A Bright Star which Leadeth Wise Men to our Lord Jesus Christ, Commandment 4 · Part 8
For in ſixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth, the ſea, &c. and reſted the ſeauenth day.
BEcauſe this commandement is much oppugned by the examples of great men, becauſe almoſt all men breake it, therefore it is confirmed from the example of the great God, whoſe example is able to counteruaile all theirs, q. d. If you will bee led by example, follow the moſt perfect example; now what more perfecter example then the example of God, who hath propoſed himſelfe for a preſident, ſinfull men breake it, but the holy God kept it, and would hauehave you keepe it, whether example is beſt to follow? God made an end of all in ſixe daies, and ceaſed creating on the ſeauenth day, therefore hee would hauehave you ceaſe from the workes of your vocation. For, for workes of preſeruation Chriſt ſaith, Iohn. 5. My father worketh hetherto, and I worke. But hee ceaſed workes of creation, ſo that the reaſon ſtands thus, God left no worke of creation till the ſeauenth day, but ended all in ſixe daies, therefore he would hauehave you end all your workes of vocation in ſixe daies, and giuegive the ſeauenth onelyonly to workes of ſanctification.
Hence then we learne this doctrine, that whoſoeuer deſires to liue godly, muſt propoſe the example of God to himſelfe to imitate. Thus Epheſians. 5. 1. The Apoſtle wiſheth them to follow the example of God as deere children, he had before exhorted them to gentleneſſe and courteouſneſſe: but hee hath done me wrong ſaith ſome man, how can I deale kindly with him? why freelie forgiue him, ſaith the Apoſtle. But who would put vp this wrong patientlie, God would, and therefore doe you follow god, and imitate him, God doth not preſentlie ſeeke reuenge, if any man breake his lawes, but vſeth all gentle meanes to bring him to repentance, and to cauſe him to turne, ſo doe you, then tread in Gods ſteps, indeede ſome froward man would take a more violent and boyſterous courſe; But if you will be accounted the child of God, bought with the bloud of Chriſt, and regenerate by the ſpirit of God, you muſt rather bee directed by his example then mans, and then no better argument that you bee the ſonnes of God, and no ſurer proofe that he hath begotten you to life eternall, then when you grow like vntounto him, and ſhew foorth his image in your life.
Now the reaſon why it is beſt to ſet God before vsus, as a patterne, is, becauſe his example is ſo abſolute in all fulneſſe of perfection, that no exception can bee taken againſt it: bring the example and there is ſome thing againſt which a man may except to leſſen the force of it, as Dauid and Peter, and ſuch good men hauehave had their ſlips, and no man liues ſo holy but as Saint Iames ſaith, In ſome things wee ſinne all. But the example of God is ſo exact and altogether righteous, without any ſpot at any time, that no ſuch thing can be alleadged againſt it.
Secondly, if one make God his example hee ſhall grow better and better, becauſe ſtill he ſhall come ſhort of the mark he aymes at, & neuer be able to attaine to the perfection which is in his example, ſo that ſtill he ſhall hauehave a proportion to goe on and to grow. If one ſet man for his coppie, either he may write as well as his coppie, or at leaſt he may imagine that he doth & then he ſtands at a ſtay, and thinks he hath done well, he may ceaſe now, but this example is not ſubiect to ſuch conceit, no man either can or will dreame that he can be as good as God, ſo that heere is ſtill occaſion of mending and encreaſing. Thirdly, he that followes the example of men, hath great meanes of pride, and to be puft vp, for comparing himſelfe with men, he is not put in minde of his faults, but rather thinks this & this I hauehave done, and in moſt things I am equall to the beſt, and ſo is in great daunger to grow conceited of himſelfe, but now he leauing men, lookes vntounto God, and caſts his eyes firſt on God, and then on himſelfe, he ſees ſo much imperfection in himſelfe, and ſuch infinite righteouſneſſe and goodneſſe in God, as that vponupon this compariſon, he growes more humble and holy, and to know himſelfe more, ſo that though he grow better eueryevery day then other, yet he thinks worſe of himſelfe eueryevery day then other, and hath a greater inſight into his owne corruption, by how much, he gets more ſtrength againſt his corruption. In theſe regards therfore, and for theſe reaſons, it is moſt ſafe and profitable, to make Gods example a line for himſelfe, and to follow his preſident, ſo neere as he can in all things.
This then may ſerue to the confutation of thoſe men, that letting paſſe Gods example as nothing pertaining to them, thinke to daſh all commandements, and all rebukes, with this one anſwere, that all men doe ſo, as though it were a ſufficient buckler to beare off all Gods commandements, and the force of his example, becauſe the example of moſt men is contrarie: as namely in this one commandement, which of all the reſt God hath moſt ſtrongly fenced with reaſons & among other, with one drawne from his owne practiſe and example. Come to ſabboth breakers that abuſe it to ſinne and vanitie, how dare you bee ſo bolde, as to breake Gods expreſſe commandement with ſo high an hand, and to prouoke him to his face thus? why I hope wee are not thoſe that alone play vponupon the ſabboth, wee ſhall doe as well as others, all the townes round about vsus doe the like, but why ſhould not you looke to Gods commandement▪ and example rather then to wicked men; would a father take this for a good anſwere if he ſhould come to his childe & ſay, why do you lie or ſteale, know you not that it offends mee, and I like it not? why ſhould you chide mee, I hope I am not the firſt that euer ſwore, other children hauehave lyed & ſtolne before me, what need you be ſo angry with me for the matter, no father would endure ſuch an anſwere of his childe; this manner of defending were worſe then the fault. But ſo we deale with God, he ſends his miniſters to reproue vsus, & ſay, why doe you diſhonour the name of God, and breake his commandement and ſabboth? why I hope others doe ſo as well as I, this is the moſt common aunſwere. But ſhould not a childe be ruled by his father? ſhould not a ſeruant follow his maſter? and ſhould not the children of God follow God? and be content to be ruled both by his commandement and example? What a miſerable thing is this, that we will forſake the light to runne to darkneſſe, and leaue God, to goe after Beliall. The way is not broad, that leades to heauen, nor many walke in it, their ſinnes are no warrant for vsus to ſinne, but if we be Gods, then let vsus follow God, as deare children.
So, 1. Iohn. 6. verſe. If wee walke in darkneſſe. The Apoſtle ſhewes that if we be in Chriſt, we muſt walk as Chriſt walked, for if one ſhould ſay, this is a member of the bodie, whereof this is the head, and the head goe eaſt, and the member weſt, no man would beleeue it, ſo if we ſay Chriſt is our head, but we goe a quite contrary way to that in which he went, it is altogether falſe, and a lye, as Saint Iohn ſaith; but if Chriſt be our head, let vsus walke in the light wherein he walked, let vsus treade in his ſteps of meekeneſſe, of denying the world, and of placing our joy in heauen, and thoſe vertues that ſhined in him, let them appeare in vsus, though not in the ſame meaſure, yet in the ſame manner and truth, for the like meaſure is impoſsible, to vsus, but the like truth and vprightneſſe is not onelyonly poſsible, but ſo neceſſarie, that without it we can hauehave no aſſurance, that we are in him.
This ſerues likewiſe for the encouragement and comfort of Gods children, that liue in ſuch prophane places, where they can hauehave no patterne of godlineſſe in man, nor none that will joyne with them in any holy thing, as it often times falls out. Then the diuell is readie to object againſt them, and to hinder them with this objection frō going on; what will you be ſinguler, will you be one alone, without any example? No, they are not without example, but they follow the beſt exāple, euen the example of God, and it is far better to bee lead by his example to heauen, though fooliſh men mock them, then by the example men to be drawne to hell, and hauehave God to plague them, his one example ſhould more encourage and ſtrengthen vsus, then all their contrary practiſes diſcourage or feare vsus. O will you keep the ſabboth ſo ſtrictly, that you will not play among your neighbours, & do as eueryevery body doth, they will mock you and hate you, and count you more preciſe then wiſe. Well, if they doe, yet a chriſtian may beare off all, with this I know God will louelove and allow mee for it, he commands to do as he did, he created all things in ſixe dayes, and one day, the ſabboth onelyonly, preſerued; therefore I muſt ceaſe from works of my calling, & doe thoſe works whereby I may preſerue mine owne ſoule or others, therefore let the world, goe which way it will, wee will walke in the waies of our God, and follow his example.