the abundance of light and grace which it affordeth Do we not count the last Adam stronger than the first Is not he able to cast down all the strong holds all the towring imaginations which flesh and blood though tainted in the womb can set up against him And therefore if we be truly what we profess our selves Christians this weakness cannot hurt us and if it hurt us it is because we are not Christians To conclude If in Adam we were all lost in Christ we are come home and brought nearer to heaven Et post Jesum Christum when we have given up our names unto Christ and profest our selves Members of that mystical Body whereof he is the Head all our complaints of weakness and disability to move in our several places are vain and unprofitable and injurious to the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation Ro. 1 16. And a gross and dangerous errour it is when we run on and please our selves in our evil ways to complain of our hereditary infirmities and the weakness and imperfection of Nature for God may yet breath his Complaints and Expostulations against every Son of Adam that will not turn Though you are weak though you have received a bruise by the Fall of your first Parents yet in me is your strength and then Why will ye die O house of Israel Hos 13.5 Dr. Spencer of Prodigies Praef. Religion is easily concluded a great adversary to a true generousness and universal freedom of spirit and that its whole business is to subdue the Spirits of men to some cold and little observances Generousness pale and feminine fears Hence men quickly grow weary of it as of a yoak that continually galls them and conclude themselves gainers if they may but purchase manhood with Atheism Id. ib. Religion is not to be dallied with non patitur ludum fides Pious frauds as Strong-waters do the body may perhaps help religion in a fit but if used familiarly disable the native heat and strength thereof Hay and stubble laid upon a good foundation such I count well-meant forgeries in Religion will catch fire and consume at last and leave a great stain and soil upon the foundation As it reports Religion a system of some pitiful rites sneaking and beggarly Elements Elements there is nothing more effectually inclines subtil minds to Atheism as the evaporating religion into a multitude of touchy and critical modes and observations which cannot command reverence to themselves before discerning minds which soon see through them they are so thin and aery Id. ib. No two things do so usurp and waste the faculty of Reason as Enthusiasm and Superstition the one binding a faith the other a fear upon the Soul Pessimum est plane pestis tabes Intellectûs si vanis accedat veneratio Id. ib. p. 10. When our Saviour came into the world the Religion of the greatest part of it through the agency of the Devil ran out into a multitude of little rites weak observations bodily postures And he appoints a Religion directly opposite plain simple rational life and spirit whose main design was to employ and perfect the mind and spirit of a man And can it be thought that heaven and hell now touch each other so far that we must borrow the measures of our biggest fears and hopes and motives to Repentance from the Ethnick Divinity or from the Jewish Rites in which if there had been aliquid sani to be sure the Devil would have hindred its gaining so great a regard as it did among his Votaries must we look for such a Jewel as the intimations of the Counsels of Wisdom are in the dunghil of obscene and monstrous Births c. Id. ib. p. 11. God was pleased heretofore suitable to the Nonage of the Church to address himself very much to the lower faculties of the Soul Phancy and Imagination accordingly we find Prophesies delivered Nonage of the Church in vehement and unusual schemes of speech such as are greatly adapted to strike and affect imagination Christ was pro-raised as one speaks sub magnificis admirationem facientibus ideis the mysteries of the Gospel were held forth in most splendid types and symbols and the Law of God forc't upon the spirits of men heretofore by the terrours of a thundering heaven and a burning Mountain and speedy vengeance upon the despisers thereof The spirits of good men carried out to actions and tempers beyond their natural capacities by the pregnant and vigorous Impresses of the divine Spirit and the fears of the Church excited and her faith assisted by many signs and wonders the withdrawing whereof the Church bewails they all vanishing at the light of Divine Revelation prevailed as Stars do upon the approach of the day-light But they which talk of and look for any such vehement expressions of Divinity now mistake the temper and condition of that Oeconomy which the appearance of our Saviour hath now put us under Wherein all things are to be managed in a more sedate cool and silent manner in a way suited to and expressive of the temper our Saviour discovered in the World Who caused not his voice to be heard in the streets Is 42.2 and to the condition of a reasonable Being made to be managed by steady and calm Arguments and the words of Wisdom heard in quiet in a smooth and serene temper the mysteries of the Gospel come forth cloathed in sedate and intelligible forms of speech The minds of men are not now drawn into extasie Eccles 9.17 by any such vehement and great examples of Divine power as attended the lower and more servile state of the World The Miracles our Saviour wrought were of a calm and gentle nature curing the blind restoring the sick and lame not causing of thunder and storms as Samuel but appeasing them Matth. 16.1 None of them such as the Jews called for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signs from heaven such prodigious and affrighting thunders and fires which attended the delivery of the Law and the Spirit of Elijah Indeed the Veil of the Temple was rent the Sun dreadfully eclips't the Earth terribly shaken at his death but these astonishing wonders were made use of as his last reserve to conquer the prejudices of an obdurate people upon whom his more gentle and obliging instances of divine Majesty made no impression and perhaps these prodigious changes in Nature were intended as Prophetick Emblems of the great change shortly to ensue in heaven the way and worship of Religion and earth the powers and kingdoms of the World by the power and doctrine of the Person Heb. 12.26 27 who then died upon the Cross The mighty rushing wind at Pentecost which was issued in a soft and lambent fire upon the heads of the first preachers of the Gospel was possibly a figure of that more vehement and terrible state of the Law which usher'd the way for and was determined in the more sedate and gentle
his friends a Rod of Iron for his enemies Christ's most glorious rule is in Heaven therefore after his Resurrection his first work was to send his Ambassadours to preach his Kingdom to every Creature As my Father hath sent me so send I you Whos 's sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retained Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And after his Ascension he sent down the Holy Ghost with great power to work wisdom and Miracles When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave gifts unto men In Christs life time upon Earth the Holy Ghost was not given and the reason was because Christ was not yet glorified This Mission of the Spirit being the most glorious administration of his Kingdom when the great Wisdoms and Powers of the World were not able to resist the wisdom and power of his Spirit by which his Disciples spake When the foolishness of God was wiser than the wisdom of men and the weakness of God was stronger than the power of men SECT II. Corol. Thus Christ considered as a Mediator is the Conditional Heir of all things under God And so Christians as Christians are the Conditional Heirs of all things under Christ Thus God Covenanted with Christ to give him a Kingdom but he must get it by Conquest according to the nature of a Feudal kingdom So God Covenants with Christians to give them a kingdom with Christ and under Christ but they must get it by Conquest The kingdom of Heaven must be pressed into and the violent take it by force and no otherwise The good fight of Faith must be fought out before we can lay hold upon the Crown of Righteousness So the Children of Israel had the kingdom of Canaan given them but they must fight for it before they could be put in possession And this is the true nature of getting and of keeping a Feudal Kingdom SECT III. Christs New way of conquest Thus a New way had Christ of conquering by Obedience and Sufferings So do Christians conquer by Self denial Love of enemies Patient suffering for Righteousness sake outward force against force and learning against learning and policy against policy may clash together like rocks of equal force and come off from each other safe and as strong as ever but when Weakness is advanced against Power in the Name of God and Simplicity and Innocence against Learning and deep Policy then is the mighty Power of God discovered Who sees not as man sees nor judges according to outward appearance Whose wayes are not like mans waies but of another fashion Christ is the Heir of all things therefore God covenanted with Christ as the Testator covenants with his Heir to enjoy his Inheritance upon such terms as to convey part of his Estate to such or such Legates or Co-heirs So the Promise was made to Christ that it might be sure to all the Seed for in Christ the Promises of God are Yea and Amen And therefore if God covenanted with Christ he hath also covenanted with his Seed Behold I and the Children which God hath given me Of those whom thou hast given me have I lost none for they are mine and I am thine SECT IV. And this is all that can be made of the Covenant of Grace Covenant of Grace and this is conditional which some make absolute contrary to the nature of a Covenant If a Covenant therefore be conditional with Christ how can it be absolute with Christians Thus they confound and perplex all things A Donative may be absolute a Testament may be absolute a Law or Constitution may be absolute a Promise may be absolute but a Pact or Covenant is upon some condition and the non-performance of the Condition dissolves the Pact and brings in a penalty of forfeiture And such a Condition there is in Gods Testament namely Faith and Repentance which some make the Effect or Means or they know not what If so then the main point of the Scriptures must be quite laid aside or quite expunged Because the whole Tenour of the Scriptures runs along clear contrary If thou believest thou shalt be saved Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand c. This is to have and to hold of God in Fide So God gives his Estate first to Christ to have and to hold of him in Fee Secondly to Christians to have and to hold of Christ in Fee This is free Grace and the more free because of meer grace and upon such noble terms as 1. To have all good of God 2. To hold all good of God 3. To do all good of God and for God As for conceits of Merit in this case they are vain and idle speculations producing aery notions and words without knowledge which darken the counsel of the wisdom of God SECT V. Thus Christ shares all things with Christians Christ shares with Christians 1. Christ shares his Holiness with them For therefore he hath anointed himself that we might be anointed with him and by him of whose fullness we all receive and grace for grace 2. Christ shares his Sufferings with Christians We fill up that which is behind of the Sufferings of Christ for his Body's sake which is the Church Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye In as much as ye did it unto them ye have done it unto me And Christ is crucified in his members 3. Christ shares his Victory with Christians In him and through him we are more than Conquerors I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord. We shall bruise Satan under every one of our feet This is our victory whereby we overcome the World even our Faith Thus Christ could not have the benefit of Gods Promise on Gods part till he had performed the condition on his part And how then can Christians expect the benefit of the Promise on Gods part except they perform the condition on their part 1. Christs Condition was Obedience and Sufferings 2. Gods Reward was Resurrection Kingdom and Glory 3. Christians Condition is Faith Repentance and Sufferings 4. Gods Reward is Resurrection and Eternal life By Christs death though faith is our Justification 1. From sin to righteousness 2. From bondage to adoption By Christs Resurrection through faith is our Justification 1. From death to life 2. From Jus ad Rem to Jus in Re. 4. Christ shares his kingdom and Priesthood with Christians Christ the principal Heir Christ the chief Priest And Christians are all Kings and Priests with him by him and under him In my Fathers house are many Mansions I go before to prepare a place for you that where I am there ye might also be If I be lifted
by the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God in them If there be other Traditions without writing they also for the main agree with the Traditions written but some circumstances may differ and some must needs be lost in both But still the Traditions in Writing must needs be the surest and most lasting wherefore God himself wrote the two Tables with his own hand and commanded Moses to write the rest for a perpetual Record As for Traditions without writing they must needs be more hazardous because of the shortness of mens lives the weakness and varieties of mens apprehensions and memories the Interest of parties c. Nor are Writings impregnable but in the changes of times if they escape the fire and other ruines they cannot escape the ignorance and perversness of Scribes But God hath hitherto among both Jews and Christians secured the main Oracles written and unwritten and will secure them for ever SECT III. As for an exact Representation of the holy Catholick Church it cannot easily be imagined either in the Head thereof which is Christ Representative Church there being no express warrant for such a Representative Head or in the Members for such a Representative Body For who can represent the mind of Christ but the Spirit of Christ which is in him or who can represent the mind of Christians but the Spirit of Christians which is in them For Christ will not needs not come in Person to declare his will because he hath sufficiently done it already and Christians cannot meet all together to declare their will because there are most in Heaven from whence it is impossible for them to come and the rest are in all parts of the World from whence it is little less than impossible they should gather together and if they should they would all agree most certainly in the same Faith and Holiness but in Forms and Circumstances they could not And besides there would be Hypocrites among them do what they can for all that Profess have not faith And moreover men as men have various conceptions apprehensions and reasonings and languages and humors and interests And words are too few for things and are ambiguous and Idioms are diverse and there will be mistakes and there is no help for it and few have the true Arts of right reasoning therefore in these cases they must be contented to bear one with another and keep the peace well enough We may thank God that he hath left us the Scriptures and they are sufficient for salvation and be contented and judge as well as we can So men are fain to do in Civil Laws with some helps of Judges because mens Laws are not so plain as they should be but Gods are and they must rest satisfied with what they know till God shall come in into them by farther discoveries upon their honest search and endeavours after saving truth But still where scruples are some body must determine Some body must determine because of practice and because of peace I mean in matters of Discipline and so people must be contented though not satisfied but in Faith and a good Conscience every one knows sufficiently and every one is satisfied So in a Ship the Pilot must steer as well as he can though he may fail and some body else may know better For every one hath liberty to judge for himself but not altogether to act for himself much less for others That 's left to Governours who are as Gods yet they may erre as men it being Gods Prerogative only to know all good and evil and yet under God we must be guided by them who with reverence and godly fear do determine hard cases as the Turkish Mufti who when consulted to give his Judgment sets it down in writing and subscribes modestly This is my Judgment but God knows better And now what would the World have or what can they have more than they have and why will they not be contented with what they have and God thinks fit for them to have Why call they for a Judg when God is their Judge as the Israelites called for a King when God was their King This is to reject the Judgment and Government of God and trust to the judgment and government of Men and to have greater assurance than God thinks fit to allow them Pride There is an itch of Power in all this in the Clergy that are forbidden by their Master to seek after Greatness and leave the care and government of the Church and Commonwealth to Kings and Princes to whom it is committed to be Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers of Gods People Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers Let them give their Advice to Kings humbly and teach their People truly and give them good Examples and they have done their duty God is not will not be wanting to his People for soul or body for this life or for a better But still the noise of an Earthly Judg rings in mine ears and I cannot be quiet for it And the sound thereof takes with the Vulgar and they are too willing to be cheated and some body thereby gets no small advantage O good God when shall we be at peace A Faction a stream of Worldly-mindedness and glory runs high The true Spirit of Christianity is lowly and lovely and quiet and looks up to God in the midst of all distractions What should poor Souls do but trust to their good God and be silent acquaint themselves with him and be at peace Calumnies They tell us we have no Church we are without a Head we have no Shepherd no Guide no Assurance we are utterly lost and out of the bosom of the Church c. Soft and fair Are we not Men have we not our reason and senses about us have we not Faith and a good Conscience within us What should we have more They that have ears to hear let them hear We will speak for our selves once more O ye that call your selves the Darlings of God the only True Church give us leave to own the same God and Faith with you and God will own us we doubt not whether you will own us or no. We are men and Christians still for all you our Senses and Judgments and Wills are our own still for all you There is Grace sufficient for us and you notwithstanding all your Anathema's and Curses against us Though you curse yet we bless All the Evidences cannot be on your side we have something to say for our Religion as well as you Scriptures The Scriptures of God we say under God are our Judges We go to the Law and to the Testament of God These you say are not Evident they are dead letters they cannot speak We say that the mind of God in them is a living letter and the Spirit speaks in them and is to be trusted to when the Spirits of men fail and are not to be trusted We understand
the Language of the Scripture and the Sense thereof and therefore may be understood and they that give their minds to it are found able to express themselves in it very well to the great comfort of themselves and others Obj. But how shall I partake of Christ and the Benefits of his Death Passion and Resurrection Sol. By the easie and only way of Credence Acceptation Covenanting and keeping Faith with God agreeable to the mind of the Spirit and renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil Care must be taken for the Soul more than for the Body If God had asked some great thing must thou not have done it How much more when he saith Believe only and thou shalt be saved Ask and you shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you If there be first a willing mind it is accepted of God according to what a man hath and not according to what a man hath not If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature And God giveth his holy Spirit to those that ask him So Christ by his Death and Resurrection hath externally conquered Sin Law and Death for all men So Christ by his Spirit doth internally conquer Sin Law and Death in every believing Soul and creates inherent holiness therein So by Faith the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God by Grace and Adoption as Christ is by Nature and Generation So by the Spirit of Faith we are inherently sanctified in Love and Good Works which maintains and upholds our Justification by Faith So Imputed Righteousness by Faith is our external Righteousness of the Spirit of Righteousness or Justification to Eternal Life So our Inherent Righteousness by Works is the inward Sanctification of the Spirit of Holiness In all this Book I have laboured to demonstrate Christ's Mediation between God and us especially as he is an High Priest I. In the outward Temple on Earth preparing himself for a Sacrifice by the sufferings and death of his Flesh II. In the inward Temple of Heaven by finishing the Sacrifice in the oblation of his blood to God He entred into the out ward Temple by his Birth and there he suffered and died He went out of the outward Temple by his Resurrection He entred into the Inward Temple by his Ascension and there he ministers as a Priest 1. By offering or presenting himself unto God by his Eternal Spirit 2 By Intercession at the Right hand of God 3. By Teaching and instructing of his Church 4. By Protecting and ruling by his Spirit He shall come out of the Inward Temple at the last day 1. To Judg of all that are capable of the Inheritance devised by God in his last Will. 2. To Admit and give Possession as an Executor of God's Testament 3. To give up the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be all in all The Head being thus entred into Heaven gives assurance for the Members to follow after In the mean time 1. They have a Right to enter 2. They do enter by Faith 3. They wait by Hope for a full entrance The Soul waits after death in Paradise Abraham's Bosome The Body waits in Corruption No Oblation ever pleased God but this of Christ No Oblation pleased God but Christ's Because Pure and Holy High and Heavenly and prepared by God himself For 1. The Person is heavenly that offers 2. The Sacrifice is heavenly that is offered 3. The Spirit is heavenly by which it is offered 4. God is heavenly to whom it is offered 5. The Place is heavenly wherein it is offered 6. The Blessings are heavenly for which it is offered Dead Sacrifices were fit for the Dead Law Living Sacrifices fit for the Living Law Earthly Sacrifices were fit for the Earthly Law Heavenly Sacrifices fit for the Heavenly Gospel No True Priest Altar Sacrifice or Temple but Christ We are Priests have Altars Sacrifices and Temples but all in Christ and in his stead do all offer all in his Name All was Earthly Typical and Carnal under the Law All is Heavenly Mystical and Spiritual under the Gospel 1. Baptism is the sprinkling of the Soul with the blood of Christ and the washing of the Holy Ghost 2. Communion is the Spiritual eating of the Flesh and drinking of the blood of Christ by Faith 3. Prayer is the Act of the Soul towards God 4. Conversation is in Heaven 5. The Kingdom of God is within us ruling and subduing our Lusts 6. The Kingdom of God is above us Triumphing 7. The Temple of God is within us in our Souls and Bodies offered a Living Sacrifice to God 8. Temple of God is above us in Heaven with Christ Every one that comes to God must offer Every one that comes to God must offer 1. Christ comes to God and offers Himself 2. Christians come to God and offer Themselves Religion is an Offering to God of our selves our Goods and Actions Atheism makes no acknowledgment by offering to God either our Selves our Goods or Actions Atheists live and die to themselves without God in the World All that offer in Christ are accepted of God for Christ's sake All that offer to God and all that is offered to God must be pure as God is pure Offering is an Acknowledgment of Subjection of Thankfulness of Liberality To God to Princes to Priests that are in God's stead Christian Religion most Spiritual and Glorious The Christian Religion is most spiritual and glorious 1. Christ the Author of it is God and Man Humbled in Sufferings and Death Exalted in Resurrection Ascention and Session at the Right Hand of God 2. The Gospel of Christ is the full Revelation of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and the most perfect Rule of Holiness 3. Christ's kingdom is over all inwardly in our hearts outwardly over our bodies and over all creatures 4. By Christ a new Creation new Heavens and a new Earth and new creatures 5. Christians are sons and heirs of God abstracted from Jewish and Heathenish Rites and from all carnal and profane conversation pilgrims strangers on earth wise to salvation pious to God righteous to men perfect as God is perfect Christianity is quite another thing than the World takes it to be 1. No carnal worship therein Altars Masses Idols Pilgrimages Reliques Sackcloth Ashes Whippings Crosses c. Exotick Paganish 2. No worldly Policy therein Infallibility Supremacy Miracles Pomps c. Cheats Spirituality Innocency Heavenly-mindedness Simplicity Obedience Love Quietness Chastity Temperance Patience Prudence Meekness Faith Hope c. are the Laws and Customs of the Church The scandal and shame of the Cross offends the World but was endured and despised by Christ and is endured and despised by Christians having an eye as Christ had to the recompense of the Reward and to the price of the High Calling
Sacrifices and Services that are acceptable unto God He is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 3. Because he qualifies all our Sacrifices and Services through his Perfection all our Imperfections are hid and covered 4. Because he only made an Attonement for the sins of the Whole World Christians true Sacrificers and Priests II. Christians are True Sacrificers and Sacrifices in their Bodies and Souls offered as living Sacrifices which is their reasonable service not of themselves nor by themselves but in Christ and by Christ 1. Because Christ is the Head of the Church 2. Because Christians are the Body All are offered by Christ the Priest and Christians Priests all suffering together Christ for us and we under him for our selves to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ for his Bodie 's sake which is the Church Decrees III. We are told of a Decree and of Decrees 1. Of Absolute Election from all Eternity Christ's Doing and Suffering 2. Of Christ's doing and suffering all that is to be done or suffered for our sins to pacifie God's Wrath and Merit Happiness Our Doing and Suffering 3. Of our doing nothing and suffering nothing what think we Is Faith nothing are Hope and Love and Good Works and Tribulations all nothing and just nothing True we and all our Faith and Love and Good Works and Afflictions are all nothing and worse than nothing in themselves and out of Christ considered but in Christ and for his sake Christ hath made them something yea and all acceptable to God too and rewardable too by God for his sake Reasons 1. Because they are Spiritual Acts and Spiritual Acts are pleasing to the Father of Spirits as 1. Killing of Lusts and corrupt Affections 2. Consuming them 3. Offering up holy desires to God 2. Because they keep the Covenant of Faith with God 3. Because they flow from an habit of Holiness to justifie true Faith in God 4. Because they do good to Men. 5. Because they obtain Reconciliation with God I do not say they procure or purchase or merit it at God's hands but that they obtain or receive it at the hands of God for the Worthiness of Christ 6. Because they are the weightier Duties of the Law Tithes of Mint and Cummin Sacrifices Offerings and other Rites were the weighty duties of the Law of Moses But Justice and Judgment and Mercy are the far weightier services of the two these must and ought to be done but not to leave the rest undone So Prayer Alms Fasting Hearing Preaching Praising Communicating Baptizing c. are the weighty duties of the Law of Christ but Mortification Crucifying Self-denying Regeneration New Creation c. are the far weightier services of the two these must and ought to be done and not to leave the other undone And these must first and last be done leave all the rest undone till this be done Leave thy gift at the Altar and go and first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come again and offer what thou hast to offer Wash your hands ye Sinners and purifie your hearts ye Double-minded and then come and offer a spiritual offering Offer to God Thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the Most High and this is better than a Bullock that hath horns and hoofs Obedience is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the Fat of Lambs Go learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice 1. So then there is a God that is offended Corollaries 2. So then there must be a coming before this God to answer for those offences 3. Outward Sacrifices of Bulls and Goats of old and other services of Circumcision Sabbaths c. when brought before him could not do the deed 4. Outward Sacrifices among us Christians as of Prayer Sacraments c. when brought before him cannot do the deed 5. But Christ's Sacrifice of himself once offered to God through his Eternal Spirit in Heaven hath done the deed by his merit 6. And Christians Sacrifices of themselves often offered to God through Christ's Spirit in Earth do the deed by our duty I. See then what true Religion and the power of Godliness is Pure Religion and undefiled before God is this for a man to visit the fatherless and widow in their distress and to keep himself unspotted from the world The rest are but the forms and outsides of Religion 1. As among the Jews Sacrifices and Oblations Tithes Fasts Feasts Sabbaths Circumcision Passover Washings c. 2. As among Christians Prayers Praises Preaching Sacraments Fasts Feasts Offerings Penances Burnings Prostrations c. The Substance is Spiritual Prayer Communicating Fasting Feasting Justice Equity Mercy Humility c. II. The Christian Law requires more than any Positive Law Justice is the most that any Positive Law besides requires but Mercy to our very Enemies and purity of heart and poorness of Spirit c. no Law but this doth urge Called the Law of Love and Grace a Law above all other Laws III. 'T is good but Law living according to the Law of bare Nature as 1. To defend ones self 2. To nourish young 3. To do no wrong Natural Justice and Love IV. 'T is good but Law living according to the Positive Law of Nations as 1. Suum cuique tribuere to give every one his own 2. Neminem laedere to hurt no body 3. Honestè vivere to live honestly Positive Law These are good steps to farther Justice of Equity Grace and Mercy And yet but a small matter V. 'T is good and high living according to the Law of Christ in the Gospel as 1. To love our Enemies 2. To offer Life and all for Truth 3. To do Equity and Mercy c. This is that that God requires of all The Christian Law This is Perfection Covet after the best Gifts But behold I shew unto you a more excellent way This is above all Law Super-Justice VI. A Rebuke 1. To all Rigor and Extremity of Law 2. To all carelesness of others sufferings and wrongs Who cares what becomes of all Miserable persons Let them starve or hang or damn they care not A merciless Spirit worse than an unjust spirit No bowels nor yernings nor pity that 's a hard case VII A Rebuke to all formal Religion as 1. In outward Ceremonies 2. In outward acts of Justice Honesty and Love Opus operatum trusting in the Work done 3. In sinful compliances and worldly correspondencies for friends gain honour and favour fair shews complements no real honesty or love Worldly policy VIII Rebuke of Pride as 1. For Honour and Greatness 2. For Riches and Estate 3. For Power and Prowess 4. For Beauty 5. For Learning and Wisdom 6. For Wit and Cunning. Worldly Pride We are all fellow creatures we are all partakers of the same Grace without merit or desert we have nothing but what we have received there is no respect of persons with God IX Many a habit
of sinful Love must be digged up by the roots before we can come to plant the habit of Divine Love Justice Mercy or Humility in our hearts There must be mortification of lusts self-love love of the World pride of life we must go out of our selves renounce the World before in the place of these evil Habits we can get a habit of pure love to God to our selves to our neighbours to our enemies And all this for God's sake for goodness sake if there were no other reward for the glory of God for the good of our selves for the good of the Church for the good of Mankind Contractio Causae 1. All Religion is Love Spiritual 1. Sorrow for Sin and hatred of it 2. Satisfaction to God offended 3. Reformation of life 4. Love of Justice Mercy Humility 5. Love of God 6. Love of Soul 7. Love of Heaven To be spiritually minded is life and peace If ye walk after the Spirit ye shall live The things that are not seen are Eternal We live by Faith We mind heavenly things We set our affections on Heaven 2. All Irreligion is Love Carnal 1. Delight in Sin and love of it 2. Dissatisfaction to and contempt of God offended 3. Continuance and increase in Evil. 4. Love of Injustice Cruelty and Pride 5. Hatred of God 6. Love of Body 7. Love of World To be carnally minded is Death If ye walk after the Flesh ye shall dye The things that are seen are but temporal We live by Sense We mind earthly things We set our affections on Earth Now after all this If to live spiritually be impossible why then doth God command it An impossible command is no command Why do we Preach it God should mock us to bid us do that which he hath not given us power to do We should be found lyars like Aegyptian Task-Masters to exact the number Bricks and not allow materials But if to live Spiritually be possible Why then do we not live so and how shall we answer it to God and Men and to our own consciences our consciences will condemn us and good men will condemn us and God who is greater than our consciences and all the World will condemn us much more The great objection against pure Religion is That the flesh is weak Object original sin is strong temptations are many and vehement The Devil is subtil the World hates and persecutes strongly We profess against all these Answ and if we would strive as much against them we might overcome all these If there were faith and hope of a Resurrection to Glory it would work a victory over Sin World and Devil and with God's help nothing should be impossible unto us This was typified by Pharaoh the Red Sea the Wilderness the Anakims Giants the Towns walled up to Heaven yet all these were overcome These things are written for our instruction that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope We can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth us We shall be more than conquerors and bruise Satan under our feet If God be with us who shall be against us Only be valiant and of a good courage and stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. But once more before I take off my Pen let me contemplate Christ our Mediator in all his Offices 1. A Priest sacrificing himself on the Altar of his Cross Christ a Priest So is a Christian crucified with Christ dying daily filling up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ We bear in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus because we are his Members of his Flesh and of his Bones We have put on Christ and Christ is in us and we in him St. Chrysostome is not ashamed to call Christ's sufferings his sufferings Christ himself saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou me In as much as ye do it to any of these Little ones ye do it unto me We are baptized with the baptism of Christ and drink of his Cup. His Cross is ours and ours is Christ's we are to look upon all the sufferings of Christ's members as the sufferings of the head for the body is one and all parts suffer together our members are the members of Christ our bodies the Temples of the Holy Ghost we are in Christ and Christ in us he suffered in his Person we suffer in our persons we take up his Cross We men as Priests with him sacrifice our selves with him in him and by him who sacrificed himself for us as God and Man Christ quickened by his Eternal Spirit 2. Christ quickened his Body by his Eternal Spirit and so entred into the holy place to offer up himself by the same Spirit unto God once for all men so Christians have their Bodies quickned by the Spirit of Christ and so enter with him and by him into the holy place to offer up themselves unto God and are accepted by him for Christ his sake So we are in Christ crucifying and killing our selves that is our sins in the bodies of our sinful flesh so we are in Christ offering up our quickned bodies without sin in the Holy place where no unclean thing can ever enter following him who hath made way for us that where he is there we might also be for he being lifted up draws all men after him and where the carcass is there will the Eagles be gathered together Thus are we Priests to sacrifice and offer with Christ both in Heaven and Earth Christ a Prophet 3. Christ a Prophet leading us into all truth and opening unto us the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven that we might be Prophets to teach in his Name that men and Angels might know the wonderful dispensations of the Kingdom of Heaven This is the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the World so all the Lord's people are Prophets speaking the wonderful things of God Christ a King 4. Christ a King ruling in our hearts and subduing all our enemies and covering us with everlasting glory so do we rule by his Spirit over all our lusts which else would rule in our mortal bodies and so do we subdue our enemies and bruise Satan under every one of our feet and through him that strengtheneth us are more than conquerors triumphing over the World the Flesh and the Devil and reigning with Christ in his everlasting Kingdom All this is by virtue of our union with Christ espousing his sufferings and glories to us As Man and Wife are one flesh so Christ and his Church are one Spirit bone living dying rising ascending and sitting together in heavenly places as Priests Prophets and Kings for ever such honour have all his Saints Thus hath our Mediator bought us to himself and with himself unto God to be like unto him in his humiliation and exaltation which is the glorious estate of God's Children ordained to them in his last Will and Testament confirmed executed and performed