Christianity Surely God requires of us no more than he hath given and that is to make use of the faculties wherewith he hath indued us How can we apprehend any doctrine or the sense of any written word but by our faculty of understanding And how can we make judgment thereof I mean a judgment of discretion but by making use of our own reason This is not to subject matters of Religion to a private Spirit but to refer them to the Divine Authority of Scripture to be apprehended in the right and due use of reason which is a publick and evident thing and lies open to the trial and judgment of all men § 21. What Certainty is necessary to the being of saving Faith THUS upon the grounds before laid we may have a natural infallible Certainty of the verity of the Christian Religion and the divine authority of the Scripture and of the sense of Scripture It remains to be considered Whether the having of this Certainty both of the Christian Religion and of the Scripture be necessary to the being of saving Faith Here let it be noted That a person may have some doubting of a matter whereof he sees no just cause of doubting And howsoever men may possibly argue against this assertion yet experience makes it good And there is sufficient reason for it in the infirmity of our minds contracted by the fall whereby oft-times we are confident of the things which we see we have just cause to doubt of or disbelieve and whereby we doubt of the things that we see we have just cause most firmly to believe I take this to be evident in that saying I believe Lord help my unbelief And against this it cannot be said here is an effect without a sufficient cause for tho there be no sufficient ground or reason of the doubt yet for it being a defect there is a sufficient cause namely the infirmity of the mind He that said to our Saviour I believe Lord help mine unbelief had saying faith And his faith that he professed and his unbelief that he complained of appears by the context not to relate to his interest in Christ but to Christ himself as able to help him And so from this instance it is evident that the not having of an infallible certainty of the object denies not the being of saving faith at least where a man is so far clear as to see no just cause of doubt tho he do somewhat doubt A man that sees not a sufficient evidence to be infallibly assured touching the firmness of the grounds for the receiving of the Christian Doctrine and yet sees no sufficient evidence for the rejecting of that doctrine may from the consideration of the importance of the things therein treated of and the probability of the truth of those things be induced intirely and heartily to imbrace that doctrine with purpose to live accordingly and to perform that purpose That this may be is evident for humane prudence doth strongly oblige a man in that case to make such a choice for himself and if he doth not make such choice he doth not act with the understanding of a man But if it be said that the corruption of humane nature would be too hard for humane prudence in the case I answer That God can give that assistance of his Grace whereby a mans will shall be inabled to make its choice according to prudence against its naturally corrupt inclination And God can give this assistance very congruously or agreeably to his holy Wisdom Whosoever in the case aforesaid doth make such a choice and live accordingly hath saving faith For his so doing doth imply an unfeigned love to and preferring of God and Christ and Holiness above all that is in the world and so must needs suppose faith unfeigned and God proceeding according to his Grace in Christ will not impute unto condemnation such a ones culpable defect of Certainty in the matters of Faith which doth not hinder his sincere trust in God through Christ and his intire and hearty love to him § 22. Of our Certainty of being in the State of Grace IT may lastly be inquired What Certainty one may have of his being in the state of grace As for the Certainty of Salvation that is a different inquiry and depends on another question touching the Certainty of perseverance in a justified state which is not here to be medled with and we inquire not whether one may be certain of his being in the state of Grace by special revelation but in an ordinary way That any one ordinarily should have certain knowledg of his being in the state of Grace supposeth his certain knowledg of these two things 1. That God hath declared in his word that they which have such and such qualifications are in the state of Grace 2. That he himself is so qualified For it is the conclusion of these two premises the one whereof is the object of divine faith and the other of a clear and right self-knowledg The Certainty of the former viz. That God hath declared persons so qualified to be in the state of Grace none deny that acknowledg the Certainty of Christs Gospel The Certainty of the latter is the matter of debate whether it be possible and whether it ought to be had It is not inquired Whether the Certainty of the latter viz. Whether the person himself be so qualified be a Certainty of divine faith For the object of such Certainty is only what God hath revealed that this or that man hath faith and repentance but this is only a point of self-knowledg Here interpose we something of the doctrine of Protestants and Papists about the Certainty of this matter The Protestants in asserting that the Certainty of being in the state of Grace is a Certainty of divine faith do mean no more but that one of the propositions viz. Whosoever unfeignedly believes is justified rests solely on the Word of God and the other viz. I unfeignedly believe is known by internal sence and experience But whether the conclusion Therefore I am justified or in the state of Grace be rightly called a conclusion of divine faith I leave to others to judg not caring to strive about words when the thing it self is agreed upon And doubtless no sober Protestant will assert that the Certainty which we have of this conclusion is a Certainty of the same reason with that which we have of an article of faith either so firmness or necessity The Papists in denying the Certainty of Justification to be a Certainty of Divine Faith do not deny all Certainty thereof but mean that it is not of the same reason with the Certainty which we have of an Article of Faith Because tho one of the premises on which it is founded be an Article of Faith yet the other is known but by internal sence and the testimony of conscience As to the later of the premises which is known but by internal sence and
such as the Popish Whippings or such as some of the Ancients with pious intention but superstitiously used as perpetual abiding on the top of a Pillar never to sleep but standing c. And there are Austerities inconvenient for measure by excess in that which is for kind sutable and comely as immoderate Abstinences and Abasements all such being to be rejected come not into the present consideration But the query is Whether allowable Austerities may be not only adjuncts but also acts or matter of Worship Humiliation or Prostration of soul in self abasement before God is an act of internal Worship And I do not see but the Austerities we now speak of may be lawfully used as direct and immediate signs of such humiliation and consequently as acts of Worship Whatsoever is directly and immediately expressive of internal Worship is external Worship And so fasting and other abstinences may be esteemed not only as fit adjuncts of Worship and helps therein but acts thereof Vows of the aforesaid allowable Austerities to be continued in for term of life or notable length of time are dangerous and apt to insnare the Consciences and if a special religious state be placed in them more than what belongs to Christianity as such they are Superstition and Will-worship MATRIMONIAL PVRITY § 1. MArriage is the Bond of an individual Conjunction between Man and Woman instituted of God to an individual Conversation or Course of Life This Bond cannot be dissolved by man because it is not man but God that makes it tho the Married parties voluntarily enter into it and publick Officers instrumentally authorize their Act according to Gods Law Hence it is said Whom God hath joyned let no man put asunder But this Rule puts no bar to Gods right of dissolving this Bond by an Act of his Law upon causes therein declared § 1. By the Church of Rome Matrimony is held a Sacrament upon this ground That God hath consecrated it to be a Symbol of the indissoluble Conjunction of Christ with the Church and of Grace to be conferred upon those that enter into it Indeed it is used in Scripture as a similitude to express or illustrate the Mystical Union betwixt Christ and his Church But every similitude used in Scripture to express a holy Mystery as that of the Vine and Branches to express the Union between Christ and the faithful doth not thereby become a consecrated Symbol thereof with a promise of Grace annexed to it as so consecrated Nevertheless tho Matrimony be not an instituted Symbol of Divine Grace yet Grace suitable to this state of Life is promised to the faithful and this state as all other things is sanctified by the word of God and prayer unto those holy ends which God hath designed in it § 3. The Causes for which Matrimony was ordained are excellently set by the Church of England in these words First It was ordained for the Procreation of Children to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord and to the praise of his holy Name Secondly it was ordained for a remedy against sin and to avoid Fornication that such as have not the gift of continency might Marry and keep themselves undefiled Members of Christs Body Thirdly It was ordained for the mutual Society help and comfort that the one ought to have of the other both in prosperity and adversity It belongs to the substance of Matrimony that the Man and the Woman give and take the power of their bodies mutually unto the conjugal due called benevolence 1 Cor. 7.3 4. And they are so equal in the matter of Wedlock that both of them are both superior and inferior in asking and rendering the said due Hence it is a resolved case That sterillity is not an impediment of Marriage because tho the primary end which is Procreation be thereby hindred yet the secondary end to be a remedy against sin which is also of Gods ordaining is obtained But Frigidity or total Impotency is a just impediment because in that case both the primary and secondary end of Marriage is made void and the essential due thereof cannot be rendered § 4. As concerning the ancient Polygamy or plurality of Wives at once some conceive that it was only by Divine connivence and that it was a sinful practice which God winked at Others conceive that it was by Divine dispensation and that the law of the Conjunction of one Man and one Woman was most consentaneous to nature but that it was not in nature immutable and indispensable but such as might be changed the state of things and persons being changed yet then not to be changed but by his authority from whom all the Laws of nature do proceed But whether Polygamy were allowed or only winked at it appears to be wholly disallowed by the Law of Christ and was never as yet admitted in any Christian Commonwealth If according to the words of Christ a Man putting away his Wife and Marrying another commiteth Adultery much more doth he commit Adutery if keeping the former Wife he Marry another The Concubines mentioned in the Old-Testament were not as in our days unmarried but properly Wives tho in respect of some Matrimonial Priviledges inferior to Wives strictly so called For their carnal Conjunction with any besides him whose they were was a defiling of the Marriage-bed Concerning Reuben who lay with Bilhah Jacobs Concubine this is denounced Thou shalt not excel because thou wentest up to thy Fathers bed then defiledst thou it Gen. 49.4 § 5. As concerning the honour of Matrimony it is written Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judg This is the law of Christ On the contrary the hypocrisie and the countefeit sanctity of those lyars who were to bring in the great Apostacy upon the Christian Church is foretold to consist among other things in forbidding to Marry 1 Tim. 4.3 And the prohibition of it to divers orders of men and other unjust restrictions laid upon it are one kind of the forbidding to Marry intended in that prediction The wisest and most civilized Commonwealths that were not Christians have testified their great respect to Marriage by encouraging it with many Priviledges as more conducing to the publick good than the single Life By the Roman Laws in times of Gentilism Marriage was priviledged and the single Life disadvantaged § 6. The debasing of Matrimony came in with the degeneracy of the Church Quickly after the Apostles age Christians departed from the simplicity that is in Christ by devising rules of Life which Christ required not and built upon the precious foundation which had been laid Wood Hay and Stubble And the Devotion both of men and women was carried forth to a self-devised religiousness yet the essentials of Christianity were preserved sound Accordingly many of the Fathers of the Church extolled Celibate and Virginity with excessive praises and thought of Marriage as of a state
members of Christs body Which shews that to marry for the said end is not an yielding to Lust but a means of that Chastity which becomes the members of Christ to have § 31. Marriage being ordained 1. For procreation of Children 2. For a remedy against sin 3. For that mutual society help and comfort that is necessary in this Animal life of mankind here upon earth the sober and regular use of the marriage-bed in order to any necessary help and comfort doth not defile the conscience but is sanctified to the pure and consciencious even then when respect to procreation or the avoiding of sin doth not urge it Particularly it is no way against Chastity or Christian purity to use it for that necessary health of body which is evidently promoted by it and especially if probably it cannot be well procured without it § 32. It hath been judged by some of the Ancients to be not only sinful but nefarious for a man to lye with his Wife while she is with child But I find not this utterly forbidden in Scripture either expresly or by manifest consequence As for the judgment of Reason about it these things may be considered 1. That by Divine perpetual Ordinance towards mankind one Male is confined to one Female whereas other creatures are not so limited 2. Conception is not only the end of this duty for it is to be rendered to those that are barren 3. That wherein the brutes are led by natural propension in man falls under the government of Reason And in the present case it seems reasonable that the sensitive desire either be gratified or denied as Reason guided by the general Rules of Gods word doth shew what is most expedient within the limits of goodness and honesty This may certainly be determined That if Congress in this case will destroy the Foetus whosoever useth it sinneth greatly and heinously And if there be danger of destroying it he that useth it exposeth himself to the danger of great and heinous sin § 33. It is most certain that there are times and occasions wherein abstinence from the marriage-bed is strictly enjoined The Precept forbidding to approach carnally to a woman in the time of that known infirmity which is common to that Sâ—x was not meerly Mosaical but moral that is universal and perpetual as appears Lev. 18.19 24. Lev. 20 18 23. For the breach thereof is noted as one of the abominable practises of those Nations which were not under the Mosaick institutions for whâ—ch practises God took vengeance on them by casting them out before his people § 24. The more solemn times of Prayer and Fasting require abstinence from all manner of sensitive pleasures tho in themselves lawful and honest and particularly from conjugal embraces 1 Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one another except tâ— be with consent for a time that you may give your selves to fasting and prayer It is not said that you may pray but that ye may give your selves to Fasting and Prayer which imports a solemn setting of themselves apart to extraordinary Prayer with Fâ—stâ—ng § 35. Not only solemn Religious Fasting but other such high and solemn acts of Religion as require the greatest raising of the mind in spiritual cogitations and retirement to converse with God and consequently the best preparedness of body and mind do also require abstinence from the heightned delights of the sensitive or animal part For which cause abstinence from conjugal embraces is most requisite for some due space of time before and after the participâ—tion of the Holy Sacrament And I think this abstinence ought also to be observed on the Lords day for the same reason When the people were to meet with God in that extraordinary way upon Mount Sinai Moses gave it them in charge as a part of their preparation for it That they come not at their Wives Exod. 19.15 § 36. Yet the ordinary daily exercises of Religion and Holy walking before God in them do not require the like abstinence A sober and regular use of Marriage as of all other delights pertaining to the Animal life doth not render any man unfit for the daily Service of God With reference hereunto the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Every creature of God and so every Ordinance of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Howbeit with this concession a caution also must here be given That the married must so cohabit that their prayers be not hindered or polluted 1 Pet. 3.7 And because prayer is a daily duty they must daily manage their mutual converse so as not to be indisposed to or diverted from this or any other daily exercise of Religion Wherefore they must not indulge themselves in this or any other high gratification of sense at those times wherein they should every day set themselves to the solemn performance of those holy exercises Some due distance of time should be always observed between the one and the other But extraordinary Prayer particularly Prayer with Fasting requires abstinence for a greater interval Christians must keep a spiritual decorum and carefully shun whatsoever practise doth not become holiness § 37. It concerns them whose aim and care is that their lives may be pure and holy to endeavour to keep themselves from all irregularity and inordinate actings in this thing and thereupon to watch against all base brutishness and unseemliness of behaviour and preposterous ways and abusive dalliances in it as knowing that they are always under the eye of the Holy God It behoves them so to use it as not to weaken their bodies or corrupt their minds as not to irritate but to allay sensuality and to have this as all other lawful gratifications of sense in a manifest and direct subserviency to spiritual ends and so to manage themselves therein as that they may be able with a good conscience to pray that it may be sanctified to them And there is as great need of prayer for the sanctifying of the marriage-bed as of any other enjoyment belonging to the Animal life and it may be greater because Reason is in danger to be put much besides its present use Let all that call themselves Christians retain in their hearts a deep impression of the words of the holy Apostle 1 Thes 4 3 4. This is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God for God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness Christians are by the same Apostle called upon to consider that their bodies are the members of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.15 19. And in this consideration they should lothe and dread all manner of obscenity and vile abuse of their own bodies JONAH
II. ver 1 2 3 4. JONAH prophesied in Israel in or before the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash 2 King 14 25. He was also sent to preach to Niniveh the chief City of the Assyrian Empire But he disobeyed the call of God and endeavoured to flee to Tarshish The Lord by a mighty storm at Sea pursues him And being by lot and his own confession found guilty and the cause of the tempest the Mariners by his own direction cast him into the Sea where the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow him up and he was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights This Chapter contains Jonah's exercise in the fishes belly the Narrative whereof was penned after his deliverance with an addition of praise Ver. 1. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly Before this trouble he was froward against God and fled from him now he is humble and yielding Our distress and trouble is sanctified to us when our frowardness and averseness from duty is overcome and we are made humble and yielding to God and ready for duty when we are brought to our good behaviour Let us look after this fruit of our distresses troubles or crosses that we be brought in and subdued to God Let us also look after this kindly fruit of pubblick troubles He flees to God by prayer Our distress and trouble is sanctified to us when it drives us to prayer that we set about it in earnest and continue in it and so bring us close to God Isa 26 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee They poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them Let us look after this kindly fruit of our publick and private troubles that we be more in prayer and much visit the throne of Grace that instead of running from God we run to him and cast our selves into the arms of his mercy Then hath God reduced us and brought us home to our true rest that we might be safe then he hath done us good indeed Further we hence learn That prayer to God is a refuge to the afflicted both to the Church and to every faithful soul and they find relief in it All the distressed that take this course find sure comfort Because God is rich in mercy to all that call upon him Rom. 10.12 The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Yea God is more especially helpful to the distressed Hos 14.3 In thee the fatherless findeth mercy This instructs us what is our refuge in all our troubles and what course to take wherein we shall not fail to speed Jam. 5.13 Is any among you afflicted let him pray Be sincere in this duty and perform it with unfeigned repentance for your former neglect Moreover it is here said That Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God The Lord was still his God notwithstanding his severe hand upon him When God corrects us for sin he doth not cast us off as none of his Correction is not Rejection Still his gracious relation to us and our Covenant-interest in him abides Wherefore let them that fear the Lord still look to him and claim an interest in him as their God tho he be angry and severely chasten them Thus the Church lays claim to him Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father c. Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer c. And let us take hold of his Covenant whereby he is our God for encouragement in prayer and the ground of our humble confidence toward him Let as many as are humble and willing to accept his grace do this Here is noted the condition whereid he was out of the fishes belly a distress into which he had brought himself by his rebellion or wilful disobedience Hence we learn That after wilful disobedience we may sue to God for mercy He hath not shut up the way against us because there is Forgiveness with him and he hath left room for repentance Let this goodness of God lead sinners to repentance Let such goodness overcome their hearts for it is set forth for this very end God hath not shut up the way Let not them shut out themselves Let a penitent people encourage themselves as Israel is encouraged Hos 14.1 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Let the children of God after high provocations being duly humbled encourage themselves in his mercy Tho we have wilfully brought our selves into trouble by our own Folly yea run into it yet we must not discourage our selves as if it were in vain to pray to God for help This is indeed a very uncomfortable circumstance in our suffering to draw it upon our selves yet this was Jonah's case Therefore in such a case let us judg and lothe our selves let us fear and tremble in our selves yet let us not despair nor be driven from seeking our relief For God delights to save them that have undone themselves V. 2. I cryed by reason of my affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice This verse expresseth the sum of his trouble his exercise in it and his gracious audience His trouble and his prayer in it I cried by reason of my affliction out of the belly of hell cried I. Here was a deplorable state and in appearance desperate yet his Faith could look through to Gods Mercy-seat There is no state so deplorable and seemingly desperate that the people of God may be brought into but their Faith may see a way through it to the throne of Grace whether it be the state of any particular Child of God or of his Church and people in common Is any Child of God so distressed that he can see no outlet yet let him look through it to the Throne of Grace There is hope for him in his God and let him look to God and be comforted Isa 50.10 Doth the condition of the Church appear forlorn and hopeless as Jonah's was that we can see no way to escape yet God can open a way by a strange hand of Providence He is fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Truâ—y our condition is very deplorable if we look to human help Yet the Providence of God and his appearances for us are some glimps of light some token for good Therefore be not faithless but believing do not abandon your hope tho greatly distressed encourage your selves in the Lord your God I cryed by reason of my affliction c. Great distress calls for great importunity in prayer not only to call upon God but to cry to him to cry mightily as the King of Niniveh commanded his subjects Jonah 3 8. Let them cry mightily unto God When we thus cry our own necessity is feelingly acknowledged and Gods mercy is duly valued Let the distress of our Nation and the Church aâ—d people of God therein excite us to send