A Bright Star which Leadeth Wise Men to our Lord Jesus Christ, Commandment 4 · Part 5
In it thou ſhalt doe no manner of worke.
HEe meanes workes of the world, and of ones worldly calling, for, for workes of religion thoſe are commanded, elſe God ſhould commaund idleneſſe vponupon the ſabboth day, which hee doth not allow any day, therefore it forbids all manner of worldly buſineſſes, commanding the workes of religion and merciemercy. Hence then we learne, that no worldlie buſineſſe great or ſmall muſt bee done vponupon the ſabboth, all worldly cares and queſtions, and workes muſt bee cut off. For ſmaller works, Exod. 16. wee hauehave a plaine proofe, where God condemnes them for gathering, yea for purpoſing to gather Manna on the ſabboth day: now what worke more eaſie then this; it was to bee done betweene fiue and ſixe in the morning or not long after, ſo that all the day after they might ſerue God, and they needed not take any great journey for it, goe but out of their dores a little, it was wont to bee there, nor the paines was not verie great, but to ſtoupe and take it vp, and there an end; and this is to bee noted by the way, that they went out & found nothing, and ſo this is perpetuall, that whoſoeuer goes out to get any outward gaine on the Lords day gaines nothing, what euer hee thinke, certaine hee findes juſt nothing, Gods curſe eates vp more then his gaines. Now when they went but a little way, had but little time to ſpend, and it was no great paines to gather Manna, yet God ſaies for this, How long will this people breake all my commandements. It was but the breach of this one, and yet God chargeth them with the breach of all, becauſe in truth hee that makes a breach into this, ſets open a gap into all.
So Luke. 23. in the two laſt verſes, it is noted of Mary Magdalen and her companions, that hauing prepared their perfumes to annoint the dead body of Chriſt, and not hauing time to get readie inough for that purpoſe before the ſabboth came vponupon them, they would neither annoint him with thoſe they had, nor buy any more till the ſabboth was ended: now what ſmaller thing then to buy a few ointments, that might ſoone bee done, and without great trouble, and if a man may doe any thing that is not a dutie of religion or merciemercy on that day, then he might buy ſweet ointments, to embalme the dead bodie of Chriſt, but becauſe Chriſts body was dead, and their embalming it, did yeld no eaſe and refreſhing, and ſo was no work of merciemercy, nor was not a worſhip of God, they durſt not doe it. I, but might one ſay, ſure they were more preciſe then wiſe, they made a ſcruple where none was, nay the holy ghoſt frees thee from that charge, and ſhewes that they reſted according to the commandement. It was well done of them, for in doing it they obeyed Gods commandement, and it had ben amiſſe if they had not reſted, for then they had broken Gods commandement. So for the man that would gather ſticks vppon the ſabboth, he did it in deede contemptuouſly, for to trie Moſes, and ſet him at ſtand, he would breake the ſabboth, and yet not dye neither; therefore he did the ſmalleſt work, yet that little work was ſo great a ſinne, that God appoints him to be ſtoned to death for it. So that no work ſo ſmall, if it be a worldly matter, and not a matter of religion, muſt be done. What ſmaller thing to ſtep ouer the dore-ſil, and gather a thing vnderunder his feet for a while, what thing of leſſe trouble then to buy ſome precious oyntment to embalme Chriſts bodie, what lighter matter then to gather a few ſticks, yet not the lighteſt of all theſe, but God condemnes it, and will not hauehave it breake into the poſſeſsion of his day.
Now for great matters, and affaires of importance, God doth not allow any worldly buſineſſe ſeeme it neuer ſo great, to ſhoulder out religion and merciemercy, vponupon the ſabboth, all works great or not muſt yeld. As Exod. 31. 13. He commands that no man muſt doe any work for the building and ſetting forward of the ſanctuarie vponupon the ſabboth, and yet that was a work of ſome waight, ſo that no thing ſo great that can beare one out in breaking the ſabboth, one muſt not build a church on the ſabboth. So God commands expreſſely, that one ſhall not doe work vponupon the ſabboth, neither in earing, nor harueſt. Now thoſe be matters of greateſt moment. If one may as it were ſtreyne curteſie for any thing, then he might to inne his corne, when it lies in the field, comes a faire day on the ſabboth, if he omit, it is catching weather, his corne is now readie, if he let it alone, he is like to looſe it, and to let it rot vponupon the ground, why though it be Gods ſabboth muſt be inuiolable, better looſe all your corne then Gods fauour, better that rot in the ground, then we carry a rotten hart. So that it is plain, we muſt doe neither leaſt nor moſt of our owne workes vponupon the ſabboth day, none ſo little, that God will giuegive it allowance, to take vp of his time, none ſo great, that may thruſt out his exerciſes, becauſe his commandement and the obedience we owe vntounto him, is greater then all things. Therfore this confutes the ſhifts that men hauehave. Oh this is a trifle, ſuch a toy I hope doth not breake the ſabboth, as to ſet things in order, to lay the buck againſt munday morning, that is nothing, that is a ſmall work, but is it your owne work, then in the leaſt work▪ God ſayes, why doe you breake my commandements. So others hope they may ſet Ieauens, that is not ſuch a great matter; but it is a great matter, to doe the leaſt thing that God hath forbidden, and this is the next way to bring a curſe vponupon themſelues and their dow to.
And others, oh it is a great and waightie matter, it lies vponupon me, & concernes mine eſtate to doe it: but it is not ſo great as the obedience of God, and keeping of a good conſcience, better if one muſt, that ſome decay come to your outward eſtate, then to your ſoule. Is it of ſuch moment? and the getting in of your corne that lies in hazard like to bee ſpoiled by ill weather, yet you muſt not doe it, truſt in Gods prouidence, if hee hauehave commanded you to reſt, you ſhall bee no looſer by reſting▪ vnleſſe it bee your owne negligence that endamage you: for the Prince will not allow one to ſpit in his face, in jeſt or earneſt, nor will take it well if a man ſhould rob his treaſurie, becauſe hee needed twentie or fortie ſhillings or more, ſo God will not take in good part the breach of his commandements, and caſting his feare behind our backs in trifling things, or in matters that ſeeme to carrie more ſway with them.
But heere ſeemes to come in an objection, may one doe no buſineſſe, may not one looke to their cattle, ſerue their ſheepe or their horſes, and order them on the ſabboth? yes, a chriſtian man on the ſabboth day muſt ſerue his beaſt, but alwaies prouided, that hee doe it not as buſineſſe of his owne, but as a worke of merciemercy to the beaſt, not ſeeking or reſpecting his owne commoditie, as the creatures neceſsitie, and doing it thus for conſcience ſake, to help the poore creature, it is a work of the ſabboth, and in it place pleaſeth God; for God himſelfe commands to bee mercifull, euen to the beaſts, therefore one muſt ſee that hee doe it with a mercifull hart in compaſsion to the creature, ſo that the end muſt differ from the end in the working daies.
Secondly, his affection and meditation muſt be diuers from that hee may hauehave at other times; for this worke muſt raiſe him vp to ſome godly and ſpirituall meditations for his edification; as for example, when one goes on the ſabboth to ſerue and order the dumbe creature, hee may make this vſe of it; why I can in obedience to God, and compaſsion to the creature, care for it, and bring it things neceſſatie, though it cannot call vponupon mee, yet the verie neede of it cries loud, that I cannot but help though I bough it for monie; what care then muſt I perſwade my ſelfe God that is a ſea of merciemercy, of which I hauehave but one drop, will hauehave to mee, whom hee hath bought with the bloud of his Sonne, and which ceaſe not to call vponupon him, and make continuall ſupplication for things needefull vntounto him, & ſo ſtrengthen ones faith: or elſe ſuch a meditation I ſee the poore dumbe beaſt that hath done mee painefull ſeruice all the weeke, when I come to ſerue it, is contented to bee ſerued at my pleaſure, if I giuegive it more it is content, if leſſe it doth not fret againſt me, if it bee better prouiſion it takes it in good part, if courſer, it doth not murmer and take on; why then ſhould not I bee content to liue at Gods finding, and take in good part that which hee giues mee, bee it more or leſſe, ſith it is my portion from God, eſpecially ſith I hauehave often rebelled againſt God as the poore beaſt neuer did againſt mee, and it hath done mee more faithfull ſeruice, then euer I did God.
Theſe and the like meditations ones heart muſt bee ſeaſoned withall one the ſabboth day, more then neceſitie is impoſed vponupon him other times, If then our end bee merciemercy, and our affections bee holy in doing theſe things to the cattle, they be ſabboth dayes works, becauſe merciemercy is a work pleaſing to God, on that day. But if one feede his cattle, not becauſe their want craues this at his hand, but becauſe his deſire of gaine moues him, they will be in better liking, and I may ſell them to more profit, or they will be better in hart, more able to doe my work after, and then his hart be carried after the gaine he may hauehave by theſe cattle, and his meditations taken vp with thinking how he may ſell them for moſt gaine, he breakes the ſabboth, he ſerues not God, but himſelfe, and though man cannot indite him for the very action, yet God will finde him out and plague him for the ill affection.
And ſo much for the things that muſt be done on the ſabboth, and thoſe that muſt not be done, and two reaſons taken, one from the equitie of the commandement, the other from the right and title of God, to the day. Now heere he comes after to a declaration of the perſons, ſeuerally comprehended vnderunder this commandement; naming firſt the gouernours, and then charging them with the inferiours, which are either continuall, as thoſe of the family, or for ſome time comming vnderunder their juriſdiction, as ſtrangers in the gate, to which the publique magiſtrate muſt looke. Firſt he ſaith: