A Iudicious and painefull EXPOSITION vpon the ten Commandements ; Wherein the Text is opened , Questions and Doubts are resolued , Errours confuted , and sundry Instructions effectually applied . First deliuered in seuerall Sermons , and now published to the glory of God , and for the further benefit of his Church . By PETER BARKER , Preacher of Gods Word , at Stowre Paine , in Dorsetshire .

Printed at London for Roger Iackson , and are to be sold at his shop neer the great Conduit in Fleet-street , 1624.

RIght Worshipfull , when contrary to my custome , I had penned these Sermons , I could not at first determine whether If I should smother them in my deske , or send them out into the common light : I should let them perish as soone as they were brought forth , happily some would endite me of closenes ; If I should suffer the world to take a view of them , others would condemne me for profusion ; especially seeing that this age being furnished with Bookes euen to satietie and surfet , may say of the Priests , as Bezaleel of the people ; The people bring too much , and more then enough for the vse of the Tabernacle , Ex. 36. 5. But while I was thus musing , at last I resolued rather to presse then to suppresse them , and now they lay open to all censures : If your Worships shal thinke I sound from my emptines , yet blame me no more then you wil the ful handed , which commonly are most sparing : herein mine owne heart sometime endited a good matter , then with the spider did I weaue my webbe out of my owne breast : at other times my tongue was the pen of other Writers ; then with the Bee did I gather hony out of the flowers , yet so as with the Dogge at the Riuer Nilus I neuer did but touch and goe , lappe , and away , and being desirous to be rather Scriptor then Exscriptor , a water-spring then a leaden spout , did in gleaning commonly , make others mine owne for forme by many alterations . If your Worsh●ps shal marke these my poore pains with your starres , you shall encourage mee the second time to put pen to paper ; but if with your spits , your dislike shall driue me to a non plus , my second Sermons shall neuer stand in white sheetes , and so referring my selfe and my labour to your charitable censures : I rest

Exodus 20. 1. God spake all these words and said , I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of bondage .

GOd spake these words : 1 In other parts of the Bible God vsed other mens mouthes , b b Luc. 1. 70 he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets , and c c 2 Pet. 1. 21 holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost : 2 he vsed other mens pens , there were Scribes which were the pens of Gods owne finger , as there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , d d 2 Chr. 24 11. mens Scribs called Notaries , e e Ier. 36. 10 Secretaries , f f 2 Reg. 18. 18. Recorders , and g g Ier. 8. 8. Gods Scribes whose office was to write the words of the Lord and to expound it ; but in deliuering this law , God spake himselfe . The Decalogue was the immediate word of his owne mouth , he did h h Ex. 31. 18 write himselfe , he made his owne pen publike Notary of his tongue , his owne finger was the pen , so that we may say as the Inchaunters of Aegypt in another case , i i Ex. 8. 19. Digitus Dei est hic , this is the finger of God .

This double dignity in speaking and writing , which the law hath aboue other scripture , teacheth vs to lend a most attentiu● eare vnto it .

The holy Ghost commends vnto vs some scriptures as more excellent then other , in respect of our vse or seuerall necessities , by remarkable notes , either in the beginning of the speach , as k k Mat. 1. 23 behold , which marke of attention is as the ringing of a Bell before the sermon , or in the end of the speach as l l Ps. 3. 2. ● Selah , which is a postcript , and teacheth vs to looke backe and in this case to be like m m Gen. 19. 26. Lots wife , who turned backe and looked behind her .

Sometime the holy Ghost writeth more artificially then at other times as n n Psal. 111. 112. 119. some psalmes , and the Lamentations of Ieremy are written in an Alphabeticall order to note their dignity , and helpe the memory .

Sometime the holy Ghost giueth some scripture a name aboue other names , as Dauid calleth the 120 Psalme and 14 Psalmes following , songs of Degrees , not for that the Leuites did raise the tune in singing those Psalmes , for these and other Psalmes had the like tune , nor yet because they were sung on the stayers of the temple , for Salomon built the temple after those Psalmes were stiled by that name , but because ( as a learned writer of our time hath well obserued ) they were excellent Psalmes of a higher degree , and more speciall vse .

But neither note , nor name , nor any thing else can commend vnto vs any especiall scripture , whereby to moue attention so much as this which is superlatiue to them all , God deliuered the law with his owne mouth , God did write it with his owne finger , so that he might say for the one as Ioseph to his brethren ; o o Gen. 45. 12 Beholde , your eyes doe see that mine owne mouth speaketh to you : and for the other , as Paul to Philemon , p p Philem. 19 I haue written this with mine owne hand .

2. God is a Iudge , his Law is a Charge , and when the Iudge doth giue the Charge , euery man is ready to harken to it .

3. There is an interchangeable speach betwixt God and vs , we speake vnto God in prayer and thankesgiuing , he speaketh to vs , by the audible sound of his word , or secret voice of his Spirit ; we cry vnto God that he would heare vs , that our prayers may goe vp , and his mercy may come downe , that God and our prayers may meete together in heauen , q q Ioh. 4. 7. as Christ and the woman at Iacobs well , and God interchangeably crieth to vs that we would heare him : the voice that descended from heauen gaue nothing else in charge but this : r r Mat. 17. 5. heare him : as though other duties were comprised in hearing , and Christ speake of hearing , when he told Martha , s s Luc. 10. 32. one thing was necessary , as though other necessities were to giue place vnto it . t t Pro. i. 24. 28. He that stoppeth his eares when God speaketh , shall speake himselfe and not be heard .

Therefore be not like hounds , which haue their eares hanging towards the earth , by reason whereof the sound and voice cannot so soone enter ; much lesse be like the deafe adder , u u Psal. 58. 4 which stoppeth her eares , but be like the little birds which peirk vp their heads when the dam doth bring them meat , and be ready to say with Samuel when God speaketh , x x 1 Sam. 3. 10. speake Lord thy seruant heareth .

Secondly God speaketh . Therefore wash away the dregs of sinne before you come to heare , as the adder slips of her skin as the Eagle casts her bill , as blind Bartimeus the legger threw y Mar. 10. 50. away his cloke before he came vnto Christ .

z z Es. 55. 1. Come to the waters and drinke , but be like the Serpent , who when he comes to drinke , first spues vp his poison .

Gods law is pure , and will aske pure and cleane vessels wherein to keepe it ; it is new wine , and will not be put into old stinking bottels : a a Ps. 119. 105. Gods word is a Lanterne and light , sinne is a curtaine drawne ouer the heart , which hideth and eclipseth the light from shining vnto you , and therfore first b b Iam. 1. 27. lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of maliciousnesse , and then receiue with meeknesse the word that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules .

Thirdly , God speaketh : therefore heare with reuerence .

If a Proclamation come from the King , we vncouer our heads to harken to it : when c c Iud. 3. 20. Ehud told Eglon , he had a message from God , he arose from his throne : d d Deu. 31. 26. The Arke wherein the law was put e e Ex. 25. 11 14. was within and without ouerlaid with pure gold . It was carried vpon barres that the Leuites might not touch it , that so the maiesty and dignity might breed in the people reuerence : when the Arke came from the Philistims , the Bethlemites receiued it with great gladnesse , but vsing it with little reuerence , f f 1 Sam. 6 , 19. it caused the destruction of many .

It was not giuen in charge to the Elders of Israel to teach the people as it was to the Leuites , yet when the law was deliuered to the sonnes of Leui , g g Deu. 31. 9 it was also deliuered to the Elders , and they were ioyned as assistants with them , that it might be the more reuerently regarded of the people .

If wee heare the law as Sarah did the message of the Angell , h h Gen. 18. 12 who laughed when shee heard it , or as Pharaoh did the message sent vnto him from God concerning the deliuerance of Israell , i i Ex. 5. 2. who blasphemed when he had heard it , or as Iehoiakim did the rowle which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Ieremy , k k ●er. 36. 23 who cut it in peeces with a penne-knife , and burnt it when hee had heard it , if wee can dispute and talke of it as though our tongues did runne vpon pattens , if we cast it behind vs l l Ps. 50. 17. as the vngodly in the fiftieth Psalme , then the excessiue reuerence of the Iewes shall condemne our defect , who at this day heare and reade , keepe and vse the law of God with all reuerence , they neuer lay any other booke vpon the Bible ; they wash their hands before they touch it , they will not sit vpon the bench where it lieth , as often as they open or shut it , they vse to kisse it .

Fourthly , God speaketh therefore beleeue .

That men might get credit to their lawes they were reported to bee inspired by the Gods at Rome , at Athens and other places , the Heathen gods were lying gods and dying gods , but God who gaue this law is trueth and life , and his law like himselfe , vera est , viua est , sana est , plana est , what he speaketh passeth by indenture , by couenant , by oath , before good witnesses , signed with the finger of the holy Ghost , and sealed with the bloud of the Sonne .

2. If inferiour persons speake they perswade by reason , knowing they haue no authority to giue them credit : m m Ex. 4. 1. They will not beleeue mee ( saith Moses ) they will say the Lord hath not appeared vnto thee , therefore the Lord tels him , hee shall haue a testimoniall , hee shall haue euidence to shew , the miracles which he worketh shall proue his commission : but Kings and Princes of their meere authority looke to be beleeued , here God speaketh n n 1 Tim. 6. 15. who is King of Kings , take the word of a King for it .

3. Ipse dixit , among Pythagoras schollers went current , if their master said it , it was enough , they set vp their rest , and shall not we that are schollers of Christ , giue the like credit to our master in heauen ? Beleeue when he saith he will visit , beleeue when he saith he will shew mercy . Neither doth the Angell vse any other argument to confirme the women in the resurrection then this , o o Mat. 28. 7 Loe I haue told you .

Lastly , God speaketh . The law is his word , and therefore it must not goe in at one eare , and out at another , it must not be as musicke , which once ended there is no more remembrance of it , or as vntimely fruit , which perisheth as soone as it is brought forth : if it were of no reckoning , it were no matter , if it went as it came , if it were of little moment , it were no matter though it went no further then the outward eare , then the porters lodge ; but it is purer then gold , yea then much fine gold , p p Mat. 13. 46. it is a pretious pearle , and therefore must be kept vnder locke and key in the closet of the heart , q q Col. 3. 16 it must dwell in vs , we must be like Iacob ; r r Gen. 37. 11 who noted the saying , and like Mary , s s Luc. 2. 51 who kept all the sayings in her heart . If we can say as Iob in another case , t t Iob 16. 2. We haue often heard such a thing , and doe not incorporate it , and keepe it in vs , we shall receiue the same checke which the Iewes did , u u Io. 5. 38. His word haue yee not abiding in you .

God spake all these words . When God would blesse the people which kept his law , and curse the disobedient , x x Deut. 27. 12. &c. six Tribes should stand vpon mount Gerizhim to blesse , and six vpon mount Eball to curse , and the people should not be left out , for they should answer and say , So be it : In setting downe the Articles of our faith , it hath been held as a tradition that Peter began , and afterwards euery Apostle added his Article , and therefore called the Apostles Creede , but in deliuering the Law , God was not one of six , nor one of twelue , he had no copertner but spake all himselfe as , y y Iams 2 11 He that said thou shalt not commit adultry , said also , thou shalt not kill , and so of the rest .

If God spake all , then we must heare all , obey all . The Iewes could be content to heare Steuen , till he touched the disease ; Noli me tangere , z z Act 7. 54 but then they gnashed at him with their teeth : to heare Paul , till he deliuered words which stood not with their liking , then they said , a a Act. 2. 22 Away with such a fellow from the earth , for it is not meet that hee should liue . The blasphemer who armes himselfe to strike the Lord with some deadly wound can happily be content to heare the first , to heare the second commandement , but if God will speake further , he shall haue better leaue to hold his peace , if he will write further in the first table , he will be ready to cry manum de tabula , harpe no more on that string , vntoothsome is that truth , which treadeth downe his owne likings . The Adulterer waiteth for the twilight , and commonly faulteth in the darke , and because the seuenth commandement doth light him a candle , he doth not willingly giue it the hearing : and so of the rest , if any one commandement doth crosse the paths of our speciall delights , would wrest vs in tune , would call the eye of the soule home to it selfe , and make vs see a glimpse of that we would not , we can no more away with it , then the owle can with the sunshine , or then the frantick man can with him that bindeth him : b b Heb. 11. 25. Sin it selfe is sweet , but the checke of sin is bitter , and no commandement gratious that is a censure of that iniquity we delight in , but God that speaketh all bids vs c c Deu 12. 28. heare all .