A Treasury of Similes, Part S · Part 21 – Part 24
Sabbath.
1 LIke as Maiſters will be diſpleaſed with their Seruants, if they ſpend their time idly, wherein they ſhould apply their worke: Euen ſo we may well thinke, that the Lord will not be cōtented with them, who when they ſhuld ſanctifie his Sabboth, and do his worke, either ſhew themſelues as ſlow-bellies therein, or elſe altogither neglect the ſame, to ſerue their owne voluptuouſneſſe.
2 As the Scholler deſerueth to be corrected and puniſhed, that playeth the treuant, and ſo abſenteth himſelfe from the Schoole: Euen ſo no doubt the Lord wil puniſh and be reuenged of thoſe that abſent themſelues, (without iuſt cauſe) from the congregation of Gods people.
3 Dauid would not hauehave his ſeruants aduenture their corporall liues for his prouiſion, nor drinke the water, when they had prouided it: Euen ſo, much leſſe ought Chriſtians for their meates ſake, to aduenture their liues; yea the ſoules of their ſeruants & Cookes, in being abſent from the holy exerciſes of the Lords Sabboth. 2. Sam. 23.15, 16, 17. 1. Chro. 11.17, 18, 19.
4 Like as Chriſtian Maiſters would not be content to ſee their ſeruants plowing, carting, or working on theyr Trades, on the Sabboth dayes, (which yet to do, is lawful on the ſix dayes) leaſt they ſhould be accounted breakers, both of Gods lawes & their Princes: Euen ſo, much more they ought to be aſhamed to behold & ſee their children or ſeruants to prophane the Lordes Sabboth, by dycing, carding, foote-ball, or ſtoole-ball playing, &c. which are more vnlawfull to be done on this day, then working on their Trades, but yet forbidden, both by Gods Lawe, and their Princes Lawe.
5 As it is lawfull on the Sabboth day, to pull and draw out a ſheepe, or other cattell, out of a pit or ditch wherinto it is fallen, and wherin it would otherwiſe periſh: Euen ſo much more it is lawfull to do good, and to relieue any kinde of neceſſitie of our neighbour, the ſame day.
6 As it is ſinne, not to be carefull of the Sabboth, that we might reſt vponupon it, ſo it is greater ſinne not to obſerue it; that it might be a Sabbath vntounto the Lord, by ſanctifying it: and if for want of heedfulneſſe, any thing do compell vsus to worke vponupon the day of reſt, it is our ſinne in not marking the Sabbath day: So if by our negligence we cannot ſanctifie the day of reſt vntounto the Lord, it is a greater ſinne, of not remembring to keepe it holy, which is the firſt and greateſt thing in this Commaundement. Deut. 5.12. Exod. 20.8.
7 As the Paſſe-ouer, though it were a Sacrament onelyonly belonging vntounto the Iewes, and the difference of meates, and of cleane and vncleane things, was proper vntounto them, yet the Lorde would hauehave the ſtraungers that dwelt among them, be ſubiect to the ſame Lawes, for the good of his people; and ſo that otherwiſe he woulde not hauehave them, to hauehave anye dealing with them (for he threatneth to cut them off from his people) as appeareth. Exod. 12.19. Leuit. 17.12, 15. Euen ſo likewiſe, the Lord would hauehave this holy Saboth of reſt, without all interruption and gaineſaying, to be duly obſerued on all ſides; when vntounto the particular commaunding of all eſtates, by name to reſt, hee hath adioyned the beaſtes and the ſtraungers, vponupon whom hee layes the like charge. Exod. 23.12. Deut. 5.14.
8 As other things are called moſt holy vntounto the Lord, becauſe they are ſeperated from the common vſe, wherein other of the ſame nature are imployed, and may not be vſed, but to the Lords vſe, Exod. 29.44. & 40.13. Leuit. 27.28, 30. So the Sabboth day, or day of reſt, is then ſanctified and hallowed of vsus, when we doo not vſe it in the affaires of this life, from the which it muſt be ſeperated, and from which vppon it wee muſt reſt; but vſe and make that day proper vntounto it, and to nothing principally but that.
9 Euen as the child, which is ſet to read, muſt name euerie letter apart and diſtinctly by it ſelfe, and ſpell euerie ſillable, that ſo hee might be holpen forward in reading, which when he hath attained vntounto, though ſtill hee be bound to read, yet hee is freed from ſpelling, and naming euerie letter, as hee had wont to doo, and that were a great bondage and weariſomneſſe to binde him vntounto it ſtill, nay it were altogether rediculous, and childiſh in him indeed: So now, though we be charged to reſt vponupon the Saboth, yet when we are not ouercharged with thoſe Iewiſh ceremonies, which they (being children) had giuen thē, as furtherances vntounto them, let vsus not complaine, before we hauehave cauſe; neither murmure againſt God, becauſe we cannot be ſo licentious as we would; ſeeing we be at ſuch libertie, as we be, and as it pleaſeth the Lord to beſtow vponupon vsus; and let vsus bee ſo much the more carefull to reſt, by how much we hauehave but this one thing to attend vponupon, and are made free from many other, which might hinder vsus. Deut. 6.8, 9. Gal. 4.3.
10 As they prepoſterouſly labor to reform the church, that hauehave no care to reforme themſelues, and vndiſcreetly complaining of wants and diſorders there, do not practiſe better orders in their houſes, vponupon themſelues, and theirs, do hinder it, and keep them backe: Euen ſo they that labour for more meanes to ſanctifie the Sabbath, and are careleſſe in practiſing thoſe that they hauehave, doo ſtay ſuch good bleſſings as God might otherwiſe beſtow vponupon his Church this way.
Notorious Sinnes.
LIke as a man is much more to be blamed, which goeth out of his way in the cleare Sunne at noone-tide, then he which goeth by night with a candle: Euen ſo, ſuch men deſerue much more to be puniſhed for committing of foule and notorious Sinnes, now vnderunder the cleare light of the Goſpel, then in the time of the Lawe.
Sinne couered by Chriſts innocencie.
AS a garment or cloake do ſerue to couer our bodies: Euen ſo the innocencie, iuſtice, & holineſſe of Chriſt Ieſus, doth ſerue to couer our Sins before the iudgement of God, to the end that there appear no one ſpot of them in his ſight. Gal. 3.27.
Sinner.
1 LIke as God is much pleaſed with the praier of the iuſt: Euen ſo, much more he doth delight in the amendment of the Sinner; for it doth little profit for the one to multiply his prayers, if the other do not diminiſh his ſinnes.
2 As an earthly Father when his childe is ſicke, he will not caſt him away, but take pitie vpō him: So much more our heauenly Father, when a Sinner humbleth him ſelfe before him, and lamenteth his ſinnes, wil ſhew his fatherly affection towards him that repenteth.
3 As the night in the firſt dawning of the day, in which though the darkneſſe remaine, and be more in quantitie then the light, yet when the Sun hath alreadie caſt ſome beames of light in the aire, then the breaking of the day appeareth: Euen ſo, the conuerſion of a Sinner is not wrought all at one inſtant, but in cōtinuance of time, and by certaine meaſures and degrees. So that he that is in the firſt degree of his conuerſion, when the holy Ghoſt by the meanes of the word, inſpires him with ſome ſpirituall motions, and begins to regenerate and renue the inward powers of his ſoule.