A37049:152
A37049:152
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.
The fifth Scripture is, 1 Tim. 1.8. The Law is good, if a man use it lawfully: and this guards against abusing of the Law, and putteth us to the lawful use of it: There are extremes in abusing the Law; as 1. When it is used to seek Righteousness by it. Again 2. When the Authority of it is pretended for something it Warrants not, such as the Traditions of the Fathers, Mat. 15. seeking of Salvation by the observation of Circumcision, &c. 3. When its Authority in practise is denied. 4. When it is turned from practise to vain speculations and questions. 5. When it is so used as it deters and scares from Christ 6. When it is so made use of, as it oppresses and discourages a Believer, for whose sake (1 T ••. 1.19.) it was never made or appointed, as to its threatenings and ⟨p. 18⟩condemning Power: And lastly, in a word, when it is not used to the ends, and in the manner expressed, in the former Scriptures.
The fifth Scripture is, 1 Tim. 1.8. The Law is good, if a man use it lawfully: and this guards against abusing of the Law, and putteth us to the lawful use of it: There are extreams in abusing the Law; as 1. When it is used to seek Righteousness by it. Again 2. When the Authority of it is pretended for something it Warrants not, such as the Traditions of the Fathers, Mat. 15. seeking of Salvation by the observation of Circumcision, &c. 3. When its Authority in practise is denied. 4. When it is turned from practise to vain speculations and questions. 5. When it is so used as it deters and scares from Christ 6. When it is so made use of, as it oppresses and discourages a Believer, for whose sake (1 T ••. 1.19.) it was never made or appointed, as to its threatnings and ⟨p. 18⟩condemning Power: And lastly, in a word, when it is not used to the ends, and in the manner expressed, in the former Scriptures.
Fourthly, Because the study of this Law is so singularly useful, we not only press and commend it, but add further some few directions, whereby we may be helped rightly to use it, and to guard against the abuse of it in our hearing and reading of it.
1 The first direction is, ye would look on it as God's Word, and take it as if ye heard himself from Sinai pronounce it, that so ye may tremble, and be more affected with holy fear when ever ye read, hear it, or meditate upon it; for so was the people affected when it was first promulgate.
2 Be much in prayer for grace to take up its meaning; David (Psal. 119.18. &c.) prayed often for this, and thought it not unbecoming a King, yea a believing King, and a Prophet, to study this Law, and pray much for opened eyes to understand the meaning thereof.
3 In your reading seek to understand so as to practise it, for that is the end of knowledge, and the end the Law it self aims at, Deut. 5.1, 2. we knowing no more in God's account than what we endeavour honestly to practise; and not aiming at practice, indisposeth both for understanding and practice, and makes men exceeding careless.
4 As ye hear and learn any thing to be duty or sin, reflect on your selves, and try whether that be sin in you, and how far short ye are in that duty; for this is the proper use of the Law, to reveal sin and transgression, Rom. 1.18. and therefore it is called a Glass, Jam 1.23, 24. and ye would look in it so as ye may know what manner of persons ye are, and may know what spots are upon you.
5 When the Law discovers sin, ye would open your Bosom to let in Convictions; for the Law entered that sin might abound, not in practice, but in sense feeling, and conscience, Rom. 5.20. and follow these Convictions by repentance, till they necessitate you to fly to Christ, and leave you there.
6 Take help from Christ's Sermons, and the Prophets, to understand this Scripture, for they are the only Canonical; and therefore the best Commentary upon the Commandments; yet ye would not despise the light holden forth in humane writings, such ⟨p. 19⟩as the larger Catechism, which is very full as to this, and if conscionably improved, will prove exceeding profitable for your instruction.
Lastly, The Grave Case that we would speak unto, before we enter particularly on the Commandments is, whether any of these Commandments may be broken in our sleep, by Dreams, Imaginations, Actions, &c. which otherwise are unlawful, or whether when a man is sleeping and dreaming he be sub sect to the Rule of the Law, and if its obligation extend to him even then? This question hath its own difficulty, and although it be not good to be curious in it, yet it wants not its own profit, as to the peace and quietness of God's people, or to their humbling and stirring upun to repentance, if it be rightly decided. I know almost all run on the negative, as if men were not in the least guilty of sin by such Dreams, upon this ground, upon this ground, because they are not then in a capacity to use and exercise their reason, but that they are in this case as mad, distracted, or frantic men. I desire to be sober in speaking to this; yet I shall adventure to speak my mind a little about it, with the reasons of it.
Lastly, The Grave Case that we would speak unto, before we enter particularly on the Commandments is, whether any of these Commandments may be broken in our sleep, by Dreams, Imaginations, Actions, &c. which otherwise are unlawful, or whether when a man is sleeping and dreaming he be sub •ect to the Rule of the Law, and if its obligation extend to him even then? This question hath its own difficulty, and although it be not good to be curious in it, yet it wants not its own profit, as to the peace and quietness of God's people, or to their humbling and stirring upun to repentance, if it be rightly decided. I know almost all run on the negative, as if men were not in the least guilty of sin by such Dreams, upon this ground, upon this ground, because they are not then in a capacity to use and exercise their reason, but that they are in this case as mad, distracted, or frantick men. I desire to be sober in speaking to this; yet I shall adventure to speak my mind a little about it, with the reasons of it.
And
1. We say there is a great difference betwixt sleeping dreaming men, and mad-men. 1. Because madness is wholly in it self penal, and is a disease following sinful man as other diseases: but so it cannot be said of such dreaming; for as sleep was natural (there being before Adam's Fall a Day and a Night as well as now, and there b •ing an instance then of Adam's sleeping) so must dreaming be, being procured by the restlessness of the Fancy, and the roving of the Imaginations, which is some way natural; but that men dream of such subjects, or that their dreams are of such a nature (as filthy or profane) seems clearly to follow sin, which dreaming simply doth not; and therefore man is not so passive in this, as in madness. 2. Because in dreams men have more use of Reason than in madness, though (as the School-men say) that use be imperfect, yet as they grant (and Experience confirmeth it, and Augustine lib. 10. Confess. acknowledgeth it in himself) men may reason and debate in sleep, yea sometimes reject some motions, and though dreaming yet not give consent unto them; and that upon reasons which at other times possibly they will embrace. Hence is it that there is a sort of suitableness and likeness betwixt mens ⟨p. 20⟩dreamings, and th •ir rational actings when waking; children and mad-men, or men in a distemper, having more foolishness and less reason in dreams than these who have more use of reason; but wise men in a distraction, and natural fools, have no such difference then: Beside, we conceive that dreaming is more proper to reasonable men than Beasts, and to men that have exercise of reason than to children, but madness may be in all. •. Because a mans former carriage in moral things hath much more influence on his dreams when he has clear use of reason, than it can be said to have upon him when in madness, as to the things committed by him in it. 4. Neither is it without some weight, that under the Law, Levit. 15. Deut. 23.10. Sacrifices and Washings were appointed for some sins committed in sleep and dreaming (whatever they be in themselves •) which were not appointed for the sins of such as were frantic: All which put together, and duly considered, we cannot look upon sins, I mean things otherwise unlawful, in dreaming, and sins in distraction, as equal.
Yet secondly, there be some things that we willingly grant in this matter: As 1. That we do not come •rehend under these sinful dreams every passing transient thought or motion in sleep, which has merely an idleness and unprofitableness with it, which though it might possibly be sinful in men waking, (when they should aim in the least thought at something edifying) yet we think dreams that are m yearly (so to s •y) negative, that is, not sinful on the matt •r, are not to be accounted sins; nay, nor yet sins historically, as it were, objected to the fancy, or only obj actively propos •d; I say they are not sinful, because mans fancy at such a time is open to such Representations, and cannot hold them out, •specially seeing they may possibly be carried in by the Devil, who certainly waits th •se times; but there are other sinful dreams, such as that spoken of, L •vit. 15. through occasion of which there is effusion of s •ed, rising in passion, delighting in revenge, it may be (as we have heard) to the commi •ting of some act; such have (as it were) a more deliberate consent with them, and sometimes delight, yea sometimes external motion of the body endeavouring the accompl •shments of its desires: in all which it seems hard to say, that a man is passive only, and when the subject of the dreams are such things as a natural Conscience will ⟨p. 21⟩scare and tremble at, it is of these we speak.
Yet secondly, there be some things that we willingly grant in this matter: As 1. That we do not com •rehend under these sinful dreams every passing transient thought or motion in sleep, which has meerly an idleness and unprofitableness with it, which though it might possibly be sinful in men waking, (when they should aim in the least thought at something edifying) yet we think dreams that are m •erly (so to s y) negative, that is, not sinful on the matt r, are not to be accounted sins; nay, nor yet sins historically, as it were, objected to the fancy, or only obj ctively propos d; I say they are not sinful, because mans fancy at such a time is open to such Representations, and cannot hold them out, specially seeing they may possibly be carried in by the Devil, who certainly waits th se times; but there are other sinful dreams, such as that spoken of, L vit. 15. through occasion of which there is effusion of s ed, rising in passion, delighting in revenge, it may be (as we have heard) to the commi ting of some act; such have (as it were) a more deliberate consent with them, and sometimes delight, yea sometimes external motion of the body endeavouring the accompl shments of its desires: in all which it seems hard to say, that a man is passive only, and when the subject of the dreams are such things as a natural Conscience will
2 We conceive there is a great difference, as to degrees of sinfulness, betwixt such sinful motions, desires, delectations, &c. that are in a waking man, and the same in one asleep; the guilt is much less by many degrees in the one, than in the other.
3 A difference is to be made betwixt gross sins objectively represented to the fancy in sleep, and the same sins which are not only so represented, but also have more settled motions following thereon.
3 A difference is to be made betwixt gross sins objectively represented to the fancy in sleep, and the same sins which are not only so represented, but also have more setled motions following thereon.
4 There is a difference also betwixt distempered men in their dreams of this kind, and m •n who are sob •r, and well at thems •lves; yet we cannot but incline to think, that there is some guilt that may and ought to be r •pented of in such dreams, and so that men may in their slay •p sin against these holy Commandments, seeing that in many dre •ms, as in many words, th •re are divers (even sinful) vanities, Eccl •s. 5.7.
4 There is a difference also betwixt distempered men in their dreams of this kind, and m •n who are sob •r, and well at thems •lves; yet we cannot but incline to think, that there is some guilt that may and ought to be r •pented of in such dreams, and so that men may in their sle •p sin against these holy Commandments, seeing that in many dre •ms, as in many words, th •re are divers (even sinful) vanities, Eccl •s. 5.7.
This Truth is something clear from the grounds already laid down; but we shall for further clearing and confirming of it, add these following Arguments. The first is this.
1. We say there is a great difference betwixt sleeping dreaming men, and mad-men. 1. Because madness is wholly in it self penal, and is a disease following sinful man as other diseases: but so it cannot be said of such dreaming; for as sleep was natural (there being before Adam's Fall a Day and a Night as well as now, and there b •ing an instance then of Adam's sleeping) so must dreaming be, being procured by the restlesness of the Fancy, and the roving of the Imaginations, which is some way natural; but that men dream of such subjects, or that their dreams are of such a nature (as filthy or prophane) seems clearly to follow sin, which dreaming simply doth not; and therefore man is not so passive in this, as in madness. 2. Because in dreams men have more use of Reason than in madness, though (as the School-men say) that use be imperfect, yet as they grant (and Experience confirmeth it, and Augustine lib. 10. Confess. acknowledgeth it in himself) men may reason and debate in sleep, yea sometimes reject some motions, and though dreaming yet not give consent unto them; and that upon reasons which at other times possibly they will imbrace. Hence is it that there is a sort of suitableness and likeness betwixt mens ⟨p. 20⟩dreamings, and th •ir rational actings when waking; children and mad-men, or men in a distemper, having more foolishness and less reason in dreams than these who have more use of reason; but wise men in a distraction, and natural fools, have no such difference then: Beside, we conceive that dreaming is more proper to reasonable men than Beasts, and to men that have exercise of reason than to children, but madness may be in all. •. Because a mans former carriage in moral things hath much more influence on his dreams when he has clear use of reason, than it can be said to have upon him when in madness, as to the things committed by him in it. 4. Neither is it without some weight, that under the Law, Levit. 15. Deut. 23.10. Sacrifices and Washings were appointed for some sins committed in sleep and dreaming (whatever they be in themselve •) which were not appointed for the sins of such as were frantick: All which put together, and duly considered, we cannot look upon sins, I mean things otherwise unlawful, in dreaming, and sins in distraction, as equal.