A Bright Star which Leadeth Wise Men to our Lord Jesus Christ, Commandment 4 · Part 3
Sixe daies ſhalt thou labour &c.
IN which words God ſhews a reaſon why we ſhould obey this commandement. God hath giuen a man ſixe daies for the duties of his calling, but on this condition that hee ſhall contriue all his works ſo within the compaſſe of the ſixe daies, ſo that hee let none remaine till the ſeauenth, nor reſerue any outward thing to trouble him from the ſeruice of God, on the ſabboth. From this equitie God drawes a reaſon to moue euerie one of vsus to keepe the ſabboth. From this we may gather that Gods commandements are equall, as hee ſaith in Ezek. 18. 25. God deales with thoſe that charge his lawes of vnjuſtice, and ſhewes that his waies bee all together equall, & the waies of man be vnequall. So 1. Iohn 5. he ſaith, that the commandements of God are eaſie, indeede to manie they be moſt tedious and heauie, but this is not from any vnequalneſſe in the law, but from the naughtineſſe of the men, that hauehave carnal harts, and worldly mindes, for if one hauehave ouercome the world and growne any thing ſpirituall, ſo farre Gods commandements are lightſome, the ſpirituall hart feedes vponupon the ſpirituall law, and delights and rejoyceth in it. This muſt ſerue therefore to cut off thoſe dangers that men caſt to themſelues in keeping of this commandement, as though God had ouerſhot himſelfe in making ſuch an vnjuſt law, as no man can keepe it, but hee muſt bee vndone by it, as though hee knew not what hee did when hee bad them reſt the ſabboth day. It is a meruailous impudencie in many that no man durſt ſpeake ſo hardly and preſumptuouſlie againſt any poſitiue law of the prince, as euerie baſe perſon will ſpeake againſt this law of God. Oh it is impoſsible to keepe it, ſuch loſſes it brings, and theſe damages it brings, that hee muſt needes come to beggerie that will obſerue it: what did God ſeeke the impoueriſhing, and the ſpoile of men, when hee bad them ſerue him? nay he appointed it as a day of bleſsing: and it ſeemes ſo hard and vnjuſt to them, becauſe they bee carnall, and fleſhly, and not hauing faith in Gods promiſes, nor any deſire to obey him, they will ſtill hauehave ſhifts, and ſomething to ſay againſt it, the hart is dead and wicked, or elſe the law would bring comfort. Oh how ſhould one doe for recreation, ſay ſome? is it not a recreation for a chriſtian to heare the voice of a chriſtian, and for a ſheepe of Chriſt to feede in his paſtures? is it not a recreation for a perſon condemned, to come where hee may get his pardon ſealed to him? is it not a recreation for a man ſubject to death, to heare a direction that will leade him to life? therefore if wee were not altogether ſenceleſſe, and blockiſh in reſpect of ſpirituall ſence and life, it would bee as great a joy for vsus to feede at his table, and in his houſe, vponupon the bread of life, as in our owne houſes vponupon corruptible bread. And againe could Chriſt finde in his hart for our ſakes willingly to beſtow his ſoule & body, and giuegive his bodie to death, and his ſoule to ſuffer the wrath of God, and ſhall wee account it a burden to beſtow one day in ſeauen vponupon him, to be made pertakers eſpeciallie of ſuch benefits. And God hath willinglie giuen vsus ſixe for our calling, and may wee not well afford the ſeauenth to our ſoules? but wee hauehave ſuch buſineſſe wee cannot doe it. But for matter of buſineſſe God ſhewes two things, that if one would obſerue ſhould eaſilie preuent theſe buſineſſes: firſt ſixe daies ſhalt thou doe all thy work. Where hee ſhewes that if one would labour faithfullie and conſcionablie in their calling vponupon ſixe daies, they might well diſpatch their buſineſſe, but indeede this makes men ſo loath to giuegive a ſeauenth day to God, becauſe hauing beene idle and vnthriftie on the ſixe, they hauehave neglected ſome buſineſſe that now lies vponupon them the ſeauenth day, and then it is a great burden indeede, and impoſsible for ſuch to keepe it, but they muſt looſe by it, but Gods commandement brings no ſuch loſſe, their owne ſinne is the cauſe of it: and if this bee not the cauſe, then the other is; men take more vponupon them then their owne work, for if one take nothing but his worke, hee may diſpatch all well in ſixe daies, if one ſerue God in his calling, his calling will not hinder him from keeping Gods commandements; but if one ſerue couetouſneſſe and filthie lucre, then indeed hee can finde no time to ſerue God.
When men in haſt to bee rich, and eager deſire of wealth, will take more in their hands then they can mannage, this is their fault, and all this is not their worke, but the worke of their luſt, this is to bee a buſie bodie: but let any man bee faithfull in his calling on the ſixe daies, and not through greedineſſe encomber himſelfe with more then is needefull, and hee ſhall ſee hee may eaſily keepe this ſeauenth to God, there is no cauſe of ſuch complaining againſt it: And indeede to a ſpirituall hart, that hath any grace & meaſure of Gods ſpirit, (how euer it ſeeme to carnall men) it is moſt juſt and equall, yea moſt ſweet and comfortable, ſo that they can with all their harts thanke God, that he hath giuen them one day wherein they may lighten their harts, of all worldly cares, and throw of all griefes & thoughts of debts, or ſuch like, to giuegive them ſelues wholy to ſeeke comfort in him, that will prouide for them in due time, and hath prouided this ſabboth, as an eaſe vntounto them, that they ſhould not trouble them ſelues wtih any ſuch thoughts on that day. And thus much to proue that the keeping of a ſeauenth day, and ſpending it in holy dutie, is a morall law, and perpetuall, and belongs vntounto vsus as well as to the Iews, and ſo much the more vntounto vsus, becauſe we hauing more excellent meanes, a greater perfection is required of vsus. As alſo to ſhew that eueryevery one muſt make a preparation for the ſabboth. Both by diſpatching his buſineſſe, as nothing may bee left vndone till the ſabboth: and by behauing himſelfe ſo in the buſineſſe, as his affections may not bee to much tied vntounto them, for the former will hinder the reſt of the ſabboth, and the latter the holyneſſe of it. Therfore that we may keep an holie reſt; he muſt doe all that hee hath to doe vponupon the ſixe daies, and if hee take more vponupon him then he can finiſh in the ſpace of ſixe daies, it is more then God laies vponupon him, and he doth not labour for conſcience ſake, but for couetouſneſſe ſake, and this is not his worke, but the worke of his corruption, and then ſecondly a man muſt draw his hart from the louelove of the world & worldly things, and then neither worldlie loſſes will fill his hart full of worldlie greife, nor commodities with worldlie delight, which two things would hinder him from delighting in ſpirituall exerciſes, ſo that he that will empty his hands of all worldlie buſineſſe▪ and his hart of worldlie affections, ſhalbe able with comfort, to keepe a reſt and an holie reſt vntounto God. And for the firſt reaſon drawne from the equitie of Gods commandements, that hauing giuen vsus the large allowance of ſixe daies, and taken the ſmall pittance of one daie vntounto himſelfe, hath dealt in great equitie with vsus, ſo that one muſt not goe about to make hipocriticall ſhifts and excuſes, for if he doe, it is not from the hardneſſe of the law, but the hardneſſe of his hart; not from difficultie in the thing, but want of louelove in the perſon, for nothing is ſo eaſie, but a worldlie hart that loues not God will be ſhifting, and hauehave ſome odd reaſons againſt it. Now we muſt ſpeake of the ſecond reaſon.