A Bright Star which Leadeth Wise Men to our Lord Jesus Christ, Commandment 4 · Part 4
It is the ſabboth of the Lord thy God.
IN which God lets vsus know, that he which is our God and the mightie ſtrong God, hath impropriated this to himſelfe, as his owne poſſeſsion, ſet a part for his owne ſeruice, therfore wee muſt willinglie let him hauehave it, and not intrude our ſelues vponupon his inheritance, ſith god hath laid claime to it, it is no wiſdome for man, to goe about to wrong him, that will not bee wronged. Hence then we learne this generall doctrine, that thoſe things, which God hath ſet apart for himſelfe, man muſt not ſet vponupon, that which he hath ſanctified, for his proper vſe & worſhip, man muſt not abuſe, to his profit or pleaſure. If any man be ſo bould to enter vponupon Gods ſeuerals, hee may know before hand what ſucceſſe hee ſhall hauehave, namelie, hee ſhall ruſh vponupon his owne deſtruction, for ſo the holy ghoſt ſaith by Saloman. Prouer. 20. 25. It is a deſtruction for one to deuoure holy things, and after the vow to enquire, If one will fill himſelfe with that which God hath made and appointed for his ſeruice, let him take leaue, but withall let him know, that it ſhall bee no holeſome meat vntounto him, hee ſhall bee poyſoned and deſtroyed by it.
And was not this true in Achan, God had taken the whole pray of Iericho, for his part, and that was a conſecrate thing, & ſo he knew well enough, but yet he thought there was enough for God and for him to, and therefore he would be ſo bold as to take a little, thinking to hauehave benefited himſelfe and his children by it. But what got he by it, was there not an hooke in the bayte that puld him into a fearefull and miſerable ende? Now if ſo fearefull a puniſhment befell him for deuouring of ſiluer or gold, for which God had not giuen ſo ſtrict a charge, nor backed his commandement with ſo much ſtrength of reaſon, how much more then ſhall it bring in deuouring of holy time, which God hath more ſtrongly confirmed and commanded. And ſo in Malac. 3. 8. 9. God complaines, that they had ſpoyled him in tithes and offerings, in conuerting theſe things that he had conſecrated for his vſe to their owne vſes. But what came vponupon it? Therefore ſaith he, you are curſed with a curſe. I but we doe but as eueryevery body doth, all the countrie doth ſo, why therfore ſaith he, you be all accurſed, euen this whole nation, if you will doe as eueryevery bodie doth, this is all the help, they ſhall ſpeed as eueryevery bodie doth, they ſhalbe accurſed for company, if they ſinne for company.
We know alſo in Iohn. 3. That Chriſt cries out againſt thoſe which bought and ſolde in the Temple, and ſaith, they made it a den of theeues. Why, but is it theft to buy and ſell for their mony, to giuegive wares in exchange honeſtly for ſiluer, did they rob men becauſe they let them hauehave good ware for their lawfull coyn. No, this was not the matter, they did not rob men, but they robbed God, for they did conuert that to prophane & common vſes, which he had ordained onelyonly for religious and holy vſes. Now if men rob God which abuſe the temple, being but a ceremony, and then ſhortly to hauehave an ende, much more thoſe that abuſe his ſabboth, which is morall, to continue to the worlds end.
This ſerues then, to confute thoſe that will be bold and ventrous to doe the workes of their calling, vponupon the Lords daye, and then if they be reproued for it. The anſwere is, why, what neede you make ſuch a ſtirre, I hope I am neither whore nor theefe? yes, they be theeues, and curſed theeues, and theeues that rob God, for the ſabboth day is his, in as much right and propertie as any of our goods is ours; many would be aſhamed if their ſonne or daughter, ſhould be found pilfering or priging, from their neighbour, and it is well they ſhould doe this, but theſe men are neuer a whit aſhamed that their ſonne or daughter ſhould rob God of his daye, runne abroade to vanitie and dauncing, and wantonneſſe, vponupon his ſabboth. That is youth, and it muſt be borne withall, nay, it is theft, and muſt not be ſuffered, for he that will deale thus vnfaithfully with God, if occaſion ſerue, will deale worſe with men, and he that is not holy in the firſt table can neuer be truely righteous in the ſecond.
Then this ſerues for the inſtruction of thoſe that hauehave this waies dealt vnfaithfully with God, ſeruing their luſt, when they ſhould hauehave ſerued him, they muſt repent for this, and purpoſe hereafter to keepe it faithfully, and be as much afrayd to ſteale Gods time as mens goods, and to take away any part of the ſabboth, as the communion cup, or any ſuch like things, pertaining to the church, for neither hath God taken that to himſelfe by ſo ſpeciall a commandement, neither is the taking away of that, ſo diſhonourable to God, and hurtfull to others and our ſelues, as of the ſabboth. But men will be objecting, what, ſhal men hauehave no recreation, ſhall our ſelues be ſtill toyling & moyling. No, God forbid, for a chriſtians life is full of joy & delight, and cannot want comfort. But if one will allow their ſeruants recreation, let them allow part of their owne time, and be liberal in that which is theirs, not in that which god hath giuen them no ſuch warrant to giuegive to their ſeruants. This is a moſt ſhamefull excuſe, children and ſeruants muſt hauehave recreation, therfore they muſt needes diſhonour God, and rob him of his ſabboth.
How wicked this excuſe is, will appeare by the like: If ones children or ſeruants ſhould rob and ſteale other mens mony and goods, and they come to the houſehoulder and ſay vntounto him, why will you ſuffer your children to do ſuch wrong to your neighbours? why alas you muſt beare with them, yong men muſt hauehave maintenance, they cannot hauehave meat & drinke for nothing, they muſt needes get mony, I hope you will not ſo much condemne them for this, they doe it but for maintenance, would you hauehave them ſtarue? no, nor I would not hauehave them ſteale neither, but ſith they muſt hauehave meat and maintenance, it is fit you ſhould allow it, and giuegive it them of your owne, and then they neede not ſteale? nay ſure you muſt pardon mee, I cannot ſpare ſo much monie, I had rather they ſteale it, then I giuegive it: what man would not thinke this mans excuſe very fooliſh and ridiculous.
But now men deale as madly or more madly with God; children and ſeruants muſt hauehave recreation, and what of that? therefore wee will not ſpare it them from our owne ſeruice in the weeke, but they ſhall take Gods day for their delight if they will hauehave anie; this is a curſed ſhift, for if wee hire a day labourer and giuegive him wages, & hee couenant to do our work for that day, and after an houre or two ſhould leaue off all, & goe to follow his pleaſure, and ſay hee muſt hauehave recreation, wee would count him little better then a theefe or couſener, but God hath couenanted with vsus to reward vsus, and wee with him to obey him, and what is it but theft to doe thus, to take away part of his day, and the greateſt part too, for our owne luſts. Therefore though it bee an ill occupation, to rob men, and hee that doth it long is like to come to the gallowes, yer it is a worſe thing to rob God, and hee continues in doing that, ſhall finde a worſe puniſhment at length then hanging.