of the new Covenant are called gifts not conditions Rom. 5. 17 18. compared with Rom. 6. 23. and these are gifts that are given freely 1 Cor. 2. 12. we chuse him because he first chuseth us and we love him because he first loveth us we cannot say God is our God till he doth first say we are his people we cannot say we will run after him till he doth first draw us neither can we bring forth fruit unless we abide in the Vine nor purifie our selves as he is pure unless we have this hope in us so that we may not expect the effects before the cause nor the light before the sun or heat before the fire 5. There be no conditions in this Covenant because it works and effects in us all things required of us Now faith repentance and obedience doth describe the Persons that are saved but not the terms or conditions upon which they do obtain salvation that interpretation of any Scripture that doth involve a contradiction is not to be admitted but to say faith is the condition of the Covenant is an express contradiction Ob. But are there not conditions required on our part pray read these two Scriptures Psal 25. 14. The secrets of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Isa 55. 3. Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Ans It is true in these Scriptures there are three things required of us 1. To fear him 2. To incline our ear and come 3. To hear and our soul shall live But are not all these three things promised to us in the Covenant and doth not God by his Spirit work these things with many more in us is there any one thing required of us that he hath not promised to work in us surely no. Ob. But if faith be not an active it is a passive condition Ans I have heard some say so but could never see a man able to prove it to be so Object Some say that this Covenant is conditionall no otherwise then in respect of Gods order and method in bestowing the blessings of it upon us Ans In this sense it may be granted it is so still keeping close to this that not in a proper but in an improper sense the Covenant may be said to be conditionall for as hath been said before the Covenant of grace and life by Christ is every way free and unconditionally on mans part else how doth it differ from a Covenant of works Rom. 11. 6. And if by grace then it is by gift for grace and gift you must understand are all one grace is nothing but the favour of God freely given and of his own accord communicated and if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace c. If you bring grace unto works or works unto grace either the one or the other or both are made void as much as to say these two things are inconsistent they cannot stand together that we should partake of Christ through grace and works both they will not stand together grace must stand alone or works alone for one doth directly stand in opposition to the other and the Scripture is plain and clear that the Father expects nothing of men no qualification or spirituall disposition before or upon the communicating of his Son the condition on our part is to receive it and to improve it and walk worthy of it and when we come short herein we are said to break Covenant on our part Psal 44. 17. Isa 24. 5. and in Deut. 29. 25 c. The fifth thing to be enquired into is whether it be one and the same Covenant of grace that was in force before the Law and under the Law and under the Gospel THere is but one Covenant of grace and a threefold administration of that Covenant the one before the Law the other under the Law the third under the Gospel 1. Before the Law the promise of grace was that notwithstanding man had thus rebelled against God yet the seed of the woman which was the Lord Jesus Christ should bruise the head of the Serpent Gen. 3. 15. 2. This Covenant was given or published by Moses and made with the Jews till Christs resurrection being placed in ceremonies types figures and shadows all pointing at the substance that was for to come all the Laws and Ordinances remaining in full force and vertue for he that did but neglect circumcision was to be cut off from the Isreal of God Gen. 17. 14. 3. This same Covenant in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles is renewed and the substance of the Covenant more fully opened and cleared whereby more persons are renewed and more graces bestowed being alwaies to endure one and the same hence it is called a new Covenant Heb. 9. 13. Jer. 31. 31. Now it is the same Covenant of grace both in the old and new testaments only the difference stands thus 1. It is larger in the New Testament even extending to the Gentiles and not confined to the Jews as then it was 1 Thessal 4. 5. Ephes 2. 11. 2. 12. 2. It is plainer now then it was in types and shadows blood of beasts incense washing with water and other rudiments so that now things are seen more plainly in their substance then in painting or prospective glasses 3. It is stronger this makes perfect the other could not being weak and unprofitable and therefore in that administration it is now disanulled Heb. 8. 7 13. 4. It is more firm being confirmed with an oath and by the death of Christ 5. It gives more knowledge that in comparison of the Law they shall not need to teach one another Heb. 8. 10. 6. It hath a better Mediator even Christ who by his intercession reconciled the disagreeing parties and undertaken for both sides on Gods part that these and these things shall be done which he hath promised on our part to give satisfaction by his own death and make us obedient to his Father Oh that God should ever enter into Covenant with us so sinfull vile and miserable Covenants make unequall persons equall as Jonathan and David the Lord abaseth himself when he looks thus upon things below as in Psal 113. 6. Although the Covenant of grace be the same then and now yet there is a difference in regard of the manner of dispensation and revealing it being severall waies propounded according to the severall times ages states and conditions of the Church delivered one way before the coming of Christ and another way afterward And therefore in regard of the old way and manner of administring of it it is called the old Covenant and in regard of the new manner of dispensing it it s called the new Covenant the same Covenant is therefore called both new and old Heb. 8. 8 13. Quest
information or 2. Practical for examination by marks or signs which are either Effects or Properties Doctrinal application is for our information being a use of information and here those Logical directions may be useful concerning the collecting 1. Of a general from a special Rom. 4. 3 4. 2. Of the less from the greater as John 10. 25. Rom. 8. 32. 3. The greater from the less as 1 Cor. 9. 9 10. 4. The effect from the cause as Heb 2. 8. 5. The cause from the effect John 6. 45. 2. Practical application doth consist in correcting of manners commonly stiled a use of reproof terror or dehortation to disswade men from any sinful course but herein you must endeavour to distinguish between sins of infirmity and sins of wilfulness and accordingly proportion the severity of your reproofs in all which you must express rather your love then your anger and strive rather to convince then to exasperate so that it be the zeal of a displeased friend rather then the bitterness of a provoked enemy that it might appear that it proceeds from your love and care of their welfare and that there is a necessity of insisting upon it both from your duty and their danger the proper heads for amplification of this use are two-fold 1. Disswasive 2. Directive 1. Disswasive may have these three heads 1. The aggravation of the sin 2. The threats denounced against it 3. The judgements executed upon it All which are further capable of many other subordinate branches of Amplification 2. The directive part doth either consist in the removing the impediments that do hinder or in the use or means and helps whereby we may be directed to the remedy Then also there is a use of confutation and that is for the refuting of erroneous positions and Solution of such doubts and queries as are most obvious and material and here you must be careful that you manage this with 1. Solid pressing arguments making your answers as clear as the objection lest you confirm the error by darkning counsel with words without knowledge 2. This must be done with much meekness and Lenity in differences not fundamental 2 Tim. 2. 25. Soft words and hard Arguments are the most effectual way to convince Then there is a use of consolation and that is to apply the comforts that do arise from any Doctrine to the receivers and embracers and retainners and practicers thereof now consolation doth arise from either promises experiences or from the removing of scruples by which the thoughts of the hearers are raised from sense to Faith from present things to future Then there is also a use of exhortation this also may be amplified by motives to intcie the affections from either The profit or danger in obeying or not obeying If any desire further direction herein let them seriously consider these particulars 1. The Preface 2. The Method 3. The Matter 4. The Expression 1. The Preface in which it is the duty of all Gospel Ministers to perswade the hearers it is the word of God that you speak to them which concerns their everlasting happiness and is able to save their souls and that you the speakers do but stand in Christs stead as his Ambassadors and mouth to you and that the peoples despising them is no less then the despising Christ Jam. 1. 21. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Luke 10. 16. 1 Tim. 4. 8. which being believed it will make the hearers 1. Favourable 2. Teachable 3. Attentive 2. The next thing to be considered is the Method now Method is an art or gift in contriving the discourse in such a regular frame wherein every part may have its due place and dependance which will be a great advantage both to the preacher and hearers viz. A man may more easily retain them when they are linked together and not scattered Method being as a chain in which if a man should let slip any one part he may easily recover it again by that relation and dependance which it hath with the whole the Method which many do think is most useful is that of Doctrine and Use and Explication and Application Allegorical interpretations may lawfully be used observing these three qualifications 1. Use them sparingly and soberly 2. They must be short and pertinent not forced and far fetcht 3. Use them rather for illustration then proof But here you must be careful that you do not let Hagar the hand maid out-brave her Mistress Sarah and that you do not prefer blear-eyed Leah before beautiful Rachel and so stuff a Sermon with cytations of Authors and the witty sayings of others but this is to make a feast of Vinegar and Pepper which is useful as sawces but must needs be improper and offensive to be fed upon as dyet 3. The next thing to be considered and that is the matter in which there is two things to be considered 1. The seasonableness of it to the time and people 2. The pertinency of it to the text 1. The seasonableness of it to the time and people and for your help herein consider 1. Who you are to speak to whether to the ignorant or knowing 2. Whether enemies to Religion or professors of it 3. Whether they be meerly formal or truly spiritual 4. Whether more cheerful and zealous or more cold and sluggish That so you may rightly divide the word of truth and give to every one his portion and prophesie according to the analogy of Faith Rom. 12. 6. And keep to the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1. 13. And that you do this according to the mind of the Holy Ghost Peter tels you 2 Pet. 1. 20. That you must not make the Scripture speak in a private sense that is you must not analize and interpret them so as if the prophesies thereof did relate only to the particular occasion and circumstances of times of places and of persons in by and to whom they were at first spoken so much to the Preface Method and Matter the last help unto preaching is the Expression in which there be two things considerable 1. The Phrase 2. The Elocution 1. The Phrase should be plain full wholsom and effectual and natural to the text the greatest learning is to be seen in the greatest plainness Saint Paul doth often glory in this that his preaching was not in wisdom of words and excellency of speech not with inticing words of mans wisdom not as pleasing men but God who tryeth the heart what shall I say more 1. He must speak according to the mind of God in Scriptures Isa 8. 20. 2. He must speak to exhortation edification and comfort 1 Cor. 14. 3. 3. He must speak nothing but that which he hath been taught of God Rom. 15. 18. 4. He must speak as an Oracle of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. 2. In the Elocution there are two extremities to be avoided 1. Too much boldness 2. Too much fear 1. Too much boldness as a remedy against this consider the special presence of
with his lips Psalm 106. 33. and so his meekness was tryed to the highest Again to instance one more for all if Paul have a greater revelation then the other Apostles he must have a thorn in the flesh even the messenger of Satan to buffet him so the woman Mat. 15. 22. to the 28. She had a strong faith that Christ was able to help her daughter and the mercy she desired was but external to wit crums now Christ did try the truth and strength of this faith in a threefold seeming denyal but in all tryals the Lord doth proportion them according to the strength of those that he doth afflict See 1 Cor. 10. 13. The Lords people have divers corruptions and so do need divers corrections How to know what sin God aims at in affliction THE Lord saith in his word hear the voice of the rod Micah 6. 9. which if we did heedfully observe we might find out the sin that God ayms at in the affliction 1. When we find in Scripture that such and such a punishment is denounced against such and such a sin we may find by the effect the proper cause pride with dejection and contempt whoredom with barrenness idleness with poverty worldly sorrow with death 2. Consider if thou wouldst find out the sin God afflicts thee for consider God doth punish thee by way of retaliation like for like as when we have dishonored God he doth cast dishonour upon us and having wronged our inferiours our superiors wrong us or if we lavish our tongues against others we are paid home with the scourge of tongues thus David was justly dealt with 2 Sam. 12 10 11. 3. When we are taken in the very act of sinning so Jon. 1. 12. flying was followed with a tempest and the I sraelites murmuring for flesh were punished by God whilst it was between their teeth Numb 11. 33. 4. When our sin in its own nature bringeth forth such a punishment so a lazy Christian doth always want four things comfort and content confidence and assurance Idleness in natural things brings forth beggery and want drunkenness begets dropsies and surreits so the sin of uncleanness brings forth weakness and filthy diseases so immoderate carking is attended with consumptions 5. If thou wouldst know the sin that brought these afflictions on thee observe what thy conscience doth most check thee for Josephs brethren in their troubles calls to mind their cruelty to their troubles calls to mind their cruelty to their brother Joseph which was indeed the cause of their cross Gen. 42. 21. When a man may be said to suffer for well-dong and when for evil doing FIrst for well-doing 1. That man that doth suffer for well-doing in the account of God according to his word his person must be holy he or she must be in the main godly 2. The cause that they suffer for must be good it must be for righteousness sake viz. either for his believing in Christ pleading for him or practizing of his commandments and so his affliction will be better then the prosperity of the wicked Psalm 37. 15. They shall have more comfort in scantness obscurity then wicked men have in plenty credit and great felicity 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed 3. He that doth suffer for well-doing he must suffer in a right manner first humbly secondly patiently and meekly thirdly cheerfully fourthly he that doth suffer for Christ must have good ends c. 1. He must suffer humbly we read of Christ whose footsteps we ought to follow that he was led as a lamb to the slaughter he opened not his mouth 2. As he did suffer humbly so he did suffer patiently 3. He did suffer cheerfully 4. He did not revile again when he was reviled when he was threatned he did not threaten again 4. He that doth suffer for Christ must have good ends in his suffering viz. 1. To bare witness to some truth of Christ contained in the Scriptures 2. To bare witness for the name and glory of God 1 Pet. 4. 13. But when a man doth that which is evil and doth suffer for it this is not thank-worthy with God See these Scriptures 1 Pet. 2. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 15 19. Many men that suffer and glory therein suffer only for their faults and are in no wise acceptable to God The Lord is many times better then his word never worse THE Lord promised to Israel only the Land of Canaan but besides that he gave them two better Kingdoms Numb 32. 33. Solomon did only pray for wisdom and the Lord gave him more wisdom then he asked and riches and honour to boot 1 King 3. 11 12. Jacob told the Lord that if he would give him raiment to put on and bread to eat God should be his God and the Lord gave him that and ten times more Gon 28. 19. compared with Gen. 32. 10 For with my staff I passed â—ver this Jordan and now I am become two bands Gen. 33. 4 5 6. So again 1 Sam. 1. Hannah begged a son and the Lord gave her a Son and a Prophet too she desired a single mercy and the Lord gave her a double mercy Gen. 17. Abraham and said O that Ishmael might live before thee the Lord granted that and gave him an Isaac to boot ver 19. Mat. 15. 22. to the 28. The woman of Canaan did only beg of Christ the life of her daughter and Christ gave her that and said moreover be it unto thee even as thou wilt Again we read Ephes 3. 20. That he is able to do exceedingly above all that we can ask or think these words are so full that they can hardly be exprest So again sometimes we only ask temporal mercies and he gives us both temporal and spiritual mercies Sometimes a soul doth beg only support under temptations and the Lord doth give that and more to wit a deliverance out of temptation So again we find Mat. 18. 23. to the 27. That the Lord gave him more then he desired he desired but dayes of paiment and the Lord forgave him the whole debt So again Act. 3. 2 3. The cripple did only ask of Peter and John an alms and they gave him a mercy more worth to him then the whole world they cured him of his lameness Mercies and deliverances are many times nearest to us when we think they be furthest off WE read Act. 27. 20. When all hopes of being saved was taken away then Paul stood up and told them from the Lord that there should not be so much as the loss of any mans life amongst them So Luk 24. 15. When two of the Disciples were walking together and were sad about the death of Christ Christ risen from the dead talked with them and they knew it not Gen. 21. 16. to the 19. we read that Hagar was weeping for her son
him he also sets his love upon him and manifests it unto him So that as election to life is by God the Father and redemption by God the Son so justification sanctification and restauration into the Image of God is by the Holy-Ghost So that in the unity of the God-head there be three of one substance power and eternity God the Father God the Son and God the Holy-Ghost the Father is of none other begotten nor proceeding the Son is eternally begotten of the Father the Holy-Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son See Math. 3. 16 17 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 1 4. 1 Joh. 1. 14. And that the Holy-Ghost is God will appear by these Scriptures Act. 5. 3 4. Peter reproving Annanias for lying said he did lie to the Holy-Ghost and so he lyed not to men but to God so again Isa 6. 9. I heard the Lord speaking which place Paul expounds of the Holy-Ghost Act. 28. 25. Of Gods Decrees WHatsoever God doth in time that did he decree to do from all eternity So that Gods decree is that whereby he hath from all eternity set down with himself whatsoever shall come to pass Ephes 1. 11. If any ask what things are decreed by God I answer 1 all things 2 with their causes 3 with their effects 4 circumstances and 5 manner of being Act. 2. 23. 4. 27 28. Ephes 1. 11. 1. This decree is most wise Rom. 11. 33. 2. Just Rom. 9. 13 14. 3. Eternall Ephes 1. 4 5. 1 Cor. 2. 7. 4. Unchangeable Heb. 11. 17. 5. Most free Rom. 9. 18. 6. The cause of all good Iam. 1. 17. Now the parts of this decree is two-fold first concerning Angels Secondly concerning man and of this decree concerning man there be two parts First Election Secondly Reprobation 1 Thes 5. 9. Iudg. 4. 5. As concerning Angels they also are of two sorts First good Secondly bad First good or excellent 1. For their nature 2. For their gifts 3. For their offices 4. For their estate Secondly bad or evill Angels God from all eternity hath determined of all things together with their causes effects circumstances of place and time means manner and end to the manifestation of his own glory Psal 99. 4. Mat. 10. 29. Rom. 9. 20 21. 11. 36. Pro. 16. 4. Of Election ELection is the decree of God of his free love and grace and mercy choosing some men to Faith holiness and eternall life for the praise of his glorious mercy 1 Thes 1. 4. 2 Thes 2. 13. Ephes 1. 4 5 6. Rom. 8. 29 30. The causes of election was none other but his meer good will and pleasure Luk. 12. 32. Rom. 11. 5. 9. 11. 16. Ephes 1. 5. 2 Tim. 1. 9. The end of election is the manifestation of the riches of his grace and mercy Rom. 9. 23. Ephes 1. 6. Quest Was not Christ and faith and holiness the causes of election Answ No the sending of Christ faith holiness and eternall life are only the effects of Gods love by which he manifesteth the infinite riches of his grace Ioh. 3. 16. 1 Ioh. 4. 10. Acts 13. 4. Titus 1. 1. Col. 1. 12. Rom. 6. 23. God â—eerly out of his good pleasure without the fore-fight of any good in the creature according to his unlimited soveraignty elected a certain number by name unto eternall salvation and he hath decreed to effect all the wayes and means for them and in them to bring them thereto see 2 Tim. 1. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 8. So some are elected unto life out of all sorts of people Mat. 20. 16. Rom 9. 24. Rev. 7. 9. That unto which God hath elected them is 1. To the Adoption of Sons 2. Sanctification of life here 3. And eternall life hereafter The first and only moving cause of Election is the good pleasure and love of God Ephes 1. 5. Rom. 9. 18. Ephes 1. 11. So that Faith is not the cause but the effect of election Act. 13. 48. God is no respecter of persons and yet he elected some and left others when he found no difference A man may come to know in time that he was elected before time 1. We come to apprehend this by Faith 1 Thes 1. 4. 2. By our effectuall calling 3. By our justification 4. By our sanctification Rom. 8. 30. 5 By the testimony of Gods Spirit Rom. 8. 9 16 17. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. 2Cor 1. 21 23. Of Reprobation REprobation is the wise just and absolute decree of God passing by and leaving some men unto themselves to suffer them to fall and to enflict upon them eternall punishment deserved by their sins for the praise of his unspeakable great justice Rom. 9. 11 13 22. Iude 4. Ier. 6. 30. The causes of this decree is the absolute will and good pleasure of God Mat. 11. 26. Rom. 9. 13. The end of this decree is not the condemnation of the creature 〈…〉 â—â—â—ifestation of Gods Justice Rom. 9. 22. Yet election and reprobation in a sense are not the causes of salvation and damnation but Christ is the proper and meritorious cause of salvation and sin the proper and meritorious cause of damnation Election and reprobation they are but precedent acts or decrees and the causes of salvation and damnation they come in between the causes and the execution thereof It is the fore-appointment of certain Angels and men unto everlasting dishonour God of his own free will determining to pass them by refuse or cast off and for sin to condemn and punish them with everlasting death Prov. 16. 4. Exod. 9. 16. Rom. 9. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 20. Mat. 25. 41. Of the Creation ALthough God made man of the dust of the earth yet he could have made him of nothing as he made all things else of nothing in six daies Heb. 11. 3. Exod. 20. 11. 1. In the first day were created the heavens and the earth and light Gen. 1. 1 2. Iob 38. 7. 2. In the next day was the out-spreading firmament or heavens the division of the waters above from the waters beneath Gen. 1. 6 7. 3. In the third day there was a two-fold work first a gathering of the waters in one place secondly a bringing forth of hearbs Gen. 1. 9 10 11 12. 4. In the fourth day was made the Sun Moon and Stars to give light on the earth and to be for signs and seasons and for dayes and years Gen. 1. 14 15 16 17. 5. In the fift day there was a twofold work the creation of all sorts of fish in the sea and fouls in the air Gen. 1. 22 23. 6. In the sixth day there was also a twofold work the creation of all sorts of beasts upon the earth and the creation of man whom the Lord made in his own Image Gen. 1. 24 25 26 27. 7. The seventh day the Lord made a Sabboth of rest and blessed that day above all other dayes and did also sanctifie it The
it is in Prov. 1. 20 21. and there makes publike proclamation ho every one that will come ye to me and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you Isa 55. 3. Isa 65. 1. and if we come not at this first invitation then he comes and beseecheth us to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. 20. and speaks to us as pittying us Jer. 3. 12. and lamenting over us Ezek. 33. 11. and all this he doth to perswade us to come and strike a Covenant with him 3. By the hearing of these promises and offers of grace the Lord usually scattereth some little seeds of faith in the hearts of those that he will bring unto himself which seeds being sown do quickly put forth and act towards the Covenant before by the Father tendred and layes hold of it as we see in Lydia the Jaylor Zacheus c. So by an act of faith we come to close with the Covenant revealed and offered freely unto us by accepting the grace offered resting upon God for all the mercy which he hath promised and then taking God to be a God over us submitting to his government and authority to command us and to rule us in all things according to his own will these two things faith doth and so takes hold of the Covenant more firmly in the same way and order as God offers it First God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy gracious long suffering pardoning iniquity transgression and sin and so offers himself to be reconciled to us though we have rebelled against him promising to be a Father unto us and to accept of us in his beloved as his sons and daughters and thus is the Covenant made up between God and us and the soul now begins to say in it self I that was an enemy he hath now reconciled unto himself I that was in times past without God without Christ without promise without Covenant without hope and none of Gods people Yet now I have God for my God Christ is my peace and I am now become one of Gods people the Covenant of his peace now belongeth to me and the Lord is become my salvation saying as Jacob Gen. 33. 11. The Lord hath had mercy on me therefore I have enough I have all that my heart hath desired The Lord doth acquaint the soul with those absolute promises which shew unto us the only cause of our salvation even free grace and no other thing Secondly they are a foundation for the faith of adherence or dependance to stay upon they yield a singular encouragement to a poor dejected soul that finds nothing in it self but sin and misery with hope to cast it self upon the free grace of God seeing he looks at nothing in us for which he should save us there be two acts of faith one of adherence or dependancy another of assurance there be also two kinds of promises absolute and conditionall mark now how these do fit and answer one to the other the absolute promises to the faith of adherence the conditionall to the faith of assurance Now faith helps us to close with the Covenant and enables us to walk with God according to the Covenant which we have made there is a keeping of Covenant required of us as well as a making a Covenant with God Gen. 17. 7 9. Psal 50. 5. The Saints are said to make a Covenant with God but in Psal 103. 18. they are said to keep his Covenant so there is a making and a keeping of Covenant and both by Faith The eleventh thing to be enquired into is what are the blessings and benefits of this Covenant to us-ward Answ WE can never know the things which are given to us of God but by knowing of the Covenant which conveys all the blessings from God to us O let us lift up our hearts to look for great things great blessings such as the great God hath promised the blessings are sutable to our wants the things of the Covenant are great things Hos 8. 12. The Covenant is as full of blessings as of letters or syllables and more it is a rich storehouse replenished with all manner of gifts and graces spirituall and temporall it is as a tree of life to those that feed upon it they shall live for ever it is a Well of salvation it is a fountain of good things to satisfie every thirsty soul Zach. 13. 1. it is a treasure full of goods as Deut. 28. 12. here is unsearchable riches unspeakable mercy which can never be fathomed or emptied all these blessings of the Covenant are wrapped up in the promises of it every promise of grace containing a blessing as every threatning of the Law contains a curse Now the promises and blessings of the Covenant are of two sorts First of things spirituall and eternall Secondly of things temporall the spirituall blessings of the Covenant are cheifly comprehended in these places of Scripture Jer. 31. 31 33. Ezek. 36. 25 26 27 28. Jer. 32. 38 39 40. Gen. 17. 7. God in Trinity enters into Covenant with us 1. The Father enters into Covenant with us and promiseth to be a Father to us hence saith the Lord Exod. 4. 22. Israel is my son my first born and Jer. 31. 9 20. is Ephraim my dear son is he my pleasant child so the Lord hath a care to provide both heavenly and earthly inheritance for his children he hath also a care to nurture and instruct them in his wayes Deut. 32. 10. 2. Christ the son enters into Covenant with us and speaks to us as in Isa 43. 1. Thou art mine and Hosea 13. 14. I will redeem them I will ransome them Oh death I will be thy death thou hast destroyed my people but I will destroy thee so he undertakes to take up all controversies which may fall between God and us he promiseth to restore us to the adoption of sons and to the inheritance of sons that we might be where he is Joh. 17. 24. 3. The holy ghost makes a Covenant with us as Heb. 10. 15 16. whereof the Holy-Ghost also is a witness to us testifying of this Covenant which he makes with us although the Father be imployed in it yet here is the power and work of the Holy-Ghost what the Father hath purposed from all eternity and the Son hath purchased for them in time that the Holy-Ghost effects in them and applies to them viz. he enables them to apply the blood of Christ for the remission of sins he writes the Law in our heats he teacheth us he washeth us from our filthiness and comforteth us in our sadness supports us in our faintings and guides us in our wandrings c. I may say as Moses to the people Deut. 33. 29. happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord and as David Psal 33. 12. Blessed is that Nation whose God is the Lord. By faith we look at Christ as having all fulness of grace
4. Consider the nature and cause of justification more particularly viz. Justification is when God meerly of his own grace and free will forgiveth our sins and pronounceth us just and innocent Though Gods Law was by us violated we are absolved from sin and punishment by the grace of God and merits of Christ apprehended by faith and so by him all that believe are justified in all things in which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13. 39. Justification is an act undivided and all at once and so it differs from sanctification which is done by degrees all different eminent acts as justification sanctification renovation are but one act in God I shall close up what I have to say to this thing by desiring the reader seriously to consider these precious Scriptures all speaking to the same thing Rom. 4. 5. Now to him that workoth not but beleiveth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Rom. 11. 6. And if By grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace So having spoken to the nature of justification give me leave also to lay down the usefulness of it as to us and the benefits every beleiver have by it the greatest thing that we can desire next the glory of God is our own salvation and the sweetest thing we can here obtain is the assurance of our salvation In this life we cannot get higher then to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed all godly people shall enjoy a Heaven when they leave this earth some enjoy a Heaven whilst they are here on earth that Christians may enjoy two Heavens let them enquire after diligently seek for and cheerfully embrace this Doctrine of justification freely and only by the grace of God as the cause through Christ as the way the Holy-Ghost as the worker and evidencer 1. This Doctrine is as the foundation and basis of all Christian Religion 2. This Doctrine is the inlet of all spirituall divine peace and consolation 3. This is the root and spring of all Gospel obedience 4. This Doctrine is the great stop and bar to keep out all floods of errour 5. This Doctrine is the main support of a soul under all trialls 6. This is the great Doctrine by which Satans kingdom is undermined and overthrown 7. This is the Doctrine that Satan doth most war against either to pervert or corrupt 8. This Doctrine is the most hardest piece to be learned it being wholly supernaturall in every part of it above the reach of nature and all things in us do oppose it 1. This Doctrine is the foundation and basis of all Christian Religion as doth clearly appear by these severall instances 1. To begin at the bottom our Election is the Election of grace and according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 2. 4 5. 2. Our Vocation is according to his grace 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ before the world began 3. Regeneration is of Gods own will Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth 4. Faith it self is the gift of God Philippians 1. 29. Ephes 2. 28. 5. Justification is freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. and a free gift Rom. 5. 15. 6. Forgiveness of sins is according to the riches of his grace Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace 7. Eternall life is the gift of God Act. 15. 11. But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Rom. 6. 23. The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If any ask what is the nature of this free grace I answer grace in its proper notion signifies that free goodness favour or good will whereby God is moved to open the eyes of the blind mind and to let him know the love of God that passeth knowledge If any ask why the Doctrine of the Gospel is called by the name of grace I answer because it was only Gods free good will to bestow it upon those that did most want it If any ask farther why this free grace was ever bestowed at all or why one age or place of the world should receive is rather then another or why God should discover this great misterie was kept secret since the world began to those who were sinners of the Gentiles who served dumb Idols or why God should be found of them that sought him not or be made manifest to those that asked not after him I can give no other answer then that 1 Cor. 1. 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence or that in Mat. 11. 35 26. Even so Father because it seemeth good in thy sight Whoever builds and builds not upon this foundation doth build upon the sand and his house in a storm and tempest will fall Mat. 7. 27. or if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is see 1 Cor. 3. 10 11 12 13 14 15. 2. This Doctrine is the inlet of all spirituall divine peace to the soul There is a vein through which this peace that passeth understanding is conveyed to the soul which the men and women of the world know not Isa 59. 8. The way of peace they know not they have made to themselves crooked paths whosoever goeth therein shall not find peace Rom. 3. 17. the way of peace have they not known in a word no man or woman under heaven can know the way to this peace untill the Lord give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide their feet into the way of peace Luk. 1. 79. No man can receive retain and enjoy this peace of God unless he wait on God at the springs of peace 1. The first spring of peace is faith Rom. 5. 1. being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ faith seeth Christ to be our peace Ephes 2. 14. and from him freely given to us John 14. 27. and the vein through which it runs to the soul is the vein of faith laying hold on and applying of the free grace of God to the soul Rom. 15. 13. 2. The second way of peace is this a man must not only know it where it is and believe it but he must stay himself wholly upon God in the constant expectation of the increase and supply of it Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose heart is stayed on thee 3. The next vein or spring
a grieving for sin both original and actual arising from an apprehension of displeasing so loving a God 2. Cor. 7. 11. For behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge in all things c. Repentance is not only a turning from evil to good but a hating the evil we turn from and a loving the good we turn to True repentance is a general universal change of the whole man in every part though it be but in part it doth change both heart and life word and work it makes darkness light and bitter sweet and a Leaper an Angel Isa 1. 16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean there is the change of the heart put away the evil of your doings there is the change of the life See Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. Or repentance is a universal change in the whole man the understanding is turned from darkness to light the will from sinfulservitude to an holy liberty the affections from disorder into order the heart from hardness into softness so the eye of wantoness into an eye of chastity the uncircumcised ear into an obedient ear the hands of bribery into the hands of liberty and the feet of vanity into the waies of purity Repentance for sin is nothing without repentance from sin He that hath repented indeed doth still desire to have his sin purged as well as pardoned repentance is a work that must be timely done or we be utterly undone he that hath truly repented doth now strike most at those sins that he was most prone to before the Jaylor Act. 16. Washed those wounds that his own hands had made but a little before he acts in waies of mercy quite contrary to his former cruelty So did Zacheus Luke 19. So did Paul Acts 9. So did Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 6. True repentance hath these choice companions attending it The first is Faith Mar. 1. 14. Repent ye therefore and believe the Gospel Secondly love to Christ doth alwaies accompany repentance as we may see in Mary Magdalen Luke 7. Thirdly fear of offending God and an holy care to honour him these and the like companions do alwaies accompany true repentance they were born together and they will live together till the soul doth change earth for heaven Conviction goes alwaies with conversion and repentance and forgiveness of sins goes alwaies together so doth sanctification and justification this repentance is a flower that grows not in natures garden Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spot c. Men are not born with repentance in their hearts as they are with tongues in their mouths The Nature of sin The Springs or Rise of sin The ready way to mortifie sin FIrst of the Nature of sin Although sin hath but one nature yet it hath several names in every sin we take from God and add to another thing Sin is the transgression of the Law and not believing and obeying the Gospel sin defiles a man totally it begins at the understanding and so to the will and affections sin robs a man of the Image of God of the presence of God Sin was the first founder of hell and laid the first stone thereof And yet most of this is but the effects of sin the essence must needs be much more abominable Hence sin is called poyson and sinners Serpents Sin is called vanity and sinners dogs Sin is called mire and sinners swine the least sin virtually more or less contains in it the nature of all sin no sooner did one sin set upon Adams heart but he had all sin in him every sin doth put God upon complaining Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving and the soul a mourning many sin by omission and commission at one and the same time and yet know of neither the more there is of the will in the acting of sin the greater the sin is Some sins of omission may exceed some of commission the more deliberation and the weaker temptations any hath and yet sinneth the greater the sin is Many a man is full of sinful corruption but shew it not for want of occasion No sooner did one sin seize upon Adams heart but he had all sin in him How sin creeps up and gets head in us SAtan first tempts us to be strange one to another and then to divide and then to be bitter and jealous and then to bite and devour one another again hasty and froward words begets anger anger being kindled begets wrath wrath seeketh greedily after revenge See Prov. 17. 14. Sin is of an incroaching nature it creeps on the soul by degrees step by step David gave way to his wandring eye and so fell into the sins of murder and adultery again Satan will first draw a soul to be unclean in his thoughts then in his looks then in his words and then in deeds he will first draw a soul to look on the golden wedge and then to love the golden wedge and then to handle the golden wedge and then to gain the golden wedge Again he will draw a soul first to have low thoughts of Scripture and Ordinances and then to sleight Scripture and Ordinances and then with the Ranters and Quakers to cast off Scripture and Ordinances Again if we give way to sinful motion it will be great vain thoughts and vain thoughts will beget idle words and idle words will beget petty oaths Sins of omission do also open the door and make way for sins of commission and again fearfulness and timerousness doth arise from weakness and feebleness and weakness and feebleness doth arise from unbelief or incredulity the beginning of sin is oft by the Devils suggesting evil thoughts evil thoughts cause delight delight consent consent engendereth action action causeth custom so one sin draweth on another grant a little and a great deal will follow Sin is ill in the eye worse in the tongue worser in the heart but worst of all in the life there are three waies how Satan comes into the Soul to cheat it First as a subtile Serpent in evil thoughts Secondly as an Angel of light in lying Prophets and evil spirits Thirdly as a roaring Lyon in Persecutors Of the great danger of small sins OUR Father Adam for eating an Apple one would account it a small matter to eat an Apple Yet what misery did that bring It did slay our Father and deceive our Mother cheated and almost undone all our Brethren defiled our Sisters wounded our children and plundred all our kindred to the skin and left them as poor as Job The sin of Angels was but a small sin only one sin and but a sin in thought too not in action yet for this they were cast out of heaven One would think it but a small sin for David to number the people yet
benefit by it So also we should examine our Faith 2 Cor. 13. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15. and repentance Heb. 10. 22. James 4. 8. and see whether this to us be attended with the love of God Zach. 12. 10. and of our Brethren 1 Cor. 16. 4. and a fervent praying for a blessing upon this ordinance of God Mat. 26. 26. In thy preparation look much upon thy unworthiness as first the wickedness of thy nature ready to all evil and backward to all that is good Secondly consider thy blindness of mind sleepiness of memory hard heart and stubborn will unholy affections Consider if thou wast cursed in the womb born a child of wrath what art thou now having lived so long in Sin but the child of hell far more then thou wast before Psal 58. 3. Job 20. 11. If for one sin aâ—l the curses of the Law do lie upon thee as Gal. 3. 10. James 2. 10. What is due to thee for all thy sins if single sins deserve death what do thy double and treble sins deserve consider thy rebellious backsliding sins against knowledge conscience covenants purposes promises protestations do not all these deserve double and deeper damnation not knowing of God he will not have mercy upon thee Isa 27. 11. not repenting thou shalt perish Luke 13. 3. not fearing him he will make thy plagues wonderful not believing in him thou shalt be damned John 3. 18. not loving him thou art and shalt be cursed 1 Cor. 16. 22. not being zealous he will spew thee out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. not being meek thou art an abomination to the Lord Prov. 3. 32. not being mercifull thou shalt have judgement without mercy not eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God thou hast no life in thee John 6. 53. And eat his flesh and drink his blood thou canst not unless thou dost examine thy self and by Faith discern the Lords body Of the actions of the administrator of this blessed Ordinance FIrst the minister is to take the bread and wine and to separate it from ordinary bread and wine which doth signifie Gods separating Christ from other men to be our alone mediator and that he was by the father set a part to that office and so separated from sinners Exod. 12. 5. Heb. 7. 26. Then he comes to bless and consecrate the bread and wine by the word and prayer which doth signifie Gods sanctifying and furnishing him with all gifts needful for a mediator Then he cometh to break the bread and pour out the wine which doth signifie the passion of Christ with all the torments which he endured for our sins viz. to accomplish our salvation see what he endured consider that he that was equal with God should come in the form of a Servant that he that the heaven of heavens could not contain should be cradled in a manger that the Judge of all flesh should be condemned that the Lord of life should be put to death that he that was his fathers joy should cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me that that head that was crowned with honour should be crowned with thorns that those eyes that were as a flame of fire should be closed up by the darkness of death that that tongue that spake as never man spake should be accused of blasphemie that those hands that swayed the Scepter and feet that were as fine brass should be nailed to the cross and himself hanged on a tree between two thieves and then they pierced his side with a spear his precious blood shed and his righteous soul poured forth unto Death Isa 53. 5 10 12. Heb. 9. 14. Surely as the bread nourisheth not if it remain whole and unbroken so there is no life for us in Christ but in as much as he died for us Then the Minister gives the bread and wine to the receivers which doth signifie that God gave Christ and Christ gave himself to us and in this is Christ Jesus with all his merits offered to all sorts of receivers and that God hath given him unto the faithful receivers to feed their souls unto eternal life John 3. 14 15. 6. 50 51. Of the actions of the receiver or duty in recieving FIrst he is to take the bread and wine presented to him which doth signifie the recieving of Christ into our souls with all his benefits by Faith and that they and only they have benefit by Christ which thus apply Christ to themselves by a true and lively Faith John 1. 12. To as many as did receive him to-them he gave power to become the Sons of God Secondly the communicants are to eat the bread and drink the wine receiving them into their bodies and digesting them 1 Cor. 11. 26. Which doth signifie our uniting to Christ and enjoying of him and so with delight apply him and his mercies to all the necessities of our Souls Spiritually feeding upon him and growing up by him and as God doth bless these elements to preserve and strengthen the body of the receiver so Christ apprehended and received by faith doth nourish our Souls and preserve both body and soul unto eternall life John 6. 50 51. 1 Cor. 10. 3 11 19 17. As the bread passeth through many alterations before it is fit to be eaten as cutting down threshing grinding and the parching heat in baking so the blessed body of Christ was pittifully bruised and rent with drops of blood scourges nayles thorns and with a spear before it could be a fit sacrifice for sin and as bread feeds the body so doth Christ the soul and as bread drives away natural hunger so doth Christ spiritual hunger and as bread is given to the hungry and poor so Christ effectually to the broken in heart and to the contrite Spirit and to the hungry soul if any ask what it is to receive Christ then I answer to accept of him to be thy Priest and Jesus to save thee by his blood and to be thy Prophet and Christ to teach thee by his word and to be thy Prince and Lord to reign in and over thee by his Spirit making thee to learn and live by his Laws now if thou hast thus received Christ thou wilt part with any thing in the world rather then him and so it will make thee to take heed of that which may cause Christ to depart from thee 1. By committing any of thy old sins 2 Pet. 1. 9. 2. By neglecting any of his Services 2 Pet. 1. 10. 3. By not loving all his commandments John 15. 14. 4. By not waiting for his second coming in power and great glory Who they are that may partake of this Ordinance ALL who are of years and sound judgement to discern the Lords body and to examine themselves and are received by consent into the body of the Church of Christ these are to repair to this ordinance for none partake of it worthily but those who profess the true
not that glory that fadeth not that kingdom that shaketh not 5. We do account that man a poor man that is in debt over head and ears and hath little or nothing where withall to pay even this is the case of most of those men that have feathered their nests by raking and scraping together the muck of this world they are in debt to men let every bird have his feather and they will have little enough and they are in debt to God ten thousand times more then they are worth and having no surety they must lie in prison perpetually and as for the honours of the world what are they the best mans honour is as glass britt and brittle and ever more in danger of breaking as a bird hoppeth from tree to tree so do the honours and riches of this world from man to man and so much of the world Of the Flesh NOw the works of the flesh are manifest Galat. 5. 19. which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness therefore great need of this exhortation 1 Pet. 2. 11. dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers abstain from fleshly lusts Rom. 7. 18. in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for all flesh is grace and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the Field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth Isa 40. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Psal 37. 2. Psal 90. 5 6. 92. 7. 103. 15. Isa 37. 27. What shall I say more all mankind are under the wrath and curse of God being full of blindness of mind having a reprobate sense liable to strong delusions hardness of heart horror of conscience and vile affections having the curse of God upon the whole creation for mans sake and besides all this man is subject to all manner of evil in body name and estate and relations and imployment together with an utter undisposed mind to all that is good and wholly inclined to all that is evil and that continually What man is by nature NOT only born in sin but left in a condition not able to help himself Job 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an uncelan not one Job 25. 4. How can he be clean that is born of a woman Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Mich. 7. 2. there is none upright amongst men there is none righteous no not one Rom. 3. 12. We go astray as soon as we are born Psal 58. 3. Every imagination of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil and that continually Gen. 5. 6. Nay all the Saints themselves before conviction conversion and regeneration were guilty of originall and actual transgression and so were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Eph. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Tit. 3. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Eccles 7. 20. What shall I say more the understanding is full of vanity Psal 94. 11. Nay it s full of blindness 1 Cor. 2. 24. unteachableness and incredulity 2 Cor. 4. 4. The will of man is wholly depraved being contrary to God his word and spirit in all things as for the memory that also is full of corruption it will forget the things that it should remember and remember the things that it should forget it will retein trifles and let go matters of moment and as for the conscience that also is wholly corrupted it is without feeling whereas it should excuse or accuse it doth abuse and pervert the light it hath by making great sins small and small sins no sins and as for our affections they are also corrupted they come as a tempest and carry us away either to make us over-love or over-great and to hate our brother we should love and love our lusts we should hate Of mans own righteousness BUt we are all as an unclean thing and Isaiah 64. 6. all our righteousness is as filthy rags and we all do fade as a leaf Jer. 2. 22. For though thou wash thee with Niter and take much Soap yet thine iniquities are marked before me saith the Lord God Job 9. 30 31. If I wash my self in Snow-water yet mine own cloaths shall abhor me Hosea 6. 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as the morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Isa 28. 20. The bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is narrower then that a man can wrap himself in it Isa 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire walk in the light of your fire and in the Sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lie down in Sorrow Job 35. 7. If thou be righteous what givest thou to him or what receiveth he of thine hand verse 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the Sons of men c. See Job 22. 2 3. Titus 3. 8. Psalm 16. 2. Of the Devil THE Devil sinned from the beginning of the world compare John 8. 44. with Jude 6. and you shall see he was the first sinner in the world and the sole cause of all other sinners he drew his apostate Angels with him hence came that phrase Mat. 25. 41. The Devil and his Angels he deceived our first parents in the Serpent and so brought sin upon all the world Gen. 3. And still he as a roaring Lyon walketh about seekinng whom he may devour sometimes in Scripture he is called Satan because he doth mortally hate mankind sometimes Devil because he doth slanderously accuse men to God and man Job 1. 11. 2. 5. Rev. 12. 8 9. 10. Sometimes he is called the old Serpent for his subtile temptations sometimes the great dragon for his destroying of many Rev. 12. 8 9. But here lies much of a Saints comfort the Devil must have a double leave before he can do any thing against him he must first have leave from God as we find in the example of Job 1. 11 12. 2. 3 5. though the Devil had malice enough to destroy him yet he had not so much as power to touch him till God gave him commission so Luke 8. 32. they could not so much as enter into the swine without leave from Christ so Satan could never have overthrown Ahab and Saul but by a commission from God 1 Kings 22 And as Satan must have a leave from God so he must have leave from us when he tempts we must consent when he commands we must obey or else all his temptations will be frustrate Act. 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy-Ghost why hast thou given him an advantage to fill thy heart with infidelity hypocrisie and obstinacie to lie to the Holy Ghost when a temptation comes and the soul cries out
who was dying for want of water and there was a well of water by her and she did not know it till the Lord opened her eyes Joh. 20. 11. Mary stood at the sepulcher weeping for the absence of Christ and Christ stood by her and talked to her before she knew it Again we read Gen. 44. 45. chap. that Josephs brethren were taken prisoners and they rent their cloaths saying how shall we clear our selves and Joseph their brother stood by them and they knew it not even then when they were trembling and terrified at his presence in a word the Lord doth many times bring about a swifter a fuller and more universal help and deliverance then heart could imagine See Zach. 14. 6 7. But at Even tide it shall be light So that we may all conclude with David Psal 77. 19. Thy way is in the sea and thy paths in the deep waters and thy footsteps are not known The Lord doth many times hand forth his mercies to us by the rule of contraries GOD promised to Abraham a son and that his seed should be as the stars of heaven and the Lord made good this by the rule of contraries there was fourteen years between Gods making the promise and giving him a son and he was about one hundred years old before he had a son and Sarahs womb was barren and after this son was born God calleth upon Abraham to offer him up yet notwithstanding all this the Lord made good his promise and Abraham staggered not at the promise of God Rom. 4. 20 21. Again we find Exod. 14. when the children of Israel were in the greatest streight and at the furthest distance from all humane helps not knowing what to do then even then the Lord delivered them Luke 21. 28. When ye see these things come to pass then lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh one would have thought ruin was nigh to see such things come to pass John 9. 15. Christ put clay upon the blind mans eyes one would think clay should have made him more blind Hest 3. 12 13. All the Jews were designed for death Hest 8. 9 10 11 12. This design contrary to all expectation was discovered and revoked and the Jews preserved by the rule of contraries so Joseph had a promise by way of vision to be made a great man but contrary to this he was sold into Egypt and there cast into prison yet at last he got the mercy we might instance in Job and many others but this may suffice to prove this truth that God doth oft times hand forth his mercies to us by the rule of contraries c. This would be of great use to Christians if more considered The Lord doth not despise the day of small things WE read Zach. 4. 10. That the Lord doth not despise the day of small things and it was but a day of small things for Nicodemus to come to Christ by night and yet he was received and embraced one would have thought that if Christ would have dispised any he would have despised him who was so weak as being either afraid or ashamed or both to own Christ in the day and so he cometh to him by night one would have thought Christ would have said to him Nicodemus is thy desire after me so weak and faint that thou dost fear to come to me in the day or am I so unworthy as not to be owned but out of sight hast thou either so low an esteem of me or bearest thou so little love to me go return as thou camest I will not accept thee in the dark who wouldst not acknowledge me in the light no no Christ hath not one sillable of this but he entertains him imbraces him and instructs him c. It was but a day of small things with that woman Mat. 9. 21. That had spent all and grew worse and worse and knew not whither to go then she resolves to go to Christ It was but a day of small things with that man that came to Christ Mar. 9. 22. saying if thou canst do any thing help us he doubted whether Christ could help yea or no It was but a day of small things with the Prodigal Luke 15. to say when he knew not whither to go I will arise and go to my father yet he was received embraced welcomed and honoured well may we say as in Mat. 12. 20. A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench So again it was but a day of small things with David to have thoughts to build an house unto the Lord yet that was accepted as fully as if it had been done Again we read Isa 40. 11. He will gather his lambs with his arms and he will carry them and that in his bosom It is true he doth carry our sins on his back and hath received all the lashes due to us for them ask blind Bartimeus and he will tell you that Christ doth not despise the day of small things he did but ask for mercy and presently received the mercy Mar. 10. 46 47 48. So it is but a day of small things with us in respect of our faith love knowledge and power over our corruptions hope patience and self-denyal yet who hath despised the day of small things Zach. 4. 10. The order of causes how God comes downward from the causes to the effects and how we must go upward from the effects to the causes IT will make much for our information and consolation to consider what order and method the Lord doth take to unvail his love to man and what order and method man should take to apprehend and enjoy this love viz. God goes downward from the causes to the effects and we must go upward from the effects to the causes the web that God hath weaved we must unweave he goes from election downward we must go from regeneration upward thus shall God and we meet in the middle way we must prove our selves to be called and he will acknowledge us to be elected consider and weigh these ensuing things 1. The cause of salvation is Gods love 2. The way is Jesus Christ 3. The guide is the Holy-Ghost 4. The rule for our footsteps is the Scriptures 5. Faith is the evidence 6. Hope is the Anchor of the soul and Baptism and the Lords Supper are the seals 1. Gods love to sinners was the cause of sending his son to dye for them Job 3. 16. Rom. 5. 6 8. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Tit. 3. 4 5. 2. Christs dying for our sins and rising again for our justification is the cause of the Gospels being preached to sinners Mat. 28. 18 19. Mar. 16. 15 16. 1 Cor. 15. 13. 3. The Gospel being preached to sinners is the cause of their believing Rom. 10. 14 15 17. Ephes 1. 13. Act. 13. 48. 4. Mans believing is the cause of his justification from sin Act. 13. 38 39. Rom. 3. 26 28. 5. Our knowing
our selves to be justified from our sins by faith in the blood of Christ is the cause of our love to Christ 1 Joh. 4. 10 19. 6. Our love to Christ is the cause of our obeying of Christ 1 Joh. 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments so again Joh. 14. 15. If ye love me keep my commandments See the 21. and 23. ver 7. In our obedience to him he doth manifest these things to us that we have right to the tree of life Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City that is in the obedience he shall have the manifestation of that 2 Pet. 1. 11. For so an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And so he is manifested to be the Author of salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Behold obedience to God is the way of conveyance to us so it is a lively evidence to others that we are the Lords Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples because our faith which is the evidence of things not seen to us is proved to others to be true by its works Jam. 2. 18. Behold here is the Lords going downward from the causes to the effects now we must go upward from the effects to the causes 1. God shews us what is our duty and puts us upon doing it and for the doing of it those that behold it and hear of us judge us to be true Christians 2. In the doing of it God manifests himself more and more to our souls in the keeping of his appointments there is great reward for so an entrance is administred to us abundantly 2 Pet. 1. 11. 3. The cause of our obedience is our love to God If ye love me keep my commandments 4. The cause of our love was our seeing that God did love us first 1 Joh. 4. 10 19. 5. The cause of our faith in Christ is the preaching of the Gospel Rom. 10. 17. 6. The cause of the preaching the Gospel to us was Christs dying for us 7. The cause of Christs dying for us was Gods great love of pitty to us-wards even when we were dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 4. So then Gods love was the cause of sending his son o deye for our sins Christs dying and rising again is the cause of the Gospeâ—s being preached The preaching of the Gospel is the cause of our believing Our believing is the cause of our justification from sin the knowing of our selves free from sin by the blood of Christ is the cause of our love to Christ our love to Christ is the cause of our obeying of him and in onr obedience is the manifestation more and more conveyed to us So by our obedience others have some evidence of our faith in Christ Mans life is or should be guided by these vertues 1. FAith whereby we believe in and lay hold on God for something promised 2. Hope and that is either for pardoning mercy or for glory 3. Charity whereby we love God as the only good and his people and our enemies in obedience to his command 4. Prudence 1. In our hearts to guide our thoughts 2. In our mouths to order our speeches 3. It should be in our words to grace or adorn our actions 4. In the intelligence to understand things present 5. Prudence to guess at things to come 6. Prudence to recal matters past 5. Temperance which moderates our desires and brings the Appetite under a rule of reason that it may not exceed the rule of moderation 6. Perseverance which continueth in doing and suffering valiantly 7. Justice which giveth every man his due without self-love fear or ranckor it binds us to give due to God to our parents and kindred verity and equity in all that we do in order to our duty herein 1. Sense perceiveth 2. Imagination representeth 3. Understanding formeth 4. Wit deviseth 5. Reason judgeth 6. Memory preserveth 7. Intelligence apprehendeth 8. Contemplation in the prosecution perfecteth Several Divine Sentences First of Christ HE that was the Son of of God became the son of man that we who were the sons of men might become the sons of God He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the rightâ—ousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. The more vile Christ made himself for us the more dear he ought to be unto us therefore let us beware of Christ-dishonouring and soul-undoing opinions All good things are in Christ eminently perfectly and eternally Faith in the blood of Christ the witness of the Spirit of Christ a sense of feeling and the love of Christ and the hope of reigning with Christ are the only things to be desired Christ is as well the fountain of common gifts as of saving grace A true Christian cannot find fulness in the creature nor sweetness in sin nor life in any Ordinance without Christ he will weep over other mens weaknesses and rejoyce at their graces We must lean more upon Christ and less upon our own strength lest with Peter we rest upon some old strength and fall before a new temptation Christ can heal a soul speedily perfectly freely and eternally Oh that Christ should shed his blood for those sins that we never shed one tear for A true Christian doth labour for unity in the Church as well as purity he loves to see Christs coat without rent as well as without spot Phil. 3. 15. Christ did admit his spouse into the garden sweetly though she kept him out of her house sluggishly What a poor soul doth for Christ sincerely that our precious Saviour takes sweetly though it be done ill he doth accept it well Nay though we carry our selves in our choicest performances very weakly yet he doth carry himself towards us very sweetly and doth accept of that which we do kindly although done in much infirmity let us enter into his service and we shall soon experience his sweetness Christ doth weigh the heart of the giver more then the value of the gift and delights to see his people give cheerfully though they cannot give bountifully Let us give over measuring his mercy by the narrow scantling of our dark understandings though difficulties may arise and Christians hearts may fail yet the work of Christ shall go on c. Of affliction for sin in Sentences GOD is as severe in punishing as he is gracious in pardoning his house of correction is his School of instruction God had one Son without corruption but no Son without correction he had one Son without Sin but no Son without Sorrow A Soul may be dearly beloved although soarly afflicted sin and punishment are linked together if thou wilt be sinful thou must be miserable Oh what is the state of a man
but not such Spots as wicked men 2. Whereas it is said they had no spot or wrinkle in them it was as they were made comely by the comeliness that he had put upon them Ezek. 16. 14. And as they were covered with the robe of his own Righteousness Isa 61. 10. And so their Holiness and Righteousness was of the Lord Isa 57. 17. Hence he is in Jer. 23. 6. Called the Lord our Righteousness the nature of Grace and Sanctification in this life is but imperfect and growing unto perfection 1 Cor. 13. 9 10. Phil. 3. 12 13. Some Canaanites are still in the Land although we are entered into Canaan there is a Remnant of flesh as well as a Principle of the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. In this sense the Church is not actually purged but in purging from all defilements and at last there shall be no spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing Ephes 5. 26 27. So that compleat purity from sin and perfection is to be desired on earth yet reserved for heaven Rom. 6. 7. Ephes 5. 27. Heb. 12. 23. Rev. 21. 27. I have dwelt longer then I intended upon this question I must get it up again in being brief in the next We read Mat. 12. 31 32. The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Quest What that sin against the Holy Ghost is Answ The sin against the Holy Ghost doth comprehend and take in three things Knowledge in the mind Malice in the heart persecuting some known Truths and persevering therein for the proof of this let me instance in three Scriptures first Paul was filled with malice in his heart but although a scholar he had no knowledge in his mind as the text saith he had mercy on me because I did it ignorantly now Peter he had much knowledge in his mind but no malice in his heart and so although he sinned out of knowledge yet he sined not this sin but upon the crowing of the cock and Christs looking on him he repenteth now take the knowledge that was in Peter and joyn it with the malice that was in Paul and in both these persecute the truth and persevere therein this is that grand sin for that grand sin hath these three properties 1. Knowledge 2. Malice 3. Perseverance in a way of wickedness for finalness maliciousness and universalness must be taken joyntly together not severally one from another if by them we would describe the sin against the Holy Ghost for a man may fall knowingly and maliciously yet unless he fall finally and so make a defection from the truth not through fear or infirmity but out of hatred blasphemy and persecution if he come not up to this he hath not committed this sin for we find all the former sins to be pardonable It is reported of Julian that committed this sin that he was from his child-hood trained up in piety and attained to great knowledge and when he came to the Empire he carryed himself with much clemency but after this he came to deny Christ in France and turned a most bloody butcher and barbarous persecutor to poor Christians after this being either wounded in a battle or a blow from heaven he took a handfull of his blood and flung it up into the air and burst out into a most wicked experssion against Christ and said thou man of Galilee thou hast overcome me and so miserably dyed Quest Is not Election the cause of salvation and Reprobation the cause of damnation Answ Election and Reprobation are not in any sense the causes of salvation and damnation but Christ is the proper and meritorious cause of salvation and sin the proper and meritorious cause of damnation Election and Reprobation they are but precedent and precurrent acts or decrees and the causes of salvation and damnation they come in between the decrees and the execution thereof Quest How could Christ being but one make satisfaction for the sins of so many Answ How could father Adam being but one infect so many with original sin I hope you will grant that the second Adam was as well able to sanctifie as the first was to putrifie for though Christ was but one yet he was such a one as was greater and better then all and so able and sufficient to satisfie for all and to redeem all as well as he made all and the blood of such a one as Christ the son of God was of such an infinite value and price that it did surmount and surpass in dignity and worth all the souls in the world and his sufferings and merits were a sufficient satisfaction if intended and applyed to that end for to save so many worlds of men as there is men in the world Quest Did Christ fulfil the moral Law or ten commandments by his death Answ He did satisfie and perform for his people what the Law could require and exact from them and so became the end of the Law for righteousness or Justification to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. And so redeemed and freed them from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3. 13. By being made a Curse for them c. but it still remains in full force and vertue as a Rule of life as it is opened by Christ Mat. 5. There is some difference in the administration of it since Christs coming from the administration of it before his coming Quest Hath not Christ dyed for all men and tasted death for every man 2 Cor. 5. 15. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Answ The word All is not to be alwaies taken for every one for the word All hath many restrictions for this word All is very often taken in Scripture for all kinds as Paul exhorteth that supplication be made for all men that is some of all sorts and degrees as well Rulers as others 1 Tim. 2. 1. So it is said that Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Aegyptians that is in all kind of wisdom so we read that Christ healed all diseases that is all manner of diseases All is sometimes restrained in Scripture to Gods peculiar people Christ saith I will draw all men to me John 12. 32. That is all men that the Father gave him John 6. 4 5. See Isa 54. 13. Again we read they shall be all taught of God not all the world sure but all Gods people Again I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh Acts 2. 7. These cannot be meant of all the wicked Again we read 1 Thess 2. 15. They please not God and are contrary to all men that is all good men Again we read Mat. 10. 22. Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake that is of all wicked men by which we may see how the word All is taken variously and therefore it is to be limited and determined to persons and things according as the text will bear and no otherwise and when as it is said he tasted death for every
wind of death yea their falling began with their building Quest Whether a godly man may buy and sell eat and drink travel and discourse with an ungodly man or men Answ We find in the Scriptures that a good man is to love his enemies and to do good unto all Gal. 6. 10. The Lord doth cause the Sun to shine and the rain to fall upon them therefore beware of judging and condemning them are they proud who can tell but God may humble them are they unclean who can tell but God may cleanse them we ought to be courteous in our behaviour towards them Gen. 23. 7 12. Abraham bowed himself to the people of the Land Christ was tender hearted towards them he wept over them that were to shed his blood and we are to own and commend what there is of God in them so it is said Christ did love the young man in the Gospel for those natural parts that there were in him God is the fountain of common gifts as well as of saving grace The Lord doth make use of them to bring out of their loyns many precious men and sometimes he doth make use of them to help the woman and sometimes to awaken his people and put them upon their guard but in all our conversings with wicked men take heed to these things 1. Walk warily and circumspectly before them Phil. 2. 15. For you are in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having therefore your conversation honest amongst the Gentiles ver 15. For so is the will of God that with well doing we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 2 Beware of envying at their prosperity because God hath prohibited that Psalm 37. 1. Consider they have their reward here in this life Prov. 24. 19. There is no reward to a wicked man in another life 3. Beware of cracking a good conscience to procure their favour as Judas did consider their favour is fickle and it is a madness to lose the favour of God to gain the favour of his enemies 4. Beware of omitting those duties that God requires of you for fear of them this is to life up man more then God Consider omission may damn a man as well as commissions and hereby we shall gratifie carnal men by omitting of good duties for fear of them and by this we shall stagger those that were coming on in the wayes of God 5. Beware of too deep a familiarity with them and that for these reasons First because they have no communion nor fellowship with God Ephes 2. 12. They are without Christ in the world and have communion with Satan 1 John 5. 19. The whole world lyeth in wickedness Again deep communion with them is very dangerous to your souls Joseph by this began to swear by the life of Pharaoh and Peter being a little in bad company how soon could he swear and lye both one after another Quest Whether recreation be lawful and if so what recreation and when to be used and how long and how oft Answ Recreation in some pleasant and harmless exercise is lawful as might appear by the testimony and practices of many good people sometimes making use of their liberty therein observing these and the like rules 1. In and by things lawful not vain as filthy or slanderous songs 1 Cor. 15. 33. Psal 69. 12. 2. Not foolish talking and unsaintlike jesting Ephes 5. 3 4 3. Not dicing carding stage-playing and fidling 4. We are not to use recreation as we do meat and drink but as wine seldom and little at a time 1 Tim. 5. 23. Then there are times in which no recreation is either lawful or expedient 1. On the Sabbath or Lords day it is altogether forbidden Isa 58. 13. 2. In the time of mourning for it becomes no body to be jolly when God is angry Isa 22. 12 13. Mat. 9. 55. 3. It must be done in a fit time as our occasions will bare that we may redeem time and not set spurs to a running horse as it were a benefit to be rid of time that is neither for our profit here Proverbs 21. 17. nor our safety hereafter Mat. 25. 30. 4. It must be made use of in a fit manner for no more then we are willing to lose 5. It must be carried on soberly not over earnestly it is dangerous for a man to give up himself too much to pleasurable things 1 Cor. 7. 31. for wisdom must be the moderator of our mirth and content Eccles 2. 3. 6. This also must be done in good company not with men of evil manners lest we bring our selves to be in danger to be partaker of their sins Quest In as few words as may be answer me to these eight things 1. Election what it is 2. The causes of it 3. The ends of it 4. The effects of it 5. The Subjects of it 7. The properties of it 8. The signs of it Answ I have spoken to Election before in its place but seeing here are more particulars then there I have spoken unto I shall answer each briefly 1. As to election what it is consider that it is a special decree of God touching the conferring of eternal salvation by Christ the Redeemer to certain men of meer mercy and good will 2. As to the causes of election it is the love of the Trinity God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost The manner of working peculiarly to each of them the Scripture expresly sheweth that the Father and the Son did elect us Ephes 1. 4. John 15. 16. In which we may not exclude the Holy Ghost who hath one common God-head with them 1 Joh. 5. 7. So that the cause which moved God to elect was his meer good will and nothing else as appears by these ensuing undeniable reasons 1. By the word of God he hath predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1. 5. Rom. 11. 5. So then we are not elected for foreseen faith for every cause is before the effect now faith is after election Act. 13. 48. So in the next place we are not elected for any foreseen works for the Apostle doth exculde all works from being either causes of election or reprobation Rom 9. 11 12. 3. The ends of election may be reduced to these three heads 1. The glory of God and the celebration and declaration of his mercy Romans 9. 23. Ephes 1. 6. 2. The second end is that we should be ho. ly Ephes 1. 4. He did not chuse us because we were then holy but that we might be holy 3. The third end is the salvation and glory of the elect therefore they are said to be ordained to eternal life and prepared unto glory and chosen unto salvation Acts 13. 48. Rom. 9. 23. 2 Thes 2. 13. 4. The effects of election are the mediation of Christ adoption vocation saving faith justification glorification in a word Gods election is the root of all gifts of God in
for there the King is Christ the Law is Love the honour verity the peace felicity the Life eternity there is Light without drakness mirth without sadness health without sickness wealth without want credit without disgrace beauty without blemish ease without labour riches without rust blessedness without misery Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Psalm 87. 3. 4. Let us yet consider whose presence we shall enjoy and that is the prsence of Father Son and holy Ghost Angels and Saints Heb. 12. 22 23 24. The whole man shall enjoy fellowship with God fellowship with the Lamb and fellowship with the Angels A happy society and sweet communion all holiness all happiness all joys shall be enjoyed All that God bestowed upon Moses could not satisfie his mind unless he might see the face of God When Paul had once seen this blessed sight he ever after counted all the riches and Glory of the world to be but dung and all his Life after was but sighing out I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Father I will saith Christ that they which thou hast given me be even where I am that they may behold my Glory 5. The next thing to be considered is that in this blessed state we shall all know one another and have Communion one with another and sweet content flowing from that Communion we shall know the power of the Father and the wisdom of the Son the grace of the holy Ghost and the invisible nature of the blessed Trinity and in him we shall know all our friends who died in the faith and all the faithful that ever were or shall be Luke 13. 28. Christ tels the Jews that they shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God therefore we shall know them Adam knew Eve whom he had never seen before muchmore then shall we know those we have known here David implyeth that he shall know his child when he comforted himself that he should go to it 2 Sam. 12 23. The Apostles knew Christ after his resurrection Peter James and John knew Moses and Elias in the transfiguration how much more shall we know one another when we shall be all glorified Mat. 17. 4 Luke 9. 33. The rich man knew Abraham and Lazarus Luke 16. Surely then Abraham and Lazarus shall know one another 1 Cor. 13. 12. Sâ—int Paul saith at that day we shall know as we are known of God Love never faileth therefore knowledge the ground thereof remains in another life Our knowledge in another life shall as far exceed the knowledge of this life as the Light of the Sun doth exceed the Light of a candle They who thirst for knowledge Let them long be studients of this University for all the Light by which we know any thing in this world is nothing but the very shadow of God Dives in Hell knew Lazarus in heaven and why shall not the godly know one another there We read Mat. 13. That Peter James and John knew Moses in the transfiguration as before c. Boulton here thinks it should detract much from the happiness of every Saint in heaven if every Saint should not know one another there 6. Another priviledge is we shall not only know one another and have communion together but we shall speak one to another Our communion and conference one with another may be gathered from the like in the Angels who doubtless speak one to another though not vocally as we now do yet in their manner viz. Angelically and spiritually which is thought to be nothing else but a spiritual insinuation instillation or communication of their minds notions meanings one to another to think that the Angles and Spirits of the just made perfect do not speak in their heavenly and spiritual manner communicating their minds one to anotheras they see cause is against reason and inconsisting with the state of blessedness and to think they speak in this manner is not against Scripture or reason though the full resolution to this thing viz. with what tongues the Angels and souls departed speak seems to be reserved till we come to heaven some conceive we shall then all speak in the Hebrew tongue 7. Let us consider the variety of joyes in heaven and those admirable good things which God hath prepared and which Christ hath purchased for his servants it is not for any wit of man to conceive or any tongue to relate or any pen to set down nevertheless let us set down a taste of them as we find them revealed in Scriptures in that life there shall be no earthly or sinfull misery there shall be no sin at all no sickness no sorrows no diseases nor malady no cross nor curse no vexation nor calamity no defect nor deformity no tumults not troubles no pain nor penury all tears shall be done away all evils removed all sin abolished all wants supplyed Rev. 22. 3. Rev. 21. 4. There shall be a perpetual possession of all good things even of God himself who is goodness it self there shall be perfection of knowledge no defect in love certain security conistant amity and secure tranquility the end why all this shall be given to us is that God may manifest his exceeding love to us and that we might enjoy the full fruit of Christs death and passion and lastly that we might acknowledge the wonderful mercies of God unto us and celebrate his name for ever then shall we be in a state of exemption from sin and from the causes of sin and from the punishment of sin The morall Philosophers say that hail storm and tempest are ingendred in the middle region but above the middle region there is no wind no storm or tempest but whilst we are here below set us expect storms winds and blustering temptations but when God takes us above this middle region there is no storm nor tempest to trouble us then the Angels that rejoyced at our conversion will much rejoyce together with us at our entrance into heaven 8. Let us consider the duration and continuance of this blessed state this life is an everlasting life Mat. 25. 45. It shall continue world without end life eternal is the highest degree of blessedness in which we shall be made partakers of Christs glory enjoying the sight of God and heavenly joyes for ever and ever therefore it is termed everlasting life John 16. 22. and Christ faith that our joy shall no man take from us Oh who can bear this and not admire it Who can meditate on it and not be amazed at it as soon as any Saint in this life felt but a true taste of these everlasting joys they presently accounted all the riches and pleasures of this life to be but loss and dung in respect of that and therefore with fervent prayers fastings tears faith and good life they gave all diligence and laboured to ascertain themselves of this eternal life and for the