A20559:43
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.
So for the second table, of them, what mans nature doth not tell him, that there is an order of government amongst men, which must not, nor cannot, without sin be violated, and so heathen and profane ungodly men, having committed murder, were not able to stand before the fury of their own conscience, but were in a continual chase & vexation, which shows that even corrupt nature bringeth with it, this knowledge into the world, that one must not kill. And for filthy persons and adulterers, though in time of their prosperity, they have soothed up themselves, and hardened their own harts, by living in pleasure, and giving themselves to idleness, and the lusts of their hearts, and so seemed to blot out this law, yet in misery when any affliction hath wakened their drowsy harts, and consciences, these would give ⟨p. 3⟩them no rest nor they durst not abide the face of their own conscience, but are driven to acknowledge the filthiness of their sins. Besides this place that they have in mans nature, which proveth they came from God, mans Lord. This also proves them to be his, because all the punishments that are at any time inflicted upon the world, have come from the disobedience against this law, and all the blessings and benefits that men enjoy, do proceed from the disobedience yielded to it. For when God sets down his curses and his blessings, are they not all grounded on this law? doth it not run thus, if thou observe and keep this law then thou shalt be blessed in soul, in body, in children, in cattle, in field, in all things thou puttest thine hand unto. Contrarily, if thou wilt not obey, but neglectest these, then shalt thou be cursed in body, in soul, in children, in all thou putst thine hand unto. So that sith God hath so great care to punish those that rebel against these laws, and to reward those that perform obedience to them, it proves that he is the lawmaker, and that though the law be brief in words, yet it is full of matter, and much to be marked and thought on.
So for the second table, of them, what mans nature doth not tell him, that there is an order of gouernment amongst men, which must not, nor cannot, without sinne bee violated, and so heathen and prophane vngodly men, hauing committed murdure, were not able to stand before the furie of their owne conscience, but were in a continuall chase & vexation, which shews that euen corrupt nature bringeth with it, this knowledge into the world, that one must not kill. And for filthie persons and adulterers, though in time of their prosperitie, they haue soothed vp themselues, and hardened their owne harts, by liuing in pleasure, and giuing themselues to idlenesse, and the lusts of their hearts, and so seemed to blot out this law, yet in misery when any affliction hath wakened their drowsie harts, and consciences, these would giue