For 1. The difference between Heaven and Hell is so great that there must needs be a great difference between them that shall go to each And therefore it may be known Christ's Spirit is not an undiscernable Mark and Pledge to them that have it 2. And we are commanded to search and try our selves and many Marks of difference are told us and the Persons plainly described that shall be Justified and Condemned And they are already here Justified and Condemned by that Law by which they shall be judged 3. And what comfort could we have in all the Redemption and Grace of Christ and all the Promises of Salvation if we could not come to know our Title by them Q. 13. Who be they that Christ will then justifie or condemn A. I must not here answer that Question because its proper place is afterward under some of the following Articles Q. 14. But I find some Scriptures saying That we are not justified by works but by Faith in Christ and yet in Mat. 25. Christ passeth the Sentence upon Mens Works as the Cause and it 's said We shall be judged according to our works A. By works Paul meaneth All works that are conceived to make the reward to be not of Grace but of Debt All works which are set in competition or opposition to Justification by Faith in Christ The Question between him and the Iews was Whether the Divine excellency of Moses's Law was such as that it was given to justifie the doers of it as such Or whether it was but an Index to point them to Christ the end of the Law by whom they must be justified But it is not Believing in Christ nor begging his Grace nor thankfully accepting it that Paul meaneth by Works in his exclusion It is this that he sets against these works And as we are here made Justified Persons by meer Grace giving us Repentance and Faith in Christ that is making us Christians so this obligeth us to live and die as Christians if we will be saved And therefore the final justifying Sentence at Judgment doth pass on us according to such works only as are the performance of our Covenant with Christ without which we shall not be saved and therefore not then justified our Justification then being the justifying of our Title to Salvation and therefore hath the same conditions Q. 15. What may we further learn by this Article of Christ's coming A. 1. We must learn to Fear and Obey him that must judge us And to live as we would then hear of it and to make it all the work of Our lives to prepare for that day and final doom And diligently to try our Hearts and Lives that we may be sure to be then justified 2. We must not be discouraged that we see not Christ but remember that we shall shortly see him in his Glory In the Sacrament and all his worship let us do it as expectants of his coming 3. We have no cause to be dismayed at the Prosperity of the Wicked nor at our Prosecutions or any sufferings while we foresee by Faith that glorious Day 4. We should live in the joyful Hopes of that Day when he that died for us and Sanctified us shall be our Judge and justifie us and finally judge us to endless Life And we must love and long and pray for this Glorious coming of Christ. Come Lord Iesus come quickly Amen CHAP. XVII III. I Believe in the Holy Ghost Qu. 1. WHat is meant by believing in the Holy Ghost A. It meaneth our Believing what he is and what he Doth and our Trusting to Himself and to his Works Q. 2. What must we believe of Himself A. That he is God the Third Person in the Trinity One in Essence with the Father and the Son Q. 3. What must we believe of his Works A. We must believe 1. That the Holy Ghost is the great Agent and Advocate of Jesus Christ on Earth by his works to be his Witness and to plead his Cause and communicate his Grace 2. That the Holy Ghost was the Author of those many uncontrolled Miracles by which the Gospel of Christ was Sealed to the World And therefore that those Miracles were the certain attestation of God 3. That the Holy Ghost was given by Christ to his Apostles and Evangelists to enable them to perform the extraordinary Office to which they were Commissioned to teach the Nations to observe all things that Christ had commanded and to lead them into all Truth and bring all things to their remembrance 4. That therefore the Doctrine of the said Apostles and Evangelists first preached by them and after Recorded in the Sacred Scriptures for the use of the Church to the end of the World as the full Doctrine and Law of Christ is to be received as the Word of God indited by the Spirit 5. That it is the work of the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie all Gods Elect that is to illuminate their understandings to convert their Wills to God and to strengthen and quicken them to do their duty and conquer Sin and save them from the Devil the World and the Flesh And to be in them a Spirit of Power and Love and a sound mind And so that the Holy Ghost is an Intercessor within us to communicate LIFE LIGHT and LOVE from the Father and the Son and excite in us those Holy Desires Thanks and Praise which are meet for Gods acceptance All this is contained in our Believing in the Holy Ghost Q. 4. If all this be in it it seemeth a most necessary part of Faith A. The Perfective works of God are used to be ascribed to the Holy Ghost This is so weighty and necessary a part of Faith that all the rest are insufficient without it Millions perish that God created and that Christ in a general sort as aforesaid dyed for but those that are Sanctifyed by the Holy Ghost are saved It is the work of the Holy Ghost to Communicate to us the Grace of Christ that the work of Creation and Redemption may attain their Ends. Q. 5. How is it proved that the Holy Ghost is God A. In that we are Baptized into the Belief of him as of the Father and the Son And in that he doth the works proper to God and hath the Attributes of God in Scripture Which also expresly saith There are Three which bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and these three are One 1 Joh. 5. 7. Q. 6. I have oft marvelled that the Creed left out 1. The Authority of the Apostles 2. And their Miracles and Christs 3. And the Authority of the Scriptures and now I perceive that all these are contained in our believing in the Holy Ghost A. No doubt but it is a Practical Article of Faith in which we profess to believe in the Holy Ghost in his Relation and Works on Man and therefore â—â— Christ's Agent in gathering his
the Devil doth for to destroy the Just. As Iezebel did Q. 15. How should good Rulers avoid it A. 1. By causing Teachers to open the danger of â—t to the People 2. Some old Canons made invaâ—id the Witness of all notorious wicked men How can he be trusted in an Oath that maketh no Conscience of Drunkenness Fornication Lying or other Sin Q. 16. How then are so few destroyed by false Witnesses A. It is the wonderful Providence of God declaring himself the Governour of the World that when there are so many thousand wicked men who all have a mortal hatred to the Godly and will daily Swear and Lie for nothing and any two of these might take away our Lives at pleasure there are yet so few this way cut off But God hath not left himself without witness in the World and hath revenged false Witness on many and made Conscience a terrible Accuser for this Crime Q. 17. What is the positive Duty of the ninth Commandement A. 1. To do Justice to all men in our places 2. To defend the Innocent to the utmost of ouâ— just Power If a Lawyer will not do it for the Love of Justice and Man without a Fee when he cannoâ— have it he breaketh this Commandement 3. To reprove Backbiters and tell them of their Sin 4. To give no Scandal but to live so blamelesly that Slanderers may not be believed 5. On all just occasions especially to defend the Reputation of the Gospel Godliness and Good men the Cause and Laws of God and not silently foâ— self saving to let Satan and his Agents make them Odious by Lies to the Seduction of the Peopleâ— Souls CHAP. XLIII Of the Tenth Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the Tenth Commandement A. Thou shalt not Covet thy Neighbours House Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Man-Servant nor his Maid-Servant nor his â—x nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours Q. 2. What is forbidden here and what Commandâ—d A. 1. In summe the thing forbidden is SELFISHNESS and the thing Commanded is to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR AS OUR SELVES Q. 3. Is not this implyed in the five foregoing Commandements A. Yes and so is our LOVE to GOD in all the Nine last But because there are many more particular Instances of Sin and Duty than can be distinctly named and remembred God thought it meet to make two General Fundamental Commandements which should contain them all which Christ calleth the first and second Commandement Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart c. And thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy Self The first is the Summary and root of all the duties of the other nine and specially of the second third and fourth The Other is the Summary of the second Table dutyes And it is placed last as being instead of all unnamed instances As the Captain leads the Souldiers and thâ— Lieutenant brings up the rear Q. 4. What mean you by the Sin of SELFISHNESS A. I mean that inordinate self-esteem self-love and self-seeking with the want of a due proportionable Love to others which engageth men against the good oâ— others and inclineth them to draw from others to themselves It is not an ordinate Love of our selves but a diseased self-love Q. 5. When is Self-Love Ordinate and when iâ— it Sinful A. That which is ordinate 1. Valueth not a maâ—â— Self blindly above his Worth 2. It employeth â— man in a due care of his own Holiness Duty anâ— Salvation 3. It regardeth our Selves but as littlâ— members of the common great body and therefore inclineth us to Love others as our selves without muâ—â— partial disproportion according to the divers degreeâ— of their amiableness and to Love publick good thâ— Church and World and much more God above oâ—… selves 4. It maketh us studious to do good to others and rejoyce in it as our own rather than to draw froâ— them to our selves c II. Sinful selfishness 1. Doth esteem and love anâ— seek self-interest above it's proper worth It is oveâ— deeply affected with all our own concerns 2. â—… hath a low disproportionable Love and regard others good 3. And when it groweth to full maâ—â—gnity it maketh men envy the prosperity of others â—nd covet that which is theirs and desire and reâ—oyce in their disgrace and hurt when they Stand against mens Selfish Wills and to endeavour to draw from others to our selves Selfishness is to the Soul like an Inflamation or Impostume to the Body which draweth the Blood and Spirits to it self from their â—â—ue and Common course till they corrupt the inâ—â—amed part Q. 6. What mean you by Loving others as ourselves A. Loving them as members of the same Body or Society the World or the Church as they are â—mpartially with a Love proportionable to their worth and such a careful practical forgiving Patient Love as we Love our selves Q. 7. But God hath made us Individual persons with so peculiar a Self-love that no man can possibly love another as himself A. 1. You must distinguish between sensitive Natural Love and Rational Love 2. And between Corrupt and Sanctified Nature 1. Natural Sensitive Love is stronger to ones Self that is more sensible of self-interest than to all the World I feel not anothers Pain or Pleasure in it self I hunger and thirst for my self A Mother hath that Natural Sensitive Love to her own Child like that of Bruits which she hath not for any other 2. Rational Love valueth and loveth and preferreth every thing according to the degree of its amiableness that is it 's Goodness 3. Rational Love destroyeth not Sensitive but it Moderateth and Ruleth it and Commandeth the Will and Practice to preferre and desire and seek and delight in higher things as Reason ruleth Appetite and the Rider the Horse and to deny and forsake all carnal or private Interests that stand against a greater good 4. Common Reason tells a man that it 's an unreasonable thing in him that would not dye to save a Kingdom Much more that when he is to love both himself and the Kingdom inseparably yet cannot Love a Kingdom yea or more excellent persons above himself But yet it is Sanctification that must Effectually overcome inordinate self-Love and clearly illuminate this Reason and make a man obey it 5. To conquer this Selfishness is the summe of all Mortification and the greatest Victory in this World And therefore it is here perfectly done by none but it 's done most where there is the greatest Love to God and to the Church and publick good and to our Neighbours Q. 8. What is the sinfulness and the hurt of Selfishness A. 1. It is a Fundamental Errour and Blindness in the Judgment We are so many Poor Worms and little things And if an Ant or Worm had Reason should it think it's Life or Ease or other interest more valuable than a Mans or than all the
If all Magistrates loved the People as themselves how would they use them If Bishops and Teachers loved others as themselves and were as loth to hurt them as to be hurt and to reproach them as to be reproached and to deliver them from Poverty Prison or Danger as to be safe themselves what do you think would be the consequent How few would study to make others odious or â—o ruine them how few would backbite them or â—ensoriously condemn them if they loved them as themselves If all this City and Kingdom loved each other as themselves what a foretast would it be of Heaven on Earth How delightfully should we all live together Every man would have the good of all others to rejoice in as his own And be as ready to relieve another as the right hand will the left We can too easily forgive our selves our faults and errours and so should bear with others Love is our Safety who is afraid of any one who he thinks loveth him as himself who is afraid that he should persecute imprison or destroy himself unless by ignorance or distraction Love is the delight of Life when it is mutual and is not disappointed what abundance of Fears and Cares and Passions and Law-suit's would it End It is the fulfilling of the preceptive part of the Law and as to the penal part there is no use for it where Love prevaileth To such saith Paul there is no Law They are not without it but above it so far as it worketh by fear 5. Love is the Preparation and Foretast of Glory Fear Care and Sorrow are distantly preparing works but it 's Ioyful Love which is the immediate Preparation and foretast There is no War no Persecution no Hatred Wrath or Strife in Heaven But perfect Love which is the uniting Grace wiâ—… there more nearly unite all Saints than we that aâ—… in a dividing world and body can now conceive or perfectly believe Q. 12. Is there any hope that Love should reign on Earth A. There is hope that all the Sound Believers should increase in Love and get more victory over Selfishness For they have all that Spirit of Love and obey Christs last and great Command and are taught of God to Love one another yea they dwell in Love and so in God and God in them and it will grow up to Perfection But I know of no hope that the Malignant Seed of Cain should cease the hating of them that are the Holy seed save as Grace converteth any of them to God Of any Common or universal Reign of Love I see no Prognosticks of it in Rulers in Teachers or any others in the World Prophesies are dark But my greatest hope is fetcht from the three first Petitions of the Lords Prayer which are not to be put up in Vain Q. 13. What should we do towards the increase of Love A. 1. Live so blamelesly that none may find just matter of hatred in you 2. Love others whether they Love you or not Love is the most powerful cause of Love 3. Do hurt to none but by necessary Justice or defence And do as much good as you can to all 4. Praise all that is good in men and mention not the Evil without necessity 5. Do all that you can to make men Holy and winne them to the Love of God And then they will Love each other by his Spirit and for his sake 6. Do all that you can to draw men from sinfull worldly Love For that Love of the World which is Enmity to God is also Enmity to the love of one another Further than you can draw men to center in Christ and in holy Love there is no hope of true Love to others 7. Patiently suffer wrongs rather than provoke men to hate you by unnecessary seeking your right or revenge Q. 14. Is all desire of another mans unlawfull A. All that is to his hurt loss and wrong You may desire another mans daughter to Wife by his Consent or his House Horse or Goods when he is willing to sell them But not else Q. 15. But what if in gaming betting or trading I desire to get from him though to his loss A. It is a covetous selfish sinfull desire You must desire to get nothing from him to his loss and hurt Q. 16. But what if he consent to run the hazard as in a Horsâ—-race a Game a Wager c It 's no wrong to a Consenter A. The very desire of hurtful drawing from him to your self is selfish sin If he consent to the hazard it is also his covetous desire to gain from you And his sin is no excuse for yours And you may be sure it was not the Loss that he consented to But if he do it as a Gift it 's another Case Q. 17. What be the worst sorts of Covetousness A. 1. When the Son wisheth his Fathers death for his Estate 2. When men that are Old and near the Grave still covet that which they are never like to need or use 3. When men that have abundance are never satisfied but desire more 4. When they will get it by Lying Extortion or other wicked means even by Perjury and Blood as Iezebel and Ahab got Naboths Vineyard 5. When Princes not content with their just Dominions invade other Mens and plague the World with unjust Warres Blood and Miseries to enlarge them Q. 18. How differ Charity and Iustice A. Charity Loveth all because there is somewhat in them lovely and doth them good without respect to their Right because we love them Justice respecteth men as in the same Governed Society under God or Man and so giveth every man his due Q. 19. Is it Love or Justice that saith Whatever you would that men should do to you do ye also to them A. It is both Justice saith Do right to all and wrong to none as you would have them do to you Charity saith Love and pity and relieve all to your power as you would have them Love Pity and Relieve you Q. 20. Hath this Law no exceptions A. It supposeth that your own Will for your selves be just and good If you would have another make you drunk or draw you to any sinfull or unclean Pleasure you may not therefore do so by them But do others such right and good as you may lawfully desire they should do to you Q. 21. What are those Foundations on which this Law is built A. 1. That as God hath made us Individual Persons so he is the free Distributer of his allowance to every Person and therefore we must be content with his allowance and not covet more 2. That God hath made us for Holiness and endless Happiness in Heaven And therefore we must not so Love this World as to covet fulness and desire more of it than God alloweth us 3. That God hath made every man a member of the humane World and every Christian a Member of