A20559:247
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.
Lastly, Christ Jesus himself the Lord of the Sabbath, confirms the sabbath most strongly. Mat. 24. 20. Where speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem by Vespasian, and speaking to the faithful of the church and true Christians, whose prayers shall surely prevail, he bids them pray that their flight be not upon the sabbath day, or in the winter. Forty years after a fearful destruction was to come upon Jerusalem, and this was decreed so that it might not be altered, yet Christ bids his servants pray, that it might be mitigated to them in some measure, and therefore that they might not be enforced to fly for their lives in the winter, for that would be grievous to the body, because of the shortness of the days, and the dirtiness ⟨p. 65⟩of the ways would be very tedious to them, nor upon the sabbath, because this would be as grievous to their souls, if they must be constrained to spend that day in taking pains to preserve their bodies, which God had appointed to be spent in those things that should help forward the salvation of their souls. What, will some say, is it not lawful to fly for ones life on the sabbath? yes: and Christ allows it. But he knew full well what grief it would bring to a christian soul, to think, Alas I was wont as this day to sit quietly in the church and among Gods Saints to hear the sweet comforts of his word delivered unto my soul, and with praise to sing Psalms of thanks unto God, and to ask those things with the rest of Gods people which we stood in need of, where I received such strength & comfort, that I walked in the strength of these exercises the whole week after, but now the pain of my body and the fear of my soul so distract me, & take me up that have neither leisure nor ability to do so, but I must want all these comforts. Christ knew that this would be as bitter as death to a Christian soul, and therefore he wills them to pray to God to prevent it, that no such necessity be laid upon them. Now if this commandment and this day had been ceremonial, they might have fled with as little care as any other, for it had been abolished long afore by Christs death, and no such regard had been to be made of it.
Lastly, Christ Iesus himselfe the Lord of the Sabboth, confirmes the sabboth most strongly. Mat. 24. 20. Where speaking of the destruction of Ierusalem by Ʋespasian, and speaking to the faithfull of the church and true Christians, whose prayers shall surely preuaile, he bids them pray that their flight bee not vpon the sabboth day, or in the winter. Fortie yeeres after a fearefull destruction was to come vpon Ierusalem, and this was decreed so that it might not bee altered, yet Christ bids his seruants pray, that it might bee mittigated to them in some measure, and therefore that they might not bee enforced to flie for their liues in the winter, for that would bee grieuous to the bodie, because of the shortnesse of the daies, and the durtinesse