Exposition of the Moral Law, Title page 1 – Dedication 1
AN EXPOSITION OF THE MORALL LAVV, OR TEN COMMANDEMENTS OF ALMIGHTIE GOD, Set dovvne by vvay of EXERCITATIONS.
Wherein is contained an explanation of diverſe Queſtions and Poſitions for the right underſtanding thereof.
Together with an explication of theſe Scriptures which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the Commandements.
All which are cleared out of the originall languages, the cuſtomes of the Iewes, and the diſtinctions of the Schoolemen.
foreign
Conſidera & invenies.
By Iohn Weemſe, of Lathocker in Scotland, Preacher of Chriſts Goſpell.
LONDON. Printed by T. Cotes for Iohn Bellamie, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the ſigne of the three Golden Lyons in Cornehill, neere the Royall Exchange. 1632.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, JAMES EARLE OF Carlile, Viſcount Doncaſter, Baron of Saley, one of his Majeſties Privie Counſell, Gentleman of his Bedchamber, and Knight of the moſt Noble order of the Garter.
RIGHT HONORABLE,
WHen the Iſraelites were travelling through the wilderneſſe to Canaan, the Lord gave them three guides, Moſes, Aaron, and Miriam; of thoſe three guides Miriam was the meaneſt; ſhe was a woman,Mica. 6.4. the infirmer ſexe, and ſhe murmured firſt againſt Moſes, therefore ſhe was ſtricken with leproſie: Aaron was their ſecond guide, but in ſomethings hee proved a blinde guide to them, for hee ſet up a golden calfe before them: Moſes was their third guide, but hee could not bring them to Canaan, it was Joſhua who brought them to their reſt. So there are three guides which direct men in this world; firſt corrupt nature, or natura non ſuſcitata, that is, nature not wakened or ſtirred up by learning; this guide is but like unto Miriam, and oftentimes it murmureth againſt Moſes, the law of God. The ſecond guide is ratio ſuſcitata, reaſon wakned and ſtirred up, and ſomewhat refined by learning and humaine ſciences; yet it is but a blinde guide, and oftentimes it murmureth, and repineth againſt Moſes as well as leprous Miriam. The third guide which directeth men here; is the law of God, which ſheweth us the way to Canaan and our eternall reſt. Moſes guided the Iewes three manner of wayes; firſt by the ceremonies; ſecondly by the Iudiciall; and thirdly by the Morall precepts. The ceremonies did dilineate to them Chriſt to come, and as a painter when hee is about to paint a man, firſt hee draweth ſome lines and draughts, and this is called foreign; Secondly hee addeth the blacke colours, and this is called foreign; and laſtly the vive colours, and this is called foreign; then we diſcerne plainly whom hee did delineate before: wee take up at the firſt that hee is painting a man, but wee cannot diſcerne in particular who it is: The firſt lineaments (as it were) of Chriſt were drawne to the Patriarches; then Moſes added the blacke colours in the ceremonies; but when Chriſt came in the fleſh, then hee was ſeene in his vive colours: and as the fathers ſay, to the Patriarches hee was in ſpicis, to the Iewes in farina, ſed nobis in pane; that is, the Patriarches ſaw him as it were, but in the eare of the corne, the Iewes ſaw him in the meale, but we ſee him in the bread ſet upon the table before us. The ſecond way how Moſes directed them, was by his judiciall lawes, guiding them in their policie and commonwealth, where for hardneſſe of their hearts, hee permitted many things to them; but their chiefe and principall guide was the Morall law, which is that guide of guides. David when hee breaketh out in commendation of this law, hee ſpendeth the whole 119 pſalme in praiſe of it, and there is not one verſe in it except the 122 which hath not ſome epithet of the law of God in it, as his judgements, his words, his lawes, his teſtimonies, his commandements, his covenant, his ſtatutes, and his precepts &c. It may be ſaid, perhaps, that this law ſeemeth not to be ſuch a guide, ſeing it is called a killing letter, and the miniſtration of death: but this is only accidentall to it that it is ſo called,2. Cor. 3.6.7. when it meeteth with the perverſe and corrupt nature of unregenerate man, then it is the miniſtration of death and a killing letter; but when it meeeteth with a regenerate man, then it becometh a guide unto him; therefore the fathers ſay well, Datur duris in flagellum, proficientibus in paedagogiam, & perfectioribus in ſolatium; the law is a whip and a ſcourge to the ſtubborne and diſobedient, it is a tutor to thoſe who begin to learne new obedience, but it becometh a comforter and a counſeller to thoſe who have made any progreſſe in holineſſe,Pſal. 18.26. and as God himſelfe with the pure hee will ſhew himſelfe pure; and with the froward hee will ſhew himſelfe froward, ſo doth this law ſhew it ſelfe a hard and a rigorous Taskmaſter to the wicked. This law being ſuch a perfect guide, and ſo neceſſary in the Church, what monſters are theſe Antinomians who ſet themſelves againſt the law, and will baniſh it out of the Church, whereas Chriſt came not to deſtroy the law but to fulfill it Chriſt and Moſes were in the mountaine together:Matt. 5.17. Matt. 17.3. ſo the Church ſang the ſong of Moſes, and the ſong of the lambe,Revel. 15.3. the Law and the Goſpell muſt not be ſeparated. Thoſe who would remove and baniſh the law out of the Church doe as theeves do when they come to robbe and ſteale; the firſt thing that that they doe in the houſe, they put out the light that they may ſteale the more ſecurely: So carnall and profane men, that they may ſinne the more ſecurely and with greater liberty, doe labour to aboliſh the law out of the Church; but the Lord never lighted his candle, that it ſhould be put under a buſhell. The Lord hath ſet men in three ranks in the world: ſome in the meaneſt and baſeſt condition of life, ſome in a middle condition of life, and ſome in a higher condition: this law is neceſſary for all ſorts and conditions of men: for to thoſe who live in the loweſt and baſeſt condition it is neceſſary to uphold them, they have not beene unfitly compared to a fiſhers net, which hath lead to make it ſinke, and corke to make it ſwimme; ſo poverty and croſſes hold the poore man down and make him to ſinke, then the comfortable promiſes of the law of God make him to ſwimme and hold up his head: ſo this law is neceſſary for thoſe who are in a middle ſtate, it is like the tongue of the ballance to thoſe to make the ſcales ſtand right, but it is moſt of all neceſſary to thoſe who ſtand in high places, for high places, as David ſaith, are ſlippery places. In Iſrael when a man built a new houſe he was commanded to make a battlement about it,Deut. 22.8. leſt men ſhould fall over and indanger themſelves; ſo when men are in eminent places, the beſt battlement to ſave them is the law of God. I know, my Honorable, and very good Lord, when yee remember Gods goodneſſe towards you who hath advanced you to ſuch an high place, and continued you in ſuch favour with your Prince ſo long, that ye will be thankfull to your God, and that ye will not forget to make this law your philactery,Prov. 3.3. and put it like a chain about your necke. The reaſons, my Honorable Lord, that have moved me to ſeeke your Lordſhips patrocinie to this worke, are firſt, becauſe I know ye love the truth. Secondly, becauſe ye have ſo faithfully and honourably carried your ſelfe often in thoſe weighty imployments which his Majeſty and the State have committed to you. And thirdly, becauſe you carry your ſelfe ſo reſpectively to all ſorts of men at home: theſe motives encouraged mee to take the boldneſſe to preſent this treatiſe to your Lordſhip. And although I be not able to bring a lambe, the ſacrifice of the richer ſort, yet if I bring but two turtle doves,Levit. 5.7. I know your Lordſhip will accept of it, becauſe a man is debter for that which he hath,2. Cor. 8.12. and not for that which he hath not. The grace of God be with your Lordſhip, and preſerve you blameleſſe in ſoule and body untill the comming of the Lord in glory.
Your Honours in all dutifull ſubmiſſion IOHN WEEMES.