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Of the third Commandement.
IN the third Commandement, God would haue his Worship to bee with all Reue∣rence and Religion for the Name of God, noting out this whole outward seruice, as that whereby God is made knowne vnto vs: and taking it in vaine, noting e∣uerie abuse therein, shew the reuerent manner of wor∣shipping God, to be the subiect of this Commandement, whether it be in his publike or priuate seruice, or in the
vsing of his Names and Titles. Of his publike Seruice the Psalmist u saith, I wash my hands in innocencie, and so compasse thine Altar, O IEHOVAH. Of priuate, the Law is giuen in the case of Vowes, Othes, &c. Numb. 30. 3. When a man voweth a Vow vnto IEHOVAH, or sweareth an Oath, hee shall not prophane that hee speaketh. Touching the Reuerend and Religious vsing of the Names and Titles of God, a speciall commination is made, Deut. 28. 58. If thou wilt not feare this glorious and reuerend Name, IEHOVAH thy God, &c. The con∣trarie hereof generally is, all lacke of Reuerence in Gods Seruice, and contayneth vnder it,
First, Vsing Gods Name carelesly in common talke; as, Good Lord! O God! &c. when wee neuer thinke vpon him.
Secondly, Iesting with the Scripture, or the Phrases of it, The x Prophet, or the Priest, or the People, which shall say, (in scorne and derision) The burden of IEHOVAH, I will visit that man and his house.
Thirdly, Light passing ouer the Iudgements of God that are seene in the World; which, because it is a com∣mon fault, our Sauiour, Luke 13. 1. insisteth long, to shew the right vse that is to be made of them: Were these Galileans, whose bloud PILATE mingled with their Sa∣crifices, or those eighteene vpon whom the Towre of Siloam fell, and slew them, greater sinners then all other men, because they suffered these things? Nay: but I say vnto you, Vn∣lesse ye repent, yee shall all in like manner perish.
Fourthly, Abusing of the Creatures to the reading of Fortunes, Destinies, Prognostications, and such like, contrarie to the right vse and end of their Creation, which was not to fore-tell things to come, but to distin∣guish dayes, moneths and yeeres, as before was opened. Therefore doth the Prophet Esay worthily scorne and deride this kind of people, Esay 47. 13. Thou tyrest thy selfe with the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the Astro∣logers,
the Star-gazers, and Prognosticators stand vp, and saue thee from those things that shall come vpon thee. In the particular parts of GODS Seruice these things are contrarie:
In Othes the contraries are, First, to sweare falsely: It y shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my Name. Secondly, to sweare of matters either not doubtfull or not of that waight that requireth an Othe, or when we know that he for whose sake we sweare, will not rest in it. All these, the Apostle, Heb. 6. 16. compre∣hendeth in one, when he saith, that an Othe among men for confirmation sake, is an end of all gain-saying.
Therefore Swearing in our common talke is vnlaw∣full: Let z your communication be Yea, yea, Nay, nay: for whatsoeuer is more then these, commeth of euill; Thirdly, not to performe that which we sweare to doe: a Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but performe thine othe to the Lord. In Curses it is contrarie, when in bitternesse or rage we curse our enemies, or our selues: with which fault two b of the singular Saints of God, Iob and Ieremie were stayned.
In Vowes. First, When they are of things not in our power, whereby the vow of perpetuall single life appeareth to be vnlawful: for as our Sauiour saith, c All are not capable of this, but they onely to whome it is giuen. Secondly, When wee vow things too base to offer vnto God; as if a Rich man, to obtayne some great mercie at Gods hands, would vow to giue somewhat not worth the speaking of, vnto the poore. This Salomon wisheth vs to take heed of, when in the matter of Vowes hee maketh the feare and reuerence of God, in not doing any thing vnworthy of his Maiestie, one great and speciall point, Eccles. 5. 6, 3. Thirdly, when we vow such things, as are not indifferēt to do or to leaue vndone: for as to bring the
hire of a Whore, or the price of a Dogge into the House of God for a Ʋow, were to prophane his Seruice, Deut. 23. 18. So to vow that in token of a rare and extraordinarie zeale, which without vow wee are bound to doe, is ra∣ther to dally with God, then to offer any speciall seruice to him. This is plainly taught, Deut. 23. 24. when it is said, If thou vow not at all, it shall not be sinne vnto thee: but the sinne is, in not performing our Vow, when wee haue vowed it. And if wee take a view of all the Vowes of Gods Children, wee shall find them all for the most part (according vnto this rule) of things which otherwise without offence they might haue left vndone. Such was that of d DAVID, I will not goe vnto the Tent of mine House, nor climbe vp my Bed-stead, nor suffer sleepe in mine eyes, nor slumber in my eye-lids, till I find out a place for IE∣HOVAH, &c. an habitation for the mightie God of IA∣COB. And that of ANNA, e If indeed looking to the affliction of thine Hand-mayde, thou wilt remember mee, and not forget thine Hand-mayde, but giue vnto thine Hand-mayde a man-childe, then will I giue him to IEHOVAH all the dayes of his life, and no Razor shall come vpon his head. Such also was f Iacobs Vow, If IEHOVAH God will be with me, and keepe mee in this iourney which I goe, and will giue mee bread to eate, and clothes to put on, so that I come a∣gaine to my fathers house in safetie; and finally, if IEHO∣VAH will be my God; Then (there beginneth the Vow) shall this Stone, which I haue set vp as a Piller, be the House of God.
Fourthly, When we are slacke to performe them: When g thou vowest a Ʋow to IEHOVAH thy God, thou shalt not delay to performe it: for IEHOVAH thy God will cer∣tainly require it of thee, and it shall be sinne vnto thee. When h as thou vowest a Ʋow to God, delay not to performe it: for God hath no pleasure in Fooles. Yet for the performance of some greater dutie, our Vow may bee put off for a
time, as the example of the Rechabites i doth confirme, of whom the Lord himselfe beareth witnesse, that they obserued the vow of IONADAB their father, charging them not to dwell in houses, but in Tents continually; though for safetie of their liues they came to dwell in Ierusalem.
For the performance of the duties of this Comman∣dement, are required in all, but especially in the publike seruice of God; First, Preparation of our selues before wee come: by considering both the cause that should mooue vs to it, and how to performe it with greatest du∣tie and respect; as the Preacher doth exhort vs: Take k heed vnto thy feet, when thou goest into the House of God: and bee neerer to hearken, then to giue the gift of Fooles, and sacrifice; for they know not that they doe ill. Doe not confusedly speake with thy mouth, nor let thy heart make haste to vtter a word before God: for God is in Heauen, & thou art vpon the Earth: Therefore let thy words be few. To which purpose it is ne∣cessary, that we vse priuate Prayer before-hand, and take speciall view and examination of our sinnes, that hinder our approch to God.
Secondly, Diligent attention. Being come, and trem∣bling at the presence of God, before whom wee stand; like vnto that good woman l LYDIA, whose heart God opened, that shee attended to the things spoken by PAVL. And as Cornelius did, Acts 10. 33. Now therefore all wee are heere present before God, to heare all things that are in∣ioyned vnto thee of God.
Whereupon, euerie where in the Scripture it is made a proper marke of Gods Children, to tremble at his Word: To m this man doe I looke, to him that is humble and of a broken spirit, and which trembleth at my words.
Thirdly, Meditation, and chewing as it were the cud, when we are departed; as the men of n Berhea did; who, after they had heard PAVL, searched the Scriptures whe∣ther those things were so.
For the fitting of vs to some more speciall parts of his worship, are required both Fasting, and a holy Feast: Fa∣sting, to quicken vs to petition in the acknowledgement of our wants; holy Feasting, to expresse our thankful∣nesse for his benefits. This vse of Fasting, the King of Nineueh was not ignorant of, when hee gaue o com∣mandement by the Decree of the King and his Nobles, say∣ing, Let neither Men nor Beasts, nor Heards, nor Flockes taste any thing, nor feede, nor drinke water; but let Men and Beasts couer themselues with Sack-cloth, and cry vnto God strongly, &c. Esay toucheth the same in the 58. p Chapter of his Prophecy, Yee fast not as these times are, to make your voyce to be heard on high. But of Fasting, what it is, and of the true nature and properties thereof, we shall haue fur∣ther cause to speake in the Doctrine of Repentance. The contrary hereof, is that which the same Prophet repre∣hendeth in the people, q In that day the Lord IEHO∣VAH of Hoasts called to weeping, and to mourning, to bald∣nesse, and to girting with sackcloth, and behold, gladnesse and ioy, killing of Oxen, and slaying of Sheepe, eating flesh, and drinking Wine. Let vs eate and drinke, for tomorrow we shall die: that is to say, in stead of humiliation, they gaue themselues to all kind of iollitie, and bathing of them∣selues in pleasures.
The exercise of Feasting was taken vp amongst Gods people, when they had receiued some singular benefit, or deliuerance from some notable euill, which by Fasting and Prayer they had begged at his hands. In which Feasts, a more liberall vse of the creature is permitted, both for plenty and variety, and all kind of honest iollity and pleasure. Goe your wayes, it is said, Nehem. 8. 11, 13. eat fat things, and drinke sweet things, and send portions to him for whome nothing is prouided; for this day is holy to our Lord. So the people went to eate, and to drinke, and to send portions, & to celebrate great gladnesse. And in Hester 9. 19. They celebrated the fourteenth day of the Moneth Adar,
with gladnesse and bankettings and merriments, and sending of portions from one to another. Generally, the Law there∣of giuen, Deut. 16. 14. The Feast of Tabernacles thou shalt keepe seuen dayes: thou shalt reioyce when thou keepest that Feast, &c. The contrarie is in this Day of gladnesse to mourne and weepe, for which r Nehemiah and the Le∣uites doe reprooue the people, Hold your peace: for this Day is holy; be not sad therefore.
Reuerence is a religious affecti∣on in the Seruice of God.
Psal. 26. 6.
Ier. 23. 34.
Zach. 5. 4.
Mat. 5. 37.
Mat. 5. 37.
Iob 3. Ier. 35.
The Papists, which teach vows of things not in our own power, as perpetuall single life.
Mat. 19. 11.
Ps. 132. 3, 4, 5
1. Sam. 1. 11.
Gen. 28. 20, 21, 22.
Deut. 23. 21.
Ecclesi. 5. 3.
Ier. 35. 7. 14.
Whereunto are requisite Preparation,
Eccles. 47. & 5. 1.
and Humilia∣tion.
Acts 16. 14.
Esay 66. 2.
Acts 17. 11.
And when need is, both fasting, to quicken vs to petition in the acknowledge∣ment of our vnworthinesse and wants, and feasting to ex∣presse our thankfulnesse for his bene∣fits.
Ionah 3. 9, 10
Esay 58. 4.
Esay 22. 12.
Nehem. 8. 10. 11. & 12.