural Mysteries ) consisteth chiefly in these particulars : 1. It was intended for a Commemorative representation of our Saviour's Passion for us ; fit to mind us of it , to move us to consider it , to beget affections in us , suitable to the memory and consideration thereof : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do this ( saith our Lord ) for my remembrance , or in commemoration of me ; that is so , as thereby to have raised in you a reflection of mind and heart upon those grievous pains , which I shall have endured for your sake , to procure for you a remission of sins , and reconciliation to God : And , So often ( saith S. Paul ) as you eat this Bread , and drink this Cup , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Ye tell forth ( or significantly express ) the death of our Lord till he come , or during his absence from us . The suffering of our Saviour ( the most wonderful act of Goodness and Charity , that ever was performed in the World , which produced effects of highest consequence to our benefit , the consideration whereof is apt to work the best dispositions of piety in us ) should very frequently be present to our thoughts and affections ; and that it may be so with advantage , such a solemn and sensible representation thereof is very conducible ; wherein we behold him crucified , as it were in effigie , his Body broken , his Blood poured out for us ; it being in a sort a putting us into the circumstances of those , who did behold our Saviour for us hanging upon the Cross. Our Lord being absent in Body from us , ( sitting in Heaven at God's right hand ) to supply that absence , that we should not be apt to forget him , and thereby become wholly estranged from him , is pleased to order this occasion of being present , and conversing with us , in such a manner , as may retain in our memories his gracious performances for us ; may impress in our hearts a kindly sense of them ; may raise us up in mind and affection to him . 2. The Benefits consequent upon our Saviour's Passion , rightly apprehended , heartily believed , seriously considered by us , are hereby lively represented , and effectually conveyed ; to the sustenance and nourishment of our spiritual Life , to the refreshment and comfort of our Souls . It is a holy Feast , a spiritual Repast , a divine Entertainment , to which God in kindness invites us ; to which if we come with well-disposed minds , he there feeds us with most holy and delicious Viands , with heavenly Manna , with most reviving and cherishing Liquor . Bread is the staff of Life , the most common , most necessary , and most wholsome , and most savory Meat ; Wine is the most pleasant and wholsome also , the most sprightly and cordial Drink ; by them therefore our Lord chose to represent that Body and Blood , by the Oblation of which a capacity of life and health was procured to Mankind ; the taking in which by right apprehension , tasting it by hearty Faith , digesting it by careful attention and meditation , converting it into our substance by devout , grateful , and holy affections , joined with serious and steady resolutions of living answerable thereto , will certainly support and maintain our spiritual Life in a vigorous Health , and happy growth of Grace ; refreshing our hearts with comfort and satisfaction unspeakable ; He that doth thus , eats our Saviour's Flesh , and drinks his Blood , ( that is , who as our Saviour interpreteth it , doth believe in him ; that Belief importing all other acts of Mind and Will , connected with right persuasions concerning him ) hath eternal life , and shall live for ever , as himself declares and promises : which Benefits therefore in the due performance of this holy Duty , are conveyed unto us . 3. This Sacrament declares that Union , which good Christians partaking thereof have with Christ ; their mystical insertion into him , by a close dependence upon him for spiritual Life , Mercy , Grace , and Salvation ; a constant adherence to him by Faith and Obedience , a near conformity to him in Mind and Affection ; an inseparable conjunction with him , by the strictest bands of fidelity , and by the most endearing Relations : Which things could not more fitly be set out , than by the partaking our best and most necessary Food ; which being taken in , soon becomes united to us , assimilated and converted into our substance ; thereby renewing our strength , and repairing the decays of our nature : Wherefore , He ( saith our Saviour ) that eateth my Flesh , and drinketh my Blood , abides in me , and I in him ; and , The Cup of Blessing ( saith S. Paul ) which we bless , is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ ? the Bread which we break , is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ ? We in the outward Action , partake of the Symbols representing our Saviour's Body and Blood ; We in the spiritual Intention , communicate of his very Person , being ( according to the manner insinuated ) intimately united to him . 4. By this Sacrament consequently is signified and sealed that Union , which is among our Saviour's true Disciples communicating therein ; their being together united in consent of mind , and unity of Faith ; in mutual good will and affection , in hope and tendency to the same blessed end , in spiritual Brotherhood and Society ; especially upon account of their Communion with Christ , which most closely ties them one to another ; they partaking of this one individual Food , become translated , as it were , into one Body and Substance : Seeing ( saith S. Paul ) we being many , are one Bread , one Body ; for all of us do partake of one Bread. In the representing , produceing , and promoting these things , we are taught the Mystery of this Sacrament doth consist ; It was designed as a proper and efficacious Instrument , to raise in us pious Affections toward our good God , and gracious Redeemer ; to dispose us to all holy practice ; to confirm our Faith , to nourish our Hope , to quicken our Resolutions of walking carefully in the ways of Duty ; to unite us more fastly to our Saviour , and to combine us in Charity one toward another ; the accomplishing of which Intents thereof , doth suppose our faithful and diligent concurrence in the use thereof ; whence arise many Duties incumbent upon us in respect thereto , some antecedent , some concomitant , some consequent to the use thereof . 1. Before we address our selves to the partaking of this venerable Mystery , we should consider whither we are going , what is the nature and importance of the Action we set our selves about ; that we are approaching to our Lord's Table , ( so S. Paul calleth it ) to come into his more especial presence , to be entertained by him with the dearest welcome , and the best chear that can be ; to receive the fullest testimonies of his Mercy , and the surest pledges of his favour toward us ; that we are going to behold our Lord in tenderest love , offering up himself a Sacrifice to God , therein undergoing the sorest pains , and foulest disgraces for our Good and Salvation ; that we ought therefore to bring with us dispositions of Soul , suitable to such an access unto , such an entercourse with our gracious Lord. Had we the honour and favour to be invited to the Table of a great Prince , what especial care should we have to dress our Bodies in a clean and decent garb , to compose our minds in order to expression of all due respect to him ; to bring nothing about us noisome or ugly , that might offend his sight , or displease his mind ? The like surely , and greater care we should apply , when we thus being called , do go into God's Presence and Communion . We should , in preparation thereto , with all our power , endeavour to cleanse our Souls from all impurity of thought and desire ; from all iniquity and perverseness ; from all malice , envy , hatred , anger , and all such evil dispositions , which are most offensive to God's all-piercing sight , and unbeseeming his glorious Presence ; we should dress our Souls with all those comely Ornaments of Grace ( with purity , humility , meekness , and charity ) which will render us acceptable and well-pleasing to him : We should compose our minds into a frame of reverence and awful regard to the Majesty of God , into a lowly , calm , and tender disposition of heart , apt to express all respect due to his Presence , fit to admit the gracious illapses of his Holy Spirit ; very susceptive of all Holy and Heavenly Affections , which are sutable to such a Communion , or may spring from it . We should therefore remove and abandon from us , not only all vitious Inclinations , and evil purposes ; but even all worldly cares , desires , and passions , which may distract , or discompose us , that may dull or deject us , that may cause us to behave our selves indecently or unworthily before God , that may bereave us of the excellent Fruits from so blessed an entertainment . To these purposes we should , according to S. Paul's advice , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , examine and approve our selves ; considering our past Actions , and our present Inclinations , and accordingly , by serious meditation , and fervent prayer to God for his gracious assistance therein , working our Souls into a hearty remorse for our past miscarriages , and a sincere resolution to amend for the future ; forsaking all sin , endeavouring in all our actions to serve and please God ; purging out ( as S. Paul again injoineth us ) the old leaven of vice and wickedness ; so that we may feast , and celebrate this Passeover , in which Christ is mystically sacrificed for us , in the unleavened dispositions of sincerity and truth . Such are the duties previous to our partaking this Sacrament . 2. Those Duties which accompany it , are a reverent and devout affection of heart , with a suitable behaviour therein ; an awful sense of mind befitting the Majesty of that Presence wherein we do appear , answerable to the greatness , and goodness , and holiness of him , with whom we converse ; becoming the sacredness of those Mysteries , which are exhibited to us , ( that which S. Paul seemeth to call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to discern or distinguish our Lord's Body ; that is , yielding a peculiar reverence of mind and behaviour in regard thereto ) a devotion of heart , consisting in hearty contrition for our sins , which did expose our Saviour to the enduring such pains , then remembred ; in firm resolution to forsake the like thereafter , as injurious , dishonourable , and displeasing to him ; in fervent love of him , as full of so wonderful goodness and charity toward us ; in most hearty thankfulness for those unconceivably great expressions of kindness toward us ; in deepest humility , upon sense of our unworthiness , to receive such testimonies of grace and favour from him , ( our unworthiness to eat the Crumbs that fall from his Table , how much more to be admitted into such degrees of honourable Communion , and familiarity , of close conjunction and union with him ? ) of pious joy in consideration of the excellent privileges herein imparted , and of the blessed Fruits accruing to us from his gracious performances ; in a comfortable hope of obtaining and enjoying the benefits of his obedience and passion , by the assistance of his Grace ; in steady Faith , and full persuasion of mind , that he is ( supposing our dutiful compliance ) ready to bestow upon us all the blessings then exhibited ; in attentively fixing the eyes of our Mind , and all the powers of our Soul ( our Understanding , Will , Memory , Fancy , Affection ) upon him , as willingly pouring forth his Life for our Salvation ; lastly , in motions of enlarged good-will and charity toward all our Brethren for his sake , in obedience to his Will , and in imitation of him ; such-like Duties should attend our participation of this holy Sacrament . 3. The effects of having duly performed which , should appear in the practice of those Duties , which are consequent thereon ; being such as these ; An increase of all pious inclinations and affections , expressing themselves in a real amendment of our lives , and producing more goodly fruits of obedience ; the thorough digestion of that spiritual nourishment by our becoming more fastly knit to our Saviour by higher degrees of Faith and Love ; the maintaining a more lively sense of his superabundant goodness ; the cherishing those influences of Grace , which descend upon our hearts in this Communion , and improving them to nearer degrees of perfection in all piety and vertue ; a watchful care , and endeavour in our lives to approve our selves in some measure worthy of that great honour and favour , which God hath vouchsafed us in admitting us to so near approaches to himself ; an earnest pursuance of the Resolutions , performance of the Vows , making good the Engagements , which in so solemn a manner , upon so great an occasion we made , and offered up unto our God and Saviour ; finally , the considering , that by the breach of such Resolutions , by the violation of such Engagements , our sins receiving so mighty aggravation of vain inconstancy and wicked perfidiousness , our guilt will hugely be increased ; our Souls relapsing into so grievous distemper , our spiritual strength will be exceedingly impaired ; consequently hence our true Comforts will be abated , our best hopes will be shaken ; our eternal state will be desperately endangered . There is one Duty which I should not forbear to touch , concerning this Sacrament , that is , Our gladly embracing any opportunity presented of communicating therein ; the doing so , being not only our Duty , but a great aid and instrument of Piety ; the neglecting it a grievous sin , and productive of great mischiefs to us . The Primitive Christians did very frequently use it , partaking therein , as it seems at every time of their meeting for God's Service ; it is said of them , by S. Luke , that They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine , and Communion , and in breaking of Bread , and in Prayers ; and , when you meet together , it is not ( as according to the intent and duty of meeting it should be ) to eat the Lord's Supper , saith S. Paul : And Just. Martyr in his second Apologie , describing the religious Service of God in their Assemblies , mentioneth it as a constant part thereof ; and Epiphanius reporteth it as a Custom in the Church , derived from Apostolical Institution , to celebrate the Eucharist thrice every week , that is , so often as they did meet to pray and praise God ; which practice may well be conceived , a great means of kindling and preserving in them that holy fervour of Piety , which they so illustriously expressed in their Conversation , and in their gladsome suffering for Christ's sake : and the remitting of that frequency , as it is certainly a sign and an effect , so in part it may possibly be reckoned a cause of the degeneracy of Christian Practice , into that great coldness and slackness which afterward did seize upon it , and now doth apparently keep it in a languishing and half-dying state . The rarer occasions therefore we now have of performing this Duty , ( the which indeed was always esteemed the principal Office of God's Service ) of enjoying this Benefit , ( the being deprived whereof , was also deemed the greatest punishment and infelicity that could arrive to a Christian ) the more ready we should be to embrace them . If we dread God's Displeasure , if we value our Lord and his Benefits , if we tender the life , health , and welfare of our Souls , we shall not neglect it ; for how can we but extreamly offend God by so extream rudeness , that when he kindly invites us to his Table , we are averse from coming thither , or utterly refuse it ? That when he calleth us into his Presence , we run from him ; that when he , with his own hand , offereth us inestimable Mercies and Blessings , we reject them ? It is not only the breach of God's Command , who enjoined us to do this , but a direct contempt of his Favour and Goodness , most clearly and largely exhibited in this Office. And how can we bear any regard to our Lord , or be any wise sensible of his gracious Performances in our behalf , if we are unwilling to join in thankful and joyful commemoration of them ? How little do we love our own Souls , if we suffer them to pine and starve for want of that Food , which God here dispenseth for its Sustenance and Comfort ; if we bereave them of enjoying so high a Privilege , so inestimable a Benefit , so incomparable Pleasures as are to be found and felt in this Service , or do spring and flow from it ? What reasonable excuse can we frame for such neglect ? are we otherwise employed ? What Business can there be more important , than serving God , and saying our own Souls ? Is it wisdom , in pursuance of any the greatest Affair here , to disregard the principal Concern of our Souls ? Do we think our selves unfit and unworthy to appear in God's Presence ? But is any man unworthy to obey God's Commands ? Is any Man unfit to implore and partake of God's Mercy , if he be not unwilling to do it ? What unworthiness should hinder us from remembring our Lord's excessive Charity towards us , and thanking him for it ? from praying for his Grace ; from resolving to amend our lives ? Must we , because we are unworthy , continue so still , by shunning the means of correcting and curing us ? Must we encrease our unworthiness , by transgressing our Duty ? If we esteem things well , the conscience of our sinfulness should rather drive us to it , as to our Medicine , than detain us from it . There is no man indeed , who must not conceive and confess himself unworthy ; therefore must no man come thither at God's Call ? If we have a sense of our sins , and a mind to leave them ; if we have a sense of God's goodness , and a heart to thank him for it ; we are so worthy , that we shall be kindly received there , and graciously rewarded . If we will not take a little care to work these dispositions in us , we are indeed unworthy ; but the being so , from our own perverse negligence , is a bad excuse for the neglect of our Duty . In fine , I dare say , that he , who with an honest meaning ( altho with an imperfect devotion ) doth address himself to the performance of this Duty , is far more excusable , than he that upon whatever score declineth it ; no scrupulous shiness can ward us from blame ; what then shall we say , if supine sloth , or prophane contempt , are the causes of such neglect ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chrys. in 1 Cor. Or. 24. Thus having briefly dispatched the Considerations that offered themselves upon these Subjects , I shall conclude all with Prayer to Almighty God , that we by his grace and help believing rightly , strongly , constantly , and finally ; being frequent and fervent in Prayer , and all pious devotion , sincerely obeying all God's Commandments ; continuing orderly , dutiful , and worthy Members of Christ's Church , growing continually in Grace , by the worthy participation of the Holy Sacraments , may obtain the end of our Faith , the success of our Prayers , the reward of our Obedience , the continuance in that Holy Society , the perfect consummation of Grace in the possession of eternal Joy , Glory , and Bliss ; which God in his infinite Mercy grant to us , for our blessed Saviour's sake ; to whom be all glory and praise for ever and ever . Amen . FINIS . Books writ by the Learned Dr. Isaac Barrow , and printed for Brabazon Aylmer , at the Three Pigeons over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill . TWelve Sermons preached upon Several Occasions : In Octavo , being the First Volume . Ten Sermons against Evil Speaking , In Octavo , being the Second Volume . Eight Sermons of the Love of God and our Neighbour : In Octavo , being the Third Volume . The Duty and Reward of Bounty to the Poor : In a Sermon , much enlarged , preached at the Spittal upon Wednesday in Easter Week , Anno Dom. 1671. In Octavo . A Sermon upon the Passion of our Blessed Saviour : Preached at Guild-Hall Chappel , on Good-Friday , the 13th day of April , 1677. In Octavo . A Learned Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy . To which is added a Discourse concerning the Unity of the Church . In Quarto . The said Discourse concerning the Unity of the Church , is also printed alone : In Octavo . An Exposition of the Lord's Prayer ; of the Ten Commandments . And the Doctrine of the Sacraments : In Octavo . All the said Books of the Learned Dr. Isaac Barrow , ( except the Sermon of Bounty to the Poor ) are since the Author's death Published by Dr. Tillotson Dean of Canterbury . The true and lively Effigies of Dr. Isaac Barrow , in a large Print ; Ingraven ( from the Life ) by the excellent Artist D. Loggan : Price without Frame six pence . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A31058-e490 Matt. 6. 9. Luk. 11. 2. Quamlibet alia verba dicamus , quae affectus orantis vel praecedendo format ut clareat , vel consequendo attendit ut crescat , nihil aliud dicimus , quàm quod in ista Dominica Oratione positum est , si rectè & congruenter oramus . Aug. Epist. 121. Vide illum . 1 Tim. 2. 1. — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chrys. Tom. V. p. 185. Totius Evangelii breviarium ; Tert. de Orat. 1 , 9. Deut. 10. 20. Matt. 4. 10. Psal. 65. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Psal. 34. 10. 145. 18 , 19. 10. 17. Jer. 29. 13. 1 John 3. 22. Matt. 21. 22. 7. 7. Luk. 11. 9. Joh. 14. 13. 15. 7. 16. 23. Joh. 5. 40. Difficillimum est opus orare . Luth. Fervour of Spirit . Rom. 12. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Psal. 62. 8. 4● . 4. Gen. 18. 27. Deus solus docere potuit , ut se vellet orari . Tert. de Orat. cap. 9. Matt. 6. 6 , 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Tom. V. p. 186. Matt. 7. 9. Luk. 11. 11. Matt. 6. 11. Matt. 21. 22. Jam. 1. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Luk. 2. 14. 19. 38. Matt. 21. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Apoc. 4. 8. Apoc. 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chrys. Tem. V. p. 186. Esa. 8. 13. 29. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 14 , 15. Matt. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Chrys. in Matt. 6. Luk. 9. 27. Matt. 16. 28. 3. 2. Matt. 9. 38. 2 Thess. 3. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. Chrys. Luk. 17. 21. Rom. 14. 17. Matt. 6. 33. Apoc. 15. 3. Luk. 22. 42. Psal. 103. 20. Luk. 7. 30. Acts 13. 46. Heb. 13. 21. Phil. 4. 11. 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 King. 20. 19. 2 Sam. 15. 26. Job 2. 10. 1. 21. Psal. 37. 5. 55. 22. Epict. Ench. 38. Plat. Criton . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Ant. IV. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ant. III. 4 ; 16. II. 17. X. 11. XII . 1. Ant. VII . 31. X. 11. Sen. De Or. Sap. 32. Ego secundum naturam vivo , si totum me illi dedo . Optimum est Deum , quo auctore cuncta proveniunt sine murmuratione comitari , &c. — hic est magnus animus , qui se Deo tradidit — Sen. Ep. 37 , 54 , 71 , &c. de Prov. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Chrys. Tom. V. 187. Luk. 11. 3. Matt. 6. 32. Matt. 6. 25. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Heb. 13. 5. Phil. 4. 6. Psal. 103. 2 , 3. 1 Tim. 2. 8. Matt. 5. 23. Matt. 6. 14. Gen. 22. 1. Deut. 8. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 13. 3. Luk. 22. 28. Heb. 2. 18. 4. 15. 1 Pet. 4. 12. 1. 6 , 7. Jam. 1. 2. Deut. 8. 16. 1 Tim. 6. 9. Jam. 1. 13. Job 2. 6. 1 King. 21. 22. Gen. 45. 5. 2 Sam. 24. 1. 1 Chron. 21. 1. Act. 2. 23. 4. 28. Psal. 81. 11 12. Luk. 22. 40 , 46. Jer. 10. 23. Psal. 37. 23 , 24. Jud. 24. 1 Cor. 10. 23. 2 Pet. 2. 9. Apoc. 3. 10. Matt. 6. 8. Eph. 3. 20. Notes for div A31058-e4810 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Just. M. Dial. cum Tryph. p. ●28 . Deut. 4. 13. 10. 2. Exod. 34. 1 , 28. Jer. 3. 16 , 17. Neh. 9. 13. Rom. 7. 12. Rom. 7. 7. Deut. 10. 12. Rom. 7. 7. Eph. 6. 2. Heb. 1. 1. Deut. 5. 24. Exod. 34. 28. Deut. 4. 13. 10. 2. Jam. 2. 10 , 11. Matt. 5. 19. Deut. 7. 6. 4. ● Deut. 26. 16. Heb. 13. 8. Heb. 8. 6. 7. 22. Colos. 1. 13. Matt. 4. Deut. 3● . 39. Mark 12. 32. Matt. 2● . 37. Luk. 10. 27. Deut. 6. 5. Rom. 1. 25. Jer. 2. ●3 . Jer. 8. 19. &c. Act. 14. 15. &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Orig. l. 8. p. 382. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Clem. Alex. Strom. V. p. 426. Id. de Numa . p. 223. Strom. I. Vid. Aug. de C. D. 4. 31. Tit. 1. 16. Eph. 5. 5. Coloss. 3. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 4. Phil. 3. 19. Psal. 20. 7. Hab. 1. 16. Jer. 17. 5. Virgil Aen. 10. Ezek. 28. 2. Isa. 10. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ma● . Tyr. diss . 38. Where he defendeth Idolatry . Act. 17. 29. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Clem. Strom. V. p. 408. The being ordinarily exposed to view doth ( saith Clem. Alex. ) extenuate the venerability of God ; and to worship the intelligible nature by matter doth vilifie it through the sense . Rom. 1. 23. Psal. 106. 20. Deut. 4. 15. Esa. 40. 18. — 25. Act. 17. 24. — 29. 1 Joh. 5. 21. 1 Cor. 10. 7 , 14. 1 Cor. 5. 10 , 11. 6. 9. Gal. 5. 20. Apoc. 9. 20. 21. 8. 22. 15. * Cur nullas aras habent , templa nulla , nulla noia simulacra ? Minut. Consuestis crimen nobis maximum impietatis aff●gere , quòd neque aedes sacras venerationis ad officia construomus , non Deorum alicujus simulacrum constituamus , aut formam , &c. Arnob. 6. † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 8. p. 389. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Philo de Gig. * — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Vid. Tertul. de Idol . 3. 4. p. 389. p. 39● . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Clem. Strom. V. p. 408. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. 411. † Tertul. de Spectac . cap. 23. de Idol . 3 , 4 , 5 , &c. Contra Marc. 2. 22. Vid. Iren. 4. 31 , 32. Tertul. de Id. per tot . Aug. contra Faust. 15. 4 , 7. & 19. 18. Contra 2 Epist. Pet. 3. 4. Joh. 4. 23 , 24. * S. Austin , Bede , &c. Exod. 34. 14. Isa. 42. 8. Deut. 4. 24 ▪ Psal. 76. 7. Ezek. 18. 20. Deut. 24. 16. Jer. 31. 30. Ezek. 18. 14 , 17. 1 Kings 11. 35. 1 Kings 11. 13. 13. 34. 14. 10. 16. 3. 21. 29. 2 Kings 9. 8. 10. 30. 15. 12. Job 27. 14. Vid. Deut. 7. 9. Psal. 89. 30. 2 Chron. 21. 7. Isa. 45. 4. Psal. 105. 42. Deut. 4. 37. Levit. 26. 42. Exod. 2. 34. 1 King. 11. 12 , 34. 15. 4. Psal. 18. 50. Isa. 37. 35. Joh. 1● . 21. 〈◊〉 . Joh. 23 , 24. 〈◊〉 . 1● . 12. Psal. ●● . 4. Jos. Ar●h . 3. 4. Matt. 5. 3● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Deut. 6. 13. 10. 20. Heb. 6. 16. Matt. 5. 37. Exod. 31. 16. Ezek. 20. 11 , 12 , 20. Neh. 9. 13 , 14. Exod. 16. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Just. p. 236. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 261. Abraham sine circumcisione , & sine observatione Sabbatorum credidit Deo , &c. Iren. IV. 30. Tertul. adv . Jud. 2 , 4. Isa. 56. 6. ( 4. ) Psal. 143. 5. 92. 4. 107. 22. 26. 7. 145. 10. Legum conditores Festos instituerunt dies , ut ad hilaritatem homines publicè cogerentur , tanquam necessarium laboribus interponentes temperamentum . Sen. de tranq . an . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Plat. de Leg. II. p. 787. Just. Dial. cum Tryph. p. 235. &c. Isa. 58. 3 , ●3 . Ezek. 20. 13 , 21 , 23. 38. 22. 26. Amos 8. 4 ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pag. 229. Isa. 58. 13. Coloss. 2. 16 , 17. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , are both read ; both equivalent . Gal. ● . 10. Rom. 14. 5 , &c. † Inter omnia deem praecepta solùm ibi quod de Sabbato positum est figuratè observandum praecipitur . Aug. Ep. 119. † Vid. Cit. Patres . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Joseph . adv . App. 2. p. 946. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Ib. 947. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. Philo de Vit. Mos. Midrash . Exod. 26. Levit. 9. 3. Coloss. 3. 20. 1 Tim. 5. 4. Prov. 1. 8. 23. 22. Deut. 27. 16. Exod. 21. 15 ▪ 17. Eph. 6. 1. Deut. 6. 7 , 20. Eph. 6. 4. Deut. 32. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 1 Tim. 5. 4. Colere parentes . Eph. 6. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Deut. 16. 20. Psal. 37. 29. Psal. 37. 9 , 11. Psal. ●4 . 12 , 13 , 16. Prov. 8 16. Deut. 26. 15. Rom. 13. 4. 1 Pet. 2. 14. Matt. 5. 21. 1 Joh. 3. 15 , 17. Prov. 6. 34. Job 31. 12. Matt. 5. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 11. Coloss. 3. 5. 1 Thess. 4. 4. Eph. 5. 3. Eph. 4. 29. 1 Cor. 3. 17. 6. 18 , 19. Eph. 5. 4 , &c. Levit. 19. 13. ● Cor. 6. 8. Tit. 2. 10. 1 Thess. 4. 6. Prov. 22. 18. 20. 14. 9. 24. Ezek. 22. 12. 18. 7 , 16. Hos. 5. 10. Amos 8. 5. Deut. 25. 13. Levit. 19. 13. Deut. 24. 14. Psal. 15. 4. Isa. 1. 23. Jam. 5. 4. Deut. 15. 16. 1 Tess. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Eph. 4. 28. 1 Thess. 4. 12. 2 Thess. 8. 12. Phil. 4. 11. 1 Tim. 6. 8. Prov. 30. 8. Psal. 55. 23. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Heb. 13. 5. Levit. 19. 16. LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Prov. 18. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirac . 5. 14. 21. 30. 28. 13. 2 Cor. 12. 20. Rom. 1. 30. Ps. 15. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 12. 20. Jam. 4. 11. Rom. 1. 30. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Luk. 3. 14. 19. 8. Lev. 19. 11. Psal. 72. 4. 119. 134. Prov. 10. 12. 1 Cor. 13. 5 ▪ 7. Prov. 16. 28. 1 Cor. 13. Levit. 19. 11. Psal. 15. 2. Zech. 8. 16 ▪ Eph. 4. 25. Col. 3. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Mark 10. 19. Matt. 15. 19. Rom. 7. 7 , 14. Rom. 2. 29. Phil. 3. 3. Coloss. 2. 11. Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 6. 6. Col. 3. 5. 2. 11. Eph. 4. 22. Rom. 8. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Notes for div A31058-e14350 Cyp. Epist. 76. It hath especially upon vulgar , and weaker minds a strong efficacy . * Dominus noster leni jugo suo nos subdidit , & sarcinae levi ; Unde Sacramentis numero paucissimis , observatione facillimis , significatione praestantissimis societatem novi populi colligavit : sicut est Baptismus Trinitatis nomine consecratus , communicatio Corporis & Sanguinis ipsius ; & siquid aliud in Scripturis Canonicis commendatur , &c. Ep. 118. Religionem paucissimis , & manifestissimis clebrationum Sacramentis misericordia Dei liberam esse voluit . Id. Ep. 119. * Exod 12. 26. Sacramenti natura disertè & planè exprimitur . † Nimis autem longum est convenienter disputare de varietate signorum , quae , cum ad res divinas pertinent , Sacramenta appellantur . Aug. Ep. 5. In cunctis Christi actionibus Sacramentorum mysteria coruscarunt . Leo I. Ep. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Heb. 6. 1 , 2. Heb. 9. 10. Seld. de Synedriis . Exod. 29. 4. Numb . 8. 6. Levit. 15. 8 , 16 , 18 , 27. & 22. 6. Numb . 19. 7 , &c. Ezek. 16. 4. Joh. 1. 25 , 33. Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. * Vid. Just. Apol . 2. Tertul. de Bapt. &c. Acts 22. 16. Acts 2. 38. Ephes. 5. 26. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Quid festinat innocens aetas ad remissionem peccatorum ? Tertull. — impletur apud nos spiritu sancto puerorum innocens aetas , &c. Cypr. Ep. 10. Acts 2. 38. 1 Cor. 12. 13. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Tit. 3. 5. Mat. 3. 15. Ephes. 1. 14. 2 Cor. 1. 21. Ephes. 2. 22 , 23 , 24. Colos. 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ezek. 16. 4. — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Theocr. Tit. 3. 5. John 3. 5. Gal. 3. 26. Rom. 6. 4. Col. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Gal. 3. 27. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Colos. 2. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Tit. 3. 5. Mat. 16. 16. Acts 8. 37. Acts 2. 38. Acts 26. 14. 5. 31. & 20. 21. & 26. 20. & 3. 19. & 17. 30. Rom. 5. 1 , 2. & 3. 25. & 2. 4. Gal. 2. 16. & 3. 8. Heb. 10. 39. Ephes. 2. 8. & 3. 12. 2 Thess. 2. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 25. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Mat. 9. 13. Luke 24. 47. Mark 2. 17. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Rom. 6. 3 , 4 , &c Heb. 10. 23. 2 Pet. 3. 17. Heb. 10. 26. Cyp. Epist. 63. Exod. 12. 23. Heb. 10. 22. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 4. 5. Luk. 22. 19 , 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 1 Cor. 11. 24 , 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Luke 22. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Mark 14 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Mat. 26. 30. Mark 14. 26. Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 25. 1 Cor. 11. 26. Joh 6. 51 , 47. & 5. 36. Joh. 15. 4. John 6. 56. 1 Cor. 10. 16. Vid. Cyp. Ep. 63. p. 146. Ep. 67. p. 208. 1 Cor. 10. 17. 1 Cor. 10. 21. 1 Cor. 11. 28. 1 Cor. 5. 7. 1 Cor. 11. 29. Acts 2. 42. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Mens deficit , quam non recepta Eucharistia erigit & accendit . Cyp. Ep. 54.