A20559:217
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Gods name is glorified in life, by a godly & holy living in christian profession. speech or without an oath in speaking of Gods words titles attributes works reverently and to good use and edification. in the lawful use of an oath, by observing these rules in the persons or making that he be a christian & believer, else he cannot swear lawfully. taking that he do require and will accept an oath, else there is no calling. thing that it be first, true in judgement and knowledge. secondly, a matter of wait and importance. thirdly, taken with great fear and reverence of gods name.
Gods name is glorified in life, by a godly & holy liueing in christian profession. speach or without an oath in speking of Gods words titles attributs works reuerently and to good vse and edification. in the lawfull vse of an oath, by obseruing these rules in the persons or making that hee be a christian & beleeuer, else hee cannot sweare lawfully. taking that he do require and will accept an oath, else there is no calling. thing that it bee first, true in judgement and knowledge. secondly, a matter of wait and importance. thirdly, taken with great feare and reuerence of gods name.
First, for life, a christian is bound here to behave himself so, that his whole conversation may bring glory to the name of God. He must so profit in knowledge and conscience by the word of God, which he professeth, & make such a good proceeding in pure religion, as that he may beautify his religion by a blameless and unspotted behaviour. Thus in Mat. 5. Christ saith, Let your light so shine forth, that men ⟨image 62⟩may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven. He would have christians be as lights, and the light which they must send forth on every side must be a gracious, and christian behaviour, that men seeing & beholding these beams, may glorify, not them, and commend them, for this a Pharisee will do, seek to have men magnify him, and speak well of him; but a christian must desire that by his means men may be brought to magnify the profession of God, and to speak and think most reverently of that word, that hath wrought such grace and such reformation in them. The life must be the first beginner in religion, or else the speech is but ridiculous; as the Lord saith, What hast thou to do, to take my words within thy mouth, and hatest to be reformed; One goes beyond his calling and commission, when he dare call himself a christian, and God his father, and will not yield obedience unto his commandments in his practise. So