wofull estate it highly concerns all and every one of us whilst it is said to day if we will hearken to his voice not to harden our hearts lest God swear in his wrath that we shall never enter into his Rest. We that live in the last dayes and enjoy the Ministery of the Gospell have not onely many a fair Warning but many a fearfull Example represented before our very eyes These are the Punishments of the unregenerate § VIII which they suffer before the Resurrection There are also Punishments which God's own Children after their Regeneration and beginning of the estate of Justification suffer in this life For as they have their Negligencies Ignorances Failings and sometimes their grievous Sins So they have their Punishments accordingly For the most just God who is most holy and of purest Eyes will in no wise allow of Sin in his own dearest Children For though his greatest design is to save the sinner yet he will punish and destroy the sin As the greater their diligence care and zeal shall be the greater their peace joy and comfort shall prove So if they offend be negligent carelesse cold the lesse Communion they shall have with their God and the greater their doubts feares troubles griefs shall be And these spirituall Desertions of their God and the withdrawings of the Spirit are sad and heavy Judgments How great must their discomfort needs be when God doth hide his face Christ standeth at a distance and the Spirit doth not appear This is evident from the many dolefull complaints and lamentations of God's Servants and dearest Children They suffer many temporall Afflictions in their Persons Goods Families Children near Relations besides For they are many times chastened of the Lord that they should not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11. 35. The Sword departs not from David's house and his Children wrong and murther one another for his crimes of Adultery and Murther Yet these though grievous were not his most grievous and greatest Punishments The sting of sin and guilt thereof doth deeply pierce and torment his Soul the sanctifying and sealing Spirit was abated and in a great measure withdrawn as his divine Vertues so his blessed Comforts were almost reduced to a spark raked up in the ashes and if God had not in due time out of depth of Mercy revived it What had become of him What his case was we may easily understand by Psal. 51. at large especially by that earnest Petition Create in me a clean Heart and renew a right Spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thine holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit that is Comfort me with the Spirit of Adoption Psal. 51. 10 11 12. This Punishment Peter felt tormenting his Soul when he reflected upon his Sin in denying his Saviour And surely to find the Power of Sanctification and spirituall Consolation to abate in our Hearts and the Vigour of it for present extinct is an unvaluable losse and an intolerable Punishment to God's Saints Therefore we are advised not to grieve or offend the Spirit of God whereby we are sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes. 4. 30. and exhorted to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. For the more diligent waâ—chfull zealous constant we are in the Practise of holy Duties the more our sanctifying power shall be increased the â—â—ronger our Hope the greater our Assurance and the more abundantly our Consolations will â—low Otherwise God being light will not communicate himselfe to men that live in darknesse nor to his own Children but as walking in the Light It 's strange that Saints and Martyrs in the midst of flaming fire and whilst under most cruell and most exquisite Torments should rejoyce with unspeakeable joy and in these Desertions should be so fearfully dejected Yet the cause is God will not abate the least Jot of his Justice when he shews the greatest Mercies After the Punishments inflicted by this most just Lord § IX and King upon single Persons declared briefly something must be said of the Punishments rendred to Persons associated as such These are considered either in a civill Capacity making up the body of a civill State or in an Ecclesiasticall and spirituall Capacity constituting a Church The Punishments of civill States and Kingdoms we may read and understand in sacred and humane Stories And so great are the Motions Shakings made in these great Bodies throughout the World in all times that we may easily understand that there is an universall and supreme Lord and that there is one most high whose Throne is in Heaven that ordereth the Kingdoms of men and disposeth all things in it according to certain Rules of Justice and Wisdome It 's a great Mercy of God to affoord us civill Government and to preserve the same And though the benefit thereof be generall and extends to all Mankind yet in the ordering and establishing Common-weales God hath a speciall care of the Church and the Society of Pilgrims and Strangers here on earth who seek eternall peace in Heaven as Subjects and Citizens of an eternall State This he continues protects and ordereth aright by his almighty hand and profoundest wisdom in the midst of all the Tumults Confusions Ruines Dâ—solations of the Kingdoms of the World These have their Beginning Increase Corruptions Alterations Ruines and fatal Periods not according to any certain Numbers or revolution of times nor the motion and influence of heavenly bodies and Aethereal lights nor from the power or weaknesse the imprudence or policy of man but from God according to the eternall rules of Justice and Wisdom determined and observed by him Yet he doth all things in number weight and measure most exactly and in the execution of his Judgments â—â—th the ministery of Angels Men and other Creatures When States that professe not the Gospel shall govern negligently imprudently unjusâ—ly and shall be corrupted and Corrupters and especially Persecutors of the Church and when States professing knowledge of the true God and the faith of Jesus Christ shall not onely violate the Lawes of Nature but neglect to protect the Church persecute the power of Godlinesse under what pretence â—oever become superstitious idolatrous prophane administer Injustice Cruelty be imprudent negligent unmercifull vitious and degenerate then the Punishments both of the one and other shall be Famine Pestilences Seditions civill Wars forreign Invasions Captivity Poverty Desolations many other Miseries and many times change of Government or the Translation of the Power Civill from one People to another and sometimes Anarchy and a totall dissolution of all order God useth the Governours to punish the People the People to punish their Princes and sometimes the Sword of a forreign Prince to punish or destroy both And when no Justice can be had from men on Earth he executes Vengeance in some extraordinary manner from Heaven Thus
differs in many things from all other Books especially in respect of the Authority thereof which is primarily Divine in the Original Copies secundarily in the Transcripts and Translations These sacred Writings are learned and known several ways and by several means of men that are not infallibly directed further then they follow the Scriptures rightly understood And by these especially Ministers by whom God speaks to men another way they are taught several ways in a certain order How these must be heard understood applyed so as the Hearer may attain to a Divine Faith and a Saving Knowledge Where something of the Tradition of the Church CHAP. III. The Doctrine of this Kingdom is contracted by Christ and His Apostles as such is the ground of all the Apostolical Creeds and Confessions all agreeing in method and matter The manner of the handling of the subject in this Treatise is different from that of ordinary Systems Catechisms and common places where something is said of Faith in general and of Divine Faith A Confession taken out of Tertullian CHAP. IV. Of the Divine Essence and Attributes How God's Essence is intelligible and how represented to us by certain Attributes What Attributes are and certain Rules concerning them The imperfect definition of God including all the Attributes CHAP. V. The Attributes in particular The distribution of them into Greatness Goodness In the Greatness unity infiniteness Infiniteness in Immensity from which ariseth His Incomprehensibility Vbiquity and in Eternity CHAP. VI. God's goodness being one and infinite is known by his excellent and most eminent Acts and Vertues of his Vnderstanding Will Power as His most excellent Knowledge and Wisdom the integrity of his Will and the perfection of his power CHAP. VII The Father Son and Holy Ghost their unity order distinction They are not Three Persons in that sense as Men or Angels are called persons The vanity of the Socinian Argument against the Trinity grounded upon the word person strictly taken How the Soul may be said to be an Image and imperfect resemblance of the Father Son and Holy Ghost CHAP. VIII God considered in his Regal Capacity in respect of his power acquired by Creation and continued by preservation How God is a cause of all things by his Counsel contriving Will decreeing Power actually producing The knowledge of GOD in respect of things out of Himself His Decrees free wise unchangeable The cooperation of the Persons their distinct manner of working The Creation in general the special Creation of Man The Conclusions deducible from this Principle God created Heaven and Earth and all things therein By this Work God hath a propriety in all things and may dispose of them and order them to the ends whereunto He hath made them ordinable Hence his supream universal absolute power How all things created are preserved and ordered Ordination in general the first act of God's Power acquired and continued CHAP. IX The Exercise of God's Power in general CHAP. X. The special Ordination and Government of the Intellectual and Immortall Creatures Angels Men. The government of Angels constituted administred according to certain Laws Judgment whereby some being obedient were confirmed rewarded Others disobeying rebelling and forsaking their station were punished and cast out of God's presence reserved for greater punishments in the end of the World CHAP. XI The special Government of Man which is two-fold 1. Of Justice without Christ. 2. Of Mercy in Christ. The constitution of the first Model The administrations Laws Moral Positive considered as a rule of Man's obedience God's Judgment CHAP. XII The Judgment of God-Creatour passed upon Man according to the Laws of Creation and strict Justice The Object of this Judgment 1. Man obedient rewarded with the continuance of a comfortable condition in Paradise 2. Sinning Sin in general is a disobedience to God's Laws The degrees and the consequents thereof The first sin of our first Parents in particular The causes of it The effects thereof before Judgment CHAP. XIII God's judicial proceeding against Adam Eve the Serpent Satan Their Convention Conviction Sentence Execution More particularly God's Sentence passed upon the old Serpent the Devil In which God new models his Kingdom of mercy in Christ promised and gives Man hope of Pardon and everlasting comfort CHAP. XIV The Penalties more particular both Bodily and Spiritual publike private Temporal Eternal all signified by Death to which Sin made man liable yet all by Christ removable CHAP. XV. Original sin what it is Whether it be properly so Whether Concupiscence in persons baptized be such in proper sense The derivation of Original sin Whether it be derived by Propagation or the just Judgment of God or both CHAP. XVI The principal Attributes of God manifested in this Judgment as Holinesse Justice especially Mercy in the manifestation whereof he exercised his transcendent power above the former Constitution and Laws LIB II. CHAP. I. THe Coherence of this Book with the former The difference of the two Models both the former and latter The acquisition of a New Power by the Word made Flesh and annointed taking upon him the form of a servant and being obedient to the Death of the Cross. A Description of the Redeemer His Person Nature Offices The union and distinction of the two Natures His particular Offices CHAP. II. The Humiliation of the Son of God 1. In taking upon Him the Form of a servant 2. In suffering Death A brief Historical Narration of His Sufferings 1. Before Judgment 2. His Judgment The Preparations of His Tryal His Tryal 1. Before the Ecclesiastical 2. The Civil Judge His Condemnation Execution with the Prodigies which hapned about that time CHAP. III. A more large Discourse concerning the Suffering and Death of Christ. It was an Act of Obedience to His Heavenly Father commanding Him to suffer for the sins of Man whereby He was offended To this Death He became obnoxious not onely by His Fathers Command but His own voluntary submission to be an Hostage and Surety for Man as guilty It was a Sacrifice offered freely to God as Law-giver offended and as supream Judge The effects of this sacrifice accepted are immediate mediate Immediate Satisfaction of Divine Justice and Merit What He merited for Himself what for Man How the benefit of this Sacrifiâ—â— became communicate from Christ as a Representator General and the Will of God the great Soveraign Of the extent of this benefit Whether Propitiation is to be ascribed to His active or passive Obedience severally or to both joyntly Whether this Death prevents all punishments or onely the Eternal And if not what punishments it removes The Attributes manifested in this great Work of Humiliation of the Word made Flesh by which a new Power was acquired CHAP. IV. The exercise of the new Power of God-Redeemer in the Constitution of His New Monarchy The Soveraign and Monarch The Subjects the Officers the Administrator-General the Enemies The manner of reducing Man to subjection the nature
agreeable to his Counsel and that most exactly For as his Wisdom did dictate so his Will determined and no otherwise and without this will and determination nothing could have bin done or effected From it all things future recâ—ive their â—ututition according to the School-mens expression These Decrees are not strictly and properly eternall as was observed before Yet they are Antecedent to all time as it measures the Existence of things They are said to be many and may be conceived in a certain order according to the multitude and order of the things decreed That this Will should first decree the end and then the meanes is but a fancy and hath no ground either in Scripture or in solid reason Yet though they be many yet they may be reduced to two sorts for tâ—ey may be said to be generall or speciall The general Decrees are those which extend to all things For there neither was nor is nor shall be any thing which God did not Determine The special Decrees are such as are limited to Angels and Men in respect of their Spirituall and Eternall estate and especially to men These are called by a Synechdoche Predestination and Reprobation And these presuppose 1. Their Object intellectual and immortal Creatures especially men considered in a spirituall capacity as dirigible to an eternal estate 2. The Counsel of God contriving a certain order according to which men were to be directed to their final estate The nature of them in speciall is to determine and according to this order to direct certain individual persons unto their last end For in these decrees we may observe 1. Persons 2. Meanes 3. End The End is eternal Happinesse or Misery The Meanes Laws and Judgments The Persons such as are capable of Laws and Judgments But of these Decrees more particularly hereafter These Decrees are free § V For there was no Law to bind or morally necessitate him but his Wisdom and his Justice Neither did these bind him to decree any thing at all but onely if he did decree any thing to decree it wisely and justly Both the Creature and every thing in the Creature were nothing before they did Exist and as such could have no influence to move or incline the Will of God Neither could the Prevision of perfect obedience in the Angels or finall faith in man determin the Will of God much lesse necessitate it to give them eternall glory Neither can finall disobedience or unbelief do any such thing as fore-seen or actually existent determine much lesse necessitate God to passe the Sentence of Eternal Death upon them or to execute the same The determination of Gods will is freely from himself not from my thing without Himself God my foresee the highest degree of obedience in the Creature and yet be no wayes bound to reward it There is no necessary connexion between obedience and reward or between the foresight of obedience and the decree to reward onely the decree it self freely ties them together There can be no efficient cause out of God of the decree of God Some materiall objective Logicall cause there may be The decree to give Christ unto Death for enemies To call Wretched man dead in his sins and trespasses by repentance and saith unto eternall glory was not onely free but also the issue of unspeakable love and compassion and to destinate man upon faith in Christ fore-seen is an act of free grace Faith it self can be no efficient because it is not neither can the fore-knowledge or prevision of this faith though final be any such thing For God may foresee final faith and yet not determine to reward it though without prevision he cannot decree to do so The reason of all this is because nothing but the Being of God and the acting upon himself is or can be necessary These Decrees are not onely free § VI but also Wise Just and Stable They are wise because made according unto and directed by Wisdom His Wisdom and Knowledge are Antecedent to his Will and must be conceived by us so to be otherwise we should affirm that He decreed things ignorantly and rashly But so to think is impious and absurd There are many works and so decrees of God whereof we can give no reason but his absolute will and power He may love Iacob hate Esau without respect to any merit or demerit in the persons and decree the elder to serve the younger Yet thus As it was done so it was decreed wisely and according to Counsel We can give no reason of this yet He can The reason indeed is secret to us as not revealed yet known to Him And though many things may be done by him above the Laws given in Scripture yet they are not against them Though his decrees may be truly said to depend upon his knowledge yet they depend not upon the things known As they are wise so are they just though sometimes they seem to us to be otherwise The wicked prosper many times when the Righteous are afflicted and chastened very much And the innocent suffer and sometimes temporally perish with the Wicked and the children often beare the heavy burthen of their Fathers sins and yet are not guilty of their crimes These things may seem to be unjust yet are not so but exactly agreeable to the eternall rules of justice The reason why they must needs be just is because he is essentially and necessarily justice though his justice in his secret judgements doth not appear to us He made no Decree whereby man or Angels was necessitated to Sin He indeed did decree the freedome of their will their subjection to his power their obligation by his Lawes Yet as he did not Decree that they should sin so he did not decree to prevent all sin but decreed that if they should sin they should be liable to punishment He made as he decreed the Will of man mutable Yet this mutability was no disadvantage to him or any necessary cause of Sin And in the last judgement it will appear that Sin was from the Creature but not from the Decree of the Creator They are also stable For the Counsell of his Will standeth for ever and his thoughts to all generations Psal. 33. 11. And though there be many Devices in the heart of man yet the Counsell of the Lord shall stand Prov. 19. 21. The reason hereof is because they are made in Wisdome and Justice and there can be no cause of alteration Besides he is Almighty and cannot be hindered to do what he hath once determined Upon the stability of these decrees depends the stability of the world and stability of the Church and the certainty of our Eternall glorification The power of God is that whereby he is able to effect all according to the Counsell of his Will SECT VII This power is not Passive for God can neither receive nor suffer any thing It 's active and efficient yet truly Power because it was not is not
some make a part of Providence as in some sense it may be For by whatsoever his Propriety and the dependency and subjection of the Creature is continued by the same his Power is continued And as by Creation all things were made so by Preservation which is a continued Creation all things continue his There is indeed some difference between Creation and Preservation not only in this that Preservation presupposeth and necessarily requireth the Creation and all things existent in their Actual Being But Creation presupposed nothing but his Almighty Power but also in this that in Creation he made no use of the secondary Causes and means as in Providence he doth yet these means and secondary causes are not used out of necessity For what he doth effect by them he can easily do without them Therefore the use of them is merely voluntary and to let us understand so much he many times omits them Some things are preserved by Food which is like Fuel to the fire which continually seeds upon it and when it 's wholly consumed or with-drawn it 's presently quenched Thus the life of man is preserved by Bread yet God makes this Bread gives it to whom he will and denies it when he will and his Blessings gives it Vertue to preserve that Life which it cannot restore once lost or give where it is not Yet man lives not by Bread alone but by every word which proceedeth out of God's mouth Where it 's had and used God is the principal cause and when life is preserved without it He is the sole Preserver The continuance of the Creature 's Being doth so necessarily always depend on God as well as his Powers and Operations that he need not let loose one contrary against another for their mutuall Destruction but if he once with-hold his hand the most excellent and incorruptible Creatures return to nothing and lose their entity they obtained by Creation For as 't is said of sensitive Creatures Thou takest away their breath they dye and return to their Dust Psal. 104. 29. So it 's true of all other things both severally and joyntly Thou deniest thy preserving Power wholly they cease to be and return to their former nothing Therefore God in the Holy Scriptures is so often said to uphold all things by the Word of his Power and it 's said that by him all things consist CHAP. IX Concerning the Exercise of God's Power in general GOD having thus acquired this transcendent Power § I he presently began to exercise the same in the Government of the World and as the power is continued perpetually by Preservation so it is continually exercised Government is an Act of Power as Power is a Right to govern and order those that are subject and it requires a Superiour Understanding a Superiour Will a Superiour Strength and the more excellent the Wisdom the more just the Will the more irresiâ—â—ible the strength of the Governour the more excellent the Government will be Seeing therefore all these concur most eminently in God His Government must needs be most perfect as no doubt it is This Government may be considered as General of all things Special of some special Creatures And in both we may observe the Constitution Administration For God first constituted an exact Order and after that administred and disposed of all things according to that Order This Order was ready immediatly upon the Creation For he did not first make the Creatures without any Order but in an excellent way For all and every one of them were made Ordinable to some certain end and to this they were inclined and set in direct Positure towards their Perfection Yet because Inclination was vain without Motion he gave them power to move But yet Motion without a Rule might wander and come short of the end he therefore gave every thing a Rule that the motion might be Regular tend directly to and so reach it's end and the Rule was imprinted in the Creature as the Pure Morals in Men and Angels As there were several and distinct Ranks and Degrees of Creatures so there were several ends And these ends were not separated at a distance nor contrary one unto another but were disposed in an excellent order and united like so many Links in one Chain Some were Superiour some Inferiour and one last and supream to which all the rest were subordinate yet like so many lines did tend unto and end in that highest as in one Center And that end was not the particular end of some particular Creature or Creatures but the universal end of all which some means did reach immediately others at a distance In the Administration the Rules were as Laws prefixed by God and the Events of every Motion were as Judgments and Determinations And there are some generals in Men and Angels which come within the compass of this general Administration And though the Supream Lord bound all Creatures by certain Rules and limited them yet be reserved a Power to himself to act above and besides these Rules at Will and Pleasure and if his Wisdom should think good to new-model the whole Frame of his Government Hence the Distinctions of mediate and immediate ordinary and extraordinary Providence under which last Head comes in that of Miracles which are works of transcendent Power above the activity of the Creature wherin God doth not observe the Order established in Creation whereunto he bound the Creature but not Himself They serve as they are fit for these ends to let men know that there is a great difference between his Works and those of inferiour Agents though he may use their petty efficiency in doing of them They rouz and quicken the dull and drowsie minds of Men who are not so much moved with ordinary Works though excellent The Sun it self that glorious Light of Heaven is no strange thing unto us because it gives us light every day whereas if it were newly made and we had never seen it before we should be amazed and wonder at the excellent beauty and brightness of so goodly a Creature They let men know that they have no need of â—econdary causes He can do as much and far more without them as with them They confirm the Doctrine of his Messengers and make those high and mysterious truths which are strange and above the Rules of Reason to be credible They are not frequent least they should prove ordinary and not so effectual to moâ—e the hearts of men And they are either Works of Mercy as those of our Saviour were or Works of Judgment and so they manifest not onely his wondrous Wisdom and transcendent Power but also his Justice and his Mercy They supply the deâ—ects of inferiour causes and manifest that God is not tyed to the Order prescribed to the Creatures in the Creation In this Providence § II which though excellent is inferiour to that which directs the most excellent Creatures to their eternal estate we might observe the
as one And so far as God judged him one and made Adam the Head and Representative of all so far in Adam all men might be bound to obedience or penalty and so far judgments or rewards might be transmitted from him to all and no further And if God had not considered Adam and all his posterity as one person By one man sin could not have entred into the World and by sin Death so as to pass upon all men That this derivation was an act of judgment is evident from the Apostle because Sin and Death which is punishment presupposed a Law To impute sin and punish for sin and that with Death are Acts of Judgment and that according to a Law which was in force when Adam sinned and long before Moses Otherwise how could sin have reigned even over Adam and that from Adam to Moses and this by a Sentence of Judgment in force to this day according to a Law in force when Adam transgressed it For upon that transgression God condemned Adam and in him all Mankind In this respect the doubt how the Soul being made by God becomes corrupted is vain and that conceit that it is polluted by entrance into the body or from the body is false For 1. God in the Creation of the Soul of every individual person is to be considered as a Creatour and a Judge As a Creatour he makes a Soul and gives it Essence and all things necessary flowing from the Essence and appertaining to it As a Judge he denies that person as one with Adam sinning his sanctifying Spirit which Adam received for him and his and in him sinning was lost to him and his 2. It is evident that the Soul is not so much polluted by the body as the body by it and it from it self For there are many Spiritual sins as Pride Envie Malice and such like which are purely from the Soul and in the Soul as they are in Angels who have no bodies but are spirits And those sins which have their Rise from the sensitive appetite could not pollute the Soul except it were depraved in it self And the first sin began in the Soul as may easily be understood from Gen. 3. and was there compleatly moulded before Eve looked upon the forbidden fruit to covet it and desire it as a bodily food Yet whilest we discourse of the Derivation of Original Sin as it is a Deprivation and a depravation following thereupon because man falls under the power of Death yet we must consider that Adam's Posterity derive not onely that original corruption from him but many other evils together with their Being All the evils are reduced to Sin and Death We participate with him in some manner in the first sin and in him sinning we sin and in him being guilty we are guilty in him dying we die And by Death all Punishments God sentenced us to in him are understood not onely that which we call Original Sin but all Actual Sins virtually included in it and issuing purely from it by vertue of the first Desertion And here we may wonder at the severity of God's Judgment yet we must in no wise question the Justice and Equity thereof CHAP. XVI Of the Attributes of God manifested in this Judgment of Men and Angels THE last thing to be considered in this Judgment and Execution is the manifestation of the Attributes § I and perfections of God and of his Supream Power judicial as well as Legislative The Attributes manifested are these His Wisdom his Holiness his Power his Knowledge but principally his Justice and Mercy His Wisdom was wonderful in this particular in that he laid the Foundation of man's Eternal Life to be recovered again in sentencing the Devil to Eternal Death and in a wonderful way so that the Devil himself should be powerfully active to the ruine of his own Kingdom whilest he â—eeks to confirm and enlarge it His Holiness was evident in this that he spared not sin in his most noble Creatures punishing the Devils without mercy as first in the sin not sparing man made in his own Image though tempted to sin and in accursing the Serpent though an irrational Creature and but onely an Instrument abused All this signifies that he detests and abominates sin and being holy Himself requires holiness in Men and Angels made holy and if by sin they pollute themselves he casts them out of his presence His Power appeared in that he so presently and so fully executed his Sentence and makes it good to this day and none can hinder him His Knowledge is as exact for he evidently knew the sin of Men and Angels with the measure and circumstances thereof and proportions his Judgment accordingly But principally his Justice and Mercy shined forth in this judicial Proceeding § II First his Justice must be considered The Justice of God is Legislative or judicial Legislative Justice determines man's duty and binds him unto the performance thereof and also defines the rewards and punishments which shall be due upon the Creatures obedience or disobedience His judicial Justice which is called distributive is that whereby he renders unto the intellectual Creatures according to their Works This is remunerative or vindictive For taking cognizance of their cause he rewards the obedient and punisheth the disobedient The justice manifested in this judgment was punitive and vindictive and it did appear in that 1. He spared not sinners much less rewarded them 2. He punished none but sinners and such as did concur in this sin 3. He punished onely for sin and not out of any absolute and arbitrary power Therefore God said to the Serpent Because thou hast done this therefore thus and thus shalt thou be punished The Woman suffered and is condemned because she hearkened and gave consent to the Serpents temptation The man is judged to death because he had hearkened to the voyce of his wiâ—e 4. The punishments determined and executed did not exceed the measure of their sin 5. The Devil sinned most and therefore his punishment is the greatest and no ways mitigated or allayed by mercy The Woman and Man sinned being tempted and their sin was less and it was allayed by mercy yet the womans sin was greater then Adam's though less then the Devils For she was first in the transgression and brought man into the snare being instrumental to the Devil and therefore she was adjudged to two punishments to which man was not liable This Justice is not an Attribute but the exercise and manifestation of an Attribute as here it 's taken It 's called Anger Wrath Fury Rage Jealousie Indignation as the sin is more or less heinous and he more or less displeased It 's called Revenge in that it renders the evil of punishment for the evil of sin It 's Judgment because he proceeds according to Law upon the evident knowledge of the violation of the same It 's punishment as God inflicts it and the Creatures suffer it The principal
The excellency and dignity of that Nature and flesh not onely above all men but all Angels 4. The concurrence of the Word and flesh in the acts of Redemption and the same singular and extraordinary But whether the gifts of the Spirits confirmation in holinesse universall power glory and happinesse which Christ attayned did necessarily and instantly follow upon this Union may justly be doubted That the redeemer should be the Word and so God and Flesh too One and the chief Reason was the Wisdome and Will of God And other reasons not clearly contayned in Scripture are better forborne then mentioned After the number and union follows the distinction of the two Natures § IX for although they were personally united which union is extrinsecall yet they remained really distinct The Word was not changed into flesh nor flesh into the Word but the Word is the Word still and flesh flesh still and that essentially It 's true the word before the conception of the humane nature was not flesh but then it was flesh yet so that it continues the Word Neither was there any mixture or composition of these two to make one substance different from both nor any such union of both that so a third thing should arise by way of resultancy except we may say and that according to the Scripture that the word and flesh were so united that thence did arise a third thing which we call Christ and some call God-Man Yet still he was so God that he was Man and so man that he was the Word and God and so shall continue blessed for evermore Jesus Christ our Lord is the word made flesh § X and this is the definition that the Scriptures give of him That which followes is his office as he is Redeemer An office is a derivative power and therefore cannot be supreme but subordinate and as an officer by commission with a Mandate receives his power so he is liable to account In this respect and for this cause it is that though Jesus Christ of Nazareth be the Word and so God yet as God he cannot be an officer as flesh and man he may be and was such This the Scripture teacheth plainly when it saith that he was sent received commandement from his Father was sealed annoynted with the Holy-Ghost and with power did not glorifie himself that his Father gave him power over all flesh and that all power in Heaven and earth was given him all these things are true of him only as man His office was the greatest and highest that ever was Because he was supreme and universall governour above the Angels and all other creatures next unto God Therefore his place upon his investitute and solemn inauguration was at the right hand of the eternal Throne of God And in this particular Joseph advanced by Pharoah was a lively type of him In him as an officer we may consider 1. His Ability 2. His power and Authority His Ability is expressed in that metaphor of being annoynted with the Holy Ghost for he was endued with all the gifts of the Holy Ghost and in the highest degree that any creature was capable of therefore it is said God giveth not the Spirit in measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. but in fullnesse So that of his fullnesse we all have received grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of Wisdome and understanding the spirit of counsail and might the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord Isay. 11. And at his Baptism the Heavens were opened and the Holy-Ghost was seen in the likenesse of a Dove to descend and rest upon him These gifts and endowments he received with a power to communicate in a certain measure unto others The Spirit in this fullnesse was given him not only to sanctifie him but to enable him for the undertaking managing and accomplishing the great work of Redemption which was committed unto him Besides these Abilityes he received power and authority accordingly and so had plain right to do such things as neither men nor Angels had right to do He had power to command all the Angels of Heaven the Devils and all Creatures and they must obey him because they were subject unto him And because he must discharge this Office for that end was required an high degree of wisdom and the knowledge of the deep and secret Counsels of God especially concerning the Eternal Salvation of sinful man whose Nature he had taken upon him Therfore he must be a Prophet able fully infallibly and with Power and Majesty to declare the Mind and Will of God In which capacity and faculty he was more excellent then all the Prophets then Moses then the Angels who have the Spirit of Prophesie as being in the Bosome of the Father and more intimate then the Angels were And he could reach men not onely outwardly but inwardly and speak by the Spirit immediately unto the Souls of men and that not onely ordinarily by imprinting the Doctrines of the Scripture outwardly upon the Tables of the Heart but also extraordinarily by Inspiration and immediate Revelation of the Mysteries of Gods Kingdom Thus he taught Apostles Prophets Evangelists And he is the Head and Lord of all Prophets and all Angels Prophets Apostles Pastours Teachers are his Servants and subject unto him as a Prophet and his Doctrine must be heard believed obeyed and he that will not submit unto it must be cut off and everlastingly accursed Because Man is guilty § XI and God angry and Justice requires Eternal Punishments to be executed if not prevented therefore there must be some to interpose between the just God and unjust Man and make satisfaction unto justice procure his favour and plead the cause of penitent sinners before the Throne of God in the Heavenly Temple Therefore Christ if he will be a Redeemer must do all this and be a Priest and as a Priest offer a Sacrifice for the Eternall expiation of sin and as an Advocate plead his bloud and sacrifice before his Father for all such as come to God by him And he must not onely be a Priest but an Universal and Eternal Priest holy without any sin who may have free and immediate access to the Throne of God and such who is sensible of the Peoples misery and in that respect willing and ready to make reconciliation for their sin Such a Priest Christ and onely Christ Jesus of Nazareth is made so by God and now confirmed by Oath to minister in the Heavenly Tabernacle there to appear before God for us Therefore he is more excellent and above all other Priests even Aaron nay above Melchizedeck one of the greatest Priests on Earth and also above the Highest Priests of Angels if there be any Priest-hood amongst them Besides because he must have Subjects of all Nations in times successively unto the end of the World and He and His shall have many Enemies both Men and Devils
they should see him sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven This answer they expected and from his own words condemn the Judge of Heaven and Earth to be guilty of Blasphemy After his most unjust condemnation He as one out of all Protection and unworthy of any benefit of Law is exposed to the abuses of the vilest Wretches who did hood wink him mock him spit upon him blaspheme him who was now already betrayed by Judas presently denied by Peter and forsaken of all his Disciples These miseries this ingratitude these indignities the glorious Son of God and Lord of Angels did endure This Trial in the Ecclesiastical Court § IV being finished He is brought before the Civil Judge and tried there again What the Reason hereof was is not so evident It may be the High-Priests still were afraid of the People lest they should rise against them if they shou'd proceed to publique and open execution or it might be because the Romanes denied them Jurisdiction in Capital Causes This seems to be implied in their words to the Procurator It 's not lawful for us to put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. He is brought before Pilate and sent by Pilate to Herod Herod finds in him no cause of death neither doth Pilate and therefore out of Justice and Natural Conscience and other Reasons justifies him as unworthy of death several times and several times seeks to release him And as he was unwilling to condemn him because there was no cause and for that He knew the Rulers out of Envy had delivered Him into His hands so He was afraid to do it is admonished by His Wife and that in some sort from Heaven to have nothing to do with that righteous man but especially when He heard He was the Son of God Yet they accuse Him vehemently of haynous crimes as Sedition and High-Treason against Caesar and importune him to do justice and seeing him unwilling to pass judgment against Him and willing and very earnest to release Him they perswade the people to desire Barabbas a cruel Murtheret to be delivered to them according to the Custom and to cry without ceasing Crucifie crucifie Jesus and that which was of greatest force they tell Pilate plainly that if He released Him He was not Caesars friend and in these words imply that they would accuse Him if he let Him go So in the end the cries of the tumultuous Rabble the fear of a Tumult and much more of his Masters displeasure prevail with him to condemn him to death against all Justice all Admonitions and his own Conscience though he had formerâ—y scourged him So vile a thing it is in any Judge especially to fear Man more than God and Temporal more than Eternal punishments Thus Barabbas is released the guilt of Christ's bloud charged upon the Jews who take it upon them and their children to their condemnation and confusion And Christ is delivered to the Souldiers 1. To be abused 2. To be executed As He was accused and so condemned for this cause alleadged that He said He was the King of the Jews so they accordingly abuse Him They divest Him of His outward garments crown Him with thorns array Him with a purple garment as signs of Royal Dignity put a Reed for a Scepter into his hands bow before him and salute him as King of the Jews and withall smite Him on the Head to make the Thorny-Crown pierce into His Temples And after they had made themselves sport with His miseries and satiated themselves they take off those Ornaments of derision and lead him to the place of Execution which followed immediately upon this unjust Judgment and so many indignities offered him He is led out of the City as a prophane unhallowed person unworthy to abide in that holy place and he must carry his cross which yet Simon of Cyrene was afterward compelled to do Being brought to the place of execution he is divested of his garments which are divided amongst the Souldiers who cast lots upon his seamless coat which done He is nailed to the Cross and suffers cruel torment Instead of ease and comfort they give him gall to eat and vinegar to drink they mock him give him vile and cutting words In midst of this condition He is deserted for a time the sweetest comforts of Heaven restrained from Him the Devils of Hell permitted to exercise their malice cruelty and power upon Him And that we might understand his sufferings to be far greater then we can imagine He cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and complains of such miseries as never any suffered Job's afflictions were many and grievous and came nearest unto these of Christ yet were far short He suffered thus upon the Cross from the 6th unto the 9th hour of the day and then died and commended his Soul into the hands of his Heavenly Father Thus the Consecration of the great High Priest was finished the things fore-told concerning his Suffering fulfilled and his bitter suffering had an end That day his body being dead pierced by a Souldier though no bone of this true Paschal Lamb was broken sent forth water and bloud and being taken down from the Cross yielded by consent of the Governour into the hands of Joseph of Arimathea was by him and Nicodemus decently and honourably interred in a new Sepulchre where never any man was buried continued separate from His Soul as His Soul from it unto the third day and saw no corruption And this was the deep Humiliation of the Son of God whereby this universal and eternal Power was acquired CHAP. III. A more large Discourse of Christ's Obedience unto the Death of the Cross. I Will not here take up time in shewing both how many § I and also how grievous the sufferings of Christ were For that hath been done by many others and it may be sufficiently understood by what hath been said nor onely that they were many and grievous but also far greater then we can understand But I will 1. Consider this Humiliation of Christ as it was an Obedience unto Death and a Sacrifice of Him as a Priest 2. I will declare the Effects thereof 3. I will endeavour to shew how far the benefit of this Humiliation was communicable or derivable unto sinful Man And 4. The Attributes God manifested in this Humiliation Many with great Eloquence and Art have methodically set forth the Passions of our Saviour and their intention was to affect the Hearts of their Auditors and stir up to sorrow and other passions Yet these four things are matter of greatest moment give a clearer light to understand the great mystery of Redemption and are effectual to melt our hearts with godly inccour for our sins to make us sensible of God's wonderful love to revive our hearts with heavenly comfort and to mortifie our corruptions 1. Therefore this Humiliation was an Act of Obedience unto God his Heavenly Father
Actual Enjoyment of Salvation and Eternal Glory is granted as merited by this Death ver 28. All these are summed up in that one of the Eternal Consecration of the Sanctified Chap. 10. 14. Seeing Christ merited many and glorious things for sinful man § VI he must needs merit some greater thing for himself and so he did For because he humbled himself so low and took upon him the form of a Servant and was obedient unto death the death of the Cross Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him a Name which is above every Name Phil. 2. 9. And God advanced Him far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not onely in this World but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes. 1. 21 22. By which we may understand that He merited to Himself a Supream and Universal Power in Heaven and Earth and not onely power over all flesh but over all Creatures even over all Angels And He was invested with this power immediately upon the Resurrection for then He was made universal Prophet Priest and King and upon His Ascension followed His Solemn Inauguration and Coronation as we may so speak when He was set at the right hand of God and then His Eternal and unchangeable Priest-hood was confirmed unto Him by an Oath 2. He merited Immortality the Place and Throne of Glory fulness of joy in His Fathers presence and pleasures at His right hand for evermore He attained Immortality upon His Resurrection the Place and Throne of Glory fulness of joy and Eternal Pleasures upon His Aâ—cension 3. He merited a Judgment to be passed upon the Devil to lose his power over Mankind and the same to be transferred upon Himself and a strength to rescue him out of Sathan's possession aâ— will and pleasure 4. He merited a power to send down the Holy Ghost to reveal the Gospel and in a special manner to head His Church protect it guide it give it everlasting peace and in respect of His highest Dignity that not onely Men but Angels shall worship and honour Him and all such as refuse so to do must be dashed in pieces with His Iron-Scepter and cast into Hell Christ's Sufferings being 1. An Obedience unto the Death of the Cross § VII and a Sacrifice And 2. Having many and glorious Effects one and the same principal being the Acquisition of a new Power over Mankind The 3. Thing in order is the manner and measure of the communication of the benefit thereof unto others That the benefit of this Death and Sacrifice is communicable to sinful Man is express Scripture For as by the offence of One Judgment came upon all men unto condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free gift came unto all men unto justification of life And again As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 18 19. And since by man came death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead for as in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. From which places it 's clear that as from Adam Sin and Death were derived upon all men so Righteousness and Life are derived upon Mankind by Christ. But the Question will be 1. How 2. How far this Benefit is derived 1. If we enquire of the manner how Righteousness and Life is derived from Christ being One unto so many we shall find that this cannot be except Christ be a general Head of Mankind and one person with them as Adam was And this He could not be as He was the Word properly but as the Word made Flesh for if He will sanctifie them he must take Flesh and Bloud with the Sanctified and so be Man Yet He may be Man and not a general Person so as to be one with them and we do not read of any but onely two who were general Heads and in some respect virtually all Mankind the first and second Adam Such Christ was not but by the Will of God and His own voluntary Consent The Will of God appoints Him to be the Head of Mankind and their Surety and Hostage and so accounted Him and He did willingly submit and took upon Him the Person of others And the principal cause of this Representation whereby He is one Person with us is the Will of God who as Lord made Him such and as Law-giver and Judge did so account Him But 2. How far is He One Person with us The Answer is 1. In general so far as it pleased God to make Him so and no farther 2. In particular He and We are One so far 1. As to make Him liable to the Penalty of the Law which He suffered not for Himself but for us 2. So far as to free us from that Obligation and derive the benefit of His Death to Us. I may instance in a Debtour and his Surety who are one person and the Law so accounts them so far as 1. The Surety becomes liable to the Debt And 2. If he pay it the Principal is freed from the Obligation Yet the Surety is not the Principal nor if he pay the Debt with his own money doth the Principal pay it with his So though Christ be so far one with us as to be liable to the Penalty of the Law and to suffer it and upon this Suffering we are freed yet Christ is not the sinner nor the sinner Christ. Christ is the Word made Flesh innocent and without sin an universal Priest and King but we are none of these Though we be accounted as one person in Law with him by a Trope yet in proper sense it cannot be said that in Christ satisfying we satisfied for our own sins For then we should have been the Word made Flesh able to plead innocency with perfect and perpetual obedience have dyed upon the Cross when He was crucified and by our own blood entring into the Holy Place to have obtained Eternal Redemption But all these things are false impossible blasphemous if affirmed by any It 's true that we were so one with Him that He satisfied for us and the benefits of this Satisfaction redounds to us and is communicable to all upon certain tearms though not actually communicated to all From this Vnity and Identity of Person in Law if I may so speak it follows clearly that Christ's Sufferings were not onely Afflictions but Punishments in proper sense For it is not material whether He suffer for His own sins which He could not because He was innocent or for the sins of others For if He suffered for sins then His Sufferings were Punishments For Poena is Vindâ—cta noxae sive propriae sive alienae That one may suffer for the sins of others and that justly except we will accuse God of injustice
was an universal cause and occasion and the same perhaps not bad in it self but accidentally through the corruption of man and the suggession of the Devil abused God gâ—ve unto the Israelâ—â—es the Ark a sign of his speciall presence yet not to be Worshipped Abraham Isaac and Jacob whilest Pilgrims and Sojourners erected their Altars in such places as God appeared unto them and there did worship And it might be that the Patriarchs before the flood had some visible signs of Gods special presence yet afâ—erwards abused to Idolatry and superstition From this Laban and others might take occasion to make their Teraphims and other signs of the presence of the true God first then of their false gods and in the end made them as gods or objects of Worship and so much the rather because the Devils did â—ometimes appear near unto and sometimes spake out of thâ—ir Images being consecrated And this was suffiâ—ient to perswade the more intelligent that their God was near unto or in the image and the simple people that the Image was a God if once consecrated so that to them the image was the body and the Devil the soul of their cursed Deity Whether these things be so or no it 's certain man naturally desires the presence of his God or some visible or evident sign thereof at least not onely to help his memory but to affect his heart and strengthen his hope And it 's in vain to worship that God which either is not or cannot be present virtually at least unto his suppliant and devoâ—ed Servant And the Worship of that man who hath no assurance of the presence of his God must needs be cold defective and uncertain Neither can a Rational man believe effectually that he is a God indeed which cannot be present in the time of need To return to the Words of the Commandement The first thing in them is the Prohibition § III and therein we must consider the thing prohibited which is 1. The making of images 2. The worshipping and serving of them In both these we have 1. The image or likenesse of any thing 2. The acts about these objects which are making worshipping serving An image or likenesse is 1. Something in it self absolutely considered 2. Something in relation to another thing whereof it is an Image or likenesse which is represented by it For the form of an image or likenesse as such is to represent some other thing This image is Quid fusile tornatile sculptile 1. Something cast in some mould when the matter whereof it is made is melted Such are all images made of mettal 2. Something framed by the Turner and this kind is usually made of wood 3. Something carved or engraven in stone or wood And this is the word here used when it is saâ—d Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used often by the Septuagint in Greek to signifie Pesel and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in this place they turn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And lest we should think that this Pesel is onely some rude matter of woo mettal stone the word Likenesse is added to let us understand that the matter is molded and râ—ceives the figure and shape of some other thing as being made to repreâ—ent it which it cannot do without some likenesse This likenesse may be either more perfect as an image or lesse perfect and hidden as in Hieroglyphicks And some do observe that every image is a likeness but every likenesse is not an image The word likeness which in Latine is turned Simulachrum may be added also to signifie that the subject of this Commandement was not onely Statues or standing Images but pictures and all other resemblances Now this Image or likenesse must be visible and represent some other visible things These Visible things which might be represented viâ—bâ—y are reckoned by induction from the place to be things in Heaven in the earth in the waters And these are reall things made by God And lest any should find some colour of exception it s added of any thing Thou shaâ—t not make the image or likenesse of any thing that is in theâ—e three places These things are ennumerated more particularly man beasts fowl creeping things fish Sun Moon Stars and the host of Heaven Deut. 4. 16 17 18 19. Among thâ—se there is no mention of God Angels the Spirits of men for these are 〈◊〉 visible Yet because these have appeared unto men in some bodily form or figure assumed men have devised how to resemble them at the second hand according to the figures assumed though not immediately as they are in themselve Yet because this appearance was never made but in the likenesse of some of the forementioned things therefore these images and likenesses must needs be here included The first act in respect of the Images § IV and resemblances of those things which is prohibited is to make them to or for our selves Not that it is unlawfull to make the Image or likenesse of any thing For Moses and Solomon had warrant to make the likenesse of Cherubins Palm-Trees and other things to beautifie the Tabernacle and Temple And there were the Molten Images of Oxen made to support the great Laver and brasen Sea in the Temple and of Lyons on either side his Throne out of the Temple And Orthodâ—x Christians who detest Image-worship make no scruple to draw Pictures and make Statues The meaning therefore is that we must not make these or cause them to be made or use them being made in or for religious Worship For we must observe that the subject of the first 4. Commandements is Cultus Dei the Worship of God and to understand this making to our selves without reference to this is to mistake 1. Therefore these Images and Likenesses must not be made to represent the true eternal and invisible God For this cause Moses saith That Israel saw no similitude in the day that the Lord spake unto them out of the mid'st of the fire Deut. 4. 15. Whereby it was implyed 1. That no religious worship was due to any but God 2. That no similitude must be made to represent him After that God in high and stately termes had set forth his glorious eternall and incomprehensible Mâ—jesty he adds To whom will ye liken God or whâ—t likenesse will ye compare unto him Esay 40. 8. Neither ought we as the Apostle saith to think that the God-head is like unto Silver or Gold or stone graven by art and mans device Act. 17. 29. For the matter of these Images is mettal oâ— stone or wood and this is naturall The form of them as Images is artificiall from the art and device of man the reâ—igious form is to represent a Deity after the false conceit of mans corrupt heart It 's true that every creature made by God doth speak Gods wisdome and power and the
as refused to relieve His poor Saints and Members in their wants and distresses 5. Justice and Mercy in this kind are great Preservatives of Peace and Prosperity in Humane Societies and therefore God so often calls for the observation of them 6. A little Estate justly gotten wisely used is always accompanied with God's Blessing and transmitted to Posterity without any curse or guilt In this respect a little which the Righteous hath is better then the Riches of many Wicked Psal. 37. 16. 7. Works of Mercy and Benevolence to them who are in want and misery are highly commended and to them a rich Reward is promised For what is given to the Poor God takes as lent unto himself and He engageth to re-pay with Interest And if these be shewed to the Saints in the Name of Christ the least of them to a cup of cold Water shall not lose the Reward or be forgotten either in this life or in the life to come when Christ shall give possession of an Everlasting Kingdom to merciful men 8. Justice and Mercy render men like unto God and are Duties most agreeable to Christians who have believed in Christ and must love their Brethren with a dying-giving love seeing Christ dyed and gave Himself for them and they have so deeply tasted of God's love in Him CHAP. XV. The Ninth Commandement AFter that God had determined the right of persons § I and things by the former laws he here prescribes a rule of judgement For as in the civil law some observe 1. Jus. 2. Judicium as the parts and members of the same and meanes to observe justice So it 's here That which they call Jus Civile is nothing else but the law determining the right of persons things actions both publick and private And that which they call Judicium is nothing else but certain rules regulating judgment which determines whether the law hath been obeyed or disobeyed and the right determined by law observed or violated and proceeds accordingly So that as the former four Commandements determine the right of persons and things to be observed by man so this prescribes a rule for the better ordering of Judgment The end therefore of this law is to regulate Judgement and to prevent unjust and stablish just Judgment amongst men This therefore is the originall of all humane jurisdiction and civil Courts For the better understanding thereof you must observe that all civill power is threefold legislative judicial executive and all governments once constituted begin to act in making laws goes on in judgment according to these laws and end in execution according to this judgment For execution is the last act and consummation of civil power The former Commandements give certain rules for the enacting of humane laws this of ordering humane judgment That some understand this Commandement so as though all sins of the tongue were here forbidden is not true Because Perjury and Blasphemy are forbidden in the first Table reviling words against our betters in the 5th Racha and thou Fool in the 6th Bawdry in the 7th lying for gaine in the 8th Commandement Others think that the end of this is to provide for our Neighbours fame and good name Yet this doth not reach the true scope of this law which is as you heard before to establish just judgment These things observed § II for to cleare the order manifest the scope and give some generall light I proceed to the explication of the words of the Commanment which is negative and therein we may observe 1. A party litigant whose cause is brought before a judge 2. Witnesse to give-in evidence in the cause 3. The testimony 4. The quality of it 1. The party litigant is our Neighbour whether friend Kinsman stranger enemy considered as litigant and in this place it may signifie either the Plaintiff or Defendant For all causes are brought into Courts of judgment by information and complaint And here I need not distinguish of causes which are according to some civil criminall capitall nor of Courts whereof some are supreme receiving last appeals and are not bound to formalities or subordinate and inferiour Courts which have a limited jurisdiction and are bound to a certain form of proceeding 2. The witnesse is one that is or should be indifferent to the cause and in no wise inclined to the partyes and hath or is supposed to have some certaine knowledge in the matter complained of and controverted and so is able to give some evidence to the judge who is bound not onely to know the law but the thing controverted before he give judgment For no man can justly judge of that which he knows not 3. The testimony is an act of a Witnesse as a Witnesse whereby he declares or pretends to declare especially to the Judge his knowledge in the cause controverted The end of it is to give evidence that so the merit or demerit of the cause may be known And because this testimony is given upon examination and interrogation therefore in the originall Not to beare false Witnesse is Not to answer false Witnesse The Testimony in this respect puts on the nature of an Answer which is given especially in doubtfull causes upon Oath and the Oath is taken to make the testimony credible because it 's supposed no man will hazzard his soul and interest in God And because it 's the highest degree of confirmation in such causes it 's therefore said to be an end of all strife Heb. 6. 16. 4. The quality of the Testimony is the last thing in the Commandement and it may be either true or false and so either promote or hinder justice do right or wrong unto our Neighbour litigant Truth and Falshood are not onely essentiall but accidentall qualityes to a testimony and because men are not infallible therefore their testimony may be false as well as true And the quality forbidden is falshood the quality commended is truth for God saith Thou shalt not beare false Witnesse In this Commandement as in severall others there is a Synechdoche For hereby witnesse giving evidence we must understand all partyes that any wayes actively concurr to judgement Whether they be the partyes litigant Plaintiff or Defendant as the Judge or the partyes assistant as Sollicitours Atturnyes Advocates Notaries and Clarks or such as are trusted with the execution either of Writs or Judgment The reason why Witnesse is onely named is because judgement doth so much yea necessarily depend upon Evidence and one kind and the same most usuall is by Witnesses Yet by testimony must be meant all other kind of evidence and in this Word is also a Synechdoche for by it we must understand all judiciall acts as Complaints Apologies convention plea sentence execution The meaning therefore of the Commandement must be this Thou shalt not any wayes concur to unjust judgement neither shalt thou hinder but thou must do thy best to promote justice in all causes and tryalls So that injustice in
charge to suborne or corrupt Witnesses and delay the finall decision which also is the sin of both partyes sometimes And few men continue charitable whilst they contend in law The many sins of the parties litigant are so well known that I need not give any further account of them As for Sollicitours and Atturneys § VI they must be skilfull allowed diligent faithfull perswading to peace and if that cannot be to be as carefull of their Clients cause as of their own Yet so as to do nothing against a good conscience and the rules of Christianity Their profession is lawfull and good but the design of many of them is to gaine and out of covetousnesse to enrich themselves Their end is not peace and justice They encourage men in their litigious suits perswade them of the justice and good issue of their cause and will undertake it though never so unjust They disswade men from agreement comply one with another to bring grift unto the Lawyers mill delay Judgement protract Suits give advantage to their Client's adversary either ignorantly or negligently or perfidiously They make large accounts exact immoderate fees and pick poor mens purses and so prove not onely Theeves against the former Commandement but enemyes to just Judgement against this The duty of Witnesses is to remember § VII and seriously consider their Oath and accordingly clearly and fully to declare the truth and all the truth they certainly know in that cause wherein they are produced And this must be done without any partiality or respect to any person with a desire to make way for and promote righteous Judgement Such as are willing to be suborned or corrupted and are ready contrary to their Oath and the true end of all judiciall testimonyes to testifie that which they know not or know not certainly or that which they know to be false or conceal any of their knowledge or use doubtfull expressions or equivocations or mentall reservations or contradict themselves or any wayes obscure the cause out of covetousnesse or fear or favour or hatred or any other inordinate passion and affection these directly transgresse against the expresse Words of the Commandement And further let every one know that as he is forbidden here to be a false Witnesse so he is commanded to testifie the truth certainly known unto him in any cause when he is called thereunto and the case of his Neighbour shall require it Nay in some cases we must willingly offer our selves when we understand that by our true and faithfull testimony we may prevent in justice either in clearing and righting the innocent or punishing the guilty The duty of Counsellours in Law § VIII and Advocates who ought to be skilfull in the Law so far as their place requires or else not to undertake the profession is to perswade men to peace if that cannot be done or be not expedient to take full and perfect information before either they give Counsail or undertake the cause If they find it to be unjust they must refuse to meddle in it or manage it They must give good and faithfull Counsail plead wisely justly effectually in a good cause be content with moderate fees remember the condition of poor Clients be faithfull do what they can to bring the matter to a due tryall and with as much expedition as conveniently may be The sins of these are many if they be corrupt or covetous Some take upon them the profession and practise in it though they have no sufficient skil They will undertake any cause though never so unjust their end is gaine not justice their God is their gold They give bad Counsell encourage the Clients to go on in an unjust cause or in such a matter as it 's more then probable they shall be cast if justice take effect They will plead against justice obscure a plaine truth puzzle and daunt a timerous witnesse are senslesse of their Clients condition perfidious will plead vehemently against justice and do what they can to pervert judgement will not use all diligence to promote justice In our judicial proceedings § IX according to the constitution of our government we have Juries or Jurors so called because they are sworn before they can act and in that respect also they are called Sacramentales These are either Delatory or Judiciall Delatory are for information and their businesse is to enquire after Delinquents and to certifie their names and their offences And they are either superiour or inferiour Superiours for a whole County at Assises or Sessions of the peace and this Jury is called the Grand-Inquest Inferiour are such as present and indite in inferiour Courts Judiciall are such as for the substance of the cause determine it for matter of fact before the Judges give the sentence for Law Their judgment is called a Veredict And these according to the causes are such as give their Veredict in civil or Criminal and capitall causes In civil causes belonging to the Common pleas the Judge between subject and subject in criminall betwixt King and subject And because some criminal causes are capiâ—al therefore such as are empaâ—eld and sworn for these are called the Jury for life and death All this makes it evident that amongst us judgement depends much upon these Jurours Their duty in this respect is that according to law they be Boni et legales homines and no wayes chargeable with such crimes as they accuse or judge which words according to the first institution did reach further then we ordinarily conceive It was the wisdome of our Ancestours to appoint these Juryes that every one might be judged per Pares by his Peers and such as were likely to know men best and their quality causes and offences The intention was the preservation ofliberty to prevent the impunity of offenders and to do every one righâ— These must be men of understanding and integrity and must endeavour to be fully informed make just and impartiall presentments and give just and impartiall Verdicts Yet many of these are either unskilfull or unconscionable pact up of such persons as are for the person not the cause wranglers rash carelesse or soul corrupt and so are a great cause why innocent persons are condemned or 〈◊〉 in their cause and the guilty and sometimes such as are polluted with blood are acquitted In judgement also we have Notaries § X and also such as are trusted with the execution The Notaries and keepers of records have their duty prescribed in this Commandement and as they ought to be just and understanding men fitly qualified for their places so they should faithfully and truly record all proceedings from first to last and carefully and safely keep the records They must not be carelesse and negligent much lesse false in altering omitting or falsifying any thing nor unfaithfull in embezeling or making away any thing trusted in their custody Sheriâ—s Bailiffs Pursevants Constables or any imployed in execution must be carefull to give true
be cleansed and purified before he could enter and be admitted into God's Kingdome Yet all the Water in the World had no power nor all the washing with Water could have any such effect as to cleanse from the guilt or stain of sin This power was merited by the Blood of Christ to be exercised by the Spirit Regeneration therefore iâ— signified by washing One end of washing is cleansing and washing may be by dipping diving powring on water The principall thing is washing whatsoever way it be done Therefore Baptism is said to be a washing of water Ephe. 5. 26. The putting away of the fiâ—th of the flesh 1 Pet. 3. 21. The washing of Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. The washing of our bodyes with pure water Heb. 10. 22. It cannot be denyed but that the whole body descending into the water and plunged wholly and after that ascending out of the water again might resemble Christs Death and Resurrection more perfectly Yet neither was this the principal signification nor the immediate end of Baptism But how will it be proved that in Baptism the whole body with the head and all parts were plunged under the waters And suppose some were Baptized so it doth not follow that all ought to be so by vertue of any command All the washings lustrations purifications mysticall and sacred in the Law were contracted in this washing of Baptism The words added to washing with water do complete the Rite § X and make it very solemn The words are these I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost In which words we have 1. The name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost 2. The Baptizing into this name These words containe the Doctrin of One most Glorious God the Father the Son and Holy-Ghost with the great and stupendious works of creation redemption sanctification For that Great Almighty and ever Blessed God created the world by the Word made flesh dying and rising again redeemed mankind and by the Holy-Ghost sanctifies his people And by the Redemption of Christ and sanctification of the Spirit he is the Fountaine and cause of mans eternall happinesse and glorification This Doctrin must be preached heard received believed professed by the party to be baptized if at age by himself if not at age by some other representing him And he must further promise to renounce the Devill and all other Lords to subject himself unto this God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost to obey his Commandements By virtue of this profession and promise when nothing to the contrary is manifest the party is baptizable according to Christs commission But besides these words there must be baptizing in this Name which is understood severall wayes 1. With some in the Name is in and by the authority and power of the Father Son and Holy-Ghost With other it s in this name invocated and called upon And the truth is that Baptism ought to be administred by commission and command from God and with solemn invocation of and prayer unto God With others it is to be by baptizing devoted subjected to God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost as their onely Lord and King in whom the party baptized must believe whom he must worship and obey as his onely supreme Lord and Saviour expecting eternall life from him and him alone With this sense agrees that of such as understand it of baptizing in or unto the Faith which was professed and unto the worship and service of the true God which was promised These words do contain both the duty of man and the promise of God The duty of man is to believe and obey God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the promise of God is to accept him as such and admit him as a subject of his Kingdome to receive the benefits of protection regeneration and eternall life After the Rite consummate § XI follows the effect and the end or according to some the act and that is the confirmation of Regeneration Where we may consider 1. What is confirmed 2. How it is confirmed 1. The thing confirmed is Regeneration By regeneration is meant our first insâ—tiâ— into Christ dying and rising again for us and our first receiving of the remission and the Spirit for sanctification that we may dye unto sin and live unto God and of adoption whereby we are made Sons of God and heires of glory For we are saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Titus 3. 5 6 7. Where we have 1. Washing which is the baptismall rite 2. Regeneration the thing signified sealed or confirmed 3. This regeneration is by the renewing of the Holy-Ghost 4. We have justification by grace 5. Adoption whereby we are made heires of Glory It 's our first ingrafting into Christ for mortification of sin and newnesse of life Rom. 6. 4 5 6. Col. 2. 12. You must take notice that Regeneration Adoption and the state of Justification are onely begun upon our first faith and admission and not finished till the Resurrection And Johns Baptism was for remission upon Repentance and confession of sin Marke 1. 4. with Mat. 3. 6. The manner how this is confirmed is this 1. The party to be baptized by receiving Baptism doth solemnly testifie and as it were Seal and confirme that Faith which he had professed and that promise of submission and obedience he made 2. God by the party baptizing him doth solemnly testifie his admission of the party Baptized into his Kingdome as a Subject thereof to enjoy the priviledges thereof So that the administring on the one side and receiving of Baptism on the other is a deep and mutual engagement and makes the obligation strong on mans side to do his duty on Gods side to perform his promise This is an immediate confirmation of the covenant and promises as a covenant and promises and doth engage to mutual performance for time to come For if there be a performance on both sides there must needs be an actual possession which needs no confirmation If it be said that the performance on mans side is onely begun and so is the performance on Gods side but in part for it is onely full when we fully enjoy eternal glory It 's true that it is so and therefore it 's a confirmation of mans promise of faith and obedience to the end and of Gods promise that when mans performance is perfect His performance shall follow and in due time be full and perfect For the more full and clear understanding of the point we must observe 1. That the Covenant between God and man differs from other ordinary covenants In other covenants the partyes covenanting are equally free from any antecedent obligation in respect of the thing covenanted and the obligation of both partyes
Armour of God use the strength God hath given us take all opportunity to do good avoid the causes and occasions of sin not presume upon our own power humbly rely upon God be patient and continue fighting defend our selves and resist the Enemy unto Death and if we be sometimes worsted and wounded presently renew our Repentance and Faith return unto the Fight again with greater Care and stronger Resolutions make no Truce with the Enemy give him no respight never faint nor intermit the War till Sin be fully and finally subdued in us The words of this Petition do seem to imply that God doth lead us sometimes into temptation and the expression seems strange For God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth He any man Jam. 1. 13. Therefore we must understand the words so As 1. In no wise to think that God doth or can move or induce any man to sin for this cannot any ways stand with His purest Holiness nor with His most Holy Law 2. Yet because nothing can be done or come to pass without His Divine Providence either effecting or permitting or ordering therefore God may be said to lead into temptation because He either permits us to be tempted and neither restrains the Tempter nor prevents the Temptation For if a Sparrow fall not to the ground much less is Man tempted without His Will and Providence 3. God doth put a Man in such a condition as wherein He shall be tempted and the condition it self is such as no ways in it self tends unto sin yet through Man's Negligence or Corruption may be a great occasion of Temptation And so He may be said to tempt per accidens An estate of Peace and Wealth is good yet such is the subtilty of Sathan and the corruption of Man that few in that condition but are tempted and overcome 4. God may be said to lead us into temptation when He for some just canses denies us deliverance from and out of the same For desertions denial of assistance strength and a competent Superiour Degree of both are many times just Juâ—gments of God 5. God many times brings his own Children into an estate of Temptation on purpose to try their Faith and excellent Vertues and so gives them a glorious Victory Yet we must know that God necessitates no Man to sin and if in temptation we be overcome it 's not His but our own fault The last Petition is § XVI Deliver us from evil Some understand this as a branch of the former Petition as indeed it may be in some sense For suppose it to be meant of the evil of afflictions yet even these are called Trials and Temptations Jam. 1. 2. and Satan from these takes occasion and sometimes advantage from them to tempt us Job's afflictions as from Sathan were temptations Some understand by that word Evil Sathan that great Enemy and terrible Adversary Some say that that Evil is the evil of Sin as though we should say unto our Heavenly Father Though thou suffer us to be tempted yet deliver us from the evil of temptation which is Sin Yet the evil of Affliction Tribulation Persecution and the Misery of this life is not in it self sin though Satan and wicked men may seek by these to draw us to sin And whether they be punishments according to the fifth Petition for former sins or chastisements and corrections for future Reformation or Trials of our Faith and Patience yet we must pray that God would sanctifie us in them sanctifie them unto us and wholly and for ever deliver us from them seeing God hath promised to wipe away all tears and make all things new For they are not good in themselves though He by His Wisdom turn them to our good But we cannot be fully happy till wholly freed from them After the Preface and the Body of the Prayer wherein our Saviour teacheth us by whom for whom to whom in what manner for what things we must pray and give thanks follows the Conclusion in these words For thine is the Kingdom Power and Glory Concerning these words § XVII divers things are to be noted 1. That as Grotius and divers others have observed they are not found in the most ancient Greek Copies in Matthew as they are not mentioned in Luke 2. Yet they are found in the Arabick Syriack and Vulgar Latine Translations whereupon He conceives those Translations to be made after the Liturgies of the Churches were brought unto a certain Form 3. Some understand these words so as to contain certain Reasons whereupon we ought to press our Petitions before the Throne of Grace and so move Him to give them For His is the Kingdom which they desire to come His Power alone which can effect these things and the granting of them tends unto and will end in His Glory We may observe in the Prayers of the Scripture that God's Saints did urge and press their Petitions upon God'â— Mercy His Justice His Power and Glory His place of Universal Judge His Promise and Covenant the Justice of their Cause the Iniquity and Cruelty of their Enemies their misery and sad condition their joy and comfort which would follow upon their Deliverance their Relation to Him His former Favours and such like And with these they added Solemn Vows of Reformation Praise and Thanksgiving 4. They may be understood as a Doxologie with which the Apostles and the Church did use to conclude their Prayers And hereof we have many Examples especially in the New Testament and in ancient Liturgies following the Scriptures And as the Preface and the words thereof spoken unto God with humble Aâ—oration is a fit Salutation of our Heavenly Father upon our entrance into His Preâ—ence by it to make way for our Prayers so a Doxologie is a very fit Valediction when we have ended our Prayers and depart as it were from His Presence 5. This Doxologie doth agree in general with others in the Scripture but it 's not to distinct and particular as many of them be which offer and ascribe praiâ—e and glory unto God either in the Name of or by Christ as Ephes. 3. 21. or unto Christ 1 Tim. 6. 16. or to God and the Lamb Christ Jesus Revel 5. 13. That Doxologie Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. was very agreeable to the Scriptures very ancient the Epitome of all other Doxologies and so a Doxologie that it was a Confession of our Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost This seems to be essential to Prayer and to be either implyed or expressed in every Prayer The word Amen is the Epitome of the Prayer summing up the whole and praying it oveâ— again and repeating our desires jointly in one word and in publike Prayers it 's to be uttered by the people by way of answer not onely to signifie the former act of praying all again in one word but also their consent 1 Cor. 14. 16. And it may be
People which the Psalmist prayeth for Psal. 106. 4. The light of God's countenance whereby His frowns are turned into smiles and he looks chearfully upon us 4 This favour is not a fancy and conceit that God doth love us but it 's really and fully manifested in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which God hath given us Rom. 5. 5. 5 As this Emnity begins on Man's part turning away from his God and provoking him so this Peace and Reconciliation begins on God's part in mercy turning unto man 6 As the hatred and displeasure of God and the want of his favour maybe considered as a Penalty and the same removed by Reconciliation so it may belong to Justification and Remission as a branch thereof without which it cannot be perfect 3 The party reconciled is the justified by Faith For being justified by Faith we have peace with God Take this Peace Passively as a benefit and reward received by Man it 's an effect of Justification and may so be called but take it Actively as coming from God it may be a part or degree of Justification essentially included in it For God in justifying in that very act accepts him as a friend and looks not on him as an Enemy It presupposeth the taking away of the general guilt and the removing the great penalty of sin and corruption by restoring the regenerating Spirit For how can man as guilty and polluted with sin and under the dominion of Corruption be a subject of this special love and favour According to the Scriptures and His Eternal Laws He cannot possibly be such God may so love Man when he is his Enemy as to give his Son for him and his Spirit to take away the cause of this Emnity but to love him with this special love as such is impossible For this Reconciliation necessarily presupposth the cause of the Emnity not as to be taken away but as taken away already Otherwise God should love those whom He hates as He hates them and be well pleased with those that lye under his fearful displeasure 4 We have this peace by Jesus Christ our Lord for by whom we have Justification by Him we have Reconciliation We find two degrees of this Reconciliation and both by Christ. For so the Apostle informs us For saith He God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation Now we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. By which words we easily understand that the Foundation of this Reconciliation was laid in Christ's suffering For even then God did not impute our sins to us but unto him and punished them in him for us For He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be the Righteousness of God in him Ibid. ver 21. And if this first Reconciliation had not been made and so God made propitious the second had never followed Again if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life And not onely so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement Rom. 5. 10 11. Where we may observe that the first degree of Reconciliation 1 Was by Christ's Death The 2 By his life when we are justifyed For by His Death He merited it and by His life and intercession procures the actual enjoyment of it The first is Reconciliation made The second Reconciliation and Atonement received and both by Christ who reconciled us to God both Jew and Gentile in one Body by the Cross having slain the Emnity thereby And came and preached Peace to them which were afar off and to them that were nigh For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father Ephes. 2. 3 12. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by Faith in Him Ephes. 3. 12. So that by Christ we have this Peace with God For by his death he averts the Wrath and Displeasure of God and merits his favour He by his Ambassadours preacheth Peace and beseecheth us to be reconciled and so by his Word and Spirit converts us He by his intercession takes us by the hand and brings us before the Throne of Grace as though He were the Master of Ceremonies and Admissionate of Heaven and presents us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight as washed in His Blood believed upon Col. 1. 22. Upon this Reconciliation it follows that we cease 1 To be Enemies 2 To be Strangers 3 To be Neutrals 4 We are Friends Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Family of God This Reconciliation makes the state of the Reconciled very happy and it 's an unspeakable mercy as may appear 1 From the sad condition of Cain when he was driven from God's presence and others in his case from the Lamentations and Complaints of God's Servants when he did hide his face absent himself withdraw his Spirit and in anger as it were cover himself with a Cloud that their Prayers could not pass through and be heard By their Deprecations of God's anger least they should be cast out of his presence and his Holy Spirit taken from them From the unspeakable joy and consolation which did diffuse it self and warm their hearts upon this Reconciliation and return of the Spirit after their penitent and importunate Prayers For as it 's lost by sin so it 's regained by Repentance and Faith We seek the love and favour of great ones and fear their frowns But what are their frowns to God's displeasure or their love unto his favour which is the Fountain of Eternal joy A third degree of Justification § III which reacheth Salvation and toucheth Eternal Life immediately is that which the Gospel calleth Adoption whereby those who were no Sons believing in Christ are made the Sons and Heirs of God and joint-Heirs with Christ of Glory Where we must observe 1 How this Adoption agrees with Justification and differs from Regeneration and Reconciliation 2 What the nature of this Adoption is 3 Who they are that are Adopted 4 What the condition of the Adopted is 1. It agrees with Justification as a part or degree thereof as it doth remove a great penalty and so the guilt which Justification properly doth The guilt and penalty you shall know hereafter It differs from Regeneration because that gives onely a nâ—w life of Grace and Sanctification altering our disposition And this new Being and Life might be given us without a further Dignity and Title to an Heavenly Inheritance It 's true that if God beget us again and renew us we may be said to be His Sons yet it doth not follow that if we be Sons only in that sense that therefore we are Heirs though if we be adopted Sons