The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

As come to a professor that is given to covetousness, and over to whom the world bears to great an hand, though he have a true hart to God, and some sound graces of the spirit of God wrought in him, do but up some covetous talk that tends toward gain and filthy lucre, see if he will not be quite gone, and forgetting God and the sabbath, and himself and all, give his hart and tongue and all, to be employed about worldly things, unless he mound and fence his hart about diligently with these thoughts, what though I do, hath not god bidden me remember the sabbath, hath he not set a special mark upon it, that I should in no hand forget, & thus by earnest striving, shake of these untimely words & thoughts. And then we shall have the world be objecting, and putting in it carnal reasons to make us negligent; why, what need you be so strict, this is to much niceness, you are more precise then wise, and such like; which will certainly carry one away unless he strive to confirm himself, by thinking on Gods commandment, and so shut out these objections; what, hath not God bid me remember, and shall I suffer men to make me forget it? hath not he given me two reasons to keep it, the one stronger then the Jews had, and shall I be more negligent in keeping it, then they, which had but one? they had weaker means of comfort, the blood of bulls and goats, & the sprinkling of water, and an earthly tabernacle and high priest, and yet they were with reverence to use these; and shall we, that have more excellent means, as Christ Jesus offered up for a sacrifice offered up once for all, and the sprinkling of his blood to purify our souls, and the heavenly tabernacle opened for us, by him our heavenly high priest, and continual mediator; shall we I say, that have all these means, more plain & excellent then theirs, be negligent to keep this sabbath; especially, sith God hath given us this as a means to draw us from earth to heaven, and to make us grow in a spiritual life. Having then all these impediments, ⟨p. 70⟩unless we do arm our selves in the week day, and strengthen our faith by remembering Gods commandment & reasons, & by a wise cutting of those distractions which by diligence may be cut of, we cannot with any comfort or cheerfully celebrate a sabbath unto the Lord.

As come to a professour that is giuen to couetousnesse, and ouer to whome the world beares to great an hand, though he haue a true hart to God, and some sound graces of the spirit of God wrought in him, doe but vp some couetous talke that tends toward gaine and filthie lucre, see if he will not be quite gone, and forgetting God and the sabboth, and himselfe and all, giue his hart and tongue and all, to be imployd about worldly things, vnlesse he mound and fence his hart about diligently with these thoughts, what though I doe, hath not god bidden me remember the sabboth, hath he not set a speciall mark vpon it, that I should in no hand forget, & thus by earnest striuing, shake of these vntimely words & thoughts. And then we shall haue the world be objecting, and putting in it carnall reasons to make vs negligent; why, what neede you be so strict, this is to much nicenesse, you are more precise then wise, and such like; which will certainly carry one away vnlesse he striue to confirme himselfe, by thinking on Gods commandement, and so shut out these objections; what, hath not God bid mee remember, and shall I suffer men to make me forget it? hath not he giuen me two reasons to keep it, the one stronger then the Iewes had, and shall I be more negligent in keeping it, then they, which had but one? they had weaker meanes of comfort, the bloud of buls and goates, & the sprinkling of water, and an earthly tabernacle and high priest, and yet they were with reuerence to vse these; and shall we, that haue more excellent meanes, as Christ Iesus offered vp for a sacrifice offered vp once for all, and the sprinkling of his bloud to purifie our soules, and the heauenly tabernacle opened for vs, by him our heauenly high priest, and continuall mediator; shall we I say, that haue all these meanes, more plaine & excellent then theirs, be negligent to keepe this sabboth; especially, sith God hath giuen vs this as a meanes to draw vs from earth to heauen, and to make vs grow in a spirituall life. Hauing then all these impediments,