A37049:1381
A37049:1381
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1675
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.
11. We may break this Command, and fail in the extremity of speaking too much good of, or to, our neighbour, as well as by speaking evil of him, if the good be not true; and here ⟨p. 442⟩cometh in, 1. excessive and rash praising and commending of one, 1. beyond what is due, 2. beyond what we do to others of as much worth, this is respect of persons; 3. beyond what discretion alloweth, as when it may be hurtful to awaken envy in others, or pride in them who are thus praised: 2. praising inordinately, that is before a mans self, or to gain his affection, and that possibly more then when he is absent and heareth not; much more is it to be blamed when spoken groundlessly, this is flattery, a most ba •e evil, which is exceedingly hurtful and prejudicial to human Societies, yet exceeding delightful to the flattered: 3. we fail in this extremity, when our neighbour is justified or defended, or excused by us in more or less, when it should not be.
11. We may break this Command, and fail in the extremity of speaking too much good of, or to, our neighbour, as well as by speaking evil of him, if the good be not true; and here ⟨p. 442⟩cometh in, 1. excessive and rash praising and commending of one, 1. beyond what is due, 2. beyond what we do to others of as much worth, this is respect of persons; 3. beyond what discretion alloweth, as when it may be hurtful to awaken envy in others, or pride in them who are thus praised: 2. praising inordinately, that is before a mans self, or to gain his affection, and that possibly more then when he is absent and heareth not; much more is it to be blamed when spoken groundlesly, this is flattery, a most ba •e evil, which is exceedingly hurtful and prejudicial to human Societies, yet exceeding delightful to the flattered: 3. we fail in this extremity, when our neighbour is justified or defended, or excused by us in more or less, when it should not be.
12. Under this sin forbidden in the Command, cometh in all beguiling speeches, whether it be by equivocation, when the thing is doubtfully and ambiguously expressed; or by mental reservation, a trick whereby the grossest lies may be justified, and which is plainly aversive of all truth in speaking, when the sentence is but half expressed; as suppose one should ask a Romish Priest, Art thou a Priest? and he should answer, I am no Priest; reserving this in his mind, I am no Priest of Baal: for by giving or expressing the answer so, an untruth and cheat is left upon the asker, and the answer so conceived doth not quadrat with the question as it ought to do, if a man would evite lying.
12. Under this sin forbidden in the Command, cometh in all beguiling speeches, whether it be by equivocation, when the thing is doubtfully and ambiguously expressed; or by mental reservation, a trick whereby the grossest lyes may be justified, and which is plainly aversive of all truth in speaking, when the sentence is but half expressed; as suppose one should ask a Romish Priest, Art thou a Priest? and he should answer, I am no Priest; reserving this in his mind, I am no Priest of Baal: for by giving or expressing the answer so, an untruth and cheat is left upon the asker, and the answer so conceived doth not quadrat with the question as it ought to do, if a man would evite lying.
13. This falsehood may be considered with reference to things we speak of, as in buying or selling, when we call a thing better or worse then it is indeed, or then we think it to be; ah! how much lying is there every day this way with many.
13. This falshood may be considered with reference to things we speak of, as in buying or selling, when we call a thing better or worse then it is indeed, or then we think it to be; ah! how much lying is there every day this way with many.
14. Under this sin forbidden in this Command are comprehended, 1. railing, 2. whispering, 3. tail-bearing (spoken of before,) 4. the tattling of busy bodies, that know not how to insinuate themselves with others, or pass time with them but by telling some ill tail of another; 5. prevarication, which is the sin of persons who are unconstant, whose words go not all alike, saying and unsaying; saying now this way, and then another way, of the same thing, their words clashing together, and they not consisting with themselves.
14. Under this sin forbidden in this Command are comprehended, 1. railing, 2. whispering, 3. tail-bearing (spoken of before,) 4. the tatling of busie bodies, that know not how to insinuate themselves with others, or pass time with them but by telling some ill tail of another; 5. praevarication, which is the sin of persons who are unconstant, whose words goe not all alike, saying and unsaying; saying now this way, and then another way, of the same thing, their words clashing together, and they not consisting with themselves.
15. Consider falsehood or false-witness-bearing, as it inferreth breach of promise, which is forbidden, Psal. 15.4. when one performeth not what he promiseth, or promiseth •hat which he intendeth not to perform, which is deceit and falsehood.
15. Consider falshood or false-witness-bearing, as it inferreth breach of promise, which is forbidden, Psal. 15.4. when one performeth not what he promiseth, or promiseth •hat which he intendeth not to perform, which is deceit and falshood.
16. As we may sin in speaking against others, so we may •in respect of our selves many ways: 1. When we give occasion to others to speak evil of us, 1 Cor. 6. 2 Cor. 6.3. 2. When we are not careful to entertain and maintain a good name, and by suitable ways to wipe a way what may mar the same: It is generally observed, that while men have a good name, they are desirous and careful to keep it, and when they have lost it, they grow careless of it; we ought not to be prodigal of our names more then of our lives or estates, for the loss of them incapacitateth us much to edify others. 3. When we vainly boast of our selves, and set forth our own praise, that is, as if a man should eat too much honey, Prov. 25.27. 4. When we will not confess a fault, but either deny, excuse, or extenuate it; this Joshua exhorteth Achan to eschew. 5. When we say that things are worse with us then indeed they are, and deny, it may be even in reference to our spiritual condition, somewhat of Gods goodness to us, and so lye against the Holy Ghost. 6. When we are too ready to entertain good reports of our selves, and to be flattered, there is (if to any thing) an open door to this in us; and as the Heathen Seneca said, Blanditiae cum excluduntur placent, so may it be ordinarily seen that men will seemingly reject what they delight should be insisted in; there is in us so much self-love, that we think some way, that men in commending us, do what is their duty, therefore we often think them good folk because they do so, and men that do not commend us we respect them not, or but little, or at least less then we do others, because we think they are behind in a duty by not doing so, and which is very sad, and much to be lamented, few things do lead us to love or hate, commend or discommend (and that as we think not without ground) more then this, that men do love and commend, or not love and commend us.
16. As we may sin in speaking against others, so we may •in respect of our selves many wayes: 1. When we give occasion to others to speak evil of us, 1 Cor. 6.
17. We also may by with-holding a testimony to the truth, ⟨p. 444⟩by not clearing of another, when it is in our power to do it, be guilty of this sin.
But especially is forbidden here public lying and wronging of another judicially, either in his person, name, or estate, and that 1. By the Judge, when he passeth sentence, either rashly, before he heareth the matter, and searcheth it out, which Job disclaimeth, asserting the contrary of himself, Job 29.16. or ignorantly, or perversely for corrupt ends, as being bribed to it, or otherwise. 2. By the Recorder, writing grievous things, Isa. 10.1. or making a clause in a decree, sentence, or writ, more favourable to one, and more prejudicial to another then was intended. 3. By the Witnesses, who either conceal truth, or express it ambiguously, or refuse to testify, or assert what is not true. 4. By the Advocate, by undertaking to defend or pursue what righteously he cannot; or by hiding from his Client that which he knoweth will prejudge his c •use; or by denying it when he is asked about it; or by not bringing the best defences he hath. And as to the first point here about Advocate •s, it is to be regretted (as a great Divine in the Neighbour-Church hath most pathetically, according to his manner, lately done) as a sad matter, that any known unrighteous Cause should have a professed Christian, in the face of a Christian Judicatory, to defend it; but incomparably more sad, that almost every unjust Cause should find a Patron; and that, no contentious malicious person should be more ready to do wrong, then some Lawyers to defend him for a (dear bought) •ee! I speak not here of innocent mistakes in cases of great difficulty; nor yet of excusing a cause bad in the main from unjust aggravations; but (says that great man) when money will hire men to plead for injustice▪ and to use their wits to defraud the righteous, and to spoil his Cause, and vex him with delays for the advantage of their unrighteous Clients, I would not have the conscience of such for all their gains, nor their account to make for all the world: God is the great Patron of innocence, and the pleader of every righteous Cause: and he that will be so bold as to plead against him, had need of a large fee to save him harmless. 5. By the Accuser or Pursuer, when unjustly he seeketh what doth not belong unto him, or chargeth ⟨p. 445⟩
And by all of them, when business is delayed and protracted through their respective accession to it, as well as when justice is more manifestly wronged; this is the end of Jethro's advice to Moses, Exod. 18.23. that the people may return home, being quickly, and with all convenient diligence dispatched; which, to their great loss and prejudice many ways, the unnecessary lengthening of Processes obstructeth, and maketh Law and Lawyers, appointed for the ease and relief of the people, to be a grievous and vexatious burden to them; for which men in these stations and capacities will have much to answer to God, the righteous Judge of all the Earth, when they shall be arraigned before his terrible Tribunal, where there will be no need of leading witnesses to prove the guilt, since every mans conscience will be in place of a thousand witnesses, neither will the nimblest wit, the eloquentest tongue, the finest and smoothest pen of the most able Lawyer, Judge, Advocate, Notary or Litigant that shall be found guilty there, be able to fetch himself fair off. O! then all the fig-leaves of their fairest and most flourishing, but really frivolous pretences, wherewith they palliate themselves, vvill be instantly blown away by the breath of that Judges mouth, and so be utterly unable to cover the shame of their nakedness in the manifold breaches of this Command; then the greatest stretches of Wit, and highest strains of Eloquence made use of to the prejudice of truth and justice, vvill be found and pronounced to be poor, silly, and childish wiles, yea, very fooleries and babblings; after which, they vvill not speak again, but laying their hands on their mouths, eternally keep silence; It vvill therefore be the wisdom and advantage of the guilty in time to take with it, and resolving to do so no more, to betake themselves, for the pardon of it, to that Advocate with the Father, even Jesus the Righteous, who throughly pleadeth, and without all peradventure or possibility of loosing it; doth always carry the Cause he undertaketh to plead.
And by all of them, when business is delayed and protracted through their respective accession to it, as well as when justice is more manifestly wronged; this is the end of Jethro's advice to Moses, Exod. 18.23. that the people may return home, being quickly, and with all convenient diligence dispatched; which, to their great loss and prejudice many wayes, the unnecessary lengthening of Processes obstructeth, and maketh Law and Lawyers, appointed for the ease and relief of the people, to be a grievous and vexatious burthen to them; for which men in these stations and capacities will have much to answer to God, the righteous Judge of all the Earth, when they shall be arraigned before his terrible Tribunal, where there will be no need of leading witnesses to prove the guilt, since every mans conscience will be in place of a thousand witnesses, neither will the nimblest wit, the eloquentest tongue, the finest and smoothest pen of the most able Lawyer, Judge, Advocate, Notary or Litigant that shall be found guilty there, be able to fetch himself fair off. O! then all the fig-leaves of their fairest and most flourishing, but really frivolous pretences, vvherevvith they palliate themselves, vvill be instantly blovvn avvay by the breath of that Judges mouth, and so be utterly unable to cover the shame of their nakedness in the manifold breaches of this Command; then the greatest stretches of Wit, and highest strains of Eloquence made use of to the prejudice of truth and justice, vvill be found and pronounced to be poor, silly, and childish vviles, yea, very fooleries and bablings; after vvhich, they vvill not speak again, but laying their hands on their mouths, eternally keep silence; It vvill therefore be the vvisdom and advantage of the guilty in time to take vvith it, and resolving to do so no more, to betake themselves, for the pardon of it, to that Advocate vvith the Father, even Jesus the Righteous, vvho throughly pleadeth, and vvithout all peradventure or possibility of loosing it; doth alvvayes carry the Cause he undertaketh to plead.
In sum, that which in this Command in its positive part is levelled at as the scope thereof, is the preserving and promoting of truth, honest simplicity and ingenuity amongst men; a sincerely and cordially loving regard to the repute and good name of one another; and a sweet inward contentation, joyful satisfaction and complacency of heart therein; with a suitable love to, and care for our own good name.
UNTO all the other Commands the Lord hath subjoined this, for mans humbling and deep abasement in his sight, and it reacheth further in then all of them, being (as the words bear) not about any new object, (for it is concerning wife, house, &c.) but about a new way of acting in reference to that object, and condemning directly a sin, not so condemned in any other of the foregoing five Commandments, so that it also seems to be added to the other as a full and more clear explication of that spiritual obedience that is required in all the rest.
UNTO all the other Commands the Lord hath subjoyned this, for mans humbling and deep abasement in his sight, and it reacheth further in then all of them, being (as the words bear) not about any new object, (for it is concerning wife, house, &c.) but about a new way of acting in reference to that object, and condemning directly a sin, not so condemned in any other of the foregoing five Commandements, so that it also seems to be added to the other as a full and more clear explication of that spiritual obedience that is required in all the rest.
In it we have to consider, 1. the act, 2. the object: The act is not to cov •t, the Apostle expresseth it, Rom. 7.7. Thou ⟨p. 448⟩shalt not lust, which implieth an inordinateness in the heart, as being dissatisfied with what it hath, and so the positive part is contentment and satisfaction with a mans own lot, Hebr. 13.5 L •t your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: so that whatsoeve • motion is inconsistent w •th contentment, and inordinately desireth or tendeth to a change of our condition, falleth in as condemned here.
In it we have to consider, 1. the act, 2. the object: The act is not to cov •t, the Apostle expresseth it, Rom. 7.7. Thou ⟨p. 448⟩shalt not lust, which implyeth an inordinateness in the heart, as being dissatisfied with what it hath, and so the positive part is contentment and satisfaction with a mans own lot, Hebr. 13.5 L •t your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: so that whatsoeve • motion is inconsistent w •th contentment, and inordinately desireth or tendeth to a change of our condition, falleth in as condemned here.
The object is instanced in some particulars generally set down, such as our neighbours house, his wife, then his servants, &c. under which (as the general following cleareth) are comprehended all that concerneth him, his place and credit, or any thing that relateth to any of the former Commands.
Thou shalt not grieve that he is well, nor aim at his hurt, nor be discontent that thy own lot seemeth not so good. And as for the reason why this Command is added, its scope holdeth it forth, which seemeth to be this, I not only require you (as if the Lord had said) not to steal from him, and not to let your mind ran loose in coveting what is his, as in the eighth Command, not only to abstain from Adultery or determined Lust in the heart, as in the seventh Command, and not only the abstaining from wronging of his life, as in the sixth Command, and of his name that way spoken of in the ninth Command, or wronging of them that are in place and power by such heart lusts in us as are forbidden in the fifth Command; but I require such holiness that there be not any inordinate lust or motion entertained, nor having a being in the heart, although it never get consent, but on the contrary, that in reference to all these Commands in your carriage towards your Neighbour, there be in you a full contentation with the lot that God hath carved out •o you, without the least inordinate motion or inclination to the contrary, which may either be inconsistent with love to him, or with contentment and a right composure of spirit in your selves.
Thou shalt not grieve that he is well, nor aim at his hurt, nor be discontent that thy own lot seemeth not so good. And as for the reason why this Command is added, its scope holdeth it forth, which seemeth to be this, I not only require you (as if the Lord had said) not to steal from him, and not to let your mind ran loose in coveting what is his, as in the eighth Command, not only to abstain from Adultery or determined Lust in the heart, as in the seventh Command, and not only the abstaining from wronging of his life, as in the sixth Command, and of his name that way spoken of in the ninth Command, or wronging of them that are in place and power by such heart lusts in us as are forbidden in the fifth Command; but I require such holiness that there be not any inordinate lust or motion entertained, nor having a being in the heart, although it never get consent, but on the contrary, that in reference to all these Commands in your carriage towards your Neighbour, there be in you a full con•entation with the lot that God hath carved out •o you, without the least inordinate motion or inclination to the contrary, which may either be inconsistent with love to him, or with contentment and a right composure of spirit in your selves.
From this we may see that this Command is unreasonably and unjustly divided by Papists into two Commands, the one relating to the Neighbours house, th • other to his wife, and ⟨p. 449⟩what followeth: For, 1. this concupiscence or lust looketh not only to the Seventh and Eighth, but to the Fifth and Sixth and Ninth Commands, there being an inordinate affection towards thy Neighbours life and honour, or estimation also; and it is instanced in these two, because they are more discernible and common: This then showeth that God t •keth in this inordinateness of the heart, under one Command, in reference to whatsoever object it be, otherwise we behoved to say that either the Commands are defective, or that there is no such inordinateness to other objects of other Commands (which is absurd) or by the same reason we must multiply commands for them also, which yet the adversaries themselves do not. 2. The Apostle, Rom. 7.7. comprehendeth all inordinateness of heart towards whatsoever object it be in that Command, Thou shalt not lust, which is, as Thou shalt not desire his wife, so nothing else what is thy Neighbours. 3. The inverting the order which is here, in Deut. 5.21. where the wife is put first, not the house, showeth that the Command is one, otherwise what is Ninth in the one would be Tenth in the other, and contrarily, and so the order of these ten words (as they are called by the Lord) would be confounded. But the great thing we are mainly to inquire into, is the meaning of this Command; in which Papists being loath to acknowledge corrupt natures case to be so desperate as it is, and designing to maintain perfection of inherent righteousness and justification by works, do make this sin of Lust, forbidden in this Command, a very general thing, and all of us ordinarily are apt to think light of this sin.
From this we may see that this Command is unreasonably and unjustly divided by Papists into two Commands, the one relating to the Neighbours house, th • other to his wife, and ⟨p. 449⟩what followeth: For, 1. this concupiscence or lust looketh not only to the Seventh and Eighth, but to the Fifth and Sixth and Ninth Commands, there being an inordinate affection towards thy Neighbours life and honour, or estimation also; and it is instanced in these two, because they are more discernible and common: This then sheweth that God t keth in this inordinateness of the heart, under one Command, in reference to whatsomever object it be, otherwayes we behoved to say that either the Commands are defective, or that there is no such inordinateness to other objects of other Commands (which is absurd) or by the same reason we must multiply commands for them also, which yet the adversaries themselves do not. 2. The Apostle,
But especially is forbidden here publick lying and wronging of another judicially, either in his person, name, or estate, and that 1. By the Judge, when he passeth sentence, either rashly, before he heareth the matter, and searcheth it out, which Job disclaimeth, asserting the contrary of himself, Job 29.16. or ignorantly, or perversly for corrupt ends, as being bribed to it, or otherwayes. 2. By the Recorder, writing grievous things, Isa. 10.1. or making a clause in a decree, sentence, or writ, more favourable to one, and more prejudicial to another then was intended. 3. By the Witnesses, who either conceal truth, or express it ambiguously, or refuse to testifie, or assert what is not true. 4. By the Advocate, by undertaking to defend or pursue what righteously he cannot; or by hideing from his Clyent that which he knoweth will prejudge his c •use; or by denying it when he is asked about it; or by not bringing the best defences he hath. And as to the first point here about Advocat •s, it is to be regrated (as a great Divine in the Neighbour-Church hath most pathetically, according to his manner, lately done) as a sad matter, that any known unrighteous Cause should have a professed Christian, in the face of a Christian Judicatory, to defend it; but incomparably more sad, that almost every unjust Cause should find a Patron; and that, no contentious malicious person should be more ready to do wrong, then some Lawyers to defend him for a (dear bought) •ee! I speak not here of innocent mistakes in cases of great difficulty; nor yet of excusing a cause bad in the main from unjust aggravations; but (sayes that great man) when money will hire men to plead for injustice▪ and to use their wits to defraud the righteous, and to spoil his Cause, and vex him with delayes for the advantage of their unrighteous Clyents, I would not have the conscience of such for all their gains, nor their account to make for all the world: God is the great Patron of innocence, and the pleader of every righteous Cause: and he that will be so bold as to plead against him, had need of a large fee to save him harmless. 5. By the Accuser or Pursuer, when unjustly he seeketh what doth not belong unto him, or chargeth ⟨p. 445⟩another with what he should not, or justly cannot. 6. By the Def •nder, when he denyeth what he knoweth, or •••ceth it, &c.